"Your buddy calm down yet?" Hermione asked after Tony hung up the phone. Her brother sighed wearily and dropped onto the couch next to her.

"Rhodey's getting a lot of heat from the Joint Chiefs over the security breach and not noticing it sooner. SHIELD's security council also refuses to give them access to you, which has pissed them off further," Tony answered, running his hand over his face. "No doubt MACUSA is also stopping them, which of course means he's become more suspicious of you."

"It's been a month, you think he'd let it go," Hermione commented, as she studied the business plans in front of her.

"Which is exactly why you don't just blurt out classified information," Hermione reminded him, earning a half hearted glare from Tony.

"So you've said," Tony muttered. "I still don't see why you had to jinx me again."

"Because you deserved it, and Fury insisted."

He's stubborn," Tony said, shrugging. "Particularly when he believes he's right. Can't say I really blame him."

"Yes, well this is why you don't just blurt out information," Hermione muttered petulantly.

"As you've said," Tony said. "Did you really have to jinx me again?"

"Fury insisted."

"He'll get over it eventually," Tony said. "I'm sure Rhodey will come around too. In the meantime, let's focus on Operation Munchkinland."

"I cannot believe you named it that," Hermione said as Tony brought their project up on the wall sized computer screen.

"What? It's perfect Glinda," Tony insisted as he focused on the screen in front of them. "Right so here's our timeline. Where are we on infrastructure?"

"We closed on the muggle warehouse this week and since it's considered a revitalization project we were awarded a few tax breaks for the business once we open," Hermione answered while Tony updated the spreadsheet.

"How about the building in Diagon Alley?"

"It's officially under my name and the Wardmaster owled me his report earlier today," Hermione said, rummaging through a stack of parchment for it. "Here it is, apparently the shared wall between the two buildings doesn't have a single ward protecting it."

"How is that possible?" Tony asked, looking at her in surprise. "When we viewed the building we couldn't see the upper levels of the warehouse from Diagon."

"The report says the wards start on the roof of the building and only cover the warehouse. The good news is that we won't need permits to alter the wards protecting the alley, but we need the construction to be completed as soon as possible," Hermione said, setting the report down.

"I'm guessing the consequences of owning those buildings and having the government discover the breach of security would be pretty dire," Tony muttered. "Does the wardmaster have to report it?"

"No, he's licensed with the French ministry. I'll owl him and the MACUSA architect that we need them to begin the project tomorrow."

"Alright, how's the hiring process coming along?"

"Our department heads are all hired and each have signed a non-disclosure agreement to prevent leaks," Hermione said as Tony pulled up their applicant list. "Most of the Americans we hired have secured work visas and are currently looking for property. The rest of our hires are already British citizens. Once we've got the building up and running we'll be able to hire more people."

"Perfect. Now since we're moving the London offices once the warehouse is renovated, I want to move SI headquarters there too," Tony said, earning a confused look from Hermione.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Glinda, you're going to be spending the majority of your time here getting the division set up and then maintaining it," Tony answered. "We've already planned to have the renovations include living quarters, and I can do everything I already do from here."

"Tony, the contract I signed with SHIELD means I have to live in the States," Hermione pointed out. "Even with magical transportation a daily international commute wouldn't work."

"Your contract only says you have to 'maintain a residence," Tony corrected. "Considering Stark Tower has several living quarters, we'll just inform Fury that you've moved in."

"You want to risk this based on a technicality?" Hermione asked, bemusement filling her voice.

"Well that and the concept of 'don't ask for permission, ask for forgiveness. Besides it'll make it easier for you to fulfill your liaison position. So what do you think?"

Hermione leaned back as she thought over Tony's suggestion, "If we were to do this, it would be prudent that the public believe Stark Industries' headquarters remain in New York City. It would help convince Fury I actually live there, and more importantly it would keep all potential threats focused on that building."

"You're right," Tony agreed. "The last thing we need is some idiot attacking the London offices and exposing the alley. No doubt we'd get blamed. It would also keep any competitors from discovering our plans before we're ready to go public."

"A potential issue would be Fury showing up unannounced while I'm in London. He'll eventually catch on that we're lying," Hermione said.

"Just use one of those transportation devices."

"Portkey's have to be created beforehand and international ones are highly regulated," Hermione answered with a shake of her head. "Not to mention they can have side effects. An international Floo would be more prudent."

"What would you need to set that up?"

"A fireplace in each building, and permits from both MACUSA and the Ministry," Hermione said. "If they did approve it, we'd have to show that no one unauthorized could access it. It'd be a closed Floo too, only tied to each other."

"Alright, I'll have the New York building altered to include a fireplace on the upper floors while you apply for the permits. Will they get suspicious when they realize where the fireplaces are located?"

"I doubt it. Wizards aren't exactly known for their competency when it comes to the muggle world. I sincerely doubt even the Ministry records could show Diagon Alley's boundaries from the muggle side. We're lucky we found it."

"At least there's some security in that," Tony said. "Would they be more likely to grant the permits if we tell them it's for the SHIELD liaison position?"

"Probably," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I'll mark both locations as residencies since they have living quarters, but they'll demand high security for each one. I wouldn't be surprised if each ministry demands to inspect them."

"It wouldn't be too difficult to ensure limited access to each room containing the fireplaces. We could easily have the wards and then a keycard entry beyond that as preventative measures," Tony muttered, drawing up a prototype and showing it to her on the screen.

"We can send this to the architect so they can adjust the blueprints. Thankfully, between the American Magical Engineer, architect and your wardmaster the magic shouldn't interfere with the technology."

"Thank Merlin for small favors," Hermione said with a small smile. "We'd be up a creek if MACUSA wasn't so integrated with the American muggle world."

"Seems like everything is on track with our timeline," Tony agreed. "You haven't found any other problems we need to deal with right?"

"As a matter of fact, I have" Hermione said, earning a groan from her brother.

"I had to ask," Tony muttered under his breath. "Alright, out with it? What do we get to deal with now?"

"If this venture is as profitable as we believe it will be, it's going to drastically alter SI's profit margin," Hermione said as Tony raised an eyebrow.

"That's one of the main points of creating the division. How is that a problem?"

"Alright, just hear me out. Due to the structure of MACUSA and the American muggle government, the IRS has employees of both organizations in it. All we have to do is fill out the paperwork to have Stark Industries taxes completed by a MACUSA employee. However, that doesn't apply to the company's own financial records."

"Pepper will get suspicious when she sees the additional expenditures and incoming revenue," Tony concluded, realizing what Hermione was concerned over. "She'll think someone's cooking the books and will dig until she learns the truth. Any chance we can get an exception to the statute for her?"

"Only for spouses, children, parents," Hermione recited. "If she married a wizard she'd be allowed to know, or if she had a magical child."

"We are not marrying my girlfriend to some random guy," Tony interrupted. Hermione's eyes brightened while his narrowed in her direction. "What?"

"It might be a stretch, but if Pepper was my sister-in-law she would legally be considered my immediate family," Hermione answered slyly as Tony erupted into a coughing fit. "I'd want to ensure the Ministry couldn't come after us though."

"What?!" He sputtered, while Hermione continued talking over him.

"I'm sure Kingsley would love to have another level headed individual to reign you in," Hermione mused out loud as Tony rapidly paled. "It would certainly eliminate our problem too."

"You can't just marry me off!" Tony blurted out. "Pepper is likely to murder the both of us if we bring this proposal to her."

"Don't be silly, I'm not marrying you off. Although it would serve you right for all that Patriarch of House Stark nonsense you've been prattling on about. Besides Pepper is a logical woman, I'm sure she'd at least be willing to listen to us before murdering you."

"Oh no," Tony disagreed vehemently, as Hermione snickered at him. "You're the brains behind this asinine plan. There is no way I am taking the brunt of her anger by myself."

"I wouldn't suggest it if you were already madly in love with the woman. Surely you'd have proposed to her eventually, what's wrong with moving the time table up?"

"In the future," Tony said, gesturing wildly. "The far distant future. Not now."

"Well, we can always think of another plan," Hermione said, still teasing her brother over his fear of commitment. "No reason to get so worked up over it."