Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I only created the Golden Snitch and The Lion's Den. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling. Except for Chef Ramsay. No one owns that dude.

A/N: Thanks for those who reviewed last chapter! I'm still new at this soo I need some pointers. Here's chapter 2. I'm going to hold up updating for two weeks cause I'm going on vacation. After that I will upload about 3 chapters a week if the writing goes smoothly.

Other than that, enjoy )

It was a busy night in the heart of London. It was even busier at the Golden Snitch. The early spring night chills in late February couldn't keep witches and wizards out of Diagon Alley. The Golden Snitch was starting to get busy again due to the start of the Quidditch Season. Pre-season games and spring training started recently. It was a Thursday, and with the start of the Quidditch season, the trio decided to meet up at the Golden Snitch for their traditional Thursday nights.

"Hey Sir, thanks for coming in." said Harry as he shook his culinary mentor's hand.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Sir?" Gordon Ramsay, world class chef answered with a chuckle in his voice.

"Once more like always Sir. The ones who come on Thursdays are always the lucky ones having you cook for them."

"You better get going or the girlfriend and the best friend might have your head!" Gordon patted Harry on the back and guided him towards the door.

"Haha, Hermione is not my girlfriend Si-Gordon." Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Stop bullshitting me. Now get out of the kitchen."

They both shared a laugh and Harry went out the back door of The Lion's Den. After finishing Hogwarts, Harry didn't want to fight evil so he fell back to something he was good at. It wasn't Quidditch but the culinary arts. Harry felt that Quidditch would give him too much media attention and that was something he didn't want. So he went into culinary. Harry worked in a local diner and just so happens Chef Ramsay went to eat there one night. The world class chef ate Harry's lemongrass sautéed salmon. Gordon Ramsay demanded to see Harry at once and thus it was the start of Harry's culinary career. Gordon Ramsay taught Harry everything he knows about the culinary arts. He taught Harry how to use his instincts, putting combinations together, things people find tasty, and all the skills needed to be a successful chef. Harry worked along side of Chef Ramsay for a good year before Harry set off on his own wings and flew. Harry had the leadership to run a restaurant and soon after with the help of Gordon, Harry opened The Lion's Den. The journey of success didn't come easy, Gordon pushed Harry to his fullest like Dumbledore but with the attitude of Severus Snape, it was a no wonder that after a few months, The Lion's Den claimed muggle critic' taste buds and became a five star restaurant. The restaurant opens only for dinner service and Harry is usually in the kitchen making it happen except for Thursdays. The importance of Trio Thursdays allowed Chef Ransay to fill in once a week. Their relationship became less like teacher and student but two friends mixing new ideas in cooking.

Harry smiled of the thought of his current accomplishments. He caught a glimpse of his watch and realized that if he didn't hurry to his car he would be late. Harry walked through the chilly spring evening in a white puma jumper and a pair of baggy jeans to where his car was parked. He reached his silver BMW convertible and drove down the streets of London under the shimmering lights.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. "Hello?" Harry answered as he flipped open his mobile phone.

"Harry?" After ten years of hearing her voice he never got sick of it. It also became his voice of reason.

"Hey Hermione. What's up?" Harry made a left turn and parked his BMW outside the Leaky Cauldron.
"Where are you?" The background was loud and Harry guess that she already arrived at the Golden Snitch.

"I'm right outside the Leaky Cauldron. Is Ron there yet?"

"No not yet. He said he'll be there soon."

"Oh…well you want to get into our usual room? Seamus should have gotten it ready. I told him this morning that we would be coming in. Oh yeah! The password is jelly donuts."

"Jelly donuts? Okay I'll see you in a bit?"
"Okay. Bye." Harry pulled out a black baseball cap and made his way from his car to Diagon Alley. It became a habit for Harry to walk into Diagon Alley with a hat or sunglasses. Since the defeat of Voldemort, the wizarding media have been hot on his tail regarding his latest achievements or about the current girl he's been dating. So Harry decided to keep a low profile whenever he goes to the wizarding community. Harry also hung around people who have been through the war with him because he knew they wouldn't sell him out.

Harry weaved through Diagon Alley until he got near the end where the Golden Snitch was. Harry holds seventy-five percent of the shares of the Golden Snitch, while his partner Seamus holds the other twenty-five percent. Not long after Harry opened The Lion's Den he ran into Seamus and the two had coffee for three hours catching up. Seamus went into hospitality and bartending while Harry had the experience of running a restaurant. The Golden Snitch was a collaboration of both Harry and Seamus with their love for sports, muggle life and just investing money. The Golden Snitch served breakfast and lunch where Harry was in charge and after four o'clock Seamus would take over with bartending for the rest of the night. The name The Golden Snitch was actually founded by Ron and his love for Quidditch. One day when Harry, Ron and Seamus were renovating the empty space, Ron went over to Quality Quidditch Supplies and decided to buy a snitch for Harry's Christmas present. When Ron returned to the renovating place, Fred and George were in there giving a hand. Being the pranksters they were, they took the snitch from Ron's robe pocket and set it free. The snitch bounced off the walls and ricocheting off the ceiling zooming past every one who were trying to catch it. It took Harry a good hour to catch the damn thing. The half renovated restaurant was slightly damaged but a good cleaning charm and a good repario fixed it up. Ron apologized and said "Damn that Golden Snitch." Thus the store was named due to the incident. The same Golden Snitch resides in the magical sports bar in a glass case symbolizing its significance.

HHar fdjag Harry smiled reminiscing the incident that took place a few months ago. His hard work finally paid off as he saw the amount of people inside The Golden Snitch. The wizarding world doesn't even know that the famous Harry Potter owns the Golden Snitch. Harry wanted to prove to the wizarding world that he can make it withoutusing the name. Thanks to Hermione who drew up useful contracts like the one where no one employed at the Golden Snitch was allowed to reveal that Harry owned the place or they would suffer have snitch on their foreheads for the rest of eternity.

As Harry entered The Golden Snitch, he took in the whole atmosphere. The interior of The Golden Snitch was designed by Seamus and Harry. Hermione being muggleborn put a lot of input on how muggle cafés, diners and pubs looked like. The ceramic flooring made a good combination with the walls that were painted in a dark shade of red. The dark shade of red symbolized the Gryffindor common room that Seamus and Harry had many fond memories of. The silver furnishing reflected the small spot lights that hung in the air on a clothes line from end to end. Harry saw the bar that was right in the middle where Seamus was busy mixing drinks for customers. The Golden Snitch was full tonight. The billiards and foosball tables were occupied in the corner and the booths in the opposite corners were also occupied by wizards in their early thirties just enjoying happy hour. The thing that made The Golden Snitch different from other wizarding pubs is that it plays live Quidditch matches on plasma televisions. These panels floated in the air attracting Quidditch lovers who no longer wanted to just listen to Quidditch on their wizard wireless. With the help of Hermione and Arthur Weasley, they tampered with the plasmas to work in a wizarding atmosphere and they set up cameras in all the Quidditch stadiums across the world. Since Arthur Weasley is the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifact department of the ministry, it was definitely no problem mixing muggle artifacts in a wizarding atmosphere. The new Minister of Magic, Gawain Robards found that he owed it to Harry for saving the wizarding world and allowed him to manipulate muggle artifacts in a wizarding society. Harry caught sight of the Puddlemore United and Appleby Arrows game as he approached his business partner Seamus Finnigan.

"Aye Harry! Business is looking great eh?" Seamus poured up a martini and put an olive in it before placing it in front of Harry.

"Looking great Seamus." He said as he took a sip. "Did Ron come in yet?"

"Yeah I think so, the apparition detector blinked a couple of minutes ago. I'm guessing that was him. They should be in the VIP room like usual."

"Thanks and cheers. I'll come out in a bit to get some more drinks."

"Aye mate. Have a good time."

Harry raised his martini glass at his partner and weaved through the crowd to the VIP room. The door was actually a portrait of a phoenix. There was a password so only people who knew it could get inside. Their VIP room was not just for anyone, it was created a few months after the Trio Thursdays began. It was just for the trio at first but it came to good use for small parties that the trio threw and invited some of their friends from Hogwarts.

"Jelly Donuts!" Harry said the password clearly and the phoenix nodded its head. The portrait opened and Harry entered with ease. He saw Hermione sitting on the couch explaining something to Ron while using many hand gestures. Her eyes sparkled and her hair glowed under the lights. She was still in her business suit and Harry thought she must have had a case in court today. As she was talking to Ron she caught Harry's eye and smiled. Ron who had his back against Harry noticed and turned around.

"Hiya Harry!" Ron's red hair stood in all directions. Ron towered a couple of inches over Harry. Harry saw his blue eyes glimmer, the same shade of blue of his dress robes and his high cheek bones went up as he grinned seeing his best friend. "I guess you're sporting the black hat this time around."

"Haha. I lost my team England one last week. So I'm stuck with this one." They shook hands. Snapped their fingers, did a finger wriggle and bam.

"I see you haven't forgotten the handshake." Ron said laughing.

"Hah I see you haven't either."

"Forget about me" Hermione's voice flowed into Harry's ears and he laughed.

"Never." Harry walked around to the couch as she got up and gave her a tight hug. "And how are you doing?"

"Well. I had a court case today. Yourself?"

"Business is great as you can see outside. Ron?" Harry and Hermione looked over the Ron who was distracted by the Wimbourne wasps and Chudley Cannons game.

"Swell. I'm going over to America on Saturday morning. I need a ride to Heathrow Airport. The stupid ministry cut off all the apparition points over seas since stupid Voldemort. You mind Harry? You know how much I love that car of yours."

"Sure mate. No problem."

"You got to tell me all about wizarding America Ron! I've only read about them so I don't know much." Gasp.

"Something Hermione Granger doesn't know about?" the two boys said that in unison in a very shocking tone.

"Somebody get the date down!" Ron said. Then the two boys laughed out loud.

"We're just teasing you. So what are we going to do tonight?" Harry asked as he settled himself on the couch while taking in surroundings the second time this month. The VIP room was similar to the Gryffindor common room but instead it had the plasma tvs floating around, game counsels and a foosball table.

"Food and Quidditch!" Ron said at once very excitedly. "European preseason you guys! I'm going to miss it when I'm in America watching their spring training."

"Food and Quidditch? That's nothing new…" Hermione said with a drip of sarcasm.

"Ha ha ha …at least my life doesn't revolve around books and work." Ron flashed her a fake grin and turned his attention back to the colored plasmas.

Harry laughed. "Why don't I go upstairs to get us some dinner and Ron can watch Quidditch while we play some foosball or talk?"

"Okay Harry. Are you going to take that hat off first at least?" Hermione giggled as she pointed to his hat.

"Naah…Don't you think it looks cool?" Ron chuckled.

"Haha after seeing you with one every week, not any more."

"Shut up. Fine, I'll take it off." Harry pulled his cap off and his jet black hair was in all directions. His green eyes as bright as the lights and his scar were covered by his bangs. His high cheek bones lifted up as he grinned. "I'll be back with dinner."

"Hermione, you and Harry are going to the Burrow next weekend right? Mum told me to tell you guys to come over for the gathering. Bill and Fleur are coming from Paris. The twins say they have big news to tell everyone too!" Hermione looked up from the muggle newspaper she was reading and pondered.

"Yeah we'll go for sure. Since when have Harry and I missed one of those gatherings?"

"You're right. So what did you get me for my birthday Hermione?" Hermione laughed at Ron's question and shook her head.

"Why would I tell you?" she raised an eyebrow and grinned.

Ron smiled. "Aww…come on…you forgot didn't you?"

"I wish I did."

"Very funny Hermione." Ron said sarcastically. "I wonder what's taking Harry so long. I'm bloody starving."

"When do you not think of food?" Hermione said.

"When I'm playing Quidditch?"
"For some reason that doesn't surprise me." Hermione stuck her tongue at Ron and Harry returned back to the room with food.

"Fish and chips anyone?" He said as he balanced three plates in his two hands.

"Brilliant." Ron said at once.

"I put more on yours, knowing how much you eat." Harry gave out the plates to Ron and Hermione.

"I'd marry you on the spot if I could!" Ron said digging into his chips. Harry stared at him with a very very frightened face.

""You wish Ronilda.!" They all laughed as Ron turned his attention back to Quidditch. Harry and Hermione settled themselves on the couch while feeding their hungry stomachs with fish and chips. They were sitting comfortably shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee.

"We're going to the Burrow next weekend right? For that big gathering?" she asked him breaking a comfortable silence.

"Yeah Ron was telling me that this morning. We never missed one of those right?"

"That's what I told Ron. Bill and Fleur are coming in from Paris. They're probably going to being their daughter, Belle. She was really small when we saw her."

"Yeah, she was a true heart breaker like her mum. She was stuck to me like glue remember? That little one has good taste." Hermione laughed.

"You two were so cute. I don't think any baby has ever gotten a picture with famous Harry Potter."

"Nope. Wait." Harry reached over and wiped the mayonnaise from the fish and chips from the side of Hermione's mouth. "mhmm..yummy." He said after licking his finger. He flashed her a grin and said "you're a messy one."

"No! You're the messy one. Oh yeah!" she lowered her voice and then whispered in Harry's ear. "What are we going to get Ron for his birthday?" Harry looked over to see Ron still intrigued by the Quidditch match and by the looks of it Chudley Cannons just scored.

"We can go get him something on Saturday after we take him to the airport. It'll be fun. We haven't gone shopping in a while."

"Don't you have work in the morning?"

"Well I'll get back to do the afternoon shift. If not I'll tell someone to cover for me. I mean its Ron's birthday, it's important. I want to get him something good."

"We say that every year. Lucky for him, he does get good presents. I have to say that chess set you got him for Christmas was pretty nice."

"Your writer's handbook wasn't bad. He carries it every where now."

"I'll pick you up before we go to the airport then. We can both see our widdle Ronniekins to America." Hermione giggled and snuggled into Harry.

"It's a date." She said confidently.

"Sure what-"

"Cannons won! The Cannons won!" Ron screamed loudly. "I have to say they played a very swell game."

"That's great Ron. How's your book coming along?" Harry asked Ron now that Quidditch became the topic. Ron writes Quidditch articles for the Daily Prophet and Quidditch Illustrated and Lately he decided to write a book about Quidditch in the world.

"Going well. I got most of the planning done. I'm just doing research now. That's why I'm going over to America on Saturday."

"That's good to hear Ronald! Never thought I'd see the day you would do research. I'm the one who usually does it remember?"

"Truth is, it's for Quidditch. It's fun for me." Ron said then continued drinking his butterbeer.

"Aww our little won won is growing beneath our very eyes." Harry said in his best baby voice. The trio laughed and then they heard the clock chime midnight.

"Wow it's that late already?" Hermione asked as she looked for her briefcase.

"Yeah it's getting late. You okay to apparate home or do you want us to drop you off?" Harry offered as he put on his black cap.

"Yeah doesn't you're apparition ward set up after midnight?" Ron asked.

"Right it does. Damn you Harry for setting it at midnight. Luna's probably in but she might be asleep. So I'll hitch a ride in your pretty car Potter."

"Anytime Granger." With that Harry winked at her and muttered a cleaning charm to clear the room.

"Let's get going. I'm tired." Ron said as he finished the rest of his butterbeer.

The Golden Snitch was still packed with wizards watching the North America Preseason games: Haileybury Hammers versus the Moosejaw Meteorites. The chilly spring breeze in midnight felt like a winter night. Hermione shivered, only being in her business suit. "It's bloody freezing." She cursed.

"Here." Harry quickly took off his puma jumper and put it on Hermione. "I know it clashes with your outfit but you'll be warm." Harry had a pinstriped dress shirt right underneath. The trio walked quickly to the Leaky Cauldron and down the block to where Harry parked his convertible.

"Luckily it didn't rain." Ron said as they got into the car.

As Harry drove down the streets of London rain started to pour. "You were saying Ron?"

They arrived outside of Hermione's and Luna's flat a few moments later. Hermione kissed both Ron and Harry on the cheek and then thanked them for the ride. Harry felt himself blush even though it was the thousandth time she did it.
"Let's get home Ron." With that Harry accelerated the car to get home to their bachelor pad.

Buzz. Buzz. Harry flipped open his phone and answered it.

"Yeah?"

"You left your sweater with me." Hermione said through the mobile phone.

"Just keep it with you for now."

"Alright. It was really warm. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Say hi to Luna for me. I'll see you Saturday."

"Okay bye." Harry snapped his phone shut and threw it in the cup holder.

"Date on Saturday?" Ron asked curiously.

"Oh? No, it was just Hermione. I forgot to get my sweater back." Harry parked and walked to the elevator.

"Ohh! So what are you getting me for my birthday?" Ron asked cheekily.

"Like I would tell you?"

"Hey that's exactly what Hermione said!" Ron looked at Harry with a confused look. "It's like you guys think the same thing." Ron continued to ponder as they entered their flat.

"Night Ron." Ron heard Harry close his door and he continued to be lost in thought.

"Harry and Hermione? Naah…"

A/N: Review please?