Chapter Four

"Thats new" Hermione noted as she walked into the Boutique and heard a small chiming sound. Pansy must have added a notice-me charm to the door to alert the staff of customers. As she walked around she noticed a bunch of new updates, she hadn't realised how long it had been since she had been here last. The place seemed almost… welcoming, which was unusual for The Common Room as the Boutique was usually resemblant of a dungeon.

The new interior was classy but homey at the same time, more closely resembling the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione started to feel uneasy about what has been going through the young shop owners head to do something so out of character.

"Whoever it is we're not open!" there she was, that was the Pansy she knew.

"Mi! Mi!"

"Albus! You're walking!" Hermione was filled with pride as she crouched down to the young boy tripping his way towards her from his spot behind the counter.

Now she was absolutely convinced some time had passed since she had last seen them; at fourteen months the toddler was bound to have started attempting to walk, she was simply caught off guard as she had last seen him crawling.

"HERMIONE JEAN!"

"Uh oh" Hermione had a worried look on her face, pretending to be afraid in front of the young boy. "I'm in trouble"

Albus giggled, "Mum Mad"

"Let us get this over with," she teased, her hands reaching under Albus to lift him as she stood.

Walking over to go behind the counter and into the door that lead into Pansy's office she prepared herself for the lecture she was no doubt about to receive.

Hermione peeked her head into the office. "Knock Knock"

"Ck, Ck"

The small twitch of Pansy's lips indicated that she was not as mad as she seemed, the light mocking of her child towards his Godmother warming her up a bit.

"Where have you been?"

"Where I always am."

Pansy fixed Hermione with a stare, "You're always at the Library or Work. Do you not make time for a personal life?"

Pansy was stressed, she could tell. Her desk was covered with invoices and her hair was a mess. Something was wrong, Pansy was a lot of things but unkempt was never one of them. Genuinely worried and not wanting to disclose her where-a-bouts she decided some girl talk was necessary.

Hermione set the young boy on the floor who quickly waddled over the corner where his toys had been placed. Once he was occupied she slid into the chair across from this girl she had come to view as a close friend and fixed her attention towards her.

"Pans. What's going on?"

She sighed, took a breath and looked at her.

"Everything's fine,-" after a pause and Hermione's cocked eyebrow,

"-Don't give me that look. Everything is fine!"

Another brief moment of silence passed as Hermione pursed her lips.

"Listen it isn't anything out of the ordinary. Harrys been assigned another task out of the country and it has me a bit worried. I don't like him away from me. You'll understand one day."

She leaned back in her chair and nodded, accepting that to be a sufficient answer. It definitely explained the Gryffindor colors in the front room. The couple had been inseparable since the day Pansy and Harry ran into each other again. The Banquet for their Order of Merlins was being held at the Ministry and it was right after his birthday. Harry had to practically be dragged there as he did not want to be given an award for something he always felt he did not have a choice in.

To this day he says he owes Hermione for convincing him to go. Once the awards were handed out, in an attempt to end the night as quickly as humanly possible, he started making the rounds. Mr. Parkinson walked up and shook his hand - probably thinking of the quickest way to move towards the next person and more importantly, the exit.

Except the next person he met was Pansy and once he and Pansy were reintroduced, he was smitten. They were married within the year, with Albus following soon after. Despite her hard facade Pansy was always worried when he went on assignments but her worries progressed once Albus was born.

"I'm sure I will" the answer came out as more of an exasperated sigh.

She was growing weary with the comments of how life would be once she found her mate. She wasn't trying to be bitter and resentful towards her friends, it was a little tiresome however with people insinuating that her life was less than theirs because they were a few steps ahead of her in some areas. It will happen when it happens, she hoped. For now, she was happy basking in their glow.

"Are you even going to ask me why I am here?" distracting Pansy was going to be easy.

If there was one person in the world who irritated her more than Ron, it was Lavender. Seeing as Ron was Harry's best friend, she was obligated to at minimum tolerate the couple.

"You need to update your lingerie?"

"Well, yes, but no. I am in need of a wedding gift for Lavender."

Pansy scrunched her nose in distaste before a wicked grin settled on her lips. "I have the perfect thing."

As they say, snakes may shed their skin, but they never lose their color.

Two hours later Hermione walked out of the shop with not only a promise to both Pansy and Albus that she would visit for dinner soon, with or without Harry, but also one beautifully made glass anal-plug with the side effect charm of whoever it was inside not being allowed to cum. She didn't know if this was the type of gift to be given for a wedding but she was sure the couple would get a kick out of it.

She was fairly knowledgeable about Ron's kinks afterall.