Hello and welcome back!

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in the chapter except Meggie, I'm only borrowing Draco and Harry, how heartbreaking.

This chapter is still from Draco's perspective, but it might change in the next chapter...

Oh shit, oh shit, where did I put my wand?

Draco turned and swirled in large circles, desperately trying to find his wand before the opening of his Potions shop. He should have known not to procrastinate in finding robes, but presentation was particularly important to him. He briefly mourned the fact that he wouldn't have any time to style his hair into its normally gelled back appearance, feeling the wispy strands tickling his cheeks.

Come one, he thought, my flat certainly isn't large enough for this to be a problem!

Finally, under a copy of Witch Weekly, he found his missing wand. He snatched it from the ground, and realizing how late he would be, (and how shameful it would be for the boss of his own shop to arrive later than his employees) he decided on a hastily burned piece of toast, and a freshly brewed cuppa for his breakfast.

With his tea still in hand, he rushed down to the shop where he knew Meggie would already be counting the supplies. He was not disappointed. As he slid to a stop in front of her, the liquid in his cup swirled, a small amount leaking and forming rivulets from his palm to the sleeve of his robes. So much for my presentation, He thought.

Meggie raised a delicate eyebrow, and he was particularly peeved by that, because he was fairly sure that she had stolen that trademark look off his face the moment he employed her. She certainly wasn't this prissy when I met her!

"You know I'm all for the sexy hair rumpled look, but the miss with the tea is a bit much for me, darling," she said sweetly to him, while counting supplies on the shelf and comparing them to the number registered on a sheet of parchment in front of her.

"Oh shut it, and do the job that was assigned to you, or I might just be forced to fire you, and then where would you be? In ghastly condition wouldn't you say?" He taunted back.

She sniffed, and looking stung she remarked, "You know, sometimes I think you don't appreciate me enough," and looking saucily at him she continued, "I might just decide to take this delectable ass over to that dreadful Weasly joke shop and then I bet you'd miss me dreadfully!"

In an un characteristic lapse of control, he laughed and smiled at her. He cheered up considerably from his terrible morning when she smiled back. She knew as well as he that it would be a cold day in hell before he fired her. Truthfully, she was the only employee working for his shop, aptly named Malfoy's Marvelous Potion's Emporium. He had been slightly hesitant to name it such, considering how his family was viewed in the Wizarding world these days. However, Meggie had seen to his insecurities with cruelly unrestrained words.

If you want to be successful, then you're gonna have to stop trying to hide from the world! You know, I thought you to be of higher caliber than that! You spineless little coward! If you're debating so much on what to name your shop, how the hell are you going to make other more important decisions? Stop dicking around and name your damn shop whatever the hell you want to name it, or do you need a Squib to name it for you?"

He shuddered a bit, recalling the memory. Aiming for his tattered pride had been a low blow, but strangely effective.

It hadn't been the first time Meggie had intervened. That woman had a backbone of steel, and a tongue as loose as Moaning Mytle's bathroom pipes. He was fairly sure, during his youth, that he would never have anyone as uncouth as her in such close proximity to him, let alone working for him. However, Meggie offered something far more valuable than pomp and etiquette; unrelenting loyalty. Funny how he, a Slytherin now valued loyalty.

His first meeting with Meggie had been a unplanned one. He had bought the building, and the flat above it with the intention of doing something with his life. He had found that the Manor no longer held warmth for him especially after—No, don't think about that.

While he could have happily retired with his vast expanse of Malfoy inheritance, but his mind healer had refused to allow him, in her exact words "Lay like a potato in bed all day long." After much bickering, and far too much cursing, (He still felt ashamed at himself for his lack etiquette) he agreed to make something of his life, even though he still thought it was bloody unnecessary.

Everything had been fairly simple, buying the building had been a snap, and making the potions had been easy, courtesy of his beloved Godfather Severus. Everything was running smoothly, except for the fact that he needed more help organizing and managing production. In essence, he needed employees, and there came his conundrum. Who would want to work for a recently reformed Death Eater? Not many, if the lack of any volunteers was accurate. He had been about to give up and head back to his flat for the night when he heard a young female voice screaming, "Wait!"

He turned to see the strangest girl he had ever encountered barreling towards him, and haphazardly shoving her job application into his face. She was a strange sight, with neon pink hair that was set in a pixie cut, and rather large feathered earrings. Her eyes were chocolate brown, and she had a healthy blush from running all the way from to the other side of the street to his shop.

He scanned her application after raising a pale eyebrow, and heavily scrutinizing her as well as her wardrobe. This girl must surely be color blind!

Everything seemed perfectly fine, and he was about tell her to report to him the next day, with no small amount of enthusiasm at finally having an employee, when he read the fine print at the bottom of the application.

"You're a Squib?!" He shouted.

She looked up at him with cold eyes and replied, "For your information, my name's Meggie! And yeh, I'm a Squib, what does that matter?!"

He looked at her incredulously and replied, "What does it matter?! It matters because you just applied for a job at a magical potions shop, go get a job with the Muggles!"

She glared at him, and feeling his temper start to get the best of him, he turned his back to leave.

"You know, I don't think you have the freedom to be choosy here, Draco Malfoy! I doubt you're gonna get any other fucking applications. So what I can't do any magic? Can't I apply? From what I can read, the job doesn't even require magic, you just need someone to sort all of your crap and keep it nice and tidy!"

He paused mid step, and slowly turned to look at her. She was huffing and puffing from her little tirade, and he was almost trembling from the fury her words had caused. "How about you take your little woes to someone who actually cares, and maybe next time you apply for some other poor unsuspecting job, you keep your dirty little mouth closed, because I'm sure as hell never going to have such an dirty mouthed Squib in my shop!"

He turned around and started stalking away, furiously asking himself why he couldn't have any normal applicants?

The audacity of her! How bloody rude!

"Please?"

He paused yet again, surprise more than anything causing him to stop, but he didn't look back at her.

"Please? I know I'm a Squib, and I know I can be a bit rude sometimes…"

Only a bit rude? he snorted, sometimes?

"But I don't have anywhere else to go! I can be very dedicated to my job! Can't you understand, can't you give me a break?"

Can't you give me a break?

He sighed and looked back at her. He application was decent, and he was fairly sure that she would make a dedicated employee….and maybe she was skilled at manipulation as well, because he couldn't get that sentence out of his head.

Maybe because he felt a bit of pity for her, or maybe because he could emphasize with her, or maybe someone cast the Imperius curse on him, (which seemed the more plausible of the three) because almost without thinking, he replied with a wary yes.

He was unprepared for her response. She jumped in the air, pumping her fist, whooping and screaming "Yes, Yes, yes!" She then turned to him, and shoved her hand in his personal space. He took it with caution and then proceeded to hold on for his life as she jerked his hand up and down, his arm bending like a wet noodle. So strong was her grip, that his body was forced to jerk along with his poor arm. "Thank you so so much! My name's Meggie Prittle, but you can call me Meg for short! Oh! You won't regret this!" He was left dumbfounded at how quickly her emotions changed, and barely had time to tell her at what time she should arrive and how many days a week she would work, before she was off running again.

Slowly shaking his head, he looked at the sky in sheer disbelief at the situation.

And thus, Meggie became his ever so rude employee. She had been correct in assuming that no one else would apply. Luckily, she was skilled enough that she could manage on her own. She quickly became his only only friend. Sadly for him, he had been correct in assuming that the job wouldn't be enough to curb her nasty language.

He chuckled wryly, how funny he thought, a reformed Death Eater and a Squib working a Potions shop together, Severus must be having a good laugh up there.

That thought quickly sobered his amusement, but before he could think about his Godfather, he heard a tinkle at the door, signaling a customer. No more time to think. Malfoy's Marvelous Potions Emporium was open for business.

My my, who could possibly be the first customer?