"So we'll just stop off at the Apothocary and get that order for George and then we'll grab lunch down at the Leaky. How does that sound?"

Hermione watched her boyfriend working hard, stacking shelves in the minutes before they were going to leave. He changed one uniform for another, wearing the garish suit that George insisted upon. The magenta and lime clashed with his ginger hair but it was the uniform for the shop.

He was off from the Aurors today, after successfully passing another training course. He was working for George, but since she'd arrived, he was gracious enough to give Ron an extended lunch, provided he run an errand for him. They were so busy, between her time apprenticing as a solicitor, studying, and working full time in the Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures, while Ron was an Apprentice Auror and also working as he could with George.

The moments they could share were most precious, even after a year and a half of being together.

"It sounds good. I could use a lunch before going back to study in the Law Library at the Ministry."

"Don't forget to get my order, ya git," George yelled from the top of the moving ladder, trying to catch a rogue fanged frisbee. "The owner said the shipment was coming in this morning and he'd have my order ready at 11am."

"I'm not forgetting it, ya tosser. I know you need it for our next batch of daydream draughts."

Ron put the last box on the shelf and saw his girlfriend smiling at him. "What are you grinning at?"

"You and George. It's nice to see him doing well today."

"You missed it Tuesday. He was being a world class prat that day."

"I was not. You were moping because you hadn't seen Hermione in three days."

"I was not. You were talking bollocks in front of customers."

"That's enough," Hermione pleaded while pulling Ron towards the front door. "I'll have him back shortly, George."

"Bring my order back from the Leaky, too," George yelled at their departing backs.

"Blimey! It's nice to get a break today." Ron pulled Hermione into the alleyway next to the shop and curled her toes as much as her hair. It had been days since they were alone for more than a moment to do anything but sleep.

They eventually stepped out of the alleyway, once they were properly attired once more, and walked down the way towards the Apothecary.

"So what is his order, Ron?"

"He'd ordered a pound of sopophorous beans. They are right expensive and it's hard to get a consistent source. He also ordered a pound of asphodel and five pounds of wormwood, for which I don't have a clue what he's using for. I'm sure it's a potion ingredient in something he won't tell me about."

"Well, let's get it then get to lunch. I'm sure you're ready to tuck in."

"Well, breakfast was rather rushed," He cheeked while they walked hand in hand down the alley. "Since it was your idea to –"

"Not out here!" Hermione hissed before turning a gorgeous shade of red.

"Admit it, you love it."

She stopped and saw him smiling. "Well, that is fun but I love you."

Ron leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm starving."

"Of course you are," she replied back. They continued to walk down the alley to the apothecary, which was three doors down from the Leaky Cauldron.

They stepped inside the old oak doors and took a huge sniff. The aroma was comforting, with cinnamon mixed with vanilla beans, saffron and Indian Tandoori powders. The others, the more pungent, were kept in glass under cork tops.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley. I'm glad you're here. It seems there is a problem with the order."

"Problem?"

"Yeah, Wheezlebee. I'm here on behalf of St. Mungo's. We'd ordered a pound of sopophorous beans too and it seems the shipment only had one pound in it, not two, like the owner ordered for us. Since the Hospital has a greater need for them, to make calming draughts for their patients, you can't have it. Besides, we'd ordered first. You'll just have to wait on those beans."

Ron stepped in front of Draco Malfoy while frowning deeply. "That's a load of rubbish. George has a standing order and it comes in once a month. He's paid 10% premium to get it on a regular schedule."

Hermione stepped back from the two, silently taking her wand out of her pocket and keeping it hidden inside her cloak. The tension was palatable, and with those two and their history, it could come to blows or wands. The tension was palatable, and with those two and their history, it could come to blows or wands. Hermione didn't want the Aurors called on them.

"Sorry, Weasley, but the Hospital paid a premium for this order since theirs was stolen from their normal supplier last week. The hospital paid an twenty percent to get these beans."

"And that's just too bad since you can't just claim what isn't yours by saying your need is greater. We, George and I, paid for it in advance."

"You missed the part about paying a premium for it." Draco turned to the proprietor. "I'm offering fifteen percent above what I'd signed for."

"Well, I," the proprietor looked at Ron's bright red face, "it's for St. Mungo's and they do have a need, sir."

"And you're willing to toss aside your best playing client on account of this git's statement. He's not even in charge of approving the payments."

"And how would you know that, Wheezlebee?"

"Because I'm an Auror and know things. Your job at St. Mungo's is a junior apprentice potioneer, which is nothing more than an errand boy for those who do the actual potion making." Ron snorted at Draco. "They don't even trust your skills not to poison anyone with a simple calming draught. But then cures were never your choice, were they?"

Hermione took a step back when she heard Ron's subtle yet direct threat.

Draco's face turned beet red. "Fine. Make it twenty five percent, since the hospital needs it. And you don't know me, Weasley."

"I know you well enough to punch you in the nose again, ya slimey git." Ron looked at the cowering owner. "And if you sell it to this git, after we paid for it ahead of time, I'll have George talk with the goblins at Gringott's and challenge the accounting."

"Oh Mr. Weasley, don't do that. I'd – "

"Then give me the order we already paid for and we'll be on our way."

"Fine. My offer is thirty three percent and we'll pay for the next shipment for Weasley."

Ron stepped right up to Draco, looking down his long nose. "You don't get it, do you? You can't take things that belong to others."

"And I'm not. I'm finding a supplier who can fix our loss for our patients. You're being a selfish git, Weasley. I already offered to purchase your next shipment to make up for the loss. That's how you do business. Take it or leave it but I'm not leaving without those beans for the patients."

"And you're attitude will cost us business for that month. We should charge your account personally for the losses we'll suffer by not having a product on the shelf this month."

"Alright, then, fifty percent and when the next shipment of the product comes it, we won't ask for it."

"But Mr. Malfoy," the owner of the shop threw his hands up, "that's well and above what we charge for three times that amount. It'll be at least another month, if not two, before that amount of beans are ready for purchase. It only grows in one area and it's hard to harvest since it's off the side of a particular mountain range in Afghanistan."

"Doesn't matter. The patients at the hospital need it. There are plenty in the Janus Thickney ward who need it more than most." Malfoy gave Ron a dirty look before turning his nose up at him.

"When we get back to the Wheezes, Mr. Cooper, I will talk with George about closing our account. You're selling our shipment to this git when we paid for it in advance."

"But Mr. Weasley," the proprietor begged.

Draco handed over the sack of galleons to the proprietor. "There's fifty galleons in here. That's my final offer, and you can bill the hospital for the rest. They," disdain dripped from his voice, "have the galleons to pay for it."

The owner looked at the two men, one looking smug and the other furious. "Fine. The git can have it. I'll talk with George and we'll get another supplier. But get us the rest of our order now."

"Yes, Mr. Weasley, right away Mr. Weasley." The owner toddled towards the back of the shop to get the other items they had on order.

Hermione stood on the back wall, near the Chinese spices, keeping her wand ready in case the men came to blows. But they stood in an awkward silence, a détente if you will.

"Oy!" George put his head in. "Got those things?"

"Yeah, 'cept the sopophorous beans. The owner sold it out from under us to this git," Ron pointed at Draco, wearing his required uniform, "for fifty percent above what we paid for it."

George threw his head back, laughing so hard. "The joke's on you, Malfoy. I already got my sopophorous beans from another supplier, at a third of what you just paid for half my order. Hope you enjoy telling the Director that you overpaid for those beans by 100%." George smirked harder. "So if you need more for the hospital, you'll have to call me. We can negotiate prices later."

Ron boggled at his brother. "Then why did you send me down here to get it?"

"Oh, I thought the beans wouldn't be in time but they arrived via Portkey ten minutes after you left. I ran down here after inspecting my cargo and shipment papers and weighing the supplies. Beans are dodgy right now, for some reason."

Ron turned and saw the incredulity at Draco's face.

"Here's the rest of your order, Mr. Weasley." The owner handed over the box to George. "Sorry about the beans."

"Just refund our account today and we're sorted."

"Yes, sir, right away sir. Very good, sir."

Ron looked at his brother in awe. "You're not mad?"

"No. It's business. Stuff happens." George ducked out with his case of supplies, floating in front of him.

Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and led her towards the door. "Nice doing business with you, Malfoy. Have fun explaining to the Hospital what you did." The couple departed, leaving Draco seething in the middle of the shop.

"You shouldn't have taunted him over it. That was rude."

"Git had it coming. His money shouldn't buy privilege."

"You knew going in what was going on, didn't you?" She stopped on the side of the Cauldron and scowled at Ron. "You taunted him and drove up the price in spite of him."

"I did not. I had no idea 'til that git there shoved his head in. I thought we needed that. I didn't know my brother was being a git again."

George stopped and looked at the younger couple. "I knew the git was coming. The owner sent me a memo earlier." George was smiling like a cat who ate the canary.

"You set this up," Hermione seethed. "And you let Ron act that way with the owner."

"Don't get mad at Ron. He didn't know. The owner knew, but Ron didn't."

"Why do you treat your brother like rubbish? He's helping you and you treat him worse than a house elf."

George looked lost for a second before regaining his composure. "Because my brother can't stand that slimey git and I knew that Ron would make a good show of it."

"But you let Malfoy win. What did that accomplish?"

"Who said he won?" George grinned wider. "That higher premium just kept my supplier in business for another year. He'd been having trouble with some of his shadier suppliers coming short on the amounts. That extra benefit can hire a solicitor and sue the suppliers who are shorting him."

"You did that to help him?"

"Well, yeah. His business was on its last legs at the end of the war and he'd wiped out his wealth trying to hang on. That small premium, and getting the hospital as a dedicated client, just saved his business."

"Do you know who nicked the hospital's supply of sopophorous beans?"

"No bloody clue," he looked around and whistled some. "But it was good fortune my supplier will be able to stay in business." He smiled at the couple. "Here, lunch is on me. But don't be late getting back. I don't want to think you've been shagging when you're on my clock."

Hermione blushed hard while George walked away laughing.

"The nerve of that git," Ron growled.

Hermione slid her hand into his and pulled him up towards the pub. "Well, he did buy lunch for us."

"But it would be quite nice if I walked back into work with a smug smile on my face."

"Why don't you and let him think you did?"

They found a booth back near the bar. "Are you offering?"

"I am, but for tonight." She whispered in his ear.

"Smart witch, you are."