It wasn't long before Vieira returned, with George Weasley in tow. "Have a problem with our paints, Hannah?" he asked with a smile.

"As a matter of fact, I do," I told him icily. "Why don't you go look at the front of my tavern and see what you can do about fixing it."

Suddenly all business, he went outside to take a look. Fifteen minutes passed, and he still hadn't returned inside. I left Vieira to tend to everyone in the building and went out front to join him. He was staring at the wall where the message used to be, perplexed. "I'd like to know why that particular thought was emblazoned across the Leaky Cauldron."

"Tom's family is a bunch of bloody idiots. He signed the tavern over to me before he died, and they're mad. I think they're hoping to scare me away from it, but there's no chance of that ever happening."

He nodded. "Averill has missed you lately. I saw her on the way over. I was supposed to tell you that when I got here, but I thought it could wait until your tavern was taken care of."

"On your way back to your store, would you mind inviting her over to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink tonight? After she closes her shop for the night, of course. I just can't leave Vieira with all this work to go visiting."

He agreed to do that for me. "What about pushing the sweets trolley? Are you done with that as well?"

I shook my head slowly. "I'm hiring more employees. I'll give them that shift on the day I'll be on the Hogwarts Express. Vieira can be in charge for one day; I trust her."

"What if Tom's family knows you're gone?"

I frowned at him. "It doesn't matter; the tavern is mine, and I have no intention of that changing any time soon."

As he left for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, George made one final comment. "Let me know if you're ever done with the tavern. I know it's a long shot, but I'd be more than happy to buy it from you, if it's ever for sale."

"I'll let you know," I promised, knowing that I would never sell this tavern unless I absolutely had to. George knew it too, and he waved before I went back inside. There would be no hard feelings if I never even thought about it.

So, what do you think? The first writing (that isn't required for a class) that I've done since starting college. Updates will be slower now, but they WILL happen. Please be patient, because course work comes first.

Want a preview of chapter ten? Here's your question: Will Tom's family make the next move, or will Hannah beat them to it? You have to CHOOSE ONE. No saying "I could see it going either way." The chapter is already written, so anyone who gets it right gets the preview.