Previously on Returning To His Roots: Chapter 38
Blaise studied the case then studied it again before making a reply. "Perfect mate. I'll get this up to your better half as soon as I can. Shall we Owl Theo for a men's night? He might need a bit of support with all that's going on in his life right now."
Draco stood. "I'm going to pass for tonight Blaise. Hermione and I are going to spend a quiet night in. Maybe tomorrow."
"Alright. Just make it before Friday, because this weekend I'm going to Scotland to show my witch a good time, and that's not negotiable."
"Understood mate," Draco replied. "We'll do it tomorrow night. You aren't the only one who will be busy this weekend. Theo has big shite to contend with. If you can, stop by the house. It's takeaway night. I'll speak to you later."
Draco returned to the Team3 offices to find Brian and Donald packing it in for the night.
"I'll see you guys in the morning. Blaise was chuffed with what we presented. If we are on point tomorrow, I think Friday might be a short day. Have a good night."
"No worries Draco. Brian and I love short Fridays. We'll see you in the morning."
/*/
Draco remained at his desk tidying up a few loose ends. By the time he was through, his Wonder Wizard Watch was showing 6:50. Jumping up, Draco gathered his belongings and hurried to the lifts. His whole intent was to be home with the takeaway before Hermione got there. To Draco, takeaway and flowers meant lots of cake, and to him, his witch gave very good cake.
//
Returning To His Roots: Chapter 39
Draco had two feet out of the door when he turned back. Hermione still owed Severus an apology. After sending a quick Owl to Severus inviting him to dinner, Draco hurried to the lifts. He still needed to pick up takeaway and get home before Hermione.
By 7:45, Draco and the takeaway made it to the house only to find that Hermione and Severus had beat him there. Hermione greeted him warmly thanking him for the lovely bouquet while Severus stood to extend his hand.
Handing the large sack to Hermione, Draco turned to face his godfather.
"Thank you for the invitation Draco. Hermione and I have had a chance to discuss our issues. I find her resolution of the matter satisfactory, and we have put it behind us. I have good news of sorts about my project which I would like to disclose."
Glancing quickly at Hermione, Draco replied to Severus. "Glad to hear everything is settled. Perhaps we should eat before you share your news. I hope you are in the mood for some of the best seafood in London."
Severus had a ready answer. "I haven't had seafood in quite a while. I'm very partial to scallops and shrimp."
Smiling, Draco told Severus he would be more than pleased with the meal as the order contained a bit of everything. "I'll let Hermione serve it up while I change into something a bit more comfortable. Excuse me."
Draco was back in five minutes to find Hermione and Severus seated at the kitchen table with three places set out.
"It would seem that Hermione either thinks we are starving or she has a heavy hand. Although it looks quite delicious, there is food enough on my plate to feed three wizards."
Hermione grinned. "Shall we wager that you get through the entire plate? Ten sickles says you leave nothing but bones and skin on your plate."
Draco smiled as Severus declined the bet stating he might be able to get through it all.
"Smart move Mr. Eilson/Snape. You obviously haven't forgotten I've seen your appetite first hand."
Severus nodded as he picked up a broiled scallop on his fork. "Someday you might learn when to be silent Miss Granger. I see today is not that day."
Hermione let out an unremorseful giggle.
Draco was just about to ask about Severus' good news when noises from the apparition area let them know someone was coming through.
"That must be Blaise. I invited him to stop by. If you don't mind making it a bit of a late night Severus, we can discuss your good news after Blaise leaves."
"We'll see Draco," Severus replied in a noncommittal manner.
/*/
Blaise came down the hall followed by Theo who was carrying a bottle of brandy.
"Hello everyone," greeted Blaise. "Smells good in here. I hope we're not intruding. Theo and I thought we would take Draco up on his invitation."
"Hello Hermione, Severus," said Theo handing the brandy to Draco. "Is it a party? If so, count me in."
Hermione suggested they move to the dining room where there was more room as she prepared two more plates.
The seafood dinner was a big hit. The only one not to finish what was on their plate was Hermione who had given up halfway through.
Severus looked on knowingly as he replied smoothly. "Perhaps we should have bet on you Hermione."
"Really? Had it been a contest I would have been sure to finish up," Hermione replied smartly. "Why don't you men go have a brandy. I'll tidy up in here."
Severus, Theo and Blaise headed for the living while Draco remained behind to give Hermione a quick kiss as well as a quick rub across the bum. "Those blighters won't be staying too long. Severus has business with us, then I have business with you."
"Promises, promises," she joked. "I'll be in the study love. There are a few things I'd like to look over. Come get me after Theo and Blaise leave."
"Will do love."
/*/
9:40 found the wizards ending their night of camaraderie. Theo and Blaise said their good night while Severus excused himself to the bathroom. When Severus returned to the living room, both Hermione and Draco were eagerly waiting to hear his news.
"I'll make this quick," said Severus. "My meeting with Kingsley and several of the Governors went well. I not only have complete funding for the project, but funds for company real estate and permanent housing for myself as well."
Hermione was excited. Severus was finally on the track to see his work come to fruition. "That's wonderful Severus. I know you're holding interviews tomorrow. Will you be interviewing me and Draco as well?"
Severus gave Hermione a skeptical look before continuing. "You and Draco have already expressed interest. I see no reason for either of you to interview. I have invited Mr. Nott to be part of the group. As of yet, he hasn't made a decision. I believe he would be an integral part of our group, so I hope he responds in the affirmative. I also plan to utilize his skills and connections to secure the premises for our project as well as a permanent home for myself. As soon as I have a finalized list of candidates, we will hold an introductory meeting which will be announced shortly. I have set meeting times for 7-10, Monday through Thursday starting May 17th. However, after the initial two or three meetings, I may be able to fine tune the schedule. It's getting late. Do you have any questions for me?"
Hermione had questions. "Will our introductory meeting be held at the Ministry?"
"I'd rather it wasn't. There is proprietary information involved which I don't care to see floating about the general public. I'm hoping Mr. Nott….. Theo will be able to find us premises in short order. However, if he cannot manage in a timely manner, it just might come down to our initial meeting being held in one of Kingsley's private conference rooms."
Hermione immediately spoke up about ways to keep proprietary information private which included charming all group members so they couldn't speak about the project except within the group or their designated teams.
"It's called a Parchment Jinx. A parchment is spelled so that anyone signing the particular document will….
Although skeptical, Severus remembered how the illustrious Miss Granger had developed a spell of that nature when she and the rest were forming the group they called Dumbledore's Army. With a bit of tweaking, a spell of that sort would insure information didn't leak out prematurely.
Severus cut across Hermione, but replied in a positive manner. "While we wouldn't want the word SNEAK to appear on the foreheads of any of our group members, it might be possible to use it in another way. Perhaps you could give your jinx a gentle tweak, nothing harmful. Set it so our project becomes a wisp of thought members can't quite bring to the front of their minds unless they are with the group. You can remove the jinx once we've established the trustworthiness of the members."
"What did I miss? Sneak? Jinx?" Asked Draco suspiciously. "Sounds like a spy novel."
"Nope," replied Hermione. "No spy novel. Just a bit of magic I invented in fifth year. I'll work on it Severus."
Draco had a question as well. "I didn't realize it at the time, but your brochures were prominently displayed on father's desk. Does this mean he has committed to investing in the project?"
Severus gave Draco a long look. "Have you ever known your father to miss out on a business opportunity? Your father has been to Oregon several times, and is well aware of what I am proposing. The answer to your question is yes. We agreed if I could get major funding he would invest. In fact, he mentioned how he thought you should get involved as well. I have been in contact with Lucius. He and your mother will be returning home this weekend. He and I will speak then. I'll leave it to you Draco to inform him of your interest."
"Thank you Severus. That's good to know. Father did mention that they might be returning to Wiltshire early. I'll speak to him when he gets settled."
Nodding at Draco, Severus rose from the chair and adjusted his jumper. "I have a full day tomorrow, after which, Theo and I plan to preview several properties. Except for Miss Isles, I have personally chosen the candidates who will interview with me, so I'm fairly certain I'll have enough reliable people to set an introductory meeting. I'll plan for Wednesday the 5th at the latest. Look for my Owl."
Draco was pleased. They were about to delve into a frontier new to the British Wizarding World and he was chuffed.
/*/
After locking up behind Severus, Hermione and Draco sat talking for another hour. They finally headed off to bed after Hermione let out a very loud yawn.
Grabbing Hermione by the hand, Draco brought her to her feet. "Come on love. It's late. We need to get some sleep."
"You're right. It's late love." Hermione echoed. "Let's get some sleep. I'm too tired to shower. I'll do it in the morning."
Draco pulled back the blankets, but neither of the two bothered with night clothes, instead, fell into bed as naked as the day they were born, and it wasn't long after that before they were both asleep.
/*/
Even though it was something he wasn't required to do, Theo brought a seafood plate home to Esther who had been quite gracious that morning even though he had failed to appear at the appointed time to bring her home. He had slept in and hadn't arrived at St Mungo's to pick her up until 10:30.
Theo knocked on Esther's door.
When Esther opened the door, Theo held out the well packaged dinner. "Good evening Esther. I'm not sure if you will like this, but I've brought you a plate from Draco's house. It's a seafood combination dinner."
Esther hesitated. She was there because Theo insisted she be there, but she wasn't sure of her standing. Opening the door wider, Esther stepped out into the hall. Taking the package from Theo's hand, she thanked him.
"I hope this will make up for my lateness this morning."
"With all you've done for me, a bit late is nothing. Shall we share this?"
Theo was amazed at the interaction between himself and his aunt. They were actually conversing like two sane people. "No thanks Esther. I had my fill at Draco's. That plate is for you."
"Thank you Theo. If you don't mind, I'll have it in the kitchen. I don't want any foul odors emanating from my rooms."
Theo let out a booming laugh. "Touché Esther. I wouldn't want any foul odors either. I have some business to see to. I'll be in my study. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Theo," Esther whispered as she made her way to the kitchen.
/*/
Once inside the study, Theo went directly to his catalogue of properties. He had all but promised Severus he had properties available that would fit his needs. There were available properties, but Severus had specific requirements. Theo had two properties that could possibly fit Severus' criteria, but would need a bit of revamping. After thoroughly studying the two properties, Theo decided to put together a plan that should interest Severus. After an hour or so, Theo had everything together. He had just the property if Severus was agreeable to a tad bit of renovating. Theo also had ideas about permanent housing for his former professor, but that could be put aside for now.
Putting the folder aside, Theo picked up the information Severus had left with him. He was interested. As long as he and Esther could get Declan situated properly, he was going to join the team.
Before retiring for the night, Theo again spent a few minutes in Declan's room just looking things over. Not knowing what Declan had been taught, he had loaded up the room with every book and learning tool any British lad would have had access to. Conor Byrne had mentioned how magically advanced Declan was. Being a child of incest, Theo didn't know whether to be alarmed or excited, but the way things were set, it would all come out in the wash.
On the way to his rooms, Theo whispered thanks to his wife for having intervened to save him from himself. One thing Theo knew for sure. Without Padma, he could have become Goyle.
/**/
Thursday was going to be an exciting day for a fair few folks.
Severus was up early ready for his day. By 9:30, he was situated in a Ministry conference room ready for Gloria Isles who was his first candidate. Looking over the information in front of him, Severus was sure she'd meet his requirements. She had credentials. She had references, and according to Hermione, she was brilliant. All qualities he looked for in a colleague. Still, he planned to interview her as rigorously as he would all the others. This project was too important to make errors at the start.
At 10:00 sharp, Gloria appeared at the door and was invited to take a seat.
/*/
True to his word, Severus interviewed Gloria as though he'd never had a conversation with Hermione. It had only taken him fifteen minutes to concur with Hermione's evaluation. Gloria was in.
After their business was finished, Gloria mentioned having corresponded with Brendan Eilson. Keeping Hermione's caution in mind, she didn't mention the secret. When Gloria mentioned corresponding with Brendan, Severus immediately recognized the inquisitive witch who had captivated him with her quick wit. Shame on him, because he had thought G. Isles was a wizard.
Severus shared his secret.
"There's nothing to be gained by me hiding behind my alter ego. Brendan Eilson is a name I use for literary as well as personal purposes, so I am him. I remember your correspondence G. Isles. Forgive me for making an unsubstantiated judgment, but your enlightened thought process and well laid out correspondence gave me the impression you were a wizard. I stand corrected Gloria. My apology."
Gloria was thrilled that the well respected Brendan Eilson was in fact Severus Snape the wizard she hoped to work with. Although she'd promised Hermione she wouldn't fawn and gush, that's precisely what she wanted to do. However, rather than take the chance of not being accepted to the group, Gloria took a few deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating. With one last huge intake of breath, she responded to Severus.
"There's no need to apologize Severus. I took the liberty of withholding my given name because I wanted Mr. Eilson….. I wanted you to take me seriously. Not that you would, but many wizards with prestigious titles don't look kindly on a witch trying to push into their business. I am so thankful you are not one of those."
Severus shook his head. "You have me there Gloria. I am one of those wizards. However, most witches who, how did you phrase it, push into my business are not half as astute as you. There's the difference. I would like to invite you to join the group."
Gloria caught her breath. She was in. "I accept your invitation. Thank you."
Severus beamed at the overly excited woman in front of him. "You're welcome. I plan to schedule an introductory meeting for the middle of next week. Please look for my Owl."
"Yes sir. I'll look for your Owl. I'll speak to you next week. Have a good afternoon."
"You as well," replied Severus as he began looking over his list of candidates.
/*/
Severus had run a bit over with Gloria. Everyone else he kept to the thirty minute maximum. At the end of the interviews, Severus had invited all six candidates to the group. If Theo agreed to join, including himself there would be ten. There were several that had waffled when Severus mentioned the times he had designated for meetings. Even if the two chose to excuse themselves, the group would be fine with the eight, especially since he had connections to people in other places he would like to see come to London.
With his members chosen, Severus set about finalizing the list before sending it to Kingsley for his review. Just as he was sealing the envelope, a wizard-to-wizard message found him. Severus happily read that Theo had decided to come aboard, and in addition had a few properties which could be viewed as soon as that afternoon. Making a mental note to Owl Theo when he was back at the Manor, Severus unfolded the message to Kingsley then used his wand to add Theo's name without having to rewrite the entire thing.
With the Owl off to Kingsley, Severus busied himself getting Owls out to those magical contractors who had expressly asked to be contacted when he got funding. He had his funding. Now to get the electrical and wiring contractors to London.
/*/
Hermione and Draco were moving fast Thursday morning. They hadn't overslept, but they were cutting it close. A quick kiss before Apparating was as much as they could do knowing the front doors of the Ministry wouldn't be the place for romantic overtures.
Just before going to their separate floors, Draco told Hermione he might be a bit late because he was going to stop by the Manor to check on things before his parents returned.
Hermione gave a wave as she headed to the alternate lifts that would take her directly to the top most floors while Draco took the general lifts to the OTS floor.
/*/
The morning mail was on Draco's desk when he arrived at OTS. He found Donald and Brian hard at work in the work room. Sticking his head in the door, Draco checked on the status of the case.
Donald looked up from the work in front of him to give one of his Donald answers. "Just about the same as we left it yesterday boss. The workday is only five minutes old."
It was too early in the morning for bullshite. Brian stifled a laugh.
"Alright Mr. Macomber. Since we are only five minutes into the workday, I'll give you ten more minutes to finish everything and report to me." replied Draco sarcastically. "That should be enough time for you to think about mouthing off to me this early in the morning." Turning to Brian, Draco asked if he had anything to add.
"Not yet Draco, but give me about ten more minutes then I'll have something," answered Brian with a grin. "Seriously though, we should be ready to present the one case to Blaise by late morning. If we are industrious, we just might have the additional case we picked up ready by 4:00."
"Sounds great men," said Draco including Donald in his response. "As much as I was loathe to be in the field in Wales, it will be nice if we can get out of this office tomorrow. Let's do our best. And before you give me any sort of retort Donald, what I said was just a figure of speech. I know we always do our best. That's a given. I'm going to check the mail. I'll be back shortly."
When Draco left the room, Donald and Brian had a laugh.
"Nothing like getting the boss going this early in the morning," pronounced a satisfied Donald before sealing a handful of wands into a small box.
Brian just shook his head and kept working.
/*/
Hermione had time to review one folder before an exuberant Gloria appeared at the door ready to discuss the two cases she had left on Hermione's desk.
"Good morning Hermione. You weren't at your desk so I left the folders. I've reviewed them and made case notes. I hope everything is satisfactory. Is this a good time to discuss them?"
"Good morning Gloria. I haven't had a chance to go over your notes. Give me ten minutes and we can go over the cases then."
"Thanks. I'll be back."
"Gloria?"
Gloria stopped and turned back to Hermione. "Yes, Hermione?"
"Your appointment with Severus is at 10:00 this morning, correct?"
"It is," said Gloria wringing her hands. "I've been banging back and forth between panic and deadly calm, but I will be fine. This is an opportunity I will not miss out on because I can't control my emotions. I really want to be part of the group. Anyway, let me get back to my desk. I'll see you in ten minutes."
Ten minutes later, Hermione closed the folder of the second file and sat back to wait for Gloria. Gloria had done an outstanding job. She hadn't left any stone unturned. It was Hermione's opinion that with the advent of the new month, Gloria should be promoted to full prosecutor and begin bringing her own cases in front of the CW and the Wizengamot.
When Gloria arrived, Hermione went over each case making suggestions where needed. By the third suggestion, Hermione noticed that Gloria seemed to be shrinking into herself.
"A prosecutor needs all the confidence in the world, which I know you have. Are you really sitting there doubting yourself because I'm giving you suggestions on how to make your presentations better? If that's the case, I might have to reverse a decision I've recently made."
"I'm not doubting myself Hermione. I'm chastising myself for not having everything buttoned up tight. What was your decision?" Gloria inquired quietly.
Hermione gave Gloria a long look before replying. "After reviewing these cases, I came to the conclusion you are ready to step into a prosecutor's shoes. In fact, I've written up paperwork to make it so starting Monday, 5/3. However, if you think you aren't ready, we can wait another month to revisit the subject."
The life that seemed to be seeping out of Gloria began to flow back in. "I'm chuffed Hermione, but it appeared you weren't satisfied with my work. Those suggestions…"
Hermione sighed. Sometimes know-it-alls could be so tiring. "Appearances are often deceiving Gloria, and if you think your reports, notes, or case files will always be without fault or error, you should think again. We all need our work reviewed, including me. It's the professional thing to do. You know that."
"I do know that, and I'm hoping you won't reverse your decision. I'm ready to handle my own cases."
Hermione smiled. "In that case Miss Isles, I will have the paperwork processed, and come Monday, the title behind your name will be prosecutor. Now, let's go back over these two cases you will be presenting on Wednesday."
"Thank you so much Hermione. I will make an amazing prosecutor. My superior told me so. If you don't mind, I'd like to put the case reviews off until after my interview with Severus which is actually in fifteen minutes. I'd like to wash my face and use the loo before I go downstairs."
"Alright," agreed Hermione. "We can do this after you speak to Severus. Walter knows he'll be covering your desk, correct?"
"He does. I will remind him just in case. I'll see you when I get back."
/*/
Hermione called Terry and Justin to her office to relay the news. They were both agreeable that Gloria had proven her worth and were fine with the promotion. Hermione advised them that Gloria would be presenting two cases the following week and would need each of them to sit in on a case, both if they so chose.
"Sit down with her when you have a chance. Sort out who will be attending which case and put it on my calendar. I'm going to adjust the title on her door as soon as I update our records. Perhaps we should all sit down tomorrow to discuss who should be assigned as Gloria's General Clerk. She and I would appreciate the input."
Terry began to look as though he was constipated.
"Thoughts Terry?" Inquired Hermione. "You look as though you have something on your mind."
Taking a moment to compose his thoughts, Terry stared at the wall as he spoke. "If I may, I'd like to make a suggestion?"
Hermione sighed within herself. It always had to be Terry. How could she have….? "Go ahead Terry. I did ask for input, although I didn't think it would come this quickly."
Justin thought he knew what was coming, but sat waiting quietly for his colleague and mate to put the proverbial foot in his mouth.
"It is my opinion that Gloria would be more comfortable with a witch as a general clerk than a wizard," offered Terry.
Hermione was astounded at what seemed to be some petty prejudice. "Are you implying that Gloria won't be able to handle a male clerk? If you are, I'm going to stop you right there," she snapped. "Gloria brought herself up to speed even faster than I did when I started out. I'm sure she'll be able to handle one wizard."
Justin tried to excuse himself, but Hermione asked him to remain where he was.
Terry was stammering as he tried to explain himself. "Th- That's not what I meant Hermione. I'd like to clarify my remarks. I know a very competent witch who would like to secure a position which has a chance for advancement. She's willing to learn, is intelligent, and would easily make the transition."
Justin closed his eyes. He really wanted to be somewhere else.
There was nothing slow about Hermione. She knew right off that Terry was speaking about, the Della, but wanted to hear it from his mouth.
"And who is this very competent, willing to learn, intelligent witch who would easily transition into our little circle?"
Terry was ready. "I was hoping you would consider Della for the next entry level opening."
Folding her arms across her chest, Hermione left her chair to sit on the side of her desk facing Terry. "First of all, if you wanted consideration for Della, why didn't you come right out and ask instead of making it sound as though Gloria isn't equipped to handle a wizard. You mean to tell me, in all our time as colleagues you haven't figured out it's best not to try to back door me?"
Even though Justin knew exactly what Hermione meant, he turned red, knowing her comment could have been mistaken for a sexual reference.
"That wasn't my intent Hermione. I simply think Della would make a lovely addition to Granger & Associates. Gloria has met her before, so it wouldn't be like we were bringing in a stranger. What do you think?"
Even though she was a bit exasperated, Hermione understood a wizard looking out for his witch. She just didn't like Terry's tactics or his disregard for company rules. "I think Gloria should be the one to choose her clerk, not you. In addition, there are rules against fraternizing at Granger & Associates. I'm surprised you would even ask. The answer to your request is no. However, if you have another witch whom you aren't chatting up, feel free to mention her to Gloria."
Justin used a quick cough to cover the small laugh that threatened to escape his lips.
Hermione threw a frown in Justin's direction, but continued her conversation without addressing him.
"Thanks so much for your time. Don't forget to have a chat with Gloria about her cases."
With those last words, Hermione went back to her desk to get started on the next pile of pending cases. The thought did cross her mind that magical citizens were breaking the law so often, she was truly glad to have another prosecutor on board.
/*/
Hermione was several cases in when a chuffed Gloria returned to the office. Not only had she been invited to join the group, but Severus had acknowledged her correspondence as well. Glancing at her Wonder Witch Watch, Hermione realized it must have been a very successful meeting as Severus had run over his maximum time limit by at least twenty minutes.
With a bit of cherry red showing across her face, Gloria entered Hermione's office. "I'm ready for the review. Shall I close the door?"
"By all means Miss Isles. Close the door and have a seat."