Summary: Getting the shop ready.
A/N: I'm back! Leaky Con was super fun. Two more chapters after this one! I may drop one midweek, but I'm pretty busy with the Flash Fiction challenge over at Ao3.
Geez, FFN is finally back up! Been trying for days to get this to you all.
Chapter 35
Severus appeared in Diagon Alley and walked toward Gringotts. He was surprised that a couple of people actually acknowledged him. Evidently, being away from the British Wizarding World didn't change people's recognition of a war hero. He kept his head down, hoping no one else would call him out.
Even though he tried to be incognito, someone came up to him.
"Excuse me, are you Severus Snape?" the man said.
Severus regarded him carefully. He was an elegant gentleman with long flowing grey robes and of all things, a top hat.
"I am," he advised.
The man extended his hand to him. Severus took it gingerly and his arm was about shaken off.
"Thank you for your part in the war. Life has been so much better since You-Know-Who was defeated."
Severus bowed his head in thanks. "I have just returned from an apprenticeship in Germany, so it's good to hear that things are better in our world."
"What did you apprentice in?" the man asked.
"Potions. I am opening an Apothecary in Hogsmeade."
"That's wonderful! The town needs something like that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of Galleons.
"I'd like to donate to your endeavor. I have made my wealth, and I like to do philanthropic things for those who are starting out."
"Oh, sir, I can't take that."
The man laughed. "Of course, you can, son. I'm offering it to you."
"But…"
The man pointed his finger at Severus.
"No buts! As I said, I have made my millions. I like to help those who are trying to get there."
Severus reached out and took the bag from the man.
"Are you sure?" he asked incredulously.
"I'm positive, Mr. Snape."
"Thank you, sir! I can't tell you how honored I am to receive this. I don't even know your name."
The man grinned. "I am Xavier Horwith. Wizarding entrepreneur."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Horwith. Please watch for the store's opening in a month or so and come by."
"I will, Mr. Snape. Thank you."
The man moved away, leaving Severus gaping after him. He looked down at the bag stuffed with Galleons. Looking around, he pocketed the treasure to be counted when he returned home. No one was paying him any mind, thankfully. Continuing on, he made his way to Gringotts. Going up the stairs of the bank, he entered and meandered to the back desk.
"I need to access my vault," he said.
"Wand please, Mr. Snape."
Before long, he was in his vault looking around. He filled a couple of small pouches with Galleons to sustain him as he got the business going. The Galleons Mr. Horwith had given him would all go into the shop. He looked around the vault and moved to the shelf at the back. He stared at the contents for a few minutes. A couple of jewelry boxes, a gilded cup, a gold feather quill, and the item he'd come for.
The small ring box called out to him. Reaching out, he grasped it, looking around, as if anyone was there with him to see. He opened the box and gazed at the ring. It was made of pure silver with small leaf carvings on every part of it. The center stone was a blue heart-shaped sapphire. The ring surrounded it with larger wispy leaves studded with small diamonds. He'd always thought it stunning, and it still was, of course.
It was truly one of the most beautiful rings he'd ever seen, and it had infinite meaning as it was the Prince Family ring. He imagined it on Hermione's finger, and his heart felt full. He knew their relationship was solid, but his proposal would put their relationship on a new plane, and he hoped that Hermione wanted to be on that plane with him.
Snapping the box shut, he placed it into his pocket and turned to go. Something in the corner caught his eye. The Prince family crest. It was large… about 60 centimeters wide and 91 centimeters tall. It would look lovely over their fireplace.
The crest was quite regal. There was a unicorn on each side, reared up, facing and holding up the coat of arms. The crest itself was made up of four images, dividing it equally. The first image was of Prince Manor, an estate that no longer stood. That image was duplicated on the lower right image. The other two images were of Errett Prince, the progenitor of the Prince family line. He was bedecked in armor and held his sword at the ready. His black hair and black eyes–a symbol of their family throughout the ages–shone brightly. He was a formidable image and the crest was a symbol of power and loyalty.
Taking his wand, he shrunk the crest and put it in his other pocket. Finished with his visit, he turned and left the vault.
When he entered their home, he found Hermione organizing the kitchen. He came up to her and kissed her thoroughly.
"Mmm," Hermione said as she was released from his lips. "That was lovely. It's a shame it had to end!"
He smirked at her. "There's more where that came from."
"Thank heaven!" she cried and pulled him to her again.
Once they had separated, Hermione looked at him and gave him one more kiss on his cheek. He smirked at her.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"Well, you're absolutely adorable after we've snogged, and I couldn't help myself."
He chuckled at her. "Thank you for seeing things in me that I cannot recognize," he told her. Quickly changing the subject, he went on. "I got the Galleons from Gringotts. You will never believe what happened as I walked to the bank."
"What?"
He told her about his philanthropic encounter and produced the bag of Galleons.
"Merlin, Severus, there are a lot of Galleons in there."
Severus went to the table and carefully emptied the bag onto it. Waving his wand over the pile, he used a calculator spell. He whistled as the total was enumerated above the pile.
"Two thousand Galleons," he remarked.
"Wow, I can't believe it. That was so generous of the man you met."
"Mr. Xavier Horwith, he said his name was."
"We'll have to send him a thank you and an invitation once the store opens. We'll be able to do so much more with the shop, now, Severus," Hermione cried as she threw her arms around him.
They rejoiced in their good fortune, both filled with happiness. Severus squeezed her and kissed the top of her head. "Maybe we can dedicate a part of the store and name it after Mr. Horwith," he mused.
"That's a brilliant idea."
"I have one other thing to show you that I think you'll like," Severus told her, changing the subject.
"Oh? What is it?"
He pulled out the crest, placed it on the table next to the money pile, and enlarged it.
"Wow," Hermione gasped. "Is this what I think it is?"
He nodded. "The Prince family crest." He explained the images on the crest, pointing out the mansion and founder of the family.
Hermione leaned down closer to the crest and read the motto.
"Fortis et Potens. Strong and powerful. That's lovely. It's too bad you're the last of your line."
"Well, I hope that isn't always the case."
Hermione reddened and looked quickly back at the crest.
"Severus, this would look lovely over the mantle, don't you think?"
He nodded. "I felt the same way when I first saw it."
Hermione waved her wand over the crest and it sailed over to the wall above the fireplace. With a flick and a swish, the crest was attached to the wall, proudly honoring the Prince family.
"I wish my family had a crest, but really, the Grangers only go back a couple of generations before everything becomes muddled, and we don't know where we descended from."
Severus chuckled. "Well, this one can serve for both of us."
Hermione turned to him and smiled.
"By the way, I stopped by Gringotts earlier this morning as well."
She removed a pouch of Galleons and placed it on the table. Severus gave her a curious look.
"What is that for?"
"Well, we need a lot for the business… even with the generous gift you received today."
"Hermione, I fully intend to pay for all of that myself."
Hermione crossed her arms in front of her and looked quite put out. "Severus, this is our venture. I intend to help finance it."
"But… you don't need to do that."
She blew a stray hair from her eyes. "This is our business, right? We're partners?"
Severus gave a crisp nod.
"Then I will help with it."
He stared at her for a bit before nodding. "Okay. Thank you."
She moved closer and her arms surrounded him. "We are doing this together, love. I will help you in any way I can."
He gave her a thankful look before his mouth descended on hers, kissing her passionately.
"I love you," he told her.
Her radiant smile made his heart swell.
"I love you, too… forever."
"Forever," he repeated before kissing her thoroughly again.
Severus brought a box into the store and went directly to the back room, placing it on one of the tables.
"It's the German supplies from Madam Groeberg," he explained to Hermione, who was placing ingredients in the storage closet they had built. She came out to him.
"Great! Let's see what she sent."
Severus opened the box and smirked at the plant on top. "Stinging nettle," he said as he looked up at Hermione.
"The best stinging nettle in the world!" Hermione cried.
Severus nodded and gingerly removed it and placed it on the table.
Yellow Anemone was in the next layer. Severus removed that as he nodded. Then came Trollius and Silver Thistle. On the bottom of the box was a large bunch of Edelweiss. Severus smiled as he unpacked that.
"Her favorite, and really going to set us apart with what we can do with it."
"What are you going to use it for?" Hermione asked.
"I want to experiment with it in antidote potions for items such as Veritaserum and various other brews. I think it will make them work quicker and have fewer side effects."
"That will be quite the boon if you can improve on antidotes like that."
He nodded and pulled the Edelweiss from the bottom of the box. He potted them quickly then went over to the storage room and placed them on one of the shelves with fresh plants on them. Hermione carried in the other samples and did the same. With a wave of his wand, a stasis spell was cast on them to preserve them as they were.
"I need to start brewing," he said as he looked at the boxes of vials in the corner of the lab. "Those bottles aren't going to fill themselves, and we have a shop to stock."
"Do you need any help?"
"No, I am fine right now. If you would finish setting up the storage closet and maybe make sure all of the cabinetry and shelving look good up front. Then you can start stocking the shelves with the potions I've already made."
She nodded. "I'm glad we got everything set up before school starts on Monday. It's been nice helping you get all this ready."
"It has been a lifesaver. We've gotten things set up quickly." Severus busied himself getting some ingredients. "Oh, Dumbledore got back to me on my request for helping hands. He's sent owls to ten sixth and seventh year students who excel at their craft. All ten have expressed interest in working here as an assistant to me starting the week after next. They'll each spend two to three hours a week of their free time brewing. I need to get with all of them to set up a schedule so I have one of them here every day… probably two, just at different times during the day."
"That's fantastic, Severus! I'm so glad they all were interested and the Headmaster was willing to have them do this."
"I am glad too. I was afraid he might be reluctant to have them spend all that time out of the school, but he found it to be something like an apprenticeship and was wholeheartedly on board."
"I'm a little shocked, but in a good way."
Severus nodded as he brought a cauldron to a brewing station at one of the tables and began filling it with water and bubotuber pus. He brushed by Hermione in the storage room and grabbed the other items he needed and went back to his cauldron.
The two busied themselves with getting the shop ready and spent the rest of the day sorting and brewing.