This was it...a chance at a clean slate. She had moved to Italy, took up a fake name and with a bit of gold (and more than a few bribes to get the paperwork done faster), she had a bar.
It was run down, the thing was just barely up to code (safety wise anyway), and it was in an out of the way area that wouldn't get a lot of foot traffic.
But it was structurally sound, the plumbing and electrical were in good order, plus it already had a semi-decent kitchen that just needed a major cleaning...and possibly a new fridge.
Okay, so it was a piece of crap that she likely overpaid for, but it was hers and there was nothing about it that a bit of hard work (and the odd bit of magic) couldn't fix.
She didn't buy this place to make money, she did it to have something of her own that she could call hers, even if it needed a lot of love to be anything she could bring her friends to and not expect them to drag her out of with a loud scolding.
She wasn't expecting a soldier from the local base to help her when she was having an issue unloading beer off a truck.
"Whoa there...are you alright miss?" asked the man.
He had beautiful blue eyes and hair that was positively sunny. And if that wasn't enough, he had the attitude of a puppy...almost like a golden retriever. She had to shake that mental image off before she could respond.
"Nothing I can't handle."
"That's a lot of beer for a little lady like yourself. Planning a party?" he asked, helping her unload it.
She shook her head.
"I'm opening a bar, and this is the last bit I need to stock up. I still need to get food, but I have absolutely no clue what the locals would prefer...most of my culinary skills are suited to British tastes," she replied.
The soldier brightened up at the word 'bar', and he grinned.
"Nice! So what's the bar's name going to be?" he asked enthusiastically.
The golden retriever puppy image was getting worse. She had to hold back a laugh.
"I plan to call it the 'Stand and Salute', mostly as a joke."
"Why 'Stand and Salute'?" he asked, blinking.
"Well it has sort of a double meaning for me. I know that my patrons are likely to be soldiers like yourself out for a cold beer and some relaxation, so most of them would likely be attracted to a name like that if only out of curiosity. But it's also a homage to my grandfather...he was part of the Special Air Service division during World War Two," she explained.
"And the first letters of your bar's name spell out 'SAS'. Nice," he said grinning. "Speaking of names, I forgot to give mine. I'm Christopher, but all my friends call me Colonello."
"Iris," she said cheerfully. "Now since I have a feeling you're likely to be one of my first patrons, why don't you help me make a menu? That way you know there will be something you'll like when you visit."
Colonello grinned. She was sorely tempted to give him puppy ears and a tail just to complete the mental image. She stayed her hand...barely.
Inside the bar...
Colonello looked around. The place had a rather relaxed feel to it, though his attention was promptly taken by what appeared to be a barren wall. The rest of it had some pleasant decorations that really added to the 'military dive bar' feel.
Curiosity overtook him, and he went to get a closer look at the empty wall. A closer inspection revealed it wasn't entirely barren, and that there was something near the top in neatly painted letters.
"'Wars may come and go, but my soldiers stay eternal'?" he read out loud. It was an odd quote, but it did resonate with him a bit.
"It's by an American rapper who was killed. I think his name was 'Tupac' or something equally catching... It was used in a movie that I liked quite a bit, and it felt appropriate considering what that wall will hopefully be used for."
He looked closer at the small metal plates covering the wall under the quote. It had names, two dates, rank and what appeared to be the numbers off a standard issue dog tag.
Considering the quote and the dates in particular, he had a feeling what the wall was supposed to be and why it was left mostly empty.
"Is this a memorial for fallen soldiers?" he asked.
"Yes," said Iris simply. "A soldier doesn't do his duty to be recognized or to become famous. A true soldier does it because it's the right thing and because there needs to be someone willing to stand against the wolves at the door and protect those too weak to do so themselves. I wanted to give soldiers a place to rest and relax, as well as a place where they could discreetly immortalize their fallen comrades, even if it was something as small as a metal plaque on a wall."
It was rare to meet a civilian who understood what it meant to be a soldier. Colonello had the distinct feeling her bar would soon be packed with men from the base once they heard about it. Especially since she was giving them a place for them to remember their fallen friends in a way that was properly respectful.
He was pretty sure there would be more than a handful of names on that wall once word spread and the bar properly opened.
Colonello left with a bit of a spring in his step. Besides, that bar owner was hot.
Stand and Salute was meet with curiosity from the local soldier's base. Opening night was pretty decent, even if the only advertisement came from Colonello who had mentioned it to his friends.
As he predicted, once the soldiers understood what the "Memorial Wall" was for, the number of names on it grew rather quickly. Especially since Iris didn't discriminate about whether the soldier died in battle, or if they died in their homes. So long as they remained loyal and didn't betray their comrades, their name was welcomed on the wall.
The few curious civilian patrons found it somewhat depressing, but the soldiers appreciated the implied respect for the risks they took every day.
Iris was in a rather good mood. Sure, it was a slow start, but her prices were very reasonable and she knew for a fact the food was good because she made it herself. Werewolves were still disliked in Europe, so hiring one was ridiculously easy once she made it clear she didn't give a damn about their 'furry' condition so long as they knew what they were doing. It didn't hurt that some of them remembered Remus.
Of course not everything went smoothly. There was always going to be some idiot who mistook the fact she was a 'pretty girl' who owned a bar as an excuse to cause trouble. Particularly after a few strong drinks.
'This guy is so annoying...why won't he just leave already?' thought Iris. Her employee was in the kitchen making the food orders, so it was just her at the bar.
"Come on babe, why not ditch this dingy, depressing place and come with me? I can show you a real good time," said the sleazy brat who had been throwing money around all night.
Honestly, Draco had been more impressive when he was eleven, and that was saying something considering what a spoiled twit he was back then.
"Unless you're ordering something, get lost," she said flatly.
"I'll take the most expensive drink you have then," said the idiot.
"Payment up front," Iris said without hesitation. He waved the credit card like it was dipped in gold. She didn't really know the significance of the card itself, but her employee had shown her how to run the card through the machines...and how to work the blasted things. She still swore those things had a mind of their own.
With a cheerful smile...that hid a devil's wicked mind, Iris went to the back to pick out a pair of bottles.
She scanned the barcode on the first one, then brought out the second which looked expensive.
"Here, a Jeroboam of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild made in 1945," she said without showing any of her dark amusement. Hearing some of the men choke when she said the name made it even better.
"Great, I'll have five bottles of it," he said without thinking.
She was fighting very hard not to laugh. Clearly this idiot had no idea the pain he was going to be in for once the bill hit. Fortunately those that knew the actual value of the wine kept silent once they realized that she was holding a wine that came from the same company, but most certainly wasn't the same vintage. It wasn't like this idiot would know the difference.
She hit the idiot and his friends with a few charms to make them drunker than they actually were, sent them off with an empty bottle of the correct vintage that had their prints and DNA all over it, then kicked them out after hiring the most expensive cab she could get on short notice.
She also discreetly tricked the moron into buying everyone in the bar two free rounds of drinks.
Iris couldn't help the cackle she let out a week later, when the bill finally hit the idiot's pockets. He tried very hard to find the bar (mostly to sue her or demand she repay him for the money he foolishly spent) but thanks to the charms he kept getting sent in all the wrong directions.
He eventually gave up, though not without leaving a scathing review online.
Not that she cared...she ordered everything by phone from magically based companies and most of her clientele was from word of mouth. She wasn't in it for the money and she had enough gold in her vaults to keep the bar running for centuries even if the customers never came back.
Three months later...
Colonello was heading to his new favorite bar. Almost immediately he knew something was off because of the atmosphere.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Jerry's gone. Killed in an ambush," said Micheal.
Colonello knew Jerry, he was a nice guy.
He saw one of Jerry's unit helping Iris with the small plaque that would be added to the wall by tomorrow.
"First round is on the house to all soldiers," said Iris. "You get two free rounds if you were part of his unit or with him when it happened."
By unspoken agreement, the soldiers discreetly chased off any civilians who thought to come near the bar. Iris clearly didn't care, and made enough food for everyone free of charge. It was light, tasty and settled well on the stomach, since most of them wouldn't have much of an appetite.
"You can hold the memorial service here. Everyone gets one free round of booze, and I'll provide the non-alcoholic drinks for free the entire night. Anything alcoholic after the first round I will have to charge you though," said Iris.
The next day, the bar was absolutely packed with soldiers. It seemed word had spread rather quickly about her offer, and they weren't foolish enough to dismiss it out of hand.
Colonello was by the bar when Iris brought out a small cloth covered item. The bar went silent, as she unwrapped it to reveal a familiar plaque. She handed it to the platoon leader that had been part of Jerry's unit, and he solemnly added it to the wall. Everyone had a drink by this point, and they all raised it in honor of their fallen friend.
"To Jerry!" said one person. Everyone repeated it, and promptly downed their drink.
"I think this is the first time we've had a civilian host one of these, and for a private no less," commented Lal. "Hell, she barely even knows us."
Colonello couldn't help but agree.
Either way the act itself solidified the Stand and Salute as their permanent watering hole.
By the end of the night, it felt like a dark weight had been lifted from their spirits. Jerry had been given a proper send off, not a half-assed one in private. It almost felt like Jerry had been there with them during the party.
"So this is where you disappeared to!" scolded Hermione.
"I don't know mate, isn't this place kinda...small?" said Ron dubiously.
"It's a bar. It's supposed to be small and intimate," she deadpanned.
"What's with this wall?" asked Ron. Everywhere else had some decoration on it, but the wall was left blank aside from some metal bars and an odd quote.
"It's a memorial wall. The bar is military themed, and that particular wall has already more than paid for the bar twice over."
"How can something so morbid pay for the bar?" asked Ron.
"I see you're still as tactless as ever," snarked Iris. She had never really forgiven him for ditching their hunt for the horcruxes. Sure he came back, but the fact he left at all pissed her off.
"Still though why a bar?" asked Ginny.
"Easy access to booze for the bad nights, and I have a very loyal customer base after last month. The soldiers on a nearby base lost one of their own, and I let them hold a proper memorial service for him her with food and drinks. Being able to properly mourn their dead comrades created a lot of loyal customers," said Iris.
She respected the hell out of the soldiers, which was why she made the bar military themed. The wall was her way of showing her solidarity for the risk they took every time they went on a mission.
Besides, she liked the nice, quiet mornings she got. Bars were usually a night-oriented business. She could sleep in if she so chose, which she did a lot.
"So...is Italy nice?" asked Hermione.
Iris beamed at her.
"The food is excellent, my customers are surprisingly polite, and outside of a few idiots I've been enjoying myself greatly."
Hermione's expression turned impish.
"So have you found anyone worth dating yet?"
"There might be one...though seriously how anyone can act so much like a golden retriever puppy..." said Iris.
Ron was quick to flee when he realized it was about to turn into overly long girl talk. He did not want to be around for that.