Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hermione was at her parents' house packing for her trip to Australia. It was strange to be going returning so soon, especially since she was finally getting used to being back in England.

"Hermione," he mother called up the stairs, "Harry is here to see you."

"Harry?" she said to herself. "I'll be right down." After zipping up her bag, she headed down to see Harry. "Harry? What a surprise to see you here."

He flicked his wand and cast the Muffliato. "I heard you were out with Lucius last night."

She could hear the disapproval in his voice. "Yes, we were celebrating our new partnership," she replied simply. "We have decided to go into business together."

"You? Going into business with Malfoy? Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief.

"What's wrong with that?" she asked defensively. After all, Harry had been one to insist the Wizengamot had been correct in exonerating Lucius.

"Well... it's Malfoy," he offered weakly.

She crossed her arms. "I thought you were the one who said I should trust him."

Harry was trying very hard not to lose control. "There's a big difference between trusting him and going into business with him. That's one step too far."

"Why?" she asked defensively.

"Why? Well... He's... Malfoy!" Harry sputtered as if that was all the explanation that was required.

"What sort of reason is that?" She wanted to know if there was a good reason for Harry's behavior or if it was just an emotional reaction. After all, Lucius had lived under his roof for a year.

Harry explained, "Well, I mean it's one thing to trust him to not start up a new dark organization, but it's completely different to entrust your future to him. You know what he's done."

"I do, Harry, but I've also worked with him the last few weeks and I really do think he's changed." The Lucius Malfoy she had been working with was nothing like the one they had encountered while in school.

Giving up, Harry said gently, "Just watch out for yourself, okay? I don't want to see you getting hurt. Though I still think it would better for you to work for the Ministry, at least for a little while."

"I think I am more than capable of taking care of myself. Was there anything else since I have to leave in a little while?" She tried not to sound rude, but she felt that Harry was the last one who should be lecturing her on trusting Lucius.

"No. I just want you to be careful, that's all."

She let go of her anger. "I'm always careful, Harry. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," he replied as he turned to leave.

Hermione sighed after he was gone. This was one of those days where she was sure she would never understand him.

*****************

The weeks after Lucius and Hermione formalized the plans for the store, both of them were incredibly busy. Permits in hand, Hermione headed to Australia to secure suppliers for everything she would need.

Mitch Winters, an elderly Herbologist she had befriended, had been more than happy to supply her most of what she needed.

"Now, I'm not going to lie to you, some of these plants you aren't going to be able to grow in a hothouse, no matter how hard you try. And a few of these you might want someone with some good Herbology experience."

"I know just the person. But the rest of them I should have no problem growing?"

"Not if you treat them right. Though for a few it will take a couple of years before you can have a good crop. Not to worry, though. I'll have no problem filling your orders," he offered proudly.

"I appreciate it, Mitch, but we have no idea how quickly the business will grow." While he was a decent sized Herbologist, she wasn't sure how long he could meet her needs. "But you have first precedence."

It took Hermione most of a week to arrange suppliers and clear everything on the Australian end. Every day Lucius would send her a letter letting her know how everything on his end was going – he was finalizing a lease on a shop in Diagon Alley – and saying how much he couldn't wait for her to return. She cherished those letters. They weren't love letters, but they showed that he respected her – something that Ron had never done.

When she returned to the manor, it was early in the morning. She was sorting through her luggage when several house-elves appeared. "Please, miss, let us take care of your luggage. You be telling us where it goes."

"Those boxes need to be stored someplace cool and dry. The luggage... Well, it's mostly dirty clothes."

'We are taking care of it," the elf replied and her luggage was gone in a flash.

She shook her head at the departed elves. She just could not understand how serving people made them happy.

"Welcome back," Lucius said warmly from behind her, wearing a dressing gown over his pajamas. "You should have Flooed ahead and let me know when you were returning." He kissed her on the cheek.

"I didn't want to be a bother. The elves have taken the supplies someplace. I think I'd like to take a bath and then a little nap to try to make it through the day so I can reset my internal clock."

"Of course. Once you've rested, I'd like to show you the shop."

"You have the lease finalized?" she asked optimistically.

"I sign the papers this morning. The terms are quite favorable." After the look she gave him, he added, "Rest assured I did nothing untoward." He took her hand and led her out of the room.

After her bath and the light snack that was waiting for her, she had no problem falling asleep. When she woke she saw that it was nearly ten o'clock. While a little disoriented, she thought that she should be able to last the rest of the day.

She found Lucius in the office, poring through paperwork. "Good morning," she said cheerily.

He put down the paperwork he was looking at. "Good morning. Feeling better?"

"I don't know. That's the downside of long distance travel – it takes a few days for you to figure out what time it is, but I think I can make it the rest of the day."

"Good. Are you ready for a little trip?" he asked eagerly.

"I can't wait. Meet you there?" She had always preferred Apparating alone.

"Of course. I'll meet you at the Leaky Cauldron."

She had a few moments before Lucius arrived and memories of spending time with Harry and Ron during summers came rushing back to her – a happier, more carefree time of her life.

"Ready?" Lucius asked as he placed his hand on her elbow.

"What? Oh, yes. Sorry." This was the present and she couldn't live in the past. She could only hope that over time she and Ron could rebuild their friendship. "Let's go see our shop."

He led her down Diagon Alley and they stopped across from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She could have almost guessed that this would have been the location. He dangled a key from his fingers. "Shall we go in?" he asked proudly.

Her first impression was that it was large, perhaps too large. "Are you sure we need something this big?"

"I was able to secure a good price. This will allow us to have a more open area, make it more inviting. I had also thought that it would provide room to possibly add a spa area." He pointed to the back left. "And you could have a waiting area here with a tea bar. "He pointed to the left of the door. "That would leave the rest of the area for the merchandise. And if you are unsure about a spa area, that part of the building could be closed off for inventory."

"No. I like that idea. It introduces people to the product. When we open we could do a promotion where anyone purchasing a spa treatment would get a discount."

"Exactly the type of thinking we need. I'm glad you approve." He smiled proudly.

She walked around the empty space, making notes in her head. "Yes. I can start to see it. Do we just have this floor?" Images flew through her mind as she decorated the shop.

"There is the basement, which would be best suited for storage. The upstairs is configured as a two room flat."

"Let's take a look. Perhaps that can be changed to a work area, or if the spa takes off that could also become treatment rooms." When they got upstairs she saw that the bedrooms weren't that large, the kitchen was very basic, but the living room area was quite spacious. "I think we should concentrate on the store itself at first. I think I'll need you to take the lead on that while I work on the product."

"Of course, but I would appreciate your input on selecting a decorator. And I will also allow you say on all employees as you will be working closely with them."

It seemed that Lucius had considered all aspects of setting up the business and was more than willing to include her. Surely Harry's concerns had been utterly unfounded. "Sounds good. We're really doing this, aren't we?" she asked as she turned away from the window that faced Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"We are fully committed now. Any regrets?"

"None at all. Let's get back to the manor so I can start going through everything I brought back and get the lab set up." As they exited their new shop, Harry came out of the Weasley store.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?" he asked in shock.

"We're going to be setting up shop here," she said proudly as she pointed over her shoulder.

"Really? Congratulations," he said, though he did not sound entirely sincere.

Hermione had known that Harry did not entirely approve of what she was doing, but she had not expected the sting in his voice. "Thank you." Lucius moved behind her and placed his hand possessively on her shoulder.

Harry's eyes flicked between the two of them. He finally settled on Hermione. "Can I talk to you... alone."

Lucius took his cue from Harry. "As it turns out, I have some business to attend to elsewhere." He nodded courteously to Hermione. "Hermione." Glancing over at Harry, he said curtly, "Potter."

Harry led Hermione down Diagon Alley to a secluded table in the Leaky Cauldron. "Are you really sure about this? I mean, it's a big step."

"I know it is, but it feels right."

"Did you get a chance to think about what I said earlier?" he asked, obviously hoping to get her to change her mind.

"Sorry, no. I was incredibly busy in Australia. But he has given me no reason to mistrust him."

"Australia? What were you doing there?"

"Getting the botanicals for our business, if you must know. Really, Harry, you were the one who convinced me to forgive and forget." She wanted to use his argument against him, prove to him that there was nothing wrong with what she was doing.

"I know, but forgiving is a lot different than going into business with him. Remember what he did to Dumbledore."

She sighed. He was trying to use her arguments against her. "I do. The two of us have had many conversations about the past and I truly do believe he is repentant."

Harry reached out a hand and placed it on hers. "Hermione, I care about you and I'm concerned about your future. I just don't know that you will find what you are looking for partnered with Malfoy. He's been pretty ruthless in the past. He could just be using you to get himself back on his feet."

"I told you before: I can take care of myself. I'll be fine, Harry," she reassured him. Nothing in Lucius's behavior suggested he was using her.

He didn't look as though he believed her, but he clearly didn't want to beleaguer the point any longer. "Well, I have to get back to work. Take care of yourself."

She leaned back in her chair and stared into her tea, trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. After all, Lucius had given her no reason to doubt him or suspect him of anything that was not honorable.

Pushing Harry's doubts out of her mind, she headed back to the manor so she could start getting organized and determine which domestic supplies she needed to formulate their product line. There was plenty of work to be done, and she had to push Harry's doubts from her mind so that she could concentrate.

****************

Hermione was spending most of her waking hours working on the product line. When they opened the store, she knew she needed to have a full line of products. Once they had established themselves, she could start work on different lines. Lucius was focusing on getting the store set up and the two of them rarely saw each other.

Entering the lab, he leaned against the doorframe and waited for her to acknowledge him. "Hermione, I believe that you should take a break."

"I'm fine for another few hours. I think I'm almost there on this shampoo." She had been trying to find something especially for frizzy hair – something in surprisingly short supply in the wizarding world. For whatever reason the wizarding world didn't seem to have the same retail options that Muggles did for personal care products, which is why she and Lucius felt their business was sure to succeed.

"Hermione, you still have time. Working the long hours you have down here is not healthy. For the rest of the evening, I don't want you working on potions or thinking about them. I want you to take some time for yourself."

Realizing that he was unlikely to go away, she scribbled some thoughts in her notebook before closing it and taking his outstretched hand. "I presume you have something planned?"

"Would I do that?" he asked innocently as he led her back upstairs.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"It's a bit of a surprise," he replied, grinning broadly, as he led her towards the back of the house. The door to the outside opened as they approached it. "I thought you might like to take tea in the garden?"

She was breathless when she saw the garden. There were not only the standard Muggle plants that you would find in an English garden, but also just about every variety of magical plant that would grow in Wiltshire.

He smiled proudly. "After tea, I wanted to show you the greenhouses. They are complete and planting will begin tomorrow."

"That's wonderful," she said brightly. "And the shop?"

"The basics are in place. When you feel the time is right, we can begin interviewing staff."

"And how is the money situation?" she asked cautiously.

"Leave that to me. You are concerned with enough right now without having to worry about finances. But rest assured that I have everything well in hand." He smiled at her reassuringly.

Hermione had to admit that this break was exactly what she had needed. She hadn't realized how exhausted she had been. After examining the greenhouses, she forced herself to take a look at the store and had to marvel at the transformation. "Lucius, it's... perfect."

"Well, not quite." When she looked at him quizzically, he continued. "The shelves are still empty and there are some finishing touches, but the decorator has done a marvelous job, hasn't she?"

She admired the soft beauty of the store. It was feminine, but not overly so. There was nothing about the store that should make a man uncomfortable – unlike Madam Puddifoot's. "I should get back and finish work on the shampoo," she said, suddenly filled with a sense of urgency.

He gently took hold of her arm to keep her from leaving. "Hermione, just because the store appears nearly ready for opening, does not mean we need to open immediately. There is still the hiring of staff, designing of packaging, procuring the packaging, producing the product and pre-opening advertising. I imagine we are still close to a month or more from opening."

Once again, she was reminded that she was not the expert in everything. Most of what he had listed she had not even considered because her mind was so concentrated on product development. She blushed. "Oh, right. I guess I was just getting carried away."

He laughed softly, but in a pleasant way. "And that is why we are partners. Now, I believe an early dinner tonight and then you need to get a good night's sleep."

As they walked out of the shop, his arm around her shoulders both guiding and supporting her, she glanced at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and thought she caught a glimpse of Ron looking out the window, but it was gone in a flash, perhaps only a figment of her imagination. For a fleeting moment she recalled that Ron's wedding was in a few days, but it was put out of her mind as Lucius Disapparated them.

********************

As opening day neared, Hermione found herself incredibly grateful for Lucius. He was taking care of the details, leaving her time to work on the product line. His taste was impeccable – she loved both the packaging and the labels. Both were distinctive and eye catching.

She was finishing up the first batches and getting them ready to be sent to the store. She had insisted that until they knew how popular they were going to be that she could handle the workload of producing everything. Her one concession to cost had been the hiring of help for the shop. She realized that it was unrealistic for either her or Lucius to be there constantly. Besides, it was not like either of them knew anything about being a spa attendant.

The day prior to opening, Hermione was in the store finalizing the displays, making sure everything was organized perfectly. She was so engrossed in her work that she nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a knock at the door. Looking outside, she saw that it was Harry and Ginny and let them in.

She said brightly, "Harry, Ginny, how wonderful to see you, though I'm afraid we're not open until tomorrow."

"That's why we came to see you," Harry said, concern in his voice.

"We've been talking to George and have a few questions to ask you," Ginny added as they took seats in the waiting area.

"Is Malfoy here?" Harry asked, looking around to see if he was hiding behind a display.

Hermione crossed her arms defensively. "You aren't going to start into that again, are you?"

"Hermione, please, this is very important," Ginny said gently, placing her hand on Hermione's arm. "We have to ask you some very important questions. These are things that we had no idea about until we started talking with George."

"Fine," she replied defensively. "Ask away."

"Do you have a business plan or a contract that protects your rights?" Ginny asked.

"What?"

"Hermione, I spent a year living under the same roof as him. I know how he can be. I mean, have you thought this through all the way to ensure that he doesn't take advantage of you?"

Hermione started to feel a little concerned as she realized that they had no formal agreement – she had been taking him at his word. "Well..."

"Are you telling me that you don't have anything written down?" Harry asked cautiously.

"We've talked about our agreement." She knew how weak her words sounded.

"Have you? Has he been completely open with you?" asked Ginny.

Hermione was starting to get annoyed. She wanted to defend Lucius, to be upset at her friends, but they were making wonderful points. And there was the fact that he had been very reluctant to discuss finances with her, simply ensuring her that everything was fine.

"You do realize that he could be manipulating you. Without the agreement, what's to keep him from taking the formulas to your lotions?" Ginny asked.

Harry reached over and placed a hand on hers. "Hermione, we both care about you and don't want to see you hurt. I just fear that by working with Lucius, you are opening yourself up to pain. I don't think he's any less manipulative than he has ever been."

She wanted to be mad at them, but she couldn't. Her stomach was doing sommersaults. He was right. Was she really being that big a fool in deciding to go into business with Lucius? "You've given me a lot to think about." And time was running out.

"I'm sorry we couldn't come to your sooner," replied Ginny. "We just didn't know this information before."

Hermione smiled weakly at them as they left. Once they were gone, she started reviewing everything that had happened since she had agreed to go into business with Lucius. And it seemed that he had gone out of his way to keep her in the dark, to keep her focused only on producing the beauty line that they were going to sell. It really did seem as though he was manipulating her, telling her what she wanted to hear to get her to work harder.

He was the one who knew about business in the wizarding world. He was the one who should have brought up the agreement, made it formal. Instead, he had done none of that. And she had blindly listened to him, swayed by his story of change. She was angry at herself for being so naïve. Harry had tried to warn her, but she had ignored him, wanting to see the good in Lucius.

And it wasn't like she didn't know how silver-tongued he could be. That had been one of the reasons she had been eager to go into business with him in the first place, but she hadn't thought she would be one of his victims.