Chapter 23

7 August 1998

Healer Thierry Lim ran his eyes over the list one more time and sighed deeply. He could feel a slight tension headache building between his eyes. He set the list down and rubbed his forehead, hoping to ease the headache, but it did nothing.

"Headache?" came a familiar voice from behind him, and he turned around and smiled ruefully at Charlie Weasley.

Charlie, who seemed to have spent the day rolling around in mud judging by the state of his clothes, grinned when he saw the look on Thierry's face.

"I weeded out an entire patch of the garden near the orchard," he said, by way of explanation. "Thinking of planting a herb garden."

"Of course you are," smiled Thierry. He had known Charlie really well at Hogwarts, since they were in the same year, though in different Houses. He had even been the one to suggest to Harry that Charlie should be hired as the groundskeeper for the Lily Potter Home. Since starting at the Lily Potter Home, the two had become even closer, and it wasn't uncommon to find them together if they weren't tending to their individual duties.

"You know me, can't sit still for long," shrugged Charlie, taking a seat on a spare chair in the infirmary and wheeling up next to Thierry. "So, what brought on the headache?"

Thierry's smile dimmed and he handed Charlie the list. Charlie looked confused as he read the names on the list and looked at Thierry for an explanation.

"They all need help. The sort I am not qualified to provide," sighed Thierry.

"A mind healer?" guessed Charlie.

Thierry nodded. "Specifically, someone who can help with trauma counselling," he added.

"Have you spoken to Belinda?" asked Charlie.

"Not yet," said Thierry. "I received some basic training in the Mind Arts, of course, as all Healers do. I thought I could help with what knowledge and experience I have, but it's become clear they need a specialist."

"Still don't understand the headache," said Charlie. "Yeah, it sucks you can't be the one who helps them, but it's not like Belinda is likely to refuse if you ask her to hire a specialist for the ones who need it."

Thierry shot him a slightly annoyed look, but had to concede his point. "I just...I feel like I am letting them down," he admitted.

"By what? Not being every single thing they need?" asked Charlie, an uncharacteristically sharp look on his face. "That's the point of being a team, remember? We help how we can and when we find a gap, we find someone who can help fill it."

"I suppose," sighed Thierry.

Charlie rolled his eyes and stood up. "Come on," he said. "Let's go and talk to Belinda."

"Now? It's almost dinner time," said Thierry. "I haven't even prepared what I am going to say."

"Just tell her the truth," said Charlie easily, as he grabbed Thierry's arm and began leading him towards Belinda's office. "Belinda is one to appreciate straightforwardness."

Charlie stopped right outside Belinda's office and shot him a smile full of encouragement. He went to let go of Thierry's arm, but Thierry quickly grabbed his hand before he could.

"C-could you come with me?" asked Thierry, ears going slightly pink. He chanced a quick look at Charlie, who looked a little gobsmacked. At Thierry's look, he glanced at where Thierry was gripping his hand before meeting his gaze again.

"S-sure," nodded Charlie, and if Thierry weren't mistaken, he looked a little flushed as well.

Something to consider later, he decided as he squared his shoulder and knocked on Belinda's door with his free hand, his other one still gripping Charlie's tightly.

Fleur opened her umbrella as she stepped out into the rainy morning, wrinkling her nose slightly at the weather. The few days of sunshine they had gotten during summer seemed to have come to an end and it was back to dreary old English weather once more, she thought as she made her way down Diagon Alley. Past Gringotts, past the Claw Bookshop and Fortescue Cafe, even past Rosette's Beauty Potions and Verdant as she reached the entrance of Platinum Alley.

There, right at the edge of the entrance (technically still part of Diagon) was the shop she was looking for. Sayre Potions stood out starkly among the shops with its bright white shopfront with the sign in a serene lavender colour. The large shop window displayed various potions on white vial stands against a lavender backdrop.

Fleur was pleasantly surprised at the interior. They had not helped design this one; only helped with the licensing and setting up a supply chain for ingredients. The design ideas had come from the Sayre family themselves, particularly Phillip Sayre, Sophia's youngest brother who was only nineteen.

Phillip was at the counter when Fleur entered the shop, chatting amicably with the customer he was ringing up. He glanced at Fleur and smiled before returning his attention to the customer. Fleur decided to take a quick walk around the shop, noting it was divided in sections based on what the potion was intended for. She passed the section treating migraines and saw a variety of remedies, including application-based potions, with variations in taste, smell and intensity.

"Good morning, Mrs Weasley," greeted Phillip, and Fleur turned around and smiled at him.

"Good morning, and I have asked you to call me Fleur," she said.

He shrugged with a smile. "Can I help you find something?"

"No, I just wanted to see how launch day was going," she said.

"It's going well so far," he said, and Fleur glanced around the shop that wasn't crowded but had a good number of people browsing around. "Mostly curious folk wanting to scope it out, but there's been good interest. Some have placed custom orders and Owen is already busy."

Fleur nodded, knowing Owen was the middle Sayre sibling, who was the expert potioneer. She did notice little signs around the shop encouraging the customers to speak to the employees if they wished to make custom requests, and she had to admire the Sayre family's business sense as well.

"Let us know how you fare and if there is anything further we can do," said Fleur.

"Of course," smiled Phillip and shook Fleur's hand.

With a bright smile, Fleur took her leave and stepped back out into the Alley. The rain had turned into a proper downpour as she walked the short distance from Sayre Potions to Prisma.

The exterior of the trademark red brick building was covered in "Opening Under New Management" banners, and Fleur quickly climbed up the short stone stairs to the double doors that were slightly ajar. Slipping inside discreetly, she glanced around appreciatively.

The lobby of the Prisma hotel was massive, with a white marble floor, dangling crystal chandeliers and walls painted a soft white colour with gold lining. It was rather bare for the moment, with the exception of a long reception desk with a wall of keys behind it.

Fleur saw Harry, Daphne, Parvati and Adrian waiting at the desk, and she was glad to know she wasn't the last one here. She went and greeted them, and they were all joined shortly by Tracey and Draco.

"Since we're all here," said Draco. "Let's get started." He gave them all a quick smile, before indicating the lobby. "As you can see, we have already renovated most of the lobby. The floor is brand new, the house elves fixed all the chandeliers and the paint job is new as well." He tapped the sturdy mahogany wooden desk. "We kept the reception desk as it is, but I am open to ideas on how we want to furnish the rest of the lobby."

"A waiting area would be nice," said Parvati, indicating a nearby empty space near the desk. "Some sofas and armchairs. A nice coffee table with magazines, perhaps?"

"Yes, Clearwater suggested the same," he said. "She also suggested having a smaller bar out here."

"There is another bar on this floor, isn't there?" asked Adrian.

"Yes, through there," said Draco, indicating a large archway leading into a chamber to their right. "That one will be more of a bar and restaurant, but the one out here can just serve drinks for the guests who may be waiting."

"There's space for it, so I think it's a good idea," said Daphne, thoughtfully.

Draco glanced at the others and there were quick murmurs of agreement. He made a note of it, and then led them to the bar-slash-restaurant he had indicated a moment ago. Like the lobby, this too was a bare, empty space with a fresh coat of white paint, long Grecian columns painted gold, and hanging chandeliers. Unlike the lobby, the floor of the bar was covered with a thick, dark gold carpet.

"There will be the usual spells on the carpet," said Draco, as they walked around the chamber. "Charms to prevent spills and stains, I mean."

"The bar will go there, will it?" asked Harry, indicating an area at the far back where there were neat rows of glass shelves placed into the wall, stacked almost twenty feet high.

"Yes," said Draco. "The bottles and glassware can go onto the glass shelves, and we'll have the bar in front of it. The rest of the room will have smaller tables, seating anywhere between two and twenty as needed."

"Where's the kitchen supposed to be? Wouldn't it have to be close to the restaurant?" asked Parvati, glancing around.

"It's underneath," said Draco. "There are cellars on the lower levels. I'll show you, come on."

They took a quick tour of the cellars which looked quite eerie, despite being heavily renovated. Fleur didn't want to think about what they looked like before and it seemed no one else did either since they didn't ask Draco about it.

"That is all for the ground floor," said Draco. "There are a few storage rooms, and break rooms for staff, but that's about it."

"Onto the next one then," said Tracey, nodding towards the row of three lifts with polished golden doors.

Adrian pressed the button on the wall next to one of them and the middle one chimed and opened. They all piled in and Draco pressed the button for the very next floor. The doors closed and the same chime was heard as the lift moved up one floor.

"This level," said Draco, as the doors opened and they all walked out, "has two banquet halls. One is bigger than the other."

"Surely they didn't have banquet halls in here before," said Tracey, as Draco led them to the smaller banquet halls.

"No," answered Draco. "We had them built on this floor. Fleur had the idea."

"There aren't many venues for events in wizarding Britain," said Adrian, and Fleur smiled at him in agreement. "Not private ones, anyway. It's an excellent idea to do that."

"The next floor has the dorm rooms," said Draco, as they took the lift to the floor above.

"I thought we had two floors for the dorms," said Harry.

"We did, but since we have the banquet halls on the first floor, it's just this one floor for the dorms now," clarified Fleur.

"I would think it would be better if we had little by way of dorms," said Adrian. "The renovations in the lobby and the banquet halls make for a much more upscale establishment. We might want to lean into that theme a bit more."

"Yeah, I agree," said Tracey. "Dorms make it seem too much like a hostel and not much of a hotel."

"It would still be good for business," said Draco, walking down the hallway with doors along both sides. "And not to brag, but these dorm rooms are much better than what you might ordinarily get in hostels," he added, opening the door on the far right end of the hallway.

The room was painted a light grey, with a slightly darker grey carpet on the floor. The room was spacious with two bunk beds against opposite walls. Each of the four beds was a king single, with neat white sheets, pillows and a grey duvet. There was another door inside the room that led to a small bathroom with enough room for a shower, sink and toilet. The bathroom was painted the same dark grey as the carpet in the room, and had white tiles on the floor.

"Seems functional to me," said Parvati, glancing around with interest. "And yes, definitely an upgrade on what you'd get at the Leaky."

"Clearwater is amazing, as usual," said Tracey. "Dunno about the rest of you, but I'm all for this room being the blueprint for the rest of the rooms on this floor."

They continued the tour and the general consensus seemed to be to follow Clearwater's designs for the rooms on all floors. The next eight floors had a few rooms with twin beds, others with queen beds, all of them done up in shades of teal and white. The bathrooms had a combined shower and bath and were slightly more spacious.

The luxury suites on the three floors above that had much more spacious rooms as well as an adjoining living room and kitchenette. The bathrooms had a separate bath and shower, and the colour theme was coral and white for the rooms and bathrooms. Some of the rooms also had a balcony overlooking the Alley.

On the very last floor were three penthouse suites. Each one of them had a large living room, two separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, a separate lounge and dining area as well as a balcony with an exquisite view of magical London. The colour theme was purple and white, and suffice it to say that it would put most Ancient Houses to shame with its interior design.

"Can I live here permanently?" asked Tracey, looking around.

"If you can afford it," smirked Draco.

She flipped him the bird with a look of dignified indignance on her face.

"I think it would be a good idea to wait for your meeting with Lavinia Poitier to see if we want her input as well, prior to finalising the details," suggested Fleur, looking at Harry and Daphne. "You are going to France this weekend, aren't you?"

"Yes," answered Daphne. "This looks fine so far and if all goes well in France this weekend, we can offer Ms Poitier a more permanent role within the organisation."

"Sounds like a plan," nodded Adrian.

"That should do it for the tour of Prisma, I suppose," said Tracey.

"Not quite," said Draco, with a pleased smile. "You are yet to see the roof."

The roof turned out to have a beautiful rooftop bar with a gorgeous view of the entire magical London. It was also strangely dry and warm, considering it was pouring rain at the moment.

"Impressive spell work," said Fleur, impressed. "Climate charms and an enchantment to conceal the ceiling overhead, yes?"

"Yes, there's a gazebo overhead but it's enchanted the same way as the ceiling of the Great Hall at Hogwarts," nodded Draco. "And yes, climate charms that Harry's house elves put up to keep the rooftop at a neutral temperature."

"This is an excellent idea," grinned Parvati. "Rooftop bars are a rarity in England because the weather always ruins it. This will be an excellent selling point."

There was not much else on the roof at this point, apart from the bar and a few tall tables and barstools, but with a few suggestions here and there from everyone which Draco wrote down diligently, it would shape up to be quite the attraction once complete.

While the GSC team finalised the details of Prisma, across the country at the James Potter Institute, the Cornfoot brothers had a meeting with the Institute's lawyer, Pearl Proctor-Langley.

In her mid-sixties with impressively silver streaked black hair and sharp amber eyes, Pearl was more reminiscent of a stern librarian than anything else. Her office at the Institute was well-kept and clean, with books about patents from wizarding and Muggle world alike stacking the shelves.

"Talk to me then," said Pearl, quill poised to take notes as she looked at Morgan and Matthew, sitting across from her. "Give me a general idea of the products you have come up with so far."

"Well, we thought it best to start in a room of a house and work our way from that point," said Matthew, with a glance at Morgan.

"We decided to start with the kitchen," continued Morgan, and set down a roll of parchment on Pearl's desk. "This is for an oven."

Pearl unfurled the roll of parchment and appraised the design sketch. "How does it differ from ovens we have in homes now?" she asked.

"The ovens now are little more than a metal box that require a heating charm to be cast at regular intervals," explained Matthew. "Or most people still have old-fashioned hearths as their ovens."

"The hearths are fine, but a bit outdated. As for the ovens in homes, it is rather inconvenient to keep renewing the heating charms, wouldn't you say?" asked Morgan. "Especially when it's cooking something over a long period of time."

"And it's difficult to have consistency with temperature since the caster's magical ability plays a role in how intense the heat produced is," nodded Matthew. "All in all, while not life-ending, it is all rather inconvenient."

Pearl gave a slightly amused smile. "I see," she said. "And your product?"

"It operates on the same basic principle, but the whole idea is consistency and convenience," said Matthew. "The oven has fixed temperature settings, and there is no casting required to renew it, or turn it on and off. Simply a matter of moving the switch in the right place to make it work."

"The enchantment we cast on it is permanent," explained Morgan, when Pearl looked a bit confused. "The technique is what we need to patent, rather than the product itself."

"I see," said Pearl, thoughtfully. "What is the technique, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's a combination of runes and charm work," said Matthew.

"Is it easy to replicate?" asked Pearl, taking notes.

"It's not impossible," conceded Matthew. "They would have to reverse engineer our techniques step-by-step, and anyone would need at least a basic working knowledge of technomancy to do it."

"I see," nodded Pearl. "And there are other products like this?"

Morgan grinned at Matthew, who smiled at Pearl and set down a small pile of scrolls on Pearl's desk.

"Excellent," smirked Pearl.

9 August 1998

Lavinia Poitier was not expecting to spend her 30th birthday working, but she could not complain. In her relatively short career, she had built up an excellent reputation for herself and her work, and if that meant working weekends and special occasions, that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

"Ginger beer and rice crackers," said Nicholas, holding them up for her.

Lavinia smiled weakly, even as her stomach roiled in protest. "I just need her to hold still for two hours while I go to this meeting," she said, placing her hand on her still flat stomach.

"Her?" asked Nicholas, amused as he handed her the glass of ginger beer. "Something you need to tell me about our child?"

She smiled fondly at him and sipped the ginger beer, relieved when her stomach held steady. "Intuition," she said, by way of response.

Nicholas grinned and sat down. "I can do the meeting, if you want to rest," he said.

She shook her head. "It's the owner this time," she said. "And if we do this right, then there's the possibility of a more long-term opportunity."

Nicholas sighed. "I know that," he said. "You know, I can-"

Lavinia knew what he was about to say. He could take on another job, instead of assisting her so they didn't have to worry about more work coming in. The nature of her job as a consultant meant that income was dependent on projects coming in, and things had been slow as of late. She had been taking on some work in the Muggle world as well, until she had been handed the Chateaux Black project. Or well, the Alpine Onyx project as it was now called.

She and Nicholas had worked their arses off on this project and today was the ultimate test; if the owner liked what they had done, his people had promised they would consider her for a long-term position within their organisation for future projects.

With her and Nicholas also expecting their first child, it really would be good if she did get that position. She finished the glass of ginger beer and a couple of rick crackers, before standing up.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" asked Nicholas, as he stood up with her.

"No, I know you're busy with the Illyria Inn project," she said.

"It's in the last stages, I just have to do a final walkthrough for the photographs," he said.

"Remember to use the non-magical camera," she warned him. "We don't want to freak out the Muggle owners."

"That was one time!" he chuckled, and Lavinia laughed as she left their little cottage in the French country and disapparated to Chamonix.

The Alpine Onyx was nestled in a quiet corner of the Chamonix Valley, the structure sitting at the base of a private ski slope. Lavinia had been told the slope was property of the Alpine Onyx, and from Lavinia's best guess, she had to venture it was a beginner's slope.

The Alpine Onyx itself was not a singular entity. The main lodge sat partway up the slope parallel to the ski slope, and was a gorgeous three-storey tall property comprising eight bedrooms and several living areas. There were fifteen independent cottages dotted along the hill as it sloped downwards. Most cottages had two bedrooms, while a few others had three, each with a living area and kitchen as well.

Lavinia arrived in front of the main house, and fought back the wave of nausea. It took her a moment to realise that she wasn't alone, and she hastily brushed her box braids away from her face and smiled at the two people waiting by the front double doors.

They were the same age; the young man and woman. Lavinia gasped when she recognised the young man as Harry Potter. He wasn't as well-known in France as he was in Britain but the lightning scar was unmistakable, even though it was quite a bit fainter than the photographs had made it appear. He was dressed casually in expertly tailored black trousers and a steel grey wool-knit jumper, with heavy black boots on his feet.

The woman with him was unfamiliar to Lavinia, but she was quite beautiful with long, golden blonde hair that she was wearing in a ponytail. She was dressed in nude tights, brown suede skirt stopping at her knees, and a cream-coloured turtleneck jumper, with brown ankle boots on her feet.

"Ms Poitier?" asked the woman. "I'm Daphne Greengrass, and this is Harry Potter. Mr Potter is the owner of the Alpine Onyx and I'm his lawyer." Lavinia's eyebrows shot up at her perfect French.

"Very nice to meet you both," said Lavinia in French, as she shook hands with them. "Please call me Lavinia."

"Of course, Lavinia," said Daphne, with a polite smile. "Do you mind if we switch to English?"

"Yes, of course," said Lavinia in English, and saw Harry Potter smile gratefully at her. "Have you been waiting long?"

"No, we got here early," said Harry.

"Right then, shall we start with the main house?" asked Lavinia.

"Lead the way," nodded Daphne.

Lavinia walked them through the entire resort in the next two hours. The main lodge had a beautiful lobby with a reception desk, and a lounge with an enormous fireplace. Despite the stone walls, the interior was warm, with a thick pine green carpet on the floor. The ground floor of the main lodge also had a kitchen, and the adjoining dining area had been turned into a preparation and storage area so that the kitchen could be used for providing room service to all the guests.

There was no dedicated dining area as such, though the lounge did have a few armchairs and sofas for guests to sit and have a hot drink after a long day of winter sports. There were eight rooms in the main lodge, each with a double bed, dresser and vanity, and a small sitting area. Like the rest of the lodge, the rooms were done up in shades of white and pine green, with warm lighting. Each of the rooms also had an ornate fireplace as well as thick glass windows with an excellent view of the mountains.

There was a small tearoom on the second floor with a massive balcony that also had a view of the mountains. There were tables and chairs set out on the balcony for guests to enjoy short meals and drinks. Climate charms and a concealed ceiling would make it ideal for use even during cold winter months. There were a few other sitting areas around the main lodge, as well as a recreation room for billiards, cards and chess.

The independent cottages were tastefully decorated in similar colours, each cottage perfect for families or groups to stay in for a holiday. Lavinia also went through the staff list with them, pointing out that apart from two house elves for cleaning, the rest of the staff were humans.

"We have three managers, each working the first, second and third shifts," explained Lavinia. "The first shift runs from 6.00 am to 2.00 pm. The second shift from 2.00 pm to 10.00 pm, and the third from 10.00 pm to 6.00 am the next day. Each manager's staff rotates with them for the shifts."

"How much staff do each of the managers have?" asked Daphne, as she took notes.

"Depends on the shift," said Lavinia. "We have more people during the day and around mealtimes, but only staff to monitor and attend to emergencies at night. All the managers are overseen by the Resort Director, whose job is to supervise and attend to any crises that may come up that the managers may not be able to handle alone."

"And you handled the hiring of staff yourself?" asked Harry.

"My husband and I, yes," she said. "The Resort Director has over 20 years experience and she is extremely competent. Each of the managers has between 7 and 10 years of experience in a similar role. The Resort Director helped us with hiring the remaining staff. We hired local furniture makers and interior decorators to design the rooms and the resort. We oversaw everything, of course, but my personal philosophy is always to hire someone who knows what they are doing."

"Sound strategy," grinned Harry. "I'm rather fond of it myself."

Lavinia smiled gratefully at him. A lot of people who hired her failed to see her function, despite being the ones who had sought her out in the first place. Lavinia's job was to work out everything needed for a hotel to function as a business, and put the systems in place on a budget assigned to her. The reason why she was so successful, apart from her dedication and excellent taste, was her ability to work to the budget and not exceed it.

"We still have the branding to finalise, yes?" asked Daphne.

Lavinia nodded and passed them a few mockups. "I commissioned a few from a contact of mine in Greece," she said, as the two of them looked them over. "Once you have chosen, we can go ahead with the logo and branding. I estimate we shall be ready for the first guests come September."

Harry and Daphne took a few minutes to look them over and discuss them before they finally chose the logo. After a few more questions, Daphne glanced at Harry, who gave her a nod.

"Has Fleur discussed with you that we have another project in the works in London?" asked Daphne.

"Yes," nodded Lavinia, her heart pounding in anticipation.

"And if this one succeeds, we have the possibility of more projects that we think we could use your skills for," said Daphne, reaching into her bag and pulling out a sealed contract. "Something for you to consider," she smiled, handing Lavinia the contract.

Lavinia suppressed the urge to squeal and accepted the contract with a smile. "I will look it over and be in touch soon," she said. "Thank you both very much."

"The pleasure is ours," grinned Harry.

"Why haven't you read further into it?" asked Daphne, as she and Harry ate dinner at the Potter Hall.

After their brief visit to France, they had returned just in time for Minnie's parma pork and potato salad that was absolutely delicious, paired with an Apple Prosecco punch.

Harry glanced at his father's journal which was sitting on the table between them. He had not read further than the very first entry, finding himself unable to proceed just yet.

"I don't know," he said, honestly. "I can't explain it."

"Have you spoken to Ivanna about it?" asked Daphne, looking at him in concern.

"Not yet, but I will," he said. "It's as if it will...run out, I guess." He chuckled and shook his head. "That sounds ridiculous, I know."

"It doesn't," said Daphne and set her cutlery down on her half-finished plate. "I refused to open the last Christmas gift my mother gave me. She died the month before Christmas and had already prepared the gifts. But I refused to open it, because I knew it would be the last time I would get to open a present from her. I was barely old enough to understand it but I knew I wanted to just hold onto it as it was."

Harry nodded as he listened intently. "I could probably read the entire journal in a day or two," he said. "But I feel that if I did that…"

"You would run out of that connection you have with your father," finished Daphne, understandingly.

"Yeah," he sighed, and set his own cutlery down as well. "Did you ever open that present?"

"I did," she chuckled. "A few years later, after my father talked me into it. It was a dress that I had outgrown by the time I had opened the gift."

"And how did that make you feel?" asked Harry, and then chuckled as well. "Now I sound like Ivanna."

Daphne laughed and shrugged. "That's not a bad thing," she said, before sighing deeply. "Foolish, is how it made me feel. Like I had placed a deeper meaning onto something and then been let down by my own expectations." She glanced at Harry and smiled sadly. "But that was my experience. It will not necessarily be yours."

"I know that," he conceded. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to know you better."

Daphne looked a bit surprised before smiling. "Discuss it with Ivanna," she said, after a moment. "But there is nothing wrong with wanting to do this at your own pace."

"Thanks," he said, smiling gratefully. They returned to their dinner, and after a few moments of eating in contemplative silence, Harry cleared his throat. "How is this week looking for us?" he asked.

Daphne took a long sip of the punch before answering. "The Knockturn trials are still ongoing, so our mornings will be busy," said Daphne. "We also have a meeting with the Cornfoot brothers on Wednesday in relation to the Pottery."

"I also have a busy Tuesday," said Harry. "A session with Ivanna, and the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes is reopening as well."

"Yes, I heard," said Daphne. "You will be attending?"

Harry nodded. "I am an investor, after all," he grinned, sheepishly. "I also need to mend my relationship with Ron more."

"Alright," said Daphne.

"Speaking of which, I also needed to talk to you about something else," he said, as Minnie cleared their empty plates and brought out the spiced hummingbird cake.

"What is it?" asked Daphne.

"I want to tell the people at work about us," he said.

Daphne gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't want to keep our relationship a secret," he said.

Daphne's eyebrows shot up. "We have talked about this," she said.

"I know that," he conceded. "But we need to tell the people we see everyday, at the very least."

"What is this really about, Harry?" she asked. When he looked confused, she held up a hand. "I understand wanting to tell people we see everyday and I am not opposed to it either. But you are talking about mending things further with Ronald Weasley and at the same time, wanting people to know about us."

He shrugged, but at her insistent look, he sighed. "They are unrelated," he said. "Well, mostly, I suppose."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"I do really want to patch things up with Ron," he nodded. "Because I have realised there are certain things I want, and I know I have to work for those things to happen. I know my friendship with Ron will never be what it was, but I want it to be better than it is now."

He met her gaze unflinchingly. "I also know I want our relationship to be known, but I realise I have to be patient and start slow," he added. "I know this whole thing is a process and the last thing I want to do is rush into things prematurely. But at the same time, I don't want to drag my feet either."

Daphne sighed and smiled a little. "Alright, I see what you mean," she said. "Let's tell people," she agreed.

11 August 1998

"Hey, where's Harry?" asked Tracey, as she glanced inside Daphne's office at Verdant.

"At the opening for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," answered Daphne, without looking up from what she was writing.

"Just as well, I need to talk to you about something," said Tracey, and stepped into the office, closing the door behind herself.

Daphne glanced up as Tracey took a seat opposite her. "Is this about what Harry and I told everyone yesterday?" she asked, setting her quill down.

"Well, obviously," said Tracey, rolling her eyes. "I mean, none of us were surprised. It was only a matter of time."

"Thanks," said Daphne, dryly.

"Have you given any thought to how we are preparing the rest of the wizarding world for you to be Lady Potter?" asked Tracey.

Daphne raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. "I think you might be jumping ahead a few steps, Tracey," she said.

"No, I am not, and don't lie and tell me you didn't think about this before you and Harry started dating," said Tracey.

Daphne supposed it was the perils of knowing each other so well that Tracey had figured it out. She rolled her eyes but leaned back in her chair. "Fine, what do you have in mind?" she asked, figuring it was sometimes best to just go with it.

"Glad you asked," said Tracey, with a bright grin. "The main thing is to make you a household name. In a way that is safe and relatable, and no offense to Harry, but in a way that is not associated with Harry. Because right now, all you are known for is being Harry Potter's lawyer."

"Thank you, Tracey, that makes me feel better," said Daphne, rolling her eyes again.

"Well, you know it's true. Even if you weren't the Head of a Sacred Twenty Eight family, just being his lawyer would be enough for claims of love potions to be flying left and right," said Tracey, without reacting to her sarcasm.

"Do you actually have a plan or are you just listing all things I have considered already?" asked Daphne.

"I do, as a matter of fact," she said. "I started thinking about it yesterday after you and Harry told us. Didn't you once tell me that your family has a repertoire of tea blends?"

Daphne gave her a slightly puzzled look. "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" she asked.

"Well, this plan is two-fold," said Tracey. "Making you a household name and maybe buying you some goodwill at the same time." She pulled out a scroll of parchment and unfurled it on Daphne's desk. "You will need Fleur and Draco to narrow down the specifics, but you should consider a business marketing those teas."

Daphne stared at the crude business plan for a shop selling tea. "Hold on," she said, looking back up at Tracey. "What are we talking about here?"

"We are talking about creating a brand. The brand of a businesswoman. Something less daunting than Head of a Sacred Twenty Eight family and Harry Potter's lawyer," said Tracey.

"And you think selling tea will help quell rumours of a love potion?" asked Daphne, seeing the obvious flaw in the plan.

"This is where the second step comes in," said Tracey, sitting back in her chair with a smug smile. "We convince Marian Giles to give you a column in Witch Weekly."

"To write about tea?" asked Daphne.

"Well, yes," said Tracey. "It will be an excellent marketing tool for your business and it will also turn you into a household name." She sighed and gave Daphne an appraising look. "It will be impossible to completely eliminate all rumours or control every reaction. What we need to do is start laying groundwork now. This may seem silly to you but we market this in a way to appeal to the masses. A writer and businesswoman. It also helps you were a part of the Hogwarts Forty. You are going to have to keep building on that goodwill prior to your relationship going public and then we need to prepare the next phase for when he plans on proposing."

"And what is the next phase?" asked Daphne.

"I don't know yet, it would depend on how the groundwork goes," said Tracey. "Come on, Daph, you know I have given this proper thought. Just extend me the same courtesy and think about this, would you?"

Daphne stared at her friend and nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll do that. I'll have an answer before the end of the week."

Tracey smiled and stood up. "Thank you, Daphne," she said.

Across Diagon Alley, the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was bustling with people on their reopening day. Harry kept a low profile, grateful that the customers were too excited with the new range of products to even glance at him. He noticed a few people in magenta employee robes that he didn't recognise. Not all of them were handling customers, as a few of them were bustling back and forth between the laboratory upstairs and the shop downstairs, giving him the impression that the employees were a combination of salespeople and developers.

"We got most of them from the guild and the Office of Employment," Ron told him as an aside, when Harry caught him in a moment of temporary respite. "It's taken a lot off George's plate and given me a few extra pairs of hands. It's how we could launch so early, and a good thing too because we wanted to catch the summer crowd before the kids go back to Hogwarts."

"Excellent choice," grinned Harry.

"Thanks," Ron grinned back. "At first we were only thinking of keeping most of them for the summer but they're good people and they have been an enormous help. And if business keeps going the way today is, we can think of an expansion."

"Like having a branch in Hogsmeade?" asked Harry.

"To start with," nodded Ron. He lowered his voice and leaned in close. "If you get a chance, talk to Percy or Dad about Kingsley's latest project."

Harry's eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth to ask more, but George called Ron over and he hurried away with an apologetic shrug. While Harry was thinking over his words, he saw a flash of familiar red. He quickly followed after it, and caught up to Ginny just as she was about to head upstairs.

"Ginny," he called, and she stopped and turned around.

"Harry?" she asked, surprised.

"Can I have a word with you?" he asked.

She gave him a slightly uncertain look, but nodded toward the 'Employees Only' door. Harry nodded back and followed after her into the storage room full of boxes.

"Sorry to do it this way," said Harry, with a shrug when she gave him a wary and expectant look. "But, uh, Happy Birthday." He pulled out two scrolls of parchment wrapped in a red ribbon and held them out to her.

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. "Harry, you don't have to-"

"Look, I know I may not have the right," he said, and took a huge breath. "But it's your seventeenth birthday and it is an important day. Whatever we may be now…"

"It's not that," she interrupted, and crossed her arms. "It's..it's not fair, Harry."

"I know, and I am sorry," he said.

"Do you?" she asked. "Because I am trying, Harry. I am really trying to get over you. It doesn't help if you…"

"It's Wood's training regimen," he said, before she could continue. "He passed it down to Angelina and she then gave it to me when I got the badge."

Ginny paused and looked down at the scrolls. "What?" she asked.

"You got the badge this year, didn't you?" he asked. "Captain of Gryffindor?"

"I did," she nodded.

"Then this is for you," he said, holding it out insistently. "I know you are trying and I know it's not fair of me to act like...I just want you to have this, alright?"

She stared at him briefly but nodded and accepted the gift. Harry smiled gratefully at her and turned to leave.

"Thank you, Harry," she said, and he paused. "I'll put it to good use."

He smiled gratefully at her and walked out.

12 August 1998

"And Ronald Weasley did not tell you what the Minister's new project may be?" asked Adrian, as they sat in their end of day meeting.

"No, I didn't get a chance to ask," said Harry. "I'll try and get a hold of Percy or Mr Weasley this week."

"I'll check with Bill as well," nodded Fleur.

"Are we any closer to getting someone in the Minister's office?" asked Tracey.

"On that, I do have a potential candidate," said Adrian. "He was in your year at Hogwarts. Ernest Macmillan, heir to the Macmillan family."

"Ernie?" asked Harry in surprise. "He's joining the Ministry?"

"I know he has applied for a position in the Minister's office," said Adrian. "Most likely on his father's orders."

"Lord Macmillan is not someone we would usually count on to be in our corner," said Daphne.

"Yes, but rumour has it that father and son do not often see eye to eye," said Adrian.

"Hufflepuffs are loyal to a fault," pointed out Draco. "What makes you think we can talk Macmillan into going above his father's head and working with us?"

"That is why I said he's a potential candidate," said Adrian, pointedly before looking at Harry and Daphne. "Do you want me to approach him?"

"No," said Harry, shaking his head. "I think it's better if I do it."

"That would tip our hand spectacularly, don't you think?" asked Tracey, as everyone including Daphne looked surprised at that.

"I know Ernie," said Harry. "Like Draco said, he is loyal to a fault. Honesty might be the best way forward with him."

"That is an immense risk," said Daphne.

"Yes, I know," said Harry. "But at the very least, I can meet him for coffee and get an idea of whether there is more than just potential."

"I don't like it, but the decision is yours," said Daphne.

"It's worth a shot if it means we get him on our side," said Adrian. "Not only would we have someone in the Minister's office, he is the heir to a Sacred Twenty Eight family."

Harry nodded. "I'll see what I can do," he said.

There were murmurs of agreement, as the meeting continued.

"How about your meeting with the Cornfoot brothers today?" asked Fleur.

"Very productive," said Daphne. "They have been working closely with Pearl and have several prototypes ready for display at the Pottery. Additionally, they have put together a team focusing on manufacturing, using the candidates from the guild."

"And that is for the two-way mirrors, is it?" asked Draco.

"To start with, yes," said Daphne.

"Could you please stop calling them two-way mirrors?" frowned Tracey. "I worked hard on the branding, you know."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, the Pleiades Mirrors," he corrected.

"They have enough units ready for the launch on-" Harry paused and looked at Daphne.

"The 17th," she said. "On Monday."

"Are the shop premises ready?" asked Parvati.

"Yes," nodded Fleur. "I'll visit the Institute tomorrow and see if we need anything further before the launch on Monday."

"Thanks, Fleur," nodded Daphne. "I also hear we have two new clients for the Diagon Restoration Program."

"Yes," said Fleur. "Miria Blackwood is one of them. She is a clothing designer, specialising in Muggle clothes. Her previous attempts to open a shop were unsuccessful because the Ministry would not approve a license."

"Her husband is a wealthy American so he is financing the business," said Draco. "We're only assisting with licensing and some clout, and she has offered a generous cut in exchange."

"Do we know why she's being so generous?" asked Adrian.

"I'm quite sure it's the husband who is being generous. She seemed happy to design the clothes and run the shop," said Fleur.

"Do we know anything about the husband?" asked Daphne.

"Kei Blackwood," said Draco, looking at his notes. "Fourth generation American wizard. He apparently met Miria when she was on holiday in the States and then moved to Ireland to be close to her." When he received surprised looks, he rolled his eyes. "Miria is very talkative."

"Did she happen to say what he does for a living?" asked Adrian.

"Runs a business, apparently," said Fleur.

"I'll look into it a bit further," said Adrian. "Give me a day or two before you accept."

Draco and Fleur nodded in reply.

"Who is the other client?" asked Tracey.

"Sisters, Ping and Sang Dao," said Fleur, checking her notes. "They wish to open a beauty salon, which they were previously running out of their house. There is a very good store location three shops down that will be perfect, and we are putting together a business and finance plan for them."

"Very good, keep us updated," nodded Daphne.

"We have a few more meetings in the upcoming days for different restaurants," said Draco.

"It would be prudent to keep an eye out for clients who may be more suitable to Platinum than Diagon," said Adrian.

"We'll do that," said Draco. "Nothing further from us."

"Here's something to ease things for you then," said Daphne, passing them a document. "Lavinia Poitier has signed the contract. She is officially on the staff as the consultant for the hotels. She is finalising the Alpine Onyx now and she will turn her attention to Prisma starting next week."

"Does she need staff of her own?" asked Tracey.

"No, her husband assists her and she has not requested any further staff just yet," said Daphne. "They are planning on moving to London in a few weeks."

"That will help," nodded Draco, gratefully.

"Oh, and we have made contact with Todd Boot who has confirmed he is taking in bookings for the Alpine Onyx starting in September," added Fleur. "Lavinia sent over some photographs of the resort and Todd said that would help drum up interest."

"Do you mind sending them to me as well? I can forward them to the Prophet and Witch Weekly and get some more interest going," said Tracey.

"Of course," nodded Fleur.

"Let's call it a day," said Daphne, as the clock struck eight. "We have all been working long days. Ask for help if you need it and let's do our best to keep each other in the loop."

There were murmurs of agreement as the exhausted members of the GSC dispersed for the day.

16 August 1998

Isaiah Crickerly looked over the press briefing and wished he could have a stiff drink before doing this.

"You'll be fine," Neville assured him. "It's a small crowd and there's anticipation about the team."

"You have to admit it's better than having to do a public apology because the lads got drunk and thought it would be funny to moon the spectators after a match," Captain and star Chaser, Vanessa Chen reminded him cheerfully.

"Someone get the man a drink, he looks like he's about to pass out," said Vice-Captain and Beater, Colin Bradshaw.

"You people, back off," said Neela Ajit, one of the other Chasers. She placed a reassuring hand on Isaiah's shoulder. "You'll be fine, Isaiah. And V and Colin will have your back, if you stumble."

Isaiah smiled gratefully at Neela, who was the oldest member of the starting team at twenty six years of age, and easily the most level-headed one. She would have been an ideal candidate for Captain but she preferred to follow than lead, though she could pull everyone else in line when needed.

"Thank you, Neela," he said. "Alright, everyone line up and come out in the order I announce you. Neville and Harry will do the first announcement and then hand over the reins to me."

"We know, Isaiah," said Vanessa, reassuringly. "We have been through this. It will be fine."

Isaiah nodded and took a huge breath before looking at Harry and Neville. Both of them were dressed in expensive tailored robes; Harry in olive green and Neville in burgundy. Isaiah's own robes were new as well, though he had gone for a classic grey.

The players, both reserve and starter, were dressed in the brand new navy Quidditch robes with crossed golden bulrushes emblazoned on the chest. The back had their number and last name in the same golden colour. Brand new Quidditch armour made them look sharp and prepared.

They had ultimately decided against hiring a PR person, since hiring Camille Gibson and her team had taken a lot of things off Isaiah's plate. Camille coordinated a team of assistant coaches, sports healers and trainers, all of whom were also dressed in the new navy team robes with their last name and job title on the back in gold. Camille herself was in the head coach's robes, with her short dark hair in a ponytail.

That left Isaiah to oversee management, sponsorship and day-to-day operations. It also fell to him to do this press briefing where they would be announcing the new team, with their new branding. The briefing was being held inside their brand new stadium, and they had representatives from the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly to every Quidditch magazine in Europe in attendance. Apart from the press, they had a few club members and a small section of the general public in attendance.

"It's almost noon," said Harry, checking his watch. "Everyone ready?"

There were nods and murmurs of agreement. Isaiah took another breath to brace himself, as he apparated after Harry and Neville to the temporary raised platform set in the middle of the stadium. He was already being blinded by camera flashes when he arrived, but he did his best to smile, knowing he was not going to be the focus of the photographs since they were mainly for Harry and Neville.

The crowd was in the stands, in the three Top Boxes right in front of them to be precise. After a couple moments of the cameras going off, Harry raised a hand and they fell silent, though an occasional flash would still go off.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to our brand new stadium this afternoon," said Harry, the magical microphone in front of him broadcasting his voice easily while a massive screen behind them projected the visual more clearly to the assembled people. "I am Harry Potter, one of the two owners of Puddlemere United. With me today is the co-owner, Lord Neville Longbottom."

There was some cheer and applause as Neville gave a smile and a wave toward the crowd. "As Harry said, thank you for coming to our brand new stadium. Although, that is not the only thing that's new today," he said, as he and Harry nodded at each other and pulled out their wands simultaneously. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce: the brand new Puddlemere United team."

At his words, both he and Harry waved their wands at the same time and all around the stadium the former mud brown banners and logos were replaced with the brand new navy. There were gasps and excited whispers as cameras captured the new design and team colours, and as Isaiah stepped onto the platform, he cleared his throat and drew everyone's attention.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, I am Isaiah Crickerly, the manager for Puddlemere United," he said, thankful that his voice sounded steady. "As you can see, our team has undergone some changes since we were last here. Today, it is my extreme pleasure and honour to introduce our team and our support staff."

There was some applause after his words, but mostly there was just the air of anticipation that lingered. "First, our head coach, Camille Gibson with our support staff."

Camille flew out onto the stadium followed by the support staff and they did a quick lap before landing on the platform and lining up behind Harry and Neville. A few of them waved, while others bowed, and Camille grinned brightly in acknowledgement.

"Up next, is our reserve team," said Isaiah. "Brighton, de Silva, Winter, Sanchez, McDonald, Ngo and Anastas."

As he announced them, the reserve team flew out one by one and did a full lap around the stadium to cheers and applause. They came to a halt on the same platform as them and lined up to the left of Harry and Neville.

"And finally, ladies and gentlemen," announced Isaiah. "Our starting team: Chen, Ajit, La Roux, O'Neill, Bradshaw, Wood and Krum!"

The cheering was much more raucous as the team flew out and did a few laps, including a couple of tricks in the air before landing on the platform and lining to the right of Harry and Neville.

"Thank you for such a warm reception, ladies and gentlemen," grinned Isaiah. "It is the support of the Quidditch community and the enthusiasm of our loyal fans that has kept us all going. Come October, we shall do our very best to make everyone proud. Please look forward to it!"

Cheers and applause echoed around the stadium, and the infectious buzz of the crowd got the adrenaline pumping for the entire team.

Isaiah knew it would be a very productive season and he could not wait for October.

Harry walked through the fireplace in Daphne's office and frowned when she barely even looked up. There was a wrinkle between her brows as she read the parchment in front of her, absentmindedly twirling a quill in one hand.

"Daph," said Harry, as he walked up to her.

She hummed in response, without looking away and he sighed as he grabbed her wrist lightly to stop the movement of the quill. Daphne jumped a little when he touched her and his frown deepened when he saw the slight purple bruises under her eyes showing her exhaustion.

"When was the last time you took a break?" he asked, slowly releasing her wrist.

She sighed and set the quill down. "How was the launch for Puddlemere?" she asked.

"Don't change the subject, Daph," he said. When she gave him a tired look, he sighed and held out his hand. She placed her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. The two of them walked over to the sofa in her office and sat down next to each other. "What is going on with you?" he asked her, keeping his voice gentle and not as frustrated as he was feeling.

Daphne closed her eyes briefly, and then to his surprise, rested her forehead on his shoulder. Harry placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

"It is going to sound silly," she murmured.

"Tell me anyway," he said.

She pulled away and gave him a tired smile. "I am just a bit overwhelmed," she said.

Harry chuckled, and when she looked a bit hurt, he quickly stopped himself. "Sorry, Daph, I don't mean to laugh, but honestly, that is not unexpected," he said.

She rolled her eyes but chuckled as well. "Shut up," she said.

"Daph, with everything we have going on at the moment, it's not surprising," he said. "It feels like we have not had a moment to ourselves lately. I think we need a break, both of us." He chuckled again. "I mean, we went all the way to Chamonix last weekend and all we did was work."

"I don't know if we have time for a break," she said.

"True, but we need a night off," he said.

"Harry, I can't. Fleur and Draco have just finalised the details for the tea shop and I-"

Harry cut her off with a shake of his head. "I will look over the plan," he said. "Why don't you have an early night?"

"Harry, you don't have to-" Daphne started, but he shook his head again.

"The whole reason you are opening the tea shop and taking on more work for yourself, is because of Tracey's plan. And you are doing it for both of our sakes, so it is only fair that I help," he said.

He could see her wavering, so he leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. "Take the evening off. I will look it over and make some notes that you can go over tomorrow with fresh eyes," he added, as he pulled back.

"Are you sure?" asked Daphne.

"I am," he said. "I won't stay long, just another hour or so."

Daphne smiled gratefully and nodded. "Alright," she said. "Thank you, Harry."

He smiled back and kissed her again. "We're a team, you and I. You don't have to thank me."