Now Hiring

Chapter 6

Introductions

Severus Snape was not pleased. Perhaps there had been some misunderstanding? It was Monday morning, precisely the time the hired help was supposed to arrive, and yet the shop was empty except for himself and the overfed cat.

Though Severus was not ecstatic about being forced to work with Mr. Pudgy and Gary, he knew he needed their expertise. The fact that they were obviously not punctual men upset him greatly.

He paced about the shop for a while, becoming more and more perturbed by the foul beast that kept trying to trip him up. Eventually, he took the animal by the nape of its fat neck and deposited it in the store room. Then he locked it.

No customers came, and no hired help showed up. Hours passed.

Severus was certain there had been a misunderstanding when the bell tinkled merrily and broke him out of his brooding. He stood abruptly, though he couldn't see that anyone had come in.

Harry braced himself before opening the door. He had debated over whether or not he would come, but then something had sparked inside him. Something that felt a little like the old Harry.

Harry wasn't going to let Snape take what little happiness and routine he'd found in life. The job was his for six months, and he'd be damned if he let someone take it from him before his contract was over. Holding his head high, he boldly wheeled himself through the door until he was staring up at one obviously shocked Severus Snape.

"Sorry I'm late," Harry said to break the silence. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to come to work anymore, but I've decided that I'll continue working here until my contract expires."

Snape had obviously recovered somewhat from his shock, because a very familiar glare was settling over his features. Dismissing him, Harry wheeled towards the yowling coming from the storage room.

"Why is Mr. Pudgy locked in the storeroom?" Harry asked accusingly. Snape opened his mouth to reply, no doubt scathingly, but by then Harry had opened the door and Mr. Pudgy came shooting out like a rocket. He climbed straight up Snape's robes and clawed him in the face. Snape let out a hiss of pain and pried the cat off his chest, being far too violent. He flung Mr. Pudgy away from him, holding his bleeding face and looking murderous. He pulled his wand out, aiming it at a furiously hissing Mr. Pudgy.

Shocked into moving, Harry wheeled himself in front of Mr. Pudgy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Put that away!"

Snape drew back, confusion warring with shock on his face.

"Potter…what the hell are you doing here?" Snape finally managed, regaining a small amount of his composure. Mr. Pudgy continued to hiss dangerously at him, now perched in Harry's lap.

"I work here. So does Mr. Pudgy. He's a very intelligent cat, and he does his job well. You'd do well to treat him with more respect in the future. How long did you leave him locked in the storage room?"

"That isn't…why are you…Winston said nothing about…"

Just then, the bell over the door rang again.

If Harry had already began to slightly regret coming to work, he started kicking himself when he saw who had waltzed in as if he owned the place.

"Malfoy," Harry whispered quietly. His green eyes darkened immediately. Surprised, Draco took a step back and arched a silvery blonde brow.

"Potter? The famous Boy-Who-Lived? You look…terrible." Malfoy looked as though he'd forgotten all about what had become of Harry Potter. No doubt he'd pictured him living in some picturesque cottage out in the middle of nowhere, happy and prosperous, living simply as he'd always wished.

Needless to say, it was quite a shock for both of them. His cool blue eyes moved to take in Severus, still looking highly ruffled with long claw marks bleeding on his face. The cat hissed at him as well, slashing the air in warning.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry asked coldly.

"I work for Severus. I'm his apprentice. What are you doing here?"

Harry was quiet for a few moments, then he chuckled darkly. It caused a chill to run up Draco's spine. His old school enemy was completely changed, that much was obvious. He was down right creepy.

"I work for Snape as well, it would seem. Ironic, isn't it?"

Neither Snape nor Draco answered Harry's question, because just at that moment the bell rang again, and a customer came in.

Instantly, Harry dropped the dark glare and forced a look of pleasantness onto his face.

"Morning, Ms. Brill. How are you doing?"

The elderly woman breezed in, completely oblivious to the thick tension in the room.

"Hello, Harry dear! I'm just fine – wonderful! In fact, I just got a letter from my dear nephew…"

Harry pushed Draco aside, who was just standing there dumbly, and wheeled towards the old woman.

"Which nephew is that?" Harry asked genially, taking the old woman's tattered cloak and ridiculously feathered hat. He deposited them on a shelf nearby. Mr. Pudgy jumped from his lap and happily received a friendly back scratch from the genial old woman.

"Oh, it was my dearest Arnold. He's in the muggle military, you know. He's received a promotion in rank!"

"That is good news. How is your sister doing?" Harry was doing his best to pretend Snape and Malfoy weren't staring at him like he'd grown three heads, but it was rather hard to ignore. Still, he wasn't about to be rude and depressing around a little old woman who had enough of her own troubles.

"Oh, you know. She's taking it one day at a time. And who are these two fine, young men?" She asked curiously, peering over her cheap spectacles at Snape and Malfoy. Everything about her, in fact, was cheap. She rarely bought potions. She didn't have the money. Instead, she came for a bit of friendly companionship. Harry had the suspicion he, Winston, and Mr. Pudgy were her only friends.

"This is Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. Winston has left Snape in charge of the shop."

"Well, come here, my dears! Let me have a good look at you! Blind as a bat, I'm afraid."

Both men remained where they were, looking highly uncomfortable. Harry smiled when Ms. Brill began to poke and prod at them, squinting at their faces and taking her measure of them in her usual peculiar way. Finally, Snape had taken enough.

"Excuse me," he pulled her hand away from his bicep, "madam, but is there something you wish to purchase?" His voice was harsh and scathing.

Ms. Brill pulled her hand to her breast, her large blue eyes going wide and her lips trembling. She looked as though Snape had slapped her.

It was then that Harry had the immense pleasure of seeing Snape look guilty about something. He'd used his 'unruly third-years' voice on a helpless, old lady. Ms. Brill seemed to shrink away from the harsh tone, easily offended and extremely sensitive. Harry had learned quickly to always be overly polite and friendly with her, even if it was a strain to smile for so long in her presence. He needed to intervene.

"Forgive him, Ms. Brill. He doesn't know what a good friend of mine you are. Why don't you take your usual seat, and I'll get some of your favorite tea."

Ms. Brill, much subdued, took her usual seat beside the counter. Mr. Pudgy jumped into her lap, and she began to stroke his back. He purred contentedly, shooting a look at Snape as if to say, 'This is how it's done, you moron.'

After Harry had brought her a cup of hot tea, the woman began rambling about inconsequential things as she usually did. Snape and Draco hovered nearby, obviously clueless as to what they were supposed to do. Eventually, the disappeared upstairs for awhile, but then came back down just as Ms. Brill was leaving, about an hour later.

Ms. Brill had talked up a storm. Harry merely listened the entire time, looking as though he was having the time of his life. Eventually, Ms. Brill announced she was due at the bakers and had to be going, but that she would be back soon for another visit. She left, much to Snape's ire, without buying anything.

After she was gone, Snape exploded.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you are just as incompetent as a salesman as you were as a potions student? She must have listed a hundred ailments she had, and yet she left without a single potion. What exactly are you being paid for, Potter?" Snape barked. Draco watched the scene unfold, a little smirk on his face.

Harry, who had returned to his glower the second Ms. Brill had left, straightened in his chair. He felt that spark of anger, that rush of adrenaline, that only Snape could goad out of him.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you're still a heartless bastard? Did you see her clothes? Her worn out shoes? What would she have paid you with? Her grocery money? That poor old woman doesn't have a single friend in this country besides Winston. It's the highlight of her sad little life to come talk to me for an hour or so each week. If I were you Snape, I'd show a bit more compassion. It won't be long before you're just as old and alone as she is."

Snape's eyes hardened in retaliation, his reply on the tip of his tongue, when the bell rang again and interrupted their second argument of the day. This time it was a paying customer – a very important one.

"Hey, Harry!" Ginny called brightly. The look on her face was comical when she realized who else was in the store.

She locked eyes with Malfoy and the temperature seemed to drop. Her glare was frigid.

His was hungry.

Harry realized Ginny had become a beautiful young woman. Her red hair was long and soft, her figure petite, and her eyes were enchanting. Harry assumed that if he hadn't been gay, he would have been highly attracted to her.

Draco, it seemed, didn't have that excuse. He was looking at her like a starving bear looks at fresh meat. Just when Harry decided that, wheelchair or not, he would beat Draco off if he had to, Ginny reminded him that she was all grown up. She certainly didn't need him fighting her battles for her.

"Harry told me Snape was buying the shop, but he didn't say anything about you."

"Apparently, he's going to work here as well," Harry informed her. Ginny smirked, as if she'd just been handed ammo for her gun.

"How the mighty have fallen, eh Malfoy?"

That certainly wiped the suggestive look right off Malfoy's face.

Harry smirked. Score one for the home team. Harry, Pudgy, and Ginny 1 – Malfoy and Snape 0. Harry looked at the explosive combination of people and realized he probably should have just stayed in bed.

A/N: Sorry this took so long. Combine major writer's block with finals week and you get one really slow author. Thanks for coming back to read, even though the update was so late!