Marriage of Inconvenience ***COMPLETED***

21 Looking for The Lost

Hermione moved into the small flat above the bookshop a few week's later.  Arbuthnot got some decorators round to give the whole place a freshening up along with putting in a new modern kitchen and bathroom.  He was quite happy to allow her to pick out some furniture, curtains and matching bedding in pretty pastels.  He'd not lived in the rooms since him and his wife had moved out to a modest home in the suburbs some twenty years ago so it had been used as a storage room ever since. 

It didn't take long to complete the refurbishment and Arbi looked on favourably as he took up some tea and biscuits to the Foreman and his workers.

"Here you are Mr Dursley." Putting a cup next to him on the work surface.  "Tea no sugar, just as you like it.  Biscuit?" He handed him a plate, which the man happily took from him.

"Call me Dudley" he grinned, putting a pencil behind his ear and then taking a slurp of his brew.  "Lovely" he sighed afterwards.

"It's looking smashing in here." Said Arbi, surveying all round him.  "Much more to do now?"

"Not much" replied Dudley with a mouth full of Custard Cream.  "The bathroom's finished apart from a small amount of tiling on the splash back and Jim's coming in to do that tomorrow, then the appliances to hook up in the kitchen on Thursday - a spark's coming in to do that.  You can get the furniture in at the weekend.

"Oh wonderful" Said Arbi excitedly clapping his hands.  "My friend Hermione will be pleased.  She's started working for me in the shop and she's such a treasure."

"Hermione?  That's an unusual name.  I knew of a Hermione once."

"Aaaah this young lady hasn't been in Winchester long. She came from Scotland I believe."

"Oh, right....". Dudley said no more.  "Well I'll finish off here and you can tell the young lady she can come in in a few days."

"Thank you. Thank you. I'll let her know. She's not in until Friday as I gave her a couple of days off to pack up her current abode and shop for any bits she might need here."

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

"Severus?! Severus?!!!!"

Severus came out of his chambers wiping his hands.

"Harry? What is it? I hope you have a perfectly good reason for coming down here shouting the odds. I've just put Kal down to sleep and am trying to catch up on some potions for the infirmary...."

"Shut up and listen will you Sev!" Said Harry in an exasperated tone

"Well that's rude...."

"I think I know where Hermione is!"

"What??...... Where?" Severus sat himself down heavily on the nearest chair. "Where is she?"

"We think she's working in a small bookshop in Winchester...."

"...And are you sure it's her? I'm fed up with fucking 'Wild Goose Chases'.  That Basingstoke trip was a complete waste of time."

"Do you remember my cousin Dudley?"

Severus blinked at him. "Of course. Petunias boy. What's he got to do with this?"

"Well he owns a firm of Maintenance Contractors."

"And?"