Chapter 15 Random Things

"So, Hydrus, are you really trying to open a bank?" Sirius asked a week after the article came out. They were all sitting at the Potters, just finishing talking once again about Walburga. It would soon be time for dinner, which the newly freed Dobby was cooking.

"Oh, no, not a bank," Hydrus hedged, not wanting to spill his secret just yet. He wanted to get it set up first. "I would never go against a treaty." His face looked far from innocent.

"With the way you feel about goblins, I don't believe you," the dogman said with a barking laugh.

"No really, it is not a 'bank'," the immortal said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Right, so what are you putting there?" Lily asked, picking up on what he wasn't saying.

"You'll just have to wait and see," was the answer.

"Okay," Sirius said slowly, then turned towards little Harry and watched him start naming off body parts on his bunny.

"Head," the bunny giggled.

"ead," the toddler laughed.

"Correct," and it tittered again.

"Yay," Harry clapped his hands and hugged the toy, which caused it to giggle again.

"Hydrus," James gritted, "I hate you."

"Oh, give it up, James," Lily said, swatting him on the chest. "You should be used to it by now," she chastised. She had long gotten used to the giggling bunny and now found it cute.

"I know," he huffed, folding his arms and thumping back in his seat. "There's just something about that damn giggle that sets my teeth on edge."

"Buck, mate, it's only a toy," Sirius laughed, causing Harry to repeat, "Uck up, 'ate," making everyone laugh, which caused Harry to clap his hands and get up to hug his daddy.

James picked up his son and returned the hug. "Right, so what is for dinner?"

"I think, Dobby is making Beef Wellington," Lily said, taking a sniff in the air. She had been relegated to only cleaning the master bedroom and Harry's room. Dobby had taken over the rest of the house; it had been quite an argument between redhead and elf, but Dobby won in the end. Stubborn elf.

Dobby called them to dinner and they had a nice family evening with no Dark Ladies, no politics, no business talk and no holiday shopping worries.

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Weeks passed and it was the end of January and they hadn't heard from Walburga in days. She had stopped trying to get past the wards of Barkley's. Hydrus felt it was only the calm before the storm, but he was taking the time to relax with the family. Everyone was sitting in the Potters' living room one Sunday afternoon while Harry was down for his nap. They were discussing business when Hydrus got a phone call on his cell. "Hello."

It had taken a month or so to get the crystal towers up, and they weren't on the market yet, still in production. However, there were a few people, mostly in this room, that had them. Lily was the most thrilled with them, and on her suggestion, Hydrus opened the market up in the non-magical world as well. That took a bit more time, but he had cornered the market and started the trend. As it was, they were taking off here in Great Britain, and soon would be available on the continent.

He was making a killing.

"Hydrus?" came the male voice on the other end.

"Yeah, who's this?" he asked, only just recognizing the voice.

"This is Marius," the man answered in a deep voice.

"What can I do for you, Marius?" he asked. Ah, yes, now he remembered, he gave one to Marius, well one of the non-magical one. When Walburga started her rampage, he made sure Marius had some way to call for help.

"I just wanted to let you know that I just shot that crazy Black bitch," the man said, gleefully. "She came to the house and set off the wards. I went out with my gun to see who was tripping them and as soon as I saw her, I pulled the trigger. She didn't even have time to get off a spell. She ported out right after I hit her." You could hear the pride in his voice. He was very happy that he had taken down the woman.

"Did you kill her?" Hydrus asked hopefully, wondering if the woman got her hands on a Black portkey. That did make it more believable that someone from the family was helping her. He was praying that she died, then that part would be over and they could live in peace for a while. Then all he would have to worry about is the Light person who he was supposed to let die, his businesses, and the person hiding in the shadows and getting Smeller elected.

"Nay, but I'm pretty sure she'll be down for a while. I got her in the shoulder and she was bleeding pretty badly when she ported out," now there was disappointment in his tone. "Then again, you fucking wizards don't know anything about gunshot wounds, so who knows," Marius tacked on merrily.

"There is that," Hydrus stated, though he did know that Healer could tend the wound if the bullet wasn't in it. "You didn't get arrested, did you?" the immortal asked concerned for the cantankerous man. Even though the squib was standoffish, he still help Sirius with the orphanage can was lightening up around wizards.

"Nay, I live pretty far off the beaten path, no one heard the shot," Marius said, figuratively waving off the concern, though it did make him feel better about the time traveler. That and he had to be thankful to the man for putting the wards on his house.

"Hmmm, well I am glad you're safe. Thanks for letting me know. Do your wards need updating?" Hydrus questioned, not wanting the man to be vulnerable.

"I'd like it if you came by and checked," Marius said thoughtfully. Being a squib he couldn't feel if they need updated or not, so he appreciated that Hydrus would come and make sure.

"Right, I'll be there tomorrow."

"Right," Marius hung up the phone on that.

Hydrus grumbled, "Good-bye to you too," and closed his phone.

"Who was that?" Lily asked, from her place on the sofa.

"It was Marius. He wanted to let me know that he shot Walburga. She's not dead, but she might be out of commission for a while," he said in haste, at Lily's hopeful look.

"Well that's good news," the redhead sighed. Not as good as she hoped, but a reprieve would be welcome.

"Shot her?" James asked. "Like with the guns in the video games?" that got him excited.

"Well it was a gun, but I'm sure it wasn't as damaging as those in the games," Hydrus said, rubbing the back of his head. "Guns are illegal here in the United Kingdom, so it was probably a service revolver or a hunting rifle, I didn't ask, but I think Marius was in the army." He wasn't going to tell them about his gun a secret, plausible deniability.

"Too bad it wasn't like those guns. Mum would no longer be a problem," Sirius added, not a happy note, but a hopeful one. As much as he hated his mum, she was family. Though if he got a chance he'd take her down, he would just feel bad about it. He was more along the lines that Hydrus could do whatever it was he did to nullify the unwanted.

"She's going to have a hard time getting that looked at in the magical world, especially now that she's on the run. I wonder if her backer knows how to treat gunshot wounds," Lily said, looking around the room. They would know more about wizard medicine than she.

The three Marauders just shrugged, they didn't know either. None of them were Healers.

"Well if there is no bullet in the wound then it would be easy for a Healer, but if there is, well…" Hydrus stated, not wanting them to get their hopes up.

"Well, Mum won't go to a non-magical, that's for sure," the younger Black said, and they all got thoughtful looks.

"Right, so I'm going to let you guys in on a secret. I know you asked a few weeks ago, but I didn't have everything set up, so now I need your help before I open my mystery… bank," Hydrus said, clapping his hands together and changing the subject. He really wanted this family to be on the ground floor of his new venture.

"I thought you said it wasn't a bank," Sirius said, confused and frustrated. All the talks in the Ministry were just now subdued. With this news, they were going to start up again and the hassle from the goblins was barely repressed when it was rumor. He'd hate to see what they'd do now. He cut a glare to the immortal and ran a hand through his hair. If Hydrus had answered the question weeks ago, then he could have prepared. So he told him so.

"I know and I'm sorry for keeping it a secret, but Mr. Jasper said that I couldn't tell anyone until all the legal paperwork was done and that took months. That and we needed to research how to get around the treaty," Hydrus apologized and then perked up and smirked. "Besides, it's not technically a bank. I can't open one of those. It's what's known as a credit union," he answered with a glint in his eyes, like he was playing a practical joke on everyone, which in his opinion he had.

"What is a credit union?" James asked, sitting up at that look in the older man's eyes. He too was miffed about the extra work he was going to have to do, but hey, a good prank was a good prank.

"Imagine this, you know how Gringotts has vaults for everyone, right?" he asked and waited for the nods. "And how you have to go to the vaults to get money?" more nods. "And how the goblins are surly and hate wizards?"

"What are you getting at?" Lily asked exasperated.

"Well a credit union takes everyone's money and puts it into one big vault and then pulls money needed for banking and loans from that vault. You don't need to ride down rickety old carts to get your money, there are clerks at the counters that will get your money for you," the immortal explained in the simplest terms he could think of.

"So does that mean everyone has the same amount of money? That doesn't seem quite fair," Sirius asked, latching on to that bit and not really seeing the benefit in such an endeavor. After all, the Blacks were quite rich and while he might not be Dark, that didn't mean he wanted to give away his gold.

"No, no, you only have what you put in your account," he assured them when they all got strange looks on their faces, like they weren't sure what he was talking about. "It's just not separated into many vaults."

"Oh, how do we get by without vaults? And really, no carts?" James asked excitedly. He hated riding in those damn things they made him fear for his life. It was nothing like riding a broom, with the turns and the twist, not only that but they were underground, making him worry about a cave-in.

"The computers keep track of your money. You come up the teller and make you deposits or withdrawals. They have bottomless bags with them to give you what you need. Though if it is a big withdrawal, then you have to see a manager," he explained with a smile on.

"That's convenient," Lily said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "What else?" she asked, leaning forward to hear. Since Hydrus came back she didn't trust goblins.

"The biggest differences are that credit unions are a nonprofit business and everyone who uses it has a say in how it is run. You simply have to tell the committee what you think and they debate it with what others think and the majority rules," the immortal said still smiling. "That and we give out loans and mortgages. It'll be a small credit union and you have to fill out an application to join. So even the 'little people' can have an account and a voice. We can't discriminate, say no pure-bloods, but we can reject those we don't think will stick to the rules."

"Wouldn't it make it easier to rob? If all the money was in one place," Lily inquired as she mulled over the explanation.

"Well, I'm can't tell where the vault is. Sorry, but that is one secret that stays with me." It was actually going to be in a pocketspace, which was in the back room of the building and guarded with a parseltongue password. Only he and a few other wizards will know how to get to the money. There would be a crystal that would let you into the pocketspace area. All the people at the credit union had to take Unbreakable Vows to be allowed in the back. They all signed a contract that stated if they left the business, they agreed to have the knowledge wiped from their minds.

"Let me get this straight. All someone has to do is come into the bank, go to a teller, withdraw or deposit their money and then walk out? No cart rides, no grumpy goblins, just a simple teller?" Sirius asked, letting go of the one vault aspect. He too was getting excited. Unlike James he liked the cart ride; it was the dragons he had issue with.

"Right, there will be a large safe that will be on the property for big withdrawals, but the money itself will be elsewhere," Hydrus fabricated, it was the story everyone would be told, and like he said, he had to keep it a secret. "I'm also trying to set up checks, credit cards and debit cards, but I'm still having a bit of trouble with that," he confessed sheepishly.

Then he explained what those where and how much easier they would be. "Right now, it's set up for magical signature on a withdrawal and deposit slip. You merely have to sign your name and touch it with your magic or blood and that will tell the teller that you are you. I've got other safeguards, but that is the easiest one."

"That does sound easy. Have you thought about the conversion rate? I mean precious metal is worth more in the non-magical world than here," Lily asked, she had looked it up once Hydrus had pointed it out. Well, she had known that before, but had forgotten it since she moved to the Wizarding World and immersed herself in the culture.

"Well, the coins are spelled to not be melted down, so I can't really change that, but," he held up his hands to ward off the debate, "I'm thinking we could use pounds in the mall for those who know how."

"That is a marvelous idea," she said, bouncing on her seat already thinking about how to incorporate that into the café.

"So, what do you need from us?" James asked, running his hand through his hair. His mind was going over the ramifications of this venture, but he was more than willing to help the man who saved his family.

"Your money, of course" the immortal said, cheerfully, "I've already got a few of my accounts closed from Hellströms and in the vault, but I can't be the only customer. Well, the people I've already hired have their money there, but I need you guys to close your vaults at Gringotts and open an account in Black Credit Union," he explained with a hopeful look in his eyes. A lot hinged on what they would do.

"I have no problem with that," Sirius said, bouncing at what he figured was a great joke on the goblins.

"Me neither," James added, sparing a glace for his wife, who nodded enthusiastically.

"I do not have a vault. I have already put my money in a non-magical bank. Besides, I do not think that the Wizengamot will let you open accounts for Dark creatures," Remus said, almost pendulant. He wanted to help but there were still laws on the books about him doing things in the Wizarding World, banking was one of them.

"On the contrary, my friend," Hydrus said, shaking a playful finger at the werewolf. "They don't have a say in who I cater to." he puffed up his chest importantly and then broke out in a chuckled at the gobsmacked looks.

"What do you mean? They are the government. They pass all sorts of laws restricting Dark creatures," was the confused argument.

"See, that's the thing. While I have to follow government guidelines for money handling, they don't have laws against Dark creatures opening accounts. Only vaults." Hydrus chuckled. It had all been in the wording. He and Mr. Jasper went over the treaties and the laws with a fine-tooth comb and discovered that there were plenty of rules they could bend. Everything they were doing was legal.

"Oh, sneaky," praised Sirius.

"With us three doing politics, I don't see restrictions popping up anytime soon, unless Crouch gets voted in," Hydrus said, rubbing the back of his head. It would throw a wrench in the works if that bigot was elected. "Still, I'm sorry for all the work you guys are going to have to do with the Wizengamot."

"Which reminds me, Hydrus, is there any way I can talk you into releasing Junior?" Sirius asked, waving away the apology and leaning forward. He hoped that the time traveler would comply. It would make things much easier.

"Why?" was the response.

"Well, if we can prove he's a Death Eater, then Senior will never be Minister," Padfoot reasoned.

"Yeah, but do we want to take the chance that he'll get free again? If you think your mum is crazy, she has nothing on that fanatic," Hydrus said forcefully, not sure if it was a good idea. That man had been a major pain in the arse in his first timeline. He was devious and cunning and would be a blight on society if he was ever free enough to run around. While he couldn't resurrect Tom, he could help Walburga and that would be bad.

"Well, is there some other way you can out him without freeing him?" Lily asked, thinking along the same lines as Sirius.

"I might have a few ideas," came the evasive answer as plans swirled around the immortal's head.

"Right, I don't want to know," both Lily and Remus stated, causing some chuckling.

"I hear Harry. Why don't we leave the business talk for another time?" James said, getting off the sofa and going up the stairs.

"Sounds like a plan," Hydrus agreed vacantly. He was working on his plan to out Barty Jr.

"Unca 'dyrus" came the excited voice of a now clean and wide-awake toddler.

"Hello, Harry," the said uncle said, taking the tot from James and giving him a raspberry.

"He misses you when you're not here," Lily said, smiling at the two. Hydrus was taking more and more time for just himself, and while Lily was glad he was relaxing, Harry hated it when he was gone.

"I was only gone for a few days," the older Black said as he bounced the giggling baby.

"What can I say? He really thinks of you as family," the redhead replied. "We all do," she added, putting her hand on his arm.

Hydrus beamed at his younger self and he spent the rest of the day just playing with Harry while the others did some research. They didn't take Walburga being out of the scene as a time to let their guard down. If she was working with someone, then they still had to worry about that person.

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Hydrus called it an early evening and went home right after a lovely meal of chicken stir-fry. When he got home he called Rita, whom he had given a phone to, since she was his spy. "Rita, I have a story for you," he said, when she answered.

"Really, what type of story?" came the sarcastic reply. While he had given her some juicy gossip, he hadn't really given her anything that would put her on the map, so to speak. Because she had to retract the article on Crouch having an affair, her readers dropped a bit. She was still top gossip reporter, but she wanted front page news.

"Well, I can't really tell you over the phone, but I want you to be at your flat in a half an hour. I'm going to kidnap you and give you a scoop that will take Crouch out of the running," Hydrus said, going over how he was going to pull this off.

"You want me to let kidnap me?" Rita said, surprised.

"Yup, you can only tell the truth as you know it, so be in your flat and then I'll come and get you," the immortal explained. "It will be worth your while, I promise," he said with conviction.

"Right, I'll be there," she agreed after a long pause. It wasn't like she really had a choice, but if it was a good story, well…

Hydrus said his farewells, hung up the phone and went to one of the empty rooms of the house. He made sure that there was nothing in there, but two chairs in the middle and one off to the side in the shadows. He covered the windows and pulled the pictures off the walls, the room was now devoid of anything to identify it. When the half an hour was up, he put on a hooded cloak and Apparated to Rita's flat. He stunned her as soon as she turned to him and then popped back to his house. Putting her in one of the chairs, he went to the garden and called the Barty rock. He took it to the room, put it in a chair, reverted it into the man, tied him up and dropped some truth serum in his mouth.

"Rita," he said upon waking her, making sure to change his voice, "meet Barty Crouch Jr., a Death Eater." He went to the chair in the shadows and made sure his hood was up. If they took her memory then he would never be seen. "Ask him anything you want. He's been dosed with Veritaserum." He said in a deep voice, keeping his holly wand on his lap.

"Oh, this will be good," the reporter cooed as she took out a parchment and Dicta Quill. "What is your name?" she asked the tied up man.

"Bartemius Crouch Junior," was the vacant reply. Since he was under the effects of the potion, he simply sat and answered the question.

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"Yes," he answered, causing Rita to almost clap with glee.

On and on the questions went, until Rita got the full story of Jr. How he became a Death Eater. What he had done to please his Lord. Why he went against his father. It took almost two hours for her to wring the complete tale out of him, but she was satisfied in the end. She wouldn't even have to fabricate much, only that she couldn't identify her kidnapper, which was easy enough since he never showed his face. All she had to do was state that a hooded man took her to an undisclosed location, which was all true.

She took a camera out of her bag and snapped some pictures, making sure that his arm was exposed. "I'm done," Skeeter said cheerfully as she put the camera back in her purse.

"Right," the immortal commented and then stunned her. He turned Barty back into a rock, left him on the chair and then he took Rita home and put her to bed. The stunning spell would wear off on its own. He then went home and threw the Barty rock back in his garden. Satisfied that he had covered all the bases, he went to bed.

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Two days later The Times headline read:

Bartemius Crouch Junior Tells All

By Rita Skeeter

Dear readers, imagine my surprise when I was taken from my home by a hooded man to an unknown location. There in the room was a Death Eater, who was tied to a chair. Imagine how I felt seeing the young man tied to a chair, with the Dark Mark exposed. I was frightened for my life, but was assured by the hooded man that Bartemius Crouch Junior was subdued. What happened next was a story you will not believe, but I tell you it is the truth…

Rita continued on that after she was kidnapped her capturer informed her that Jr. was dosed with truth serum. What followed was an article on who had been a Death Eater, how they became one and the horrors they committed on the public. It also stated Jr's undying loyalty to the Dark Lord and why he turned on his father. In the retelling, Jr. stated that he was only following in his father's bigoted footsteps, but did something about it instead of following the laws. There was a picture on the front page of the young man tied to a chair, his face exposed, with his arms bare showing the Dark Mark.

Crouch Sr. stormed into the office of The Times and threatened to arrest Rita if she didn't tell him where his son was and for her to retract the article. Rita reiterated her story about being kidnapped, she had even filed a complaint with the DMLE, and that she was under a vow to only report the truth. Her editor and coworkers backed her story. He had nothing on her, plus she was too much of a public figure to just be chucked into Azkaban, not while he was running for Minister. The people would be up in arms if he arrested everyone who wrote something defamatory about him and his family. Soon he left in a huff, hoping he could get The Daily Prophet to hear him out.

The fallout was tremendous. Smeller used it to gain more supporters. Crouch was drummed out of the DMLE and was now out of the running for Minister. He tried to retaliate with an article in The Daily Prophet stating that it was all a setup and that his son wasn't a Death Eater. He demanded that whoever was holding his son be brought to justice. The public was having none of it, Skeeter's article was too damning.

"Well, that's one way to do it," Sirius said after reading both the articles. He put the papers down on the table they were sitting at and Lily's Book Corner was buzzing with gossip and speculation. They had to throw up a mild Muffliato just to be able to talk.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hydrus said, taking a sip of his tea.

"Right," James said with a lift of his eyebrow, but he too let it go. "The Wizengamot is about ready to just let Smeller have the office, since he's the only one running." He rubbed his hands together happily.

"That's a good thing, right? Isn't it what you guys wanted?" Hydrus asked as he looked between the richer of the three. He would be ecstatic to see the man in office.

"It is," James confirmed with a vicious smile. "With Smeller as Minister, we can prevent a lot of bigoted laws, though he might not have as much pull as we like. We'll have to wait and see." He frowned a bit at that.

While Smeller was a righteous man, he didn't have a lot of gold or a family name, but with people like the Potters and the Blacks backing him, he might just make a good Minister. His platform was firmly on the Grey, bordering Light.

"So when are you opening your… credit union?" Sirius asked, changing the subject.

"In a couple of weeks. I still need you guys to close your vaults, set up some equipment, go over some paperwork and many other little things," Hydrus explained, rubbing the back of his head. Opening the credit union was a hassle. There were so many laws and regulations that they had to work around, just when they thought they covered everything some little detail popped up. Thank Merlin for Mr. Jasper.

"I'll do that today, I have to tell ya, the goblins won't be happy," James stated. He was more than happy to comply. Goblins be damned.

"There's not much they can do about it," snarked the immortal.

"They're going to be more up in arms when I pull the Black money out. I've already talked to the family and told them I'm closing the main vault and that there might be fallout," Sirius said, rubbing his goatee.

Hydrus pulled some papers out of his pocketspace. "Oh, right, I forgot, here are some applications," he said as he handed them over to the younger Black. "Have them fill these out if they get too much flak from the goblins. These explain the rules and regulations of the credit union. What it is, how it works and the benefits," he added pulling out some glossy pamphlets. "If they don't get accepted they can always bank outside of Britain."

"Do we have to fill out these… applications?" Remus asked, looking over one of the handouts.

"Yes, everyone does," the immortal replied, "but you guys should be fine." His lawyer was the one to write them up, keeping within the laws. There was a team of people who had already made rules to follow and they would be going over the applications. Right now that team consisted of some of his business managers and workers.

"What are you going to do if they revolt?" Remus asked. Like James and Sirius, it had been preying on his mind since Hydrus told them about his newest endeavor.

"Not, my problem, oh, I don't mean I won't fight, but monopolies are not good, so if they revolt then it will be up to the DMLE and the Wizengamot to control them," Hydrus said with a wave of his hand, when they looked at him in confusion. "Besides, if they riot then it will only make the public hate them more and hopefully, more alternate banks or credit unions will open."

"That's one scenario," James said thoughtfully.

They finished their tea and James and Sirius went to Gringotts. Remus went back to work and Hydrus chatted with Vicky.

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Upon entering Gringotts, James went up to the nearest open goblin and stated, "I'd like to close my vaults," he stated imperiously as a wicked smirk spread across his face.

"Gringotts not good enough for you, human?" the goblin sneered as he set aside the gem he was weighing.

"With customer service like that, then, no, they are not," the messy-haired man sneered back.

"What will you do with your money? Gringotts offers the highest security in all of Britain," the goblin asked, his face in a snarky smile. "You heard about the robberies of those that tried to keep them in their homes. Will you take such a chance, human?" the still unnamed goblin questioned.

"That isn't your concern," was the casual rebuttal as James folded his arms and glared at the greedy creature. Oh, he knew that Hydrus and Sirius were the ones behind the gutting of those houses, so even if he was to do that, he had little worries, he could always keep his treasures in his pocketspace.

"Do you have your key?" the goblin asked grumpily, not liking it, but there was little he could do. James handed the key over with a flourish, and the goblin took it and looked at it, "Fine, take your money and I hope you get robbed. Steelclaw, take this human to his vaults." The key was thrown back at James, who caught it without effort.

Suddenly there was a loud exclamation, "What?! You can't close your vaults!"

James looked over and spotted Sirius sneering at the goblin in front of him. The poor goblin seemed to be ready to weep. There were gobsmacked expressions all over the bank as people started to whisper.

The goblins were worried; the Black vaults were some of the riches in Gringotts, barring the Malfoys, and with the Head missing those vaults were frozen until young Draco came of age. They were still upset that the unknown, very rich Black banked outside of Britain, but if the younger one closed his vaults they could be ruined.

"I can do with my gold anything I want," Sirius replied, standing regally, looking down his nose at the goblin as a small smile played at his lips. He was enjoying himself.

"But, but, you can't," the little being wailed.

"Come, human, and get your vault cleared," Steelclaw said, drawing James's attention away from his mate. There was some thinking going on in that brain, as the goblin wondered why the two friends were both pulling their money. Perhaps rumors of the older Black opening a bank weren't unfounded after all. He would have to see the King about this. There would be retribution if the treaty was broken.

"Right," the Potter male said. They rode a cart down to the first vault, which James hated. He emptied it into his pocketspace with a wave of his wand, making the goblin look disgruntled. The process was repeated three times, though James did have to wonder what he would do with all the family treasures. Hydrus hadn't said anything about storage for those. After he was done, he waited outside Gringotts for Sirius, who would take longer.

People were whispering and pointing in his direction. One man came up to him and asked, "Mr. Potter, why have you closed your vaults?" worried that his gold was in jeopardy.

James smiled and said, "It's a secret, but if I were you, I'd look into better security than Gringotts."

"I thought Gringotts was the securest place in all of Britain," the confused man stated.

"Oh, it is, for the moment, but I have inside news. It's good enough for me to take a leap of faith," James said mysteriously.

"Oh," the disappointed man said, and shook his head and wandered away.

Sirius joined him a few minutes later, laughing his arse off. "Did you see their faces?" he asked, his face bright with mirth.

"No, I was too busy with my own goblin. I did hear the dismay when you said you were closing your vaults. That was bloody brilliant," Prongs added, clapping his best mate on the back.

"Well, I'll have to get Hydrus to lend a pensieve," the younger Black returning the gesture and the two men went about their day.

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After the Marauders left the café, Hydrus chatted with Vicky for a few minutes. "Do you like working here?" he asked, thinking someone of her beauty would not enjoy such menial work.

"I really do," she answered with a bright smile. "Mrs. Potter is a wonderful boss. She takes the time to help us when we're busy and pays us really well." She was actually excited about her job, she never did waitressing before. She had mostly stuck to running businesses, not working in them. While she had a lot of gold of her own, working here was relaxing and a lot less stress, albeit hard on the feet.

"How did you meet Lily?" the male immortal asked, wondering how Lily talked her into it. He would think that a woman of her stature would be more at ease in a business like atmosphere.

"Oh, she talked to my parents and they said I was looking for work," she said, mostly truthful. Well, the first half was, while she wasn't looking for work she was searching for a mate. And she was sure the man in front of her was the one.

"So, this isn't a setup for one of us?" Hydrus asked bluntly, with a lifting of an eyebrow.

"Well, I do I will admit that I get to meet nice people, such as yourself," she hedged. Her smile dimmed a bit at being caught out. "And that I was hoping to meet Mr. Right," she confessed.

"I see. Well, just to let you know, I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I do however like to have friends," Hydrus said gently, not wanting to disqualify a friendship, but wanting to let her know he wasn't on the market. He had enough women throwing themselves at him, thanks to Witch Weekly naming him the richest man in Britain.

"Oh," was the disappointed reply. "I can do friends," she added with a brilliant smile. Many good relationships started out as friends.

"I know Lily's heart is in the right place, but I lost a loved one not too long ago and I'm still getting over that loss," he added in a sad voice. The grief had lessened significantly as months passed, but he didn't want to date a mortal. He had no idea what was going through Lily's head, she knew this.

Internally Vicky perked up, that was the clue she needed to know she was right. "I'm sorry for your loss. I do know how that feels," she replied, touching his hand and giving him a soft smile, which showed she truly did. She too had loved a mortal and was devastated when he died. Though, she did cherish the time they had, it was still quite a blow.

"So, what do you do when you're not working here?" Hydrus asked, withdrawing his hand and changing the subject and the two immortals had a casual conversation about nothing important until Hydrus had to leave.

Lily came to the table and joined Vicky, "So, how did it go?"

"Well, I figured out he was the immortal, but he is still mourning his lost love," Vicky said, as she started clearing the table. "I have no problem being his friend for now."

"Well, I can't tell you if you're right, but Hydrus can use good friends," Lily stated, helping her pick up the cups. They walked to the small kitchen area and put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"I'm going to let Colette know what I think. I'll also mention that he is not interested in romance, though I think she's got her sights set on Sirius," Vicky said, glad that she wouldn't be competing with the sultry vampire.

"You do that," Lily stated and went back to the office.