Well, that was at least a productive meeting, if not a bit fraught with tension between the husband and wife; for what reason, Vera hadn’t pried but living in a small town like Hogsmeade, people were nosy and she wasn’t an outlier when it came to gossip. Veronica exhaled as she left the couple’s home, her mind already on the shop and the upcoming inventory she’d have to help the shop workers arrange.

She’d swung the gate open, her thoughts already shifting to what she might have cook make for dinner (she’d forgotten to give her the menu again) when a familiar voice sounded from just around the corner. Vera started, head whipping to see if the voice matched the image of the person who had immediately come to mind upon hearing the greeting. “Ser - I mean Mrs. Bythesea,” She immediately corrected herself. “Beg pardon, erm - no, I was just coming from a business acquaintance’s residence.” She gestured back up to the grand house - one that certainly cost twice as much as hers, if not more. And then (it wasn’t as if she had any right to ask, but it slipped out anyhow): “What are you doing here?”