Chapter 9
Early morning of July 4th, 1998
Draco found himself standing in the center of a room. A blinding white light from above only cast a small amount of the room in its circular glow. This made the wood floor appear dull and washed out; the rest of the area remained in a void of darkness. The room felt very still, the air thick, and it was so quiet Draco feared he had gone deaf. He found himself dressed in black trousers and a grey button-up dress shirt. His black patent dance shoes effectively flashed light into his eyes with a turn of his foot, seeming extra glossy than he remembered. A soft clap echoed loudly off the invisible walls from the tap of his heel as he turned around, confirming that the room was just eerily quiet.
"Today we must perfect the basic waltz with underarm turn. We've already spent too much time on it as is. Come now, no time like the present."
A coarse female voice spoke from somewhere in the room, thoroughly startling Draco and confusing him all at once. As he looked around for the source, a loud, slow rhythmic sound emitted from behind him seconds later. Music. He quickly realized he was at dance class, and the voice was his dance instructor.
"Quit standing about and get into position. We will be here all night if we have to until you get this dance mastered."
Draco felt himself snap to attention, going through the procedure that had been previously drilled into his memory on how to start a dance with a partner. Looking into the darkness, he felt a bit strange addressing no one as he gave a quick collected bow. To his puzzled amazement, a girl emerged to curtsy back. She seemed oddly familiar to him, yet he couldn't place a name. She took his hand and moved toward him, her eyes a dulled blue-green, skin was shockingly white in contrast to her grey tea dress. The girl's hair played tricks on him, blending strangely into the bright light and darkness simultaneously, making it difficult to decide what color it really was.
The two quickly clasped opposite hands, holding them away from their bodies. The others found their appropriate positions on the shoulder and upper back respectfully. They stood like this for a moment before the woman's hoarse voice cued in.
"Start from the beginning without the turn," the voice commanded. The couple fell into the rhythm of the music that had long faded into the background. The couple performed the required box step in unison, making slow but fluid motions that made up the dance.
"Good, now remember the underarm turn will be implemented every other fourth step. Draco, you will move your right hand to your side during the turn to keep it out of the way. Your left should be raised above your partner, all the time still loosely holding her hand. Give her plenty of room to move around.
"You finish by fluidly moving back together during the resetting of the steps. And you missy, you'll make a fluid turn outward while using his hand as your pivot to guide you. And for goodness sake, do not step on each other! That is both your worst offense thus far in this dance sequence. Understand?"
Draco nodded, picturing the scene in his head. The girl gave a simple nod as well. "Do a few turns first to get the feel of the motion."
They both were in position, and as they moved, Draco silently guided his partner into the underarm turn as he had imagined it multiple times.
"Good, now start from the top. Do not let go of each other's hands." The instructor stressed the last sentence almost harshly, a last minute mistake she failed to mention that had occurred before.
As they started from the beginning, the flow of the steps came almost naturally to Draco, yet the expression on the girl's face told him she was still struggling with it. Draco released his hand from her waist in mid-step to initiate the turn, guiding her as she moved without interference. A strange pressure started resting on his forearm. Looking to see what was causing it; he saw that his partner's hand had a snake protruding from under her sleeve and it started to slither up his arm, fangs bared and burning red eyes boring into him. Terrified, he released her hand while she was in mid-turn and snapped his hand to his chest. The snake coiled back from losing its footing before vanishing, the girl was pulled into the shadows with the serpent with no warning.
"No!" his instructor shouted, the music stopped. With no time to react, Draco watched as the scene unfolded in front of him. A bloodcurdling scream erupted in all directions. The room seemed to distort because of it.
The air grew frigid, the light above vanished, casting everything into darkness. A window appeared behind Draco, remains of moonlight streaked in from the cloud cover casting the room into an eerie glow. Shadows stretched out in all directions, shaping into figures of masked people. Growing panic settled into his chest, his breathing growing rapid. He frantically looked around him seeking his dance partner in the void that swallowed her until something pulled him forward.
A strange cracking noise was heard from behind as he was thrown to his knees by invisible hands. Turning his head to look for the source, horror overcame Draco when he saw a girl lying lifeless nearby. Her face obscured by hair, the grey tea frock torn at a seam in the skirt. Blood freely leaked from a heavy gash above her temple. It pooled around her, mixing with the light blonde hair, dying it black where blood made contact. A large snake was coiled up beside her, preparing to feast. Looking quickly away, he felt his heart nearly stop when he saw an ashy cold hand firmly grasping his wrist. Red slit eyes gazed fiercely down upon him from the shadows. A cold hiss followed.
"Do not disappoint me, Draco."
Next thing he knew his left arm started to burn. Pressure from the wand felt like a dagger searing into his flesh as it drug across skin, leaving a trail of invisible fire and black ink pooling into a snake-like shape behind. The pain quickly became unbearable; an estranged cry of agony escaped him while he feebly tried to pull his arm back. He let himself completely collapse as soon as he was granted release. A twisted, distorted laugh in the background slowly faded out with his vision. The last thing he saw was the girl's blood slowly seeping toward him.
Draco awoke with a start; nothing new to the other mornings he'd had, except the nightmares had changed their material. This one disturbed him more than the other ones, an innocent dance class he attended at seven years old – based on the simplicity of the dance – with a strange girl turned into a morbid version of his initiation to join the Death Eaters. It took him longer than usual to calm his post-nightmare shakes as he fixed his gaze on his left forearm. The faded grey tattoo lay lifeless on his skin, hardly noticeable in the dark. Shaking his head, he looked to the wall, wondering if suffering from insomnia would be less stressful and terrifying than enduring new, more twisted nightmares that took away any rejuvenation sleep normally provided.
After tending to his morning regimen, Draco already felt exhausted as he made his way down to the ground floor dressed curiously in a steel grey dress shirt, black trousers, and black oxfords. The two top buttons of the shirt were left undone, collar askew. The buttons on his sleeves were also left unattended. He hadn't even cared to tuck in the shirt tails much less put on a belt; he was in no mood to be in prim condition today. Once on the ground floor, he glanced at the grandfather clock as he passed. Half past six. He was sure he was the last to rise, which was unusually rare. Shrugging off the thought with little care, he aimlessly made his way to a part of the manor he assumed was vacant of either parent, not forgetting the scene he stirred with both of them the night before.
Narcissa took her morning tea, a small assortment of croissants, crêpes, cornettos, fruit, and sauces to the sitting room. The usual family breakfasts had ceased some time ago. Not because of the lack of house elves to prepare the meals – she was fair with chef related spells – it was the chaos that infected their home that drove the family's traditional routines into a mere memory. During their house arrest, she was forbidden to prepare any meals while the aurors were present, a precaution enforced to ensure no poisonings happened. Aside from the insulting assumption she would dare attempt a heinous act so soon after the war that would further jeopardize her family, it was for the better. She was helpless when it came to cooking the muggle way, unable to figure out how they managed without burning anything while a charmed stove would simply cease cooking once things were at the perfect temperature.
She comfortably sat on the sofa that faced away from the entryway, placing the breakfast tray on the coffee table in front of her. Though her back was turned, it did not hinder her awareness of the silent presence that entered the room moments later.
"Good morning, Draco. Come have a cuppa." Narcissa didn't have to look to know who it was; the quiet entrance gave him away.
Already in mid-turn to make a quick escape, he stalled a tad too long to pretend he hadn't heard – her acknowledging his presence startling him. She made no movement to address him further; instead he heard the quiet clinking of a teaspoon hit the sides of a china teacup. Knowing at that point it would be rude to simply leave and pretend he didn't hear; Draco approached Narcissa without a glance or greeting. Instead he silently prepared himself for what the morning conversation would hold as he went to take a seat. Draco was aware his actions the night before were not going to go unchecked, and after calming down in the security of his room he felt a little ashamed of his rash behavior once he mulled over it with a clearer mind.
Narcissa barely glanced at her son as he passed by. It was enough to notice his disheveled appearance. She took a sip of tea, using it as a cover her subtle examining of Draco as he took a seat opposite her and collected the spare tea cup sitting on the tray on principle. His eyes seemed to look everywhere but at her before finally sparing a glance in her direction briefly as he grabbed the teapot.
"Good morning, mother. How was your night?" Draco inquired hesitantly, hoping to tiptoe around the foreseeable topic discreetly.
He dropped his gaze from her prematurely mid-sentence to focus on preparing his cup, adding a generous amount of crème before searching for a teaspoon on the tray only to find the one Narcissa used resting on the saucer.
Another sip of tea, she responded just as cryptically. "It went well. Aside from certain commotions, I rested peacefully."
Draco winced as if her answer stung. Swallowing hard, he muttered. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry."
"You've been under a lot of stress these past few weeks, it is alright. Yet I'm not the one you should apologize to."
Narcissa watched as her son appeared to press his tongue against his cheek, most likely biting it. A quirk she learned of his that showed he was irritated with what was said but chose to keep his thoughts to himself. She noted he also fixed his gaze carefully to not meet her eyes entirely when he did happen to look her way. His eyes flicked downward and she followed his line of sight to the tray. He gestured in its direction with a flick of his hand.
"May I use your teaspoon?"
"I used it with the sugar," she stated while retrieving the silver utensil from its resting place.
Draco never liked sugar in his tea despite his sweet tooth he had as a child. She always made sure to send him his favorite maple fudge during his school days, an old Black recipe handed down through the generations. It was yet another thing she noticed he grew out of; a stab of pain pricked her heart.
"That's alright." Draco muttered, reaching for the spoon to take from her.
Not even bothering to wipe it clean on a serviette, he resumed the task in blending tea with crème. Narcissa continued watching her son in the meantime. His movements were sluggish, posture rigid. Expression blank as he focused on his task. At this angle she was unable to see the shadows under his eyes, but was aware they were present. They all bore them – hidden under makeup – yet his appeared more noticeable to her. She'd be a fool to think nothing was wrong with her son despite his efforts to conceal it. A mother knew when their child was suffering in silence, it was in their nature.
Draco was no longer a child, however instead a young adult that was required to grow up too fast in order to endure a war. Already forced to adapt handling things his way, learned how to brush things under the rug and walk away, trying not to look back, but never had to anticipate dealing with the traumatic stress the memories of war manifested. If last night's outburst was anything to go by, his repressed demons were far worse than she had imagined.
Narcissa yearned to help him, nurture him, hide him under her wing and tell him everything was going to be okay. But she worried he would push her away and reject her; already showing signs of contempt for his father for what happened. A foreign feeling of helplessness washed over her in that moment, her child was continuing to suffer and she felt as if she could do nothing in fear of losing him entirely. He had every right to blame them for what happened; they neglected their responsibilities as parents to protect him from harm. Instead he was pushed to the front lines, burdened with the responsibility to protect them instead when they had failed terribly.
The witch closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, pulled her troubled thoughts to the back of her mind and calmed herself. If she wanted to fix her family – her only son properly – she would have to do it with a collected and focused mind. Knowing she would have to handle Draco delicately to avoid her fears from becoming a reality.
"Pastry?" Narcissa offered after collecting a croissant of her own. Adding a few slices of peach to the small breakfast plate for good measure. "There is also fruit."
Draco took a crêpe from the plate, pairing it with a few mango slices. The corners of his lips tugged into a small frown as he looked back at the tray. "No strawberry sauce?"
"We've ran out, I'm afraid." She stated with a shake of her head, waving her hand at two small saucières. "We have crema pasticcera and chocolate sauce, however."
He compromised with the chocolate sauce, tipping the saucière just enough to allow a small steady drizzle paint the crêpe and mango. A calm silence settled between them, both tending to their respective breakfasts. Narcissa stole a glance at her son as she finished her tea and croissant to find him stock still, hunched over and head hanging over his lap. She would assume he fell asleep if not for the teacup slowly turning in his hands – breakfast completely untouched in front of him.
"Is something else troubling you, son?" It was an obscured question to ask, she knew there was. The words felt like acid spitting from her mouth, but it was best to allow him to take the first step in initiating the conversation if he desired.
Draco lifted his head, dulled grey eyes told the witch he was drowning within his mind. Straightening in his seat, he stared at his mother with a new intensity while he contemplated a response. She went unfazed at his indirect attempt to demure her away from the topic, a defense mechanism that the Malfoy men naturally fell back on when a question or conversation involved talking about their feelings.
"Not really."
It was not the answer she wanted, so she pressed on. "Are you feeling alright? You look exhausted, and you've barely eaten."
Draco turned his head away, setting his cup down before rising from the chair. "I am fine, mother," he stated as he started to walk away, signaling he wished to end the conversation. Narcissa rose and moved around the sofa, catching his arm at the entryway. The blond turned his head just a tad; sharp grey eyes cut downward at her. Their height difference gave him the advantage; she did not let it intimidate her.
"Draco," it almost sounded like a plea to her ears, though Narcissa already knew pushing him would drive him away. 'Please let me help you through this…'
A silent plea screamed from her conscience, flashing across her aquamarine eyes. Instead, she inclined her head and straightened her shoulders in an attempt to appear more eye level with Draco. She took her hands and brushed them lightly over his torso, shoulders, and arms to smooth away the wrinkles on his shirt, knowing he was not going to give in this time.
"You look a mess."
Flipping the shirt collar down, she adjusted it enough before properly buttoning it. Narcissa let out a huff of contained disapproval, noticing the untucked shirt tails as she looked him over and automatically went to correct them. Draco grabbed both her wrists before his mother had a chance to get to them. Cupping her small hands in his, he lifted them to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles.
"No need to fuss over me, mother. I can handle it myself." His response held hidden meaning just like her comment had.
Deciding to finally leave the topic alone, Narcissa produced a small smile in false understanding while a heavy sadness settled deeper in her chest. The one he returned was more like a grimace as he released her hands, attempting to make a clean getaway once more.
"You should pack an overnight bag, we are to leave soon." Narcissa stated suddenly, fidgeting with her wedding ring as Draco only took a few steps before pausing at the discrete command. He made a half-turn to address her, letting a hand ruffle through the already untidy hair as he stared at her in confusion. His brow furrowed when she did not continue.
"Leaving to where?"
"Berlin. We decided to accept Sabrina's invitation in order to acquire new wands in your absence. Our Portkey activates at eight." Her tone indicated there was no way he could get out of it, but his body language hinted he would protest anyway.
"An overnight bag just to get wands? Seems a bit farfetched doesn't it? A few hours at best, maybe." Draco hadn't planned to be so irritable today, figuring he got it all out of his system the night before. The clipped statements said otherwise.
"Don't be so crass," Narcissa scolded. "It will be good to get out of the country for an evening. Maybe even have some fun. We all need our spirits lifted, and it isn't like England won't be here when we get back." She bit her tongue at the last statement; aware mere weeks ago that could be the case if Voldemort prevailed.
"Fun?" Draco scoffed, stifling a laugh.
Narcissa gave him a stern look, clearly not happy with his change of mood but glad that was the only thing he responded to. He swallowed lightly and decided to stop belittling his mother. She did not deserve to be treated that way, not from him. Unsure of what to say, he gave a nod in understanding while his gaze gave a silent apology.
"Thank you." She muttered. Draco turned to retreat to his room. Narcissa placed a hand over her heart, watching as her son disappeared into the foyer.
.oOo.
After checking in at The Grand Eagle Hotel and having their luggage properly situated in their rooms – known as the Eagle's Nest, or simply the penthouse – Sabrina and the Malfoys easily blended into the bustling streets of magical Berlin despite the early morning. Leading the way, Sabrina huddled close to the blonde witch as they passed the various shops pointing out random things as they passed. Lucius kept a pace head of the two, occasionally looking over his shoulder to ensure he was walking in the right direction. Draco dragged behind several paces, clearly wishing to keep distance between he and his patriarch.
"Remind me to take you to Tabitha's Trinkets and Trimmings after we get – oh we are here already!" Sabrina announced; stopping in front of a rather large storefront that Narcissa thought was the one her friend was speaking of at first. The sign read: Blackthorn den Zauberstabmacher Est. 962. Only able to read the surname, she concurred it was the wand shop instead.
"Impressive," Lucius stated as he approached the two. "I was beginning to wonder if we got lost." He forced a half smile at his clever way to poke fun at Sabrina, whom gave an oblivious giggle at the joke. Narcissa simply ignored it and instead smiled warmly at her husband who kindly held the door for the two witches to enter.'
She made a slow turn to take in the vast interior. The walls were covered in neat, organized wand boxes from floor to ceiling. Tall ladders hugged various locations of wall necessary to reach everything. Towering shelves stood juxtaposed along the floor, creating long narrow pathways barely large enough for a person to navigate without sidestepping. Charmed dusters and brooms danced around, determined to maintain a clean and dust free environment. It felt like an oversized library with how it was laid out.
Although impressed with the pristine wand shop, Narcissa felt that it lacked the character that Ollivander's shop once held. Pulling her attention back at the sound of a bell chime, she went to stand in front of a long and tall desk. Sabrina leaned over in a failed attempt to peer into an open room behind the desk. Lucius pulled a face at the witch's inappropriate behavior and lightly shook his head. Waiting in complete silence, Narcissa spotted her son lingering by the sitting area to the left of the entryway. Concealing a smile, her eyes almost sparkled in seeing that Draco appeared just as awe struck with the store just as she was while taking in the vast shop.
'The magic is already taking effect,' she thought happily.
A short, stocky man emerged from behind a shelf a moment later, distracted with a couple boxes in his hand and not immediately noticing the company present.
"Guten morgen, Schwager. Lange nicht gesehen!" (Good morning, brother-in-law. Long time no see!) Sabrina spoke suddenly, almost startling the man and the Malfoys simultaneously from the sudden break in the silence.
From the corner of her eye, Narcissa saw Draco move closer to investigate the new arrival. Placing himself purposely close to her so he could see over her with relative ease. The copper haired man looked up, bright blue eyes settling on Sabrina. A smile instantly formed as he quickly moved around the desk to her, placing the forgotten boxes almost carelessly on a small end table as he passed.
"Sabrina, darling!" the man boomed, giving the dark-haired witch a tight hug. "Es stimmt! Wie geht es dir?" (It's true! How have you been?)
"Danke, mir geht's gut! Und dir?" (I am well, thank you. And you?)
The two released their hug as Sabrina spoke, a smile plastering her face as she swiped a dark tendril behind her ear. Narcissa looked to Lucius for assistance in translating; he only returned it with a shrug. Letting out a huff, she strained to decipher what she could, but German was never a language she was required to learn in her youth. Apparently this applied to Lucius as well.
"Gut. Sehr gut." (Good. Very good.) The man turned his attention to the small perplexed family standing nearby. "Freunde von Ihnen, Sabrina?" (Friends of yours, Sabrina?) He gestured to the Malfoys, smiling.
"Forgive me; this is Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and their son Draco. This is Rufus Blackthorn, my brother-in-law," Sabrina kindly introduced. Rufus smiled and held out his hand to Narcissa.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Blackthorn." Narcissa said pleasantly as she accepted his hand.
"Danke! A pleasure to meet you." (Thank you!) He gave a nod and offered his hand to Lucius next, who accepted it hesitantly.
"Mr. Blackthorn," Lucius muttered, discretely wiping his hand on a handkerchief to rid its remnants of the German's dusty hand when he wasn't looking.
"Willkommen!" (Welcome!) He held his hand out to Draco who looked taken aback when Rufus turned to him. Draco examined the man carefully, feeling that he had unofficially met him prior but in a much less pleasant manner. Except this time he seemed a bit too chipper rather than grumpy and irritable. Rufus raised a curious brow.
"Hello." Narcissa caught Draco slide his hand through his hair after accepting Rufus' hand. She became aware of his sudden nervousness instantly when she looked the short man over again; he was identical to the wand handler from his trial. "You seem very familiar. Were you in –"
Rufus chuckled lightly, interrupting Draco. "A common misunderstanding. Zat vas Rolf, my twin! He and I, vee haff a strange relationship you see. Very serious. Strictly professional. He is more interested in politics, but sure knows his vandlore n' uses eet in his vork often. He comes 'round here and zere often," he explained with a whirl of his hand. Draco nodded in understanding and stepped back a fair distance behind his mother.
Narcissa looked his way and gave a reassuring smile, thinking the déjà vu would deeply bother Draco, yet he wore an impassive mask that gazed aimlessly around the shop to conceal he was actually lost in thought. A glance toward Lucius showed him appearing to grit his teeth, possibly at his son's somewhat rude greeting, yet kept his attention focused on Rufus rather than causing a scene to correct him on it.
"Sie erfordern neue Zauberstäbe. Ohne Fragen zu stellen." (They require new wands. No questions asked.) Sabrina muttered to Rufus, he gave an understanding nod and turned around with a clap of his hands.
Lucius raised a curious brow at the private exchange, while Narcissa simply eyed Sabrina curiously in attempt to read her body language to understand what was said. Rufus walked back around the desk and hopped up on his stool, giving the three careful examinations.
"So, vat can I do for you, Malfoys?"
The process of retrieving new wands took far less time than Narcissa anticipated. A mere ten minutes had passed and her husband and she were matched with two new beautiful wands. The warm feeling that tingled throughout her being at the touch of the slightly yielding twelve-and-a-quarter willow wand felt as if a new breath of life was provided and she couldn't help but smile. The dual core unicorn hair and peacock tail feather seemed unusual to her, but knew each wandmaker had their own method of creating wands.
Seeing a new light shine in Lucius' eyes when he held his new wand brought a new happiness in her heart – their magic was no longer lost to them. Her family was finally starting to piece itself back together. Though the new wand was nearly identical to Lucius' previous unbending elm wood with dragon heartstring core, its length was a mere eleven-and-a-half inches over the original eighteen inches. Narcissa wondered how he obtained such a lengthy wand. She knew the cane itself was a Malfoy family heirloom that was passed down from father to son for roughly millennia, yet the wand that Lucius wielded with it was his own, or she had originally thought.
'Perhaps it was a hand-me-down as well? That would be… quite unusual,' Narcissa mused. She made a mental note to ask her husband sometime, finding it to be a curious yet welcome conversation to look forward to.
"I believe you're next, young man." Rufus stated, turning his attention to Draco.
He approached the desk and held his right hand out to Rufus who promptly took it to examine while the measuring tape whizzed around him and marking random color marks on itself. The process was always strange to Narcissa, not only did Rufus mimic the measuring of the person, he also read the palms of their dominant hand; a form of magic she scarcely heard of.
"Lessee. Hmm… interesting, yes. I vonder..." Rufus muttered more to himself than to Draco. He let go of his hand and went over the measurements as he walked away without a single word.
Lucius stood a fair distance away, busying himself by fashioning the chrome snake head to the wand, Narcissa noticed it took to the new wand with relative ease and watched as he sheathed it away from sight. He approached her a second later.
"I'm going out; I have a few things I'd like to look into. Don't wait up. I will see you at the hotel later for lunch." He turned to leave, giving a curt nod to Sabrina while completely ignoring Draco altogether, who seemed to not notice. Narcissa turned and followed him as he walked out.
"What about the –"
"I'll manage." He turned and lifted his cane a tad to indicate he would simply use a translating charm. Giving Narcissa a crooked smile that irritated her rather than be reassuring, she knew the translating spells weren't very reliable or efficient enough. She gave a slight nod, letting the argument cease before it even started. This was supposed to be a good day after all.
"Alright. I'll see you this afternoon then." She said in a clipped tone as he left.
Returning to Sabrina, Narcissa noticed Draco looked tense, tapping a thumb with no rhythm against the desk as he waited his turn, seeming to ignore Sabrina's babbling. She knew it was because he was preparing to be in the shop for some time; remembering it took him almost two hours to be matched with his first wand. He easily grew impatient as a child during the process, and rather than be dejected at the many unsuitable wands presented to him, he grew rather annoyed and started requesting – somewhat rudely – certain woods he was familiar with to try.
Sabrina stopped mid-sentence and turned to face Narcissa. "Is everything okay?"
"Of course it is, Sabrina," Narcissa stated quickly, placing a hand on Draco's arm subconsciously as she turned to him. "Draco, we are going to go out while you get your wand. You okay doing this alone?" she uttered to ensure her friend did not hear.
His expression relaxed at the subtle gesture of privacy she offered, nodding his answer distinctly before returning to his thumb tapping. She handed him a few bank vouchers with no amount yet written on them.
"We won't be far, but please return to the hotel by lunchtime if I do not see you by then." She continued, giving him a light peck on the cheek and a reassuring smile. "Je t'aime," (I love you,) She whispered even quieter than she was already.
Draco's eyes widened slightly, taken somewhat by surprise at such an open expression use of words. Such verbal sayings were rare to be heard among each other, almost as rare as an open apology. An unwritten rule in their family meant these things were naturally implied and instead were expressed physically or subtly – whether in a form of a hug and a kiss to the cheek or lips, to giving gifts and going on holidays.
"Je t'aime, Mére," (I love you too, Mother,) Draco whispered back before she stepped away from him to address Sabrina.
She gestured to the dark-haired witch to follow before proceeding to exit the wand shop. She saw Rufus return with several boxes when she passed by the large window.
.oOo.
Narcissa quickly realized that, unlike Diagon Alley back in London that was simply that – an alleyway, Berlin's magical community was instead organized into districts. Currently the two witches were in the Diamond District, in which Sabrina pointed out was the most luxurious of the four total. She explained one of her favorite stores – Tabitha's Trinkets and Trimmings – was located right on the edge of the Granite District and Opal District. Narcissa cringed inwardly at the names. If the name distinguished the quality of stores, then that meant they were poorer areas for middle and lower class wizards and witches. Although she shouldn't come off as very surprised, Sabrina had always been in a complex financial situation. As for the Obsidian District, she simply deduced it was the equivalent of Knockturn Alley and assumed Lucius had found his way there in whatever he was doing.
"Oh wow, look at that evening gown Cissy." Sabrina announced quite enthusiastically, nudging Narcissa to look in the direction she was.
The blonde turned to the storefront that had Sabrina's attention and fell speechless at the evening gown the charmed mannequin wore; it made a slow sophisticated turn to show off the garment while moving her matching gloved hands and arms onto her waist and stretched outward respectively.
"It is lovely, but I don't have the shoulders for it," Narcissa commented, eying the midnight blue gown warily.
"Nonsense, you have beautiful shoulders and neckline. You would look gorgeous in fact. It would really bring out your eyes and complexion. Come on; let's go put you in it," Sabrina urged, hooking an arm around Narcissa's and tugging her toward the entrance of Darla's Finest Evening Gowns.
Inside, another charmed mannequin posed elegantly in an A-line silk emerald green frock matched with black silk gloves. The trim around the bottom was black and about two inches high from the hemline of the skirt. It also had short, cropped shoulder sleeves with a squared neckline and connected to a closed back giving the illusion it was wearing a bolero.
"You should try that one on, Rina. You have the perfect frame for it," the blonde recommended, gesturing to the green dress.
Sabrina made a face and shook her head lightly. "But I look ghastly in green. You should remember how much I hated wearing the little green I did in Hogwarts."
"Rina, you're a witch, use your magic. Just change the color, perhaps to scarlet or navy? Maybe even silver. Color aside; the cut would look nice on you," Narcissa lightly teased, flagging an immaculately dressed attendant over.
"Guten Tag! Was kann ich für Sie tun?" (Good day! What can I do for you?) The witch asked with a smile, looking to Narcissa expectantly. Sabrina fortunately answered before it became awkward.
"Wir würden uns freuen Schaufenster Kleid zu erhalten." (We would like the gown in the window, please.) The attendant nodded and left to retrieve the dress while Sabrina eyed a single-sleeved, sea foam green shift gown nearby.
Narcissa turned her attention on a plum colored A-line strapless dress. Inwardly cringing at the design, she supposed the style was considered popular and appealing to the younger generations. She knew that if she wore something like that in her youth, she wouldn't have made it three steps off the porch. "I can't believe I am going to try it on. I still don't think I can pull it off."
"Oh stop it, Cissy. You will look marvelous. I am surprised you've never considered a similar style before," Sabrina assured.
Narcissa resisted the urge to bite her lip to stop herself further protesting. She had one gown with a similar neckline and sleeves buried in the back of her closet but she hadn't worn in at least a decade, maybe even longer. Barely a minute seemed to pass and she was now standing in a dressing room, staring down the beautiful frock resting on its rack as she contemplated changing the color to silver like her old one was.
The floor length midnight blue gown fit her figure well, with off-the-shoulder cropped sleeves, natural waistline cut, and blue and silver beaded embellished bodice in a shape of a wide V. The shoulders, neck, collarbone, and shoulder blades were left exposed. The dress gathered up on the right hip where more beading embellishment was sewn in a shape of a star. This allowed a modest peep of calf and shin as well as Narcissa's silver heels she wore that day that complimented the silver beading quite well. She smiled despite her previous thoughts on wearing the gown and made a slow turn.
"Cissy, you ready?" She heard Sabrina call.
Narcissa snapped back to reality, remembering she was now seeing the dress on herself in the full length mirror. Straightening her posture, she stepped out of the dressing room and onto the small pedestal. Sabrina stood on one herself in the dress suggested to her, but changed to silver. She was gawping at her friend, completely ignoring the attendant's compliments on her own gown.
"Y-you look spectacular!" She finally stuttered out, not able to keep her mouth closed.
The attendant extended a more sophisticated compliment, or at least Narcissa assumed – unable to understand it. Her lingering, envious eyes however made the blonde grow somewhat uncomfortable. Narcissa felt her cheeks flush and made a half-turn to look in a floor length mirror nearby.
"You cannot leave the store without that in your hands," Sabrina added, stepping off the pedestal and disappearing in the men's section of the store. Narcissa stepped off to change back to her more casual charcoal grey dress she chose to wear earlier that morning.
Sabrina returned before Narcissa made it far bearing a black with thin silver and blue striped tie in her hand that she held up beside the frock. "It matches wonderfully! You know, they have a matching suit to this dress. You should see it."
Narcissa placed a hand on her forehead, feeling suddenly very overwhelmed from the joy she forgot she had shopping for her and her family. Recovering from the feeling, she took the tie from Sabrina who she just noticed wore the dress she had suggested.
"That dress looks great on you just like I predicted, Rina. And the color suits you very nicely." She smiled at her friend. "Let's get changed so I can see that suit."
Lunch time had come before the two witches realized as they departed from Galestone's Jewelers with their respective shrunken parcels. Narcissa herself now owned three new matching sets of jewelry to compliment the three separate dresses she ended up purchasing. She even went out of her way to get matching rings for Lucius to complement his new suits as well. She found finding things for Draco a tad more difficult, but managed to find a few things for him even. She was beyond elated from the shopping trip, constantly thanking Sabrina for inviting them multiple times.
"It was honestly no trouble. I knew you and your family needed to get away," Sabrina stated nonchalantly, "I will make sure to have a weekly outing with you from now on," she promised, and the two gave mischievous smirks at the mere thought. They'd be bankrupt before the end of the year if Sabrina kept her promise.
.oOo.
Lucius wandered the three main districts for some time, mostly browsing while trying to locate a proper map of the place. After finally locating one and getting the translating spell to work well enough to decipher actual words, he made his way to the Obsidian District where there was a shop he was seeking resided. Finding himself in an older, darker yet much cleaner location than Knockturn Alley, Lucius paused to make sure he was on the right pathway to his destination, not having much time left before he was due back at the hotel for lunch. Seeing it was just ahead, he promptly made his way to the soot stained brick building marked with a barely readable sign: Tingle's Elflings.
The inside was dimly lit and the bell that announced his arrival sounded more like a yelp than the expected pleasant ring. The shop's appearance scarcely bothered him, already quite used to going to similar and more dingy looking stores. A tall lanky man stood behind a weathered desk. He stood up straighter as Lucius approached, straightening his hat that hid his graying hair in the meantime.
"Guten Tag! Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?" (Good afternoon! How may I help you?) the lanky man greeted with a nod of his head.
Lucius curtly nodded in return. "Good afternoon. Mr. Tingle, I presume?" The man smiled, showing yellowed teeth.
"Ja, das bin ich. Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" (Yes, that is me. Do you speak German?)
Lucius sighed in minor annoyance. He was pretty sure Mr. Tingle was giving him lip, yet he had given away that he understood English – easily identifying "ja" meant "yes" – now to just get him to speak it. He pulled out a small pouch filled with a modest amount of galleons and deliberately placed them on the desk in order to make it jingle. Money always did the trick to persuade people, in his experience that is. Mr. Tingle raised a curious brow and smiled broader than before as Lucius gave him a serious no-nonsense look.
"English tourist, eh? Very uncommon in zis district. Vat can I do for you, mister…?" Mr. Tingle asked, sounding and looking much perkier than earlier.
Lucius decided to humor the man. "Malfoy."
"Ah… French roots. Powerful pureblood name, ja. It suits you vell."
Lucius refrained from rolling his eyes at the sudden praise of his name. Waving his hand in dismissal, he jumped right into what he wanted from the wiry man. "I need house elves. Preferably a pair that are fairly young, but not so young they are incompetent and stupid. And, if you can, make sure they aren't the meddlesome type that actually listens to orders and not go about it their own way they see fit."
Mr. Tingle gave slight nods to Lucius' long and tedious list. He was certainly more demanding than previous customers. "Mmhmm. I see. Quite extensive list, Mr. Malfoy. Large residence I presume n' previous misbehaving elves, ja?" (Yes?)
Lucius' lip twitched, not liking the method Mr. Tingle fished for information. He gave a cold smile while his eyes flashed. "Let's just say if I knew the one who sold such a wretched elf to my family, that person would no longer be employed."
The threat that laced his words didn't go unnoticed by the business owner. Mr. Tingle cupped his hands, allowing them to fidget as he gave a half bow. "My apologies, Mr. Malfoy. I sink I haff vat you request." He held up a hand. "Gero!"
The quietest of pops was heard and a tall, skinny light brown elf materialized next to Lucius. The elf gave a low bow, its large floppy ears dragging on the ground. "Ja, Meister?" (Yes, Master?)
"Abruf Binx und Spinx Bitte." (Fetch Binx and Spinx please.)
The elf vanished and moments later the light brown elf returned with two others that were much smaller than it. One was a dark grey with tangerine eyes; the other was light pink with violet eyes.
"Binx, Spinx, zis is your Master Malfoy. 'E's come to retrieve you now," Mr. Tingle declared, introducing the two to Lucius. The two elves immediately gave delicate bows, the dark grey speaking first.
"Binx is very happy Master Malfoy has come!"
"Master Malfoy is most kind to Spinx taking her home."
Lucius looked to Mr. Tingle to explain their strange behavior. Not used to house elves acting so pleased to see someone like that before.
"Zey are trained to not only be courteous but to also be unaware of who zere owners are until zey are bought." He explained in a hushed tone. "I guarantee zey vill be up to your standards. Careful breeding, zese two. Vell mannered, very respectable. Not related, despite zere rhyming names."
"I'll hold you to it." Lucius muttered, inclining his head a tad as he observed the eager elves before him. Paying the man a hefty sum, he gestured the elves to follow him outside where he left them with instructions on where to go and what to do before he made his way back to his hotel, quite pleased with his purchase so far.