Four hundred people following the story! Wow! :-) Thanks.
I try to remember to thank Severus' Malfoy Maiden every once in a while - as she did the enormous favor of beta'ing this whole story a few years ago when I initially posted it over on Granger Enchanted. She's great!
Disclaimer - still don't own Harry Potter
Now - Hermione gets a new task and takes some Malfoys shopping!
Chapter 21
Hermione woke feeling confused. The light was coming into her room all wrong and her bed felt smaller, confining somehow. It took her a moment to realize she was not in her room at Grimmauld Place, but her new room at Malfoy Manor. Her bed seemed small because it had two other people in it. Draco slept to her right, sprawled out – his hand splayed across her abdomen – while Lucius slept to her left, more restrained and with one of his legs thrown over hers. Hermione sat up and wondered how to extricate herself from the bed.
"Going somewhere, Pet?" Lucius asked his eyes still closed.
"I need the loo!" Hermione whispered a bit urgently. Lucius chuckled and released her leg.
Hermione dashed down to her bathroom and took care of her needs. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and shook her head, chuckling softly. She was still totally naked. The magical bun she had put her hair up into had fallen considerably and a few fresh love bites decorated her skin. She took her hair down and tried to smooth it out a bit before heading back to the bedroom.
Hermione stood at the foot of the bed, surveying its contents. Both wizards had the sheet pulled up to their waists. Draco looked like he had no care in the world, asleep and sprawled out on his stomach - limbs everywhere. Lucius was more restrained, but looked very peaceful lying on his side. He faced Hermione's empty spot and had a small smile on his lips. She wondered what to do. Hermione did not know if she should crawl back into bed between the Malfoys or go home. It was just after six in the morning. Hermione stood on the horns of her dilemma for a moment when Lucius' voice roused her.
"Come back to bed, Pet," Lucius instructed, reaching out his hand. "It is still early."
"I'm supposed to meet with Terence Higgs at ten," Hermione waffled, shifting from foot to foot.
"So meet with him here," Lucius said calmly. "Higgs can Floo to the Manor. Then you, Draco and I can leave for London after your meeting. That means you can come back to bed."
Hermione crawled back between the Malfoys and sighed. The bed was certainly inviting, as were its inhabitants. Lucius pulled her toward him, spooning her from behind.
"Pike," Lucius called. Hermione heard a soft pop of the elf entering the room, but did not lift her head. "Send an owl to Terence Higgs telling him that his 10am meeting with Miss Granger will be held here at the Manor."
"Yes, Master Lord Malfoy," Hermione heard the elf reply before he popped away.
"Early," mumbled Draco as he shifted a bit, barely opening his eyes. He reached out and laced his fingers through Hermione's. "Sleep more, Kitten."
Hermione smiled and let sleep overtake her again. When Hermione woke later, it was to a whispered conversation going on between her fiancés.
"I wonder what Muggle shopping will be like," Draco was saying.
"Time will tell soon enough," Lucius sighed.
"It can't be that bad," Draco told his father. "After all, Potter does it; even Weasel has been out with her in Muggle London. If they can do it, certainly we can."
"Of course," Lucius acknowledged. "That small telephone seems handy. Maybe there are other interesting things out there we could adapt to our own needs."
"That's the spirit!" Hermione interjected, opening her eyes. She looked back and forth between the two Malfoys on either side of her, smiling. Draco was propped up on his elbow and Lucius was lying on his back, his arms stretched upward with his hands behind his head. "Good morning. What time is it?"
"Good morning to you, too," Draco grinned. "It's about a quarter past nine."
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, sitting up and keeping the sheet pulled up over her chest. "I meant to get up before now. I need a shower and I need to find something to wear."
"The elves laundered your clothes from yesterday and put them in your wardrobe," Lucius said. "I would suggest starting to move over your things, at least some clothes, for times like this."
"I guess there is no sense in putting it all off until the wedding day," Hermione nodded. "I can start moving things over, rather than doing it all at once."
Hermione paused as the Malfoys watched her, expectantly. She was still stark naked under the sheet and was hesitant to just get up and parade around that way in front of them. Hermione knew that was silly. They had certainly seen her, in all her glory, last night. Lucius had another peak earlier that morning when she rushed to the loo. It just seemed different now in the broad light of day.
"Need help with your shower?" Draco asked with exaggerated innocence. "I can wash your back and Father can wash your front."
"No thank you," Hermione responded primly, holding the sheet to herself. "For some reason, I expect that your assistance will be neither practical nor efficient."
"Well go on with you then," Draco smirked, waiting for her to have to climb out of bed. Hermione furrowed her brow. Now, she did not care so much about them seeing her naked, as she did not want Draco to win.
"We took the liberty of stocking a few essentials in your bathroom – soap, shampoo, brushes and whatnot," Lucius reported. Hermione perked up.
"Accio robe!" she called. Sure enough, an ivory colored soft, silk robe flew into the room. Hermione pulled it on triumphantly and bounced off the bed while Lucius chuckled and Draco grumbled. Of course, the Malfoys would consider a proper robe a bathroom essential.
Hermione's bathroom was just as wonderful as she remembered it; all light and openness. She took longer in the shower than she had anticipated, because she stopped to play with the settings. In addition to being a regular shower, she could regulate the spray, so it put out a light mist, mimicked rainfall, or became a waterfall. It could also fill with steam to act as a mini-sauna. There was a bench in the shower as well, so she sat in her little sauna for several minutes - relaxing. It was also fully stocked with soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Hermione had never seen that brand before and most of the labels were in French. Whatever it was, it smelled wonderful. It was earthy with a lightly floral scent, kind of like Bergamot and Lily of the Valley.
Hermione finally parted with her shower and wrapped herself up in fluffy towels. She refreshed her Tondeo charm, but decided to let her lightning bolt grow out some while she considered what shape to take next. After a few drying charms, Hermione went in search of her clothes. She found everything neatly stowed away, although her items looked silly being the only things in the vast wardrobe.
"Good morning, Missy Lady," Tinky said, popping into the room as Hermione was slipping on her shoes. "Mr. Higgs is being here now. Tinky is putting him in the morning room. Would Missy Lady be liking some breakfast while she meets with the Mr. Higgs?"
"Please, Tinky," Hermione smiled. "That would be lovely. I don't tend to eat a lot for breakfast, but I do like a pot of tea with cream. I also like fruit and other light things."
Tinky nodded and popped away. Hermione left the wardrobe and saw her bedroom empty. The doors leading to Draco and Lucius' bedrooms were both slightly ajar and she figured they went to get ready for the day as well.
Hermione made her way downstairs and managed to find the Morning Room. Higgs was waiting with a pile of parchments, sipping a cup it tea. The light breakfast Hermione requested was put out on a side table.
"What's new, Higgs?" Hermione asked as she helped herself to tea, fruit, and little bite sized quiches.
"I have the guest list here broken down into Yes, No, and Not Yet Responded," Terence informed her, gesturing to three piles of parchment.
Hermione wandlessly levitated the lists in front of her, so she could read it as she ate. She saw all the Weasleys (minus Charlie), Harry, Luna, Neville, Severus, Kingsley, Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, Viktor, and her parents on the Yes list. Almost everyone she invited was there. She recognized a lot of the Malfoys guests as well, but some were a mystery.
"Here are the Portkeys I had made for your parents," Terence went on. He pulled out two very pretty, but nondescript, ceramic vases - one yellow and one blue. "Since they don't have magic to activate them, they will only activate for five minutes at the date and time you set. The blue one will take whomever touches it in that time to the Malfoy Manor front door, while the yellow one will take them to your bedroom at your parents house. If you wish, I can work on registering them as permanent Portkeys. Most people only use Portkeys every once in a while, so it cheaper to create them as needed, but if your parents plan on going back and forth at least once a month, it will be cheaper to pay the yearly registration fee."
"That is a good idea," Hermione nodded. "I'll let you know."
They confirmed the decorations, food, drink, and music for the evening.
"I forgot to ask about the gifts on Wednesday when we met," Terence began. "I just assumed you would want to do it before seating for dinner, but I realized Muggles might have their own traditions about this kind of thing."
"Well, Muggles usually bring gifts to weddings, not engagement parties," Hermione reported. "Do guests bring presents to wizarding engagement parties?"
"Oh, well no," Terence reported, brow furrowed, "But that is not what I was talking about. I meant the presentation of the wedding presents between the bride and groom – or in this case grooms."
"I have to give them presents?" Hermione asked, starting to panic. "Two presents for tomorrow night?! Please tell me these gifts are just little tokens, like a really nice set of quills?"
"Not really," Terence said, wincing a bit at having to break bad news. "It is more big ticket items."
"Well crap," Hermione flopped back in her chair, her mind racing. Lucius loved herbology. Maybe she could find a rare plant for him. Draco loved his horses and flying; maybe there was a present idea there. "I'm going to need some help here. Tinky!"
The little elf popped into the morning room.
"Yes, Missy Lady?" Tinky looked up at Hermione with a little adoration. "How can Tinky be helping?"
"I need to send an urgent message to Severus Snape," Hermione told the elf. Tinky summoned parchment and a quill. Hermione jotted down a frantic note to Severus, begging him to help her. She noted her ideas about some exotic plant for Lucius and wanting to get something for Draco having to do with his love of flying horses – maybe a new broom or another kind of animal. After she included excessive underlining and exclamation points, Hermione felt she had fully conveyed her desperation. Tinky took the missive eagerly and popped away.
"Anything else that I'm totally unprepared for?" Hermione asked Terence.
"Not that I know of," Terence offered. "So I will plan for the presentation of gifts to occur…?"
"Whenever it is usually done I guess," Hermione sighed, agitated. She did not like surprises and did not like to look deficient – it was too much like failing a class. "Hopefully, I will able to pull something out of my arse."
"Before dinner then, got it," Terence chuckled. "If it makes you feel better, everything else is going according to plan."
"Thanks for all your work," Hermione said.
They wrapped up and Hermione walked Terence to the Floo. She walked back out to the hall, thinking about presents.
"All done?" Lucius asked, pulling her in for a kiss.
"With the party planning, yes," Hermione answered before she started swatting Lucius.
"What did Father do now?" Draco asked, coming up behind them. Hermione turned and began swatting Draco. "Hey! What did I do?"
"I am freaking out and I have no problem taking it out on the both of you," Hermione told the Malfoys. "I just found out from Terence Higgs that there is a formal gift giving presentation tomorrow night! I apparently will be giving you both wonderful, spectacular presents that…I …do…not… have!"
Hermione punctuated her words with more swats to the tall wizards.
"We don't care about gifts, Pet," Lucius said, shielding himself. "We are getting you – that is the best gift we could ever get."
"Did you get me a wedding present?" Hermione asked as she stepped back, eyes narrowed. If Harry were there, he could have warned them that her tone indicated they should tread lightly.
"Of course we did," Draco said. "It wouldn't be right if we didn't get you wedding presents."
"Oh, but it is fine that I stand there in front of all our guests and receive a present from each of you – presents that demonstrate your commitment to this union and represent my value as your spouse – with nothing to give, nothing to contribute?" Hermione asked coldly, eyes still narrowed. "So it is okay that I am perceived as lacking, callous, indifferent, uncouth, or – at best – ignorant?"
"We apologize," Lucius said seriously, with a bit of a bow. "We did not think. You are absolutely right. You are our equal in this marriage and performing the same functions that we do will be representative of that."
"What can we do to make it up to you?" Draco asked.
"I have owled Severus and asked for help," Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "I had a few ideas, but nothing specific on such short notice. You both better hope Severus has some free time and is inclined to be of assistance."
"Please feel free to use whatever means we have at our disposal," Lucius encouraged. "Does this mean that we can't go shopping today?"
"No, we are still going," Hermione responded, extinguishing that hopeful look in Lucius' eye. She looked them over critically. Draco wore jeans and a polo shirt with his trainers. He would blend in fine. Lucius wore lightweight gray trousers with a royal blue button down shirt. His dragon-hide loafers could pass as some exotic shoe made in another country. He picked up a robe, but Hermione shook her head.
"If you want to bring the robe, go ahead. But you can't wear it in Muggle London," Hermione cautioned. "Here's the plan: we Apparate over to Grimmauld Place, so I can change into new clothes. From there, we can Floo directly to the Leaky Cauldron and use the entrance into Muggle London. I won't make you ride the tube – the underground train – on this visit, so we will catch a taxi to Harrods. We will have lunch at Harrods, and then meet Anna at one o'clock. I am sure you heard me tell her yesterday that I am bringing my fiancé and my fiancés father. I hope it does not bother you too much Lucius to keep up this farce, but plural marriages are not legal in Muggle Britain and plural relationships are taboo."
"I understand," Lucius nodded.
"Tinky," Hermione called. The eager elf popped into the hall. "I would like you to accompany us to Grimmauld Place if you are free. You can meet Kreacher. I want to start bringing over some of my belongings to the Manor. Would you be able to pop as far as London and return to the Manor with some bags or boxes if they are shrunken?"
"Oh yes, Missy Lady," Tinky assured her. Hermione knew Dobby had gone long distances and had carried items with him, but she did not know what was normal for elf magic. "Tinky is happy to help."
"Everyone ready then?" Hermione asked.
Lucius took Hermione side-along, as she was still not allowed to Apparate within the Manor walls. Draco took Tinky, since she had never been there before. Things were bustling back at Grimmauld Place. Remus, Fred, and George were all over visiting Ron and Harry. Hermione left the Malfoys with the other wizards and invited Tinky upstairs to her room. Once there, she called Kreacher. The old elf's response was as instantaneous as usual.
"Kreacher, this is Tinky," Hermione introduced the two. Tinky did a small sort of bow while Kreacher just looked on at the younger elf. Hermione wondered about possible hierarchies due to age and reminded herself to check with Madame Pince about any studies written on house-elf customs. "Lucius has assigned Tinky to be my personal elf once I am Lady Malfoy and she has been assisting me when I am over at the Manor. I want you to tell her anything about me that you would be helpful to her. Also, I want to start moving some of my things into my rooms at the Manor. For today, just take some clothes and books. Sound good?"
"Yes, Miss future Lady Malfoy and bride to the last son of the Noble House of Black," Kreacher nodded. "I will instruct this young one. Willing you be wanting me to go to the illustrious Malfoy Manor for unpacking things the way you keep them now?"
"Good idea, Kreacher," Hermione nodded. "That will make it easier to find things later. Also, you can see the Manor and talk to the Head Elf – since you will be moving there with me after the wedding."
The elves nodded and Kreacher started showing Tinky around Hermione's room, pointing out her things. Hermione went to her closet and picked out a red maxi-dress. She pulled out the tan leather t-strap sandals and straw tote she took with her last time she went to Harrods. She picked out a long rope necklace with clear and gold colored glass beads. While Hermione was finding everything and transferring her essentials into the tote, she half-listened to what Kreacher was telling Tinky.
Hermione was amazed at the information Kreacher had picked up. It made sense for them to be observant, that way they could better serve people, but Kreacher knew an awful lot about her. He had not even seemed to be paying any attention to her, except for the past week. Apparently, he had noticed a great deal, despite what Hermione thought. He accurately described not only how she took her tea, but how many cups she tended to drink. He listed her favorite foods and her general level of consumption as well. He even named times when she was apt to want specific things – like drinking coffee when she had a busy day and had not had enough sleep, having cocoa to help her relax, or eating sweets when stressed. Clearly, Kreacher had her number, so Hermione left the elves to their business.
Hermione found the Malfoys right where she left them, but they did not seem too distressed. Lucius appeared to be talking to Fred and George about marketing and their business plan. Draco was asking Ron and Harry more about what Muggle shopping would entail. All the while, Remus observed. Hermione went and sat by her former professor and while the two sets of Malfoy eyes tracked her, they did not stop her.
"You look lovely today, 'Mione," Remus said, taking her hand in his.
"You look well yourself, Remus," Hermione smiled. "How is everything?"
"Good actually," Remus smiled. "Teddy is with Andromeda. She wants lots of time with him today and tomorrow since we are moving in on Monday. I wanted to give them some alone time, but also come over and measure some things. Harry and I are working on a cage in the basement for that time of the month. I also want to make sure I have a good understanding of the renovations he wants, since it will be hard to contact him while he is travelling."
"If you need any help, let me know," Hermione instructed. "I have been working on some new wards that might be helpful to use on the basement."
"Of course your help is always welcome," Remus grinned, patting her hand. "How is it going with those two?"
"Well, actually," Hermione said. "We've had bumps here and there, but very well overall. They are meeting my parents tonight, so I am taking them out shopping for Muggle clothes. They look pretty passable at the moment, but I like the idea of them having some experience in the Muggle world before they meet my parents."
"Never thought I would see that day when the Malfoys went out shopping for Muggle clothes," Remus laughed aloud.
"Speaking of which, we should get going," Hermione stood from the couch. "Lucius is dragging his feet. I don't think he is particularly excited, so we may as well get it over with."
That made Remus laugh even harder. Hermione extracted her fiancés from her friends, laughing at Lucius' suggestion that they spend more time with Fred and George rather than go to Harrods. He really was dreading the trip if he was willing to spend the day with the Weasley twins to get out of it.
"Come on, Lucius," Hermione coaxed as she led him and Draco to the Floo in the kitchen. "If you are a good boy, I'll give you a prize."
"What kind of prize?" he asked as he allowed himself to be pulled.
"You'll have to wait and see," she winked.
"Hey, I want a prize too," Draco put in.
"You are already getting one," she laughed, making Draco puff up a bit with pride. "I appreciate that you are so open to this experience. It means a lot to me that you are both willing to do this for me."
They Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and Hermione waved to Tom behind the bar, as she led her now more enthusiastic wizards out the front door. Standing a bit down the block from the Leaky, Hermione hailed a taxi. Lucius and Draco looked worried, but she explained that it was a lot like the Knight Bus and a very common way to get around. They climbed inside, but remained vigilant. Hermione told the driver their destination and the trio was off.
Lucius and Draco both stared out the windows, trying to take in everything. Muggle London was very loud, more so than wizarding London and in very different ways. Muggle machines used to substitute for their lack of magic tended to be loud - machines whirred, engines revved, horns blared. They even passed a traffic officer with a whistle.
They pointed out things and she tried her best to explain about fire hydrants, telephone booths, parking meters, and other ordinary Muggle things. Hermione caught the driver looking curiously at them in the rear mirror.
"First time in London," Hermione remarked. "This is their first time away from the country-side, ever. Very sheltered, these two."
The driver seemed to relax considerably, now having an explanation for the strange behavior of the two men in his car. He went so far as to join Hermione in explaining things and places they passed, giving them a mini-tour of London and welcoming them to the city.
They finally arrived at Harrods and Hermione guided them inside. On their way to the restaurant, she got maps of the store for each Malfoy, so they could see the layout. They made their way to the Harrods famous Georgian Restaurant. Hermione explained that Muggle and wizarding food was essentially the same, just prepared differently.
Hermione asked for a table for three and the trio was seated quickly. Lucius and Draco were not slack jawed, but only because Malfoys never gaped - it was too common. To most, the two appeared as staid as ever, but Hermione could see that they were straining to see everything - to take everything in. She had taken them through the store quickly on purpose. Now that they were sitting, they could take it in and ask questions. Hermione muttered a wandless Muffliato so that no one could hear their conversation unless they were standing right at the table.
"Is it always so busy and... loud?" Draco asked.
"Harrods tends to be crowded," Hermione nodded. "London is always crowded. Muggles also tend to be loud, with their mobile phones ringing and the vehicles they use to get around. It might just seem busier, because you aren't used to everything yet. There is more visual variety with Muggles. Wizards usually cover everything up with robes, especially in public, so the silhouettes all look similar even though the colors and fabrics vary. Clearly Muggles don't do that so it may look busy."
"Yes," Lucius nodded. "It is a bit odd for me to see. Traditionally, all wizards wear robes and the more tailored, form-fitting clothes were not seen in public. The clothes you favor were reserved for home with family and close friends. While this is changing in wizarding culture, it is still strange for me. My father never set foot off the Manor grounds without his robes."
"I didn't realize," Hermione reported, "Interesting."
They perused the menu and the Malfoys were happy to see they recognized most things. Lucius started with the foie gras parfait followed by the Dover sole. Draco got scallops followed by the Angus rib eye. Hermione opted for the endive salad and then the venison.
The food was wonderful and the Malfoys seemed impressed, particularly Lucius, who had been prepared to not enjoy anything. They asked some basic questions about how Muggles accomplish things without magic. Hermione hoped to impress upon them Muggle creativity, because necessity really is the mother of invention. She firmly believed Muggles could beat out wizards when it came to problem solving and coming up with new ideas, since wizards tended to rely on magic for so many things.
When they were through eating, Hermione paid the bill with her black credit card and the group left to go meet Anna.
The tall willowy blond greeted Hermione enthusiastically and eyed the Malfoys. She was glad to see that Anna's appraisal of her fiancés was appreciative, but primarily professional in nature.
"Anna, this is my fiancé, Draco," Hermione gestured, "and his father, Lucius. Draco, Lucius, this is Anna. She helped me out this past Tuesday and selected that pink gown you liked so much."
"Then I am sure we are in good hands," Lucius nodded. Anna blushed slightly. Even she was not immune to Malfoy charm, but then again few were.
"Please," Anna swept her arm in invitation, "Follow me."
She led them to a spacious, comfortable room and offered them any beverage or snack they wished. They deferred, stating they just had lunch, but maybe would want something later. Lucius and Draco sat on either side of Hermione, as usual. Lucius, however, kept a respectable distance and folded his hands in his lap. Draco nestled Hermione right up against him and draped his arm over her shoulder.
"I had my team pull a number of cocktail and evening dresses for Hermione that might be appropriate for your party tomorrow night. We focused on silver and gold as a theme, but have other options as well. I included a number of shoes, as I recall you are fond of those, and various other accessories," Anna reported. "For the gentleman, we have an array of menswear pieces, some of classic design and some more contemporary. Since we were not focused on a specific event, there is a range of very casual to dressy items. There are also various accessories and footwear out for you to look at. Now that I see you, I doubt that the items we have here in the room are the proper size - you are both quite tall and... fit. However, I am sure we can quickly get anything you wish to try on in the correct sizes. Also, we do have a tailoring service on site to ensure that everything fits perfectly."
"What could a mu...a man wear for a dinner over at his prospective in-laws home?" Draco asked.
"Let me show you," Anna invited. Draco followed her over to the wall of clothes displayed. Anna pointed out a few conservative items that were still stylish for a young man. As Draco nodded to a pair of trousers or a shirt, Anna had her team running to get the items in a range of sizes more likely to fit Draco's tall, lean frame.
"Shall we look at your dresses, Pet?" Lucius asked Hermione. They got up and one of Anna's assistants trailed them at a discreet distance, letting them have space to look, but staying close enough to be of immediate assistance if necessary. Hermione smiled at all of the lovely dresses, causing Lucius to suggest seriously that they just buy them all. Hermione heard Anna's assistant gasp softly. Hermione rolled her eyes at his extravagance. She explained that just buying out the store was not as much fun or as challenging as feeling like she found the perfect dress for an event.
"Ah," Lucius nodded with a grin. "The thrill of the hunt; I understand."
They looked through the dresses and each of them pulled out a few for Hermione to try on. Lucius seemed particularly gleeful to play dress up with Hermione. He also appeared quite enamored of the stiletto heels offered and again suggested they just get them all. Hermione was more inclined to agree with him regarding the shoes, but did try to limit him.
As they were selecting items and rejecting others, Draco kept interjecting to show them clothing that he tried on. He seemed to have found a nice outfit for dinner that evening and was having fun picking out other Muggle clothes. He found a line clothing the featured large graphics of skulls on t-shirts, which Draco found delightful - causing both Hermione and Lucius to roll their eyes. He also honed in on some Diesel, True Religion, and Dolce & Gabbana that looked wonderful. Draco found a black leather biker jacket with a low collar that made him look dashingly dangerous, which Hermione appreciated.
Hermione started trying on dresses and both Malfoys sat back to watch. It was strange at first, and she felt like she was putting on a show for her fiancés, but then Hermione started having fun with it. In true Malfoy fashion, Lucius and Draco wanted to buy anything that caught their eye. Hermione was sure they had developed a series of hand signals to Anna to get what they wanted, despite Hermione's protests. While she was changing, Hermione was sure she heard Draco instructing Anna to put together a large package of lingerie and nightwear for Hermione.
Hermione put on a silver and gold Badgley Mischka strapless cocktail dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and empire waist with a gold sash just under her breast. The design and embellishments looked like floating, metallic disks in silver and gold cascading down the skirt. Hermione paired the dress with gold stilettos and left the changing area.
"Perfect," Lucius reported, with a broad smile.
"Stunning," Draco breathed, a little awestruck.
"I want this one for the party," Hermione said, looking in the mirror. Then she turned to Lucius. "You need to pick out some clothes! Draco got plenty, now it's your turn."
Lucius looked a bit abashed and let Draco lead him over to the clothes. Anna stood by Hermione and sighed very softly as the two women watched them go.
"This dress is wonderful for you," Anna said, "Especially since you are so petite."
"It is quite lovely and I feel good in it," Hermione agreed. "I want to feel special tomorrow night."
"I imagine that fiancé of yours makes you feel special frequently," Anna asserted. "He certainly adores you. He and his father are so attentive. If you don't mind me saying, they seem to be pretty extraordinary men."
"I don't mind you saying," Hermione smiled. "Most women do say, in fact. Unfortunately, some women try to go further than just saying and flirt with them right in front of me. I understand the draw - you don't often see this combination of smart, beautiful, and ridiculously wealthy."
"Why does it bother you when women flirt with Lucius?" Anna asked a bit confused. Hermione realized she might have said too much.
"I am protective of Lucius," Hermione reported truthfully. "Many women do not have the best of intentions and are only interested in his money. Draco's mother died about seven months ago and there were women who did not waste any time trying to attach to him."
Hermione was proud that she kept her statements truthful, just never saying the full story.
"That is horrible!" Anna said, appalled. "I thought he seemed a bit uncomfortable here today. That makes sense, since he is a recent widower. He probably is just starting to get back out in the world. I am sure your wedding has been a wonderful distraction for him."
Hermione just nodded and went to go change. She put her regular clothes back on and joined her wizards. Lucius did seem to be enjoying himself and Draco was very encouraging. He gravitated towards Kenneth Cole and Armani, although he shared Draco's affinity for Dolce & Gabbana. Hermione insisted he get a pair of jeans and other casual clothes. While it would help him fit in with Muggles, it was not necessary for that purpose. She just wanted to see him in a pair of well-fitting jeans for her own pleasure.
"Do you gentlemen think you'll be okay without me for a while?" Hermione asked. "I have some gifts I'd like to get for you two here in the store. I am sure Anna will keep you both from making any serious fashion faux pas. Okay?"
Draco and Lucius nodded. Draco gave her I sweet semi-chaste kiss and Hermione pecked Lucius on the check.
"I don't imagine I'll be gone longer than an hour," Hermione continued. "That should give you plenty of time to get things for yourselves, as well as finish up whatever subterfuge you were planning with Anna while I was changing earlier. Just remember, we can always come back. Anna, I know you are in sales, but don't let them buy everything that catches their fancy. We can set up regular appointments with you every three or four months, but only if they do not buy out the store now."
Hermione tried to look stern, but could not help but smile as she walked away. On her way out, she heard Draco renewing the lingerie conversation, while Lucius inquired about jewelry. She just shook her head and kept walking.
Hermione made her way to Harrods electronics department. She decided to get mobile phones for both Lucius and Draco as part of her gifts to them. She liked the idea of giving them something quintessentially Muggle at the engagement party. Hermione found a pair of phones she liked, one black and the other silver. She gave her parents house as the mailing address for the service contract and hoped they would not mind.
Next - Grangers!