He'd found the preparations leading up to the Hogsmeade weekend almost amusing. The staff seemed to consider it a monumental event; organising carriages, developing security procedures and getting paperwork in order. They were a well oiled machine – one apparently used to a less than useful contribution from the Defence teacher. Gellert was only too happy to meet their expectations; resolving to accompany Hermione once again.
He asked her during their lesson, managing to be considerably smoother than the last time, and she agreed to spend the morning with him but had already planned to meet Harry and Ron in the Three Broomsticks.
This time however, he had no intentions of actually remaining in Hogsmeade. He'd booked them lunch at a restaurant in Diagon Alley and he rather thought she would like to visit the wizarding museum in Greece. He also had a contingency plan in case she didn't feel comfortable with international apparition without a permit; they would look around the subterranean levels of the Tower of London. Apparently the Fletcher family had kept an impressive collection of wizarding memorabilia back to the Celtic Druids.
He met her at the carriages and they shared with Harry, Ron opting to go with Lavender Brown much later.
Gellert didn't bother waiting until they were all the way to Hogsmeade, knocking against the window to signal that he wanted out. The thestrals stopped obligingly and he hopped down into the snow, helping Hermione climb down more elegantly. She had worn a smart set of robes, not overly formal but not muggle at least and he wondered how long it would be before she began to dress like this all the time, she was certainly intelligent enough to realise fairly quickly that there was a significant advantage to dressing like a wealthy pureblood.
'Where are we going?' She asked cautiously and he smiled.
'London.'
London?' She squeaked. He nodded and she sighed. 'I suppose you're allowed to do whatever you want now you're a teacher.'
'Well actually, I was rather hoping you would come with me to Greece, but I suspect you wouldn't want to apparate without an international licence.' She shook her head vehemently that no, she would not like to break the law. He doubted she would remain that way for long, but for now he was happy to indulge in her childhood fantasy that all powerful wizards obeyed that law. In fact, he was fairly certain that the only people who bothered to apply for licences were those who couldn't apparate that far without assistance.
Either way, today was not a day for argument, so he apparated her to Diagon Ally. It was dead quiet, almost deserted now that no one had to visit to buy school supplied. There were none of those silly amulet vendors, he was pleased to note as he would have hated to have to follow up on his threat with Hermione present.
He led her through the deserted alleyway and then took a left, past Gringotts to where the more expensive area was. This area was a buzz of activity compared to the deserted main alley, perhaps because most of the patrons were followers of Voldemort and had nothing to fear. Rich, pureblood wives gossiped at a cafe, sipping the florally scented pixie dust tea. One of the women tittered and peered over the rim of her cup at them. In unison her three companions all turned in their seats and looked down their noses at them, until he fixed them with his mismatched eyes. Even the powder they wore couldn't counteract their blanches. Hermione, thankfully seemed rather oblivious and she looked about with interest.
There was a bookshop on the right, the covers within a neat patchwork of coloured leather that glittered with gold. The books in there would most certainly not be school texts, instead advanced philosophical debates and treatises on obscure areas of magic; the kind of place where only the very well educated would shop. Next door was Twilfits and Tattings which Hermione didn't even pay a passing glance to. Instead her eyes slid over to the jewellery shop on the other side of the road. He knew that she had recognised the way the shop almost reeked of powerful enchantments, because no meaningful gift of jewellery in the pureblood world could be simply aesthetic.
He slowed intentionally outside the shop and paid meticulous attention to where her eyes wandered. She seemed very interested in the ring that could translate text and a rather fitting wolf shaped cloak clasp that had a powerful shield charm on it. Then, with Christmas present ideas taken care of, he gently guided her to the restaurant.
It was an old building, the decorations done in the gaudy style of the 19th Century and perhaps original to the period. Gellert's own home had never particularly taken up the fascination with the oriental style which did not blend well with the gothic construction. He could see how it would appeal to those that wished to appear wealthy and refined, particularly to the "new money" but the Grindelwalds had never needed to appear wealthy or refined when they had sat on more thrones than any other family alive.
They were led by the waiter to a table concealed behind an ornate screen. It had been set for two, but not in a romantic manner; the table was hidden behind tall screens but the space was well lit and bright and the table was large with the places laid strictly opposite one another. Even in his own time the setting wouldn't have been considered intimate. He pulled out her chair and a server appeared moments later with the first course.
Three hours later, they were well fed... slightly too well fed. His only complaint was that the servings had been slightly too large but Hermione seemed happy. Then they apparated straight to the tower of London, their strange apparel not even garnering a glance. They ducked sideways into a dark corridor, the old light bulb flickering uncertainly in magical currents that wafted through the far door.
He led Hermione past the light and through into a dimly lit corridor. He had expected it to feel damp, knowing that they were beneath the Thames, but instead it was dry as a bone and he could feel dehumidifying charms leeching the moisture from his lips. Hermione produced a little green tin and smeared some clear potion over her lips, then offered for him to do the same. He doubtfully smeared it over his too, surprised at the slightly odd but not unpleasant flavour.
'Welcome to the museum.' A short wizard stood behind them, having appeared from behind a tall display case of books. 'Ah, Mr. Grindelwald, the museum thanks you for your discoveries. Your elf certainly has an eye for treasure.'
He nodded as though he understood what the man was talking about, resolving to ask Winky exactly what he had been supposedly selling to the museum. There were certainly enough historical artefacts spread throughout the various Grindelwald properties to make a museum owner drool, but he hadn't instructed her to sell them. In fact, he had given her enough other instructions that he couldn't imagine she would have managed to find things to sell. What would possess the usually well behaved elf to act in such a manner?
The matter occupied his mind so badly that he completely missed the historian walking them through the recent history section. He vaguely registered a couple of questions directed at him during the era of his campaign, but he answered in single words. Eventually he excused himself to the bathroom and locked the door behind him.
'Winky.' He snapped. The elf appeared, cowering beneath his terrible glare.
'Has Winky failed her master Sir?' She knotted her hands in her little woollen cloak, stretching the jaws of the embroidered wolf of the Grindelwald crest and making it look as though it were trying to swallow her whole.
'Why is the museum owner under the impression that I have been selling artifacts?' He expected her to shrink away, to immediately punish herself, but instead the elf suddenly stood up proudly.
'Winky has been selling things, Sir. The room at Hogwarts has rules of finders-keepers, and Winky finds many good things. She hears Master Grindelwald cannot get to his vaults, so Winky sells some of the things she finds and sends the monies to Master Grindelwald's account.'
For a moment he didn't know how to react. This elf was truly brilliant, perhaps a little independent for some people's tastes but he had always hated reliance. Of course, he hadn't thought to check the small account he had made when he first escaped but if Winky had been selling good enough things to warrant comment by the owner... perhaps he should.
'Well done Winky, but in future, bring these matters to my attention.' He scolded gently, the elf's ears drooped slightly but she seemed to understand that he was actually rather pleased because she perked up again almost immediately and he dismissed her before rejoining the others.