Chapter 27
Author's Note: WooHoo...another update in less than a week...show me the reviews...SHOW ME THE REVIEWS!!
Disclaimer: Nothing here is mine...JK Rowling is the writing genius. Also, for the next several chapters, most of the information that I got about the wizarding world came from the Harry Potter Lexicon. So I must give some of the credit to those folks and their great website! KUDOS!
Hermione awoke the next morning to a pair of silver eyes. Still a little drowsy, she tried to recall the night before. Then she remembered Draco telling her about his past. All of a sudden, the emotions of his tragic story came rushing to her. The tears began to pool in her eyes and she buried her face into Draco's shirt, hoping he wouldn't notice her tears. But Draco did notice and he pulled away far enough to be able to properly look into her face.
He spoke softly, "Hey...I thought I asked for no pity from you?"
"I know...and I'm sorry for crying...and I don't pity you. I just never imagined the amount of suffering that you had in your past."
"Yeah...and I've moved past it and I'm okay now." Hermione flinched a bit at the coldness in his voice.
"Yes...I realize that...and I envy the fact that you are strong enough to move on from something like that. And don't think for one second that I'm going to lower my opinion of you because of things that happened before I even met you."
"So we're okay? You and I?" Draco spoke in a quiet voice...a frightened voice...an emotion that's not common to be found from a strong person like Draco.
"Yes...we are okay..."
And the couple spent the rest of the morning in silence...sharing soft kisses every few minutes.
the beginning of Christmas break – Friday, December 17th
Draco, Hermione, Ron, and Becca all stood in Hermione's dorm room with bags in hand. Draco and Ron decided that it would be easiest if they all apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. So, the couples stood together and prepared for apparation...and for Hermione and Becca it would be a new experience. Draco held on to Hermione's hands while Ron did the same with Becca.
"You girls ready to go?" the two boys asked together.
"Oh heck yeah! Let's go!"
And with that...two POPS were heard and the four bodies that were just standing in Hermione's dorm room...suddenly disappeared. Then, just as sudden, the same four bodies appeared just outside of a small, shabby-looking building in the middle of London.
Draco and Ron ushered the two girls inside the small inn and the first thing that greeted them was a small, older man named Tom.
"'ello boys...an' who ar' these young lasses?"
Ron spoke first, "Tom, these are our girlfriends. This is Becca."
"And this is Hermione," Draco introduced.
"Would this be your first time in the wizarding world?"
Hermione spoke up, "Yes actually this is our first time visiting. We're here for our Christmas break...which will be for a month."
"Well...you girls enjoy you're time 'ere."
"Thank you, Tom. Would you mind keeping our bags for us while we explore Diagon Alley?"
"'Course not."
"Thank you much, Tom. Girls...let's go." And with that the two couples strode out of the back of the pub into a small alleyway and came to face with a brick wall.
"Umm...Draco...I don't mean to question you...but...you do realize that there's nothing here...this is just a brick wall."
Draco laughed at Hermione's totally muggle point of view. "Hermione, my dear, you will quickly learn that in the wizard world...ordinary objects are not always what they appear. For instance...this brick wall..." Draco whipped out his wand...tapped the bricks in a particular pattern (A/N: think back to the first movie...) and suddenly the bricks began to reform and reshape to form an archway.
The girls took a sudden intake of breath at the view before them. This was Diagon Alley; just the beginning to their tour of the wizarding world. Ron and Draco laughed at the faces their girlfriends made.
Ron broke the silence, "Well girls, how do you like it?"
Becca looked up at him with wetness glistening in her eyes, "Like it?? I love it!! Ron, Draco...thank you so much for bringing us here."
"I have to agree with her," Hermione spoke as she looked up at Draco, "thank you both so much for agreeing to share this with us. This is unlike anything I've ever seen."
"All right...all right!!" Draco sighed, "Enough with the mushiness...let's go get you girls into some official wizarding world robes.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH!!!! We get to wear robes!!!" Both girls squealed...and in the process deafening their boyfriends for life.
The two wizards led their girlfriends down the road, all the while listening to their "oohs" and "aahs" as they passed all the amazing stores that Diagon Alley had to offer. Just after passing the book store Flourish & Bott's they came to a stop in front of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. As soon as they stepped inside they were met by a kind looking woman wearing mauve robes.
"Ronald, what are you doing back here? Another robe ruined during class, I presume? I told you it wasn't safe allowing a bunch of 3rd years to throw hexes around as if they were aurors." The older woman laughed.
"No, Madam Malkin...I'm not in need of a new robe. I'm here with my friend, Draco Malfoy, and we're here to get some robes for our girlfriends who are visiting here on their holiday break."
"Oh how wonderful, dears! Do come on in...look around...and let me know if I can help you with anything."
Hermione wondered if all witches were this kind, as she smiled at the madame and thanked her.
As all girls do, Hermione and Becca wondered around the shop for almost thirty minutes before they found anything that they liked. Becca had found a beautiful maroon colored robe, with bell-style sleeves. Around the end of the sleeves...as well as the bottom of the robe was a stunning gold embroidery which shimmered. Hermione found a forest green colored robe, also with bell-style sleeves. Much like Becca's, hers was also embroidered except the threading was silver. (A/N: note how the color's of the girls' robes matches the house colors of their respective boyfriends)
The two boys stood in awe of their girlfriends in awe of how beautiful they looked in wizards robes...they couldn't help but wonder what they would look like in quidditch gear...(he...he...he...) but that would have to come later.
As they went to pay for the robes, Hermione suddenly realized that the money situation would be quite different in this world and she wondered whether they accepted American money. But before she could even propose the question to Draco, he and Ron had already paid Madame Malkin for the two robes.
"Draco! I would've paid for that myself!"
"Yes...I realize you probably would have. Except you have a few problems on your hands."
"And what problems would those be, Draco?"
"Well one, this world would not accept your American money...and two, I simply refuse to allow you to pay for anything yourself!"
Ron turned to Becca and spoke, "Same goes for me. Allow us to spoil you on this holiday."
"Ron, I can't let you do that. You know me less than Draco knows Hermione. How can you want to do so much for someone you know so little?"
"I don't need to know much about you to know that you'd be worth all that I'll be spending on you this holiday." And almost before Ron could finish his sentence, Becca had wrapped him up in a fierce hug and had captured his lips in her own.
"Draco, please at least allow me to pay you back...if not for all of it, then at least some of it."
"No, Hermione...listen to me...I want to spoil you...you deserve it...if nothing else, at least allow me that much."
"Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? I can be quite the shopper."
"Believe me...I've got the resources...I think I can handle it. Now, how about a proper thank you...something along the lines of that." And he pointed to Ron and Becca who were still caught up in their snog fest.
"Draco----mmm..." Hermione couldn't even finish her statement because Draco had already pulled her to him and captured her lips in their most passionate kiss yet. But before Hermione could properly respond, Draco had pulled back, pulled apart Ron and Becca, and dragged them out of the store towards their next destination.