Chapter Nine: To The Princess Castle
"Look at that Cissy!" Shrieked Bella in sheer delight, as they came upon a stand selling various princess collectibles and costumes. "We must purchase some!" She added as she quickly sped over, looking and touching everything as if she had never seen such things before in her life. Snow-globes, figurines, costumes, hats, you name it, it was hanging on that stand. Or setting as the case may be. Bellatrix picked up a Sleeping Beauty figure and held it up to her sister's head. "Looks just like you! You need this, and get this Prince Charming one as well…" She added as she charmed the male figure's hair in growing just a little, to look a bit more like Lucius."
"Then you just have to have this one!" Narcissa cried as she picked up a Jasmine figure, hexing it deathly pale and fixing the eyes a bit to look more like her sister. "Voila! And get this for Rodolphus.." She brandished an Eric figurine, doing the same thing to his hair.
"Oh hooray! They'll love them." Bella cooed as she brought them around and nearly fainted from shock as she came upon hats and tiaras. "Look! These will match our dresses!" And it was true, as she was in a pink sundress, and Narcissa was in purple. They both picked up opposite colour hats, and walked to the counter in order to pay for these things. The cashier looked at the dolls with a strange expression on her face and raised her eyebrows,
"I suppose I have to give you a discount…looks like they messed up on these dolls. Sorry about that." She wrapped each of the items up carefully, apart from the hats as the sisters had stopped her abruptly with the explanation that they were going to wear them, hello, and that they needed them out of the bag. The cashier complied and handed them the bag with the obligatory smile, and the sisters went on, hats upon their heads and big grins on their faces.
They walked up the windy stairs, looking at each of the 'exhibits' with the stories and such, giggling at each. It seemed that most brought back such interesting memories.
"Remember that one time, when Lucius and I went to that Christmas ball at the Rosier's, and I lost that dreadfully expensive shoe? Only the one though, because when we were apparating away, I forgot to think about the left one?"
"Oh good heavens, remember when Rodolphus smuggled that flying carpet from the Ministry and took me flying over Italy? It was so lovely, if not a bit cold."
"Then there was that time when Lucius found that mermaid that had washed up on the shore of the Black Lake when we were in school…and she couldn't sing above the ground, it was all shrieky and high pitched and he kicked her back in."
They both sighed in unison, clutching their figurines to their hearts as they headed back down, their eyes glued to the Dumbo flying ride across the way. So transfixed were they, that they didn't even notice the extremely scarred old man with a twitching glass eye, or the tall African wizard stride in with tiaras on top of their heads. Which, when one was not fully intent upon doing something, was quite an interesting sight to see indeed. And most definitely not one you see every day.
"Tiaras Kingsley! Look at them!" Alastor grinned, picking up one before eyeing it carefully, making sure that in his glee he hadn't accidentally picked up poison, or a Death Eater tool. After feeling fully satisfied that it wasn't, he put it upon his head and paid the cashier, who looked at him and rolled her eyes. Silly poofters. Kingsely was enthralled as well, and quickly chose a tiara with a big purple jewel in the middle. What he also wouldn't admit was the fact that he had a collection of such crowns and things back home, a whole shelf devoted to them. His one embarrassing quirk, the one that if anyone knew, they would surely question his auror abilities, if nothing else.
"Oh wonderful!" He put it on and grinned happily, paying and following the older wizard up over the drawbridge and inside the castle. "Do you suppose we could make a castle like this our new headquarters? Grimmauld Place can get a little crowded you know…" He said hopefully, humming along to the music in the background as they strolled up the stairs and read each princess' story aloud, before 'awww'ing and sighing in unison. Then moving onto the next one. It was by far the most fantastic of days each had had in such a long while. The only question was going to be what to do after? They spent approximately three hours in the castle, snacking on princess shaped candies they purchased from the many various vendors scattered around the castle.
"What's next?" Alastor asked, checking in the Magic Mirror to make sure his tiara was on properly.
"Why, I would have to say….Teacups!" Kingsley replied with a bright smile, clapping his hands together with a smile.
And so, off they trotted in the direction of that next ride, their tiaras firmly placed upon their heads, making sure that they did not lose their new purchases, as that would be just completely awful.
From above them, there was a scream of delight at the Dumbo Flying Ride, and Moody smiled.
"It's so nice to hear the children having fun isn't it Kingsley?" He asked, sighing happily, shaking his head with nostalgia.
"Yes. It really is." He replied with a wistful smile, "I miss those good old days…" He added, clapping his friend on the back, the two of them sharing a moment.
What neither of them knew was that the smile and the glee had come from none other than the two malicious Black sisters. The two women were having the time of their lives, constantly exclaiming such things as:
"This is better than brooms!" Or, "Can you imagine playing Quidditch in one of these?"
Unfortunately, the two men couldn't hear that, they were too busy in their moment, and once it was gone, they were already well on their way to the teacups. A location where one of them would be seeing all of those princess candies they had consumed earlier, and the other would be wishing he had brought a change of clothes.