Underground Spain

I do not own Harry Potter or Spain for that matter! The characters with the odd names that you have never heard of are mine!

The work day was over at six o'clock. Bruno was the first to leave. At 3:46 he had left his cubical to go to the bathroom at a 5:57 he came back out. His hair had been re-spiked, it was a little flat after his nap, and he had put a dragon fang through his nose. When he noticed Lily looking at his nose as he passed he smiled,

"I have to take it out at work, Ramirez's a tyrant. So hot stuff, you doing anything to night? This killer band's playing at the Underground. Wanna check it out?"

"I don't know. Why don't you talk to my boyfriend about it?"

Bruno was shocked, "Sorry! Didn't know you and Fredo were the item! Honestly, I thought a hot number like you would like someone more wild, not a pansy like him."

"I'm not with Fredo!"

"So……………………….is your man back in England?"

"Yes."

"So there's hope that you and I could get together?"

"No, none!"

Bruno smiled at her, like he didn't take it as rejection at all. He made his way to his desk, sat down, and gazed at his clock. A second later he got to his feet.

"Nothing makes you ready for a night of partying like a hard days work."

He adjusted his dragon leather jacket and started out the door. The door slammed and Sonya looked at Lily.

"If that booy waz not uch a good vriter I think he vould of lost his job long time ago!"

Lily laughed. Dingbang got to his feet a little later and told the two women goodnight. He picked a bag and swung it over his shoulder. Before he left he turned around to face Lily.

"I'm sorry for what happen. I no bad guy. Can you forgiven me?"

"Of course, congratulations about getting married, she must be a special girl!"

"Yes, she very good. You meet her tomorrow, yes. We always go to Underground on Friday."

Lily nodded and Dingbang left the building, on his way home to his future wife. Sonya continued working for a few moments but then she got to her feet.

"Do vou have place to stay ily?"

"No, I thought I'd try the Joungure Block. It's cheap right?"

"No, that is no good neighborhood……you vill come home vith me!"

There was no question about it. Sonya picked up Lilly suitcase and walked her out the door. Before the door closed Lilly said goodnight to Ramona Ramirez, who glared in return. Sonya laughed when the door closed.

"Good luck charming that von!"

"Are you sure about this Sonya? I don't want to be a bother………."

"ily, I 'ave a six year old daughter. Trust me, you von't be the bother. Vou can clean up your own mess, vight?"

"Yeah……."

"Perfect!"

"Wait! You have a daughter? You seem so young. What's her name?"

"Tanya. My daughter is Tanya, from a book I vead long ago. She is six. I had married young and had her when I was nineteen. She's my gift from God."

Sonya led Lily to a dark corner of the city. She looked around to make sure no one was watching before she brought out her wand. Lily noticed that all that tiles on the pavement were plain, except one. The one tile had a design of a sun and a moon intertwining. Sonya traced the sun and then the moon with her wand. The tile moved to the side revealing a dark stairwell that seemed to lead on forever. Lily asked if this was the underground that Bruno had mentioned.

"No, not exactly! Technically, all of the Spanish Vizarding Vorld is underground. Spain has had many different cultures rule. Rome invaded Spain and set up colonies. Spaniards absorbed the Roman culture, but Rome fell in 409 leaving Spain to the Gothic tribes. The Goths set up Kingdoms. Through time, Spain became divided. The northern kingdoms vere Christians, and to the south Muslim. To unite Spain Isabel of Castilia and Ferdinand of Aragon vere married. Lily, have vou ever heard of the Spanish Inquisition?"

Lily nodded, but didn't want to admit that basically all she knew she had learned from Monty Python.

"They vanted to convert or kill all things, they felt, vere unchristian. Many ood Vizards vere killed, those brave enough to make a stand! For many ust gave up magic and tried to blend in."

"But I thought only Jewish and Moors were killed?"

"No, there vere Vizards as vell. The few who had managed to stay alive, and not give up magic decided to start their new society underneath the old. Everything is down here! Vut, the Spanish Vizarding School is deep in the country, a very safe place!"

They had reached the bottom of the stairs and Lily saw that the Underground Wizarding World was very similar to Diagon Alley. It was filled with people shopping and visiting with each other. The Underground had a bookstore, a potion shop, a store filled with bright colored robes, a pet shop, a broomstickwarehouse, and a shop that seemed to be a joke shop. Lily followed Sonya through the crowd. Every now and then Sonya would say a greeting to someone.

"Hola, Que Tal? Buena!"

Sonya had rented the top floor of an old building. It was all white brick and Lily noticed that the same sun and moon design that had been on the tile was also on all the bricks. While Sonya undid the many locks on the door, Lily traced the sun and moon design with her figure tips. For some reason she was drawn to the strange design.

"Here ve are! Home sveet Home."

The first floor was dark and not very inviting, but Sonya had painted the second with bright colors. The first room they entered was the kitchen/living room. It was a canary yellow, with clean white curtains on the four windows. Sonya said that the room to the left was her's and showed Lily the inside. It was violet and Lily admired a beautiful trunk in the middle of the room. All around the trunks sides was forest scene, with flowers and fairies dancing.

"It has veen in my family for years, elven made!"

She looked at the trunk with pride and brushed her hand over the smooth wooden top.

"Someday I vill give it to my Tanya!"

A loud bang came from the living room, followed by a scream, "Mama!"

Sonya ran into the living room and found her daughter on the floor with slimy teal dots all over her face. Sonya sighed and started rummaging though her cabinets.

"Vhat have vou veen playing with this time? Healsvont, Malciunis, or the Vealabuss?"

Tanya giggled and her whole body shook with laughter. She was a very sweet looking girl Lily thought. Almost like a china doll. She had thick black curls, but light blue eyes. Her skin was very pale, but her cheeks were pink.

Sonya looked at her daughter and put her hands on her hips.

"You vant tell me? Fine then, I have my vays!"

Sonya started to tickle the little girl. Lily smiled as she watched the mother and daughter roll around laughing. After awhile Tanya started to break out more. Lily went over to the cauldron standing over the fire and smelled it. She then started adding ingredients for an antidote. When she was done she walked over to the place where Sonya and Tanya lay laughing. She handed a goblet filled with the antidote to Tanya.

"Drink!"

Tanya looked up at her mother for permission. With a nod from her mother Tanya tipped the goblet into her mouth and drank the liquid. She smiled at her first sip and emptied the goblet quickly. Her spots had disappeared before she looked up at Lily and asked,

"What was in that? It was amazing!"

Lily laughed, "Sorry, it's a secret! It does make the potion sweeter, doesn't it?"

Tanya nodded and looked up at Lily with respect. Sonya picked herself and her daughter off the floor.

"Tanya, this is ily. She vill be living vith us for awhile. Vhy don't you finish showing Lily around and I'll make dinner."

Tanya grabbed Lily's hand and took for into the room next to Sonya's. Tanya's room was periwinkle and had some furniture similar to the trunk. There was a small table, that Tanya had put her stuffed animals on, that had forests and fairies. Lily had never been around a magical child who was raised in the magical world. She was shocked to see that the stuffed animals could move and make noises. Again Tanya grabbed Lily's hand and took her to the other bedroom, the one she would use.

The room was a deep forest green, which highlighted the center of interest in the room, which was an old tapestry. Lily guessed that it was also elven made. It was a forest scene in winter. Just looking at the snow on the trees made Lily cold, but there was also a roaring fire that fought through the snow and elves dancing about it, celebrating that spring would soon be here. Tanya walked up to the tapestry and pressed her nose to the fire.

"Come here Lily! You can smell the flames."

Lily moved closer and pressed her nose to the tapestry as well. You could smell the fire! There was a small warming sensation on her nose, but the rich smell made up for that. Tanya and Lily both stood with their noses to the tapestry for a long time. The only thing that made them stop was Sonya telling Tanya and Lily to come in for dinner.

Note from Aine:

I am so sorry it's taken so long. I've given you a lot of little details that might come back in this chapter! Please send me some feedback!