Chapter Forty One
"Welcome to Veneficas Venetias!" Aurelia said as they descended down a torch lit passage. As they reached the bottom Hermione noticed that the staircase ended abruptly at a rough stone wall, "You need a password," Aurelia explained and then said "Qui mala in bonum quod ego non nocet." The whole wall began to slide downwards into the floor, leaving a large archway in the wall.
Hermione's eyes lit up. In a subteranean cavern that went back as far as the eye could see was a huge market, the whole place was electric; there were witches and wizards of every description buying and selling everything from magical souvenirs to the latest in wizard fashion, there were stalls selling magic purple toads that enhanced your spells if you gave them a lick before casting, and another stall that was being run by a rather creepy hooded witch who was selling amulets made out of strange things like vampire teeth and werewolf fur there were also stalls selling everyday things like auto-wipe toilet roll and magic shape illusion underwear 'bewitched to make the most of your assets'.
Hermione bought herself some new underwear and also a few antique books from a tiny little witch who had to stand on a table in order to see over her stall. Aurelia had bought several handbags, each with a different magical property.
"Choose one," Aurelia said to Hermione. Holding out the handbags.
"No, I couldn't," Hermione said, "they were too expensive!"
"I insist," Aurelia said, "I bought them as gifts; there's one for you, one for my aunt, one for my mum, one for my sister and one for me, you get first choice for helping me out of a tight spot. Go on."
"Oh okay then," Hermione smiled, "if you insist." But let's grab a cup of coffee first, I'm parched."
The two ladies made their way to a coffee shop, set up under a black tented canopy. The Banner "Magico Caffè di Charme Carlotta Tendone" ran across the front with the Italian flag on either side, the banner was bewitched so that the name changed from Italian to other languages including English and it translated as "Charming Carlotta's Magical Coffee Marquee", the girls entered the marquee and saw that the tent was much like any other wizard tent in that it was much larger on the inside, there were at least a hundred tables set out on the inside, which were almost entirely occupied by witches and wizard's taking a break from there shopping. The walls and ceiling of the tent were darkest blue with miliions of fairy lights covering the place so that the whole tent looked as though it was surrounded by a beautiful spacescape. A stunning lounge singer stood on a stage at one end of the marquee entertaining the diners, and Carlotta herself weaved in and out of the tables, making sure all of her customers were enjoying themselves. Carlotta was a raven haired beauty, she had more than her fair share of curves and wore a tightly fitting red dress. As Hermione watched the hostess, take orders her eye was drawn to a familiar silver blonde head, and as she looked at the back of the head, she noticed Narcissa sitting opposite.
"Oh my god, he's here!" Hermione whispered to Aurelia.
"Where?" Aurelia asked, her head bobbing around to locate Draco. "Let's go over," she said, beginning to rise from her chair.
"No! Don't!" Hermione said, "I don't think our relationship is at the meeting the parents stage just yet."
"Spoil sport!" Aurelia said, sitting back down.
Presently Charming Carlotta whisked over to them. "Ciao belle signore," the hostess said in a sultry Italian accent. "'Ow can Carlotta 'elp you today?"
"Ciao," Aurelia and Hermione chorused, "Could we please have due caffè è con latte e trainare muffin al cioccolato si prega di?" Hermone added, looking bemused, "How did I speak Italian just now? She asked.
"Ah I 'ave the spell so that all my customers can order in Italian, it saves me the 'assle of learning all of their native languages, I understand the inglese though; two coffee's with milk and two chocolate muffins coming right up." With that she waved her wand and their order was laid out before them.
Hermione couldn't help but keep looking over to where Draco and his mother were sitting, they appeared to be having a great time, they were laughing and chatting happily away, whilst eating what looked like a seafood salad. Hermione was daydreaming, wondering what they were talking about and whether or not Draco had mentioned her to his mother when suddenly she became aware that Narcissa was staring straight at her.