Author's note - Beware the Jub Jub Bird and the Bandersnatch! ...Not quite sure what that has to do with the story or this chapter, but hey! Why not!
Chapter thirty-three.
Draco and Hermione watched as Alice drove off to pick Harry up.
"Is it just me, or is Alice acting weirdly?" Hermione asked, her head cocked to the side.
Draco stared after the truck for a bit, then,"…Nah. It's probably PMS."
Hermione glared at him, "You can't blame PMS every time a girl is moody. What about when guys are moody? PMS has nothing to do with that, so why does it have anything to do with the situation now?"
"Have you ever seen Alice's mood swing so much? She was happy this morning and now suddenly she's freezing Wonder boy and ditching him on the side of the road? I can't think of anything else."
Hermione sighed, "I still think it has nothing to do with PMS."
Draco smirked charmingly at her, "At any rate Potter has to deal with her now,' he held out his arm and she took it, shaking off her odd feeling, 'now let's find these Muggle Christmas Markets!" he said enthusiastically.
Hermione laughed, "Well the first thing we're going to have to get is money and then hats. Otherwise we're going to be like fried tomatoes tomorrow!"
Draco nodded his agreement and the two set off, laughing and chatting, the foreign air loosening them out like nothing else could. It probably had to do with the fact that no-one here would know them and send odd glances their way, not even the magical folk.
As the two wandered the market they could see tourists and locals alike mingling. Soon Hermione was able to tell the two apart, the tourists would go around, looking at everything in wonder, buying knick-knacks and marvelling at the warm Christmas weather. The locals, however, would move from stall to stall, chatting and laughing, buying fruit and vegetables as well as the jams and honey available, all marvelling at the coolness of the Christmas weather.
She and Draco sat under the coolness of a large shady tree, eating a melting ice cream and people spotting.
A large group of people went by laughing and Draco said, "Americans!"
A single girl passed with a large backpack, "I say…German."
"Nah, Swedish I think."
Three giggling Asian girls went by and Hermione and Draco grinned, saying together, "Japanese!"
The ice cream dribble was nearing her hand and as Hermione made to lick it she saw Harry and Alice weaving through the crowd.
"Oh look! There's the others!"
"Where?" Draco asked, turning to look and in that second Alice's figure wavered, flicking between her tall blonde figure and a small, petite woman with striking black hair and Alice's eyes.
Hermione blinked, "Did you see that?"
Draco, who was still straining his neck to find them, asked absently, "See what?"
"Alice just – Never mind, trick of the heat, I suppose."
Moments later Harry and Alice joined them, Alice's hand on Harry's arm.
"Hello! Fancy meeting you lot here!" Harry joked, shifting uncomfortably as Alice's grip got stronger.
Hermione stared at Alice, who was busy watching the crowd, "Yeah, fancy that…" she mumbled.
Alice blearily woke up and looked around. She found herself lying on the floor of a large crystal sphere and as she looked out she saw that her sphere resided inside a spacious, richly decorated and fairly…fae…looking room. Concentrating, she tested it for various spells with a wave of her hand, only to be knocked back. The crystal had somehow suppressed her powers.
Alice pondered her situation and nodded uncomprehendingly, "Okay, so last I remember, we were talking to Frank…" she muttered to herself but was interrupted by a figure walking into the room.
"Hello Alice."
"Mother!"