A/N: Thanks to everyone who thought my story was tempting enough to follow, favourite and review.
The article on Les Halles was obtained from Wikipedia. The idea, though, was mine.
Those who know France well enough also know that Saint Joan of Arc was a French lady. Details on Adrian's new school are coming in succeeding chapters.
And don't forget to rate and review. It means so much to me.
Disclaimer: The copyright to Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling. Any other characters are purely work of fiction and any resemblance is co-incidental.
Chapter 7: Just A Door Away.
Saturday morning breakfasts were enjoyable affairs at the Dealcours. Every single member of the house attended it and Hermione and her son, though not Delacours, always presented themselves punctually. Breakfast table would host more items than usual while Monsieur Gustave Delacour would whole heartedly praise his wife's cooking, Gabrielle would read Bill and Fleur's letters from England, Alexis would discuss some inside issues of Ministry and Hermione would fight with her son over his half-empty milk glass. This morning was no exception either.
"You are not finished, Adrian." Hermione said sternly to her son, who seemed reluctant to drink the remaining half of the milk in his glass.
"I don't like the flavour." Adrian scowled at his angry mother.
"It's strawberry flavoured milk, Adrian, just as you like it." she informed him.
"Yes, but I am bored of strawberry now." he scowled even more.
Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "If you get bored at this rate, Adrian, I will have to flavour your morning milk with Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans in near future. Now don't argue with Mama and drink your milk or Mama will not tell you about the big surprise she is planning." Hermione admonished him.
"Big surprise?" Adrian's Grey eyes lit up at once, "What big surprise?" he asked forgetting his mother's conditions.
Hermione pointed at the milk glass, "I am not uttering a single word unless that glass is empty, Adrian." she said sternly.
Adrian pouted his soft pink lips and reached for his glass reluctantly. He pinched his nose, closed his eyes and downed the contents in one go. He then put down his glass and wiped his mouth, making a gagging noise.
Hermione shook her head in despair: what was she going to do with this boy?
"I am done. Now tell me." Adrian demanded, lifting his small pointed chin at his mother.
Hermione cleared her throat and looked at the other members on the breakfast table. Gabrielle was discussing Fleur's recent letter with Apolline and Gustave was remarking on how the new Minisrty bill would affect his business, with Alexis. "Excuse me, everyone. Can I have your attention?" she asked.
Everyone immediately stopped and looked at her. Hermione smiled at them, "I was thinking about taking Adrian and Gabrielle to Belgium this summer. How does it sound?" she asked their opinion timidly.
Adrian was the first to respond, though not verbally. He almost jumped at his mother and gave her a crushing hug while planting two big kisses at her cheek. Everyone roared with laughter as Hermione settled her son on her lap.
"It sounds like a very good idea." Monsieur Gustave replied, his laughter a bit diminished now.
"Yes. It's a good idea." Apolline agreed with her husband.
Hermione looked at Alexis and Gabrielle. "I also wanted to take Alexis as well but I don't know if he could manage two weeks from his busy schedule." she informed them.
Alexis shook his head. "Merci, Hermione." he thanked her, "I really would love to go with you lot but the work pressure at the ministry has increased greatly. I don't think I can manage." he said her with a small smile.
Hermione looked at Gabrielle who seemed at loss of words since her declaration and raised an eyebrow enquiringly. Gabrielle immediately left her chair and came to Hermione before she kissed her on her cheek.
"I will be more than happy to go." She said softly and half hugged her. "You know, I haven't traveled since Fleur's marriage seven years ago." She informed her.
Hermione looked at everyone contentedly. "So, that's settled. We are visiting Belgium this summer." she announced happily and Adrian did a small somersault in her lap, "I must arrange for some Muggle train tickets now."
"Why train?" Apolline asked her, surprised.
"For a good number of reasons." Hermione replied, "Firstly, Adrian is just five years old and therefore too young for Portkey, Floo or Side-along Apparition. They use tremendous amount of tugging force and I don't want him to get hurt on the process. Secondly, the journey by train itself will be an enjoyment. And thirdly, I am quite sure that my intern Claudia will insist me to visit her family at Lille which happens to be on our way. That way it will be easy." She finished.
"I must admit it's a wise decision." Alexis commented and others nodded in approval.
"When will we go, Mama?" Adrian asked his mother.
"Let me go to Gringotts and talk about it to my boss, Geccemp." she replied, "Afterwards we will decide about the date. Hm?" she kissed her son. "Now, Adrian no more usual tantrum about going to Gringotts this morning." she warned him softly and he nodded.
Monsieur Gustave, meanwhile, was watching their interaction with affection. "Hermione, I was thinking of asking you to enroll Adrian in a nursery." he said after sometime.
Hermione looked at him, "Really, Father Gustave." she exclaimed, "Then we were thinking on the same line." she smiled and stroked her son's head, " Adrian is almost five and a half years old and it's about time he receives some institutionalized education. Do you have any recommendations?" she asked him.
Monsieur Gustave smiled pleasantly, "There is but one, Hermione – St. Joan's Institute for Magical Children. It's named after St. Joan of Arc and almost all the Magical children of Paris go there. Even I went there. So did Fleur, Alexis and Gabrielle. It's a very good nursery. Besides it's quite near to our home – just beside the Notre dame." He informed her.
"Thank you so much. There can never be a better place for Adrian." Hermione assured him. She looked at the wall clock and gasped, "It's nearly ten and I should get going." she moved Adrian from her lap and stood up, "If we want to spend our summer in Belgium, I must apply for leave today." she said and kissed her son.
"Now, my little rabbit, I guess I don't have to tell you to study properly and eat your lunch completely. Hm" She lectured him, "And don't leave the yard when you play with Louis or Pierre." she warned him and Adrian nodded silently.
Hermione kissed Apolline on her cheek and waved them goodbye. She left hurriedly to get dressed, feeling confident to win her leave from the sternest of employers – Goblins.
•••••
Draco was drifting in a peaceful sleep and listening to the gentle murmur: "I'll rock you. I'll rock you. I'll rock you." longingly.
"Good Morning, dear." a female voice spoke and the wave of murmur broke. Draco opened his Grey eyes and blinked it several times in bright sunlit room before registering the face looking down at him: his mother.
"Good Morning, mother." he replied and shifted only to realize that he was sleeping on the armchair he had occupied the previous night, while talking to his aunt. He stretched his lean body and sat up.
"You slept." he heard his mother remark.
"What a pleasant surprise." he smirked at her.
"I expect you did not take any more of that Dreamless Sleep Potion, Draco." she inquired.
"I did not." he replied curtly.
"You are already addicted to it, Draco, dear." Narcissa pressed.
Draco tilted his head and looked up at his mother, "I know mother, but I assure you I did not take Dreamless Sleep last night." he said confidently.
Narcissa seemed to consider his answer for a moment and then nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Draco." she said and handed out a letter to him.
Draco eyed it and noticed the Gringotts emblem on the seal. "About time." he said taking the letter from her hand. He opened it and read the contents.
Narcissa took the chair across her son, "The letter arrived this morning and I must say I was getting impatient. Do you think you can you visit Gringotts today?" she asked.
Draco finished the letter and folded it before placing it on the table. "I guess I can." he said as stood up and stretched himself again. "Is the breakfast over?" he asked looking at the clock which showed nine o' clock.
"No." his mother replied. "Audré and her children were reading the morning newspaper when I left to enquire about you." she said, "Go and get dressed, Draco. I also wanted to visit Gringotts with you but Audré insisted that I accompany her to meet some of her neighbours who sent her invitations and I could not but agreed." She informed him looking resentful.
"I'll be at dining room in a bit." Draco told his mother. Narcissa rose silently and left her son. Draco rubbed his neck and started for his bathroom considering to take a much needed hot shower.
Audré was pouring herself some green tea when Draco entered the dining room looking well rested and fresh. He was wearing his usual black mourning attire but they were cleaner and impeccably tailored.
"Good Morning, dear nephew." she addressed him.
"Good Morning, aunt Audré." he replied, "Good Morning, Julian and Lilian." Draco acknowledged his cousins.
His cousins returned his greeting and they all tucked into a silent breakfast with the occasional sound of silverware reverberating across the room.
"Aunt Narcissa told me that you wished to visit Gringotts this morning, Draco." Julian commented after some time.
"Yes." Draco looked up from his plate and nodded, "I do wish that."
"Well then I can accompany you. I, too have some business of my own there." Julian explained.
"That will be very nice indeed." Draco remarked.
The breakfast progressed in silence once again and when they finished eating, the remaining food disappeared.
"How many House elves do you own, Audré?" Narcissa enquired her sister-in-law.
Audré waved her hand in insignificance, "Not as much as you own, Narcissa dear. Only fifteen." she answered.
Narcissa snorted in response, "Fifteen house elves are not 'only', Audré dear." she chided her.
While the ladies continued their talk, the men folk – Julian and Draco - stood up and left their seats. They took their leave from the rest of the family and started for the Apparition Point in the garden. Once there Julian offered his arm to Draco who took it silently and together they apparated away.
They appeared in a quiet alleyway beside a crowded street. Draco looked around and saw that it was full of Muggles.
"This place is called Les Halles." Julian informed him, "The central market center in Paris, where wholesale fresh food products were once sold. But the large central wholesale marketplace was demolished in 1971 and replaced with an underground modern shopping precinct, called the Forum des Halles. It's open air center area is below street level." he informed Draco. "It is like a sunken garden, you see." he motioned Draco to follow him, "And now we are going to the underground station Châtelet-Les-Halles, one of the central hub of Paris's express commuter rail system where the opening Gringotts is situated." He smiled mysteriously.
Draco followed his cousin without further ado. He carefully avoided bumping into Muggles who seemed to enjoy their shopping on Saturday morning. Soon he arrived at an underground rail station which was also, to his dismay, was packed with Muggles.
"There are too many Muggles here." he commented.
"Not all of them are Muggles, cousin." Julian remarked, "Some of them are like us, wishing to visit Wizarding Les Halles at weekend." He said, "Come this way." he motioned him to a small booth with a triangular sign on top.
"This is what Muggles call an ATM booth except for that it's not a Muggle booth." he opened the door for Draco who entered the small room. Inside he found a machine with buttons numbered from zero to nine and a black screen.
"We won't be needing that one. It is just for show." Julian winked as he drew his wand and drew a circle on the opposite wall. The portion of the wall inside the imaginary circle vanished and a larger circular wooden door with a knob appeared. Julian grabbed the knob and opened the door.
Draco gasped involuntarily. On the other side of the door a wide alleyway ran, with eccentric shops and people dressed in robes of different colours.
"Welcome to Ruelle Les Halles!" Julian announced.
The French equivalent of Diagon Alley was more cheerful looking than it's British counterpart, Draco noticed. He walked the streets looking around the shop signs written in French and discovered it was far more interesting than it appeared. Soon they reached a building which looked exactly like it's sister in Britain.
"Gringotts." he whispered, eying the eccentric looking white building. "The British one also has the same design." he remarked.
"Does it? That's fascinating." Julian commented and they approached the establishment.
The inside décor was not very different from British Gringotts. Rows and rows of goblins were seated behind high tables as they weighed valuable stones and counted coins. Julian took Draco to an important looking Goblin who stood up from his seat and greeted them.
"Ah, Monsieur Malfoy." he addressed, " Bonjour."
"Bonjour, Greepak." Julian replied, "This is my cousin Draco Lucius Malfoy who has recently arrived from Britain." He spoke in English as he introduced Draco, "He wishes to visit his vault here." He informed the Goblin.
"Oh! Yes. Chief Goblin Geccemp informed me this morning to expect his visit." Greepak spoke in English too. He took out a long roll of sealed parchment from beneath his desk and held it out to Draco. "Here is your Inventory, Monsieur Draco Malfoy." the goblin stated.
Draco took the parchment and broke the seal. He knew that these kinds of seals would not break unless they were at the hands of their rightful owners. He examined the list and found it extremely well-written compared to the list British Gringotts provided.
"The list is satisfactory." he commented. "The keys?" he enquired to the Goblin.
"Here they are, Monsieur." Greepak passed him the ornate box he had handed to Gobtok ten days ago.
"Draco, would you mind if I make a quick visit to Geccemp, the Chief Goblin?" Julian asked.
"Not at all. Please proceed." Draco replied as he pocketed his key and inventory list.
"Greepak, can you take us to Geccemp?" Julian asked the goblin this time who nodded.
"Very well, Monsieur." he answered and left his seat, "It you would follow me, please." he said.
Draco and Julian followed the goblin out to a marbled archway and down several flights of stairs before they reached a large intricately decorated silver door. The goblin asked them to make themselves comfortable on the velvet covered seats as he excused himself and entered his boss's office.
He appeared after a minute and closed the door behind him before approaching towards them, "Chief Goblin Geccemp sends his sincere apologies and asks the gentlemen to wait for a moment while he finishes an important conversation with our Chief Curse Breaker Jean." the Goblin informed Julian and Draco.