A/N: I know I was evil but to be fair the chapters have been coming out fairly quick and so I have to separate where I can. You should not have to wait too long from the time I first post before I post again. Anyway, time for the bookstore!
Xx H.G. still xX
Hermione and Tony lead the way while Pepper and Happy tried to stay as close as possible as the store was crowded. Pepper decided to be the voice of reason as she saw the look in both Stark's eyes. "Alright, I know you both are going to go crazy in here so first you will grab the actual course books! Then you can go crazy grabbing whatever catches your eye. Just try to keep it to a few thousand Galleons."
The last part of her speech came out as a sigh.
Tony and Hermione smiled to each other before Tony said "Split the list, grab 2 of anything that catches your eye, a copy for each of us. And even if I can't use it than I can still scan it into J.A.R.V.I.S. and we can form a database and make e-readers with your school books in them for SI W.W."
"To steal your line dad, Done Deal!" Hermione smirked and had LAIL send half the list to J.A.R.V.I.S. before heading off to a section labeled charms with Happy following behind her. Tony turned around to Pepper. "looks like your stuck with me Pep. Let's go this way!" pulling her toward the Transfiguration section.
Not even 10 minutes later Hermione was walking up to the counter with a pile of books and Happy behind her had an even bigger pile. She asked the clerk if she could start a tab as she and her father were still shopping. The clerk looked at the piles in their hands and nodded thinking about the commission they were going to get from this sale.
"of course, miss. You may leave your books here and we will start your tab." The young lady said pointing to the end of the counter.
"Great! Happy go ahead and set them here then we will go find dad and tell him that this is where our tab is, so he knows where to put his books." The poor clerk was confused as she thought that Happy was her father. Hermione seeing this thought to correct her.
"Oh, this is Happy. He is my bodyguard. My dad is somewhere in the stacks. Also, I know he is going to ask but can we also add that big book on alchemy from the window to our tab. Price is no issue."
The clerk smiled at the explanation before going to retrieve the book from the window, she also went to retrieve the owner Mr. Blott. As the sale of such an old tome as the one written by Nicolas Flamel would need manager permission.
Hermione walked off to find her dad in the section labeled Transfiguration, In the back of her mind Hermione remembered that was the subject that Professor cat teaches. Seeing Tony standing there with an arm full of books and a pile on the ground Hermione just shook her head. He should have taken Happy with him.
"Dad, I started a tab at the end of the counter. I also got the book from the window but it's only the one copy so you will have to borrow it after I am done reading it." Hermione claimed first rights to the alchemy book to be sure she got to read it before Tony accidently destroyed it.
"Good, I wanted to get that too. I know that people respect people with rare things and that is clearly one rare book." Tony was nodding to himself even though he was talking to Hermione. Pepper took this time to walk over with the books that were actually on Hermione's list.
"Here you go Mia, I grabbed all the books you are supposed to have while your dad here got distracted after noticing that the 'standard book of spells' had more than just year one. He then made it his mission to have every year, then he digressed to making sure you had not just the beginners guide to transfiguration but the intermediate and the advanced, then he discovered a book about becoming an Animagus like the Professor. Then something about wandlore. In the end he just started adding titles to the pile that he was not even reading just to have them. I think we will be fine to stop with what we have now and when you come back for next year's books, we can re-evaluate what new books you need for your research. Agreed?"
"Ok fine, I guess we will stop at this. For now. I am sure we will be back sooner rather than later if Mia is anything like her old man. We need all the variables before we can really do any work, and this magic thing has a lot of variables." Tony spread his arms to emphasize that every section around them had a lot of different books and there was a lot of sections.
Between Happy, Mia, Tony, and Pepper they all walked to the counter with the stack that Tony had accumulated (Tony adding books he was just grabbing as he walked passed them to the pile on the way to the counter). The Manager, Mr. Blott was waiting at the counter with a smile on his face and the books that Hermione had already placed there as well as the book from the window.
"greetings, you must be the ones that asked about 'The intrigue and intimacies of alchemy' by Master Nicolas Flamel. You do know that this book is hundreds of years old and one of a kind? Because of that it retails for thousands of galleons." The owner looked them over as if they must have been joking when they said that they wanted to buy it.
"Yes sir, we do want it as well as the rest of these and price is no issue. We are a family of mean if you get my drift and let's just say that book won't even put a dent in our funds." Hermione said back with a wink.
Mr. Blott's eyes lit up when she said that and started adding up a total. Happy got her attention as he added 2 more books to the pile. "Your going to want to read these before you get to school. They will help you out when I can't."
He squeezed her shoulder before moving back behind her as if he had said nothing at all. Hermione looked at the titles expecting something along the lines of personal defense only to see 'the history of the 28' and 'proper etiquette for a pure heir'. Hermione turned and looked at Happy again raising an eyebrow. He nodded, and she nodded back coming to an understanding.
"That will be 5380 Galleons, would you like us to charge it to your vault?" Mr. Blott getting her attention again.
"Yes, that would be great. Charge it to the Stark vault. Do you need my signature on the slip to approve it?" Hermione responded looking for a pen or quill.
"Yes, if you could sign here." He pointed to a line at the end of the total. Hermione signed as Mia Stark with her name glowing green showing that the transaction had been approved before turning black like the rest of the ink.
"Thank you, Miss. Stark for your business. Please remember us when you are in need of more books. We will be happy to accommodate." Finally, being polite now that he knows that she has the funds to cover her bill.
Tony took the opportunity to point out his rude behavior in saying "We will see, we may return if the service improves. I mean we did say we had the funds to cover our tab but were repeatedly asked if we did after. What kind of store doesn't believe their customers when they tell you they have money?"
Tony said this to Hermione as they packed the books in to her library compartment in her trunk. Hermione did not say anything in response just nodded. Mr. Blott looked a little pale at their statement.
The Starks walked out of the store and as they got away from the store front the busted out laughing. "God, that was great. Did you see the look on that guys face! It looked like someone just kicked his puppy! That is great! Maybe he will take that to heart next time someone tells him that money is not an issue."
Tony Leads them back to the tailor to get Hermione fitted. As the owner had been chastised from there previous visit things ran rather smoothly. It took only 25 minutes to get all her new silk robes hemmed and put away in Hermione's trunk. Hermione followed the same procedure to pay as she used in the bookstore then walked out of the store with Tony as he walked out as she was changing. "All set, I think all that is left is to get a familiar."
Tony's eyes go wide as he remembers "That's right, we need to go get you a pet! The note said a frog (err no that is a pass), a cat (maybe), or an owl. Maybe we get you a cat and get me an owl so we can still send mail. That way you can get around the 1 pet rule. What do you think?"
"Maybe. The professor said that I would feel a connection with the familiar if it was meant to be mine. Some do not feel it and have to get one of those 3 if they want an animal but if you get a familiar then it can be whatever you connect with so long as it is not too dangerous. That being said I really want a familiar, I don't really have friends so it would be great to have something that gets me other than LAIL."
That made Tony, Pepper, and Happy all somber with thoughts of little Hermione working over a piece of tech because the other kids did not want to spend time with her. Tony clapped his hands to bring everyone out of their heads and back to the matter at hand. "Ok, I guess that just means we need to check every animal to find the perfect fit for my mini-Mia!"
Hermione swatted his shoulder for the new nickname, a smile on her face as they walked to the magical pet shop near the exit to the ally.
Xx 1 Hour later xX
Tony is walking out with an eagle owl that he swears has a patch of feathers that looks like his arc-reactor on its chest. Hermione walked out with a female ivory ball python (she had lovingly called Pinky after Tony made a joke about pinky and the brain) wrapped around her neck. Hermione's name for it being deceptive seeing as she was gray and white making her look like a line of liquid silver.
"Alright kiddo, we have had all sorts of fun today, but it is time to get you home. Your mom is going to kill me if you are not home for dinner and we will be cutting it close with traffic in the city so if you do not need anything else. Let us blow this popsicle stand."
Happy took Hermione's trunk from her and followed behind them as the made there way out back through the Leaky Cauldron. Happy popped the trunk on the limo as Tony opened the door for the ladies to get in first. After everyone was in the car Hermione broke the silence.
"Ok, I need to know. Why were you so snobby, I followed your lead, but you do not even act that way when you are in your billionaire playboy persona. So, what gives?"
Tony let out a sigh "I should have known you would notice. I spoke with Happy when we left your place the other day. Seeing as he is one of them squid… no… squib people, anyway I asked if there was a proper way of handling things to make sure that you were at the top of the social hill. He told me that purebloods are very traditional and that they use a lot of the high handed methods that we use in business, they prefer people to have manners but are above using them on people they think are their lesser. So, when the goblins said you had one of them old families in your background it became the point of pointing it out to the right people to have word spread that you are a member of a old family and you use your manners. Basically, you just have to own the room when you head off to school and treat everyone as beneath you and you will rule the roost. If you want to that is."
Tony was going to keep rambling, but Hermione put him out of his misery but jumping at him to give him a hug and whispering in his ear. "Thank you, dad!"
A/N: So ends Diagon Ally! I hope you all enjoyed it! Expect a time skip next time, I don't want to spend to much time on the express I kind of want to get her to Hogwarts by next chapter. Anyways with 3 chapters this month you have all been spoiled rotten, so don't expect the next one till next month! See ya then!
