Chapter 16: Sitches of Concern

The morning air felt crisp and chilly against Hermione's bear legs as Lucius walked her back to Maggie's Tailoring. They kept their hands in their pockets and braced for every time a breeze ran through the village streets. They said very little to each other as they approached the doors to the shop. She still had a little bit of time before Maggie would be up to open the store.

"Thank you for helping me last night," Se said as she turned to Lucius who held out his hand. She rested her hand on his as he brought the top of her hand to his lips. After stuffing his hands back into his pockets, he spun on his heels and headed back towards the edge of Hogsmeade, and Hermione unlocked the door to the shop.

At first, Maggie was frantic once she saw Hermione in the kitchen.

"Where were you last night?" Her expression panicked, reminding her of her mother on days her bus was late dropping her off. "I know I told you to make Friday plans, but I never thought you'd disappear for a full night!"

"I'm sorry, Maggie. I promise when I explain everything, it will all make sense." Hermione started a fresh pot of coffee and checked the clock. They still had a few minutes before the store opened at 9:00 am.

"Please? I thought you were hurt or arrested after I saw your letter! I was afraid you'd be gone for the day as well. We have five home deliveries and four scheduled fittings today."

"Five deliveries?!" Hermione's jaw dropped as Maggie nodded.

"Exactly, and I think it's time you took the reigns on the deliveries while I hold down the fort here at the shop."

Hermione nodded and remembered when she filled the position, Maggie mentioned her business had become very popular, and she would need help with home delivery services to high-end witches and wizards.

Once she finished her coffee, she followed Maggie out into the store. Maggie flipped on the open sign as Hermione reached over the desk and pulled out the small stack of delivery tickets from the fax tray. She scanned the first three:

The first was scheduled for 10:00 am for Mr. Crowley

The second was for 11:30 am for Mr. Hamel

The third was scheduled for 2:00 pm for Mrs. Parish

The first ticket requested she'd bring a set of robes, and the last four already obtained suits or robes but wanted in-home alterations. She compared the addresses, thankful that the first three seemed to be a few blocks from each other, and each address was a short walk from the store. She pulled out the last two tickets.

"Oh! The last two are for Mrs. Humphrey for 5:00 pm." She told Maggie. "Her boys must need more robe alterations." She tapped the bottoms of the tickets on the desk and began looking for her tailoring kit.

"Really?" Maggie asked as she arranged a few newly ironed blazers. "I wonder what event she has coming up."

Hermione shrugged and headed for the back to see if she could find the requested color of robes for her first two deliveries. After she found them, she hung the robes on hangers and wrapped them in clear plastic. She grabbed her tailoring kit and the stack of tickets off the desk and slid them into her bag.

"When you get back, you'll tell me about last night right?" Maggie called before Hermione headed out.

"I promise. And if I have time between deliveries, I'll try to come back and help you with the in-person fittings." She smiled and waved as she headed out into the village streets. As she began walking, she pulled the first ticket out of her bag and started up the road.

"Pullman Street, Pullman Street…" She mumbled to herself. The village streets soon filled with visitors as Hermione looked up and down from the ticket. She remembered passing Pullman Street during one of her visits to Hogsmeade, but she wondered if she got turned around somehow.

She noticed an elderly gentleman standing outside the small coffee shop across the road. His ash-colored hair hung in curls around his face as a pair of small framed glasses created a red pinch on his nose. He wore a light brown tweed suit and scuffed brown loafers.

"Excuse me," she said as she caught the man's attention. "Could you point me in the direction of Pullman Street?"

"Sure thing, little lady!" His voice sounded gravelly and seasoned with age. "You'll head down that street and take the first right." He pointed up the road.

She followed his finger and gave a bow. "Thank you!" After following the man's directions, she found her first home. Mr. Crowley lived in a cozy cottage surrounded by foliage with two fat calico cats sleeping on window sills outside.

Mr. Crowley was sweet and short—literally. He stood at four feet six inches, and a majority of his belongings only reached Hermione's hip bone. Mr. Crowley possessed a smile that exuded warmth and kindness, reminding her of Professor Flitwick from school, and his hair was colored dusty orange and was bundled in tight curls above his ears. He offered her tea as she pulled his set of robes from the plastic casings, but she politely declined as she pulled the tailoring kit from her bag so she could get started.

"These are perfect!" He told her, studying himself in the mirror. "It's hard for me to find robes that fit a man of my stature." He chuckled. Hermione sat on her knees in the middle of his living room and made a small cut along the hem of the ankle cuff.

"There," she said. "Now it's perfect." She stood up and put her hands on her hips. She was happy with how the robes fit Mr. Crowley, and he seemed delighted as well.

"Give Maggie my best for me? I don't know what I'd do without her shop, and now that she has you, her delivery services are even better!" His smile beamed up at Hermione, her cheeks blushing as she began collecting her things.

"I will, and it's been a pleasure meeting you Mr. Crowley." She said as she slipped her satchel over her shoulder. She slipped her shoes back on when Mr. Crowley hollered for her.

"Hermione! Just a moment! You mustn't go without a fresh cookie. I give one to Maggie anytime she comes. I figured this would be our new tradition now that you'll take over the deliveries." He ran to his kitchen and returned with a platter of different types of cookies stacked in a mound with clouds of steam still coming from them. She gladly took a warm chocolate chip cookie from the top of the stack and smiled.

"Thank you, Mr. Crowley." She curtsied and headed out into Hogsmeade village as Mr. Crowley waved goodbye from his front stoop.

She munched on the cookie as she headed for the next house, feeling incredibly lucky that her first delivery went well. If this was an indicator of how the rest of the deliveries would go, she could really get used to this.

The second address was much easier to find. Mr. Hamel happened to be the librarian for the Hogsmeade Library, who only needed a dry cleaning and a couple of patches for holes. He had jet black hair pulled back into a ponytail, with a skinny physique, and had to be only a few years older than her. She extracted the navy blue set from its transparent casing, meticulously inspecting it before presenting it to Mr. Hamel. Mr. Hamel was a man of very few words, but not for lack of sociability; Mr. Hamel was mute. Any time Hermione had a question, he would write his answers on a small spiral notebook similar to the one Hermione used for her measurements.

"It looks like your suit is ready to go! I eyed it over one more time just to be sure." She told him. He smiled, pulled out his tiny notebook, and began scribbling. A few seconds later, he presented it to Hermione. She read the words allowed:

"Would you be able to take another set back to the shop for me if I gave it to you before you left?"

She nodded. "Of course I can!"

Mr. Hamel gave Hermione a gaping smile and held up his pointer finger to say: ' One minute.' He left towards the back of his home and stomped up the stairs. He returned with a burgundy blazer and matching pants neatly hung on a wire hanger. He handed her the hanger. After draping it over her arm, she said: "Perfect! Is there anything else I can do before I go?" But Mr. Hamel shook his head. She gave him a small curtsy and headed for her third delivery.

Her third delivery went just as smoothly as her first two, and Hermione ended up back at the shop by 4:00 pm with an hour to spare before she needed to be at Mrs. Humphrey's. The bell chimed as Hermione walked through to the back of the store to hang up Mr. Hamel's blazer and pants. As Maggie finished a fitting with a woman and her young son, Hermione returned to the shop and settled into one of the blue armchairs.

"Thank you for coming in! I'll have these orders ready in two days!" She exclaimed. She waved to the young boy and his mother as they left the store.

"Phew!" Maggie sighed as she plopped down in the blue armchair next to Hermione. "Finally, that was my last scheduled fitting for tonight. How did your deliveries go?" She asked as she sprawled her arms out over the back of the chair.

"Surprisingly well. Oh, and Mr. Crowley told me to tell you hello!"

Maggie sunk deeper into the chair. "I adore that guy. He always makes the best homemade goods." She shook her head and licked her lips. "So, you owe me a juicy story for why you weren't here last night." Her eyes narrowed at Hermione.

"It's a long story, and I have about—" she checked the clock on the wall, "30 minutes before I have to be at Mrs. Humphreys."

"Ugh!" Maggie groaned as she tossed her head back. "I have to know!" She laughed. She pushed herself up from the chair and looked through a window into the village streets. "I don't have any more scheduled fittings today, and everyone and anyone who needed one came in today. The streets are nearly empty." She said as she walked through the door to the kitchen and then back to the store, pulling her arms through the sleeves of her jacket. "So I guess you'll have to tell me all about it while we both head to Mrs. Humphrey's."

Excited for Maggie to come along, Hermione bounced to her feet and headed for the door. On the way to Mrs. Humphrey's, Hermione began her story with the random decision to go out the night before and managed to finish her story by leaving Lucius' home that morning by the time they got to Mrs. Humphrey's house. As she rang the doorbell, Maggie threw her arms around Hermione.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," she said, her voice filled with grief. "And Lucius is right. What Ron did was wrong! It's horrible that someone could commit such an act against another person, especially considering the significant time they shared in each other's lives. How are you feeling today? After the potion and everything?"

"Lucius made me some kind of tea that helped with the effects." She nodded as she pressed the button for the doorbell.

"So," Maggie shimmied her shoulders. "Did you get much sleep last night?" She winked and giggled while Hermione rolled her eyes, trying to force her laugh back into her chest.

"I got plenty of sleep, Maggie." She said while trying to also listen for footsteps inside the house. "Lucius suggested I sleep in one of the spare bedrooms so that my body could recover."

Maggie sighed and pretended to fan herself. "What a gentleman!"

Suddenly, the front door opened, and the house elf stood in the doorway. "Can I help you?" He asked with a hoarse tone.

Maggie bowed. "Yes, it's Maggie and Hermione from Maggies Tailoring, here to provide delivery services for Mrs. Humphrey."

The house elf looked the two of them over and scowled, and without any further acknowledgment, he led them through the house. Hermione would never get used to the intricate decor and luxurious gold furnishings Mrs. Humphrey had somehow acquired. As they stood in the foyer, a resounding stomp reverberated through the house as Mrs. Humphrey, who was noticeably larger than the last time Hermione saw her, descended one of the grand staircases.

"Girls!" She hollered as she reached the bottom of the staircase. She spread her arms open and embraced them. "So good to see you!" She moved and held Hermione by the shoulders. "And Hermione, you're still here! Glad to see it." She smiled as they headed to the sunroom where they'd done the previous fitting.

"So, Mrs. Humphrey," Maggie rested her tailoring kit in front of the golden sofa. "How can we be of service today? Do your boys need another set of alterations?"

"Oh no." She waved Maggie away. "This fitting is for me."

Hermione slid her satchel off her shoulder and set her tailoring kit next to Maggie's.

She turned to the house elf still at the entrance of the room. "Fargle, please go and retrieve my dresses." As he left the room, Mrs. Humphrey slowly unraveled the knot in her robe and threw it aside. Hermione quickly turned away and shielded her eyes, unwilling to catch a glimpse of Mrs. Humphrey's nude body. She slowly peaked over her shoulder to see Mrs. Humphrey was in a form-fitting beige leotard.

'Phew.' She thought to herself. Hermione followed Maggie's lead and began unpacking their tailoring kits, scattering their materials across the cushions as Fargle returned with two large dresses: one in a stunning, shimmery royal blue and the other in a ruby red sequined gown. He laid them across an armchair and bowed to the ladies before retreating out of the room.

Mrs. Humphrey donned the red gown first, positioning herself in the center of a half-circle of mirrors atop a step stool. Maggie and Hermione circled her like two sharks sizing up their prey. As Maggie pinched a few loose ends tighter to Mrs. Humphrey's bodacious curves, Hermione measured the adjustments and scribbled down the numbers in her small spiral notebook.

"So, Maggie, how is business going? Booming?" Mrs. Humphrey smiled as Maggie walked in front of her reflection.

"We've had more delivery orders now that Hermione has officially taken over that portion of the business." Maggie smiled at Hermione as she followed Maggie around Mrs. Humphrey.

Mrs. Humphrey smiled as she narrowed her eyes at Hermione through the mirror's reflection. She held her arms out over her sides while Maggie pinched the edges of the chest's hem closer together, and Hermione wrote down a few more numbers.

"That's amazing! I'm glad things are going well for the two of you. Now, where did we leave off last time?" She snickered as Hermione and Maggie finished adjusting the sequined gown and helped Mrs. Humphrey out of the dress and into the blue dress made of silk.

Mrs. Humphrey abruptly gasped, causing Hermione to jump. "Have you two heard the latest gossip about the Malfoy's!?" Her voice was an excited whisper like she was gossiping among teenagers. Her tiny snicker turned into a beaming smile as her eyes darted between Hermione and Maggie.

Hermione swallowed hard against the giant lump now in her throat. What could Mrs. Humphrey be talking about? Did Mrs. Humphrey perhaps already know about what transpired between her and Lucius? How could that be possible?

"Funny you should mention—

Hermione elbowed Maggie in her side and shook her head while glancing to see if Mrs. Humphrey had seen. In case Mrs. Humphrey didn't know, it was better for it to stay that way. Even though Lucius never mentioned he'd like to keep their encounters a secret, Hermione didn't know if telling Mrs. Humphrey, a well-known gossiper, the truth about their meetings. They continued working around Mrs. Humphrey while Hermione pleaded for the pit in her stomach to shrink, eagerly waiting for Mrs. Humphrey to continue.

Mrs. Humphrey didn't notice Hermione's jab at Maggie, so she continued. "I heard that Narcissa is desperate for money all of a sudden. Ha!" She bellowed deep from her gut. "I guess things didn't work out between her and the Wizard's Council member." The shrill sound of her laughter bounced off the walls of her home, ringing in Hermione's ears like alarm bells. The hairs on her neck stood up as her jaw fell open.

'Could that be possible?' The thoughts inside her head were tumbling down a snow mountainside into a giant snowball. 'Had Narcissa truly begged Lucius for money after leaving their relationship in turmoil?'

Maggie cleared her throat, her eyes urging Hermione to snap out of her augmenting thoughts. Hermione shook her head, and as her hands trembled, she pretended to scribble down new numbers into her notebook.

Maggie took the lead as her eyes glanced between Hermione and Mrs. Humphrey. "Please, do tell us more, Mrs. Humphrey!" She exclaimed as she stretched the measuring tape from the base of Mrs. Humphrey's neck to her lower back. She must have noticed the display of apprehension written across Hermione's face.

Mrs. Humphrey chuckled. "Well, there's a rumor that Narcissa has kept contact with the Death Eaters, who I'm sure you've heard Lucius has recently cut all ties with."

Hermione listened closely as she desperately tried to control her trembling fingers. The rest of her body felt frozen in place while Maggie slowly made a full circle around Mrs. Humphrey.

"Well, since the two of them have been separated, I've heard she's begged Lucius for money, supposedly to maintain her luxurious lifestyle, but he's refused!" She clapped her hands together, snapping Hermione out of her daze.

"It's no wonder," Maggie started. "She did have an affair!"

"None of that will matter if she asks the Death Eaters for help." Mrs. Humphrey scoffed and flipped her light brown hair behind her shoulder.

Suddenly, Hermione's eyes were red as the fear leaped from her throat. "No! They'll kill him!" Hermione cried, her worried expression quickly replaced with horror. The notebook and pen slipped from her fingers, her body quivering as pure fear coursed through her veins as the image of Lucius and the Death Eaters flashed in her mind like a strobe light.

'What will happen?' Her thoughts moved faster. 'If Narcissa goes to the Death Eaters for help, there is no way they'll deny her, especially now that Lucius is no longer associated with them. They'll turn on him for sure!'

Mrs. Humphrey gawked through the mirror's reflection as Hermione realized what she had done. She knelt and scrambled to collect her things from the floor. When she shot back up, she hid her face behind the small spiral notebook as tears burned in the corners of her eyes and embarrassment caused her cheeks to burn bright red. She pretended to write something down with her pen, and Mrs. Humphrey turned to face Maggie. "Is she okay?" She whispered.

Maggie nodded as he looked over Hermione once more before unrolling more of the measuring tape. "Just a few more measurements and we'll be out of your hair, Mrs. Humphrey." A fake reassuring smile played across her lips as she nodded for Hermione to keep writing. Hermione nodded and continued to follow Maggie like a shadow as she wrote down her measurements.

After a few minor alterations, they completed Mrs. Humphrey's second dress. Hermione looked out of the windows in the sunroom and saw that the sky had turned into a deep purple with specs of yellow and white dotting across. Mrs. Humphrey called for Fargle to wrap the gowns in plastic covers.

"Thank you again for your services, girls! The chats are nice like always." She winked at the both of them as she handed Maggie the two dresses.

Maggie bowed. "Of course! Always a pleasure, Mrs. Humphrey. We will have your dresses ready in no less than a week." Hermione bowed, happy to hide the crimson flush still in her cheeks. Mrs. Hupmhrey waved goodbye as they began their journey back home. Hermione clutched her satchel close to her chest as her eyes stuck to the ground. An ache formed deep within her chest as her mind replayed Mrs. Humphrey's words in her head.

Maggie glanced at Hermione, whose lips were drawn into a tight line and her eyes now carrying a heavyweight on her mind. "Are you okay, Hermione?" She asked.

Hermione stayed quiet while her mind grew increasingly louder.

'Death eaters, Narcissa, Lucius, what did it all mean? Could Lucius be in danger?'

Maggie put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Don't worry, Hermione. I've known Mrs. Humphrey for a while now, and she tends to make things a bigger deal than they are." Hermione nodded, unwilling to argue but ready to cling to anything that might challenge the validity of what Mrs. Humphrey had told them. As they walked back to the shop, she wondered if she should run and warn Lucius, but she would feel like an idiot showing up unexpectedly again and blabbing total nonsense to Lucius if the rumors weren't true.

'Maybe Narcissa's words won't affect them,' she thought. 'There might be enough loyalty to keep Lucius safe.'

Would old loyalty be enough, or would they turn on Lucius like a pack of wolves?