Pleased with her success with the goblins, Hermione withdrew some of her gold from her account before she left Gringotts Thursday afternoon, only to return to Diagon Alley the next morning, eagerly and with a plan – decidedly sans sword.
The Alley in the morning was a cheerful, easy-going place. The sun hadn't risen enough for the weather to become oppressive yet, and the slanted shade of the buildings kept everything cool. Shopkeepers were cheerful, not yet worn down by aggravating customers, and Hermione hummed to herself as she went along the alley, going around the corner and down Horizont Alley.
Twilfitt and Tattings was a shop Hermione had never been inside before. To her understanding, it was a more upscale clothier, similar to Madame Malkins but more expensive. Hermione had worn one of her nicer robes, and as soon as she pushed in the door and entered, she was glad of it.
The biggest thing she noticed to start was the light, present in bright glowing orbs placed around the ceiling, glowing and filling the shop with an ambient light. Madame Malkin's, as most shops on Diagon Alley, relied heavily on sunlight from large windows. Twilfitt and Tattings, it seemed, had spared no expense in making sure their fine things could be seen, and see she did.
The store had high, arching ceilings and warm neutral colors on the walls instead of stone. Hermione drifted towards the nearest rack of robes – Women's Day Robes, according to the display – and was impressed at the detail in each of them. Whereas Madame Malkin's robes were nice, they were all made from similar patterns and cuts without much detail – something that might be mass-produced in the muggle world. These robes, however, were cut differently, some made from as many as 14 panels, all of which could be adjusted for tailoring. There were delicate thread details, contrasting silver or gold thread stitched along the hems, small embroideries around the collars, and some had buttons made of jet, jade, or pearls.
The fabrics, too, varied wildly. There was silk, sure, but there was also Acromantula silk and Mulberry silk, as well as suede and velvet and satin. Hermione fingered one robe idly, curious as to the cost but not really wanting to look. She could afford one, sure, but she didn't really want to go about blowing her fortune so suddenly – people would start to wonder where the gold came from.
"Can I help you?"
Hermione turned to see a woman about her height looking at her patiently, wearing a lovely set of blush pink suede robes. Her hair was dark and tied up, where it fell from a clip in pretty curls. Her eyes were sharp on Hermione, but she was doing a masterful job of keeping any irritation from her face.
Hermione smiled.
"I've never been here before," she admitted, "and my friends all tell me this is the best place to shop in the alley. I wanted to see what all you carried."
The shopkeeper relaxed a little.
"Well, in that case, let me give you the tour," she said. "Twilfitt and Tattings takes pride in providing everything you might need in terms of attire."
Hermione's eyes were wide as the shop girl (Caterina Twilfitt, she introduced herself as) guided her around the store, telling her about their clothing process all the while. Robes were typically made to standard measurements and then fitted by a tailoring witch, though they did work with several designers who did made-to-measure and bespoke robes as well. Hermione's eyes drank in a majestic set of evening robes that looked more like a red-carpet gown than it did a set of robes; Twilfitt and Tattings, she decided, had clearly claimed the higher tier clientele of the robe market.
Not only were there robes of all sorts and styles, but there were also cloaks and coats of many different fabrics. Hermione choked to see the amount of fur on some of them, but many were made from wool and less offensive materials as well. There were even boots and stockings and stays, Hermione saw – genuine stays, meant to be worn as undergarments. She'd never been so grateful for a bra before.
She was pleased to see that the store catered to other needs as well. There was a wide range of pricey accessories available – watches, necklaces, bracelets, bags, etc. – in a different area of the store, and as Hermione looked around, craning her neck, she was able to see a display of perfumes, and another one that held Sleakeasy's Hair Potion.
"Is there anything in particular you're looking for?" Caterina prompted, once the tour was over.
Hermione glanced around. There were a few other shoppers drifting around, and at least one other shop girl, who was hanging up robes on a new display.
"Are you the owner of the shop?" she asked.
Caterina raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not," she said. "I'm the granddaughter of Giulia Twilfitt, current co-owner of the store with Aurora Tatting."
"Are they around?" Hermione inquired politely. "I have a business venture I'd like to propose."
Caterina was visibly taken aback.
"You?" she said, skeptical. She peered at her. "You're much younger than the usual aspiring designers we get in here."
"I'm not a designer," Hermione said patiently. "Think of me more like… a procurer. I can procure goods for you that I believe your shop could sell to your clientele for a high price."
"Like what?" Caterina challenged.
"Like a curling wand, for one," Hermione said. She gestured to the girl's hair. "How long did it take you to make those curls with rags and a setting potion?"
The girl's face reddened. "Oh, and you can do better?"
"I can give you a tool that can help you make smoother curls that will hold for longer in ten minutes," Hermione said mildly. "The Greengrass family in particular raves about it. Daphne's mother uses hers now all the time."
Caterina's gaze turned from irritated to curious.
"I've seen Evelyn's curls lately," she said. "The last time she was in here, I think Ilona asked how she got them, and she merely laughed it off, saying it was a family secret…" Her eyes refocused on Hermione, calculating.
"Well, no one else is here for appointments yet," she conceded. "You might as well make your pitch."
Hermione's eyes lit with triumph. "Lead the way."
Giulia Twilfitt and Aurora Tatting were both women of great standing in the wizarding world, Hermione was sure, owning the boutique they did, and they both looked it. Though each woman was easily over seventy or eighty, there was a poise and unassailable sense of regality about each of them, keen wisdom and insight etched into the wrinkles around their eyes, and Hermione found herself instinctively curtsying deeply as Caterina made the introductions.
The women's eyes were sharp on her as Caterina briefed them on what Hermione had said, and one of them waved Caterina away, keeping her eyes on Hermione.
"Thank you, Caterina," Giulia Twilfitt said. "That will be all."
Caterina left, leaving Hermione in the middle of a room with a large round table in it, on the other side of which both women sat. The rest of the room was littered with sketches, mirrors, scraps of fabric, designer storyboards, and piles of parchment on a desk in the back in whirlwind of organized chaos.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me today," Hermione said, her mouth dry. She smiled at them. "I appreciate you taking a chance on an unknown, but—"
The other woman interrupted with a scoff, waving off her introduction.
"If you are the one with a source to curling wands, you are not as 'unknown' as you might think you are," Aurora Tatting said, her eyes sharp on Hermione. "You, I suspect, are the cause of my niece's sudden improvement in her looks."
Hermione paused. "Perhaps? Who is your niece?"
"Corinda Tatting," Aurora said. "She'll be a seventh-year Slytherin this year."
One of Jade Rince's dormmates, then, Hermione realized. She'd traded access to cosmetics and the like to Jade her first year, and it was easy enough to owl in the periodic orders Jade slipped her from time to time throughout the year.
"I suspect I am, then," Hermione agreed, nodding. "I've sold to her dormitory of girls."
Giulia's eyes gleamed.
"Then come closer, girl, and show us what you've got."
Taking a deep breath, Hermione began spreading out fliers and catalogs, explaining how she'd started her plot. She began with telling them outright that she was selling her classmates muggle products, masquerading them as potion-made creams and powders. She showed the two women the comparisons of the original catalog with the one she'd modified, and she demonstrated how she jinxed the labels off of everything so as not to cause questions.
Her scheme had worked, Hermione told them frankly. The demand was definitely there, and it had outgrown her little circle. If their store would stock such products, she was certain many women would want such things, eager to improve their appearance however possible. And with Twilfitt and Tattings boasting such unique products, witches would be all too eager to believe they were wizard-made.
The two witches' eyes examined every document Hermione put in front of them, including her price lists and previous orders she'd placed. Hermione was counting on them to be savvy businesswomen who could see an opportunity, regardless of where it came from. She felt fairly confident; Mulberry silk, for example, Hermione doubted wizards made. That was a muggle endeavor if she'd ever seen one – and yet, their store carried robes made from the rare fabric.
"Your idea has merit," Giulia said slowly, turning a flier over in her fingers slowly. "Women would be eager for these enhancements."
"You are proposing… what?" Aurora asked, her eyes sharp. "If the muggle world stocks these products, there is no reason we cannot go and procure them ourselves to resell."
"You could," Hermione shrugged. "But it would get expensive. The muggle company I go through offers things at a much lower rate, which would help you maximize your profit potential."
"We could go through your muggle company," Giulia pointed out.
"You could," Hermione agreed. "Though… do you have a muggle birth certificate or National Insurance number?"
The women exchanged a glance. Hermione felt a flare of triumph.
"What I am proposing is simple," Hermione said. "I will give you order forms and all the catalogs I have. When you place orders, use the form I give you. They have my sales representative number on them, and as such, I'll automatically get a portion of the sales. Then, when you get the product, you can mark it up however much you like to make up the cost."
Giulia's eyes narrowed.
"You've been making 80% profit on each item sold, and you would hand that over to us entirely?" she said.
"I'm trading it for scale," Hermione said. "I can sell things to the girls in my dorm. You can sell to the entire wizarding world."
Aurora was looking over a mascara ad.
"These would not work for marketing," she said. "Witches would expect to see witches wearing their products."
"Then make your own marketing campaign," Hermione suggested. "Once you get the products in, you can have whatever models you want wear them and your robes for photoshoots."
"Lena would look divine with these eyes," Giulia said, pointing to a photo, and Aurora murmured in agreement before looking back up at Hermione.
"This would be a significant risk for us to take," Aurora said, her eyes sharp. "We have only your word that demand is as high as you say it will be."
A thought occurred to Hermione.
"Then let me assume that risk," Hermione said, an idea unfurling. "I'll purchase the first order for your store, with my gold. As such, all profit from any sales will go to me, and any loss is something I will accept, too. After you see how well they sell, any further orders you make that are funded by you, the profit will go solely to you."
Aurora looked thoughtful, while Giulia smirked.
"You'll be keeping your 80% profit after all," she said, and Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"If I'm taking the risk, I'm taking the reward," she responded, and Giulia cackled.
"I am in agreement," she said to Aurora. "What thinks you?"
"I think this has merit," the other old woman said, lifting another catalog from the table. "Witches will spill their gold for these curling wands if nothing else, I am sure." She looked up at Hermione, eyes narrowed. "Regardless of the risk, this is our store. We will handle all displays and marketing."
"Of course," Hermione hastened to assure her. "I would never presume."
"Then," Giulia said, eyes gleaming with satisfaction, "let us make a contract."
Writing and arguing over the contract took a while, often with Giulia and Aurora bickering with each other. They bickered with the good nature of women who had been friends for decades, and Hermione had to suppress her smiles and giggles at some of the fighting and the insults the women shot at each other as they modified tiny details in the document.
When the contract was completed, Hermione was pleased with the terms. She would finance the first order, assuming all the risk. All the product she received would be marked, and the profit of any sales would go to a separate account, kept for her. Any product procured afterward would go through her Sales Representative number, but Twilfitt and Tattings would take all the profit from the markup they made.
The details had been in what the first order would be. Hermione was willing to assume some risk, but she was hardly willing to spend thousands on things she did not think witches would want. The first order she would place was put into the contract as part of what they were signing off on – an assortment of hair curlers, mascaras, eyeliners, powders, foundations, and other cosmetics Hermione had sold to her classmates. She shied away from the more complicated ones, avoiding bronzers and highlighters, where the learning curve was steeper, as well as the more colorful eyeshadows. In the end, Hermione's order totaled over £2600, which made her wince – but it was supposed to be a risk, and she was sure it would pay off.
"You will pay for this in muggle money?" Giulia asked her.
"I have a muggle bank account," Hermione assured her. "You might need to go through the goblins to get checks for your future orders, though."
Giulia grumbled at the necessity of another expense, but Hermione didn't care. They'd be marking everything up astronomically as it was – she was sure they could afford it.
"We will sign," Aurora declared. She went to the desk and withdrew a brilliant red quill, putting it to the parchment before pausing, looking at Hermione with evaluating eyes.
"You are in Slytherin?" she inquired neutrally.
"I am," Hermione said. She withdrew her own quill from her robes, one she'd Gemino'd into existence from one on Bloodthorne's desk, and signed her own name on the contract, unflinching, leaving her blood as shining ink on the page. Aurora looked at her in surprise and suspicion, while Giulia cackled.
"The girl has claws," she smirked. "I am glad to see it."
Aurora and Giulia both signed too, their red quill also drawing blood (forbidden, Hermione's mind whispered to her, illegal). Once the contract was complete, the women paused.
"You'll allow us to keep the contract, correct?" Aurora said, fanning it to dry the blood. "After all, we're the ones who will be needing it most."
"We can both have a copy," Hermione said easily, withdrawing her wand. "Gemino."
There was a surge of her magic, and a second copy wafted down to the table, blood ink still shining on the new one as well, wet.
"I have never seen the Gemino Curse used in such a way," Giulia said, her eyes widening. She looked at Hermione sharply. "Where did you learn that?"
Hermione was taken back by her alarm.
"Umm," she said. "Lleuwlynn and Selwyn."
"The publisher?" Giulia's eyes were narrowed. "What for?"
"Err, when we made the books," Hermione said. "We took the copyright charms off the master copies and Gemino'd it a hundred times, before reapplying copyright charms to them all."
Giulia still had a sharp look to her eyes. Aurora was looking at her partner with some puzzlement.
"What has you in a tizzy over a copying spell?" she asked. "If anything, learning it would help us duplicate our own parchments."
"But it's not just parchments, is it?" Giulia said. Her eyes were fixed on Hermione. "I know the Gemino Curse. Come with me, girl."
Hermione obediently followed Giulia out of the back room and through the hallways into the larger storefront, rolling up her own copy of the contract and tucking it away, along with the order form.
"Pick a set of robes," Giulia said, gesturing widely to all of the stock. "Any set."
Hermione's eyes were wide. "Err…"
Not sure what Giulia's goal was here, Hermione erred on the side of caution, picking one of the Mulberry silk sets in a beautiful cut. She held up the robes on the hanger, and Giulia nodded.
"Now," she said, folding her arms. "Duplicate it."
Hermione froze. "…I'm sorry?"
"Duplicate it," Giulia repeated, her eyes narrowed on her. "If you succeed, you can keep it."
Hermione bit her lip. Glancing at Giulia apprehensively, she hung the robes up sideways on a display and slowly withdrew her wand. With a glance around the store to make sure no one else was around, Hermione took a deep breath and gathered her power.
"Gemino."
There was a rush and Hermione gasped, one hand going to her heart. She could feel her magic level drop dramatically, and a second set of robes fluttered to the floor as Hermione staggered, nearly losing her balance.
"That," Hermione gasped, fighting for breath, "was hard."
And it was hard. She remembered the initial difficulty of duplicating the books, and the challenge she'd had duplicating Snape's chair. This, though – this felt like it had nearly drained her. Hermione felt for her power, finding she had scarcely a third left. It was rapidly regenerating, of course, so she wasn't sure how much it had taken, but it had been a lot.
Giulia was examining the second set of robes with a careful eye.
"These are identical," she murmured, a pointed nail tracing thread detailing along the neckline. "Even down to the dirt-repelling and stain-repelling spells on them."
That surprised Hermione. She didn't know Gemino could duplicate magic. Maybe that's why she was so out of breath – not only did she duplicate a thing, she'd somehow cast other charms on the copy in the process.
Giulia's eyes were sharp on Hermione.
"You will tell no one of this," she informed Hermione. "No one."
A thread of annoyance wove its way through Hermione before she responded with her instinctual no, of course not. She'd given this woman no reason to suspect her in such a way, and now she was demanding loyalty from her? For nothing?
"I wouldn't worry about it much if I were you," Hermione said airily, buffing her nails on her own robes. "Very few people know that spell, and fewer still have the power to cast it. Besides, your robes are tailored for each client – duplicating them won't automatically tailor them to a person."
Giulia's eyes were sharp as Hermione continued.
"Still," she said. "We should probably check to see what else could possibly be duplicated and stolen from your store before I go, shouldn't we?" Her eyes glinted with a challenge. "And then I would leave, my lips sealed."
Giulia's eyes glowed, and Hermione watched as the old woman looked down on her, evaluating.
"Savvy little brat, aren't you," she said finally, but it sounded almost like an endearment. She sighed in a huff. "Come, then. Let's find you some boots to attempt, and then perhaps a cloak." She led the way, glancing back at Hermione with a mix of annoyance and respect. "You're certainly a Slytherin in the making, aren't you?"
"I certainly hope so," Hermione said with a grin. "I do try so very hard."