Enchanted Tomes
December 23, 2010
“Dad, we’re late,” the blonde child whinged, tugging on his father’s hand. Diagon Alley was bursting at the seams, it appeared, with families already bustling about for last-minute Christmas gifts for loved ones. Snow fell around them, creating a picturesque scene that even the most cynical of people would find inspiring. Holding his son’s hand tightly in his own, the wizard allowed himself to be pulled in the all too familiar direction of their usual morning stop.
“Scorpius,” Draco Malfoy chuckled, his grey eyes twinkling with devotion for his son. “We aren’t late if we don’t have an appointment.”
“But we always go,” Scorpius pointed out, a carefree smile radiating his face. “She’s waiting for me.”
“Oh, is she?” the wizard chuckled, allowing himself to pull the family pocket watch from his wool coat. Seeing the time, the Malfoy heir couldn’t help but smile slightly. His son was correct; they were running about fifteen minutes behind schedule.
A morning stop at Enchanted Tomes had become routine for Draco and Scorpius. It all began about a year after the death of his late wife, Celine. The wizard was a single father and mourning in his home, lacking adult conversation other than the rantings of his father on house arrest or the pestering of his mother about his need to find a suitable mother for his son. In an effort to get out, Draco had taken his son into Diagon Alley, hoping it was early enough that not too many people would be out. Not much time had passed since the end of the war, and it wasn’t long before the wizard was ducking into the first storefront to save his son from the vitriol that was being thrown his way. He and Scorpius had been visiting the store every day since.
“GOOD MORNING!” Scorpius exclaimed as they walked in, and out of the snow.
“There you are,” Hermione Granger beamed, blowing a stray curl out of her eyes that had fallen from the messy bun at the top of her head. Her chocolate eyes sparkled with gold flecks, and genuine warmth exuded from her like a warming charm, blanketing the two Malfoy men in kindness and compassion. “You’re late. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”
“See, Dad,” Scorpius sighed, tugging at his arm as the two approached the counter, causing the witch to let out a small giggle. “I told you we were late.”
“Apologies, Granger,” Draco drawled, removing his leather gloves before helping Scorpius with his earmuffs. “Time got away from me this morning.”
“Time tends to do that,” the witch smiled knowingly, a hint of a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “If only we had more time in the day.”
“Says the witch who used a time turner all third year,” Sirius chuckled, his voice sounding from his seat at the end of the bar, the Daily Prophet open for his perusal. “Cousin.”
“Black,” Draco nodded toward the man.
“Hi, Uncle Sirius!” Scorpius said, lacing his fingers in front of him as he bounced on the balls of his feet. Hermione couldn’t help but melt at the sight of the young boy who looked so much like his father it was scary. Draco was wearing his grey suit and wool coat, while Scopirus wore a Slytherin green jumper and matching scarf with his wool coat as well, and Hermione couldn’t stop the sense of deja vu that crashed over her like the waves on the shore. It was an adorable sight and not for the first time, she understood why Draco was named Witch Weekly’s Bachelor of the Year two years in a row, despite having a lovely girlfriend by the name of Emma whom she herself had met.
“Hello, Scorp,” Sirius winked, sliding over a plate with a hot, fresh apple turnover waiting to be devoured.
“You saved me one!” the five-year-old gasped, scrambling to crawl into the seat beside the Marauder, who would be watching over him until his grandmother retrieved him after the children’s circle.
“Of course I did,” the man smirked, snapping his fingers and summoning a fork and napkin for the young man. “It was a fight to the death for this one, but I came out victorious. Hermione almost had to step in.”
“Truly harrowing,” Hermione laughed, her eyes soft with fondness as she looked over to Sirius.
When the war had been won and victors had been left standing, the wizarding world assumed that the Brightest Witch of Her Age would take her place next to Harry and Ron and begin a valiant career in the Ministry, fighting her way to eventually become Minster for Magic. It was what was expected of her, of course, just like it had been expected of Harry, who gladly accepted early entrance into the Auror Training Program alongside Ron. What no one knew, though, was that something inside of Hermione Granger had been inevitably broken. The young witch had given parts of herself to a war that should never have been fought by children and the death of her parents and her childhood was the proverbial cursed knife to her heart. Fear and pain festered inside of her, infecting her with dark thoughts and hopelessness until all she wanted was to shut it all out. It took someone just as lost in the darkness to see her.
When Sirius Black found the young witch, a vial of Draught of Living Death in her hand and tears streaming down her face but eyes vacant, he knew something had to be done. Too much light had been taken from the world already, and he wasn’t about to let her lose herself to the darkness as he had done for so many years. Immediately, he claimed her as family, taking her with him to Grimmauld, where Harry, Remus, and Teddy resided—a house that had become a Wayward home for the lost and broken. Every day, the animagus sat with her, soothed her when she woke from night terrors, and held her as she mourned the life she no longer had. All the while, he was healing bits and pieces of his own soul. When it came time for the witch to choose how she wanted to move forward and begin to build a life for herself, Sirius was the first to be attentive as she planned out her future.
The moment Enchanted Tomes had been brought up as a fleeting thought, he had been her biggest supporter. The idea of a bookstore and bakery had both marauders salivating at the mouth. It helped that Sirius began to see the sparks of embers in the chocolate eyes of the young girl they had been so close to losing. It was with determination that Sirius began to drag Hermione around Diagon Alley, adamant about finding the perfect building. It was after an owl from George Weasley, encouraging them to check out a property just south of the joke shop, that the young witch began to believe that her dream could become a reality. The moment a small smile crossed her face, Sirius knew they had found the perfect property and wasted no moment going to Gringotts and acquiring the property. Hermione Granger was the owner, while Sirius Black was the silent investor.
“Your usual?” Hermione asked, smiling kindly as she began to pour his cup to go.
“Please,” Draco nodded, peaking into the case of baked goods that were legendary around the Alley. When the shop first opened, most had flocked to see what the Golden Girl was up to, sniffing out gossip to spread to their friends. One taste of a pastry or confectionary, though, and even the most devout non-believers would fall to their knees in prayer.
“Remus and I tried a new recipe today,” she pointed out, adding the splash of cream and dash of sugar she knew he enjoyed. “Gingerbread scones with a drizzle of vanilla icing. A holiday treat.”
“Sounds delicious,” Draco smiled, pulling the galleons from his pouch to pay for his coffee, Scorpius's inevitable hot Butterbeer, and their pastries. “I’ll take one. Five Galleons says I’ll have to hex Potter’s balls off for attempting to steal it from me.”
“Theo would be most displeased,” Hermione snickered, sneakily bagging a second scone for him. Smiling when Sirius’s and Scorpius’s laughter echoed through the room. “But you’re on.”
“Excellent,” Draco winked, paying her and ignoring the witch as she tried to give him change. “My mother will be by to pick up Scorpius after the reading circle. He will probably refuse, and in the end, my mother will purchase him whichever book his heart desires. I also have it on good authority she wants to order a blackberry crumble as well.”
“Malfoy,” Hermione sighed, her hand holding out his change, her nose scrunched in annoyance.
“If I were you, I would take this little heads up so that when she inevitably comes in and orders, you won’t be running around like Weasel’s owl.”
“Malfoy!”
“Granger,” Draco drawled, his lip twitching in amusement.
“Your change,” she stated, a bite in her tone as she tapped her foot.
“I don’t know what you are referring to,” the tall blonde wizard shrugged, grabbing his coffee and pastry. “Duty calls. If I’m late, the head auror will have my arse. Scorpius, I’ll see you at dinner. Behave for Sirius and Granger.”
“Bye, Daddy!” he waved brightly, his face covered in vanilla icing from his turnover. With a final shake of his head, Draco exited the shop, a large smile on his face.
Snow falling all around, he couldn’t help but think of his plans for Christmas. It was still odd to him, referring to the holiday as Christmas instead of Yule, but the wizard was trying to be more flexible and understanding of Emma and her muggle traditions. Christmas didn’t seem too different than Yule, though he was still trying to wrap his head around the idea of a Santa Claus coming down the chimney, but Emma had assured him that there wasn’t truly a Santa, that it was just a made-up tradition that was used to ensure children behaved during the holiday season.
He and Scorpius would be spending Christmas Day at her flat in London, and the plan was to propose. It was time, as his mother had kept reminding him. Scorpius needed a mum, and Emma adored his son, though who didn’t? Narcissa had offered to have the family rings pulled, but the wizard wanted something new for his fiance. She was still a little on the fence about magic, especially about his family. He wanted to be able to show her that he was a changed man and could adapt to anything she threw at him as long as she stood by his side on the good days and bad.
“Malfoy. You’re late,” Harry smirked, his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned against his office door. Rolling his eyes, Draco charged again, walking into his workspace, not bothering to greet the man. Setting his coffee and scones down on the desk, he shed his coat and scarf. “Ah, I see. You stopped by Hermione’s.”
“I always stop by Granger’s,” Draco snorted, discarding his jacket and taking a seat, grabbing his coffee and taking a hearty drink. It was perfect, like always. “It’s not my fault that whatever it is they have posing as coffee here takes like Niffler piss.”
“And how do you know what Niffler piss tastes like?” Harry chuckled, sneakily trying to look and see what pastry he had absconded away with from the shop. He really needed to start asking Hermione to make deliveries to the Ministry for him. “Is that a chocolate scone?”
“No, Potter,” he retorted, pulling the pastry from its sack. “It’s a gingerbread scone and no you can not have it. And I don’t know what Niffler piss tastes like. It’s a metaphor, arsehole.”
“Gingerbread?” Harry sighed, his green eyes gleaming with hunger and mischief. “She’s been practicing on those for weeks. Give me a piece.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Give it to me now, or I’ll tell Theo what happened on our last mission in France. You know the one where you-”
“Well, look at that,” Draco cut him off, his silver molten eyes glaring at him as if they could pierce right through his heart. “Looks like Granger sent me with two. One must be for you.”
“Of course, it’s for me,” Harry scoffed, snatching it out of the pale hand that was extended towards him. Blowing the long raven-colored hair that had escaped the bun at the nape of his neck, he took a bite, sighing happily. “Fucking delicious, mate.”
“Did you need something, Potter?”
“I wanted to ask,” Harry started and then sighed. “Ok, fine. Theo has been panicking about whether or not you were really going to propose to Emma.”
“Of course, I’m going to propose to Emma. What kind of question is that?”
“It’s Theo,” the wizard sighed, running his hand over his face before taking another bite of the scone. “He’s worried about you. Worried that you are just taking the next step forward because you think you have to, or your parents are pressuring you. You know how he gets, Malfoy. Theo gets an idea in his head, and he can’t let it go.”
“I adore Emma.”
“Adore is… sweet. But it’s not love,” he pointed out, cocking an eyebrow.
“Not all of us are lucky enough to fall madly in love with our soulmates,” Draco stated, running his fingers through his fringe and sighing deeply. “Listen, you and Theo… You are very lucky. You found each other, and you made it through all the bullshit and built yourselves a family. I had a wife, and she died. Now I have our son, and I want to give him the best possible life. Emma is the best option.”
“But what if your soulmate is out there? Just around the corner, waiting for you to share your scone.”
“I don’t share my scones,” Draco pointed out, a small smirk on his face. “Potter, isn’t this the auror office? Aren’t you the head auror? Don’t you have paperwork to file, people to yell at?”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Chip chop Potter. Out!”
&&&
“There’s my little pygmy puffs,” Theo exclaimed, the chime above the door ringing as he walked into the bookshop, arms bogged down with last-minute gifts he had been out while the little ones were at their reading circle.
“Daddy!” Lily giggled as she ran to him at full speed, wrapping herself around his torso like a koala bear. “Auntie Hermione read Sleeping Beauty to us. My favorite!”
“Well, of course, it’s your favorite,” Theo cooed, running his fingers through her raven black curls. “Because you’re my sleeping beauty. Where is that dragon of a brother of yours, hmm?”
“Padfoot!” Lily giggled, pointing to the big black dog chasing the brunette-haired boy around the enchanted tree that was used as the centerpiece of the reading circle.
“Oi, Black!” Theo chuckled, setting the bags down and hoisting Lily onto his hip. “When James throws up or injures himself, you get to tell Harry how and why it happened.”
“Theo!” Hermione smiled brightly as she walked out of the kitchen area with a to-go bag of treats for the children. Theo couldn’t help the warm grin that crossed his face. It was no secret that she was good with children in general, but there was something about her that seemed so at peace and radiant when she was around the twins, Teddy, and even Scorpius. Even the Weasley brood had the tendency to elicit contagious smiles from her. “I was just getting them a little snack. Also, I snuck a little extra in there for you and Harry.”
“You’re a goddess truly,” Theo chuckled, kissing the top of Lily’s head. “Did you have a chance to look over the draft I sent you? For the werewolf discrimination law amendments?”
“I did, yes,” she nodded, biting her bottom lip. Theo was the only person she allowed to slip her any type of information from the Wizengamot or Ministry. He always approached it with the idea of him just wanting her to make sure it sounded ok, but they both knew it was more than that. “There are still a few notes I wanted to make, but I have dinner with Oliver later tonight and-”
“Ah, Mr. Wood,” the wizard stated, his mouth bitter with the taste of annoyance. How Oliver Wood managed to pull Hermione Granger, the world would never know. Even Harry, who was friendly with Wood, didn’t understand or really like the relationship. “Was he finally able to get away from the pitch long enough to take his beloved out on her well-deserved date night?”
“Theo,” she sighed.
“He says he’s picking her up at eight, but Dad and I don’t think he will show up till after nine,” Teddy pointed out, walking to the next stack to return a few books to their rightful place. Hermione gasped at the young man while Theo just laughed.
“Teddy!” Hermione exclaimed.
“See, even the kid knows,” Theo shrugged. “I hope he shows. If he doesn’t, you’re more than welcome to join us at the manor tonight. I’ll save you a plate, just in case. You are going to Pansy’s Christmas Eve party tomorrow, yes?”
“If I wasn’t, she would just find me and drag me there,” the witch pointed out, her hands on her hips. “I’ll be there. Oliver is supposed to come with me. He has a few days off from traveling.”
“How delightful,” Theo smirked. “Jamie! Time to go. I’ve got presents to wrap and not enough time in the day.”
“Oh, please,” Sirius chuckled, walking up with James thrown over his shoulder, laughter spilling from his mouth. “Your elves will be wrapping the gifts while you spoil these two rotten with dessert before their father gets home.”
“I’ll have you know, my elves are free and employed. They are paid very well and even get a vacation,” the young wizard pointed out, his infectious smile playful. “They adore the twins. And any other small creatures that come along.”
“Goodbye, little loves,” Hermione crooned, kissing both Lily and James. She adored her godchildren, and the day Harry and Theo finalized their adoption would forever be one of the most memorable in her life. “I’ll see you tomorrow for Christmas Eve.”
“Bye, Auntie Hermione!” they both sang as Theo kissed her cheek and carried them out the door, chattering about everything and nothing at the same time. Sighing wistfully, the curly-haired witch set back to work, getting ready for the next wave of holiday shoppers that would be appearing at any moment.
“You’ll have that one day, kitten,” Sirius kissed the top of her head. “I just know it.”
&&&
“Not that one,” Scorpius shook his head as he and Draco observed the rings on the pillow in front of them. The two Malfoy’s had looked at several now and none seemed to be the right fit for the occasion. “It’s too big. She wouldn’t like it.”
“A ring expert, are you, Scorp?” Draco chuckled, picking up the princess cut ring again to take another look. It was a beautiful ring, truly one of a kind, but his son was correct. Emma had classic tastes. She wouldn’t want a large, flashy rock, and she certainly would prefer a diamond as, apparently, that was the traditional muggle engagement ring. “He’s right, though. While lovely, these aren’t right for her.”
“I think I might have just what you are looking for,” the retail worker smiled, winking at the young blonde whose cheeks reddened as he inched closer to his father. Draco watched as she walked into the back, his hand running soothing circles on his son’s back. Perhaps it was a sign that they couldn’t find the perfect ring. Maybe it wasn’t time for him to propose. Or maybe he was just letting Theo and Potter get into his head. Emma was lovely. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her. Unless you counted the fact that she didn’t want much to do with the magical world at all, but they were working on that. He was pulled from his thoughts when the woman returned from the back, a large box in her hand. “We’ve had this ring in our possession for many years. It’s intricate but understated, which means not many people want to see it.”
As the woman opened the box, Draco couldn’t help the intake of breath as he stared at the exquisite piece in front of him.
“It’s so pretty,” Scorpius whispered. “That’s the one.”
“Your son has good taste,” the woman, Kerrie, chuckled. “It was commissioned in early 1910 and was passed down through two world wars until the final owner passed with no children. It’s been in the possession of this shop since.”
“We will take it,” Draco nodded, his eyes never leaving the ring.
“Excellent,” Kerrie smiled, boxing the ring up. Across the shop, another wizard was looking for a piece that would impress his girlfriend enough to help her forgive him for having to cancel dinner plans once again.
“Is there any piece in particular you are looking for?” Mildred asked, eying him with suspicion. She had worked at the store long enough to recognize when a man was buying jewelry out of love or buying out of obligation and an apology. Some men and women would never learn that you can’t just throw money at a problem and hope that it resolves it.
“I… well, my girlfriend is a bit cross with me,” Oliver sighed, scratching the back of his head. “My job is demanding, and a lot of the time, it pulls me away. I’m looking for something that says I’m sorry, and I love you. Maybe earrings or a bracelet?”
“Let’s see what we can find,” Mildred sighed, pulling out a sheet of charmed earrings for him to peruse.
Half an hour later, Oliver was strolling out of the store, sack in hand, accidentally bumping into the young boy on the way out. “Apologies, mate.”
“No worries,” Draco drawled, causing Oliver to realize who it was. Narrowing his eyes, the quidditch coach sighed.
“Malfoy.”
“Wood.”
“Suppose I’ll be seeing you tomorrow at the Christmas Eve party?” Oliver asked, slipping his gloves on.
“If you can manage to actually show,” Draco muttered under his breath but nodded. “Yes, we will be there. Looking forward to it. I know Pansy asked Granger to bake a pie and treacle tart for the occasion.”
“Right,” he nodded. “Well, I’ll see you-”
Before he could finish his sentence, fireworks exploded around them from down the alley at Weasley Wizard Wheezes, causing all three wizards to jump and drop their bags. Draco closed his eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to bury images from the war that dared to creep up into the present.
“Here you go, mate,” Oliver stated, picking up both bags and handing one to Scorpius. “Looks like your dad dropped this. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
“Goodbye!” Scorpius called, tugging on his father’s hand. “Dad, come on. I’m hungry. Let’s go.”
“Right,” Draco breathed, taking his son's hand once again and walking toward the apparition point.