Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Eleven

That first week alone over, back in Spain Hermione pulled out her school books from her bag. Harry had groaned but stopped when he saw her face. He apologised, saying that it was ungrateful of him and that he would knuckle down and try not to disappoint her or her parents. She was thankful that he wasn't going to fight her on the studying thing and accepted his apology. She had drafted up a schedule of study for them that wouldn't be too onerous but wouldn't let them lapse; they did have to pick their education up again after all. It also wouldn't look good to her parents if they did nothing while left alone. It would be seen as a betrayal of the trust they had placed in them. Harry promptly agreed, and they settled into their routine, they would study in the morning then stop for lunch. Then in the afternoons they could go out into the community or spend time reading the various defence books she had with her or practice duelling.

To duel, they would need wands he pointed out. Hermione smiled, took him by the hand, slipped a glamour ring on to them both. Then she led him down the street, and through a door into an enormous indoor market.

"This is the magical market for the area," she told him. Hermione was looking around, her eyes wide. Harry was doing the same thing, and they both grinned at each other. The charms had changed superficial things such as hair and eye colour, and skin tone, but she was still Hermione, and her grin was blinding. "Come on!" she said. "Let's go explore!"

They found a wand maker who spoke English. He wasn't as odd as Ollivander, and he was much more practical. The woods sounded more exotic; Olive, Mulberry, Almond, Frankincense. The cores were also different; Sphinx, Griffon, some sort of magical fish as well as dragon.

Finding a wand here was not like the process in England. It was a frank discussion about what they were good at and what they wanted to become better at. They were then given a few wands to try to see what reacted with them and how. This was followed by the handing over of a box, and the statement that the wand inside was perfect for them. Both, entirely sceptical, had opened the boxes there and then and picked up the wands. Sparks fell in a waterfall of colours, and they looked at the smug wandsmith. "You young people," he said. "Always so sure there's only one way to do everything."

Wands purchased along with arm holsters for them they continued their exploration. Harry wandered away as Hermione found a stack of books, and found himself three stalls down looking at a stall full of rolled rugs. He looked around for a clue as to what made the rugs special or if they were just a soft furnishing. A head popped out from behind the tallest pile. Fast Spanish followed, and he shrugged trying to communicate his lack of understanding.

The witch huffed something and tapped her throat with her wand. "Flying Carpets, young sir, would you be interested?"

"Really? I've never seen one," he said excitedly. Looking around for Hermione, he saw her walking towards him and gestured for her to come over. She did, and looked curiously at the rolled carpets, a hand reaching out to stroke over the fibres of the unrolled one on display.

"Are the charms woven in or spelled on top?" Hermione asked the woman running the stall. The woman looked at Hermione through narrowed eyes and said something under her breath Harry didn't catch. Hermione clearly did as she answered in rapid fire French. Harry stood and watched as Hermione snapped at the woman and she snapped back, arms moved, hands gestured and pointed. Harry watched hoping that Hermione would tell him later exactly what was going on. Neither woman looked angry, so they weren't fighting. Hermione's eyes were sparkling, so they were exchanging opinions on magic carpets or something more intellectual than his honest curiosity.

The woman bent down and heaved a rolled carpet onto the top of the display; more conversation followed Harry didn't understand. Hermione was talking French, he knew that much, but the woman behind the counter was speaking Spanish, so did that mean Hermione didn't speak Spanish but could understand it? He resolved to ask her later.