Fractured

Shopping

Tell me away from trouble
And away from doubting
Tell me from the spirit
From the top of the mountain

- Listening Man - The Bees

Chapter Twenty-Two
Shopping

Youssef held open the rickety gate as everyone walked through. On the other side stretched a giant marketplace. There was a cacophony of noise as witches and wizards shouted about the items they were selling.

Huge parasols floated in the air, casting shade onto the people below. Some stalls had wooden tables piled with magical items. Others had bright rugs on the dusty ground, with their wares laid out on it. Scorpius slowed as they passed a table stacked with books. Albus and Rose each grabbed an arm and pulled him after Youssef.

'We're going to start here,' Youssef explained, stopping at a jewellery stand. 'Amina, how are you?'

An old woman, bent over with age, smiled up at Youssef. She had a large lip-plate protruding from her mouth. The plate seemed to glow a pale white and blue. She spoke at length to Youssef in a foreign language.

Rose looked around, trying not to stare at Amina. She saw all the jewellery featured the same stone as her lip-plate. The stones were set into earrings, necklaces, bracelets and hair-slides.

'Why does she have that circle in her face?' Nova whispered to her mother.

Amina laughed, and gestured for Nova to come closer. Youssef nodded encouragingly. Nova hesitantly stepped forward. Amina reached out a gnarled hand and dropped one of the stones into Nova's palm. She then began talking, pointing to her plate and to the jewellery around her. Nova nodded, smiling.

'These pretty rocks help us hear people,' Nova told the others, once Amina fell silent.

'They're moonstones,' Youssef explained. 'They translate what's being said around you.'

Rose picked one up, turning it curiously in her hand. The stone was teardrop shaped, hanging on a leather necklace. She saw the others browsing through the trays of jewellery. Hermione steered Nova towards the hair-clips, and choose a pair of earrings for herself.

'See one you like?'

Rose jumped, having not heard Amina approach. The stone translated her words into a crisp, London accent.

'Uh, yeah, this one looks alright. Can tuck it into my robes out of the way.'

Rose watched as Scorpius and Albus also chose necklaces. Hugo picked a chunky bracelet, and Lily selected a delicate one. Draco slid a ring onto his finger, and looked around in surprise as he understood the group of wizards walking past. Ginny attached a pretty brooch to her top and Harry clipped a small pin to his t-shirt.

'Each night, leave the stones in direct moonlight to recharge,' Amina told them.

The two families paid, the paper notes looking more like muggle money than the magical coins they were used to.

'Bye!' Nova called, the stone sparkling against her dark hair.

'Where to now?' Albus asked Youssef.

'Next, we need to get your school clothes.'

They walked along the rows of stalls, staring as the sellers shouted about 'Dragon Teeth' and 'Phoenix Fire'.

'What stone do you have?' Lily asked, walking alongside Youssef. 'I don't see yours.'

'I left mine at home. Since you didn't have your stones yet, it would have been too confusing to have it translate your words into my Dioula, then me having to reply in English. It's easier just to do the translation myself!'

'How many languages do you speak?'

'Only a few,' he smiled, modestly. 'Here we are! Mekko, good morning!'

Mekko was the same age as their parents. He was as tall as Draco, with a heavy-set build. There were rails full of clothes hanging behind him.

'Got three here for their school uniforms, they start at Uagadou this year.'

Mekko's eyes slid over Scorpius and Albus, his forehead furrowing slightly. After a pause, he turned and started pulling clothes off the rails.

'Mekko is a man of few words,' Youssef told them.

Mekko thrust the clothes at the three children and nodded towards a curtained area at the back. They each nervously ducked into a changing area.

'Rose?' Scorpius whispered through the curtain separating them. 'Rose, this feels like cultural appropriation!'

'Yeah,' Albus said quietly. 'I don't know how I feel about this!'

'I don't think we've got a choice,' Rose replied, her voice pained. 'It's the school uniform!'

They emerged, all dressed in a dark blue dashiki and trousers. The fabric was heavily embroidered with orange thread around the sleeves and neckline.

'It's comfy,' Rose said, stretching. 'Easier to move in than the Manor Park uniform. At least they're not making me wear a skirt!'

'C'mere and let us see!' Ginny called from the front of the shop.

Mekko tugged at their clothes, testing the fit. Scorpius was sent back to try on a different size. Mekko bagged up several of the tops and trousers for each of them. When Scorpius returned, he handed them a heavy, green blanket.

'It's to keep you warm in the evenings,' Youssef said. 'It can get chilly on the mountain!'

Mekko showed them how to fasten the blanket around their shoulders as a cloak. They saw it was patterned in yellow.

'I'm getting hot,' Rose complained, pulling the blanket off.

Their parents paid as the children got changed. Hermione added a kente cloth dress that Nova liked, and a batik printed scarf for herself.

'You've got all your other supplies and your books, right?' Youssef asked.

'I mean...we could check out the book stall...just in case?' Scorpius said, hopefully.

'How about we get some lunch first?' Draco laughed, nudging Hugo when his stomach growled loudly.

'I know just the thing!'

Youssef took them to a stall selling street food. Hugo's stomach grumbled even more at the delicious smells.

'Twelve portions of accara, please,' Youssef said, quickly doing a head-count. He dug into his pocket and paid the young girl serving them. 'Don't look at me like that Ginny, it's my treat!'

'What is it?' Lily asked, frowning at the food in her hand.

'It's a black-eyed bean fritter with a tomato and onion hot sauce.'

They wandered through the market as they ate, enjoying the food and all the sights. Nova kept tripping over her feet as she tried to see everything at once. After a few hours, they reluctantly headed home, laden down with bags of shopping.