Lazuli - Harry Potter Fan Fiction (Draco Malfoy)

CHAPTER TWENTY

I sip at the steaming mug of butter beer in front of me, taking care not to guzzle it too quickly and look like a pig. Narcissa sits across from me at our table in the Leaky Cauldron, watching me inquisitively as she drinks her own glass of sherry. My feet are grateful for finally being allowed rest. All afternoon we'd moved from shop to shop, Narcissa spending more and more money on things that she supposedly needed for the ball, and the only other chance I'd had to sit down had been for a few brief seconds in the changing room of the dress shop where we'd purchased our ball gowns.

After spending hours ordering thousands of scented candles to float in the air of the Malfoy ballroom, and organizing what food the caterers would provide, I was in no mood to try on hundreds of dresses. But the minute I stepped into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and the pair of us were ushered to a private room reserved for the best clients, I changed my mind.

Madam Malkin herself served us, chattering about how she remembered when she'd sold Narcissa her Hogwarts robes when she was a girl and how I'd been the first female Weasley she'd ever made robes for, and there were a lot of us. She took us to a spacious room above the main shop, where all of her most beautiful gowns were kept, reserved for special customers only. Narcissa seemed to act as if this was completely normal, which gave me the impression that this happened every time the Malfoys, one of the richest and most aristocratic wizarding families, entered Madam Malkin's shop.

I on the other hand was transfixed with childlike admiration when Madam Malkin offered us seats in the pretty showroom, admiring all of the multicoloured dresses that hung neatly on silver rails along the walls. Madam Malkin ordered for one of the shop's employees to make us a pot of tea, she took out her notepad and placed her glasses onto her nose, before smiling at Narcissa and I and starting to write.

"Mrs Malfoy, I trust that you're here because you require dresses for the Malfoy ball, am I correct?" Madam Malkin's voice was sugary and gentle, like a typical old lady. She smiled sweetly at me and I thought about how different she is to Professor Umbridge, when I knew for a fact that they're of a similar age. "Yes, Juliet and I require ballgowns by Saturday morning, to be delivered by a trusted shop employee. We're here now to choose and have our measurements taken. Juliet will go first."

Narcissa nodded curtly at me and sipped at the warm tea that a pretty young witch with a tape measure around her neck brought in. Madam Malkin smiled warmly as I stood up and removed my coat and scarf, and headed towards the raised platform in the corner of the room. "Raise your arms, dear," she said as she flicked her wand and a silver tape measure flew out of her pocket and unravelled itself, stretching along my arms and then around my chest, waist and hips. It also measured my height and the length of my leg before Madam Malkin was satisfied, having scribbled down each measurement onto her notepad. "So, did you have a specific colour in mind?" She asked, more to Narcissa than me. I remained silent whilst Narcissa rapped her fingers on the wooden table thoughtfully and finally declared "violet, yes, that will fit in nicely."

I spent the next hour and a half being shown violet dress after violet dress, with Narcissa and I being unable to agree. One that I thought is nice, she says is too common. One that she declared to be perfect, I thought is too extravagant. Madam Malkin's cheeks soon grew red with exertion, us being very difficult customers.

I was about to give in and let Narcissa choose the dress when Madam Malkin suddenly jumped up and ran towards a door. "Of course! I have one more violet dress. I'd completely forgotten about it until now, we took it off the shop floor a long time ago, and it's been in storage for years. I'll be right back!" She opened a small wooden door and we heard the pitter patter of her dolly shoes on the wooden steps that led up to the level above us.

Whilst we were waiting Narcissa picked out a long silver gown made of a pearly fabric, with a puddle train. "I have a black fur shawl that will go perfectly with this," she said approvingly as she set it aside for when Madam Malkin returned.