From Wiltshire, With Love

Chapter 28

Hermione didn't dare Apparate anywhere near the Leaky Cauldron, but even so, London was a risk. She made Malfoy wear a knit pullover cap that she sometimes saw men wearing in the cold. His longish blond hair peeked out and curled upward from beneath at the nape of his neck, but you'd have to look closely to know it was him. One wouldn't expect to see Draco Malfoy wearing Muggle clothing anyway. As for herself, she braided her hair back and donned a winter cap and sunglasses even though it wasn't sunny out, and pulled on a long wool coat.

As they walked through Trafalgar Square towards the National Gallery, Malfoy would periodically turn his head or crane his neck, perhaps focusing on something in particular that would catch his interest. After a few moments he leaned in towards her.

"Why are so many people talking into those tiny black rectangles?"

She glanced over at a businessman, flipping his cell phone shut and shoving it in his jacket pocket.

"It's like your own personal Floo call. But you can take it with you everywhere." Hermione watched him process that information, knowing full well that communication was yet another area where Muggles had far surpassed the Wizarding world. A faint glimmer of amazement graced his features as he took in the sheer quantity of cell phone users around him, both young and old.

They walked up the stairs of the National Gallery, between the pillars and through the large glass doors. Hermione put a fiver in the donation box, took out a map and faced him. "Do you want to join a tour?"

Malfoy shook his head while surveying his surroundings with obvious interest. "Let's wander around first."

They entered one of the corridors and she let him set the pace, following his lead, and answering his questions when she was able.

"Who's this bloke with the long hair and beard that I keep seeing everywhere? It's the same person, isn't it?"

"Yes," she answered. "That's Jesus Christ."

"Muggles don't seem to like him very much."

Hermione was so taken aback by his assessment that she bubbled over in surprised laughter. Several on-lookers turned to her in disapproval, and she abruptly stopped laughing with an indelicate snort. Malfoy was completely and truly isolated from the Muggle world. It was fascinating to see how he reacted to things that she took for granted.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a shy grin. "He's always bleeding from the same places and nailed up to that cross."

She tried to recount two millennia of Christianity in a brief five-minute explanation and he replied incredulously, "And all Muggles believe this?"

"Of course not." She shook her head. "Not even the majority. And even Christians don't agree on everything about him. There are so many different religions in the world. Christianity is prevalent here in Europe, but if we were to go to India, China, Egypt or one of the sub-Saharan African countries the predominant religions or non-religious belief systems would be completely different. A museum elsewhere would have subjects unrecognizable to Europeans."

"Six billion people," he muttered softly, but she heard him.

"That's right."

The world was vast. They knew so little about it. The wizarding world had different cultures, which Malfoy had likely experienced if his family went on exotic vacations. But they were united by magic. The Muggle world was separated by belief systems, both religious and secular.

The two meandered on and entered a large room. He rocked back on his heels for a moment, scanning his surroundings and then raised an eyebrow at her suggestively.