Coiled (Book 1 of 2)

I Was Never Here

"Ah, Ms. Carrow! Your brother was just in the other day. Always a pleasure to welcome back a member of one of our most esteemed and loyal families."

Though she threw on a wide brimmed sun hat in an attempt to shield her identity, to offer the slightest bit of extra privacy, the greeting she's just received from the teller promptly causes her hopes of anonymity to evaporate.

Leaning forward, heart racing quickly, she hisses back irritably, "Shh! Shh!!! Will you - could you - please speak a bit more softly?"

Blinking back at her, the teller smiles apologetically, his voice now switching to match her decidedly more muted tone, "... But of course, Ms. Carrow. Now tell me, how may I have the pleasure of assisting you this morning?"

Glancing around cagily, she leans further forward, her whisper now barely audible, "... A private room, please. The business I'm here to conduct today - I require a private room as opposed to the lobby."

Nodding at this, the teller slides out of his stool and beckons her along in his wake, "Certainly, Ms. Carrow. Say no more. Right this way, if you'll please follow me."

...

... She's on the very edge of her seat, alone at a table in a small room - in the very belly of the bank - when the Gringotts representative knocks cautiously at the door.

Hands clenched on her lap beneath the table, she clears her throat and calls out impatiently, "Yes? In."

She watches now, both nervous and excited, as the representative shuts the door behind him and approaches her, wordlessly setting the small black velvet bag down before her on the table. 

Eyes darting from the bag to the gentleman, she whispers tentatively, "So ... this is ..."

".... Yes, Ms. Carrow. Exactly as per your request. Now as you'll find -"

"- Wait!"

"Ms. Carrow?"

"... I just want to be very clear about this, yes? Before we begin, I need to know we're both on the same page."

"And that page being?"

"That I was never here this morning. You never met with me. And this transaction ... completely private record, yes? And when I say private, I mean between you and I. Not other family members, not other Gringotts employees. You and I. Are we understood?"

"Always, Ms. Carrow. Absolute discretion is our business."

Nodding at him, heart now pounding in her chest, she shifts her attention from the gentleman standing beside her back to the black velvet bag, "Excellent. Now then ... you were saying?"

"... I've exchanged the funds you requested. Current rates are 1 Galleon to 4.93 Pounds Sterling. You didn't ask for very much to be exchanged; as per the slip you filled out, you requested a rather modest sum of 30 Galleons to be converted. Such an amount comes out to a total of 147.9 Pounds Sterling."

That sounds ...

Correct?

Pulling the bag slowly towards her now, she shrugs as casually as she can, "Right. Well. I don't require much. Not very much at all."

"Then I believe you should find this amount more than sufficient."

"So hypothetically speaking, if one were to frequent a muggle shop, could one procure items such as bread, milk, or other sundries without any problem?"

"With this amount?"

"Mmm."

"Certainly. More than adequate for small expenditures like that. I think you'll find even given the present inflation, you could stretch it on modest purchases."

Inflation ... 

"The muggle economy, is it stable at the moment?"

"Mmm ... we keep a very close eye on it, on all its ins and outs, though there's so many factors. Definitely not at its most stable, no. But also not at its absolute worst either. Among present causes for alarm ... high unemployment rates; their economy faces issues of stagnation. Add to that some rather significant muggle political woes, labour issues  ..."

"So in summation?"

"They've seen worse, historically. But suffice it to say they're seeing their share of substantial problems and conflict just as we are."

Clearing her throat and making silent note of all the information she's just received, she nods brusquely, her fingers now tugging at the golden tassel of the bag as she pulls it open, "... And pound sterling is how we refer to muggle currency?"

"In the UK and its associated territories, yes. Precisely so."

Fingertips playing idly at the tassel of the bag, she considers this.

Does that mean other muggles from other countries require different monies?

... I suppose so, yes?

Bit embarrassing to admit I've really no idea. 

Like each of her friends, like all the members of her social circle, she's been completely shielded from all things muggle her entire life. As such, she was steadfastly forbidden from taking Muggle Studies while at Hogwarts.

... Not that I'd ever want to, of course!

And yet ... 

Here I am.

... Best not to dwell too long on this.

Leaning over the now open bag, she bites at her lip nervously as she dips her hand in, pulling out a large fistful of coins and notes, staring down at them sceptically. She's never seen muggle money - never, ever. Not even in pictures.

Setting them down in a neat row before her, she flips them and studies each face carefully, "... Some are paper ... some are coins ... "

"Precisely so. If you have the time and the inclination, I can walk you through the differences? Give you a brief tutorial on the nuance, the names and nicknames of the different pieces. That way you'll have a quick primer."

Hesitating, she holds up one finger as she dips into her purse and retrieves a delicate gold filigree pocket watch, flipping it open as she considers the time.

"Very well. I can linger a bit longer. So yes, please. Show me. Tell me."

Nodding and slipping into the chair beside her, the gentleman begins to carefully rearrange the coins and notes, "Very well. So let's start with the very basics, Ms. Carrow. This is the pound sterling, sub-divided into 100 pence."

"100 pence ..."

"That's right. Now. Let's take a closer look at all the different muggle coins presently in circulation ..."