The Marriage Decree

Chapter 32: Listen to your Wife

By half past three, Hermione herself is bored out of her mind from wandering aimlessly into every shop they come across and they're only halfway around the second floor. In the end, she gives in and tells Mark, Mia and Draco that they can head towards the toy shop now before they leave.

The twins cheer excitedly, running off towards the escalators.

"Remember what I said about running off." She calls after them, making them stop at the bottom of the escalator and wait for her to ride up with them.

Draco, who will probably never ride an escalator again after such a terrible first experience, takes the stairs and manages to beat them to the top.

"What is the point of these stairs if they don't get you to the top any quicker then walking up a normal staircase?" He asks her as the twins run off once again towards the massive toy shop at the other end of the third floor.

"I suppose most people would rather choose to save energy by taking the escalator than saving time by taking the stairs." She suggests.

"Muggles are just lazy." He mutters.

"Don't place that label on all muggles." She warns him.

"Of course not," He offers her a smirk. "Just the ones that use those escalators."

"It's much easier for people to be lazy than it is for them to be active." She points out. "Even for us. Tomorrow, would you rather apparate from the Ministry to Diagon Alley or walk from the muggle entrance of the Ministry to the muggle entrance to the Leaky Cauldron?" She asks rhetorically.

"Disapparation is not only easier but also quicker whereas those escalators are only easier. It took longer for you to ride to the top than it did for me to walk to the top." He reasons to which Hermione nods.

"Hermione! Hermione! Hermione!" Mark and Mia chant as they run over towards them.

"Please, can we go look at the new Barbie makeup head?" Mia begs, pulling on Hermione's sleeve. "Mary at school got one for her birthday and she said it's a really cool." She carries on pulling at her sleeve until she gives in.

"Fine! Fine!" Hermione disentangles Mia's hand from her jacket. "We'll meet you boys back here in twenty minutes." She tells Draco and Mark, who jumps up and down excitedly, holding Draco's hand.

"Let him choose something as a present but no more than £10, alright?" She whispers quietly to Draco who nods back in understanding before allowing himself to be dragged off towards the electronic game section of the shop by Mark.

Twenty minutes later, they meet back near the checkouts after being dragged around the entire shop multiple times by the twins. Mia had shown interest in a new convertible car for her Barbie so Hermione had offered to buy it as a present for being good whilst in the shopping centre. Mia had hugged her and excitedly thanked her many times before begging her to buy it now. Mark, on the other hand, hadn't shown any interest in wanting anything so, in the end, Draco had to ask him what he would like for a present for being good. He spent a few minutes wandering around the shop before deciding on the game Jenga.

Once Hermione's paid for the presents, they ask if they can go back to their Auntie Sarah's yet so they can play with their new toys. She checks her watch and it's only four o'clock. They have another six hours to waste before Sharon and Scott come to pick them up. She quickly calculates that it would only take forty-five minutes for them to walk home so with the hope that it might tire the twins out, they set off walking.

Her plan seemed to have worked to a certain extent since the twins did seem rather tired when they got back to her parents' house but instead of them playing with their new toy and game, they lounged on the couch and argued over what programme they should watch on the TV. The walk seemed to have tired her and Draco out more than it did the twins since they went into the kitchen for a cup of tea and to rest at the kitchen table.