The Marriage Decree

Chapter 143: I'm a Technophobe

Once ready, they floo to the Leaky Cauldron, where Draco has a quick chat with Tom behind the bar before setting off into muggle London.

For his wife's birthday, he bought her a new bracelet with Scorpius' name engraved inside. Draco knows they both wrote on their Marriage Decree that they wanted three children. There was plenty of space on the bracelet for their unborn child's name to be added to another. Although, he hopes the third name won't be added for a long time.

However, with Hermione being in St Mungo's for the next few days, she won't be able to wear the bracelet, especially with the IV stuck in her hand. So, Draco decides to buy her a new book from one of the muggle shops, so she can read while she's at St Mungo's and recuperating at home.

Scorpius has only grown more confident on his feet since his birthday and refuses to be carried, although he still needs to hold his parent's hand to walk. Therefore, it takes them an hour to walk from the Leaky Cauldron to the nearest shops, usually fifteen minutes away. Draco takes them down a narrow alleyway he's never ventured down before, which houses rough-looking shopfronts. Halfway down, they stop at a second-hand bookshop with boxes of old books piled up on the street. Scorpius drops his father's hand to hold onto one of the boxes, running his hand along the spines of the pretty coloured books. Draco inspects a box labelled 'English Classics', full of works by Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare and William Wordsworth. He only recognises one name, the muggle playwright Shakespeare, who became popular within the Wizarding world during his time.

One book looks newly printed, however, inspecting the cover page reveals it to be a vintage copy from the 1930s. On the title page is an inscription from the original buyer to their loved one.

'Dec 1945

My beloved H,

Love sought is good, but given unsought better.

Always yours, D.'

Draco stares at the cursive writing in shocked awe. What fate led him to pick this book from this specific bookshop on his wife's birthday? There's no doubt in his mind that Draco is meant to buy this book for Hermione.

"Da!" Scorpius shouts, repeatedly slapping the spine of one book.

"What have you found, Scorpius?" Draco bends down to his son's level, pulling the book his son is interested in out of the pile. "Do you want to buy this for mama?" he asks.

"Mama," Scorpius agrees, so Draco adds the collection of Sappho poetry to the copy of Twelfth Night he already has tucked beneath his arm.

"Hold my hand; we have to pay for these," he informs his son.

Scorpius takes his hand, struggling to climb up the step leading up to a closed door.

Draco tries the handle, but the door is locked. Before them, a sign asks them to ring the doorbell to purchase any books.

"Do you want to ring the bell?" Draco asks his son.

"Yea!" Scorpius lifts his arms up to be carried.

Draco lifts Scorpius up with one arm, and the boy presses the doorbell button, then claps his hand in excitement when they hear the bell ringing within the shop.

A few minutes later, an old man dressed in a suit with his white hair slicked back limps towards the door with an ivory-handled walking cane. He produces multiple keys on the end of a chain from his waistcoat pocket. It takes him a few more minutes to find the correct key to unlock the door and let him inside.

"How can I help you?" The old man loudly asks.

Draco smiles, "We'd like to purchase these books." He holds the books out.