Chapter 97 - Florean Fortescue Ice Cream Parlor (2/2)
”Here you are, Mr. Prince,” the goblin swiftly said as he carefully handed over a pouch full of coins.
”Thank you and may your gold always multiply,” Reginald traditionally replied in goblin, Gobbledegook.
”As to you as well,” the goblin gravely said.
Reginald leads the children away as Rowan's eyes are full of light. ”Grandfather, I didn't know you could speak goblin,” Rowan said with a touch of respect. ”May I learn as well?”
”Very well then, I will arrange for a private tutor during the school year,” Reginald said with some pleasure.
”I would like to learn too!” Severus chimed in not to be left behind.
”Very well then,” Reginald said in approval, before turning to study Lily. ”Would you like to learn as well, Miss Evans? It will be no trouble at all as the twins will be sharing a tutor. It will merely be the matter of adding one more pupil.”
Beaming with delight, Lily eagerly says, ”I would be most grateful, Mr. Prince.”
”Good, then it shall be arranged,” Reginald said with great satisfaction, before leading to their first destination for a set of new robes at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. A squat, witch in her late twenties dressed in mauve smiles at them in recognition. ”Ah, Mr. Prince, I presume a new set of robes for yourself and the children?” She asked.
”Some other day, perhaps, but for today the three of them are in need of a new set of robes,” Reginald replied. ”I fear my grandchildren are growing much too fast much like beansprouts that soon they will go as naked and bare as the day they were born!”
”Grandfather!” Severus protested in embarrassment causing Lily to giggle.
Rowan raised an eyebrow in reply. ”Severus, we've grown two inches alone this past year and I doubt that we are done growing yet,” she matter-of-factly said. Severus sighs in defeat at his twin sisters' words as they were all true.
Allowing themselves to be poked and probed the three of them are measured into new robes, before finally being allowed to escape. The next stop is the Apothecary shopping for their supplies for the following year. As usual, the Apothecary smells of bad eggs and rotting cabbages but more than made up for it with its wonderous filled shelves. Having haggled for three sets of potions supplies, Reginald briskly leads them away to purchase quills and ink.
Reginald, as usual, was generous and allowed them some time to pick out new quills and inks. Lily choose several ink changing pots in a variety of lilac colors, while Severus choose two in green and blue. On the other hand, Rowan kept to the usual black ink and only picked out a few interesting feathered quills.
They temporarily stop for a short break at a small ice cream shop parlor run by Florean Fortescue. Florean Fortescue, a good-natured man by all accounts beamed at them as Reginald stiffly ordered, ”One small scoop of coffee-flavored ice cream. And as for the children the same serving size, we have not yet had lunch and they must not ruin their appetite.”
”Of course,” Florean replied to his paying customer. Turning to the three children, he asks, ”Well, what will you be having?”
”Strawberry, please,” Lily answered as Severus said, ”Chocolate for me.”
”And you, my dear?” Florean asked as he turned to glance at the last child.
”Do you have salted-caramel?” Rowan asked.
”Naturally! A scoop of salted-caramel coming right up!” With a swift practiced wave of his wand, Florean Fortescue has four scoops of ice-cream in simple cones. Carefully floating them over to their intended recipients, the single adult plus three children sit down to enjoy their ice cream.