POV Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks
Not far from the boy, two thin pillows were discovered on the floor. The sisters looked at each other and sat down, immediately being served hot green tea and some unfamiliar sweets, unusual but not unpalatable. They spent a few minutes in silence, watching strange lights and small, non-aggressive goblins flying in the small garden — sparse trees of bizarre shapes scattered haphazardly around a small pond, in the center of which stood a small island with a stone lantern. On the edge of the island, a small turtle basked in the sun with plants and mushrooms on its shell.
Neither Narcissa nor Andromeda had ever seen anything like it before, so they allowed themselves to study the garden more closely, and even to estimate how difficult it must have been to create such a garden, considering that the area was obviously surrounded by some kind of enchantment, for there was neither cold wind nor penetrating dampness.
A little later the women noticed strange, obviously magical birds, small animals, and the trees and flowers themselves were not simple at all — some flowers clearly "sang" — made pleasant sounds, and some created a cloud of glowing pollen around the flower. When the tea was finished, as well as the sweets, the man took a small bottle from somewhere in the folds of his wide clothes, looked around in a funny way, and with a magician's gesture pulled three deep saucers out of the air and immediately began to pour the drink. The women were not in the mood for a drinking party when they came here, so their looks did not express the slightest approval. The man either ignored or didn't understand these looks and offered the women a small plate of clear scarlet liquor.
— Momo makes this nalewka from berries. — This time he could not pretend not to understand the eloquent looks, so he just smiled and continued his persuasion. — Just try it, just one sip! You'll want more!
Like Andromeda, Narcissa expressed all her thoughts about "asking for more" with a single look, but she decided to accept the treat. It wasn't that the sisters didn't drink alcohol, but they weren't fans of it either. However, once they tasted the aromatic liquid, they realized what the Japanese were talking about. The sweet, fragrant liquid flowed gently into their mouths, enveloping their tongues and then their esophagus, sharing the taste of strawberries, raspberries, and other berries they couldn't quite guess.
If I looked away from the pleasure I was experiencing and tried to find something to compare it to, only the famous Fortescue's ice cream could match the unexpected strength of the sensation, but that was like comparing warm and soft, for drink and dessert were not the same thing. Bringing the saucer to her lips, Narcissa took another small sip and emptied the bowl.
The woman held the drink in her mouth longer this time, savoring the thick taste, even moaning with pleasure. It was definitely worth making a deal with this Momo — such pleasures could not be withheld from an almost lonely woman whose only entertainment was the occasional conversation with her sister and the married ladies she knew. Really...
— Don't worry, — Hoshino was literally a moment ahead of the woman's question and smiled understandingly at her. — The alcohol content of the liquor is quite low, and the added herbs, which are Momo-chan's personal pride, allow even children to drink it. — A slightly wider smile, as if he remembered something funny. — In moderation, of course. It won't harm your pregnancy, so don't worry.
The woman nodded and placed a saucer under the bottle, taking two more sips. She was followed by the silent Andromeda, but she could tell by the look in her eyes that they would work together to find the recipe and even buy it if necessary.
The peaceful atmosphere, the beautiful, fairy-tale view of the garden, which at first seemed poor and somewhat shabby, but the longer you looked at it, the more interesting details you found, and also an incomprehensible but heart-warming song that the elves were playing — all this seemed to envelop her in a soft and warm blanket, lulling her to sleep. I didn't want to rush anywhere, I didn't want to worry about anything, I didn't even want to think, just to sit on the veranda and take rare sips of that amazing drink that for some reason doesn't make you drunk....
Narcissa suddenly shook herself, remembering why she was here. She and Andromeda had not come here to relax, quite the opposite! So what on earth were they wasting their time on?
— Mr. Hoshino, I'd like to know the reason for your invitation. Considering the recent events described in various publications, I must admit that I was excited.
— Oh, you English don't know how to appreciate the moment. — The man shook his head reproachfully and sighed sadly. — Life is full of hustle and bustle, not so often there is a moment of peace, and every such moment should be cherished, enjoyed. And if you can't catch a moment in a series of troubles, you should create it with your own hands... — the boy circled the garden with a saucer.
A few strange goblins flew up from the nearest tree, covered with large orange flowers like lilies, and immediately clung to the saucer. Upon closer inspection, they were not fairies at all, and the two women's eyes widened in sheer amazement: fairies!
Fairies, which are recognized as a nearly extinct species on the islands, and even in Europe there are very few of them left, only in the most dangerous or secluded places, it seems, can they still be seen, if by some unimaginable miracle they manage to get there alive.
— Mr. Hoshino, where did you get these wonderful creatures? — Andromeda squeezed out hoarsely, beating no less than Narcissa, and the value of these creatures was known to any less educated wizard, so the surprise was justified.
— Heh, — the boy grinned at the women, gently tickling one of the fairies who was perched on her knees at the edge of the plate, chirping happily, picking up a drink and savoring it. — Just my luck. Aren't they adorable?! — A small creature with light-colored clothes and fragile wings began to laugh and wrestle with his finger, causing the man to smile even more. The women, on the other hand, were in no mood for fun. Not anymore.
— Mr. Hoshino, access to a fairy colony is a lot of money, but ....
— Not interested. — The Japanese waved his hand lazily.
— But after all... — he could not understand such an indifferent attitude of the woman, who clearly understood the value of such an acquisition and therefore could not pass up such profits.
— I told you, I'm not interested. — The woman was categorically against such an attitude towards the possible profit, so she didn't want to give up so easily, but the man caught her thoughts before she could say anything. — Mrs. Malfoy, not everything in life is worth its weight in gold, — he turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes with a very serious look that made the prepared words literally stick in her throat. — In the pursuit of profit, of instant profit, man is willing to destroy everything around him, to turn forests into deserts, to drain rivers and lakes, to wipe out all living things. But what will you do when you have used up all the magical animals for ingredients? What will you brew your potions with? — A short pause.
— I know they brew something from the wings of these babies, — he turned back to the cute babies, tickled the fairy with the pink model's (?) disheveled hair again, and then poured a drink into the saucer. A few more fairies flew down from the tree and landed on the guy's arm, and now, with even louder chirping, they fought angrily for the right to taste the nalewka berry. — But I don't care. I don't see how anyone could raise a hand against those giggling girls. Okay, the elves are pests and aggressive, but the fakes? — The Japanese shook his head.