A wind chime hung by the entrance to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, chiming whenever a customer came in.
"Oh, hello." Madam Puddifoot was a slightly plump middle-aged woman with glossy black hair tied in a bun at the back of her head. She came forward to greet Hermione and Su Er with a kindly smile.
"Hello, madam. Do you have a quieter table?"
"Of course. Every customer who comes in wants a space where they won't be disturbed. Please follow me." Madam Puddifoot glanced at Hermione's rosy cheeks and the bag of sweets she was carrying, then nodded knowingly.
There weren't many empty seats in the tea shop just then. As Madam Puddifoot led them toward a corner, Su Er spotted the Ravenclaw female prefect, Penelope Clearwater. She was sitting toward the back left of the shop, idly fiddling with a silver spoon, seemingly waiting for someone.
"What would you like to drink?" Madam Puddifoot asked gently once they were seated.
Su Er slid the menu toward Hermione. Perhaps Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop possessed a different sort of magic, for ever since coming in, Hermione had sat bolt upright like an elegant witch, twirling a lock of long hair between her fingers.
"You order." Even her voice had changed, pitched high and soft, nothing like the way she had laughed back in Honeydukes.
Su Er couldn't help shuddering at that voice... Oh, my goodness.
"Do you have any recommendations, madam? This is our first visit." Su Er didn't know what to order either, so he turned to the proprietor in her floral lace dress.
"In weather this cold, I'd recommend a cup of black tea. I specially sourced this tea from Mykonos Island. Add a little milk and honey, and nothing could be more suitable for this chilly weather."
"Pair