"I always thought Muggle towns would be... busier." Regulus walked beside her.
"Looks peaceful," Danica agreed, her gaze settling on a small bakery. The sign above read 'Boulangerie' in faded letters. "Not so different from Hogsmeade, really. Just... without magic."
As they moved farther into the village, their steps slowed naturally. They passed a small café, where a few locals were sitting outside. In front of them, old cars were parked, looking impossibly heavy and clunky compared to anything in the wizarding world. 
Regulus glanced at the cars with knitted brows. "I still don't understand how they move without magic."
 "Neither do I." She chuckled glancing around, her eyes settling on a shop up ahead. "Look."
The building was a general store, the window cluttered with all sorts of items—candles, tins of biscuits, strange-looking tools, and little trinkets. It looked like the kind of place that sold anything you might need on a whim. And from inside, faint music could be heard. It was strange, but all too familiar at the same time. It reminded her of Sirius.
"What's that music?" 
Regulus listened for a moment, "David Bowie."
"You know it?"
He nodded, crossing his arms as he looked into the shop. "Sirius used to blast this music in our house... drove Mother mad."
Of course.
"Sounds like Sirius."
For a moment, they both stood there. Danica's eyes scanned the shelves, filled with things that seemed oddly mundane yet foreign all at once—packaged foods with brightly coloured labels, shiny metal kettles, and little glass bottles with strange symbols.
"Let's go inside."
Regulus blinked, turning to her. "What?"
"You heard me," she replied, already stepping through the door.
He grumbled under his breath but followed her in, the bell above the door chiming softly as he entered. The inside was cramped but inviting, filled with the scent of dust and spices.
Just then, the shop owner appeared from behind a stack of boxes. An older man with a warm smile and a slightly grizzled face approached them. "Can I help you with something, young ones?"
Danica froze for a second. A Muggle was actually talking to her. She hesitated but quickly put on a smile. "We're just looking around."
Danica strolled through the narrow aisles, her fingers brushing against the eclectic mix of items on the shelves. She paused by a display of brightly coloured scarves, then moved on to a section filled with strange kitchen gadgets—something that resembled a whisk but with far too many prongs for her liking. 
As she wandered, she caught sight of a small shelf stocked with what appeared to be novelty items—rubber ducks, tiny wind-up toys, and strange little figurines that looked oddly out of place. A mouse in red trousers, a duck in a sailor's hat. 
Turning toward the front window, she noticed the streetlights flickering on outside as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the village.  Maybe Muggles have some sort of magic after all.
Just then, she overheard Regulus's voice rising. "Genius. Absolute genius."
Regulus stood at the counter, deeply engrossed in conversation with the shop owner looking at shiny metallic sticks.
"...and this one has a fine tip, ideal for precise writing," the shop owner explained.
Regulus leaned in, "I've never seen anything like this."