"But I don't want these robes mum!" Albus complained. Ginny let out a sigh of frustration.
"We can't stay here all day, you know!" Consulting the list, Ginny looked back up at her youngest son, who was standing on a stool. "We still have to get to Flourish and Blotts for your brother, and don't even get me started on the amount of potion supplies he needs!"
"But look mum, the sleeves are too long at the wrist—"
"That we can fix, dear," Madam Malkin said reassuringly. "And…there you go," she said with a dainty snip of her scissors. You could hardly tell that they were any shorter—it was amazing that the scissors even managed to cut out something so small.
"Oh bother, now they're too short!" Albus whined.
"My dear boy, I barely made a trim!"
"Fix them! Fix them NOW!"
As Madam Malkin and Ginny tried to reason with Albus, the clock ticked on. James rolled his eyes. At first, the whole thing seemed pretty funny, but now, just plain boring. He wouldn't be able to get his robes today, much less any of his books today. Even though he and Albus were just one year apart, his younger brother acted much younger sometimes.
Last year, James thought it would be different. Albus was actually going to be a first year. James thought that Albus would be more...mature. James sneered and shook his head. As if he actually thought for one second that Albus would approach his second year with a more mature outlook.
Albus was spoiled. James knew he was. In fact, James was sure that anyone normal would be able to see that. That is, if they spent enough time with him. It was always 'Albus this' and 'Albus that'. James was never even acknowledged. In the rare occurrence of that event, he would quickly be tagged as the 'troublemaker', the 'mean one', the brother who was so inconsiderate to poor little Albus.
As James' brain bathed in his bitter thoughts, Madam Malkin and Ginny finally managed to charm the sleeves so that they were just right.
"James, it's your turn now-" Ginny called, but was interrupted by Madam Malkin.
"Gargling Gargoyles! It's closing time already! You all must be getting back home, trust me, you do not want to be out on the streets of Diagon Alley after dark…" Madam Malkin said.
"Oh please Madam!" Ginny pleaded. "This is the last day—the train leaves tomorrow!"
"Well, you shouldn't have waited so long to buy supplies, dear. I'm sorry. It's closing time." Madam Malkins said gently but firmly. She ushered them out of the shop.
James' mind was swirling. No robes? Books? Anything? He would end up at school wearing his old, tattered robes. He would have no supplies. He would go to Hogwarts…empty handed.
He faintly heard Albus' voice behind him. "I still think that my robes are too short…"
Anger bubbled inside James. "Mum?" asked James with a voice of forced calm.
As if suddenly recognizing that James had been with them the whole day, Ginny looked up. "Oh, yes James?"
"How am I going to get my supplies?"
"I-well-we'll have to send them by Hogwarts post tomorrow. It should arrive in the morning…"
"And…we still got all of Albus' supplies? But…not mine?"
"Yes, of course, we needed to get your darling brother's items—wait…oh no…" Ginny said in horror, realizing what she had just said. "I… James I didn't mean…James! Don't walk away like that! It's dark, you could get lost!"
He wheeled around to face his mother, and his younger brother. "And what's wrong with me getting lost? Oh, right, the fact that Albus might get lost when you're searching for me! Everything has to revolve around him doesn't it?" Choking back tears, he continued. "People always—always h-h-hate me! People never find anything wrong with Albus! I-l'm not l-loved!"
Albus stepped out of the shadows and stepped tensely toward his brother. "I love you. I think you're amazing. You're the best." Albus said boldly. With that, he pulled James into a hug.
"James," Ginny said softly. "It's not about how much love your brother receives. It's about how much love you receive. And I can assure you, darling, I love you as much as your brother." She too stepped forward and hugged James.
James loved his mother's hugs. He buried his face into her soft, sweet, flower-scented hair.
"I love you mum" he whispered.
"Love you too James" Ginny replied back.
The day wasn't so bad after all. At that moment, James couldn't believe he actually thought his mother loved Albus more than him.
Little did he know what a fiasco his third year would be.