Disclaimer: Serafina and the plot belong to me. Everything else is copyrighted to the authors.

a/n: Sorry 'bout the wait. As always, thank you reviewers! I'm thinking of starting a Hermione/Tom story, or perhaps a HP and Covenant crossover. What do you think?

Chapter 10: Plans for Shopping

Ginny had sent Sera a letter, telling her when to activate the necklace portkey. She was going to meet Ginny, Hermione and Fleur at the coffee shop in Diagon Alley, on Saturday, at noon. That left her two days to decide who to bring with her. Sera was still contemplating whether or not to ask Rafe. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who likes to go with girls and look for dresses. Sera grinned, I would love to see the look on his face when he sees me all dolled-up.

Well, Astrid and Vivian were obviously the better choice, as far as fashion advice goes. She grabbed the phone off the hook and went out onto the balcony. After dialing a number, she sat down in one of the wooden rocking chairs. The sun shining brightly and was warm on her skin. The phone rang twice before someone picked up, "Hello?"

Sera paused nervously, "Blake?"

"Yeah, hey. What's going on? You haven't talked to me in like, a week."

"Oh, um...I've got something to tell you."

"Yes?"

She sighed before rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Blake, I don't think we should see each other romantically anymore," there was silence on the end of the line. "Now I know you're probably mad, but I want you to know that it's not your fault. I've had a lot going on the last couple of weeks and I've thought things through."

Blake exhaled loudly, "I thought you liked me Sera."

"I do Blake, it's just difficult dating someone whom I only have brotherly feelings for. You've been really sweet to me ever since I arrived here, and I hope we can still be friends."

"If that's what you want Sera, I won't stand in the way," his voice cracked. "Did you meet someone?"

Sera felt horrible doing this, but it had to be done. Avoiding her problems was getting her nowhere, "Mm-hm."

"Was it the guy from the club?"

"Why would you think that?"

"I saw the way he was looking at you."

She bit her bottom lip, Were we that transparent? "I'm sorry Blake."

He sighed and whispered, "It's okay. I'll talk to you later then?"

"Sure, bye."

Blake said goodbye and hung up. Sera felt absolutely rotten. She dialed Rafe's number and waited for him to pick up. "Hello sweetness," he said after picking up.

She resisted the urge to giggle, "How'd you know it was me?"

"We just installed caller ID."

She flushed, "Oh, right. Is your mother there?

"Yes, but don't you want to talk to me?" he pouted.

"Of course I do, but I need to ask Astrid something real quick."

"Fine," he huffed and gave the phone to Astrid.

"Sera?" she asked.

"Hi Astrid."

"Good afternoon."

"Um, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Would you and Vivian like to go shopping with me? I'm going to a wedding next week and I need to get a dress, not to mention help the bride find one too."

"We'd be delighted! Were are we going?"

"We're going to shop in a place called Diagon Alley. Don't worry about how we'll get there; I've got a special way of traveling across great distances."

Astrid laughed, "Great distances? Where is this place located?"

"A little place I like to call England." Wait for it...

A gasp was heard, "England?" she asked in astonishment.

"Yep, I've got all the tools to get there, magic wise."

"I'm not sure about this Sera, it sounds dangerous."

"It'll be fine, Astrid. You can have Rafe can drive you and Vivian up to my cabin on Saturday, before noon. It's warm down there, so wear light, comfortable clothes and shoes."

Astrid wasn't all that convinced, but she trusted that Sera knew what she was doing. "Alright, Rafe's asking for you. See you on Saturday.

"Will do."

Sera was currently finishing off her late breakfast, which consisted of pancakes, toast and bacon. She had cooked everything from scratch and was proud to say that she had only managed to burn the bacon. Aiden had gathered the courage that morning to pack up his belongings and go back to his apartment. On one hand she was relieved to have him out of the cabin, but on the other she was worried about him. Hopefully Vivian would be able to coax him out into the open again.

As she took a sip from her orange juice, the doorbell rang. She wiped her mouth with a napkin before getting off the chair and jogging over to the door. She peeked out of the little hole to see who it was. It was Vivian with her aunt and cousin behind her. She opened the door, "You're awfully early."

Vivian smiled, "Talk to the person who drove us," she put her hands up. "His fault, not mine." Sera gave Rafe a pointed look, and he smirked before brushing past Vivian. He leaned into Sera and gave her a very wet kiss. A smacking noise was heard when he pulled back. She flushed and her eyes darted to Vivian and Astrid, who had amused grins on their faces.

"It's a tad late to act modest, Sera, they already know," Rafe said and patted her on the rear. She pursed her lips and walked stiffly back over to the dining table and picked up her plate. Vivian and Astrid took off their coats and hung them up before taking a seat on the couches. Rafe walked slowly around the room, admiring the high ceiling and fans. Sera cleaned off her plate and put it into the sink. "Have you already eaten?" she called over to them.

"Yes, we ate a few hours ago," Astrid said while getting comfortable. "If you don't mind me asking, how exactly are we getting to this Diagon Alley?" Sera came over and sat in the large armchair. "I'm going to use this," she said and reached down her shirt to pull out the necklace. "It's called a portkey. Witches and wizards use them to get to cross-country events."

Vivian took on a confused expression and Sera continued, "Now, since you all are here early, I'm going to reset the departure time," she picked up her wand from the side table and glanced at her watch. "It's almost eleven thirty, so I'll set it for eleven thirty-five." She tapped the necklace and said a spell, which in turn made it glow. She got up and went over to where the coats were and pulled out her own cloak, along with two others.

"Here, put these on," she handed one to Vivian and Astrid. "They're just a precaution, there isn't any danger. They'll help you blend in more." Astrid slipped on her cloak and Vivian did the same. Rafe laid his chin on her shoulder and asked, "What are they used for where you're from?"

"Nothing, they're just what everyone wears. Walking around in normal clothes will draw attention from wizards and witches, good and bad. I've had problems with the bad ones before, and I know what they are capable of. I'd like to spare you two from any malicious intent." Vivian looked a tad uneasy, so Sera decided to calm her fears, "Don't be scared," she smiled, "I'm not saying they're all evil, you just have to be careful. Besides, my friends will be with us."

She turned to Rafe, who lifted his head off her shoulder. She gave him a peck on the cheek before saying, "I'll try to have them back in a few hours." He nodded and went over to his mother. She gave him a hug and he said, "Have a good time." Astrid pulled back and smiled, "Try not to get into too much trouble while we're gone?" Rafe rolled his eyes and headed over to the door. "Bye," he said before opening it up and walking out.

Sera watched the door shut behind him and turned to Astrid and Vivian. "Ready to go?" They nodded and she gathered them around her. She unclasped the necklace and wrapped the long, silver chain around all of them. She then clasped it back together and said, "You might feel a pull in your naval, but don't be alarmed, it's natural." The necklace glowed and began pulsing. The floor beneath them crackled and opened up into a shimmering portal.

The loup-garous' eyes widened and Sera laughed loudly as they were sucked into the blinding light.

Kinda short, but still good. I love leaving readers hanging off a cliffie...