We quickly walked out of Gringotts and we stopped outside the front door. Albus and Severus were talking about where we would go.
" Well, Severus let's go to the ice cream shop to wait for Poppy. She's probably the best to pick the children's clothes. Then, while she's off doing … that, we can attend to our business in Knockturn Alley." Severus nodded his head and held his hands out for Harry and I. We walked down the crowded street to a little shop. It smelled wonderful even from the outside.
" How about a treat, children?" Albus asked us.
" Before lunch, Albus?" Severus looked astounded. " Really?"
" Oh, come on, Severus. Lighten up. Sweets are always good" Severus glared at him, but nodded non the less. " Alright children, what would you like? They have ice cream, fudge, brownies, cookies, candy, and so much more. What would you like?"
" Um … Sir, we aren't allowed those things. Only Dudley gets those. Freaks don't." Harry whispered barely audible over the chatter of the crowd behind us. Harry held my hand tighter and we both looked to the ground. I heard someone sighing and muttering among the two of them. Severus kneeled before us with one hand on my shoulder and the other on Harry's.
" You are not freaks. Never believe a word they told you, it's not true. All children deserve to have a treat every once in a while. I know you learned different, but it's true and I know I'm a new person that you don't fully trust yet. If you truly just don't want anything we aren't going to force you, but it's . . . really good. I think you'd like it." He seemed sincere enough and Harry actually looked excited, nodding his head. Severus looked to me and I nodded. Harry squeezed my hand tighter and I could sense both his apprehension and excitement. I was nervous, too. How do we know this isn't a trick, like this morning? But this morning wasn't a trick. The lady apologized. Maybe we . . . I should just believe them. They haven't lied to us about anything yet.
We walked into the sweet smelling shop and it was amazing. There were wonderfully decorated treats everywhere. I couldn't believe my eyes. Severus suggested ice cream unless we wanted something different, but we both agreed. At least we knew what ice cream was.
The server spoke to us as we walked up to the glass, " What will it be for you, children?" He smiled at us, but I didn't know what to say. I looked up to Severus and Albus, then to the server and informed him I've never had ice cream. He looked shocked by this information.
" Well if I may, I suggest chocolate. Everyone loves that." I nodded and so did Harry. " Very well and it's on the house."
" Thank you." Severus added. The man handed us a cup with the brown ice cream. We both thanked him and followed Severus and Albus to a table just outside the shop. We sat down hesitantly, still unsure of if we should eat. Albus nodded to us that it was ok. I slowly dipped the spoon into the cup and put a little bit on my spoon. I brought it to my lips and it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. Harry was already digging in with his arm around his cup for protection. Albus smiled at him while Severus eyed his arm wearily. Albus nodded to me once more and I began to eat my delicious ice cream.
When I finished, I dabbed the corners of my mouth with a napkin and proceeded to do the same to Harry when he finished. Severus and Albus once again shared a glance.
" Well, well, well, of course I would find you all here Albus. Ice cream for lunch. How irresponsible. They need good nutritious meals! They are children, they need meals before treats!" Poppy exclaimed as she walked up to our table.
" Poppy, there is no need to be condescending. I was giving them a well deserved treat. They were behaving so nicely." He smiled at us and Poppy seemed to accept that.
" Well, come along, dears. We need to go shopping. Albus and Severus have some business to attend to. Come along." She extended her hands to us, but we ran to go through our trash away first. Then after we had cleaned up our table we grabbed her hands. " How responsible! Cleaning up without being told. I wish my daughter would have behaved like that when she was your age" She smiled.
" We will see you all later. Let us say . . . we meet back here in 2 hours. Yes?" Severus asked Poppy. She agreed and Severus gave her the pouch he retrieved from Gringotts. We continued on down the street in the opposite direction of Albus and Severus. We walked back towards the front of the alley where we came in. She turned into this small little shop. It looks like the most normal shop in this alley. When we walked in the woman at the cashier desk bid us a good day. Poppy did the same for her. Poppy pulled us along to the back corner of the shop where there were a lot of clothes.
" Alright, so why don't you two pick out some outfits that you like and I will assist in matching them." She smiled down on us.
" Um . . . ma'am, these clothes here are fine. You don't have to get anything else. We don't want to be a burden." I told her this nervous of her response. She looked at me shocked, but then realization seemed to wash her face clean.
" Dears, I know you didn't get a lot of new things when you lived with your Aunt and Uncle, but children do need more than one outfit. They need a lot more. How about this, I pick out a couple of outfits for each of you, you try them on and see if you like them and if so we'll get them? I promise you Anne that you are no burden." Smiling encouragingly at the two of us, Harry and I nodded. She pointed to a bench that sat against the wall and we went and sat there. She went quickly to work. She grabbed clothing item after clothing item. " Harry, dear, you're up first." We spent the next hour trying on clothes, I now have more clothes than I've ever had before. " Now, I want to give you both a little treat from myself. I heard your birthday is in 2 days, yes? Well, I want you two to go and pick a stuffed animal from over there. You can each get one of your own."
" Are you sure, ma'am?" Harry asked her apprehensively. She nodded encouragingly and Harry dragged me over to the stand. Harry immediately grabbed a dragon stuffed animal and I grabbed a teddy bear.
" Those are great choices, dearies. Do you know what type of dragon that is, Harry?" Harry shook his head, " I didn't know there were different types of dragons . . . wait, are dragons real?"
" Yes, they are indeed real. Now, I'm no dragon expert, but I believe that's a Chinese Fireball." Harry smiled, " Cool, I'd love to see a dragon! That sounds so cool!"
" I don't think I'd like to see one," I giggled. " Sounds too scary! I'd rather see a real bear than a dragon."
" Well, I've seen a real dragon before. Of course not up close, but when I went to Romania with my family when I was a little we saw some dragons. I think one we saw was called a Romanian Ironbeli. Very interesting creatures. Our gatekeeper at Hogwarts has quite the obsession with them. He has wanted one for years, but Albus has refused." Harry hung onto every word she spoke. I think his liking for dragons might turn into an obbsession as well. " Well, give them here. Let me pay for them with the clothes." She plucked the stuffed animals out of our arms.
" All done, Madam Pomfrey?" The cashier asked Poppy. " And what are your names? I didn't know you had children, Madam Pomfrey."
" Yes, I'm done Ms. Patterson. And these aren't my children, I'm just babysitting for the day. I do have a daughter, though." Poppy informed Ms. Patterson.
" Ah, and what are your names, children?" She looked down at us with her kind face. I remembered what Severus told us earlier about our names. Before Harry could answer I quickly replied.
" My name is Andromeda Prince and his name Harold Prince." I told the lady smiling nervously at me. The realization dawned on Poppy's face why I changed our names and she nodded at me, telling me that I did good.
" Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Andromeda, dear. And you, too, Harold. Have a nice day, Madam Pomfrey."
" You as well Ms. Patterson. Good day." We shuffled out of the shop as Poppy got the bags from Ms. Patterson. " Well, let's go to Flourish and Blotts. I need to grab a book and you two can get some books as well. Well actually we needn't be buying you any books. There are plenty in the library at school for you to borrow." I nodded along with what she was saying like I understood. We walked back down the crowded alley to a wonderful book shop. It was filled to the top with piles of books. Poppy led us to a back corner, it was the children's section. She told us to sit down and read a book and she would come back to retrieve us in a couple of minutes.
I looked around for a moment and then grabbed a book called The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I opened it up and found a story, Rabbity Babbity and the Cackling Stump. As I read Harry played with his stuffed animal. Mine sat with me in my lap, reading the story with me.
A man and a boy they looked our age walked up to the children's area, " Wait here, Draco. I will return before the hour is over." The tall man stalked off leaving his son here with us. I tried to ignore him, but he kept muttering angrily under his breath.
" Are you alright?" I asked the boy with platinum blonde hair. He looked up at me and scoffed.
" Being nosy, aren't we? Mind your own business." He looked me up and down. " You look like a mudblood. Why are you dressed in those awful clothes and not robes?"
" What's a mudblood?" I asked him and I don't that it's something pleasant.
" Ha! You probably are a mudblood. A mudblood is someone who has nonmagically parents. Dirty blood, a disgrace to wizards. And you by the looks of it are." He laughed at us condescendingly.
" Our parents have magic. So we aren't whatever name you're calling us. I don't see what's so bad about our clothes anyway. Your clothes look funny, if anything." I told him coolly mimicking Severus' composure around his colleagues. The boy looked shocked.
" What's your family name?" The boy seemed to be letting down his guard, but I don't know if I like him. Harry answered for me, though.
" Our family name is Prince."
" I think I've heard that name before. I believe it's a pureblood family, correct?" Harry shrugged his shoulders. What's pureblood? " You don't know? Hmm . . . I wonder why. Well, what are your names? I'm Draco Malfoy." He held out his hand for Harry and he shook it, then to me.
"I'm Andromeda and this is Harold."