Sorry this took so long- enjoy!
Chapter 15- Shopping
"Where are we going again?" Ron asked from the back seat of the car, where he sat next to Harry. Hermione, Daphne and Luke were squashed into the seat in front of them, and Mr and Mrs Granger were sat in the front of the car, Joanne driving. It was Christmas Eve Eve, and everyone seemed to know where they were going, everyone apart from Ron, that is. "The shopping centre." Harry replied for what must have been the twentieth time. Ron nodded. "Right. And what exactly is a shopping centre?" He asked, for what must have been the thirtieth time. Harry gritted his teeth to prevent himself from crying out loud and clenched his fists to stop himself from strangling his best friend. Noticing his distress, Hermione turned around in her seat and shot Ron an angry look. "Take no notice of him Harry. He knows what a shopping centre is." She said. Harry shot a suspicious look over at Ron, who just grinned and looked out of the window. "Here we are!" Joanne said happily as she turned the car into a large multi-storey car park. She directed the car into the nearest space and turned off the engine. They took a while to get out of the car- Daphne couldn't find her purse and wouldn't leave until Luke managed to find it. When it was recovered, the group of seven made their way over to the shop entrance- they were on the ground floor, so had no need to go up or down any steps. The shopping centre was brightly lit, and decorated with stings of tinsel and giant bells I shades of red, gold and green. Daphne's face visibly lit up as she observed the decorations. "I love Christmas!" She said happily. Ron waved a hand dismissively. "This is nothing." He said, nodding towards the elaborately decorated Christmas tree, next to which stood a group of about twelve carol singers, belting out their harmonised version of 'Good King Wenceles'. Harry fell into step with Daphne and Ron. "He's right you know." He said. "Now, at ze palace of Beuxbatons, zay 'ave wood nymphs 'oo serenade zem 'as zay eat at Christmas time." Ron and Hermione started laughing at Harry's very accurate impression of Fleur Delacour, while Luke and Daphne simply watched them laugh bemusedly. "Right you lot, stand to attention." Ben said, stopping underneath a large ornate clock decorated with holly. "We'll meet you back here at half past twelve for lunch, OK? Make sure you're here, or you go hungry. Understood?" He said sternly. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Daphne and Luke nodded. Joanne smiled. "Good. Off you go then, and buy me something nice." She said with a wink as the five of them wandered off. Luke cleared his throat. "I'm meeting Mark and Craig at eleven, so I'll see you later." He said, not waiting for an answer before hurrying off. Daphne rolled her eyes. "Oh what a shame he couldn't stay with us." She said sarcastically. Hermione laughed as she directed them all into a Clinton's card shop. Ron frowned. "Why do we need cards?" He asked curiously, looking around the shop. Hermione smiled. "Christmas cards. It's a Muggle tradition. Don't worry- you don't have to get any. I just need one for my mum and dad." She said as she looked over one of the many card displays. Ron shrugged and he and Harry wandered off to the back of the store, where the noisy cards were. They spent the next ten minutes listening to all the cards they could, Ron laughing loudly at every one of them. Finally Daphne came to drag them away and the four of them left the shop and they separated to buy presents. Luckily for Ron, he had got most of the presents he needed previously on Hogsmeade visits, and so he didn't have to worry about Muggle money too much. However, he still needed to get presents for his dad and for Hemione. Harry needed presents for Hermione, Sirius, Remus and Dumbledore, even though he had never bought the headmaster a present before. Ron bought his Dad a fake mobile phone that made funny sounds when you pressed the buttons, saying to Harry that it would keep him amused for hours. His Mum had sent Ron some Muggle money, and though he had a little trouble with using it, Harry was there to help. After buying Mr Weasley's present they went into a joke shop, were they found the perfect presents for Remus and Sirius- a book of monster jokes for Remus that had a picture of a werewolf doing a stand-up comedy act on the front cover, and Muggle 'magic' set for Sirius- 'Amaze your friends and remember- the hand is quicker than the eye!' Harry also bought Sirius a packet of dog biscuits from the pet shop opposite. While in there they also bought a food bowl and a basket for Daphne's kitten. Then they had them wrapped up by some people at a stall in the middle of the shopping centre so that Daphne wouldn't know what they had bought. The two of them bumped into Hermione and Daphne outside a shop called 'H Samuels', where they were looking at displays of diamond necklaces and crystal figurines. They hurried away quickly- not wanting the boys to see what they had bought so far. Harry and Ron went into H Samuels and put their money together to buy Hermione a gold necklace with a small 'H' on it. Once that was done, they went to a shop called the 'Sock Shop', which was appropriately named seeing as though it was stocked full of socks. Harry soon found a pair he liked- they were bright green, but had pink, orange, blue and purple stripes. Harry bought them and he and Ron made their way over to the clock in the centre of the complex to meet Joanne and Ben. Everyone apart from Luke was already there, but Joanne said that he had decided to go bowling wit his friends and would see them at home later, and so the six of them headed off to a restaurant called 'Pizza Hut'. Ron was all set to order an 'individual' size mushroom pizza, but Hermione stopped him and told him to order 'medium' instead. He did so, even though he thought she was mad. However, when the pizza came, he was proved wrong because it was barely bigger than what he would eat as a snack. He finished it off with no trouble, and then helped Ben when he couldn't manage his. Everyone else had ordered pasta dishes. They headed home after lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon wrapping presents and putting finishing touches to the Christmas decorations in the living room. Hermione's Grandmother was coming to lunch on Christmas day, and so obviously they wanted the house to look nice.
This chapter has an abrupt ending because it is cut in half with the next chapter. But I decided it would be far too long, so I just left it like this. Please r/r!
Chapter 15- Shopping
"Where are we going again?" Ron asked from the back seat of the car, where he sat next to Harry. Hermione, Daphne and Luke were squashed into the seat in front of them, and Mr and Mrs Granger were sat in the front of the car, Joanne driving. It was Christmas Eve Eve, and everyone seemed to know where they were going, everyone apart from Ron, that is. "The shopping centre." Harry replied for what must have been the twentieth time. Ron nodded. "Right. And what exactly is a shopping centre?" He asked, for what must have been the thirtieth time. Harry gritted his teeth to prevent himself from crying out loud and clenched his fists to stop himself from strangling his best friend. Noticing his distress, Hermione turned around in her seat and shot Ron an angry look. "Take no notice of him Harry. He knows what a shopping centre is." She said. Harry shot a suspicious look over at Ron, who just grinned and looked out of the window. "Here we are!" Joanne said happily as she turned the car into a large multi-storey car park. She directed the car into the nearest space and turned off the engine. They took a while to get out of the car- Daphne couldn't find her purse and wouldn't leave until Luke managed to find it. When it was recovered, the group of seven made their way over to the shop entrance- they were on the ground floor, so had no need to go up or down any steps. The shopping centre was brightly lit, and decorated with stings of tinsel and giant bells I shades of red, gold and green. Daphne's face visibly lit up as she observed the decorations. "I love Christmas!" She said happily. Ron waved a hand dismissively. "This is nothing." He said, nodding towards the elaborately decorated Christmas tree, next to which stood a group of about twelve carol singers, belting out their harmonised version of 'Good King Wenceles'. Harry fell into step with Daphne and Ron. "He's right you know." He said. "Now, at ze palace of Beuxbatons, zay 'ave wood nymphs 'oo serenade zem 'as zay eat at Christmas time." Ron and Hermione started laughing at Harry's very accurate impression of Fleur Delacour, while Luke and Daphne simply watched them laugh bemusedly. "Right you lot, stand to attention." Ben said, stopping underneath a large ornate clock decorated with holly. "We'll meet you back here at half past twelve for lunch, OK? Make sure you're here, or you go hungry. Understood?" He said sternly. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Daphne and Luke nodded. Joanne smiled. "Good. Off you go then, and buy me something nice." She said with a wink as the five of them wandered off. Luke cleared his throat. "I'm meeting Mark and Craig at eleven, so I'll see you later." He said, not waiting for an answer before hurrying off. Daphne rolled her eyes. "Oh what a shame he couldn't stay with us." She said sarcastically. Hermione laughed as she directed them all into a Clinton's card shop. Ron frowned. "Why do we need cards?" He asked curiously, looking around the shop. Hermione smiled. "Christmas cards. It's a Muggle tradition. Don't worry- you don't have to get any. I just need one for my mum and dad." She said as she looked over one of the many card displays. Ron shrugged and he and Harry wandered off to the back of the store, where the noisy cards were. They spent the next ten minutes listening to all the cards they could, Ron laughing loudly at every one of them. Finally Daphne came to drag them away and the four of them left the shop and they separated to buy presents. Luckily for Ron, he had got most of the presents he needed previously on Hogsmeade visits, and so he didn't have to worry about Muggle money too much. However, he still needed to get presents for his dad and for Hemione. Harry needed presents for Hermione, Sirius, Remus and Dumbledore, even though he had never bought the headmaster a present before. Ron bought his Dad a fake mobile phone that made funny sounds when you pressed the buttons, saying to Harry that it would keep him amused for hours. His Mum had sent Ron some Muggle money, and though he had a little trouble with using it, Harry was there to help. After buying Mr Weasley's present they went into a joke shop, were they found the perfect presents for Remus and Sirius- a book of monster jokes for Remus that had a picture of a werewolf doing a stand-up comedy act on the front cover, and Muggle 'magic' set for Sirius- 'Amaze your friends and remember- the hand is quicker than the eye!' Harry also bought Sirius a packet of dog biscuits from the pet shop opposite. While in there they also bought a food bowl and a basket for Daphne's kitten. Then they had them wrapped up by some people at a stall in the middle of the shopping centre so that Daphne wouldn't know what they had bought. The two of them bumped into Hermione and Daphne outside a shop called 'H Samuels', where they were looking at displays of diamond necklaces and crystal figurines. They hurried away quickly- not wanting the boys to see what they had bought so far. Harry and Ron went into H Samuels and put their money together to buy Hermione a gold necklace with a small 'H' on it. Once that was done, they went to a shop called the 'Sock Shop', which was appropriately named seeing as though it was stocked full of socks. Harry soon found a pair he liked- they were bright green, but had pink, orange, blue and purple stripes. Harry bought them and he and Ron made their way over to the clock in the centre of the complex to meet Joanne and Ben. Everyone apart from Luke was already there, but Joanne said that he had decided to go bowling wit his friends and would see them at home later, and so the six of them headed off to a restaurant called 'Pizza Hut'. Ron was all set to order an 'individual' size mushroom pizza, but Hermione stopped him and told him to order 'medium' instead. He did so, even though he thought she was mad. However, when the pizza came, he was proved wrong because it was barely bigger than what he would eat as a snack. He finished it off with no trouble, and then helped Ben when he couldn't manage his. Everyone else had ordered pasta dishes. They headed home after lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon wrapping presents and putting finishing touches to the Christmas decorations in the living room. Hermione's Grandmother was coming to lunch on Christmas day, and so obviously they wanted the house to look nice.
This chapter has an abrupt ending because it is cut in half with the next chapter. But I decided it would be far too long, so I just left it like this. Please r/r!