Harry smiled and looked down Diagon Alley. He thought of his first time
here. Peeking in all the shops, Harry recalled how odd everything had
seemed to him and how normal this must be to Allen.
"Penny for your thoughts, dear." Rachel, Harry's auburn haired wife, said
jokingly. "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, just my first time here, my years at Hogwarts, you know, all the good stuff."
"I noticed "the good stuff" didn't include me," Rachel joked, her bright, clear green eyes flashing playfully.
"Yeah well, I meant all the good stuff from school," Harry covered and leaned over to give his wife a peck on the cheek.
Just then, Allen and Cameron walked up.
"Eww! Mom, Dad! Stop! In public, too!" cried Allen, disgusted.
Cameron was torn between laughter and revulsion. Hurriedly trying to change the subject, he said, "We found Chris and his family. Mum, Dad, and them are waiting in Flourish and Blotts."
"Thanks, Cam. Let's go," Harry said.
The four walked down the street passed assorted shops to the bookstore. As they walked in the door, Hermione ran over to greet Harry and Rachel. Her hair was still rather bushy, but it was less noticeable as Hermione now wore it cut around her shoulders.
"Harry, Rachel! How wonderful it is to see you again."
"It's great to see you too, 'Mione. Where's Viktor?" Harry asked.
"Oh, well, he couldn't come."
"That's okay," Rachel said, "You can spend the day with us. Has Christopher got all his things?"
"Yes, And Ron said Cameron has his things, too."
"Great! Well, since Allen is all set, why don't we all go get lunch? Allen, you run off with Cam and Chris. We'll see you later," Harry said.
Allen nodded to his father and the three boys' parents left the shop.
"So," Allen started, "we've got the afternoon to ourselves. What do you guys wanna. do.?" He trailed off. Just then a slender, blond girl in a pale blue dress walked into Flourish and Blotts. Cameron turned to see what had caught Allen's attention and, upon seeing the beautiful elfish features of the girl, stared too. Christopher, still oblivious to the charms of any girl, twisted around but ended up confused at what transfixed his friends.
"She's beautiful," Cam sighed.
"What are you talking about? She's gorgeous, stunning! And look! She likes, um, books! Just like me!" Allen exclaimed.
"Ha! What a great relationship!" Cam scoffed. "You both 'like books'. You're so obviously meant to be."
Across the store, unaware she was being admired, Tatiana flipped through the pages of a volume of poems. One in particular caught her eye.
"After Love," Tatiana read. "What a curious and sad thought. What is after love?"
"What's that, dear?" her mother asked.
"Oh! Just a, uh, poem, Mama," Tatiana faltered, unaware she had been thinking aloud.
"Alright then. Oh here's your father. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes. I'm ready."
Nicholas strolled over to his daughter and swung her up into the air. "So, mouse, ready to head home?"
Tatiana nodded and, after being set back down, skipped happily towards the door. She turned around for a minute to call back to her parents when she ran right into something and fell down.
"Ow!" she said, rubbing her knee. Looking up, she found a pair of startlingly green eyes staring down at her. For a moment, the young Russian was lost in the clarity of the boy's eyes and the attractive masculine, yet subtly delicate, features of his face. Then, regaining composure and pride, Tatiana stood up and haughtily dusted herself off.
"You ought to watch just where you're walking! I could have been hurt!" she cried indignantly. With that, she marched out of the bookstore without another glance back.
"How rude can you get?!" shouted Allen. "First she runs into me, and then she blames it on me and publicly humiliates me?"
"I think her pride was just hurt," reasoned Cameron. "I don't think she's rude."
"That's just because you think she's pretty!" exclaimed Allen hotly.
"So do you!" countered Cam.
Allen huffed, turned on his heel and left.
"What's the big deal? I mean, it's just some girl running into him by accident," said Christopher, bewildered.
Cameron gave him a funny look, laughed, and followed after Allen.
"Oh, just my first time here, my years at Hogwarts, you know, all the good stuff."
"I noticed "the good stuff" didn't include me," Rachel joked, her bright, clear green eyes flashing playfully.
"Yeah well, I meant all the good stuff from school," Harry covered and leaned over to give his wife a peck on the cheek.
Just then, Allen and Cameron walked up.
"Eww! Mom, Dad! Stop! In public, too!" cried Allen, disgusted.
Cameron was torn between laughter and revulsion. Hurriedly trying to change the subject, he said, "We found Chris and his family. Mum, Dad, and them are waiting in Flourish and Blotts."
"Thanks, Cam. Let's go," Harry said.
The four walked down the street passed assorted shops to the bookstore. As they walked in the door, Hermione ran over to greet Harry and Rachel. Her hair was still rather bushy, but it was less noticeable as Hermione now wore it cut around her shoulders.
"Harry, Rachel! How wonderful it is to see you again."
"It's great to see you too, 'Mione. Where's Viktor?" Harry asked.
"Oh, well, he couldn't come."
"That's okay," Rachel said, "You can spend the day with us. Has Christopher got all his things?"
"Yes, And Ron said Cameron has his things, too."
"Great! Well, since Allen is all set, why don't we all go get lunch? Allen, you run off with Cam and Chris. We'll see you later," Harry said.
Allen nodded to his father and the three boys' parents left the shop.
"So," Allen started, "we've got the afternoon to ourselves. What do you guys wanna. do.?" He trailed off. Just then a slender, blond girl in a pale blue dress walked into Flourish and Blotts. Cameron turned to see what had caught Allen's attention and, upon seeing the beautiful elfish features of the girl, stared too. Christopher, still oblivious to the charms of any girl, twisted around but ended up confused at what transfixed his friends.
"She's beautiful," Cam sighed.
"What are you talking about? She's gorgeous, stunning! And look! She likes, um, books! Just like me!" Allen exclaimed.
"Ha! What a great relationship!" Cam scoffed. "You both 'like books'. You're so obviously meant to be."
Across the store, unaware she was being admired, Tatiana flipped through the pages of a volume of poems. One in particular caught her eye.
"After Love," Tatiana read. "What a curious and sad thought. What is after love?"
"What's that, dear?" her mother asked.
"Oh! Just a, uh, poem, Mama," Tatiana faltered, unaware she had been thinking aloud.
"Alright then. Oh here's your father. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes. I'm ready."
Nicholas strolled over to his daughter and swung her up into the air. "So, mouse, ready to head home?"
Tatiana nodded and, after being set back down, skipped happily towards the door. She turned around for a minute to call back to her parents when she ran right into something and fell down.
"Ow!" she said, rubbing her knee. Looking up, she found a pair of startlingly green eyes staring down at her. For a moment, the young Russian was lost in the clarity of the boy's eyes and the attractive masculine, yet subtly delicate, features of his face. Then, regaining composure and pride, Tatiana stood up and haughtily dusted herself off.
"You ought to watch just where you're walking! I could have been hurt!" she cried indignantly. With that, she marched out of the bookstore without another glance back.
"How rude can you get?!" shouted Allen. "First she runs into me, and then she blames it on me and publicly humiliates me?"
"I think her pride was just hurt," reasoned Cameron. "I don't think she's rude."
"That's just because you think she's pretty!" exclaimed Allen hotly.
"So do you!" countered Cam.
Allen huffed, turned on his heel and left.
"What's the big deal? I mean, it's just some girl running into him by accident," said Christopher, bewildered.
Cameron gave him a funny look, laughed, and followed after Allen.
