"Come on Harry! What's keeping you? We're only going to Diagon Alley not Timbuktu or Outer Mongolia!" Tonks' not so dulcet tones reverberted around Hill House disturbing Jenny who was trying to sleep after a long and difficult night shift.
Eleanor came bustling out of the kitchen and scolded Tonks soundly but almost silently. "For Merlin's sake girl, have a bit of consideration. Jenny's only been in bed for an hour. Give her a chance to get to sleep please. She can't cast a silencing charm on her room and she flatly refuses to let me do it. Worries in case something happens and she doesn't hear it. Hah! As if I'm going to let anything happen at my time of life!"
"Or with your experience, eh Eleanor?" Said Tonks, giving Eleanor a conspiratorial wink. "Why just the other day Mad-Eye was telling me…" but Tonks didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Harry was walking down the stairs ready for their trip to Diagon Alley on the Knight Bus.
"I don't know why we can't just floo to The Leaky Cauldron, it's much quicker." Moaned Harry petulently, sounding much more like the teenager he was than he normally did.
"You know why, Harry. The network is still too risky, don't want to lose you again eh?" said Eleanor who was bustling around Harry à la Molly Weasley. Tonks was just standing at the foot of the stairs with her mouth open, plainly staring at Harry. It was a while before Harry realised what she was doing.
"What?" questioned Harry.
Tonks impersonated a goldfish some more. Harry checked his flies.
"Tonks, are you OK?"
Eleanor started giggling and that finally filtered through to Tonks brain where nothing else had. "Eh? Oh, sorry Harry. I was miles away. You ready to go then?" asked a rather red-faced Tonks.
"Oh, hang on. I nearly forgot my book list." With that Harry turned and ran back upstairs taking the steps two at a time.
"Eleanor! You could have warned me." Tonks was fuming at the older woman.
"Don't blame me. It was Jenny's doing not mine. I don't think Harry has a clue but I think our Ginny'll have to keep the competition away with a big stick…"
"…or her infamous bat bogey hex." Finished Tonks before adding with emphasis "He's gorgeous!"
"I suspect Albus knew that the phoenix tears would not only restore Harry's sight but correct it too but he was wary of building his hopes up in case it didn't work. Without those horrid glasses you can really see how beautiful his eyes are. I feel like I'm falling in them every time I look at him."
"I suppose the new hair cut and clothes don't exactly hurt much either. Jenny's influence again?" sighed Tonks.
"The pair of them were only out for a couple of hours. First thing was the hair cut and then Harry told Jenny what fun he'd had in the charity shops in Ramsgate so he dragged her to all the shops in town. That leather jacket he's wearing was only £10 and almost brand new. Don't know why he insisted on everything being black though. He says it's to make life easier but I think it's really for Ginny." Commented Eleanor, sagely.
"Does suit him though, what with the new hair cut he looks more like 20 than 16." Seeing Harry come back down the stairs, Tonks added "Are you sure you don't need anything while we are there Eleanor?"
"No thanks Tonks. Have fun you two!"
"Bye." Called Harry as, for only the second time since his arrest, he stepped out of Hill House through its front door.
Apology time again. Still health problems I'm afraid but I'm still writing like mad. Main problem is my 15 year old spending all his time on MSN Messenger chatting to his girlfriend as it leaves no time for poor old mum to get online.
Sorry Melinda, I know you don't like folks messing about with Harry's eyes... but it had to be done!