James returned pretty quickly, having changed into his favourite pair of jeans, and a collared shirt. He had grabbed his normal going out robes as he'd run out of his room. It wasn't everyday he got to spend a day in Diagon Alley with his favourite aunt and his best friend, and he didn't want to waste a moment.
When he finally got back downstairs, Sirius and Harrietta were already at the front door waiting for him.
"All finished prettying yourself up Prongs?" Sirius teased.
"It didn't take me too long Padfoot" James replied.
Harrietta looked from James to Sirius, and then back to James. "Do I want to understand your nicknames for each other? Or is it better not knowing?"
Sirius smiled his best innocent smile and said, "There's nothing to them Ms Potter, nothing to worry about"
Harrietta scoffed, "I don't believe that at all young Master Black" she said as she opened the door and playfully pushed the 2 young men out the door. "Keep a hold of those robes until we actually get there" she said, walking out the door, and closing it behind her. She pulled out her car keys, and opened the doors, "You can put them back on once we actually get into Diagon Alley"
"Yes Aunty" James and Sirius replied in chorus, as they sat down in the car.
It wasn't long until Harrietta had parked her car, and her and the 2 boys were on their way to Diagon Alley.
They walked into the Leaky Cauldron, and were soon stopped by Tom, the innkeeper.
"Hello Harrietta" he said warmly, "Haven't seen you around these parts for quite some time"
"Hello Tom" Harrietta replied "I haven't had time to do much in the last few years"
"I see you've got your young nephew with you" Tom said motioning towards James, "But I don't recognise his other young friend" he said pointing towards Sirius.
Sirius stepped forward, and thrust out his hand, "Sirius Black" he said. Tom's face went numb, and he sort of fumbled Sirius' hand in a quick shake. He then mumbled something about restocking some shelves, and he walked away.
"Odd fellow" James remarked as they proceeded on. Sirius just looked down at the floor, as if he was ashamed of something. James wasn't sure what was wrong with his friend, but he figured he'd cheer up as they went on into Diagon Alley.
Harrietta walked in front of the 2 boys, and tapped on the wall 3 times, while James and Sirius were putting on their robes.
The wall opened up, and James could see through to Diagon Alley. James hadn't been to Diagon Alley when it wasn't a busy day and it was the lack of people that he noticed first. He knew that most wizarding families only brought their children there during the few weeks before the start of term, but he was still expecting there to be more people. The place seemed awfully quiet, though he suspected it was because this time there wasn't the barrage of kids running throughout the streets.
"Now I know you two are used to this place" Harrietta said as they walked through the opening of the wall, "But I still don't want either of you out of my sight"
"But Mum and Dad let us go off together" James complained, "Don't you trust us" James pouted, while trying to look at his aunt with what he called 'puppy dog eyes'.
Harrietta laughed at the blatant attempt to guilt her into changing her mind. "James, you will learn that there are more dangerous things than 2 fifteen year old wizards"
"Your Aunt is right James," Sirius admitted with a bit of spite in his voice. Harrietta nodded her head at Sirius, and started to walk off towards Gringotts Wizarding bank. As soon as she was far enough away, Sirius added, "Besides, who wouldn't want to be seen around with your Aunt"
James simply shook his head at Sirius and followed his Aunt.
After they had withdrawn enough money for the days shopping, they went off towards the busier part of Diagon Alley. James had noticed that Harrietta hadn't withdrawn enough money to buy a broomstick. He knew that his mother had said that he had to wait until his OWL results were out, to see if they were worthy of a new broomstick, nonetheless he's been hoping that Harrietta would buy him one anyway.
Their first point of call was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Harrietta was looking for new dress robes, as she said hers were old and out of fashion. This meant that James and Sirius had to sit down and watch her change into and out of different robes. James didn't find this very interesting, but as expected, Sirius was quite pleased with it.
After finally settling on a set of silver robes with Maron trimmings, they went off towards the Apothecary.
"Oh" James said on entering the shop. "Can we not spend so much time in here?" He asked. Harrietta just laughed and went off in search for the ingredients she needed. No matter how many times James came into the Apothecary, he would never get used to the foul stench so many potion ingredients gave off. All together it was worse than a dungbomb.
Sirius had started to look around the shop while James had been complaining. James soon found him near the Lizard brains, and Dragon gizzards.
"Imagine what we could make with some of these ingredients" Sirius once he'd noticed James.
"What are you thinking oh wondrous Padfoot?"
"Hmm…" Sirius said pretending to think, "Pranks for Snivellous"
James grinned at Sirius in agreement, and then remembered the promise he's made his Aunt. "Though its getting a little boring constantly pranking him"
Sirius looked horrified. "Boring?" he asked, "How is it boring?"
"Well" James said slowly, "I think we should endeavour to use our skills for profit instead..."
Sirius looked at James slyly, "What are you thinking Prongs?"
James hadn't actually had a plan, he just wanted to keep his promise to Harrietta, without looking bad in front of Sirius. So James was left in the conundrum, of having to think of a way to profit from their skills.
"We could rent out ourselves…" James said.
Sirius looked at James with much amusement, "I'm not sure Lily would buy you mate" he laughed.
James cursed Sirius under his breath, "That's not what I mean" he said crossly, hating the way that everything he said eventually referred back to Lily, "I mean rent us out for tutoring"
"That's pretty boring Prongs, I expected better of you" Sirius said shaking his head sadly, his eyes then lit up as he started to tell James what he'd been thinking "I was thinking of us as protectors, or "Paid Pranksters", where people pay us to do nasty tricks on people"
"We could still hire us out as tutors, Moony would like that" James replied, nodding his head while smiling at Sirius' ideas, "That way he'd be more likely to help us with the other side of the business"
"Ahh… A business….." Sirius said realising the extent of James' plan, "That's brilliant!" he exclaimed, "And that way we can make some extra pocket money!"
"Do I want to know what you two are planning?" Harrietta asked coming up behind them.
Sirius and James turned around quickly, and pulled on their most innocent of faces. "We're just discussing some things we learnt in potions class" Sirius said innocently.
Harrietta eyed Sirius suspiciously, and laughed out loud as they both continued to smile at her innocently. "I don't like it when you 2 smile like that; it makes me wonder what you've been up too"
"But Aunty Harrietta" James said pretending to be insulted, "Have we ever done anything that makes you suspicious of us?"
"You're breathing aren't you?" Harrietta laughed.
James and Sirius both nodded their heads, "Than you're up to something"
James and Sirius started to laugh. "You know us well" Sirius remarked but didn't elaberate.
Once Harrietta payed for what she wanted, they went on to Flourish and Blotts. There James and Sirius walked around and looked at the books, while Harrietta searched for what she needed.
"Look at this" said Sirius.
James walked over to find Sirius holding a book called, "The fall of Grindelwald" by Marcus Salemander.
"Wasn't he the one who tried to make Muggle hunting legal?" James asked not thinking it as exciting as Sirius.
"No" Sirius replied quickly, "That was a Black, this guy was the one who tried to take over the world"
"Oh then" said James a little more interested, "Didn't Dumbledore have a lot to do with that?"
"Yes" said Harrietta again coming up behind the boys. "You might do well to read that book" she said rather mysteriously James thought, "It might be helpful in getting you 2 to focus more on your studies"
"I focus on my studies" James said insulted.
Sirius snickered, "Yes, the study of Lily Evans, and how to date her"
James slapped Sirius on the arm warningly.
"Lily Evans hey James?" Harrietta teased, "Is that the name of your girlfriend?"
"NO" James replied quickly.
"It's the name of the girl he's infatuated with" Sirius supplied Harrietta, once he'd moved further away from James.
"Sirius!" James said angrily, "Don't!"
Harrietta laughed at the way James was going red. "It's all right James," she said kindly, "I won't tell your parents, your Dad would have a field day with this"
"Thank you Aunty" said James still giving Sirius death stares. Sirius had moved behind Harrietta, so that she was between him and James.
"Any where else you boys would like to go?" Harrietta asked.
"Quidditch Supplies" James said with eyes lit up with joy.
Harrietta sighed, "You're just like your father"