Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OCs (Katherine, Septimus, Helena, Christoph, Elisa, Henry, Nick and any name you don't recognize, and isn't from the HP universe) are entirely my own.
Chapter 22: Christmas Shopping Chaos
For two weeks, Severus couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong, but he tried as best as he could to push that feeling aside. It was, at least, a bit easier considering that a cry would wake both Katherine and himself about every two to three hours during the middle of the night. To tell the truth, he hadn't felt this tired in almost seven months.
The snow fell heavily around the small town of Amadahy, only a day before Septimus' return. That Saturday marked Serenity's first outing into the big world. Severus and Katherine flooed into Olsen's Apothecary, to avoid the Christmas shopping crowd, then proceed to the many variety of shops that the wizarding village had to offer.
Katherine dug into her pocket, after handing Severus Serenity in her carrier. They had placed a warming charm along with a weather proofing charm on the baby's carrier so the snow couldn't fall onto the blankets and soak them.
"Well, we might as well start at Quiner's," Katherine said, looking over the Christmas list that she had created the night before. "All three boys are on the list for there."
"Does Septimus really need any more Quidditch supplies?" Severus asked, as they began weaving their way through the crowded street.
"I noticed that his Broomstick Servicing Kit was getting low on supplies during the summer," Katherine said as they stopped before a small shop with a broomstick hanging above the door. "Plus all three boys could use new gloves."
The small shop was packed with parents, pushing and shoving to get as close as they could to the front counter. Severus growled as he was bumped into slightly. The small movement caused Serenity to whimper quietly, and Severus quickly whipped out his wand and placed a barrier around himself and the carrier to prevent it from happening again.
"What in Merlin's sakes is the matter with these people?" Severus snarled, as he followed Katherine as best as he could.
"No idea," Katherine muttered, before a woman to her left tried to push her out of the way in order to reach the front.
"OI! WATCH IT!" Katherine snarled at the shorter brunette woman, with a turned up nose. The brunette crept back quickly at the sight of the tall, blonde, angry witch, then disappeared back into the sea of people. "What is going on here?"
"The new Firebolt II is being release two days before Christmas," a portly man beside Severus told them, as he was being staggered back and forth by the crowd.
"But it is only the nineteenth," Severus snarled, as stout woman dragging a small, whining child, pushed by him.
"This is for the reservation of one," the wizard said. "There are only hundred being sold in the US. Quiner's only getting two."
"TWO!" Katherine said in shock, her eyes widened. Severus knew that look, and he knew it would only be a matter of seconds before...
"Katherine!" Severus shouted after her, as his wife began pushing her way through the crowd. "Katherine! Wait!" Severus pressed forward, and managed to catch Katherine by the arm before she got too far.
"Severus! Let go!" Katherine growled lightly, as she tried to pry her wrist from Severus' grip.
"The boy doesn't need a new broom," Severus stated, as he tried to hang onto both Katherine and Serenity's carrier at the same time.
"I know that," Katherine hissed, as she continued to try to break free.
"Then why are you rushing in there like a madwoman," Severus hissed back, as he accidentally jostled Serenity. A soft cry came from the carrier, causing both Severus and Katherine to still instantly.
"Oh sweet pea," Katherine sighed, as Severus dropped her wrist. She quickly moved to the carrier, and carefully plucked the baby girl from within. "Shh...it's alright." Severus sighed, berating himself for his quick temper due to lack of sleep in the past couple weeks. As if someone had cast a silencing charm around them, Severus somehow managed to block out the chaos surrounding them and could only see and hear his wife and daughter before him.
"Katherine," Severus said quietly. "Forgive me. I just don't want to see the boy spoiled is all."
"I'm not trying to spoil him Sev," Katherine sighed softly, as she soothed Serenity in her arms. "I'm just trying to give him things that we didn't have at that age. I wanted him to have a better time growing up than what we had. Can you truly tell me that is what you saw this summer? A spoiled child?"
"I can't say that I had," Severus muttered only loud enough for Katherine to hear. He stood still for a moment, his dark brow furrow in thought. "Stay with Serenity," he said, handing Katherine the carrier.
"Sev? What?" Katherine started, but it was too late. The blonde witch stood dumbfounded as she watched her husband disappear into the crowd of crazed parents.
"Good morning everyone!" a loud, deep voice boomed over the heads of the large crowd that inhabited the shop. Quentin Quiner, a tall and lanky man, had perched himself upon the front counter so he could see out over the group.
"As most of you know, we are taking the reservation today for two brand new Firebolt II's. There are only one hundred being sold in the U.S. due to the government regulations that are still banning the sale of European items. They have however allowed us to sell a hundred of these wonderful new racing brooms.
"These brooms are being hailed as the lightest and the fastest model that has ever been made in the world! Since we only have two to sell, we will handling the reservations this way. For everyone who walked through the door, a piece of paper with their family name appeared in the enchanted bin behind me," Quiner paused, and gestured to the large round bin behind the counter.
"My wife, Gladys, will draw two slips from the bin, and they shall be the recipients of these two fine brooms," Quiner continued, signaling his wife to begin picking the first name. "Good luck to everyone, and here we go." Gladys reached down into the large bin and pulled out the first slip of paper. She then handed it up to Quentin so he could read the fist name.
"The first broom goes to..." Quiner shouted. "The Michael Kurtow family." The stout woman that had been pulling the small child along with her earlier, squealed with delight as she pushed her way to the front counter to pay and receive her broom.
"Congratulations Mrs. Kurtow," Quiner smiled wryly at the overly excited witch. "The second broom goes to..." Quiner continued, as he took the second slip from his wife.
"The Steven Nettlebeck family," Quiner shouted as he held up the second slip in his hand. A short, thin man, who gave no expression of excitement, wound his way through the crowd slowly until he reached the front counter.
"Thank you everyone!" Quiner continued. "If I shall receive anymore brooms in the next few weeks, I will post an ad in the Amadahy Weekly Newsletter. Happy Holidays!"
As the crowd began to disperse, Katherine found Severus wandering slowly back to where she stood.
"It was a fair system of handling it," Severus said, but was still frowning.
"Indeed," Katherine said, giving him a small smile as she placed a now quieted Serenity back into her carrier. "Shall we continue with our shopping."
"I suppose," Severus mumbled, as he picked up the baby's carrier and began following Katherine toward the Servicing Kits, until a voice in the crowd stopped them.
"Katherine! Severus!" Quiner called out to them, as he pushed is way through the sea of customers.
"Hello Quentin," Katherine said, reaching out to shake the wizard's hand. "Happy Holidays."
"Happy Holidays," Quiner smiled, as he shook her hand, then reached out again to shake Severus'. "Shopping for the boys' Christmas' gifts?"
"Indeed," Severus said, shaking Quiner's hand.
"And this must be the little one I heard about from Christoph," Quiner said, stepping closer to the carrier to get a better look.
"Yes it is," Katherine smiled at the little girl. Serenity was wide awake, staring up at the tall shopkeeper with her big ice blue eyes.
"Eyes just like her mother," Quiner said, grinning down at the baby. "What's her name?"
"Serenity," Severus said, as he quickly side stepped the stout woman once again.
"Don't hear that name too often in the wizarding world anymore," Quiner said, as he too side stepped the stout woman. "But it seems to fit her well."
"She's a very good baby," Katherine said. "As quiet as her brother was at that age. Rarely ever cries except when she's hungry or dirty."
"Or when being jostled about," Severus snarled lightly, as he side stepped yet another customer that tried to bowl the small group over.
"Understandable," Quiner said, shaking his head at the chaos surrounding them. "Why don't you two follow me into the back, away from all this nonsense. We'll get your items from the storeroom."
"That would be wonderful Quentin, thank you," Katherine sighed, as Quiner gestured them to follow him into the back room. The three wove their way through the madness, until they reached a small door at the back of the shop. As Quiner lead them through, and shut the door behind them, the insanity of the customers was complete left behind.
The back storeroom was filled with large wooden shelves that stretched from floor to ceiling, and were brimming with boxes of supplies. Boxes marked with all sorts of labels from all over the world. Bludgers, whose heavy steel boxes were chained up, and snitches that were presented in their own private glass cased boxes. Brooms, that were separated by their origins.
"Well, what can I get for you today?" Quiner asked, as he lead them deeper into the storeroom.
"Umm..." Katherine murmured, as she pulled her list back out. "All three boys are in need of self sizing Quidditch gloves."
"Alright," Quiner muttered, as he summoned three pairs of the charmed gloves. "Anything else?"
"Septimus needs a new Broom Servicing Kit," Katherine said, as Severus walked along quietly beside her, observing the shelves around him.
"Okay," Quiner said, summoning the kit as well. "Anything else? Practice snitches? Weather goggles? A new broom?"
"A rather ridiculous question isn't it?" Severus muttered, raising an eyebrow in Quiner's direction. "A new broom," he scoffed.
"Sev," Katherine chuckled lightly. "Quentin, Septimus already has a Firebolt. Are you starting to forget the older you get? You sold it to me for his birthday not more than four years ago when they first came out."
"No, I remember selling you that broom quite well," Quiner smiled, turning back towards them. "You bought it with the intentions of showing him how to fly it before school started. And I think it has lasted him well enough over the last four and a half years, but maybe it's time for a new one."
"But like Katherine said," Severus stated, frowning at the shopkeeper in confusion. "The boy already has a Firebolt."
"I wasn't talking about the original Firebolt," Quiner smirked. "I was talking about the new Firebolt II."
"Quentin?" Katherine frowned. "Have you gone mad? You just sold the only two Firebolt IIs that you had."
"Correction," Quiner smirked, as he rocked on his heels. "The only Firebolt IIs that the rest of the customers believed I had."
"What?" Severus and Katherine said together.
"What?" Quiner shrugged. "You didn't think that I would let my best customer down, did you? I knew that you two would come in for Christmas presents sooner or later, and I knew that I wanted to see Septimus on that broom. So I made a deal with Everett Engel from Engel's Broom Emporium and he agreed to trade one of his Firebolt II with me.
"Of course, when the third addition of the broom comes out," Quiner continued. "I will have to give one of mine to him. But I think that this is worth it. Your son is worth it. That boy is going to take the wizarding world by storm. No matter what he decides to do with his life.
"And if he is drafted onto one of the National Teams, with a broom like that, he'll blow away the competition. And not just here in the U.S., but all around the world." Quiner turned from them again, and summoned a long narrow box into his awaiting hands. The shopkeeper twisted back around and handed the box to Katherine.
Katherine attentively ran a gentle hand over the black box's gold embossed letters, before popping the top to look inside. There, within the depths of the black box, laid a brand new, mahogany handled broom, pillowed on a bed a black velvet. Firebolt II, written in gold, glistened on the dark wood of the handle.
"Quentin," Katherine muttered. "I don't know what to say."
"All I have to say," Quiner said, smiling at the looks on both Severus and Katherine's faces. "Is that we don't usually get that type of talent out of these neck of the woods. Plus, I'd rather see it go to a local instead of someone from out of state. The woman that got the first broom I've never even seen before. And Nettlebeck looks like one that will have his on the black market in no time; selling it for triple than what he paid for it."
The rest of their shopping trip had gone by uneventfully. To Severus' surprise, they had finished rather early, and decided on a quick late lunch at the cafe near the lake. The small cafe held only a few customers, since it was well past the normal lunch hour. Severus groaned inwardly. He knew what that meant. The less customers in the establishment, meant...
"Oh! Look at the cute little one!" a voice squealed with sickened delight, that made Severus cringe. The moment they had set foot into the cafe, Julie Byrd, the owner, had nearly jumped over the counter and had almost ran over an elderly witch just to get to them.
"Hello there you cutesy wotesy wo," Julie babbled down at Serenity, causing Severus to cringe even more. The infernal woman reminded him of a sickening cross between one Delores Umbridge and a woman from a Muggle book that Lily had once read to him; Mrs. Charlotte Jennings Palmer from Sense and Sensiblity.
"Oh! She's got the cutest widdle eyes and nosey!" Julie babbled on, as Serenity was now awake again, and staring wide-eyed at the gibberish talking witch.
"Katherine," Severus growled softly.
"Yes," Katherine stated, placing a hand on his arm to calm him. "Julie?"
"Yes you are you..." Julie paused, as Katherine's voice snapped her out of the baby babbling trance. "Yes Katherine?"
"Do you mind if we sit down," Katherine asked, gesturing to herself and Severus. "It's been quite a long day, and Serenity needs to be fed."
"Oh! Of course, right this way," Julie beamed, and lead them to a corner table. "Can I get you something to drink? Milk for the wee one?"
"I have her milk Julie," Katherine said, as they sat down and place Serenity's carrier on the spare chair. "We'll have our Earl Gray. Hot, please."
"Be right back!" Julie said in a sickeningly sweet voice, before heading off the kitchen to retrieve their drinks.
"I detest that woman," Severus snarled as he picked Serenity up, out of her carrier and handed her to her mother.
"She means well Severus," Katherine sighed, as she took Serenity in her arms and summoned the bottle of milk from her bag.
"She may mean well," Severus snarled lightly again as he picked up his menu. "But I still cannot stand her. She's nosey, gossipy and completely indiscreet."
"You forgot noisy, love," Katherine said, causing Severus to look up at her, only to find a soft smile on her face.
"That too," Severus smirked, before returning to his menu.
A/N: Well, I'm back. Writing is going a bit slower than I hoped for, but I will try to get a chapter posted at least every week, if not every two. Chapter 23 will see the return of Septimus for Christmas vacation. Thank you everyone for your patience.
A big thank you to lexiloo124, Mira Severus Sirius Black-Snape, Missyick, RequiemWolfenstein87, AdaYuki & AccioSS for their wonderful reviews!
