Opening his eyes, Teddy stretched and smiled, patting his lips with his fingers, certain he could still feel them tingling. He glanced at his bedside clock, noting that it was much too early to be up on a Sunday and closed his eyes again, summoning the image of Kelly in his arms at the dance last night.
The colored lights glinted in her blonde hair, mingling with the magically-generated snowflakes as the DJ played a slow song to close out the dance. He relived the moment when she put her head on his shoulder, terrified that she would hear how fast his heart was beating. He'd felt like he was floating on air as they walked back to the car, her hand tight in his.
"Text me when you're parked, all right?" Harry said quietly as they said goodbye to him and Ginny. "I'll come get you."
He dropped Duncan and Alison off at Alison's house where Duncan would Apparate home from, experiencing a mild panic at what he would talk to Kelly about as he drove her carefully back to her own house.
"The dance tonight was really nice," she said quietly, fiddling with her corsage.
"Yeah, it was. The, uh, the snow was a nice touch."
"You've still got some in your hair." She reached over and brushed out some lingering snowflakes. Her fingers felt amazing. "So do you think you'll really find Coyote's den tomorrow?"
Teddy wrenched his thoughts away from her fingers in his hair and he blew out a long breath. "I sure do hope so. I promised I'd do it and he's right—time is getting short." He glanced over to Kelly in the passenger seat. "Are you sure you'll be able to come along?"
"Of course." She grinned at him in the dim light of the car interior, her expression reminiscent of when she was driving hard for the goal, Quaffle securely under her arm. "I might have used that excuse before."
A tingle of interest shot through him and he wondered what other situations she might have used her studying at a friend's story with. I'll have to ask Duncan if he's heard anything about her seeing anyone else. "Well, if you're sure."
"I'm sure. Besides, if you're going to do something cool, I want to be there." She gave him a wink and he nearly ran them off the road.
"Well, I don't know that it's going to be all that cool. I'm just hoping I don't totally piss Coyote off and get us all killed or turned into bugs or something," Teddy said once he'd regained control of the big car, hoping that she hadn't noticed his driving hiccup.
"Well, this is me," she said when he pulled up to the front of her house. The porch light was on and Teddy could see lights on inside.
"Looks like your dad is still up," he said, shutting off the engine.
"Yeah," Kelly said, rolling her eyes. She put her hand on the door handle and looked at him. "Well, um, thanks for going with me and driving. It's a really nice car."
"Oh! Yeah, hold on." Teddy quickly unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car, running around the front to open Kelly's door for her. "My lady," he said with a courtly bow, making her giggle. He took her hand and started to walk her to the door. Halfway there, she stopped, glancing at the large picture window.
"I had a really good time tonight," Kelly said, looking shyly up at him, the sea green of her eyes shimmering as Teddy enhanced his vision for the low light.
"I did, too," he said, feeling sweat break out on his forehead despite the cold December night.
"I can't wait to see our pictures."
"Oh, God. I'm going to look terrible," Teddy groaned. Despite his status as a Metamorphmagus, he had yet to take what he considered a truly good posed picture.
"You'll be fine," Kelly said, tapping him on the shoulder. They stood looking at each other and Teddy felt as if his heart would burst right out of his chest as she looked at him expectantly.
Oh God, she wants me to kiss her! he thought, eyes focusing on her slightly parted lips. He licked his own and slowly started leaning forward, closing his eyes as she overwhelmed his vision. He felt her lips brush his, surprised at the softness and he leaned in more, pressing his lips harder against hers, desperately trying to recall anything he'd ever heard or read about kissing.
Almost before he knew it, the kiss was over and they stood looking at each other in the street light, both breathing a little faster than normal. She squeezed his hands tightly and grinned up at him. "See you tomorrow," she said, letting go of his hands and disappearing quickly into her house.
Teddy had only the faintest memory of parking the car and texting Harry as he replayed the kiss over and over in his mind, startled at Harry's knock on the window. Embarrassed to be caught daydreaming, Teddy exited the car, trying to be subtle as he adjusted his robes.
"Kelly get home all right?" Harry asked with a knowing grin.
"Erm, yeah. Yeah, everything was … fine."
Looking supremely casual in his post-dance jeans and jumper, Harry crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the car. "Did she have a good time tonight?"
"Yeah. She said she did, anyway." Teddy shrugged, wishing he'd just Apparate them home already so he could continue to relive the kiss in the privacy of his own bedroom.
"All right." Harry straightened up and held his hand out to him and Teddy paused for a moment before taking it.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Do you … d'you remember your first kiss?" he asked in a rush, concentrating on keeping the flush of embarrassment away from his cheeks. Harry grinned and nodded, his own cheeks turning a bit pink. "What was it like?"
"Wet," he said, taking Teddy's hand and Apparating them home.
Wet? What in the world does that even mean? he thought, staring up at the ceiling. He heard James start to fuss and he got up to see what his problem was. He was standing up in his cot, chubby hands clutching the railing as he whimpered, eyes lighting up at the sight of Teddy.
"Oh, I know what that's about," Teddy said, picking up James and wrinkling his nose at the smell coming from his nappy. He quickly laid out a clean nappy and wipes on the changing table while balancing James on his hip. "You're going to have some competition here before too long," he said conversationally, expertly dodging the stream of urine the baby sent his way when he removed the soiled nappy. "Then you'll have to actually start doing stuff to get attention instead of just looking adorable."
In no time at all he had James clean and happy once more, Vanishing the evidence before wandering out into the lounge, baby on his hip and Stuart winding his body around his ankles. "Looks like we're on our own," he said when he saw that Harry and Ginny's door was still closed.
Setting James in his high chair, Teddy poured some Cheerios out onto the tray and went to grab his phone, checking for any messages from Duncan. A notoriously late sleeper, his phone was devoid of new messages from his best friend and he sighed, flopping down onto the sofa while James threw Cheerios for the cat to chase and bat around on the floor.
Bored, he turned on the telly and idly flipped through the channels. His mind turned to the plans they'd made after the encounter with Niyol on the Quidditch field. Both of the girls had repeated their insistence that they accompany them on their attempt to find Coyote's den and ask Him for a whisker.
"But how are we going to explain all four of us going somewhere together?" Duncan asked, leaning forward, elbows propped up on the metal bistro table.
Alison rolled her eyes and looked at Kelly. "We'll say we're going on a double date to the movies."
"Oh, I'll have to tell my parents that I'm going to your house to study," Kelly said, looking a bit sheepish. "My dad says I can't date until next year."
"But he let you come to the dance," Teddy said, confused.
"Yeah, because there are chaperones here." She shrugged, tracing a pattern on the metal tabletop. "Mom and Dad say the Junior year is the most important grade-wise when applying to college and they don't want me to be … distracted," she said, looking at Teddy with a brilliant smile. He found the thought that he could be someone's distraction very distracting.
"Okay, fine. You're studying at Alison's, then. What time should we say we're going to the movies?" Duncan asked, turning his attention to Teddy.
"Um, noon? You think you can be up by then, Dunk?"
"Yes, I can be up by then," Duncan said mockingly. "Okay, so we'll meet where at noon? The theater?"
"No, let's Floo over to Alison's and then head over to the Kabuki Eight from there since her place is the closest," Teddy said, nodding at a very excited-looking Alison.
"Well, some of us will Floo and some of us will Apparate like adults," Duncan said, causing Teddy to sigh in exasperation.
"Some of us will Apparate like adults," he said mockingly, sticking his tongue out at his best friend. "Is it all right if we meet at your house?" he asked Alison. He'd never met her parents and he wasn't sure how they would react to having all of them show up at the same time.
"It'll be fine. My brother always had people popping in and out before he left for college," she said with an airy wave of her hand. "I can't wait to actually meet the for real deal Coyote."
"Are you going to be okay flying?" Duncan asked, setting his hand on top of hers.
"I'll be fine," she said, ducking her head down and looking up at Duncan through her lashes, "as long as you're there." Teddy saw the unmistakable rush of blood to Duncan's face and wondered just when the pair had gotten so close. Looks like he doesn't tell me everything, he thought as Duncan leaned in close and said something to Alison that made her giggle.
"We're going back inside," Duncan said as he stood up. "You guys coming?"
Teddy opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by Kelly. "We'll be in in a minute," she said and Teddy itched to slap the smirk off his friend's face.
As they went in, he realized that he and Kelly were the only ones left outside and the trembling in his stomach started up again. "Can I get you anything? Any punch? I think they had some snacks inside …" he said, trailing off as she shook her head and smiled at him.
"I've been wanting to ask you something all night, but I didn't want to embarrass you," she said before pausing for a moment. Teddy focused on keeping his breathing steady and even, mind racing with what she could ask him that she thought might be embarrassing. Can't be any worse than a bird asking me if I'm a virgin.
"Um, ask away? I guess?" he said, wishing he had something in his hands.
"Are you, um, doing anything with your appearance right now?" she asked, surprising Teddy with how shy she sounded.
"Oh, um, no? I mean, I have a spot that I'm not letting show, but right now it's pretty much what you see is what you get." He ran his fingers through his hair, resisting the urge to lengthen it or change the color from his natural sandy brown. "Is that all right?"
Her smile widened, giving Teddy a very warm feeling as his heart sped up. "It's more than all right." She held her hand out to him and he stood, helping her out of her seat. "Come on, let's go back to the dance."
The sound of Harry and Ginny's door opening interrupted his reverie and he turned his head, smiling as Ginny tiptoed out, swathed in her favorite flannel robe. "Good morning," she said with a huge yawn as she sat down on the sofa next to him. "Thanks for getting James up."
"He was already up. You owe me big time."
Ginny patted his cheek, rubbing her fingertips against the slight stubble. "Looks like someone needs a bit of a shave."
Teddy concentrated for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "How about now?"
"God, if only I could do that for my legs." She stretched her arms high over her head and blew out a long breath. "Did you have fun at the dance last night?"
"Yeah, it was all right," Teddy said noncommittally.
"And you got everyone home safely?"
"Yes."
"And did anything else … interesting happen?"
Teddy felt the heat rise to his face, his lips tingling briefly at the memory of kissing Kelly. "Um, maybe?"
Ginny sighed happily, brown eyes bright. "I remember my first kiss," she said, leaning her head back against the sofa. "Michael Corner."
"Yeah? I thought Harry was your first kiss," Teddy said, interest sparked at the mention of this other boy.
"Oh, no. Nor was I his first kiss."
"I asked him about it last night and all he said was that it was wet."
Ginny chuckled and Teddy hoped she'd explain why Harry had said that, but he was disappointed as she looked at James in his high chair, banging his hands on the tray that was now empty of Cheerios. "Did he actually eat any?"
"Doesn't look like it," Teddy said, glancing at the floor. A wide circle of Cheerios spread out from James and the high chair. Stuart sat on the edge of the mess, diligently licking his paw and washing his ears.
"Well, he's probably hungry then. If you'll excuse me." She got up from the sofa and picked up her son, rubbing her nose against his as the baby chortled in her arms.
"Ginny," Teddy said as she started toward the nursery. "Me and Duncan were going to take the girls out to a movie around noon. Is that all right?"
"Oh, a double date. Should be fine. You need any money?"
"No, I have some cash," Teddy said, letting out a quiet breath of relief.
"All right. Don't stay out too late. Harry's doing a lasagna tonight." Ginny disappeared into the nursery with James and shut the door. Teddy fell over sideways on the sofa and picked up his phone, texting Duncan. First hurdle cleared. See you at noon.
"We have a complication," Duncan said as he wiped soot and Floo powder off of his jacket.
"What? Why didn't you Apparate?" Teddy asked, blasting his friend with a stream of air from his wand.
"You'll see." Duncan crossed his arms across his chest and turned around, scowling at the Williams's huge fireplace. A moment later, the flames turned green and Duncan's little sister, Katie, came tumbling out.
"You didn't," Teddy breathed quietly as Katie stood up and started industriously sweeping herself clean with a little whisk brush she pulled out of her cat-shaped purse.
"Mom and Dad insisted."
"What did you tell them we were going to see?"
"Um, that new Night at the Museum?" Duncan said with a wince.
"Are you serious? That's what you came up with?" Teddy groaned, thinking furiously.
"I drew a blank, man! That was the first one I could think of!"
"Hi Teddy," Katie said with a shy smile at him. Ever since their lunch together last week she'd been a constant presence at school. Teddy was certain she'd modified her usual route during passing periods just so she could wave at him in the halls.
"Hey, Katie," Teddy said, trying not to sound too irritated with her.
She pushed her glasses back up her nose after performing a thorough cleaning on them. "Thank you for asking me to go to the movie with you. I'm looking forward to it."
"Mm, yeah." He turned to Duncan who still looked cross at the presence of his little sister. "We'll go as soon as the girls come down, all right?"
Duncan glanced over at his sister who had wandered over to examine the group of family photos on a side table. "What are we going to do about …" he asked, cocking his head at Katie.
Teddy sighed and shook his head. "I'll figure something out."
A few minutes later they'd said goodbye to Alison's parents and headed out the door, Katie chattering to Teddy about her latest exploits in the Wizard's chess club. Alison and Kelly had been surprised to see Katie there and they'd shot questioning glances at Teddy, who had only shrugged.
As they walked, Teddy wanted to hold Kelly's hand, but Katie insisted on walking between the two of them, causing Kelly to smile indulgently at her obvious crush. When they arrived in front of the theater, Teddy turned to Katie. "All right. You are going to go to the movie and we are going to do something else."
"What? You're not coming to the movie? What are you going to do?" she asked, brows drawing down in consternation.
"That's none of your business, all right?" Duncan said, holding out a twenty-dollar bill to her. "Just buy your ticket and watch your movie. Don't leave the theater."
"Mom and Dad said you had to take me with you, that means I'm going wherever you're going," she said, making no move to take the money.
"No, Mom and Dad said I had to take you to the movies, which I've done." Duncan waved the bill at her, trying to push it into her hand.
"Why do they get to go?" she asked, cocking her head at Alison and Kelly.
"Um, because we made the plans with them at the dance last night," Teddy said, hoping to avoid a scene out in public.
"So, if I had been at the dance, then I'd get to go, too?"
"No way! It's much too dangerous," Duncan said and Teddy held back the desire to stomp on his foot.
"Dangerous? What are you doing?" Katie asked, giving the four of them an appraising look.
"Nothing! We're just going to take a short trip to Mt Diablo and check out something, jeez!" Teddy groaned quietly and glared at his best friend. "Come on, we'll be back before you know it!"
She looked at the money and then back at her brother, her narrowed eyes looking decidedly less owlish behind her thick glasses. "This isn't going to be enough for a ticket and popcorn and candy and a drink."
"I told you," Duncan said, looking at Teddy. "We're going to have to pay her off." He dug in his pocket and pulled out another twenty. "Mercenary," Duncan growled as he watched her count the money.
"You've bought my silence. I won't tell Mom and Dad that you dumped me at the theater while the four of you went off to make out or whatever it is you're going to do," she said with an air of superiority as she folded the cash and put it away carefully in her cat-shaped purse.
"Sorry about the confusion," Teddy said, feeling like he had to apologize to her. "We'll go see something when I get back from Christmas break, okay?"
Her eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across her face. "Like on a date?"
"Erm, no? Just as friends," Teddy said, glancing over at Kelly. She looked amused, but he wasn't completely sure what her raised eyebrows meant.
"It's a date then!" She gave them a jaunty wave and went up to the ticket counter. They all watched until she went inside the theater lobby where they saw her make a beeline for the concessions.
"I hope she keeps her mouth shut," Teddy said as they headed off to a secluded spot to Apparate from.
"She will. Money usually has that effect on her," Duncan said confidently.
"How've you been?" Harry said as he slid into the booth across from Archimedes. As usual, a fresh pint of Guinness was waiting for him and he took a long drink, licking the foam from his upper lip.
"I've been well. Thankfully the Christmas season tends to settle things down a bit," Archimedes said, singling the barmaid. "Calamari?"
"Yeah." Harry smiled as Archimedes flirted with the barmaid as he ordered their favorite appetizer, reflecting that he hadn't really changed at all since he first met him nearly ten years ago. Same iron-gray hair in a neat ponytail and long white beard, both of which served to make people overlook the fit body underneath. "Any holiday travels?"
"No, we're making the kids come to us this year. Sarah's been decorating up a storm."
"Yes, I saw when I dropped off James last night." Harry had felt like he'd materialized into a Christmas wonderland at the sight of the garland, wreaths and festive bows tastefully arranged all over the house. James had been delighted at the twinkling lights on the stunning Christmas tree in the main window of the lounge. "Thanks for watching James while we chaperoned the dance."
"Oh, it's no trouble. Having him around keeps me young!" Archimedes leaned forward and grinned at Harry. "And when he starts causing trouble, it's time for him to go home!" Laughing at his own joke, he finished his cider and set the glass on the edge of the table. "What about you? Going back to England for the break?"
"Yeah. It'll be good to see everyone. It's James's first Christmas, so Molly is going all out," Harry said, thinking back to Molly's latest letter, detailing the photography session she'd set up for a family portrait. They were all supposed to wear coordinating outfits or jumpers or something; Harry was letting Ginny handle that bit. He just wanted to be told where to stand and when to smile. "I'll have a few other things to sort out while I'm there, too."
"Oh?" The barmaid brought their calamari along with a fresh cider for Archimedes and Harry dug in, dipping the crispy fried squid in the accompanying sauce before answering.
"Yeah, Teddy turns seventeen in April and that's the age of majority in Wizarding England. I need to see my solicitors and make sure everything's in place for when that happens."
"Ah, that's right. What needs to be in place?"
"His parents left a bit of money, I set up a fund for him, and his grandmother set something up. I want to get it all consolidated into one so he doesn't have to deal with as much paperwork." Harry took another deep drink of the Guinness, thinking of the tasks in front of him. "There's a piece of property from his Lupin grandparents. It's a bit of a mess because of Remus being a werewolf, so it's been in a trust since they died. I need to get that sorted out." He looked at Archimedes and sighed. "I've just been putting it off, if I'm honest."
"It's hard when they grow up. I remember when our oldest left home to go to college. It seemed like Sarah was constantly on the Floo, checking up on her." He shook his head and raised his glass. "To children growing up and moving on." They clinked glasses and drank deeply, Harry finishing his Guinness.
"Speaking of, will I see Teddy's application soon? Mark brought me Duncan's the other day," Archimedes said, raising an eyebrow at Harry.
"Yeah, I expect it'll show up soon," Harry said, feeling a bit of irritation at Archimedes's satisfied grin.
"That's good news. Don't forget the waiver."
"What? Waiver? For what?" Harry asked as the barmaid placed a full Guinness in front of him.
"You need to be eighteen to enter the Auror academy unless you have a parental waiver. Didn't Teddy tell you?"
"No, this is the first I'm hearing about this."
"Yes. As long as he'll turn eighteen within his first year of training, a waiver from his legal guardian is all he needs."
"Brilliant," Harry muttered, dipping another piece of calamari into the sauce. "So not only do I have to let him go, I have to sign him away."
"We're not all monsters, Harry," Archimedes said gently.
"No, you just chase them."
"As you once did."
"To my detriment." Harry sat back against the booth, looking around at the familiar setting of the Church Key pub, mentally going over the entrances and exits, assessing the patrons for any threats. The habit was automatic and he just accepted that it would be for the rest of his life. "I just … I sacrificed so much of myself to keep them all safe and now he wants to run headlong into danger, you know?"
"Yes, I do. They're going to make their own decisions, Harry. Ones that have nothing to do with what you want for them. You raise them and teach them the best that you can and then you've got to push them out of the nest and see what they do."
"Mm. And I've got a least two more in front of me."
"Two more?"
"Yeah. Gin's pregnant," Harry said, goosebumps coming up on his arms. "Due in June."
"Well, that is good news!" Archimedes motioned the barmaid over. "Two shots of that Pappy's I know Damon keeps under the bar."
Harry's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Oh, you don't need to—"
"Nonsense! This is an excellent excuse to enjoy a couple of shots in the afternoon!" The barmaid returned, setting the brimming shot glasses in front of them.
Harry picked his up and tapped it against Archimedes's. "Sláinte," he said, downing it in one gulp, feeling the burn all the way down his throat. "So that's what a hundred dollars tastes like," he said as he turned his empty shot glass upside down on the table.
Archimedes just grinned at him, turning his own glass over. "Come on, Harry. Let an old man be generous! Another?"
"No, thank you," Harry said, shaking his head. Personally, he thought Pappy Van Winkel was overrated and would have preferred Lagavulin. They chatted quietly, Archimedes filling him in on some of the more interesting goings-ons.
"It looks like Jacob and Evelyn are finally going to make it official," Archimedes said and Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Yeah? It's about time, isn't it? Good for them." Harry leaned forward conspiratorially. "D'you know I used to think he was gay?"
Archimedes gave a short laugh. "Jacob has been confounding people's gaydar as long as I've known him. I remember one time at one of his parties—"
Harry held up his finger as his phone rang, frowning at the unfamiliar number on the display. "Hold on," he said as he answered the call.
"Potter!"
Harry pulled the phone away from his ear, the angry voice bringing back memories of the endless hours spent in Snape's dungeon. "Yes? Who is this?" he said mildly, hoping to calm down the person on the other end.
"Adam Taylor. What has that boy of yours done with my daughter?"
"Erm …" Harry said, stalling for time, his mind whirling. Oh God, he didn't have permission. Shit, he thought, catching Archimedes's concerned look. "They went to the movies with Duncan and Alison, yeah?"
"The movies. No, Kelly is supposed to be studying at Alison's," Mr Taylor spat, his voice a deadly calm that Harry remembered all too clearly from his Auror days. "But she's not there. Do you know how I know, Mr Potter?" Adam asked, continuing on without giving Harry a chance to answer. "I called the Williams's to let Kelly know that her mother and I would be picking her up a little bit later than originally agreed on. And do you know what Alison's mother told me?"
"No, sir," Harry said when he realized he was being allowed to speak.
"She told me that Kelly and Alison had gone out to the movies with that boy Duncan and your boy. On a double date. A date, Mr Potter." Mr Taylor paused again, sounding like he was struggling to control his temper. "I tried calling Kelly on her own phone and didn't get an answer."
"Well, probably because they're in the theater," Harry said reasonably, wincing at Mr Taylor's audible growl.
"I told Kelly that she could go to the Winter Formal dance this year, but she is not allowed to date."
"I see. Well, Mr Taylor, I think it's a bit unfair to pin your daughter's duplicity on my godson, don't you?" Harry deliberately kept his voice calm and friendly, calling upon long-ago interrogation training.
"Mr Potter, I assure you my daughter doesn't lie."
"Mr Taylor, your daughter is a teenager who wants to have an afternoon out with some friends. Did you never deceive your parents for a bit of fun when you were her age?"
"Potter, I don't know what kind of lies you told your parents—" Mr Taylor began, seeming to remember who he was speaking to at the last second.
Harry didn't say anything, letting the silence spin out for several seconds. "Mr Taylor, thank you for contacting me and bringing the matter to my attention. I'll make sure Kelly gets home as soon as possible."
"See that you do," Adam Taylor said curtly, immediately disconnecting the call.
Harry let out a long breath, staring down at the device in his hand. "Someone didn't sound too happy. What was that all about?" Archimedes asked, bushy gray brows drawn down in a frown.
"It seems that the girl Teddy has taken to the movies on a double date with Duncan isn't allowed to date," Harry said as he scrolled through his contact list in his phone for Teddy's number. He listened as the call rang and then went to voice mail, Teddy's chipper greeting encouraging him to leave his digits.
"Teddy, it's me. I just got a call from Kelly's very agitated father. Call me back as soon as you get this," he said trying to sound calm and in control. He shoved his phone into his back pocket. "I'm sorry, Archimedes, but I've got to go. I've got to handle this ASAP."
Archimedes waved his hand. "Understood. You're giving me flashbacks to my own children's teenage years," he said with an exaggerated shiver.
"Well, we've been lucky with Teddy; he's never given us any trouble before."
"That you know of."
Harry set his lips in a thin line and glared at the older man. "Thanks for that." He slid out of the booth and took his phone out of his pocket along with a twenty-dollar bill. "Thanks for the shot."
"My pleasure." Archimedes put his hand on his arm before Harry could walk away. "Listen, even if he did know the girl wasn't supposed to be dating, don't be too hard on him, okay?"
Harry sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just need to get to him before Mr Taylor does. See you." As he left the bar, he dialed up Ginny, hoping she'd still be home.
"Harry," she said when she picked up, the sound of James banging on something in the background, "are you still out with Archimedes?"
"Kelly's dad called."
"Is everything all right?" she asked, sounding alarmed.
"Apparently Kelly isn't allowed to date."
"Oh. Oh dear. But it's just the movies with friends," she said.
"I guess it doesn't matter. The thing is, she told her dad that she was going to Alison's to study."
"She lied? To her huge, imposing fireman dad?" Harry could almost see Ginny shaking her head in amazement. "How'd he get your number?"
"School directory." Harry walked down the sidewalk, glancing up at the chilly, gray day. There goes that lazy Sunday. "D'you remember which theater they were going to?"
"Kabuki Eight, I think."
"All right. I'm going to go down there and then take Kelly home and apologize to Mr Taylor." Harry blew out an irritated breath. He'd met Mr Taylor only a few times and while he'd seemed reasonable, he didn't look forward to the impending encounter.
"Harry, don't be too hard on him, okay? He probably didn't know," Ginny said sympathetically.
"I hope you're right because if he did and he still went out with her …"
"They're probably at the movies or hanging around Japantown. Don't make too much of a stir, all right?"
Harry huffed and shook his head. "I'll do my best, love, but he's really put his foot in it now."
A few moments later, he Apparated silently into the men's room at the Kabuki Eight theater, glad that it was empty and he wouldn't have to Obliviate anyone. Out in the lobby, he looked at what was playing, deciding that there were three possibilities. In the first theater, he cast a night-vision spell, glad that the theater wasn't full.
Not in this one. Guess Hobbits aren't to their taste, he thought, moving on to the next one, cursing quietly as the brighter light in the lobby assaulted his eyes. The second theater was also a bust and he felt a rising sense of anxiety as he went into the last one. What is she doing here? he thought as he spotted Katie Sutton sitting in the exact middle of the theater, enormous tub of popcorn in her lap. He looked for the others, frowning when they were nowhere to be found.
The seats on either side of her were empty and Harry made his way down the aisle, sitting down next to the girl. "Katie," he whispered, wincing at her startled jump.
"Mr Potter?" she asked, eyes wide in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm wondering the same about you. Come with me to the lobby, please." A few minutes later, the girl stood in front of him, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Now, can you tell me where Teddy, Duncan and the girls are? Are they in a different theater?"
Katie's eyes shifted to the left and right as if she were trying to see if anyone was watching her and she shrugged. "Does that mean they are in a different theater?" She shook her head, not looking directly at him. "Do you know where they are?" A one-shouldered shrug was her response and Harry sighed.
"Katie, you're not in trouble, all right? I need you to tell me where they've gone." He deliberately uncrossed his arms and made an effort to look less threatening, hoping to put her at ease with a more relaxed stance.
"Um, they said something about Mt Diablo," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.
"Mt Diablo? Are you sure?" Harry asked, the question coming out sharper than he intended and he winced as she flinched away from him.
"Yes." She finally looked up at him and he saw resentment on her face. "They said I couldn't go because they'd made the plans last night at the dance and that it was going to be too dangerous."
Oh God, what have you gotten up to? he thought as he felt a jolt of fear. "All right. Come with me." He held out his hand and she held up hers, one holding a giant soda and the other still clutching her popcorn. He took the soda from her and held it as she took his hand and walked with him out of the theater.
"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.
"I'm going to take you to my house where you will be safe while I track down the others, all right?"
She seemed to absorb this information and her face brightened. "Can I hang out in Teddy's room?"
A bare moment later, they were standing outside of the door to the condo, Katie gasping in delight. "We didn't make any sound just like when my dad does it! How do you know how to Apparate without sound?" She fixed him with an accusing look and Harry smiled at her.
"Don't let it get around, but I used to be an Auror like your dad," he said, unlocking the door and stepping across the threshold. He turned back to Katie and bowed. "Katie Sutton, please come into my home," he said, inviting her past the Blood Seal.
"Harry did you—" Ginny said, coming out of the nursery and stopping at the sight of the girl looking around the apartment in amazement. "Hello, Katie! How have you been?"
"Hello, Mrs Potter! I've been quite well. You have a very nice house," she said, sounding like a girl that had had manners drilled into her since she could talk.
"Why thank you! Here, let me take your popcorn and your drink. Would you like me to put it in the refrigerator for you?" She came forward and took the girl in hand, leading her to the breakfast bar in the kitchen, shooting Harry a look that clearly said, This is great, but where are the rest of them?
Harry went into Teddy's room and picked up his hair brush, pulling out several long, sandy-brown hairs and tying them into a knot. I am going to find you, make sure you're all right and then I'm going to bloody kill you, he thought as he took a scarf off of the coatrack by the door, winding it securely around his neck, listening to Ginny and Katie in the kitchen. Ginny was exclaiming over her cat-shaped purse, telling her how cunning it was.
"Gin, can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry said, leaving Katie happily petting Stuart in her lap, his thunderous purr going full throttle.
"Do you know where they are?" Ginny whispered, tucking the ends of his scarf into his dragonhide jacket.
"Katie said they went to Mt Diablo."
"What? Mt Diablo? What for? How would they even get there?"
"Duncan and Alison both have their Apparating licenses."
"But Side-Along when they can barely do for themselves is so risky! Hold on a moment." Ginny disappeared into their bedroom, coming back a few moments later, pushing several vials into his hands. "Here. Dittany and Blood-Replenishing, just in case." She held on to Harry's hands, her grip very strong. "Please find them safe."
"I will, love. I have my phone." He glanced over at the kitchen, making sure that Katie was still fully engaged with the cat. "Let me know if Mr Taylor shows up here, all right? You don't have to let him in."
"Don't worry about us over here. Just bring Teddy back."