Chapter 12 – Blue, like the sea
On Sunday Ginny insisted to go to Diagon Alley. Harry had worked the whole Saturday and was very much bent on going that day too. However, Ginny had darkened so much when he hinted about the possibility that he felt wiser abandoning the plan straight away.
Following his inclination, he would never have chosen Diagon Alley as a day out. The place was great, and it was always interesting to browse in Quality Quidditch supplier, but they always had to modify their appearance to go, and only that took most of the morning giving them only a limited amount of time for shopping. However, Ginny was adamant. She wanted to get a watch for James and a dress for the wedding.
Sunrise was the first to be subjected to the changes. He had shortened and lightened her hair and changed her eyes' colour, she had been dressed in some of old Albus' clothes and for that reason she looked very much like a little boy. She seemed vastly pleased by this boyish attire and very smug in wearing his older brother's clothes. Harry personally much preferred her in girlish outfits but more often than not they were spurned mercilessly from Sunrise who didn't seem too inclined on frills and pink so much for Harry disappointment.
Ginny was stunning. Despite she had asked for a sober look, no matter how hard Harry tried couldn't make her less than shining.
She had long auburn hair full of waves that fell gently on her beautiful back and big yellowish eyes.
'This is too showy, Harry!' she exclaimed when he was done but as it was already late, much to Harry satisfaction, she had no choice but to keep it.
Harry in the never fading wish to be an anybody tried for the most anonymous of looks in his chord but being tall was always a difficult enterprise.
So transformed they made for Diagon alley. They passed unnoticed in the crowded Leaky Cauldron and even more unnoticed in the busy alley. The weather being acceptable, it was full of families strolling lazily, couples sitting at cafes, group of chattering witches charged with colourful shopping bags.
'Where shall we go first? We need…' Ginny was asking purposedly as soon as the brick wall sealed back behind them.
'Quality Quidditch supplier' he tailed her off all in one breath walking swiftly in that direction not giving her the chance to reply back.
Knowing Ginny if he'd allow her to go for the dress first the whole thing was going to take so long that there wouldn't have been time for anything else and it was such a bore that rendered him as stupid as a log for the whole fitting session, while their time could have been spent much more pleasantly talking about brooms.
The good thing about having a wife who worked in the field was that she could sustain a satisfying conversation about brooms' assets unlike all the other women he knew (he had always kind of pitied Ron who with Hermione missed this great source of happiness), she could discuss at length features and very often had given him excellent advice. On the downside she was in that shop discussing and purchasing for the team so often that, when with Harry, she seldomly matched his enthusiasm and more often than not wished to be out of it as soon as possible.
That day was no exception while he was perusing carefully the new models groping for opinions.
She was tapping the floor with her foot impatiently while Sunrise, very much charmed by the colours and the brooms' shine, was trying to touch whatever met her gaze in a nonstop of chatters and questions.
'Harry, can we go?' she said looking at her watch not even ten minutes later 'We have tons of places to visit, and the spells won't last forever'
Harry groaned annoyed looking up from a new Nimbus he was inspecting in consideration if worthwhile to purchase 'We just got inside!'
'You don't need a new broom!' Ginny admonished him reading his mind.
Despite being very aware it was so, he replied, his attention captured completely the broom 'Do you hear me complaining when you buy new clothes? I need to dig every morning amid feet and feet of fabric to find one of my t-shirts. Not to mention shoes'
Ginny frowned 'It is different' she muttered darkly.
'I don't think so. We both buy things we rarely have the chance to use' he said balancing the broom on two fingers 'What do you think of this one?'
She sighed and answered as if reading a book 'If all you are looking for is speed it's not great. Adapted for a beater but definitely not for a seeker. It doesn't respond well to that kind of game.'
'We could get it for James' he said absentmindedly determined to buy something or other.
'He doesn't need a new broom either. You got him one last year remember? And there was no reason since he didn't become a prefect' she added puckering her lips. She had been greatly disappointed by it and for a long time couldn't explain it to herself as he had top marks in most of the subjects.
Harry, with a mind not hazed by maternal love, could be a bit more objective on his son assets like on his flaws. He had indeed top marks, but he was so disrespectful of rules and rebellious that he hadn't considered it possible not even for a minute. It would have been like freeing the tiger from the cage. Since Lily's death the situation had deteriorated fast, and he was keeping a steady (and ferocious by her side) correspondence with McGonagall with threats of expulsion in every line. As a result, he hadn't been neither surprised nor disappointed from it. Although, it wasn't that important for him as it seemed to be for Ginny that had set her heart on it since James eleventh birthday.
All her hope were now reversed on Albus who, though, being sedate and pretty much obedient, was doing fine enough not to be reprimanded but not shining marks wise, contenting himself with the minimum effort and, not a leader by nature, was happy to be left in the shadow.
Ginny seemed doomed to be disappointed.
'We don't need a new broom!' she added categorically.
Harry was putting back the broom grudgingly when a sudden loud clutter and a tinkling laugh resounded in the shop.
In a mess of toy brooms scattered everywhere and two or three pots of polishing smashed, Sunrise was mounting a toy broom she had picked from a basket knocking it over, with a delighted expression on her face.
'Daddyyyyyyyy! Look I fly!' she was chirping excitingly floating a foot from the ground.
Ginny sprinted toward her scowling while Harry smirked proudly.
'I think we may actually do need one.' he said helping her to tidy up while a sale assistant was marching to the spot glowering.
Ten minutes and a sharp reprimand later, they were walking in the busy street again, Sunrise who had obtained a new broom, was following slowly concentrated on the balance, for some reason imitating the sound of an engine in the meanwhile. Harry, pushing her gently forward with a hand on her back, was channelling in a good mood. If not harassed, he enjoyed having a stroll there very much. The shops to visit many, all in vivacious colours and cheerfully untidy.
He forced Ginny to get an ice cream in an endeavour to check her obsession about dieting that time to time tended to rage out of control. They sat on the outside enjoying the little sun that occasionally made its appearance between the clouds. The ice cream parlour had been reopened soon after the Voldemort bringing down, but a different owner had succeeded Florean. He hadn't been found again as all the people disappeared during the Dark Lord ascend to power. Olivander had been back to business but being very old and shaken by the dreadful experience in the Malfoy Mansion, had taken an apprentice, nonetheless than Dean Thomas, who had inherited the business. That was one of the reasons why Harry had always been present with Ginny when Albus and James had needed their first wands, no matter how many hardships he had to confront going in Diagon Alley back when he wasn't changing his look by magic.
They stopped for the watch in a tiny shop where clock and watches of different shapes, dimension and magical properties were in exposition.
Half an hour later they were still at sea. The counter was covered with at least fifteen different models and the smile on the man behind the counter was starting to be a bit fixed. Ginny was studying each and one of them carefully as if instead of a watch they were choosing a life-saving device for his eldest son, asking Harry for tons of opinions, and not listening to any of his answers. At the end the choice was reduced to two models and Harry, to conclude the matter before James' birthday (only a few months away), said firmly, pointing to one of the two 'I think we should get this one'.
Ginny, predictably, chose the other.
The last dreaded place to be visited was madame Mulkin. Ginny, who usually wore muggle clothes, for formal events always opted for witch and wizard's wear. Harry, who never chose it if he could avoid it, didn't like it on Ginny either.
'Why don't you wear that nice muggle dress I got you last year?' he asked her while sitting on a stool, with Sunrise on his lap, outside the fitting room.
'Because it's white, you don't wear white at a wedding.' Her voice came from behind a dark green curtain.
'But she is gonna wear yellow!'
'Yellow!' Sunrise echoed tittering.
'Reason more!' Ginny snapped 'and then I want a witch robe'
'You have hundreds.' Harry replied wearily. It was already an hour they were in there and he had to look, comment and pretended to be interested in more dresses he could count.
'I want a new one. It's Luna's wedding!'
This last sentence had become her favourite exclamation to close any remark made on the topic. It was said with different intonations depending on the meaning it wanted to convey. Her favourite was the threatening one when he hinted about the possibility of him not going because of work.
'What do you think about this one?' she said coming out from the fitting room and standing in front of the mirror smoothening a long blue robe.
'It's nice' Harry said bored while Sunrise was singing a song about colours pronouncing one correct word out of ten and trying to get Harry to join in.
Ginny rolled her eyes irritated 'You could at least pretend to be interested!'
'They seem all the same to me!' Harry gabbled defensively 'Why can't you wear a muggle dress? They suit you better'
'Because' she answered all patronizing 'it's a formal occasion'
'It's gonna be on the beach!' Harry retorted 'And Luna surely is not going to wear one'
'It's her wedding, I didn't wear it on mine either'
Harry didn't reply trying to remember and Ginny, seeing his expression, became suspicious straight away 'Do you remember my wedding dress, right?'
'Of course, I do' he lied pretending to be offended by the question. What lay underneath was printed indelibly in his mind but what was covering it, he had no clue.
'How was it?'
Damn!
'It was white…' and seeing her expression becoming set '….and long…' she folded her arm forbiddingly '…and kind of shiny…?'
She darkened so much that Harry blorted out 'Come on Ginny, it was twenty years ago!'
Ginny disappeared again in the fitting room without a word.
He had as well only flashes of memories about the wedding, very small not many invited, Ron had been his best man. There was Luna, Hermione all the Weasley and not many people besides. They had celebrated it at the Burrow, but the particulars were blurred. On the other side he remembered in detail his first night and the honeymoon that followed. A week far away in a remote island where only muggles lived, a week in which Ginny never said no to him, not even once, and he had asked a lot. Best week of his life, there was a permanent smile stamped on his face.
Ginny popped out again with a lilac one with silvery trimming 'What about this one?' she asked checking closely at the trimming.
Harry pretended an exaggerated awe 'This one definitely! It stands out so much! You look stunning! And that shapeless shape! Never seen anything like it!' he boomed.
Ginny laughed 'You are such a fool!' she reprimanded hitting him on the shoulder 'Be serious! What do you think?'
'Mummy, the blue! Like the sea!' Sunrise hooted pointing to the fitting room where the blue one was hanged.
'I think we have a winner' Harry said checking his watch 'Get the blue, the lilac or get them all if you wish but let's get out of here before the spell fade. I want to go to George's too'
And being Sunrise, opposite of him, in all her femininities the chooser, she indeed opted for that one.
The shop was as usual extremely busy. Children were running back and forth excitedly jumping from a shelf to another observing every article studiously accompanied by parents who struggled to keep pace.
The place was so colourful and full of inputs that Sunrise had plunged in a complete silence, most unusual with her, and was just staring, nose in the air, ecstatically.
Jude was serving two witches who had bought an enormous quantity of love potions and were giggling whispering madly in each other ears. Harry caught between the jabbering and tittering his name and in a fit of horror was ready to leap behind the closest shelf when he remembered they couldn't recognise him. He heaved a breath of relief while Ginny was scowling after them exiting the shop.
Harry approached Jude, who was tidying up some shelves after the kids' hurricane, with a broad smile.
'Alright Jude?'
She looked at him puzzled for a moment and then brightening suddenly she exclaimed 'Harry?'
'Yep, it's me. Did you recognise my voice?'
'Not really your voice. You move in such a particular way!' She simpered.
Harry decided to ignore the remark.
'Jude, do you know by any chance where George is?' Ginny asked from Harry's side.
She looked at her a moment and then she beamed 'You must be Ginny! I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself properly at the hospital, but I was so upset!' she cooed rolling her eyes and taking her hand affectionately 'George is upstairs fiddling with something I sincerely hope is not dangerous.' She added scowling 'He will be happy to see you though' she concluded gaily.
They left her to her job and made for the entrance while Ginny was sharing with Harry her impression on Jude 'She seems nice after all…' she was saying pensively 'a bit young maybe…'
'And paid for her job' Harry said teasingly faking a disapproval at which Ginny sniggered and nudged him.
George welcomed them cordially, eager to show Harry the improvement made on his polishing. His hands were free of bandages and perfectly fine.
He offered them a glass of mead freeing a corner of the table from the ingredients used for his experiment and gave Sunrise a pigmy puff to keep her busy that rolled up on her wrist making her laugh excitedly.
'You are not using again some classified objects, are you?' Ginny asked him minacious after he had showed them the fruit of his study. He had managed to make the handle quite invisible, but the hay was still creating him some issues.
'Of course, I am' George replied serious 'But I'm more cautious' he added grinning.
Ginny seemed about to retort but changed her mind halfway, instead she asked compliant 'What was wrong with your hands anyway? I never asked you'
He observed pensively his hands that were now their usual pale pink common to all the Weasley family. He slumped against the chair and putted his feet on the table knocking over two or three utensils that cluttered the surface making Ginny cringe.
'You know, it was actually an interesting side effect. They were covered with very small and particularly itchy scales of a pure deep blue'
'Like the sea!' Sunrise exclaimed rising her hands in the air with the pigmy puff still rolled on one of them.