Hitting the shops
"Aaaah!"
Kanda bolted out of bed at the sound of Timothy and Alma's yells and thundered down the stairs, Allen and Lenalee following close after.
Three small beings, Kanda assumed were the elves McGonnogal had mentioned, were bowing rapidly as Alma and Timothy sat where they had fallen on the floor. A further elf simply sighed and continued to place food on the table.
"We is sorry to scare the young masters" one elf squeaked.
Kanda rubbed his eyes before walking over to his brothers and bonking them both over the heads.
"Oi oi" Allen mumbled from the stairs.
"They're just giving you breakfast. Don't be rude and apologise" he glared at the pair.
Tim and Alma looked awkwardly away before getting up and bowing back at the elves,
"We're sorry for the noise" they told them.
"No no young masters, we is sorry for not introducing. You is never seeing house elves before?" one asked. Everyone shook their heads. The elf plating food finished and moved back to her companions,
"I is telling Mistress Gryffindor that she forgot to tell you" she grumbled and with that, they disappeared from the common room.
"Well, that's one way to start the day" Allen joked, trying to lighten the mood. Alma and Tim had begun sulking on the sofa and Kanda's eye twitched.
"You two have breakfast. Now!" he yelled and they rushed back to the table to grab food before returning to their chairs. Allen and Lenalee watched, holding in their laughter before Kanda glared over at them and they hastily grabbed their own plates of pancakes.
McGonnogal met the group in front of the castle gates.
"What happened?" she took in their glum faces.
"Elves" Tim and Alma sighed. Minerva blinked,
"Ah, apologies for not explaining them to you. Were you scared?" she asked softly.
"More surprised. I think we scared them more with our yelling" Alma answered, bashful.
"Don't worry, Kanda already scolded us" Tim rubbed his head with a wince. Minerva looked at him and he met her gaze,
"What? They woke me up and spooked the staff. Of course I scolded them" he defended.
"You're a good big brother" she told him making him pause, "Come, we will pick up some things from Hogsmeade before flooing to Diagon Alley".
"Flooing?" Lenalee asked as they began to walk into town and Minerva explained on the way. Allen looked up at Kanda as they walked side by side.
"She's right you know"
"Hmm? About what?" Kanda glanced down at the smaller man. Allen shrugged,
"You're like our big brother" he told him.
"Because I'm the oldest?" Kanda asked but frowned at Allen's shake of the head, "Then what?"
"Because you look after us, and tell us off if we do something dumb as well as other things. You haven't realised but the other three look up to you," Allen told him.
"Not you then?" Kanda remarked, picking apart his statement. Allen grinned,
"When have I ever obeyed you?" Kanda growled,
"You little-"
"Hurry up you two! The professor wants us to pick out robes" Lenalee called from the front of the store, waving the two men over. Allen stuck his tongue out and rushed after his sister. Kanda grumbled to himself but followed behind.
"So pick out a couple of robes to go over your clothes. These will be your uniform so to speak" the professor explained.
"We don't have to match each other?" Timothy asked her. Minerva shook her head,
"We'll have the Hogwarts crest added afterwards so, no, you don't have to get the same one. Get two each that you like and bring them to me" she explained.
"Hey Yuu? What about this one?" Alma held up a shorter light blue robe with a collar. Kanda tilted his head, and nodded,
"I think light is good on you. You're better with the shorter one too" he said and Alma smiled, looking for another in a similar style.
"What about the green? Will it work?" Lenalee showed the robe to Kanda and he scratched his face before answering,
"Maybe a little darker might be better" she looked at the robe again before nodding and rushing back to find a darker colour. Kanda spotted what Timothy had in his hand and strode over to him, slamming the hanger back onto the rail.
"Please pick anything else"
Allen chuckled at the scene.
"Who knew they'd come to you for fashion advice" he quipped. Kanda glared but then threw his hands up,
"They asked for my opinion. I gave it. You gonna pick Moyashi?" he asked, rooting through the rails himself. Allen hummed before picking up a lilac one he had looked at before.
"This one?" he turned to his older brother who nodded,
"Looks good. I think I'm gonna go with this and another in the navy." and he held up a long plain robe in black with a hood and a white hook and rope rather than buttons. Allen snorted,
"You really have a style huh" he remarked, referring to his long exorcist coat. Kanda glared but handed the two robes to Minerva before heading to Alma who seemed to be struggling.
Eventually, the group left the shop, with the robes being delivered to their rooms once they had been adjusted and emblazoned with the crest.
"Shopping is hard" Timothy whined and Alma nodded in sympathy. Minerva chuckled,
"Well we'll be heading to a place called Diagon Alley in London next. But the books are set texts so you won't have to choose." she explained, settling their worries. Alma brightened up,
"Will we also be getting our wands?" he asked and at her nod, he whooped. Kanda and Lenalee watched, eyes twitching. Was this guy really an adult? Kanda sobered up slightly when he realised, no. Not really. He'd been asleep - or dead - for most of those 25 years. So, in that sense, he was closer to Timothy's age. It explained why the two were close. But the resurfacing of the war made him shudder and he shook away the images of blood from his vision.
"Kanda?" Lenalee touched his arm and he gave her a tight smile.
"Bad memories" he said by way of explanation. Lenalee squeezed his arm slightly before letting it go.
"Here we are. Hello Aberforth. Thank you for letting us use your floo at such short notice" Minerva led the group into a desolate pub, greeting an elderly man behind the bar.
"S' no worry Min. Have at it. Afternoon" he greeted the newcomers who echoed his greeting.
"So, you throw the powder while saying your destination, which is Diagon Alley. Who wants to go first?" Minerva handed the powder pot to an eager Timothy who scrunched into the fireplace and threw the powder before vanishing into the flames.
"Whoa" Allen said, staring at the place the boy once stood, before heading into the fire himself. Lenalee went next into the green flames.
"Nervous?" Aberforth headed over as Alma took his time with the fire. Alma nodded,
"A little" he admitted. Kanda smiled,
"It'll be fine Al" and ruffled his brother's hair who grinned in response before throwing the powder.
"I will go after you" Minerva said, handing the powder to Kanda who calmly took his place in the fire and spoke clearly,
"Diagon Alley" and vanished, being spat out the other side in an alleyway. He only just managed to keep his footing.
"How come Yuu never falls over?" Alma pouted, covered in dirt. Kanda snorted,
"Cos I'm steady on my feet unlike some people" he snarked, making the man pout slightly.
"Don't be mean Kanda" Lenalee told him, brushing off her own assortment of dust.
Minerva stepped out after them and gestured down the road.
"Shall we?" and the group followed her into the bustling street.
The magical high street sported a multitude of shops and Kanda was beginning to seriously consider reins for the youngest offender.
"Timothy get back here!" Kanda grabbed the back of the boy's collar, pulling him away from a window filled with an assortment of shiny objects.
"We'll stop here for your books first" Minerva led them into Flourish and Blotts once everyone was back together.
"Here's the list" and she handed the paper to Lenalee who headed into the shop with Alma to pick up sets of textbooks.
"Did you want any others?" Kanda asked Allen who was now browsing the shelves with interest. He looked back,
"Can we?"
Kanda shrugged and looked at the professor who nodded,
"I don't have any problem with one or two extra. Just don't go crazy" she warned and Allen nodded, dragging Timothy into the store with him, ignoring his shout.
Eventually they regrouped outside the bookshop, each of them having gained an extra book each. Timothy had picked up a magical fiction novel, Allen - magical politics, Alma - magic across the world, and Lenalee - quidditch and flying through the ages. Kanda had picked up a book about Potions and apothecaries. Snape had seemed quietly pleased about having a Slytherin. The least he could do was be good at his subject. Minerva noticed the book but didn't comment, instead flashing him a smile which he proceeded to ignore.