(Coeus Black - PoV)
Ted hides the front of the paper when we come downstairs.
He knows better than to try that with us, so it must be for Iris's benefit.
A glance at Phoebe confirms, today's the day then.
Grandfather said he would be confronting Dumbledore when the rumors made the papers.
I'm giddy just thinking about it. I can't quite manage to sit still through breakfast.
Andy and Ted know what's up, though Dora and Iris give me strange looks. I just wave them off for now, though I will have to distract Iris for the day. Ted should throw the paper away soon, but I don't want to take any chances.
She has been...ok, since we got back. Dealing, I guess. I still don't really know how to help her. I did figure that that dog, Ripper, probably would not be under Dumbledore's protection, so we could totally hunt it down and throw it off a bridge.
She broke down into hysterical laughter when I suggested it, but I never did get a real answer, so I don't know if we are doing it or not. Grandfather said to visit sometime soon, I will ask him to source a couple invisibility cloaks for us when we do, just in case.
Hmm, what else will we need? It will be a muggle area, so we can take the fly or take the evil bus, but then we-
"Alright then," Ted interrupts my planning. "I know you were wanting to grab some stuff for Iris's room, and I have to work this week, so we should go ahead and do it today while I am off. Are you three ready to go? Unless you want to come, Dora? Want anything for your room? We will probably stop to eat somewhere as well, if you want anything from the mundane side of things."
She waves him off, shaking her head.
"Nope, nuh-uh, I remember my last trip to the furniture store, I am not repeating that disaster," she insists.
That is for the best. I remember it too, and I am amazed Ted even made the offer. Isn't every broken mirror supposed to be seven years of bad luck? Dora is cursed for a few centuries at least, not counting everything else she broke. What was he thinking?
The grimace on his face suggests that he wasn't, and made the offer out of habit.
"If you hit a burger joint bring me something back though. Anything with bacon," she adds
I may or may not steal the bacon off her burger before she gets it. She deserves it for stealing most of the bacon every morning.
"Come on Iris, let's go get you some stuff! As wizards, we can expand space, thus can never have enough stuff."
Phoebe nods encouragingly as we pull Iris towards the door.
Wait, are we taking the dread bus again?
DAMNIT!
We wander the giant store, looking at beds, chairs, desks, etcetera. Really though, you could fit half a dozen of Diagon Alleys shops in here easily. Muggles tend to do everything on such a huge scale. They have to, because there are just so bloody many of them I guess. Like ants.
You could just squish them all day and never notice a difference in their numbers. Grandfather says that's what Sirius's mom Walburga used to do sometimes. She would try to thin them out but it wouldn't make any difference. He also says she is a very bad example to follow.
Frowning, I walk past the ugly, cartoonish bed with wheels, shaped like a muggle "car". Why is it so expensive? It doesn't even look comfortable...
Phoebe suggests Iris get a vanity, the desk and mirror thing girls use for makeup. She doesn't actually use makeup now, but maybe she will later I guess.
We spend quite some time looking, deciding on woods, colors, shapes. It should be boring, and with others, I am sure it could be unpleasant, but with friends? I find it quite enjoyable.
Iris is very hesitant to commit to anything at first, but after several reminders that we can always replace it all, we eventually convince her to get a few things. A vanity, a desk, a spinny chair for the desk, and a few comfy ones for the room.
Not much, but it should do. I did suggest she avoid anything to hold clothes outside of her trunk since Dora will steal them if given the opportunity.
We flag down a salesperson. Explaining Iris's desires is no problem, but as usual, my own purchase causes their small minds to short out.
"I'm sorry, you want what?"
"Your spinny chairs. I want all of your spinny chairs."
They stare at me blankly, as if memory charmed.
Ugh.
"Look, you troglodyte! These!"
I point at a nearby chair.
Grabbing the back, I spin it back and forth.
"See? Spinny. I want them."
I look back at the man.
"All of them."
"Like...one of each?"
...Don't kill the muggle...Don't kill the muggle...Don't kill the muggle...
"No. All of the spinny chairs you have."
The moron continues to stare at me.
Sighing, I reach into a pocket and pull out a thick wad of muggle money.
Paper. Really, how barbaric. I hate trading good galleons for this nonsense. How can muggles possibly delude themselves into thinking this has value? It is literally paper with different numbers written on it!
I throw the paper at the idiot before me.
"Go away," I demand.
I stalk off in a bit of a huff. Ted will deal with giving the muggles the address for delivery and other nonsense, I am tired of dealing with them.
I would prefer to just shove everything in my trunk where it belongs but nooo, that would get attention.
Stupid muggles.
Ugh. I want to go home.
I drop down on a comfortable-looking couch and totally don't pout.
Phoebe sits next to me, wrapping her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulder. It's not needed, but it is appreciated, thank you, sister.
Iris sits on the couch as well. She starts to put her arm out, but hesitates, unsure of herself. Silly girl, I drag her in for a hug as well.
Much better. I really shouldn't let these little things get to me, but I suppose at least I am not just killing all the muggles that annoy me like so many of my old relatives would have.
We wait there on the couch until Ted comes, telling us everything is ready, and we can go.
We eat out (at least they know how to make good food) and head home, with the rest of the afternoon proving fairly uneventful, other than Dora complaining incessantly about the lack of bacon on her burger. Enough that I actually regret stealing it. As expected, Ted elects to maintain his silence about my theft, leaving Dora to assume incompetence from the muggles. Oh if only I could cast the silencing charm...
Dinner is nice, but at the end, Andy calls for attention.
"Arcturus sent word, he did have his meeting with Dumbledore today," she says.
Hah!
"He says Albus should not be a problem moving forward, but added news for you two," she looks at Phoebe and me.
What? What did we do?
"Apparently, at some point, he spoke to your father in Azkaban and got his story. It convinced him of his innocence! He told the story to Dumbledore, and expects with both of their efforts, they should be able to free him fairly soon!"
While annoyed with Grandfather, as usual, she sounds very happy at the news and is smiling widely.
I...don't know how to feel.
"Oh. That's...good...I guess?"
Her smile fades. "You...don't sound very enthusiastic? Or you Phoebe?"
Phoebe grimaces a bit. "It's...so hard to see...his future is all tangled up. Something went wrong, and I don't know what is going to happen."
"I...I see. And Coeus?"
I shrug. "It's good an innocent man won't be in prison? But I've never met him, and while he is supposed to be family, he doesn't want to be a Black, so I don't know if he counts."
"But, Sirius, he is-" she cuts off as Ted leans over and whispers to her. I could probably hear if I tried but, I don't really care. I grab Phoebe and Iris's hands and we head upstairs. Dumbledore isn't a problem anymore, so we have more important things to do, like read books.
We spend the rest of the night looking over the books for first year, and occasionally practicing a few spells. Ted did tell us Iris has to keep her magic use light, so we have avoided any dedicated spellwork since then.
Morning comes again entirely too soon for Phoebe and me. We are still only half awake as we make our way down the stairs. Ted is there for breakfast, but heads off afterward, returning to his usual schedule. Andy leaves not long after, to do...something. I wasn't really listening. Leaving the three of us and Dora.
Yawning I lean back and stretch, looking out the window.
Yaknow, it is a rather pretty day outside...
"Hey, Dora," I call her attention from where she sits studying.
"What's up Coi?"
"I just realized, Iris has never been flying, has she?" I say with a grin.
Dora grins back before we both look towards Iris.
Of course, there was a problem that I had neglected to consider. Namely, Iris had never been flying before and thus does not have her own broom. Dora suggested she just borrow one of ours, but that would mean taking turns!
Unacceptable.
And so here we are. Diagon Alley.
We make our way through quickly at least, following Dora. We step around the man with fish scales, and the woman with flaming hair, avoid the street that goes upwards and make our way to the broom shop.
There are several kids huddled around a display, eyeing what I assume is the latest and greatest.
I lead the girls to the counter and catch the attention of a clerk.
"How can I help you?" the thin man asks.
I point at the broom getting all the attention.
"That one. I want three of them."
May as well replace ours as well.
The clerk blinks in surprise, and the kids go silent and stare at us.
"I...I'm sorry, are you..sure young man? That is a..very expensi-
I start dropping stacks of galleons on the counter.
"Hey, wait, I can get my own!" Iris protests, pulling her own sack of galleons out.
"It's fine, I got it," I tell her.
She shakes her head.
"No. Last time was ok because it was a birthday present. And then at the furniture store, I didn't have any muggle money. But it's not my birthday now and I have money, so I can buy mine," she insists.
Sighing, I concede the point.
"Fine, fine, just two for me then...unless, hey Dora!" I call out behind us to Dora, who is fiddling with stuff on the shelves.
"What?!" she calls out across the store, making no effort to move closer.
I point at the fancy broom on display.
"Want one!?"
"Mom will kill me, so...sure, why not?"
"Three brooms," I confirm, turning back to the counter.
The man stares at me.
What?
We eventually make out way out of the shop, our acquisitions held victoriously over our shoulders, the masses staring after us in awe and jealousy, as is appropriate.
Now, we really should gather several other things while we are here. A number of books that I neglected last time, owl supplies, the camera, miscellaneous goods. But one, I hate it here. And two, we have these shiny new brooms to try out...
It is a very easy choice to make. We immediately head home and try out our new toys. And by Merlin and the Old Gods, they are so much better than the pieces of junk we had before!
I should have realized that the ones Ted and Andy let us buy originally were safe kiddy versions, not the real deal, this is amazing!
And Iris, what the hell? This is her first time on a broom? This? She is a better flyer than any of us on her first day.
Now, I know she is the Girl-Who-Lived and all, but being shown up like this by a first-timer is just unacceptable, so we set up a game of tag in the forest.
We've done it before, but the new brooms take things to a whole new level. Dodging limbs at breakneck speeds, the adrenaline, trying to plot a course and plan for everyone else, it is amazing.
Right up until a tree limb catches my arm, sending me careening out of control. I end up eating dirt, my new broom breaks, and considering the funny shape it is in I am pretty sure my arm is broken too, leaving the day ending on a bit of a downer.
It's ok though, that's the benefit of having a healer like Ted around to fix us up!
Ted, who is working today.
...
And Andy isn't home either.
...
We may have not thought this through entirely.
...
Also, I need a new broom.
...
"Dora...this really kinda hurts..." I admit, as the others land around me.