Harry smiled at her. "Oh yeah I am supposed to tell you that the Zeb-ra sleeps alone."
The Muggleborn froze again. "Fuck!" The word was spoken softly. "What did you do?"
"It's more what you did." Harry snickered at her. "And may I say… you really know how to fill out a red leather bikini. The heeled boots really took it to the next level."
"Heeled boots with a Leather Bikini?" Three young witches chorused. Hannah and Susan had arrived just in time to hear the last bit.
"Yes." Harry's green eyes turned glassy. "Hermione's was snug and highlighted her fullness and perkness. Now Susan's bikini was fighting a losing battle to keep her fullness contained." Harry sighed. "I really liked how it revealed her freckle lined Jolly Roger on her left cheek."
Hermione gasped as she turned to look at the paling girls beside her.
"You mean the 'Bone Mark'?" Hannah hissed. "I thought that you had to not reveal that to any males until you were married." She turned to Susan.
"As I understand things, She was." Harry frowned. "Something about needing to talk about house business."
The three of them stared at him again. "There are times I forget that you are muggle-raised."
Susan sighed.
Hannah huffed. "Is he always this thick or does he have to work at it?" She asked Hermione.
"Usually, yes." Hermione hung her head.
"That's why I keep her around." Harry did the Peter Pan pose.
"And he is proud to be that stupid?" Susan asked.
"Usually, yes." The Gryffindor two chorused.
The four grinned and shared a laugh. He offered his arm to Hermione. "Before you ladies arrived, I promised Sue that you three would get to play 'dress the dolly'. Then Hermione will get a couple of books for light reading until we go shopping tomorrow." Hermione squealed, and latched onto his arm. "And the third stop… Ice Cream?"
Hannah squealed, and dragging Sue behind her, ran for the back door.
"Doesn't she know that it will just go to her hips?" Hermione asked.
"Each of you have your sweet spots. Her's is ice cream." Harry smiled and patted the arms wrapped around his. "Now yours is a little more expensive. I have decided that I am going to copy your book list. But the Four of you, coming back to get me…"
"Harry..." Hermione just looked at him. "Shut up."
HPWQ
An Hour of standing there while he was measured, styled, and colour matched was enough to turn Harry grumpy.
They were told that it would take another hour for the school robes to be ready. The other clothes would take another three.
Harry decided to collect them in the morning.
Hermione bolted for the Bookstore as the Hufflepuff witches snickered before heading to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, to see what was on special and hold their place in line.
As it was for light reading, Harry placed a five Galleon, two book limit and turned to leave when Hermione tried to push it.
At Fortescue's, Harry bought everyone a single scoop cone. "Don't worry. We will be back this afternoon. I will get everyone another cone to go."
"Go?" Hannah whined, pouting at him.
"Go." Harry licked his cherry and white chocolate chip pistachio.
Hermione was licking a buttermilk chocolate, "Harry and I are spending the night at the Leaky Cauldron,"
"Me too." Sue smiled at her friend.
Hannah whined, pouting. But nodded. She was already planning on sleeping with Susan, the night before the eve of the First.
"Now what?"
Susan frowned at her bonded. "Your trunk. It's just a 'class one Hogwarts', correct?" At Harry's nod, she smiled. "As Lord Potter, you need something a bit bigger."
She led the way to a three story shop that looked like it was just shoved between two other shops. She ducked into the shop and held the door for the others.
Harry entered the shop last.
On the outside, the place was smaller than a cottage. Inside was the size of a muggle warehouse from the Docks.
Seeing the looks of wonder on Harry's face, Susan giggled. "Welcome to the Folded Space. The shop was built on the Node that allows the Alley to hide from the Muggles. Because the House in charge of the expansion and containment of Wards, they built their shop and home on the control stone."
"House?" Hermione asked, knowing the word but not the context.
"The Core of the Family Bloodlines are taught certain… arts. The Bones are strong in the necromantic arts. The Potters are known potion masters. Greengrass are known herbalists. The Abbots are known for the Respite and Hospitality arts." Harry smiled as he looked around. "It is a big issue on their side of things, why so many dislike the Muggleborn. We do not know the truth behind the Family Bloodlines, and think just because we can use a wand, we should be able to do anything." He looked at the girls. "I just love magic." He patted Hermione's arm again. "Many of your Values, while very enlightened, are twenty century Muggle values. I am going to marry a Witch for House Potter. I will need a witch for House Black." Harry smiled at his friend. "I was advised to mention that Potter Manor's library is even bigger than Hogwarts'."
The look on Hermione's face caused the girls to laugh. "Not nice Harry." Susan fought for control of her laughter.
"That's okay." Harry stepped away from the witches. "Next June, I am going looking for Potter Manor and have already asked Her Father to join me."
"Her Father?" Hannah frowned. "But not her?"
Susan shook her head. "He invited her Father along so that he would allow her to journey with a boy."
"Oh."
"Now we came here to get a trunk for him." Sue led the way back. "They have everything from Scamander class cases to …"
"Tents?" Hermione frowned at the pup tent before her.
"Yes. That is one of our smaller ones." A bear of man who was small only in comparison to Hagrid. "That one only has the interior of a small cottage."
"Might be in the market for a five, six bedroom tent with two baths, kitchen and a reading nook." Harry looked up at the man.
"Don't have anything that big in stock. It would take six months to finish. And not cheaply."
"What is 'not cheap'?" Harry asked.
"Six beds, two baths, a kitchen and a reading nook. One… maybe two thousand Galleons."
"Have it finished by May please. Send a note to Susan Bone when done." Harry smiled at the man.
"You have that much?" the man frowned at the lad.
Harry just raised his right hand as the Rings exposed themselves.
"Milord."
"My friends call me Harry."
Susan started laughing. "Just think about what Malfoy's face is going to be when he sees that Ring."
"Let's let Daphne decide that." Harry grinned. "She will know when and how to cut him deepest."
The witches snorted.
Harry turned to the Shop Wizard. "I am looking for something that looks like it was carved out of a large tree on the inside. Include Owl Access. At least two of the rooms are to be Master suites. Other than that I leave it in your hands." He turned to look in the direction that Susan was leading them. "Now the reason why we came here is to look at upgrading my school trunk."
The man looked at the lad. "My nephew just earned his Mastery. Let me show you the piece that earned him the title." The big wizard led not to the show floor, but to the workshop.
Standing just outside the door, a trunk cut in the Steamer Style sat covered in dust. Crafted of black walnut, polished to a high gloss and bound with off white leather straps. Center of the face, six inches below the top, a complex Celtic knot surrounded the brass lock.
"She has all the basic charms, plus voice activated feather-light, shrink, and disillusionment." He undid the belt straps. "Iron belly hide lends to the ruggedness of the chest and prevents unauthorized opening of the box." He flipped the lid up. "Standard compartment. For your bits and bobs." The lid closed, and the Ring around the lock was manually moved a click to the left, and the lid was lifted again. "Here is the expanded storage compartment. For things that won't fit the normal compartment." The lid closed and the knot was moved again. "This is your portable potion lab and storage." This time the lid split along the Z axis. The Left side had potion Vials in racks on the back of the 'lid' as the lid folded back to lay flat. The front was filled with stir rods and knives. The Right side was filled with cubbies drawers for potion making. In the center a selection of cauldrons were stacked over an inert burner. A cutting board and a mortar and pestle sat ready for use.
Again the lid closed and the Ring was rotated to the left. "Your portable Library." The lid lifted and a block of polished black pine rose up, only for the whole trunk to swing open to reveal two wings with room on five shelves for just over a hundred books. In the center was a folded desk, stool, and dove holes for a traveling office.
Hermione squeed.
Again the lid closed and the Ring clinked. Only this time the lid lifted, it was for a room like the cupboard under the stairs. "Your Elf compartment."
"You expect your Elf to travel?" Hannah gasped.
The Wizard shrugged. "He needed another compartment to make eight." The next compartment was opened. "Statis. Anything that goes in, comes out the same. Can not Garnette you come out alive. Don't store living things within."
The seventh compartment was his wardrobe. Like the library the lid lifted up and the whole trunk to split in twain. His robes, trousers and shirts hung on the rack in the back. His shoes, pants, and soxes were on the bottom right, while the top right was set up for his accessories and bling. The left had a full three fold mirror.
"Damn." Harry looked the whole thing over. "I know several witches that would buy a trunk for this compartment alone."
"Patil and Brown would let you bend them both over the couch in the common room for a trunk like this." Hermione shook her head.
Harry stepped behind her. "I had you at the library." He whispered in her ear.
She blushed and elbowed him.
The last compartment turned out to be a set of empty weapon racks.
"Well I am going to need to buy a few other guys to keep Godric company." Harry sighed. "How much are you asking?"
"With time, materials, and all." He closed the lid and redid the straps. "Three Hundred Galleons."
Harry stroked the trunk. "Do you mind a little haggling?" At the man's nod. "I return with one fifty. I am not just Harry Potter, I am Lord Potter and Lord Black… or I will be. That means that you and your nephew have bragging rights to anyone else that I have one of your custom trunks."
The man smiled. "Okay. I can come down to two eighty. We need to recover the cost of everything in there."
"Two hundred. And I tell everyone about this place and show it off in the common room the first night we're back in School."
"Two seventy five. That's enchanted dragon hide."
"Two fifty and you include my signet on the lid."
"House Potter?"
Harry looked at the ring on his finger. A heater shield, quartered, green on white. A clay bottle. A staff crossing two wands, over a sword. A black winged 'horse' on a field. And the Gryffindor lion. "The black oak, and Holly. Place the Seal on a white owl's wing. Have her facing left please."
"You don't want the full colour of your…"
"Not yet. While I have my Lordships, I have yet to be declared an Adult. When I am declared an Adult, I will have you change it if not replace the whole thing."
"And what of the tent?"
"A separate matter." Harry smiled at him. "Besides I told you what I want and you quoted me a price. Come what May."
The big man snorted. "Brant Ward. You have a deal, Mister Potter." he offered his meaty paw.
Harry grabbed it. "I told you, my friends call me Harry."
Brant slung the trunk to his shoulder and led the way to the front counter. Once there he worked his magic on the embossing signet before he drew up a bill of sale and a draft note.
Harry signed the draft and called for Dobby.
As the little man hugged his knee, Harry showed him the Elf compartment. He squeaked his joy into Harry's leg. Before taking the finished trunk to Harry's room.
The group had an early dinner at Dunnings and stopped by Fortescue's for a nightcap.
As they passed by the Menagerie, Hermione stepped in to see what they had…
Sue went to coo over the kittens as Hannah said hello to a regal eagle.
Harry watched them as he found himself drawn to the lizard and snake section. Not finding much more than a two headed and depressed runespoor, he approached first Hannah.
"Wicked Bird." Harry smiled at the beast as it preened in their admiration.
"Yeah. He is the mate for our family post bird. They had chosen each other just before we picked up the female. I often swing by to talk to him and to tell her that he is looking good as well."
Harry nodded. "I assume that you are planning to stay the night with Sue?"
"Yeah. Mom is under the impression that I am going to her house tonight." Hannah turned back to the eagle.
Harry nodded as he walked over to where Susan was talking baby talk to a black kneazle kitten. "She is a beauty."
"Yeah. But Auntie made me promise not to buy a cat. My owl will get jealous." Sue went back to fussing over the kitten.
Hermione was purring with a Ginger Tom with a smoothed face. Harry could almost hear them conversing.
Reaching the front counter, he scratched out a note. "The eagle that the blond is chatting up. When we leave, have him deliver this note. He is to be her personal Postal Bird. She claims that they have his mate." The shop witch rang up the eagle. "The Redhead has fallen under the spell of the black kitten. Going to need everything to care for it, and the same for the ginger beast." Harry frowned. "Include a harness and leash. He will more likely prefer being treated like a dog than shoved into a wicker box." more things were rang up. "Throw in a table perch for an owl and three bags of owl treats, at least one bacon flavored and one not."
The total was about fifty Galleons.
But only Hermione walked out with her pet. Harry had the kitten sent to Susan's room at the Leaky Cauldron.
"Why did you have me put him on a leash with a harness?" The brainy brunette asked.
"One, so you don't have to lug the wicker cat box everywhere. Two, the personal connection between you two will form faster with longer contact. But mostly, I know what a confined space can do to you when you want out. I believe that you two will prosper better if he's treated more like a dog than a goldfish."
Both Hermione and Crookshanks, as she dubbed him, began purring.
TBC
1 standard/muggle.
2 expanded
3 potion lab
4 library / office
5 Elf compartment
6 statis storage
7 wardrobe
8 armoury