The female lead auror chuckled and said, "If you're willing to listen, then I'll advise."
Breathing out a big sigh of relief, he replied, "Please."
With the help of the auror and the shop assistants Hermione had her five upmarket casual witches' robes, a semi-formal robe and a wizarding formal gown.
When Harry saw her in the last one he stuttered a bit, blushed and quietly said, "Wow!"
Like most witchwear, it was very non-revealing compared to muggle counterparts. However, what it did do was accentuate all the 'right' features. All in a deep forest green it had a 'V' neck that dipped only slightly, not even giving a real hint of cleavage. However, it had a tight-fitted bodice with the V carrying along the bottom edge of the bodice section that dropped from the hips on the side to the bottom of the V almost reaching where he estimated her 'mound' would be. Then the dress opened to a full length almost pleated skirt of the same material. The long sleeves also had the 'wizarding' tight upper arms flaring out to the loose cuffs. While not a lot of skin was displayed the cut and fit showed off the assets underneath by highlighting them.
Harry was, quite literally, speechless.
The auror chuckled and said, "That's the one, Miss Granger. Take a look at your betrothed."
Hermione took one look at Harry, blushed and looked down. This was the first robe she'd organised so Harry would have that swatch. She put it on again, because she wanted to know what Harry thought of it before they left the store.
"This is perfect," she softly told the shop assistant.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After finally getting out of the clothier, dressed in one each of the outfits Harry had just purchased for the both of them, the two teens finally got going on their Christmas shopping. It did, though, take Harry a good five to ten minutes to, as he put it, get his head back in the game.
With her right hand and arm tucked into his left elbow, Hermione asked, "Do you know what you want to buy for everyone?"
"Errr... no, not really," he replied. "I figured... I'll know it when I see it."
Now used to the coterie of aurors that were always accompanying them, neither teen noticed that their detail had grown that day. Anyone paying attention would have noticed there were currently four aurors who formed a somewhat tight square around the pair. They might have also noticed there were at least half a dozen more moving through the Alley 'near' the pair, but not close enough to be thought of as 'encumbering'.
However, as we're talking about witches and wizards here, very few noticed the second group. And there were even some who didn't notice the first group.
Many, of course, stopped and gawked at the two teens - mainly Harry. But there were a few brave ones, who were also of the group that didn't notice any of the aurors or what they meant, who'd hurried forward to touch or speak with Harry. Most of those were immediately intercepted by the aurors.
After having to duck into yet another nearby store because of the stress of being constantly gawked at, or of people coming over just to touch him, Harry was angrily muttering, "This is ridiculous! How the Hell am I supposed to get any proper shopping done if I'm being constantly hassled?"
She replied, "We'll get through it, Love."
He gave a sigh and a nod of sadness.
Eventually, he had the gifts he wanted for Frank and Alice, Neville, the Twins, Ted and Andi and 'Call-Me-Tonks'. Added to those he purchased small gifts for the other alliance member Houses - Amelia and Susan Bones; Eugene, Pauline and Hannah Abbott; Griselda Marchbanks; Miles and Hedda Ogden; Heathcliff, Lydia, Edwin and Tracey Davis; Samuel, Adeline, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass; and Tyler Stebbins.
He also wanted to purchase a stack of gifts for the aurors who would be guarding them on Christmas Day, but decided to just make a bloody big Christmas lunch for them all with a 'gift' of some form.
Finally, they retreated back to Wimbledon to a collective sigh of relief from everyone; not the least of which was the two teens.
"That," groaned Harry, once they returned, "Was painful."
Hermione firmly said, "At least, when we go muggle shopping tomorrow, you won't have to put up with all the gawkers."
"We, love," he sighed. "We."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The previous evening Walden MacNair, 'executioner' of dangerous beasts for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry, had just returned to his modest home when his wards alerted him to someone approaching his front door.
Stiffening, as he could think of no one who would ever visit him through such a 'muggle' manner, he cautiously dimmed his lights and just as cautiously made his way to the door. As soon as he got there he moved so his back was against the wall next to the door - it was steel plate reinforced, just for this sort of scenario - and waited with his wand drawn and held up.
He waited a full five seconds before he finally heard a solid three knocks upon the wood of the door. Then waited ten seconds before he quickly twisted the handle and yanked the door in and away from himself.
When there was no sudden spell fire in through the now open door, he ducked down low and looked around the frame. His looking out from such a low angle meant if someone was waiting for him to stick his head out, he'd have one to two seconds to cast a curse at an enemy before they could spot him and shift their aim lower.
Who he saw, utterly surprised him.
"You!?" he exclaimed.
Standing back about seven feet, where he'd clearly moved back to once he knocked on the door, was someone he'd thought dead - Peter Pettigrew.
"MacNair," smirked Pettigrew. "You'd best invite me in before I'm spotted."
That meeting led him to this morning. He'd been told he needed to be at a certain place at a certain time. But, the place he had to be was simply given to him as apparation co-ordinates.
At first, he'd refused. However, Pettigrew handed him a card; on it, was one word. It was a code word known only to him and a handful of others. It was proof it was an order and he had to obey it.
When he appeared at the spot, Pettigrew was waiting for him. And, as soon as he appeared, Pettigrew said, "Follow me. And, if you value your life, do not draw your wand."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The two teens were chowing down on lunch when Sirius turned up, so Harry organised Dobby to prepare him a lunch, too.
As soon as Sirius sat down, he asked, "The FNA person here yet?"
"FNA?" asked Hermione.
Harry would have asked, but his mouth was full at the time.
"Floo Network Authority," said Sirius, as his lunch appeared before him. Like Harry's and Hermione's it was a pasta salad loaded with beef chunks. It was a dish Harry had cooked, but he also had to teach Dobby so the little elf would not be too upset with him for cooking a midday meal.
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