The Holidays Are Here, Part II

Chapter Nine

“I heard it from your own mum, Ron.” Katie Bell sat down at the table, trying to explain the urgency to the four. “She was in the Leaky Cauldron, talking to your father about it.”

Hermione shook her head. “We were just there. How could we have missed them, or you?”
“It must have been before you got there, or just after you left.” Katie continued. “I never saw the four of you come in, or Tonks.”

“This is bad,” Ginny said. “If they really plan to come here looking for Harry, then we have to leave.”
“Where would we go, Ginny?” Harry was visibly upset as he tried not to direct his anger at anyone in the room. “I can\'t believe they would come here.”

A whooshing sound came from the fireplace. Tonks and Snape both stepped out, brushing themselves off. Snape stepped forward, speaking. “And that is why you will not survive this day, Potter. Because you are still too arrogant to believe this threat to be real.” Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny exchanged looks of terror as they saw Snape\'s clothes.

“Professor,” Hermione started, “You look-”
“Not another word, Miss Granger.” He tugged at the hem of the tuxedo coat, straightening it. “I know how I look, and I don\'t need to be reminded by you how insipid this thing is.” He looked to Tonks, his expression ordering her to get the girls on their way.

Tonks walked to Ginny and Hermione, taking them by the hands. “Come on, we\'ve got to leave. You two are coming with me. Boys, you are going with the Professor.” Katie winced at the thought, and excused herself. “I have to go. Good luck everybody.” She went outside, and blinked away.

Harry got up, and walked to Ginny to embrace her. “It\'ll be okay. They really are looking out for us, and I\'m sure we\'ll be together later.” Ron and Hermione were sharing a similar exchange as their moment was interrupted by Snape. “Do come on already, we haven\'t the time for this.” He looked to his wrist as if a watch might be there. “Nymphadora, we\'re still running late. Be quick with them, and we\'ll meet you at five.”

“No time for a quick goodbye?” Tonks shot a glare at Snape. “Surely another quick kiss between lovers won\'t make us terribly late.” She raised an eyebrow at him. The four children looked to Snape all wanting to say something. Ron couldn\'t believe what he was hearing as the words slipped from his lips. “If looks could ki-”

Hermione put a hand over his mouth, trying to save him from the wrath about to befall him. Snape, trying to save face said “Nymphadora, no need to revisit their holiday pastimes, nor should they have known that you have been spying on them.”

She huffed at him as she readied the fireplace for travel.

Ron looked to the clock, noting that it was only one in the afternoon. “What\'s going to take so long that we need to hurry?” He waved to Hermione as he saw them enter the fireplace, Tonks saying “Twelve Grimmauld Place.” Snape looked to both boys. “This is an order straight from Dumbledore. If either of you stray from what I am about to tell you to do, he will deal with you accordingly,” his voice lowered as his eyes squinted, “and then I will finish for him.”

Snape sighed with disgust. “First, we are going to get you two into muggle outfits to match mine. Then we are going to pretend to enjoy ourselves amongst the muggles for the evening. Dumbledore feels the Death-Eaters won\'t venture too far into their society looking for you.” He paused for a moment, not wanting to tell them the rest.

He looked to Harry, knowing the next part may be hard for him. “I am to play the part of a father taking his son out for his birthday. Miss Granger will be your sister. Weasley, you and your sister will be our guests. Tonks will be playing the part of the mother.”

Before they each had a chance to reply, he threw some floo powder into the fireplace and stepped in. “Twelve Grimmauld Place.” Ron looked to Harry and shuddered. “A night out with him? Bloody hell.” The two followed Snape, one after the other.

Snape watched the three women climb into a long muggle vehicle, the driver dressed similarly as he was now. “Despise isn\'t the right word for how she feels about me.” He turned on his heel as Harry and Ron entered the room. Just before speaking, he saw his knife still planted in the hardwood floor, next to the knickers he had cut from Tonks.

He looked back to the boys, seeing their eyes pass across the floor to the same objects he wished were invisible. He saw the realization flush across them as they looked back to him. “If looks could kill indeed,” he muttered as he crossed the room quickly, retrieving his knife. He picked up the knickers and threw them into the fireplace as he conjured a small fire to rid them from sight.

----------

“You have been spying on us?” Ginny was visibly upset. “For how long?”
“It doesn\'t matter,” Hermione interjected. “You weren\'t talking about us back there, were you? You and Snape, you\'re-” She stopped as the thought hit her in full. Ginny saw the conclusion as well, and finished the sentence. “You\'re lovers?”

Tonks shuffled in the back of the Limo. “No, not exactly. It\'s...complicated.” She smoothed her hands across the red dress, thinking of how he had ripped it from her so easily. “Anyway, I\'m surprised you two haven\'t asked about this yet,” she rubbed a hand on the plush interior of the vehicle, trying to change the subject. “Do you two like to shop?”

Hermione and Ginny both smiled at one another, and nodded to Tonks. They knew it was time to let the old subject drop. “Where are we going?” Hermione was definitely curious.

Tonks explained the events to them both, and ended with “So we\'ll be getting dresses for you both to match mine.” She winked as she added, “And perhaps knickers to match your dresses.” All three of them giggled as they stopped in front of what appeared to be a rather fancy clothing boutique.

A sales lady greeted them at the door with a smile at first, then her look changed to one of haughtiness as she looked to the girls odd sense of \'fashion\'. Tonks took this as a cue to speak, her voice carrying a rather convincing tone of disapproval. “Madam, it is my son\'s eighteenth birthday, and I will not have his girlfriend accompany us like this, nor my other son\'s girlfriend. Please help them, as I cannot seem to do it my self.”

“Of course, I see now,” the sales lady said, with a look that said she has seen this kind of problem many times before. “And what would the mistress prefer them to have for the evening?”

“I bought this here,” Tonks said, indicating the dress she wore. “I want them to each have one as well, in a color that would make them each attractive for the evening.” She leaned in close and added, “With matching under garments, of course. We can\'t have an incomplete set. Then, their hair.” She put a hand across her chest, feigning disgust. “Please do their hair as mine has been done.”

“Of course, madam. We can take care of everything from here. Please make yourself comfortable.”
Tonks nodded appreciatively, and turned to the girls scornfully. “You two are not to say one word until I have taken you from here. Do you understand?”

Both girls nodded, and tried their best to hold back their smiles. Tonks feigned disgust again, rolling her eyes. Turning to the sales lady, she asked “And do you sell courtesy in a bottle, perhaps?”

“I wish we did, madam,” she replied, hurrying the girls away. “I wish we did.”

----------

Snape looked to his empty wrist, knowing Tonks was late. Tapping his foot, he mumbled to himself. “Not terribly late indeed.”

“What\'s that Father?” Ron felt revolted as he spoke. As Snape turned to reply, he saw Tonks stepping from the limo, Ginny and Hermione following. He had to admit that the sight of the three of them in the matching fabric was rather fetching, no matter how disgusted he was by all of them.

Harry\'s heart stopped as he saw Ginny. She wore a dress cut exactly like Tonks\', but was burnt orange in color. Her hair was pulled tight to the back of her head, and fell in a wash of curls behind her neck. It matched the hue of the dress, and had white streaks in it to match the lotus blossoms of the silky fabric that hugged her body so perfectly. Even her high heels and hand bag matched. He was beside himself as he saw the locket hang between her breasts, looking new from a delicate shine job. His gaze was interrupted by Ron clutching his arm. Hermione had stepped out last, wearing a honey colored dress, her hair, shoes and bag matching as well.

Snape pulled the two to the side out of sight from the three as he procured his wand. “I can only presume, Mr. Weasley,” he said, changing the color of Ron\'s vest and bow tie to a honey color, “that Miss Granger, and not your sister, would be your...girlfriend.” He quickly turned to Harry and changed his vest and tie to a burnt orange, finishing himself last with a red set.

Each of them walked quickly to accompany the three women, offering their elbows courteously. Snape led the way into a fancy muggle restaurant as he spoke to Tonks. “I am thoroughly amused, Nymphadora.” She whispered with a sideways glance in reply, “But your amusement is not complete, is it Severus?”

Snape spoke with the receptionist, confirming the reservations for Mr. And Mrs. Phoenix and guests, before they were all ushered through the tables on the first floor. Harry\'s head swung as he heard a familiar voice complaining abut how he “couldn\'t get the private dining area upstairs due to someone else already having had it reserved for over a year now.”

He stopped as his gaze locked with none other than his uncle. He saw Petunia and Dudley there as well, the three of them apparently entertaining some official looking businessmen. Dudley\'s fork dropped to his plate as he saw the woman Harry was escorting.

Harry called to Snape, asking him to “Please wait a moment.” The party stopped and watched as he walked Ginny over to the Dursley\'s table. He greeted the businessmen courteously before turning to his pseudo-family. “Vernon, Petunia,” he said confidently. “The lovely Miss Ginerva Weasley. You\'ll be happy to know that I have been courting her for several months now.”

Vernon\'s contempt flowed from him in rivers. “What is the meaning of this Harry?”
“Don\'t you know what today is, uncle?” He looked to the businessmen and continued. “It\'s my eighteenth birthday. Vernon should be pleased about that, as he\'s no longer responsible for me now.” He looked back to Vernon as he continued. “I would have thought you would know this day better than any other.”

Tonks joined them, politely excusing their interruption. “Harry dear, we need to go.”

They returned, Snape glaring at Harry before turning his look to Vernon. “Now I see where your lack of good manners comes from.” They followed the usher to a private room upstairs, walking silently the rest of the way. The room was dark as they entered, and the usher had seemingly forgotten to light the room before closing the door. He felt Snape clutch his arm and drag him forward in the darkness as he spoke.

“Now, Potter, you shall want to thank someone later for this. Be certain it isn\'t me.” He let go as the lights turned on with a large group now shouting “Surprise!”

Harry flinched briefly before looking about the room, his eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness. The entire Weasley family were there, minus Percy, as well as Madam Hooch, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Flitwick. Harry also saw Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnett and two other women with Bill and Charlie.

Arthur joined Harry in the center of the room, and said “Happy birthday Harry. Many more of us wanted to be here this evening, but...Well, I\'m sure you know why they couldn\'t be here.”

Molly joined them and asked Arthur “Doesn\'t our daughter look lovely?” Arthur looked to Ginny, recognizing her now for the first time this evening. He looked back to Harry, putting a hand on his shoulder. “She\'s still my little girl, Harry. I trust your intentions are still-”

“Arthur!” Molly scolded him. “Leave them alone. Haven\'t you seen by now how much they love one another?” Harry blushed as he looked to Ginny. “Sir,” he looked up to Arthur again. “I do love her. And I will be sure that no harm will come to her. Ever.”

“I know,” Arthur said, nodding his head as Ginny joined them. “She\'s just...You two look...”
“You look bloody good together.” Charlie had joined them. “Come on dad, let\'s all go sit down.”

The party went on for several hours, everyone enjoying the good food and company. As the evening began to wind down, the conversation was stopped by a loud pop in the room. Dumbledore had arrived, and looked around the room at everyone as he smiled. “My apologies to everyone for my tardiness.”

Charlie chuckled as he said “Happy birthday Harry. It would appear that your gift from Dumbledore this year will be one you most likely will never hear again. The headmaster of the finest school of magic, offering his excuse for being late.” Everyone laughed, Dumbledore included. Even Snape accidentally let a brief smile slip.

“Harry, if you please,” Dumbledore asked. “May I have a word with you in private?” He and Harry exited the room, and stood in the hall just outside the doors to the private room. “Harry, I wanted to give this to you in private.” He procured a small box, very much resembling a container for a ring of some sort. “Your father gave this to your mother many years ago. Now, being an observant wizard, I have noticed that Miss Weasley is wearing a locket that once belonged to your father. This ring completes the set.”

He put a hand on Harry\'s shoulder, and mentioned that the restaurant had a lovely courtyard out back, and was well known for being “an extremely romantic place this time of year.”

Harry looked up to Dumbledore as his eyes misted over. “Thank you sir.” It was all Harry could manage before Dumbledore told him to “Wait right here.” Ginny emerged from the room a moment later, and took Harry by the arm. “I was told you wanted to see me alone?”

Harry looked to the door to see the rest of the guests departing, all wishing him a happy birthday. Snape stopped in front of them, and informed them that Tonks would be taking them home, as he had other important matters to attend to. After everyone had left, with the exception of Ron and Hermione, he led Ginny out to the balcony overlooking a plush courtyard, full of flowers, small trees and a maze in the center, comprised of tall hedges.

They walked to the edge, and stopped to look down at the beauty below them. Harry moved behind Ginny, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You look amazing tonight. So much so, that I can not see anything else beyond your beauty.”

“Harry, I-”

“Ginny,” he interrupted her, “I have one more gift for you today.” His hands trembled as he pulled the small box from his coat pocket. “It was a gift my father gave to my mother, and I want you to have it.” She turned around as he opened the box for her to see the ring that matched her locket. Putting a hand to her chest as her legs went weak, she leaned back into the carved stone overlooking the courtyard.

“You must wear it on your right hand for now,” he said, taking it out of the box. Placing it on her finger, he continued. “For now, my sweet Ginerva.” She hugged him tight as her eyes lost control of the tears that rolled down her smooth cheeks. “I don\'t deserve this Harry. Not this, and not you.”

“Yes my love, you do.”

-End Chapter