Disclaimer: Thanks to J.K. Rowling for allowing me to take her characters for a lengthy stroll through my imagination.
Twenty-Seven
Gifts in All Shapes and Sizes
As was his custom, Harry returned from work at mid-afternoon on Wednesday. He was pleasantly surprised to find a gaily wrapped parcel on his pillow and a drowsy Ginny curled up under the smoky blue quilt. He couldn’t help admiring how her hair formed a lake of molten lava against the silvery bed linens.
Despite his best effort to tiptoe into the adjoining bath to remove his tie, Ginny stirred almost immediately. “I thought I heard your tread on the stairs,” she offered in their familiar recognition ritual.
“I was hoping to not disturb you,” Harry replied with a sheepish smile.
“Doesn’t matter,” she mumbled sleepily as she sat up and stretched her arms languidly over her head.
Harry’s eyes were irresistibly drawn to the white satin folds that draped over her lithe torso like shimmering layers of ice. Or shiny meringue ready to be licked off, his libido supplied. With the heat of color in his face, Harry turned his eyes towards the gift box to retain his equanimity. There probably wasn’t time before the others arrived, anyway. Why hurry when they had the long, uninterrupted night before them?
“Is it my birthday already?” he remarked as a simple tug on the ribbon caused the box and wrapping to collapse upon themselves. “Magical wrappings, too?”
Ginny nodded with a wide grin. “My determination to find something unique for Rabbit and Spook convinced our hosts to take us to a magical village.”
“Like Hogsmeade?”
“Only better,” Ginny attested as she described the sensation of stepping back into the pages of an antique volume of faerie stories. In the hollow of imposing violet mountains capped with year-round ice, the village was visible only to those accompanied by a majikan host. “That’s the generic term they use for wizards, witches, and any other beings with innate magical ability,” she explained.
Even in late spring, the breeze had swirled sharp ice crystals among the dark wood of the structures. The eaves were cut with intricate patterns like lacy eyebrows above the rosy glow of the windows and doors.
“The confectionary shop was a religious experience,” Ginny raved. “Counter upon counter of sweets fashioned to look like ordinary objects such as woodland mushroom caps, delicate sprigs of wildflowers, and tiny birds’ nests.”
“Surely you didn’t pass those up?” Harry urged with longing.
“Had to,” Ginny groused. “Foodstuffs are prohibited by International Floo Treaty.”
“How did Remus manage the caviar for Dobby then?”
“Diplomatic privilege, Percy explained at length. As Moody’s attaché, he didn’t have the same restrictions when traveling by Portkey.”
“Besides, who would suspect Mad-Eye?” Harry posed rhetorically.
“Why does he always get to break the rules?” Ginny countered, knowing full well the untapped mischief that lurked within her husband’s mentor.
“Kingsley claims it’s because he’s learned how to go unnoticed.”
“Unnoticed? He stands out like a one-armed octopus!”
“Precisely,” Harry concurred. “And people perceive him one of two ways: either that he’s batty and benign, or sinister and off-putting. It’s a persona Moody’s cultivated for years. They’d never suspect him of something as ordinary as smuggling foodstuffs.”
“So it’s only to us that he appears as a sinister and calculating bastard?” Ginny posed with a wide grin.
“But only in the most affectionate way,” Harry confirmed.
Looking pointedly at the round box that still rested unopened on her husband’s pillow, she quipped, “Is it your plan to wait until Christmas?”
With a shake of his head, Harry threw the lid high into the air followed by gauzy sheets of tissue which floated softly to the floor. Nestled within was a brimless hat of soft grey fur.
“Tell me it isn’t…” Harry whispered as his fingers caressed the silken hairs of their own volition.
Reading his mind instinctively, Ginny volunteered, “It’s grey lynx. An elusive creature said to be cursed with an uncanny ability to create mischief and then fade into the shadows like a wraith.”
“Is that how you see me?” he queried with a sharp quirk to his right brow.
Ginny laughed lightly. “The color suits your dark hair. No deeper meaning implied.”
“I thought Russia was renowned for its sable.”
“Oh, it is,” she practically purred. “Black as the deepest night, it contrasts particularly well with my hair.” With a saucy wink, she added, “I promise to model it before bed tonight.”
Harry joined in with her mischievous laughter. “Please tell me you didn’t bring something similar for Remus. You know how he feels about animal pelts.”
“Yet he has no problem wearing leather shoes,” Ginny remarked.
“Or eating beef. But I don’t think he feels the same kinship with cows.”
“Sables are bred for a specific purpose just like cattle.”
“I’m not the one you have to convince. You know Remus sees his very name as an ironic tribute to his destiny.”
“Well, you won’t see me waxing poetic about Weasley “ or even Potter.”
“My ancestors must have been renowned for their bisque ware,” Harry argued playfully.
“Or being drunkards, more like!” Ginny snorted in return. “As for mine, I bear no false illusions. Clearly, they were involved in trapping weasels “ which are related to minks, sables, ermines, and martens. Case closed.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Harry allowed. “No such thing as a were-weasel.”
With an arch look, Ginny returned, “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. A certain literary agent comes --”
But before she could elaborate, loud whoops reverberated up the stairwell indicating that Rabbit and Spook had found their own surprises nestled among the bed pillows.
“Come,” Ginny urged as she threw a sweatshirt over her camisole and tugged on jeans in record time. “I left my fire lizard on guard duty but I wouldn’t put it past those two to outsmart a ruddy Patronus!”
Certain that all would make sense in short order, Harry followed her down the stairs and into the ground floor drawing room.
Dobby turned with a wide grin from setting the dinner table, the rainbow tassels from his short orange jacket swinging merrily.
“It suits you perfectly,” Ginny crooned as Dobby caught her up in a tight hug around the legs.
“So sorry your nap was cut short, Mistress,” the house-elf issued as he tilted his head to look up at her adoringly. “The other box was discovered sooner than expected in the Dark Arts office…”
He trailed off as Tonks danced through the kitchen doorway, the diaphanous tails of her long tunic floating gracefully with each movement. The embroidered black waistcoat cinching her upper body only served to emphasize the gossamer tunic beneath. She grabbed Ginny in an impulsive hug, causing the hairbrush to clatter from Ginny’s hand.
“It’s wonderful!” Tonks gushed into Ginny’s tangled mane. “However did you get the size right?”
“As many clothes as we’ve traded back and forth?” Ginny cried. “Not to mention the times my wand’s made alterations on some of Andromeda’s hand-me-downs.”
Tonks returned a radiant smile. “Mum does have the best castoffs, doesn’t she?”
“So were you surprised when you walked into your office?” Ginny urged.
“Actually, Teddy was. Quickly followed by disappointment that the tag didn’t bear his or Phoebe’s name.”
“I assumed they’d be with Fleur this afternoon,” Ginny confessed. “Did I get my days mixed up by crossing so many time zones?”
“Last minute change of plan; Fleur’s taking them on Friday instead.”
“It’s Yvette’s birthday and she wants a sleep-over,” Harry added.
“Needless to say,” Tonks elaborated, “the children insisted on Flooing Dobby from the hearth in my office to make sure they hadn’t been forgotten. And after that… Well, I had no choice but to come home early. They were dragging me down the front slope at such a pace, it’s a wonder I managed to send a Patronus to Remus.”
“So that explains why the poor beast was shaking from head-to-tail,” Remus remarked from the back door. “Not old age palsy after all.”
“Daddy! Daddy!” The cries heralded a blur of motion as Phoebe and Teddy raced to welcome their father. How Remus always managed to deftly arrested their momentum without tearing his arms off was a mystery to Harry.
“We have presents, too!” Teddy proclaimed as he struggled to his feet.
“Come!” Phoebe insisted, tugging with all her might on the sleeve of her father’s jacket.
Remus’ eyes washed over Tonks’ outfit with undisguised longing, followed by an apologetic smile.
“Who gets to go first?” he asked as he swung his head back and forth between the doors to his children’s rooms.
Ginny solved the problem by sliding into Phoebe’s room and sitting herself down on the mattress. “You’ll have to convince the fire lizard that it’s really you,” she instructed Phoebe as she pointed to the silvery figure swirling in protective fashion over the colorful parcel. “Can’t have just anyone taking it for themselves.”
Phoebe giggled in anticipation as she gingerly took a step forward. The lizard Patronus immediately fixed its glowing eyes on her in warning. “Phoebe!” she announced loudly.
But the lizard was not appeased. It blew an angry burst of smoke that had Phoebe back-pedaling into her mother’s legs for safety.
“Not so fast, Phoebe,” Ginny crooned. “Anyone could find your name in the birth records stored at the Ministry. Tell it your secret name.”
Nodding eagerly, Phoebe minced forward and trilled, “Rabbit!”
With a final swish of its tail, the fire lizard dissolved into the air vent. As Phoebe approached closer, the bow untied as if pulled by invisible fingers. She watched in awe as the silvery paper retreated like the tide and the sides of the box collapsed open.
“It’s a doll’s house!” she issued, her blue eyes sparkling with joy.
“Not just any doll’s house,” Ginny clarified, “but a true dacha in the great Russian tradition.”
Phoebe was instantly entranced by the brightly painted structure which unhinged to reveal rooms full of tiny furniture inside. Tonks knelt beside her daughter as they explored the new domain in reverent whispers.
In turn, Teddy was practically dancing with anticipation as he implored his father silently.
“You’ll need Ginny to give you the magical clue, Spook,” Remus allowed with amusement at his son’s impatience.
“You’re right, Teddy. They’ll be at it for hours,” Harry agreed as he caught Ginny’s hand and directed her across the hall.
In the background, Tonks cried out with childish delight, “Look, sweetheart, there’s even tiny closets!”
Much to their surprise, Teddy’s gift hovered expectantly over the bed as the intrepid fire lizard darted up, over and around it.
“Is he holding it up?” Teddy demanded.
Ginny smiled enigmatically. “You’ll see once you dispatch the guardian.”
“Spook!” Teddy cried only to be met with disappointment.
“Not much of a puzzle if the same answer unlocks everything,” Harry chuckled as he sat down on the cushioned lid of the toy chest and pulled Ginny onto his lap. “Give him another clue, dearest.”
Ginny made a show of biting her lip in concentration. “Let me see…” She looked up at the ceiling to maximize the suspense. “This calls for a sports clue. What do they call the little golden ball that flits all around the Quidditch pitch?”
“The Snitch!” Teddy replied instantly.
“Too easy,” Ginny countered. “What animal was almost rendered extinct by early Quidditch pioneers for serving the same function?”
“What me to summon a guidebook?” Harry suggested, but Teddy shook his head stubbornly.
After a few moments of thought, Teddy’s tiny smile indicated that he’d found his answer. “The Snidget!” he announced heartily, then watched with satisfaction as the smoky fire lizard shot a tiny flame in his direction before whizzing through the window glass.
“It still floats!” Teddy broadcast so loudly that Tonks and Phoebe were also drawn forth.
As Teddy reached for the end of the blue ribbon, it recoiled playfully from his touch then spooled into a looping puddle atop his pillow. In the next breath, the foil wrapping was whisked from the package by invisible forces and the empty box fell with a small thud atop the bedcovers.
Still floating before them was the most peculiar racing broom Harry had ever seen. The handle was carved in the shape of an elongated horse, the rear bristles forming the horse’s tail. The hand-holds were the ears just as the rear legs had been fashioned as footrests.
“Can I ride it?” Teddy beseeched to the adult faces ringing him.
“Of course, Spook,” Remus attested. “It’s a broom “ not a pet!”
“Just let Harry or me give up you a preliminary flying lesson first. Promise?” Ginny insisted.
“Weather’s holding fast. What say we do it now?” Harry suggested impishly.
Tonks grabbed Ginny’s sleeve before she dashed out the door behind the mass of exuberant children, Harry and Remus included. “You won’t let him fly too high will you?”
“No chance,” Ginny assured her. “This model comes with an altimeter that requires a special key to adjust.”
Tonks smiled warmly at the tiny gold keychain Ginny deposited neatly in her palm. “The real trick will be hiding that from Teddy,” she murmured.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Ginny smirked. “Didn’t Hagrid used to be the Keeper of the Keys?”
“I’ll speak with him in the morning,” Tonks nodded avidly. “Perhaps take him a tray of baked goods from Dobby.”
“Ginny, a word, please,” Remus implored from the door to his study.
As instructed, he had waited until after dinner to unwrap his present as evidenced by the copy of War and Peace situated in the center of his desk. Peeking out from the corner of the silver wrappings, a red curlicue of ribbon contrasted with the polished wood surface.
“Tell me about the book,” he requested. “I’m hopeless with Russian.”
Taking the chair opposite him, Ginny provided, “Well, it’s not a first edition, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Not really, but the bright illustrations seem to imply a children’s book--”
“And that’s not generally a tale for children,” she finished with a small laugh.
“The length alone.”
“That’s what drew my eye to this volume,” she admitted. “The moving illustrations were so captivating, it almost makes the entire tale come to life. Even though you can’t read the words, it would be so easy to narrate it to Phoebe and Teddy by the pictures alone.”
“That would certainly allow me to edit out the more ponderous parts,” he agreed.
“Do you like it?”
“Very much so. All those battle scenes with the misguided Napoleonic forces were a great favorite from my childhood.” He hesitated, a slight frown between his brows as he folded back one side of the wrapping to reveal the parchment envelope she’d tucked underneath the flyleaf. The wax seal had been broken. “What exactly is this?”
Squaring her shoulders, Ginny countered with, “A bank draft.”
“With a goodly number of zeros,” Remus supplied. “I didn’t agree to this.”
“Standard consultant’s fee,” Ginny staunchly proclaimed. “No one’s going to leak your involvement, if that’s --”
“Is this what Eunice meant when she said I was worth every last silver sickle?” he cut across sharply.
Ginny winced. “I’m certain she didn’t mean for you to overhear.”
“Are you familiar with the term nepotism?” He shot back.
Defending her turf, Ginny rallied, “You and I are not related by blood or marriage.”
“Does living under the same roof not count for anything?” Remus waved vaguely in the direction of the ceiling to make his point.
“That’s not common knowledge. Not that it’s anyone’s business.”
“And how exactly do you think it would look if someone discovered that our addresses are the same?”
“I made a point of listing yours as Hogwarts. No one questioned that I’d want to deliver the draft to you in person. Thanking you for a superlative job in the process.”
“That’s not the point!”
“Perhaps you should explain it to the rest of us as well,” Harry interceded from the doorway as he set a Muffliato Charm.
“Just got the children to settle down,” Tonks added breathlessly as she slipped in behind him. “Dobby’s idea of feeding them early really paid off. Only one false start despite all the excitement. Phoebe’s got the doll house laid out on the floor next to her bed where she can watch for trespassers.”
“And Teddy?” Remus prompted.
“He insisted on tucking the racing stallion under the covers with him “ even though I assured him it was used to cold climates and wouldn’t catch a chill. There’s no point in arguing with him; he gets wound up and it only keeps him awake.”
“Like his father,” Harry dared with a cheeky grin.
“My apologies for the raised voices,” Remus returned sullenly.
“No apology needed, Remus,” Tonks replied as she settled herself comfortably on the armrest of Harry’s chair. “Is it too late to put in a wager?” she whispered.
The tickle of her breath against his ear had Harry fighting to keep a straight face.
“So glad to see you’re taking this seriously,” Remus sulked.
Harry shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s not often I get to be on the sidelines. Indulge me.”
Ginny flashed her husband a quick smile in appreciation before schooling the features once more. She reassured Remus directly, “It’s not intended as an insult.”
“And I’m not used to selling my services to the highest bidder!” he retorted without missing a beat.
“So donate it to charity,” Ginny suggested. “Some organization that deals with werewolf issues.”
“There aren’t any,” Remus replied darkly.
Taken aback, Ginny faltered, “Really?”
Harry made a mental note to take that up with Penelope at a later date. If she’d been active with wildlife concerns in the past, she might be amenable to doing something about such a glaring omission. Hermione would undoubtedly want to be involved as well, he reminded himself, and Penny’s presence would help to rein in her natural overzealousness.
“Perhaps you should stop thinking as an impoverished revolutionary, darling,” Tonks volunteered from her perch. “No one’s asking you to compromise your ideals.”
“The Order no longer exists,” Harry supplied. “There’s no one to accuse you of being a mercenary.”
Still unconvinced, Remus remarked, “I didn’t quibble when the WWN paid for the travel expenses. Didn’t question when Percy offered me a bedchamber fit for royalty in the Imperial suite --”
“That’s just it,” Ginny cut across. “The Ministry bankrolled that. With Mad-Eye in tow, the Portkeys were set up for the official use of the Auror Department. Not to mention the Minister’s suite…”
“Which was probably donated by the Russian Ministry of Magic,” Tonks added knowingly.
“Exactly,” Ginny emphasized. “So how would it look if the WWN didn’t pay for your time? You’re not part of the Auror Department; but it would certainly look as if you had been bought and paid for by them.”
“That’s not fair,” Remus protested.
“No, it’s not,” Harry agreed. “But the world doesn’t operate by those rules; there’s no Headmistress looking over everyone’s shoulder to make sure no one plays havoc with the truth.”
“I know you agreed as a favor to me,” Ginny mollified. “But others will never accept that. You’d be setting yourself up for a lot of speculation; not all of which is very kind-hearted, I might add.”
Clearly shocked, Remus stammered, “Surely they would never assume…”
“And why not, Remus?” Tonks remarked with a wicked smirk. “You’ve already established a reputation for liking younger women!”
“That’s woman, singular,” he swiftly clarified. “I wouldn’t have married you, cherub, if I thought you wanted to share.”
“Full of delusions tonight, aren’t you?” Tonks volleyed as she fingered her wand in a manner that would have seemed threatening to outsiders.
Remus focused on Ginny once more. “You could’ve at least warned me.”
“And argued with you then?” Ginny commented. “I would have been totally stressed by the time we got down to the broadcast.”
“I’m not an unreasonable man,” he insisted.
“Just too idealistic for your own good,” Tonks offered diplomatically before the others could voice the general consensus about stubbornness.
“That still doesn’t address what to do with this!” Remus insisted as he poked the envelope with the tip of his letter opener.
As if touching it with his fingers would sully his very soul, Harry noted wordlessly.
“Perhaps I have an idea,” Tonks proposed as she reached over for the envelope.
Remus watched her actions with displeasure burning in his eyes, but he didn’t stop her.
A quick peek at the amount was all Tonks needed before issuing brightly, “Why don’t you use it to hire that tutor you’ve been considering for Teddy? This is almost enough for half a year’s wages.”
“I hadn’t come to a final decision,” Remus protested.
“Now you can,” Tonks announced. “You know that with Pomona retiring to Tuscany, Minerva and Poppy won’t be able to keep up with the children as they have in the past.”
“There’s that primary school for magical children in Hogsmeade,” Remus considered.
“Even if you can convince them to take Teddy a year early, where does that leave poor Phoebe? She won’t be happy about being excluded -- not to mention that the Headmistress will still be put out.”
Harry considered that a Muggle primary school could easily accommodate both children, but Remus and Tonks had long ago discarded that idea. It wasn’t that they were anti-Muggle, far from it; after all, what could better acquaint children with Muggle customs than a practical lesson? It was just that non-wizarding schools were only an option for children whose magic was latent “ or at least, more subtle “ than Teddy’s.
“Why not coordinate with Bill?” Ginny put forth. “Fleur’s insisting that Victorie and Yvette attend her old grammar school in Aix while Mum’s been arguing that home-schooling has been good enough for generations of Weasleys.”
“Sounds like poor Bill’s been caught in the middle,” Harry observed wryly. “Rather like the vice Napoleon encountered between the Duke of Wellington and the Prussians.”
“That was a different conflict. A few years later,” Remus clarified in his best professorial tone.
“Sounds to me like his Excellency, the Emperor, couldn’t get along with anybody!” Tonks remarked amid much laugher.
“Imperial-sized ego,” Ginny concurred.
Which was probably not all that different than what Bill was facing from his French relatives, Remus noted inwardly. Ginny was right: as a gentleman, he owed it to Bill to help him out of a sticky situation.
After a delectable supper of smoked salmon with caviar and crème fraiche, Ginny and Harry excused themselves early to retire upstairs.
“You know we didn’t exactly fool anyone,” Ginny issued in whispery giggles as she reached the short hallway leading to their bed chamber.
“If they even noticed,” Harry snorted with pent up amusement. “Did you see Remus ogling Tonks through that enticing fabric?”
Waiting until the door closed behind them, Ginny replied, “It’s sylph silk. Meant to invoke images of wild abandon.”
“Under the full moon, no doubt.”
“How else would I be certain Remus would be enthralled?”
Harry considered that Remus would be captivated by just about any garment Tonks wrapped about herself, but didn’t want to appear critical by voicing it aloud.
“So the bonus came through after all?” he asked as he untucked his shirt tails and stretched out on the loveseat before their small hearth.
“The station execs were absolutely thrilled by the ratings numbers,” Ginny replied from the depths of their closet. “Set new records.”
“Good thing. I can just imagine how much you dropped on all those hand-made gifts!”
Ginny’s bright head poked out of the closet as she drew a fringed wrap around her bare shoulders. She’d changed her jeans for the satin pajama bottoms that matched her camisole. “Remus is reimbursing me. He begged me to find something truly remarkable for his children since Phoebe was so entranced by the toy horses Viktor presented to Eleanor.”
“And for his wife as well?” Harry goaded in a playful tone.
Ginny pulled a face in return. “So her gift is for both of them to enjoy. It’s not like I bought her anything tacky!”
“Remus would have probably liked that, too!” Harry shot back as he instinctively ducked the sofa cushion he knew was headed for his head.
“But he’d positively hate for anyone else “ even us “ to know,” she scolded him.
Deciding it was best to change the subject, Harry posed, “How did you manage to find such a unique racing broom? Teddy was totally captivated.”
“Just make sure you keep your overgrown backside on your trusty Firebolt! You outgrew the child’s size ages ago.”
“Promise. But I still want to hear about your treasure hunt.”
“Well, then,” Ginny allowed as she curled up on the opposite side of the small loveseat and laced her legs companionably with her husband’s. “It all began at the book shop which was just around the corner from our hotel. I found the book for Remus right off.”
“It was nice of you to remember him.”
“Without his assistance, this whole trip might have never come about. I was still at the bookseller’s, right?” At Harry’s encouraging nod, she took up the narrative once more.
It was there, in the back room devoted to exclusively to wizarding books, that she uncovered the unique history of Russian Quidditch. Like the mighty crown princes who played ballgames on horseback, each Quidditch player personally trained his own flying horse to respond to the smallest twitch of his knees. Granians were preferred due to their compact size and swiftness. But in the end, Ginny explained, it was much as in the case of the unfortunate Snidget: the rigors of the game were more than the poor beasts could handle. Following the lead of their western counterparts, flying brooms were substituted for the horses. Consequently, traditional Russian racing brooms were designed to honor the fearless horses which once dominated the sport. With world competition, the more fanciful hand-carved versions were abandoned in favor of more modern, high-performance models like those used in Britain.
“But from the moment I saw those Cossacks flying back and forth in the illustrations, I wanted to find a traditional broom more than anything else,” Ginny admitted.
Noticing her fascination with the Russian Quidditch manual, the shop’s proprietor had asked Ginny if she wished to purchase that book as well.
With a sad shake of her head, she pointed to the brooms themselves. “I want one of those.”
“Sadly, no longer in use,” the elderly gentleman demurred. “See von in museum, da?”
Very politely, Ginny had declined. “I wanted a special gift for a boy back home in England,” she explained.
Suddenly alert, the bookseller posed, “How old is lad?”
“Just turned six.”
“Da,” he nodded happily. “Is possible to find toy model for children. But not in city.”
Further negotiations revealed the existence of magical shops among the mountainous regions to the north. But she was warned that the villagers did not take to strangers and would likely refuse all overtures.
Not one to be put off so easily, Ginny had returned to the hotel more determined than ever. Seeing that the rest of her group had finally tumbled out of bed and managed to swallow a few bites of breakfast, she relayed what she had learned about the perfect place to shop for one-of-a-kind souvenirs.
In a heartbeat, Percy had rounded up a Russian Ministry liaison who confirmed that arrangements could indeed be made to escort them to the special village if that was how they wanted to spend their extra hours. But they would all have to go as a group by special Portkey and it would occupy most of the day.
“I resisted the urge to ask what exactly was meant by a day,” Ginny added, “Seeing as how the ruddy sun never dimmed except when a cloud passed before it!”
“It was certainly an inspired choice,” Harry echoed Teddy’s excitement over everything having to do with Quidditch.
“The toy shop was amazing! So many things I knew I’d have to pass up, with no real hope of ever returning.”
“Perhaps an owl sent via diplomatic channels,” Harry suggested. “Ask Percy for a favor.”
“If the goods were even available. Everything was unique. I passed up the most amazing set of talking figures that illustrated the tale of Peter and the Wolf.”
“The wolf talked?”
“All the creatures. They had been spelled in Russian, of course, but the toymaker assured me that could easily be adjusted. The figurine of the wolf snarled a bit like Snape on a good day.”
“Sounds like something that would also appeal to Teddy. You could have squirreled it away until Yuletide.”
Ginny tilted her head in thought. “I considered it, but…”
“The wolf is hardly the villain in that story if I rightly recall,” Harry returned.
“So the toymaker explained. Peter is exposed as a selfish, petulant child. And then it hit me --”
“Pettigrew.”
“Exactly. Even though Remus would have never said anything, why stir up unhappy memories?” Ginny concluded. “In the end, Eunice bought it for her youngest boy who’s about Phoebe’s age.”
“So you had a shopping buddy?”
“Not really. Alex, our deputy programming director, was determined to make up for the wedding anniversary he’d forgotten “ for the past decade to gauge by the present he ultimately selected.” At Harry’s expectant look, she elaborated, “A full length blue fox coat. Eunice agreed to help since she’s about the same height as his wife.”
“I see what you mean about the depth of his guilt,” Harry agreed as Ginny broke out in laughter.
“It’s not just that,” she wheezed. “Alex’s wife is considerably more rotund than Eunice. Rather like my mum. But Eunice couldn’t think of a diplomatic way to convey that to Alex.”
“But to spend so many galleons for something that wouldn’t fit…”
“In the end, the furrier’s wife was more suited to the task. Eunice filled me in when we stopped for hot cocoa with allspice to warm our insides.”
“Is that what gave you the idea to buy the hats?” Harry wondered.
With a slight frown, she tendered, “Remus wasn’t too thrilled about that purchase, either.”
“We agreed we wouldn’t parade them before him.”
Ginny nodded. “Rabbit and Spook were poking about before Tonks sent them to bed for the second time.”
“So what did you tell them?”
“I claimed they were clever replicas of the real thing. Remus escorted them to bed with some gentle words about animal rights.”
“Seems like you handled it perfectly.”
Ginny shot him a pointed look. “Remus wasn’t fooled. He made a point of thanking me for my discretion “ and then adding that he could tell the difference.”
“Did he touch them?”
“Didn’t need to,” Ginny affirmed with a sharp tap to her nose. “He could smell the difference.”
“Did you apologize?”
“He didn’t really let me. Said I was an adult and allowed to make my own choices, but that he was pleased I upheld his own beliefs before his children.”
Harry whistled lowly. “No wonder they can’t get anything past him in Gryffindor House.”
“Lack of initiative, if you ask me,” Ginny scoffed. “All it takes is a little application; not that the current generation is remotely familiar with the term.”
“Now you sound like McGonagall,” Harry teased.
“Must have rubbed off after all those years that she was saddled with watching over us before moving on to greater things.”
“It’s a right shame Remus didn’t get to accompany you. He would have loved all those little, unique shops.”
Much to Harry’s surprise, Ginny returned, “He would have come along if Mad-Eye hadn’t finally tumbled down the grand staircase, all bleary-eyed, just before lunch.”
“Really? What happened to the early-dragon-fries-the-juiciest-worm speech he always gives me when we’re paired up on assignment?”
Ginny chewed her lip self-consciously. “I think Remus would have hauled him up bodily if only…”
“If only what?”
“To tell you the truth, I only know the bare bones of what happened the night before.”
“So, spill.”
“You know how keyed-up Eunice gets after an interview; multiply that tenfold in this instance. Remus reminding her that this particular guest was extremely dangerous only made her worry that much more about the three boys she left at home with her husband. It didn’t matter that a vast, roiling ocean separated our make-shift studio from Azkaban.”
“She sounded perfectly calm and controlled on the air,” Harry commented.
“That’s what she’s paid to do, but I could just see the intense relief painted all over her face when she signed off and the remote generators powered down.”
“How does this tie in with Moody?”
“I’m getting to that. To celebrate their success, Alex suggested a few rounds once we got back to the hotel. After the first two, Remus whispered that he had an appointment with that deep marble tub upstairs and Percy and I could barely keep from yawning in everyone’s faces. The others, Mad-Eye included, were all gung-ho for a late supper at a posh establishment that would accommodate them, regardless of the local hour. As the night wore on, the others peeled themselves away little by little so in the end it was just Eunice, Alex and Mad-Eye. It was at that point that Mad-Eye boasted that he knew enough of the language to find a truly quaint watering-hole where he would teach them to drink vodka like natives.”
“But Mad-Eye has a hollow leg,” Harry interjected. “Both literally and figuratively.”
“I think Alex does, too. And as for Eunice, well, she can be a bit of a dare-devil.”
“Let me guess: she was in Gryffindor.”
“Never asked. Could it be that Tonks remembers her? They’re about the same age.”
Warming up to the tale, Harry prodded, “So how late did they stay out?”
“Who knows?” Ginny threw up her hands for emphasis. “Sun-up looks like every other hour of the day! And everyone’s watch seemed to be running on a different schedule. Which is why Remus couldn’t find Moody the next morning.”
“Surely you don’t mean…Mad-Eye and Eunice?”
“Of course not,” Ginny was quick to point out. “Despite his gruff exterior, Mad-Eye’s a gentleman “ which is more than I can say for Alex. I doubt Eunice would have gone bar-hopping without Mad-Eye as a buffer.”
“So you think he shared Alex’s suite?”
“Or one of the sound tech’s,” Ginny opined. “But I didn’t hear the complete tale from Eunice until much later. So when Remus was fuming about how they were going to miss their ruddy Portkey and Minerva was going to string his entrails across the Great Hall for good measure, I had no idea where to look.”
“I can’t believe Remus let his guard down in front of all those people.”
“He didn’t; it was in the sitting room of our suite. Just Percy walking in brought him up short.”
“Let me guess, he changed the subject in mid-stream?”
“Like a jack rabbit on a date.”
Harry laughed outright. “Hadn’t heard that one before. One of Moody’s?”
“Actually, it’s Eunice’s.”
“Well, don’t let Phoebe or Spook overhear you. They’ll latch onto it like a bolt of lightning.”
“And then trot it out before company,” Ginny finished for him. “Speaking of Teddy, how does he figure in Yvette’s sleep-over? I meant to ask you earlier, but there was so much going on.”
“Fleur insisted that we not exclude him just because he had the misfortune to be born a boy. After the protests died down, Remus offered to retrieve him after supper. But as luck would have it, Yvette insisted that we couldn’t exclude Eleanor, either. With Fleur’s assurances that the girls would not be using the guest room, Hermione and Ron agreed to bring Eleanor to Shell Cottage.”
“Ron in the middle of that hen party?” Ginny chortled.
“Right. Bill said much the same. But then they came up with a truly excellent idea. The three men -- Bill, Ron and Teddy “ would have a sleep-over of their own on the strip of beach beneath the cliffs. Not with a wimpy wizard’s tent, mind you; but like real men, under the stars with a bonfire at their feet for warmth.”
“And a regular bathroom at the top of the hill,” Ginny supplied. “I’m surprised they didn’t invite you, darling.”
“They did. But why would I want to pass up an evening alone with my wife?” he issued as he maneuvered her onto his lap.
“Did you forget Remus and Tonks?”
“No, Dobby promised to prepare a special dinner and we could all dine together -- or not.” Impishly, he added, “Although naked Quidditch is out unless you want to include Dobby as well!”
“Do you think Remus and Tonks will miss us?” she breathed, warming up to the idea.
“I doubt it,” he returned in a throaty voice as she ran her fingers deliciously through his unruly hair. “But if I’m not mistaken, you promised me a private fashion show.”
“That I did,” Ginny concurred as she jumped to her feet. In one nimble motion, she dimmed the wall sconces to an intimate glow and summoned the hat boxes to float before them. “Who goes first?”
In the other wing, Tonks was just folding down the quilt when Remus slid up next to her.
“What do you call this fabric, cherub?” he remarked as his fingers caressed the gossamer folds. In the low lamplight, it danced with a subtle luminescence that was entrancing.
“Slyph silk. Terribly rare in these days of mass production.”
“Woven by fairy-like creatures made of air?”
“Specially-bred spiders,” she returned matter-of-factly. “I think that’s what Mum said. She’s the one who always remembers those little details.”
Remus’ face lit up at the possibility of other such beguiling garments.
“As a girl, I recall my mum telling me she once had a nightgown made from it,” Tonks added.
His eyes clouded with hunger. “What ever became of it?”
Turning to face him directly, Tonks dared, “Perhaps you should ask her, Remus. I understand it was for her wedding night so I hesitated to press the matter.”
“Ummm,” he murmured into her ear. As his fingers traced the outlines of her waistcoat buttons, he added intimately, “I’ll just have to content myself with unwrapping my own package.”