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"So, where to first?" James asked, looking back at the odd group around him. "Bookstore, apothecary…"
"Ice cream parlor." Harry and Severus stated simultaneously as Neville nodded. James was about to protest when he was interrupted.
"Fortesque's was advertising something about a new sundae when I walked by earlier." Neville stated.
"Was it chocolate?" Harry asked seriously.
"I believe so…" Neville offered.
"Lead the way then, Nev!" The green eyed wizard exclaimed. "What are you waiting for!" He looked at the rest of the people surrounding them. "My treat! Will you be staying, professor Dumbledore?"
"I'm afraid not, my boy. I have a few errands to run in Diagon Alley," he pointed towards the side street with the more specialized shops Harry was quite familiar with, "and then I must return to Hogwarts." The Headmaster stated. "But I wish you a good time and, once again, congratulations." Albus said his goodbyes and, with a last meaningful look towards Harry -as if he was trying to remind him of the conversation they had had at Potter Manor earlier that morning- left to run his errands, whatever they were. Harry had a feeling the Headmaster would endeavor to talk to him more come next term than he had during his past three years at Hogwarts and sighed softly, accepting that was something bound to happen with what the Headmaster had found out about him and Severus over the summer.
The walk to Florian Fortesque's was short and relatively pleasant; Adrian was silent and James spoke in short sentences but was otherwise quiet. Sirius seemed to be making and effort to be civil and Severus, recognizing that, extended the same courtesy. Their time at the ice cream parlor was quite interesting. They ran into the Patil twins that were out making their purchases along with Lavender; the three girls had just stared openly at the smiling and laughing Severus and Harry until Neville kindly informed the two wizards of that fact. A pair of dark and a pair of green eyes turned to where the smirking Gryffindor had pointed just in time to see three blushing fourteen year old girls scuffling towards the general direction of Flourish and Blots, Lavender making a soft squealing sound as she went.
"That was… unexpected." Severus offered, looking at an equally confused Harry. The potions master had expected it would have been much harder than that to expel his image as the big bad bat from the dungeons at Hogwarts. It appeared he was mistaken.
"Quite." Harry offered as Sirius snickered behind his ice cream, mouthing something about 'big green eyes' to Remus who tried and failed to hide his amused smile behind his sundae.
"I'm going to have a lot of fun at your expense this year." Neville deduced, taking a spoonful of his strawberry ice cream.
"Why thank you, Nev." Harry stated drily.
"You think that will happen often?" Lily asked, still staring towards where the three girls had disappeared into the crowd; it was extremely bizarre to have girls noticing her youngest son.
"Well, last time we were here," Severus offered, a devious smirk edging on his lips, "Harry almost caused a poor girl to drown in her ice cream because, what was it you did again?" He pretended to have problems remembering while Harry groaned and let his head fall on the table in an odd sensation of déjà vu. "Oh that's right! You looked at her!" A round of laughter echoed around the table; Neville was laughing loudly as his brother blushed while Sirius exclaimed;
"I called it!" Even James had to laugh at that. Adrian was the only one simply smiling, his eyes never leaving his brother's form; the older Potter twin looked somewhat betrayed and that made even more alarm bells go off in the potions master's mind. This didn't foreshadow well. Not by one bit.
Harry paid for the ice creams jovially, and they rose to leave; it wasn't much later that they walked into the whole Weasley family -minus Bill, Percy and Charlie, for obvious reasons- who was headed towards the bookshop themselves. They greeted each other and Adrian swiftly made his way towards Ron, whispering something to him the moment they were out of earshot; Harry didn't need his enhanced hearing to tell it was him they were talking about. He never intended to keep his emancipation a secret, that was true, but having his twin talk about it behind his back like that hurt him a little.
Well, he thought as Neville claimed his attention a few moments later -having noticed Adrian talking to Ron in the background- it didn't hurt as much as it would have in the past. He smiled at the brown eyed boy that inquired some thing or another about his Ancient Studies course, taking his mind off the muffled gasp coming from Ron after Adrian informed him of what exactly had transpired that morning. The large group had eventually run into Hermione and her parents in the bookstore. The girl's blushing countenance as she greeted her potion's professor and Harry matched the bewildered expressions around the shop. People they knew from Hogwarts were there and couldn't help but stop and stare at the changes that had happened, to their knowledge, over the holidays; there was almost nothing that remained of the image they had of Severus and Harry from last term.
Gone were the scrawny child and the dark figure of the strict potions teacher. In the place of a shy and awkward teenager stood an attractive and confident looking young man, tall for his age and dressed impeccably, talking vividly and laughing alongside with his best friend -who didn't fit the part of the shy and withdrawn Neville they knew either. And where there once was a cold man, feared and disliked by most now was a tall, imposing figure of a man with a handsome face, a rakish smirk and a strong body to replace his gaunt appearance. And Severus Snape looked happy too, presently charming Mrs. Granger, explaining how he was one of her daughter's professors in Hogwarts. No, the general whisper amongst the people who knew the two wizards concluded; there was nothing remotely reminiscent of how they remembered either wizard.
"So," Harry stated, ignoring the looks he received, "I will need an Advanced Arithmancy guide and a couple of books on introduction of old magic and ancient wards in addition to everything else. I'll be heading to second floor; Sev, do you still need that tome you were talking about?"
"The one about the newest theories on dragon's blood?" Severus asked. "Yes, it should be on…"
HI GUYS IF YOU WANT READ 300 + CHAPTERS THEN VISIT
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