The next day saw Harry up bright and early. Tonks had went out, the house petitioning her for food, in the name of two house elves that woke her up for that general purpose. After she left, Harry learned it was an elaborate trick to get herout of the house for her birthday. He looked at the calender and read, "17 December."
Grinning, he looked to one of the elves and said, "I need you to take me to Diagon Alley." The creature gulped as, in accordance to the rules, Harry was the master of the house. Nodding, he grabbed Harry's hand and popped. Harry fell onto his back, but after no one stared at him grinned and got up just in time to see the elf about to bang its head against a wall.
"Stop!" he ordered. The elf looked at him in something akin to horror. "Don't punish yourself, I can't land properly under my own power."
The elf nodded as Harry made his way to Gringotts. He walked in and up to a teller goblin. The goblin looked up and Harry smiled. "Hello there," he said softly. The Goblin's eyes widened as he saw someone appear from nowhere at all. "I'm under a Fidelus Charm, so there's no since in seeing who I am. However, I need some funds from my vault. My key will show you my identity, so if I could have your word no one will know I'm here?"
The goblin nodded and swore an oath. Harry handed him his key. He led Harry to a staircase and whispered, "I'll meet you down there with a cart on an "inspection" run." He followed the curbs until reaching a track. The goblin arrived and Harry got in. They reached Vault 687 just five minutes later. Harry's face dropped when he opened the vault. He'd been using the vault for years, but hardly a dent had been made. Swearing to himself to find out why not, he grabbed a bag full of golden galleons. Walking through the alley, he thought to himself, "Alright, Harry. You need to get a present for a pretty girl but you don't want it to say anything about her beauty, beacuse she seems to scorn such a thing... so what do you get?"
Being the male he was, Harry had only one thought. "What's the one things all women love getting, bragging about and not sharing?"
He grins an evil grin.
Jewelry.
Walking out of Gringotts was, awkward, to say the least. He had walked... through would be the best way to describe the sensation, seven different people and none of them noticed. So, as he made his way through the streets, he passed by Madam Malkins and right to the Witcheswear Jewelry Store.
The inside was just as... cuddly as he thought it would be. As he expected, also, the first thing that happened when he revealed himself was attract a very beautiful woman who asked him what he was in need of. Harry blushed and said, in a very hoarse voice, "Well, I've got a friend whose a metamorphmagus," at which the womans eyes widened and said, "Nymphadora! Oh, you've got to tell me how she is! I'm her mother, Andromeda. What's wrong with my baby! Wait, why are you buying her jewelry if you're just a friend? Better yet, why didn't I see you when you arrived?" "Because, she's my secret keeper." he said, answering both questions easily. Andromeda smiled and said, "Oh, that explains alot. Well, I know exactly the one she wants, if you want to buy it."
Harry nodded but said, "You do realize I did mean we're just friends right?"
She pouted a moment but said, "Oh, of course! I mean, I know her opinion of men in general. Are you going to buy or what?"
Harry nodded his head. "I'm just waiting for you to show me." She looked puzzled for a moment before grinning. Motioning for him to follow her, Andromeda took Harry back to a room filled with jewelry that looks old. She picked one up and dusted it off. Harry raised his brows and said, "Um... why are we back here."
She smiled. "Well, sir, I happen to know this piece is one that she has wanted since she was eleven. It was one we passed down in our family but when I was... disowned... my mother gave me this and said to never darken her doorstep again. So, after a while, I had to sell this because it was hard times. After a while though, we found that this couldn't be sold so they've just held it here. Since you're buying it for my daughter, it shouldn't be too hard to let the magic inside loose."
Harry picked up the piece of jewelry and looked at it closely. There were runes on the inside, gold, diamond shell, with green emeralds. Harry thought, in all honesty that it was beautiful so agreed to buy it. Andromeda smiled and said, "Alright, thank you! Tell Nymphadora to come by here and see me, will you?"
Harry gulped and said, "Um... she doesn't know I left. So, I might just break it to her when she's happy."
Andromeda grinned and said, "you take care, dear. Thank you for being so nice to my daughter." Harry nodded and popped as the house-elf grabbed his hand.
He appeared in the living room just as the door opened. A very happy Nymphadora Tonks was coming in the room, dillydallying around. She was skipping, Harry amusedly. As she caught sight of Harry, she squealed and made to become all prim and proper again. Harry smirked and said, "You know, Tonks, it is your birthday so you can enjoy it." She looked up and said, suspiciously, "how did you know today was my birthday?"
Harry, not one to ever get in trouble that he deserved, pointed to the house-elf. Said elf cowered at Tonks until she grinned. She politely said, "Thank you!" before skipping around again. Harry couldn't help the snicker that escaped him at that moment.
She frowned but shrugged it off and said, "So, since today is my birthday, where is my present, Harry Potter?"
"Oh! Wait, I know it's here somewhere... darn! That's right, I can't go to Diagon Alley! Oh well, I'll have an elf pick you something up, then, shall I?"
She glared at him but Harry said, "You'll have your present tonight."
Harry, she found out later, had made his way down to the kitchens. After effectively kicking the elves out, he had to threaten them with clothes, had made her a Chicken Paresian, salad and wine that he found in the cellars. Mind you, he couldn't drink it himself for another year but she could.
She found out when she entered the great hall that night to see a candlelit dinner for one and Harry in the funniest getup she'd ever seen. He had, apparantly, found an old tuxedo in one of the rooms. She laughed as he put on one of the funniest waitor accents with a prim and proper "your order, Madam. Our choices tonight are..". After he finally got her food, another chair appeared and Harry sat down with her. She said, "Where's Mr. Waitor?" Harry said, "The elves kicked him out. They threatened me with clothes if I didn't get out."
Tonks laughed. She couldn't help it. She'd never heard such an outragous thing but considering that Harry did survive the Avada Kedavra she wouldn't doubt it. As they started eating, she grew nervous. "Why" she asked herself.
The night passed on. An hour till midnight, Tonks grew tired. She couldn't help it. She was about to fall asleep when Harry stood up. She watched as he neared and kneeled at her side. Her eyes matched his emerald green tonight.
"Tonks, before you fall asleep, it's time I gave you your real present."
Her breath hitched for a moment. Harry put his hand inside his tuxedo jacket and for a moment, she thought he'd gotten the wrong idea. When he brought out a long, black box she felt elated.
Harry smiled. "I lied today. I got a way into Diagon Alley."
She glared a moment before he said, "I met a lovely woman today too."
'Not the best way to impress someone, Harry' she thought... then stopped herself. 'Wait, go ahead. Meet women! It's your right!'
He smiled, "your mum."
She gaped. "Mummy? What? When did you meet mummy?" she asked. Harry grinned and said, "Today when I bought you this. She helped me pick it out, Tonks. She said it was your favorite growing up."
Tonk's sweaty hands grabbed at the latch holding the box closed and pushed it up. Inside, she gasped, as she looked on the Black Heir Necklace. It was amazing! She glared and said, "How did you... get this! It's said only an heir of Black can touch it!" Harry frowned. "I didn't know. Your mum said that she figured since it was going to a proper Black descendant then I may be able to touch it."
Tonks frowned. She knew that, by right, she was the eldest child of the Black family so all of the heirlooms should go to her but since her mum was disowned, she didn't have right to it anymore. But Harry, a non-Black descendant touched something that only she should.
Deciding to feel elated, anyway, she hugged Harry and asked him to put it around her neck. Harry nodded and grabbed it. She frowned again. 'Why is he able to do that.' But all in all, she was happy to have her birthday.
