Chapter 38: Happy Birthday?
They had been in the U.K. for a few days now. Ever since that first day of shopping at Diagon Ally Gold had been frequently gone.
Harry knew he had to visit the Dursleys. Because that evening he woke up and all his stuff was there. Save for Hedwig. Who he had sent out to stay with the Weasleys before the Dursleys forced him to board a plane to Maine.
In a way, Harry was glad to see his stuff. In a way, he wasn't because he knew Gold had to talk to the Dursleys. But his father wasn't saying much.
Not that he had been at the hotel suite long enough to ask. And when they went to dinner, Gold more or less made it impossible to talk about the Dursleys since he kept asking Harry about the UK.
You never would've known the man was obsessed with Doctor Who.
Harry had found weird the one night he came down the stairs, and saw Gold entranced with the Doctor.
Gold never seemed the type for TV. Or if he watched TV maybe he watched documentaries or Antique Road Show. He did have a site on Ebay which surprised Harry. He wouldn't think Rumpelstiltskin would know how to use the internet, let alone run a shop on Ebay.
Belle seemed to laugh at his thought process, "Really, Harry. Being a fairytale character doesn't mean we live in the Stone Age."
Well, in the stories it did. When he pointed this out. Belle did concede that there had been no HBO in The Enchanted Forest, but she also had pointed out that they had been in Storybrooke for almost thirty years so they had grown apt to modern technology, or least they had since Regina's curse had been broken since they had been in a pseudo 1980's time warp.
"Without the bad hair." Gold pointed out. "Honestly, I think even Regina grew tired of Charming's mullet."
"Prince Charming had a mullet?"
"And wore muscle shirts." Gold added.
Belle almost spit out the tea she had been drinking. "Rum, you're lying. He was in a coma."
"There were pictures in the home he supposedly shared with Katherine." Gold pointed out.
Harry was oblivious to what they were talking about. Instead, his eyes started to wonder across the restaurant they were eating at. It was apparently a big to do wizarding restaurant that Gold had found out about. Harry had no idea that wizards were into fine dining, but to be honest he shouldn't have been that surprised. With snots like Draco Malfoy, there had to be some place where wizards could order their steak and turf without being intruded by muggles.
Though to be honest, Harry hadn't been that impressed. The place seemed sort of stuffy. And the service had been horrible. The waiter kept giving their family dirty looks. It probably didn't help matters that they were dressed like muggles.
Rich muggles, but muggles.
Harry still wasn't used to his new wardrobe that Gold had bought him back in Storybrooke. It wasn't that he didn't like them. He actually appreciated the way his clothes were actually tailored to him, for once, but it was just different.
"So, how was Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked after Gold had finished his monologue on Prince Charming's hammer pants.
Gold raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're going to ask me about that dreadful woman at the dinner table? And she's not your aunt, not really."
Harry shrugged. It was true. He didn't even view her as an adoptive aunt, since she had shown less than a smidgen of affection for him, but still couldn't help but wonder.
"If you're wondering if I turned your aunt into a gastropod, you can relax."
He really didn't get his father's obsession with snails. But a part of him, a very small part, felt a little disappointed that Petunia wasn't a slug. And there was another part that felt relief.
Harry sighed. "Do I even want to ask?"
"Petunia and I chatted. We finished some unfinished business, and your uncle gave me your things. Really, one small trunk?"
"There's a lot of things in there."
"Not a lot, dearie. Not as much stuff as one should have at your age."
"Rumple." It was obvious that Belle didn't want to discuss this at the dinner table.
His father sighed. "I think we should start talking about all those nasty companions again. Can we skip the Rose talk though, she's just exhausting."
Harry frowned. "Speaking of companions…"
He wanted to see his friends. He didn't know why he was so nervous asking his father if he could meet Ron or Hermione (or preferably both) in the Ally. Maybe it was because he looked different now? But he figured that maybe, just maybe, Gold could magic him to look like Harry Potter for him to explain things.
Though honestly, Harry was relieved not to look like Harry Potter anymore. Or he guessed his old self, since he still considered himself to be Harry Potter. Even though his name was now apparently Harrison James Gold, Harry for short. The fact that he was able to walk down the Ally without being stared at was nice.
Gold eyed him. "You want to see your friends?"
Harry groaned. "Please tell me you didn't read my mind."
"He didn't," Belle said. "Remember, you brought it up with me."
"And you of course tattled."
"Well, you were going to need my help." Gold said. "I imagine that you don't want to show your friends your true self."
"No, not yet." Harry said with a sigh. "I don't think they'd buy it."
And it was something that Harry didn't exactly want everyone in the world knowing,
"Smart boy." Gold said. "Well, it just so happens I have a meeting with one of the entities I acquired in on Tuesday morning. And Belle is more willing to supervise a little meeting with your friends."
Harry instantly felt relief. He didn't know why he should feel it. There wasn't anything wrong with Gold, it was just that…well, he could only imagine Gold's analysis of his friends and it wouldn't be good.
Like Ron, he'd probably see him as lazy. A bit of a user. Even Harry knew, deep down, that the only reason their friendship started as fast as it did was because he was the Boy Who Lived. It didn't mean that Ron was a terrible bloke, but at the same time it didn't mean he was his best friend. On the other hand, there was Hermione. And he knew Gold would see her as a know it all. Way too in to her books for her own good and couldn't see past the rules (well, most of the time).
Harry shook his head. He really shouldn't be thinking this way. Those two were his friends. Which was why he took Gold's offer and wrote to Ron and Hermione and said he'd be in the Ally on Tuesday.
And imagine to his surprise when they wrote back that both of them would be there as well.
He forgot on Tuesday that it was his birthday. Then again, when did he ever really celebrate his birthday?
Except imagine when he woke up that there were pancakes right by his bed. And they weren't any pancakes, but Gold pancakes. Which were almost—just almost—as good as Regina's bake goods. There was also a note with the pancakes:
Happy birthday!
Enjoy your day with your friends. I will be back later today, to celebrate with you and Belle. I wish I could be here this morning, but unfortunately I have business to attend to. Never fear though, we will adequately celebrate tonight.
Love,
Dad
Harry rolled his eyes at the letter, but couldn't help but grin as Belle came in the room.
"So, you got his note then?"
Harry nodded. "A little hard to miss it, it was next to the pancakes."
She nodded. "Eat up. I have a temporary glamour potion he gave me to give you, so that you should have plenty of time to explore the Ally with your friends."
"Belle?" He asked.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Thank you."
Harry really was seeing the benefits of what Harry Gold was versus, Harry Potter. He forgot how it felt being harassed in the Ally. Honestly, he sort of wanted to turn various witches and wizards into snails with how much he was being groped.
Belle seemed alarmed with the amount of attention he was getting as well. Harry wished he would've gotten the invisible cloak out of his trunk, but he hadn't really thought ahead. And besides, he was meeting his friends and he really didn't want to explain the invisibility cloak to Belle, who no one really seemed to notice.
He was set to meet Ron and Hermione at an ice cream parlor of all things. Right now, Harry wasn't that hungry. Not even for ice cream. He had had Gold's pancakes after all. So, seeing Ron and Hermione with triple scoop cones sort of made his stomach sick.
"Harry," Ron greeted him whipping some chocolate ice cream from his face with his sweater—Harry had to control his blanching. "Good to see you, mate."
Harry had been hoping that it would be easy talking to Ron and Hermione that he could easily tell them about the fact that he found out his real father was alive and that he was related to a bunch of fairytale characters.
But in the end, he couldn't.
He just didn't know how to say the words. Not that it really mattered, since Ron, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley who tagged along as the designated parent guardian were curious about Belle.
Belle played coy. Which Harry was thankful for and said she was just a family friend.
Never mind the fact that she was practically family, if the antique Edwardian era ring that Gold had put on her finger these past few days was any indication.
God, that ring was huge. And Mrs. Weasley seemed to notice that too.
Harry wasn't that impressed with Ron's mother. She was a bit of a busy body. And the way she kept staring at Harry unnerved him. Also, she kept trying to throw Ron's little sister on him too.
Who was younger than him and had scabby knees.
No, thank you.
Also, the I3 Harry Potter shirt was a tad too much.
With the way Belle was raising her eyebrows, you could see that the whole thing was getting to her too.
There were parts that weren't too bad.
Like, Ron talking about the various quidditch matches he saw and Hermione talking about their tranfiguration assignment.
He guessed most people wouldn't like that portion of conversation, but Harry liked discussing magic. At least until Hermione started to argue with him when he questioned what was in the general books.
He thought it would make for an interesting discussion. Hermione was always considered the brightest witch of their age, she was number one in their class, but in the end Harry couldn't help but be sort of appalled with how closed minded she was.
"Honestly, Harry. You're being ridiculous. If wandless magic was an option, it would've been written in our course books."
He wanted to show her that it was an option, but he couldn't. Instead all he said was, "Do you really think everything you need to know is in books?"
She shrugged. "Absolutely. And speaking of books, have you seen our list of books for the year?"
Harry shrugged. "Haven't really looked at my mail yet. I did glance at the second year spell book though."
He hadn't gotten any mail. He had borrowed a post owl while in Diagon Ally. Hedwig was staying with Ron, and only now was being returned to him.
"Well, you need too. We have an absolutely brilliant professor this year. Professor Lockhart. He practically wrote the entire reading list."
"Oh, God. Not that tosser." Harry said.
Hermione gave him an appalled look. "He's not a tosser, Harry. He wrote the entire book list save for the second year book."
"Probably because he's the DADA teacher." Harry said. "That hardly means he's any good. Just that he wants to make a profit so he can buy more hair gel."
"Well, it's in a book…"
Harry rolled his eyes.
Hermione huffed as Ron started laughing.
"It's not funny." Hermione sighed, "You hurt my feelings, Harry."
"I just wouldn't believe everything you read." He said, "It can be dangerous, you know."
She shook her head. "I don't get why you're arguing with me."
Because she was being an idiot. Honestly, Harry sort of wanted to ditch her. She was giving him a headache. Ron wasn't that much better. He really didn't get why he was so annoyed. It wasn't like his friends were acting that different. And it wasn't like they were Mrs. Weasley who drove Belle to the lady's room. And it seemed like Belle was crying which Harry didn't like.
What he really didn't like was that this gave the woman a chance to pounce on Harry, especially since Ron and Hermione, and Ginny had decided to get seconds. Harry had opted out—still full from the pancakes.
"Harry, dear, are you sure you don't want to come with us?" She asked. "I just…I don't know how Professor Dumbledore would feel with you being with your friend."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Belle is a family friend, why should Dumbledore care about that? My private life is none of his business."
Harry would've never said that. But something about spending his last few weeks with fairytale characters made him a tad bit more cynical, and he was still on those potions.
Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips. "Well, I just think…your aunt should've taken you here enough. Not with some…some…"
Some what? He was really interested in seeing what Mrs. Weasley had to say about Belle? Because really how could you trash his soon to be stepmom, unless it involved her father. But that wasn't Belle's fault. Much like Aunt Petunia wasn't Harry's fault.
"Never you mind." Mrs. Weasley sighed before murmering something that sounded like harlot under her breath.
"No, really, I want to know." Harry giving her a Gold stare down. Or as much as a Gold stare down as he could in his current form.
"I…I…"
It must have been something pretty bad. Harry couldn't help but glare at her. "Do you realize how close of a friend Belle is to the family, Mrs. Weasley?"
"I…I…"
"Harry," Belle was back from the restroom and she saw enough of the great Weasley Potter confrontation. Or should it be Weasley Gold. No, he'd always think of Gold as his father even though it was his last name. Maybe he should go by Mills-Gold? The point was, Belle knew enough and the dagger look that she gave Mrs. Weasley seemed to signify it.
"I was just asking Harry if he'd like to spend the week with me and my family. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore wouldn't mind."
"And again, why should I care what Professor Dumbledore cares about?" Harry asked.
"That is a good question." Belle said.
Yes, it was obvious that she was annoyed with the woman too since she didn't reprimand him for respecting his elders.
Molly Weasley seemed to have enough, "Really, you're not going to reprimand the boy?"
"He asked a valid question." Belle said, "And you seem unnaturally concerned about Harry."
"Because he doesn't need to be around…"
And she couldn't speak.
Harry inwardly groaned. He didn't have to turn around to know that his father had entered the premises.
Belle just raised an eyebrow and didn't say anything.
Harry bet she knew he was coming. That's probably why she went to the lady's room. Honestly, he couldn't blame her. Mrs. Weasely was being unreasonably foul for some reason. The whole trying to set up Harry with her daughter who wore the I 3 Harry Potter t-shirt with scabby knees didn't help matters.
Gold simply walked over to where Belle was and kissed her on the lips causing Mrs. Weasley's eyes to practically bug out.
"All done here?" He asked.
"I need to tell Ron and Hermione good-bye, then yes." Harry said.
Gold nodded. "Belle and I will be waiting outside."
It wasn't until Harry told his friends his good-byes, that he realized he didn't tell them the truth. And in a lot of ways he was relieved with about that.