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The Girl in my Arms	By : PotionMaster Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 3779 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Sex and Shopping 2

When Remus and Bella finally returned to Diagon Alley, they were both carrying a dozen or so books and Remus was vowing to return to Faber and Montag the next time he was in London.

*So where did you want to go next? * Remus asked.

*It's up to you. I need to go to a couple of places along Riverside Row. We can go there first, come back here for lunch and then pick up anything we need here or we can do it the other way around. Is there anywhere in particular you need to go? * Bella thought.

*I was hoping to pop into Schliemann's Antiques on the Row, but other than that, not really. A couple of places along here but we can do them later. *

*I have an errand to run in muggle London so why don't you go and wander around Schliemann's and I'll meet you there when I'm finished? Then we can go to OG's together. OK? * Bella asked.

*OK, fine. I'll see you there, * Remus said. They slipped into a side street so they could apparate without getting in anyone's way. Once they were out of sight of the crowds, Remus pulled her towards him and kissed her quickly before letting her go again. *I've been wanting to do that since Florean's, * he sent before vanishing. Bella still had a cheesy grin on her face when she reappeared in a deserted alleyway near her destination. She quickly made her purchases and then found another alleyway to hide in so she could apparate into Riverside Row.

Although it was a wizards only area like Diagon Alley, Riverside Row couldn't have been more different in appearance or ambience. It was a wide street with modern looking buildings on either side of it. Most of them even used electricity rather than the more traditional candles or lanterns used by the storekeepers in Diagon Alley. Schliemann's Antiques was one of the smaller shops and seemed somehow out of place, for while the shop itself had plenty of gleaming chrome and huge plate glass windows like the surrounding shops, it was a higgledy piggledy mass of furniture and art and knickknacks from all eras but the present one. Glancing around the shop Bella couldn't see her lover but since some of the piles of furniture were several feet taller than even she was, that was hardly surprising.

*Remy? * she sent.

*Over here, love. Walk almost to the back of the shop, turn left at the talking mirror and I'm behind the tapestries, * Remus directed.

Following his instructions, Bella quickly ducked under a huge tapestry of a unicorn. Remus was standing in front of an oversized china cabinet of some kind. However his attention was focussed on a simple carved chest on the floor in front of it.

*What is it? * Bella asked, kneeling on the floor next to it.

*I'm not entirely sure, * Remus thought, squatting down and gently stroking the box. *I've never seen one quite like this before, but it looks like an apothecary chest. *

"Ah I see you've found my latest mystery."

They stood up at the sound of the voice behind them and found themselves face to face with the owner, Johannes Schliemann himself.

"Mystery?" Remus queried.

"Yes. I believe it's an apothecary box but I've had it over a month now and I still haven't worked out how to get into it!" he explained. "Frankly, it's driving me nuts. I would give almost anything to see what's inside."

=Let us play with it for a while? = Bella signed. =I can't resist a mystery. =

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Schliemann admitted.

"She wants to know if we can try," Remus translated. *I never realised how awkward it must be for you when you're on your own* he sent to his lover.

*You get used to it. I get through a lot of notepaper though,* she replied with a reassuring grin.

"Young lady, if you can get it to open you can have it!" Schliemann offered, oblivious to the conversation happening between both of her two wizards. "Let's move it over there where you have more room to work on it," he continued, indicating a large oak table a few feet away. Remus and Bella moved back and Schliemann levitated the box over to the table and then waved Bella forward. "Let's see what you can do," he invited.

Slowly she ran her fingers over every inch of the surface, searching for a hidden catch of some kind. When that failed she ran through every incantation she could think of but nothing had any effect. Leaning towards it to get a closer look at the ornate lock on the front of it, she noticed that the engraving, which she had taken to be a vine the first time she had seen it, was actually a detailed depiction of a snake curling around the lock.

*Remus, look at this, * she sent. *Sev would absolutely adore this* As she sent this to Remus a movement caught her eye. *It moved, * she exclaimed. *Remus, the snake just moved! *

*What? How? What were you doing when it happened? * he asked excitedly.

*Nothing! I wasn’t doing anything, that's the problem * she thought frustratedly.

"Let me try. I've got an idea," Remus said.

Bella moved out of the way and he bent down until he was able to examine the design around the lock more clearly. The snake had a tiny key on a chain around its neck.

"Who's tried to open it since you've had it?" he asked Schliemann.

"Well I have obviously, a couple of my assistants and the two of you. Why?" the shopkeeper replied.

"Were any of them Slytherins?" Remus continued.

"No, no I don't think so. That's the answer? It's keyed to a certain house?"

"I'm not sure. Could you give me a moment? I want to try something and I need to concentrate," Remus said.

Gently running his fingers over the snake he thought of Severus, conjuring a picture of his lover in his mind. He thought about all the emotions Sev provoked in him and the qualities that he associated with the Head of Slytherin House. The snake blinked slowly and both Bella and Schliemann clearly saw the lock tremble slightly, but it didn't open. Remus swore softly under his breath. *Come on, come on. I know I'm not a Slytherin but if you'll just open up for me, I can take you to someone who is!* Again he conjured Sev's image in his mind and this time there was an audible click and the lid of the box slowly rose. Inside were dozens of small phials made of glass, wood, silver, ivond snd several other materials, which couldn't immediately be identified. Set into the lid were a set of tiny measuring spoons and a beautiful set of scales along with a complete set of weights. Lifting the tray with the phials out of the box, Remus revealed three books with ornate leather covers and metal locks, each bore the Slytherin coat of arms with the initials SS entwined below them.

"I don't believe it," Schliemann breathed. "This must have belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself! It's breathtaking! How did you get it open?"

Remus shrugged diffidently, "I thought of a close friend of mine who is a Slytherin. I persuaded the box that if it opened for me, I would make sure it went to someone who would appreciate it."

Schliemann grabbed Remus' hand and started pumping it delightedly. "It's an honour to have been able to see something of this quality. Thank you for revealing its secrets for me. I meant what I said - you opened it so it's yours. I only hope this friend of yours appreciates it."

"Oh, he will," Remus said, gently replacing the tray and closing the lid. "He certainly will. And thank you, it's very generous of you."

"Just being able to see inside such a fascinating object is payment enough," Schliemann declared happily. "I doubt I'll ever see such a wonderful object again. Thank you."

Remus shrank the box and packed it with his other purchases.

*I cannot wait to see Severus' face when he realises what this is!* he told Bella.

*Me either, he's going to be absolutely blown away*

Their next stop was the Omnium-Gatherum, or OG's, a huge department store, which claimed to sell everything you could ever want and while this was undoubtedly an exaggeration, it wasn't much of one. First they visited the cosmetics department so that Bella could pick up some more of her favourite shampoo and then they swung through the rug department. Remus had decided to buy a large, soft rug for the floor of Severus' rooms just in case he ended up sleeping on it again. The rev cev currently had was too thin and too scratchy in Remus' opinion. After examining almost every rug in the place and arguing with Bella over the colour and material for several minutes, they finally agreed on a large black rug from somewhere on the Arabian Peninsula. It was the softest thing Remus had ever felt in his life and although he had been hoping to get something in a brighter colour, Bella had convinced him that Severus would prefer the black one. This too was shrunk and added to their other packages. The final department on their list was the clothing section. After picking out several shirts, blouses, skirts and other every day items, along with a new set of winter robes for Remus, Bella briefly disappeared.

*Remus,* she shrieked mentally. *You have to come and see this.*

*Where are you?* he asked.

*Changing rooms.*

Remus quickly walked over to the changing rooms and stopped dead. *Bloody hell, am I drooling?* he asked.

Bella was dressed in tight trousers made of soft leather in a beautiful deep blue. She was also wearing a silk shirt in the same colour.

*You absolutely are not leaving this shop without that outfit!* Remus insisted.

Bella pulled the curtain shut again and magicked herself back into the clothes she had been wearing when she started. Exiting the changing rooms with the clothes over her arm, she sought on asn assistant and started signing rapidly to request other items be brought to her, quickly becoming frustrated with the assistant's lack of understanding and scribbling her requirements on a scrap of paper torn from a battered notepad. By the time the assistant had finished bringing the requested items and had rung up her purchases, Bella had obtained an identical outfit in Slytherin green for Severus and one in a deep shade of red for Remus.

As she and Remus were leaving the department, a display of robes made from a fine black cloth caught his eye. The robes themselves were beautifully designed and the material felt wonderful but it was the linings that really made them stand out. Soon they had three sets of robes to add to the rest of their purchases - lined in silver for Severus, gold for Remus and a beautiful bronze for Bella.

*Back to Diagon Alley then?* Remus asked as they lefe dee department store.

*No. I've got one more place I'd like us to visit. It's run by another friend of mine,* she replied.

*OK. What sort of shop is it and is there anyone in London that you don't know?*

*Very funny. Can I help it if I'm a sociable person? Besides you never know when my contacts might come in useful! As for what the shop is, you can just wait till we get there!*

She led him along the road until they came to an unobtrusive looking shop whose windows were full of mannequins wearing lingerie. The sign above the door read 'Cyn City'.

*Bella!* Remus exclaimed. *I don't think I want to know how you know about this place.*

*Oh stop being such a prude, Remy. I told you the owner's a friend of mine. A school friend. Besides where else are we going to be able to get a pair of handcuffs?* Bella thought as she opened the door.

A wicked grin crept across Remus' face. *I'd forgotten about them,* he admitted.

The inside of the shop was well lit and the walls were lined with glass cabinets.

*Have a look around and see if anything catches your eye, Remy. I want to have a word with Cyn. As a general rule, love, if you don't know what it is, you probably don't want it!* she smiled evilly at him before heading over to the counter to be greeted vociferously by the slender redhead behind it.

"Bella, sweetie, I've got your order ready. You just need to come with me and try it on," she exclaimed.

=Fantastic! You're a miracle worker, Cyn,= Bella signed. =How's 'Lissa? I haven't heard from her for ages!=

"She's in the back now. I'll call her and we can catch up while you change."

The two women walked up a ramp to the changing cubicles at the rear of the store, leaving Remus to wander around on his own for a while.

When they came back out twenty minutes later, a curvaceous brunette who Remus thought looked vaguely familiar accompanied them.

=Remy, this is Melissa Harker, Cyn's significant other and the manager of the Holyhead Harpies. 'Lissa, this is Professor Remus Lupin. You probably remember him from school. =

"Miss Harker, I knew I recognized you from somewhere. My congratulations, your team looks like it might win the League Cup this year," Remus said shaking her hand.

She smiled broadly at him, "Aye, we're not having a bad season, Professor. I was just offering Bella here tickets for our next game, would you be after coming with her?"

"I'd be delighted. You're playing Puddlemere aren't you? One of my ex-students is likely to be playing in the match. I'm not sure if we can though, Bella?"

He glanced at his lover as he said this, not sure how much she had told her friends about their rather unique situation.

=I'm doing some undercover work for the Ministry, girls. Needless to say I shouldn't be telling you, but I know you can keep our secret. It wouldn't do my reputation much good to be seen with Remus, unfortunately,= she explained.

"To be sure Bella, I won't be telling a soul. I can get you a private box, no one'll know who's with you. You could be hosting an orgy up there and no-one would know a thing about it!"

Bella smiled, =Well, I don't expect we'll be going that far, but I appreciate the thought. How big would this box be? Because this would make the perfect Christmas present for a couple of my students.=

"It's big enough for a dozen people, but you'll have it to yourselves so bring whoever you want. If you're bringing some of the students, you'd better have them come down and meet the team afterwards as well," 'Lissa invited.

=You're an angel, 'Lissa. If we bring Severus as well do you think Albus'll let us take Harry and his friends? = Bella asked Remus.

"As long as we're careful I don't suppose he'll object, but Ron and Hermione have both gone home for Christmas. When's the game?" Remus asked.

"New Year's," Cyn said. "I'm sure his friends' parents will let you borrow them for the day! After all, it's not every day you get a grand tour by the manager of a professional Quidditch team!"

Bella glanced at her watch and gasped. =It's nearly 4 o'clock already and we promised Florean we'd stop by for a meal before we went home! =

Remus pointed to a small heap of items on the counter, "Could you ring those up for me then. We're going to have to go unfortunately."

While Cyn processed Remus' purchases, Bella finalized the arrangements for their trip to the Quidditch match. Once Remus was done, they apparated back to Diagon Alley and headed for Florean's for a well-earned break before returning to Hogsmeade.

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The Girl in my Arms