The Protagonist System

86 On The Other Side Of The Fence

Daphne did sneak into my room that night, mostly because Astoria had been ordered to bed to stop her from doing it. It was quite Slytherin for her to arrange that and keep me alone, so I did offer to show her what Astoria and I did. After our little snogging session and mutual chest feeling, her blush lasted all night, even asleep.

We left Greengrass Estates right after breakfast, just like Astoria warned me the day before. Not surprisingly, all three females had an absolute blast as we went through every store in Diagon Alley. My whispered words to Daphne and Ivola about paying for their shopping as well, might have had something to do with that. Maybe. It was difficult to tell under the deluge of random kisses and groping hugs I received from all three of them.

Yes, from all three of them. Ivola seemed to have a gleam in her eye and a teasing smile as she sneaked quick kisses and not-so-innocent touches while out of sight of her daughters and the other shoppers. It was honestly endearing as she copied both of her daughters that thought they were getting one over on her by kissing and touching me secretly.

Before lunchtime came around, we had already cleared out Diagon Alley and had moved on to Hogsmeade. We tore through the smaller amount of stores there, too. They had Hopsy appear once more and she popped in to take the latest filled shopping bags home.

We went to The Three Broomsticks to eat a light lunch and the three Greengrasses almost gushed as they talked to each other and Madam Rosmerta about being able to enter any store they wanted and to buy anything they saw. It was freeing in a way that they had never experienced before and had a wonderful time.

Madam Rosmerta was quite envious and said so, then she gave me a pointed look and a sexy smile as she bent over to show off her large breasts. Her blatant and poor attempt at seduction, made me laugh. That broke the underlying tension her attempt had caused and the three Greengrasses looked happy that I wasn't so easily swayed.

I did tip her well for the show when we finished eating and Madam Rosmerta looked pleased. We went to the floo to travel and I made them stop before they used it. All four women gave me searching looks as I pulled out appropriate and stylish clothing that Nanny had made for them to fit in with the muggles.

“You don't think I'm only taking you shopping in magical areas, do you?” I asked them with a knowing smile. “The day is only half over and I promised Astoria a whole day of shopping.”

“I love you!” Astoria said and gave me a kiss for several seconds.

“We can borrow a back room from Madam Rosmerta for you to get changed.” I said and handed each of them their outfits to make them look like rich muggles. By the looks on their faces, the three of them approved of my choices for them. I handed a galleon to Madam Rosmerta and she opened the door behind the bar for them to use the storeroom.

“You wouldn't happen to have another muggle outfit tucked away, do you?” Madam Rosmerta asked seductively. “I could close up early and... come along with you.”

I had to hold in my snort and laugh at another blatant attempt. “Madam, would you really want to only have a quarter of my attention if I took you out shopping?”

Madam Rosmerta blinked her eyes at me for several seconds. “I didn't think of it like that.”

I smiled at her understanding what I meant about having to compete with three others for my time. “Hogsmeade visits start in third year.” I reminded her and she smiled back.

“I'll be waiting patiently for that, Mister Potter.” Madam Rosmerta said, as if it was a promise.

Ivola led her daughters out of the back room and Madam Rosmerta gasped when she saw Ivola's very expensive and form-fitting dress, her fur shoulder wrap, her slightly tipped to the side hat with part of a bouquet of colorful flowers on it, and calf-high leather boots.

“Isn't this outfit gorgeous?” Ivola asked and did a little twirl to show off how the dress hugged her in all the right places.

I knew she had really done it for me, because that gleam was in her eyes again.

“My daughters are just as eye-catching.” Ivola said and stepped aside to show off Daphne and Astoria. Neither girl could pull off the same style of dress, so Nanny had opted for blouses and skirts, petticoats, and matching hats and boots to Ivola's.

“They're adorable!” Madam Rosmerta exclaimed and both girls blushed and preened.

“I have to agree with the expert's opinion.” I said and Madam Rosmerta looked pleased. “We need to go back to the Leaky to go out into London proper.”

“What about you?” Daphne asked as she looked at my fancy robes.

I pulled off my outer robes and then did a quick transfiguration to make my suit more like a tuxedo.

“Aww! I wanted to see you change!” Astoria pouted.

Her mother gave her a bit of a glare and Daphne blushed as she imagined it.

“What? He's gorgeous.” Astoria said, unrepentantly.

Ivola opened her mouth to probably argue with her, glanced at me, and sighed as she lost the argument before it even started.

“I'll go last.” I said and took Ivola's hand and helped her step into the fireplace.

“Thank you, Harry.” Ivola said and I dropped a pinch of floo powder at her feet. “Leaky Cauldron.”

I helped Daphne next and she thanked me as well, then disappeared in a swirl of flames. Astoria, being the bold tease that she was, grabbed me and kissed me soundly, then stepped into the fireplace on her own with a grin on her face. She disappeared in a swirl of flames, too. As I was about to step into the fireplace to follow her, I felt a hand on my arm and paused to look.

“I sincerely hope that isn't the extent of your experience.” Madam Rosmerta commented.

I took a moment to think about that. “You haven't talked to the Griffindor Flying Foxes yet?”

Madam Rosmerta caught her breath. “You're the one they can't stop talking about!”

I smiled because the girls had told her and didn't say it was me. “I also gave them the nickname.”

Madam Rosmerta laughed and her chest jiggled. “Of course you did.”

I stepped into the floo. “If it happens, you won't be disappointed.”

“Don't I know it.” Madam Rosmerta said with a smirk and winked at me.

I chuckled and tossed some floo powder down. “Leaky Cauldron.”

Astoria gave me a squinted look when I stepped out of the fireplace. “What took you so long?”

“Madam Rosmerta told me that she was jealous and regretted I wouldn't let her coming along to try and steal my attention from you.” I responded, twisting the truth a bit.

Astoria beamed a smile at me and kissed me. “I love you!”

I gave her a huge smile in return and took her hand, nodded to Daphne and Ivola, and led them out of the Leaky Cauldron and into London. We walked down the street at a sedate pace so that they could look around. “I believe Harrod's is the premier department store in London and it should have a lot of things you'll like.”

They looked pleased as we reached the cross road where there was heavier traffic. I raised a hand to call for a taxi and one pulled over almost immediately and stopped in front of us. I helped the girls and Ivola into the back and sat in the front.

“Where to, gov'ner?” The older man asked.

“Harrod's, my good man.” I said and handed him a fifty pound note. “Lighter traffic and a bit of scenery on the way wouldn't go amiss.”

The man grinned and logged the fare before he pulled away from the curb.

We had a kind of impromptu tour of London as I told the Greengrasses about the different sights and landmarks we passed, with the driver offering some tidbits along the way as well. We reached the department store after twenty minutes and the driver looked a bit sad as he dropped us off.

“We're going to be hours inside, old boy.” I said as I leaned in the passenger window. “I can't in good conscience ask you to not do your job until suppertime.”

The older man barked a laugh. “A laddie lookin' out for old Smithy! Ye gots a heart of gold!”

I laughed and handed him another fifty pound note. “Drive by about 5 or 6 and you might get lucky.”

The older man pocketed the money and nodded. “I'll be crossing my wizened old fingers, too.”

I nodded back and stood to pat the roof. The car pulled away from the curb and was hailed almost right away. It stopped and a man wearing a business suit climbed in and the cab drove away.

“You didn't have any trouble dealing with random muggles.” Ivola said, almost absently.

I couldn't resist spouting my catch phrase. “I'm Harry Potter, the best Harry Potter.”

“Yes, you are.” Astoria said and took my hand as a look of adoration appeared on her face.

I smiled at her and motioned to the large building behind us. “Shall we? It might be a bit overwhelming at first; but, you three are ladies of high standing and I'm sure you can handle it.”

All three of them smiled at the praise.

“Oh, before I forget. You can't call for Hopsy while we're inside. We have to deal with things the muggle way until we get back to the Leaky.” I told them and they nodded in agreement.

What followed was an hour of pure awe and walking around in a daze for the pure-blood witches. Then the shopping bug bit them and they realized they could actually buy the things they were seeing. They reacted just like Andromeda had when I took her shopping and they wallowed in both expensive things and my attention.

It was honestly a great experience, because they practically took turns showing off for me and letting me admire them. The store staff were also outrageously happy to have rich customers that didn't ask about the prices of things as they added them to the pile of items they were buying.

The time seemed to pass like water as Ivola, Daphne, and Astoria had a wonderful time indulging themselves and teasing me. The three of them had huge smiles on their faces as a store clerk provided a large push cart to hold all of the bags of things we had and the store manager himself arranged for the delivery of the larger items that we couldn't take without revealing magic to the muggles.

The taxi cab was waiting for us and the older man laughed pretty hard at the piles and piles of bags we had. My excuse about there being three beautiful ladies to make happy by showering them with gifts, just made him laugh harder as we loaded up the trunk to the top. A few bags had to be carried by the girls and piled onto the floorboards, just to have enough room for everything.

The driver laughed the entire time he drove us back to Charring Cross Road, because Astoria couldn't stop bragging about how much fun she had fleecing me of all my money. He unloaded everything onto the curb near the Leaky Cauldron. I handed him two more fifty pound notes and he kept laughing as he drove away.

“Are all muggles that happy all the time?” Ivola asked me.

“Not even close. Our shopping trip pretty much made his year.” I said as I tucked the bags into my expanded pockets. There were no muggles around, so I didn't have to cast a notice-me-not on the area to hide what I was doing.

“He did seem to enjoy your groans of agony as much as I did.” Astoria said, happily.

I had to laugh at that. “I hammed it up for exactly that reason, my dear.”

Ivola looked pleased, Daphne smiled, and Astoria pouted.

“You're too cute to not make as happy as I possibly can, Astoria.” I said and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Let's grab a quick meal from Tom and then we can get you home and the three of you can sort out and put away your new things.”

Astoria nodded as she took my hand. We went inside the dark pub and Tom was happy to give us a plate of his daily special. We ate quickly, I paid, and we flooed to the Greengrass Estates. Ivola let out the relieved sigh that everyone seems to let out when they arrived home after a long day.

I quickly unloaded the bags onto the floor and Hopsy popped into the room. “Have fun going through all of this.”

“I bees helping the misses be happy.” Hopsy said and snapped her fingers to make all the bags float up into the air. “Youse bees telling Nanny things be going goods.”

I chuckled, because I knew she meant the things that happened between Astoria and I. “She'll be happy to hear it, Hopsy.”

The elf nodded and walked out of the room with all the bags floating behind her.

“Thank you for today, Harry.” Astoria said and gave her mother a look.

Ivola sighed a bit and nodded, giving her permission.

Astoria beamed a smile at her, then at me, and gave me another solid kiss as her hands roamed down to my butt and grabbed it. I squeaked into her mouth for her and her muffled laugh escaped when she broke the kiss.

“You are staying for a week this summer.” Astoria ordered me and gave her mother another look. She received a nod in return and left the room with a skip in her step.

“That girl.” Ivola said and shook her head.

“I think she had a good idea.” Daphne said and also gave her mother a look.

Ivona huffed and nodded to her.

“Thank you for today, Harry.” Daphne said and gave me a real kiss with some tongue and also grabbed my butt, so I squeaked for her, too. “I'll see you on the train.”

I nodded and she left the room with a small sway to her hips.

“That girl, too.” Ivola said with a soft chuckle and another shake of her head.

“I think she's thriving with her perceived competition with her sister.” I said.

Ivola's eyebrows rose. “Perceived?”

“Yes, because there's no competition. They are different and both are contracted to me. Daphne is older than her, and yet it's Astoria that is daring to do what she wants with me and it's pushing Daphne to do them, too.” I responded and Ivola looked surprised. “She's enjoying it, so I see no harm in encouraging it.”

Ivola looked thoughtful and I could almost see her going over everything that went on today. She sucked in a quick breath when she finally realized that she had been fully engaged in that perceived competition, too. She had a lot of fun showing off for me, especially with the more risque muggle clothes of thin cloth and silks.

I stepped close to her and hugged her tenderly. “I appreciated everything that happened today, Ivola. Everything.”

Ivola blushed and I felt her nipples grow hard and poke me. “H-Harry...”

“Your husband is a very lucky man and I fully expect him to have a goofy smile on his face all week until the new year.” I said and her blush deepened, because I had guessed what she was going to do after getting herself so worked up by teasing her daughter's betrothed.

“New Year's Eve.” Ivola whispered and unconsciously licked her lips as she looked at mine.

“Thank you for chaperoning us today, Ivola. You went far beyond my expectations and made it fun for everyone.” I complimented her.

Ivola looked up from my mouth and into my eyes. “You're welcome, Harry.”

I glanced down at her now damp lips and back to her eyes. I saw a need there and wondered if I needed to prompt her to make her act on that desire. “Happy New Year.” I whispered.

Ivola let out a little moan and leaned in to kiss me. It wasn't like the quick little pecks on the lips that she had been teasing me with all day, either. She kissed me like I was her husband. So, I kissed her back the same way. It was probably the only time she had ever kissed anyone else and I wouldn't disappoint her for giving me that honor.

I wasn't surprised when her hands grabbed my butt like her daughters had and I squeaked into her mouth as well. Her responding moan made me hard almost instantly. She felt it pressed against her, because we were wearing much thinner muggle clothing and not the normal thick winter robes we would both usually wear.

After several minutes of making out with her, my hands had drifted down past her waist to give her ass a few squeezes like she was giving mine. Ivola broke the kiss and was blushing so hard that her face was a deep red and her eyelids were fluttering as if she was going to pass out. That told me she had been just as reserved as Daphne was during our first kiss.

“H-h-happy n-new y-year, Harry.” Ivola whispered, her voice trembling.

“It really will be.” I responded and eased my hold on her.

Ivola looked reluctant to let me go, sighed softly, and opened her arms.

I stepped back from her and gave her a warm smile, then took out one bag she hadn't seen. “This is why I know your husband is going to have a goofy smile on his face all week.”

Ivola took it from me and opened it slightly, gasped, and closed it.

“Some muggle things are important to add to a witch's wardrobe.” I commented on the sexy lingerie that was in the bag. “Have a good holiday, Ivola.”

Ivola could only nod and hugged the bag to her chest.

I grabbed a pinch of floo powder and stepped back into the fireplace. “Potter Castle.”

As the flames flared up and I started spinning, I heard Ivola shout. “You really do live in a castle?!?”

I had to hold in my laugh as I travelled by floo to the castle, because I didn't want to inhale ash and choke. As soon as I stepped out into the floo room of the castle, I laughed and laughed. Even after years of Astoria's and Daphne's letters, Ivola hadn't believed I actually lived in a castle.