Snapshots From Life

Chapter 18 - Dressing Up

Tonight, was the night of the Harpies Gala. Harry and Ginny always looked forward to this event more than any other. They always had a great time. Harry liked the formal event because besides the Harpies owner and a couple of the other husbands, everybody treated Harry just like, well, Harry. Ginny's teammates loved to tease him about being Ginny's "trophy husband" and ribbed him about being at her every beck and call. He always just laughed it off, even though he enjoyed it. Harry tried to get along with the other husbands, but it wasn't always easy. They were a nice enough bunch, but all they wanted to talk about with him about was his work and tonight would be no exception. Harry just planned on either fading into the background or just hanging on Ginny's arm for the night. Ginny enjoyed the gala because it gave her a good excuse to get dressed up and have a lot of fun with Harry and the girls. The dinner was always delicious, and she loved dancing with Harry. The awards ceremony was almost always predictable, so she didn't enjoy that portion of the night as much. Ginny knew she would get the lion's share. With all the hard work she put into her training and prep work, she felt she deserved them.

Harry stood in the upstairs bathroom. As he looked at himself in the mirror, Harry straightened his tie. Harry admired how he looked. He thought to himself, 'Ginny's right, I do look pretty dashing in a muggle tux.' He just hoped Ginny liked his new tuxedo. He ordered it last month at a tailor shop in muggle London. It was made from black cashmere imported from China. The tailor took all his measurements and talked with Harry about the look he wanted. The tailor also mentioned that Harry might want to get a new cane to match his tuxedo. After some thought, Harry agreed with the man and chose a cane that was stained with a rich black pigment to match the tuxedo and had a sliver ball on top that fit his hand perfectly. He told the tailor he would pick up both at the same time. Harry picked up the finished tuxedo just yesterday. The jacket was cut to accentuate his broad shoulders, but it wasn't tight. Overall, the entire tuxedo was cut close to the body but allowed total freedom of movement. It was deceptively comfortable.

While Ginny got ready in the master bedroom with the master bath, Harry got ready in one of the guest rooms. It was somewhat of a tradition for them to get ready in different rooms. They started it after the war, before they got married. The first time it had happened, Harry had left the bedroom to give Ginny some privacy while she got dressed. Ginny thought it was very gentlemanly of Harry to leave the room while she got ready. The side effect from it was the anticipation of seeing what the other one looked like, which they both enjoyed. They had done it ever since.

Harry ran a comb through his hair, but it still looked all tussled. He shook his head but with a satisfied nod on how he looked, he decided it was time to see if Ginny was ready. Harry grabbed his new cane and left the bathroom. His leg was quite better. It still hurt from time to time, but it wasn't nearly as bad as when he was first released from St. Mungo's. Harry only needed the pain reliving potion really at night. Around the house he didn't need the help of a cane that often. Madam Pomfrey was incredibly pleased at his last exam but hadn't cleared him to go back to work. She had also warned Harry to stick to dancing only during the slow songs if he danced at all. Harry slowly made his way to the master bedroom. On his way, he noticed his palms were slightly sweaty. He quickly pulled out a handkerchief and dried his hands. Once he arrived at the door, Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. After all this time, Ginny could still make him feel 15 again.

Harry softly knocked on the bedroom door, "Ginny? Are you ready? It's almost time to go."

Ginny yelled through the closed door, "Almost ready. I just need a couple of more minutes."

Harry nodded to himself, "OK. Oh, did you sign your new contract yet?"

Harry heard Ginny's voice, "Yes Love. I met with Gwen and Mr. Smith this morning and signed it. Remember?"