Torn Between Three Me's

22 - The Little Toy Car

'Do you suppose this looks alright?' Dad asked, giving us a doubtful twirl and looking down at his outfit. We stood by the door in our jeans, last year's Weasley jumpers, mine burgandy with a giant A, and Ced's lemon yellow with a giant C, mismatching patterned socks, and winter coats. 'I'm not quite up to date on what the muggles are wearing these days. You two keep up with that a little more, right?'

Dad stood on the first stair, playing with the cuff of his shirt, sporting a mustard yellow and light brown diamond shaped ugly sweater with red and black plaid trousers that were half covered by his knee high green shamrock socks. He had on a bright orange felt overcoat and brown loafers. We were already running late as dad had changed his outfit three times.

'Yes, dad, you look very...colorful,' Ced exclaimed with a thin smile. 'They'll be waiting for us, your friends. We better be off.'

'Yes, I do suppose they will,' he sighed, and grabbed his keys from the basket by the front door. Then we were off.

We walked the twenty minutes to the village. As we came up to it, we could already hear the music and the faint rumble of excited voices, children's screams as they played, and carolers. Lights were set up all around the village in different colors, as well as a few small christmas trees scattered around in calculated places. The aroma of gingerbread filled the air from the bakery as well as from their table of baked goods set up outside the shop. It was like a miniature north pole.

'Amos, my friend!'

A man who looked to be a little younger than dad with white blonde shoulder length hair called out as the three of us approached. He and dad shook hands, somewhat awkwardly, but friendly nonetheless.

'Kids, you remember Mr. Lovegood, right?'

Ced and I smiled warmly at him. We'd met him once or twice before but we didn't know him very well.

'Xenophilius, please,' he insisted, holding out his hand, which Ced and I both shook. 'And uh...my daughter should be around here somewhere. Probably saw something curious looking. There she is! Luna!'

A little blonde girl with long straggly hair, peculiar radish earrings and a pink plaid peacoat came skipping over to us as Xenophilius put his arm around her. 'Luna, these are the Diggory's. Amos, Cedric, and Adrienne.'

'Hello there,' she said with a smile.

'She's due to start at um...school...next September,' Xenophilius explained, looking around at all the muggles.

'I'm really excited!' Luna exclaimed. 'Do you two absolutely love it?' She spoke in a manner that showed her enthusiasm but wasn't particularly energetic. Almost as if she were mesmerized.

'Yes, it's really great,' I told her.

'It's worth the wait,' Ced promised.

'Why don't you kids go off and play, there's something us adults need to discuss,' dad said.

'Dad, we don't play,' I grumbled. 'We're teenagers.'

'Fine, well then can you just go see what the muggles have set up then?'

'Yes,' I sighed.

'Ced, you know to look out for the girls, yes?' Dad nodded with raised eyebrows.

'Yes, dad,' he replied, and we walked off towards the crowds and shops.

'Look out for us girls?' I chuckled. 'We're perfectly capable of looking after ourselves.'

'I'm aware,' Ced said calmly.

'I'm more powerful than you anyway so I don't know what dad's thinking of sending you in to protect...us girls,' I teased.

'I beg to differ,' he smirked. 'I have a whole year on you.'