School Shopping!

(OOC: I have no plan )

Reyna sipped a lemon rose iced tea from her new self-heating-and-cooling mug (the latest invention at Henny's Emporium on Main Street). The woman at the tea shop was kind enough to sell her a drink at a discount, although she did seem a little irked that Reyna wouldn't be dining in and spending more money.

"So, where are you off to?" her brother asked, coming to a stop.

"What? You're not coming with me?" she stuttered, slightly panicked. "You're leaving me in a strange village all alone?"

Symon looked around slowly at the scene before them. It was summer in Hogsmeade. People were cheery and relaxed as they wandered the shops. The sidewalks were lined with freshly bloomed flowers of all colors, and the sun was shining bright.

"Fine, go on," she rolled her eyes. "I'll be at the pet place."

"Shout if you need me," he smiled, walking off.

Reyna continued on, thinking about her next stop. Her owl had run - or flown - away at the end of the school year and never returned. Poor Bertram, she thought with a sigh. The little guy was probably snatched up by a hippogriff or something. Rey sipped her tea again and entered the shop, her spirits lifting as the bell rang and the numerous creatures sounded the alarm.

"What can I help ya with today?" the shopkeep asked kindly. "Aye, everyone calm down!"

The animals quieted a bit, and Reyna looked around. "I need a new owl."

Before the old man could point her in the right direction, the bell rang again.

Blakely was never one for shopping, but seeing Hogsmeade might just put a dent in that opinion. He had never seen such a display in his life! Blakely arrived not too long ago at Hogsmeade with his father, who split the list of school items between himself and his son. Blakely already had most things on his list except a familiar. He hadn't decided what type of animal he would get and thought that if any particular one stood out, he'd be more inclined to be more picky about a type of pet. He had never owned a pet before, but now at least he'd have someone to be by his side when school started, as his father obviously wasn't going to watch over him during that time. The idea of a new companion excited Blakely enormously. He then realized that he didn't know where any pet shops were and had been walking in random directions.
 
He found an elderly woman and politely asked her to point in the direction of the nearest pet shop. She jumped slightly at the sight of a masked child next to her, but then gingerly pointed towards a glass window full of many different kinds of animals. It was only a few meters from where he was standing originally. Although undetectable under his covering, Blakely's face turned pink. He quickly thanked the woman for her time and scurried to where he was instructed.'Drat, why must I always make myself look like a fool?' he thought, door handle in hand. He opened the door with great care to not draw much attention to his entry. The bell rang loudly and he cursed his luck. Two sets of eyes were on him, he walked closer.

"Hello! I hear that this is the- uh, a place to find Familiars? Where do you keep them? For student shopping? Uh, School shopping!" Though slightly muffled, Blakely pitifully stumbled yet again in his first outing in the wizarding world.

The mask he wears is good for many things, like for example hiding his beet red face from the two people he's just burned his first impression on. The shop keep gestured vaguely to the room he's in, where most of the animals for sale are placed.

"Right! In this room! I'll uh, look around then. Thank you."

Blakely walked to a corner and began inspecting the animals, leaving the two to continue their conversation. A few cute toads, a hissing cat and a surprising amount of owls. Then a delicate meow cuts through the small commotion he'd created there. A tuxedo cat, with white socks. Blakely softly reaches to touch the cage and the cat butts it's head against the metal. 'This cat is so adorable! But what to name you?' Blakely stood there, petting the cat for some time and began muttering names for it under his breath.

(OC: Look who I got back!)

Dimia pulled on the string of the magical bow in the Sports Store, testing its strength. Why did Hogsmeade have a Sport Store? Dimia wasn't sure. The string made the little twang! and Dimia smiled.

"Oi, that's not a toy, miss!" the shopkeeper told her from the counter. Dimia blushed but rolled her eyes. Dimia picked up the bow and pulled back the string, pretending to have an arrow and aiming it at a target.

"It's a good bow, although the wood could be a little more flexible. What makes it magical?" Dimia asked the shopkeeper. He seemed a little surprised that Dimia knew what she was talking about.

"It's a fire bow, miss. The arrows will magically be on fire when you shoot one," the shopkeep replied. Dimia nodded but put the bow back. She didn't have a need for a fire bow at Hogwarts. But, she did need a new bowstring for her own.

One transaction later, Dimia had the string she needed and some broom polish. She put it in her bag and continued around Hogsmeade, smiling at the bustling wizarding community. It was a busy day in Hogsmeade and Dimia was visiting with her father, who was enjoying some tea at the tea shop. Dimia peered into the windows and nearly jumped for joy when she saw Reyna in the pet store.

"Reyna!" Dimia cried out excitedly, opening the shop door and running up to her friend. She then grimaced as the animals all made noise or jumped at her sudden excitement.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare anyone," Dimia apologized to the shopkeeper and a boy with a mask.

Marigold stepped out of Dogweed and Deathcap, the Herbology shop, her little basket full of potion supplies. She jangled her little purse of coins and straightened her healer robes. The shopkeep recognized Marigold and gave her a slight discount on supplies. The de Hattes had sent Marigold on a mission to get some supplies for a healing potion for Lana de Hattes. She had fallen ill and Marigold was trying to help her to the best of her ability. But, she needed some supplies.

But, Lord de Hattes also told Marigold to bring Lana a present back from the magical village. While Lord de Hattes was magical, Lady de Hattes was not, so it was a hit or miss if his children were magical as well. Maria, the eldest girl, was not, while it was too early to tell with the rest of his children.

Marigold wondered around Hogsmeade, trying to decide what would be a good gift for Lana. Some candy? Well, if she is sick, she really shouldn't be eating candy. Maybe a new doll? She has every doll she could ever want, Marigold reasoned with herself. She stopped outside the pet shop, peering in the window. A cat? Marigold thought. Lana is too small to care for a cat. But, Orin does need some hay.... Marigold felt around in the purse again. There was a Knut or two that would cover the cost of a little hay for Orin in his cage.  

Marigold entered the shop as quietly as she could, as not to disturb the animals. She smiled, always adoring animals. She approached an area with cats in it. She smiled at a boy wearing a plague mask and petting a cat.

"Well, isn't he a friendly one?" Marigold commented, petting a little orange tabby that was sitting on a shelf. "I like your mask by the way. The healer who made it is very skilled."

This cat was exactly what Blakely needed to pick a pet out. The cat purred at his scratches. 'Is it a boy or girl?' Blakely checked, Boy. So that narrows down what name to give him. 'Blakely Jr.? No, thats silly.' An idea struck Blakely 'This is a magic cat! I think... Normal names need not apply!' He thought. Blakely began again, brainstorming names with a new thought process. 'BeefBon? Rexbap? Miffen? Underre-' A girl suddenly appeared next to Blakely, which snapped him out of his idea train. She asked about the friendliness of the tuxedo cat he was just thinking about as she pet an orange cat. She then complimented his mask, bringing back a hidden flushed shade to Blakely's face. No one had ever complimented it, it always was something that put people off from speaking to him. An elated feeling erupted from him, this was a chance for a friend!

  "T-thank you! My Father made it for me." And so the absolute lamest way to take a compliment tumbled out of his mouth.

  "I'm trying to decide on what to name him, t-the cat i mean. I'm stuck between Teeth or Gaws" He said, turning towards the tuxedo cat. Odd names, yes, but fitting in an odd sort of way. "I'm Blakely, whats yours-Ah,whats your name?"

  The cat he has been petting flops on its side and has rolled around a bit for belly rubs, his paws are being used to scratch his ear. It's downright endearing but the downside is that Blakely can no longer distract himself from conversation because he can no longer reach the cat. He turns his head towards his companion in cat petting.

Marigold chuckled at the cute cats. They were very friendly. They sorta reminded her of her father's Kneazle. Well, it wasn't her father's Kneazle. It was a stray Kneazle that would live with them during the winter and would be very affectionate towards her father. Marigold smiled, as the little orange tabby moved somewhere else.

"They both sound like excellent names for a smartly dressed cat," Marigold responded.

"I'm Marigold. Nice to meet you, Blakely," Marigold introduced herself to the boy. Marigold really wanted to examine the mask more closely, but it would be rude to ask him to take it off.

"Ah, well, your father is very talented. It's hard to find good masks sometimes," Marigold told him.

"Can I help you find something, miss?" the shopkeep's daughter asked, as she was milling about the store.

"I need some hay for my elf owl. Not much, but enough for him to be comfortable in his cage," Marigold told the girl, taking 2 Knuts out of her little purse. The girl nodded and headed to the back of the store.

"So, how has your shopping been going? Finding everything okay?" Marigold asked, knowing Hogsmeade was an all-wizarding village and that it was alright to ask aloud. She wanted to ask Blakely why he wore the mask, but thought it might be rude.

Blakely spent a second trying to call the cat with his fingers, and thought about his answer.

"Its been going well. Or as well as it can be." He said,shifting his satchel to the floor. "I don't know my way around, but I've,uh ,managed to get most of my supplies for the year. I'm still missing a few things."

Blakely felt a pinching feeling on his knuckle. The cat had gotten bored and bit through his glove, the cat then bumped his hand with it's head. "Ow!Okay, Teeth it is then."

Newly named Teeth, loving whatever attention he got, meowed adorably. At a closer view, Teeth had a bit of an overbite, which made his fangs appear quite a bit longer. Blakely politely asked how much Teeth was and paid the sum. "Not to sound banal but,um ,how has your shopping going so far? "

Reyna was examining a rather small and fluffy barn owl when she heard her name. The volume and level of excitement in that voice could only mean one thing – Dimia was here! She turned and grinned, throwing her arms around her friend and shooting an apologetic smile at the shopkeeper.

“Dimia, I’m so happy to see you!” she exclaimed, jumping up and down a bit. “How is your summer going so far?”

The old man raised an eyebrow disapprovingly; their voices carried through the store and were clearly ruffling up the owls. Rey took her friend by the arm and guided her to the little owl she’d been looking at. It turned to gaze at them, and she thought she sensed a rather ladylike manner in this creature.

“I shall name you Dame,” Reyna said with a grin before turning back to Dimia. “We’ve been staying with the Beaumonts. Only a couple weeks in, but it’s terribly dull. I can hardly wait for the tourney – any excuse to get out of that fortress!”

Marigold waited on the daughter's shopkeep to return with some hay, enjoying talking to Blakely. Marigold smiled and nodded.

"My shopping is going well. The herbology shop had everything I needed, which is nice. I just need to find a toy now, for my Lord's daughter," Marigold told him.

"Do you need any help finding anything specific? I'm a 3rd year and can show you around," Marigold offered. The shopkeep's daughter came back with the hay and Marigold thanked her.

"Oi! Watch it! You're gonna...." Marigold heard the shopkeeper yell at the door. Another student was coming into the shop but left the door open. A few rowdy cats escaped out the door.

"...let the cats out," the shopkeeper finished, looking rather annoyed.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" the student apologized. Marigold could see that the shopkeeper was annoyed.

"Here, let me help. If we have some food, they should come back, no problem," Marigold offered to the shopkeep, pulling out her wand.

"I'd appreciate that miss," the shopkeeper said, handing Marigold a little pouch of food. Marigold nodded and gestured to Blakely to follow.

"Appare vestigium," Marigold cast in a circle. The cat's footprints appeared on the ground. "Looks like two of them ran north and another to the south." Marigold commented, looking at the prints.

Dimia jumped up and down with Reyna, super excited to see her friend. They had been writing to each other this summer, although it was sparingly and mostly about their family or the tutoring they received over the summer.

"Same ole, same ole. Just me and my father, in that lonely castle. Although, last week was very exciting. I finally got some archery practice in," Dimia said excitedly. Dimia looked over Reyna's owl. It was very cute, but held a majestic air around her. Dimia wondered if she should get a pet.

"Oh, how are the Beaumonts? And, you are going to the tourney! That's good. I wish I could go but you know, father's health varies week to week and traveling just takes a toll on him," Dimia explained to Reyna. Although, Dimia had told Reyna before about her father and she didn't really need to explain. But, it was true. Her father always struggled with traveling. The downside of having an older parent, especially when her father had his mental fits.

"But, he did say that I can tag along with Alec's family, if they're going," Dimia said, blushing slightly. Alec had been writing to Dimia all summer, talking about how he wishes he was back at school and how he wants to see her over the summer. The tourney was maybe the perfect opportunity.

Dimia turned when she heard all the commotion towards the front of the shop. A few cats had escaped and an older student had offered to help the shopkeeper find them.

"Do you want to help as well?" Dimia asked Reyna. They hadn't started the trouble, but it would be nice to help.

Blakely had very few experiences with magic. It was wonderous to see a spell cast in front of him. He stood there for almost a second and then abruptly aligned his train of thought to the runaway cats.

Having paid for Teeth, Blakely grabbed the surprisingly light cage from the floor. Teeth mewed quietly. He recalled the color of two of the cats, white and orange respectively, but was unsure of the last cat's coat color. Blakely gave Marigold a nod, he would help. He followed her to the door and a thought struck him. 'What food do cats like?' He had never known cats to be picky with the foods they ate, though most cats he had met were strays.

"How many ran of- right three. Um, I dont know what food cats like?" Wow, amazing question to ask the man who sell cats.

Blakely's rambling continued. "I think we should, um, go north. They probably would be closer together and would, uh, be faster to ca-catch in succession. Right? "

Marigold nodded to Blakely.

"North it is then. Let's go," Marigold said, starting to fast-walk northwards. The cats were small and fast. They surprisingly made lots of ground in the three minutes that they got out. Marigold stopped when the paw prints showed up on a barrel and then on the roof of a shop. Marigold sighed.

"Let's try the food. Looks like they went up," Marigold commented. This shop was next to the herbology shop, so the herbology shopkeeper came out to see all the commotion. He laughed when Marigold told him it was the cats.

"We keep telling that old fart to put bells on his cats. They get out every other week or so," the shopkeeper commented, as Marigold started to shake the little bag of food. After a little while, one of the cats looked over the edge of the roof at Marigold.

"Come on kitty. Come on," Marigold called out, holding up the bag so the cat could smell it. The cat reached out its head and did a little sniff. Marigold slowly moved the bag down towards the barrel. The cat jumped down and Marigold got out a little handful and fed the kitty. The herbology shopkeeper pulled out a cage that he had and put the cat into it.

"It's that often?" Marigold asked the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper laughed but nodded.

"Let's find the other one. Thank you kindly," Marigold said, taking the cage from the shopkeeper.

Reyna glanced back and forth between her tea, her (not yet purchased) owl, and the door. Couldn't they just relax and let the others chase after the overly energetic cats? It was at times like this that she realized what luck she had in being born a female in a noble family. She need never chase mischievous animals.

"Alright, alright," she sighed, setting her cup on the shelf. "Let's get a move on!"

She started toward the door, but stopped and looked back fondly at the snowy little fluffball. "Dame, be a dear and don't allow anyone else to buy you while I'm gone."

The owl hooted in reply, and it sounded affirmative. Satisfied, she grabbed Dimia's hand and rushed onto the street. Marigold and the masked boy had gone north - she could just barely see their figures in the distance. That left south for her and Dimia.

"What does the third one look like?" she called back to the shopkeeper.

"Black and white striped," the old man replied. "Here, take a bit of food."

Reyna took the small bag from him and the two headed down the street.

Dimia walked with Reyna up the street to find the cat. She shook the food every now and again to see if the cat might backtrack. Another student had cast a finding spell, so they were following cats pawprints on the ground.

"It couldn't have gotten that far, could it?" Dimia asked aloud, sorta to herself, sorta to Reyna. Dimia smiled at a few people who were walking around the street. They probably looked really weird, constantly looking at the ground and trying to find a cat.

Dimia followed the footsteps and found the little cat cuddling up with an older woman that was sitting on the porch of her house. Dimia smiled and slowly approached.

"Are you two from the pet store?" the older woman asked, petting the kitty cat. The cat was very cuddly.

"Yes ma'am. A student accidentally let him out and we came to get him," Dimia explained. The older woman sighed.

"He's so cute and cuddly," the older woman said. "I don't have many visitors anymore here in Hogsmeade. My children are in London on business all the time." the woman explained. Dimia could tell that she was lonely.

"Ma'am, why don't you buy the cat? To keep you company?" Dimia asked. The woman seemed to think about it. Then, she reached into a little coin purse and gave the money to Dimia.

"Tell the shopkeep that I'm buying the little guy and that I'll be around later to get supplies. Just tell him to keep the change," the woman told the girl. Dimia smiled and nodded.

"Well, that was easy. Let's head back to the shop," Dimia told Reyna.

(OC: Going a little more fast paced.)

Reyna was moved by how happy the little striped cat made the kindly old woman. They'll be wonderful company for each other, she thought with a smile, hoping she and her new owl would be equally as good a fit.

"Dimia," she called as she tried to keep up with her friend. "Are you nervous about the school year?"

It wasn't an unwarranted question - their first year had been incredibly overwhelming, not at all what she'd expected. Her brother Symon hadn't prepared her for how intense things had gotten between the Ministry and the....what did they call themselves? The Templar? Yes, the Sorcerer's Templar. The good guys created the group when it was clear the Ministry was resorting to more violent methods. Reyna and Dimia had even gotten into a few scrapes with them, and they didn't have anything to do with them Templar!

"There's something I have to tell you," Rey said, halting and pulling her friend to a stop. She made sure they were alone before she spoke. "You know how Davy announced Symon's return to the Ministry last year? Well...I can't keep it to myself, I need to talk to someone about it. It's a ruse. Symon is a double agent, though no one knows but Adelaine and Finnius."

A couple sauntered by, holding hands and chatting happily. Reyna waited until they were well out of sight before continuing.

"Davy is planning something big this summer," she whispered. "I've only heard bits and pieces, but I think there's going to be an attack or robbery of some sort at one of the events this summer."

Dimia furrowed her brow at Reyna's question.

"Well, I wouldn't say Iwas nervous. I'm more excited than nervous," Dimia responded, although her response fell on deaf ears, as Reyna explained the situation.

Dimia felt her anxiety spike as Reyna talked about her brother. Dimia didn't have a problem with Symon; he was noble and just. But, Dimia knew the Symon also had an occasional cruel streak. She would hate to get on his bad side.

"An attack? Over the summer?" Dimia asked, a little concerned. Davy and his cronies always bothered Dimia. They were the worst of the worst of the worst Slytherins. Angry, hate-filled, gross, and vengeful.

"Symon's playing a dangerous game, Reyna. I know he's very powerful and smart, but he may get hurt if he keeps playing too close to the fire," Dimia warned her friend. Symon was extremely capable and cunning. But, Dimia thought that he may be blinded by his own almost godly status sometimes. If someone thinks that they can never get hurt, it makes them too bold, too brash. Dimia thought to herself, although she wouldn't tell Reyna that, for fear that it would be taken as an insult.

"Thank you for telling me. But, we need to all be careful over the summer. I think we should warn some authorities. If it's a major attack or a robbery, it's bigger than what us schoolkids can handle," Dimia told her. Dimia paused for a second.

"But, I want you to know that I won't tell anyone either. It's our secret. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eyes," Dimia pledged. She was conflicted, but she knew that she needed to keep her mouth shut, for Reyna's and Symon's safety.

Reyna flinched at the rhyme Dimia recited. The imagery gave her chills, but she shook it out of her mind.

"I've considered the authorities, but they won't act without proof," she sighed as they continued their walk. "You know how the Ministry is with secrecy, especially with Symon back in. They don't leave a trace."

It weighed heavy in her heart, the idea of Symon getting caught by Davy and his cronies. If his true alliance were to be revealed, who knows what they would do? Heaven's sake, they're cruel enough to innocent people they've never even met, she thought. Soon enough, the girls reached the pet store. Rey rushed inside, eager to purchase Dame and forget the dark conversation she'd just had.

"Sir, the striped kitten was bought by a woman down the road," she informed the shopkeeper, handing him the money. "They were thick as thieves, we couldn't tear them apart."

"Not to worry, m'lady," the old man smiled. He held his arm out and the fluffy little snow owl flitted over and landed on it. "I believe she's yours, is she not?"

Reyna grinned and handed over her own payment. Holding back a squeal of delight, she took her mug and the caged owl. With a quick thanks, she left the store.