Diagon Alley

.

Violet wandered along the line of shops in Diagon Alley, not realizing that she probably stuck out a bit more than most. Sure, some wizards wore "Muggle clothes" to an extent, but very few liked to as much or strangely as Violet. The exception of course was the old men who didn't know better and were curiously dressed unintentionally. She'd worn a pair of teal skinny jeans today and a couple layered bright tanks, not exactly matching, but they went well enough, at least with her somewhat eccentric taste. It was effective for blending in while walking about London, and since she was living there, her taste worked to her favor. Freshly painted nails completed it, the dull black of them hiding how much she chewed on them far too often. Slipping the string of her little handbag up her wrist to her elbow, she lazily wove her hair into a braid, only to find that she had no elastic to secure it. She sighed and glanced at her many string bracelets, handmade of course. Among them was a ribbon tied around her wrist, and she grabbed the end of it with her teeth, tugging it loose and then using that to tie her braid off, using the window of the Owl Post Office as her mirror without caring who might think her silly from the other side.

[Cue Walden Macnair, that creeper freak]

Macnair was walking out of Florish and Blots with a bag of new books when he saw a brightly coloured figure across the street. Her garish clothes were a direct contrast to his own dark jeans, black shirt, black boots and leather jacket, all things that would allow him to lurk in the shadows whenever he wanted. Stopping it took him a second to recognise her. He had to admit that he was rather pleased she was here again, his innate curiosity had been piqued the day before and he still wanted to know more. She also consistently took him off guard in he responses and actions which was something new for him. He stood in the shadows for a moment, watching her wrap the ribbon around her hair and tie it off, studying her expression in the same glass she was looking in. Knowing that if she paid any attention, not that he thought she honestly did, she would notice him, he stepped forwards and crossed the street, moving up behind her. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Violet had finished checking her reflection and was about to turn and continue on her way, when a figure approaching behind her in the reflection made her smirk. "Well that's one point on which we differ." She turned around to look at him, crossing her arms lazily and grinning up at him. "I knew my biggest fan would show up again sooner rather than later." She turned and started down the street, figuring she was about 94% sure that he would follow her. She paused to glance in the window of the magical menagerie, her heart warming at the sight of some half-kneazles playing in the window. She pressed her palm to the glass as one of the kittens leapt up, putting his tiny black paws on the other side and mewling up at her.

Macnair shot her a look, "Fan implies that I like you and right now I'm not certain that I do. You would be better off considering yourself an object of curiosity." When she walked on he did follow her, stopping when she did and shooting a rather disgusted look at the cat-things. "Hairy monsters, they leave messes everywhere." Looking at her from behind he was slightly taken aback by her wild eccentric fashion sense, not quite sure why she would put any of those ridiculous colours on let alone all together. As far as he was concerned black went with black, grey, and white and anything other than that wasn't really necessary.

"I don't like being an object," Violet scoffed. She turned to look over his shoulder after the cat comment. "Well, these are a bit unappealing. But the Muggle kittens are nice. There's a pet shop around the corner from where I live, and they're rather cute." Turning back around, she tilted her head as one kitten was busy licking food or... ew, something... off the face of one of it's siblings. Bored of them, and a little grossed out, she turned and continued down the street looking in some of the other windows. "So why're you back here? Thought you fancy pants types didn't come here all that much unless you had things to buy. You like shopping, Walden Macnair?"

Macnair glared at her rather gently as they kept moving down the street. In answer to her question he held up the small Flourish and Blotts bag, "I purchased some books and no I do not enjoy shopping. After I picked these up I saw you and currently I have nowhere pressing to be so spending time trying to figure you out seems reasonably well spent. Though later I may regret this waste of time." He had ignored he comments about kittens, disliking all things furry and feline in nature, really disliking all things furry as he wasn't a dog or small mammal person either.

Violet rolled her eyes. "Ravishingly beautiful yesterday, waste of time today. I shudder to think what I will be tomorrow. Somehow I don't doubt in the least that you'll find a way to follow me around tomorrow as well." Peeking over her shoulder at him, the corners of her mouth turned upward, her eyes positively shining with challenge and mischief. "I'll even make it easy for you, Walden Macnair. I'm working at the potions shop tomorrow. Sell you some half-price gillyweed if you're good." She winked and turned again, moving down the street and weaving between people, not worrying about if he would lose her or keep up. Of course he would keep up with her. She figured he was one of those sort that you couldn't lose if you tried, which inspired her to have a little fun. She broke into a little run, more like a quick doe-like prance than a run really, the way she leapt between people and dodged obstacles. She ducked down a shadowy alley, leaning against the cool brick wall and waiting for Walden to inevitably show up, not fooling herself for a moment to think she had lost him. She crossed her arms, waiting, a grin on her face for when he'd round the corner.

Macnair didn't respond to her jab about finding her tomorrow and considered whether or not it was worth a trip here tomorrow to find her again. It probably was but that felt predictable and keeping her on her toes was part of the fun of this. When she ran off he walked after her, slowly winding through the crowds and not having any problems keeping track of her in her rainbow ensemble. When she rounded the corner he watch and stopped right before it, leaning up against the wall and waiting for her to get impatient and come back around to look for him.  

Violet stood there, waiting, and waiting, and waiting. She stared boredly at her fingernails, deciding they should be repainted tomorrow. Perhaps purple. She'd bought a new matte purple she wanted to try. She glanced to the side again, searching the streets that she could see for him, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. Had she lost him? Not likely. But where was he? She turned to face the street, and caught sight of a shadow on the ground, someone standing close to the corner of the little alley she was shadowed in. That had to be him. She smirked, leaned against the wall again, and edged toward the corner. Without actually leaning or looking around the corner, she laughed and spoke toward him. "Afraid of dark shadowy little alley ways, Walden Macnair?"

Macnair didn't have to wait long before her voice floated around the corner of the alley. He could walk into the alleyway to prove himself which might be what she expected but once again he hated meeting expectations. Instead he remained leaning there, nodding to people he knew who passed by, most headed for knockturn alley just a little further along, and glaring at those who looked at him curiously. "I have absolutely no problem with dark alleyways but I'm curious as to why you are hiding down one, acting as though I'm a danger to you when I'm sure we both know, Emily that you currently have nothing to fear from me. We both support the same cause after all." He had found her name out rather quickly after their last meeting, or at least part of it. He knew Violet was her preferred moniker but Emily sounded much more approprite and less like a colour of one of those bracelets littering her arm.

Violet pouted only slightly, disappointed that he wasn't going to wander down there with her. She stepped out into the sun to look up at him, but it was about that time that he'd called her Emily. She stuck her tongue out and made a disgusted noise, walking past him to cross the street, speaking still because she knew he would follow her. "Not Emily, if you please. Violet would do just fine. Friends call me Vi, but you're not quite one of those yet, being my biggest fan after all. Or, stalker I suppose, since you've decided you're not a fan of mine. And I wasn't hiding, anyway. But if you do like thinking that I'm afraid of you, if it makes you feel like a big strong man," she turned around, stepping up against the wall and ducking her chin, feigning nervousness, "then I'll be scared for you."

Walden rolled his eyes at her immature action but followed her across the street nonetheless. "Unfortunately for you Emily I much prefer to call you by that name than the name of a silly plant." Stopping a little bit in front of her he crossed his arms and looked down the rather great distance to meet her eyes. "Do you really think having a waif of a girl like you be afraid of me would be of any great interest?" Looking to each side he made a quick note of who else was out at this time and how many people had vanished since they started talking. He assumed that was because it was now well past lunch and most people were either back at work or long finished with their shopping and at home already. Looking back down at the blonde he addressed her again, "So what brought you to Diagon Alley today?"

Violet raised an eyebrow at him, the corner of her mouth turning up in a little smirk. "Waif of a girl, huh? I'm afraid you're greatly underestimating me, Walden Macnair." She shook her head as if that was the saddest thing she'd ever heard. "And it's not a silly plant," she insisted, leaning up off the wall again to stand up tall, her shoulders back in a stance of confidence. "Violets are actually weeds," she laughed as she turned to continue walking down the street at a leisurely pace, "and they spread like wildfire and they're quite difficult to control. Bully flowers, if you will." She glanced over her shoulder at him briefly, before turning to stop and look in the window of a sweets shop, trying to decide if it was worth her few sickles left to venture inside where the treats would be irresistible. "Nothing better to do, so why not wander around here rather than sit in my empty apartment all day? The sunshine was too nice not to get out in, though you're a bit of a wet blanket on nice summer days, aren't you, Walden Macnair?"

[Anything written in italics is said in Japanese]

As Miela stepped into Diagon Alley for the second time in her life, she is once again marveled at the beauty of the place, hidden so well from Muggles.

A new word Miela learnt, Muggle. As she savored the new word in her mouth, she once again thought about how different the Western magical world was to the Eastern one.

Walking along the street towards Gringotts, Miela passed by a couple talking outside a shop window. Though they were talking to each other easily, their body language showed tension and animosity. Sighing, Miela’s thoughts turned to the difference in her culture and the new one she is in.

Not only does the brand, the signature of magic differ, even the way they have dealt with the humans, or in this case, they are called Muggles, are very much different. Most of the Western magical communities have found ways to live along side, sometimes even with these Muggles, very much unlike how her own heritage has dealt with it. While she have heard of stories of ‘sorcerers’ being exalted in royal courts in countries like China and Korea, and many witch doctors feared and revered in villages of countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, many witches and wizards knew that they were frauds, which was apparent once they were burned at the stake.

In the Asian countries, most witches and wizards had taken to keeping to themselves, sometimes forming alliances with other clans just to survive. However, Miela had heard from Toji Ojisama (Grandfather Toji) that while there was a Ministry of Magic in Japan, her home country, they had major clans, like the Hyakki Clan, and the Ningyo Clan, who had formed an alliance to make the rules and keep the peace, making the major decisions. Sometimes, Toji Ojisama said that the alliance felt more like the Ministry then the actual one. [Think of how the current Japanese Government interacts with the Japanese Yazuka.]

Reaching the front steps of Gringotts, Miela was surprised that she had walked the entire walk deep in her thoughts. ”Idiot,” she muttered to herself, “Now you have missed the entire marketplace. And here you were, wanting to savor the place for real.”

”You have plenty of time, don’t worry, we just have to get back before the sun goes down and it’s barely sunrise.” Sanshi replied while chuckling. She had read all of Miela’s thoughts.

Miela sighed. She really ought to loosen up, Sanshi was right, there was plenty of time.

[Anything in italics is said in Japanese.]

Miela ran through the streets of Diagon Alley towards Madam Malkins shop. She was cutting it really close, Madam Malkins said an hour, and it is nearly up.

She cursed herself for nipping into Quidditch Quality Supplies, when she don’t need, nor want a broom. It was just interesting to see all the equipment up-close, and she had just lost track of time.

”So have you gotten everything?” Sanshi asked.

”I think so,” Miela replied, and pulled out her list. “We went to Flourish and Blotts to get my school books, Slug and Jiggers to get a cauldron, crystal phails, dragon hide protective gloves and brass scales, Scribbulus Writing Instruments to get parchment, ink and quills, we have ordered the telescope to be sent back to school, and now we are heading back to Madam Malkins for my robes and travelling cloak.”

”That seems like everything”

”It is, and it should be, if there is anything I missed, we could always come back here to get it. Now be quiet while I concentrate on getting us there in time”

Understanding how Miela though that being late was a huge disrespect toward Madam Malkins, Sanshi fell silent. She knew it was partly her fault that Miela was rushing back to Madam Malkins. If only she have not enticed Miela with thoughts of “Only 5 minutes!”, they could be strolling back to the shop, and might have even stopped to get a ice cream cone.

20 seconds later, they have arrived on the curb that Miela was left unto exactly an hour ago. Breathing deeply to regulate her breathing and calm herself down, in just a few seconds, Miela looked as if she had just walked out of a air conditioned room. Sanshi mused to herself at the thoughts of the years of training Miela had to do to pull this off. You don’t wear a 10 layered kimono and run around attending to Japanese politicians, top businessmen and yakuza leaders without making sure you look flawless.

Taking one last deep breath, Miela walked into the shop.

Pansy walked down the street, glancing around at the shops with a certain sentimental fondness. She'd never quite imagined herself bringing a child here with her to buy things for them to go to school, but here she was, getting her son ready for his last year at Hogwarts. It felt like only yesterday she was bringing him here for his wand. She turned and gave the blonde a fond smile, glad his looks had essentially all come from his father, leaving very little, if any, trace of his mother in him. Pansy would happily claim him as her own anyway; she always had. He reminded her so much of his father, and yet he was so very different. And for the better, she had made sure to that. Slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow, they made their way down the center of the street. "Have you got your school list?"

Scorpius looked around at the shops as they passed them and couldn't help but to smile as at all the eager first years running around Diagon Alley. He remembered that feeling of excitement with going to Hogwarts for the first time, though the excitement had definitely gone down over the years. Based on what his father had told him about Hogwarts, Scorpius really hadn't found it to be as amazing of a place as he had thought it would be. Though, perhaps that was easily attributed to the fact that the few people that interacted with him were never really that kind. Like stupid Potter. Stirred from his thoughts, he glanced over at the woman he had come to know, call, and love as a mother. "Of course I do," he replied with a grin, slightly amused to the suggestion that he would forget it. "Seems like it's mostly books and potions supplies this year," he said, taking the list out of his pocket with his free hand and handing it over to his mum.

Pansy took it from him, glancing it over. He already had robes and things of that sort and they had gotten him his very own owl for the start of his fifth year, so he didn't have to use the family owl anymore. "Right well I suppose we ought to get the books first and then we can run over to Slug & Jiggers for most of the potions things. I've got to go to Gringotts for something for your father as well." She slowed as they reached the storefront of Flourish & Blotts. "Shall we?" She laughed slightly, heading for the door and stepping inside. They didn't take long to get his books, and had them wrapped in crisp brown paper and sent off to the Manor, so that they would be waiting for them when they got home. Handing over a couple of galleons in payment, Pansy lead the way back out onto the street, making her way toward the apothecary with her son. She will never get tired of that. Her son.

Scorpius couldn't disagree that her plan made sense and he rather did like going to Flourish & Blotts. He just found the bookstore to be quite enjoyable, though he knew better than to spend too much time in there. If he could, he probably could have easily spent hours just looking around the store. Once they were back on the street, he glanced in the direction of Slug and Jiggers. "I can go and get the things from the apothecary myself if you wan to go on over to Gringotts," he suggested. "I think I can handle getting the few things I need," he smiled. "You can just meet me there when you're done?"

Pansy smiled at him, handing the list of supplies back. "Perfect. You get your potions things, and I'll finish up at Gringotts and meet you outside Twilfit & Tatting's in a little bit. I want to get you a few new things to take with you to school, some of your sweaters are starting to get a bit grungy. And a bit too small," she added, brushing a hand over his shoulder. He was nearly taller than her now, with broadening shoulders, and he was certainly still growing. Merlin knew he could put away a surprising amount of food, the elves still hadn't quite figured out just how much the boy could eat. Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, she stepped away to move toward the bank. "See you in a bit, love." And with that, Pansy disappeared down the street toward the bank to do official lady-of-Malfoy-Manor things while Scorpius got his own potions ingredients like a big boy. She is so proud.

Scorpius couldn't help a large grin from coming onto his face when she suggested that they go to Twilfit and Tatting's. Some of his sweaters were definitely over-worn the past year and were a bit snug as well, so getting new ones sounded more than appealing. "Alright, that sounds perfect to me," he said, eager to get some new sweaters and maybe even push his luck for some new slacks as well. Though really, if he just smiled and asked politely, he was sure his mum would have no problem with getting new pants as well. It seemed that most of his clothes were too small or snug nowadays. "Okay, I'll meet you there," he said, happy to have a mum like Pansy that was so loving and caring and perfectly understanding. He then headed off to the apothecary, hoping to make it a quick trip since he hated the stench of that store.

Scorpius was quite glad that his mum was here for this whole thing, because knowing himself he would have ended up forgetting something. Plus, he really didn't want to have to ask any questions about whether the dog had been fixed yet or not. That whole female thing seriously just repulsed him. He was relieved to hear that he wouldn't have to deal with any bleeding or anything, though in a way it was kind of sad to think that she wouldn't ever be able to have puppies one day. Oh well, it was much better this way. Once they were all set and back outside, he nodded before saying, "Sure. I'll slowly make my way towards the Leaky Cauldron if you want to just near the back entryway by the bricks," he said, knowing that no shop would appreciate him bringing a dog into the store. "It'll give me time to try and decide on a name for her," he said, already beginning to narrow down ideas in his head for the sweet dog. "Thanks again mum. Hopefully Father won't put up too much off a fuss over it," he smiled.

Draco had made it out of work early, managing to end a meeting before it began by proving that the update they suggested was a worthless expense and they could make do without it, putting the money to a much better use. He had come a long way since flaunting his wealth at school, now dressed in non-flashy robes that were made of the finest quality but, unlike his father's elaborate fur lined cloaks, did not reek of money. A lot had changed since he had left school, the war had altered everything. His parents had pushed him into a marriage with Astoria and they had been alright but after the birth of Scorpius they had a few wonderful months before she got sick. A few months after she died he saw Pansy again and they reconnected. Soon after that the two were married and since then she had been a mother to Scorpius. He smiled slightly when he thought about the two of them, so glad they got along as well as they did. He knew his father would have been a finalist for the worst father of the year award but he did his best to do well by Scorp. Walking down the alley he saw his Son's familiar blonde hair and walked over to them, wrapping his arms around Pansy from behind and pressing a kiss to her cheek, "Hello family. Fancy seeing you here."

[ASLDKJFLAKSDJ DADDY CAME TO LOVE US! I just got really excited <.<]