Shopping with Mom (Friends)

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass stood in front of the familiar brick wall that severed the muggle and wizarding world. Her mother stood impatiently behind her. " C'mon Cassandra. Hurry up. It's not safe to stand out here."

Of course, her mother wouldn't believe this, but it was probably the safest place in all of London. The woman and the girl looked like the oddest couple ever. The older woman, maybe in her early forties, was dressed in a pair of black pants, a pink cardigan set, and black strappy sandals. Her blond hair was worn straight, and her deep blue eyes seemed impatient. However, the girl stared at the wall inquisitively with her green eyes, trying to remember which bricks to hit to get into the alley. Her long, black, curly hair cascaded down her back. It was tied loosely into a ponytail holder. She was wearing a pair of worn jeans, a black v-neck shirt, and a pair of tennis shoes. She wore a red and black cloak that proudly displayed the Gryffindor crest on her left side. She was holding what looked like a wand in her hand.

She tapped the bricks for the fourth time, and the bricks began to part to display the wonderfully busy Diagon Alley. Cassandra and her mother had been to the alley before. They always made sure to make a trip to Gringott's to exchange muggle money for wizarding money every time before the start of term and on the Easter holidays. It always bothered her mother to do this since she wasn't a witch, but they usually got out of area quick enough. They didn't know many witches or wizards; so, they did not spend time mingling. " Mom, can we stop by the apothecary before we leave? I really need some more ingredients for potions class."

Cynthia Logton, Cass' mother, nodded in affirmation. " Just make it quick. I feel very conspicous out here. You know I don't belong here." Cass placed her hand on her mother's arm. " It's okay, mother. Your not the only non-witch parent that has to accompany their child here to buy supplies." She purposely did not use the term muggle. Her mother did not understand what it meant, and the one time she did use it she took it as an insult.

The mother and her daughter walked into the white building at the end of the street, and conducted their business. Any onlooker could tell that the older woman was anxious to leave. A few moments later, they both walked down the white steps. Out of earshot, Cynthia said, " Those goblins really bother me." She handed the bag of wizard money to her daughter. " Why can't they just use pounds?"

Cass shrugged her shoulders. They began to head to the apothecary. Cass headed inside with her mother. Cynthia wrinkled her nose as her daughter began to pick wierd looking ingrediants from the buckets and walls.

[Robert Knight R5]

(( Hope you don't mind me joining!))

Robert and his parents were walking through Diagon Alley. Robert was buying a new broom. His parents were fairly wealthy and he'd convinsed them that even if he didn't make Quidditch, he'd need a new broom. Both of Robert's parents were muggles and were facinated by the wizarding world.

As Robert was checking out, he noticed a girl in her Hogwarts robe. Her robe had a Gryffindor patch on it. When she turned around, he noticed it was Cassandra. She was in his same class and was with her parents.

"Hey Cass, over here!" he shouted at her. He ran over her way and turned his head towards his parents. "Momm, Dad, meet Cassandra. Cassandra these are my parents." Robert leaned close to Cass and whispered to her so his parents couldn't hear, "They're both muggles."

[dana]

Dana skimmed the magical contract presented to he and picking a lavishing quill signed it with the regular almost calligraphic arcs decorating her signature. Picking up the keys to the house Dana stepped out of the house with the previous owner.
“It has been a real pleasure working with you. Do give my best regards to your grand-parents,” the old wizard said with a bow as he took Dana’s hand and kissed it formally.
“It has been a pleasure, mr. Haverick, my grand-parents were very glad to hear you are selling this store,” Dana answered politely, but rather coldly. They had paid more for the 4-story store than it was actually worth. But the book-store that would be built in it would certainly start earning profit soon. And Dana’s family was rich enough to wait until it happened.

Dana watched as the man left and turned back to the building. Pulling out a slip of parchment, Dana read the spell once again before pointing her wand to the house and muttering the correct charms in specific order to lock the house magically again, so thieves would find it more difficult to get in, as now the magical barrier was focused on Dana.
The spell didn’t work first two times Dana tried, but on third try, both Dana and the building glowed for a second and Dana grinned with satisfaction.
The store would be a perfect place for a book-store and a suitable place where the book-empire Dana’s grand-parents owned could widen itself to.

Dana looked around the crowded street, thinking where to go next. She was responsible for furnishing the house and ordering books to it. She should better get to work now.

Dana noticed Cass walking through the street with an other boy with them, and most probably the muggles with them were their parents. It wasn’t that they wore muggle-clothes that made Dana think they were muggles – she herself was wearing heeled boots, jeans and a white strapped blouse, which were all muggle – but it was rather the way they behaved.
“Hi, Cass,” Dan said with a grin walking closer to the group and broadening her smile so it took everyone in, “Hello everybody. Shopping?” Dana smiled and shook hands with Cass’s mom, who she recognized from the hospital and shook hands with the boys parents as well: “It’s a pleasure to meet you all here. Hope you are enjoying our little magical Alley. I’m Dana.”<br>Dana smiled and turned to Cass’s mom: “I haven’t really had time to talk to Cass about it, but I was hoping that maybe she could come and visit me in the summer? I certainly hope you wouldn’t mind it very much. You did say you would think about coming, Cass.”<br>

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

(FYI Robert: Cass's father isn't with them. He's dead.)

She waived and ran over to Robert. " Hey Robert. How are you? Shopping for anything in particular. I had to run to the apothecary and get some supplies." She whispered in a lower voice. " I'm going to try and get Mom to buy and owl." Her mother finally caught up to her daughter. " Mom, this is Robert and his parents. They are muggles, too."

A few moments later, Dana appeared. She enthusiastically greeted her friend. Wasting no time, Dana asked her mother if she could come over that summer. Cassandra watched as she scrutinized Dana for a moment. With a bit of a drawl, she said, " Yes, Dana, I remember you from the hospital. It was nice of you to comfort my daughter in her hour of need."

She continued, " As much as I would like to say yes to your request, I would need to meet your family first. I can't have my only daughter going to stay with people I don't know. I hope you understand. Your family can contact me, and we can work out all the particulars then."

Cass' face visibly fell. She knew her mother wanted her at home desparately, but she really wanted to go to Italy and visit with Dana. It would only be the second time she had been in a wizarding household, and she so wanted to experience it once again. She just felt normal at Kari's home, and she was hoping she could get that same experience there.

" Mom, I'm sure I would be fine. Dana belongs to one of the most prominent families in Europe. Besides, we could always go and buy an Owl and keep in contact that way." She smiled sweetly up at her mother, hoping to change her mother's mind.

[Robert Knight R5]

(Ouch! Sorry. )

[bellatrixlestrange]

"Sixteen sickles," The cashier said pleasantly, flashing Faith a sickly smile and pushing the striped paper bag over the counter towards her. Faith paid the money and was bid farewell with a bright, "Thanks for your custom!" as she made her way, entwining through the many people that were packed into Gambol and Japes. It was quite a relief when she finally stepped into the cool, airy street and left the shop behind with its many creatures crawling around on the floor and loud bangs and explosions that would put any muggle science lab to shame.

Faith turned her head to peer up the cobbled street, looking for her Mother and Aunt, who she was in Diagon Alley with, buying presents for her cousin's, Agalia and Tulio's birthday a week or so later. Instead, though she found herself faced with a familiar person, a bit further up the street, just leaving Gringotts. The familiar person's face was framed with dark, curling hair and she was sporting the same Gryffindor embelem that Faith herself had, embalzoned on her black cloak. Cassandra Logton, one of Faith's good friends, accompinied by a woman that Faith had never met before that could only be Cass' mother. As Faith fought her way against the crowded street Cass was joined by another group of people, lead by a boy around Faith's age who was introducing Cass to whom was un-doubtedly his parents. As Faith neared the group Dana Coran appeared. Faith had met her before, but she knew her mainly as Cass's friend. Just after Dana had stopped talking Faith finally managed them all. She let out a light sigh of irritation, sending the front strands of her hair skyward but grinned at them all.

"Fancy seeing you here!" She said to Cass, smiling from one ear to the other, "Is this your Mum? Nice to meet you, I'm Faith Oraco."

Flustered, Faith remembered the other people and turned round, smiling apolegetically at the Dana and boy, who she had seen at Hogwarts but never spoken to.

"Hey Dana," Faith greeted, then put a hand out towards the boy, "Like I said, I'm Faith. I'm in Gryffindor like Cass."

She smiled at him then stared around at everyone. A small nudge in her mind told her that she might come over as over-confident and over-bearing as people sometimes did, but she ignored it hoping that these new people would see it as it was, simple friendliness.

"What's everyone here for then?"

[dana]

Dana tilted her head with a calm smile as Cass’s mom wanted to meet her family before and Cass tried to tell her that Dana’s family was good.
“No, of course it’s an understandable wish, mrs. Logton. My grand-parents will be coming to the country in a week or two and I’m sure they would love to meet you or have you both over at our apartment here in London. We also have a phone there. Maybe you have heard of my grand-parents – they own a book-store in muggle world as well – ‘The Dreamcastles of Graas’. Weird name, I know, but books let you rimagination fly free, so rather fitting on the other hand. It’s is rather known by book-collectors in Enlgand as well,” Dana said with a smile puling out her wand and after some careless flicks a parchment with a phone-number and the address of their apartment in a rather fancy muggle-London district appeared, which Dana handed to Cass’s mom. Dana smiled openly but politely – she wasn’t raised by politicians all her life for nothing – she could control her facial expressions almost as well as a Slytherin could.

Dana smiled as Faith joined them. Dana knew the girl, but only by name and face. They had never really talked much together, but Faith seemed like a social and friendly person, which Dana rather liked.
“Hey, Faith. Good to see you too,” Dana said with a smile and smiled at the boy as well, who was know almost faintly familiar, “You are a Raven, right? I think I’ve seen you around the common room.”<br>
As Faith asked what everybody were doing here, Dana waited for a moment and as noone else answered, shrugged and answered herself: “I personally am running some errands for my grand-parents. They decided to widen their business to Diagon Alley, so I just signed the buying deal for them. I also have to find some furnish for the store now.”<br>

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass was surprised that Dana handled her mother's attitude so well. She watched as her mother took the number from Dana haughtily. " I'll consider it. Now, Cass on the owl, you can get an owl. I would really like to be able to contact you through the school year. However, you will need take Ringo home because I don't think you can have two animals at school." Cynthia scratched her arm absent-mindedly. Feeling a bit of an akward silence, Cass interrupted. " Mom, why don't you and Robert's parents go to the Leaky Cauldron and have a drink? You need to meet new people. Besides, I want my friends to help me pick out my new owl." She gave everyone a big smile.

The adults quickly agreed and headed toward the bar, and Cass began to lead her friends to Eyelop's Owl Emporium. Cass talked excitedly, " Oh this is great Dana. Mom took your number; so, I know she is going to at least consider. it. I can't believe she agreed to me getting an owl. Does your familly communicate by owl Robert? My mother has been reluctant to change."

She gabbed to Faith as she opened the door, " Do you think Gata will be lonely without Ringo?"

[Robert Knight R5]

Robert's parents walked towards the pub and Robert followed Cass. A shop with some exotic pets in the window caught Robert's eye. He almost just walked over there, before he remembered that he was with others. Cass asked him a question. He turned his head and shook his head slightly as if coming out of a trance.

"Oh, all the time. My mom's always looking for something she can send me just so she can send off Horny. Horny's the name of the owl at home that me family keeps while I'm away at school. I tried to explain to my little sister that Horney's not the best name for an owl. In a few ways. Anyway, I got to name the one that I keep at school. Mine's kinda stupid though."

Robert wondered what other types of pets you could bring to Hogwarts. "Can you bring anything to Hogwarts, petwise, besides an owl? I know they're the most useful, but I wanted another pet."

[dana]

Dana fell into step with the others as the started heading towards the shop to buy an owl for Cass.
“You can only have on pet with you at school. Either an owl, a cat or a toad. They say it when you get your first letter from Hogwarts,” Dana reminded Robert after answering her question about pets, “My cousin found a pup in the forest near Hogsmeade who didn’t belong to anyone and had to take a plane to Italy and back during the weekend to drop the pup off at his home, because other animals aren’t allowed in the school.”<br>
Dana nodded and took a couple of steps away from the rest as she saw some great-aunt or a 5th or 6th level cousin on the street. Exchanging a couple of formal greeting phrases with the old woman in French, Dana let the relative kiss her cheek and promised to give forward the woman’s greeting, before joining with the group again.
“Sorry, relatives. For her it would have equaled with a World-War if I hadn’t greeted. Anyway- what kind of an owl you want, Cass? Something small, normal, regular, some special species or appearance? I didn’t have too much choices as I needed an owl strong enough to take the trip over the sea with a package, but are you looking for something special? Or just looking for a bird to catch your eye?” Dana asked curiously as she entered the owl-store and looked around among it’s hooting winged occupants calmly.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass answered Dana a bit absent mindedly. " Just looking for that special one...." She walked up to each cage, inspecting each bird in their cage. She walked up to a cage where a small, tawny owl affectionately nipped her finger through the cage. She walked by it.

" I just want a nice one. I can't stand hyper animals, and I want one that is somewhat affectionate. Oh, and one that likes cats. I can't have one that hates Ringo." She smiled as she came up to a brown owl with white spots. It was chewing the side of the cage with its beak. She grimaced as she walked by it.

She passed it, and it hooted at her to get her attention. She looked back, and the bird was looking at her dead on. She walked back to the cage, and began to talk to the bird. " Hi, how are you?" The bird looked like it bowed its head at her. " Guys, what do you think of this one?"

[bellatrixlestrange]

Faith turned her head away from the retreating backs of Cass's mum and Robert's parents to follow the rest of her companions towards the pet shop. As Cass opened the door she shot a question at her. Faith grinned, her thoughts carrying from the animals around her to her own pet back at Hogwarts, Gata her tabby kitten.

"He'll be desolate," She said, but shrugged, "But he'll learn to survive, right? Anyway, this owl..."

They walked around for a while whilst Cass looked for that 'special one'. Faith was bending down, smiling into a cage of kittens very like her own when she heard Cass's voice raise, and ask them all what she thought of a particular owl. Faith cocked her head at the bird in question, a browny colour speckled with spots of white and laughed at the way it was looking at Cass, dead on.

"I think," Faith said, looking at Cass in a way very simular to the owl, "That you two, most definitley, have a connection."

She raised her eyebrows at Cass, grinning, then looked back at the owl.