Shopping with a new mother

[thieflord84]

((No one answer this please! It's just going to be Bee. ))


Bee woke up early the next morning, before the crack of dawn even. She looked at her bedside clock and saw the time. 3:30 a.m. Much earlier than Bee usually wakes up. Today wasn't a normal day, however. She got to skip school and go visit her father in Diagon Alley, much to her dismay. Bee hopped out of bed quietly, not wanting to wake her friends, who were sleeping. She felt something land on her foot and looked down. Her little black kitten, Max, was clinging rather hard to her foot. She bent down and picked him up gently, pleased to hear him start purring. She cuddled Max in her arms for a few moments and then dropped him back down on the floor. She dragged the chest under her bed into the open and looked at the contents inside. Her clothes and then a few jewelry items. She pulled out her worst clothes and put them on quickly. She didn't want her father's approval.

Quickly and silently, she took out a piece of parchment and wrote a quick note to the girls in the Dorm.

Everyone,
I won't be in classes today considering I have to go visit my father in Diagon Alley. It will only take a day don't worry. You may think I am lucky to skip school, but I have this feeling that you are more lucky than I. Also, could someone write notes for me in my classes?

Bee

Satisfied, she put the note on her bed, which she had neatly made, and gathered Max into her arms and her bag, which she slung over her shoulder. She walked quietly out of the room and out the common room. Everyone seemed to be fast asleep, so she met no one on her way. She tried to make her trip out of Hogwarts as slow as possible; she wasn't looking forward to seeing her dad. Max wanted to walk beside her, so she let him down. He landed with a soft thump! and then jogged along side Bee for the rest of the way.

Soon, she was out of the castle and onto the train. Max was purring comfortably in her lap and Bee watched as the landscape moved past her rapidly. She didn't want to look. In a few moments, the train had stopped and she stepped out. Her father was waiting there for her, looking rather impatient.

"How long does it take?" He grumbled as a hello to his only daughter. Bee didn't answer but instead looked away from him. They rode in silence toward the Leaky Cauldron, a pub only Bee could see. She told her father to halt the car and follow her. He obeyed, though rather reluctantly, and soon they were in Diagon Alley.

"So..um...what did you want me to do again?" Bee asked her father while rubbing Max behind the ears.

"I want to show you something." He replied in his rough voice.

[thieflord84]

Bee almost dropped Max. What does her father want to show her that's in the wizarding world? She frowned and bit her lip. She wasn't sure if her father was going crazy or if he really meant it. He never had wanted anything to do with Bee's schooling and it had showed throughly. Now, he had some sort of change of heart? Bee just couldn't believe that. Scott was some way ahead when he glanced back and realized that she was still behind him. Bee gulped as she saw her father turn slowly.

"What are you doing? Are you coming or not?" He asked in a crude voice. "I'm not going to wait all day. We can stay hear or we could go back home and spend the day there." He told her with a raise of his eyebrows. Bee shook her head and followed him. Diagon Alley was almost deserted, since it was early morning and no school kids were around. Bee sighed and looked at a firebolt in a nearby glass case. She was going to point it out to her dad, but she never got the chance. Scott had stopped so quickly that Bee had ran right into him. Max meowed loudly in her arms. Her dad turned on his heel to face his daughter, his face livid.

"I'm sorry, dad. I didn't mean to run into you." Bee mumbled her apology while looking very interested in her shoe. Her father grunted.

"That's not what I was going to say. I want you to behave your manners, now, and don't do anything stupid or unintelligent. Bee snorted, and Scott gave her the meanest glare he could muster. "I mean it. No fooling around!" He then walked into a shop that Bee had never been in before. It was located at the far end of the rows of shops and it didn't even have a sign over it's window. Bee had an uneasy feeling in her stomach and Max seemed to be thinking the same thing. He hissed ever so slightly, his green eyes gleaming at the shop window.

"Where are we going-"

"Shhh..shut your mouth for once!" Her dad snapped without looking at her. He opened the door, which creaked loudly, making things seem even more eerie. Scott held the door for Bee, who walked in and coughed. The place was covered in thick layers of dust, which had risen in the air. Scott stepped beside her and gave her a look. Bee tried to stifle her coughing, which proved impossible. Even Scott seemed to be holding back coughs, even though he was doing a better job than her. She looked down at Max, who was making a small sound. Even he was coughing! Bee shook her head and stared at the inside of the shop.

It was very moldy looking, as if people hadn't been inside for a few years. It had a strange cabbage smell to it, which made Bee plug her nose, and a desk in the corner with a crystal ball on top of it stood in the corner. It didn't look anything like Bee had seen in Diagon Alley before, and she realized with a jolt of her stomach that they might not even be in Diagon Alley. She glanced at her father, who was walking toward a closed door on the other side of the room. He turned to give Bee one last warning glare and then knocked on the door.

[thieflord84]

Scott stepped inside a filthy room and waited for Bee to step in before closing the door with a snap. Bee shuddered, there was no light in the room and a draft seemed to be coming from somewhere. She cuddled Max, who was meowing loudly in protest and waited for someone to turn the lights on. No one did, and Bee felt a chill run through her. What are we doing here? Has Scott finally gone mad? As if answering her thoughts, she felt someone grab her shoulders from behind. Bee screamed and jumped away from the attacker.

"Shhhhh..." someone said to the left of her, probably Scott. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Bee looked at where she thought her father was and frowned.

"Someone just grabbed my shoulders! There's someone in here!" Bee said indignantly.

"Of course there is! Do you think I would be in here for fun? We're visiting someone, and they'll turn the lights on soon enough, if you were worrying." Came the angry reply. Bee stepped closer to her father, something she didn't do often. She knew Scott would protect her if someone came out...and....did something to her. Even if he was messed up, he would still protect his own daughter...wouldn't he? Of course he would! A voice in her head told her, but Bee had been betrayed by her feelings before, and this could turn out no different. Still, Scott was the only person in the room that she knew, if there was people in the room at all. She breathed in quickly, she had heard something from the corner of the room. She held on to Max so tightly she feared that she would strangle him. A sudden light dazzled Bee for a moment, but soon she heard something she would have never had guessed.

"Bee!" Perry shouted with joy. "You're here!" He grabbed her around the middle and picked her up. It was always what Perry did when Bee came home after school...but this isn't our home. Her twin brother let her down, grinning broadly. "Nice place here, isn't it?" Bee shook her head, Perry was an optimist. "It's perfect for our needs, and wait until you meet Saige! You and her will get along very well!" Perry sounded completely delighted, but Bee's face remained confused.

"Saige? Who's that?" She didn't much time to ponder who it was, for the answer came from behind her.

"Saige, I am." Said a strangely high voice, that creaked just like the door did when they had opened it. Bee jumped and Max hissed threateningly. She turned to look at the woman who had spoken. It was an older woman, maybe mid- thirties, next to her dad who was 32, and she had dark brown hair that was almost black, and deep blue eyes. It looked like the woman hadn't taken a shower in a few months, her long hair seemed greasy and a horrible stench was coming from her. Bee swallowed and looked at Saige, who had a strange accent she had never heard before. Saige grinned toothily, and held out a grimy hand for Bee to shake. Bee forced herself to shake her hand, while Max hissed fervently in her other arm.

"Nice to meet you," Bee said with a forced smile on her face.

"Met, we have." Replied the woman and then she turned to Scott. "So nice to see you, it is! Far away you have been!" Saige gave Scott a hug, and to Bee's astonishment, Scott hugged her back. This is wrong? It's like..back when mom was alive Bee thought in distress as Saige broke away from her father. Perry was standing beside her and turned to smile at Bee. Bee noticed a ring on Saige's finger that looked strangely familar...

"Guess what, Bee?" Perry said, his face shinning with excitement. "Dad asked Saige to marry him! Isn't that great!" Bee felt her legs weaken beneath her, and the last thing she remembered was Perry's face turning from excitement to a frightened look.

[thieflord84]

Cold washed over Bee's face, making her feel refreshed. She didn't want to move and go tell her father that he was lucky. She just wanted to lie here forever and forget what had just happened. If only that was possible. Bee opened her eyes drearily and saw all white. A face cloths was covering her eyes and it had been made wet from the cold water. She sat up and the cloth fell off of her face. Everything was dark; I must be in the shop still... She stifled a cough and got up from the floor which she was still laying on. No one seems to care Bee thought with a trace of amusement. She sighed and looked around, trying to see if someone was nearby. She could hear voices, but they seemed to be coming from another room in the stupid shop. Bee leaned against the wall, trying to recover herself from the shock of hearing what was going on. Dad is getting married to that freak of a lady, She thought miserably. I know where I saw that ring that Saige was wearing..it was mom's ring. Anger flashed through her body, and she knew that she had to consult Scott about it. She walked over to where the voices were coming from and pushed open the door, which she found surprisingly heavy.

"Bridget! Ok, you are?" asked a voice that Bee recognized as Saige's.

"Yes, I'm perfectly all right!" Bee snapped and then looked for her father. He was easily the biggest silhouette in the dusk. "Scott, I wish to talk to you." She said and she felt something rub against her legs. It was Max, all of whom you couldn't see except for his green eyes. Bee smiled and picked him up, murmuring nonsense in his ears.

"Sure, if I have to," Scott answered grouchily and started walking toward her. Bee nodded and walked though a door and then around a corner before she started talking again.

"Dad, what's going on? Since when are you going to get married? Where did you meet that foul woman? Why didn't you tell me in our letters? This isn't fair, dad! Why is she wearing mom's ring?!" Bee was practically shouting out questions while Max meowed loudly. Scott seemed surprised at her sudden lash of questions, but he regained himself and came over to stand by Bee.

"Look here, witch," he said under his breath, the foul smell of rotting teeth reaching Bee's nose. She stepped away from him. "We need her! If you didn't notice, she is a witch, same as you! She looks very beautiful and is very handy around the house as you can see." He gestured around at the filthy shop. I'm sure you will agree that she is need, right?"

Yes, father," Bee muttered.

"Good. As for that ring, I couldn't afford another and your mother doesn't need it anymore, so I gave it so Saige. If you have any arguments, they better be something more sensible!" He then left the room and went back to Perry and his wife- to- be. Bee sighed and leaned against the wall for support. Wasn't this something sensible? Something unfair to me and Perry, although he won't admit it? Max hissed in his agreement, and Bee smiled down at him. Max had always been amazingly smart and had a great understanding of humans. He was the perfect cat, and Bee found that he was like a soul-mate to her. That valuable. She ran her hands through her hair and then walked toward the exit of the shop. She needed to get away from the terrible place, she needed to see light and cleanliness. Something that Bee couldn't find in here.

Outside, a breeze lifted Bee's long hair from her neck. It felt great, but Bee was feeling horrid. She needed to talk to someone familiar, who wasn't an optimist like Perry, she needed to tell people of this disaster and let them pity her. She wanted her friends, but they were no where in sight in the Alley. She had left them where she, Bee, belonged; Hogwarts. It was her only home, and she felt as if her heart had been smashed to bits here, but if she went to Hogwarts it could come together. Bee walked hopelessly down Diagon Alley, avoiding people's eyes. She walked into a shop and sat down, unaware of where she was. A voice echoed above her, which made Bee jump and Max hiss.

"Miss Vreeland, what a pleasant surprise," said a man standing behind a counter. It was Mr. Ollivander.