The Perfect Gift
Characters: Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Professor Trelawney & Mr Knight (my own character)
Word Count: 1,801
Summary: Lavender helps Parvati find the perfect gift for Padma.
Author's Note: This was written for the Gem Challenge at the HPFC. You had to choose a number and this number corresponded with a random gem. I chose number 15 (my age :P) and got the gem Carnelian, of which the properties are explained within the fic, and then write a one-shot involving it. I was going to do a Ron/Hermione piece but then this idea just popped into my head when I woke up this morning, so between doing art homework (which I've had all summer to do and have chosen to do the week before I go back to school) and trying to tidy the awful mess that is my room, I wrote this. I hope you like it, please review!
Parvati finishes her butterbeer and looks across at Lavender. "Thought of anything yet?"
They're in the Three Broomsticks, having come in to get out of the way of the cold before they start shopping and Lavender is already on her third butterbeer.
"She's your twin," Lavender says and drains the rest of her own butterbeer. "Surely you'll be able to think of something, Parvati." She stands up and wraps her scarf more snugly round her neck. "And besides, you've only got six days, so we'd better get looking." She holds an arm out for Parvati who sighs and stands, linking it.
"She's just so difficult to buy for," Parvati says, twisting her fingers through the strands of her own scarf as they head subconciously towards Honeydukes, which, aside from Zonko's, is the brightest and most welcoming shop in the street.
"What about a book?" Lavender suggests, nodding at the book store to their left, from which Hermione Granger is just exiting with a bag of what must be fifty books in her hands.
"She's so clever. Any of the books I'd buy her she'll have read," Parvati says as she holds the door open for Lavender. "And it seems stupid to just get her sweets..."
"No matter how fantastic they are?" Lavender asks as she picks up an enormous sugar quill and frowns when she sees the price. "If she likes writing and reading so much why not one of these?"
"She already has loads of those. I need to buy her something special." Parvati looks around the bright shop with one bored glance. "This is all nice, but none of it's special."
Lavender looks up from some glowing rainbow sherbet suddenly. "Special? That's it! I know just where to go," she says quickly and grabs Parvati, tugging her from the shop. "Professor Trelawney mentioned that a new shop had opened in Divination- maybe there'll be something in there..."
The shop Lavender takes her too is musky smelling and dark and it makes Parvati shiver even though it's far warmer than any other shop they've been in on this cold February morning. Lavender is walking ahead of her through the dingy shelves as if she owns the place, stopping every so often to pick something up and show it to her. After Parvati's shaken her head at at least ten of the dark, occult things, not even daring to touch them, Lavender rolls her eyes and tugs Parvati into the next row.
"Professor Trelawney!" Parvati cries when spying her favourite teacher bent over a large tray of brightly coloured gems. She looks up, her eyes wide. Lavender stands back, smug.
"My child. You startled me. I was just browsing..." she bends over the box again and picks a small, green stone, holding it up to the small amount of light that a near candle gives out.
"Parvati's looking for something to buy for her sister," Lavender says loudly and someone sat at the back of the shop shifts, but they don't notice. "She's rather difficult to buy for, you see. Isn't she, Parvati?" She nudges Parvati in the ribs and she nods.
"Oh- er- yes, she is."
Lavender sighs. "So Parvati was hoping that maybe you'd know something we could buy her, Professor."
"Me?" Professor Trelawney blinks behind her large glasses. She gathers her many shawls around herself. "Well, my dears, how gratifying that you would seek me out personally! Of course I will help as best I can... in fact, I think I know the perfect gift for- for-"
"Padma," Parvati supplies promptly. "She's a Ravenclaw."
"Yes, yes." Professor Trelawney says, nodding. "Padma." She peers down again at the green stone and surreptitiously looks around the shop. Seeing no one, she drops the stone into the small pouch at her waist. Parvati's eyes widen.
"What is this perfect gift then, Professor?" Lavender cuts in, knowing how Parvati feels about stealing.
"Ah yes, well-" Professor Trelawney looks around the nearby shelves, her eyes finally landing on a blood red stone. She snatches it and holds it up. "Here it is."
"Ooh," Parvati says, inching closer to it. "What is it?"
"Ah," Professor Trelawney says. "Now this is a very rare stone, my dear. It's called a... a... Blood- a Blood Ruby."
"And what does it do?" Parvati asks, reaching for it.
"Does it have any properties?" Lavender asks, stepping closer too.
Professor Trelawney speaks in a grand, regal voice. "Oh my dears, of course it has properties! This stone brings the user great luck in all their romantic endeavours-"
"Ooh!" Parvati squeals in delight and Lavender looks impressed.
"-but it can also bring great misfortune. The stone has a terrible curse, one so horrifying and brutal that it is hardly dared spoken of-"
"It's a Carnelian," a voice says and a thin man cloaked in black steps out of the shadows. He is wearing thick glasses with purple rims and his eyes are black and looking straight at Parvati. His hair is long, straight and black but greying in places. He reminds Lavender of a goth version of Dumbledore.
Lavender clutches at Parvati's arm in shock and Parvati lets out a quiet yelp. Professor Trelawney holds her hands to her face, covering her mouth.
"Sorry if I startled you," he says calmly and reaches for the stone. Parvati drops it into his hand slowly, still wearing a look of horror. "My name is Mr Knight. I own the shop," he explains.
A look of relief passes over both Lavender and Parvati's faces but is lost on Trelawney's. "I'm Lavender and this is Parvati, and this is our teacher, Professor Trelawney. We're students at Hogwarts," Lavender says bravely.
"Oh, I know," he says with a genuine smile and looks down at the stone. "And this is a gift for your sister, is it?" he asks Parvati gently.
She nods. "She's fourteen on the twentieth. We're twins."
"Well, many happy returns to both of you, Parvati," Mr Knight says pleasantly. "I presume that you'd like to know what this is?" he asks, holding up the stone.
Parvati nods again and Lavender speaks up. "Professor Trelawney said that it was a Blood Ruby and it helps you with all your romantic endeavours but it carries a fearsome curse, which is-"
"Too dreadful to be spoken of," Mr Knight completes. "Yes, I know. I hope you don't mind, but by way of habit I eavesdrop on all my customers. Now, I'm sorry to say that this is not a Blood Ruby, in fact, there is no such thing. It's a Carnelian gem stone," he says with a glance at Professor Trelawney who's now looking at the floor.
"Does it help you with all your romantic endeavours?" Parvati asks.
"I am afraid, Parvati, that it does not. But it will be a comfort to you that it also does not carry a curse too dreadful to speak of. It's a perfectly harmless stone."
"Well, that's a relief," Lavender says amiably. "So what does it do?"
"Well," he says, nodding his head from side to side as if trying to find the words to explain it. "The Carnelian provides the... ah... owner, in this case, with an air of confidence, initiative and assertiveness. It... revitalises your being and enhances your... mental clarity and positive emotions. Provides optimism, that sort of thing. It also helps you to realise your aspirations and achieve them by balancing your higher and lower energies. It aids in the balancing of creativity and mental processes. All in all, a very useful stone," he says with a smile and hands it back to Parvati.
"Thank you," she says, tightening her hand around it and glancing at Lavender, who nods. "It sounds perfect for Padma. How much for it?"
Mr Knight shakes his head. "It isn't quite yet the perfect gift. Come with me- I'll show you something special."
Parvati raises her eyebrows at Lavender, who shrugs, and follows him down the aisle to the back of the shop. Professor Trelawney moves quickly to leave but Mr Knight flicks his wand as she does so and the green stone zooms out of her pouch and into his hand. He smiles at her and she blushes furiously and makes to leave again, but not before tripping over a basket of broken broomsticks. Mr Knight just rolls his eyes and Trelawney hurriedly leaves.
"Now, Parvati," he says, turning his attention back to her as he rifles through a draw in his desk. "I have just the thing," he mutters and pulls out a silver necklace with an oval hoop on the end.
Parvati frowns. "I don't think-"
"The Carnelian?" Mr Knight reaches out a hand and she gives it to him again. He smiles and sets the stone inside the silver hoop, presenting to her the finished necklace with a flourish. "Do you like it better now?" The silver chain is fine and it glints in the candlelight, and the hoop fits snugly around the stone, showing it off perfectly.
"It's lovely," Parvati says.
Lavender grins too. "I think we've found the perfect present, finally."
Mr Knight's smile widens. "I just love happy customers," he says as he wraps the necklace up in purple and black tissue paper, showering it with silver stars and crescent moons.
"How much for it?" Parvati asks, reaching for her purse.
Mr Knight thinks for a moment. "Five sickles, please."
Parvati's eyes widen. "Are you sure that's enough?"
"Don't argue," whispers Lavender into Parvati's hair.
Mr Knight chuckles. "I'd listen to your friend, if I were you," he says and Lavender blushes.
After Parvati has paid, the girls leave the shop. Mr Knight follows them to the door and waves goodbye, then watches them walk away up the street until he can't see them anymore. Then, humming, he closes the door to the shop and raises his wand, and with a loud pop, he and the shop vanish into thin air, leaving nothing behind but a shower of tiny silver stars and crescent moon shaped sequins.