A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading this story. So this is a story I've been sitting on for a while, and I finally decided to get around to work on it. Updates will be coming pretty regularly in the sense that they will be frequent. I probably won't pick a specific day to update on until I have a few more chapters out. I hope you all enjoy this. Anyway, read and review! Thank you!
It was a sunny August day in London. Many people were out and about, basking in the end-of-summer warmth and rushing to get their errands done. In fact, they were so busy passing the bookshop and record shop on Charing Cross Road, that they didn't notice the strangely clad lot going in and out of the pub between the two shops.
Inside Diagon Alley, two young girls sat at an outdoor table near Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, licking large ice creams and giggling the way eleven-year-old girls tend to do. There was a pause in the conversation.
"Are you almost ready to go shopping? We still need to get our school things, and your sister said she's leaving in two hours, whether we're with her or not," said one of the pair, a tall, elegant looking girl with blonde hair braided in a crown around her head.
"Give me a second, Daph." Her companion began to hurriedly lick her peanut butter and mint chip cone. "What do we need again?"
Daphne Greengrass rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Avalon," she muttered. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crisply folded letter, beginning to read. "Three sets of plain black work robes, one plain black pointed hat for day wear, one pair of protective gloves made of dragon hide or something similar, and one black winter cloak with silver fastenings—"
At this, Avalon finished her ice cream and wiped the dribble from her chin. "Silver fastenings? What if I wanted the fancy gold fastenings?"
"Well, you're going to hate buying a cauldron, then."
The two girls set off down the alley, debating which store to go into first.
Daphne propped her hands on her hips. "It only makes sense to go to Flourish and Blotts first. We need more term books than anything else, and school is starting soon. More and more kids are going to come in and try to buy up the lot of them. If we get the books now, we won't have to worry about it."
"But the books will be heavy!" Avalon moaned. "And I want to look at brooms. I might get a new one for my birthday."
"Look at brooms during the Christmas holiday. Besides, why would you want a broom anyway? You hate flying."
Avalon shrugged at the question. "I definitely hate flying. But my parents are still hoping I turn out to be a great flier, I guess. Every so often they get me a new broom. I happen to be starting a very nice broom collection these days. It's turned into a great hobby." But Daphne was not to be argued with and insisted they go to Flourish and Blotts to get their school text books.
Although she wouldn't stop whining until they left the store fifteen minutes later carrying spellbooks and potionbooks galore, Avalon followed Daphne inside. After visiting Flourish and Blotts, they got wands from Ollivander's. Avalon was very pleased with her nine inch birch wand with the dragon heartstring. They bought new cauldrons, and placed their books and wands inside the cauldrons.
"Robes?" Daphne asked.
Avalon still wanted to browse racing brooms, but she knew better than to argue with Daphne's back to school shopping schedule. "Sure. Madame Malkin's is that way, but I want another ice cream cone after we're done. It's hot today." At least this way, they could both get what they wanted.
"We'll see how much time is left."
"You're worse than my mother, you know that?"
They navigated the busy streets of Diagon Alley until they reached the robe shop, Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
The shop was relatively on the empty side, considering the Hogwarts term started in a week. Everyone must have decided to either wait until the last minute to come and buy their robes, or to get it done and out of the way ahead of time.
"Look who's here," said Daphne Greengrass, her face instantly lighting up as they passed racks of dress robes.
"Hello, Theo," Avalon said. She waved at their mutual friend as Madame Malkin fitted him for his new robes.
Theodore Nott, a pale, spindly boy who was more arms and legs than anything else, grinned at the girls but didn't move very much otherwise so he wouldn't obstruct Madame Malkin. He shook his head slightly as his usually spiky light brown hair was falling in his face more than usual because of the heat.
"I'll be with you girls in a moment," said Madame Malkin, concentrating on Theodore's robes and barely looking up at Daphne and Avalon.
They took a seat as they waited for her to finish.
Although she was focused on her work, Madame Malkin made conversation with the pair as she did so. "Hogwarts, too, I presume?" At the girls' nod, she continued. "We're getting a lot of business this time of year."
After Theo's robes were finished and Madame Malkin rang up his order, he told the girls he'd be back, as his parents were down the street and he had been instructed to fetch them once it was time to pay for his school robes. Unlike Daphne and Avalon's parents, the Notts didn't quite trust their son to handle to the money and get his school supplies himself. They laughed and told him they'd catch up with him later.
It didn't take that long to get Daphne's robes, as she had not too long ago purchased new ones and could tell Madame Malkin her size off the top of her head. However, Avalon had more difficulty, as the size 12 was too small, but the size 14 hung off her body and she looked like she was wrapped in the drapes from her drawing room.
Daphne sighed and took a seat again. "Of course."
By the time Avalon had finished being fitted, Theo's parents had come and paid, Theo and Daphne had gone to Magical Menagerie and gotten food and supplies for their owls, and had picked up their phials, telescopes, and brass scales. When Daphne returned to Madame Malkin's, Avalon was paying for her new robes and the girls were twenty minutes late for meeting Avalon's sister. This, unfortunately, meant that Avalon didn't get her second trip of the day to Florean Fortescue's. They ran quickly, slowed down by the burden of books and robes and supplies, to the designated meeting place.
On the other side of Diagon Alley, Lucy Steele was tapping her designer dragon hide boot-clad shoe against the cobblestone. Her arms were folded and it was clear that she was not happy about being forced to wait for the girls. Deciding to leave them behind had apparently been an empty threat, which made sense since both Avalon's parents and Daphne's parents would have been livid if Lucy had left Diagon Alley without them.
"Come on, then," she said. She held out an arm to each girl, still impatient.
"I hate apparating," Daphne complained.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Well, when you need school supplies next year, feel free to have your parents bring you, and they can use whatever form of transportation Princess Daphne enjoys. Okay?"
Daphne didn't respond and took Lucy's arm, preparing herself for the tug behind her naval that was on its way as a side effect of apparating.
When the trio reached the Steele Manor, Lucy was gone so quickly that Daphne wasn't sure if the older girl had apparated again or not.
"She's expecting a letter from him," Avalon explained. She grabbed a bottle of pumpkin juice and cringed at the thought of her sister's boyfriend. "Let's go upstairs."
"I can't believe we're finally going to Hogwarts," Daphne said with a sigh as she followed Avalon up the large ornate central staircase. They reached her room, which was past Lucy's, and decorated with posters of the Weird Sisters and Puddlemere United Quidditch Players.
Avalon sat down on her bed. "I just hope I get sorted into Slytherin."
"You mean you don't want to be in Gryffindor like Lucy? Just think, you guys could have late night sleepovers. You could find a Weasley boy of your own and have wonderful ginger babies," Daphne giggled.
"Ugh. One blood traitor in the family is enough, thank you very much."
The girls laughed as they talked about the prospect of Hogwarts, and how excited they were to begin their magical educations.