A/N: I had a lot of fun going into detail of Brooke's trip to Diagon Alley, and as such, it's pretty long. Just a friendly warning!
Chapter 3 - Morning at Diagon Alley
A couple hours later saw the family in their SUV plugging in the cross street they had been given from the letter into their GPS. It wasn't actually that far, Jacqueline mused, but Brooke was sure making it feel like it, bouncing as much as her seat would let her. Admittedly, that wasn't much. Normally, Adrian would have said something, but he decided not to. His daughter had a very good reason to be excited.
It was a little difficult to find parking in that area, but that seemed to always be the case. Today, though, it annoyed him more than usual. "Finally!" he exclaimed a little overenthusiastically when he grabbed a spot that had just been vacated.
They had made a stop on the way to their bank, withdrawing an amount they thought would be sufficient, plus the extras they thought Brooke would need. Brooke, however, didn't know the amount they had gotten, and wouldn't until they had finished shopping and then only if she bothered to keep count of everything.
If was very strange, Adrian thought, being pulled into a space that you couldn't see. He was sure his wife felt the same thing. Brooke recovered from being in an entirely new place the fastest, and dragged her parents up to the bar, where the barman was watching them. A muggleborn and her parents for sure, he thought to himself.
Brooke stepped up to the barman and boldly asked where she was supposed to buy her school supplies, as they clearly were not in here. She'd folded her arms at that last phrase, ruining the effect of proud young lady. The barman looked up from the young girl and called out to someone he clearly knew in the bar, asking for him to let them into Diagon Alley. The man stood and nodded, beckoning to Brooke and her family. Her dad led them out to a tiny concrete courtyard before pulling out his wand at tapping the bricks in a specific order. Brooke immediately memorized the sequence, as this entrance seemed very important. Plus, she didn't know if she'd need the code to get back out again. As soon as she was sure of the sequence, she allowed herself to look ahead as she stepped through what had to be a portal, and gasped. How did such a place exist without everyone, and Brooke meant –everyone-, non-magicals too, knowing about it? Magic, she supposed.
She looked down the street, in awe about everything that was assaulting her senses. There were so many sights and sounds of things that she'd never seen before. Clearly, there was much more to magic than her intentional wish magic she'd been doing for years. It excited Brooke to no end and she started dragging her parents toward the bank, a gigantic building that couldn't be missed. Despite her eagerness, the trip down Diagon Alley kept being halted by Brooke staring at one store or another.
"Come on dear," Jacqueline said, urging her daughter down the rest of the way down the street. It didn't take long for Brooke's gaze to reach the bank and its vast size and warning on the doors. Adrian turned to his wife and child after reading it. "Well, that would certainly make me think twice about robbing this bank. Not that I'd ever try that sort of thing, it's wrong," he hastily amended when he saw a guard staring at him.
It only took him a few nanoseconds to realize that the guard clearly wasn't human. "Sentient magical creatures all over this place," he murmured to his wife and daughter before going up the stairs. "Let's try not to be too conspicuous, typical manners. I'll deal with them." Brooke smiled. She told herself that she was fine and not nervous at all, that her Daddy was just being overprotective. When she got closer to one, though, she suddenly was grateful for that overprotection.
Adrian did his business with the creature as quickly as he could, hearing someone refer to the creatures as goblins. "Well," he mused as the newly-identified goblin counted his money, "They are both better and worse than normal than our fantasy stories say, depending on the author." Adrian paid close attention to the coins that the goblin counted out, and responded affirmatively when asked if he wanted a pouch to carry the money is. A few coins were removed from the pile and the rest placed in the pouch. Adrian couldn't help but notice that the pouch held far more than its size would have indicated. He didn't make any verbal noises of surprise. It was something magical. He'd have to get used to such things. He took his leave of the goblin politely and quickly guided his family out of the bank as quickly as he could.
"I think that we should find some proper wizarding attire," Jacqueline stated firmly. "I felt far too many eyes on us because of our non-magical attire. Us too, dear," she said, looking at her husband. "If we're going to be in the magical world, we should do our best to blend in, don't you think?" Adrian agreed with his wife as quickly as possible. One – she had a good point. Two – it was best to agree with his wife when she used that tone of voice with him. Brooke couldn't help but smile at the exchange, it was one she had seen many times before, but it still amused her. Her father might technically be the head of the family, but when mom wanted to, she could kick him out of the position if she felt it necessary for any reason. Like now.
Thankfully, the clothes store, Madam Malkin's, was near the bank, so that Jacqueline could stop her minor rampage. The store wasn't busy, and so the family split up, looking for all the world like they belonged there – except for their muggle clothes, which would soon be remedied. Madam Malkin came up to Jacqueline first, ignoring her current mode of dress. It would soon be remedied.
"Looking for some robes, dear?" she enquired, making Jacqueline start in surprise for a moment before turning. "Yes, Madam Malkin. Just one or two everyday sets, nothing fancy at the moment. Do you have any suggestions?" Madam Malkin looked her up and down, paying special attention to her eyes, skin tone, and hair. She then turned back to her rack and hummed absent-mindedly as she flipped through her selection. Finally, she stopped at a cranberry colored robe with a simple flower design flowing down the sides of the robes. She took it off the rack and held it up for her client to inspect. Jacqueline couldn't help but gasp. This was an everyday robe? It was really quite beautiful but looked big. She said nothing about that, though, figuring that the lady knew what she was doing. "That is a beautiful color, Madam, and the small flowers are really a nice touch." Her comment was met with a smile, and the robe was handed over to her. "Why don't you see if there is anything else you like? That gentleman over there," she pointed to Adrian, "Looks a little lost." Jacqueline laughed. "That's my husband, Adrian. He never was any good at shopping." "Well, then, I'd best go save him from himself, dear." She bustled off to assist Adrian. On the way, she noticed a young girl, looking about the right age, looking around in the children's section. As she seemed to be having a good time and didn't seem to need assistance immediately, she continued on her way.
"Mr. Adrian?" She greeted. "I'm Madam Malkin. Your wife said you might need some assistance, although I had been heading your way before she said that you were her husband. Now," she examined Adrian the way she had Jacqueline, noticing he was looking confused. "Nothing to worry about, I'm just getting an idea of what type of robes would look good on you. One or two for you as well?" Adrian just nodded and let the lady do her work. He wouldn't interfere unless something looked truly horrible. He let his eyes wander as the lady looked through the many robes available, pausing a few times before moving on. Suddenly she stopped completely and pulled out a dark blue robe, simple, but elegant in the way it flowed. She held it up to Adrian and smiled, while he looked down. Personally, he thought it looked like a dress, but if this was how wizards dressed, he'd put up with it. It's not like he'd be wearing it every day. He nodded to the witch and she handed it to him before returning to the rack once more. Adrian cleared his throat. "I think just the one will do, Madam." She responded with what could only be described as a pout. "Don't worry, Madam, my daughter Brooke needs far more clothing, even a few dress robes." This had the effect that he'd hoped it would. Madam Malkin bustled over to the children's section, a smile returned to her face.
"Hello, dearie!" she greeted with a smile. Brooke didn't look back from her eager flipping through the robes. When she realized that the lady who had spoken was not leaving, she turned around. "Do you work here?" She nodded. "Yes, I'm Madam Malkin. I own the shop." Brooke nodded decisively. "That means you can help me figure these things out then, right?" Madam Malkin nodded. "I've got no idea what constitutes a relaxed look, versus a going out look, versus a robe that makes you look snobby-rich-kid – I don't want those – basically I just want to look like a normal wizarding kid." Madam Malkin smiled. "We can do that."
"First off, the section you've been looking in is for much younger witches. You didn't seem too happy with moving rainbows or sparkles, so let's head to the section for girls more your age." Brooke was relieved. She really didn't want those robes by the window she'd been looking at. Madam Malkin turned around to look at Brooke. "Now, most girls your age still do like some animation to their robes, but it isn't the little kid flashy stuff you were seeing over there. What type of animals do you like?" It took Brooke just a moment to realize she was probably referring to magical animals more than non-magical, so she spent a minute thinking about what types she's read about. Unicorns were standard, as well as phoenixes. Dragons were more for boys, but she was pretty sure they existed. She decided to buy herself time. "I like a lot of them, but I'm not sure what they would look like on a robe. Could you show me some?" Madam Malkin nodded in such a way that made Brooke think she was entirely too excited. She gave Brooke the once-over like she had her parents and began looking through.
Madam Malkin could see that her young client was rather impatient, and so didn't take her time pulling out a couple she thought the child would like that had magical animals on them that moved. The first was a light green with a life-sized kneazle that wandered around the bottom of the robe. The second was a bright blue with a few pixies that disappeared and reappeared in other places at random. Madam Malkin went over to Adrian who was standing nearby watching. "How many robes are you seeking to get for Brooke, Sir?" "We were thinking 5 everyday robes and 2 fancier ones for special occasions. Does that seem sufficient, considering she'll be at school most of the year?" Madam Malkin could have gotten a bigger order at that point, but despite their attempts, she knew they were a muggle family and knew what they suggested was reasonable, and said as much. "Why don't you go check on your wife?" She shooed him away and turned back to Brooke. "What do you think, Brooke?" "I like the bright blue with the pixies, but I'd like the one with the cat more if it was also a brighter color." Ah, information! Brooke liked bright colors. She waved her wand and the material became the requested color. Brooke nodded. "I definitely like that better. Do you have more like that? With the bright colors? Purple?" Ah, a favorite color, at least she was fairly sure that's what Brooke was implying. "Let me go see what we have. Why don't you go look at the dress robes over there while I do that?" Brooke nodded and headed the indicated way.
Brooke wasn't sure why Madam Malkin had in essence sent her away while she looked at more everyday robes, but she didn't mind. She could always say no to anything she didn't like. The first thing she noticed about these robes was that they were made of a much nicer material, almost satiny. At least the ones that didn't have too much lace on them. Lace could be nice, Brooke thought, as long as it wasn't overdone. Brooke's love of purple led her towards those robes (personally, she thought they just looked like regular dresses), and her eye was drawn towards robe that cleverly used a combination of lace, and three shades of purple. Most of the dress was dark purple, but there was a sash-type design that went over the shoulder from her opposite waist. The sash had three layers – first, a bright purple, on top of that, thinner, some gold lace, and on top of that way a light purple. She took it off from the hanger and admired it. It was beautiful. Madam Malkin set down the robes she was going over when she saw that Brooke had found one she liked. She gasped, "Brooke, that will look beautiful on you!" Brooke smiled, glad to have the Madam's approval – though of course, it didn't really matter that much. "Let's go look at some of the everyday robes I've taken off the racks and see what you think, all right?" Madam Malkin hurried back over to that section without waiting for a response. Brooke looked from the dress she'd found to Madam Malkin and back before she decided to take the dress with her.
Soon enough, Madam Malkin had Brooke's everyday robes sorted out, and as per usual with customers Brooke's age, asked, "Hogwarts, Dear?" To her surprise, Brooke shook and head and then looked thoughtful. "Well, not really," Brooke clarified. "I'm attending their sister school for Gifted Witches and Wizards." Madam Malkin prided on keeping her composure around customers, but allowed her eyebrows to rise a little bit.
"Congratulations on getting in, Brooke. That is a very prestigious school." Brooke looked like she had more to say on that, but at a glance from her mother, decided to stick with a simple, "Thank you." Madam Malkin smiled in return before continuing her dialogue with her customers...
"We'll get you lot fitted up in the back, for your uniform, Brooke, as well as your other robes, Jacqueline, Adrian. If you'll follow me to the back of the store, I keep all my measuring supplies back there." That said, she banished the chosen robes to the back of the store and then led the way. Brooke saw that her mom and dad looked really confused, and she was too, but she shrugged and turned to her parents with a shrug. "Well, they wouldn't make something totally disappear if they wanted to sell it." Without waiting for a response, she turned and followed Madam Malkin.
When they arrived at the back of the store, the Madam ordered them up onto stools and went and picked up three measuring tapes from the table. Madam Malkin was certain that these muggles knew what a tape measure was, but not how a magical one worked, so she decided to explain. "These will take exact measurements and then record them on the connected parchments on the desk," she said, indicating the parchments on the desk behind her. "Now, shall we begin?" She smiled and unrolled the first tape measure, tossing it towards Brooke. Adrian and Jacqueline gaped at her as the tape measure began measuring Brooke until suddenly they were more concerned with the tapes flying around them. To all three Shelton's relief, the strange experience didn't last long, as soon as the tapes were told to stop and roll, they became three neatly rolled up measuring tapes on the floor, no signs of magic anywhere around them. Madam Malkin took a look at the papers before turning and collecting the three tape measures. She replaced them and then turned to look at her customers.
"Now, normally I ask my clients to return in an hour or so, but I can see that young Brooke here is eager to continue her shopping and you," she looked to Adrian and Jacqueline, "are hesitant to do so while you stick out in your muggle clothing." They nodded and hoped the Madam would have a solution.
"So," Madam Malkin began with a clap, "How would it be if I altered your robes," indicating Brooke's parents, "and one of your everyday ones," pointing to Brooke, "and that will enable you to continue shopping while I complete Brooke's order."
"That would be wonderful, Madam. How long would that take?" questioned Adrian. "Roughly 10-15 minutes. Perhaps enough time for the young lady to find her 2nd dress robe? You did say you wanted her to have a second one, correct?" Jacqueline nodded. "Well, dear, I'm sure you can show your parents back to the young ladies' dress robes section." Brooke dashed off, forcing her parents to quickly follow. "I'll let you know when I'm done," Madam Malkin called before she turned to her work. Hm. Brooke would probably be happiest with the purple robe…
When Brooke reached the dress robes section, she immediately went to the purple section again, until her mother stopped her. "Dear, I know you love purple, but you really need to have a different color for each of your dress robes." Brooke pouted a little but stepped back to look at some of the other colors. After flipping through what seemed like a million robes to Brooke, she came across an extremely softs sky blue robe that seemed to shimmer a bit. Perhaps it was magic. It was vastly different from the purple one, but isn't that what her parents wanted? She pulled it out to get a better look. Hm. There was no extra design on this robe, but the shimmer easily made up for that. It really was quite pretty.
"Mom? Dad?" Her parents stopped chatting quietly a bit away and came over to their daughter. "Do you like this one?" She held the robe up to herself and looked down. She thought it made her look pretty. "What matters is that you like it, sweetheart," her father said. "But for the record, I think it is beautiful." Her mother cut in. "I'll second that." Brooke bounced a little and dashed off again towards where she'd last seen Madam Malkin. She wasn't there, but the pile of Brooke's other selections was there, so they decided to simply leave it on the top and wait for Madam Malkin.
They didn't wait long. Madam Malkin came out with their 3 robes in hand and handed them to their new respective owners. Adrian looked slightly confused and looked around for any wizarding presence before quietly asking the easiest way to put them on. They weren't expected to pull them on over their heads each time, were they? Madam Malkin laughed a little. "Of course not, dear. Look towards the robe of the robe near the front middle of the neck. You'll find a small clasp. They're not meant to be easily visible, so don't worry about not having seen it before. Simply undo it and you will be able to slip on the robe. Adrian looked relieved and followed the instructions, followed by his wife.
Brooke was searching her bright purple robes and frowned. "I can't find my clasp." Madam Malkin came over to explain that children's robes opened in a simpler way, that they simply needed to touch the seam down the front and it would open. "Now, to close the robes in wizarding fashion to hide your muggle clothing, simply redo the steps I mentioned. That means redoing the clasp for you two, and touching the seam again for you, Dearie," she said, looking at Brooke. They each followed their instructions and their robes closed, hiding physical evidence at least, that they were muggle, and Brooke was muggleborn. Each Shelton knew that physical evidence was only the start, and that how they acted and reacted to things on their shopping trip would be far more important.
Madam Malkin led them to a wall mirror and let them look at themselves. Brooke giggled and twirled around. Her new robe was pretty. Jacqueline looked at herself for a few moments before deciding she liked it and smoothing it down. Only Adrian still looked uncomfortable. "I still think it looks like a dress." Madam Malkin had run into this issue before with both male muggleborns and the few parents who were bold enough to try one on. "Understandable, Mr. Shelton." Adrian frowned at the use of his last name. "May I perhaps offer a suggestion to assist?" Adrian nodded vigorously. "It is not considered odd for men's robes to have decorative buttons near the seam of their robes. Perhaps if I added some you would be able to consider the robe to be an ankle-length overcoat?" Adrian didn't hesitate a moment to accept the offer. "Gold, silver, or bronze buttons would all work with the dark blue robe. Personally, I recommend the silver. Gold would put you in upper class and more would be expected of you, while bronze could have people unconsciously put you in a lower class. Silver would put you," Adrian interrupted her, "in the middle class. Yes, that will do." Madam Malkin took out her wand from a side pocket specially designed, and conjured a small silver bead. Both Adrian and Jacqueline looked confused, as that was not what they had expected. Madam Malkin noticed their expressions and reassured them.
"It's just a starting point, dearie. Easier to conjure simple things and then transfigure them from there. Watch." She set a bead on the nearby desk and pointed her wand at it, muttering an incantation. Slowly, the bead grew in size and became button-sized. Normally at this point she'd ask the customers what design they wanted, but she doubted that they knew what each meant, so she decided to go with what she felt was appropriate. A simple design would work fine, enough to be seen, but not so much as to stand out. It was by now very clear that the Sheltons wanted to blend in, not stand out. Once done, she performed a replicating spells until ten identical buttons lay on the table. Another swish of her wand and they flew over to Adrian, who started a little as they began attaching themselves neatly down the front of his robes. Madam Malkin took Adrian by the shoulders and turned him to face the mirror. "Better?" Adrian looked relieved. It definitely looked less like a dress with the buttons. "Much. Thank you, Madam."
Madam Malkin turned to Brooke. "One last thing for you, Brooke. You need a secure pocket for your wand. For now, I recommend putting the pocket on the inside of your robes. You won't need it until you reach school, but it is a good habit to keep it on you at all times. Your school robes will remain open for most classes, so the pocket will be easily reachable. Is that okay?" Brooke nodded. She was feeling more and more like a witch by the moment. First wizarding robes, and now a wand pocket! She couldn't wait to get her wand. Madam Malkin didn't even need Brooke to open her robes; she'd done this so many times. Brooke felt a slight odd sensation on the left side of her robes and went to touch it, supposing it was the new wand pocket. Pocket confirmed, Brooke looked up to Madam Malkin and said simply "Neat." Madam Malkin turned to look at Adrian.
"Now, the modifications to your robe will only last about 12 hours until I make them permanent, which I plan to do when you come back to pick up the rest of Brooke's order. Is that satisfactory?" Adrian nodded. "Of course. How much do I owe you?" Madam Malkin waved her hand. "You pay when you pick up the full order and make sure everything is as you wish. I wish you luck in the rest of your shopping. Also, I recommend you go buy Brooke a trunk next. The store is across the street and two down. Be sure to ask for a feather light charmed one, and a shrinking charm would be helpful as well. Anything else you might be interested in will be available to look at in the store. Ta-ta!" After seeing them off, Madam Malkin went to check on her other employees who had been working with customers with smaller orders.
Newly robed and feeling much less self-conscious, they took Madam Malkin's advice and went to find the trunk store. It wasn't difficult to find, but there were a few people who had arrived before them. They decided to look around at some of the trunks to see the various styles as well as what was available as far as modifications go. This was Jacqueline's idea, thinking that if they knew what some of these things were called (most of the names seemed obvious); they wouldn't be suspected as muggles.
Several of the trunks, if not most of them, had the feather light and shrinking charms Madam Malkin had recommended, and most had many more. One option all 3 of them loved was the multi-compartmented trunks, as it would drastically lower the amount of luggage Brooke would need for school down to one trunk, and even that would be able to be shrunk.
About 20 minutes later when it was their turn to be served and they had gone over most of the options, they had decided on a 3-compartment trunk with three different styles of space. One would be a plain trunk interior, another having shelves (with a specific area for actual books), and an area to hold Brooke's wardrobe. One thing that they were not sure of, however, would be type of wood appropriate for Brooke's needs and be appropriate for her age. Eventually, they gave up and realized they would just have to ask.
Standard greetings took place, and following the lead of the other families they had seen, Adrian took the lead. "I'm looking for a trunk for my daughter," he motioned her over, "as she is headed to school for the first time this year. We were thinking that a three compartment trunk would allow her to pack the essentials plus some extra without having things risk getting damaged because they were packed too close together."
Adrian's spiel gave the shop-keeper more information than he realized, but it did not turn out to be a bad thing. Firstly, calling his daughter up showed significant affection and protectiveness, as well as obvious pride in her beginning school. That was expected, however. Their request of a three compartment trunk and them wanting their child to have space for "some extra," let him know that they could afford a good bit more than the basics. Lastly, his concern about his daughter's belongings let him know that a sales pitch of ways to keep her things neat and safe would probably lead him to a decent profit.
"We have several charms available to ensure a trunk's safety while travelling, whether it be to simply avoid robes being wrinkled, or the more delicate task of ensuring that potions ingredients and other supplies remain fresh and in their proper places." The shop-keeper waited to judge the man's reactions before going further. "I trust that such charms would be effective on say, various types of shelves? I already saw the example of the wardrobe compartment, which I liked."
The shop-keeper was seeing a good sale, to a well-off family, although clearly not in the wealthy category. "Of course," he reassured his customer. "We get requests for shelves to hold delicate objects quite often, so that feature is quite well developed." Adrian nodded and took a moment talk to his wife and daughter. "You must be bored in here, sweetie. Why don't you let Daddy take care of business here and your mother take you out for some ice cream?" This was two-fold. One, Adrian thought Brooke and Jacqueline really were getting bored, and two, it seemed like something that a father would offer when he wanted to take care of business man-to-man. Brooke nodded excitedly and looked pointedly at her father's pocket, where the money was. Hm. How much would ice cream cost here? Couldn't be too much. He handed her a small handful of the silver coins – sickles, if he recalled correctly, and sent her on her way.
"Now, I have a special request for some of these shelves. I'd like a simple bookcase for about half of the space, but the others I would like to have them be removable and be able to be stuck elsewhere and still hold the charm. Is that possible?" The shop-keeper stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. "That is a very unusual request, but I see no reason why it couldn't be done. I could even attach an anti-theft charms to the shelves secondarily to the standard charms." Adrian nodded, satisfied. They continued discussing the specifics of the trunk, while Jacqueline and Brooke made their way down the Alley.
They didn't know where the ice cream store was, but they were sure there was one that Adrian had seen. Finally, they used the tactic of following the children, which led them there quickly enough.
The ice cream bar was the most normal thing Brooke and Jacqueline had come across yet, a fact that both welcomed. Nevertheless, there were some interesting flavors that Jacqueline didn't think would be found in a normal ice cream store, like the peanut butter that Brooke was insisting on trying with peanuts and chocolate chips. Jacqueline nodded absently-mindedly, still looking at the many different varieties while Brooke went up to order.
Turns out ice cream in the wizarding world wasn't expensive, and Brooke only needed a fraction of what her Daddy had given her. Her mom seemed to take forever in deciding what she wanted, and Brooke was almost disappointed when she settled on a simple double chocolate without any toppings at all. After paying, the two went outside to find a table, figuring it would be easier for Adrian to find them there.
The ice cream was fantastic, both mother and daughter agreed. Brooke was the first to notice it, but neither of their ice creams was dripping at all, which must be accomplished through magic. Brooke wasn't too loud in making this observation, as she figured it would be common knowledge. However, this non-melting ice cream presented a bit of a problem for Brooke. She had always preferred to eat her ice cream by quickly licking off the sides as they melted. Now, no melting. It wasn't something she thought about for more than a moment as she took a bite of her ice cream cone, watching her mom take a bite of her smaller portion.
Adrian showed up just as Brooke was taking the last few bites of her cone and Jacqueline was about halfway through. He snuck up quietly behind his wife, Brooke seeing his every move but keeping quiet. He leaned forward and said directly into her ear, "Still always savoring your ice cream?" Jacqueline jumped a few inches into the air, but thankfully it didn't drop or spill. She turned and looked at her husband. "Always."
After Adrian had collected the change from Brooke, he informed them he was going to get some ice cream as well and went into the store, which was a little less crowded than when Jacqueline and Brooke had entered. Adrian, it seemed, was braver than they when it came to magical ice cream, for when he returned, he was carrying a dish of rainbow sherbet whose colors (and flavors, Jacqueline supposed) swirled, making it very difficult to pick a particular part of the rainbow you wished to eat at the moment. This turned out to be even more interesting when the colors didn't stop swirling on your spoon, only once they reached your mouth. It was truly fascinating to the family, but only their eyes betrayed their wonder.
Unlike Jacqueline, Adrian was a fast eater, especially of sweets, and so he finished about the same time as his wife. Brooke was squirming in eagerness to continue their shopping, and was grateful she did not have to wait long.
"Now, the trunk shopkeeper said that your trunk would take a couple hours to make due to the specialized features," Adrian said, looking at Brooke. "For now, he has loaned me a simple small trunk that still shrinks so we can continue our shopping for small items, of course. I was thinking we could go get your basic school supplies – pa." He paused. It wouldn't be paper here, it would be parchment; it wouldn't be pens, it would be quills. He finished his statement and they headed over to a likely looking store called Scribbulus Writing Implements.
A bell dinged upon their arrival, but it still took a moment for an employee to show up. One thing all three Sheltons noticed was that in every store, you were personally served by an employee. It was a feature of the wizarding world they appreciated, especially since they were only pretending they knew what they were doing. Brooke wandered around the store, looking at all the various types of quills and ink. She was slightly concerned about how she was going to learn to write legibly before school starts, but she was certain that between her and her mom and dad, they'd figure something out.
Brooke came over to her daddy just in time to hear him ask about handwriting books, because, 'His daughter needed some significant practice before her handwriting was up to standards for school.' Brooke pouted a little and whined, "Daddy….." Said Daddy turned and looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "You know you need to practice, young lady. I'm getting you a set of basic quills along with a practice book along with your regular school supplies." Brooke frowned but nodded. "Yes Sir." The shopkeeper actually laughed. "I wish my children would agree to do as I said that easily." Adrian didn't return the laugh, but did reply that it required starting as early as possible in childhood, but that it was never too late to start. The shopkeeper had stopped laughing pretty quickly when he realized that his customer was not finding his comment funny. His daughter, however, looked up to her father and said, "Daddy, I think he was complimenting me for behaving and you for teaching me to, not asking for parenting advice." Adrian looked at the man to whom he had made his comment. "Is that true?" "Yes, Sir. Would you like anything else? Basic ink comes with the handwriting book, and nicer ink comes in the school packet. Are you interesting in buying some ink for yourself, perhaps in a different color?" Adrian felt the need to compensate for his previous comment and looked at the wall of various inks. After a moment, he headed over.
He wasn't interested in anything fancy; in fact since he wouldn't actually be using it, he wanted something simple his daughter could use. He picked out a navy blue and found his daughter next to him, holding up a container of purple ink. He knelt down so he could look at his daughter at the same height. "We can get it, but you will not be allowed to use it until you have completed your handwriting workbook, understood?" Brooke quickly agreed and she followed her father to the register. The shopkeeper was pleased to see the additional inks, and Adrian pulled out the required coins, followed by the small trunk that he 'let' Brooke resize. As he put the items in the trunk, Jacqueline asked, with only a touch of worry in her voice. "Those will not break, right?" She was quickly reassured. "Of course not, Madam. We have unbreakable charms on all our containers. You need not worry about that." Jacqueline looked relieved, but not overly so. Once the supplies were tucked away, Adrian thanked the man for his assistance, let Brooke shrink the trunk, which she did with a giggle before her daddy picked the tiny trunk up and slipped it back in his pocket. One more thing taken care of. The group left Scribbulus' store and headed down the street.
Adrian turned to his daughter, "You do have your list, right?" Brooke nodded and produced it from her pocket. He consulted it, debating what other supplies could be gotten and fit easily into the small trunk he'd been provided. "I think we could go pick up your potions materials and ingredients," Adrian grimaced the list of ingredients Brooke would need, and was very glad that he wouldn't be the one working with them. The equipment wasn't so scary looking, and so after looking around and locating a shop advertising cauldrons, he headed that way, daughter and wife in tow. "Well," Adrian thought to himself as he approached the shop, "They may have mentioned cauldrons in our childhood tales of witches and wizards, but they usually didn't mention them being different sizes or different materials." He looked at Brooke's school list. Apparently she needed three of them. When they walked in, Adrian decided to look at the various sizes and materials before going up to the counter.
"Now, Brooke, it seems like you need two pewter cauldrons, one in size 2 and the other in size 4, and a bronze one also in size 2." Brooke had started scanning the shelves at the mention of the first needed cauldron and had scurried to get it and return to her father with it before letting him finish. Adrian looked sternly at Brooke, a look with Brooke noticed was mirrored in her mother. "Brooke, you need to listen to everything I have to say, not just the first. Also, you should know better than to run in these shops. You could have caused something to fall, or worse, get hurt." Brooke looked down, "Sorry, Daddy, I just got excited." It was Jacqueline's turn to speak up.
"We understand that you are excited, and understandably so, but we do not want you to get hurt! I know normally you get two warnings, but while we are out today I'm reducing that to one. "Jacqueline turned to her husband, who nodded in approval. Jacqueline leaned in to hug her daughter, and while doing so, whispered to her a reminder that they knew very little about this world and that they would not be able to easily fix any issues that came up. Brooke nodded and buried her head in her mom's shoulder. Jacqueline released her, and Brooke apologized to her parents. "Sorry, mom, dad." They nodded their acceptance and returned to shopping.
The size 4 pewter cauldron was considerably bigger, so Adrian took it off the shelf for safety. The bronze cauldron was heavier than the pewter despite being the same size, but when he thought about it, it made sense. Bronze was definitely the heavier material, but he handed it to his daughter with a warning to be prepared for the weight. She accepted the cauldron and only took a moment to adjust to the weight. Adrian checked her list against the cauldrons they had selected before returning the list to his pocket. Together, they took the three cauldrons to the counter and paid without further incident, the larger cauldron fitting just as well into the trunk as the smaller ones. In fact, to save room, they'd put the size 2 pewter inside the size 4 pewter.
Unsurprisingly, Slug & Jiggers Apothecary was right next door to Potage's Cauldron Shop, but they waited a bit to go in after examining the ingredients listed in Brooke's letter. The variety of things from common to odd parts of common things, not to mention things and parts of things they'd never heard of. Brooke hadn't been able to suppress a face of disgust when she noticed that she'd be required to use rat tails. The list itself was an eye-opener for the whole family as to the wide variety of things that combined correctly could make things happen if you did it properly.
After observing the items in the store window, Jacqueline turned to her husband, looking green. "Don't think I'm going to be able to do this one with you, honey." It only took Adrian a moment to see that this was absolutely true. Brooke looked a little jealous that her mom was getting out of this store, but then figured she wouldn't have to be stoic in this store. Even wizard-raised kids would find frog brains a bit disgusting, right?
A few moments later, Adrian had sent his wife to look for the bookstore and suggested she buy something that looked useful. He had given her several galleons, thinking to himself that the next trip here they'd have a much better idea of what items cost what. He turned to his daughter.
"Mom decided to sit this one out, sweetie. Let's go see what these items look like." Adrian didn't seem too thrilled about this prospect, and neither did Brooke, but they stepped inside anyway. The first thing they noticed was the smell, and Brooke couldn't help but gag. A laugh came from behind the counter. "Your first time in the apothecary, I take it, young lady?" She nodded. Adrian stepped up, "I insisted she come with me in here to get her school supplies because she would have to get used to working with these ingredients pretty soon." The employee nodded. "Let me have her list, and I'll get you set up."
Adrian handed over the list, which the employee looked at, his eyebrows raising as he read it. This was not the typical Hogwarts list, he knew that immediately, but it didn't vary too horribly much. "Most customers prefer their children to have a case to keep their ingredients safe and fresh. Would you like to purchase one of these today as well?" Adrian nodded. "Of course. Perhaps we can get a size up from absolutely necessary so she will be able to purchase more later if needed?" The employee grumbled silently. He liked it when people bought the smallest size and had to buy a bigger one later not anticipating the needed extra size as a child progressed through school, as it brought the business more money. Verbally, he merely reassured the man that it was definitely doable, and that he would be back with the required items already in their case. He was no fool. He knew that all the various ingredients together stank considerably and didn't want to stay in his shop longer than necessary. However, this was not too much a detriment, as people didn't really come to his store to shop around.
Brooke and Adrian hoped that it wouldn't take him too long to get her kit together. rooke looked around the store, hoping to find something not horribly icky. It only took a moment for her to notice what had slipped her memory due to the smell – more of some of her school supplies.
"Daddy?" Brooke said, and once he'd acknowledged her, she pointed to the shelves toward the back that held scales and vials. Adrian nodded but reminded Brook that the shopkeeper had their list. "Don't worry, Daddy, I remember what I need. Adrian nodded, "All right, then. Let's go selected what you need." Brooke nodded and carefully walked toward the appropriate shelf. She didn't need any reminders to be careful in here – there were way too many things she did not want on her. Not to mention that they could be dangerous all on their own.
Thankfully, they reached the back without incident and Adrian looked to his daughter to tell him what type of vials she'd need. He noticed that Brooke's hands were firmly clasped behind her back with some amusement. He was certain everything that could break in here would have a charm against it doing so, but he didn't say anything. Far be it from him to discourage his daughter from being careful.
"The list says I need four 4 oz. vials, three 8 oz. vials, and two 12 oz. vials. It also mentioned needed brass scales," Brooke recited. "It also says that the vials may be glass or crystal. I wonder what the difference is," Brooke asked herself. Imagine her surprise when she actually got an answer.
"Glass vials are typically purchased for school, but judging by the school you are attending, I'd recommend the crystal. They are far more durable, and it would take many years of cleaning charms to affect the quality. Of course, we recommend hand-cleaning, but understand that is not always possible," the employee explained as the set down the requested case of ingredients. Adrian nodded, turning to take them off the self. The employee quickly hurried around the desk. "Allow me, Sir."
Clearly, something had happened in the back room to make the employee much more intent on making them feel more welcome and respected. Adrian and Brooke had no idea, of course, that the owner in the back had seen the list that was being filled, and insisted on seeing it personally. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the list was for Hogwarts sister school. There weren't many students there, but their required ingredients list was always longer and at least half of them were considerably more expensive that the lists that Hogwarts gave their students. These students and their parents were not customers he wanted to lose. Before he allowed his employee to head back out, he made it very clear that customers from this school were to be treated almost like royalty. With an assurance that he would explain more later, he shooed his employee back to the shop. It would not do to keep them waiting, no, not at all. He was quiet for a moment, listening to make sure his employee was following instructions, and then returning to his normal work.
Back in the shop, the required vials, all in crystal, were sitting on the store countertop. "We also need some quality brass scales," Adrian added. "Of course, Sir," the employee said, moving over to the correct shelf. He turned to Adrian. "We've developed significantly better scales since you went to school, Sir, so I recommend this one," he said as he removed a shiny scale and set it on the counter.
"This scale does not require any measuring blocks, which prevents any mistakes in amount of ingredients, unless the amount that is stated is different than what the book says. The scale works by a tap of the wand on the scale and a verbal command as to what amount is needed. At that point you begin adding the ingredient you need at a best guess, and the scale will tell you when the amount is appropriate by glowing various colors. Green means you have the amount correct and red means you have gone over. This scale also allows the student to visibly see what the amount of an ingredient looks like at a certain amount. "His explanation completed, he watched and waited for his customer's response. Adrian seemed pleased with the scale, and upon looking at his daughter, he saw that she wore the same expression. She turned to face her dad. "I like it, Daddy."
Adrian turned to the employee said, "Those scales will do nicely." The employee moved the scales over to the side of the table where the rest of their purchases sat. "Excellent, Sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked, returning Brooke's school list to Adrian. He took the list and responded in the negative, pulling out his money bag, followed by the miniature trunk, which he handed to his daughter, who happily resized and opened it, waiting for the new items.
Looking to save space and keep the crystal vials safe, Adrian requested that they be placed within the case. Without any comment, the employee did as he asked. Adrian then handed the case to his daughter, followed by the brass scale. After Brooke handed it to her father, and they said farewell, they left the Apothecary. Both of them took many deep breaths of fresh air. "Kind of any interesting shop," Brooke admitted, "But I'm not too eager to return." Adrian nodded, fully in agreement.
"We should probably go find your mother," Adrian said, looking at his daughter. "I'm curious as to what she found in the bookstore." Brooke hadn't heard that, and looked at her dad, wide-eyed. "You sent her to a bookstore?! We'll never get her out!" "Yes, we will," Adrian replied. "I'll just remind her that she can purchase whatever book she's gotten her hands on, and that she could read it at home." "I hope you're right, Daddy," Brooke said as she took her daddy's hand and they started down the alley.
Flourish and Blotts, the bookstore, turned out to be at the very end of the street and filled with all shapes and sizes of books on every subject you could imagine. Comfortable chairs dotted the store, almost all filled with a witch or wizard, presumably to allow customers to peruse more deeply the books they were considering purchasing. The store seemed almost like a maze without directions, but soon enough Brooke caught on to the pattern. "Mom's probably in the back. Let's check there." Acknowledging that his daughter had a point, he followed her towards the back of the store.
Once there, it didn't take much time at all to find Jacqueline curled up happily in a comfy tan chair. She seemed pretty absorbed in her book, and it took Adrian physical taking the book from her hands (keeping the place, of course), to get her to see that her husband and child had returned. "Sorry we took so long, mom. It turned out more than potion ingredients were sold there, and some of them were on my school supply list," Brooke apologized, despite nothing being said about how long they had been gone. Jacqueline smiled and sat up, before holding her daughter's hand. "Quite alright, sweetheart. I seemed like no time at all."
"I'm not surprised," interjected Adrian, who had by now noted the title of the book and skimmed the summary on the back. It was a book he would never in a hundred years pick up, A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot. It was a topic that he and his wife vastly disagreed on. History was something that fascinated Jacqueline, who believed that the past was the key to the future. While that may be so, Adrian thought, he preferred to look to the future. Suddenly he wondered if there was any fortune-telling in this world, divination was the proper term, he thought. His next thought was whether Brooke had this ability. As interesting as the idea was, he forced himself to push it out of his mind. At this point, it did not matter.
"Come on, dear," Adrian said after setting the book down, "It's time for us to continue shopping." Jacqueline looked down towards the book, "But the book…" Adrian interrupted, "Will be here when we return for Brooke's materials." Brooke covered her mouth to cover a grin. It was going exactly as how she thought it would. With one last glance at the book, Jacqueline conceded and looked to her husband. "Where are we going next?" Brooke froze. She honestly didn't know, so she looked up to her daddy for help.
"I saw a store called Wiseacre's Wizarding Supplies on the way down here. I'm not certain, but it seems likely that something on your list would be there. And if not, we can just window shop," Adrian decided. Jacqueline's eyes lit up. She loved to window shop, as long as it wasn't with creatures and other unidentifiable objects in liquid. She was pretty certain all that was at the apothecary and would not show up in a wizarding supply store. Both Jacqueline and Brooke once more appreciated Adrian's keen abilities of observation. It seemed like everything in his field of vision stayed there, to be pulled out at will. It was similar to having a perfect memory, Adrian had explained to Brooke one day, but not quite. He went on to explain it best he could, but as even he didn't fully understand it, he couldn't do a very good job. Brooke seemed unsatisfied at the insufficient explanation, and he had to admit that he didn't have any further answers about it, and that it was just a mystery of the universe. That was a line that usually worked on Brooke. Mysteries of the universe were very difficult to understand, much less solve. It was such a large thing to attempt that Brooke never got very far in trying to solve the mystery. For the last few years, though, saying that it was a mystery of the universe caused her to look frustrated for a few minutes before giving it up. "Who am I to solve the mysteries of the universe?" Brooke would ask to herself these days before letting it go.
They exited the bookstore with one final reassurance that they would be returning, and leaving with a lot of books next time. This cheered Jacqueline up enough to search for the store that her husband had noticed and found it a few moments later. All three Sheltons looked at it a bit oddly as they made their way towards it. The shop seemed to be in serious disrepair, and they were all a bit nervous about entering a store that looked like that. But they went in, forcing themselves to be brave.
All three relaxed when they saw that the inside was completely different than the outside. In here, it was nice and tidy. Various items of every shape and size donned the shelves attached to the walls throughout the store. Adrian took out Brooke's list and proceeded to attempt to match items to things on Brooke's list. Out of all the things on Brooke's list, the only thing that looked like it might be found here was the telescope, and he passed that information on, but suggesting that they see if they found anything else useful. Jacqueline leaned against her husband and whispered in his ear, "Is it just me, or does this store seem bigger on the inside than it seemed on the outside?" Adrian replied relatively stoically, "I imagine it is, dear. Magic, I'm certain." Jacqueline nodded, and her fears that she was going crazy (a rather odd fear considering all that had happened today) assuaged, she began to look around the store for anything 'interesting' as her husband had suggested.
Neither parent had seen Brooke head away from them, but they spotted her easily enough a few shelves down. The aisles were wide here, and there did not seem to be much of a hazard of knocking things down. Jacqueline and Adrian heard a strange sound coming from near where Brooke was standing, and they hurried over. The next thing they heard was their daughter's laughter, so they ceased being concerned and simply watched to see what was amusing their daughter so much. What was amusing their daughter quickly caused them to chuckle as well.
Brooke was standing in front of a trash can, looking like she was playing a one-sided toss game. Every time she tossed a ball towards the trash can, it caught it and swallowed it with a large burp, followed by a confirmation, "All gone." If one were to look inside the trash can after that statement, they would see that the ball had, in fact, disappeared.
Adrian and Jacqueline couldn't help but laugh at their daughter's antics, as well as the actions of the trash can. When Brooke heard her parent's laughter, she turned to them, a bright smile on her face. "Look, mom, dad! We'd never had to take out the trash again!" Jacqueline looked at her husband. "It would certainly be a sensible purchase." Adrian privately agreed, but had some reservations. "But what about when we have neighbors or other family? We can't have a burping, talking trash can."
Brooke had already thought about that potential problem, and had looked to see if there was a way to make it non magical. "No worries, Daddy. The description says that just pushing the foot pedal three times fast will turn the magical features off, and doing it again will turn it back on. But, "their daughter said, "If you'd just be using the magical features while I'm home, it's not worth it." Both parents were impressed at Brooke's logic and sense of responsibility regarding purchases.
Brooke's parents then engaged in a silent conversation using only body language and facial expressions. She hated that type of conversation. While she was learning how to 'read' it, it was a slow process. Thankfully, they didn't take long to make a decision. "I honestly don't know if we would use the magical features when you were gone, sweetie. Maybe we should try something less pricy. I image you'd rather spend that money on books." It only took Brooke a moment to agree to that, and moved away from the now silent trash can.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline had located the telescopes and called for her husband and daughter. Once the whole family was present, it seemed that they were finally noticed. Adrian noticed this and wasn't exactly happy about it, but was grateful that someone finally showed up, because there were quite a few varieties of telescope, and he really didn't know the difference between them.
"Good afternoon, Sir, Madam, Miss," he greeted them all politely before asking who needed a telescope. It was likely to be the child, who appeared the right age to be starting school. Jacqueline laid a shoulder on Brooke's shoulder, who then looked up to her. "Brooke will be starting school at Hogwarts School for Gifted Witches and Wizards this fall." The employee nodded and then addressed Brooke. "Tell me, Miss Brooke, do you enjoy astronomy?" Brooke thought for a moment before responding. "Sometimes, if there is something interesting to look at in the sky at night." Brooke received a smile in return. "There is always something interesting to look at in the sky, Miss Brooke. You just have to know where to look."
He then turned to look at her parents. "I would recommend a medium-quality telescope for your daughter, as she does show some interest in astronomy. It will be suitable for higher levels of study if she chooses to move on, as well as if she decides to continue to search the night sky on her own." Adrian, as had become common today, spoke up. "That sounds like an excellent idea, Mr.," he paused, hoping for a last name. "Wiseacre, Sir. I am the owner of the store." Adrian blinked and found himself wanting to apologize and yet at the same time thinking it would be inappropriate. He settled for an in-between, a simple greeting. "it is good to meet you, Mr. Wiseacre. I appreciate you serving my family today." The owner smiled. "it is what I do best. Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Medium-quality telescopes." He moved over to the shelves and pulled three out and set them on the table that seemed to have magically appeared in front of the shelf he had pulled them from.
"Most of our telescopes are made of bronze, but there are a few silver ones as well," Mr. Wiseacre said, thinking to himself of the gold telescopes in the back, but not mentioning them because these clients did not appear to be in the class to be able to afford them. The three he placed on the table were all bronze, trusting that these clients would say something if they were interested in the silver telescopes. He began his spiel on the telescopes. "This one on the right specializes in seeing things in the far distance, while the one on the left specializes in seeing things a bit closer to our planet, but can see them more clearly, and in more vibrant color," he explained, intentionally leaving the middle one unexplained. As hoped, the little girl asked about it, and he began speaking again. "This middle telescope combines the features of the first two, as well as a strong charm to keep the lens clean, an essential trait in a good telescope. Another trait all three have is the ability to get taller or shorter based on the height of the person looking through it."
Brooke looked up to her parents. The third one sounded amazing, but her face fell when she saw her father's face look somewhat suspicious of the owner showing them the best for last, making it be the thing they would think about most. Jacqueline was staying out of this one, letting her husband speak with the owner, as she could tell he wasn't entirely happy with the sales pitch.
"Would it be possible to upgrade to both features in the future? Start with the one on the left, say, and then add the special features from the right if it seems prudent to do so in the future?" Adrian requested in a no-nonsense business tone. The owner knew when he'd gone a bit too far and back off. "Of course, Sir. The telescopes on the right and left are the same price, if you are interested in either of those. I would be willing to throw in the charm to keep the lens clean for free," Mr. Wiseacre offered, hoping to appease the customer.
Adrian turned back to his daughter, kneeling to hold her hands. "I think it would be better to get the one that lets you see things more clearly, if closer to Earth. We could add the long-distance option if you continue to study astronomy after the first few years. Does that sound okay, sweetheart?" Brooke thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "I guess it'd be good to see the planets and stuff in better clearness and color." Adrian nodded and let her go, whereby she quickly made her way over to her mother. Daddy could be scary when he wanted to be and even when he wasn't mad at her (admittedly, a rare event), she didn't like to be around.
He stood and turned back to the owner of the shop. "We will take the one on the left. I trust you will take extra in making sure the cleaning charm is strong?" Mr. Wiseacre nodded and took the chosen telescope carefully to the back room. On the way, he motioned the family to a consulting room her usually saved for people trying to sell him new items. It was cushy and a pitcher of water accompanied by a plate of scones would appear once they had sat down. He was fairly confident that his behavior after his faux pas of trying to oversell would be paid for, at least mostly, after he was done with the sale.
Mr. Wiseacre set up his room and had his assistant hold a protective shield against all his belongings while he worked on the telescope. The charms on the telescope were already pretty strong, but he wanted to see what he could do without making it the long-distance scope. He also didn't want to take too long, but he managed to increase the quality of the images by about a quarter, which was pretty significant when it came to looking at outer space. Unfortunately, this took a good bit of magic and left him a bit tired and not confident that he would be able to perform as strong a stay-clean charm as the man indicated he wanted.
After instructing his assistant to perform the charm at his strongest, he sat and poured himself a shot of Firewhiskey. He should have known immediately not to mess with people who were associated with Hogwarts's sister school. If the child was attending there, mostly likely a parent (or both) had as well and were not to be trifled with. The father seemed to be highly perceptive and was possibly a master legilimens, although he had not felt a brush against his mind. This meant nothing, though. He could not claim to be any good at occlumency – in fact, he was pants at it. How was he to know that the 'wizard' in front of him was a mere muggle, and that the skill he showed in being able to read salesmen had just come from years and years of practice.
Thankfully, his assistant didn't take long performing the charm, and then verifying with an additional spell that it was up to standards. Satisfied, he finished his shot and went to retrieve the upgraded telescope. He conjured a soft cloth and quickly ran it over the telescope, ensuring it looked bright and shiny. He checked the clock, and noted with some unhappiness that it had taken them nearly ten minutes to get the telescope ready. Now,, he was even further grateful he had allowed them to sit in the conference room with refreshments.
Handling the telescope gently, though it really wasn't necessary as they were really quite sturdy, he headed out of the back room and into the conference room where he'd left his customers. Once in the room, he set the telescope on the coffee table and proceeded to outline the features. But before he started, he immediately gave an apology for the wait and a hope that the refreshments were enjoyable. The girl's mother was clearly kinder than her father, and verbalized a thank you and that yes, they were nice. Their daughter nodded appreciatively as well. "I liked the ones with cream cheese the best, Mr. Wiseacre." He smiled at her, then turned back to the man of the house who he was trying to get back on the right side of. "The cleaning charm has been applied, and there should be no issues with it. However, in the off chance there is, you may bring it back at no charge and it will be repaired or replaced." In muggle terms, Adrian knew, this was a big advantage – free insurance including a replacement option. He indicated that he should continue.
"The entire thing is able to be shrunk and packed away without the use of shrinking charms," Mr. Wiseacre said. "If I may demonstrate?" Adrian nodded and the owner demonstrated how to fold up the telescope, first by the legs, and then how the telescope folded in unto itself. It did save a good bit of room, which was good. Adrian didn't say anything, but he was thinking that if they designed it to be packed without shrinking charms, there was probably a good reason for it. Something occurred to Adrian that he felt needed to be addressed immediately, before they paid. "Will the telescope be safe packed away during the trip to school?" Mr. Wiseacre looked unhappy for a moment, but knew this was an issue many of his clients dealt with. "The telescope may be in a shrunken trunk on the way to school, but if it is possible to leave the trunk full-sized without causing too much of a burden, I would recommend that." Adrian nodded. "We will consider it."
"Very good, Sir. If we could settle payment up front, perhaps your daughter would like another scone," Mr. Wiseacre requested and offered in the same sentence. Adrian nodded and followed the owner up front. Once they were out of hearing range, Jacqueline admitted to Brooke, "You know, it's been difficult to let your father take the lead on financial transactions and decisions, Brooke." Brooke had already noticed this on her mother's face each time he made a purchase, but it was subtle. "I know, mom," Brooke said. "But from what I've seen, it's how things are done around here. Besides, Daddy's a businessman. He won't let us get ripped off or be treated badly in any way." Jacqueline smiled as she stood up, followed by her daughter, after Brooke had grabbed one last scone. They were offered freely, and as far as Brooke was concerned, things offered freely you could take as many of as they wanted. This was especially true with food, even more specifically with sweets, Brooke thought to herself. After all, she justified to herself. Why let good food go to waste? Never mind that it was highly unlikely this would happen.
Jacqueline frowned at Brooke's taking of yet another scone. "You're going to ruin your appetite, young lady! We'll probably be having lunch soon," she said, hoping it was true. She was getting hungry herself. "Trust me, mom, a few scones is not going to ruin my appetite. We've been running around all day and I'm very hungry." Jacqueline admitted that her daughter had a point and said no more on the matter. A few moments later, they reached the front, where the telescope was just finished being packed up. "There you go, Sir, we do hope to see you again," the owner almost pleaded. Adrian didn't give any response to the owner, but did look back to make sure his wife and daughter were close behind him. Right before they reached the door, Mr. Wiseacre shot a quick spell at the door, causing it to open for his customers. Their daughter looked back at him with his wand out. She smiled and waved as she exited the door. "Well," Mr. Wiseacre thought to himself. "At least only one member of the family is mad at me. Too bad it had to be the head of house."
