A.N. Okay, I'm not getting a lot of reviews but most of the ones I get are
good. So I'm assuming that that means the story is fairly decent. Thank you
so much my wonderful reviewers, especially those who have reviewed more
than one chapter. Okay on with the story.
A Present for Sinistra
Okay, Astra got me a very nice and fairly expensive and meaningful gift for Christmas. I now have to get something for her before Christmas is over. I can worry about Goldstone later she went home for Christmas. Okay, now what to get Astra…
Since she teaches Astronomy something related to that would be appropriate but chances are she would already have anything I could give her. It has to be meaningful. What? I'm no good at shopping! Besides, it's Christmas day and all the stores would be closed! What to do… what to do. Think, Severus! What do you know about her? What would she like? What can you give her?
Okay what I know first. She teaches Astronomy. She is a bit of a loner. She reads a lot. If I recall correctly she is also fond of animals. She has a sense of humor. We have had quite a few verbal volleys of sarcasm. Think!
Okay, what would she like? She likes a lot of things! How should I know what to get her!
What can I get her? Well, maybe someplace in Hogsmeade is still open. It's worth a shot. I head out to the edge of the Anti-Apparation zones. Think! Think! Think!
/So you do like her. You want to make sure you get her something really nice./
'Don't be ridiculous. It's gift-giving etiquette.'
/What do you know about etiquette?/
'More than you do. Now can you kindly shut up! I have to apparate and would rather not splinch myself.'
Taking the silence as affirmation I quickly apparate away. The village looks deserted. I wander down the streets. All the stores are closed. What a surprise. I am about to apparate back when I notice one store on the end that's still open. Hmmm, Knickknacks. Maybe there's something in here she'll like.
I walk in and look around. So far, it doesn't appear promising. Most of the knickknacks are extremely tasteless. Astra may have eclectic tastes, but she still has taste. Terrific. The shop owner sees me looking around.
"Can I help you?"
I hesitate. Would he be able to help me or not. Do I really want his help? After all most of these things are … tacky. Well, I'm not doing well on my own.
"I received a very nice present from a lady that I wasn't expecting anything from and would like to give something in return."
He smiled knowingly. "Oh, like that is it?" I glared. "Well, tell me about this lady."
"She teaches astronomy, she's smart, likes animals, bookworm, you know, that type."
"She pretty?"
I glared harder.
"It's not like that!"
Okay strictly speaking, Astra Sinistra is not pretty. She is attractive in a way but not pretty. This shopkeeper seemed to think that because I denied that this was romantic it must be so.
"I have an idea. Wait here." He then went into the back room to fetch who knows what. He came out with a fairly small glass ball. It was a bit smaller than a crystal ball but still heavy enough for a paperweight. I stared at the man is disbelief. What the heck was this? He merely smiled and turned off the lights. Then the glass ball appeared black with holes in it. I looked at the ceiling and saw the constellations.
"It changes with the sky and you can focus in on any area." He demonstrated by touching a spot and the spot got bigger on the ceiling. He touched some more and showed a pretty impressive nebula. "It only works in the dark. Your friend won't have one of these, they just came out last week. I can include a card on how it works and gift wrapping for an extra five sickles."
"How much total?"
"Including extras, its ten galleons and seven sickles."
"Deal."
He wrapped it up and handed it to me. I apparated back to Hogwarts. Now I had to give it to her. Was she as nervous giving me the crystal as I am about this star globe? I left it at her door and then left. I was afraid to see her reaction.
A Present for Sinistra
Okay, Astra got me a very nice and fairly expensive and meaningful gift for Christmas. I now have to get something for her before Christmas is over. I can worry about Goldstone later she went home for Christmas. Okay, now what to get Astra…
Since she teaches Astronomy something related to that would be appropriate but chances are she would already have anything I could give her. It has to be meaningful. What? I'm no good at shopping! Besides, it's Christmas day and all the stores would be closed! What to do… what to do. Think, Severus! What do you know about her? What would she like? What can you give her?
Okay what I know first. She teaches Astronomy. She is a bit of a loner. She reads a lot. If I recall correctly she is also fond of animals. She has a sense of humor. We have had quite a few verbal volleys of sarcasm. Think!
Okay, what would she like? She likes a lot of things! How should I know what to get her!
What can I get her? Well, maybe someplace in Hogsmeade is still open. It's worth a shot. I head out to the edge of the Anti-Apparation zones. Think! Think! Think!
/So you do like her. You want to make sure you get her something really nice./
'Don't be ridiculous. It's gift-giving etiquette.'
/What do you know about etiquette?/
'More than you do. Now can you kindly shut up! I have to apparate and would rather not splinch myself.'
Taking the silence as affirmation I quickly apparate away. The village looks deserted. I wander down the streets. All the stores are closed. What a surprise. I am about to apparate back when I notice one store on the end that's still open. Hmmm, Knickknacks. Maybe there's something in here she'll like.
I walk in and look around. So far, it doesn't appear promising. Most of the knickknacks are extremely tasteless. Astra may have eclectic tastes, but she still has taste. Terrific. The shop owner sees me looking around.
"Can I help you?"
I hesitate. Would he be able to help me or not. Do I really want his help? After all most of these things are … tacky. Well, I'm not doing well on my own.
"I received a very nice present from a lady that I wasn't expecting anything from and would like to give something in return."
He smiled knowingly. "Oh, like that is it?" I glared. "Well, tell me about this lady."
"She teaches astronomy, she's smart, likes animals, bookworm, you know, that type."
"She pretty?"
I glared harder.
"It's not like that!"
Okay strictly speaking, Astra Sinistra is not pretty. She is attractive in a way but not pretty. This shopkeeper seemed to think that because I denied that this was romantic it must be so.
"I have an idea. Wait here." He then went into the back room to fetch who knows what. He came out with a fairly small glass ball. It was a bit smaller than a crystal ball but still heavy enough for a paperweight. I stared at the man is disbelief. What the heck was this? He merely smiled and turned off the lights. Then the glass ball appeared black with holes in it. I looked at the ceiling and saw the constellations.
"It changes with the sky and you can focus in on any area." He demonstrated by touching a spot and the spot got bigger on the ceiling. He touched some more and showed a pretty impressive nebula. "It only works in the dark. Your friend won't have one of these, they just came out last week. I can include a card on how it works and gift wrapping for an extra five sickles."
"How much total?"
"Including extras, its ten galleons and seven sickles."
"Deal."
He wrapped it up and handed it to me. I apparated back to Hogwarts. Now I had to give it to her. Was she as nervous giving me the crystal as I am about this star globe? I left it at her door and then left. I was afraid to see her reaction.