Chapter Two: Almost twenty four hours to the minute after Royce had walked downstairs, she was standing in the middle of Diagon Alley next to Flourish and Blots looking around for Francesca. Usually, Francesca did stand out in a crowd; seeing as a red headed Italian was usually a bit of an oddity, but in the middle of a crowded shop, one really had to keep their eyes peeled.
After about a minute of walking around the shop, Royce soon found who she was looking for. Standing in front of a lop-sided book case was her red headed friend, who was leafing through a book about quiddich. Royce could tell from how Francesca looked that she had had a better summer than she. Francesca seemed to have gotten a bit more color to her skin and looked a bit healthier than she had at school (most likely from her family's monstrous eating habits). Royce walked over from where she was standing and over to her friend.
"Francesca!"
"Royce, how was your summer? You look pale..."
"Let's just say I didn't get out much."
"Oh, Auntie L lock you in your room?"
"Wouldn't let me out of the house...something about being impaled on a fence."
"You don't have a fence."
"I noticed. So, how was your summer?"
Just as Francesca was about to answer, her eyes darted across the shop and onto the figure of a handsome boy with grey eyes and shaggy black hair. Walking along with him was another boy who was a bit skinnier and peaky with messy light brown hair and brown eyes. Upon seeing this, Francesca turned away suddenly and in a loud whisper, hissed at Royce.
"Look who just walked in!"
Royce turned slightly to see who it was.
"Ah, Mr. Black I presume?"
"Yes...so it seems." Francesca said grinning.
"So, you two keep up over the summer?"
"Eh, in a way—ooh, he's walking over here!"
"Francesca, calm down a bit, you're going to knock over a shel—ow!"
As Sirius came closer, Francesca dropped the quiddich book that she was reading right onto Royce's foot, and (very coolly) leaned against the nearest wall. Sirius (who had already seen Francesca from another shop and had run across the street to see her) casually walked over to a stack of books close to Francesca, picked up a book as to skim it, set it down, then looked up in mock surprise when his eyes met Francesca.
"Francesca! Fancy meeting you here!"
Francesca also feigned surprise.
"Wow, what a surprise, didn't even see you there. How've you been?"
As the two of them made brief accounts of their summers, the brown haired boy gradually made his way over to them and stood nearest to Royce. He looked around for a moment before turning to Royce.
"Oh, um, hello..." he said rather nervously. 'My names er, Remus Lupin, I think we're in a few classes together at school..."
Royce already knew who he was, having a good memory and having spoken with him a few times.
"Oh, I know who you are... advanced potions and a few others..."
Remus seemed to calm down a bit (which wasn't saying much)
"Oh, right then... your name's Royce?" he said, already knowing quite well who she was.
"Yea, Royce Hobs."
Just then it seemed that both Sirius and Francesca had done enough shameless flirting for the moment and decided to part ways.
"Nice seeing you Francesca, hope to see a lot more of you this year" said Sirius grinning.
"Definitely, I'm almost certain you will."
"Glad to hear it, c'mon Remus, we've lost Prongs. See you."
Remus turned to Royce.
"Oh, nice meet- er seeing you Royce."
Royce waved to him as he hurriedly walked out of the shop with Sirius. Francesca watched Sirius's behind as he walked out of the shop. Royce, who saw this, turned to Francesca.
"You're shameless"
"What ever do you mean?" she said grinning. 'C'mon, let's pick up the rest of our things.'
With that, the two girls set off through Diagon Alley.
After about a minute of walking around the shop, Royce soon found who she was looking for. Standing in front of a lop-sided book case was her red headed friend, who was leafing through a book about quiddich. Royce could tell from how Francesca looked that she had had a better summer than she. Francesca seemed to have gotten a bit more color to her skin and looked a bit healthier than she had at school (most likely from her family's monstrous eating habits). Royce walked over from where she was standing and over to her friend.
"Francesca!"
"Royce, how was your summer? You look pale..."
"Let's just say I didn't get out much."
"Oh, Auntie L lock you in your room?"
"Wouldn't let me out of the house...something about being impaled on a fence."
"You don't have a fence."
"I noticed. So, how was your summer?"
Just as Francesca was about to answer, her eyes darted across the shop and onto the figure of a handsome boy with grey eyes and shaggy black hair. Walking along with him was another boy who was a bit skinnier and peaky with messy light brown hair and brown eyes. Upon seeing this, Francesca turned away suddenly and in a loud whisper, hissed at Royce.
"Look who just walked in!"
Royce turned slightly to see who it was.
"Ah, Mr. Black I presume?"
"Yes...so it seems." Francesca said grinning.
"So, you two keep up over the summer?"
"Eh, in a way—ooh, he's walking over here!"
"Francesca, calm down a bit, you're going to knock over a shel—ow!"
As Sirius came closer, Francesca dropped the quiddich book that she was reading right onto Royce's foot, and (very coolly) leaned against the nearest wall. Sirius (who had already seen Francesca from another shop and had run across the street to see her) casually walked over to a stack of books close to Francesca, picked up a book as to skim it, set it down, then looked up in mock surprise when his eyes met Francesca.
"Francesca! Fancy meeting you here!"
Francesca also feigned surprise.
"Wow, what a surprise, didn't even see you there. How've you been?"
As the two of them made brief accounts of their summers, the brown haired boy gradually made his way over to them and stood nearest to Royce. He looked around for a moment before turning to Royce.
"Oh, um, hello..." he said rather nervously. 'My names er, Remus Lupin, I think we're in a few classes together at school..."
Royce already knew who he was, having a good memory and having spoken with him a few times.
"Oh, I know who you are... advanced potions and a few others..."
Remus seemed to calm down a bit (which wasn't saying much)
"Oh, right then... your name's Royce?" he said, already knowing quite well who she was.
"Yea, Royce Hobs."
Just then it seemed that both Sirius and Francesca had done enough shameless flirting for the moment and decided to part ways.
"Nice seeing you Francesca, hope to see a lot more of you this year" said Sirius grinning.
"Definitely, I'm almost certain you will."
"Glad to hear it, c'mon Remus, we've lost Prongs. See you."
Remus turned to Royce.
"Oh, nice meet- er seeing you Royce."
Royce waved to him as he hurriedly walked out of the shop with Sirius. Francesca watched Sirius's behind as he walked out of the shop. Royce, who saw this, turned to Francesca.
"You're shameless"
"What ever do you mean?" she said grinning. 'C'mon, let's pick up the rest of our things.'
With that, the two girls set off through Diagon Alley.