- Day 52 of 366 Days of Writing Challenge: Shadow
- The Emotion Challenge: Eager
- Hogwarts Funfair/Carousel: Car 4, Seat 1 - (plot point) somebody receives a birthday gift
Pairings/Characters: Violetta, Marius
Word Count: 342
Ice Cream Sundaes
I don't love you I'm just passing the time, you could love me if I knew how to lie.
"Do calm down, Marius," Violetta Black chastised her son, as they strolled through the busy Diagon Alley together. The wizarding shopping district wasn't very old, and there weren't that many shops open just yet—but they weren't here to shop, specifically.
Marius skipped along beside his mother eagerly, trying to clutch at her hand. Every time he did so, Violetta would snatch her hand back, glaring around to make sure no one had seen them.
It was Marius's sixth birthday, and he still hadn't shown any signs of magical talent yet. Every other member of the Pureblood family had shown their first signs extremely early. Marius was the first to be so late. Angrily, his father had refused to allow Marius any birthday present today, unless he buckled up his ideas and showed some sign of magic.
But no matter how much it embarrassed Violetta to have bore a son who was magically barren, she couldn't bear the idea of not allowing her young son to celebrate on his birthday. So, as soon as Cygnus had left for work, she had dressed Marius up and taken him out to Diagon Alley.
There wasn't much that she could get for her son that she would be able to hide from his father. She had intended to take him for a meal somewhere, but then a new, shiny shop seemed to lunge out of the shadows.
It was a small, brightly decorated abode with little tables outside to sit at. The sign boasted 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour'.
"Ice cream!" Marius shouted excitedly, spotting the waiter through the glass, who was presenting a customer with a large sundae. "Mother, please can we go here?"
Violetta noted how small the parlour was. It was unlikely she would bump into anyone she knew here. "Of course," she decided, bustling her son into the shop. "But this is your birthday present—and you mustn't tell your father!"
