I don't know all the rules for Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, so if I messed something up I'm sorry! I just really wanted this scene to happen, so I figured I'd try :D
Chapter 2
Diagon Alley Errands
Gajeel roamed the halls of his new home, aimlessly meandering all the nooks and crannies of the gigantic building. For the first time in his life, he wished that school would actually begin. But instead the instructors were allowing a 'House Welcoming' period, giving the students a few days of no classes so they could get to know their new Housemates and the passwords to their Common Rooms.
To everyone's immense surprise, Gajeel had been the first of the new students to remember the rhythmic tapping sound that consisted of the Hufflepuff password. The blue-haired prefect had given him a smile of approval, which caused his chest to get uncomfortably tight. She then led them into their room, pointing out specific chairs and knickknacks that she thought they would appreciate.
The room was decent, if one wanted to know what it felt like to live inside a beehive. But it was warm, had plenty of long, cushioned benches for him to lay on, and always seemed to smell of freshly baked cookies no matter what time of day.
The first day had been fine: he could get used to napping all day and sneaking food from the neighboring kitchen. On the second day the bubbly prefect announced that they would try some Muggle 'ice breakers' and Gajeel bolted.
He silently walked through the numerous hallways, admiring the armor, moving staircases and pictures that made strange faces at him as he passed by. Other students meandered about and occasionally Gajeel would spot the ever-so-familiar black and gold of another Puff that escaped Levy's perfectly laid plans.
Gajeel veered off the main hallway and followed a stone fence to an archway leading outside. He stepped into the bright sunlight and looked around the large courtyard. A glass greenhouse stood off to the side and students milled about the freshly cut grass. Gajeel rounded the yard, intent on sneaking inside the closed-off greenhouse, when he spotted two huddled students dressed in gold and black.
They looked up and fell back into the grass when they caught him staring. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he resumed his trek, not caring about two little girls from his house.
"Um…Gajeel!"
He froze and bit back a curse. He slowly turned and watched the two girls run up to him. Their robes billowed behind them and their long pig-tails, one set blue and the other pink, flapped with every movement. They skidded to a stop in front of him. Gajeel crossed his arms, a frown forming on his face.
"What?"
"Um…" the blue haired girl asked, fiddling with her fingers, "Could…could you maybe help us?"
"Why?"
"We need to go to…oh, wait…you asked why?"
Gajeel nodded, his frown deepening. "Yeah. Why should I help you?"
"Um…"
The girls looked at each other and the pink haired Puff shrugged. Gajeel resisted sighing again and actually admired the way they hadn't scurried off in a tizzy.
"What did you need help for?" he finally asked, tired of watching the silent conversation in front of him.
"Well, the thing is…" the pink haired girl finally piped up, "we need to go to Diagon Alley but we're too scared to go on our own."
Gajeel sighed and relaxed his stance. "I thought you were supposed to do that before school started."
Not that he should be lecturing them about it. He received his class list weeks before school began and had yet to purchase a book or even a wand. He had never been to the infamous Alley before, but the two tiny Puffs in front of him seemed the type to have a breakdown if they got lost even for a minute.
"Fine, I'll take ya…but ya have to get teacher permission first." He might not care about being a model student, but even he knew that they couldn't just wander off of school property without letting the staff know. And judging by how tightly the school staff knuckled down on wandering students, he doubted the two girls would be going anywhere soon.
"We already have!"
The girls held up three passes, each with the Headmaster's seal, and gave him beaming smiles. They skipped off and with a heavy groan Gajeel reluctantly followed.
Maybe I can stop by the bank when we get there…
Headmaster Makarov told him that Gajeel's father set aside enough money in the Gringotts Wizarding Bank for Gajeel to finish his school years comfortably. He hadn't taken the time to head there yet, but if he was going into town already then he might as well kill two dementors with one stone.
He followed after the girls, hoping they knew the way. They walked on either side of him, their excited conversation bouncing back and forth between each step he took. He wished they would let him lead, or better yet walk in front of him and leave him out of their inane chatter. Why they insisted on holding onto his arms, he wasn't sure.
A strange building and an even stranger password later, and the two girls dragged him down the cobbled road of Diagon Alley. Colorful banners and flags flew in front of the numerous shops lining the street. The girls charged down the road, never once letting go of their tight hold on his arms. They entered the large bank and after a surprisingly short amount of time, finally left with enough funds for each of them. The girls burst out of the bank, discussing which stores they would visit first. Gajeel reluctantly followed along, already planning on what lounge he would use for a nap when they returned to school.
The girls slowed once they hit the busy street. Gajeel studied the signs hanging above the doors, his feet pausing when he saw a store with boxes of wands sitting in the windows. The girls tugged to a halt, their pigtails flopping in the breeze.
"Did you find something you wanted, Gajeel?"
The blue-haired girl, Wendy, as she had excitedly told him to call her, pressed her face against the glass window. Her friend Meredy followed after.
"Don't you already have your wand?" Meredy gave him a dark look and clicked her tongue.
Gajeel growled, marching past them to the door. "Some of us had better things to do with their time."
The thick, musky odor of old wood and paper filled his nose the moment he entered the store. The interior of the shop was dim, the only light coming from a few candles on the walls. The door opened and closed again and Gajeel felt the girls hold onto his robe sleeves.
An old man rounded the bookshelves. "Ah, welcome. A new face is always wonderful to see, but you seem a bit…"
"Old. Yes. Raised in the Muggle world."
"And you have now decided to find your wand. Excellent!"
Gajeel sighed. "Just give me the cheapest one you have. I'm not picky."
"Now, now boy, that's not how this works," the man ducked behind the counter and boxes found their way onto the tabletop. "We must find you the perfect wand, yes we do."
While the girls ooo'd and awe'd over the numerous wands the man brought out, Gajeel roamed the shelves. He followed the narrow pathway to a small bookshelf tucked away in a deep corner. Dust covered the dark shelves, but a clean rectangle of wood sparkled on the bottom shelf. Next to the cleaned spot lay an old, worn box.
On a whim, Gajeel knelt and picked up the box. It grew warm in his hands and he carefully removed the lid. A light-colored wand lay on a bed of gray fabric, which only seemed to enhance the red tones in the wooden wand.
"Ah yes, very nice, very nice indeed. Have you chosen your wand then?"
Gajeel startled at the voice behind him. He lurched to his feet, the box in his lap toppling to the ground. The wand warmed and cooled in his hands, the handle seeming to fit perfectly in his palm.
"Y-yes sir, I believe so."
A twinkle formed in the man's eye. "Yes indeed, the wand chooses the wizard, yes they do. Should have known you would have chosen cedar, that wood always seems to find a home with the loyal black and gold. And that particular wand…why, the dragon who's heartstring's in your wand had a mate. And her heartstring is connected to one I sold a few years back. The girl should be in your year, I believe."
If possible, the man's twinkle grew. A shiver crept down Gajeel's spine, but the girls sighed with hearts in their eyes and whispered to each other.
"We can take care of payment at the counter."
The man hummed and walked away. Gajeel picked up the discarded box and set his wand back on the soft fabric. He walked to the counter, made the proper transactions, and headed back outside with the two girls in tow.
A fresh breeze blew down the street, removing the musk clinging to his robes. He startled with the girls squealed and ran to two other girls clad in black and gold. Gajeel scratched the back of his neck, looking back down the street toward the exit route.
Maybe if I just sneak away…
"Gajeel, come on! We're gonna go check out the pet store!"
Wendy rushed up to him and latched onto his arm. The other two girls stiffened and stared, but were soon chatting and giggling with Meredy and Wendy. Gajeel glanced at the sky.
How'd I get myself into this mess?
Somehow in the short trek across the street even more Puffs joined their small group. By the time they made it down the road, nearly a dozen female Puffs plastered themselves against the Menagerie's windows. Gajeel looked over the tops of their heads and just barely managed not to gag at their constant sighing and cooing over the animals.
The door opened and an old woman peeked their head out the door. Her gaze latched onto Gajeel.
"You're Metalicana's boy, aren't you?" she asked, looking over her dark spectacles.
Gajeel scratched his warm neck when all the girls whipped their heads to stare at him. "Y-yeah?"
"Thought so! You have that same look in your eye. Well come in, come in," she opened the door wider and gestured to the group. "Mind where you put your fingers, some can be a bit testy."
Gajeel shook his head, backing up a step. "No, I'm not gettin' a–"
"I already have a credit down for you for a pet. Bought and paid for already, though I was expecting you to be here quite a bit sooner."
Gajeel reluctantly followed after the croon, the girls hot on his heels.
"My mom says I can get one in two years if my grades are good."
"Lucky! I can only get one when I'm a fourth year."
"Let's help Gajeel pick out his pet!"
The girls darted through the store, scattering in every direction. The next 15 minutes were pure chaos as each Puff dragged him around the shop to show what they thought would be the perfect pet for him. One wanted him to get a toad, another a bird. When two girls argued whether a snow owl or a barn owl would be better, Gajeel finally made his escape and headed over to the cats.
The cats arched their backs and stretched, but it was a midnight black cat that drew Gajeel's attention. A scar ran over one of its eyes and he blinked up at Gajeel lazily.
"A fighter, eh?" he murmured, lowering himself until he looked the cat in the eye.
The cat stood and fluffed its back, hissing while staring straight at Gajeel. Gajeel smirked and reached in to grab the ruffian by the scruff of its neck. The cat continued to hiss, swiping at Gajeel with its sharp claws. Unfazed, Gajeel nestled the cat into the crook of his arm and rubbed the raised fur on its back.
"How about it, huh? Wanna keep me company with all of these marshmallows?"
A heartbeat later the cat nestled into his arm and began to purr. Gajeel bit back a smirk, not wanting to ruin the hard-earned victory, and searched around the pet store.
"Oi, shopkeep! I'll take this one!"
The girls around him gasped.
"But it's scary!"
"It looks so mean!"
Wendy tugged at his sleeve, dimpling up at him. "You should give her a nice name."
Gajeel grunted and headed for the door. "I'll think about it."
Thankfully, Wendy's comment kept the girls occupied the entire way down the road. He listened with half an ear and followed them to the nearby candy store. He waited outside for the group, hearing them discuss names for the kitten through the glass windows. He huffed a laugh and sat at a nearby table. Soon enough the girls charged back through the door and piled their spoils on the table in front of them. They chatted excitedly, cooing when the cat jumped off Gajeel's shoulder and explored the table.
Murmurs came from the road behind them. Gajeel glanced over Meredy's shoulder, seeing a trio of Gryffindor boys walking down the street. They looked at the pile of treats, nudged each other, and started making their way to the table. Gajeel stood, stretching his arms high above his head, and looked the boys dead in the eye.
They froze in their tracks, faces turning pale, and turned heel to head down the road. Gajeel snorted, moving out of the way to lean against the building wall. After a moment, he realized the girls' were suspiciously quiet.
Shoulders hunching, he looked at the girls and saw each one of them staring at him.
"What?" he barked, neck turning strangely warm.
The girls giggled and Wendy turned to look at her friends. "See? I told you he was nice, protecting us from those boys."
The girls nodded and began whispering to the cat in the center of the table.
Gajeel growled, "I ain't protecting nobody. Our group is already bigger than I wanted and I didn't want any other houses getting the harebrained idea of joinin' us."
Somehow his comment made the girls giggle even harder. Gajeel sighed and jammed his shoulder into the building, turning away from the annoying group.
How in the world did I get stuck with all these chatty females!?