Pansy found herself in the bookstore once more, a routine that had somehow embedded itself in her life over the past weeks. The comfort and warmth she found in the quiet bookstore were worlds away from the cold, rigid environment she was used to.
On this particular day, their conversation drifted to schools. Emily had mentioned she was studying for her A-levels, the muggle equivalent to her upcoming O.W.L.s she guessed, while Pansy remained tight-lipped about Hogwarts. "I go to a prestigious school," she said, her tone careful. "For... gifted students."
Emily laughed at that, "Sounds like one of those posh schools for rich kids."
Pansy chuckled, finding herself amused by Emily's blunt nature. "It might seem that way, I suppose."
Emily continued to make light-hearted jabs about uniforms and stringent teachers, and Pansy found herself laughing more than she had in years. Yet as the day grew darker and the laughter subsided, a sense of melancholy washed over her.
"You okay?" Emily asked, her tone laced with concern.
Pansy looked out of the window, watching the busy London street. "I'm going to miss this," she said softly.
Emily looked puzzled. "Miss what?"
Pansy turned back to her, a faint smile on her face. "Miss you."
The air between them shifted, the mood turning somber. Emily asked, her voice unbearably soft, "Where are you going?"
"I'm heading back to school," Pansy explained, her throat tight. "It's in Scotland. I'm only here for the summer holidays, and they're almost over."
Emily fell silent, her face a mirror of Pansy's own sadness. Neither of them spoke for a while, each lost in their thoughts.
When it was time for Pansy to leave, she stood up, her book in hand, ready to head for the door. But Emily stopped her, grabbing her arm gently. "Wait," she said.
Before Pansy could question her, Emily pulled her into a tight hug. Pansy stiffened, taken by surprise, but then relaxed into the embrace, wrapping her arms around Emily.
"I'm going to miss you too," Emily whispered in her ear, her voice shaking slightly. Pansy felt a lump in her throat, and she tightened her grip around Emily, the words hitting her harder than she thought they would.
As Pansy left the bookstore that evening, she carried with her not just a new book but a heavy heart. Her summer was coming to an end, and she wasn't quite ready for it to be.
The walk back to The Leaky Cauldron was short. As the muggle world faded behind her, she clutched the book to her chest, a tangible piece of the world she had come to cherish. She knew the next time she visited would be different, weighed down by the knowledge of an impending goodbye.
But for now, she took comfort in the fact that the summer wasn't over yet. She still had time, and she intended to make the most of it.
The next time Pansy found herself outside the cozy little bookstore was a couple days later. Pansy walked in with a sense of familiarity, a stark contrast to the first time she had stumbled upon the place.
Emily looked up from her book, her face lighting up when she saw Pansy. "Pansy, how have you been?"
"I exchanged some money for pounds," she said, trying to hide the pride in her voice.
Emily smiled brightly. "That's great, Pansy! Do you have plans to buy something?"
Pansy shrugged, "Maybe. I'm not sure yet."
Emily cast a glance at Pansy's robes before speaking hesitantly, "Pansy... Have you considered buying some new clothes?"
Taken aback, Pansy frowned. "What's wrong with my clothes?"
Emily waved her hands, quick to reassure her, "Nothing, really. It's just that... you stand out a bit. Robes aren't exactly common nowadays."
Pansy looked down at her clothes, a sense of embarrassment creeping in. She didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself. "I don't want to stand out," she said, her voice worried.
Emily tried to reassure her again. "Pansy, it's really not a big deal. But if it worries you, perhaps you might want to consider some more... modern outfits?"
The thought hadn't occurred to Pansy, but she considered it now. Eventually she asked "But what's the point, I'm leaving for school again soon. It seems like a waste."
Emily looked thoughtful. "Well, you'll have other school breaks, won't you?"
Pansy nodded slowly, a realization dawning on her. She did have other school breaks. The Winter Holidays, for one. And if she kept visiting the muggle world, she would need to blend in. "Would you help me choose some new clothes?"
Emily smiled and nodded. "Of course, Pansy! I'd be more than happy to help you, we can make a day of it." Emily grabbed her hands excitedly and said "Let's do it this weekend. Oh pansy this is going to be so fun"
Pansy nodded, her stomach fluttering, unable to not join in Emily's excitement. "If I have time, I'll let you know."
Emily's laughter filled the bookstore as evening approaches. They'd passed the time talking, continuing to get to know each other intermingled with the occasional customer buying something.
As the day drew to a close, Emily appeared deep in thought. "Hey, Pansy," she ventured, "could I get your phone number? So we can keep in touch while you're at school?.
Pansy froze at that. She had neglected to mention that her school was not exactly compatible with muggle technology. "About that..." she began, an apologetic look on her face. "Technology isn't really allowed at my school."
Emily's face fell. "Oh," she said, trying to mask her disappointment. "I see."
"But," Pansy interjected, "I have another idea." Emily perked up at that, looking at Pansy expectantly. "I have a pet owl," Pansy said, trying to keep her tone casual.
Emily blinked at her, clearly confused. "An owl?"
Pansy nodded. "Yes, an owl. It's trained to deliver letters."
There was a moment of silence, and then Emily burst out laughing. "Are you serious?" she asked between fits of laughter. Pansy, although a bit taken aback, nodded earnestly.
Emily wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling. "Okay, okay," she said. "So, you're telling me, if I write a letter and give it to your owl, it will fly all the way to Scotland to deliver it?"
"Yes," Pansy confirmed, trying not to feel too embarrassed by Emily's amusement. She hadn't realized how strange it must have sounded to a muggle, but that was the best solution she could come up with.
Emily stared at her for a moment longer, then her laughter died down. "You're actually serious, aren't you?" she asked, a hint of incredulity in her voice.
Pansy nodded again, "Yes, I am."
Emily's mouth opened and closed, apparently at a loss for words. Finally, she managed to get out, "Well...that's...different. But it's better than nothing, I suppose. Let's give it a shot."
Pansy smiled, explaining, "It's actually pretty common at my school. We don't really have any alternatives."
Emily paused, taking a moment to process this. Finally, she managed a chuckle. "I can't wait for this. It's settled then, we'll write letters. Like... pen pals."
Pansy found herself smiling at Emily's acceptance of the unusual communication method.
After saying her goodbyes, Pansy returned home, pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill from her desk. She quickly wrote a brief note, "I told you I was serious. If you have anything at hand then feel free to give Lady a small treat as a reward, she's partial to chicken." She attached the letter to Lady's leg, whispered the instructions into her owl's ear, and watched as Lady flew off into the darkening sky.
Back at the flat above the bookstore, Emily was about to switch off the light in her bedroom when she heard a soft tapping on her window. Glancing up, her pale blue eyes widened slightly in surprise seeing a small pitch black owl perched on her windowsill, a letter attached to its leg.
Her mind instantly went back to Pansy's explanation about her pet owl. After staring at it incredulously for a few seconds, the pretty black owl became impatient and started pecking more insistently. Hurrying to open the window, she let the owl in and detached the letter. As she read Pansy's words, a broad smile spread across her face.
"She wasn't kidding, was she?" Emily said to the owl, who responded with a gentle hoot.
Deciding to play along, Emily quickly wrote a response on the back of Pansy's letter: "I expect plenty of letters then." She attached the note back to Lady's leg.
Looking around for something to feed the owl, her eyes landed on the half-eaten sandwich on her bedside table. "I don't have chicken, but how about some ham?" she asked Lady, who hooted in what almost sounded like approval.
Emily handed over a piece of ham, which Lady ate neatly, like a proper lady. The owl gave an affectionate nip to Emily's finger before launching off into the night again, leaving Emily in stunned silence.
"Well, that was... unexpected," Emily muttered to herself, still chuckling at the absurdity of it all. "What an interesting friend I've made."
As she drifted off to sleep, Emily couldn't help but anticipate the letters she would soon be receiving, delivered by an owl no less.
Saturday arrived in a whirl of sunshine and a gentle, cooling breeze, an ideal day for shopping. Emily, having received a letter from Pansy saying she was free this Saturday, was waiting for Pansy at the bookstore. The moment she saw Pansy step through, she jumped up and said, "Let's go!" dragging Pansy back out the door.
Their first stop was "Belle's Boutique," a shop Emily frequented claiming it had the "cutest dresses" in town. As soon as they stepped inside, Pansy was hit by a wave of flowery perfumes and a riot of colors. It was indeed a beautiful shop, filled with racks of dresses in a myriad of styles and colors, along with displays of shoes, hats, and bags.
Pansy looked around a little before Emily walked back to her "I bet you'd look great in this!" Emily said excitedly, holding up a pastel pink dress with a floral pattern.
Pansy eyed the dress sceptically. "It's a bit... bright."
Emily laughed and ushered Pansy into the changing room with a handful of dresses. The first was the pink dress Emily had picked, the second was a lavender dress with ruffles, and the last was ironically enough a cream-colored one with tiny red pansies.
One by one, Pansy tried them on. The pink dress was too fluffy, the lavender one felt like it belonged to a old lady, and the cream-colored dress, although it fit well, made her feel like she was wearing a curtain. She tried on several others not really taking a liking to any.
Stepping out of the changing room after the last try, Pansy gave Emily an apologetic look. "They're beautiful, Emily, but I just can't see myself wearing these. I think they look much prettier on you"
Emily looked flattered, a small blush showing on her cheeks "Thank you" Emily said shyly, then continued "And no worries. That's why we're here, to help you find your style. Let's try another shop."
The next store they visited was a drastic shift from the first. It was a larger establishment, filled with an assortment of casual blouses, trousers, and sweaters. Pansy picked up a royal blue blouse, the fabric soft to the touch, and held it up against her body.
"What do you think?" She asked Emily, her tone tentative.
"It's lovely, but..." Emily hesitated, biting her lower lip. "It doesn't seem like 'you', if you get what I mean."
Pansy nodded, feeling strangely relieved at Emily's words. "I think you're right."
She set the blouse back on the rack and decided to try on a few different pieces. She picked a simple white blouse and a knee-length red skirt, the styles similar to what she'd seen on other girls in the store.
In the changing room, Pansy looked at herself in the mirror. The blouse felt odd. Not uncomfortable exactly, just odd. It didn't feel like something she would wear. The skirt, though it fit well, felt to revealing making her uncomfortable.
She exited the changing room, her face reflecting her uncertainty. Emily was waiting for her, a look of anticipation on her face.
"Well?" Emily asked. "What do you think?"
"I... I don't know," Pansy confessed, her voice hesitant. "I just... It doesn't feel like me."
Emily nodded, understanding her struggle. "Don't worry, Pansy. We'll find something.