Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Additionally, this fic contains references to nonconsensual voyeurism, abuse of authority, and an onscreen kidnapping with the implication of imprisonment. Feel free to back out if need be.

Author's Note: This fic turned out a lot darker than I intended. Fair warning: you may want to skip this one.

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Ministry (Winter Year 1); RAVEN (2023); MC4A (Winter Year 5)
Individual Challenges: Old Shoes (Y); Bucket Listing (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Short Jog; Ship Sails; Lunar Era
Ministry Challenges: RRD [Day 23] (Dedalus/Penelope)
RAVEN Challenges: Settings [128](Store/Shop); Items [112](Skirt); Colors [129](Sapphire)
Other MC4A Challenges: Chim [Rick]("Louder than Words" – Tick, Tick, Boom; Life/Death);Fire [x3](Be); Hang [Phrase 4] (n/a); Soup [I](Inventor); Swap [Tops (Team Jersey); Bottoms (Plaid School Skirt); Shoes (Emerald Boots with Fringe); Toys (Metal Car; Sealed Puzzle)]
Representation(s): Dedalus Diggle/Penelope Clearwater
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Suddenly Audrey
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: Share (Nepenthe; Augur); DP (Yearn)
Word Count: 1377 words

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Toymaker
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Dedalus Diggle was always an innovative person. As a boy, he would tinker with anything that he could find. Dismantling and reassembling were things that he did without thinking about it most of the time. To him, it was just another way of fidgeting. After he had gotten his first wand, he found that he would do the same thing with various enchantments.

It was fortunate that Dedalus had started Hogwarts when he had. If he started even one year earlier, he would have attended school with another famous alumnus named Tom Riddle. His talent for dismantling magical enchantments would have been of particular interest to that particular wizard, much like it interested a certain professor by the name of Albus Dumbledore. The few people and groups whom both those wizards became interested in rarely fared well under the attention.

While attending Hogwarts, Dedalus had a few incidents where his talents had gotten him into trouble. A teenage boy with the intuitive means of getting past wards just could not be expected to not use it to get into places that he shouldn't be. He would maintain to his dying day that he never had any intention of hurting anyone. He had just liked to watch the girls shower (and sleep, but that was neither here or there).

Dedalus did understand that Dumbledore had done him a favor by keeping him from being expelled when he had gotten caught. It was part of why Dedalus was so willing to help out with whatever Dumbledore needed done over the years. Without a wand, there would have been no way that Dedalus could have apprenticed under his father to become a toymaker as Diggles have been for as long as there have been Diggles.

But as fortunate as Dedalus had been over the decades of his life, he had been very unfortunate in matters of love. He had tried dating a few times over the years, especially when he was younger. However, the witches inevitably found out about his continued hobby of finding ways to watch other women doing things. Being accused of cheating on them was the kindest response. One had even tried to report him to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, despite how there had been no magical crime because at that point, Dedalus had switched to only watching muggle women.

Which was how he found himself to be just a few years shy of turning sixty and still single. He had arranged with a muggleborn witch a couple decades ago to sire a few heirs, not wanting to end his family just because he couldn't find a witch willing to bond with him. Their mother raised them with a generous allowance for necessities. Dedalus made an effort to be there for holidays, birthdays, and other important events.

One day Dedalus was bustling about in his small shop, arranging the various toys, dolls, and enchanted puzzles. His hands moved in a flurry of activity, carefully placing each piece in its exact spot. He loved each item, like an old friend, and wanted everything to be in its proper place. He was contemplating if it would be worth it to travel to his current favorite spot (the women dormitory at University of Cambridge which would finally be back in session after breaking for Christmas).

Just then, the tinkling of the bell above the door caught his attention, and Dedalus looked up to see a beautiful young woman, likely either still in Hogwarts or newly graduated, standing in the doorway. She had a gorgeous mane of golden curls and eyes that were like glittering sapphires. She was wearing a long-sleeved jersey for the Irish quidditch team that did nothing to hide her perfectly perky breasts and a gray plaid school skirt that end just below her knees. There was a tantalizing strip of pale skin exposed between the hem of her skirt and the top of her emerald boots with fringe that swung with every step she took. The white and greens just complemented her beauty.

"Welcome to Diggle's Toy Chest," Dedalus greeted with a warm smile. He made an effort to keep his eyes on her face. It was harder than it normally was. She was just so breathtakingly beautiful. "What's your name, miss?"

"Hello," she said with a nervous smile. "My name's Penelope."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful lady," he replied. "How may I assist you today, Penelope?"

"I'm looking for a special toy for my brother. He's rather particular about what he likes."

Dedalus showed her around the shop, explaining the history of each piece with great enthusiasm. He told her how he began making toys to please his late father, and how he found great joy in crafting them. Any chance he got, Dedalus took to brush against her. He kept the touches light, nothing that she could complain about without looking like she was overreacting. Yet with every touch, he could feel a tingle of their magic interacting.

As they talked, Dedalus realized he was quickly becoming smitten with Penelope. There was something special about her, something he could not quite put his finger on. She was perfect, yes, but could she really be interested in a man like him? Or would she reject him like other witches had before? Maybe he should just give her a little nudge to help guide her in the right direction.

Finally, she decided upon a puzzle that would change its picture every time the seal of the box was broken and a black metal Chevy Impala that would play a small selection of songs whenever the word pie was spoken near it. She seemed nervous as Dedalus rung up her purchases, but she kept smiling at him. Occasionally, she would bite her bottom lip while looking at him through her eyelashes.

"Would you like your purchases in a gift bag?" Dedalus asked, deciding that he shouldn't risk her reacting unfavorably. Penelope glanced at the shop's door like she was hoping someone would come in, but Dedalus didn't let that phase him. She had already mentioned that she was shopping alone today.

"I think I'm fine just to carry them myself." She reached for the items on the counter.

Thinking fast, Dedalus grabbed the potion sprayer he kept by the register and pressed the top down once towards Penelope's face. Her lovely sapphire eyes widened as her kissable lips dropped open in shock just as the dispersed potion reached her. The atomized dosage worked quickly enough that she only had enough time to stumble back a few steps before she collapsed to the ground.

Dedalus quickly made his way around the counter to her side. He rolled her over to her back. Penelope blinked at him, the only movement she could make on her own. He brushed a curl out of her face and tucked it behind the perfect curve of her ear. His finger tingled where it touched her smooth skin.

"Don't worry, my precious," he said. "It will wear off in a few hours. I just couldn't risk you leaving." He leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss against her pink lips. "You're everything I have been looking for, Penelope. We're going to be perfect together."

He ran his hands over her body to straighten her clothes. He couldn't help but linger over the soft skin of her thighs where her skirt had rucked up when she had fallen. All the while Penelope made little whines and whimpers of distress.

"Shh," he soothed as he rearranged her arms to cross over her torso, just below her breasts. "Just relax, precious. You'll only make yourself sick if you keep trying to move."

With a strength that most would not have guessed he had, Dedalus scooped Penelope into a bridal hold. Then he headed to the doorway that led to his living quarters in the back of the shop, letting the wards flip the open sign to close and lock the outer door behind them. It was only right that he carried her over the threshold to the start of their new life together.

Penelope might not agree at first, but Dedalus couldn't help but feel that this would be the beginning of something truly beautiful.