The excellence in a gift …
Katie felt just this side of giddy.
She was twin-free for the afternoon for the first time in longer than she could rightly remember. Angelina had dropped by Wheezes while she was visiting Fred with the boys, and the two had volunteered to watch her miscreants and let her run some errands for Christmas while they visited and kept the shop.
Thank gods for good friends and shiny ginger husbands.
One arm was weighted down by bags full of toys for Corey and Devon, but she needed gifts for Fred too. It didn’t help that he was ridiculously hard to shop for, and Katie’s brow furrowed slightly as she stood still in the busyness of Diagon for several long moments and eyed the surrounding shops.
Katie knew Fred would like anything she got him, but she liked to surprise him. She wanted him to be truly interested.
She’d heard that Borgin & Burkes had opened back up under new management; there was sure to be something there that Fred would find fascinating. Decision made, Katie turned on her heel and marched towards Knockturn.
She ignored the few leers that were tossed her way, and her blonde hair bounced as she purposely made her way down the darkened alley. If she looked like she had somewhere to be, didn’t dawdle unnecessarily or meet anyone’s eyes, she’d be fine. If not, Katie didn’t mind pulling her wand. She didn’t like to fight, but she was handy with several hexes. She might be a house-mum now, but she’d been in Dumbldore’s Army and fought in the war. She wasn’t inept.
Keeping those thoughts firmly in the fore of her mind, Katie wound her way down the alley and pushed into Borgin’s without lingering in the alley.
Benjamin glanced upwards, nothing more than a quick flick of his eyes, to see the petite blonde enter the shop. He’d seen a steady increase in alley traffic now that the holidays were growing closer, but the amount of people entering his shop had largely unchanged. It wasn’t a bother to him personally; business was still doing well, especially since he’d added shipment of items as an option, and was now shipping internationally.
Though his interest was piqued as to the reasons behind the perky looking woman with arms full of brightly-colored bags deciding to take a look around Borgin & Burke’s, Benjamin turned his attention back to his ledger.
Katie poked down one aisle, but was increasingly finding herself overwhelmed. There was really no rhyme or reason to why the items were put where they were; the store was basically a collection of things. Interesting things, but hard to identify and classify, nonetheless. She was also wary to touch anything given the history of the shoppe and the fact that most everything was a magical artifact which made them particularly unpredictable.
Katie had married a Weasley twin and had born two of her own. She knew all about the various ill effects magical items could have.
There was also the fact that she couldn’t dawdle. She needed to get back to Wheezes sooner than later and take the boys home. It was getting toward their supper time, and they were likely getting particularly fussy with their papa and auntie.
Pulling her gaze away from a decidedly frightening looking shrunken head smirking at her, Katie made her way toward the counter and the man bent over a large book. “Excuse me?”
Benjamin glanced upward, surprised that the blonde hadn’t quickly and quietly retreated from the shoppe when she saw its contents. “Yes?”
“Hallo,” she said with a warm smile, though the slight anxiousness at the impossibility of her task lit her eyes again moments later as she asked, “I’m trying to find a gift for my husband. Do you know Fred Weasley?” she tried. It was not outside the realm of possibility given that Fred was fairly well-known in Diagon, and having a mutual starting point would make it easier for him to assist her. “He’s a brilliant miscreant, and hard to shop for. I wanted to get him something that will be interesting to him, and you have lots...” She glanced around. “... lots of interesting things.” Her nose crinkled slightly in her frustration. “I just don’t know what any of them do.”
“I’ve heard of your husband, but I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to speak with him,” Benjamin answered, mind traveling back to the years they’d spent at Hogwarts. He’d been a year above the man and his twin, and had heard all about their exploits. Most of them were spoken of in derisive tones in the Slytherin common room, but they’d been talked about nonetheless. He’d already graduated by the time they’d opened their shop in Diagon, and he’d never had a need to venture within its walls.
Ben set his quill aside and rounded the counter. “When you say you’d like something interesting to him, do you mean something that specifically caters to his brand of humor, or something that has an interesting and detailed history?”
Katie nibbled her bottom lip as she thought. “It doesn’t have to be funny,” she said, hazel-blue eyes lifting to his. “Just something he should... have to figure out. Something of a puzzle that isn’t obviously a puzzle. But, you know, isn’t dangerous.” She considered what else he had asked, and added, “if it has a sordid or interesting past, all the better, I think.”
Mind furiously ticking over what he had in stock like what she’d described, Benjamin approached the display of Asian antiques that he’d acquired from a recent trip in anticipation of the holidays. He grabbed a figure of a dragon; the wood was painstakingly carved with detail and was alone a sight to behold, but it was the charms laid in the wood that made it special.
“The man who carved this enjoyed animating his figures, but he felt selling them as a novelty was no challenge to those who bought it. Above all, he’d appreciated patience and intellect. So, he began charming his pieces, making the purchaser work in order to see the wood come alive.”
He held the delicate piece of Japanese maple out for her to hold.
Katie set her various bags down, careful to make sure they were leaning together and wouldn’t fall over onto all the valuables she was surrounded by, and then tread the few steps toward the shopkeep and took the figurine from him.
It was beautiful. It was tiny enough that such detail in the carving was to be commended, and the painting was bright and vivid. Fred would like that - he would appreciate the craftsmanship. But the charm … her brow furrowed as she turned it over and over, looking for something that might be a trigger of some sort. She didn’t see anything, and looked up. “How is the animation activated?”
“It is actually a two-fold puzzle. The dragon is ‘set’ by pressing under the chin, like so,” he said, demonstrating. A ripple of light seemed to pass under the surface of the wood. “The next person that touches it will be in for a surprise. Nothing harmful, of course,” he added hastily when she looked up at him. “Go ahead. You should at least know how it works.”
Curiosity piqued, Katie reached out and touched the little toy. She started when it began dancing, it’s little parts moving as it were truly alive, and just as a smile of enchantment was beginning to light her features, the whole thing fell apart into tiny pieces.
“Does it go back together easily?” she asked, hazel-blue eyes ticking up to the shopkeep. “A charm, maybe?”
“See, this is part where your husband may be most impressed. Try as one might, putting the dragon back together is impossible. There will always be one piece missing. To have the pieces form the original shape, one must speak the ‘magic words’, or so the muggle culture would say.”
Gathering the pieces from Katie’s hands, Benjamin cradled the dainty wood shards in his much larger hand. “It will probably take him a bit to figure out, and he’ll undoubtedly get frustrated, but if he enjoys puzzles than he won’t rest until he figures it out. A holiday gift that will keep giving, if you will.”
Benjamin brought his hand to his lips, a whisper of ‘Ignis Lanx’ breathing across the wood seconds before the pieces vibrated with life and reformed into their original shape. He held the newly connected dragon out for Katie to examine.
“Oh! That’s clever.” A smile curled her lips, and when she looked back up to Benjamin, it was dancing in her eyes. “Figuring it out will drive him batty. He’ll love it.”
Nodding his head, Benjamin turned and head toward the counter. As always, he was satisfied that he’d found his customer something that would work well for their purposes, but was even more satisfied that he’d found someone who would truly appreciate the piece for all its intricacies and facets.
“If your husband isn’t satisfied with the gift, we do have a return policy, barring any damage. I’ve had patrons return a puzzle that’s been thrown against a wall in frustration and did not understand why I would not take it back.”
“Yes, I understand. Fred has a similar policy at Wheezes. The fifth and sixth year students visiting during their hols are the worst,” Katie said as she settled her bags down by the counter and dug in her handbag. “Except for the little old ladies. They’re awfully wily about the Daydream Charms. Use them and then try to convince us they didn’t work.”
“Luckily there aren’t many older ladies who frequent Borgin and Burke’s,” Benjamin said as he wrapped the wooden dragon delicately and with a sort of reverence. Placing it in a simple kraft bag, he accepted the coins from Katie and placed them in the till. “We have other puzzles like that one, should the need arise again.”
“That’s very good to know. His birthday is right around the corner.” Money and goods exchanged hands, and Katie carefully tucked the package among her bags.
When she stood again, weighed down by her afternoon’s treasures, Katie grinned at Benjamin. “Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Derrick. I’ll be sure to come by again.”
“It’s always a pleasure to help another local entrepreneur,” he said with a cordial smile. “Perhaps I’ll come over and visit you and your husband at your shoppe.”
Katie’s smile touched her eyes. “We’d like that.”
SUMMARY: Katie drops into Borgin & Burkes to see if they might have something she can get Fred for Christmas. Benjamin helps her find just the thing.
She was twin-free for the afternoon for the first time in longer than she could rightly remember. Angelina had dropped by Wheezes while she was visiting Fred with the boys, and the two had volunteered to watch her miscreants and let her run some errands for Christmas while they visited and kept the shop.
Thank gods for good friends and shiny ginger husbands.
One arm was weighted down by bags full of toys for Corey and Devon, but she needed gifts for Fred too. It didn’t help that he was ridiculously hard to shop for, and Katie’s brow furrowed slightly as she stood still in the busyness of Diagon for several long moments and eyed the surrounding shops.
Katie knew Fred would like anything she got him, but she liked to surprise him. She wanted him to be truly interested.
She’d heard that Borgin & Burkes had opened back up under new management; there was sure to be something there that Fred would find fascinating. Decision made, Katie turned on her heel and marched towards Knockturn.
She ignored the few leers that were tossed her way, and her blonde hair bounced as she purposely made her way down the darkened alley. If she looked like she had somewhere to be, didn’t dawdle unnecessarily or meet anyone’s eyes, she’d be fine. If not, Katie didn’t mind pulling her wand. She didn’t like to fight, but she was handy with several hexes. She might be a house-mum now, but she’d been in Dumbldore’s Army and fought in the war. She wasn’t inept.
Keeping those thoughts firmly in the fore of her mind, Katie wound her way down the alley and pushed into Borgin’s without lingering in the alley.
Benjamin glanced upwards, nothing more than a quick flick of his eyes, to see the petite blonde enter the shop. He’d seen a steady increase in alley traffic now that the holidays were growing closer, but the amount of people entering his shop had largely unchanged. It wasn’t a bother to him personally; business was still doing well, especially since he’d added shipment of items as an option, and was now shipping internationally.
Though his interest was piqued as to the reasons behind the perky looking woman with arms full of brightly-colored bags deciding to take a look around Borgin & Burke’s, Benjamin turned his attention back to his ledger.
Katie poked down one aisle, but was increasingly finding herself overwhelmed. There was really no rhyme or reason to why the items were put where they were; the store was basically a collection of things. Interesting things, but hard to identify and classify, nonetheless. She was also wary to touch anything given the history of the shoppe and the fact that most everything was a magical artifact which made them particularly unpredictable.
Katie had married a Weasley twin and had born two of her own. She knew all about the various ill effects magical items could have.
There was also the fact that she couldn’t dawdle. She needed to get back to Wheezes sooner than later and take the boys home. It was getting toward their supper time, and they were likely getting particularly fussy with their papa and auntie.
Pulling her gaze away from a decidedly frightening looking shrunken head smirking at her, Katie made her way toward the counter and the man bent over a large book. “Excuse me?”
Benjamin glanced upward, surprised that the blonde hadn’t quickly and quietly retreated from the shoppe when she saw its contents. “Yes?”
“Hallo,” she said with a warm smile, though the slight anxiousness at the impossibility of her task lit her eyes again moments later as she asked, “I’m trying to find a gift for my husband. Do you know Fred Weasley?” she tried. It was not outside the realm of possibility given that Fred was fairly well-known in Diagon, and having a mutual starting point would make it easier for him to assist her. “He’s a brilliant miscreant, and hard to shop for. I wanted to get him something that will be interesting to him, and you have lots...” She glanced around. “... lots of interesting things.” Her nose crinkled slightly in her frustration. “I just don’t know what any of them do.”
“I’ve heard of your husband, but I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to speak with him,” Benjamin answered, mind traveling back to the years they’d spent at Hogwarts. He’d been a year above the man and his twin, and had heard all about their exploits. Most of them were spoken of in derisive tones in the Slytherin common room, but they’d been talked about nonetheless. He’d already graduated by the time they’d opened their shop in Diagon, and he’d never had a need to venture within its walls.
Ben set his quill aside and rounded the counter. “When you say you’d like something interesting to him, do you mean something that specifically caters to his brand of humor, or something that has an interesting and detailed history?”
Katie nibbled her bottom lip as she thought. “It doesn’t have to be funny,” she said, hazel-blue eyes lifting to his. “Just something he should... have to figure out. Something of a puzzle that isn’t obviously a puzzle. But, you know, isn’t dangerous.” She considered what else he had asked, and added, “if it has a sordid or interesting past, all the better, I think.”
Mind furiously ticking over what he had in stock like what she’d described, Benjamin approached the display of Asian antiques that he’d acquired from a recent trip in anticipation of the holidays. He grabbed a figure of a dragon; the wood was painstakingly carved with detail and was alone a sight to behold, but it was the charms laid in the wood that made it special.
“The man who carved this enjoyed animating his figures, but he felt selling them as a novelty was no challenge to those who bought it. Above all, he’d appreciated patience and intellect. So, he began charming his pieces, making the purchaser work in order to see the wood come alive.”
He held the delicate piece of Japanese maple out for her to hold.
Katie set her various bags down, careful to make sure they were leaning together and wouldn’t fall over onto all the valuables she was surrounded by, and then tread the few steps toward the shopkeep and took the figurine from him.
It was beautiful. It was tiny enough that such detail in the carving was to be commended, and the painting was bright and vivid. Fred would like that - he would appreciate the craftsmanship. But the charm … her brow furrowed as she turned it over and over, looking for something that might be a trigger of some sort. She didn’t see anything, and looked up. “How is the animation activated?”
“It is actually a two-fold puzzle. The dragon is ‘set’ by pressing under the chin, like so,” he said, demonstrating. A ripple of light seemed to pass under the surface of the wood. “The next person that touches it will be in for a surprise. Nothing harmful, of course,” he added hastily when she looked up at him. “Go ahead. You should at least know how it works.”
Curiosity piqued, Katie reached out and touched the little toy. She started when it began dancing, it’s little parts moving as it were truly alive, and just as a smile of enchantment was beginning to light her features, the whole thing fell apart into tiny pieces.
“Does it go back together easily?” she asked, hazel-blue eyes ticking up to the shopkeep. “A charm, maybe?”
“See, this is part where your husband may be most impressed. Try as one might, putting the dragon back together is impossible. There will always be one piece missing. To have the pieces form the original shape, one must speak the ‘magic words’, or so the muggle culture would say.”
Gathering the pieces from Katie’s hands, Benjamin cradled the dainty wood shards in his much larger hand. “It will probably take him a bit to figure out, and he’ll undoubtedly get frustrated, but if he enjoys puzzles than he won’t rest until he figures it out. A holiday gift that will keep giving, if you will.”
Benjamin brought his hand to his lips, a whisper of ‘Ignis Lanx’ breathing across the wood seconds before the pieces vibrated with life and reformed into their original shape. He held the newly connected dragon out for Katie to examine.
“Oh! That’s clever.” A smile curled her lips, and when she looked back up to Benjamin, it was dancing in her eyes. “Figuring it out will drive him batty. He’ll love it.”
Nodding his head, Benjamin turned and head toward the counter. As always, he was satisfied that he’d found his customer something that would work well for their purposes, but was even more satisfied that he’d found someone who would truly appreciate the piece for all its intricacies and facets.
“If your husband isn’t satisfied with the gift, we do have a return policy, barring any damage. I’ve had patrons return a puzzle that’s been thrown against a wall in frustration and did not understand why I would not take it back.”
“Yes, I understand. Fred has a similar policy at Wheezes. The fifth and sixth year students visiting during their hols are the worst,” Katie said as she settled her bags down by the counter and dug in her handbag. “Except for the little old ladies. They’re awfully wily about the Daydream Charms. Use them and then try to convince us they didn’t work.”
“Luckily there aren’t many older ladies who frequent Borgin and Burke’s,” Benjamin said as he wrapped the wooden dragon delicately and with a sort of reverence. Placing it in a simple kraft bag, he accepted the coins from Katie and placed them in the till. “We have other puzzles like that one, should the need arise again.”
“That’s very good to know. His birthday is right around the corner.” Money and goods exchanged hands, and Katie carefully tucked the package among her bags.
When she stood again, weighed down by her afternoon’s treasures, Katie grinned at Benjamin. “Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Derrick. I’ll be sure to come by again.”
“It’s always a pleasure to help another local entrepreneur,” he said with a cordial smile. “Perhaps I’ll come over and visit you and your husband at your shoppe.”
Katie’s smile touched her eyes. “We’d like that.”
SUMMARY: Katie drops into Borgin & Burkes to see if they might have something she can get Fred for Christmas. Benjamin helps her find just the thing.