The first sights and sounds of Wizarding London were overwhelming to Laura when she stepped off the train. Grant watched her reactions carefully, then took her by the arm and led her into Diagon Alley
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"Most students need a pair of gloves for Potions, and scales for measuring. I can't think of any other class that requires students to purchase their own equipment. Is there anything else that you want that's not for class?" He slapped his hand down on the table. "I almost forgot, I have to see if I can find a field notebook while I'm here. I need a journal that will stand up to the abuse I put mine through."
Laura jotted the additional items onto her list. "Really just some small toiletries and personal items - y'know, soap, shampoo, hairbrush, toothbrush, that sort of thing. It looks to me like we should be able to get everything in two more stops: an apothecary or general store, and Flourish & Blott's."
She tilted her head to one side. "I was kinda thinking about getting a bathing suit, since you said people swim in that lake. But I really need a girlfriend along to help me pick that out. God, I miss Donna - I always trusted her opinions on those things. Can probably find one in Hogsmeade, anyway."
She looked up at Grant again and grinned. "The abuse you put a journal through can't be *that* bad, can it? As long as you stay out of the tropics and away from the live animals, that is."
"That shouldn't take too long. What have you been using before now?" he asked. "I'm sure there's someone in Hufflepuff that can help you with a bathing suit. Some of the girls there seem to be really nice."
"This is a notebook that I use to record observations and ideas while in the field. I write down measurements, draw some sketches, that kind of thing. It has be be able to survive dirt, rain, mud, Plus all kinds of physical stress. I can't have something that will get torn or fall apart when it gets wet. Fireproof would be nice, too, because you never know what will happen."
Laura sighed. The bathing suit remark had been another opening he hadn't taken. Maybe she really had misread things and the attraction was all on her own side...
"Anything I could beg, borrow or steal, pretty much. Our now-popcorned librarian Mr. Black was a big help, he got me a comb out of the library's lost-and-found, lent me a few things, and helped me learn a cleansing charm. Rather have my own supplies, though. Oh, and if I find one I like, maybe some perfume, too - the sapient cats have been telling me I still smell just the slightest bit dead." She smiled.
"Yeah, I can appreciate the value of an indestructible journal. I kind of freaked when I realized somebody'd torn pages out of my diary - the real one, not the fake normal-girl one I kept for my mom to find. My dad or BOB or some combination of the two, I guess, trying to remove anything that might incriminate him or them. Maybe we can find you one with charms or wards on it to keep it from harm?"
He sighed. "You shouldn't have had to to that. Why didn't you go to the Hufflepuff Prefect, or hell, one of the professors? We could have gotten you all set up." He thought about the second part of her comment. "That's odd. You smell nice to me." He smiled back at her.
"That's half of the reason why I don't keep a personal journal. Too many things can happen to it. Yeah, I'm thinking a charmed notebook would be best. I'd look for a pen, but I doubt I'll find anything other than quills."
Laura beamed at the compliment. "Weaker senses than animals, remember?"
"I guess I'm just too used to keeping my problems to myself. Or I was embarrassed to admit I couldn't find my own way around. I did eventually find Kaylee, and I got moved in last night."
"All right then, a new journal for you, definitely. The bookstore's sure to have something in that line. And if we can't find one already charmed, we'll look up some spells to put on it once we get back to school."
She took a sip of butterbeer. "I probably should start keeping a new diary, really. After all those years of nothing in particular happening to me, I've suddenly got more stuff coming at me than I can keep track of! It's kind of a nice feeling, really."
"Mm-hmm. Let's just not forget to ask how to get where we're going when we settle up, okay? You seem to be better than most guys I've known about the "I-am-not-lost" thing, but still."
She took a last sip of her drink and stood. "Hufflepuff's not bad. There's more bunks than students right now, so I've got a room all to myself for the time being, which is nice. I was a little worried about rooming with someone - nightmares, y'know. I tend to be a pretty light sleeper because of that anyway."
"So, Flourish & Blott's first, or take them in the order we come to them, you think?"
"Nightmares are a pain in the ass. I hope that you start to sleep better."
He left a handful of coins on the table. "Let's do them in the order we get to them. It will save time." He didn't bother adding that it would make it much harder to get lost in the first place.
A cauldron shop was the first thing they came to, two doors down from the Leaky Cauldron, so that item was quickly crossed off the list.
Across the street was an apothecary, where a clerk helped Laura assemble a basic potions set and provided gloves and scales. First-aid remedies were available there, but not the personal items Laura would expect a Muggle pharmacy to carry. The clerk told them they were two doors down from a stationery shop and three away from Flourish & Blott's, so they set off for the next stop.
Parchment and quills were easily purchased, and Laura and Grant walked into Flourish and Blott's, relaxed and ready to spend some serious time book-hunting.
"I could spend all afternoon here," Grant said as they walked in. "Or possibly all week. I haven't decided yet." He smiled at her. "Do you mind if we split up for a bit? I'm going to look for some books on dragons and a few other things."
"No problem. We'll probably make better time that way anyway. Let's see...general reference is over there...that's probably where to start looking for an 'Idiot's Guide to Wizardry'..."
"Oh, come on. I think you've at least moved up to the 'Magic for Dummies' level." He gave her a wink, then headed for the back of the store. When he was sure he out of sight, he moved away from the "Creatures" section and quickly set off to look for a different kind of book entirely.
Laura laughed and shook her head as she moved into the book stacks. "One of these days I am going to figure out if that man's actually flirting with me or just teasing," she muttered.
The books proved ample distraction, and she was soon focused on her choices and put the exchange out of her mind.
About half an hour later Grant made his way through the towering piles of books to the corner Laura was in. "Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked quietly. He was afraid that if he spoke too loud a stack of books would come tumbling down on their heads.
"I didn't quite know what I was looking for, but I found some things that'll get me started," she answered equally softly, and nodded toward the armload of books she carried.
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She tilted her head to one side. "I was kinda thinking about getting a bathing suit, since you said people swim in that lake. But I really need a girlfriend along to help me pick that out. God, I miss Donna - I always trusted her opinions on those things. Can probably find one in Hogsmeade, anyway."
She looked up at Grant again and grinned. "The abuse you put a journal through can't be *that* bad, can it? As long as you stay out of the tropics and away from the live animals, that is."
Reply
"This is a notebook that I use to record observations and ideas while in the field. I write down measurements, draw some sketches, that kind of thing. It has be be able to survive dirt, rain, mud, Plus all kinds of physical stress. I can't have something that will get torn or fall apart when it gets wet. Fireproof would be nice, too, because you never know what will happen."
Reply
"Anything I could beg, borrow or steal, pretty much. Our now-popcorned librarian Mr. Black was a big help, he got me a comb out of the library's lost-and-found, lent me a few things, and helped me learn a cleansing charm. Rather have my own supplies, though. Oh, and if I find one I like, maybe some perfume, too - the sapient cats have been telling me I still smell just the slightest bit dead." She smiled.
"Yeah, I can appreciate the value of an indestructible journal. I kind of freaked when I realized somebody'd torn pages out of my diary - the real one, not the fake normal-girl one I kept for my mom to find. My dad or BOB or some combination of the two, I guess, trying to remove anything that might incriminate him or them. Maybe we can find you one with charms or wards on it to keep it from harm?"
Reply
"That's half of the reason why I don't keep a personal journal. Too many things can happen to it. Yeah, I'm thinking a charmed notebook would be best. I'd look for a pen, but I doubt I'll find anything other than quills."
Reply
"I guess I'm just too used to keeping my problems to myself. Or I was embarrassed to admit I couldn't find my own way around. I did eventually find Kaylee, and I got moved in last night."
"All right then, a new journal for you, definitely. The bookstore's sure to have something in that line. And if we can't find one already charmed, we'll look up some spells to put on it once we get back to school."
She took a sip of butterbeer. "I probably should start keeping a new diary, really. After all those years of nothing in particular happening to me, I've suddenly got more stuff coming at me than I can keep track of! It's kind of a nice feeling, really."
Reply
"That sounds like a plan. Maybe you can find a diary that protects against other people reading it." He pushed his chair back. "Are you ready to go?"
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She took a last sip of her drink and stood. "Hufflepuff's not bad. There's more bunks than students right now, so I've got a room all to myself for the time being, which is nice. I was a little worried about rooming with someone - nightmares, y'know. I tend to be a pretty light sleeper because of that anyway."
"So, Flourish & Blott's first, or take them in the order we come to them, you think?"
Reply
"Nightmares are a pain in the ass. I hope that you start to sleep better."
He left a handful of coins on the table. "Let's do them in the order we get to them. It will save time." He didn't bother adding that it would make it much harder to get lost in the first place.
Reply
Across the street was an apothecary, where a clerk helped Laura assemble a basic potions set and provided gloves and scales. First-aid remedies were available there, but not the personal items Laura would expect a Muggle pharmacy to carry. The clerk told them they were two doors down from a stationery shop and three away from Flourish & Blott's, so they set off for the next stop.
Parchment and quills were easily purchased, and Laura and Grant walked into Flourish and Blott's, relaxed and ready to spend some serious time book-hunting.
Reply
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The books proved ample distraction, and she was soon focused on her choices and put the exchange out of her mind.
Reply
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"I didn't quite know what I was looking for, but I found some things that'll get me started," she answered equally softly, and nodded toward the armload of books she carried.
"How about you? Did you find your dragons?"
Reply
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