Lost in the Shops (Open)

[Roz Turner]

Uncle Danny had said if she got lost, meet up in front of the joke shop.....

Roz didn't count on there being two. She had to make a choice and stick with it!

The little girl stood in front of the joke shop, looking around at all the people through her glasses with wide eyes and hugging the bag with her new wand in it to her chest. So many new people, half of them in robes. The vendors called out names of products she didn't know, and the eleven year old wanted to go to every single one and ask what their products were, how much, even though she knew she couldn't afford a lot right now. She was supposed to be going to a second-hand store to get her robes when she'd tripped, glasses skittering. It only took her a minute to find them, but in that minute she'd lost her uncle, who hadn't heard her fall - and her bearings.

She stared at the other kids her age with a smile as they passed, giving a cheerful wave to anyone who looked her way. They'd all be going to school together? What luck! She'd be able to have classes with people again, and maybe make lots of friends even while she learned. She just leaned against the wall in front of the store, smiling happily. No reason to move, eventually someone would find her...

[Casey Aldridge]

Poor old Mary Ann and Roger Aldridge. Liable to have a heart attack with how often their grandson escaped their clutches. Casey shrugged to himself as he popped a jelly bean into his mouth, wrinkling his nose at the taste of boogers accosting his tongue. His father's parents were his only family, what with his mother (sister and brother as well) being out of his life. His grandparents, whom he loved them --he dearly did--, weren't reliable on giving him access to contact with them. Thus, Ace put up with their ways.

Barely.

As the 11 year old crossed the street to look at good old trinkets and odd things at Gambol & Japes for his pranks against his grandparents, he spotted a girl. Her hair was two different colors, which was interesting enough, but she was also smiling at nothing and just standing there. Was she one to be obedient to her parents, he wondered. Unable to resist easing his curiosity, he walked over.

"You look to be having a grand old time for someone just standing there," he commented to here. "Anything fancy catch your interest?"

[Roz Turner]

Roz blinked at the other child – he'd come over in her peripheral, and she didn't catch him coming until his voice was there; she had to focus. When she did, she smiled – he looked like her age!


“Hi! Everything catches my fancy!” She grinned cheerfully, bouncing on her heels. “It's all so cool and new here. What is this? What is that? I want to just ask everyone and learn all about it, you know? There's so much I want to know about! I'm sure Uncle's getting tired of me asking, hee.

“Oh, but where are my manners? I'm Rosamind Turner, Roz. I'm a first year! Who are you?” She bobbed her head as she did a little half-curtsey, cheerfully staying in her spot.

[Casey Aldridge]

Very... peculiar. Casey blinked slowly as she spoke rapidly. She was definitely going to be a Ravenclaw with that mindset, and he could bet that she would be one. He actually didn't know what house he'd end up in, hoping to be in Gryffindor like his best friend Gracie predicts, but he didn't tell her he had his doubts. He wasn't particularly brave.

"Well you have a lot of energy," he remarked. He nodded his head to her, unable to fight a smile off his face from her energetic happiness. "Casey Aldridge. First Year. But you can call me Ace. So I take it your new to this world?"

[Roz Turner]

She blinked, then smiled, a little abashed but still cheerful. “Sorry, it's just...everything's so new. I love it a lot.” She nodded to him, twirling her silver hair tips around one finger. “I found out I'm a witch when I was eight. I just haven't been able to come here because my big brother hates it, and Papa can't take off work a lot. So this is my first time here! Is it always so....magical?

“And I bet you're not new, you seem at ease here,” she giggled. “Don't you get excited though, Ace, seeing everything ahead?”

[Casey Aldridge]

Her stared at her silver hair tips, slightly fascinated, before paying attention to what she said. He inclined his head slightly, thinking about her words. "Your brother hates it?" He asked, slightly sympathetic. "I know what you mean. My sister wasn't too happy when she found out she was a squib, but life grants few the joys of being the exception." He shrugged at her. "I guess you could say it is. I've been here a few times, but my grandparents like to go other places to shop. It's easy to get used to though."

He raised an eyebrow at her question. "Seeing everything ahead? What do you mean?"

[Roz Turner]

She didn't notice, rocking back and forth on her feet. “...Squib? What's a squib? William's not a Squib, he just...doesn't feel the magic like me and Henry do.” She tilted her head. “I feel like I'll never get used to it! It's so fun and bright...”

She smiled to him, clutching her wand box to her chest. “Well look around – someday we'll understand all this magic, maybe even be able to do it all. We have all of this ahead, magic and exploration and friendship and so much....it's so different. I love it, and it makes me excited.”

[Casey Aldridge]

"He is a squib. A squib is someone without magic." Ace told her. "You'll get used to it around here, trust me. Everyone does, according to my dad." He went quiet for a moment, remembering that his father was now gone. The reason why he had to live with his grandparents who wouldn't let him talk to his mother, or had lost contact with her.

He had to marvel at her optimism though. Awfully bright girl with a cheery attitude. "I suppose," he responded, looking around before catching sight of his grandfather down the street. Hastily, he snatched up her elbow and turned around so that he was looking in the window. He'd shed his black robe in an alleyway to ditch his grandfather who no doubt tracked it. 

"Lovely... er hairbrush that is," he commented lamely, peaking in the corner of his glasz eyes to see his grandfather hurry past. That was close.

[Roz Turner]

“Oh. That's what it's called? Anyways, he hates magic.” She nodded but grinned. “I never want to get used to it – I always want it to be magical!”

She squeaked at being pulled around, pressing her other hand up to her glasses, don't fall off. “Oh!” She blinked, watching him peek around. “Lovely, I guess....if you want your hair to turn hot pink.” She blinked at him. “...” Was he in trouble, hiding? Well, he was friendly....maybe her friend?...and Uncle Danny just said to wait near the joke shop....

In was near, right?


She kept his elbow, tugging him inside, out of sight of the windows but still near the front. “Look, they have gum that makes firecrackers in your mouth – like PopRocks but better!”

[Casey Aldridge]

He had to laugh a little at her words. They were so purely happy that he really couldn't say anything to ruin her mood. He rather liked her. She was similar enough to Gracie, whom he'd seen earlier on today but had to leave her when Gracie was due to go home sadly. He stared when she said it'd turn his hair pink, before noting that the little tag beside it did, in fact, list that as a result. Hm... maybe he should get his dear grandmother this lovely brush.

Ace started when she tugged him into the building, blinking at her exclamation. "What, pray tell, are Poprocks?" He asked her, intrigued as he fiddled with a deck of exploding snaps.

[Roz Turner]

She looked around a little, as if keeping lookout, then grinned to him. “You've never had PopRocks? They're a candy that makes a popping feeling in your mouth like little fireworks. Oh, but I guess you wouldn't have tried them, they're Muggle candy.” She rubbed her arm. “Sorry, I used to get them a lot. But I bet they have even more amazing candies here....

“Why'd you tug on my arm anyways? I almost lost my glasses, and that brush wasn't -that- cool, it's just hair color.” Her hair tips had lost their silver luster, instead starting to look silver tinged with black. “I mean, you acted nervous? You okay?”

[Casey Aldridge]

"Sounds downright interesting though. You'll have to bring a few of those to Hogwarts," he told her, absolutely intrigued by the idea of candy that popped in your mouth and didn't hurt or shock you like that prank candy over there would. "Yes, the candy tastes outstanding, but I'm not entirely sure the difference between muggle candy and magical candy. I did grow up in the muggle world... but I was smaller then." He gained a wistful look before shaking it off.

"My grandfather is looking for me," he explained, smirking slightly. "I'm not supposed to be out of sight, but he dearly needs the exercise of looking for me, I think." He dropped the smirk and shrugged. "I feel like a bloody showpony around them. I'm their heir to the family so they feel they must impart the ways of their family onto me as they did my father. It is ridiculous."

[Roz Turner]

“I'll bring you some of the different flavors, then, we can meet up on the Express.” She smiled happily. A friend! Maybe someone she could sit with. “It's really yummy....I bet lots of this stuff is too, though, it looks amazing...”

She looked worried at the mention of a grandpa, but blinked as his smile dropped. “...that's okay. A showpony's better than a lot of things.” She shook her head. “But you're not a showpony! You're Ace. It's silly, really. Why doesn't your papa stop them if you don't like it?"

[Casey Aldridge]

"Sounds like a promise. I'll introduce you to my best friend then and I will definitely bring my own load of snacks, though you can purchase them off the trolley on the Express, so you know." He grinned. "Some candy I warn you now to stay away from. Oh!" He dug in his jean pockets and withdrew the box he'd been munching on earlier before he stowed it away in favor of talking to Roz. "These, for instance, are the infamous Bertie Botts Every Flavour. When they say every flavour, they mean it. Try one?" He offered her the box.

He had to appreciate how kind this girl was, but it was the truth. He was a showpony so long as his grandparents thought it was appropriate to showcase their grandson to the stiff men and women of the world. "My dad?" he asked, biting his inner right cheek at the word. "He... He isn't around any longer." He forced out. That was always hard, actually saying the fact that he wouldn't get to see the man he looked up to any longer.

[Roz Turner]

“Okay! I'd love to meet your friend. And I might,” she hedged, she couldn't ask for money for sweets....her own allowance was a mix of sickles and Muggle money now.... she blinked at the the offering, eyes wide as she reached out to pluck one out. She bit into it. “Oh my!” It was spicy! “....it's l-like cinnamon, really strong!”

She blinked at that, then lowered her eyes, rubbing her arm. “...o-oh.” Stupid girl, you'd probably really upset him. “...I'm sorry. I understand....my Mummy's gone too, she left us.” She knew that empty ache, that longing want you knew deep down wouldn't be answered....she was so dumb to have said anything, she hoped she hadn't upset him! In that instant, her hair tips were deep green, not that she noticed. “I'm...I'm sorry, Ace, I didn't mean it.”

[Casey Aldridge]

He had to grin at her expression. "Well be fortunate that you did not receive a booger flavored kind," he laughed. "Got one of those earlier. Right foul, they are." He shrugged his shoulder at her downcast reaction. Well at least she wasn't happy about everything. He'd worry if she was the type to smile even when the mood turned sour.

"Don't be. Sorry I mean. You hadn't a clue," he answered, offering her a small smile to show that he was okay. She knew what it was like at the very least. Then again, he wished he'd gotten to see his own mother as well. "My mother... She's a muggle. So is my older sister. I don't know if my baby brother is not... but I'm not allowed to talk to them. My grandparents aren't very fond of muggles right now. The war took my dad, so they don't want anything to take me, is their reasoning." he explained, trying to understand the same concepts that they told him when they'd discovered his father dead and his mother no longer responding to them.

[Roz Turner]

Roz was quiet, sighing softly. She still felt bad for it....she didn't like making others hurt, after all, she knew how it felt to lose someone.

“...my mum's a muggle too.” She looked up at him, still somber, but gave a small smile back to try to reassure him. “My mum is a muggle and didn't know Papa was magic. My big brother's not magic, and while Papa's not sure, I know my little brother is. Mum got upset when my magic came out and Papa told the truth...Papa said he wanted to hide us from the war and keep us all safe....but Mummy got mad and couldn't handle me. So she left. She won't talk to any of us. I don't know where she is. S-So I think I get it, I mean....even though it stinks.”

[Casey Aldridge]

"A lot in common," he laughed, though without amusement. "My mother... she fortunately liked magic. Was intrigued by the whole thing... At least she was until we got split up because I had magic and she didn't." He caught sight of his grandfather getting ready to enter this shop and he sighed aloud.

"I enjoyed talking with you, Roz," he said apologetically, "however, my carriage awaits me it seems. I'll see you on the Express, no?" He smiled charmingly at her just as his grandfather spotted him. Not wanting Roz to witness the old man's lecture, Ace made his way over to the elderly man who was now his primary caretaker. His grandfather took him by the elbow a little roughly and proceeded to lay one into him. Ace tried not to look around in embarrassment as he was led out of the shop.

[Roz Turner]

“Maybe you can see her again soon...” She caught the way he looked at the man and hesitated, watching him go. “See you on the Express....”

A pause...the child watched him get laid into by the older man. So that was his grandad. The blonde and green haired girl tilted her head...she sighed, then rocked back on her heels as she followed them out. “Thanks for keeping me company, Ace! Bye!” She called after him, again taking her post. Surely Uncle Danny would find her soon! She didn't like being alone for too long...Ace was nice, she was glad to find a friend....

[Primesge]

Topic Finished

Closing this thread down. 50 points to Hufflepuff. 50 points to Ravenclaw.

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