Hogwarts 2022 - Diagon Alley

[Saber]

The cacophony of people shopping in Diagon Alley was always immense. The warmth that hung lazily in the air only seemed to thicken as Jae-Yun made her way towards Sugar Plum's Sweets Shop, where she was supposed to be meeting Delilah Fiddlewood and she was minorly regretting her outfit choice for not including shorts. After moving to England, she never did give into the strange fashion choice of wearing robes out and about.

How exactly she had come to be in this situation, she couldn't really remember. The conversation the young witches had at the Summer Solstice had been brief, and there was something about the Hufflepuff witch that had, well, bewitched her in a way. Perhaps it was the lackadaisical charm that enraptured Jae-Yun to agreeing to coming to Diagon Alley, regardless of the fact that she'd already bought all of her supplies for the coming school year as soon as she'd received her class schedule.

Either way, the mystery that surrounded Delilah resulted in Jae-Yun swimming through the throngs of people haggling and bouncing from shop to shop. It would be interesting to see how Delilah went about normal things like shopping and what sort of conversation they would have. Owls and ravens watching her carefully as she strolled by Magical Menagerie, a large ginger cat lounging on the window sill flicked its tail languidly and kept it's green eyes trained on her until she passed. It wasn't long before the bright pink pillars of the confectionary shop came into view and Jae dodged around a few slow moving children to reach the equally pink door of her destination.

The bouquet of chocolate and pumpkin pasties slapped the young Slytherin in the face as the door shut gently behind her. It was much cooler in the candy store and she was ever thankful for that. Even with all the sugar and spice in the air, it made everything nice just to be out off the summer haze. There were a lot of younger students from Hogwarts in the sweets shop, some she recognized from her own house, and some she had never seen in her life. She just assumed they were students based on their age. They were flitting everywhere like starving pixies. Gathering sugary sweets in their hands and running to the next. Jae-Yun had never been fond of sweet things, other than the occasional Chocolate Frog, and really that was more so for the collectable card that came with the package, when she was a kid, of course.

Still, perusing the shop brought back some giddy, childhood nostalgia that momentarily lifted her spirits as she looked at the new treats and old that never went out of style. She finally stopped exploring when she came across the section of the shop that displayed the Chocolate Frogs, seeing that they'd added a few new flavors. Wise, since basic milk chocolate could get boring. Coffee, caramel, vanilla, mint chocolate, and butterscotch were among the new flavors, as well as a plethora of others. She picked up a pink box that housed a strawberry flavored amphibian and quirked an eyebrow at the pastel pink treat through the cellophane window.

"I suppose I could spare twelve sickles."


@prettysoft

 

[prettysoft]

A serendipitous occasion landed on Delilah when Jae-Yun stumbled upon her lamenting in the grass, coincidentally without any plans for the weekend. The way their conversation flowed from one topic to another without awkward pause, time escaped her that evening. What a fortuitous chance that her peer consented -happily- to rendezvous in Diagon Alley. A popular hub for Hogwarts students to shop for all their wizarding needs, but beyond the bare necessities - fashion boutiques, cafe lattes, and Jae-Yun all bundled into one trip. Certainly not the most relaxed atmosphere, with the sheer volume of bodies that squeezed in the roads, and not a star location to become acquainted with a new friend. She all but raced home on her broom to pass the time, to tell her best friend all about it.
Except, there was no Dakota Bottlebrush to call, or write to in detail about her precious, new friend. If she could just borrow a smidgen of Dakota’s astute ability to diagnose personalities and talk her back to reality, then the woman led by zeal might calm down. Her friend, whom she loved dearly and hadn’t heard a peep from all summer, didn’t inform her that she would be away, about any summer plans. That odd fact baffled Delilah the most.

I miss you, D. Delilah put her head down on her pillow that night, tears streaking her cheeks; a nargle plushy pressed into her bosom, arms hugging it tight for emotional support. She rose in the morn;, eyes puffy and the waterline stained crimson. A forearm smudged dried tears, and she abandoned the quilted patchwork blanket, muscles tensing at the cold biting her bare soles. The joy derived from Jae-Yun accepting her impromptu invitation balanced the pain of not knowing if Dakota vanished or simply adjourned on a trip to her grandparents. The troublesome ache gripping her guts warned her that foul play was afoot, but Delilah’s suspicions warranted a second opinion.

Delilah beautified the platinum blonde side of her hair with a swirl of her wand; imparting a luster and shine so brilliant that it sparkled like diamonds beneath the daylight. The opposite was half black, like raven’s plumes dipped in blue ink. She thanked the day for arriving, because nights without Dakota hurt the most. She lulled in front of the mirror, a white pinafore not unlike one of a hotel stewardess accessorized by a white blouse. A silver pendant, a portrait of her mother within. In case of werewolf attacks, silver on her ring fingers is encrusted with rose quartz. Her familiar, Brownie, scuttled at her feet, circling chunky platform pumps and clinging onto her legs.

“Oh. Want to come along?”​

Peering through the front window on her heels, Delilah awed as Jae-Yun browsed the store, somehow staying afloat in the hell-hole of children. She recognized her in passing, and wasn't being a creep, or anything peculiar. Never that. Delilah adjusted her cat-eye sunglasses, then slanted backward. Better go say hello, then. But, it appeared that Jae-Yun finished up her transaction and was headed out the door. It was presumptuous to think whatever Jae-Yun concealed in that bag was for her. A dream, maybe.

Delilah strode elegantly over to the revolving doors, her elbow snatching onto someone’s pocketbook strap. She whipped around to apologize, met with a vacant blue gaze, freckled cheeks and a diagonal scar over the bottom lip. “Dakota?” Dumbstruck by apathy on her friend’s once smiling face, she grimaced. “Dakota? Wh-where have you been? I wrote, I–” Delilah held on tight to Dakota’s puffed sleeve. “Are you okay?”

Before Dakota muttered a word, a coffee-skinned man with greasy slick hair pushed Dakota and Delilah apart. The aquiline nose, like a pelican's beak, would never be forgotten. She fell one, two feet backwards onto the backs of unsuspecting passersby. They cushioned her fall onto the cobblestone. “Dakota!” She launched herself into the crowd, bumped into Jae-Yun intentionally, or unintentionally. “Jae. My friend, she’s…” Over there. Delilah searched the crowd, but Dakota and the man left without a trace. So much for a shopping trip.

 

[Doctor Manhattan]

"Hey, Ames, check this shit out," Marcus called out to him from his position inside Ollivander's. Ames. Ames! "Motherfucker, you KNOW my name is Amir!" That was followed by the one who happened to be named Amir waltzing over in order to scope out the wand. Ebony, uh huh. No wonder Marcus seemed like he was interested in purchasing a new one, as if he needed it. Neither of them did, as both were in their last year at Hogwarts, but Amir had wanted to grab some books from Flourish and Blotts that he would need for the upcoming semester, and naturally he'd asked Marcus to come and tag along. At least, Amir felt he'd need them; studying so far had been a huge waste of time, as far as the male could tell; he didn't seem to be processing a single strand of information.

Come exam time, the odds that he would fail everything quite spectacularly loomed pretty large. Great.

Meanwhile, Marcus seemed fairly cheerly, strutting around in those (nominal) dress robes. Certainly they appeared fancy to Amir; while he wasn't exactly strapped for cash, still, he had to be more careful. Both his parents worked pretty hard to pay for his school supplies, as well as the other costs that teenage boys tended to rack up, so he didn't get to be nearly as liberal with his money. Yet, for all that flash, Marcus always struck him as down-to-earth and reasonable, hence why he adored the other male so. Best friends for life, as they'd always said. Hopefully once they graduated, Marcus wouldn't forget that. "Alright, we both know you're not getting it, so...time to go." Marcus shot him a forlorn glance, but then saw the light of reason in those words and, shaking his head in assent, waltzed out with Amir in tow shortly behind.

Scanning the remainder of the shops, cool brown eyes darting left and right, at first Amir was amazed by the sheer overflow of people in every direction, until realizing that yes, this was probably what it was like in the damn place all the time. The kiddies needed their things, after all, and the parents had to come drop those Galleons. It seemed like both of them would be caved in due to the rampant surge evident right around Florian Fortescue's parlor, as most tended to get some sweets since they were so readily available. Smart man, Fortescue. Even though he dreamt of being an Auror after leaving the castle, Amir had to admit the appeal of being a shopowner here signaled to him greatly. At least, there was a level of freedom that spoke to the man's sense of independence, as if he could access it simply by existing and having one of the booths.

"What was so interesting about that wand, anyway? We're good, right?" The question didn't seem to faze Marcus in the least, who launched into a diatribe about the many different aspects of that specific wand that he loved, from the housing of the wood to the core - phoenix feather, a rarity. Though he dutifully listened to the spiel, moving his own standard Ravenclaw robes out of the way of a small girl who seemed utterly terrified of him, Amir wasn't really paying much attention. Something else seemed to spark his interest, and he couldn't at first tell what. Even for a young buck, he had the sharp skills borne of experience due to the lengthy amounts of time he spent practicing, and that sixth sense perked up as his orbs followed...then he found it. A horrid-looking man, a scarred-seeming woman, and a third party. Perhaps the woman's companion of sorts? Marcus had by this time traveled far ahead;
Amir caught up slowly but kept his irises peeled on the pair who seemed to disappear into thin air. Wait, what?

"Hold on, Marcus, I have to ask about something," he told his friend, who looked back and merely shrugged. Good old Marcus, never one to notice a thing. As the girl who had reached out to touch the vanishing lady careened into another passerby - was that a student, too? - Amir caught up to them both. Huffing, he shook some of the sweat out of his jet black hair, then looked at the two females who stood before him. Well, kinda; they weren't really paying attention due to the collision. "Um, so sorry to interrupt," he said, rather sheepishly, "but...I saw..." What? What did he see? Fuck. Unable to say exactly, Amir literally shook his skull, as if to remove the thought, and tried again. "I'm Amir," he started over, much more firmly than before. "And...that girl," he turned to the one with the shimmering blonde locks. "You...tried to grab her. And she's gone? I'm just confused, and maybe I can help," he finished, a bit lamely, but there it was. He'd said his piece.

Marcus, having heard this whole affair, smirked profusely. "What a dork," he said in a mutter below his breath. Instead, ignoring all of that, he merely turned and went straight inside to get a hot Caramel Sundae. It was his favorite, after all.

@Saber @prettysoft

 

[Saber]

The chiming of silver sickles falling into the cashier's hand was pleasing, though Jae-Yun always hated spending money. Still, a strawberry flavored confection had to be worth it in the end. She stuffed the sweet treat into her pocket as she made her way outside, easily spotting the two toned locks of Delilah. Jae took a deep breath before approaching, raising an open hand to greet her before she saw the distressed look on the Hufflepuff's face as she was looking around frantically. The Slytherin's brow furrowed a bit as she made her way to Delilah before the shorter girl bumped into her.

"Delilah," Dakota was the name that left Delilah's lips like a thin mist, it was a name that lingered like a whisper in the back of her mind. Familiar enough to know that she was a student of Hogwarts, but not stable enough for Jae to be able to match a face to the name. "Where-?" Not being aware of what Dakota looked like was a fall back. How was she going to help Delilah when she didn't know who she was looking for? The bodies around them were moving erratically through the street and Jae-Yun put a hand on Delilah's shoulder to keep from losing her in the crowds. Though when she felt the presence of someone close behind her, she whipped around and narrowed her eyes. Her free hand ready to release her wand from its holster on her forearm.

The young man who had felt the need to introduce himself seemed, again, vaguely familiar. With a raised eyebrow, Jae-Yun listened to him stutter utter nonsense before her with a stony expression. "Amir, you said?" She asked as she kept a protective hand on her schoolmate. "Do you think you can help or not? If you're confused, I don't think you'll be able to offer much assistance. Now, if you by chance saw a direction in which this 'girl' disappeared or if she was with someone, that would be extremely helpful."

In truth, a simple tracking charm could've solved all this confusion. Although, having some context on this situation could also be beneficial. Dakota...whatever her name was, apparently, was Delilah's friend and a close enough one that the little Hufflepuff was very distraught at their brief reunion in Diagon Alley. Jae-Yun wasn't exactly sure what to do at this point, except ask Delilah about Dakota and search, if the shorter woman so wished it.

"Did you happen to see anything else?" Jae finally addressed Delilah, her tone softening slightly as people weaved around them. "Perhaps we should go somewhere and we can discuss what happened?" The Slytherin didn't know how to help other than to try and make sense of what Delilah was so worried about. Perhaps with more information, they could formulate a better plan. Her eyes shifted to Amir and she sighed softly. "I suppose you can come too if you feel like you can contribute."

Jae put her hand in her pocket, finger tips grazing the cardboard container of her candied dog that had been forgotten. "Oh," A slender hand carefully removed the treat as she remembered why she was in Diagon Alley in the first place. She wasn't sure if Delilah even liked strawberries or chocolate frogs at all, but maybe it would help calm her mind. "Here, Delilah." She offered the box to the Hufflepuff with a small smile. "I had planned to share this with you later, but I think you could use something sweet now. "

@prettysoft @Doctor Manhattan