Shopping For Moony

[megazostradon]

"Candy, candy~!" The tall Gryffindor boy bounced on his heels, holding a bag, jingling with a few coins meant for the sweet candies around him. The red-and-gold scarf around his neck bobbed up and down as he moved cheerfully. His silver eyes were alight with joy. "Candy~!" Something glittered in the corner of his eye and he turned to see a couple delicate, translucent butterflies slowly flapping their wings of shaped sugar, and decorated with small beads of sour candy. He moved towards them, reaching out to touch one of their shining bodies, but then tugged his hand back and balled it into a fist.

"No, Padfoot, be strong!" Sirius forced his hand back to his side. "Sweets make you sick! You can't handle too much candy! But..." His mouth watered as he stared at the butterflies. "Sour butterflies..." He took another step towards them, then stopped and turned his back on them. "No, no no! I came to get Moony chocolate! Chocolate for Moony!! Chocolate for... for... Moony... Levitating Sherbet Balls?!! No! No!"

After a few more minutes of Sirius' internal conflict, he managed to fight himself over to the wall devoted entirely to chocolate. "Now where are those bars that Moony loves...?" He scanned the wall. 'Hm, maybe I should get him an assortment...' "Chocolate Frogs! I have to get some of those!" Sirius began selecting some sweets that he knew his friend would adore, taking perhaps even more pleasure than he would have in choosing them for himself.

[brett]

Regulus Black walked through the streets of Hogsmeade. A gust of wind pushed back his hair and caused the green and silver scarf around his neck to flutter slightly before returning to it's original position. He bypassed the Three Broomsticks, and Zonko's joke shop, though he would like to stop there later, and continued right on to Honeydukes.

The smell of all the delicious treats that lined every wall of Honeydukes filled his nostrils. Regulus closed his eyes and took a deep appreciative breath before moving into the store. He looked at the blood pop display thinking perhaps he would buy one, but later. As he made his way toward the sour butterflies and dug his thin pale hands into the pockets of his cloak feeling the galleons and sickles jingling in his pocket.

As he made some calculations in his head as to how much he could afford his eyes drifted over to the chocolates where he spotted a familiar figure, his brother Sirius. He wanted to shout his brothers name in excitement, but feared causing a scene. He wasn't exactly sure how Sirius felt about him at the moment. They seemed to argue more and more lately, but he was still Regulus' older brother. He slowly made his way to where his brother stood excitedly picking chocolates. "Hey Bro," he said chancing a smile as he stood beside his slightly taller, Gryffindor counterpart.

[megazostradon]

The sugar surrounding the Gryffindor seemed to permeate into him, and his face were alight with childlike energy. His eyes whisked from one bin to another, as he decided which candies to take. At the same time, his mind was rushing to think of a creative method to deliver the sweets to Remus. Simply handing them off would never do! Not for Sirius Black. Perhaps he could rent an exotic bird from the post office…

He started when he heard the gentle voice address him. “Reg! ((pronounced with a g like in ‘girl’))” Sirius exclaimed, turning to his brother with his dark eyebrows raised in surprise. The boy warily glanced over his brother’s shoulder, and was happily assured that there were no other Slytherins accompanying Regulus. All the same, he chose his words carefully. They weren’t at school, where they hardly spoke at all, but the colors of his brother’s scarf were a constant reminder of the conflict that could awaken between the two boys.

“How are you?” he smiled calmly, regaining control over his childish, candy-induced hype. “Classes going well?” Sirius’ smile widened with pride as he thought of his brother’s outstanding O. W. L. scores. “I don’t know how you can manage that grade in potions!” Regulus absolutely trumped Sirius in potions. Sirius never had the patience and attention span to meticulously mix a concoction. The Gryffindor boy much preferred the instant reaction of casting spells.

[brett]

"I'm doing ok, classes are good," Regulus said answering his brothers first two questions methodically. Regulus had always had good natural intellect, but he still could never really slack off he had natural talent as did his brother Regulus was just more willing to do the work...it was part of the whole making his parents proud deal. That was the way it worked Sirius rebelled and Regulus obeyed just as the sun always rose in the east and set in the west.

"You know you could do just as well in potions if you actually to the time," Regulus said smiling. All it took was patience: making sure you had the right measurements and read the directions carefully. Then again patience was never his brother's strong suit as he always seemed to be looking for instant gratification. It also probably helped that Regulus found potions interesting.

"So where are rat-face, hairy and hooves?" he asked attempting to call Sirius's friends by their nicknames, but failing terribly. Sometimes he did it intentionally, but that only made it more difficult at times like these when he was actually trying. Regulus was not used to seeing his brother alone which was why this was the most pleasant exchange they'd had in quite sometime. He hated how he had to treat his brother in school...though sometimes it was definitely easier than others.

[megazostradon]

Sirius stared blankly at Regulus for a moment. He could see the honest attempt in his brother’s expression, and an amused smile spread across his face. “That’s Wormtail, Moony and Prongs,” he said, and began to laugh at the thought of the scandalized expression Remus would have if someone called him ‘Hairy’. It didn’t bother him that not many people remembered the nicknames the four friends had come up with for each other. After all, being a marauder was a bit exclusive.

“Ah, but who wants to take the time?” he asked, in reference to Regulus’s comment about his adeptness at potions. “I wouldn’t bother with that class at all if I didn’t need it to become an auror.” Sirius was reminded unpleasantly of an essay he had to complete upon returning to the castle. It had to be turned in with a sample of potion. “Shoot, I have to buy some ingredients while I’m here.”

The hand on the bag of coins he had tightened slightly, to measure the amount of money he had. Disappointment crept onto his face. The bag was woefully light. It really did suck to be poor. Not that he minded life without the House of Black—in fact, he absolutely loved it—but it also meant he had to come up with money for supplies on his own.
He did some quick calculations in his head, and figured to have enough money for a bar of chocolate for Remus, along with kneazle claws and demgog bristles meant he’d have no money left for any candy or butterbeer for himself. Maybe if he caught his own demgog in the Forbidden Forest, he could afford a couple levitating sherbet balls…

[brett]

"Right, sorry," Regulus said turning a bit red at his failed attempt, but laughing a long anyway. He had made the effort, and at least Sirius recognized that it was an accident. Regulus wished he had a group of friends who could parade around the castle with nicknames causing trouble the way his brother did, but Slytherins tend to keep to themselves, especially Regulus. Of course he knew his housemates and got along with quite a few of them, but he didn't have that bond with any of them like Sirius and his friends had.

Regulus watched his brother weigh his bag of coins guiltily as he felt around the rather large sum he had been given by their parents. He wanted to offer Sirius money, since some of it should be his anyway, but he was afraid his brother might take an out right offering as an insult to his independence or something. As Sirius weighed his coins Regulus was weighing his conscience, he knew his parents would never approve giving even a little money to Sirius, he was as good as dead to them as soon as he stormed out the door.

"Tell you what, I need to pick up some ingredients myself so why don't you just let me grab your stuff too...I mean lets face it Sirius, I'm a lot better at picking out the good stuff," Regulus smiled hoping this would work. Part of the reason Regulus was so good at potions was his ability to pick ingredients that were freshest. It was a lot like picking out vegetables, any one would do, but the better quality ingredients the better quality of the final product.

[megazostradon]

Sirius's thoughts were drawn away from his monetary musings as Regulus spoke. His eyes once again focused on his brother and then he smiled warmly. He knew his brother too well to believe that Regulus was only going to pick up ingredients simply because Sirius was lousy at it. "Alright! Thank you," he agreed with a sprightly smile. "I need a couple kneazle claws and a small packet of demgog bristles. Everything else I've got back at the castle."

"I need to stop by the post office, too. Shall we meet at the three broomsticks?" 'I can afford a butterbeer for each of us,' Sirius thought cheerfully. 'We could take them our and walk around town if there are any scowling Slytherins in there.' His mind's eye irritatedly thought of his brother surrounded by several slimy, Voldemort-worshiping scumbags. 'Damn Snivellus and Malfoy... God, and Bellatrix.'

He sighed softly, and pulled his thoughts back to the present. No use brooding over them at the moment. Right now, things were going well. Candy, butterbeer, and a rare moment to speak with his brother without getting glares from ugly snakes over Regulus' shoulder. Sirius smiled happily.

((sorry about the shortness...))

[brett]

"Kneazle claws and demgog bristles, no problem bro," Regulus smiled repeating the ingredients so as to commit them to memory. He was glad his brother had excepted the help though Regulus figured he may have used excuses like this too often and Sirius knew his true intention. Regardless, he had more than enough money to pay for Sirius's ingredients and his own.

"Yea, that'd be great," Regulus smiled in response to his brothers invitation. It would be nice to get a little more time with Sirius to catch up. He wasn't sure if Sirius intended on paying for the drinks or not, but Regulus would gladly pay for his own and Sirius' as well if he would allow it. Hopefully the rest of the Slytherins would find the atmosphere of the broomsticks too cheery and they would be able to enjoy their drinks at the bar. If not a stroll around hogsmeade would work just as well, but they would still need to be careful of who saw them.

It was ridiculous really, that he had to sneak around to see his own brother. He and Sirius had agreed long ago though that they both would have reputations to maintain. While he was waiting to get sorted his first year Regulus had half hoped he would get sorted into Gryffindor with his brother, but he knew his personality had already been molded to that of a Slytherin. He supposed he should just be lucky for the secret meetings and not worry.

[megazostradon]

Sirius turned back to the candy as his brother left to shop for the potions ingredients. The silver-eyed Gryffindor boy chose a couple chocolate pieces for Remus. He had decided on a chocolate frog and a bar of continuously swirling milk, dark and white chocolate. With an amused smile as he watched the colors of the chocolate bar flow, he took them up to the shopkeeper. He pulled out several bronze coins for the candies, and then pocketed the spoils of his mission to the candy shop.

As he exited, the cool wind surprised him after the warmth inside Honeydukes. He gathered his cloak about himself and started towards the Post Office.
Sirius laughed as several owls swooped out when he opened the door. "Careful there," he ducked his head down to avoid getting smacked in the face by a particularly overzealous tawny owl.

"What can I get for ya?" a skinny man with thinning gray hair and a bushy mustache behind the counter asked.

"I'd like the most colorful, exotic-looking bird you've got available to send this!" Sirius held up the Honeydukes bag.

The mustached man chuckled and nodded. "I'll be right back," he strode through a door into the back rooms of the Post Office.

Sirius fished in his pockets and pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of parchment and an ever-ink quill. He scribbled on the parchment quickly, and stuffed the piece of paper into the Honeydukes bag just as the Post Office representative returned, with a large bird sitting on his arm.

"I've never seen a bird like that in my life," Sirius said appreciatively as the bird hopped onto the counter.
It was mostly red, but the flight feathers and long tail feathers that trailed onto the countertop glittered with gold, purple, blue, orange, yellow and green.

"They're not too common in Britain," the gray-haired postman chuckled. "From Australia. But a lot of Post Offices have taken to keeping them around, since they're good for festive letters. A lot of people mistake them for phoenixes. Quite a disappointment to them when they find their tears won't so much as cure a papercut. They're called Rainbow Cranes."

"For obvious reasons," the seventh year agreed, looking at its sparkling, multi-colored plumage. He leaned towards the bird and began tying the bag of candy to the bird's scaly, peach-colored foot. "How much?" Sirius asked the mustached postman.

"Five knuts!" the postman said cheerfully, and waved his wand to open up both the front doors to accommodate the crane's large wingspan.

"Sounds good!" As soon as Sirius placed the bronze coins into the postman's hand, the crane leapt into the air and flew out into the windy afternoon. The Gryffindor boy grinned as he watched it flutter away. "Thanks!" With a last glance at the postman, he plunged after the crane and into the cool air of Hogsmeade.

The door jingled as he walked into the warm cafe. He glanced around and saw a table full of green and silver. With a roll of his eyes, he walked past them to the front and ordered a couple of extra large butterbeers to go. It would be colder outside, but well worth it if the alternative would be a bunch of snakes hissing at Regulus to stay away from his renegade, blood-traitor brother. Sirius' eyes fell on another table of crimson and gold. Several smiles met him, and he waved cheerfully back. He felt a pang of guilt as he thought that the members of that table might glare at Regulus as much as the Slytherin table would glower at himself.
The Gryffindor boy as good as emptied his money pouch in exchange for the drinks and strode back outside.