Chapter 233: The Date: First Half (2/2)
”Do you like it?”
Daphne wordlessly nodded. In that moment, Daphne thought this was the most exquisite piece of jewellery she had seen — even more enchanting than the pieces in her mother's collection that Daphne had wanted for herself.
”That's great!” said Quinn, sighing a relieved breath. ”I was worried it might be too flashy for your tastes.”
”Tch, show-off little shit making others life difficult.” Quinn turned to see that it was Eddie who had muttered the words under his breath.
Quinn beamed, ”Thank you for your generous compliments.”
Eddie's face contorted as if he had sucked on a lime. ”Oh, you smug bugger jac—”
”I am back,” the sudden arrival of Tracy halted Eddie's mouth as he greeted her with a smile.
”It's nothing. I was just asking Quinn if he could make me one of those,” said Eddie pointing at Daphne's wrist, ”I thought it would look good on you.”
Tracey's eyes turned to eggs as she beelined to Daphne and joined her in admiring the ring band.
”Daphne, it looks fabulous on you,” she said. ”Quinn gave it to you?”
”Yes.”
”I am envious.”
”So am I,” muttered Eddie, shooting glare beams at Quinn, who wiggled his brows — I'm pure awesome, they seem to say.
”Okay, ladies, it's time for us to leave,” said Quinn, ”I just saw Filch limp, so we should probably line up, stay ahead of the crowd.”
It was not only Pansy Parkinson who had witnessed the scene. Many eyes had chanced upon the fascinating crystal lotus, its receiver, and the one who had gifted it.
All it took was one domino tile to be tipped over for the complex domino sequence known as the Hogwarts rumor mill to grapevine a piece of gossip. It started from the queue of people being signed out by Filch talking about it, spreading to friends who had come to embarrass the new couples going on their dates, expanding to everyone in the great hall one door away, and it was only time when everyone would know about the blue lotus made from crystal —
That was if it was called the Hogwarts fact mill; alas, the Hogwarts rumor mill was a different creature. Just in a few exchanges along the great grapevine, the blue crystal lotus had turned into a blue sapphire lotus, and another few links after, the news was that Quinn West had gifted Daphne a rare blue diamond lotus.
Unbeknownst to them, Hogwarts had crafted a love saga with Daphne and Quinn as the central characters. They were busy getting started with their date.
Quinn smiled as he stepped out of the castle, and the fresh air reached him, finding it somehow easier to walk even with all the students crowding the path. It was a fresh, breezy sort of day, perfect to go down to the village and have fun.
”So, Daphne,” he said, ”what do you want to do first? I was thinking that we should start with some Hogsmeade shopping. Buy things we need. What do you think?”
”That would be fine with me.”
”Excellent, then where should we go first?”
”We can shrink most things, so the order won't matter. Do you have one of those pockets of yours? Yes, good, then we won't need to have anything delivered. I think we should start with Ceridwen's Cauldrons.. .”
The subject of how to start the day carried them all the way down the drive and out through the gates. Quinn was again reminded how easy it was to talk to Daphne, no more difficult, in fact, than talking to Eddie and Marcus. He didn't need to check his words or lead her in conversations; it was delightful.
They wandered toward Dervish and Banges. A large poster had been stuck up in the window, and a few Hogsmeaders were looking at it. They moved aside when Quinn and Daphne approached, and Harry found himself staring once more at the ten colored pictures of the escaped Death Eaters. The poster (”By Order of the Ministry of Magic”) offered a thousand-Galleon reward to any witch or wizard with information relating to the recapture of any of the convicts pictured.
”It's funny, isn't it,” said Daphne in a low voice, also gazing up at the pictures of the Death Eaters. ”Remember when that Peter Pettigrew escaped, and there were dementors all over Hogsmeade looking for him? And now ten Death Eaters are on the loose, and there aren't dementors anywhere. . .”
”Yes, it's indeed strange,” said Quinn. ”It seems they are indeed out of the Ministry's control,” he said in a whisper.
Only a very select few in the Ministry and the DMLE were aware that the dementors were no longer under the control of the Ministry. Others outside the Ministry knew the truth of the situation, but none wanted this news to get out — no one in the right mind wanted to leak the news and incite mass panic. The official party line for everybody was that the Aurors Office had deployed to their full capability to catch the escapees.
The ten escaped Death Eaters and the other escapee were staring out of every shop window Quinn and Daphne passed. It started to rain, but fortunately, they had arrived at Scrivenshaft Quill Shop.
”Let's go inside,” said Quinn, pulling Daphne inside the shop.
Daphne briefly glanced up the shop sign, recalling the Ministry Christmas Ball when she was the first year — Quinn had introduced his family as the owner of Scrivenshaft Quill Shop, which had confused her for a long time, and only later did she find out the truth later from her mother and then some from her father.
Quinn walked into the lively stationary supply shop slash printing solution shop. The shop had changed much through the year, the most change coming after last year with Quinn's Lunar developer putting color into literally everything. Before Lunar developer, Scrivenshaft wasn't as colorful as it is now. Right now, every corner of the shop was flushed with color.
”There's no one at the front desk,” said Daphne.
Quinn turned his eyes away from the shop and pointed at the bell. ”Ring it, Ben will come out.”
Daphne pressed the button, and the ring chimed clear and loud around the shop. Quinn and Daphne glanced up at the ceiling, hearing hurried steps rush on the second floor, travel down the stairs, and the back busted open, and a baby-faced young man slid into the room.
”W-Welcome to Scrivenshaft. How.. . What can I do for you today?” said the man before in one breath, and only after did he lookup. ”Mr. W-West, you are here! D-Did you say that you would be visiting,” the man seemed to have a nervous breakdown.
Quinn smiled. ”Good morning, Ben. Please, calm down, take a deep breath, and relax.”
Ben Sapworthy, the current manager of Scrivenshaft, the successor to Gary, who had moved up to the position of Head of Silver Moon Printing MagiTech. (Chapter 152)
”Y.. . Yes.”
After Ben calmed down, he welcomed them again and asked how he could help them.
”We are here to get some school supplies,” said Quinn, then turning to his companion. ”This is my friend Daphne Greengrass and Daphne, this is Ben Sapworthy; he's the one who prints the AID notes and cards. He also designed a good amount last year for the Quidditch Tournament.”
Daphne Greengrass gracefully curtsied that Ben returned clumsily.
”Daphne, if you have any stationery and printing needs, you can write to Ben, and he will help you out,' Quinn turned to Ben. ”If she writes to you, please make a priority and apply the 'me' discount.”
”Yes, of course. Daphne Greengrass. Understood.”
After the short rain ended, they exited the shop, leaving behind Ben to relax.
”He was.. . fidgety,” said Daphne.
Quinn nodded, ”He will need to work on that aspect.”
”It might not be my place to ask, but may I ask why?”
”Why is he in charge? Ben Sapworthy might be a nervous wreck, but the reason he's in charge is because of his art and design skills. He can draw and design like it's no one else's business. His skill as an artist speaks for itself. The reason he's there is so that he can do his work in peace away from the rush and bustle of the Alley-named market.”
They walked across Hogsmeade, and while walking, shopping, and talking, they somehow made their way to a side road in front of a small tea shop. It was a cramped, steamy little place where everything seemed to have been decorated with frills or bows.
”Do you want to go in?” he asked.
The sign above the shop said —
「Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop」
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Quinn West - MC - Added crystal jewellery making into his resume.
Daphne Greengrass - Ice Queen - Has broken many weights.
Ben Sapworthy - Scrivenshaft - Magical Artist.
FictionOnlyReader - Author - The trailer to The Secrets of Dumbledore is going to come out on Monday. Hyped! Going to miss Depp. But excited for Mikkelsen
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