Something Else

Stephanie rested her back against the shop window and tapped her foot impatiently. She'd said one hour and she was pretty certain that the hour had well and truly past. So where was Christine? The fourteen year old shifted the bag of books she'd bought earlier as she huffed a sigh at how late her sister was. If she didn't come soon Stephanie was going to have to go and search for the little brat.

She glance down the alley looking for the familiar blonde head of her younger sister. Nothing. "You'd better get here soon," she grumbled to herself as she pulled her spell book out of the bag. If Christine was going to take forever and a day to get here then Stephanie might as well make the most of her time. She had barely pulled the book out when she saw a blonde girl coming toward her. "Finally," she muttered as she put the book back into the bag.

Christine knew she was late but she was not going to hurry.  A lady never ran.  She may sometimes walk fast but running was not ladylike.  Thus she walked sedately.  Stephie could wait.  She was good about that.  Never made a fuss over anything.  Not like Marie who was forever fussing and acting as though she had to take over the role of mother since their own was dead.  Why couldn't she just leave it up to Aunt Simone?  

"Stephie I'm here," she said brightly as she stopped in front of her older sister. "So are you gonna help me find my pet before you give me my money and leave?  I really want your help in this ever so important decision.  I was thinking perhaps an owl like Arianne.  She'll like company don't you think?"  As much as she wanted her independence in her shopping for school supplies Christine really did look up to her older sister and wanted to follow her in more ways than one.  Same type of pet.  Same house.  Maybe even try that sport her sister played.  Flying on a broom would be like horse riding wouldn't it?  Thus not wrong for a lady.

Stephanie resented the way Christine strolled toward her as though she had all the time in the world. Wasn't she aware that at some point dad would be back to pick them up? There was no time to walk like that. "Finally," was the only word which came out of Stephie's mouth when Christine at at last stopped in front of her. "Come along. I'll help you choose your pet and then I'll hand over the money you'll need to buy everything else. Just make sure you stick to Amethyst Alley."

She pushed open the door and held it back to let her younger sister through. "Don't choose an owl on Arianne's account. She had plenty of company at school. Chose a pet you want." With that advice she then stepped back and let her sister look around. Stephanie was not willing to help her in any more ways than that.

Christine scrunched up her nose at her older sister's dismissal of the sacrifice she offered. As cute as Arianne was, Christine really had not wanted an ow. They could be dirty and smelly. She hadn't seen such evidence of Arianne being so but she was sure that birds were quite dirty creatures. Well in that case she wouldn't choose an owl at all. She would choose the animal of her choice.

As the young blonde walked around the shop she was amazed at the array of animals which were there. Some she would never agree to having in her life such as rats, bats and toads. "Disgusting," she said under her breath. Then she stopped in front of a basket fall of little pink and purple fluff balls. "Stephanie," she suddenly exclaimed, "what are pygmy puffs? I know they are these but what are they really?" From the look of them Christine imagined they would be very easy to look after and that was a plus in her book. The more important thing was to find out if they were clean creatures.

Stephanie had planned on using the time she waited for Christine to make up her mind to read through her new text books in the hope that if she got ahead she might do better in her classes. Instead she watched her younger sister walk around the petshop as though she'd stepped in something disgusting. It was typical of her.

Finally, when Christine stopped in front of the strangest creatures the shop offered to students it looked like that perhaps she may have made up her mind. Stephanie stepped forward. "Well they are animals you won't find in a regular pet shop." She paused as she tried to recall what exactly she'd learnt about them in magical creatures last year. "You won't have to feed one of those. They'll eat anything they find. They're scavengers and from what I've seen very clean." She looked closer at the small balls of fluff thinking how apt they would be for her sister. "You could easily hide one from friends back home so they won't ask awkward questions. Don't forge to keep your mouth shut."

Christine rolled her eyes at her sister's warning. Just because she accidentally blabbed to their cousin about the school they were going to it didn't mean she was going to tell everyone about Beauxbatons or the sorts of things which you'd only read of in a story book. Though really, what did it matter. It wasn't like anyone was likely to believe her. Donat hadn't when she told him about the school.

"Well I'll get one of the pink pygmy puffs," she said decidedly. "They are so very cute don't you think? And I can use Arianne when I want to send letters home right?" Of course Stephanie wouldn't say no. She wasn't mean or stingy. Christine was confident she would say yes because she always said yes to whatever Christine asked her to do. The eleven year old reached out and picked up one of the little pink balls of fluff. "Ooh Stephanie, she's so soft to touch. I think I might call her Lysiane. Lady Lysiane."

"You can use one of the school owls," Stephanie countered knowing the likelihood of her sticking to that rule was as remote as her sister never gossiping about anything ever again. That would never happen. "If you want to borrow Arianne you ask me first. Got it? No just assuming it's a given." If Christine didn't listen she would just report her to either Marie or Aunt Simone. One or the other would take care of that problem.

It looked like she was in luck. Christine didn't take forever and a day to make her decision. "Okay. I've got your money. There should be enough in here to pay for Lysiane and everything else you need." She held out the money pouch to her sister. "Now if you have any trouble just ask someone. Most people are nice enough to help you out." And if she happened to bump into someone like Mabel Miller then she will have the reality check she was sorely in need of having. "I'll meet you back at le Petit Dragon."

"The school has owls?" Stephanie asked. "I assumed those owls who came to the house belonged to the headmistress. Is anyone allowed to use those owls? Where are they kept? Is it very messy there?" If so she was going to have to be very careful. It was also very likely to be smelly. "Where do you keep Arianne at school? I promise I will ask you first." That actually might be ideal if Arianne was kept with those school owls. Then she could get her sister to also collect the owl. No need at all to go anywhere smelly.

She took the small back held with the strange coins she knew was the type of money she would need. Stephanie had already taught her that much and she was thankful her sister had not said again what each coin was worth. "Yes. I will meet you back where we started. Thank you Stephanie for doing this for me. I really appreciate it." She turned and went onto the counter to pay for Lysiane and ask what else she may need for the care of the pygmy puff feeling ever so grown up.

True to form Christine was bombarding her with more questions. "Of course it does. Who do you think owns the owls which bring me my booklist every year? Therefore there is no need for you to borrow Arianne. I keep her with the other owls. There's plenty of room for both school and student owls. Thank you."

With her task now done Stephanie turned to leave. She would come back for the owl treats once she was sure Christine was well on her way to some other place in the Alley. Right now she needed to check up on something in the Quidditch shop. Hopefully Christine will never follow her into playing Quiditch.