Chapter Two: Dinner at the Burrow
"Not one letter!" Daisy complained to her Aunt Mary, mouth full of the last bite of her bacon sandwich. "Not a word since school ended!" She exclaimed, not for the first time; her tone indignant.
"I'm sure there's a—"
"Not even one!"
"—perfectly reasonable explanation." Mary sighed, realising that Daisy wasn't listening. She began clearing the small table of their dirty plates and glasses while Daisy glared out the window, looking unseeingly at the small garden enclosed by tall bushes either side and backing onto a small wooded area, separated from the garden by a low wooden gate (and quite a few enchantments).
"You can mope later." Mary told Daisy sternly, flicking her wand at the dirty dishes in the sink which promptly began cleaning themselves. "Right now you need to go get dressed and grab your supply list."
Daisy looked down at her mismatched pyjamas–an oversized Holyhead Harpies shirt and a pair of slightly wonky Kenmare Kestrels cotton shorts (she had embroiled them herself)–with a grimace. Without a word she padded upstairs, quickly getting dressed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt which used to be her Aunt's (the front had a picture of a muggle popstar on it). Once she located her letter, she folded the supply list and placed it in the back pocket of her jeans.
"Hurry up!" Her Aunt called from the living room.
"Coming!" Daisy replied as she ran down the stairs, her just-past-shoulder-length auburn hair tied into two low bunches and left to hang down in front of the graphics on the back of her shirt, swinging as she rushed into the living room.
As was second nature at this point, Daisy grabbed a handful of floo powder and quickly stepped into the fireplace, firmly stating 'Diagon Alley' she quickly disappeared in a haze of green flames.
The cobbled street of Diagon Alley was a familiar sight, and a welcome one. Daisy stood to the side of the fireplace and absorbed the atmosphere for a moment. While she loved living in Hogsmeade and the quiet which came with it (apart from when the Hogwarts students visited), there was something invigorating about the hustle and bustle of patrons hurrying between shops and the almost constant stream of people walking around.
"Come on Daisy." Mary grabbed the daydreaming eleven year old by her hand and pulled her towards the wizarding bank, Gringotts.
The trip to Gringotts was short and easy and less intriguing the second time around. Mary and Daisy made short work of her school list, and were indescribably grateful for Mary's bottomless shopping bag which made carrying everything infinitely easier. The only thing Daisy still needed was a wand. She stared at the window of Ollivander's shop with both excitement and nervousness pooling in her stomach. This was something she had looked forward to forever, and the anticipation was almost too much, so she forced her feet to move and with a couple steps and the chiming of a bell, she was inside.
The shop was dark and deep, a lot longer than it appeared from the outside, the rows of shelves full of wands went further back than Daisy had ever realised. It appeared empty at first, but after a moment a wizard with wiry silver hair and almond coloured robes appeared from behind a shelf.
"Ah Miss Potter, I've been expecting you."
Daisy grinned, nodding excitedly, despite not being asked a question. She knew to stand still as the magical tape measure whirled around her taking measurements, but she allowed her eyes to drink in her surroundings eagerly.
"That will do." He told the tape measure, his eyes scanning the shelves intently. "Now then, let's try this one. Willow and dragon heartstring, twelve inches, pliable. Give it a wave."
