Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

chapter 60

Diagon Alley may just be my favourite place in all of the Wizarding World. In fact, if I could I'd live there. The whole shopping area radiates joy and excitement for not only me but all of the students and parents here purchasing supplies for their incoming school years.

I'll never forget the first time Dad brought me here with Benji and Ever. He made it fun for us by buying each of us whatever we wanted from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and letting us roam off by ourselves with some pocket money. Though bearing in mind the fact that I was only four at the time, I understand why Mum was so upset with him when she found out about that last part.

Today's trip to Diagon Alley is a short and breezy one. All I'm in need of for my fourth year is a new set of robes and a Standard Book of Spells Grade Four. See, I haven't outgrown my robes from last term, I've simply exploded them.

"You're so lucky that you get to work here." I grumble enviously. Everliah's gotten a job at Gringotts, "What's your position again? Head-Purse Banger, was it?"

Before she has the time to react, Benji adds thoughtfully. "I thought it was Head-Purse Bringer."

"No, you ninnies." Everliah giggles. "I'm the Head-Curse Breaker."

"We got the Head part right." Benjamin mumbles to me as I snort with laughter beside him.

"It is such a high-ranking and prestigious position." Mum boasts. The contrast between my job and Ever's is laughable but it's also symbolic of our personalities. While she's take-charge and important, I'm entertaining and foolish. I think you need some of both for the world to go round.

"Oh Mum, I forgot to tell you we have to pick up an extra book for James so he won't have to make the trip. He would've come along but he's spending the day at Remus'." I babble on as I have my body measurements taken down at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

"How do you suppose it looks for you to constantly be seen fraternizing with teenage boys?" Mum asks giving me a look of reproach. 

I pretend to think for a moment with my arms still in the air while the magical tape measure moves on its own around my waist. "Well, I'd say rather short seeing as they're all so tall." I smirk as I render my mother speechless and my siblings roar with laughter from behind her.

Once my robes are fashioned and ready to go, the woman at the cash hands me the shopping bag with a smile, "Have a nice day!"

I frown at her and it takes everything in me to keep from convulsing into laughter. "Don't tell me what to do." The woman is entirely taken aback by my words and she stutters out an apology, anxiously looking between me and Mum.

Mum's mouth gapes like a fish out of water and she flushes red with embarrassment. "I am terribly sorry! Please don't pay her much mind she's only joking." She assures the seamstress quickly and the woman smiles again with a small nod of her head. As we exit, Mum flicks my ear. "Come on Chiara, could you not be serious for two seconds of your life?!"

I grin, unfazed. "Nope. Sirius is Sirius and I am Chiara."

"Oh for goodness sake – I'm done, I'm done." With that said, she stalks off in the direction of Flourish and Blotts.

*

"Ah, home sweet home." Sirius sighs happily, seating himself down in our usual place at the table in the Great Hall.

I tune into the conversation between third years to my left. "Oh, how I wish I could relive my first day here. The excitement, seeing it all anew, having everyone cheer you on..."

I can't help myself. "I couldn't help but overhear." I say, cutting the boy off. "You know, you actually can live through it again. You're in luck because Zonko's Joke Shop is having a two for one Shifters Candy sale on the first weekend of Hogsmeade for all students."

"O-Okay! Thank you, w-we will be sure to purchase some." One of the flustered boys tells me.

"I'll hold you to it." I wink at them causing an uproar of excited shrieks and howls to erupt between that group of younger Gryffindor boys. I flip around in my seat back to my own friends with a cocky smirk as I hear one of them say, "Chiara Holland just spoke to us!!"

Remus surveys me in amusement. "Did you really just use their infatuation towards you to advertise your product?"

"Obviously." I say in a 'duh' tone. "Do you have a problem with that, Remy?"

"Problem? Me?" He flicks his short hair back. "Couldn't be."

"You made a rhyme." I tap him on the nose affectionately before turning to face Sirius. "Here's what I'm thinking," I lean in close. "We stay for dinner and then blow this popsicle stand and ditch everyone to catch up."

"Brilliant." He smirks and I could swear his eyes flicker down to my lips for a second there but Dumbledore tapping a knife to his goblet at the front of the room makes me question whether I imagined it.

"Newcomers, I welcome you. Returnees, welcome back. I suspect at this point we're all thinking with our stomachs rather than our minds. As such I will keep this brief. The only words I have for you today are: pillock, blubber, butter and quirk! Tuck in!"