Wandshopping - 2

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Diagon Alley was packed by the time we got there. Witches and wizards, most in robes, all shuffled through the crowds to get to their desired shop.

A hand grabbed my wrist. "Aphry, let's go to the quidditch shop," Draco said, using the pet name he had used from a young age when he couldn't quite say my full name.

I started to follow him toward his favorite shop, but a hand was quickly at our backs, guiding us further down the Alley. "Not so fast, children," Draco's mother said.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Mum!"

"Our priority is getting your school supplies first, Draco."

Draco looked at me and rolled his eyes. I laughed. "Draco, you are still rolling your eyes at your mother, even if you're looking at me," I said, parroting Narcissa from when she had scolded Draco on a previous occasion.

Narcissa smiled down at me, I'm sure amused at my comment. However, I registered it as approval, and a small part of me felt pride thinking I was already fulfilling my duties well.

"Narcissa, William and I have a quick ministry errand to run." Mr. Malfoy said behind us.

"Of course, Darling. I am heading to Ollivander's with the children. We can meet you at the bookshop after we get the children's robes?" With a curt nod toward his wife, Mr. Malfoy and my father parted ways with us.

We turned to enter Ollivander's. The bell chimed, and Draco and myself both looked around curiously. For a brief moment, I wondered how the famous Wand Maker managed to keep his shop empty, particularly when so many first years were needing wands.

Footsteps from the second story of the shop interrupted my internal thoughts on the potential charm used. "Ah, Mrs. Malfoy." He walked down the stairs to meet us. "Here to get the young Malfoy's wand for school I see." He said, eyeing us with a subtle warmth in his eyes. "And is this William Cytheria's daughter?"

She beamed proudly as she looked at her son, then me. "Indeed, Mr. Ollivander. They'll both be needing wands."

He stood in front of us with his hands behind his back, studying us for a brief moment. "Well, let's get started then. We'll do yours first, Mr. Malfoy."

As if waiting for a cue, we heard a shift from behind Mr. Ollivander's counter. We all looked to see a wand box, half removed from its place amongst the shelves. If it hadn't been below several boxes, it would have fallen to the floor.

Mr. Ollivander looked back at Draco, an eyebrow raised at the boy. Draco smirked and puffed his chest proudly. "Guess that's my wand over there then."

The wandmaker seemed amused, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy. Let's see what we have here." He walked behind the counter as we made our way to the front side, and gently pulled the box from the shelf, placing it on the counter. Gently, he opened the box, pulling a sleek, dark-colored wand out. "Hawthorn, unicorn hair, ten inches, and reasonably flexible...." I watched as he held the wand out, handle facing the boy.

Draco took the wand, and immediately a spark shot out from it. It swirled around, landing on a vase of roses, springing them to life from their prior, slightly neglected state.

"Very impressive, Mr. Malfoy. I'll bag this up shortly. Now," Mr. Ollivander turned to look at me. "Shall we look for your wand, Ms. Cytheria?"

I smiled, nodding. "Yes, Mr. Ollivander!" I said excitedly.

"Mum, can I go to the quidditch shop now?" Draco said, obviously ready to go now that he had found his wand.

"No, Draco! I want to go, too!" I exclaimed. I was not about to be left out of broom shopping!

Narcissa sighed. "Draco, I told you we were going there last. If you're in such a hurry, head on down to Madam Malkin's and start getting fitted for your robes. Your father should be at the bookshop soon enough."

Draco glared at his mother, crossed his arms, and huffed. "Alright then." He turned to me, "Be glad I'm willing to wait for you. You owe me a Chocolate Frog or something."

I smiled, unaffected by his attempt to make me feel guilty. He paused looking me up and down as if to try and size me up, then turned and headed out the door in the direction of the robe shop.

Narcissa and I both looked from the door to each other with small, amused smiles. The both of us were used to Draco's attitude. We then both turn to Mr. Ollivander, who leaned down from the counter to look at me closely.

"Well, let's get started," he said.

Needless to say, my wand shopping experience was quite different from Draco's.

The first wand had fully destroyed the flowers Draco had previously revived, and the second cracked the vase clean in half, sending soil everywhere. The next four tries also resulted in various hijinks and messes.

Ollivander only seemed slightly challenged. "I've seen worse, Ms. Cytheria," he assured me over the rails as he looked at the option upstairs.

I looked up at Narcissa nervously. She smiled gently, and her hand went back and forth between my shoulder blades. "Don't worry dear. It's here somewhere."

Turning my gaze back to the shop owner, I watched as he seemed to freeze in place for a moment, facing the shelves. He slowly looked to gaze at me over the railing on the ground floor, then back toward the shelf. Gripping a box from the shelf, he headed down the stairs carefully examining the box. "Pear wood. Like Mr. Malfoy's, it's ten inches, unicorn hair, and reasonably flexible."

"Pear Wood? Mr. Ollivander, that's... a rare wood type," Narcissa said, a hint of hesitance in her voice. "Are you sure...?"

By this time, Mr. Ollivander had made his way behind the counter. He sat the box on the table between us and braced the edge of the counter without moving his eyes from the box. He didn't move his head, but looked at the woman through his thick, white, wiry eyebrows, welcoming Narcissa's protest like a challenge. "I guess we'll have to see."

He slid the inner box containing the wand from the outer protective box. Reaching into the velvet, he pulled a gold-hued wand. The handle was separated from the shaft by a thin, dark bronze band, and blossoms resembling that of the tree it originated were carved in a cluster along the entire handle. Some blossoms remained their natural golden wood color, while others were painted white.

The handle was presented to me by Mr. Ollivander. Having to stand slightly on my tip-toes, I reached over to grab the wand. I could already feel the chemistry between the wand and me. Once the wand was in my grip, a wind picked up in the previously stuffy room. The blooms from the roses I had killed lifted from the floor, transforming to blooms that matched the ones on my wand and swirling around me for a moment, before landing scattered around me.

I felt Narcissa's hands land on my shoulders, gently squeezing. "Congratulations, Aphrodite," she said softly as she plucked a bloom from my hair. "Looks like you have found your wand."

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