He didn't know how long they'd been in this stuffy clothing store, but it seemed to Emrys as if it had been hours.  He'd been woken that morning by his mother who told him that they were going shopping for the things on Hogwarts list.  He'd groaned silently, for if his mother had heard him, it would of been a lecture before breakfast and that was enough to turn him off his food.

He wished he could just go with his aunt.  She'd get everything done quickly and leave enough time for a little fun before taking him back home, and she wouldn't make him get all the expensive stuff either.  He got up and dressed quickly and headed downstairs where he was hustled into the dining room and told to eat quickly for they had a lot to get done.

Once they had all finished and had made it to Diagon Alley, they moved in quick succession through the shops, getting everything he needed to start Hogwarts.  Avoiding the bookstore and the Quidditch shop, two of the places Emrys would rather be, and then finally heading towards the clothing store.  Any other parent would of probably went to Madam Malkin's, but not his parents.

They walked in the door and his father immediately made an excuse up to go have a drink somewhere, leaving poor Emrys to suffer his mother's love of shopping for clothes all by himself. He'd had to endure this every time he hit a growth spurt, so he'd been in here enough that they had his measurements written down and saved somewhere.  There was actually no need for him to be here at all as he'd gotten a suit a few months ago and he hadn't grown any since then.

But under his mother's watchful eye, he was stood up on a pedestal and measured again and then they held different fabrics up for her to see if it would look good on him.  Emrys was getting tired of it already and they'd only been there 20 minutes.  Finally he was told to go sit down.  He watched his mother talk to the shop owner and rolled his eyes, wishing he'd remembered to bring a book with him as he figured he would be here for another hour or two at least.

Wincing as he heard his mother exclaim, "Only the best for my little prince", he turned the seat he was in to face the opposite direction and began to hope that someone interesting would enter the shop and quickly before he decided to run to the bookstore.  It's not like his mother would notice he was gone.

There were three weeks left of summer before the very important day. Aoide had marked it off in her calendar at home in Godric’s Hollow that morning. Three weeks meant that she had to be getting her wand sometime soon, surely. All the good ones would be gone! She had passed Ollivanders several times since her Hogwarts letter arrived, yearning for the day she could go in and wave wands to find out which would be hers. But her parents seemed to think that she could wait a bit longer, like she might itch to sneak it out and play with it before she could go to school.

When her auror mother had a Wednesday off, and told Aoide over breakfast that they needed to go to Diagon Alley, her heart had leapt. Today HAD to be the day. But it seemed like her mother was going to take a small century to get to Diagon Alley, let alone get near Ollivanders. They’d spent FOREVER in Gringotts and they hadn’t even taken a cart ride to a vault (which was one of Aoide’s favourite things), and then they’d gone to the post office and an owl had pecked at her when she’d tried to stroke it.

Now, to Aoide’s dismay they were entering Twilfit and Tattings, which wasn’t even for Hogwarts robes. She was a really patient kid, but today was beginning to test her. She didn’t dare open her mouth to moan because it might risk another week’s delay. Her mother could be super strict.

“Good morning, I have an order to pick up.” Aoide trailed behind her mother, who headed for the counter. She considered the long rails of robes and materials, and whether she could burrow into them and make a den. Glancing away from her mother to consider which velvet material might make the best den, Aoide gave a little jump as she saw another young person in the shop, looking equally bored out of their skull.

“Helen, darling, how lovely to see you.”

“Well, that’s us stuck here for the rest of our lives.” Aoide remarked, hearing her mother greet the other lady at the counter. “I think I might die before I get to go and choose my wand. What about you?”

Emrys had been off in his own little world he'd created in his mind when he heard, “Well, that’s us stuck here for the rest of our lives.. He raised his chin off the hand that had been balanced on the arm of the chair and looked in her direction, "I know, I don't know why they need to shop so much, it's not like we need 15 sets of socks to get us through the year."  He was exaggerating of course, but it seemed like his mother was planning for the end of the world to his eleven year old mind.

"I got my wand before we came here," he told the girl, "I just can't wait to go to Hogwarts, my mum has been waxing poetic about how she'll miss me sorely when it's time to leave." He looked over to where his mother was now chatting with who seemed to be the girl's mum, he guessed anyway, and sighed, "I just don't think she knows what to do if I'm not there to boss around and being told to always correct my manners, or go change my shirt because it isn't proper to wear that for tea."

He hated being the heir of a house.

“It’s not like we need 15 sets of socks to get us through the year.”
“Just ten,” Aoide agreed with a smile, shoving her hands into her pockets as she approached.

“I got my wand before we came here…” Aoide suppressed a little moan of complaint and jealousy as the boy went on. Everyone had their wand before her, but she would be patient. Good things came to those who waited, and it looked like they were going to be waiting a while in the robe shop.

Aoide hardly heard the rest of what the boy said after can’t wait to go to Hogwarts. Her lips came apart in a minor gasp and she stared.
“You’re going to Hogwarts too?!” She squeaked, and shot a glance at the adults to check they weren’t going to get told off for being too noisy. “I mean, you’re going, next month?” She asked, tiptoeing forwards to stand beside the chair he was sat in, “because I am too, and I think I might explode before I get there.” Aoide tipped her head back. “My big sister’s just finished, and everyone’s told me stuff but I just want to seeeeeeee iiiiiiiit,” she moaned quietly.

Emrys understood the girl's excitement about going to Hogwarts.  He too was excited, but it was to get away from his overbearing parents. He knew that they loved him on a certain level, but he got tired of being an only child, expected to be perfect at all times because he was the heir.

He watched her glance over to where the adults were still talking. "I just can't believe that I'm stuck in here, I mean, how long does it take to buy clothes." he was a boy, so he never really understood the allure of a shopping trip.  Even his aunt had told him how she loved to shop.

"I'd much rather be in the bookstore.  But she won't take me there until after we're done with everything else." he frowned. 

The boy was kind of posh sounding, Aoide thought as he talked about how long it took to get clothes. She glanced up and down him, taking in the book, how he was dressed, his haircut, quietly trying to suss him out. Her mother had always mentioned you could read a lot into someone by how they presented themselves. She just wasn’t very adept unlike her auror mother.
“I’d much rather be in the bookstore…”

“Pah!” Aoide replied, “At least you can look forward to the book shop, because you’ve already got your wand. You’re lucky!” She grinned at him enviously and then shoved out her hand.

“I’m Aoide, people call me Dee. I live in Godric’s Hollow, how about you?”

"My name is Emrys, I live in Ireland.  It's very nice to meet you." he said, knowing that if his mother heard him without less than perfect manners, he'd have to sit through another one of her 'lectures' which was really him practicing good manners for close to an hour before his father would take pity on him and let him go.

"So, where do you think you'll be sorted?  I'm expected to be a Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor, but I think I'd give mum a heart attach if I were to be Hufflepuff."  He stood up from the chair he was in for a minute as his legs were going to sleep from sitting for so long, he stretched and sat back down.  "I'm just ready to be there, I listened to stories about it from my grandfather and am really looking forward to it."

Emrys! That was a nice name, reminded Aoide of stories of Merlin.

“So, where do you think you’ll be sorted? … I think I’d give mum a heart attack if I were to be Hufflepuff.” Aoide’s expression turned from smiles to surprise at that comment, but Emrys ploughed on, mentioning his grandfather had told him stories about Hogwarts.

“Yeah,” she echoed, hands in her pockets, “I’ve heard loads from my big sister. She just finished her NEWTs, you know the exams we take in our last year? She was in Gryffindor, said it was load of fun. Told me places to check out for secret passages and everything.” Aoide might well be talking it up a bit. She and Ariadne were alright as half sisters but didn’t see as much of each other as Aoide might have liked.

Their mothers were engaging in more lengthy conversation like old friends at the counter, and samples of material were being proffered to them by the assistant. Aoide inhaled and planted her feet firmly on the floor, turning back to Emrys.

“What’s wrong with being sorted into Hufflepuff?”

"I don't think there is anything wrong with Hufflepuff, but mother thinks it is not suitable for decent folks.  Or at least that's what I've heard her say to father on several occasions.  For some reason those conversations always end with her needing 'smelling salts' because she's fainted at the thought of me not being in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor.  It's hilarious really, I don't care where I go."

He looked over at where their mothers were talking and rolled his eyes, "Are all mothers like this, or is it only ours? I mean, I don't think they've met before today, I mean, I've never seen your mum around mine, yet they are talking like they've known each other for ages.  It's ridiculous."

“… mother thinks it is not suitable for decent folks…” Aoide frowned at Emrys, wondering why his mother was so set against Hufflepuff.

“… I don’t care where I go.”
“My dad was in Hufflepuff,” Aoide stated, a shot across the bows just in case Emrys decided that he might agree with his mother, even if he suggested he didn’t. “If I get sorted into it, I’d be proud. I just don’t want to end up in Slytherin, but if I do, that’s mum’s old house, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world.” She shrugged.

“iAre all mothers like this, or is it only ours? I mean, I don’t think they’ve met before today…” Aoide looked back over her shoulder and then back to Emrys as he stopped talking.
“Yeah, they’ve met before, my mum knew your mum’s name. My mum’s an auror, so she knows lots of people.” Aoide was proud of that, and her chest puffed out a little.

She stepped around Emrys on the chair, reaching out to touch the fabrics around them. It was so good to talk to someone who was going to be at school with her, even if they were still finding their feet with conversation. Aoide knew some of the other kids, but she was keen to make lots of friends, as she’d hate to have no friends.
“So have you got all your school robes?” She asked Emrys from behind him, “Ooh and are you taking a pet? Mum won’t let me, but I heard dad talking about owls, but if mum says no then it’s no. Is that like your mum too?”

Just as Emrys was about to reply to his new maybe friend, his mother had said her goodbyes to the other woman and was standing near where he was lounging in the chair.  "Come along Emrys, it is time to go home." She didn't wait for him to follow her, just headed towards the door.

Emrys looked at Aoide, "Um, see you on the train... maybe..." he said to her as he rushed to find his mother so they could go home.