Good Memories
Minnie and her Godmother stood outside of the steps of the Daily Prophet. Minnie was escorting her to work before she made her way over to her Uncle's record store.
"You can come up if you like, see if you want to maybe try and get an internship." Ginny suggested making Minnie's heart sink. She didn't want to go up there where everyone knew her mother and would compare them.
"I think I need to get over to my Uncle's. Alice is supposed to be meeting me on the way, I'll bet she's camped out in front of Quality Quidditch staring at broomsticks." Minnie said, glad to have an excuse. She gripped the strap of her overnights bag digging in her finger nails.
"You don't have to be your mother, you know that right?" Ginny insisted as she lovingly putting her hands on Minnie's shoulders. "I'm just being selfish. I miss working with her, and I love having you around."
"That's alright." Minnie understood. Her mum and Ginny had been close since childhood. Their childhood pictures at the school showed them both hopelessly attached at the hip.
"You alright from here I hope?" Ginny asked lightly nudging the bottom of her chin.
Minnie knew the walk to her Uncle's store like the back of her hand. "Of course."
"Alright." Ginny kissed the top of Minnie's forehead, "Have a wonderful school year."
"Thanks." Minnie smiled back, the lingering feeling of her Godmother's lips on her forehead felt warm. "Goodbye."
Minnie waved to Ginny as she walked from the Prophet towards Twin Flames Records.
Minnie was correct as she made her way through the alley. Her little sister Alice was standing directly in front of Quality Quidditch, an ice cream in one hand and her travel bag in the other. Her sandy hair shone in the morning light emphasized by little butterfly clips strewn about her hair.
"It's eight-am Lissy. Bit early for ice cream?" Minnie suggested making her sister abruptly turn her head.
"Not if you've been up for four hours Min." Alice chuckled as she took another lick of ice cream, "Aunt Luna said it's a perfect breakfast after a hearty morning of yoga and feeding the mooncalfs."
"Aunt Luna also thinks it's smart to eat Flobberworm Mucus." Minnie reminded remembering a very unfortunate dinner she'd had at the Scamander home.
"She says as long as you don't eat the actual Flobberworm, the mucus is good for muscle building." Alice flexed her arm without her ice cream. "Do you think I look any more muscular?"
Her arm still looked rather thin in Minnie's opinion.
"You are hesitating!" Alice balked before pushing her bottom lip towards the top in a pout. "I'll never make the quidditch team."
"Yes you will!" Minnie insisted with a large roll of her eyes, "You are an excellent flyer!"
"I'd be a better flyer if I had a decent broomstick." Alice said as her bright blue eyes dashed back to the broomstick in the window. "I don't have enough money for it even yet!"
Their parents had insisted if Alice really wanted a broomstick she had to save for it. Alice had never been the best at resisting impulse. She would spend her small earnings from chores and odd jobs within a few moment's time.
Minnie put her hand on her sister's back, "Hey, Uncle Jack gave you his Cleansweep Seven though, it's vintage, but he used to win all kinds of matches with that."
"It's ancient!" Alice balked her eyes still glued to the window.
"Come on Lissy, we need to get to Uncle Jack's. He's expecting us." Minnie said changing the subject and dragging Alice away from the storefront.
Alice's expression barely lightened as they continued their walk. Her tiny head stayed downward. She was almost ridiculous when she was upset, seeing as she was impossibly tiny. She was about as intimidating as the family Pygmy Puff.
"What's wrong?" Minnie asked.
"I thought maybe, just maybe this would be the year." Alice said with an even more dramatic schlump of her shoulders.
Minnie laughed, "You are going to make the Quidditch team, you can't keep doubting yourself."
"It's not just Quidditch, Lorcan's got a girlfriend." Alice sighed as she referenced one of Luna and Rolf's twin sons, "I was going to ask him to the Gazette Gala"
Alice had held a flame for Lorcan Scammander, one of Aunt Luna's twin boys since she could talk. At first it was cute, seeing as she was a toddler. She would go around sweetly insisting she'd marry him someday. Now that Alice was thirteen, it wasn't nearly as cute anymore. It was mostly just uncomfortable for everyone.
Minnie wasn't as close to Lorcan, he was a bit more reserved and slightly pretentious. Lysander, his twin brother on the other hand had a more down to earth personality that Minnie felt she could comprehend.
Minnie reminded. "The Gazette Gala isn't until February. The year hasn't started yet."
Alice exclaimed now wiping away a tear, "He will never notice me now! He still thinks I'm just some little girl."
"You are only thirteen." Minnie coughed as she handed Alice a handkerchief from her pocket.
"So?" Alice asked before blowing a very loud and drawn out sneeze. "I tried to be more mature while I was there and everything. All he could do was blabber on about his girlfriend."
Minnie wanted to laugh, "Who is it?"
"Nell Finnegan." Alice sneezed again after saying the name. "What's she got that I don't have?"
"Well she's a sixth year." Minnie reminded. She liked Nell, she was a year above her and very funny.
"Don't remind me!" Alice wailed.
"I get it." Minnie didn't get it, but for her sister's sake chose to lie and change subject. "Hey, but cut the tears before we see Uncle Jack. It'll just send him into a rant about how the emotional state of our corrupt young minds can be so easily manipulated by the opposite gender."
"Good point." Alice wiped her tears away quickly as they made it to outside the record store. They waved across the street to the Scandy Gnome, Imogene who worked for their Grandmother's shop. Their grandmother only worked occasionally now, spending a lot of time with their aging muggle grandfather instead.
Imogene waved back boisterously before the girls went inside the blue and gold shop.
Minnie had always found her Uncle's shop to be enchantingly interesting. Records and posters, both muggle and magical lined every wall and shelf. The ceiling was covered in gold suns and moons that sent dazzling rainbows across the floor.
A Led Zeppelin song played from one of the turntables nearby. Growing up she loved laying beneath the record player at her parent's cottage and just listening to all the music they loved. Duke the dragon would perch upon her shoulder and bob his head along.
She'd watch her parents dance ridiculously around the living room. Her mother was drastically better than her dad. Alice who was very coordinated would join in. She'd flit and float like a feather in the wind before dragging Minnie out to dreadfully try and keep up.
"Uncle Jack!" Alice called out, breaking Minnie's memories.
"Hello Little Longbottom Ladies!" A jovial voice called down to them.
They looked up a ladder that was leaning along one of the large shelves slid. Atop it was Mr. Warrington, Uncle Jack's assistant. He was a kind and very stocky man. He and their uncle had been friends since school.
"Hello Mr. Warrington!" Alice called up with a flighty wave and a gargantuan smile.
Mr. Warrington had a very dark past, one that people loved to tell rumors about. He wasn't allowed a wand, he had been on probation for the entirety of Minnie's life.
Minnie enjoyed the man too much to comment about it. Her Uncle Jack had a similar dark past and still managed to be a semi decent member of society. Minnie's father said in passing once that Mr. Warrington had saved his and their mother's life, so she assumed whatever he had done couldn't be all bad.
"Jack should be here soon. He just had to step out for a minute. He's been excited that you two were coming." Mr. Warrington said while sliding down the ladder with a box of albums under his arm. He lead the girls to the back of the store to the counter where a young man they were familiar with stood behind it. The young man had the Morning Edition of The Daily Prophet in his hands and he was reading rather vigorously, his green eyes darting between words.
Mr. Warrington put a hand on the young man's back, "I'm sure Cas wouldn't mind keeping you company while I put this box away and you wait for Jack."
Cas Warrington nodded at his father without smiling.
Mr. Warrington slid into the curtain leading to the back room, behind the counter.
"Longbottom." Warrington lifted his nose at Alice as he dropped his paper.
"Warrington." Alice furrowed her eyebrows staunchly. She went on her tip toes and leaned her elbows on the counter.
Minnie nodded at Warrington but didn't add to the greeting. Alice and Warrington had a very public, albeit unnecessary feud. It had begun years before, before they'd even gone to Hogwarts. Minnie wasn't sure how it began, but they were consistently at each other's throats.
The previous year Alice had publicly jinxed Warrington for insulting her shoes. He retaliated by slipping Canary Creams into her tea. After she was set back to being a little girl, she was coughing and chirping for days.
Instead of engaging in their distain, Minnie's eyes darted again around the store looking at the shelves. Her uncle had added more records it seemed, a whole new shelf.
"So are you two waiting for Jack?" Warrington asked with a slight scowl.
"Yeah, we're supposed to be staying with him tonight." Alice responded lowering from her toes and crossing her arms. A dung eating expression plagued her face. "He's taking us to the station tomorrow."
Warrington's expression dropped, "You are joking right?"
"Why would we be joking?" Alice asked with a sneer and a flare of her nostrils. "He takes us every year."
"Because he's taking me to the station tomorrow." Warrington rolled his eyes as he groaned.
"Merlin's pants." Alice exclaimed her expression shifting to terror. "Why can't your dad take you?"
"Because-" Warrington looked down, "Because he can't ok? Trust me I don't exactly want to be showing up to see anyone of actual quality with the likes of you."
"Cassius Warrington The Fourth!" Mr. Warrington's voice was impossibly stern as he stepped behind the counter from the back room, "That is not an acceptable way of speaking to young ladies. Especially Jack's nieces."
Warrington began to look like a wounded animal, he turned back to the girls. His eyes didn't meet Alice who still scowled at him with a desperate ferocity.
His eyes did meet Minnie's.
Minnie didn't want to admit he had very nice green eyes.
"Sorry." He whispered out.
Minnie wasn't sure why her heart jumped into her throat as he looked at her. She just lied, "We were just messing around Mr. Warrington."
Mr. Warrington had a terrifying glare that he shot at his son. He turned and smiled at Minnie before insisting, "You don't need to cover up for my delinquent son."
Minnie nodded but noticed Cas wasn't meeting her eyes again.
The Led Zeppelin album finished as Minnie's eyes dropped.
"Well, while you two wait for your uncle, go ahead and pick out the next album." Mr. Warrington suggested.
The two girls both nodded and turned down an aisle.
"Why'd you stick up for him?" Alice whispered as they looked through the shelves.
"I dunno." Minnie whispered back.
The bell to the door of the store rang. With the ringing entered their Uncle Jack. He was a tall man, with long curly dark hair that had started graying at the roots. He always dressed in black and today was no exception, sporting a black dog collar bracelet and dark black boots.
He had a large Pygmy Puff named Blossom who had been riding on his shoulder. He placed her on the ground, causing her to roll towards the girls when she saw them.
"My girls!" He exclaimed with vigor as they ran to greet him. Alice jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jack who twirled her around. He put her down before hugging Minnie and giving her a scraggly kiss on the cheek. His beard was longer today, not that he'd ever grown much in the way of whiskers.
Alice jumped up and down as she exclaimed, "We missed you uncle Jack!"
"You just saw me at your grandparent's." Uncle Jack laughed. He had a brown bag around his shoulders.
"Yeah, but that feels like forever!" Alice said as she reached down and picked Blossom off of the floor. She gave the large puff a big kiss, her face becoming lost in the pink fluff. Once Blossom was placed back onto the floor, she began rolling towards Minnie, knocking her back onto the ground and smothering her.
"Hi Blossom." Minnie said as she tried to regain her wind. Her palms, which had braced her fall, would certainly be bruised.
Uncle Jack helped Minnie off of the floor, pulling Blossom off of her.
"Sorry about her, you'd think she'd have learned her own strength by now." Uncle Jack said before brushing Minnie's sleeves.
"It's alright, I should have braced for it." Minnie chuckled a little. She did love the big fluff ball. Blossom reminded her of Artie, her family's little puff who was very cuddly and sweet.
"I have presents for you both." Uncle Jack chortled as he put his bag down before opening it up. He first pulled out a short slim broomstick and handed it to Alice.
"A Drakkonfire Extreme!" Alice exclaimed as she held it up.
"Your mum will kill me for not letting you buy your own, but if you want to be on the Gryffindor team, you need a good broomstick." He smiled from ear to ear. "Not that I want to send any vote of no confidence against Slytherin, but you are too incredibly talented not to encourage at least a little."
"You are the best Uncle Jack." Alice said before jumping up and kissing Uncle Jack's cheek.
He turned his attention to Minnie who was admiring the broomstick in Alice's hand. Minnie couldn't ride a broomstick to save her life, it terrified her in all extreme honesty.
"And Minnie, this is for you." Uncle Jack said reaching into his bag and pulling out a small white box. He handed it to her.
She opened the box and inside was a small golden necklace. At the end was a little lion charm.
"Your Patronus right?" Uncle Jack asked standing up and looking over her shoulder.
He smiled a little before taking it out. He insisted upon helping her put it on.
"Yeah." Minnie lifted her hair.
"I always thought that would be your mum's Patronus. So your mum wrote me when you found yours." Uncle Jack said after clasping it, "I saw this and I knew I had to get it for you. The Lion is such an honorable Patronus and to have successfully conjured one in only your fourth year, what happy memories you must posses?"
Minnie put her hand to her necklace. "Thanks Uncle Jack."
She was the only student in her class to get her full Patronus on the first try. She had thought back to a lovely day a few summers ago when she and her family had a picnic beneath a willow tree on her Great Gran's property for her birthday. She and her mother laid in the grass with their heads together. They giggled as they watched Duke stalk after small beetles and miss. Her father and Alice were down by the pond, catching toads and laughing quite boisterously.
A majestic Lion had emerged from her wand in class as she thought back to that picturesque day.
"I was so worried you'd end up like your dad." Uncle Jack shook his head. "Poor man, no Patronus. You are so lucky to have such good memories that you can have a Patronus."
"Dad doesn't have a Patronus?" Alice asked her eyebrows furrowing as she looked up from her broomstick.
Jack shook his head, "Nope. He won't let me dive deep into his psychosis to understand the exact reasonings. Especially since you'd think now he'd have happy enough memories."
Minnie was sure she didn't want Uncle Jack doing that to her so she didn't really blame her dad.
"No happy memories?" Alice looked completely gobsmacked. "But dad seems so happy."
"He's happy now I expect, but your dad was handed a very complicated and enigmatic life hand early on. It must have damaged his ability to have true happiness or to conjure with it at least." Uncle Jack said crossing his arms. "Of course you know most of the details of your father's depressing childhood."
"Only what's in the books." Alice shrugged, "Then again, it's mostly just vague basic facts, he hates giving interviews."
Minnie crossed her arms, knowing that she'd have to face the deprivation of her blissful ignorance.
"Ironic." Uncle Jack chuckled as he walked the girls further into the shop.
"He especially hates mum's writing about him." Alice rolled her eyes, "He says she's too flattering and that she wouldn't write any proper plant terminology."
"He just doesn't like talking about it." Minnie reminded.