[h2]Elise Reed and Mary Winthrop[/h2]

Elise wandered around Diagon Alley for a while, wishing she had a better way to stay in contact with her cousin. They had agreed to meet up the day before, but not a where, and not a when. She looked around, and decided to check the ice cream parlor first, and when she didn’t find Mary there, she decided to try the bookstore. Both her cousin and herself loved books, so it would have made sense to check Flourish and Blotts. 

Mary was leaning against a bookshelf near the front flipping through a book, one that looked like it was about advanced transfiguration. “Mary! There you are!” Elise walked over to her cousin and looked the book over. “Any good?”

“It doesn’t seem to have anything on [i]Crinus Altitudo[/i] though.” Mary wrinkled her nose, and placed the book back in an empty spot between a book about Animagus, and the textbook Advanced Transfiguration. 

“I see. So, how have you been, how was the beach?” Elise gently wrapped her arms around her cousin in a hug. It had been a few weeks since they had seen one another, and Elise had missed her cousin/ best friend. Mary gave a small hiss.

“A bit sunburned actually,” she said as she extracted herself from the hug. “I had a total blast though, it was very relaxing. I taught dad Exploding Snap. How about you?”

“Oh, sorry.” Elise pulled her hands back to her sides and grimaced a bit. “I’m glad to hear that it was relaxing. I’m doing alright, mostly just did some pre-trip shopping, tried to have mom stop fretting over me a bit, and brush up on some of my language skills, though grandma still says I speak Cantonese like a baby.” She laughed a bit at that and smiled. “So, is Uncle Andrew with you?”

“Ha, good luck getting your mom to stop fretting.” Mary grinned, and then at Elise’s question about Andrew she frowned a bit. “I might have been a bit too excited about taking the Knight Bus, and well, he’s in his room trying to sleep it off.”

“She was doing it up until I apparated here. She wanted to make sure I had enough scarves. I’m sure she probably tucked a few things in my trunk I didn’t pack as well.” Elise laughed a bit. “Oh the Knight Bus? Dad says that driving in India is easier than being on the Knight Bus. I guess I’ll see him tonight.” 

“You know, I’d probably believe him. Honestly I’m good, and have no desire to ride it ever again. Though it might mean I will have to work on my apparation and actually pass the test.” Mary gave a small shiver, ever since the time her father had side-along apparated her Mary hadn’t particularly seemed enthused with the idea of apparating. 

“I can help you out if you want, but no worries. I know plenty of witches and wizards that are not fans of apparating. They use Floo powder or brooms.” Elise smiled and gently rubbed her cousin’s shoulder, but knew better than to rub too hard with a sunburn. “So, did you go over any of the French they said we should try to learn before we go to La Place du Fourmilier? Because I know I didn’t. French is hard.”

“Well dad was able to help a bit, but yeah, my accent is awful and I have no idea how letters work in French. Basically dad taught me the phrases that’ll keep me from getting arrested, let me know where the bathroom is, and a hotel.” She gave a small shrug. “Want to get an ice cream? I can teach you the phrases dad taught me.”

“That sounds really good. Let’s go ruin dinner!” Elise laughed a bit as she looked at her cousin and then went to head to the ice cream parlor with her. “My treat. Mom and dad gave me a bit of money for the trip, and promised to send more.”

“Excellent.” Mary smiled, following Elise. “Dad said he’d give me money tomorrow before we leave, I only have a few coins left from the summer money he gave me.”


After ice cream, and some wandering of Diagon Alley the two of them headed back inside of the Leaky Cauldron. There they found Elise’s Uncle Andrew sitting at a table.

“Oh good, I was just about to head into Diagon Alley to look for you two. You about ready for dinner?”

Elise looked at her Uncle and laughed a bit. “I could probably eat a little bit, but not too much. How are you doing Uncle Andrew, feeling a bit better?” She smiled as she leaned down to hug her uncle lightly, just incase he was sunburned as well.

“Yes, thank Merlin’s beard for Mrs. Longbottom’s drink concoction she brought me. I don’t want to know what was in it, but it did the trick. She could make a fortune on that drink if she sold it on the Knight bus.” He gave Elise a hug back, and once the girls were sitting he waved over Mrs. Longbottom and they ordered three butterbeers, and dinner.

“Well, she probably learned a trick or two from Professor Longbottom. He is pretty brilliant with Herbology.” Elise sat down with her uncle and cousin and thanked him for ordering dinner. Once food and drink arrived the three of them caught up for a bit and just chatted, spending some time together as a family before they would be parted the next day.