(2) The Other Potter (D. Malfoy)

Chapter Five

A store with brightly filled shelves and slightly pricey price tags on items. It's one of those stores that Daisy has known about her entire life here but never been in. Mostly because Magnolia thought controlling three children in a literal china shop would have been a nightmare, especially with Jeremy and the way he was when he was younger. But this is a good place to find a gift of thanks for the Weasley parents. Daisy was insistent to Harry that they needed one. He didn't want to argue with her over it. So now they are both in a shop that sells decorative ceramics and china. Harry stands at a shelf filled with novelty rubber duck figurines, an amused smile on his face.

"What about this?" Harry asks as he picks up a novelty ceramic rubber duck from the shelf. He does remember Arthur asking him about rubber ducks two years ago. Actually getting him one might be a nice gift of thanks. This one has been designed to look like a pirate.

"You can't just pick up the first thing that you come across" Daisy argues as she looks over a shelf of beautifully painted ceramic bowls.

"Mr Weasley is interested in rubber ducks" Harry defends, moving to follow her as she shifts to the next shelf. "He asked me about them the first time I met him..." He continues. "He'll like this" She stops to look at him, and he nods reassuring her that he's not just picking it out because it is the first shelf they've come across. He genuinely believes that Arthur will like this. She glances at the duck and then nods.

"Okay," She agrees. "If you're sure....."

"You know we don't have to do this at all" He counters, she scoffs and shakes her head.

"Which would be rude" She scolds. "It's an incredible invitation they've sent..." She picks up a floral vase from the shelf and pulls a face before setting it back. "The World Cup" She turns to Harry. "We have to say thank you....." Harry smiles a little. Sometimes Daisy is too nice for her own good. She is literally stressing herself out finding a gift for someone who likely isn't expecting one. Molly and Arthur do nice things because they want to, not because they are expecting a gift of thanks back. Daisy picks up a spring-floral vase. It's in within their price limit but she doesn't know if it's right. She's worried about it not being good enough. She goes to set it back, but Harry can see Molly being all over that vase. And of all the things on the shelves, it is something she would love the most.

"Daze" Harry stops her. "She'll love it" He assures her. Molly feels like the sort of woman who is going to like anything gifted to her because it is a gift but she lives surrounded by wildflowers and nature.

"Maybe we should consider getting Ron a cell phone" Daisy comments as she hands Harry the vase so she can open her little clutch purse to dig out her muggle cash. "It's unfair to ask the owls to make the trip out here..." She pauses and glances at Harry. "At least for me" She then snorts. "Not that he writes to me much anyway"

........

At the cashier's desk, the young woman behind the desk smiles at the two teenagers as they reach it, she holds out her hand towards Harry who holds out the vase in his hand, which she takes. Harry then sets the ceramic rubber duck on the counter.

"Would you like them gift-wrapped?" The cashier asks and Daisy nods with a smile.

"Yes, please" Daisy answers, Harry glances over the rack of keyrings on the counter. The cashier wraps the items up with some nice paper. It would be a mess if Daisy attempted to wrap it herself.

"They're going to love them, Daze" Harry assures her, she nods a little and then smiles. He's right. She knows that he is. But she is still slightly nervous about giving them to them. The Weasleys have been amazing, to her, to Harry. They deserve a little something in return. And if all Daisy can give them is a vase and a ceramic duck, then that will have to do. She will get the best versions of those things that she can find.

......

Harry sits with his back against Daisy's bed as the two of them watch a movie playing on the television across from them. It's a kid's comedy movie, but neither of them are really watching it. They are preparing to pack their trunks. With them heading to the Burrow for the World Cup, Magnolia wanted them to have all their things ready before they left. Daisy is carefully wrapping the gifts in a few of her dresses to protect them from transport and Harry is sliding his books into his trunk at his side.

"I have this for you, sweetie," Magnolia tells Harry as she hands over a bag for him. There is no point in the twins taking all of their belongings across to the Weasleys at once. So for now they can take a single bag and she'll make sure the rest of their things arrive

"What should we pack?" Harry asks as he opens up the weekend duffel bag.

"Anything you will be desperate for over the next few days" Magnolia tells them as she double-checks their book list. She knows they are sorted but she just wants to make sure. "I will arrange for your trunks to be sent over...Goldfish and Hedwig when she returns from Sirius as well..."

"Have you and Sirius....?" Daisy starts and Magnolia shakes her head.

"I haven't seen him" Magnolia defends a little as she grabs a couple of Daisy's sweaters to pack whilst the girl gives her a dirty look. They've talked about this. Because they know the truth now. They know that Sirius didn't betray Lily and James. Magnolia might not have been as close to that friend group as Lily was, but she was still affected by what happened, by 'Sirius' betrayal of them. She promised Daisy that she'd talk to him about it. Months later. She has yet to do so. Not even writing to him.

"Mom" Daisy scolds and throws the sweaters onto the bed. "You have to talk to him"

"I have spent the last decade blaming him for what happened to my sister" Magnolia starts and then turns to the two of them. "He might be innocent, but that is a hard thought to shift. I am trying to get past it. To come to terms with the truth, and I will reach out to him when I am ready"

"Daze" Harry scolds her softly, it is not their place to scold Magnolia. She lost her sister, her twin sister, she gets to deal with this herself in her own way. Even if they don't agree with the way she is going about it. Sirius needs people around him, supporting him, that are on his side. They all need to move past the lie orchestrated by Pettigrew.