The Collision Theory | Remus Lupin

31. Shopaholic

After the catastrophe that was last night's dinner conversation, I decide that some me time would be good. Of course, me time is never really that.
I may have forgotten presents.
Yeah yeah, call me a bad friend, but hear me out. I was busy being unconscious last Hogsmeade trip.

"Bye all!" I cry out over my shoulder as I leave the house, mum's usual demand that I wrap up warm answering me. A fresh blanket of snow seems to have been laid down last night, which makes getting to the village centre a bit more of an adventure.

"Mother of Morgana, shit shit shit." I curse under my breath, which gains me a bemused look from a young passerby.

At last the small muggle shops come into view, and the less than appealing pub that holds the passage to a string of wizarding shops. I decide that Sirius' present is easiest to get first.

"Morning." The greeting is thrown at me as soon as I enter the little music shop.

I wave awkwardly, "Good morning. Umm, do you sell... Walky-things?"

"Walkmans?"

"Yeah."

"Sure thing, what's your price range?" The young man asks, walking to a glass cabinet full of cassettes and walkmans.

Yeah, mum never really taught us much about the muggle world, I'm a little out of touch, "What's the cheapest you've got?"

"This one's off the lorry if you get what I mean," Okay, so I'm guessing it's somewhat illegal, "so I'll give twenty pounds for it."

Okay so that's... four galleons and... seven knuts, "Throw in a Beatles cassette and I'll give twenty."

"Alright," he smirks, "but just because it's Christmas."

Damn, I actually successfully bartered.
No time for a victory celebration though, it's onto the next of the Marauders. I know exactly what I'm going to get James Potter, though he might not appreciate it.

There's a little shop named Bits'N'Bobs a little down the road which sells absolutely everything. I hurry into it, gripping Sirius' present to my chest, "Good morning."

I'm replied with nothing more than a grunt from the checkout guy in his late forties, who is absently balancing pence coins on the cashier.
Charming.
What I'm looking for is in the beauty aisle, and I grab it quickly before I can get distracted by everything else on the shelves.
God, have some willpower not to get side-tracked by muggle inventions woman.
Actually, Peter might appreciate muggle sweets. I grab a few packets of variously assorted treats that I have half a mind to keep for my own and force myself to the- kind of creepy- guy at the counter,"How much?"

"Fiver." He huffs, and I really have no desire to barter this time around.

"Thanks." Okay, that's Potter and Pettigrew sorted. Next is Mr Lupin and Miss Evans.

I head back towards the pub with the entrance to the wizard shops, trying not to slip over on my way there. The little bell chimes as I push the door open, "Hi."

"Hello dearie." Mrs Reynolds, the owner, smiles, making her way or from behind the bar. The wizarding community isn't too big around here, only fifty or so of us, "Going out back?"

"Yeah thanks." I smile, awkwardly following her towards the entrance.

Once we're in a private room-closet-thing, she takes out her wand, "You know the way back in-"

"Three taps on the purple brick." I grin, and she nods, "Merry Christmas Mrs Reynolds."

"Merry Christmas to you too." I hear before the opening I just walked through turns back into a wall, but this time the outside of a building. In front of me is a string of magical shops and whatnot, crammed together as if fighting for space. It's cosy though, as the smell of cotton candy fills the cold air from a nearby stall. The little herbal shop catches my eye, and a little idea starts to emerge.