august 2021 / with @taylor lawrence

Amber couldn't believe her eyes when she walked into Diagon Alley through the entrance outside the Leaky Cauldron. Even though she was a halfblood, she had never been here before. Why would she? Everything she had ever needed before was back home in Twatt. Her ma mentioned going to the bank to withdraw money for them to buy her things while she would go with her da to the first shop.

Of course, it was easy for the farmer to get distracted by any creatures along the way and Amber laughed, "I'll go to the bookshop, Da. I'll meet you there?" He nodded, confident that his daughter would be able to take care of herself. It wasn't like he planned to be away from her for too long anyway. Amber made her way to Flourish and Blotts, gasping in wonder at all the shops, items and people she passed on her way.

The bookshop was bustling! Amber couldn't believe so many people were crammed into such a small space. She apologised as she squeezed past an older couple, giggling as she dodging under some flying books and made her way around the corner, past another busy aisle. She breathed a sigh of relief when she made it to a quiet corner of the shop - but she wasn't alone! There was another girl who probably had the same idea as she did. "Hi there." She greeted with a friendly smile, waving.

Taylor walked into Flourish and Blotts, holding a bag, in which lay a lot of her school supplies which she had already bought. She wore a red dress reaching her ankles, with thin white strips here and there, like slashes randomly drawn. She also had on a white drape blouse, white sneakers, her curly blonde hair tumbling down her shoulders in loose waves.
Her parents hadn't come, for they were both busy. Just as well. Taylor preferred to be alone than with them, her parents glaring daggers at each other.
Taylor headed deeper into the bookshop, and started picking out things from her list. It was rather difficult to move about, with there being so many people in the bookshop. Taylor couldn't believe she had chosen to buy her school supplies on such a busy day.
Finally, Taylor made it to a more quiet corner of the shop. She hadn't actually finished her shopping, but had decided to hide out here for a while, and then go out, preferably after everyone's gone. She had barely been there thirty seconds, however, when someone came across her space.
It was a girl about her age, but small for her age, which meant there was quite a big height difference between them. Her dark chocolate-brown hair contrasted greatly with her pale skin. Her eyes were dark brown like her hair, and she had a splash of freckles across her nose.
'Hi there.' The girl waved.
'Hi.' Taylor smiled. 'Taylor Lawrence. You?'
@Amber Bullhorn

august 2021 / with @taylor lawrence

"Nice to meet you, Taylor. Wow, your outfit is really cute." Amber was just wearing a jumper that her mother had knitted (it was green with white sheep and one black one, hiding somewhere) and some jeans that definitely had seen better days. Not to mention her converses, which were all scuffed and muddy too. At least the mud was dried on, and she wasn't leaving footprints everywhere.

She looked around, hearing the hum drum of the crowd elsewhere in the shop, "Isn't this place mental? So many people in this one shop alone! Not to mention how many are in the street too... Do you come to Diagon Alley a bunch then?" Because it was all relatively new to Amber and, being from a small village, she wasn't used to so many people in one place either.

Spotting a sturdy stack of large (and dusty) books nearby, she figured it was okay to sit on them for a moment. "Have you got much else off your list too? This is my first stop, my Ma is away getting money from the bank and my Da is at the pet shop a few doors down." She explained with a smile, happy to be making a new friend, "I'm excited about getting my new wand, have you got yours yet?"

"Nice to meet you, Taylor. Wow, your outfit is really cute."
Taylor smiled a bit wider. "Thanks, your outfit is nice too!"
Amber was wearing an olive jumper, with two sheep, one black and one white, along with jeans and a pair of converses, granted a bit muddy, but all in all, not bad.
"I really like the sheep." she added.
Amber looked around the bookshop, bustling with people, except for their tiny little corner. "Isn't this place mental?“ she asked. " So many people in this one shop alone! Not to mention how many are in the street too... Do you come to Diagon Alley a bunch then?"
Taylor pierced her lips, her good mood suddenly flying away. The truth was, she did. How could she not. When at home, the scene was always the same...
"Um, yeah, sort of," Taylor muttered. "It's really nice, but it kind of is really crowded today... Of course, " she added. "It's totally understandable, what with term starting in a few weeks. It is kind of odd that everyone seemed to choose to do their shopping on the same day, though..."
As Taylor spoke, Amber seemed to have spotted a large stack of books nearby, and apparently decided it was okay to sit on them for a while. Taylor stayed where she was, though. The last thing she needed was to get into trouble with the store owner in front of so many people.
"Have you got much else off your list too?" Amber asked." This is my first stop, my Ma is away getting money from the bank and my Da is at the pet shop a few doors down." She smiled. "I'm excited about getting my new wand, have you got yours yet?"
Hearing the words 'Ma' and 'Da' spoken so easily, Taylor's heart sank even lower. Her parents had never accompanied her on any of her trips to Diagon Alley, and this time, even though it was preparing for their daughter's first day of school, had been no different.
Taylor tried her best not to show her feelings. "Um, yeah." she said in a low voice. "I mean... Everything except my wand."
@Amber Bullhorn

august 2021 / with @taylor lawrence

Amber smiled as the girl compliment the jumper, and she turned, so she could see all the sheep on it, "Thanks, my ma knitted it. We had a sheep farm, so she uses the wool from our sheep too. Did you spot the black sheep? It's hiding amongst all the others." She giggled softly. The black sheep was easy to find as long as Amber didn't cover it with her arm accidentally.

"Isn't that the way it always goes? So my ma says anyway. People think, oh today will be quiet, so I'll go but everyone has the say idea." She laughs, "This is my first time here, so I just thought it was busy like this all the time..." Judging from Taylor's words, this wasn't the norm. Still, Amber wasn't too bothered by the crowds. She wasn't used to so many people but it was new and exciting for her. "Do you think there's this many people at the school too... I'm just starting first year, how about you?"

She was impressed that the girl had done most of her shopping already, "Man, I really need to get my butt into gear, huh? I haven't got a thing. I'm supposed to be looking for my books right now." She laughed, carefree and easy. "What kind of wand do you think you'll get? I'm fine with anything as long as it likes me and I can do magic with it." Amber hadn't put much thought into that either but her da had warned her that sometimes wands could be fickle, clash with the witch or wizard wielding it.

notes: jumper looks similar to this

When Taylor complimented Amber on her sheep jumper, the brunette girl smiled, and turned so that Taylor could see all the sheep on the jumper.

"Thanks, my ma knitted it. We had a sheep farm, so she uses the wool from our sheep too. Did you spot the black sheep? It's hiding amongst all the others." Amber giggled.

Taylor smiled. "That must be an awesome place to live! I've never actually heard of a sheep farm, but I'm assuming you sell cotton?" As Taylor thought about her own large, gloomy house, she couldn't help but think about how much better the sheep farm sounded.

"Isn't that the way it always goes? So my ma says anyway. People think, oh today will be quiet, so I'll go but everyone has the same idea." She laughed. "This is my first time here, so I just thought it was busy like this all the time... Do you think there's this many people at the school too... I'm just starting first year, how about you?"

Taylor nodded. "Oh, definitely. I've heard that Hogwarts is, like, really big and crowded. Well, more read, actually. Anyway, Hogwarts is basically the most prestigious school in the whole of Europe... So it would make sense for there too be so many people."

She paused. "And I'm starting my first year as well, so I guess we'll be classmates! Might even get into the same house..”

When she mentioned that she had already bought most of her school supplies, Amber looked impressed, although Taylor wasn't sure why. It was just going to shops and buying stuff, and when you came to Diagon Alley as often as she did, you knew your way.

"Man, I really need to get my butt into gear, huh? I haven't got a thing. I'm supposed to be looking for my books right now." Amber laughed, carefree and easy. "What kind of wand do you think you'll get? I'm fine with anything as long as it likes me and I can do magic with it."

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know. And I think you can do magic with all wands. Isn't that, like, " she hesitated, " the whole point of them?"

@Amber Bullhorn