20 August 2023, Second Year

Listening toSunflower

Delilah found herself reluctantly stepping into Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley. It was that time of the year again when school supplies needed to be purchased for her second year at Hogwarts. With her lanky legs and mismatched socks peeking out from her sandals, she walked with an oddly endearing awkwardness. Delilah's hair was braided into two playful braids that bounced with each step, her mother forced her to wear those braids to tame her hair a bit and Delilah wasn't happy about it at all. This time her older sister, Aileen, decided it was best to teach her some responsibility by leaving to shop her own school supplies, and as Delilah stared at the shelves in horror, her sister was enjoying ice cream in another shop.

The spacious store was adorned with towering bookshelves, stretching from floor to ceiling. Each shelf was packed with books of various sizes and colors, creating a captivating display of knowledge and imagination. The shelves seemed to bend and sway under the weight of the countless volumes, as if whispering stories of their own.

The scent of aged parchment and ink fills the air, adding to the ambiance of literary wonder. Soft golden light spilled from ornate chandeliers hanging overhead, casting a warm glow upon the rows of books and creating inviting reading nooks scattered throughout the store.

Delilah liked books, what she didn't like was waking up at 8 Am on a non-school day to shop for them ! As she made her way through the aisles of the bookstore, the sound of her clunky sandals echoed against the wooden floor. Delilah's presence alone brought smiles and curious glances from fellow shoppers, who couldn't help but be amused by this weird and angry young lady who was grunting her teeth, talking to herself in low whispers and glaring at everyone.

She reached into one of the many pockets of her oversized alien-adorned overalls. After a bit of rummaging, her hand emerged triumphantly, clutching a crumpled piece of paper stained with remnants of orange juice from her breakfast.

The small, rumbled paper held the list of her required school supplies for her second year at Hogwarts.

Delilah continued reading and walking through the aisles. Her eyes scanning the list, her finger tracing the words as she mutterd the items to herself.

"Quills... check. Parchment... check. Cauldron... check. Wait, where am I? Ouch!"Suddenly, her head collides with something—or other, someone.

Before seeing the face, Delilah recognized the familiar scent of her friend...Simon !

Back in Diagon Alley. Simon was well-rested and had eaten a big breakfast, ready for a day of shopping and hopefully meeting some of his friends from the wizarding world along the way. After a week in Greece with his family, he had got himself a nice tan and felt fully recharged after the spring term, ready to begin his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

First, he went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to buy a new set of school uniforms and new robes that matched his increased height. His shirts from last year were already too short in the arms. Then he went over to Flourish and Blotts to buy his new school books. He had the list in his back pocket but he remembered the first book on the list, which was The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk. He had flipped through the book in the Hogwarts library before the summer break to be prepared for what was going to come in the autumn term.

When he had collected all the books he needed and paid for them, he was just about to head for the exit when a frizzy ball of blond hair came out of nowhere and walked right in his stomach. His sunglasses slipped out of his neckline, fell to the floor and in his confusion he accidentally stepped on them. A crackling sound was heard from under his shoe when glass and plastic was shattered to pieces.

A young-looking face looked up towards him and he instantly recognized her as Delilah Chapman, one of his friends from Gryffindor.

"Delilah!" he said. "What a surprise! I'm sorry. I didn't see you coming."

His eyes wondered to the broken sun glasses on the floor. Damn. These were his favorite glasses. They were almost new, bought in the beginning of July.

"Don't worry about it," he said and picked up the pieces. "They are just glasses. I'm sure I'm able to repair them later. It's not the end of the world... or, like, an alien invasion..." He chuckled and held out his arms with a wide smile. "It's so good to see you, Delilah. Can I give you a hug?"

Listening to Here comes the sun- the beatles; ))

Delilah didn't answer, instead she threw her arms around him, her giggles bursting forth like fireworks. "My favorite Raven !" She said cheerfully. She lingered in the warm embrace, finding comfort in Simon's presence, much like a cozy fireplace or a soft pile of cat fur.

Her eyes landed on the broken glasses once more, and she couldn't help but shake her head apologetically.

"I could repair them for you, if I only knew how. The only spell I really master is the Dancing Feet Spell, that won't be useful at all."

As she let go, she stared at him a bit, a finger over her chin, she was thinking if her friend was abducted and replaced by someone far more handsome. Simon seemed to have changed a lot this summer, as of Delilah she has grown a few centimeters and was a few pounds heavier but her face was still chubby and her chest still flat. "Wherever you went this summer definitely treated you well; you look like you're glowing," she remarked with a wink, referencing his nice tan.

Delilah walked briskly ahead of Simon. Her eyes were fixated on the crumpled piece of paper in her hand, and she seemed to be deeply focusing on what was written in it. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she scanned the contents, occasionally making small scribbles or crossings-out with a quill she got out from the front pocket of her overalls.

"Oh, Simon ! You are a very missable person, you know that ? So what did you do this summer" She said, her eyes fixed on her orange juice stained paper between her fingers. Her very quick change of subject was overwhelming for most people but Delilah trusted Simon's capacity to follow along. "I've discovered a frog in my grandparent's cottage's garden, I named him Larry. He reminded me of you, actually, he had the same bossy attitude." She turned towards Simon theatrically and did what seemed like a poor imitation of her friend. Her hands on her hips, her eyebrows crossed and her head held high ."My name is Simon Tilia and I accept no sulking at work !" She said trying to make her voice deeper. She giggled loudly that some heads turned around to see what was happening but Delilah continued to laugh out loud revealing all her teeth.

Delilah stopped at one shelf to get out a book and tuck it under her arm. "I don't know if Larry's still alive. Maybe, my grandfather already stepped on him." She said this still smiling as if it was the least alarming thing in the world.

"He has some eyesight problems. Last time, he stuck a fork in my hair thinking it was a huge bowl of noodles! Can you believe it ?"

♪ Flourish and Blotts Ambience

"Wherever you went this summer definitely treated you well; you look like you're glowing," she said with an inspecting, almost investigative, look on her face.

Normally, he would have taken that as a compliment, but he could not be sure with Delilah. She was usually making strange comparisons between him and other things, living or dead. One time, she even claimed that there was a resemblance between him and a cloud at the sky, a cloud that looked more like Homer Simpson in his view.

"Thanks, Delilah," he said with a smile.

"Oh, Simon! You are a very missable person, you know that?" She looked at a piece of paper. (The stains on it did not surprise him at all). "So what did you do this summer?"

"I actually just got back from Greece last week. My mom met with some colleagues there at the University of Thessaloniki and we went to see some historical locations around Athens. I've been visiting Madison in Kensington also. But part from that, not much. What have you been up to?"

Then the usual comparison came. This time it was a frog. Slimy and obnoxious?, he thought, before she stated that it was because of some 'bossy attitude'.

Pfft! Me? Bossy? That is the funniest thing I've ever heard.

"My name is Simon Tilia and I accept no sulking at work!" she said in a deep voice and tried to look as bossy as she could.

Simon laughed. "I do NOT look like that! No, no... As for Delilah Chapman, however –"

He looked around the store. There were only elderly wizards and witches in there and he did not really care anyway, so he went along with his own imitation of her:

"– she can be bossy and scary as hell. Pardon me French." He put his hands on his hips, same as Delilah had done, and crouched so low that neither of them had to look neither up or down on the other. "I'm Delilah Chapman! Earth is invaded by Aliens, but fear not! I have a solution. We bribe them with colorful socks and then they will leave us alone and we will have revolutionized the clothing industry in the galaxy forever!" He got up again, with a smirky smile on his face, feeling the blood return to his calves. "That's you. Spot on."

When she told him the story about how her grandfather potentially had killed Larry he had to bite his tongue not to laugh. He would not normally laugh at such a thing, but the way Delilah told the story was just too absurd.

"... He has some eyesight problems. Last time, he stuck a fork in my hair thinking it was a huge bowl of noodles! Can you believe it?"

"That I can believe actually... I've missed you, Delilah. I thought about owling you this summer, or texting, but I realized we never exchanged either addresses or phone numbers before the summer break. How have you been?"

Song to set the mood: Can't take my eyes off you

"Didn't you know ?" Said Delilah. "I don't live on earth !"

She walked backwards waving her thin arms above her head "I'm a mere illusion!" She whispered and then went on laughing very very loudly, some customers tried shushing her as if they were in a sacred temple.

Delilah turned around a shelf, her hands behind her back, she has finally memorized the titles of the books so she didn't need her hands anymore. She tucked the quill behind her ear.

"Well, too bad, I don't have a phone and I don't plan on buying one ! Mum says I'm already distracted enough !"

She got out the book under her arm and tried to lift a whole pile of school books that were in her list.

"I.." She said between heavy breaths. "I live in Dursley !"

Delilah let out a relieved sigh as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, her palm feeling slightly damp from the effort. The pile of books she had been holding shielded her entire face, making it seem like a magic trick that kept her features hidden from sight.

With a triumphant smile, she finally lifted the stack of books, revealing her face once more. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the exertion, but her eyes were bright with determination and excitement. She had succeeded in finding the specific books she had been searching for amidst the sea of titles in Flourish and Blotts. There was only one left : The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk.

"Dursley is the most boring town ever !" She groaned. "Old people everywhere !"

She sighed, the pile of books in her arms threatening to fall.

"I may come one day with wrinkles and grey hair and start talking to you about my grandson who's living abroad !"

Delilah sat the pile of books on the floor with a loud tud. She got out the quill that was now lost in her massive curls and wrote her address in the back of the paper. "I may be wrong and it's not my address and you'll be writing to my neighbor Uncle Joe that you miss him. But it's okay, everyone knows Delilah Chapman in there !"

She grinned widely, forming wrinkles in the corner of her hazel eyes.

"You just need to write my name !"

She reached towards the pile of books again to try and lift them, what a stupid idea to go in here without a bag, but without 12 hours of sleep, Delilah cannot think normally !

"Where do you live ? Oh and who's Madison ? Your arch nemesis ? I have a lot of Arch Nemesis of my own !"

It was probably for the better that she did not have a phone just yet. He silently agreed with her mother. Watching Delilah trying to lift her pile of books was an impressive performance to witness, thinking how small she was. Simon was ready to intervene and offer his help, should she need it, but she looked like she knew what she was doing.

Send the letter anywhere in Dursley? How small was Dursley? And how come she did not even know her own address? He tried to imagine Delilah taking a cab, telling the driver to drop her off at the nearest house in Dursley. How surprised the driver would be! And Delilah would probably say something like: 'No, sir, I don't have a phone, so you cannot call my parents, but it's alright. Just drop me off anywhere in Dursley and anyone can lead me home'. No driver with some level of common sense would drop off a 12 year old girl that did not know her own address, he thought.

"I live outside Edinburgh. I can write down the exact address for you later." (Although he doubted that she would be able to keep the note without losing it).

Simon laughed when she asked if Madi was his arch enemy. "No, Madison is my best friend. Surely you have seen her in the corridors with me? Blond girl in Hufflepuff. Same year as us. Usually dresses in pink and bright colors. Skilled in Flying class."

He realized that it was a sharp contrast between the two, thinking about Madi's clothes. Despite being a Muggle-born, Delilah dressed almost like she came from a wizarding family, whereas Madi, who was a pureblood, had a thing for fashionable Muggle clothes.

Simon winced at Delilah's clumsy attempt of carrying the big pile of books and tilted his head. "Do you want help with that? That pile is like a third of your size."

Delilah chuckled at Simon's concern. "Oh, Simon, you know how it is – small but mighty!"she said with a wink, feigning a heroic pose as if ready to take on the challenge.

She appreciated Simon's willingness to offer help, but she was determined to prove herself capable of managing the load. "I've got it covered, no worries! Besides, it's like a workout for my arms," she quipped, flexing her biceps playfully.

"Oh ! That Madison !"Delilah said as she recalled the countless times she had seen Simon and Madison together in the Hogwarts corridors. They were always together !
And as much as she was a lazy daydreamer, she was also a hopeless romantic and imagined Simon and Madison married and walking to the altar.

Although she couldn't help but feel her heart ache at the image of Madison. Delilah kind of envied her, she seemed like a kind person but in her eyes, she was the epitome of perfection – always put together, stylish, and possessing a natural grace that Delilah felt she lacked.

She couldn't help but feel a pang of self-doubt as she compared herself to this girl she only saw in the corridors and in class. Delilah's playful self-image took over, and she let out a chuckle as she thought, shaking her head.

Unlike Madison, who gracefully glides through Hogwarts like a poised swan, I probably look like I just escaped a mental asylum !

Delilah would've loved to walk down the stairs of Hogwarts, her hair perfectly straight, her clothes neat and beautiful...but she didn't know how, it was all far beyond her !

Her playful thought was a reflection of her humorous coping mechanism. Delilah was well-aware of her unique style – sometimes dressing like she had raided the closets of various wizarding families – and she embraced it with pride. Yet, the comparison to Madison's elegance couldn't help but make her feel a bit self-conscious.

In the midst of her self-reflection, she took a deep breath, reminding herself that her own uniqueness was something to celebrate. Delilah might not possess Madison's sophisticated demeanor, but she had her own strengths – her infectious energy, her boundless enthusiasm, and her caring heart. She smiled.

As Delilah walked alongside Simon, she realized that friendship was not about being perfect but about accepting each other's quirks and imperfections. Madison might have an air of elegance, but Delilah's free spirit and zest for life were equally invaluable. And with Simon as her friend, she knew she was accepted and loved just the way she was – messy hair, chaotic fashion, and all.

She bent down with big effort to pick up the last book in her list.

The huge pile of books between her arms, she tried to nudge Simon's elbow teasingly "Is Madison really just a friend ?" she teased, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

♪ Flourish and Blotts Ambience

Small but mighty. That was an excellent description of Delilah, he thought. Truth was, there were so many reasons why he admired her, despite her small figure, loopiness and weird ideas. She was both brave and loyal, and when she was not talking about unicorn conspiracy theories or alien invasions, she could be very perceptive. She had an ability of seeing the social world as it was, and reflect about it in a way that seemed both obvious and revolutionary at the same time.

"Oh! That Madison!" As soon as she mentioned Madi's name there was a change in Delilah's face that he had not seen before. He wondered what was going through her head. How much did Delilah know about Madison? Maybe she did not like her, for some reason?

When Delilah lifted the complete pile of books, she nudged his elbow with a raised eyebrow. "Is Madison really just a friend?"

"Hey, be careful that you don't drop your new books," he said, instinctively dodging the question before preparing an answer. "Of course she is. She's my best friend and has been so since the first term last year."

He felt his cheeks turn pink and looked away, pretending to spot an interesting book on one of the bookshelves, hoping that Delilah would either miss or ignore the fact that he was blushing. He really hated that he blushed in front of Delilah... But her question had caught him completely off guard and felt so piercing that he felt naked, like that time Madi's brother James had confronted him in the hallway.

Perhaps it was for the best that Delilah did not know any details. If she knew that he and Madi had even slept in the same bed together during their sleepovers, she would probably giggle louder than ever and let the whole book store know...

Del noticed the change in Simon's demeanor when she mentioned Madison's name. She saw the slight blush that crept onto his cheeks.

She couldn't resist playfully teasing Simon about his blush, knowing it was one of the few things that could make him flustered.

"Hehe, Si, you're blushing !" she said with a wide grin, nudging his shoulder and giggling like a mischievous sprite. "Look at those rosy cheeks! Are you secretly a metamorphmagus, turning into a walking tomato?"

She pretended to examine his blushing face with an exaggerated curiosity, as if inspecting a magical phenomenon. " I think you're generating enough heat to roast marshmallows on your cheeks! "

Delilah's playful tone and childish antics were meant to lift any lingering tension, replacing it with laughter and amusement. She loved to see Simon's reactions, especially when he blushed...

"Come on, Monti, no need to be embarrassed," she continued, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "You can tell me everything. I'm your trustworthy friend!"

With a twinkle in her eyes, Delilah gently placed her hand on his cheek, as if testing its temperature. her laughter filled the air, and her eyes sparkled with joy. However, her exuberance got the better of her, and she didn't notice a stray book lying on the floor right in her path.

As she took a step forward, still giggling at her own antics, her foot caught the edge of the book, and she stumbled, In that split second, time seemed to slow down. Delilah's laughter turned into a brief yelp as she fell forward, her arms flailing slightly in an attempt to regain balance. But it was all in vain.

With a gentle thud, Delilah landed on her hands and knees, surrounded by the now-disarrayed books. Her face flushed with embarrassment.

@Simon Tilia

Oh, bloody hell, here we go. The comments came like a hailstorm. Delilah did not seem to be aware (or care) that she was making a scene in front of everyone present, which did not make him blush any less. Still, he found her childish reaction to be disarming and relieving.

"Okay, okay, I get it" he said, a bit annoyed. "Congratulations, you made me blush."

"Come on, Monti, no need to be embarrassed. You can tell me everything. I'm your trustworthy friend!"

"I know that, but I have nothing to hide!" (That he was not sure of, but what was he supposed to say? He hardly knew what his last meeting with Madi in Kensington meant himself). He waved her hand away. "It's the way you asked the question that made me blush. Besides, I would worry more about..."

He was about to say '... where you put your feet' when Delilah tripped over something, lost all her books and fell to the ground.

"Woah! Easy there!"

The whole shop silenced for a moment and the customers turned their heads to look at the minor mayhem, where Delilah's frizzy hair was spreading in every direction, surrounded by a pile of spread out books.

"Are you ok? Told you not to carry all those books by yourself," he said and helped her get back up on her feet. He considered whether he should take the opportunity to make a remark about her now blushing cheeks, but he resisted the temptation and brushed off her shoulder instead. He helped her pick up her books and checked his wristwatch. "Are you sure you're gonna be ok? My sister should be waiting in the car a couple of blocks away by now, so I need to get going."