PV: Sapphire Riddle  

 Donny had been craving a sweet, icy treat for a while now, and where better than Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour! He had saved up a few sickles, and was happy to be back in diagon alley for the holiday. He saw huge crowds of people, witches and wizards alike, strolling through countless shops, and parlors awaiting their next purchase. The money seemed to be burning a hole in his pocket as he rushed into the shop. It was a perfect day for an ice cream. Warm, sunny, just enough shade... what more could the Hufflepuff ask for? He ringed the small, gold bell as he walked in. He had noticed the ring had changed magically since last time he'd visited the shop. 

He walked in, gliding on his tiptoes as he glanced at the menu. All sorts of swirls, and colorful treats were up for grabs. Flavors like chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, even Bertie botts every flavor bean, limited edition scoops! He didn't wish to waste a sickle on a possibly horrid flavored cone, so he instead weighed his options on strawberry, and chocolate. Just then, a girl he'd seen around rang the bell, gliding in sheepishly and looking at her surroundings. 

"What'll it be?" a rosy cheeked old man with a blonde mustache asked. Donny realized he was now in the front of the line. He thought quickly and said, "Er, two chocolate cones... er, just two scoops please," he added quickly. The man seemed to understand, and he flicked his wand at the golden scoop, seemingly unable to scoop it himself. "Here you go laddie!" he pronounced loudly, handing Donny the cones.

He walked over to the girl, handing her a cone. "I hope you like chocolate!" he said, motioning towards the doors to the outside tables... 

             

Sapphire walked into the ice cream parlour sheepishly, looking around with her eyes glinting nervously in the light. She'd never really been to the parlour, as the only other time she'd been there, she'd only had enough money to buy the required supplies. She hadn't been back to Diagon Alley since then.

She didn't notice the boy walking up to her until he spoke. "I hope you like chocolate!" he said, motioning towards the doors and tables outside. The white haired girl jumped and glanced at the cone he was holding out, as if trying to determine that it wasn't poisoned. She had a tendency to irrationally search everything for danger. She'd never had anyone offer anything to her, really.

Determining that it was safe to take, she quirked her lips up in an awkward smile and took it. "Thanks," she said quietly. She hadn't tasted chocolate in quite a while, so she wasn't really opinionated on the flavor. She didn't say that, since that would probably lead to an awkward conversation. She tried to avoid awkward conversations about topics like that at all costs.

She held the cone in her right hand, her left hand holding onto her arm. Her alabaster fingers contrasted sharply with the color of the cone, and they stuck out like sore thumbs, much like the girl herself in most conversations.

She glanced outside, where the sun was glaring brightly. It wasn't too bright and there were shadows, and the warmth wasn't stiffling or to humid. It would probably feel a bit warm at first, since it was relatively chilly inside the parlour, but it wouldn't be horrible.

She smiled. Maybe things will get better, she thought.

Donny fixed his right hand inside his pocket as he handed the girl her cone. His other hand was occupied with a mimicking cone, brown in color, and a cream waffle cone. "Uh, we can sit... there maybe?" he said, pointing to a small round table with a colorful umbrella at the top. It was farthest away from all of the gossiping students, and piggy little children and their mum's as possible. He licked the dripping remnants of ice cream from his fingers and found himself a warm seat under the indirect sunlight and shade mixture. 

"So...I-don't really have much to say except, well... my name is Donny, or don! Er...wha's yours?" He asked awkwardly, his teeth inching uncomfortably into the top layer of creamy goodness. His objective, or main goal rather, was to make a friend, if not a best. He was quite new to the whole, friend making thing, he hadn't found himself quite comfortable with the odd muggle kids at his old secondary school. 

"If You don't mind my asking!" he added shortly, licking his lips of the icy leftovers. He was always quite... well, awkward with first impressions, but it was always kind of worth the wait....     

"Uh, we can sit... there maybe?" The other kid said, and Sapphire looked up from the floor to where he was pointing. She nodded. It didn't seem like a terrible idea, and it was relatively free of tiny children. She followed as he went over there and took a seat. "So... I don't really have much to say except, well... my name is Donny, or Don! Er... what's yours?" the kid said awkwardly. "If you don't mind my asking!" he added.

Sapphire laughed a little. "Sapphire... Sapphi..." she said quietly, looking down. She wasn't really one to make friends most of the time. The only people she'd really met were Koko, Ruby, and River. She also wasn't really that talkative.

"So... have you ever been here before this? I've only ever been in Diagon Alley in general once before, and that was when I'd only had enough money to get the right things," she said, trying to think of something to say, which was not her strong suit. She almost reached into her bag, but she thought against it. She was partially still scanning the area for danger or possible weapons as she licked the tip of the icecream, and it all she could do to keep her eyes from darting around with paranoia.

It happened every time she had a conversation with someone most of the time, unless she was in a place where she'd already determined things like weapons and escape routes. She highly doubted that anything would happen though, so she forced her muscles to relax. "How hard is it for you to make friends?" she asked suddenly.

Donny looked up over his glasses, an awkward spot of ice cream on his nose. "Er... yes. I like to come here every now and then. It's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts!" he replied truthfully. A boy like him had to get out sometimes. Away from all the confusing transfiguration homework and smelly potions ingredients he often had to crush. "I also like to make friends, though it can be hard sometimes, yes." he said, wandering off into his mind, thinking about a topic. "I like to write out here as well. I'm with the Hufflepuff news team this year!" he said cheerfully, his tongue cold with streaks of chocolate across the tip.

He was in need of someone to interview for his new article, considering people tended to walk away and giggle whenever he attempted to spark conversation. "How do you like to write?" he asked her, his cone being engulfed in his mouth. "Like...fictional, non-fiction, fantasy, realistic?" he continued, weighing all of the wonders of writing in his head, his hands mimicking his thoughts like a scale. He thought he knew a lot about writing himself, but he'd never really asked anyone else about their thoughts.        

"Er... yes. I like to come here every now and then. It's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts!" he said. "I also like to make friends, though it can be hard sometimes, yes." Sapphire knew how it felt, having a hard time making friends herself. "I like to write out here as well. I'm with the Hufflepuff news team this year!"

Sapphire smiled slightly. So, the kid liked to write. That was interesting. Sapphire was quite fond of the pastime, and it took up a lot of her freetime, when she wasn't practicing or working on something else.


"How do you like to write?" he asked, snapping the white haired girl back to the present. She refocused her gaze as he continued, moving his hands as he spoke.
"Like...fictional, non-fiction, fantasy, realistic?"

"I do like to write, though it sometimes ends up being some sort of insane thing that would make no sense to pretty much everyone. So, I mostly write fiction, fantasy, or slightly realistic," she said. She could write a good story, especially if someone gave her a decent prompt. In 5th grade, someone had given her one about a sort of mystery, and it had turned out great.

"I find it especially hard to make friends, and I don't really meet anyone either. I mostly stick to books and other things like that," she said, licking the cold semi-solid again. "I don't feel particularly comfortable talking to people, most of the time." It was true, though it was beginning to come easier the longer she stayed at this school.

Donny took in what Sapphire had to say, words still on the tip of his frozen tongue. "Well...I do find it quite hard during times. You know, people don't really have time for things you wish to say." he said, pondering of the time when a certain boy had brushed him off at the Blossom fest for a chat. "But, I guess you're-my-friend, right?" he said between licks of his cone. He'd hoped his relationships were all in the right place most of the time. "I also think it's hard fitting in with this lot. You know, with all the gossip, the pranks...It's not me! Well, I lied. I do quite like pranks!" he said, laughing heartily.

He knew that for some it was quite hard making friends, like, actual life buddies. But for him, It was about establishing more than a fandom. Like a real, close, I can go to you for help kind of friendship. To him, it meant all the friendly love he could get. All his grandmother would ever talk about, was making good friends, meeting good, trustworthy people to run candidate to be a part of one's life. "What does friendship mean to you?" he asked her finally...     

Donny was smiling for the beginning words of Sapphires sentiment about friendship...only until she mumbled about it being something she's never really had. He almost instinctively stopped licking his ice cream, a large glop on his tongue as he swallowed it. "Ugh!" he said unexpectedly. He was having a major Brain Freeze! "Oh--not you, just...Brian freeze." he said meekly, giving his head a soft warm rub, and curling his tongue on the top of his mouth--which, undoubtedly failed to work. "Sorry Sapphire...But, I know how you feel. I've been there myself as well." he said honestly, wiping his mouth on his yellow Hufflepuff jumper that his grandmother had Knitted a long time back, not even aware that he was going to be put in Hufflepuff before she died, but an instinct, that was her motivation. 

Just then, he had a sudden motivation. "What is your favorite treat?" he said abruptly, but only he knew what he was talking about. "Just-for friendship reasons, friend!" he said, a smile across his face. He never wanted anyone to feel the way he did, and loneliness was an asset in low self esteem. He knew he loved Bertie Bott's Every flavor beans, also Pumpkin Pasties, but he never knew hers. After all, they'd already had an ignition of sugary thought on the tip of their tongues...