Shooting Stars Shine and Fade

[forstner]

Just what to buy her brother?

It was nearing on his birthday and she'd yet to buy him something, anything. A loss was what was coming to her, as she hadn't the faintest of clues, though remembered he'd been quite fond of a number of joke items growing up. Waking to find spiders in her bed, frogs in her shoes, and other such nonesenses was common when her dad had been alive. Since his death, her brothers and she were demanded to behave like civilians, which meant hardly a smile in their household. And as her mother hadn't come for her, she was feeling a bit more lax about spending some of her inheritance, and it was for a good cause.

But what to get the poor, dear fellow? Rael had spent the weekend exploring a number of shops in Diagon, but they hadn't anything that sparked her as being just right, so she'd resorted to taking on Hogsmeade. Dervish and Bangs was to be her next stop if nothing here would do, they always had something.

While she'd been in attendance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she hardly entered this shop, much preferring to send orders to Weasley's when possible, but this particular joke shop was not out of style. It was just hardly thought of first when trying to find a good gag, and all she needed was to find the worst of them. Though, something a bit more out of style might be just the thing, considering her brother was turning a year older, a bit more mature, and would enjoy a blast from the past. At least if it wasn't his real gift, and she needed to find something more to give him if she couldn't find just the right thing here. Wonderful, more money to spend that she should really be saving.

Rounding an aisle corner of the shop, she came to a halting stop, a large display of some new fangled sparkly, shimmery exploding stars having been dumped in a not so careful spot. One step closer, even a budge, and she would be in the midst of a shooting star finale.

(Garcia)

[william]

What with William being a modern age, magically enhanced Peter Pan, there was no way that he'd be able to resist the calling of the joke shop Zonkos. It was bad enough that he went in there, let alone with the plans of buying something. A bag of gold weighed down the man's pocket, even if at that moment, he may have looked like a child. Standing outside for the moment, hoping that no one else saw William with wide eyes entering the building, William dashed inside, closing the doors with a slight bang behind him.

If that didn't draw attention to him enough, his next move would. But before we get to that, let us explain William's history in the joke shop. Back when he was in Hogwarts, from his third year onwards, William must have been the shops best customer. The boy wreaked havoc at Hogwarts, with all of the tricks that Zonko's provided him with. In fact, upon returning, William was surprised to see that the was still intact, that it hadn't been driven out by Hogwarts.

Smiling with a slight color added to his cheeks, William nodded in acknowledgment to a few people that were in the shop. Backing away behind a few shelves, William regulated his breathing before looking at a couple of flood busters, as they were called. Picking two up in his hands, William dropped one at his feet, and, staying true to the part about 'floods', they exploded to a puddle on the ground. Swearing under his breath, William imagined what it must have looked like, a man standing behind a shelf, and then a puddle of water coming out from underneath the barrier that was shielding him from the public.

Pulling out his wand before pointing it at the flood, William marveled as the water just disappeared. The wonders of magic. Wandering up the aisle, before turning, William jumped back as he almost walked into what seemed like an accidental placing of something that looked like it would be painful did he continue walking. Standing there for a moment, before noticing the person that was next to him, William jumped to the side. She had caught him by surprise, even if she had arrived before him.

[forstner]

Why in the world anyone would place such a display in a horrid spot where someone would run into it, she wasn't sure, and thought maybe she should make the suggestion it be moved. What if a child ran into it? Wait...actually, she didn't think she'd mind too much, as long as it wasn't a young child, maybe one of the Hogwarts students. That just might be funny. Though, what a mess it would make. And how she didn't see it before, Rael was completely unaware considering it wasn't exactly a small display, just a dangerous one.

Turning, just ever so slightly, to see if an employee was nearby so she could say something, the appearance of a young man near her startled the brunette. But it wasn't until he jumped, catching her off guard even more, that she moved, and right into the display.

A split second, boxes fell, loud popping noises began, blank stares and curious glances came from the few in the area, Rael's voice got lost in the erupting noise of whistles, pops, booms, and so on. Little zappings occurred, making gold and blue and white lights of stars shooting through the air, she could smell smoke, and what was worse, she was right in the middle of it all.

Though, her eyes caught sight of one employee finally, and he was laughing at her...some little inside joke, apparently...

[william]

William sure had been startled by the display that he had almost lost his life to. Okay, so that may have been over dramatizing things, but it made him jump big time. He didn't know if there was a way around it, if it had been dropped carelessly, or whether there was someone on the other side that was trying to move it. Maybe it was some joke that the workers were playing on their customer, although William hoped not. He had already made an idiot of himself, and that was before the girl had fallen.

Jumping back as the girl got startled and fell, William's hand rose to his mouth immediatley, horrified at what he had caused. He was such an idiot, this girl probably hated him. Was she going to abuse him in public, in front of everyone, William hoped not. He was like a child the way he was scared of getting into trouble.

Finally realising that the best thing to do would be to help the poor lady out, who seemed significantly younger than himself, William offered his hand down to the girl, hoping that she'd grab on, and not just snub him. He didn't want to make a fool of himself, he didn't want to seem belittled, and he certainly didn't want someone to hate him.

[ sorry it took so long >.< ]