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abidingpercy ([info]abidingpercy) wrote in [info]finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-09-14 13:30:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:character: lisa turpin, character: percy weasley, character: richard summerby

Who: Percy and OPEN
What: Sunday in the park with Percy and Lucy
Where: Monument Alley Park
When: September 14, afternoon
Status: Open / ongoing




"Please, Daddy?" Five and a half year old eyes looked up at Percy pleadingly.

"Oh, all right," he replied, looking as if he was making a great sacrifice by granting her wish, though it was no sacrifice at all. "Lift up your arms and hold on tight."

She did as instructed, practically vibrating with excitement as Percy lifted her into his arms. He couldn't resist a quick buss of her cheek as he swung her around and over to the wishing well where he perched her on the edge and wrapped his arms around her tightly in case she slipped. She looked down into the well, delighted beyond words, and from his sleeve he drew out a single coin.

"You know what to do."

She took the coin with overly careful fingers before screwing her eyes shut, moving her lips as she thought really hard, then opened her eyes to toss the coin into the well. As the coin hit the water with a splash, she squealed in delight.

"So, what did you wish for?" he asked as he did every time she made a wish at the well, and she responded the same way every time.

"I can't tell you that, Daddy. It won't come true!"

"That's exactly right, Pumpkin."

He lifted her from the edge of the well and swung her back to the ground, taking a moment to fix a lock of ginger hair before letting her go. He watched her run off to one of the flower beds, her red and gold robes bouncing along with her. He sighed happily. These were the days he lived for.

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[info]the_richard
2014-09-14 10:10 pm UTC (link)
After an early morning at the track, wringing out a Bluebottle prototype until the twigs were smoking, Rich cleaned up and headed over to Monument Alley to walk around and really take a look at the place. He'd been in and out plenty of times, but mostly with a specific destination in mind. Now, he was looking at the entire place, how it worked, how the people moved around, where they went. Idly, he speculated whether or not International Exports had missed out on something by not buying into the Alley at the beginning. It was something he'd have to look into on Monday.

When he came to the park, he watched from a distance, leaning casually, as Percy Weasley and his daughter made a wish at the well. His face tightened briefly as he thought about what might have been. What might have happened if Anna had survived the battle of Hogwarts. Their child - the one they never had and never would - could have been about that age. With an effort, he put that regret away, and smoothed his expression into a calm half-smile.

Rich knew Percy from school, of course, and more recently from the various times he'd been into the Ministry from one reason or another. He'd even done a little gratis consulting for Percy, given his experience with broom bodging, explaining the difference in spells on some of the second rate brooms that had been hitting the market compared to what a reputable builder would use.

He'd walked closer to where his soft greeting could be heard. "Mr. Weasley, you are a very lucky man. She's a beautiful little girl."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-15 12:28 am UTC (link)
Percy looked to where the voice had come from, momentarily tense as of the moment he'd first heard it. Logically, he knew it was a combination of all he had witnessed during the war and natural parental paranoia that had him tensing, so the moment he saw a familiar face attached to the voice, he relaxed.

"Mr. Harrington." He offered a small smile and a nod. "Thank you. Though don't let appearances fool you, she can be a hellion when she wishes to be, most often with my siblings' influence. It's nice to see you again. Are you out to enjoy the weather a little before fall like we are?"

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[info]the_richard
2014-09-15 01:05 am UTC (link)
With a grin, he glanced around them at the park. "Not in the Ministry now. Call me Rich. Easier on the little one to call me Uncle Rich, too. My younger brother used to make a right hash of Summerby when he was that age." His little brother Julian, who had been murdered by a pair of Death Eaters during the war. Let me know what she's interested in, and I'll see if I can't find her a few trifles when I'm abroad. Maybe get paid back by seeing a little girl smile."

He shook his head. "Was out at the track this morning burning out another prototype. Nothing anywhere near ready to run by you blokes. If I can break it, you just know some ordinary rider will be able to too. Not the sort of thing Bluebottle wants to have happen. But that was enough fresh air and sunshine for me. This is... call it window shopping." He gestured to the Alley around them. "I'm thinking the company made a mistake not investing heavily in Monument Alley; trying to get my ducks in a row to make a presentation to the senior partners this week. They're still a little... a lot... old fashioned when it comes to buying old buildings, refurbishing them, and leasing them out, despite Father and I doing quite well at it."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-15 01:38 am UTC (link)
"I think Lucy can manage Mr. Summersby quite fine, or even Mr. Rich. I'm doing my best to ensure she has a proper appreciation for how to address persons in various settings." He smirked. "She also has such a large number of uncles alrady that I often fear she will get them confused. As for her interests, thankfully she's phasing out of a princess obsession, though I did manage to use it to give her an appreciation of what it takes to be a world leader. My fear is that her next one will be something like horses because she will not be getting one of those."

Percy's eyes opened in interest at the news of a new prototype. "I look forward to seeing the model when it's ready for our office. In the meantime, yes, it's quite a lovely day for shopping. Have you any particular buildings on mind? I know some of the local businesses have purchased the buildings they're housed in, and the owners either live there or rent out the flats."

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[info]the_richard
2014-09-15 02:49 am UTC (link)
Richard couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, doesn't help I run to the reddish hair myself, does it? Do the lass a favor and draw her a family tree. Bad enough the way most of us are related somehow or other without having a map to go by." He shrugged. "I tend to avoid things that eat these days. But if she does go through that phase, I've got family on my mother's side over in France, wine country. We could pop over there on a Saturday for pony rides and the like. If the interest sticks, well, I know some people. Lessons and such. I started out with magical creatures; it may be where her future goes."

He sighed. "And here I am preaching to the man who actually has a daughter. More fool me, no? But what a wonderful thing her, and your, futures are."

"If the boffins haven't, I'll get them to send you the preliminary specifications so you can see where we're going. You see anything you don't like, let me know right away. We want the new brooms to be so stone solid and reliable you won't have any question about passing the final product. Until the spellworks locks down everything so well even I can't break the safety charms, you won't be seeing anything other than paperwork."

"Up to me, we'd buy everything still available." Rich shrugged again. "Things are really turning around. Just a little bigger than the size of my wallet, though, which is why I'm imvolving the seniors."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-15 03:21 am UTC (link)
"Oh, believe me, there's an extensive family tree in the works. Complete with pictures so that she gets a chance to know all of her uncles, even those who aren't with us anymore." He nodded at the mention of resources in France and elsewhere. "If the interest sticks, I'll be sure to let you know. I have my fingers crossed that the next interest will be potions, but perhaps I'm a little overly optimistic on that one."

He tilted his head at the sigh. "Believe me, I'm still learning. Hopefully, should I have another, I'll be much better at it, but I've found that a first child is a lesson in patience and terror in equal measures. I'm just glad that after the Battle, she will have a future."

He nodded enthusiastically. "I would very much like to see those specification. We can then get it on the books so that when a complete model is ready, the process can go much more quickly and smoothly. Of course it doesn't hurt that I enjoy news of a new broom on a personal level. It's advantageous in my work."

Percy quickly checked on Lucy, who was patting some soil around a toad lily as if she were the park's gardener, before glancing again at the buildings that made up Monument Alley. "It would be a sizeable investment. I know that there's a Local Business Bureau. Perhaps they might have some input or be willing to offer some suggestions for going prices. At the very least, it could give you some contacts for the area. I know they meet on Sundays at Finnigan's."

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[info]the_richard
2014-09-15 04:15 am UTC (link)
Rich nodded. "Brooms and dragons caught my attention when I was her age. Never did give up on the brooms."

A speculative look came over his face. "You know, you or any of your inspectors want to come out to the design works, we'll put the kettle on. The boffin crew speaks Arithmancy rather than English most days, so let me know and I'll come translate. Poke where you like; we've nothing to hide. Especially, look at the rejects and failed designs. Grab any prototype you want and take it for a spin." He frowned. "The absolute junk I've been seeing out there every now and then... well... the more we can show your people, the better it will be for all riders in the long run. I know my Unlimited is no family broom, but in comparison to what some people are bringing to the tracks, you could paper it for every day use." Rich thought for a few seconds. "For that matter, we're going to start a limited pre-production run on the Family Broom in a few weeks. Make sure we have all the bugs out before we submit a final version. Would we be getting into ethical hot water if we were to hand them out to you and your people after I flight test them? Let Transportation have a final say before we do a production model?"

"Let me see if I can get the deep pockets on board. Otherwise, I'll take your suggestion on my own. Appreciate it."


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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-15 07:50 pm UTC (link)
"Textbooks and rules were what caught mine. It's no wonder my brothers think me boring," he said with a laugh.

"Actually, I believe that would be a better practice. If we get a look at them before they're on the market, then we can let you know if they have any issues that might contravene regulations. Most manufacturers wait until it's too late, and thus spend galleons recalling brooms and redesigning them that could have been saved by coming to us before the process was ready for public consumption. Though I believe I might have a long line-up of inspectors wanting to make such a visit."

He nodded. "I'm always pleased to lend a hand or some information. If you purchase some of the buildings here, will you be moving here as well? Though I'd imagine it would be a large step downward for you, wouldn't it. At the very least, it would give you an excellent excuse to know the neighbourhood, maybe even find yourself active in it."

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[info]the_richard
2014-09-16 01:54 am UTC (link)
"Right. Remember those brothers from school. There's not boring, then there's manic. I'll err toward boring."

"Send them by whenever you want," Rich nodded. "I've got an office as head flight tester I never use; you lot are welcome to it. Got no concerns about the Family Broom, or the Two-Place, when we go into serious testing in a couple of months. Right, tight, and reliable, no pushing of limits." He glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to overhear. "Since you'll be getting the spec sheet in a day or two, no harm in letting you in on our secret now. The third broom we're working up, what I've been spending weekends tearing up the track with, is the one we call the Class C. High performance, right up to the limits of legal, good enough to take a rider from Novice all the way up and into C-Classification racing while still riding it every day. So you can see why we've got to be dead sure no owner can make a single change in any of the spellwork without going through the company and getting the registration pulled."

"Not so concerned about the status of the place - remember, I live in a converted furniture factory. No, there's a certain sentimental attachment for Clink Street. That was the first project Father and I took on together. Sort of a sign I'd finally grown up. Besides, I like my view over the Thames. It's like living in the country in the middle of the city."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-17 02:24 am UTC (link)
Percy had a sort of sly smile upon his face as the rest of Richard's details were explained. He couldn't wait until the next family dinner to sit across from his brothers and not tell them about all of these broom updates he'd just gotten. Even after these years and a certain amount of maturity, he secretly loved getting one up on them, at least when it came to things like this. "They'll be on their way this week," he promised.

"It sounds lovely. So close to everything, yet with privacy, and I can understand the sentimental attachment. At the very least, I look forward to seeing what you'll do with the available space. How many shops have you visited yet? There's a man, the brother of an old friend of mine, who builds his own brooms, very nice quality, and then there's Sweet Nothings, the local bakery which happens to be a favourite of Lucy's."

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[info]the_richard
2014-09-17 03:34 am UTC (link)
Father and I have that one place over on Diagon proper, so I've been in and out of here quite a bit. This is just the first time I've really had a look at the traffic and watched shoppers." Rich shrugged. "Like I said, it will depend on the budget I have to play with. We just picked up the last building on our side of Clink Street, and it's a right proper fifteen-hundreds rabbit warren all chopped up into little cubbyholes, and the plumbing must date back to the Romans. Going to cost a bit to renovate and modernize. Rather work with cash than get a bank loan, so I may have to pass the Alley up."

His smile grew bigger. "If I'm not around to bring in a big bag of goodness from Sweet Nothings on Monday morning, the office boys are sent on an expedition. I've created a bunch of sugar addicts. The old gentlemen have even been known to swing by on their way home to get an order for the house."

"I know about Logan's shop. Truth be told, I've got a little place of my own up on the north side near the track where I work on my own brooms. You ever want a hand-made custom job, or a modified stock broom, let me know. I wouldn't have any concerns about you mucking about with the charms, so I could go right up the edge of what's legal without worrying about you going over. Takes me about three hours to do a decent modified, if you want to come learn the tricks. Build your Lucy a proper kid's broom at the same time if you like."

Richard was a broom enthusiast as well as a racer. It was his opinion that everybody else would be as much an enthusiast as he was, given the chance.

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-17 05:57 pm UTC (link)
Percy was about to respond when he felt a tugging on his robes. He looked down to see Lucy's smiling face and her hand held out with a handful of flowers complete with roots intact. "Daddy, do you think we can plant these at home? They're pretty and would look nice under the window."

He looked from her to the flower beds and finally spotted where she had uprooted the flowers from and groaned softly. "Lucy, what did I tell you about taking flowers from the public garden? You've gone and gotten dirty, too."

"But Daddy, they're pretty. Maybe your friend would like some."

He looked apologetically up at Richard. "This is Mister Summersby, and I don't think he would like some right now. I think they'd be much prettier in the garden, don't you agree Mr. Summersby?" His eyes held a note of desperation and he hoped Richard would play along for now.

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[info]the_richard
2014-09-17 07:33 pm UTC (link)
Rich did his best to keep a smile off his face. "Your father is right, Lucy. The flowers are here for everybody to enjoy, everybody's flowers. If you took them home, nobody else could see them. Don't you think that would be a little selfish of you?"

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-18 01:32 am UTC (link)
Lucy pouted and looked down at the flowers in her hand. "But I just wanted something pretty to bring home, and we could plant them together."

Percy lowered himself so that he could look her in the eye and with a finger under he chin, lifted her face up. "We can still plant them together, just here where everyone can enjoy them. How does that sound."

The rapidity with which her pout turned into a grin let him know that he'd just been played and had fallen for a ploy for attention, but he couldn't begrudge her the effort. He looked up at Richard with a helpless shrug. "Well, I suppose we have a little gardening to do. All right, I'll send you an owl this week about the brooms, and we'll talk further once we've had a chance to get a look at the specs." He stood up and smiled. "It was nice to see you again, Richard. Perhaps we'll see you a little more often once you've made a few more purchases in the neighbourhood."

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-09-15 03:46 am UTC (link)
"Come on Mama! Let's go!" Christopher urged, tugging Lisa towards the park. It was a nice day, and she'd taken the afternoon off from the shop to play a little soccer with her kid. Christopher was dressed in shorts and a Wonder Woman t-shirt, because according to him Wonder Woman was ten times cooler than Spider-Man. Lisa was dressed in soccer appropriate gear, and had a soccer ball tucked under her arm.

She hurried after her kid, wondering where he got the endless energy from. She didn't remember having to run everywhere all the time when she was his age. But then, at his age she'd been in lessons almost every minute of the day, and hadn't had much chance to run anywhere. "I'm coming kiddo. Why don't you practice your dribbling." She didn't actually know what it was called in soccer, but she was pretty sure that was a sports term. She tossed the ball to him.

Since Christopher didn't give her a dirty look as he started kicking the ball forward, she thought that was correct. It was a shame there wasn't a youth soccer league here, she thought as she watched his sturdy little body determinedly follow the ball across the field. Christopher loved the sport, and had played back in San Francisco for a couple of seasons. She stayed back, but not too far, and gave him a thumbs up when he looked over at her. Then winced when he lost control of the ball and it went sailing directly towards a tall man and his small daughter.

"Lookout!"

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-15 07:45 pm UTC (link)
Percy had been in the middle of casting a cleaning charm on Lucy's soil-dirtied hands when an object flew their way. He immediately switched his spell into one which grabbed hold of the ball and levitated it as he stood up, eyebrow raised as he looked for where it had come from. He saw the young woman and even younger boy (who looked to be within a year of Lucy's age, though Percy sometimes found it hard to judge children's ages on sight), and his lips quirked up in amusement.

"I believe this is yours, young man? Lucy, why don't you bring the boy his ball." He lowered it into his daughter's hands and encouraged her with a nod to bring it over to the boy. He always enjoyed an opportunity for her to meet children her own age who weren't cousins. Lucy looked like she was about to play shy at first, but then she grinned and ran over with the ball, offering it to the boy.

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-09-17 10:48 pm UTC (link)
Lisa let out a sigh of relief when the man levitated the ball (really she should have thought of that, but magic still wasn't her first thought even if it was becoming more familiar) and saved them all from tears if the ball had hit the unintended target.

"Thanks! It almost hit you. I got hit by a ball once, it made my nose bleed. It was so cool," Christopher told the girl, taking the ball and bouncing it inexpertly on his knee. Showing off, Lisa thought with an amused grin. Christopher always did like to show off. "I'm Christopher, and that's my Mama. What's your name, and do you like soccer? Mama says it's called football here, but that's silly because football has touchdowns and tackling and soccer has goals. I like football too, but not as much as Quodpot, which is like Quidditch but bloodier. That's what my Mama says anyway."

Lisa casually put one hand over Christopher's mouth, otherwise he'd chatter on indefinitely. "Sorry about that," she said to the girl's father. "We're still working on control. I'm Lisa, and as he said he's Christopher." She had the tendency to chatter almost as much as her kid, and forced herself to stop and let their new acquaintances have a chance at introducing themselves or making a quick escape if they wanted.

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-18 01:17 am UTC (link)
"It's all right," Percy said, stepping over to place a hand on Lucy's shoulder. He could already sense the sheer number of questions the boy's words had no doubt prompted in her and if he didn't put a stop to it now, then they would be filding questions for a month. "This little lady is Lucy, and I'm Percy. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"But Daddy, he said Quodpot is bloodier than quidditch, and what's soccer and football, and how did you bounce that on your knee, did your Mum cast a spell, or-"

"Lucy," Percy began with a no-nonsense tone of voice, "why don't you take Christopher to see some of the flowers, and he can answer some of your questions there."

She nodded excitedly and reached out to take Christopher's hand, then all but dragged him off to see the flowers she and Percy had only earlier replanted after she'd decided to uproot them to bring home. Once their backs were turned, Percy let out a quiet chuckle and looked to Lisa. "Were we ever that young?"

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-09-18 01:26 am UTC (link)
"It's very nice to meet you Lucy and Percy," Lisa said, and was about to prompt Christopher to do the same but Lucy was already leading Christopher off and peppering him with questions that he happily answered. Eying the flower bed with trepidation, Lisa hoped she could put to rights whatever havoc Christopher, his new friend and the soccer ball were bound to wreck upon it.

At his question, she grinned and shook her head. "Good god, no. My parents wouldn't have tolerated it. I had an hour of supervised physical activity in the morning and afternoon, but it was all very civilized. Ballet, fencing, that kind of thing." It came out much less bitter than it might have ten years ago, but she'd done a lot of growing up in that time. "How about you? Were you as full of questions as your little girl?"

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-18 01:58 am UTC (link)
Percy smiled. He would have given anything for a childhood like that when he was younger. "If my mother's to be believed, I was worse, but at least I never came home filthy and covered in dirt, or accidentally enraged the garden gnomes. Personally, I'm quite envious of her energy and enthusiasm. There are times I feel much older than my age, but with her, I feel like a child again."

He motioned to a nearby bench and sat down. "Do you two live nearby? I don't think I've seen you around, though I work at the Ministry so perhaps that might be a good thing, depending upon your position on politics."

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-09-18 02:05 am UTC (link)
"Garden gnomes? Are those actually a thing?" Sometimes it amazed her how much she didn't know about this world she was living in. "Oh, I know what you mean. He goes full tilt from the time he wakes up until I force him into bed, and then he does it all again the next day. It's amazing." And she wouldn't change it for the world, even for all she was exhausted some days just looking at him.

The bench had a good view of the kids, Christopher was trying to show Lucy how to bounce the ball now, and the sight made her grin. Christopher hadn't had much contact with children outside of the story hour since they moved. She meant to do something about that, but time seemed to slip away. "Oh, I live above the bookstore. I own What the Book? I think I've seen you and Lucy in there, but I apologize I'm not at the point yet where I recognize all the regulars." And there were a lot of regulars, for which she was grateful. But then, without television and video games, books were one of the only forms of entertainment wizards had, so maybe it wasn't that surprising.

At the mention of politics, she just shrugged. "As long as no one's trying to throw me in prison because of my blood status, we're good. Though I was out of the country by the time it really got bad."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-18 02:16 am UTC (link)
"Oh, they're quite real and quite vicious at times. But if you can catch them and toss them before they have a chance to damage your garden, then your vegetables turn out much better." Percy couldn't count the number of time's he'd been sent off to toss the gnomes, though he fondly remembered the glee some of his brothers showed as they did the job. "And yes, it's quite amazing at that."

Percy held back a groan at the sight of the boy showing Lucy how to handle the ball. She was going to want one, he had no doubt, and would want to practice in the house. It reminded him of when she'd 'borrowed' a bludger from her Uncle George and he'd spent weeks putting items back together. It endeared him, however, to see her happily engaging with the young boy.

"That's all right," he said with a shrug as she mentioned not recognizing the regulars. "I'm not always as observant of those around me when I'm following her around and trying to prevent her from buying out the shop. But we'll certainly say hello on our next visit now that we've had a chance to meet properly."

He nodded. "That's quite understandable. It's a sad period in our recent history and it's a terrible shame that it happened, and that so many were affected by it." He to this day had some lingering guilt over his own actions - or rather inactions - during that time, but like so many, he'd feared for his life. He had, however, done what he could despite his own treatment under the old regime. "It is quite thankful that you missed it. Where out of country did you go? You and your son have quite interesting accents, though his is more pronounced than yours."

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-09-18 02:40 am UTC (link)
"I wonder if that's what's been in the flowerbeds at the shop," she wondered out loud. "Or are they more of a country creature?" Her flowerbeds could be the victim of a stray cat. "It's not considered cruel to toss them?" Perhaps she ought to have taken Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts, then she might know the answer herself.

She caught his look as he watched the kids, and chuckled. "We have an extra ball, if Lucy finds she can't live without one. And it's easiest if you set up rules that soccer is an outdoor activity only, right at the start." She spoke from experience, and Christopher still tried to bend the rules when he could.

"Yes, you should. And if you make it to story hour, Lucy can have a seat of honor at the front. Give you a break from trying to save your wallet." She laughed. "Though I do appreciate the patronage."

She sometimes felt guilty that she wasn't as affected by what had happened as some of her old friends, but she'd had quite enough of her own shit going on at the time. "San Francisco. My grandparents live there, so it was the most obvious place to head when I didn't have another choice. Decided to come back when Christopher showed signs of magic, and I wanted him to get to know his roots. There's a magical community in San Francisco of course, but it just seemed like the right time to come home."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-18 02:53 am UTC (link)
"I have one or two at my home here in London, but yes, there were far more where I grew up in the country. It may sound cruel, but it's the only way to get rid of them, and even then there's the occasional one that finds its way back. You have to be careful where you grab them, as well, lest they bite you," he added, completely seriously.

He gave Lisa a small, suspicious look, momentarily wondering if she was a legilimens or if he really was that easy to read. "Well, she's already having to learn that about broom riding, so perhaps it would be an easy link to make. Plus, perhaps I could send the ball along when she goes back to her mother's place." Now that was an idea that appealed to him.

"Story hour? Oh, we shan't miss it then. She loves stories of all kinds. Though I don't mind paying when the goods are worth it. I make a suitable salary with the Ministry and she's the only child I have, so I suppose it's my duty to spoil her a little bit."

He tilted his head, thinking that San Francisco was quite a long ways away. "I've never been across the pond but I've heard the city's quite lovely. I suppose you must miss it, do you not? And Christopher, it must have been quite an adjustment for him. Has there been any difficulty in assimilating back into the British world?"

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-09-19 01:30 am UTC (link)
She filed the information away, just in case she had occasion for it in the future. "Thanks. That could be helpful." She might also order in a book on the subject, since she'd always learned best from reading. She supposed she could thank her parents for that.

Laughing at his suspicious look, she patted his arm companionably. "We haven't gotten to brooms yet, though I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I've done some preliminary research on them, for when that time comes." The bit about Lucy's mother interested her. "You're a single parent too? I got the impression that wasn't all that normal around here." Or maybe it was unwed single mothers that were frowned upon by a certain section of the Wizarding population.

"I spoil Christopher too, more than I should probably. But I can't help it; he's a good kid, and has been great about all the changes." Minus the whining about video games, which had lessened to almost nothing in the past month.

She nodded. "I do, but I'm glad to be here too. I wouldn't trade my shop for anything, and there's not as much competition here as there would be in San Francisco. Even with the big chain stores, there's still a good deal of independents around." She looked over at Christopher, and sighed. "Mostly he misses the television, and the computer, but he's adjusting. I need to do something about school though. He really should have started this year. I do some lessons with him at home, but it's not the same. He needs the socialization, if nothing else."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-09-20 01:10 am UTC (link)
"Well, I don't know if it's quite normal or not, but I do suspect it's become a little more common since the last war," he said on being a single parent. "There is still qutie a bit of tradition about and the belief that two persons should be married if they have a child. I thank Merlin my family's a little more forgiving on that front, though my siblings will never let me forget that of all of us, I was the one who would have a child out of wedlock. I'm rather well-known for being a stickler to the rules."

He nodded in comiseration. "He does seem to be a charming sort. From what I've seen, he's not overly spoiled. You've done a good job with him, if you don't mind me saying."

Percy's ears metaphorically pricked up at the mention of school. It was a topic he was particularly passionate about, of course. "I know in some circles it isn't a popular opinion, but I believe the issue of school in some degree comes down to how familiar Christopher is with the wizarding world, and how capable he is of keeping a secret. The Statute of Secrecy is still in effect, so if Christopher goes to a Muggle school, he wouldn't be able to speak about our world without there being repercussions, and it wouldn't be fair to Muggles to have them be constantly obliviated. We don't have a school in our world for younger children, which is why many of us home school. I personally don't trust many people to give Lucy the education that I provide, though I admit I'm likely to have stricter standards than the average parent."

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-09-30 09:55 pm UTC (link)
"Sometimes it's the rule sticklers who break the most rules in the end," she said, grinning at him. And it was good to know that not everyone was so traditional. She'd been worried that Christopher would face some sort of stigma being the son of an unwed mother, but maybe even the Wizarding world changed with the times.

She looked over at her kid, and grinned. He was showing Lucy a trick with the ball, but tripped instead and landed in the grass. Instead of being upset over it, he started to laugh. They were getting on well, and it was nice to see him interacting with someone his own age again. He'd always been a social kid.

"I don't want to ask him to lie, but I also can't keep up the home school routine forever." She sighed. "Why isn't there some form of public elementary education for Wizarding kids? I have to admit, it doesn't seem right. Not everyone can afford a private tutor, or has the ability to home school." You'd think the Ministry of Magic would take that into consideration, but then nothing about the Ministry of Magic really made sense. "Sorry, I didn't mean to rant at you."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-10-02 02:12 am UTC (link)
Percy blushed a little at the thought of the few rules he'd broken in his lifetime, though very few people would ever know about them. "Let's keep that our little secret, why don't we. I'd hate for my brothers to think I was capable of further rule-breaking," he added with a wink.

He watched as the boy fell and Lucy went immediately to his side, helping him up and brushing grass from his clothes. She then went to get the ball to try the trick for herself, only for it to go flying into a nearby flower bed. He rolled his eyes and Lucy led Christopher into the flowers. "Please, for Merlin's sake, don't step on the flowers!"

He nodded. He understood the dilemma, he was caught in it himself. At the moment, there simply wasn't another option that he knew of. "There is no need to apologize, I agree with you. There is certainly value in it. Even if there were some sort of partnership with a Muggle school made up of Muggle children who already know about our world - the children of squibs and families of Muggleborn witches and wizards. There is so much work needed to open a school - a location, resources, funding, teachers..." He sighed. "We've only recently finished putting the Ministry to rights, at least mostly so. The idea of starting an entirely new insitution is... momentous, to say the least."

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-10-02 11:58 pm UTC (link)
Lisa laughed, appreciating the blush. Guys who blushed were adorable, at least she'd always thought so. "Do you have many? Brothers that is?" She'd always wondered what it would be like to have siblings to tease you over the little things, and to always have your back for the big ones. She thought it was nice.

Wincing at the near miss to the flowers, she sent Christopher a warning look that had him leading Lucy to a flower-free space. Satisfied that they'd stay out of mischief, at least for the next few minutes, she gave Percy a smile. "Those poor flowers wouldn't have stood a chance against them," she joked.

What Percy said wasn't anything of a shock to her, but it did make her sigh. "It's not that I mind home-schooling, we can do a lot more hands on learning this way, and go at his own pace, but I want him to be engaged with his own peers." And it would take someone more skilled than she to take on the ministry. "What sorts of activities do you have Lucy in? Is there any sort of children's community center?" She supposed she could always have more child friendly events at the store. Maybe it was time to look into that.

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-10-03 02:21 am UTC (link)
Percy was surprised by Lisa's question. He was so used to people knowing most details about his family that it was... quite refreshing to meet someone who actually had to ask. "I have five brothers and one sister, but one of my brothers isn't with us anymore - he died in the Battle a few years ago." He had never been tempted to amend his statement and say he had four brothers. Fred was always a presence at Percy's shoulder, even in death.

"They're quite lucky there aren't any gnomes in the garden, or else they could have gotten bitten for their troubles," he added with a small chuckle.

"Lucy takes piano lessons, and has regular play dates with her cousins and the Fawley twins, my friend Alicia's children. There is no community centre per se, but I believe there is an attempt in the works to arrange for a regular parent-child event at Finnigan's. That could be helpful."

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-10-06 06:34 pm UTC (link)
"I'm very sorry for your loss," Lisa said, resisting the urge to give his arm a little squeeze in comfort. She was a naturally tactile person, even with people she'd just met, but not everyone appreciated that about her. "But it must have been fun, growing up with so many siblings. I was an only child, and I often wanted someone to team up with against my parents."

She laughed as well, but was happy her kid was gnome bite free. "They'd learn very quickly stay out of gardens though," she commented.

Brightening at the idea of a parent-child even, she tilted her head in interest. "That would be a great idea. I'd certainly attend, and help out."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-10-06 11:59 pm UTC (link)
Percy let out a small chuckle. "To some it would probably be fun," he began, "but it was rather a little too chaotic for me. Don't get me wrong, I love my siblings and my parents, very much so. But where you would have enjoyed someone to team up with you against your parents, more often than not, it was them teaming up against me." He shrugged, a gesture which showed the memory didn't hurt as much as it once had, having been softened by time and the death of his brother.

He nodded. "Excellent. I'll keep you apprised by the journal should arrangements become firm."

His attention was pulled away as Lucy rushed over, Christopher in tow, with her hands dirty and holding a large bouquet of flowers. He wanted to chastise her again, but the look on her face was so hopeful - furthermore, she'd learned quite well since these ones weren't uprooted like the previous ones, the stems had been broken outright. With a look that told her he was on to her but wasnt' going to say anything in front of the others, he took the flowers from her hands. She was going to be the death of him. "I believe half of these should be yours," he said with a look to Lisa.

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-10-09 02:05 am UTC (link)
"That...doesn't sound as fun as I thought it would," she said, making a small face. "Maybe one or two siblings are better for the teaming up against the parents; any more than that it gets chaotic." He didn't seem too upset at the memories, so that was good. She'd have hated to have brought up a sore subject.

She grinned. "Thanks. I'll look forward to it."

Christopher was equally as dirty as Lucy, and she sighed. She could see now that these two were going to be terrible influences on each other. It was nice to see.

"I suppose they are," she said, giving Christopher a Look that mirrored Percy's to Lucy. She took the flowers, unsure what to do with them now. "I don't suppose we can reattach them?" Magic could fix a lot of thing,s but she wasn't sure this was one of them.

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-10-09 02:50 am UTC (link)
"Take that as a warning - too many of these little munchkins and you'll never get another moment's peace."

He shook his head. "No, that's unfortunately beyond our abilities. It seems we're doomed to having flowers on our tables, though we can at least cast preservation charms and others to get rid of any insects."

Lucy reached for him as if to give him a hug, but he held up a finger. "No hugs until you're clean." He pulled out his wand and cast a quick cleaning charm, then pointed it at Christopher. "May I?" he asked of Lisa, not wanting to spell her son without her consent.

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[info]bookshop_mama
2014-10-14 09:43 pm UTC (link)
"One's enough for me, at least for now," Lisa said. Children had never really factored into her life, right up until she'd found out she was pregnant. She regretted nothing, but she wasn't certain more children were in the picture for her.

She didn't mind flowers, but wished they hadn't come from a public park where they were meant to be enjoyed. She'd definitely be discussing this with Christopher later. "It will brighten up the flat at least." She'd have to remember the preservation charms.

At Percy's question, she nodded. Normally she liked to encourage the 'Muggle' way for things like cleaning up, and household chores, but there was no need for him to go about dirty when it could be taken care of so quickly. "Thanks. At least this will take care of them tramping about, getting soil everwhere."

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[info]abidingpercy
2014-10-14 09:59 pm UTC (link)
Percy nodded and quickly cast a cleaning spell to relieve Christopher of dirt and mud. "There, now you don't have to worry about getting your Mum dirty." He smiled down at the boy and resisted the thought of ruffling his hair, something he'd seen his own father doing on many occasions to his brothers. But not to Percy, he'd been far too fastidious to appreciate such a gesture when he'd been young.

"Since these two seem to be getting on so well, if you'd ever like to arrange a playdate, please let me know. It's always a pleasure getting to know other parents around. Lucy deserves a change to play with children her own age."

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