davies; ROGER (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} rgrd) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} reduxpitch,@ 2016-12-08 16:17:00 |
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when ? mid-day, 8th december
where ? diagon alley
what ? christmas shopping!
status ? complete
Roger wasn’t actually sure when he’d agreed to go Christmas shopping with Daphne. Or, more importantly, why. But he clearly had agreed, because come lunchtime on Thursday, Daphne had appeared at the Ministry, informing Roger that they were going Christmas shopping. In fact, this had been so well planned that Roger had actually already requested the latter half of the day off. He wasn’t quite sure when he might’ve put that particular request in, but decided to just write it down on whatever witchcraft Daphne possessed. Aside from the one they all had.
As they walked through the streets of Diagon Alley, Roger reached down to take Daphne’s hand, slightly frowning at his action after but not actually letting go. “Why the fuck are we doing this, again?” He asked her like the concept of buying things for Christmas was utterly new to him. It wasn’t. Usually Roger just did it like two days before and gave everyone marginally rubbish presents. That seemed to work just fine. And yet, here he was, going to shops with his girlfriend, looking for Christmas presents whilst holding her hand. Maybe he was ill again.
--
He may have frowned, but Daphne smiled when he took her hand. It was such a small gesture, but it gave her a warmth that her jacket couldn't contend with. She was enjoying the way it radiated up her arm when he asked his question. She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Because waiting until the last minute is impractical," she said. "Especially since we're going to be away for the majority of the days closest to Christmas. If I get the shopping done now, I won't have to worry about it later." At least not for anyone that wasn't Roger. That shopping was basically done though she wouldn't really call it shopping where his gift was concerned.
Her first, completed draft of her novel would be done by Christmas. Done and gift wrapped. Hopefully, at least. If everything went according to plan, she thought she'd have at least an attempt to show for the hard work both she and Roger had put in.
--
Roger, too, rolled his eyes, when Daphne informed him that waiting right up until before Christmas was an impractical way to approach present buying. “It’s suited me just fine until now,” he informed her, not for the first time. Most of that argument, though, was just out of spite than anything else, because no matter which way Roger looked at it, Daphne was right. It was probably the main reason he disagreed like a petulant child. “Have you got skiing clothes?” He asked. “Because those you do actually need,” which by implication meant that she didn’t need Christmas presents, but really, she was hardly going to be able to ski in wrapping paper instead.
“Where are we going first?” He asked looking around. “What do you need? I think I’m just going to get Max books, he likes books,” Roger told Daphne as they walked. “And maybe some fancy pans for Siobhan? She’s been talking about wanting to improve her cooking,” or rather enjoyment of it, but Roger didn’t feel necessary to comment on that. He knew Siobhan had troubles with food, so perhaps giving her fancy new shit to put it in would make cooking somehow more exciting.
--
"Yes, well, sometimes change is good," she told him, shaking her head. "You'll be less stressed out over the holiday if you get it out of the way now." She was sure that he would feel better once the shopping was done, even if he wanted to disagree with that sentiment now. His question was legitimate enough, so she responded with a shake of her head. "No," she admitted. "But I can always pick up a few things while we're out," she said. Shopping for clothes was never something Daphne would refuse and they were already out so it wouldn't hurt to have a look while they were wandering.
The first place to go, though, was another thought altogether. "Good question," she said. "I was probably going to pick up a book or two for Astoria, so we could definitely hit the bookshop." The idea of fancy pans was a good idea and Daphne nodded. "We could probably get her a little herb garden thing," she said. "You know, one of those small ones that sits on a window sill or something. If she's interested in cooking and gardening like Max mentioned, then she might enjoy that."
--
Roger was dubious about whether he’d ever felt very stressed about Christmas presents or lack thereof, but it seemed very unlikely that Daphne would be convinced by him saying as much. Especially not when they were already out and about to pick up presents. Clearly all of Roger’s arguments so far had been rather inefficient. Though, honestly, Roger couldn’t tell whether it was just that his arguments had been weak or that Daphne decided on what out of all the things that Roger said were childish and/or bullshit and just ran with it. He had a terrible suspicion it was the latter, which did not bode well for him in not getting roped into doing a load of other stuff.
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Roger told her in response to the suggestion of getting Siobhan a herb garden box. He lead them towards the nearest bookshop before pausing slightly as he turned to frown at Daphne. “When you say ‘we’, do you mean we’re getting couple presents?” He asked suspiciously, before evaluating that in his head. “Because, truthfully, if that’s the case, then can’t you just pick them all out yourself and put my name on them?” Wasn’t that the point of couple presents?
--
Daphne was about to walk into the bookshop when Roger frowned at her and asked his question. "It doesn't have to be a 'couple present'," she told him, rolling her eyes. "And, no, I couldn't have just done this all by myself and said it was from both of us because that would be lying. The last thing I want to do is lie to your brother or his fiance. So, lover boy, you're just going to have to suck it up and deal with shopping. I promise that once we finish I will repay you for the kindness and patience you are bestowing upon me now."
--
“Oh yeah,” Roger commented mockingly, holding the door open to the bookshop for Daphne. “Merlin knows I couldn’t have you lie,” he said as they walked in. “How did you even end up in Slytherin?” He asked her somewhat jokingly. Roger’s brother and best friend was Slytherin, so it wasn’t like Roger truly believed the House bred liars and terrible people. Hardly. Or even similar people, since Arran and Max were not exactly comparable to each other, nor would they’d want to be. Still, Daphne’s insistence on things being fair would’ve made Roger wonder if she should’ve just been put in Gryffindor. But then she told him to suck up his whining and promised rewards later, and Roger was willing to accept that there were definitely Slytherin qualities in her.
Letting go of Daphne’s hand, Roger walked towards one of the many tables with books on them. “We’re going to be here forever, aren’t we?” He asked Daphne suspiciously, realising too late that to bring a writer in a bookshop was probably a terrible mistake on his part. “That repayment better be worth it,” he told her though Roger had literally no doubt she’d make it worth his while.
--
Daphne smirked at his mention of her house. Sometimes she wondered why she'd been placed in Slytherin, but then she'd have a thought or do something so very Slytherin-esque that she couldn't deny she'd been placed right where she belonged. Heading into the bookshop with Roger, she grinned broadly at the selection of books. Having always enjoyed books in their many forms, she was already convinced that she would end up walking out of the store with a present for herself as well as for her sister.
"Hours," she told him, deadpan and straightfaced. After a brief moment, she grinned at him, the smile reaching her eyes easily. "I assure you that your repayment will be well worth it," she said. "So much so that I may need change because it could be considered overpayment."
--
Roger had very little doubt that when Daphne said ‘hours’ she truly meant it, too. On the bright side, he supposed there were far worse shops to be stuck in for hours. If nothing else, Roger could probably indulge being a Ravenclaw and read something. “Overpayment?” He asked Daphne across the table, raising an eyebrow at her. “I don’t know, I think I need to see the payment first before I decide on any change given,” he informed her playfully, running his hand over the books on the table.
“Okay,” Roger announced determinedly. “You have half an hour to browse,” he told Daphne. “Then we reconvene and if no presents have been found, you can come back on your own,” which was somewhat of a lie, because Roger was sure that Daphne could easily convince him to come with her again. She did seem in possession of a talent to get Roger to do things. “And,” he added raising a finger at her. “You’re not allowed more than three books for yourself,” because Roger was going to bet good money that by the end of their shopping trip, Daphne would have more Christmas presents for herself than for Astoria.
--
His response made her smirk. "Alright," she told him. "If you really must assess the payment first." She doubted he would be disapproving of it. Distracted by the table of books, her fingertips brushed over the tops of them and she smiled broadly. As happy as a child in a candy store, she knew she'd be spending every moment of that half hour he was asking to limit her to enjoying the stacks of books.
"Half an hour," she said, nodding. If she got started now, maybe she could sneak a few extra moments. His additional constraints made her laugh. "Fine, fine. Only three for myself. I do think I'm going to end up needing to buy a house with a room devoted entirely to a library," she admitted. As much as she loved books, her collection was constantly growing and parting with any of her favorites was impossible.
"What sorts of books does your brother enjoy, Roger?" she asked
--
Yes, Roger suspected that Daphne would have to buy a house with a room devoted entirely to a library. In fact, Roger thought that perhaps she’d be better off buying a library with a room devoted to sleeping. “Three at a time, Daph,” he told her, because at least she could then read them before buying more books. Briefly, Roger did feel a little like some sort of a parental control, but whilst the temptation was to go back on that and tell her to buy all the books just so he wouldn’t sound like a parent, Roger felt three at a time was a much more practical plan.
Moving towards one of the shelves, Roger shrugged. “Historical books?” He offered thoughtfully. “Books that might inform him about things he doesn’t know?” Roger was sure that Max enjoyed other types of books, too, but those were the ones Roger was sure his brother would like. “I’ll just pick something that came out recently,” Roger decided, before giving Daphne a look. “Since you refuse to pick them for me and just sign my name on the card.” Which, really, Roger still felt was a perfectly fine plan. “Because lying,” he added mockingly.
--
"Three at a time is a much better way of putting it," she told him. She knew that she would just finish those three and end up with three more shortly thereafter, but it was much better than pondering life with only three books. The thought alone was almost stressful. While it might have been a very parental thing to say, limiting her to a certain number of books, Daphne was well aware how carried away she could get in a bookstore and appreciated the limit.
"Historical books," she said, nodding. It wasn't really her favorite genre, but it was interesting to hear about Max's taste in literature. Picking something that had come out recently was probably a good idea because it was less likely that he'd already own the book in question. His mocking tone about the lying just made her laugh. "What do you usually do when you shop for Christmas presents?" she asked. "Do you pawn the shopping off on someone else or do you actually put some thought into the presents?"
--
“Mostly, I just try not to pick stuff people will definitely hate,” Roger replied with a shrug. He tended to do his Christmas shopping late, but it was never as if he was buying things that only had a limited availability. No one was going to buy out books on the development of magical courts in Western Africa over the past six centuries. “I feel that describing it as ‘putting thought into it’ might be a touch generous,” Roger admitted. He only ever really bought Christmas presents for Max, Siobhan, Arran and Lydia. And now, Daphne, Roger supposed.
Picking up a book about the shifting nature of magical communities in the Middle East, Roger frowned at it. “There we are, boring as fuck, so Max will love it,” he informed Daphne waving the book at her. “What are you getting Astoria?” He asked looking around. “Am I to get your sister a Christmas present?” Roger asked suspiciously. “Have we dated long enough for me to be socially expected to do that?” He had no idea. Astoria was nice, so Roger didn’t really mind getting her a present, though he would’ve preferred for Daphne to pick one in his stead.
--
Daphne laughed because she was certain that his reply was utterly truthful. "Something that people won't definitely hate," she said. "Have you ever put real thought into a gift?" she questioned, tilting her head a little as she looked across the table at him. She noted the book that he'd chosen for Max and rolled her eyes. "It might be boring to you, but maybe that's just because he has different tastes. Surely there's something you both enjoy."
The question about Astoria had her shrugging. "I'm not sure yet," she said. "She's fairly easy to buy for because she loves books and tea. They're my usual go-to presents for her. I usually just wander around bookshops like this until I find a book that calls to me because we both tend to gravitate towards the same sorts of books." As for the question about getting Astoria a present himself, she shook her head. "You don't have to get her a present," she said. "I don't mind putting your name on whatever I get for her if you want. It's not a requirement, though. I know I probably don't have to get something for Siobhan or Max, but I am going to be spending Christmas with them so it's only right that I chip in for the gifts."
--
“Sure, I have,” Roger replied dismissively when Daphne asked if he’d ever put an actual thought into getting a present. “Took you to see a play for your birthday, didn’t I?” He offered. It wasn’t the only time Roger had put thought into getting a present, but frankly he’d argue that just picking a boring arse book for Max was putting thought into it because Max liked boring arse books. He was going to get Siobhan some fancy pans because she wanted to learn to enjoy cooking. Arran, fair play, would probably just get beer. Lydia, Roger had not yet decided for.
At the explanation that Daphne picked books she gravitated towards, Roger shook his head. It was the most pretentious way to describe picking a book, but one he’d heard a lot having grown up in Ravenclaw. “If we’re not at a point in our dating life for you to pick presents on your own, I’m quite sure we’re not at a point where you can sign your presents to your sister as also being from me,” Roger informed her. “But feel free to pick another boring book for Max, he’s got a birthday on the twenty-fourth,” Roger added. “All the boring books for Max,” he said with a grin.
--
She smiled at the memory of the play. She'd received a lot of lovely gifts over the years, but that one had certainly been special. She hadn't expected it out of Roger, if she were being honest, but she appreciated it nonetheless. "True," she agreed. She was sure that he had given other thoughtful gifts as well. She assumed those gifts were to people that mattered enough to have him willing to put thought into them. He knew enough about his brother that picking a boring book, in his opinion, was probably very thoughtful as well.
She laughed, rolling her eyes a little. "I'll pick out something for him," she agreed. "I'm sure he'll find the books less than boring," she told him. "Which is the point, isn't it?" she asked. Picking up a romance novel, she turned it over in her hands, pondering whether it would be a good choice for Astoria. "Who else do you need presents for?" she asked.
--
When Roger had been younger, he had much preferred buying Max presents he knew his brother would hate but would have to pretend to like because that was the socially acceptable thing to do. As Roger had gotten older, though, he’d started to want to give things to Max that his brother might actually like. So yes, whilst Roger did find the books he picked tediously boring, Daphne was right in that Max would find them less than boring. Watching Daphne pick up a romance novel, Roger did smirk. “Yeah, don’t get Max that,” he teased, well aware that Daphne was unlikely to be browsing the book as a potential present for Roger’s brother. “I think he’s more into period dramas,” he joked.
“I need a present for you,” Roger replied when Daphne asked who else he needed to buy stuff for. “Siobhan and Max we’ve figured out,” he added. “Which leaves me with Arran, who I might just get beer. Or quidditch stuff. Or maybe quidditch shaped beer,” which probably existed. “And Lydia. Though, I’m not sure what to get her. Maybe something to do with travelling,” Roger said thinking out loud. He knew Lydia liked travelling, so it seemed appropriate.
--
She laughed. "No," she agreed. "I was thinking more for Astoria." Max would probably end up with a book as well, though she would take Roger's lead by looking for something more like what he'd chosen.
She smiled at him, shaking her head. "You don't have to get me anything. The trip is plenty enough present," she assured him. His thoughts for Arran were probably well and good. She didn't know him well enough to really comment otherwise. As for Lydia and traveling, Daphne nodded. "Maybe a scrapbook?" she offered. "Somewhere to put all the pictures and things she's gotten from traveling."
--
“Oh, yeah,” Roger said rolling his eyes. “I’ll just have you sit around present-less on Christmas morning,” he said mockingly. “Or worse, have you have presents from Max and Siobhan and nothing from me,” which Roger supposed he could do, but really, whilst he didn’t imagine himself to be a very great boyfriend, Roger didn’t think he was so shit he wouldn’t get his girlfriend a Christmas present. “Maybe I’ll get you a book,” Roger said almost jokingly. He had no doubt that Daphne would like a book for Christmas, but Roger was sure he could think of something slightly more innovative.
At the suggestion that Roger could get Lydia a scrapbook, he nodded. “Maybe,” Roger said thoughtfully. He wasn’t all that sure Lydia was into arts and crafts, or whatever making a scrapbook involved. Still, he could certainly look into it. “Who are you getting presents for?” He asked in return.
--
"Maybe you're my present," Daphne commented, glancing up at him over the top of the book, flashing him a little smile when he caught her eye. "I do enjoy books," she told him, the grin widening on her lips.
His question about presents had her shrugging a little. "My parents, Astoria, a few friends from school. Graham, probably," she said, thinking over that for a moment. "He's Astoria's boyfriend. Very sweet." She thought he was good for Astoria and she seemed very taken with him so some sort of present would probably be nice for Christmas. "Max and Siobhan," she added. "Not a massive amount of people, thankfully. On the bright side, I think I've already gotten your present figured out."
--
Roger shook his head when Daphne said that perhaps he was her present, though, he did also smile almost automatically at the way she glanced at him. “I’m sure I can do better than me,” he teased. “Perhaps something that complains less,” he offered with a smirk. Roger had a few ideas about what he might get Daphne and he imagined that she might appreciate them more than him just offering himself, though, oddly Roger didn’t actually doubt that she would still enjoy that.
As Daphne listed who she needed to buy presents for, Roger nodded. It was a longer list than his own, but that wasn’t very surprising since Daphne was, if not nicer, then certainly easier to make friends with than Roger. Not that he didn’t know plenty of people, Roger just didn’t consider majority of them his friends. Acquaintances, Roger was fine with, friends, that was a bit more difficult. “Oh, yeah?” Roger asked when Daphne said she’d already gotten Roger’s present. “Is it you?” He asked with a smirk since she had suggested he could be her present. If she was, Roger had little to no intention of declining.
--
"Mmm, maybe," she said, shrugging a shoulder. "But, I'd rather just do you instead," she told him, waggling her brows teasingly at him. Having a present that complained less than Roger might have been a good option, but Daphne was just fine with having Roger himself.
She grinned at his question and that smirk that went with it. "Sort of," she said. "But that's the only hint that you're getting, Roger. It's supposed to be a surprise. Can't go giving away all of my secrets before Christmas, so you'll just have to wait." Thankfully, the wait wasn't going to be all that long.
--
“Well, you are very welcome to do me, anytime, Daph,” Roger assured with a smirk, mimicking Daphne’s eyebrow waggle in response. As for her Christmas present at least somewhat involving herself, Roger had no objections to. “I look forward to it,” he told her honestly, the smirk turning to a much more genuine smile.
Glancing down at his watch, Roger gave Daphne a look. “You’re down to twenty five minutes now,” he told her. “So if I were you, I’d better get on with not buying yourself more than three books,” he informed her giving a nod towards the rest of the bookshop.