WHO: Demelza Robins, Danny Pucey-Mable and Monique Pucey Where: Flourish & Blotts When: Saturday afternoon What: Dez meets yet another member of the Pucey family
Although she did start out with the intention of spending the whole day with her son, after lunch Monique Pucey was itching to do some serious shopping and she knew Danny would hate it, drag his feet and moan the whole time. So she settled on the best quick babysitting option available - Flourish & Blotts. Danny would happily spend hours amongst books and therefore she could guarantee that he would stay in the children's section for at least two hours.
After waving goodbye to his mother and assuring her he wouldn't leave the store, Danny wandered into the fiction section. Idly the nine year old ran his fingers along the spines of the books, breathing in that new book smell and looking for something to catch his eye so he could happily lose himself for a couple of hours.
The only problem with working in a book store, Dez found, was that she tended to spend some time getting 'lost' in the new books that she had been putting out for clients. It was a new work by Verna Trickle staring Lucy that Dez couldn't resist. She was paging through it, absorbing the story, when she noticed the young client wandering through the space. Putting aside her book, she smiled warmly. "Hey there," she called out, "can I help you find something in particular or are you just browsing today?"
Looking up, Danny smiled shyly at the tall lady. "I want something new, but I can't decide," he said in his quiet voice, tugging on his jacket and fidgeting. "Nothing... 'pops' out," he felt a bit silly saying this, but hoped someone who worked with books understood what it meant to have a book title suddenly grab the eyes and draw one in.
Now that was a sentiment Dez understood completely. "I know just what you mean!" she said with delight, clapping her hands together. "It has to call to you, doesn't it?" Her smile widened exponentially.
"Now tell me, what you normally read and I'll see if i can't help you," Dez said. "Oh, and do we have to pick quickly or have you time for a proper browse through some choices?"
Pleased by her understanding - which he hardly ever got at home - Danny considered her questions seriously, chewing on his lower lip. "I read everything," he said slowly as his mind presented him with the sort of book he really wanted to read right now. "What I want to read depends how I feel at the time," folding his arms, adopting quite an adult attitude for his young years, Danny paced a couple of steps. "Mother left me here for a while, she'll probably be gone for three hours," he said in an off-hand manner. "Now, I want... I want a story with knights in it, and dragons, but not all evil dragons, and I don't really care about princesses, unless they are cool princesses who don't cry and faint, those are boring. And there has to be a great wizard..." he looked up at her. "Is there anything like that?"
Dez's heart broke for the young boy, so disregarded by his own Mother. It seemed to happen more frequently among the well to do, but this was the first that Dez herself had personally encountered. Deciding that since he had been 'left in her care', she was going to make sure to offer him some kindness and consideration. "Everything?" Dez asked, her eyebrows raising giving her an amused look. "Sounds like an entertaining book. Come on, let me wrack my brain and see what I can come up with."
Wandering towards the back of the youth section, Dez gestured toward the pair of small leather chairs and the table she had set up in the area. "Have a seat and let me look around. Your idea sounds fabulous, maybe I should write that..." She gave him a cheeky grin and turned to consider the shelves near her.
Danny's eyes lit up as he sat down. "You write?" he breathed, obviously awed. Loving books as he did, Danny view writers as close to gods. One day, he wanted to be a great writer, but he felt he still had a long way to go and his mother wasn't particularly approving of his studious bent. How would he ever survive in Slytherin with his nose buried in a book?
Turning back to look at him, Dez beamed. "Yes I do," Dez admitted, coming back with a stack of books and setting them down on the table before sitting across from him. "I'm currently writing a novel about a female Auror and her work. An auror named Adrian Pucey helped me with some information and right now it's going very well. I hope to make it a whole series of books. What about you? Do you write?"
"I want to write one day, but my mother thinks I should concentrate on learning magic and even be a quidditch player for a while, she thinks I don't get out enough..." Danny suddenly realised she'd mentioned his brother's name and giggled. "You know Adrian? He's my big brother! Well... half brother," Danny liked to be exact about things.
"There's nothing wrong being being a writer and enjoying books," Dez said hotly, defending herself as well as the young boy. Just wait till she saw his mother. She'd give her a piece or two of her mind. His next words made her boggle. Her brown eyes widened. "You're related to Adrian as well? I never expected him to have sane relatives."
Danny grinned again. "Did you meet Lucy then?" he asked, his brown eyes knowing as he looked at her. "She likes to have everything her way, although..." a shadow passed over his face then. "It was better when Dad was alive, he stopped her from being so bossy."
Settling back more comfortably now, Dez gave a wry smile. "Yes, I met Lucy. She was not at her best and neither was I. Adrian," there was a pause and a bright blush at his name, "had to come and rescue me from the person who seems to be stalking me." There was a slight shudder at the mention of what was happening to her.
"I'm sorry about your Dad," Dez said quietly. "Dads are the best and it's hard when they're gone, isn't it?" Her sympathy went out to him and Lucy, despite her annoying nature. No one should be without their Dad. It was a hard life without your Dad to lean on.
"Stalking isn't very nice, but Adrian will help you, he's a very good Auror," Danny's pride in his brother was obvious. "He looks after us too, cos he's the head of the family now."
He poked at the top of the table with one finger, his forehead furrowed. "It's hardest on mother, I think. Lucy says she must be cursed cos Adrian's father died too. That's why I don't mind mother leaving me here to do something she likes. I want her to be happy again."
"Adrian is a very good Auror," Dez immediately agreed, a bit of a faraway look on her features though it would be doubtful if a young boy knew what it mean in terms of relationships. "He must be a very good head of the family as well."
"It's hard to make mom's happy though," Dez said quietly. "they have to make themselves happy when your Dad dies. Even when we want to make things better."
Danny looked up at her with a thoughtful expression, considering what she was saying with due seriousness. "So did you find a book for me?" he asked after a short silence, clearly indicating that he wanted to move away from the topic of mothers and fathers. He hated being gloomy and Lucy would tease him if he cried again.
"I found a couple, but I wasn't sure whether or not you'd read them," Dez said, pushing across the stack of books, including a book that hadn't yet made it on to the shelf - something that would be released on Friday. "Have you?" She offered him a winning grin, liking the solemn boy who reminded her of herself somehow.
Danny went through the books, setting the ones he'd read on his left and the ones he hadn't on the right. The left pile was quite high, indicating how much he read, and of the right hand pile, he discarded three after scanning the synopsis. "Those are too similar to some others I read," he explained with a little smile. The new release gained his attention and he opened it, reading the first page slowly. "I think... this one is okay," Danny decided and closed the book. "Would you really write one like I described though?"
"Sure I would," Dez said with a grin, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a notebook which she quickly enlarged. "Any more ideas I can steal from that clever brain of yours? I always need more novel ideas. Do you think it's important to write more for adults or kids?"
Danny tilted his head. "I think it depends who you like to write for. Everyone should have lots of choice, but a writer shouldn't make themselves write for adults if they're better at writing for kids, you know?" he propped his chin on his hand. "But if you like writing for both then that's good too! I want to write for both, if I can," he mused. "I don't know if many books are written by kids for kids, do you?"
"I don't think I've ever read one, but kids have wonderful ideas. They should do more writing and exploration of ideas," Dez said with a bright grin. "There are some adult things I'd like to explore - things that don't work for children. But at the same time, there seems so little to be available for children that resembles quality stories that make people think that I would like to have a chance to create some of those things that I wish I could have read when I was younger. Does that make sense?"
Dez paused and then continued. "I have to remember it's about one thing at a time now."
"It makes sense," Danny grinned back at her. "Maybe I will write my story for you," he said, suddenly shy and scuffing his feet against the floor. "Even if no one else reads it, you'll understand it."
"What would your story be about then?" Dez asked, clearly interested as she leaned toward him. "Though I am sure that more than me would be interested in reading it.
Danny blushed and looked down at his feet as he slumped in his seat. "It's a secret... if I tell you too much then it won't be so interesting to read."
"Daniel? Daniel?" an aristocratic female voice broke the spell and Danny abruptly sat up straight, his expression full of surprise and alarm.
"What's she doing here so soon?" he muttered and turned just as a tall brunette, dressed in expensive robes, rounded the corner of the shelves and spotted him.
"Oh there you are, darling," Monique beamed. "I suppose I should not be surprised!"
It was nearly immediate that Dez realised who the woman was. The haughty bearing gave it away. Dez could have spotted the pureblood from across the room and known she was Adrian's mother. It was the combination of haughty arrogance and pureblood standing and the shape of her face and eyes that told Dez it was Adrian's mother. Conscious then of her slightly battered navy robes and the worn grey pants and white shirt underneath, Dez stood. Part of her wasn't sure whether or not to acknowledge the woman or to pretend to be part of the scenery she was sure to overlook. For now though, she took her cue from Daniel and remained quiet, though smiling.
Danny also got up, a slightly wary look in his eyes. "You're early, Mummy."
"I know, sweetheart," Monique swooped down and kissed his forehead. "I felt so bad," she cooed. "This was our day together, so we should spend it together," she straightened and looked across at Dez, taking note of the Flourish & Blott's name tag. Monique smiled graciously. "Have you been entertaining my funny little man, Miss Robins?"
"We have been having a very enlightening discussion regarding the importance of quality literature for both children and adults," Dez stated with a slight smile. This woman was too much. She acted like she doted on the child when in reality she left him here unattended for a day's shopping. But she had no right to judge. "He is quite a bright young man, you should be quite proud of him."
"Indeed?" Monique's eyebrows swooped up and her gaze sharpened even as her smile remained in place. Very few people told her that she 'should' do anything, especially not shabby shop girls. "Sometimes a little too bright," she stroked Danny's hair with a elegant, well manicured hand. "You need to get outside more, darling," she tapped Danny's cheek and gave him an indulgent look.
Danny flushed and bit his lower lip, half nodding and shrugging at the same time. It was clear he felt quite over-shadowed by his mother, the cheery openness he'd displayed earlier with Dez changing to solemn reserve.
"Did he choose a book?" Monique asked Dez, glancing at the pile on the table.
"I believe that he chose several," Dez said, swallowing her urge to tell this woman that she should not be trying to change her son, but celebrating him. It perhaps showed in her expressive brown eyes, but she didn't say anything. "Let me take you to the front and get them rung up for you though perhaps you would care to approve them first ma'am?" Dez picked up the stack that Danny had selected and offered it to Monique.
"No, no, he has a good sense of what is appropriate," Monique's expression was haughtier now, as she read the disapproval in Dez's eyes. "Just ring them up."
Danny broke away from his mother before Dez could move far away and tugged on her sleeve so she had to bend down. "Thank you," he murmured so Monique wouldn't hear. "I'll write that story for you."
Leaning down, further, Dez whispered back, "I can't wait to read it. Have Adrian bring it to me if you can't owl it."
Standing back up, Dez offered him a bright smile. "If you will follow me, I'll have this together in a moment for you." With brisk strides, Dez made her way to the checkout counter and within a moment had everything rung up and a total amount stated as the books were wrapped together in brown paper and tied with string.
Monique snapped her fingers and a house elf appeared, bowing low and then taking the parcel. "Your hard work is appreciated, Miss Robins," she smiled that gracious but superior smile before placing her hand on Danny's shoulder. "Now, darling... how about some ice cream?"
"That would be nice, mummy," he said softly and let himself be led away, the house elf trailing behind. As they exited the store, Danny glanced over his shoulder and gave Dez a small smile and wave.
Dez felt sad about what Danny was clearly dealing with, but none of that showed on her face as she waved good-bye with a bright smile. Maybe she'd talk to Adrian about Danny and see what he could tell her. With that last thought, she returned to her work.