August 5th, 1895 — Hogsmeade Apothecary

Poppy had been eagerly awaiting being able to shop for her school supplies. She had her wand already (of course, it was the first thing she got) and a cat, her books and robes, and now she needed the one cauldron. It was a shop she was unfamiliar with. Normally that would make her a little fidgety, but the combined excitement with shopping and doing it with her best friend gave her that extra bit of bravery.

He'd been giving her quite a bit of independence this summer, likely in preparation for her time at Hogwarts. It made her feel quite grown. Hamish had entered the shop before the girls, holding the door open for them, and then strode toward the back of the shop with a dad-like he was off to look at the new items the shop had but he'd be back to help her with her cauldron shortly. It was nice that he gave them time to look around.

Except Poppy quickly realized she didn't particularly like this shop. It was crammed full of jars and powders, feathers and fangs and claws hang from the ceiling, and the smell could be described as musty at best–and that was only if you were trying to be polite. She pressed her hand to her nose and turned to Margie, her voice low so hopefully the shopkeeper didn't overhear, "It stinks in here!"

Daffodil Grimstone Margaery Lockhart

  

---

Club Membership in: Astronomy ✿ Flying ✿ Charms ✿ Book ✿ Quidditch

Adorably sweet set by the amazing Lady! ✿ plot with me

Shopping for school supplies wasn't quite as enjoyable for a girl who knew it was stretching an already thin budget, but she was working through it. The only new thing she'd gotten was robes because she'd grown yet again, but that was to be expected. Her mother could let them out if she grew anymore. Everything else was second-hand and that was okay. The only other new thing she would be getting was her wand, but she wanted to do that with her mother specifically, just the two of them. Margie knew that her mum had once worked at the wandshop in Hogsmeade, had wanted to make wands herself, but life had different plans. So Margs thought it might be a nice thing to do, just the two of them.

Mr. MacFusty had been quite generous already today, buying them a treat at Honeydukes between stops, so Margie was on strict orders to do what she could with the money she had. Fortunately, Uncle Anthony had a good cauldron she could use and said he'd take care of the rest of her potions ingredients. It was all getting pieced together the best they could. The Apothecary was not a place she'd really gone in much before and now she knew why.

"It really does." She wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant aroma. "Do you really think we'll have to use things like this in class?" She wasn't all that squeamish, but boy did these things smell terrible.

---

The following 1 user Likes Margaery Lockhart's post:1 user Likes Margaery Lockhart's post
   Poppy MacFusty

---

Poppy hadn't even thought of that. She looked a bit more closely at the items around them and blanched, "I hope not. I don't think potions is for me otherwise." She didn't know it, but her mother had been notoriously bad at potion brewing. The odds were against her from the start. Warily, she shuffled a bit further into the store. Her dad was back here somewhere. Maybe they should just get the cauldron quickly and leave. Her nose certainly agreed.

"At least we don't need to bring any of it, I don't think? It isn't on the supply list, anyway. Can you imagine tucking it into your trunk to take to school?" Everything inside the trunk would absoutely reek... and if every first year had the same thing in all of their trunks... well, Hogwarts might be a very, very smelly place. She grimaced as she eyed something floating in a jar that she did not want to identify. This shop was a little frightening, if she was being honest.

  

---

Club Membership in: Astronomy ✿ Flying ✿ Charms ✿ Book ✿ Quidditch

Adorably sweet set by the amazing Lady! ✿ plot with me

Margie chuckled. "I'm pretty sure we need to get some while we're here." Basic ingredients anyway. Well, Poppy needed some, Uncle Anthony was helping her out with what she needed. He would know best anyway, as a healer he used potions (and made them?) often. Margie realized she was pretty lucky in that respect. A broommaker, a healer, some quidditch players, all in her family. Not to mention now a florist and her mother was good at a great many things, it was quite the collection of people and experiences.

"Some of these things are gross though, I hope it's not too bad." The smell alone was enough of a deterrent for her to think anything good about Potions. She liked cooking with her mum thought, maybe it wouldn't be so bad? "I think I'll like Charms and Astronomy better." There were things she was looking forward too, even if she was nervous. Having Poppy going with her was helpful though. Even if they didn't end up in the same house, at least they would have some classes together and they could visit one another outside of that.

---

  

---

Poppy nodded in acceptance. If they had to touch these things for the sake of school, then that was what she would do. She wouldn't like it of course, but she would definitely still do it. Not today, though. She wasn't required to do it today. What a relief!

She was unable to keep her excitement at bay at the mention of Charms class. Her mother was a talented witch when it came to charms. She'd even served as Charms Professor for a bit. "I think so too!" She nodded enthusiastically, "The nighttime classes for Astronomy will be fun–I've never been allowed to stay awake so late. Though Transfiguration could be my favorite, or maybe Herbology... or maybe even History of Magic? I do like reading, after all..." Her voice faded off thoughtfully.

  

---

Club Membership in: Astronomy ✿ Flying ✿ Charms ✿ Book ✿ Quidditch

Adorably sweet set by the amazing Lady! ✿ plot with me

Margie didn't often get to stay up too late either, unless she and her mum were sneaking treats in the kitchen every once in a while. "I'm very much looking forward to trying each one to see which ones are the most interesting." She knew they didn't get much choice until they added electives, but she would try her best in the meantime. Surely each had to have something interesting. Which ones would be hard though, that was another story.

"I just hope we don't have an early class the next morning." She chuckled as she looked at another jar of something slimy and made a face. "At least we have gloves for Herbology." Margie reasoned, ducking down to look at yet something else that caught her eye.

---

  

---

She wouldn't have described herself as squeamish necessarily. There was just something about the suspicious bits floating about in jars combined with the smell that was just a touch too far for her. Poppy grimaced as she noticed where Margie was looking. "That's true. We'd better make sure we bring them to every class, just in case." If they forgot them, would their professor make them touch this stuff with their bare hands?

"Do you think we'll be sorted into the same house?" She wondered. It would be wonderful to be able to share a dorm room together! They would attend classes together, clubs, meals... basically anything and everything. They'd never have to be alone. (And Poppy wouldn't have to figure out how to navigate the giant castle and its moving staircases on her own.)

  

---

Club Membership in: Astronomy ✿ Flying ✿ Charms ✿ Book ✿ Quidditch

Adorably sweet set by the amazing Lady! ✿ plot with me

It wasn't a bad idea, to always have their gloves on them. At Poppy's question about their possible houses, Margie could only shrug. "I hope so," it would be nice to go in and have somebody she already knew in her dorm. They both only had brothers, so it would be a welcome change to spend some time around other girls.

"But even if we aren't we'll have classes and meals together." Margie didn't want to get her hopes up too high, just in case they weren't sorted into the same house, but they would still get to spend time together. There were clubs to join and everything else, surely they would still get to see one another plenty. Still, it would be nice if they happened to be in the same dorm.

"Do you think you'll want to try quidditch." Margie was leaning no, but with her father's career and her uncle's broommaking, she thought she might?

---

  

---

The reminder that they would still get to see each other all the time was reassuring. In fact, they might even be able to see each other more often than they do now! They'd be living in the same place, after all. And they wouldn't need to bother their parents to arrange their get-togethers. Poppy nodded her agreement. "That's true; I'm sure it'll be fine either way."

Quidditch? She hadn't really thought about it until now. "Maybe?" She replied with a shrug, "Da's already taught me how to fly on one of his old broomsticks... and I've played a bit with my cousins but I didn't really do much. It could be fun though? I do like flying." Having finished her train of thought that she'd spoken out loud, she returned the question back to Margie, "Do you think you will?"

  

---

Club Membership in: Astronomy ✿ Flying ✿ Charms ✿ Book ✿ Quidditch

Adorably sweet set by the amazing Lady! ✿ plot with me

Margie shrugged. She liked flying just fine, but she had never been quite interested in playing on the team. "I think I'll join Flying Club to start, I'm not sure I want to play on the house team." Surely there were other students who were better at playing than she was who would make the team. Margie was more of the mindset that she should take her first year to get to know Hogwarts and what it had to offer before she jumped into a whole bunch of activities. It was going to be a bid adjustment, going to school full time versus just at the little school in Irvingly. She didn't think either her mother or father would hold that against her.

"It's a big change, I want to make sure I don't overwhelm myself." She needed down time at the end of the day to unwind; she didn't think that would happen as easily with too many things on her plate.

---

  

---

"That's good thinking," Poppy nodded thoughtfully, "You sound so grownup!" Maybe she ought to have been thinking like Margie. Not sign up for too many things at once. Pace herself. See how the felt once she was there and go from there. Rather impressed with this line of thinking, she added, "I bet you'll be a Ravenclaw." They were known for their cleverness, and clearly, Margie was very clever.

Movement from the corner of her eye had her turning her head to look toward the back of the store—her Da (as tall as some of the shelves) was on his way back to them. "Da's coming, we should look at the cauldrons." Thankfully, it wasn't too far from where they stood.

  

---

Club Membership in: Astronomy ✿ Flying ✿ Charms ✿ Book ✿ Quidditch

Adorably sweet set by the amazing Lady! ✿ plot with me