Something For You, From Me [CALEX]

[Deleted]

Liona was wandering around Hogsmeade without a specific destination in mind. She was stuck at Hogwarts for the Christmas Break and because the Holidays were quickly approaching she knew she needed to get her shopping done. She would never get it done otherwise. She needed to get something for her parents of course. She needed to get her brother something. She also wanted to get something for her Uncle Draco, Aunt Tori, Scorp and little Lyra, but of course she wasn't sure what they would want. Like her own family, they were rich and could get whatever they wanted. It was always so hard shopping for people who already had the ability to buy whatever they wanted. Nothing ever seemed good enough though they would always say 'it's the thought that counts'. While that statement was true, who would be thankful for a gift they didn't even want? She wouldn't.

She paused, taking a look around at what stores were nearest to her now. Honeyduke's was always an option because candy was always a thoughtful gift to give others. She had a few of her classmates on her list as well so she thought candy would suffice for them. Madame Puddifoot's was nearby as well. More treats she could buy people. She never realized how small Hogsmeade was until now. There weren't a whole lot of stores to choose from where she could buy meaningful gifts. She sighed. What was she going to do now? She could owl her mother to see if she would be willing to buy some things and send them back to her. Getting stuck here just to go to the Yule Ball was seeming to not be worth it anymore.

Tag; @open
OOTD; Here

[Deleted]

@lionaanna

it was always an interesting experience when he supervised the trips to hogsmeade. keeping track of the students wasn't that hard but he wasn't one to crowd them to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to. well if they got into trouble then that was different but he trusted them to behave, most of them anyway but he was a believer in letting teenagers learn the hard way, rather than stop them from getting in trouble before it happened. only with the small stuff though, never when the action would lead to injury. then it was different. he walked along the streets and looked into the windows of the shops that were open for the day and he stopped in order to pick up a christmas present for callie. it was a bracelet that looked like flowers woven together by their stems. it was interesting and different, just the sort of thing he knew she'd love. he spotted a student in the path and he couldn't help but notice that she looked a little lost. he pocketed the gold chain after paying for it and he tucked it away so it was safe before making his way over. "miss zabini. i can't help but notice you look a little lost." he said with a smile as he folded his arms over his chest to keep his coat closed. "are you looking for something in particular?"

[Deleted]

Liona was really close to giving up and just deciding to email her mother later. Even that was a stretch because she still needed even a small idea of what she wanted to get them before she asked her mother. She wondered what her mother was going to get for Aunt Tori? Maybe she could just ask her and get a companion gift for it? As Liona was stuck in her head and yet turning around to decide on a course of action, she noticed someone walking up to her from the corner of her eye. She turned and immediately swooned. Just a little though not anything noticeable. Professor Jakebson was walking in her direction and boy did he wear his robes well. He was one of her favorite professors, not because she enjoyed Defense Against The Dark Arts or anything like that. She actually really didn't care for the class but took it anyway because she was advised to. He was definitely her favorite professor though because he was a delight to look at. Watching him perform spells and explain proper technique and... he said her name and she smiled cheerfully up at him. "Are you looking for something in particular?" She titled her head slightly and sighed. "I'm trying to Christmas shop for my family but it's difficult when your family is rich. Hogsmeade doesn't have too many shops either so I don't know if I'm going to be able to find anything for them." she took a minute to look around again. Nothing new. No ideas came to mind for Christmas presents. On the other hand, maybe he may be able to help? "I' know you're supervising us but are you here to Christmas shop too? What would you suggest? Would you mind helping me?"

Tag; @jaeger
OOTD; Here

[Deleted]

@lionaanna

"I'm trying to Christmas shop for my family but it's difficult when your family is rich. Hogsmeade doesn't have too many shops either so I don't know if I'm going to be able to find anything for them." christmas shopping. he was pretty sure it was difficult no mattter who you were buying for. he had always worried about what he had been buying his parents and his brothers and while now he didn't worry about it quite so much, he had to constantly remind himself not to splurge on buying blaise too many presents or too much so he wasn't spoiling him but it was hard to know where that line was. though he did remember something his parents had told him and he himself felt it as a parent now, that if something was thought about, it meant something. "I' know you're supervising us but are you here to Christmas shop too? What would you suggest? Would you mind helping me?" he nodded his head as he tucked his hands into the pockets on his cloak and he smiled. "of course. well i'm not sure about being rich." he said honestly, his family had been comfortable enough but they hadn't been rich by any means, though his parents had tried too indulge their children where they could. "but i do know about buying for parents and having my son buy presents for me." he said as he looked at the items across at one of the small stores.

"anything you put a lot of thought into is sure to mean something." he said as he motioned to the shop and made to walk toward it. he was unsure if she had already looked there but there was no harm in looking again if she had. "my parents quite used to like us to make things when we were small. and i won't lie, i kept everything blaise made me when he was younger." he said with a chuckle as he picked up a book and turned it over in his hands. "though i think by your age we all liked to buy the gifts." he looked at her. "think about what your parents enjoy? and your aunt and uncle too." he said, noting that her aunt was astoria malfoy, a fellow teacher and from what he knew about he he was pretty sure she would rather something well thought out than something lavish.

[Deleted]

She smiled and nodded as he spoke about knowing about buying gifts for his own parents and having his son buy him presents. Of course she had experience buying her family presents over the years but each year seemed more difficult than the last. It was always a longer than necessary struggle and while she had found some jewels over the year, things that they would like for sure, she was quite sure that they hadn't all been good. Of course then she'd been at home for the holiday and had access to shop upon shop of high quality fabrics and technology not found even in most wizarding shops. Things were much harder now that's she was here at school.

She smiled and nodded when he mentioned the cliche 'anything with thought is a good gift' line. There was definitely a way to mess up gift giving and that was it. She always wanted to make sure to get good gifts so she wouldn't be in a position where the only thing they could say is 'oh that was so thoughtful'. Thoughtful and enjoyable were two different things. "Thank you Professor,"" she grinned as she followed him to one of the shops nearby. It was one that she had casually looked over but had dismissed immediately. It didn't look like it would have anything of the quality she was looking for. He was leading her to it though and she had asked for his help so she couldn't back out now.

She laughed with him as he talked about his parents liking it when he made things for them. She had no doubt she could make something but she did not want to chance them not liking it. She could be artistic when she wanted. "I haven't made anything for my parents since I was 4. After a while they got too busy so they weren't able to see what I made." To some that would sound sad but she didn't want pity. It was her reality and she was okay with that. Her parents both worked hard at their respective crafts. She wanted to have a work ethic like them when she stepped into her own career.

As he suggested, she took a moment to think about what some of her family members might like. "Well Father likes guitars and mother might enjoy a classic French film," her eyebrows furrowed as she looked around the shop. "I don't know if this store carries those things though." The shop seemed more to carry various forgotten trinkets, while special to some seemed like junk to others. It was one of those stores she'd heard about that she imagined poor old women came to in order to fill their living rooms with 'antiques'.

Tag; @jaeger
OOTD; Here

[Deleted]

@lionaanna

"I haven't made anything for my parents since I was 4. After a while they got too busy so they weren't able to see what I made." as much as he wanted to be surprised he really couldn't. it happened in most cases and while he had always thought he'd been a reasonably attentive father there were times when he himself had been too busy to really notice something that blaise had drawn or made. it wasn't that he hadn't cared he'd just been busy. "Well Father likes guitars and mother might enjoy a classic French film," he nodded and rubbed his hand over his chin slightly, looking at the items before them. guitars and french films. well that wasn't impossible to achieve. "well the music store might have something for your father?" it wasn't a long shot and it was a good place to start and if that was a dead end they might be able to suggest something. "and for your mother, how about an old book? if she likes french classics, she might look a classic book?" he suggested. she might not but there were some pretty interesting old books within the store, possibly something along the lines of what her mother would appreciate.

[Deleted]

She nodded and gave a half smile at his suggestion of the music store for something for her father. The smile hid her disappointment though. She didn't want to tell him that she'd been to the music store just this last Hogsmeade trip and the store carried mediocre instruments at best and heavily used and abused at worst. She'd had enough sense to have her viola from home flown in at the beginning of the year rather than to wait and purchase something she could use for Orchestra Club from here because, as expected, their selection had been terrible. Going back now had proven that their tastes hadn't improved any and she had been disinterested in any suggestions they could have offered. "I may go to them later but father's collection is rather extensive so they may not have something he doesn't already have," she turned and began carefully looking over the dusty books that were on the shelves in front of them. "As for mother, I think she's always liked films more than books, hence her career." Her eyes roamed the shelf before they landed on what was seemingly an ancient looking astrology tome. Her eyes lit up momentarily and and snatched the book off of the shelf, holding it close to herself. She turned to the professor and cleared her throat. "What are you getting your family?"

Tag; @jaeger
OOTD; Here