A Russian Rat Is Clever (Aurum)

[Deleted]

Aura wasn’t willing to set down the broom polish – Quidditch shoppers could be as predatory as a Beater sometimes and someone might carry it off – so she thumbed through the stacked jerseys with one hand. They definitely weren’t Silver’s style. He wouldn’t want to be dressed in something that would make him stand out, which meant (a little ironically) that the only place Aura could probably get him into it would be for the Quidditch final itself. But it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. The only thing her and Silver’s dad had ever tried to give them was money and the prestige of their last name. Might as well use it.

She’d gotten a little carried away with the bitterness of that last thought, so she tuned back in just in time for Dasha’s noncommittal answer. “Well, yes and no are the two available options,” Aura commented sarcastically, although she didn’t push on it any further. Maybe usually meant no, and there were very few circumstances in which Aura would push to change a no into a yes. She was a practical person who liked to organize her goals into an achievable checklist. As far as she was concerned, she’d checked off the two things she needed today. Anything else was just extra fluff.

The other girl had been eyeing a different section of the merchandise – gloves and the like – which made Aura wonder if she was also a practical person, if not in a different way than Aura. Or maybe she just didn’t like the Wasps and wanted something more subtle. Aura paused that line of thought for a moment to pull out a jersey in a larger size from the bottom of the pile and draped it over her arm. Then she turned back to Dasha. “Good enough for me. He can use it to clean his owl’s cage afterwards if he doesn’t like it.” That was an appalling thought to Aura, who believed both in the sanctity of Quidditch and nice clothes, but she wouldn’t put it past Silver. And really, once the gift had been gifted, it wasn’t any of her business how he chose to use it.

Her eyes drifted to the window and the crowd of people passing by the store outside before returning to the unusual companion she’d spent the last few minutes around. “Maybe pick something random then?” Aura suggested unenthusiastically. Again, distinctly not her style, because she always knew what she wanted, but the alternative was to name the entire inventory of the shop until they finally landed on something. And that just seemed a waste of breath.

@dasha

[Deleted]

June 7, 2025

Aura looked through the jerseys, not appearing to mind that she was still holding a container of broom polish that very easily could have spilled on the merchandise and damaged it. If it got damaged, that would mean having to pay for it, but she either didn't see the risk or didn't care. The only thing worse than looking like a giant wasp, thought Dasha, would have been looking like a giant wasp with splatters of dark broom polish all down the front.

She wasn't sold on the jersey, not one hundred percent, and neither did she have the money to waste on purchasing it for Dmitri as a joke. Aura, though, seemed frustrated by how non-committal she was being, mentioning very bluntly that yes and no were the two available options. Dasha, avoiding saying anything, knew that it was just a linguistic misunderstanding. In Russian, "yes no" was an indication of being on the fence about something. It wasn't that she wasn't aware of her options; she just hadn't been able to make up her mind about whether or not it was really worth it.

Dasha had gone over towards the gloves anyway, and she thought that they looked to have been made well enough that they would last for more than just one winter season. Aura, in the meantime, had apparently picked out a jersey, which was draped across her arm. She mentioned something about how it could be used to clean his owl's cage afterwards if he didn't like it, which seemed like something of a waste. Until it had been worn through enough to fall to pieces—literally—then it could be used as anything but a rag.

"Maybe pick something random then?" Aura suggested, at which Dasha shook her head.

"No, I like this," Dasha replied, picking up the pair of gloves and holding them between herself and the book she was carrying. She hadn't planned to hang around the Quidditch store all day, either. The gloves might not have been made of something like dragon hide; they weren't necessarily sleek or at the height of fashion, but she thought that Dmitri would appreciate them.

@aurum

[Deleted]

While Aura waited for Dasha to finish analyzing the merchandise, she caught sight of a poster advertising the final Quidditch match in a few days and smiled excitedly at the thought of attending. The timing of the match meant it would make a great birthday present for her and Silver, and it would be an all-day event. Getting there early to find their seats, showing off her merch to her friends and fellow teammates whenever she inevitably ran into them, and then watching professional players do what they do best. And then after the match, when they’d all gone back to school, meeting up with the Ravenclaw team to review all the plays they remembered and how to implement variations into their House matches. The Cup was going to be theirs this year if she had anything to say about it. Or at the very least, Slytherin needed to pay for last year.

Dasha had picked up a pair of gloves in the meantime and Aura nodded approvingly at her choice. It was practical, in the sense that they could be used during the off-season too, but still in the festive Quidditch spirit. “Looks good,” Aura commented briefly, “I bet your friend will like them.” Not that she knew anything about this mysterious friend, but it was hard not to like anything related to Quidditch. It was definitely something that fit more into the category of a lifestyle than just a mere sport. And if you weren’t a fan, then you just wouldn’t get it. But it definitely forced Aura to perform at her best, gave her a nice little circle of friends, and it had plenty of life skills involved in the mix – valuing the qualities of focus and perseverance and all that jazz.

“Checkout’s over here,” Aura explained as she led Dasha back around to the front counter. By this point, the crowd had thinned out so, thank Merlin, they didn’t have to wait long in line. The two girls had made each other’s acquaintance in the brief time they’d spent browsing the store, but it wasn’t like they were friends or anything. Chatting in line would have just been torture. The owner knew Aura from several previous visits and she smiled at them as she set her broom polish and the jersey on the counter. She had no interest in playing professionally, but she was sure riding on a broomstick would be a lifelong hobby of hers. Better to stay on good terms with somebody she’d be seeing for years to come.

After she’d closed her money bag again, Aura loitered by the door and waited for Dasha to finish making her purchase. She’d peeked out the window and didn’t see her family, but she had a general idea of where they’d be waiting for her. Better not to keep them waiting too long. After the other girl joined her, Aura nodded again at her. “Nice meeting you,” she said politely. She didn’t say much more, like ‘see you around’ because there wasn’t much point. Dasha’s accent suggested she went abroad for school, so it wasn’t like they’d be seeing each other around anyway. But, after a beat, she did add, “Hope you enjoy the book. You’ll love Quidditch.” And that was a guarantee – who wouldn’t love the best magical sport in the world? “Anyway, my brother’s probably waiting for me, so I gotta get going. But…good luck and everything, I guess.” There wasn’t much more to say after that, so Aura waved slightly and started pushing through the crowd to the store Silver had inevitably wandered into.

@dasha
[End Aura!]