[lachlainn scribes] leafy goodness [fabien]

Éilís was sitting cross-legged on the floor of one of her favorite shops in Dublin, an old and comfortable magical bookshop.. Outside, it was pouring rain and chilly. Not surprising for February, but disappointing all the same. Éilís had hoped to spend the morning with her grandfather in their garden, where they both loved to tend the plants and observe their growth. Though none of their muggle vegetables were growing at this time of year, they had hanging baskets of violas on the porch and a few magical herbs that needed tending even in the coldest months. Their plans had been spoiled by the rain, however, and her grandfather had spent the morning napping by the fire rather than facing the icy sheets that waited outdoors. Éilís had sat with her father in the kitchen instead, sketching the frozen pine trees and chatting with him idly about her friends from school. As much as she loved her father, it made her a bit sad to discuss the magical world with him. He easily became confused and overwhelmed by the information she shared with him, but he was constantly asking for more, trying to understand her life. She wished she could make it easier for him.

Refocusing on the present moment, Éilís looked down at the book that was open in her lap. 1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi. She knew the book well, and had her own copy back at home, but had pulled the first title she recognized off of the shelf to keep busy while waiting for Fabien to join her. She had arrived early, ready to take a break from her family, preferring to sit alone in the shop for a while instead. She ran her finger over the page, trying to find the spot where she had left off. The book was open to a description of Moly, a magical flower used in restorative potions. The book offered a description of the plants properties as well as a side-by-side comparison of the powerful ingredient with its non-magical counterpart. She studied the two drawings carefully, considering growing the two plants in her own garden to observe the differences herself.

She heard the shopkeeper clear her throat behind the counter, and felt a twinge of guilt. She had been sitting in the shop for nearly an hour now, and was not demonstrating any signs of purchasing a book soon. She knew she was taking advantage, but she shopped here when she could, preferring to give her business to the shop closest to home rather than Flourish & Blotts. She closed the book and stood, stretching out her stiff back. She placed the book back on the shelf and wandered toward the back of the shop, hoping to give the impression of browsing rather than loitering. Hopefully Fabien would get here soon, and she could leave the annoyed shopkeeper behind. Maybe Fabien would even buy a book and make up for her own discourtesy.

@Fabien Álvarez

It was always fun when Fabien got to meet with friends. The young Hufflepuff had missed meeting with others besides Tori and Katy throughout the entire month, so when he got letter from one Eilis, he was almost grateful his parents let him. He took a floo network to the little town of wizarding Dublin, and spent some time poking around here or there. Held firm was his favorite Screechsnap; it stood and wiggled on the occasion, but not often anymore. It didn’t seem as lively as it used to be, not in the last few months. Not that Fabien really noticed things like that, though.

Eventually, he managed to find his way into Lachlainn Scribes, the little bookstore that settled itself warmly in the wizarding alleyway. The shop keep looked royally annoyed at something, and Fabien simply gave her a smile as he moved about the aisles. He looked around first at defensive books, and then his eye caught something: the herbology section. It was located more or less towards the back end of the bookstore, so he was quite happy to head that way and browse for a while.

As he got back, though, he saw a familiar face. He gave a gentle wave towards Eilis and set his Screechsnap comfortably on a shelf as he tugged out a book called Three Hundred Plants to Use For Medicines. He flipped open the book a bit as his friend approached, and gave a gentle smile to her, "Hi, Eilis," he finally spoke, swaying slightly on his feet, "I hope you didn’t have to wait long for me? I got a bit waylaid. My older sister was getting ready to leave back to London – she works at St. Mungos, did you know that? – and I love her a lot so I wanted to spent a little time with her more before she left!"

The bell over the door tinkled, and Éilís looked up, hoping this meant the arrival of Fabien. She turned and saw the young Hufflepuff wandering down the aisle, though he seemed to have been drawn there by the contents of the books rather than her presence. He gave her an absentminded wave, clearly focused on a medicinal book that he pulled down from the shelf. Éilís peered over his shoulder, examining the illustration of the growth phases of a magical cactus. Her attention was caught by the subtitle, which indicated that it was most often found in Northern Mexico. She smiled at the idea of collecting cactus fruit in a far-off desert. The sunny weather would certainly be a nice change from the gloomy Dublin winter.

"Don't worry, I got here early so I could have some time to read," she assured him. "Did your older sister come home to see you?" The idea made her happy, that Fabien's family would have gathered around him and his sister upon their return, showering him with affection, perhaps celebrating Christmas late. Her own reception had been warm but much more subdued. Relief had been the dominating emotion from her grandparents, father, and Teagan.

Éilís pulled the second volume of Fabien's book from the shelf, wondering if it might contain more American plants. She didn't want to hover over him while he tried to read. She had just settled back down on the floor and opened to the table of contents when the sound of a clearing throat made her look up.

"This isn't a library, you know," scolded the shop keeper who had crept up without Éilís noticing as she had focused on the book. "You should buy that and take it with you, or move along." Éilís muttered an apology as she stuffed the book back onto the shelf, her heart hammering as she left the shop as quickly as possible without running. She probably wouldn't be back until the summer, but she would be sure to buy her next Herbology book there instead of in Diagon Alley as an apology.

She turned to face Fabien. "Uh, sorry about that. I guess I shouldn't have come quite so early." She shifted her feet a little nervously, hoping the boy wouldn't think too poorly of her favorite bookshop.