Chapter Text
Saturday, December 14, 2019
"Now remember," Dominique said, flicking her long hair over her shoulder, "We are on a mission."
"It's just Christmas shopping, Dom."
"Last minute Christmas shopping."
"Christmas is still more than ten days away."
"We won't have another chance to shop until we get back home, next Sunday. I am not spending the last few days before Christmas fighting my way through Diagon Alley. None of you are worth that."
Louis rolled his eyes as he, Dominique and Molly made the familiar trek to Hogsmeade Village, with snow piled up on either side of the path. "Whatever. I just have one last thing to pick up, then I'll be hanging with my mates in the Three Broomsticks."
"Something for one of your admirers?" Molly sneered. She and Louis were only a month apart in age, and generally very close, but this morning she was annoyed, because he had spent most of breakfast flirting with her friends at the Gryffindor table. He did that a lot, and annoying her was at least half of the reason.
"It is for a girl whom I am acquainted with," Louis said carefully. Then, "Well, we're here. See you lot back at the castle."
He ran ahead into the crowded streets, leaving his sister and cousin behind.
The pair made quite a contrast. Dominique had champagne blonde hair, flawless pale skin, and was the loveliest and most popular girl in Hogwarts, in her own esteemed opinion. Even her detractors couldn't deny that she had a good bit of the beauty inherited from her veela ancestress. Molly, though a year younger, was taller, but twiggy and with angular features, her red hair cut short and a perpetual scowl on her face. Unlike Dominique, who wore school robes under her cloak, Molly was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that read THE M#DBLOODS, with long black sleeves from another shirt that she wore underneath.
"Now. Where to start?"
"Don't care," Molly said. "I'm just here to grab the new M-Blood album."
"Well, I might as well come with," Dominique said, following her cousin. "I'm getting Maman's present at the music shop, too."
Molly ignored her, and a moment later, they walked out of the cold streets of Hogsmeade into Maestro's Music Shop. They moved past the musical instruments, some of which were playing themselves as they floated in the air, making a beeline for where the albums were kept.
Molly groaned.
There was a whole, special display shelf dedicated to The M#dbloods' new album...and it was empty. Just bare shelves, topped with a sign featuring the band's logo. Molly just stared at it for a moment, dumbstruck.
Dominique pretended that she didn't notice, went to the shelf right next to it, and snatched up her purchase.
"There! Ready to leave, are we?"
Molly said some very impolite words.
"Well, I don't know why you're surprised. This was one of the big items for the season, and it came out a week ago. Anyway, maybe your mum and dad will buy it for you!"
She spoke in the bright, cheery tone that made it clear she knew they wouldn't, but Molly couldn't help but rise to the bait.
"Dad won't even let me bring it into the house, let alone buy it for me."
"Well, their band name is a slur."
"They're Muggle-borns! They're allowed to say it!"
"I'm just saying."
Dominique drifted off to pay, with Molly following miserably behind.
"Yeah, the first shipment sold out the first day," the shopkeeper said. "And then our second, too. I could send you a copy when we get another?"
Molly sighed. "Don't bother. With my luck, Dad will get the owl and chuck it straight into the fire."
The woman clucked sympathetically, then handled Dominique's purchase. "Ah, Celestina Warbeck's Christmas Classics! You a fan?"
"They're for my mum, actually."
"Well, I hope she likes it. Merry Christmas!"
Dominique smirked as they left the shop. She could feel Molly glaring at the back of her head, which was quite satisfying.
"So. Since you can't buy yourself a gift, any other Christmas shopping that you need to get done?"
"I'm not bothering with Christmas presents this year," Molly grumbled.
Dominique turned, raising one artfully crafted eyebrow.
"What do you mean? You're not buying anyone presents?"
Molly waved her hand dismissively. "Why should I? It's all just―fake, artificial happiness. Save up all your money for months, then throw it away on people you're supposed to pretend that you like, who are only buying you something for the same reason. Seems a lot simpler if we all just spend money on ourselves instead."
"Uh-huh," Dominique said archly. "I must be out of the loop, because this is the first I hear about your plans."
Molly crossed her arms defiantly. "And why is it your business? This is what I mean. You're not entitled to my generosity."
"Well," Dominique said sweetly, "it's just that I already bought you something. It's almost like you decided that you're rather buy things for yourself, rather than gifts for your family...but decided to keep it a secret, so that you could rake in their presents before making a big speech about principles or whatever."
Molly's face was growing pink, and not from the cold.
"Well, just return my present, then. You give horrible gifts anyway!"
"Yes?" Dominique said pointedly.
Molly stared for a moment, then scoffed.
"So it is on purpose! No surprise, your mum isn't exactly subtle about how much she hates Celestina Warbeck."
"Well, she'll probably like it more than Aunt Audrey will like you blowing her off to not buy an album from a trio of boys you fancy."
"I don't fancy any of them!"
"Well, that just shows you have bad taste, because Phoebus Thrussell is yummy."
She turned―making sure to throw her hair behind her dismissively―and stalked off.
After a few seconds, she heard Molly's footsteps coming after her.
"What did you buy me, anyway? Probably a―ballerina's tutu or something, right?"
"Of course not." It was a fuzzy pink sweater covered in hearts.
For whatever reason, Molly continued to follow Dominique as she went into Honeyduke's, taking out a slip of parchment with her too-many family members written on it.
"Let's see...I'll get some Fizzing Whizzbees for Uncle Harry―"
"―who doesn't like them, because they're made from billywigs―"
"―and a big slab of fudge for Lucy."
"Who's allergic to chocolate." Molly scoffed, giving her cousin a look of disdain. "You say it's selfish, saving my money to buy things I want, but you're throwing away your own money just to make people miserable! Do you really think you're being generous here?"
Dominique turned to her and opened her mouth to speak...and then paused.
Dominique was a Slytherin, the only one in their family, thus far. And at the moment, she was thinking with the most Slytherin part of her brain.
"You know what?" she said slowly. "Lucy really isn't that annoying."
Molly was a bit taken aback. "If you say so," she said suspiciously.
"She likes Cockroach Clusters, doesn't she? I don't know why, but I suppose it fits her obsession with bugs. I'll get her some, and give that fudge to James. No, wait―I'll give it to Albus, and get James something with peanut butter. I bet Hugo would like the Fizzing Whizzbees. And I'll give the Warbeck album to Grandma Weasley!"
Molly just blinked as Dominique turned and began taking things from the shelf.
"James' birthday is also this week," Molly said finally. "I don't suppose you're planning to get something for that?"
Dominique froze. A few weeks before, James had sent her a Howler disguised as a birthday card, so if anything, she had been planning to use his birthday for a bit of revenge. But she forced a smile and said, "That's right! Maybe we should stop at Zonko's."
She was pleased with the annoyed grunt that Molly gave in response.
Over the next few hours, Dominique traveled from shop to shop, making an earnest effort to pick out presents that the recipients would actually like. It was certainly a change of pace for her, but she found that it was actually an amusing challenge. And the enjoyment only increased with Molly continually following her, growing more aggravated with each purchase.
"You're still not being generous," she accused.
"No?" Dominique said carelessly, crossing Roxanne's name off from her list.
"You're not really being nice to anyone. You're just doing this to annoy me."
"And make you look bad in comparison."
"So you admit it!"
"To you, sure. Why wouldn't I? It's not as fun if you don't realize what I'm doing. And that's just about everyone," she added with satisfaction. "So now I can spend the rest of the holiday without having to think about anybody else!"
"Just as the Magi intended."
"Oi!"
They turned. Louis was waving as he ran toward them. But, when he was about ten feet away, he slipped in a patch of snow and fell face-first onto the ground, the contents of his bag slipping out onto the street.
Dominique laughed, as older sisters are wont to do in such circumstances. Molly scowled at her (probably because it wasn't her younger sibling), then went to help Louis, collecting his things as he climbed to his feet.
"Well, that wasn't my most graceful moment. Thanks, Mol. Wait, I can―"
But it was too late. Molly had picked up the last book by its spine, causing its pages to fan open―and something to fall out of it onto the ground. She picked it up, not noticing as Louis winced.
"Is this..."
It was The M#blood's newest album. Molly stared, then flipped open the book in her other hand. It looked like a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6, but when she opened it she realized that it was actually a sort of disguised box.
"Well, darn. Guess I'll have to Obliviate you to retain the surprise, eh?" He took out his wand and feigned like he was about to enchant her.
"This is for me?"
"Well, yeah. Obviously. They're not exactly my taste. Had a friend in town buy it for me the day it came out," he added, taking the tape and book from her hands. "Just had to pick it up today. James lent me the box―he uses it to smuggle things. Had to Transfigure the 5 into a 6. Anyway, on Christmas morning I'll say, 'Here, Molly, I know you lost your old copy so I bought you another.' Uncle Percy won't suspect a thing."
"Wow," Dominique said, which seemed to rouse Molly out of her surprise. "I'm impressed. You put a lot of work in that, didn't you."
"Yes," said Molly, who sounded more annoyed than grateful.
"Yeah, and then some damn snow ruined it! Ah, well―just pretend you're surprised when you unwrap it, would you? Cheers."
He winked at Molly, slid the tape into the book-box and put them both into his bag. "Come on. Let's get back, it looks like there's going to be a real blizzard soon."
He looked up at the sky, then ran past them toward the castle.
Dominique grinned like a shark as she stepped up beside Molly.
"Oh, no! Your favorite cousin went to a lot of trouble to get you the perfect Christmas gift. And you didn't get him anything because you're a terrible per-son!" She said these last words in a cheery singsong, tilting her head onto Molly's shoulder.
"I hate you so much, Dom."
"Then my work here is done."
Dominique smirked, then waved her wand at her many purchases, so that they rose into the air and followed her on the path back to Hogwarts.