Books, Broomsticks and Butterbeer Oh My! ((Jim))

[mudblood_andproud]

Hermione was excited for the day ahead of her. It was finally time that she could bring Jim to Diagon Alley with her, so he could see a part of the Wizarding world. It had taken some time, since she had needed to talk to Minerva McGonagall and Arthur Weasley, and sign off a few scrolls to bring a Muggle to Diagon Alley. But Hermione had followed the letter of the Wizarding laws in these regards, so there was no worries on her end.

She had decided to open the PINpoint portal in her own home, a small cottage located in Wiltshire. After all, it was best that a portal wasn't open in Diagon Alley, where any wizard or witch could discover it, and try to gain access to the Nexus themselves.

Hermione send out a quick message to Jim, hoping that he was available.

Good morning! Feel up to exploring some of the magical world with me? Hermione

Comments

[boldygoing]

Hermione's movement hasn't escaped Jim's attention, watching from the corner of his eye, but he listens to George's long list of product names with a faintly amused look on his face. "Are they all fireworks?" The names sound like it, although he's not familiar with the products in question.

[mudblood_andproud]

"Magical fireworks." George straightens his shirt with pride.

[boldygoing]

"Well, Starfleet's goal isn't usually combat, but we do get into the occasional firefight. It's usually ship to ship... got anything useful that might be a distraction in a face-to-face encounter? Smokescreen or decoys or something."

[mudblood_andproud]

"And you would want something that would work in space, right?" George ponders. He takes a look over what his store offers, and shakes his head. "Then none of these will do. I will have to make you something."

"I can call it the Kirk Clamorous Crasher!" He starts making some notes.

[boldygoing]

"Not necessarily," Jim answers, though he smiles at the name. "By face-to-face, I did mean ground encounters. We, ah, occasionally have to escape from natives without drawing attention to ourselves."

[mudblood_andproud]

"And that would mean different atmospheres than Earth? Right?" George keeps on making notes. "Yes... yes... give me a month?"

"I think you have inspired him," Hermione smiles.

[boldygoing]

"It can, but most life seems to like the same conditions as Earth, so similar oxygen content at least." Not identical, but different enough.

Jim smiles back at her, slightly curious about her conversation with Ron, but not going to ask. "Hey, what can I say, I like to be inspirational."

[mudblood_andproud]

"Oy! Then I will make you two different variations. One for ground encounters. One for space encounters." George takes some of the fireworks that are completed, and heads into the back shop to work on his new creation.

"Now he will have the lab exploding all night..." Molly frets slightly.

"Don't worry mum, the wards will protect him." Ginny knows that during moments like these, their minds do go to Fred.

Hermione knows that he is curious. And once they are along ago, will be alright with him asking. "I do want to stop in at the Magical Menagerie, would you like to see some of the familiars that a wizard could potentially purchase?"

[boldygoing]

It's kind of strange for Jim to see a mother worrying so much about her children. His own mother was never home enough for her to worry about him, and whenever she was, she was usually yelling about whatever stupid thing he'd done recently. But it's nice to see, glad that the Weasleys have such a caring mother.

"Sure. I like animals," he answers with a smile. He's never had a pet before, and isn't planning to get one, but he's heard that same line from so many pet owners before, too. But there can't be any harm in looking.

[mudblood_andproud]

"Well if you must be off Hermione..." Arthur gives her a warm hug. It is quickly followed by a flurry of hugs by the other Weasley members.

"And you... will join us at the Burrow for supper young man," Molly tells Jim, giving him a warm and affectionate hug.

Taking their leave from the store, Hermione guides Jim down the street towards the Magical Menagerie. It is a small store that is tucked off the side of the street. And there are a few magical animals outside, displayed in cages.

"So what did you think of the Weasley family?"

[boldygoing]

He is also not used to being hugged, but that's not a bad thing. "Yes, ma'am," he answers, never one to turn down a dinner invitation. He doesn't know if she means today or some future date, but it doesn't really matter.

Once they leave, and start heading towards the pet store, Jim smiles over at Hermione. "They're pretty nice. I did see Ron giving me the stink-eye once or twice; what was that about?"

[mudblood_andproud]

"A little jealously and protectiveness on his side." Hermione answers honestly. "He and I came pretty close to dating seriously. But after the war, we didn't have a lot of common interests."

"But he still feels that he should watch out for me. In case a new beau enters my life." She rolls her eyes slightly. "Your self-confidence and charming smile had him wondering if there was something between us."

[boldygoing]

"And you told him it wasn't his business, right?" In Jim's experience, jealous exes shouldn't be placated by hearing that there's nothing going on, as if they have any right to know that. Ron seems like an okay guy, but if he's not dating Hermione, then he doesn't have any place telling her who she can be with.

The fact that they aren't dating isn't really relevant, in Jim's opinion.

[mudblood_andproud]

"Exactly. I told him that I don't need him checking over every guy friend I make. And to let me make my own decisions." Hermione enters the store. She heads to the aisle that keeps Kneazle-preferred food. There is a large Kneazle perched on one of the shelves.

"And that if I discovered he hexed you in any way, he would face my wrath."

[boldygoing]

Jim frowns at that last statement. "He'd attack someone who can't do anything about it?" That doesn't seem like a good attitude to have, particularly if they're trying to improve wizard-Muggle relations.

If the Kneazle on the shelf is amenable, Jim will give it a scritch hello. It seems only polite.

[mudblood_andproud]

"Ron has that hot-temper that many redheads are famous for. He acts before he thinks. Another reason it would have never worked out between us." Hermione explains.

The Kneazle is very amenable. It gives a welcoming lion-like grumble, before leaning towards the scritches hello.

[boldygoing]

"Sounds like he should take an anger management course," Jim suggests, though he's not going to push. It's not his business, and it really isn't hers either. What Ron does with himself is Ron's business, and he can either choose to improve himself, or stay the impulsive hothead that he apparently is now.

The captain gives the Kneazle an appropriate amount of pets before moving on, investigating the other various magical animals in the shop. "So how does a wizard pick their familiar? Or is this one of those things where the animal chooses you?"

[mudblood_andproud]

"If Ron chooses to improve himself, I hope he considers such actions." Hermione basically speaks what Jim had thought to himself.

Hermione uses her wand to levitate a large bag of Kneazle food. The Kneazle decided to follow Jim and Hermione as they look at the other animals, just in case any of that food should get spilled, he can be on clean up duty.

Most of the animals in the store look like their Terran cousins. Toads. Ravens. Rats. Snails. There is a transforming rabbit. A Niffler that tries to swipe something from Jim's pocket. And the Pygmy Puffs, which might look like a Tribble to Jim.

"Most wizards pick out their familiars. But in special cases, like a unique familiar like a Phoenix, or a Kneazle, they choose their Masters. Crookshanks choose me."

[boldygoing]

"Phoenix," Jim repeats, running back through his admittedly rusty knowledge of mythology. "Those are the birds that are reborn from their own ashes, right?"

He's a little distracted when he sees the pygmy puffs, surprised to see something so familiar that isn't an Earth animal. "I wasn't expecting to see tribbles."

[mudblood_andproud]

"Yes. They are extremely rare as familiars. Our former headmaster had one, before his passing. His Phoenix hasn't been the same since then..." Hermione adds.

She pauses, then goes to his side. "Those are Pygmy Puffs. They are a miniature version of the Puffskein..." She points to a cage, that holds the larger creature, which seems to be humming softly to itself.

Gently opening the Puffskein's cage, Hermione explains further. "The Puffskein is a scavenger, it eats anything from leftovers to spiders, but it particularly likes to use its long thin pink tongue to eat wizards' bogeys while they sleep."

She holds out the creature to Jim.

[boldygoing]

Jim takes it on autopilot, thoroughly weirded out that there are magical tribbles. Normal animals are one thing. Tribbles aren't even from Earth. Even the purring is the same.

"That's... pretty gross. But they don't multiply when you feed them?" he questions.

[mudblood_andproud]

"No. They don't." Hermione tilts her head. The Puffskein hums louder in Jim's arms. "Tribbles do?"

[boldygoing]

"Oh yeah. Tribbles are contraband on a lot of planets, because if you feed one, it'll have an entire litter of babies within twelve hours. Its kids are ready to start reproducing right away, too, so if you don't know what you're doing, you can have a lot of tribbles, very quickly."

He absently pets the puffskein as he speaks, although he knows damn well he's not taking it home.

[mudblood_andproud]

"The Puffskein must be different. They are a popular pet, and most wizards have one in their home. But when Fred and George bred the Pygmy Puffs, they couldn't breed them fast enough to keep up with the demand."

In addition to the Puffskein humming in Jim's arms, there is also a Kneazel now on his feet, purring loudly.

[boldygoing]

"Let's not give George any ideas," Jim says, raising his eyebrows. "I'd hate to accidentally cause an ecological disaster."

Great, now there is a cat on his feet. This is what he gets for being a sucker for furry animals. He doesn't mind all that much, but this Kneazle is going to be disappointed once he has to move, probably.