Sweet, Sweet Morning

[Marisol Vega]

It was one of the warmer days in spring. There was still the wet scent of spring clinging to the air, but the shifting winds told of a summer soon to come. The sun beat down through a cloudless sky, baking the land and people below. Only a very slight breeze wound lazily through the Hogsmeade streets. Even on this thankfully warm day, Marisol wore a light shawl over what could only be described as stifling clothing. Long sleeved and made of thick fabric of grey and red plaid pannels, it was certainly not meant for midpsring. Unfortunately Marisol was not meant for such weather. Having grown up in Spain she would never quite get used to the coolness of this country.

She walked beside Cadence. The tiny Spanish woman without an ounce of shyness to her against the tall, slender meekness of this Scottish lady. Marisol held her chin high but her eyes downcast, giving her appearance a rather confidant and regal touch. Her dark, silky curls were pinned up perfectly. Bronzed skin stood out against her pale friends, the two making an odd pair. Marisol did carry a parasol, though the point of it was fairly nonexistent. Her colouring was genetic as opposed to carelessness. Paleness was the preferred state for a woman in the UK, but Marisol figure she should at least look as if she were trying.

The pair were headed for a well known sweet shop in town. It was Marisol's preferred place to purchase treats for her girls. She was a very difficult person to please and when someone did she liked to show her appreciation in more than just words. Getting a candy from Mari was quite an honor. It would seem she was running low though, as she had quite the sweet tooth. It was one of the few indulgences she did take. Marisol thought that if she denied herself all worldly pleasure she might in the end turn to a life of decadence out of exasperation. That would be a true sin.

It did not take long before they stood before the entrance of the shop. After closing her parasol Marisol took the lead, opening the door and Cadence trailing in behind her. The sweet smells of innumerable delectable filled her senses and a small smile touched the corners of her slightly too wide lips. "Good Morning Senor Honeyduke. How does this day find you?" Despite having a wonderful grasp of the English language, Marisol's accent remained quite thick. There were even certain words she had difficulty pronouncing. She did her best to avoid them. For example, anything purple she called violet else it should sound something like 'purpur'. Marisol dipped a quick curtsey, Cadence following suit.


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@Elsie Beauregard

  

[Quincey Honeyduke]

Quin had absolutely no idea what the day was like outside as he'd been up before the sun and in the kitchen ever since. It wasn't unusual nor unwelcome in his world as he felt like baking both scones and tarts this morning. Some days he was not in a baking mood, but today had struck him as a baking day. Small batches obviously, as most people came into the shop for actual sweets and not baked good, Quin did do pretty well with his fresh treats. Fudge was by far his best seller though and he tried to make that each day if he could.

Needless to say it had been a busy morning and by the time Quin managed to finish up in the kitchen and start a bit of cleaning, he didn't even know what time it was. The shop had clearly seen some traffic this morning, but he knew well enough that his girls were very capable of handling whatever came their way. He had been gone for a month and they did just fine.

Puttering about the shop was one of Quin's favorite things to do; mostly because he liked to spy on the people in the shop and watch their reactions to the candies. It was probably a little creepy, but nobody had called him on it yet. As it was, he was hovering near the front door fixing a display in the window when a familiar face wandered in. "This day is finding me covered in flour and in need of a nap, so nothing out of the ordinary." He joked in typical Quin-fashion. "And yourself, Miss Vega?" Quin added with a flash of a smile.

  

[Marisol Vega]

Chocolate eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement. He certainly looked a little haggard, but in a charming way instead of an unseemly, disheveled one. “This morning finds Cadence and myself quite well, thank you. The best day is certainly a busy one. Idle hands and all. What could make it much better sort of day though, would be some of your famous fudge.” Marisol loved the warmth of this shop. It was so very inviting and pleasant. The place had a sense of… family for lack of a better word. It was not at all full of itself or garish. “And, if you would have any suggestions on sweet treats for my girls, I would be much obliged. But nothing funny this time, please.” She placed her hands on her hips. Marisol did her best to keep a straight-serious face but it quickly deteriorated into a smirk. “The whole house was in an uproar when Charlotte’s hair turned a lively shade of blue. Luckily she enjoyed it and I think she was disappointed when it faded.”

It had been a ridiculous affair. At first she had felt so terribly guilty. The candy was meant to be a sweet reward for having done some extra chores. Her good intentions had quickly spun around and it certainly made Mari look like the fool. She had stood there, flabbergasted while Charlotte’s hair had slowly changed color. When Charlotte caught sight of herself in the hall mirror she very nearly cried out in shock. For what had to be minutes the two stood staring – Marisol at Charlotte and Charlotte at her reflection. Then Charlotte began to laugh, which untwisted the knot Mari had not known gotten twisted up in her stomach. Mari had laughed too and could not apologize enough to the girl. Charlotte gracefully shrugged it off and went to show off her magnificent hair to the other girls. Mari had to place a hand over her mouth to keep her smile from growing too wide and there by undignified. She chose to turn away, toward the array of sweet treats to regain her composure.

Always second to the animated Marisol, Cadence offered Quin a reserved smile and a nod of greeting. She was more than content to stand back while he friend went about the talking and doing. Her pale hands were folded in front of her as she stood near the door but out of the way. Patience was a virtue this woman carried in abundance.

  

[Quincey Honeyduke]

Hearing that one of his candies had done the trick was something Quin rather enjoyed- to hear that somebody else had enjoyed the surprise was a nice bonus. All of his treats were harmless in their fun, but sometimes he did catch people quite unawares, especially if they hadn't paid attention to what they were grabbing int he first place.

The request for something normal was a bit disappointing- and eliminated half the store in one fell swoop. "Avoid that aisle then." Quin motioned to the first aisle. "And that one," Aisle three was out too. "And most of the back wall." Few people came into the shop for sweets without some kind of fun to them, but Quin did have some.

Brushing some flour from his shirt sleeve, Quin motioned for Miss Vega and her chaperon to follow him. 'The chocolates are safe, as is the front counter." That was chilled, he kept the fudge and other things in there for preservation. "A fair few of the hard candies." Quin pointed to the nearest shelf that had been his roost during his short time as a duck.