Originally Posted by kaseyus

You get to pick your own charrie (character)'s name only....so have fun. I think that the only names you can't use are the Canon names.

Originally Posted by hotleopardmama

Leolaine's mother wasn't ready to visit Diagon Alley yet... even if it was her for her FIRST year at Hogwarts! Sigh... but she understood. Her mother was a Muggle and still coming to terms with sending her firstborn (and eventually her two younger siblings) to a magical boarding school that: 1) she'd never heard of--she's a Muggle... and her father hadn't really ever expanded much on the whole being magical and whatnot; 2) was so far away from our home in Southern California; 3) emphasized just how much she wouldn't able to understand and empathize with a whole 7 years (and perhaps even many years beyond) of her chilren's lives.

She hoped she'd take her first trip to pick out makeup with her mom, too... but her father said this was the best store for cosmetics--he trusted the potions master's crafts here far more than the myriad profits-driven chemical-laden Muggle creations available back at home. Luckily, her father was also a very kind and supportive man and he'd read up on and talked to her mother about the essential Muggle items and then to his sister to learn what the magical equivalents would be. He also had his sister recommend colors and products appropriate for Leolaine's platinum straight hair, olive skin, almond-shaped blue eyes, and especially her young age--she would only turn 11 basically as the Hogwarts Express left King's Cross. He wanted his daughter to be happy (espcially since her mother wasn't with them) and feel grown up without looking TOO grown up and he really hoped his wife would come around some and allow herself and their younger--also magical--children to accompany him to pick up Leolaine from the station and head into Diagon Alley during the holidays.

They perused the counter for quite some time and Leolaine chose a number of items, with her father offering up many surprisingly helpful suggestions the entire time. When she had filled her basket with the essentials to get her through to the holidays, Leolaine turned to her father and tearfully smiled, "This has been really great, daddy--thank you. I know mommy's not so keen on all this magic stuff, but hopefully she'll warm up to it. I'm sure it's just a lot for her right now. How did you know so much about everything? Even the colors you picked out were all ones I liked! I was afraid I wouldn't know anything and now I've got it everything. I don't even think mommy could've done better. Really, I mean that. Thank you, daddy. I know makeup's not exactly your cup of tea. Today is really shaping up to be pretty amazing!"

Basket full and in hand, Leolaine and her father made their way to counter to pay for their goods. Even her newly-purchased kitty-kneazle mix perched about her shoulders could sense this was a bittersweet moment for her and so she nuzzled her neck with a soft growling purr as they walked down the aisle.