It had been a few weeks since the friend group of three had all been together. Organising time to spend with one another around work, and the girls living a rather large distance away from one another had been challenging. Plus Iris was certain that Lisa's parent weren't overly fond of their daughters friends which made it a little more challenging. But there was one thing they could all do together, and that was Christmas Shopping. After all, the three girls had done most of their Christmas shopping together since they were 13 and had first ventured into Hogsmeade only this year they had not only the money necessary to get something just a little better than they had before. But they were not limited to what shops they could go to in the little village town of Hogsmeade this year the entirety of London was their shopping centre. 

Lisa was, unusually the first one to turn up that morning. The three had decided to meet in the Leaky Cauldron considering they could easily use the floo network to arrive in the establishment. And it was slightly embarrassing considering that Iris lived upstairs that she was not the first person to arrive. Yet she didn't overly mind it when the brunette had decided to come to Iris room to meet rather than waiting downstairs. Lisa had never visited Iris' new room and it was something that the girl took a little pride in showing off. After all in the four months she had been long term letting the room, Iris had finally started to get things to look the way she wanted. 

Photo frames lined the wall, their contents equally muggle and magi, with matching oak finished frames. A project that Iris was almost finished with, the photos following the girl as she aged from just a few years old, the very first school photos the twins took together, until now the photos which only involved one twin. It was a project she would admit to have spent much more money on than she had set out to do. But at the end of the day was that not what the intent of starting such a project was? Lisa's attention fixated on the photos as the woman reacted to a couple of which had the three best friends in. Though her attention was focused on one of the last photos to be added to the display. One of which Iris herself had only added to the wall the day prior. 

"I guess your situation isn't as shit as it was the last time you wrote to me." Lisa's words were not a question but rather an assumption. The photo of which the woman had settled most of her attention on was the only one currently on Iris' wall which involved Iris stood next to a rather happy looking George Weasley. The photo had been taken not long after the pair had been ice skating, a rather nice woman had offered to take the photo on Iris' muggle camera. Despite the photo not moving, it was clear just how much the pair were enjoying each others company.

"He's only a dick like 20% of the time now. Much easier to get along with." Iris smiled as she spoke hoping that her friend would understand that for now most of the problems between herself and George were being worked on and were hopefully closer to being solved. 

"I'm happy for you, after the last year or so you deserve some happiness like this." Lisa spoke the sincerity was there but Iris could see the way the smile she was given it did not reach Lisa's eyes. There was something the slightly younger woman was holding back. 

"What are you hiding?" Iris spoke her words not menacing nor meant to hurt but there was no need to beat around the bush. "Is it Hector?" Iris was jumping to conclusions she knew that but she had to in order to get any real response from Lisa. It had been that way since they were barely teens, and considering they were not even twenty yet there was very little this had changed about Lisa. 

"Not entirely." Lisa didn't seem to want to give much more information and Iris didn't want to push too far but she wanted to help her friend in any way that she could and that did involve asking a few more questions. 

"You don't have to tell me everything just know that I'm always here to listen." Iris encouraged just a little bit.

"It's okay really Hector is lovely. The age gap was weird at first but he's really nice puts me first and had this great sense of humour." Lisa did elaborate just a little more.

"I'm sensing a but."

"But he wants me to move in with him in the new year and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I know we have little choice but moving into his place seems strange."

"Maybe offer that you look to do a short term rent together first, just like a year long contract and then look for somewhere more permanent. Have a place that is both of yours but isn't at the same time. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket." Iris offered, wondering just how someone brought up that conversation. Her and George were pretty far from where Lisa and Hector were so she couldn't fully understand or offer really good advice she could only look from an outsiders prospective. 

"That's not a horrible idea." Lisa approved of Iris' idea at least enough to think about it.

"Are you saying I come up with horrible ideas often."

"Padma is normally the better one at offering advice." Lisa shrugged as she spoke coming off as very nonchalant. 

"What's that about me? I thought we were meeting downstairs I've been down there forever and you're both cosying up on Iris' sofa without me?" Padma's voice suddenly interrupted the conversation as the other woman made herself known in the rented room. 

"I'm sorry we really got distracted."

"Not a surprise but is anyone going to catch me up?"

"Iris thinks that George is pretty on the inside and outside and Hector's asked me to move in with him but I hate his flat." Lisa was quick to catch the last to arrive up collecting her coat from where she had left it upon entering the flat and motioning to the door for them all to leave and head out, otherwise they would never stop gossiping and no shopping would be done. 

"Iris is having some character development how cute. And don't get me started on the change for you guys. I'm happy that you're moving forward you and Hector will find out what's best for you both I'm sure of it." Padma gave a little pat on each of the girls shoulders before pointing to Iris' purse that sat on the coffee table in the room. "Don't forget that I'm not covering you all day." She spoke watching as Iris ran to collect her purse knowing she would have left it behind. 

"So where to first?" Iris asked as the three exited the Leaky Cauldron and stared walking  through muggle London. 

It had been over three hours that the trio had been walking through London going in and out of multiple stores. And they had been semi successful. Each woman had at least one bag they had all brought something. That was a start but they were starting to leave things a little late if they weren't going to come out many more times. 

Iris' single bag contained a gift for her parents. Sure they weren't overly close at the moment and Iris was not sure whether she was even going to see them over the holiday period but she still wanted to get them something. Iris intended to go and see them but she knew it would only be a short and abrupt visit and therefore was putting it off. She still had many a people to buy for including her boss and landlord Tom, she could not forget that man considering just how much he had given the lost 19 year old when she appeared asking for a job those months ago. 

"What are you going to get George?" Padma posed the question as her and Iris stood outside a jewellers waiting on Lisa who was inside the very busy store. 

"No clue, probably wont find it here though. Have you got Roger anything?" Iris was asking because she needed ideas, she had no clue what she was going to get the ginger haired man who was still just enough of a mystery that Iris could not work out what to get him.

"Some book by a playwriter from like the 1600s. I don't know it was expensive and smells musty but its the kind of stuff he's into." Padma's response was great for Roger, it inspired no ideas for her own sake.

"I'm sure he'll love it." Iris gave the girl a little push as she stared at some of the items in the display window, wondering just how long they would have to wait for Lisa to finish inside. 

"Would something like a watch be a good idea?" Padma pointed to some of the ones on display and Iris tried to rack her brain for whether or not she had seen him wearing one. He usually asked her for the time taking notice of her rather old looking watch that she wore, and had done so since it had been brought for her when she was 13 and her parents had enough of her complaining that she never knew what time it was at school. 

"I have no idea, if he even owns one. I'm not the most observant." Iris mumbled back her eyes continuing to look over the different items in the display window. And there were some lovely items just none of them screamed George. A book could be an option, if Iris knew what genre of literature George really enjoyed. Yet she had barely see him reading he refused to read flat pack furniture instructions yet alone picking up a book. She had seen the bookshelf in Georges flat but she could not be sure who they belonged to and did not want to assume and royally stuff it up. She was going to the Weasley house, she had to get him something good. 

"We'll find something, the day is young. There's hundreds of shops in London and if needs be we'll sneak our way around Diagon Alley to find him something." Padma gave her friend a comfort side squeeze. And before they could work out what other ideas there could be, Lisa finally excited the shop with the most expensive looking bag that the lot of them were carrying. 

"Oh thank Merlin that was over, there were so many people in there and it was so hot. I was sweating my tits off." Lisa ranted the second the three were together allowing them all to have a little laugh in between the stress of trying to find something. 

"Shit do I need to get George's family stuff? There's like 8 of them yet alone the partners. Fuck me what have I done to myself." Iris' sudden thought seemed like she had really reached the end of the rope. It had just dawned on her if she was going over to the Weasley household did she need to buy them all gifts. She was by law joining the family at some point in the new year. It would make sense she would get them something but she barely knew any of them.