Lost in the streets (Open)

The little girl's eyes lit up as she caught sight of a wide window display of candy.

Her father was going back to his work soon, so her aunt took Delaney to the small village outside of Hogwarts - Hogsmeade - so that they could spend a little bit of time together before he had to be back at the castle.

That day Colin had some school planning to do so Delaney's aunt took her out in the town. She had promised Delaney sweets before they were done with the other things they had to do, and the little girl had only a one track mind.

Slipping through the crowd, assuming as her little mind worked that her aunt would be right behind her, she went up to the window to look at the window of gleaming candies.

"Auntie Bwid-" Delaney turned around to point out the large candy she wanted but stopped as all she saw was a sea of people she did not know.

The small girl's eyes began to fill, and her bottom lip began to quiver.

Delaney O'Brian was lost.

Passion was wondering the streets of Hogsmeade and saw a little girl looking around, near to tears. She didn't have any adult around her, so she was instantly concerned.

"Sweetheart?" She said gently, as she got on one knee. "Are you lost?" She asked.

Delaney immedately drew back from the stranger. She was always cautious around people she didn't know - it took her father's encouragment to get her out of her shell - and in the current situation that 'Stranger Danger' was on high alert.

However, when the woman knelt down and asked if she was lost, her voice was so kind, and the acutal voicing of the word 'lost' broke her.

The small girls tears slipped out, and she began to sob.

"I want daddy," she manged to pitifully cry out between breaths.

She couldn't help but gather the poor girl into a hug. "Don't worry, I am sure that we will find him." She said gently. "Now, what does he look like? And what is his name? I can help you find him." Then she reached into her purse, and took out a Chocolate Frog and gave it to her.

Delaney was too distressed to worry about the fact that this woman was a stranger. The young girl just wanted a hug so she'd take one where ever it was being offered.

The girl gave a brave sniff and took the chocolate frog.

"He Daddy," she answered quickly - being too young to fully understand that her dad had another name, "And-and he tall... and.. and.. has hair... and-and-and is Daddy."

She was glad that the girl accepted the chocolate- she wasn't going to eat it any time soon.

"Does he have dark hair like me?" She raised a bit of her hair. She decided to start it off simple. "Or light pretty gorgeous hair like you?" She asked, smiling while tickling her tummy.

Delaney giggled as she was tickled. The small girl had always been rather ticklish and that was one sure way to make her smile.

"Dark," the girl said confidently with a nod, "but it not like yours - it only a little dark; yours is a lot dark."

She grinned, they had got somewhere. "Now.... Does he have chocolate eyes like me?" She widened her eyes. "Or a really pretty green eyes like you? Maybe the color of the sky when it is blue?" She asked. Then she realized something. "Oh, I forgot. What is your name darling?"

"They blue!" the girl squealed, excited to have remembered something.

She gave the woman a tooth grin, warming up to the woman as time went on, "Delaney. Delaney Jane O'Brian." The girl recited the name with a head bob on each one, as she had memorized it.

She smiled. She now had a clear idea of who her dad was- and she knew him. He was in the order. "It is your lucky day, darling." She said happily. She was glad the poor darling wouldn't stay lost. "I know your daddy- I am going to contact him right now." She sent a patronus to him telling him that she found his daughter, by Honeydukes alone.

"Now, lets set on this bench and you tell me about yourself." She said as she sat on the bench.

"Really?" the girl blinked and grinned, "Do you really know Daddy?" Although her distress had more or less gone away, she still wanted to see her Daddy. A scare did that to a girl, of any age, but particularily one so young.

She followed the woman and climbed up on the bench after her. The girls shor legs hung well above the ground.

"Me? Wada-yeah wanna know 'bout me?"

"Yes I do. I work with him." She told her, brushing her hair out of Delaney's face.

"Oh, I wanna know what you wanna tell me. Like.. what is your favorite candy?" She asked.

Delaney giggled as the woman brushed hair out of her face.

"Chocolate," she squealed in response, "I like lots -n-lots of chocolate!"

She stuck her thumb in her mouth as she though.

"Auntie Bwidget was supposed to get me chocolate," she said around her finger.

She laughed. Then tilted her head. "Were you here with your auntie or daddy?" She asked. She didn't give the girl another piece of chocolate because she didn't know the limits of candy the girl had.

"Auntie," Delaney said proptly, "But-but then she walked away, and I was losteded."

Of course it was the small girl who had walked away not her aunt, but her brain did not make that distinction. She had known she was going to look at the display of chocolate so why hadn't her aunt?

She nodded. Now she had to find out what her auntie looks like.

"Does your auntie look like your daddy?" She asked kindly.

Delaney paused to think about it.

Slowly she nodded her head, "Sorta... Auntie Bwidget hair is like daddy's but.. longer, but she smaller than daddy."

Colin had been in a panic when Bridget had sent him word only moments before. He had trusted his sister with his daughter's care, and they hadn't been gone less than five minutes before she had lost the girl.

Of course, Colin was being a tad bit unreasonable, concidering that the woman had watched Delaney for over a year with out incident.

So one could imagine the relief he felt when he received Passions patronous. Not only had the girl been found, but she had been found by someone he trusted.

Barly remembering to send a message to Bridget so she would know that the girl had been found, he dashed out of the small house they were keeping just outside of Hogsmeade and apparated quickly to the main center of the village.

"Delaney!" He called when he saw the small girl. He dashed across the street and pulled his daughter off the bench and into his arms.

"You are to never, ever, ever scare me like that again, you understand," he said refusing to let her go.

After a long moment he turned to Passion, "Thank you so much. My sister contacted me, and I didn't know- just thank you."

She was about to reply, until she saw Colin. "Look, there is your daddy!" She smiled, and stood up. She watch the reunion, and couldn't help but grin. "Oh it was no problem. I don't like any child alone, which is how she got my attention." She smiled at Delaney. "I am glad that you guys are back together." She grinned.

Colin smiled at her again, "I am too."

He nodded his thanks again, before glancing down at the little girl. She was going to be in for some stern words when they got home, but for now he was just glad to know where she was.

Safe with him.

"Alright, I am going to go now. I got some stuff I need to do in Honeydukes." She sighed. "Delany dear, be careful next time." She winked at the girl, and turned to Colin. "See ya soon." She walked into her store, smiling.

"Daddy!!" the little girl squealed as soon as she saw her father, forgetting everything else.

"Auntie Briwdet losteded me but then she," the small girl nodded her head at Passion. "Finded me."

Once safe in her father's arms all of her fears were forgotten for the moment. It was as if being lost was a think of the far past, not mere moments before.

As Passion left, Delaney waved at the lady, and then allowed her father to carry her home.