A Simple Sale

[Charlie Jones]

For a few years, Tammy´s christmas and birthday gifts have accumulated to a whole bunch of nothing, none of which had any sort of sentimental meaning to the Slytherin, no matter how much she did NOT try.

And now here it was... Charlie was out of luck as she was out of money. She had the emergency money that her dad always gave her each beginning of the year and this year she hadn´t blown it on qudditch gear or food. Instead, she was very conscious of it, aware that maybe she did need to use it in case something bad arose. Like, say... going out and hunting down Amber.

That was a peripheral matter, of course, as she had found her entreprenural ambitions in the heap of useless junk that came from bracelets, hair accessories, dresses, and Merlin-forsaken makeup. She had just enough to pull together a sale that would probably get her into some goods for the next Hogsmeade trip. If there was going to be one, of course.

By lunchtime her little stand´s sales out in front of the Great Hall had slowed down significantly and she thought she ought to drive it home before retiring for the day.

At last, she moved her trunk full of accessories fit for a boutique into the Slytherin common room, where she hassled each person that passed by the booth lovingly called "Tammy´s Crap" (the sign had to be placed more discretely, however, as it did not call for good mass appeal).

"I know you´re dying for this hair clip, young lady! It´s all the rage in.... in Egypt!"

[deanq]

Dean stifled a yawn as he walked into the common room. He chuckled slightly as he saw Charlie trying to harass a certain disgruntled looking first year into buying a hideous.. hair clip? He smirked slightly and said, " Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. What on earth makes you think that she " he pointed to the first year who was now walking towards the girls dormitories, " would want that? " He nodded to the hair clip that Charlie was clearly indicating for sale. " Know your consumers, and know.. they wouldn't want that. " He said, half joking and half.. not.

" What're you selling all this stuff for, anyway? " He asked curiosly, looking down on all of the items at the little stand. Makeup, dresses, hair things, and just all around things that were so very.. not Charlie, at least from what he could tell. He could at least understand that she was selling them because they weren't very much her style.

[Charlie Jones]

Charlie looked down at the hairclip, which had red feathers and fat pink rhinestones. Merlin, he was right. Only tacky ladies like Tammy would go crazy over that. For a moment she worried that the rest of her sale would go down the drain, but that clip was probably the worst of the worst in the pile. Everything else needed more aquired tastes, tastes that Charlie would never want to aquire. She shrugged as she looked up at him and threw it back in the trunk. "Charity," she called out before it hit the bottom.

"I don´t need none of this stuff, but I need some cash, so I figure I pursue my interests by selling off all this crap," She picked up a thick silver chain with a pink heart on it and waved it in front of a second year´s face. "You want this, huh? I know you do! C´mon, two galleons! It´s priceless!"

[Esmerelda Mizart]

Es had been stopped by the little first year on her way out of the girls' dormitories. She was trying to warn her about the crazy chick trying to sell crappy stuff, the loud crazy girl. She shrugged and continued anyway. Besides, maybe she would want to buy something. The first thing she was was Charlie, attempting to sell something to a boy. Es laughed, she was so insane.

"Charlie, leave that poor guy alone, he doesn't want what ever you'ure selling...!"

She teased, walking towards the stand. It was then, that she realized the guy was Dean. Of course it was. Es almost froze up on the spot. Her eyes went to Charlie in panic and then back to Dean. She hadn't talked to him since she told him she was 'breaking up with him', sorta. But she figured she would just act natural, besides, she was already over there, she couldn't turn back now. They decided on being friends, right? So there was nothing to worry about. She'd just...be his..friend. Nonetheless, her heart hurt from seeing him. She could do this...she could do this... She took a silent breath and smiled.

"Hiya Dean, I didn't see ya there.. How's it going?"

Bleh...horrible opening.. She scolded herself, wishing already to go back in time; Possibly back to the time before he left. She could confess her feelings and it'd all be good. Stop. Thinking.

[deanq]

" Charity, huh? " Dean asked rhetorically and picked up a bracelet that seemed to shimmer in the firelight. The only issue he could see Charlie taking up with it was that it was pink. Very pink. Dean grinned slightly and said, " C'mon Charlie, I could totally see you wearing this. " His sarcasm was clearly evident and he nodded as the girl told him she needed cash and had things to sell. It added up to him. " Yeah, I gotcha. " He said, looking at some of the things that didn't seem too bad. Would it be wierd if he bought something from Charlie for his little sister? She liked costume jewelry to dress up in and..Charlie's little sale seemed to have alot of things that she could use.

He glanced up and saw Es walking towards him. Feeling his stomach fall slightly he smiled at what she said, " Ah, well I wouldn't take it if I didn't... need it. " He said jokingly, holding up a hair clip. " Oh, good.. Just looking at some of Charlie's interesting items for sale. " He shrugged slightly.

[Charlie Jones]

Charlie gave him a straight-up look of horror and shook her head fervently at the idea that that thing would ever end up on her wrist. She was just glad that she was getting rid of some of the stuff. It would clear a lot of space for her in her trunk... it would a literal burden gone.

With Es's oncoming comment, Charlie nodded in agreement. "You're right, Es. I guess 'cause you have your eye on it! C'mon, have at it! I know you need this... or maybe that hearts-n-flowers scarf that's... uh... fashion-forward?" She was just throwing around any term she heard other girls and Tammy say. You know, get with the customer's lingo.

[Esmerelda Mizart]

She nodded her head at Dean.

"Uh huh..sure."

A grin flickered across her face but was quickly gone. Dean might still be one of her best friends, but she didn't exactly know what to say to him right now, she didn't know how to act around him, and she hated it with a passion. They used to be so easygoing around eachother. Now? They acted like distant relatives.

"That's good that you're good...uh...I'm good, too.."

She offered with a small, unenthusiastic smile. She hated the way he acted around her. Es was distracted by Charlie trying to sell her something and she happily turned to her; Even if Charlie didn't know the situation, [not that she wanted people to know it], she was silently grateful for the chane of attention. She glanced at all of the items on the table. No way would she buy any of this stuff!! But..she could buy one of the pink things for her 'Mom'...
Then again, why should she spend her galleons on that...that...woman! No way!

However, she still wanted to buy something. Who could she give it too? Ding, ding, ding!! She'd used it in her art!!! She smiled at Charlie and got out some money.

"How much for that pink..er...and yellow...boa?"

[deanq]

Dean grinned broadly at Charlie's look of horror. It seemed rather real so he set the bracelet down. He didn't want to scare Charlie off after all. " Alright, alright. I get the point. " He said with a chuckle at the sixth year. He looked back up to Es as she replied, 'That's good that you're good...uh...I'm good, too..' He nodded with a smile and said, " That's.. good. " He felt stupid, unbelievably so, as he said it. He groaned in his head and wished things were different.

Dean peered down at a little bracelet, a less potent version of the one he threatened Charlie with and decided that Anja would like it. Even if it was a little big on the young girl, she would appreciate the gift from her big brother. " Eh, I'll take this Charlie. " He said, holding it up to show Charlie what it was he was interested in.

Then, hearing what Es was going to buy, Dean grinned. " What're you going to use that for? " He asked with a low chuckle, glancing from Charlie to Es and finally to the boa. A boa, seriously? Now that was interesting.

[Charlie Jones]

Charlie looked at both of them and sighed. They were loitering around her stand, with their nervous, third-cousin small talk. "This ain't a water cooler!" She was about to very well kick them out of her "store" when Es inquired about the boa and Dean with the bracelet. Yes! Business! They were welcome anytime....

"The boa's a galleon, Es," She eagerly fetched the feathery thing and held it in exchange for the money. She also took out the bracelet that Dean asked for and nodded at it. "Yeah, this's a galleon and six sickles." She didn't care what sort of sick intention they had for them, just as long as she got paid.

[Esmerelda Mizart]

That's good?! That was such a pathetic answer that she almost laughed; Almost. She knew they weren't both "good." Well, they could be, cause she was, but the detailless, short, expected answer hurt her. Dean wouldn't usually treat her like this. Then again, the situation was entirely different now. She blushed at Charlie's comment and hoped her cheeks weren't too pink. What Dean was buying distracted her and she smirked, arching her eyebrow.

"What's that for?"

She asked him, at almost the exact same time he asked her what she was buying the boa for. Es laughed, one that was half-forced, and half-not. The naturalness of it felt good, the other half, not so much. She used this time to awkwardly pay for her boa and instead of wrapping it like a normal person, she stuffed it in her robes/pocket. She glanced at Dean.

"Well, art, actually."

[deanq]

Dean grinned at Es as she asked what the bracelet was for. He shook his head slightly and answered, " My little sister likes this kind of stuff. Her birthday's coming up soon.. Art, huh? That's.. interesting. " He said with a grin, noticing as Es shoved the boa in her bag. He fished in his pocket for the money and paid Charlie as he talked. " Pleasure doing business with you, Jones. " He said in an official tone as he pocketed the bracelet, thinking of when he would be able to send it to her.

" Thanks Charlie.. But I best be off. Lots of homework to finish. " He shrugged, realizing that he probably wouldn't end up finishing the homework he did have to do anyway. He turned to Es and said, " Want to hang out later? " He wanted to check and see if things between them were okay and.. he didn't feel like messing about in front of Charlie's little stand. He wouldn't want to push off any of her 'future customers'.

[Esmerelda Mizart]

She couldn't help but smile back at the boy as he grinned at her; She never could resist that smile. Es nodded as he told her his reason. Oh yeah...his little sister. She thought that was really sweet, something Landon would have done for her if he was alive. Not that he was a Wizard or anything, but it was something he would do. Yes, Landon wasn't a Wizard. Her Father was a muggle and her Mother was a Witch; Es took after her in that one and only aspect.

She nodded again as he commented on the art part being interesting. Well, I was.. XD Es smiled, glad they were finally becoming more comfortable with one another again. She turned back to Charlie and nodded to her. She was about to bid them adieu, when Dean turned to her and asked her if she wanted to hang out later. Shock and hope hit her both at the same time and she was speechless for a moment. Her eyebrows shot up but she was able to nodd her head.

"O..okay.."

Es finally choked out, extremely suprised and secretly pleased. She was selfish, she couldn't help it.

[Charlie Jones]

Charlie took their money and exchanged them the items, glad to have accumulated two galleons and six sickles in a short time. It was petty change for big time businessmen, for the Charlie the ambitious Slytherin, this was a road to many riches.

"See ya and don't forget to recommend my stall here!" She pointed at her junk and then continued to hustle anyone who would find interest in a bracelet covered in neon green feathers. "Hey-- fly away with my great deals! You'll go crazy when you see how good this will look on you or a loved one. BUY ONE TODAY!"

[deanq]

Dean grinned at Es slightly and said, " Cool. I'll see you then.." He looked back over to Charlie and said, " Later, Jones. Pleasure doing business with ya. " And with that he turned heel and walked away from the two, back into the guy's dorms. As he walked away he couldn't help but shake his head at Charlie's antics as she tried to rattle in a couple of customers. She was interesting, to say the least. He felt a little bad for the people getting snaked into the her sale, but he supposed it was good business for Charlie.

[Esmerelda Mizart]

She grinned back at him and nodded her head.

"Yeah..later.."

Her reply was short and simple but she thought it did the trick. Yeah, maybe it was kind of lame, the reply you'd get when two people were interested in eachother. Which, they weren't. Okay, okay! Maybe they were.. But, it just wasn't possible. She glanced over at Charlie, almost forgetting the woman was there.

"See ya later Charlie.."

She replied with a satisifed and excited smile on her face. The direction she left in was to the girls dorm room. This had been a great sale for her, and a great afternoon.