Just Got Paid...

[Shay M. Loire]

It was often hard to get some enthusiasm for a Friday night when you were all worked out the rest of the week. There was nothing but work for Shay, for when the Daily Prophet was calling for her, she had free lance work to do for little events. And if they didn't need her, the Prophet was surely trying to get her to go in odd places for odd pieces.

And so you couldn't blame Shay for trudging along Diagon Alley not to live it up, but rather to find a book in Flourish so she could settle into the night in her apartment.

She entered, knowing what she wanted, but unsure in what book. Basically all she wanted was to read up on the history of european magic, and understand the background of where she lived in. She asked a worker where she could find a book, and he instantly redirected her to a book that was rather thick, but not as useful. As she held it to her height, she read it over, unable to pay attention to anyone else around her.

This was how she spent a Friday night. This is what she was spending her first paycheck on.

(open)

[alfonztytusjedynak]

Entering the shop, Alfonz glanced at the book titles and around the store. Not many people were around, a few here and there but no one he recognized or care to notice. Friday night, and finally a break from the bustling of Quidditch, the first thing on his mind was Celina, and that he hadn't talked to her in...well, it was too long. And after the conversation he had with his mother about her encouraging Celina to make new friends at Hogwarts, he knew he had to send her something to keep her mind off of her mother's disasterous teachings. Making connections was one thing, but at Hogwarts, Alfonz tended not to think the best of the students Celina could be making friends with.

As he walked around the shop in search of a book for his younger sibling, he hadn't noticed the presence of a woman before him. That was of course, until he ran in to her. His first basic instinct would be to tell her to watch herself, but something told him to be polite. "Excuse me," he said in a monotone voice.

[Shay M. Loire]

Shay had her fingers set on turning to the Reformation when she sidetracked with a unwarranted force. This left her with a bit of confusion and no time to catch the falling book. The weight of it alone made her jump back to avoid smushed toes, but she was sure that whoever had pushed her was still there, but only to give her two words to supplement the bump and run.

"Órale! Watch where you're going..." She responded indignantly. Indeed, she was surprised with her small outburst of Spanish, not to mention her burst of energy. She was sure she had been pooped out a long time ago.

(What the heck?!)

[alfonztytusjedynak]

Slowly bending over, Alfonz gracefully wrapped his fingers around the bind of the book with his left hand. "The Black Magic of Ancient Greco-Roman Times..." he read the title of the very large book, only looking up with his eyes at the brunett in front of him. "Interesting choice in literature, Madam."

Handing the book back to her, he gave a weak but fake, smile to yet again excuse himself. He wasn't one for making friends, but being polite had been something Celina had been driving him to doing, and if he was ever going to meet the friends she was making, he had to start practicing. What a fool, he told himself however, looking over the girl's demeaner. "If you'll excuse me," he said bowing his head a bit, to look as if he cared to respect the woman. He still needed to find a book to send to Celina.

[Shay M. Loire]

And so he wasn't as much of a jerk as she had made him out to be in her silent judgement. She took back the book and attempted a smile. It wasn't as if he has fractured her pride, but sometimes that small thing was a large obstacle to overcome. She bit the side of her lip, unable to find a way to remedy her rudeness.

"Thank you... I'm sorry for being on edge there." Like an embarassed schoolgirl, she held the book shut and close to her chest. But to further play off her one bad moment, she tried a light joke. "You didn't get hurt by this gigantic load," she added, referring to the book. "Did you?"

[alfonztytusjedynak]

She looked at him and he noticed her expression changed completly. Not the tough woman she portrayed herself to be, she all of a sudden looked as if she were almost embarrassed to be in his presence. Alfonz could only hope that she hadn't notice who he was, yet. Being the new Keeper of the Grodzisk Goblins Quidditch team, Alfonz had been getting a little more attention then he ever wanted.

Apologizing the girl's stance changed and Alfonz didn't know whether to snicker or just keep looking at her blankly as he was doing at the moment. Does she have to get embarrassed? Nothing happened. Alfonz couldn't believe how some people could be so coy after acting out their basic instincts. Maybe it was more of a male thing. "The book never touched me," he commented as he stopped in place. Still practicing being as polite as he could towards the young woman. Though he was somewhat intrigued by the topic. Black magic and this, what could have been younger sister. "Don't you think it's a bit...mature for yourself?" he asked her somewhat belittling. "The topic, that is."

He couldn't help but smirk. He almost wanted to see a reaction out of the girl. He almost wanted to see how she could stand up for herself...that is, if she could.

[Shay M. Loire]

Shay raised her own eyebrow at him and his questioning of her choice of books. She changed stances as she examined the book in her hand. Actually, this hadn't been the book she had before. Most likely a trick because Flourish was no ordinary store, but she would find some way to play with it.

Her grin came about, but it was slow, steady, and a stark contrast to the cheesy smiles that she proudly sported. Sure, it seemed inconsistent of her to fluctuate between attitudes, but often some things that came to her attention had a different reaction to her. "Actually, I believe it's quite perfect for me," she started, "Especially when I don't think it's good to judge a book by its cover."

[alfonztytusjedynak]

Impressive, not only had the girl accepted Alfonz's silent challenge, but she responded with an even edgier come back than Alfonz had ever expected from her. He tipped his head slightly to acknowledge that she had a point. "Touché," Alfonz said, a smirk appearing on his face. It wasn't everyday that a woman was able to respond so fluidly to a subtle attack that Alfonz was used to giving out. In a small way, it was a comfort to see that not everyone in the world was as useless as they seemed.

At this point in most conversations, it would be over for Alfonz and he would no longer be interested in keeping it going. However, a small voice in the back of his mind told him that he should stay just a little while longer, after all, she had said it herself you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. It had been something his sister kept telling him. Though, he knew that Celina had a lot to learn about life. The younger girls of this age really had to be more careful, by not judging they left themselves open to get hurt.

Alfonz could see that this girl had a lot to learn, as well. And in a way, he saw potential in the girl. There would be a use for her in the future, and Alfonz could see this. Whether it would be helpful to her, he knew not. In a way, Alfonz saw that she could be as useful as Celina had become to his life. Remembering his manors he decided to introduce himself, “Alfonz Jedynak,” he said as he gently lifted her right hand and placed a kiss upon it. “At your service, Miss.”

[Shay M. Loire]

Shay wasn't fazed by his small, impressed reaction. By now, she had been used to hearing the subtlties of being talked down. It came from the man in Ender's Way, and it would surely come this Alfonz. It seemed the only one who had ever understood her interest in the dark arts was Sora. It made her want to go back to the times in the Room of Requirement, where she gained bruises but she gained burdening knowledge as well.

Her grin was stationary, but it was careful as he kissed her hand. She figured that he could have been from around here, but she didn't quite sense it. "Shay Loire," she replied simply.

"Is this often your point of destination for meeting women," she went on to ask, "Or do you have a real purpose in Flourish?" Just the same, she would have left, but she for different, less antagonistic reason. She still hadn't found a book that fully piqued her interest.

[alfonztytusjedynak]

He smiled. It seemed as if she were able to handle the situation quite well. "Not usually." Meeting women of anykind usually was not something Alfonz did often. Intriging women were hard to find now adays, even harder to find in his standards. Not knowing if Shay was any of these things, Alfonz just decided to play a little. What was the harm in giving into some carnal instincts now and then? Plus, what he could learn from one person, could help him with another eventually. It was a good motto to have in life, and it fit him.

"I actually have a real purpose wherever I go. Meeting interesting people is just a bonus in the day," and the last thing I think about doing. Alfonz tread quickly through life only thinking about the most important things to him. No one would understand him fully. Well...no one outside of his family. And even then his parents really had no clue. No, most of the time if he wasn't thinking about Quidditch and the ever basic need or want a person does have to have eventually, Alfonz was thinking of his sister.

"I was looking for a book to send to my younger sister at Hogwarts. We haven't spoken in a while and I thought I'd send her a gift. Something to keep her mind occupied while I am busy with work," and off of that foolish advice our mother has given her. Alfonz tried not to scowel to himself as he turned toward the bookshelf away from Shay. All he needed was for her to see any sort of emotion coming from him.

He turned his head slightly to look at Shay out of the corner of his eye and smirked slyly, "So, what was your real purpose for being here? Surely you don't come here to run into men on purpose, only so they talk to you."

[Shay M. Loire]

She had to keep from saying something bittersweet, as was her underlying intentions whenever she was sure she would be around someone who happened to mention the dark arts. It was a form of keeping her guard up, but it didn't mean that she had to say everything that was on her mind. But she didn't focus her words on the the more interesting points of his conversation. "What house is she in? I used to be in Gryffindor," she asked and listened, but her head was tilted to the side as she examined the titles on the spines of the books. Shay wouldn't actually mind if she could help out in the selection.

That is, until he countered the same question. She stopped her scanning and looked at him before laughing. "Yes. Usually I stop into each bookstore in town every Friday evening, just wishing and hoping a 'hunk' like you can whisk me away to Merlin knows where." Sometimes her jests were hard to resist.

[alfonztytusjedynak]

"I'm pretty sure the house dwelling she's inhabiting is called Ravenclaw..." he trailed off slightly as he reached up for a book above his head. Starting to look the book over to see if it was anything his sister may be into, he heard Shay laugh as she came back with a response just as witty as her other ones had been.

He couldn't help but snicker. The word 'hunk' was not common in his, nor anyone else's vocabulary that he knew of. He almost wondered if she were American, but he held his tongue. "We all must have our hobbies," he answered back instead. His voice unwaverying and cool, as if he had actually believed her jest. But after a moment of waiting to see if the girl would wonder if he had understood her sarcasim or not, he smirked. It was almost to much for Alfonz to handle. And as he looked over the book he cleared his throat slightly to try and cover for how amused he really was. He highly doubted it worked, but he could still try and play it off as such.

[Shay M. Loire]

"Ravenclaw.... the house that values intelligence and ingeniuty," she muttered, almost as if she had to memorize it before. She figured he already knew that, but a quick reference wouldn't have hurt if he knew how to use it to approach the kind of book his sister would want or need.

But before she knew it, her laughter exceeded more than one moment. Looking over to him, she could tell that he caught on to her humor. "Oh, come on. Don't act like you weren't the least bit tickled by it."

[alfonztytusjedynak]

"I suppose that's the house," he said trying to forget his sudden urge to laugh. Still looking through the book he had gotten off the shelf he put it back. He doubted she'd be into anything that had to do with a dark wizard finding his heart and falling for the heroine. What isle am I even in? Alfonz thought to himself, looking astonished over the rest of the books on the shelf in front of him. At this time, Shay laughed again.

"The response caught me off guard. Don't worry, I'll try and make sure it doesn't happen again," he said as he turned to her, leaned against the shelf with another book, and tried to act studious. This book was just as useless...he looked at the book and then turned the front of it over to show Shay, "I don't even know what fifteen year old, girls like to read about...but I'm almost positive it's not someone's description on how to make the perfect dinner for someone." This was useless.

[Shay M. Loire]

"Merlin, no," Shay said with a scrunched nose. "Unless she's into cooking, I'd advise you to step away from the book." She looked over at the selection that was before him. "In fact, you should probably get away from that section entirely. It's the self-help section."

From her side, though, she had a pretty decent fiction selection. She picked up a book that looked familiar. "I hear this is about a young boy who takes over his government and governs it pretty well. I think it's suppose to have some sort of hidden satire on the Ministry."