Wandering Readers (OPEN)

Jaycie tucked a strand of wavy blonde hair behind her ear. She wandered through the tall bookshelves of Flourish and Blott's absentmindedly humming a lilting tune. Her mother had already ordered in her school books and was visiting some witch friends of hers down the alley's residential area, little Jenna in tow. That gave Jay a few hours alone to wander around and explore.

As she sauntered down the aisles, she wondered who she would meet - if anybody, seeing as she was so shy it almost started her Asthma up. She couldn't really talk to people she didn't know, and Jaycie kept dreaming of a day when she was brave enough to speak up and open out a little. She was smart enough to hold a conversation, but the person would have to have exceptionally good hearing to be able to hear her whisper of a voice. The only persons she'd ever really spoken to were direct family members - her mum, her dad and little sister Jenna, along with a cousin, aunt, uncle, or a grandparent or two.

Jay passed a section of children's books and spied one that appealed to her intuition for Jenna. She pulled it off the shelf. The cover read, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard." She remembered their copy at home - mum had one, and so did Jay herself. It was high time Jenna got one too. Glancing at the price, she made her way downstairs to purchase it.

Gaspard opened the door of Flourish and Blott's, he loved the smell of books, it reminded him of his wife. They would spend hours in their bedroom reading, analyzing the characters and plots. He wasn't sure what book he should get. Gabriela was a natural, she would choose a book and tell him that he would like it, which he always did.

Walking around, hands touching the spines of the books, he frowned, he really didn't know what book he could buy. Mystery? Drama? Humor? Or how about Occlumency? Nah he was tired of reading that, he knew everything about Occlumency-it was the last thing he wanted to read.

Looking around he noticed a young girl, he had seen her before...

He remembered. She was a Howgarts student.

With a determined look on his face he went to the Horror section, maybe there was good book there for him...

Raziel, much against her normal pattern, had decided that she would go and look in the book shop Flourish and Blotts, not like she thought they would have anything that would be any use to Lucian here but she might as well try anyway, otherwise he would get awfully cranky.

Then however out of the corner of her eye she spotted a quite attractive man, and she grinned, this was going to be fun, so abandoning her quest for books she followed him over to the horror section and began looking herself at the shelves. Bending over at the waist to get one right at the bottom then straightening effortlessly.

"Oh dear, I just can't seem to find the book that I need." she pouted, talking to herself, before turning to the man with a small shy smile and a little blush "You haven't seen any books on Incubi have you?"

Gaspard had been skimming through a book about werewolves. The Attack of the Beasts , it was awful, and not very interesting at all. He was about to leave the book where he found it when he heard a voice. "You haven't seen any books on Incubi have you?"

The woman was attractive, blonde hair, curvy body with a smile on her face, blushing. He raised his eyebrow, "Try the other aisle." Gaspard answered in a bored tone.

Slightly sniffing, he walked to the book shelf that was behind him and noticed a book about vampires-maybe that would be interesting...

Raziel raised her eyebrow when the man brushed her off rudely, she was in incubus for Merlins sake this kind of thing just didn't happen! Frowning she decided that she was going to persist, after all, he was cute.

"Uhm, right, okay."

Sighing slightly she went to the other aisle, stayed there for a good minute or so, and then came back with a shrug of the shoulders.

"There's none there that I can see, I'm Raziel by the way, Raziel Ciero, who are you?"

Smiling invitingly, Raziel wanted to continue conversation with this man, but if he was as talkative as a brick wall, she couldn't see that happening for much longer.

All his attention was on the book he was skimming. It wasn't very interesting, he was going to owl Gabriela, asking for suggestions on books and when they could see each other, but seeing both their schedules, it was quite impossible.

With a grimace, he put the book back where it was and was about to walk the door, when a rush of thoughts and emotions hit him like a bang, making his head hurt. He grimaced, she wasn't a very good Oclummens. Hearing the woman's voice again, "There's none there that I can see, I'm Raziel by the way, Raziel Ciero, who are you?", made him turn around.

Gaspard smiled tightly, "It's nice to meet you, Miss. Ciero. I'm Gaspard Dupont. May I ask you a question? I mean no disrespect, it's just, I'm intrigued, how does it feel to be rejected?"

He really was interested in her answer.

Raziel felt the familiar hit of a mind trying to invade her own and she quickly put up her mental wards against it, looking at the man with complete fury Raziel couldn't help but think how up himself he was and realised shed been completely wrong.

Keeping her mental barriers up took little effort, shed been practicing for hundreds of years after all, and as the man spoke to her she raised an eyebrow.

"How does it feel to be rejected by an obvious arrogant unsociable fish? Not too bad actually, when I think of the alternate clients I can appeal to, you're actually doing me a favour Mr. Dupont."

Stopping and putting her finger up in the air as if remembering something, Raziel grinned:

"Oh, and next time you attempt to read my mind? At least buy me dinner first, you cad." she said in a jokey tone and then went back to skimming through books.

Alonzo entered the book store, hoping to find some new and interesting wandlore works, but certainly not expecting it. After checking there were no new arrivals, he sauntered up the stairs, hands in pockets, and started to browse. Eventually he got to an aisle with a gentleman and a lovely lady conversing enthusiastically with each other.

Picking up a random copy from the shelf, he flipped through it, decided it was boring before putting it back where he found it. He wondered if any muggle novels would catch his eye this time. Alonzo figured not; besides, too much effort. He would have to leave the bookstore and find a new one in muggle London, and he really just wanted to eat some mint ice cream.

Raziel thankfully spotted another man coming into the store, and she smiled slightly, stepping away from Mr. Dupont with a flip of her hair, if he wanted to talk to her and actually make some friends then he could follow her, if not then no loss to her.

Slinking towards the man she smirked lightly, looked at the section he was in and she raised an eyebrow, interested.

"Wandlore huh? How interesting, do you study it or is it just one of your hobbies?"

Raziel held out her hand and smiled slightly, whispering so that only this new man would here, making sure her mental barriers were still up, Raziel rolled her eyes and gestured her head very slightly back.

"Please talk to me at least until he's gone."

Alonzo glanced up as a pretty young women sidled up to him. "Actually... I'm Alonzo Ollivander, I bet you can guess where I work. It's sort of both; I study it as a living, but it really intrigues me anyway."

He took her hand and shook it politely, resisting the urge to kiss it lightly instead. She seemed to have that effect on people. "Pleasure's all mine, miss...?" Alonzo didn't know her name and was determined to find out.

Glancing behind her, he smirked. "I believe you've set your eyes on the wrong man, miss. I sold Mr. Dupont's wife her wand not too many years ago."

Raziels eyes widened and she smirked slightly, obviously the name of the man in front of her gave her the distinct impression that he was a descendant of the old owner of Ollivanders.

"Youre the owner of Ollivanders, do you remember selling me my wand? I doubt that you would."

Since I'm over hundreds of years old, she thought.

"I could never actually get past the first few chapters of wand lore partly because it's all phallic imagery to me."

Taking her hand away with a lingering touch Raziel smiled lightly: "I'm Raziel Ciero."

Rolling her eyes slightly, Raziel thought about how he could have told her in a nicer way instead of being so darn horrible and up himself to her, I mean please.

"Oh I don't much care about that, when people invade your mind or sorry, attempt to, and act like a jerk it puts all thoughts of sex out of your mind. You'll understand if it happens to you."

Alonzo examined the woman. "I doubt I do remember; I don't think I've ever seen you before in my life." Maybe his Uncle had perhaps sold her her wand.

"Yes, that is true. I just find every aspect inviting. I love it," he replied. Ever since childhood he'd loved the very concept of wands and magic.

"I'm Raziel Ciero." Raziel took her hand back very slowly from their handshake. Alonzo nodded as she spoke about the Occlumens 'invading her mind'. He doubted that rejecting her and being loyal to his wife was being a jerk, but according to Miss. Ciero it certainly was.

"Well, you have me to talk to now, yes?" he said with a playful grin, ignoring her comment about him not understanding it. "I'm sure you'll get over the fact that his wife got there first." Alonzo chuckled as he flipped through another wandlore book.

Nodding her head Raziel smiled lightly, she did have a wand somewhere she thought but she didn't use it much, after all she didn't really need to use magic whatsoever normally, just on certain occasions.

"Most likely." she said with a delicate smirk.

When he said that she now had him to talk to Raziel nodded happily, he was much more talkative and friendly than his acquaintance was over in the other part of the store.

"I sure do and already I'm feeling much much better about everything. Hey..." she said, pouting "It's not a problem that he's married it's that he was so horrible in his dismissal, had he been nice and simply said: 'Im just looking for a book for my wife' I would have gone away!"

Still pouting she glanced up at Alonzo: "But he was mean to me. So I was mean back."

Alonzo grinned. "Yes, dear." She was a very talkative young woman. No longer was he bored from the non-rush of the store. "What if he's not looking for one for his wife? You never know. Just because he has a wife and is in a bookstore doesn't really mean anything," Alonzo was letting his inventive side get out.

"Anyway!" he exclaimed cheerfully, snapping shut the book in his hand a replacing it. He leant against the shelf frame, crossing his arms over his t-shirt. "What are you doing in this bookstore, apart from chatting up men and browsing books?"

Raziel shrugged her shoulders and she too was glad of the topic change when it came around. Although she didn't quite know how to best answer the question that was put to her.

What was she doing here besides that?

"What else is there to do in a bookstore but look for books and chat up men? I suppose I could say that I'm here to escape my business for a moment or two. If that's a good answer."

Smirking lightly, Raziel leant against one of the book cases and surveyed Alonzo, flicking her eyes over him casually:

"What are you doing here besides the obvious, hiding out from an infamous group of Wandlore mafia?" she joked.

Alonzo laughed. "Well you're in for the same reason I am. The 'Wandlore Mafia' haven't exactly been on a roll today. It seems no one likes a Sunday shopping spree." He made air quotes around the Wandlore Mafia bit.

He noticed her eyes give him a once-over, and he smirked slightly. Straightening up, Alonzo looked the girl over as well. There seemed to be a lot of fine women around Diagon Alley these days, which he was very glad for.

Raziel smirked lightly, she didn't know much about wandlore, so there might have been some sort of mafia. Deciding that she might have been a little too odd for the guy, Raziel quickly dismissed the idea, after all, he was smiling it meant he liked it.

"Awwww shame, I bet they would have had some hot guys in that mafia too." she joked "It's nice to know that all people who study wandlore aren't old and decrepit, unless you're really good at glamour charms."

Normally she could tell if they were glamour charms or not, and it didn't seem to be so.

Watching as he too looked her up and down, Raziel put a hand on her chest as if hurt, and opened her mouth letting out a shocked gasp: "Are you perving on me Alonzo? Ill have you know it's a different matter when a man Pervs at a lady, then vice versa."

He wondered why everyone thought he was so handsome. He was just Alonzo, wandmaker. Shrugging internally, Alonzo grinned at Raziel. "No glamour charms," he said with a notorious wink.

Alonzo acted offended when she accused him of being a pervert. Mimicking her and putting a hand to his chest, he gasped and said, "How dare you! I was not perving, only admiring the scenery!"

Raziel pretended to swoon at the wink and she flapped her hand in front of her face as if cooling herself down with a fan. It made her smirk lightly to think about the fact that other people had the same problem as she.

"No glamour charms? For a man of all 20 years old it's not needed at all, and I'm guessing that's you."

Unable to stop a small giggle Raziel stopped pretending to be offended and she picked up a book and flipped through, looking at some of the obscene pictures with a grimace.

"What is this? The creatures equivalent of the karma sutra?" she rolled her eyes and put it back "Admiring the scenery indeed."

"You guess correctly then. Fascinating how I can be one of the most renowned wandmakers at merely twenty years of age." It still amazed Alonzo how advanced he was in his field of expertise. "I also find it fascinating how some men my age resort to glamour charms themselves. It's quite disturbing really."

He laughed at her. Raziel was good fun to talk to. "I believe," Alonzo started, plucking the book from her hands, "That this is not suitable for a young lady to find on a bookshelf." He flipped through the obscene images, pulling mock disgusted faces at some particularly grotesque and detailed ones.

Raziel could tell that the man in front of her was very proud of the fact that he had mastered wandlore by the age that he was, and it was in fact a very big achievement.

"It is a big achievement for anyone, but it's lost on me since I don't know much about wandlore, perhaps you will have to teach me at some point hmmm?"

At the mention of guys his age using glamour charms being disturbing, Raziel chuckled: "Well not everyone is blessed with as good looks as you. You should think yourself lucky!"

Pouting slightly, Raziel peeked to see what the pages of the books detailed, and she giggled lightly: "I've done that one, and that one...and oh my that looks painful I won't be trying that."

He smirked. "Maybe," he said slyly. "If you want me to."

Alonzo shut the book again, a controlled grin sweeping his face, slowly bursting out of it's reins. "You're hilarious," he stated.

He glanced at his watch, the niggling feeling twitching the back of his head suddenly being confirmed. "Raziel, you really are quite the charmer, but the time has escaped my notice and I must close up the shop. I will, hopefully, see you again. One day." And with that, he bowed politely and strode off to take care of his store.

Raziel smiled lightly, she was a little sad to see the man going when they had just begun to get along so well, but she knew where to find him if she ever wanted him in the future.

As she watched him make to leave she said cheerfully:

"As are you Alonso, I'll be happy to see you again some time in the future, when you're not seeing other wands." she joked with a wink.

When he left, Raziel flipped the book about in her hands with a small smirk and thought: 'Actually, I will be trying that one.' before putting it back down and walking out of the store, back to her club.