Liadan had recently gotten back to moving about town and running her own errands. The first thing she had done was gather some of her favorite robes to take to Madam Malkin's for hemming and to be taken in. She had lost the weight which she had gained earlier in the year. The stay in the holding cells and being constantly stressed had taken its toll on her body, but she couldn't complain about the side effects. It made her far more confident knowing that she was not going to balloon up at such a young age.

Standing on a stool so the elderly witch could appropriately measure and pin her robes, Liadan arched a brow as a blonde woman came through the front door. She had been looking into Oscar Whitman's past- particularly his past with miss Aileen Reid. She was curious about their failed marriage, and even more curious about what she was going to be compared to if she continued to pursue a relationship with Mr. Whitman.

Oscar seemed particularly bitter about his failed marriage, and Liadan was curious to know more about the woman who had broken his heart. (Though she was actually more curious to know about the kind of man that could lure a woman to stray from such a magnificent specimen like Oscar Whitman.)

Deciding that she might as well take advantage of the opportunity which had presented itself- and because she had seen very little excitement since being released from incarceration- Liadan waved at the woman, calling her over. "Aileen?" she questioned. "Aileen Whitman?" She wasn't sure whether or not the lady had gone to her maiden name again or not. If Liadan was wrong, Aileen could correct her. "Is that you?"

After spending a month in Egypt wearing muggle clothes and battling sand, dirt, and other debris in them, Aileen was quite happy to be in robes again. She wanted a few new things for teaching in the fall, and thought she'd make a quick trip this afternoon.

'Quick' had been the wrong assumption. With the tournament students arriving in Hogsmeade just a few days ago, and Hogwarts students needing new supplies, Diagon Alley was full to bursting with children. As Aileen entered Madam Malkin's, she saw a gaggle of them gawking at a display of brooches in the corner, and one young lady getting her robes fitted.

Since the trip, Aileen had felt like she'd needed a break from young people as well. Biting back a sigh, she started to move to the other side of the shop, but stopped when she heard her name.

Aileen Whitman?

Something flickered across her face, but Aileen turned and glanced at the other patrons, as if it were a possibility that the petite girl was waving at anybody but her. She caught her eye, and made her way over with slow, sure steps. It was difficult to tell whether the girl's mistake was malicious or oblivious - either way, she did not appreciate being reminded of her divorce.

"I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else," Aileen gave her a cool, seemingly unconcerned smile. "Nathaniel is the only Whitman with recent marriage plans." 

She gave her an assessing glance that some women gave before going into the fray. The girl seemed vaguely familiar, with a young face that reminded Aileen of Neely or Abby. The robe she was trying on had a sophistication and buttoned-up quality not typically found in a teenager's wardrobe. She did not sound like a foreigner. She should know better, Aileen decided.

"I'm certain one of your school friends can fill you in on the details," she said with finality, glancing at the group of teenagers.

Liadan was unsure what Nathaniel Whitman had to do with anything, or his marriage plans. But Aileen claiming she was mistaken for someone else, while remaining calm and collected was the sort of reaction Liadan had not been expecting- at least, not exactly- even so, the response was an appropriate one.

"Friends?" Liadan asked, following the lady's gaze over to the teenagers. It was not the first time she had been mistaken for someone much younger. Her height was shy of five feet, after all, and her frame thin and relatively undeveloped for a woman of her age. At times it was an inconvenience. However, when Liadan was older, she was certain she would appreciate her youthful appearance. "I'm afraid you're also mistaken- I am not a Hogwarts student. Though I am very flattered that one would think I appear to be so young."

"I apologize if I have caused any offense," Liadan continued, her tone as polite and sincere as possible. "I was unsure if you had reverted back to your... unmarried name. Many divorced women do not, carrying it until they find another husband." Blunt, to be certain, but a (mostly) honest explanation on how such a mistake could easily be made.

She wondered, half a moment before she began introducing herself, if perhaps calling out to Oscar's ex-wife, out of sheer curiosity over what kind of woman could have caused him to be quite so bitter, was a horrid idea. But that half moment was very short lived, and the desire to display superiority and to cause the woman to fret (all because of her comment about Liadan's friends being a group of teenagers) quickly won. Besides, she had been cooped up for months- and it was nice to be out and about, and Liadan had always enjoyed gossip and this was a delicious bit of gossip to pass on to her lady friends.

"But where are my manners? It had slipped my mind that we have not properly met. My name is Liadan O Morain. It was simply a... pleasant surprise to see your face in the shop. I have heard very much about you, after all, and had been looking forward to properly making your acquaintance."

Aileen's eyebrows rose up into her hair. Divorced woman. Though the young lady's tone dripped with sincerity, Aileen imagined the label to be akin to some infectious disease. Inwardly, she bristled. If she were in the other woman's shoes, she certainly would have accepted the correction without offering further explanation!

Just as she was about to dismiss her again, another surprise caused Aileen's neutral expression to freeze on her face.

"Liadan O Morain," Aileen repeated after a pause, forcing a smile.

Oscar Whitman's very new, very young fling. Yes, Aileen was caught up on the news, thanks to her mother's diligent flock of owls to Egypt this summer. Though Abby had done a fine impersonation of their mother's dramatics, Aileen had known that she would need to face this sooner or later. She just hadn't expected it to be now, in the middle of Madam Malkin's.

Liadan was much bolder than she looked. It took guts or extreme naivety to first call her over by the wrong name, and then introduce herself. Still, Aileen couldn't pretend not to know the O Morains, considering their wealth and reputation.

"I've heard much about you as well. You've had quite a busy summer." Aileen managed to keep up a small, polite smile.

She'd heard about the hassling from the Aurors, and the short arrest for illegal dragon breeding. None of that bothered her as much as Lia's connection to Oz.

"So have I, with the school trip to Egypt. That must be why we haven't had the pleasure of meeting before."

"That is one way to put it," Liadan responded politely, turning on the pedastal to face the mirror after the woman had finished putting pins in the dress robes she was altering. She inspected her reflection carefully, smoothing out the fabric. Satsifed that it appeared to be an appropriate fit, she turned back around, quietly dismissing the seamstress.

"I cannot imagine that you could enjoy Egypt having to herd children," Liadan said. "It is a place so rich in culture and magical history, much of which isn't appropriate for young children." Especially some of the ancient magic that Liadan was particularly interested in. "But I suppose that time for a trip of leisure is greatly reduced when one doesn't work for themselves." Liadan couldn't imagine having a real form of employment out of choice. She had no option but to run the family business, but after she got married fully intended to pass it on to someone else to run for her. A proper lady didn't work, after all. Especially not if she was married.

"How is Hogwarts faring these days?" Liadan asked. "I have heard many horrible things. That one of the professors is teaching muggle theories. How inappropriate! There are many people in the wizard world who would prefer their children not be exposed to such nonsense without having a choice. It is precisely the reason classes like muggle studies are optional." She sighed quietly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "That's what happens when employment standards get to be so lax, I suppose. I would not be surprised if more local students were sent to Durmstrang if things at Hogwarts don't improve in the next few years."

It was difficult to tell whether Liadan was being purposefully offensive or if she simply could not consider that Aileen might be partial to spending one month out of her summer herding children in Egypt. Aileen had actually enjoyed the trip when the kids weren't running off getting buried in tombs and scaring her senseless. Quirking an annoyed eyebrow at the young woman, she turned to rifle casually through the racks of robes nearby.

"Yes, well... I suppose not having to teach during the trip was a vacation in itself," she murmured in a carefully distracted tone.

Liadan asked about Hogwarts, making her opinion on muggle theory very clear. Aileen paused to blink at her, unsurprised by her views, but struck by how much she could see a younger version of herself in Liadan: completely self-assured in her own superiority, intolerant of any challenge to the old ways.

Aileen didn't bother to take offense on behalf of her pro-muggle colleagues. It would feel like bristling at the chirping of a well-trained bird. But neither did she agree with her as she might have a year ago. 

"The students don't soak up nonsense as readily as one would think, and certainly not from just one professor. Sheltering them does little good, in my opinion," Aileen thought of Abby for a moment. "If they reach the age of seventeen without ever being challenged, some of them won't know where their heads are at or how to handle themselves when they finally are faced with differing opinions."

Aileen paused, and then offered diplomatically, "But I'm sure the new Headmaster will bring several changes and improvements to Hogwarts."

"It is one thing to challenge a student and another to fill their heads with ridiculous theories," Liadan said simply. "I found myself quite challenged while attending Hogwarts simply by taking on extracurricular activities and studies. And I did not need to be held to muggle standards to do so. Besides, look at how many witches and wizards have graduated and gone on to lead successful lives without having the slightest grasp of the world outside of our own! It is only right and proper to keep to one's own kind, of course."

"And naturally everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Mine are disagreed with on a regular basis. But I have learned that what I was raised to believe is what works best for me. I have branched out in an attempt to learn more, Miss Reid. In fact, at the beginning of the year, I had a very close friend who was a halfblood. I learned, the hard way mind you, that any sort of romance with someone of inferior birth only leads to trouble." Not that Aileen would know what Liadan was referring to. "I find that associating only with those worthy of association saves me much trouble and gives me fewer headaches..."

"In the end, I suppose each person must decide what beliefs they hold true. Just because I happen to pride tradition- such as purity and loyalty," Liadan gave Aileen a pointed glance with the word 'loyalty', she had heard what transpired during the woman's marriage to Oscar, "does not mean that everyone else holds them close to heart. Though I at least have managed to lead my life and keep to my beliefs without causing any direct harm to others." Not entirely true, but Aileen need not know that. "Radicals make the world look down us sometimes, but not all of us are out to lynch muggles and overthrow them. Most of us would just prefer to live peacefully without persecution for our beliefs."

She watched the lady poke through the racks, falling silent after her small speech. She couldn't help but smile when Aileen commented about a new headmaster. She always was one for gossip. Liadan had read that there was an interim put into place, and since Analiza Snark was still missing- and nobody knew for how long- it was not surprising that he might be taking her post permanently. "So they have given up hope on finding the Headmistress?" Liadan asked. "I had not heard! She was such a wonderful woman and was doing grand things with Hogwarts."

"Though I have heard many good things about Mr. Reid as well. A very traditional wizard. Hopefully he will not prove to be incompetent or lax on standards appropriate for Hogwarts. You must feel very lucky indeed! A relation of yours, isn't he?" Liadan arched a brow. "You should fare quite well, then. Nepotism is indeed alive and thriving in our society- something you might learn by experience sometime soon. Nothing to be ashamed of, of course... Some people need a little extra boost for success. Not everyone can manage on their own."

Liadan's chirping only grew stronger and more insistent, and Aileen entertained the thought of opening a window and chucking a rock at the proud creature.

Aileen's bursts of maturity and inner calm only really lasted for so long. She liked to think she was adept at playing the pureblood game, but in many ways, and especially now that she continued to do things that warranted disapproval, she grew tired of the not-so-subtle insults and judgmental gossiping. She simply had better things to do. Like... plan her syllabus for the year. Such an exciting life!

Her eyes narrowing, she flipped through the hanging clothes with a bit more force than was necessary.

"Mmhmm," she murmured as the woman prattled, the comment about the halfblood sticking in her mind. If Aileen were prone to talking about her troubles, it sounded like the exact sort of conclusion she would have reached when she'd been in her twenties, perhaps a few years older than Liadan. In fact, she'd made that choice. Family over potential romance. Aileen still regretted it some days, and the reminder of it as well as the eerie similarities with Liadan did not sit well with her.

Aileen finally glanced over her shoulder, offering her a quick, insincere smile. Ah yes. The jabs about her job. At least the insults she suffered from fellow purebloods were predictable, commenting on her past indiscretions, her decision to work, and the scandals of her siblings.

"Speaking of managing on your own... how is the farm?" She peppered her words with polite, innocent interest.

"Well, I hope? You must have had much to recover from after those terrible accusations. Aurors seem particularly annoying about waving their badges around over the most minor of issues." Illegal dragon breeding was not a laughing matter according to some, but Liadan's involvement in it was certainly amusing to Aileen.

"You'd think they have nothing better to do, picking on a lone witch. It's as if they can't look past your family's history on the matter," she shook her head sympathetically.

All thoughts of discussing her business with Aileen left her mind when the woman seemed to empathize with her about how dreadful the aurors were. "Finally, somebody who seems to understand!" Liadan said with her first sincere smile of the conversation. "They badger me about every trivial thing. Oh, I admit I'm not entirely innocent- I was caught doing something I ought not be doing, but I wasn't hurting anybody. Besides, dragon ingredients are expensive!"

"I swear I would have survived just fine had that annoying Trevelyan never showed up at my door!" Liadan told her. "Most unprofessional auror I've ever met. The first time I made his acquaintance he showed up at my estate asking me questions and badgering me about missing artifacts. Really! The nerve of that man to insinuate I was a thief. To make matters worse he was impersonating an auror- he was just a silly old investigator at that point!"

Liadan crossed her arms, clearly still agitated about the situation. "I sent an owl to the ministry to complain, and they totally ignored me. Were it a person without a bad family reputation I'm sure the matter would have been looked into. It is a sad day for our society that they continue to judge all purebloods by the reputations of their families. As far as I am aware, criminal activity is not an inherited trait." She frowned again, wondering how on earth the meddling nuisance had managed to get his job back as an auror.

"If you ever have to do any business with the Ministry, I suggest you stay far away from the man," Liadan told Aileen sincerely. "You won't have anything but trouble out of him."

Aileen's eyebrows spiked up at the young woman's change in tone, thinking for a moment that she must be a very skilled actress. Her intent had been to make her uncomfortable; payback for the little jabs and barbs Liadan had been sending her way. When it had the opposite effect, Aileen just looked at her, her pride overshadowed by embarrassment for a moment.

But Trevelyan! She mentioned Trevelyan and Aileen just had to agree.

"He is a terrible nuisance," she nodded, pausing in the punishment she'd been doling out to the clothing racks and turning to face her better. Aileen neglected to mention that the very artifact Trevelyan had pestered Liadan about had been the one stolen from her home. Details!
 
"Believe me, I had enough of his attitude during Trevor's arrest," she freely admitted, substituting legal troubles for a moment. Her older brother's arrest was well known, while her involvement in the artifact's curse was only known to a few. "You should see the owls he sent me. He demanded to interrogate my sister - an underage squib, I might add, and then threatened to arrest me when I refused to comply," she sighed, conveniently leaving out a few facts. Trevelyan had saved Abby's life, and he might have been a tad testy about losing his magic to the ancient artifact he'd returned to her.

"If you ever discover how he was allowed on Level Two again, please do let me know. Because it is a mystery to me," she shook her head in actual sympathy this time, enjoying their little rant fest.

"I am certainly very glad to know I am not the only one who finds him to be just that- a terrible nuisance!" It was one of the best descriptions she had thus far heard of the man. It was unforunate she was now stuck with him as a supervising auror. At least, she supposed, he had learned how best to deal with her. And after he had- for reasons unknown to Liadan- basically helped save her from spending life in Azkaban, she hated him a far deal less. Yet she still hated and resented him.

"Interrogate your sister!" Liadan exclaimed, appropriately surprised and disgusted. "Has he no morals or boundaries? Life for a squib is hard enough in this world without aurors trying to pry information out of you. It was best you did not comply, I must say! He would no doubt have taken her words and used them against her and against anyone else he pleased. The man has an unforunate talent for twisting words. Horrid little thing, he is."

"I'm sure had he arrested you that it would not have lasted for long. Someone really ought to barge into level two and police them back under control. Out accusing innocent, unsuspecting women of heinous crimes and badgering us without appropriate reason! Your poor sister! I hope she never has to meet the man. Really! Going after an underage squib..." Liadan clucked her tongue and shook her head. How dreadful of him! Certainly Trevelyan had better things to do than that!

Liadan nodded eagerly. "Oh, I most certainly shall, Miss Reid! It has been a great mystery to all of us who have had our lives so rudely interrupted by his presence." Because naturally there had to be a whole army of witches and wizards who wanted Auror Trevelyan hanged for being a nuisance- it couldn't just be herself and Aileen. "My furious letters were entirely ignored. Unfortunately for the auror office I have many very close friends in high places within the Ministry of Magic."

"Do you know I once was invited to dinner with Vedir Prideaux, at his private home, and Auror Trevelyan had the audacity to even make an appearance there? To think! Interrupting such a splendid evening with his little rat face. He even brought along his partner. As though my having dinner with a man needed surveillance from two aurors." She scowled again. That had been a ruined and awful evening. "If the man ever interrupts one of my private engagements again I shall have no choice but to put him in his place. I know some very dangerous, very powerful, and very rare spells which are particularly difficult to reverse should he continue to try my patience."

Vedir Prideaux? Now that was interesting. Much more so than the woman's boasts of dangerous spellwork, something that in Aileen's experience, the most talented did not make known in the middle of a robe shop. Though Aileen merely raised her eyebrows, she couldn't help but think that Liadan sounded quite young at that moment. Her party had been ruined, her letters to the Ministry ignored. The MLE defended their own, which was frustrating but unsurprising.

Still, the sympathy was validating to hear, if a little overenthusiastic (rat face was a new one!), and Aileen nodded politely as she wondered about Liadan and Vedir. Her mother might have mentioned seeing them together at some point, but Aileen had paid little attention. She was paying attention now.

"Did he bring along that bothersome Eleor, then? I can just imagine how awful that must have been," Aileen shook her head.

"A private, romantic dinner," Aileen assumed on purpose, "gone to waste. Have you heard the two Aurors are traveling this month?" At least, that was what Abby had told her.

"Perhaps we will get lucky and they'll stay out of the country for a good, long while. I do hope his intrusion was not recent, so you have the opportunity to rebuild ties."

Ties with men besides Oz, of course.

"It was hardly romantic," Liadan said to Aileen. "His mother was also in attendance. Though I suppose that meeting his mother would have been a good sign about where things were heading." Of course, Liadan was no longer very sure that anything was going to come of that. Just two days ago she had spent some quality time with Oscar, during which he had expressed his distaste for her seeing Vedir. It had been very endearing to Liadan, and with the turmoil she was already experiencing in her life, trying to juggle two men would only bring further harm to her reputation. Not that she needed to tell all of that to Aileen.

"Prideaux is a valued business associate whose company I find to be enjoyable. I would hardly call any of our interactions romantic." Another lie. But only slight. Had he not insisted on bringing along a male associate of his when they were together in France touring vinyards, that might have been romantic. But there always seemed to be an extra, unwanted party which prevented their getting to know one another very well.

... Excepting the time that they went to the opera together. But that had been somewhat awkward, considering they had run into Mr. Whitman along the way and Liadan had not wanted Oscar to see her out with Vedir.

"Though I am very glad to hear that they are travelling. Perhaps some foreign creature will eat them. Or they'll meet their doom with some powerful witch or wizard who is beyond their combined capabilities. Neither would surprise me. They strike me as particularly careless men who greatly over estimate their own skill." Perhaps she found find out where they were travelling to and see if she had any contacts in that area to make life a little more difficult for them...

Liadan fell into awkward silence then, not sure where to steer the conversation next. Finding a common enemy with Aileen had distracted Liadan from her original purpose of nettling the woman. It would be far too conspicuous to suddenly steer the conversation back to Aileen's ex husband. "If you will excuse me, I need to change," Liadan said politely, stepping down from the little fitting platform. She disappeared into a changing room to replace the robes she had been getting fitted with the ones she had worn into the shop, handing the ones to be altered to Madam Malkin as she emerged again.

"I apologize if I kept you from any business," Liadan said to Aileen. "Or perhaps you needed to get some robes of your own mended? I suppose after wearing them to Egypt they might need a proper cleaning and a bit of upkeep."

Aileen listened with interest and hidden disappointment when Liadan told her that her involvement with Vedir Prideaux was not at all romantic. Unfortunately, that meant Aileen's suspicions were likely true: Liadan and Oz must be seeing one another.

She had no way of confirming this without bluntly bringing it up, of course, which Aileen was not willing to do. Both grateful and resentful of the fact that Liadan seemed to be restraining herself - Aileen would have smugly announced the news at that age - she smiled politely at Liadan's ill wishes upon the Aurors and let the young woman go change. This was a good a time as any to make a retreat.

"Yes, they do," she responded to her assumption, not bothering to tell her she'd had to wear primarily muggle clothes in Egypt. It would probably cause Lia to trip on the hem of her robes in horror, and Aileen didn't want the sympathy or scorn over such a minor matter.

"Well, it has been lovely to meet you, Miss O Morain, but I'm afraid I must hurry along. If we don't run into each other again soon, I hope the rest of your summer is left unmarred by Aurors and other annoyances."

Aileen supposed it would be too much to hope for that it would be Oz-free as well. Giving her one last tight-lipped smile, she turned to leave, meaning to return when there were less students and twenty-somethings who looked like students around.