“I do apologise. Please do the courtesy of excusing me but I have unfortunately been forced to leave my dear pet unattended at home. He gets frightfully scared bless him. Would you mind awfully if I go before you?” Nicola calmly requested of the person stood before her in the line of witches and wizards seeking caffeinated delights in the small shop. She didn’t like queuing.

Neither did she enjoy being pleasant to strangers. Yet needs must when out in public wishing to maintain a façade of a pureblood witch who didn’t deserve to be locked away in Azkaban until her dying breath. As Nicola had come to realise since her release, people tended not to look beyond a person’s exterior, the polite act they put on and the clothing they chose to wear where all a stranger cared for. So now she knew how to prevent questions, how to blend in without looking like an ex-azzie for the rest of her life.

And she did fit in better nowadays. Just over a year after her release and her skin no longer stuck, stretched to her bones, pale as a ghost. Her clothes didn’t continue to hang limp, bedraggled and unkempt and her hair once more looked like it was attached to a living being, sleek and dark, reflecting the glow from the lights in the small café.

A warm smile was offered to the person before her. “He’ll be screaming for my return.” And he would be screaming. The delightful Miss Randall’s pet would be starving by now. She’d not fed him for a couple of days. That’s what happened when the silly muggle pet decided to try and escape. His ungratefulness warranted more than such a kind punishment as temporary starvation was, yet Nicola was fond of this pet. He was cute, helpless yet he still had a bit of fight in him. It delighted the young witch but she knew he had to be broken in. That was why she’d been shopping in diagon alley this morning.

It wasn’t often that Shamera Harvey turned to coffee.  But there were days when she couldn’t help but indulge in a cup.  She didn’t necessarily dislike coffee.  It was just that she tried not to drink it often because she didn’t want to grow an addiction to it.  But the weather had been cold and rainy as of late, and rather windy today, so it was a perfect day to have a nice warm mixed coffee drink.  And many other people had decided that as well, judging by the crowd inside Alohamocha.

Shamera was almost to the front when the person behind her requested to go ahead of her, claiming a frightened pet alone at home. But the voice of said person sounded rather familiar. Sham turned her head around to look at the woman, and found that she did indeed know who it was.  But whether or not Nicola Randall would remember her was another question.  Nicola had been two years ahead of Shamera at Hogwarts, though they were in the same house.  And of course she’d heard on the news of the trial of Nicola, and then eventually her release a year ago.

“A new pet, I assume? The untrained do have a tendency to be frightened in the wind and rain.” Shamera said, remembering a dog her mother had owned when she was younger. But whether or not Nicola’s pet was a dog or not, Sham didn’t know.

“As I’m not in dire need of my coffee, nor do I have a pet waiting for me, I don’t mind.” Sham said, allowing the woman to go in front of her, wondering if Nicola would recognize her. It certainly would be interesting to converse with her, though if she was indeed in a hurry to get back, Shamera didn’t want to interfere.

The smile upon Nic’s featured didn’t fade as she nodded her understanding about new pets. The witch that had turned around seemed similar. Had Nicola traded with her before? Had she tortured a relative of hers? Had she been in Azkaban? A gaze over the witch’s features and body informed the criminal that her last question wasn’t possible. This girl looked too well fed to have been an Azkaban prisoner, her skin wasn’t pale enough, her eyes too innocent. They hadn’t experienced the horrors of the wizarding prison.

“Oh yes he is frightfully new.” Randall calmly responded, her gaze travelling over Harvey’s face to meet her eyes. “He simply requires breaking in. One of those…reluctantly obedient types.” But he’d learn. Starvation tended to work. It caused the pet to try begging, so desperate for food they would finally learn and accept who their mistress was. They learned to be obedient to the witch giving them the food and the clothes and treating them like a well behaved pet until she got bored and decided on a new one. But her pets didn’t need to know they had an expiry date on them. That was simply cruel and unnecessary and Nicola Randall was not a cruel woman!

Taking a step around Harvey, Nicola let her heavy bag drop to the floor with a clump. It was getting a big heavy to carry. She let it rest against her leg and rubbed hands together to return the blood to her fingers.

“I’ve laid eyes upon you before. Do you have a sister? Brother? Missing muggle relative?”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure with some work he’ll be better about it.” Shamera replied.

She’d also noticed when it seemed Nicola recognized her.  Though, it seemed she hadn’t fully recognized her.  Sham had expected that though, considering it wasn’t as though they’d necessarily been friends.  Being a few years behind, Shamera never really paid much attention to the older students, except perhaps acquaintances.

“No siblings, nor muggle relatives that I know or care about. It was Hogwarts. I was two years behind you though.  Slytherin house, of course.” Sham gave a bit of a smile. “It’s good to see you out and about. I’m sure it can’t be easy after what you’d been through. I suppose the pet probably helps, though.”

Shamera had long ago decided she would very much not like to go to Azkaban.  It was a horrible place.  Her desire to not go there was good motivation to become better at her hidden job. And for her practicing and mastering memory spells. How Nicola had survived her stint in Azkaban it was a bit inspiring.  Whether she had really been guilty or not didn’t seem to matter to Sham, but the fact that she’d been able to get out, and try starting a new life.