This whole speed dating event had been a spur of the moment decision.  Jacoba had already planned to be in Hogsmeade that weekend to visit with her brother on Saturday and the fundraiser speed dating notices in Diagon Alley had caught her attention.  It had been a decision mostly fueled by curiosity and that same intrigue that made opening fortune cookies exciting.  When you cracked open that cookie, you never knew if the contents would be optimistic, spell your doom or be little more than a useless, barely intelligible proverb.   

Even as she'd signed up for the event, Jacoba could remember the words of caution from the blind date event back at the Holiday Gala.  There was some risk inherent in the likes of her being matched with a random member of the wizarding community.  But, this seemed a less risky venture than a blind date.  It was completely public and they'd likely be talking with someone new long before Jacoba could get herself in too much trouble. 

And, she still believed that the more people she met on an individual basis, the more potential allies she'd gain. 

Luckily, the animated cupid escorted someone who was quite familiar to her table.  Jacoba smiled up as Edwin joined her.  "This is a pleasant surprise.  You signed up for the Russian Roulette V-Day style as well, I see?"  Belatedly, it occurred to Jacoba she wasn't sure if that analogy would translate over.  If it didn't, explaining it would make for some rather unusual speed dating conversation. 

"Jacoba!" Edwin greeted with surprise. This didn't seem to very random now that the two of them had attended the Yule Ball together, but never mind. After last weekend[1], he just wanted things to be simple.

Politely, he stood and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, and then another, because she was continental and all, and he couldn't help himself. Jacoba was a pretty woman, and they had got to know each other more and more since they first crossed paths on Halloween. Edwin didn't miss the vampire teeth.

"We must stop meeting like this, or people will going to think today is a fix." He smiled kindly, "Halloween, Christmas..." They'd even run into each other at New Year at St Mungo's, which had been Edwin's birthday, but he couldn't remember too clearly about the goings on. Most recently they'd been in touch about Jacoba having a role with Level 3, just to be sure they weren't making any ridiculous mistakes with the Muggles and so on.

"Looking lovely as ever. You poor thing, getting stuck with me yet again." He surveyed the other tables for a moment. "Then again, the crop this year is a little lacking."

They took their seats and Edwin smiled.
"Yes, for my sins, I was signed up a little while ago on a whim. Felt a bit rotten to decline nearer the date. It's been a bit of a week. How about you? Were you trying to find yourself a dashing young wizard?"

1.

7th Feb

"We must stop meeting like this, or people will going to think today is a fix."

"No one can fault me for capitalizing on my advantage."  After returning the man's quite cordial greeting. Jacoba settled herself in her seat.  Though she spoke with a well-crafted seriousness that she'd perfected over years of lying, the subtle grin crinkling the corner of her eyes betrayed her.  "No one around here ever thinks to look for more mundane methods of tampering." 

The young woman blushed, slightly, at Edwin's compliment and followed the older man's gaze around the room.  "I hardly consider myself poor.  Though, I have no idea what the usual crop is like.  I'd had no need to attend last year.  It seems quite a silly thing but silly is often fun."  Jacoba turned her attention back to Edwin. 

"Were you trying to find yourself a dashing young wizard?"

Jacoba's grin faltered, ever so slightly and she chanced another quick glance around the little coffee shop.  Had she been looking?  She wasn't certain of the answer herself.  Perhaps, she'd come hoping the answer to that question would present itself to her.  "I'm not entirely sure.  If I wanted, I probably wouldn't have ... don't need to be here."  It still wasn't too late to change course, after all.  "I could be spending the day with someone, if I chose."  Jacoba scoffed at herself and shook her head.  "Which, I'm sure, ranks high on the list of 'what not to say while speed dating'." 

"So, my best friend once told me, there are two important date analysis questions," Jacoba quickly tossed out in a hasty attempt to steer the conversation in a direction that was bound to less objectionable to a speed dating partner.  "What response do you usually secretly wish the magic eight ball will give you and what's your biggest pet peeve on a date?" 

"Eesh," Edwin replied, and winced as Jacoba mentioned she didn't need to be there, "Yes that was a good stab in the back there, Schlagenweit." But he took it with good humour, and Jacoba redirected the conversation anyhow.

"I haven't used one of those in years," Edwin admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he tried to remember what sort of thing those balls did tend to spit out.

"If I wanted a more accurate answer I'd have someone divine, but well, I'd hope it would at least give me an accurate answer, secretly." He was wisely picking around the real question that preyed on his mind at regular intervals about his future. It wasn't right to admit that to a new member of his Department.

"As for a biggest pet peeve, well, the silent date. If she won't speak, or answers in three words, it makes life awfully difficult." Edwin admitted, completely truthful.

"What did you want to be when you grew up, Jacoba? I can guess that you're not necessarily doing it, and if you could choose anyone to be sat opposite, what would he or she be like?" Edwin gave a shrug, "I might as well narrow the playing field down and find a few excuses for wizards of that description to come and visit your desk when you're in the office, hmm?"

Jacoba grimaced apologetically at the man across the table before shrugging her shoulders.  She honestly didn't know where things would go with Isaac, if anywhere.  She knew she was lucky to have a man like that express interest in her but the unease still outweighed the excitement.  She cared about him but she was still gun shy of being that deeply involved with anyone. 

Especially when she was still getting her own footing in the wizarding world

Leave it to a wizard to find a serious approach to contemplating magic 8 balls.  Jacoba chuckled and nodded her head.  "Does that mean your more of a fate man?  The outcome is determined, it's just a question of whether the 8 ball announces it correctly?"  Jacoba wasn't sure of the answer herself but, for better or worse, she did seem to be crossing Edwin's path on a regular basis.   

The young woman shook her head candidly, confirming what she was doing now was leagues from where she'd ever expected or hoped to be.  As to what she expected?  Jacoba shrugged, slightly, sipping at her tea.  "I suppose as a kid, I remember wanting to be a rock star.  Rebellious.  Edgy.  Loud."  Everything her parents disapproved of.  And, fun. 

"I suppose, more than anything someone who's adventurous and confident.  Who doesn't feel the need to play the hero.  And ... stable?  Reliable.  It would be a nice change." 

Edwin smiled broadly and nodded warmly at her explanation of being a rock star. It was becoming common for young people to want to be celebrities for a profession, though at least rock musicians had a higher likelihood of being composers of their own material.

"Adventurous, confident yet reliable and stable. Hmm..." He pondered, eyes raising to the ceiling of the tea shop which was adorned in all manner of romantic-themed decoration.

"So we're not looking at a desk job staple, but perhaps something exotic like a dragon tamer perhaps? I'll find some good reasons to send you down to Beast Division, never know, you might hit it off with Balfour or some of the rugged young men down there. But they do tend to get scars and lose limbs as a hazard of the job. Aurors are often arrogant, would that bother you? They're 'adventurous' though bloody-minded. They're rather romanticised though, clever adventurous people would become obliviators," he gestured to himself and winked, a former obliviator himself, "but there's always a seed of self doubt if you forget something, that it wasn't on purpose, you know?"

He sat back and shrugged,
"There's always the unspeakables. They're rather a lucky dip. Tends to be if we get mixed up with them, the paperwork is a nightmare, and has a habit of disappearing. Hmm... Sorry, I shouldn't talk shop, it's a terrible habit." Edwin cringed and looked around them, rather feeling he was wasting Jacoba's time, especially since they saw more of each other as days went on due to her new role.

"Well, don't feel you need to be polite and waste your time talking to me, my dear, there's bound to be a wizard amongst them here who has met a disastrous date and has been willing you to speak to him instead," he gestured out across the room, and then patted his jacket, "of course, if one of them takes your fancy, they might 'accidentally' forget their date..." he winked - entirely and not seriously about to do that. For one, Schlagenweit would lynch him.... physically.


End