Lexus suddenly got the impression of a runaway. She also wished Hunter had been there and a flicker of grief crossed her features. He was good with kids. So much better than she had ever been. She had no idea what to do in this situation. Despite the fact that the girl in front of her lied (or rather omitted the truth) she wasn't as on edge as she had been a moment ago.

She tried to put the pieces together. The girl was from overseas, judging by the accent. She had gone to a small school Lexus didn't recognize, probably American then. She was looking for rare potion ingredients to impress someone, and was a little too curious about unicorn blood. She had no idea how all these pieces fit together but she was seeing a picture of a young girl that was about to get herself into a lot of trouble if she wasn't more careful.

"Drink your tea." She said simply when the girl asked if she should leave. She watched her for a long moment, "You know I'm a werewolf, don't you?" Her face was near emotionless, "who told you to come to me?"

Nemo watched Dale, trying to look like she wasn't concerned about the thought of her. Nemo didn't like making enemies and she didn't like being underestimated; there was a risk here she'd done both. Her shoulders dropped in relief when she was curtly invited to stick around, at least until her cup was empty.

After a long silence of both of them looking at each other, Dale asked an enticing question.

She wee American bit her lip and shrugged, grinning just a bit.

"Yeah, I do. But it doesn't bother me." Nemo knew plenty of people who wouldn't be cool with it, but that was just ignorance. Werewolves were people living with a horrible curse just doing their best and Nemo was never shy about saying so.

As to who sent her, she rolled her eyes. "You seen that guy around who always wears the silver shoes? He goes by Snoop. I don't like him, but he knows things. I asked him if he had any leads on any potions experts who, uh..."

She cringed with a hopeful lifting of her eyebrows, "... wouldn't ask too many questions..."

Lexus took a moment to consider the young woman in front of her. She was aware that she was a werewolf, claimed it wasn't a problem. Lexus looked for tells, ticks, withdrawals, flinches. She had dealt with all of it. The little subconscious responses when someone was lying. There were plenty of people that claimed they were okay with werewolves so as to appear politically correct, though still wouldn't want to come across her in a darkened alley. Thankfully, Nemo didn't appear to be lying.

Lexus let out a wry laugh, feeling as though a final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. Yes, she knew Snoop. Most of the neighbors knew of him as well, though she doubted any of them had spared him any of their time. She didn't mind the scamp and found his constant hustling almost endearing. He knew a lot more than people gave him credit for. It made a lot of sense that he had been the one to point Nemo in her direction.

She gave her a lopsided grin, "So being a werewolf automatically means I don't mind being shady?" She chuckled a little bit letting the younger woman know she was teasing, "I'm happy to help where I can." She paused for a moment as if thinking of something, "I know a thing or two about being down on your luck."

Nemo smiled as Dale brightened, and her little laugh about Snoop. The little joke about werewolves being shady? Nemo cocked her head as if to say, 'can you blame me'?

But upon the implication that Nemo was down on her luck, the teenage witch frowned darkly.

"I'm exactly where I want to be," she said firmly. She liked her life. She didn't want a fancy job, or to pay bills, or be obliged to anybody. She's worked hard to achieve the freedom she had here in London, and was proud of it.

"I'm a musician." That's who she was, that's what she did. That's all she ever wanted to do - was be a witch and play to her viscera. If people looked down on that, it was there problem.

Nemo's reaction to Dale's kind offer, well, it was probably more defensive than it needed to be. But it had become a tiring theme this last year, that she ought to be striving for something more.

Lexus was silent for a long moment before giving a curt nod over her mug. Taking a long drag from it before speaking again, "Alright." She said simply. If the girl really was where she wanted to be, who was Lexus to say otherwise. The older woman had led a rough life, nothing ever really came easy to her, even before she found out she was a witch, before contracting the Lycantrope curse had turned her life upside down. She had seen others struggle as well and was likely biased about the situation.

She put down her mug with a long sigh and a soft smile, "so what did we decide on to help impress your friend?" They had already gone over unicorn blood and how it wasn't something Lexus just kept lying around nor was she willing to go through the trouble of obtaining some.

There was one thing she could offer, outside of her more foreign ingredients that she had managed to get through customs coming over, something she could only get because of her particular curse but she wasn't entirely sure she could trust Nemo with it.

Nemo eased when Dale didn't push back, and even though they didn't know each other well, it increased Nemo's trust in her. The long pause held something between them, but it wasn't something for Nemo to know.  The young witch's cup was almost empty, so she held it with both hands in her lap. She waited. Silences never bothered her, she was patient and rarely had anywhere to rush off to. Besides, letting a quiet hang gave her time to observe and understand.

Nemo smiled crookedly when Dale brought up their business again. "Yeah, uh..."

She looked around the room. It wasn't as if there were pickled toes suspended in jars on the mantle, or ominous orbs on spindly gold pedestals. Nemo knew this building - she'd be wrecked to surprised if somehow this werewolf had a secret lab full of the good stuff.

"I'll admit it, I dunno. Was thinking I'd try the hag's market." It only appeared during a new moon, and Nemo had never been and didn't know anyone who had. "They'll have to have something, right? Or there's an apothecary in Knockturn. I mean, what do you think?"

Lexus shook her head, "Nah don't bother with the hags. They'll rob you blind and leave you with nothing more than a few worthless dried herbs." It wasn't so much that Lexus thought the Hag's Market was a scam, she simply didn't think they'd do right by Nemo. Likely take her as a Mark and see what they could swindle out of her. She had only been once or twice herself and she had to let those there know about her condition before anyone took her serious.

"The Apothecaries won't be much more help either, even the one in Knockturn. Regular run of the mill stuff and if they have anything better they're not likely to sell it. Or it won't be worth the price."

She picked up her mug again drained the last few dregs before placing it back on the table, "wait here." She instructed before moving deeper into the apartment. She was gone for several minutes, soft sounds drifting out of the back bedroom as she collected a few things. When she returned she was carrying a small box.

She placed in down on the table in front of them. There were a few phials of liquid, some dried ingredients and one small silver lock box which looked like it might contain jewelry. She picked up one of the phials, inside was a sparkling ice blue liquid, "Ice gnome tears. Not as potent as the Lord tears they put in wands but good for a lot of different potions." She touched a satchel of dried leaves, "nothing fancy here but none of these plants grow here so they're a little harder to get." She named several more ingredients that were more local and a little less rare before picking up the lock box with hesitation.

"This is the big one." She looked to Nemo, an air of seriousness about her expression, "this will only open with a very specific spell. No standard unlocking will break through it," she warned, "inside is a pair of werewolf teeth. They can be crushed and used as a very powerful antivenom. Very few will work with them though. It doesn't matter how much you clean them, they still carry the curse and even the smallest scratch will pass it on." She paused for a moment, "once they're crushed and put in a potion, you're safe, but before then." She drew a deep breath, "they can be used as a weapon, you understand?"

Dale arrived with the box and Nemo moved to sit on floor on the other side of the coffee table, very keen to see what she was going to show her.

She kept her tongue when she found herself unimpressed with gnome tears and plant powders, rare rune stones and tinctures. But the silver box. Werewolf teeth? Nemo looked up at Dale's face, equal parts astonished and awed. Nemo listened solemnly, aware that there must be some grim implications of a werewolf having werewolf's teeth in a little silver casket. She was struck with a sense of secrecy, that Dale was taking some risk.

"I understand," she nodded.

"Are those in that box, are they whole?"

"Yes." She added quietly. He paused once again before continuing, "They're mine." She let that sink in for a moment, "Coming over took a great deal of paperwork and getting on the Ministry's safe house list wasn't top priority. My first full moon here . . . Well it wasn't pretty."

She placed the little chest back in the box and sat back a moment. The tiniest of smirks curled her lips before she returned to her more serious expression, "That enough to impress your friend?"

Lexus was fully aware that the only real impressive item she was handing over was the teeth. Everything else may have impressed experienced Potioneers but the scamp in front of her definitely didn't strike her as one. Whoever she was trying to impress may appreciate them more though.

"Strickly speaking I'm not supposed to have these. I don't think they're illegal - I wouldn't be offering them if I did - but as I said they can be powerful weapons and will be treated as such if you're found with them."

"I have an excuse, seeing as they're mine but you may not be as lucky." She looked sternly at the younger girl, "you willing to take that risk?"

Dale said the teeth were her own and Nemo drew back. Her own teeth, rattled out of her during the trauma of a terrible full moon.  It knotted her stomach to think about, but she found herself staring at the peculiar little coffer. Sweet, small, silver, too innocent to be holding what it did.

Her host continued to explain, outlining the risks and emphasizing the gravity of the offer. By the end, Nemo had begun to shake her head.

"No," she blurted. "They're yours. I can't give Draco Malfoy your teeth."

Dale had closed the kit up, but Nemo couldn't help looking at. Her imagination played at what they looked like, what the witch sitting in front of her looked like during the full moon. And how the teeth had gotten into the box. Nemo shook her head again and stood up.

"I'm sorry. It's not you. This is my bad. But I can't take those."

She crossed her arms protectively.

Lexus tried not to smile as the implications of what she was offering sunk in. She was happy to see the hesitation and the way she drew back, preferring to see it as a recognition of danger and not disgust at the reality of being what she was.

She was about to commend the girl on her decision when she name dropped who she was doing all of this for. Lexus let out a bark of laughter and pocketed the small silver chest, "Draco Malfoy? You're doing all this for him?"

She shook her head, the smile finally curling her lips. The young werewolf knew the wealthy recluse as well as one could. Though she didn't know of him or his family from the newspapers or the Second Wizarding War. Lexus happened to work with him. The brooding young pureblood was one of the few talented potioneers that headed up St Mungo's internal Potion Making department.

She drew a deep breath and offered Nemo a softer smile, "Sorry hun but I don't think there's anything I could offer you that would impress him." She didn't dislike the former Slytherin, he was just a hard person to get to know as he mostly kept to himself. Not to mention their job required a lot of concentration and didn't really leave room for much socializing.

Nemo rubbed her face, embarrassed. She hadn't meant to spill the beans about Malfoy, but at least Dale didn't look like she'd blab. It was just the whole point was to be a clever little sneak. So far little success of that.

"Yes," she said with a sigh. "It was my idea. Partly. Doesn't matter. I'll think of something else."

She turned to find her bag, found it and got set up to be on her way. It was late and she'd haunted the werewolf's apartment long enough. After a long day at work, surely she must be weary. As quickly as Nemo's embarassment had come, as intense as her apprehension had come on, she was already thinking of her next move. There wasn't much to regret coming here, after all. She'd made an ally; not a friend so much, but Dale was now someone to her. And perhaps vice-versa.

"Thanks a lot. Really, though. You were surprisingly cool considering."

Considering her little ruse and her strange request. "Find me if you ever need anything?"

Maybe it was a bit bold to offer, but Nemo was bold. Bold enough that she wasn't done looking for unicorn blood.

Lexus rose as Nemo sorted herself and prepared to leave. She walked her to the door, taking a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure the girl hadn't left anything behind, "yes, considering." She said with a smile before opening her door.

"You need anything else, come see me okay?" She didn't want to hear about the girl getting in trouble while trying to get her hands on something again. She'd feel partially responsible. She also felt as though she'd met a kindred spirit. Sure she was trying to impress Draco Malfoy of all people but she had a zest for life and strong sense of self. Lexus could appreciate that. Even if they had met under less than favourable circumstances, Lexus wouldn't be opposed to helping out again.

"Even if it's a place to crash. This is a two bedroom after all."

Nemo smiled genuinely. She loved places to crash. It wasn't difficult to find a place to stay now she'd been in town for awhile, but a change of scenery always made her feel ... real. Like the whole city was for her. Plus, it was usually free. She was a tidy guest of course, and always did dishes.

"Thanks. I'll probably take you up on that. Toodle-oo, Dale."

Nemo donned her hat again, stepped through the door and trotted out into the night.

fin