Johann and Balfour’s wedding was just a week and a half away[1], and Omari had still not found a suitable wedding gift. Being friends with Johann for as long as they had been didn’t make things easier—it was actually the opposite. It had to be perfect, encapsulating both their friendship and humour into whatever he got. It had to be special, and mean something.

Whatever that meant.

To be honest, he had completely forgotten about getting a gift until his mother reminded him a week ago. Since he had scrambled for any free time he could get to find a gift suitable as a wedding gift. He had been to Flourish & Blotts, but realised that a book was kind of boring. He had swung by Eeylops, but decided that it would be a gift that would require constant care. He had even gone to Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, but quickly walked out as even though he wanted something humorous, that was probably a bit too childish.

So today he had ducked out of work early, and headed down to a store someone at work had recommended him. He had never heard of the Yelling Compass, even though it was located in Diagon Alley, and he was really hoping that he would find whatever he was looking for there. Time was running out.

The doorbell rang lightly as he entered, and the quiet store instantly put Omari at ease. Without any other customers there he felt like he would be able to take his time, and not get rushed by the common hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley. To one side he saw bookcases filled with books (which he instantly dismissed), and to the other a mix of what seemed to be anything and everything a wizard could think of.

Omari felt hopeful.

1.	Happily Ever...?

Liam was just putting the last dish away into his cabinet in his flat when he heard the bell from his store signaling that someone had entered.  He was getting used to being alone almost all day, no one really came into his shop anymore, other than the die hard book readers.  He grabbed a dish towel and walked down the stairs into his shop, wiping his hands off as he came downstairs.

"Hello." he said, noticing someone was in his shop, but not recognizing who it was.  "May I help you?" he smiled.  Then he realized that he hadn't changed his shirt after washing his dishes from lunch.  His t-shirt was soaked in the front. 

He moved to the desk in the middle of the bookstore side of his shop and tossed the dish towel under the desk and leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the desk and pulling at the wet part of his shirt and frowning.

A rather dashing wizard appeared from somewhere deeper in the shop, and plumped down behind the desk. Omari seemed to have caught him in the middle of something, as his t-shirt was completely drenched in the front. Omari didn’t recognise the man, even though, by his head calculations, he seemed to be around Omari’s age. And if he made a habit of working with a wet t-shirt clinging to his chest, Omari wasn’t sure why he had never been in here before.

With a broad smile on his lips matching that of the shop owner’s he walked up to the desk, and stretched out his hand.

“Good day,” he said. “Omari Warrington. And I think you might. I’m lookin’ fer a wedding gift, but I have no clue where ter start.”

Liam shook the wizard's hand with a crooked grin as he stood up to properly greet the man. "Wedding gift you say." Liam thought for a minute while dropping the hand he was shaking.  "Anything in particular you had in mind?"

He stepped out from behind his desk and led the way over to the side of his shop that had all kinds of things.  "I have all kinds of unusual things over here." He slipped his wand out of his back pocket and dried his shirt off with a quick spell and then put it back in his pocket.

The wizard had a nonchalant air about him that Omari found intriguing. It was apparent that he owned the place, and that this was his domain, his place to do whatever he wanted to. There was definitely more to him, and Omari wanted to find it all out.

“That’s the problem,” Omari said, scratching his neck. “I’ve known them fer years, which somehow makes it even harder.”

He gave the store a quick glance, but realised instantly that it was too much to take in. With the amount of things on display he had no idea where to start.

“They both work fer the Ministry,” Omari continued. “One’s a linguistic fer the International Department, the other is the Head fer the Creatures Department. Not sure if that’s anything to go on.”