19 May 2012
3pm, Saturday
Twilfit & Tattings, Diagon Alley

Athena Marrowbone and her girlfriend (of the platonic variety) Wilhemina Gunn were out for an afternoon of shopping to be followed by a jaunt for tea. They'd become acquainted naturally, two professional witches in the wide realm of beasts. Wilhemena was the spokeswitch for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and Athena headed up St. Mungo's treatment of creature-related injuries. Athena had patched up plenty of Wilhemena's colleagues, not excluding Athena's current boyfriend Vincent Fournier, who was running the Beasts division these days.

"Bal's so dapper," Wilhemena was saying as she held a shift to her chest to test the color against her skin. "Camera loves him."

Athena flanked the shorter woman, ready with her opinion on the dress.

"I like you in navy," she said. Wilhemna smiled privately, thinking of the navy ensemble her paramour had showed up wearing last month.[1]

"So do I," Wil said, coy with a far away gaze in the mirror. Athena caught it - Wil wasn't subtle.

Athena bit her lip. "Oh, aye? Tell us, who is it this time?"

Wilhemena was a wreck in her dating life, but Athena was no better. They said drama found them, but they chased it.

"No one. Tsk, too plain." Wil set the navy dress aside. She was weak for shine and sparkle.

Athena feigned scandal. "Someone! Someone I know if ye're not telling me. Not Balfour."

"Lord, no!" Wilhemena moved off to look for something else. "I'm not his type, and I'd never - practically married."

Athena sniffed. "Oh, you've done married."

"Have not."

Oh, she had.

"Sol Carstairs."

"You don't know him."

"Fine, don't tell me. Obvious you've gone back to Bill," Athena said heading towards her own racks, baiting her friend who'd never be able to stand being accused of returning to her stuffy, used ex. Wil glared at Athena over her shoulder. After a long pause.

"You don't know him."

The witches continued their shopping, Athena allowing the interrogation to end in favor of worktalk. A young girl werewolf had gone missing last month and found to have run away. The inquiry into werewolf safe house security was well underway and everyone was feeling the scrutiny. At St. Mungo's, vampire bites were up, but deaths due to same had not increased. Athena was dealing with tiny interns.

It wasn't until they were having a coffee down the road at Alohomocha that the topic of Wilhemena's secret lay came up again.

---

5pm, Alohomocha

"Where did you meet him," Athena had asked without preamble, bluntly rolling back in.

Wilhemena turned to look out the window nursing the moment. She sipped her tea and said, "work".

"Then I do know him."

"You don't. He's rarely in. Just on full moons."

Athena was paused a moment. There was nothing strictly wrong about someone in Wil's position dating a werewolf but ...

Wil clocked Athena's expression, inferring its meaning. "Didn't take you to be so judgey. But no, not a werewolf."

Athena thought a moment, trying to assemble the clues her friend couldn't help but provide. Athena knew Wilhemena was just bursting to tell, unable to resist the intrigue, likely fishing for an aghast response. Ever theatrical, this Wilhemena. Athena could rule out the werewolf mentors as they were werewolves themselves, and the Werewolf Capture Unit were always in the building. Their previous conversation then reminded her.

"Safe house," Athena guessed. Wilhemena took a telling sip. The safe house attendants all checked in the Ministry the afternoon of. "Which one?"  Athena had cause to know one or two, but the job was actually very safe.

Wilhemena bit her lip and Athena could see her cheeks had pinked up. 

"How old is he?" Athena prodded when Wilhemena continued to play keep-away with the name.

"Old enough."

"How old is he!" Athena insisted with a scandalized gasp.

"Nineteen."

"Wil! Oh!" Athena's lip curled. "Why?"

"He's cute."

"He's an infant."

"He's not. Don't be crude. Men get to do it, why can't I?" Wilhemena said sitting back, chip lifted. She was getting the exact response she'd been looking for. She liked to imagine Athena was jealous; Athena was too tall for comfort for many men. A nasty thought, but true.

"And we hate them for it. What do you even get out of it?"

"He's adorable. And grateful. He only wants to please me. I get to boss him around. He'll do whatever I ask. I deserve something nice, for once."

"He's a kid. He doesn't know better."

"Really? Really. He doesn't know better? Really?"

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm saying it can't last. You can't expect him to follow you around like a puppy forever."

"I don't. It's just ... fun. I'm allowed a little fun."

Athena knew she'd never convince Wilhemena she was being deeply stupid, but she didn't hide her disapproval. Wilhemena was at times deeply insecure and self-sabotaging. It showed in her choice of relationships, none of them ever on equal footing, never truly good for her. A nasty thought, but true.

"Does he know that?"

Wilhemena shrugged. "Of course he does."

1.	7 Apr 2012 - Sated and Satisfied. Virgil Carstairs had lent Figaro the clothes.