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Outfit

What was an appropriate gift for an estranged husband?  Standing in the middle of an aisle of Flourish and Blotts, staring at a shelf of books all related to the art of wand crafting she wondered if perhaps something else might be a better choice.  Poetry seemed too personal given their current situation.  She had considered new tools for his work, clothing, a cat…but nothing had seemed quite right.

She had been avoiding the part of Diagon Alley where Wilton had set up his new shop.  Eventually she would have to see him, and they would have to try to work through some things, but for now she was content to ignore the entire situation.  He had complied with her wish to be left alone and she wavered daily as to whether or not she was all right with that fact.  After seven years of waking up every morning with her husband next to her it was still surreal to have not talked to him in over a week.

With a sigh she rounded the corner finding the cookbooks.  She would think about Wilton later.  Vivienne would love a new cookbook to add to her collection.  As a teen she could remember hiding from her parents during breaks at the London home she still shared with Arianna’s uncle, Adam.  There was always cooking and baking.  She had learned from Vivienne as her own mother had relied entirely on the house elves for meals.

Picking up one of the various tomes she flipped to the table of contents scanning the recipes, but not really looking at what was listed there.  She wasn’t in the mood for the holiday season.  In reality she wished to hide away in her office at Hogwarts and pretended there was no one celebrating much of anything.  She didn’t want to smile at endless parties and pretend everything was all right.  Shaking her head she set the book back on the shelf reaching for a different one.

Outfit

Holiday shopping. Candice loved it! Buying presents for people, getting to watch their joy when they opened them- it was just delightful! Candy wished it could be Christmas all year long! But for now, she would content herself with finishing up her shopping and then planning for next year. (And, of course, planning for birthdays.) The book shop was one of the stops on her list- while out, she decided she might treat herself as well, and snag that cook book she had been eyeing for a couple of months.

That particular section was generally rather empty- but she saw a woman picking through the books. And she was standing right in front of the book Candice was in search of. "Excuse me," she said with a smile, reaching for the particular volume and holding it close to her chest. Now that her book was rescued (it was the last copy, and if that lady got it should be devastated) she decided perhaps she might be of some assistance.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" Candice asked. "I cook a lot, and I have some of these... So I might be able to help you if you're not sure what you're looking for?" Even though she didn't work here, it wouldn't hurt to extend a helping hand. Apparently the clerks didn't care to offer any assistance to the woman. "I'm Candice, by the way," she added, holding out a hand.

Looking over as someone said ‘Excuse me,’ and plucked a book from the shelf Arianna returned the smile before looking back down at the book in her hand.  She really had no idea if Vivienne would have any use for the book at all.  She didn’t want to be holiday shopping, but she was attempting to make the best of it.  Everyone was being supportive and being at the school had more then helped.  Although it did add another group of people she should be shopping for to her list.

She glanced up again when the woman offered to help her she managed a genuine smile.  The clerks had spoken to her when she first came in, but the store was busy and she couldn’t blame them for leaving her to her own devices.  She hadn’t exactly asked for help either.  She gave the woman’s hand a quick shake as she opened her mouth to reply.

“Arianna…Anna works too though,” she said.  “I guess I could use a little help…holiday shopping is just a bit overwhelming this year apparently.  It’s the first holiday I’ll be spending back in London with my family in years.  My aunt is a wonderful cook…and hardly a beginner, so I suppose I’m trying to find something she’ll actually have use for.”

The last thing she wanted was for Vivienne to have to pretend like a cookbook was a good idea.  Anna had never been a fan of giving those gifts someone couldn’t really enjoy.  Her inspiration however, was a bit lacking this year it seemed, but with a little luck Candice would be able to point her in the right direction.

Candy nodded as Anna described what she was looking for, then looked down at the book in her hand. Her whole point of coming here had been to get this book- but it was perfect for what this woman was looking for. It was definitely for more advanced cooks. "This one, actually, is perfect for that," Candy told her. It was the holiday season, after all, and the holidays were definitely meant for giving. (Sure, getting gifts was nice, but giving them made you feel so good inside!)

"I cook all the time, too," Candy told her. "It's one of my favorite things to do. This has a lot of excellent recipes in it." The psychiatrist handed the book to Arianna with a smile. "You can tell because everything in it is made from scratch. Cook books that have basic ingredients you can make yourself- like if they use pre-prepared type things, are easier to work with. I'm sure that your aunt would love it. She might even learn a thing or two!" A thing or two that Candy had been hoping to learn, but she could just special order the volume from the clerk some other time. Then she could really focus on her holiday shopping instead.

"It's not easy to shop for some people," Candice commented. "I've got to find a gift for a friend of mine. I haven't a clue what to buy him." What did you buy for someone that was barely your friend at all? Especially one who was pretty grumpy, way older than you, who was interested in everything that you weren't? "More than likely whatever I get him will be something he won't like or won't have any use for." She shrugged a little. "But it really is the thought that counts, isn't it?" Not really. Candice had gotten plenty of gifts she didn't like, and it seemed to lose the luster because of it.

"I still can't believe I'm waiting until almost the last minute to finish shopping for people," Candy commented. "Normally I finish up before the rush happens." Normally she didn't have to buy for people she didn't know well, either. Most of her friends and family she could pick out a gift for with extreme ease. "Have you got a lot of shopping left to do?" Might as well keep up conversation. It wasn't often Candice met people who were nice and wanted to actually be friendly with her.

When Candice passed Anna the book she had been holding, she was certain the surprise read very clearly on her face.  Most people wouldn’t have offered to help to begin with let alone handed over a book they were clearly intending to buy.  It was the holiday season, but it wasn’t often people actually practice the act of truly giving.  A smile formed on her lips as she took the book and said, “Thanks…It sounds like it will be perfect.  I really do appreciate it.”

She nodded a bit in agreement at the difficulty in shopping for those you don’t really know terribly well.  With the exception of a few people the staff at Hogwarts were all still virtual strangers to her, and that concerned her a bit.  She had hoped to have her shopping done in time for the staff party which had taken place the previous evening, but it simply had not been possible once she took over the planning.  It had certainly been quite a way to throw herself completely into a project during her first week of work.

“It is the thought that counts, but I more then understand your dilemma,” she offered.  “Maybe I could help a bit and return the favor of the book?  Do you have any idea of some things he might like to do…like hobbies?  Or maybe there’s something you’ve noticed that he needs?”

If she was helping Candice figure out a gift for this friend she didn’t have to think about finding something for Wilton.  Perhaps he wouldn’t get her anything and they could simply continue to ignore each other for the next few weeks until the holidays had blown over.  Once that happened she told herself she had to make a decision as to what she was going to do next in terms of their separation.

“I’m really just starting,” she told Candice in regards to her own shopping.  “I work at Hogwarts though and winter break will be starting soon so I’m sure I can get it all done.  December just sort of crept up on me this year.”

She smiled. "I'm just glad I was able to help, and I'm positive she will like it." Just like Candice would have liked it. But the genuine smile from Anna made it worth it. When someone was grateful for the little things, it made Candy more inclined to keep doing them and feel less selfish about the entire matter at hand.

Then she offered to give her some advice about her own shopping problem. "Hobbies?" she asked, tapping her chin. "I know that he likes to brew potions in his spare time... And terrorize his underlings at work. He keeps them in line, he's pretty strict about things. Admittedly, I don't know very much about Dante's private life. We work together," she explained. "He offered to help me with my potions and I accidentally blew up his office." Candice cringed at the thought. She still felt horrible for that. And the way he had yelled at her was just awful. "Since then we've sort of become friends, I guess?" Could she really consider Dante a friend? He wasn't just an acquaintance.

"I've noticed that he definitely needs to smile once in a while. Poor man lives off of take out from the Leaky Cauldron of all places. I sent him a couple of good meals in the last month or so... The idea of anyone living off of that makes me sad. That's just not what good food is. Then again, I don't imagine that it's easy to make the poor man smile. I've yet to see him crack a genuine smile. I guess that's why it's so hard, really, because I don't know anything about him! He doesn't talk very much. All I know is that he brews potions in spare time, that he works for the level nine, and apparently he must be very chivalrous..."

Candy trailed off, leaning a bit closer to the woman, giving her a soft smile. "I heard that he actually said something to one of the aurors at the ministry because he said something inappropriate to me. It was very surprising to learn. So I guess that we are becoming friends if he would do something like that." Candy hadn't actually talked to Dante about that, either. It wasn't exactly easy to say "thank you for putting that douchebag of an auror in his place for me". Especially if she didn't want to make him feel awkward or embarrassed. Candice was good at doing that to people, it seemed.

"So I guess I'm just totally lost. I mean- we aren't romantically involved or anything. So I just don't know what kind of gift says that I appreciate his friendship, without making him feel like I expect more?" Candy shrugged. "I feel ridiculous. Listen to me babble about all of this stuff I have no clue about!" she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I guess sometimes I just keep blabbing without realizing that I'm talking in circles or making no sense."

Brewing potions and terrorizing underlings…neither sounded like real hobbies to Anna nor did they sound like charming traits.  When the name Dante left the other woman’s lips though she had to fight to keep the surprise from reading too clearly on her features.  She had gone to school with a Dante, at least that was the name he chose to go by as apparently he found his middle name more appealing, and he was the most arrogant, stuck up, pigheaded, rude buffoon she had ever encountered in her life.  Friends and Dante Ward were not two things she ever thought went together.

On an intellectual level she knew that there was another side to Ward, but she had never really believed it possible.  He had terrorized her and her friend Marian throughout the time they were all at school together, and they had always been more the willing to attempt to best him every time he attempted a prank.  It had created quite a bit of tension, most of it unnecessary, between the older former Gryffindor and her friend Isaac who had always felt the need to defend the two girls.  Somehow Marian had managed to find some common ground with the overgrown porlock and she had never understood that.  Apparently Candice had seen something in him as well.

She recovered from her surprise by the time Candice assured her she was not romantically involved with Ward.  For a moment she was torn.  Candice had helped her and she wanted to return the favor, but Ward was a touchy subject in her book.  There was too much bad blood, and a decade of letting on horrible argument after the war had ended fester.  They had all said things they weren’t proud of, but she doubted she would ever forget the look on Isaac’s face when Ward implied that he had somehow been partially to blame for Marian’s murder.

“No, its fine,” she said when Candice had finished.  “I do that too sometimes…talking in circles.  Especially when I’m trying to figure something out.  My…husband always said I could probably spend a solid hour talking around the same subject.  But, if this Dante is by any chance Dante Ward, most of it made perfect sense.  We’re…” she hesitated for a moment and then continued with, “old schoolmates.  Sounds like he hasn’t mellowed a bit since the last time I saw him.”

Thinking for a moment she went on, “He was never terribly materialistic from what I recall.  As long as he had his wand and brewing supplied he was content to work on a project for as long as it took.  The only hobby I remember him having is Quidditch.  He always seemed to shy away from attachments in school aside from his little sister.  Maybe some new brewing supplies might be a good solution?”

Candice picked up on the way that the other woman hesitated. "Old schoolmates?" she repeated with an arched brow. Candice had a strong inkling they were likely more than that. She wondered idly if they were ex-lovers. The woman was very pretty, and Candy wouldn't put it past a man like Dante Ward to be capable of capturing the attentions of such a beautiful woman. Though there was some small part of disappointment tugging at her gut- if Dante could get beautiful women like her...

Well, no, none of that mattered. She was not romantically interested in Ward or any other man for that matter. Their relationship was strictly platonic and mostly business casual. That was all it was ever going to be- she didn't need a man, and Dante certainly had a woman at home. He was probably married with kids. Guys his age had kids- some even had grandkids. Candy certainly was not interested in Dante Ward- not one smidgen.

"He's awfully picky about his brewing supplies," Candice decided to comment, instead of saying anything about whether or not Anna was his ex girlfriend. "I just know I'd get him something wrong, something he already had, or something he would find completely useless. Besides, I was hoping to find him something more personable?"

"I asked my grandfather for advice- and he said to get him a nice bottle of liquor of some sort. He said any real man enjoys a nice, stout drink now and again. I don't know very much about stout liquors, though. I just usually drink girly things." And for the life of her, Candice could not remember what he had been drinking on Halloween. She didn't remember hardly anything about that night, though. It being her birthday and all, she had been properly wasted.

"The man needs to smile once in a while," she continued. "Maybe something that would lighten his mood?" But what on earth would lighten his moods? She did not know him well enough to past judgment on what would or would not make him smile or cheer him up. It could be anything- it could be nothing at all. Candy didn't know. "Do you have any idea what kinds of things would help to cheer him up? I figure he's just a lonely old codger," she added with a giggle. "Just needs some company." She shrugged. "I'm probably trying too hard. I should stick with something simple."

Anna nodded as Candy talked a bit about gift choices.  Ward was one of those men who had to have everything just perfect for his projects.  The man had always been a list keeper, the sort to double a triple check those lists, and was the very picture of anal-retentive.  She often wondered if perhaps his real problem was the fact that he seemed a bit obsessive compulsive at times.  Honestly the name had need to lighten up for most of the last twenty years that she had known him in some way.

"Do you have any idea what kinds of things would help to cheer him up? I figure he's just a lonely old codger.”

She laughed a bit at that, she couldn’t help it.  It seemed Candice had managed to correctly peg Dante Ward, even if Anna wasn’t sure why the other woman seemed to like the old grump.  Candice did have a point though, and Anna grew a little more serious at that thought.  She wondered if the other woman knew his whole story, but it wasn’t her place to ask or say anything.  As much as she disliked Ward she wasn’t about to completely reveal all of his secrets.

“Well…if you think he could use some company maybe a pet?” she offered and then a smirk formed on her lips.  It would be good for Ward to lighten up a bit, and maybe now after all these years a little company would finally soften him a bit.  “What about man’s best friend?  I’m told puppies make wonderful pets for lonely old codgers.  It might do him some good…remind him there’s a life outside of work.”

Candice had suggested company, and for some reason the thought of Dante Ward with a puppy was rather amusing.  She didn’t want to put the other woman who seemed perfectly nice to have to bare the brunt of Ward’s temper, but it was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up.  It reminded her a bit of the mischief from the old days.

A puppy? Give Dante Ward a puppy as a present? That idea was... BRILILANT! Candice beamed. "That's a wonderful idea! And really, how can you say no to a cute little puppy face? I've read that studies show people who have pets lead happier, more fulfilled lives. And he really doesn't seem a cat person..." She grinned, picturing Dante holding a cute little puppy and cuddling it. (Little did Candice know that image was far from the appropriate one to have when picturing Dante with a puppy. It was more likely he would punt it than cuddle it- but she could pretend.)

"But does he really have the time for a puppy?" Candice mused. "I mean, he is a department head and stays late at the office all the time working on his little pet projects... It wouldn't really be fair to the puppy to give it to someone who wouldn't spend enough time with it. Though, if it did help relieve some stress and make the old man smile once in a while, then perhaps he would make the time for it. I'm certain Dante has a big heart underneath all of that gruffness- I've seen glimpses of it now and again..." But what if he wouldn't keep the puppy? Getting a pet was a big decision, and there was always the off chance that if Candice bought him a dog and he didn't want it that he would give it back to her. (Not that she would mind, she'd been wanting a dog but her trip to the shelters with Declan hadn't proved to be successful.)

She could always send it to him anonymously. Just have it owled to his home with a collar and papers without attaching her name to it. Surely Dante Ward had plenty of friends who would send him a puppy. Maybe he would think it was one of his underlings... "I could attach a bottle of firewhiskey round its neck," Candice added. "I'm sure after the initial shock of having a little furry thing in his flat wears off he'd want a stiff drink..." Yes, it was a perfect plan.

"Are you sure he wouldn't mind?" Candy asked Anna. "I mean, I still don't know him all that well- I don't want to do anything to make him mad... But if you've known him since school, I suppose you'd know him much better than I. All I really know about him is that he likes potions, everyone at the ministry thinks he's an old grump, and I've learned that his bark is most definitely worse than his bite. Between you and I," Candice told her quietly, "I think he's a big teddy bear deep down- he just hasn't found the right person to drag it out of him yet."

And yes, Candice did think she might be the person to help him lighten up a bit. It was now her personal mission to make Dante's life a little less miserable each day- he had been so nice to her, that she knew he deserved it. But naturally this stemmed from a gentle heart that cared for everyone- not out of some crazy, cosmic, romantic notions. No, Candice Stevenson did not have those. (Even if every trashy romance novel she read made her think that one day some sexy highlander would sweep her off of her feet and make her his bride.)

Anna had to fight not to giggle a bit at the mental image.  She was certainly setting herself up for a fresh round of mischief where Ward was concerned, but she found she somehow didn’t particularly care.  It would serve him right for being a complete bastard ten years ago, and it was really a rather harmless joke.  A puppy probably would be good for him, whether he wanted to accept that or not.  Of course at first he’d likely nearly give himself an aneurysm trying to figure out why someone might send him something cute and cuddly.

“Dante is the type of man who every now and again needs something that reminds him he can’t be about work every moment of every day,” she said.  “It’s simply not a healthy way to live.  Trust me, he’s the sort who needs a reminder ever once in a while that there’s a great big world beyond the Ministry and locking himself up in his office isn’t the way to go about experiencing life.”

When the other woman referred to Ward as a ‘teddy bear’ Anna had to figure to keep her face neutral.  Her friend Marian had said something similar.  Anna had thought her crazy all those years ago when she went on and on about how he was so completely different once one got past all the prickles.  She simply would never want to be close enough to him for any period of time to try to start processing what that meant exactly.  Ward was not a teddy bear.  He was more like a cynical, sarcastic, insensitive grizzly who someone had made the mistake of pulling out of hibernation.

“I think you can’t go wrong,” she said.  She opened her mouth to continue about to add that something fluffy and cute would be even better as he wouldn’t be able to resist, but she couldn’t be that mean to Candice or the possible puppy in question.  Instead she added, “I would consider a more masculine type dog though.  He’s never been much for those cutesy little lap dogs.  Maybe something like a lab or a bull terrier might work well.”

It sounded as though Arianna was speaking from experience as she was describing the way that Dante lived his life. A spurned lover perhaps? Maybe work had taken over and she had been pushed to the side? Oh! Really, Candice was just dying to know what this woman's past with Dante was. Not out of jealousy (exactly) but more so out of pure curiosity. Who could know such a mysterious, lonely man so well? "That sounds very true," Candice decided to comment instead. "I've tried to do little things to brighten up his days in his office. I'm sure it's not as fascinating a job as he makes it out to be."

"Oh, yes, naturally not a prissy little thing. I really cannot imagine Dante Ward walking a Papillion or a pomeranian down the street. It would offend his masculinity, don't you think?" It was also hilarious to think about him walking a little puff ball down the street. Candice knew a lot of older men liked cute little dogs. Her grandfather liked fluffy things, and a lot of others she knew through him did too. She had seen men Dante's age cuddling them like babies and talking to them like they were children. Still, Dante didn't seem that sort. But she didn't particularly know him that well either, did she?

A bull terrier sounded perfect, but they could be pricey. "I'll have to go to the shelter and look before I buy anything from a breeder," Candice confessed. "I just hate the idea of buying a dog that has a guaranteed home as opposed to ones that have only a few days left to live. I'm sure they'll have some sort of proper puppy for him! Last time I went to the shelter there were lots of dogs that looked Dante-ish. I had gone with the intention of finding one for myself, but never did find one that seemed to be the right fit."

"And you're certain he won't get too angry?" Candy prompted. "I'm sure at first he'll resent the idea- but I think that he'd be okay with it after he got used to it. Don't you?" Candice certainly hoped so. The idea seemed so perfect she wasn't certain that she could come up with any other idea if she tried. "I suppose I'd have to owl it to him. If I handed him a puppy he'd hand it right back, no doubt. I guess I'll have to do some investigating one day and figure out when he's going to be home so that I can get it to him at the right time."

The mental image was simply too amusing and she giggled a little at the thought of Dante walking a Pomeranian.  The only thing that would make it more amusing would be to give it an incredibly obnoxious name like Mr. Puddles.  However, the last thing she wanted was an incredibly angry Ward showing up on her doorstep on Christmas to give her an earful when it got back to him that she had some hand in all of this.

“There is something even more special about giving a shelter dog a home,” Anna said in agreement.  “I think it would add to the whole spreading of good will and cheer as well given it is the holidays…the poor little thing would have an actual home for Christmas.  Who could refuse such a good deed?”

She wasn’t entirely sure what the outcome of this whole thing would be.  Certainly Dante would pitch a fit, but honestly the man needed to lighten up a bit.  It would certainly upset his delicate balance of being a complete work-a-holic.  There were times she was quite convinced he was completely obsessive compulsive.  Back in Hogwarts he always had lists, everything had to be just perfect…he was worse then any of her fellow Ravenclaws in that respect.

“I think once he sees it’s a good thing he’ll be fine,” she said.  “And I would think having it delivered as late in the day as possible would be your best option.  I’m sure he still works late hours…I can’t see him as having changed all that much in the last decade.  Once his initial temper tantrum fizzles out a bit, he’ll be fine.  Really…I think you’ve discovered exactly what he needs.  If only all men were that easy to shop for.”