Arianna glanced down at the parchment held tightly in her hand, and then back up at the sign above the door.  She was definitely in the right place, though it didn't quite fit the picture that she had formed in her mind. From the outside, the club appeared rather mundane but then, as she knew very well, first appearances could be deceptive.

She slid the letter back into her pocket, took a moment to straighten her robes and hair. Having spent much of her time moving around the south of England over the last few years , she had somehow avoided visiting the local Hogsmeade hotspot, though she could not have missed its reputation. It never ceased to amaze her that someone had attempted, and succeeded, to bring such vitality to the sleepy little Scottish village. Its critics had announced that its time would soon wane and yet, against all the odds, the club still seemed to be thriving.

It had been curiosity that had drawn Arianna to the advert first, though practicality had come a close second. Work in a busy establishment such as this would certainly bring its opportunities.

Finn checked his watch. It was eight minutes until the audition was supposed to take place. Most auditionees would have been here by now, cracking their knuckles and stretching out their fingers ready for the big performance. The lights were on, but dimmed in the bar. The grande white piano sat in the corner of the room, the ivory keys beckoning someone to press them and create a melody.

"Get me a glass of water, would you Charles? I'm parched." Finn called to a man polishing glasses behind the bar without looking at him. His eyes were fixed on the door, waiting for any sign that Arianna Trenford was there. The man looked up and paused his polishing for a moment. "Would you like ice in that, sir?" Finn smacked his lips together, as though tasting the dryness that filled his mouth. "Yes, a few cubes wouldn't go amiss." Finn lounged back in his chair as the barman filled a glass of bottled water and dropped three cubes of ice into the liqid with a plop plop plop.

When the barman brought over the glass to Finn, he handed him a napkin to catch the condensation that was forming rapidly on the outside of the glass, and dripping down the base. Finn checked his watch again. Six minutes. Finn sighed. "Charles, go and check to see if a woman is waiting outside - Arianna Trenford, she's called. She should have a piece of parchment with my signature on - I told her to bring it. I bet she's forgotten it. they always forget the parchment!" He rubbed his temples with his thumb and middle finger as the barman nodded and hurried out of the bar door and down the stairs.

When the barman got to main door, he nodded to the security man to open its various locks. As the door was opened, Charles saw a young woman standing and waiting patiently, checking the piece of parchment she held in her hand. He gave a small smile. "Miss Trenford?" he asked in a quiet, slightly squeaky voice that suggested he wasn't all that comfortable talking to strangers - queer of a barman, but not entirely impossible.

Arianna had only time to raise a hand to the door before sounds of footsteps could be heard within. She took a small step back away from the door as the locks were drawn back, hands folded neatly in front as she waited to be admitted.  Two men stood by the doorway, though only one spoke. He was slightly smaller than she, not usual given her height, though of a bigger build.

"Miss Trenford?"

"Yes, " She replied, offering him the parchment to be checked, as per instructions. Arianna was very good at remembering small details.

"Mr Grosvenor is expecting me. " She informed him, quite unnecessarily. He already seemed to be quite aware of that fact.

The barman scanned down her letter and then nodded, handed back the piece of parchment and beckoned her forward, something she was very glad of. Though it was not quite raining, an early morning mist had left droplets of moisture on her cloak collar that were starting to soak into her skin.

As she stepped inside the building, a small smile crept upon her lips as the decorative interior swum into view. The curved black marble stairs provided exactly the air of elegance that she had expected. The fact that it was housed  in its slightly plain shell seemed to prevent that sticky arena of tackiness that most establishments tried, and often failed, to avoid . Her heeled shoes tapped rhythmically as she made her way to the entrance hall below, one hand sweeping down the banister though she really needed no help to maintain her balance.

Her eyes adjusted to the slightly dimmed light quite quickly, and she spotted a young man of around the appropriate age of the club owner ahead of her. Stepping forwards towards him, she offered a smile.

"Mr Grovesnor?"

She asked, not letting a particularly cold drip of moisture, inconveniently making its way down her neck, distract her.

"Its a pleasure to meet you at last. " She added, reaching out her hand to shake his.

Charles had only been gone a moment when the door to the bar swung open, and the barman held it open for a young woman to make her way into the dimly lit room. Finn felt as though he could relax, now that she was here. People thought auditioning was hard - being the auditioner was just as difficult! Finn felt his shoulders lose some of their stiffness, and moved them round in a circular motion to try and loosen them off even further.

The young woman took a few steps forward and held a hand out politely.

"Its a pleasure to meet you at last. "

Finn took her hand immediately and gave it a gentle squeeze. Under normal circumstances, had a pretty lady held her hand out to him, he would have proceeded to kiss it. However, this was business, and it would remain so until after the audition - but after that? Lord knows what could happen.

"Likewise, Miss Trenford-" he paused and smiled politely. "It is 'Miss', isn't it?" He asked, as though simply for administrative reasons, although his reason for asking was purely personal. Afterall, he would have been considered an insane wizard, had he not for a fleeting second imagined the possible outcomes of his meeting with this fair-skinned, raven-haired beauty.

Arianna relaxed her grip on his hand, her attention drawn towards the impressive white piano in the corner. A grand piano still, presumably, stood in the corner of the dining room in her childhood home, though there was now no-one left to play it. It was one of the few things that she had been grieved to leave behind, though it would not have been permitted, or indeed practical, to take it with her. Arianna now owned the more practical Talisman, much easier to manoeuvre but, regrettably, with nowhere near the same quality of sound.

"It is 'Miss', isn't it?"

She glanced back over to Finnley Grovesnor, a attractive small smile curving upon her lips. Like the club, its owner's reputation was also well known within the upper level society that she gained much of her information from. Engaged at the piano at some of the more lucrative society balls and dinners, people didnt seem to realise that a high level of concentration was not required for some of the more mundane classical pieces that were so often requested. They gave her ample opportunity to take in much of the conversations playing out around her. 

"Yes it is." She replied lightly, letting her fingers trail along the delicate keys of the instrument as she spoke, a spark of interest lighting up her features, though not actually for the man in front of her. 

She slid her cloak from her shoulders, revealing slim fitting robes of dark blue underneath and tucked her long dark hair behind her ears. From a seemingly impossible small purse, she pulled a large parchment of sheet music "The fall of darkness" scribed on the top in large looped handwriting.

"May I?" She asked him, her impatience to start playing barely masked. 

Finn watched as Arianna gazed across to the piano, letting her fingers relax in his. He let a little air escape from his mouth in a near silent laugh, as a glazed look crossed the woman's face. It was apparent she was reminiscing. She was obviously one of those women - the 'cat ladies' of the musical world. She wasn't interested in her potential manager at all, only in the quality of the ivory and softness of the sound that could come from that piano standing in the corner of the room.

"Yes it is." she said airily, almost wistfully, as she trailed her fingers along the keys of the piano, letting them relax. The top 'D' was repressed slightly, and gave a small ting which echoed softly around the room. Finn could see that Arianna was itching to sit at the piano and play. She removed her cloak, and Finn went forward to take it from her. He was looking around for a member of staff to hang it in the closet for her. There was none to be found - but Finn had suspected as much, since he had told them that he wanted to be left alone with his auditionee. So, he gently laid the coat across a nearby, velvet-covered armchair.

He was about to ask if Arianna would like any more light, since it was particularly dim in the room, and whether a glass of water would be required, when she pulled out a manuscript of music and turned to him, an impatient gleam in her eyes.

"May I?" she asked, trying to hide her lack of patience as best she could - which incidently was not very well. He could see her fingers flexing, ready for that first heady touch of the cold keys. He nodded and held out his hand palm up towards the piano, indicating that it was at her disposal.

Arianna swept her robes underneath her as she sat down on the piano stool. She tapped her wand gently on a few carefully selected keys before storing it away in her pocket, and placing her own fingers into position. A small intake of breath, and then she began to play.

Softy to begin with, then faster, her fingers flying over the notes as she brought the piece to its cresendo and then, softly faded the notes away to silence. Her face was alight but when she turned back to her prospective employer a small, almost uncharacteristically shy, smile crept onto her lips.

It was not that she had no confidence in her ability. She did, but somehow music was different. When she was at the piano, when she was playing, a part of herself was on show. It was invigorating, but also made her feel a little exposed.

That small gesture of vulnerabilty was there for just that moment, before a mask fell back into place but a flicker of fire still lingered in her eyes.

" Do you want to hear anymore?" She asked him, one eyebrow raised in anticipation.

As Arianna began to play at the piano, it was apparent that she was immediately lost in the music. He watched as her eyes flickered closed and her head swayed from side to side with the softened rhythm of the beautiful piece she was caressing with her fingertips.

His eyes narrowed as he was lost deeper into the music. He let himself sink into a chair as all of his muscles relaxed and seemed to stretch out a little - for the first time in a long time, Finn felt as though he was taking a break from everything around him.

As she rounded off the piece with a beautiful diminuendo, she paused for dramatic effect. She turned her head slightly in Finn's direction, and he noticed a coy smile on her lips, almost as though she was shy. It was apparent she had almost laid herself bare in front of him, opened herself out and made herself most vulnerable. Finn couldn't help but smile slightly.

" Do you want to hear anymore?"

"I think I've heard enough." He said, standing up and taking hold of her cloak. He held it out for her, knowing that she would assume she hadn't performed to his satisfaction. He leant closer to her and lowered his voice slightly. "I wouldn't want to spoil tomorrow night's show -" He stopped and gave her a sly look. "That is, if you will accept my offer of the position?" He smiled.

"I think I've heard enough."

Suprise and then irritation flickered briefly over her features before it was hauled back into check. From his reception when she was playing, she would have guessed the job was in the bag but well, If he didn't want her his loss....the job would have been useful, but it wasn't essential. She had other means, she told herself. 

She nodded silently and, calm and collected, took a small step forward. She lifted up a pale hand for her cloak, pausing slightly as he leaned in towards her. 
 
"I wouldn't want to spoil tomorrow night's show .

So, he liked to play games? She stored that piece of information away for use at a later date.

That is, if you will accept my offer of the position?"

She met his sly look head on with an amused smile of her own. A slight pause and then...she answered.

" Yes, I accept. Thank you. " She replied.

"I'm sure I'll enjoy working here." She added, a sparkle in her eye.

His teasing was received in the way it was intended: disappointment, acceptance, then good humour when she realised that he had been stringing her along. She gave a pause as though trying to look like she was making a big decision.

" Yes, I accept. Thank you. "

Finn felt a wave of relief pass over him. He had auditioned several pianists who weren't half as good as the one standing in front of him. He was genuinely glad she had accepted - he would have been most disappointed had she declined his offer.

"I'm sure I'll enjoy working here."

Finn threw his head back as he laughed. "Just wait til you've worked here, eh? You might not want to make such wrash decisions." He gave a wink. "But in all seriousness? I hope you do. I know we'll enjoy having you." He gestured to the empty room - obviously there were many people who worked at Signature, but they had vacated the bar for the audition.

"Shall we have a celebratory drink?" He asked motioning to the empty bar.

"Just wait til you've worked here, eh? You might not want to make such rash decisions. But in all seriousness? I hope you do. I know we'll enjoy having you."

Arianna smiled,

"Thank you. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

She cast a subtle glance over the nearest clock as he mentioned a drink. ....just gone eleven, she had plenty of time yet.

"Um, sure. Why not." She replied, keeping her cloak over her arm. It might be useful to learn a little more about her employer.

" A hot cup of mallowsweet would be great, thanks. No sugar, but a little lemon if you have some. " She asked, settling herself onto one of the very smart looking bar stools. It moved slowly and silently as she sat, automatically attuning itself to her height until her feet were just resting on the floor.

"Nice touch." She said approvingly, now beginning to notice a little more of her surroundings. She had picked out the bare essentials on her entrance...doorways, valuables, anyone between her and the exit, but now she looked further, and she appreciated what she saw. 

"In fact, the whole club is impressive. " She stated plainly, bringing her eyes back to the man in front of her. He looked very young, in her eyes, to be the owner of such a place. Such an achievement so young showed he had something of interest about him.

"Did you design the layout and decor personally?" She asked curiously.
   

Mallowsweet with no sugar, he reminded himself as he heaved himself up onto the bar. He swung his legs over the bar hatch which was locked, and jumped down at the other side. "I think I will have the same. But I prefer sugar in mine." He stated, looking along the shelves for a jar of sugar and lemon. It didn't take him long to come across both, and within two minutes, there were two frothy drinks in transparent mugs sitting on the bar.

Finn stayed at the bartender side, and pulled up a stool to sit opposite his newest employee. He took a sip of the liquid in his mug and smacked his lips with delight. Mallowsweet tasted particularly good at this time in the morning. He noticed Arianna looking around the room they were in, and realised that this was probably the first time she was taking in her surroundings - the surroundings of where she would now be working.

"Did you design the layout and decor personally?"

"Mmm." Finn nodded his head, while finishing off the mouthful of drink he had just taken. "Yes I did." he set the drink down on the bar and picked up a napkin, wiping some froth from his left forefinger. He was pleased she seemed so impressed by it. "I had a thing with interior design for a while. Actually considered it as a career, but this opportunity came along, and...well, I just couldn't resist it." He smiled. "But I have always liked minimalist decor...nothing fussy. White walls, large windows, lots of lights. Lighting is important, you see, for setting the right mood. If the lighting is wrong, a whole situation could be disasterous."

He paused. "What about you anyway? I'd like to know a little more about you. How did you come to be so accomplished a pianist?"

Arianna sipped light from her mug as she listened to his answer. Interior design and businessman? There definately was more to this wizard than met the eye.

She opened her mouth, about to ask him something else but wasn't quite quick enough. He asked her something about herself, a subject she had been hoping to mostly avoid. Generally if you shower enough interest in someone else's answers, they neglected to ask much in return.

"What about you anyway? I'd like to know a little more about you. How did you come to be so accomplished a pianist?"

"A member of my family taught me to play. Then, when I was about 12 or so, they took me to see Silvia Bennett play. I wanted to play that well, better even if I could." She shrugged gently.

"And well...I'm quite determined when I want to be. I put in many hours of practice, eventually I got to here." She finished, taking another small sip of her drink. It was still very hot. 

"So....did you get your astute business sense from your parents ? " She asked him, with a small smile.