Mid-day

Outfit

Everyone needed a little "me" time now and again. Students, Ministry officials, up-and-coming mob bosses. Everyone. And today was Meredith's time. Midweek was always slow for the food industry, and a lot of Meredith's other 'side industries'.

Trusting her managers to handle everything, Meredith had left her flat not in her usual skirted suits, but a legitimate purple and black dress (with a full skirt even).  And yes she was still wearing a blazer, heels and her cleaver earrings, but the first two were more casual than normal and the last one was...well, Meredith. Same with the painted red lips and the locket (although today it was swinging on top of her clothing than concealed beneath it). Her hair was also down today, falling down in careless waves except for a little section held back by a rose clip. If it wasn't for the scar, she might have been near unrecognizable.

But she honestly wasn't looking to be recognized or not today. No today she was looking to see what the latest stock of musical soundtracks looked like. She'd probably pick up one or two jazz records to play at Calaveras while she was at it, and maybe get some scoop on some new up-and-coming band to play at the club. The shop was perfect to help get the right music scene at Calaveras and she was a frequent patron. But again, not while she was here.

She wanted soundtracks, needed them even. They had their own special cabinet in her flat, where she lovingly cataloged and collected them. She hoarded them like dragons hoarded gold. Though she doubted a dragon had ever danced around his home/cave because of one.

It was not uncommon for Meredith to sing and dance to "Sandra Dee" or demonstrate to herself just how well she knew Baby's dance moves. All done in private and in the confines of her own flat with the windows drawn and a silencing charm around the openings to muffle the sound to her neighbors. It wasn't embarrassment- as a schoolgirl Meredith had been a prominent member of the theatre club. It was practicality. A pureblood and quiet WBA supporter should not go around singing Muggle showtunes or dancing to soundtracks. Never mind that Muggles knew how to put on a musical show leaps and bounds ahead of wizards (in her opinion).

Meredith stepped into the brightly coloured shop, a small smile already on her face as she headed straight to the section she was after. Eagerly she began to flip through the albums. A lot of these she already had, but she just liked to look.

Tutshill's coach had caught a wild hare.  Again.  Then again, after James told him his increase in performance was actually due to a change in diet, he guessed he could not blame the guy for trying something unorthodox.  He was entirely unsure how effective this would be.  Then again, magic had a strange way of not making any sense.  For all he knew, listening to Three-Owl-Standard while practicing might increase speed and listening to the Weird Sisters might increase strength.  Though James sincerely doubted that music had much effect on athletic performance.  Still, it had gotten him out of practice surprisingly early, and he might even actually have time to hit the gym once he was done with lunch. 

In the meantime though, he needed to find some piece of music that the other members of the team would probably not be able to procure.  So he needed something wizarding and obscure.  This was difficult, considering that the Wizarding population of the Isles was approximately twenty five thousand or so.  Which meant that there was a large homogeneous mixture, since everyone practically knew everyone else.  In a turn of irony, the onetime James actually wanted to find a salesman (or preferably a cute sales girl) they seem to have flown into the clouds for the time being.  The only other person he saw here was a female in a purple and black dress.  James never really did understand why women obsessed so much over fashion.  His grey robes served him fine, and the opposite sex never seemed to care that he did not read fashion magazines.  Still, she was literally the only one in here at the moment, since apparently the clerk was on break. 

"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt your search, but I need help finding something, and it seems the salesman has flown into the clouds for the time being," James asked her, wondering if it was too rude.  James knew he could be more of a diplomat than that, but could not figure out how a polite way to ask someone for help who obviously did not work here.  At least, not in a short amount of time, and he did have other things he needed to do.

Excuse me

Meredith lifted her head from her searching to face the speaker directly. A hint of a smile tugged at her mouth. How quaint. She was being asked for help like a little shop girl. She supposed her current getup did make her look younger than her standard dress.

The man looked somewhat familiar, though she was having difficulty placing him at the moment. She'd figure it out eventually, she was sure, maybe after she got a name. Whoever he was, she was willing to wager all of today's earnings at Calaveras that play games in her court. He just didn't look the type, for starters. For another, she liked to think she was decently known in that court, if by her face and establishment, for no other reason. Both were distinctive in their own special ways, and Meredith never tried to hide that face. That's why if her hat had a tilt or her hair side part, it was always done in a way that drew attention to, not away from her scared right side. She liked being recognized and fate had made it easier for her.

"I might be able to help you," Meredith said sweetly. She was still amused by the situation and for now willing to play along. "Though it depends on what you're looking for, Mr--?"

She let her voice trail off into a question. She would figure out why he looked familiar, and if he was important enough to add his presence and music preference to her information notebooks. It was all in the details.

James finally got a good look at the young lady.  To his credit, eighteen years of pureblooded backstabbing manners and diplomacy training paid off, and he did not even blink once he viewed her face.  James doubted that he would be trying to take her home on any given evening considering her appearance, but James did not let any of his mental evaluation show on his face.  James had never met this person before in his life, so he automatically answered her question.  He thought he would have remembered somebody who had that scarring. 

"Forrester.  Pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss?" James asked, reverting to his ever-so-polite-and-genteel-manner.  Of course, James could keep up the facade for a long time.  While he did not want to play Mister-proper-pureblood for a prolonged period of time, if it would help him achieve his task quicker he would not be above doing so.  He wondered how William managed to do it all the time.  Of course, William had always gotten plenty of perks being the first born.  James knew he was mentally digressing, but he still had yet to learn the woman's name.  Regardless, he resolved to continue acting like someone who actually belonged in the Wizengamot for the time being.

As he waited for the woman to reply, he tried to gauge her reaction.  He had the distinct feeling he was being judged, and he could not blame her for it.  After all, it was kind of rude to interrupt someone, but she did not appear busy.  He made a mental note to invite her over for tea…or something depending on how this exchange went. 

Forrester. Forrester. She knew the name. She was certain, she was just having difficulty placing it. Certainly she hadn't ever spoken to the man before- that she would have remembered immdiately, bu there was still something of the name that Meredith knew she had of the man before, likely just in passing. Still, it bugged her. She'd have to go through her notebooks when she went back home.

"Meredith Renfield," she introduced herself pleasently. She had to say she as impressed by his diplomacy. Men who could control their facial expressions so well were well suited for politics, criminal activity or both (they went hnd and hand more often then most people thought). She assumed that he was extercising control over his expression simply because she was used to stares, nervous quick glances or widening eyes. A good scar could surprise even the sweetest, most well-intending of people.

"So then, Mr. Forrester, tell me again what exactly you're looking for?" Meredith asked. She was no shop girl, but she came her often enough she actually might be able to help. And who knows, he might actually have some valuable information to slip out during a chat.

She wasn't worried about sharing her knowledge with the place. Even if it got back to the wrong crowd, Meredith had a solid explanation for being in a shop owned by a Squib and employing a Muggle (Meredith didn't give two figs about the staff choice but of course some of her associates very much did). Though her true personal feelings on Muggles weren't well-known, Meredith made no secret that she had a second Calaveras in and serving Muggle London. Their money was as good as anyone's to take and she could use the excuse of getting muggle perspective of music to pick out new records to play at the Muggle venue. Amazing what sprinkling a little truth on a well-baked charade could do

“Meredith Renfield” As James heard her last name, he relaxed a little. James knew who was who among purebloods in England, largely because they all grew up playing political games together.  Of course, William got far more into it than he did.  Still, he would not be a suitable scion of a pureblooded family if he had to go flopping around politics like a fish out of water.  Or at least, that was what his parent’s thought.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Renfield.  To answer your question, I am looking for something obscure and Wizarding,” James said, keeping his polite tone.  As he finished his thought, James continued to watch the woman.  She seemed polite enough, and he was doing a fair impersonation of Mister Manners himself but he felt as if they were both misleading each other.  It did not matter to James though.  He wondered how she would react to the wizarding comment.  It would be his cue to up or down the Mister-Pureblood Routine.

As he waited for her to reply, James casually asked her, “So are you from around town, or do you live elsewhere?” trying to make sure he was not talking to some pureblooded heiress from another country.  Her manners implied she was either one of those or a diplomat for a foreign ministry.  James figured the question was innocent enough, and did not want to seem like he was fishing for information on her social status.  Still, the conversation was safe enough, and it was not like he was going to meet a revolutionary or mob boss in broad daylight. 

"Obscure and wizarding?" Meredith repeated. She tapped a finger against her lips with a slight frown. "That doesn't narrow it down much. Do you have a specific style you're going for?"

If that was all the criteria he had, she might as well start chucking albums at his head and tell him to listen to whatever he caught. Though 'wizarding' was better than just obscure...and more telling.

"As for 'Wizarding'- there's a pretty decent selection in here, but some of if you don't know exactly what you're looking for, you could easily grab a muggle album by mistake," she said, turning to a rack as she began to flick through more records. "Now groups like the Sugar Quills and Swish and Flick are easy enough to identify, but you get something from..say 'Ana and the World-Jumpers' and it could really go either way.

"They are a wizard group," she added, "And got a good folksy, earthy sound. Sadly their album covers don't say anything about their bloodline, though."

She was curious if the question was just because he was only familiar with wizarding music, or only wanted to listen to it. She was going to guess the latter, but confirmation was always welcome.

Meredith herself was pretty good at distinguishing  Muggle from Wizard music. She didn't get it everytime, but she listened to both enough that she knew what she was looking for when she stepped into a shop like this. Of course, if this Forrester was a purist, she wasn't about to tell him that.

She smiled at his next question. How cute. He didn't seem to have a clue who she was. She wasn't arrogant to think that all of wizarding London, much less the wizarding world, knew her name. She was just used to most of her interactions with people being amoung those she knew or those who had deliberately sought her out. "Been a London girl since I graduated Hogwarts," Meredith said. "I own a couple of business in Diagon myself- Spellpunk and Calaveras."

As Meredith explained various bands and artists, James was happy that he had found the right person.  Even though he had little care to discuss earthy versus airy music, he could at least hope that none of the other guys chose something that he did.

"As far as style, normally I'd say somewhere between allegro and pesto on the tempo and simple melodies.  Of course, the problem is that I am not shopping for myself, and ten other people are getting something similar.  It is a long story, but the short of it is that ten of us need to independently come up with ten different wizarding albums that none of us have heard before.  I'd discuss it with you here, but I am not sure I have time to adequately describe the situation.  That, and it is not that humorous of a tale anyways," James thought aloud.

As he listened to Meredith reply to inform him that she was a business woman, James let a brief look of surprise cross his face.  Of all the positions she could have had, running a business was about the last position he would have thought she had.  She had entirely too much tact and diplomacy.  Of course, Liadan was the same way but James knew Liadan far better than the woman across from him.  He also knew that Liadan did plan on eventually marrying and having children, and was not sure if this woman had those same ambitions or not. 

"Ah.  I've been in Wales most of my adult life, but I do tend to run a lot of errands in the Alleys," James said, politely glossing over the fact that he had no clue what those institutions were.  Figuring that he needed to keep something resembling a conversation going, he asked her, "How is buisness going?" figuring it would be a polite topic, and if nothing else he might be able to learn what she did. 

Meredith nodded when he described what music he was looking for. While not a musician herself, she was familiar enough with the terminology to know what the man was  on about. That helped tremendously.

"Ten people to each find ten obscure pieces of music?" Meredith repeated incredulously. "And it's not a funny story? That's a little depressing- if your getting homework assignments, it should at least be a funny story."

That or part of some get-rich-quick-scheme, though given the description, Meredith seriously doubted that.

That would be 100 albums total, wouldn't it? It seemed...excessive to Meredith, which of course only lead her to be curious about the story, even if Forrester said it wasn't worth telling. Meredith liked to be the judge of that.

But, luckily for Forrester, a few groups sprung to Meredith's mind almost immediately. She started picking through the rack, pulling out a couple albums and laying them  on top of a nearby stack.

"I can't vouch for the entire album," she said. "But I've heard them play live and they fit your requirements. Small time, both of them, and not widely known."

Ah, a Welshmen. Well that explained quite a bit. Sometimes it was easy to forget that a world existed outside of London. Also easy to forget to care there was a world outside of London.

"Very well, thank you," Meredith said with a smile when he asked about her business. Her establishments were the equivalent of her babies and she was just one gushing story away from having a picture of them in her purse. "Spellpunk- it's a wizard youth nightclub- is wrapping up its opening week and has gotten a very good response.  Calaveras has been around a few years, but strong as ever. It's a dance hall and restaurant. You should stop by some evening- our chef makes a steak to die for.

"What of yourself?" she asked. "What line of work are you in?"

"Well, one or two songs is better than nothing.  And no it really isn't a funny story - just idiotic.  Still, at least he has stopped trying to get permission to use dragons.  I still fear that one day he will actually succeed, " James commented, not at all aware of her interest.  As she commented on a couple of the albums, James smiled.  It was at least something.

"Well, a couple of songs is better than what I'd know.  I really should know more pop-culture, but unless its related to quidditch I find myself hard pressed to care," James thought aloud.  As Meredith commented on her business, James made a mental note to do the calorie counting on their menu later.  He still did not know what  Cináed put in his pies, and thus far it was still his weight gainer of choice.

"I'll make sure to stop by some time then.  I am always on the lookout for ways to gain weight, and eating cattle does tend to build muscle.  To answer your question though, I play for the Tornadoes," James smiled, always willing to talk about the sport.  As he was mentioning this, he grabbed a couple of the albums Meredith selected and took them underneath his arm.  He also grabbed a couple more she pointed out as well.  'Well, I'm half-done' James thought.

"So what type of music do you listen too?" James asked, figuring she actually came here to procure records, not talk to random passer-bys.  He was also tempted to ask her about how she received that scar, but figured he did not know her well enough to ask.  That, and it probably was not any of his business anyways. 

"Dragons?" Meredith repeated, eyes widening just a tad. "Mr. Forresster, surely you can't think you can just add dragons into a story and not expect questions."

Now she really had to find out who he was and what he did. And if he was actually kidding about the dragon thing. Because well, dragon. Pretty self-explanatory, really.

And then finally, he told her. A professional Quidditch player. Well no wonder his appearance and name were vaguely familiar. That explained a lot. It was impossible not to here professional Quidditch player gossip when one collected gossip for a profit. So although Meredith was only slightly interested in Quidditch (she herself was a Wigtown Wanderers supporter). The Quidditch occupation might lend itself to the dragon issue. Certainly some of the training antics, much like the fans, could be a bit...odd.

"Quidditch player, sounds exciting," Meredith said. "Well, aside from the music homework...please tell me that is what that and 'trying to use a dragon' is from and 'he' is your manager or something?"

She watched him take the offered albums. Well, that should help him along. And give a little more revenue to this shop, which secretly, she was rather fond of (but given the temperament of a lot of her 'colleagues' not something she would ever admit aloud).

"I end up listening to just a little but of everything, really," Meredith said. "Half of it's from figuring out what DJs and bands to book. But on my own time, I'm a more of an old fashioned girl. Old time jazz and music gran listened to. What about you?"

"Ah, yes.  I keep forgetting that people sometimes forget the lengths coaches go to.  Anyways, he wants us to fly amongst a dragon herd for a while.  He thinks if we can dodge a bunch of fire and jaws, bludgers would not be a problem.  Which to a certain extent is true, and even the ministry thinks that's perfectly acceptable.  While I am not going to argue against a professional quidditch being able to outfly a herd of dragons, that argument does make a  major assumption that nothing goes wrong.   The problem the ministry has is that we would be using them in a densely populated area.  Otherwise, he would have already received a permit." James explained.  As he listened to himself,  he wondered if there was someone out to get him. 

As she explained her like of old fashioned jazz, James wondered if she was an American.  It seemed a bit out of place in a town as proper as London, but James was well aware that he had only known the woman for a few moments.

"I really do not listen to much, unfortunately.  The last song I listened to was a waltz, but that was because it was a formal affair.  I usually just listen to whatever is on the wireless if anything," James commented.  He really needed to get off a broom sometime, but he had no plans of doing that until he retired. 

Meredith arched an eyebrow. Yet another shining example to the insanity of professional Quidditch. Oh she liked the sport well enough, although never had the talent or the temperament for it in school. Certainly it had the potential to bring in a lot of money, and not just for the manager and players. But training with dragons Meredith just didn't understand. If she needed something from a dragon, she hired someone else to do it for her because why would she even want to be in a situation where outflying a dragon was necessary? That's what desperate poachers, junkies and thieves were for.

She did however, file away that interesting tidbit about the Ministry and their stance on dragons and Quidditch training. Might come in handy at some later time.

"You'd think that off all the things to worry about where dragons are involved, upsetting the neighbors and a few roof fires wouldn't be the deal breaker," Meredith said with amusement. "Did your coach have his heart set on a particular breed, or just anything gigantic, scaly and fire-breathing?"

Meredith liked dragons. But from a suitable distance. She hadn't taken Care of Magical Creatures in school, preferring a good book and theory over actual messing about with actual creatures. For some reason she just wasn't one of those people that animals liked and she wasn't about too push her luck on a dragon. One large facial scar was a trademark. Two was just excessive.

"I can imagine that you training schedule leaves little personal time,for music or anything else," Meredith said. "To be honest, half of what I listen to is for work. I'm constantly sampling bands and DJ's. Not to mention a lounge singer who can't shop for half of her own sheet music. "

Perks of a socialite talented singer- getting lots of invitations for the shindigs of the rich and powerful. Downside- dealing with a diva. Since Meredith actually loved acquiring sheet music, she let Maxine be a diva about this little thing. Just so long as she did her job.

"I take it you don't dance much outside of formal affairs either?" Meredith asked.

As she commented about dragons upsetting the neighbors, James let out a small laugh.  Then James realized that she had a point.  And that disturbed him a little bit.

"The coach really wanted a Chinese fireball.  I think he would have settled for whatever he could have gotten though," James said, not really thinking about the answer.  She then proceeded to comment on his lack of freetime.  James certainly knew that was true.

"Yes, you are correct on both counts.  Unless I am running errands, I do not get out much and usually I am too tired after practice to dance.  The last time I did was at a New Year's Eve party.  I do not expect to do so again until…Halloween most likely," James confirmed, not really thinking about the answer.  He had enough things to do as it was, and he did not foresee the need to attend various festivals on the solstices and equinoxes.  Though he would undoubtedly would receive a few invitations, James learned that no one really cared about those parties so as long as an RSVP was made with sufficient timing.

"So, do you read music yourself?  That is impressive.  I think my brother and I both did at one point in our lives, but neither he nor myself had aspirations to become a musician so that skill ended up eluding us.  I am also surprised your singer does not shop for her own music.  I think that would be a requirement.  Does she not select music appropriate for the venue, or is it something else?," James asked, wondering why this business woman would hire someone with such an obvious drawback.  James doubted there was a shortage of singers in London.  Since he ever hired any of them, he figured that he should not comment. 

So the coach seemed to not only be after a dragon, but an import a well. Pity it sounded like he was going along with the Ministry regulations- Meredith knew a great smuggler of dragon eggs. Though the training value of the thing might not emerge for a few years. A persuasive incentive to overlook regulation in this instance would likely be better. But not something to suggest to Forrester. She couldn't imagine the man actually wanted to be chased around by a dragon.

"New Years and Halloween?" Meredith said, shaking her head. "Sounds like a labor of love."

Although, the pay cheque and the adoration of fans probably helped morale with such a heavy work schedule. But, that wasn't really her place to ask about, at least not to someone she just met. That could always come later if she found out he needed something that was in her area of expertise. Meredith had a bad habit of treating even the most innocent and upstanding citizens as potential customers.

She nodded at his next question. "I do. I don't play any instruments myself, but I can read sheet music at least." Most of it had come from her school days in the Theatere club. Musicals made sheet music and reading of them kind of necessary. Although Meredith didn't get much of a chance to use her skills (except in the privacy of her own home), it still came in handy when she employed a diva.

"She selects some on her own time," Meredith said with a casual shrug. "But she's not very imaginative so doesn't come up with her own ideas or songs often. But, she's popular with the regulars and has the talent to sing anything I throw at her almost perfectly on the first go with no complaints. And since I adore acquiring music, it makes her major drawback manageable."

Not to mention Meredith's tendency to micromanage and be picky on the little details. Meredith picking out the music herself helped keep everyone happy. 

"You should really stop by sometime," she told Forrester. "See how you find the music and the meat."