After considerable consideration, Jacoba[1] had decided to break with pattern.  Usually, Jacoba restricted her time and presence in the wizarding world to her scheduled shifts at Reducto.  There was a universality to music that helped the little record shop the could earn its place as a familiar sanctuary in Diagon Alley.  When her shift ended, though, Jacoba usually made her way quickly back to muggle London. 

Adon was still stationed at Hogwarts.  Sasha had returned to their parents' house and Jacoba had yet to bring herself to go to that place.  During the first couple weeks Adon had been away, Jacoba had stayed with his mother but the need to feel settled - to feel at home - had finally grown stronger than the need for company and she'd returned to Adon's flat.  She'd gotten to know a fair few of the neighbors and, by then, had a definite, clear sense of who she could go to in a pinch. 

But, in returning to the flat, Jacoba had made a conscious decision to return to a wizarding apartment building on her own.  To try to make her way independently in this world - if such a thing was even possible.  She was living on her own and had started finding her way to and from work on her own.  She hadn't lingered out in public but she'd forgone the escort. 

And, she'd been making a conscious effort to ... assimilate.  She was no stranger to cultural immersion - she was familiar with the usual process: learn the language, especially the idioms.  She'd been listening closely to the customers at Reducto - listening to the words they used; they phrasing they chose.  Expose yourself to local culture.  Jacoba had taken to listening to the wireless in the evenings, reading the Daily Prophet every morning and taking notes on what foods her coworkers chose to bring in their lunches.  And, learn the history.  A couple weeks after Auror Raynor's visit to Reducto, Jacoba had borrowed her brother's copy of A History of Magic and had started working her way through it. 

Today, though, she'd decided to go out on a limb and take it a step further.  Only time would tell if that decision would be a mistake.  Jacoba did not make her way dutifully back to the muggle world at the close of her workday.  She'd lingered.  After spending an hour leisurely strolling up and down Diagon Alley, she'd settled into the Leaky Cauldron and ordered some dinner and a firewhiskey. 

She alternated between working her way through Bathilda Bagshot's tome and people watching.  Hogwarts was out for spring break so there were more faces closer to her age than usual.  She could see a figure approaching though, in the low light of the pub, it was impossible to see who it was.  She assumed it'd be obvious fairly quickly whether this plan had been a mistake.

1.

Outfit

Although Marietta knew herself to not belong to the vampire species in her currently embodied flesh, she often flattered herself that certain attributes preordained from the past or the future pointed directly at such a case.  Her pale skin, a Grimlish trait if ever there was one, remained as white as ever despite extensive research out in 'the field' as her colleagues called it.  Having wandered the fields of Romania as a respite from her brief position as Head of the Department of Mysteries, Marietta had returned for her children and the annual break for Spring. 

Her arms were full with another present, this one a bit more exotic than her mementos from afar.  Brightly colored cylinders promising fun, excitement and explosions peeked out from the twin bags--one dangling from each petite arm (as she had promised for the fourteenth time not to levitate her luggage when in the muggle world.)  The Leaky Cauldron loomed before her and with each footstep the bag handles felt a little lighter, hovering just over her skin. 

"G'evening, Tom," she nodded, and with a somewhat awkward flick of her arm, the bags sped from her and onto an empty table.  Evidently not hearing the bartender grumble that his name was not Tom and hadn't been for months, Marietta took what passed for a menu to interpret her stomach's telepathic rumblings into a meal order.  At her own table, Marietta withdrew a slim pamphlet just as brightly colored as her purchases, that read "Your Very First Firework Show" across the middle.  Her eyes skimmed across the diagrams, until her lips pursed in an o of inspiration.  Marietta reached for one of the fireworks from her bag and examined it, wand threateningly close as she mused aloud, "I wonder..."

Jacoba watched the woman approach but turned her attention back to Bagshot's description of goblin rebellions as the woman settled herself at a neighboring table.  Such a strange concept, goblin rebellions.  Jacoba had long since gotten past the feeling of being surprised by the apparent existence of creatures she'd always assumed only existed in fairy tales or Disney movies.  She was beyond that - which freed up her mind to be confused and amused by the meeting of her previously conceived notions about such creatures and the apparent reality described in the text. 

She'd always pictured goblins as being ... well, stupid.  Smelly.  Lurking under bridges to give a set of billy goat triplets grief.  Or, maybe that was a gremlin.  Or a troll.  Before very recently, most of her knowledge of goblins was derived from the Goblin King in Labyrinth.  And, she just couldn't see the potato-faced goblins rising up against David Bowie. 

Mischievous-sounding musing drew Jacoba's attention back towards her neighbor and a smirk settled on the muggle's features.  There were many things about the wizarding world she still didn't fully grasp - the look on the woman's face as she watched the firework she was holding was pretty darn universal. 

"Yes.  I think you'll get kicked out if you set that off in here," Jacoba supplied, making a quick assumption.  "But, I do fully understand the quandary of whether or not such a thing is worth it in the end."  Jacoba closed the textbook and set it down next to her glass of firewhiskey.  She glanced towards the bar, knowing at some point someone was going to be making their way in their direction with her food in hand.  If the woman across from her was planning on trying something, it would be best to do so sooner rather than later.

"Oh" She asked, turning to the voice nearby.  "Well," she replied, her voice dropping to a childish whisper often shared between partners in crime, "It wouldn't be the first time."  Marietta glanced back towards Tom, finding him quick to meet her eye.  As he walked towards her table, setting down a platter, he lowered his voice to chastise her as well, "Don't even think you can call it ministry business, either."  Marietta lowered her wand, gently placing the cylinder on the table and placing her hands within her lap. 

"But I did promise I'd be good," she added.  She always had to remind herself that the Grimlish household was deemed unusual among the public.  While her father certainly wouldn't think anything of enchanting objects and manipulating tempers, and certainly did so at the dinner table along with everywhere else, Marietta was no longer within his household.  She wouldn't have cared about the pub if it hadn't been for her children.  It was difficult for them to go places with their friends when their mother had a black x across her face in every establishment, particularly as sometimes the ban extended to them as well. 

"Have you...before?," she nodded to the cylinder and the bag, curious if the woman knew more about the objects than she did.  Often she faced a disconnect, marveling at some creations that others thought of as every day.   Sometimes it brought a new perspective to her plans, but often it just made her realize how little wizards appreciated magic.  The primary colors bearing multiple exclamations, however, seemed to excite even muggles.  Surely it heralded something wizard-like that even they could appreciate.  If not, well, Marietta might just have her own fun with it. 

Jacoba chuckled as her meal was set on the table in front of her.  If the bag of fireworks and mischievous expression on the woman's face was anything to go off of, Jacoba may have very well found a kindred spirit.  Assuming the woman wasn't one of those anti-muggle purebloods.  In which case, if and when the woman found out, Jacoba would just ... improvise.  Muggle London was just out the door behind her, after all. 

"I made a lot of those promises," Jacoba admitted, hitching up an eyebrow.  "I wasn't very good at keeping them, either.  I tried, mind you." 

Jacoba watched as the other woman settled herself at the table then followed the woman's nod.  "Have I set off fireworks?"  Jacoba asked.  "Of course.  Not indoors, though.  Depending on what type you have, they might be pretty anticlimatic indoors.  Or maybe not.  It'd probably just burn the place down."  Except, these were all witches and wizards. They could probably stop firework-driven fires by batting their eyelashes. 

"There are a couple parks nearby that are good for that sort of thing.  Out there, I mean."  Jacoba nodded back to the door out to muggle London.  "Don't know about Diagon.  Seems a little close quarters, though.  What kind did you get, anyway?  Are they ... you know ... like wizarding fireworks?  Do they turn into dragons?"  Ok.  So, she was referencing the Lord of the Rings movies and, clearly, Tolkien was completely wrong on the elf side of things.  But, she couldn't picture what else 'wizarding fireworks' would be like. 

Marietta's eyes lit up at the woman's reply.  She shifted her body in the chair, turning herself towards her new friend.  "Better.  They're muggle," she added with a mischievous grin.  She had nearly been run over by three metal creatures before she made it to the stand, and even then the owner had given her a queer grin.  There were so many things she had yet to understand about the other side of humanity.  However dull her children might find it, it still retained the novelty of a parallel universe for herself. 

"Ooh, a park, that's a great idea, the kids would love that."  She tipped the bag towards herself, using her other hand to rifle through the contents.  "I've got...bottle rockets--although I'll need to find a bottle for them, I suppose--and sparklers, a couple of peacock fountains, two skyrockets, a Catherine wheel and a roman candle although really I think someone's just having a go at the muggles  again."  She paused, brimming with excitement.

 "I didn't see anything about a dragon--is that usual? I thought that information was classified," she asked curiously, although she was already considering the modifications.  Surely a dragon fountain would be far more exotic than a peacock fountain--but the DoRMC would shut it down, certainly. They had certain opinions that remained steadfast no matter what--and dragons were one of them.

Jacoba couldn't help herself.  Over the last seven months, Jacoba had heard the word 'muggle' said in many different tones of voice but this was probably the first time she'd heard it said with such mischievous enthusiasm.  She gave a good natured laugh and nodded her head.  "In that case, I know the type very well.  I've got a bit of experience."  Jacoba leaned forward in her seat, tucking her legs under her seat to elevate herself enough to try and peer into the bag as the woman listed off her wares. 

"That's easy enough," Jacoba shook her head dismissively.  "A regular liter or two-liter plastic bottle will do.  Just get yourself a soda and, after a few rounds, you'll have yourself a bottle.  Definitely don't want to set those off indoors, though."  The woman certainly had a good starter's assortment.  "That seems to be common."  Jacoba was gradually getting better about remembering not to admit she was a muggle at the start of the conversation.  Or, even, at any point in the conversation if she could manage. 

Jacoba grinned to herself and shook her head, sitting back down.  "Sounds like you're set.  Are you setting them off tonight?" 

"Well, real dragons are classified, I suppose."  She was still getting used to the notion of talking about dragons in a non-theoretical or fictional sense.  To be honest, it was a little creepy.  Like learning Jurassic Park was actually a documentary.  There were actually lizards out there quite capable of eating you.  "But, a lot of muggles are fascinated with them anyway.  Even if they don't think they're real.  And, one of their movies shows magical fireworks that take the form of a dragon.  It's pretty cool.  I don't know if those fireworks actually exist anywhere, though."