About Magicakery

Candice was wearing a comfy sweater and skirt. She had been talking with her good friend Dolly about opening her bakery- and Dolly had pointed her in the direction of another St. James woman- this one was named Charlotte. She planned events, Candy had been told, and would be a good person to collaborate with on the opening events of Magicakery. And Candy was hoping to open the bakery on the first day of May. It might or might not happen at this point.

She had owled Miss Charlotte St. James a few times, and the woman had agreed to come by the bakery and talk things over with her and have a look around and offer some suggestions and help her plan the opening week. Candy had been excited, and just hoped that she hadn't totally botched things. Candy hadn't wanted the bakery to be overly posh. She had decorated it simply, mostly wanting it to be comfortable and welcoming to people of all ages (especially since she was opening it in Hogsmeade). She wouldn't be offended or hurt if she was told she had done things wrong- but she was just really hoping to get things done as quickly as possible.

Candy had unlocked the door of the shop and was currently in the process of whipping up a quick batch of sweets to let Miss St. James sample. Some chocolate cookies with a peanut butter center, a batch of white chocolate strawberry muffins, and she had already finished a decadent cheesecake with chocolate swirls and topped with strawberries. She had also put the kettle on to make some tea in case her guest wanted some.

She heard the bell over the door jingle, and came out from the back where the ovens were. "Good morning!" she greeted with a bright smile. "You must be Charlotte St. James! I'm Candy. I'm so glad you could find the time to help me out! Please- have a seat!" Candy motioned to one of the tables.

dress, shoes, scarf... minus the necklace

Charlotte removed her hat, holding against her heart as she stepped through the threshold, looking toward the ceiling to study the interior. It was welcoming, soft but authentic, and reminded her of the countryside-- French or English, or something subtler. The emphasis was on the cakes and sweets, the feeling of home a happy plus.

It had come as a slight shock that Dolly of all people had recommended her, but Charlotte was pleased. Judging by what she saw-- for Charlotte often associated one's decor with one's personality-- she thought she and this Candice woman would get along well enough. A new associate, a fresh exchange of hands.

"Good morning," she returned, nodding as she held out one of said hands for said exchange. Candice Stevenson was honey-haired and bright smiled, dressed comfortably. Charlotte, like Dolly, was all brunette curls and pinched undergarments. And yet, there something endearing about this exchange, something seemed to fit upon immediate introduction. "I'm Charlotte, yes. Candice-- Candy," She corrected herself without faltering. "You have an adorable shop here. Is it really your first business? It smells heavenly, too." Already, she could see the advantage of helping Miss Stevenson with her business. And hoped, too, that she might make a new friend. "Is that cheesecake?" She asked, sitting with graceful poise and crossing her legs. Her eyes seemed to brighten. If chocolate was a girl's best friend, cheesecake was a skilled lover.

Charlotte waved a hand toward the outside of the shop. "Hogsmeade was a good choice," she noted. "There's more room to play with cozy touches." She would earn more business with the promise of outdoor seating during the Scottish summer-- which she seemed to know. "They need something to balance Signature. Not that the place isn't brilliant. Finn is a good... friend." Or something of the sort. Such a young man with such a disarming smile was a dangerous thing in a small village like this one. "Do you have a menu on hand? A business card or flier, perhaps?"

Candice noticed how stylish and well put together the woman was- not unlike her dear friend Dolly St. James. Of course, she was not surprised- from what Candy knew of the pureblood society, or the upperclass in general, they were almost required to be fashionable lest they become the butt of a joke. People like that always made Candy feel under dressed. At least, when she was by Dolly's side, her friend made sure that she looked good.

But when Charlotte announced that the shop was adorable, she couldn't help but smile brightly at the compliment. "Adorable? Really?" she repeated, wiping her hands on a tea towel before going to sit with Charlotte at the table. "It is- first business. I worked at the ministry, then did a brief stint at Calaveras, and now I've got the bakery that I've always wanted."

"And yes- it is cheesecake. Swirled with chocolate and I've made a strawberry topping for it. Nothing overly sweet- I think strawberries are best simply cut and sugared a little. You may certainly have a piece if you'd like. I made a few things for you to try in case you wanted. I've got the kettle on, too, if you would like some tea? Or I could make some coffee."

"I thought Hogsmeade would be better for me than Diagon Alley. Diagon is lovely, and tends to have more people around throughout the year, but I really wanted to do something for the kids at Hogwarts when they have their weekends. And there are already places like mine in Diagon. Hopefully I've made the right choice here," she said with a smile. Though it was certainly a relief that others seemed to think she had made a good decision, and Candy always felt better when others offered some support or encouragement.

When Charlotte asked for a menu, she nodded. "I've got notes about it, I haven't finished it up yet for printing. Because I think I am going to have it vary. So I might get a large chalk board of some sort to set up." Getting up, Candice went to the back of the shop, pulled some sweets from the oven, and then grabbed a pad of paper she had been working with, and set it down in front of Charlotte.

"I want to have some stuff that's every day- but I want to vary flavors and such. That way there is always something new in here. I've worked on a lot of things with some potion additives- but I don't want students to buy them, so I'll probably restrict their purpose only to adults. I remember what love potions could do when I was at Hogwarts. But I've got some fliers ready. I want to send an ad to the prophet to run for my opening, too."

Candy slid the paper to Charlotte. The page had a list of standard items and specialty items, and different flavors she could use depending on the season and what was available. "I'm afraid it's not polished or organized yet. I'm not always great with the finer details."

“Is that not what you were going for?” Oops. But even if it weren’t, the place was adorable. It was homey and inviting, the sort of place that seemed bright in the summer and warm in the winter. “Anyway, I think it will work to your advantage. Women love this sort of thing, and men can’t resist women-- or good food.” If she was being too blunt, it was because she had decided upon stepping in that this was going to work brilliantly. The fact that it was Candice’s first business only made it that much sweeter-- there would be no power struggle, and Charlotte could do honest work. She would, most sincerely, be able to help this woman. Felix would be so proud

Uh huh...

“The Ministry... I like that. You have a good head on your shoulders.” She squinted playfully, smiling. “My boyfriend works there. Maybe you know him? Felix Marren, Head Astronomer for the Department of Mysteries.” An Unspeakable.

When Charlotte tried the cake, she decided she would have to make up with Liadan simply so they had an excuse to eat more sugar. She tried a bite, did her best to appear ladylike, savoring it methodically (but in reality, simply savoring it), and then took another bite. “Tea would be perfect,” she said at last; she had taken the woman’s description of the cake at face value, but now the words seemed to sink in, and Charlotte decided she might have to ask her to repeat that bit about strawberries so they could use it for the grand opening. “This is--” Airy, but rich, fluffy but dense, creamy and sweet and a touch tart. “Dangerous,” she said, he lips becoming a smirk. If she got used to this divine offering, and she knew it would be easy to do, she might have to buy a new wardrobe. Which was no problem for Charlotte St. James, but she’d much rather have a new house where she could strut around in her current clothes-- or feel free to disrobe at a moment’s notice.

“How cute,” she said, at the mention of Hogwarts students. This woman was naive if she thought they deserved sugar. But it was part of her charm, Charlotte decided. And feeding naughty little boys and catty little girls would no doubt prove lucrative. There were even the saving graces-- her nephew Julian, his little friend Jordyn, whom she’d met over a holiday.

Nodding, she understood. Menus were handy-- a subtle way of advertising without letting anyone know it was that-- but one that changed was a wise decision, especially for a bakery where seasonal ingredients would be used. Fresh fruit, soups, spiced teas, holiday cakes-- those things were twice as nice when offered on rotation or at certain times of the year. It kept things fresh. “Maybe mention something in your Prophet ad about new or changing treats on a daily basis? That will also let people know you’re open to customized orders, which are something you definitely want to do in a business like this. And-” Ooooh. “Adults only?” Her smile became a smirk. She waved a hand at Candice’s worries and looked at the list she’d been handed, her fingers trailing the names of sweets. “Tell me more about these treats for adults...”

"Adorable is good!" Candice said with a smile. "I wasn't really going for anything I think. I just wanted it to be comfortable. Some place that I would want to go. I've been to fancier places- and there's nothing wrong with them, but I didn't want to seem exclusive or anything. But I guess I didn't want to turn out like the love teashop, either," she said. Nobody wanted to go there. It was all pink and hearty and a bit over the top. But Charlotte seemed to think that it would be alright, so she felt a lot better about that aspect.

When Charlotte mentioned her boyfriend, Candice shook her head. "I don't think that I do know him. I worked with Level Two for the most part. I occasionally saw a few people from Level Four. Other than that, I spent my time in my office. I wasn't the most popular person over at the ministry. The only person from Department of Mysteries that I knew was Dante Ward. He mentioned a Marren, I think, but I don't recall meeting him."

Candice agreed that mentioning the changing treats would be wise. "Oh yes! I'm definitely all for doing custom orders. I think it would be fun to bake all kinds of new and different things on the whim of a customer. It will keep me in practice at the very least, so I don't rely on the same old recipes over and over again."

She waited for Charlotte to stop speaking before she got up to fetch some tea. "Adults only?" Candice repeated from across the shop. "Oh, nothing overly special. I just know there are some things Hogwarts children don't need is all!" She returned to the table with a tea tray and set it down, with a few different options for tea so that Charlotte could pick what she wanted.

"I've got some candies that have a mild love potion in them for those romantic evenings. And chocolates that have a warming potion and some with a cooling potions. The usual things to pep you up or calm you down, so on. I just don't think it's something that children need to have at Hogwarts. And I could probably specialize with other potions if people wanted, too. It's tricky to cook with, for sure, but it's usually worth it in the end."

"What do you think I should do other than an ad in the prophet to advertise for the opening?" Candice asked. "I'm a bit lost on that one."