So Remembering Day was approaching and in quick fashion.  But consider the word fashion for a moment.  The Auror's all had a uniform and all looked incredibly professional while they all wore them.  So that was what had led to his current situation and ultimate dilemma.  The Department Head had no real uniform attire.  Compared to the pride of his department he wouldn't look much like he led it if he just wore his usual clothes.  However, how does a man who had wore mostly the same thing for the past several years of his life go to match the uniform of the Auror outfit? 

Well he sure as hell wasn't capable of doing so himself.  There was however, one other alternative.  Asking a woman...and not just any woman but his Head of the Auror Department, Tamis Raynor.  Actually that part was questionable.  His nerves about this outing was enough to make him wonder if he had asked her...of if she had told him that he needed to match.  Thinking about it all made his head hurt, so he opted to forget the details.

Being out with Tamis, after business hours technically wasn't a new thing.  But this was because Alex actually had been keeping regular hours like everyone else.  However, since then, his working relationship with Tamis had gotten a lot better.  He hadn't forced Tamis to deal with any of the higher ups or any paperwork that he often delegated to her.  And it wasn't all that big of a deal in the end.  After all it was his job, and as much as he often tried to deny it...he was good at it. 

Tamis would be meeting him shortly, and he knew he had been a bit early.  On another surprising note, Alex had refrained from drinking any alcohol since his meeting with Lance Travers three days prior.  He was trying to make sure his head was completely clear for the events coming up.  He needed to keep up his image as best as he could.  Hence why this whole ordeal was even happening.  Something about Kingstreets release put Alex on edge and he knew he needed to be at his best.  That meant being the best at everything, including his attire.  Which apparently he sucked at choosing.

It was still uncertain how she had managed to corner herself into such an unfavorable predicament.

One week out of every year, Tamis Raynor demanded aesthetic perfection from Law Enforcement.  As long as they met Public Decency standards, Raynor did not hassle them for the other three hundred and fifty eight days. But for those seven, the embodiment of Law Enforcement was expressed through the prestige of the Auror’s Uniforms. How Alexander Belisario fit into that equation had never been considered before as the man had avoided being a factor.

She had been casually reviewing case reports the other day when the man uneasily breeched the topic of attire. The quill in her hand froze in mid-stroke as the horrifying, eye-widening reality hit her;  the Department Head would be attending Remembering Day for the first time ever and they had not once discussed his apparel. She had firmly suggested that he matched.

One thing led to another and somehow her accompanying him to purchase something suitable had seemed like a reasonable idea at the time.

A million and a half excuses scrambled through her brain, all fighting to sound plausible. Playing the work card was null – the man was her employer after all. And she lacked any social life worth mentioning, which nixed the possibility of a prior engagement.  With the last ten minutes of opportunity ticking away Raynor was still without an alibi.

It was a common misconception that Tamis Raynor abhorred Alexander Belisario. It was a running joke in the office that she would probably murder the man if it would not be at the expense of the job. That might be true but she did not hate him. Oh, he had a tendency of pushing every one of her buttons, provoking an infamous temper she was unsuccessfully trying to stem with incredible ease. But she did not dislike him.

Suspiciously Belisario had even, knock on wood, been on the job during office hours of late … and not once had he miraculously vanished when someone important stepped over Level Two’s threshold. Raynor still helped him through the vast abyss of paperwork, though he no longer forced it down her throat. It had become a familiar occupational hazard and was simply easier to help handle it than to try and explain her elaborate filing system. At the least, the change in behavior had significantly reduced her hostility levels.

Appearing in the streets of Hogsmeade, Raynor brushed the last of the soot from her coat. Even with her reluctance toward Apparition, it was still more convenient than using the Floo Network. But with the growing popularity of the all wizarding village in the eve of Remembering Day, apparating might have produced an even larger headache than normal.   

She had expected to have to loiter, waiting for Belisario to arrive. One could imagine her surprise then, when she found him already waiting for her at their designated location. Blinking once, surprise flashed across her face, turning briefly into irritation that he had arrived before her, and then smoothed away. Overcome by an unexplainable awkwardness, a proper greeting died on her lips.  So, instead she offered him a silent nod, squishing the urge to fidget.

It was always awkward for one reason or another.  Perhaps because he had always attempted to get certain reactions from Tamis in the past.  And most would be considered unfavorable reactions.  It was hard to remember the days when the two were actually friends.  That was a long time ago when Tait was alive.  He wouldn't have met her if he hadn't been the one to train Tait.  Okay, maybe he would have but he certainly would have had a different relationship with her when she finally joined the Auror ranks.  A lot of people gave her crap about joining after Tait died.  Thinking that she wanted some sort of revenge.  He remembered that Alex had been asked to help train Tamis but he had refused.  Doing so would have been painful for the pair of them.

After Tait's death, the two hadn't talked.  At least except in the professional sense.  But rarely had they ever had to work together until Jason MacDonell left.  That was when Tamis had taken over that position.  It wasn't long after that Alex took his current position either.  So now after all that time the two had no choice but to interact on a daily basis.  Even on days off the two would have to owl back and forth if anything pressing came up that required the others attention.

The past aside, he wondered what Tamis thought now.  Especially of them spending time together outside of the job.  Even if the whole outing was job related.  Or if she had attempted to think of a way out of it just like he had.  At the same time his reasoning was he never liked to force anything onto anyone that was outside of work.  Still this was something different.  And though he would never admit it to Tamis, he enjoyed all his time he spent with her.

"Tamis," he offered a friendly smile.  "I truly appreciate you taking the time out of your own personal time to help me with the outfit.  I'm not incredibly gifted when it comes to formal attire.  Honestly, I've basically just got fifteen of the same outfits at home.  And all of them are black," he laughed.  Sure he was nervous, but he didn't know why.  It wasn't like he didn't see this woman every day.

"Aside, you know the Auror formal wear better than I.  So having you here shall move things along faster than if I went it alone," he began walking.  "I heard that the shop at the end of this road has quite a good selection in mens attire."

“I’ve noticed,” she said in response to the assessment of his wardrobe.

When it came to clothing, Tamis was the last person that would criticize the man. As long as they were presentable, she did not demand a dress code of the Aurors and she certainly had no right to demand what Belisario wore on a daily basis. But she had been born into a world of gold and glitter and fancy dinner parties. Even if she had not finished growing in that lifestyle, it was still in her blood. The Head of the Department of Law Enforcement was not going to make a drab entrance to one of the most important events of the year.

But was that all that there was to her motivation?

“Besides,” she continued, lips almost quirking back into a smile, “I am used to working overtime.”

Half a decade ago, Raynor would have laughed in the face of anyone that suggested she would be out shopping with Alexander Belisario. Pointed, mocked, and then uncharacteristically burst out into gut-busting, howling laughter.  A year sooner, she had done almost exactly that – except it had been more of a dismal wail than laughter and she had felt more hysterical then sardonic. She had nearly banged down the doors of Bannochdaen when Belisario has been promoted scantly after she had been.

Setting her shorter legs to match his stride, she gave the man a quick but thorough analysis. Tall, but not too lean, not to muscular, decent shoulders, but they shouldn’t be problematic in fitting. Traditional robes would be nice, but he might end up looking like a curtain with all that height if they were not cut right. And they simply did not make robes like they used to – with the more muggle inspired trend that ignited after the Second War and all.

Dimly, she felt her cheeks heat. It seemed… improper… to be sizing up her boss in this matter.

She cleared her throat, “is there a particular style you are interested in?”

“I’ve noticed,”

"Yes, I imagine it would be hard for you not too," Alex chuckled lightly, more to himself.  There had been times that Alex thought it looked like Tamis would comment on his daily attire over the last couple years, but it always looked like her mind promptly struck that down.  Most likely it had grown to be just another annoyance from her boss she would just have to get over.  Well that was what he imagined, what she really thought was another question.  Of course, he could always pry a look into Tamis' mind.  But that certainly wasn't a way to impress somebody.  Though his curosity sometimes turned it into in all out war with his concience.

“Besides,” she continued, lips almost quirking back into a smile, “I am used to working overtime.”

He smiled back, "I only take partial blame for that."  It was great to see her smile.  It wasn't very often that he ever got to see that.  Or hell, any emotion other than her work face.  A skill that any ex-Auror would have, or anyone that had reason to hide something from someone else.  Alex knew that their relationship was especially difficult because of the past.  But how did anyone move past that?

The two continued down towards their destination in silence, but it wasn't really awkward since the two of them had done so out to crime scenes or on the way to give a report.  This shouldn't have felt the same way since both of them technically weren't working.  But the result and meaning of the outing was work related.  Although not in the usual way that the two dealt with together.  Still Tamis wanted him to look uniform...or at least look like he lead the Department. 

“Is there a particular style you are interested in?”

"Hm?  Style?" He glanced over at her as the two stopped in front of their destination.  Wait is she blushing?  Alex quickly dismissed it as him not seeing her in the right light...or something.  "To be honest I'm not sure what would look good on me.  I haven't really gone to any formal event in a long time.  And I've never been one for fashion.  I've always been a fighter." 

That was the truth.  He for some reason felt like he shouldn't mention that Ariella had always been the one to pick out his clothes to formal events.  So really, he hadn't an idea.  Yeah, he was begining to realize just how embarrasing this whole situation should be for him, and yet he was more interested to see how the night would go.

“And now you are a politician,” she grumbled in return. Merlin, this truly was the worst case scenario. Fashion had nothing to do with dressing to match an occasion. What would have happened if he had not approached her the other day? Latching onto the cuff of his jacket, Tamis tried to steer him through the door of the boutique, muttering to herself. “You do not know your measurements then.” It was not a question.

The inside of the shop was dank and dimly lit with floating candles, except for the brightly lit raised platform and three-sided mirror set up in one corner. There was a changing room beside that and an enchanted measuring tape was floating languidly in a basket. The rows of clothing were rather impressive however, a mix of traditional and modern styles. Everything seemed to be of fine quality and gained a nod of approval from Tamis.

A bell above the threshold announced their arrival and an elderly gentleman roused himself from a half slumber from behind the register. His white hair was wild and untamed but the suit he wore looked freshly pressed, even though he had been slouched over the counter a moment ago. He unnecessarily smoothed away nonexistent wrinkles from the double breasted front of his coat.

Releasing her hold on Belisario’s clothing, she pointed up at the before mentioned man with her thumb. “He needs to be measured for formal wear. Something contemporary, perhaps.”

The gentleman flashed a wide, knowing grin as he evaluated the pair. While slightly crooked, his teeth were an uncanny brilliant shade of white, “Your husband is going to a special occasion, hmm?” Dark eyes behind white bushy brows took in Alexander’s all black attire with just a hint of disapproval. “Giving a speech for Remembering Day, are we? Lots of customers for that this time of year.”

This time, the bloom in Raynor’s cheeks was more evident at the clerk’s misconception of Belisario and her relationship. It made her glad for the darker atmosphere.

 “Not exactly,” she replied, clearing her throat.

“And now you are a politician,”

Ugh, such a horrid fact couldn't be more true.  He had to play the games and watch his words...and even hide a lot more.  Unfortunately along his career her had shown all the skills needed for the position and that was why he had been recommended by several people.  Marcus Annwyl, Jason MacDonell, hell half of the current Wizengamot had all put in good words for him.  So without much choice and not wanting to insult any of them he had taken the position relunctantly.  He knew that Tamis sure as hell hadn't been happy that her new boss was him...and shortly after she had been made Head of the Auror's.  He almost wonder if Jason MacDonell himself had a hand in the timing of the events.  Somehow if he had been named to his position first he felt that Tamis would have turned her promotion down.  But who knew?  Still it was beause the fact he was basically only a politician that he was here at this moment today.

Tamis pulled him behind her into the store.  Not that he minded, he was used to being pulled around by her now.  He wasn't sure how that had started either.  Their relationship wasn't exactly that normal.  The way it looked maybe it seemed that Tamis didn't care to spend any time with the man, but there was nothing really holding her here with him now.  But she was.  Thinking about it too much would be pointless.  Asking her about it was equally as pointless.  Pretty much as it stood it was a lose-lose situation.  So instead he opted to just enjoy the situation and see what would happen.

“He needs to be measured for formal wear. Something contemporary, perhaps.”

“Your husband is going to a special occasion, hmm?” Dark eyes behind white bushy brows took in Alexander’s all black attire with just a hint of disapproval. “Giving a speech for Remembering Day, are we? Lots of customers for that this time of year.”

It took a moment before Alex realized what the older gentlemen had said.  Mostly because the looks from the elder man was basically saying he could stand his black clothes.  Not that he cared, it had served the intended use several times over the years.  All black could be good for almost any occasion and was much easier to hide ones self in the shadows if need be.  Then almost as if reminding him the words Tamis said about him being a politician came up in his thoughts again.  It was also in that last thought that he figured out the Elderly man had called him her husband.  Rather than quickly dismiss the words he said nothing.

“Not exactly,”

This made his eyebrow go up for a moment, surprised that Tamis had not clarified it beyond that.  Then again it wasn't like it needed to be clarified.  He found it surprising that he didn't know who either of them were, as both Tamis and himself had been in the Prophet on various occasions.

"I think perhaps we should do the measurements and get them out of the way before we talk about style," Alex changed the subject but not making any effort to correct the man on his error about the relationship between the two of them.  Though Alex couldn't hide the amused smile about the whole thing from his face.

The Elderly man took Alex over to something for him to stand on while he took the measurements.  Taking a quick look around at the other suits in the shop he looked back at Tamis.  "So any thoughts as to style and color, Tamis?"  He was clearly enjoying the situation...which might not be good considering on if it irritatedher too much.