Eloise snapped her book shut and dropped it onto Ollivander's desk with a loud thud. She spun around in the swivel chair and looked around at the cluttered room. It seemed that in that past month and a half she'd had absolutely no time to tidy things, and when she did, no motivation to do so. She'd barely managed to keep the shop looking presentable, let alone the study and her own living space. She cringed when she thought about the dust that had collected and the dishes stacked up in the kitchen sink upstairs.
Deciding to tackle that issue on another day, she decided to take her free afternoon when the shop was closed to try and work out the dragon heartstring issue. Eloise had been hunting for another supplier for weeks now, since the previous had decided that they didn't want their name tarnished by supplying an inexperienced wandmaker like herself. She tried not to let it bother her, but things had indeed been much simpler with her mentor around.
She had resigned to sending out letters to the few wandmakers that she associated with in America, as most of the Europeans were outright ignoring her letters and requests for assistance in this trying time following the war.
Deciding that she needed to get out and about if she was indeed going to get anything accomplished in the day, Eloise found herself collecting her writing supplies and shoving them in her bag to head down to Florean Fortescue's, which had reopened around the same time that she had. A sugary treat would surely make her feel a little bit better about the begging and grovelling she was about to do.
She took a side street to avoid the Sunday crowds, making sure to pay attention so as not to run into anyone else like she had done a week or so ago.
When she reached the shiny pink shop, she was treated to a blast of cool air as she entered the ice cream parlor. The smell of sweet dessert was enough to bring a smile to her face, and she smiled as she greeting the cashier, who she had come to recognize as she came in so often.
"Two scoops of earl grey and lavender in a cup, please," she ordered, handing over a few sickles as she did so.
She watched as the girl scooped her ice cream and handed it over, feeling her mood lighten at being away from the shop and having an afternoon to try and catch up.
She sat down at a table by the window and pulled out her parchment, quill, and ink, spreading them out on the table and pondering just what would make the Americans pity her enough to let slip the secret of where they buy their wand core. As she mentally drafted her letter, she glanced out the window into Diagon Alley, watching the passerby as they go about their business. She grinned when she saw Weasley's Wizard Wheezes directly across the way, but dropped the smile when she saw two redheaded men conversing on the steps of the street. There stood Charlie, conversing what must be his older brother, as Eloise didn't recognize the rugged looking man.
Despite having letters to write and melting ice cream to eat, Eloise couldn't help but observe the charming man that regularly tries to chat with her upon their chance meetings.
~
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was indeed up and running again, but not entirely due to the remaining Weasley twin. George was in a right state, as to be expected, and his brothers were trying to help him get back on his feet after the loss of Fred. The store seemed to have lost a tiny bit of magic, but was obviously still the rambunctious joke shop that had opened a few years ago. Whereas most of the laughter during the wartimes had stemmed from the twins themselves, now it was from the happy children that visited the shop, oftentimes dragging tired-looking mothers and fathers along with them as they picked up dungbombs and Ton-Tongue Toffees. Bill, Ron, and Charlie had been taking turns running the shop, keeping it open in hopes that George would hear the commotion and decide to join in the fun. So far they'd had no luck.
Charlie and Bill were standing on the steps outside of the shop discussing their schedules for the following week when Charlie felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck as if he was being watched. He reached for his wand casually, continuing talking with his brother, but glanced around him while twirling his wand, on guard if whoever it was was preparing to attack.
When Charlie's survey of the Alley landed on the ice cream parlour across the street, he lowered his wand as he made eye contact through the glass with the one and only Eloise Moreau, the intriguing little wandmaker that he kept meeting. He grinned when she quickly looked away, and he could tell that she was blushing at being caught even from this distance.
"Charlie, are you listening to me?" Bill asked him, snapping his fingers to get his attention.
"Sorry," he replied, spinning back around to face his brother.
"Anyway, if you could be here Tuesday and Wednesday, that would be great. Ron has tomorrow and Monday, and I'm taking Thursday and Friday. I think Ginny said she had a day off on Saturday and wanted to help out, so we have the next—" Charlie had found himself looking over at Eloise again, who was now very focused on writing something, and he hadn't even heard Bill stop talking. "Charlie?"
"Oh, sorry," he apologized, taking one last glance at the petite brunette before focusing his attention on his brother once more.
"Are you checking out that bird over there or do you just really want ice cream?" Bill asked, laughing when Charlie's face begins to redden underneath the many freckles. "So it is the girl."
"No, I just," Charlie drifted off, not really having a good excuse. "Tuesday and Wednesday you said?"
"Nice try." Bill took off for Fortescue's before Charlie could stop him. Faced with the choice of letting Bill confront Eloise on his own, or heading over there and dealing with his brother and the pretty girl at the same time, he quickly followed him across the street.
"I'm really craving a strawberry peanut butter cone, you know, Charlie?" Bill said cheerfully as he entered the refreshing shop.
Charlie noticed that Eloise's head shot up quickly as Bill said his name, and he flashed her a wide smile before going up to order his ice cream with Bill.
After receiving their desserts, Charlie was elbowed by his brother and forced to go greet Eloise.
"Hey, Eloise," he said casually, acting like the entire situation was nothing out of the norm. Being able to play it cool around as beautiful a woman as Eloise was something that Charlie had been priding himself on for weeks.
"Hi," she squeaked out, causing him to grin. Her eyes flitted between the two, and he was reminded that his brother was standing a short distance behind him, eating his ice cream with great satisfaction.
"Bill, this is Eloise Moreau, she runs Ollivanders," he introduces. "Eloise, this is my idiot brother Bill."
"Pleased to meet you, Eloise," Bill exclaimed, extending a hand for her to shake which she took tentatively.
"You as well," she responded politely. "Would you- would you care to join me?" She looked as if she'd rather they do anything but.
"Sure!" Bill cut in, before Charlie had a chance to excuse them as to avoid his brother embarrassing him further.
They joined her at the small table, Bill across from the nervous looking girl and Charlie sat in between them. His knees knocked into hers when he sat, so he muttered a quick sorry, but that was the only thing that was said in the next thirty seconds of awkward silence.
"So what do you have there," Bill asked her, gesturing to the parchment she had been writing on before they had interrupted.
"Yet another supplier issue," she sighed defeatedly, looking glad that the silence had been broken. "Dragon heartstring is apparently very difficult to come by."
Charlie tensed, knowing what was coming.
"Well that sounds rough. Charlie here is a Dragonologist, though," he claimed boisterously, clapping Charlie on the back. "Don't you know anyone that could help her out?" he asked.
"Er, we typically only deal with heartstring when it relates to poaching and illegal dealings. But I can ask around, if you want," he directed the last part at her.
"If you don't mind," she responded, eyes lighting up a bit at the prospect of help. "It's been a real pain trying to sort this stuff out since Ollivander..."
"Yes, how did it go the other day?" Charlie asked, quickly changing the subject as her eyes went from icy blue to stormy. "At the apothecary?"
"Not great," she grimaced. "They won't sell me the unicorn hair at a discount like they did before. He tried to charge me double, and when I was unaware of that and paid the previously agreed upon amount, he took 150 galleons as a cancellation fee."
"Is that even legal?" Bill asked incredulously.
"It was in his contract with Ollivander, but it all seems kind of shady to me," she answered him.
"Well, did you end up working something out?" Charlie questioned further, finally eating a bite of his ice cream.
"I know a guy in Denmark who was willing to sell for less than two galleons a hair, so maybe it's all for the better," she laughed quietly, fidgeting with her quill and staring intently at her half-written letter.
"Yeah, sounds like it," Charlie responded. He hadn't realized how much went into the business side of wandmaking, which made him respect her and her craft a bit more than he had before. "Funny how things work like that."
After another moment of silence, Bill spoke up again. "As nice as this was, I think Charlie and I need to be getting back. I'm sure we'll meet again, though. Nice to meet you, Eloise," he said, excusing him and Charlie. She rose with them and shook Bill's hand that he offered again, and shuffled awkwardly before waving goodbye to Charlie, which made him chuckle.
"I'll write you about the dragon heartstrings, Eloise. Bye," he said, following Bill out the door and trying to mentally prepare himself for the teasing from his brother that he was sure would follow this interaction.