• • ABOUT • •

[Griselda Campbell]

The gentleman -- was it Joshua, he said? -- moved to Griselda's side and held out his arm. Smiling -- my, what a catch! -- she took it, pleased once more to have a found a wizard of such fine breeding. He led her out of the party -- taking a moment to smile cockily to another wizard - Griselda followed his eyes and mimicked the bold move -- but before leaving, he made a beeline for the last bar before the door.

"Two bottles of your best wine, and two glasses," he ordered, sure. The shiny galleons he deposited on the bar with ease made her squee inside, though she fought to contain herself. With his order in hand, they exited the party.

Outside, quieting charms hid the party well. The night air had the slight scent of a post-shower dew, but that might have been watering from earlier. She smiled softly, enjoying the romanticism of the entire evening as they came to a bench. No cork in hand, her suitor -- yes, this was now a suitor, she decided -- instead opened the first bottle with a quick spell.

“It’s not much of a party,” he apologised. “But at least there’s alcohol.”

She smiled. "A party for two, then."

He smiled as he poured the glasses. “It’s still early, though,” he continued, thinking about the time. “Most people that party won’t be out for another couple of hours.”

"That is true..." she noted, looking to the horizon -- there was still a hint of the sunset. The party truly hadn't been on for very long before he'd found her.

They sipped quietly at her wine -- it was very good. Merlot Mayberry Wines - Cran-Raspberry Mix the label said. It had holly and tinsel around the border, so it was probably a holiday special. She made a note for the winery - she would have to find more of it.

“Tell me, Miss Campbell,” he said. “How do you decide what part of your life to write about? I’m sure it’s all quite interesting.”

She smiled. "In all honesty? I find that some things just... won't leave my mind. I figure, if it stays with me long enough, it deserves to be shared. Mind, that means that my writings will go on threads for weeks at a time if my mind is preoccupied with a certain obsession," she explained with a smile. "More often than not, that's a particularly fascinating person..." she teased, "But I can do the same thing with certain... political ideals or debates as well. But if I have no interest in it, my writing is never any good." The truth was, she still hadn't found anyone to write about, and it was bugging her. This fellow was charming and handsome. But she wondered if there was any dirt that he knew, or if he was just another pretty face.

[Joshua Austen]

Joshua could see that Griselda was pleased with simply having some time to themselves and that was good enough for him. Certainly, it would have been better to go somewhere and join another already in progress party (like the one they had just vacated), but that was neither here nor there. The night air was brisk, but not cold in any way, though the wine would help that if enough was consumed.

He sat there, sipping his wine, as she explained her process of decision making when it came to her books. He smiled as she spoke about things that wouldn’t leave her mind and the need to share them. Joshua had discovered that with women – not that he would share them – but he would usually try to see them more than once if they had that connection.

"More often than not, that's a particularly fascinating person..."

Joshua didn’t realize it, but he blushed at the comment. Not that he felt he was a fascinating person, but others did. That was one reason most people talked with him – he tended to read quite a bit, not just fiction, but newspapers and magazines as well – feeling well informed about most things. Plus, he simply was a fun drunk – never really falling down – but just having fun. And talking. He liked to talk when he was drunk and eventually the talking would become slurs until he fell asleep. But that would be some time from now. Four whiskeys and some wine was nowhere near his limit. But he could get there quicker if he wasn’t careful.

Looking back to the building they had left, Joshua took another sip of wine.

“I’m sure there are plenty of . . .” he paused a moment. “’Fascinating’ is too nice of word for those people,” he continued. “’Strange’ would be a start, I suppose. Yes, I’m sure there must be some strange people in there that might be worthy – for the wrong reasons – to have Griselda Campbell write about them.”

[Griselda Campbell]

Griselda beamed. "Mr. Austen, as a fan of mine, and an avid reader, surely you know how my occupation requires me to have an ever open ear..." She leaned closer, sliding a finger beneath a lapel teasingly. "If you knew of such people, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?" She bowed her head so that she was looking up at him through her lashes.

[Joshua Austen]

"Mr. Austen, as a fan of mine, and an avid reader, surely you know how my occupation requires me to have an ever open ear..."

Joshua noticed that she had come closer and was running a finger against him. He was only slightly uncomfortable, but it never showed. Despite his apprehension at the moment, Griselda Campbell would never have known, for he was solid with a smile on his face, sipping his wine as she spoke.

"If you knew of such people, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?"

Joshua looked at the woman, and who couldn’t with her face right in front of him. A grin graced his face as he sipped his wine again.

“Why, Miss Campbell,” he started as he placed his glass down. “I don’t think the people in there are as fascinating as what you need for your next story.”

He stood up and looked at Griselda. When he left his home a few hours ago, he hadn’t expected to become the sole muse to Griselda Campbell – not that he minded, of course. But there was still something about becoming one’s muse. He wasn’t sure if he was much of a subject, though, having lived a rather dull life – except when his mother left and his father became a drunk. But other than that difficult time in his past, he was rather like any other young man that lived to drink and have fun with anyone that happened to be around.

“Not that I’m a much better choice,” he continued. “But I bet we could put our heads together and come up with someone that would be fun to humiliate in literature.”

Joshua picked up his glass and downed the remainder of the wine and began to pour himself another helping.

[Griselda Campbell]

The handsome wizard grinned as he sipped at his wine. “Why, Miss Campbell,” he replied as he placed his glass down. “I don’t think the people in there are as fascinating as what you need for your next story.”

He stood, and she drew back. Drat. No luck. She looked up at him sadly -- my, he was quite tall. The light was very complimentary, as well. "I was quite afraid of that, my dear." She honestly was. If he was handsome and useful -- well. It'd be a wonderous thing.

“Not that I’m a much better choice,” he continued. “But I bet we could put our heads together and come up with someone that would be fun to humiliate in literature.”

She beamed, standing to join him. "Ah, but you see? That kind of... intuitive aspiration is exactly what I'm in need of." My, what a find! He understood, at the very least. And that was much more than could be said of most people.

"To be quite honest, it's been some time since I've been in the United Kingdom, and I'm a bit outdated with politics and gossip about here -- " Although she'd taken the time to read the gossip collumns every day since her arrival, but they didn't quite make sense, her not knowing the names and situations that were being referred to. " -- and I would love to have someone lead me towards a bit of enlightenment." She grinned devilishly. "And a bit of fun." She held out her glass to toast. "Surely you know some good tales, then? And don't limit yourself to those people back there..." She added, nodding back to the party that they had left.

[Joshua Austen]

"To be quite honest, it's been some time since I've been in the United Kingdom, and I'm a bit outdated with politics and gossip about here -- "

Joshua nodded. Not that he was really into gossip, but he knew some of what was going on. After all, even if he didn’t want to be involved – he was. Hogwarts was in the gossip and news as much as everything else. And as Assistant Director of Magical Education, Josh needed to know what was going on at the school.

" -- and I would love to have someone lead me towards a bit of enlightenment."

He smiled, picking up the second bottle and opening it, refilling their glasses.

“That might be possible,” he started.

"And a bit of fun."

The smile turned into more of a sly grin at the comment.

"Surely you know some good tales, then? And don't limit yourself to those people back there..."

“I do know some things,” Joshua said. “What sort of gossip are you looking to decipher?”

[Griselda Campbell]

“I do know some things,” Joshua said. “What sort of gossip are you looking to decipher?”

"Anything remotely interesting," she replied. "And even things that aren't, but that could be made interesting, if you catch my drift. as they say, a good reporter doesn't get great stories -- they make them great. Odd characters around town...? Sex scandals? Bad boy Ministry official or two..." she suggested, giving him a wink. "I'm not very picky. And I'm insatiably curious."

[Joshua Austen]

Joshua thought for a moment. He never bothered to listen, or even repeat gossip, but knew enough people that did. Joshua felt that gossip wasn’t worth anything unless it could be proven. Finding out secrets was much more fun to Joshua than actually guessing the secrets. To him, at least. He wasn’t sure how helpful he would be to Griselda at the moment – he felt like he was more of an intermediary, but that didn’t stop him from thinking of the different people that he could offer as subjects.

After a few moments, Joshua sat back down and looked at Griselda.

“Well,” he started. “I’m not much into politics. Except the politics that will help me become the Director of Magical Education.” He sighed slightly. “Unfortunately,” he continued. “There’s very little there that would be considered scandalous. Although . . .”

He paused and smiled.

“I did hear that the previous person in my position was removed for having an affair with a student.”

Joshua’s nose wrinkled at the thought. “Not that I haven’t thought about it, but please. At least wait until their education is finished.”

He grinned slightly, unsure if Griselda would think him a cad for thinking about girls that were still in school. But Joshua held no regrets. When he was slightly younger, he had dated girls that were just out of Hogwarts, but never attempted to see a girl while she was still a student. That seemed wrong to him.

“I also have heard rumors that something is going on with the top Ministry officials, but I haven’t really gotten first hand knowledge of that.”

He took another sip of wine and hoped that what he had offered was at least a decent start to Griselda’s fact finding mission.

"I'm sorry I can't offer more for your journalistic mind."

[Griselda Campbell]

The fellow took a moment to think about it. She hoped it was to figure out which one to say first. She bit her lip, partly in dread that he would be a dead end -- he was not being terribly useful, in fact -- and partly in what she hoped would be a teasing way, to show that he had her undivided attention. She really did hope he wasn't just a cute face.

“Well... I’m not much into politics."

Nitwit! she screamed in her head.

"Except the politics that will help me become the Director of Magical Education.” He sighed slightly. “Unfortunately,” he continued. “There’s very little there that would be considered scandalous. Although...”

He paused and smiled. She really hoped he was jost being coy -- but if he was, he wasn't doing a terribly good job. It was getting annoying. It could be that he was buying time, seeing as he didn't have much to share. And unfortunately, that seemed to be the most reliable guess at the moment.

“I did hear that the previous person in my position was removed for having an affair with a student. Not that I haven’t thought about it, but please. At least wait until their education is finished.”

She hoped it could go off as a smile. In reality it was a grimace. "Well, that's juicy," she replied. "I could definitely use that." AS A FILLER. When I have nothing, which quite honestly, I don't, but still. This is Fool's Gold.

“I also have heard rumors that something is going on with the top Ministry officials, but I haven’t really gotten first hand knowledge of that.”

Now, that caught her attention.

"I'm sorry I can't offer more for your journalistic mind."

"No, no! That's good. I mean... you don't need to know everything... just what you've heard. I will do my research before I publish anything, of course," she reassured him with a winning smile. Well, he might have something good after all.