(1939-02-03) Stolen Hats and Broken Records
Details for Stolen Hats and Broken Records
Summary: Converasation is had about an investigation into potentially hexed Muggle objects
Date: 03 February, 1939
Location: Sweet Temptations, Diagon Alley
Related: Music in the Air.
Characters
GrahamBalthazarCassielShelley

This shop is both a malt shop as well and bakery and sweetshop. Polished hardwood floors and walls painted a soft ivory give the room a welcoming and calm air. Green plants and flowers are placed in planters throughout the room and landscape paintings of the countryside cover parts of the walls. Two counters run across opposite sides of the room leaving the center area open for seating. The tables are set up for groups of two or four, the tables polished wood and the cushioned chairs made to match. The counter to the right is the malt counter, its wood polished to a high shine and cushiony bar stools lined up in front, provides a place for patrons to sample all manner of drinks that fizz, foam and steam. On the left is another counter dedicated to candy and pastries. The candies sit in elegant glass jars atop the counter with plates of every kind of pastry or cake you can imagine. There are both muggle and wizard flavors for everything sold here. A large board hangs over the front wall across from the door with a neatly organized menu of what is for sale at each counter.


Note: This log begins and ends as a partial log. RP occured before and after the logger arrived. Other parties are welcome to append or prepend as they see fit.

"Prewett, Prewett…why are you scowling at Lestrange, Cohen?" Nox inquired, before she laughed all too delightedly at the flattery that was tossed her way. Preening appropriately with a loft of her shoulder, so that she could rest her chin against the bare flesh and peer up at the young man through the thick of her lashes. A coquette who knew exactly how to be a coquette. "I should like a life of idle luxury. Without ever having to lift a finger to work again, growing old and fat until I could hardly lift myself up from the sofa and if you believe that…," she trailed off, glancing towards Graham with his question. "It's not business, not really. There was just..well, Graham tells it better. I'll let him." She offered.

Nox and Graham are seated at a table with delicious yummy drinks, while Balthy has strolled over to to their table to talk but not yet sat and Shelly, has disappeared within the shop but left her order behind.

Balthazar leans in to murmur something to Nox in response to her last little comment towards him.

Graham looks back to the other a moment as the man speaks to her but he'll remain silent until he's spoken to. "Ah, there's always something going on but alas until the cases are ready I cant discuss them." his words are friendly enough the scowl gone for now replaced a moment by a smile and nod "Sure thing Prewett." he says as the items are set down on the table. He'll turn back to Nox a moment at her question wincing slightly "Mr Lestrange and I had a minor misunderstanding the last we met.. involving my sister." he says his tone isn't mean just matter of factly explaining. The second about explaining he isn't sure about but does so. "Miss Moody and I found ourselves involved in a strange event with a cursed item it was making the occupants of a certain building angry enough to start fighting one another. I stopped it and she fixed the people." it's the simple version and details left out but good enough.

Tock. Tock. Tock.
The sound of a cane can be heard lighting against the floor as Cassiel enters the shop. The man is dressed as a Muggle this evening, his business having kept him on the other side of the city for most of the day… thus it is multiple jackets, vest and chain, and top-hat today. He pauses, taking in the scent for a moment before he walks toward the front counter, on a mission. This of course doesn't stop him from seeing the trio, and tipping his hat as he passes, "Lestrange. Miss Moody. Sir." A quick grin, as he heard nothing of their conversation, and then he's off to the counter. Chocolate. Today calls for chocolate.

Lestranges' quiet murmur draws a riot of laughter from the young Moody, humor dancing in her eyes as she flashes a smile up in his direction, though her attention slips back to the conversation between the two men. "I didn't know you had a sister," Nox murmurs, sounding faintly surprised before taking another sip of her drink.
It slurps a little harder too, when she catches sight of Cassiel and with a devious little grin, slants a look at Graham, reaching up to trace thumb and forefinger across her upper lip again and then, back along her jawline with a wink.
"Mister Umbridge! We were just talking about you! Very sordid of course, hush hush and salacious all at once. You should join us!"

Balthazar tilts his head as he listens, taking a seat as the conversation takes off. He looks from Nox to Graham, eyebrows raising at the idea of an item meant solely to coax discord from the muggles. "That's a shame, really- a shame." Oh, pronouns, how we love thee. "There's been the one- do you expect others, then?" Balthazar shakes his head. "No need to answer, -I- expect others. If there's one, it'd not be abandoned to simply squeak a few fights from one muggle home. No, there'll be more, though how soon is a question." He glances at Nox and suppresses a grin. Anything he might say would be decidedly unpolitic and, honestly, improper, so he simply leaves it at that. Umbridge arrives, and he nods- slightly, coolly. "Umbridge."

"Well I adopted her as a sister, but I think of her just as my sister." Graham explains to Nox at her look of surprise after a moment though he will too take a drink still listening "We're not sure, that's more of what." but he pauses here looking back to the door at a new arrival before back, glancing to Nox which was a bad idea as he gets the repeat of the mustache snorting slightly which he tries to cover with a clear of his throat.

Cassiel's head tilts to the side, and if Nox was expecting a response similar to that of his niece, she'll be disappointed, as the color in his cheeks could just as likely be a response to the bitter cold outside as to embarrassment instead. His response, however shows a different story, "Sordid /and/ salacious? Good heavens!" The use of a Muggle phrase might be caught there, "I do hope it ends with me having a heart attack from too much of said sordidness… otherwise I might be offended!"
A bit of teeth show with his smile, "However, I'll take you up on that offer, Miss Moody, if you'll bear with me a bit." A look goes to Blathazar, again with the cool greeting, but he's starting to think it's something that will simply come from him. "Chocolate waits for no one!" And then with a wink to Nox, he returns to his trek to the counter to order.

"I don't know," Nox isn't the least bit helpful to Balthazar's questions, honestly she looks almost put out that he's asked. "I just…go in to fix things once there's a mess. I don't predict them. That's someone else's job entirely," the girl complained, as if he'd affronted her. The truth was, he hadn't.
She'd a smile too, while Graham explained his relationship and once he started snorting over her little joke, couldn't help but tease. "So is the assurance over the sibling relationship clarification that you can still take me out for dinner on Thursday?" It came with a wink, before her gaze swept back towards the unblushing Umbridge. How curious!
"Dashing spot of humor he has, isn't it?" Inquired to the pair at the table, before she gave a little nod at Cassiel. "Indeed, chocolate waits for a woman! Now, hurry up and join us, our dear Auror here needs to ask some work relationed questions."

"Well, time will tell," Balthazar remarks as Graham states that they can't be sure what will happen. Nox's enthusiasm over chocolate and Cassiel's expression of the same leave him chuckling- likely more for Nox's benefit than anything else. The mention of dinner is a very slight surprise- his initial assessment had been wrong, after all, and that was odd in and of itself!- but little more than a glance in following. There's a perking of his attention at the prospect of more insider knowledge, and he waits patiently for the cocao hound to return.

Slipping back from her meandering through the aisles, Shelley has some chocolates in hand, and some fizzing whizbees. (Shut up, she likes them. There's nothing wrong with that.) She moves back to the table, eyeing Balthazar with a dubious look, and greeting Cassiel with a tight smile. "Umbridge." She slips into a seat, depositing her choices beside her chair, and sliding her cake and drink closer to herself. She doesn't eat or drink yet, though. She glances towards Graham, first.

The young auror takes another drink from his cup after he can pull himself back together once again. He will glance back up to those at the table after a second "I hope it's isolated, they are beating the snot outta one another with out realizing it. It's not only muggles who feel it, I just manged to um force it out of my mind or something." Graham will look back at Nox at her words he chuckles slightly after the wink. "Ah yes of course!" but saved by the Shelley! "Welcome back Shelley." he'll reach over but she's already got her items. "We were discussing that strange case I told you briefly about."

It isn't long before Cassiel is back, a mug of cocoa in one hand, and two dishes with a chocolate-truffle treat of some sort in the other, one of which he slides across the table to Nox, "You were right. It couldn't wait for a woman, practically jumped right into my hand."
And so he sits down, taking off his top hat and balancing it on the back of his chair, revealing medium length hair that obviously wishes to be curly, but has tried desperately to be slicked back, with marginal success.
"So. You said something about work? Is there a something wrong with one of my families?"

"Brilliant," Nox offered to Graham. "You can pick me up at eight, I don't like to eat early," she clarified for Graham, before flashing an all too impish smile Balthazar's way. A smile that she ever so delicately aimed to hide behind her cup as Cassiel made his way over to join them and she winked at his response. "Toldja."
"Yes, welcome back Miss Prewett, you've got the most beautiful hair! Why, I could simply run my fingers through it all night." Beaming smile.
"Now then, Mister Cassiel, we have a broken muggle…thing," because what Nox knew about muggle trinkets couldn't fill a teaspoon. "And well, I don't know. Nor, do I think does he. Which is why we need a professional."

Balthazar chuckles sincerely, though without obvious provocation from anyone's perspective but Nox's. He seems to lose a great degree of interest in the banter when it turns out to be muggle gadgets, but it might be useful before the Wizengamot someday. It wouldn't do to completely detach. So he listens.

"/Cohen/," Shelley answers Graham pointedly. She takes out her wand, murmuring a warming charm before taking a bite of her cake. Ahhhh… so much better warm. Followed by a sip of her coffee - while eyeing Nox with a dubious expression.
"Err… Thank you very much. But- don't. Really." It wouldn't go well. She takes another sip of her coffee.
"Still on about that music thing? No more leads yet, huh?"

Graham raises an eyebrow but only very quickly he'll need to clarify when there aren't so many people about. He is still listening to the conversation as the other comes back "Graham Cohen." he'll offer a hand in introduction though if it's taken or not he'll still continue most likely though turning to Nox again "I haven't tried to repair it by magic just yet, but an expert there would be good." is said though "There was a music player and those that heard the music it made them violent. It effected wizards and muggles alike but I couldn't tell if it was the record or the player I sort of had to blast it to break the hex." He explains before looking back "Prewett of course." he smirks slightly at her words however.

Cassiel nods to Graham, taking the man's hand, "Cassiel Umbridge, Muggle Liaison with the M.A.C., and known collector of Muggle… interests." He smiles, looking around the table again for a moment. His hand retrieved, he steeples his fingers together, and listens, "Well… interesting to hear about a working hex placed on a Muggle music device. I would assume it would have to be a pretty ingenious hex regardless of which artifact the hex was placed on."
He frowns, "I know a few Muggle artificers… or whatever they call people who fix their metal devices, who could likely help you fix the device."

Nox took an unholy delight in making people squirm. There was just something about it that…was satisifying. And Balthazar, for some reason, made the woman chuckle soft and low, before she finished off the last of her drink with a slurp. "I have no idea." To Artificers or whatever they were. "However, I could use you to question a few of the cute little muggles if you were of a mind. I'm terrible with talking and even less inclined to moderate my dress." Nox explained to Cassiel, while Graham sorted out all the important details.
"Well then who's the Prewett? I thought he said you were a Prewett? Either way, you're lovely." Don't? What's that word mean, don't? "And while I would enjoy tormenting all of you," Nox leaned in, offering twin kisses to Balthazar's cheeks, "Owl me, tomorrow, would you?" Murmured as she rose, before addressing the group once more, "There is this absolute crush I've got to be off to tonight and well…," a smile Cassiel's way, the tips of her fingers brushing the bristle about his jawline and then up, against his ear into his hair to snag beneath the brim of his hat, "I must be off! You don't mind if I borrow this, do you Cass? It's going to look lovely with my outfit." As if it didn't already look cute, when she settled it atop her head.
The problem with the woman, was that she didn't exactly wait around for replies either and simply sashayed right on out the door.
"Ta!"

"Goodnight Miss Moody. Good to see you again." Graham will look to those left at the table "Hmmm a repair shop, I imagine though cant really take it there if it's dangerous." He will look to Shelley "I was thinking about just repairing it by magic would you want to help me try maybe you can blast it if it does uh start back up when it's fixed?"

Balthazar stands with Nox, ere the gentleman and pulling her chair back for her, then glances towards the counter. "There's my cue, sadly," Balthazar says without a hint of sad whatsoever. "Cohen- Umbridge- Prewett-" If only to contrast the manner in which he clips that T at the end of Shelley's name like a castanet, Cassiel's name isn't spoken with any real vitriol at all. "- I do hope you enjoy lovely, relaxing evenings." And he's off, to pay and wander off to who knows where.

"Yes, I'm Prewett," Shelley confirms for Nox, taking another bite of her cake. "We could try," she agrees with Graham. Perhaps that something she could be a modicum of useful with.
She watches Balthazar stand up to leave, cooing after him, "Don't be a stranger, Lestrange!" It sounds sweet and kind. It's not.
She slouches into her seat, continuing to enjoy her treat in silence, not seeming to have much to add to the conversation if she isn't addressed. It's been a tough week.

Cassiel was an easy mark, at least with the touch. After all, beautiful woman, hands in bristles. Oh, easy, easy mark. Then she takes his hat. His face goes through several warring expressions as Nox leaves, from flattery, to confusion, to upset, and finally to resigned joviality, of all things. "That… was my favorite hat." He grumps.
As Balthazar gets up to leave, he nods back, "A pleasure again, Lestrange," Even if, again, their length of their interaction had been mere sentences. He then looks back to Graham, "Oh, no… the /establishment/ is Muggle… but the Artificers I know are squibs. Far more knowledgeable on the Muggle side of things, but purely vetted for our purposes. I wouldn't chance the Statute for the sake of an investigation…"

It's a touch flippant, but Cassiel gets a wave-ish gesture in return for his farewell. "Good luck with the investigation." And with that, he's away.

Graham looks over to his friend looking concerned as she seems in a rather foul mood "I think she was confused. I used your first name." he gives a small shrug he will glance to the counter as they motion that his food is ready "My newest cake creation." he'll point Shelley that direction before looking back to answer. "I'm sorry I more meant I didnt want anyone to get hurt if the item started working again. "

"Oh. Yes. Could be that," Shelley responds. She's so /used/ to her own name - sometimes she forgets how odd it is. She lets her eyes flick towards the cake for a moment, before going back to her cup, staring down into her coffee with just a hint of chocolatey-ness.
Probably she's wishing for a little whiskey in it.

"Oh goodness, yes. Mustn't others call Miss Prewett by her first name." A smile goes to her then, a remembrance of Cassiel's conversation wth her a few nights back. The tone is actually understanding, rather than mocking, as she had explained to him when he tried for the familiar with her. He then looks back to Graham, "I understand that… but repairing a hexed, or possibly cursed, item with magic would likely be more dangerous than using more mundane means. It may also give us any indication if its manner of creation was outside the norm if it were a magical device made to appear muggle in origin, as it were."

The auror will look between the two still here as Shelley looks over to the cake a moment and back. Graham looks back to the man with a shrug his smile returning slightly "I usualy do, use her first name. Well when not at work and such." he says not offhandedly he knows it was a sort of big thing for even that to happen. "I suppose that's possible, but i'm not sure I can take the risk anyone within hearing range was affected."

"And I, generously, don't punch him for it," Shelley remarks before taking another drink. "But I am not making the same promise to you, Umbridge," she responds.
"What if there was only one person in hearing range?" she remarks. "They'd have no one to attack."

"Plus: earmuffs. Like herbology class," Shelley suggests.

Cassiel snaps his fingers, "Rune magic. I'm rubbish myself, but aren't there spells that can be cast via runes that could create an area of silence around the object… like a privacy spell, but focused inward, to disallow sound from occurring within the right place."
He then looks at Shelley, still smiling, "Hey. I offered to let you use my first name. You told me no, and I'm respecting that, and your first name. So no punching. Not nice."

"Who said I was a nice person?" Shelley gives Graham a suspicious look.

Graham looks over "Not having my nose broken is appreciated." he will say to the other auror, smirking however "I did learn a patching up spell to fix it just in case though." he chuckles hoping to make her laugh smile chuckle anything really. "Both of those might work or a mixture of each maybe?" he will say though the other aurors words and look over to him. "Hey I believe it, but I don't go shouting it." he will say giving her a wink.

Shelley lets out a snort at the mention of the patch-up spell, a smile flickering across her lips. "See that you don't," she adds towards Graham - about shouting out her 'nice'ness.
While slicing off another bite of cake she adds, "I can't quite recall if I thanked you for the company the other night, Umbridge."

Cassiel nods, "I'll reach some subtle feelers out, then… ring a few bells as it were with some of my squib contacts. Just let me know when and where, and I'll set my part of things up."
Then, a look over at Shelley, and he smiles, "It was time freely and happily given. And I've not woken up with that heavy a headache in nearly seven years, so it clearly was worth it." Another smile.

"Of course not." Graham says to Shelley easily, though he's looking between the two confused a little though minding his own business for the moment finishing off his orange fizzy drink pushing it to the edge so it can be picked up with the server comes by.

Shelley lets out a quiet snort. She can't claim anywhere /near/ the seven years he does - but then, it's only been a year since her best friend died.
"Well then. I feel a bit of pride in that accomplishment," she remarks.

Cassiel chuckles at that, "Well you should. At least this time it was for a good cause." He then looks at Graham, and sensing a bit about his quiet offered, "Miss Prewitt and I shared a drink or ten at the Cauldron the other night."

"The night /after/ the night where…" stuff happened, Shelley explains for Graham.

Graham nods to the man "Ah, i've spent a few nights like that recently." He doesn't seem concerned with the drinking really though since he doesn't know the man well and he's a bit protective of his friends. He turns to Shelley who gets a half smile and he understands her words well enough. "My offer still stands anytime on the overstock." which is likely gibberish to the other but he knows Shelley will understand "Anytime at all."

"I know," Shelley answers Graham, giving him a small smile. She's just - well. She was particularly thrown of late - and, yes, possibly avoiding her friend a little, through no fault of his own. There was little chance of getting her to explain it, though.

Finishing a cocoa that had gone mostly ignored, and was now quite cold, Cassiel grins, standing. He could read crowds, and he was the third in this one. Smiling, he reaches around to grab his hat… and then a muted, "Bugger," is grumbled out. With a shake of his head, he stands, "It was nice seeing you again, Miss Prewitt." And then a look to Graham "Mister Cohen. Please feel free to send me an owl, or drop by the M.A.C. once you're ready to proceed, please. I really should be going as well. It's been a pleasure."

The young man will return the small smile in his own turn it's hard to tell if he'll ask further questions or not he's learned not to push to hard but sometimes a little is okay. Graham looks to the man as he stands up "I'm sure your hat will return." he says with a small chuckle though a more serious nod "I'll be in contact, want to get a jump on this in case there are more out there. I have to know what i'm looking for." He will explain "Good to meet you."

Shelley puts to fingers to the brim of an imaginary hat and salutes Cassiel in a teasing farewell. "See ya around I'm sure, Umbridge," she agrees easily.

Cassiel plays right back, actually biting his thumb at Shelley for a moment for that last little bit, but he nods at Graham, "I get the feeling that someone like her… the hat will be an excuse to meet again." But then he's grinning, shoving the chocolate truffle thing that Nox ignored over toward Shelley, before twirling that doorknob-handle cane a it, and heading out the door.

Graham nods chuckle "Yes perhaps so." he will say about the hat though he'll turn back after the other has walked out. The smile fades slightly to concern as he looks to the other is he drawing up courage or not sure how he should speak or if he should. "Stupid question time." he says starting light is a good place. "Are you alright Shelley, I know lots happened the last week and some of it really bad. I want to help anyway I can is all. I care." it's not a repeat not really and he wont badger her but he has to at least ask.

Shelley gives Graham a look. But where as most people would have gotten an openly hostile response, this was more of an, 'ugh, I can't believe you just asked me that,' look.
"I'm dealing with it," she offers in response. "Don't worry. I'm unsinkable." Like the Titanic!

The look gets a half smile from the man. "I did say it was a stupid question didnt I?" Graham says after a moments pause to reflect and read through it and all that. "I know somethings have to be done alone, but my offer stands. He listens as she says she's unsinkable "I know your tough, more so than I ever could be." he sighs it's a rueful smile though. "Every ship has it's iceberg."

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