the magical properties of wood

[Sophronia Portingale]

Sophie had comes to London in hopes of talking to Mr Gervaise Ollivander, but he hadn't been in the shop when she had gone by. It was a little disappointing, but Sophie supposed it was her own fault for not contacting Mr Ollivander before coming. In hindsight, it was probably for the best. He might have considered her sudden appearance and expectations to talk rude. Yes, it certainly had been foolish. I shall write him before coming back again, Sophie thought with a slight nod.

After Sophie's failed attempt to meet with Mr Ollivander, she decided to go to Flourish & Blotts to do some research. Maybe she could find some books on wandmaking and the magical properties of wood. Some books on magical creatures wouldn't hurt either. She did still have the book for her Care for Magical Creatures course, but maybe there were other—perhaps better—books of reference.

Rather than wandering the aisles, she decided to ask one of the employees. She didn't really want to dawdle, perusing, especially since she didn't want to leave the store than more books than she had planned. The employee told her where to find the subjects she was looking for and, thanking him, Sophie went off to find some books on the magical properties of wood first. However, in her eagerness, she turned the corner of the aisles a little too quickly and ended up ramming into a tall gentleman.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, ricocheting a few steps backwards. Looking up, slightly bewildered, Sophie's face burned red with embarrassment when her eyes met the man's. “I am terribly sorry, sir! I wasn't paying any attention at all. Are you alright?”

@'Elias Grimstone'

  

[Elias Grimstone]

Having been in London on business, to meet with a foreign investor who was staying there for the duration of the Wizarding Fair, Elias had returned to Diagon Alley after having been thoroughly grilled about his brooms and the possibilities of commissioning a special few for some of the investor's own clients, quite ready for a break from work.

He had stopped into the bookshop with the intention of sending his mother in Portsmouth a book or two, for she did not visit wizarding bookshops near as much as he knew she liked, but somehow, nevertheless, he had drifted towards a few of the bookshelves that would hardly make for diverting reading for his mother, but that he was well familiar with. He'd pulled out one of the heaviest compendiums of magical woods - he was fairly sure he had a copy of this at home - because, while he thought of it, he might double-check the investor's suggestion of substituting ordinary English oak for Mongolian oak. Elias was dubious. Flicking through the pages of it, he had, he supposed, gotten a little carried away, and begun walking with the oversized (and overweight) volume down the aisle with a vague notion of finding a chair to sit at - without looking where he was actually going, obviously.

Scarcely a moment later, he had collided head-on with someone, or at least, would have, if the giant compendium had not been in his grasp as a sort of accidental buffer. That said, it nearly peeled out of his grasp - as he stumbled backwards, he clutched it more tightly before it could fall, stun the entire shop with a thud as though it were a gunshot, and leave Elias to break a wrist in the process - but he just about retained hold of it, and of his own balance too.

The other victim of this collision had been a young lady, and though thin and dainty-looking, she was also rather tall, and so at least she had not been knocked right to the ground from the force of it. She too seemed flustered, immediately lunging for the blame herself, asking him if he was alright, and all.  

"No, in fact I think you might have killed me," Elias said gravely.

  

[Sophronia Portingale]

For a moment, Sophie looked almost dumbfounded at his words, but a smile quickly appeared on her face. Her blush deepened and looked down. His grave tone had thrown her and she didn't know how to respond. At least he wasn't angry.

“I am sorry,” she reiterated shyly, looking up at him again. Her expression changed to a curious look. “You're – you're Mr Grimstone, aren't you? The famous broom maker?” An excited grin spread across her face. Sophie hadn't ever thought that she'd meet someone like him at Flourish & Blotts. But honestly, there's only so many wizarding bookstores in the United Kingdom! she told herself.

@'Elias Grimstone' sorry for the wait and brevity of the post. Phone post. >.<;

  

[Elias Grimstone]

She had managed a smile, but she seemed to have blushed and quickly quieted - that was what Elias got for attempting to crack a joke, probably. Hastily, he conjured up a sheepish grin, shifting the book in his grasp in an attempt to wave off her apology. "No, I didn't - I was just joking - it's fine -" and more often than not it any clumsiness was his fault usually, but... Fortunately, perhaps, he had been cut off from his awkward floundering by a sudden realisation the young lady had made.

His jaw dropped a little open in surprise, but words were failing him, so instead he shut his mouth again and mirrored her grin, nodding. It oughtn't come as too much of a surprise that someone might know him, but Elias found he was more often recognised by name than by face, and most of the young ladies that could do so were involved in quidditch by some measure or another (whether the girl before him was, he wasn't sure; he didn't recognise her, at any rate). Glancing down with a little self-consciousness, Elias supposed that although he - unusually - didn't have a broom with him to make his identity quite so obvious, he had still managed to be carrying a clue to his career. He really should branch out in books sometime.

"Broommaker, yes," he said, forgoing her addition of famous with a little lingering sheepishness, "Elias Grimstone, as you say, and pleased to meet you, Miss!" He inclined his head obligingly, before attempting one more belated assurance. "And I ought to be sorry, I'm obviously miserable at looking where I'm going."

eek no I'm sorry for the horrible wait!