[O’Dwyer’s Of Dublin] scattered all around the floor [Dermod; mini plot]

A finely arched eyebrow rose as she counted the vials once more. The math doing itself in her head as she thought back to her log book. Something was missing, what exactly she couldn't be sure. So much to do and she decided to be nice and give her assistant the day off. Everyone was entitled to at least one day of rest, were they not? But now things were disorganized and out of place. She would be sure to to make the point of organization clear . It would be terrible if someone grabbed the wrong vial off the shelf. The faint sound of her heels echoed out around her as she walked over to placed a few vials on a shelf. Grey-green eyes moved along the shelf to make sure everything was in its right place. The sound of the door caught her attention and she smiled with a glance of her watch. They were on time, thankfully. She would be closing the shop soon and the last thing she wanted was to sit around waiting on the delivery men. She watched the two men bring the crates in the shop one at a time. Four crates of wine for a gathering she was throwing, some however was for her own personal collection.

"Yes, please put the crates on the table." A delicate hand rose to point to the table off the wall to the right. "If you could pull a bottle of each wine from  the crates as well." Mo walked over to look down at the invoice before signing her name and walking over to the crates. She would need the perfect wine for the events of weekend. She wasn't sure she was up to the task now with thoughts of having to actually entertain those unfortunate to be alone. A quick survey told her that everything was in order. With a smile she walked over to the counter to grab her purse. These boys deserved a tip, they had manged to be on time and they were very professional. Walking over to the door to let them out, she gave each man his won tip. "Thank you." Maureen let the breeze wash over her relaxing for a moment before turning to walk back over to the wine. She took a moment to look over the wine before grabbing a bottle along with a glass.

The sound of the door touched her ears. "I'm sorry we're clo--" She turned as she spoke, pausing with a smile on her face. Dermod Morfessa, well wasn't this a pleasant surprise. "Hello, Dermod." Her head tilted to the side as she watched him for a moment. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Her eyes shifted towards the door realizing that he'd walked right in. She hadn't flipped the sign, ah. So there was a chance this was not a social call. Walking over to the counter, she rested both the bottle and glass before turning to look at him. Suddenly she was thinking about their last encounter. She remembered how well the banter between them had been. He was a good conversationalist. "It has been a while, how have you been?" Momentarily she had forgotten about her wine tasting. It was good to see him no matter how short the visit.

Spring had finally come to the Emerald Isle. The winds that whipped across the Schull estate had lessened somewhat, the grey skies chased away by fluffy white clouds that preceded a blue that was mirrored by a sea the writer avoided like the plague. And yet he rarely found cause to leave the confines of Schull these days, not when the castle was large, the grounds larger still, and the outside world unfriendly to any who had even thought to support the Dark Lord. It hardly seemed possible that almost two years had passed since…

He decided not to think of such things. Not in terms of what they had lost, at least. Instead the date of the battle would be a time for remembrance, when they could reflect on what might have been and what could yet be again. Last year the memory had been too fresh, too raw, but in a few weeks Dermod intended an evening banquet, just him and the witches who lived with him on the estate. Rhiannon would be at school of course, so for her there would be a gift of some kind, but nothing too obvious. He had always enjoyed bringing her presents, but now she was away at Hogwarts the pleasure was even greater, and the knowledge that she was in Slytherin made things a little easier. if the book was considered a little unsuitable for a child, or the potion a little too dangerous, she was at least among those who would help her achieve the desired results rather than report her to a professor.

Such were the thoughts in Dermod's mind as he strolled the streets of Dublin for the first time in many months. He had already paid a discrete visit to one of his favourite bookshops and parted with several galleons, but now he was headed in another, equally familiar direction. A place where no questions would be asked other than to ensure the goods he received were of the highest quality. As he passed under a sign which sported an ornate clock in the centre, the man glanced up and frowned. He'd been longer in the bookstore than intended. Would O'Dwyers be closing already? He quickened pace, but fortunately the sign read open and a quick flick of his wand opened the door for him to step through. And there was the lady herself, a smile crossing her lips at the sight of him. Dermod found himself smiling as well as he recalled a previous meeting, his eyes flickering briefly to the bottle she held before slowly travelling back to her face.

"Miss O'Dwyer. I am quite well, thank you. On a mission for something…unusual for my younger daughter, though not so unusual that her school might not approve" he responded with a wink as he closed most of the distance between them. "I was hoping you would be able to assist me…unless it's not convenient?" he added, thinking belatedly that he couldn't recall a time when wine had been a feature of the sales service.

It had been sometime since she had last had company, well rather company she enjoyed. Grey eyes washed over him as she considered his words. There was a many unusual things around her shop. Far more unusual in the back room. Her teeth found her bottom lip before she spoke. "No, no. I was just going to taste a few bottles of wine to pick for a gathering." As she spoke she flicked her wrist and another glass floated it's way to the counter. "Would you care to join me for a glass?" With that the bottle was opened and rested back in its place on the counter after each glass had been partially filled.

"For the gift you are looking for...would you like a potion or something else?" As she asked her glass was lifted to her lips for a drink. "Hmm." Came the soft sound of wonder as she pulled the glass back to look at the liquid. There was something different about this bottle. She had tasted wine from all over the world but none as...unique as this. Though she wanted to know what made it different she also wanted another sip more. For a moment she had forgotten what it was they had been talking about, just for a moment. Shifting she grabbed a book from behind the counter to rest in front of him. Gold letter set out against it's onyx covering. Elegantly written were the words specialty items. "Have a look through these pages, there is bond to be something that catches your eye.

Her hand rose to run along her neck as she took a deep breath. There was no way she could be feeling the affects of the wine so suddenly, was there? She wasn't sure what was going on but she knew she wanted to be closer to the man next to her. She wanted more than small talk and laughter and the sudden feeling was nearly all-consuming. Swiftly he moved away from him to busy herself with some kind of work. "Is this a spur of the moment gift or is she expecting it?" She didn't look at him as she spoke, no her eyes were kept on the list of potions before her. She had to busy herself but her mind was rambling all over the place. She thought of a different future than she had earlier. Things had changed somehow.

Walking back over, careful to keep just a bit of distance between them, she grabbed her glass to have another drink. "This wine is...amazing." Twirling the glass she watched the liquid rise and fall before leaning in to smell as the wine settled. Grey eyes shifted to the bottle label, it was from the same place as always. She couldn't spend all her time wondering about what was different with the wine, she was just grateful that this batch might be the one she hoped for. She looked over at him again, head tilted a curious expression on her face. "It's been some time since we last saw each other..." And it had, but all that mattered was the moment now. The moment in which she wanted to be closer to this man then she had been with anyone else. She wanted to share more of herself then she ever had. What in the world was going on?

"Let's not go so long between visits. I do enjoy your company you know."

The Irishman's face betrayed no surprise as Miss O'Dwyer offered him a drink. Perhaps this was routine and she was in the habit of offering wine to all her customers these days - but he truly doubted that. She trusted his judgement regarding wine choices, then? Possible, but privately Dermod thought it more likely that there was another reason for the offer. He smiled and murmured his thanks as two glasses were poured, though he let his host drink first, not wanting to appear overeager. But something in her reaction as Miss O'Dwyer took a sip caught his attention. Was it imagination, or had her pupils dilated slightly in the seconds following her tasting of the wine? Dermod raised his own glass. "To a successful arrangement" he said, a little enigmatically, as he first sniffed and then tasted the wine himself.

Merlin, this was a good vintage! It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that he couldn't remember the last time he'd tasted anthing quite like it. It wasn't just the taste, or the faint undertones of cinnamon and blackcurrant that made it seem so darkly delicious, but something more, as if the mere act of tasting recalled memories of pleasant times, shared pleasant times... he shook his head slightly, placing the glass back on the counter and accepting the proffered book. Elegantly bound, it could more properly be called a catalogue, given that it contained descriptions of various items, some bespoke, some simply rare, that couldn't be obtained by ordinary customers.

The writer turned the pages, distracted. He could well recall why he was here, and quickly passed over the description of a potion guaranteed to convince the drinker to sign over all their worldly goods to the one who offered it - he could see the uses of that one, but unless Rhiannon was coveting some seventh year's robes and pet owl, he doubted she would find it particularly helpful. The section on rare ingredients used in certain dark potions caught his attention a while longer, but the trouble with sending such a thing to Hogwarts was the risk of it being intercepted. Belatedly, he looked up, aware that he was being asked a question, but disappointed that it was regarding his planned purchase.

"Oh...a surprise gift. I felt the urge to indulge my youngest and...well, indulge myself at the same time" he said with a self-deprecating smile. Despite his many other character flaws, Dermod did truly enough surprising his daughter with gifts, and moreso when he knew they were completely unexpected. Though once the wine was mentioned it was as if everythine else slipped from his mind.

"Indeed. I take it this is a new supplier?" he asked idly, stepping a little closer to the woman as he took another sip, thinking this one even more pleasant than the first. He would have to acquire some for the estate. Perhaps Miss O'Dwyer... Maureen... would even be willing to assist him with that purchase as well. Before he could consider the wisdom of his actions he had reached for her hand, held it in his own left hand, raised it to his lips and kissed briefly. "The feeling is mutual, I assure you" he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper "Perhaps you should return the visit and come to my estate sometime? I would be delighted to...entertain you." While the actions and words were his own, some small voice in the depths of his mind was demanding what on earth he thought he was doing.

She nodded as he gave a toast, lifting the glass to her lips to take a sip. Her eyes washed over his face for a brief moment before drifting off to one of the shelves close to her. She could hear the echo of her heart beat in her ears. For some reason it quickened, just slightly but enough for her to take notice. She was nervous but there was no reason to be, was there? She knew him, really knew him. So there was no need to feel the butterflies in her stomach.

She was grateful that he was distracted by the book. It gave her a moment to gather herself. The witch wasn't sure what was happening but she knew the feeling very well. Her eyes dropped down to look into the glass she held, wondering for just a moment if it was the cause. Sadly, there was nothing bad she could think about the wine. If every bottle was like the one they were drinking from she would greatly pleased. Grey eyes rose to rest on his face once more as she listened to him speak.

"There is nothing wrong with a bit of self-indulgence." She knew just how well indulging herself could be. Just the thought brought a smile to her lips. "No." Was followed by the soft shake of her head to answer his question about the wine. Her breath held as she watched him move closer. "It...it's one of my favorites..."

Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth she watched him kiss her hand. Long lashes lowered over her eyes slightly as her gaze was lifted. She could feel the warmth of her skin, the slight awareness of how close he actually was. "I believe we are alone right now..." Her voice was soft as she spoke. She looked around them as if to make the point clear, hoping that his mind had drifted where hers had. It was strange how all of a sudden she wanted this visit to go a very different direction.

She had at first been hoping for some small talk and maybe to be invited out for tea or something as such. She had not expected to take a step closer to the man to close what distance provided her comfort from the overwhelming onslaught of emotions. Maurie stared at him through her lashes before whisper low. "Entertain me now." A simple request if she had ever made one. The witch wasn't too sure why she had suddenly become so bold, but she knew she didn't mind how it felt.

There was something freeing about it all. It was as if nothing else mattered but what happened between them. She wanted a lot to happen. All of which she could see in her head playing over and over again. Once more her bottom lip found her teeth before she gave a slow smile. She could only imagine what joys the rest of her day would hold.