for the magazine [Nikola]

“Your late.” Roberto said as he let out a breath of cigarette smoke.

“I am not!” Denied the loud blond as she cut across the street towards him. She was dressed to impress with a designer dragon leather top and a Scottish plaid skirt. Her hair was what took the most time this morning, the messy-teased updo, was done  to make her look a few years oldermore mature. Her high-heeled boots added four inches to her height (now coming to a whopping 5’-3”) but made walking fast difficult. As she approached the photographer, she noticed his clothes and was surprised the Senior photographer was not dressed nicer for the occasion. Apparently he thought it was acceptable to wear jeans, a shirt and a flannel when meeting a fashion designer. She longingly watched as he took a long drag. Man, I could use a muggle fag right now….

“Germany is an hour a head, Ollivander.” replied the wide, bearded, balding, spanish wizard before he pushed himself off the brick wall of the Label building. He flicked what was left of his stub of a cigarette, leaving it un-stamped out in the gutter.

Lesleigh despises when people in the office use her last name.  At the start, she had made an effort to ask them to caller her by Lesleigh or Les for short. Yet once they realize that it annoyed her they now do it on purpose.  Still, she did not have time to think about that now, for a  wave of fear was currently coursing through her body. She let out a curse word, then she checked her watch.   “What time does the Port key leave?”

“Fifteen” he said as he turned and strode into the entrance of the building.  The guards opened the door without comment.

“Fifteen, Sh** Roberto, I got plenty of time.”  Les said dismissively as she following him in. Although she knew she had to book it if they were going to get to the roof in time and she wouldn’t have time to use the leu.

~*~

He had lied, they had a whole thirty mins before the portkey whisked them away and they found themselves standing near a cottage on a sleepy lane of Tessin, Germany.  Lesleigh examined the whitewashed walls and the wide window of the charming house. To her it looked like it would be more of a home to a great grandma-witch, then to an up-in-coming fashion designer who sprang from an infamous pureblood family. Lesleigh turned to her photographer and raised an eyebrow. Silent questioning if he was pulling another trick on her. But he simply gave a bow and waived her forward, as if to say, ‘you first.’

Les walked up the narrow walkway and then knocked on the dark wood door taking a step back. While she nervously straighten her skirt and checked her hair, an answer came from within by a means of a yippy bark that quickly grew louder. The next moment a dark, thin, tall figure manifested in the shaded glass, the door opened, and Roberto snapped a photo.


Lesleigh gave him a look that said, Honestly, give the woman a second to compose herself ya git. and he gave a look back that said to Les just doing my job, hun before rewinding his camera. Plastering a smile Les turned back to the beautiful tall young witch standing in the door.

“Mrs. Nikola Meer I presume? It is an honor to meet you. I am Lesleigh Ollivander with Label Magazine.” Les held out her hand for a more formal shake, but added a lean in with an air kiss on each side of the tall women’s cheeks. Which had to be done a bit on her toes.  “I will be filling in for Annalisa today…” With a clearing of a throat behind her Les added, “and this is Roberto Navarro, our top photographer. He will be taking some candid shots, during the interview.  BUT don't worry, he is a wiz with lighting and staging and we will not leave without a fabulous photo of you for the magazine.”


@Nikola Meer

Nikola had risen with the sun, as she’d actually gone to bed at a decent time last night, and alone. She had too much work to do to be carrying on with a lover at the moment anyways, not with her first full collection nearing completion, several custom orders to finish before december’s flurry of Solstice, Christmas, and New Years parties hit, and a few deliveries to make for her family at the same time. Although the stress relief of a lover, even if temporary, would be a nice change of pace. But still, time. She’d made it a point to walk Ludolf earlier than usual, considering today she’d be entertaining guests of a different kind. Not clients or a lover, or even family, but her first ever interview with an actual fashion magazine that wasn’t just a quick snippet after a show, or a owled request for a blurb to go next to some picture of a more famous person wearing one of her designs. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t both nervous and excited at the same time.

In her workroom, she was a little twitchy about the current state of things, but she wanted it to look used and worked in, not some pristine haven for the OCD. so her current leatherworking project was still in place on her standing desk, the dragon-inspired shoulder piece starting to take shape, though she had yet to properly stain the leather. Above that were shelves containing various other materials and tools, from dragonhide to rabbit fur, leather stains, awls… and neatly tucked away in the corner, though still too messy for her liking, was her metal working station, tools more designed for a jeweler then a fashion designer. But Nikola was fond of making even her own buttons, be they pearl or silver. There was something soothing about looking at a piece and knowing that you’d crafted each tiny detail. She’d even experimented with dying her own cloth, but that was far too messy to leave out, though she knew were some samples were if the writer wished to see them. Most everything else, from feathers to fabric and fastenings were away in their place, save for the dress form that she was currently working off of, still hanging with the brilliant green fabric with the faint scaled design that she was currently stitching the striking feathers she’d managed to get her hands on into the skirt. That was a personal project, one that she really should have put aside for now, considering everything else that was going on, but she just hadn’t been able to help herself…

And then of course there was the light and airy circular sitting area where she met with clients, that in this case had three mannequins in it, though she’d left the outfits off them for now. She genuinely wanted this woman’s honest reaction when she first saw them. This was as much of a test for Nikola’s concept, as it was an interview for the reporter.

She didn’t so much as hear the knock as she did Ludolf’s excited barking, shaking her head and looking around wildly. Was it really time already? How had she gotten so lost in thought. Barefoot, she headed for the door, still wearing her around the house clothes and sighing a little. Thick black leggings, and a comfortable black tank top with a sweetheart neckline, made of soft leather and embellished with silver buckles down the front. She loved the top and didn’t mind showing it off, but it wasn’t what she’d planned on wearing. She grabbed a brightly colored robe off a hook as she walked past, leaving it open in the font and figuring that would have to do. “Ludolf, Indoor voice.” she said in German, before opening the door to the flash of a camera. At least she’d been smiling, though that faded as she blinked away the bright light, her dog letting out a little bark as though offering to bite whatever had just unsettled her. “Ludolf, go play.” she gave the dog a pointed look and he wandered off like a sulking toddler, sad that she wasn’t going to let him greet new people.

“Yes, Welcome.” she answered in English, thinking that this woman didn’t strike her as the same one she’d been corresponding with.  She didn’t have to wait long for an explanation, and was suddenly glad that she wasn’t wearing shoes. The poor girl, even in heels, could barely greet her and Nikola smiled as she returned the air kiss, nodding politely at the photographer. “Annalisa… spoke German… I take it you do not?” she parsed her words carefully, though the fact that she’d been greeted in English was a good indicator. She’d have to make due with a language she was not anywhere near as comfortable with. “I understand better then I speak, but we will make due. Please. Enter.” she stepped back to allow her guests entry into her home.

The entryway was beneath the upstairs loft area that served as Nikola’s dining room, but opened up rather quickly onto her livingroom, a wide open spacious area with bright purple furnishings, comfortable and brightly lit from the large windows that spanned two stories on the back of her house and overlooked a high walled backyard. “This way...” she gestured pleasantly to a large set of double doors under the staircase, where her workroom and studio was located. 

Les had heard about Nikola Meer before she took the job. What little pieces the self-proclaimed fashionista seen of the young Meer’s creations, she would describe as a bold but elegant display of rich flowing fabrics and unique textures. Even though this definition was technically what the German witch was wearing, her assemble would be one of the last outfits she would expect the designer to wear.  Coming to the door wearing a black sleeveless corset like top, and a Japanese kimono, was not quite professional, yet for some reason it fashionably worked. Lesleigh would have to admit if the Kimono was shortened, and if you wrapped the leggings with a short skirt, she would be all over that outfit. Even though the outfit screamed sexy hot and comfortable in her own skin, it was the Witches’s inquiry that made Lesleigh’s heart skip a beat.

The Londoner's bright brown eyes grew wide as she took in what the German witch was saying. “Oh, no. Annalisa couldn't make it. Unfortunately no. I don’t speak German.” She spared a wild glance at Roberto, who gave a shrug to say, ‘me neither’.  She turned back to the tall witch in front of her with pleading eyes. “Will that be a problem?”

With the slim witch statement that we will make due, Lesleigh mouthed the words, "Thank Merlin", while  lightly touching her chest.  If Les had to go back empty handed, after wasting two port keys and half of a workday, she would be on thin ice. It did not matter that Annalisa never mentioned anything about a language barrier. At work there is always roadblocks, problems, or small emergencies… but management’s general opinion is to work around it, and get the job done so that everyone can meet the deadline. No excuses. So far, in Lesleigh’s experiences, she only had to deal with a jacket that did not fit and a model that did not show up for a shoot. Not being able to communicate during an interview would have been a huge snag.

What ever was barking seemed to have slipped or been put away, and Label pair was let in the door without being confronted.  It was not until she stepped past the threshold, did Lesleigh notice the tall brunette was bear foot. A wave of jealousy washed over the blond. She noted that the woman was not only beautiful, seemingly confident, successful but tall too. Unlike Les, Nikola could have been a model, but instead what the witch was doing in Germany, was what Lesleigh failed to do in Paris just 9 months ago. Les had tried to get a job under a designer, she had no skills in making clothes and hoped to learn some and make it in the fashion industry but failed. Instead she got a job with Label where on occasion she could show off her skills and assembling random designer pieces into a to-die-for outfit. Although her job at times sucks, once and a while she feels like she makes magic happen with fashion. During these moments she feels like she is living a dream. Yet for Lesleigh, Meer's seemed to have it all.

“Love the purple couches! They are gorgeous.” The blonde witch tried to put aside her jealousy with an compliment, as the living room came into view. The couches which were vintage with a bold flare were more along the line that she imagined the designer’s taste would be. It was not to unusual for wizards to have such dark and rich furnishings in London, but this was not the typical cramped dark London apartment. The huge wide windows flood the space with bright light and natural views, to which the furniture sits in high contrast. In fact the couches were almost the same field color as her robe. Roberto saw this and skirted across the room and waved Less out of his frame. Less took a few steps right before he snapped a few more shots of Meer in the archway back lit by the doors front window, with the purple couches in the foreground. He gave a thumbs up and fiddled with his camera some more.

“He got the shot. The lighting looks great in here.”  Lesleigh tried to explain, as she walked toward to two doors the Designer was jestering to. She had thought it would be best to conduct the interview in the living room, until she entered the next space. What she saw cause her to take a short intake of breath as she glanced around slightly stunned. The artist studio looked more like a fabric store to Les. It was meticulously organized with shelves beautifully displaying every imagined material and tool. Making her store room a work look like a teenage witch's disheveled closet. A portion of the room looked like it was professionally staged, although it was just likely where Meer met her clients. Judging by the mirror, privacy screens and fitting area near it. With the work area as a backdrop and the intimacy of the circular sitting it would be the best location for a interview. 

She was about to say something to this and confirm with her photographer when a dragon inspired shoulder piece standing halfway assembled on a desk caught her eye. Forgetting for a moment about the interview she walked over to it and ran her fingers across the leather. Obviously in the process of becoming something, but already intriguing and gorgeous. Forgetting about saving some thoughts for the interview she blurted. "Oh, I love the lines. An element of wings, strong but graceful and almost androgynous. I could see it above a dress with similar lines or a men's coat, but you just to woman fashion right?"

Les was about to go on but Roberto felt it was necessary to interject and ask "Meer can I get a photo of you standing behind it? and another of you looking like you working on it?" Again Lesleigh stepped to the side and let her coworker dance around the room taking photos from a few angles.  "Yes, hold still yes... look down... now up... hold it. The lighting is good. Got it."

Nikola was amused by this young woman who had appeared at her door, and was certainly more comfortable seeing someone much closer to her own age, if not a bit younger. She’d been nervous before, but her confidence was back in full force, leading them into her home. She’d seen the young woman’s look at her clothing, and nodded slightly. “I miscalculated. time change is… frustrating.” she commented, gesturing slightly at her outfit. But she didn’t seem too put off by it. “You did want to see what I look like when I work, yes?” she managed to joke. At least her hair was done, and not thrown into some sort of completely disheveled bun held in place by a knitting needle and a scrap of fabric. She’d done that once or twice, and would have been mortified if someone had caught her looking like that.

She was pleased at the woman’s excitement over the couches, resting a hand on the back of one of them. “They were family… I had them re-colored. My grandmother wanted to redo her… Wohnzimmer” she pulled a small book from one of her pockets as she said the word, and the book flipped to the correct page. “… Lounge.” she wasn’t quite sure if that was the correct word, but was more than happy to talk about them, only sparing the clicking of the camera the barest of thoughts. After all, it was what he was here for, as annoying and distracting as it was to have him flitting about her home and taking pictures of her. She nodded at lesleigh’s comment about the lighting. “Yes… best in the morning, however. I barely use the lights most days.” she was proud of this livingroom, it had the comfort of home and her family, while still being completely her own. 

Eager to actually get into her work room, where they could sit down and talk in earnest, Nikola led the way through the double doors, pushing each side open one handed and allowing the two of them to enter in behind her as the doors very slowly moved to shut themselves. There was a light smirk at the audible gasp behind her, and another click of the camera, but the german woman was past the point of caring. She leaned against one of her work tables, one that currently had no project on it, and watched the woman look around like a kid in a candy store. There were perks to being from an obscenely wealthy family, though Nikola hated drawing attention to it around others. However she was used to this sort of reaction, and simply watched to see what the girl would gravitate towards.

Her patience was rewarded at the little gasp of excitement when Lesleigh found the pauldron, smiling brightly. “That piece… is a gift… part of a whole. For a dear little friend.” there was a hint of longing in her voice. Nikola hadn’t been to the school’s new location, but perhaps it was time for a visit. After all, they still had weekend trips to the nearby town, and Edyta would be glad to see her. Had it really been two years since last they met up in person? “A gown. She will wear it to Winter Ball. she is Draconya Krov. and wants to be dragon tamer.” and if she was lucky, she could persuade the Dragon obsessed young woman to model it over winter break for her as well… but that was a conversation for later on in the interview.

The Blonde was still talking, and Nikola straightened up, drawing the woman’s attention with a gesture to a collection of resizable mannequins in the corner, male, female, and several smaller ones. “Fashion is not for only women, or adults. Men should strive to look good as well. Some seem to think it is unimportant however, even in the business.” she did not look at Roberto, but it was clear that she was taking a jab at his outfit of choice. “Would you not agree?”

She let out a slight sigh when he addressed her. “Please. Nikola is prefered. There are many Meer.” but she was at least cooperative, doing as he asked and even finding a few threads that needed to be tightened. Honestly what had she been thinking, still working on this at two in the morning last night when her vision had started to go blurry and she was nearly falling asleep on her stool. She was good at following directions, but the most he got of a smile was faint hints of amusement and a slight upturn of her lips.

“If you wish, we can sit in here?” she gestured to the circular room that protruded from the side of her studio, up two stairs from the regular floor. It even had a fireplace for cooler days, and faced the same direction as the living room, well lit and airy. “It does not surprise that you would only know my women’s designs. Men do not speak so frequently of their closet.” she added, reassuringly as she began to head in that direction.

Les had only nodded to the German witch when she explained the furniture had belong to her family. The young Label employee had been pulled aside by Annalisa, after she willingly jumped on the interview assignment and was specifically told to not bring up Nikola’s family.  They were going to show off the young design in a short but one to two-page article that flattered her and positively displayed a few of her pieces that graced some recent social events. She was instructed that there will be absolutely no roasting. As if Lesleigh could cook people's careers. Les had a feeling that the Meer family's name had them walking a little on eggshells. But when a student age friend was brought up Lesleigh jumped on the information.

“A gift for a friend?” Lesleigh was sooo tempted to respond ‘wow, how can I become your friend?’ But worried it was to brass and tacky, so she said. “Wow. She is lucky. And you said she is a Durmstrang student? Is she an old classmate? Can we have a name?”

Lesleigh pulled a pad and quill from a small black dragon leather tote tucked under her arm and started jotting down information. It probably wouldn’t be in the main body of the interview but might make an interesting side note caption if they use that photo. The blonde wrote down the next quote, ‘Fashion is not for only women, or adults. Men should strive to look good as well.’ And replied, “Yes, I would.” With a bit of an eye roll, before she caught that it was likely a jab at her coworker. Sparing a glance at him, she noted he seemed oblivious. His attitude could be summed up with a statement she overheard him say once, ‘It is my photos that do the impressing.’ She could not argue; he had a knack for getting the dramatic shots and could work wonders in almost all lighting situations.

After the impromptu photo opportunity was finished, Nikola directed then to the sitting area that Lesleigh spotted before. She mumbled some agreement, then tried to clear her throat. She was feeling a little jittery as she stepped up and was about to take a seat when Roberto asked her to sit in a different chair. He had lesleigh hold up her pad a bit higher and took a few shots behind her facing the German Design and her studio. Lesleigh felt a little bit like a prop, but trusted that Roberto would get a good shot.

Now a camera was not pointing in her direction, Lesleigh felt more comfortable to address Nikola’s comment. “I am sure it is our fault for not asking men who made their outfit. Certainly there are a few men that are vain enough to announce it, and others that are not so…” She gave sly smirked and gave a glance at Roberto. He seemed to busy fiddling with changing his film while a unlit cigarette hung on his lips. Apparently, he thought he might take a cigarette break when they conducted the interview. Lesleigh hoped he had the sense to step outside. She pulled out another note pad of premade listed of questions and placed it on her lap before she flexed her aching fingers while she continued.  “I would love to see a piece or two of your male line when we are done with the interview. And do you do children too? ” She pointed her quill to the small manikin set between the two genders.  “If they are anything like the pieces worn at the Gala in Singapore, I would bet they are to die for.”

Les figured she needed to get started so she adjusted her skirt, re-positioned the pad in her lap and cleared her throat.

“So, I would like to first say, That I am a big admirer of your work…. It can be so classical but cutting edge. Oh and the texture you accoperate is amazing. Okay. Enough about my perspective, this is all about you.” Lesleigh glance at the pad in her lap again. “I would like to start at the beginning. What made you choose designing fashion as opposed to modeling or something else? ” She was going to add lip something about her must having a ton of options but was worried that it would allude to her family connections.

As the two made their way to the comfortable sitting area, Nikola actually smiled, though it was faint when Les asked more questions about her friend. “My friend is shy.” she offered in explanation as to why she did not willingly give the girl’s name. “Other students were not kind to her. So my reputation scared them off. She was too young to be classmate, but I tutored her.” she hoped they wouldn’t try to go digging into Nikola’s time at school to try to learn who her friend was. “Perhaps you will see her. I want her to wear the dress in a show. My final piece for my new collection.” and with that hint dropped, Nikola settled down comfortably in her usual seat, moving some of the lavender and pale yellow-gold cushions out of the way and leaning back, legs crossed with one arm draped comfortably over the back of the bench seating.

“My favorite piece for a man… He was Dragon Researcher. I did both dress and his robes.” she took out her wand and flicked it towards a shelf, unintentionally drawing attention to the fact that beside her wand holster on her belt, there was also a rather beautiful dagger in a leather sheath. Summoning things to her was one of the spells she could perform wordlessly, and was quite proud of that fact. A book came to her hand, with two dates on the cover spanning a six month period, and she flipped through it, looking for a sketch. Her figures were all the exact same, as if she wasn’t good at drawing a body but had perfected one specific pose for each gender, but the clothing was richly detailed and colored. Holding the book out so that Les could see it, and Roberto could take a picture if he liked, the two designs were on opposite pages, both in white with hints of blues and lavender throughout. “He was insistent. No dragon leather. So I found ways to make it look like there was. He was very pleased. Did much to teach me about how many methods to get dragon hide for fashion is very cruel. I am now very careful about who I buy from. My friend helped me find good people. She will be very good at her job when she is done school.” there was almost a motherly tone when Nikola spoke about her friend, like a proud older sister who was pleased with the way a much younger one was growing up.

When she noticed the Cigarette in the man’s mouth, she gave him a polite, thin lipped smile. “In the Lounge, at the base of stairs there is door to backyard. You can see here, so if we need you, we can wave.” she did not mean to be dismissive of him, but her poor command over the language made it come across that way. Unfortunately there wasn’t much she could do about it. Her elf came in as he was leaving, with a lovely tea pot, three cups and Pfeffernusse cookies, setting them down on a small coffee table in the middle of the sitting area, before leaving. Nikola was a huge fan of the cookies, and hated that they were usually served at christmas. Her elves on the other hand always had them at the ready, even in the middle of August for their mistress’s late night snacking pleasure, but as it was November she didn’t feel quite so guilty about serving them to guests.

She poured herself some tea, picking up the small decanter that was there and adding some of the brandy to her glass. “Is brandy, if you would like? I like it in my tea.” she looked up at Les as she said so. “I know some English would perhaps start war over this.”  a wry smirk crossed her face at her joke, rather pleased with herself. She was getting better at speaking in english then she had been three years ago, with her first english client. The young designer settled back comfortably as Les settled herself in to begin the actual interview, hoping she’d be able to at least communicate her thoughts correctly.

“It was… accident. I liked colors and patterns, made my own robes as a youth. My family is very close, but can also… Smother? Sometimes too close.” she chuckled a little. “I wanted… breathing room. So I came here. Started garden, spent more time with art. It was in a Cafe… a woman asked about my top. When I told her I made it… she wanted me to make one for her. I was not allowed to say no.” the wry smile returned. It was a good memory. “And then her friend… she wanted dress for birthday party. And another, and soon there were many.” she gave a slight shrug. “After year… I started experimenting. I am still finding what is best for me, but I feel like I am comfortable. Would have been easy for me to work for family… but in this. I am Nikola. Not just another Meer.” 

She looked pointedly at the Ollivander girl when she said this. After all, this was a woman also making her way in the fashion world, independent of her family’s traditional trade. “You understand, yes?”

So far, things have gone well. Well, except that when she tried to get the school witch’s name she was denied because the witch was ‘shy’. Which was fine. She had waved dismissively, to show it was not important. But she still noted down ‘unnamed friend / Durmstrang student’ then noted the it 'might be in the SHOW… final piece to the collection.’ With a teazer like that and a halfway good shot of her with the piece, it was almost guaranteed to make the article!

The notes of the dragon researcher followed in her notebook. She was thinking it was too bad she did not have a photo of that piece when the sketch book appeared. Lesleigh had caught a glimpse of the knife but was momentarily distracted. The German designer displayed her work for Les and then for Roberto. Although Les itched to flip through them and find something that she would die to have made for her. She knew it would not make the main image of the article and it looked like Roberto did too. Even though he obediently took a picture of her holding it proudly then a few close ups, he put a lot less effort into this round of photos. Still  Les watched Nikola longingly handle the book, before her mind drifted back to the dagger she noticed near were she kept her wand.

In Lesleigh’s mind, most wizards in polite society did not go around wearing daggers, for it would show that they could not use spells to precisely cut most objects properly. Although some witches still had knives in the kitchen and potioneers did use them for their work, but in Les's mind it was the dark wizard who was most likely to carry around the occasional dagger for dark spells or just to look menacing. Les was debating if the dagger meant that Nikola use it in her fashion work or was in fact a dark witch, when she was brought back by the statement of dragon free leather. She copied down; ‘to teach me about how many methods to get dragon hide for fashion is very cruel. I am now very careful about who I buy from.’ Then noted to herself to ask her about dragon leather alternatives later. She had planned to ask her about a similar issue and was glad this came up so she could make it more relevant. Lesleigh was a little confused of how a Durmstrang student ‘helped her find good people’ who un-cruelty harvest dragon leather.

She was debating how she was going to ask Nikola to clarify this, when the dark hair witch gave Roberto an odd command. The blonde watched her coworker frowned for a second, before he seemed to have an epiphany moment and then removed his cigarette and spared a glance at it. He got the look he tend to have when he was dealing with a troublesome model. It was then that Les too realized she was politely asking him to smoke it in the backyard. Robert responded a little to patronizingly, “Nah, sweetheart, I think I am done for now. I’ll come back just before we need to catch the port key and see if there is anything … I missed.” He put the cigarette back into his mouth and nodded at Lesleigh before walking out the front door.

F*** he could have be nicer about it. Lesleigh thought but she tried to excuse his action by saying “He is used to dealing with models.” She was nervous that the German designer was going to take him leaving the wrong way. But with the sudden timing of the tea and round powder sugar biscuits, it was like they was celebrating his departure. On top of this, to Lesleigh's delight the party was topped off by a splash of brandy. The blonde gave a small high throated laugh at the German witches’ joke, before responding. “There will be no war for me. I just would not recommend serving it that way to my mum.”

Lesleigh had a chance to take a good sip of her tea-brandy and made a slight mess while trying to nibble on the crumbly-nutty biscuit while copying down most of the women’s response. Again she did not bother with the information about Meer's family, yet it was not lost on Les. She could relate, for she had her own family name hurdles to get over. Unlike Nikola, she had no idea if she could. The only way she could see it happening is if she became more famous than her father, which would be impossible. Still the youngest Ollivander did not want to go into it. She was not there to share her story and woes but record How Nikola become such an amazing fashion designer, so she only said. “Yes, totally I understand and that is amazing. So, you did not attend to become a designer, it just happened? Did you had another passion or think about becoming something else?”

Lesleigh listened intently before moving onto the next subject, “Coming back to what you said about colors and patterns. How would you describe how colors and patterns influenced your initial designs and has that changed at all with your designs today?”

Nikola’s gaze followed Roberto with a bit of a scowl. “I do not like people smoking in front of my home.” It was all she said, for the time being, though if the german speaking Annalisa wrote back as a follow up, she would have a few choice words to say about the man. However she did intend to be rather positive about Lesleigh. She was a wonderful girl, and easy to talk to, though Nikola had the impression that this was one of her first interviews. That suited her just fine, as it was the first one she had given as well, and the girl’s newness had helped her to relax significantly.  She did however nodd appreciatively as she set the book back beside her, pleased that her joke had been understood and appreciated.

“These are messy…. Biscuits? Is that right? But they are a favorite. To me. Mostly just at christmas for everyone else.” she offered as the girl tried not to get crumbs around. If the elves didn’t get to them first, Ludolf would be more than happy to clean up any mess. She settled back comfortably, Roberto’s slight all but seemingly forgotten as she ate her own cookie far more delicately, having the practice to keep from getting bits everywhere. “I would not recommend eating while working with velvet however… it took my wand to clean up that mess.” she really should have known better, but she’d been in a mood, and snacking, drinking, and working herself into a creative frenzy at two in the morning had happened.

“Yes, it was completely on accident. It was something I did only for myself and a few friends.” when the woman asked about other passions or career options, Nikola simply shook her head. “I thought perhaps I could work for family, and I still do, in a way. They are very fond of my designs. My grandmother loved the dress I made for her birthday. But I can not say which one. If I tell her age, she will plant me in the garden.” to Nikola this was obviously quite a funny joke, as she gave one of her rare smiles once more, before sipping her tea.

“I lived in Mother’s old rooms as a child. She liked white, gray, and gold. very gaudy. very boring. I did not want to change, because I thought she might come home. So I changed curtains. Bed canopy. Sheets. Things I could put back. Grandmother insisted that I must choose for myself. The first time was terrible, I think. Nothing worked together. But I was also seven. So perhaps that can be forgiven.” a faint twitch of a smile hinted at her amusement in the corner of her lips. It was common knowledge amongst most of Wizarding germany that her mother had been thrown out of the family and disowned entirely, so Nikola did not think to elaborate further. “But the store she took me to… so many colors. I could have stayed for weeks. It was where I discovered that I loved every kind of purple. My uncle told me I looked like a grape.” she had so many fond memories of her childhood, that it was hard to think where it had all began.

“An aunt, I think, it was so long ago. She taught me better how to dress. How to do patterns, and not all same color. Or how to do same colors properly, with texture, and accessories. But my family… especially Grandmother. She was very supportive when I wanted to make my own clothes. I think she liked fabric store as much as me.” she flicked her wand once more, and another book came to her hand, this one with photographs of a very young Nikola posing, sometimes silly, sometimes serious, sometimes comically exaggerated fashionista. The outfits were similar, tight fitting black or white leggings, and brown, tan or black boots, but paired with soft, brightly patterned tops that came down to her knees, some with long flowy sleeves and others without them entirely, though usually with a colored long sleeved shirt underneath. And belts, so many belts of all different shapes and styles. There was even one that hung long in the back, and short in the front. “No good with shape, then. Created it with belts. I got better as I got older.”

“Oh, I think he will probably go for a walk. Maybe, check out some of the town or something.” Lesleigh said, trying to lie for her coworker. Anything that did not involve him smoking like a chimney while he leaned on her front door, (even if it was what he usually did at the office.) Merlin, please don’t be on the porch.
Still it as a blessing to get rid of him, because he was known at work for pissing off some models, so likely things would have gone south with the designer. If that happened, Lesleigh would have come back with only a partial interview, which likely consisted of how-to curse in German. It was then she realized that their portkey back was not for four hours and she was certain that her interview wouldn’t last that long. She wondered if she should go checkout the town too, although it might make meeting back here for final photos awkward. She figured she would explain it to the witch after the interview.

“Yes, Biscuits. Oh, they are great.” Lesleigh agreed and was in the middle of taking another a bite when she started to laugh over the Designers description of the powder+velvet mess. Because she had yet swallowed, her laugh caused a small puff of powder to escape from her mouth. A Silly smile spread across her face as she crossed her eyes for a second to illustrate just how comical she thought the whole situation was.

As the interview started to take form on her paper, it became apparent that her full dictation was falling to far behind. She now really wished they gave her a quick quotes quill to use. Yet, because she did not have one, she instead started to only copy down only the quotes that she thought they would likely use in the magazine. She had down ‘I thought perhaps I could work for family’ unstill she realized that the editors told her to not to include anything about the Meer family… which mean she had to leave out the part about Nikola's Grandmother, mother, Uncle and Aunte. Which seemed the best part!.

Instead she tried to work around them, by jotting down parts of the story and being more vague about the people. She noted down the part about the store, and how Nikola discover that she ‘loved every kind of purple (resulting in her being told she) looked like a grape.’ How she would ‘changed (her) curtains, bed canopy, & sheets.” With the comical line, “The first time was terrible, I think. Nothing worked together. But I was also seven. So perhaps that can be forgiven.’ That made Lesleigh laugh the most. 

She was tempted to edit the German's english slightly and rewrote: ‘(I was taught) how to dress (better.) How to (work with) patterns, and (use different) colors or how to (use similar) colors properly, with texture, and accessories.' She paused and tapped her notepad. It bothered her that she was changing so much of the quote. but it was just a perfect quote for the article. All it needed was some tweaking so she made a note to read it back to Nikola at the end of the interview. 

Her thoughts were distracted, when she was handed another photo album of young Nikola. "Oh, look at you! Oh wow. So you made the tops? YOu did start young." She left it open to one where she was dressed in purple and noted another with colorful drapes in the background. “I’ll see if Roberto could get me a few pictures of these.” She said as she put the book next to her on the circular couch.

She took alongsipofhertea before continuing with her questions. She knew she had to redirect the next question away from all the family related anecdotes. Otherwise she would have to cut out over half the interview. So she said, “It is obvious you had a lot of great influence from your grandmother and support from your family, but what or whom has recently influenced your designs today? How would you define your style compared to other designers?

Then asking, “One unique thing you talked about earlier was your desire to use ‘Humane’ acquired dragon hides. This issue seemed to gain popularity since the Snuggles incident. How has changing materials or choosing new sources affected your work?”   

“He will be careful yes? This is not a wizard town.” the boring bland exterior was intentional, but even worse for muggles, as it looked dingy and run down. Several members of her family had helped with the wards that made people want to stay away, but Nikola had done the illusions part herself. She so rarely had a practical application for a lot of her magic, aside from finding ways to incorporate it into her designs. At least the girl liked her cookies. Nikola’s rather emption deprived expression broke for a moment when the girl snorted powdered sugar out her face, laughing and producing a kerchief for the other young woman. The interview was going better than expected, considering the language barrier, and it really felt more like two friends talking pleasantly and catching up. Really if this was this girl’s first interview, they needed to give her more of them.

Lesleigh’s reaction to the pictures in the album was more exuberant then Nikola had expected, and the faintest tinge of color entered her cheeks. “Yes, the tops. I was just in love with patterns, the more wild, the better.” there was a small nostalgic smile on the designer’s face, before she let the woman take the book and set it beside her, open to a page of her choosing, for later. Nikola loved her early pictures, but didn’t see the point in dwelling on them, so she was glad when Lesleigh decided to move on from them.

“When I design for others, commissions. Generally it is very much what they want. I have not done much for simply… a show, and I do not have a store. But there are things that are always there.” she gestured to her leatherworking station, though her sweeping hand motion encompassed more then half the room. “I work with material not common to dress, more used for accessories or accents. Metal, Leather, Feathers, Scales… these things make me feel it is my own.” Nikola took another sip of her tea, her expression thoughtful. “I want people to feel powerful in clothes. Confident. Like they can take on anything. Artur says he is reminded of armor. He is my mentor, with swords. A good friend. Tried very hard to get me to do competitions, but then I tripped into fashion.” she smiled a little. “His words inspired my first actual collection.” she left that one hang, interested to see if the woman would press for more detail on that one.

But then she asked about Nikola’s choice of words regarding Dragon hides. “It is very important to me, so for many things, I have found ways to create an illusion of real hide with magic and materials. If customer insists on real hide, they will pay very much for it, because I must verify the source.” she flicked her wand towards another shelf, and two peices of material flew to them, with the designer laying each section of hide next to each other, and then smiled. “You wear Dragon Hide today, yes? Can you tell which is real?” Nikola had worked very hard to perfect this technique, and was quite proud of it. “There are things that, yes, a fake version can not do. It is not as easy to work with, Gloves are not possible as example. But for most other things, it is good.”

Lesleigh scribbled notes quickly, only looking up when she detected movement and nodded at the German witch before returning to her pad. It now seemed to Lesleigh that interviewing someone was way more difficult than she ever expected, but she was getting good quotes like: I work with material not common(ly) to dress used in fashion, more used for accessories or accents. Metal, Leather, Feathers, Scales… I want people to feel powerful in clothes. Confident. Like they can take on anything.

When she mentioned  her mentor and the fact that Nikola said something about swords and competing. Lesleigh stopped and asked quite amazed. “Sorry, What competitions? You mean sword fighting? With actual swords? Oh, wow! Nice.”

Occasionally, she would draw a star near something she wanted to go back to but for the most part was trying to write down all the information as quickly as possible. It is very important to me… I have found ways to create an illusion of real hide with magic and materials. If ( a ) customer insists on real hide, they will pay very much for it, because I must verify the source. When she copied this down Lesleigh proclaimed, “Oh, that is so interesting. Most try to get the cheapest source of dragonhide so they could make the product move. Others create fake dragon hides to make the items cheaper.  You actually prefer people to buy alternatives. So are you worried about any other of your sourcing of your product, like feathers or scales?”

Lesleigh paused when Nikola brought up the fact she was wearing dragonhide. Lesleigh looked down at her top a little embarrassed. “Yes, it is practically the only pieces I own. I am actually wearing this, because I thought it was the closest thing I owned, which looked like your style.” Lesleigh said a little embarrassed, while she tried to dismiss her outfit. She worried it might be an issue with the German designer. Really, she should have gotten brief by Annalisa, on what to wear before she makes some faux pas.

Thankfully the designer did not seem  that upset and instead she gave her some samples to look at.  Lesleigh relaxed a little and leaned forward while arching an inquisitive eyebrow, as she received the two pieces of fabric. They were nearly identical. The young blonde witch touched each one in turn, flipped them over and give them a tentative sniff. The only thing she noticed there was a slight difference in thickness and the pattern of the wrinkles in the leather. “I would guess this one, but it is only because I have to choose. If I saw them on two jackets in a store, I would not be able to tell and think both would be real.“

Lesleigh guessed wrong.

She really wanted to stay on the other witches good side. For she would love to have a real fashion designer as a friend! Imagine all of the new stuff she might get to try out! So that they did not stay on the subject (that she was wearing dragonhide,) Lesleigh checked her notes and what she had a chance to star. The blonde was so excited to ask the next series of question: “So, You said that you mentor, Artur comment that your fashion looks like armor. Correct?  And… that this is what inspired YOUR NEW COLLECTION!” she gave an involuntary squeal shaking her fits with excitement. Before clearing her throat and pulling her short skirt down and trying to even a temp to act like a professional. “Sorry, I am so excited. Okay, where was I? Oh, can you tell me all about the collection and the show. Where is your showing being held and and can I get a ticket?"

She looked into her notes and pointed the the leather work station where the shoulder pad piece was displayed. "You said your friend might wear that piece you are making over there?  Other than your friend, when can we expect this collection be released to the general public?”

Of all the things that the interviewer honed in on, it was the mention of sword fighting competitions. But the German designer figured that couldn’t be helped. Of course swords and violence always were intriguing and exciting. “My 7th year, he was new professor at durmstrang, for swordfighting. I was always good, but under him I excelled. Very good teacher, but very strict. Still is, when I am not focusing. He used to do competitions, and thought I would be good as well. I think he is happy that I am happy, but would have liked me to follow his footsteps. Like any good mentor.”

Fortunately that explanation seemed like enough, as the girl had turned back to the subject of her materials. “It is a very nice vest. Good craftsmanship.” she complemented. Nikola felt it was fairly simplistic, design wise, but it was a good piece, and not everything had to be elaborate. She’d learned that early on. One statement piece per outfit, otherwise you just looked like a mess. “Most other creatures do not have the same issues as dragons with their hunting, but i am starting to switch over to better sources. Fortunately, this is not affecting price much, if at all.” because of her experiences with the Dragon Tamer’s wedding attire, and her dragon obsessed friend, that had been a major focus for Nikola; the rest not so much, but she didn’t want to appear single minded in that regard.

Amused when the woman selected the wrong one, Nikola was a little disappointed. She had, after all, explained the technical differences, and wondered for a moment if the blonde was just trying to stroke her ego. “They are treated in much the same way, so they have the same smell, however, the real hide is slightly thinner, and more…” once more the little black book came out and flipped through to the correct page, nikola nodding for a second. “malleable. It also does not hold lines after a while, like the fake. That is something I am still working on.”

And then the girl honed in on what Nikola was hoping she’d notice, and once more the face that was rare to expression curved into a look of mild amusement with a hint of a smile. “I have done one show in the past, but it was small, another designer invited several new artists to show five peices before his show. It was in paris. But this… I will be at the ‘Festival delle Arti’ in Neroli. I am showing there, so the collection is very artistic. It should be easy for you to get in, do not worry.” she was flattered by the girl’s reaction, but it was becoming more clear why the overly excitable woman had not been given many interviews. “The Collection is called “Armored Athstetic” and is for show, because my work is custom. But I want people to see that I can do much more than frilly dresses. And that you can look good even in jobs that require more protection. Or for relaxation. Elaborate dress is nice, but I want people to see that anyone can look good, even at home. Even if it is not mine, perhaps people will leave with new ideas. And If I have time, I want to make many small things. Gloves, shoes, scarves, and have a vendor booth. But that will probably wait for next year.” she added the last part, because though it was already November and the show less then eight weeks away, Nikola had a bunch of random stuff she’d done, mostly for fun, that she never intended to wear herself. And if she could find someone who would love it, she would do so. Of course, she would need to badger a younger relative or two to handle the vendor’s booth for her, but a VIP ticket into the Festival delle Arti would probably entice them.

Les frowned a little … she was more interested that the fashion designer was into sword fighting, not who was her mentor. Yet she guessed, if he had been such a large influence in her work, she should not correct her. Instead she nodded and replied with all the correct niceties. Finishing with “That is great.” In the end she didn't write anything, for she did not hear anything worth putting down on her paper. Yet she hoped the German Witch did not notice.

The fashion lover thanked the Designer for complimenting her,  while crossing her legs and flipping her hair as she bounced between being flattered and boisterous self pride. Making sure she wrote down her statement regarding the other animals not having the same issue. Then She replied about the lack of the cost change from the point of a typical consumer with, “Oh, that is good.”

Next, she copied down the description between the Dragonhide and Nikola’s hide like-creation. She was not that surprised she was wrong. It was a just a guess on Lesleigh's part. The reason she did not know the difference, was that she never had to make anything out of that fabric. She tried to give herself the excuse,  “The difference was so subtle. I was sure it was the thinner one.  How ever it is made, it is a very good imitation. How does it wear? Is there any cracking or fading?”
 
Although Lesleigh saw the witch exhibit only minor portion of her own excitement, she knew the other witch was just thrilled about her show, by her smile. “‘Festival delle Arti’ in Neroli” Oh, I heard of it Italy right? So you are in? Fantastic!”

The rest of the information was scribbled down at a record pace. She made sure she got the name correct by repeating the collection name back to Nikola, “Armored Athstetic because it is custom? Great got it.” She underlined the shows name on the paper. Before her eyes grew wide with the fashion designers downtime plans. “So if you have time , You are going to make things for people on the spot! Are you serious? I just… I never heard of that before. Yet, I'm sure people would love to get something small to bring home. Should I put that in the article? Because I am afraid if I do they will expect it."

Lesleigh finished her tea and ate her last bit of her cookie. She flipped to the last page of her notes. She was almost at the end and was so happy it was going well. She now almost felt like a pro. “Oh, okay let’s see. Just a few more questions. I have…” She looked down at her notes. “What new direction do you see the fashion industry going?  Also what style do you think your personal line is going to next? If.... that is to hard, I could to put it differently. Let see, what recent concept do you think you might explore?”

“Okay, here is the last one, What advice would you give to a budding fashion designer?”

It was starting to sound like a majority of this would be about Nikola’s interesting commentary on dragonhide and ethical uses of magical beasts. Nikola was fine with that of course, it was better then some shade piece about her associations with her own family. That would never happen in Germany of course, but she couldn’t be sure about the rest of the world. But considering how quickly the english witch had steered away from any subject that involved her family, it really seemed like someone had warned her off of that, if the girl even had any idea about the rumors surrounding the Meer name.

“I have two peices that I made for myself, the cuffs on my autumn and spring coat that I wear all the time, one is real and one is fake. It has been two years and they are so far about the same.” she answered helpfully. “I will continue to see, but most people who have purchased my work so far, are the sort who would not wear something for more than a season.” she did sound understanding, but also disappointed. “But with something like this...” she gestured to the fake leather. “Maybe my designs can be more affordable. I have been trying to do that.” in fact she had a dress for a professor at Koldovstoretz that she was nearly done with, she only had the feather embroidery left. She’d never done it on a dress before, mainly pieces that wouldn’t be bent and creased so much, but her early tests were very promising; with a little magical reinforcement at least.

And then of course she winced as the language and her heavy accent failed them. “No… I… let me try again. It is called Armored Aethstetic.” she paused, trying to remember exactly the question that was asked. “You wanted to know when it would be available for everyone. It is not, because each piece I make is unique. Like art.” that was of course the second point. In her excitement she had apparently blended the three questions into one answer, but the other woman’s excitement had not helped either. She smiled at the thought. It was nice to have someone just as passionate as she was, if not more so. “I have many things that I have made for tests, or for myself that I never used, or did not like when they were done… accessories, shoes, scarves, vests. Little things. And if i have time before the festival, I might make more, and sell those things. They will not be as much as if I had made it custom. So many people can have them, and not just those who can afford my time. But if I do not have time to make enough before the festival; I will definitely do so next year.”

Pleased with her better and more clear explanation, nikola turned to the question that Lesleigh had asked before Nikola had the chance to correct her. “I think that we as Wizards are going two places, and I do not like either.” she smiled. “Most want to stick to baggy robes and pointy hats. Others adopt muggle dress. But we are wizards and witches, there is no reason why we can not develop our own. I want to encourage other designers to do this with me. It is why I play with many strange material. To help others see what we can do.” she had not shared this with anyone before. But as the Festival Delle Arti was her major debut, she figured that perhaps it was time. “This collection explores many materials, leather, metals, scales…. Next I want to do something more delicate. Feathers, beads, glass. Perhaps wood and other things.”

She was a little surprised that this was going to be the end. After all, she had not even yet shown the woman any of her finished pieces, or any teasing pieces of her new collection. But perhaps there was still time for that when the formal interview was out of the way. And she really liked the other question the woman wanted to ask her. “Make. Make everything. Make Ugly things. Make strange things. You will find that what you thought might be ugly is good, that materials work in ways we do not expect. But that is how we discover. And how we learn. And do not give up, just keep making. For yourself, for your friends. For people who like what you do. But do not stop making. Make all the things.” she spoke clearly and concisely, but there was a strong passion to her voice, eager to encourage others.

Lesleigh wrote down that Nikola’s leather had stood a few years of testing, and so far had displayed no difference in wear. It was not quite a fib, but she knew it would not sound as good if she had said it was only tested for two years. She wanted this article to positively showcase the designer because she really did like her.

Her head jerked up from her pad with the comment, her face a crumple with disbelief and confusion “Only a season! Really. That is so sad.” Lesleigh was the type that believed clothes almost have a life of their own. To her some pieces in her closet nearly beg to be worn. She lovingly imagined, that they come back after a night of partying only to brag to the other pieces of what a great time they had. “What happens to the clothes afterwards? They don’t get thrown away, do they?”

Lesleigh repeated quite consent that she did get something wrong. “Armored Aethstetic.. Oh, so they will not be available. The pieces are only made for the fashion show. They are like art, I got it!” The Gryffindor graduate scratched out something and quickly wrote out another note next to it in her notebook. Before shaking her cramping hand and stretching her fingers as she listened to Nikola go into her detail plan for the selling booth. Lesleigh decided to make a quick note about the plan. Maybe she would allude to it being a more possibility next year. 

Next she took notes in rapid fire: Nikola perceives Wizard fashion going two places: sticking to old baggy robes and pointy hats and the others adopt muggle dress... But Nikola likes neither. “There is no reason why we cannot develop our own (style.)” She wants to encourage designers to develop their own style too. “It is why I play with many strange material(s). To help others see what we can do. This collection explores many materials, leather, metals, scales…. Next I want to do something more delicate. Feathers, beads, glass. Perhaps wood and other things.”

Lesleigh had to interject “It is just your leather is so gorgeous, I hope you don’t get rid of it completely. Although I would love to see something you make with beads and glass, maybe a combination with the three. I just have a hard time imagining feathers… I see like a boa.” She scrunched her face in disgust, before worrying the German witch would take offence.

Yet the next part of “Make. Making everything…” that the German designer rapidly divulges, was so inspiring it made Lesleigh wanted to cut up some old robes and create something new as soon as she got home. Les could tell the words were spoken from Nikola's heart, full of her passion and inspiration. She wished she could get it all down the first time. But Lesleigh felt bad she had to asked her to say a part she missed in the middle again. Before adding, “That quote is great! I will totally make sure that it makes it into the article!”

She put down her pad and quill and massaged her aching, crapped hand. "Well that is about it." She glanced around, before glancing at the photo books. “Is there anything else you want to put aside for Roberto?” Before looking up admitting, “Honestly, my hand could use a break, but remind me later; There is some quotes I want to make sure I run by you before I leave. Also feel free to say anything you want me to add as statements or if there is any key point I missed.” She used her left hand to pick up another cookie from the diminishing stack and then washed it down with a fresh cup of tea. Then put the cup down, stood and stretched wanting to take a better look at Nikola's room of wonderland of fashion making.