Never Enough Socks

Michael had had to go on search of socks--again! Otto and Faline had eaten them all again. He had decided to stop buying them on pure chance and had started ordering them from Madam Malkin's, from Kate. The problem was that when he bought bargain brand socks, it gave his magical footstool "dogs" who ate them have an upset stomach. They seemed to need high quality socks.

He decided to come into Diagon Alley early this morning. He thought he would stop at the tobacconist first and get some new pipe tobacco, followed by a trip to Sparks for some good Earl Grey and a scone. Then on to get those bloody socks. He was glad it was relatively quiet yet today. He preferred either early mornings like this, before all the people came out, or late at night when theyd' all gone home.

He stopped and purchased a Daily Prophet from a newsboy and scanned the headlines. Roland again. Why Robert put up with Roland's evil snarky arse was beyond Michael. Roland got his paycheck from the ministry and seemed to be spending all his time dissing it. He wasn't looking any further. He wasn't spoiling his morning. He tossed the newspaper away without so much as opening the first page on it. The sunshine was much too beautiful and the morning as was too crisp and sweet to muck it all up with political propaganda. He refocused on going to the tobacconist to see if they had anymore of that wonderful imported firewhiskey flavored pipe tobacco.

Jemma wondered throughout Diagon Alley. It had been a while since she had been around it. She had seen it from the Leaky Cauldron the previous night, but had been quite tired so decided to wait until the morning to browse through the various shops and boutiques. She had stayed at The Leaky Cauldron the previous night despite having a flat in London, as she wanted to have closer contact with the wizarding world for a while. She hadn't been planning to get up this early, she had had a late night the previous night so was rather tired, but an owl decided to crash into her window for no apparent reason that morning. It wasn't even for her, but for the person in the room next to her. She hadn't been able to go back to sleep though, so she had decided to come and look around before Diagon Alley became too crowded - it was kind of nice this way, actually, she thought.

Jemma wanted an owl. She remembered the summer before Hogwarts and she came to Diagon Alley for the first ever time - it was the first thing that they bought. Most people got their wands first but they passed the Owlery and she had fallen in love with this Tawny owl, who she later named Callie. Jemma felt that having an owl was an essential for any witch or wizard - it was a means of contact as well as a companion. Not that she was an animal person particularly, but she had liked not being totally alone before.

As she was walking up towards Eyelops, Jemma saw someone she knew. It was all Jemma seemed to be doing at the moment, bumping into people. First Matt at The Leaky Cauldron, and now walking in front of her was Michael ...oh what was his surname? She couldn't remember. He was Michael though. He had been in the Order with Jemma and was around her age - a bit older she thought, actually. He was quite good friends with the Lupin's, as she recalled. Should she say something? She saw him chuck a newspaper on the ground. The Prophet, no doubt. Nobody in the Order ever seemed to have paid much attention to it.

Jemma, she told herself, if you are going to get involved, you are doing this properly. You are going to approach him and say hello and be polite. Then you'll actually get somewhere. You can't spend the rest of your life hovering around Diagon Alley now, can you? Taking a deep breath, Jemma walked over towards the man who now appeared to be heading towards the tobacconist.

"Erm, Michael? Hi. It's me, Jemma Tiquelle." she introduced herself, wondering what his response would be.

"Well, well!" Michael smiled broadly, "If it isn't TDL!" It still made Michael laugh about while at Hogwarts she'd caught him and his friends talking, behind her back, about how beautiful she was. They hadn't known who she was, so they had nicknamed her TDL--Tall, Dark, and Lovely. Michael remembered Remus being somewhat embarrassed when they were caught. Robert was a bit embarressed at the time, but had done his best to not admit it. Michael? Well, Michael had no shame and he merely introduced himself. The nickname for the lovely young Jemma Tiquelle had stuck. He'd called her TDL for years. "Still as lovely as ever, my dear. Where the devil have you been? Robert and I were going through some old school photos a couple of weeks ago and found you in them and we were wondering what became of you. Its good to see you."

Michael remembered how they'd all been arguing over who was going to ask Jemma out to Hogsmeade the next weekend they were due for a pass there. Remus had been a weenie. Robert? Somehow he'd manufactured some lame excuse about an essay to do for Potions class instead. So Michael had simply asked her if she wanted to go with him to Honeydukes that upcoming Saturday while their famous chocolate fudge was still warm and gooey. It had been lovely--the fudge, the day, and...Jemma. Michael hadn't dated much. His "profession" kept him from getting attached. That and his massive fear of commitment. He didn't know if she'd ever known the secret side of him, but in the years that had passed, Michael had become a contract agent for wizarding government agencies. It still was a bit weird being a thief for the government, but, well, it paid exceptionally well. The only government official who wasn't perfectly willing to "dissavow" knowledge of Michael and his activities had been Robert, and so Michael rarely accepted assignments these days except from the Lupins. Now, seeing TDL again, he wasn't sure he wanted to tell her what he'd ended up doing for a living.

Jemma blushed as Michael called her TDL. She had almost forgotten about that - it had been a long time since she had been called it! Not completely, though, she never seemed to completely forget anything. She never knew why, it was just one of those things.

"Old nicknames never die, I see." she joked, attempting to make her face less pink. "It's good to see you too, Michael. Robert still doing well, I trust?" she asked, though knowing Robert he would be fine.

Ever since all of the Order members had left Hogwarts, her life had seem to have gone downhill. She didn't get another job after that, at least not in the wizarding world. She just did her painting, sold some paintings, then got the job in the gallery. Some wizards would have thought it odd, living a muggle life for a year. It was how she had lived the first eleven years of her life, pre-Hogwarts and before her parents split, so she knew more about muggle life than most witches and wizards (aside from the muggle-borns, of course).

She wasn't sure exactly how much of her life she should reveal. Then she remembered, it was Michael. Him and the Lupins had been friends of hers in Hogwarts, despite the age and house difference. She would never forget the day she caught them calling her 'TDL' behind her back - or what they had thought was behind her back. Still lovely, she thought to herself, repeating Michael's comment in her head. She knew he was someone she could trust.

"I've been living in London for the past year, back in my old flat." Jemma started, "I went back to my painting and ended up working in a muggle gallery. I kind of went back to the muggle life for a bit. I didn't really want to work in the Ministry and I couldn't work at Hogwarts and there aren't many other open wizarding jobs, it seems." she explained, trusting that Michael wouldn't judge her - she didn't think any of the Order would have.

"I might just have something for you," MIchael said thoughtfully. He trusted Jemma beyond a lot of people, and he knew Robert was in desperate search for help at St. Mungos. And he needed someone that he could implicitly trust. Someone relatively unknown in the wizarding world. "But,..." Michael said, his eyes glancing to see if they were being watched. "It is not without its own challenges. Tell me, How do you feel about working for Robert Lupin? What I can tell you, from personal experience, is that he pays about double for what the job should normally pay, but there are sometimes good reasons for that. And right now, Robert needs all the friends and allies he can get. It looks like you came back with your usual perfect timing. As I recall, it was one of the things you did exceptionally well.

"Art, huh? I am a 'collector' of fine arts and paintings. So are the Lupins. I, for one, would love to see your work. And Robert has built Kate a huge studio at their place. It has skylights and one wall of glass so that it catches all sorts of natural light. Kate does some amazing work, and I'm sure she'd love to see your work too, if you'd ever let us see it. " So far, he didn't see a soul paying any attention to them, and that was a good thing, but this was much too public.

"Any chance I can buy you a cup of tea?" Michael asked. "I just might have a business proposition for you. I'll get Robert to join us, and we can talk."

Jemma was intrigued as soon as Michael said he had something for her. She hadn't expected that. She was curious as to what it was though, so listened intently. Working with Robert Lupin? She liked the sound of that. She had always got along well with him - it would be nice to have a boss that she actually liked, for once!

"I would be very interested in what Robert is offering - do you have more details on what this job may entail, exactly?" Jemma asked him. He paid a lot, but there was a reason for it. She was up for the challenge. She had always been a hard worker and would do what it took to get the job done.

"Oh...my work is nothing, I can assure you," she replied modestly, "I mainly do silk paintings which go to one particular dealer who specialises silks - lots of more general people aren't too interested in them, it seems." Jemma wasn't sure if her work was up to 'collection' standard. She knew some people must buy it, or the dealer wouldn't buy it off of her, but she was quite insecure about her work. It was why she had started working in a gallery, for some more money as she wasn't sure how her artwork would go over.

"I'm sure Kate is a much better artist than myself, I would love to take a look at her work." she dodged the question of them seeing her work, getting shy, in a sense. She loved the sound of Kate's art room though. What she would dream of. She had an area of her flat dedicated to art, by the window, but it wasn't the same as an entire room purely for art.

"I would be very interested in a cup of tea and a chat, yes." Jemma smiled. She had a good feeling about this, and her feelings were very often right.

"Then come with me. I know just the place," MIchael smiled. He led her down the street to Sparks. "This is one of my favorite places. Robert's daughter Khaat owns it. Its called Sparks Bistro and Bakery. I like it because its gourmet quality bistro fare, with a deluxe coffee and tea bar, and the finest quality desserts I've ever had. I also like that it is light and airy inside and just a real sharp contrast from all the darkness that Diagon Alley can sometimes have. Oh, and they do some sort of little charm upon request. They make little animated animals out of brightly colored sparks and let them run and dance about the ceilings. It makes people feel welcome to bring their kids and to come to celebrate some sort of special occasion." He opened the door and led Jemma inside. "Fancy a table by the window? FInd a place you like. I'll summon Robert to join us."

He went over to the fireplace and flicked his wand at it. "Ozzy! Get your arse here! Its your turn to buy the tea, Mate."

"Where am I going?" a voice came back from the floo.

"Where the hell do you think?" MIchael frowned.

"Alright, alright. Give me 2 minutes, and I'll be there," the voice replied. Michael picked up a couple of the menus and went over to the table and sat down, handing a menu to Jemma.

"Do you know what Khaat and Robert do nowadays? They run St. Mungos. Khaat is the director and Robert is the Chief of Staff. Khaat is pregnant with twins. Actually--if you ask me, she's got more than two, but who am I to say? She'll be going on maternity leave any day now. And if it turns out to be more than two, Robert will be needed to help her with not only her own needs but the babies as well. He'll no doubt be taking a leave of absence. Understand, Jemma, that St. Mungos has the medical records of every wizard in the wizarding world, pretty much. In the wrong hands that could be devastating information. The Lupins need someone that they can trust in the Deputy Director position. Immediately. I think you'd do a fine job, and I know they would trust you. That's the job I'd like to see you have. Now--not to change the subject, but what would you like? Their full English breakfast is out of this world. My treat. Well, actually, Robert's treat. The chef just puts it on his tab. It all works out. I spend it, he pays it," MIchael laughed.

Jemma followed Michael to this coffee shop. She hadn't heard of it before, but she trusted his judgement and was sure it was a lovely place. As she stepped inside, she knew it was a place she was comfortable in. She looked around the small yet cosy shop and smiled. She nodded, indicating she would like a table by the window, and walked towards one of the tables and sat down, waiting for Michael. It really was a charming place, she thought.

She watched him walk towards the fireplace, to have a conversation with who she assumed to be Robert. She guessed Robert would be with them shortly, from the few words she could hear of the conversation from across the room. She took a menu as Michael returned to the table.

"Robert coming?" she asked, as he sat down.

Jemma listened to Michael explaining about the hospital. She knew the Lupin's had worked there, though she didn't know how high up they were before. She hadn't seen Khaat in a while, over nine months, so had no idea she was pregnant. It made sense she needed a lot of leave, especially with twins, and that Robert would need to take him off to help too. Of course, she thought, they would need someone to protect the records. Jemma couldn't imagine what could happen if they got into the wrong hands. But...her, to protect them? She was kind of surprised that they still trusted her after vanishing for a year. She trusted them, of course, but wasn't sure how her disappearance had affected people's views on her. She was glad they didn't appear to be too different than previously.

She laughed at putting the meal on Robert's tab, "As long as Robert doesn't mind!" she agreed. "I'll go with the full English breakfast, as you recommend it so. I haven't eaten yet this morning but didn't realise how hungry I was until I saw this menu!"

"I would love to work in St. Mungo's with the Lupin's, well, without them when they are away." she responded to the request, "I may need to brush up on my defensive skills though, it's been a while since I've used them." she added, hoping that that wouldn't be too much a problem. Maybe the Lupin's, or one of their friend's or colleagues, would be able to assist her in that, she hoped.

A few moments later, Robert walked in and found Michael easily. When he saw Jemma there, he was delighted. A broad smile crossed his face. He walked over to the table.

"TDL!" he smiled. "What a lovely surprise!" He looked up and saw Lizzie, the chef peek out from the kitchen. When she saw Robert come in, she hurried out of the kitchen and over to Robert. Robert kissed Lizzie on the cheek.

"What will you have?" Lizzie asked.

"What are you having?" Robert looked at them.

"TDL and I have decided to have a full English," Michael said.

"Make it three," Robert said, sitting at the table.

"Yes, Sir," Lizzie said. "I'll send your tea in a moment. " She hurried away. MIchael looked at Robert.

"I called you here for a reason, Ozzy," Michael said. "You're going to need someone very quickly, aren't you?"

"Indeed," Robert said. He looked at Jemma. "I presume Michael has talked to you somewhat. Here is my issue. Khaat is not going to have twins. She's going to have triplets. And she nearly died when she has her first daughter about a year and a half ago. Triplets is a whole other matter. I will be needed. I need to be able to take a leave of absence from St. Mungos and the Ministry for a couple of weeks and I need them both covered. I have the Ministry dealt with, I think. But, I need someone to start immediately as the Deputy Director to be sure that not only we still deliver good quality services, but that the hospital is defended. I should have had a private security force already hired to protect the place,but, well, it was just one of those things I slacked on. I can still create an ad for that, but I'd have to entrust the Deputy Director to hire them. Anyway--I agree with Michael. I think you'd be just exactly the kind of person I'm looking for."

Before Michael had a chance to answer her, Robert entered the room. He didn't take his time getting there, Jemma noted. It looked like they desperately needed someone, she guessed. She smiled as Robert addressed her as TDL, she couldn't help it. It seemed Michael and Robert came here often - the woman serving them seemed to know them well!

"Nice to see you too, Robert." Jemma replied, happy to see him once more. "It's been too long."

She listened to Robert, nodding along, as Michael had already explained the basics of it. She couldn't imagine triplets - Marie on her own was enough work! Jemma was up for helping the Lupin's in any way she could, she'd always liked them.

"I'd be happy to help. I need to brush up on my defensive magic, but I should be good. I will probably foresee any attack though, which would considerably help. I'd be happy to hire a security force, if you would like me to." she offered, very keen on the job. It was the best job she'd come across in a while, and that was saying something.