free isn't always good (open)

Following a meeting at the ice cream parlour to discuss advertising for their four new winter flavours, Dick was invited to take a seat and have as much ice cream as he could stomach. As it turned out, that wasn't much. Even the rum and raisin wasn't enticing enough for him, and his preferences didn't have anything to do with the fact the weather was nearing freezing now. Fortescue had a way with his desserts that kept them appealing all year 'round: something to do with the magic in them, he supposed.

The man was sat there by himself, with several different dishes given for him to sample. But try as he might, he couldn't stand the idea of eating any of them.

"Excuse me," he said, to the person who was nearest to him, "Can I interest you in some free ice cream?" It was their lucky day.

Victoire was in Diagon to pick up supplies for her classes next semester; she liked to get them ahead of the time so she could enjoy the winter holiday with her friends and family. It was only natural for her to make a pit stop at Fortescue's for a little treat! They'd never make a mushroom flavor or entertain it, but there was always something delicious to try!

She immediately turned her head when she heard the word free. Victoire jumped up excitedly and went towards the man. A fox! Ooooh! Grinning at him, she glanced down at the table. "Freeeeeeeeeee?!? What flaaaaaaaaaaavors are theeeeeeeeeeeeeeese?"

@Richard Pleasegood

Luckily for him, he now got to talk to a twenty-year-old blonde. There were worse ways to spend an afternoon. Although she couldn't control the volume and trill of her voice, it seemed, at least she was good to look at.

"Take a seat," he said, gesturing to the open one opposite.

"I don't know - something-or-rather shortcake, salted cinnamon caramel, this one looks like it could give you indigestion, and I think this one is mocha coffee banana..." He idly dipped his spoon in one of the bowls as though investigating it that way would give him indication of flavour. "Why don't you try a few, tell me what you think, and I'll write it down. You can be my taste tester."

He grinned up at her, leant back and lit a cigarette.

@Victoire Weasley

Nodding, Victoire slid into the opposite seat nearly falling onto the floor into the process. Oops! "I'm fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine! No hurt arse, yep!" She giggled madly before getting herself stabilized on the chair; she was never known for poise and gracefulness.

"Ooooh, taste tester, yaaaaaaaaaaaay!" She loved being a taste tester! "You knoooooooooooow the Wiki Wiki Shaaaaaaaaack? I taste test there alllllllllllll the tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!" Much of her free time was spent in Blackrock instead of the shack she began sharing with her sister. Priorities.

Victoire grabbed a spoon from the dispenser nearby and began digging into the mocha coffee banana. "Goooooooooooooood, this is veryyyyyyyyyyyyy good, yep!"

The man was rather handsome too! Why were older men always the most attractive?

@Richard Pleasegood

Despite her small slip up, he started imagining how fun she would be if they took their clothes off together. He knew that he wouldn't be able to match her energy, but something told him that he didn't need to. Dragging his mind out from the gutter, he uttered a short laugh.

"Fate has given me a seasoned taste tester - how lucky am I?"

He watched her taking a bite of one of the samples and smoked his cigarette. Perhaps she would be good for modelling, he thought. Active billboards. He had a feeling she could move around a lot and draw people in.

"Anything else to say other than good?" he teased, taking the spoon and dipping it in a different flavour. He stabbed out his cigarette in the process. "Try this one. And tell me about the flavours. Is there anything it reminds you of? How do you feel about it? Can you picture a scene of eating it somewhere? At home by the fire? On a picnic in the park? There are no wrong answers. Here."

He presented the spoon to her, smiling.

@Victoire Weasley

"I liiiiiike its fruitiness. Reminds me of smoothies from Tree Hugger, yeeeeeeeeep!" Hmm, what else could she say about that flavor? "Does it have caffeiiiiiiiiiiiiine?! IIIIIIIIIII'd like it for exaaaaaaaaaams, yep!" It would be a bit different from downing all sorts of green tea variations. Who wouldn't pass up such a sweet treat?

Victoire took the spoon and took a bite of the sample; her pupils dilated in delight although that could've just been the mushrooms. "Is thaaaaaaaaaaaaat strawberryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?! Maaaaaaakes me think of grandmum's garden, mhm! It does! We'd pick all sorts of fruuuuuuuuits and floweeeeeeeeeers during the summer, we still doooooooo!"

@Richard Pleasegood

Leaving the spoon with her after she had taken it, he slid over one of the napkins and started writing down things with a ball-point pen. He never liked quills anyway, unless they were quick-quote ones for board room meetings.

Nostalgic

Grandmother

Tree Hugger?

Exam boost

He lowered his pen a moment.

"Which exams are you taking?" he asked, rolling his tongue inside of his cheek distractedly. "Don't tell me you're bunking from Hogwarts. I'd have to tell you off."

@Victoire Weasley

"Universityyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ones, yep! I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaven't been in Hogwaaaaaaarts in a couple yearsssssssss, noooooope!" Victoire giggled as she ate more of the ice cream; it was scrumptious, very delicious! "My baby brotherrrrrrr and cousins attend it, they doooooooooooo!"

@Richard Pleasegood

"You can bunk off University as much as you like, in that case."

She was a classic beauty. He was reminded of the sorts of girls he used to go to Hogwarts with: they would giggle as he told them about the agency he and his brother were bound to inherit. One in one arm, another in the other. Their hair would tickle his shoulder, and he would tickle them.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

@Victoire Weasley

"Victoire? As in the Weasley born just after the war? Merlin's staff..."

Another wonderful thing about being the age he was: he got to see all these people grow up that hadn't known a single thing about You-Know-Who and his torturous regime. To him it all seemed five minutes ago...

"I'm Richard Pleasegood - director of Plunkett & Pleasegood advertising agency. You can call me Dick," he said, smiling lopsidedly at her. "I like how you think, Vic. But I also like how you look. Have you ever considered modelling in your spare time?"

@Victoire Weasley

Victoire nodded. "Yep!" She embraced it and was more proud of it than some of her cousins. It got a bit too much at times, but it was never to the point that she was upset about it. She found it awesome that she was born on the anniversary of good defeating evil!

"Oooooooh, niiiiiice to meet youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, Diiiiiiiiiiick!" His name was fun to say! Dick! "I haven't modeled before, noooooooooooope! Is it fuuuuuuuuuuun?!"

@Richard Pleasegood

"So there's a bit of veela blood in you as well. Hmn."

Always better to employ part-veela. Their natural allure was good for sales.

"Is it fun? Are you joking? Of course it's fun - you'll get to be fussed over for the day. Have all your make-up, and hair done. Some companies want you to keep the outfit they put you in too, as a token of their appreciation." He neglected to mention that sometimes the shoots were long, tedious and their photographer was picky. Still, most of their models were happy.

"Do you like Blackrock, sweetheart?"

@Victoire Weasley

"Yeeeeeeep!"

Victoire was the type to affirm the obvious; that was how she rolled. It helped that she was in a good mood thanks to the delicious ice cream samples that were sitting right in front of her.

Blackrock? "I loooooooooooove Blackrock. Alohaaaaaaaa Billlllllllllll is very funny man, he is! Very smart too, yep!" She nodded excitedly as she just loved to talk about Blackrock.

@Richard Pleasegood