Jared apparated to the cottage of Holly Warren, his wardsman Jeffrey appearing next to him not a moment later. He stumbled a bit, having landed on a rock. Jared looked over at him and gave him a look.

"Could you please try not to embarrass the company while we're here? Father wouldn't appreciate it, and neither would I." He started forward to the cottage.

"What? I can't help it if I land on a rock. It's not an exact art, apparating, you know." He looked to the small home they were walking up to, "So this person lives outside of Hogsmeade, that must be nice. A cottage... I wouldn't mind one day moving out of my flat, having a small place like this. I could put a-"

"Please, stop talking."

"Okay," Jeffery said with a frown.

Jared rolled his eyes. They had sent Paolo on one of his annual trips, so Jared had to take other people to these appointments with him. Before it didn't matter to him if he went to them or not, but Ethan had stated that it had more of a personal touch, sending a Vaisey out with the expert. Made people recommend them. They had seen a rise in sales for it, so Jared agreed.

He looked over at Jeffrey. Okay, he didn't wholehearted agree, not today at least.

Making his way up to the door, he knocked.

Time had gotten away from her. Hera answered the door in two towels - on wrapped around her body and one turbanned on her head.

"You're the ward guys. Well, isn't this embarrassing. Do come in."

"Mistress should be letting Coco be answering the door," Hera's house-elf said.

"Yeah, I forget that. Why don't you make these chaps some tea, Coco, and I'll get dressed."

Hera flashed her smile at both the men and trotted off to the bedroom.

Jared's eyebrows were still in his hairline when she left. He looked over at Jeffrey to see that his mouth had dropped. Jared thumped him in the chest with the back of his hand.

"Get control of yourself," he scolded, following the elf into the sitting area. He looked around the home. It was very bright, lots of mismatched things, all odd looking furniture. The elf motioned for them to take a seat, but Jared wasn't sure where. He looked behind him and saw a bright red sofa, so he took a seat, sinking down into it. He looked over to see Jeffrey doing the same, almost getting swallowed by the loveseat.

They both accepted the tea the elf brought them, sipping slowly as they waited for Holly.

Hera carefully died her hair and concealed the pink before putting on a tee shirt and some jeans. She padded out barefoot with her purple painted toes.

"Sorry. Time is sort of an abstract concept to me. I meant to be out and dressed by the time you lot got here. Just didn't work out that way."

The goofy-looking one was making a face.

"It's chai. The tea? Chai. Traditional English afternoon or Earl Gray was never my style, so... what do I need to do for this, um..."

"Jared Vaisey," he said as he set his tea down and rose from his seat. "And the tea is fine, it's good to have a bit of change now and again." He smiled at her, then looked over at Jeffrey who was still seated. He nodded at him slightly, signaling the other man to stand.

"This is Jeffrey Danes, he will be the one looking at your wards. He should only need your permission to look around, use magic on some of the areas of your house and in some instances, he may need to place items in the ground or in the floorboards."

Jared usually let Paolo say these things, even though the man was a bit abrasive, he had a way of describing it that made it easy to understand. With Jeffrey though, it was an entirely different matter. He confused the hell out of who he was explaining things to if they had no idea what he was talking about.

"Do I need to leave or anything while he does this?"

Just then her door slammed open. Hera jumped. Then she flinched. What in the hell was Pete doing here? And why in the hell was he just walking into her house?

"New boyfriend already Hera? That's cute."

"What are you doing here? How did you even find me," she snapped.

"What's with your hair? Where's the pink?"

Hera whipped her wand next to her head in jerky motions and released the pink. "Thanks for blowing my incognito, Pete. Good job. High marks."

"No-" Jared was saying when he was interrupted. He didn't fully understand what she meant by the incognito part, so he just ignored it. "Are you alright Ms. Warren?" He was interrupted again by Jeffrey.

"Merlin, you're Hera Warbeck. I knew I recognized you before! Oh my gods... I don't..." he patted his shirt pockets and pen pockets. "I don't have a quill on me. D-Do you have a quill? Could you sign an autograph for me? Oh my gods, I'm doing the warding for Hera Warbeck.'"

Jared pulled him aside and spoke roughly in his ear, "Am I going to need to gag or body bind you to get you to shut up? Seriously, be professional."

Hera was looking at Jeffrey and smiling. "We'll get to that before you leave, Jeff. Swear."

She looked at Pete and scowled. "Get out."

"Look at the mouse acting all tough. Nigel and Mummy aren't here to protect you, Cricket."

"Don't call me that. You don't get to call me that anymore." She looked at Jared. "See why I need wards?"

Jared had his hand on his wand. "Look, Pete is it? I'm going to need you to leave so we can carry on with our business here. I don't want things to get out of hand, so it's probably better if you just headed out."

Jeffrey's gaze was ripped from Hera, he looked at Jared with his eyebrows risen.

Hera was smiling at Jared Vaisey. He was not at all starstruck by herself or Pete, and Hera found it refreshing.

"You sleeping with him now?"

"Now you're just being vulgar. As if it's any of your business what I do now. Just go Pete, I'll owl you later."

Jared's hand relaxed and went back to his side as Pete walked out the door, slamming it behind him. He turned to Hera, "I suppose we should get the wards going, then."

"...Oh man! That was Pete! Pete!" Jeffrey gushed. He turned to look at Jared, "Do you know what he-"

"No I don't, and I really don't care." Jared turned to Hera, "No offense, Ms. Warren." He nudged Jeffery, "Now get on with it."

"Hera," she corrected. "Call me Hera. Holly Warren is my alias. You want something to eat? I don't cook, but I go to the bakery in town like every day."

"Hera, then", he said as he smiled at her. "I've never actually been to the bakery. I've heard good things though."

"I'll take a scone, if you have it." Jeffrey noticed Jared's glare. "I mean... I'll be in the other room... looking at the wards." He moved off to the kitchen.

"The scones are in there, Jeff. Feel free to help yourself." Hera looked at Jared. "He's adorable. So scones? Coco, can you bring us some scones with the tea?"

Hera flopped onto her couch sideways and draped an arm along the back.

Jared sat down next to her on the couch and picked his tea up, letting Coco refill it. "Yes, completely adorable," he said dryly. "And almost completely helpless. He's lucky he knows what he's doing or we wouldn't have him on." He looked over at Hera, setting his teacup on the saucer. "So what do you do?"

"Are you serious," she said, laughing a little.

He totally was. She loved this.

"I'm a musician. Heard of Celestina Warbeck? I'm her daughter, and I sing and play. Here." Hera flicked her wand at the stereo. It was one of her muggle things. She loved her muggle stuff. Hera's voice accompanied by her guitar filtered out from it. "That's me."

He shook his head, Jared didn't know who either woman was. "That's really good," he said, listening to her song. "I don't pay attention to that sort of thing. Obviously," he added. "I suppose I'd have heard of you if I did. I mainly listen to stuff in the background. What other people put on, that sort of thing."

He watched Jeffrey flit from the kitchen to the bedroom, scone in hand.

Hera smiled at Jeffrey and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"So what else do you do? Besides wards and stuff, and you don't really do the wards, so..."

"Not much. I manage the books, too. Oversee things in the office. With the Azkaban breakout, we're pretty busy. My father decided to re-retire, so I am pretty much the person running it."

He decided to devote himself to the other business.

"Other than that I read, occasionally get a pint, and sit at home."

And blackmail people out of money.

He smiled at her, "My life's pretty boring."

"That does sound dull," Hera said grinning. "I don't get out much either. Perhaps I'll drag you out to hear me play live sometime. You could bring Jeff."

Jared chuckled. "I'd like that, but don't let him hear you, he might make me actually bring him." He liked her, he found. He hoped she just wasn't saying that. He knew she must get flirted with quite often, she was a rather attractive woman.

"Fantastic," Hera said, smiling more. "The owner of the Three Broomsticks has a fabulous sister that I've joined in singing before. Maybe we could do that if you are game. I'm hoping to catch her on the violin one night. I've heard she's amazing and can hold a crowd. I'd rather her sway than my numbers. I think it's down to passion there. I don't have much lately. Maybe I'll find it."

She shook her head.

"Sorry. You're likely bored to tears. All I know is music and the process of making it. I didn't even get to go to Hogwarts like everyone else, so oftentimes, I come off as a socially awkward freak. Like now, for instance, with the babbling."

Jared found it interesting, he never knew someone into music before. "Not at all. I know nothing about it, anything you say is likely to be interesting. Hogwarts doesn't really give many a head start. I went there and don't have a lot of hobbies."

Jeffrey rushed in then.

"I need to just bury these outside and then say a thing or two and I'm done."

He rushed outside.

Jared looked over at Hera. "He's usually really slow. I bet he wants to sit here and chat with you. Be prepared, you want me to drag him out, you just let me know."

"Are you kidding? I love regular people." Hera made a face. "I mean, I don't get to interact with the public much, other people. I kind of like it. That's why I go to bakery. My manager usually keeps me away from anyone. It was actually a miracle I ever started dating Pete, and really, I think Nigel and Mother only allowed that for the publicity."

"Really? Well, I suppose if you ever wanted to get some air and take a break, you can owl me. I wouldn't mind showing you around." He hoped it was okay to suggest this, she had suggested almost the same thing earlier and he wanted to make it clear he was interested. He hadn't been on an actual date in a while, apart from his thing with Astoria, and that wasn't really a date. He supposed he should get out there, start something. He would get nowhere without it.

"I just might take you up on that," Hera said, smiling.

She could not seem to stop smiling. Jared Vaisey was handsome, and totally different from Pete. She really liked the fact that he had no clue who she was.

"I'd have to wear a disguise if we go anywhere public otherwise reporters will be all over us, but I think I can manage that. I think it would be fun. I haven't had actual fun in an age."

Jared smiled back at her, "I hope I don't disappoint, then." He sighed in disappointment as Jeffrey came back in and flopped down on the chair across from them.

"I'm done. So... what'd I miss?"


{SUMMARY} Jared accompanies the other wardsman (Jeffrey) to do Hera's cottage. Someone hits it off with the blonde musician.