Oh. He'd seen her. Ah. But he sounded... nice. So maybe she could... peep through her hair?

Ina lifted a hand and parted her hair, just enough so that she could see properly. He didn't look like he was about to kick her out the shop or something, so she tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled weakly.

"I'd, uhm... like to enquire about a... a book..." Oh, great, now you sound really intelligent -- why else would you be in a book store? "I mean--" Ina added, quickly; "it's just that... I can't find it anywhere... It's quite old, rare, I think. I, uh... heard this shop had a section for those type of books, though I thought I should ask, as... well... wandering around without permission didn't seem quite right... It's not in print anymore, or dangerous or anything, I know that much..."

Ina paused, but then remembered she'd forgotten to give the title. "Oh! I think it's called 'Silver's Extensive Study on the Comparative Features of Magical Beasts'... o-or something... And I'm Ina, by the way!" She added excitedly, before realising she said that very loud and shuffling nervously.

Joe walked across the place to the front counter with his books to buy them

"Well...considering its a first edition, I was hoping that you could perform a counterfiet spell on it so that I could see. Just to be sure." he said, handing him the book with peeling letters and wrinkled spine.

"Interesting...." he said in reards to the man's answers. "I was just wondering if you want any help. I have a back round in literature. I currently work in the Minstry with patents. I am currently on a mission to find a rare book...and I was hoping to look around for a awhile. I would need access to the back rooms and the best way for me to find my book, yet provide some recipricol to you is to work here. I would work for free of course.....the chance to find a book is payment enough.....So.....uh, what do you say?" he asked, presenting himself with elegenace and power, but also being very respectful.

Emmaleigh headed over to the counter carrying her books. She had a huge stack of books, and as she was walking, some of the top books fell off the top. As they fell to the ground Emmaleigh tripped over them, causing her to land on top of them. “Ouch” she exclaimed. “I’m s-so s-sorry” she said, as her cheeks turned red to match her hair. She got up, straightened her clothes, and then placed her books in a neat pile. Em then proceeded to take her books to the counter in two separate piles.

Once she reached the counter, she timidly said. “I w-would l-like to b-buy t-these b-books p-p-please. T-they are a-all the s-school b-books f-for f-first y-years at H-hog-hogwarts".

"Very welcome," Daniel replied, with a little smile, and turned his head slightly to cock his ear and hear the next request. "Hmmm, well, we do, yes. All around the shop. I suppose that if it's imperative that you must check out the special area then I'll take you through in a moment."

"Thank you," Daniel smiled, taking the money and dropping it into the till, nudging the bag to the girl. "Receipt's in the bag. Come back soon," he smiled.

"It's this place in Covent Garden," Daniel shrugged, unable to remember the exact name of the place. "Muggle London place, that is," Daniel went on. He was a HUGE fan of Muggle London... there was so much do do and some amazing shops.

And pubs.

And clubs.

"Well, I would think it would be in the education section but if it's super old, we might have it in our special area or the back room. So... we can try the back room first?" he suggested, pointing his thumb over his shoulder to the door behind him.

"Hey... what do we have here then?" Daniel asked, looking at his next customer, smiling, and waiting for the girl to put her books on the counter.

"It's very good that you asked," Daniel reassured this girl, Ina apparently. "I can take you through to the Special Area in a moment, is that okay?"

He'd take her through with the other girl and anyone else who needed to look. It was easier that way. "If so, just give me a moment to sort things out and I'll let you through," Daniel added with a friendly smile.

"Yes, young man? How may I help you?" Daniel asked the next customer, giving him a small smile.

"Very well," Daniel replied, levitating the book into the air and muttering a spell under his breath, as well as some revealing spells for anything untrustworthy or whatever. Once the book was back on the counter, Daniel reached under the counter, extracted a top of the range sneakoscope and stood it on the book. "This book is a first edition," he stated to the implement, and hoping this guy would be satisfied once the sneakoscope didn't spin.

With a smile at the man, Daniel asked him, "Do you want to buy this?"

But he kind of made an uncomfortable face at the next request. "'Fraid not... I don't really need or, to be honest, want any assistance. And I can't really allow you loads of access to the back rooms. I have to accompany people through there, as well as keeping an eye on the place out here. You're welcome to look in there for a little while... or you could tell me the name of the book and I'll owl you if I find it?"

Daniel would have helped the girl who fell, but she was up and over to him quicker than he could get around the counter. And she was apologising... but they were gonna be her books soon, so it was fine with Daniel.

Smiling to put the girl a little more at ease if he could, Daniel bagged up the books and opened the till. "It's all fine. That'll be 2 galleons, please," he told her.

Emmaleigh looked up at the store keeper. “Ok,” she said as she stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out her money. She had to shift through her money, but she found two galleons. She handed them to the store keeper. She took her bags from him, and thanked him before heading out the door.

Herod chuckled...."Haha....well. If you happen to have Merlins original journal lying around, that would make my life a lot easier....but something tells me that you don't. I also have a heavy suspition that there is no where you can owl that stocks them" he said, sighing. He wasn't being sarcastic, he was just naturally cynical.

"I have reason to beleive that it will make its way into a Diagon Ally book shop and this one seems most liekely. But it won't appear to be the book we're looking for. It will be hidden or disguised. Would you mind terribly if i went and hada lok now...under your supervision of course." he said, taking the book he bought from the man.

Raising an eyebrow, most unimpressed, Daniel managed to keep himself civil, even though he felt a little insulted. "I am an expert in books... I've studied the concealment of books and other objects, and I got top grades in my classes and stuff... I may be young, but I'm smart. I don't see how I'd be any worse than you in finding the book. I check all of my books before storing or stocking them."

But meh. It was that evil rule, 'the customer was always right'.

"Sure... but you'll have to wait for me to take this young man through as well... Makes it easier on me... but I get the feeling a book like that, in particular, would be in a wizarding museum," he shrugged. He'd have found it, but the guy could look if he wanted.

Oooooh. Treyen had nooooo idea where this thing was. Muggle London. Yes, he'd probably been there, of course, but Covent Garden, where was that? He was trying hard to NOT forget this information, and then maybe his father will take him before summer is over.

Hmmmm. The boy eyed the door the shopkeeper was pointing at. Interesting. "So, I should look there?" like, wasn't the shopkeeper going to bring him the book? He had no problem, of course, but just to be sure he asked.

"I am sure you are quite competant, I didn't mean to insult....but this is the Journal of Merlin, one of the most powerfully magical items in wizarding history. Its probably gonna take some of the Ministry's tools to uncover it." he said, resolutely.

"And thats fine...i can wait, just let me know when you're ready." he said, backing away and making room for the other boy.

Ina nodded gratefully. "Yes, thank you." She smiled, relieved her anxious ordeal was over. Not that it was an unpleasant conversation, but she'd hadn't been sure what to expect, and she'd been nicely surprised.

Rocking back and forth on her feet absently, Ina waited patiently to be shown through.

===============

Daniel, with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a few beads of sweat on his brow, somehow managed to get through the door behind the counter that led to a hallway that led outside. He had just arrived back to the store from an antique wizarding book dealer, and he'd got some very good deals.

Problem was, he'd had to carry them all the way, since he'd left his wand upstairs by his bedside, and he didn't own any kind of transport.

So now he dropped the books heavily on the counter and started sorting them.

Because she was having a day off Quidditch (not really, who could be off Quidditch?) and she'd been half-joking about it, Kaika decided that it couldn't harm to check. She was after all, a Beater, and it would be simply brilliant if she could just find that one book. She sort of already had it, but still.

It's been a while since she's stepped into Diagon Alley, even more into a book shop, and she couldn't help but remember Hogwarts as the smell of books hit her.

Of course, she'd still have to stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies, just because.

And as she entered she noticed someone behind the counter, no idea whether or not he was the shopkeeper or the owner, he certainly worked in this place unless he was sorting out the books he was going to buy. "Excuse me, I was wondering if you could help me, Mr...Mister" yes, because she had no idea what his name was.

Turning towards the girl, Daniel was now at an angle that the fresh, evil-looking scar on his face could be seen. From some angles, it almost gave him a permanent looking smile on one side, even though it was nothing to smile about.

Giving the girl the least painful of his smiles, Daniel stepped up so his nametag could be seen. "Upstead. But just call me Daniel... how can I help you?" he asked brightly.

Mmmm. What was that? Kaika eyed him curiously and then decided on speaking up, "Are you okay? You know how to take care of that, right?" Quidditch, injuries, Beater, and no scars. Yes, she'd gotten good with those kind of spells because their own Healers were too busy sometimes.

Her eyes fell on his nametag as he spoke, and she smiled, a very wide smile, "Upstead? Huh. I used to know someone named Upstead..." but they sort of lost touch and her face fell when she realized that she hadn't done anything at all to keep in touch with Jake, she actually wondered if her brother knew something about the boy but she didn't even ask Treyen that.

Well, she was now a very bad friend, wasn't she?

Kaika shook her head as if to make those thoughts disappear and gave the shopkeeper a small smile, "Daniel," she said, "I'm trying to find, and it would be amazing if you do have it, a First Edition of..." now that she was saying it, it sounded pretty impossible, and she felt even ridiculous for keeping up her search, "...'The Beaters' Bible'? You know, written by Scrimgeour, Brutus Scrimgeour?" she still had a bit of hope, and if she couldn't find it here, then odds were this was going to be the hardest book to find.

"It's okay... I..." Daniel trailed off slightly and glanced to the door nervously before pulling himself up properly again. "I had a little trouble with a wizard in here the other day. St. Mungos healed me up as best they could... but..."

Best to shut up.

"I know of a younger Upstead," Daniel nodded with a friendly smile once more. He didn't go on with the subject though, even though he had indeed been contacted by a 16 year old in recent months. But finding his brother had nothing to do with business.

Which was what this was.

When the girl mentioned a certain book, Daniel looked around for his wand, but realised it was still upstairs on his bedside table. Crap. "Well, I've just come back from an auction just for first edition books, and if it's not here, then it might be in our special section." Here he was saying 'our' like he owned this business with someone else. HA. "I pride myself on the books I have collected, especially the number of first editions. We'll see if it's in here first," Daniel said, pointing at the biiiiiiiiiig collection of books before him. "I don't like to summon books here... some are too delicate for books to be flying around."

Why did she have the feeling that he couldn't talk more about whatever happened to him? Because probably he couldn't. However, she mimicked his glance towards the door, the only difference is that she made it seem as if she was eying a book in particular as soon as she realized what she was doing. We wouldn't want to get him in trouble, right?

St. Mungo's, huh? "Well, I've recently just got out..." and she stopped, it wasn't the kind of information to share, but she had started so..., "...of St. Mungo's...nothing big, just some Bludgers," she shrugged as if it was nothing, even if she'd hated being there. A couple of nurses found a 'G. Lockhart' file that she didn't find amusing at all. "The Healers know their job, I'm sure they did their best." yeah, she let it drop.

If it had been some trouble with a wizard...then...how come St. Mungo's couldn't heal him...oh. Yeah. Best to drop it.

"Mmmhmmm" that was all she said, to the 'Upstead' thing, there were probably tons of people named Upstead, Muggles and wizards alike. And she knew Jake had no brother. So, all figured out.

Kaika's eyes lit up when he began speaking about the books he'd brought, and everything he was saying. Either way, to sum up, if she didn't find the book here, then she wouldn't find it anywhere else. Great. "I think a First Edition of this book would be much more than delicate." she smiled, knowing that the book was really old (though not as much as others), "So, I help?" he had a great amount of books, to be honest. Her eyes landed on a battered copy of what seemed to be 'Moste Potente Potions' and couldn't help but smile. She missed Potions.

"I was only in there for them to try a few things on my face. It was a Dark spell that did this, and I had to leave it for a while, so... it scarred," Daniel explained, feeling that he hadn't gone into enough detail for the scar to make sense.

Anyway, on to business. "Yeah, sure," Daniel grinned. "You help too, if you like. I have loads here... I had to carry them all the way back here."

And London was not exactly small.

The young man showed this girl the other huge stack of books. "We have at least a quarter of a million books here, and at least half of them are first editions. Way back in my family on my mothers side, one of my ancestors bought books as soon as they were printed, and so his son did, and his son, and now I do. I have their books, too. I think my family have always wanted to do business with books... dealing and selling," Daniel spoke. "If we can't find it here, I'll get my wand and see if I can find the name on my catalogue of books."

He spent a lot of time everyday doing a stock check with that thing. During the school year there just weren't customers.

Except Dark wizards trying to steal his books.

Daniel went through the books. He was sure he remembered the name Scrimgeour from earlier that day...

Oh, no. He didn't have to explain. She figured just as much, Kaika had always been a smart Huffie, there really was no need to explain anything. Either way, she listened as he spoke and merely nodded. Anything related to whatever form of the Dark Arts wasn't much to her amusement.

Yes! Help! Well, she wasn't that willing to help, but she'd missed books (she didn't know she had, though) and she'll take any chance to be with them for a while longer. She had a confused look on her face, "I hope you don't mean that you brought all of them today." because then he must be tired and she was making him find a book that she really didn't need, but truly wanted. Well, it was his job, after all.

You know, she used to have this Quidditch journal, and she'd only come to realize that it had been long gone as she scanned some books. Treyen must've taken it.

His family...what?! Kaika blinked a couple times as she listened. That was...great, you know, "It must be nice to share some interests with the family." she had no idea how it could be, that's why she only thought it should be nice. She was about to mention the little fact that two people in her family wrote books, but since she didn't want to mention Gilderoy, then she simply dismissed the thought. "Business with books sounds quieter than business with Quidditch for sure." but was it just as fun and thrilling?

"Sounds good." she smiled, all the time in the world she had, so there was really no hurry in finding the book, except it should be today, and it probably should be found within the hour, so, yeah, they were in hurry but she wasn't going to take forever to find the book.

Eyes scanning one pile of books, and whilst there were some very interesting choices in there, the one she was looking for was not.

"Oh yeah... bought them all today. Carried them back here. Luckily, they had a kind of spell on them, thanks to the dealer, so until they got back in here, if anyone looked at one they would just be blank," Daniel explained, stretching out his back slightly as he thought about the strenuous walk back.

"The business is very quiet... that's how I like it. And since I was into the family interest and stuff, my grandfather gave me the money for this shop," he breamed at the girl. Daniel liked a quiet life. Gave him more time to go out on the town.

He took the books off his pile one by one. "Ahh, we're getting to the 'S' authors now... it'll be here if I bought it... and I'm sure I remember the name... Was there anything else you were thinking of getting?" he asked the girl, pausing in his search.

Oh, she had no idea, how come he wasn't tired? Er, well, perhaps that same questions could be asked for her when Quidditch games extend for days, but it was different. "That's actually great, though I'm not precisely familiar to how the books industry works." meaning she didn't understand how could someone read the book on Daniel's way to his shop. But it was still a neat idea, the spell.

Yes, quiet. Like libraries. Very different from a fan-filled Pitch, but very much like home. Nice and quiet. A wide smile formed on her face as she heard about his grandfather. They were the best people, weren't they? After all, she loved her grandfather very much, he always got her out of any trouble. And he also disliked Gilderoy. "Yes, grandfathers are the best." she couldn't say the same about her grandmother, no matter how many times she'd gotten Treyen grounded, the woman seemed to be against everything everyone said. Kaika, of course, never paid attention.

Oh, the book. He was getting to the 'S' already? Perfect! She stopped her search for he seemed to be closer to finding something, and..."I, don't think so, no." well, not now anyway. She'd only come looking for this book, nothing else.

"Neither do I, to be honest," Daniel half joked as he put the books that had kind of been put aside in a nice tidy pile. It was true... all he did was buy books in bulk and sell them, with the occasional auction day thrown in... though he often liked to keep those books.

Not these though... he had almost every one of these upstairs in his library... which most people would call the living room.

"Okie dokie," smiled Daniel. He looked curiously at a biography of Rufus Scrimgeour, wondering how it got in with these books when he was certain it was already a part of the stock, before putting that aside and carefully picking up the next tome. It was extremely delicate, looking as though it had been pelted with bludgers and beaters bats itself. Daniel ever so carefully opened the cover just a little, and saw the stamp that said 'first edition' quite clearly on the title page, along with the title and author of the book. "I do believe that this is what you're looking for," he said fondly.

His books. Ahhhh, they never did him wrong.

And yes, she had to laugh, because it was very entertaining as to why someone who owns a book shop knows little of the industry itself. However, Kaika was well aware that Daniel knew a whole lot more than she did. "Odd." yes, that was all she said.

What? Did he find it? The expectation had risen so much, that she wanted the book now. The sole action of finding it would certainly make her day, and it wasn't something she'd had high hopes for. Her eyes went over the cover of that one Rufus Scrimgeour. Harry Potter times. Messy times. And her heart sort of skipped a bit when she noticed a battered, very battered, book which was being identified by Daniel.

That was it, right? That was the book? Her whole face lit up when he brought it closer, and her smile was as wide as possible. Really, she had no idea she could be this happy over a book. "It is!" isn't it? Yes!

He'd been the most careful person when it came to handle the book and Kaika almost instantly took it from his hands as if it wasn't delicate at all, she eyed the book, as if she'd caught a much wanted Snitch (and she'd never done so, in fact, she hated them just because she never caught one).

The Wasps Beater shook her head when she noticed the treatment she'd given the book, "Sorry, it's just...exciting. To find it." not that she'd been looking for it that long. "How much will it be?" she said, eyes on the shop owner.

"Mhmmm," Daniel replied to the sole remark this girl made. Yup. Odd. But books tended to lead to oddness. Mhmmm.

Since he was still making very sure that he wasn't going to damage the binding of the book any further or things like that, he had expected the girl to do the same, and when she just took it his heart sped up and he thought he was about to have a heart attack from the shock and abruptness. Once his heart rate was closer to normal, he watched the girl's reaction.

Ooooh, that was enough to make his day, someone being happy that he had the book they were looking for. Daniel beamed painfully (cut on cheek... kinda hurt) and checked his price list.

"Hmmm, it's a fragile and rare book, but it's more along the lines of exceedingly rare and antique," the young man mumbled. He looked at the book again, and took note of its terrible quality. "You can have it for 3 galleons," he smiled.

He had... very low prices here.

Well, she had no idea if his reaction had been an appropriate one to the whole outburst with the book, because her eyes were on the book. The not-for-long desired book. It had been a great idea to search for it, really.

Once her eyes managed to get away from the book she noticed he was smiling. Kaika actually wondered why, but shrugged the thought away. It must hurt, no? His cheek, when he smiled? It was none of her business, so she didn't ask.

But then he said the most unbelievable thing ever heard. "3 galleons?" she asked, confusion all over her face, "You...sure?" the book was over...how many years old? She had no idea, truth be told. It was a first edition...so...over five hundred years ago for sure, why was it so cheap? The quality of it? It was still a very rare book. Blink.

"Okay, though, I think is fairly more valuable," she said, with a nod, as she searched for three golden coins, "Here you have, Daniel." She extended her hand with three golden coins. Golden like the Snitch. Sigh.