A Welcoming (Bella K)

[aramis]

News had gotten around that Isabella Kerrith was moving back to England and was going to be working at the Daily Prophet. She was an excellent writer, Aramis had even read some of her previous articles. He wanted to make sure he knew what he was getting into. He didn't remember her from his school days, but he was quite a few years ahead of her and rather absorbed in his own activities back then.

He had sent a letter over to Isabella's desk welcoming her to the Prophet. As Assistant Editor, Aramis was one of the people you needed to get in good with. And knowing she would want to make good connections at her new place of employment, he was sure this letter would entice her enough to come and introduce herself. He looked over an article submitted by that annoying Bambi girl, crossing large chunks out with a red inked quill, awaiting Isabella's unscheduled but very much expected visit.

[Isabella Kerrith]

Three in the evening chimed on her grandfather clock in her office at The Daily Prophet, and Bella was still hard at work, where she had been since three that morning. She had tons of interviews conducted that she needed to sift through and pick out what was legitimate and at least valid for the topic at hand from the interview logs and put together a story. To make matters even more stressful for her, she had received a letter from her Assistant Editor, Aramis. She had seen the man once, but it was very brief, and she didn't really have time to get her own assessment of him, for he had found something to amuse himself with long before she could catch him in a conversation.

With an exasperated sigh, Bella sat down her quill, capped her ink bottle, and put away her things. She used a locking charm on her desk drawers that required a password only Bella knew to open it. She had become very careful about how she stored her work, although she rarely left it in one place away from her for more than an hour at a time. She had even been known with bigger stories, to keep her papers in a sealed bag under her pillow on the opposite side of her bed, arms firmly placed over it. She stood from her rolling leather chair, fixed her hair back into the shape it was meant to be in, and began her journey through the office to see Aramis.

Walking past several people, she smiled warmly at them, waving or asking about things she had remembered from previous conversations with them. Her nervousness would not show on her face, although she wasn't sure she could silence her hands from action. She would attempt not to ring them in front of Aramis, but she was sure failure was a possibility in that department.

She approached his office door, knocking softly, awaiting an answer. Attempting to find something to do with her hands, she folded them together, trying her hardest not to wring them, and to keep her face from flushing a deep red color. She took a deep breath, and exhaled quietly. Her nerves were officially a train wreck. .

[aramis]

It wasn't long before there was a soft, barely audible knock at his door. He smiled to himself, shuffled his papers into one pile, and then rose to let in his visitor. He ran his fingers through his hair before turning the knob on the door slowly and pulling it in towards himself. "Ah, Miss Kerrith. Please come in." He took a step back to allow her to pass.

Looking her over, he could tell she was a serious writer. She had the anxious look of someone wanting to please others, and in this business that generally meant you were serious about your job. Or a kiss up. Either way, you were well liked, but he doubted very much that Isabella was a kiss up. He had only heard good things about her, most of which revolved around her work ethic. Though the quality of the Daily Prophet was not his main goal, he was competent enough in his job to recognize a good employee.

[Isabella Kerrith]

A blush crept across her cheeks, and a warm smile on her lips when the door opened and she gazed upon Aramis. She nodded, noticing he gave her a onceover. She folded her hands together and smiled brightly. "So I heard that you wanted to see me?," she asked in her most polite tone. She didn't want to seem like a suck up, but she wanted to make a good impression as well.

As she stood waiting for him to completely let her in the room, she gazed behind him quickly and took in as much as she could of his office in that glance. She hoped that her bubbly personality wouldn't bother him, for some people tend to get annoyed at someone who was always happy.

[aramis]

Aramis moved more into his office, pulling out a chair for her before walking around his desk to his own chair. He waited until she was seated to speak, looking her directly at her with a sort of twinkle in his eye. "I like to get to know my writers. How they work,their temperament. Anything that can make the relationship stronger. And I've heard nothing but good things about you Miss Kerrith. I'm very much looking forward to working with you." He leaned forward slightly, perhaps a few inches closer to her. She was pretty, at least that made one thing simpler.

[Isabella Kerrith]

Bella flushed slightly when he pulled the chair out for her and thanked him, nodding with a warm smile as she took her seat. She watched him walk around the desk and sit down, and fought the desire to grin. When he began to lean forward after stating that he had heard nothing but good things about her, she had to fight to keep her face from flushing a bright red.

"Well I am very pleased to hear that I'm well liked, or at least my writing is," she replied, her voice sounding like harmony drifting through the room. She had been asked several times to announce for games, or the wizarding wireless radio, although she had been interviewed on there. Her thoughts flicked to her sister, and then returned to the situation at hand almost as suddenly as the thought came.

"I like to get to know my editors, truth be told. It's nice to know the person who approves your work. I always think that helps you get a feel of how your story should be based, and what you should focus on the most," she said pausing briefly to gauge her next words, then continued on, "and I do believe that is what has helped me make it to be a successful writer in this business."

"It also helps to be a good listener," she added at the last moment, her facial expression very light hearted and stress free. Looks could be deceiving though, and under the surface Bella felt turmoil building.

[aramis]

Her voice was a high pitched melody and the way she moved when she spoke showed grace and ease. Her words proved that she was serious about what she did, and Aramis could certainly use that to his advantage. He could picture many late night meetings, having to go over her work or whatever else he could come up with to get her alone and out of the office while still having her feel comfortable enough to trust him.

"Yes, your most recent article on Goblin Banking corruption was most insightful. I wonder, did you get many responses from Gringott's employees? I would imagine an article as controversial as that would create quite a stir. But then, I'm sure you didn't get into this profession to keep the waters still." He ran his hand through his hair effortlessly and gave her another dazzling smile.

[Isabella Kerrith]

Bella listened carefully, always keeping her eyes locked on him, only looking away occasionally when she would glance at her hands in her lap. When Aramis mentioned the Goblin Banking Corruption piece she did, her face flushed. The kind of responses she had gotten from that were not always the best, especially not from Gringott's employees. The general public had agreed with her, and now a review was being commissioned at Gringott's to ensure that things were in tip-top running shape, and it was all thanks to Bella. Not that she would truly take the credit for it, anyhow.

"Well Mr. Pantaleon, it did stir some things up, although they are all settled for the most part, anyway. Good assumption, I did not get into this business to worry about what other people got upset about, if I were to write anything about it. When I choose a topic, it's generally what I think the public will respond the most to, not the emotion they will respond with," she stated simply, smiling at him gracefully.

"Let's not talk about me though, for you have my file and that lets you know far more about me than I know about you," she said, a smirk playing on her lips lightly.

[aramis]

"Please, call me Aramis. Mr. Pantaleon seems too formal, wouldn't you agree?" Aramis did not miss the pink tinge on her cheeks as he complemented her article. Neither did he miss the bashful glances at her hands when his eye contact became too much for her. She was an overly sweet woman, and if she weren't so forward about wanting to know about him, he would have assumed her to be shy as well.

"Ah, my dear, your file gives me a great insight into your bold writing style and habits. But it says nothing of your personality, though I can tell from this short conversation already that you have a lovely spirit. However, I would not deny you the opportunity to learn about me, as I hope to learn about you. What sort of things were you hoping to discover?"