1886 — Flourish & Blotts; Diagon Alley

Marion usually opted for magic when cleaning up after having an author speak, but lately, when working nights alone, she liked to put everything away manually. The chairs stacked neatly on top of each other and the clattering of wood helped to keep her thoughts occupied. She often thought of how the talk went, how many books ended up being sold, and if she wanted to invite the author back again; tonight was a different story.

While the author had been chatting with the interlocutor, Marion had been at the front counter, pouring over various text samples she’d been sent from different publishers. While she was riffling through the stack, a few of the texts caught her eye and she’d ended up reading through the entire pitch multiple times before the author had finished accepting questions from the crowd. Marion had been careful to put the text away and out of sight when it was time for the signing at the end, but once the crowd had left, she’d re-read it again as her mind started to churn.

It had been an erotic text; a story wherein the woman’s pleasure rested at the center, and she’d found herself feeling liberated after a sexual encounter with a friend of her brother’s. Even after finishing the sample Marion’s mind kept drifting towards the story as she stacked up the chairs and put them away. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she failed to realize she hadn’t closed the shop officially and that someone had wandered in.

Henry Berkwood — Evangeline Rowle

  

Evangeline liked Flourish & Blott's for the same reason she liked most places--it wasn't home--and for the reason that she'd always enjoyed books. There were many parts of her identity that she'd been forced to shed when she got married, but reading was one of the few she'd been allowed to keep that still sparked some kind of joy in her. Other things were harder, but books were still easy.

It was rather late in the day to be out shopping, but Eva had spent most of the day doing things she didn't want to do, and she was in London at the moment anyway, so she might as well stop in to see if the shop had a copy of a book she'd been looking for. Whizzhard's was out of stock and didn't anticipate getting more until next week. So she may as well check. Even so, Eva was half-surprised to discover that the shop was still open, but she wasn't going to complain.

It was clearly close to closing time, of course, and since Eva wasn't entirely sure where the book she wanted would be--if it was here--so she figured the quickest thing was to ask staff. Which is how she found herself trying to get the attention of a woman who probably hadn't meant to be reading what she was reading in public. Evangeline cleared her throat. "Umm. Excuse me?"

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Set by Bee <3

A pointed cough drew Marion’s attention immediately, and she jerked her head up to see a familiar face in the store. She couldn’t quite remember the woman’s name, but she knew they’d at least crossed paths once or twice before. “Yes!” She chirped, quickly abandoning the chairs and bustling over to the front where the woman was waiting. “Do forgive me, I was miles away.” She laughed lightly, taking her place behind the counter. “How can I help you?”

Marion waited for the woman to speak, looking to clear up the counter when her eye caught the text laid flat on the counter — for all the world to see. For her customer to see.

Heat flooded to her cheeks, tinging her olive skin with an intense color as she froze, staring from the erotic text on the counter to the woman. Oh please, oh please let the woman do the traditional British thing and completely ignore it...please, please...

  

"I was hoping you could help me find a book," Evangeline said. "I wasn't sure what section it'd be in. Here--I wrote down the title." She slid a piece of parchment she'd torn off something else to scribble down the book title and author name. She was trying not to obviously look at the book the woman had. Trying.

But, well, Eva only had so much subtlety within her. "Interesting book?" she asked.

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Set by Bee <3

Even through Marion’s olive and tanned skin, the blush that appeared was visible, and she wanted to dive behind the counter at the woman’s question. There was no room to be vague either, or play dumb. The text was right there, plain and simple between them and Marion had been caught. Still, she fumbled with the piece of parchment and looked at the title. “A-ah, yes!” She stammered. “We should have that author and title available.” Even as she tried to maintain composure and walk around the counter to the shelves behind her customer, her heart hammered a furious tattoo in her chest.

She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing there was nothing to it but to address the question. “Erm - I was just looking at some texts that had been sent to me for consideration. It - yes it’s quite…interesting!”

  

Eva couldn't help but smile. "No need to be embarrassed," she said. "Literature is literature, whatever the subject. There's no shame in it." She knew society at large wouldn't agree with her sentiment, but society at large were a bunch of nitwits.

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Set by Bee <3

At the woman’s answer, Marion blinked in surprise. She’d expected to be met with open judgement or disgust, not….was it interest that she detected in the other woman’s eyes? Or merely appeasement?

“I quite agree,” She heard herself say, her smile widening. She still felt cautious — was the customer jesting, leading her into a false sense of security. “It’s a shame we feel the need to hide these kinds of texts from others.”