First Day Tour

Yamamoto did not realize just how popular Lord Shagswell was until the first day of the tour. She was quite amazed at the number of people that turned out, most especially the women. Of course each section in the magazine and some of the writers had their following, but it was Shagswell that had the most numbers.

Shagswell was like a Muggle movie star as he waved to his fans, walking to the tent that was assigned to him. And he kept on waving even as he walked across the wide field that was behind the castle, where the tour was being held. There were not just a few screams and cries as they called out his name. Thankfully, all of the guests and patrons of the castle hotel were of the wizarding world, so there was no danger of Muggles discovering the event. Still, some precautions were used with Disillusionment Charms and similar spells.

She was behind him the whole time, her eyes and ears fully alert. Her skin seemed to prickle as she tried to sense any Dark magic being used, even the simplest of hexes. She was calm as she walked behind him, frequently scanning the crowd, with her eyes softly glowing as she activated her ability. It was organized chaos, as the women slowly lined up in front of the table given to Shagswell to have his autograph signing.

"Anything wrong?" Shagswell whispered to her as he reached his seat and sat down.

She shook her head. "I don't feel anything. Just smile and sign; I'll take care of it." She could see some of the security mingling about in the crowd and gave a mental nod of satisfaction. At least she would not be alone here. She imagined she would have to yank Shagswell to the ground and place a Stunning Spell on whoever would try to lunge at him while the others would quickly surround the person.

She carefully watched the women queuing up for his signature and admittedly was amused with their reactions. Some were awed and stupefied at meeting him, others were nervous and giggly. And not a few of them had crimson faces when they finally met the man. Yet throughout the whole affair, Shagswell kept his cool. Every time he would smile, the ladies would gush and titter over him, almost speechless. This is something, she thought, Lockhart doesn't even come close to this man.

At the corner of her eye, she noticed Miterhause's assistant busily going around, doing errands and whatever the editor requested. The girl had tenacity, though, she could see that she was already a bit harried. When she looked their way, Yamamoto gave her an encouraging smile, and the girl waved back and sped off again. She was about to turn her attention back to the line when there was a sudden flash of light, followed by a smell of ozone. Someone was taking pictures of Shagswell.

"What in the--?" Shagswell almost cursed, shaking the afterimage away from his eyes. Yamamoto meanwhile blinked rapidly and looked where it came from and saw a garishly dressed blond woman widely grinning at what she saw.

"This is fantastic!" she cried, clapping her hands excitedly. "Absolutely delish! Definitely front page material."

Shagswell almost frowned when he saw her. "Miss Skeeter," he said in a polite voice, nodding at her. Yamamoto could see that he was none too fond of the newcomer. She intently looked at the lady named Skeeter. She definitely looked like stalker material, but she couldn't be so sure. She slowly moved closer, careful not to put any attention on her.

"Lord Shagswell! How good to see you! It's been such a long time," she looked around, almost leering at the queue. "Well! Such a gathering here. Are you going to have your pick tonight then?"

Before Shagswell could retort, though, a very irritated Miterhause appeared behind Skeeter. "Rita," she said in a controlled voice. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Samara," Skeeter crooned, turning around and smiling at her without missing a beat. She playfully pinched the editor's cheek. "I commend you for your tour's first day. And the fact that Playwitch is catering to only a niche market after all."

Miterhause returned a smile that could melt steel. "Why thank you, Rita," she purred. One eyebrow went up as she regarded her coolly. "The people here certainly are greater than your numbers during the Daily Prophet's own tour last year, isn't it?"

Skeeter's eyes narrowed in near anger, her nose flaring. Then she quickly calmed herself, smiling sarcastically. "I wouldn't know. I had an assignment during those days. Come on, Hubert!" she screeched to her photographer, as she suddenly turned and stomped away, almost dragging her assistant away from the tent.

Miterhause covered her mouth, keeping the giggles in. She winked at Shagswell, who gave her the thumbs-up, and then walked to another tent. "Thank Merlin she's gone," Shagswell sighed, continuing to give his autograph. Yamamoto merely nodded, thinking nothing more of the woman. At least she's not a suspect, for now.

Aside from that, there was no further incident for the remainder of the night. Soon it was midnight, signaling the end of the tour's first day. When all the guests and attendants left and the field cleaned up and prepared for the next day, Miterhause gathered everyone together. "This is great!" she cried, smiling widely. "First day and we've exceeded our forecast! We're on a roll, people!"

Everyone cheered at that; even Yamamoto gave a few claps. After a few more reminders and instructions, they all called it a night. Shagswell and Yamamoto walked with the others back to their rooms. Yamamoto placed a finger on her lips when she saw Shagswell's questioning look. She'd be telling him what she thought about today, but not with the other staff around. When they reached their room they heard Miterhause's voice. "Orion, wait!" she called out. She quickly went near them and placed a hand on his arm while looking at Yamamoto. "Well?" she asked curiously.

Yamamoto tilted her head to the side. "In here," she said softly, entering her room with them following behind. She locked and warded the door. She then leaned against the dresser, crossing her arms as she recalled the last few hours. "I didn't sense nor see anything out of the ordinary," she reported. "Although, that doesn't mean our special guest wasn't there. They could have just been observing us for the time being. I do have to admit I almost suspected this Skeeter woman."

"Wouldn't it be a pleasure if she was?" Orion said, rolling his eyes at the mention of her name. "She put me in a bad light when she wrote an article about me. I almost thought I'd lose a lot of my readers when that was published."

"I regret ever asking her," Miterhause added, sighing loudly. She then gave a naughty grin. "Did you see her face, though? I thought she'd blow her overly bleached head off. Couldn't you take her, Irika? Say it's just for 'questioning', then book her the moment she opens her filthy mouth!"

Yamamoto gave a faint smile, shaking her head. "Crashing into your event is not evidence, Miss Miterhause. I'll keep an eye on her, though, in case she does return. In the meanwhile, I guess we have to conclude that everything is fine, for now."

"And three more weeks to go," Miterhause sighed theatrically. Then she smiled and patted Shagswell's cheek. "I'm glad nothing happened. I'll see you tomorrow then." He took her hand and kissed it. "Until tomorrow, Samara," he said.

"I, too, will retire for this evening," Yamamoto said with a quick bow. "Good night, Lord Shagswell."

He looked at her, a faint smile on his lips. "Wouldn't you care for some small chat, first, my dear? I'm sure we'll have something to talk about in common."

"Thank you, but no," she replied with a little tilt of her head. "There are still the letters that I need to study. I'm hoping I'd be able to create a profile out of it."

Shagswell looked at her for a few quiet moments. "Don't you ever relax, Irika?" he said softly. "Surely you need not to be so...earnest about this."

"I am a Hit Witch, Lord Shagswell," she replied. "I have to be earnest in every assignment, or else I may overlook something that could jeopardize the safety of the assignment and whoever I'm tasked to protect. Besides, to do less is a bit of an insult to you, don't you think? It's your life I'm protecting, after all."

He gave a chuckle then sighed. "Your words touch me, my sweet. Very well, I'll see you on the morrow. Good night, Irika." With a naughty grin, he quickly yet gently took her hand and placed a kiss. He just as quickly let go before she could react. "Sweet dreams," he purred. As he closed the door to his own room, he was amused by the look of surprise on her face. "You're truly an enigma," he murmured softly.