The first rays of sunlight were just starting to stream into the apothecary window as she arrived; a little early, perhaps, but she didn't want to be late!
It was her very first day running an apothecary all by herself, and Aryanna (Xana to her friends) Venefica was ecstatic. Though she was an experienced witch and a member in good standing of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers, time at this job was just what she needed to finish her credentials and become a certified Potions Master. Then perhaps she could operate her own potions research lab...her lifelong dream. Maybe she'd even be a professor someday.

She quickly tidied the apothecary, sweeping and making sure that all ingredients were in their proper places on the shelves and all labels were facing front. She checked the inventory, her quick-quotes quill scratching out a note to reminder her that they were low on dragon spleen and doxy eggs.

Going to the back of the store, she paused to pull her long, curly red hair into a loose chignon before she approached the row of cauldrons. The small, slight young woman carefully monitored the status of all potions currently being brewed in the row of cauldrons on the back counter. With an expert hand, she lowered the flame on one and stirred another twice, holding her breath and leaning back to avoid inhaling the noxious, olive-coloured fumes. This one will be ready for bottling at 3 pm. she reminded herself.

Returning to the front of the store, she smoothed her deep teal robes and charmed the sign to read, "Open." She went to the register and stood, waiting... Her sapphire eyes kept darting to the door, eager for someone to enter.

Theo's eyes were drooping slightly. He was rather tired. He pushed opne the door, and yawned. "Excuse me Ma'am. But do you have anything to make a baby sleep?" he said rather wearily. He wasn't really paying much attention to where he was. He was probably standing somewhere rather ridiculous, like in a tray of flobberworms.

My first customer! Xana thought, excited. She beamed at the exhausted looking man.

"Oh, of course, sir! We've got a wonderful sleeping draught..." She strode over to the shelf of sleep aids and picked up a small bottle of purple liquid and handed it to him. "Here it is... Only 13 sickles. Just administer one dropperful into the baby's formula per each hour you need the child to sleep... But be careful not to exceed 10 drops per 24 hour period, or serious side effects including prolonged infant insomnia could actually occur." She eyed the man. He looked terrible, like he'd not slept in weeks. "Forgive me for saying so, but you look exhausted. Have you a new baby?"

"One drop per hour?" Theo nodded, "I can do that. I won't. I just want him to sleep so I can. He can be awake all he wants during the day."

"Yeah. 3 months old. Boy," he murmured. "His name is Nathaniel. My wife seems to sleep when he does, but I can't seem to drift off after he wakes me up."

Xana smiled at him shyly. "Nathaniel, that's a really nice name. And it sounds to me like you're the one who needs the sleeping draught. Here..."[/b] she rummaged through the shelves,looking for the right bottle. A-ha! "The sleeping draught is good for the baby, but you might want to consider this."

She handed the gentleman a small wire-bottomed set of two bottles that fitted together like a yin-yang symbol. One side was a serene blue, the other day glo orange. The orange side was trembling slightly, like it had a bad case of the jitters. "It's Circadian Cordial. You take a drop of the blue side right before bed and one of the orange on awakening. It re-sets your circadian rhythms... your body clock... so you're alert when you need to be and sleep peacefully during your rest periods. It's not recommended for the infant, but should help you to get restful sleep."

Theo chuckled, "I would. If I could. A sleeping draught, would keep me out for longer, and my wife might get rather agitated. Since she always has to wake up for the baby. I am usually with her. Keep her company."

"Call me a simpleton, but I unsure of what you are talking about. I know of body clocks, but not of Circadian means," he smiled, "I am just a Quidditch player after all."

Xana nodded in understanding. "Circadian rhythms are the natural rhythms that we call your 'body clock'... it determines when you're tired and when you're wakeful. I just suggested it since it seems to be you that has trouble falling back to sleep after being awakened." she smiled. "But I understand now... that's very considerate of you, to stay up with your wife, sir. In your case, perhaps just the potion for your baby would be the best choice." She tilted her head. "A quidditch player, you say? Which team do you play for?"

"Oh I see now," Theo smiled. "I will be just taking the sleeping draught. But now I know that you are the place to come if I can't sleep." This lady was rather kind. "Erm. I used to play for the Bats. I run the Department of Magical Games and Sports now. Are you an avid Quidditch fan?"

Xana grinned, nodding and gently taking the Circadian Cordial from him to re-shelve it. "I am. I even played for Slytherin, in fact, back at Hogwarts. And I'm a huge fan of the Harpies... Marco Denver was my captain back at school." she rang up his order, placing it in a small bag. "That'll be 13 sickles, sir." My first sale! she thought, excited. It was too bad he hadn't gone for that Circadian Cordial, though. She had brewed it herself, and so selling it would mean she could count it in her logbook toward her potions master certification. Oh, well.

Theo grinned, "Ah I do know of Marco Denver. His name has been mentioned a few times in my household. We are wondering when he will chose to play for England. For he has the talent. I have seen him play a few times." He pulled out his little green sack, "13 sickles. Is that all? I should come more often. For that isn't alot to get some rest finally." He handed over the thirteen silver pieces, "There you go. I am so glad for your service. Thank you."

"I wish he would come to England." Xana agreed. She took his money, grinning.

"I imagine it IS a bargain for a decent night's rest. Just remember, one drop per hour's rest in the baby's milk, and no more than 10 drops per 24 hour period... and try not to use it more than 3 days in a row without a break, or dependencies can develop-- or worse, he could also become immune to the melatonin effect and then you'll have an insomniac infant on your hands, and probably a wife ready to hex you." she joked. "I put an instruction sheet in the bag with the potion so you'll have it for reference."

"Have you spoken to him recently? Try to convince him," Theo chuckled. "There is nothing I can do."

"Ok. Is alternating nights ok?" he asked, "So he doesn't become dependent?" He was glad this lady was here to help. He had really no idea.

Xana nodded. "Every other night should be fine. And I'll talk to Marco, though I don't know if I can convince him either... he loves his team." she grinned at him. "I hope you have a very restful night's sleep sir, and take good care of your little Nathaniel... and congratulations on his birth, by the way."

"Well he can play for both. I chose not too. I stayed with Bats and decided to marry instead. But he can choose otherwise," Theo smiled.

He nodded "I am glad. And I know I will. Alina will know nothing of it. We will do the best. That is all that can be done. And thank you. For everything." He smiled, holding his bag of potions. He bowed his head, "Thank you again." And with that rather polite comment he left. Strolling out of the door, with a more happier bob to his step.

Xana smiled, pleased at her first transaction. She noted the sale in the ledger and made sure that the register door had shut well. And then, she waited again.

Tingle-Tiggle-Tee!

The little string of bells overhead announced the arrival of Mr. Beezwick, the wandshop keeper as he entered into the apothecary shop. He looked around at the odd assortment of items sold there. Somehow, despite the fact that he had some idea of what manner of things he was to find here, he misjudged the smell entirely. Whoof!

Xana smiled warmly at the man who entered the shop. "Welcome to Slug & Jiggers, how may I serve you today sir?" She said, standing straight and putting on her most professional stance. She wanted to make a good impression... after all this was only her second customer!

"Hello." Otavio piped up, giving a friendly smirkish smile and shutting the door behind him. "I am shopping for something for my wife." He said, his expression had once again turned sour at the pungency of the shop, unbeknownst to him and against his will. This made him appear rather haughty and increasingly so, as the smells began to burn his nose and cause him to sniff periodically throughout the conversation.

"She's a very creative spirit, and I'd like to get her something which may be a sort of all-purpose, but high-quality, base ingredient. Or, perhaps something nice to put it in." He went on to suggest.

Xana bit her lip, a bit flustered. She hadn't really thought too much about the customer-service aspects of this job, focused as she was on the potions-related aspects of the position. She certainly hadn't thought about people entering the shop and wanting open-ended advice on what to buy; she had presumed everyone would know what they needed, or at least what their goal was. "Something all purpose... a base... or an additive... Hmmm... I mean, we have some lovely pre-packaged gift sets with the proper premeasured ingredients to brew specific potions, but if she's creative maybe she likes to innovate. What type of potions or unctions does she tend to experiment with, what are her areas of interest?" she asked, hoping to serve him well. After all, he was her second customer!

Otavio thought about this for a moment. What was the last thing Sara cooked-up? Truth be told, she may or may not have been creative, to his admiring eye she simply was. And a slew of other great and noble things according to his Gryffindor heart.
"You know, I'm not entirely sure if she has a favourite. Why don't we look at phials?" He said, rather suspiciously for no apparent reason other than it may be found out that he doesn't really know what his own wife favours.

Xana smiled and nodded at the man. "Yes sir, right this way." She led him over to a shelf where a collection of phials rested. "Of course..." she was a little shy to make suggestions, but then, he did seem a little lost. Besides, wasn't this part of the job? "I think most potioneers...well, at least me... Well.. I just mean that I think a lot of potioneers, like myself, really appreciate not just ingredients and consumables but gifts that are both reusable and aesthetically pleasing. We've got some lovely empty phials that are blown Egyptian glass... I know I can never have too many bottles, phials and containers to house my potions. Perhaps your wife would appreciate such a gift?" She gestured to show him the glass case filled with beautiful glass bottles of every shape, size, and color, all in delicate blown glass.

Otavio leant in towards the glass to get a better look at the bottles, phials and containers. "Very nice!" He said before his eye caught one that he thought she might like inparticular.

"Let me see that one." He said, pointing to a clear bottle with blue painted tips at the base and dropper crest.

Xana beamed. He likes the idea! she thought happily. Despite the fact that the customer service part of the job wasn't really her passion, she still felt an ambition to be good at it. She brought down the delicate bottle and handed it to him. "An excellent choice, sir... not only is it beautiful, but it's translucent enough to be able to determine fluid levels and color, and it's been charmed to be virtually unbreakable even if you decant a freshly brewed, hot potion into it. A bargain at only..." she checked the price. "Er... 5 galleons?" Crikey! That was a bit much for a bottle, in her opinion. Still, maybe he would think it was a good value.

'5 galleons? H'mm...that was bit much. It would be totally worth it if the Mrs. happened to like it.' Otavio reached into his robe pocket and felt around for some money.


"Unbreakable, h'mm? What if it's dropped?" He said half in jest and just to be a smart alec. Drawing out 5 galleons, he handed it to the red-head and proceeded to drop a generous tip into a tip-jar he just conjured, not noticing one in the shop. "That's for your help. Thank you! My wife is going to love it!".