So I'd always known that Wendell had at one time convinced his mate Apollo to set him up on a date with his sister. However, it ended rather disasterously.
Setting: Hogsmede, February 2010
"Wendell, what is that exactly?" Artemis said glaring at the large bundle suspiciously. This 'date' that her brother had set up was not turning out at all as planned. He had assured her that Wendell was a perfect gentleman, and that the rumors of his illegal exploits were vastly over-exaggerated. She should have known better than to believe him. Wendell was admittedly rather good looking in a disheveled sort of way. But she was beginning to suspect that the rumors had not been exaggerated in the slightest.
Her first clue had been his destination of choice for their date. Not the sickeningly romantic Madame Puddlefoot's cafe, nor the old favorite of most students the Three Broomsticks, no Wendell had chosen to take her to the Hog’s Head. It was notoriously dirty, and certainly not the sort of place you'd take a girl you were trying to impress. Unless she enjoyed frequenting dodgy establishments that hadn't been cleaned in the last thirty years or so. Depositing her at a grubby table, he had smiled charmingly and dumped some more excessive flattery before going to get them drinks. He had been sidetracked in this seemingly simple task by a shady looking character sitting up at the bar. She watched them disinterestedly drawing squiggles in the dust that coated the tabletop. The two whispered intently for a few minutes, and it was occasionally interrupted by exclamations from Wendell. They seemed to be along the same vein as “That's highway robbery!" and "You can't possibly be serious!" Finally the two seemed to come to some sort of an agreement (by this time Artemis had doodled an exact replica of Starry Night in the dust), Wendell gave the man a handful of Galleons, and in return received a medium sized parcel. The stranger downed the last of his Firewhiskey and exited the bar, allowing Wendell to finally get their drinks and make his way back over to the table, where Artemis was looking angry and impatient.
"Wendell, what is that exactly?"
Wendell shot Artemis one of his trademark cheeky grins, and waved her question away in the same matter, as he would swat a pesky fly.
“Oh, it’s nothing just picking up some erm…dress robes for a mate of mine. Sorry it took so long, I thought he would never hand it over so I could get back to you. Have I ever mentioned you have the loveliest blue eyes, like the clear pools of water on some tropical island?”
Artemis was quite the looker, in a cute sort of quirky way. She wasn’t anywhere near as strange as her brother Apollo, and seemed a great deal brainier. At first Wendell had joined in the crowed that made fun of the odd dressing chap, but he had quickly discovered that despite his strange dress he was terribly funny. Even better, he had a pretty sister who was single to boot. So Wendell had only to apply a little bit of pressure before he convinced Apollo to set him up with Artemis. Wendell always had a thing for brunette girls. He had planned a rather romantic trip to Hogsmede that included a stroll down past the shrieking shack (which was incidentally a great place for a snog), but since it was an actual approved trip day he had also scheduled a meeting to pick up some merchandise to be sold around Hogwarts. He decided to kill two birds with one stone as it were by taking Arty for a drink at the Hog’s Head first, and then (once she had had a drink or two) take her on the nice little stroll. The negotiating had taken much longer than he had anticipated though; old Mundungus Fletcher had been trying pull a fast one on him. But Wendell was an excellent negotiator and had managed to get the old man down to a decent price. Judging from the irritated expression on her face, Arty was not pleased with the delay. There was something about her steely blue glare that put him a bit on edge. Clearly Apollo had not been exaggerating when he said that Artemis could be right scary.
To Be Continued...