It had been a couple of weeks, nearly a month, since Harri had started at Neptune High and had that faithful meeting with one Veronica Mars and the transition into an American high school had been going somewhat smoothly so far. She had tested out of some of her classes, so there was a little bit of messiness with her schedule that had just been cleared up. But that wasn't really enough to make her start feeling repentant for overdosing a little on some of those memory potions she used for study during the summer, she thought with a smirk. Her friendship with Veronica was getting stronger by the day as well. Veronica had introduced her to her own friends, Wallace and Mac and the trio had taken a day to show Harri most of the sites to see in Neptune. Harri had met her dad and her dog and went to her house to study. In return, Harri cooked for Veronica and her dad, helped her walk Backup and offered her house as an equally quiet place to study. They didn't share secrets and only glossed over their pasts, but they got along very well and had a similar outlook on life. Well, so far anyway, they seemed to have a similar outlook. Even still, Harri had only recently found out a rather important well known fact about her new friend.
"So, you're a Private Investigator?"
"That's me," Veronica chirped sarcastically.
"So, if you ever accuse me of something for a case you may be involved in, I shouldn't be offended?" Harri asked casually, glancing at the blonde from her peripheral. Veronica gaped looking torn between insulted and ashamed. Harri laughed at her expression.
"Relax Veronica!" she giggled, "seriously, you need to lighten up. I may not be happy about it if it ever does happen but I'll understand why. It's your job after all."
Veronica looked at her new friend sceptically. No one was ever not offended when someone was blundering their way into their private life and searching for things that were better left as the dark secrets they were. Even her current friends slash cohorts got more than a little insulted when she accused them of knowing something or holding back information. Never mind when she accused them of actually doing something. Harri rolled her eyes at Veronica's obvious disbelief.
"I'm serious! So long as you're reasonable about it, I won't mind," she stated and then quickly continued when it looked like Veronica would argue, "by reasonable, I mean you give me evidence and reasons and motives for why you think I would be suspect in your 'hypothetical case'. Don't just come out and accuse me though. That won't end well for either of us."
If Veronica noticed the darkness of her warning, she chose not to comment on it, too preoccupied with examining Harri's sincere tone and earnest face for any hint of a lie. Against her will, Veronica felt a bubble of hope build in her chest; a hope that maybe, just maybe, this friendship wouldn't be ruined by her choice of extra-curricular work. She struggled to keep that hope down and dormant but somehow Harri saw her fight with herself.
"Here," Harri said suddenly, holding out her pinkie finger with a determined glint in her eye. Surprised by the gesture and curious to see how else the raven could surprise her, Veronica pushed her inner battle to the side and linked her pinkie with Harri's.
"I swear on all that I am, that if Veronica Mars should ever feel the need to question me for a case, I will tell the truth as I know it unless detrimental to my health and/or the health of my loved ones, the Mars Family included," Harry intoned seriously.
"I swear on all that I am, that if I should ever need to suspect or question Harriet Potter for a case, I will come to her with solid evidence and be as honest and as understanding as possible at that time," Veronica copied, wanting this trading of vows to be an equal and fair exchange. Then, to Veronica's surprise, more words bubbled out of her throat in time with Harri's voice.
"So mote it be."
The girls felt a rush of energy flow through their joined fingers. Veronica looked up to see Harri's eyes just as wide and wondering as hers. She also noted a little worry in the vibrant green eyes of her friend, but considering she wasn't very fond of the word coincidence, Veronica wasn't really surprised. Harri smiled weakly with a little courageous amount of humour; "Be careful, Veronica. It's not just me that will hold you to that."
Taking back her still tingling hand, Veronica didn't doubt that for a second. Harri, meanwhile, was making a valiant effort of talking herself out of panicking; an effort that seemed to be working the more she thought through the probable reasons for magic's reaction, rather than all possible reasons for the reaction. Hermione could say whatever she liked about Harri's paranoia; Harry knew there was a time and place for it. With the Dark Lord and murderer of her family dead, his loyal followers either, dead, dying or behind bars and Harri herself now living on another distant continent, Harri would like to think that this was neither the time nor the place for fear to cloud her judgement. So looking at it logically and thinking on it a moment longer, Harri came to the most plausible conclusion that Veronica may have been of squib lineage, having just enough magic to make potions or contribute to a vow. The two of them were probably committing themselves to the vow, what with how seriously they phrased their promises; and magic, a power that was rather partial to things like strong will, initiated the vow to make it binding. As it wasn't an Unbreakable Vow, or any other promise with defined and terrible 'or else' consequences, if either of them were to break it, knowingly or not, they may have a string of bad luck or feel the pressure or sickening feeling of guilt. Admittance and forgiveness should clear that up, Harry thought relaxing a bit. And who knew, maybe the magic of the vow itself would stop either of them from breaking it in the first place.
Harri wilfully ignored that these were all just theories and began to smile somewhat happily and dig into her lunch, while Veronica continued to examine her hand, an awed, thoughtful expression remaining on her face. Wallace chose that moment to sit down at their table with his lunch tray. Looking between Veronica's thoughtful examination of her hand and Harri's chipper and relieved smile, he sighed.
"Do I even want to ask?"
"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about it, Wallace," Harri turned to him with a sweet smile and an even sweeter tone; "We're just making girlie pacts and pinkie promises."
Veronica coughed into the hand she was examining before turning to her lunch, while Wallace just gave Harri a dry stare; "For some reason, I don't believe you."
The two girls laughed while Wallace shook his head. Inwardly, he was pleased to hear the sound, despite the fact that they were laughing at him. Veronica was a very serious person and he could count the number of times he had heard her genuinely laugh out loud on one hand but she really seemed to click with Harri. Harri was also nice to be around regardless of her rough and tumble day wear, and he was happy to say they had connected over her recent move to Neptune, as Wallace distinctly remembered when he first arrived. Wallace may not be able to judge character the way the two girls sitting beside him seemed to, but he liked to think that he'd be hard pressed to find two better friends.
Lunch passed quickly, in an easy haze of food, homework and talk of class and work. When the warning bell for the next class rang however, Harri was the first one standing.
"Well my friends, please excuse me while I go get my hands dirty in Autoshop!" Harri crowed in delight with a cheesy grin. Harri had been looking forward to this elective since she had tested out of her other classes. Because she had no previous experience with mechanics, and also she suspected because she was a girl, the elective hadn't been offered when she had initially registered with Neptune High. She had been somewhat peeved to realise this when she was given the list of electives to make up her new schedule but quickly grabbed the opportunity to work with her hands and learn something practical. Sirius had left his bike in her care after all, and while it was definitely not gathering dust in a garage, she was still a novice at actually looking after the machine. She was also fairly sure it would be a bad idea to take it to a mechanic before she knew for sure there was nothing truly out of place on it. The bike did fly after all.
Veronica greeted her excited grin with a more amused smile but Wallace just looked confused; "Autoshop?"
"Yeah!"
"But you're a girl."
Harri mock gasped while Veronica stayed seated, even made herself more comfortable, to enjoy the show. There were days, Veronica had found, when Harri liked to run mental rings around people's heads for a variety of reasons and it always made for great entertainment.
"Wallace," Harri breathed affronted, "Are you being sexist?"
"What?" he asked, before realising what he had said and quickly beginning to backtrack. "No, no, I mean- I just thought- I didn't think you were that type of girl-"
"What type of girl? A white girl? Wallace, are you being racist now?" Harri interrupted.
"What?! No! I just thought that a classy girl like-" Wallace was truly beginning to panic now.
"Oh, so it's about class now, is it Wallace?" Harri cut him off again; "Because it so much better to be economically racist, is it?"
Wallace looked helplessly at Veronica, to find her biting her lip trying not to laugh. Frustrated, Wallace looked back at Harri, whose lips were twitching into a grin. Wallace shrugged violently in surrender, cursing his luck for finding good friends in a pair of girls who enjoyed mind games.
"You know what? I give up. Go do Autoshop. I don't care," he instantly regretted his choice of words when he heard Harri gasp loudly again.
"You don't care?! Don't you love me anymore? God Wallace, what kind of heartless friend are you?!"
This was clearly too much for Veronica, who promptly burst into peals of laughter at Wallace's stricken face. Wallace turned to Veronica's shaking form and then back to Harri, who was smiling like a cat who'd eaten a particularly juicy canary.
"I hate you both," he sulked.
Harri gave him a patronising smile; "That's okay, Wallace. Veronica loves me. Don't you, Veronica?"
"I do. I really do," the blonde girl gasped, still giggling and trying to catch her breath. Harri smiled at the sight.
"Well, have fun in your next class. See you later!" Hari waved.
"Yeah, yeah, see you later," Wallace grumbled, waiting for Veronica to get up as Harri walked off.
I would like to point out, that I have never done anything like Autoshop as I believe it was known as in the series. Nothing like it was offered in my school unfortunately. I would like to think I would've given it a try if it were.
I'm not particularly fond of this chapter, mainly because it was part of a bigger section that had more interesting happenings later on... In comparison to the rest nothing really happens here but there you go. Speaking of the rest, I'll have that up in a week or two but that will bring an end to the pre-planned/pre-written part of this story. I don't know where it will go or what will happen after that. Let me know if you see any mistakes or have any questions... And please be polite?
I hope you enjoyed it!