"I see Cerberus has returned"
Long since getting over the rather blunt attitude Luna carried, Harry merely hummed at the blonde behind her currently reading over Mr Karkaroffs desk papers. Harry herself sorting through the various office bins she had gathered in the centre of the room.
Honestly why people were incapable of deciphering what was recycling and what was paper recycling was beyond her. Never mind the fact that what she currently was holding was a banana skin.
"Less snooping and more polishing Luna and yes Marvollo is back"
Harry heard the sound of paper being shuffled behind her and the tell-tale sound of a spray nozzle as Luna followed her direction. Harry honestly loved Luna, she was the female best friend Harry never knew she could have. Others might see her as ditzy, the way she floated about without no care of the world around her, honest to a painful degree and never dawdling bar her occasional riddles. Harry secretly thought Luna took delight in making people run round after her instead of giving them straight details. They were all pawns to Lunas amusement. Harry just held a slightly higher position. A bishop maybe, she hoped anyway.
"Will he be picking you up as well as escorting?" A puff of air by her ear made Harry jerk round as the blonde drew back giggling at her discomfort.
"No he will not, I am not a damsel, besides I have you to walk to the tube station with"
"Shame, I rather think Marvollo is desperate by now to pick you up"
Narrowing her eyes and throwing a scrunched up bit of paper at the girl, Harry pointed back to the desks.
"Hardy Hah, polish!
Luna, holding her hands up in mock surrender, swiftly turned back to her previous task. Don't think Harry didn't note the smug little grin she wore, Luna wasn't even trying to hide it as she broke out into a low whispered song.
Someone, somewhere, needed to hire Luna to sing nursey rhymes, her voice was beautiful. An odd contrast of low and light that both baffled yet delighted the soul. It was Luna through and through.
With Lunas light crooning in the background, work seemed to move quite swiftly after that. Little bits of conversation thrown between the two girls as they zoomed around the large open plan office space. Harry asking after Neville as she hadn't seen him in a little while and if a wedding date had been set yet, Luna responding in turn that she was waiting for the right alignment of Neptune otherwise she was guaranteed a rainy wedding day. Harry had learnt not to question.
While helping Harry carry the various rubbish bags down the street skip below, Luna further pried into Marvollo's appearance to which she calmly explained the afternoon's proceedings and showed her the odd glass pot of red paint she had been after. Immediately promising Luna the glass pot once she was finished.
Apparently the glass would make an excellent light fixture amongst her other trinkets. Harry personally had a bedside lampshade that Luna had created from various seashells and smooth glass that she had scavenged on a romantic weekend getaway with Neville. Luna was the queen of upcycling in Harry's book and everything she touched seemed to evoke drool like envy from everyone. Harry had the scarred memory of fending off harpies from her new shade while transporting it home. Turns out the free newspapers on the tube came in handy when rolled and used as a baton.
Despite this though, Luna was happy to work her various part time jobs, do her small upcycling projects on the side and generally live a very low key life. It baffled Harry when she could be the toast of design in London but then seeing her so very happy with her gardener fiancé. Harry could understand. To find that little piece of heaven amongst a city striving to undercut everyone. Harry could understand and envy her a little if honest.
"I'll rock, moon, scissors you for the men's bathroom Harry"
Pulling herself away from the role of bin liners, Harry turned an unimpressed eye on her friend.
Luna always won the slightly modded game to decide the ill-fated task of the men's bathroom. Harry had long stopped falling for the trick but every time Luna still liked to jest a game. Throwing a pair of marigolds at the smirking blonde, Harry donned her own with a snap at the wrist.
"To battle, together"
"You're certain this is the right address"
He could throw all the unimpressive eyebrow raises at her, as he pleased. The building looked condemned. If it wasn't then someone should. The little sign above the door, marking the shop as Ollivanders if you could squint past the peeling letters, looked one small gust away from snapping its flimsy chain. If she died she was haunting him no question.
"I can assure you that we are in the right place, you of all people should know not to judge by appearances"
The jingle of the bell above the shop door drew Harry's attention as they walked in. She didn't realise those even still existed. Then again by the state of dust, at least they could track the way they came in. Items of various artistic nature lay scattered and balanced around the room. Canvases, easels, was that a cement mixer?
Amongst the scattered collaboration of newspaper and box stuffing, Harry spotted a small brass bell, a tin of what she hoped wasn't cash, haphazardly languishing on the counter next to it. For such an oddity of a shop, Harry was not surprised by the lack of tech but even so to leave something like that out unsupervised. Well.
"I doubt theft is something they really worry about, now if you would.."
How he always managed to read what she was thinking Harry would never know, Marvollo simply gestured for her to ring the bell.
"I feel I might catch plague if I ring that"
Nevertheless ring the bell she did, barely a moment later and a speckled man of wispy grey hair appeared as if magically from beneath the counter.
"Tom my boy, it's been a while" Ok she had rung the bell, a little rude to immediately address the male figure in the room first. Dark, brooding figure that it is by use of his actually first name but still.
"Oh this must be Harriett, a pleasure to finally meet you, let me guess, let me guess…"
Who was Harry to question the man currently circling her like a hawk, the crazed man who apparently knew her name and wasn't such a random stop as Marvollo had first implied.
"..yes I know exactly what one you're going to need"
Without so much as a 'why' or 'what' she might be needing, the man took off back behind the counter and proceed to sweep the entirety of its contents onto the floor, cash tin included. Amongst the now ringing in her ears from clanging change, Harry could only watch in horror as box after box started to mount the surface top. The occasional curse muttered from behind the increasingly swaying mound as occasional a box lid came spinning round causing both her and Marvollo to duck.
"Should we, you know… intervene?"
Not sure if it was more for them or the clearly crazed store owner. Harry went to move forward but a quick hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Leave him be, its best to not fight him."
With that Marvollo used the hand on her shoulder to turn her to a dusty chaise lounge tucked against the wall. Gesturing with an 'are you kidding look' at the state of the piece of furniture and where he wanted her to sit, Harry waited and stared at Marvollo.
With a put about sigh, Marvollo removed his jacket and threw it on the dusty chaise. Harry taking great delight in plopping down upon it, taking extra care to maintain eye contact as she wiggled slowly and with purpose.
It was worth the glare and subsequent murmuring of "brat.." even if he did budge her over when he joined her and made her half clamber in his lap so they could both share the jacket.
Neither noticed the smile directed their way from behind the counter.
Putting thoughts of earlier aside Harry could at least be grateful that she had the paint she needed even if the means of getting it had been… odd to say the least.
Watching Luna as she slowly slopped soap mixture over the floor, making her way further towards the stairwell and their jumble of things by the door. Harry couldn't help but snort at the absurdity of what had become their finishing routine.
Once the bucket was discarded and Luna stood facing her, Harry nodded her consent as Luna hit the play button on her phone, the small tinny speakers crackling to life next to the spattering of rags underneath Lunas feet matching the similar ones under Harrys.
"Come to me my blonde angel"
Mimicking all the soppy teen royalty flicks she had ever seen and flicking her fingers in Luna's direct. Harry couldn't help but giggle as Luna took a running spin towards the floor to her. Landing roughly in Harrys outstretched arms.
"Whisk me away my princess"
They danced. Rags beneath their feet they swept across the floor, hands clasped tightly together as each took turns in twirling the other or dipping them low. Finding that slim balance between falling and sliding to propel them fully round the office space as the jovial music bounced round contrasting the squeaks and thumps. The floor sparkling beneath them as with the crescendo of the songs peak, Harry half knelt as Luna shuffled her feet to create more momentum as she leapt upwards into the lift.
Only for Harrys legs to give out in the catch, causing them both to slip and land in a ceremonious puddle of limbs and damp soap sudded cloths.
"Well if that's not a clock strikes midnight effect in the happening, I don't know what is" Feeling the damp starting to seep into her hair, Harry offered Luna a tentive hand as they helped each other back their feet.
"One day Neville is going to ask me how I get these bruises and our ill-fated love affair will be discovered"
Lunas soft laugh brought a smile to Harrys. Already seeing the put about expression on Neville's face. More so at Luna hurting herself in a stunt that no doubt Harry would get the blame for. Being the Di Vinci of bad ideas was a hard mantle to be saddled with.
Harry almost felt a little scared at the notion of Lunas finance being mad with her. The man was a tall, smart, well-built package warmly snuggled in a variety of woollen jumpers, most knitted by Luna herself (honestly why were some people so blessed), who had the tenacity to babble nervously in social situations. So always.
Lunas 'lamb' as she dreamily referred to him as however had a deeper dark side. Honestly it was amazing what a good knit job could hide.
Something she had only witnessed once when a man had gotten a little grabby on a night out with Luna. One minute a grubby hand was travelling too far south, stale breath ghosting an ear as the lone tone of a text message sounded in the background. The man had glanced down in annoyance at the tone, the next thing said hand and the body connected to it were gone from the Luna's side. Leaving Neville to help Harry console a tear ridden Luna. Why the man had scampered at the mere sight of a message, Harry would never know, but she would carry the emotionless eyes that Neville has worn and the sight of a phone help tightly in his hands with her always.
Harry sometimes suspected if Neville was the simple Gardiner that Luna portrayed him as. A man with five greenhouses was obviously hiding something in Harry's books. Especially considering the value of such land in London.
"Harry dear heart, Neville would simply laugh, no need to look so worried, he knows you're special to me"
Sure no need to worry if your name is Luna and your heart is made of pure sunshine.
Neville did however always greet her fondly when he occasionally picked Luna up from their night work. Always had time for her at their friends numerous social meet ups, always going out of his way to make sure she was doing ok. There was also the small group chat the three of them shared away from Harrys other friends in which they spoke daily. Plus that one comical time she and Luna had ended up drunk of their asses and incarcerated purely by accident after joining a non-approved rally group on the Commons Green. Something about protesting for elf freedom? Harry didn't know ok.
All Harry remembered from that hazy night was Luna trying to knock her out with a picket sign as she attempted to swing it, a rather fetching blue feather boa, said boa being wrapped around an attending police officer and then a rather queasy ride in a police car. Also maybe a human pyramid that somehow she got nominated to top.
Harry had forfeited her right to phone call at the station, after realising that a) Marvollo was out of the country and b) she couldn't string together any on else's number. Therefore Luna had called Neville, who bless his heart not only cleared up the whole misunderstanding that 'no they weren't part of a new age protest cult they were just drunk morons' whilst also getting all charges dropped for them both. No the star had also brought them both a change of shoes, heavens bless flats, and even stopped off for a sunrise takeaway pick up before taking them back to his and Lunas house. Apparently Harry wasn't to be trusted on her own whilst drunk and un supervised seeing as Ron was out of town visiting family, Neville was a smart man.
Surprisingly since then Harry and Luna had been lumbered with chaperones. Kill joys the lot of them. Harry had tried explain her woes to Marvollo about being treated like a baby instead of the women she was. He had simply snorted at her and proceeded to show her a video of her at the top of a very shaky pyramid on the common green which apparently Luna had filmed and sent to him. So the plan of Marvollo never finding out had failed. Miserably failed. So much so that Marvollo had insisted on having Neville's number just in case she decided to partake in any other acrobatics whilst he was away in future.
Killjoys!
With Luna locking up behind her, Harry gathered the cloths and shoved them into a plastic bag she carried for this such occasion to be washed at her flat later. Then falling into step with Luna, the girls linked arms as they navigated the street lit side street to the nearest tube stop.
"So what did you want me to give to Ron by the way?"
Recalling the early conversation the girls had, had whilst cleaning the men's bathroom. Harry remembered Luna mentioning a necklace that she had procured for Ron.
"I believe it will solve all his problems, but Ron aside, you never told me about dinner with Marvollo"
Smacking Luna with the plastic bag was purely self-defence at this point.
"Allow me to thank you for showing some restraint"
Although clearly of quality, the small Italian restaurant Marvollo had picked was clearly a more casual environment. Harry had long learnt to tell by the cutlery placement how high end a place could be considered and what mannerisms were passable. The simple one knife and fork setup was enough to make her feel at ease in her scuffed boots and jeans when compared to some of the high end black tie dining establishments he had dragged her to.
Harry said dragged.
Really the food was always amazing so by now the protests were more half-hearted at best and when the menu came without a price, well who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides he normally had the decency to pre-warn her before. Normally.
On two such occasions he had appeared at her door with a word, thrown some gown at her (they scarily seemed to always fit) and spirited her away before even a simple hello could be exchanged.
Marvollo hated to dine with self-dubbed 'idiots' by himself. Apparently she made them at least tolerable. Harry just marvelled at Marvollo's gull. That and the fact she knew he drew immense pleasure at her fumbling through polite, society small talk.
"Your comfort levels were considered" was all the snarky git came back with, head already perusing her over the top of his menu. No doubt already haven chosen while she was lost in though.
"So kooky old art man, should I be worried that he knew my name or-"
"Ollivander- always with the emphasis with Marvollo -is a very old acquaintance, eccentric yes, but a great procurer of, well oddities. He sourced me a simply divine 17th Century statue for the French ambassador's birthday last year"
Because of course that's what any person really wants for their birthday.
"-and he knew my name because? Wait how much did that even cost?"
"It is of no consequence, connections are the foundation on which we live after all. Now less gawping and choose something unless you want me to pick for you."
Always one to change the subject when money arose, Marvollo almost shooingly gestured her back to the menu. She didn't know if it was simply to save face for her which would almost be touching, you know, if it wasn't Marvollo. But then he never seemingly bragged or was once for flaunting his obvious wealth in comparison to her very humble, more like meagre, living standards.
"Also try to avoid garlic, or we might have a minor gas epidemic. I'm thinking for everyone sake."
She was 100% getting garlic bread now just to spite him.
Harry was going to breathe all over him.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING"
Ron jolted from his position on the sofa, he had meant to stay awake until Harry had gotten home from work. It would seem he had failed, groaning as he removed his face from the floor, he glanced over to the flat hallway where he met the wide eyed glare of said flat mate. Said flat mate now hung like a marionette amongst a tangle of invisible wire thread.
"Oh hey mate, funny thi-
"You booby trapped the hallway" Ok that was calm tone, Ron could reason with Harry if she was calm. Maybe subdue the beast before it could erupt. Hopefully stop the neighbours from pounding on the door again. Flippin Flat 14.
"WHY HAVE YOU BOOBY TRAPPED THEHALLWAY"
Too late it would seem. Somehow Ron could see this being a long night.
What were Tuesdays?
Me: *tries to catch floating Luna*
Me: You will be written whether you want to or not
Luna: I'm a free spirit, you can't tie me down
Me: Right…
Me: *Gets butterfly net*
Luna: *Phases through net*
Me: …. what?
Side Note, the cleaning method of polishing/ mopping your floors with old clothes worn as shoes. Yup totally 100% tried and tested by yours truly. DO NOT DO IT!
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