RP: Getting Colder
Who: Luna & Mars What: Helping little Bowtruckles When: November 15th Where: Luna's school Warnings: None
With the weather starting to change Luna had started to wear warmer clothes, she had chosen her favorite outfit today. It was a small sort of pick me up after the weekend she had, running into her ex at the Halloween masquerade had not been an enjoyable time. She still didn't understand his reason for dumping her, something about how he was letting her go to be happy, but he still loved her and wanted to be with her. She didn't get it, and didn't pretend to understand. She just avoided Dom and that entire conversation. The outfit today was a small way to cheer herself up after all of that.
The day had gone fairly well, her class had behaved, she hadn't had to put out any fires, and everyone had been picked up on time. It was a success for the head mistress and teacher. There were just a few more things she needed to tend to, one of which was heading out back to their small playground. She wanted to inquire about adding a few more trees that might be good climbing, children would like come spring wouldn't they? It wasn't the safest, but it wasn't the whomping willow. So she thought it might be alright.
As she stepped outside, she brought a hand up to brush her long waist length blonde locks from her face. The wind had stolen them a second, causing the little fairy barrets to flutter their wings and squeal as if real. Charmed, one of her favorites that Dora had taught her recently.
She saw him across the yard, a smile breaking across her face, before she lifted a long slender arm to wave at him. "Mars!" She called out, just before she started to head over towards him, "Are you terribly busy at the moment? I wanted to talk with you about some additions for the spring?"
It was warm for an Autumn afternoon. Mars liked those days the most, because it was prime for the harvest crops. The breeze made it that much more pleasant. He'd been working with the Ministry of Magic to improve the green spaces around the magical main streets for weeks, helping to beautify some of the areas that were still scarred from the war. They'd focused more in rebuilding architecture and society, now they could look into the more cosmetic things. That's where he came in. He was always being sent on odd jobs in landscaping, as herbology had been his specialty in school.
Currently, he was squatting near the back wall of the playground space, having a conversation with the wall itself, it seemed. It was actually the bowtruckle that was refusing to relocate itself, even though it was in danger of being choked by some of the more lethal vines growing there. He was mid scolding when he heard his name and lifted his head. The brim of his hat flopped into his eyes, so he lifted one hand to push it up again, squinting across the yard to see Luna, the head mistress of the school. He lifted a hand before snatching the unsuspecting bowtruckle from the branch and cupping it to his chest. "Good afternoon, Ms. Lovegood. No, I'm not." He leaned down, brushing his knees and shins off before straightening up fully.
That lazy smile rested on his lips as he took the witch in. She was ethereal as ever. The bowtruckle struggled in his fingers as he made strides to face her, hissing words into his cupped hands. "What can I do fo-ow! Hey. No biting." He lifted his hands to scowl at the grumpy little creature.
“Oh! Please call me Luna?” She asked with a soft laugh, Ms. Lovegood sounded a bit too formal to her, she wasn’t going to think too much about why she wanted him to call her Luna. She was used to hearing the students, other teachers that weren’t Dora, and everyone else calling her Ms. Lovegood, now she was correcting the man that had been chatting with their back wall. She sure hoped there weren’t any nargles over there, it would be terrible if they were making his brain turn to fuzz.
“I had been hoping to see what we could add..” Her attention was on his hand as they joined each other in the middle of the yard, her blonde locks falling forward and into her face as she leaned down to peer at his hand better. “What do you have there?” She asked curiously, wanting so very badly to poke at his hands, but she wasn’t about to just take whatever he had discovered on her back wall. “I do hope there aren’t any nargles..” That really would dampen her day, especially since she had left her spectrespecs at home today. She really needed a pair for her desk at work.
“Would you like to take it inside?” She asked as she turned to motion back towards the school. “If it is something that might need a home, Rolf is just across the street. He runs the Beastiery.” Which he likely already knew, the Beastiery had been in the same spot for years. She was nervous, though she couldn’t place why, and so she ended up sharing far too much. Thankfully, it wasn’t embarrassingly too much… Yet.
"Alright, Ms. Luna, er, Luna." He gave her a slow grin, lids heavy. "You might have to remind me a few times before it becomes a habit." He bobbed his head a bit, cutting his eyes to the Bowtruckle that was now shimmying up the sleeve of his MoM jacket. "Oh, this little fellow? It's a Bowtruckle." He plucked the branch like creature off his sleeve and set it in his palm. He raised a brow as it seemed to form a rude gesture. "Really. Manners in front of the lady." He presented his palm, and the small green creature in it, to her. "Haven't seen one up close before, I suppose. They blend in pretty easily most of the time. You don't usually see them around town, though. Not with the lack of foliage and trees." He nodded.
He watched as the little creature wiggled a little before launching himself toward her. It was all Mars could to do catch the little creature before he hit the ground. "They're not always a great judge of distance. Particularly when they're very small like this." He smiled at her as he tucked the little bowtruckle into the pocket of his shirt. The thing buried himself down into the depths of the surprisingly deep pocket. He gave her a nod. "Do you suppose he could relocate this little guy to a habitat more suitable to his needs?" He peered down into his pocket before looking back up at her. He was completely missing all signals that might lead him to notice that she was feeling awkward or strange.
Luna felt her heart flutter as he gave her a slow grin, her own dreamy smile growing. "I'd be glad to." She wanted to give him a reason to think of her as Luna, to think of her as his equal. Those brilliant blue eyes were all for the little Bowtruckle the second he told her what it was, she hadn't seen one of those since school! She would have squealed with delight, though she feared it might anger the little fellow more. Her expression gave her away though, she had never been very good at poker. "I wonder what he's doing in my yard! I wonder if one of the children might have brought him by accident." The children were learning every day, though there was a chance that one of the youngest ones had brought it from home thinking it was just a stick. She would have to send a note home to parents, have them check book bags and things just a bit better.
She had drifted off to think more about these notes she was going to send home, she completely missed the Bowtruckle reaching out for her until it was too late. Her eyes were large as she watched him catch the little guy, before tucking him into his pocket. She had even felt her stomach drop, in that breathtaking fluttery sort of way. It was when Mars did finally look at her, she had completely missed most of what he had said. She had only heard that question, "Oh! I'm sure of it. Rolf is fantastic, I'm sure if he can't get him to a proper home, that his grandfather Newt could." It was Luna's way of name dropping, Newt was a hero to Luna. He had literally wrote the book on creatures, and just a year prior Rolf had released an updated version. They were two of her favorite people. She had grown closer to both men when she had apprenticed under Rolf, getting her degree in Magizology.
"Though I don't suppose he's home right now..." She was fairly certain that Rolf had said something about taking his spoon Rose out, they were one of her favorite couples. "We could always take him to my home? I'm sure I've got space someplace in my garden for him to settle in tonight, we can take him to Rolf in the morning... Though I can't bring him with me, I have Sunny already. I fear if he's not in a pocket, he might get lost." The only pocket she had was the one that had Sunny and her wand inside of it.
When she mentioned that Rolf was Newt's grandson, Mar's eyes lit up. "Wait. The Newt? That's so cool." His voice took on an awed tone for a brief second before he attempted to regain his composure with a nod. "I mean, perfect. That would be good." He lifted a finger to absently stroke the little head poking out of his sleeve. He grunted as it nipped at him again. "Seriously. You're grumpier than a pixie, mister," he mumbled at the little creature. He glanced around before looking down at her once more. Both bushy brows raised curiously. "Well, maybe we can just take him inside and keep him somewhere safe. I don't imagine leaving him out here would be very good for him. The temperature is supposed to drop tonight." He glanced back behind him. He had already put a magical net across the play yard so that the landscaping wouldn't be ruined by the rotten UK weather.
"Would you like some help getting him there?" He tilted his head curiously at her, glancing down at the little head peeping out of his pocket.
A musical laugh slipped from Luna, her head bobbing at his wonder. "Yes, The Newt." She confirmed, she was sure that Rolf wouldn't mind making introductions if Mars wanted to meet with Newt. Sometimes Newt even came down to help at the Beastiery from time to time, so there was always the chance to meet there as well. She gave another laugh as he was bit again, "I've got a greenhouse, that could be better for him? It might cheer him up as well." She admitted as she watched the movement in the pocket a moment, the poor little upset creature. She hoped they might be able to cheer him up, or at least warm him up.
"If you could keep him in your pocket, I can apparate all of us?" She already was stepping forward, offering up her hand since she was assuming he was already going to agree to help. The little thing was already in Mars pocket, yet she worried he might say no still. He had just offered, so when he did nod his approval, she slipped her hand into his free one and apparated them directly into backyard of her shell-shaped home. She owned the large property that their Rook home had one stood, her shell home now in the place it used to stand. In the distance was a shed that looked more like a hodgepodged home, a chimney puffing smoke, it was where her father lived. In between the two homes was a large garden that looked as though it was in the process of being readied for winter, and a little greenhouse.
He watched his pocket sympathetically, though he was nodding as he listened to her. "That may work, indeed. He really needs to be with more of his kind. I'm sure part of his problem is that he's lonely. They look and behave like solitary creatures, but they really are more of a pack creature, for lack of a better term." He snapped his eyes back up to her, a brow arching. "Not that I'm telling you anything you don't already know, Ms. Lovegood...Luna. You are the headmistress with plenty of fantastic beast knowledge of your own." He gave her a minor, sheepish grin as he reached up to absently flip the flap of his pocket back over the grumpy little bowtruckle hiding inside. He gave him a stroke through the thin fabric before he dusted his hands off on the sides of his pants and straightened up. "I'm actually finished here, for the moment. Not much I can do in the dark," without drawing attention, anyway. He rolled his lips together before smiling more genuinely at her.
He glanced at her hand, then back down at his own. They were dirty up beyond the wrists. He rubbed them both on the sides of his pants once more, trying desperately to scrub some of the dirt from his palms before taking her delicate, outstretched hand. It didn't take them but a second, after he'd taken her hand, to apparate, and yet, he still staggered and nearly toppled over when they appeared in front of her house. He'd never been so great with apparting. The years he was supposed to really learn how had been dedicated to hiding during the war. Shaking his head, his loose hair looking a little wilder after the trip, he straightened up again and turned to look up at her. His eyes then slid away to admire the house behind here. "Impressive." His eyes swept toward the greenhouse, though, and he was already making his way in that direction, drawn to the dirigible plant he could see through the panes. "This is nice, Luna. Did you build it yourself?" He had a bit of that wee wizard outside Honeydukes look to him as he moved up to the glass to peer inside. "What do you think, mate?" He lifted the flap on his pocket to allow the bowtruckle a view.
A flush came to her cheeks as he called it impressive, it really wasn't. They had just had enough money to build the house, she didn't think it was anything too big. She rather thought he might enjoy the inside however, the murals she had been painting on the winding stairs that led up to her bedroom and office. She didn't know why she was thinking about having Mars in her room, she wondered if she should really poke at that thought. It was then she reminded herself of the wise words Ginny had given her, just go with things. She needed to not overthink the situations, she needed to follow her gut more often. She wouldn't worry about just why she was thinking about it.
Instead she followed after him towards her greenhouse, "Daddy built it while they were building the shell cottage." She admitted as she opened the door for him. "It's nice and warm. There's just enough room for all three of us to stand, for just a moment." Just long enough to place the bowtruckle inside, and then she was going to invite him inside for tea. It seemed though that her filter had switch itself off then, "Would you like to come inside for tea after he settles in?" She didn't blush, which she took as a win, though she felt that nervous flutter in her stomach. She was excited to take him inside and have tea, the idea of sitting next to him on the couch made that nervous flutter even worse.
He tilted his head, looking over his shoulder at him before nodding when she offered to let him step inside. He followed her into the little green house and tilted his head to look around, fascinated. It only took a moment before he was inching away from her to examine all the various plants she had growing in the little green house. The little creature in his pocket had been forgotten for the moment as he squatted down to brush his fingertips along a little fern that gave a shudder and rolled in on itself. Mars chuckled lightly at it. The Bowtruckle wasn't having it, though. He poked his head out of the pocket, peering from beneath the flap. He made a noise that Mars only heard because he was so close to his ear. Glancing down, he nodded and lifted the little green stickfigure out of his pocket at set him on a low limb of a nearby tree shaped plan. Straightening up, he looked back to Luna, who hadn't moved yet.
The invitation to tea took him by surprise, and he looked up to check the sun. High tea had passed without a thought today, so he nodded to himself. Yes. Tea would be good. She seemed so willing to grace him with her kindness and pleasant company. He really couldn't find a reason to turn her down. Licking his lower lip, he straightened up fully, looking back to check on the little creature as it quietly and curiously inspected the new plant. Satisfied, Mars turned back and stepped back to the witch. "Lead the way, Ms. Luna. Might I bother you for a biscuit or two to go along with the tea?" It had been a while since he'd eaten, and that had also only just occurred to him. He glanced down at his hands, trying to wipe them on his work shirt once more. "And, perhaps, might I bother you for use of your loo?" He needed to clean up a little bit before tea.
Luna's nose wrinkled when he called her Ms. Luna, "Please, just Luna?" She asked hopefully, as she led the way inside the shell-shaped home. She led the way over towards her kitchen, seemingly avoiding a certain area just near her icebox. It was where she fully believed a fae village had taken up residents, she couldn't see them, but she could feel them. She knew they tended to get mad if you walked on them, she didn't see Mars coming that way, so she didn't think to warn him. Instead she went about getting out the tea, using her wand to get the things out of the icebox that they'd need.
"Oh! You can have both of those things. The loo is just on the other side of the living room. There's a cabinet that's my office, you don't want that one. Go past that, to the right of the fireplace, that's the loo." It took only a few minutes to get the water boiling on the stove, and some fresh biscuits into the oven. She did all of this while he used her loo to clean up. Once she had everything started, she went about setting Sunny on her perch that was on top of the fireplace. She had set up a few stands strategically around the room for the little sugar glider to be able to fly from perch to perch, though it seemed at the moment the little thing was sleeping away in it's nest.
He followed behind her, and walked into the kitchen close at her heels. "Alright, Luna. I"m working on it. Is it offending you?" He eyed her as she made a purposeful avoidance. Of course, he'd heard about her and her family, and how peculiar they could be. That didn't cause him to steer clear of her, of course. It just made him watch a little closer because it was interesting to see why others found her to be a little, what did they call her? Loony. His attention snapped back to her as she spoke, though. He looked back over his shoulder in the direction she indicated, having gotten that distracted that quickly. "Your office is a cabinet?" He glanced back toward her, before turning and taking his leave to go use the loo and thoroughly wash his hands.
He was still trying to get the dirt out from under his nails, even after washing them under hot water. He wiped his hands across his pantlegs once more as he looked up His attention jumped from each thing, trying to take it all in. He licked his lower lip once more, noting how unappealingly chapped they felt. His eyes landed on the sleeping glider before moving back to the tea. He rubbed his hands together and made a contented noise. "I'm actually really looking forward to this. I don't think too much about eating and drinking while I'm working." He nodded, waiting for her to take a seat before positioning himself across from her. "Are you sure there's not anything I can do for you Ms....Luna?"
Luna thought about that for a moment, she didn't want to answer no automatically and it turned out later that it did offend her. She shook her head after a moment. "It doesn't offend me, it just sounds so stuffy. I don't really see myself as much of a headmistresses, I'm just Luna," she said with that musical little laugh. Her smile brightened when he asked about her home office, "It is! My closest friend Dora specializes in expandable rooms. That's what most of the school is made out, it's how we're able to fit inside a building on Victory Road. She's fantastic, the best hands down. If you ever need one, or one worked on, she's the woman to see." Luna couldn't speak enough good praise for Dora's handy work, the woman was a genius with charms works. Luna wasn't looking forward to when Dora went back to the Dueling circuit, if she ever did. She selfishly loved knowing that Dora was always around to help her with all of her charms works needs.
"If you wouldn't mind maybe helping me put my garden to sleep before you leave?" Luna asked as she settled on to the couch across from him. The tea tray sat between them, holding their two cups, sugar and cream, as well as little cakes and treats to snack on. She would have made a proper meal, but she feared she hadn't gotten groceries in far too long. Cakes and cookies were all she could offer just then. "I fall into that problem too, not remembering to eat. I tend to just get far too busy and before I realize it, I've lost the entire day. I have been setting alarms though, forcing myself to not to work when I take the children to lunch." That was one of her biggest problems, she would start a project at lunch and lose her entire lunch hour before she realized it.
"The school is made of expandable rooms? That's.. so interesting. A bit like the expandable trunks and bags, but with rooms?" He tilted her head thoughtfully. He hadn't really dealt with expandable rooms before. He hadn't had much of a nee for them, not for himself anyway. It made a lot of sense, though, now that she was explaining it. His lips quirked slightly, and he nodded his head at her thoughtfully. "That's very impressive, Luna. Do you only have them in the school? Or are there rooms like that in the house somewhere?" Is that why she'd started talking to him about it in the first place? Probably. He turned his attention back to the little office, a brow raising contemplatively.
He looked down at the little tray between them, and reached to fix his tea with the correct amount of sugar and milk. He inspected the tea cakes curiously, trying to decide which one he might want to snack on. "Oh, no, I wouldn't mind helping you with that. It should be fairly simple." He gave her that full, lazy smile this time. He picked up the tea cake and took a bite of it before sipping his tea. He was surprisingly delicate as he did. He had reverence for good tea and treats. "I understand the business getting in the way all too well." He nodded at her again, licking crumbs from his lips. "I'm up to my elbows in soil, and suddenly, the sun is going down and my brother is calling to see why I haven't made it home for dinner." He chuckled as he took another sip of the tea. "Thank you for this. It is hitting the spot."
"Exactly, it's the expandable trunk idea. She just puts them into beautiful armoires and things," she said with a smile, glancing towards the one that she had in the corner of her room that held her office. She absolutely adored her room. They weren't too uncommon, though she supposed most didn't speak about them. She knew the back room at the Beastiery was one as well. Not many hung around the Beastiery with Rolf though, Luna had worked with him while finishing her degree.
"I hope so, I've never been terribly good at it. I can keep my plants alive,and I'm fairly good with them. It's when I need to put the entire garden to sleep that I run into trouble." It likely had to do with the fact she always got distracted by any gnomes that she found. She tended to try to see them, the last time she had been bit had been so lucky! She could use a little extra luck lately. "You're more than welcome, thank you for saving the little Bowtruckle. This seems a fair trade," she said teasingly.