𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒

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Iris and Harry had created a rhythm to their eleven days together in the strange world of which The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley shared.

Iris was up and in The Leaky Cauldron by six every morning. She would sit with her daily pick of a book or notebook until Harry joined her at nine. They would both enjoy a nice breakfast in silence and then take a stroll around Diagon Alley; Iris would muse on about any random thoughts that came to mind, occasionally even asking Harry questions. She would zone out every now and again, and her eyes would follow the odd person, but she always continued on as if no pause had occurred. Harry never seemed to take notice.

Around lunch, the two would find themselves at the ice cream shop where they would eat and, once finished, receive a free ice cream. After the meal, Harry would take up his homework while Iris found ways to occupy herself. The day's activity was always a choice between sketching, reading, or simply watching as people rushed around. She was quick to answer any of Harry's questions with homework no matter what, having repeatedly proved to the boy that her years of homeschooling and tutors paid off well.

From time to time, Iris would vanish for an hour or so; the first time, it frightened Harry. He had looked up to ask his newfound friend a question regarding a potion when he realized that her seat was empty. He struggled to regain focus until thirty minutes later when the brunette reappeared, sitting casually as if she had never left. When asked, Iris just shrugged and said, "Needed a walk."

Harry doesn't ask anymore, but he still does find it a bit jarring to look up randomly and see an empty seat and then sometime later see it refilled as if it was never empty to begin with.

The entire morning and afternoon were spent together, but the same could not be said for the evening or night. At five-thirty, Iris would walk out of the door and onto the streets of London. Once she asked if Harry would care to join her in a dinner out there, he declined on not being permitted to. Iris playfully rolled her eyes at that and gave a small quip, "And here I was thinking that the boy who blew up his aunt said fuck all to rules."

Eventually, Iris would return, a new book or oddity always in hand, but Harry would already be up in his room. So the two would both enjoy silent nights to themselves.

... well, as silent as a room could be with a talking mirror taking up residence.

Either way, they were comfortable… the schedule was comfortable. The way they could just exist together was something both seemed to need. No crazy adventures were shared, and neither of them spilled their souls to each other… the two were perfectly happy with what they had found with each other and their growing friendship. They enjoyed the consistency.

It worked for them… at that time, at least.

~~~~~~

With August 31st came the last day of the sacred routine.

It was natural for Harry to take advantage of the last day of the summer break. Every student has been there, and sleeping in was completely natural. And so Iris was patient. She just read her book at their table and waited. Her breakfast already long gone, and her drink had been refilled countless times.

Tom would approach her from time to time. Checking in, sometimes asking about what was happening in her book. She found that she had quickly become one of his favorites. Which was reasonable. She was quiet, caused no trouble, and had a seemingly endless supply of money.

At that rate, she had been there for hours and should be there all day until she took off for her nightly trip to London… but patient she remained. She was completely content to wait for her companion… until, seemingly, with one ring of the bell at the door, she wasn't.

In walked a girl with bushy hair. A trunk in hand… another student. One that Iris wasn't entirely thrilled to see as she watched her walk through the room.

Letting out a huff, Iris glanced down to her book, closing it as she went on her way. Catching Tom's eye on her way out the door, Iris gave him a nod, their small way of communicating that she would pay for anything when she got back.

Iris was out and onto the streets of London within seconds.

Straightening her fallen posture, Iris glanced up towards the sky, crinkling her nose at the clear sky and shining sun. Taking in a breath, the girl quickly waved a hand across her face… the blue ring disappearing entirely and the green Turing the faintest bit lighter… not entirely natural but better.

She stopped in a few stores on her endless walk. In a craft shop where she bought a few packs of pens and notebooks, her book was safely stored in the bag. Then there was the pet store, where no money was spent but instead quite a bit of time. Last was the café.

It was small, uncrowded, quiet. A cozy little place, a bit old and worn down but nice all the same. Some old song playing softly from a radio on the counter. And yet, despite the safety, it should have provided… Iris was tense the moment she walked through the door.

Her eyes immediately scanned the room as she half-heartedly answered the greeting given by a worker. From person to person her gaze went… eventually bringing her to make direct eye contact with a boy. Her watcher…

The two stared each other down for just a moment. Both of them studied the other, but only that. A quick study before both of them continued on as if they hadn't seen one another at all. The boy to his book… Iris to finally order.

Seemingly forgetting the boy and her strange encounter with him, Iris patiently hovered near the counter, waiting for her drink. Tapping her fingers along to the song as she hummed bits and pieces to herself. It looked as if she had blanketed herself into the comfort of the cafe, cutting her awareness of the world off… but if you watched closely, you could still catch the signs that Iris never truly relaxed enough to lose sense of the world around her.

You could watch as her head tilted towards every sound. How her eyes stared into the glass case of pastries in front of her, following the reflections of anything that moved behind her. How her stance and posture always left her ready to jump into action. How she rolled her left ankle from time to time, a reminder as to her wand being stuffed away in her boot.

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Iris never seemed to be one to relax or ever feel entirely at ease… and she certainly wasn't one to forget anything. Hence, the moment her drink was in her hand, Iris made a beeline to the boy who had caught her attention when she walked in.

Her stride was confident, purposeful. She had no hesitation even cross her mind as she went up behind the boy, leaning over his shoulder as she checked out the book… and the boy equally didn't even flinch when he felt the brush of her hair on his neck or panic at the sudden noise in his ear, "Wasn't a fan of that one. Apparently, that author has another book with the same main character that is better. Never cared to check it out myself."

"Perhaps I should take recommendations. Halfway through and bored to the point of going mad." His voice was plain, dry, horribly British in that proper, pretentious sort of way.

Iris nodded for no one but herself really as she stood up straight, moving to take the seat across from the boy, "I could lend you a few sometime." Settling into her chair, she took a quick sip of her drink, grimacing as she discarded it to the side.

Placing her head into her hand, Iris casually leaned in. Voice low as she narrowed her eyes, "Now, what is one of the Sacred 28 doing in a no-maj shop of all places."

The boy shrugged, closing his book and placing it gently on the table. Briefly, he met the eyes of the girl across from him, "Illusion Charm." It wasn't a question. It was a simple statement… somehow he knew very well that the green of her eyes was not right.

He turned his gaze out the window, his voice completely neutral as he shot back, "I could ask you what you are doing in London of all places."

Iris considered the boy as he picked at his muffin and sipped at his tea. Brown hair, light but not quite blonde. Neat, taken care of but not obsessed over. Brown eyes, not much that stood out in them, but they were sharp. Nose thin, small, bit upturned. Face still holding onto baby fat. Overall the boy was plain and really just seemed to be in a sort of state of both annoyance and apathy.

"A Nott," Iris paused as he blandly met her eyes, leaning back with his tea, waiting for what else she had to say, "Cantankerus Nott is far along in his days and had two brothers. One never married, the other married a Rowle, had three children, all older than us. So that leaves one, Cantankerus' son. You must be Theodore."

Theodore Nott raised an eyebrow; he muttered a simple, "I'm sure you know my family tree better than I do." He took another sip of his tea.

Iris nodded, "Thank my tutors." Iris paused as she moved her eyes toward the radio. Picking up on the nearly impossible-to-hear music, a smile fighting at her lips as she tapped her fingers to the beat.

Continuing to tap along, Iris turned her gaze back to Theodore, "Your mother passed when you were young." The boy's jaw twitched at the statement, but no other hint of emotion peaked onto him, allowing Iris to continue her analysis, "Father never remarried. I'm sure the maids took more care of you than he ever did, but the older you get, the more he sees you as a man, I assume. Probably started telling you things no loving mother would want their son to know at a young age. But he needs you educated… prepared…

"So, how much do you know?" Her eyes bored into him; the effect her eyes had seemed dulled with the charm over them but the tone laced in her question more than made up for it. Filling the space between the teens with an undeniable tension.

A tension that lingered as Theodore hesitated to take his next sip of tea. But proving to not lose himself easily in front of the girl, he did eventually drawl out an answer, "Why you even bother asking is beyond me."

Iris hummed, "So quite a bit."

"Guess it makes us even."

Iris's lips quirked up at that, her eyes moving to look out the windows, following anyone who came into view until they reached a point she couldn't follow anymore. Neither of the teens found anything else to talk about. That small bit of tension still lingering between them. Both of them seem to come to terms with this strange introduction to each other.

They just stayed there for a while. Iris watching the streets of London. Theodore finishing up his muffin and tea. Neither of them seemed to even remember the other was there, sharing a table.

Eventually, Theodore Nott finished up his muffin and took the last sip of tea. Cleaning up his mess and grabbing his book, he was about to leave silently… but before he could turn his back on the girl, something seemed to cross his mind, "Why now?"

Iris's lips pursed as she gave herself a moment to think, her eventual answer almost inaudible, "Because I needed to eventually. And someone gave me a push."

And then he was gone. Not even acknowledging the answer to his question much at all. Leaving behind Iris to sit with her hardly touched drink, watching the world go by.

~~~~~~

Iris returned to the Leaky Cauldron just before one could even really call it the evening. The Inn had grown more lively the past few days, students preparing to go off to school coming and going. Stopping for meals after shopping, taking a room for a night to lessen the travel for the next day.

But somehow the liveliness seemed to have doubled… the cause probably easy to blame on the large gathering of redheads in one corner of the room, no doubt coming together to eat.

Going over to the bar, Iris spotted Tom and stood by patiently, waiting for him to finish up with those that were there first.

In her wait, she was a sitting duck. Available for anyone to start up whatever meaningless conversation they pleased, a fate Iris desperately tried to avoid as she just kept her gaze forward. But a fate that couldn't be avoided when she heard a familiar voice call her name…. At least this wouldn't be a stranger.

Putting on a small smile, Iris turned to Harry, eyes only quickly flitting between the redhead on his right and the bushy-haired girl on his left before going back to Harry.

"Hadn't seen you all day. Was hoping we would run into you when we went to the pet shop for Ron's rat." He seemed happy, no doubt because of his recent reunion with his two closest friends… Ron, the redhead with a rat named Scabbers, and Hermione, the bushy-haired studious one of the group.

Iris smiled politely as Harry introduced her to his friends, and she quickly gave her own introduction, "I am Iris. Sure Harry will cover anything else important to know." Her smile was a bit teasing, fully aware that she was probably the topic of conversation at some point since the three had met up earlier that day.

The two friends of Harry stared at Iris. The boy, as most teenage boys probably do in the presence of a pretty girl. The girl… well, she seemed curious and a bit more guarded than either of the boys.

Before Iris could really acknowledge either of them or continue to talk to Harry, Tom quickly approached. Eager to finally help the girl, "How can I help you, kid?"

Leaning over the counter to be better heard in the growing volume of the room, Iris made her wishes clear, "Can I have the sandwich I had yesterday brought up to my room?" She then pulled out that sacred money pouch, digging her hand in before dropping some golden coins onto the counter, "And that should cover the rest of whatever I owe you, and a little extra as thanks for the services."

Tom gave the girl his distinctive smile, scooping up the coins as he thanked the girl, "And I will have your dinner brought up soon. And if I am not here in the morning, good luck at school this year."

Iris gave a nod and flashed a quick smile before turning back to Harry and his friends, taking only quick note of the way they both seemed to eyes the coin pouch in her hand, "I was in London most of the day so am a bit worn out. If I don't see you in the morning, then I guess we can hope to see each other soon."

Harry frowned a bit, "You could join us for dinner." His eyes trailed off to the large gathering of the redheads.

Iris just simply shook her head, "I appreciate the offer, but I truly am worn out. Good night to you all." She nodded quickly to the trio and went off towards the stairs.

The three pairs of eyes followed her the whole way.