"Hello." Loki greeted the person behind the counter who appeared just as well disguised as he did, maybe even better.
"Back again we are I guess. What do you want this time?"
"You remember me?"
"Of course I do, you're the only one that comes in dressed like a stiff nail. You have so many items on you that make it hard to discern your identity for protection that I'm starting to think you own a factory of them."
"..." Loki became stunned at the snappiness of the owner of the store as he threatened. "I'll leave and never come back if you keep this up."
"Oh! Gods!! No!!! What will I ever do if my one, single, ichi, uno, ek, customer walks away and never returns…" The person said playing up by bringing their hand to their forehead like it was a soap opera.
Loki's lips twitched and he decided it was easier to simply get his work done here and leave, "Where can I find the ingredients, birth tail feather of an Occamy and the first mane hair of a Zouwu..?"
*THUD*
Before Loki even finished his question, the person behind the counter slapped down a piece of paper onto the counter.
"Twenty Galleons."
"...twenty galleons? Why don't you just take my organs? Why don't I get a discount for coming here the last two times too?"
"If I ever gave you a discount, it would either be because I was drunk, or god forbid I needed some help from you!"
"And if you ever do, I'm sure as hell never going to help you out!" Loki said dropping twenty shiny gold galleons on the table before snatching the strip of paper that had the required information on it.
"No refunds!!" The person behind the counter called out after Loki began to walk out of the store.
Once inside his room in the Leaky Cauldron Loki read exactly what was on the note and his lips trembled while his brows furrowed.
The words written on the paper were simple, too simplistic to the point Loki felt there was a joke he'd missed somewhere along the line.
[Accept it.]
"Accept what you crazy person!?" Loki shouted but then saw the letter from Mr. Fawley on the table beside him and he looked back at the letter, "How did that person even know that I had an offer pending that I hadn't responded to?"
"Do they know my identity?"
"No, I don't think so. Or everyone else would've probably learnt about my identity. Then do they use a Beyonder item with powerful divination capabilities to get the information their customers need?"
Loki's face was furrowed in annoyance but he *sighed* and turned around after burning away the note by sparking it with his spirituality.
There was no point lampooning about things that weren't under his control, he could only move on and do the best on the other things that were.
Picking out a parchment and an inked quill, Loki started to pen down a response to Mr. Fawley's letter.
"I would be delighted to accompany you on this opportunity Mr. Fawley. Please let me know when and where I have to be, along with all the things I need to prepare, to make it the most convenient for us on this journey.
I hope everything is going swimmingly with the store and the sale of the brooms. I had the opportunity to see one of them function in a quidditch match at Hogwarts last year and I was delighted.
Thanking you,
Loki"
Loki spent the next few days of the week corresponding with Mr. Fawley and they met up over the weekend.
"Why aren't you living in the Black Manor? I thought I'd have to pick you there. Can't be too small for you now is it?" Fawley asked while stroking his moustache and tapping his cane on the stone floor of the street in Diagon Alley.
"Er…well you probably already know about Sirius Black being freed right?" Loki said with an embarrassed expression while rubbing the back of his head.
"No way! Did that lad kick you out? Don't worry I will go there and fight him for-"
"No! No! Don't worry Mr. Fawley, he didn't do anything like that. I just didn't want to reveal my abilities and adoption to him for now. So I'm avoiding the Black Manor until I feel better about letting him know about it."
"Hmm…" Fawley looked at Loki with squinted eyes but then nodded to himself as if he understood something and said, "I understand. I suppose you don't fancy the Headmaster if you don't want to reveal your abilities yet."
Loki's eyes widened slightly but he supposed it was rather easy for a person of his capabilities to figure out such an issue so he just nodded, "It's not that I don't fancy him, it's just that I don't want to be burdened by so many expectations so soon."
"That's good."
"Good?"
"Well, I thought that you didn't like the Headmaster. If you didn't you might not fancy where we're going."
"Where are we going?" Loki asked with a confused frown. "To the Headmaster? No, you wouldn't say it like that if we were. Someone related to him?"
Fawley just smiled and said nothing to Loki as he continued to walk through the street towards his store while Loki followed as he was murmuring to himself, trying to figure out where they were going.
Once they were at the store, Fawley sneaked Loki into the workshop where they met up with both Bilton and Randolph.
"Loki! You're finally here! I was waiting for you!" Randolph said giving Loki a loose hug.
"Mr. Spudmore! It's so nice to see you again. I have much to discuss with you regarding runes and the likes of wards, I learnt much during my time at Hogwarts this year."
"Bathsheda taught you about wards eh?"
"You know Professor Babbling?"
"Haha! Of course, I do. We studied the subject together. Now that you mentioned her, I should try and get back in touch with her."
'Yeah, didn't she say something like that about him too?'
"Come on now! Talk later, you'll have plenty of other opportunities to talk to each other through letters you love birds. Come to the fire and do exactly as I do. We're going to be late otherwise." Mr. Fawley said pulling Loki away as he gave a sorry smile to Randolph.
"Don't worry about it. Keep me up to date on what happens. I'm dying to know if you make it through the first round."
'First round?' Loki wondered but something else left his mouth. "Thank you for letting me take this opportunity."
"Don't worry about it. Good luck."
Loki nodded in gratitude and turned around to focus on what Mr. Fawley was going to do in the fire while wondering what Randolph was wishing him good luck for.
"Take a pinch of the powder and toss it into the flames after saying your destination loud and clear. You know how to do it right?" Mr. Fawley asked with a serious look on his face.
"Yes Mr. Fawley, I know how the floo works. I can't imagine how inconvenient travel was before they invented floo powder." Loki nodded.
"It wasn't that inconvenient, we knew how to apparate. I'll see you on the other side." Mr. Fawley splashed the powder into the fire and spoke with a bold tone, "Primus Ignis!"
The flames in the fireplace turned emerald green and rose into the air, covering Mr. Fawley entirely and then vanishing along with him.
"I'll see you later then, Mr. Blimes, Mr. Spudmore.", Loki said with a nod and stepped into the fireplace. He tossed the powder he was holding and spoke in a similar bold tone while trying to keep out the smoke and soot from entering his lungs. "Primus Ignis!"
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A/N : I never realised we crossed two hundred powerstones!!! There'll be an extra chapter today!!!!! Let's Goooo!!!!
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