A new beginning, Theta thought as she unpacked the important things - the teapot, a few striped mugs. The boxes of her stuff were stacked in the hallway and one was propping open the front door to let people come and go.

The move to Dorothea's was a necessity, Theta's previous flatmate since school had been Ruby Flickwick, but Ruby had travelled across the Atlantic on a long trip to stay with family, and from the long distance owls they exchanged, it looked like the stay was for the long term now. So Theta had paid the remaining rent on their flat and arranged to move at the end of their lease. In honesty, she was quite glad to be able to move in amongst other magical types - in April there'd been a very weird occurrence in her old flat[1] where she'd woken up surrounded by hundreds of milk bottles and a milk float outside, and no idea how it had happened.

Around the walls of the living room, her father and uncle were also attending to the important things - Theta's collection of clocks. Theta was glad her father was attending to clocks and not mucking about with flying cars. Ambrose, Zeta and the rest at Hogwarts had written to say he'd brought a flying car to careers day[2] and persuaded their Herbology professor to sit in it.

"I'm not sure how you managed it, but you've broken the spring..."
"Arse, you are going to tell me you can fix it, aren't you?"
"Already have, and that is the real time, best be off."

Her father and her uncle had been slightly uneasy around each other since the Christmas holidays. Her father disapproved of the way his brother was in the process of leaving his oblivated wife, and in a relationship with his old spark, and her uncle who she worked with disapproved of the flying car business and the fact his younger brother was now twenty years older than he'd been before Christmas.

At the thought of them breaking and having to fix her beloved clocks, she winced but put on the kettle even though her uncle had just announced he better be leaving. She had a lot of unpacking ahead, what with pots and pans, bedding, a wardrobe of lovely robes, and her newer assortment of personal projects in metalwork and charms. With luck, her boyfriend of some months now would be along soon.

"Enjoy unpacking," Francis smiled, exchanging a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek before he left, easing past the cardboard boxes by the front door and vanishing down the stairs.

"Tea." Theta spoke firmly to herself, about to turn back to the task when movement outside her door caught her attention.

1.	April 10th - Fifty Dozen Please
2.	April 23rd - Nothing to see here!

There was at least a ten year age difference between Flynn and his younger Pepper cousin, Theta. He remembered when she was born—it was always exciting when new members joined the family, and Theta’s arrival had been no exception. And now, she was no longer a wrinkly little red infant (that looked like Winston Churchill. All babies looked like Winston Churchill). She was a grown woman, with a real-life-adult job and her own flat!

And it just so happened, that her flat was on the floor below Flynn’s.

He hadn’t been able to get her moving day off of work, but he had just gotten home, clad in his healer’s robes. Flynn made sure to check on a couple plants and his pets before he grabbed a potted purple thing that looked vaguely like an aloe plant. The thick, heavy leaves quivered of their own accord.

Flynn made his way down to Theta’s door—his small dog, Henry, bouncing after him. Her place wasn't difficult to find, as her door was propped open by boxes.. He waved the plant at her enthusiastically. “I brought you a housewarming gift!” he exclaimed, “It’s a succulent. An Egyptian Effapory!”

"Flynn!" Theta exclaimed with sheer delight to see him. His presence here had become one of the deciding factors for moving in. "Henry!"

After embracing wizard and then dropping to her knees to pet his hound, Theta got back to her feet, and receive the plant. She didn't recognise it, so it was good that Flynn identified it as an Egyptian Effapory - regrettably Theta had scored an A for her OWL almost four years ago and not continued Herbology.

"Thank you, that's so kind! Where should I put it, where will it like best?" She gestured around her with the windows for his advice.

"You alright, Flynn?" Her father greeted, with a handshake that turned into one of those slightly more reserved, manly hugs.

"I was making tea, did you want one?" Theta asked, placing the plant and admiring it before she returned to heating water and finding all of the necessary items to make some bog standard tea. The fancy stuff would come later.

"Have you been at work today?"

“Monty!” Flynn returned his cousin’s hug rather enthusiastically. Reserved manly hugs be damned! “How are you? It’s been too long!” He had been visiting with family less than usual, mostly due to his heavy workload and research.

“No thank you, Theta.” He replied, regarding the tea. Flynn had just chugged down a rather hefty mug of Alohomocha’s finest, and the caffeine buzz would keep him going for a good while.  He spent a fair amount of money at that coffee establishment, but it was (almost) always worth it.

“I just got off work, actually.” When he glanced down, he realized he was still in his official healer robes. It seemed that Flynn had forgotten to change. He blinked a couple times before realizing he never told Theta what to do with the
plant.

“Oh! Egyptian Effapories like sun. And they don’t need much watering—maybe once a week.” He squinted at the plant, “And, even better—if you break off one of those thick leaves, there’s a goop that comes out. No worries! That goop can heal burns, and it’s fantastic for the skin if you’ve got hives or bug bites."

People moving into Dorothea's meant more people to mooch food, sugar, coffee, flour, shampoo and many, many other things off of. So when Lala got wind of a new tenant, she pulled some clothes on, obviously made Sander bake something, dragged him out of their man-cave and stomped down a floor like a herd of elephant. Okay, tiny elephants.

The open door, propped by moving boxes, practically meant a yes, please come in to Lala, so with her brightest most manic grin she knocked on the door, balancing nervously on the balls of her feet. "Hey? Hello? Hi?!" she practically screeched, a look of pure unadulterated  crazy in her eyes. Without even waiting to see who might greet them, she clasped her hand behind her back and continued balancing. "Hi there, this is your friendly welcoming committee and we come bearing cupca—Theta?" she suddenly stopped, pulling back to give the witch a closer look. " OMG, Theta!" she decided, arms extending to tentacle herself around her ex-school mate, hugging hard and enthusiastically. "It's been yeaaaaars, where have you been!" she finalyl let go of her and heard a voice clearing behind her.

"Oh yes, we come bearing cupcakes"  she smiled brightly, waiting... and waiting. " Sander!" she barked, turning to the side to meet with Sander's glare. Raising to her tiptoes she attempted to flick the back of his head, but because he was an actual Man-Mountain, or Slender Man or whatever she merely managed his back. He choked, taking a step forward and barely managed to keep the cupcake stand from spilling everywhere. "Say hi" she said menacingly, but smiling sweetly at Theta. Broody McEyebrows muttered something that may have been a hello or die, she couldn't quite tell. But nevertheless he extended the stand towards Theta and nodded very gravely. Actual caveman.

"Yo neighbor Flynn!" she waved frantically, smiling brightly and expecting to be invited inside. To snoop. Obviously.

Thank goodness for Francis, he'd have never heard the end of it if he'd wrecked one of the clocks his eldest daughter coveted. He'd frozen them every September 1st when she'd lived with them, but now she was out he never had to worry about a room full of ticking clocks again.

Francis eased his way out of the narrow hallway and Monty began to decide which of the boxes might be best to unpack next for Theta.

All of a sudden there was a familiar figure in the doorway and a dog bounded into the flat with tongue lolling.

"Flynn! Henry!" Theta greeted them and embraced Flynn and dropped to her knees to pet the dog.
"I brought you a housewarming gift! It's a succulent. An Egyptian Effapory!"
"Thank you, that's so kind! Where should I put it, where will it like best?" Theta enquired.
"You alright, Flynn?" Monty asked, extending his hand and then ending up in one of those loose back patting hugs.
"Monty! How are you? It's been too long!"
"Four months?" He asked quietly, thinking back to Christmas.

"I was making tea, did you want one?" Theta fussed, "have you been at work today?"
"No thank you, Theta, I just got off work actually. Oh!" He began to explain to Theta how to look after the plant.

"Hey? Hello? Hi?" Monty turned round,
"Theta love, you've got more visitors." This one looked vaguely familiar if not unusual in appearance. All was revealed moments later with excited exclamations.

"It's been years, where have you been! … Yo neighbour Flynn!"

"Super, right," Theta was selecting which windowsill when there was another arrival.

"Layla?" Theta asked, surprised when she could see the figure at the door. "Oh Merlin! Come in! Come in!"

There were squeals and hugs and then she was introduced to a tall dark brooding chap who had cupcakes. His height and Theta's lack of it only helped to make him look more imposing. She was trying to gauge from their interactions whether Sander was Layla's boyfriend.

"Lovely to meet you Sander." Theta replied politely to the quiet greeting and came forward to receive the cupcakes, "Oh my, so kind and unexpected, these look delicious."

Her father took a cue to clear space on the table.
"I was just making tea, you must stay and have some, tell me the score for living here. Sorry, Dad, this is Layla who I went to Hogwarts with and Sander - both this is -" she paused for a moment and relented, PR and all in the papers with his new name… "Monty Pepper, my father."

She busied herself with the tea as she continued.
"Do you all live upstairs then? Anything I should know about this place? I know - bit late that I'm moved in but you know?" She rattled out more teacups from the box.

Sander nodded amusingly grave at Theta's greeting, it was his way of saying nice to meet you too, if you also spoke the language of his people. Eyebrows and gloom, she called it. The language that was. "They most certainly are delicious" Lala said with a big smile. "Sander here, the mono-emotional, mono-syllabic brooder, is the misunderstood genius behind Alohomocha's pastries" she declared with a sort of pride and jab behind, to Sander's ribs, who quickly doubled over ad glared daggers at her. "He's up on the roof, yes, the actual roof with his younger brother, whom you should avoid at all times and do not make eye-contact with" she added very seriously, as Sander agreed with another grave nod.

"He's sleazy and angsty and basically a creepster" she added in a whispered voice, leaning closer to Theta. "Oh and this one is also miraculously dating Ellie--Elanor St. James? She's my BFF and my flatmate and was in the same year as me in Gryff?" she gesticulated wildly, running her mouth 10 words per second. Or something. She wasn't sure that was physically possible... Sander looked pained, but also wistful. Whipped, completely whipped. "So there you have, like a quarter of your neighbors..." she added more quietly after a moment, feeling self-conscious of the fact that she'd been the only one talking for a moment now. Nothing new there.

When Theta introduced the fun-looking man as her father, Lala had a flash of dread in her eyes, because she and parents had never, ever gotten along. Ever. But then the name came, and her eyes grew to impossible cartoony googly sizes and her jaw slacked. "Holy sh--I mean, omg! Mister Pepper, I am a huge fan and it is an honor to meet you" she said with awe in her voice, extending her hand respectfully. Lala's love for all things adrenaline and stupidly dangerous definitely extended to flying cars. And actually--

"Mr. Pepper I was wondering if you had ever considered more... unique and interesting paint jobs for your cars?" she said wistfully, with the same awed expression and bright, slightly crazy grin. "You see--I'm an artist" she declared, pulling back to stand straighter. Sander was shaking his head behind her. "Yes, we're all upstairs and yes, you should probably get a pen and paper" she added, more solemnly with a little cringe and shake of her head. "Put a sticking charm on fragile objects on high shelves, because the metro passing is not a joke. Invest in some serious rodent and insect repelling potions. Always take your morning shower before seven and let the water run for at least fifteen minutes before jumping in the shower, and if you ever need need to apply for extension charms with Dorothea, tell Broody McAngst over here to put in a good word before" she counted on her fingers, and gave Sander a side-glance who pursed his lips and cursed something foul under his breath.

"He speaks mean old lady" she added, one hand palmed around her mouth, as if she hadn't spoken loud enough for him to hear anyway. "Oh, and never, ever use the floo down in the hallway -which is in fact the only floo in the entire building- for anything other than transportation. The walls have eyes and gossip is sometimes the only pastime we like to entertain ourselves with. Other than that, everything is perfectly fine" she declared with a charming smile, clasping her hands behind her back.

It was all of a sudden rather crowded in the little flat Theta was unpacking her things into, but it was a happy little crowd. Monty was glad that Flynn was about in the same building, it made him all the more sure that she'd be alright here - it wasn't quite so nice as the place she'd had with Ruby, but now there weren't two of them paying the rent together, needs must until Theta's pay increased at the Ministry.

Then all of a sudden the attention switched to him - at least from the girl who had embraced his daughter a moment ago.
"… you see - I'm an artist." She knew his work the with cars, then, and was interested in the rest - something to pursue perhaps, if she would show him some of her work.

Layla launched into explanations about her new neighbours and his daughter's eyes widened and she nodded along. Monty ran a hand over his moustache as he listened.

"Got you," Theta nodded, "But what else do you do with a floo but use it for transportation?"

Monty chuckled.
"Don't you worry, my dear." He stepped forward and clapped a hand to Theta's shoulder sympathetically.
"Sounds like you have the best of guides for neighbours though." He grinned at Layla, "Show me your work, soon. We'll talk."

He busied himself with making the tea that Theta had originally been set to make, to allow her to ask further questions (perhaps not what Layla meant about the floo though).

"So anyone I should look out for - other than the landlady?" Theta asked, "Nobody keeps like a crocodile or something in their room that'll bite my ankles off, or I should jump the fourth step on the third flight or anything?"

Lala was about to go into a lengthy explanation of all the things one could actually do with the floo besides transportation, for example via the wondrous means of head-only transportation - late night flooty-calls and a very very very weird variation of sexting (like that one unsuspecting thrity year old that lived in the building last winter had done and then moved a week after the incident having not realized snooping was a thing all Dorothea's tenants did), when Theta's dad cut her off and she pulled back with a full-body jerk, having completely forgotten this was her dad. And yet, she still wondered why parents hated her...

"Heh, yeah" she smiled awkwardly at the man and muttered a praise baby jesus under her breath when he wasn't looking. Sander was rubbing at his temples with one hand, the other one crossed over his chest and turned to look upwards with a cringe, 100% done with this thing. Lala gracefully elbowed him again, missing by just a jiffy as he stepped away with a glare from hell. "I will definitely do that, Mr. Pepper" she then replied with a bright grin, already mentally going through her portfolio and selecting what to owl the man. Theta's dad turned to busy himself with the tea, and Lala turned to Theta.

"Well, there's a ridiculous amount of cats in the building, so I hope you're fine with that" she shrugged, her eyebrows asking a question. "I have two, one that isn't very sociable and the other that will come begging at your window one day. Speaking of, watch out for the fire escape window... You never know what creeper might come knocking at it" she said glaring to the side with intense judgement at Sander. "She means my younger brother" Sander replied in an apologetic tone but his gaze dark and sharp turned to Lala. "He's--troubled" he said and Lala raised such a skeptical eyebrow her face looked oddly distorted. "What he actually means is he's an angsty creeping little punk. Flynn has a jungle in his apartment" she then added quickly, gesturing at the man.

"Oh, and unless you have a death wish I would not recommend actually calling Mr. Jones, whose job that technically is, for any repairs you might need" she said ominously, swallowing tightly. "The last time our pipes went cuckoo and we called him, our toilet ended up being an actual geyser of boiling water. "Your across the hall neighbor is Zero and you will often hear explosions, screams, rather private sounds and the occasional repeated banging of wood in the wall" she said as subtly as she could put Zero's lifestyle into words, giving a frowning side glance to her father. "I wouldn't worry much about the latter two, but if it's the first ones you might wanna knock and see if he's gotten himself almost killed again. Silencing charms should be a must and maybe ward the walls you share with the hallway" she indicated, looking at her nails as if that could dampen the gravity of the situation.

"We live above him. He blew a hole in our floor once--lovers tryst, you know how those go" she laughed awkwardly and gave a dismissive gesture with her hand. "But if you ever need a ride, he's our designated driver. If you don't mind your life flashing before your eyes all that much..." she cringed and shrugged a little apologetically. Just then her phone started vibrating from the pocket of her dress, and before she could reach it fast enough, the ringtone already started. With horror in her eyes she flailed for the phone that got caught in the seam of her dress and cursed under her breath. With it finally extracted she pressed end call and turned to look at the room unblinking. "Err, that would be my mother. If that wasn't clear..." she said awkwardly, phone grasped between both hands at her back. "I should---should call her back, yeah" she said and smiled with half her face.

"Lovely to have you as a neighbor, Theta. Awesome to meet you, Mr. P. Flynn" she grinned and waved enthusiastically. "We should--yeah, we should go" she gesticulated for the door and slapped Sander on the back making him cough and mutter a nice to meet you. "Heh, raised by wolves this one" she said with a weird chuckle and spun on her heels dragging Sander with her.

Lala and Sander's exit

Cupcakes, tea, plants, ticking clocks, extended family and new found friends. Theta surveyed the boxes as she merrily smiled and waved Layla and Sander out of the door again, feeling that for all her worries about moving in, she might be alright after all.

End