9am


Virgil Carstairs pushed his sunglasses up into his hair as he surveyed the flat on the first floor of the small Diagon building. The place was theirs now. It felt weird, knowing that they were going to start calling this their home[1] - but he couldn't complain, as it was good as far as first flats went. Lots of room and a high ceiling. Creamy wallpaper, birchwood floorboards. Sunlight flooded the space from windows that allowed the kitchen to overlook the Alley proper.

There were windows on all sides of the place but one, although the balcony only presided over what appeared to be a damp and narrow back lane between shops. Virgil liked it immensely.

He turned on his heels, leaving the flat to wait on the stairwell landing. The rest of the building was all red tiles and bright yellow walls.. A large trunk had been deposited here, bigger than the one he had brought to Hogwarts. He perched on it and checked the time. Ari and Nick were supposed to meet him here in about ten minutes - he had asked both of them to bring breakfast (because double breakfast) but harboured doubts about whether they actually would.

Hopefully they would make it past their ground floor neighbour, an elderly witch whose thirty odd owls did not think much of personal space.

1.	Floor plan

Ariadne Gamp bustled down Diagon Alley from the direction of the Leaky Cauldron. Unlike Virgil, her school trunk drifted before her over the cobbles. Ariadne was used to travelling light on her father’s boat. The sun beat down upon her slender shoulders, and she had forgone any jacket in the very warm weather. Much as she wanted to be in the flat and unpack a few things - it was boiling and they needed to be out in a park enjoying it (which in Nick and Virgil’s case meant complete with a haze…)

To know she could escape from the horrible possibility of living with her auror mother and potential step-father was incredible. She liked Virgil and Nick well enough, one a former housemate and the other had become more of a friend in the last year once house divides were ignored. The boys were both clever enough, had already secured some sort of employment - with the Ministry, no less. That factor had at least quelled her mother’s protests of their suitability as housemates, and the landlord had definitely decided those employment credentials were suitable. Ariadne had just qualified as ‘female influence’ which suggested she was stereotypically intended to ensure the boys kept the place fairly clean. She was working on the job front… honest.

Ari’s trunk bumped up the front step of the building, into the hooting cacophony of the ground floor’s resident owls. It ponged a bit, but that and the noise could be dealt with, thanks be to magic. Lifting her wand, her trunk surged up, bumping the stairs ungracefully. The owls hooted loudly and there was the sound of a woman protesting. Ariadne swore under her breath and hoisted her wand up with more determination, her trunk shooting up the rest of the flight like a rocket, skidding to a halt at the top just short of where Virgil was poised.

“Oi Virgil, this it?” Ariadne greeted, catching up with her trunk in three great bounds up the steps. “We best not be decorating all day, and waste the sun. I know you burn like a crisp, but some of us have withered for months in Scotland.” She gestured to her arms.

Nicholas Bevans walked in front of his floating trunk, with his wand and a bag full of muffins and croissants in one hand and a half eaten muffin in the other.  He was much more excited to be moving into a flat in Diagon that he cared to let on.  But he had nearly mowed down an old witch with his trunk in his hurry to get the baked goods and find the new place.  And thankfully, since he'd managed to get nearly everything he owned into the trunk, the witch had un-vanished the trunk.  The sweat dripping down his back was as much from the heat as it was his run in with the lady.

Hopefully nothing went missing in the trunk.  His mother was already doubtful of his plans at best, he did not need to have to ask for money to buy new clothes.  Nor did he want to spend his first paycheck—did wizards even get paychecks, or just a handful of galleons.  Probably a good thing he hadn't said anything like that around his mum.  Not that they both didn't have plenty from the checks that came that they never talked about.

He passed by the door, missing it entirely, before turning back, trunk in front of him again and heading inside.  With the racket the owls were making from nothing more than walking in, he had a feeling he was going to become a certified expert in silencing charms.  He popped the rest of the muffin into his mouth and headed up the stairs.  He jabbed with his wand, and the bag of food, and the trunk flew set down next to the smaller trunk.

He hurried up the last few steps and saw his friends—his flatmates standing there on the landing.  He threw his arm around Ari shoulders and thrust the muffins in Virgil's direction.  "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"  Nicholas wasn't quite bouncing on his feet, but he wasn't not bouncing either.

He only barely stopped himself from flinching as Ari's luggage sped up the stairs to meet him and him at the top. Virgil clambered off  his own trunk to greet the witch, laughing as she indicated her brown arms - much more suited to this uncharacteristic sunshine. She probably didn't even need to slather herself in sun lotions or potions!

"We're through here, I was just having a look..." he glanced over his shoulder at the open door to their new flat, "... let's say it has potential. But you're right, decoration is second to enjo--"

He broke off at the sound of another trunk zooming up to join them for the grand day; it was shortly followed by the wizard himself. "Breakfast!" Virgil exclaimed, reaching for the bag of pastries Nicholas was proffering. At least one of the former Gryffindors had remembered. Few things were tastier than breakfast foods. And now that he was living away from home, he could have breakfast for every meal!

"Okay, let's go let's go," Virgil echoed Nick's impatience but stuffed a croissant into his mouth before he drew his wand. "I'm caffing jibs on the froom jeer jhe kiffen[1]," he declared through a heavy bite of pastry.

1.	I'm calling dibs on the room near the kitchen

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
“You - oh!” Ari had been about to say you actually but Nick’s surprise arm around her shoulders interrupted. It was an unexpected but pleasant gesture from her new flatmate. In return she slung her arm around his waist.

“Hey, what’s in the-.” Her second half-completed thought was discarded as she gestured to the bag thrust at Virgil.
“Breakfast!” Her query was answered.
“Oh but…”
“Okay, let’s go, let’s go!”

They barrelled through front door, trunks lurching in their wake, and into a room where bright sunshine spilled through the windows and the walls were lined with doors. Ariadne’s bank balance gave a tiny shriek in her pocket but her jaw dropped. This was way better than she had considered rooming with two wizards might be. Ok, weird lady downstairs aside…

“By the kitchen?” Ariadne asked, spying the door Virgil was pointing to. “Sure, I mean, you sleep like the dead right, and I’ll only get woken up by you two rattling round the kitchen for gillyweed munchies or farting in the bathroom…” She could see the bathroom through the open door.

“I’ll take this one then,” she said, pointing to the room to the back right, and looked to Nick in case he was vying to toss for it. Her trunk came to rest in the middle of the room, and she realised the size difference to hers and Virgils and raised an eyebrow.

“You got a walk-in wardrobe in that trunk, Virgil?” Ariadne teased. “And hey, you brought breakfast too?” She asked Nick, flicking her wand. Her trunk lid clicked open and out slid a flat parcel that smelled warm and decidedly of bacon. “Virgil.” She protested mildly, hands on hips. Below the floating sandwich parcel, a modest tin kettle poked above the edge of Ariadne’s trunk like a curious pet. “I’ll put the kettle on then.”

If it hadn't been for Virgil's pointing, Nicholas would have had no idea what he'd said.  But the gesture had made the unintelligible at least semi-intelligible.  And in the moment it took it to take the flat in, Ari had already declared her room preference, which was fine by him.  At the moment he didn't care one way or the other, of course he might end up regretting the room by the door... or take advantage of it.

He shrugged when Ariadne looked at him, "Works for me."

Nicholas jabbed his wand at the door to the—his room, it gently swung open and his trunk floated leisurely into the room.

“And hey, you brought breakfast too?”

"Muffins and croissants, from the bakery down the street."  He started toward his room," And I have a wardrobe in mine, it's about this tall right now," he held his hand above his head, fingers spread to about 4 inches.  "I couldn't get the—"  He turned back to his flatmates when the smell reached him, "Is that bacon?"

It looked like his two flatmates approved of the space - and Virgil felt wonderfully smug, resolving to send his father an absurd fruit basket to thank him for pulling in a favour from the landlord. The flat was perfectly sized and it had a balcony, which was important to air out kitchen or gillyweed smells. He made a beeline for the kitchen and pulled himself up on to the counter, gangly legs swinging. Yes. Perfect. This would do them quite well.

            "You got a walk-in wardrobe in that trunk, Virgil?"
"Musical instruments!" he called back, thinking of the violin and guitar hidden at the bottom of the enchanted trunk, "And clothes."

Virgil was certain he had more clothes than Ari and Nick put together; he had even gone on a bit of a spree after the school trip, buying all manner of summer pieces. But before he could make a quip, his dastardly breakfast plan had been discovered.

"Double breakfast!" he clapped his hands together, "Ari, you glorious creature. Floor picnic?" Virgil didn't budge from his spot, gesturing his wand at his trunk. The lid lifted and a small flannel mat - though it grew larger and larger - slid out. It was followed by an odd number of dark green felt cushions.

It was definitely bacon. Delicious, smokey bacon. So... muffins, croissants, bacon sandwich, tea. He twitched his wand again and out came a sackcloth bag to land amongst the cushions. Apples and peaches and plums spilled out. Virgil turned his smug smile back to the others. "Housewarming this week, you think?"

“Is that bacon?”
“Mmmmhmmm…” Ariadne hummed suggestively.

“Double breakfast!” Virgil proclaimed, and Ariadne raised an eyebrow to Nick in recognition that they’d both been played by the opportunist. Their former Slytherin flatmate redeemed himself a moment later by adding some fruit, contributing to their breakfast picnic.

“Housewarming this week, you think?” Ariadne shrugged, not worried by the thought at all. The three of them probably had an eclectic mix of friends, and well, some of them might be jealous or despising of the flat but it was a right of passage for them. It would be a dose of social acceptance her confidence needed a boost from, if nothing else.

“Fine by me, less furniture less to wreck,” Ariadne replied as she filled the kettle, “and people can transfigure chairs if they’re that desperate.”

She set the flames beneath the water going and surveyed the state of the kitchen, peering into cupboards before throwing open the door to the balcony. The air outside was still warm and a little muggy, and despite being London it was a little fresher than the flat which had been closed up. The hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley on a Sunday morning echoed up from below. Family groups peering into shop windows mingled with single figures brushing past them in their own little hurries. Somewhere further down she knew a book market was on, having accompanied her uncle there one Sunday morning in a past holiday. It crossed her mind to mention it to Virgil to tease him, and she smiled to herself.

The former Gryffindor braced her arms on the balcony rail and went on tiptoes to see how far she could see. Her curiosity was curtailed by the kettle whistling in the kitchen.
“Either of you got some mugs or am I going to have to use my NEWT in anger?”

Nicholas's trunk settled in his room as his attention was fully absorbed by the breakfast and talk of a housewarming.  He walked over to the mat and laid down facing the fruit.  "Yes to the housewarming, No to the mugs,"  he said before taking a bite of an apple. He kept to himself that since she'd thought to bring the kettle, Ari should have brought the mugs to.

Merlin knows he hadn't thought to bring anything for the kitchen.  Well, he'd brought plenty of booze to add to the kitchen.  But, as much as he should have figured Virgil would bring it all, he hadn't even thought about it that much.

"You know, I completely forgot we'd actually need stuff for the kitchen," he admitted to his friends.  "I brought nearly everything in my bedroom though."

They were amenable to a housewarming, so a part of his mind sectioned itself off to have a think about that. In the present, however, Virgil simply slipped off the kitchen counter and approached his trunk. He had left it in the middle of the flat instead of sending it into his new room.

"Mugs, I have, but I've tied them up." The Slytherin pushed the lid all the way open with a frown; he couldn't summon anything inside that had been tied down. "Just a moment."

The trunk was an old thing he had received from one of his mother's distant cousins, also known as the current head of magical law enforcement. It had arrived as a gift for Virgil's graduation although he suspected it was also compensation for trying to persuade him into making lenient public statements after February's kidnapping[1].

Virgil climbed into the trunk, gripping a thick hemp rope knotted tightly to a hook. He disappeared into the enchanted space inside: a narrow room with a floor that dropped twenty odd feet down, it was lined on three sides with shelves of his belongings. Books, notes, folded bedding, pots of nail varnish, theatre make-up, messy stacks of quills. The door on the final side led to his wardrobe but he left it untouched and clambered further down until he reached a shelf where six enamel mugs were tied to a picnic basket of other enamelware.

By the time he climbed out of the trunk, there were feathers in his hair and he reeked of Valerian. He also brought his cat, Dante, out with him. "There we go," Virgil murmured and used his wand to deliver the mugs to Ari, "And you too." Dante hopped to the floor, grateful but annoyed by her mode of transport.

"I should have most of the kitchen stuff," he glanced at Nick to continue their earlier exchange, "You lot brought breakfast, so I'll make dinner tonight? And brownies to christen the ship."

1.	Preferential, Deferential - 14th February

“Yes to the housewarming, no to the mugs,” Nick called and Ariadne gave a quiet grumble before returning to the kitchen.

“You know, I completely forgot we’d actually need stuff for the kitchen…”
“I figured we’d pool what we had and go to a second hand shop for the rest.” Ari shrugged.

“Mugs, I have, but I’ve tied them up.”
“Tied them up?” Ariadne echoed as the kettle bubbled and Virgil climbed into his trunk. She looked from the trunk to Nick and gave another groan. “Oh the temptation to slam the lid shut is huge,” she exclaimed, throwing her head back and resisting the itch. Instead, the former Gryffindor wandered over to peer down, and instead nearly ended up with Dante than the mugs, which she caught and juggled noisily in both arms, returning to the kitchen.

“… I’ll make dinner tonight? And brownies to christen the ship.”
“Sounds like a deal,” Ariadne agreed, “I mean, a very kind offer, Virgil.” She gave an apologetic glance over her shoulder as she made the tea. It didn’t take long to assemble three cups of tea with other materials from her luggage and returned to the mat and cushions on their living room floor. After offering the sandwiches to the boys she pulled the third from the paper bag and began to munch hungrily.

“What day for the housewarming then? You two at work all week, right?” Both of them had opted for some Ministry role that required brainwork as well as wandwork. Ariadne, indecisive and unsure about what her NEWTs would produce, had not lined up anything specific, but was intending to work her way down Diagon finding something stopgap while she pursued a few leads. “Are we inviting half the school or just a few people?”

Nicholas expected Virgil to pull a bunch of mugs out that were tied together.  What he didn't expect was for Virgil to disappear into his trunk. His own trunk was larger on the inside, but not that much larger.  And then Ariadne said what he'd been thinking, and he just gave her a grin that said go ahead, I won't stop you.

And he thought she was going to, until she just looked inside instead. He was about to get up and go see how big it was inside, when the mugs came out followed by Virgil and a cat.  "You have a bird in there too?"  He asked looking at the feathers in Virgil hair.

"I'll never say no to brownies.  Or dinner."  Especially if he didn't have to make it.  He took one of the sandwiches, taking a large bite out of it.  Friday or Saturday night worked well enough for him, but Saturday would give them more time to get the flat ready for a party.

"I've got enough for half the school to get pissed, so invite whoever."  And if certain people showed up, well he'd see if he could make the balcony useful.

Virgil stuck out his bottom lip, making a soft harumph sound at how so very tempted Ari had been to close the trunk on him. He had only had the thing for about a month and was still trying to think of different ways to utilise the space - if nothing else besides storage, it was a good place to hide.

             "You have a bird in there too?"
"Odysseus, yes, he's asleep."

The name had been a joke with his mother but they both hoped the black owl would be swifter than its namesake. Virgil joined the other two cross-legged at the mat and accepted a sandwich, which was happily going to join the croissant in his stomach. "Friday night ought to work?" he suggested, noting that Nick didn't have a preference.

"I have rehearsals for Peter Pan at Stardust, on weekends." The former Slytherin clarified before biting into the sandwich. It was greasy and good, in the way that bacon always is. "We canf juft-" he chewed, swallowed, "- just let word get around and see who shows up."

He could easily make batches of brownies and snacks, and if not enough people came, well, it would all keep. Or they could all get extremely sloshed. After another bite of the sandwich, he washed it down with tea. "Unless there are people we don't want here?" Virgil tipped his head to one side and looked between his two flatmates.

“Friday night out to work?” Virgil suggested. Ari nodded at them both, not having set plans herself.
“Yeah, yeah that works.” That was easily agreed then!

“… let work get around and see who shows up.” Ari blinked and then realised that Virgil meant tell people rather than some telepathic means of distributing invitations. People who wanted to come would turn up and they would discover if they were hideously unpopular when the flat was empty of people.

“Unless there are people we don’t want here?”

“Well, people we know, obviously.” Ariadne replied, “more the people we don’t. And I’m sure there’s people you two definitely want here. Or,” she flexed her eyebrows upwards, “want here in a more ‘exclusive’ gathering when I’m locked in my room.” She turned up her nose in mock disgust at the boys. Unlike Ariadne, both of them were not exactly quiet on their romantic antics. Ariadne had teased Virgil gently about Sophie and well, Nick took anything he could as far as she knew heard.

“So Friday night, bring a bottle? Yeah, nice and simple. As long as downstairs doesn’t complain but we can charm the floor.” Ariadne suggested practically, not wishing to get them thrown out of their flat before they’d actually unpacked.

“Anyone you do want, hmm?”

If there was a bird in that damned trunk too, Nicholas decided he was going to have to get a tour. And then go find one of his own.

"Unless there are people we don't want here?"

"We can show any of them to the balcony."  He said with mostly feigned seriousness.  He doubted he'd actually push someone over it.  Besides any witch or wizard worth their salt would be able to handle it.

He stuck his tongue out at Ari, "I don't know what you mean, Ariadne.  You're all I need."  Then he pouted.  "Unless you don't want me?" Though now that he thought about it,  Nicholas had heard plenty about Ariadne but never about anything or anyone with her.  Merlin knew she was attractive enough, and other than the few weeks he had wanted nothing to do with anyone named Gamp, he had always liked his former-housemate-now-flatmate.

"I'll invite Peyton, I haven't seen him since the train...But who do you want to get exclusive with?"  He said turning to Virgil, as he took another bite of the sandwich.