Quarter to five“Oh hey Mister
Galloglass,” Eta greeted, looking up to see their landlord coming in the front door of
Praedico Predico. The divination shop was starting to wind down for the day, with just a few after-work regulars popping by for a regular reading or a meditation session.
Eta was familiar with the shop’s landlord, Mr Janus Galloglass. He owned his own shop next door, selling enchanted mirrors. Eta had been up there a few times, by invitation as well as a customer. Mr Galloglass hosted a few drinks at Christmas time for his tenants, where he’d get quite rosy cheeked on sherry. Eta had been much the same and tried to quiz him all about being a seer. Had someone told her later, when sober, she might have been embarrassed, but he’d never mentioned it and she had been awfully sweet about it.
“
Miss Pepper,” he smiled politely. “
I wonder if your good proprietor was available?” He clasped his hands in the small of his back and leaned ever so slightly forward as he addressed her.
“She’s with a client,” Eta explained brightly, understanding the purpose of his visit without further elaboration. “I’ll go fetch it for you.”
It was the first of the month, so Galloglass was here for the rent. Regular as clockwork. Eta knew the drill, and approached the enchanted safe to retrieve the galleons for him.
“
You’re looking … nice.” The older wizard remarked. Eta didn’t see it as odd, but rather kind of him.
“Oh, thank you,” she replied, scooping up the galleon bag, “I’m off out with friends straight after work. It’s one of the coven sister’s twenty-first birthdays and we’re going to meet at the Merrow, call in a few places and see where the night takes us.” She beamed at him, handing over the bag.
“
Thank you dear. Twenty-one, you’re never all that old already…” He mused aloud, “
You’re not working tomorrow too are you?”
“Yeah, but it’s a Thursday night, we’re not going to get too excited,” Eta explained, shrugging. “Like her birthday’s today, and it means Lucinda can join us.”
She had told Mr Galloglass all about the Coven at those Christmas drinks, and probably half a dozen other times they’d chatted. He had the sort of demeanour that made you feel like he was genuinely interested for just the optimum amount of time to feel polite. Eta’s mum would have compared him to the Muggle royal family for that talent.
“
Lucinda…?” Galloglass paused, gaze darting to the ceiling of the divination shop as he recalled the name. “
Lucinda! Yes of course, the worm moon is almost upon us and a blue moon later this month[1].” He shook his head in a way Eta perceived as empathy or sympathy at the minimum.
“Yeah, but hey, we get to celebrate tonight, but if you see me with a giant coffee in the morning, don’t speak too loud.” She grinned. The bell above the door tinkled and Eta Pepper moved to attend to the customer, greeting them with enthusiasm and intrigue.
[1 Mar] Worm Moon (Snapshot)