Meeting Helenor
“Lovegood! Where’s Harry?” Hermione Granger hissed demandingly, storming towards the blonde girl that stood near the front of the great hall doors.
“I have no idea Granger” Luna said whimsically as she slowly rocked in a circle, staring at something that wasn’t visible to the naked eye. Or in Hermione's absolutely never wrong opinion, empty air, the crazy blonde bitch.
Hermione huffed “The last I saw him he was with you, so obviously you know where he is. I’ll tell Professor Mcgonagall on you for lying to a prefect..” When Luna didn’t respond to her threat Hermione’s scowl deepened, maybe headmaster Dumbledore would know what to do.
She spun around dramatically, bushy hair sticking out like a tumbleweed as she strode away down the hall towards the Headmaster’s office.
As Granger left Luna stopped spinning, her eyes going from cloudy to a piercing shade of blue, like the sky after a rainstorm. She smirked smugly at Granger's back. While Luna had no clue where Harry was, (that’s a lie, she had her suspicions) she knew he was somewhere much better than here, and safe from those people.
She turned and skipped down the hall, on her way to the outside. It was rainy today, she was sure the thestrals would like some company now that Harry had left. He loved them like they were his own kids, not that he had kids, but in the sense of children.
She hopped out through the rain, feet splashing in the puddles that had formed on the cobblestones and forest floor. Her blonde hair a shade darker as she was soaked to the bone within seconds.
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Harry huffed as he set the last box down in his new apartment. The smell of fresh paint permeated his senses as he inhaled through his nose.
He should invest in some scented candles, probably, once he unpacked, and found his wallet. He had accidentally misplaced it in the move, with his luck it would be in the last box he opened. Though it wasn’t that many boxes, with his rather meager bunch of belongings.
Most of the boxes contained the furniture he had bought yesterday, along with a crap ton of pillows, kitchen appliances, a bedframe, and literally anything else Harry had wanted for his house. A nice three bedroom apartment with large bay windows in the front room that overlooked a small pond.
Harry figured the balcony attached to it could be used for gardening if he wanted. It received a nice amount of light for being in Britain.
He stretched, arms arcing over his head as he looked around the apartment.. He groaned as his back cracked satisfyingly. He knew he could have just used magic, but his birthday wasn’t for months and he didn’t want to risk the order finding him through the trace.
Harry was exhausted already, and it was only three. With being at school any muscle he gained while being stuck at the dursleys had disappeared. He sighed before deciding to at least get the bed set up. Everything else could wait for tomorrow.
The bed frame was surprisingly difficult to set up, due to the instructions having water damage, being written in chinese with only three english words (the title, bed frame instructions), and the diagrams were for an entirely different product, a viking battleship.
AFter about two hours of heavy cursing, Harry had finally gotten it figured out and set up, the simple metal bed frame ready against the wall. By now he was starving, and so he headed outside to get something to eat, having not yet gotten groceries in his house.
He had found his wallet. It had been on the ceiling fan, don’t ask him how it got there, he had no idea and had stared at it dubiously for a long minute before using his broom to get it down.
As Harry locked the apartment door behind him, the door across from his swung open and a small older lady walked out. She had wispy white hair and thick boxy glasses. She looked rather stern but had smile lines around her eyes that seemed to soften her. She looked him over, clacking on the floor as she made her way over not saying a word.
Harry startled as the older woman dragged a napkin out of her purse before grabbing his shoulders. “What are you thinking leaving your house like that young man?” She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “If my son ever tired that I would consider myself a failure of a mother”
“What are you-?”
Harry couldn’t stop her as she wiped dust from the fan off of his nose, muttering to herself all the while. “Goodness child you’re skin and bones! Have you eaten?” Harry objected”I was about to go and-” but he was cut off. “Of course you haven't, that’s it, you are coming inside”
Harry yelped as the woman hooked her arm through his, and with strength that seemed improbable with her age, dragged him into her house. Harry stumbled as he tried to keep up with his arm. Is this kidnapping? He’s still a kid so he figured it was.
As he was manhandled into a chair at the head of a small dining table, he took a glance at the room and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was nothing like Mrs. Figg’s house. It wasn’t dark, nor did it smell of cats.
It was brightly lit, and while the furniture was worn, it was well taken care of despite its old age. It was gorgeous.
When the woman came back she was laden with two plates filled with food. Whatever it was smelled delicious and Harry flushed slightly as his stomach rumbled.
As the woman placed the plate in front of him and took a seat herself, he barely held himself back from scarfing it down like an animal. It looked amazing.
The woman cleared her throat, “My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself, you just reminded me so much of my son…” She trailed off, seemingly lost in thought for a moment.
She seemed to come back to herself after a moment. “My name is Helenor, may I ask what your name is?"
"I'm Harry ma'am."
She nodded, before gesturing for him to eat, a smile stretching itself across her face.
"What are you waiting for?"
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Harry left soon after, clutched in his hands the recipe for the meat pie Helenor had served for dinner. During the meal he had mentioned that he cooked, and she had pretty much demanded that he come over to her house and bake with her.
He was rather glad to have met her. She was a delightful woman, and Harry was very surprised at how kind she was to him. He wasn't used to such kindness from the people around him, especially not in the muggle world.
He had a smile on his face as he stepped into his apartment, glad he had decided to head for dinner when he had.