Eternal Patience

Desperate Times

The next morning, Barnaby went looking for Jae Kim. 

He eventually found him in the courtyard, leaned against one of the stone pillars and gazing at the students basking in the late-morning sun with disinterest. 

"Hey, Lee. Congrats on the new girlfriend," he said, as Barnaby approached. 

"Uh, thanks," said Barnaby. "Listen, I could use some--"

"Say no more," said Jae, holding up a hand. "I recognize that desperate look in your eye." He lowered his voice. "Only let's not discuss business out in the open, shall we? Here, step into my office."

Jae sprung off the pillar and spun around, hiking his leg over the low wall that separated the main courtyard from a stone corridor with a wooden, lattice roof, vines clinging to the wood. 

Barnaby followed him. 

"This is your office?"

Jae shrugged. "Less prying eyes." The corridor was indeed deserted at the moment. 

Jae rubbed his hands together. The shadows from the lattice crisscrossed across his eager face. "So, what can I get for you?"

"I have to pass all my OWLs," said Barnaby, keeping his voice low. "Do you have something that will make sure I do?"

Jae nodded. "Figures. You're not the first that's come to me for help in that area, though you might be the first person I'll make a sale with." He rolled his eyes. "Sarah got in my way right before I sealed the deal with Haywood."

Barnaby gulped. "She did?"

"Yep. Which is why I'm surprised she's okay with you coming to me."

Barnaby said nothing, which was all the answer Jae needed. 

"Ah, keeping secrets from each other already, are we?" He tried to hide his grin by wiping his mouth with his sleeve, but Barnaby saw it. "The key to a happy relationship, I'm sure."

Barnaby felt his face turning red. "Look, do you want to sell me some stuff or not?"

"Oh I do, believe me," said Jae. "Let's see, a standard get-me-through-exams package would include a few Auto-Answer Quills, you'd need a Remembrall of course, a pair of Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and a bottle or two of self-correcting ink." He looked Barnaby up and down. "Perhaps several bottles."

Barnaby felt his heart beating hard. He kept glancing down the corridor, afraid any moment a teacher would catch them. Or worse, Sarah or Rowan. 

"And you sure that'll help me get all my OWLs?" said Barnaby. 

"On my word as a businessman," said Jae calmly. 

"Without getting caught?"

Jae raised an eyebrow in thought. "I can honestly say that no customer has ever returned to me to complain," he said after a moment. 

Barnaby nodded. He felt somewhat faint. "Okay, better give me all that, then."

"No problem," said Jae. "That'd run you...thirty-six galleons."

"What?!"

"Keep your voice down," said Jae, volleying his eyes to either end of the corridor. "It takes a lot of time and effort to collect those things, not to mention the risk I take sneaking off to Knockturn Alley all the time."

Barnaby gave a low grunt of frustration. While his family was wealthy, his Gran currently controlled all the estate, and she refused to shovel out any more gold than was necessary for her worthless grandson.