The Grants Artefacts

17 Coffee and Cigarettes

Coffee and Cigarettes.

Arun woke up before anybody else. It was still dark as she navigated her way to Avery's kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. It took longer than she liked, she couldn't find cups, coffee or milk, and eventually she Accio'd everything she needed from the middle of the room and heated it with magic. After a few sips of the strong black liquid she started to feel a little more with it. She didn't remember going to sleep. She'd woken up in a chair by the fire in the Green Room and she was most likely still drunk. Where was Snape? Where was everybody for that matter? Avery's house was large but there wasn't enough bedrooms for all the guests. Another sip of coffee and she clicked her neck and left the kitchen. Where were her shoes?

Somebody coughed, a door clicked open and Arun paused in her ascent to see who it was. Avery was topless, his thin frame was taught with muscle and covered with grotesque tattoos depicting torture. He had an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth and he nodded at her with glazed eyes. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

"I woke up in a chair."

"We tried to get you up to bed but you wouldn't go. You blasted us out of the room and locked the door. Said you were comfortable."

"Where's Sev?"

"My parent's room."

Arun nodded and turned to continue up the stairs, Ave held out a pack of cigarettes and shook them. "Give us a sec and I'll meet you out front. I need some fresh air."

Arun continued up to the ground floor then pushed open the front door and looked out through cold early morning light to watch a light flurry of snow. She cast a heating charm on herself and sat down on the steps. After a little wait Avery joined her, he'd put on an overly large dress robe with fur lining, he looked like a cross between a monk and a muggle boxer. "I'm glad you came," Avery told her. "It was sensible."

"How's that?" Arun asked.

"Lucius told me about the Americans, they've been contacting us about you. They are trying to get us to turn you over to them. The Carrow's were tempted, I talked them out of it."

"You think my coming here was political?"

"You've never been before," he said as he held out a lighter to her. "You've never seemed that interested in bloodsport either."

"Did my demonstration bore you?"

"Merlin's beard no, I'm getting that hide turned into a jacket!" Ave chuckled. "I'm just saying, youse don't do that kind of thing without a reason and last night you shut the Carrows up. Getting quite powerful without a wand I see." He waggled his fingers at her and his thin lips slit into a hungry grin.

Arun sipped her coffee and decided not to humour him, "Are you going to stay hidden here forever Ave?"

"Here?" He motioned to his house and his grounds. "Where else would I be, a warmer climate? No, I'm happy enough here."

"I saw your mum in India, she misses you."

Avery pulled a face and took a drag on his cigarette. "She does not. She couldn't wait to leave." he tapped ash on the floor. "I enjoy having this place to myself. I've set up quite the thing here, you know?"

Arun retorted, "'Thing' like reading a good book and watching a muggle movie?" She flashed him a smile, and he turned to look at her with dead eyes and scratched his chin with his thumb. Then he pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her.

Arun took it and studied it. "Vampire girls?" she read out loud. Avery blushed slightly, he took another drag on his cigarette whilst looking pretty smug. It was a strange thing to watch, Avery was a twitchy guy, usually so tense he appeared disfigured, always unable to make eye contact until he did with disquieting intensity. She handed the card back, "A muggle dating agency?"