Legendary // H.S

31.

I haven't seen him since. They all hurried into his office while Louis was lumbered with me. The study isn't a room I've been in yet. The door had been locked when I went exploring, Harry claiming it was because he rarely uses it. Inside are the same oak floorboards that creak under your feet as you walk, but the walls are much brighter. A muted yellow, almost cream. The furniture seems newer, but untouched. In the centre of the room sits a beige sofa, enough to fit four or five people on with the size of it, a grand coffee table seated in front of it with another sofa opposite. Around the perimeter are lines of bookshelves, all as full as the ones in the office. There's much more variety here. Works on philosophy, science, culture, theory. Everything is here; it's a nerds' dream.

The windows are much larger, too, allowing even more light to flood in and brighten the place. They take up most of the back wall, thin curtains covering them but tied to the side with ribbons. Below one of them is a desk. Mahogany wood, waxed and shined. A standard wood chair is situated underneath it. There's a few scatterings of paper and stationery on it, the odd plant too. Some paintings hang on the spaces between the bookcases, all stolen from what I can tell. It seems a shame that they're just gathering dust and never given the attention they deserve. I suppose that's the problem with living in such a large house on your own.

Louis had set up a bunch of materials he brought over from the warehouse for our 'lesson' today. I already knew that he understood enough, but it always helps to have a refresher, especially from a professional. The work that he's about to do undercover isn't easy, even if it is at an apprentice level.

In front of us are diamonds, rubies and sapphires, along with a variety of cleaning apparatus. He's even got a notebook perched on his lap that's been filling up with notes the whole time I've been speaking. It reminds me of George and his enthusiasm to learn.

'Diamonds must be handled sparingly, avoided at all costs, to be honest. Even more so with the Cullinan set. The oils from a person's hand can effect it's brilliance if not. It's best to use cotton gloves if you have to; they'll provide these,' I inform him, holding a small diamond in my hand. It wasn't worth much given the cut of it, but it still looked beautiful. The sunlight bounced off of it as I held it up to inspect in my gloved hands.

Louis nodded, continuing to write down his notes. 'I don't see you with them sometimes, though,' he questions.

I smile at the observation. 'The newer a diamond is the less chance there is of damaging it that way. Also, if they're cheap then it doesn't really matter, they'll lose their clarity in a short time anyway. It depends who's cut them, and the techniques used before to preserve it.'

I place the diamond back down carefully, removing my gloves. Next to it is a small bowl of liquid, just water and gentle soap, along with some brushes. 'Water solutions like this are a simple and easy way for cleaning diamonds. The small brush can be replaced with a toothbrush too, as long as the bristles of it can get into the crevices.' Again, he scribbles away, paying attention to every word I say. I'm sure he doesn't need to, but he likes to be the best at things I think. 'Of course, with any cleaning method you have to be gentle, but it's quick. Works well for the bands and chains too.'

On the left of the table, closest to me is a larger device, one that I had to order in when I joined the team. Only trained professionals know how to use them, so it's best to start preparing Louis now. I doubt most of the crown jewels will be handled in it, specifically the smaller ones, because of how delicate and old they are, but maybe the bigger stones will.