𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 [𝐑. 𝐋𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧]

𝐁𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐒

The blonde couldn't decide if she preferred the smell of shit on the streets or the sickening pine scent that drowned the shop and made the atmosphere ten times thicker. Her eyes fell on the short woman standing by the register, examining her every move as if she was going to grab something and run out.

"Hello." She greeted, taking her list out of her bag. She didn't wait for the woman to reply and put it on the counter, sliding it to her. The woman inspected the list, her eyes narrowing as she read every ingredient on the paper.

"I'm afraid we have run out of Syrup of Hellebore." She suspiciously stated, limping away from the counter. "But I do have Hellebore."

"Okay, put that instead." Callisto answered, her eyes skimming over the different jars neatly stacked on the dusty shelves. A particular shelf caught her eyes and she stood in front of it, looking curiously at its contents. There were three jars with crushed aconite collected at three different phases of the moon cycle, a large book that looked like a grimoire and a small glass case in which there was a pendant. The pendant was heart shaped, rusted metal engulfing a red stone that glinted under the fluorescent lighting of the shop.

"How much is this?" She asked, pointing at the pendant. The woman limped towards her, unlocked the case with a small rusted key and took out the necklace.

"20 galleons." She answered, placing it over Callisto's shirt. "It looks good on you, eh?"

"Agreed." She mumbled, her finger running over the stone. "I'll get it."

The woman smiled, revealing a set of decaying teeth and moved over to the counter, calculating the cost on a muggle calculator.

"It will be 45 galleons honey." She stated, her tone sickly-sweet. Callisto took out her wallet and placed the money on the counter before taking the two bags from the counter. The woman handed her the pendant in a velvet red box and she put it in her bag, heading out of the shop. Her little potions business had allowed her to pursue a more luxurious lifestyle than the one she would have did she not earn any money on her own and the purchase of the necklace proved that. Her family was more than just well-off to her knowledge, but there was nothing she despised more than asking for money even if her aunt had raised her like her own daughter. So, Callisto took matters in her own hands and added to her monthly allowance the money she earned herself.

The girl strolled around the narrow alleyways, looking at her feet so as not to step on anything...unfortunate. She finally saw the exit and walked faster towards it, inhaling the much more hygienic air of Diagon Alley. A man passing by looked at her suspiciously when she saw her coming out of the Knockturn alley and sped past her, keeping his head down. She rolled her eyes at his actions and having finished all her "chores" she made her way to the inn Nick was staying. She sat on a table, her eyes boring on the different costumers that came in and out; occasionally spotting a wizard her age that she could consider good looking.

"Are you Miss Claire?" A man asked. Callisto recognized him as the innkeeper that checked Nick in his room the day before.

"Yes."

"Mr. Lawson said you can go up." She thanked him, mentally chuckling at the use of last names. This was certainly Nick's doing, it hadn't been the first and it wouldn't be the last time that someone had referred to her as Miss Claire for no apparent reason. She got up the staircase, cringing slightly at the creaking sound it made with every step. She stopped on the first floor and walked down the corridor, looking to her right for room number 18. The blonde was so invested in finding the room that she didn't notice the door swinging open and hitting her in the face. She groaned in pain, bringing a hand up to her nose while her eyes started to water.