Into Your Gravity ( Luna Lovegood & Tom Riddle )

Chapter six: Awry

Violetta was in a far better mood than when they had arrived the night before, and she squirmed in her mother's arms. "Down, please!" Once Luna had acquiesced and set Violetta's bare feet on the ground, Violetta ran across the pub and up behind the bar to Lazarus.

"What have we now?" the wizard said, looking down at the little girl at his heels.

"Come! See!" Violetta said, extending her arms up over her head at Lazarus. Lazarus frowned, but set his glass and rag aside, kneeling with creaking bones to the floor next to Violetta. She had a critical look on her face as she reached with both hands to feel the old man's mustache. "What's this?" she asked in a serious tone.

"It's my mustache," Lazarus replied, his brusque voice somewhat dampened by his eyes crossing as he tried to watch her hands below his nose.

"Muss-tash," Violetta repeated, then breaking into a smile and turning toward Luna. "Mummy, muss-tash, look!"

"I see, darling. A very fine mustache, indeed," Luna replied.

Lazarus harrumphed, but Luna noted the mustache in question twitching as though he was fighting a smile. Using the bar to pull himself back to his feet with a wheeze, the barman asked Luna, "Are you checking out?"

"Actually, I was wondering if we might stay a bit longer. A few nights, perhaps. I can pay you up front, if you like," Luna said.

"The room isn't usually for rent," he said.

"I understand."

Violetta, still at Lazarus' side, pulled on his robes. "Muss-tash!"

Luna held her hand out towards Violetta. "Come here, my love. We must go on a two-part quest: part one for clothes, and part two for another establishment at which to stay." Once Violetta had come to her, Luna picked her up again. To Lazarus, Luna said, "Thank you very much for allowing us to stay with you. I just need to get my Kneazle from upstairs, then we'll be on our way."

Lazarus pursed his lips, watching Luna as she turned to return back to the stairs, Violetta peering over her mother's shoulder back at him. Violetta gave him a small wave as Luna carried her towards the stairs. She was halfway across the room again when he spoke. "Didn't say you couldn't stay."

"Sorry?" Luna asked, turning back around.

"You can rent the room. For a while."

"Are you sure? I would hate to think that you're just saying that to be kind, but you really would rather us not stay here."

Lazarus looked perplexed at her bluntness, then regained his gruff composure. "Now, I'm not going to tell you again. You can either stay or not, 'tis up to you. Same rate as before."

Smiling, Luna dug a handful of coins out of her money pouch and gave them to Lazarus. "You are a truly generous spirit, Lazarus. Now, perhaps you can tell me where we might buy some new clothes?"

"There's no robes shop on Knockturn Alley, but if you go over to Diagon Alley there's Twilfitt and Tattings. And of course the second hand shop."

"Knockturn Alley?" Luna said. "I should have known by the grim decor. You see, I've never been to your Alley before."

"But didn't you know where you were? And it's not my Alley," Lazarus asked.