I'd momentarily forgotten that Nel was here as well. Surprisingly, I found I wasn't too concerned about that as I did not doubt that Nel was more than aware of my little adventure with Mary. Hell, I would bet good money on her knowing more about the young woman in my arms then I did, possibly more then Mary did about herself depending on how deep Nel's powers actually went. I had to ask her about that sometime soon. In fact, I needed to get her more involved in all my present endeavors where her powers could help me. But that was for later. For now, I needed to see to it that this situation didn't devolve into farce.
"Who is this? Is she with you?" Mary asked, giving me a curious look. I was gratified that she didn't seem jealous about the presence of another female, not that I thought that was likely at this time, but it could have complicated things if Mary had developed a case of Nightingale Syndrome towards me.
"The other way around is more accurate," Nel stated sardonically.
"This is Nel-"
"Penelope." Nel corrected, cutting me off. "Only Drew persists in calling me Nel." She said, making it clear that she wouldn't accept Mary doing the same. She offered her hand to Mary and the two shook.
"Mary."
"Nel," I stressed, just to be irritating. "Is an acquaintance of my from school."
"A pleasure," Nel said dryly, ignoring my valuable contribution to the conversation.
"Likewise," Mary said before turning her attention back to me. "What are you doing here?"
I inclined my head in Nel's direction. "I'm just following her around."
Mary looked at Nel again. "Oh, what are you buying?"
"Just things for school." Nel told her vaguely.
"School? You mean..." She trailed off and giving me a meaningful look.
"Yes, Hocus-Pocus school," I confirmed with a smile. I doubt anyone had ever referred to the old and venerable Hogwart's school of witchcraft and wizardry as the Hocus-Pocus School.
Mary nodded absently, giving Nel a wary look that slowly morphed into one of genuine concern. "Drew, didn't you say that association between us was forbidden? And that I'd get my mind erased if anyone found out?"
"Ah, yeah, that's true enough," I admitted. "Unfortunately I can't hide anything from Nel. Fortunately, since she hasn't said anything to anyone yet I don't believe she will." I said and gave Nel a questioning look.
Nel merely rolled her eyes at me.
Mary gave me a curious look. "Are you and her together then?"
I gave a startled laugh and I heard Nel snort in disgust. "Hah! No, ah... just no." I shot Nel a look. "No offence."
"None taken," Nel drawled sarcastically.
"Oh." Mary no looked properly confused. "Family?"
Nel facepalmed in disgust while I burst out laughing. Mary frowned and finally let go of my and crossed her arms defensively and gave me that feminine glare that women are so good at giving men that are in the process of laughing at them. Its the one that says that you are an idiot for doing what you are doing and should fall to your knees and beg her forgiveness, buy her a gift and show her a good time, and then she might deign to forgive you for this heinous transgression. Okay, so I might be exaggerating a bit.
I held up my hand in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. I'm not laughing at you, really, it's just..." I thought how I could explain it shortly and not sound like a loon and immediately had to admit defeat and give Mary a helpless look. "Sorry. We aren't related in any way, we are just... friends."
"Then why would you need to tell her anything?" Mary wondered with a note of accusation seeping into her voice.
"I didn't tell her anything, I don't have to. Nel is a postcognitive." I explained placatingly.
"Post-wot?" Mary asked confused.
I chuckled which earned me another glare, I once again raised my hands in surrender in the face of her feminine fury. "Postcognitive. It means she is able to see the past. Its the opposite to a precognitive, someone that can see into the future." I told her. "There really isn't any way for me to hide what I do from her since she can just take a peek into my past and see what I'm up to."
"Oh," Mary said in stunned surprise before turning her attention to Nel. "Truly? Like a medium?"
Nel inclined her head minutely. "Those earrings you are wearing. Your mother gave them to you on your fifteenth birthday. They used to belong to your grandmother who got them as an engagement gift from your grandfather." The postcognitive informed the astonished Mary.
"Oh my god," Mary whispered excitedly, almost squealing. "What more can you see?"
Nel was quiet for a moment apparently deciding something before adding. "Your grandfather didn't buy them, he nicked them from a house he was doing renovations at."
Mary's expectant expression collapsed into one of surprised horror. "Oh..."
"I think your grandmother knew, there is no way for your grandfather to afford a pair of silver earrings with real emeralds on a simple carpenters salary," Nel informed her.
"You know there is such a thing as tact," I noted dryly.
Nel merely raised an eyebrow at me and snorted. "You are hardly one to talk."
"Hey, I have tact, I just don't use it much." I defended myself with an irreverent grin.
"Indeed."
I noticed Mary reach up and fingered one of her earrings pensively, looking troubled. She was a better person than me I supposed. So what if her grandfather had stolen those earrings. it just gave what was just a boring piece of jewelry some color. And anyone that could afford it and handymen to renovate their house could undoubtedly afford more, and better. It was entirely possible they didn't even notice that they were gone. The earrings, despite being silver and having a small fleck of emeralds in them didn't look all that impressive. Personally, I thought she was worrying over nothing.
"So, yeah," I said uncomfortably. "That's Nel, the all-seeing eye, grand voyeur of Hogwarts, stealer of ideas," I said, trying to lighten the mood. Nel glared at me over the voyeur crack.
"Hogwarts?" Mary wondered, shaking herself and dismissing her momentary bad mood.
"Oh, never did tell you did I?" I said and gave her a teasing smile. "That grand name happens to be the name of the school we go to, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Your school is named, Hogwarts?" Mary asked in incredulous disbelief. "Truly?"
"Really, truly," I affirmed gleefully. "As is turns out, Brittish witches and wizards really shouldn't be let near any names unsupervised. That's how we get Dumbledores and Longbottoms. One thing you will notice if you spend any time around your average magical is that sense is in short supply." I told her mock-seriously.
"Considering the level of destruction usually following one of your 'experiments' I don't believe you have any right to be critical of anyone else's sense." Nel injected.
I gave the witch a flat stare. "I'll concede that when the wizarding world stops producing people that think making cauldrons out of cheese is a good idea." I drawled, causing Mary to laugh.
"That's hardly proof." Nel retorted.
"Ballet trolls."
Nel grunted and crossed her arms under her chest, causing some very interesting things to happen. I shook my head. I really needed to do something about this dry spell I'd been having, it was making me unfocused. I gave Mary a considering look. I'd probably be able to get her into bed without to much fuss. I immediately gave my libido a mental slap. I hadn't sunk so low yet that I'd pray on a woman gratitude to get my torpedo wet. Particularly not one I knew. I was old enough now to get into bars, I could just do the time-honored thing and bang some inebriated chick in the men's room like a normal guy.
"You have trolls that dance the ballet?" Mary asked between giggles.
"No. But a wizard, named Barnabas, gave it his best try. He actually managed to get them into tutus and lined up. But they were a bit uncoordinated and ended up clubbing him a few times when they tried to dance. He earned the epitaph 'the Barmy' for that little stunt." I told her happily, to Mary's glee and Nel's disgust.
"You have to tell me more." Mary implored and grabbed my arm and started to drag me further into the big store. She turned to give Nel a big smile. "Please join us as well, Penelope. I'd so like to hear more about your world."
Nel considered for a moment before inclining her head. "I will find you after I've made my purchases."
"You better, we still need to have a chat about that flight suit," I told her as Mary dragged me away.
"Indeed," Nel said unconcernedly before turning and wandering away from us. The cheeky little bitch. I'd spank her later. Figuratively.
I didn't have much time to dwell on my thoughts of revenge against my irreverent companion as Mary enthusiastically dragged me into some café I couldn't even bother remembering the name of. She dragged me towards a booth in the back where we would have some semblance of privacy. A waitress immediately appeared at our table, almost as if by magic, and Mary ordered a coffee and a cinnamon roll. As I don't drink coffee and consider it little more than dirty water I settled on a cup of hot chocolate and some strawberry shortcake.
Once our order came and the waitress had left I erected a simple privacy charm and then the interrogation began. A virtual deluge of questions just pored out of her. Where was the school? Did we have our own government? What did we do for fun? Why did we wear pointy hats? What kind of magical creatures were there? Did no normal people know about magic besides her? And on and on it went. I tried to answer as best I could. But some of her questions about magic was hard to answer in a way that she would understand. Hell, it was hard for me to understand so what chance did she have?
At some point, Nel did join us taking some of the heat of her as Nel turned her attention to her fellow female and started to ask about magical cosmetics and other female things. I tuned most of it out, mostly due to disinterest, but some of the stuff Nel told her was kinda interesting. I'd have to do some research into some of those cosmetic charms she had mentioned, and there were some fascinating possibilities with some of the beautifying potions out there that I'd have to see if I could make something out off.
Me and Nel ended up spending several hours there, and towards the end, I felt myself flagging while Mary seemed more buzzed then ever, likely helped along by the endless stream of coffee, Nel to seemed unbothered and not in the least tired. Likely because she was entertaining herself with taking potshots at me by relating some of the bigger mishaps I'd experienced playing around with magic. Mary loved that, of course, you can always count on girls taking joy out of your misfortunes. But everything has an end, and in this case, the café was closing because it was indeed that late.
"I can't believe it's this late, it feels like we just sat down," Mary said.
"Time flies when you are having fun?" I suggested.
Mary laughed delightedly. "It does, right? We have to do this again."
I gave her an apologetic smile. "I don't know how much time I will have, school is starting again in just a few weeks."
Mary gave me a disappointed look and huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at me. "Fine, but you are coming to my birthday party. I won't take no for an answer."
"Er..." I said.
"It would hardly be the first time you've snuck out of school," Nel commented and I had to resist the urge to give the girl a glare. Instead, I huffed and gave Mary a small smile.
"Alright, when is it, and more to the point, where?" I said, giving in. I could manage a birthday party. Probably.
"It's on October the 15th, here I'll give you my address." She said before fishing a small notebook with a pen attached out of her purse, flipping it open and starting to write rapidly.
"October 15? That's two months away." I said.
"And I probably won't see you until then, so this is my only chance to invite you." She turned to Nel with a smile. "You are welcome to, of course."
Nel inclined her head. "I'll consider it."
"Great!" Mary beamed before handing me a folded up note. "Here is my address."
I accepted it and opened it and taking a quick look before refolding it and stuffing it down a pocket. "Have you even begun planning this thing. How do I know when to arrive?" I asked.
Mary waved my concern away. "Just show up around two or so, I'll tell Patric to expect you."
"Patric?"
"He's my aunts Butler," Mary responded like it was no big deal.
"Your aunt has a Butler?" I asked stupidly and had to give myself a mental slap. I had a butler, what was I getting so impressed about.
"There are advantages to being rich," Mary informed me with a smile. "Well, I have to go, you take care, and don't forget." She told me, stabbing a finger into my chest before enveloping me in a big hug and then doing the same to Nel, who accepted it graciously. "You take care too, Penelope. I'll be sing you both! Bye! Take care!"
"You as well." Nel returned when the older girl let her go.
And then she was gone. I watched her walk away for a moment before turning my attention to Nel. "Thanks for throwing me under the bus there, very kind of you."
"You are welcome." Nel retorted shamelessly.
I chuckled. What a character she was. I'd still get my revenge though.
It would be nice to get back to school, where all I had to deal with was scheming teenagers. And I could handle them, no problem.