the laws of the world tell us what goes sky

[cleverness]

For the past several weeks, calling Hermione a touch distracted at work would have been a generous description. While she still makes her way regularly to The Lamplight and keeps the same hours that she roughly has since its opening, much more of her time is spent behind the counter, sketching out potential courses and financial plans for opening up a school in Darrow. It's the type of work that keeps her energized in spite of the slight fatigue and nausea she's suffered from as of late, and it's a cause that she feels incredibly motivated by. If being in Darrow has taught her anything, it's the fact that learning is not something that ever ceases, no matter how much a person experiences.

She wouldn't have the world any other way.

Tapping a pen against her lower lip, Hermione jots down another couple names of people she's considering reaching out to for the school when the poltergeist suddenly lets out an excited chirp as a new customer enters the store.

Folding away her notebook, Hermione stands straight and smiles.

"Welcome to The Lamplight," she says, rounding the counter. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Comments

[notaretriever]

Luke has been meaning to come for weeks now, ever since Ron told him about his wife's store, but he's been caught up in his own attempts to find a place to live, open his business and keep himself and others safe during the full moon. The place he's found seems to be exactly what he needs and now, with one less thing on his plate, he's made the trip to The Lamplight and he's sure the young woman behind the counter is exactly who it is he's looking for.

"Actually," he starts, giving her a faint smile, "I'm a friend of Ron's." He thinks he can call them friends now, given that he'd helped the younger man with his vows, and while Luke has never been particularly social, he's pleased to have people in Darrow he can consider friends.

"I'm Luke," he says, offering her his hand. "I'm going to assume you're Hermione."

[cleverness]

Hermione finds herself pleasantly surprised to learn that Ron has not only been making friends, but has managed to make some acquaintances who are themselves of a magical background. It's impossible to keep her smile from widening as she makes her way over to Luke, holding out a hand in turn to shake.

"You're a friend of Ron's, that's wonderful," she says, cheeks rosy. "And yes, I would be Hermione. Ron's wife." Her shoulders raise slightly; even days later, Hermione can't help the small thrill whenever she gets to introduce herself as being married to Ron.

In a way, she hopes that thrill never ends.

"I'm so happy to be meeting a friend of Ron's. Can I get you anything? Tea, perhaps? I have biscuits too, a number of different flavors," Hermione says, reaching for her wand to help summon the tea set.

[notaretriever]

"Please," Luke answers. "That would be lovely." It's more that he wants to see her kind of magic than anything else, though. There had been runes for nearly everything in his world and Luke has clear memories of Valentine sitting on him when they had been fifteen, sitting on him and holding him down and drawing the rune on him for levitation that Luke had been unable to control. Luke is a big man, but even then Valentine had been bigger, and he tries not to grimace at the memory of his former parabatai exerting dominance over him even then.

But this is something else entirely. She has a wand to assist in her magic and Luke watches with interest. "Is there any magic that can be done without your wand?" he asks, realizing only after he's asked that the question might be considered rude. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

[cleverness]

With her brow briefly furrowed in concentration, a wave of the wand helps Hermione Conjure the tea set, which appears in front of them as though out of thin air. She tends to keep more cumbersome items in the back storage room, remembering the exact location of each to help her Conjure them at a moment's notice. But the tea is easier kept in the front area, if only because there are so many variations that it's hard to remember exactly what lives where.

"Do you have a preference between white, black, green, or herbal? I have a pretty wide array of teas," Hermione says, opening the cupboard with another wave of her wand, "so if you name your favorite, I probably have something similar. And please, don't hesitate to ask questions about my magic. I'm always very happy to share. There is certainly magic that can be done without the use of a wand, both nonverbal and with the use of potions, but among witches and wizards of my sort, the wand is used more often than not. Mostly because the wand helps us to hone our magic and be more precise about its application. Any one of us would be able to perform some magic without, but the wand is a tool — think of it as being like a pen, or any other tool a non-magical person would also use."

[notaretriever]

"Black or green is fine by me," Luke says, watching with a hint of fascination as she goes about bringing out the tea set and opening the cupboard. Given how open she's being with her magic, he thinks it's only fair if he returns that sort of honesty, though he's not sure yet if that will extend to the fact that he's a werewolf. He hasn't told Ron yet and he thinks it might be more fair to tell Ron before he tells Hermione, given that they've only just met.

"We have a... a kind of magic where I'm from," he tells her. "We use something called a stele to draw runes upon weapons, clothing... skin." Luke can't be Marked anymore, as a Downworlder, the runes will likely kill him, but he stretches out one arm and pushes up his sleeve, revealing the silvery scars left behind by the runes that had been drawn upon his skin by Valentine before he was turned. The most prominent scar is on his right forearm, the parabatai rune, the lines still fairly sharp, glinting in the light. "It's a very different kind of magic. I'm very interested in other worlds and how these sorts of things work."

[cleverness]

"Runes are a form of magic that used to be quite popular among witches and wizards in my world, so I'm actually familiar with them to an extent. Although I imagine that the runes of your world are probably significantly different than mine. I'd be curious to see if any of the runes we use have similar meanings," Hermione smiles, brightening up at the thought as she starts to steep some green tea. Once the tea is steeping properly, Hermione summons a couple of books from a nearby bookshelf, laying them flat on the counter as she rifles through the pages.

"The runes we used were most often drawn on some part of the environment, although protective runes were often drawn on weapons and clothing as well. I think runes written directly on the skin were... less innocuous, and less common. Runes were really mostly a way to concentrate our energy in the same way that wands were meant to, although they were a little less precise, and not as fast to administer."

Hermione leans forward when Luke reveals the mark on his own skin, eyes narrowing. "I'm not familiar with this particular rune. Do you mind if I ask after its intended effect?"

[notaretriever]

Luke likes her. Though he's never been one to outwardly show his thoughts on people, always very good at hiding his feelings, he's also always been prone to snap decisions, and it's rare he's wrong about a person. He likes Hermione. She's matter-of-fact and to the point and he already appreciates the open and clearly well-informed manner in which she speaks about magic in her world. It's rare, even in Darrow, for Luke to be able to be so open about what he used to be and he knows such a conversation might lead to him admitting what he is now, but he senses it may not be something she'll be all that bothered by.

"It's a parabatai mark," he tells her. "A long time ago I belonged to a race of demon hunters. Nephilim, said to have descended from the angel Raziel. He was the one to give us the power of the runes and we used them to keep the world safe from things that tried to breach it. Sometimes, in very rare cases, two Shadowhunters fight so well together and so closely that they become more than friends, more than family. They become parabatai and are marked as such. The bond can only be broken by death or exile." His gaze shifts when he finishes, because his bond has been broken for a great many years, the rune long since faded into scar. Valentine is a cruel, insane man, but that doesn't mean Luke doesn't still miss him now and then. They had been bound, closer than family. Valentine had been part of his soul.

[cleverness]

Hermione listens attentively as Luke explains the rune to her. Marking for such a reason isn't something that Hermione has had much personal experience with, but she can understand the want of making one's identity of allegiance known. Seeing the pain etched in Luke's face as he finishes his story, Hermione busies herself with the teapot instead, pouring out two perfectly even cups of tea.

It's a nice distraction for a second or two.

"Nephilim are creatures of lore, where I'm from. Mostly mentioned in various religious texts, with no clear real world influence for the tales. Interestingly, I would say that I've seen far greater variance of beliefs about creation among the practitioners of magic in my world than those who aren't exposed to it," considers Hermione, her before furrowing. Monotheism has been one of the more prevalent muggle beliefs as of late, but such a belief is rarer among magical communities, especially when looking beyond humans. "Does this mark itself give you any abilities? I should try to see if I can find any texts on the parabatai in the city. I was able to find texts on my own world when I looked carefully through the bookshelves. Oh, and how do you take your tea? I have sugar, milk, cream, honey..."

[notaretriever]

"The mark made it so we could draw upon one another's strength in battle and it gave us the ability to sense each other at all times. Had Va... had my parabatai died, I would have felt it the moment it happened. It makes the runes we draw on each other stronger as well. It's not a common mark, most Shadowhunters never have a parabatai, but those who do... well, it's very special." And it's why he still sometimes aches for the loss of Valentine. They had moved and fought as one unstoppable force before Valentine had turned on the Clave and Jocelyn and every single person he had ever loved.

Luke knows he doesn't see it that way, which makes the pain harder to bear. Valentine was only ever trying to protect them all in his own weird, twisted way.

"The tea is fine as is," he says a moment later, offering a smile. "Thank you." At the mention of books, his smile grows and he shakes his head. "I think we might be hard pressed to find a copy of the Gray Book in Darrow, but I suppose it's not impossible. I'm actually working toward opening my bookstore here. I owned one in Manhattan."

[cleverness]

Hermione listens attentively, and catches the moment when Luke nearly mentions the name of his parabatai. The fact that he moves on so quickly can only mean a couple of things. Maybe he is still reeling from the loss of proximity, from the fact that it's unlikely that his mark will give him that sense, not only because Darrow brings people together across worlds, but also because Darrow doesn't operate on the same time as anywhere else. Or, maybe his relationship is one that's been strained, that he no longer wants to acknowledge in its specifics.

Considering her options, Hermione settles in for her own cup of tea, adding no sugar, but a small amount of milk.

"We've had similar marks in my world. Marks that make it possible to forge a connection with other individuals, a connection that is deeply felt. Marks that make it possible to strengthen one's bond with another. But they're not used commonly — less because there's anything inherently bad with the magic, but more because there have been many cases of such marks being taken advantage of by those who would do harm. In this way, the magic becomes branded as an example of the Dark Arts. There are plenty of other spells, potions, and markings that have been branded as such in spite of being possible to use for good," Hermione muses. "Such as a potion that would allow you to take on the physical appearance of another person. I've used it before in moments of desperation, but it was definitely a potion forbidden for me to brew at the time. A bookstore sounds wonderful, though. Would you be focused on books about the magical arts, or would it be a store fulled of all types of different tomes and texts? I used to spend so much time in the school library that I think you can fully expect for me to be a regular customer."

[notaretriever]

"A potion that allows you to take on the appearance of another?" Luke asks, fascinated by the very idea. "Shadowhunters could use runes that rendered us all but invisible to mundanes... to... you know, I always hated that term. Mundanes. That's what they called the regular folks who didn't know about the demon world, who didn't know about Shadowhunters. The implication is a bit insulting, isn't it? As I understand the history of it, it's meant to imply simple the terrestrial world, the material... the thing we're trying to protect, but most Shadowhunters used it as an insult. Mundane. Clueless, boring, sheep."

Luke wonders what his life would have been like had he not been bitten. Had he remained a Shadowhunter. Would he have still seen the Clave for what it was? Would he have taken issue with their decisions and their policies? Would he have truly followed Valentine had his methods not been so insane?

He shakes his head a moment later and offers a smile. "It would be wonderful to have at least one regular customer," he says. "I'm planning on carrying most anything, but in Manhattan I specialized in hard to find magical texts, so I'm hoping I might be able to do something similar here. To be honest, I'm just looking forward to being surrounded by books again."

[cleverness]

"We wizards have a similar type of magic, we call them Muggle-Repelling Charms. Which isn't a term that I've ever favored, either," Hermione agrees, wrinkling her nose briefly. "Mundane, Muggle... I think what bothers me about those terms is that they form a definition around something lacking. A lack of magic, or a lack of exposure to the demon world. And, don't get me wrong, I am grateful to have magic and it's broadened my world, personally, but I also know that all of life is an opportunity cost. If someone isn't exposed to magic, it isn't as though their time becomes completely empty. There's science to explore. Art. Literature. Comparing the magical community I knew with the Muggle community that my parents raised me in, the latter was certainly more advanced in technology that didn't rely on some innate ability."

She sighs, shaking her head sheepishly. "But I could wax poetic about this fact for hours. My first professional job was lobbying for the rights of various species, both magical and not. One of the best ways to stay informed was always to read. To read the texts written by various communities, and digest what's happened over the course of history. I think it would be wonderful to have a bookshop in town that specializes in magical texts, and I would love to promote your shop to my customers. I'm sure many of them would have a similar use for such a place."

[notaretriever]

Luke likes her. The more he speaks to her, the more he likes her and he can certainly see why Ron is clearly so taken with her. She has a fire in her that Luke is used to seeing in Shadowhunter women, the kind that drives them to compete with the men around them, to be better and stronger and faster. He'd never had any problem acknowledging that Jocelyn was a far superior fighter, displaying speed and accuracy Luke knows he never could have achieved. In his world, he can imagine Hermione in that role very well, fighting not only to keep the world safe, but for the protection of Downworlders, refusing to treat them like vermin, like they were somehow less.

"Downworlders... we didn't have anyone like that," he says, referring to himself as a Downworlder, as part of a we without even realizing. "Werewolves, fairies, warlocks and vampires. We had an alliance with the Shadowhunters, but it was often called into question and we could only represent ourselves, which never went over very well with the Shadowhunters." But then he smiles again, pleased by her suggestion.

"It would be wonderful to do that," he says. "And I would be sure to do the same for you."

[cleverness]

"For the longest time, we didn't have anyone in our world committed to that effort, either. I don't want to make it sound like I was the very first to come up with the idea, or that I was pioneering on my own — far from it. But when my generation and the generation preceding were growing up, the much more immediate problem was a sort of civil war within our own people," Hermione admits, her lips thinning slightly at the memory. It doesn't hurt as sharply as it used to — and in fact, even during the war, Hermione knows that the fear wasn't enough to paralyze any of the people closest to her — but there's a certain level of weight that resurfaces. A soft reminder on her chest that security and peace is never something to be taken for granted. "A clash, mostly between people who believed in a strict hierarchy of power in our community, one which followed bloodlines and purity of background, and a portion of the population who preferred openness and a great emphasis on equality. Without the latter group winning that war, the road to considering the rights of other species wouldn't be paved half as well."

She smiles, exhaling slightly. "But I hope I'm not boring you with the history lesson. It's just an ongoing movement that I personally can't stop thinking about or believing in, even when transported to an entirely new city. I do think, indeed, that fighting ignorance is the first step towards understanding. And it's remarkable how much can be found in a well curated bookshop." Her eyes brighten. "If I come across anything, I'll certainly pass it your way. And perhaps donate some of my own modest collection."

[notaretriever]

"No," Luke says, shaking his head, letting out a soft huff of laughter. "On the contrary, it's fascinating and... well, it sounds very familiar. The man I mentioned, my parabatai, he was... he was a very smart man. Brilliant. Too smart for his own good, in the end, I think. When we were quite young still, only nineteen, he decided he took issue with how the Clave ran the Shadowhunters and the alliance we had with the Downworlders. He started a small group he called his Circle and I'm ashamed to say that for a little while I fell prey to his doctrines as much as any of the others."

But Luke had been the first to break free. He may not have been punished by the Clave for his treason, but he'd been punished all the same.

"You see, Valentine wanted to completely rid the world of Downworlders because of their mix of demon blood," Luke says softly. "He couldn't stand the idea they be allowed to live simply because they had demon blood in them making them who they were. The Clave didn't share this point of view, of course, Downworlders were often allies, but Valentine wanted the world to be clean of any demon blood. When I realized the extent of what he wanted to do and confronted him about it, he set me up. I was bitten by a werewolf and when I turned at the next full moon, he told me to have honour and kill myself."

Luke smiles darkly. "Clearly I am a man without honour."

[cleverness]

"It does sound pretty familiar, doesn't it?" Hermione asks quietly after listening to Luke's tale. It sounds like a mixture of so many stories of the people she's loved over the years and some of the troubles they faced, but for all of them to come down on a single person's shoulders softens Hermione with a sense of sympathy. "It becomes so dangerous when we allow ourselves to fall into a strict doctrine, a sense of hierarchy, of believing that there are certain people who are more deserving than others, when what we really need is to learn how to empathize with one another and find common ground."

She reaches out to rest her hand gently on top of Luke's, giving it a slight squeeze before she returns to her own cup of tea, wrapping her palm close to the warmth.

"For what it's worth, I'm very glad that you shed your honor in this instance. And I think all of us will need to continue being vigilant. Not all of the natives in Darrow appreciate those of us from outside."

[notaretriever]

Besides the other wolves in Darrow, there aren't many people who know what Luke is and he feels a strange sense of relief at having it met with only acceptance. There's not even the slightest reservation in Hermione's tone and he smiles, knowing full well this means he'll have to tell Ron if Hermione doesn't already do it for him. The thought doesn't bother him all that much and he'll certainly understand if she does choose to tell him. He and Jocelyn hadn't even been close to being married and they had still told each other absolutely everything. In certain relationships it just comes as part of the package.

"I have noticed that," he says with a faint smile. "There are a lot of the Darrow natives who seem perfectly happy with us being here, but I've run into one or two... well, they don't seem quite as comfortable, anyway. The idea of magic must be terrifying to them."

[cleverness]

"It's unfamiliar, and it arguably gives the other person a distinct advantage in terms of power and ability. I wouldn't blame anyone for being uncomfortable with it, although I wish the response wouldn't be to meet any magic practitioners with anger and aggression," Hermione says with a slow nod. She understands that the world will never be completely composed of people as kind and accepting of differences as her own parents, but she still often wishes she could do more to sooth the frayed nerves of everyone involved.

"As those of us from outside spend longer in the city, though, I'm convinced that there will be more and more opportunities for us to learn from one another. Complete peace may be too high of a bar, but things aren't terrible here, and I do believe they can improve more still."

[notaretriever]

Luke is nodding his agreement, though he's not sure how someone might go about that. There are probably ways to communicate the desire to meet up and have gatherings with only the other people who have arrived from elsewhere, but he's not sure if there's an obvious way to do such a thing without drawing unwanted attention from others.

And it feels dishonest in a way, too. Luke is comfortable using misdirection where he needs to, but in general he prefers honesty.

"Do you have something in mind?" he asks curiously. It's possible she's only just talking about something she'd like to do in the future, but it's also entirely possible she has more than that on her mind.

[cleverness]

"You're perceptive," Hermione remarks with a smile, staring down into her cup and running her finger briefly along the edge of the saucer. There's no real reason not to let Luke in on her planning; the more people she can find in the city to help, the better. So she takes a small breath, reaching into her pocket for her wand, and Summons a few notebooks she's used for planning.

"I'm thinking about opening a school. I... hesitate to call it a magic school, because the term itself has various connotations in the different worlds that people come from, but the idea is to offer guidance and mentorship in subjects outside of the normal curriculum taught in public schools in Darrow. Age is no barrier, either. I just think that it would benefit us more than hurt us to spread some of this knowledge and share our skills; it would help us be more prepared for anything that the city might choose to throw our way. I haven't spoken to too many people about it yet, though. I'm still finding a proper location, and working on finding people willing to teach. People willing to learn, as well."

[notaretriever]

Luke nods as he listens and while it's perhaps not something he would have thought of on his own -- his ideas of a segregated school system like that remind him too much of the Institutes -- the way Hermione describes it sounds much more interesting. He would never consider himself an instructor by any means, not like Hodge, but he's spent a good portion of his life running a business and knows the intricacies of what happens behind the scenes.

"Well, I'm not a teacher," he says, "but if you were to need help on the organizational side of things, I would be happy to lend a hand. I also have a fair few contacts in this city already when it comes to magical weapons, things of that nature. I like to collect."

[cleverness]

"I'm fairly certain that I'm at the point where I could use any help that I can get," Hermione admits with a laugh, her expression hopeful as she meets Luke's gaze. Considering how briefly they've known one another, she can't help but feel a wash of gratitude over how much Luke is offering to her in this moment, with a level of sincerity that she can't even begin to doubt.

And that is, she thinks, the mark of a great friendship beginning.

"I would absolutely love to have you be a presence at the school, administrative or otherwise. I would be greatly in your debt, actually, and while I can't promise to pay you phenomenal wages, I can promise to help with your collection, at least. I have a knack for... running into things, shall we say."

[notaretriever]

Luke smiles at that and shakes his head. "I have the store, the money from the city, I'm not offering in hopes you'll be able to fund my extravagant lifestyle." He's teasing, of course, having long since settled into a routine that he can duplicate in Darrow with ease. He doesn't own anything of particular value with the exception of his weapons, he isn't interested in stylish clothing or furniture and in Manhattan, he'd had his truck for over ten years.

When he finally settles on something here, he imagines it will be much of the same. As long as it runs, Luke will be perfectly happy to drive it.

"I think I'll very much like working with you," he admits.

[cleverness]

"Still. I know how much of a sacrifice it can be to take up a career that isn't as lucrative," Hermione says, though her smile widens upon realizing that it isn't going to be a concern for Luke. It hasn't been a concern with most of her close friends, Hermione knows, and she's grateful for it — for people who pull their share where the work is needed, rather than where they can reap the most gains.

"I think I'll very much enjoy working with you as well, Luke. I'm so glad that you stopped by today."

[notaretriever]

"I am as well," he answers with a smile and he's not at all surprised he likes Hermione as much as he does, not with what he's heard of her from Ron. And certainly not with what he knows of Ron. He had been certain even before they'd met that he would like her, but he's pleased to know for certain now.

"Here," he says, digging a card out of his pocket. It's an old one for his store in Manhattan, but he writes his new Darrow number on the back and passes it over to her. "You can get in touch with me any time about this. I'd be happy to help in whatever way I can."