18th February, 1889 — Jude & Kingsley's flat, London

February's full moon had come and gone. Which meant Kieran had come and gone for three nights last week, as he always did. Kingsley had had some night shifts, which always made things a fraction simpler from a practical perspective. But Jude was also perpetually aware that Kingsley knew full well that Kieran stayed over, and as far as Jude knew neither of them had ever given his flatmate a satisfactory explanation for this arrangement. Kingsley was Kingsley though: clever enough to come up with plenty of theories for it if he wanted to, loyal enough to keep the secret if he knew it - and charitable enough, too, to never have confronted Jude about it directly.

It was why he had always been relieved to count Kingsley amongst his friends. Perhaps it was something about his healer's temperament, an extension of his bedside manner; maybe it was the absent-minded eccentric in him; but King's presence had always been something safe. Comfortable enough to confide anything in him, and comfortable enough that one didn't, Jude thought, always feel obliged to talk to be understood.

That said, he had been labouring under the impression King had a shift this morning and would be securely out of the house, which was why Jude had gotten up early and padded up to the attic, through the trapdoor, to fix things up a little in there. The attic needed a lot of work; three nights alone of a werewolf up there took its toll, and could... look bad, if left alone. He did what he could to disguise the damage. Sand or polish out the scratches on the floorboards, see to a beam or two that needed mending, maybe put some new soundproofing measures, test out a new protective charm or two: he was getting better at all this, as time went on.  

He was fairly absorbed in this endeavour when he heard movements downstairs and jolted out of it. Jude bolted the trapdoor and dashed down the attic stairs in a flash, wand out in one hand and pulling up the little door to the stairs behind him with his other... and found his flatmate in front of him in the hallway, definitely at home.

"Kingsley!" Jude exclaimed, startled into stillness but thinking fast. It would probably be best, he supposed, to pre-empt any awkward questions about what he was doing. "I was just doing some... spring cleaning."

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He was late. King was halfway through putting his trousers on when the idea had hit him full on in the face. It caused him to launch himself out of bed, nearly hitting his head on the wardrobe as he did so, and scrambling for his healer's robes. It was only when he had his robes half on (and inside out) that his attention was drawn to the window via a doleful hooting. His owl was perched on one of his many plants, though she was practically hidden by a large leaf which caused King to briefly think his plant was coming to life.

Once the owl had hopped into view, King removed the scroll from the owl's leg and unfurled the small bit of parchment. It was his co-worker, writing to confirm that as they'd discussed last night, she'd be taking his shift as she'd needed the hours and extra pay. King, who had completely forgotten this interaction, breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little further into the bed's mattress. The owl, Ursa, hopped and fluttered her way onto his shoulder and sat there contentedly, enjoying the view from above.

Well, he might as well go and have a spot of bread before he began his day off. He chatted to Ursa here and there as he prepped a bowl of porridge for himself. He was making his way to the living room, lost in thought when there was a sudden clattering and he found himself face to face with his flat mate, Jude. The man looked fairly flustered, King thought, though he could scarcely say why. He was about to shrug off and proceed with his normal morning greetings when Jude offered an explanation for his sudden appearance.

King blinked.

"Spring cleaning?" he repeated, doing some quick mental maths. "Isn't that not for another few weeks?" He commented, Ursa swaying on his shoulder. The owl had given a defiant hoot at Jude's hastened clattering, but upon seeing who it was, made to flutter over to Jude and give him an affectionate nip on the ear.

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Kingsley looked like he might well still be half-asleep, which would have been a relief if Jude hadn't gone ahead and said the first thing that had come to mind, because now King - what a Ravenclaw - was getting nitpicky about seasons, and seemed more suspicious than he probably would have been if Jude had said precisely nothing.

He really ought to calm down about these things, he told himself, but that wasn't true either, when some secrets were imperative to keep. It didn't help that for a split-second, in spite of himself, Jude tensed as Kingsley silently contemplated the date, too used to the process of full moon calculations to imagine anything else. Oddly enough, it was Kingsley's owl nipping at his ear (Kingsley's owl was a nuisance, albeit a... sweet one) that settled his nerves, his shoulders relaxing at the distraction.

"Pre-spring cleaning," Jude amended delicately, supposing he would just have to stick out the story, now that he was here. It wasn't, admittedly, entirely out-of-character to add: "I thought I'd get a headstart." The flat wasn't a mess by any rate, and between the two of them, they kept it fairly clean, but, between the two of them, they also had a weird mass of things. (Jude blamed that mostly on King.)

"Are you off?" Jude asked briskly now, slipping into his bossy friend mode as he raised an eyebrow at King. "Your robes are inside out," he put in more gently, suppressing a laugh at the sight of his inside-out healer's robes, which was sending rather mixed signals about Kingsley's plans for the day. "But if you are, you can help me."

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Well, it wasn't unlike Jude to want to get a head start on everything in his sight. King normally just shrugged it off, which he did now and proceeded to dig into his breakfast for the morning. "Okay," he said placidly, spooning a bit of porridge into his mouth. Jude pointed out his robes situation exactly as the spoon reached his mouth. He blinked again and looked down at his person, raising his eyebrows just ever so slightly in surprise. "Hmm!" he exclaimed. He'd forgotten he'd put his work robes on at all.

There was no point in fixing it, he'd just change out of them in a minute. At least if he spilled the porridge he wouldn't get it on the front of his robes. He leaned casually against the wall. "Just got the word my co-worker was free to take my shift." he said through a mouthful. "She needed the hours....what do you need help with?"

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Jude watched Kingsley catch up on the robe situation, still trying not to laugh. “Oh,” he said, when King explained the work situation, less confident about returning to the lie he’d sketched out about cleaning. King was free to help him, then... But obviously not with the attic, because that would involve explaining why the attic was in such a suspect state. Where, then? Jude glanced about, trying to decide in haste. The kitchen, since they were here? There would be nothing suspicious in the kitchen, except - well, Kingsley’s first aid supplies in one of the cupboards did tend to diminish faster than they ought every month. Jude relied on replenishing them himself, or letting King replace them every once in a while: if King had suspicions about where all that dittany went, it was best, Jude thought, not to give him more opportunity than necessary to contemplate it.

So - where? This was hardly what Jude had planned for the day, but - “I’ve finished the attic,” Jude lied, as matter-of-factly as he could manage, “- so I suppose we should do your room next, if you’re here.” King’s room was worse than his, Jude was certain of it: King had weirder stuff in there. (Probably safer, in fact, to have the two of them tidying than one of them alone, just in case of... mishaps. In case there was anything poisonous or explosive lying about.) Jude tilted his head first at his flatmate, then his flatmate’s owl, as if Ursa would back him up on this. “It could use a sort-out, don’t you think?”

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Normally King would question why in the world the attic of all places needed tidying up, but Jude's luck was struck again, and he didn't get the chance to pose his thoughts due to the spoonful of porridge in his mouth. Tall and lanky as he was, King could put away a feast fit for a dozen if he was hungry enough. Though their funds weren't by any means tight, he tried his best to watch his intake so as to not exhaust their food supply prematurely. Still, the pile of raisins and cinnamon on his porridge was enough to form a home for a colony of ants.

The suggestion of doing his room next saw a smattering of these condiments fly across the room as King choked on yet another spoonful. His eyes bugged wide, half because of the prospect of cleaning his room and half because of his choking. "B-but my plants!" he yelped through heaving coughs. Ursa had taken to the air and decided to perch on her master's head whilst his shoulders worked to heave while he coughed.

The last time Jude had taken to a cleaning frenzy, Ursa had almost gotten tossed out the window with a neglected premature Wiggentree. As the hacking subsided, Kinglsey leaned against the wall again to catch his breath. Miraculously through his coughing session, he'd held onto his bowl of porridge which – now that it was steady – Ursa had obliged to help herself to. Eyes watering from catching his breath, King looked at Jude again, a serious expression on his face. "Why can't we do your room first?" he shot back, almost as if he half blamed Jude for his near death-by-porridge.

It was because Jude was his best friend that he felt more comfortable being a tad more confrontational and combative than he did at work however his words sounded rather like his younger brother whinging about cleaning his room than an actual accusatory statement.

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Jude was sure if Kingsley had been in real danger - hadn’t been a competent healer himself, and hadn't been a competent... human being - he would have reacted more efficiently to his flatmate’s choking fit. As it was, Jude froze with a hand half-outstretched in alarm, and a look on his face that was torn between shock and amusement, veering rather towards the latter as the seconds passed.

King’s owl was rather the cherry on top, really made a perfect picture of him too. In a show of some sympathy, Jude covered his mouth with his forearm in order to disguise his crumbling into laughter as a clearing-his-throat cough in return, a reaction not helped by the solemn look on Kingsley’s face.

(No one else would ever think the man could be so childish. Everyone gave Kingsley far too much credit; Jude, at least, knew the truth.) 

“Might as well tackle the mountain head-on, don’t you think?” He said with a quirk of his eyebrow, chivvying his friend on, no qualms about being bossy. “Besides, you can’t let me do yours without you. Then I might really accidentally kill your plants.” There was a glint in his eye that said this was as much a threat as anything - though, truth be told, Jude’s Herbology was a little rusty. And, therefore, it'd probably be King's plants that were more likely to kill him.

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King fixed his best friend with a glare. While his hacking fit might have served as mild entertainment for Jude, the prospect of Jude killing his plants cut right through whatever laugh might have been bubbling to the surface. He narrowed his eyes, which might have been marginally threatening had Ursa not risen from the edge cereal bowl with its contents stuck to her feathers.

"Please," he said, scoffing. "They'd be more likely to kill you first before. We were in school together, Jude, I know what score you got on your Herbology OWLs." King rose an eyebrow, though the corner of his mouth lifted with it. He shuffled into the kitchen and put his dishes in the sink as he chuckled. The idea of Jude attempting to kill his plants was laughable - though that wasn't entirely his concern.

"Though I think I'd like to see that at one point - perhaps you'd understand why I get caught in them so often." He said, re-entering with Ursa in his hand as he plucked bits of cereal from her feathers. Giving her a bath later would be the death of him. The animal might be small but he wasn't entirely sure she hadn't killed something with that sharp beak of hers. King looked up and sighed resignedly. "Best get it over with, then, yes?" This was going to hurt.

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“That’s what I like to hear,” Jude said gaily, once presented with the dulcet tone of Kingsley’s resignation. Spring-cleaning King’s room hadn’t exactly been next on his list for the way (was not quite so urgent as a conspicuously werewolf-damaged attic) but Jude was sure this activity would keep his his flatmate entirely absorbed.

It was honestly rather funny, how easily King might veer off track, even in his own room, even with his own plants.

“And excuse me, I definitely passed Herbology,” Jude protested as he led the way off to King’s room, whatever he said about accidentally killing plants. He paused in the doorway, characteristically tentative to turn the doorknob, just in case anything dangerous or toxic or merely dropped, forgotten was laying about to ambush the unsuspecting guest. (He spoke from experience, here.) Jude had been a decent pupil at Hogwarts in most regards, although he could not pretend Herbology had ever been his top priority. “And -” he added hastily, teasingly, predicting what his dear old friend would say, “- I’m sure I would have still scraped an Acceptable without your help on the homework.”

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Kingsley shot his flatmate a disgruntled look as he gave into the sudden plans thrust upon him so early in the morning (it was easily half ten at the moment; hardly early considering). He eyed Jude's hand on the doorknob and a though came to him suddenly.

With a sudden burst of energy, he stood straighter and powered ahead of Jude, throwing open his door with renewed gusto. "Alright!" he said brightly, taking his wand out as if it were a sword and he was about to tackle an army. "So there are two types of plants you need to look out for. They don't like people with blonde hair I've conveniently discovered."

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