Closed Ocean's 1

Andi grinned as the nice guy called her Sarah. Perfect. Taking another sip of her coke, she noticed the grumpy man smile at her comment about his brother, but she was instantly distracted by what seemed to be a...floating tree? Andi paused, the coke still in her mouth, as she watched the other man walk past. With the tree. It was over in almost an instant, and the grumpy man started talking again. She barely registered he was talking to her, but she remembered he thought her name was Sarah. "Um. Yeah - yes, Napier. Hey did you just - that guy? With the tree?" Andi asked.
 
"Sorry?" Keevan said, starting to sweat. "The groundskeeper? Yes, I saw him. You should be more careful, by the way. You're lucky my brother is so nice - not everybody would've been so easy on you. Yes, I know what you were up to, even if he didn't. And I'd strongly advise you not to take any souvenirs from this house, for your own sake. They bite."
 
Andi was so sure of what she had seen. The man had strolled across their path with a floating tree. The tree wasn't attached to anything, it was just flying, all by itself. Surely the sugar of the coke was getting to her, because there must have been something she missed. She just saw it wrong. The grumpy man said he saw the guy with the tree, but then he continued on a speal about how she should be careful. "I wasn't up to anything." Andi sassed back. "And not everyone would have a crazy, screaming wail siren alarm thing." Andi said, remembering how awful the sound actually was. "So usually it's fine. And the only thing I have is this coke which the nice brother gave me." Clearly she was seeing things, so she didn't push the tree conversation because she didn't want the grumpy man to tell the matron anything else; but it hadn't gone far from her mind.
 
"The alarm is there to keep out thieves like you," Keevan shot back irritably. This child took him for an idiot. He was going to have to increase the security on the grounds; next time, she wouldn't even make it to the front door. As they walked he bit his tongue to hold back a lecture about walking into people's houses uninvited. She wasn't his daughter. He didn't have to waste any more time on her, and with any luck, once she got into the taxi, he would never see her again. "You'd have stolen from me if you had the chance," he said. "I don't want to see you anywhere near this property again, do you understand?"
 
Andi opened and closed her mouth straight away again, not actually really having a comeback, but feeling offended by the word thief. "'M more of a borrower..." Andi muttered, taking a sip of coke. But he was right. She definitely would've taken something. Something small and unmissable, just to tell the story. Andi glared at the man. "I don't think you need the alarm. You're a deterrent enough."
But still she thought of the tree.
 
At least Sarah was willing to admit she was a thief - albeit using her own, looser term. Keevan respected her for that. The only thing worse than a thief was a liar.

He laughed at her next comment. If only he were a deterrent. If only he could be certain of keeping his family safe... But he couldn't. He could only swathe the mansion in charms and hope for the best. For all he criticised muggle technology, magic often felt awfully inadequate too. At least Sarah had seemingly forgotten about the tree. "Will you be all right in the taxi on your own?" he asked as they passed through the front gates. He had no desire to travel with her, and he was sure the feeling was mutual, but he was thinking of Synnove. He prayed to Merlin that, if she should ever find herself in trouble, someone would be looking out for her.
 
Andi's mood brightened somewhat when the man laughed at her comment, feeling pretty pleased with herself. Andi definitely hadn't expected him to laugh, just more growling, but the laugh was so much better. Andi looked at him when he asked if she was going to be alright. "What's this? The grumpy one is being nice?! Someone call the media! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Andi teased, before taking another drink with a smirk.
 
Keevan started to frown, but then relaxed. He couldn't take real offence to something he completely agreed with. He did have a temper. And it worked out well for him, because he much preferred to have a reputation for being grumpy than being nice. Kindness didn't suit him like it did Lucan - nor did it get business done on time. "I'm not being nice," he said, only half-seriously. "I'm being concerned. Though I'm sure I needn't bother. If you and I were ever in a fight, my money would be on you."
 
Andi nodded her head, but in total disagreement when the man said he wasn't being nice. Being concerned and being nice was the same thing in Andi's opinion. She laughed at his next comment. "Damn straight. I'd kick everyone's butt." She said, putting her hands up a what she assumed was a karate pose, a leg up too, just for good measure. But it was when she was holding up her hands, she realized she had finished her coke - and so quickly! She dropped her arms and leg, and turned to the man. "Oh, um...I've finished." Andi said, holding the empty bottle out to him.
 
Keevan smirked. She hadn't got a clue. She'd learn, soon enough, about the world of magic and its potential power, but he was relieved to have escaped the responsibility of teaching her, not only because he had a pressing work matter to attend to, but because he was bound to give a biased explanation. There was good magic in the world, certainly, but Keevan hadn't encountered very much of it. Even that which he created always seemed temporary, while the darker kind lingered in his bones, finding new ways to hurt him when he least expected it. Please, Merlin - let this kid see the best of it. Let it be wonderful, beautiful, joyful...

"Find a bin, then!" he said tersely. The audacity of this one was unbelievable. Nobody spoke to him like that. Nobody. He could not have been more delighted to see the taxi pull up a little while later. Before he closed the door on her, he said, "Remember what I told you. I don't want to see you on this property again. I'm serious. Now get out of here."
 
Andi scowled at the man telling her to find a bin. Where did he expect her to find one, way out in the wop wops?! Unless he wanted her to go and put it back in their kitchen bin. She figured she'd better not risk that, and besides, maybe this would be the cool souviner that she would show off to the kids at home, if she was going to be able to smuggle it in without the matron seeing. Andi couldn't wait to tell them the story about the floating tree.
Andi got into the taxi, rolling her eyes at the man's statement, letting it go in one ear and out the other. "You heard the man, taxi guy! Let's get outta here!" As they pulled off, Andi suddenly remembered something. "Wait have you paid him?" Andi asked, quickly winding down the window as they drove away. "HAVE YOU PAID HIM!?" She screamed back to the man, before sitting in her seat in defeat. "If he didn't pay you, just go back after you drop me off. Charge him double - or triple even, I'm sure he can afford that." Andi said with a small grin.

END​
 
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