sayshazam | For Hermione

For Hermione

Billy had been struggling what to do with the magical crown and trident he had ever since he got them after helping defeat the giant sea witch. He'd just been keeping them under his bed, which probably wasn't the safest place for them to be. The only problem was that he wasn't sure he trust his own magic to keep them safe. Maybe some day he could do that but not today. Which meant talking to someone else about it and that wasn't really something he was comfortable doing.

But when he found the other staff, the one that had belonged to Jack, he knew he had to do something. Fortunately he knew someone that was something of an expert on magic. It would be even harder to deny to Hermoine that there was anything magical about him if he showed up at the shop with magical artifacts needing some sort of special container, but there wasn't anything to be done for it.

Billy stuffed the trident, crown, and staff into a golf bag- careful to not let them touch- before heading off to the magic shop. The entire way there he tried to come up with a convincing lie to tell Hermione before deciding that she was his friend and so he wasn't going to lie to her. He just wasn't going to tell her the truth.

When he got to the shop he took a deep breath, glanced around, and then ducked inside.

"Hermione, are you here?"

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Recently, watching over business at the Lamplight had become enough of a physical toll on Hermione's body that she had taken to sitting in a rocking chair by the side of the shop, keeping herself occupied by pushing back and forth as she ran up inventory and decided what supplies she needed to order and replenish. It gave the shop a distinctly domestic air, one which she sometimes felt at odds about, but for the most part business was still steady and plenty of customers came simply to check up on how their adored shopkeeper was doing.

While Hermione didn't always love Darrow for what it was, there was no doubt that she was grateful for the community she had found and become a part of.

Hearing the poltergeist give a shrill shout, Hermione looked up in time to see Billy entering the shop, smile widening as she carefully marked her place in her records and placed the volume on the counter.

"Present," she said with a small wave. "Come in, Billy. And do forgive me if it takes a moment to get to my feet. How may I help you?"

When Billy saw how far along Hermione was his first thought was "please oh please don't start having your baby right now". As happy as he had been to be there for Korra that was not something that he wanted to repeat. Besides, it didn't look like she was quite ready to pop just yet. Maybe it would be best to avoid her though, just in case. Being present for one birth was enough.

"I, um, I was wondering if I could commission something from you? I don't know how much it will cost, probably a lot, so I'll have to save up for it but I need to know so I can start saving right away," he said, nervously adjusting the golf bag on his shoulder as he spoke. "I need a box, like a chest, to keep something safe that only two or three people can get into. And- and to hide stuff from anyone looking for- um, magical items?"

Hermione's brow furrowed at the nervousness in Billy's tone, which seemed to spread to the rest of his body as he fidgeted nervously. While Hermione knew that Billy wasn't always the most comfortable around magic, he'd never shown this type of behavior, anxious and almost panicked in appearance. Quickly, Hermione stepped forward, her eyes quickly fixing on the golf bag that Billy carried with him.

"Well, if it's a shield charm you want, Billy, I'm not going to charge you for that," Hermione quickly reassured, shaking her head. "But... can I see the objects? Why do you have magical items in your possession; I thought that would have made you uncomfortable."

"I don't- I don't know if a shield charm will be enough," he said, although he wasn't really sure what a shield charm was. It didn't sound like a super secure magical chest like he was hoping she would be able to make for him. Maybe he would have to be more clear what it was that he was needing.

"I need something to keep these in and keep them safe," he said, pulling the top off of the golf bag. Carefully he pulled out the trident, which started glowing faintly when he touched it. Next he took out the crown and laid it next to the trident. "Those are- I mean I think those are Poseidon's trident and crown. Don't- please don't touch them."

Next he took out the staff and set it down, although he made to keep it well away from the trident. He didn't think it would be a good idea to touch them together.

"That's Jack Frost's staff. I need something to keep them in that other people can't open."

"A shield charm would be able to keep people out of the vicinity of these items," Hermione said, frowning as she stepped close and listened to Billy detail the background of each one of the items. She knew of Jack Frost, and recognized that particular staff easily, but the mention of Poseidon took Hermione by surprise. As far as she was aware, there was no version of Poseidon that had made his way over to Darrow.

Then again, Hermione couldn't claim a deep knowledge of each person who had come to Darrow from outside.

"But I can certainly also provide a trunk or some other type of container, if that's what you want. It might seem a little conspicuous, unless you have a very good hiding place," she continued to muse, wishing that she hadn't been forbidden from touching the items. If Billy was able to touch them without incident, Hermione couldn't imagine that the risks for her would be too high. "How did you come to be in possession of all of these things, Billy?"

"I just need to make sure if someone finds them they can't get to them unless I want them to. So far though only you and one other person know I have these," he said, running his hands through his hair. Billy figured that it was important that Alex knew since she was living with him and he knew that he could trust her. Outside of that though, he couldn't really tell a lot of people. Steph didn't know he was Shazam or magical in any way so it would be hard to explain these to her.

"And you can pick them up now if you want. Just don't touch them, I'm not sure what that would do. And I just... I have them. I found them when the previous owners left."

With a quick wave of her wand, Hermione summoned a pair of dragon hide gloves for her to don, after which she carefully picked up the trident. Without any direct contact, the trident didn't glow or acknowledge Hermione's presence in any way — yet another fact that made her wonder about Billy. Was there magic that he was hiding from Hermione? Was it sensitive somehow, something that would render him vulnerable if anyone else knew?

"Well, creating containers to put these in won't be hard," Hermione said with a quick, reassuring shake of her head. "I may not be too familiar with every type of magic here in Darrow, but I'm not sensing any inherent maliciousness in these objects. If the object isn't desperate to leave its confines, then it'll just be up to you to make sure that you keep an occasional eye on them."

Hermione set the trident down gingerly. "I could keep them here for you, if you wanted. There's plenty of security around the shop, and you would be able to check on them whenever you needed."

"No!" Billy said. He didn't want her to take them. He didn't want anyone but him to have these. He was magic's champion and it was his responsibility to look after these things. Hermione was probably very competent and could take good care of it but this was something that he was supposed to do.

"Sorry, I just... I appreciate the offer but I'd rather look after them myself. But I do feel better knowing that you know about it."

There were a few other people he should probably tell too. But Hermione was the expert on magic in the city and these were definitely magical items.

Hermione frowned, feeling more than a flutter of frustration. For someone who so staunchly refused to be associated with magic in any way, Billy's insistence to keep the items with him was strange and suspicious.

And also liable to get him into trouble.

"Why are you insisting that you watch over them yourself, Billy? I know that you found them, so that means that the rights are yours," Hermione said, leaning against the counter. "From a legal standpoint, I understand. But... if we're talking about practicality, we both know that I have a wealth of knowledge about magic, and that I have the ability to research more with every passing day. So there must be some reason other than practicality that you're insisting on keeping these items within your own possession."

"I can't tell you why," Billy said, fidgeting a little bit. If he had to snatch them and run out of the shop, he would. Would the magic shop let him run out like that? He definitely wasn't shoplifting since they were his own items but could Hermione do something to trap him here? If she did he may have to either use one of the staves or become Shazam which was counter productive. What would Korra do in a situation like this?

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I know that's not much of an answer but I just can't. But if I thought these would be better off with you, I would give them to you. I promise. I could, um, maybe let you keep them for short periods of time to study them though."

"I'm not asking out of a selfish desire to learn the type of magic that powers these items," Hermione said, keeping her words measured and clear. The last thing that she wanted Billy to leave with was the impression that Hermione would put everything aside in the name of academia. She wasn't that desperate, not by a long shot. But she had genuine concerns about Billy's ability to handle items that, were they made more public, would probably be popular among thieves and other evildoers.

"But if it is your desire to defend this magic against people who would use it selfishly, then I may be better equipped than you are to defend them. Unless, of course, the problem is that you don't trust me," Hermione added softly, taking a small breath. "Which would be your prerogative, of course."

"Is the problem that you don't trust me with them?" Billy asked. She hadn't said that, not exactly, but it seemed like she didn't trust him, like she thought he was just some kid. That was totally what he had wanted her to think and apparently he had done too good of a job with it. That's probably the first time that had ever happened.

"I do trust you, Hermione. I really do. But I've had these all this time and I've kept them safe."

"Yes," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Not so much because I suspect your moral character in any way, but instead because of the fact that I still believe you've been hiding something from me where magic is concerned. I certainly have no right to force you to tell me what it is that you know, but Billy, the fact that you supposedly defied the parameters of the spell I use to protect this shop is... enough reason for me to be suspicious, don't you think?"

She crossed her arms, and while her expression wasn't unkind, it had somewhat of a strict look to it. Had Hermione been able to see her own face, she might have been reminded of Professor McGonagall. "If I don't know the full picture, Billy, how do you expect for me to be able to hand over all of my trust?"

"Sometimes you have to keep things a secret from people you trust because it's best for everyone," he said, looking down at the ground. He suddenly felt bad for not telling her the truth but several people already knew his secret and he couldn't just go around letting people know.

"And I don't expect you to hand over all your trust. Especially since I'm not doing that. I'm just asking for some help to do the right thing."

"Because you think it's best for everyone," Hermione corrected gently. She would let the topic go in the end, because ultimately, Billy was an adult. (Or as much of one as she had been during those critical years at Hogwarts, when Harry, Ron, and herself couldn't be completely convinced by any single professor of what to do.) "Just remember that no matter how convicted you may feel, you may end up learning better as time goes by."

Exhaling deeply, Hermione used flicks of her wand to search through her shop, finding a trunk in the back that looked substantial enough to withstand the heavy-duty spells she was going to cast on it.

"An expandable chest may be the best idea," she said softly.

"Just like you think your idea is best for everyone," Billy pointed out, unable to just let it go. It was an argument he'd had with adults before. They always thought they knew better. Billy had been in enough bad situations though to know that just because someone was older that didn't make them right.

Except Hermione was agreeing to help him even if she thought he was wrong. And that was unusual.

"But thank you," he said, exhaling the words in a rush. "I- thank you. An expandable chest sounds perfect. Um, what is an expandable chest?"

"Of course. We all think that we know the best given the knowledge that we have. But it's only when everyone's able to talk openly that an even better solution can be found," Hermione said in turn, not yielding or conceding to his stubbornness. He reminded her of Harry, in that moment, though Hermione didn't have the benefit of having spent years with Billy and building up trust. Still, she wasn't simply going to say that she trusted or believed that Billy would know what was best for himself.

Because in truth, no one did. A team effort was always better than a solo one.

"But I imagine we're not here to make progress on that front right now," she said, moving on and summoning a chest from the back room, which appeared with a sharp pop. "An expandable chest is one which looks like a normal chest, but you'll find that on the inside, there's far more room than you would expect. Look."

She nodded towards the open chest; glancing inside, the space extended beyond the four sides of the opening, and deeper than the ground they stood on. "This way, the chest should be large enough to put these items a good distance apart, in case you're afraid of them interacting."

Okay, what she said made sense. For normal stuff. But this was magic and secret identities and stuff. You couldn't just go around and share your information with everyone. The more people who knew a secret the more it probably wasn't going to stay a secret. Besides, wasn't she hiding her shop from most people? That didn't seem like sharing of information.

Anything he was going to say though was lost when she showed him the chest. It was way, way bigger than it should be. He could see the outside, which was smaller. Then he could see the inside, which was bigger.

"That's freaky, you know that, right? Like... that's not natural at all."

"Which... may be appropriate considering the fact that your objects don't exactly follow the rules of Newtonian physics, correct?" Hermione pointed out gently. It was yet another example of what made her so hesitant with letting Billy manage all aspects of his exposure to magic on his own. Hermione knew that she had greater experience and was probably at least good enough for that type of advisory role.

But some people didn't want to be helped, and trust was a difficult thing to build. She had to be patient.

"A large space will help prevent the objects from reacting to one another. You can store them on opposite ends of the expanded space."

"Wait, there's more than one type of physics?" Billy said. Ugh, this was a mess. This was a huge mess. Magic was already crazy enough he didn't need to be thinking about all the weird stuff science could do. There should be some sort of universal law where you only had to worry about one or the other.

"But yeah, I guess a large space is good. They've been under my bed for a while and haven't reacted. I think you have to touch them but probably safer to keep them apart."

Hemrione opened her mouth, as though to start detailing all the different sub-fields of mechanics, before pressing her lips shut when Billy moved on. She wasn't quite as well-versed in the subjects as she'd want to be to teach someone else, after all, and she was pretty sure that his question had been more of a rhetorical one than a true expression of curiosity.

"Let's go with larger, just in case," she said with a nod, rubbing her cheek briefly. "Did you want help transporting this back to your apartment? I can Apparate with it if you let me know your address — or I can get movers to ship it through more traditional means. Whatever your preference."

"Apparate there? Umm, we should probably do it outside of the apartment if we do that. My roommate is pretty, um, security conscious and that would freak her out," Billy said. It would freak Alex out bigtime if her super spy training didn't just kick in right away and she shot them or something. The idea that someone could just appear in their apartment was freaky.

"But if you could do that I'd really appreciate it. And I can show you where I live and where it goes so you'll know where it is. Just in case."

"I'll Apparate it there, then. Perhaps you could go ahead first and text me once you're there? That way, we won't alarm your roommate," Hermione suggested, understanding well how protective people could be about their homes. Hermione had a number of different spells cast on her own house, and wouldn't take kindly to someone trying to come onto her property without asking first.

"And I would be truly grateful to be entrusted with knowing where the chest is being kept. Just in case. Any of us could disappear from the city, after all."

Billy stared at the items for a moment, biting his lip thoughtfully. Going home first meant leaving them here. What if this was just a trick for her to get him to leave so she could keep them here?

No, Hermoine wouldn't do that. She probably thought if she wanted to keep them here against his will she didn't need to be tricky about it. She might feel strongly about the fact that Billy shouldn't be keeping them himself but he was pretty sure she was honest. If she was going to keep them she would just tell him so.

"Okay," he said with a nod before looking back at her. "I'll text you soon, okay? Do you- do you need my address or anything?"

"Your address would be helpful. Or if you have a GPS function on your phone, that would be even more accurate for me," admitted Hermione, who had long since familiarized herself with the many applications available for her smartphone. (The breadth of technology was quite remarkable, actually, and her phone had become almost as integral a part of her life as her wand.)

"I'll close up shop here early as well, to make sure I don't miss your text," she said, waving her wand to turn the sign on the front door. Sometimes she wondered if her customers were ever displeased by her increasingly odd hours, but if they were, no one had been that vocal about it yet.

"Oh, yeah, sure, I have my home location set it," he said, thumbing through the different screens on his phone before showing it to her. It was kind of freaky to think that she could just show up in his apartment with that information.

"And- and thank you. I really appreciate you doing this. It means a lot. Really."

Hermione leaned closer to Billy's phone screen, taking down the numbers on her own phone so that she could easily find his apartment later that day to return his trunk and items to him. She was heavily invested in making sure that Billy had them delivered as soon as possible — all the better for forging trust between the two of them.

"I'm glad that you felt that you could come to me," Hermione said solemnly with a small smile. "I'll get these items safely back to you, I promise."

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For Hermione

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