Who! Penny and Delilah
What! Delilah is Delilah?
Where! Charlie's Flat
When! Today?
“Charlieee!” Delilah called through the door, knocking furiously. She had forgot to check to see if he had practice or something else scheduled at the moment, but that wasn’t a big deal. If she didn’t find him here, she would go find him at the Kestrel pitch. “Charlieee, this is important. Please open up!” She had tried the door but it was locked, and she knew better than to undo the wards herself, even if she knew how.
It really wasn’t that important. Mostly she was bored and she hadn’t talked to him since the celebrity All-Star game. Which she performed dismally in, but at least this go around she didn’t fall off her broom. But the real reason she was bouncing on her heels outside his door was because of the roll of parchment in her hand. An invitation to the Elite European Dueling Summit, which she had always dreamed of attending but never thought she would actually get invited to.
She knocked on the door one last time, a pout creeping into her voice. “Charlie? Ugh fine. If you are in there, just hoping to ignore me until I go away, I’ll have you know I’m going down to the Kestrel’s pitch. Maybe have a nice chat with Kendall, or possibly Rupert. And if you are here hiding and not there, who knows what I’ll say.”
At the first knock, Penelope jumped, dislodging a grumpy Pascal who had been using her back as a pillow for his afternoon snooze. She herself had been sprawled on the floor with a variety of books, packets, pamphlets, and parchments (well, all right, partially under the table), studiously involved in an informational review of her two prospective careers in an effort to make any sort of decision regarding her now considerably less bleak future.
Feeling a mild sort of panic, because she could have sworn Charles hadn't mentioned anything to her about visitors before he left for practice, she rose to her feet and brushed off her robes while looking to Pascal for assistance. The dozy dog thumped his tail twice, then rolled over onto his back, yawning widely before curling back up to resume his nap.
"You are no help," Penelope whispered, nudging him with her foot. The knocking and subsequent hollering hadn't abated, which meant she had very little choice in opening the door, because she had no doubt this woman on the other side would knock it down otherwise. This woman, who, it would seem, was exceedingly familiar with the man living here. Likely, it was nothing, since she had a hard time imagining Charles would invite her to stay if he had been expecting some torrid affair to stop by. At least... she was quite sure. She had dropped by rather unexpectedly this morning. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door just a crack and tilted her head to better see the person on the other side of the door.
When a set of surprisingly familiar features greeted her, she blinked, then began to open the door a little wider. "Hello," she said hesitantly, straightening. "I--I'm afraid Charles isn't here, presently."
Delilah tilted her head when the door opened to reveal Charlie but a young woman. A confused look crossed her face, “Charles isn’t here?” she repeated trying her best not to laugh. Charles. He was only Charles when he was in some sort of extraordinary trouble. What was this girl doing in his flat referring to him as Charles.
“Oh! You’re Penny, aren’t you!” She exclaimed a grin spreading across her face. She made her way past the girl, letting herself into her brother’s flat, walking over opening his cabinet and helping herself to a glass of water continuing to talk along the way. “Charlie’s description of you really doesn’t do you justice at all. Not that he tells me much, he’s very secretive when it comes to you. I get the feeling he’s afraid I’ll scare you off or something.”
She paused taking a sip of water turning back to look at Penny, who was still standing at the door staring at her like she was some sort of lunatic. “OH! You have no idea who I am, do you? Sorry! I’m Delilah, Charlie’s twin. And if he hasn’t told you at least that much, I’m going to hex him into tomorrow. Not literally, of course.” she said waving her hand absently.
“Anyways. I was coming to share good news with him and possibly coerce him into coming out to celebrate with me, but...” she paused thinking for a moment before a falsely innocent smile crossed her face. “Oh, but this is so much better! I can take you out instead. Or we can stay here. Either or, but I feel that we, I being Charlie’s sister, and you being Charlie’s girlfriend, should hang out. It will be fun, I promise. You are not busy, are you?” She asked although her tone clearly said that whatever answer Penny might give would still be heard as, no. I’m not busy, lets go play.
She couldn't say for certain, but Penelope quite believed her eye was twitching.
Good heavens, Delilah positively moved like a tornado. Penelope had barely managed to shut the front door (she'd gathered Delilah might be staying a while) before she was chattering away about the very reason these two women were standing in this flat. She obviously knew of Delilah, and had recognized her from the few and somewhat outdated pictures Charles kept, but couldn't quite explain why they hadn't met before.
Well, yes, she could, but there were many reasons, and most of them quite convoluted, and the most obvious one seemed to be that Delilah's brother was in no hurry to have the two meet. Penelope had no proof, but she might go so far as to say he'd even prevented it. Even his sister had begun to suspect his motives.
She would have wondered how such a feat had been accomplished, but given who Delilah was related to, she gathered this sort of tenacity ran in the family. Two-fold for the twins, she presumed.
"Oh," she said after a beat, realizing that Delilah had stopped talking and now was the proper place for her response. "Well, how lovely." Managing to seize hold of the tailspin her faculties had been put in by Delilah's sudden appearance, Penelope then cleared her throat and gestured behind the other witch before adding, "Well, I am actually. Busy, that is. But… perhaps we might wait for your brother so we can all—erm—celebrate together? I believe he's due back soon."
Please let it be very soon.
Delilah’s face fell dramatically at Penny’s words. One would think Penny had told her that her pet goldfish was dead or unicorns didn’t exist, not that she was merely busy. “Oh.” she said putting her glass down on the counter. Waiting for Charlie would be no fun. He would kick her under the table or shoot her glares whenever she tried to tell stories, or just tell her to go home.
“Yes, well I guess we could wait for him.” Delilah muttered sounding very much like she didn’t want to at all. She turned and fished through his cupboards to find something to snack on as she had run out of food at her own flat. She hoisted herself up to sit on the counter once she settled on a box of cereal and surveyed the room. “Whatcha working on? Anything I can help with?” she asked her eye’s landing on all the pamphlets and miscellaneous pieces of parchment spread out across the floor.
She hesitated a moment, trying to figure out how best to explain the situation. It wasn't that Penelope was embarrassed (or, well, mostly it wasn't) by her revisiting her school days, but the sordid details did take a lot of time to describe. And recalled some unpleasant memories she'd rather leave alone.
"I am contemplating a change in career," she said finally, bending to pick the books up and put them in a more proper place, that being on the table she'd been sprawled under. As much as she might want to, and as infinitely more comforting it would be than conversing with Delilah, she could hardly continue working with the other woman there. If she forgave her own rudeness, she still gathered distractions would be high, and productivity low. Stacking her materials neatly together, she gave them a long suffering glance, before turning back to Delilah. "But I suppose I've researched enough for the day."
Which left the question of what to do, as she hardly needed to ask if Delilah required refreshments... which would have been strange, offering to hostess for her boyfriend's sister, who was likely in his home as much as Penelope was.
"Would you like to sit while we wait for him." Penelope emphasized wait, just to be certain. She stepped over Pascal and sat down herself, just for something to do, and offered, "You can tell me your good news."
Delilah glanced over all the pamphlets again as Penny moved them onto the table. She had never once considered a career change, and not just because she love dueling so much. She didn’t have enough N.E.W.T.s to do anything worthwhile. Perhaps Delilah shouldn’t have been so foolish at seventeen to think she could survive off of three N.E.W.T.s, she didn’t exactly leave herself a whole lot of options for after she retired dueling. Or even before, she remembered, not too fondly her meltdown when she first tried to get into Professional Dueling and was turned down. She thought she was going to end up selling Ice Cream at Florean’s or being a maid for the rest of her life. By the looks of things, Penny seemed to have multiple options of things to do. Apparently, Charlie had not only managed a pretty girlfriend but a smart one too.
“Ohh, I’d offer to help, but I’m pretty useless with that sort of thing. If you need anyone hexed though, be sure to send me an owl.” Delilah joked half heartedly, willing herself to not be jealous. “I’m sure you’ll find something you love, plenty to choose from.
She drained her glass of water and sent the empty glass over to the sink. Charlie would most likely will throw a fit got home. Knowing him he would find some offense to Delilah forcing her company on Penny. Delilah hated when she realized her good ideas were bad ones before she got to have any fun. “Who knows when Charlie will be home and I really shouldn’t impose.” Delilah said with with a pout hopping off the counter. “Or at least that’s what he tells me everytime I show up unannounced and start eating his food.”
"Oh." Penelope blinked, startled. That was the last thing she'd expected to occur in this visit, a sudden departure. A feeling of inexplicable guilt struck her, and she thought she had better intercede.
"I'm sure he wouldn't find it an imposition," she said with some loyalty, forgiving the interruption of her earlier work. She perhaps had not been very welcoming, and while it was sudden, and the teensiest bit of an intrusion (only because the person Delilah wanted to see wasn't here, and she was), it wasn't really an imposition. And surely Charles wouldn't mind his only sister stopping by to visit, even if she was--well, intimately familiar with his pantry. Spinnets were clearly fond of food.
If she was being honest with herself, from everything she'd heard of Delilah, she feared being all but stampeded on by the older woman. Penelope was normally quite even-keeled, but she was a Fawcett, and Fawcetts did not take well to being pushed around. But upon meeting Delilah, she thought perhaps that was a mislaid worry, and exuberance was what most people mistook for a force equivalent to a stampede of Chimaeras. There may not have been much difference in outcomes, but the intentions were night and day apart.
Tucking a curl behind her ear, she curled her feet beneath her and said, "In fact, I would appreciate the company. Pascal isn't terribly stimulating." She looked at the pup who had rolled onto his back with his legs in the air, thumping his tail occasionally in his sleep.
Delilah couldn’t help but laugh a little at Penny’s assurance that Charlie wouldn’t find it an imposition, when she would bet that he would, but she didn’t have the heart to correct her. The fact that there were things Delilah did she knew would absolutely make him pout and whine yet did them anyways was probably why most people thought she was borderline crazy.
While Penny was very polite, Delilah also noticed that she never said that she didn’t find it an imposition. Delilah wondered for a moment just how far she would have to go to get Penny to tell her to shut up or get out, but it wasn’t a theory she was about to test anytime soon. Her gaze followed Penny’s to the dog on the floor. Silly puppy. She wanted to crawl down and rub his belly until he woke up and demanded her to throw a ball. “Lazy thing. Bet once you want to sit down for dinner or listen to a show on the WWN he won’t be able to sit still.” she commented idly checking her watch. Penny did ask her to stay, which was a good enough excuse for her to use to get Charlie not to yell.
Delilah honestly had no idea what to talk about with this girl. It was one thing to drag her out for drinks, because then conversation points always came up, and if they didn’t well dancing or shots could happen and then back to talking. But sitting in the living room on a couch having polite conversation like an adult. She was at a loss. “I’m leaving for Geneva in a week.” She blurted coming across the first acceptable thought that didn’t involve N.E.W.T.s or boys or the fact that Delilah was so happy that Charlie had finally settled down. “I’ve been invited to this dueling thing, and yeah. Switzerland.”
Penelope's first genuine, at-ease smile bloomed across her face and she clasped her hands together. "How exciting!"
That was something she'd never done much of, and couldn't foresee happening in future. She loved the idea of traveling, of going places, but... she'd been young before, and now, well, she doubted she had the courage to do so. One day, she'd like to think so, but never had she ventured outside the United Kingdom. That was surprising, she had to admit, with all her affinity for language and appreciation for unique cultures. Penelope certainly envied Delilah not only the opportunities her career afforded her, but the courage it called for as well. Bold and daring were traits she admired her others, not ones she ever considered herself to have.
"That certainly does call for a celebration," she said, then wondered if it was presumptuous to include herself in the celebrations. Delilah had invited her in the beginning, hadn't she? It might have been out of politeness, since Penelope opened the door and was certainly not who the other witch had been expecting, but somehow she didn't think so. Or she hoped not. Perhaps it would be good idea to spend the evening with her boyfriend's sister, and for them to try to get better acquainted.
"If you'd still like me to c--" she began, when the door knob began to turn, signalling Charles returning. Breaking off with a slight flush, she looked back at Delilah with a shy, slight smile. "I am glad that you decided to drop by."
