Placebo [Harvey]

The witch wasn’t sure what possessed her to stop by Harvey’s flat unannounced, especially considering they weren’t the best of friends, though they were certainly on better terms than they used to be. In hindsight, she supposed it was probably the fact that while she could handle someone not liking her, she preferred it when they did, even her old arch-nemesis was no exception – especially when her distaste had been largely misguided.
 
Like most other days the woman was coming from the pitch, though with the cooler weather she pulled her jacket closer to her body as she closed the distance between the spot she’d apparated to and the front of his building, absently hoping that the door would be open, and that there was a directory. As luck would have it the door was open and there was a directory. The ex-Hufflepuff was sure he’d told her which flat was his, but it had been long enough that she’d forgotten.

It didn’t take Casey long to make her way up to his floor and find the door that matched what the posting in the lobby had said. Before she could second guess what she was doing, Casey knocked on the wooden door and waited, shifting her weight to her back leg, as she blinked at the door wondering if she’d managed to stop by while he was out and if she should knock again. It wasn’t long though before she thought she heard someone moving around inside, and knocked again, wondering if he hadn’t heard her first knock “Unless you got a dog, I can hear you moving about in there.” She told him dryly, though her words held no malice “you’re about as quiet as a bull in a china shop.” Her voice was raised slightly to be heard through the door.

@Harvey Landsdowne

"Ooh baby, enchant meeee," Harvey sang, surprisingly in tune, into the shower head which he was using as a microphone. He bopped his head and he washed his hair, head tilted back to let the soap suds slide down his back as he crooned along to Rupert Hartwood's song that he'd heard on the radio that morning. He couldn't really say he was a fan but it sure was catchy. It had been distracting him all day.

"Round and round, let me alohomora your heart," he continued as he wiggled his hips, reaching up to switch the water off as he blindly grabbed for a towel. "It's is a great place to staaaart," he belted out as he slicked his wet hair back and wrapped the towel around his waist, freezing suddenly before he reached the high note. Good timing, really.

Harvey frowned at the knock on the door as he stepped out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam, his bare feet leaving little puddles as he strode across the floor. The voice sounded familiar but he very rarely got visitors. Unless he counted the neighbour's cat who sometimes snuck in for a cuddle. The person was impatiently and he noted an Irish twang and only one person came to mind but why she was offering a house call (unless it was on pain of death and even then, he didn't believe she'd turn up) was a mystery.

The door was opened and he leaned against the door frame, eyebrows arched in question before he smiled slowly. "Hello stranger," Harvey addressed Casey, arms folded across his bare chest, every bit the picture of ease. She labelled him a bull and he scoffed. "Forgive me for trampling. I must have forgotten that I didn't need to be quiet in my own home." His dark eyes gave her a once over, like they always did. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Casey repressed the eye roll that she wanted to give him and settled for cursing instead “Jesus..” she said softly with a shake of her head, half amused, half annoyed. She huffed, blowing a stray hair out of her face “Can’t I drop by to say hi? Or should I have just sent you a howler instead?” She joked, eyes widening as she looked up at him and realized he was practically shirtless.

Her gaze shifted pointedly to the door jam as she studied it intently “Warn a girl if you’re going to try and blind her, would you?” She groused “Anyway I was in the area, and I thought I’d stop by” She admitted shrugging again suddenly regretting the whole idea. At the same time though, the witch couldn’t bring herself to leave yet, that would be admitting she was uncomfortable. So instead, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, eyes narrowed, determined not to let him see her any more surprised “Are you just using me as an excuse to loiter naked in the hallway? Or can I come in?” She asked, pushing by him before he could answer.

The witch slid up onto the counter and waited expectantly “You don’t happen to have any butterbeer or anything like that do you?” She asked, not feeling terribly thirsty but also wanting to make him feel as uncomfortable as she had felt moments ago. While she waited for him to answer she frowned, cocking her head as she tried to place the background noise “Is that really Rupert Hartwood?” She asked genuinely surprised. Casey wouldn’t have figured Harvey was the type to croon along to the likes of the young wrock star, but then again, she’d never thought she’d willingly show up at his door, so here they were.

"One and the same," Harvey replied with an easy smile before he blinked. "Not really, no," he offered gamely and with a shrug. The way Casey's eyes widened made him smirk slowly, his eyebrows arching expectantly. "I beg your pardon?" He asked on a laugh. "I'm allowed to shower in my own flat, Case," he tutted. "It's not my problem that you have Victorian lady sensibilities, is it?"

Harvey twisted his body, the picture of ease as he tried to catch her eye with a dimpled grin. "Nah," he answered Casey casually. "I never need an excuse for that -- oof," Harvey complained with a frown as she shoved him out of the way, stepping back in surprise. He narrowed his eyes at her briefly, half impressed by her candour but mostly annoyed. He snorted with laughter. "Oh no please, come in," he muttered, rolling his eyes with his back to her because while he was brave, he wasn't stupid.

Harvey's eyes must have been as wide as dinner plates as Casey settled herself into his flat, a faint panic rising as he realised how well she fit into it. "No," he tossed over his shoulder as he obediently schlepped over to the fridge. "Because I'm not twelve," he answered Casey rudely. "I do have actual beer, though," he offered as he held up a bottle and gently shook it. At the mention of Rupert, he was instantly on the defensive.

"So?" He pressed her. "He's actually a very accomplished singer-songwriter," Harvey offered demurely as he sniffed and kindly cracked open Casey's bottle and held it out to her. Sure, he wasn't a lovesick teeny bopper but the man could sing. He glanced at her for a second before he placed his bottle next to her on the counter, momentarily forgetting his current state of address.

"Wait there," he instructed Casey, as though he was trying to teach her to sit and stay. With that, he closed his bedroom door before dressing hastily, pulling a navy jumper over his head and shrugging on a pair of jeans, exiting the room as he roughly dried his hair with the towel that had been previously around his waist. "I mean I'm flattered," he told the blonde quickly. "But you're normally --" he trailed off as he struggled for the words and promptly gave up, deciding it safer to swig from his bottle. "You know, busy cursing my name."

"But you were in the area," Harvey smiled, repeating Casey's phrase. "Did you get lost?"

“So nothing” Casey countered, ignoring his jab at her request for butterbeer, and the urge to remind him that she’d known him when he was twelve, and it was very clear that he wasn’t anymore, a fact that she was doing her best to ignore. That wasn't why she was here. Instead she shifted on the counter crossing her legs and settling against the cabinets behind her “I’m not saying he’s not, I’m saying I’m surprised you know enough words to sign along.” She teased him good naturedly as she took the offered beer with a “Thank you.”

She wasn’t sure why, but any time Harvey had ever asked her to do something, she felt compelled to do the exact opposite, and despite the fact that they were on semi-friendly terms now, that impulse had not yet faded. So she found herself hopping down off the counter to inspect the various pictures on the fridge, and the one painting on the far kitchen wall, beer in hand. She turned back around as the wizard emerged from his room fully clothed. She knew it wasn’t the polite thing to do, but Casey did like to push Harvey’s buttons and heard herself say “Thank Merlin, my Victorian sensibilities are safe.” Before she could stop herself, but she also refused to apologize, so she continued with the rest of their conversation, arching an eyebrow as he trailed off, smirking as she watched him try to finish that sentence.

Casey laughed softly, and considered him for a moment “Bold of you to think I’m thinking of you enough that cursing your name would be a regular activity” she joked before she shook her head lightly “I was” she admitted still not giving him more to work with “I thought I’d try and be..” it was her turn to pause now, as she looked for the right word before she settled on “friendly” with a small frown “And maybe I found myself in the area because I got a little lost” She admitted grudgingly, hoping he’d move past her comment about being friendly “And no, I don’t need you to rescue me.” She warned him, pausing with the bottle half way to her lips.

"You should have brought your own," Harvey offered with a shrug. He'd never particularly liked butterbeer but he was never going to admit that to anyone, lest they thought he was a bit weird. The fact that it could be served hot and cold made him feel strangely unnerved at the whole thing. Casey was dissing both him and Mr. Hartwood and Harvey blinked impassively. "Oh right," he grinned. "Because it's not a quidditch chant, you're not interested?" He teased, saluting her with his bottle. "Understood."

Casey wandered around his kitchen and she had no right to look so comfortable in it. With a frown, he took a deep swig from his bottle. "You think about me a teeny bit," he said with an easy smile. He was only kidding. He hadn't seen her in years and barely thought of her at all since when he had to fix her up after she'd faceplanted. Besides, Harvey was 85% sure Casey Regan hated his guts.

As she trailed off, he waited before he arched his eyebrows. "Friendly," he echoed, clearly not believing her as he cracked a dimpled grin. "I appreciate that," he replied breezily as he continued to dry his hair. He wasn't mad and it was clear that he wasn't hiding anyone in the bedroom but she admitted she was lost. "But you remembered my address," he smiled, dark eyes glinting. "How did you know I'd be home?" He asked Casey. He usually was but he could have been at his parents' place, at a lecture, out with friends or casually threatening his little sister's new boyfriend - he was a busy man.

Harvey blinked. "I...wasn't going to offer?" He questioned Casey in mild confusion. If she came here on her own accord, then maybe she wanted to be rescued. He frowned at her briefly. Harvey wasn't the same boy he'd been in Hogwarts, no one really wanted to give him a chance to prove that he'd changed. "You can rescue yourself," he nodded as he leaned against the door frame, arms folded, the bottle of beer hanging from his fingers.

"Even I know that," he rolled his eyes dramatically. Casey had been impossible to hit on at school because she was so independent. It was great that she was but it was difficult to find an entry way. "I'd be happy to apparate you home," Harvey offered. "No hand holding involved, I promise."

“Ha, you’re hilarious” The witch retorted sarcastically, sipping from her own bottle. It was true that Quidditch was her life, but it was annoying when people assumed that she had no interests outside of the sport. She knew Harvey knew better and was mostly just pushing her buttons “Like I don’t have any interests outside of Quidditch.” She said, eyes narrowed in mild annoyance “I just go for music that doesn’t come from your beloved Rupert” she said before shrugging “what else do you listen to?” she asked, genuinely curious, but also surprised to hear herself ask.

Of course he’d go right for the assumption that she had to have been thinking of him. She rolled her eyes at him lightly “Mm. I think about you every time my shoulder aches when it rains.” She joked. Her shoulder was fine, if the humiliation of hurling out of the sky hadn’t been burned into her memory forever, she probably wouldn’t have remembered that she’d broken it, it had healed so well. Unfortunately, it did mean that every time she thought about her fall, she’d automatically think about Harvey. It was thankfully not frequent, but it was an inconvenience as far as Casey was concerned, and she certainly wasn’t going to tell him about it. She’d never hear the end of it.

“Mmhm. Friendly” she said, sticking to her original response, pulling a face at his grin, deflecting the fact that he had the advantage, especially since she knew she was on defense now “Might’ve” she supplied, frowning at him over the neck of her bottle as she took a drink before she spoke again “I didn’t, I just took a chance.” She told him, still unsure herself why she had decided to stop by his flat, shifting despite herself.

Her eyebrows rose in silent surprise “You weren’t?” She asked, her surprise obvious as it was her turn to frown “Damn right I can.” She groused, thrown off by his response. He was the same, but also different and it confused the ex-Puff. She caught herself frowning at him again when he rolled his eyes. The man had a knack for the dramatic, that was for sure. She watched him, considering. She’d never admit that she’d shown up on purpose, not now, but she could also theoretically apparate herself home. “Always dramatic, you are.” She scolded him, just for the sake of it, it felt more normal.

“It’s a little late to offer to not hold my hand, you carried me bodily into the A&E at St.Mungoes.” She conveniently left out the part where she’d needed the help. They both knew it, and she’d already thanked him for it anyway. Casey sighed, sloshing the beer in her bottle slightly “I wouldn’t say no to an escort.” She said, pausing to frown at her own response “Plus, I think my dad mentioned having something to give you for some hospital thing.” She added, still unsure why she was extending an invite at all. It was true though that her father had said there was something he had for Harvey or one of the Landsdownes anyway. Casey eyed her empty bottle, and eyed Harvey’s fridge debating whether she should ask for another, or just take one, or if she wanted another one altogether. She was supposed to be going out with Ruari and Nessa, and technically this would count as pre-gaming, right?

"Right?" Harvey replied quickly with a grin. By now, he was immune to Casey's sarcasm - just like water off a duck's back. He blinked. "You don't," informed her with a shrug. They'd never really "hung out" in school and despite knowing each other for almost a decade, he wasn't sure what she was into. She probably collected those creepy little porcelain dolls. "Death metal," he answered the blonde without skipping a beat as he drank his beer.

Giving his hair one last final rub with the towel, Harvey let out a snort of laughter. "How are you," he tutted. "My technique was flawless. If you weren't so grumpy, I would have offered you a lollipop. Don't be so clumsy next time," he ribbed her. With the sport she was in, injuries weren't a case of if but more like when.

His eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch to rest on a borderline glare as he surveyed her over the rim of his bottle. He couldn't really be mad at her. It was nice to see her, especially now that she wasn't screaming in pain and trying to fight him. And he really didn't have many plans, either. Between studying and making friends with his neighbour's cat, he didn't have a lot of free time.

"Well, I was," he frowned at being rumbled. Of course he was going to ask if Casey needed any help, he couldn't ditch her in a part of London she didn't know. Despite all of her grumpiness, she was still a woman...under all of her casual indifference towards him. "But, you know," Harvey trailed off, gesturing at her vaguely, as though that would somehow explain things. She was so prickly at times. He just assumed she loathed him more often than not.

"If I didn't, you would have keeled over," he reminded Casey with his eyebrows arched. Well, she could have walked. All he needed to do was hold her waist and keep her upright but as soon as she'd swallowed the pain medication they'd given her, she was in la la land. His dark eyes looked over her shoulder quickly. He was no physiotherapist but it all looked in order; she wasn't lopsided on creaking.

Casey finally admitted she needed help and Harvey smirked, pausing to down the contents of his bottle. He turned to place it on the counter, pausing in confusion. "Oh?" He asked, interestedly. Harvey had always liked Casey's dad and not because he was technically his boss. He noticed her gaze. "Need another for your nerves?" He teased before he went about finding socks and shoes and coming back into the kitchen moments later wearing both.

"Calm down," he laughed. "I've already met your parents," he joked with a shake of his head. "They love me." He stepped around Casey to shrug on his jacket. "Might even ask me to stay for tea."

An eyebrow rose as Harvey poked at her with his words despite the fact that she knew that he was only doing it to annoy her anyway. She had other interests outside of Quidditch, obviously. She just didn’t get to indulge in them often, right? Right. And never mind that most of them were other sports.

“Oh yeah, it’s definitely death metal.” The witch retorted with a soft snort as she finished the rest of the beer in her hand and frowned as she decided against another for the road “definitely for the nerves, you know, on account of how nervous you make me” she joked. She’d be able to grab one from home if she really wanted another. “I used to be in dance” she admitted wryly “and gran had me in singing lessons” she told him with a shrug. He wasn’t the first to think her job was her sole hobby, and he wouldn’t be the last.

Casey flashed him a quick grin, satisfied her dig had gained her some ground and fluttered her lashes obnoxiously “Right, definitely shouldn’t have been so careless while I was testing the limits of physics. Very clumsy of me.” She agreed dryly while she attempted to balance the now empty bottle on its edge “And maybe if you’d offered me a lollipop, I would’ve been less grumpy.” She said knowing there was no truth to the statement.

“Says you ‘Mr. I’m right about everything.’ For all you know I would’ve been just fine. But you take being chivalrous so literally” She grumped shooting him a look. What he’d done was probably for the best at the time, but she wasn’t big on needing help, especially if it made her the damsel in distress. Casey laughed, moving out of his way  “I know – that’s what I’m worried about.”