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Blueberry Apple Slices
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The first place that Nicole herded their group into was a store just half a block away from where she had met up with Jenkins and his young charge. The store was one that she frequented herself, actually, being a combination of thrift store, curio shop, and antique shop. If one was so inclined, most spell ingredients could also be purchased, but there was an apothecary the next block over that had a better selection. But this place had the benefit on being so close and more likely to have things that wouldn't send Jenkins into fits.
(For an immortal, the man was so fussy about things.)
Harry seemed reluctant to let Jenkins out of his sight, which was nowhere near as far as it should be. He would definitely need to have his eyes checked as soon as they could arrange the necessary paperwork to cover it. Jenkins didn't seem to mind the boy's anxious clinging, slipping into a protector role like he was slipping on a pair of old slippers.
(She could see the invulnerable knight in him so clearly at times.)
The first thing Nicole grabbed for Harry to try on was the smallest pair of sneakers in the shop. They were an absurd shard of dark fuchsia with magenta laces. Said laces had a braided pattern of amethyst, lilac, and turquoise topped with silver aglets. The metal radiated magic faintly, likely the decaying remains of some mother's locating charm or protective ward.
Jenkins was already frowning as she knelt in front of Harry with them, no doubt sensing the leftover magic and instinctively distrusting it. Nicole would likely always come to odds with the rest of the Library's staff, but she would always defend the rights of minor artifacts to remain out in the world. Too much magic had to be locked away for general protection. What minor magics that managed to survive out in the world deserved to be left in peace.
Harry reached for the shoes, but not to take them from her. He lightly traced the tips of his fingers over the woven colors like it was fascinating. A trail of dim light followed the path his fingers took. The air within the shop grew heavy and warm. Nicole could feel the faint trace of magic renewing into something as thick and undeniable as the shoelaces it had been woven into. Jenkins had his hands out like he was debating grabbing the boy away from the sudden danger but couldn't determine what the danger was.
Harry had shifted his emerald gaze from the shoes to the look at her through jet black eyelashes. She could tell that he was focused just off of where he would need to in order to make eye contact. That was fine. He wouldn't be the first changling child she had dealt with over her four centuries of life. In fact, since so many of them tended to be a prodigy in a given niche, she had brought many of them to various Annexes around the world. Effortlessly repairing enchantments would certainly count as a prodigy in a given niche.
"That is certainly a clever trick," she said in her most neutral voice. She flicked her own gaze upwards to where Jenkins was looming like a phantom without an opera house. He was currently pinching the bridge of his nose. Of course he would be as useless as always when it came to delicate matters. She dropped her gaze back to the child. "Do you know what you just did?"
Harry hunched his shoulders before shaking his head. Then he hesitated before shrugging his bony shoulders the tiniest amount. Honestly, that was more clarity than she was expecting from a child who had come from some kind of horrible background.
"It felt like the puzzles," Harry confessed. He looked like he was bracing for a blow. Behind him, Jenkins looked like he had bitten into a lemon.
"I've been giving him various puzzle balls to play with since he arrived." The old immortal looked he was feeling every bit of his ancient age. He rubbed his temples before dropping his hands back to his sides. "Harry solved the Coeus puzzles in a fraction of the records set by previous Librarians. So far, the reactions from artifacts haven't been any more noteworthy than any other Librarian, but he does appear to have an extraordinary sensitivity and ease with magic. I am already preparing to argue for proper tuition once the tethered heads return."
"When are Eve and Flynn due back?"
"Tomorrow evening," Jenkins said, giving a slight shrug of his own, "barring any delays. Mr. Stone has been attempting to contact them, but so far has been unsuccessful." Jenkins had an expression on his face like he was attempting to reign in his usual smugness. It tickled Nicole's inner sense of danger. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Harry came to the Library through the Backdoor."
Nicole froze as she turned the new knowledge over in her mind. The Backdoor typically required at least three people to use. However, the Library did control the difficulty level of the puzzles. It wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility for the Library to disable portions or dial down the difficulty in order to guarantee passage of a single individual.
Before she could formulate a reply, a loud beeping sounded from Jenkins' wristwatch. The old knight immediate turned off the alarm. Then he took out a small ziplock bag full of blueberries, all of which were a uniform shape and shade of indigo, and slim wedges of crisp-looking apple slices (Granny Smith, by the chartreuse shade of the skin). Jenkins passed the baggy over to Harry. The boy hesitated, his eyes darted towards Nicole before he finally opened the bag and began eating the fruit within.
"Why the alarm?" Nicole asked.
"A reminder to eat," Jenkins said with no hint of shame. Nicole nodded her understanding. Librarians tended to have issues like that. It wasn't uncommon for Guardians and Caretakers to intercede for them.
"That's not a bad idea," she complimented. As unflappable as he was invulnerable, Jenkins just gave a nod of acknowledgment. After Harry had eaten half of the baggy and had started licking his fingers like a large cat, Jenkins produced a wet wipe packet for the juice. Once again clean, they continued their shopping, starting with trying on the now-warded shoes.
Thankfully, the shoes fit perfectly.