@'Jasper Pippin'
Despite the fact that there was at least one murderer on the loose in the Slums--was that really something new?--Eloise van der Zee hadn't changed her routine. She rose early each morning, fed and fussed over Clyde before walking with a few other shopgirls who lived nearby to High Street where she worked the day away at the Owl Emporium. She loved her job quite a bit; she got paid to take care of owls and help them find homes. When the day was done, she typically walked back with the shopgirls. After eating her evening meal and seeing that Clyde was fed and tucked in she would go see the butcher.
For a few knuts at most, he would give her his scraps and spoiled bits of meat that no one would buy and she'd take them, along with a bag of millet to the park to feed the crows and pigeons and whatever else wanted feeding. She'd also do a bit of sketching if there was the light for it. Depending on the season, she would typically be home before dark; however, with winter descending upon Hogsmeade, the sun had sunk below the horizon before Eloise even left the park.
Cheerful and living in a warm and fuzzy world of her own creation half the time, she didn't really think about the murders. She'd not read about them as she didn't really have much access to the Daily Prophet and not many people bothered her with such dark things. True there was the rumor mill, but even then it was only a passing whisper. She had noticed that there seemed to be more people wandering around after dark but they seemed to be official sorts and nothing to worry about.
With her satchel slung over her shoulder and her only jacket on she looked just like any other young woman who had the misfortune to live in the slums. The only difference was that she hummed off key and seemed far more cheerful than anyone in her position had any right being. It was quite dark but for the street lamps by the time she slipped into the slums. One of the stray dogs that scampered about the neighborhood pranced about in front of her barking and prodded at her pockets until she gave his mangy head a pat and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose, giggling when she was rewarded with kisses. Someone shouted inside their home and there was a cough from down the street but Eloise wasn't bothered.
"Alright, Nigel you win. I saved you a little treat." She pulled her hands out of her pocket and with it a parchment paper package. All that was left from the meat scraps was a chunk of bone with a bit of marrow in it. She might have saved it for stew but scrawny as the mutt was and tenderhearted as Eloise could be, she held it up. "Now sit....siiiiit." When the mutt finally complied, she grinned and held out bone which he snapped up with a bit too much exuberance, nipping her fingers before darting off to whatever hole he lived in. "Ouch! Silly pup." Smiling, she tucked her hands back into her pockets and continued on her way.
Despite the fact that there was at least one murderer on the loose in the Slums--was that really something new?--Eloise van der Zee hadn't changed her routine. She rose early each morning, fed and fussed over Clyde before walking with a few other shopgirls who lived nearby to High Street where she worked the day away at the Owl Emporium. She loved her job quite a bit; she got paid to take care of owls and help them find homes. When the day was done, she typically walked back with the shopgirls. After eating her evening meal and seeing that Clyde was fed and tucked in she would go see the butcher.
For a few knuts at most, he would give her his scraps and spoiled bits of meat that no one would buy and she'd take them, along with a bag of millet to the park to feed the crows and pigeons and whatever else wanted feeding. She'd also do a bit of sketching if there was the light for it. Depending on the season, she would typically be home before dark; however, with winter descending upon Hogsmeade, the sun had sunk below the horizon before Eloise even left the park.
Cheerful and living in a warm and fuzzy world of her own creation half the time, she didn't really think about the murders. She'd not read about them as she didn't really have much access to the Daily Prophet and not many people bothered her with such dark things. True there was the rumor mill, but even then it was only a passing whisper. She had noticed that there seemed to be more people wandering around after dark but they seemed to be official sorts and nothing to worry about.
With her satchel slung over her shoulder and her only jacket on she looked just like any other young woman who had the misfortune to live in the slums. The only difference was that she hummed off key and seemed far more cheerful than anyone in her position had any right being. It was quite dark but for the street lamps by the time she slipped into the slums. One of the stray dogs that scampered about the neighborhood pranced about in front of her barking and prodded at her pockets until she gave his mangy head a pat and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose, giggling when she was rewarded with kisses. Someone shouted inside their home and there was a cough from down the street but Eloise wasn't bothered.
"Alright, Nigel you win. I saved you a little treat." She pulled her hands out of her pocket and with it a parchment paper package. All that was left from the meat scraps was a chunk of bone with a bit of marrow in it. She might have saved it for stew but scrawny as the mutt was and tenderhearted as Eloise could be, she held it up. "Now sit....siiiiit." When the mutt finally complied, she grinned and held out bone which he snapped up with a bit too much exuberance, nipping her fingers before darting off to whatever hole he lived in. "Ouch! Silly pup." Smiling, she tucked her hands back into her pockets and continued on her way.
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