The Boy at Borgin & Burkes
Edith watched as her friends squinted, their eyes adjusting to the dim light of the Sinclair entrance hall. Despite the August day being cooler and cloudier than what was familiar to them, the sun still poked through wispy clouds as if to remind earths inhabitants he did not yet wish to disappear.
The Sinclair's, still enjoying their breakfast, were promptly surprised by the debut of a bulky, plain faced, muggle-born girl, an air of confidence and rash about her as she eagerly greeted Edith's family. Bonnie was then followed by two well-bred girls, Walburga and Druella, graciously shaking the hands of the disgruntled Sinclair's, who had only just been disturbed from breakfast by Bonnie. The two girls were able to quickly resolve the disturbance, as they effortlessly charmed and delighted Edith's family. Tobias followed in behind, shutting the door behind him like a gentleman.
"What lovely friends you have Edith dear, and what a handsome young man you're courting." Her grandmother proclaimed, though she seemed to avoid fixing her gaze anywhere near Bonnie, occasionally glancing at her two daughters as if to say 'speak of the devil'.
"No grandmother- it's not like that, we're just friends."
All too suddenly, the time for niceties thankfully culminated, as Edith's mother quickly shot up from her gothic seat, grabbing her purse and bidding farewell to her guests and family. "Meeting will start soon. I'll see you later." The door shutting promptly behind her.
Aunt Anaïs and Edith's Grandmother did not take the pleasure of staying much longer, and quietly left the dining hall shortly after the departure of her mother, not feeling up to the task of small talk with their relative's peculiar friend. Of course, the Sinclair's could simply ignore the elephant in the room and plainly chew the rag with young Edith's more favourable companions, however, the Sinclair's decided it was more trouble than what it was worth and took their leave.
The group sat alone in the room, with only silence and themselves as company. It seemed strange that they could not muster up an ounce of conversation, other than small pleasantries here and there, despite being apart all summer.
"Looks like my quidditch dreams are over." Bonnie interrupted the silence.
"Before they even begun you mean." Druella snarled back.
Bonnie rolled her brown wide-set eyes. "Tryouts, for the team. They were open, so off I went." Bonnie inhaled, replaying the tale in her mind "Moment I got there, I was sent straight back, they don't take girls on the Slytherin team." She sighed longingly.
Walburga snickered, "Of course they don't, the boys want a strong team don't they? Besides Bon-Bon, playing quidditch, mounting the handle of a broomstick, it's hardly ladylike." She continued "In fact it's almost scandalous, for a young lady to be so crude and boisterous. Better off just leaving it to the lads."
Bonnie scoffed "You should know me well enough now to realise that keeping up an impression of grace and decorum doesn't concern me at all?"
Tobias groaned "Agh the missed opportunities, think of all the boys, Orion's on the team" he sighed dreamily as his head fell back.
"Stop fawning over my cousin you degenerate. Ack!" Walburga rolled her eyes.
Their giggles reverberated through the thin walls, whilst stories and tales gathered across the summer, were shared. Druella recalled to them how the previous week she had gotten into trouble with a gaggle of goblins, something regarding a bet her brothers had with the creatures. This seemed to amuse the group as the atmosphere in the great dark room for the rest of the morning reflected the weather, which now left the house and surrounding countryside sun-kissed, as the slender clouds freed the sun from his air borne cage.
~
The passage of time went on swiftly and now they had resorted to the most sacred branch of gossip, boys.
"So, Walbie how's Abraxas? OOH- OOH- or Tooooommmmm?" Tobias remarked with a giggle. Perking the immediate interest and attention of the room.
In a piercingly quick turn, Walburgas entire demeanour shifted. An eruption had begun, the sound had just not yet reached their ears.
"My love life is not of your concern." Almost playfully, the emotion reflecting upon her face, her pink lips creeped into a smirk as she listened. "And besides you can shut up about Thomas, sure he's handsome and dreamy, but I think we can all agree he's a no-name creep when it all comes down to it. Right?"
"Well, I suppose he's not exactly the type of boy we'd take home to our fathers, he may be charming and handsome and all, but I think he's a mudblood. That's why Abraxas doesn't like him. He's got no status." Druella joined in.
Tobias moaned, "Who cares about his status when he's oh so dark and handsome, my mysterious boy." The rest of the girls held back gags.
Walburga started "Abraxas been writing to me all summer, about how he longs for me, how beautiful I am, how he cannot wait to lay his eyes upon me again.. but-"
Green flames erupted into the room from the leaden Victorian fireplace. Decorated tiles of occult mosaic organised from beneath the tenebrous mantelpiece, down to the base of the dated bespoke structure. Emerald sparks flew off the black marble hearth, the girls alarmed faces reflecting with a shimmer. A robust bellied character emerged from beyond the grate, brushing off soot from his long dark robes.
Two dark, sunken, sleep-deprived eyes, a receding hairline that flew so far up the forehead it surely hadn't met the beholders face in many years, there stood Edith's father. He sported a vast gastric region which a comically round shape. He looked as though he may once have had a hearty endearing nature, but now stood before them upon the threshold, hunchbacked and lethargic.
"Father! You're home, we weren't expecting you until supper." Edith beamed.
"Yes, busy day at the Department of Mysteries. No matters of which I can speak of, of course."
He spoke in a disinterested tremble. "Ah, are these your dear friends? Pleasure to see you girls, don't mind me, won't intrude on you any longer, I'll leave you to it!" He added again in a shallow shaky sing-song.
Before she could protest, he vanished beyond the dark-wash oak door into the shadowy hall.
"Well, I think that calls for our trip to Diagon Ally!" Tobias sang. Walburga rushed up at once, patting the dust off her neat blouse and clutching her purse at the ready.
Bonnie rose, a dissatisfactory look upon her face as she examined the frugally emptied bag of Floo Powder. "Will this be enough to get us to Diagon alley? I'm not so used to the Floo Network you see."
"Don't be foolish Bonnie-kins" Walburga snarled, patronisingly, "it will be just fine, it's as you said, you just aren't used to our ways, just leave it to me."
The girls gathered around the fire, Druella stepping into the sooty portal of flames first, ensuring her comfortable position of not being last to go.
Walburga shoved Tobias forward "Ladies first." She cackled. Tobias rolled his eyes as he pinched the powder, disappearing instantaneously.
"Well, I'll go next, you know how Ellie gets when she's too long without me." Walburga stood forward, her thin white hand reaching into the pouch, clutching a generous amount of the silky powder. "See you there" she smirked malevolently.
Next was Bonnie, grabbing a thin streak of the powder from the satin pouch, envy green flames enclosing around her figure as she was pulled up into the fireplace. "I really hope this is going to work."
Finally, Edith stepped up to the dreary furnace, scraping the fine layer of powder that was left in the near empty pouch.
"Merlin's beard, if this can get me to Diagon Ally." Lifting her feet onto the grate, she was suddenly submerged into a kaleidoscope of greens and blues, pressed against the tightening invisible walls. She felt her heaving body stretch as she was transported from dimension to dimension. A tremendous buzzing catapulted her ears.
Then, the sensation was over, as her body was flung against a cold crisp hardwood floor, her face pressed against the grot and grime. She felt around around and attempted to pull herself up from the floor.
....
"Unfortunately miss, the floor is not for sale." Said a cold yet charming voice. Edith lifted herself up from the dusty ground, turning to face the unknown speaker.
Handsome dark curls wrapped around the pale forehead of a tall slim boy. A face that could have been carved only by Aphrodite herself. The boy had deep green eyes, which incapsulated her gaze, swallowing her heart whole.
A cunning grin crept upon his lips as he tended to the stock beneath the till, a grin which Edith was not sharp enough to catch.
The ominous establishment could be described only as a haunt Edith imagined was frequently attended by dark wizards and those of the sort. The shop was riddled with various dark magical artefacts and peculiar wares.
"What kind of a store is this?" Edith exclaimed, a tremble in her tone.
"You're in Borgin and Burkes miss, I presume this is news to you?" He smirked with a cruel demeanour.
"Oh Merlin's grave! I knew there wasn't enough! Wal, when I catch you!" Edith thought to herself, gazing up and down at the shop attendant, of course a boy as peculiar and mysterious as this one would be working here.
The young man continued to tend to his wares, as Edith navigated her way around the curious establishment, although something inside her wanted to catch another glimpse of the boy, as if there was a magnetic field pulling her closer to him, she traversed across the shop floor towards the door until she felt a cold light grasp upon her shoulder.
"Not leaving before viewing our 12th century engraved goblets are we?" His electrifying voice halted her stride. He placed a firm grip around Edith's shoulder, his other arm extending towards the mysterious merchandise that filled the wooden shelves. Edith tugged herself carefully away from the boy, proceeding towards the door of the old shop.
The cold hand of the boy wrapped very loosely around her wrist, turning Edith away from the door, "or perhaps, you're interested in the hand of glory, it gives light only to the bearer." He added, eyes remaining in deep contact.
"No thank you. I really need to find my friends now." She powered off once more towards the door, hoping the shop boy would take no for an answer. Quickly glancing from the corner of her eye, Edith caught sight that the boy had continued to his wares. She let out a slight sigh of relief, but her peace was shortly brought to a halt as she lifted back the handle of the bedraggled door and was only inches away from another body.
"Watch where you're going young lady"
Edith felt her nostrils close up as a gruff, towering, old man arrogantly blocked the exit of the shop, legs stood shoulder width apart and hairy scarred arms crossed.
The bearded old wizard sized young Edith up and confirming his prey, closed in towards her, advancing on the out-of-place girl that had found herself in the unfortunate situation of being in Borgin & Burkes when she should have been with her friends in Diagon Alley.
"Let me through sir." Edith said, attempting to be stern, but the sound that escaped her lips came across as more of a whimper.
The man let out a dry, throaty sneer, Edith gulped and felt her body step backwards, as the man further advanced towards her, his scaly, calloused hands harshly grabbing both of Edith's slender wrists. Edith let out a yelp of pain as she struggled to pull herself away from the towering old warlock.
"I suggest you remove your hands from the young lady sir or I will have to ask you to leave." A familiar voice swam back to her ears.
The charming face that graced her presence had turned to solemnity.
"Aye, I'll put my hands where I want them." The gruff chesty voice challenged the young man, then turned his attention to Edith. "What's a pretty little girl like yourself wandering down here anyway, must be looking for trouble eh?"
He added in a crude tone, smirking as his scaly white tongue curled over his chapped lips. Bloodshot eyes looked Edith's small body up and down. The man's harsh grip increased quickly as his hands gravitated towards her feeble neck, unable to repel it.
A flash of green light and a bang surrounded her pounding ears. Taking no note of the spell-caster as she enjoyed the freedom of her now throbbing sore neck and rushed off into the open street, stepping over the man whose large body now lay struggling on the ground. The cold air gushed onto the back of her neck and her feet met the chilling cobblestone. Then, her head took a backwards swerve and her eyes met those of the devilishly handsome shop attendant, wand-a grasp.
~~~~~chapter end~~~~~ ~~~