Northern Attitude
Theo gets to his feet quickly. I size up the man standing before us. He looks like a muggle, and dressed like one too. I frown. I had assumed we’d be working with wizards. He is gruff and old, with a thick grey moustache and worn leather boots. He wears a raggedy blue shirt with suspenders and muddy trousers. He glares at us as if we are a massive inconvenience in his day. Theo takes a tentative step forward.
“Hello sir… are you… that’s to say, do you know of… we were sent here by.. The ministry?” Theo speaks unconfidently, clearly not sure how much to reveal.
“Yes I know. Penance for your crimes. Your crimes against Muggle-borns.”
I sigh in relief. So he is a wizard.
“Got off fucking free for the torture and murder of innocent human beings. A fucking joke,” He growls thickly. I swallow. I’m not proud of what I did, but I did it to survive. My whole family did. And Theo…
“Sir, we’ve come straight from the sentencing here, halfway across the country. We’re hungry and tired and today has gone by so fast. We want to rest. You are our sponsor, correct?
“Yeah I’m yer sponsor. Get in.” He jerks his thumb at the cart parked towards the left of the street. I glance at the dilapidated frame incredulously. There’s no way I’m getting in that. Theo shares the same distasteful look.
“We couldn’t just apparate?” I scoff. The man’s eyebrows furrow and he scowls at me.
“No. We don’t use magic like that here. It’s a highly muggle-populated area and I don’t like to draw attention. Get in the cart or walk. Your choice.”
Great. I clamber gracelessly into the back of the cart which is covered with hay. There are two tiny benches nailed into the side that look as though they’re both about to fall off. Fucking wonderful. Theo grabs our luggage and I help him pile it in the corner. The horse attached to the front lets out a snort as Theo saunters past. He looks offended and gives the horse a dirty glare. Our grumpy sponsor climbs into the seat at the front of the cart and picks up the reins. The horse begins to walk off, lugging the cart behind it.
The ride is incredibly bumpy and uncomfortable. Theo and I sway in uncomfortable silence while the man directs the horse down cobble streets. Everything we pass is plain and Muggle. Boring rows of boring houses, horses and cows everywhere. Several muggles are in carts and there are several in strange metal carts that need no horse. I glance curiously at Theo. He isn’t watching our surroundings though. Theo’s gaze is firmly fixed on the back of our sponsor’s head.
“Theodore Nott.” Theo speaks suddenly and I start. The man says nothing in response. I shrug and Theo gestures at me, swirling his hand in indication that I should introduce myself as well. I sigh. He raises his eyebrows at me and I give in.
“Draco Malfoy. Pleased to meet you.” Silence greets us. Wonderful. I roll my eyes. “I guess he doesn’t feel like talking.”
“Whatever.” Theo stretches out and crosses his arms, closing his eyes.
We continue to travel down the cobbled streets in silence until we reach what seems to be the outskirts of the town. The road morphs into more of a beaten dirt road and the cart bumps along. We reach a stone bridge, spanning over a beautiful river. As we cross it, the man in the front finally speaks.
“Owen Heart.” He speaks gruffly.
“Good to meet you,” I say tonelessly.
“Sure.”
The cart rattles along in silence, over the bridge, down a dirt road, and eventually we break into a long stretch of fields and small hills. We pass a couple of farms and I crane my neck to get a good look at each, trying to prepare for what might greet us.
“These are all Muggle farms,” Mr. Heart explains. I glance around as we wobble by a stone-gated farm with horses in the front fields.
“So your farm, it’s a wizard farm?” Theo asks. I didn’t know he was awake.
“No. Look, I know you’re from London and you’re used to your Pureblood
bullshit, but here, we live with Muggles, we work with Muggles, and we live as Muggles. Hardly any of us use magic outside the farm. My daughter was a Half-Blood and her daughters are too- not that it fucking matters. They don’t use magic much.”
I mouth “oh sweet Salazar” to Theo and he chuckles.
“That being said, you are not supposed to be using magic while you’re here either,” Mr. Heart says sternly. My heart drops into my stomach.
“What??” I almost stand up but the sway of the cart sends me crashing back into the seat. “You have got to be having a laugh. There’s no fucking way-”
“I’m not joking with you Mr. Malfoy. No magic allowed. I’m supposed to collect your wands. You’ll get them back at the end of your sentence.”
“How are we supposed to live?” Theo fumes. I am feeling just as angry. How the fuck could the Ministry do this to us?
“You entitled brats will be just fine,” he grumbles, clearly irritated. I just gape at Theo. This has to be the stupidest punishment the Ministry could have come up with. Theo mouths wordlessly as the cart pulls off to the side of the road. A small gravel lane stretches ahead, flanked by a small cobblestone wall and an old wooden gate.
Mr. Heart snaps his fingers and the gate unlocks and opens by itself. We trundle through the gate. I glance at the scenery around us. A large field spans the length of the fence, several ponies are grazing on the grass near the lane. As we travel down the curved lane and past a grove of trees, a large rustic farmhouse looms to the left. The distinct red of the brick contrasts sharply with the green everywhere else. Several wood-paned windows glitter in the sunlight and my eyes are drawn to the massive chimney protruding from the grey shingled roof. I must admit the house is beautiful, if a little dilapidated.
The barn comes into view next, a large wooden structure, painted red and white. The enormous doors are open, and there’s hay. Everywhere. I catch a glimpse of a small field behind the barn, housing cows. There’s a gorgeous weeping willow tree that overlooks a large pond next to the barn. I smile in spite of myself, briefly remembering the Whomping Willow at Hogwarts.
I glance at Theo to see if he’s seen it, but find his eyes fixed upon the porch of the farmhouse. I follow his gaze and see a very tanned, black haired boy, wearing a plain white button shirt and grey trousers. Theo stares at him until the cart slowly rumbles to a stop and he slides a little on the bench, startling him out of his trance. I have the decency to pretend to find the shed to the left of the farmhouse incredibly fascinating.
Mr. Heart jumps from the cart seat and begins to fumble with the horse’s reins and ropes. Theo and I clamber out the back and he hands me my luggage. I glance around awkwardly.
“What now?” Theo asks to no one in particular. I glance around.
Mr. Heart is leading the horse over the paddock by the front gate with the other horses. We’ve stopped right beside the shed. I pick up my two suitcases and privately wish I had Starry here to vanish them. Theo clears his throat as Mr. Heart comes over, looking irritated. I’m starting to wonder if this man has experienced other emotions.
“Get your stuff, you’ll be sleeping in the loft. Follow me.”
I do as he says, ignoring the twitch in my jaw at having to carry my own bags. Theo walks briskly beside me, pointedly staring ahead at the barn as we pass the porch to the left. The man sitting on the steps looks up as we pass him.
“Afternoon Owen!” He calls, his Irish accent clear even from a distance.
Mr. Heart nods to him. We continue walking and I get a better view of the small lake. The water sparkles and glistens in the sunlight, algae and rocks lining the edge. The weeping willow sways in the light breeze, it’s shadowing looming over the bank of the pond. It’s long branches don’t quite reach the ground in places, in others they drag along the grass. I sigh. It looks beautiful there.
Mr. Heart stops in front of the barn. The double doors are slid open, revealing a long hallway lined with stalls. A small red pump stands in front of the barn. To the right of the barn, fences line a small area where the cows roam. I crinkle my nose as the smell of animals and manure hits me.
Mr. Heart strides into the barn and Theo and I follow.
“This is the barn. We have eight stalls,” he gestures with his arm, “and here is our tack room.”
I look over at the small room to the left. The inside of the barn is dusty but surprisingly cleaner than I thought. The stalls line the walls with a stone floor lane in the middle. Matching double doors lead out of the back of the barn to a small round pen, housing what looks like goats. Mr. Heart moves over to the side opposite the tack room door. A small wooden staircase greets us. We trudge up it, dragging our luggage.
The loft is a small, rickety space, with creaky floorboards and similar double doors that open to view the yard outside. Beneath the two dirt windows are beds, each small and uncomfortable looking. A singular dresser stands next to a sink and mirror opposite the staircase.
“Loo here,” says Mr. Heart, opening a beat up wooden door to reveal a cramped room with a toilet and dingy shower. I grimace.
“This is it?” Theo asks, a distinct note of disdain in his voice.
“Yeah, and you’ll be damn grateful for it. This isn’t a vacation Mr. Nott, you’re here to work. Get settled in and meet me outside for a tour in half an hour.” With that, he heads back down the staircase.
“Fucking Merlin he’s taking the piss. This cannot be where we’re staying.” Theo sounds flabbergasted, and I can’t blame him. Today has been a fucking whirlwind. Everything here is dirty and dingy and no place for two Pureblood heirs to be.
“We should’ve just paid off the goddamn lord justice!” Theo swears angrily.
“Look, we can’t do anything about it now,” I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. As I pull my hand away from my face, I catch another glimpse of my signet ring. I feel nauseous. This is an outrage for a Malfoy to be here.
I shake my head and gingerly approach the bed on the left. I poke at it cautiously before setting my cases down on it. Theo continues to grumble about the injustice of being forced to sleep in these conditions. I don’t say anything out loud, but I agree with him. It’s inhumane, forcing us to not use magic. And to stay here and work. Salazar, I’m dreading that.
Theo begins to unpack grudgingly. Once he’s finished, he flops down on his bed and watches as I put my things away. I throw him the rest of the candy Starry packed and he heartily wolfs it down. I grin. Of course candy improves his mood.
After half an hour, Theo and I reluctantly drag ourselves down the stairs and wait by the large barn doors. Five minutes later, Mr. Heart joins us. He begins to show us around the farm, pointing out a garden I didn’t see previously behind the cows. We walk around the farm as he explains the chores and daily routine.
“We have a farm-hand, but we’re happy to have the help. You’ll have plenty to do. We take care of the ponies, cows, goats, chickens, and dogs here. There’s two barn cats but they mostly keep to themselves. We grow our own hay and wheat, along with corn and pumpkins in the fall.”
“You and a farm hand do all that?” Theo asks.
“Of course not, I have two granddaughters and a son-in-law, though he doesn’t get off his ass long enough to do anything,” Mr. Heart mutters. He turns as the door to the farmhouse rattles. I turn as well and for some reason a wave of nerves hits me.
The girl jumps from the last two stairs, her ponytail swinging as she walks purposefully towards the barn. She holds a large fat chicken in her arms, it’s golden feather gleam in the setting sun. I track her path with my eyes barely hearing the words Mr. Heart speaks.
“That’s Iris. She’s got a big heart for all the animals. I think she prefers them to humans.”
Theo laughs beside me but I hardly notice. My eyes are fixed on the girl. Iris. She has a round face, with bright blue eyes. Her nose and cheeks are freckled and sun-kissed. I can’t help but stare at her ponytail that swings as she walks. She’s dressed plainly, a simple blue blouse that offsets her eyes perfectly and black jeans with a braided brown belt. Iris. It’s a beautiful name and I find it on my lips before I can stop myself.
“Iris…”
“Yes?”
Oh shit. She heard me. Of course she heard me, she was walking right past us. She has stopped and stares at me expectantly.
“I- um..” I can’t think. Words. What are words? I’m struck dumber than a flobberworm for some reason.
“Theodore Nott. And this idiot is my friend, Draco Malfoy.” Theo extends his hand towards her, only to realise there’s a very large chicken in her arms. He blushes and she rolls her eyes slightly.
“Okay anyways, Milo was feeling poorly, but she’s better after the lettuce.”
It takes me a second to understand she isn’t talking to me, but to Mr. Heart. About the chicken in her arms. He nods and I check out of the conversation until Theo elbows me in the ribs.
“What’s your deal? You look more spaced out than an Inferius.”
“Nothing. I’m fine,” I respond, annoyed. As Iris leaves us and heads towards the barn, I thank Merlin for Theo having the decency to find the shed across the yard very, very interesting.