The time quest

Diagon and Steven

Tom couldn't sleep. The bed felt too soft. His room was too big. 

He had tried everything but nothing seemed to work. Only when he saw sunlight start to peek out through the windows did he realize how much time he had spent tossing and turning. Sleepless nights weren't unusual. He had them all the time at the orphanage, but the reason for which he couldn't sleep had changed drastically.  He wasn't scared anymore, he was in disbelief. 

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Holly was in the kitchen working on some pancakes, breakfast was the only food she could make without burning. She had music playing out throughout the house, notes bouncing off the halls that were doing wonders for the acoustics of the concerto. 

She'd never really been the classical music type, but there weren't too many appealing options available in the '40s. She couldn't wait for her favourite artists to start emerging, she might even be able to meet them if she played her cards right.

She saw Tom approach with careful steps towards her, his eyes scanning, looking around for the source of the music.

He didn't find it. 

What he did find was the stack of pancakes in front of her.

"I thought Kippy said you hated cooking?" Tom asked with his head slightly tilted to the side questioningly.

"Not breakfast I don't. Do you want some?" She didn't wait for an answer and piled on way too many pancakes onto his plate. He took the fork she had laid out for him and poked it questioningly. Seemingly satisfied with his prodding he took a bite and his eyes went wide.

"What's wrong Tom, do you want something else?"

He took a few seconds to swallow before answering, "No, no it's just really good! What is it?"

Oh, the poor dear, he'd never had pancakes! Holly gave him a soft smile and explained to him what pancakes were and the conversation quickly turned towards other breakfast foods. Holly could only end the conversation by promising she'd make him waffles the following morning.

Tom got what he wanted and Holly was certain that it wouldn't be the last time. Damn those puppy eyes. She knew it was in Tom's nature to be manipulative but she didn't expect it this young. She sighed, some things never change.

"I am taking you shopping today Tom, you need new things." He nodded looking a little surprised if the widening of his eyes was any indicator. "Are we going to do the teleportation thing again?"

"Yes, Tom unless you don't like it?"

"No, it's really fun!" Fun ? Holly didn't think that anyone she had ever met had considered apparition fun especially not after the first time. The general opinion was that it was a necessary evil and that it got better over time and that if you got away without any queasiness you were very lucky. 

But then again, Tom isn't normal, she has to remind herself of that fact more and more now that she starts to interact with him regularly.

"Ok then? You can go get ready were leaving in twenty minutes" He nodded furiously, an excited look on his face and took off towards his room. Locating the bathroom was more difficult than expected, he had gotten lost on the way, distracted by the moving portraits that waved at him and the sheer amount of books lining the walls. He hadn't thought that many books even existed. 

The bathroom had finally been located with the help of a particularly gaudy portrait of a man who said his name was Ignotus. Once he had stopped investigating all the different soaps and evaluating the unnatural softness of the towels he cleaned himself up as much as he could, using way too much of the smelliest soap available because it just smelled so good. He changed into clean clothes that appeared next to him right when he was about to put on his old clothes. They were in his favourite colour, green, and he wondered how Holly could have guessed.

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Holly could smell him before he even got close. It seems that he'd discovered the soap cabinet. Smiling, she cast a wandless spell so that the smell would lessen without Tom noticing.

He took her hand and asked her how she knew that green was his favourite colour, she just winked and smiled, whispering something about it being a lucky guess.

And with that, she apparated them both in front of the leaky cauldron.

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The street was busier than it was last time they were here, Tom thought as he let Holly walk him towards the door of the same pub where they had had lunch previously. They had already eaten breakfast, so he didn't know why they were going there. But still, he let Holly lead him through the front door, towards the back where there was only a brick wall with a couple of barrels on either side of it.

Then the craziest thing happened, the wall opened up and made way for one of the most chaotic scenes he'd ever seen. Diagon Alley, or at least that's what he thought Holly said it was called.  He was so distracted that he barely heard her when she was talking to him.

All-day long he kept getting distracted by cool trinkets. The only times he was fully concentrated on the task at hand was when Holly added him to her bank account at Gringotts and now, when he was faced with, the seemingly hardest decision he's ever had to make picking a pet.

Holly seemed to think that his dilemma was funny, she was laughing at him!

"Are you sure I can't take all of them?" He asked with the same puppy eyes he pulled this morning, only this time she was ready for it and stuck with what she had said before."No Tom, you can only pick one." He pouted and she laughed some more at his expense.

Only when he spied a black snake in the back did his face light up and he proclaimed, "Holly, I want this one please" She nodded but said, "don't you think we should ask if it wants to come home with us first?" Tom lit up,  just remembering that he could actually ask the snake that.

(~  means parseltongue)    

~Hello, my friend would you want to come home with me and Holly?~

~A speakerrr! Yes, take me from this place it'sss always too loud in here~

"Holly! He said yes!" Bouncing up and down. Holly smiled brightly at him, "That's great Tom! Let's pay for him and go home"

Once that was done Holly apparated them back home. 

"What are you going to name him Tom?" Holly asked, curious as to what he would come up with.

" His name is Steven Holly" He looked at her like she was the stupidest person ever. Even "Steven" was shaking his head like she was stupid for not knowing.

"Well then, supper will be ready at 6 you and Steven can go play in the meantime."

"Thanks Holly!" He ran up to her and gave her a hug.

She watched him leave with a smile on her face.

Today was a good day.

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AN: Hey everyone I'm so sorry it took so long to update but here is a longer one. The plot will really start developing more next chapter and we will see more of other characters. Thank you to everyone who has read and voted. 

You're the best

Love, Willow<3