The Impatient Man and His Suit

Warm Soup with Recluse

The grey lights shining through the windows were dim but still bright enough for my tender eyes and as Malfoy helped me out of the cellar, I blinked repeatedly until they adjusted to the exposure. In the doorway at the end of the stairs, the young girl manning the shop stared bewildered at both of our new appearances. I was sweaty, red, and squinting, while Malfoy was quite clean now, the only obstruction to his original appearance being the jumper he put on over his button-up.

We walked together, quickly, in the back alleyways and avoided the main streets until we got to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. Both of us were eager to leave the town due to our high profile and the anxiety of making it to the station in time. The sky was already a deep dark blue and winter shadows rose in place of the overcast glare. It was growing darker by the minute. Wastebaskets glittered from the rain and the discarded rubbish inside of them lost their shape from the moisture.

Malfoy continually looked over his shoulder every step of the way and for good reason. Behind us, while we stepped through the arch of separated bricks, a white flash followed a click, and I thought for a moment that we were being ambushed by our pursuers. It was, however, a photographer with his camera, hanging heavily by a strap around his neck, while he desperately tried to get a few snaps out of us. If I weren't shocked enough, having a blinding white light disable my eyes for a moment certainly did the job. Malfoy made no indication that he was bothered by it at all. That is until he pointed his wand at the man, sending the camera out of his hands and crashing into the wall beside him. It fell to pieces upon impact. I shook my head disapprovingly at the bewildered man while he brandished his fist, crying "I'll have you pay for that Draco Malfoy!"

Upon entrance and with great relief, we found Wensley asleep at the bar with her hand clamped around the handle of her mug. Next to her large head which rested comfortably on the wooden countertop, sat a little paper bag filled to the brim with postcards and pink stationery. I immediately set out to wake her and was greeted with tired eyes.

"Wensley we've got to go. We're going to miss the train if we don't hurry," I urged her, picking up the paper bag. Her head visibly weighed heavier on her shoulders from exhausted sleepiness, and I offered to help her into her coat as soon as she climbed down from the bar stool.

"I was—," she paused to yawn warmly, still slipping her arms into the little raincoat "—sleeping for so long."

"I'm sorry, that's perhaps my fault," I apologized.

Malfoy stood at the front of the building, looking out into the shadows which descended into the night. The rain suddenly began pounding down upon the roof of the pub and onto the old drafty windows, creating perspiration on the square panes. In this short moment of rushed time, I felt the most comfortable. The heat of the large fire burning and crackling in the great limestone hearth beside the bar warmed me, while the cold winter rain bit the dimming blue lights from the sky.

As Wensley and I quickly joined Malfoy at the door, he swung it open. I gave out a soft cry.

"I've forgotten the umbrella!"

After we all rushed out of the dreadfully cold rain and into the backseat of Simpkin's very expensive car, we set off to catch the train. Malfoy had told Simpkins quite harshly that we only had twenty-nine minutes until the train would set off without us, and with great haste, our chauffeur dropped his chips into his lap and focused on the wheel.

Outside, the sky swallowed any and all-natural light, leaving us in the dark artificial street-lamp glow of glossy central London. I gawked, happily admiring the fantastically picturesque night while we drove by tall apartment buildings and familiar stores from my childhood. I was enjoying these strange circumstances with a surreal focus. The red, orange, and blue aura of my home comforted me and sent warm chills throughout my body. I was incredibly tired considering that I hadn't had any sustenance since breakfast, and my energy was running low.