[TTD] Far From Home [Piper]

Diagon Alley was a nightmare.  Overcrowded and loud; it was unbearable.  Lenny knew he shouldn’t have come.  It was Christmas season and the shoppers were voracious.  Everyone had a slightly harassed look about them as they hurried to-and-fro.  The fifteen-year-old stumbled through the crowd with his head down and his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched uncomfortably.  He was only there because he had no other option – or at least no good options.  Desperation kept his feet plodding along the street even when the vice grip of anxiety closed up his throat and made it hard to breathe. 

It was a relief when he reached his destination and stepped into the relatively quiet interior of the shop.  The young wizard swallowed nervously before shuffling his way over to the counter.  Fishing through the junk in his pockets (mostly quills and crumpled pieces of paper), Lenny pulled out an intricately engraved pocket-watch.  It was an antique, made with fine craftsmanship and materials.  Once it had belonged to his grandfather and he suspected it was an heirloom of the family.  It was valuable – or at least so he hoped, because Lenny needed the money.

“I… I’d like to sell this.”  He choked out the words and handed over the watch for inspection.  His nan wouldn’t want him to sell it, but if she were in any fit state to stop him, he wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.  He had never known his grandfather but doubted he would have begrudged Lenny this if it meant having food in the pantry. 

The old man behind the counter eyed Lenny suspiciously in his threadbare and mismatched clothing.  The fifteen-year-old was clearly nervous and couldn’t stop fidgeting.  His eyes flickered uneasily around the room as he waited.  Altogether he did not present a very trustworthy image.  When the shopkeeper started asking a series of pointed questions about the watch, Lenny knew that something was wrong.  His instincts screamed at him to get out – now!

“Sorry, Sir.  I think I’ve changed my mind.  I don’t want to sell it.”  He reached out to take back the watch but the old man held it away.  Lenny froze, unsure what to do.  He really wanted to leave, however, without the watch he didn’t have anything else of value to sell.  “I didn’t steal it!”  He blurted out abruptly.  “I promise.  Please.  Just give it back.”  The shop keep smiled and placed the watch up on a high shelf behind him before telling Lenny just to stay put while he contacted someone from the Ministry.  Mouth dropping open, Lenny felt anger and fear flood through him.  The absolute last thing he needed was Ministry officials asking questions about him.  They would want to talk to his parents, his gran…  No!  He couldn’t let that happen. 

Lenny bit his lip hard and then made himself shift into action.  As the old man turned away, Lenny took out his wand.  “Accio!”, he cried and the watch flew into his hand.  Spinning on his heel he ran, wrenched open the door and then kept running down the street.  Fear leant him speed as he weaved haphazardly through the crowd, bumping into shopping bags and boxes.  There was no knowing how much trouble he would be in if he was caught.  He’d just used underage magic!  Lenny didn’t stop running – until the laws of physics stopped him.

Colliding bodily with a large man as he came around a corner, Lenny was sent sprawling to the ground.  The man, similarly thrown onto his backside, was visibly furious.  He started to yell, little bits of spittle flying from his mouth.  Lenny scrambled to his feet and was horrified to realise that his watch had slipped from his hand.  Spotting it in a scattered pile of belongings on the ground, he stooped, scooped it up and hurried on down the street.  Noticing a gap in a nearby barrier, he ducked behind it to catch his breath.  Within moments a new voice, a female voice, called out to him, asking if he was lost.  Feeling panicked, Lenny was struck mute.  Looking around he saw that he was in a large open space, which had been cordoned off with ropes into smaller spaces, within which people were gathered in huddles.  A large board below a clock displayed names and times.  None of it made any immediate sense to Lenny, nor did the pile of junk that was laid out to one side. 

A cry of “Thief! Thief!” could be heard from the street.  Looking down at his hands, Lenny was horrified to realise he had picked up something else with his grandfather’s watch.  Some kind of ticket?.  He raised it to look at, dumbstruck by what he had accidentally done, while the uniformed woman who had called out to him made her way over.  Noticing the ticket, she gasped.  “Quick, quick!  C’mon.  Move it.  Hurry!”  She urged him, looking flustered, busy and in no mood for arguments.  He allowed her to steer him over to one of the huddled groups of people.  They shifted to make room for him and Lenny was still so stunned by the events of the last few minutes that he didn’t protest as someone grabbed his hand and put it on a battered old umbrella.  A portkey.  It was a portkey.  Lenny’s mind sluggishly supplied after a moment. 

“No!  Wai-“  Lenny tried to pull away but it was too late.  He felt the hook behind his navel, a pushing pulling sensation, and then he was being bodily dragged to a new location.  On the other side he landed roughly and fell to his knees.  Someone nearby grabbed him by the elbow and helped him to his feet.  Oh Merlin, where am I?  The young wizard gaped around in confusion.  He couldn’t read the signs which were clearly in another language.  Not England then.  Panic threatened to overcome all of his senses but he fought to maintain rational control over his mind.  He needed to figure out where he was and how to get home.  Another child might have run straight to the nearest adult to ask for help.  Lenny, however, was distrustful of most adults and used to taking care of things on his own.  Yet how was he going to get out of this one by himself?

Maybe he could at least ask someone where he was?  That seemed pretty harmless and a good place to start.  Making his way away from the landing zone, Lenny looked around for someone approachable.  He felt too nervous to speak to any large groups of people so he sought out individuals.  Unfortunately, his first couple of attempts did not go too well.  A young man reading a book simply snorted derisively at Lenny’s enquiry and turned away.  An old lady had stared at him blankly, clearing not understanding a word he was saying.  That was the reaction he seemed to get the most.  He began to lose hope.  Then as he was passing by a pretty witch with black hair, Lenny thought he heard her say something in English.  He paused and then hesitantly approached her.  “Sorry to bother you Miss…”  Lenny unconsciously wrung his hands.  “But could you by any chance tell me where I am?”

@Piper Morel

Label Magazine did not normally do work retreats and really for very good reason. Though it employed some of the most creative and talented minds in the business where fashion was concerned, it was also a safe haven for very eclectic minds that often had a hard time working with others. Part of Piper’s responsibility at Label was to make sure that the petty disagreements and the creative differences did not interfere with the vision of the magazine and did not halt production. This also meant that as the junior editor, she had much say in what she would and would not tolerate, oftentimes making her the enemy of the entire department if not the entire building. Personally, Piper was not affected by the lack of admiration from others, in fact she believed that having a common enemy was good for morale. After all, it was much easier to get along if everyone hated the same person and though she assumed they talked behind her back when she was not in the room, at least they did so by working together and giving her a product she could then perfect before showing her boss.

However, after news of a possible merger with a male fashion magazine lowered the morale of the team, her boss had suddenly decided that an all expense trip to Bilbao would somehow ease over the tension and allow both sides to come together and find something to talk about. Needless to say, it was a completely disaster. Not only had her boss not felt compelled to travel along but had practically rented a palatial villa in the middle of the countryside with expectations that everyone would somehow magically get along. As usually, everyone gravitated towards their usual companions, whispering and throwing death glares at the other side of the room as if there was a justification for being so childish. Nevertheless, as the common enemy, Piper stood along the sidelines, enjoying the solitude she finally had to herself. The palatial estate was much in the likeness of a museum, large and ostentatious but also beautifully decorated by paintings and portraits of Spanish artists. Piper had heard that it once belonged to one of the financial backers of the magazine who used the space as a way to collect art and impress women. One day, Piper thought, she would own such beautiful things herself and when the magazine was smart enough to give her the promotion she so rightfully deserved, she would buy something like this in the middle of nowhere to enjoy the quiet.

Piper’s self-imposed exile, however, did not last long and before she had a chance to properly put her feet up and enjoy the next three or four days of the semi-vacation she had earned, her colleagues sought her out to complain extensively about the merger and about how the men’s magazine employees were not only underqualified but knew nothing about fashion. “Then I’d be in their best interest to learn,” she shrugged nonchalantly, pouring herself a glass of wine as she slipped her ridiculously high heels back on. Piper did not like it when others looked down upon her so she felt the need to level the playing field with height of her own, even if provided by a pair of rather uncomfortable shoes, “Half of them haven’t even arrived yet, maybe the early ones are the idiots and the others will be much more pleasant,” she offered, her statement met with a rolling of eyes and audible sighs. “Shoo, shoo,” she said suddenly, waving her hand at them rudely, “I’m not interested in being any of your mums, go out there and make friends or leave the company, it’s your choice,” she added, her tone light but her threat firm. It was utterly ridiculous for a professional, creative genius or not, to believe that they could get ahead in the world by refusing to work with others. Of course, she failed to see the irony in such thoughts. Taking a generous sip from her glass of wine, Piper watched the door frame into the house menacingly, her shoulders dropping and a sigh leaving her lips once they were finally out of earshot.

“I need to get out of here before they come looking again,” she muttered to herself, returning to her room to change into something a little more comfortable, but very unwilling to part with her high heeled sandals, she apparated to the nearest town, Spain and summer time fashion seemed like an ideal topic and somehow she felt that her boss would be happy to hear that she was working instead of clearing all of the bottles of wine in the cellar like her colleagues. Piper wandered down the cobblestone streets, enamored of the dainty image that a place like this particular part of Spain left in mind. She had visited with her father in the past, distant relatives living in Barcelona would often take them here, claiming that it was unlike any other part of Spain. Though Piper had never had the pleasure to have such an extended vacation, she understood such sentiment. Finding her way onto one of the high fashion streets, Piper decided to do a little shopping. Spotting a pair of delight and ridiculously high heels in the window of a small boutique, she peered closer into the window until a man emerged from the shop with a smile.

“Good afternoon, miss, need help?” he asked in heavily accented English, reaching in to take the shoes from the display to show her closer. Piper smiled politely, taking her large sunglasses and propping them on the top of her head to push her hair back. It was sweltering outside but Piper could barely notice. “Yes, do you carry them in another color?” she asked suddenly without hesitation, the man looking at her puzzled as he did not expect such a question. Laughing at her mistake, she switched over to Euskara. “I’m rather rusty in Euskara so I apologize,” she started slowly, the man smiling widely, “But I would love these in blue if you have them,” she continued and the man nodded, asking her to wait for a moment as he retrieved them from the back after taking a good look at her feet and guessing her size correctly. Piper was mildly impressed. 

Entertained by the other shoes in the window, Piper jumped slightly when a stranger approached her, turning in his direction when she heard him speak to her. “…in Madariaga, looks like number 36,” she offered, pointing at the sign above the shop’s door. “They don’t speak a lot of English ‘round here, you know, or Spanish really, in this side of town,” she continued, “you know how to get back to your hotel? Your mum must be worried,” she added, her expression serious. Normally, she couldn’t care less and Bilbao was not particularly dangerous but Piper felt a little bad for him. No one enjoyed being lost. “If you go down that way and turn right,” she gestured towards the end of the street, “You’ll run into all the major hotels,” she continued.

Madariaga?  That didn’t mean anything to Lenny at all.  However, he obligingly glanced at the shop sign and nodded.  “Oh, thanks.”  The lady was being nice enough but unfortunately little of what she was saying was of any help to him.  He started to chew on his lip in worry.  The issue of figuring out what country he was in started to started to seem a bit redundant since he didn’t know any foreign languages anyway, no Spanish and definitely no whatever else it was they used here.  His chest felt tight and achy.  Under the woman’s serious gaze, he shrank in on himself and couldn’t help flinching at the words – ’your mum must be worried’. 

His mum, his dad – they weren’t really a part of his life.  They wouldn’t fret about where he was or what he was up to.  There was no one to miss Lenny.  No one would wonder at his disappearance.  That’s a bit unfair, Lenny scolded himself.  Toph would probably be concerned if he didn’t come home for dinner.  Yet he doubted that the old house elf, as close as they were, would come looking for him.  Caring for Lenny’s gran took precedence over everything else, even Lenny himself.  Besides, could Toph even find him here?  The fifteen-year-old didn’t dare hope.  No, Lenny was on his own. 

“Oh, thanks.  That’s…”  He tried to smile as she gave him directions to the nearest hotels.  “Thank you, Miss.”  Lenny inclined his head politely.  Even under the circumstances he wouldn’t forget his manners.  He wasn’t much better off than he had been before speaking with the lady but he didn’t feel like he should impose on her further.  “Have a good day, Miss.  I’ll be…”  He turned away but hesitated as a wave of hopelessness washed over him.  He was scared and lost and far from home.  “I’ll be alright.” 

But would he?

Lenny cringed.  He hated to be a bother but how long might he go before finding someone else around who spoke English?  He couldn’t expect to just stumble across what he needed.  The young wizard didn’t believe in luck (unless it was bad).  It was terrifying enough being in a strange place – without having to contemplate what he would do if he couldn’t find a way home before night time.  Lenny didn’t want any trouble but had to admit to himself that it was probably too late for that; he was already up the creek without a paddle.  It seemed like he was going to have to take a risk and ask for help. 

“Ummm, actually…”  He began uneasily, as he turned back around.  It was hard to talk around the lump in his throat but he tried his best, hoping that he didn’t mumble his words too much.  “If it’s not too much trouble, would you be able to tell me where the nearest port-key office is?”  That seemed like a harmless enough question.  Yet it had occurred to him that finding a portkey was only a small part of the dilemma he was facing.  How much would a ticket even cost?  Probably way more than he had on him.  Lenny was painfully aware that he only had about one sickle and a couple of knuts in his pocket.  On top of that, he didn’t even know if that was acceptable currency here.  He took a deep breath and attempted to explain his problem.  The words poured out in a rush.  “It was an accident.  I'm not supposed to be here.  I need to… I need to get back to London.  And the thing is Miss…  I’m sorry to even mention it Miss but…  You see…  I ah…”  Lenny couldn’t bring himself to ask outright.  He stared at his shoes as he commented, “I don’t know if I have the money to get home.”

“I’m not a beggar!”  He quickly blurted, feeling highly uncomfortable with even the suggestion of charity.  “I’ll work for it.  Or I could…  I could…”  What could Lenny offer in exchange for directions and monetary assistance?  He dug in his pockets and felt the smooth cool texture of metal under his fingers.  “I could give you this?”  He held out the old antique pocket watch for her to see.  “It’s mine.  I swear.”  He added hastily, remembering the earlier encounter with the shop keeper.  “I didn’t steal it.  It used to belong to my grandad but he’s gone.”  Lenny did his best to look genuine.  He was genuine but it might be difficult for a stranger to see that past his nervousness.  “Please Miss.”  He pleaded with an edge of desperation to his voice.  “I think it’s worth something.  Sorry, it’s all I’ve got.”

Even though Piper would have sworn that she had not one maternal bone in her body, she somehow felt a little disgruntled by the fact that a parent would allow their child to wander about in this sort of confusion. She looked at him curiously; he had good bone structure, a little plain but in a very promising way, had the circumstances been different she might have scouted him herself. She was unsure of how old he was but he could not have been that experienced in life if he was wandering around so helplessly. But then again, Piper was well traveled and was very particular about the whole tourist experience. Not one to be unprepared, Piper could not see herself traveling in this way wandering about the streets hoping to find someone that spoke her language in order to communicate. However at her age such behavior was expected, maybe her assumptions were a little unfair.

“No problem, you’ve thanked me enough, just be careful, ” she responded curtly, pleased that he had manners and was capable of using them, at least his parents had taught him that much. Turning her attention to the shoes, she was delighted as the man returned with the pair, taking only a moment before telling him she would not take one pair but three. She took out her wallet, counting off the currency before handing him the money and thanking him for his time. However as she returned her wallet to her purse the boy called to her again, causing her to pause for a moment as he spoke. “The nearest portkey?” she wondered for a moment, turning her attention to the store owner again as she asked him in Euskara. “He says it’s right down the opposite way, near a—” she attempted to explain but before she could figure out how to translate the man’s words into English, the boy suddenly continued with his tale, the words just pouring out of his mouth without hesitation.

“When you say you’re not a beggar it’s a little hard to believe you, ey?” she offered with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder and gripping it slightly. “Calm down, take a breath, it isn’t the end of the world,” she said slowly, gesturing her hand to take a breath with him and encouraging him to take a breath with her. “It happens, I don’t want to know how you got a portkey into Bilbao but really it isn’t that big of a deal,” she said as casually as she could. Piper would not have forgiven herself had she made such a grave mistake. But somehow this entire situation was a little entertaining for her, more so because there was a solution to it and it was much better than being stuck in a house with those dreadful colleagues of his. Looking down at the pocket watch she shook her head and closed his hand, “I haven’t any use for a pocket watch, anyway it’s yours, you swear,” she teased him a little. “I suppose should we meet in the future I could put you to work in exchange for the portkey money,” she continued, though her tone was a little lighthearted.

Extending her hand in his direction, she smiled brightly. “I’m Piper Morel, junior editor at Label Magazine and your savior,” she said before bursting out in laughter. “No, but really, if you want to work for the money carry these until we get to the station, and be careful that’s precious cargo you’re carrying,” she added, thrusting the bag of shoes in his direction as she oriented herself around the place. “Let’s head in this direction, he mentioned they’d be a sign this way,” she offered. “Anyway, it’s a pity you aren’t taking a look around Bilbao, it’s a beautiful place but I s’pose one doesn’t think of travel when they’re lost,” she continued, taking in the architecture as she slowly made her way in the general direction of the portkey office. At least she’d get a bit off the beaten track and see something different, for some reason helping this perfect stranger was starting to feel very rewarding. Who knew that Piper was capable of helping anyone?

Lenny tried not to squirm when the lady touched his shoulder.  He understood that she was trying to be comforting but he was just a bit used to physical contact, especially from someone he didn’t know.  Still he followed her lead and took a few deep breaths.  After a minute he did relax a little, mostly because he was relieved that she didn’t have any follow up questions.  It seemed like she wasn’t going to dob him in to the authorities and was evidently completely unfazed by his dilemma.  It must be nice to be such a self-assured adult, he thought.  Lenny was a bit embarrassed that he hadn’t been able to handle this on his own.  He liked to think that he was a lot more capable (because he had to be).  However, he wasn’t feeling too well and ending up in a foreign country had been quite a curve ball (none of his contingency planning had ever included Bilbao).

It was both a relief and a concern when she declined to take the watch.  Lenny was glad to keep it but didn’t fancy the idea of owing anyone anything.  He was the kind of boy who liked to pay or earn his own way.  Growing up, he’d heard his father make many promises to pay people back, only to never do so.  But I’m not like that!  Lenny was determined to be nothing like his dad.  The debt was going to hang heavy on his conscience until it was repaid. 

When she offered a proper introduction, he diligently took her hand and shook it; gently though, for she was a lady and it would never do for a gentleman to be too rough or eager.  “Leonard Hardy.  Ummm, Gryffindor.”  He replied awkwardly, unsure why he had mentioned his house and feeling a bit ashamed for doing so.  Lenny knew he wasn’t a great example of Gryffindor traits and hoped she wouldn’t judge him on that.  “At your service, Miss Morel.”  Then he gave a little bow, mainly because he couldn’t think of anything else to do.  He had no idea what ‘Label Magazine’ was – one of those clothes catalogues? – but he didn’t feel like it would be polite to say so.  He kept quiet and filed the name away for later consideration.

“Of course, Miss.  Thank you, Miss.”  He took the offered bag and made an effort to carry it with care, holding it as he imagined one might do for a fragile piece of glass (or a bomb).  The fifteen-year-old boy wasn’t sure whether shoes were really ‘precious cargo’ but he would take her word for it.  His experience with such things was pretty much non-existent and, for all he knew, women’s shoes might very well be extremely delicate and breakable.  Falling into step, he followed her obediently down the street.  “Sorry to take up your time, Miss.  I really appreciate this.”  Lenny didn’t know whether to be more apologetic or grateful. 

When Piper reflected on how he should be enjoying the impromptu visit to Bilbao, he immediately felt guilty.  Despite the circumstances of how he got there, the opportunity to see such a place was something that should be enjoyed.  Where was his sense of adventure?  But Lenny never saw the silver-linings in things unless they were pointed out to him; he tended to focus too much on the negative.  “Sorry, Miss.”  He apologised for seeming unappreciative.  “It is quite lovely.”  Craning his neck, he made an effort to look around as they walked.  The architecture was subtly different from what he was used to, as well as the clothing and the way people seemed to conduct themselves.  There were probably a lot of stories and culture he was completely missing as he passed through.

“I’ve never been anywhere so exotic.”  He blushed with his admission.  “I’ve umm… never been outside the UK.”  Piper seemed so worldly, he felt sure that she would laugh at that.  Lenny didn’t really think he was a travel person, he preferred to stick to the places he was familiar with.  The new and unknown was generally just scary to him, not exciting.  He could invent outlandish places and worlds in his imagination but felt no compulsion to actually visit any such locations.  It seemed doubtful that this experience would change his mind.  Although he could see how travel probably wouldn’t be the worst if you went somewhere that you actually intended to. 

Shortly thereafter they arrived at the portkey office and he waited patiently as Piper made the arrangements for him.  For future reference he tried to make note of what she said and did, but he couldn’t follow it all because he lacked any knowledge of the local language.  However, upon hearing that there was a portkey back to London in ten minutes and he could be on it, Lenny’s jaw dropped in disbelief.  It all seemed too good to be true!  He kept expecting something to go horribly wrong (since it was awfully unusual for anything to go right for him).  Surely, Piper would change her mind any second…  The authorities would come to arrest him…  Bilbao would suddenly be swallowed up by some natural disaster – a tornado or an earthquake?  But the sky stayed clear.  The earth remained unmoved.  No one came to drag him away.  And there was Piper, smiling and offering Lenny his ticket. 

Shyly returning her smile, he accepted the slip of paper that would get him home.  Then she gave him something else – a business card?  He looked it over and acknowledged her contact details with a solemn nod.  “I am really quite serious about paying you back Miss.”  Lenny felt the need to assure her of his sincerity.  “When I get home, I’ll…”  Send you money, he had almost said.  But he didn’t know if or when that would be possible.  Even once back on British soil Lenny would be facing his normal day-to-day difficulties.  “I’ll find some way to make it up to you.  I promise.”  He was completely serious and determined to be good to his word.  The young wizard was prepared to scrub a hundred toilets – by hand! – for her if that’s what it took. 

It seemed like there wasn’t really anything else to say and he had surely already wasted enough of Piper’s time.  Carefully returning her bag to her, Lenny managed another shy smile.  “Thank you again, Miss Morel.  I do hope that I haven’t been too much of a disruption to your day.”  It wasn’t like he had any idea what sort of activities he might have interrupted but no doubt she had better things to do than look after the likes of him.  “Umm, all the best.”  He offered lamely by way of farewell.  Turning, he made his way over to the designated area where a few people were already gathered around what looked like a plank of wood.  After presenting his ticket to the attendant for their approval, he found himself a position in the group where he wouldn’t have to press too close against anyone, reached in and gripped an edge of the portkey.  It felt a bit silly, standing there and waiting, but before long he felt the uncomfortable sensation of a hook behind his navel as the magic took hold. 

Upon landing back in London, Lenny managed to brace himself sufficiently so as to merely stumble a few steps, rather than falling to the ground.  It was a relief when no cry of outrage greeted his arrival, there were no Ministry officials waiting to apprehend him.  In fact, no one seemed to be paying him much mind at all (which was just how he liked it).  Lenny couldn’t wait to find a fireplace to floo the rest of the way home.  He was feeling shaky and could really use a lie down.  But first –  The young wizard hunched over as wave of nausea washed over him.  Unable to control the spasming of his stomach, Lenny threw up on the ground, narrowly missing his own shoes.  Urgh.  So this was portkey sickness?  He was infinitely grateful that Piper wasn’t present to see this part.  One international trip had been bad enough, the second was evidently more than his body could handle.  Lenny would be quite happy if he never had to use another portkey again for the rest of his life. 

/out