The Snake and the Cricket
Prologue:
It was raining in London. Down Stoney Street two forms appeared in long robes. The forms were men, one was old - though he did seem to have a young soul for he walked with a slight skip and a faint smile - with a long beard. The other man was younger and unpleasant with his greasy hair and long nose. The fact that the younger man seemed more serous - with his mean looking frown and his eyebrows that were knitted together in concentration (or maybe because he was just a grumpy and sad soul) – than the older man made him seem even more unpleasant.
They talked with each other with great importance as they continued down the street, getting soaked by the hardened rain though they seemed not to care, toward a pub in between a 'normal' bookshop and record store. This particular pub was different from the other ones around it. This pub had an older look to the architecture, though the 'normal' people around missed and did not acknowledge it. For they could not see. Their minds were too far gone and full of unimportant things for them to notice what was right in front of them. For those who did notice the pub, well, lets just say they were far from 'normal'. Oddballs of every kind go there to talk with old friends and drink oddball drinks and and eat oddball food.
One girl, a girl about seven years of age, stood out in front of the pub. She was an oddball too, though she did not know this yet. Her bright green eyes were wide. Her brown-red hair and clothes were soaked in the water that fell from the deep blue-gray sky. The leg of a stuffed bear was in her left hand. His name was Mudd. Two d's not one, as the child always made sure people understood. She named him that because his fur was brown. As simple as that. The poor bears' head was dirty and wet from being dragged on the ground. On her right shoulder was a bag almost the same size as her. The bag rested on her tiny waist, the upper part of her body was diagonal to the left: she was trying her best to maintain the weight of her bag. She was staring up at the front of the pub, appreciating the architecture. The 'normal' people took no notice the little girl either.
The robed men were also oddballs, so they did take notice of the pub. And the girl. The younger man was speaking low to the older man with a note of frustration in his voice. The older man put his hand up to silence the younger man and said something in a reassuring voice, but the younger man did not listen and continued his whispered rampage. Finally, the older man just did not want to listen to the younger man anymore. He wanted to acknowledge the girl. Which he did. He crouched down to the left of her, his beard sploshing into a puddle. The younger mans' face turned angry. His lip went up in a sneer, however he did shut up and stood waiting for the older one.
"What is your name little one?" the old man asked.
The girl kept her eyes locked on the structure in front of her, "I'm Alice."
"Where are your parents Alice?"
She said nothing. After a few seconds she turned her head to look at the old man.
"Are you Santa Clause?" she asked, looking at his beard with hope in her voice, but the man did not lie to her.
"No, I am not."
She looked back at the pub with a dramatic sigh that did not fit her seven year old form. After another few seconds she looked back at the man.
"Do you know Santa Clause?" she asked.
"Why do you wish to know?"
"I want something for Christmas. I want a yellow kitty cat. My gray one died."
"Hmm," he said, and nodded. "Why don't you come inside?"
The older man stood. He opened the door and held it open for the girl. Alice looked behind her and noticed the younger man. She dropped her things in the puddle filled sidewalk and opened her bag. Inside were some clothes, a few books, shampoo, and a crushed and dying flower that she took out. She turned and held it up to the younger man. The man looked down at her with a blank face. Then, slowly he took the flower from her hand and stared at her. He seemed to be noticing every last detail of the little girl. After that, he said in a low voice, "Why give me this?"
Alice smiled for the first time and said, "'Cause you looked really sad. I thought a flower would make you feel better."
She picked up her things and went inside. The younger man stuffed the flower inside his robe without even looking at it. The younger and then the older man fallowed.
When they all sat at the table, Alice spoke no more. Not even when she was spoken to. She was busy looking at all the other oddballs, so the older man fed her and spoke with the younger man. Then he stood up and left them awhile. When he returned, he had a man with him.
"Alice, this is Tom. He runs this pub. He is going to help you find your parents and take you home. I must go..."
"There's no need for that." Alices' voice lost its innocence. She was no longer a little girl but an older more matured girl.
"My parents are dead and my home destroyed. There's nothing to go back to."
The old man stared at the girl in surprise. The younger man had stopped his impatient thumping of his fingres on the table and also looked at the girl in surprise. Tom took the childs' hand.
"Then I guess I'll be taking care of you now."
Alice smiled and her childish voice returned.
"Okay!"
She jumped out of her chair and began to gather her things.
"Are you sure about this Tom?" the older man asked the bartender.
"Yeah, I've always wanted a daughter of my own, remember? I'll take you upstairs." Tom told Alice in a reassuring voice.
"What do I call you?" she said, looking back at the old man.
"You can call me Albus."
"Okey dokey!" she said happily, and skipped away with Tom.
Albus sat in his seat and finished his conversation with the other man. Afterward, they stood and left the pub. The rain had stopped, but the clouds remained in the sky. The smell of rain hit the mens' noses when they stepped out onto the street. Though, no 'normal' people took notice of them.
"I trust you understand Severus." said Albus, speaking of their previous conversation.
"Unfortunately." the other man replied.
"Then I'm off." A large ripping sound and then a crack was made as Albus disappeared to who knows where. But, of course, no 'normal' person noticed.
Severus stood there for a few seconds and then pulled out the flower the child had given him. He stared at it as he realized the type of flower. He dropped it to the ground and with a flip of his robe stormed off with no emotion on his face.
Later on, Alice, would pick the flower back up and put it in a pot the owner of the pub had given her and she would watch the flower unwrinkle, gain it's color back, and bloom in a matter of seconds. Like magic. She was an oddball after all.
"Lily flowers are so pretty." she would say.