Chapter 2: Trompe-l'œil

The wide expanse of Monument Avenue, aptly named for the statues of American Civil War heroes that dotted the large grass medians between the old brick streets, stretched out in front of him as he sweated profusely. The heat was bad enough, but the humidity made Albus Potter pull his shirtsleeves up exposing his tattoos. In the world he lived in Al was easily recognized, not only for his tattoos but for his similarity in looks to his famous father, and going out in public usually guaranteed a crowd. Fortunately for Al Richmond was one of the most tattooed cities in Virginia, if not all of Virginia, as well as one of the top five in the United States. Richmond did have a small magical community, at least that's what the guidebook said, but he figured he would be safe for now. After stopping and taking a picture of the massive monument for Jefferson Davis Al belatedly remembered his godfather Hank's warnings that he needed to be prepared for the Richmond summer.

After putting his camera in his rucksack Al walked several more blocks down Monument Avenue, passing people jogging and walking their dogs and turned on a side street. He continued until he saw the bar with its open shutters, allowing the patrons to drink and smoke on the front area of the bar in the summer heat. As Al walked into the front part of the bar, through the open air portion, he saw her with her back towards him. Her hair was pulled up and a gold pin of some kind held it all together, and she had on a black t-shirt and a madras plaid skirt. Al inwardly laughed; like father, like daughter. She had a drink on the table and cigarette smoke wafted from the ashtray next to the drink. Instead of walking directly over to her he headed to the bar, ordered a Guinness, paid and told the waitress he was joining a friend outside.

Instead of saying something to her Al simply sat down next to her, pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head and put his feet up on the rail that cordoned off the patio part of the bar. "I've been telling your dad those will kill him, but he hasn't listened to me. I'm guessing you won't listen, either."

Virginia Boyd dropped the cigarette and it landed directly in her drink. "Holy shit! Al! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. Of course, Richmond is pretty cool. Who's Jefferson Davis? Seems pretty big around here."

She rolled her eyes. "You have no idea. Thanks for surprising me; now I need another beer." She stood up and flagged down a waitress, and kept quiet until the waitress stopped two tables back with Virginia's beer on a tray. Virginia walked over, put down an amount of American Muggle money and walked back to the table. After taking a fresh sip of beer she sat down, looked over at Al and waited. After a long space of no conversation she laughed. "You can't use Dad's tricks on me. He may be your godfather but he's my father. Waiting for me to say something?"

Al scratched the three day old stubble on his cheek. "Something like that." After looking around at the empty tables that surrounded the two former Hogwarts students he glanced over at Virginia. "What did you do to the other tables?"

She half-snorted. "Simply charm. People stop by and decide to move on."

"A localised Muggle repelling charm at a place like this? Professor Greene would be impressed. You've limited the radius quite well. That's not easy."

Virginia shrugged. "Charms was my best class." She took another sip of beer and looked Al in the eyes. "Who sent you? Hugo? Mum?"

"Good guesses, but not even close. Minnie."

As Virginia stared at Al in surprise a twenty-something man on a bicycle pulled up on the sidewalk and leaned across the rail. "Hey Leda, there's a party down in the Bottom tonight. Interested?" The man pulled off his bicycle helmet to reveal short-cropped blonde hair. His ears were dotted with two back discs that made his earlobes strangely elongated. Before Virginia could say a word he nodded over at Al. "Who's this?"

Al put his sunglasses on quickly and stuck out his hand over the rail. "Hadley. Brian Hadley. And you are?"

The man looked at Al's outstretched hand and gave him a look of disdain. "You English dudes are all the same, all polite an' shit. Whatever." He looked over at Virginia. "Ditch him and stop by Chance's place around ten. He said he's tried to call you, left messages but you were blowing him off. Stop on by." He looked over at Al. "Just you. See ya, Leda." He stuck his helmet back on and pedaled away.

It was only after the man had disappeared on a side street out of view that Al turned to Virginia. "Leda? What in the hell's going on, Gin? You left Italy, sent Hugo's ring back without a note or explanation of any sort, and nobody's been able to find you. Come on, sis, you can tell me. I've been down this path before, you know."

"Leda is for Leda Twombly; it's the name I'm using here. Dipshit bike dude is a wizard I know, there's a small community here in Richmond." She avoided his eyes for a moment and looked across the street. After Virginia lit a cigarette she glanced over at Al. "Minnie, huh? And how exactly did you find me?"

Al laughed. "Let's see. Your Aunt Lavender's an agent in the American Auror Bureau…wait, did you do some other charm? Can I talk freely?"

Virginia nodded. "Little area of effect spell. All drinks out here make the people forget anything they've heard except their own table."

"Blimey, Gin. You come up with that one on your own?"

She exhaled slowly. "Yes. Now come on, out with it. How'd you find me?"

He laughed. "Like I started to say earlier, your Aunt Lavender's with the AAB, Hugo's almost an Auror, Ron's in the Minister's office, and then there's my dad. Did you think you could avoid all of that?"

"You did."

Al shook his head. "That was different. Dad knew enough to let me figure it out on my own. It was different. Much different."

Gin looked down at her beer and remembered how Al had been completely devastated when Erin, his first wife, had died in the war. The afternoon at the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch came rushing back to her, and she could picture Al, a mass of wild hair and beard, eating all of her sandwiches. He'd been so lost. She wasn't lost, though; that was the difference. "I thought of anybody in the world you would understand. It was all laid out for me, Al. Art classes in Italy and then home to marry Hugo and be Mrs. Hugo Weasley, good little wife. You did just the same thing, Al. It was all there for you. Auror like your Dad. Following the footsteps, blah blah blah. You're an actor, about the farthest thing from an Auror there is. You know what I'm talking about."

He looked out at the cars moving slowly down the road. "I do, Gin. I also know that eventually there will come a time when you have to do something besides run. Life goes on even when you try and opt out. That's one of the reasons I'm here. Minnie has news."

After stubbing out her cigarette in the ashtray Gin turned fully towards Al. "What's up with Minnie? She's the good kid. Can't have done anything horrible."

"No, not horrible at all. She's engaged. Met him over in Wales. She wants you in the wedding, of course."

"Oh bloody hell."

The sweltering humidity that had covered Richmond for the last few days finally hit a crescendo and the rain that had been threatening for the last several weeks finally began to fall. Several of the other patrons of the bar picked up their drinks and scurried inside, leaving Al and Gin alone outside. Gin reached down and picked up her purse. "Come on, let's go." After fishing around in her purse for a few moments she came up with a set of keys. "I'm parked right around the corner."

After parallel parking her battered green Jeep, in a space that Al was positive was too small, he followed Virginia up the sidewalk until they finally turned in front of a large house. Once they were on the porch Virginia took out her keys, opened the door and motioned Al inside. After she shut and locked the door Virginia headed up the large staircase, causing the steps to creak occasionally, and finally stopped on the third floor. There was only one door available, and after unlocking it she motioned Al inside.

"Hold still, I'll dry you off." Virginia took out her wand, and a few moments later Al's clothes, as well as hers, were as dry as they were before the sudden rain shower.

"Thanks." Al looked around, trying to take everything in. It seemed that Virginia's flat was the entire top floor of the old building, as no walls separated the different areas. A small kitchen was set against one side of the space, next to the windows. A bed and some mismatched furniture made up a bedroom, but the rest of the space was completely open and covered with canvases. Some canvases were rather large, others quite small, but the overwhelming quality of the massive flat was full of the distinctive smell of paint and it almost overpowered him. He reached up and rubbed his nose.

"Sorry, I forget that I'm used to it." She took out her wand and cast a spell at Al's nose and the entire biting atmosphere of before seemed to vanish for Al.

"Thanks again." Al looked around the open space but didn't see a chair, so he conjured two chairs for them. "Anything to drink? Tea?"

Gin shook her head. "Not here. Let me see what I have." She walked over towards the kitchen area and opened the cupboard. Over her shoulder she began enumerating Al's choices. "Bourbon, vodka, um, I think that's Prosecco, Irish cream, Tamdhu, some beer…"

"Anything non-alcoholic?"

"Hold on." She moved several bottles out of the way, eventually settling four or five of them on the counter. "Ah, here we go." She took out her wand, cast a spell at the bottle to chill it appropriately and then walked over to Al. "Last one. It's a local recipe, not quite as good as what you're used to. Butterbeer ok with you?"

"Perfect." Al took the bottle and pulled the cork. After walking back over to the cupboard she returned a few moments later and sat down in the other conjured chair with a coffee mug. Al looked at her oddly. "Thought you said you didn't have any tea?"

"It's whisky." She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out her cigarettes and lit one. "There's more to it, Al. More than Minnie getting married. It's about Hugo, isn't it?"

Al took a deep breath. "He's a mess, Gin. Confused as can be and not doing too well in his Auror training. He could probably take it if you broke it off with him but you didn't tell him why. Mum's concerned, you know."

Virginia pulled her feet up into the chair, sat cross-legged and pushed her skirt over her legs. "What'd she have to say?"

"All sorts of things. Your mum and Aunt Hermione actually started picking at each other until Mum put an end to it." Al took a drink of butterbeer. "I've got to go back soon; I'm supposed to be in Australia right now but I put them off for a couple of days, so I'm just going to come out and say it. Do you still love Hugo?"

"Fuck me." Virginia leaned back into the chair. "So much for a slow buildup."

"I don't have time to be subtle, Gin. I have to be in Australia, Delyth's pregnant and you've got everybody upset. Yeah, I know, I'm one to talk, but let's get down to the brass tacks. Do you still love Hugo?"

She watched the lone ice cube swirl around her coffee mug, slowly dissolving into the whisky. After a very long pause her voice was barely audible. "Yes."

"What's that? Couldn't hear you."

Gin's head snapped up, her eyes flashing. "I said yes, you asshole."

Al laughed. "You are a piece of work; you know that, don't you? Let me see if I've got this straight. You still love Hugo, but you don't want to be the cookie cutter little Auror wife. That's it? That's why you ran away and pulled a me?"

That made Virginia laugh. "Pulled a you? Good one, Al. Is that it?" She took a long drag off of the cigarette and exhaled. "I don't know…" Suddenly she got up out of her chair and walked towards the canvases, eventually standing in front of a large abstract piece with severe colors.

Al took a final drink of butterbeer and sat the bottle on the floor. He watched her for a while and then walked over to where she stood in front of the canvas, arms folded tight across her chest. "Come on, Gin. You can tell me. You were there for me when Erin died; it's the least I can do for you."

Virginia had been waiting for him in front of the canvas, steeling herself for the conversation that she knew would come. In her head she'd been planning her responses, how she could deflect and demur the questions, how she could show him that she was building a life for herself in Richmond that was hers and hers alone. But when Al said Erin's name all she could do was think back on how happy Erin and Al had been, and what it had been like when all that had been taken away in the blink of an eye. She turned slowly towards him, feeling the heat rise in her chest and pressure begin behind her eyes.

"How did you do it, Al? How did you go from Erin to Delyth? You and Erin were so perfect together, just like Lily and HR, not to mention Mione and Scorpius. Hugo and I aren't like that. I'm afraid that…" She couldn't stop it as the heat erupted in her chest and the tears began to flow freely.

Al walked over and pulled Virginia into a hug. As she sobbed into his chest he stroked her hair. "Don't try to compare yourself to anybody else, Gin. You and Hugo are you and Hugo. That's what I learned when I met Delyth. Comparing and trying to make things fit what you think is the right way is mental. Let things be. Let things take their own course. Trust me, easier said than done."

Her voice was muffled against Al's chest, but through the sobs he could hear it as plain as day, and it made his heart ache. "He won't want me back. Not after what I've done."

Al gently moved her away until he could see her face. After wiping away the tears from her eyes he looked at her intently. "That's between you and Hugo. Nobody else."

At Virginia's request Al had brewed a small sleeping draught after finding out where the magical section of Richmond was located. Initially the girl behind the counter had been almost annoyed that he was interrupting her reading, but eventually she asked him a question and his accent gave him away. Several pictures and an autograph later he was back at Virginia's flat, brewing up the sleeping draught on her ancient and almost useless stove. He'd had to improvise a cauldron and found himself wishing that he'd bought one at the shop.

As he brewed the potion he looked over at Virginia, once again sitting with her legs drawn up but this time on her bed. She hadn't said a word to Al after he arrived back at her flat; instead of speaking she only sat on the bed and continued to drink and smoke. It was while he was brewing the potion that Al took a good look at her and was startled at what he saw. Instead of the Virginia Boyd he was used to, the one who was always immaculately groomed, her small amount of makeup perfect and wearing tons of jewelry she looked haggard, as if she hadn't been eating much. Her hair, while pulled back, was not as sleek as before. She didn't have on a lick of makeup or any jewelry, and to be honest she didn't smell very nice. Mostly it seemed like a combination of alcohol, paint thinner and sweat.

After pouring the draught in a small glass he found in the cupboard, Al knew that no matter what Delyth's misgivings had been, he was right in coming to look for her.

"It's ready, Gin. You want to take it now?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I need a good night's sleep." As she took the glass from him she cocked her head. "Will you stay here tonight? Sorry I don't have a sofa."

He waved her off. "I'll just grab a blanket and sleep on the floor. I've stayed at worse. Don't worry; we'll get a good breakfast tomorrow. Things are always better with a good breakfast."

She drank down the potion, not bothering to change out of her clothes, and pulled the mismatched covers over herself. Al watched her until she fell asleep and then walked around her flat. He stood in front of the canvases, trying to figure out what some of them were, but was relieved when he recognized three small paintings of the different monuments he had passed on his walk to find Virginia. After a while the fact that he had taken a portkey very early that morning finally caught up with him; the need for sleep seemed to hit him like a bludger. He pulled the blanket off of the end of the bed, laid it down several feet away from Virginia, pulled his rucksack up and put it under his head. No matter what happened tomorrow, it would definitely be an interesting day.