The Witching Hours of Robin O'Donnell
Chapter 2, In Which Robin Sees More Than Her Mother
Robin loved her room. It had been one of the few good things that came about when her mother had moved to Britain the previous year. A contract lawyer's salary was not always so great, but Lisa O'Donnell happened to be a very good lawyer with good connections. This, along with the fact that she had only two mouths to feed and was very frugal, meant that she had a great deal of money set aside, and allowed her daughter to receive a small portion of it. Robin, who, like her mother, wasn't one to spend a lot all at once, found that, even transferred to foreign currency, she had a great deal of money at her disposal, and so spent some of it on an entire makeover of her room.
It looked like an artist's studio, a library, and possibly some sort of shaman's hut. The wide windows were draped with gauze lengths of cloth, chains, and strings of beads, which were regularly used and replaced. The floor had originally been dark, worn wood, but Robin had spent the entirety of their first week in residence moving all of her newly-place furniture onto the upstairs landing, and then (to her mother's relative exasperation) proceeding to scrub and re-polish the floor of the little room until it shone like dull crystal. The furniture had been replaced, and the floor was now covered, in places, with an assortment of woven or Persian rugs in deep or vibrant colors. The walls, previously pale beige, had been washed white, and covered with a scattering of hand-painted murals- a forest, a sea, a gleaming caste on a mountaintop. Everywhere there bookshelves stacked with books, two rows deep, or cabinets full of spools of wire, sketchbooks, paints, and pencils. On every surface in the room there was at least one colorful jar, box, or bowl full of all sorts of oddments, from broken jewelry, to old microchips, to what looked suspiciously like small animal teeth.
Robin was lying on her stomach atop a fluffy throw draped over her twin bed, sorting through what to bring with her on her travel. It would really be a wrench leaving home. She would miss her room, their little town on the outskirts of the city, the grassy hillsides, and, yes, even her mother.
Despite all that had happened, Robin had, over the years, come to a sort of understanding of her mother, who, though she tried, just didn't really know how to be a good mother to her only child. They were, simply, very different people, Robin thought as she carefully folded away one long, flowing back skirt. She knew her mother hadn't really wanted children, nor was she ready. Lisa had had Robin at a fairly young age, a time when Lisa had thought that she had her whole life ahead of her and that her plans and ambitions would be able to move along, unhindered. She had minutely adapted to the existence of her new daughter, and carried on as she had previously. Robin's father, upset by Lisa's dispassionate nature and her refusal to settle down into a family lifestyle, had left. Lisa had turned to no relatives for help, having supported a fierce streak of pride, and instead either brought Robin along to work with her or hired sitters until the girl was old enough to remain at home alone.
Robin, with a lack of many playmates, had learned to read and draw, when she was alone. Later, she joined a yoga studio, a karate dojo, and a few teams, in attempts to increase her social interactions outside of school. She made a few friends, and set up a pretty good life at her old home in Medina, Ohio.
Then, her mother got a job offer with a firm across seas. They had packed up and flown away, leaving Robin's whole world behind.
I'm switching worlds again, Robin mused as she tossed a jewelry kit and a more recent sketchbook into her trunk, only this time, it's to the world of magic. It'll be more of an adventure. And easier, she felt a guilty twinge, easier the second time…And without mom.
There was a knock on her door.
"Come in," Robin said, a bit surprised that her mother would come and speak to her. Then again, for whatever reason, ever since Professor McGonagall delivered the news about Robin being a witch, and her acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Lisa O'Donnell had been a noticeably friendlier toward her daughter. The table was once again set for two, and her mother had even gone so far as to ask Robin about her day a few times when she returned from her office. She had also offered to drive her out to go school shopping, and to pay for any supplies she needed.
The red-haired women pushed open the door and paused, scanning the room.
"Well," She said, taking in the bits of cloth, the animal teeth, "It's not exactly what I would have chosen, but…you like it?"
Robin nodded, and some of her own unruly auburn hair came free of the loose bun she had tied behind her head.
"I suppose that's what matters, then," Robin's mother said, uncertainly.
Robin's heart swelled a bit in her chest, but she knew better than to push to moment too far, "What's up?"
"I came to ask if you were ready to go shopping, yet," Lisa adjusted the sleek bag slung over her tailored shoulder, "I have a meeting and have to be at the office in an hour and a half, so if you're going today…"
"I'm ready right now," Robin hopped to her feet and followed her mother down the stairs and out the door.
The ride into London was relatively quiet and uneventful. The radio played out a wall of white noise between the two females, and they chatted only briefly about the weather and light, midday traffic. The car pulled up in front of the pub described by Professor McGonagall, between a bookstore and a fast-food joint.
Lisa looked confused, "Where is it? She said it was between these two here…"
Robin glanced at her mother, "It is, right there. See? With a black door- The Leaky Cauldron."
Lisa glanced back at her daughter strangely, "Where are you looking?"
"Here," Robin got out of the car and strode to the shop, pointing, but her mother only shook her head. Robin got back in the car, "You know what, its fine. Maybe it's magicked to keep out people who aren't witches or wizards. I can see it, anyways. I'll just go on in so you aren't late- for your meeting."
Lisa O'Donnell pondered the issue for only a short time longer before handing her daughter a wad of pound notes, telling her she would meet her back there at six, then promptly departing.
Robin waved futilely at her mother for a moment, not really expecting a wave back, then pushed open the dark wooden door, and entering the pub.
She knew immediately that she was in the right place. The place was relative full, as it was around lunchtime, and the customers were dressed in a manner she had seen only ever in movies or renaissance fairs. Most sported robes or long dresses, some with various witchy-looking hats atop their heads. Robin felt a tad out of place in her flowing gray skirt and black tank top.
Glancing around, she spotted a very old, toothless man passing out drinks from behind the bar whom she assumed was Tom the barman.
Robin pushed her way through the throng and nervously approached the bar, "Excuse me, are you Tom?"
He gave her a kindly, toothless smile, "Muggle-born? Out to do your shopping for school, I'd reckon? Here, just a mo'."
Tom made a few excuses to the waiting custom, then stepped out from behind the bar and waved her over to a side door Robin hadn't noticed before. She hurried over, overhearing, as she passed, a few words distinguishable from the dull roar of chatter:
"-hag from Brighton."
"-new wand, the old one snapped last week-"
"-Angie's first year, I'm a bit nervous-"
"They upped the price for dragon spleens; five sickles, four knuts-"
"Through here," Tom opened the back door, revealing a disappointingly ordinary back alley. He limped over to the far wall then directed Robin's attention to the bricks above the trashcans. "Third up," He traced with his hand, "Second across."
Tom reached into his robes and Robin's pulse jumped with excitement as he pulled out what was unmistakably a wooden magic wand.
The old man smiled at her expression, then tapped the bricks with the tip of his wand.
One of the bricks started to move. Robin stared, amazed, as a tiny gap appeared, then grew into a wide archway onto a bustling street which was most certainly not dull or disappointing.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley. Happy shopping. Feel free to stop by after for a bit a' food."
Tom stowed away his wand and returned to the pub. Robin, her stomach churning with excitement, took her first steps out into the wizarding world.