"Hello, and welcome back to 'A Jump and A Skip Radio'. Today we have the famous Ryan Bryan on the show. Ryan, glad you could make it."
"Well, I'm glad to be here."
"So you have a new album coming out?"
"Yes, I do. It's called Suddenly Muggle, and I can't wait for the public to hear it."
"Does it have anything to do with the possibility of introducing muggles to magic?"
"Yes actually, it leans more towards a darker side of that possibility."
Maude let out a snort. Pop stars really need to stay out of politics. Returning her attention back to the house elf before her, she drew her wand. "Higher," she demanded.
Shaking, the elf raised the apple as far as she could above her head with both hands.
"So Ryan, does this mean you agree or disagree, should muggles and magic be mixed?"
Maude flicked her wand. The spell flew across the room towards the house elf. The elf shut her eyes as tightly as she could as the spell zoomed past, missing it's mark and hitting a chair behind her. Stuffing flew about.
"I have to disagree. Muggles have no place in our world. I have nothing against them, but muggles are muggles and magic is magic."
Growling in anger, Maude fired again. The spell again zoomed past the terrified elf, this time hitting the radio. Bits and pieces rained down as the elf tried not to move. The room feel silent, the only sounds came from the shivers of the elf and the frustration from Maude.
"Maude!" Called a voice from the next room.
Ignoring it, Maude fired a third time. This time the spell meet it's target. Apple bits now covered the shaking elf who still stood with her arms above her head.
Finally satisfied Maude called out, "yes?"
Eugene sauntered into the room. He paid no mind to the mess and the fear stricken elf. "We're ready."
"Perfect, let's begin."
XXX
"Do you have an iPad? Hugo, my grandson does, but I can never figure out how to work it. Could you show me?"
"Erm... Yeah." Elsie replied.
She was sitting on a plump old couch across from James' and Victorie's grandfather. He was a kind man, but for the past half hour he had been asking her questions about everyday things. So far he'd gone on about postage stamps, markers, televisions, and now iPads. Elsie didn't know how much more she could take.
After Victorie had grabbed onto her wrist, Elsie had the most strangest feeling she'd ever had. She felt like her entire body was being shoved through a straw. And right when she thought she was going to die, she found her self on all fours vomiting.
"Arthur, don't pester the poor girl."
"Sorry Molly."
Apparently James's entire family are wizards. They have wands and magic. It was hard to believe, and Elsie wouldn't have if she hadn't felt it first hand. In under two seconds she had travels miles away to The Burrow, using magic called apparition. Elsie didn't have to see to believe.
"Here dear," Molly pressed a warm cup into Elsie's hands. "Some tea, it's not muggle but it is tea."
"Thank you," Elsie said taking a sip. It tasted just like the house smelt. A smell Elsie often smelled on James when he came home from work. Or on Albus and Lily when they came to visit. Elsie could never pin down exactly what it was, but now she knew. It was the smell of magic. And it smelt so good.
"I am really sorry," Victorie said for about the millionth time.
After Elsie had finished vomiting, she panicked. She clearly wasn't in her apartment, she was in some unknown place with Victorie, some one that she had only met a few days ago. And to do the math, Blind + Unknown Place + Stranger = Every Curse Word Elsie Could Think Of. Victorie was still feeling guilty. Elsie supposed knowing that you're the cause of someone's hyperventilation can do that to some people.
"Really, I wasn't thinking. It's just, you need to know about magic, and I couldn't think of another way to show it to you." Victorie explained.
"Well typically a 'hey magic is real' does the trick." Arthur commented.
"Arthur, shhh," Molly scolded.
Victorie continued, " James has been meaning to tell you, but... I feared that he would be too afraid. I didn't want him to have the same problem I have. I-I-I'm sorry." She began to stutter at the end of her apology. She didn't know what else to say, she felt like it wasn't enough.
"I forgive you," Elsie said.
Although she had forgiven Victorie she still wasn't quite sure how she felt about everything. She felt mad. Should she feel mad? Should she be afraid? She didn't feel afraid. Should she feel confused? Even know the world just got a little bigger for her it wasn't confusing. Elsie didn't know exactly how she should be feeling.
As Elsie powdered, a crack come from outside. The front door could be heard flying open, "Victorie!"
"That would be James," Arthur commented.
"He's not going to be happy with you Vic." Molly stated.
James came dashing into the room, drenched in sweat and looking exhausted. "Victorie!" He huffed, " how dare you! You can't just apparate my roommate wherever you please. My blind muggle roommate!"
"James, I'm sorry. I was upset and I acted before thinking." Victorie said calmly.
"Don't give me excuses!"
"I did it for you!" Victorie was beginning to get worked up.
"STOP!"
Every one froze. The grandparent breathed a sigh of relieve as James and Victorie took a step away from each other. Everyone looked at Elsie, who stood with her eyes clenched tightly and her fists balled up. Her tea was spilt on the floor, the cup shattered.
"Both of you stop," Elsie breathed. "No more fighting, no more yelling. What's done is done."
"So you're... Ok, with magic? You're not going to.. Leave, right?" James sounded afraid, and he was. He was terrified. He feared Elsie would leave, that he would loose a friend.
"I'm not going to leave." James let out a breath he hadn't realized her been holding. "But I am mad."
Elsie still didn't know quite how she felt, but she did know that she was mad. Mad at Victore for shoving her into this world when James wasn't ready for it. Mad at James because he was mad at Victorie. Mad because James was afraid to tell her who he really was. Mad because James thought their friendship wasn't strong enough to tell her the truth. Mad because James thought she would just walk away from their friendship. She was mad.
"I'm mad, at both of you," Elsie said. "And I'd really like to go home."
Victorie looked at her feet ashamed. James on the other hand was crestfallen. He was happy she wasn't going to leave, but she was mad. At him.
"I'll take you home dear," Molly spoke up when neither James or Victorie said anything. She linked arms with Elsie leading her to another room. "Does your flat have a fireplace?"
After they had left, Arthur waved his wand at Elsie broken cup. It jumped up newly fixed and scooped up the tea before setting itself back on the coffee table. James took the seat Elsie had vacated. He leaned forward putting his head in his hands.
"I like her," Arthur commented. "She could've been a Weasley."
XXX
James faced Elsie's door. He hadn't said anything since the night before when she declared she was mad. At him. And even though he didn't know why, he did know she had every right to be. He had given her space, but now he needed to talk to her. Before he lost his nerve he raised his hand to knock on the door. "Elsie?"
"What James?" She called through the door.
"Um.. Well, I wanted to know if you still were, um, planning on coming to the party tonight?"
It was quiet for a moment until the door opened. Elsie stood in the doorway her eyebrow raised. "Why are you asking such a stupid question? Of course I'm going to the party."
"Well, you're mad at me and I thought..."
"I can be mad and party at the same time. I'm good at multitasking." Elsie gave a small smile before returning to her bedroom and leaving the door open. "When are we leaving?"
"An hour, Lily needs help with the decorations."
"Well you better get ready, you're still in your work clothes."
James frowned, "how did you know?"
Elsie smiled a big smile, "you smell like magic."
"Magic? What does magic smell like?" James asked, intrigued.
Elsie only smiled.
An hour later found both James and Elsie standing before Lily covered in ash.
"You just had to floo. You're making a mess on the carpet." Lily whined.
"I'll clean it up Lils," James said, pulling out his wand.
"Well hurry up, everyone is almost here and we need to be quick!" She said before rushing off.
"She's excited," Elsie noted.
"That's Lily for you," James grinned. He waved his wand and the ash disappeared from the both of them. "Always a buzz."
"James!"
Turning around James spotted his brother coming towards him followed by a woman. "Oh no," he whispered.
"What?" Elsie asked.
"James, Elsie!" Albus greeted. "Finally told her?"
"Not willingly," Elsie butted in with a laugh.
James gave his brother an annoyed look, something Albus only smirked at.
"Anyway, this is my quidditch coach, Lorraine." Albus introduced the woman standing beside him. "Lorraine, this is my brother James and his muggle roommate Elsie."
"Hello," Lorraine smiled.
James turned to his brother, " I don't mean to be rude but, why bring your coach to to dads birthday party? Are you trying to prove something? Or are you just showing off?"
"What do I have to prove?" Albus asked irritably.
"So you're showing off then?"
"No!"
"Everybody hide!" Lily called out.
James stalked off and Elsie attempted to follow, but with all the people scurrying for a hiding place she couldn't figure out which body was James's. She stood in the middle of the room, lost. She didn't know this place like she knew home, she didn't have it memorized. She was beginning to panic, something she seemed to be doing a lot lately, when someone grabbed her and pulled her down.
"This is exciting!" Lily whispered to Elsie.
Elsie took a deep breath to calm her self down. Why was James so moody to his brother? Why does it seem like James is trying to pick a fight? And what is with Albus? Is he trying to show off?
"Surprise!"
Lily was pulling Elsie up along with her forcing her to spring up with the teen.
"Oh," came a startled voice.
"Happy birthday dad!" Lily beamed.
"Thanks Lily," her dad said.
The next couple greetings were a blur as Elsie tried to find James's voice. But she couldn't find it.
"Whose this?" The question brought her back to the voices in front of her.
"This is Elsie, James's roommate." Lily said, a smile clear in her voice.
"Erm, hello." Elsie greeted.
"Dad," came a voice from Elsie's left. It was very serous, very quiet.
"James?" Harry responded just as serous as his son.
"An owl just came, you're going to want to read this. Now."
AN: I don't have anything to say except that the story is going to pick up now. The plot had been introduced and the characters.
And with the code problem last chapter, if you haven't seen I did fix it and hopefully it doesn't happen again.
~thebluenotebook