Really hoping EVERYONE will tell me what you think! Otherwise...why continue, right? Thanks in advance!
Chapter Six
"Wools"
Lavinia and Sophronia had creeped into the hallway and were watching the younsters' embrace. It was sweet.
The boy, Tom, an orphan, seemingly cold and distant, held the girl with warmth and true feeling. He might not be willing to admit to any such feeling, but it was most definitely there.
The girl, Buffy, full of warmth and life, who had apparently come to them from across the world—from another time—clung to the boy in desperation. Clearly she'd lived through difficulties, but she would persevere.
"Please don't go, Tom," Buffy whispered. She sounded a little whiney, but it was just that she'd already been through a lot.
He pushed her back then, gently, but firmly. "I really must, Buffy," he said. "But I'm sure I'll see you again," he added. "Wools isn't far from here and I suspect Vin and Sophie will make sure we meet again."
"We will," came Sophie voice—causing the two teenagers to blush and separate.
"How about the four of us finish our breakfast, then escort Tom to his place of residence," Vin started. "That way you'll know where he is, Buffy."
Buffy glanced from them and up at Tom. "I think I'd like that."
He nodded. "I...think I would too," he said, forgetting that he didn't want anyone seeing where he lived—or that he detested Muggles. Though, it seemed these three weren't ordinary Muggles—or Muggles at all really.
~oOo~
Breakfast was a semi-quick affair. Everything had gotten a little cold—since they'd all run out of the kitchen—but it didn't seem to upset anyone.
Buffy studied the beans on her plate as she munched on her toast—wondering who ate beans at breakfast—then took a second slice of toast and piled her eggs on it, making a sandwich out of it, then stuffed in a sausage link—then wolfed it down. When she finished, she started in on her pancakes. She didn't see any maple syrup, but there was butter, so she used that. They didn't look like what she was used to, but that didn't matter. She was hungry!
"Thin, but tasty," she commented as she chewed.
Tom eyed her as he put lemon and a bit of sugar on his own—then frowned when she reached out and took several more from the plate in the center of the table, folding them in quarters and eating them with her fingers. After that she picked up her bacon and immediately stuffed it into her mouth.
"Ever heard of rationing?" Tom asked, staring at her.
Buffy paused. "Oh. Um. I'm sorry," she said, putting the bacon in her hand back on her plate. "It was there, so..." She frowned. "I sort of eat a lot. My matabolism is way quick and I need to refuel often. Slayer thing,," she explained—then looked at her hosts. "I'm sorry if I've eaten too much of your food."
Vin shook her head. "Tom's right, rationing is a thing, but it's all right," she said. She glanced at her sister, then back at their guests. "We have plenty. More than most. And, we did put it on your plate," she finished, giving Tom a look that clearly told him to be nice.
"It's more about the queue one has to wait in to buy goods," Sophie added with a grimace. "I hate those."
"We eat out a lot," Vin admitted.
Sophie nodded. "Not only are we able to save the food we have at home, we don't have to clean up after ourselves," she said with a grin. "We knew you'd be hungry, Buffy."
"You did? How?" Buffy asked.
Vin and Sophie shared a look. "Well, we're not Watchers..." Vin started.
"Obviously," Sophie slipped in.
"...but our sister and her husband are, " Vin continued, "so we know that a Slayer can eat."
Sophie nodded. "Would either of you like some coffee?" she asked.
Buffy frowned. "Yes please," she said quietly, feeling guilty about stuffing her face when so many people were doing without.
Tom looked at Sophie and nodded. "That would be nice, thank you." He rarely had coffee. In fact, he rarely had any of the food he was being given. At the orphanage, they were given enough to eat, but nothing was ever truly delicious. This was like being treated like a lord.
"So, Buffy," Vin started, "care to tell us more about where you're from?"
"Let's reword that," Sophie put in, "care to tell us more about when you're from?"
Buffy sighed. "You'll never believe me."
Tom scoffed. "You mean like how you seemingly appeared in a flash of light or just fell out of the sky?"
"I think all four of us know we live in a different world than most think," said Sophie looking from Buffy to Tom, then back.
"All right," Buffy said, sitting back in her chair. "Just...remember that you asked."
Vin and Sophie nodded. She noted that Tom just continued to watch her. He was trying to hide his curiosity, but he was failing miserably. It seemed like he was used to fooling people, but they were not just normal people!
"Okay. So. It was 1997 before I got dumped in that fountain, then I woke up here," she said. "And poof, apparently it's now 1942. Talk about a trip!"
All three of them stared at her.
"That's...fifty-five years from now," Tom blurted.
Sophie grinned. "Please tell us we win the war!"
Buffy nodded. "Oh! Yep! I can't give you exact dates and stuff, because...I am sooo not a history buff, but yeah! Total winnage!"
Vin looked relieved—and Sophie grinned. "That's brilliant!" she burst.
"But don't tell us any more," Vin added. "It's not good to know too much about your future."
Buffy shrugged. "Not that I really could, but...whatever you say."
"When were you born?" asked Tom next, his curiosity showing some more.
"In January of 1981," Buffy added.
"So you're...sixteen," Tom said, doing his maths quickly.
"She's fifteen," Vin threw out.
"No, I'm sixteen," Buffy argued.
Vin and Sophie shook their heads. "No, we cast a spell before you woke up in the middle of the night. Your body's age is fifteen."
Buffy looked offended. "Well, that's not fair!" she complained. "I've already been fifteen. I don't want to do it again."
Sophie chuckled. "Sorry dear."
Buffy huffed. "That blows," she grumbled.
Tom smirked. "You have a way with words, Buffy," he said. "Sometimes I'm not sure I understand you."
She just grinned at him.
~oOo~
"All right then," Vin started. "We'll need to take the tube."
Tom, who'd been staring at Buffy, sighed and decided he needed to put his thoughts in order. He needed to be ready—mentally prepare—for the next two and half months. Then he'd be back at Hogwarts. There was no place in his life for this Buffy Summers—or Lavinia and Sophronia Fairweather.
"Right," he said with a nod. "I'll get my trunk." He'd shouldered his satchel, but hadn't gotten so far as to get his trunk from the lounge. Unfortunately, Slughorn's lightening spell was long-gone, so he had to put some strength behind lugging it outside.
As they left the house, Tom noticed that the sisters didn't bother locking their front door again—and this time he commented on it.
"Do you two not lock up?" he asked.
Vin laughed. "We've cast spells on the doors and windows. No one we don't want in may enter."
Tom frowned. "You locked up once we were inside last night," he said.
Sophie shrugged. "Extra protection."
Tom snorted, thinking the idea ridiculous, but didn't comment further.
On the pavement outside their house, Tom started to haul his trunk—only to be stopped by Buffy.
"I don't want to offend your tender male sensibilities or anything, but...I'm stupid strong," she said, gesturing at his trunk.
Tom eyed her, knowing just how heavy his trunk was and thought she was out of her mind to make such an offer. But instead he motioned that she could give it a go—and was shocked when she hefted it up as if it weighed nothing.
Buffy glanced back at him and smirked. "Told you I was strong."
Tom huffed and took up the other end of his trunk, so that he wouldn't look like a complete weakling—which he wasn't—causing Buffy to chuckle.
"Men," she said, looking at the two women with them. "So. Where to?"
Vin and Sopie looked at Tom. "Lambeth North is where we need to get off, so...Bakerloo."
"All right," Oxford Circus is the closest," Sophie said.
"But not by much and that has us going backwards," said Vin.
Buffy shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me," she said.
They decided on the latter.
Their walk to the tube was uneventful—except for Buffy trying to take in the sights. War-torn London wasn't much to write home about, she decided as they passed a few rubble piles where building used to be.
All the people on the streets were dressed similarly to herself, making it all the more real that she was not in her own time. You're not in Kansas anymore, Toto, she thought—laughing to herself over her little joke. Then she wondered if any of them had seen The Wizard of Oz.
In less than fifteen minutes they were on the correct train and the journey was interesting—as far as Buffy was concerned. She'd never been on one before, so she was entertained by the hustle and bustle of people stepping on and off—even if everyone looked a little grim to her.
In a blink, they arrived at their destination, where Tom led them the rest of the way. Behind him, Buffy watched as he became more and more despondent as they walked down the streets. It was clear that he did not want to return. And then they turned a corner and soon arrived in front of Wool's Orphanage and she understood why.
"Charming," was her sarcastic response to what she saw—which was a grim square building, seemingly surrounded by high railings.
As Tom pushed open the creaking front gate, Buffy looked up at the towering building and grimmaced. The sky overhead was dark and ominous-looking and she imagined the inside to look just as cold and unfriendly.
She did not have to imagine for long. After taking the four steps up and passing through tall dark doors, they were inside—and set upon by a skinny woman who looked haggard.
"Tom. Where have you been?" the woman said.
Tom took a deep breath before speaking. "Mrs Cole. I was delayed yesterday. The trains stopped running, so I took lodgings elsewhere."
Mrs Cole glared. "I was up half the night waiting for you, young man."
"I do apologize," he said as he and Buffy lowered his trunk to the ground.
The older woman harrumphed.
Buffy snorted. "Really? You're concerned about your sleep when Tom could have been dead in a ditch somewhere?" she snapped.
Mrs Cole turned her sharp-featured gaze on Buffy and frowned. "And who might you be?"
"Someone who cares," said Buffy.
Mrs Cole narrowed her eyes at the girl, then looked at the two women. "Delightful, this one," she said with a gesture at Buffy.
"Hey!" Buffy burst. "This one is standing right here! Don't talk about me as if I'm not here!"
Sophie chuckled, but took up Buffy's hand. "She is actually," she said. "Utterly enchanting, I assure you."
"She grows on you," Vin added—causing Tom to snicker.
Mrs Cole's head snapped in the boy's direction. "I'm not sure I've ever heard you laugh, young man," she said.
"No, probably not," Tom responded.
"Yes, because I'm sure he has sooo many reasons to laugh in a place like this," Buffy said snidely.
"Buffy," Vin said warningly—causing Buffy's mouth to snap shut.
Mrs Cold sighed. "So, who might you three be?"
"I am Lavinia Fairweather and this is my sister Sophronia. And this is our charge, Buffy Summers," Vin said, resting a hand on Buffy's shoulder.
Mrs Cole looked at Buffy again, then back at Vin and Sophie. "Well then, thank you for bringing Tom home," she said.
Buffy snorted, opening her mouth to comment, but only huffed when she felt both her hand and shoulder squeezed.
Tom turned toward Vin and Sophie and nodded. "Yes. Thank you for bringing me...here," he ground out. "And thank you for taking me in last night."
"Of course, Tom," said Sophie, "Anytime."
He looked at Buffy then. "It was nice meeting you, Buffy."
Buffy grinned at him. "I'll help you with your trunk," she offered as she leaned down and picked up her end again.
"Oh no. That is not permitted," Mrs Cole said with a shake of her head—causing Buffy to glare at her.
"Who's going to stop me?" Buffy asked. "Besides, I'm not leaving here until I know Tom's safely in his room."
Mrs Cole pursed her lips and nodded. "All right. I suppose I can make an exception. Just this once."
Buffy grinned, then looked at Vin and Sophie.
"We'll wait right here, Buffy," Sophie promised. "Take your time."
~oOo~
"Such a pleasant woman," Buffy said as she and Tom started up and into the hallways of the orphanage.
Tom shrugged. "She's not cruel. Most of the children like her well enough. All but a few are...content."
Buffy cocked her head. "Content, but not thrilled to pieces."
"Would you be overjoyed if you had no parents and lived here?" he asked.
"Good point. My bad."
Tom shook his head. "Sometimes it's as if you speak a completely different language, Buffy." He stopped walking then and pushed a door open. "This one's mine," he said flatly.
Buffy looked up at the "27" on his door, then followed him inside and looked around. There wasn't much to it—a bed, a desk and chair, and a cupboard to hold his belongings. A window on the far wall. That was about it.
"Can I help you put your things away?" she asked him hopefully, wanting to see what sort of stuff he had in his trunk. She assumed books and clothing, but...what else? Did he have any interesting trinkets? A favorite scarf? Perhaps a stuffed animal that no one knew about?
He shook his head. "Thank you, but no. It'll give me something to do after you've left."
She nodded. It made her sad, but...it also made sense. Biting her lip, she crossed the room to peer out the window. She could tell his room was facing the front of the building, but her view was obstucted somewhat by the brick wall of another building. Looking down at the space between the buildings, she tried to figure out exactly where his window would be from the street.
"I don't like it here," she stated plainly as she turned around, her eyes going to the bricks going around the room.
His lips quirked up at her frankness. "Neither do I," he admitted. He was still shocked that he felt so able to be open with this girl. "But it's clean and dry and...relatively safe. If anything can be safe in these times."
Buffy frowned as she considered the war. She wished she'd paid more attention in history class. "Yeah," she mumbled.
"I'll walk you out," he said politely, with a gesture at the door. He didn't want her to go, but he knew she couldn't stay. It was better to just end this quickly.
As they stepped out of his room, another boy appeared.
"So, Riddle, you're back?"
Tom gave a clipped nod. "Just like last summer. And every summer before."
The boy glared at Tom, then glanced at Buffy. "And you are?"
"Oh. Hi there! I'm Buffy. What's your name?"
"Billy Stubbs," he told her. "You new?"
Buffy shook her head. "Nope. Just visiting." She grinned.
Billy studied her for a moment—then looked at Tom. "You know girls aren't allowed in the boy's rooms."
"Oh. I've got permission from Mrs Cole, so no worries, Billy," Buffy said as she took Tom's hand and pulled. "Come on, Tom, let's go."
Without looking at Billy again, they turned and walked off. When they were a level down, Buffy shuddered. "I didn't care for him and I don't think he likes you much."
Tom snorted. "He doesn't. And...I've given him reason not to," he admitted.
Buffy's eyes widened. "Really? What'd you do?"
Tom shook his head. "Let's not talk about that," he said. He didn't think he could stand it if Buffy turned against him. How could one girl have altered his world in less than twenty-four hours?! Tom was feeling completely vulnerable to her—and he hated it!
~oOo~
Okay, so that's my part done!
Let's see if you can add yours! =)