~Draika~
Chapter Two: A Shopping Trip
Draika sighed. Seeing no one in the hall to help her, she dragged her heavy trunk down towards the restaurant, leaving it by the coat hangers. She wouldn't have to leave for a few hours, so she could take her time. Stomach growling, she trudged to the counter. Tom, the Leaky Cauldron's bartender and waiter, was sleeping. The girl rolled her eyes. She'd only been here a day or so, and she still didn't know what to think of the old man. Normally she could form opinions about people in a split second, but Tom was a confusing one. Ringing the service bell, she waited for Tom to wake up.
Tom did not wake up.
'Ring.'
"…zzzzzz…."
'Ring. Ringringring.'
"….zzzzz….zzzz zzzz zzzz…"
'RING.'
"…ZZZZZ…"
'RIIIIIIIIIIIING!!'
Tom's head jerked up, and Draika had to stifle a laugh: The napkin he rested his coffee on had stuck to his face. She quickly composed herself. This was no time for laughing. Not that any time was really a time for laughing in her life….
"Yes, miss?" No matter how many times Draika had reminded Tom to call her Draika, he kept calling her 'miss'. She sighed, and had a feeling it wouldn't be for the last time she would that day.
"Some sausages, if you will, Tom. No eggs, please…and a glass of pumpkin juice."
Tom nodded, napkin still stuck to his face. Seeming not to notice it, he went about making her breakfast silently. He too did not know what to think of this strange girl.
Draika sat at a table, impatient to eat. Her stomach wouldn't tolerate anything but meat for solid food these days, and always at least five times a day.
~Just another fun aspect of my life.~ She thought sarcastically. Maybe after she had eaten, she'd go to Diagon Alley and do some shopping--she still had a few galleons left over from last year.
Tom set the plate of sausages on the table, followed by a mug of steaming pumpkin juice.
"There you go, miss…" He smiled, going back to behind the counter, no doubt to sleep some more. Draika practically inhaled her meal, neatly placing the dishes on the counter next to the once-again sleeping Tom along with a silver Sickle as a tip. The man wasn't good at early-morning service, but he could sure make you laugh.
She walked out into the Cauldron's dingy back alley, counting the bricks with her wand to open the archway into Diagon Alley. She pocketed her wand, which was made of ironwood. Exactly twelve inches in length, the carefully polished wand contained two teeth from a Peruvian Vipertooth dragon. Walking down the mostly empty cobbled streets, she enjoyed the solitude that one could only find just before dawn. She was tempted to go inside a shop that sold magical creatures, but her better judgment told her no. Unless it was a lizard or snake, she wasn't really interested.
As the sun began to rise, more and more wizarding folk began to enter the large town. Many were students, Draika saw, looking to buy supplies. She didn't have to worry about that, not until she could get a source of income. Until then, her supplies were being provided by the school. Secondhand, no doubt, but they would work just fine.
She entered Flourish and Blotts, the best bookstore she knew. Going to one of the back sections, she searched and searched, but she couldn't find what she was looking for. Approaching the salesman, she decided to ask for help…but just this once, because it was important.
"Do you know where I might find books on the Vipertooth? Or, more specifically, a book on the…" she left off, spotting the book she wanted on a nearby shelf. "Nevermind…." she said, hating to make a fool out of herself. "I see it over here."
Walking over to the table, she found all the books on it were about diseases only known to wizards.
"Perfect." She picked up one volume. It was cheap enough for her to afford. Bringing it to the counter, she paid the man twenty Sickles for the book. She exited the shop, and was promptly knocked over.
Scrambling to stand, Draika glared around nervously, trying to sight her attacker. She saw no one. Allowing herself to relax a bit, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Whirling around but still clutching her book, she found herself face-to-face with a boy about her age, probably fifteen or sixteen. Hard to tell. He stared at her meekly, almost afraid, holding a wriggling bundle of feathers. A closer look proved the thing to be a tiny owl. Draika did not move, studying the boy. He had short red hair and brown eyes, along with tons of freckles. He was tall, lanky, and struggling with the out-of-control owl.
"Stop it, Pig!" He grated. The owl must have pecked at his fingers, because all of a sudden he let go with a yelp, and the little owl, now free, wheeled around Draika's head, screeching. Draika clenched her teeth. Stupid owl. She raised a hand to swat him away, but the boy shook his head.
"Don't, please! I don't know what's wrong with him, he's normally good about staying put…"
Draika nodded, face showing no emotion. She heard two voices yelling.
"Ron? Hey, Ron!" A girl's voice, slightly snobby-sounding.
"He was just chasing Pig…Ron???" Another voice, this time male, more confident than Ron's…if that was him they were shouting for. It appeared to be, since the boy suddenly got very nervous, his ears turning bright-red.
"Sorry." He said quietly, slipping off into the crowds to rejoin his friends.
Draika nodded, thinking this boy must be either very insane, very owl-motivated, or both. Sighing, she dragged her feet back to the Leaky Cauldron. It was nearly ten-she had spent more time in the bookstore than she thought! Walking through the restaurant with the trunk in tow, she once again spotted the redheaded boy and his friends. The other boy had jet-black hair, she could not see his face. The girl had bushy brown hair and brown eyes that looked curiously at Draika as she passed. Ron's ears turned red again, and he muttered something she didn't catch, something to his friends. The second boy turned to look at the girl Ron had told them about, but she was already out the door. Hauling her trunk into the backseat of a cab that Tom had called earlier, she gave them the simple order of going to King's Cross…and to hurry up, she didn't have all the time in the world!
------------
So…nice, yes? No? I have one question: Should I make this have a little romance in it, or none? Do you want to know what's wrong with Draika? Should I keep it secret, tell you, or have you guessed already? Please R&R!
Chapter Two: A Shopping Trip
Draika sighed. Seeing no one in the hall to help her, she dragged her heavy trunk down towards the restaurant, leaving it by the coat hangers. She wouldn't have to leave for a few hours, so she could take her time. Stomach growling, she trudged to the counter. Tom, the Leaky Cauldron's bartender and waiter, was sleeping. The girl rolled her eyes. She'd only been here a day or so, and she still didn't know what to think of the old man. Normally she could form opinions about people in a split second, but Tom was a confusing one. Ringing the service bell, she waited for Tom to wake up.
Tom did not wake up.
'Ring.'
"…zzzzzz…."
'Ring. Ringringring.'
"….zzzzz….zzzz zzzz zzzz…"
'RING.'
"…ZZZZZ…"
'RIIIIIIIIIIIING!!'
Tom's head jerked up, and Draika had to stifle a laugh: The napkin he rested his coffee on had stuck to his face. She quickly composed herself. This was no time for laughing. Not that any time was really a time for laughing in her life….
"Yes, miss?" No matter how many times Draika had reminded Tom to call her Draika, he kept calling her 'miss'. She sighed, and had a feeling it wouldn't be for the last time she would that day.
"Some sausages, if you will, Tom. No eggs, please…and a glass of pumpkin juice."
Tom nodded, napkin still stuck to his face. Seeming not to notice it, he went about making her breakfast silently. He too did not know what to think of this strange girl.
Draika sat at a table, impatient to eat. Her stomach wouldn't tolerate anything but meat for solid food these days, and always at least five times a day.
~Just another fun aspect of my life.~ She thought sarcastically. Maybe after she had eaten, she'd go to Diagon Alley and do some shopping--she still had a few galleons left over from last year.
Tom set the plate of sausages on the table, followed by a mug of steaming pumpkin juice.
"There you go, miss…" He smiled, going back to behind the counter, no doubt to sleep some more. Draika practically inhaled her meal, neatly placing the dishes on the counter next to the once-again sleeping Tom along with a silver Sickle as a tip. The man wasn't good at early-morning service, but he could sure make you laugh.
She walked out into the Cauldron's dingy back alley, counting the bricks with her wand to open the archway into Diagon Alley. She pocketed her wand, which was made of ironwood. Exactly twelve inches in length, the carefully polished wand contained two teeth from a Peruvian Vipertooth dragon. Walking down the mostly empty cobbled streets, she enjoyed the solitude that one could only find just before dawn. She was tempted to go inside a shop that sold magical creatures, but her better judgment told her no. Unless it was a lizard or snake, she wasn't really interested.
As the sun began to rise, more and more wizarding folk began to enter the large town. Many were students, Draika saw, looking to buy supplies. She didn't have to worry about that, not until she could get a source of income. Until then, her supplies were being provided by the school. Secondhand, no doubt, but they would work just fine.
She entered Flourish and Blotts, the best bookstore she knew. Going to one of the back sections, she searched and searched, but she couldn't find what she was looking for. Approaching the salesman, she decided to ask for help…but just this once, because it was important.
"Do you know where I might find books on the Vipertooth? Or, more specifically, a book on the…" she left off, spotting the book she wanted on a nearby shelf. "Nevermind…." she said, hating to make a fool out of herself. "I see it over here."
Walking over to the table, she found all the books on it were about diseases only known to wizards.
"Perfect." She picked up one volume. It was cheap enough for her to afford. Bringing it to the counter, she paid the man twenty Sickles for the book. She exited the shop, and was promptly knocked over.
Scrambling to stand, Draika glared around nervously, trying to sight her attacker. She saw no one. Allowing herself to relax a bit, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Whirling around but still clutching her book, she found herself face-to-face with a boy about her age, probably fifteen or sixteen. Hard to tell. He stared at her meekly, almost afraid, holding a wriggling bundle of feathers. A closer look proved the thing to be a tiny owl. Draika did not move, studying the boy. He had short red hair and brown eyes, along with tons of freckles. He was tall, lanky, and struggling with the out-of-control owl.
"Stop it, Pig!" He grated. The owl must have pecked at his fingers, because all of a sudden he let go with a yelp, and the little owl, now free, wheeled around Draika's head, screeching. Draika clenched her teeth. Stupid owl. She raised a hand to swat him away, but the boy shook his head.
"Don't, please! I don't know what's wrong with him, he's normally good about staying put…"
Draika nodded, face showing no emotion. She heard two voices yelling.
"Ron? Hey, Ron!" A girl's voice, slightly snobby-sounding.
"He was just chasing Pig…Ron???" Another voice, this time male, more confident than Ron's…if that was him they were shouting for. It appeared to be, since the boy suddenly got very nervous, his ears turning bright-red.
"Sorry." He said quietly, slipping off into the crowds to rejoin his friends.
Draika nodded, thinking this boy must be either very insane, very owl-motivated, or both. Sighing, she dragged her feet back to the Leaky Cauldron. It was nearly ten-she had spent more time in the bookstore than she thought! Walking through the restaurant with the trunk in tow, she once again spotted the redheaded boy and his friends. The other boy had jet-black hair, she could not see his face. The girl had bushy brown hair and brown eyes that looked curiously at Draika as she passed. Ron's ears turned red again, and he muttered something she didn't catch, something to his friends. The second boy turned to look at the girl Ron had told them about, but she was already out the door. Hauling her trunk into the backseat of a cab that Tom had called earlier, she gave them the simple order of going to King's Cross…and to hurry up, she didn't have all the time in the world!
------------
So…nice, yes? No? I have one question: Should I make this have a little romance in it, or none? Do you want to know what's wrong with Draika? Should I keep it secret, tell you, or have you guessed already? Please R&R!