Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed; I really appreciate it. Also a big "Thank you!" to Mallory (WingedSeraphin) for beta'ing for me. To all readers: Don't hesitate to review!
Chapter Two
The next morning Dorcas stood in the doorway of Guy's room, a few doors down from her own at the hostel at which they were staying, while she waited for him to finish packing. Sometimes she felt so superior to muggles, because she had packed in about thirty seconds with a wave of her wand.
"So where to next?" Guy asked. "Back through Germany to revisit central Europe, or north to Sweden? I say we go south. There's still a lot left to see and we don't want to get stuck in Scandinavia when it gets cold, and winter is just around the corner."
"Actually, Guy, I have to get back to England. It's been over a year, and I miss my friends, and I need to take care of a few things." She could see the disappointment in his face, and so she added, "You don't have to come with me. You can go on to Czechoslovakia and Hungary and where ever else you want."
"No, no, I should go back too." His voice became quieter and he looked far away. "It's been a while for me, too. A few years." There were a few minutes of silence then he said, "Well, if we're going to leave, might as well leave here and arrive back home in style. To the airport!" Guy's smile was back, and so was the twinkle in his eye.
"The airport?" asked Dorcas, her voice full of anxiety. She had been planning to apparate to Hogsmeade and owl Dumbledore from there, and Guy wanting to come along was an obstacle she hadn't anticipated. She had to jog her memory at bit before she remembered that an airport is where planes, a muggle form of transportation, leave and arrive. When she learned about them in her Muggle Studies class, she remembered thinking that planes would never be able to fly without magic, and that even if they could they'd be very unsafe. "Where there are planes? That fly? In the air?!"
"Well, they can't fly anywhere else," he replied, laughing.
"Well, yeah. But, you know, maybe taking an airplane really isn't the best way to go." A broomstick was bad enough; how could a hollow hunk of metal be any better?
Guy got an evil glint in his eye and his tone of voice challenged Dorcas: "You scared?"
All the fear and anxiety left her face as she nonchalantly replied, "Of course not. I'm just concerned with the cost. Plane tickets can get pretty expensive, no?"
"Don't you worry about that, doll face. I'll get my father to reimburse you. It wouldn't dent his bank account at all."
There was a shocked silence before Dorcas said, "You did not just call me doll face." Guy gave her an innocent shrug. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't," he said, and started dragging his bag out the door.
As they bought their tickets and made their way through security, Dorcas's anxiety began to grow, though she tried not to show it. Even though she had been seeing planes taking off and landing through the windows, she was still having a hard time believing that they could fly. They were huge chunks of metal! And in her experience, huge chunks of metal did not fly without the aid of magic. As they were boarding Dorcas almost considered backing out and just apparating, but then decided that this would be a good experience for her, facing her fear. She gave a small smile at the thought that this would be good practice for when she faced Voldemort.
When Guy said that they would travel "in style" he really meant "in style." They had first class seats in the very first row.
"Um, Guy," Dorcas said quietly, "these are pretty good seats. Weren't they already booked by someone?"
"Let's just say that the airline people and I came to an... understanding." As he said this he briefly took his wallet out of his pocket and winked at Dorcas."
"Oh..." she replied, a little surprised. She was shocked both that he had this much money, and that he would use his money to bribe someone so that a two and a half hour trip could be just a bit more comfortable.
A flight attendant with amazingly white teeth and perfectly manicured nails stood in front of the aisle and explained emergency procedures to the passengers. Dorcas paid strict attention, because she was sure that the plane would crash into a mountainside somewhere. A minute or so later the plane began to rumble and shake, and Dorcas began to say her last prayers, for she knew that these would be her last moments on Earth.
Guy took notice of her franticness, and raised his eyebrows in amusement, but instead of making the situation worse by making fun of her, he said, "Dorcas, there's nothing to worry about. The plane is just taking off. Flying is one of the safest, and not to mention quickest, ways to travel. Maybe looking out the window will help you."
Dorcas could think of two or three safer and faster ways to travel, but they were all magical, so she didn't mention them; instead she took Guy's advice and looked out the window. The runway started moving, slowly at first, then faster and faster. People driving luggage trucks and men wearing bright orange vests hurried about, and Dorcas was afraid that they'd be crushed under the plane. The pressure suddenly changed, and Dorcas saw the luggage trucks and orange-vested men getting smaller and father away until they passed out of her field of view and she couldn't see them at all. Little toy cars rode along on painted-black streets, and the sun sparkled off windows in buildings. They passed over squares of farmland, and Dorcas followed cute country roads with her eyes until the plane disappeared into the clouds.
For the rest of the trip Dorcas made aimless and pointless conversation with the people around her. The man across the aisle from Guy did not want to talk, and was annoyed with any attempts to induce him to do so. He was very fat, and looked like a stuck-up Italian opera star. Whenever he grunted in response to one of Dorcas' prodding questions she couldn't help but giggle. The couple sitting behind Dorcas was returning from their honeymoon, and seemed quite eager to talk about how happy they were with each other. They kept finishing each others' sentences and talking in what Guy called "Lovey-Dovey Language." The conversation made Dorcas sick after only a few minutes, and she regretted speaking to them, but they insisted on talking to her for the rest of the trip. She didn't want to be rude, so she kept listening until Guy told them, in so many words, to shut up. The shocked looks on their faces sent Dorcas into another fit of giggles.
The plane came to a rumbling stop, and Dorcas wouldn't have been surprised if it exploded or crashed into something and everyone died. She let out a hug sigh of relief when they were allowed to get up and leave. What Dorcas did not think of was what she was going to do now that she was back in England. Where would she stay? How would she ditch Guy? Because she had to ditch him, but she wanted to do it politely. He had followed her around like a lost puppy since they met, and most of the time she hadn't minded too much, but she couldn't show up in Diagon Alley with a muggle.
As they were waiting at luggage claim Dorcas decided to broach the subject to Guy. "I don't know about you, but I don't really have a place to stay. And since I'd rather not sleep on a park bench, I'm going to have to look for a motel or something."
"Don't worry. I'm sure my father wouldn't mind putting you up for a night or two. It's not like he doesn't have enough rooms in his house. There are our bags. Now let's go catch a cab."
That was the second time he had mentioned his father since Dorcas had met him. Of course, she hadn't talked about her family so she didn't ask about his, but she couldn't help noticing the sarcastic and almost bitter tone of voice Guy used when he spoke of his father. She didn't know what to expect, and wondered what the man would actually be like. Guy, quite obviously, did not have a very high opinion of him, but children often have biased opinions of their parents.
As their cab pulled into the Lockes' gravel driveway, Dorcas' jaw dropped and she stared in awe. She was looking at a huge, stern mansion made of grey stone. There was a small forest off in the distance, and ornamental gardens all over the grounds. She and Guy went up to the front door and Guy rang the doorbell. A butler opened the door and showed them in without a word, then went up a beautiful marble staircase in the middle of the room and disappeared through a meticulously carved door. A moment later a middle- aged man appeared, wearing semi-casual clothes and adjusting his sleeves. He jolted to a stop when he saw who was standing in his entryway.
"Guy," he said, walking slowly down the stairs, "I didn't expect to see you back so soon."
"'So soon?' What do you mean 'So soon?' It's been three years!" Guy was quickly losing his composure, as opposed to his father, who was very calm.
"Well, when you said that you didn't want to ever see me again and that you were leaving forever, I assumed that you actually were leaving forever. Although, I now suspect that that was just the rashness of youth talking, and now you have no money, and no place to stay, and so now you've come to beg for forgiveness because you've gotten this young lady pregnant and you need help." He spoke in a calm and condescending voice, and Dorcas started when he mentioned her.
"Well, no. Actually--" she began, but Guy interrupted her.
"You know, you're exactly the same; you haven't changed at all. This is why I left in the first place. I can't stand you." Guy's face was red and he was almost yelling at his father.
"You, as I can see, haven't changed either." Mr. Locke had lost his cool mien, and was now very obviously angry. "You are still young, arrogant, and ignorant. I'm tired of caring about you. Take what you want, you can even move back in if that's what you desire. My only request is that you stay out of my way." Without another glance at the two of them he strode out of the house. She could hear a car door slam, and then the crunch of tires on gravel.
Guy grabbed his duffel bag from off the floor and started walking silently up the stairs.
"Guy?" Dorcas asked quietly, but loud enough for him to hear. He didn't answer her or give any indication that he had heard her, so she picked up her bag and followed him.