Note- Otis, comes from the movie Milo and Otis.
Chapter Five
The room was filled with flowers when Draco woke up from his morning nap. He heard whispering in the hallway, opened his eyes, and saw a nurse talking to an older man. She was pointing to the box the aide had left.
"I don't want to disturb you," the man said. "I'd just like to puck up this box Dr. Cooper fixed up for my daughter and be on my way."
"Come in," Draco said. "You're Dr. Weasley's father, aren't you?"
"That's right. My name's Arthur. Arthur Weasley." He walked over to the side of the bed and shook Draco's hand. Draco didn't have to introduce himself. Arthur knew who he was. "My girl told me all about you. I'd like you to know, though, that whatever problems I held with your father, I wont hold with you."
"She told me about you?" He couldn't hide his surprise.
"Arthur nodded. "You must have been real quick, son, because me Ginny knows how to take care of herself."
Draco didn't know what the man was talking about. "I was 'quick'?"
"When you clipped her," he explained. "Where'd you think she got that shiner?"
"I did that?" He was incredulous. He had no memory of it, and she hadn't said anything about it. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I figured you didn't mean to hit her. She told me you were in considerable pain at the time. You were lucky she noticed you." He leaned against the bed rail and folded his arms across his chest. "Now, my daughter doesn't usually talk about her patients, but I knew she had gone to a fancy party wearing a brand-new dress she didn't want to spend money on, and when I asked her if she had a good time, she told me about you. She had only just gotten there when she had to turn around and go back to the hospital. She didn't get to have a single bite of food."
"I should apologize to her."
"You tore her dress. You should probably tell her you're sorry about that too."
"I tore her dress?"
"Just after you threw up on her." Arthur chuckled, and then shook his head. "Ruined that brand new four-hundred-dollar dress."
Draco groaned. He did remember doing that.
"You look like you need to get some rest. If you see my daughter will you tell her I'm waiting down in the lobby? It was sure nice to meet you again."
"Why don't you wait here?" Draco suggested. "I've slept as much as I'm going to" he added. "When your daughter comes looking for you, I can tell her thank you."
"I guess I could sit a spell. I don't want to wear you out though."
"You won't."
Arthur dragged a chair to the side of the bed and sat down. "Where's home, son?"
"Wiltshire."
"Are you married?"
"I was."
"Divorced?"
"No, my wife died."
His tone of voice suggested that Arthur not pursue that line of questioning.
"Any family left?"
"No, not really. Except for Blaise, he's not really related, but he's been more like a brother since I can remember."
"Where exactly is your home, sir? Your daughter was talking about her clinic and mentioned it."
"Call me Arthur," he insisted. "Ottery St. Catchpole, at the Burrow, is home, but I don't expect you've ever heard of it. The town's not big enough to be a speck on a map. Ottery's tiny, all right, but it's the prettiest stretch of land in all Wizarding Britain. Some afternoons when the sun's going down and the breeze picks up, the moss starts swaying and the light bounces off the river just so, and the frogs and the Acromantulas start in singing to each other… well, son, I think to myself that I must be living in paradise. It's that pretty. There's a hospital there on the north side. It's old, but adequate" he added.
"Do your sons live in the Burrow?"
"Percy, my oldest, now works for the Ministry of Magic as the Deputy Minster for Magic, he's still not married," Arthur added, "he comes home occasionally with Ron, who was in your year at Hogwarts, the middle one, left the Aurors after Voldemort's defeat and moved back to Ottery St Catchpole a couple of years ago; he's not married either. Too busy, I imagine. He lives in a nice little cabin he built deep in the woods, and when he isn't working in the bar for me, he's a carpenter. Last year we opened a brand new high school, and Ron helped build it. Dumbledore is what it's called. Named after a local celebrity."
"You don't meant its named after Headmaster Dumbledore… at Hogwarts… is that what you're saying?"
"That's the one, alright."
"You're saying Dumbledore lived in Ottery St. Catchpole?"
Arthur shook his head. "No, son, we cant boast that, but legend has it that Dumbledore roamed the area fishing. Of course this was before he became headmaster, before Ottery St. Catchpole was even a town. Still we liked to think that Dumbledore stayed a spell."
Draco managed not to laugh. It appeared that the people in Ottery St. Catchpole were hard-pressed for local heroes.
"Where does the name Ottery St. Catchpole come from?"
"It comes from the word Otter, like the animal."
"For Milo and Otis? Did Otis stop by too?"
"We like to think he did."
"You're not putting me on."
"No, I'm not," Arthur insisted. "Of course, Otis came by after Dumbledore left," he said.
"Is there proof that Dumbledore or Otis were in Ottery St. Catchpole?"
"None to speak of," Arthur admitted with a twinkle in his eye. "But we believe it to be true. Now, as I was telling you, the Ottery St Catchpole kids use to have to bus over to a fancy high school, but it just got too cramped. It was past time we had our own. We've even got a Quidditch team. We were all real excited about that last year… until we saw them play. Lord, they're a sorry lot at best. I never missed a game though, and I won't miss this year either because, now that my daughter is home, she'll be going with me. Ginny agreed to be the team's physician, which means she's got to sit on the sidelines and fix them up when they get hurt. We all know they're going to get trounced again, but I figure I ought to be supportive of their efforts by showing up and cheering them on. Wee didn't win a single game last year. We've got some real big kids, but they don't know what to do when they get any of the balls. They don't know how to hit either. You like to watch Quidditch, Draco?"
"Sure," he said.
"You ever play?"
"Yes, I did," he answered. "In Hogwarts and I play for the Auror team occasionally, but not too often since I trashed my knee."
"What position? You're tall, slim and wide enough on the shoulders. I'd guess seeker?"
Draco nodded. "That's right. It seems like a long time ago."
Arthur had a speculative gleam in his eyes. "You ever think about coaching?"
Draco laughed. "No, I haven't."
"Gin might be able to fix up your knee for you."
"You must be very proud of your daughter coming back home to open a clinic."
"Of course I'm proud of her," he said. "I'm not going to let her work herself to the bone, though. There are other doctors, and they'll be taking call for one another so each of them can have some time off now and again."
"Why is she doing surgery here in St. Mungos?"
"To make some extra money. They call it moonlighting, but she's finished now and won't be coming back. Do you like to fish?"
"I used to, but the last few years, there just hasn't been enough time for it," he admitted. I remember, though, there's nothing like that feeling of peace that comes over a man when he's-"
"Holding a fishing pole in one hand and a cold beer in the other?"
"Yeah, that's right. Nothing like it in the world."
They started discussing their favorite lures and bait, and then did a good deal of bragging about the fish they'd caught. Arthur was impressed. He didn't think anyone understood or loved fishing as much as he did, but he had to admit that from the way Draco talked, he had met his match.
"I'm telling you, you ought to come up to Ottery. We've got the best fishing in England, and I mean to prove it to you. We'll pass a good time out on my dock."
"I may take you up ton the offer sometime," he said.
"What do you do for a living?" Arthur asked.
"I'm an Auror."
"How come the Ministry is sending you flowers?" he asked. He looked sheepish as he added, "They were sitting on the counter at the nurses' station before they brought them on in here, and I read the card."
"I came to St James to give a speech," he said, leaving out the fact that he was being honored by the local authorities. "I work for the Justice Department."
"Doing what exactly?"
"I was assigned to a special task force," he said. He realized he was still being evasive and added, "the area was organized crime. I just finished up."
"Did you get your man?"
Draco smiled. "Yeah, I did."
"Are you out of a job now?"
"No," he answered. "The department wants me to stay on. I'm not sure what I'm going to do."
Arthur continued on with his questions. Draco thought he would have made a great lawyer. He had a sharp mind and a quick wit.
"You ever think of going into private practice?" Arthur asked.
"Sometimes."
"There aren't any good Aurors in Ottery St. Catchpole. All of them just rob you blind. Folks don't think much of them."
While Arthur talked about his time, Draco kept trying to think of a subtle way to bring Ginevra back into the conversation.
"Is your daughter married?" So much for subtle.
"I was wondering when you were going to get around to asking me about Ginny. The answer's no, she isn't married. She hasn't had the time. Of course, the men in Ottery are all trying to get her attention, but she's been too busy setting up her clinic to pay them any mind. She's still young," he added. "And smart. Lord, is my girl smart. She finished college before she was twenty, then started in on her medical training and joined the force during the War. She had to go out of state to do her residency, but she came home to visit every chance she got. She's mindful of family," he added with a nod. "And she's pretty too, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is."
"I figured you'd notice."
Arthur stood up and put the chair back against the wall. "It was nice passing time with you, but I should go now. You get some sleep and I'll take that box to the lobby. Dr. Cooper gave my daughter some old surgical equipment, and when she asked me to come and fetch it she was smiling like it was Christmas morning. If you ever make your way to Bowen, you be sure and come by the Burrow. That's my bar as well as my house," he explained. "Drinks on the house."
He was at the door when Draco stopped him. "If I don't see your daughter before she leaves, please tell her thank you for me, and also tell her how sorry I am about the dress."
"I'll be sure and tell her."
"Maybe our paths will cross again someday."
Arthur nodded. "Maybe so."