The flight felt longer than it actually was, and by the time they landed even Teal'c was looking ready to get off the aircraft.
"DanielJackson, I do not believe these vehicles were invented properly. The facilities are far too small, and the seating is not advantageous for one's comfort."
Daniel rolled his eyes and the Jaffa raised an eyebrow. "You're probably right. Then again most people aren't quite as...large as you are."
Teal'c nodded which Daniel interpreted as 'I'm not convinced, but I'm willing to leave this discussion until later.' With that they began to exit the plane and made their way through the airport and caught a taxi to their hotel.
Carter had been quiet for most of the plane ride and through the cab ride as well, but the expression on her face was enough to tell Teal'c and Daniel that she really didn't want to be there. After getting out of the taxi and checking into their rooms, they sat down to come up with a strategy to find Jack, and Carter sighed heavily as she shrugged her shoulders not offering any suggestions. Daniel had had enough and stood up and moved closer to where she was seated across the room from him.
"Why the hell did you even bother coming with us?" His hands went across his chest as he stared down at her waiting for her to speak.
"Excuse me?!"
"No, I won't excuse you. You've been acting like a bitch since Jack told us about being a wizard. I realize it was a lot for you to stomach, so I told him to give you time, but damn...get over it already!"
Teal'c sat up straight on the bed listening intently to his friends as they argued, and shouted at one another.
"Screw you, Daniel!" Sam angrily stood up and started to leave, but Daniel caught her by the arm and spun her around. "Let me go!"
He held his grip firmly. "Not until you hear me out."
Furiously she attempted to wrench her arm away, and when that failed she brought her other arm around to try and hit Daniel in the face. To her surprise he was able to counter and locked her arm behind her and held her down against the chair she had previously been seated in.
"I'm warning you, Daniel."
"From where I'm standing you aren't in any position to warn me about anything."
Teal'c finally stood from his seat on the bed and stepped up to the two combatants. "Fighting will not achieve out goal of helping O'Neill. DanielJackson you will release her now."
Reluctantly, Daniel did as Teal'c said and the Major pulled herself up and rotated her now sore shoulder and glared at Daniel as though she wanted to kill him.
"Where do you get off treating me this way?" Carter asked as Daniel stepped away from her.
"It is you who has brought this upon yourself, MajorCarter. Had you not acted so harshly to O'Neill DanielJackson would not have gotten upset."
Sam turned her glare to Teal'c and shook her head at both men. "So this is my fault?!"
"What's harder for you to grasp, that you were wrong about something, or that Jack is more than meets the eye just like we always thought he was?" Daniel stared back at Carter with a smirk on his face as if daring her to respond.
She lowered her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath as Daniel's words began to sink in. "That's not fair."
"Maybe not, but you've been acting like a spoiled child that can't get her way. You've had plenty of time to adjust to this; we all have. If you can't accept things the way they are, then go home and we'll find Jack on our own." Again Daniel's arms crossed over his chest and Sam looked from Daniel to Teal'c and both men were wearing the same determined expression.
She knew they were right, and if she admitted it to herself she had been a royal pain in the ass since they'd gotten back from Kessia. The Colonel was just as important to her as he was to Daniel and Teal'c and if she didn't put her petty frustrations aside, she was going to lose them all. Swallowing her pride she sat up her chair and looked them both in the eyes.
"I'm sorry guys. I shouldn't have acted the way I've been acting. I want to help the Colonel as much as you do."
Nodding Teal'c and Daniel took seats on the edge of the bed closest to Carter and they began to talk strategy.
Jack could just make out the sign for the Leaky Cauldron a block ahead and he smiled. It looked much the same as it had the last time he had been there years before.
...flashback...
"Come on Jack. You can't be serious. I think you've had a bit too much brew. There is no way the Irish team is going to win the Quidditch Cup this year. They may be good, but Romania is the best. They're unbeatable."
Jack rolled his eyes at James and shook his head. "I've only had two pints, not near enough to impair my judgment, Prongs. You on the other hand, Lily is going to have your ass for getting this pissed."
"Jack's right on that one, my friend." Sirius spoke up from his seat across the table from James Potter and Jack and the other two shook their heads at him.
"So you finally decided to wake up?" Jack quipped as he pushed a half empty glass of beer towards Sirius.
"Well the conversation was a bit dull. I thought a nap was in order." Sirius gave them both a mock salute as he downed the beer and they both rolled their eyes at him.
"Lily will not have my ass. I'm hardly as intoxicated as the both of you."
Sirius smirked and Jack shook his head as he put his arm around James' shoulder. "We'll see what happens when we have to carry you home later tonight."
James pushed Jack's arm away and stood up. "I'll be back. Perhaps you'll both have sobered up a bit by then."
Jack and Sirius laughed as James took off towards the lavatory. While he was gone, the door swung open and in walked a dark-haired man both Jack and Sirius knew quite well.
"Sev! Join us!" Jack shouted as Severus Snape shook the rain water off his robes and set his cloak on the rack beside the door.
Severus took one look at Sirius and scowled as he moved closer. "You should really try smiling, Snape. I hear it's good for the facial muscles."
"Honestly, Black is that the best line you could come up with? I would have thought someone with your wit could have thought of something far more creative."
Jack shook his head at both men and pulled Severus down into the seat beside him. "Be nice. You're both my friends and I won't have you fighting while I'm around."
"Then I suggest you tell the grease ball to shove off-"
At Sirius' words Severus stood and pulled his wand out. "You bastard!"
Both men were on their feet in seconds and Sirius had his wand ready and pointed it at Snape just as Jack stepped between them.
"Enough! Stop this!"
"How you can be friends with a Gryfindor is beyond me, Jack."
"He's friends with more than one of us, in case you'd forgotten." They all turned to see James standing just behind them, his left hand poised to go for his wand if need be.
"Come on. Why do you guys always have to argue?"
"You know my reasons quite well, Jack." Severus snarled and Jack shook his head.
"That was a long time ago. They're both sorry for what happened. Let it go, Sev." Snape glared at Jack and put his wand back in his robes and started for the door.
"Severus wait!" Jack started after Snape but Sirius' hand on his forearm stopped him.
"Let that bloody fool go. If he can't get past a stupid childhood prank then leave him."
Jack shook his head angrily. "You know I can't do that. Besides, you and James were wrong for what you did to him. I don't even blame him for still being angry about it."
"Come on, Jack. Sirius and I were kids. We didn't mean anything by it."
"Maybe not, but you nearly killed him. Had anything actually happened to him, I would have killed you both."
"I will never understand what it is between you two. You were in the same house in school, but other than that you are so different." Jack looked at James and rolled his eyes.
"One could say the same about you two and Peter, but you still keep that little rat around."
"That's different. He's different."
Jack shook his head at Sirius. "At least Severus is someone I can trust. I wouldn't trust Peter any further than I could throw is fat ass."
Angrily Jack wrenched his arm from Sirius' grip and started for the door. He cast one quick glance back at James and Sirius and both men were shaking their heads as he walked out.
...end flashback...
That had been the last time the three of them had been together before everything fell apart. He had gone after Severus, but had been unable to calm the man down. Two weeks later James and Lily were killed by Voldemort and Jack had gone into hiding. The loss of everything he knew was difficult, but he never lost the sense of guilt he felt over not being there to help James and Lily.
Shaking himself from the memories, Jack stepped up to the door of the Leaky Cauldron and pushed it open. Slowly he stepped inside and lowered his head as he made his way to the far end of the bar.
"What'll it be?" The bartender asked as he towel dried a glass on the opposite side of the bar.
"Butterbeer. Need something to warm me up. It's cold out there."
"Right there. Where you from? You sound like a right Yank to me?"
"Guilty. First time in London actually. A friend suggested this place." The bartender nodded and set a steaming mug of butterbeer in front of Jack.
"You seem a bit familiar. Wherabouts in America you from?"
"New Mexico."
"Did you go to the Jemez Mountain Academy for Witches and Wizards then?"
"Actually I went to the Salem Institute."
The bartender nodded and his attention was taken away by another customer walking into the building. Jack downed the butterbeer and followed a small group of wizards going out the back door to Diagon Alley. He walked through the brick wall and onto the street and took a deep breath as he surveyed the area. He slipped through the street unnoticed and stopped when he reached Ollivander's. A bell rang as he stepped inside and a gray-haired man walked towards the front counter adjusting his spectacles.
"How may I help-" Ollivander stopped in his tracks and gasped. There was no mistaking the man in front of him. "How is this possible? You're supposed to be dead."
"You know me. I was always lucky." Jack shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
"That you were. What are you doing here? I should alert the Ministry this instant."
"But you won't. You know I'm no more guilty than my brother." Jack met Ollivander's gaze and old wizard shook his head. "I came here looking for information. You always seem to have a handle on what goes on in London and the rest of the wizarding world."
Ollivander smirked and nodded as he stepped around the counter and went to put the 'closed' sign on his shop door. Jack crossed his arms over his chest and Ollivander motioned for him to follow him to the back of the shop.
"What sort of information are you searching for?"
"Someone kidnapped me a little over a week ago. They used some sort of potion on me, and I don't remember much. I only get flashes, quick images, but nothing concrete."
Ollivander shook his head. "And you think I might know who did this?"
"I think you can find out, or at least point me in the right direction."
"I'll do what I can, but I make no promises. With all the fuss about Black being on the run, it's not so easy to get information."
With a smirk Jack nodded. "Don't forget you owe me. This little shop would have been burnt to the ground if it weren't for me."
Ollivander gulped and gave Jack an indignant look and motioned for him to go towards the front of the store. He hastily did as the older wizard wanted and flipped the sign over as he turned the latch to open the door.
"Come back tomorrow afternoon."
Jack nodded and stepped back out onto the busy street. The sun was just going down and the chilly night breeze was in full force. He passed through the streets quietly and went back through the Leaky Cauldron and into Muggle London.