A Most Usual Guest
John Thornton had spent one night as a guest at the Hales, and he was already wondering if his nerves would ever recover from feeling so on edge for most of it.
He was here out of necessity. A recent thunderstorm had badly damaged the roof and rendered the Thornton household completely uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. Fanny and his mother were fortunately invited to stay with the Latimers, who regrettably did not have an extra room for John. He had been about to enquire about the price of a hotel, when Mr Hale heard of his predicament and offered the use of their guest room. John had hesitated. It was mid-August, meaning the twins were not due to return to their school for a few more weeks. They were pleasant people, there was no denying, but John had not yet accustomed himself to the strange things that seemed to happen whenever they were about. He now wrapped the chain of his watch around his wrist when he entered their home. However, he was limited in his options, and unwilling to pay for prolonged use of a hotel, so he had accepted the invitation with a small amount of trepidation.
That trepidation increased when he rang the bell, to find himself face to face with the Hale daughter. She was pleasant to converse with, but her constantly impish expression and tendency for random objects about her person to break into song set John on edge.
The brother was no better. After that first run in with Arthur (whom John had learnt was what they called a Niffler) it seemed the boy was a walking menagerie. He rescued creatures from outside, magical and non-magical alike, and seemed to run a hotel for the owls that delivered letters out of his room. Fanny had almost screamed the house down at a dinner party when a large snowy owl had flown down the chimney and swooped over her head. Margaret was more put out that the owl had dropped her letter, some correspondence from a school friend, into John's wine glass.
"Mr Thornton?"
Margaret's voice broke through his meandering thoughts, and he realised he was still standing on the doorstep and had not registered a word she had said.
"My apologies Miss Hale, my thoughts are quite scattered today," he answered gruffly, flushing with embarrassment. She tipped her head to the side and gazed at him wryly.
"Maybe you took some befuddlement draught in your coffee this morning? No matter, we may have an antidote. Come in, come in – your room is ready"
She waved him through to the hallway, bidding him to remove his coat and hat and showing him a coat hook to hang them on. He congratulated himself on only slightly flinching when the coat stand instantly gripped his coat and began shaking the dust off.
"Now Mr Thornton, allow me to show you to your room, where you may rest awhile if you wish. I can also bring some water to wash or some tea and refreshment? Ah – do not fret about your case, here!" A flick of her wand, and the case instantly rose to lead them up the stairs.
Following his floating suitcase around someone else's home was not a scenario John could have imagined for himself in his dizziest daydreams. Even some of the more lucid dreams he'd had as a boy when he caught the flu were tame by comparison. Margaret opened a door on the landing and showed him into a small but comfortably furnished room. A good size bed sat against one wall and there was even an attractively squashy armchair placed by the fireplace, which already had a fire crackling merrily to contrast the falling temperature outside. There was also a good-sized closet in the corner, which his case now floated over to and set itself down next to, opening to make ready for its owner to unpack the contents. John still stepped through the door with a small amount of nervousness, wondering which object was going to jump out at him first.
"Do not worry, Mother made sure we left this room thoroughly uncharmed. You'll find sanctuary from our oddness here," Margaret stated, smiling reassuringly.
"Do you have a secret talent as a mind reader you did not confide to us, Miss Hale?"
"I wouldn't have needed it. The trepidation is written all over your face," Margaret retorted, sounding slightly hurt by the snappishness of his tone. John had the grace to look abashed. Margaret had, other than a slight tendency to joking and teasing, been nothing but pleasant and charming in their whole short acquaintance. Her family were offering him a great kindness, and here he was repaying them with suspicion and snappish remarks.
"Forgive me, Miss Hale. This has simply been a trying time. Repairing a whole roof is simply not an expense I do not need, nor all the inconvenience that has come with it. It is hard work to relocate a whole household. I do thank you for this kindness, and this splendidly furnished room"
She smiled sweetly at him. "Do not fear Mr. Thornton, of course it is incredibly vexing for you. I take no offense, and we are perfect friends again. Would you like some tea, or water to wash?"
"Tea would be lovely, thankyou"
"Sit yourself in that chair, and I shall be back shortly"
He did as he was bid, and almost groaned with relief as he sank into this most luxurious seat. John was convinced there was some spell or other on this chair, he could feel every ache and pain leaving his bones. Long days of marching about the mill and hunching over paperwork had produced plenty of them.
He contented himself with stretching out his long legs and staring into the flames. He thought he could almost make out figures dancing on the logs when he was distracted by a tugging on his wrist, making him glance down.
"A-ha! I have foiled your attempts to make off with my watch this time, little scamp," he held up his wrist with the attached chain up as he spoke, finding a familiar Niffler swinging on the end of the watch like a pendulum. The creature squawked with at surprise at being discovered and dived into John's shirt sleeve for refuge. John chuckled as he shook his sleeve out so that the creature fell into his waiting palm. It landed with a thump and an indignant chirp, before climbing up his coat to nestle on his shoulder.
"I think he's taken to you"
John looked up to find Fred leaning against the doorway, having come seeking Arthur out.
"I think he and I have reached an understanding. He is not such bad company when he is not trying to pry my cufflinks off"
"Well, since he will not give us any trouble, how about a game to pass the time. Perhaps, a game of cards?" Fred asked, pulling a pack of playing cards from his waistcoat.
"I'd be careful Mr Thornton," Margaret's voice came from the doorway "That is no ordinary pack of cards my brother is holding. Fred, get me a table and more chairs" She held her wand aloft, and a tray was floating in front of her, tantalisingly laden with tea, biscuits and cakes. Mr Thornton did not want to find out was so out of the ordinary about Fred's cards, and so he politely declined. Fred pulled out his wand, and with a flourish, a tea table and two more chairs appeared to join John. Margaret set the tray down and handed Mr Thornton a cup. She and Fred each took a cup and joined him, seating themselves in Fred's conjured chairs.
"I understand that you both are soon to go back to school for your final year of education. What happens when you are finished? What work will you do?" John enquired politely.
"I'm joining the Ministry, our branch of government, that is. Magical Law Enforcement" Fred puffed his chest out proudly. Margaret rolled her eyes at her brother's boasting and sipped her tea demurely.
"What of you Miss Hale?"
"Oh I suppose it does not matter Mr Thornton. I shall have to give it up when I am married anyhow, and everyone is so keen to remind me that 'a fine face like mine shall secure an equally fine husband in no time'!" She rolled her eyes hard, and John found the impertinence oddly charming.
"You have objections to the state of matrimony, Miss Hale? Surely it is the ambition of every girl to be married and settled?" John only had the experience of listening to Fanny rattle off lists of all the eligible gentlemen she had met and conversed with, so admittedly his ideas of women's views on matrimony were limited at best.
"I object, Mr Thornton, to the idea that my abilities must be forever confined merely to kitchen and nursery. That I shall not truly experience the joy of a day's good, honest and valuable work and being useful as more than a wife and mother. Do not mistake me Sir, they are noble callings indeed. But what is a mother to do when her children are grown and no longer need her? What is a wife to do if her husband falls ill and dies? How is she to feed her children without any experience of real work – the only jobs she may be able to get would pay pittances, and she cannot work longer jobs without the means for someone to care for her children, if she is lucky to still have any family that are able and willing to help. Those are the people I wish to be useful to, to society and the people who truly need it"
John did not quite expect the conversation to turn this way and could only stare at her in awe. Margaret, afraid she had overstepped herself, turned pink and returned to her tea.
"That is a noble ambition to have Miss Hale. All I have ever heard from my sister is her desire to choose the most eligible bachelor to settle in a grand home. It was most refreshing to hear a new perspective on a woman's opinions. Us men are not so restricted by marriage, so our opinions of it can be rather short sighted. Perhaps we need more women like you to help us see the error of our ways"
"I fear it would be an arduous task, Mr. Thornton, there are many men who are not so amenable to change as you. But I am a Hufflepuff, and we are true and unafraid of toil," she said the last part in almost a sing-song voice, smiling sweetly.
"I beg your pardon – a what?"
"Forgive me. It is the name of one of the school houses. We are all sorted into a house based on our personalities and the things we value most. I was sorted into Hufflepuff as I enjoy hard work and fairness for all people"
"Are you in Hufflepuff as well Master Hale?"
Fred's chest puffed, if possible, even further out.
"No Sir. I am a Gryffindor. Where dwell the brave at heart!"
Mr Thornton could only stare at Margaret in bemusement, who fought to contain her giggles as she replied.
"Fred's house values courage and always doing the right thing. Fred may not always do the wisest thing, but he will not give up if there is an absolute reason to carry on. Case in point – he jumped into a fight with boys much bigger than himself who were behaving dreadfully toward a little first year. Charged in headlong with no regard for himself. Not the best move, he was in the hospital wing for two days"
"Yes I was sister, but they were breaking out in rashes for weeks when I was released"
"Because you hid Bulbadox powder in all their clothes. I was sure Professor Gabany was going to have an apoplectic fit when he finally traced it back to you"
"He'll surely miss me when I'm gone, it's no secret how fond he is of me"
"Fred, the man has a nervous twitch that certainly wasn't there when we started. And he used to have a lot more hair"
"You're no better. It certainly wasn't me that kept turning his robes pink all through Transfiguration because he made fun of Evelyn's wand work!"
"He only let me off because he was just impressed that I was the first to master nonverbal spells"
John was beginning to appreciate Mrs Hale's warnings to them the first time they met. The twins were pleasant people but did certainly have a penchant for trouble.
Presently, Dixon appeared to inform Mr Thornton that Mr Hale had returned and was ready for one of their lessons.
"Thankyou Dixon, and thank-you, Miss Hale, Master Hale, for the tea and interesting conversation. It was most enlightening"
"Please Mr. Thornton, you shall be a guest in our home. You may call us Fred and Margaret. I promise we are not hard to mix up," the twins stifled sniggers at their latest little joke, and John sighed to himself. It was going to be a long stay. Margaret pressed upon him some cake and biscuits to take for his lesson with their father, and the twins took what was left back to Fred's room, the sister accepting her brother's challenge to a game of snap.
Mr Hale and Mr Thornton were in the midst of a rousing discussion on Plato when they heard the explosion, and a few minutes later they heard Margaret's voice.
"Can anyone remember the charm for re-growing eyebrows?"
A/N: Another one! I wish I had the time to turn this into a full story – I'm in love with this potterverse concept. I love the idea of a Margaret who loves to cause trouble – and I'm loving finding new angles to explore on the Fred/Margaret sibling relationship. Maybe send me some plot ideas or write some chapters of your own and publish them – I'd love to see other people's takes on them.
Follow me on Insta as well where I will be posting my lockdown boredom busters – username is similar (sidwantsacookie).
Stay safe friends
Sid x