Sorry for the long delay. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. :)
*.*.*
The Leaky Cauldron resembled any pub out on this street or even throughout the city. Frodo couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt sure these kinds of pubs existed in Bree-land… at least, he had an inkling there were ordinary pubs found in Bree. He checked his surroundings, surprised to see no one was watching them. He turned around the minute he caught Parker's gaze.
Parker smiled back at him in a teasing manner. He already looked like Frodo's lookalike.
"So, you're in your human form?" Frodo cautioned, gulping in surprise. "I thought it was just when we were on the Titanic. I thought that was just temporary."
"Shh!" Parker shushed him. "Don't say anything about that incident aloud!" He whispered. "Yes, this is my human-hobbit form. What? You didn't think I looked like you? Or have you forgotten our first meeting at the Chesapeake Manor."
"What happened to the manor?" Frodo asked, concerned. "I know it's haunted, but what happened there?"
Parker smirked. "Well, that's been uh… taken care of."
"Taken care of how?" Frodo asked further, pressing the questions on his lookalike companion and guide.
"Let's talk more indoors. Okay?" Parker said, finally opening the door to let him and Frodo enter the pub. Parker looked this way and that before closing the door and shapeshifting back into his light red dragonoid form.
Frodo jumped at the sight of the dragonoid. He didn't expect him to shapeshift back so soon!
"What?" Parker smirked, teasingly.
"Um… shouldn't you wait until we're somewhere safer, before you turn into a dragonoid?" Frodo asked, curiously.
"Oh, they won't bother us. Come on," Parker said, guiding Frodo away from the door and into the pub.
All around them were high walls, high windows, and lots of tables and chairs. There was even an innkeeper's booth, upon which Parker stopped and asked for a room for two. Frodo stared at the innkeeper in confusion, even as the innkeeper smiled at them.
"You're Parker Dooley, aren't you?" the innkeeper named Tom grinned, pointing to the light red dragonoid.
"I am," Parker said, nodding. He gestured to Frodo, saying to Tom, "And this is Frodo. Frodo Baggins." He added, telling Tom, "Listen, if it's not too much trouble, we'll take the room and be on our way."
"Oh! Where might you be headed?" Tom asked, confused. He handed the keys to Parker. "Here you are! A room for two people." He asked, cautious, "You're not eh… you're not going to stay in your dragonoid form forever, are you? I wouldn't want you to break the bed." He chuckled.
"Don't worry. I change into human-hobbit form every night. I've been doing that for a while now," Parker said, admitting plainly.
"Right, because as students of Hogwarts, you being in dragonoid form might scare the kids," Tom said, stunning Frodo.
"How do you mean?" Frodo asked, concerned for his dragonoid friend and family member.
"Well, the Wizardry World doesn't put up with dragonoids or dragons. They're meant to be in cages," Tom said aloud, startling the crowd.
A silence fell in the room. Parker waved to the crowd, noticing they returned to their hushed whispering. He raised his eyebrows, facing Frodo again.
Frodo, in all honesty, did not like this plan. Even if they could stay in the Wizardry World, it wouldn't take the wizards and witches long to dismiss Parker or lock him in a cage. Frodo would have to do something fast.
"Come on, Frodo. Let's find a table," Parker said, leading Frodo over to a table, where they sat down and Parker stowed the keys in his breeches' pocket for safe keeping.
Frodo hesitated, finally asking his dragonoid companion, "Parker, so this is truly your human-hobbit form?"
"It's been this way for centuries. Ages even," Parker said, thanking the waiter as the drinks were passed around. He chuckled, telling Frodo, "Who knew that we'd be lookalikes." He added, "Oh, Tobias said this was the last stopping point I'd make before something else happened. At least, the last stopping point was this Age. The Third Age."
"Whose Tobias?" Frodo asked him, cautiously.
Parker sipped his drink, leaving Frodo in confusion.
"Tobias is your ancestor. Your distant ancestor. He's my brother-in-law actually. You'd like him. He's a bit rough around the edges, but his heart's in the right place," Parker said, nodding in appreciation. "Of course, being a spirit has left him a bit loopy. He's senile at times, but he knows what he's doing. But you know this already. I told you not long ago, back at Dragon's Hallow, if you remember." Parker sighed, speaking further about the matter, "He—Tobias is the one that led me to you, when we first met at the healer's house during this Age. But this is not the first time we've met, actually. We first met at the Chesapeake Manor, before it became truly haunted."
"What happened there? What happened to it, the Chesapeake Manor?" Frodo asked, unsure he wanted to find out.
"Ah!" Parker said, softly. "I wish I could tell you, but that's for another time."
"The manor's haunted, and you aren't going to tell me what happened there?" Frodo asked, alarmed.
"Listen, it's better if you figure this out on your own," Parker admitted, bluntly. He said with a sigh, "After what I did to cause it to be truly haunted, and then an Age passing afterwards," he shook his head, "I doubt I can go back there."
Another silence fell between them. Frodo was sure there was more to the story about the Chesapeake Manor than what Parker was telling him. He didn't want to upset the light red dragonoid further; so, he resorted to eating his breakfast, while there was still silence that followed.
.
Minutes after they finished eating breakfast, Parker led Frodo upstairs to their room. Frodo didn't like this. Bunking with a dragonoid. Who knew if Parker was going to breathe fire on him while he slept? He would surely burn before Parker ever woke up!
At last, they reached Room 12 and opened the door. Frodo stared in awe at the room. There were two beds nestled in here, and thanks to Parker's magic, the room was wider than Frodo thought. Parker smiled, making his way over to the dresser to change clothes. Frodo closed the door, wondering if staying here with Parker was for the best.
"So… you're not going to breathe fire on me as I sleep, right?" Frodo asked with great caution.
Parker snickered, letting out a long chuckle. "Frodo, if I wanted to breathe fire on you, I might have done so already." He shook his head. "No. I slept with my wife many times, and not once did I breathe fire on her! You should be good!"
"How do you do it? Manage not to breathe fire?" Frodo asked, still cautious of his current dilemma.
"Um…" Parker said, wondering how to explain himself, "…well, first of all, I didn't grow up amongst dragonoids or dragons. I grew up around people. I learned how to control my fire and walk among them, including you." Parker winked at him. "No. You should be safe around me, like you have been for the past couple of days."
"That's what I fear might happen," Frodo said, curtly.
"Oh, you'll be all right," Parker said, changing out of his shirt and putting on a new clean shirt. He flexed his muscles, getting the tension out of them. "Ah! Well, I feel better now."
Frodo smirked, not saying anything in return.
"Come on. You're still afraid of being around a dragonoid, aren't you? Even after you told me I'm like a father to you?" Parker asked, concerned.
"You seem a lot freer as a dragonoid. Maybe you should stick with this form from now on," Frodo suggested, timidly.
Parker chuckled, surprised by this. "I'm not going to stay in dragonoid form forever, you know. Sometimes, we choose the form we want to keep." He sighed, admitting, "I like being human and a hobbit. When I shapeshift into my form, I will be in human-hobbit form, so I can see my wife. Be with her for all time." He added, teary-eyed, "I miss my wife, dearly. I'd give anything to be reunited with her." He admitted, "This is my path. Frodo, you can't be afraid to shapeshift. It's in your blood."
"But why?" Frodo asked, seriously. "Why must I choose what form to take?"
"It chooses you. Whichever form you like best is what you eventually turn into for the final time. It settles, and before you know it, you've matured and then you die," Parker said, cautiously. "It's the way of life. Since you only shapeshifted once, you'll spend years wondering which form you like best. You're immortal amongst your own kin, and that can lead to deadly consequences." He sighed, admitting further, "Even if you could go home, do you really think you'd belong there, now that you've learned how to shapeshift? You can't go back to your normal life, the way it used to be. This is your path now. This is who you are. You just… have to accept that."
"Who are my family, my distant ancestors? Are they all dragonoids?" Frodo asked, confused. "Shapeshifters?"
"Mostly shapeshifters. It must have extended to the Baggins family tree," Parker said, cautiously. He added, "I doubt there isn't a family member in your bloodline who isn't a shapeshifter. They just don't know it yet."
"Are we cursed?" Frodo asked, concerned.
Parker shook his head, smiling. "No. To be a shapeshifter is a gift we must all bear. Now, imagine if you could destroy a very powerful Ring with it. You'd be able to do so no problem, and still get to live your life the way you want. You may have wings or you may not. It all depends on you, Frodo. Just food for thought."
"Right," Frodo said, looking out the window.
Parker sighed, not knowing what else to do for him. The light red dragonoid made his way into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He should have known the Baggins family had shapeshifter blood in them. It was Ronnie Baggins who caused this. He was one of the first Bagginses in Middle-earth, when they first met. And now, he was gone and all Parker had left was Frodo.
He just hoped the lad would be fine. For both their sakes, this is what Parker hoped would happen. In the very least, they would not fail. They just… needed more time to navigate around the Wizardry World and escape, before something else happened to them.
*.*.*
References:
The Leaky Cauldron, the Innkeeper Tom, and the Wizardry World come from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series.