Event: Rowing - Coxed 8
Prompt: (Setting) The Leaky Cauldron
Character: Sirius Black
Chocolate Frog: Bronze - Alphard Black - Challenge - Write about Alphard's relationship with Sirius
Word Count: 1595
Drinks With Alph
Sirius marched down the street, never casting a glance backwards at the hellhole he had called 'home' for the last seventeen years of his life. He could still hear his mother's shrieks and cries about what a disappointment he was as he reached the end of the street.
He looked left and right, checking that the road was clear before drawing out his wand out of his pocket and stretching his arm out into the middle of the road.
Sirius took a short step backwards away from the edge of the pavement just as the Knight Bus arrived. He chuckled to himself as he imagined the look that would grace his mother's face if she could see him now, preparing to travel on the 'Muggle monstrosity'.
The doors to Knight Bus fluttered open and Sirius picked his truck up and carried it on board.
"Where to, mate?" the conductor asked him.
"The Leaky Cauldron," Sirius answered, realising that it would be rude of him to bother the Potters' at this time of night.
He would write a letter to them first thing in the morning, knowing that James would want every last detail of his explosive row with his mother—in many respects he was worse than a girl when it came to wanting gossip.
"That will be 20 sickles," the conductor said. "Would you like refreshments during your journey? A drink perhaps, or a snack?"
"No thank you," Sirius answered, reaching into his pocket and handing over the money. "Keep the change."
Sirius dragged his trunk behind him as he made his way towards his seat come bed and lay down on it.
As the bus trundled along, Sirius struggled to get comfortable on the lumpy bed and tossed and turned as he tried to get some rest—something that was already difficult enough with the consistent jolting of the bed.
Some things never change, he thought to himself.
The journey could not end quickly enough for Sirius who found himself wishing that he had passed his apparition test—he still couldn't quite believe that he'd been given a straight fail by the examiner; all he had done was ask her if there was anything he could do to guarantee a pass—he may also have made a few other comments, but nothing worth losing the chance to take his test.
The Knight Bus grinded to a halt, "Leaky Cauldron," called the conductor.
Sirius thanked whatever deity was watching over him for keeping him safe during his journey and jumped to his feet.
"Thanks," he said to the driver, before muttering quietly to himself as he disembarked the bus, "for almost killing me."
He walked towards the Leaky Cauldron and pushed open the door. Sirius quickly found himself smiling at the familiar hustle and bustle of the pub as he approached the bar.
"Evening Tom," he greeted the bartender. "Got a spare room for the night?"
"Another fight with your family?" Tom asked as he grabbed a key.
"Not just another fight, Tom," Sirius answered, accepting the key. "The final fight—my mother is probably blasting my name off the family tree as we speak, if she hasn't already done so."
"Well, you always have a room here," the bartender answered. "Would you like anything sending up to your room, Master Black?"
"No thanks, Tom," Sirius replied, "but could I order the usual for breakfast?"
"Absolutely, Master Black," Tom said. "Corn Flakes—" Sirius gave Tom a pointed look; the bartender sighed and whispered, "Okay, Porn Flakes, it is."
"Thank you, Tom," Sirius said with a smile. "I'll see you in the—porning."
A couple of the men sitting at the bar chuckled lightly as Sirius charmed his trunk and made his way up to his room.
As soon as he reached his room, Sirius settled down at the small desk and wrote a quick letter to his favourite uncle, Alphard, to inform him of the recent developments at home.
Dear Uncle Alphard,
Things at home have gone to shit! Again!
My mum—well you've met her so nothing I say about her in this letter should surprise you. Once again, she started comparing me to my wannabe-Death Eater brother and criticised my life choices. And father—well he just sat there and listened! Nothing new there.
But then she started on my friends—especially Remus and you know how I feel about him Alph, I couldn't let her insult him and disrespect him.
So I let her have it and then walked out.
Before you try and convince me to go home—again, I'm telling you now that that is not going to happen.
I'm staying at The Leaky Cauldron tonight.
I'd love to see you and talk if you'd like to join me after breakfast—maybe even slag my mother off some more if you want.
Your favourite nephew,
Sirius
He then wrote a similar, but more colourful letter to James before attaching them both to his trusty owl, letting her fly off into the night sky and settling down for the night in the familiar bed.
~o~o~o~
Sirius awoke the next morning more refreshed and calmer than he had all summer, feeling more than content in the fact that he wouldn't be having round number two with his mother.
He jumped out of bed and the first thing he saw was two letters sitting on the desk: the first from Alphard informing him that he would be arriving at The Leaky Cauldron at twelve o'clock on the dot, and the second from James pretty much ordering him to come to the Potter household and live with him.
Sirius had the most pleasant morning he'd had in a long time: he had his favourite breakfast—something that he never got when he was at home, then he spent a few hours in Diagon Alley browsing through the stores—something that was not allowed in his family since 'browsing made you no better than Muggle scum', and then he enjoyed an ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. If this was what freedom felt like, Sirius couldn't wait to sample more of it.
When it grew close to twelve, Sirius made his way back to The Leaky Cauldron and ordered two butterbeers for himself and Alphard, before finding a booth for the pair of them.
At twelve o'clock on the dot, the doors to the pub opened and Alphard walked in.
"Uncle Alphard," Sirius called, waving at him. "Over here!"
"Sirius, my boy," he boomed, walking over towards him and hugging him. "It's been too long."
"It's been two weeks," Sirius laughed.
"Isn't that a new record for you and your mother?" Alphard asked with a throaty chuckle as he sat down.
"Yeah," Sirius answered, before taking a sip from his butterbeer, "even by her standards it was quick!"
"Are you sure there's no going back home for you?" Alphard asked. "I'm sure if you and Walburga talk, you—"
"No," Sirius answered,cutting his uncle off, "there is absolutely no way I am setting foot back in that house with that bigoted, hateful woman!"
"Okay," Alphard sighed. "Well if you refuse to go home then at least let me help you out. I'm guessing you left home without much money to your name, and Walburga is a nothing but a ferocious dragon, so no doubt she'll have cut you off from the family account by now."
"What are you saying, Uncle Alphard?" Sirius asked, taking a swig from his glass.
"I'm saying that I'm going to help you out financially," Alphard answered with a smile. "I'll cover your stay here, provide you with more than enough money to purchase your school things and support yourself for the foreseeable future. You can even come and stay with me, Sirius."
Sirius quickly swallowed his butterbeer.
"Are you sure?" he asked, knowing the potential consequences of Alphard's proposed actions.
"Yes, it might be a bit of a squeeze at my place, but we'll make room."
"Uncle Alphard, I appreciate the offer of a bed, but I don't want to put you out," Sirius answered. "And Mr and Mrs Potter have offered me a bed at their house until the end of the summer, and they never take no for answer."
Sirius handed his uncle the letter from James and allowed him to read it.
"Okay, but I will be giving you the money so that you can pay your own way," Alphard insisted. "And like Mr and Mrs Potter, I won't take no for an answer."
"Thank you, Uncle Alphard," Sirius said. "Do you have time for another drink?"
Alphard checked his watch and nodded his head.
"Make mine a firewhiskey this time though," he said as Sirius stood up.
Sirius signalled his agreement before heading towards the bar, and got their drinks.
Over the course of their next drink, Sirius found himself laughing more than he had in a long time and he and Alphard took it in turns to have digs at his mother and laugh at the ridiculous traditions their family still adhered to.
Before they parted ways, Alphard insisted they meet again for lunch and drinks before he went back to Hogwarts—something that Sirius was quick to agree to.
As soon as Alphard left, Sirius went to his room and packed his belongings back into his trunk and settled up his bill with Tom, before making his way out to the front of the building and flagging down the Knight Bus to make his way to the Potter household.
