Chapter Six: Dinner with the Malfoys

The dining room in the old hotel had seemed small when everyone first got there. In the beginning, there had to be two separate breakfast, lunch and dinner schedules to accommodate the number of displaced families from Maine. But within a few days, the Displaced Wizards Center was able to get by comfortably with only one dining schedule as more and more families were relocated to new homes in other parts of the country.

At the very least, Jenny did get to have her birthday party and her "sleepover" with Karen Minoru and a few other friends; the ad hoc Morale Committee (headed by Jenny's mom,) had seen to that. And it was even at the party where FBS Field Agent Wednesday Addams pinned the "Honorary Junior Auror" badge on Jenny for the donation of her seeing stone to the FBS for the duration of the emergency.

But as the days passed, the number of residents at the DWC began to dwindle. To Jenny's disappointment, the Minorus were among the first to leave. Karen said that they were going to stay with her Uncle Robert and Aunt Tina in Los Angeles. Though sad to leave Jenny and her other friends, at least Karen would get to spend some time with her little cousin, Nico. Of course, Jenny and Karen would still keep in touch by muggle mail, mirror and owl post, but it just wasn't the same as living within walking distance of each other like they had been since they were babies.

Now the dining room only had half as many tables set up as it had when the DWC had first opened what now seemed like a long time ago, but had only been a few days in actuality. And by this time tomorrow, even fewer tables would be needed. Katie and Julie told Jenny that their family would be leaving tomorrow morning after breakfast to a home they found in Nevada. And the Cobblers, Scarsdales and Cassidys were expected to be relocated by the end of the week.

This left Corey and Jenny as the oldest kids at the DWC since most of the older children were already away at school when the Incursion hit. The vast majority of them were at the Randolph Carter School for Witches and Wizards in the MIskatonic Valley. But because Randolph Carter was uncomfortably close to the Incursion in Maine, many families had pulled their children out and were attempting to have them transferred to Hogwarts or Beauxbatons or even Durmstrang. Still others were considering traditional magical home schooling. Even the Salem Witches' Institute announced that it would be closed pending more information about the nature of the Incursion from the Enchanted Realms.

And as the number of residents at the DWC began to decrease, the meals served were also getting simpler. Jenny remembered the first dinner served the day after they got there. To help bolster morale, a traditional Maine feast was served consisting of steamed clams and boiled lobster with corn and baked potatoes and all the Moxie you could drink.

Today it was chili-dogs, potato salad, coleslaw and ice cream for dessert with Pepsi; Moxie being in short supply. In truth, Jenny liked this kind of meal better, but she would have absolutely killed for a bottle or a can of Moxie to go with it. Fortunately for her, Corey came to her rescue.

Just as the Jordans and the Malfoys arrived at the dining room, Corey was at the entrance with his mom and dad waiting for them. He had showered and changed into a new pair of jeans and a new, clean tee-shirt and brand-new Nikes supplied by the Relocation Committee. He asked Jenny if she wanted to join him for dinner at one of the empty tables, just the two of them. He even had a can of Moxie that they could share. The can of Moxie was warm, having been kept in Corey's nightstand in his family's room. But Corey's mom chilled it to perfection with a quick tug on her ear before she and Corey's dad went to their table. Jenny would never forget the way Corey smiled when she accepted his invitation.

"Now, be sure to have our Jenny home by curfew, young man," said her dad with a barely concealed chuckle as he watched his daughter and Corey choose a table and then head for the cafeteria line.

Jenny's parents smiled as she and Corey went to choose a table. But as Jenny looked back, she also could not help but notice the looks on the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Not quite a look of disapproval; more like thinly veiled disgust. She could just imagine the dinner conversation that her mom and dad would have with the stuck-up Malfoy family . . . .

"We'll watch the kids while Aggie and Narcissa get their plates, Lucius," said Ren Jordan as he set Ricky in his booster seat at the table. After Narcissa set Draco in his seat, she and Aggie went to the cafeteria line. Narcissa said that she had never had a chili-dog before, but Aggie promised to show her how to "load one up" when they got to the line.

This was unlike any other dinner party that Narcissa had ever attended. Even when she was at Hogwarts, the food was teleported directly to the individual House Tables from the kitchen below the Great Hall. But these Colonials seemed to go out of their way to do everything by hand as though they were muggles. Aggie showed her how to get a tray, plate and silverware from the line and how to "load up" a chili-dog with chopped onions, peppers, and something called "relish."

And through it all, Narcissa managed to keep calm and carry on, despite the overwhelming urge to hex this muggle cow who dared to treat her as though she was her equal! Again, Narcissa reminded herself why she and her family were here and vowed to keep calm and carry on . . . .

When they finished going through the food line, Aggie showed Narcissa how to work the drink dispensers. Narcissa took what Aggie called a "glass" (though it was made out of that same quintessential muggle material as Aggie's son's toy ball: plastic,) and then Aggie showed her how to use the ice dispenser and decant a beverage. Narcissa cringed again; the only tea available was "iced tea." So Narcissa took a drink called "Pepsi." She remembered her sister Bellatrix had had some on a trip to the Colonies when she was in her teens; describing it as a light, bubbly muggle-brewed wine with a mild caramel flavour.

When Aggie and Narcissa got back to their table, Ren and Lucius got up to go to the line. Narcissa was relieved to see that a volunteer working the dining area had brought a simpler (and less spicy) meal of broiled chicken with steamed peas and carrots for Draco, though Aggie was giving her son Ricky some of what she was eating. Narcissa grimaced inwardly as she watched the two-year-old American wizard get as much food on his face and clothes as he managed to get into his mouth. Though as he has a muggle mother, atrocious table manners were the least of the poor boy's problems . . . .

Aggie smiled wanly, "Looks like I'll have to give Ricky a thorough hosing-down before bedtime."

"Or, you could ask your husband perform a simple evanescence charm on him," said Narcissa neutrally. "Your husband does know how to perform such a spell, I presume?"

"Yes, he can use magic to clean off our son, Narcissa," said Aggie after swallowing a big bite of chili-dog. "And I expect that in another year or so, Jenny will be able to do it as well. But sometimes it's better to be more "hands-on" with your kids.

"Ren has told me that wizards in the UK and Europe are more likely to use magic for things like cleaning off a child after a messy meal. But that in the US, most magic users don't whip out a wand or twitch a nose for something simple like that.

"Out of curiosity, Narcissa; is this the first real conversation that you have ever had with a muggle?"

"Well, yes, as a matter of fact, it is . . . ," said Narcissa, unsure of where Aggie was going.

"If it makes you feel any better, this kind of puts you where I was about fourteen years ago; back when Ren and I started dating. Of course, I did not know at the time that my boyfriend had the ability to make the known laws of physics sit in the corner for a time-out. In fact, he did not even tell me that he was a wizard until after we were married. Before that, I had absolutely no concept of magic as something that was real. But after being married to a wizard for a few years, well, let's just say that my horizons expanded quite a bit."

A few moments later, Ren and Lucius returned from the cafeteria line, and Aggie could tell just from looking that the men must have had a similar conversation. Curiosity got the better of her, but Ren said that they just, "Oh, you know, we talked about Quidditch . . . and stuff . . . ." But from the look on her husband's face, Aggie knew that the ". . . and stuff," part had to be as interesting as her own conversation was with Narcissa.

A little later, Jenny and Corey came over to the Jordans' and Malfoys' table on their way to the ice cream station. Narcissa had to mentally restrain herself as she saw that the young, half-blood witch was actually holding hands with the muggle boy.

"So, how are you kids doing?" said Jenny's father.

"Great, dad," said Jenny.

"I had two chili-dogs, Mr. Jordan," said Corey beaming. "With extra onions."

"Well, as Jenny's father, I have to say that that puts my mind at ease . . . ," said Ren smiling.

"Ayuh," said Corey mischievously. "Best to leave all the windows open tonight, if you know what I mean . . . ."

"Let me give you some sage advice, son," said Ren smiling though no less serious. "If it were just us guys here," Ren indicated Mr. Malfoy (who could not conceal wincing,) and Draco and Ricky. "That would be one thing. But keep in mind that there are ladies present," Ren nodded to Aggie and Narcissa before turning to look at Jenny. "And one of them is my daughter . . . ."

"Oh," said Corey. "I get what you mean."

"It's OK, dad," said Jenny giggling. "We're going to get some ice cream, now." The two children said goodbye and ran off to the line that was starting to form at the ice cream machine.

A few minutes after the kids left to get their ice cream, the Jordans and the Malfoys were joined by Corey's parents, Dr. Ken and Healer Rachel Martindale. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ken went to the ice cream station to get a cone for himself and his wife. When he was out of earshot, Narcissa Malfoy asked Rachel Martindale how she and her muggle husband first met.

"Well, it's no big secret," said Rachel. "I met my husband, Doctor Ken Martindale, at a medical convention about seven years ago. He is what muggles call a 'General Practitioner.' We fell in love, got married, and I adopted Corey as my son. My husband and I both work at the Potomac Shore Wizard's Hospital where Ken is our resident muggle medical consultant."

Narcissa persisted, "But doesn't it bother you that your husband and son are unable to do any magic?"

Healer Martindale shook her head, sighed, and said, "Mrs. Malfoy, my husband and my son are muggles; not coma patients. I may never be able to give Corey broom riding lessons, much less see him join a Little League Quodpot team, but I could not ask for a better, more loving son."

Before either of the Malfoys could reply, a loud, ear-piercing noise came from the front of the room, followed by a voice saying, "Testing . . . testing . . . testing." Lucius felt his gut tighten when he saw the source of the voice. At the front of the room, speaking into a fat, silver wand joined by a cord to a large box was a young Indian gentleman in a suit who wore the turban of a Sikh.

"Time for the "Six-O-Clock Follies," said Rachel with a shrug. "Maybe this time we'll find out something useful . . . ."