Chapter Two: A Birthday Party
Draco sat in the storage room of the Anglian Pub, strumming the guitar. He would be the first to admit he wasn't very good. He was also willing to admit that he was better then he ever expected after only one month. The hard part was neither learning the notes nor memorizing a song. The hard part was building up the callouses on his fingers so they wouldn't hurt him every time he pressed them against the strings. He had finally reached the point where the pain was only an irritation. And to prove the point, he was playing the first song he ever tried to learn. His audience was in love with him.
"Again," Cheryl cried in delight at her uncle.
Draco began to play the song again. For the fifteenth time in a row. He strummed the first stanza, which was the only stanza. When he began to repeat it, he sang the words.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star / How I wonder what you are / Up above the world so high / like a teardrop in the sky."
Cheryl applauded. Then she shouted, "Again."
"Not again," Janice said from the doorway.
The little girl was willing to forgo more choruses of her favorite song in exchange for a hug from her mother. As Janice picked up her daughter, she gave Draco a grateful smile for minding Cheryl while she ran some errands. Draco smiled back. He was sad to lose his audience but he was happy to have the chance to play something else. There were two songs that he wanted to learn, and he would finally have a chance to practice them before his birthday party began.
Mac looked in on him shortly after the concert ended. Mostly to let him know that there weren't any problems. Draco's employment also required him to help serve the food if they were ever busy. He also served the food if strangers were in the pub, just in case they were wizards checking up on the boy. The truth was this: Mac didn't need Draco's help but Draco had to work for the summer holiday. His employment was a ruse. Draco practiced the guitar so that he had something to do.
All of his plans had gone for naught. His two week stay was being cancelled while Draco was on the train. He ended up only spending the night at the Weasley's home, the Burrow. At least Arthur Weasley had talked Sirius Black into letting him take Draco home, using the excuse that he was curious to see Alastor Moody's old house now that muggles lived there.
Draco smiled as he remembered the Ford Anglia that Arthur Weasley owned. It had an invisibility spell on it so that no one would see the car when it was flying. It was a wonderful end to a very short visit. It was also a chance to inform Mister Weasley of a conversation he had overheard near the end of the school year. His godfather, Rodolphus Lestrange, had met in the forbidden forest with his brother, Rabastan. Draco was hidden nearby so that he could listen in, so that he could inform Arthur Weasley of the contents of the conversation. (There was an agreement between Rodolphus and Arthur that Draco would be the messenger between them, to relay information. It was also agreed that no one would know this.) Voldemort was planning his return. And it was to coincide with the conclusion of the planned Tri-Wizard Tournament to be held at Hogwarts school during the upcoming school year.
And today was his birthday.
By order of the Minister for Magic, Draco was not permitted contact with the world of magic. He couldn't invite his friends. And he could only communicate with them by muggle means. As a result, he had very little contact with anyone from school. On the other hand, he had a family to celebrate his birthday with. It would be a wonderful day.
As he was putting the guitar away, Draco noticed Mac standing in the doorway. He was holding a dirty apron which he tossed to the boy with the admonition to put it on. Mac also asked Draco to look sweaty. There was a man sitting at the bar who looked like a wizard. Draco smirked in response. It was just like the Ministry to send someone around to make sure he was working on his birthday.
Draco walked into the kitchen and grabbed a plate, walking over to the heat tray, he put two pieces of fish and a large helping of chips on the plate. (That was the only hot food on the menu. Mac liked to keep things simple.) As he walked to the door to the pub proper, plate in one hand, he rubbed his hair so it looked messy, as though he'd been working all morning. He stepped out, behind the bar, and looked for the customer. He then nearly dropped the plate.
"Uncle Rodolphus?"
The handful of customers looked over, laughing politely when Rodolphus wished his godson a happy birthday.
Mac gave Draco a relieved smile and told him he was free for the rest of the day. He also mentioned that there was a small party going on in the corner. Draco sat the plate in front of his godfather, who gave it a dubious look.
"It's good. Had some, meself," Draco assured him.
Rodolphus Lestrange nodded, motioning Mac to refill his pint glass. He was taking his first sip when Draco returned from the kitchen without the apron.
Despite a hundred questions he wanted to ask, Draco explained the small party in the corner was because if his birthday. He pointed to where Mick and Janice were trying to entertain a two year old girl. His godfather gave a polite smile and said he would wait until his birthday present arrived. He leaned forward and whispered that it was something the Minister was sure to hate. Draco hinted that someone from the Ministry might show up, and Rodolphus smiled. He knew someone would be by. That was why he planned this. He looked at his watch and suggested Draco join his friends. He would join them for a bit once he finished eating.
And now Draco had to think. His godfather was an odd man. He was a pureblood wizard who was proud of the fact. He disdained anyone who was not. But he had also spent over a decade in Azkaban, the wizard prison. That lent the idea that he might not be completely sane. He also had a sadistic side. He could control himself but, when the situation warranted the need to use force, he would respond excessively. And he would enjoy it. Lastly, he was very protective of Draco, but it was something he did not enjoy. The best guess was that Draco's father had tricked him into making a wizard's oath, an unbreakable vow, to give help whenever it was needed. To date, in order to help Draco, he had killed a dementor and beaten his own nephew half to death.
Rodolphus Lestrange was now deliberately violating one of the Minister's restrictions, to the point of appearing in a muggle pub well outside of Hogsmeade. He was doing something that would cause a disturbance. And Draco remembered. The Ministry was falling. It was a slow fall. It might take another year, nor more than two. And Rodolphus Lestrange was hoping that once the government fell, it fell into chaos.
"He's that weak?" Draco asked quietly.
Rodolphus's permanent grin became a full smile. "Smart boy," he whispered in return. "It must come from all the time you spend with that mudblood, Granger." He looked at his watch again, and waved Draco away. "You have a birthday party, I believe."
Draco glanced at his pickle watch as he walked over to Janice and Mick. It had just gone Noon. He was halfway there when the outside door behind him opened. A familiar voice was heard clearly stating that they were exactly on time. Draco turned around and Hermione hugged him and wished him a happy birthday. Justin was behind her laughing. He wished his best mate a happy birthday, then stepped aside to let the others in. Hermione's parents came in escorting Colin Creevey. And another boy who looked like the younger version. Colin introduced Draco to his brother, Dennis. "He's going to school with us, next month."
Draco smiled at the thought. When the greetings were done, he gladly helped push the tables together. Next came a quick meal of fish and chips, Mac's specialty. As they finished, Rodolphus Lestrange joined them, taking the empty seat between Justin and Colin. That was the cue for the moment they were waiting for. The waitress brought the cake, fourteen candles burning merrily on top. As she placed it in front of Draco, someone opened the door.
It was a squat woman in a green tweed jacket and matching skirt. She stood in the doorway of the Anglian Pub. On her jowly face was a frown as she looked to the corner table where a waitress was setting a birthday cake in front of the young blond teenager.
"Hem, Hem," the woman said loudly to get everyone's attention. "What is the meaning of this?"
Draco paused to look up but was encouraged by his friends and family, particularly his godfather, to make a wish. He paused again briefly as the woman expressed her outrage that a party was going on. But that was not the reason. He proved that by blowing out all the candles before she finished her sentence. The woman stormed over to the table (actually a grouping of tables set together to seat a party of twelve). She was about to shout again when Rodolphus Lestrange, his back to her, stood up. Draco could see his eyes sparkle as he turned around.
"YOU," the woman shouted indignantly.
"Must be his wife," someone sitting at the bar said.
"His ex," the man's neighbor suggested.
The woman turned toward the regular patrons and snarled. She turned back as the man she recognized spoke out. "I am blessed to say neither."
"Girlfriend?" a voice asked with a laugh.
"If she was, my wife would laugh louder than you did."
As almost everyone in the pub laughed, the now red faced woman reached inside her coat. Rodolphus grabbed her hand. From the wince on her face, it was quite forceful.
"We're having a party, Dolores," he said pleasantly. "There's no reason to make a scene."
"Rodolphus Lestrange, You're not allowed to be here. All I have to do is say one word to the Minister and you'll be sent back to Az . . . eh, prison."
"It's not a prison. It's a school. It only feels like one, and then only when the students are there." His smile never faded.
"I have the Minister's ear," Dolores said meaningfully.
"He'll want it back." Rodolphus politely acknowledged the laughter that he received.
"I'll have you know I am his Deputy Assistant in charge of . . ."
"NOTHING." Rodolphus's shout silenced her. "Ten years ago you were his Deputy Assistant. And you still are. No promotion. No advancement. You may have his ear but he has your number. All you are is a glorified clerk in the . . . Department of Education." He managed to keep his smile while snarling at her. "Remember that, you useless piece of baggage." He turned back to the table.
"I said, did you want a slice of cake," Janice called. She gave Draco a wink.
"A small one, about half of what the birthday boy has." He turned back to Dolores. "Is this conversation over?"
"I'll tell the Minister," Dolores threatened in a whisper.
"Why not the PM? I have his number on my cell. I'll ring him for you."
Dolores tried to shake her hand free from his grasp, but failed. Rodolphus smiled as usual. "Remember the rules, you old witch," he whispered. "If you cause a scene, you will be held responsible. Crouch will make sure he gets the truth."
Dolores visibly paled. She eyed the table carefully. No one took her seriously. No one looked at her with respect. No one cared what she did. And Rodolphus had made a very serious threat. The Minister would not hesitate, had never hesitated, to use veritiserum. If you were innocent, why would you object? And the last person she looked at was Draco Malfoy. He gave her a sinister smile that showed he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"I'm here to make sure the boy is working, as he is supposed to be doing."
A new voice was heard. Mac, the owner and barkeep of the Anglian. "Then you should be talking to me instead of harassing my paying customers."
One of the customer's called out. "Mac, pull me a pint. I want to hear the rest of this."
Dolores walked away from the table and approached the bar. "I must insist that we talk in private."
Mac sneered. "This is as private as we're going to get, Miss. And before you ask, I gave the boy two hours off for his birthday and he brought in eleven paying customers as a result. I have good business reasons for letting him have that party."
"Ten," Mick called out from the table. "Janice is payin' for me."
Mac gave Dolores a snide look. "I stand corrected." He handed a full pint to the waiting customer and grabbed another glass. "Any more questions? Well, I have a few. Do you have any answers?" When he received no reply except for a scowl, he added angrily, "Then either order something or get out of my place. And I'll personally let the Department know not to send YOU around here again."
There was a round of applause as the woman left.
"Mac," the patron with the pint called out, "that bloke with the party had better lines than you."
"He has a better writer," Mac replied. He walked the pint over to Rodolphus Lestrange and gave him his thanks as well as the glass.
"Professor?" Hermione Granger asked. "Will you be in trouble?"
"From her? Unlikely. When I last met her, everyone knew what she was like. Self-centered and ambitious. She didn't care who she stepped on. Crouch doesn't like people like that, and when she stepped on a capable man so that she could become a deputy assistant, everyone noticed." His smile grew for an instant. "And it seems they remembered. Dolores can do anything she wants, because no one will listen. They probably sent her to check on Draco as an excuse to get her out of the office."
"Was that me present?" Draco was smiling as he asked.
"Consider it a bonus," Rodolphus said as he picked up his new pint glass
"Then I got me wish," Draco added. "I wanted somethin' fun to happen." He was still smiling as he shoveled the rest of his cake into his mouth.
The small boy at the far end of the table smiled at the same time. Dennis had finally been handed his piece of cake. It was one thing to be permitted to tag along to a birthday party. It was another to receive the fruits of your labour.
"Colin, this is great cake."
The waitress smiled. "I'll tell my Mum you said that. She's the one who baked it." "Your mum cooks here?"
The waitress laughed. "No. But she does own the bakery two doors down."
All too soon, Draco was full. He had plenty of company. And he had answered quite a few questions. Hermione wanted to make sure he wasn't worked too hard. And she had looked up all the child labour laws. Justin pointed out that Draco's hand felt rough. He was told it was probably the callouses. And smiled when he saw his friend grinning.
Hermione noticed the grin and had to ask what Draco had been doing that he would develop callouses so quickly. She laughed when Draco leaned over and whispered that he was learning the guitar. Justin, sitting next to Hermione, insisted she tell the secret or else they'd have to whisper it around the entire table.
Colin, sitting at the opposite head of the table, said he could guess, adding that he saw an old guitar case with a birthday bow on it. The birthday boy smiled and told him no. The bow was there so Mac wouldn't forget it. Mac had promised he'd know his gift by that bow. Colin smiled.
"That still tells me your secret."
"Not much of one, really," Draco replied.
"That you can play a guitar?"
"That I'm LEARNING to play," came the correction. "Been at it just a month now."
Draco had already explained that he had to work for the summer as a condition of his continued schooling. And he couldn't be paid. The excuse was that he would be getting a course credit or some other nonsense. Another condition was that he not know the person he would be hired by.
Mac agreed at once to be someone Draco had never met. Janice had called him as soon as Mick left with Draco and the Ministry Auror, someone named Savage, to show them a couple of places he knew that were looking for help. The Anglian Pub was the first stop. As they pulled to a stop, the Auror looked around to see if anyone was watching, then asked Mick, "Both you and your wife know about Draco?"
"And kept it a secret from each other for most of a year?"
The gruff Auror laughed along with Mick, then asked a strange question. "Do you mind if I change before we go in? I know Draco don't, but . . . it's a magic change." The man changed in an instant. Mick was staring as Draco laughed.
"I'm an expert at disguises," the Auron said, then turned to the back seat. "Wotcher, Draco. This a setup or we stoppin' for drinks first?"
"Wotcha, Tonks, an' I'm hopin' for both," Draco told her.
"You 'kay?" Tonks asked Mick, who nodded, swallowed hard, then grinned. She pulled out a mirror, looked at her black hair, then changed it to pink. "I'm ready, then."
"He know?" Tonks asked Draco as they knocked on the door of the pub. It would not open for another hour.
"Ol' frien' of Moody."
Draco felt a sense of pride at the look Tonks gave him. A look that she was impressed by the man without having even met him. She gave the man the same look when Mac admitted he had an opening and asked if she was interested. Her reply was, "That was good. If I didn't know better, I would have believed you."
Mac's response was, "I was told you were a man."
"Was," Tonks admitted, then changed the subject briefly by asking what brands of beer were to be had. Then she, Mick and Mac sat at a table, each with a pint (and Draco with a lemonade and a scowl). Tonks explained that she was a Metamorphmagus, able to change her features at will. Since she knew Draco, she wasn't allowed to be his escort. But Savage had an emergency, and she covered for him in the best possible way.
And they discussed what Draco would do. He had to spend time in the pub. People would be by to check on him. Mac said he'd let the boy hang around in the storage room, have him help out when things were busy for lunch and if anyone unusual showed. And make sure he was gone before the evening crowd came in. Mick helped things along by saying Draco had to do something. Sitting around wouldn't do. Draco started to groan. Tonks suggested he could learn the violin or something.
"The violin?" Draco asked.
"Or somethin'," Tonks insisted. "That or read schoolbooks all day."
"Violin sounds good."
"You got one?" Mac asked and the boy shook his head. "Can you afford one?" Another shake of the head. Mac smiled. "I have an old guitar. In good condition. I use it often enough to relax." He looked sternly at Draco. "If you break it, all the magic in the world won't save you."
Mac took the time during the first week to show Draco what notes were, how to finger the chords, and how to tune the instrument. He also gave the boy an old book called "Your First Guitar". Draco asked if this was Mac's first book as well. He was told yes.
And Draco learned. He mostly learned the need to develop callouses and to rest his fingers so he would not get blisters instead. And he learned by the simple expedient of having little else to do. The pub was small, in a town that was small. Mac and one waitress handled the lunch crowd. There was an extra hand for the nighttime. Mac was around more often than not, as he lived on the second floor.
Everyone had heard the story how Draco was hired, and now they learned what he did in his spare time. It was Mister Granger who spoke. He was the designated driver for the group and, with his wife, was also the chaperone. "A month is enough time to learn something, or to learn you're not good at it. Have you learned any songs?"
"One," Draco admitted, blushing as Janice and Mick laughed and Cheryl asked if he would play.
"Will Mac lend you his guitar?" Hermione asked. "I'd love to hear you play something."
"Can't," Draco demurred. He leaned over and whispered, "Cheryl's here." The truth be told, he was tired.
"You can't play because of her?" Hermione was confused
"That's not true," Janice explained to everyone. "He can, but he has to do it over and over. It's the only thing she'll let him play."
Missus Granger interrupted. Perhaps they should do something for Draco before they made him embarrass himself. She nodded to her daughter. Hermione smiled and reached into the bag that sat between her and Justin. She pulled out a brightly wrapped book shaped present. Draco wasn't surprised. He would have been if it were a different shape. And he unwrapped it.
"Neverwhere?" Draco turned the paperback book over for the description. It was a muggle book about a secret side of London. He didn't know the story but thought it an excellent choice from a witch who had to keep magic a secret. No books on quidditch allowed.
Justin smiled and reached into the same bag for his present. It was also book shaped, which in Justin's case meant nothing. It could still be anything. And it was. It was a gift that revealed that someone had prior knowledge of how Draco was spending his summer holiday. Mick knew, and worked with Justin's dad. That was why Draco was holding a book of "Songs for Guitar". He looked through the pages and stopped somewhere short of the middle. He had decided the next song he would learn, once he finished with the beginner's book.
Colin, with brother Dennis, was less formal. Dennis was there as a last minute invite. He had received his letter to Hogwarts only three days before. As their parents were muggles, this made it unusual (but not rare) that two children who were not twins would be capable of magic. Colin gave Dennis their present and he tossed it across the table. Draco caught it and opened the roughly round shaped gift wrapped only in a paper bag. He laughed. It was from an old show that had been on for years. Dennis had said that it was his favorite and told him he had a poster of his favorite character, one that Draco even recognized. He opened the bag to Hermione and offered her a Jelly Baby.
"One more," Mick said as he signaled. Mac nodded and reached down behind the bar. Draco knew the guitar case was there and half hoped, then sighed when Mac stood up and handed the bow to the waitress. She nodded and walked into the kitchen area and came out again.
Draco stared. The bow was sitting on the small end of a brand new guitar case. Everyone would demand he play something now but he didn't care. It was so unexpected. As he was handed the case, everyone applauded. The few people at the bar, and the couple at the other occupied table joined in. He opened the case and pulled out his present. With care, he moved his chair back so he could comfortably hold the guitar without hitting anything, or anyone. Then he strummed, playing the basic chords he had learned, smiling to find that the instrument had already been tuned.
That was when the first request came for him to play something. He smiled and admitted that the best thing he could play was over the hills and far away. But he was committed. And everyone already knew that he could play a song. Janice told them that Cheryl liked it, albeit she was only two. So Draco nodded his head. He would play.
As the entire pub grew quiet, Draco began, singing along with the music:
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star . . .
