Chapter Thirty-Eight
Licence to Live
Alexandria wasn't very surprised when the Magician wanted to meet her in front of the Covent Garden indoor market, but she became a bit impatient when she glanced at the time. Finally he ran up, looking very much like the older French gentleman she had first met.
"Sorry I'm late! I was just getting some last minute coins in the Underground," he explained a bit out of breath.
"I thought there was a whole auditioning and licensing thing you have to go through to perform in the stations," Alexandria said skeptically.
"Yes, there is, but I have one. See?" he said, producing a folded paper out of seemingly nowhere.
"Mr. Robert Sterling... you've used that name before... no, let me guess, it's from a James Bond film," Alexandria conjectured.
"The Spy Who Loved Me. Have you seen it?" he asked with interest, putting it away.
"No," Alexandria said with an exasperated sigh.
"I learned how to ski because of that film," the Magician said enthusiastically. "Can you ski?"
"I know how to put them on, that's about it," Alexandria admitted.
"Maybe I can show you sometime," he suggested.
"Why don't we just concentrate on what we're doing right now," she advised. "How about changing back to the other you?"
"Oh, not yet. There are some people who know me here... well, they know Mr. Sterling," he said with a wink. "At the very least, let's get some lovely buns and pastries first, and I need to go to the flower vendor for some roses."
"Fine," Alexandria replied. He happily showed her inside, earning a few good mornings from some of the vendors as he stepped up to one of the bakery carts.
"Ah, Mr. Sterling, good morning! I have your order here," a pleasant woman behind the counter said. "But who is this? A relative of yours?" she wondered.
"This is Alexandria, an acquaintance. I'm showing her around today," he explained. "Might I have another order, Mrs. Smith, fresh ones perhaps?" he asked.
"Yes of course," Mrs. Smith said, getting some out of the case and handing them to Alexandria while the Magician paid for them, counting out exact change. "Ta! Have a good day, then, Mr. Sterling and lady friend!"
"Just a friend," Alex corrected as she followed the Magician away from the booth. The Magician glanced at her curiously.
"Are we really friends now?" he asked.
"I don't have a better word for it," Alexandria replied briskly.
"We could be mates," the Magician suggested.
"I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea," Alexandria protested.
"What do you mean by that?" the Magician asked.
"I mean that since that you're a guy and I'm a girl, people still might think we're together, that's all," Alexandria said.
"We are together. We're together having a fun tourist day," the Magician pointed out, leading her to the stall.
"I meant that everyone will think you and I are a real couple. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Intimate even," Alexandria asked.
"Oh! Did you want to be?" the Magician asked.
"No!" Alexandria snapped.
"Well, for someone who doesn't want to be and has told me many times that she doesn't like it when someone is too forward, you certainly do bring the topic up a lot," the Magician observed, causing Alexandria to grow flustered. "It's right over here, Alexandria! Don't you think it's lovely?"
"I guess, but aren't they a little -"
"Good morning, Mr. Sterling! How many dozens today?" the woman putting together bouquets asked.
"I'm sure two will suffice," the Magician said. "I'm not working today, you see. I'm entertaining a friend."
"Oh, a lady friend! Perhaps a third bouquet for her?" she suggested.
"No thank you, two dozen will suffice," the Magician said. Alex attempted not to be annoyed, especially considering the price he had to pay for the two dozen he already bought.
"There now! Shall we find a place to sit?" he asked, putting the flowers under his coat.
"Yes, I guess," Alexandria said, wondering if his stashing those bundles hadn't been more than a little too obvious.
"I hope you like the morning buns. Mrs. Smith typically saves me a couple from the day before and gives me a better price for them, and even then, they're very nice."
"Yes, about that," Alexandria said, following him over to where tables were set out close to the food carts. "I find it very strange that you spend so much of your money on those roses when it's obvious that you don't have any money to spare."
"Well, sometimes I get them out of gardens, but I certainly can't do that this time of year," he explained.
"Surely you could be using that money for something more important than giving away flowers to pretty girls," she scolded him.
"I think we have different ideas on what is important. I happen to give a rose out to every girl I meet, since they're all beautiful in their own way," he explained.
"Every girl except me, that is," Alexandria pointed out, taking a seat.
"Well, of course not you, that would be silly," the Magician said unconcernedly, and Alex stared at him. "Why ever would you want one? Do you like the buns?" he asked, and Alex frowned and pulled one out to taste.
"They're good," Alexandria admitted.
"We can walk around here as much as you like, then perhaps head off to find something for lunch. I know a great many hidden places around the area that are inexpensive but just as tasty as the some of the most high end places in town," the Magician boasted.
"Now, how do you know that?" Alexandria asked with a chuckle.
"Sometimes I disguise myself as a busboy or a waiter for a chance to eat there," he explained. Alex shook her head in exasperation.
"And just where do you live? For some reason, I have trouble believing you're managing to make enough for renting a flat in London," Alexandria said.
"No, but I really don't need one," the Magician replied. "I have spent most of my life wandering from place to place, not tied down to anything. I've spent many nights under the stars, and just as many indoors thanks to the kindness of others. But being that I can turn into animals, it's not as bad as you might be thinking right now. I can easily turn into a form that makes it easy to find a comfortable resting place."
"Maybe, but I can't imagine what it must be like not having a place to call home," Alexandria said.
"In a way, I have more than one home," the Magician replied. "Why do you ask? Were you going to offer me a place to stay?"
"What? No! I was just curious as to where you lived. I don't see how you could jump to that sort of conclusion!" Alexandria protested.
"I see, so I misunderstood. Well, if you ever decide to invite me to stay over, I promise you that I will accept," the Magician assured her.
"Yeah, I bet you would," Alexandria retorted, squinting at him.
"I don't understand why you keep looking at me like that. You're the one who brought it up," he reminded her. "Are you ready to walk again?"
"It's safer than sitting here talking to you any longer," Alexandria decided, finishing her bun before standing up again.
"I would never harm you," the Magician assured her.
"I didn't mean it like that," Alexandria said with exasperation. "I mean that you keep trying to trip me up and say things I wouldn't normally say."
"I would never do that either," the Magician replied. "Here, then... if we go out and turn down the next street, I'm sure I can find a place to change into my other self discretely. You did want me to change, didn't you?"
"That depends... which one is the real you?" Alexandria asked.
"The other one," the Magician replied proudly.
"In that case, yes, I would like you to change," Alexandria agreed, and he nodded at that, leading her down the street next to a pub where he slipped inside. A moment later he stepped out as the tall, dashing blonde that Alexandria had come to expect.
"Better?" he asked.
"Yes, much better," Alexandria agreed. He smiled and led her further down the street.
"So what else do you like to do other than shop?" he inquired as they walked.
"Actually, I enjoy just exploring new areas, rather like we are right now," Alexandria said. "I never seem to have time to simply walk around town like this any more, I usually just Apparate or Portkey where I'm going. As a teenager, I used to like it a lot... I guess I still do," she realized.
"You can't get to know a place if you're always popping about," the Magician said. "You can't know its people or its struggles. A borough is almost like a living thing in a way, with weaknesses and strengths, each with its quirks and problems... whether it's crime or too many vagabonds," he said with a wink, "or a lack of parking places. I don't know how many people who've told me where they live and added that it's a fine area, but there's not enough parking places." Alexandria laughed at that. "Why do they even buy a car if they believe they are expensive, polluting, and they can never find a place to park?"
"Well, what do you expect Muggles to do, walk? The tubes and trains don't go everywhere, you know, it do have their limits. Not to mention that you would have to live by the transport schedule instead of your own," Alexandria explained. "We had a car once... I mean, well, Ben and I did," Alexandria admitted, then wondered why it felt so awkward talking about Ben.
"So I take it that you don't have a car now?" the Magician asked to fill the sudden pause.
"No, we got rid of it when we realized it was a security risk. Someone planted explosives under the bonnet to try and kill Ben and the children," Alexandria explained with a sigh. "We had a lot of close calls before fate caught up with us," she went on, gazing off in the direction of the London Eye. "Then I went to the circus to try and save him, and he ended up saving me instead, at the cost of his own life."
"Yes, I know," the Magician admitted quietly. "Still, if the situation had been reversed, I am certain you would have done the same for him."
"You're right, I would have without question," Alexandria replied sincerely.
"And what would have happened then?" he asked. Alexandria frowned.
"What? How would I know? I don't have time to follow a rabbit hole like that," Alexandria said.
"It's just a shallow one, Alexandria, and there is a point to it," the Magician insisted. "What do you suppose would have happened to your family if you had been the one who died?"
"Well, considering the change in financial situations, they probably would have sold the house and moved back into my parents' house, and undoubtedly welcomed with open arms," Alexandria replied.
"I see, so the boys would have ended up in your parents' house regardless of which of you had survived," the Magician said.
"Yes, one due to lack of funds, the other due to lack of dedicated time," Alexandria agreed somberly. "But at least if he had survived, they would have their father with them."
"Perhaps, but it wouldn't change their outlook on life as much as you might imagine," the Magician decided. "For example, I have a feeling that young Janus would be just as angry at you for dying as he is angry at you for surviving. He'd have blamed you either way."
Alex slowed down and stared at him until the Magician gestured towards the Riverside Walk.
"You know, you have a point. I think he would have been angry at me either way," she realized. "Our relationship has been complicated since he was little, really. He spends a lot of time blaming me for everything going wrong in his life. I didn't recognize this was an extension of that... probably because I never forgave myself for what happened."
"Are you so sure you could have stopped what happened had you tried?" he asked seriously.
"No, I couldn't have," Alexandria replied quietly. "I did everything I could, but it wasn't enough to stop it."
"If you did everything you could, then there's no reason to blame yourself," the Magician said.
"Logically speaking, yes, but that doesn't really change the way I feel about it, does it?" she said with a shrug.
"And what if Benjamin had survived and you hadn't? How do you suppose he'd get on without you?" the Magician asked.
"I'm sure that his mother, sister, and my entire family would help him through it, just as they helped me," Alexandria replied.
"They would help him until he was back on his feet," the Magician said. "But I'm sure that eventually he would have been ready to be move and discover who he is again. Would you want him to go out and find happiness again? Or would you rather he stay in the shadow of your memory?"
"Of course I'd want him to move on and find happiness again, just as he would want me to... which is the conclusion you're really after. Don't think I'm not onto you," Alexandria scolded him.
"And just what are you attempting of accusing me of this time?" the Magician inquired.
"Getting me off my guard," Alexandria accused.
"Considering this trip was a present so that you can have some fun, I don't see why you even need to be on your guard," the Magician pointed out.
"I'm the Minister of Mysteries. I'm always on my guard," Alex declared.
"The present was for Alexandria, not the Minister of Mysteries. The Minister is taking the day off so that Alexandria can have some fun," the Magician informed her. "Besides, you just admitted to me that he would want you to find your happiness, so perhaps you should work on it a little bit harder."
"And just why are you so convinced that my happiness has anything to do with you?" Alexandria asked him.
"Have I ever said such a thing?" the Magician asked, shaking his head at her.
"Well, you have come on to me from time to time. You aren't going to deny it, are you?" Alexandria asked.
"Of course I don't deny it, but I did it on behalf of my own happiness instead of yours," he confessed. "And you have no room to talk, since you flirt with me five times as often as I do. Shall we get crepes before lunch?"
"What?" Alexandria asked in confusion, the brisk change in topic cutting off her denial.
"Crepes... there's a vendor over there." he pointed out.
"Don't you every think about anything other than food?" she asked with exasperation.
"Of course, don't you?" he asked. "That was a flirt, by the way..."
"Yes, thank you very much," Alex said, following him over to the crepe stand.
Alexandria couldn't help but be exasperated when he offered the woman at the crepe counter a rose, and again when they were getting panipuri. Alexandria brought over a tray with both water and tea, sighing at the accumulation of food between them.
"If I keep eating like this, I'm going to be as big as a house in no time," Alexandria complained.
"I'm sure we'll burn it off with all of the walking," he said unconcernedly. "Do you like the panipuri? This is my favorite stand, and it's not expensive either. Where do you suppose we should go for dinner?"
"Are you insane? How could you possibly be thinking about dinner when we have all of this food in front of us?" Alexandria asked.
"Well, I need to decide where we're going to walk next, and some places I might want to take you are further away than others," he explained. "Also, we mustn't forget that a couple of the stations to the north of us will be closing this afternoon, as well as some of the bridges and roadways, since they're going to prepare for the fireworks tonight. Did you want to find a place to watch them?"
"I thought this was a day tour, not a night tour," Alexandria pointed out.
"I was just asking," he said with a crepe in one hand and a cheese dosa in the other. "You can say adieu after dinner as far as I'm concerned. Would you like to go to a chips stand that I know about that offers strange toppings?"
"How about something that isn't fried, considering we've been eating fried food all day?" Alexandria suggested.
"Well, we can, I suppose, but if it's too expensive, we may need to head to the park so I can earn some more coin," he warned.
"Why don't I pay for dinner?" she asked with exasperation.
"No, you can't do that. This was my gift, remember? That wouldn't be fair! Besides, what's a busking tour without a bit of busking?" he asked.
"How about we save money and go to the nearest fruit and veg market and make salads later?" Alexandria suggested.
"I like that idea. I have a nice cloth we can use for a picnic if we want to go a park with it," the Magician offered.
"As cold as it's likely to get? Not to mention as crowded as it's going to get in this part of town," Alexandria said, then sighed. "How about a compromise? We'll walk to the park after we're done eating so you can show me your act, preferably without using magic that I'd have to arrest you for. Then we'll go to the market, and then to my flat so we can use the kitchen. BUT! We are going to be there just to use the kitchen and nothing else. Is that understood?" she asked.
"Doesn't your flat move around like your office does?" the Magician asked.
"How do you know that?" Alex asked.
"Because of the foggy corridors outside of your office," he explained. She groaned.
"I really need to redo that system so it's not so obvious what is going on," she decided. He nodded in agreement. "Yes, it rotates, so there's no point in you trying to finding it, because I can move it whenever I need to."
"I only meant to ask if any of your secret locations might have a good view to watch the fireworks," he suggested. Alex stared at him.
"We're just going to use the kitchen," Alex repeated firmly. "Do you understand?"
"Do you suppose you might make some cucumber sandwiches as a consolation prize?" he asked hopefully, finishing off his crepe.
"Fine, but that is all," Alexandria said firmly.
"Fair enough," he replied.
Alexandria was quite glad when they finally got back to the flat, each of them carrying a grocery saxk. He followed her inside without a comment about the place and over to the counter top, helping her unpack it.
"Would you like me to wash the greens or tend to the berries?" he asked.
"Do you often assume you're going to be helping without asking?" Alexandria interrogated him.
"It was my idea," he pointed out. "Is that one loaf of bread going to be enough for the sandwiches?"
"Yes, unless my brother Andrew comes over," Alexandria said.
"Oh? Is there a chance of that?" he asked.
"No, not really, I was making a joke because he eats even more than you do. How are you with knives?"
"Well, I can juggle them as long as they're dull. I don't want to leave a mess when I miss..."
"You are teasing me again, but I'll let you clean the greens anyway," Alexandria said and got out the colander for him.
"Thank you very much," he replied. "So did you like my juggling act in the park?"
"Yes, I guess... at least you got a decent amount of coins and bills considering how many of those damned roses you gave away today, not to mention all of those tie clips and key chains."
"I always reward those who tip me with something inexpensive in return," the Magician replied, setting the washed vegetables within her reach.
"Not all of those ladies gave you tips, though," Alexandria pointed out. "Just why do you do give them all flowers?"
"What else should I give them?" he asked.
"Why should you give them anything?" she asked.
"I want them to feel appreciated," he explained.
"I see," Alex said, chopping aggressively. "You want them to feel appreciated. So how come you've never given me one?"
"You?" he said with open surprise.
"You've given a rose to every woman and a paper flower to every child... all except me. Yet here I am, letting you use my own kitchen to wash lettuce and chopping up cucumbers for your stupid sandwiches and yet for some reason I'm not good enough for a damned rose? What the hell is your problem?" Alex shouted at him in frustration.
The Magician blinked at her. Then he gently coaxed her arms down, getting the knife away from his nose at the same time.
"I don't think you really want a rose," the Magician informed her calmly.
"Well not now I don't, not when I have to ask for it," Alex snapped.
"I think you've misinterpreted my intentions," he explained. "You see, the rose is an apology of sorts."
"Eh?" Alex said, baffled.
"I want to know they're appreciated and each beautiful in their own way, despite the fact that they're not the lady I want to be with," he explained, setting the carrots aside. Alex frowned at him, then turned back to the cutting board, but only made a few very slow cuts.
"So you must have just forgotten to give me one, then... because I was trying to arrest you maybe," Alexandria suggested slowly.
"I did not. Besides, I always thought the fact that you were attempting to arrest me was rather amusing," he admitted. Alexandria gave him a dirty look then went back to what she was doing.
"You must have some ego if you think you need to give every girl you didn't choose a rose as an apology," Alex said critically.
"I was only trying to be thoughtful," the Magician said, drying his hands.
"Well, you haven't been all that thoughtful to me, have you?" Alexandria challenged him.
"Are you saving the scraps for broth?" he inquired, offering her a freezer container, which she took with a sigh so that he could bring down a couple of plates.
"You're putting me in a difficult position right now, you know," Alex informed him.
"In what way?" he inquired.
"You're a criminal, you idiot!" Alex snapped.
"Well, you could always pardon me, then the problem is solved," the Magician suggested.
"I also don't know what you're objective is. I don't know where your loyalties lie, and I don't even know your name! Aren't you going to tell me anything?" Alexandria demanded.
"I might consider giving you a hint," the Magician said. "After the fireworks show."
"You are not staying that long," Alex informed him, handing him his filled plate.
"I'm not?" the Magician repeated as if not quite believing her.
"Absolutely positively not," Alex said firmly.
