Bluebell had walked a few streets, she doesn't know how many not having counted them, she was so mad she let her feet move her without her knowing.
It took her a few more steps and a few loud curses until she came to her senses, Bluebell looked up at a familiar bench in front of a familiar park.
The girl pants angrily from the effort of dragging her trunk, before taking a seat. She runs a hand over her face, wincing when it reaches where Earl had slapped her.
Seething, she pulled out the half of a spliff, the first one of the week. Blue hesitated for a moment but the panic and stress of what to do grew as the minutes passed and she didn't feel like stressing.
A funny prickling on the back of her neck had made Blue feel she was being watched, but the street and park were appeared to be deserted, and no many lights shone from any of the large square houses
She observed the park for a few seconds with a tight grip on her wand, but she couldn't see anything.
Huffing at her paranoia, she reached inside of her satchel trying to find a lighter but didn't find it: only a couple of books, her glasses, the muggle money she earned that summer, a few galleons, and the bottle of vodka she stole from Bianca, now being dead weight to carry around.
"Perfect." Mumble Bluebell, slumping on the bench, defeated.
Panic begins to settle in again, She was stranded, quite alone, in the dark Muggle world, she could go to Amelia's but she could imagine the scolding that was waiting for her and Bluebell wasn't in the mood for it, she couldn't go to Roman's since he was in America, she has no idea where Eric is and Lorena gives the impression that her parents wouldn't be to keen on letting her stay in their home so, she has absolutely no where to go.
And the worst of it was, she had just done serious magic, which meant that she was almost certainly expelled from Hogwarts. She had broken the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry so badly, she was surprised Ministry of Magic representatives weren't swooping down on her where she sat.
What was going to happen to her? Would she be arrested, or would she simply be outlawed from the wizarding world? Would she—
"Need a lighter?" A very familiar voice said, making her jump.
Bluebell grunted lowly, at the sudden apparition of Jennifer Kim. As if she didn't have enough for that night, the universe really does hate her.
Before the girl could give her an answer Jenny's distinguished lighter was lighting the spliff that was still hanging in her mouth.
Blue inhales letting the smoke to properly reach her lungs before letting go of it. She felt Jenny sit next to her but made no move to acknowledge her.
"What's that on your hand?" She asks.
"Nothin' " The blonde had forgotten she still had her wand in a tight grip, blue moved it away to her other side.
There were a few moments of awkward silence, Bluebell concentrated on inhaling the smoke, slightly irritated by the presence next to her.
"Where are you going?"
Bluebell debated on answering her "A... friends house."
Jenny frowned "A friend's house?"
Bluebell only shrugged, letting the smoke out from her nose.
Jenny sighs, Bluebell could feel the girl's brown eyes roaming over her face which made her a bit uncomfortable.
"Blue what— what happened to your face?" Jenny asks concern clearly in her tone.
"Nothin'" Bluebell tilted her head away from the girl.
"Nothing? Bluebell you've got a cut and a bruise is forming—-" Jenny tried to reach for Bluebell's face but she flinched away from her.
"Listen, If you are here to bother me and tell me how much of a problem I am again then leave." Bluebell stands glaring at the girl "I know I am a problem to people, I've been one since birth, okay. I don't need you to remind me of that."
Jenny stared at her with shame in her eyes "Blue I... that was not..."
"What?"
When Jennifer doesn't say anything she scoffs shaking her head, she inhales from the blunt to calm herself.
"What are you even doin' here?" Bluebell asks, narrowing her red-ish eyes to look at Jennifer clearly.
"I needed some air." She admits "I've been having some things in my mind lately."
"Well, go on then, keep breathin' or whatever." Blue rolled her eyes looking away from her. "Don't let me stop you."
"Bluebell, when I said you were a problem, I didn't mean it in a bad way."
"Yeah, alright." Blue couldn't help but scoff incredulously "Because being a problem is such a good thing to say to someone."
Jenny sighs "I swear it wasn't like that, you just...."
"Just sod off." Blue had been feeling like shit lately, she didn't need to add to the list.
Just as Blue was going to take another hint, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, the joint being snatched away from her mouth and before Bluebell could snap at the girl, Jenny had her lips on hers.
It took Blue a second to understand what was happening but when she did her eyes widened in surprise, Jennifer was kissing her. She was actually kissing her.
After another moment or two, the Kim girl pulled back, her face painted in red as she looked down at Bluebell.
It was a small and awkward kiss, Bluebell didn't participate in it which was a given since she wasn't expecting it but she didn't mind it at all.
"You make me feel things Blue," Jenny whispers, her face still very close to Bluebell's "Things I've been trying to avoid and that scared me."
"Oh..." Bluebell blinks a few times "So... you like girls?"
Jenny nods, smiling a little.
"And you fancy me?" Bluebell asks, still surprised.
"Well yeah." Jenny laughs awkwardly but her smile wavers "Do- do you like me?"
"I..." Bluebell thought for a moment, she didn't hate the kiss and she was not repelled by who was giving it to her, but she still was a little confused "I think so?"
Jenny smiles happily at her before placing another quick kiss on her lips. "I'm really happy that you like me back otherwise that kiss would have been proper awkward."
"Yeah, it would have." Bluebell muses before her hazy mind remembers something "That was my first kiss."
"It was?" Jenny grins, taking one of Bluebell's hands in her free one "I hope it was good then."
Blue couldn't say if it was, she didn't feel anything, she thought that her first kiss would feel special, like a thousand butterflies in her belly and fireworks going off in her mind but nothing really happened. The kiss did feel nice physically though, she would do it again but emotionally it was nothing to her.
"Have you kissed someone before?" Blue asks
"Of course." Jenny says "How do you think I figured I liked... you know, girls."
Is that something she should do too? Kiss some boys and girls to figure out what she likes? Is it that simple?
"So what now?" Asked Bluebell, clearing her throat.
Jenny tilted her head in thought "Do you want to date me?"
Once again Bluebell was surprised "Come off it?"
"What I meant was... " Jenny taking a sharp inhale "Do you want to be my girlfriend, Bluebell?"
"But... I'm leaving soon."
"So?" Jenny shrugged, "It'll be a long distance relationship."
Bluebell hesitates, she likes Jenny but she wasn't sure what she wanted and was confused by how quickly things escalated, her mind wasn't in the right place but one thing Blue was sure about, was that she didn't want Jenny to feel bad or sad.
She was in a tight spot.
"Why not." Blue gave the girl a tight smile.
Jenny smiled brightly at her and hugged her tightly, slightly lifting her off the ground "I'm so happy right now, you've no idea."
Blue felt uncomfortable in that position "Yeah... put me down, will ya?
"Yeah, sorry." Jenny's smile turned sheepishly, "I'm just really happy."
"I'm glad." Blue said, smiling at Jenny.
"When are you leaving again?" She asks, looking back at Blue trunk.
"Uh... soon, I actually have to meet my friend at a pub near here." Blue lied, looking back at her things.
"Oh... that's sad." Mutter Jenny, a sad air surrounding her. "Are you sure you can't stay another day?"
Blue shakes her head "No, I can't."
"Well then." Jenny pulls her yellow walkman off her waist band and the headphones off her neck "I want you to have this, to think of me when you miss me."
Bluebell eyes widened and she shook her head "No, Jenny I can't—"
"Take it." Jenny throws away the remaining spliff (much to Bluebell's dismay), grabs both of her hands and puts the Walkman in them "I wanted to buy another anyway."
Bluebell bit her lip looking down at the walkman in her hands "Thank you."
"That's what girlfriends do." Jenny smiled, "The cassette is a mix of Elvis, The Beatles and a little of John Lennon, so you can finally be a cultured, complete person."
Bluebell snorted "I am cultured now though."
"If it weren't for me, you probably wouldn't have listened to any of them."
"Yeah, okay." Blue rolls her he's before looking up at Jenny.
"So I won't see you until next summer?" Asked Jenny sadly.
Bluebell purses her lips, she doesn't know what's going to happen to her now that she's done magic out of school. She could only hope they did meet the next summer.
"That's the plan."
Jenny sighs sadly, she took a step towards Blue placing a hand on her cheek before leaning down to kiss her one last time.
Lasting a few more moments, the two pulled back, Jenny smiled sadly at her "I'll miss you."
"I won't be gone long, don't worry." Bluebell grins before placing the Walkman on the waistband of her trousers and the headphones around her neck.
"You still have my number right?" She asks, Jenny had given Blue her house number weeks ago but Bluebell wasn't able to call as much as she would have liked "I'm sure that fancy school of yours has phones somewhere."
"I'll... contact you."
"And I'll be waiting." The Kim girl smiles, taking a few steps back. "I should probably go now."
Bluebell nods, giving her a soft smile.
"Until we see each other again, my lovely girlfriend." Jenny waves as she walks backwards, Bluebell mirrors her actions "Bye."
Bluebell watches as the blurry figure of Jenny turns back around and begins to walk away, turning a few times to look at blue before finally reaching a point where Bluebell's eyes didn't work at all.
She let out a groans looking at the sky "What the fuck?" her heart was now thumping painfully fast.
Bluebell was very confused and her mind wasn't working properly either, she had little idea of what just happened. She felt caged and she didn't like it.
Why did I do that?
Bluebell was in a daze in deep thought, staring at a narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind her when saw something out of the ordinary. Before she could rule it out as an effect of the drugs she squinted at the black alleyway, hoping her eyes worked. If only it would move, then she'd know whether it was just a stray cat or -- something else.
When her eyes couldn't see anything, she remembered her wand was still very much clutch to her hand so she held her it up.
"Lumos," she muttered, and a light appeared at the end of her wand, almost dazzling her.
She held it high over her head, and the blurry pebble-dashed walls of number two suddenly sparkled; the garage door gleamed, and between them Blue saw the blurry, hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.
"Shit...." Blue mumble, with her free hand she rubs her eyes to figure it out if it was real or not.
When she opened her eyes again the blurry black figure was still there. Blue stepped backward. Her short legs hit her trunk and she tripped.
Her wand flew out of her hand as she flung out an arm to break her fall, and she landed in the gutter.
There was a deafening BANG, and Bluebell threw up her hands to shield her eyes against a sudden blinding light... Suddenly Bluebell felt as if someone, an invisible force, pushed her back onto the pavement, just in time.
A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where Bluebell had just been lying.
They belonged, as Blue saw when she raised her head, to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air Gold lettering over the windshield that is she narrowed her eyes spelled The Knight Bus.
She heard of that name before, hasn't she?
For a split second, Bluebell wondered if she was hallucinating this. Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly into the night.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve--"
The conductor stopped abruptly. He had just caught sight of Bluebell, who was still sitting on the ground.
"You could have ended me, bruv." She snatched up her wand again and scrambled to her feet.
Close up, she saw that Stan Shunpike was only a few years older than she was, eighteen or nineteen at most, with large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples.
"What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner.
"You see, Stany boy, my feet sometimes don't work as they should," said Blue.
"You fell over?"
Bluebell hums nodding.
"'Choo fall over for?" sniggered Stan.
"I wanted to have a closer look at the floor," said Bluebell grinning up at him. "Maybe become friends with it, but it is quite hard, as you can imagine."
"Because it's the ground."Stan sniggers again, "and it's 'ard."
"You get me." Blue said with fake amusement, when a stinging in her hand made her look down.
One of the knees in her jeans was torn, and the hand she had thrown out to break her fall was bleeding.
"Nice." Blue mumbles
She suddenly remembered why she had fallen over and turned around quickly to stare at the alleyway between the garage and fence. The Knight Bus's headlamps were flooding it with light, and it was empty.
'Choo lookin' at?" said Stan.
"There was a big black thin'," said Bluebell pointing into the gap. "Like a dog, yeah?..... but absolutely massive..."
She looked around at Stan, whose mouth was slightly open. With a feeling of unease, Bluebell saw Stan's eyes move to her reddened cheek to the scar on her forehead.
"Woss that on your 'ead?" said Stan abruptly.
"I think I fell harder than I thought," Bluebell joked quickly, flattening her hair over her scar. If the Ministry of Magic was looking for her, she didn't want to make it, by any means, too easy for them.
"Woss your name?" Stan persisted.
"Bonnie Escobar, at your service." said Bluebell, saying the first name that came into her head. "So this bad boy," she went on tapping the purple bus, hoping to distract Stan, "did ya say it goes anywhere, mate?"
"Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, 'long it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater.
— Ere," he said, looking suspicious again, "you did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand 'and, dincha?"
"Obviously bruv, you can't fla' it down by accident can't ya?," Bluebell lied easily, Stan's roadman accent made hers slip out "' How much to London?"
"Eleven Sickles," said Stan, "but for firteen you get 'ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'ot-water bottle an' a toofbrush in the color of your choice."
"Alright... Blue rummaged once more in her satchel. "How much was a sickle? Forget it" She extracted her money bag, and shoved some gold into Stan's hand.
She let Stan lift her trunk up the steps of the bus before getting in herself.
"Woah." She mumbles
There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows. Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-paneled walls. A tiny wizard in a nightcap at the rear of the bus muttered, "Not now, thanks, I'm pickling some slugs" and rolled over in his sleep.
"You 'ave this one," Stan whispered, shoving Blue's trunk under the bed right behind the driver, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the steering wheel. "This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This is Bonnie Escobar, Ern. A comedian."
"Ayup"
Ernie Prang, an elderly wizard wearing very thick glasses, nodded to Bluebell, who subtly flattened her bangs again and plopped down on her bed.
"Take 'er away, Ern," said Stan, sitting down in the armchair next to Ernie's.
There was another tremendous BANG, and the next moment Blue found herself flat on her bed, thrown backward by the speed of the Knight Bus.
"Cheers for the fuckin' warning" She huffs
Pulling herself up, Bluebell stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street. Stan was watching Bluen's stunned face with great enjoyment.
"This is where we was before you flagged us down," he said. "Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?"
"Ar," said Ernie.
"And the muggles, they don't see this shit?" Blue said.
"Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."
"Best go wake up Madam Marsh, Stan," said Ern. "We'll be in Abergavenny in a minute."
Stan passed Blue's bed and disappeared up a narrow wooden staircase. Blue was still looking out of the window, feeling increasingly nervous. Ernie didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel. The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn't hit anything; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.
Stan came back downstairs, followed by a faintly green witch wrapped in a traveling cloak.
"'Ere you go, Madam Marsh," said Stan happily as Ern stamped on the brake and the beds slid a foot or so toward the front of the bus. Madam Marsh clamped a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered down the steps. Stan threw her bag out after her and rammed the doors shut; there was another loud BANG, and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, trees leaping out of the way.
Blue wouldn't have been able to sleep even if she had been traveling on a bus that didn't keep banging loudly and jumping a hundred miles at a time. Even with the calming herbs in her body she still felt her stomach churning as she fell back to wondering what was going to happen to her, and whether the Kings had managed to get Earl off the ceiling yet.
Stan had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet and was now reading with his tongue between his teeth. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with dead, short blonde hair, blinked slowly at Blue from the front page. He looked strangely familiar.
"Oi, stany boy... that man." Blue said, forgetting her troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news."
Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.
"Peter Pettigrew," he said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Bonnie. Where you been?"
"Hell." She said earning a snort from Stan. He removed the front page, and handed it to Blue.
"You oughta read the papers more, Bonnie."
"Wait." Blue searches for her glasses in her satchel and puts them on. She held the paper up to the candlelight and read:
PETTIGREW STILL AT LARGE
Peter Pettigrew, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.
"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.
"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Pettigrew is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Pettigrew's true identity to anyone. And let's face it -- who'd believe him if he did?"
While Muggles have been told that Pettigrew is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Pettigrew murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
Bluebell looked into the shadowed Blue eyes of Peter Pettigrew, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive, yet there was something in his eyes, they were crazed and full with hatred.
"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Bluebell read.
"He murdered thirteen people?" said Blue, handing the page back to Stan, "with one curse?"
"Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"
"Ar," said Ern darkly.
Stan swiveled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Bluebell.
"Pettigrew woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said.
"Voldemort?" said Bluebell, without thinking.
Even Stan's pimples went white; Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.
"You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "'Choo say 'is name for?"
"Shit sorry, mate" said Bluebell hastily. "I forgot --"
"Forgot!" said Stan weakly. "Blimey, my 'eart's goin' that fast..."
"So Pettigrew was a supporter of You-Know- Who?" Blue prompted apologetically.
"Yeah," said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to You-Know-'Oo, they say...anyway, when little Bluebell King got the better of You-Know-'Oo" -- Blue flattened her bangs down again -- "all You-Know-'Oo's supporters was tracked down, wasn't they, Ern? Most of 'em knew it was all over, wiv You-Know-'Oo gone, and they came quiet. But not Peter Pettrigrew. I 'eard he thought 'e'd be second-in-command once You-Know-'Oo 'ad taken over.
"Anyway, they cornered Pettigrew in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' he took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? All to avoid being captured, didn't 'elp much, did it."
"That man lost the fuckin'plot." Blue huffs looking at the picture.
"If he hadn't when he went to Azkaban, he has now," said Ern in his slow voice. "I'd blow meself up before I set foot in that place. Serves him right, mind you... after what he did..."
"They 'ad a job coverin' it up, din' they, Ern?" Stan said. "'Ole street blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said 'ad 'appened, Ern?"
"Gas explosion," grunted Ernie.
"An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Pettigrew's face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern? Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"
Ernie suddenly shivered. "Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."
Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and Blue leaned against the window of the Knight Bus, feeling worse than ever. She couldn't help imagining what Stan might be telling his passengers in a few nights' time.
"'Ear about that Bluebell King? Blew up his uncle! We 'ad 'er 'ere on the Knight Bus, di'n't we, Ern? S'e was tryin' to run for it..."
Not my uncle, Blue wanted to correct him but she knew she couldn't without blowing up her cover, instead she said "What a cheeky lass, aye?"
She, Bluebell, had broken wizard law just like Peter Pettigrew. Was inflating Earl bad enough to land her in Azkaban? Blue didn't know anything about the wizard prison, though everyone she'd ever heard speak of it did so in the same fearful tone. Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had spent two months there only last year. Blue wouldn't soon forget the look of terror on Hagrid's face when he had been told where he was going, and Hagrid was one of the bravest people Bluebell knew.
The Knight Bus rolled through the darkness, scattering bushes and wastebaskets, telephone booths and trees, and Bluebell lay, restless and miserable, on her feather bed. After a while, Stan remembered that Blue had paid for hot chocolate, but poured it all over Bluebell's pillow when the bus moved abruptly from Anglesea to Aberdeen.
After that she decided to make conversation with a witch on her side, her name was Magnolia Freeman, a middle age woman, she had a tight bun and her clothes seem to be made out of car hair but how fluffy it looked, she was nice to talk to, very loud and energetic and Bluebell was happy to match her energy in hopes to forget about her eminent doom.
One by one, wizards and witches in dressing gowns and slippers descended from the upper floors to leave the bus. They all looked very pleased to go. Magnolia gave Blue as a parting gift a pumpkin pastry which Bluebell finished in record time.
Finally, Bluebell was the only passenger left.
"Right then, Bonnie," said Stan, clapping his hands, "whereabouts in London?"
"Uh— Diagon Alley," said Bluebell.
"Righto," said Stan. "'Old tight, then."
BANG.
They were thundering along Charing Cross Road. Blue sat up and watched buildings and benches squeezing themselves out of the Knight Bus's way. The sky was getting a little lighter. She would lie low for a couple of hours, go to Gringotts the moment it opened, then set off -- where, probably Amelia's much to her dismay. .
Ern slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of a small and shabby-looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley.
"Cheers mate," Blue said to Ern.
He jumped down the steps and helped Stan lower her trunk onto the pavement.
"Well," said Blue. "As much as it pains me, I must part now!"
But Stan wasn't paying attention. Still standing in the doorway to the bus) he was goggling at the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.
"There you are, Bluebell," said a voice.
Before Blue could turn, she felt a hand on her shoulder. At the same time, Stan shouted, "Blimey! Ern, come 'ere! Come 'ere!"
Bluebell looked up at the owner of the hand on her shoulder and felt a bucketful of ice cascade into her stomach -- she had walked right into Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.
"Oh, fuck me" she groans quietly, only for her ears.
Stan leapt onto the pavement beside them.
"What didja call Bonnie?" he said excitedly.
Fudge, a portly little man in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked cold and exhausted.
"Bonnie?" he repeated, frowning. "This is Bluebell King."
"Surprise?," she smiled awkwardly, wiggling her fingers.
"I knew it!" Stan shouted gleefully. "Ern! Ern! Guess 'oo Bonnie is, Ern! Bluebell King! I can see 'er scar!"
"Sod off." Bluebell snapped, flatting her hair again.
"Yes," said Fudge testily, "well, I'm very glad the Knight Bus picked Bluebell up, but she and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now..."
Fudge increased the pressure on Bluebell's shoulder, and Blue found herself being steered inside the pub.
A stooping figure bearing a lantern appeared through the door behind the bar. It was Tom, the wizened, toothless landlord.
"You've got her, Minister!" said Tom. "Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?"
"Perhaps a pot of tea," said Fudge, who still hadn't let go of Blue.
"Perhaps not" She smiled at Tom charmingly "Can I have a large sandwich? With everything and anything you've got back there, aye? And I'll take that beer if you don't mind."
Fudge looked down at Bluebell in astonishment while Tom smiled kindly. "How about the sandwich and pumpkin juice?"
"I'll take it." Blue winks.
There was a loud scraping and puffing from behind them, and Stan and Ern appeared, carrying Blue's trunk looking around excitedly.
"'Ow come you di'n't tell us 'oo you are, eh, Bonnie?" said Stan, beaming at Bluebell, while Ernie's owlish face peered interestedly over Stan's shoulder.
Bluebell grins at them. "I ain't a liar, Bonnie is my second name and Escobar is my street name."
"And a private parlor, please, Tom," said Fudge pointedly.
"'It was an honor, Stany boy and lovely Ern, I do wish to travel with you in the future,"Blue quickly shaked their hand as Tom beckoned Fudge toward the passage that led from the bar.
"'Bye, Bonnie!" called Stan.
Fudge marched Bluebell along the narrow passage after Tom's lantern, and then into a small parlor.
Tom clicked his fingers, a fire burst into life in the grate, and he bowed himself out of the room.
"Sit down, Blue," said Fudge, indicating a chair by the fire.
Bluebell sat down, feeling goosebumps rising up her arms despite the glow of the fire. Fudge took off his pinstriped cloak and tossed it aside, then hitched up the trousers of his bottle-green suit and sat down opposite Bluebell.
"I am Cornelius Fudge, Bluebell. The Minister of Magic."
"Wicked."
Blue already knew this, of course; she had seen Fudge once before, but as she had been hiding in Hagrid's massive wardrobe at the time, Fudge wasn't to know that.
Tom the innkeeper reappeared, wearing an apron over his nightshirt, bearing a tray of tea, crumpets and Bluebell's sandwich.He placed the tray on a table between Fudge and Bluebell.
Bluebell smiled at him "Thank you, Tom. Let me pay you —"
"It's on the house, Miss King."
"No, Tom..." As Blue starts to decline the offer Tom had already left the parlor,closing the door behind him.
"Well, Bluebell," said Fudge, pouring out tea, "you've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt's house like that! I'd started to think... but you're safe, and that's what matters."
Fudge buttered himself a crumpet and pushed the plate with the sandwich toward Bluebell.
"Eat, Bluebell, you look dead on your feet. Now then...You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Mister Earl Scott. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Mister Scott has been punctured and his memory has been modified. He has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."
Fudge smiled at Blue over the rim of his teacup, rather like an uncle surveying a favorite niece.
Blue, who couldn't believe her ears "You takin' the piss?"
"You're worrying about the reaction of your aunt, I imagine." said Fudge, ignoring the girl's crude response. "Well, I won't deny that she is extremely angry, Bluebell, but she is prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."
Bluebell scoffs with an eye roll.
"Bruv, the day I willingly spend my Christmas and Easter holidays at the Scott's it'll be the day hell freezes over," she said, "I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive."
"Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone. "They are your family, after all, and I'm sure you are fond of each other."
Bluebell tilted her face subtly which caused Fudge to look the growing bruise on her cheek.
" -- er -- very deep down." He clears his throat looking away.
It didn't occur to Blue to put Fudge right. She was still waiting to hear what was going to happen to her now.
"So all that remains," said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky Cauldron and..."
"So I'm not going to be punished, right?" Asked Bluebell.
Fudge blinked. "Punishment?"
"Come on Fudge!" Bluebell said. "Y'know what I'm talkin' about."
"Oh, my dear girl, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" cried Fudge, waving his crumpet impatiently. "It was an accident! We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their uncle's!"
"He's not my uncle." She mumble
"Whatever he was, you're not going to Azkaban."
But this didn't tally at all with Bluebell's past dealings with the Ministry of Magic.
"Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my aunt's house!" She told Fudge, frowning. "The Ministry of Magic said I'd be expelled from Hogwarts if there was any more magic there!"
Unless Bluebell's eyes were deceiving her, Fudge was suddenly looking awkward.
"Circumstances change, Bluebell...We have to take into account...in the present climate...Surely you don't want to be expelled?"
"Of course I don't," said Bluebell.
"Well then, what's all the fuss about?" laughed Fudge. "Now, eat your meal Bluebell, while I go and see if Tom's got a room for you."
Fudge strode out of the parlor and Bluebell stared after him while taking a bite of the sandwich, it was delicious. There was something extremely odd going on. Why had Fudge been waiting for her at the Leaky Cauldron, if not to punish her for what she'd done? And now Bluebell came to think of it, surely it wasn't usual for the Minister of Magic himself to get involved in matters of underage magic?
Fudge came back, accompanied by Tom the innkeeper.
"Room eleven's free, Bluebell," said Fudge. "I think you'll be very comfortable, just one thing, and I'm sure you'll understand...I don't want you wandering off into Muggle London, all right? Keep to Diagon Alley. And you're to be back here before dark each night. Sure you'll understand. Tom will be keeping an eye on you for me."
Bluebell frowned "Why?"
"Don't want to lose you again, do we?" said Fudge with a hearty laugh. "No, no...best we know where you are...I mean..."
Fudge cleared his throat loudly and picked up his pinstriped cloak.
"Well, I'll be off, plenty to do, you know..."
"Have you had any luck with Pettigrew yet?" Blue asked.
Fudge's finger slipped on the silver fastenings of his cloak.
"What's that? Oh, you've heard - well, no, not yet, but it's only a matter of time. The Azkaban guards have never yet failed...and they are angrier than I've ever seen them."
Fudge shuddered slightly.
"So, I'll say good-bye."
He held out his hand and Blue, shaking it, had a sudden idea.
"Er -- Minister? Can I ask you something?"
"Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.
"Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt didn't sign the permission form and since Amelia isn't my legal guardian she can't either. D'you think you could --?"
Fudge was looking uncomfortable.
"Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Bluebell, but as Amelia, I'm not your parent or guardian --"
"Well obviously, but you're the Minister of Magic," said Bluebell with an eye roll. "If you gave me permission..."
"No, I'm sorry, Bluebell, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly. "Perhaps you'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it's best if you don't...yes...well, I'll be off. Enjoy your stay, Bluebell."
And with a last smile and shake of Bluebell's hand, Fudge left the room. Tom now moved forward, beaming at the girl.
"If you'll follow me, Miss King," he said, "I've already taken your things up..."
Blue grabbed her plate and followed Tom up a handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for her.
Inside was a very comfortable-looking bed, some highly polished oak furniture, a cheerfully crackling fire.
"If there's anything you need, Miss King, don't hesitate to ask." Tom told her.
"Thanks man." Bluebell smiled.
He gave another bow and left.
Bluebell sat on her bed for a few moments t, she stared at the sky outside the window, it was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue to cold, steely gray and then, slowly, to pink shot with gold.
Blue could hardly believe that she'd left Privet Drive only a few hours ago, that she had somehow gotten her first kiss and a girlfriend, that she wasn't expelled, and that she was now facing two completely Scott— free weeks.
That only thing in her mind was how the hell was she going to explain it to Amelia. She was going to be livid.
"It's been a very weird night.," she yawned.
And without even removing her glasses, he slumped back onto his pillows and just as she began to fall asleep two knocks prevented her from doing so.
Groaning, Bluebell gets up from the warm bed to the door. It was probably Tom, had he forgotten to tell her something? She sighs running a hand through her hair to make it a little more presentable, before opening the door only to find out it wasn't the barman.
"ERIC?!"