xx✮Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch xxx✮Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mrs Heulwin, Sebastian, and Ms Moon xxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast xxxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?So excited for Hogwarts!
Unlike last time, Declan was prepared for apparition and landed softly, seemingly unaffected by the transportation. Upon landing, he was led to the restaurant they'd be dining in before heading to the station. Mrs Nora indicated where they would be heading, a table with a young woman and a child his age, talking very excitedly. Nora introduced them and Declan bowed his head, a polite smile on his face. Sebastian, the boy he was introduced to, immediately started babbling to him, making Declan take a small step back. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with this reaction, but he took a small breath and calmed himself. "Oh, um, hello Ms Moon and Sebastian. I...I'm Declan McNamara. And this is Skye," he said, picking up her cage. The boy straightened his vest and put Skye's cage on the floor. Then he brushed off his slacks before sitting down at the table.
xx✵Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch (heehee, silly name!) xxx✵Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mama, Miss Nora, Declan xxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast! xxxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Is Zoot's carrier not my pocket?
Seb had been spending all morning with his mom, both excited and quite nervous about school. He'd never spent any time apart from her, other than while he was at school or she at work. They'd spent the night prior crying together, but that morning it was all frantic excitement. When Miss Nora had come, both were still getting ready for the morning. Luckily, she had extra time in her schedule for just such things. Nora dropped them at a little breakfast restaurant, promising to return in only a moment. Seb looked confusedly over the menu, and Kinzlie tried to help him decipher. Finally, Seb picked the maple berry waffles, just because the picture looked really yummy.
A moment later, and Miss Nora arrived with another boy about Seb's age. Kinzlie briefly missed Seb's naturally blonde hair, but the boy seemed quite... nervous. "It's nice to meet you, Declan. Skye is very pretty as well. And please, just call me Kinzlie." The young woman offered a small smile, trying to make the whole situation a bit softer... "No way! Skye's super cool. I have a cat! He's got three legs and his name's Zoot!" Seb happily pulled his kitten from the large pocket of his shark hoodie, earning a small squeak from the animal.
"Sebbiekins, did you forget to bring Zoot's carrier? That was on your list, bub." Kinzlie's tone was soft, but dark green eyes looked ever tired. Sebastian seemed to freeze, a second for the mental gears to turn. "I did? He sleeps in my hoodie?" Nora chuckled softly, passing a menu over to Declan, then ordering a hibiscus tea for herself.
"Once we finish breakfast here, we'll stop next door - at Blood Moon - to collect Seb's trunk, as well as Declan's. Then we will apparate closer to King's Cross. I want you both to get the full experience of entering Platform 9¾." She offered over a mysterious sort of smile, excited to see the boys' reactions at the station. "Are we all ready to order?" She was prepared to flag their waiter so they'd be able to get finished faster and make sure they'd make the train on time.
xx✮Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch xxx✮Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mrs Heulwin, Sebastian, and Ms Moon xxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast xxxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?So excited for Hogwarts!
Declan's blue eyes darted between the boy and his mother, when she asked him to just call her Kinzlie. He nodded and responded, "Alright Ms Kinzlie." Sebastian mentioned that he had a cat, then suddenly produced one from the pocket of his hoodie. Declan recoiled a little, since his only experiences with a cat was his neighbor Mrs. Murphey's cat and that little furball was a menace to society. Twice she'd attacked him simply for being in his backyard and once she'd even attacked Tapper and Declan loved that dog. But this cat seemed more friendly. He was still suspicious of the cat though. Declan shrank down a little as his mother asked if he'd remembered the cat's carrier, trying hard to focus on the menu. He was a little envious of the obvious love between them, something his parents never outright showed him. Of course they loved him... but they never really showed that. Mrs Nora explained what the plan was, then asked if they were ready to order. Declan looked at the menu again, then nodded. "Please could I get the breakfast bap, Mrs Nora? The fried eggs sound good." Declan absolutely loved eggs, especially fried.
xx✵Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch (heehee, silly name!) xxx✵Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mama, Miss Nora, Declan xxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast! xxxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?This is an awesome gift!!
Seb grinned over at Miss Nora, who was sending a happy little grin. While Seb missed Declan's obvious discomfort about Zoot, Kinzlie certainly didn't. She gently guided her son to return the sleeping kitten, before ruffling his hair. "So, Declan, are you excited about school? I have no idea what kinda school it is, other than that we live there?! Like. When I was in kinder, I thought the teachers lived at school... but now I s'pose it'll be us." He nodded happily, teal hair bouncing with the movement. Kinzlie glanced away, a bubble of sadness touching her once more. She'd never had to live without her little baby boy.... Especially since they'd learned phones wouldn't work at the school.
Nora broke the discomfort, asking about breakfast choices. Declan asked for the breakfast bap, apparently a fan of fried eggs. "Of course, dear. And for Sebastian?" Soft green eyes glanced across the table, where the boy seemed a bit lost in his thoughts. "Oh! Me? Um... These, please!" With the letters being shaky and his own terrible memory, Seb simply pointed at his menu with the colorful picture. "Maple berry waffles. Those are my grandson's absolute favorite. And for you, Kinzlie?" Nora hadn't expected the look of shock from the younger woman, but she quickly busied herself in her own menu.
"Um... the vegetarian breakfast, please? A-and thank you." Nora nodded softly, sharing a soft look of worry for the younger woman. Nora flagged down their waiter, then placed all four orders before handing in their menus and taking a sip of her steaming tea. "And, I came with gifts for everyone this morning as well."
Seb and Kinzlie both looked up in a bit of surprise, neither really sure how to handle receiving gifts. "Sebastian, Kinzlie. I know you both were quite worried being so far apart. Especially with phones not working in the magical world. So, I got you a pair of magic mirrors. They're already set up and working. All you need to do is speak the other's name, and it'll activate their mirror. Sort of like a face-time call." She handed over the mirrors, one with a purple frame, the other blue.
"Call Mama Kinzlie!" Seb happily squeaked, before both Moons gasped when the mirrors rippled and showed the other. "This is the best gift ever! Thanks Miss Nora!" Kinzlie, on the other hand, gently covered her mouth, sending a teary glance toward Nora, before mouthing a thank you.
"I'm so glad they work for you both. I figured it would help ease the transition. Declan, love, I got you a few books I thought you'd like. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a collection of Wizarding Fairy Tales. Then Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Both Muggle tomes, but I had a feeling they'd be appreciated with you. You'll have to send Skye on a run to tell me how you liked them." She gave the blonde a gentle pat on the shoulder, hoping he, too, would like his gifts.
xx✮Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch xxx✮Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mrs Heulwin, Sebastian, and Ms Moon xxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast xxxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?So excited for Hogwarts!
It was hard to hide the fact that he was envious that Sebastian and his mother shared such a close relationship. Declan wished that his mother was here with him instead of at church "praying for his soul". He was stirred from his thoughts by Sebastian asking him if he was excited for school. "Huh? Oh, yes, I am. I'm excited to learn magic." After placing their breakfast orders, Mrs Nora said that she had gifts for everyone. Declan was a little confused because it wasn't his birthday anymore, nor was it the holiday season yet. She started by gifting Sebastian and Ms Kinzlie magic mirrors so that they could talk to each other while apart. He glanced between the two again, his envy returning. His parents didn't seem to care that he was leaving them for many months to go to school. They were more concerned it was a magic school and he was going to be taught Devil worship. Then Nora said that she had gotten him several books, which perked him up a lot. Looking at the books, he smiled. There was one that contained fairy tales from the world he was going into and two books with what he assumed were magic from his world. His parents would never consent to him reading these, but they weren't here. He wanted to start reading them now but he knew that would be very disrespectful, so he decided to start reading them tonight. He'd read on the train, but being in motion and reading always made him sick. "Thank you so much, Mrs Nora!" He didn't have anything to give to her and that made him a little upset. "I'll write as soon as I read them!" he promised, smiling brightly.
xx✵Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch (heehee, silly name!) xxx✵Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mama, Miss Nora, Declan xxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast! xxxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?I hope me and Declan can be friends!
Seb grinned over at Declan, having a feeling that they were going to make friends soon enough. "So, Declan. Dec? Lan...?" Seb pondered a second, looking a bit confused. After a second, his train of thought returned and he remembered his question. "So! Which class are you most excited for? There was... Astronomy, that one's pro'lly gonna be my favorite. Mister Davis in the apartment sideways from us let me borrow his old telescope one time. Oh! And... Defense Magic... History... Potions? Something with Herbs..." Brows furrowed as the boy tried to remember all the classes they'd be in.
"First year classes are Astronomy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, and Transfiguration. As well as an introduction to flying." Nora added, a small smile on her lips. "Oh yea! And flying. I dunno how it works! Hopefully not like Miss Nora's teleportation thing! That hurt my tummy!" Seb said, an excited bubble in his tone. Dark eyes looked over at the blonde, wondering if they'd be excited for the same classes. He'd already figured that he could maybe use classes to find friends. That's what his year one teacher told him once, that similar interests could make for good friends.
After the gifts, Seb very carefully tucked his mirror into his backpack, before giving his mom a hug. Seb looked curiously at Declan's gifts, trying to read the words upside down. "La... Al..." He whispered softly, brain being difficult by scrambling the letters up a bit. "It's Alice in Wonderland, bub. I... I think we've seen the movie before." Kinzlie added softly, wishing she'd had more time to read books to her son. She knew he wasn't the best with books, but surely a really good school could help? Much unlike the school he'd been in before, where their test scores were usually the lowest in their county. She sighed softly, before glancing over at Nora for a bit of encouragement one way or the other.
"Yes, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the other here, both are wonderful worlds of magic and imagination. And if you like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, there are actually a few others in the series, The Chronicles of Narnia. I know they're all at the school's library and I know Miss Forne would be glad to help you find books. She's just lovely on days you need a smile." Nora also sent a small nod over to Kinzlie, who sighed in a bit of relief.
xx✮Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch xxx✮Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mrs Heulwin, Sebastian, and Ms Moon xxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast xxxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?So excited for Hogwarts!
When Sebastian asked about which classes Declan was excited for, he smiled a little. Truthfully, he was looking forward all the classes, except for Flying. The thought of flying on a broom terrified him. With a happy sigh, he responded, "I'm most excited for Herbology. My parents never let me garden or anything and I like plants. Oh, and also History of Magic. I want to know everything I can about the magical world. It...it's much better than mine." The last part came out without him thinking about it and he quickly clasped his hands over his mouth. He didn't want to complain about his family and school in front of the new people; it just sort of slipped out. Thankfully Sebastian was already distracted and looking at the books Declan had received as a gift. He took the book and turned it over, reading, out loud, the blurb on the back. "On an ordinary summer's afternoon, Alice tumbles down a hole and an extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange world with even stranger characters, she meets a grinning cat and a rabbit with a pocket watch, joins a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and plays croquet with the Queen! Lost in this fantasy land, Alice finds herself growing more and more curious by the minute." He smiled and exclaimed, "That sounds exciting! I really can't wait to read it! My parents would never let me read something like this at home." He shifted nervously and glanced over at Ms Kinzlie. "You.. you said there was a movie made, Ms Kinzlie?"
xx✵Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch (heehee, silly name!) xxx✵Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mama, Miss Nora, Declan xxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast! xxxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?I hope me and Declan can be friends!
Seb looked a bit surprised by Declan's words. He seemed happy, and primarily for Herbology... which was gardening? Why didn't they just call it "Garden Class" or something. They had to use their silly little words! It wasn't until Declan sadly mentioned his world being far worse than the magical... Kinzlie saw Nora's sad expression, and felt a kindred spirit. Reaching out, Kinzlie seemed to want to touch Declan's hand, but pulled her own back a bit. "You know, I grew up in a world that I couldn't ever dream of my own magic... I'm so happy Seb... and you too, get to experience something so wonderful. It's a miracle in its own right."
Sebastian was her miracle. Her escape and her freedom. Sure, she'd had to go through her own world of hell. but she also knew that her greatest blessing was always going to make the challenge so worth it. Seb sent over a small smile to his mama, not really understanding what they were talking about. Nora gently pat Declan on the shoulder, as though to relay to him that she was on his side. Seb, never knowing what to do in tense situations, tried reading the book, which gave Declan an excuse to read the back.
"A strange world... with ever stranger characters. Kinda like us, eh, Declan? We'll be the strange characters in this strange new world." He said, offering a smile toward his new friend. Declan was excited to read the book, and asked Kinzlie if there was indeed a movie. "There sure was. A few different ones, I think. But... Tell ya what, when you guys come home for break, we can borrow the movie from the library and watch it all together."
Nora sighed happily, then nodded. "I think I own the movie too. It was a favorite for my oldest son, Max. And we can set up the projector and maybe do a cookout at my house. Because if you're excited for Herbology class, you'll certainly want to see my greenhouses. Filled with all sorts of rare and unique magical plants. I'd be honored to have a helper." Because Nora knew, for a certainty, that Mr and Mrs McNamara wouldn't allow their son out with another "freak" family. But she... well, she could come up with any number of excuses. After all, how would they know?
xx✮Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch xxx✮Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mrs Heulwin, Sebastian, and Ms Moon xxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast xxxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?So excited for Hogwarts!
Declan shifted a little uncomfortably, suddenly the center of the entire table's conversation. He was invited to a viewing of the movie at Ms Kinzlie's and to see Mrs Nora's greenhouses during break. "I've never seen a movie before," he said quietly. They didn't have a television after all and Declan never had a cell phone or tablet or anything to watch one on. All he had at home were books, and even then, only ones approved by his parents. No magic, no fiction, just religious books and history books. Declan definitely liked the idea of going to help Mrs Nora in her greenhouse. If his parents knew about it, though... he pushed those thoughts away. "I... I don't know if I can though. My family has a pretty strict... um, holiday schedule..." He didn't really know how to explain that they were at every prayer service their local church held, like his parents were competing with the other parishioners to see who could be at the church the most. Trying to avoid a spiral, Declan cleared his throat and asked Sebastian, "So you're not, you know, scared of the idea of flying? Like, on a broom and not in a plane or balloon..."
xx✵Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch (heehee, silly name!) xxx✵Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mama, Miss Nora, Declan xxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast! xxxxx✵Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Maple Berry Waffles!!!
A second of confusion followed Declan's words. Sebastian looked over, while Kinzlie nodded in understanding. She had, after all, grown up the same way. "Well. There's a way to fix that, 'kay? We'll go to the school's library and borrow some movies. Then on not-school nights, you and me can watch movies!" Seb grinned brightly, excited for this plan. He then glanced around to see a smile of a kip of humor on both Mama and Miss Nora. "Electronics don't work at school, dear lamb." Nora offered, feeling a bit guilty for the frown that fell on the boy's face.
"Well... um... how 'bout... Um... we can read the books together? And then... maybe paint our favorite bits? And make a lil puppet theater! I saw somethin' like that at school once. But they used puppets on strings, and those guys are super freaky. But we can make little paper puppets." He grinned happily, hoping to shift the conversation back to a happier place. Declan mentioned his family's strict holiday schedule, and again, Nora and Kinzlie nodded in understanding.
After a second of uncomfy quiet, Declan asked Seb if he weren't afraid to fly on a broom. "Well... I've never flown in a plane or a balloon. And, way I figure it, it's a school, right? So they're not gonna let us do anything super dangerous. Not like... lion taming or sword eating or nothin'. Plus, Miss Nora literally teleported us here. And said you can travel by fireplaces! I'd think those are more dangerous, right?" Seb shrugged his shoulders, green eyes twinkling in the idea of all the magical things they'd get to learn.
"Indeed, the school takes every safety precaution. There are even spells to prevent you from injury should you fall. It'll slow your speed to a safe, slow pace, then you just step down. And your first lesson won't get more than a meter off the ground. As for my -ah- teleportation, the class is offered once you're in sixth or seventh years. Declan, you'd be able to take it sixth, since your birthday falls before the end of the school year, while Sebastian would have to wait. This is because both of you have the trace upon you. The trace detects any magic of any witch or wizard, and should you practice magic outside of school prior to age 17, it would report to the Ministry. Situations like emergencies, of course, would be forgiven, while more serious offences, like casting magic in front of Muggles, would have consequences. But, it's good to learn this magic before you go about casting it out in the world anyway."
She nodded to both boys, earning a nod back from Sebastian. Soft green eyes looked up, spotting a familiar person walking over. "Oh, and look here! It's our breakfasts. We'll want to eat up fairly quickly, then we'll get you to King's Cross and on the train to school." She assisted in passing out plates, then tucked into her breakfast as everyone else did the same. "Maple Berry Waaaaaaaffles!" Seb cheered, seeing the tasty breakfast before him. Within only a few bites, his lips were sticky with syrup and there was more than a few drips of fruit juice on his shark hoodie.
"Who raised you to be such a mess, Sebastian Kolter?" Kinzlie clucked her tongue while trying to clean Seb up with a napkin. "Easy answer. You did, silly duck."
xx✮Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Thanks A Brunch xxx✮Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Mrs Heulwin, Sebastian, and Ms Moon xxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Breakfast xxxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?So excited for Hogwarts!
Declan quietly listened to the exchange between Mrs Nora and Sebastian about how electronics don't work at school. Perhaps it was a good thing that his parents didn't let him have a cell phone or laptop like other kids from his primary school. Sebastian then mentioned that he was excited for flying and that the apparition (that was what Mrs Nora had called it) was probably more dangerous than flying anyway. Declan didn't think so; the thought of flying actually terrified him. But Mrs Nora did her best to reassure him that the school took precautions to protect the students. The students could learn apparition at the school too, she added, though it had to be in sixth or seventh year. She continued explaining about the magical world and how they had a spell cast called the trace that detected if people under the age of seventeen cast magic outside of school. He made a mental note not to accidentally cast anything outside of school. He didn't want to get in trouble, after all. Declan nodded in response to her nod and tucked his napkin into his shirt when he saw the waitress approaching. Before he started eating his food, he did whisper a quiet prayer, then he began his meal. Whereas Sebastian had managed to get himself dirty within moments of receiving their food, Declan was spotless, meticulously eating in a way to avoid making a mess. Once he had finished his food, he made sure that all of his dishes and silverware were carefully stacked and placed near the edge of the table. "Thank you, Mrs Nora. It was very good."
