1 Jan 2024, 08:19
Marc With a C
The only thing to do now is to wait. (L. M. Montgomery)
Maverick was disappointed. Per tradition, he would have lunch with his paternal grandparents on Christmas Day, dinner with the relatives from his mother's side on said day, and then a quieter Boxing Day lunch with his parents at home. However, this year was different. His mother had invited a friend over to join them for the meal, and apparently this friend had decided that it would be a good idea to bring another friend to introduce to Maverick's family.
Ms Claudia Freitas, the friend his mother invited, was an old friend from her schooling days. They seemed to have been out of touch for quite a long while before reconnecting last summer; but ever since, they were inseparable. The problem with this was that Maverick hated Ms Freitas. She looked like she avoided his father now, had been since August, but on the other hand influenced his mother more and more. The second year could not understand what was going on, but it seemed to him that the closer the two women became, the more distanced Jeannie was from Darrin. Ever since Maverick got home for the winter break, all she wanted to do was to hang out with Ms Freitas, and she did not speak much to her husband.
The Gryffindor had assumed the friend Ms Freitas wanted to introduce was another lady who would darken his nightmare of having loud, womanish voice gossiping and giggling non-stop at his house. Turned out, it was a man with dark, almost-curly hair. He was much shorter than Darrin, but somehow he looked healthy and powerful. His dark eyes were gleaming and his wide mouth gave the impression of perpetually grinning, showing off his shiny teeth. He spoke with a rather funny accent, not very familiar to Maverick's ears, but Ms Freitas explained that it was because he was Welsh.
"A Gryffindor, heh?" Mr Marc Beckett commented with a grin when Maverick told him about his Hogwarts house. "I was almost a Gryffindor myself, but ended up in Slytherin. I like both houses, though. Say, Maverick, do you like travelling?"
The preteen tensed slightly, disliking how this new wizard addressed him by his given name. But if he called his parents by their given names as well, how could he told all these people that he preferred Castle? He thus kept his opinion private and merely answered the question rather formally, "Afraid I don't, but I do like listening to stories about places I have never seen."
Mr Beckett laughed at this before telling him, "Why, you're in luck, kid. I've seen half the world and I like talking of what I've seen. I think my favourite is the paradise island of Bali, but really, I've been to more than popular tourist destinations."
"Half the world?" Even Darrin and Jeannie were intrigued.
"Qatar, India, Portugal, France, the States, Thailand, Malaysia... I've visited more than twenty countries in my life. Next year, I want to see Tunisia and Kazakhstan with my own two eyes." He stopped before offering, "Now, you said you liked listening to stories about foreign places. Where should we start?"
Before Maverick could even consider, Ms Freitas suggested, "What if we start with Thailand, Marc?"
The Slytherin really could talk of what he had seen, and Maverick started to think that maybe this Boxing Day lunch was not so bad.
And judging by the look in his parents' faces, he was sure today would not be the last day he met Mr Beckett.
Ms Claudia Freitas, the friend his mother invited, was an old friend from her schooling days. They seemed to have been out of touch for quite a long while before reconnecting last summer; but ever since, they were inseparable. The problem with this was that Maverick hated Ms Freitas. She looked like she avoided his father now, had been since August, but on the other hand influenced his mother more and more. The second year could not understand what was going on, but it seemed to him that the closer the two women became, the more distanced Jeannie was from Darrin. Ever since Maverick got home for the winter break, all she wanted to do was to hang out with Ms Freitas, and she did not speak much to her husband.
The Gryffindor had assumed the friend Ms Freitas wanted to introduce was another lady who would darken his nightmare of having loud, womanish voice gossiping and giggling non-stop at his house. Turned out, it was a man with dark, almost-curly hair. He was much shorter than Darrin, but somehow he looked healthy and powerful. His dark eyes were gleaming and his wide mouth gave the impression of perpetually grinning, showing off his shiny teeth. He spoke with a rather funny accent, not very familiar to Maverick's ears, but Ms Freitas explained that it was because he was Welsh.
"A Gryffindor, heh?" Mr Marc Beckett commented with a grin when Maverick told him about his Hogwarts house. "I was almost a Gryffindor myself, but ended up in Slytherin. I like both houses, though. Say, Maverick, do you like travelling?"
The preteen tensed slightly, disliking how this new wizard addressed him by his given name. But if he called his parents by their given names as well, how could he told all these people that he preferred Castle? He thus kept his opinion private and merely answered the question rather formally, "Afraid I don't, but I do like listening to stories about places I have never seen."
Mr Beckett laughed at this before telling him, "Why, you're in luck, kid. I've seen half the world and I like talking of what I've seen. I think my favourite is the paradise island of Bali, but really, I've been to more than popular tourist destinations."
"Half the world?" Even Darrin and Jeannie were intrigued.
"Qatar, India, Portugal, France, the States, Thailand, Malaysia... I've visited more than twenty countries in my life. Next year, I want to see Tunisia and Kazakhstan with my own two eyes." He stopped before offering, "Now, you said you liked listening to stories about foreign places. Where should we start?"
Before Maverick could even consider, Ms Freitas suggested, "What if we start with Thailand, Marc?"
The Slytherin really could talk of what he had seen, and Maverick started to think that maybe this Boxing Day lunch was not so bad.
And judging by the look in his parents' faces, he was sure today would not be the last day he met Mr Beckett.
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The world is in despair not because there are many bad people, but because there are many good people who do nothing.