The moment of truth Closed

Rosie was surprised at how excited Howie seemed at the prospect of visiting her over the summer... at first. Her brows furrowed with worry when his excitement flatlined. Immediately her anxiety set in. Had he changed his mind about liking her? Or worse, had he changed his mind about being best friends? Then he explained himself and Rosie felt better. Her frown turned in to a sympathetic smile. “It’s okay. It was a silly idea. The bakery can't really run itself after all."

She laughed softly. "Actually, I don't know if my mum would be ready yet. She just found out her daughter is a witch. She'll have to be with me constantly all summer. I don't know if she's ready to meet her daughter's wizard friend." That thought set the wheels in her head turning. "The two of us might be a bit for her," she paused and met Howie's eyes. "but meeting your mum and dad might be good for her." Her excitement was building slowly as she developed a plan. "Is there any day in the week that your parents close the bakery?" Rosie know that in many places, family owned operations tended to be closed Sundays, but Howie's family were extremely hard workers and depended on the bakery for their finances, so she couldn't be sure. The White's might be the exception.

Howie looked up from his plate to see an understanding smile on her face. She always had a way of not making him feel bad about his family’s financial situation, something he had been bullied about for most his life. It was true here at Hogwarts as it had been back home, he was poor. Many of the students here seemed to come from very well to do magical families, some even claiming that they lived in huge mansions and countryside manors. He wondered if they’d have the same attitude towards him as their muggle counterparts did. Looking back into Rosie’s eyes pushed the negative thoughts out of his mind, his usual smile returning to his face.

His mood brightened as he laughed with Rosie about her mother. “Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t push it too far with her. One step at a time I suppose. Might send her over the edge if I were to show up and start talking to you about all this magic business.” His smile got even bigger as Rosie went on the reveal a plan. “Yeah...yeah! That’s a great idea Rosie. Maybe if your mum meets my parents it will help her get over her fears. She’ll realize that she’s not the only one going through this and that it’s rare, but normal to birth magical children. This could work. Well, the bakery is closed during the evenings, and they shut down the shop on Sunday’s. We could find loads of time to spend together. I’ll show you all around the village!” His eyes shone with elation. His first true friend coming for a visit, this would be a first for Howie.

Howie had caught on to her plan, so she didn't need to lay it out for him, though she would clarify it anyway. It was starting to sound like it could happen. "We could take a weekend holiday to Manchester. It's only two hours by train from London." There was a sparkle in her eye. Her excitement matched Howie's. "Do you think your parents could spare you for one Saturday so you could show me around? I mean... I understand if they can't. I just thought it would be nice if you could show me around," her voice quieted and a bit of her old shyness returned, "without our parents tagging along." She looked away before meeting his eyes again. "I mean, again, it's okay if you can or if you don't want to." The last bit came out fast. Did she just ask him out on a "date"? What was wrong with her?

The two were still holding hands. A common thing for them these days. Would this even work? If Howie even stuck to wanting to do this, his parents would likely be on board. They seemed to be very supportive of him. But hers... not so much. Her parents, her mother in particular, would be the main roadblock that she could see. She bit her bottom lip, her nerves getting the better of her as she waited for his response.

Howie’s mind drifted into a daydream as Rosie unfolded her plan. There he was, standing on the platform of the Manchester Station, eagerly awaiting  her arrival, up on his tip toes peering over the shoulders of the throng of travelers. He searched through the crowd as they departed the train, looking for the bouncy red curls he had come to care so much for. They would seek each other out, his blue eyes meeting her green, scooping her up into a hug. 

"I mean, again, it's okay if you can or if you don't want to."

Her last statement snapped him back to reality. Was she mental?! Howie was bursting at the seams from the idea. “Rosie!” He laughed. “Are you crazy. I’d love to show you around the village, I’ll take you to all my favorite spots, and we can go to the garden too! And don’t you worry about my folks, they’ll manage a day without me. They always did tell me to make more friends, so they’ll just have to eat their words.”


His eyes made thier way down to thier clasped hands, his smile growing just a bit larger. “The real challenge here is convincing your parents. How we gonna do that.” He thought for a moment. “I bet I could get my folks to write yours a letter, inviting them. Way harder to refuse that way, don’t ya think?”

Rosie beamed as Howie happily rambled on about all the places he would take her. Her favorite by far was the garden. Yes, she would love to see Manchester, but it was the garden where Howie had some of his happiest memories. Rosie knew that about him. That alone would make the two hour train ride worth it.

And then Howie threw a wrench in her plans. To be fair, it wasn't his fault. It was her mother's. Howie was too kind to narrow down the cause of the hitch in their plans, but he didn't have to. Rosie bit her lip in thought, trying to figure out a way to convince her mother. However, Howie beat her to it. "Howie, that's brilliant! My parent's can't say no to your parents." She laughed happily. "Honestly, even if my mum says no, I'm sure my dad will still bring me. Though, if that happened, it'd likely be just us." She sighed, wishing, not for the first time today or even in the last hour, that her mother was a normal one. "But I actually think this is going to work, Howie." That reminded her... "Have you had replies from your family yet, Howie? We've been so worried about mine, but how are yours?"

“Well, I hope she agrees to come with you, but either way I’ll be happy to have you for a visit.” Howie did hope that her mother would agree to come. It seemed key if she was ever going to change her mind about the magical community, and her own daughter. He hoped that she would also see that Rosie had a good friend, and that it really was normal. Well, magically normal anyways. “I think it will work too.” 

"Have you had replies from your family yet, Howie? We've been so worried about mine, but how are yours?"

Howie laughed as she asked her question. His parents had indeed received the owl that he sent them. It was quite the fiasco. “Yeah. I think they forgot about owls, or hoped they wouldn’t have anymore of them. They knew that I wouldn’t be able to call, ya know, no muggle stuff at Hogwarts.” He rolled his eyes. “But I think they thought I still had access to Muggle mail. They said the owl almost broke a window trying to get in.” His smile grew at the thought of it. “Anyways, yeah they wrote back. They say everything is going just fine, I mean the bakery takes up most of thier time, so never really anything new going on with them.” Howie’s smile thinned out. “I don’t think they would tell me if it wasn’t well though, they’d hate to worry me, but I can’t help but worry. I know they can’t afford to hire more help...and I’m not there. If I could only get them a house elf. That’d do the trick.”

Rosie just listened as Howie talked about his family, laughing about the owl trying to get into the house.

I don’t think they would tell me if it wasn’t well though, they’d hate to worry me, but I can’t help but worry. I know they can’t afford to hire more help...and I’m not there.

Rosie squeezed his hand, her smile from a moment ago slipping away, but she allowed him to finish before interjecting her thoughts.

If I could only get them a house elf. That’d do the trick.

Now there was an amusing thought. Rosie couldn't help but giggle at the picture. "Could you imagine a house elf in the muggle world? Trying to bake, clean, and stay out of sight of muggles?" She looked at Howie a bit sheepishly, apologetic even. "Sorry. It's just a funny picture." She sobered thinking back to what he had said before the house elf. With her free hand, she reached out and laid her hand on Howie's back. "Howie, your parents, they want what's best for you." She paused, looking for the right words. "They knew that this is the best place for you right now." She thought back to their first meeting. "Think of this like early university. You're learning all kinds of things that can help them later. You said so yourself. Consider it a..." what was that word? "investment!"

"Could you imagine a house elf in the muggle world? Trying to bake, clean, and stay out of sight of muggles?

Howie’s somber mood lifted with Rosie’s laughter. She was right, that would be hilarious to see. He couldn’t help but laugh along with her. In his minds eye he saw one of the small creatures bouncing around the bakery, snapping its fingers to magic things all about, disapparating all around the place. The thought of one carrying a an order out to a customer had him in stitches. 

"Howie, your parents, they want what's best for you."

Howie smiled and nodded his head in agreement, the presence of her hand on his back immediately calmed his worry. She always had a way of making things better, and her words were true. They were the same his parents had told him when they all decided that he should attend Hogwarts. As he thought of them he was filled with a newfound resolve. Howie would do well at Hogwarts, he would work hard and find a place in this magical community. He would use his gifts to give back to them however possible.


“You’re right Rosie.” He said as he looked back into her eyes. “When I’m done here at school, I’ll make sure they never have to worry again, even if they have to come live with me in the magical community.” His words opened up an idea he really hadn’t thought of. What would he do after wizard school. Would he go back into the muggle world, or live his life amongst his fellow witches and wizards? He looked to her with a somewhat quizzical look. “Rosie, what do you think you’ll do after school? I never really put much thought into it. I always just kind of assumed that I’d go back home.”

Rosie shrugged as an initial answer. Of course she had thought about it. Rosie looked away to the letters that lay on the table. "I was kind of thinking I would like to work somewhere between muggles and wizards. Like an ambassador of some sort." In looking around, she noticed that people were looking at the pair, some were whispering. She blushed and looked at their clasped hands. They were being more open about their little displays of affection. People were going to begin talking. Absently, she wondered if they should talk about that. In the even that someone would ask question. She didn't know any other best friends that held hands like this. Sheepishly, she looked back up at Howie to gage his reaction and chuckled. "I don't even know if that exists." She paused, "What about you, Howie? Do you want to take over your parents' bakery?"

She smiled, imagining Howie levitating cups of sugar and charming the equipment to bake what he needed with him as supervisor. "I bet you could do anything really well, though." She squeezed his hand encouragingly. "I mean, I'm not sure if the Minister of Magic has ever been a muggle born before, but I feel like you could make it happen." She laughed, but it was true. Howie had a way of making things possible.

"I was kind of thinking I would like to work somewhere between muggles and wizards. Like an ambassador of some sort."

Howie lifted an eyebrow as Rosie spoke, again this was something he hadn’t really thought about. Muggle and Wizard relations, according to the magical history books he had read through, not always the best relationship. Then of course there was the Secrecy Act thingy too. “Well..I’m not too sure how many jobs there are in that field, but there has to be some. We can’t be completely hidden away from Muggles.” Then the thought popped into his head. He remembered the witch that came to his home, the representative from Hogwarts! “You know what Rosie! Hogwarts sent a witch to my house with my letter. She had to explain everything to us. I bet you’d be brilliant at that, and with you being muggleborn too, you could explain it all really well.” 


His eyes shone bright with the thought, but as he looked into Rosie’s, he could see that she was blushing. Surely he hadn’t embarrassed her, she would really be good at that, but as he followed her eyes Howie realized the source. Some of the other students were looking at them, pointing and whispering to themselves. He became very aware that they were still holding hands as they talked. Honestly, Howie had kind of forgotten that they were doing so, it just felt so natural. Although he didn’t quite know what it meant, he did know that others would be curious about it. They would have to discuss this soon. 

"What about you, Howie? Do you want to take over your parents' bakery?"

“Hmm..I don’t know. Growing up I always assumed that I would, well, until all of this happened.” He gestured with his free hand to thier surroundings. “But now I don’t know. I’m doing pretty well with my studies, so hopefully I can get a good job one day and we won’t have to worry about the bakery anymore.” Howie’s eyes bulged as she spoke of Minister of Magic. “Minister? No way...” He wasn’t quite sure why he denied it so quickly. Howie just never thought there would be much more to his life than home and the family business. What would stop him from rising through the magical community? Rosie believed in him, a warmth spread through him as she squeezed his hand, maybe others would too.