26 Jun 2022, 18:58
First Steps
Warning: Contains Senstive Topics
August 31, 2021
Bubba tried to stay as close to his father as possible as they made their way down Charing Cross Road in the pouring rain. He did his best to stay under the umbrella for what little it mattered, the wind was kicking up so badly that it was basically raining sideways. Bubba was wearing a Red Sox T-Shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of red tennis shoes. His father, Ben, was wearing an emerald polo, tan chinos, and brown loafers. Ben was in his early 40s with light skin, light blonde hair, and a soft face that was clearly accustomed to having a smile upon it. "Alright Bubba, remember mom said that you'd be able to see it so I'm relying on you." He paused and wiped the rain from around his eyes, "I just hope we haven't passed it, it's coming down so hard."
Bubba looked up both sides of the road when he finally saw it, nestled between a Borders Books and a Virgin record store, he pointed to what looked to Ben to be a run-down shop, "There it is, let's go!" Bubba said excitedly, as he and Ben sped up to a run before finally reaching the door. The Leaky Cauldron looked like it was ready to be demolished, the windows were broken and the door looked like it hadn't been painted since the 1970s. Bubba placed his hand on the door and felt the excitement flowing through him. He was finally going to get his first glimpse into the world that his mother had told him about. He had no idea what to expect, but he was excited for whatever it was.
Bubba opened the door and he and Ben walked in, the interior could not have been more different than the exterior. While the exterior looked shabby and run down the inside of the Leaky Cauldron was warm and welcoming. A roaring fire drew Bubba and Ben to it like moths to a flame, but before they could get that far they could tell that their appearance had not gone unnoticed. Bubba wasn't quite sure what to expect but if anything, their reception had been warmer than he expected. Two older-looking witches sitting next to the fire waved cheerily at them, another half dozen people in various places around the pub looked over and nodded, and an old, toothless-looking man came around the bar and greeted them. "Greetings! Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron!" He said warmly, shaking Ben's and Bubba's hands in turn.
Ben gave him a warm smile and then said, "Hi, my son is about to start his first year at Hogwarts and we're here to get his supplies and everything. We're hoping you can point us in the right direction."
The old man nodded and looked over at Bubba, "Congratulations, my first question would be do you need help getting into Diagon Alley?"
Ben nodded and then looked towards the door that concealed the archway behind it, "I'm not a wizard, my wife was so she told me how to get in there but neither of us have wands, so I'm hoping someone can help us get in."
The old man looked at them both solemnly, clearly picking up the meaning of the word was but not saying anything more, "Of course, I can help you with that when you're ready." He looked them over briefly and saw their soaked clothes, "Would you like to sit down by the fire first and dry off?"
Ben looked over at the roaring fire and nodded. "You know what, that'd be wonderful, I haven't seen that much rain since we moved over here." The old man nodded and led them over to a table with two chairs in front of the fire, as they sat down he asked, "Can I get either of you two a drink?"
"Oh I couldn't do that, we don't have any wizard money," He said, shaking his head, "Our first stop is the bank."
The old man shook his head as if this were absolute nonsense, "Please, have a drink while you warm up, you can pay on your way out, what would you like?"
"Oh well, thank you very much," Ben said, "Could I just get a coffee and, Bubba what would you like?" He asked looking over at Bubba.
"Could I please get a hot chocolate?" Bubba asked with a smile.
"Of course," said the old man, bowing slightly, "Are you sure I can't get you something stronger, sir?" He asked, turning back to Ben.
"Oh, no thank you, I don't drink." answered Ben, looking around at the moving pictures on the walls, "But would it be possible to get a room? We were hoping to stay the night before going to the train in the morning."
"Of course, that can be arranged," the old man said, bowing again, "Let me get your drinks and I'll see what I have available."
As the old man walked back towards the bar, Bubba looked around at the moving pictures on the wall, searching on the off chance his mother was in one of them, finally he looked back to Ben and spoke up. "Dad, can I ask you something?"
Ben looked at him, "Of course, son."
"I've always wondered dad, why don't you drink?" He asked.
"Well," Ben said pensively, clearly trying to compose his thoughts before continuing, "I've been meaning to talk to you about it because you're going to need to know about it." He paused again, clearly uncomfortable, "Son, I'm what's called an alcoholic. I don't drink because I don't want one drink, I want ten drinks. I don't understand people who just have one drink, I don't understand how that can be enough." He said, looking relieved to have gotten it out.
"But," Bubba replied, clearly looking confused, "What will happen if you have one drink?"
Ben smiled sadly at his son as he put a hand on his shoulder, "Ah, the innocence of youth... Before I met your mother I spent most of my days either drinking or drunk, looking back it was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from." He paused and his eyes seemed to tear up, "Your mother rescued me from that, when she and I met, I turned my life around, had you. It's just not a life I can go back to."
Bubba looked back to his father, he processed but didn't fully understand. "Why did you want to talk about it with me?"
"Because... these things... they run in families." He paused, unsure of how to continue, finally, he went on, "Where we come from when I was growing up there was no such thing as a drinking problem. You're about to go away to school. I know you're gonna have a great time, you're gonna be around kids like you. I just want you to be prepared, so you don't make the same mistakes I made."
Bubba looked back at his father. He still didn't fully understand but he didn't want his father to worry, so finally he said, "Ok, I get it."
Ben gave a soft laugh and ruffled Bubba's hair, "No... you don't," he smiled, "but one day you will."
At the moment, the old bartender came back with their drinks, "Sir, we do have a room available for you, if you'll come with me to the bar we can fill out the paperwork and get everything set up." He said and he put the coffee and hot chocolate in front of their respective owners on the table.
"Oh, excellent, thanks very much." Bubba said as he stood up and grabbed his coffee, turning to Bubba, "Bubba I'll be back in a minute, ok?"
Bubba nodded and took a drink of his hot chocolate, he felt the warmth spread through his body as he did. He stared off into space and he took intermittent sips, contemplating what his father had said and the adventure that lay before him.
August 31, 2021
Bubba tried to stay as close to his father as possible as they made their way down Charing Cross Road in the pouring rain. He did his best to stay under the umbrella for what little it mattered, the wind was kicking up so badly that it was basically raining sideways. Bubba was wearing a Red Sox T-Shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of red tennis shoes. His father, Ben, was wearing an emerald polo, tan chinos, and brown loafers. Ben was in his early 40s with light skin, light blonde hair, and a soft face that was clearly accustomed to having a smile upon it. "Alright Bubba, remember mom said that you'd be able to see it so I'm relying on you." He paused and wiped the rain from around his eyes, "I just hope we haven't passed it, it's coming down so hard."
Bubba looked up both sides of the road when he finally saw it, nestled between a Borders Books and a Virgin record store, he pointed to what looked to Ben to be a run-down shop, "There it is, let's go!" Bubba said excitedly, as he and Ben sped up to a run before finally reaching the door. The Leaky Cauldron looked like it was ready to be demolished, the windows were broken and the door looked like it hadn't been painted since the 1970s. Bubba placed his hand on the door and felt the excitement flowing through him. He was finally going to get his first glimpse into the world that his mother had told him about. He had no idea what to expect, but he was excited for whatever it was.
Bubba opened the door and he and Ben walked in, the interior could not have been more different than the exterior. While the exterior looked shabby and run down the inside of the Leaky Cauldron was warm and welcoming. A roaring fire drew Bubba and Ben to it like moths to a flame, but before they could get that far they could tell that their appearance had not gone unnoticed. Bubba wasn't quite sure what to expect but if anything, their reception had been warmer than he expected. Two older-looking witches sitting next to the fire waved cheerily at them, another half dozen people in various places around the pub looked over and nodded, and an old, toothless-looking man came around the bar and greeted them. "Greetings! Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron!" He said warmly, shaking Ben's and Bubba's hands in turn.
Ben gave him a warm smile and then said, "Hi, my son is about to start his first year at Hogwarts and we're here to get his supplies and everything. We're hoping you can point us in the right direction."
The old man nodded and looked over at Bubba, "Congratulations, my first question would be do you need help getting into Diagon Alley?"
Ben nodded and then looked towards the door that concealed the archway behind it, "I'm not a wizard, my wife was so she told me how to get in there but neither of us have wands, so I'm hoping someone can help us get in."
The old man looked at them both solemnly, clearly picking up the meaning of the word was but not saying anything more, "Of course, I can help you with that when you're ready." He looked them over briefly and saw their soaked clothes, "Would you like to sit down by the fire first and dry off?"
Ben looked over at the roaring fire and nodded. "You know what, that'd be wonderful, I haven't seen that much rain since we moved over here." The old man nodded and led them over to a table with two chairs in front of the fire, as they sat down he asked, "Can I get either of you two a drink?"
"Oh I couldn't do that, we don't have any wizard money," He said, shaking his head, "Our first stop is the bank."
The old man shook his head as if this were absolute nonsense, "Please, have a drink while you warm up, you can pay on your way out, what would you like?"
"Oh well, thank you very much," Ben said, "Could I just get a coffee and, Bubba what would you like?" He asked looking over at Bubba.
"Could I please get a hot chocolate?" Bubba asked with a smile.
"Of course," said the old man, bowing slightly, "Are you sure I can't get you something stronger, sir?" He asked, turning back to Ben.
"Oh, no thank you, I don't drink." answered Ben, looking around at the moving pictures on the walls, "But would it be possible to get a room? We were hoping to stay the night before going to the train in the morning."
"Of course, that can be arranged," the old man said, bowing again, "Let me get your drinks and I'll see what I have available."
As the old man walked back towards the bar, Bubba looked around at the moving pictures on the wall, searching on the off chance his mother was in one of them, finally he looked back to Ben and spoke up. "Dad, can I ask you something?"
Ben looked at him, "Of course, son."
"I've always wondered dad, why don't you drink?" He asked.
"Well," Ben said pensively, clearly trying to compose his thoughts before continuing, "I've been meaning to talk to you about it because you're going to need to know about it." He paused again, clearly uncomfortable, "Son, I'm what's called an alcoholic. I don't drink because I don't want one drink, I want ten drinks. I don't understand people who just have one drink, I don't understand how that can be enough." He said, looking relieved to have gotten it out.
"But," Bubba replied, clearly looking confused, "What will happen if you have one drink?"
Ben smiled sadly at his son as he put a hand on his shoulder, "Ah, the innocence of youth... Before I met your mother I spent most of my days either drinking or drunk, looking back it was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from." He paused and his eyes seemed to tear up, "Your mother rescued me from that, when she and I met, I turned my life around, had you. It's just not a life I can go back to."
Bubba looked back to his father, he processed but didn't fully understand. "Why did you want to talk about it with me?"
"Because... these things... they run in families." He paused, unsure of how to continue, finally, he went on, "Where we come from when I was growing up there was no such thing as a drinking problem. You're about to go away to school. I know you're gonna have a great time, you're gonna be around kids like you. I just want you to be prepared, so you don't make the same mistakes I made."
Bubba looked back at his father. He still didn't fully understand but he didn't want his father to worry, so finally he said, "Ok, I get it."
Ben gave a soft laugh and ruffled Bubba's hair, "No... you don't," he smiled, "but one day you will."
At the moment, the old bartender came back with their drinks, "Sir, we do have a room available for you, if you'll come with me to the bar we can fill out the paperwork and get everything set up." He said and he put the coffee and hot chocolate in front of their respective owners on the table.
"Oh, excellent, thanks very much." Bubba said as he stood up and grabbed his coffee, turning to Bubba, "Bubba I'll be back in a minute, ok?"
Bubba nodded and took a drink of his hot chocolate, he felt the warmth spread through his body as he did. He stared off into space and he took intermittent sips, contemplating what his father had said and the adventure that lay before him.
STA 6 | EVA 6| STR 5 | WIS 13 | ARC 9 | ACC 7
Charmer, Foul Play, Wandmaker
Charmer, Foul Play, Wandmaker