27 Dec 2022, 20:25
A tiring conversation
Aug 10th, 2022
The Leaky Cauldron
solo
"Ok, um..... What color does a correctly brewed Skele-gro potion have?"
"Yellow."
"What about the sensation?"
"It burns and has a foul taste."
"Jamie, I'm pretty certain you are going to get in, we've been reviewing all month."
"You're not the one going to healing school, Robin."
"Auror training is just as difficult!"
Mika sighed, turning a page in his book. This same argument has happened at least every two days for the past couple of weeks. It was getting annoying.
"Robin, Jamie," their mother said, approaching the table with food. "Not on Mika's birthday. We are going to have a nice day without you two shouting up a storm. You can go a day without tearing out each other's necks, alright?"
They both mumbled an, "ok," and Jamie put her textbook into her bag.
"Marcus!" His mother shouted, kicking the leg of the table.
Mika's father snorted and shot up from where he was sleeping, a small puddle of drool left on the battered wood where his head had laid.
"What? Huh?"
"Wake up, we are about to have dinner."
Mika's mother put the food on the table and they started to eat.
A nice, quiet birthday. That's all Mika wanted.
"Got any career plans, Mika?" His brother asked.
Mika shook his head. He was only 11, why would he worry about that now?
"Maybe you can be a security guard like your old man!" His father said, taking a huge bite into his burger. "That is if you get into Gryffindor."
There goes a quiet birthday.
"I am right here," his mother said, glaring at his father. "Any other house can be just brave as any Gryffindor. I'm a Ravenclaw for crying out loud and I do much more dangerous work than you, messing with cursed objects."
Jamie rolled her eyes, "I don't think a house should define you, to be honest. There is much more to a person than just being brave, smart, loyal, or cunning. Those seem very surface level."
"You are talking like a Hufflepuff, Jamie," Robin said.
"What did I just say?!"
"That you have no house loyalty. And you call yourself a Gryffindor....."
"I think Jamie is right," his mother cut in. "There is a lot more to a person than adjectives."
"Bringing in the fancy words, you Ravenclaws," his father said, smiling.
"You think 'adjective' is a big word? I swear Gryffindors are so-"
"Ah ha!" Robin shouted, pointing at his mother. "You just lumped our actions into the so-called one-dimensional house after calling us out for doing the same! You are a hypocrite."
"Oh come on!" Jamie said. "Clearly, dad was baiting her!"
"Doesn't excuse hypocrisy."
The conversation stayed like this for some time.
"Well," Robin said. "I think it can be agreed that as long as Mika doesn't get Slytherin, all will be well."
"What is that supposed to mean? There are many great Slytherins out there!" Jamie argued.
"Like who?"
"Severus Snape, Slughorn, Draco Malfoy."
"Doesn't mean that the rest aren't a bunch of snakes."
Jamie threw up her hands in defeat.
"You are so stubborn, I swear. Have an open mind for once!"
Suddenly, Mika's mother clapped her hands.
"What about cake?" She asked.
Without anyone answering, she got up and then returned with a red velvet cake, with 11 burning candles on the top.
She put it down and took a deep breath. So did the rest of the table.
Oh no......
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" They all sang.
Heads turned and within a few seconds, the whole of the pub was singing.
Mika tried to hide behind his book in utter embarrassment, wanting to disappear.
He tried to cheer himself up by thinking about Diagon Alley, the place where he would buy all of his school supplies and knickknacks right after they got done eating the cake.
Just hold on a little longer, he thought to himself.
The Leaky Cauldron
solo
"Ok, um..... What color does a correctly brewed Skele-gro potion have?"
"Yellow."
"What about the sensation?"
"It burns and has a foul taste."
"Jamie, I'm pretty certain you are going to get in, we've been reviewing all month."
"You're not the one going to healing school, Robin."
"Auror training is just as difficult!"
Mika sighed, turning a page in his book. This same argument has happened at least every two days for the past couple of weeks. It was getting annoying.
"Robin, Jamie," their mother said, approaching the table with food. "Not on Mika's birthday. We are going to have a nice day without you two shouting up a storm. You can go a day without tearing out each other's necks, alright?"
They both mumbled an, "ok," and Jamie put her textbook into her bag.
"Marcus!" His mother shouted, kicking the leg of the table.
Mika's father snorted and shot up from where he was sleeping, a small puddle of drool left on the battered wood where his head had laid.
"What? Huh?"
"Wake up, we are about to have dinner."
Mika's mother put the food on the table and they started to eat.
A nice, quiet birthday. That's all Mika wanted.
"Got any career plans, Mika?" His brother asked.
Mika shook his head. He was only 11, why would he worry about that now?
"Maybe you can be a security guard like your old man!" His father said, taking a huge bite into his burger. "That is if you get into Gryffindor."
There goes a quiet birthday.
"I am right here," his mother said, glaring at his father. "Any other house can be just brave as any Gryffindor. I'm a Ravenclaw for crying out loud and I do much more dangerous work than you, messing with cursed objects."
Jamie rolled her eyes, "I don't think a house should define you, to be honest. There is much more to a person than just being brave, smart, loyal, or cunning. Those seem very surface level."
"You are talking like a Hufflepuff, Jamie," Robin said.
"What did I just say?!"
"That you have no house loyalty. And you call yourself a Gryffindor....."
"I think Jamie is right," his mother cut in. "There is a lot more to a person than adjectives."
"Bringing in the fancy words, you Ravenclaws," his father said, smiling.
"You think 'adjective' is a big word? I swear Gryffindors are so-"
"Ah ha!" Robin shouted, pointing at his mother. "You just lumped our actions into the so-called one-dimensional house after calling us out for doing the same! You are a hypocrite."
"Oh come on!" Jamie said. "Clearly, dad was baiting her!"
"Doesn't excuse hypocrisy."
The conversation stayed like this for some time.
"Well," Robin said. "I think it can be agreed that as long as Mika doesn't get Slytherin, all will be well."
"What is that supposed to mean? There are many great Slytherins out there!" Jamie argued.
"Like who?"
"Severus Snape, Slughorn, Draco Malfoy."
"Doesn't mean that the rest aren't a bunch of snakes."
Jamie threw up her hands in defeat.
"You are so stubborn, I swear. Have an open mind for once!"
Suddenly, Mika's mother clapped her hands.
"What about cake?" She asked.
Without anyone answering, she got up and then returned with a red velvet cake, with 11 burning candles on the top.
She put it down and took a deep breath. So did the rest of the table.
Oh no......
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" They all sang.
Heads turned and within a few seconds, the whole of the pub was singing.
Mika tried to hide behind his book in utter embarrassment, wanting to disappear.
He tried to cheer himself up by thinking about Diagon Alley, the place where he would buy all of his school supplies and knickknacks right after they got done eating the cake.
Just hold on a little longer, he thought to himself.