1:00 PM
The Leaky Cauldron


“Devlin! Whose the munchkin? Yer a bit young to have a lass ‘er age, aintcha?”

Dev gave the bartender a weak smile as he and Lucy entered the Leaky Cauldron. “Afternoon Clive…” he offered, secretly wishing it had been anyone but Ol’ Clive that witnessed him coming in. See, Clive was a bit of a gossip (though one would not say it to his rather massive, triple chinned face) and he had always been interested in Devlin’s business ever since Dev asked him to help him brush up his bartending skills before applying to Calaveras. Dev didn’t really want him to know why he was dragging a kid around and hoped the old lug wouldn’t put two and two together. “This is my sister, Lucy… New student.” He wasn’t sure why he added the last part since it should have been obvious.

“Oh ho! So ol’ Greyfriar been double-dipping ye ol’ wand in the potion pot eh?”

Shite, those were the two things that Dev definitely didn’t want Clive to put together. “Uh, no, not exactly…” Dev started to say, but Clive was already laughing it up with a couple other patrons about the power of Ol’ Greyfriars ‘wand’. Dev sighed, what did he expect? When they had first met, Dev had told Clive that his family were muggles and the whole ‘Greyfriar as his father’ thing was well known thanks to the papers, so really, the idea that Lucy was Knox’s son wasn’t too far fetched. In fact, it was probably easier to believe than the actual truth. Dev just didn’t need the negative publicity. Unfortunately, there was no stopping Clive when he got going.

“Come on Luce… We have some stuff to get…” He muttered in defeat, dragging his sister to the back wall. Just as a school representative had done for him seven years ago, Devlin tapped the bricks with his wand and watched in silence at it opened, the awe he had felt at 11 already long depleted.

As the wall unfolded, revealing the brightly colored and rather noisy world of Diagon Alley, Devlin took a deep breath and looked down at Lucy. This was so surreal, her being there. She had always been the one interested in Devlin’s world and here she was, against all odds, a wizard like him. He wondered if some of his magic had stayed back in the womb to be passed onto her. It was really the only thing that made sense, aside from Knox being her father as well… which he really didn’t want to think about.
Squeezing her hand, he tried to come up with the same enthusiasm she had to be feeling and smiled “Well… Here it is… Diagon Alley, your one stop shop for all your magical needs. What do you think?”

Lucy eyes grew wide, and she squeezed Devlin's hand highly. The wall had disappeared. Well, moved. And now it showed a cobble street street with brightly colored shops erupting from the ground. People in strange clothing hustled and bustled about in the street.

She stood there, in shock and awe. For so long, she saw the world as a dark, gloomy pit, but now she saw the silver lining that they always promised in famous quotes.

She looked up at Devlin with a bright smile, making her eyes squint severely. "This is amazing! How have I missed this for so many years? There is so much to do!" she said. She let go of his hand, and spun in a circle with her arms fully extended straight out, palms up.

"It's huge!" She said spinning.

"This is amazing! How have I missed this for so many years? There is so much to do!"

Devlin's lips curled into a soft, warm smile "I'm glad you like like it..." He said so quietly that she probably didn't hear him. It didn't matter though, he said it more for himself than her. For many years, ever since he stood in the same place as she was now, he had felt separated from his family. At first it was because he felt special and would regale his siblings with stories about the wonders of the wizarding world, leaving out anything bad to make it sound like the best place in existence. As he got older, he begin to feel less unique and more alien in his own home, and there was a part of him that wished he could have given up all of his magic to just be a normal kid with his brothers and sister. The stories also got harder to tell as time went on, mostly because he became more and more disillusioned with the world in itself. It got so bad that, up until today, Dev had begun to see Diagon Alley as just another street. Dull, grey and depressing. The colors felt washed out and its idiosyncrasies felt forced. He couldn't see it with the same joy as Lucy, as well as his younger self, did.

But watching her spin, hair whipping and teeth flashing, made something stir in Dev. Perhaps it was something like joy, he wasn't sure, but he knew that the world seemed to get a bit brighter just then. He wasn't alone anymore, his mind just had to grasp that. Not that he was alone before, he had friends and loved ones, but there was something about having a close family member that you could relate to that just made things easier. He didn't count Knox yet, simply because their relationship was still forming, so having Lucy there made things a bit smoother.  It brought a grin to his face and he shook his head "It certainly is... Which means we have a lot to see before lunch." He said as he clapped and rubbed his hands together "What do you want to do first? Robes... Books... wand?" He was almost positive he knew what the answer would be. Getting your wand was the first step to becoming a real wizard.

She stopped spinning and cracked a wide smile to Devlin. "I almost completely forgot why we are here in the first place!" She shouted. She ran up to him and once again slipped her hand into his. His hand was so much bigger than hers.  His palms were rough, but warm, and Lucy's seemed small and fragile. It had been so long since she had held hands with anyone, and this just seemed to be the right place in the world for her little hand; in the grasp of her loving older brother.

She was still looking down the street, staring at the people. They were so strange, wearing clothing like that. Her mind finally registered Devlin's question. "Wand, wand, wand!" she said, bouncing on her heels.

"Wand, wand, wand!"

Devlin couldn't help but chuckle at this. Ah, the exact response he expected. He could't blame her though, wands were the best part of wizardry and he remembered how fascinated she had been in his. Perhaps that had been a sign of her latent magical ability that he had missed. It wasn't surprising though, after all, by the time she was at the age where she had come to fully understand the power of the bit of wood, he has become too selfish to notice. It was weird how the last several months had changed him from that selfish little shite to... well whatever he was now. Not self-less by any means, but he had matured quite a bit.

In fact, he had matured so much that standing there, hand in hand with her, felt more like holding his daughters hand than his baby sisters, despite her only being six years younger. The thought both thrilled and scared him, because as much as he enjoyed the idea, he was terrified of the idea of fatherhood.

"Sounds good... We will go to Ollivanders... thats the wand store... and then lunch..." He said finally, squeezing her tiny little hand in his. It was small, but it was very good at making a fist. For some reason, her little baby hands could really hurt when she got going. Devlin felt sorry for any kid at Hogwarts that dared to mess with Lucy Matthews. Shaking his head at the idea, he begin to lead her down the street to Ollivanders, mentioning off hand as they went "Oh.. um... I have someone coming to meet you at lunch... She begged me to take you clothes shopping so...yeah, fun stuff there..."

My very own wand. That'll mean I'll be like, a real witch then! She thought excitedly. This was the best day of her life. Many kids say that when they have a good day, but this was completely truthful. She hadn't had a good day in years. It was always the same schedule each day; and she couldn't change it. But that was all different now. There was only one time when a day was counted as the best day ever, but it, in no way, compared to how she was feeling now.

It had been a few months after Devlin had left home and whether she liked it or not, Lucy had a little depression. She no longer found the simple joys in life because it felt like to her, there was no joy left. Her brother, Lyle, had seen just how upset she was, and so, decided to make her feel better. They went down to a play ground where he pushed her on the swings for what seemed like hours. No, it wasn't much, but it was just what she needed. Those 15 minutes, she was worry less, careless, and was so happy, it seemed like nothing in the world could compare.

"Sounds good... We will go to Ollivanders... thats the wand store... and then lunch..."

Ollivanders. What a magical name. What a perfect wand maker name. What a wonderful, amazing, thing that name was. Truthfully, Lucy couldn't care less that it was called Ollivanders. It was what the name symbolized. It symbolized a place where being different is being normal. If  a kid were to walk into her old school, she would have immediately been made fun of for such a funny name. But here, it wasn't weird. It wasn't bad. It was exquisite.

"Oh.. um... I have someone coming to meet you at lunch... She begged me to take you clothes shopping so...yeah, fun stuff there..."

Lucy looked up at Devlin with a sly smile. "She? As in a girl? As in a GIRLFRIEND?! OH MY GOD. YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!" She began to jump up and down a little. She loved attention from girls, as that was something she only ever got at school by being scolded for talking and not paying attention in class.

"Will you get a move on?" Lucy said, walking a few feet forward, pulling Devlin. "We've got places to go, girlfriends to meet!"

"She? As in a girl? As in a GIRLFRIEND?! OH MY GOD. YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!"

"What? Are you really that surprised?" Devlin chuckled, amused at her excitement. He had, at first, contemplated that she was being sarcastic but he realized her excitement was genuine. She really wanted to hang around with another girl... merlin that notion was so alien to him. Sometimes he forgot that she was a girl and not just another little brother, more than likely thanks to the fact that she acted like more of a boy than Damon, who was actually was one (Though he seemed to be actively trying to prove that assumption wrong).

Until now, it hadn't ever dawned on him how much she must have missed their mothers influence in her life, despite having been too young when she died to benefit from an older woman's knowledge. But now, she needed a mother to guide her through puberty. Devlin couldn't help her with 'that time of the month' or bra shopping or boys (Aside from cursing them inside out for touching her). But maybe Maeve could. The idea made him chuckle, both because it was cute and because the idea of Maeve playing mommy was entertaining.

"Will you get a move on? We've got places to go, girlfriends to meet!"

Devlin's thoughts were interrupted when Lucy suddenly yanked him forward in a show of surprising strength considering how small she was. "Alright, alright... I'm going..." He grinned, her enthusiasm leaving him feeling lighter and happier then he had in a long time. They wove their way through the crowds, dodging oddly dressed wizards hawking dried animal bits, potions of every color and shade (Sometimes more than one) and suspicious looking foodstuffs. Devlin pointed out a few landmarks like the quid ditch store and the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, both of which he promised to take her after they bought the required supplies. They passed the entrance to Knockturn and Devlin only introduced it as a 'rather boring and smelly place' mainly because he knew that forbidding her to go would only encourage her to do it as frequently as possible.

By the time they reached Ollivanders, Lucy's excitement enveloping him like a warm blanket and Devlin was beginning to feel like a child again. Squeezing her hand, he lead her into the shop, the chime that sounded at their entrance summoning a scraggly haired old man with moonlike eyes. "Ah another new witch?" He announced, smiling at Lucy with a probing expression that was rather disconcerting. Devlin shifted a little uncomfortably. He considered getting your wand one of the most exciting parts of a young wizards life, but he couldn't help but feel a bit put off by the old wand-makers intensity. However, he didn't want to ruin her fun with his discomfort, so he ruffled her hair and pushed her forward gently, saying in a reassuring voice"It's ok Lucy... Mr. Ollivander will help you find the best fit..."

Ollivander took his cue and scuttled over to a wall of wand boxes that looked dangerously close to tottering over. His bony fingers skipped over the boxes in a jerky yet still merry manner, as he muttered various woods and cores under his breath. "Aha!" He exclaimed suddenly "... Try this one, my dear lass" He blew off the dust and pulled off the cover of the old box, revealing a pretty little wand nestled in velvet within. He presented it to Lucy with the prideful expression of a dog who had found and killed a particularly prize pigeon and was presenting it to it's owner in hopes of a biscuit.

Walking through Diagon, Lucy couldn't stop thinking about this grand adventure. And more importantly, Devlin's GIRLFRIEND! Her eyes didn't stay in one place for more than a few seconds before there was something bigger and better to look at. She hadn't even thought back to her siblings yet. It had only been a few days and thought she'd be missing them by now, but no. She was perfectly happy. She could now be the 11 year old girl she was instead of the 19 year old boy she was used to.

She thought she heard Devlin chuckle softly, but thought nothing of it. She was too focused on the building in front of her. The one that just screamed "JOKE SHOP". She figured she would definitely need some supplies in there! Devlin pulled her away promising her later. Him promising her later was different than anyone else. With Lyle and Dean, it usually meant no, or in a few weeks when I'm angry at dad to get out of the house. With her father, well. There never were later's. There were just big, fat, no's. And Daemon? His later's were never brought up again. He tended to be busy when he would say later, but forget about it.

Lucy smiled. She loved this new life and was so excited to be having a new start at the age of 11. They walked by what seemed to be a darker street.

"...rather boring and smelly place"

Yeah right. That was one of the biggest lies Lucy had heard in a while. But, he was lying to her to keep her out, and if someone made that much of an attempt, it was worth listening to.

They walked into Ollivandar's and Lucy's gaze grew. This place was stuffed with little boxes. She was amazed. Then, she saw a little man step out from the shadows. She would be lying if she said she didn't feel uncomfortable around this man. It was as though his eyes were looking deep into her soul, seeing all the uncleanness and wanting to feast off the negative energy. Devlin pushed her forward towards the man. I'll be fine. She said to herself. Devlin wouldn't have me approach him if it was unsafe.

The old man blew off the dust of an old box. Lucy tried not to cough, not trying to seem rude. However, a small cough did emit from her small body. "10 inches. Birch. Unicorn hair." Lucy was puzzled by the words this man had just said. Not all of them, as most had been normal. Just the word, Unicorn. She shrugged it off. Different world. Different creatures. She took the wand and gave it a slight flick. a small spark emitted from it, before it was promptly taken from her hand. He scurried back into the back and pulled out another, muttering to himself.

While he did this, Lucy shot a nervous smile at Devlin. The man gave her another. "9 inches. Holly. Phoenix feather." She flicked this one before the candle in the corner went out. While she was staring at that, that wand left her hand. "Almost," he muttered to himself, going up and down through the shelves. He placed the last one in her hand with a proud smile on his face. "9 inches os elm. Phoenix feather. She flicked this one, and a small fire started an inch or two from the wand. the fire itself was contained in the air, and was probably 2 inches tall. She smiled as she flicked it again and the fire went out. She turned around to show a bright smile on her face to Devlin. A smile that said, "I'm officially a witch,"

Devlin watched Lucy wave the wands around for a few moments, like a good big brother, but he quickly found himself zoning out. His eyes wandered around the store and, upon not finding anything interesting in the boxes lining the wall, strayed to the bustling street outside the dusty window. Leaning against the window frame, he found his eyes drifting upwards from the people and to the windows above the adjacent stores. They were mostly dim and dirty, with only cracks or hints of curtains to liven them up. Then a flash of red caught his eye and he squinted at the sign. "For Rent" was scrawled in plain, unenchanted red ink, wholly unremarkable in the extravagant fantasy setting. But Devlin saw it and it intrigued him.

"I'm officially a witch,"

Lucy's announcement caught him off guard and yanked him back down to earth. Glancing at her beaming face, he couldn't help but smile. "Not yet..." He chuckled, reaching down and pinching her cheeks, pulling them out a little so her grin was grossly elongated "We still have a lot of stuff to get. Books... Robes... a new pet... And we have to meet Maeve for lunch..." He fished in his pockets for a small leather bag of coins to pay Ollivander with. "I'll take a wand polishing kit as well" He added. After paying, he handed the kit to Lucy "You need to take care of your wand, it will be your best friend for the rest of your life." And with that, they rejoined the insanity of the alley, hand in hand.

The next stop was the cafe they were to meet Maeve at, a few doors down. The red sign was still a speck in his vision and as they took their seats, Devlin kept his eyes fixed on it in thought. He wondered how much it cost and how many rooms it had. With Lucy in the picture now, Knox's tiny little cabin was unrealistic for the three of them. Hell it was unrealistic for the two men already. And this place was closer to work as well and Maeve could actually come over and stay the night... it was such an enticing thought that he found himself lost in his daydreams until a waiter appeared and asked what they wanted "Oh.... uh just a coffee please... and whatever she wants.." He replied, grinning at Lucy "Order what you want, it's about time you got a decent meal. Maeve should be along soon"

You need to take care of your wand, it will be your best friend for the rest of your life.

Lucy nodded excitedly. She now had something that could cast spells. Something she could do amazing things with. She smiled as she said, "Thank you," to the kind man in the shop as they once again retreated to the busy streets. Again, she was caught up in the wonderful hustle and bustle of the little town. She held Devlin's hand tightly, not wanting to get separated from him.

They walked into a small café where they sat down in a small booth. Devlin was still staring at something out of the window. It seemed he had been staring at it the entire time since they left the wand shop. She tried to look in the direction he was looking, but all she saw was a little building. "Whatcha looking at?" She asked kindly.


Oh.... uh just a coffee please... and whatever she wants.. Order what you want, it's about time you got a decent meal.

Lucy smiled back at Devlin. He had really made this a simply amazing day for her. Nothing could possibly go better. She looked up at the waitress. "Do you guys have chicken fingers? Because I would like some of those. And what about chocolate milk. Can I have some of that?" The waitress nodded and walked off. Chocolate milk, Lucy thought. I haven't had that in a long time.

Maeve should be along soon.

Maeve. What a name. It seemed like a cute couple name; Devlin and Maeve. Lucy's heart began to dance, as she pictured having a female to look up to to ask embarrassing questions to. She smiled up at Devlin. "I can't wait." She said definitively.