Home Sweet Home [OPEN]

[Christopher Davies]

The wheels slowed, the whistle blew, and the commotion began as the blue engine train ran into London’s main station. Women were crying as their husbands and boyfriends ran into their arms after a long journey. Children were laughing and waving like mad to their relatives, while others were in a warm embrace of their friends. Reunions were always a special kind of thing. It seemed to wash away all the bad blood between two people and refresh them both with the excitement of seeing them again. Being away seemed to only reinforce how much one missed the other. In this sense, reunions were always magical for one would never know how much the other felt about them until they saw each other once more.

A tall muscular man with dark wild hair, tanned skin, and a bit of scruff on his face stepped onto the platform and looked around at the scene with a cynical smirk and shake of his head. Slinging his bag over his shoulder and taking a quick sip from a flask he kept hidden in his jacket pocket he stepped onto the platform, passed the embraces and reunions and towards the nearest pub.

Christopher Davies felt foreign in his return to England. It had been nearly three long years since he was last here. As soon as he had graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he had packed up and moved to Germany, having been signed by the Heidelberg Harriers of the European Professional Quidditch League. They had taken a chance on him, despite his very open reputation for being a bit of a rebel and wild child. Actually, that was an understatement. His wild ways were the only reason he had not been signed by the best clubs in England right out of school. He had to escape from the drudgery of his English life.His partying, drinking, and general contempt for any form of authority nearly sabotaged him in his family’s pursuit for professional sporting glory. No worries though he had kept their dream safe and raised a bit of hell while doing it.

”Mr.Davies! Mr.Davies! OVER HERE!” squeaked a little man with an uneven beard and thick framed glasses.

Chris turned around and nearly knocked the poor chap out with his shoulder bag. The man smiled a yellow toothed grin and continued without hesitation, ”Marvin Grimes from the Prophet, Mr.Davies, just thought I’d get a word from you about your return to England and the fallout between you and the Harriers.”

Chris slid a hand through his un-kept hair, “Yeah what a load of---wait, my agent told me what I was supposed to say…The Harriers were a great team andI learned a ton from them,” he snorted a laugh,” I’m excited to be back home to help the Falcons win the cup this year..or something like that-Actually I’m looking to see if England can keep up with the Germans in the partying department.”

Chris let out a laugh and the man followed suit with a wheezy giggled as he scribbled on his notepad furiously, ”You’re always good for a quote Chris---So are you confirming that the trade was due to your extracurricular activities off the pitch?”

“What I’m saying is I need a drink good man,” he said as he turned and briskly started on a walk, “That answer your question?” he called back to the old wizard.

He took a corner, forgetting someone had even recognized him on the muggle transit system. He had been shipped by his agent so as to make a discrete entrance back into England, but no such luck. Oh well, he tired---well that was going to be his story if they asked. Before he knew it he was tapping the brick wall with his wand, trying to forget the looming memories of the place in which was his playground for so many years; Diagon Alley.[/blockquote][/size]

[Dawn Holbrook]

It was fair to say that Dawn Holbrook deserved a drink after spending the better half of her day being questioned by the department of magical law enforcement, the very same department she worked for, over the disappearance of James. As soon as she had been released she had found herself uncharacteristically in a muggle bar in hopes of keeping her mental state of mind and emotions in check. After throwing back a couple of shots she left the bar with a bottle of whiskey in hand, which she had charmed to look like a soda pop bottle, with every intention of going home...

She couldn’t quite remember how she had ended up in the cobbled stone alley, though she was fairly certain that it had to do with the fact that she had disapparated with the thought of not wanting to be home alone. Pressing the bottle to her lips she took a swig before slowly making her way past the busy crowds that consistently filled Diagon Alley. There were a lot of families roaming around picking up supplies for their children who would be attending Hogwarts… Her eyes slowly took in the sight realizing for the first time that she would be teaching these kids and would be responsible for them in many ways. The realization quickly caused her to take another swig as she swiped away some hair with a small hiccup.

Dawn was a mess, but at the moment she just really didn't care. She knew this and anyone who knew her well enough would know this as well. Drinking was a rare occasion for the brunette and the fact that she was doing it out in public was something she would regret the second that she would become sober.

“Leaky,” she muttered to herself knowing that the Leaky Cauldron would probably be the safest place for her to crash for the rest of the day seeing as disapparating was completely out of the question. It was nice knowing that there was still a bit of common sense floating around in her confused and hazy mind. It took her a lot longer than what it would have, but eventually she found herself leaning against the cold bricks that separated Diagon Alley from the Leaky. She stood there for several minutes just appreciating how the coldness of the bricks felt against her hot skin before she felt the wall begin to move. Feeling as if her head was spinning from the sudden movement she closed her eyes briefly before open them to see an outline of a man.

She stared for a second before stepping to the side to let the person by with narrowed (and drunken) eyes. Where had she seen this schmuck before?

“Oi! I know you…” Dawn found herself saying as she swayed on her feet while clenching the bottle close to her chest as if protecting it from any harm. “Weren’t you on a cover of a magazine?” She stumbled forward as another hiccup escaped her before letting out a small gasp as she finally recognized the person standing before her.

“Merlin!” she ‘accidentally’ shouted as she poked Chris in the chest as if to confirm to herself that he wasn’t an illusion. When was the last time she had seen him outside of the newspapers or even talked to him? Had it really been three years ago since they had graduated from Hogwarts? Their friendship had fallen apart that very year … She had lost Chris as a best friend back then and now she had lost James… “Germany finally decided that you were too hard to handle, Spritz?” she found herself saying against her better judgment as her eyes fell to the ground in uncertainty. There was no way Chris would bother giving her a second glance after everything that had happened over the years and especially now that he was a big time quidditch star. It was still nice to see a familiar face regardless of the awkwardness and the horrible state she was in.

“Here… You’ll need this more than me,” Dawn said with a small sigh as she lifted her head up before handing Chris the nearly empty bottle of whiskey she had stupidly been drinking all evening. There wasn't a year that had gone by that James and herself didn't think of Chris, but then again it wasn't hard not to with all the newpspaper articles on him. At least she could say that he really did look just as good as the papers. “I-It was nice seeing you, Christopher. You look good. *hiccup* I- I have to go and- and do something… really... important.”

Dawn made it about three feet before she found herself leaning against the wall adjacent to the magical one that opened up to Diagon Alley in attempt to gain back the balance she was so use to having at any other given time, but instead she found herself slipping down the wall wishing that she still had the whiskey as a close 'friend' at the moment. "Curse you gravity!" and Chris Davies, for showing back up in England at a time like this...

words 748
tagged Spritz!
outfit black sweater, skinny jeans, black flats PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION
notes
We're the Three Best Friends
That Anyone Could Have
We're the Three Best Friends
That Anyone Could Have!

We're the Three Best Friends
That Anyone Could Have
And We'll Never ever ever ever
Leave Eachother
Bahahaha!

[Christopher Davies]

He hadn’t been back to Diagon Alley since his Hogwarts days. It seemed a bit surreal to be sanding at the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron all over again. It made the memories flood back almost instantaneously. Everything that had happened leading up to this point was a means to forget and with one tap on a brick wall everything had been demolished. His seventh year at Hogwarts was one part memorable and two parts forgettable. It was memorable in a sense that he raised hell, partied like a rock star, and had some great love affairs all at the tender age of seventeen, but on the other hand he wished to forget it. Yes, most of the time he had been drunk or hungover at school. It had become a running joke amongst the Hogwarts faithful that Chris Davies always pulled through by stumbling. It was also the year where his friendship with James Potter and Dawn Holbrook had deteriorated. They had been so much more to him than his mates, they were his family and in an instant he was thrown aside. Now, three years later, this was what he had become.

“Oi! I know you…Weren’t you on a cover of a magazine?”

Chris groaned internally as he stopped tapping on the wall. He had hoped for a quiet entrance back into England. He wasn’t sure about how many people kept up with teams in the Euro league over here where the England league was dominant. He should have known it was bound to happen. Nothing Chris ever did was quiet.

Chris chuckled as he pushed his hair out of his face, without looking at the girl, who seemed to be slightly slurring, he shook his head, “No, you probably are thinking of some other exceedingly good looking bloke,” he said with a taunting smile. He turned around, mostly to see if the girl was good looking, just in time to get a hard poke square in the chest.

“Oi!” he said as he stepped back and held his chest. It was then he realized he knew this girl…it was then he realized how well he had once known this girl.

Standing before him was none other than Dawn Holbrook. At a time he would have called her his slightly annoying sister, but now he was astounded at how vastly things changed. Dawn had grown into a woman, her hair slightly longer and her clothing more professional. She stumbled slightly, a bottle of what looked to be muggle soda pop in her hand, her eyes slightly glazed. Chris stood ridged, not knowing how to react.

“Germany finally decided that you were too hard to handle, Spritz?”

He froze at the nickname he hadn’t heard since the fallout in seventh year. He had long since forgotten it, but never since changed what gave him the name in the first place. His eyes flickered over hers, under the glaze Chris knew all too well he could see the old Dawn he remembered. He saw the slightly strict, fun loving best mate he had years ago, but he also saw James, and that just washed everything away until the only thing that was left was the hurt, betrayal, and loneliness.

“Are you drunk?” he asked incredulously. Though he had not spoken to Dawn in years he knew she was never the one to walk around drunk, especially in the late afternoon on a weekday.

He had no idea what had been going on in the past three years but he would have never thought this is how he would come across his old friend. Perhaps he expected her to have a family already. The mother thing kind of suited Dawn in a way…she did, after all, have to take care of Chris and James for the better part of six years. His jaw clenched as he felt the urge to say a playful joke at Dawn’s expense; just like old times, but he wasn’t sure he could. The state of things were different; they were different.

As she handed him the soda pop bottle Chris’ eyebrow raised. He lifted it up and slightly and smelled the potent alcoholic smell he was so familiar with and took a long swig, finishing its contents. Dawn hadn’t left him that much to work with. Before he could ask about the choice in liquor she was already saying her parting words. It was probably for the best as the situation was already awkward enough as it was separately, but as she started to move he saw the unbalanced footsteps creep sideways until he was sure she was about to do a face plant. Instead, however, she found ground in a wall, where she leaned against it, her face paled.

Chris couldn’t stop himself from laughing. It was just the oddity of it all. For the most part the roles of three years ago were reversed.

“I’m not gone three years and already your tolerance is out the window,” he said as he moved over to where she was. He held out his hand, offering the support he could tell she needed, “ Can’t say I’m not a bit disappointed Holbrook.”

He had done what came natural to him when he used to be with his mates. Despite everything that had happened between them his instinct had fought over and won against his emotions. He was helping before he could walk away.

He took her hand, not really waiting for her to accept it. It was slightly awkward, but he pushed through it.

“Come on drunky,” he said as he slung her arm around his broad shoulders, “ Let’s get me caught up.”

There was no hiding the cheeky grin forming on his lips as he pulled out his wand and tapped on the brick wall. This sudden change of events was curious, awkward, and just the thing Chris Davies needed, even if he didn’t see it for himself. [/blockquote][/size]