| Details for Dinner and a Show |
| Summary: | It's dinner time at the Leaky Cauldron, patrons get dinner and a show tonight when Jack returns to Elly after being MIA and presumed dead for two years. |
| Date: | October 2nd 1940 |
| Location: | Leaky Cauldron |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
  
Guest Starring:  The Squidge, Jack Dodderidge Jr. |
The Leaky Cauldron
Stepping into the Leaky Cauldron is a bit like standing in two places at once. As the doorway between Muggle and Wizarding London, this establishment strives to maintain a cheerful air of welcome and conviviality. Wooden surfaces are clean, brass is polished to a bright shine, and the smell of great food and even better beverages wafts through from the kitchen and behind the bar. The owners of this wizarding establishment have clearly gone to great lengths to create a hallowed neutral meeting place where politics are kept polite and fights are not permitted. However, despite all the enlightened neutrality, the technology and substance here is all Wizarding. There are floating candles and lanterns, wizarding beverages, wizarding food. There's a table or two of wizard's chess and an enchanted dart board up against the far wall that alternates colours and even shifts the bull's eye around.
A rather pleasant cool and clear fall evening in London. It's becoming rather rare these days, particularly at night for it to be so quiet. The bombings come frequently now and though there's not been an air raid siren yet tonight. There's that edge of tension in the air from everyone just waiting for it to sound and ruin a perfectly nice evening at the pub.
The Squidge is getting much too 'Big Boy!' (his own words) now to be slung to his mother as she does her warm wenchly thing. Next month he'll be 2 years old Merlin help Elly! The Terrible Twos have already started to make itself known. Elly has just crawled after Junior under a few tables trying to wrangle him from dashing about beating a wooden spoon on a dirty cauldron he snagged from beside the sink in the kitchen.
Elly's hair is a mess, the loose bun it was in has been loosened and dangling haphazardly off the back of her head. Her skirts have picked up some dust and mud from the floor she's been crawling on and she is looking about like she's ready to send her son to Azkaban until he's 18! But she's giggling and smiling at her son as she pries the spoon from his little hand. "Wot on erf do ye fink ye are doin' my lil Squidge!?" "MEE-U-SIC!" He squeals with delight and with his bare hand he smacks the bottom of the cauldron. To hide from the loving glower he gets from his mother he puts the cauldron over his head and still beats on it. His little voice echoing within. "Mee-u-sic Mummy! Mee-uuuu-sic!"
Elly apologies sincerely to those that seem disturbed by her son's antics. Though really anyone that's even a semi-regular is probably used to this sort of thing from the boy.
Graham is back and with a vengeance. He has time to make up for and cider and chips to eat after all. The young man sits at a typical seat for him and sips some cider looking about at the dinner crowd. He will smile looking over to Elly a moment or two and chuckles at the childs antic. "Need a rest bit Elly?" he asks offering to watch the boy for a few as he's been away a bit and time is to catch up!
Too long. Much too long. The traffic is sparse on London streets; and while there's no air raid sirens going off, things are a little darker than they have been, what with black-out shades. If it weren't for the fact that the path is virtually muscle memory, there wouldn't have been yet another to grace the Leaky Cauldron.
*tap*step*step* A clean-shaven young man approaches the exterior of the building slowly, knowing where it is rather than seeing it. *tap*step*step* The cane he has in right hand makes that clicking sound on the ground, and the young man has a pronounced limp, relying upon the aid heavily.
Jack's hand rests on the door now, and he looks in, first. Peering. Home. He's almost.. There she is!
A lopsided grin reaches his face, his eyes echoing, and now, Jack pulls on the door, greeted first by the homey, rich scents of the kitchen. It hits him so squarely that it takes a full moment to recover from it. The first hint, however, is the sound his stomach makes!
Elly gratefully offers over the cauldron headed boy over to Graham. Even with a cauldron on his head the boy knows the robes and the fact that there are very few men that Elly would just hand him over too. "Corr ye've been missed." Elly teases and gives Graham's cheek a grateful kiss and a side hug. "He's on a rip tonight."
One of the less patient of customers flags Elly down to pay the wench so she and her family could get out of this monkey house! "Fank ye mum." Elly's tone is very apologetic still. "Ye have a wonderful and safe nigh." Once the family has vacated the pub Elly lets out a relieved chuff of a sigh before she leans over the table and starts the jiggling process of wiping the table down.
The auror grins and accepts the boy he lifts him up. "Oi Mr Squidge I dare say you're doing it wrong." Graham says lightly though he looks over to Elly and grinning returning the hug "Missed you both too." The comment is truthful indeed "Its alright we can strike up the band." The young man says with a chuckle.
*click*step*step*
Jack shifts such that the couple can make their grand escape, moving sideways, back against the threshold. He hasn't yet spoken a word, and even if he tries, he doesn't really think he could. Breath is caught in the back of his throat.
Breathe.
Elly's voice. Jack's heard it in his sleep, in that supposed dreamless sleep where he actually did do just that. He watches as she gives the other man a kiss on the cheek, a hug… and exhales. Brown eyes search the immediate area and he catches a picture. His picture. Finally, he enters, the door closing behind him, and he takes the few steps, albeit slowly, towards the hunched over, hard at work Elly, and a brief lift of a free hand to where a cap brim would be is given to Graham. He knows robes. Now, Jack's trying to come in behind her, and leeeeeeans, "Oi.. y'work t'much, y'knows i'. An' I'm sors I weren't 'ere."
Elly fears that the person behind her leaning in is the disgruntled pair coming back to give her what for. "I'm sss—-" The apology is cut off like someone's just given her a jab to the heart. The number of times she has thought that she's seen and heard Jack have had her close to going to Mungos for a check up. Swallowing hard she is trembling as she closes her eyes only to open them expecting to instead see the disgruntled man standing in Jack's place. When she sees Jack over her shoulder still standing there she closes her eyes again and takes a deep breath as she turns about to face him, eyes still shut. Blinking them open those summer sky blue eyes blink and her bottom lip is all a tremble. Swallowing again her voice a strangled emotional whisper, "Jack?" She tears her gaze from her presumed dead husband and looks over his shoulder towards Graham, hoping her dear friend can confirm that there is a person standing in front of her and she's not seeing things.
Graham will bounce the child around a bit after removing the cauldron from his head. He will help him bop a bit of a musical rhythm from it. "There you go now you're getting it." He pauses though when the man with the cane walks buy his eyes widen slightly and he nods to him. It had been well a /long/ while but he knows who it is even looking different. The young man will look down though towards the child and smile more broadly helping him bang out a bit more of a beat before. Well he finds Elly and meets her gaze nodding yes he sees him too. The smile both happy and concerned both at once cause well reuniting after such time is bound to be filled with various emotions. "Come on Lord Squidge." He will move to stand with child scooped up but staying the bit away until he figures that it will be time to bring him over.
Jack's smile turns tentative.. it rises and falls before it comes up again, a touch lopsided as he looks around the room briefly before it once again falls on Elly. "I 'aven't change tha' much, 'ave I? Lit' thin on the bones from'ospital.." He shrugs a little and it animates his face before he looks at Graham, and back. "Ells?"
Squidge? Jack stares at Graham now, and the little handful Graham's got in hand. "Squ— cor… dat ain'.." Is it?
Elly goes from stunned to a brief blubbering sob. She catches it with a hand over her mouth as her eyes gush tears. "Jack!" Is muffled under the hand but the hand is soon springing away from her face so that she can wrap her arms around Jacks neck and cover that face she loves with a showering of kisses. Finally she pulls back enough to hiccough and nod with tear streaked cheeks. Only one arm releases Jack, the other stil around his shoulders with the hand at the base of his neck her fingers playing in his hair. The now free arm goes to reach out for their son with deep gratitude in her eyes towards Graham for bringing him over. Graham's not even to them yet when Squidge starts to lean forward at Jack, arms stretched out. "DaDA!" The fallen soldier picture by the kitchen door and one other picture of Elly and Jack on their wedding day have been used many times a day by Elly so her son knows his father. So even at two, with only having known his father a few weeks the boy recognizes Jack. "DaDA!" If he could fly he would with all of the stretching and leaning he's doing trying to get free of Graham and launch at his parents.
Graham will nod to Jack from his questioning if the child is indeed his son the squidge. The auror will catch the look from Elly and smiles bringing him over. He smiles when he recognizes the man before handing him over to Elly "Here ya go. Its good to see ya again Jack." He comments though he will turn away and move back towards his table unless stopped cause well to see they need a moment is likely an understatement.
A soft whoof sounds from the returned Jack as Elly gives him a hug. In turn, however, the cane is dropped, and he has to quick hop in order to get his balance reset. He's got an arm around her, only to release it and take her face in his hands to wipe tears away with a thumb. "Oi.. n'tears or I'll fink y'didn' wan' be back.." he teases.
Squidge's leeeeeean is noticed, and Jack laughs at the death-defying child. "Oi.. y'wait until.." Jack's got a bigger grin on the moment Graham acknowledges the question, and he's having his own hard time not to cry. "T'anks, mate.. i's real swell.."
Elly is a master of one-arm parenting. So she alone is able to wrangle Squidge so that he ends up straddling one of her hips. It's a family hug that is teary and sweet and Squidge takes his father by the ears to bring his face down so he can give a birrage of kisses to one cheek while Elly is kissing the other cheek. Kissing stalls for time as Elly couldn't speak right now if she tried. Choked up puts it lightly.
The rest of the pub is starting to catch on to what is happening and a slow building applause starts.
Graham nods to the man "Rightly so." He comments though he will take his seat once more not wishing to crowd them though they are at the Cauldron to say it's a public place well yeah. The moment of the family makes the auror grin big though he will take a drink from his cider a moment as well though the rest of the pub cheering for the reuniting brings his focus and he will join in though he is beaming towards them without trying to be a pain.
"Ta, muchly." And Jack means it, looking right at Graham.
Jack is horrible at juggling bodies, as it were. One, then the other.. and he hops a couple more times as he regains his balance in the clutch. The Squidge's attempts at sloppy kisses gains a laugh from him, and he gives his son a kiss in return. "Y'been a good'un for your mum, ri'?" He doesn't expect an answer, but instead, looks at Elly, the smile couldn't be any wider. Only now, when he catches the beginning of applause does Jack realize that they are, indeed, in the middle of the 'Cauldron. He looks around, and the smile shifts a touch lopsided before he changes his stance to grab Elly and dip her in a kiss. Just… because. (And before her mum comes out to restore order!)
Elly is dipsmooched! Squidge is slid down to his feet so he doesn't get dropped. The boy of course doesn't go far. Wrapping around his father's leg in a hug. He's still nodding about being a good boy. Elly is breathless as she clings and dangles from her husband blinking up at him once the kiss is broken. A bashful smile is given to the applause. It's not Ethel that comes out of the kitchen, but Mick. He was upstairs with Ethel when he heard the ruckus and is coming to investigate. Large strong hands clap like thunder when he realizes what's going on. The big lug is even misty eyed, though he'll box the ears of anyone that points it out. "Alrigh, Alrigh! Let's give these two some privacy now…" Mick tilts his head towards the Kitchen in a 'you two head inside. I'll take over'.
The auror will look as the man comes from the kitchen and then back to the couple though he will nod with giving them some privacy a bit. Graham will raise his cider in toast to them silently though and will move to get some chips leading by example it seems though he takes a long chug of the drink which he's missed all the same.
Jack's lost a fair bit weight, making his wiry-frame even more apparent. (Very much like when Elly first met him!) Still, there's some muscle left over from the fair bit of unconsciousness that happened in hospital. He's can feel Squidge wrapped around his good leg, at least, and he's trying to balance everyone, and if he's pushed off balance, he's going to go down and quite probably take his family with him!
He lets Elly up slowly, more for himself than for whatever dizziness Ells might be feeling at the moment. A laugh comes, followed by a cheeky smile; got caught with his thumb in the meat pie and doesn't care.
It's the appearance of Mick that truly gains Jack's attention, and he looks at the man. The man that took him in what seems a lifetime ago. Now, seeing -his- family, and now parent(s)? He does actually shed that tear. "Som'fin in me eye," is given in explanation.
Holding out his hand to Elly, Jack leans over to get hold of his cane and sets it in hand once again. "I fink we're bein' told."
Jack looks to those applauding and shakes his head. "Aw, back into yer food. Y'll 'ave t'do wif'out Ells for a lil'." He glances at Graham again and grins and raises a hand to pull at the bit of hair right at the front before, "Ells?"
Elly hasn't realized her husband has been injured. All focused on the fact that he's alive at all! It's not until her toes meet the cane on the floor. She scoops it up and softly 'Ohhh Jacks' as she hands it over to him and takes his other hand. She wraps his arm up to provide him a bit more support and stability as she walks with him towards the kitchen. Warm smile with teary eyes and grateful nods are given to all the well wishers they pass. She isn't really watching where they are going, she goes by memory and can't take her eyes off of the miracle in her arms. He's alive!
The Leaky Cauldron Kitchen
Everything a magical kitchen should be. It looks like a medieval hearth, because that's all it needs to be. The simplest of 'appliences' are enhanced through magic to give the ease of even the most futuristic of kitchens. The large bread box on the counter just needs the ingredients added to it and within minutes warm fresh baked bread is ready to be served. Dozens of 'fountains' all resembling leaky cauldron keep the soups, sauces, and drinks flowing and in so 'self stirring' to keep them from sitting or getting cold though leaks in the bottom of many cauldrons. The contents oozing out of cracks before they go into the large base cauldron and magic levitates the brew in a flowing stream up into the air and back down into the top cauldron where the leaking process begins again.
Eve comes stumbling down the stair ways, "Jack!" The small blonde clutze has done quite a bit of growing up in the last 2 years. Not the little girl that would leap on Jack's back any longer. She still pounces though hugging him with choking strength. "Elly knew ye weren't dead! She knew it!" Eve beams over at her sister and from the look she gets from Ells instantly releases Jack and pats and picks at him to make sure he's all right as rain. "It's so SO good to see ye!" Elly pets the littler blonde's hair and leans in to whisper something. Eve nods and then looks down to the boy clinging to his father's leg. "Come on Squidge let Mummy and Dada talk. We'll get you in a bath so you are nice and clean for Dada, alright?" Junior clings a bit tighter to his fathers leg but it's only to 'hug' him. Because he also gets a look from his mother and he's obeying. "Luff yew Dada!" Gently Eve takes her nephew by the hand and leads him up the stairs. Squidge stops before the disappear out of sight to give his father one last wave of his little hand.
It's a commotion, and it's more than a little overwhelming for Jack. It's a homecoming; dizzying, exciting, and overwhelming. Jack's leaning on both his cane and the counter for some support, and he's got the same wide, lopsided smile as he's always had, which broadens the moment he sees Evie. "Oi.. Eve's.." and he hugs her, though not quite as bear-huggish, "You're chokin' me.." he teases. At the release and the check, he laughs, "G'on wif ya.. I'm real as y'are."
Squidge hasn't yet left him, and truth be told, Jack is honestly surprised that the strangle-hold on his leg can be undone. "Y'go on. I'll be up short t'read somefin or other, ri'? Or tell y'stories." The profession of love, from the little blonde, blue eyed angel stops him for a long moment before, "G'on, Squidge. Luff y'too." Jack waits until the little boy is gone from sight before he turns around to look at Elly. "'E's the spittin' image of ya, Ells. That's a good fing, too."
Elly is crying again, a smile is on her face as she just stares at her husband. The think wedding band on her finger sparkles in the fire and candle light as she wipes at her cheeks. "He might have me looks, but coor if he's nah his Dada in all else. Oh Jack…" She breathes out a sigh as it is finally quiet enough for her to compose herself and really allow herself to process. A wave of her hand and a chair comes sliding over for him to sit down. "Sit, ye are home now my lover. Sit and I will get a pie for ye, thin as a stick. Oh my love, tell me, what's happened?" She is loathed to step away, but she does and slides on some oven mitts to do just as she says and fetches him what's on special tonight, his favorite, steak and kidney pie!
Jack looks at Elly, and dark eyes gleam with amusement and no little affection, "Sor's to 'ear it." There's a pause before, "You fink he's like me, or.." Wizard or squib. Thankfully, in this family, the Squidge'll be loved all the same.
When the chair is slid, Jack takes a hold behind him and lowers himself slowly, putting the cane off to the side. "Yah," and he rolls his eyes. "I'm a bit of alright still, Ells. I'm not dyin'.. not no more anyways." He watches her move, and it's like a herd of horses have to drag her just the few feet away before she can come back. His voice rises in conversation, "T'were an attack. Jerries planes are right better than ours. More distance, more fire. Anyfing we've got, it's in production, an' it migh' be too li'l too late."
Elly slides one of the smaller tables over to Jack with another wave of her hand. "There's been signs here an' there love. Nothing outright showy. But 'ints." She bows down to kiss his head as she sets down the fresh out of the oven pie. "They told me it was a training exercise that somefing went wrong wif the plane. I knew it couldn't be. Ye loved that plane much as ye loved me. Always takin' care of it. My poor sweet Jack. The gloves come off and she levitates some cutlery over to her so she can set it down next to the pie. A pint of bitters is quickly fetched and she finally settles down, kneeling on the floor at his knee, hands sliding gently in investigation over the leg he's been favoring.
Jack smiles tightly. "Aye, they would a'that. S'bad 'nuf that they couldn't 'ide t'fact from us tha' we're badly manned." He reaches out for Elly, rocking his head up to look at her, her eyes, and when she's settled, he can't take his eyes off of her. "Nah.. s'a.. bi'.. stiff, s'all. Giv't'time an' I'll be runnin' round like Squidge." The last bit is given with a smile that's meant to be encouraging. "An' I'm glad 'e's takin' after you. Don't wan' nuthin' in 'is way, righ'?" The pint is appreciated, and that's the first thing taken up, and lifting it, gives a 'cheers' before the first swallow. It goes down, and he breathes out slowly. "Oh, 'at's good.."
Elly lowers her lips to kiss his thigh. Then hands and chin rest on his knees, sunny sky blue eyes looking up at him. Adoring if still a bit stunned that she's looking up at that face again. "Your favorite. An ye know, Squidge would have nothing in his way even if he were blind deaf and mute. That's cause he's just like his Dada. I mean look at ye, come back from the dead. There's nae a wizard that can claim that. Is there?"
Jack chuckles and shakes his head. "'e's like 'is mum, den," and he puts a hand on top of Elly's hair, his fingers sliding through the blonde wisps that have fallen. "Bu', I'm back from th' dead or no', you'll 'ave to put up with me again." He leans over to kiss her forehead, her nose. "They won't want me again. No' after all tha'.. an' this." He points to his cane. "Nae unless it's a desk job, an' I won' go. They can't find me 'ere." He's done. Done.
Elly has to sweep her cheeks with her fingers again when he proclaims that he's home and not be leaving again. "It's been so long Jack. Where have ye been?" He's infirmed and Elly does what Elly does best, mother. She sits up enough in a kneel that she can crack open the crust on the pie and let the steam out and the pie cool. She gathers the perfect bite up onto the spoon with all of his favorite bits and then sets the spoon on top of the intact crust so that it will cool faster. Not going so far as to 'airplane' it into his mouth for him. "I'm so happy Jack, I am, I just don't know wot to say. Ye have stunned me."
Jack watches the steak and kidney pie steam, and his stomach begins the growl, even though he has his pint of bitter. "Hospital, I fink. T'were a coma, from what I was told. Nobody knew who I was, an', well.. fings were a bit funny. An' when I woke up, things were a lot fuzzy. They couldn't keep me, so out I went." The thing he hates the most… a charity case. "Given time.. things were funny, things I remembered. Couldn't understand whats or 'ows, but I knew it were right." He smiles and takes hold of the spoon, looking across. "I had t'come 'ome." Jack pauses before he shakes his head, "An' you.. shocked quiet. I'm sors, Ells.. f'what y'went through f'me. An' I'll make it up. Swears."
Elly stands up and wraps her arms around him and guides his head to rest on her bodice covered belly. "Hush now, I'll have no apologies from ye. Ye have been through hell an' back to me. An' ye are here to stay now. That's more than I dared hope for all this time. My Jack. A coma, my poor fing. Could've been in france wif'm fancy girls an' ye were out cold the whole time. Poor dearie." She bows down to kiss the top of his head. "We'll have ye rights again. Soon as that too. If UNITY had passed like it should have, we wouldn't have been in this mess." She laments softly but dispels further talk of politics with a head shake. "Bet ye are feeling a bit of the third degree wif all my questions. Anyfing I can answer for ye?"
Jack rests his head against his wife; as far as he's concerned, they're still newlyweds. There was just no time, but part of that is most definitely his fault. He chuckles and shakes his head, bringing his arm around to wrap her into him and set her down onto his lap. "I'm t'rights.. besides," and here he grins again, dark eyes sparkling with humour, "Don't a cane make me look a gentleman?"
Questions… questions… and for a long moment, he's quiet. Finally, his voice cants low, almost to a whisper. "All those people y'help, Ells. Did they look after you right?"
Elly is momentarily fidgetsome when he brings her down into his lap. She shifts just so to make sure that she's not hurting him. Both her arms wrap about him, her fingers of one hand toying with his ear affectionately. Forehead is rested against his and she just closes her eyes and breathes him in for a few moments before she's set to giggling. "Aye, my distinguished gentleman. My husband. Back in me arms…" She squeezes him a bit more tightly and then, trembling and nervous like it was their first kiss…
Elly tilts her chin up to swing her lips in for a quick soft peck to his before she is bashfully smiling and ansering his question. "Aye, we're well my love. Well taken care of. Everyone has missed ye so. Lots have moved away. Gideon, well Niamh was killed… so Giddy, he moved to Scotland and is the Magistrate of Glasgow now. Carmichale too, he's moved the Farin Braw to Hogsmeade… Ranjali is gone, so is Audrey, she's off to the front putting smiles on soldiers faces. Simon and I meet when we can, he'll be very pleased about ye. Mum is very poorly Jack. She's up stairs now, almost always. Now ye are home and everfing is going to be alright." She lets out a relieved sigh. Pure relief, it has finally sunk in that she has the partner she's been missing all these years back. No longer having to go at the rest of her life alone.
"That's enough talk though. Ye need to eat. Get some meat on these bones all over again ye Cheeky Beggar." This time Elly's lips are a bit more brave and the kiss she lands is more solid and sweet. When the kiss is broken she does lift up the spoon now and carries it to his mouth. Mostly because she doesn't want him to remove his arms from around her.