Chapter 2 - Start of the Fall

Oliver walked home pulling at the straps of his heavy backpack. It was the middle of May and it was nearing the end of the school year. His teacher was piling on the work to make up for things that were supposed to be covered throughout the year.

As Oliver approached his building he saw, what he thought, was a girl, about his age, sitting on the curve tying her shoe. Her hair was black and fell in curls a little pass her shoulders, which obscured her face from Oliver's angle. She wore a dark red shirt and blue jean shorts.

She looked up as Oliver passed her and smiled at him. Oliver was a little taken back as he realized the girl he was looking at was actually a boy. "What are you looking at?" The boy's smile quickly fell when he saw the strange look Oliver was giving him.

"Nothing," Oliver said quickly and walked faster into the building. Soon Oliver walked into the doors of his home and found once again that his mother wasn't home. He immediately took his backpack to the kitchen table and began his homework of Spelling and Mathematics. He had trouble with subtracting, but it didn't take him long to figure it out. After the worksheet was completed, he decided it was time for a break.

He went over to the refrigerator and grabbed an apple. He ate it as he went upstairs to his bedroom. He grabbed an orange ball with odd spaced black lines. His mother had told him it was a Muggle toy called a 'biscuit ball' or something or other. She had tried to explain the game to him once before, but he didn't quite understand. Although the biscuit ball was pretty fun to bounce or roll around in the playground located behind the building.

Before long Oliver was outside, throwing the ball against the wall of the brick building and catching it, only to throw it at the wall again. It was a simply game, but he enjoyed it. He had been at it for a while when he heard a voice. "What are you doing?" Oliver was spooked by the sudden disturbance and the ball he had just thrown came back only to hit him in the head, thus, knocking him down on his butt. "Ow. That had to hurt." Oliver only rubbed his head as the boy he had seen earlier came over to help him up. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Oliver said as he stood. "Thanks."

"No problem," said the boy. "So um- what's that?" He pointed to Oliver's ball.

"Oh, it's called a biscuit ball," he shrugged. "I think."

"It's ugly," the boy commented as he nodded his head, as if agreeing with himself.

"Yeah, I know," Oliver said as he picked up the ball with both hands. "What are you up to?" He pointed his head to the broom in the other boy's hand.

"Oh, this?" The boy beamed happily at his broom. "It's my sister's, Chelsie. She's going to give me a riding lesson."

Oliver was intrigued. "Cool! Can I watch?"

"Sure, I don't care," he said as he made a face. "I'm Marcus, by the way."

"Oliver."

"Mar-Mar!" A girl's voice could be heard from inside the building. "Mar-Mar!"

"Uh-oh!" Marcus' eyes grew wide. "Hide!" He grabbed Oliver's sleeve and dragged him with him behind some nearby bushes.

"Why are-" Oliver began.

"Shh!" Marcus interrupted him as a teenage girl, about fifteen, with long dark brown hair came out of the building calling out. "That's my sister," Marcus whispered.

"Then why are we hiding?" Oliver whispered back.

"Because I stole her broom from her room."

Oliver looked at him curiously. "I thought you said she was going to give you a lesson."

"She is," he paused. "She just doesn't know it yet. Duck!" He pushed Oliver closer to the ground as Chelsie drew closer.

"Where are you, you troll? I know you're out here!" She looked around the playground. "Don't make me tell mum!"

"Merlin." Marcus started to stand, revealing his hiding place and so Oliver stood with him.

"There you are," Chelsie marched over to the pair of boys. "Hand it over, mister." She held out her hand. "And there better not be a straw out of place."

"Aw, Chels," he said as he slowly handed over the broom. "I only took it because I wanted you to play with me," he said sadly. "I only get to see you when you're home for the summer and-" his bottom lip began to quiver as he looked up at his sister with big puppy dog eyes, "-and I miss you when you're away." He quickly looked to Oliver and winked.

"Okay, Mar-mar," Chelsie breathed as she ran her fingers through her brother's long dark hair. "I miss you too, but that doesn't give you the right to go in my room and to take my things."

"I'm sorry," he lowered his head. "I was only trying to get your attention."

"Never bow your head," she lifted his chin. "Not even to me. But more importantly, never apologize for what you want. You'll do best to remember that, alright?" He nodded his head. She then looked at her broom. "I'm guessing you want a lesson?"

He smiled a wild, goofy smile. "Maybe."

"If I agree to give you lessons, what's in it for me?" she asked.

Marcus looked at her suspiciously with narrow eyes. "What do you want?" It was now his sister's turn to smile like a fool. Marcus shook his head. "No."

"Yes."

"Not happening."

"Then no lessons." She began to walk away.

"Okay, stop." He took a step forward. "I'll do it," he pouted. He then pointed his finger at her and yelled, "But no pictures this time!"

Chelsie looked over her shoulder, she gave his request a thought for a moment. "One roll," she finally responsed, turning around and putting a hand on her hip.

"No," Marcus shook his head. "I'll give you six shots," he offered. Oliver looked at the siblings strangely as they seem to be working out some type of business deal.

"That's not enough. I'm going to need at least a baker's dozens," she countered. "And not a shot lower or the deals off."

Marcus made a face. "Fine," he gritted out.

Chelsie turned around, feeling she had gotten the best of her little brother. "Nice doing business with you." She smiled before being to walk towards the door back into the building. "Now come on inside and wash up for dinner."

"Okay. Can I say bye to Oliver first?" he asked.

"Sure, but don't take long," she told him before stepped inside, broom in hand.

As soon as she was out of sight, Marcus turned to Oliver. "No need for applause." He gave a small bow. "I know I'm good." He grinned from ear to ear. "See, told you I'd get a lesson out of her."

"Yeah," Oliver drawled. "But to get the lesson now you have to do something you don't want."

"Now see, that's where you're wrong," Marcus began. "I only made her think that. That way when I did want something from her, it would be a trade on my terms."

"So you tricked her? Isn't that wrong?" Oliver asked.

"I didn't trick her," Marcus defended himself. "Only out strategized her."

"Okay, but why do you want lessons so badly?" he asked. "You'll learn once you start at a Wizarding school."

"I know, I just want to be prepared for when I try out for Quidditch," he explained before saying proudly. "Chelsie's a Quidditch player at school. Best of all the teams."

"Really?" Oliver asked as the two started to walk inside.

"Hell yeah," Marcus said excitedly. "Mum, dad, and me were able to attend a few of her games this year." He pressed the up button on the elevator. "They were zooming through the air and trying to knock the other team players off their brooms. It was awesome!" he almost yelled. "So I've decided I'm going to go to the same school and be a Quidditch player, just like my sister."

"I don't know." Oliver shook his head as they stepped onto the elevator and pushed his floor. "What floor?" he asked Marcus.

"The same," he told him. "And you don't know about what?"

"About Quidditch," he began. "it seems kind of violent."

"Yeah, a little," Marcus admitted as his mind recovered a memory and he grew a little pale. "It was kind of scary when one of the players went down during the last game. I think she broke something, because she just started screaming when she hit the ground." He was silent for a moment as he lowered his head. "But she was fine after seeing the school nurse." His smile returned as he looked at Oliver. "Chels says the nurse is really good. That she's able to fix anything."

"You know, if you're trying to get someone to like the game, you may want to skip the part about the broken bones," Oliver smiled as the elevator doors open and they stepped out.

"Eh," Marcus only shrugged. "I'm this way," he pointed down the hall. "How about you?"

"Down this hall," Oliver pointed in the opposite direction.

"Okay, cool. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow then?" Marcus asked. "Me and my family just moved to the building and you're the first kid I've seen around here."

"Yeah, it'll be fun," Oliver told him as he smiled.

"Marcus!" A strong voice said from down the hall. It was Alvin Flint, who was now approaching the pair. "Hello, Oliver." He nodded towards the boy as he put both of his hands on his son's shoulders.

"Hello, Mr. Flint," he greeted him.

Marcus tilted his head back to look at his father. "Marcus, your mother is about to have a fit, if you don't hurry and clean up for dinner."

"Sorry, I was just talking to my new friend."

"Yes, I see." He looked back at Oliver for a moment. "I'm glad you've made friends so quickly, but come now before dinner gets cold." He let go of his son and started back toward his new home.

"I got to go. See you tomorrow," Marcus said quickly and followed his father.

"Bye," Oliver called after him and then turned around to head home himself. He yawned as he entered the door. He then went to finish up the rest of his homework before fixing himself a sandwich and heading upstairs for a bath. After his bath, he climbed into his bed and curled himself into a ball before peacefully falling asleep. As he did, he wondered where his mother was and when she would be home.



"Come on now, just sit back and relax," said the slow, smooth voice of a man. "You'll like it, I swear."

"I don't know," the woman shook her head. "I'm not exactly sure what it is and I don't like the looks of it. Besides, our business for the day is concluded. I should be heading out now."

"Why? What's wrong, Siliva? Don't you trust me?" he asked.

"Well," she debated. "Yes, of course I do."

"Good. Now like I said before: Sit. Relax." Siliva then sat down next to the man. "Don't pretend you're not curious," he told her.

"Well, if you know I'm curious, just go on and tell me what it is," she requested.

"Just something I've discovered in my travels among the Muggles. Now like I said before, you'll like it. I wouldn't offer it, if I didn't think you wouldn't," he explained. "Besides, you're always so stressed and worried about so many things every time I see you. And I just want to see you let go and enjoy life every once in awhile."

She snorted as she shook her head. "I don't have time to enjoy life."

"That's a shame." He looked at her with pity. "But give me this moment and I can change that."

"With this white powder?" She looked at him and then it in disbelief. "I don't understand. There's something more to this, isn't there?"

"No, not at all," he tried to explain. "It is a little overpowering at first, but then you settle into it and the world just seems to float away." He shrugged, "At least for a small time." He then turned to her, his glossy eyes looking into hers. "And wouldn't you like to escape?" He ran his fingers gently across her face. "If only for a little while?"

Siliva reached for his hand and slowly took it away from her face. She then sighed. "I should really get going. I wasn't supposed to be here this long." She stood up and gathered herself.

But before she reached the door, the man's voice called out for her, "What if I told you, I can get you what you need."

"You don't know what I need," she said with her back to him.

"Do you honestly think I don't know about the boy?" He laughed. "If you didn't, you surely don't know who you are dealing with when it comes to me."

"Then if you know I have a son, why do you keep me here for days?" she asked as she turned back towards him.

"No, no, no. The question is: why do you stay?"

"There is only one reason I stay and one reason alone. Nothing more and you know that," she told him. "I do what I do for my son."

"And you will continue to do that. But tell me, how much harder will it be on you, if I dropped out? Can you afford that?"

"You wouldn't," she whispered.

He smirked. "I would, because I can always get someone else to satisfy my," he took a breath, "needs. But you on the other hand." He titled his head to the side. "How many would you have to pick up, to equal me?"

Siliva closed her eyes for a moment as she hugged herself. "Fine," she finally spoke before she walked back over and sat down next to him, visibly upset by his threat. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing more than relax," he told her again as a smile slowly donned his features.

To Be Continued. . .

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