Isolation

Albus frowned, slightly, "That's......that's bloody irresponsible of them. You need to face the consequences of your actions, not thrust them on other people." He couldn't imagine how he would react if someone just dropped a kid on his doorstep. Oh, he would take care of her no doubt, he was reliable that way, but the child would very often be at the mercy of creche workers. His words trailed off into the air, "Its a decent thing, what you did."

Albus breathed, for a few more minutes, almost absently gazing at the kaleidoscope of colours around him, then propped his hands on the couch and pushed himself up. He staggered slightly, the world was swaying around him, and his eyes were flickering shut every few seconds. "I guess I have to be go-" A large, jaw-ripping yawn. "-ing now. I'll see y-you l-later." He took a stuttering step, then turned back.

With great effort, his eyes zoomed on a red-and-white blob which he assumed was Jack's face. He suppressed another yawn, "I..um..thanks Jack." His throat was feeling slightly dry, like sandpaper. He averted his eyes from the blob. "For..uh..everything." Merlin, he hoped Jack wouldn't suddenly have an oblivious, thick moment and ask him to explain. He had put on his mask, and apologised and smiled and thanked many people before in his life. Somehow, those two words seemed so much more difficult to pronounce when there was meaning behind them.

Jack shrugged. "My brother used to be this horrid tightwad. He practically disowned me because I wouldn't hole myself up and study like him. I'm kind of glad he's doing something more than sitting pretty. Of course, I'd like, for Sunny's sake, for him to be more responsible, but I don't regret any part of it. I may never have met Sunny unless I was her last option." Jack had hated the idea of getting stuck with the redheaded girl originally, but now... she loved having her around, even if it was a tad inconvenient.

"That's why I do these things. For the glamour," she joked. She glanced up as he stood, looking really uncertain on his feet. She rolled her eyes, planning on giving him no choice but to stay the night - she was sure Max wouldn't mind. She collected the bottles and walked across the room, setting them atop a table and turning back to him, putting her hand out.

"Gimme your jacket. Your staying here. This is an extra room, and my roommate needs to learn to interact with other people anyway. And you better just give now because, if you don't, I'll have Sunny use her pouty face, and then you'd never want to leave."

"Oh...um..." Albus blinked rapidly. He had to argue back, of course he did. He had to eloquently, painstakingly explain his point, of how he was pissed off his mind and Jack definitely didn't need to deal with a grumpy, hung-over version of him next morning, of how she had already done a lot for him, except eloquently and painstakingly explaining anything was far beyond Albus's mental capacities at the moment. And the thought of not Apparating or travelling or moving at all right now was sounding bloody attractive.

"Okay." He peeled off his worn, dripping wet jacket laboriously, then dropped it on Jack's open hand. He was just about to enquire after a bed, when the Fates decided to make things a bit easy for him, and threw about a million gallons of water into his surroundings. Ergo, the colours blended and entirely dissolved, and Albus reeled, head suddenly too heavy for his body to bear.

Clunk.

That would be the sound of his head hitting the carpet.

Lying prostate, face up into the light, eyelids glued shut, Albus heard his voice proclaiming deliriously, "Th-thanks Jack. You're a good friend."

Blackness.

Jack tried to bite back a smile. The poor fellow didn't realize how exhausted he looked - he was almost swaying on the spot, blinking at her. It was obvious the gears were working, but nothing seemed to be getting through. She was sure Albus didn't realize just how taxing the whole night had really been on him. And she was absolutely certain that he had not thought through the possibility of even attempting apparation in his current state. He really only had one option.

And he finally saw it. She smiled triumphantly and took the jacket from him, briefly shaking the rain off. She looked back up at him to instruct him that the couch folded out and that there were linens in the cupboard when-

"Or the floor. That works too."

She flicked her wand and a blanket floated from the closet and curled itself around her guest. She pulled a cushion off the couch and carefully lifted his head, placing the pillow under his head. She straightened up and shook her head. "You too, dufus."

And she turned out the light and left him to sleep away the troubles of the night.


At six o'clock, a large gong sounded from Jack Dyllan's room.

"AHHH!"

A hissed voice responded, "Sunny, I told you, it's just my alarm clock!"

"I know. I just like to yell."

Jack stumbled out of bed, fishing for her clothes for work - and since work was Quidditch practice, she donned her Falcons shorts and a baggy grey shirt. She pointed a wand at her hair, flattening it a bit as she stumbled downstairs, yawning the whole way. Incidentally, her yawns sounded like mini lion roars.

She was yanking out pots and pans when Sunny came thundering downstairs, clad in another strange outfit - a tutu, overalls, and a hard helmet today. All of Jack's pets followed the six year old, adding to the noise. (That was a spectral dog, a cursing ferret, and an enchanted ottoman.)

Jack began cooking some bacon and eggs, while Sunny sat herself at the table.

"Where'd your friend go?"

"He's in the guest room."

"He is! Can I go wake him up? Is he going to live with us? Does he like ostriches? Because he can't live here if they aren't at least his third favorite animal. I'd better go ask-"

"Sunny. Lower your voice."

"But it's my house. Not his. If he didn't want to hear me, he should have got his own house."

Jack grinned. "Perhaps your right, Sunny. I forgot that your the ruler of this small island."

Sunny crossed her arms proudly and nodded. "You bet I am."

He and his mother were dancing together. He was taller than her, she only came up to his shoulder. He twirled her, once, twice. She was laughing, laughing delightedly. He smiled.

Until she turned into James, who smirked and winked, "Hey Alby."

Then his head was mercilessly dunked into a toilet, which now that you think about it, looks rather odd in the middle of a ballroom. Albus twisted his head, body writhing, limbs flying out and kicking in all directions, "James, gerroff!!"

Then the toilet turned upside down and morphed into a Bubble-Head Charm, and he was in the middle of the Black Lake. Albus blinked. Water was swirling around him, colours blending and flowing freely. Jack was sitting on a broom, far away, at the end of the lake, waving at him. Her mouth moved, and Albus could make out, "You too, dufus." Or dweeb. Or something like that.

GONG.

Albus jerked up, heart pumping wildly. He was sitting on a...cold carpet, which would explain all the aching joints. He placed his hands on the floor, and attempted to hoist himself up; and vertigo hit him as hard as a speeding truck. He actually gasped out loud in pain, then clutched his forehead tightly. Ow. Ow, ow, ow.

AAAHHH!!

To say that Albus winced would be an understatement. His heart practically seized up. Sleep, sleep.....the carpet called out to him temptingly, but its voice was cruelly drowned by bangs and crashes. From the kitchen presumably. Albus half-growled, then stood up with a superhuman effort that would shame Hercules. Hangover or not, he meant to give those noise-polluting idiots a piece of his mind.

He trudged out of the door, when he would have liked nothing more than to stomp, and rounded out into the hallway. His mouth opened, wide. Then it closed.

Jack was standing there, making eggs and bacon. Her normally muscly arms were now flipping the saucepan, and her mouth moved relentlessly, talking to the relentless ball of energy sitting at the table. An wavy lock of red hair drifted down the right side of her face. She looked almost....domestic.

Albus had meant to yell. Loud. Why wasn't he yelling?

"Morning."

As Sunny began rattling off facts about ostriches that the average person really should know, Jack's attention was caught by a sudden addition of a male voice. She turned around to see Albus in his wrinkled clothing from the night before, features sunken in with the classic signs of a hang over. There was something of irritability in his expression, but it had long lost to a sort of confusion. She was fairly sure he thought he was still dreaming. She grinned at him.

"Morning, princess," she said. Sunny pushed her hand into her mouth and giggled, whispering to Elliot, "It's funny 'cause he looks like he might be cranky and his hair is sticking up!" The white wolfhound yawned in response and eyed the stranger curiously.

Jack flicked her wand and a coffee mug floated towards Albus - of course, Sunny stood on her chair, waving her arms at the mug to try and catch it, though she failed. "Some black coffee may be in order. Sorry about the noise - I have a strict practice schedule and have to get Sunny to daycare. Morning's are pretty vital to us."

She flicked her wand again and a glass of orange juice sat itself before Sunny, who was eyeing their guest rather sassily. "You like ostriches, don't you?" she demanded.

"You're a pest," Jack teased, briefly leaving the stove to pour Elliot and Fred their daily food. Mongo the ottoman had found his sock supply and was happily eating away. Jack returned to the stove and began placing the eggs and bacon on a large platter. She reached over and grabbed a broomstick - a regular old muggle one - and banged it on the ceiling. "Breakfast, Max!"

She glanced over at Albus. "Feel free to relax and fill up."

Princess?

Albus was offended. Very, very much offended. And add to that Sunny's morning screeches weren't really doing wonders for his hangover. This would be a very good time to resume his previous plan, and start yelling.

He quietly moved to the other end of the table, and sat down.

The bitter, strong scent of black coffee wafted up his nose, and Albus batted with the dual instincts of swooning, or retching. He decided to do neither, and downed a large gulp. The black liquid flushed down his throat, and the headache dimmed from a hundred hippogriffs stampeding, to fifty blacksmiths treating his head like an anvil. Relative improvement.

"Yes." He said in a reply to Sunny, though he wasn't quite sure what he had affirmed. His thoughts were a bit....tumbled. Flashes from the previous night dawned through his memory, and a slow, hot flush started working its way up his neck, and through his cheeks. No no, he had definitely not said that. Or that, either. Or......Albus almost succumbed to the temptation of pressing his face against the table and never resurfacing. The prospect of running out of the place and never being seen again was rather tempting, if it had not been the most rude, impolite thing ever to do.

Damn Grandma Molly and damn manners.

"Uhm...about yesterday...." Albus fiddled with his coffee mug, and then suddenly caught a glimpse of his distorted reflection in its polished surface. Merlin he looked horrible. Like a giant had swallowed him and puked him back up whole. His hands unconsciously started flattening his hair, straightening his clothes from yesterday. He cleared his throat awkwardly, "Um..thanks. For bearing with me, and not throwing me out and...um..its much appreciated." Wow, formal much?

God, he wanted to die.

Wait a second......"Max?"

Jack had never been the good roommate she currently was until Sunny had moved in. When Jack had lived with Nemo, she had mostly stuck to herself when it came to household stuff. She'd make herself a quick breakfast, clean up part of the mess, and leave to go train. She had never had someone who needed her to do basic things like cook and clean for them and, while it was strange, when something was needed of Jack, she typically rose to the challenge.

She went to the sink to wash her hands free from any food juices and sent a tall glass of water to the table for herself - Max could get his own drink. She set out four plates and dropped a small pile of silverware on the table. She double checked the stove, wiped off her hands, and finished the breakfast routine off by placing the platter in the middle of the table.

As she did, Albus addressed her. She was confused at first, but she slowly realized his distance must come from the sudden realization of how heavy their conversation really had been yesterday. Still - had she not made it perfectly clear that he was free to say anything to her? She had given him a free pass. She would not suddenly change her mind and turn him out.

She quirked an eyebrow and sat, staring at him. "Sure, mate. It really was no problem, you know. We're good." She nodded, hoping he understood she also meant the secrets they had traded were fine. No reason to worry about them now, not if they had an agreement, anyway.

She helped Sunny shovel some food onto her plate, before she scooped up her own helping. As she bit into a piece of bacon, Albus asked a single word. Jack remembered that Albus had not met her roommate - and probably didn't realize she had one.

"Oh. He's my roommate - though, I guess it's more like housemate. I think he's home..." She looked up at the ceiling and shrugged.

Albus absently wondered if he had gotten up in some kind of alternate reality.

It certainly seemed like it. First his throat refused to cooperate with him, then Jack Dyllan made him breakfast, all the while her niece prattled on about...ostriches, and now he was getting the wierdest sensation in his stomach as he was informed that aforementioned Dyllan had a room-mate named Max.

Strange. Jack had enough money to stay in a house of her own, surely. She was a professional Quidditch player, she could definitely afford it. She didn't strike him as an excessively social person either, or one who could bear to actually live with random people without slicing their heads off. Maybe this person wasn't random. Sunny sure beamed brightly on hearing his name. Or maybe Jack was just lonely.

That thought caused another sensation to twist through his stomach, a curling stabbing feeling. Albus didn't like it at all. He sipped at his coffee, opting to stay away from solid food for a while, rather wisely in his opinion. He begun almost casually, "Really? You've never mentioned him before......what does he do?"

There, another glaring evidence of how this was a parallel dimension. If this had been his right world, he would have been asking, no demanding a hangover remedy. No, instead he was inquiring after her room-mate. Maybe they called that yearly Mungo's check-up compulsory for a reason.

((I missed this thread. So there. ))

She wiped her hands off and made sure to double check the entirety of the kitchen - she had caught her last kitchen on fire approximately six times and had managed not to make that blunder once in her new home. She did not want to start today. What a way to invite Albus into her home? Have him help her put out a fire while Max and Sunny screamed and huddled in a corner.

Certain nothing was amiss, she wiped her hands on her gym shorts and made her way to the table, sitting down. She looked about, happy at the little feast she had prepared. Without magic, her food always came out charred black. With the help of a few spells, she was able to ensure her food did not become fully engulfed in the flames.

She piled some eggs and bacon onto her plate and began to dig in, though she did not get far before Albus stopped her, asking a question about Max. Jack swallowed shrugging. "Not much to mention. We've only been housemates for, what, a month? Yeah, that's about right, a month. He's something to do with the muggle department in the Ministry. He's quiet. But he's turning out to be odd, just the way we like, huh, Sunny?"

Sunny looked at Albus to confirm the matter. "He told me he'd help me hide a baby ostrich from Jack if she said I couldn't have one."