June 21st, 1890 — Padmore Park

Since the encounter with the little rich girl in the book shopYuri had had a great deal to think about.  The prospect of starting Hogwarts had always seemed like something that was very far away, or like the parish school where he would be able to abscond whenever he liked and no one would mind, or care.  It didn't sound like Hogwarts was that sort of place, it sounded like he was about to be watched like a hawk every minute, of every hour of every day. And he wasn't sure how he felt about that.  The idea that someone, even an unknown someone might care enough about him to bother with his whereabouts on an hourly basis was a strange and disconcerting feeling.  Thinking about it brought an angry sour taste to his mouth that he didn't care to explore any further

In a fit of angry pique, he dropped the stone, and hurled a kick at it whipping it through the air.  where it made contact with another person with a solid, and perhaps painful thunk

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Billie Farrow

  

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MJ Made Beautiful Things!

Billie's cheeks were pink from joyously romping about with some local urchins. Since they didn't have enough broomsticks between them, the young children had set about 'playing quidditch' in a rather muggle sort of fashion. They pretended sticks were their brooms, and they tossed about makeshift balls as if they were bludgers and quaffles. At least one kid had developed a black eye from a bludger attack. The kids hadn't yet figured out how to incorporate the stitch, so they merely played until they exhausted themselves. Her team was, after much insistence, The Nifflers, of course.

It was with a grin that she strode down the path, heading in the direction of home. She replayed 'highlights' from the game in her head, not at all suspecting she was about to be viciously assaulted by a rock. The small thing pinged off of her chin, and she let a stream of expletives pour from her mouth that would make any respectable person blush. She earnestly rubbed at her chin, blinking away the surprise tears that liked to spring forth when one was struck in the face.

With narrowed eyes, Billie zeroed in on the culprit, a scruffy looking kid she was sure she didn't know. Trying to make herself appear taller and more intimidating, the girl marched her way over to him, hackles raised. "Flippin' heck! What was that for, Gibface?"

  

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

Yuri wasn’t annoyed that he wasn’t often included in the games the other street kids played – He wasn’t. Or rather he told himself he wasn’t. He didn’t look on enviously as they played, sullen and pouting in his maturity, insisting that he didn’t really want to play games anyway and that only children played games and he was 21. 21 year olds didn’t make believe quidditch – and they didn’t go to Hogwarts as first years! It didn’t help that when he was asked he always said no, or told them to fuck off. Rejecting them before they could reject him – or so he thought. So when they gathered to play in the square he would make himself scare, close enough to hear, to torture himself with the games he would’t allow himself to enjoy, but far enough that none of them could see him while they played.

When the person he had hit rounded on him, yuri prepared himself for a row. ’I didn’t mean it did I?’ he snapped back huffily, is tone not in the least bit apologetic as though the other ought to have known from the way the stone struck if it had been an intentional hurt or not. ’You got in my way. ‘Snot my fault you can’t see straight.’ He grumped at the other child. He looked about Yuri’s age. ’’ho are you anyway?’ he demanded, his curiosity getting the better of him.

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MJ Made Beautiful Things!

If the boy before her had been Jimmy, she likely would have already decked him, but her curiosity and lack of familiarity with Yuri stayed her hand. Was he the one who never wanted to play? She squinted slightly, trying determine if it was him, but she had always been too absorbed in village games to take full stock of his appearance.

"How do I know ya didn't mean it or nothin', huh?" She spat back, feigning ferocity; she had a reputation to protect even if she was liable to give him the benefit of the doubt. "In ya way? I ain't in nobody's way. I gotta right to walk here, same as anybody." She grumbled a bit under her breath about how she could see just fine, thank you very much.

Shooting Yuri a scrutinizing look, she purposely let his question hang in the air for an uncomfortable few seconds, as if she didn't quite trust him with the knowledge of her name. "Billie. Who are you?"

  

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

'Yuri' he never gave his surname to anyone, because it took seconds for someone to point out what his name 'meant' and he was honour bound to punch them in the face. He kicked off the wall he had been leaning against and walked closer to the other child. 'Don't take a genius to work out your in the way!' he sniffed back, 'Unless you did summit and expected to be decked' of course this was the sort of strawman, circular logic that only a child of limited education and endless antagonism could possibly concoct.

'You got any food?' he asked brazenly. A bold request to make of a child that moments before he had just assaulted. It had been several days since Yuri's last visit to the home, and experience on the street told him that if he didn't ask he didn't get. This kid didn't seem like he'd be worth pick pocketing, but he might have the doots* of an apple or something that would tide him over and buy him a few more precious hour of freedom.

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*slang for the core

  

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MJ Made Beautiful Things!

Normally, she would have told the kids she was glad to meet him, but she had get to determine if his presence was a good thing or not. Instead, she simply inclined her head in recognition.

His logic had her glaring and unable to connect the dots about how he'd arrived at such a conclusion. "You're the one who should be decked! Kickin' rocks at people is just an invitation for someone to kick ya face."

Yuri's question about food had her taken aback. He had the nerve to blame her for his poorly aimed rock kick, and then ask her for food? What was wrong with this kid? "Why should I give ya anything?"

Yet part of her felt bad. What if he was like how she'd been not too long ago? No, she shouldn't go feeling sorry for a bully.

  

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

He ignored her retort - he had no cogent logical fall back position, as with everything Yuri did spite, vitriol and ignorance held dominion over him and his mouth often ran ahead of his brain, chasing him into a logical cul de sac from which he had no escape.

In response to her question he gave a diffident shrug, 'If you dun got none, it dun matter.' Yuri was rather good at affecting an unbothered tone. 'You dun look like you have nuffin'*' he offered, yet another insult. The other child, Billie, looked well fed and healthy, he had heard, after his encounter with the rich girl that Hogwarts gave you all the food you could eat. 'You in school? Is that why you're gandy*?'

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*If you don't have anything it doesn't matter...You don't look like you have anything
*Gandy = portly/chubby

  

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MJ Made Beautiful Things!

The truth was, she didn't have anything to give. If she had food, it didn't hang around long enough to take up residence in her pockets. From growing up with her mother and then on her own, she'd learned to gobble up food as soon as you possessed it, or it might end up the property of another. It was a difficult habit to break, even though Gideon made sure of it that she didn't go hungry.

"That's 'cause I ate it," she blurted out, not particularly taking kind to the unwarranted insults Yuri was tossing about. If he'd apologized or otherwise seemed agreeable, she might have considered having him follow her and shared what might be lingering about the wand shop. However, any glimmer of wanting to aid him in his quest was snuffed out by his sour disposition. Didn't he know you had to at least feign being agreeable in order for people to help you?

"I ain't gandy!" She nearly shouted, glancing down at herself. Despite being well-fed, she was still a skinny, little thing, all elbows and knees. That was likely thanks to the fact it was difficult to keep her still. "No, I ain't in school. Not 'til September. An' what's that got to do with being gandy?" She didn't bother asking if he was in school. He certainly didn't appear to be the type.

  

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

She wasn't of course, but then in comparison to the starving boy who weighed about as much as a picture of himself she was definitely of a more healthy constitution. Being on the streets did not help Yuri's constitution, he would go days with only the scraps from the bakery or tea room bins to eat, presuming the cats didn't get to them first, but he fought more than one mangey creature for a half decent looking meat pie. He woulnd't have been much better off at the home, but at least this way he wasn't beaten.

'I 'erred going to the big school makes you gandy*' he dropped his head and looked at the dusty street, 'I'm fer the school in September too - to meant to be, prolly wont' go.' he gave a disgusting hacking sniff that shifted the phlegm at the back of this throat, like a seasoned smoker and spat it onto the ground. Yuri had never smoked a day in his life, but that sort of snorting spits seemed to be the hallmark of old men and he was rather keen that his attendance, or otherwise at the school was his own choice and no one else's and men made those sort of decisions didn't they.

'Your mum and dad making you go?'

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*I heard going up to the big school makes you Gandy

  

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MJ Made Beautiful Things!

Billie lifted her shoulders, unknowingly. Most of what she knew about Hogwarts was secondhand. Arnie's brother had mentioned some sort of feast. Perhaps, that's what Yuri was referring to? She'd be content that school had food at all, to tell the truth.

"I dunno if it does that, but my friend says there's a feast or somethin' when ya get there." Her tone was passive, not wanting to drawn out the boy's unpleasant nature again. "And a sorting that he said made him real nervous like." The older boy wouldn't tell them exactly what happened, so Billie's imagination, of course, had a field day.

When Yuri spat, she appeared unbothered. It wasn't uncommon for her to spit in a similar fashion, another habit Gideon wouldn't be pleased about she was sure. "Why ya not gonna go? Don't ya wanna learn magic?" The fact she would soon get her very own wand and be able to perform magic was what excited her about school. She wasn't prepared for the rules or the assignments bit, but she'd decided it might be a good enough trade off if it meant she could cast spells.

"Kinda. Gid--Mr. Ollivander was gonna make me, but I think I wanna go now. 'Cause people say it's kinda fun. Mostly."

  

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

'What's the sortin?' he asked, the mask of indifference slipped and genuine interest displaying on his sallow features. When he had heard the term before it was usually from the Beadle who often said that boys like Yuri needed 'sorting out' - perhaps it was something like that, where they take them out the back and sort the good ones from the bad ones. If that was the case Yuri wouldn't end up staying in the school for very long - if someone ever needed sorting out it was Yuri.

'Never saw much use in school' he sniffed, 'EVen with magic' the fact that he couldn't read or write was just a small problem that he was trying not to think about it. 'Besides, lots of rich kids being gits' Yuri rolled his shoulders, as though shrugging off his discomfort, 'don't need to be arounds dicks like that.' For a moment he was a scared 10 year old, for just a second the gruffness which he wore like a mask slipped away and he was a frightened lonely little boy who kept the world away through kicks and spits. Then it was buried again, pushed down deep inside . 'You'd have to be vaisy* to want to be around sucking up to rich brats'

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*Mentally deficient

  

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MJ Made Beautiful Things!

"I guess it's thing that they do that tells ya what house you gotta be in. I'm not sure why you have to live in different houses, but Arnie's brother said it ain't like regular houses. And that we just gotta wait and see." Which, to her, sounded kind of ominous. She was sure he was just trying to tease them and make them more nervous for next year, but she couldn't help feeling anxious. What if they hated her there?

"I didn't really see no point either," Billie admitted, sheepishly. She'd been raised, up until she was nine, by a cruel, working class woman who didn't care to ensure she amounted to anything. School just wasn't an option. She'd scoffed at Gideon when he'd even mentioned it. However, now that she'd learned to read and met others who had attended, she found herself dreaming for something better. "But if I wanna work with nifflers and other magical creatures, I haveta learn somethin'."

She listened to Yuri's concerns and frowned. Would they have to suck up to rich kids there? "Well good thing there ain't gonna be just rich kids. Me and my fr--erm Jimmy and Arnie are all going, and we ain't rich." Even though Gideon was rather comfortable as far as money went, Billie didn't consider herself falling under that category. She carried on as she always had, aside from trying to speak more properly around people like him. Shit, was that what Yuri meant? "And loads others, too from Hogsmeade. And I bet others from London and other places, too. So ya can be around them."

  

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

Yuri bit the inside of his lip to try and stop himself from asking something that might sound vaguely interested or enthusiastic. The propspect of other kids, who were not like the little girl from the book shop, rich, spoiled and able to read already.

Yuri kicked at a rock that was by his shoe sending up a shower of dirt and dust. 'So can you...' he started and thens topped himself, lookng off down the street and up in the air at nothing in particular, anything to not look interested in the conversation at hand. 'C'en you read then?' he took a deep breath and huffed it out quickly, 'Cen you read?' he finished in one breath

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MJ Made Beautiful Things!

Billie furrowed her brows, waiting rather patiently for Yuri to ask his question. While she might have enthusiastically and proudly declared that should could indeed read, she took a moment to choose her words carefully. She knew what it was like to be uneducated while many of the children she was around or played with were allowed to attend the village school. She assumed the skinny boy was the same.

"Yeah," she admitted, "But I didn't know how to before I lived here. Mr. Ollivander made me learn how 'cause he said it helps make ya useful and successful. I didn't really like it 'till I found out there's whole books about nifflers and broomsticks."

She paused, trying to be gentle with her question. "Do...can you?"

  

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

Yuri shuffled his feet,and regretted asking the question immediately when Billie asked if could read. His sallow face turned a blotchy pink as the colour filled his features in embarrassment. ’Reading is stupid.’ he grumped, unlike when he had snapped at the rich girl in the book shop this was a sheepish mumbling. She had been a rich girl, spoiled, petted, like a lap dog - this was different - this was a kid like him.


’Did Ollivander buy you from the work’ouse?’ he asked, that seemed like an odd set up. Someone had bought him from the workhouse once before, it was the only reason he could think of that someone would take in a ratty kid with no belonging to them and put any money into them.


’Is he nice?’ he pressed, still not looking at Billie, 'Like he dun beat you or nuffin?'

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MJ Made Beautiful Things!

Billie knew that simply stating the opposite wasn't going to change Yuri's mind on the subject. It wouldn't have changed her mind at the time. "It's only stupid 'til ya find something good to read." It seemed like a tactful answer. "You should go to the bookshop. They're real nice there. It won't matter or nothin' if ya don't have money. They'll let ya look at the books. Maybe even borrow 'em if ya promise not to steal. Some of 'em have real fancy pictures of dragons and things." That's one of the things that had made her want to learn to read more earnestly. There were so many books with wonderful illustrations, but she didn't know what they were because she couldn't make out the words beneath.

Yuri's question had her blinking, and she quickly shook her head. "No, he just thought I was a real good worker and stuff is all." Which was partly the truth. It was originally why he had taken her in. "Yeah, he's real nice. He ain't like my mum that's for sure. She was a real flippin--" She waved her hands as if she decided thinking up the perfect obscene name to call the woman wasn't even worth her time. Really, Finn just isn't sure if it's era appropriate to call her a cunt.

Sliding her hands into her pockets, she gave the boy another curious look. "Where do you live, then? I ain't seen ya much 'round here before now." Her tone wasn't one of interrogation like it might have been earlier. She simply wondered.

  

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you