Northern Crown [t.r]

Chapter One

  Landing on a street, the loud traffic of central London greeted their ears, almost deafening. Horns wailing, people talking on their phones in an incessant chatter, performers singing and playing instruments, a plane flying overhead.

  Delilah moved to step forward but Tom was stiff. Turning to him, his face was painted in the purest form of shock. Eyes wide, darting back and forth, watching people weave past them wearing odd clothing and everything was so busy.

  He got a headache from the noise alone.

  "You okay?" She squeezed his hand, looking up at him with furrowed brows. His own held a crease between, his mind moving at rapid pace to keep up and process everything.

  He felt relief flood through him, though. London was whole, tall buildings scraped the clouds and gleamed with slick glass. Life was surrounding him. Even after the disasters of the bombs, the giant only appeared to grow.

  Delilah had told him they won the war, but now he was standing in living proof that Britain had persevered.

  "I'm okay."

  Offering him a smile, she began down the streets, her mental map coming back to her as they walked, like fish in a busy stream. Tom kept to her side, not daring to let her go in case he or she got swept away in the undertow.

  Delilah looked at ease, she was finally back in her natural environment, after so many months she was back. Tom thought people would be giving them odd looks due to their vintage taste in clothing. But no one spared a glance, too busy wrapped up in such strange box-like contraptions.

  He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "are those the phone things you were talking about?" His tone was one of genuine, childlike intrigue. She couldn't help but smile and she nodded. "If you think that's something, just wait till we turn down the next street."

  She was giddy, excited for him, and he raised a questionable brow. Rounding the corner, he was greeted by the large glowing signs of Piccadilly's Circus, advertising for what he could only assume were shops.

  If he thought the street where they had been was busy this was something else entirely. The circle was also a place of attraction even back in the forties, but with evolution in technology it clearly gained a larger rapport.

  "What's McDonald's?"

  Delilah bit her lip, trying her hardest not to laugh. This whole situation was just odd. Shaking her head, she tugged him along, the two getting lost in another swarm of people. "C'mon let's get a change of clothes and then you can eat. After we need to try to find out where the Order is located."

  They entered a clothing shop, Tom didn't see the name but it was massive. Blinding white lights shone above them, it made his eyes hurt and he kept his focus in front of him. "The Order?" He asked, eyeing an oddly patterned shirt they walked by.

  Muggles dressed so strangely.

  Delilah brought them to a stop in front of the women's section. Tom didn't really need new clothes, sure he looked old school but it was charming in nature. She on the other hand, looked like she just stepped out of a pinup photo shoot.

  "It's a secret society Dumbledore formed, to fight Vol-" she stopped herself, her tongue going dry. She'd almost forgotten the name was now taboo.

  That could've been disastrous.

  Imagine it, a swarm of Death Eaters crashing down inside a Miller's Outpost only to be greeted by a younger version of their Dark Lord.

  Taking a breath, she began to rifle through a stack of jeans, "to fight You-Know-Who. You can't say his name, it's jinxed to alert the location of whoever says it... God I haven't worn jeans in ages I don't even remember my size." She grumbled.