As Tonks entered the battered door to the Green Dragon Tavern with Blenkinsop Waterbut at her side, she felt more awake then she had felt in a long time, almost as if she was hit with a bucket of freezing cold water to wake her up. As she walked through the door she took a closer look at the man at her side. He was a small yet jolly looking man. His hair was still thick and orange fading to white in color. It looked a bit messy; like he didn’t care that it was not neatly brushed. Dressed in a bright green tunic shirt over dark brown trousers, he had a black belt around his waste and wore a silver necklace of a dragon intertwined with a phoenix about his neck.
As Tonks turned her gaze from the man, she gasped as she looked at her surroundings. Somehow, she had been expecting a tavern room full of drunken wizards and witches sitting at tiny booths or tables. In her mind, there should have been a bar at the back of the room for the staff to prepare the food, which would smell of stale beer or fish.
What she saw was a cheerful woman who came rushing up to pull her into a hug, as if she was a long lost daughter who had finally come home. There was a scent of fresh baked bread and apple pie straight from the oven. There were couches and comfortable looking chairs set in circles around circles of earth that held beautiful flowers and plants. Holes were cut in the varnished wood flooring to allow the plants to grow. Glancing up to see how plants could grow without sunlight, she saw windows all over the ceiling that reflected the small camp fires that also were dispersed through out the room within the circles formed by the couches, chairs, and flowers. Small tables were next to the benches to place things on. Tonks swore she could almost feel a warm summer breeze dancing through the room as she was lead to one of the benches.
The woman who had greeted her gently pushed her into one of the chairs with a grin on her face. The woman was small, petite, but the warm glow that came out from her cheeks could warm any heart! She was sturdy looking and dressed in a plain but beautiful green robe that had simple trim of roses about the neckline and had a black belt around her waste. She wore a necklace that matched Blenkin’s with the dragon and phoenix intertwined together. “I knew you the moment you walked through the door! You must be Nymphadora Tonks! I have heard so much about you! It also does not surprise me to find you a guest here, knowing Remus as I do. My name is Nelly Waterbut and I know Blenkinsop has introduced himself. You can call him Blenkin, everyone does. Excuse me while I go find you a bit of dinner, you must be famished!” said Nelly as she rushed off towards the back of the room.
Tonks was still staring about her, seeing a few others in the room, but not able to quite make out any faces.
“Privacy means a lot to our guests. There is a magic about my little tavern here that will allow people to see those they must or who could give them some advice with their problems; otherwise, anonymity is treasured,” said Blenkin, as if he were reading her mind.
Tonks got her first good look at the jolly little man, who seemed to start glowing upon entering his tavern. He was a small-framed man, but there was an energy about him that Tonks just could not explain. His presence more then filled the room in which she sat. In fact she almost forgot she was in a room and not out in a meadow sitting at a campfire. The warmth from the fire was causing her fingers and toes to tingle after being out in the winter cold for so long. Her tears were drying upon her cheeks and she glanced down at herself expecting to see her tattered clothing from her dash down the road, but instead found herself wearing a plain white dress that was soft and beautiful in its simplicity.
“You looked like you needed something less tattered to wear,” explained Blenkin with a wink as he passed her a bowl of warm water and a washcloth. Tonks looked at him in surprise. “To wash your face with, my dear. I’m sure those tears will come again, but they need not remain for the moment.”
After Tonks washed her face, Nelly returned with some stew and corn bread. Much to her surprise, she did feel hungry as the scent of the stew reached her nose. The corn bread reminded her of weekends of baking with her mother as a young girl. There were times she really missed those days! Soon the food was all eaten and she looked up to see Blenkin and Nelly smiling down at her.
“Now off to get some sleep young lass,” said Blenkin, “You have much to do come the morn.” He helped her to her feet and guided her to a set of stairs that led to a second level she had not seen when entering. In fact, looking about the room it seemed to have changed, the fires fading as she walked up the stairs. Tonks barely remembered being escorted to a room that had the blankets and sheets turned down for her. She was shown the bathroom and the jolly couple disappeared, but the energy about them remained to cheer her heart. She quickly relieved herself and then fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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Tonks awoke the next morning and snuggled into the sheets. They seemed so soft! |She wondered why she had awoken. Then she heard the gentle tapping at her door. She sat up and called, “Come in!”
Nelly came in carrying a tray of bacon, eggs, toast, oatmeal, fresh fruit, orange juice, and a big glass of milk. “I thought you could use a good breakfast this morning! Eat up and when you are ready come down, Blenkin and I will explain to you a little about our tavern here,” said Nelly as she set the tray down on the bed. “There is a clean gown in the closet there for you to change into after you eat.” Then Nelly smoothed Tonks’ hair out of her eyes and disappeared out the door again.
I’ll never be able to eat all of this, thought Tonks, as she tasted a bit of everything on the tray. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until she realized she had consumed everything. Thinking back on her life recently, she realized that she hadn’t been eating much and maybe it was finally starting to catch up with her; she really couldn’t make herself eat as depressed as she was lately. Until entering this tavern and waking up refreshed for the first time in months, she had not noticed just how depressed and worried she had been. Tonks made a promise to herself to try to deal with things better in the future.
After Tonks had eaten and washed up, she found herself back in the common room of the inn. In the daylight she saw just how beautiful the tavern was as she admired the beautiful murals along all the walls. The different styles seemed to add to the beauty, contrasting with each other. Art from centuries past flowed into art from the present and the sun streamed down from the windows in the ceiling. There was a bar at the back of the room, although she did not see it at first, since it blended into the mural that surrounded it on both sides. The wood was delicately carved with dragons and phoenixes, roses and thorns; the statues surrounding it were of dragons and phoenixes; and figures in garb from many different time periods were highlighted at the back where most bars keep their liquors.
When she reached the last step of the stairs, Blenkin was there to greet her with a hug. He reminded her of a sweet old grandfather, who doted on his grandchildren. He guided her back to the chair that she had been sitting in the evening before.
As she sat, Nelly was there with a glass of hot tea for each of them. Nelly and Blenkin sat on couch right at Tonks side. They faced her and Blenkin said, “'Tis only troubled hearts and minds that find their way here. 'Tis the reason we made this tavern of ours. To give hope and confidence back to those who have lost them. To bring those in the deepest despair a shoulder to cry on and a place of peace in which to face the issues that otherwise they hide from. After a few good meals and a good night’s rest, it is time for you to work through your troubles. Know that you are safe here and that Nelly and I are here to support you through this darkness.
“There are three doors for you to walk through today. One will take you to the past, one to the present, and one to the future. Guidance for the issues in your heart and mind will you find through these doors. Take your time between each door to gather yourself together. Know that there are those who love you and who are there with you always. We will give you a few moments in which to think about what brought you here, but then it will be time to face your problems, your heart, and your mind,” said Blenkin as he and Nelly both stood up to give her a few moments in which to think.
The Longing Heart by Cwiddy
Chapter Notes: Thank you so much to my betas!! Evie and Sandy!! Thanks also to Cheshlin, who always has the first read of my stories and poems!