Magic, Fairy Tales and Happy Ever After

Magic, Fairy Tales and Happy Ever After

Chapter 2

Kings Park loomed above the city of Perth like a large greenery-covered castle keeping guard over the city and the freeway that wound between them. Perched on top of the park with prime views of the city, the Swan River and beyond was Frasier's Restaurant, one of the top places to dine.

To secure a dinner reservation here for the Saturday before Christmas you had to either book a year in advance or be extremely well connected. But Harry had said to meet him here at the door and Debbie found it impossible to question while she was speaking to him. Now, however, as she shivered in the refreshing breeze that had started to blow in from the south at nightfall, she was beginning to doubt both his sanity and hers.

"I hope you haven't been waiting here too long." The voice right behind her made her jump. She turned sharply and stood there stunned. So accustomed now to a casual blue jeans and T-shirt Harry she almost did not recognize the man in front of her. The effect was breathtaking.

His white linen shirt hung in soft folds, loose and billowing over his lean, muscular frame. The top two buttons were undone, revealing curly black hairs growing in riotous confusion on his chest. The fresh whiteness of the shirt was in direct contrast to his tanned face, bright green eyes and mane of still untamed black hair. With the well-cut black trousers and matching jacket casually slung over his shoulder, Debbie thought he looked like the leading man from an old fashioned romantic movie.

"Those clothes really suit you," she said, hoping that it wasn't blatantly obvious that she was ogling him.

"Do you think so?" he asked, smiling shyly at her. "I just walked into Myer's menswear and asked the lady there to dress me for an evening out."

"I'll bet she had fun with that!"

"Seemed to." He looked down at himself, shaking his head. "I have never owned fancy clothes like these."

"Never? Not even a Sunday suit?" exclaimed Debbie in disbelief.

"No, we had formal... clothes at school, but they were a bit different from this."

Sensing an opportunity to learn a little more about Harry, Debbie jumped at the opening. "What was your school like? I suppose schools in England are a bit different from here."

He looked at her coolly for a moment. "I went to a boarding school. It was in Scotland."

"Boarding school," said Debbie enthusiastically, "that would have been fun!"

"Yes, it was," said Harry, and then nothing more. His lips pressed together, a slight frown on his face. The subject was closed.

As they walked into the restaurant the breeze lifted his fringe. Picked out in stark relief by the overhead lights was a large scar, distinctive in its ugliness and roughly shaped like a lightening bolt. Debbie gasped involuntarily at the sight of it. Harry looked at her sharply and she was painfully aware that she was staring at his forehead.

The table for two was in a prime position by the window. The service was perfect, the food was divine and the wine, recommended by the waiter, was superb. During the meal they discussed various subjects, the weather, the wine, Debbie's favorite holiday spots, and Debbie's family.

Debbie could not help herself; her eyes were constantly drawn back to Harry's forehead and the partially concealed scar. She was dying to ask about it, but every time Harry noticed her staring in that direction, he seemed to stiffen up. So she held her tongue.

"And what about your family?" asked Debbie. "I bet your parents are missing you."

"My parents are dead," Harry's face darkened momentarily, "and I have no other family."

'Oh, no!' thought Debbie, 'that was really putting my foot in it.'

"The scar you keep looking at," continued Harry, in a flat, unemotional tone, "is my legacy from the accident that killed my parents. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Er, what about old school friends?"

This time Harry's face contorted into an uncharacteristic scowl. "I haven't contacted my friends since I left. I found it easier this way."

"But surely they would be worried?" asked Debbie, by now somewhat perplexed.

"Yes, probably. But it is for the best."

They finished their meal with Debbie carefully sticking to light, non-personal topics.

"That was a magnificent meal," said Harry as they exited Frasier's. "Now I believe I could use a walk."

"It's only a short walk to the look out," suggested Debbie. "The view of Perth's lights is amazing."

As they started to walk Debbie could not stop herself from shivering in the cool breeze. Unexpectedly Harry took his jacket and gently placed it over her shoulders, and then he turned to her and held out his hand. Debbie was surprised, but delighted. As she placed her hand in his she could feel an ever so slight tingling sensation

"You must be highly charged," she quipped nervously.

"What?" She could feel her companion stiffen up again.

"I just got a jolt of static electricity," she explained.

Harry relaxed visibly, "Oh, yeah," he grinned, "it's something like that."

The stiff breeze ensured that the look out was only sparsely populated when they got there. They moved to one side where no one else was standing and leant on the rail side by side to take in the view.

The office towers of Perth City stood directly in front of them like a dark forest festooned with fairy lights. At their feet the car lights on the freeway moved and glittered like a fast rushing, brightly glowing river of red and silver. The expanse of Perth Water away to the right was a deep dark abyss in contrast to the city's gaudiness, its inky blackness relieved only by the lights of the ferries and pleasure craft cutting silvery trails across its dark expanse.

Debbie sighed contentedly. "I always feel that this view at night is like something out of a story book. It is so beautiful; every time I see it I renew my belief in the special things of life." She twirled round to look at Harry; his profile was a black silhouette against the city lights. "Things like Magic, and Fairy Tales and Happy Ever After endings."

"What about you, Harry?"

There was a long silent pause.

"I do believe in magic," he said slowly. "And fairy tales are in fact the real stories of someone's pain dressed up as moralistic bedtime stories for little children." He turned to look at her, his green eyes glowing in the dim light. "Happy Ever After, however, does not exist." He paused and sighed. "At least, not for me."

***

He looked long and hard at the girl in front of him. Stray curls of light brown hair were whipping in untidy tendrils across her face. It was a nice face, not classically beautiful, but a face that shone with its owner's inner beauty. Her beauty was based on honesty, confidence, intelligence, warm heartedness, idealism and purity of spirit.

In some ways she reminded him very much of another brown haired girl, except for two things. Magic and fairy tales.

Harry could not resist an inward smile. Debbie had no idea there was a darker side even to these. She knew nothing of the reality of magic, light and dark, power, pain and politics. And when he was with her, Harry too, could for a moment, almost forget such a world existed. At least until then next time his phone rang.

That other girl lived very much inside the magical world and he needed somewhere, some one to escape to. That was why he was in Perth. It was a long way from Little Whinging. It was a long way from Hogwarts. In fact, it was a long way from anywhere. That was one of its main attractions.

And it was what had drawn him to Debbie. Magic to this wonderful girl was something in story books. She knew nothing of Dark Wizards and The-Boy-Who-Lived. She just knew Harry and liked him at face value.

"Are you okay, Harry?" she asked, obviously concerned.

He moved a step closer to her, still staring into her eyes.

"I'm fine," he whispered as he leant forward and gently kissed her lips.