An Enemy's Return.
Harry pulled his coat off the back of his chair as the clock struck four. He stood up and peered over the top of the cubical wall. "You almost finished, Ron? " He asked his best friend with a smirk on his face.
"Yeah," Ron replied grateful that his hard day at work was finally over, "let me just put away these papers and then we can go."
After leaving the ministry they walked along the buzzing London Street. The streets were so crowded that it was difficult for Harry to hear himself think let alone actually carry out a conversation with his friend. After a few minutes or looking for somewhere to go for something to drink Ron finally beckoned for Harry to follow him into a well known pub, the Knight's Arms and he sat down in a nearby booth in the corner whilst Ron went to order.
"Shacklebolt was in a right bad mood today eh, Harry?" Ron started. Harry agreed,
"He wasn't in the greatest of moods, no," he took a mouthful of his Budweiser and carried on, "But at least he is better than Fudge." They both laughed at the memories of Fudge's ill attempt at domination over Hogwarts four years ago.
In an effort to keep the conversation flowing, Harry asked the first thing that popped into his mind, "So...How's you and Hermione going?" After asking Ron, Harry realised that this only made things awkward. Ron thought about his reply, he wasn't too sure how to do so. " Erm... Yeah, alright. I mean good! Like not good as in rocky or nothing because I really like her and, well, I think she likes me, well I hope she likes me, I mean it wouldn't be a great relationship if she didn't like me, you know? Like it would be quite bad actually...-"
Harry held up a hand to halt Ron's verbal waterfall that inevitably would have lead to him doubting himself and whether his girlfriend actually did like him or not. " I get it, it's going well."
Ron smiled sheepishly, " 'Well'... Why didn't I think of the word 'well'? I mean it's so simple." After mentally kicking himself he asked the question that he knew he was going to regret:
"...You?"
"Yes, things with Ginny are going very well thanks. Really well actually-" This time it was Ron that held up his hand.
"Erm, you can spare me the details, thanks."
Harry chuckles nervously, " oh, right, yeah. Sorry." As they both finished the remainder of their drinks they gathered their things and headed out the door. In the space of about an hour the chilly winter afternoon had shifted to a darker and colder twilight.
There were less people about now but still enough that walking down the street still required some manoeuvring around other pedestrians walking in the opposite direction. Harry and Ron were talking whilst casually walking down Oxford street heading towards Grimmauld Place when suddenly Harry was forced sideways by a man knocking into his shoulder as he walked past. As he did so the man looked back at him, the man huffed at Harry's apparent lack of respect and carried on down the street.
It was then that Harry realised who he was. It was the face of someone he never hoped to see again...