Chapter 3: The First Step.
Ron and Harry stood in silence in the dimly lit corridor in front of the elevator both still stunned by the revelations they had just been privy to in the office behind them. Not moving to call the elevator, the two young men were both a bit lost in thought. Ron finally sighed and turned to his best friend.
"So…another crazy power hungry person trying to take over the magical world. Sounds just up your alley mate." He pointed out with a hint of a joke.
"Yeah…and you going on a mission in the muggle world again. If your witch is a hottie then you could be having a hell of a vacation after all." Harry chuckled in return.
"Yeah right before I tell her she's a witch, drag her away and inform her that she may have to face a powerful nasty woman who wants to control our world. Sounds very romantic to me." He smirked sarcastically at his friend. "How about we switch missions. I'm sure if you beg Kingsley he will see reason." Ron said a bit too eagerly.
Harry leaned against the corridor wall as he wiped his spectacles in his blue robes.
"No Ron. Actually Kingsley was right. You are the better one for this. Even though I may be more comfortable in the muggle world, I won't have a clue how to get started. You are a lot better when it comes to interacting with people. I know you can do this Ron and whatever you need I will be here for you." He informed the tall ginger before breaking into a smile. "And hey you get to work with Tess again. What could be better than that?" he smirked as Ron returned the smile.
"Well that's the only good part of this whole bloody mission that I can see. It will be good to work with her again I must say." He answered following his friend against the wall.
Tessa Inglefield was a senior officer attached to the Department of Muggle Affairs who had prepped him and was his operation liaison on his previous mission into the muggle world. A few months after his graduation, Ron had been assigned to shadow one David Barker, a crooked wizard suspected in dealing a variety of illegal potions and drugs and had ended up in the heart of London as his investigation had revealed that Barker's circle of associates included a number of muggles who he frequently made deals with at a local club. In order to close down the whole operation, Ron had taken an undercover job in the muggle club as a cleaner/bouncer/gopher for a couple of weeks and had surprisingly blended in enough to gather enough information for the Department to shut down Barker and his drug business.
Ron had actually come a long way with the customs and peculiarities of the muggle world since leaving school thanks in part to Harry but mainly due to his former girlfriend Lavender Brown who loved to frequent the various shops and restaurants of London. Despite this, he would not have made any headway in his mission without Tessa. She had given him a crash refresher course on the main muggle ways and was always just a call away to solve any of his numerous problems as they popped up.
After shaking his head, he heaved his lanky body off the wall next to Harry.
"Might as well get to it then. I'll stop by the Burrow to say goodbye to Mum and Ginny before I come home. See you then. It looks like I will be probably be leaving tomorrow morning." He informed Harry before the elevator door opened with the usual clang and he stepped forward.
"Say hello to Tess for me." Harry said loudly as his head disappeared into the elevator.
o0o
Ron walked past the rows of small open cubicles in the Department of Muggle Affairs before reaching the office of his destination. The door was open and he paused in the doorway to take in the sight of the person he had come to see. She was tall and dark haired with a full body that was currently hunched in front of an open drawer of a filing cabinet. It really was good to see her again.
"Whatever you're looking for will have to wait I'm afraid." He quipped. The woman spun around with her hand on her ample chests.
"Ron! You scared the shit out of me you moron!" she gasped before giving him a genuine smile. He suddenly remembered why he liked this girl so much.
"Nice to see you too Tess. You look great as always." He said returning the smile.
"I was expecting you later but it's really good to see you." The woman gave him a kiss on his cheek before pulling him into the office and shutting the door. He settled down on a seat as Tessa Inglefield tried to clean up her messy desk as she sat down across from him.
"So how have you been? I haven't see you enough since we last worked together. How many hearts have you broken since then I dare to ask." She laughed out. Ron was still smiling.
"Haven't had the time with my work sorry to say. What about you? Still engaged to that house salesman? We could have had a beautiful thing together if you gave me a chance. You're only a few years older than me." He returned with a smirk.
"He's a real estate broker and the only beautiful thing we had together were those lovely dinners in London. I miss that actually." She chucked again before going a bit serious and clearing her long shapely throat.
"So I have been informed by Kingsley that you are heading out on another secret mission into the muggle world and that no one is to know. Can I ask what this is about?" She immediately requested. Ron slowly shook his head.
"Nope. Sorry. All I can say is that I have to find a certain witch, get to know her, then if she is who we think she is, I have to find a way to bring her in safely. Simple." He laughed out softly.
"Do you know where she is?" Tess asked.
"All I have is a name and an address in London. That's where I start I guess and it has to be from tomorrow." He informed her. The young lady across from him leaned back into her chair tapping her fingers against the arm rests before speaking.
"Ok. I'm sure you remember all about muggle transport, money matters and wearing the right clothing. Actually you were rather good with those the last time I must say so you can start right away after I give you a few maps, some cash and a credit card like before. You should still have enough clothes to get by I'm guessing." She raised an eyebrow at him as he nodded in the affirmative.
"Right. If and when you locate her we can proceed from there. I will set up a communication shield so that we can be in touch with each other. I'm also assuming that Harry is your backup so I will also set up with him just in case. Now let's find the nearest tube station to that address you have." The pretty officer suddenly leaned forward and busied herself with various contents in her desk drawer. Ron watched in admiration. Tess really was the most sorted witch he knew.
He was soon handed a large envelope with the relevant muggle stuff inside with a list of reminders that he was advised to study just in case. She also included a tube map and a map of Hampstead with the address marked in red for him. As he was checking the map, Tess tapped his hand and gave him another small smile.
"Please try and not blow up anything this time Ron…and watch out for those muggle drinks. I'm not coming to your aid if it involves anti hangover potions." She smirked as Ron rolled his eyes and laughed out.
"Funny Miss. Inglefield ha ha. In my defence I did not know that metals were not allowed in a microwave machine and I certainly did not know how something so bubbly and delicious could knock me over like a bludger to my head." He defended himself with another chuckle.
"Well no more champagne for you Mr. Weasley. Now get out and go and see your father since you are here already. I expect to hear from you as soon as you know something. Remember keep your magic to a minimum. You don't want to give away anything." She bustled him out of her office with a light laugh and a wave of her hand.
o0o
Ron made sure to check in on his Dad who happened to be Head of Muggle Affairs and who already knew that he would be off on a mission and that he would not be around for some time. After leaving the Ministry he headed to his childhood home at the Burrow to wish his Mum farewell. Ginny was still at work but he surmised that he would see her later at home with Harry anyway.
The sun was already low in sky as he walked down the narrow gravel path away from the front door deep in thought with his hand in his pants pocket. His fingers rested on the piece of parchment that was stuffed inside and Ron stopped with a sudden idea in his head. Why wait? He could start right away. At least to determine if he truly had a target to go after. It wouldn't been hard to find once he figured out how to use the tube again he convinced himself before fully making up his mind.
He turned around and sprinted into the small haphazard house, ran up to his old room to throw off his robes, pulled an old tee shirt on over an even older pair of jeans before heading to the floo fireplace in the living room. He disappeared in a flash of green as Molly Weasley rounded into the room with a look of surprise on her face.
Ron exited the Ministry out into busy London. He blinked and took a deep breath before studying the tube map Tess had given him. The Ministry was marked on the map with the nearest underground station at Bank just a block away. Right! He could do this. Tess had taught him good enough he thought. All he had to do was head west on the red line and then north on the black line to Hampstead. He headed to the underground station at Bank and bought himself a day pass before standing and looking around at the various signs as people passed him by.
Taking a well calculated chance he boarded the red line subway going west and waited until he saw his stop at Tottenham Court Road. He quickly crossed to the black line and boarded the tube heading north to Edgware. Only then did he take a seat to relax a bit as his heart had been pounding since coming out on the streets of the busy city. All he had to do now was count down the stops until the subway car came to his stop at Golders Green.
Surprisingly this only took about ten minutes and Ron was a bit amazed at this muggle means of transport which carried hundreds of people through the city without any perceived conflicts or crashes. Travelling under the ground was a big mystery to him and he was always amazed at the technology used by muggles. After his mission in London the year before, he and his Dad would spend hours discussing his adventures and the peculiar things he had learnt. It came as not such a surprise that he had a lot more in common with his Dad than he initially thought. He was genuinely intrigue by the world so previously foreign to him and deep down he even liked being in this strange place even though it scared the living daylights out of him sometimes.
Within a few minutes after Ron exited the station he knew he was in trouble. He knew the address was within walking distance from the station but he had no idea in which direction to head. It was getting dark and nothing on his map looked familiar in the real world. Luckily he noticed a man in uniform and recognized a muggle policeman standing at the corner near the exit where he had just come out of. He was not really pretending when he indicated that he was lost and asked for help. Soon he was heading at a brisk walking speed in the direction that was pointed out by the helpful bobby.
It took him a full half hour but soon he was striding along a wide road flanked by rows of hedges on both sides set in front of well-maintained brick houses. This was obviously a well to do neighbourhood and he made a mental note of it as he stopped in front of his intended destination. The natural light was rapidly fading but he could see that the house was probably empty as no light was present in any of the windows that faced him. As he stood quietly next to a small tree contemplating his next move, the front door of the house next door swung open and an elderly lady shuffled out with a watering can in her hand and began to water her small front garden.
It took Ron a few seconds but he was not about to waste this chance so he quickly moved into the light so as not to frighten the old lady.
"Hello? Excuse me Miss." He stated in the friendliest voice he could muster. The lady looked up startled and it looked like she was seriously thinking about bolting back inside but he carried on quickly.
"I'm really sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you knew when the Grangers normally get home." He asked politely.
On hearing the familiar names the lady visibly relaxed and she let out a small smile.
"Oh sorry dear but they close up the dental clinic late and they usually don't get home until after 8:00." she informed him in a soft voice. Ron had no idea what a dental clinic was but he seized the opportunity to press on.
"Actually I was hoping to catch Hermione at home. I haven't seen her in a long time since leaving school and as I was in London I thought I would look her up. Is she still here?" he asked tentatively.
The friendly neighbour now shuffled a bit more towards him so he moved a few steps forward in order to hear her more clearly.
"Oh no son. She left for medical school a few years ago. She now lives in London." The old lady glanced at the now darkened house next door before continuing. "Bright girl that Hermione. She could have gone anywhere with her brains and such a serious girl too. Wendell and Monica are so proud of her I tell you. She doesn't come home to visit enough but I guess she's the one to be busy with her head in the books." She shook her head a bit sadly. Ron tried to follow her look of sadness as he made another step forward.
"Gosh. I'm only here in London for a few hours and it would be a shame to miss her. Do you by any chance have her address?" he asked hopefully. As the woman shook her head his hopes faded away quickly.
"Sorry dear. I know it's somewhere in Fulham or thereabouts but I….hold on. I just remembered that I have an envelope that her Mum gave me in case of any emergency. You may be in luck. Just wait while I look for it." The woman put down her water can and headed back inside as Ron waited with bated breath. As the nice old lady had said, he could not believe his luck. He just hoped that what he had to do to her after would go as smoothly.
After a short while the door opened and lady handed him a large brown envelope address to Hermione Granger with an address written down under her name:-
Apt #3
294 Fulham Palace Road
London UK
c/o The London Imperial school of Medicine
Charring Cross Hospital Campus
He guessed that the envelope contained copies of official documents to be given to Hermione in case something happened to her parents. It seemed that all the Grangers were highly organized. After copying down the address he handed the envelope to the kind old lady with his left hand and drew his wand from his back pocket with his right.
"Thank you so much Miss. You have no idea how much this means to me." He stated with a smile as he quickly raised his wand and spoke the charm.
The face of the woman went blank for a few seconds and then her eyes fluttered before she swayed on her feet in front of him. He quickly grabbed her arms and held her steady as her eyes popped open in surprise.
"Oh dear. What happened? And who are you." she questioned loudly. Ron let her go and stepped back.
"I was walking along the road and saw you here. You looked a bit sick so I just came to see if you were all right. Maybe you should go inside and rest yeah?" he suggested. The lady nodded her head slowly as she picked up her can and moved to go inside.
"Yes I should go and lie down. Thank you young man." She said absentmindedly as she shut the door behind her.
Ron let his breath out and quickly retreated down the now dark lane feeling a bit drained of energy. He had taken a pretty long shot but he had new information to continue his search. Not wanting to use the underground at this time of the night in his present condition he moved behind a tall hedge and looked around to confirm that no one was able to see him. He was supposed to keep his magic to a minimum but he considered a small memory charm on an innocent lady and apparating out from a muggle street justified at the moment so with a twist and a small pop Ron disappeared into the dark.
o0o
Ron toed off his shoes and walked into the sitting room of the flat that he shared with Harry only to see his sister settled comfortably in his flatmate's lap eating a messy slice of pizza. Ginny Weasley swallowed a piece of pepperoni as she looked up at him.
"Hey Ron. I hear you're heading out into the muggle world on a mission." She greeted him as she wiped her mouth with a large napkin.
Ron glared at Harry even though he knew that it was most likely Ginny did not know too much about the said mission. He threw a cushion at his sister as he sat in the armchair across from them.
"I see your boyfriend has already spilled his guts out and no I can't tell you anything more either." He informed the red haired girl who smiled at Harry before giving him a quick kiss on his lips.
"Well I have my ways to extract the necessary information right Harry?" she winked at her boyfriend. Ron rolled his eyes and threw another cushion which Ginny again dodged.
"Please spare me the details. Is there any of that left?" Ron asked pointing to the slice of pizza in Harry's hand. Harry gentle rid himself of the girl on his lap and nodded in the direction of the kitchen.
"Yeah. Let me get a piece for you." He said standing up and brushing some crumbs from his jeans. Ginny also stood up and knocked his arm.
'You don't have to sneak away you two. I was going to take a shower anyway." She sighed before turning to her brother.
"Take care wherever you are going Ron." She told him seriously but she quickly broke into a smile. "You can take as long as you need. Gives Harry and myself more time alone together." She laughed out as she turned and headed down the corridor.
Ron thought about shouting back a retort but decided to follow Harry into the small kitchen where his friend was already seating at the table with a slice of pizza awaiting him. He took a large bite before sliding into his seat. Harry gave him a few seconds.
"I thought you were coming home after your Mum." He started but Ron did not wait.
"I went to the address in Hampstead." He stated simply as Harry rocked back his chair.
"You went? Merlin Ron! I'm your backup remember? You should have told me." He rounded into his friend. Ron held up both hands.
"I know. I know Harry. I'm sorry but it was a spur of the moment thing. I was on my way home when it suddenly occurred to me that I should just go and see if this person really existed you know?" he tried to explain. "I'm sorry it won't happen again mate." He stated with some conviction.
Harry nodded as he brought his chair flat and put his elbow on the table as Ron took another bite out of his pizza.
"So what did you find out? Does she really live there?" he asked. Ron shook his head and cleared his mouth of food.
"Well the first thing is that I can confirm is that Hermione Granger really does exists." he started. "She however is currently attending medical school in London where she now resides." He explained.
"Please tell me you got her address." Harry said in a pleading voice. His eyes lit up a bit when Ron again nodded.
"Yep. It's an apartment in somewhere called….hold on." He paused to fish out a piece of parchment from his pocket and scanned its contents. "….somewhere called Fulham." He read out.
"That's great Ron. Well done." Harry pepped up as he now stood to get themselves each a bottle of butter beer from the cooler. He handed Ron one and sat down again.
"Did you have any trouble?" he asked knowingly.
"Nah. I got all the info from the neighbour actually. She was most helpful." He now shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I did a memory charm on her afterwards but it went smooth. No one else was around so I think we're good." He informed his backup.
Harry did not look too surprised as he nodded in understanding. It was not the best means but he knew that it was necessary to keep their mission as secret as possible.
'So you're heading out to Fulham in the morning." He stated the obvious. "I'll let Tess know and we can meet up after whenever you get a chance. Who knows…this might be a dead end and you could be back for good by tomorrow." He finished
Ron took a last bite, stood up and chucked his napkin and empty bottle in the bin.
"Well let's hope that tomorrow brings me a little closer to our target…whoever she turns out to be."
o0o
AN: I promise that the two will meet in the next chapter but I had to lay down some foundation for the story here. Thanks for reading.