Chapter Four:

The Entrance to LoPresti Lane

Disclaimer: I, again, own only Lindz. That's it! And I'm makin' no green for writing this, so don't sue me! Okay, again, thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Believe me, you people have NO DAMN IDEA how much they mean to me ^.^ And I am SO sorry it took so long for me to post this! I know you all are ready to KILL me! I don't blame ya! Now, on to the story!

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The gang somehow managed to find a really cheap hotel to stay at. While Hermione and Ron were sleeping, Harry was writing a letter to Fred and George.

Dear Fred and George,

Well, we wound up in America this time. Thanks.... Anyway, looks like we're going to be staying here for a while. Ron seems to like here a lot.

Harry looked up from the letter and over at the sleeping Hermione. As he stared at her, he realized one thing that he felt stupid for not noticing earlier: Hermione was beautiful. He couldn't stop staring at her. She just seemed so perfect and beautiful at that moment.

Not now Harry! he scolded himself. This is NOT the perfect time to fall for Hermione... again. But she looks so beautiful..... STOP POTTER! Not now......... He shook his head and looked back his letter. Remembering that he still had to finish it, he continued to write, trying to keep Hermione off his mind.

Tell your mum that we're safe; I'm sure you two have already gotten yelled at for our disappearance. We will be back soon, I'm just not sure when.

Your Friend,

Harry

P.S. Um..... you guys might want to stay away from Hermione for a while. I think she's really going to kill you this time.

He would mail it tomorrow, since he didn't have Hedwig with him. Besides, it would give them a good reason to see the wizard shops in New York.

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The next morning, Hermione woke up first. She put on her robe and walked around the room. There was something that looked like a map of restaurants and coffee shops in New York City on the desk. There was one building circled, called Caitlin's Corner. Next to it, there was a little message in Harry's handwriting that read: Entrance to LoPresti Lane.

Excellent! thought Hermione. Harry already figured out where the entrance was! That certainly saves me sometime. We'll leave once they wake up then. Hermione then got dressed and wait for them to wake. About ten minutes later, Harry woke.

"Morning, Herm," Harry said sleepily.

"Good morning," she smiled. "Can we wake up Ron?"

"Why?" Harry asked curiously.

"I want to go to LoPresti Lane!" Hermione cried.

Harry smiled. "We better let him sleep. You know how he gets when someone wakes him up."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, I guess you're right." There was an odd moment of silence between the two of them.

"Well, I'm going to get dressed," Harry said, getting out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

Hermione nodded. Once Harry closed the door, she started to mentally scold herself. All these years Hermione! Ugh!!! Just tell him how you feel! For heaven's sake, you're a grown woman!

"Are you okay?" Harry asked.

Hermione screamed with fright.

"What's wrong?!" Harry asked.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry! Don't do that!!"

"Do what?!"

"Jump out at me like that!"

"What?!"

Hermione took another breath. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to scream. I just got lost in my thoughts, and I didn't see you come out of the bathroom. You startled me, that's all."

Harry laughed. "Sorry I scared you. What were you thinking about?"

She was afraid he was going to ask that. "Um... Harry, there's something I need to tell you. Ever since-"

"What's with all the yelling?" asked Ron.

Harry and Hermione stared at Ron. He looked as if he were still asleep.

"What?"

"Get dressed, we're leaving," Harry said.

"Leaving? But I like it here! You two can go back to London but-"

"We're not leaving America, Ron. We're just going to go shopping," Hermione interrupted.

"Shopping? I'd rather sleep!" Ron moaned, then lied back down.

"I don't think so." Harry walked over to Ron and dragged him out of bed. Harry stood him up and held his arms from behind his back. Hermione pointed her wand at Ron, and he was dressed.

"I hate you both," Ron yawned.

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"Are we there yet?" Ron complained after an hour or so walking around looking for Caitlin's Corner.

"Almost, Ron," Hermione replied, staring at the map.

"You said that 20 minutes ago!"

"Well maybe if you stopped asking every three seconds if we're there or not yet then-"

"Found it!" Harry announced.

"See Hermione, I told you it was that way!" Ron smirked.

"You did not," Hermione replied, fighting the urge to smack Ron.

"Did so," said Ron rather childishly.

Hermione started to breathe heavily with anger. "Did. Not."

Ron waited a few seconds before responding. Before he answered, he snuck behind Hermione as they walked, then whispered quietly, "Did so."

"DID NOT!" Hermione chased after Ron, hand risen, ready to strike him. Ron ran behind Harry, using him as a blockade between Hermione and himself.

Harry grabbed Hermione's arm as she swung, and then he turned to Ron. "Oh grow up, Ron. You know you never said that."

"So?" Ron grinned as he pushed open the door to Caitlin's Corner.

The three of them walked into the crowded store. There were a lot of little children with their parents, but most of the people in there were in their teens or early twenties.

"I wonder where the entrance could be," Hermione thought out-loud, looking around. "Help me look for some sort of clue."

Ron was already busy looking for something. "You think she's here?"

"Who?" Harry questioned.

"Lindz! The girl from the bar last night!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ron, do you really think you're EVER going to see here aga-"

"Yo! Red!" someone yelled from across the room. Sure enough, it was Lindz.

"What was that, Hermione?" Ron smiled.

Hermione glared at him in response.

Ron laughed. "Merlin, do I love it when you're wrong!"

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Lindz asked, finally getting through the flood of people.

"What are you doing here?" Ron repeated.

"I work here."

"I thought you worked at the bar," Ron commented.

"I do. I also work here. My friend Caitlin and I own this place. We also live in the apartment upstairs."

"You enjoy working two jobs?" Ron asked, as if it were the most absurd thing in the world.

"Yeah, I love both of my jobs," Lindz answered. She looked over at the silent Harry and Hermione. "Who are your friends?"

"Oh, this is Hermione Granger and this is-"

"Harry Potter," Lindz gasped, her eyes growing wide. "CAITLIN!"

"WHAT?!" yelled a female voice across the room.

"You know, if there's ANYTHING you three need or want, just ask me," Lindz said quickly, ignoring Caitlin. "You know what, just take it."

"Are you giving away MORE free things?" asked a girl with curly brown hair and a lot of watches.

"Cait, do you know who this is?" Lindz asked, not taking her eyes off Harry's scar.

"Lindsay," Caitlin said, not caring to look over at who Lindz was talking about, "I don't care who this guy is. He could be... oh.... Harry Potter for all I care. You know we're not supposed to give-" Lindz grabbed Caitlin's head and turned it towards Harry. She stopped blabbing, and gasped, her eyes growing wide. "Holy shit, it's Harry Potter."

"Uh... hi," Harry said, feeling awkward.

"So, um," Hermione said, stepping in front of Harry to break the trance Lindz and Caitlin seemed to be in, "do you know what LoPresti Lane is?"

"Yeah, of course," Caitlin replied, shaking her head to get her attention off of Harry. "The entrance to it is in this building. I'll show you how to get in." Caitlin hit Lindz, who also shook her head. Once Lindz got her mind off of Harry, she and Caitlin led them to a small room.

"Okay, all you need to do in put the tip of your wand into that small hole in the wall over there," Lindz instructed. "Then you say, Dissendium."

"You know what Lindz, why don't you show them around? I can handle things around here for the day," Caitlin suggested.

"Thanks," Lindz said. She pulled out her wand, inserted it into the whole, and said, "Dissendium!" loud and clear. The bricks on the wall raised up to the ceiling. The four of them walked into LoPresti Lane, and the bricks went back down.

Okay, all of you, THANK YOU SO MUCH for not sending me hate mail or any of that stuff. I know it took me literally FOREVER to get this chapter up, but now you can't complain about waiting for this chapter anymore! I know this was a lame chapter, but in the next one Lindz and Ron have a little chat, and you learn a few things about Lindz. So, again, thank you for not killing me and for actually reading my story! I'll try and have chapter five up really soon! Lots of Love!

~*Lindsay Robinson*~