Chapter Three
Ron stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around, hoping the voice didn't belong to who he thought it did. But that voice was unmistakable. He knew that voice very well. He turned around and found himself face to face with Harry Potter.
'No, it can't be', Ron thought. 'No one is supposed to find me. No one is supposed to know where I am' Go figure he was able to remain anonymous for seven years and suddenly run into Harry in a muggle London coffee shop. Maybe he should have dyed his hair and changed his name.
Harry must have noticed the expression on Ron's face because he nodded and started walking down the street backwards, saying, "Well, it was good seeing you", and began walking off.
Ron watched him walk off, part of him wanting to continue on his way and the other part of him wanting to call him back over and give him a big hug. He missed his friends as much as he missed his family. Watching Harry walk away and the feeling he has in his heart made him call out "Harry! Wait!" He would talk to Harry for a bit and make him promise not to come back and definitely not tell anyone else where he is.
Harry stopped walking. He looked back at Ron with a hesitant smile on his face.
Ron stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets, looking down at the ground, before half looking at Harry. "Do you want to come over to my house and talk for a bit?" Ron knew he wasn't helping his anonymity any by inviting Harry to his house, but seeing Harry just now made him realize how much he really missed Harry...and Hermione Granger, his best friend and girlfriend. Well, former girlfriend as he seriously thought his running away and leaving everyone behind counted as breaking up.
Harry nodded and said. "Yes, I'd like that Ron"
It was a short walk from Alma's to Ron's. It took only three minutes to walk to Ron's house. It was a silent walk though. Neither Ron nor Harry spoke. Ron was nervous and he thought Harry might have been, too, but he doubted Harry was nervous for the same reason Ron was.
When they reached Ron's house, he unlocked the door and ushered Harry inside. He saw Harry looking around. There's not much to see. You could basically see the whole house from the front door since there was only three rooms in the house. The living room/kitchen, the bedroom and bathroom. It was small, but Ron liked it. It was big enough for him and it was comfortable.
The akward silence again followed. A few minutes later, Harry spoke. "How have you been?"
"Fine" Ron said. "I'm working and making by alright" That was a lie. Ron wasn't making by fine at all. He was struggling. He doesn't make much money and with the house payments, the utilities and groceries, he was barely making it. In fact, his refrigerator was almost completely empty until Friday when he gets his paycheck, but he had enough food in there to last him until then.
Harry nodded. "Good, I'm glad to hear that" he paused for a moment, then said. "Ron, why did you run off like that?"
Ron sighed. He knew that question was coming. "I can't tell you why, Harry"
"Why can't you tell me why?" Harry said. "After scaring all of us, especially your mum, like that, why can't you give us an explaination?"
Ron's eyes began filling with tears. "All I can tell you, Harry, is that I did something bad, very bad. Something I hate myself for and something everyone else will hate me for. I don't want my family hating me, so it's best they don't know"
"Ron, I don't think you could do anything that is bad enough for your family to hate you" Harry told him.
"Yes, I can do something bad enough" Ron said very quietly. "And I did it. But it was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen"
"Then tell them that!" Harry said. "Tell them it was an accident. They'll understand"
"No, they won't Harry" Ron said, louder this time. "You don't know what I did so you don't know how bad it was"
"Okay, then tell me" Harry said. "I won't tell your family, I promise"
"I'm not telling you either" Ron said flatly.
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"Because I don't want you to hate me either"
"I won't hate you" Harry said.
Ron decided to change the subject. Harry knew all he needed to know. "How are you doing? What are you doing wandering around muggle London?"
"It's my day off from work, so I decided to just look around" Harry said. "See if I could find anything interesting....and I did" he said while looking at Ron.
Ron nodded. "Where do you work?"
"You are looking at the new owner of Flourish and Blotts" Harry said. "The original owner was going to close up shop for good six years ago. I didn't want that since that meant all the Hogwarts students would have to find somewhere else to get their schoolbooks, so I offered to buy the shop from him"
"Really?" Ron said, impressed. "That's great, Harry. Must be making a good money"
"Yeah" Harry said softly.
"How's my family? And Hermione?" Ron asked. He needed to know how they were doing.
"They're fine" Harry said. "Hermione is now working at Hogwarts teaching Arithmancy, and your family is great, too. Since you left, both Bill and Charlie married, and Bill's got a new baby, a son, Austin. And Ginny's getting married sometime next year. They haven't set a date yet. They all miss you terribly"
Ron's eyes got round. His baby sister was getting married? And he has a nephew? It's times like this he just wants to go right home. Unfortunately, that's impossible.
Ron cleared his throat. "Want something to drink, Harry? I'm getting a bit thirsty. I've got some sodas in the fridge"
"Yeah, they'd be great" Harry told him. "I'm getting a bit thirsty myself"
Ron got up and opened the refrigerator door, hoping Harry couldn't see inside and notice his lack of food. No such luck.
"Ron?" Harry said, coming up behind him. "Is that the only food you got?" He asked pointing to the leftover meatloaf that was sitting next to five cans of soda, the only contents in his fridge.
"Yeah" Ron said, trying to sound convincing. "I just haven't had the time to go to the grocery store. I've been working overtime" That part was true. He had been working overtime. Not that he minded. More much needed money.
"Where do you work?" Harry asked
Ron shifted his gaze away from Harry's eyes. "Umm...South Vale Video Centre...it's a small video store. I've been working there for almost six years"
Harry's eyes widened. "A video store?...well, are you sure your making enough money to be living on your own?"
"Yes, Harry" Ron said, a bit impatiently. "I'm fine. I've already survived seven years on my own. I'll be fine"
"I better be going" Harry said, walking towards the door. "It was great seeing you"
"It was good seeing you, too" Ron said, and embraced him in a friendly hug. "Can you do me a favor, though?" Ron asked, pulling away from Harry
"Sure" Harry said, but before Ron could tell him his favor, Harry reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet and began counting out muggle money. He then held out the money to Ron. "Take it"
But Ron didn't take the money. "Harry, I can't...I....I can't take your money. Where did you get muggle money anyway?"
Harry shrugged. "I know someone who can trade some of my wizard money for muggle money, which is good, since I like to run to muggle London to buy some things sometimes" he continued holding the money out to Ron. "Take it" he said again.
"No" Ron said. "I can't take your money. I won't be able to pay you back" Money has always been an issue with Ron.
"I don't want to be paid back" Harry said. "I just want to help take care of the people I care about, so please take the money. My arm is starting to get numb"
Ron had to chuckle, but he took the money. "I'll take this money on one condition. The favor I needed to ask you. I'll take this if you promise me you won't tell anyone else where I am"
Harry sighed. "Can I change that offer a bit?"
"What do you have in mind?" Ron asked.
"I won't tell your family where you live, or where you work as long as you take this money and you write your mother a note, letting her know your okay. You have no idea how worried she is, Ron. And since your writing it, you don't have to tell her anything you don't want her to know. I'll give her the note for you"
Ron thought for a moment. Then he nodded. "Okay Harry". He pocketed the money and walked over to his desk, sat in the chair, pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and quickly wrote a short, but sweet note to his mother, and handed it to Harry.
"Thanks, Ron" Harry said. "It was great seeing you"
Ron watched Harry leave his house. He closed the door behind him, feeling just a little better than he had before.
Chater Four up soon