AN: Hey all, I just realized that I didn't write in Hermione trading in Harry's Gringotts money for muggle money in the previous chapter, so just pretend I did, okay? Now, like I said last chapter, I don't feel like writing up Harry's buying adventures, so I'm going to start up this chapter with Hermione back in the Leaky Cauldron, okay? And, there is a BIG surprise in this chapter. REALLY big.
Disclaimer: I own Emily and nothing else. (And if you lawsuit people out there are still trying to sue me because I didn't say "I don't own Harry Potter", then you have two options: 1) use your puny little brains to figure out that "I own nothing else" means I own NOTHING else besides Emily, Harry Potter included, and 2) I said "I don't own Harry Potter" in explaining that I don't own Harry Potter. Oh wait, that is too confusing for your mindless heads, so I'll just say it:
I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER AND CO.!!!!!!
There, happy? Now, the chappie!
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Hermione was lying on her bed after getting Harry settled in his already furnished apartment, wondering how to get a job. {AN: Man, I HATE first sentences, they always sound so stupid . . .} The only way she could get a job quickly that paid wizard money was to work in Diagon Alley, for now. She would look around Diagon Alley for any shops that needed an extra employee, and then apply. But even then, it would be at least a week until she actually got the job. Well, it was her only option, so she had to try it. Just as she was about to get off the bed, another thought struck her. She couldn't possibly take Emily with her to her job every day! But she couldn't leave her here alone, either.
She flopped down on her back again and started brainstorming. There were two ways she could solve it: simply not get a job, or hire a baby-sitter for Emily. Since she really wanted a job so she could have some income, it seemed she would have to get a baby-sitter - but who? She couldn't get a muggle baby-sitter, obviously, since muggles can't see the Leaky Cauldron, and Hermione wouldn't want to drive Emily to and from a day care center everyday, so she would have to get a witch or wizard. But still, even though her options were now sufficiently limited, the question still remained: who? As she lay there, her mind totally blank, she started to wonder about what kind of job she would get, until, suddenly, almost abnormally, one name came shooting into her mind: Ginny Weasley. Hermione sat bolt upright. 'Of course! How come I didn't think of it before? Ginny surely doesn't have a job yet, she only graduated last year, and plus Mrs. Weasley would be attached to her last child to live at home . . .' It seemed more and more perfect the more Hermione thought about it. She would have to write Mrs. Weasley and ask her if Ginny was still living at home and if she had a job yet, but to do that she needed a quill, ink and parchment . . . Hermione got off the bed, gathered up Emily in her carrier, and practically ran downstairs to the back alleyway behind the Leaky Cauldron: she had shopping to do.
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Once she was in Diagon Alley, Hermione didn't know where to start. She needed so many things from the wizarding world that they couldn't possibly have been kept on a list, and she didn't have money. It seemed to be an endless, vicious circle: to get money she needed a job, but to get a job, she needed a sitter for Emily, but to get a sitter for Emily she needed a quill, ink and parchment, and to get those, she needed money. Hermione groaned in frustration. She leaned against the outside wall of a shop, set Emily down next to her, and started thinking about what she could do. Before she had been there thirty seconds, someone started speaking to her.
"Excuse me, do you need any help? You looked rather irritated," said the male voice. Hermione looked up, startled.
"Well, help would be nice, but I don't think you'd be interested in helping me," said Hermione.
"I wouldn't bet on that. Now, what do you need?"
"You'll laugh at me," said Hermione.
"Not necessarily, just tell me," said the stranger. {AN: Hermione has a way with strangers, doesn't she? LoL}
"I'm in a sort of cycle, like, I need something, but to get it I need another thing, but to get that thing I need the original something. Does that make any sense?" asked Hermione, looking up at the stranger again.
"Yes, actually. So, what do you need to stop this endless circle?" he asked.
"What every human being 'needs': money," said Hermione half-heartedly. To her surprise, the man didn't laugh.
"Yeah, I know how you feel. I never had much of it growing up. I've just come back from an, oh, I guess you could call it an adventure, and I'm kind of starting new again," he said.
"Adventure?" said Hermione interestedly.
"Yeah. I can't really give you details, though, it's 'Top Secret', I guess you could say," he explained. All of a sudden, he looked down at the sidewalk and saw Emily there in her carrier. "Is she yours?" he asked curiously.
"Yes, she is. Her name's Emily," said Hermione, looking at Emily lovingly. "Speaking of which," said Hermione, "I don't know your name," said Hermione.
"Oh, yes, sorry. I never really had manners in my childhood life, either. I'm Ron," he said, extending his hand. Hermione, however, did not take it. She was gaping at this man, her mouth open, her eyes wide with shock. It can't be – no, it couldn't possibly be him – could it? She stopped her wild thoughts. 'Of course it's not him, you know he's as good as dead', she thought to herself. So, after a few seconds of awkward silence, she took his hand and said, "Nice to meet you, I'm Hermione." If it WAS him, her name would surely ring a bell in his head. He did indeed get an interested look in his eyes.
"What is it?" asked Hermione.
"Oh, it's just that I had a friend, growing up, her name was Hermione, too. You just remind me of her," he said. It seemed it took him great difficulty to say this. Hermione swallowed very hard. It had to be him – it just had to be!
"Ron," she started.
"Yes?"
"Did you have any other really close friends growing up? Like, someone you couldn't be separated from?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. I'm sure you've heard of him. Harry Potter and me were best mates. Seems like a fantasy for most, but we were," he said happily. Then she {AN: and all of the other readers out there} knew that it was him.
"By any chance, Ron, is your last name Weasley?" she asked eagerly. He looked at her sharply; he couldn't believe that a total stranger knew his last name.
"Yes . . ." he said slowly.
"Oh my God! Ron, it's you! It's YOU!" she said, giving him a huge hug. "Oh I thought you were as good as dead! I thought I would never see you again! Harry told me about what happened at the Ministry and I almost died! Oh I can't believe it!" she said while still hugging him. When she did pull away, she was crying.
Ron was looking at her, but not really looking AT her, like he was trying to remember something from many years ago. All of a sudden, his face showed realization, shock, surprise, and joy all at the same time. "Hermione? Hermione Granger?" he asked.
"Yes, YES! Ron, it's me!" she said, giving him another bone-crushing hug. He just hugged her right back. Passersby were looking at them strangely, but Hermione didn't care.
"Ron? How did you get back from the future?" she asked, once she pulled out of the hug.
"What? How did you know where I was?"
"Harry told me about it, I said that a minute ago!" she exclaimed.
"Harry? You're in contact with Harry?" Ron said with pure joy.
"Yes, we just met again last night," she said.
"Where is he?" asked Ron excitedly.
"He's in a muggle apartment, right down the street from the Leaky Cauldron," Hermione explained.
"A muggle apartment?" asked Ron. "What's he doing in a muggle apartment?" Hermione realized how weird this must sound to Ron, so she explained all about Harry's predicament to Ron. When she had finished, Ron was stunned.
"I know he was in experiment department, but I didn't know it was that serious!" he said. Hermione did her best to hold in a laugh.
"Ron! What Harry is doing isn't serious! What happened to you was serious. Imagine how Harry felt when he got Devon's letter explaining what happened to you?" said Hermione.
"That's another thing I wanted to know," said Ron, but Hermione stopped him.
"Ron, I really think we should continue this discussion somewhere we can actually talk without being overheard?" suggested Hermione.
"Yeah, good idea."
"I'm staying in the Leaky Cauldron, we can chat at the bar in there," she offered.
"Okay, that works," said Ron, and he followed Hermione (who was carrying Emily, of course) back up Diagon Alley and into the Leaky Cauldron. Once they were seated at a table in a deserted corner, for the pub was starting to gain people, Ron finished his question.
"Now, as I was saying before, how did Harry know about what happened to me? Only Devon and I knew, and Devon had strict orders not to tell anyone else unless the situation was a dire emergency," said Ron. Then, realization seemed to hit. "Wait a minute . . ." Ron trailed off.
"Ron, from what Harry told me, Devon was not a man to disobey orders. He wrote a letter to Harry – Ron, I know this will be hard for you, but – he wrote the letter on his – his deathbed," said Hermione, barely managing to hold back tears.
"Devon – Devon is – is dead?" asked Ron in disbelief.
"I'm so sorry, Ron," was all Hermione could say.
"I can't believe it," said Ron softly.
"I can take you to see Harry, if you want," said Hermione, hoping to make the subject a little happier. Ron perked up a bit when she said this.
"Yeah, we could surprise him! Since he thinks, you know, that I'm still in the year 3000 or something," said Ron.
Hermione smiled broadly. "Okay. I think we'll go now. Sound good?" asked Hermione.
"Sure!" said Ron. Hermione picked up Emily again and led Ron out to her car, where she put Emily in the backseat, directed Ron to the passenger seat, and got in the driver's seat herself.
"How far away is his apartment?" asked Ron, once they were moving.
"Only about two minutes down the road," said Hermione. Sure enough, two minutes later they were pulling into the parking lot to the 10-floor apartment complex where Harry was now living. They both got out and, after collecting Emily, they entered the front door of the building into the front lobby. Hermione directed Ron towards the elevators and pushed the "UP" button. One of the two elevators opened immediately, and they got in. Hermione pushed the button for the 8th floor, and they began the slow ride up.
Once they were on Harry's floor, Hermione finally spoke. "Okay. Here's the plan: you stay here out of sight of Harry's door. I'll go and knock on it; he'll open it and invite me in. Then you put an invisibility spell on yourself and come knock on the door a few minutes later. I'll open it and pretend there is no one there, and you can slip past me and into the apartment. Then I'll start up conversation with Harry again, and you can make yourself appear. Harry won't know what hit him!" she said.
"Uh, Hermione? That sounds kinda like we're playing a practical joke on him, doesn't it?" said Ron skeptically.
"Well, then you can yell 'Surprise' or something when you appear," said Hermione.
"Okay," said Ron.
"Why don't you put the invisibility spell on yourself while I'm still here, so I can make sure it works?" said Hermione.
"Alright," said Ron, and he cast the spell. He vanished instantly. "Did it work?" he asked.
"Yes, I can't see you!" said Hermione. "Now you can follow me to the door so you know which one it is." Hermione started walking, and Ron silently followed her to the end of the hallway to a door with the number "8H". Hermione knocked on the door firmly, and then waited. A few seconds later, Harry opened the door.
"Hermione? What brings you and Emily here? I just saw you a couple hours ago, after all," he said with a laugh.
"Just came to check up on you. And I was bored. It gets dreadfully dull at the Leaky Cauldron," said Hermione.
"Oh, well, come in!" invited Harry. Hermione followed him in and shut the door behind her.
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AN: Sooooooo . . .? How was it? And, I know, all you Ron-lovers out there are rejoicing, and all the Draco lovers are threatening me with knives and guns. I'M SORRY!!!!!!!! But Ron HAS to be in the story for this to work! And, I'm kind of a Ron lover myself, and I couldn't BEAR to have him as good as dead! I cried writing it and I knew it wouldn't work! (Hmmmmmmm, I wonder if J. K. Rowling is feeling the same way about Sirius . . .) Anyway, I debated the stranger being Draco again and decided against it, because I wanted Ron in the picture. BUT, I can GUARANTEE that Draco Malfoy will be coming in CHAPTER SEVEN!!! Now, because of all you lovely reviewers giving me POSITIVE feedback, I am not discouraged when I get a negative review (coughSeranolaGreenleafcough). So, more to the point: REVIEW! (Positively).