Chapter 7 – On the road

Dedicated to Li Mei-chan who persuaded me to be the writer I am, and left this site because nobody helped her. I never got a chance to say goodbye, but I know she's out there somewhere, writing for only herself.

It was a dark evening and the clouds were grey. Harry, Hermione, and Ron each stood by the carriage that was about to take them to the station. Their bags were packed with the most necessary things and Mrs. Weasley had come to say goodbye to them all. Dumbledore waited for Mrs. Weasley to finish before speaking to them himself.

"Remember." he said to them. "Be careful, no muggle attacker can harm you but some wizards can. If it turns out you're in a sticky situation, just sprinkle some of Bella's dust over them and they will arrive in Azkaban, is everything clear?"

"Yes, thank you." said Hermione.

They said their last goodbye's and got into the carriage. The carriage instantly began to move forward, heading for the station.

"Well, Hermione, I guess you're gonna be the leader as I have no idea how to get around the muggle way." said Ron.

"Don't worry and I think I know where I'm going." she said.

The carriage arrived at the station and they got off with their luggage. They waited on the platform for the train to arrive, lost in an companionable silence.

"Looks like we're on are own from here." said Harry.

"I can't believe he chose us to go though" said Ron.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione. "You think we're incapable?"

"Not exactly,"

"Then what do you mean?" she asked.

Ron blushed.

"Nothing, forget it." he muttered.

"Um, you guys look, the train." said Harry, trying to change the subject.

They all got on and took a seat in one of the compartments.

"God, I've never heard the Hogwarts Express so quiet before." said Ron.

"Yeah, and theirs no food trolley either." said Harry.

Meanwhile Hermione had opened up a rather large book for herself and had started to silently read.

Ron and Harry played exploding snap and chess and everything else to try and get rid of their boredom. Hermione feel asleep, book in arms and Harry had dozed off with Sirius by his side. Ron stayed awake, watching the rain patter gently against the window. He took off his cloak and put it over Hermione, who had begun to shiver in her sleep. He gazed at her for a moment, wondering whether she was dreaming, what she was dreaming of, and he couldn't help but grin at the content sleepy smile permanently situated on her face. It was so silent on the train that he could hear the gentle breathing of the two. He himself soon dozed off and felt that even though they were on their own, everything was safe.

Hermione was he first to awake, and noticed the city buildings approach. She looked around her and realised that Ron had wrapped his cloak around her. She lay there for a while, taking in the lovely smell.. of his cloak? She couldn't believe she had just thought that. She rose and took the cloak off her. Looking at her watch she could see that it was 9 am. She had to wake them up to get ready. She folded Ron's cloak nicely and put it on the seat beside him.

"Harry, Ron, get up, you've got an hour to get ready." she said.

Harry woke with a jolt, he was used to being woken suddenly, living with the Dursleys, but Ron continued to doze peacefully. She smiled and shook him slightly, waiting for him to open his eyes. His eyelashes fluttered slightly before eventually he opened them.

"Hello." he said sleepily.

"Come on Ron, the train is going to get there in an hour ,you've got to get ready."

"Right." he groaned, sitting up.

He yawned and stretched. Harry got up and went to get changed in another compartment and Hermione waited to make sure Ron didn't go back to sleep again.

"Thanks." she said, patting him on the shoulder before leaving.

Ron sat there for a while taking everything in. Where were they again? Oh yeah on the train thingy for that Maddie girl. And was it his imagination or did Hermione just pat him? Ah well, he got dressed into some muggle clothes and pang of hunger in his stomach. He got up and went across the corridor to Harry's compartment.

"Hey Harry," he said knocking. "What are we eating?"

Harry grinned striking his opportunity.

"I dunno, ask Hermione" he said continuing to grin at his amazing plan. Feeling that was a bit vain but continuing to smile.

"Right." said Ron, wondering what to do next.

He went pack to his compartment and decided just to wait, no way was Harry putting him in that position. He sat down again and noticed his cloak folded on the seat.

So that's why she patted me on the shoulder, I knew their was a reason.

Hermione was first to come back and greeted him with a smile.

"So how are we supposed to eat?" he asked.

"Hello to you to Ron," she said, sitting down. "We'll be eating breakfast at the undercover wizard hotel."

"When will we get there?"

"Around 11am"

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed. "I can't wait that long."

"Don't you think about anything apart from your stomach Ron?" she asked heatedly.

You he thought.

"Err.. Quidditch." he said, feeling stupid afterwards.

"Humph!" she replied, opening the nearest book at reading the top line over and over again in annoyance, unable to concentrate.

Harry slid the compartment door open and grinned at the to expecting a happy scene, but found an amusing one. There was a high-tempered Hermione who seemed to be reading the book in front of her in a rather fake way. Then there was a very red faced Ron staring out the window.

Harry sighed and sat down, those two were so twisted.

The train pulled to a halt and the three of them got off, carrying their luggage. They went through the barrier to the muggle platform and Hermione pulled out a map.

"We've got to get a train to Clapham Junction." she said.

Harry looked at the necklace.

"It seems so." he said, with a grin.

They stood before a big board, where the names of different destinations on each platform changed ever so often and they just had to wait for Clapham Junction to appear.

"Muggles can be really cool the way they organize things." Ron said in amazement.

"Look, we need to go to platform 9." said Harry.

They went forward and gave their tickets to the inspector, who let them through the barrier. They then went to Platform 9, where the train was waiting for them.

"Quick get on and get seats." said Hermione

Ron stepped on and got them some two pairs of seats facing each other.

"How come they don't have compartments?" he asked.

"Because, it's a different design, that's all." Hermione replied, sitting beside him.

They soon arrived at Clapham Junction and loads of people got off, including them, they hoisted their luggage off and went to the other inspector, who let them through.

"Which way do we go now?" Harry asked.

"This way." said Hermione and she led them out onto a busy muggle street. She turned left and headed up the road. The other two followed until she stopped and waited for the cars to stop so she could go right, across a road.

Ron, not realising the cars wouldn't stop was about to walk out into the road, before Hermione grabbed his hand, her cheeks rather pink, and pulled him back.

"Y-you've got to wait for the green man to light up." she said.

"Oh," he said, grinning. "Thanks."

"No problem," she said, realising she was still holding his hand and letting go rather briskly, pretending to check the time.

Harry silently chuckled behind them, as they walked forward, by 'the light of the green man'.

They then crossed another road, to the left before entering a shop before them named 'Arding and Hobbs'.

"We have to go up to the wheelchair toilets and go through the mirror to enter the hotel." she said.

They got to the main entrance and Harry coughed.

"What's that smell?" he asked.

"That's the smell, perfume Harry, the ground floor is devoted to perfume." Hermione replied matter-of-factly.

"Right." said Harry covering his mouth as he spoke.

They got in the lift and Hermione pressed the '3' button, as it went up.

"This so cool." said Ron.

The lift stopped and opened its doors; they instantly rushed out and into the corridor to the left where the Toilets were. Grabbing their bags and looking around them to see if any muggle was around, they crammed themselves in, with the luggage and faced the mirror. There, in front of them, they could see the image of a lady and a reception desk.

"Are you here to check in?" she asked.

"Yes, its Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." said Ron, feeling for confident at the sight of a witch and no muggles.

"Right, here are your keys, wait one minute." she said.

The mirror seemed to get larger, and other bits of the hotel scene could be seen. Soon, the mirror started to cover the walls until it seemed they were in the hotel themselves.

"Three separate rooms?" Ron asked.

"Yes Ron." said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

"What?"

Authors Notes:

BTW Arding and Hobbs Chapham Junction are real places in London and everthing in the fic is accurate except where the toilets are, as even though I've been in Arding's so many times, I've never gone to the toilet there lolz