Disclaimer: See chapter five.


"Where's the tool box?"

Lauren was searching through the mounds of boxes, throwing items here and there, searching for a screwdriver to finish putting together the furniture.

"How should I know?" Hermione's voice shot out from a wall of cardboard near the small kitchen, "I think you're boxes are the ones closer to the door."

It had been a week since they moved into the tiny London apartment and still everything was tucked away in Merlin knows how many boxes. A mini maze had been created within the room, stacks here and piles there, oh and the couch way over there in the kitchen. Lauren waded her way towards the front door, accidentally bumping into one of the precarious towers.

"Oh shit…" Lauren ducked quickly and grabbed a side in an attempt to stabilize the swaying stack.

The top box shifted and leaned dangerously on the box below it. Muttering curses, Lauren backed away just as the folded cardboard crashed a few inches away from her. The things packed within tumbled out and a metal case clunked on to the ground, the tools inside making a clinging sound as the box was shaken up. Before Lauren could rescue her tool chest, a few more boxes fell, burying the much-needed screwdriver.

"Damn it!" Lauren all but yanked her hair from its reluctant roots.

"Ready to actually get to work and unpack everything, finally?"

Lauren glared at Hermione's grinning face peeking around one of the maze walls. The three-year-old inside Lauren stuck her tongue out and started digging for her tools. Laughing, Hermione lifted a box labeled 'DISHES-FRAGIL' and shifted threw the contents as she carried it to the kitchen.

"What do you mean 'finally'?" Lauren cried out from her sea of stuff. All she heard in response was her friend's giggles.

Lauren blew a strand of hair from her face as she set to work cleaning up the mess so she could finally finish putting the table back together. She, for one, was getting sick of having to protect her food so it wouldn't be a box's next victim. Those greedy boxes wanted everything.

"Hey, while you're in the kitchen, wanna make us some coffee?"

A muffled voice called back, "Want to find the coffee maker?"

Lauren groaned and she dragged her box of clothes and started putting it all away in the dresser, which by the way, still needed to be moved into her bedroom. She groaned again when she got up to push the heavy furniture just to find her path blocked by, you won't believe it, more boxes. Instead the groaning American heaved two more, smaller yet heavier, cases of dishes and kitchen stuffs to help Hermione.

"Damn I hate moving."

"Join the club, this is the second time I'm unpacking most of this stuff." Hermione's voice drifted up from behind the fridge, "Will you give me a hand pushing this so I can plug it in? Idiot moving men… just as bad as in Texas… can't do anything right…" Hermione continued to hiss complaints as she and Lauren shoved the fridge about three inches and then back into place.

"Now we just need food in there."

Lauren's stomach grumbled in agreement.

"Yes well, if Lauren's a good girl and helps unpack plenty of boxes, we'll take you out for some food," Hermione had a serious look on her face as she spoke to Lauren's stomach.

"Trying to bribe it huh? Well it won't work!"

Her stomach rumbled again.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Well, since we can't move much around without getting rid of the boxes… Let's start by moving our boxes into whichever room their contents are for. Yes that means carrying your box of clothes from one end of the apartment to the other… again." Hermione grinned, remembering how Lauren had to continually move her boxes all over the apartment because the moving men kept complaining that they were in the way.

"Slave driver…" Lauren chuckled as she picked up the cursed box of garments and all but threw it into her room.

"Texas was a slave state…" Hermione trailed off in uncontrollable giggles.

"Was. Key word there hon." Lauren turned to face the gasping girl, "So you gonna move your stuff of what? You have a deal with my stomach and I'll see that you keep it!"


I find it amusing the reviews for this are from chapters 2 or 5 only, hehe, yes I know, I'll shut up.

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Serlene- yeah, it is really rushed… I guess I was trying to get them to England ASAP. I hope it'll slow down a bit now; I'm just a crappy writer.

crazy-maysi- hehe, thought you'd like the hotdog part (evil food!)

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Sorry, still not sure who the 'mystery man' is going to be so updates will be slower until that's decided. -btw- umm… since I still haven't decided on Hermione's mystery guy, as you've dubbed him, anyone have an opinion to whom you want?