A/N: The moment you guys have been waiting for is coming up in the next chapter...so hang in there!!!
Thanks to my lone reviewer on the last chapter HPROXMYSOX! Anyway about Jack--he is Cho's nephew. I am just assuming that Cho had an older brother that we never met. I felt Jack was appropriate as a Chang because he is moody and jealous, much like Cho and as most of us have seen--personality traits run through the family. Hope that clears things up for you! Enjoy the next chapter!
Chapter 7: Double Indemnity Revealed
Ron spotted Hermione the next week at Thomas' Market mulling over a pile of potatoes, carrying a shopping basket on one arm and holding a large black handbag with the other. She saw him from across the store and shifted her eyes back down to the vegetables. Ron managed to casually work his way towards her but didn't look at her as he spoke.
"I've got the papers here," he said as Hermione started to turn towards him, "—Don't face me..."
Hermione sighed as she put a few potatoes in her hand basket.
"Open your handbag," Ron whispered in her direction, and she did as she was told. "Now you must put this in Malfoy's safe-keeping box at the estate—you have the key right?" Ron was now dropping a large envelope in her bag.
"Yes—I took it his morning, just like we talked about," Hermione was now walking down another aisle while Ron followed inconspicuously behind her.
Just then, an older muggle man strolled down the aisle, so Ron and Hermione quickly jetted in different directions to look at various items on the shelves. When he had passed, Hermione, who was now clutching a yellow cereal box, edged closer to Ron as she pretended to read off the ingredients in her mind. She then spoke to him out of the corner of her mouth, "Have you figured out how this is all going to play out?"
Ron looked nervously around—there was no one on the aisle, "I think so, but I need you to tell me a few things about Malfoy's up coming business trips."
She thought for a moment and then said, "That's right—he's in Romania the next few days, and then he'll be back for a short trip to Hogsmeade. There's a newly opened Quidditch shop there where he hopes to sell some prod—wait a minute—Ron?" Hermione spun around and grabbed Ron by the arm. He raised his eyebrows at her a she let go; she knew she shouldn't have been looking at him, "Do you mean we could do this as soon as next week? While he travels to Hogsmeade?"
Ron turned away from Hermione and continued down the aisle and spoke to her even though they faced different directions, "Yes—I think so, and this could be our most perfect opportunity—how does Malfoy usually travel to Hogsmeade?"
"By car, I suppose—they made the anti-apparation ordinance a while back in Hogsmeade since it is really becoming such a crowded destination.
"Well you're going to have to convince him to take the Hogsmeade Train instead—"
"—But Ron how will I—"
"—Quiet..." Ron was looking nervous once again, "We need it to look like he died off the train—"
"—Why can't we just—"
"No, Hermione. Just listen will you?" Ron was now getting harsh with her. "There's a double indemnity clause in Malfoy's accident policy."
"Double indemnity?" Hermione raised one eyebrow.
"You don't know what that is?"
"Honestly Ron! I'm a witch not an insurance man," Hermione replied quietly.
"Yes, well, basically the clause states that under certain circumstances of death—the beneficiaries of the policy are entitled to a payout of double what the normal policy would cover. Death on a train is one of these circumstances." Ron was looking darkly at Hermione now.
She put her fingers to her lips and then a glimmer of triumph rose in her eyes, "That means—"
"—That's right—one million galleons—not five hundred thousand as the original policy states."
"Consider it done," Hermione snapped, "I'll see you again tomorrow." She then proceeded to the checkout counter leaving Ron standing in the middle of the cereal aisle now clutching his own box and trying to look like a regular muggle shopper.
The next few mornings at the market Ron and Hermione bumped into each other to carefully plan Malfoy's murder. Her would be returning on Tuesday evening, and Hermione would claim that Miranda needed her to bring her down to Diagon Alley and pick up her school things early that Thursday morning. This left Malfoy with no other choice but to ride the train on Wednesday evening.
They imagined every scenario and conjured their alibis down to what type of tea they would claim to have drunken that night. Part of the plan required the use of polyjuice potion—a difficult potion that would transform the drinker into the person from whom bits of hair or other body parts were added. The effects of the polyjuice potion always lasted about one hour. Hermione, who had experience with this potion, decided she could make it while Malfoy was gone. She sent her house elf, Mopsy to gather a whole slew of ingredients whom she told all the ingredients were mainly to stock up—you'll never know when you need them.
Ron even went to the muggle library to read some books about how muggles managed to kill each other. Guns were too messy for Ron's liking, but he was intrigued my them nonetheless and therefore made sure to understand how they work in case the muggle officers somehow got involved. Knives were another interesting tool, but once again these were too messy for Ron. He needed something that looked ambiguous. Something that looked clean... And then he found it—the perfect way to cover up Malfoy's murder. It was brilliant.
By Wednesday morning, all the preparations were in place. Ron sat quietly reading the Daily Prophet near the empty fireplace in his office. Suddenly a flame appeared and with a green burst of smoke he dropped his newspaper in surprise.
Hermione's head was in the fire—she had made a floo call. This was one of the very things that he instructed her not to do.
"What are you doing?" Ron hissed into the fire.
"I'm sorry—this won't take long!"
Ron nervously looked to make sure Colin, the wizard he shared a small office with, was no where around.
"There's a problem, Ron. Last night when Malfoy came home—he had a broken leg! Seems he tried to ride a dragon and he fell off! Stupid git. The trips off—but I don't want to wait to do it. I've waited too long! It has to be tonight!"
"—Remember the plan, we must stick to it. It can wait to another d—"
"Uh oh! I hear him coming up the stair—I've got to go!" And with a poof of smoke Hermione's head was now gone from the slowly diminishing flames.
Ron's eyes were wide as he jetted to the fireplace to try and shoo any signs of smoke, "If you're so brilliant, why'd you forget you're not supposed to use the floo network?" Ron grumbled under is breath.
"Did you say something Ron?" Parvati had just peeked her head into Ron's office.
Ron spun around and cleared his throat, "Er...no..."
"Talking to yourself again, I see? Mind if I come in and interrupt you?"
"You're the boss." Ron said sarcastically.
"AND your friend..." Parvati added.
"Yes, you don't have to get all mushy on me though!" Ron was pretending to blush.
Parvati laughed.
"So you wanted to see me about something?" Ron honestly wasn't in the mood for a chat with his boss.
"I just got this claim in on a stolen wand—a real expensive one—50 galleons, I reckon. They claim it was snatched during a National Quidditch game in Wales."
"Sounds pretty strange—Wales has always been a safe place," Ron was trying to act normal despite his recent call from Hermione.
"You know how I get. I've got this terrible knot in my stomach that is telling me there's something seriously wrong with this claim."
"Don't let all these knots get to you, Parvati. I mean subtract the deductable—what, 15 galleons?—that's only 35 galleons to pay out."
Parvati was now pacing, "They've only had the policy for two months! Eight sickles a month was all it cost them and now suddenly we've got to give these frauds 35 galleons! I just don't feel right! Oh this knot just keeps getting tighter!" She was now clutching her stomach and slowly sitting down to take a breather.
Ron sighed and went over to sit in the chair next to her, "Honestly, you shouldn't worry so much! Just pay out the claim—it's not that big of a loss. Who knows, maybe it was stolen?"
"No. I've got to investigate this one! What if every old bloke decided to claim their wand was stolen just to get a few extra galleons in his pocket..."
Just then a ringing noise came from Ron's pocket.
"What in Merlin's name is THAT?" Parvati was looking curiously around the room.
"Oh, just my muggle fellytone...dad likes me to have one...just a moment, Parvati," Ron fumbled through his pocket to pull out a small black cellphone. He noticed the name on the caller ID was from Thomas' Market.
"'Ello?"
"I'm sorry about the floo call earlier," Hermione was on the other end.
"Oh, hello Mrs. Keyes!" Ron pretended someone else was on the line since Parvati was in the room staring at him.
"Ron? I can come back if this is important?" Parvati interjected.
"Er...yes...it's Mrs. Keyes on the line. She's a squib seamstress. She's making new dress robes for me to wear at my parents' 50th wedding anniversary party.
"Well, that's not urgent, I'll just wait," Parvati settled back into her seat—much to Ron's dismay.
"So, Mrs. Keyes," Ron got back to his call, "how are those dress robes coming along?"
"Turns out Malfoy is set on his trip to Hogsmeade, and he's decided to get on that train—broken leg or not!" Hermione was talking very quickly in a hushed voice.
"Well that sounds like they will be lovely!" Ron said in a cheerful voice, "About when will they be done?"
"Tonight, I'm driving him to Kings Cross Station to catch the 10:15 train. I'll leave the garage open so you can get to the hiding spot.
"Mrs. Keyes, I must say you are a wonderful seamstress for doing this for me." Ron said as he looked at Parvati who was wearing a bemused look on her face as she watched Ron talk to the small box against his ear.
Hermione continued, "Now when everything is perfect, I'll honk the horn three times—that's the signal—got it?"
"This is just delightful! What color will the dress robes be again?"
"Malfoy will be wearing a navy blue muggle suit—and don't forget his LEFT leg is all bandaged up.
"Ah, navy blue...excellent choice!" Ron seemed to be overacting just a bit.
"I love you, Ronald. Everything is going to be perfect!" Hermione hadn't said anything like this to Ron since Hogwarts.
He tried to keep from blushing, "You're too sweet, Mrs. Keyes. See you soon, goodbye." Ron hung up and shoved the phone back in his pocket.
Parvati stood up again, smiling, "That Mrs. Keyes should delightful. You must give me her number next time I need new dress robes!"
"Er, yes. Of course," Ron said knowing full well that Mrs. Keyes was just a person he'd made up.
"So about this wand claim—I'm going to get to the bottom of it because no is going to scam Parvati Patil! We'd be washed up if I let stuff like this slide all the time!"
"You're a smart witch. I'll bet you have this case cracked by lunchtime."
"Thanks, Ron—for listening. Sometime I just don't know what to do when I get these knots inside of me."
"I'm always here to listen," Ron said just as he started to feel knots tying up in his own stomach as he watched Parvati bound happily out of the office. No sooner had she disappeared when Colin came strolling in. "Oh Colin—so good to see you!"
Colin screwed up his face in confusion, "I'm not doing any of your work today, Ron!"
"No—"Ron smiled, "I just wanted to see if you wanted to get dinner tonight—eight o'clock—guys' night. Neville can come too!"
"All right, that sounds good."
"Yes, it sounds killer," Ron was setting up his alibi already for the night ahead of him. Ron knew that before it was over, Malfoy would be dead.