Both boys walked home in silence. Practice ended fifteen minutes ago and they just got through talking to Coach Grayson. He was more than thrilled to have Will or Ron, as everyone called him, joining the team. He remembered the boy playing in his freshman year and he was very good. They were sure to make it to the playoffs this year.
"Why do you think Snape is here, Harry?" Ron whispered out as they padded down the sidewalk towards their apartment.
"Hm?" Harry turned towards his friend and blinked. "Oh, I assume that Snape is here to find us. We've been here for five years. That was more than I had ever hoped for. We never expected to be left alone this long. We've been lucky."
"I don't want to go back, Harry. We don't belong there anymore. Sure, I miss Hogwarts but like you said this morning, that was the past. I like it here. We're...normal." Ron sighed and shoved his hands into his jean pockets.
"He shouldn't be here long, I imagine. All we have to do is lay low and hope that he leaves." Harry suggested as he pulled out his key and unlocked their front door. Stepping inside, Harry tossed his bag onto their only couch and plopped down beside it.
Ron dropped his bag to the floor, beside the door, and sat down on one of the reclining chairs that sat in the living room. He sighed and placed his head into his hands. "Why now, Harry? Why look for us now, if that is what they are doing?"
Harry eyed his friend. "I really have no idea. It could be for a number of reasons like...Professor Dumbledore decided that it was time that he know where we are or maybe your parents pushed to have you found." He shrugged. The possibilities were absolutely endless. "Snape might just be here doing research on muggles for all we know. So relax and don't get yourself all worked up over this, Ronny." His lips twitched at the nickname he used for his friend. He was the only one allowed to call him Ronny, others ended up with a black eye or bloody nose.
Rolling his eyes, Ron sat back in the chair. He was tired and needed a shower. "Alright then. Relax? Hm...How about we shower, change and then head out for a night on the town? It's the weekend so we can afford a little partying. I say that we deserve it." His mind was made up.
After a few minutes of thinking, Harry nodded his head in agreement. "I agree. We do deserve it." He stood up and stretched his arms over his head and sighed in relief with each crack and pop that he felt. "You can take the shower first." He gave his friend a bright smile before trudging down the hall and into their shared bedroom; yes they share a room but there are two beds for all you pervs out there with your minds in the gutter.
Ron smiled and bolted down the hall after Harry and into their only bathroom. He shut the door with a bang and proceeded to wash away the days dirt and grim from soccer practice. When he emerged, his hair was dripping wet and he only had a towel wrapped around his waist. "It's all yours." He said to Harry as he stepped into the bedroom. Waiting until Harry had left for the bathroom, he dressed. His outfit was simple. It consisted of a pair of loose fitting black jeans and a silver and gold silk button down shirt.
Harry left the warm water relax his sore and tense muscles. Quickly, he dried off and dressed in the clothes that he in carried with him. His outfit was the same as Ron's except for the shirt. His button down silk shirt was silver and blue. He used the gel to spike up his hair but was careful to leave a few strands hanging down over his scar. There was no taking chances tonight. Stepping out of the bathroom, he looked towards the bedroom. "You ready?" It was a bit early to be partying but they knew of several clubs around town that started early.
Hearing Harry, Ron exited the bedroom. "I am ready to party." This was his favorite phrase but it also sounded funny coming from him; his accent had faded, considerably, during his time in America but some words were still pronounced very British-like.
"Don't quit your day job." Harry teased before slapping Ron on the back, good humored. The whole Snape situation was forgotten...for now. "So where should we go? The Witches Brew or Broomsticks?" These were all muggle clubs but being in Salem compelled the owners to stick with the tradition of the town.
"Broomsticks. We did Brew last time and it was rather boring. Even the band was falling asleep." Ron mumbled as he grabbed his jacket and checked the pocket for his cell phone; a gift both boys received last Christmas from Doc.
Harry also grabbed his jacket and also checked for his cell phone. Doc made sure that the boys had all the latest and greatest toys on the market. "Broomsticks it is then." On his way out the door, he began to think about Doc and how great he was to them.
Being the CEO of a big name company afforded Doc the luxury of spoiling his two sons. They always had everything they needed and even everything that they didn't. His gifts didn't come in just items. He sent the boys on trips all over the world so that they would be very informed in making decisions dealing with the world. He was always with them on holidays and birthdays even if he had to fly them to whatever country he was currently staying in. They had their own apartment that was just minutes away from Salem Academy, their private school. He sustained them and enjoyed doing it. Doc Blair loved being a dad. His sons were great. Both boys reminded him of his younger self. And he had a surprise for them this year. Something that would surpass every other gift that he had ever gotten them; even the private flying lessons.
The night found the two boys sitting at a booth in the back of Broomsticks. Both boys were nursing drinks; that their fake ID's had afforded them.
"I say that we fight him." Ron banged his empty shot glass onto the wooden table top. This had been his fourth shot of the muggle drink tequila and he was a little more than drunk.
Harry eyed his friend and raised an eyebrow. "Sure Ronny, we'll fight him." Harry hadn't consumed as much alcohol as Ron but he was still tipsy. After a few moments of silent Harry began to speak again. "How are we going to fight him?" It was a logical question for Harry to ask in his state of mind.
"Well..." Ron blinked and scratched his head. "I really don't know mate. Pitchforks? Magic?" He motioned towards a waitress who brought him another shot of tequila.
"Hm, we're all out of pitchforks and we don't know any magic." Harry whispered as he leaned back into the soft leather cushion of the booth. "I bet we couldn't even do the first year spells that we were taught. Squids. That's what we are. Nothing but squids." He muttered and took a sip of his beer. He didn't have anything against the fancy drinks that Ron liked to order, he just liked the taste of beer better.
"That is bloody unfair. I don't want to be a squid. I really don't want that many arms I like having just two." Ron moaned after he downed his newest shot. He pushed the glass away then, finished, knowing that tomorrow he was going to have a killer hangover. "We didn't even do anything wrong then. Stupid house elf. Stupid Snipe...eh...Snape!" He grumbled and rested his head in his hands.
Harry narrowed his eyes and looked across the smokey room."Not squids." He mumbled absentmindedly. "I meant squibs. You know, those born to magical parents but aren't magical themselves." His eyes began to water. He hated smoke since it made his eyes itch. And with contacts in, ones that made his eyes a dull green almost grey, he couldn't scratch them. He could have sworn that someone was watching them. "Maybe we should go home, Ron." He glanced down at his watch and tried to make out the time. After several minutes he decided that it was a little after one in the morning. They had been there for a little over seven hours.
"Maybe we should." Came Ron's muffled response since he was now resting face down on the table. "I'm not feeling so good, Harry."
"I told you not to overdo it." Harry slid out of the other side of the booth and helped Ron stand. Both of them swaying. "Lucky for us that we live in walking distant." He helped Ron stagger towards the door but before they exited, he threw down a wad of bills onto the bar counter to cover their tab. "Goodnight" He replied to the bar keep whom they both knew. Grumbling under his breath, Harry pulled Ron away from the coat rack, in which he was in the process of propositioning, and out the doors. They never noticed the three sets of eyes watching them from across the smokey room.
"Are you sure that was them, Severus?" Minerva McGonagall asked as she leaned over to be heard over the music. She grimaced from the volume once she up righted herself. An eyebrow went up in faint amusement as she watched one of the boys engage one of the coat racks in conversation. Could these two really be her missing Gryffindors? Having watched them all night, she was sure that they weren't.
"I am more than positive." Snape snapped as he took a sip of his cold tea. He sneered at a passing couple who let their eyes linger on the odd group a little too long for his comfort.
"Just like you were positive in Ireland, then?" McGonagall hissed out. She was tired and had a headache that would have made Merlin cringe.
"Those two turned out to be wizards, regardless if they were the ones we were looking for or not." Severus sat his cup down a little hard and some of the tea slushed over the side and onto the table. "We did save the Irish Ministry a lot of trouble later on since the boys were both unregistered and highly prone to accidental magic usage." He grumbled as he wiped the tea off his hand with a napkin.
McGonagall just shook her head. "I'm so glad that we were able to help the Irish Ministry, that's all that really matters here. It wasn't a secret that you despised the boy for being a Potter. You let your hatred of James cloud your judgement on Harry. And your dislike for the Weasley's isn't a secret either. Ever since the Bill played that voice changing prank on you, you've been dead set against them. If you would have just left the past in the past...none of this would have happened. Both boys would be safely tucked away at Hogwarts not out there somewhere, unprotected!" She motioned with her arm to make her point.
Before Severus could retort, their bickering was interrupted by their third companion.
"Minerva, Severus, please. You're drawing attention to yourselves." Came the grandfatherly voice of Albus Dumbledore who had been silent until now. "We are here to find our two missing Gryffindors not to fight amongst ourselves. Your concern is duly noted, Minerva. I know how much you care for the students of your house. We might not have had Ronald and Harry long, but they were a big part of Gryffindor." He patted her arm, comfortingly. "Now, shall we go pay a visit to Jamie and William?" His eyes were twinkling brightly.
"As much as I wish to be proven correct, I think that the late hour would warrant us to wait until later in the day to approach them. Showing up now, would surely spook them, if they are who we are searching for, to run or even call the...muggle law enforcers on us."
"Too right you are, my boy. Too right. So shall we retire until a later hour?" Albus stood with a smile on his face. He, like Severus, was sure that Jamie and William were really Harry and Ron. He would know a Potter and a Weasley anywhere. He escorted his two Professors outside where they all three apparated back to where they were staying.
They started searching for the boys shortly after discovering them missing. But each new tip they received, turned out to be a bust. At first they thought they had been captured by Death Eaters and taken to Voldemort but Snape quickly proved that to be false.
Voldemort wasn't in any condition, then, to even consider searching for the Potter boy. But now he was more than hell bent on finding the them, and to the horror of Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix, and recruiting them to his side. Years ago that wouldn't have been thought possible but now, that the boys had been away from the magical world for so long and had left by choice, anything was considered possible. It was safe to say that the magical world no longer knew Harry James Potter and Ronald Bilus Weasley. So nothing could be assumed or let to chance.
Summers were the easiest on the search party but they didn't stop during the school year. During this time, the remaining teaching staff, left at Hogwarts, would keep an eye on things while the Headmaster, Deputy Headmistress and Potions Professor, continued on the weekends with their search; much to the disdain of one Severus Snape who wanted nothing more than to forget that those two brats ever existed.