Chapter 6

"That couldn't possibly be referring to us?" Hermione asked, the alarm in her voice evident as she looked quickly around for anything else out of the ordinary.

"You're aware of some other form of magic?" said Fred.

"Ssssh…keep your voice down. Well, no, but I didn't know about any magic at all until I got my Hogwarts letter."

"Well, it seems like a mighty big coincidence don't you think? Everything pointing us in this direction and then a sign like that?"

"It's certainly suspicious." Hermione sighed, looking around the room with growing concern.

The man from before returned with their food. He was probably in his mid-thirties, a modest beard that was slightly graying despite his relative youth. The most striking thing about him, however, was his piercing green eyes. Eyes that were currently trained directly on Hermione.

"Your food," he said gruffly before setting the tray down on the table with a thud.

"Thank you," Hermione said politely, setting her napkin in her lap and preparing to enjoy her food.

"But we didn't get-"

"That's all, thanks!" Hermione interrupted him. She smiled up at the man, hoping he would go away, but he continued to stand there, eyes not moving. She was fairly certain he hadn't even blinked.

"The lady said that will be all," Fred reiterated. His glare mimicked the other man's a little too closely in Hermione's opinion, but she still felt grateful for his interference as it seemed to do the trick. The man walked away without another word.

"This food be pretty damn good because this place gives me the creeps. Worse than Knockturn Alley."

"Fred, don't eat that," Hermione cried, batting the chip out of his hand.

The red-headed twin stared at her for a moment in shock. "Did you just take food from a Weasley?"

"I don't know if it is safe to eat," she whispered. "You're welcome."

"I'll risk it, I'm starving."

"Fred, I'm serious. Think about the information we have. George and Angelina went missing here, Katie went...well, something is wrong with Katie after coming here, and then the sign and how creepy that guy is acting. Do you really think it is a good idea to eat something they gave you? You, a Weasley twin? You would eat something without knowing what is in it? I'm a little surprised in you to be perfectly honest."

Fred couldn't help but smirk as he watched the fiery brunette in front of him boss him around just as she had back at Hogwarts. The only difference was now she was no young school girl, she was a grown woman. And not a bad looking one at that, he thought appreciatively.

"Okay, okay, Granger. I won't eat the food. What do you suggest we do though? Actually, I have an idea." He made a slight movement under the table which Hermione realized must be his wand, but before she could protest he had obviously already performed some sort of silent spell."

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You just performed a spell."

"I did."

"And you didn't speak."

"Well, no, that's what a silent spell is, Granger."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," he said with a wink.

"Well, are you going to tell me what you did?"

"You mean you don't know?" He grinned at her, clearly pleased to know something that she didn't.

She crossed her arms in frustration. "Obviously not, it was silent."

"Oh, I assumed the brightest witch of her age would know anyway."

"You know what they say happens when you assume," she said without missing a beat.

Fred grinned again, enjoying the banter between them. "I just checked to see if there was magic here, other than us, I mean."

"And?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely not the only magical folk here. You might say we are surrounded."

This information immediately led Hermione's mind towards a lot of troubling thoughts that she was not yet prepared to process. All she knew was that level of magic in a muggle restaurant couldn't be a good thing and they needed to leave before they suffered the same fate as the others.

She threw some muggle money down on the counter and quickly grabbed Fred's hand, pulling him after her.

"What are you doing, woman?" he cried, rubbing his arm after they were safely back in the street.

"Don't you see? That much magic in one spot in Muggle London?"

"Evidently not?"

"That's unheard of, Fred. Witches and wizards don't frequent Muggle London, especially not to all congregate in one spot. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but they are pretty widely known throughout our world. This is definitely not one of them."

"How can you be sure?"

She rolled her eyes at him and began walking quickly away from the building in question causing Fred to have to rush to catch up with her.

"Because, Frederick, I read occasionally. The latest list of muggle/magical co-dwellings is always kept up-to-date in The Daily Prophet."

"Maybe some of that got mixed up during the war?"

"Not likely. Now, keep up, we have to find some place safe."

"Where are you taking us?"

"My parents' dental office," she said firmly. "It'll be empty as they are still living their own life in Australia and now that Voldemort is gone it is likely to be safe."

"Your parents' what?"

"Really, Fred, did you ever pay attention to anything about me growing up? My parents, muggles, they are dentists…they clean teeth?"

"Ah, I think I remember something about that now. So this teeth place, we can trust it?"

"As much as we can trust anything right now, I'm afraid," Hermione answered, her lips closing in a tight line. "I really don't know what is safe anymore. And here I thought those days were behind us."