"How about we all go out to Muggle London today?" Severus asked during breakfast. He heard a clatter of a fork falling to a plate and a smirk made it's way to his lips.

"That would be fantastic!" Harry said at once, nodding her head enthusiastically, "This place is driving me insane."

"But Professor, wouldn't it be dangerous? We still don't know who did this to Remus, Harry, and Gin." Hermione said, biting her lip.

"There comes a time, Miss Granger," Severus said, beginning to become extremely fed up with her worry, "that the rules must be broken. For the sake of sanity."

Remus nodded, "Yes, I agree with Severus. We have all been too sullen. Going to London should help us forget the situation for the time being and just have time to be ourselves. And for security's sake, we will make sure to stay together at all times, all right?"

The teens nodded.

((The Pretender))

Gin and Neville looked around the streets of London in awe.

"This is even bigger than Diagon Alley…" Gin said, wide-eyed.

"Well, it helps that it doesn't have to be hidden." Hermione replied, smiling and holding onto her friend's hand lightly, pulling him along the street.

"Where should we go first?" Remus asked, looking around. "Hermione, Harry, I think that you two would be most familiar with the area?"

Harry shook her head, "No. Aunt Petunia never brought me down here. I guess she thought that I would attract too much attention or something." She then tapped her forehead, indicating the scar that was hidden beneath her bangs.

Remus nodded and then turned to Hermione. A grin spread across the young woman's face as she made her way to the front of the group. "All right, you lot, follow me."

((The Pretender))

After five hours of going through book and clothing stores, which ended up in multiple purchases being made, the group of six were finally ready to call it a day.

"There is a really nice place to eat just a few stores down." Hermione said, pointing it out to Remus, "It is two o'clock, so there shouldn't be that many people in there."

The group then agreed and made their way to the restaurant.

Once seated, Harry began to look all around her. As Hermione had said, there weren't many people there and it was rather quiet. There was a family of four in the corner, a couple about four tables down from them and a man by himself at the counter.

Harry focused on the man. There was something about him that seemed familiar. That black hair and the thin build. It drove her nuts that she couldn't figure it out as her brain was screaming at her that it was something important, but her thoughts were cut off as the waiter asked what her order would be.

"Uh, I would like to have the chicken tenders meal with fries and broccoli and honey mustard dipping sauce, please. Oh, and a diet cola to drink."

The waiter nodded and then went off to fill the order.

The ebony-haired girl then bit her lip slightly and cast another glance towards the man at the counter. She then glanced towards Severus, who was sitting opposite her. She nudged his foot with hers lightly. The obsidian-eyed man looked up, an eyebrow quirking upward. Harry tilted her head towards the man at the counter. Severus glanced at him and then looked back at the girl with an expression that said, 'What about him? He doesn't look like anything special.' He went back to reading his paper. Harry let out an annoyed sigh and then nudged at his leg harder. No response. She nudged again. Still no response. She nudged harder still.

"Would you please stop acting like a five year old!" Severus hissed, "If you want my attention, you can simply say my name. Why can't you ever do things normally?"

Harry pursed her lips and then gave in. "Severus, may I please speak with you?" she said politely.

Severus tilted his head to his side as though he were considering it and then folded his newspaper. "Yes, Harry, you may."

'Snarky git.' Harry thought, seeing the sneer that was placed firmly on the man's face, "Did you notice the man over at the counter?"

"I do have eyes, you know."

"Fine, good for you. Doesn't he look familiar to you?"

Severus looked back at the man once more, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. Now that the girl mentioned it, he did look a little familiar. It was the way that the man carried himself.

"Vaguely."

"And familiar in not a good way?"

The obsidian-eyed man blinked. "He just seems familiar, that is all."

"Oh." Harry said, taking one more glance at the man before the waiter came by with their food.

They were halfway through their meal when someone cleared their throat.

The entire table looked up. It was the man from the counter.

"Hello. I just wanted to say that you have a beautiful family." The man said to Severus and Remus. He then turned to Harry, "Especially your daughter. She takes so much after you, sir."

Harry's eyes went wide. Not only by the statement but also by how the man was looking at her. It was a look of both want and hatred. He stared at her quite intently and she felt lost in those deep chocolate eyes, almost as if she were being swallowed up and drowned. She could feel herself begin to panic and her hand went straight for Neville's under the table, squeezing it urgently.

Neville looked at the man and saw his gaze as well. A shiver ran down his spine and then he cleared his throat, "Ah, thank you for complementing my uh, sister, sir."

The man nodded and then turned to Gin and then Remus. "Very handsome boy as well. Clearly takes after you ma'am."

Remus blinked and then nodded slightly. "Thank you sir, but-"

Severus cut her off with a wave of his hand, "Raye, dear, you have never been able to take a compliment. Thank you sir, for the kind words, but we are in the middle of a meal."

"Of course. I am sorry to disrupt you." The man nodded slightly and then walked out the door.

"Tom…" Gin said, his voice wavering slightly and his eyes wide.

"What?" Hermione asked from next to her, "Tom?"

"That was Tom Riddle." Gin continued.

((The Pretender))

A/N: Okay, right now, I am going to ask for the reviewers help. I am stuck between two possible directions that this story can go. So, I am going to ask that you reviewers vote on which one would be more appealing to you.

The first scenario is that the group goes to school and goes through the motions of another year of Hogwarts with nothing really notable happening until Christmas.

The second scenario is for the action to heat up pretty much as soon as Harry and the group get back to Grimmauld place.

You can leave your vote in either your review or send me a message.

Thank you very much. : )

Touchstone's Ranna

((The Pretender))

Conditions Met:

1. More than one character must have their gender switched.
2. They are switched involuntarily.
3. Snape gets somebody to love.
4. At least one person dies.