Living in the Muggle world- Ron and Cho

'Will you get a move on' cried Ron. 'We will miss the train and then we will be stuck.'

'Alright, alright I'm coming' replied Cho dragging her trunk down the stairs to the waiting coach. 'Though I might have been quicker if you'd actually offered to help instead of leaving me to do all the work.'

'I'd hardly call moving all four of your trunks all the work. I did my share of the luggage; you do yours, which is what I call fair. And I picked up our papers from the Great Hall, handed our magic in and signed us out. Why do you need so much stuff anyway?'

'Well I've packed as many Muggles clothes as I could lay my hands on.'

'Why?'

'In-case of emergencies. If we have a snow storm or go to a ball then I will need to be appropriately attired.'

'Cho, you do realise that it is nearly July and we are in the middle of a heat wave' sighed Ron as he heaved the last of her bags onto the top of the coach.

'I'm prepared' retorted Cho and got in. Ron rolled his eyes and followed her. As he shut the door the wheels below began to turn. They were off! Both Cho and Ron twisted in their seats to wave to their friends and watch Hogwarts disappear into the distance.

'Can we open the envelope now?' Cho was desperate to know what jobs she and Ron had, and where they were to live. Ron handed over the envelope. She tore it open. Her eyes glanced down the single sheet. 'Ron, I'm going to be on the stage. Imagine that. I'll have my name in lights!' she hugged herself with glee.

'And me?' enquired Ron. Cho didn't say anything. Ron took the paper from her. He read his face disbelieving. 'House-husband! What on earth. A house-husband. So, I don't have a job at all.'

'Yes you do. Looking after the home environment is a job, everyone knows that. And you'll care for the children, cook the meals-.'

'That's not a job for a man.'

'Ron! That's sexist. Either gender can do any job. We don't live in the Victorian age now.'

'What's the Victorian age?'

'Ron really you are the limit. You should have taken Muggle studies. If you are interested go and get a book out. Imagine me, performing to people every night.' Cho was ecstatic.

But it doesn't say performer' commented Ron 'it only says you work at the Helena Theatre.'

'Poo Ron, that was just so the others weren't jealous. Ok where do we live? If I'm on the stage then it must be somewhere posh and flash.'

'4b on Rigborne Avenue.'

'Gosh, a house that doesn't have just a number, but a letter as well. And an Avenue, fancy that. Well off we go toward there.'

The number 76 bus pulled up at the stop. Out of the doors at the front stumbled two figures dragging trunks. Two pairs of hands from inside threw out the remainder of the luggage. A voice called 'next time use the back exit' before the doors shut and the bus pulled away. The two people stood still, taking in their surroundings. The boy pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket and read it. He pointed towards a block of flats further up the road and set off leaving the luggage and the girl behind. He returned a few minutes later nodding as he came. He picked up a few bags and one end of one of the trunks and began dragging them up the road. The girl followed suit. Eventually they arrived at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Leaving the luggage there, the two people made their way up the stairs and fumbled with a key. The great green door swung open and in they went.

'Is this it?' Cho looked astounded as she gazed round her home for the next month. Flat 4b had five rooms altogether. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and living room. The whole place would have fitted comfortably in the common room part of the Ravenclaw tower. It was tiny. She and Ron had somehow got their luggage up to the fourth floor via the stairs as the lift didn't seem to be working. It had taken a while.

'I'd murder a cup of tea' muttered Ron as he began unpacking boxes. 'Where's the Muggle money we were given. I'll nip out and buy some necessities.' He rummaged through the nearest bag and triumphantly pulled out a small bunch of notes and a few coins. 'Do you want anything?' he asked Cho.

'I don't know. I'll come with you and have a look.'

'Why don't you stay and begin the unpacking. There's no point the two of us both going shopping.'

'No, I want to go to the shops.'

'Ok then, you go and get what we need and I'll start with this lot.' Ron gestured towards the sea of luggage.

'Well, what do we want?' enquired Cho.

'Just some essentials, food and drink, that sort of thing. Look if you're not sure I'll go instead.'

'No thank-you I want to go. I'll be back later.' And stepping carefully over mound of luggage, Cho left the flat.

'Ron, where is Victoria station?'

'Dunno, look it up on the map you bought. Why do you ask?'

'It's where I've got to go for work. According to the paper we were given, there is a theatre right by there and that is where I'm starring.'

'Ooh what you in?'

'I haven't been yet, have I so I don't know. Honestly Ron you do ask some stupid questions.'

'When do you need to go?'

'Tomorrow morning at half nine. Can't think why, aren't shows normally on in the evenings?'

'They probably want to show you what to do. Have rehearsals, that sort of thing.'

'Oh of course. That makes a lot of sense. I've got to learn the words and the steps. Hey maybe there will be singing. I might get a solo.'

'You may well do.'

'Ohhh this is the most exciting experience ever!'

Cho set out early the next day. She didn't want to be late and she still had to work out how the underground worked. Ron's dad had written and briefly explained but seeing as he hadn't ever ridden on it she wasn't too sure how accurate he was.

At half past ten, Cho appeared at the side door to the theatre, vowing never ever to use the tube again as long as she lived. The trains were cramped and smelly, the staff fierce and the ticket office lady had been very annoyed when Cho had just held out all her money for the lady to sort through. Then, when she had finally arrived at the right station and walked onto the street, she saw that there were several theatres- not just one so she didn't know which one she was meant to go to. She also discovered that the front doors were all locked. They could have told me all of this, Cho muttered to herself as she pushed open the door. Inside was a burley security man

'ID please.' He held out his hand.

'Sorry?' Cho looked perplexed. What was ID? And why did he expect her to have one.'

'I need to see your ID, can't let you in without it.'

'I don't have one? At least, I don't think I do.'

'Well then you best turn around and get back outside missy.'

'But- I've got a letter telling me to come here at nine thirty for a job.' Cho handed over the parchment. The security man scanned down the sheet.

'Dunno. This ain't regular paper it's been written on and there's on logo. You're really late aren't you? I'll call Meg. She'll know if you're meant to be here.' He pressed a button on an object connected to his jacket and spoke. 'Meg, I've got a lass down here who's got a note saying to come here. She ain't got any ID though and is barely outta nappies- what's that? Ok I'll send her up. Ta.' He turned back to Cho. Go up to the third level and into room 467. Ladies name is Meg Dillan.

'I did not sign up for this' muttered Cho as she dropped her mop into the bucket next to her. Her hair, so beautifully washed and dried had been roughly screwed up into a bun and secured with a net. Her neat little skirt and blouse now had a horrid green overcoat covering them up. And she, Cho Chang, was standing in a male toilet- washing the floor. She didn't think she'd ever been so low. It transpired that she wasn't to work on the stage, or anywhere vaguely near it- except at 6.00am tomorrow when she had to polish the floor ready for rehearsal. Instead she was a maid of all work. She mopped floors, hovered stairs, and polished banisters and dusted everything that stood still. And when Cho had mildly enquired as to why she had been given such disgusting jobs, Meg, or Miss Dillan as she had asked to be called told her that she had a cheek and people on community service shouldn't expect glamorous work. The phrase she kept using was 'if you do the crime, you do the time.' It didn't even make sense. And the hours were awful. She was to work from half past five till half one every morning. Cho never rose before eight, even at school.

'And why are you standing around' called a stern voice from behind. Cho looked around. Miss Dillan was given Cho such a piercing look that she felt positively annoyed at the woman. As she walked away Cho muttered under her breath 'cow'.

Bang went the green front door. 'She's back' called Ron to his friend. 'You wait and see her face when I tell her where you live. She'll murder you on the spot. Cho entered the room looking tired and stressed. 'This job is not worth it. I say we pack the experiment in Ron and go back to school. I don't care if we do fail. I can't go on like this it's awful.' It was only once Cho was sitting down that she noticed they had company. 'Hermione? What are you doing here?' Hermione gave a smile.

'Oh I live just around the corner and I thought I'd pop in and see how you're getting on.

'Not well as you might have gathered. I'm stuck in a god forsaken job, cleaning up after thankless people who treat me like the muck I scrub. And Ron doesn't even have a job so he's board out of his mind.'

'Oh about that' called Ron 'I've changed my mind. I quite like lying in till noon everyday and watching Muggle television. Why can't we have an invention like that in our world?'

'So what do you do Hermione?' Cho asked pointedly.

'Well, I've got a sort of a, complicated job. It's really difficult to explain in just a word or two.'

'No it's not' said Ron. 'Hermione is a scientist. Isn't that right. She's working in the labs discovering all sorts of cures and stuff.' Ron looked over at Cho, expecting her to look jealous, but, on the contrary, her face was alight with happiness.'

'Oh I'm so pleased I'm not the only one they've done that to. My letter said I was to work in the theatre when actually it's hardly even associated with the stage. And they've said they'd put you in the labs and you sort of are but really you're just cleaning like me. A sort of dogsbody right?'

'Erm, well not exactly' began Hermione but Ron cut across.

'I told you Cho, Hermione I really working in the labs, as a scientist. And they've said she's the best thing that's ever happened to them.'

'And what's your house like?' enquired Cho barely able to speak.

'Well, like I said it's just round the corner from you, and it's…' she trailed away.

'It's four storeys high, has six bedrooms, four bathrooms and much much more' started Ron. 'And a garden, and a swimming pool and-'

'Ron' called Hermione 'that's enough.' She had seen Cho's face. It had gone white.

'It can't be true,' she muttered 'it really can't be true.'

Hellooooo, right I've changed the names of all the stations and theatres and so on because I wasn't sure if I could use them in the story. Hope you like it!