Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own Harry Potter or anything that is involved in his world. But I do enjoy using Jo Rowlings characters.

I am swapping out all of my old chapters for beta'd chapters so there are some changes for anyone who wants to re-read them. Chapter five will be posted in a few weeks after it has been beta read sorry for the long break between chapters.

Chapter 2

April 8th 2002

"Mia, if you don't turn off that God forsaken alarm clock this second, I am going to break down the door and make sure you never sleep through your alarm again!" Everett screamed pounding on his flat mate's door.

"I'm trying to turn it off, you bloody imbecile!" a voice groaned on the other side of the door. The door slowly opened revealing a short brunette with short, curly chestnut hair and scathing chocolate eyes. "Is that better Ev?" she asked, dropping bits of alarm clock onto his bare feet.

"Much," he smirked looking at the broken clock on the floor, "I see it happened again. What is this, the third alarm clock this month not to turn off on you?" he asked playing with his shaggy blonde hair hanging down in front of his face.

"Three alarm clocks, two tellies, and five toasters this month. I don't know what is going on. I have never been this bad with electronics before," she groaned, leaning up against the doorframe.

"Yes you have," Everett laughed. "Remember what happened to your computer your second year of Uni? And that time your car almost blew sky high? And then there was that time you sent sparks out of our microwave without even touching it," he said with a chuckle, recalling some of his friends worst confrontations with electronics.

"Okay, I get it Ev. No need to list everything I've blown up or set fire to, unless you want me to tell Missy about that one time you and Em almost-" she smirked.

Everett raised his hands in defeat, "I'll say no more I swear."

"Good. Besides, I never had problems before I started Uni. It started that God forsaken summer," she said bitterly.

"Will you two keep it down out there? Some of us are trying to sleep," a voice snapped from behind the closed door behind Everett.

"Oh shut it, Emma," Everett yelled at his sister through her door.

"Em," Hermione called through the closed door, "I have to go to London for the day to pick up some things. Now that you're awake, did you want to go?"

"Only if I can drive." The voice groaned.

"Deal, be ready in an hour," The brunette called before turning back to her room. "You can come too, if you want Ev, just so long as you wash before we go," she added before closing her door.

"Are you calling me dirty, Mia?" Everett called through the cracked the door open and sniffed the air, "You smell, Ev." She scrunched her nose and quickly closed her door in his face. "Oh, and if you call me Mia again, I will sneak into your room at night and shave your head. My name is Hermione, and only Hermione!" she snarled through her door.

"Not my hair," Everett whimpered covering his head with his hands.

Emma looked out the window of the bookstore Hermione dragged them into, the black clouds in the distance getting closer by the second. "Ev, I told you to check the weather before we left. I hate getting stuck in the city in the rain," she complained, turning back to her brother with an angry glare.

"I did check the weather. You just never asked me what the weather was going to be," he smirked.

Emma glared at her brother, shaking her head at him. "Hey, Hermione. Are you almost done? I want to get out of here before it starts to pour. The last thing we want is to be stuck in the car with Ev soaking wet. Last time that happened, I couldn't get the smell out of my car for weeks."

"Hey!" Everett shouted from somewhere amongst the bookshelves.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to take so long here. It's just that this is the only time I really get to read any law books. My parents would murder me if they found anything other than medical books at the flat." Hermione sighed from her place on the floor surrounded by books on sociology and law.

"Why don't you just tell your parents you want to switch studies?" Em asked, picking up some of the books that had already been read off the floor and placing them back onto the shelves.

Hermione glanced up at her curiously. "You have met my parents, right? I have no choice. I am going to be a dentist just like them. They have a place for me in the practice just as soon as I graduate."

Emma laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, you can always just not graduate."

Hermione glared at her friend, "That is not an option, and you know it."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I was only trying to help. Are you about ready to go yet? It has already started to rain."

"Not yet, but you guys can go ahead. I can just take the tube home, as long as someone doesn't forget to pick me up at the station again," Hermione emphasized.

"That happened once, and you were only there for three hours," Everett said, poking his head over the bookshelf.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked.

"Positive. Besides, Viktor is in town and asked me if I could meet him for a late lunch," Hermione said, keeping her face in her book so Emma didn't see the smile on her face.

"Viktor is in town and you are just telling me now? I haven't seen him in three years," Emma teased.

"I wasn't sure I wanted to see him. It has been so long, and what if we have nothing to talk about? It would be such an awkward lunch," she sighed.

"Em, leave her alone. Come on, we're going now," Everett said, grabbing his sister by her jacket and pulling her towards the door. 'You owe me,' he mouthed at Hermione before pulling his sister out the door.

"Bye," she called out to her friends as they left the small bookshop. She quickly pulled out her phone and sent Viktor a message asking him if he would still like to meet her for lunch. After a few minutes of messaging back and forth, they agreed to meet at a small pub in south London for a late lunch around four, leaving her a little under an hour to get there.

Hermione climbed up from her place on the floor, picking up a few of the books that were scattered around her feet, and began to reshelf them. "Richard?" she called out sweetly to the storeowner sitting quietly at the counter.

"Yes, Hermione?" he replied, not looking up from him newspaper.

"Would you mind terribly keeping some of these books for me here? If I purchase them, that is?" she asked tentatively. She was a regular customer at this store for as long as she could remember, but she had never asked Richard much more than where to find a particular book, or if she could use his toilet, and that was only when she had spent most of her day in his store.

"Of course you can, Hermione. I have met your parents and I really can't risk losing one of my best customers because of a few books," he smirked looking over his newspaper at her.

"Thank you so very much," she smiled picking up the remainder books lying on the floor at her feet and bringing them to counter. She headed back to the shelves and picked up a few books on dentistry, adding them to her pile. "Just in case," she smiled at him.

Richard quietly rang up her purchase, putting her books under the counter and the dentistry books in a bag. She smiled and thanked the man again before leaving the store and walking towards the nearest tube entrance.

Twenty minutes later Hermione emerged from the tube, checking her message with the directions to the pub from Victor. "This can't be right," she muttered to herself as she looked down the dilapidated streets before her. Shrugging off the bad feeling she had, she continued down the street. She trusted Victor's directions. Besides, he was good for finding great hole in the wall pubs.

Hermione walked for a few blocks not finding the pub. Just as she was about to turn around and head back to the tube station, she noticed a sign hanging just over her head that she could have sworn was not there a second ago. "The Leaky Cauldron," she read the sign aloud. "Well, maybe they can tell me how to get to The Albion," she sighed, making her way into the dingy pub."Ugh! Harry mate, please stop defiling our sister in front of us," George groaned, throwing a bit of his roll at his friend who was in the process of snogging his girlfriend.

"Yes, please stop. I'm sitting next to you both," Ron whimpered, moving closer to the wall at the end of the booth they were sitting in.

"George, you're one to talk. What were you doing a few minutes ago. Checking Angelina's tonsils with your tongue?" Ginny spat bitterly at her older brother.

"She's isn't anyone's sister," George snapped back at his little sister, "Besides, I'm older. I'm allowed to do whatever I like." George smiled smugly before leaning over to snog his girlfriend.

"Guys, really stop. I'm trying to eat here," Ron groaned shoving the rest of the chips on Harry's plate into his mouth.

Harry pushed his plate closer to his best friend. "So, Fred. How is Verity?" Harry asked ignoring his pouting girlfriend next to him and the couple snogging in front of him.

"Huh? Oh. Uh…Verity is fine, I guess. I haven't talked to her in a few weeks now, after the whole episode with that punching telescope," Fred responded, tearing his eyes away from the bar. "Harry, do you know who that girl is? She looks about your age, but I don't remember seeing her at Hogwarts." Fred pointed at a petite brunette with short curly hair, who was currently yelling at Tom the barkeep.

"I've never seen her before, although she does seem strangely familiar," Harry replied, glancing at the girl at the bar.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Fred said, bringing his focus back to the girl again. "Do you think I should go up there and help her? It's been ages since I've seen anyone yell at Tom like that, and that didn't end pretty."

"No I think he can…" but before Harry could finish what he was saying Fred was out of his seat and halfway to the bar.

"How dare you call me a witch, you bitter, foul old man!" the girl screamed at Tom.

"All I was asking was how you got in here," Tom groaned at the angry girl before him.

"I walked in through the door. How else would I have gotten in here? Now will you kindly tell me how to get to The Albion, and I will happily exit through the same door I just entered thorough," she growled, her short hair flaring with her temper.

"But only witches…" Tom started but he stopped what he was saying when Fred approached the bar holding up his hands to quiet the barkeep.

"I'll take it from here, Tom. Don't worry; Harry is with us just in case," Fred muttered to the man before turning on the angry young woman. "Don't mind old Tom so much, he doesn't get out of the bar often. Very poor people skills," Fred joked.

"That gives him no right to call me a witch," she growled glaring at Tom again. "I'm sorry. I'm usually not in such a foul mood, it's just that I'm going to be late to meet my friend, and HE was no help with directions," she explained calmly.

"That's okay, I won't hold it against you. I am Fred Weasley, by the way," he grinned, bowing his head slightly at Hermione.

"Nice to meet you Fred Weasley. I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione smiled. "By chance would you know how to get to The Albion? My directions said it was just a block from the tube. But this is the only pub I have seen."

"I've never heard of the place, but my good friend Harry might know where it is. He knows London better than I do. "Oi, Harry! Stop snogging my sister and come here for a minute," Fred called to the table he left just minutes ago.

Harry glared at Fred as he separated himself from Ginny and made his way over to Fred. "What do you want Fred?" he asked with a hint of resentment.

"Harry, this is Hermione. Hermione, Harry." He said, introducing the pair. "Hermione here is looking for The Albion, she said it's a pub supposedly located around here?"

"The Albion? Yeah, I've heard of it. That's Sirius' favorite fish and chips place here in Muggle London."

"Muggle London?" Hermione repeated softly.

"That's just, uh, Harry's slang for this part of London. He loves making up new words," Fred quickly covered. Harry shot Fred a 'we need to talk' look but he quickly ignored it. "So how would one get there from here, Harry?" Fred asked a little eagerly.

"Well if you get back on the tube and go south two more stops, you should be right there. Look, Hermione, right?" She nodded. "Do you mind waiting here for just a moment? I have to discuss something with my good friend, Fred here."

"Uh, sure, I guess. But I really should be going," she responded nervously.

"Just stay here one minute, we'll be right back," Harry growled, grabbing his friend by the wrist and pulling him back towards the table.

"What the hell are you doing?" Harry snapped.

"What are you talking about? I'm just trying to help the nice lady get to lunch with her friend," Fred answered innocently.

"That's not what I'm talking about Fred, and you know it. She is a Muggle in The Leaky Cauldron. That is impossible. Look, we need to contact the Order," Harry berated Fred.

"Okay, let's just say we Owled the Order right now. What is going to keep her from leaving? What I suggest is, I go with her to keep an eye on her, you send a message to the Order, and I will ensure that she comes back here right after."

"How can you guarantee that she will come back here?" Harry asked unconvinced.

"Harry, it's me. I can convince a woman to do just about anything," Fred laughed.

"Yeah, sure. That's why Angelina is with George," he said smugly. Harry grabbed a napkin off the table and wrote down directions handing them to Fred. "Be back here no later than seven or I will send the Order out looking for her. And do keep an eye on her."

"Hermione," Fred called, waving her over to where the duo was standing.

Hermione walked over to the redhead curiously. "Yes?" she asked nervously.

"This really isn't the best area for young women to be wandering around. Will you let me have the honor of walk you to the restaurant? That way I can be sure you get there alright," Fred said coyly.

"I'm not so sure that is a good idea. I don't really know you and-" Hermione started but Fred cut her off.

Fred swung his hands to his chest mocking hurt. "Ouch! I am hurt, Hermione. Do you really think I'm some sort of low life scum who picks up lost young women at pubs? George, don't you dare say a word!" he shouted, turning to glare at his twin who was currently snickering in the booth where he left him.

Hermione looked him over for a minute. "Fine, I guess you can take me. Besides, you're the one with the directions and I doubt you will give them up."

"Nope," Fred grinned.

"Just know I have pepper spray in my bag," she eyed him.

Fred lifted his hand is surrender, "I will behave, I swear. Ready to go?"

Hermione nodded as she followed him out of the Leaky Cauldron.