Harry found the house he thought he should be looking for. Number Seven, Maple Crescent. It was one of those boring new development type homes, the ones where you know the people living inside have a decent jobs and watch family sitcoms together while eating fat free popcorn. He rang the doorbell twice. After a few minutes of waiting he decided to sit on the porch steps and wait for them to return home. If he returned to Hogwarts so soon he'd have trouble explaining. He'd told his friends that he had detention with Snape that evening.
"This is useless," thought Harry ten minutes later. His butt was soar from sitting on the cement steps and he was freezing in the cold fall air. He secretly wished Draco had been there to warm him but stopped that thought the moment it started. It was too painful to bear. He got up and pointed his wand at the door handle and whispered "Alohamora." The lock clicked open. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no muggles were watching and slipped inside. He surveyed his surroundings. He stood in a simple living room. The couches were a matching set and the same maroon color as the curtains; the walls were a tasteful off-white color that matched with another utterly tasteful off-white carpet. A reasonable sized television sat in the corner and a landscape hung on one wall. He went from room to room, observing, sometimes picking up an object with pretend interest and placing them down again. Going through a jewellery box in what he imagined must have been a women's bedroom he found two one-hundred dollar bills and slipped them into his pocket. They wouldn't be any good in the wizarding world but during the summer at his Aunt and Uncles' they could come in handy. He fingered a satin dress in the closet and considered trying it on but thought better of himself. He was already in the nightie he'd found lying carelessly on the floor and didn't want to risk a less comfortable garment. A turntable sat in the corner tempting him. He picked up a record featuring Frank Sinatra and sighed, unable to resist. Might as well. He slid a cigarette from the already half empty carton on the bedside table and lit it with his wand.