Hey guys! Long time no write! Sry about that. School almost kicked my ass but now that's it summer I will be writing more so expect more updates. I plan to finish this story by Spetember at the latest. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

It was late afternoon by the time Hermione made it back to the motel where the group of wizards was staying at. She had refused to go home in order to avoid her parents so she had borrowed some of Glitter's clothes. She was wearing his baggy jeans and a tight tank top some girl had left there once. It was too small and left a good deal of her stomach exposed. After a long shower she'd thrown out her dirty and torn clothes from the night before, ate, and left for the tube station making her way back across town.

When she walked in the door of one of their rooms she was immediately subjected to the Weasley glares. She wasn't entirely sure if they were meant to scare her or just convey the redheads' anger. She guessed the former.

"Stop it," she growled. "I've seen worse glares and you don't scare me."

"Where have you been?" Ginny asked sounding thoroughly annoyed.

"Got held up," she replied.

"With what?" Snape asked lowly as he came through the connector door to the room next door. Black followed. Hermione went to the bathroom counter, unwrapped the plastic cup, and filled it with water.

"The Creep," she replied simply. Snape moved towards the couch and picked up the book resting on the arm. He seemed to let it go instantly but Hermione had, had a feeling he would. Snape knew what Creeps were and what went on. No explanation was needed for him. Unfortunately, that wasn't true for everyone else.

"What happened?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing much," Hermione replied. "It was busted up by the bobbies." She once again received extremely confused looks at her words. At first she didn't get why they were looking at her like she'd said something really strange, then she remembered. Purebloods wouldn't know anything about the Muggle world. For her, it was natural to slip back into the ways of Muggledom and then Magicdom. She belonged to neither world fully so she could slip between them more easily. The others in the room could not. They were like fish out of water in Muggledom. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so completely pathetic. "Cops," she said to clarify but they still looked confused.

"It's the Muggle version of the MLE," Snape said from his place on the couch his rather large nose still in his book. However, the other three seemed to finally get it.

"Were you doing anything illegal?" Black asked with a small smile that kept Hermione guessing at whether he would lecture her or laugh with her. In the end she decided she didn't care.

"Yes, I was," she said.

"What?" Ginny asked seeming a bit apprehensive.

"I was at an illegal party with runaways selling orange ladies, boozing it up, and possibly starting a gang war," she said. She slammed the plastic cup back on to the counter and moved towards Black till they were barely a foot apart and gave him an intense glare. "You'd better be fucking thankful I'm doing this. Because of you and your godson I'm on Jack and Jill's hit list."

"Jack and Jill?" Snape said finally turning his head back towards the group.

"Leaders of the runaways," Hermione said. "They're tough and they rule the street kids on that side of town. I asked a couple of questions and the next thing I know they're out for my blood. They know something."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked and Hermione noted the tinge of fear in her voice. Black and Ron were too confused and shocked to say anything. Snape was more content to watch at this point.

"I'm talking about dangerous people," Hermione snapped at her. "You asked me to help you find some lost little hero no one really knows. This kid has lived the life of a runaway and by the reaction I got last night he climbed the ranks pretty fast. I have no interest in getting caught in the middle of a gang war and I will not force the gangs into a war because Dumbledore lost his weapon!" By that time Hermione was screaming effectively silencing everyone else though she did catch the flash of annoyance in Snape's eyes at the slam to the Headmaster. "I almost got killed last night."

Ginny gasped, Ron's mouth dropped, and Black looked at Snape as if for help. Snape just looked at her with a blank stare.

"How?" Ginny finally squeaked out.

"Asked the wrong person the wrong thing," she said. "If Glitter hadn't shown I'd probably be at the bottom of the river."

"But they're just kids," Ron said disbelievingly. "How can they do that?"

"Some of us didn't have the luxury of having a childhood," Hermione told him. "Even if you do find Potter, I doubt he'll be the hero everyone expects him to be."

"That's okay," Black said.

"Is it?" Hermione responded.

"We just want him safe," Black replied. When Hermione couldn't find the strength to answer him, Snape did.

"He won't be your godson," he said and Black turned towards him angrily. Snape cut him off. "He has lived on the streets of London for seven years doing Merlin knows what and seeing things you wouldn't have been able to stomach at that age. Living that kind of life changes a person. What makes you think he'll care about who you are? Or who he is? What happened in the magical world has never been explained to him. If you could even get him to sit down with you long enough to hear it, I doubt he will understand or care."

"What makes you say that?" Black asked the wind suddenly disappearing from his sails.

"This is Muggledom, Mr. Black," Hermione responded. "The rules are different. There is no Dark Lord and there is no Dumbledore. If Potter is in the position we think he's in, there is very little, if any hope."

"But when we find him we can just take him back home," Ginny said. "He can get out of the dangers you keep talking about."

"If we find him, Miss Weasley," Snape said.

"Why wouldn't we be able to find him?" Black asked. Hermione glanced at Snape quickly before answering the man in front of her.

"Mr. Black," she began and he turned back towards her. "You know entirely too little of the Muggle world to be of any help in this search. It will be a miracle if Potter even knows about Magic."

"Harry lived with his Aunt before he ran away," Black said. "She knew about Magic because of her sister."

"How do you know she told him about it?" Hermione asked. "People fear what they don't understand. It's why the Purebloods hate the Muggles and the Muggles tell horror stories about Magic. I need you to understand that this search is likely to end badly. The people Potter appears to be mixed up with will not be easy to get around. It's possible we will not live through this."

"Oh, please," Ron scoffed. Hermione couldn't muster the energy to glare so she shut her eyes and prayed for patience. "Like they could hurt us."

"Do not be arrogant, boy," Snape snapped and Ron gave a jump as Hermione opened her eyes. "They are stronger than the Magical world would wish to believe."

"Is it really that bad?" Black asked quietly. Hermione gave a small nod.

"Yes, it is," she replied. "Welcome to reality."

Hermione watched television until they were ready to leave for the Dursley's home in Surry. Ron, Ginny, and Black all watched with her but while she was getting increasingly bored they were enraptured. Hermione eventually switched from some dorky kids show to a movie, which in retrospect wasn't the best choice. Harold and Kumar go to White Castle not only greatly confused them but disgusted them. She laughed incredibly hard but then, she understood what was going on.

"That's repulsive," Ginny exclaimed for the nth time. Hermione finally just shut off the TV and picked up the phone on the table beside her. After a conversation with Glitter about the possibility of being hunted down by Jack and Jill, Snape finally announced that it was time to go.

Hermione made no move to stand up.
"I'm not going," she said. Both Ron and Ginny gaped at her, Black peered at her, and Snape just nodded.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Not a good idea," she said.

"Why?" Black asked looking confused.

"It's just not!" Hermione snapped. The three looked at each other but shrugged it off. Five minutes later they left. Hermione waited until she was sure they were in Surry via Portkey before she too left the room.

Number 4 Private Drive looked like every other house on the street. Perfect and boring, with the fancy gardens and nice cars. Severus detested it entirely. It reminded him of the rich people who lived in Muggle London with their noses in the air and noises of disapproval for the runaways.

True, he hadn't been a 'runaway', that would imply that he had left something. Still, Lily had been a runaway even if it was just for that one summer. Suddenly reminded as to why they were there, Severus tore his eyes away to look at the other three with him. He had thought that bringing the two Weasley children would be an incredibly bad idea, but Dumbledore had overridden him. That was highly annoying.

"Let's get this over with," he said, and walked briskly up the stairs of the porch to the front door the others right behind him. He rang the doorbell with perhaps more force than necessary.

The door opened several moments later by a rather horse faced and skinny woman. Petunia, Lily's sister. The woman gave one glance at Severus, recognized him, screamed, and tried to slam the door in his face. He stopped it with his foot and forced it back open with one arm while his other attempted to grab the rapidly retreating woman by the wrist. He followed her to the kitchen and was greeted by her wielding a knife at him.

He dodged the blade completely forgetting he was in fact a wizard with a wand in his back jean pocket. He heard Black and the Weasleys coming after them. They made it to the doorway just in time to see him grab her wrist and twist her arm in a half nelson pinning her to the counter.

"Are you alone?" he asked. He hadn't seen the car in the drive way and no one had come running at her scream.

"Yes," she said bitterly and surprisingly without fear.

"Snape," Black started. Probably wanted to convince him not to hurt the woman.

"Shut it," he threw over his shoulder then turned back to Petunia. "What did you do with the boy?" he asked.

"What boy?"

"You know," he hissed. "Lily's boy. Where is he?"

"How should I know?" she snapped. "He disappeared years ago."

"And you didn't think to report it," he said voice going colder than any of the people present had ever heard it. The two Weasley children had shivers going down their spines and Sirius was wondering if he would have to prevent Snape from becoming a murderer. Petunia didn't even flinch.

"Thought you freaks would at least look after your own," she said, trying to push him off ignoring the pain in her arm.

"He's your blood," he said.

"Don't remind me," she snapped.

"When did he disappear?" Snape asked trying to stay on task. Hopefully, Black would be able to refrain himself from interfering if the conversation about the Potters got nasty.

"Years ago," she said.

"Did he run off or did you leave him somewhere?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I'm the one with the wand," he said and felt her tense. "Don't think I won't use it." She paused, probably considering her options, which weren't many.

"Professor," the Weasley girl started only to have a hand clamped over her mouth. She turned to see none other than Hermione. Severus turned his head to see her standing there with a new bruise sitting on her cheek. The girl just could not stay out of trouble.

"Let him work," she said into the redhead's ear removing her head to come into the kitchen. The other three were still at the door.

"Thought you weren't coming," Black said deciding to take a seat at the table.

"Changed my mind," she said opening the fridge door and helped herself to a beer. Severus pushed down his instinct to scold her for under aged drinking and take points from Gryffindor. If Minerva could see her little know-it all now. He ignored the others and turned back to the woman he was holding captive as Granger left the kitchen. He didn't know where she thought she was going.

"Talk," he growled.

"Vernon drove him to London," she said quietly. "He didn't say why and when he came back the boy wasn't with him."

"He just left him there?" Black almost shouted, horrified.

"There's a church there that you can leave them at with no questions asked," she said. "That's probably where he took the little shit."

"What church?" Severus asked cutting across whatever reaction Black was sure to have. This was not the time for temper tantrums.

"St. Dominic's," she said instantly and Severus let her go. Granger came back that moment humming something to her self and threw out her now empty bottle in the trash can under the sink.

"Find anything?" Severus asked.

"He wasn't loved," she stated. "Slept in the cupboard under the stairs. Says Harry's Room on the wall in crayon." Black gave noise that sounded like a badly suppressed whimper but the two ignored him.

"I'd wash that off before they come," Severus said to Petunia who narrowed her eyes.

"Before who comes?" she asked.

"Child Services," he replied leaving the kitchen, the rest following. That is, all except Granger. They waited on the lawn for her and five minutes later she came out, a smirk on her face.

"What kept you?" the Weasley boy practically spat. She just smiled.

"Had to make a phone call," she said. The conversation was cut short at the sound of sirens and Severus grabbed Granger's shoulder for Side-Along Apparition. He left the Weasleys for Black to take care of.

"So where is this Church?" Black asked. He and the two Weasley children had returned moments after the other two and the redheaded boy was none too pleased with Granger. Severus couldn't even begin to explain as to why. She really hadn't done anything but drink a beer and get into some sort fight, again.

The two had gotten into a screaming match that had almost turned violent when Granger had thrown a chair at him. Black and Severus had quickly ended it there.

They were now all seated in the larger motel room's sitting area which consisted of one lumpy couch and two conjured chairs.

"It's actually just a few blocks south," Granger replied. "I've volunteered at their soup kitchen a few times. There's an orphanage and a teen shelter on site. You'd be amazed at how many runaways pass through there."

"So why do they allow people to abandon their kids there?" Ginny asked quietly. She seemed both horrified and depressed. It was like she'd only now seen how cruel people could be to their own family, which, in consideration of the Weasley family, was probably true.

"Because sometimes it's the best option for everyone," Granger said. The other girl's eyebrows creased in confusion. Granger sighed but explained. "Some people can't afford to keep their kids, others just don't want to see them. Some are druggies in a brief moment of sobriety who discover they have a conscious and leave the kid there. Some are just teenagers themselves who have no chance of raising a child to be anything other than half starved and messed up, if they survive."

Severus, who was also familiar with the place, continued. "They place a remarkable majority of their kids with good families. You go there to turn your life around. Or, at the very least, survive the winter."

"The Muggle world has a lot of problems," Black commented and Severus saw Granger bristle.

"It's not a Muggle thing," Granger snapped. "It's a human problem. You can't honestly tell me that nobody in the magical world has never abandoned a child."

"We're not here to discuss the faults of humanity," Severus snapped. "We need to figure out how we're going to track Potter through their system."

"What do you mean?" Black asked. "Can't we just trick them into handing over their files?"

"It's not that easy," Granger told him. "It's very likely Potter didn't use a real name even then. If he did, it was probably just a first name. Also, if he only passed through the shelter and not the orphanage, there would be no record of him."

"Then what do we do now?" Black asked looking a bit dejected.

"Right now the only thing we can do is find another lead," she replied. "I think we should push this thing with Jack and Jill."

"You said you didn't want to start a gang war," Severus pointed out.

"I'm not talking about war," she said. "If we do it right, nothing bad has to happen."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" he asked her. "They aren't going to hand over one of their own."

"Carefully," she said a small smile coming onto her features. "Very carefully."

"You have a plan?" Ginny asked.

"I have a plan."

Next Chapter: Ron, Ginny, and Sirius gain a little more insight into the Muggle World, Hermione, and Severus