Chapter 4
"Will You Remember Me"
I can't believe Draco Malfoy just saved my life and then leaves me stranded in some deserted alley. But I suppose his heroic act can overrule the fact that he just left me here. Hermione jumped as she heard a noise from the back of the alley. She decided that she better get out of there and apparate back to Hogwarts.
The grounds were still as she walked up the drive to the front door. The sun was shining brightly as it showed the damage of the battle that only happened hours ago. The scorched marks in the lawn still smoking, random debris from the castle, a desk here, a bed there scattered across the grounds.
She climbed the front stairs and pushed open the door. The Great Hall was completely empty now everyone must have gone home she thought to herself. She made her way up what was left of the marble staircase and started to walk down the corridor. She was halfway up another set of stairs when she stopped walking… she heard crying. The staircase started to change and she hurried the rest of the way up into the next corridor and followed the sound all the way to the hospital wing. The door was cracked a bit and she peeked in to see a large group of people huddled around a bed in the corner.
As she stepped into the room, a few heads turned they all had tear filled eyes and their cheeks were stained from crying. She moved closer to the group to see what they were looking at and who was making the loud uncontrollable sobs. As she pushed her way to the front of the crowd tears started falling. George was crying into Fred's chest.
There were quite a few students there, some she knew and others she didn't but had seen Fred and George hanging out with. Percy sat on a bed on the other side of the room with his head in his hands. Fleur was comforting Bill and Charlie was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled into his chest crying. Mrs. Weasley was crying into Mr. Weasley's shoulder who was staring at his son in shock as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Harry stood across from her with Ginny crying into his shoulder while he rubbed her back. Lee Jordan sat in a chair next to the bed with Fred's hand in his staring blankly straight ahead shaking as tears streamed nonstop from his eyes.
Hermione felt her legs giving way she was falling, everything began to go black…then she stopped. She didn't know what happened. She looked up and noticed Neville caught her and was helping her to her feet, his head was bandaged. When she was once again standing she wrapped her arms around Neville and hugged him tightly.
"It'll be alright." He said as he hugged her back. I hope
George's cries soon became little whimpers. Mrs. Weasley removed her head from Mr. Weasley's shoulder and said, "Hermione?"
She let go of Neville and answered, "Yes"
"Have you seen Ron?" She asked sniffling.
Hermione replayed the events of the early morning in her head. She had no idea where Ron could possibly be. "I have no idea where he is." she shrugged
"But you two left Dumbledore's office together", chimed in Harry.
"Yes, I know but…" She looked at her shoes and thought about how insensitive she was to Ron's feelings about his brother. "He said that he wanted to be alone and left me shortly after."
"He didn't say where he was going," Mr. Weasley asserted the sound of concern in his voice.
"Nope" Hermione turned her attention back to her shoes, their bit dusty, she noted to herself.
"You don't think something happened to him, do you?" asked Dean.
"What are you talking about?" Harry could feel his pressure rising.
"During the celebration in the Great Hall the Malfoy's got into a huge argument", explained Dean.
"Yeah, Draco stormed out and his father ran after him with his wand raised." Added Seamus
"I'm going to look for him," said Percy as he stood up and pulled out his wand.
"Us too" said Charlie as Bill stood and started walking towards the exit.
"Wait up! I'll help too." Harry turned to Hermione, "Are you coming?"
She nodded and followed, although she wasn't quite sure she wanted to find him just yet.
"I'll check the burrow." Said Ginny as she rushed out of the hospital wing
"We'll search the grounds," said Neville waving Dean and Seamus to come with him.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stayed with George and Lee to wait for news. The other students began to leave the hospital wing and told the Weasley's if they saw any sign of Ron they would let them know. Luna said that she would tell her father to print a missing persons report in the Quibbler.
_MUGGLE STREET_
Ron and Draco walked the first couple of blocks in silence.
"Three or four blocks from the Sighler in the opposite direction is the Leaky Cauldron so we aren't that far from the wizarding world" Draco broke the silence.
Ron nodded his head in acknowledgement, "is it much further?"
"No. Just around the corner"
They walked around the corner to a three story building. They walked up the front stairs and they saw buttons with names on them and noticed one marked Land Lord.
"Do we just press the button?" asked Malfoy.
"I suppose." Ron reached out and pressed the button.
"Hello!" a loud grumpy voice called.
They looked at each other in complete confusion.
"Ah! Yes we would like to see the flat for rent!" Malfoy shouted back.
"OH GREAT! I'll buzz you in!" said the man.
There was a buzzing noise and yet again the two just looked at each other.
"What does that mean?" asked Ron
"Don't know." Malfoy pulled on the door handle and it opened. "So that's how muggles unlock the door", stated Malfoy.
"It's just like magic," Said Ron. They both gave a little chuckle and the land lord stepped out of the first door on the left. He had brown hair around the edges of his head and was completely bald on top. He wore a white or what use to be white undershirt, white boxers with red polka dots, a pink fuzzy bathrobe, and slippers. He had a huge grin on his face as he greeted the boys.
"Hello! I'm Harold." He said a little too happy as he reached out to shake the boy's hands.
"I'm Draco Malfoy and this is Ron Wease… Weasley", He caught himself before he said Weasel.
"Great to meet you, the flat is on the third floor. Follow Me." They walked up the three flights of stairs to the third floor and over to the last door on the left wall. As Harold was unlocking the door he motioned to the door across the hall.
"Mr. Wong lives there he is a nice old Chinese man but a bit loopy if you ask me." He walked into the flat, Ron and Draco stepped in and began to look around. When you first walk in there is a spacious living/ kitchen area. To the left was the kitchen which had a counter that looked out into the living room. There was a fireplace in the living room that has large windows.
"Fireplace is a top perk for living on the top floor, the last tenants didn't use it very much," Harold went on. To the right was the hall. The first door on the right was a small coat cupboard. The first door on the left was a bedroom, it was a decent size but it had a terrible view of the brick wall next door and the fire escape was right outside the window. The second door on the right was the washroom, it was nothing impressive but it appeared clean. The second bedroom was the door at the end of the hall. It was much more spacious then the first bedroom and had windows all the way across the back wall which looked out over a park.
"Another perk, excellent view this room has," said Harold
Draco turned to look at Harold who hadn't stopped grinning since he introduced himself. "So how much is the rent?"
"300 pounds a week", said Harold.
"We'll need a moment to discuss." Draco and Ron walked out into the hall closing the door behind them.
"What the bloody hell is a pound?" asked Ron.
"How do you not know anything about muggle money? You're a muggle lover the least you could do is know something useful about them." Spat Malfoy.
Ron glared at Malfoy and lunged towards him and grabbed him around the neck. He pushed him up against the wall and there was a loud thud. Harold called from the bedroom, "Is everything alright out there?"
"Yes everything is just fine, still discussing" said Ron loosening his grip on Malfoy.
"How dare you!" Stated Malfoy as he massaged his neck
"Look Malfoy if you want this to work first thing you have to do is stop insulting me!"
"And you me!" Retorted Draco, he sighed and moved on. "Well let's figure this out we get paid seven pounds an hour, work eight hours for five days a week…" Draco closed his eyes as he did the math, "That's 280 eighty pounds a week each, we can afford this."
"It's a really nice place." Added Ron
"It's probably a palace compared to that hole you call a home," smirked Malfoy.
Ron tried to elbow Draco in the stomach but he stepped out of the way just in time for Ron's elbow to hit the wall instead. Ron growled angrily as he rubbed his elbow and they walked back into the room and told Harold they would take it. Harold excitedly left to get the lease.
"Let's get the fighting over the rooms done now", said Draco.
"Well I want this room", said Ron crossing his arms thinking that would make Malfoy give him what he wanted.
"Great! I wanted the other one." Said Draco
Ron uncrossed his arms and looked at Draco a bit confused, who in their right mind would want the view of a wall. Harold came back in with the papers, they signed and he left them alone in their very own flat.
"Will You Remember Me" Sarah Mclaughlin
