A/N - got this one finished quickly. I think one more chap in London and then B back to America.

Previously:

Back in her bed in Hampstead, as the images wound down and sleep finally took her, Bella shivered unconsciously at the memory of the heat that filled her, the strange emotions, the feeling of power...

Her dreams that night were strange and foreboding; she and Harry and a few others she did not know were running through the ruins of some city, fighting against some oppressive darkness that was closing in on them; they ran, and they fought, but they were losing; and everywhere they went, they could hear a menacing laughter ringing out in the distance.

Bella tossed and turned as she dreamed; and just before waking, before the memory of the dream faded to oblivion, the last impression she had was of her and Harry holding hands as the darkness overtook them.

Chapter 7

London

Clint Barton - a.k.a 'Hawkeye' - walked down the ramp from the sleek private jet, hoisting his carry-duffel over his shoulder, moving briskly towards the black SUV that awaited him on the tarmac. He'd been re-assigned yesterday to this mission; the op would have him following a civilian target that had suspected connections to Enhanced, and may or may not be in the company of a POI - a 'person of interest' - meaning someone who Shield had a dossier on.

To Clint, that usually meant someone dangerous.

From what he'd read of Isabella Swan's file, he didn't really see anything out of the ordinary save for some nebulous connection to the murders in Seattle a few years ago.

But this 'POI' - this Harry Potter...now, he, on the other hand, had the most redacted file Clint had ever seen. Most of the missing sections were 'beyond top secret' - meaning level 10 eyes only, and even then special clearance was required. Ms. Swan had apparently been in the company of this individual two days earlier, during a so far unexplained 'incident', and Clint was to organize surveillance on her while she was in London.

As he neared the waiting vehicle, the driver stepped out to greet him. "Barton," the tall, burly agent said with a nod. He didn't extend a hand, and Barton hadn't been expecting one.

"Nielson," Clint responded, with the same small nod, moving to the trunk which opened at a keypress from Nielson. Clint lay his duffle bag in the back, looking at the two occupants of the back seat. He knew they were his ground team, and he had read their files and they seemed to be competent, and most importantly were locals, and knew the city well and presumably would know how to avoid detection from Swan and the mysterious Mr. Potter.

As the heavily modified SUV drove towards the city, Clint reviewed the mission with the other agents, not disclosing why they were following Swan - they were not cleared for it - only that she may or may not meet with an individual who could possibly be dangerous; Clint ignored the raised eyebrows at the vagueness of his statement, but insisted they were to take no aggressive action, that this was a recon op only. He quickly reviewed the aborted surveillance on Swan two years earlier in DC, and how she was only scheduled to be in London for a few more days; a new team would be assigned, if the higher-ups deemed it appropriate - when she returned to the States.

Finally, he instructed them, in his off-hand way that he was known for, what he expected of them during the op.

After that, no more words were spoken as they drove the short distance to Hampstead, where Ms. Swan was staying with a British family named Danvers, leaving Clint to his thoughts.

Well Ms. Swan, let's find out what secrets you may be hiding that has Coulson and Fury so interested in you.

On Friday, Bella spent the day with Sophie, visiting Cambridge and King's College. Bella was planning on taking a semester abroad during her junior year, and after her adventures over the past few days and her general love of the city, she was resolved to apply to any of the programs that would get her to London.

Before they went out Friday night, Bella had taken Sophie aside, apologized for her flighty behavior, and admitted to her that she had met 'a nice English guy named Harry,' and was meeting him tomorrow after lunch. This was the story she was going with to distract her friend, so Bella could get away and back to the Wizarding world without making Sophie feel bad for ditching her.

As Bella had expected, Sophie had reacted exuberantly to the news, claiming she knew Bella was keeping something from her! Sophie - who was a natural born flirt and often seemed to be dating a different guy every month (none of them very seriously) - was thrilled with Bella for finally showing interest in someone. She had often pestered Bella about her almost constant rejection of the boys who asked her out during their freshman year; so now, to see Bella sneaking about with someone, was mana for Sophie.

"Oh you've got to let me meet him, Bella! want to make sure he's up to snuff!" Sophie grinned at Bella, her smile wide and her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Bella, having expected this reaction, had already arranged things with Harry; thankfully, he was happily playing along and he would be meeting them at Harrods where they would have tea together before Bella and Harry left for their afternoon.

Thankfully, when Bella had texted him and asked him to call her when he 'was able to get a signal' - which had been late Friday night, as he had been in magical areas all day with no cell phone reception - he didn't tease her too badly when she rather contritely informed him of the situation.

"I don't know Bella," he'd said, his voice light, "I think we might have to go out for real after this; after all, you need to be convincing if she asks for details."

Bella could not tell through the phone if he was kidding or not, and was surprised when she realized that she hoped he wasn't. So much had happened over the past few days that she'd not even considered what her feelings for Harry were, beyond a general acknowledgement of his attractiveness; but now that the door had been cracked open, she was cautiously curious what lay on the other side.

So it was, a little after one pm on Saturday that Sophie, decked out in sexy red blouse and fancy pants and heels, walked confidently along Brompton Avenue into Harrods, dragging a panting Bella along behind her. "Sophie! Slow down!" Bella grumped, struggling to keep up with her long legged friend.

Sophie threw Bella a sour look, not breaking stride. "Keep up, Isabella. I don't want to waste any time meeting this mystery man of yours before you go on your hot date!"

Bella, who was jostled several times by the crowds of shoppers, glared at her friend who seemed to effortlessly dodge the throngs of people as she navigated up the escalators to the in-store cafe. Finally catching-up, Bella stumbled a bit as she ran into Sophie's back when she stepped off the crowded escalator at the top.

Once her feet were on stable ground, her eyes were already scanning the tables looking to see if Harry had arrived.

When she saw him stand and wave them over, Sophie lowered her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose to get a good look at him. Bella blushed red when her friend turned to her and mouthed 'H.O.T' and pulled her to the table to get introductions out of the way.

The next twenty minutes or so had been slightly uncomfortable for Bella as Sophie charmed Harry and talked-up Bella's attributes like she was presenting her for sale. Bella grumbled a bit, but Harry was so at ease and relaxed that by the time Sophie left, Bella could see that he'd won her friend over.

Once she was gone, Harry rose and offered his arm. "Shall we, Ms. Swan?"

Bella grinned at him, took the offered arm, and the pair left the busy store, walking quietly through London as they walked back in the direction of the Cauldron.

A block away on a convenient rooftop, Hawkeye looked down on his target with a pair of Zeiss binoculars. He'd noticed her roommate - Sophie Danvers - leave less than a minute ago, and now Swan was walking out with her arm draped with a dark haired man.

As he zoomed in, he got a clear view of his face. Speaking into his mic, his eyes followed them as they moved north. "Ground-2, Air-1 here. Primary has left the store, heading northbound with our secondary target, designate primary-2."

He heard the acknowledgement in his ear piece, and watched the pair as they walked. They seemed awfully chummy for supposedly having met earlier this week, but Hawkeye didn't let his mind wander. He stayed focused on them, happy to note that they seemed completely oblivious to the eyes on them. Clint crossed easily to the next rooftop that would give him a clear line of sight to the upcoming intersection, his binoculars never far from his eyes as he called out any necessary instructions to his team.

Bella and Harry chatted and laughed as they spent the next hour or so window-shopping and getting to know each other better, with Bella learning more about the places in America where Wizards lived and practiced.

She had learned a bit from Hermione after their somewhat disastrous test in the ministry, and Harry had promised to 'show her a few things', but she knew she would need a lot of time and practice before she really could do anything with magic.

Bella stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk, and nudged Harry when he chuckled at her. She asked him what their plans were for the day, and would he pretty please teach her some magic? "Hermione did hint that you were a pretty good teacher at one point," she added, trying to be persuasive by buttering him up.

Grinning - and quite aware of her ploy - Harry looked at her. "So they say." And then he chuckled again. "You sound just like Hermione. Eager to learn as much magic as you can."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Can you blame me?"

"I suppose not," Harry allowed. Seeing her hopeful expression, Harry finally caved. "Okay okay, I'll teach you some magic. But first," he said, when the bounce in her step got so big he'd thought she might fall into the street, "I'd like to take you to a few more stores in Diagon - they sell magical devices that will let us communicate more reliably than cell phones - and I also want to introduce you to a friend of mine who does private tutoring work. He might be able to help you get up-to-speed with learning spells and give ideas on how and where to practice back in the States."

Bella nodded, giving him a grateful smile. "That's great, thank you Harry," and she squeezed his arm.

When Harry turned to smile back, he noticed a man across the street subtly turn his head at the same moment. To most people, it would not even have registered, but Harry was not most people. The war and his life as an auror had given him incredible situational awareness, and his life at the Dursley's had taught him to always mind his surroundings. When he got his eyes fixed by muggle Lasik surgery a few years back, his ability to spot trouble at a distance had only improved.

Harry had noticed the circumspect man back in Harrods, and though he didn't see him follow them out, it seemed quite unusual that this gentleman was now on this same street as them, especially as they had been taking their time and walking quite slowly.

Without alerting Bella to his suspicion that they were being followed, he continued talking even as his eyes drifted up and down the street. He knew he had a lot of enemies - it was not out of the realm of possibility that this was related to his takedown of Durgan, and he was very wary of starting any trouble with Bella in the line of fire.

They were about three blocks from the Leaky now, approaching Leicester from the north. Deciding to confirm if they were being tailed - and if there were others as well - Harry steered Bella into a small pastry shop with a smile and a joke about his sweet tooth. Indulging him, Bella followed him in, oblivious to his increased alertness and his fast but subtle glances around them.

"Bella, why don't you have something too? The funnel cakes here are fabulous," Harry offered, his eyes glancing at the reflection in the pastry display, which afforded him a decent view of the street.

Sure enough, the man stopped directly across from them, peering into a shop window and trying to be unobtrusive.

Harry quickly considered his options. He had no idea who was following him in muggle London, as Nott's pureblood thugs would have not been this comfortable navigating the streets; Harry did, however, have a wide range of enemies, as he'd been responsible, as Head Auror, for putting a lot of people into Azkaban. Taking him out in muggle London might be a way for someone to get away without risking detection from the wizarding authorities.

Leaning forward so he was almost pressing against Bella's back, he whispered quietly to her. "Bella, don't turn your head, but there is a man across the street that's been following us since Harrods. He's dressed like a muggle, but that doesn't mean he's not a wizard." Harry paused, seeing Bella suddenly stiffening. "Keep looking at the display and order your cake, I am looking to see if there is anyone with him, okay?"

When Bella turned to look at him, Harry could see she was nervous, but was thankfully keeping calm. She gave the slightest nod of her head, and then inspected the pastries as she waited her turn for the cashier to take her order.

Harry stepped away, glancing in another display that showed a different angle of the street. He looked closely at anyone who was not walking past, and there were one or two possible candidates that may have been looking at them: he couldn't be sure.

When he heard Bella order, he paid for the pastries, gently took her arm again - this time with his left arm, keeping his wand arm free - and walked with her out the door. "Keep talking," he whispered under his breath. "I'm going to take us to a small alleyway near Whitehall, and apparate us away." He glanced briefly at her. "I don't want to risk trying to catch him with you in the crossfire."

For a moment Harry thought she might argue as her expression firmed, but then she gave him a brief nod. The pair walked casually towards Whitehall, and Harry was impressed that Bella did resisted the urge to turn her head and look behind them.

Looking through the binoculars, Hawkeye narrowed his eyes as Potter walked back out of the store with a much more alert posture than when he entered. Glancing at Swan, he could easily tell - with the close-up afforded to him by the powerful Zeiss lenses - that her smile was forced as her eyes darted to and fro.

And most telling - Swan was now holding Potter's left arm - leaving his right arm free, presumably to draw a weapon if necessary.

Speaking again through the mic, he called the agents on the street. "Ground 2, Air-1 here. You've been made. Repeat, you've been made."

His earpiece chirped back the agent's reply. "Air-1, are you certain? I've seen no indication, targets showing no signs of discovery. We've maintained a distance of plus 50 at all times."

Hawkeye rolled his eyes in frustration, and muttered to himself as Potter and the girl hurried across the busy intersection near Whitehall. The government district was too spread out and there were no rooftops for him to climb over there, so the ground team was the only chance to continue following. "That's a roger, ground-2. Targets are alert. Drop back to max distance and continue on, but do not engage if targets turn hostile. Copy and repeat back, ground-2."

When the agent repeated back his instructions correctly, Hawkeye dropped down to the alley via the rope he'd slung a few minutes earlier. When his feet hit the pavement, he pulled the slip-wire, and the rope unknotted and fell neatly into his hands. Stuffing it into his pack, he hurried across the street, hoping to follow them himself from the ground but suspecting that he was going to be too late.

The way Potter moved spoke of someone with training, and Clint could admit to being grudgingly impressed by how quickly he'd spotted their tail.

But that was okay: Clint enjoyed a challenge.

And even as he mentally composed his report in his mind, he realized his interest in Isabella Swan rose just a little bit more.

"Some date, huh?" Bella said out of the blue, and Harry almost stumbled in surprise, laughing at her unexpected remark even as he led her towards the alley he would use to apparate from. Giving her a small smile, he nudged her shoulder even as his eyes casually swept the street behind them. "I'll have to make it up to you." And he was pleased to see a smile in return, despite the tenseness of the situation.

Harry and Bella crossed the busy intersection near Whitehall and Harry suddenly and with little forewarning stepped into the small side alley that was used by garbage trucks and delivery services for the large government buildings. The alley was almost deserted - there was just a single truck - and Harry pulled Bella behind a large dumpster, knowing from previous jaunts that he was now out of sight of the CCTV camera pointed at the mouth of this alleyway. His wand jumped from his holster into his hand, and he looked down at Bella. "Hold tight," he warned, and Bella pressed herself against him, her brown eyes looking up at him with a trusting expression that made him smile.

With a soft crack, the pair vanished from Whitehall and Bella felt the disorienting spin associated with apparition, making her stomach roil.

They reappeared a moment later in the apparition point in Diagon Alley, and Bella stumbled and would have lost her footing if not for Harry holding her close. "Are you okay?" he asked her, looking her up and down, noting her greenish complexion.

Bella tried to say she was fine, but she really wasn't. She felt bile in her throat, and her skin felt clammy. Harry seemed to notice this, and rubbed her arms. "It'll pass, side-along apparition can be uncomfortable, especially the first few times."

Thankfully, Bella felt herself recovering quickly, and with a deep breath felt the nausea pass.

"I'm okay," she finally said, biting her lip. She glanced around Diagon Alley, seeing people staring at them; besides the fact that both were dressed as muggles, Harry always seemed to draw stares, as Bella had learned during her previous visits here; and they were literally pressed together in an embrace.

Winking at her, Harry took her hand and with a determined step moved past the nosy onlookers, nodding to several of them but mostly ignoring them. Bella tried not to blush, but she was less than successful at the sudden attention, and only raised her head when she realized Harry was steering them to Madam Malkins robe shop.

Wanting to discuss the incident a few moments ago, Bella pulled on his arm, slowing him down. "Harry! What are you going to do about the man who followed us?"

Harry turned his head just a fraction, and tried to keep their steady pace. "Right now I'm not going to do anything about whoever that was, though I will talk to a colleague at the metropolitan police and see if they have any video footage of the man." And then he gave her a lopsided grin. "For now, well, the robes you ordered Thursday will be ready, and Hermione asked me to order you a dressier set as well: as a sort of welcoming present. And she has a few sets of my robes that I was having repaired." Looking down into Bella's surprised face, he gave her a cheeky grin. "So we're going to get changed, and then we're going to spend the day relaxing in the Alley, before I give you your 'magic lesson.'"

Ten minutes later, they emerged from Madam Malkins in their wizard-ware. Bella enjoyed the fit of the new robe, which was a bit tighter in the hips and a bit shorter than the set Hermione had lent her on Thursday when she'd left the ministry with Harry. The fabric, which felt like a stretchy wool, was light and breathable, but felt like it would keep her warm.

"Very fashionable," Harry complimented as they sat down to enjoy an ice cream at Fortescue's. Bella found herself feeling parched, probably from the adrenaline rush from the previous half hour. It had been a long time since she'd had this kind of danger in her life.

As their snack arrived, she marveled at the strange flavors, and moaned when she took that first taste of her pink colored 'Strawberry Nightshade'. "This is delicious Harry!" she exclaimed, spooning a large mouthful from the small cup that was adorned with waffle cone chips dipped in chocolate.

He grinned at her, his expression more relaxed now that they were safe. He had not been concerned for himself, of course, knowing that he was a match for most anything he might run into. No, he had been worried about Bella. She had been a breath of fresh air for him, and he knew she'd be defenseless in a fight. He couldn't rely on whatever that strange defense she had in her head protecting her again, as they didn't know if it was his mind probe that triggered it.

He was going to have to make sure she knew how to defend herself.

And deep down, he also knew that the more time she spent with him the more attention - both good and bad - she would draw to herself.

Harry was very aware of the many weighing looks Bella had been receiving from the people that had noticed them together; this was, after all, the third time in five days they'd been seen together, and Harry was surprised an article hadn't yet appeared in the Prophet worrying over who she was; he figured there was just as likely a chance at them proclaiming the 'Man Who Conquered' looked ready to settle down and get to producing heirs for the Black and Potter lines or that he was being seduced by some Dark Witch who had plots to steal those lines for herself!

Bella, meanwhile, tried to ignore the obvious stares as she and Harry ate and chatted. She'd finally gotten a true understanding of how famous he really was, when they visited the bookstore on Thursday. And despite his and Hermione's warnings, she couldn't believe how bad the attention really was: he was often gawked at like a zoo exhibit.

The clerks in the bookstore had either stared at him unabashedly or batted their eyelashes, and Bella had moved off in disgust when one of the shop assistants basically propositioned him while he was talking to Bella!

When she perused the shelves, Bella found an entire section devoted to the recent war and Harry's role in ending it. There were probably a half dozen books with his name on the cover, and she suspected that there were probably dozens more scattered through the rest of the store.

And don't even get her started on the ridiculous children's stories!

She'd used them as good teasing material, of course, and she enjoyed watching him blush as she coyly asked him if he'd sign her copy of 'Harry Potter and the Princess in the Tower.'

Bella wasn't sure how Harry dealt with it, really. It seemed such a chore, and she wasn't surprised that he enjoyed her company; after all, she had no idea who he was even four days ago.

When they finished their ice cream, Harry said he was taking her to his favorite store in the Alley; but his twinkling eyes and small grin made her wary.

"Well, what is it called?"

"Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes; it's a joke shop, run by my friend George Weasley. He and his brother started it about eight years ago, and it's the most successful novelty shop in Wizarding Britain."

She gave him an appraising look, hoping he wasn't going to get even with her for teasing him about the Harry Potter books. He was trying too hard to look innocent.

Finally shrugging, they left the ice-cream store together, and Bella accepted his offered arm as they moved back up the Alley, ignoring the many curious stares that followed them.

"They're gone," Ground-1 said for the fifth time. "How could they be gone? That alley is a dead end, and I can't see that girl climbing up that little emergency ladder to the roof in under 2 minutes!"

Hawkeye had listened to the whining agent for the past fifteen minutes, thoroughly sick of his complaining. Yes, he agreed it was bewildering how they pulled off their vanishing act, but he did know he was dealing with two individuals who might have enhanced abilities. Perhaps they could turn invisible? After all, he knew a guy who turned into an eight foot tall, thousand pound hulk: why not an invisible man too?

He'd already called it in to Coulson, and was only a little peeved that Coulson did not seem surprised at how easily Swan and Potter had dodged their surveillance. He clearly had more intel about what tricks the two could do than Clint had been informed of, but he understood the necessity of it, of course: need to know.

For now, Clint would send the ground team back to Sophie Danvers home, and wait to re-acquire Swan there. It's not like they could just drive around London and hope to get in a lucky sighting.

His thoughts went suddenly to Natasha, who had recently returned from her assignment of infiltrating Stark Enterprises. There'd been a dust-up of some kind at his Expo, and he had been slated to join her on a mission when he was given this assignment. He expected to be seeing her soon, once she finished her reports for Fury.

Ah well, at least it wasn't raining today. He always hated the rain in London.

Bella and Harry approached a store with a gaudy, oversized orange and red sign that proudly announced itself as 'WWW - Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.' The sign almost looked like one of those new electronic advertising billboards that changed the pictures they were displaying; except here, there were little animated fireworks going off, leaving sparkly trails as they zipped around and exploded with tiny puffs of smoke, and small figures parading themselves across the sign, laughing as their hair turned different colors.

It was quite clever, Bella thought.

When they entered, Bella almost jumped when a swirling sparkler flew by her head, tiny sparkles glittering in its wake as it looped and dived around the shop. As she looked around the store, she was entranced by the colorful shelves filled with strange and unique candies and toys and strange gizmos, all labeled with names that rhymed or had catchy little word plays.

"Wow," she finally said, trying to take in the sights and sounds of the place, watching as several younger children ran laughing past one of the aisle displays, waving a box of what looked like oozing shaving cream, a harried parent in pursuit. "This place is something else."

"I know," said Harry, pleased that she liked it, and relaxing at the sounds of happy laughter that echoed through the store.

Just then, a loud voice boomed from the back of the store, catching Bella's - and probably everyone else in the store's - attention."Harrikins!"

Bella watched as a tall, gangly red-head strode up to Harry and extended a hand. But to Bella's surprise, Harry watched his hand warily, and didn't shake it. "Nice try, George, but I'm not falling for that one again."

The man - George - laughed in response, and when he lifted his hand Bella saw some sort of gadget clutched in his palm. "Ah, well, you can't blame me for trying. I got you pretty good last week."

Harry smiled ruefully, and turned to Bella. "George, I'd like you to meet Ms. Isabella Swan. Bella, this is George Weasley: friend, scoundrel, and all around mischief maker."

With a wide smile, George turned to Bella. "Enchanted to meet you, Ms. Swan," and he took Bella's hand and laid a kiss on her knuckles. "I've been wondering where Harrikins has been hiding away these past few days. Now I know."

Bella blushed, but smiled back. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, George. Harry told me this was his favorite shop in the alley, though he didn't warn me it was run by such a charming scoundrel as yourself."

With a laugh, George turned to Harry. "I like this one, Harry. Try and bring her 'round more often. Old Georgie will tell her all about your most embarrassing moments."

Bella laughed, glancing at Harry who shook his head at his George's antics before rubbing the back of his head. "Well, unfortunately she's set to go back to America tomorrow. I figured I couldn't let her go without seeing the infamous WWW."

For the next few minutes they walked around the store, with George showing Bella and Harry some of his latest inventions. Bella laughed when George demonstrated his 'belching bellies' and his 'miscut mustaches', and she cooed over the latest iteration of the famous pygmy puffs.

When George and Harry put their heads together by the counter, Bella wandered around the store, amazed at all the creative spark that must have gone into creating these jokes and pranks, and she could easily understand why this was one of Harry's favorite shops.

When she turned the corner to the last aisle and made her way back to the counter, she saw George lead Harry to a display case, and Harry taking a whiff of something in a bottle. A moment later, Harry had a strangely peaceful look on his face.

Intrigued, Bella walked over and looked up at the sign over the shelf: "daydream delights", it read.

Turning to George who stepped forward with a small smirk, she spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Harry. "What does it do?" she asked.

George's eyes twinkled. "Daydream delights' lets you have a vivid five minute daydream that's guaranteed to help you relax." When he winked at Bella, she decided to try one, and took a whiff of the smoky vapor.

After a few seconds, when nothing happened, she looked at George in confusion. "Did I not do it right?"

George frowned. "Hmm. Strange. Try this one." And he handed her another bottle, and the same non-result happened.

George gave her a considering look. "Interesting. This has no effect on you at all." He muttered to himself, and just then Harry came out of his daydream, blinking several times as he regained his bearings.

When he saw Bella standing right next to him, he blushed, and Bella raised an eyebrow, wondering what that was about. But before she could make a joke, George explained to Harry how the potion didn't work on her, and Harry turned to Bella with a small smile. "Seems like Bella here has some of her own tricks up her sleeve."

When George looked confused at Harry's remark, he just shook his head. "Never mind, Georgie. Not important." And he cut his eyes to Bella, making sure she didn't ask anything, not wanting to discuss her ability out in the open. It would do her no good for her talent to make it to the wrong ears.

The three of them chatted for a couple of more minutes, and had just left the shop when they bumped into Hermione, who was walking with another Witch Bella had not met before.

"Harry! Bella! Hello," Hermione greeted them. "Bella, I'd like you to meet Lisa Turpin, she works at the ministry and went to school with Harry and I. Lisa, this is Isabella Swan, visiting from America."

Bella smiled at the taller woman, and extended her hand. "Nice meeting you, Lisa."

Lisa's dark eyes wandered over Bella, appraising her even as she shook her hand. "And you, Isabella. It's not often we get visitors from the States, especially ones that traipse along the alley with our Head-Auror, here." She had, of course, heard the whispers about the 'unknown' witch that Harry Potter had been see spending time with; it had been quite the topic of gossip yesterday. She glanced back and forth between Harry and Bella, wanting to ask the obvious question but restraining herself: she was a Ravenclaw, not a gossipy Hufflepuff.

Bella laughed. "It's just Bella, and Harry and I met quite by accident, I assure you. He's been kind enough to show me the sights, as it were."

Both Hermione and Lisa gave Bella a disbelieving look, but thankfully no one pushed it and they chatted for a few more minutes.

When Lisa asked Harry about something regarding the Durgan case - she worked in the legal division - Bella took the opportunity to ask Hermione more about wizarding resources in America.

"You got your textbooks at the bookstore on Thursday?" Hermione asked.

When Bella nodded, Hermione continued. "Good. If you want I can put together a quick list of another set of books that will be helpful and send it over to Harry for you, or you can text or call me for it. I even have email, unlike most everyone else in Wizarding Britain."

Bella saw Lisa glance over at Bella briefly - clearly she was eavesdropping on their conversation - before answering a question Harry asked. Bella had the feeling Harry was keeping Lisa occupied so Bella could talk with Hermione, and she found herself smiling at the thoughtfulness of it.

Hermione didn't even pause for breath, it seemed. "I know a few people back in the states that might be willing to tutor you, though you'd have to find somewhere to practice that's not in a muggle area until you really know what you're doing. That's a big no-no of course." Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. "Where do you live?"

"Washington, DC. I go to Georgetown University," answered Bella. This time, she definitely noticed the look of momentary confusion on Lisa's face: clearly, she did not know what 'Georgetown' was, and must have wondered if it was a wizarding school she'd never heard of. Bella deduced that Lisa was probably one of the 'Purebloods' that Harry had warned her were often ignorant of the muggle world.

Hermione smiled, aware of and amused by Lisa's interest in their conversation. She winked at Bella, and spoke a bit quieter. "Well, you're in luck. Just like here, the ministry for MacUSA is in the capital. The shopping district in DC is much smaller - but you should be able to catch a floo to Marblehead, in Massachusetts. That's where the main shopping district on the American east coast is."

Bella looked surprised at that. "Marblehead? Isn't that near Salem? Where the witch trials were?"

Hermione nodded, pleased that Bella made the connection. "Yes. At about the time of the Salem witch trials - which mostly only caught squibs or a few very unlucky witches who got caught without their wands - a central commerce area was established in Marblehead, right near the coast. It's not quite as big as Diagon alley but it will have everything you need. Plus there is a wizarding school very close by, Ilvermorny. Maybe you'll be able to visit."

As Harry and Lisa turned to them, Bella realized there conversation was done, as did Hermione.

"Don't be a stranger, Bella," the older woman said with a warm smile. "I don't know when you might be back in London, but feel free to reach out to me with any questions you have."

Thanking Hermione and saying goodbye to Lisa, Harry and Bella went on their way, heading for the tutor Harry had mentioned earlier, and then to Harry's home and her first 'magic lesson,' again ignoring the many interested stares.

A/N - hope you enjoyed! Will be traveling a bit this summer so update schedules might stretch to 'weeks' instead of once or twice a week.