riddlelog | But I went down to the demonstration

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But I went down to the demonstration

The Closet (you can't always get what you want)

[Making the decision to absolutely not register wasn't a hard one to make. After all, it can't be much worse from the way he's been living, can it? He's spent a few weeks on his own since leaving Harry and Hermione - since trying to get back to them, he corrects himself - and they definitely weren't good weeks or weeks he really wants to repeat, but the important point is that he survived them. So. He can survive in 1980 where things are worse and better at the same time, can't he?

Probably. Yes. Merlin.

In any case, Ron survived by bumming his late nights and early mornings in seedy pubs, where he quickly learned they asked fewer questions than the more upright establishments. The muggle ones were safer, but the first time he tried to order had gone miserably ("do you have Capuchins?") and so Ron tried to lean on the wizarding establishments that were less likely to rat him out.

He's really not sure how that brings him to this part of London, but here he is late at night, worried about being caught with the curfew, and unwilling to lean on Bill for a place to sleep. The Closet (the Closet, he wonders, really?) looks as seedy as it gets, and Ron tugs his stolen muggle baseball cap lower over his face as he steps inside. At least, he reckons, he doesn't have to worry about people recognizing his face much in this year.

On the other hand, he's not too keen on how many names and faces he's recognizing on people in power.

A quick look around tells him this was probably the most massive bloody mistake he's ever made in his life to date; there are a lot more people inside than he thought there would be. Ron slides into a booth that's in as dimly lit a corner as he can find, trying to look as unobtrusive as he can and running through the names of purebloods he went to school with who aren't part of the Sacred twenty-bloody-eight.]

Lurking Outside the Ministry (but if you try sometimes)

[Ron knows at least a few of the muggle entrances to the Ministry, and he spends the better part of his day staking them out. It twists his stomach up, and he tells himself it's just because he got splinched after their last escapade inside, but really it's because he's doing this alone and he wishes to Merlin he wasn't.

He knows he could ask Bill, maybe even find Dean to watch his back a bit, but it's not the same. Besides, right now he just feels like he'd be a danger to them. What if they've decided to register? Ron wonders if this is what Harry felt like, the night he arrived at the Burrow. Wanting to leave to protect everyone else.

It's probably hypocritical to stick to his own, but he's been weeks on his own, after all. Silly to change that now, isn't it?

Yes. Very silly.

So it's a stake out. A very long, boring stakeout of at least three different entrances. He tries to make note of faces, match them to names that fit older versions. He doesn't like what he sees much at all, and he likes his prospects of getting into the Ministry and down to the Department of Mysteries even less. If Harry isn't born yet and Riddle is Minister, is there even a prophecy? Bill brought it up, and Ron hasn't been able to let it go.

He also hasn't been able to let go of the fact that his best mate might not ever exist in this world, and that teases all kinds of things that he is just not equipped to think about. Better to be doing something, definitely.

Even if what he's doing is technically doing nothing. Shouldn't he have donuts for something like this?

Ah, there goes his stomach. Where can he get donuts?]

Closed to Hermione (you get what you need)

[Being stuck out of time, in the wrong past, is exhausting. Ron doesn't understand how this administration came to be, doesn't understand how this curfew could have gone on for a decade without something like the Order popping up to fight it. Or if it does exist, it's hiding itself bloody well, and maybe that's just as bad. People are disappearing, and if his conversation with Harry's mum (that is a whole different issue that he is doing very, very badly with) is anything to go by, no one even expects Riddle or his lackeys.

It's enough to make a bloke wonder if hes' gone loopy. Or at least go loopy enough to start putting graffiti on walls. 'Death Eaters Among Us,' maybe, or 'Don't Trust the Ministry.'

He's never wanted to graffiti something so bad in his life.

Maybe it's the frustration that makes him find the deluminator in his pocket. He clicks and unclicks it, treating it like a ye olde fidget spinner that's only moderately more annoying what with its light theft. He doesn't even think about it as he leans against a building in Diagon Alley, staring at the building that ought to be Fred and George's joke shop. He could really use a laugh right about now.

Ron.

He stares blankly for a moment, wondering if he imagined it. Is he just imagining things now? But no - no. That was Hermione's voice, calling him. Calling him. Maybe he is going loopy, because he's suddenly so certain. It couldn't have been more than a whisper, but it was her.

When he pulls the deluminator out, turns away from the main road and clicks it, a little ball of light comes out. The few lights on around him stay lit, but that ball just hovers in front of him, and somehow he's not afraid at all when it floats toward him, through him, right into his heart. He touches his chest, and he just knows.

She's here. And the deluminator will take him to her. Ron closes his eyes and disapparates.]

The Dog House; Closed to Harry, James, Sirius (We decided that we would have a soda)

[After leaving Lily with the address to James Potter and Sirius Black's house - and don't worry, the fact that he will eventually have to think about leaving Harry's mum's shop to go to his dad's and godfather's home is going to lay him up - Ron wastes no time. Last he saw Harry, they fought. Last he saw him, Ron told him so many terrible things, and he hates the bloody locket for making him say it, but he mostly hates himself, for the way a piece of You-Know-who brought that out of him.

He feels shitty, and the only thing to do about it is fix things in the most awkward, teenage boy way. So, par for the course.

When he reaches the address Lily wrote down for him, he stares at the door, looks between it and the paper in his hand. All right, Ronald. Apologizing isn't so hard, is it? (Yes it is. It is so hard.)

Well, if he keeps steeling himself, there was no point in practically breaking Lily's door down, was there? So. He shoves the paper in his pocket and knocks, and somehow resists the urge to knock again after three seconds, and again three seconds after that.]

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I dunno if anywhere here is... [Safe. For someone like her. Which is just enraging. But she takes a deep breath.]

Professor Lupin suggested a bookshop, McKinnon's. From what he said, I think he meant It'd be safe there. The owner's name is Marlene.

[She looks around Diagon Alley for a moment. At least it isn't packed, probably because of the rain.]

Any idea where that is?

[Ron actually laughs out loud at that.]

Blimey, Hermione. Dunno why I'm even surprised.

[Wait, is that mean teasing? He's trying to be nice. Extra nice, to avoid the hitting.]

I thought we could apparate somewhere - we don't have the trace, right? [EXTRA NICE]

But, er - we can try down this way, I bet it's down the main drag.

[She didn't even think about how it sounded and she should have considering how long him and Harry have been teasing her about going to the library whenever there's a problem. And there's always a problem.

But she just grins a little in response. For a moment, anyway. When he mentions the trace, she frowns.]

You didn't-- [Register. But she pauses and shakes her head then starts further down the alley with him.] We'll talk in there.

Have you seen Harry?

[There's always a problem, and she always manages to read them out of it, so a fairer mind would just jog on after her, but Ron's always been kind of a stubborn ass. Still, she smiles, so he smiles. Merlin, it's good to see her again. In one piece, too. It'll settle in later that she doesn't really look like she's been traveling for months, yet.]

Right - yeah, he's here. [And Ron is eager to tell her that, because the misery he was in looking for them, those first few days - he doesn't want her to feel that.]

He's - you'll never believe - he's staying with his dad, and Sirius. [He's barely speaking above a whisper.]

[Between him smiling at her like that and the news he's telling her, Hermione all but beams back at him.]

That's wonderful, Ron! Professor said he knew his dad, but I didn't even think he'd be here. And... Snuffles. [Her face softens. She's keeping her voice low, too. And using Sirius' nickname. Just in case. But now she can't help but feel hopeful, if all the members of the Order are around, she has no doubt they can deal with whatever this is.]

We should go see him, then. See them. I think we'll be perfectly safe there, don't you? [Because as much as she takes solace in researching and books, she's learned by now that having people you trust by your side is even more valuable.]

Yeah, you're right, 'course-- [He feels silly for not saying it first, only the seed of jealousy that made him leave them in the first place is still fresh in his memory. Ron shakes it off, though - that's so much easier to do, without the bloody locket - and stops to look around, then make for a different street.]

It's okay - they're only a few years older than us. [No Azkaban for Sirius - not Azkaban for anyone, actually, and that's maddening on a whole bizarre level.]

It's just-- this whole thing. [He keeps his voice low and his stride short so he can walk in pace with her.] The curfew's been on ten years, and the war never even happened. And it's not just that - Harry hasn't even been born yet, here. [And some other people, probably, but who cares about them.]

[She walks with him as he takes the lead, nodding and taking at deep breath at his words.]

I know. When I asked Professor Lupin about you two he said you were only a baby and that he didn't know Harry Potter.

[Hermione grows quiet for a moment, feeling divided by her thoughts. Of course a war is never a good thing to happen but it not happening seems to have made matters worse somehow.

But then her eyes widen and she turns to look at Ron, keeping her voice to a whisper as she speaks.]

If Harry doesn't exist and if there was no war, do you think maybe-- Voldemort doesn't exist either?

A baby, blimey-- [He cuts himself off, dragging a hand down over his face. What must his mum be thinking? Is there still a baby Ron in the Burrow, or has he just disappeared? He ought to visit, but...well, he's afraid to. Now he's got to add mum worrying about a disappeared baby to the list of things to worry about.

It gets thoroughly back-seated, though, when she mentions Voldemort. His first reaction is panic - the taboo, after all - but when a bunch of snatchers and Death Eaters don't show up to arrest them, the rest of it settles in. She doesn't know yet.

Ron shakes his head, then stops walking altogether, reaching out for her wrist to get her to stop, too.]

Voldemort doesn't, [he says it quietly, wonders if he's as pale as he feels.] But Tom Riddle does, and he's Minister for bloody Magic.

He's what?! [And that definitely comes out louder than she meant for it to. If it's any consolation, all colour does drain from her face as well.

Yes, things are far from great in this place but for just a moment, she was hopeful that maybe they could take care of it without risking themselves as much. That maybe Umbridge or someone equally disturbed would be in control, so they could try some legal way of taking them down without worrying about horcruxes and all the much more complicated things they're dealing with back home. But no such luck, it seems...

Hermione deflates as she moves to stand in front of him, looking up at him for a long moment.]

Then we need to find out as much about him as we can. As quickly as we can.

[Her yelp makes him look around and draw her further off the road. Maybe he should just apparate them to Harry's place, er, Harry's dad'splace, it would be faster. But she looks about as pale as he feels; just saying it out loud makes him want to tear something down, or just be really, really sick.

He didn't even think that far, really: didn't consider that maybe there was no Voldemort, no war brewing. But then, one of his first miavi interactions was with Bellatrix Black and finding out she's in charge of the bloody D.M.A.C. He kind of wishes he'd had a day to pretend, at least.

(Ron gets a bit side tracked when he realizes she's looking at him, just looking at him, and his thumb runs over the deluminator in his pocket. She said his name, just his name...)]

Right. Right, yeah.

[He starts on again, angling down a side street for a short cut. It's only awkward when he realizes that he needs to stick close to speak quietly.]

Important things first: they want the displaced to register with the Ministry, only part of registering is getting the Trace on you, doesn't matter how old you are. They've set up a village for them near Hogsmeade, I think. Haven't been. [Seemed way too dangerous.]

Professor mentioned that.

[She has a deep frown on her face as she walks close to him, and then her heart skips a beat, her eyes widen with utter far as she stares up at him.]

You haven't registered, have you, Ron? [Because it's bad enough that Voldemort can track Harry down somewhat because of his scar. She can't imagine how quickly they'd all get hurt if he were able to track all of them. Not to mention she doesn't think they'd be able to survive long.]

What, and put a massive bullseye on my back? Not bloody likely.

[There's a twinge in him, telling him to be annoyed, to ask if she really thinks he's that stupid (there's that old hurt, just Harry Potter's stupid friend), and he silences it almost immediately. It's easier, now.]

It's not easy, pretending to be from here, but...

[Ron shakes his head.] I'm not giving them my name. [And sure as hell not leading them to his family. Anymore than he's already done, anyway.]

Alright. Good. That's good. [She doesn't even pretend not to be relieved by this information. Not being tracked by Voldemort and whatever Death Eaters that are still around is certainly a plus. If there's anything about this world that is.]

C'mon Ron. Let's find Harry and-- figure out what to do. [This should also give her time to process what Ron just told her.]

[Ron nods, nervously clicking the deluminator in his pocket. Good job it's daylight: makes it easier to miss the way bits of light float in and out of his pocket. Ron doesn't even notice it.

At least it's a short enough walk: time to think, but not long enough to drag on.

When he turns them off the road, up to a door, he glances back at Hermione before knocking at the door.]

[ It's Harry who answers the door, dressed in a simple t-shirt and hoodie, hair a moppy dark mess. It's his day off from helping out at his mum's shop, and he's been ... well. Obsessively reading the MIAVI network isn't what he'd admit to, but it's definitely what he'd been doing. He's got two pens lying on the top of his bed upstairs. ]

Ron.

[ He's looking at his best friend - but there's someone with him. He shifts, twisting his head around to see -- ]

Is that - Hermione?

Harry!

[After hearing everything Ron just told her, she doesn't hold back from giving Harry a hug, too. With everything that's going on back home on top of it, seeing him safe is always a relief.]

I just got here, ran into Ron at the Diagon Alley. [She explains as she pulls away.]

[Ron shifts out of the way so that Hermione can get her hug in, smiling at the question and very obvious answer. He should probably, at some point, mention the whole deluminator thing but...nah, no, not important, right? Bigger things here.]

Thought it best to come here, after dropping the ministerial bomb on her.

Yeah - yeah, of course. That was probably a good idea.

[ Harry squeezes Hermione real quick before stepping aside to let them both in. He knows there's no real need to be paranoid about anyone catching sight of the Famous (or Infamous) Trio, but it's hard to break a habit like that. ]

I'm glad you're here Hermione. I'm glad you're both here.

I'm glad we're together. [She looks between the two boys as she settles further into the house, smiling softly.]

Although, I dunno which I'd prefer. Being together back home with the horcruxes or here where-- [Voldemort has a lot more power than there. Possibly. But she just finishes with a one-shouldered shrug.]

You alright, Harry?

-- the what?

[ Harry looks a little perplexed at the strange term Hermione had just used, having never actually heard it before himself.

Yes.

Hermione, Ron, you're about to learn just when your best friend is coming from.

Harry isn't even sure why it hadn't occurred to him to see where they were at. He'd had entire conversations with Ron and it'd never come up, mostly because he'd taken it for granted that the three of them would always be in sync. ]

[Ron smiles thinly when Hermione mentions the horcruxes - he obviously knows exactly what she means, and is also obviously, because it's Ron and they're them, on edge about the whole topic. Neither of them have been angry with him since they found each other, and that's been enough to keep him from thinking too hard about why.

Harry asks and now Ron's entire thought process goes blank.]

The horcruxes, mate. [He stares at Harry like he's gone a bit daft, first, then wonders if it's something to do with the magic that brings them here, then wonders if it will happen to him and Hermione--

And only after that does he turn very pale, looking between Harry and Hermione.]

When's the last time we were all together?

Last year.

[ Obviously.

Harry frowns.

Something suddenly doesn't feel right. Something in his stomach sinks low, lower, lower. ]

Before we all left Hogwarts for the summer. I - [ He swallows. ] - we'd just lost Sirius.

Sirius?

[Hermione looks over at Ron with wide eyes then back at Harry.]

So you don't know anything about the Horcruxes? [Or Dumbledore or their whole plan to get the horcurxes destroyed and...]

How is this possible?

[Ron stares right back at her, his freckles standing out more than usual. He slumps back against a wall, and starts nervously clicking the delimunator in his pocket, ignoring the way it makes the light from the closest wall lamp zip into his pocket and return to its place.

It's not like Harry's always got the answers, in fact it's usually Hermione that comes up with the brilliant plan - but the idea of Harry being...behind, somehow, is making Ron's stomach hurt.]

Dunno.

[He looks up at Hermione again, wanting to ask what the last thing she remembers is - but he's a bit afraid of the answer.]

What if it happens to us? Forgetting?

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But I went down to the demonstration

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