Catching Her Heart Pt. 1

Chapter 22

"So..." Mr Granger prodded as they headed down the street toward the Leaky Cauldron with Hermione after they'd parked the car.

"So?" Hermione asked, keeping slightly ahead of them so they couldn't see her roll her eyes.

"Are we going to meet this young man while we're here?" Mrs Granger asked.

"Um," Hermione answered quickly. "I'm not sure. He said he'd try. We should hurry," she continued and nodded to the people in the Leaky Cauldron as they headed through to the back and the entrance to Diagon Alley. "Mrs Weasley said that they would be there soon. I don't know what all they have to do, but we need to stop at Gringotts and have some money exchanged."

"Hermione!" Ron shouted and waved, hurrying up the steps to meet her. "Have you seen Harry?"

Hermione blinked. "No," she said. "I thought he stayed at your house."

"He did," Ron said. "But we got separated when we used the Floo Network. Mum's frantic."

"Go on," Hermione's dad said when she looked at her parents. "You go on and see if you can find him, we'll wait for you inside at the counter."

"Thanks," she said and turned to Ron, but he had already gone, heading up the Alley again.

Exhaling heavily, she stamped her foot a moment, wondering what to do. She headed down to Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, wondering if he had ended up there by mistake. When she exited the shop again, having no luck, and looked up the Alley, her eyes lit up when she saw Hagrid come out of Knockturn Alley along with Harry, who was covered in soot. "Harry! Hagrid!" she exclaimed, running up to them.

"Hello, Hermione," Hagrid greeted her with a smile.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Hermione exclaimed.

"It's good to see you, too," Harry returned.

She stopped short looking at him with an air of exasperation. "What happened to your glasses?" she asked, seeing a large crack down the centre of the lens. Without waiting for a reply, she drew out her wand and pointed it at him. "Oculus Reparo," she said and Harry blinked as he watched the crack mend itself.

"Wow," he said, taking his glasses off and inspecting them before putting them back on again. "I really need to remember that one."

"You'll be alright now then, Harry?" Hagrid asked, arching a brow. "Right. I'll leave you to it then," he said and headed off.

"Okay, bye," Hermione said with a wave.

"Thank you," Harry said. "Bye."

"Come on," Hermione said, dragging Harry after her. "Everyone's so worried."

"Harry!" Mrs Weasley said spotting them and came up, and began dusting him off. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far..."

"Where'd you come out?" Ron asked as the twins came up behind him.

"Knockturn Alley," Harry said.

"Excellent," the twins said together.

"We're not allowed in," Ron said enviously.

"Guess who I saw at Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked as they headed back toward Gringotts so that he and the Weasleys could get the money for their supplies. "Malfoy and his father," Harry said when they looked at him curiously.

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Arthur Weasley asked sharply, making Harry jump. Hermione glanced over her shoulder, not realising that the man had been that close behind them. Harry must not have realised it either.