Delays, Disappointment, and Dating - Part 10

Hidden beneath the Cloak, Harry easily slipped behind the desk and opened a file drawer. Quickly locating several files marked 'Smith', he perused each until he found the information he sought. There had been several executors of the Smith fortune since Hepzibah's death. The current name on the file was a Sebastian Smith. Harry memorized the address and quickly returned the file.

He lightly tapped Ron on the shoulder before moving towards the door, distracting Ron from the biting coins for a moment. Ron immediately got bit and dropped the coin he was holding

"Err…sorry about that," Ron mumbled to the disgruntled clerk.

"Just take your business elsewhere and get out," the man snarled.

Ron didn't need to be told twice. He hurried to the door and held it open wide so Harry could slip out before following him onto Knockturn Alley. They ducked into a side street so Ron could cover himself with the Cloak.

"Did you get it?" Ron hissed once they were both concealed and moving.

"Yeah. I did. It's here in London. We can go there in the morning – it's too late now. Ginny and Hermione are probably wondering what's keeping us," Harry said. They'd left the girls at the inn reckoning it would be easier with just two of them beneath the Cloak.

Ron suddenly slapped Harry on the shoulder. "Over there, look," he hissed.

Harry turned his head to see Dean Thomas and Parvati Patil strolling hand in hand and looking in the windows across the street.

"I thought Parvati's parents pulled her and Padma out of Hogwarts because it was too dangerous. How come they're letting her stroll through Diagon Alley, then?" Harry asked, shaking his head.

"Dunno. I want to know when she and Dean became an item. How come all of Ginny's old boyfriends end up dating your old girlfriends?" Ron asked, smirking.

"Shut it," Harry said, disconcerted. "Parvati was never my girlfriend. We only went to the Yule Ball, and that wasn't exactly a raving success as far as dates go."

Ron chuckled. "Yeah but, Harry, you didn't exactly have a passionate relationship with Cho, either. She cried through most of it, remember? You had what, one decent snogging session? As I recall, she even cried through that. A smooth operator you obviously are not. Why else do you think I didn't mind your dating my sister?" Ron asked, nearly doubling over in glee.

Harry knew Ron was winding him up, but he felt cross nonetheless. He shoved Ron's shoulder with his own, nearly causing the red head to stumble out from under the Cloak. "If you don't want to hear any details about your sister's love life, I'd back off if I was you," Harry said irritably.

"Hit a sensitive spot, have I?" Ron asked, chuckling.

Harry wanted to hit him. He suddenly felt rather nervous about the idea of his kisses being compared to other kisses Ginny had received. What if she found him lacking and hadn't wanted to say anything? He discarded this notion almost instantly; Ginny was never one to keep her opinion to herself. Never mind the searing kiss they'd shared the previous night. She'd responded with as much passion as he felt. His confidence slightly restored, he still couldn't let Ron off without some comeuppance.

"I've got no worries, mate," Harry said, elbowing Ron in the ribs for good measure. "It's not like Ginny has ever dated anyone older or more experienced, anyway. Both Michael and Dean were only Hogwarts students, too."

Harry slyly glanced at Ron out of the corner of his eye. His friend had paled slightly as the implication of Harry's words hit him. Harry smirked, feeling vindicated.