A Single Rose

Chapter Two

A/N: And here it is, chapter two today as promised!! I hope y'all enjoy x

It's been almost a week since I met Emmie Jones. I've called her a couple times using the orphanage telephone. I've gotten no answer. Maybe meeting her was all a dream and I'm going crazy. Anyway, today I'm going back to Charing Cross because I really didn't get to explore much last time. I am sort of running out of money though... so that could be problematic. But anyway, I'm back again. I get off of the train and start wandering up the road, looking closely to make sure I don't run into anyone this time.

I pass a tea shoppe, a few restaurants, and then the buildings begin to look more run down and dusty. I pass a lot for sale, and then an antiques store. There are plenty of people on this side of the street, but it's almost as if they don't even see this run down section of the street. I don't blame them. Why look at a bunch of run down shops when you can look at functioning ones? I peer into the window of the antiques shop, not that I can afford to buy anything, but it's still interesting. I might as well look around. I try the door and it opens with a loud squeak. I try to gently close it behind me. It doesn't work too well.

"Hello?" I call out. Footsteps and I turn to see an older woman standing behind me. I leap a bit. She scared me.

"Sorry dear, did I scare you?" I shrug. "So are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Not really. I can't really afford to buy anything..." I admit. "I was just planning on looking around."

"Well, how about this. You may choose one thing out of this shop for yourself. Free of charge of course."

"Oh I couldn't..."

"Really honey, it's not that big of a deal."

"Um... okay." I wander around the store. There's a variety of things. Old books, old watches, and more. Knickknacks of all sorts. I like reading so I go over to the books. The titles are interesting, unlike any I've ever seen before. I finally pick out one called One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. It looks interesting so why not. Besides, it gives me something to read. I bring it up the the front counter and as the woman reads the title her eyes light up.

"I didn't think any of you came on this side of the barrier. Of course the muggles walk right past here, not being able to see a darn thing. But you lot seem to prefer Diagon Alley to some little shop beside the Leaky Cauldron on the muggle side of London. You go to Hogwarts I'm guessing? What year-"

"Sorry um... I don't know what you're talking about. Um, I'm sorry." Her face falls and turns white and her eyes widen. "What's a muggle? Wait- is that why the other people on the street didn't seem to notice your shop? What's Diagon Alley? And what's the Leaky Cauldron? And what's Hogwarts? That's funny name haha."

"I um- sorry. Speaking a load of rubbish. If you could just forget all of what I just said... oh! That's it! Honey, stay right there." She pulls out a stick and points it at me. I don't know what's happening but it doesn't seem safe. I grab the book off of the counter and run out of the shop, pushing open the door of the one next door. I let it close behind me and find myself in a crowded pub. I quickly walk over to an empty table in the corner, hopefully the woman won't think to look in here. After a couple minutes, I assume I'm safe. That woman was talking a load of rubbish... as she said. Maybe she's insane or something. I mean there's no such thing as-

"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, what can I get ya?" My jaw drops. Okay so does that mean if the Leaky Cauldron is a real place, so is all the other stuff the woman in the antique shop was talking about?

"Um. What do you have?"

"Well, there's pumpkin juice, gillywater, butterbeer and jus' normal water if you'd like some of that too."