See Part One for warnings, rating, disclaimers, etc.

Part Four

“This fellow…” Ron gestured slightly with his chin towards Al. “He’s American and seems a bit oblivious, but maybe…”

Harry looked towards Al and Lucy sitting on the small step of the hotel porch. Al was fiddling with his camera. “I dunno, Ron.”

“Okay, well, how about the maid? She was going through our dresser once.”

Harry looked at Ron and scrunched his nose at him. “The maid? Come on, Ron.”

“But…she was going through our things!” Ron insisted.

“Ron, honestly. You’ve pointed out some bloke from the States who is such a Muggle your dad would be proud. And the poor maid? Can’t you think of anyone else?”

Ron thought for a moment. “Yes. There is another bloke who comes around sometimes. He’s secretive and he won’t engage in conversation with me. We can ask John if he’s seen him.”

“Let’s go!” Harry clasped Ron’s hand as the headed back inside the hotel.

They continued inside and up the stairs to the dining area. John was sitting at the table with a cup of tea and a plate of toast. Harry and Ron sat across from him.

Ron began, “Who is this Mustifa?”

John lifted his head quickly. “Mustifa? I don’t know. Have you meet someone of that name?”

Ron nodded. “He was talking to Al in the front of the hotel a few weeks ago, while Harry was away. He wouldn’t talk to me. I’ve seen him around a couple of times. I could be wrong, I suppose, but he seemed very secretive.”

“What does he look like?”

“That’s hard to say, really. Tall, olive-skin, large nose…nothing in particular.”

John scratched his chin, thinking. “People come around here sometimes, dropping off supplies for the hotel. I suppose I should be more diligent, but I haven’t the time. If you see him again, point him out to me. If we don’t hear anything more about You-Know-Who or any Death Eaters, you two might as well go home in the next week.”

Ron nodded again. Harry said, “But, what if this Mustifa fellow doesn’t show up in the next week, and it turns out to be him?”

“I’ll get the word out that you two will be leaving soon. I’ll make sure to tell that American and his lady, then the whole hotel will be sure to know.” Ron chortled. John continued, “Then if it is him, hopefully he will show himself and not let you two go before…”

Ron choked back his laughter as he realized what John really meant, so he touched Harry’s hand under the table. Harry finished the sentence. “Before a fight…”

Ron swallowed hard and gripped the top of Harry’s hand. Harry turned his hand over and clasped Ron’s hand into his.

*****

Within two days, everyone in the hotel knew that Harry and Ron were leaving at the end of the week. Ron continued running off in the mornings, much to Harry’s dismay. He couldn’t get Ron to open up to him anymore than Ron already had.

In the afternoons, Ron made it a point to hang around the front of the hotel, looking for signs of Mustifa. Harry would occasionally sit with him, but more often than not, he would sit in the dining area with John, trying to glean more information about the Wizarding World in Kenya. He was trying to get any information he could on clues about Mustifa.

The week was almost over, and Ron was standing on the porch, having another boring conversation with Al when Mustifa drove up in a Jeep. Ron was startled, but maintained his calm so Al wouldn’t be suspicious. Mustifa got out and grabbed a bag from the back. He nodded toward Al, who returned a greeting.

“Hello,” Ron said.

Mustifa kept his head low and didn’t say anything. He walked through the door into the lobby. Ron waited a few moments, then followed him, quickly saying goodbye to Al. Ron followed Mustifa towards the kitchen. Ron saw him walk through the swinging door, then Ron stopped and took the stairs two at a time up to the dining room.

Ron ran breathlessly into the room. Harry and John looked up at him, startled.

“What is it, Ron?” asked Harry.

“Mustifa! He’s in the kitchen.”

John got up from the table quickly and started for the door, but Harry stopped him. “Wait, John. We can’t just barge in there.”

John stopped. “You’re right. Let’s see if he stays. Ron, go back downstairs and keep an eye on things. Harry and I will follow in a moment.”

Ron looked at Harry. Harry nodded, so Ron darted for the door and ran back down the stairs.

He looked around the lobby and decided to sit in a chair. He grabbed a paper so he would look busy, but he kept looking over the top of it, watching for Mustifa.

Mustifa came out of the kitchen and walked to the desk. He softly spoke to the clerk. He took a key from him and walked up the stairs. Ron turned his head and followed him with his eyes up the first flight of stairs. At the same moment, Harry and John were coming down. They all passed each other. Harry acted like nothing was out of the ordinary, but John seemed to hesitate a bit. Ron’s stomach plummeted. It was a small recognition of Mustifa on John’s part, but Ron saw it. He stood up, waiting for Harry to come down. Harry smiled when he reached Ron.

Ron whispered before John could reach them and hear anything, “That was him. Don’t say anything.”

Harry looked at him oddly, but said nothing.

“Did you see him? He just walked up the stairs,” said Ron.

“Oh, there was a man we passed. That was him?” asked John

Ron shrugged. “Guess so. Maybe it’s nothing. He didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.”

“Oh, well. Maybe it could be someone else.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Ron laughed. “Harry has teased me a bit about being suspicious of everyone.”

John laughed and said, “Auror work will do that to people.”

“Sure,” said Ron, trying not to sound too jovial about the whole thing.

“Well, I think I will do some paperwork upstairs.” John left Harry and Ron and walked upstairs.

Ron grabbed Harry’s arm the second John was out of sight. He dragged him outside. Ron looked around and walked further away from the hotel. Finally, he felt somewhat safe and let go of Harry.

“What is it, Ron?” Harry insisted.

“There is something going on. Something’s not right.”

“What?”

“That Mustifa was the one you two passed on the stairs and John does know who he is.”

Harry looked concerned. “Are you sure, Ron?”

“Yes, I’m not being paranoid. I’m telling you, Harry, I feel it. Something.”

Harry knew to take Ron seriously when he had feelings like this. “Okay, Ron, what should we do next?”

Ron sucked in a breath. “I’m not sure, right now.” He breathed out.

Harry looked around at nothing in particular. The sun was beginning to set.

*****

Ron sat quietly with his wand in his hand. The room was completely dark, except for the moonlight peeking through a slice in the curtains. He turned and looked at Harry sleeping, then turned back to the door. He knew Harry would be angry for not waking him at the previously agreed to time, but Ron didn’t want to switch places. He wasn’t tired, and knew Harry could use the sleep.

They had avoided John for the rest of the evening by going into their room and discussing plans. They remained there, waiting for the inevitable. On one hand, Harry wanted to confront John and have a showdown right then and there, but Ron felt too many Muggles would be in danger of being injured.

Ron jumped in his chair when he heard a scream. It was a woman’s scream, and he feared the Muggles were going to be hurt. Harry woke immediately and fumbled with the covers, trying to get out of bed.

“Ron?”

“Yeah?”

“Should we?”

“Yeah.”

They always spoke little when it was time to fight. They needed few words to convey their thoughts at times like this.

Harry hadn’t taken off his jeans and shirt when he had gone to bed. He slid into his trainers quickly, grabbed his wand off the nightstand and followed Ron out the door.

They moved down the hall towards the stairs. They crept quietly down the stairs and into the lobby. The hotel front door was open, and from their vantage point, they saw two Death Eaters with their wands trained on a man. It was Al. Lucy was standing off to the side, crying.

“We just came out to take pictures of the moon!”

“Shut up, Lucy!” Al looked back to the Death Eaters and yelled, “Who are you? What do you want?”

Ron knew Al and Lucy must have stumbled on the Death Eaters coming in to attack Harry and himself. Ron motioned for Harry to follow him out the back door of the hotel. They crept around to the side, then peeked around the corner and had a clear shot of the Death Eaters.

Ron raised his arm and aimed for the closest one. He opened his mouth to scream a curse. Lucy turned her head and looked at Ron. She made a small squeak. The Death Eater turned around and saw Ron and Harry.

Harry yelled as the light came toward him and the Death Eater’s spell grazed his arm. Harry looked quickly and saw his shirt was torn and there was a small scorch mark on his upper arm. It hurt, but he ignored it.

Ron saw Harry’s arm and it angered him. Ron became resolute in wanting to protect Harry. Ron wanted to be a giraffe, to protect Harry, to save Harry and…

Harry looked over and instead of Ron, he saw a beautiful, orange-spotted, tall, giraffe. The giraffe took a large step, and as Mustifa screamed under the dark hood, Ron stomped on him with his large foot. He kicked at him until the body stopped moving. Harry, then, for good measure, said the death curse and Mustifa became dust.

The other Death Eater looked towards the spot where Mustifa had been. He stopped and lifted his face towards Ron. All he saw was a giraffe. He knew he should have killed Ron before, but he needed to kill Harry as well. He knew it had been a mistake to ignore Ron when he was trying to become a giraffe. He’d had a chance when Ron had passed out. Now it was too late and he knew it.

John let the large hoof come down on his head without a whimper. Harry didn’t bother with the death curse. He let the large giraffe next to him stomp John into oblivion.

All was quiet for a moment as the dust settled. Then Harry turned to the giraffe and said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

The giraffe bent his head and licked Harry’s cheek. Harry felt a stirring in the air. Then he saw Ron right in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Harry.”

“It’s okay, Ron. You’ll explain it to me later.” Harry smiled.

Ron smiled back, then leaned forward and kissed Harry on the lips.

*****

They lay in bed next to each other. They were nearly packed and ready to leave the next morning on the train to Nairobi, then to return to London later the next evening.

“Maybe they should have modified their personalities, too,” muttered Ron.

“Oh, they were annoying, but they didn’t know any better,” said Harry.

“But that girl…looking over at me when we are trying to save them?”

Harry laughed. “I know, but really Ron, you just aren’t used to Muggles. You don’t seem to like them as much as your dad does.”

Ron grunted and placed his hand on Harry’s.

Harry looked over at Ron. “You know, you can’t be a giraffe in London. They’ll put you in the zoo!!”

“I know. You are finally going to take me to visit a zoo, aren’t you?” Ron asked.

“Yes. As long as you don‘t turn into a giraffe.”

“No, I won’t. I’ll behave.”

Harry snorted. “Yeah, right.”

Ron had already explained everything to Harry. Harry had understood and admonished him all in the same moment. Then they kissed and made up, as always.