Malignant ••• George Weasley

Chapter 47 - Lost and Found

George and Juna had been scurrying around the suburb of Fulham on foot for about half an hour now, turns out it's a rather large area. The sun was still high in the sky, but George had been awake for over 24 hours at this point and it was starting to show.

"George, you're exhausted. You need to go home and get some rest." Juna said, surveying his face.

His eyes had large and dark shadows under them, his blinks were drawn out and he stumbled every few steps. She was concerned for him of course, but more concerned for the fact there is a chance they might have to fight their way in and out of this warehouse, and with George in this condition he would fall to the first spell shot his way.

"Honestly, I'm fine..." He slurred.

"Let me try something. Stop moving." Juna put her hand on his chest to halt him and took her wand out, careful to look around for muggles.
"I've heard this can sometimes work to stop drowsiness if you're close enough to sleep."

Juna pointed her wand at his chest. "Rennervate."
A bright flash of red enveloped them for a second before disappearing just as quickly.
"Well? How do you feel?"

George blinked a few times.
"Good actually, I can actually keep my eyes open now!"

"Excellent. Right, we have to keep going." She was not wasting any more time in the search for Fred.

Juna glanced around the households surrounding them all with neat front gardens and bright, perky mailboxes. There was a small shopping centre up ahead on the corner that she now picked up her pace to get to. An older woman pulling a bag on wheels behind her came into view.

"Excuse me!?" Juna shouted at her.

"What the fuck are you doing?" George hissed, trying to catch her arm as she began running toward the woman.

"Hi, excuse me ma'am." Juna plastered the sweetest look she could muster on her face. "I was hoping you might be able to point us in the right direction."

"I can sure give it my best shot, dear." The old woman smiled back. "Where are you hoping to get to?"

"Our friends told us about an old abandoned warehouse around here somewhere and my boyfriend and I wanted to go for a look." She gestured at a shocked looking George.

"Ah, yes. Nobody ever goes there though, it's got big signs and caution tape all around it. Apparently a gas explosion happened there many years ago and now the air inside is toxic to breath. Not even the greatest adventurers want to risk going in there."

"Oh dear! Well I promise you we definitely won't go in. Perhaps we will just look from a safe distance." Juna said with fake sincerity.

"Oh very well. Let's see..." The old woman went deep into thought as she got her bearings.
"Yes, ok so if you go up this street here, take a right and go all the way to the end of that street there's a little goat track through an empty block of land. Once you're through there you should see it up ahead. So you really weren't too far off, Dearies." She smiled kindly.

"You really are a life saver." Juna said, patting the woman's hand as she pressed crisp £100 note into it. Luckily she had the same trousers on as the day before and her pockets still held some money, she always carried both muggle and wizarding currency.

Little did the woman know just how much she might truely mean that she was a lifesaver if Fred did turn out to be inside that warehouse.
Before the woman could reject the money Juna had just given her, she grabbed George's hand and jogged off down the street as the lady had instructed. They slowed to a fast paced walk, both too tired and Juna still in too much pain to keep up a jog. She slipped her hand out of his when she realised she still held it, feeling awkward.