This the sequel to The Right Thing to Do (check out my profile!). Draco is now in his second year of Hogwarts in Gryffindor house. I hope you enjoy reading it, and if you do, please favourite it and review, and if not, review anyway! All reviews welcome. Thank you for reading! BelleFolie

"I can't believe you've dragged me along here," Lucius muttered furiously to Narcissa. She glanced nervously over her shoulder. She caught her son's eye. They both looked away.

"You can't be seen to not support the boy," she mumbled, "People will talk. It won't look good, especially not since the Ministry are conducting a search—"

"They shall find nothing," Lucius retorted, "I intend to call at Borgin and Burkes after this. There are some things entrusted to me that I cannot afford to have Ministry find."

Draco looked up at the sky, squinting against the bright, August sun. His mind wandered to the self-cooling ice creams sold by Florian and Fortescue, that had attracted an eager queue of witches and wizards. Over excited first years bounded from shop to shop, drooling over the colour changing inks, magnificent owls and the latest broomstick. "A Nimbus 2001!" He heard one of them gasp, and his heart longed to join them at the shop front, noses pressed against the window until they were shooed away by the owner.

Lucius stopped sharply outside Flourish and Blotts. "Shall we start here?"

Flourish and Blotts was dark inside, in contrast to the bright street. The low ceiling, dark wood and narrow staircase made Draco shudder, despite never having been claustrophobic. It was crammed full of people, jostling themselves into a rather disorderly queue.

"Oh, no," Lucius muttered, "The Weasleys."

Draco's heart skipped a beat. The Weasleys! Ron? Then his heart plummeted. His parents still didn't know he'd spent most of the first year talking to Ron and Hermione. Whenever possible, talk about Hogwarts was avoided at home. His parents would expect him to ignore or even insult Ron. But Ron wouldn't be expecting it. They'd almost been getting on well when they'd parted at the station, what felt like an eternity ago… Draco glanced over his shoulder. Maybe they should just head on to another shop. They could come back here later. If the Weasleys didn't see them, there would be no awkward encounter. Draco seized the courage.

"I think we should just—"

"Arthur." Lucius Malfoy stared down his pointed nose at the crop of red hair in front of him. The smaller man turned around. The smile vanished from his face. "Lucius."

"Quite the little gathering you and your family make," Lucius said, "like breeding mice in a flowerpot. I hope they're paying you overtime at the Ministry, although, judging by your jacket, one would assume not."

Arthur flushed. Ron turned around. His eyes fell on Lucius before staring straight past and meeting Draco's. Draco froze. His mouth flapped open uselessly.

"I have everything I need, thank you," Arthur said stiffly, "a happy home life. Which is more than I can say for some." Lucius' jaw twitched. "After all, money isn't everything." Arthur smiled forcefully.

Lucius returned the smile. "You've clearly lived a sheltered life. This must be why the Minister disregards your opinions."

"How's Draco getting along in Gryffindor?" Arthur asked. "It must be hard, having a son in such a different house."

Lucius froze. "He… has made many friends in Slytherin."

"Has he?" Arthur Weasley raised his eyebrows and gave a little smirk. "That's not what I've heard."

"Then you've been poking your nose in places where it doesn't concern you," Lucius retorted.

Narcissa stepped forward and laid a hand on her husband's arm. "Lucius—" He threw it off angrily.

"Maybe you should ask my son what he's been saying," Arthur said. Ron's face went bright red and he turned away.

"I would sooner converse with my house elf than your son," Lucius snarled.

"My darling, leave it. He's not worth the breath." Narcissa gave Arthur Weasley a withering look, and then whispered into Lucius' ear, "People are watching."

"Let them watch," Lucius snapped, but his voice was nonetheless quieter, "give the Daily Prophet something to write about other than the school or the Saintly Potter."

"Did someone say my name?" Lucius wheeled round. Standing in the doorway was Harry Potter. The entire shop fell silent. Dumbledore, dressed in a deep shade of magenta with a pattern that seemed to flow and turn, stood proudly by his side, one hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Harry Potter." Lucius drifted forwards. He smiled. "Such a pleasure to finally meet you, at last." He gave a reverent bow of the head. "Lucius Malfoy. My wife, Narcissa. I believe you know my son, Draco."

Harry's green eyes slid past Lucius' and met Draco's. He nodded. "Hello, Malfoy."

"Potter."

"How's your arm?"

Draco started. "Fine. Our personal family doctor says I'll have a scar forever." Harry raised his eyebrows. Draco's pointed face flushed.

"Harry Potter? Is that you? Is he here? By Merlin!" From the centre of the crowd exploded a man wearing bright green robes and brandishing a wand. He ran a hand through his long, blond hair and beamed. "Hello, Harry. Dumbledore."

"Lockhart." Dumbledore smiled and stepped forward to shake the wizard's hand. "You're well, I trust?"

"Oh, splendidly, yes, splendidly!" Lockhart pushed past Dumbledore and grabbed Harry by the shoulders. "My, my! The Boy Who Lived! What an honour this is." He seized Harry's hand and shook it vigorously. "You there! Take a picture. Smile, Harry, this is for the Daily Prophet!" Draco watched as Harry gave an awkward smile, and a blinding flash followed by an excess of purple smoke filled the room. Lockhart waved it away with one arm. He ran his fingers through his hair. Behind him, Draco was sure he could hear half the room sigh.

"I have fought many monsters," Lockhart proclaimed loudly, "all of them more terrible than the last. I have walked for hours, nay days, for just one drop of water. But Harry, here, is my own, personal hero." He grinned. "And I feel there is no better time to announce the fact that I was delighted to accept, thanks to the very kind invitation of Professor Albus Dumbledore, the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The whole shop exploded into applause. Another flash and puff of purple smoke made Draco's eyes water.

"I now present Mr Potter with the entirety of my collected works," Lockhart continued, thrusting a pile of books into Harry's arms, "signed." He winked at the camera.

Draco turned away to avoid being blinded again and got a face full of bushy hair.

"Hermione?"

"Draco!" Her eyes lit up and she sprang forward, but Draco recoiled instantly. His eyes darted over to where his father stood, watching Harry Potter with a glowing expression on his face. Hermione followed his gaze. "Oh, right."

"C'mon, Hermione," Ron muttered, appearing at her elbow, "let's leave him to it. He doesn't want to be seen with us when his family are nearby. We're not good enough."

"My father—" Draco began, but Ron shook his head.

"If we really mattered to you, you'd be friends with us all the time, not just when it suits you."

"Ron," Hermione hissed, "Draco's in a very tricky position."

Ron scowled. "Yeah. Sure."

"What's going on here, Draco?" Lucius Malfoy's voice drifted over the heads of the crowd.

"Nothing," he mumbled.

Lucius cast his eyes over Ron and Hermione. "I can tell the Weasley by his freckles and hand me downs, but who are you?"

"Hermione Granger."

"And what house are you in, Miss Granger?"

"Gryffindor."

"Ah." Lucius stiffened. "I see. And what could you possibly want with my son?"

Hermione glanced at Draco, but he was staring at the floor. Ron elbowed her. She blushed.

"Come now, Miss Granger, no need to be shy."

"I met Draco at Hogwarts," she said, "I thought I'd just say hi."

"Ron! Hermione. Shall we step outside, it's a little warm in here." Arthur Weasley smiled at them. His eyes travelled up to Lucius Malfoy. "Something to say, Lucius?"

"Is Miss Granger a friend of your son's?" Lucius asked steadily.

"Yes, I believe so," Arthur replied.

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Not a very Wizarding name, Granger, is it?"

"I'm afraid I don't worry too much about names, more about talent," Arthur replied, keeping his gaze level.

Lucius glanced sideways at Hermione's parents, halfway across the shop, gasping at moving pictures in one of the books. "Muggles!" he hissed.

"Let's head outside now," Arthur said firmly to the children, ushering Ginny towards the door.

Lucius clamped his hand on Draco's shoulder. He gasped. "As if associating with the Weasleys wasn't bad enough," Lucius growled, "you've been spending time with a mudblood." Draco felt a tear sting his eye. He stared angrily at the ground, digging his nails into his palm.

Arthur's eyes flashed. "Don't use that word in front of my children, Malfoy."

Lucius drew himself up to his full height. "Try and stop me, Weasley." Arthur licked his lips. "This is your fault that my son has made such acquaintances. If it weren't for you and your blood traitor ideas my son would never—"

"Your son was sorted into Gryffindor." Arthur glared at Draco. "Though I've no idea why. No Malfoy is deserving of such an honour."

"Dad!" Ron muttered.

"It's a disgrace!" Lucius hissed, his pale face suddenly flushing. He released his grip on Draco's shoulder.

"I would love my child no matter what house they were in," Arthur said firmly.

"How dare you," Lucius snarled, "How dare you suggest I do not love my own son?"

He lunged forwards and grabbed one of the tattered books in Ginny Weasley's cauldron. He held it up. "You call this love?" he snorted, "Why, I bet you had to beg to raise the money for this. What kind of father can barely provide for his own children?" He threw the book back into the cauldron and swept out of the shop.

Draco stared up at the others as they stood there in shock. He opened his mouth to say something, but Arthur Weasley pushed past him. "Come along, Ginny. Let's get some air. The rest of you, follow me, please."

Draco hovered desperately as they passed him. The twins ignored him. One of their shoulders knocked roughly against his as they passed. "Ron…" But Ron just glared at him. "You call us your friends? As if."

Only Hermione stopped to talk to him. "Ignore Ron," she whispered, "he's only protective over his family. Everything will be normal once we return to Hogwarts." And with that she left.

Mortified and angry, Draco bit his lip hard until he tasted blood in his mouth. His mother appeared, carrying the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart in her arms. People stared at them, half horrified half thrilled at the spectacle that had unfolded. Narcissa's eyes urged Draco to follow her. Draco cast one final look around the shop. Dumbledore still stood with one hand on Harry's shoulder, having pulled him out the way of the scrap. "Bet you're glad you don't have parents after all, eh, Potter?" Draco sneered. He turned on his heel before Harry could reply and stalked out of the shop.