A/N: I have had this idea bouncing around in my head for an insanely long time. I just finished final editing this chapter, but I have about three others roughly done right now. I guess I'll see if people read and review, that'll probably determine the update frequency since I have a few others that people are demanding I finish right now.
Enjoy!
It was in Florish and Blotts, on our first trip to Diagon Alley, that we met Draco Malfoy. Of course this is of no consequence to me; Draco Malfoy is a matter that revolves solely around my brother. He made his life miserable, and yet heartbreakingly wonderful at the same time. I don't think I'll ever really understand their strange relationship, even with the complexity of the bond Harry and I share. The thoughts and emotions caused by Draco are in a category of their own in Harry's mind, and thoroughly inaccessible by me.
"Harry, I think this is one of the books on our list, would you check for me?" I requested, holding the book out to my brother. He nodded and began rummaging through the pockets of his baggy jeans for the school list.
While he was busying himself, my eyes wandered to a spot over his shoulder where a large display of books was set up to model our solar system.
"Hey," I nudged his arm gently to get his attention. "Check it out." I nodded my head in the direction of the model and Harry turned briefly over his shoulder to glance at it.
"Cool." He stated simply before pulling out the list and immersing himself into it.
I rolled my eyes at him and told him I was going to go check it out.
"Don't go too far," his head snapped up suddenly to look at me. "I don't want you to get lost."
"I won't." I smiled reassuringly to appease his protective nature and wandered through the massive bookshelves. Soon I came to a large clearing, at the center of which was the large display of the solar system. The sign above the book's section read 'Astronomy.' This explained why the books were arranged in such a way.
I walked slowly around the circumference of the exhibit, taking in every little detail of the magnificent model. Each book was labeled with its corresponding planet: Pluto's Role in Our Astronomical Cycle, What Happens When Venus Eclipses its Moon, etc. In the center of the model was an actual sun- or, rather, a smaller replica of one. It burned with intensity, despite its size, and it crackled and sizzled with heat. I was surprised that it didn't catch any of the books orbiting it on fire, especially with the way the flames were jumping around it.
"The books are protected with a special spell," a soft voice came from behind me, answering the very thing I had been wondering. "It renders them inflammable and, therefore, the ball of fire cannot burn them."
The person came to stand beside me and I looked up at him in curiosity. He wore a tall, purple hat, much like you might imagine the stereotypical image of a wizard to wear, and matching purple robes. His beard was long and white and reached well past his waist. When he turned to me the first thing I was drawn to were his eyes, hidden carefully behind his spectacles. They held all the depth of the ocean- of infinite knowledge and understanding- of the encounters of life as well as death. Yet, there was a twinkle to them that seemed to make these things irrelevant, like he was really just a small child looking for mischief.
"Hello Ella," he spoke quietly as he leaned his elbows on the exhibit railing. "My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster at Hogwarts."
Hagrid had talked briefly about Dumbledore to my brother and me, but I certainly hadn't been expecting to meet him at the bookshop.
"Hello, sir," I smiled lightly up at the man. "Hagrid has told us about you." I informed him, to let him know that we were aware of his job and how highly he was regarded.
"I should have known," he smiled to himself. "Speaking of Hagrid, how have things been going? After I heard that your aunt and uncle were trying to hide your letters from you, I was… concerned."
"Yes, Vernon- er- my uncle did go a little batty for a while," I nodded to myself as I leaned unconsciously against the railing. "That is, until Hagrid busted down his door at that dreary old cabin and made him nearly wet himself."
"Hagrid can be a bit overbearing sometimes." Dumbledore shook his head but smiled in spite of himself.
"I really didn't believe him at first, you know." I stated, looking down at my feet. "It was Harry who really convinced me. He's so level-headed and thinks things through so carefully all the time, and he believed Hagrid right off the bat. If it weren't for him I'd probably still be holed up with the Dursley's at sea."
"Thank goodness for Harry, then." Dumbledore said simply, his eyes twinkling mischievously in the dim lighting.
I smiled and nodded my head in agreement as I stared, eyes unfocused, at the solar system. "Yes, thank goodness for Harry."
Dumbledore watched me in silence for a second before speaking. "Well, I should be on my way now. I just came by to pick up Lockhart's latest autobiography," he held up some large volume called Vampires At Dusk and paused for a moment to smile at some inside joke of his. "They are so very interesting."
I looked at the book for a second but had no idea who the man was, so I let it go. "It was nice to meet you sir." I stepped back from the railing and smiled politely at him.
"Same to you my dear, I will be seeing you at school soon." He tipped his purple hat and then disappeared down a long row of books.
I stayed to admire the Astronomy display a little while longer before going to find Harry. He had moved a few rows down from where we were before, nose still shoved in our long list of supplies.
"How's it coming?" I asked, sneaking up behind him so I could read over his shoulder. We had about ten of the fifteen we needed so far.
"I'll go look for Hogwarts, A History, The Beginners Guide for Charms and Potions Volume 1." I offered, ticking off the first three I saw.
He glanced up uneasily from the book he was examining.
"I won't be that far Harry, I promise. Besides, this place isn't that big." I reassured him and then took off before he could argue with me.
I made my way to the front of the store, trying to go rather quickly so Harry wouldn't get worried. I hadn't accounted for how much more crowded the front was then the secluded little area in the back, though, and I was soon fighting through throngs of people. It was hard to find the book you wanted when people kept jostling you this way and that, but I finally found a copy of Hogwarts, A History. And it appeared to be the last one left.
Just as I was reaching for it though, another hand shot forward and snatched the binding. I quickly grabbed on too, afraid that they were actually going to take the last copy from me. I followed the pale arm down to find a blond haired boy at the end of it, looking quite put out.
"I need this book." He stated simply, not moving his hand.
"What a coincidence, so do I." I replied, smirking at the boy.
"Listen," he started, looking angry. "Why don't I take this book now and you put yours on layaway to have it delivered."
"Hmm." I tapped my finger on my chin, like I was really considering the offer. "No, I don't think so."
"Okay, listen here you little freak." He spat in my face as his cheeks turned red in anger. "You-"
We were rather close to one another and our hands were nearly overlapping on the binding of the book so we jumped back suddenly after hearing an angry voice.
"What's going on here?" It demanded.
I turned around to find Harry standing at the end of the shelf, looking upset. "This boy expects me to let him take this book." I explained, motioning to the blond in front of me.
"You bloody wench!" The boy cried out. "I had it first!"
Harry was in the boy's face before he could even blink. "Don't. You. Ever. Speak that way to my sister again." He whispered through clenched teeth, his hand fisted up in the blond boy's robes.
The boy struggled to free himself, getting pushed back several feet in the process. "Fine." He spat, glaring at both of us, "Take your bloody book." And then he stormed off.
I turned to Harry and rolled my eyes. "Was that really necessary?" I asked, but a smile graced my features. Harry simply put an arm around me in manner of general protectiveness. He didn't need to say anything, I understood him better than myself at times.
"Anyways, now that you've saved the day I think it's safe for you to run along and find the rest of your books." I gently shrugged his arm off of my shoulder and gave him a slight shove in the opposite direction. He gave me a hesitant look, like he was scared I'd be accosted again if he left my side for even a second. After giving him my best innocent expression he left though, leaving me to my business.
Once he was well out of sight though, instead of continuing to look for my books, I slipped around the same corner the blond boy had disappeared behind. I walked slowly down the aisle, keeping my eye out for him. I had passed my fifth row of books before I caught sight of him, slumped on a black leather chair in a small reading section with his nose buried deep in some large, dusty volume.
I approached him cautiously, not wanting to startle him with my presence since he seemed rather easy to set off. I came to stand right next to his chair and was about to tap his shoulder when his voice halted me.
"What do you want?" His sulky tone drifted just above an irritated whisper as he continued to gaze at his book.
I blinked several times, impressed that he could sense me there. "I just wanted to apologize for my brother's behavior." I spoke after I had regained my composure.
He was silent for several seconds. Then he turned to look at me slowly with an unreadable expression situated on his features. "Okay." He replied dryly, sounding unalterably uninterested.
I shifted nervously on the spot. Why was he being so rude? "My name's Ella, by the way." I offered, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
His eyes widened fractionally, his face slipping just so slightly from its well-maintained mask of ambivalence. "Ella Potter?" He asked for clarification. I nodded and he quietly closed his book.
"My name is Draco." He sighed heavily, like this information was vital to him and he really didn't wish to part with it.
I smiled warmly at him, happy that I seemed to have made at least a little progress. He was silent again and I happened to glance down at his book. I was able to decipher the title underneath his pale hands as 'A Beginner's Guide to Arithmancy'.
"Are you interested in Arithmancy?" I inquired casually as I motioned to his book.
"I suppose," he took his hands off the cover and looked down at it in thought. "My mother says it's an excellent class to take." He brought his steely eyes back up to my face as he began to absent mindedly run a finger along the spine of his book.
"I have the same book," I remarked, leaning against the arm of his chair. His eye brow arched in curiosity as he followed my movements. "I haven't had much time to look at it yet, but it seems interesting."
Some form of annoyance flashed through his grey eyes as he took in my relaxed stance, realizing that I wasn't going to leave anytime soon. He sighed again, his whole body heaving with regretful resignation to my presence..
"Are you starting your first year?" I questioned, smiling encouragingly at him.
"Yes." He replied.
"I've heard Hogwarts is splendid," I remarked. "Have you ever been there?"
"Once," he nodded, and a flicker of contentment flashed across his face. "With my father."
"Oh, does your father work there?" I asked innocently.
He snorted and gave me a very affronted glare at this assumption. "No. My father works at the ministry."
"The ministry?" I repeated, sounding awed. I didn't know that wizards had jobs as part of London's Ministry.
"Yes, you dolt. The Ministry of Magic." He snapped and I felt myself blushing in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I just assumed…" I trailed off quietly at his intense stare.
"You don't know much about magic, do you?" He continued to stare and I had to turn away to hide my pink-stained cheeks.
"No, not really." I admitted.
"Why is that?" He asked boldly, sitting up a little straighter in his chair.
"I was raised by my Aunt and Uncle. They hate anything to do with magic, so they never told Harry or me that we were wizards."
"Bloody muggles." He spat disgustedly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yeah." I smiled and nodded in agreement.
He glanced up at me again and a faint smile twisted his lips. "There might just be hope for you."
I was about to ask him what he meant when an angry voice from behind us cut me off. I looked over my shoulder to find Harry standing a few feet away, looking upset.
"What are you doing?" He directed towards Draco, eyes narrowing dangerously as he advanced towards us.
Draco twisted in his chair to look back and rolled his eyes at the boy. "Bugger off."
"Ella, come on." Harry demanded as he grabbed my arm and attempted to drag me away. "I don't want you talking to my sister, ever." He informed Draco coldly from over my shoulder.
Draco hissed like a snake and jumped up. "I'll talk to whoever the hell I want!"
"That's enough," I interjected, standing between the two. "Let's just go, Harry." I pleaded, pushing on his chest to make him back away. He continued to glare at Draco for a few moments before he turned around and stormed off, dragging me with him.
"Bye Draco," I called over my shoulder. "See you at school."
"What were you thinking?" Harry whispered angrily as we rounded the next corner, still griping my arm tightly.
I shrugged nonchalantly. "He didn't seem so bad to me."
"It must not have registered through your thick skull that he nearly ripped your arm off over a book!" Harry flailed his arms dramatically, like he had just managed to wrench me from the claws of death.
"He seemed troubled. And I wanted to apologize for you nearly ripping his shirt off." I smirked proudly at his flabbergasted reaction.
"You apologized to that git?"
I nodded and glanced down at the pile of books he was holding, deciding it was time to change the subject. "Do you have everything, then?"
He stumbled over his words for a good minute before deciding to drop it. "Yes, I've got everything from the list."
"Good, now we can pay and head over to that potions store. It looks quite interesting, don't you think?"
He sighed and agreed half heartedly as we took our spot in the back of the line to pay for our things.
On our way out, we saw Draco standing near the exit, arguing with a tall, blond woman that had to be his mother. He glanced at us briefly and I waved. He gave a small nod back, but matched Harry's glare. I nudged my brother in the side and he looked away.
Outside we met Hagrid, near the entrance, and he took us to the potions shop, on my request. Afterward, Hagrid took us to the pet shop where he let us pick out any animal we wanted- as a birthday present. I picked out a beautiful snowy-white owl and Harry named her- Hedwig. I don't think Hagrid knew this, but it was the only real present either of us had ever received.
We didn't see Draco the rest of our time in Diagon Alley, and the thought of him was driven completely from my mind by school shopping. Only when I noticed that Harry seemed to be acting even more quiet and withdrawn than usual did it come up again.
"What's the matter, Harry?" I asked voice low so that Hagrid couldn't hear.
"Nothing." He replied blandly and I glared, unconvinced, at the side of his face.
"Seriously Harry, I know when something's up with you just as well as you know when something's bugging me."
"I don't know…" He trailed off, looking to the distance in thought. "I guess I just can't get over that git in the book store."
"Oh, Harry." I sighed and rolled my eyes, but he didn't see. "I don't understand- you deal with far worse from the Dursley's every day, why should some random guy bother you?"
He shrugged and rubbed his forehead. "I don't understand it either, Ella. Something about that guy just really ticked me off."
I skipped a few feet ahead of him and gripped him by the shoulders, making him look at me. "Try to forget about it, okay? I hate it when you're all quiet and depressed. It makes me feel the same way."
"I know, I'm sorry." He smiled back and slung an arm around my shoulder as we continued walking, Hagrid just a few feet behind us.
"You two ready to get back to yer Aunt and Uncle's? I think we've got all yer school things."
"Who could ever be ready to go back there?" Harry whispered to me, a small smiling curling his lips. I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to stifle my laughter.
"What's so funny?" Hagrid grumbled, looking confused.
"Sorry Hagrid- yes, I do think we should head back now; it's getting dark." I replied, looking to the sky.
"Right." Hagrid nodded and took the lead so we could find our way out. Too soon we found ourselves back at the Dursley's.
Harry and I stumbled clumsily through the front door, trying to remain undetected. We failed quite miserably after I tripped over the threshold and nearly scattered my books all over the floor.
"What's that ruckus!?" Came Vernon's angry boom from the living room. No doubt we were interrupting his Thursday night sitcom marathon.
Petunia came scurrying from the kitchen, carrying the smell of disinfectants from her nightly cleaning. "It's just the little freaks." She offered, glaring nastily at us.
"What's all that you've got?" Vernon asked as he squeezed his way into the hallway, eyes narrowing at our piles of school things.
"Supplies for school." I told him firmly, trying not to buckle under the weight of it all.
"I won't have those things in my house!" He shouted heatedly, eyes bugging out from his tiny head in a very comical manner.
"It's mostly just books!" I nodded down at the pile in my arms for proof.
He leered unhappily at us for a minute, and then glanced at Petunia. Her face looked pretty neutral to me, but he seemed to have acquired some kind of an answer from it.
"Fine, but they're to stay locked under the stairs." He waddled to the small cupboard and opened it roughly. He held it open expectantly as we both stood there, unmoving.
I looked to Harry and found my own expression looking back at me. Desperation. Hopelessness. Resentment. And then I swallowed hard and turned away to make my way towards Vernon. I found a some-what decent corner, free from spider webs, to stow my books and Harry sat his beside mine. We both rushed out of the cupboard quickly and ran up to our shared guest room, neither of us sparing a glance at Vernon or Petunia.
A/N: Constructive criticism is embraced! I really like this idea so I want to do it right.
REVIEW! :)