Throughout the holidays, Harry and Hermione had received letters from Ron and had written back to the redhead numerous times. In almost all of Ron's letters to Harry, he'd asked him to visit his family home, The Burrow. Occasionally he mentioned meeting up in Hermione's letters, but she never got an actual invite to his house. Draco reckoned that it was because Ron preferred Harry and didn't really like Hermione, and both Harry and Hermione thought he could be right. Ron had always been more interested in Harry, and if it hadn't been for the fact that Hermione was already with Harry when Ron met him, she doubted the redhead would have paid her the slightest bit of attention.
All holidays, Harry had managed to put Ron off meeting up, but as the start of term approached, Beth suggested that they met up with Ron in Diagon Alley. Knowing that it would keep up their act perfectly, Harry and Hermione arranged to meet up with Ron to shop for their school supplies. When Harry wrote to Ron, he said he'd already arranged it with Hermione for them all to do their shopping together, all they needed to know was when the Weasleys were going to be in Diagon Alley.
On the day in question, Beth made sure that Harry and Hermione were at the Leaky Cauldron before the time they were due to meet the Weasleys. It had already been decided that she wouldn't stick around and would pick them up at the end of the day. It had also been decided that Lucius and Narcissa would take Draco to get his stuff on the same day. They didn't really think Harry and Hermione would need them, but both Voldemort and Severus had insisted that help was on hand in case they needed it.
"Are you ready for another year of playing the hero?" Hermione asked Harry as they waited for the Weasleys to show up.
"I'm so looking forward to it," Harry muttered sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
"You've been spending too much time with Draco," Hermione said with a laugh. "You're starting to sound just like him."
"It could be worse, I could be starting to sound like Ron," Harry joked.
"Speaking of which, here he comes," Hermione said, spotting the family of redheads appearing in some nearby fireplaces.
Plastering on welcoming smiles, Harry and Hermione stood up as the Weasleys approached. Both of Ron's parents, Molly and Arthur, were accompanying the children, and they looked to have the entire family with them, bar the oldest two boys who had already left school. Ron quickly greeted his friends, and introduced them to his parents. Harry had briefly met Molly the previous year, but neither he nor Hermione had met Arthur.
"It's very nice to meet you, sir," Harry said as he shook Arthur's hand.
"The pleasure is all mine, Harry," Arthur replied with a beaming grin. "And of course, it's lovely to meet you too, Hermione," He added, turning and smiling at the small brunette witch beside Harry.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr Weasley," Hermione returned politely.
"Please, call me Arthur," Arthur insisted.
Once the introductions to Ron's parents were over, Ron introduced Harry and Hermione to his younger sister, Ginny. The second Harry said hello to her, Ginny giggled giddily and turned bright red. Finally she managed to muster a reply, as Ron glared at her and shook his head at her actions.
"We really should get going," Molly called, interrupting the greetings. "We've got a lot to buy."
"Yeah, have you seen all the new Defence books," Ron said with a grimace. "All by Gilderoy Lockhart. I bet we've got a witch with a big crush on him."
"Speaking of crushes, I think someone has one on you," Hermione whispered to Harry, gesturing to where Ginny kept sneaking looks at him through her curtain of long, red hair.
"But she doesn't even know me," Harry protested. "She can't have a crush on me."
"Of course she can have a crush on Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived," Hermione retorted. "She's probably fancied you from the moment she heard about you."
"Idiot," Harry spat, and Hermione knew he was referring to Ginny, not her.
"I think we'll start with Gringotts," Molly announced as the group made its way out of the dingy pub and into the bright sunshine of Diagon Alley.
"Hermione, Harry, do you not have any adults with you?" Arthur questioned, suddenly realising his sons friends were alone.
"My Uncle Vernon dropped me off on his way to work," Harry replied. "He'll pick me up tonight."
"My Mum did the same," Hermione added. "To be honest, she was relieved that I was meeting you lot and she didn't have to come shopping with me. She found it all a bit overwhelming last year."
"Ah yes, your parents are muggles," Arthur gasped. "You must tell me all about them, I just love muggles."
Hermione smiled politely at Arthur, and promised to answer his questions. Hopefully he wouldn't ask too many complicated questions and the information she'd learnt before her first year would satisfy his curiosity. Luckily for Hermione, they reached Gringotts before Arthur could ask too many questions. Once everyone was sorted, the group headed back out into Diagon Alley and their shopping trip began.
Since Ginny was just starting school, she needed several things that the others didn't so Molly took her to get sorted while the others visited the other shops they needed to get supplies from. As they wandered around the shops, Percy helped Arthur keep the twins and the trio in check, causing Ron to spend the entire time complaining about his brother.
"I swear, he thinks he's Head Boy already," Ron muttered as they looked at some quills and parchment.
"What makes him think he'd going to be Head Boy?" Harry asked with a frown. It seemed rather presumptuous of Percy to assume he was going to be Head Boy the following year.
"He's just hoping," Ron replied. "But knowing my luck, he'll get the position. Then it's something else I've got to live up to. If Percy makes Head Boy, that makes two of my brothers have been Head Boy, and the others have all played quidditch. I just can't compare."
Harry patted Ron sympathetically on the shoulder, not knowing what to say to him. He'd learnt the previous year that Ron had a serious inferiority complex when it came to his siblings. In Ron's mind, he just couldn't compete with what his brothers had achieved, and he even felt as though Ginny outshone him as the only girl in the family. Harry wasn't sure if Ron was right in his assumptions that he didn't measure up, but whenever the redhead raised the subject it made him feel uncomfortable as he never knew what to say.
"Come on you three," Arthur called from the doorway of the shop. "We're heading over to Flourish and Blotts, and it looks like there's something going on over there."
"What can be going on at a bookshop?" Ron grumbled as they paid for their purchases and exited the shop.
When they entered the small shop, the answer was waiting for them. Gilderoy Lockhart was holding a book signing, and the shop was swamped with witches swooning over him. As Harry and Hermione pushed through the crowds with the Weasleys, Hermione glanced up and spotted Draco standing leaning over one of the railings on the upper floor. He looked distinctly unimpressed with the mayhem below him, and Hermione couldn't help but chuckle slightly at his bored expression. Not wanting to be caught staring at someone she was supposed to detest, Hermione hurriedly lowered her eyes and continued to follow the Weasleys to where Molly and Ginny were waiting in line to have their books signed.
"Isn't this great," Molly gushed as she smoothed down her hair. "I've always wanted to meet Gilderoy Lockhart."
"Yeah, he's so impressive," Ron grumbled.
"Stop that Ron," Molly scolded. "Now come here and I'll sort your books out."
"Speaking of books, I better go and pick mine up," Hermione said. The books in Molly's hand were all second hand as it was all the Weasleys could afford, but both Harry and Hermione could afford brand new books.
"I'll come with you," Harry called, and before anyone could stop them the pair had darted off into the crowds.
"Damn, we have to get a lot of this crap," Harry muttered as they checked the list of books they needed and found the vast majority of them were all written by Gilderoy Lockhart. "Do we really need this many books for one lesson?"
"Of course not," A voice behind them said and turning around, Harry and Hermione found Draco leaning up against a bookshelf. "But Lockhart loves himself, everyone knows that."
"What does Lockhart loving himself have to do with anything?" Harry asked with a frown as he double checked they were alone and no-one was witnessing their conversation.
"Haven't your heard? He's our new Defence Professor," Draco replied. "He was announcing it earlier."
"We've just arrived," Hermione explained. "But I guess he has to be better than Quirrell. At least he knows what he's talking about, according to his books, he's done all sorts."
"According to Father, he's a peeping tom," Draco replied with a chuckle. "You missed some fun earlier. I thought Father was going to punch Lockhart."
"Why?" Harry asked. "What did he do?"
"He was flirting with Mother," Draco said. "And according to Father, when she bent down to pick up her books, Lockhart was trying to get a look down her dress."
Harry and Hermione both laughed at Draco's story, wishing they had been around to witness the incident for themselves. However, their laughter soon stopped when Harry spotted Ron approaching. Quickly, the trio made it look as though they were sniping at one another and Ron was none the wiser when he approached.
"What's going on?" He demanded, eyeing Draco up suspiciously.
"Nothing," Harry answered. "Malfoy's just being his usual annoying self."
"It's a talent," Draco said with a smirk.
"No-one wants you here Malfoy, so bugger off," Ron spat.
"It's public space, Weasley, I can be here if I want," Draco retorted, glaring at the redhead.
"What's all the fuss?" Arthur suddenly called as he came hurrying over to the four twelve year olds.
"No fuss, Malfoy's just leaving," Ron said.
"I am not leaving," Draco insisted. "I'm waiting for my father."
"You can wait somewhere else," Arthur snapped.
For the first time since they met him, Harry and Hermione saw a different side to Arthur as he glared unhappily at Draco. All morning he'd been extremely friendly towards everyone they met, but the second he'd came into contact with Draco, his attitude had taken a U-turn. Suddenly, Harry and Hermione could see where Ron's hatred of Malfoys came from. It was no wonder he'd hated Draco on sight if his father's actions were anything to go on.
"I do hope you're not threating my son, Arthur," A cold voice drawled from behind the Weasley patriarch.
"Of course not, Lucius," Arthur replied as he turned to face his nemesis. "I was merely suggesting, he wait for you elsewhere. We don't want any trouble."
Lucius turned to Draco and raised a pale eyebrow at his son. "Are you causing trouble, Draco?"
"Would I?" Draco asked innocently as he smirked up at his father.
"See, there's no trouble here, Arthur," Lucius replied smoothly. "I would suggest you take your brood and move along. Some of us have things to do."
"And some of us have no intention of being bullied," Arthur retorted.
"I would look in the mirror before you throw accusations around," Lucius hissed, taking a threatening step towards Arthur. "You were the one threatening a twelve year old boy."
"It wasn't a threat, it was a suggestion," Arthur replied with a snarl.
"Well, I'm just suggesting you take your brats and move along," Lucius replied with a dangerous looking smile. "And while you're at it, take the Potter kid and the muggleborn. I don't want my son associating with the wrong type of people."
"I know what you mean," Arthur replied, glaring at Lucius. "I don't want my children mixing with the wrong sort either, and from where I'm standing the wrong sort is right opposite us."
Instead of responding, Lucius merely chuckled slightly and offered Arthur another smirk. Hermione and Harry knew that Lucius found it very amusing that Arthur was worried about keeping his children away from the wrong sort of people, when they were already friends with the daughter and grandson of the Dark Lord.
"Come along kids," Arthur said, urging Ron, Harry and Hermione to return to the others. "Let's pay for our books, and then we'll go and get some lunch."
Shooting Lucius and Draco one final look, Harry and Hermione trailed after the Arthur as they headed to pay for their books. Of course, Lucius and Draco were the main topic of conversation over lunch as Arthur and Ron filled the rest of the family in on the altercation with the two blond wizards. However, by the time the shopping trip continued after eating, the topic of conversation had changed and the Malfoys weren't spoken about for the rest of the day.