A year passed easily without much change within him. Things were changing around him, however slowly those changes were taking place. Despite the time that had so easily escaped him, Hermione's comments had lingered in his mind, never seeming to tire of haunting him. Heeding Hermione's comments as best he could, Draco walked down the slowly recovering Diagon Alley. He found it ironic really, that when every other store had closed their doors, the Weasleys' joke shop had stayed strong, and now when all the other stores were slowly returning, the Weasley doors had yet to be opened. He had heard rumors of the death of one of the Weasley twins, but he'd never been curious enough to confirm it, but the prolonged closing of the store seemed to confirm the rumor just the same.
As he walked, he passed the broken windows of what had once been the old wand shop where his father had bought him his first wand years ago. Across from it, was the bookstore where his father had set into motion the events that made his second year at Hogwarts so interesting. Of course, it was only ironic that later that year Harry destroyed the first of the Horcruxs without even knowing of their existence. Choosing not to dwell on such events, Draco wandered towards the bookstore, half surprised that the store was nearly empty. He only had memories of it being full of Hogwarts students, especially during the fall, but then again, Diagon Alley was still recovering.
He seemed lost in thought, for he certainly was not very attached to reality, but he was not focused on any one thought or another. His mind was blank as his eyes scanned across the bookshelves, reading each title as though they meant something to him, or as though he were looking for any book in particular.
"That's a good read, you know." A female voice pulled Draco into the ever present reality and he knew how lost he must've appeared, but the woman only smiled at him as though she hadn't noticed. She was short, barely reaching his shoulders, but she was slender as well. "It's a good book to pass time with."
As he turned down, ready to respond, he found no words would pass his lips. Instead, he could only stare into her blue eyes, shining brighter than anything had in quite some time. Then there was her smile which caused small, almost undetectable creases around her eyes. He didn't know what it was about her, but he didn't want to say anything if it meant she would stay still long enough for him to just stare at her until the world disappeared. All he could do, however, was stare down into her bright blue eyes, unsure of what quality they carried which drew him in so. "I'm not much of a reader, I'm afraid."
"Then why did you venture into a bookstore?" She replied, the tips of her lips curling farther up into a wider smile than the one she had before.
"Because it was open." He answered, expecting her to walk away. People always walked away. It amazed him that she even spoke to him. Judging from the age she appeared to be, she had to be old enough to know of the war and its aftermath. If she went to Hogwarts, she should even recognize him. In fact, she didn't even have to go to Hogwarts to recognize a Malfoy. Anybody could see a Malfoy from miles away and adjust their immediate plans so that they did not have to interact in any way with a Malfoy.
"Well, I'll just let you browse then." She replied, her voice still as sweet as it had been when she approached him. "There's older books upstairs. Less people there, too."
"Thank you." Draco replied as he nodded softly to her and she smiled widely once more.
"Of course." She answered as she stepped to the side and let him pass. He approached the staircase along the edge of the building and reached out to put a hand on the handrail. As he started to ascend the stairs, however, he peered back at the small woman, who's shining eyes were still following him, her smile ever present.
It was then he realized what it was about her that drew him in. It was her innocence. She was seemingly unharmed in every way. She smiled as though the wizarding world had not just waged a second deadly war. Her eyes shined as though everything in life were perfect. In a world that had seen too much violence and evil, she rose above it all, innocence, though some impossible way, intact.