Chapter 6: Back to Diagon Alley
She awoke, yet again, a day later. Her soreness got worse and she couldn't move without a sharp pain racking her body. "Pepper…" she whispered. It was so hard to even whisper, she was surprised anything came out.
Pepper was instantly at her side. Gently, she lifted up Denise's head. "Pepper has a potion for Denise. Denise shall not feel pain for a while." As painful as it was, Denise drank every last drop from the cup. Her body became less and less sore, and she could finally move again.
Denise sat up and looked at Pepper. "Thank you so much. I owe you one." She got out of bed and sat on the floor, beginning to stretch out her muscles as she did every morning she woke.
Pepper shook her head. "Denise owes nothing to Pepper. Pepper is happy to help. Pepper loves to help." She said while watching her stretch.
Denise shrugged. "I still owe you one. You are my friend after all, even after what Father has done to me." She looked into a mirror, seeing bruises and small cuts everywhere on her. "Um, Pepper? Do you have anything that'll hide these injuries while I'm at Diagon Alley? I am supposed to go today."
Pepper vanished, but reappeared at her side, holding a small jar. "Pepper has gotten this balm for Denise. It temporarily hides such things."
Denise grabbed the jar. "Thanks. I wouldn't want to go if I was so purple," she laughed wearily. She opened the jar and began to apply it to her hands, neck, and face. Her skin was instantly normal again, for a while at least, seeing as this was only temporary. She gave Pepper a hug before heading into the bathroom to get ready.
After a while, Denise had finally gotten changed into some jeans and a yellow shirt, a white jacket over it to keep her warm. It was already breezy outside, and she hated the cold more than anything. Draco came and knocked on her door.
"Denise, both Mother and Father are busy, so it's just you and me going to Diagon Alley. Hey, how'd you heal so quickly?" He asked, topic switching immediately.
She smiled as she hid her wand in her sleeve, where she had a secret strap that'll keep it in there. "Pepper gave me something to hide the bruises and keep the pain at bay. So, how are we getting to Diagon Alley?" she asked, switching the topic back as she pocketed her school supplies list.
"Oh, I have a portkey right here. You ready?" She grabbed Armoroq and touched a gum wrapper he was holding. He muttered something and she felt the oddest sensation. It was like her navel had been hooked and she was spinning rapidly. She couldn't let go until they came to a stop, and she landed on the ground. "Ow…" she muttered, getting up. Taking in her surroundings, she noticed she was near the entrance of Diagon Alley.
Everything looked as amazing as it did before, except that there were more kids her age shopping for things. Draco looked at her, "It's about noon now. We'll meet back here at Three-thirty, sound good?" When she nodded, he handed her a money sack and walked off, leaving her alone.
Denise walked on, carrying Armoroq for the fear of him getting lost in the crowd if he walked. She walked into random stores, money jangling. If they had what she needed, they she'd buy it. She just got her robes, and was heading off in a random direction.
There was the quidditch store, and she noticed a few kids talking outside it. One was a girl, with long bushy hair, and two guys. One guy had blazing red hair and, the other had messy black hair with glasses. She caught the eyes of the one wearing glasses for a brief moment, before looking away and continuing on.
It was three when she finished her shopping. Armoroq agreed to walk, even with the risk of getting lost. He assured her that he could find her if that happened, and that she had enough to carry besides him. Stopping where she was Denise turned and walked into a newly opened store, it was a music store.
The walls were lined with thousands of CDs, whether they were muggle or wizard/witch bands. Many of the muggle bands and singers she recognized from all the times she had to be a footstool for Ms. Dunberge, embracing her atrocious singing. In fact, that was how she even got to watch TV sometimes. Denise wandered the shelves, picking up different things. Also, she got a CD player that'll turn on when you tap it with your wand. This way, it'll run automatically instead of using electricity like muggle CD players.
Once she had paid for it all, her money bag considerably lighter, she thought how she could've swore that rather hot teenaged manager was checking her out. Shrugging it off, she came upon Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She smiled broadly and walked in. "Oye, Fred! George! C'mere!"
Fred and George were instantly with her. "Denise! How've you been?" They pulled her into a tight hug. "I've been great!" she lied. They talked with her as she browsed around the shop. Armoroq seemed to like the scents of everything around him, he sniffed everything.
She talked about how her summer was going. "Yeah, and I've really gotten better at quidditch. My schedule's been pretty…" but she suddenly stopped as a searing pain tore through her. The potion must've worn off! She fell to her knees, grasping her sides in pain.
"Denise! Deinse, what's wrong!" the twins tried to help her up, but she swatted them away.
"Please, don't touch me, it hurts enough." She used the shelf for support. "I help myself, or I stay put."
"Nonsense." George told her. Fred turned, "Oye! C'mere!" he called to someone. Denise shut her eyes as a stronger wave of pain came back. Here arms were draped over two people, and someone had picked up her legs. "Let's take her to the back. Lee! Take over the shop for a bit!" They went to the back, where they laid her on a couch. "Thanks Harry, you can go back out now."
A door slammed open and Draco's voice was heard. "What have you done! Get away from her!" There were sounds of a struggle. "Malfoy! She needs her rest, we were just trying to help her!" a new voice was heard; who Denise assumed was this 'Harry' person.
"Back off Potter!" They were all fighting, and Armoroq didn't know which side to choose, so he just did his best to stop it all in his full form. "Stop…" Denise managed to say, but no one heard her. The struggling increased, only managing to give her a headache. She sat up, "STOP!" she yelled, but she wished she hadn't. They indeed stopped, but it hurt like hell to shout, and she cringed. She noticed the fourth person, Harry, was the guy she saw in front of the quidditch store.
She could just feel the bruises beginning to show again. "I appreciate all of you wanting to help, but you're just causing trouble. I'm just going to leave. C'mon Armoroq, Draco." She stood and wavered for a moment before stubbornly walking out. She ignored strange looks from the other customers as she grasped the cauldron that held her supplies. Armoroq carried it for her, holding the handle between his jaws. She knew if she told the twins the truth, she'd get the biggest "I told you so" in history. Not to mention they might blame it all on Draco.
Draco kept her up when they went through the portkey again, and then helped his sister to her room. "Thank you Draco. I'll…I'll see you around." With that, she let him leave, and she lied there in bed. Spirit flew in threw the open window from a day of hunting, and Armoroq told her what happened. They comforted Denise until sleep washed over her.
The moment she woke, she knew it would be her last day at Malfoy Manor, and she would be spending it in the most boring way. She refused to have any pain-relieving potion, and her pain still kept her mostly immobile. Denise wanted to prove she could take the pain, and it was fun to annoy her father that she could. Both Sam and Betty eventually came to see what was wrong, and she told them the same story.
"Some kids started fighting when I was getting school supplies. I jumped in to break it up, but two against one wasn't good, especially when no one else would help." Sam was still unconvinced, knowing perfectly well of Denise's capabilities, but she didn't say anything.
Pepper kept trying to help, but Denise insisted she could do things on her own. "It doesn't take a few bruises to keep me down Pepper." Denise wore a smug smile as she came down for breakfast. The swelling was decreasing, but she was still a tad bit purple. Her father seemed to use all of his strength to keep himself from ripping off her smug smile and shoving it down her throat. Yet, in a tiny gleam in his eye, he looked proud. Denise might never know why, but she didn't care.
Once breakfast was over, she headed back to her room and listened to her new music for a while.
"Loose!" A second later an arrow whizzed across an open-field to its mark. Sam looked at her pupil proudly, "C'mon Denise. Let's see the results of our last archery practice." They headed toward the target for the last time this summer. Their practice was in the evening this day, in the field where Draco usually taught her quidditch. There was only a light stiffness in her now, and she was much less purple than before. "Hey Sam? You're not being paid to teach me archery and stealth, so why do you do it? Not that I'm complaining or anything."
She seemed to think about it a moment before saying, "You never know when you're going to need it." They reached the target, seeing all of her arrows hit the bull's eye. "And if you do need it," Sam started, "You'll have no problem hitting the mark with all the training I've given you." She smirked. They got out the arrows and began to head to the house. Sam began to speak again. "Denise, what really happened at Diagon Alley? You are too strong to let a brawl keep you immobile. Whatever you say, I won't repeat." Denise hesitated. "Don't worry Denise, I won't tell a soul. Or badly injure the person who caused you that pain." She snickered.
"Well…" Denise began, "I met up with my father in the hallway…" From there, she told her tale of what had happened. Sam listened intently, but looked thoroughly annoyed. The story had ended and Denise made an excuse of having to get to sleep soon, and then crept to her room. She shut the door and turned around, only to find Draco standing there. Jumping, Denise asked, "What the heck are you doing in my room!"
Draco sat her on the bed, sitting next to her. "Denise, don't be used to me being so nice when we head out for school. I have a reputation, and I can't afford for it to go down the drain. I don't need people thinking I've gone soft. You're the only one that understands me, so I will be there for you, just…" he trailed off, trying to find the right words.
"…not in public unless need be." She finished for him
"Yeah…" He continued on for a bit, talking about who to stay away from and how Malfoys are better than muggleborns. Denise didn't exactly agree, but she didn't say anything. Soon enough, he was gone, and she went to bed with constant thoughts about her new school.
