"Where do you want to take me first mum?"
Narcissa Malfoy knew this day was coming. Ever since she brought her son into this world, she knew she'd have to take him to the Alley, to buy him things for the school that had his name written in the records since that very first day.
Why had it come so soon?
She felt... pride? for her son, he was smart, and loved to stick his pale nose in any book he laid hands on.
Would he even be a Slytherin? Would he be the first in her family since Sirius to be..?
No. Draco would not be the next Sirius, or Andromeda. He was her son. She would talk him out of it. There was no way.
"Mum?"
Oh how that word made her heart sing. She wanted to not answer so that he'd say it again, she wouldn't hear it in months, what was a tiny wait?
"Narcissa."
Lucius. She'd have to answer their son, her husband could get her attention.
"Yes Draco?"
Draco fiddled uncomfortably with his robes, but he kept eye contact, she had trained him well.
"What are we going to get first?"
"Well," Narcissa said, glancing at the list Hogwarts had sent. "I'll find a place to find your wand, and... your father will get your books."
Immediately Draco's face darkened slightly, he looked like he was going try to argue but simply uttered, "Yes mum."
She directed him to Madam Malkin's, and left him with the older woman's young assistant. Draco watched her leave with a dull look in his eyes.
Now, off to find a proper store.
She secretly knew where she'd take him. Ollivanders. But Lucius couldn't know. He'd gotten his own wand years and years ago at a grandiose store not far away. But there was something special about Ollivanders, something almost tangible.
After all, it's where she got her wand.
She walked up and down the alley, glancing into shop windows. She hardly had a moment to herself anymore. Not that she'd ever had many before becoming Mrs. Malfoy, but, she still missed the almost quiet nature of her childhood.
She shoved any thought of her older sisters out of her mind. Neither pf them were good to think about, for opposite reasons.
If only Nymphadora was a few years younger...
It had been ten minutes, in another three she'd turn around to meet up with Draco. She noticed a giant head poking above the crowd and knew exactly who it was.
Almost exactly sixteen minutes later, she stood in the doorway of Madam Malkin's, watching her son speak to a thin black haired boy.
Even though her lips stayed pinched shut, she smiled inwardly.
After a few minutes Draco was shooed away and joined her outside the store. Not speaking about either experience they joined Lucius at Flourish and Blott's.
Everything was perfect.
"What is your surname by the way?" Draco asked his new companion.
"Oh, it's Pah-"
The boy was cut of by Madam Malkin proclaiming that Draco was done, he hopped off the stool and said, "See you at Hogwarts then."
The other boy just nodded and stepped up to take Draco's place.
Narcissa put her hand on his shoulder, and led him to a thin store, that Draco had barely even noticed.
The door had old gold letters stating the shop's owners name. There were thousands of wands stacked up to the ceiling, and the most curious old man.
Draco had never really played with sticks before. And he had never been allowed to hold a wand. So as hundreds of the precious pieces of wood were placed in his hands and snatched away, Draco couldn't help but feel some sort of pride in himself.
He made a quick mental note to ask Tom how his wand-finding process had gone.
When finally a Hawthorn-Unicorn wand chose him, Mr. Ollivander graciously excepted the few wizard coins Mrs. Malfoy gave him, and his two customers left the shop.
They made their way to Flourish and Blott's, not speaking but keeping close.
Even though Draco had been to the store before, there was almost always new books to keep him occupied. With his father already holding his school books Draco was allowed a few minutes to peruse the shelves for one (1) book of his choice.
He glanced past some 'Lockhart' books, (fake to be sure), and found a girl practically bouncing with joy.
Her hair defied gravity, but that was normal for some witches and wizards, it was also a warm brown.
"So many. So, so many." she was whispering to herself.
"What kind of books are you looking for?" Draco asked calmly.
The girl gasped and spun around. She had a mixture of pure joy and fear wrapped up in her eyes, which were nearly the color of her hair.
"Oh." she said, regaining her composure. "Um, any really."
"I was thinking of getting myself a history book." Draco said, as a way to keep the conversation going.
The girl nodded, "I just found out I'm going to Hogwarts last week." she said, looking up at a sign that said History in flowing letters. "My parents were a bit busy since then, but today..."
"How about, 'Hogwarts a History'?" she asked, picking up said book.
Draco looked at the thick tome. With any luck it should last until at least winter break, that is, if the classes were hard enough.
"That sounds delightful." he admitted, and grabbed a copy for himself. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." the girl said, and she hugged the book tightly to her chest.
"I'm Hermione Granger." she said quietly. "I'll see you at Hogwarts?"
"Of course." Draco said, "And I'm Draco Malfoy. Have a good month."
"Thanks." Hermione said, but Draco had already left. He had a book to buy.
How many days left?
Ten.
Exciting.
I know. I've been looking forward to this for my whole life.
Yes, Hogwarts is just as good as they say it is.
I can't wait to see the dorms.
Yes, they're lovely. The stone and the green look good together. You'll tell me what's changed right?
Of course.
But Tom, what if I'm not in Slytherin?
Draco Malfoy, you are the most cunning young man I've met, besides myself of course. You'll be in Slytherin.
Just say that I'm not.
Not everyone in the other houses are bad. It'll be difficult if you're in Gryffindor though.
Yeah. I hope I'm not in that house.
Don't worry about it, you'll be fine.
Thanks Tom.
"Do you have everything? Your owl, your toothbrush?"
"Your Anti-jibbering Jabber spray?"
"Yes mum, yes Luna." Draco said, with a small sigh. "I've been ready for Hogwarts for a week."
"Good." Narcissa said, glancing at her son's blonde friend, "Do you have your extra spending money?"
"I can't go to Hogsmeade for another two years mum," Draco said, swinging a grey book bag onto his left shoulder. "And I shouldn't eat that much on the train."
Narcissa nodded, and the three of them met up with Lucius just outside the parlor.
Draco and Luna side-along apparated to an abandoned alley set up just for that action near Kings Cross station. They were greeted by a bored looking wizard with a dull look in his eyes, who told them the train would leave just at eleven.
The Malfoys (and Luna) walked into the Muggle infested station, and made a beeline right for the barrier right between platform 9 and 10. Taking a deep breath they walked straight through the brick wall and onto platform 9 and 3/4.
Luna let out a small gasp at the lovely red train sitting in the middle of the rather large room. Teenagers and parents alike were busling about, carrying cages with all sorts of owls, heavy trunks, and even small children all around the area.
Lucius helped Draco get his trunk to the back of the train and the four of them stood near one of the entrances.
"Have fun at Hogwarts!" Luna said, throwing her arms around him. Draco took a small step back at this sudden weight but caught his balance quickly. He nodded and Luna let go of him. "Write to me!" she said, with a big smile.
Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy said a few words of farewell and within a few minutes Draco was on the train, waving goodbye.
He watched as his family and friend left the platform with a snap.
The next twenty minutes were filled with trying to get Crabbe and Goyle off of his scent and find a good place to write to Tom.
At two till eleven he sat down in a compartment with only one other person. A boy with black hair, but his face was turned to the window, so Draco couldn't see who it was.
Draco pulled Tom out, and within a moment he was telling him all about the morning, which wasn't much.
Just as Draco was running out of new material to tell Tom a small tap came against the glass. Both boys looked up and saw a red headed boy their age, the new boy slid the door open.
"Can I sit in here? Everywhere else is full."
Draco nodded quietly, jotted down 'I got to go', and pressed his shoulder to the window.
He got a good look at the two, he now recognized the black haired boy. It was the same one he'd talked to at Madam Malkin's.
"I'm Ronald, Ronald Weasley."
"Draco Malfoy."
Ronald's shoulders tightened. "Oh." he said, and he glared at Draco.
"I'm Harry," the last boy said, his eyes flicking between his two companions. "We met at Madam Malkin's."
"Yes, we didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves." Draco said, breaking eye contact between Ronald and him. "What did you say your surname was?"
"Potter," Harry said, his voice barely over a whisper.
Ronald's tension seemed to have disappeared, "No way." he said, breathing in heavily. "You're Harry Potter?"
"Yes?" Harry said, looking quite uncomfortable. "I've heard I'm sort of famous."
"Sort of?" Ronald said, but he stopped himself just in time. "You can call me Ron." he said, and stuck a freckled hand toward him.
Harry smiled shyly and shook it, then he turned to Draco. "And you're Draco- Malfoy?"
"Yes," Draco said stiffly, and tightened his hold on Tom.
"I wouldn't mess around with his lot." Ron said, glaring again at Draco.
"Why?" Harry said.
"His father, Lucius, is always trying to get my dad, well, fired." Ron said, coldly, and tightening his grip on a brown paper bag.
Draco rolled his eyes. "And of course," he started sarcastically, "I'm exactly like my father."
"Well," Ron started, and his ears went pink.
Needless to say, the two warmed up on each other. Slowly, oh so slowly.
"Have any of you seen a toad? Neville's lost his."
It was the girl from the bookstore, already in her robes, looking nervous and elated at the same time. The toad boy, Neville, was standing behind her, looking worried and embarrassed, but Hermione didn't seem to care.
Her eyes darted around the compartment and came to rest on Ron, he had his rat, Scabbers as he called him, on his lap and his wand in his other hand.
"Oh!" she said, walking fully into the cabin, "Are you doing magic? I've only practiced a few spells at home, before I'm not allowed anymore. Let's see some."
Ron shot a dirty look at her, but continued with his 'spell'. "Fred and George told me about this one. Don't know if it'll work..."
He waved his wand above Scabbers and chanted, "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!"
It didn't work.
If anything, it made Scabbers look even less colorful.
Hermione scolded Ron slightly and Draco couldn't help agree with her, in his mind of course.
Logical that one.
Hermione did a real spell on Harry's broken glasses, and left the three boys alone, with a reminder to change soon, they were getting near the station after all.
Very logical.
It was only when they got to the castle that Draco realized he had no idea how they were going to get sorted.
He was part of one of the oldest wizarding families! the sacred 28! How did he not know how to get sorted.
Ron, another pureblood, was sort of rambling about a troll his brothers' claimed to have fought. But with the little of the track record Draco had heard about the twins, he guessed it wasn't very likely.
Hermione wasn't helping either, she was whispering which spells she'd try. Also if anyone else knew.
Tom hadn't even told Draco. And they told each other everything.
Needless to say, all the eleven year olds were very nervous when Professor McGonagall let them into the Great Hall, and the ghosts didn't help their nerves in the slightest.
Draco had heard tell of the Hogwarts ghosts, but he couldn't remember hearing about how many there were. And there were a lot.
He glanced over at the Bloody Baron, and for once did not want to be in Slytherin.
"When I call your name you will come to the front of the hall and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head," Professor McGonagall was saying, and Draco forced his eyes away from the other occupants of the room. He saw the sorting hat and felt a sigh of relief pass through him. No trolls, no magic, just a hat. He could wear a hat.
His name was about halfway down the list. And he knew when it was called most of the students would know who he was.
He tried to look at the teachers table, but where they were standing it was kind of blocked from his view. So he instead glanced at his fellow students.
Teenage faced looked rapt attention at whoever was being sorted, and Draco was slightly startled when his name was called.
He breathed in deeply, and climbed the stone steps, and sat on the stool.
Here was the decision to help mold his entire life.
I've decided to end this chapter here. I hope you guys don't mind the tiniest bit of a cliff hanger.
This chapter was so much easier to write than I expected. And I hope you enjoy.
You make this worth it! Thanks for any feedback you give and/or have given.
Happy quarantine!
-Brilliant Light
