Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Author's Note: Sorry for the time in-between updates, I had an unexpected visit from family and little to no time to write. Hopefully this longer chapter will make up for it?
As the meeting continued, Ragnok called for a small meal to be brought for everyone present. This was quite kind of the goblin, in Maera's opinion, since he didn't need to feed each of them though she was very grateful for it all the same. She ate small bites of the food provided due to her small appetite, but enjoyed the atmosphere around her as the others ate and talked. After finishing their meal, the adults talked with Ragnok for a few more minutes before concluding their meeting for the day. They still needed to visit her vault before they went shopping and they mentioned this to Ragnok. He called for another goblin to come and bring them to the vaults so they wouldn't need to go back to the front of the bank and wait in a line again. When this new goblin showed up, Mr. Malfoy handed Ragnok a couple golden coins and thanked him before following the other goblin out. Mrs. Malfoy, Mr. Snape, and Draco walked out the door just behind the tall blonde man. Maera, however, took a second to thank Ragnok profusely for what he had done and offered her hand to shake his - believing it to be customary to do so. Ragnok looked at her hand for a second before shaking it with one of his own, offering her a rare smile. He would need to discuss her with the other goblins later to determine if her kindness was true or false, no matter what he learned, though, he believed that she was special.
Maera caught up with the others when they reached what appeared to be some sort of roller coaster. She'd never been on one before, so she wasn't sure if she'd like whatever this was, but she was open to the experience. Bouncing up to Draco, she smiled excitedly at him. The blonde boy rolled his eyes at her, but he smiled back fondly so she counted that as a win. She'd get it to a point where he'd smile no matter what situation they may be in. Draco indicated that she should get into the cart first, so she did. He sat down next to her, and it was only then that she realised the others were already prepared for their adventure.
The cart suddenly lurched forward and Maera found herself on the edge of her seat. The speed and absurd drops were amazing. It was an exhilarating experience and she hoped desperately that it was one she'd be able to experience over and over. She looked at Draco and he seemed to share her love for the ride, but the adults in front of them were another story. Mr. Snape and Mr. Malfoy looked a little green in the face and Mrs. Malfoy seemed unimpressed if anything. The cart pulled to an abrupt halt and the goblin leading them got out. Pulling some keys from their belt, the goblin walked towards the vault and went through a series of different security measures before opening the vault door.
"Miss Potter," the goblin began, it had been agreed upon earlier that Maera would continue to go by Potter until Sirius was released from prison, "this is your trust vault on the Potter side." The goblin moved aside and indicated that she go in. Looking to the others and receiving nods to indicate that it was alright, she moved forward.
Stopping by the goblin, she asked, "By the way, what is your name? And, would you mind explaining the money to me? I'm afraid that I don't know much of anything about the wizarding world."
The goblin stared at her for a second before saying, "My name is Griphook, and I would be honored to help you." He then went on to explain the differences between the three coins that the wizarding world used as currency as well as the conversion rates between it and a pound. Griphook alluded to more modern methods than coming to the bank each time that someone wanted to pull some money for their account, and Maera couldn't help but ask for more information. The goblin produced a small pouch from somewhere on his person, though she wasn't sure where exactly, and stated that the pouch was connected by magic to the owner's vault of their choice. With this connection, Maera would be able to take money by thinking about the amount she needed while holding her hand in the pouch. The best part was that no one else could use it except for her or people that she expressly gave permission to. Weighing the pros and cons of buying such a pouch for herself, Maera decided that it would make the most sense and asked Griphook to help her key it to the vault that they were currently standing in.
After finishing with all of that, their small party climbed back into the cart. Sitting next to Draco again, she told him about what she had learned. The boy didn't seem as impressed with the information having grown up in the world she was only just discovering, but he did listen to her babble excitedly. She was shocked at how easily it came to interacting with Draco, far easier than it had with Mr. Snape or Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. She would have thought that she'd be more scared around each of the new people she had met, but she wasn't. Maybe it was because she had already begun to trust Mr. Snape when he had introduced these new people to her, or even their continued kindness towards her, but whatever the reason she was happy to be able to do this. Truthfully, Maera connected with Draco like many do with their best friend. That feeling of camaraderie that is the foundation for many relationships. Draco, himself, would later reflect on the instant friendship that he and his cousin shared and be surprised by it.
After the quick cart trip back to the surface, Griphook led them through the maze once more to the front of the bank. Overall, their quick trip to the bank had taken far longer than anyone had expected, but they still had plenty of time to grab everything that they would need for school. Maera held onto Draco's hand as they went back out into the busy alley. Mr. Snape and the Malfoys stepped and started down the street towards one of the many stores. Taking a sharp breath, a wave of anxiety rushed over her, but she felt Draco's hand squeeze hers and her anxiety calmed slightly. The two eleven year-olds stepped out into the crowd after the adults, hoping to catch up with them.
Bumping past multiple groups of people, Maera could only hold onto Draco's hand tighter. She was too short to easily navigate the crowds and Draco, being tall even for an eleven year old, had a much easier time walking towards his parents. She could only desperately hope that they wouldn't be knocked apart by all of the jostling. Flashes of color rushed by as they pushed onwards. Looking around in wonder and fear, Maera suddenly noticed a bright flash of carrot red and her heart stopped for a second. She turned her head to follow the color, but it was already lost to the crowd. Before she could decide if it was worth looking for the color once more, Draco finally pulled them through the crowd and to the adults. Stopping at their destination, Maera was surprised to see a tailor shop.
"We'll start by having you both measured for your robes, and you, Maera, for a whole new wardrobe. This way your things will be done by the time we finish with the rest of the shopping." Mrs. Malfoy explained gently, a small smile flitting across her face before the haughty mask came back over. She ushered Maera and Draco into the shop while Mr. Snape and Mr. Malfoy elected to remain outside. A shorter witch approached them with a broad smile. She was wearing lovely robes that complimented her stockier figure very well and seemed to be well-made.
"Hogwarts?" She asked kindly, seeming to understand part of their reason for being there, though she was solely addressing Draco. Maera frowned slightly at this, but figured her height would probably always cause issues like this and sighed.
Mrs. Malfoy pushed the both of them forward slightly and said, "The two will both be needing Hogwarts robes and the rest of the uniforms, but this one," here she paused to indicate Maera, "will also be needing a full wardrobe. Everything that she might need or want." She said all of this with such finality in her tone that Maera would have been severely surprised if anyone were to try and argue with her.
The witch nodded and showed Maera and Draco where to stand. "That is all well within my abilities," she started, "and might I say that it is nice to meet you two, my name is Madam Malkin and this is my shop." She gestured around herself proudly before pulling her wand out as well as a quill, some parchment, and a tape measure. She quickly began to take both of their measurements, finishing with Draco far before she was done with Maera.
As she measured Maera, Madam Malkin asked her multiple questions about what she liked to wear, what colors she felt suited her best, and whatever else she deemed necessary to know before she could begin on creating Maera's new clothes. There was some trouble when it came to the colors because Maera truthfully didn't know what would look best on her considering her childhood. Mrs. Malfoy was able to help, however, by suggesting that Madam Malkin use as many colors and shades as she possibly could, later explaining to Maera that the girl would only need to change aspects of her appearance in order to ensure that the colors would look good on her. Madam Malkin nodded, but did ask for Maera's favorite color so that she could make sure the girl was able to have some clothes that she could like solely for their color. This question stumped Maera briefly before she said in as clear of a voice as she could (sadly her stutter had returned in full force as soon as Madam Malkin had begun to ask any questions) that she loved the color purple.
After the barrage of questions had been answered and all of the measurements had been taken, Mrs. Malfoy led Draco and Maera from the shop with a promise to return later and pay for the completed clothing. Coming outside, the eleven year-olds were surprised when Mrs. Malfoy continued walking through the crowd. Slipping her hand into his, Maera once again allowed Draco to lead her after his mother. They caught up much quicker this time and were able to walk calmly behind the Malfoy matriarch on their way to what looked like a bookstore.
Excitement filled Maera as soon as the three entered the shop. There were so many books. She could learn so much about magic and the wizarding world from these. She started to bounce lightly on her feet and felt someone's eyes on her. Looking up, she noticed Draco smiling at her fondly. Locking eyes with him, he rolled his gray eyes at her in amusement while she stuck her tongue out at him. Turning away from him, she noticed Mrs. Malfoy walk in the direction of the main counter within the shop. The blonde woman was talking with one of the people behind the counter and was given two piles of books that were neatly wrapped up. Those were likely the books that they were required to buy for school. The Malfoy matriarch took the books and nodded her head towards the worker before coming back to Maera and Draco.
"Here are your books, feel free to find others and look around the store. I'll be back in a moment, I'm going to get your trunks and meet up with Severus and Lucius to pack away the purchases that they've made while you both were being measured." Draco nodded at his mother to show that they had both heard and understood what she had told them before dragging Maera towards a row of books.
Maera looked at the many different books on the shelves and realised that the blonde boy had brought her to etiquette books. Looking at him with a raised eyebrow, she saw that he was grinning back at her smugly. Shaking her head, Maera looked at each of the covers before grabbing some that stood out to her. She showed them to Draco and was happy to receive his approval. Knowing that she was likely to grab more books than either of them could carry, Maera doubled back to the front of the store and grabbed a small basket. Meeting back up with Draco, the two moved to another section, this time the books were on history. Looking at the titles once more, Maera grabbed those that interested her and noticed that Draco had picked up a couple as well. They continued to peruse the different shelves and Maera found herself adding more and more books to her pile. Draco split off from her at some point to look at the fiction books, seeming more interested in those than in any of the subjects that they would be learning in school. She grabbed books on potions, charms, transfigurations, defensive magic, different magical creatures, and a book or two on something called an animagus. Anything that she saw that interested her, she picked up. She had money for the first time in her life and she was happy to spend it on educating herself. Passing another shelf, she noticed some books on metamorphmagi and eagerly grabbed them. Looking at the shelf further, she noticed that it was about the oldest wizarding families in Great Britain and the different magical traits that could be inherited among each family. She picked up books on the Potters, Blacks, and one very old looking book that only had a weird image as a title. The triangle with a line and circle inside of it stuck out to her, however, so she stuck it into the pile that was by now far larger than she ever thought possible. She was shocked that they all were able to fit within the basket and that the basket itself was not impossible to move from its weight, but she figured it was just another amazing feat of magic. Maera carefully walked to the front counter and stood on her tip-toes to put the basket on top. The clerk slowly took each book out and started to calculate her final cost, seeming to be more and more shocked by the amount of books that she had. Finally, the clerk got to the bottom of the basket and read her total to her. She was surprised that she had barely scratched one hundred galleons considering the vast amount of books, but she was also happy that she hadn't spent too much money. The clerk packed her books up carefully into a bag that acted in a similar manner to the basket before wishing her a good day.
Maera walked back through the stacks to meet up with Draco and found him sitting on the floor with his nose in a book. Huffing a quiet laugh to herself, the girl slowly came up to the other boy. She whispered a small 'boo' and the boy jumped in fright. She laughed at him as he calmed down from her scare, but realised that she may have made a major mistake as he glared at her for a second before moving to tickle her. Shrieking slightly, she swatted at his hands. The boy would not stop, however, until she finally apologized for what she had done. The two laughed and enjoyed the calm and happy atmosphere before Maera indicated that Draco should probably grab the books that he was buying and pay for them. The two walked to the front of the shop and noticed that the Malfoys and Mr. Snape had returned, though it didn't seem like they had anything on them. Maera stood quietly next to Draco as he paid for his books before they walked up to the adults.
"Come along, we'll be stopping at Madam Malkin's to see if your things are ready before getting your wands. Maybe, if we have time, we'll stop and look at pets for the both of you." Mr. Snape said, opening the door for everyone to walk out. Maera only then realised that it had been a couple hours since they had been at the tailor's. She was surprised at how quickly the time had passed, but she also wasn't due to the fact that the bookstore was filled with so many different and interesting titles.
The crowd was either larger than before, or Maera was going crazy. There seemed to be more people in the small alley than there had been at any point in the day so far. Gripping to Draco's hand with both of hers, Maera held onto her cousin as they moved through the crowd and to the tailor's once again. She sighed in relief when they made it to the doors and walked in when Mr. Malfoy held it open for each of them. Madam Malkin looked up and smiled at them before gesturing for them to come forward. She handed the two eleven year-olds wrapped packets, though Maera's was obviously larger than Draco's due to her need for a full wardrobe. Before Maera could pull out her money pouch to pay for her things, Mrs. Malfoy paid for both her son's and Maera's clothing. When Maera made to protest, Mrs. Malfoy shook her head and assured the girl that it was the least she could do.
Now struggling to hold her books and clothes, Maera wasn't sure exactly what to do since they still had to get wands for the two of them. Mr. Malfoy seemed to notice that Draco and Maera weren't sure where to put their things and stopped everyone just outside of Madam Malkin's shop. He pulled two small trunks from his cloak's breast pocket and laid them down before unshrinking them. Before their eyes were two beautiful trunks. One trunk was made from a cherry wood and had the initials M.H.L.P.B. on it in gold. The second trunk was a darker ebony wood with the initials D.L.M. in a striking silver. Mr. Malfoy calmly opened the trunks and told them that he would explain in depth the different compartments and settings of the two trunks when they returned to Malfoy manor later that day. Putting the books and clothes in the trunks that they belonged in, Mr. Malfoy shrunk the trunks once more before replacing them in his pocket.
The group continued on their way to the wand shop. Passing through the crowd, Maera was happy to note that there seemed to be less people down this part of the alley. They stopped before the shop and she was able to read it's name: Ollivanders. Overall, it looked like it was the oldest store in the alley. The paint was peeling above the doorway and the windows were covered in years of dirt and dust. Maera knew that this was definitely a place that Aunt Petunia would never visit. It was likely her clean-freak of an aunt would be terrified or horrified by, she wasn't sure which exactly. Mr. Snape moved forward and pushed the somewhat decrepit door open causing dust to fall down and on top of his arm. Shaking his arm to dislodge the dust, he ushered Maera and Draco into the store.
The two children looked around in awe and apprehension. The adults had remained outside, believing that this experience was one the two deserved to share together if not alone. The store they were in was small and boxes were littered everywhere. The inside was just as ill kept as the outside with dust and dirt throughout. A single chair was available, though it didn't necessarily look strong enough to support even Maera's own slight weight. The two were so enamored with their surroundings that they didn't hear the rustling of approaching footsteps, nor the sound of boxes being knocked over as the person stumbled through the maze of items. Suddenly a loud cough sounded throughout the room and Maera and Draco jumped and turned towards the noise. An old man stood behind the small counter that many different boxes sat atop. He was tall despite the hunching of his shoulders from old age. When Maera looked into his eyes, she saw a hidden knowledge that left her feeling unsettled.
"Hello there, are you both here for wands?" He questioned, seeming unsure with Maera. Once again, the girl cursed her height before nodding along with Draco. The older man smiled before beckoning both closer, "Well then, who would like to go first?".
Draco took a breath before raising his hand slightly, something that Maera was grateful for. "Alright, young man, come forward and hold out your wand arm." The wandmaker said, now holding a tape measure and his own wand. As he moved towards Draco, the man seemed to realise something and gently hit his forehead with his hand, "I'm sorry to say that I forgot to introduce myself properly. My name is Garrick Ollivander, but you two may call me Mr. Ollivander." He then went on to measure Draco's wand with his magical measuring tape.
He seemed to decide something before bringing out a couple different boxes along with a vase of flowers, though Maera wasn't exactly sure where the flowers had come from. He placed the boxes and flowers on the counter and opened the first box, handing Draco the wand inside. "Go ahead and wave the wand, Mr. Malfoy." Mr. Ollivander said.
Doing as he was told, Draco waved the wand. Immediately the flowers caught fire. Mr. Ollivander smiled brightly before putting the flames out and taking the wand from Draco. "Not to worry, Mr. Malfoy, it often takes more than one try to find the right wand." The old wandmaker told the blonde boy. He handed the boy another wand and similar results occurred. This process continued until finally the wand that was next waved resulted in green and silver sparkles being produced instead of the previous other disasters, including but not limited to the shower of knives that had occurred at one point. Sighing in relief, Draco took a step back to admire the wand that had chosen him, as Mr. Ollivander had asserted multiple times that it was the wand that chooses the wizard and not the other way around.
"Your wand, Mr. Malfoy, is ten inches, made from hawthorn, and has the hair of a unicorn as its core. Treat it well and it will treat you well. That will be seven galleons." Mr. Ollivander said all of this in a very unsettling way, but Maera still made sure to remember it - she couldn't be sure that Draco was paying full attention to the man due to wanting to admire his wand. Before Draco could move forward to pay for his wand with the money that his mother had given him before entering the store for both his and Maera's wands, Maera stepped up and gave Mr. Ollivander the correct amount. Draco glared at the shorter girl, but sighed in defeat. He'd just have to figure out a way to give her the money his mother had given to him later. Mr. Ollivander smiled at the interaction between the two, and turned towards Maera as it was now her turn to receive her wand. She took a deep breath before moving forward, hoping that it would take less time than Draco's wand had taken.
Of course, she should have realised that hoping for that would jinx the situation. She had already surpassed the amount of wands that Draco had gone through during his own consultation and she still had yet to find the right wand for her. Many different disasters occurred after each wand was waved, but nothing that Mr. Ollivander couldn't repair or put back to normal. Humming to himself for a second, the older man seemed to make a decision and went to grab yet another box. Stumbling through the clutter, the wandmaker reappeared with an older box that was covered in dust. He wiped some off of the top before opening it and produced a beautiful wand that matched the color of the trunk that the Malfoys had bought for her. Her magic was humming within her and she knew that this would be her wand even before she touched it. Carefully and holding her breath, Maera grabbed the wand with slightly shaking hands. The moment she touched the wand with her hand, golden sparks shot forth in a bright and amazing display of light.
Mr. Ollivander hummed again before saying, "Curious that this wand would choose you, Ms. Potter."
Maera looked at the man in confusion, but before she could even ask a question he continued, "The wand you are currently holding is eleven inches, made from holly with the core of a phoenix feather. Normally all phoenix feather cores are different because a phoenix will only willingly give a feather once and wands are better made when the ingredients are willingly provided. This wand's core came from a feather that was willingly given by a phoenix, but that same phoenix gave another feather. Due to sharing the same core, this wand has a brother wand." The man stopped for a second to let that sink in before continuing in an eerie voice, "The brother to your own wand, well, it caused many tragedies - including the death of your own parents." With this pronouncement, Maera blanched and stumbled back into Draco. She stared at her wand with a mix of horror and fascination on her face. Mr. Ollivander continued as she struggled with her emotions, "This wand indicates that we can expect great things from you, Ms. Potter, though it will be up to you what exactly those great things will be. That will be seven galleons, please." As she was still struggling with her emotions and how to process the information she had been given, Draco quickly paid the man from the money his mother had given him before dragging Maera outside. The other adults noticed that something had obviously happened, but at Draco's look chose not to comment currently.
Draco held Maera close as they all walked back through the crowd. She'd have to thank him when she could fully function again. It was only as they were opening the door to the pet store that she realised that Mr. Ollivander had not only addressed Draco but also herself by name without either of them telling him who they were. This was an especially troubling realisation for Maera as she was currently disguised to look nothing like 'Maera Potter'. Deciding to think about it later, Maera focused on the present and looked at each of the little animals around her.
Draco was immediately drawn to the owls and seemed to have already found one that he was enamored with. Maera, however, wasn't sure where to start. The kittens looked super cute and she was severely tempted to go to them, but the toads and owls also spoke to her. Truthfully, she was overwhelmed by the different choices and didn't know exactly what she'd want. She wandered through the store and noticed that there were snakes in the very back. Looking around, she didn't understand why no one was interested in any of the snakes. Sure, they couldn't bring a snake to Hogwarts, but that didn't mean that the snakes weren't good pets. Releasing a puff of air, she walked closer to the snakes and quietly whispered at them. She didn't think that there was anything wrong with doing so until Draco came upon her and stared at her once again, very much like he had earlier when he had learned she was a metamorphmagus. Dread filled her slightly, but she shook it off and stared at Draco, hoping that he would tell her what was odd now.
"You're a parselmouth?" The blonde boy asked, shock and awe coloring his tone.
She raised an eyebrow at the new word and said, "Parselmouth? What's that?"
The boy, realising his mistake, quickly filled her in on what it meant to be a parselmouth and went on to explain that it was a very rare trait only found in one family - Slytherin. She was surprised by this and shrugged, but confirmed that she could in fact speak to snakes and that she understood what they were saying. Draco's face became troubled briefly before he convinced her that they would need to discuss this with his parents and Mr. Snape later that night. He made sure, however, that she understood not to mention it until then and to refrain from speaking with snakes in public because it was viewed negatively by the British wizards.
Looking at the snakes sadly, Maera moved past them and found herself in front of the owls - now with Draco at her side. He pointed proudly at a very handsome eagle owl that he had found and was very fond of, stating that he thought he'd bring it as a pet to Hogwarts. She smiled at him and was about to respond when a beautiful snowy owl came and landed on her small shoulder. The owl rubbed against Maera's face and sat happily as Maera combed a hand through its feathers.
"I guess that this one has chosen me," She said, laughing slightly at the owl. Draco nodded in surprise, but smiled at her as well. The two grabbed what they needed for the owls and started to walk towards the front of the store to pay when Maera looked at the kittens once more. She made Draco stop and walk with her towards the animals. Looking at each of the small creatures, Maera felt a pull towards one and bent to pick it up, the owl staying on her shoulder the entire time. The small kitten had an interesting coloring. It was an orangey-red with a splash of white on its chest as well as black feet and a black tip to its tail and ears. Overall, it looked like a little fox. She wasn't sure if it was actually even a kitten, but figured that it wouldn't matter too much if she claimed that the store selling it had made the mistake. Maera carefully cradled the small creature in her arms and grabbed what she would need for it, having given the stuff for the owl to Draco earlier. Taking everything to the front, Draco quickly bought his things and waited as she bought hers. The two went to the adults and put their new items in their trunks. If the adults were surprised at the presence of three animals instead of one or two, they didn't say anything.
Finally, their shopping day seemed to be over. Maera was grateful for everything that had occurred, though she still needed to think over a lot of what she had learned, but she was very ready for the day to be over. She was exhausted from everything going on. Simply being around as many people as she had been was exhausting in itself. Holding her new 'kitten' in its carrier in one hand and the owl in its carrier in the other hand, she relied on Draco's grip on her arm to direct her through the crowd back towards the Leaky Cauldron. The five quickly made their way down the alley and back to the pub where they then flooed back to Mr. Snape's house before going on to Malfoy manor. They would have Mr. Snape back over to the manor later that evening for dinner, but for now the adults would let Draco and Maera rest.