Draco was starting to feel hungry. It had been hours since he had eaten
anything, and one piece of toast was hardly enough to sustain him through
such an exhausting ordeal as he had been through. It didn't help that the
store restaurant was on the same floor, adjacent to the toy department, and
appetising aromas were wafting his way, teasing his stomach.
Fortunately, they seemed to be having an effect on Lisa too. "Can we get some food?" She grinned. "I'm starving!"
"I was just thinking that," Hermione said, thoughtfully. "But it's expensive here. Can we go somewhere else?"
Lisa's eyes lit up. "I know just the place! Lets get out of here."
"Quickest way back down?" Hermione's eyes flicked towards the overcrowded escalators.
"C'mon, lets take the lift. There's practically nobody waiting." Lisa strained her neck to see across to the lift area. She started to walk, beckoning for Hermione and Draco to follow her.
"Lift?" Draco looked to Hermione in confusion.
Hermione laughed. "I forget how vulnerable you really are, Draco." She cleared her throat. "It's basically like a box on a bit of string, which moves people between floors instead of them having to walk up and down the stairs."
"A box?" A slight look of concern flashed across Draco's face. He didn't like the idea of being trapped in a human-size box. He had taken Hermione's description quite literally, imagining 'the bit of string' to be quite literally one regular piece of string, when in reality, not to his knowledge, numerous thick metal cables would be supporting him.
The concern was quickly replaced with a sneer. "This is why our kind are better. We can just apparatus in-between floors!" He bit his lip, realising he had left himself open to a sarcastic attack from Hermione, and held his breath, waiting for it to come flying back in his face.
It didn't come.
Instead they followed Lisa towards the lifts in silence. Then Hermione softly asked:
"Our kind, Draco?" She looked at him, almost amused, "Since when do you and I fall into the same category? I'm a mudblood, or had you forgotten?"
Draco opened his mouth to respond, but his own big mouth had cornered him. Unable to think up a cutting, witty response, he just shrugged his shoulders and quickened his pace.
Hermione grinned to herself, and she too quickened her pace to keep up.
Lisa was waiting at the lifts. Draco assumed that she had already called the lift, because soon after their arrival, there was a melodious chime, and two doors opened in front of him. Lisa and Hermione casually walked into the small box, followed reluctantly by Draco, who looked around suspiciously, and went to stand in the corner.
Apart from them, the lift was empty. It was rather cosy for a moving box, Draco thought. There was a mirror on the back wall, and the sidewalls were decorated with... carpet. Draco didn't even bother asking; all he knew was that was since today, muggles had only become an even stranger race than he had first imagined. The Christmas spirit has certainly been captured as well. There were colourful fairy lights strung all over the ceiling.
Whoa! Draco's stomach went as the lift began to move downwards. He gripped a bar on the wall in shock. Lisa was facing the doors and humming along to the melody of a song being played in the background. Hermione, however, who was standing next to him, noticed his panic. She moved a side step closer to him, and squeezed his free hand. "It's fine," she whispered, giving him a reassuring smile.
The lift jolted to a stop. "First Floor - Perfume and Make-Up, store's main exit. Please mind the doors!" A mechanical woman's voice rang out, drowning out the background music. The doors opened. Hermione pulled her hand away from Draco's, and followed Lisa out of the lift. Draco pursued, pushing past the mob of shoppers trying to get into the lift.
They left Selfridges, with Lisa fervently voicing her opinion on why A- Levels should be categorised as child abuse, and Hermione desperately arguing for the motion that "exams really aren't all that bad" and that "school really is beneficial in the long term".
Draco laughed to himself, and ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair. She really did love school. Admittedly she loved a different kind of school to the one Lisa was complaining about, but she loved it nevertheless. Draco had never felt particularly passionate about his education, but sadly he had never really had anything to be passionate about. Except maybe Quidditch.
Since being introduced to Quidditch in a competitive environment, namely the Slytherin House team, in second year, Draco had certainly moved up in the world. He had been made captain of the Slytherin team in fifth year, a duty he took very seriously. He played as Seeker, in constant competition with that blasted Harry Potter. Perfect Potter... Harry was captain of the Gryffindor team, and also played as Seeker. What made it worse was that he was the best, there was no use in denying the fact. But anyway, Quidditch... It was what Draco lived for. The feel of the wind blowing through his hair, and the elation of being so high above everything; so far from his worries, his problems, his fears...
Draco shook himself from his daydream and frowned. It was ironic that he was afraid of a lift, an enclosed box that was actually attached to something, when he seemed to spend most of his time plummeting towards the ground in pursuit of a tiny gold ball, whilst balancing on a wooden stick.
Draco had forgotten he was walking along, and crashed into Lisa and Hermione for the second time that day, as they stopped outside another building.
"Mc Donald's?" Draco read the sign out loud.
Hermione quickly went to cover up his question, but Lisa had managed to miss the real meaning behind Draco's question.
"Yeah, that's ok for you isn't it? Oh, I'm so rude. You're not vegetarian, are you?"
"No."
"Good." Lisa smiled, and looked at Hermione. "Good service, good food... Mmm!"
From her face, Hermione obviously thought otherwise, but she was hungry and couldn't be bothered to argue. As they walked into Mc Donald's, Hermione looked at Draco and said quietly, "Look, I know you don't have any money. I'll buy you lunch. You can't go hungry."
"Don't do me any favours." Draco muttered, almost under his breath. He had never been out of money before, and his current hard-up situation clearly embarrassed him. He raised his voice, assuming a conceited tone, "now I know what it must feel like to be a Weasley."
Hermione felt a pang of anger, but chose to ignore it. Instead, she gritted her teeth and went to queue with Lisa at the service desks at the back of the restaurant.
The lines weren't long, and the staff worked quickly. It was soon their turn.
"Hi, can I help you?" The energetic server asked.
"Stupid question really." Draco muttered in Hermione's ear, as the maroon and yellow clad girl took Lisa's order. "I wonder what she'd say if you told her that no, she couldn't help you, and you were gonna take a flying leap as a result of the matter..."
Hermione burst into a fit of giggles. Draco laughed at his own joke, and at Hermione's insane response. He had never seen her laugh like that before. Now that was definitely cute. He didn't bother to argue himself out of this frame of mind. What does it matter, he thought. Nobody can see into my head.
Lisa looked over her shoulder. "Eat-in or takeaway?"
Draco looked at her blankly.
"Takeaway!" Hermione quickly answered. "That way we can shop whilst we eat."
"And burn off the Maccy D's calories too!" Lisa winked, and turned back to her order.
Draco opened his mouth to make a comment, but Hermione thrust her index finger to his lips. "Don't even say it!" There was a familiar twinkle in her eye although she was trying her hardest to keep a straight face.
"I'll wait outside for you guys." Lisa smiled, grasping a brown paper bag and sipping from a large paper cup.
Hermione nodded, and moved forward.
"Hi, can I help you?" Draco rolled his eyes. Didn't this girl have anything more exciting to say?
"Yes." Hermione looked up at the menu. "I'll take... two chicken nugget happy meals and..." She looked at Draco. "What do you want to drink?"
"Surprise me."
Hermione rolled her eyes in an exasperated manner, and turned back to the server. "And two regular Diet Cokes. Oh, that's to take away."
Draco watched as the girl behind the counter confidently punched buttons on her cash register, and turned around to grab little boxes from behind her. She filled up two paper cups, capped them, and handed them to Hermione along with the food.
"That will be..." She punched some more buttons. "£5.50 please."
Hermione opened her wallet, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and a small seven-sided silver disc. She handed it over to the girl, and smiled. "Thanks." She handed Draco a cup, and a box, and then picked up her own, ushering him towards the door.
For a moment Draco stood still, staring into space. Hermione elbowed him gently in the ribs.
"What are you doing? You look like you're contemplating life, the universe and everything..."
"Oh" Draco blushed slightly. "Its nothing... Ok, it is kind of. I was just thinking..." He fell silent.
Kind heartedly, Hermione elbowed him again. "Yes, I know that doesn't happen very often." She winked. "What about?"
Silence.
"Its just... Well, you really have gone out of your way to be nice to me today. You could have just left me to find my own way home, and let's face it," he laughed, "if you'd done that, I'd be screwed."
Hermione smiled, and looked at the floor, obviously embarrassed by Draco's outburst. She almost preferred him when he was being a rude git, at least she knew what to say to him then. He continued,
"I've insulted you, I've been rude... In fact, I've been downright horrible to be honest. If I'd been in your position, I wouldn't have done what you have... What I'm trying to say is that..." He took a deep breath. "You're a much bigger person than me."
Hermione looked up again, her face pink. She smiled at Draco, and started moving towards the door. "Thank you. It means a lot to me for you to say that."
***
Lunch was eaten on a bench by the side of the road. Draco's inclusion in the conversation was minimal. Whilst Lisa and Hermione gossiped avidly about mutual friends, Draco enjoyed his first ever Happy Meal. He wasn't too impressed with the chicken nuggets, finding them to be rather leathery, but he was somewhat dazed by the talent muggles had for cooking chips! Adora was a pretty good cook, but she couldn't make chips like this! Even the elves at Hogwarts didn't make 'em this good!
He also developed quite a liking for Coca Cola. Having been subject to years of drinking butterbeer at Hogwarts and fresh fruit juice at home, it was quite a change to be able to knock back a fizzy drink. The caffeine had a positive effect as well; Draco had never felt so alert in his life, as he gulped the cold drink, quenching his thirst.
But most of all, he was intrigued by the free toy that came with the meal. The label read, 'Furby'. What the HELL was that when it was at home? He ripped open the plastic packet and his eyes met with two big plastic ones staring back at him. It was small and covered in green and white fur, reminiscent of Slytherin colours, Draco was amused to see. Under the fur, Draco could feel it was hard. He prodded it in the stomach.
"Lets play!"
Draco jumped, as a small electronic came from the toy. He pressed it again.
"She sells sea shells on the sea shore..."
The creature recited the tongue twister, much to Draco's delight.
"Hey," Hermione tapped him on the shoulder, and handed him her toy - also a Furby, but with pink and purple fur. "Push their feet together, they talk to one another."
Draco looked at her in disbelief as she went back to her conversation with Lisa. He held the two toys together. To his astonishment, they did talk to one another.
"Hello. Will you be my friend?" Draco's green furby initiated the dialogue.
"I like making friends!"
"I love you!"
"Love makes the world go round."
Admittedly it was a dialogue so sweet it could make a Care Bear sick, but Draco was enthralled. He had never seen such odd toys before, and was nothing short of curious.
Out of the corner of her eye Hermione was watching Draco's child-like excitement build over such an insignificant inanimate object. Lisa kept talking, oblivious to the fact Hermione had stopped listening. Hermione kept her gaze subtly locked on Draco's face, for just like the children shopping for toys, it had its own brilliant glow to it.
Fortunately, they seemed to be having an effect on Lisa too. "Can we get some food?" She grinned. "I'm starving!"
"I was just thinking that," Hermione said, thoughtfully. "But it's expensive here. Can we go somewhere else?"
Lisa's eyes lit up. "I know just the place! Lets get out of here."
"Quickest way back down?" Hermione's eyes flicked towards the overcrowded escalators.
"C'mon, lets take the lift. There's practically nobody waiting." Lisa strained her neck to see across to the lift area. She started to walk, beckoning for Hermione and Draco to follow her.
"Lift?" Draco looked to Hermione in confusion.
Hermione laughed. "I forget how vulnerable you really are, Draco." She cleared her throat. "It's basically like a box on a bit of string, which moves people between floors instead of them having to walk up and down the stairs."
"A box?" A slight look of concern flashed across Draco's face. He didn't like the idea of being trapped in a human-size box. He had taken Hermione's description quite literally, imagining 'the bit of string' to be quite literally one regular piece of string, when in reality, not to his knowledge, numerous thick metal cables would be supporting him.
The concern was quickly replaced with a sneer. "This is why our kind are better. We can just apparatus in-between floors!" He bit his lip, realising he had left himself open to a sarcastic attack from Hermione, and held his breath, waiting for it to come flying back in his face.
It didn't come.
Instead they followed Lisa towards the lifts in silence. Then Hermione softly asked:
"Our kind, Draco?" She looked at him, almost amused, "Since when do you and I fall into the same category? I'm a mudblood, or had you forgotten?"
Draco opened his mouth to respond, but his own big mouth had cornered him. Unable to think up a cutting, witty response, he just shrugged his shoulders and quickened his pace.
Hermione grinned to herself, and she too quickened her pace to keep up.
Lisa was waiting at the lifts. Draco assumed that she had already called the lift, because soon after their arrival, there was a melodious chime, and two doors opened in front of him. Lisa and Hermione casually walked into the small box, followed reluctantly by Draco, who looked around suspiciously, and went to stand in the corner.
Apart from them, the lift was empty. It was rather cosy for a moving box, Draco thought. There was a mirror on the back wall, and the sidewalls were decorated with... carpet. Draco didn't even bother asking; all he knew was that was since today, muggles had only become an even stranger race than he had first imagined. The Christmas spirit has certainly been captured as well. There were colourful fairy lights strung all over the ceiling.
Whoa! Draco's stomach went as the lift began to move downwards. He gripped a bar on the wall in shock. Lisa was facing the doors and humming along to the melody of a song being played in the background. Hermione, however, who was standing next to him, noticed his panic. She moved a side step closer to him, and squeezed his free hand. "It's fine," she whispered, giving him a reassuring smile.
The lift jolted to a stop. "First Floor - Perfume and Make-Up, store's main exit. Please mind the doors!" A mechanical woman's voice rang out, drowning out the background music. The doors opened. Hermione pulled her hand away from Draco's, and followed Lisa out of the lift. Draco pursued, pushing past the mob of shoppers trying to get into the lift.
They left Selfridges, with Lisa fervently voicing her opinion on why A- Levels should be categorised as child abuse, and Hermione desperately arguing for the motion that "exams really aren't all that bad" and that "school really is beneficial in the long term".
Draco laughed to himself, and ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair. She really did love school. Admittedly she loved a different kind of school to the one Lisa was complaining about, but she loved it nevertheless. Draco had never felt particularly passionate about his education, but sadly he had never really had anything to be passionate about. Except maybe Quidditch.
Since being introduced to Quidditch in a competitive environment, namely the Slytherin House team, in second year, Draco had certainly moved up in the world. He had been made captain of the Slytherin team in fifth year, a duty he took very seriously. He played as Seeker, in constant competition with that blasted Harry Potter. Perfect Potter... Harry was captain of the Gryffindor team, and also played as Seeker. What made it worse was that he was the best, there was no use in denying the fact. But anyway, Quidditch... It was what Draco lived for. The feel of the wind blowing through his hair, and the elation of being so high above everything; so far from his worries, his problems, his fears...
Draco shook himself from his daydream and frowned. It was ironic that he was afraid of a lift, an enclosed box that was actually attached to something, when he seemed to spend most of his time plummeting towards the ground in pursuit of a tiny gold ball, whilst balancing on a wooden stick.
Draco had forgotten he was walking along, and crashed into Lisa and Hermione for the second time that day, as they stopped outside another building.
"Mc Donald's?" Draco read the sign out loud.
Hermione quickly went to cover up his question, but Lisa had managed to miss the real meaning behind Draco's question.
"Yeah, that's ok for you isn't it? Oh, I'm so rude. You're not vegetarian, are you?"
"No."
"Good." Lisa smiled, and looked at Hermione. "Good service, good food... Mmm!"
From her face, Hermione obviously thought otherwise, but she was hungry and couldn't be bothered to argue. As they walked into Mc Donald's, Hermione looked at Draco and said quietly, "Look, I know you don't have any money. I'll buy you lunch. You can't go hungry."
"Don't do me any favours." Draco muttered, almost under his breath. He had never been out of money before, and his current hard-up situation clearly embarrassed him. He raised his voice, assuming a conceited tone, "now I know what it must feel like to be a Weasley."
Hermione felt a pang of anger, but chose to ignore it. Instead, she gritted her teeth and went to queue with Lisa at the service desks at the back of the restaurant.
The lines weren't long, and the staff worked quickly. It was soon their turn.
"Hi, can I help you?" The energetic server asked.
"Stupid question really." Draco muttered in Hermione's ear, as the maroon and yellow clad girl took Lisa's order. "I wonder what she'd say if you told her that no, she couldn't help you, and you were gonna take a flying leap as a result of the matter..."
Hermione burst into a fit of giggles. Draco laughed at his own joke, and at Hermione's insane response. He had never seen her laugh like that before. Now that was definitely cute. He didn't bother to argue himself out of this frame of mind. What does it matter, he thought. Nobody can see into my head.
Lisa looked over her shoulder. "Eat-in or takeaway?"
Draco looked at her blankly.
"Takeaway!" Hermione quickly answered. "That way we can shop whilst we eat."
"And burn off the Maccy D's calories too!" Lisa winked, and turned back to her order.
Draco opened his mouth to make a comment, but Hermione thrust her index finger to his lips. "Don't even say it!" There was a familiar twinkle in her eye although she was trying her hardest to keep a straight face.
"I'll wait outside for you guys." Lisa smiled, grasping a brown paper bag and sipping from a large paper cup.
Hermione nodded, and moved forward.
"Hi, can I help you?" Draco rolled his eyes. Didn't this girl have anything more exciting to say?
"Yes." Hermione looked up at the menu. "I'll take... two chicken nugget happy meals and..." She looked at Draco. "What do you want to drink?"
"Surprise me."
Hermione rolled her eyes in an exasperated manner, and turned back to the server. "And two regular Diet Cokes. Oh, that's to take away."
Draco watched as the girl behind the counter confidently punched buttons on her cash register, and turned around to grab little boxes from behind her. She filled up two paper cups, capped them, and handed them to Hermione along with the food.
"That will be..." She punched some more buttons. "£5.50 please."
Hermione opened her wallet, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and a small seven-sided silver disc. She handed it over to the girl, and smiled. "Thanks." She handed Draco a cup, and a box, and then picked up her own, ushering him towards the door.
For a moment Draco stood still, staring into space. Hermione elbowed him gently in the ribs.
"What are you doing? You look like you're contemplating life, the universe and everything..."
"Oh" Draco blushed slightly. "Its nothing... Ok, it is kind of. I was just thinking..." He fell silent.
Kind heartedly, Hermione elbowed him again. "Yes, I know that doesn't happen very often." She winked. "What about?"
Silence.
"Its just... Well, you really have gone out of your way to be nice to me today. You could have just left me to find my own way home, and let's face it," he laughed, "if you'd done that, I'd be screwed."
Hermione smiled, and looked at the floor, obviously embarrassed by Draco's outburst. She almost preferred him when he was being a rude git, at least she knew what to say to him then. He continued,
"I've insulted you, I've been rude... In fact, I've been downright horrible to be honest. If I'd been in your position, I wouldn't have done what you have... What I'm trying to say is that..." He took a deep breath. "You're a much bigger person than me."
Hermione looked up again, her face pink. She smiled at Draco, and started moving towards the door. "Thank you. It means a lot to me for you to say that."
***
Lunch was eaten on a bench by the side of the road. Draco's inclusion in the conversation was minimal. Whilst Lisa and Hermione gossiped avidly about mutual friends, Draco enjoyed his first ever Happy Meal. He wasn't too impressed with the chicken nuggets, finding them to be rather leathery, but he was somewhat dazed by the talent muggles had for cooking chips! Adora was a pretty good cook, but she couldn't make chips like this! Even the elves at Hogwarts didn't make 'em this good!
He also developed quite a liking for Coca Cola. Having been subject to years of drinking butterbeer at Hogwarts and fresh fruit juice at home, it was quite a change to be able to knock back a fizzy drink. The caffeine had a positive effect as well; Draco had never felt so alert in his life, as he gulped the cold drink, quenching his thirst.
But most of all, he was intrigued by the free toy that came with the meal. The label read, 'Furby'. What the HELL was that when it was at home? He ripped open the plastic packet and his eyes met with two big plastic ones staring back at him. It was small and covered in green and white fur, reminiscent of Slytherin colours, Draco was amused to see. Under the fur, Draco could feel it was hard. He prodded it in the stomach.
"Lets play!"
Draco jumped, as a small electronic came from the toy. He pressed it again.
"She sells sea shells on the sea shore..."
The creature recited the tongue twister, much to Draco's delight.
"Hey," Hermione tapped him on the shoulder, and handed him her toy - also a Furby, but with pink and purple fur. "Push their feet together, they talk to one another."
Draco looked at her in disbelief as she went back to her conversation with Lisa. He held the two toys together. To his astonishment, they did talk to one another.
"Hello. Will you be my friend?" Draco's green furby initiated the dialogue.
"I like making friends!"
"I love you!"
"Love makes the world go round."
Admittedly it was a dialogue so sweet it could make a Care Bear sick, but Draco was enthralled. He had never seen such odd toys before, and was nothing short of curious.
Out of the corner of her eye Hermione was watching Draco's child-like excitement build over such an insignificant inanimate object. Lisa kept talking, oblivious to the fact Hermione had stopped listening. Hermione kept her gaze subtly locked on Draco's face, for just like the children shopping for toys, it had its own brilliant glow to it.