Having finished lunch, the three teenagers rejoined the masses of people
hurrying along London's busiest shopping street. Whilst Hermione and Lisa
continued to chat between themselves, Draco took the opportunity to analyse
his surroundings, getting a superlative view of muggle culture.
He was beginning to understand how it was possible to live without magic; how electricity compensated for those little charms he was so used to at home. For example, Hermione had insisted on dragging Lisa and Draco into an electrical hardware store, because she was in desperate need of new batteries. Surreptitiously, she had later explained to Draco that batteries were small, power-containing cylinders that were necessary to make things work - usually portable appliances, such as travel hairdryers, Walkmans and electronic games. In the same store, Draco had become particularly smitten with a muggle plaything, according to Hermione especially popular with boys, called Nintendo 64. He found the concept of sitting in the comfort of one's own living room whilst simultaneously being able to race around a car track, or battle a dragon to win gold coins without the risk of having your arm burnt off, thoroughly thrilling.
This minor obsession had not caused any confusion to Lisa. As far as she was concerned, boys were allowed to be fanatical about video games. It was only when Draco developed an unusual fixation with the microwave that she turned to Hermione in confusion.
"Does Draco live in some sort of," she paused, thinking for the right word, "cave?"
Hermione almost choked on her own laughter. If only Lisa knew how far from the truth she really was.
"Its just that," she gazed at Draco, "He seems so enthralled by the slightest little things. First the Furby, and now a microwave?!" She shook her head. "It can't be normal."
Hermione gulped. Lisa was starting to suspect that something was amiss. She quickly responded. "No, its nothing. He's just one of those blokes who gets easily sucked into the wonders of technology. There are loads of them about. All you have to do is look at anybody who studies computer science at university to understand that..."
Lisa cut her short. "Yes Hermione, but computers I can understand. They actually do something exciting. There's the Internet, mp3s, fantastic graphical advances. That, however, is a microwave. What could possibly be so great about it?"
Hermione looked at Draco, who was surveying the microwave in great detail, seemingly awestruck that anything could possibly have been invented for such a mundane task as heating food. Why, surely all it took was a flick of the wrist and the right charm... Or, Draco thought with a grimace, a rather neurotic house-elf.
"I think two and a half minutes for a jacket potato and cheese is pretty great, don't you?" Hermione tried to cover up with a forced laugh.
Lisa wasn't buying it.
"No, there's something about him. Draco, I mean." She narrowed her eyes. "Something strange..."
She quickly turned to Hermione.
"But don't get me wrong, I'm not insulting your friend." Lisa said quickly; Hermione covered a derisive laugh with a coughing fit. "It just seems like he's living in some sort of time warp when it comes to technology." She shrugged it off. "Never mind though, he definitely makes up for it in the looks department... Don't you think?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Well, don't you think so?"
"I don't think we should be discussing this."
"Why not? C'mon, you can barely deny it. He's got a certain air to him."
"More like a stench than an air..."
"Ok, so from what I've seen you two argue a lot. But seriously, look beyond it a second. I know we've never really seen eye-to-eye about men, but wake UP! He's so fit! Have you even seen his eyes?"
Hermione laughed. She might have known that was coming. Lisa had a special talent for liking anything in trousers, but Draco Malfoy? He wasn't in the slightest bit attractive. She threw Lisa a sceptical look, but then sneakily glanced at Draco over her shoulder. His hair wasn't too bad, Hermione thought. Since first year it had evolved from its slicked back silver-blonde state, and was now worn in a short style, which looked constantly ruffled. It was slightly darker blonde too. Definitely an improvement from that almost greasy effect he used to achieve so well. His dress-sense, muggle-wise, was pretty sharp - Calvin Klein definitely had a desirable effect on him. But it was his eyes where any real attraction would lie, Lisa was right about that. They were silver-blue and incredibly bright.
"The eyes are the windows to the soul." Hermione mumbled one of her favourite quotes aloud. She shook her head sadly. "The only soul he ever shows is nasty..."
Lisa sighed. "Pity."
The two girls looked at each other before bursting into a fit side- splitting laughter.
"What's funny?" Draco had torn himself away from the wondrous microwave, and was looking from Hermione to Lisa with a expression of perplexity drawn across his face.
The two girls both took a deep breath, as if they were about to say something... However, not in the mood to be serious, they exploded into giggles again.
Draco rolled his eyes in mock disgust. "Girls!"
A familiar electronic tune rang out from Lisa's jacket again. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile phone, raising it to her ear.
"Hello?"
Draco and Hermione listened intently to her end of the conversation.
"What, now? But Mum..."
There was a pause.
"Uh huh, Herm's fine... But that's not..."
Lisa rolled her eyes at Hermione made a rude gesture at the receiver end of her phone. Her voice changed from a complaining whine to an emotionless, resigned tone.
"Yes, ok then. Fine... Bye."
She put her phone back into her pocket, and turned back to Hermione and Draco looking solemn.
"I hate to do this to you guys, but I have to go." She smiled apologetically. "My mum's blown a fuse because apparently I'm meant to be babysitting my sisters today. The parental units are meant to being going out in half an hour, so I'm going to have to leave pronto."
"Its ok." Hermione nodded in sympathetic understanding. "You're ok with getting back alone? I know we planned to get home together..."
Lisa waved her hand absent-mindedly. "It's fine. I'm not a baby." She grinned, and then pulled Hermione into a hug. "I'll give you a call tomorrow, ok? We'll go to the cinema or something..." Hermione nodded, and grinned back, before suddenly something came to mind.
"Before you go, I have to ask you something." Hermione almost whispered.
"Go ahead."
"What did you ask Santa for?"
Lisa beamed mischievously. "That's for me to know, and..." She rolled her eyes at Hermione's pleading expression. "Ok, ok... How about I text it to you later?" She tapped the pocket in which her mobile phone was concealed and winked.
Hermione grinned. "Deal."
Lisa glanced at her watch and went slightly white. "I have got to get a move on. Bye Herm! Nice to meet you Draco!" And with that, she raced off towards Oxford Circus Station, marked by its large red and blue London Underground logo raised high above head-level, and turning to wave just before she disappeared into the crowds of people.
***
Hermione cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, Dra- Malfoy. Its just you and me now."
Draco seemed to be feeling just as awkward as Hermione now that their mediator had disappeared into oblivion.
"Yeah." He said quietly. "Do you think that maybe you could show me how to get home now?"
Hermione looked confused for a moment. Then it dawned on her. She had entirely forgotten herself that Draco was lost, and the only reason she had spent the day with him so far was because he needed her to get home. She had almost been beginning to enjoy his company too.
"Sure." Hermione's voice was quiet now. "Umm... Quickest way would be to get to the nearest Floo connection. And that would be..." She screwed up her face in concentration. "Diagon Alley."
Draco shrugged, his cold demeanour had returned again. "And we get there, how?"
Hermione matched his cold manner with a cutting tone of her own. "My dear Malfoy. Prepare to be introduced to the Northern Line, London's..." she smirked sarcastically, "finest branch of the London Underground."
He was beginning to understand how it was possible to live without magic; how electricity compensated for those little charms he was so used to at home. For example, Hermione had insisted on dragging Lisa and Draco into an electrical hardware store, because she was in desperate need of new batteries. Surreptitiously, she had later explained to Draco that batteries were small, power-containing cylinders that were necessary to make things work - usually portable appliances, such as travel hairdryers, Walkmans and electronic games. In the same store, Draco had become particularly smitten with a muggle plaything, according to Hermione especially popular with boys, called Nintendo 64. He found the concept of sitting in the comfort of one's own living room whilst simultaneously being able to race around a car track, or battle a dragon to win gold coins without the risk of having your arm burnt off, thoroughly thrilling.
This minor obsession had not caused any confusion to Lisa. As far as she was concerned, boys were allowed to be fanatical about video games. It was only when Draco developed an unusual fixation with the microwave that she turned to Hermione in confusion.
"Does Draco live in some sort of," she paused, thinking for the right word, "cave?"
Hermione almost choked on her own laughter. If only Lisa knew how far from the truth she really was.
"Its just that," she gazed at Draco, "He seems so enthralled by the slightest little things. First the Furby, and now a microwave?!" She shook her head. "It can't be normal."
Hermione gulped. Lisa was starting to suspect that something was amiss. She quickly responded. "No, its nothing. He's just one of those blokes who gets easily sucked into the wonders of technology. There are loads of them about. All you have to do is look at anybody who studies computer science at university to understand that..."
Lisa cut her short. "Yes Hermione, but computers I can understand. They actually do something exciting. There's the Internet, mp3s, fantastic graphical advances. That, however, is a microwave. What could possibly be so great about it?"
Hermione looked at Draco, who was surveying the microwave in great detail, seemingly awestruck that anything could possibly have been invented for such a mundane task as heating food. Why, surely all it took was a flick of the wrist and the right charm... Or, Draco thought with a grimace, a rather neurotic house-elf.
"I think two and a half minutes for a jacket potato and cheese is pretty great, don't you?" Hermione tried to cover up with a forced laugh.
Lisa wasn't buying it.
"No, there's something about him. Draco, I mean." She narrowed her eyes. "Something strange..."
She quickly turned to Hermione.
"But don't get me wrong, I'm not insulting your friend." Lisa said quickly; Hermione covered a derisive laugh with a coughing fit. "It just seems like he's living in some sort of time warp when it comes to technology." She shrugged it off. "Never mind though, he definitely makes up for it in the looks department... Don't you think?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Well, don't you think so?"
"I don't think we should be discussing this."
"Why not? C'mon, you can barely deny it. He's got a certain air to him."
"More like a stench than an air..."
"Ok, so from what I've seen you two argue a lot. But seriously, look beyond it a second. I know we've never really seen eye-to-eye about men, but wake UP! He's so fit! Have you even seen his eyes?"
Hermione laughed. She might have known that was coming. Lisa had a special talent for liking anything in trousers, but Draco Malfoy? He wasn't in the slightest bit attractive. She threw Lisa a sceptical look, but then sneakily glanced at Draco over her shoulder. His hair wasn't too bad, Hermione thought. Since first year it had evolved from its slicked back silver-blonde state, and was now worn in a short style, which looked constantly ruffled. It was slightly darker blonde too. Definitely an improvement from that almost greasy effect he used to achieve so well. His dress-sense, muggle-wise, was pretty sharp - Calvin Klein definitely had a desirable effect on him. But it was his eyes where any real attraction would lie, Lisa was right about that. They were silver-blue and incredibly bright.
"The eyes are the windows to the soul." Hermione mumbled one of her favourite quotes aloud. She shook her head sadly. "The only soul he ever shows is nasty..."
Lisa sighed. "Pity."
The two girls looked at each other before bursting into a fit side- splitting laughter.
"What's funny?" Draco had torn himself away from the wondrous microwave, and was looking from Hermione to Lisa with a expression of perplexity drawn across his face.
The two girls both took a deep breath, as if they were about to say something... However, not in the mood to be serious, they exploded into giggles again.
Draco rolled his eyes in mock disgust. "Girls!"
A familiar electronic tune rang out from Lisa's jacket again. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile phone, raising it to her ear.
"Hello?"
Draco and Hermione listened intently to her end of the conversation.
"What, now? But Mum..."
There was a pause.
"Uh huh, Herm's fine... But that's not..."
Lisa rolled her eyes at Hermione made a rude gesture at the receiver end of her phone. Her voice changed from a complaining whine to an emotionless, resigned tone.
"Yes, ok then. Fine... Bye."
She put her phone back into her pocket, and turned back to Hermione and Draco looking solemn.
"I hate to do this to you guys, but I have to go." She smiled apologetically. "My mum's blown a fuse because apparently I'm meant to be babysitting my sisters today. The parental units are meant to being going out in half an hour, so I'm going to have to leave pronto."
"Its ok." Hermione nodded in sympathetic understanding. "You're ok with getting back alone? I know we planned to get home together..."
Lisa waved her hand absent-mindedly. "It's fine. I'm not a baby." She grinned, and then pulled Hermione into a hug. "I'll give you a call tomorrow, ok? We'll go to the cinema or something..." Hermione nodded, and grinned back, before suddenly something came to mind.
"Before you go, I have to ask you something." Hermione almost whispered.
"Go ahead."
"What did you ask Santa for?"
Lisa beamed mischievously. "That's for me to know, and..." She rolled her eyes at Hermione's pleading expression. "Ok, ok... How about I text it to you later?" She tapped the pocket in which her mobile phone was concealed and winked.
Hermione grinned. "Deal."
Lisa glanced at her watch and went slightly white. "I have got to get a move on. Bye Herm! Nice to meet you Draco!" And with that, she raced off towards Oxford Circus Station, marked by its large red and blue London Underground logo raised high above head-level, and turning to wave just before she disappeared into the crowds of people.
***
Hermione cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, Dra- Malfoy. Its just you and me now."
Draco seemed to be feeling just as awkward as Hermione now that their mediator had disappeared into oblivion.
"Yeah." He said quietly. "Do you think that maybe you could show me how to get home now?"
Hermione looked confused for a moment. Then it dawned on her. She had entirely forgotten herself that Draco was lost, and the only reason she had spent the day with him so far was because he needed her to get home. She had almost been beginning to enjoy his company too.
"Sure." Hermione's voice was quiet now. "Umm... Quickest way would be to get to the nearest Floo connection. And that would be..." She screwed up her face in concentration. "Diagon Alley."
Draco shrugged, his cold demeanour had returned again. "And we get there, how?"
Hermione matched his cold manner with a cutting tone of her own. "My dear Malfoy. Prepare to be introduced to the Northern Line, London's..." she smirked sarcastically, "finest branch of the London Underground."