Rachel, who was usually quite hyper, was rather quiet on the way home. Her mind was, yet again, on Draco. She just couldn't believe it. Finally, after all these years, her dream had come true.

"Hey, Rei," said Katie, nudging her in the side. "Want a Bertie Bott? Oliver reckons that it's your favorite - fried chicken."

Rachel picked it up gingerly and popped it into her mouth. Slowly, her teeth descended upon the tiny jellybean. Then, she tasted it. Yuck! It wasn't fried chicken but vomit. Rachel gagged as she turned around and spit it out the window.

"Sorry," said Katie, handing her a cup of pumpkin juice. "We just couldn't resist."

"Gee, thanks," Rachel replied stubbornly.

There was an eerie silence for a few moments.

"So," said Oliver nervously, trying to start a conversation. "Did you two see everyone you were hoping to?"

Katie nodded happily. "Yup! Ginny Weasley. Lee Jordan. Terry Boot." She counted them off on her fingers as she said their names. "I would've liked to see Professor Lupin though," she added sadly.

There was a murmur of agreement as the train slid to a halt.

As Rachel descended the steps of the Hogwarts Express, she looked hopefully around for Draco. She saw the Weasley twins, surrounded by a crowd of people, performing a show featuring their latest creations. She saw Pansy Parkinson huddled in a corner crying. She saw Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas talking excitedly to Harry Potter. But - tear - there was no sign whatsoever of Draco.

All around her, many wizards and witches were Apparating. "Perhaps, he thought I had already left," she mumbled, trying to cheer herself up. After casting one final, wistful look around her, she heaved a tremendous sigh and Apparated.

"What took you so long?"

"I - uh." Rachel spun around hastily to look Katie in the face. For a moment, the two just stared at each other.

"Hey, you're here," Oliver said, emerging from the hallway behind them with an enormous box in his arms. "Well, don't just stand there. Pull out your wand and help me put up these decorations. I - "

"But, Oliver," Rachel interrupted, "the party doesn't start for another three hours! And you know it only takes like ten minutes to set everything up - "

It was now his turn to interrupt. "True. But you know that I want this to be - " He paused, glancing at Katie. Katie looked up from the vegetables she had been chopping and stared at them inquiringly. Rachel swore she could see a bead of sweat trickle down Oliver's forehead as his legs began to shake uncontrollably. Then, the silence was broken, by none other than. the doorbell. Relieved, Oliver rushed over to answer it, disappearing from sight.

Rachel felt it necessary to break the eerie silence between Katie and herself. She just couldn't stand it any longer. "So, are you going to stay here tonight?" she asked, looking at Katie as she lowered her head and once again began to chop the many vegetables before her.

"I might," she replied nonchalantly, not even bothering to look up. "But, you know, I do want to finish the latest article for my column so I might go down to Flourish and Botts after an hour of so."

"After all this work Oliver is doing? You're just gonna leave?"

Katie sighed.

"Whatever," Rachel replied shortly, turning on her heel to walk out of the room.

"Hey, where are you going?" said a voice in front of her. "I thought the party was here."

Rachel's eyes traveled across the floor to the speaker's feet - dragon hide boots. She was almost certain of who it was - even before her eyes swept up his tall, thin body to the long red ponytail and the face of Bill Weasley.

"Oh, hi, Bill," she muttered. "I was just - er - going."

"Oh, well, hurry back then," he said with a smile. "Oliver says we need all the help we can get tonight since he's - "

"He already told me," she interrupted.

"Told you what?" came Kate's voice from behind the counter.

"Er - nothing," muttered Rachel.

"Honey, what's this big secret?" Katie asked as Oliver appeared from behind Bill.

Now was her chance to get away. Rachel pushed past Bill and Oliver and headed for the door. Being the blonde that she was, Rachel fumbled around with the doorknob for a minute or two before remembering that Oliver had put a spell on the door. Irritably, she took out her wand and mutter, "Alohomora."

She had not been outside for more than a few nanoseconds before an eagle owl swooped above her and dropped a scroll in front of her before soaring back into the clouds above. Curiously, she bent down and picked up the scroll, unraveling it as she stood back up. The message was written in a very fancy cursive, the kind you usually only ever saw on such things as expensive wedding invitations. Nevertheless, Rachel's eyes lit up as she read the note.

My Dear Rachel, Sorry that I had to run off so quickly when the train docked. Meet me in front of Gringotts in five minutes. I'll be waiting for you.
D. M.

Rachel grinned as she rolled the scroll back up and placed it in her pocket, then set off for the Leaky Cauldron. In there, she was bombarded by even more former Hogwarts students who had gathered there after the reunion. She pushed herself through the crowd, however, and made it to the exit of the pub. With a flick of her wand, she tapped the necessary stones and waited for them to form the entrance to Diagon Alley.

Excitedly, she set off at a run. She almost lost her balance, however, when she bumped into an old witch carrying a complete collection of Gilderoy Lockhart's books. The witch cast an irritable look at her, but Rachel didn't care; she continued running. After all, Draco was waiting for her, and she mustn't keep him waiting.

The enormous white wizard bank now came into view. Hopefully, she looked around for any sign of Draco. But she didn't see him. With a sigh, she turned around and began to walk away as a tear fell down her cheek.

"You're not leaving now, are you, Rachel?"

She looked up, brushing away her tears with the back of her hand. She opened her eyes, looking into the eyes of the person she had just run into. They were such a pretty blue! She recognized them at once. Eyes that beautiful could only belong to one person.

"Draco," she whispered as he folded his arms around her, embracing her in a hug.

"Come on," he said, looking deep into her eyes, "let's go get some ice cream."

"Sounds good," said Rachel, smiling.

The pair strolled along the streets of Diagon Alley, neither of them speaking; perhaps neither wished to ruin the romantic moment. When they entered Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor a few minutes later, hand in hand, the owner, Mr. Fortescue, looked at the couple oddly for a few seconds before his mouth broke out into a wide grin.

"Ah, g'd evenin', Mr. Malfoy," he said, winking at Rachel.

"Hello, Florean. Give me the usual - two of them." He cast a glance at Rachel and smiled.

"Here you go, Mr. Malfoy," he said handing them each an ice cream cone filled with chocolate ice cream and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles.

"Yum, my favorite," said Rachel as she licked off the top of the whipped cream.

Draco smiled at her sweetly. "Mine too. So, do you ant to sit down or."

"Let's walk around."

"Cool. I know this great new store. It's - "

"Wethyrd's Pets for Wizards?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I've been dying to go there!"

And with that, they set off down Diagon Alley, stopping every few windows or so and admiring the contents inside. At Quality Quidditch Supplies, they stopped to gaze at the Firebolt OTF on display. Rachel read the paper that dangled from the broom's handle:

~The Firebolt of the Future
Superb Maneuverability
Fastest Broom to Date
Not Recommended for Beginners
See Owner for Price and Details

"Do you have one?" she asked, looking at Draco.

"Yup, he replied, licking off some whipped cream and sprinkles from his cone.

Rachel couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" he asked, looking at her oddly.

"You have." she pointed at her nose.

"Oh," said Draco sheepishly, wiping the whipped cream off his nose with the back of his hand. Then, a mischievous smile swept across his face.

Rachel's giggles ceased. "What are you going to do?" she asked nervously.

"Oh. nothing," he replied as he dipped his fingers into his cone and flicked it at Rachel. As a jumble of whipped cream, ice cream, and sprinkles came towards her, Rachel ducked, causing it to strike a short, balding wizard squarely between the eyes.

"Sorry, Mister," Rachel yelled, running farther down Diagon Alley. Draco following her, the two laughed as they paused for a moment before entering the pet store. From inside, they could hear a collection of meowing, hooting, and all sorts of other animal sounds.

"Is it safe in there?" Rachel asked jokingly.

Draco chuckled. "Of course it is," he replied, opening the door.

A cold voice greeted them as they stepped through the door. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Father," Draco replied, turning to examine a cage of mice that changed colors randomly.

Rachel looked at him strangely. "Father?"

He nodded.

"Then, why is it called Wethyrd's? Why not - "

"It's the name of my mum's father's sister's cousin's friend's brother's daughter's nephew," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh" was all Rachel managed to say.

"Look at that," said Draco, pointing at a beautiful snowy owl perched at the top of a stack of boxes.

"She's adorable," Rachel said in awe.

"Do you want her?" Draco asked, looking passionately into her eyes.

"Really?" she said in shock. "I can really have her?"

"Sure," he replied, imitating an owl's hoot to call the bird down from her perch. The bird swooped across the room, landing obediently on the counter where Lucius Malfoy stood half-concealed in shadows.

"Rachel Black," Lucius stated coldly as Draco and Rachel approached the counter.

"Yes, sir," Rachel replied, nodding.

"Daughter of Regulus Black?"

She nodded again, a wicked smile creeping across the elder Malfoy's face.

"Come on, let's go," Draco whispered to her, grabbing the silver owl cage from the counter after swooping the owl inside. He grabbed Rachel by the arm and pulled her out of the store.

Rachel looked into his eyes. He seemed frightened of something, but she didn't dare ask what.

"Sorry, but I have to go," he said shortly, thrusting the cage into her arms.

Before Rachel could open her mouth to speak, Draco had already Apparated. With a sigh, she Apparated too.