Chapter Two

Oh the Joys of Shopping

"Mister Draco is to be waking up now!" Said Misty, one of the many house elves in the manner, as she shook her young master's shoulder.

Draco groaned and sat up shading his eyes form the bright sunlight streaming through the windows.

"All right, I'm up, I'm up." He said to the house elf.

"Breakfast will be ready soon, then you and Misses will be leaving." Misty told Draco and with a soft pop she was gone. Draco sighed and fell back down on his bed.

"Malfoy's never were morning people." Commented Ariana.

"So why are you here?" An annoyed Draco asked Ariana, who was preventing him from more sleep.

"We've been through this." She sighed. "I don't need to sleep and I feel like bugging you."

Draco got back up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched.

"I feel so special Ariana." He said sarcastically. Then he stood up and began to make his way to his closet.

"Where are you going?" Ariana asked.

" 'A Malfoy must always look their best'." Draco said picking out a robe to wear that day. Ariana glided over in front of Draco and crossed her arms and gave a mock look of anger.

"That is not an acceptable answer." Tsked Ariana. "Now tell me where you are going today."

Draco just stared coolly at the angry girl floating in front of him. After about two minutes of staring on both accounts Ariana spoke,

"Draco you don't have all day to do this, I on the other hand have an eternity, so just tell me where is it that you are going at this ungodly hour?" Ariana asked.

Draco just continued to stare.

"Listen, you'd better answer my question, I've been a Malfoy longer than you so I will win this stare off. So surrender now." Ariana smirked.

Draco smirked also and Ariana glared.

"Mother and I are going shopping." Draco muttered breaking the staring contest.

"Oh all right then." Ariana said and glided happily out of the room.

"Well at least she didn't skip this time." Draco sighed and started to get ready.

*~*~*

Ariana floated down and through the many halls and rooms until she reached the kitchen. She was right in the middle of a plate of blueberry muffins when she saw on of the house-elves run past shouting about a 'dark mister' or a Death Eater, waiting in master's office.

"Well at least the kitchens are sound proof." Ariana muttered and exited her muffins and followed the screaming elf. The house-elf, which Ariana recognized as Tabby, lead her to Lucius' private study. Ariana moved into a Nymph statue in the far corner and watched as Lucius greeted his guest.

"Welcome, Alexander, so what news have you brought me?" Lucius asked as he made himself comfortable behind his large mahogany desk. Alexander Kohr, a long time associate with Lucius, sat across from him and began to talk.

"Well as you know our Master is getting stringer and has issued a new plan to get that Potter boy and rightfully take his place as Lord." Kohr explained.

"Very well but I already knew of this. So if you have nothing new to report then I must ask you to leave." Lucius said leaning further back in his chair with a bored expression on his face.

Kohr shifted uncomfortably in his seat and said, "Well how about this for new news, I was only told this last night, the Master visited me directly-"

"Do hurry up Kohr. I do have other more pressing business to attend to." Lucius interrupted whale inspecting his well-manicured nails.

He cleared his throat and continued. "Our Lord has asked that our sons start to keep an eye on Potter. The Lord says that the time is nearing for our heirs to join and for the final battle to be won." By now Kohr was leaning forward in his chair and staring intently at Lucius.

Lucius smirked. "Very good then. I know that Draco will keep an eye on Potter. Now go. I've other matters to attend to." Kohr stood, nodded and left the room.

"Watch him." Lucius ordered Tabby, who scurried after Kohr.

Lucius then focused his attention to his work as Ariana left through the wall in search for Draco.

*~*~*

Draco was on the other side of the manor just sitting down for breakfast and was about to bight into his waffles when his mother walked in the room.

"Good morning Draco." Narcissa said as she walked over to the table.

"Morning Mother." Draco replied as me accompanied his mother the rest of the way to her seat then pulling the chair out for her. When both of them had begun to eat Charles, one of the human servants, entered the dining hall.

"Beg your pardon Ma'am, young Sir, but the Master has asked me to tell you that you will be going shopping without him today." Charles said.

"Very well then. You are dismissed." Narcissa said. Charles bowed and left the room.

"Are you finished yet Draco?" Asked Narcissa a few minutes later.

"Yes mother." Answered Draco.

"Well then lets go shall we?" Narcissa asked placing her napkin down on the table and heading for the large black marble fire place with Draco.

"Ready?" Draco nodded and took a hand full of floo powder after securing his cloak tossed it in the fire and said Diagon Ally and disappeared in a swirl of green flame. Narcissa then apparated to Diagon Ally.

"Do you have your list Draco?" Narcissa asked as they walked along the semi crowded streets. Draco nodded as they made their way to Flourish and Blotts.

The bell rung as Draco opened the door for his mother and stepped inside the store. Draco was looking for his new Charms book when someone bumped into him.

"Oh sorry." The person apologized.

"Potter do try and watch where you're going and who you nearly knock over." Draco drawled.

"Malfoy." Harry spat.

"Glad to see you remember." Draco sneered turning back to the bookshelf. He then heard someone running towards him and Potter.

"Hey Harry, did you get our Charms books yet?" asked Ron.

"Not yet." Harry said through gritted teeth.

Ron then looked at the person standing in front of the shelf. "Malfoy." Said Ron.

Draco smirked and turned around. "Aww oh wonderful, Weasley remembers me too. I'm touched." Draco said as he wiped a pretend tear from his eye.

"Watch it Malfoy." Ron growled clenching his fists and standing up to his full height, which was quit a bit taller than Draco was.

Draco was about to threaten Ron right back but his mother walked over to the three boys.

Draco are you finished?" Narcissa asked handing her son the books she got for him. "Oh who are you talking to?"

"Mother this is Potter and Weasley. We go to school together." Draco explained introducing the two to his mother.

"Charming, but you'll have to chat later good bye boys. Come Draco." Narcissa said walking over to the counter.

"See you." Draco said and walked over to join his mother.

It was mid afternoon and Draco and his mother only had one more store to go to. It's surprising how fast shopping without an evil sadistic man is so much faster than shopping with Lucius. The last stop was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. In moments Madam Malkin was welcoming them to her store.

"So what can I help you with today?"

"Draco only needs new school robes." Replies Narcissa. Madam Malkin then lead them back to the fitting stools.

"I also need a new dress robe." Draco said following the two women back.

"Why Draco, what happened to the new one that you got in Rome?" Asked Narcissa.

Draco looked at his mother and replied, "Tipsy."

Narcissa only nodded and turned to Madam Malkin and asked to see some new dress robes. "When Draco?"

"During your tea with the Burnes." Replied Draco. Narcissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew what Her son had met when he said Tipsy. During the last few years the two of them had come up with a secret system: every house-elf meant a different punishment. Tipsy mint whipping.

"Here we are." Replied a very perky Madam Malkin. "Now follow me and we'll start with your fitting." Draco slightly followed Madam Malkin back to a dressing room.

Narcissa made herself comfortable in the small sitting area in front of the fitting rooms.

"Madam Malkin?" Someone asked.

Narcissa looked up and found a teenage girl, around her son's age, standing near her dressing room wearing a light periwinkle dress robe. "Madam Malkin?" The girl called again.

"Excuse me child, but she is back with my son, and knowing him she will be back there for a while," Narcissa said.

"Oh, thanks." The girl replied turning back to her dressing room.

"But if you don't mind some advice from me, that is not the robe for you. For one thing it's the wrong color for you," Began Narcissa standing up from her seat. "It looks about two sizes to big and to frilly for someone of your build." Narcissa was now standing in front of the girl who looked beyond scared. "I'm sorry, but I've always wanted a daughter to do these things with, my son could care less about what he wore and if it clashed with his completion."

The girl smiled. "It's alright. My name's Hermione by the way and I would love your help, I'm completely clueless." Hermione sighed gesturing at her robe.

"I would love to help you out today and my name is Narcissa." She introduced herself. "Then let's go find you a robe."

Narcissa had pulled out over a dozen robes for Hermione when a very flustered Draco came rushing over to them.

"There you are Mother." Said Draco. "Where were you? What are you doing?" Asked Draco looking over to the three robes on her arm and Hermione standing next to his mother.

"I'm shopping Draco, can't you tell?" Narcissa said raising an eyebrow. "I like that robe." She said pulling out a very low cut blood red robe and handing it to Draco.

"Alright then Hermione, lets have you try these on." Narcissa lead the two back to the fitting rooms.

"Granger?"

"Malfoy?"

"What are you doing with my mother?" Asked an angry Draco.

"Didn't she all ready tell you?" Fumed Hermione. "Shopping!" Hermione then went to try on her robes that Narcissa had chosen.

After an hour, or three months by Draco's account, Hermione finally chose the low cut blood red robe.

"Thank you so much Narcissa, my mum couldn't make it and I really needed your help." Hermione said for the upteenth time.

Narcissa smiled at Hermione. "It was no trouble at all child I enjoyed it, and I know that you will look stunning at the Yule Ball this year." The three left the shop with Narcissa and Hermione in front and Draco trailing behind.

"Oh look there are my friends, I've got to go, but I had a great time shopping with you and I absolutely love my new robe!" Hermione shouted as she ran off to join up with Harry and Ron as Narcissa waved good bye.

She turned to Draco and said, "I like her."

Draco just groaned. Although, he had to admit that Hermione did look very nice in that robe..

*~*~*

"Welcome home Madam, young Sir." Greeted Charles. "Dinner will be served in a few moments, and I will call some house-elves to take your new things up to your room." Charles told Draco. In a few moments three house- elves were carrying Draco's new items up stairs.

"I'm going to go freshen up." Said Draco following the house-elves.

"Thank Merlin you're back!" Ariana said rushing over to Draco after the house-elves had left. "I need to tell you something."

"Oh my day was wonderful thanks for asking." Draco said sarcastically.

"Now's not the time. That Kohr came to see Lucius today and told him that they're making their move this year. There going to attack Hogwarts and the Death Eaters were told to have their sons watch the school and Potter so they can tell when the school could be attacked." Draco was now staring intensely at Ariana.

"That's absurd, no way that Voldemort could get into the school." Draco said crossing his arms over his chest.

Ariana shook her head. "You don't know what he's capable of. You weren't there, but I was here listening to every word and watching every move that was made in this manor. He is capable and with the help of some of the student's he will." Ariana said, her voice was low and precise as it always was when talking about Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Draco thought this over and finally said, "What can I do to stop this?"

*~*~*

AN: Yeah this took a lot longer than I thought it would. It just kinda got a life of it's own and I hate it when things come to life.. And by the way: I got the movie!!! ::does the snoopy dance:: but they took out Draco and Lucius in Knockturn Ally! Grr. But to all my reviewers I love you and they made my day! I love you all and I took off the log in thing too! So be kind! Review!

Love Francinator