"So where should we go now?" Harry asked, glancing around the busy alleyway. He, Draco, Ron, and Hermione had just left the gleaming shade of Gringotts bank and were trying to decide where to go.
"Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop!"
"Flourish and Blotts!"
"Quality Quidditch Supplies!"
"Maybe we should get our school supplies first, then we can go to other stores," Harry suggested, glancing at his watch. Hermione turned, smirking, to Ron and Draco. The two boys exchanged sheepish grins. Harry groaned and grabbed Draco's arm, beginning to drag him down the street.
"Come on!"
The four teens raced each other down the street to the bookstore. While glancing at their booklist, they all snatched up the books they needed as quickly as they could.
"Draco!" Harry called from his place in line behind Ron and Hermione, craning his neck to see over several of the shoppers. He spotted a blonde head wander into another room. The sign over the doorway read 'Potions Books'. Hermione turned and saw her best friend's gaze fix on the door his fiancé had just walked through. She took Harry's books from his arms and set them atop her own.
"Go," she urged, nodding her head in Draco's direction.
"What about—?" Harry started, gesturing at his schoolbooks.
"I'll get them," Hermione assured him. "Just go."
Harry flashed her a dazzling smile and weaved his way over to the tiny room. Inside, the blonde stood poring over a thick Potions textbook, unaware of anything around him. Harry smirked in a decidedly evil way before conjuring up a black silk blindfold and bewitching it so only he could remove it. Harry watched Draco from the doorway for a moment before suddenly clapping his hand around Draco's mouth and pulling him backwards, so it seemed as though he were being kidnapped. Harry slapped the book out of Draco's hands onto a nearby table and pulled the blindfold around Draco's head, completely covering his eyes. Harry could hear Draco trying to shout around Harry's hand. The blonde's hands scrabbled at Harry's own, trying to free his mouth.
"Don't make a sound," Harry whispered in a raspy voice. Grinning to himself, he shoved Draco up against the bare wall and proceeded to kiss him very thoroughly. Draco gasped in shock at his would-be kidnapper's actions, giving Harry enough time to slip his tongue into Draco's mouth. After a few moments, Draco realized there was something familiar about the kiss and shoved Harry away. Panting, he tried to pull off the blindfold, Harry watching in giggles before taking pity on his love and slipping the silk cloth off. Draco's eyes went wide with shock when he saw Harry standing before him.
"Harry? That was you?" he asked, pointing. Harry smiled and nodded guiltily.
"Sorry, love, I couldn't resist when I saw you standing in here oblivious to the world," Harry explained, opening his arms to the shaking blonde.
"Bloody hell, Harry, you nearly scared me to death!" Draco cried, falling into Harry's arms. Harry kissed the top of Draco's head.
"I'm sorry!"
"I'll get you for doing that to me," Draco told him, hitting him gently.
"I'm sure you will," Harry replied teasingly. "Come on, Ron and Hermione are waiting for us."
"Can we come back here later?" Draco implored. "I want to look at this book more."
Harry looked down at the book before looking at Draco. He reached down and picked up the book before grabbing Draco's hand and pulling him up to Ron and Hermione's place at the register. Hermione looked in surprise at the thick book in Harry's arms.
"That's not on our booklist," she told them.
"I know, but Draco was very interested in it," Harry explained.
"Harry, you don't have to get it for me," the blonde protested.
"I know," Harry replied simply. "I want to."
Draco gave a brilliant smile and kissed Harry full on the lips.
"Excuse me, there are other people in line here!" interrupted an aggravated voice. Harry broke the kiss and glared at the teenage sales clerk manning the register. "I rather not spend the rest of my shift waiting on the same people." The clerk sighed impatiently and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, well, we're terribly sorry. We'll just put these books back and take our business elsewhere," Draco responded, beginning to clear up his and Harry's purchases.
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" the clerk cried, a whining quality coming into her voice as she rolled her eyes.
"That's getting very annoying," Draco muttered to Harry, keeping his mouth still.
"I know," Harry replied.
Harry and Draco finally decided to stop irritating the clerk and just buy their supplies. They left the store and headed to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. They sat down at an outside table to wait for Ron and Hermione, who were finishing up in the bookstore. While they waited, a waiter in his twenties came over to take their order: a sundae to share. As the waiter walked away, Draco leaned behind Harry to watch 'the show'.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked incredulously as Draco straightened in his chair.
"That waiter was kind of cute," Draco mused thoughtfully, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Harry snorted.
"Oh, please!"
A few minutes, Hermione and Ron hurried out of Flourish and Blotts and up to the couple.
"Harry, you left your Defense Against the Dark Arts book in the store," Hermione told him, holding The Dark Arts: How to Notice, Defend, and Counteract Them out. Harry smiled.
"Thanks, Hermione," he said, stowing the book in his bag. Just then, the waiter arrived with Harry and Draco's sundae. Ron eyed it for a moment before he ordered another and Hermione ordered a small vanilla cone. Harry and Draco refused to look at each other or at the waiter until the young man had left to serve another table.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked curiously, glancing from Draco to Harry and back again.
"Nothing," Harry squeaked before grabbing a spoonful of the sundae and sticking it into his mouth. Suddenly, Draco leapt up and ran from the table, leaving the other three to stare after him in bewilderment. The source of the blonde's sudden leave was soon made abundantly clear . . . to Harry, at least.
Their waiter was returning for a third time, this time with Ron's sundae and Hermione ice cream cone. Harry's face turned red as the waiter smiled at the three before turning and leaving. A moment later, Draco came back, giggling.
"What on earth is going on?" Hermione demanded, staring at the two boys.
"Nothing!"
"So, where to now?" Ron asked after Harry and Draco had relaxed.
"Madam Malkins'," Harry replied. "I need a new set of dress robes."
"Harry, you just got new set last year!" Hermione cried.
"I grew a lot over the summer," Harry retorted defensively.
After finishing their ice creams, they headed to the robes shop to purchase new clothes. They spent the next several hours wandering around the marketplace, buying odds and ends they needed for the school year and also a few things they didn't need, merely wanted. The sun was beginning to set when the foursome decided to head back to the Leaky Cauldron. They said their goodnights and headed up to their respective rooms.