The two wizards avoided serious conversation over the next two days. Draco wasn't ready to tell Harry about his life, and Harry needed to build more trust in the blonde before he spilled anymore of his secrets. Instead they spoke of neutral subjects, like the OWLs, quidditch, and a few other safe subjects.
Both were amazed to find how well they got on when they tried. The second day, Harry took a chance and told Draco to get ready to go out.
"Where are we going?" Draco asked, a small frown marring his face. "Not Diagon Alley?"
"No, we'd make too much of a stir there," Harry replied. "We need clothes. You don't have any, and mine are more suited for use as tent fabric. Unfortunately, we have to get muggle clothes. Well, not that it bothers me, but it'll be a change for you."
Draco nodded. "I see your point. Besides, it's not like we can't get robes later. Only one problem... I have absolutely no idea about muggle fashion. Not that I care if I'm fashionable to muggles or anything, but I don't want to stick out."
Harry laughed. "Malfoy, there's no fashion police. Besides, the muggles don't all dress the same, so as long as we don't care what they think, we can dress however we like. As long as we don't look like wizards, we're free to do as we please. Come on, let's go."
So they went shopping for the rest of the day. They looked in several stores before deciding what kind of clothing they wanted, finally settling on rather dark, somewhat disturbing, clothes. Harry's clothes were almost all black, with chains and buckles in silver. Draco had less metal on his clothes, but almost every shirt he picked had a rude saying on it. Harry commented on it, and Draco's reply made him snort.
"Potter," Draco said. "I can't be wasting my time telling everybody what morons they are. Now my shirts can do it for me... if the imbeciles are bright enough to read."
After they had clothes, the two boys wandered around the mall for awhile, repeatedly passing a combination tattoo parlor and piercing shop. Finally, Harry stopped and looked at Draco.
"Okay, we've passed here nearly half a dozen times," he said. "I am going in and getting something pierced. What about you?"
"Potter, are you nuts?" Draco gaped at the shorter boy. "Of course I'm getting something pierced! But then, we have one more stop to make."
"What's that?"
"The optometrist. You need to get rid of those glasses. There are certainly better frames than that, and I heard one of the students say something about 'contacts' that can make your vision better without glasses. Maybe you could make some of them."
Harry laughed. "Contacts are little plastic lenses that go on your eyes, Draco. You get them from the optometrist, just like glasses. But that's a really good idea, I haven't had new glasses in ages."
Harry led the way into the piercing shop. Loud music assaulted their ears as their eyes tried to take in the outrageous interior.
A girl mirroring Harry's taste in clothing smirked at them. "Ah, I love it when we get virgins," she said. Both boys looked at her in horror. She laughed. "Just kidding. Anyway, what do you two want done?"
Walking out of the shop half an hour later, both boys had enough piercings to make Molly Weasley faint. Harry had gotten a total of seven piercings, four in his left ear; two in the lobe and two in the cartilage; two in his right ear, one in the lobe and one in the cartilage; and finally one in his tongue. Draco hadn't gone quite as far, with one earring in the cartilage of his left ear, but he had also gotten a hoop through his left nipple.
While they were in the shop, the girl had also put makeup on both boys. Just black eyeliner and lipstick on Draco, but Harry had gotten the works: concealer on his scar, and eyeshadow and mascara to go with his eyeliner and lipstick.
After a trip to the optometrist, they went back to Harry's flat, with Draco muttering about muggle girls who had no need for the imperious curse, because they could get anyone to do what they wanted anyway.
"Malfoy, would you just shut the fuck up about it already?" Harry nearly screamed after they entered the flat. "She didn't do anything you didn't agree to, and you can't even claim it looks bad. Besides, it's makeup, it washes off."
Draco stood there, mouth opening and closing soundlessly. Harry just laughed, and went into his room to drop off his bags.
Finally, after another few days with Harry, Draco screwed up his courage and asked the question that had been plaguing his mind ever since he had heard Harry's explanations.
"Potter, why did you leave your relatives, and how did you do it?"
Harry sank down on his chair, sighing. "Sit down, Malfoy. This is a long story. It all began when we drove away from King's Cross..."
Hey all, sorry it took so long and that it's so short. I'm having problems with plot bunnies for other stories and I'm trying to stay focused here. Also, I had to abandon a bunny that would have messed up the story. So next time, you get to see why Harry left the Dursleys', and how he disappeared from the Order. Review if you like, I love to get those alerts!
