All belongs to JKR.
Diagon Alley
The day had went rather smooth, since Draco was still sulking. He had curled himself on the sofa and had not looked at Harry once, all day. In the evening he had refused his food and had strut out of the kitchen with his head held high, pink as he was. The night he had spent on the couch, rather than Harry's bed. That had Harry already worried and when the little cat refused breakfast as well, Harry gave him back his normal color.
That made Draco eat again, but he still ignored Harry. Nobody colored a Malfoy pink! No matter how beautiful that someone could smile. Or how sexy his backside was, or… Draco shook his head. He needed something to occupy him.
Restless he wandered the house. After a while the jumps onto Cupboards and tables became boring though. And since his pride forbid him to go to Harry and play with him, he was haning in the air.
Of course Harry realised that his cat was restless, once Draco had walked around the living room for the sixth time, looking for something to do. "Draco, what do you think about a visit to Diagon Alley to buy you some toys?" He had barely said that, when a silver grey bolt of lightning ran to the door. Harry chuckled, put on his shoes, jacket and took his bag before he opened the door and they were ready to go. His little cat was already rather impatient, walking back and forth in front of the door.
„I'm coming." Harry said laughing and mentioned him to jump on his shoulder. Draco, who had forgotten all anger at the prospect of a shopping trip jumped onto the shoulder without so much as a grunt and made himself comfortable as it was normal for a wizards cat.
The drive with the Knight bus proved to be a bit shaky but due to his claws, Draco had, to Harry's discomfort, not much trouble to hold onto his man as they raced to London. Both were happy once they reached the "Leaky Cauldron". Draco stretched himself properly to loosen the muscles that had worked hard to keep him on Harry's shoulder. After that he wrapped himself around Harry's neck like a collar. That way they walked through the bar and stepped out into Diagon Alley.
Draco was stunned. Of course he knew Diagon Alley, but from his new perspective it looked different, bigger… Harry walked straight towards the "Magical Menagerie". Draco had to admit that he had never been in there. He had gotten an owl for Hogwarts, but it had been bought by some person working for his father and taken care of by one of the house elfs. So he was curious what he would see in there.
Draco was attacked by hundrets of smells when the entered the shop. His senses were not as strong as if he were a real cat, but it was enough to wrinkle his nose. "You can go and have a look around. Just take care that nobody will step on you and stay in the shop." With a happy miaow Draco jumped off the shoulder and scurried off to turn the shop upside down. Harry watched his little one smiling before he went to the back of the shop where they had the scratching posts.
Draco would have never thought that toys could be so interesting. And in the shop there was a whole section. Normal mugglemice, mice that moved, even some that hovered over the ground! He definetly had to get Harry to buy him one of those, that would be the ideal training for a seeker. So he took one of the hovering mice between his teeth. It couldn't be any more blunt, right?
With that he went on further through the shop, passing beds, which didn't interest him in the least. After all he could sleep in Harry's bed if he wanted to. After that he passed foodbowls in numerous different colours, even self-filling and -cleaning ones. Then another section for toys, but nothing caught his interest.
Finally he went searching for Harry. He wanted to know what he was up to. After a few minutes he found the entry to the adjoining room and shortly after that he spotted Harry. Purring he nudged his leg and dropped the mouse in front of him. Almost as soon the thing began to hover again and with a graceful jump Draco caught it again. Rather proudly he looked up to his master while he kept the toy down with his paw.
Harry smiled amused. "You obviously found what you were looking for huh? Fine. I'm just looking for a Scratching post for you. How about you give that mouse to me and you take a look at the posts yourself. Which one do you like best? You ought to know best." Draco nodded in agreement and let the mouse hover again. Harry picked it out of the air with little difficulty and together they went searching.
Draco tried a few scratching posts, but there didn't seem to be one he liked. Finally he saw it. He meowed happily and with few leaps he was on the frame. Harry followed with less impatience. Once he arrived, he was greeted with a picture he won't forget for a while.
The Scratching post was almost 2 meters in height had 3 posts, each with a beige plush platform on the top. The posts were wrapped in bast. In front of one post there was a small castor that served as a hiding place. To help the cat climbing, there was a thick rope dangling from the uppermost platform, a hammock hung between the two other posts. And Draco had made himself comfortable exactly there.
His tail was dangling on the one side, his right front paw hung down to the side as well and the cat looked rather comfortable and relaxed. Harry couldn't hide a small laugh. "Do you know just how cute you are?" Harry asked still chuckling. ‚Of course I knows' was Draco's answer. 'Afterall you think the same about my human form.'
Without caring for the price, Harry went to the clerk and got the thing and the hover mouse. With a small bag which contained the shrunk post and the mouse, they left the shop.
Draco rode Harry's shoulder as they walked to the Animal saloon. It was a bit fishy for him, but it was worth looking at anyway, he guessed. The saloon itself looked rather nicely. And it smelled a lot more pleasant than it had in the Menagerie. They, or rather Harry, walked to the counter. They had to wait shortly before a young woman came out. "What can I do for you?" she asked politely. "My little cat could use a beauty tour. He was left in front of my housedoor a short while ago. His fur looks correspondingly."
Draco already wanted to protest, that he could probably not look so bad, if Harry found him cute still. But one look at his fur and he was silent. He was in need for a little care… He only listened to half the conversation between Harry and the the young woman and was rudely interrupted in his thoughts when Harry asked him to jump off his shoulder onto one of the many counters. Dutifully he did just that before he was studied by the witch. His claws were controlled, his teeth, and then she got granular on his fur.
"Did he have any injuries?" she asked Harry, who nodded. "When I fond him he had wounds on his head, on his torso and on his legs. His left leg was broken. And he was horribly thin." She nodded. „You did a good job here. There aren't any scars left. Even his fur has grown back. I think a fur treatment will do for the little cuty. His claws and teeth are just fine. He will gain weight with the right care as well. If you want, I can do his fur right now. It won't take more than 45 minutes."
And then it started. After a few minutes Draco didn't know wether he was a boy or a girl. First he was, to his great horror, bathed. He was rubbed with many different lotions, which had to sink into his fur, and then he was rinsed to get the stuff out. Once he had finally overcome that, he was dried and combed. The fur on his ears and in his face was cut with scissors, the rest of him was trimmed with a little machine. Once the woman tried to put a tie round his neck he conked. A short hiss was enough show her what he thought. Shortly after that he was done. And Draco had to admit, that it had been worth it. His silvery fur gleamed silky once more and there were no small tufts sticking out. His little face had a nice form and his ears were decorated with small brushes. All in all: he looked cute. But if Harry liked it…
After that they made themselves comfortable in a cream parlour. Harry ordered an Ice for himself and Draco got a bowl with sweet cream. After, Draco looked as though he had fallen into the bowl, but a short catwash later, that attrackted the people around him, they were ready to go.
They were just on their way to the „Leaky Cauldron", when Draco suddenly stopped. "What's wrong little one?" Harry asked worried. But Draco didn't react. With huge eyes, he just stared at Lucius Malfoy who was walking straight into their direction. Harry too had realised who was responsible for the sudden fear of his cat. Malfoy senior didn't show anything from his former elegant self. He looked unkempt, his long hair hanging greasily in his face. One could still see that his clothing must once have been very expensive but now not anymore. The look in his eyes couldn't be described as normal. They flickered from one face to the other, as though he was looking for someone.
Then his eyes found Harry.
Fury entered his features and deformed his face to a ugly grimace. With his finger pointing at the two of them he walked towards them. "You! You damned bastard!" he cried. Draco shook himself from his numness and hid in Harry's bag, which the boy held open for him. Many passers by stood still to view the spectacle. Harry heard someone sending for Aurors. "What can I do for you Mister Malfoy?" Harry said as calm as possible. He already had his wand ready in his hand, which was still in his pocket. "You still dare to ask that, you freak?" Malfoy senior didn't seem to care how much attention he arose. "You took everything from me! You hear that? Everything! First my master, next to whom I could have risen to glory and rule the world. Yeah you piece of shit! I was his right hand. I could have had whatever I wanted. But you… you!" He trembled in anger. His pupils were unnaturaly wide, his breathing fast and interminent.
Harry carefully dropped the bag with Draco and the other things. Then he moved away from it, raising as little attention as he could. The last thing he wanted was that the little cat was hurt in a possible duel. One of the pedestrians realised what Harry wanted and took the little bag in his hand. Draco stuck out his head to see if Harry was still in one piece. "Don't worry little one. If he was able to defeat the dark lord, this lunatic won't stand a chance" the man said calmingly. Both watched the scene in front of them.
Lucius was only 3 meters from Harry and yelled still. "Even my wife did you take away from me! She couldn't be with a loser like me, she said! So she ran away to that werewolf of hers! And now that freak of a son ran away as well! No better than he is you are." Harry listened carefully. Draco had dissappeared from home? „When?" he asked calm. But that only seemed to confuse Malfoy even more. The a lunatic grin spread over his face. "You would like to know that don't you? Is he your little bitch? Dirty little faggot! He's not worth any more." He laughed. „But I won't be so cruel. The little faggot escaped me three days ago. I should have killed him instantly when he came home. But I wanted to play a little bit…" the last part was spoken in a lower voice as though the man had said it to himself.
His vision seemed to be a veiled shortly but then his eyes fixed on Harry again. "But with his broken arm and the rest of his wounds he wont have made it far. But back to you…" With that he drew his wand. But before he could word any spell, Harry's Stupefy caught him. Like a stone he lay in the middle of Diagon Alley, until the Aurors came shortly after to bring him to the interview rooms of the ministry.
Harry, like the other passersby was asked a few questions, before he was able to take his bag and thank the man for looking after it. Maybe he would have to testify in Malfoys trial. This time he would not be able to pay a fee and stay in freedom. With a sigh Harry and Draco started their way home.
After Harry had put down his bag, he mentioned for Draco to follow him. He sat down on the floor, next to the little cat. His expression earnest as he spoke.
"You have a lot to explain, Draco Malfoy."
tbc
