Woohoo! I so love you all!!! I also would like to state that tying bras on top of your head is a fun and educational activity. Or something like that
Now, the reviewer recognition!
Jalee: Thanks! I'm glad you think it's so funny. After it gets a bit further it won't be, though. I've planned many things for this fic, and although the insanity will continue, I'll be throwing in loads of angst, quite a bit of romance (since this is a romance story) and random other things, like drug abuse, domestic violence, and suicide/self-mutilation. So, yeah, it's funny now, but it's not as happy a fic as it seems.
sa: I will. I am. I did.
Tanya Maxwell: Argh! Relena...urgh. I had meant to kill her, but that will have to wait until TEGWSIFFTWAKWCBDTIWBSS. That's my new one.I'm still planning.
Silver Angel: I like your name.
'Mes: You're great! huggles Yes, the shopping is in this chapter! Muahahahaha! And I am seriously cracked. Yay, go me. lame cheerleader moves
kittygurl: Ah, the great question...which was answered in chapter two! Haha!
Friendship: I hate you. Stop bugging me.
Jamesie Lover: I love you! You're my favoritist ever!!!
Angie: Whee! BIG huggles You're fun. Let's go shopping...soon. Read the rest, you skanky bitch! (lol)
Anna: Review the damned fic already!
A brief summary of today's events (not...really):
"He headed downstairs to make breakfast. Then he had to clean up. Then they ate. Then they went shopping. When they were shopping, they bought school supplies. Then they met Draco and Harry and Hermione and Ron. Then there was a fight but QUATRE was rice with Draco and they got soy sauce in a bowl and then they pasted it to them together."
Okies, that's all for today! Well, except for the actual story. Oh...Would y'all prefer if I put notes at the bottom, or do you mind them at the top? Some people get annoyed with all these notes, so I was just wondering.
Bob the tarantula is from the coming fic (untitled) and he is Mahogany Brown's (Treize's) most annoying 'companion.' The fic is GW, but kinda.fucked.
And now, to the (yay, frogs!) story!
A bright ray of sunlight shone on Quatre's angelic sleeping face. Stirring, he mumbled
"Fuck you, morning..." before getting out of bed and plastering on a cheery grin. He dressed in a pretty pink tank top and blue cut-off shorts. The shorts were very small. Yum.
Outside, it was an extraordinarily warm day, and Wufei's skin glistened in the late morning sunlight as he swiftly, gracefully moved through his katas on top of the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron. He had tried to get into Diagon Alley, but discovered that there was an invisible barrier where the brick stopped. Wufei whipped around, sending his (for once) loose hair soaring around, and crouched, very still, for several moments. The feeling that someone was watching him had been slightly distracting, and while he searched the windows of the inn, he could have sworn he had seen the flash of bright emerald eyes peering from behind the blinds.
Trowa slept on, though the minor annoyance of the sun slipped into his room. In the next bed over (the rooms had gotten switched in the bouncing confusion), Zechs' gorgeous hair was a halo around him. The blonde pilot, though, was quite awake, but he was intent on keeping up the pretense of sleep for as long as possible. Which wouldn't be very long as everyone's favorite braided baka had just popped in, and was stealthily approaching the 'sleeping' Zechs with the best of his sneaking abilities.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!" yelled Zechs when a pillow slammed into his face. The cry was heard throughout the inn, waking up all of its tenants. Trowa glared at Duo with such force that would put Heero to shame.
Heero, by the way, had not gone to sleep. After the bouncing the previous night, he had dozed off for several moments, then got up and started inspecting the inn. He would have been working on his laptop, but it malfunctioned in the magical atmosphere.
The soldier looked up sharply when Quatre skidded into his room.
"Breakfast!" he chirped, before zooming off to tell the other pilots. Heero blinked, then shrugged before getting up to get some food.
For some odd reason, Quatre had decided to cook breakfast himself, even though the inn provided food. He made waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, and sausage (links AND patties) and bacon. There were pitchers of orange juice, strawberry juice, and an old-fashioned glass bottle of milk. It was very good.
Duo smacked his lips and sighed contentedly after he finished inhaling his food. "So, guys, what's on the agenda today?" he asked. Heero unfolded a small piece of paper and read off a list.
"Today, we will be shopping for our school supplies in this order: Books at Flourish and Blotts, robes at Madam Malkin's, assorted supplies at The Student Stop, wands at Ollivander's, lunch, pets at (the pet store), and we might have some time to look around at Quality Quidditch Supplies as Dumbledore suggested." Wufei looked thoughtful as the others cleaned up the breakfast mess.
"If I may make a suggestion, I think that it would conserve time to split into three groups of two for the shopping, then meet up at Ollivander's for our wands and lunch. Then we could continue together to the pet shop and look at Quidditch supplies together." said the Chinese boy quietly. The others looked at him strangely, shocked at his manner. They weren't used to Wufei being so polite to them, almost as though they were gasp...equals. Slowly, Quatre nodded.
"I agree; it seems like a good idea. Each pair can go to one shop to get everyone's supplies, so it takes the time of one shop to get everything. So, who's gonna pair with who? I'll go with anyone."
Duo jumped up and down. "Me! Me! Shop with me!" he practically shouted. Quatre grinned.
"All right." He said, looking at the other pilots, who stared at the ground, shifting uncomfortably. "Right...Okay, Zechs, go with Trowa; Heero, you're paired with Wufei."
"Obviously." Muttered pilot 05.
Each grabbing his list, they set off.
"Ooh! Quatre, look at this! 'Being a Muggle for Dummies!' Isn't that so awesome? Can I get it?" Duo clutched the book to his chest pleadingly. Quatre sighed.
"As much as I would like to, we can't. The only books that have been payed for are our schoolbooks. And besides, we've been Muggles almost all our lives; we already know how!"
Duo frowned. "But this is about twentieth-century Muggles! I don't know how they lived! Not only is it about them, but also it's the middle class, Quatre. I never experienced that kind of luxury. At least I could read about it." He pouted. "Please?"
Quatre sighed. "All right, all right, just--" He was cut off by a drawling voice.
"The 'luxury' of middle class? That's pathetic. What are you, some kind of war-orphan? Honestly, that's just sad." A tall blonde sauntered out from behind a bookshelf.
"Actually, I am. Does that bother you, oh mighty one?" Duo responded with a nasty look. Draco smirked.
"No; I just pity those who are weak enough to be that poor. I mean, come on, what kind of family is that impoverished? Oh wait, I forgot. Your family's all dead. Looks like we've got another orphan this year. The school is accepting just anyone nowadays, it seems." Draco's voice had a mean, cold edge. Duo moved toward the Slytherin, but Quatre put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Leave him alone, Duo. He's just trying to irritate us. You're better than that, right?" Quatre's eyes searched Duo's imploringly. Reluctantly, Duo shrugged.
"He's not worth my time anyway." And they turned away to purchase their items and leave, but Quatre stayed for just a moment, looking intently at Draco with confusion before following his friend.
Duo stormed out of the shop before Quatre could grab their books (every subject, years 1-6, 5 copies each) and disappeared from the blonde's sight entirely.
Sighing, he hefted the books up and began struggling towards the door.
Across the shop, Draco watched from his shady little corner. 'I really fucked things up this time. I always screw everything up. Why can't I just be like everyone else? No wonder I don't have any friends. Shit, that boy is fine...If I hadn't been such a total prick we might have been friends.. Unless...' He thought.
Quatre spun around suddenly, dropping his books as he reached for his gun (just in case). Draco halted in his tracks, hand still raised.
"Uhh...Hi. I wanted to apologize to you and your friend, but he apparently left, so...Maybe I could help carry a few of those? I'm really sorry. It's habit, you know, but I really shouldn't have said those things. Please, let me carry some?" Draco smiled a little, and lowered his hand to an appropriate level for a handshake. Quatre brought out his hand, forgetting that he was still holding the gun behind him. At Draco's shocked face, Quatre grinned sheepishly after a moment of confusion.
"Heh...Sorry. Habit, you know." Then he took Draco's hand and shook it. "My name's Quatre Raberba Winner. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Draco Lucius Malfoy. It's nice to meet you as well." They then set about gathering up the books. "So, can we kinda...forget? About that little incident over there?"
"Umm...Well, not really. It's completely forgiven by me, but Duo's not gonna be happy. You might as well have cut off his braid. Well, maybe not that... You are still alive, after all. It's lucky I stopped him though; you do not want to get in a fight with him. Only myself or one of our other friends might have a chance against him." Quatre's open face was disarming. Draco looked skeptically at Quatre's tiny frame.
"Whoa, are you saying that you could take him on, but I couldn't? How does that work, oh shrimpy one?"
"It might have something to do with our combat training." The smaller boy replied. "It's kinda helpful when you're fighting in a war." Draco gaped.
"A war? So, you're a soldier? I never heard about any war, even if it was a muggle war. And anyway, why are you coming to school so late? Is that the reason? C'mon!" Said Draco, prodding at Quatre's shoulder. Quatre stopped picking up books for a moment.
"If I told you...I'd have to kill you." He said. Draco laughed a little.
"No, really, c'mon!" He continued poking Quatre until the pilot turned and looked at him from under his mass of golden hair.
"Heero would have shot you by now. I suggest you drop it, before I follow his preferred method. Thank you." He got up and brought his books to the counter to see if he could get them delivered to their rooms (which of course, he could).
"Let's go; you should meet the others." said a once again cheerful Quatre. Draco was rather taken aback by his manner, but he nodded and they left to find the others...
"Ooh! That's so cool! I want one of those!" squealed Zechs, pointing at a baby blue...thing. It appeared to be some sort of hair accessory, as it was called "Witch's Wig- Use your own hair!" It was supposed to put your hair in any sort of outrageous style instantly.
"Whatever." sighed Trowa, rolling his, umm...eye.
"Thank you!" Zechs flew over and latched himself around Trowa's waist. "You're so good to me!" Then, seeing the odd looks they were receiving, Zechs immediately released Trowa, clearing his throat and muttering.
"So now that we've got the robes being delivered to the inn, shall we go find the others?" asked one. The other nodded vigorously, and they left Madame Malkin's little shop.
Heero and Wufei had long since retrieved the items on their list (and nothing more), and requested them to be delivered to their rooms at the inn. They had been standing in Ollivander's for a quarter of an hour before Duo strode in, scowling, followed minutes later by a grinning Zechs and ever-neutral Trowa. Only ten minutes later a redhead and two brunettes approached the shop. When they entered, what seemed to have been a lively conversation between the three immediately stopped.
Finally, Quatre and some other blonde could be seen walking up to the store, talking and laughing with wild gestures, until the tall one actually fell down laughing. Duo glared, scowling even more, and the now silent three on the other side of the shop were gaping.
A tiny bell rang when the door finally swung open, with Draco howling in laughter and Quatre talking at he top of his lungs.
"So then, Trowa rushes into the hangar in this leather thong, and Duo was sitting on Heavyarms, grinning like an idiot because he had spray painted a...well..." Quatre turned bright red and mumbled quickly, "A giant pink dick. Right on the front of the Gundam!"
Trowa blushed lightly at the memory of that incident. The two finally took notice of their surroundings, and Quatre smiled and waved at his fellow pilots, then turned to introduce Draco to them only to see him staring at a rather handsome boy on the other side of the shop. Quatre collapsed with the sharp pain that unexpectedly ran through him.
"So...so much pain..." He whispered before falling unconscious. Well, that was a bad thing, because in waiting, Duo had told his friends all about the little incident at the book shop. So now Draco had enemies of the worst sort... Gundam Pilots.
Harry returned the cold look Draco gave him. They stood, unmoving and silent, for a long time, just looking at each other.
"Potter."
"Malfoy."
"...It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Thank god, although I had actually hoped to be rid of you forever."
"Well, it's not every day that you find your boyfriend threatening to kill himself because he doesn't trust you in your own home."
"It's not every day that when your boyfriend finds that you think you've been cheating on him that he goes and does it just to give you an accurate accusation."
"I told you I was sorry."
"I told you I wanted nothing to do with you. I still don't; just go away, Dra- Malfoy."
Draco nodded. "Sure thing, Ha- Potter." and he turned away to see five very pissed young men holding guns and one unconscious Quatre...not...holding a gun...
"Heh, um...Is there a problem? Guys?" said Draco, putting up his hands. Finally, Quatre began to wake up. He got up with great effort, and moved to stand beside his new friend.
"Quatre, what are you doing? I'm gonna shoot that bastard, move!" growled Duo. Quatre shook his head.
"Duo, forgive him. He didn't mean what he said. Please."
"If he hadn't meant what he said he wouldn't have said it."
"It is dishonorable to lie."
"..."
"Omae o korosu."
"My hair! Stupid owls..."
Each spoke their piece, and it seemed Quatre would go down with Draco if he had to, when Mr. Ollivander came into the room.
"Good day, young sirs. Are you the Findaner saviors? I've got some options for you here; the top of the line for you." said the creepy old man.
"That's what Tom at the inn said... So did Dumbledore in the letter... I guess so then." said Quatre. Hermione shrieked a little, then ran over and hugged Heero...Who promptly flung her about 10 feet. He didn't want to injure her, you know.
Ron and Harry looked clueless as usual, and Draco, though amazed, merely shrugged.
"Well, best get to choosing. Try this; it's 10 inches, rosewood and dragon heartstring. An excellent well-rounded wand of great power." said Mr. Ollivander, handing a wand to Wufei. He swished it a bit, and a huge, smoky dragon flew out of the end, showering sparks of purple. Harry, Hermione and Ron looked surprised, and Draco was out-and-out floored, but Mr. Ollivander didn't bat an eye.
"We had the wands custom made just for you boys. I would be more surprised if they weren't the right match." And indeed, everyone's wand worked almost as beautifully (but not quite) except Quatre's, who went through more wands than Harry did, finally receiving an 11-½ inch beechwood wand with a unicorn hair in the center, which appeared very graceful and was supposed to be best at healing and curses.
Lunch was a strange affair as Zechs, Wufei, Trowa, Duo, Heero, Harry, Hermione and Ron sat at one table, and Draco and Quatre sat at a table on the other end of the diner. They had decided to go out for muggle Chinese. The table with the larger party was surprisingly silent, in stark contrast to the lively two opposite them. Finally, Quatre turned to take the check and met eye-to-eye with Harry, who had been glaring...er, staring at him for most of the meal. Quatre felt the intensity of Harry's heartache and jealousy in that gaze, and quickly turned back to Draco, shaken.
"I-I think we'd better go now, Draco. Don't you agree?" And the kind boy hastily grabbed his tan knee-length jacket (mmm...remember the rest?) before taking Draco by the wrist and practically dragging him out.
"Umm, Quatre? May I ask a question?" said Draco, timidly.
"You just did." replied Quatre in a cold tone that left no room for debate as they swiftly walked to Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley. Finally, once in the shop, Quatre halted, jerking Draco a bit. "I'm going back to my room right after I buy a pet, but I thought you might like to look around here, you seemed interested when we passed on the way to Ollivander's. I'm meeting the others at the Magical Menagerie, so stay away from there for awhile. I'll see you at school. Bye Draco." he said. Draco opened his mouth as though to speak, but Quatre gave him a quick, brotherly hug and left the store, the tall boy still and staring after him.
An hour later, Quatre stumbled into Trowa's room with a black eye and a small cage in which a lily-dragon was contained. Lily Dragons are like miniature Chinese dragons, usually green and silver in coloration.
The black eye was courtesy of Duo, Quatre's roommate, so it seemed smarter to stay in a friend's room. Wufei and Trowa seemed more neutral than the others (well, Heero too) and Trowa was Quatre's best friend.
After the pet shop, everyone went back to the inn, except Duo, who called Quatre back to talk to him. Which of course, was not exactly talking. Quatre understood that Duo felt betrayed, but hadn't thought that he would actually try to hurt him. When the 'chat' seemed to be turning into a fight, Quatre left, but not without injury. He had walked the whole way imitating his best friend's neutral expression, but as soon as he walked into room 503, he flopped onto Trowa's bed next to it's occupant and the tears started. Silently, they rolled down his face.
Trowa was concerned. Quatre was sensitive, surely, but a little bruising had never caused him so much pain. Unsure of what to do, he pulled his only friend into a comforting embrace, and they sat there until Quatre had sobbed and hiccupped until he fell asleep, leaving a damp spot on Trowa's shoulder.
The days passed without a word between Quatre and Duo, or Zechs, who was very protective of his braided friend. Books were memorized, lessons were learned. They were all packed.
Tomorrow morning, they would leave for Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Haha! The..fourth chapter is done!!! It's a helluva lot longer than the other chapters; that's fo' sho'! Please review, my dearest ones, and I'll get the next chapter out ASAP!!!
Actually, this chapter was shorter than my outline required for all the details, but I'm a lazy bitch. So nyah! And again, REVIEW! I really do love all of my reviewers...Except one.