.:o:.O.:o:. Growing Up in Malfoy Manor .:o:.O.:o:.

.:o:. Chapter Three – A Trip .:o:.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to it belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros.

.:-:o:-:.

After the five were old enough to pay attention and follow instructions, they began to go on trips a few times a month to a Muggle city, where their parents would take great delight in pointing out how unsophisticated and barbaric the Muggles were. They would often visit antique shops or ones that sold interesting curios or specialty items, where Draco, Daphne, Pansy, Theo, and Blaise would have to wait impatiently by the door for their parents. One such day, although it started out normally enough, was to be the first of many changes…

After a light breakfast and several instructions, they all went to a city not too far from Greengrass House. In addition to several specialty shops and pubs, there was a department store in the city as well. Needless to say, the children were less than thrilled to be dragged along on another shopping spree and receive lectures of how horrible Muggles were and how they should not be allowed to exist.

The mothers had gone into a specialty jewelry shop, while the fathers had opted to go to a pub. The children, having been instructed to stay inside the rather small department store, were standing around in the children's area, Daphne and Draco examining some books with an air of boredom, Pansy looking at the dolls with some distaste, and Theo and Blaise examining some remote control cars with a little interest.

"This is so boring… I wish our mothers and fathers wouldn't make us go to a bunch of boring old cities every month," commented Draco, flipping through a thick book without glancing at it.

"They always say it's for our 'education', when all we do is stand around while they go and have fun," agreed Daphne, placing another book back on the shelf.

"And all this stuff is so…weird! I mean, there isn't anything really good here," added Pansy coming up behind them.

"So, what do you want to do?" asked Draco, putting the book back in favor of a floppier one that would make more noise.

"Let's go see what Theo and Blaise are doing," suggested Daphne, heading towards the other boys. The other two followed her toward the toy section right next to the book section.

"Anything interesting?" asked Draco, looking at the cars.

"These cars that move around by themselves were at first, but now they're kinda boring. After all, in a few years we'll be able to make a lot more stuff move around a lot faster," said Theo, putting a car back on the shelf.

"Yeah, it gets boring after looking at the same car move the same way every single time," agreed Blaise, poking at a silvery race car.

"I guess I'll just go back and look at the dolls… At least that way I can learn what I should never, ever wear," said Pansy with a slight shrug and laugh.

"Yeah, we'll go back to the books… Maybe there'll be something interesting there after all," said Daphne, heading back towards the shelf.

"I doubt it," replied Draco with a slight scoff.

"Do you have a better idea?" asked Daphne, smiling slightly.

"If I did, I wouldn't be following you around, would I?" asked Draco with a smirk of his own. The two of them reached the books shortly after and scanned the titles.

"Anything interesting?" asked Draco after a moment.

"Not really," replied Daphne with a bored sigh.

Just then, a young girl with two extremely thick braids and an air of confidence about her turned the corner and headed towards the shelf of books.

"Excuse me, but could you please move over a bit? I wanted to get that book right there," said the girl, pointing at a book behind Draco, "last week, but we ran out of time and were only able to come back today. I really like it because it's about this wizard who helps fight an evil prince who wants to burn all of the books in the entire world. Isn't it interesting how writers can make magic seem so real? I think it is. Oh, and my name's Hermione, by the way. What's yours?"

Draco and Daphne exchanged uncertain glances. This girl was obviously a Muggle, and she was certainly quite rude for jumping over and talking so much to them without even a proper introduction. Snippets of past lectures floated across their minds as they remembered that Muggles were rude, dimwitted creatures that didn't even deserve to be pitied. They silently agreed to just back away and head towards the others, but the girl spoke again.

"Well, there's really no need to be shy, you know, it's quite easy just to tell me your name. Are you two related, or from around here? I like your hair by the way, it's really nice, um…?" said the Muggle girl who said her name was Hermione.

"Daphne," replied Daphne before she could stop herself. She had always enjoyed compliments.

"And, uh, Draco," added Draco, shooting a puzzled glance towards Daphne, who shrugged.

"Draco? That's an interesting name, and it's so much easier to say than mine, but I don't like being called by a nickname, my parents always call me 'Hermy' and it drives me crazy," said Hermione, still talking quite rapidly.

"Oh," was all Draco could think of to say to this new revelation.

"So…you don't think magic is real?" asked Daphne, who thought that Hermione seemed quite intelligent for a Muggle.

"Well, it can't be, can it? Otherwise everyone would know about it, wouldn't they?" replied Hermione reasonably.

"Not if the wizards and witches could hide themselves," said Draco, starting to become interested despite himself.

"But they can't, so they don't exist," insisted Hermione.

"Whatever," replied Daphne, cutting into what would have become a bit of a debate.

"Anyway, I have to get my book," added Hermione.

"This one?" asked Draco, reaching for one of the books on the shelf.

"Yes, thanks. Are they your friends, too?" asked Hermione as she accepted the book, glancing at Pansy, Theo and Blaise, who had come towards them.

"Yeah, this is Pansy, Theo, and Blaise," answered Daphne, pointing to each one of them. They all muttered hellos, which were returned with another monologue from Hermione.

"Oh, I've got to go; my mum'll be waiting for me. Will I see you around?" asked Hermione, heading towards the front of the store.

"Nah, we probably won't come back here again," replied Draco.

"Oh, all right. Bye, then," replied Hermione, walking away.

"Bye!" called Daphne, waving at Hermione, who returned it.

"Um, you guys…" began Pansy hesitantly, but it was too late.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Lucius Malfoy harshly as he strode into view, causing Draco and Daphne to whirl around in shock, "Can you not be left alone for a short period of time without, without…" he couldn't even seem to finish he sentence, he was so disgusted.

"Socializing with filth like her! What on earth would your parents say, Daphne?" demanded Narcissa coldly. Daphne flinched slightly at the mention of her parents, who despised Muggles as much as, if not more than, the Malfoys did.

"I thought that you children were raised better than to associate with such rubbish! Have you no shame at all? Come, all of you are going home this instant, and I'm afraid your parents won't be too pleased that they had to cut their trips short because their children were…being friendly with a Muggle!" finished Lucius, his voice now a deadly hiss.

Draco and Daphne glanced guiltily at the other three, who looked rather angry because they hadn't done anything, and they all followed the irate elder Malfoys out of the store and back to their respective homes.

.:-:o:-:.

A/N: This was originally supposed to be half of one chapter, but I decided to split it. So, here's the second to last chapter before the epilogue, and I will hopefully have up the next one up a bit more quickly.