Chapter 7: Mr. Curiosity
I turned around to see Harry standing straight with his fists clinched. He was looking at Scrimgeour with so much intensity in his eyes. I looked over at Hermione who was staring at Harry with uttermost disbelieve. I don't think that anyone in the room was expecting anything like this.
"Are you sure Harry?" Scrimgeour said looking at him straight in the eyes.
Harry gave a weak nod and then Apparated out of there. I looked over at Hermione, her face smiling as if she just won the lottery. She came over to me and took my hand so we could Apparate.
"We'll be keeping tabs on you," Scrimgeour said, frowning.
I nodded slowly, gripping my hand even tighter onto Hermione's hand. Hermione tensed up then slowly loosened down. I felt a familiar sensation run through my body, of being pulled into a different world.
Moments later we were standing in a very familiar room, the Weasley kitchen. I fixed my brown hair back into place. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to recover from the annoyance of Apparating.
"Well," I began not exactly sure what I was going to say. "That sure was … out of the ordinary."
Hermione laughed and smiled her biggest smile. I couldn't help but smile back. Hermione was some who could play with your emotions, but in a good way. I mean, say you were sad; she could make you happy in a second. I'm sure she could play with guys' emotions, seeing how pretty she was. Ron informed me, the other day, which she wasn't always as gorgeous as she was now. She used to have huge teeth and even frizzier hair. She had grown in many ways over the summer, he told me.
"Parker," Hermione said turned towards me. "Do you want to Diagon Ally today with me? I have some thing I need to get."
"Sure," I said joyously. I turned to walk back up to mine and Ginny's room. Ginny… I hadn't thought about her. I hope she's not still mad at me. I can perfectly understand why she would be, but she's always seemed so forgiving.
I entered the room to see Ginny sitting and crying. Her red hair was in front of her eyes and her hands were on her face.
"Ginny," I whispered softly.
"Go away," she yelled at me, waving her arm in the air.
Instead of going away I sat down across from her on my bed. She didn't say anything so I thought that maybe, just maybe, she didn't actually want me to leave. I tried to find the right words to say, but none seemed good enough.
"Ginny, just please talk to me," I pleaded taking in a big breath. "I know you are mad and sad and probably hate me, but please just say something, anything."
Ginny looked up her eyes gleaming from crying. She moved her hair out of her face and looked at me. I felt like she could she right through me. It was almost as if her was reading my mind and knew what an act I was putting on.
"Fine," she told me raging with hate. "You were right, I am mad, I am sad, and I hate you. First you go and try to steal away the one good thing in my life, Harry. Then I find out that you've been lying to me ever since I met you. How do you think that makes me feel?"
She stopped. Her hands were clenched and her face was filled with rage. She looked like she was lost for words, as if her rage had caused her to forget how to speak. Then slowly her face changed, she was now smiling in such a way that it seemed that she knew something I didn't, which I was sure she did.
"What?" I asked a little scared that she could read my mind.
"So you do like Harry," she said. I was sure she had just read my mind.
"No," I lied. "I couldn't like Harry, and even if I did it wouldn't matter he hates me. Why, why do you think that, though?"
"I have my ways," she said her eyes twinkling.
"Okay, well Ginny, I just want you to know I'm not trying to steal Harry from you," I told her sincerely. "But I got to go. Hermione and I are going to Diagon Ally; do you want to come with?"
"No," she said flatly. "I need to talk to Harry. Do you happen to know where he is?"
"No idea, I haven't seen him since this morning."
Ginny nodded and I got up to change. I was happy that she was no longer crying. I looked through some clothes that my parents had sent me. I put on a simple pair of dark jeans and one of my favorite shirts that my best friend made. It had a black rose on it blood spurting from the center. It had petals all over the bottom and it says he loves me not…
I had always loved that shirt, like I said my friend made it, designed it and everything. I put my clothes on and looked at myself in the mirror. I had never really realized that I wasn't half-bad looking. My hair had grown a little since I had arrived here and was now about three inches past my shoulders. My eyes seemed a lot greener than usual and I'd gotten curvier since last year. I had grown about an inch and now stood at 5'7.
I put on some mascara and gloss; I never really bothered with make-up. Now that I was ready I walked out into the hall and went looking for Hermione. She was in the bathroom putting on some light make-up. She smiled as I walked in and sat down on the counter.
"Are you ready?" I asked stealing some of her eye shadow and putting it on.
"Almost. Do you want to go and get Ron, he wanted to come?"
"Yeah," I said jumping off the counter.
I went up to Ron's room and saw him polishing his broom. He looked up smiled at me. His hair was in front of his eyes. He was wearing an orange shirt that was just a tad lighter than his hair. He stood up and walked towards me.
"Ready?" I asked him.
"Yeah. Tell me why again are we are we going to Diagon Ally?" he said looking a smidge confused.
"I don't even know," I said walking into the hall.
"Okay," he said looking around the room.
Hermione was ready to go by the time we reached the bathroom. I took Hermione's hand and felt a pulling sensation for the second time today. I fell onto the ground in front of Flourish and Blots. I stood up and dusted the dirt of my already dirty jeans.
Ron and Hermione were up on their feet and holding hands. I resisted the urge to just burst out and laugh at them. They looked so cute together. Hermione was looking straight forward, her hair up in a bun and her mouth turned into a nervous smile. Ron on the other hand was looking down, his red hair covering any traces of his face. His smile was light, but very delightful.
"So, why are we here? I just can't seem to remember," I said. "Oh yeah, you never told us, that's why I don't remember." I laughed at Hermione, who just smiled simply back.
"Well," she began. "I'm not really sure…" she cut off not knowing what to say. "Harry needed me to pick up something. I didn't want to come alone; I thought it might be good to see Diagon Ally before…"
We nodded. I guessed that no one really liked going into detail about what they had planed for after the summer. Truthfully, I didn't know anything other than that I would be joining them on their on excursion.
It had gotten really quiet. We had stopped walking and were now standing in front of Fortesuce's Ice Cream Parlor. It was a simple shop, yet very home-like.
"Hermione, Ron, why don't we first just enjoy some fabulous ice-cream?" I said, framing the shop with my arms.
"Yeah, I guess we could do that!" Hermione was cheerfully.
"Yeah, I'd like that," Ron said finally looking up.
We walked inside. It was a lot bigger than it looked. The walls were a light purple with ice-cream cones painted on the walls. The rest looked like your standard ice-cream shop. It had a counter for ice-cream and such. It had mini tables and stools both inside and out. Overall, it was a very nice place.
"Parker," Hermione and Ron yelled, stopping me from staring so intently round the room.
"Oh sorry," I said, turning around to face them.
"What do you want?" Ron asked, and then went on to ordering his.
"It doesn't matter. Unless they have coffee flavored, then I'll have that," I yelled over the noise of the parlor. He nodded and I sat down at one of the tables.
Slowly they got out of the huge line and joined me at the table. I looked down to see a coffee ice-cream cone dipped in chocolate. It looked very appetizing. No one said anything; we all just sat and ate our ice-cream.
"So, what book is it that we need to pick up?" I asked breaking the silence.
Hermione looked up at Ron as if she needed some reassuring. Then she said, "It's a book about Voldermort from a Death Eaters point of view. Harry and I thought it would be good you know, for some background reading. It's called Dancing with the Dark Lord."
"Wait, what? Where are we supposed to get that? It's not like it is sold in Flourish and Blotts, or any place like that," I said raising my voice.
Hermione looked down again and started twiddling with her thumbs. She started to whistle and look around the room, trying to hide her anxiety.
"Hermione!" I persisted on. I was standing, my hands clasped tightly to the table.
"Well," she said her voice cracking. "We, well, you, are gonna buy it at…" She lowered her voice that not ever Ron could here, "Borgin and Brukes."
"ME?!?! Were you planning on ever telling me this," I said in a harsh whisper, just load enough for her and Ron to here.
"Yeah," Ron said for the first time since we got our ice-cream. "I think, at least."
"Well, you were our only option. Harry couldn't go in, I mean, he's Harry Potter. I couldn't because he knows I'm muggleborn. Then as for Ron, they would be able to tell he was a Weasley, and they don't like 'blood traitors,'" she said her brown eyes gazing into mine, as if she knew my deepest thoughts and desires. "But you, on the other hand, you just waltz up, show your Dark Mark and are out in less than five minutes." She gulped in. "We would be waiting for you, just right outside."
I looked away from Hermione. I knew I had no other choice but to go and get the book for them. I didn't like to admit it, but I was always interested in the mysterious, dark, and depressing, evil type things. I just found it so fascinating. And now here I am, getting ready to fight something that I have always dreamed of being a part of. Yet, for some reason, I was glad to throw my dreams away for this, away for Harry…
"Okay," I said looking over at Ron instead of Hermione. "Can we just go now? I don't feel like eating anymore."
Hermione nodded and I threw away my ice-cream. A perfectly good ice-cream cone gone to waste over some stupid book, it was very depressing. We walked outside and down the street. We made the turn into Knockturn Ally and put our cloaks up, so no one would guess two thirds of the fantastic trio and a Death Eater were here.
It was deserted outside except for a few people rushing around at a fast pace. Inside the shops, however, was a different story. People were cramped inside, not wanting to be caught walking around Knockturn Ally. They looked at us as we rushed to Borgin and Brukes, which just happened to be one of the farthest located stores.
The store looked run down and… trashy. Like Hermione said, Ron and she waited outside while I went in. A bell clinked as I walked in. No one was in sight, so I looked around. There were some of the most unusual things, most words couldn't even explain.
I was examining a glass eye when an oily voice said, "What can I help you with, Miss?"
I turned around to see, who I guess to be, Mr. Borgin. He wasn't the tallest or the nicest looking man I have ever seen. His hair was black and greasy and his teeth were beyond repair, even by the world's best dentist.
"I need a book," I said, trying to sound confident. "It's called Dancing with the Dark Lord. Do you happen to have to have it?"
He looked up, alarmed by my question. He seemed to be in deep thought, not really knowing how to reply to a seventeen year old looking for a Death Eater book.
"I'm sorry," he said trying to sound polite. "But, that book is only for… certain types of people."
"What type of people? This type, maybe?" I said, showing him my Dark Mark.
All color had drained from his face. He looked up at me in amazement. He gulped and smiled at me.
"Why, yes of course. Let me get that for you," he said, rushing into the back.
I continued looking around, enjoying the beautiful dark items. Borgin was back after a few moments. He handed me the book. The cover was hilarious. It was a picture of two people waltzing. I tried not to crack up.
I heard the same bell that I did when I entered. I looked at the door to see a man with platinum blond hair and gray cold eyes. His eyes locked on mine and I was instantly lost in them. I couldn't remove my eyes from his, because if I did the world would end, and I didn't want that to happen.
"Mister Malfoy," Borgin said, causing my eyes to be removed from the mysteriously hot man. "What can I help you with?"
"I have to pick up my fathers order," the man said. His voice was almost as gorgeous as him. "He should have sent an owl this morning. Did he not?"
"Oh yes he did," Borgin said rushing through a big pile of paper. "Here it is! I'll get your things in a moment let me just ring her up." Bogin turned around to me and said, "That'll be six sickles."
"Mhmm," I said, handing him the money. I tuned to towards the door, but only was able to take two steps before I was stopped.
"Hey, what's you're name?" the man asked me, his eyes glistening.
"That depends," I said in a flirtatious voice.
"On what?" he said, flirting back.
"On whom you are."
"I'm Draco Malfoy!"
Draco Malfoy, I had heard that name before. On yeah, he was a Death Eater. I could use that to my advantage; I could let him know I'm a Lestrange. He's bound to tell someone, and they'll come skipping off to find me. It would help me find my parents so much faster.
"I'm Parker, Parker Lestrange."
I rushed out the door leaving Draco behind confused. Hermione and Ron were talking and laughing when I got outside.
"Draco was in there. Let's go right now!" I yelled.
Hermione took my hand and we were gone. The last thing I saw was Draco's hair gleaming in the light.
A/N: Title from Jason Mraz's CD Mr. A-Z