Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
***** Isabella's POV *****
"Bye Mom! I'm off to Diagon Alley!" I called out to my mom.
"Bye honey! Don't stay out too late! And be careful!" she yells to me as I step into our fireplace. She's such a worrywart. I roll my eyes.
"Diagon Alley," I say clearly. That was the first clear thought I'd had all day it seems. Most people find traveling by flew powder quite sickening, but I find it almost comforting. It's like the chaos in our world, that everyone tries to deny, is finally visible and accepted. As my body spins round and round, it seems to catch up with my head. I can do this. No need to let the others know what happened today; they'll only start a fight with Draco. Draco? Even after what happened I was still calling him Draco. No, it's Malfoy. Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy! I can feel the trip coming to an end, so I prepare myself for landing. I land perfectly, step outside the fireplace, and dust myself off. I breathe in a deep breath. As my body settles into being still again, my mind stills too. Today I'm going to have fun with my friends that I haven't seen in too long.
Something, or someone I should say, suddenly slams into my back, knocking me to the ground, then landing on top of me. Fantastic, some idiot who doesn't know how to use flew powder.
***** Draco's POV *****
I felt strange flying back home. I noticed things, like birds singing. Usually, if I noticed trivial things like birds, it was because they were annoying me, but this time I thought they actually sounded kind of nice. What did this girl do to me? I just need to get back around normal people again. I'm sure as soon as Crabe and Goyle were pointing out sluts for me to bed and ditch I would be back to normal. I rushed home and rushed getting ready. The hot water poured over my body. Yeah, I had the perfect body, mostly from playing Quidditch. Yeah, every girl who wasn't repulsed by me, and even some of them, wanted me. Yeah, I was the new Slytherin Prince. And yeah, I had everything a person could want, except freedom and love. The water massaged away the confusion of this morning. Isabella wouldn't tell anyone. I closed my eyes and relaxed. The water turned into her hands, rubbing my shoulders, running down my back and down my abs, running across my arms. I let my head drop as her hands skillfully ran across my neck, soothing out all the knots. Once again her hands ran down my chest, down my abs, and continued down. I was suddenly aware on my **** as I became aroused. My eyes shot open. What was I thinking? I quickly got out of the shower, and try to rub away all the memories of the fantasy, but I couldn't get that girl out of my head. Once again I was hurrying, away from the fantasy? Or to see her again?
I basically ran to fireplace and threw in the flew powder and whisked myself away to Diagon Alley.
I come flying out of the fireplace in my haste. (Note to self: Always a bad idea to hurry with flew powder.) WHOMP. I came crashing down on someone who just came out of the fireplace. I landed flat on top of them, a girl, well, actually a young woman (from the feel of it). I heard them groan in slight pain, but mostly annoyance. I quickly got off and realized it was the girl I had been dying to see. What was she doing here, beneath me?
***** Isabella's POV *****
I feel the… young male (from the feel of it) scamper off of me. I stay laying there for a moment. Do I really have to face this idiot? Maybe today isn't going to be so great… The world seems to be against it.
"Isabella? Are you ok?" There was surprise in his voice, as if he was taken of guard.
I look up. My ears are deceiving me. My eyes focus on the figure standing above me. I shut my eyes, rubbing them against clenched fists. I open my eyes again, but only to look at the ground as I sit myself up, not daring to look up and him again. I start dusting myself off again. There is no way he went from asshole to asking if I'm ok. I must have tripped, and something Magic said is getting to me.
"Isabella? Isabella, are you all right? Let me help you up, please?" I shake my head. Had he forgotten about what happened earlier?
I finally allow myself to look up at him, only to see a very pleasant, and concerned looking Draco. What was this? I mean I know my seeing people usually have an effect on them, but this was just ridiculous.
***** Draco's POV *****
She was going to be stubborn as usual? I laughed under my breath. I grabbed her arm and pulled her up. She looked very confused and startled, and distracted.
***** Isabella's POV *****
I feel his hand wrap around my forearm, pulling me up. What does he think he's doing? I ignore the pleasant tingling in my arm where his hand is, and the way he's really grown up into a very attractive man over the summer.
"What are you doing? Going from threatening me to help me up? What is with you?" I ask him rudely. I know I didn't have a right to be mean to him, especially with all that he was going through (being seen and all), but I just couldn't help it.
***** Draco's POV *****
What was she talking about? Oh. Right. The fact that we hate each other, and that I basically threatened to kill her this morning. My face fell. I went back to being The Draco Malfoy.
***** Isabella's POV *****
He looks confused for a moment, then the usual Malfoy cold stare appears again.
Hand still around my arm, he painfully pulls me close to him, his nails digging into my arm. I wince. "I just wanted to remind you of what I said earlier. That's all." He nearly threw my arm away from him as he walked away. I rub my arm tenderly. Ow. Yea, same old Malfoy. But I do think my powers are finally starting to work on him… I watch him saunter off, I assume, to meet up with his friends, the oafs.
"Bella!" I hear my name screeched! Once again I am rammed into, only this time we don't fall but merely squeeze each other to death. This would be Maggie, my best friend in the whole world. Suddenly Hermione is beside us and we're all jumping up and down, screaming each other's names, and hugging each other. We are such teenage girls.
"Uh, whenever you guy are finished…" an awkward Ron says from behind me standing next to Harry. The three of us girls start hugging Harry and Ron.
Out of the corner of my eye, something catches my eye through the excitement. Draco was standing off to the side. He was watching us. Then his two oafs showed up and he reluctantly left with them. This boy was going to drive me crazier than usual. I sigh. Fantastic.
***** Draco's POV *****
I sauntered off and heard her friend Bishop yelling her name. I could hear their excitement for their little reunion. Wonder if anyone other than Pansy will be excited to see me. Pf. Doubt it. Why would they? I'm just a stuck up prick. I found a wall to lean against and casually watch them, hoping no one would notice. They seemed so happy. Even the Golden Boys were getting all the hugs and excitement they could stand. Why did I have to be the one who was destined to kill them, not join them?
***** Harry's POV ******
We had already hit the book store, and were on our way to buy our charms materials, but I couldn't stop thinking about the moment I first saw Bella today.
*** Flashback ***
I had just arrived in Diagon Alley, and now was looking for my friends. It was so good to be back in the magical world, even if only for the day before I had to return to the Durseley's. I rounded a corner and saw Bella, with Malfoy. He was kneeling down in front of her, her laying on the ground. What in bloody hell is he doing? He better fucking get away from her now! I started running over to her, wand raised, to defend her. Malfoy stood up, and grabbed her arm, and she didn't struggle. What was going on? They were frozen like that for a moment, and the she said something to him, and he sneered at her then walked away. Then from no-where I heard Maggie's familiar voice screaming Bella's name.
*** End Flashback ***
What was up with that? Didn't Malfoy almost rape her? Why was she allowing him anywhere near her? And even if he hadn't tried to rape her, he's still evil! My sworn enemy (other than Voldemort)! He's a death-eater! Or soon to be one! His family has evil written all over it! I have to find out what's going on.
The five of us enter the charms store, and split up, looking for our different materials. I follow Bella and pull her aside.
"Hey Bella," I say, thinking it best to ease into the conversation.
"Oh, hey Harry. How are you? I feel like we haven't actually gotten to talk yet," she responds, a little startled to see me, but continues to look for her materials.
"A little confused actually," I admitted.
"Oh? And why's that?" she asks curiously.
"Well earlier, before the five of us met up, I saw you by the fireplace… with Malfoy." I say, watching her face turn a little red.
"Oh… you saw that? It was so weird. He knocked me down when he came out of the fireplace and then he helped me up. I thought it was weird, so I asked him what his deal was, and then he went back to being the normal git Malfoy is. It was weird." She shrugged. Oh, thank Merlin he didn't do anything.
"Oh, ok. I was just wondering," I say, staying cool.
"You don't have to worry Harry," she says. "I don't know what's gotten into him, but I know who my friends are." She knew me so well, well I guess she gets everyone, but still.
I was reassured. "Good," I say. Very good, but I got the slight feeling she wasn't telling me everything. I pushed the feeling away. This was Bella, she would tell me if there was anything to tell in her own time. No need to push it.
***** Isabella's POV *****
With all the school supplies bought early, the gang decided to celebrate and catch up in The Three Broomsticks drinking butter-beers. Soon the boys turn their conversation to Quidditch, and Hermione must return to the muggle world. Maggie and I finish our butter-beers and decide to take a walk outside.
As soon as we leave the cool inside air and blistering summer sun hits our skin, Maggie exclaims "Oh Merlin, Harry grew up a lot over the summer, didn't he? I mean, Merlin, I thought he was attractive before!"
I smile, of course that's what Maggie had been dying to tell me. "Yea, the guys really did do a lot of growing up over the summer." Of course Maggie, through her obsession with Harry, notices that I'm saying more than I mean.
"Ooh! Now, Isabella, have you been holding out on me?" wanting to hear all about my new crush, well, that's what she thought it was.
I bit my lip. I could tell her a little, right? I mean, not any details, just the basics right?
Maggie's face lit up. "Oh my Merlin, there is someone isn't there?" We always talked about boy, but I'd never really fancied anyone, and she was a little worried. So now she was ecstatic.
"Well, not exactly…" I bit my lip again. This was going to be hard. How could I explain this? If she knew how Draco had threatened me she'd tell Harry and get all the Gryffindors to attack him. It would not be good.
Curiosity was brimming over and out of her eyes. I had to say something now, and a simple "all the guys in our year are looking finer now" wouldn't cut it; not with Maggie. I let out a sigh. We stopped at a secluded bench. Here it goes.
"I ran into Malfoy the other day," No need for specifics. I held my breath. Here it comes.
"You what? You saw him? What happened? Don't leave anything out! Where were you? What did the little ferret do? He didn't," Maggie exploded. Of course she would want to know every detail.
"No, he didn't touch me." That was almost true. "I was out riding Magic, and we stopped by a pond, and he was there too. He was pretty mad to see me, but I saw him, Maggie. I saw him." Pretty mad didn't begin to cover it, but what more could I say?
Maggie's face was confused at first, and then a understanding crept into her eyes. "And what did you see?" That's not exactly what I wanted to tell her, but ok. I'd go with it. Did that cross the line of telling his secret?
"He doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, basically. But that's besides the point. Do you remember the other part of when I see someone?"
Confusion once again consumed her face. "It changes them," I explained. "It's like when I see them, I take off their mask, if only for a moment. After that, the mask doesn't fit right and so they wear it less and less."
"And is it working yet?"
I bit my lip. Yes, but then she would ask how I know. "I'm not sure, but he's about to go through a very confusing time. Being the only person who knows him, he's going to turn to me for… comfort and understanding." Maggie wouldn't like that.
"I don't like it, not one bit." Her face was a squished up in distaste. "You can't trust him. He's dangerous, Bella. I don't care if you know what he's feeling, he can still hurt you. I don't want you going anywhere near him."
I let out another sigh. I knew this would be hard for her, for any of them. "Don't you see Maggie, if I don't help him through this he'll be scarred for life, and possibly be even worse than he is now. I won't go to him, Maggie, but if he comes to me I have to help him. And this is why I'm telling you, so you can look out for me. If Harry and the others knew, they'd probably kill him on the spot. Can I trust you not to tell anyone?" I pleaded to her with my eyes.
Her face held a firm no written all over it, so I gave her my puppy dog eyes and whispered, "Please, do this for me? As my best friend?" That got to her.
"Fine," she finally gave in, "but at the first sign of trouble, I'm telling the Trio, and you'll have to deal with them after they save your arse."
I smiled and pulled her into a big hug. "You're the best Mags!" I could deal with that, in fact that's what I was hoping for.
Hello everyone! Thanks for reading and sticking with me! I do not own the story of Harry Potter. As always, please comment and favorite! I'll try to get the next one out again soon. Sorry it's another short one.