Hey guys!! I finally put the second part of Diagon Alley up!! As you can see, splitting it up was the wiser choice!
Chocolate Frogs to:
clarealexandrea You are awesome!!
debjunk It seems like every time I review a story, you've already been there :P
Mistress Aya One of my beta's!
Alia Lynn The coolest ever!
Matt Quinn An talented writer, Go read The Wrath of the Half Blood Prince IT IS THE BEST SNAPE FIC!!
bluehazegrl LOVE LOVE LOVE your suggestions!!
Katalia you should really log in so you could be a signed review. You had some nice things to say and if you write something I'll go read it!
AmethystSaoirse-TheIrishDra... I'm glad you think its funny!
And to Diakio who had better read and review each chapter when he gets his days off or I'm going train mice to dance on his head at the most inopportune time.
What Happens When You Start Walking
Alyssia walked over and sat down across from Draco. He didn't even look up.
"I am nothing without my parents." he said quietly. Alyssia sat up and said, "That is not true, why would you say that?"
""Yes it is true, my mother was hardly there all summer and my dad had better things to do."
"So is that why you've acted rotten all day?"
"No, I'm just like that."
"Draco did you choose to get dressed this morning."
"What?"
"Just play along, I hope I make sense in a moment."
"Yes I did."
"Did you choose to come with us?"
"Yes."
"Did you choose to come here and order ice cream?"
"Yes."
"It's all about choice." Alyssia continued.
"What's the difference in choosing those things and choosing others?" Draco seemed stumped.
"What's the difference in choosing to act right and be nice and being mean and acting spoilt."
"I can't be friends with anybody but the Slytherin's. If I do my dad will…." Draco hung his head.
"Why would they do anything to their own child?" Alyssia asked uncomfortably.
"My family has been in Slytherin for hundreds of years." Draco said ignoring her previous question.
"So, my dad was in Slytherin and he made friends in all of the houses."
"My dad is different from your dad." Draco said in a sad tone of voice.
Draco always liked Professor Snape and Sky better than his dad.
"You are different from your father and people are supposed to change as they get older"
"Tradition states the opposite."
Alyssia got up and stood beside Draco. "C'mon get up"
Draco, not really caring at the moment, stood up.
"Tradition states never change, correct."
"It states things are fine the way they are."
"What if they aren't?"
At this point Severus and Harry had moved closer, so they could hear this exchange better. Both were perplexed at what Alyssia was trying to do.
Alyssia went to the end of the patio and turned around.
"Please come here."
Draco turned towards her and started to walk.
"Stop."
"What?"
"What did you do?"
"You asked me to come to you."
"That is not what I asked; I asked what you did."
Draco thought for a moment and looked up at her confused.
"What did you physically do?"
"I turned and walked towards you."
Alyssia smiled "You changed direction, and you moved forward."
"Yes I did."
"Exactly."
"You're losing me."
"No your getting it, what would have happened if you stayed there"
"Nothing."
"Exactly."
Alyssia, getting very happy, said
"Tradition states nothing ever changes, progress moves forward."
You could almost see the light bulb turn on over Draco's head. Then he grimaced.
"If I break tradition and be nice they will come up here and beat me raw."
Alyssia started to speak but was interrupted.
"Alyssia you don't understand I've never done anything without my parent's permission or them not finding out about it later."
"I was raised to figure things out on my own." Alyssia said.
"What if you didn't?" Draco asked.
"Then it didn't get done, my dad is all making somebody do their own thing. He always said 'What if something happened to me then what would you do.'"
Draco slumped and got a frantic look on his face.
"What's the matter Draco?"
"I don't know what to do without my parents telling me."
"Now is a good time to learn."
Draco looked at her like she was crazy.
Alyssia saw this and stated "People are a product of their environment, change the environment, change the person." Alyssia said cheerfully.
Draco thought 'This girl is craziest Slytherin I have ever met.'
The 'but what if' bug had already bitten Draco.
"Ok."
"'Ok' what?" Alyssia asked.
"Why do you always do that?"
"Do what?"
"That right there"
"I've always believed in 'Ask the right question get the right answer."
Alyssia walked over to the counter and ordered a chocolate ice cream with some neat garnish she saw. She thanked him, left a galleon and left.
"Umm Miss you forgot your change!" Alyssia looked back at the shopkeeper,
"Tip." She said, and turned around and walked on. "Let's find Sev Sev and Harry and finish shopping before it gets too late."
Draco walked to her side "Why do you call him that?"
"Because I always have."
"He doesn't…"
"Correct me too much?" Alyssia laughed and smiled devilishly
"He stopped trying that when I was little— HEY SEV-SEV!"
Alyssia and Draco walked over to where Severus stood, Harry a few steps back.
"That was a very interesting display…very much like Sky" Professor Snape said with a slight sneer.
Alyssia, in between bites of ice cream, said "Visual examples are the easiest to pick up."
Harry stepped up a pace "Yes they are."
Severus, ignoring Harry said, "Alyssia, finish that so we can go in the bookstore."
"Well I plan to finish it."
"Now."
Alyssia gave her ice cream to Draco and held out her hands. "UGGA BUGGA UGGA BUGGA! "She said as she waved her hands dramatically at Severus.
"If you do that again I will leave you here!"
"Why?"
"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" Severus yelled.
Alyssia looked at Severus and simply said "Well it's a good thing you didn't have kids"
Alyssia was finishing her ice cream when Severus walked over to Alyssia and said, "I..will"
"Speak English please, bark if you can't." Alyssia said standing in the same spot, smiling that happy smile again.
'I can't believe this girl is getting me this worked up, oh don't smile at me like that, quit liking me, NOW'
Severus backed up a step and sighed "Go in that bookstore and get what you want and come back out do you understand me?"
"Yes sir, aren't you coming?"
"NO!" and Severus stormed off towards the robe shop.
"You are going to get yourself killed."
Draco said walking towards the bookstore.
"What is it with you and people dying?"
Harry was behind them, slow, for he was thinking about what just happened.
Snape held back, maybe Draco was right, maybe he does treat his students better than anybody else.
Alyssia walked in, immediately went to the left side of the book store, and continued worked her way around. She was looking all the books that interested her, reading a bit and putting them back.
Draco walked up to her, "What are you doing?"
"Looking." She said as continued on her way. Alyssia turned around and found the spells section.
Her eyes lit up like Christmas morning. She did the same thing although, this time, she kept most of them.
Alyssia walked to the front desk, "Will you hold these till I get done shopping please?"
"Certainly." Alyssia smiled at the clerk and checked her school list for what she needed. She noted she had already had her required Spells book in her pile.
Harry finished buying his school list, went to find Alyssia and Draco. They were arguing, again.
"Draco is absolutely nothing wrong with this book! In fact used books are usually better! They typically have tips and advice from the previous owner written in them!
Alyssia was holding a copy of a 3rd year spells book. Draco looked repugnant, "I will not buy a used book!"
Alyssia exasperated took the book Draco was holding and said,
"Turn around."
"What?"
"I'll make sense in a moment, just turn around."
Draco turned around, Harry, watching the whole time, was very amused by this proceeding.
"You may turn around now." Alyssia said, holding two books in front of her.
Draco turning around said
"What is the point of all this?"
"Pick out the used book, and no you can't smell them."
Draco looked at her very oddly and then studied them for a moment,
"That one…no, that one…(sighs)..Which one is it?"
"If you can't tell, no one else can, besides if you are disowned the money in your pocket is all you'll have for some time." Draco looked horrified.
"I'm not getting disowned!" Draco shreiked
"Maybe, maybe not. You don't know that for a fact." Alyssia though, 'It's working, HA! just like dad said 'just because it's not true, doesn't mean you can't use it''
Draco still looked horrified. "I'm not doing anything to get disowned."
"If you're mean to people for no reason, I'm going to make your life very difficult." She stepped closer. "Lu-Lu is my godfather and 'I'm' not the one going anywhere."
Draco gulped.
"If I get disowned being nice so you don't give me hell, your taking care of me." Draco said with a matter-of-fact look on his face.
"Ok."
"What."
"I don't mind taking care of people, its how my dad is."
"How did he get in Slytherin, again?"
"You know the answer to that."
"I don't think being Schizo is a qualification."
"No but being psycho is."
"Good point." Draco had a faint smile, but it vanished just as quickly.
Alyssia looked like she accomplished some great feat.
"Now, if you are disowned, you'll need to watch your allowance money, so it'll last a long time."
"I am not going to look..." Draco said with the same repugent face
"Draco you will never look like a hobo, and neither will I."
Draco sighed.
Alyssia continued and Harry was still watching the whole thing.
'She is really working him over good, I wonder why I've never even a mention of her before. Then again I don't hang out with anybody in Slytherin, I feel out numbered today. I think staying quiet is working, I don't know this girl or what she's like.' Harry snapped out of thoughts, and continued to watch the floor show.
"If you are careful I bet you can stretch it out a long time, how much you have?"
"1000 galleons"
"Geez, you're loaded!" Alyssia said rather stunned.
"No I'm not, that's my usual allowance."
Alyssia wondered if that was monthly or weekly.
"That will buy at least…" Alyssia began, counting on her fingers.
"Two years of school, maybe three if you're very careful."
"I am not poor!"
"It's your parents with all the money, not you." Draco looked at her like she just called him a mud-blood.
Alyssia continues, "If they disown you, you'll be on your own." 'I love scaring him, I'm not new to him but I am to this school. I need to start out running if it's anything like dad said it was.
Draco looked around like he was looking for something.
"How do I do that?!"
"Become self-sufficient."
"Meaning?" Draco said curiously.
"You've never done anything on your own before?" Alyssia asked rather shocked.
"No."
"Well, you need to learn how, or you will be miserable for a long time."
Draco's shoulders slumped. Alyssia getting off her warpath said,
"If you agree to get the nice used books, you won't have to go to the front counter."
Draco looked up,
"I don't want used books."
"You your self couldn't tell the difference, I get used books when available. What's wrong with it?"
"You have used books in that pile."
"Yes."
"And your parents are…"
"Loaded like yours, but have an allowance as well. And the more money I save the more music pages I get to buy."
"Music pages…oh that annoyingly loud book."
"So what will it be." Alyssia looking stern, using the few inches of height she had over him to her advantage. 'I get my way now I may not have to work as hard next time.'
Draco looked unsure.
"Ok."
"YES!"
"I'm not getting used robes and that's final!"
"No course not, you can just have her adjust the ones you have, there's nothing wrong with them."
Draco gave a 'what the heck' look at this, but Alyssia had already walked off.
Alyssia turned and went up to the front counter, with Harry following her. Draco just huffed and stormed outside.
"That was brilliant." Harry said while she was paying for the books.
"No big deal, I was just doing what I normally do with him." Alyssia said digging out galleons for the books she bought.
"What, argue?" Harry asked.
"No, win." Alyssia said smiling and shoving her books in her magic sack.
They went outside and saw Severus trying to calm Draco down.
Then Severus looked at Alyssia and exclaimed.
"I'm not even going to ask, You three need to go to Madam Malkin's and meet me back here quickly! She's already going out of her way to do your robes by Sunday!"
"But..." but Alyssia was cut off.
"NOW!"
Harry, Alyssia and Draco walked down to Madam Malkin's store,
"Geez why does he have to be so mean, I mean…" Alyssia huffed.
"He's always like that; it's what I tried to tell you." Harry said. Alyssia looked hurt,
"I'm going to find what's wrong." Alyssia said happily.
"Are you always this HAPPY!" Harry said shouting the last bit. Getting a little angry that every Slytherin he met always got exactly what they wanted.
"Yes." Alyssia stated.
They entered Madam Malkin's and heard a bell ring. "Hello dears what can I do for you today?" Ms. Malkin called out from her workstation. Harry walked over,
"I need new robes, I've slightly outgrown the ones I had."
"Alright, come on over here."
Alyssia walked around the store looking at the various styles of robes. Draco followed her mumbling
"I can't believe you talked me into that."
ALyssia thought, 'Neither can I, you aren't very ballsy by your self.' "Talked you into what." Alyssia responded sweetly
"You know what." Draco pouting, looking disinterested through robes.
"You said your self you couldn't tell." Alyssia said in a triumphant tone of voice.
She saw a robe that was particularly interesting.
"Find something you like dear?" Ms. Malkin called to Alyssia
"Yes ma'am, I'd like this one." Alyssia said, bringing the rob style to Ms. Malkin.
She said pointing at one of the robes hanging up on the wall.
"Yes lots of Qudditch players like this one because of the slightly tapered sleeves."
"Yes, having all that fabric around your arms is annoying."
"Alright then, measurements please."
Madam Malkin went over to her desk and got to work on it.
"Just the one?"
"No m'am, 7 please."
"Like spares I see."
"Well even though it's not a contact sport you do get dirty and sweaty. And unless you really fancy the cleaning spell, having clothing washed nightly for practice is annoying." Alyssia said.
Draco picked out a robe style and had his measurements done.
"You're much quicker this time." Draco said
"When I don't have your mother dragging up a fuss, I can work a lot better." Madam Malkin said curtly
As much as Draco missed his mother, he had to admit she could be a bitch.
"Yes Ma'am." Draco said with a bored undertone.
"Your behavior is a tad better without her henpecking as well."
"Ok, I get it!" Draco snapped, getting impatient with her.
They finally left the store with their purchases, and went back up the street to find Severus. They went back up to the spot where they left Severus and discovered he was nowhere to be found.
"He left us!" Harry exclaimed.
"Good thing we were done." Alyssia said looking around. Harry sighed, not really surprised at this.
"Let's go to the Leaky Cauldron." Alyssia exclaimed raising one arm.
Draco said dully, "Good we need a drink!"
Alyssia said with excitement. "No, they have a fireplace there."
"Oh, there's no reason we can't have a few while we're there" Alyssia said playfully.
Draco's arms were laden with books, supplies and robes.
Alyssia looked at the sight and laughed.
"Do you want to ask me nicely now?" Alyssia said holding out her bag mockingly.
"I would but I don't remember how." Draco snapped.
"You have to be kidding me." Alyssia replied.
"You honestly think my parents taught me proper manners?" Draco said exhasperated.
"Well I did think better than that of your dad." Alyssia responded smiling. 'He is going to do this the right way.'
Draco sighed, arms tired from carrying everything.
Alyssia said "Alyssia, may I please put my stuff in your bag."
Draco looked like he was about to gag, but he wasn't really in a mood to argue. "Alyssia may I put my stuff in your bag."
"Close enough, we'll work on that."
They found their fireplace and returned to school (eventually).
Hope everyone enjoyed it. I've started writing Ch.5 and thanks to clarealexandrea who lives in England. She has given me insight into what living in England is really about. You can look stuff up and read about it, but nothing takes the place of actual experience.
Neville: You've read it now.
Luna: now review it before nargoles steal your shoes.