Disclaimer: So, I forgot to put this up on the other two chapters, but I do not own any of the characters or anything. It is all from the extraordinary mind of one JK Rowling. Just to clear that up.

Also, thanks to TheFlyingCat for their review – much appreciated! And now…

…

Getting to Diagon Alley proved to be quite simple. Two days after receiving the Hogwarts letters, Molly, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry Flooed to the fireplace in George's shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. George, who owned the three flats above the shop, had gone home the day before in order to check up on things in the shop. Business was booming, and while George had many shop assistants and three general managers, he liked to keep an eye on things. The six of them had tea in the flat that George himself lived in. He rented out the other two at extraordinarily low rates for those who he decided needed the housing the most. Hermione had never met the other inhabitants, but, knowing George, she assumed that they were quite colorful and eccentric enough to have caught his attention.

After tea, George bid them good-bye and promised Molly that he would come for dinner soon. After making sure that the four of them knew where they were going and what they needed, Molly left Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny and bustled off to run some errands of her own. After wandering through the apothecary to gather potions supplies, and the quill shop, where Hermione purchased an absolutely beautiful peacock feather quill with delicate detailing, Harry and Ginny declared they were going to grab a bite to eat. Promising to meet in front of Flourish and Botts in an hour and a half, Hermione and Ron wandered through Diagon Alley together. They had not spent this much time alone in a very long time, and Hermione did not want to waste a second. They stopped by Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, which surprisingly sold sandwiches as well, and sat outside to enjoy their lunch. They finished holding hands and sharing a chocolate ice cream sprinkled with nuts.

"This is nice," Ron breathed into her hair. Hermione murmured in agreement, and shifted her head so that it was more comfortable on his shoulder. They sat like this for a while, sharing in the moment of simply being together and enjoying each other's company. Too quickly, they felt, it was time to meet Harry and Ginny in front of the bookstore. Hand in hand, they strolled down the street and towards the shop, where they saw familiar red and black heads plastered together.

"Oi, mate," Ron said, without any heat, "you might want to think of where and what you are doing." Harry and Ginny sprung apart, blushing slightly. There was a moment of awkwardness before Harry chuckled and jerked his head in the direction of the bookshop.

"Shall we?" he asked, with a cheeky grin towards Ginny, who snorted and dug her elbow into his ribs before dragging him in. Ron shook his head, muttering, before following the two of them inside.

Once inside, Hermione breathed the familiar scent of leather and parchment. Within ten minutes, she had found all her schoolbooks and was happily rummaging through the shelves for an interesting read. While Ron, Ginny and Harry looked through the new biography on Gwenog Jones, Hermione settled down on the window seat of the show with a series of essays on 16th century potions. It was fascinating how some of the ideas they theorized were present in modern potion making. Impatiently pushing aside a strand of hair that had gotten loose from her ponytail, Hermione glanced out the window and froze.

Coming down the street was an all too familiar blond head. Actually, two familiar blond heads. Draco and Narcissa Malfoy were strolling down Diagon Alley, arm in arm. Hermione felt a rush of fear, before dismissing it and realizing the two of them couldn't hurt her, not here at least. Pausing for a moment, she looked the two over. Narcissa looked drawn and work. While dressed as impeccably as ever, there was something about her that seemed fragile and very breakable. Draco seemed to be trying to shield her as much as he could from the angry glares the shoppers were giving them. Not that he looked any better than his mother.

Hermione gave a small gasp as she looked him over. He looked even worse than he had in his sixth year at Hogwarts. Draco was a shadow of his former self. His robes hung around him loosely, and his cheekbones were especially prominent. The shadowy circles under his eyes were evidence of sleepless nights, and his hair looked as though he was constantly running his hand through it. But most of all, Hermione's eyes were drawn to the cane he held in his hand. There was no pretending it was merely a walking stick for show. Not with the way he gripped it with white-knuckled hands and leaned on it whenever he took a limping step forward.

"What does that slimy git think he's doing here?" Ron's voice came from over Hermione's shoulder. Startled, she glanced up. Harry, Ginny and Ron had all come over to see what she was looking at. Harry and Ginny just looked shocked.

"Merlin," Ginny breathed. "He looks awful. I wonder what happened." Harry was still staring at the Malfoys with shock in his eyes.

Just then, an absolutely beautiful witch and a familiar looking boy greeted the Malfoys. The witch hugged both of them, while the two boys shared a handshake and a hug.

"That boy was in the Slug Club," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Blaise Zabini. He's our year in Slytherin, but I didn't know he and Malfoy were friends."

"Huh," was all Ron said before going up to the counter to pay for his books. Hermione followed, grabbing the collection of essays as she walked past the window. She gave one last glance at the four people in the street before heading to the back of the shop as well.

-O-O-O-O-

Draco had never been gladder to see Blaise Zabini in his life. They had sent each other letters over the summer, but Draco was still wary of owl mail, knowing how easily it could be intercepted. Not that he was saying anything remotely incriminating, but old habits die hard. When his mother had said they needed to go to Diagon Alley to buy supplies, he had not looked forward to it. The few times they had gone out together, they had been met with angry stares from passerby. It wasn't so much Narcissa as Draco who attracted the unwanted attention.

It was completely by chance that they had run into Blaise and his mother. The two women left the boys to do their own shopping while they went out to lunch. So now it was Draco and Blaise who entered the apothecary to get supplies for potions the next year. Draco had not been surprised when Blaise said he was going back to school. Blaise and his mother had remained conspicuously neutral during the war, and had no problem merging back into normal society, mainly because they had never left it. Blaise had appeared unsurprised that Draco was headed back, but he had always been good at concealing what he was thinking. Well, so was Draco, but he didn't want to betray Blaise's trust by reading too much into him.

"You been sleeping alright, mate?" Blaise asked as they wandered among the shelves. Draco sifted through some dried dung beetles before responding.

"Not really, but I'll be fine." Feeling a need to lighten the mood, he grinned and drawled, "Why? Do you miss my rugged charms and good looks from before? We don't all have the time for beauty sleep like you do, Zabini." Blaise chuckled and faked a cuff at Draco's head. Then he sobered.

"But seriously, Draco. You ever need anything, let me know, yeah?"

"Thanks Blaise." Draco was oddly touched by the concern. "Any way, what have you been up to this summer besides beauty sleeping?" While he and Blaise talked, Draco realized he was glad Blaise was coming back to school too. At least there would be one person who didn't want him dead or back in Azkaban.