And if we dream - Draco Malfoy/ OC

Chapter 3- The beginning.

Summary: Like some magnetic force, like some unbreakable bond she was drawn back to him again and again. And now, staying away was an inconceivable notion. "Always." she murmured, one hand finding his, the other tangling into his platinum hair, "Always."

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This is the beginning I guess- Thanks to those who have put this alert and have reviewed and favourited when its barely started yet. Thanks for the faith! If you could all review too I'd be even more thankful!

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"Blimey." Avery gushed as she stepped into the chaos that was the newly completed Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, "How do they come up with half of this stuff?" To her left she saw a kid climbing vertically up a wall, another suffering the effect of puking pastels, bright firework like lights zooming through the air. What Avery would give to have just a pinch of the twins creativity. The laughter around her seemed to be a brilliant remedy to the darkness that had been hanging over the wizarding world lately, the attacks on the muggle world a sore topic for anybody. She craned her neck, searching for her three best friends who she had arranged to meet here today. She was a few minutes late and figured they had all been swept up into the craziness of it all. The shop reeked of the twins and their brilliance, which was second to none, which was to say that most of the products people were buying was more than likely to set off on the buyer rather than whoever they had intended it for. A second kid emptied his guts into a small cauldron as instant proof to her observation. As brilliant as everything here was she longed to see her friends more than anything, a few letters here and there over the holidays was not sufficient enough and she was glad for the few days she would be able to spend at the Weasleys before they were to return to Hogwarts. She made her way through the crowds and climbed one of the smaller wooden staircases, as she reached the top and luminescent pink light caught her eye, but it was the pink tinted face above it that caught her eye, "Hermione!" she called, a huge smile breaking out across her face. Her friend had her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and looked more than uncomfortable next to the love potions. A small frown marred her face as she glanced around for whomever had called her name. "Over here!" Avery called as she pushed through s group of kids she recognised to be third year Ravenclaws. Hermione turned towards her voice, and grinned as she noticed her friend fighting her way towards her. "Avery!" She cried, pulling the red head into a hug, "How have you been? I was hoping you would get here soon!"

"It's manic in here isn't it?" Avery asked, gesturing around the shop, "Are Harry and Ron here?"

"Of course, Ginny too, Rons with the twins somewhere, trying to get money off the products. Harry disappeared into the crowd somewhere." she explained.

"Have you bought anything?" She glanced at the potions they stood beside, "A love potion maybe? Though I sure you wouldn't need a potion to bag Ron."

"Bag Ronald?" Hermione spluttered, "Avery! I cant believe you would.."

"Ave? Merlin! I ain't seen you in a while!" Rons voice interrupted the scalding that was sure to spill from Hermiones mouth. Avery would always be thankful for his impeccable timing. "I missed you too Ron." she grinned as she pulled him into a hug, "Thanks for letting me stay at yours before we go back to school."

"Of course. Ive been asking you for years Avery."

"Where's Harry?" she asked as the red head let her go.

"He's around here somewhere." Ron shrugged lazily, heading towards where he had just spotted his brothers and Avery and Hermione made to follow.

"Some of this stuff has to be illegal." Avery mumbled, gawping at a second year Hufflepuff who seemed to have been stretched a mile longer than was natural, he could probably give Hagrid a run for his money right now. "How long do you think that one will last?"

Avery jumped as two voices behind her said in unison, "Only a few days."

"Fred. George." she frowned, "George. Fred. Whichever order you're in right now."

"Alright Avery?" they said together.

"You tried one of these yet?" one of the twins held out a pink circular sweet.

"They're delicious."

"No. And I don't plan too." she laughed in reply, "I unintentionally tested one of your nosebleed nougats back in school remember."

"Oh we wouldn't give you anything bad Avery."

"Yeah- We don't want you cursing us in our own shop do we?"

"What does that one do?" Ron asked from where he had just reappeared beside Hermione.

"Eat it and find out." The first twin, who by now Avery was pretty sure was Fred grinned, eyes challenging.

She sighed, "No Fred, I'm not eating it, it'll probably turn my hair pink or make me grow and extra leg or something."

"I'm George." he said gravely to which she saw Hermione roll her eyes.

"Come on, these guys are being tight, lets go." Ron interrupted, a hint of bitterness in his voice. He strode determinedly through the crowds ignoring the cheery goodbye that his brothers shot their way. "I'm glad I'm an only child." Avery grinned to Hermione who silently nodded her agreement.

"There's Harry." Hermione pointed to the bottom of the flight of stairs they were currently descending, "Over by the pygmy puffs. Harry!"

The-Boy-Who-Lived, in his usual muggle get up, wiry glasses and unruly black hair hadn't changed much, though Avery thought his aforementioned hair may be shorter than it had been the year before. She immediately searched his face for any lingering sadness over Sirius's death the year before, from his letters over the summer she had discerned he was still understandably saddened but much better than he had been before. But a smile was quick to grace his features as she scrambled towards him, "Harry Potter! I missed you!"

"Hi Avery," he grinned into the hug, "You're staying with us til Hogwarts right?"

"Yeah she is." Ron answered for her, "Come on mate, we're getting out of here."

Harry turned on his heel and led them towards the exit. As they exited the shop they were met with the sight of the alley, darkened, empty, a stark reminder that the chaos behind them was a one off thing. "How do Fred and George do it? Half the alleys closed down."

"Fred reckons people need a laugh these days."

"I reckon he's right." Harry murmured, his dark eyes scanning the alley, Avery nodded in agreement. She heard Hermione gasp ahead of her and was met with the sight of Ollivanders, windows smashed, darkened. "Everybody bought their wands from Ollivanders." Avery swallowed sadly as she remembered herself at eleven. Old man Ollivander handing her wand after wand, until she felt that familiar pull that told her the wand she held was the one for her. Matilda stood off to the side, smiling proudly.

Harry was the first to step into the destruction that had once been the bustling wand shop. "Looks like a bomb went off in here." Avery said gravely.

"More like a fire." Hermione replied, running a finger along one of the walls and showing Avery the black soot that remained on her finger tip.

"Where will the first years get their wands? I cant think of any other wand shops near here, can you?" Avery asked, if anybody would know the answer it would be Hermione. "Well.." Hermione started, but was cut off again when Ron, who was staring intently out of the window called Harrys name.

"Is it just me or do Draco and mummy look like people who don't want to be followed." Interest peaked the girls joined them at the window, eyes on the blonde boy and his mother who stood outside, glancing around surreptitiously.

"Could they look any more suspicious?" Hermione whispered.

Avery sighed as Harry moved jerkily, heading towards the door, "We're spying again aren't we?"

"Looks that way." Ron replied eagerly, following his best friend from the shop. Avery grinned as Hermione mirrored her exasperated expression, but followed anyway.

They stumbled towards the tight alleyway the Malfoys had just entered, sticking close together. They passed numerous WANTED posters of death eaters and other criminals. Overall it was just plain creepy and Avery began to long for the craziness of the twin's shop, at least in there they weren't following notorious Slytherins down a dark alley into the unknown. Hermione's face mirrored her thoughts perfectly. Yet we still follow them willingly. Avery thought to herself. Bloody Gryffindors.

Avery shuddered as they skirted around a man who was crying or praying into the brick wall, as if he were seeing a long lost lover, or begging for his life to be spared. Ravenous dogs snarled and barked, dragging their owners behind them. The four students came out of the alleyway and onto thankfully, flat concrete, unlike the cobbles they had just been walking, or stumbling in Avery and Ron's case.

"Borgin and Burkes." Hermione whispered as they watched the Malfoys step inside the harshly lit shop, thankfully not turning around, they would have been spotted immediately if that had been the case. "Did you hear that?" Hermione asked, reminding Avery that the mousy haired girl had a tendency to talk when she was nervous.

"Sounds like there's more people?" Ron stated, though it came as more of a question.

"If we climb up there," Harry started, pointing to the sloping roof, we should be able to see inside."

"How we gonna get up there?" Ron asked.

"We're not of age yet Harry." Hermione stated. "We cannot use magic out of school."

"I know Hermione." he replied, "We'll do it the muggle way."

Avery groaned as she comprehended what he was saying, they were going to climb. Avery couldn't climb, she couldn't do anything sports related. She could only just balance on a broom and was definitely not joining any Quidditch teams any time soon. By the time she had snapped out of her thoughts Harry had already climbed all the way up and Ron and Hermione were following. She guessed if Hermione could climb it then she could too, Hermione was a brilliant witch but she had no balance and could be clumsier than most. Hermione on a broom for example was a recipe for disaster. A huge disaster. Avery groaned again and wrapped her hand around a loosened brick, she launched herself up and pressed her foot into a rut. It seemed to Avery like hours before she finally made it to the top, which was due mainly to Harry reaching down and pulling her up between himself and Hermione. She didn't think the others had seen this help and she wasn't about to tell them anytime soon. She mouthed her thanks as she settled down but Harry had already returned his attention to what was happening below them. Avery did the same. In the shop below, stood a group of people, none of whom Avery recognised, except Narcissa Malfoy and of course Draco Malfoy who was currently stood before an ancient looking cupboard, pretty nondescript. But the way he caressed it and openly gawped at it, it seemed like the most important thing in the entire world. "He has a thing for cabinets now?" Avery quipped into the quiet.

"I wish we could hear them." Harry groaned.

It took all the willpower in the world to stop Avery from screaming as the extremely ugly face of Fenrir Greyback jumped into view. She felt a hand pushing down on her shoulder and recognised the dire need to hide away. She ducked as low as she could go, praying to Merlin that she wouldn't slide down the bloody roof. She held her breath as she noticed Hermiones foot catch on a loose slab, which promptly fell to the floor smashing, far too loudly, into tiny pieces. They were surely to be caught now. Nobody came out screaming though, no curses or jinxes came their way, instead as they dared to peak towards the window again they found the window covered by thick black blinds and their view consequently gone.

"Dammit." Harry growled quietly.

"Come on, lets get down from here before I fall." Ron replied, already well on his way to reaching the ground. Once Hermione, Harry and Avery had found their way down, Avery stretched, her back creaking, "We're not even back at school and we're already sneaking after Slytherins."

As they found their way back to the alleyway they had come from they fell silent and Avery's eyes inadvertedly found the WANTED poster belonging to the werewolf they had just seen in person. They didn't speak again until they were out in the open and trailing past the Weasleys shop. "What do you think they were doing in there?" Hermione questioned as they made their way toward the nearest Floo point.

"Hiding?" Avery guessed, "I mean you've seen the papers right? They're in there a lot, since the trials and all."

"No. I don't think so. They'd stay in their Manor wouldn't they?" Ron replied.

"Good point Ronald." Hermione stated, and the ginger shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure we will do some sneaking and find out eventually." Hermione smiled knowingly.

"Obviously. It's not like Harry will let this go." Avery mumbled to the girl, when she knew the boys were out of earshot.

"He wouldn't be Harry if he did." Hermione replied.

"Here we are." Ron grinned, pushing through a doorway which led to another shop in a similar state to Ollivanders. They followed him to the fire place. "This place used to be a lot more fun to Floo to." he explained. He stepped into the fireplace, grabbed a handful of the black powder and cried, "The Burrow!"

Harry followed soon after and as Hermione stepped into the fire she warned, "You should brace yourself before you get to the Burrow. It's chaos there, especially once the twins arrive." Then she screamed her destination and the green flames erupted around her. Avery smiled, a small flicker of anticipation in her stomach, she had never been to the Burrow before. Until forth year she hadn't been able to leave the house in the holidays unless they were to go to social events as a family, then after forth year, once Harry had divulged to her the information that her mother was a death eater she had stayed with her old nanny Matilda in the holidays. It was only now, before their sixth year that she was to finally spend a few days with her friends having determined that Matilda would be okay without her and not miss her too badly.

She figured the others would worry if she procrastinated too long and stepped into the fireplace herself, grimacing at the thought that she would soon feel the strange pulling sensation and appear somewhere else covered in dust. She gripped some dust in her hand and as she made to call out the destination she noticed figures ambling past the shop in which she stood. First a non descript man with dark hair, then an older man she also didn't recognise followed closely and gracefully by Narcissa Malfoy whom, if Avery didn't know better, simply looked like a mother on a shopping trip with her son, composed and elegant. Said son, Draco followed behind her, slower than the rest. He looked deep in thought and his eyes looked a little glazed over. She could see his eyes clearly because they had just met hers. There was a few seconds before comprehension hit the Slytherin and he snarled in her direction, the cool calmness she was used to seeing overtaking him again. She frowned and shook her head, dropping the dust onto the floor and clearly shouting, "The Burrow."

The last thing she saw before the flames erupted her and everything went swirly and black was Draco Malfoy, head held high, continuing on behind his mother. Suddenly Avery didn't mind so much that Harry wouldn't stop until he found out what was happening with the blonde. After all, she couldn't deny that she was curious.

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