Mira, Narcissa, and Draco exited the Malfoy manor and stepped onto the brick-paved drive. "The car should be here any minute." Narcissa said, shading her eyes from the brightly shining sun.
Mira pulled from her inner pocket a new pack of cigarettes and her lighter. She ignored Narcissa's glare as she blew out a mouthful of smoke.
"You do know that the professors will not allow you to smoke once you arrive at school, correct?" Draco said, tilting his head to the side and observing her.
Mira shrugged indifferently, finishing off the cigarette and tossing it to the ground.
"You sicken me, girl." Narcissa said, waving her wand, causing the cigarette butt to disappear.
Mira shrugged again, swinging her black hair over her shoulder.
"Take off your jacket, Mira. It's much too nice a day for that thing." Narcissa said, pushing Draco out of the way and wrenching Mira's shoulders. Knowing it was better to be submissive then to be a total rebellious bitch this early in the day, Mira consented, and took off her jacket. She slung it over her arm, very much annoyed.
"Why do you always wear so much black?" Narcissa said, looking at Mira's black shirt.
Mira shrugged again, biting her lip at the retorts building up inside of her. Remarkable, really, she thought, how much Narcissa and Pansy were alike. It was a wonder those two weren't the ones dating.
Laughing inwardly, Mira shook her head at the driveway. The big, green Ferrari that the Malfoys owned pulled into the drive. The driver got out, bowed to Narcissa, then opened the door for her. After she had gotten into the backseat, Draco followed. Mira smiled at the driver, but he had his head bowed to the ground. A rule in the Malfoy manor was that no servant dare look a Malfoy in the face. Mira, though, considered this rule ridiculous, and since she was not a Malfoy, paid no heed to it.
"Hi." She said, standing against the open door.
The servant said nothing, only kept his head bowed. His pay was too substantial and Mrs. Malfoy to severe to break the procedure and chat with the orphan who, though she was nice enough, not worth risking unemployment..
"Mira, get your ass into this car." Draco drawled sternly from inside.
Mira rolled her eyes, smiled once more at the driver, then got into the car. Narcissa had taken up an entire seat and a half with her purse, so Mira and Draco were squeezed together. Not that Mira minded, of course, she was willing to do anything that brought her closer to him. Draco smirked at her, his snide grin telling her that he knew she was happy about the close quarters. She rolled her eyes at him, and turned away, staring out the window.
Narcissa took out of her purse a small golden mirror and began applying makeup. Draco did nothing but stare ahead, obviously lost in his own world.
"How are we supposed to get to Diagon Alley?" Mira inquired to the car at large.
Draco shrugged, his eyes never leaving the fixed spot on the windshield. Narcissa clicked her tongue impatiently, as though this were the stupidest question on earth.
"Well," Mira said, turning defensive, "You think you're better than muggles and yet we are in a car…so obviously we're not Flooing there, and even though Draco and I are more than capable, we're not Apparating…so how in the bloody hell are we getting there?"
Narcissa set down the small compact mirror she was holding, and put a cap on her tube of lipstick. "Have you never heard of when in Rome, do as the Romans do?"
Mira smirked. "We're not in Rome, Narcissa." She said, savoring being a smart ass.
Narcissa narrowed her eyes, flipping her blond hair over her shoulder. "It is a figure of speech, you stupid girl. To blend with the muggles we must appear to be so, no matter how demeaning it is." Narcissa said snobbishly, re-opening her compact mirror. "If we were caught, the Ministry would sieze all the Malfoy assets, and that includes that house and the vault at Gringotts. Do you think we would risk exposure? In case you've forgotten, it is because our house still stands that you have a place to live."
Mira opened her mouth to retaliate, but Draco placed a hand on her knee. He shook his head, and Mira sighed dejectedly. The ride to downtown London took a considerable time, and Mira had never been more bored in her life. Finally, after contemplating for the fourth time opening the car door and jumping into on-coming traffic, just for a change, the car stopped. The driver got out, and kept his eyes firmly to the ground as Mira, Draco, and Narcissa exited the vehicle. Narcissa led the way down the street, and Mira slowed a bit, falling in step with Draco.
"Well, love," He said, as Narcissa entered an old, decaying pub, "welcome to the Leaky Cauldron." He held the door open for her, and Mira entered.
Looking around, Mira took in the sights before her. An old innkeeper was pouring mead into tankards and magicking them onto long, wooden tables filled with the oddest people she had ever seen. An old warlock with a twisted nose was eating a bowl of soup that was screeching at him. A maid was dusting the tables, while a broom followed behind her, sweeping the stone floor.
"Would you like a drink?" Draco asked, coming up behind her and gesturing towards the innkeeper.
"No." Narcissa, talking to a lady with brown hair and dressed in a green sweater, answered for her, looking over to the pair. "A girl like Mira should not be offered alcohol freely." Narcissa turned back to the lady she was talking to.
Mira shrugged. "I'm not really thirsty." She said to Draco.
Draco nodded. "Come one then, let's get out of here." He offered his hand to her, and Mira took it.
Draco led her to the back of the pub, and through a door. They were facing a brick wall, and trash bins stood all around them. Draco pulled out his wand and tapped the bricks. It seemed to be a password of some kind, because the bricks disappeared and an archway appeared. Draco put his wand back inside his pocket and reached again for Mira's hand.
"This, my dear, is Diagon Alley." He said, gesturing with his free hand.
There was so much to look at that after turning her head around so quickly and so many times, she decided to look straight ahead.
"Mother's already ordered all of your things, she's going to have them sent to the Manor." Draco told her.
"Then why are we here?" Mira asked, peeved, as they entered a shop. If her things were coming straight to the manor, there was no reason for Narcissa, a direct descendant of Satan, to have woken her at the ungodly hour she did.
"This is Quality Quidditch Supplies. Do you have a broom, love?" Draco said, leading Mira over to a side of the store.
"I did." Mira said quietly. The girl said this with so much sadness that Draco looked at her, his brow lifted in concern.
"It was at my parent's house…it got destroyed when…well, you know." Mira said shrugging. Draco nodded, looking away as tears welled in Mira's eyes.
"That's why we're here." Draco said, softly dropping her hand and pointing to the wall.
Here hung a stand, on it the most superb broom Mira had ever seen, easily surpassing those she'd seen at the Quidditch World Cup two years ago.
"The Vortex 3,000." Draco said proudly, lifting it from it's stand. He held it in mid-air, admiring it from all possible angles. "What do you think?" He asked Mira, who was staring at the ground.
At being addressed, she hurriedly wiped her eyes and looked up, giving the most strained and fake smile Draco had ever seen. "It's really nice." She said, not really looking at the broom.
"It's for you." He said. Mira's gaze locked onto his, and she smiled for real. "Really?" She said, taking the broom from him excitedly. "But wait…all my money, well you know they didn't use Gingotts…all my parents' money was destroyed…." Mira's tone became deflated.
Fuck Dumbledore! She thought, white-hot anger searing through her. First the crackpot old fool took her parents, then her house, and now she couldn't even afford to buy a fucking broom! "He will pay." She muttered to herself, clenching her fists.
"Of course I'll pay, love, why do you think I'm here?" Draco said, breaking into her thoughts.
Mira looked up, and nodded, smiling. "Of course. Thanks, Draco, how will I pay you back?" Mira had been joking, but Draco stood there for moment, not speaking, staring into her eyes.
At last, he leaned towards her and bent his head down to her ear. "I can think of a way." As he pulled away, his warm tongue grazed her ear lobe.