"I don't understand why we couldn't have done this earlier," Helena Granger said.
July was hot. Diagon alley was busy with everyone who had put off school shopping. And even some of those who hadn't.
"Because children grow so fast," Narcissa said. "You'll thank me for it later when we have to get Hermione new robes at Christmas."
Helena sighed. "Don't remind me."
"I'm not that tall," Hermione said.
Draco smirked. "I'm going to be the tallest in our year."
"You wish," Hermione mumbled.
"Just you wait. I'll be the tallest person in the whole house by the end of Hogwarts," Draco proclaimed.
Their mothers shared a glance. Considering their parents, they likely would have a considerable height difference. John and Lucius weren't that different in height. Lucius was a few inches taller, but John could probably take him in a fight if it came to it.
Of course, that would have to be a fight in the muggle way. John wouldn't last very long if spells were involved. No fault of his own.
Narcissa was tall and willowy. Helena wasn't quite. She wasn't that short, but she wasn't tall by any means. And she was of a medium build. Not quite muscular. Not quite plump. And definitely not slight.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I bet one of the muggleborns will be just as tall as you. If not taller."
"And what do I get when I win?" Draco asked.
"I say we decide winnings in a year," Hermione said. She was hot and tired. And it wasn't even close to the ending. Hopefully Madam Malkin's would be cooler.
Draco thought it over. He wanted to know what his prize would be immediately. There was no doubt in his mind that he would win. But, he supposed that he could wait. After all, it was unlikely that anyone was going to be as tall as he thought he would be.
"Alright."
They reached Madam Malkin's and went inside. Inside the shop it was significantly dimmer and much cooler. There even seemed to be a breeze floating through, keeping everyone from overheating.
Hermione breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She wasn't a fan of heat. There was something to be said for temperate climates. And she enjoyed fall and spring far more than she enjoyed either summer or winter. But if she had to pick, she would pick the winter over the summer.
And that wasn't just about Christmas. Draco's birthday was in the summer and that was about as big as Christmas.
"Thank heavens," Helena said. "I felt like I was going to melt."
"I thought you were Greek," Narcissa said offhand.
"Doesn't mean I like the summers," Helena said. "I much prefer living in England. It's nice and cool for a lot longer."
"There's a reason we only visit Greece in the winter," Hermione added.
"I hope you plan on coming to the ball this year," Draco said. "It's the first year we'll be allowed to actually attend."
The Malfoy Christmas ball was THE event of the season. Everyone who was anyone was invited. But the Grangers hadn't made it before. Mostly because they were visiting family in Greece.
"Please?" Hermione said to her mother.
"It would be a convenient time to announce their betrothal," Narcissa said.
"Do those usually get announced this early?" Helena asked.
"Not usually. But this isn't exactly a typical situation," Narcissa said. "They've been betrothed for years longer than most are when they're announced."
"I'll think about it."
Helena looked like she didn't want to think about it. The set of her jaw made it clear that her mind was fairly made up. But she would think about it. Later. When she could hear herself think and wasn't being interrupted by other people's thoughts.
Draco and Hermione stepped onto two daises and stood while tape measures whirled around them. Soon enough a pair of robes were being fitted to their measurements, with a little bit of growth room worked into the hems and sleeves.
"Draco, Hermione," Narcissa called. "We're going to go take a look at the bookshop. Meet us there when you're done."
Helena needed to get out. She needed some space. And Narcissa could see that. Besides, Flourish and Blots was three doors down. The chance of them getting into too much trouble was tiny. And she would know if anything happened. Magic was handy that way.
When both Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Malfoy had been gone for a few minutes a boy with scraggly black hair came into the store. He stared around in shock and wonder.
"Hogwarts?" Madam Malkin asked.
The boy nodded, obviously dumfounded.
"Stand on the platform," Madam Malkin commanded.
The boy did as he was instructed, without hesitation. It was strange, his mannerisms. Most people who came in in muggle dress were a little apprehensive the first time. And it was clearly his first time in Diagon alley.
"I've never seen you before," Draco said.
"I don't suppose you would," the boy said.
"So, which house do you think you'll be in?" Draco asked. "I'm sure to be in Slytherin. As is Hermione here."
Hermione waived at the newcomer, aware that he wasn't going to get a word in edgewise. Not that he seemed concerned with that.
"After all," Draco continued, "my family's been in Slytherin for generations."
"Mine hasn't" Hermione said. "I'm the first one in my family to go to Hogwarts."
"And you're bound to be in Slytherin," Draco insisted.
"You only say that because I'm determined to trounce you in all your subjects," Hermione retorted.
"No. Because they can't split up the greatest chasers that Hogwarts will have ever seen," Draco said.
"Chasers?" the boy asked.
"Muggleborn," Draco said.
"Be nice," Hermione warned.
"I will," Draco said. "It's not his fault where he was born."
"Actually, my parents were both magical," the boy with black hair said.
Hermione and Draco looked at each other. "Muggle raised," they agreed.
There were plenty of orphans from the wizarding war that had been placed in muggle orphanages. It wasn't at all surprising to find a wizard in a muggle home. Even if the ministry had done their best. There were simply too many children without parents.
"I guess that's one way to put it," the boy said.
"It's too bad that we don't have better relations with the muggle world," Draco said. "You were lucky."
"That the most wealthy and prestigious magical family of all Britain happened to be my imaginary friend?"
"I thought I was your best friend?" Draco said incredulously.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You are. But you forget that the first time I met you, you were under an invisibility spell."
"Oh yeah. I had forgotten about that."
Madam Malkin came out and took the measurements and set up a few packages for both Draco and Hermione.
"Are they always like this?" the boy asked.
Madam Malkin shook her head. "Worse most of the time."
The boy paid for his robes as Hermione and Draco picked up their things. The Malfoys had a tab that would be paid by owl later. And Hermione was included in that.
They then headed down to Flourish and Blots. The book store was one of Hermione's favourite places in the entire world. And her mother found it to be a sanctuary as well.
Although, Helena Granger found it to be a place where she could learn more about how to raise her daughter. Narcissa was a great help. But she was magical as well. And she might judge Helena for choices that she made, however inadvertent that was.
While precious few of the books even addressed issues such as parents and children having differing magical abilities, and even fewer of those were of muggle parents to magical children, they couldn't judge her. And Helena needed that every so often.
Helena thought she might want to write a book. She knew that she didn't know everything. And she was still learning things every single day. But there were so many basic things that would have made her life easier if she had known them.
"Mum," Draco said. "What can we do about muggle raised children? After all, we ran into one in Madam Malkin's."
"Be nice and show them the ropes," Helena said. "You remember when you met Hermione?"
"Not really," Draco said.
"Well, there was a lot we didn't know. She was young, so it wasn't as hard to catch up, but these kids won't have that advantage," Helena said. "So remember that it isn't weird that they don't know things. They're a little like David."
David was one of the kids on the rugby team that Draco was part of. That was the one thing he was going to miss the most while at Hogwarts. They didn't have a rugby team.
But David was also one of Draco's close friends. But sometimes Draco would say things and get a blank look from David. Not anyone's fault. But Draco often blamed it on his parents affinity for French things. And it did the job well enough.
"But David is a muggle," Draco said.
"And you like him well enough," Helena said.
"He's my best friend on the team," Draco said. "I'm sad to leave him. Maybe I can join some pick up games during the holidays."
"I think what Mum is saying is that it's going to take some time for them to know what to do. And even I sometimes have trouble with things," Hermione said.
"Just because you don't agree with everything that Pansy says and does doesn't mean that you have trouble with things," Draco said.
"But I don't know why she wants me to agree with her. I still miss little things that you guys are trained to notice," Hermione insisted.
"That's okay," Narcissa said. "No one expects you to have it all down. You're only eleven."
"So is Pansy."
"But she has more tutors than you've ever seen," Narcissa said.
"And you play quidditch so much better than Pansy does. That's got to count for something," Draco said.
A/N: I did it! I finished the chapter! Hope you guys liked it. And yes. Hermione playing quidditch better than Pansy certainly counts for a lot. And she's currently less obnoxious. But I think what counts the most is that Draco and Hermione are best friends. That's a great thing. I'll stop rambling now.