Next thing she knew there was a whooshing sound all around her and she was being thrown, for want of a better word, into a very different room to the one she'd just left. Not that she could take much in, seeing as her head was spinning. Or maybe the room was spinning? All she knew was that she felt dizzy and sick, although she was relieved to see her doll was still in her arms after all that. Mrs Trehurst was still at her side, guiding her towards a dark brown bench in the corner of the small room. It felt so good to sit on a solid object, even if she had no idea where she was.

"It's all right dear; it's always hard to Apparate the first time. But we'll just sit here for a while, ok?" Mrs Trehurst took a paper bag out of her cloak and put something into Hermione's hand. "It's a peppermint sweet; it'll help you feel better. Just suck on it. That's it." She rubbed Hermione's back, trying to soothe her. "I'm sorry we had to scare you but you're safe now," she added gently, "This is the Ministry of Magic, or at least part of it. We just have to sign a few things and then we'll all get something to eat."

Hermione sucked on her sweet, trying to take in the room around her which was no longer spinning. It had cream coloured walls and looked very bare apart from the counter in front of them where Mr LeRoy was writing on a pile of crinkly looking pieces of paper with one of those feather pens. Behind the counter a young man with blonde curls and glasses was stamping on another sheet of paper. There was a sheet of glass separating him from the rest of the room and what looked like a small office behind him.

"How did it go?" he murmured to Mr LeRoy, nodding towards Hermione. He gave her a wave but she lowered her head, not sure of how to react.

"Usual story," he replied with a sigh, "They always fight it."

"I could never do your job," the younger man replied, shaking his head, "Oh sorry, there's a new section to sign…just here…and initial down here…that's it."

"Family all well?

"All doing well, thanks, although the mother in law's still driving me mad-"

Hermione sat there with Lucy beside her, wondering what the rest of the Ministry looked like and what was going to happen next. Would the Malfoys be joining them here? Would this be where her parents visited her? She thought of them hugging her, telling her to be good and wondered if they would be all right. It was strange to go somewhere without them, somewhere they didn't know about. She found herself wondering if they would like the idea of her sucking on a sweet, but it had made her feel better so maybe that was different? Still, she tried to swallow it as quickly as possible.

Mrs Trehurst was now over at the desk, signing things and chatting about the weather, and Mr LeRoy was now sitting next to her instead but he neither spoke to her nor looked at her, his eyes fixed on one of those crinkly pieces of paper. A clock was ticking somewhere but she couldn't see it. The blond man waved to her again. "Welcome to the Wizarding World, Hermione!" he declared cheerfully. She just about managed a "thank you" but her voice felt hoarse and there was a lump in her throat as she sat there.

"The Malfoys have just arrived and will meet you in the usual room," he told her "relocators" who both thanked him politely. Suddenly Mrs Trehurst was taking her hand again and leading her out of the room, carrying the pink backpack in her hand. She thought she saw the young man tilt his head sympathetically at her as they walked past him but she wasn't sure. They went down a long, dim corridor with lots of doors in it, all of them made from dark wood and Mrs Trehurst was telling her how the Malfoys were looking forward to meeting her, although she barely took in her words. At the end was a large fancy looking door with a sign above it but she was ushered inside before she got a chance to look at anything else.

The first thing she noticed was that the room was also dark, with lots of dark wood in it like she'd seen in the corridor. A fire was blazing away in a huge fireplace, the carpet and curtains were a deep red colour and on the left was a large table with several chairs around it and silver spoons and napkins laid out already. She noticed a brass coal scuttle and a small statue of a cat in the hearth. The room seemed to be lit by candles and a few lamps but there didn't seem to be any lampshades or light bulbs on the ceiling, which seemed strange to her. Mrs Trehurst led her over to the right where a leather sofa and armchair were placed around the fireplace.

Three people were already sitting there; two adults and a child as far as Hermione could see in the dim light but they got up upon seeing the group approach. The Relocation Officials greeted them, shaking their hands and exchanging a few pleasantries before turning their attention to her.

"And this is Hermione Granger, who you've been hearing about!" Mrs Trehurst announced brightly, "Hermione dear, this is the Malfoy family who will be fostering you."

A tall man stepped forward and Hermione swallowed as she took in his haughty, commanding presence. He wore a black garment that looked like a dress, with silver embroidered into it and a cloak was wrapped around his shoulders. His blond hair was long, like a girls, and he had piercing eyes that seem to be scrutinising her.

"Very pleased to meet you, Hermione," he told her, with a touch of arrogance, "I'm Lucius Malfoy, head of the Malfoy family. I understand you will be living with us." He put out his hand for her to shake and Hermione hesitated a little. She had never shaken hands with a grown up before – usually they just shook hands with each other. But she knew she had to be polite and those eyes were still looking down at her so she put her hand out and it was suddenly encased in his larger one. She did not think she had shaken it the right way as he quickly let her hand go. That lump in her throat was making it hard to swallow, her palms were sweaty and she could not look him in the eye.

An elegant looking woman in a dark green dress stood next to him. She too was tall and intimidating but at least she smiled. "Hello Hermione, I'm Narcissa Malfoy, your new foster mother," she told her gently, "You can call me Aunt Narcissa." She shook her hand as well and Hermione took in the dark streaks in her blond hair, or maybe her hair was dark with blond streaks? She didn't really have a chance to decide before a small pale boy with blond hair like his father emerged from behind his mother, who bent down a little and gave him a gentle push.

"Now Draco, remember how we practiced it?" she whispered.

The boy stepped forward and put his hand out. "How do you do, Hermione? I'm Draco Malfoy. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Hermione took his hand and told him she was pleased to meet him too. It seemed to be the right thing to do as both he and his mother smiled at her although the father of the family – Lucius – remained as haughty looking as before. The boy looked about her age or maybe a bit younger and Hermione thought how nice it would be to have another child to play with.

Just then a man in a dark blue robe entered the room and announced that lunch was about to be served so they were ushered towards the large table by Mrs Trehurst who handed over the pink backpack to Mrs Malfoy and made sure Hermione was comfortably seated in her chair before sitting next to her. A trio of well-dressed waiters brought soup in a large silver bowl and a variety of dainty sandwiches to their table along with a jug of water and six glasses. She stared in amazement as the older Malfoys made the jug pour water into their glass without even touching it. She did not think she could eat much but to her surprise she managed to drink most of the delicious chicken soup that was served as well as a few sandwiches, after Mrs Trehurst explained the fillings to her.

Mrs Malfoy sat straight backed in her chair, wiping her mouth delicately with a napkin from time to time. She asked Hermione about Apparating for the first time and about her doll, which sat in her lap throughout lunch and Draco listened in at first before starting to fidget a little. Hermione answered as best she could, blushing a little at this virtual stranger being interested in her and trying not to think about the fact that she would be staying in her home for a while. Lucius was talking to Mr LeRoy about various people in the Ministry that she had never heard of. He had a rich voice and spoke like a character in the old black and white films her parents liked watching, pronouncing "Malfoy" as "Mell-foy" for example. She tried not to smirk as she didn't think it would be polite but it cheered her up a bit.

Afterwards, tea was served to the adults on floating trays and Draco and Hermione were served Pumpkin juice, which was new to her but Draco assured her it was very nice. She was still staring at the trays as they floated out the door when Mr LeRoy announced they would have to go back to work so Mrs Trehurst hugged her and told her she hoped she would be very happy with the Malfoys.

"We might even see each other again, if I'm sent to visit you at Malfoy Manor, or maybe out and about somewhere in the Wizarding World?" she told the child happily. But it was still hard seeing the two of them disappear through the door and hearing their footsteps down the corridor. It had been a little easier with Mrs Trehurst at the table but now she was alone with the Malfoys. Worst of all Mr Malfoy was giving her funny up-and-down looks, as though judging the outfit she was wearing, even though her jeans and sweater were fairly new.

The pumpkin juice was indeed nice, as Draco had promised, but she didn't feel like drinking too much of it. Thankfully Mr Malfoy had some business to do here at the Ministry and left them not long after that, telling them all her would see them at home.

"Well," Mrs Malfoy announced pleasantly, "I think it's time to do some shopping."

oOo

Hermione was led down corridor after corridor until they finally stood outside on a busy London street. At least, she assumed it was London. She didn't know any of the buildings in this area but her new foster mother seemed to know exactly where she was going so she clung to her hand, terrified of getting lost. Draco held Mrs Malfoy's other hand but he didn't seem half as nervous.

"We're going to visit Diagon Alley," she explained, "That's where most wizards and witches do their shopping."

"Can we go in through the Leaky Cauldron?" Draco asked.

"Certainly not." His mother's reply was firm and Hermione remained quiet, not having any particular preference about how they got to this mysterious street. Instead they entered a large restaurant with clean white tablecloths and sparkling wine glasses on the tables. A swarthy man with a foreign accent greeted them with a bow.

"Dining or shopping today, Madame Malfoy?"

"Shopping, thank you Carlo. Although I'll be making a reservation for dinner very soon."

He led them through the dining area into a sort of alcove at the back where he placed the tip of his wand into a tiny hole in the wall at the side. Hermione jumped when the entire wall slid back right in front of them but the other two seemed to think this was normal.

"First time, is it, little one? You will see so many wonderful things today!" the waiter told her cheerfully, patting her head. Holding hands the three of them thanked him and stepped out into the street.

It was not like any other street Hermione had seen before. There were people everywhere, wearing those strange dresses, all in various colours and designs. There were shops and businesses in every direction, their windows adorned with swirly patterns and wooden signs hanging over many of the doors. She could see, and smell, shops selling all kinds of bread, meat, pies and wine, alongside market stalls with fruit and vegetables that she could not name. Other shops sold candles, lanterns, soap and a variety of strange hats. As they walked further down the cobbled street she saw windows displaying broomsticks and cauldrons, like you saw in story books, wands, bottles with coloured liquids, telescopes and old maps while another seemed to sell nothing but owls. And all the time people were chatting, calling out to each other, exchanging news and gossip, as though they had known this street all their lives and it was simply a backdrop for them.

The two Malfoys were enjoying her reaction. "Like it?" Mrs Malfoy asked her. Hermione could only nod, her mouth wide open. They were both trying to tell her about the different shops but she could only take part of it in.

All too soon she was led inside a shop, away from the sights and sounds of the wonderful street. It was full of those unusual dresses which, she learned that day, were called robes. A pleasant lady called Madame Malkin came over and greeted Mrs Malfoy and after a brief discussion between them Hermione was led off to be measured and fitted for her very first robes.

It was not an easy task as she had to try on several sets and Draco was sent to sit in a corner with some toys that Madame Malkin had left out for that purpose but eventually she was the owner of four sets of robes in dark grey, brown, navy blue and dark green. The dark green ones had leaves embroidered into the hem and she decided that those were her favourite. These were parcelled up with the flick of a wand, to be sent to Malfoy Manor that evening. Afterwards, they visited a shoe shop, which made Hermione's heart sink as she hated trying on shoes but she was determined to behave herself and not throw a tantrum. It was hard though as she must have tried on a dozen pairs but eventually Mrs Malfoy settled on ones that would suit her and her new outfits, along with a soft pair of slippers. Draco was also bought a new pair of shoes although he sulked throughout the whole process.

"Now you have some nice robes to wear, Hermione, and some shoes to go with them!" Mrs Malfoy told her cheerfully as they left the shop hand in hand, amid good wishes from the staff. They walked across the road and into a bookshop which cheered her up immensely although she didn't know any of the books on display. Mrs Malfoy showed her several books that were well known to magical children and she chose "The Tales of Beadle the Bard" which seemed to be a good choice, according to the friendly shop assistant. Draco commented that he already had that book but his mother suggested that Hermione might like her own copy.

It was hard to leave this lovely shop, with all the shelves of books just waiting to be read. She noticed that they all had those hard covers on them, like old books did, with the titles written on the spine in gold or silver letters and she could not take her eyes off the way the assistants could make them float from a high shelf into a customer's hand or towards the till.

"We can come back here again soon, dear. And there are so many books in Malfoy Manor! You won't believe it, will she Draco?"

"You can read some of mine," Draco offered, glancing towards his mother, who nodded briefly at him.

Hermione was starting to realise that her new foster mother was well respected here. People greeted her with a bow or curtsy and addressed her as Madame Malfoy. Best of all, they were never left waiting too long.

She could not believe her eyes when they entered the toy shop. There were all kinds of toys on display here, but the surprising thing was that some of them actually moved. Soldiers marched, frogs jumped, and scared the life out of her, dolls walked, a drum beat a rhythm by itself, a ball bounced of its own accord and snakes slithered around the floor, the latter of which fascinated Draco. An assistant was demonstrating a red model train to a group of excited children and another child was whizzing around on what looked like a broomstick.

"Would you like anything from this shop, Hermione?" Mrs Malfoy asked her, "They have lots of nice dolls over here. Lucy might like some company."

But it was too overwhelming, with all the choices on offer to try and decide. She was about to ask about the board games when a display of stuffed animals caught her eye. She couldn't recognise all of them but there were dragons, frogs, rabbits, cats, bears-

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. Teddy… She'd forgotten Teddy. How could she have done that? She had Lucy with her, of course, but she loved Teddy as well. She remembered now. He'd fallen on the floor when she got up this morning and she hadn't picked him up. If she had, she would have seen him when her mother was packing for her. And now she'd left him behind and would be sleeping in a strange bed tonight without him…

"Are you all right, Hermione?" Mrs Malfoy was asking her, but she wasn't listening. Everything was sinking in now. She was with two strangers in an unfamiliar shop on a street she'd never heard of. Suddenly the shop seemed too loud and colourful and she looked around frantically, trying to remember where the exit was. Draco was watching her, his eyes wide.

"What is it dear?" Mrs Malfoy asked, trying to lead her away from the crowd into a quiet corner.

"I forgot Teddy!" the child blurted out.

Her foster mother looked down, a little bewildered. "You forgot your teddy bear?"

Hermione nodded tearfully and Mrs Malfoy sighed, looking around as though someone would come and help her sort this out.

"Well, that is a shame. But don't worry; I'll buy you another one. Look, there are lots of stuffed toys over here-"

"No, I want my Teddy!"

A doll in a purple robe suddenly toppled to the ground, displacing the dolls next to it in the process and Hermione started to cry. A young assistant with green hair immediately came over and put things right with her wand, as Hermione stammered an apology and Mrs Malfoy explained politely that it was accidental magic. The assistant reassured them that it was no trouble at all and that her niece was going through the same phase but people were looking at them and whispering by this stage so Mrs Malfoy hurried them both outside, much to Draco's annoyance. She made a handkerchief appear from nowhere and dried Hermione's eyes but the young girl did not feel any happier.

"I need to go home and get Teddy!" she protested.

"But you have a doll already and you were only supposed to bring-"

"Please, I want to have him with me as well!"

Mrs Malfoy sighed again and closed her eyes. "All right," she began, "Let me think." After a few seconds she opening her eyes and put her hands on the child's shoulders. "I can get word to your parents and they'll bring your teddy bear to your first visit, will that do?"

Hermione thought for a moment but there seemed to be no other way around it so she nodded quietly and her foster mother breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now, how about a treat?" she asked, cheering up a little, "Would you like some ice cream before we go home to Malfoy Manor?"

Draco agreed straight away but Hermione hesitated a little before nodding, and quickly adding "Yes, please." She was determined to remember her manners, no matter what the circumstances. With a smile Mrs Malfoy led them towards a colourful looking shop with tables outside it. It was getting cold so she was glad when a young lady in a blue and white striped apron cleared a table for them inside the shop, away from the door.

With all the flavours on offer Hermione just couldn't decide so she just ordered the same as Draco but it turned out to be delicious. Not that she had much to compare it with but her parents had let her have some when they were on holidays during the summer. This was much nicer though; a creamy mixture of chocolate and raspberries. She wondered if they would come here again but the people working there seemed surprised to see them so she guessed they didn't visit very often. They also visited a sweet shop where Draco chose a selection of sweets, including some boiled sweets for Apparating and Mrs Malfoy bought some chunks of nougat and strawberry fudge.

After that, they hurried down to something called an Apparition Point where lots of people, some on their own, others in family groups, seemed to be disappearing into thin air. Hermione was a bit worried about Apparating all that way but Mrs Malfoy was a grown up and seemed to know what she was doing so she tried not to think about it. It had been a lovely afternoon, although she was starting to feel embarrassed about making a fuss over her teddy bear. She would have to show the Malfoys how grown up she could be; after all they were going to look after her and teach her about magic. The three held hands and suddenly Hermione felt herself being sucked through that narrow tube again.

Everyone seems to go into Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron but I liked the idea of the Malfoys having a different, posher entrance. And remember Hermione is only five at this stage and everything is very new to her - I think she would get upset about a toy in these circumstances. Let me know what you thought of the chapter.