I do not own Harry Potter, any of its character's, or ideas (etc.) - J. K. Rowling created the Harry Potter world, for which I am eternally grateful

I just humbly enjoy reading/writing about it

- G

Draco Lucius Malfoy stood perfectly straight as the seamstress bustled around him, pinning the alterations for his brand new Hogwarts robes. His Father had just departed to collect his package of books from next door whilst he finished here. They would both catch up with his Mother later for lunch. He already knew it would be in the elegant little café that she adored. It was a short walk down one of the small alcoves off Diagon Alley, in plant dappled shade. Despite the (temporary) lack of parental supervision, the youngest Malfoy automatically held up the well-known Malfoy façade. He was pretty certain that his utter boredom was at the very least discreet . . . though perhaps not quite hidden to his usual standards. There was a quiet tinkling on bells as another person walked through the shops front door. Since he was in the back fitting room, Draco didn't bother to turn around.

Besides, he knew that his Father would be a couple more minutes yet, and the footsteps were far too faint and shuffling to be Mother.

"Here for Hogwarts robes dearie?" Draco supposed the person must have nodded, because despite the lack of verbal response the person was ushered into the back room along with Draco. The assistant seamstress went on, "Got the lot here" she told Madam Malkin, before turning back to the patron. "We've another young man being fitted up just now, first year as well." Her voice had taken on an oddly reassuring tone, and Draco felt the stirrings of his curiosity. Unable to resist, Draco's eyes flickered to one of the mirrors reflecting the customer.

Draco stared. The boy was short, at least a third smaller in size than Draco. His clothes, quite frankly, were appalling. They practically engulfed his small frame, so that he looked to be swimming in material. Draco felt an automatic sneer curling his mouth in response, only for it to dissipate as the clear bottle green eyes glanced up nervously, meeting his in the reflection.

Rather than the snide comment he'd stored on the tip of his tongue, a single word rolled from his mouth.

"Hello"

Draco watched with a mixture of confusion and curiosity as a blush immediately bloomed across the other boys face, and he shifted slightly as though to hide behind his inky black fringe.

Draco wondered who the raven haired boy was. The English wizarding community wasn't a particularly large one, and he knew almost every other child his own age by sight alone. Frustratingly, the boy had come in alone, so Draco couldn't even really make a guess. He could see however, why Madam Malkin had immediately taken on the reassuring tone when speaking to the dark haired boy, everything about his behaviour showed how nervous he was. It made Draco want to shuffle uncomfortably in response. He quickly continued talking, blurting out the first thing he thought of. "Hogwarts too?"

"Yes." The soft word was the first time he'd heard the boy speak since walking into the shop.

Silence fell again, and Draco felt his mouth open seemingly of its own violation to continue the one-sided dialogue.

"My Father's next door buying my books and my Mother's up the street looking at wands." Draco barely managed to keep his voice at that same moderated tone his Father used while he babbled on, shocked that he couldn't seem to stop his mouth from forming words.

If anything this seemed to make the raven haired boy shutdown even more, hunching his shoulders, his eyes flickering away. Draco, though unsure about what he'd said to somehow upset the quiet boy even more, quickly brought up a topic he knew almost everyone enjoyed discussing. He, Pansy and Blaise had complained for countless hours about some of the unfair rules Hogwarts enforced upon their first years. He was positive they weren't the only new Hogwart's students annoyed by them. Banning them to bring brooms was positively barbaric!

"I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms later," there wasn't even a spark in the green eyes now, but Draco tried valiantly to draw the boy into the conversation now that he'd started it "I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting me one, and I'll smuggle it in somehow." He joked, slyly. It was a well-known fact that the Malfoy family took great pleasure in doting on all its members, sometimes excessively . . . 'okay' Draco admitted to himself mentally, his lips twitching in a smirk 'almost always excessively.'

"Have you got your own broom?" Draco asked, eager to discuss the thrill of flying with someone else his age. Most of his friends were absolutely hopeless on a broom.

"No" This time when the boy spoke, he seemed far more removed from the conversation.

"Do you play Quidditch at all?" Draco asked, knowing that mudbloods and even some wizarding families didn't follow the sport very closely. Though he was sure that, once at Hogwarts, even they would come to realise the brilliance of the game. It was impossible not to.

They raven haired boy glanced back over at him, a confused gleam in his eye. "No."

Thinking about the Hogwarts Quidditch teams again, Draco's smirk widened "I do - flying is brilliant. My Father has a broom he lets me ride at home, it's one of the newer models, and really fast! I can't wait to try out for my House team." He paused, seeing the saddened and uncertain flicker in the other boy's eye. Turning away from the other boy to look at the mirror, he casually mentioned. "Father told me that flying is always one of the first lessons we take at Hogwarts. If I manage to sneak one in I'll let you know, that way you can fly one, and I can give you a few tips beforehand." Draco offered, quite proud of his brilliant idea.

The raven haired boy turned quickly on his stool to look at him, speechless, the sad film finally gone from those bright green eyes. Draco smirked in satisfaction.

The seamstress huffed in irritation, drawing back the raven's attention "I'm just about done with this, please stand still Mr. . ." Madam Malkin paused, glancing up distractedly at the small boy beside Draco. "Sorry lad, I've completely forgotten your name. Been completely run off my feet today." She grumbled between the pins in her mouth.

The smaller boy immediately turned back, "Sorry." he said apologetically. "My name's Harry ma'am . . . Harry Potter.' he finished, mumbling out his full name, as though reluctant to say it. His eyes flickering uncertainly to Draco's.

The room froze. Draco was pretty sure the air caught in his lungs. Harry was looking oddly miserable before the silence was shattered.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mister Potter. I see you've already met my son, Draco." Draco turned around to great the familiar voice. Draco's Father strode towards the small group, a calm expression on his face as he nodded politely in greeting. "My name is Lucius Malfoy." He introduced himself, shifting his cane to the opposite hand before stretching out his hand steadily to Harry.

Harry timidly shook it, his small frame even more obvious in contrast to Draco's father.

"If you don't mind me asking," Lucius continued, his gaze sweeping the room. "where is your escort? I'm one of the Governors of Hogwarts and we arranged for all necessary students to have an appropriate member of staff assigned for assistance in such matters." He said, gesturing broadly around the shop in example.

Harry glanced towards the door nervously, shuffling on his stool, the movements quickly noticed by everyone else in the room. The raven stuttered, his gaze drifting down towards his feet "My . . . err . . escort isn't here right now, Mr. Malfoy, sir. I don't think he'll be too long, though!" He hurried to reassure Draco's father. Then, obviously feeling the need to explain further. "Hagrid was feeling sick after we went in one of those cart things in - er . . . at the bank." he finished, obviously hoping that the explanation would keep his supposed caretaker out of trouble. By the look of Lucius' face though, he'd have no such luck. Draco wanted to shift away nervously as he took in the furious glint in his Father's eyes. Fury at the small boy being left alone, no doubt. Draco could already tell that the other boy had little to no knowledge or experience of the wizarding world. Madam Malkins face had also took on a stormy glint during Harry's explanation, that rather reminded Draco of his Mother when she was cross.

"I see." Came the low response. Lucius turned towards Madam Malkin. "Madam, if you could kindly allow me the use of some paper and quill?" He asked respectfully.

"Of, course Mr. Malfoy." She said, quickly scurrying off to gather the requested items.

Lucius wrote down a message "Please, give this to Mr. Hagrid when he arrives. I'm sure he'd like to know that I have taken current responsibility for the boy, since he seems . . . indisposed at this time." He said, his anger making his words crisp and sharp "I will send a Patronus to Board to inform them of the changes." He said, immediately conjuring a soft blue snake Patronus, which slithered smoothly straight through one of the shop walls.

Harry's eyes shifted from worried to bulging astonishment as they trailed after the effortlessly conjured magic.

Draco barely even took notice of the magical display, he'd seen it before, and he was far too excited about what his Father had just said "Hey! That means you can come ride our broom at home!" He exclaimed, beaming at Harry. His Malfoy mask cracking at the prospect of someone his age to fly with that afternoon.

Harry, who had still been looking at the now blank wall, turned back to Draco in shock, his eyes still unnaturally wide, and growing slightly damp. "Really?" he asked, in a slightly husky voice. Everything was happening so fast that he wasn't sure what to think anymore. But the prospect of flying on a magical broom was far too exciting to ignore. "You'd . . . you'd actually let me fly it? But it's not my broom . . ." Harry's uncertain eyes slowly lit up as Draco immediately nodded; the blonde almost bouncing in excitement. It didn't take long before Harry's brief enthusiasm dimmed as he turned nervously back to Lucius.

"I haven't actually got everything on my list yet, sir." he said meekly, his hands tightly grasping the hem of his dull brown shirt, as though he expected Lucius to berate him.

Lucius, who had been watching the two boys with poorly masked bemusement, smoothed out his face and nodded agreeably. "I'm sure between the four of us we can have you both finished soon enough. Draco also has a few things left to collect. Have you had lunch yet Mr. Potter?" He asked graciously, and continued when Harry shook his head slightly. "Well then, if you are done Madam, I'll pay for the two boys. Could you size Harry for a suitable outfit he can wear out today, before you package and shrink these school purchases?" He asked, taking note of the extremely poor quality clothes Harry currently wore with a frown. Wondering if it was something he would need to look into, Lucius decided he would leave it for now. There would be plenty of time to observe the situation more closely in the afternoon when he dropped Mr. Potter back to his muggle home.

Madam Malkin quickly nodded, whisking off to a side room. Lucius turned to the two boys. "Once that's done boys we'd better depart, before my Wife thinks we have stood her up for lunch." He said, amusement lacing his voice once more.

Draco smiled happily at his Father, oddly glad that he wouldn't have to leave the raven haired boy so soon. Harry was staring at the older man shocked, embarrassment sliding uncomfortably in his gut whilst he tugged self-consciously at his old and oversized clothing. Not only that, but the man had organised another outfit for Harry to wear around today?! The raven wasn't sure what to think about the arrangement, but his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

Within minutes, Madam Malkin had whipped the cloaks off the boys, settled a new dark silver cloak over the still dazed Harry, and neatly packaged their other purchases. Lucius held the door open for Harry and Draco to pass through as they exited the shop together, Harry still quite hesitantly, as though unsure as to whether he should actually follow or not. Though, despite his indecision, he automatically stuck closely beside Draco. This caused the blonde to puff up his chest with an odd sense of satisfaction glowing in his gut.

Although, the blonde had initially seemed off-putting to Harry, in the last half hour his behaviour had already easily made him one of the nicest that Harry had known his entire life, and the raven haired boy followed after him in quiet awe.

Lucius walked on the other side of Harry, smoothly leading them through the bustling and chaotic crowd. Draco, sensing Harry's nervousness as they moved into the even larger crowds down the north end of the alley slid his hand into the raven's, to ensure he couldn't be separated from the group. Harry jumped as Draco fingers curled around his hand, but after a shy glance up at Draco, he returned the grip, tightening his hold slightly around the pale hand.

That was the day that Harry Potter fell in love.