Chapter 6 - Diagon Alley

"Ron, I want you to go with Rose, Harry, Nick, Alex and John." Mrs Weasley said while we were preparing to go to Diagon Alley. John had been changed and Sirius Ptter was now Harry Potter. John and Harry had their birthday two days previously and we were in the Leaky Cauldron. Today I had on a designed jean micro-mini skirt and a tank top which showed off part of my cleavage.

Bill had gotten each of us a big sack of galleons from our vaults and we were just about to go.

"Group 1 (which was mine) go in and we will meet you in front of Flourish and Blotts in three hours. Don't be late." Mrs Weasley said as we exited.

We stopped by Zonko's and other places that the boys wanted to go before I dragged them away to re-stock our potions ingredients and to an animal shop. I managed to see a back door which lead to lots of different kinds of snakes. Each one looked all right until one caught my eye. It was a sapphire blue one that was close to a metre long.

~Hello.~ I said to it.

~A speaker? I haven't seen a speaker in my life time.~ She said.

~What's your name?~ I asked.

~Neshima. What is yours?~

~Rose. Would you like to come with me and be my familiar?~

~Please.~

"Excuse me, I'd like to get her and food for her. Enough for a stay at Hogwarts." I said, picking up the snake and showing it to the shopkeeper.

"Sure miss. The snake will be 12 galleons and six sickles. Here I'll show you the food." The shopkeeper said, leading her towards the opposite end of the shop, where various shelves were situated. "This is our selection. When you take out a pill it turns into an animal and it will move about. It only looks like an animal. It's really just all the vitamins and minerals a snake needs for a few days. There are better instructions on the labels. I'm not much a snake person." She said before returning to the counter.

Speaking briefly with Neshima, I decided to get one of everything in the way of food supplies. I attempted to balance all of the food in one hand and Neshima in the other, but began to have difficulty after the second jar. Neshima made a decision and slithered around my neck, leaving me with another hand free. She muttered something about being very comfortable there, so I let her stay after I walked out of the shop. I quickly checked my watch, and saw that we had another hour before we were supposed to meet up.

I was waiting in the street in front of the Quiddich supplies store when a slimy ferret walked by.

"And what do we have here?" He asked, attempting to sound suave, but as I knew him, he only sounded ridiculous. He stopped in front of me.

"Go away." I said, looking at him.

"Not until I get a name."

"Harry Potter."

"I meant your name."

I smirked at him. "But you didn't say that."

"I'll continue bothering you until I get your name." I sent a glare at him, but he just shrugged it off.

"Rose, now leave me alone."

"Are you going to Hogwarts Rose?"

"Yes with my brothers." I said attempting a subtle threat. Either he didn't notice, or he didn't care.

"What's your surname? I'm Draco by the way, Draco Malfoy."

"Look, leave now before my brothers come." I said. "Go find someone else to fuck."

"I'll learn your name eventually. Just save me the trouble." He said smiling.

That was, of course when my brothers came out with Ron and Sirius.

"Beat it Malfoy." Ron said. Ever the creative one.

"Go find your father." Sirius said. I'm not sure who was taking lessons from who in creative insults.

"Creative Scarhead and Weasel. I was just talking to Rose, but I suppose I'll just speak with her at Hogwarts." His gray eyes took one last scan of me and left.

"Rose, where'd you get the boa?" Sirius asked.

"She's a python actually." I said, watching their faces morph into those of shock.

"You got a snake!" Ron exclaimed.

"Her name is Neshima. I wanted intelligent conversation, and I needed a new familiar." I looked at their expressions of shock. "I wasn't going to find intelligent conversation here."

Ignoring the jab, Ron focused on one idea: "Since when are you a parselmouth?"

"Since I was born." I said, giving him my patented 'are you really that dumb' look. Sighing, I attempted to take them out of their shock. "Let's go get ice cream, my treat." Thankfully that stopped them from staring. On our way we met up with a bunch of people so by the time we got to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour Sirius knew everyone that Harry would have. I got a double vanilla scooped cone. While we were waiting, Malfoy came up again.

"So Rose, funny seeing you here." Malfoy tried again to sound suave, but only came out like a dick. He was trying his hardest to charm me into talking.

"Small world." I said, not really paying attention to him.

"So I was wondering if you and your brothers would come to the Malfoy end of summer Ball? Maybe you could be my date? Owl me if you want to come. Bye Sugar." He said, before attempting to kiss me. He got within a foot before the glare I was sending his way deterred him. He walked away, leaving me in peace again.

"You honestly aren't going to, right?" Nick asked.

"I'll talk to dad. But if it's a yes I need to get dress robes and you three actually need robes." I said before the six of us went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. I picked out a dress that went to the floor and was a deep blue, almost purple. I paid the woman for the dress and then waited for my brothers.

We met up with the second group and got our books before leaving the Alley.

"Dad, Draco Malfoy invited me to the Malfoy End of Summer Ball as his date. Do I have to say yes?" I asked him while I was preparing the food.

"You have to." Groaning, I nodded, glad that I had bought a dress while in Diagon Alley.

The answer was how I ended up writing the following letter:

Draco,
I would love to be your date, although my brothers all have previous engagements to attend to. Please send an invitation.
Rose

Within the hour it seemed, I got an invitation:

Miss Rose (no last name given),
You are invited to The Malfoy's End of Summer Ball. It will be held on the 28th of August from 5pm to 1am. Dinner will be provided.

Attached was a menu of what to expect for food.