Good 'N Bad

Chapter : 15 Diagon Alley

          Ever since then, Draco behaved a little better. The three of us decorated the Christmas tree and the entire house with beautiful ornaments and pixie lights (little pixies which fly around the house emitting light). By the time we were finished, we were exhausted, so I brought in some hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows, which looked like snowmen floating in it, and relaxed on the armchairs.

'The house looks nice, doesn't it,' remarked Alfred.

'Yeah, I admit, this is the first time I'm doing it and I had fun', said Draco, taking a huge swig from his mug. 'So, what's next?'

'Well, Christmas is in two days, so I thought we'd go to Diagon Alley and buy presents. Do you want to join us Al?' I suggested.

'What! Him join us? Into Diagon Alley? Are you mental?', asked Malfoy.

'Why not, he's come with me before.'

'Yeah, I'll never forget that day. A flying broomstick! Gosh! I wish I were a wizard just to get a broomstick!'

'So, are you coming?'

'Sure, why not! Thanks!'

          Draco was not very pleased with the idea of travelling with a muggle. He tried his best not to show it, but in vain. We then played a game of exploding snap which I had taught Al a long time back, and he turned out to be better than both of us and Malfoy did not like to lose.

          Time flew and Alfred decided to leave, not waiting for dinner, giving me a hug as he left. We had already decided to go tomorrow afternoon for Christmas shopping.

'I think I'm gonna go up to my room. Goodnight Malfoy'.

'Wait', he said, grabbing my hand, then he seemed to think for a while, 'Goodnight', he said finally, planting a kiss on my cheeks and went upstairs, leaving me perplexed.

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          Next morning I got up early and arranged with Wilkins for our departure. We were going to travel by floo powder and since Alfred had only travelled by it once, we had to take extra precautions, otherwise who knew where he would end up. Draco came downstairs, looking rather glum, but when he saw the empty living room, his face stretched into a wide smirk.

'Your pretty friend didn't bother to show up, did he? Figured he'd wuss out of it.'

'Malfoy, its half past eleven, we had arranged to meet at two,' I said nonchalantly while flicking through the pages of a magazine.

'Why do you always stand up for him?'

'Why do you always try to push him down?'

'I don't try to push him down. I don't see why he should come with us, a stupid muggle like him.'

'He is not stupid. You just can't handle the fact that he's better than you in everything, except maybe magic.'

'What! That's ridiculous! You're just saying that annoy me. Besides, it'll take a lot more than a mudblood like him to get to me,' he scoffed. That did it. I jumped to my feet with rage, trying really hard not to slap him.

'Don't. Call. Him. MUDBLOOD. You have no right to call him that. I really thought you had changed, Malfoy! I really though that I might have made some impression on you. But I was wrong! You are still the same stupid, slimy, jerk I've known all these years', and with that I stormed upto my room and didn't come down until I heard the doorbell announcing Alfred's arrival.

          We trooped towards the fireplace in the living room and each took a handful of floo powder from a box on top of the mantelpiece and got ready. I thought I'd send Alfred first, he stepped into the ring of fire and no sooner had I shouted the destination than Al vanished. I went next. All the different fireplaces zoomed in front of me, the smell of the ash and flames irritating my nose, until finally I popped out through the right opening. I found myself standing next to a very enthusiastic and dusty Alfred on the streets of Diagon Alley. Another "pop" and Malfoy was beside me. I brushed the ash off all of us and we made our way to the different shops.