*~* (3rd person POV)

Harry and Draco landed... or more like slid, into a freakish looking shop. Draco growled as he stood up and dusted himself off. He looked around and did a double take. Harry simply dusted himself off and fixed his glasses.

"What the hell have you gotten me into now Potter?" Draco huffed out, not very happy.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Relax Malfoy. I was here in third year I think. I said diagonally instead of Diagon Alley. It's some shop in Knock Turn Alley. Now let's leave before anyone sees us."

Draco gasped. "Why on earth would you bring us here?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Do you want people knowing what we have planned? Or where you are staying? Thought so. Let's go. I'm weirded out by this place."

They quickly made their way to Diagon Alley. Just before leaving Knock Turn Harry turned to Draco. He handed him a sack of coins and smiled. Draco's face hid nothing. The shock was clear on his face and in his voice. Or maybe Harry had just gotten better at reading the Slytherin's expressions.

"Potter what..."

"You will not spend a single sent. Now we can't really be seen together and all so I can't take the things from you to pay." Harry shrugged and smiled.

"But I can't..."

"No, no I insist. If you don't agree I'll leave you here and get double of everything anyway." Harry crossed his arms and huffed.

Draco blinked. "Fine Harry. Will we meet in the Leaky Cauldron afterwards?"

Harry hesitated. "Outside it actually. The muggle side of London. We can't floo back so we'll have to do it the muggle way. That's fine right?"

Draco nodded. "Fine by me. Just don't go too far. A ferret can only get around so much before it's accidentally crushed."

Harry frowned. "What?"

"If I see my dad or anyone I know I'm changing into my animegus." Draco said.

"Actually. Give me your list and change now." Harry held out his hand.

"What? Why?" Draco frowned.

"Change into your animegus. We can shop together and that way I'll know you're safe. If you need anything else we can figure out how to understand each other later." Harry explained grabbing the coins.

Draco nodded. He handed the list to Harry. He went down an alley and quickly changed. He ran out as his ferret form and scurried up Harry's arm. He didn't like Knock Turn as his normal self. As a ferret it was way worse. Much more scarier. They made their exit and were headed to the first shop when...

"Harry!?"

Harry froze. The ferret on his shoulder tensed and scratched his cheek. They weren't supposed to get caught so quickly. 'Fuck! I need to find an escape.' Harry thought as he looked around quickly.

"Harry?!"

Harry ducked into an alleyway. Running footsteps were heard coming in their direction. Draco jumped down and changed back as fast as possible. He grabbed his wand from Harry's pocket and pushed Harry into a dark corner. A figure appeared in the alley entrance a few moments later. Then there was another followed by three more.

"Hermione! What the hell!?"

"I swore I saw Harry." Hermione huffed.

"There's no one here Hermione." Ron sighed.

Hermione groaned. "I can see that Ronald. But I swear I saw him come in here."

"Mum"
"Isn't going"
"To be"
"Happy." Fred and George said.

"Let's get back. We can discuss this with the Order." Percy said.

Hermione shook her head. "Fine whatever."

They left the alley and proceeded with what they were doing. Hermione kept looking back over her shoulder. She was slightly annoyed with herself. Fred and George were smiling as if they knew something, like they usually did.

Meanwhile Harry sighed out a breath. "That was close. How come they didn't see us?"

Draco smirked. "A Concealment charm. I used it when I ran away from the manor as well. It worked on my father so I figured it would work on others with less detecting skills."

Harry nodded. "Apparently it doesn't work on Fred and George."

"What do..."

"They looked directly at us. Fred never broke eye contact with me." Harry said cutting Draco off.

"Well they are smart. Here let me cast a glamour so we can get this over with quickly." Draco said.

"I got that covered. Change back so we can leave." Draco nodded and changed back to his animegus.

Harry made his way to the pet store to get Hedwig some food. He then went to the robes shop. Draco hopped off Harry's shoulder and ran out the back door. Two minutes later he walked in with his famous sneer. The lady got Draco's robes sorted quickly and he told her he would send someone back to get them at a later stage. He left again after that. Harry walked out of the changing room after Draco left. He took Draco's things as well as his own up to the check out. The lady frowned at him, seeming to want to say something.

"Oh don't worry. I saw Mr. Malfoy with these. I'm the son of one of his staff members." Harry lied with a smile.

The lady didn't seem to care much since Harry didn't look like Harry. She nodded and rang up the items. Ferret Draco came back and climbed the counter as Harry paid. Harry thanked the lady and placed Draco on his shoulder before walking out.

He went to get their books next. The whole Weasley gang was there. Fred and George looked at the two coming in with knowing smiles, but said nothing. Hermione noticed them and frowned rather puzzled. She looked at the twins then back to the two boys.

"Do you know him George? Fred?" Hermione asked. "He does look oddly familiar."

"No idea who he is." The twins answered.

Draco was actually surprised at the twins and Harry. Harry just pretended Hermione and the Weasley's didn't exist. He went about collecting the books without a sound. Harry, though, was actally inwardly scolding himself. He knew the Weasley's always came shopping earlier than most because of how big the family was.

'Stupid. How could I forget. Agh! Hopefully they don't notice. I'll just get everything and be done quickly.' He got all the books on both lists and was making his way over to the check out.

"You can't possibly be buying so many books just for yourself."

Harry turned around only to come face to face with Arthur. He raised an eyebrow and noticed the Weasley's were done with their shopping too. Then he felt the little creature tense on his shoulder.

Harry frowned and looked to the side. Draco had gotten quite defensive. He hissed out, but he wasn't hissing at the Weasley's. It was more like he was hissing past them.

"What a foul beast!" Ginny cried out.

"D... Damion what on earth..." Harry stopped when he spotted the cause of his reaction. "He's not hissing at you mis. So don't treat him like that. Damion you need to stop before you draw more attention. Remember that thing..."

Draco stopped but was still rather tense. He looked at Harry pleadingly. Harry simply nodded and carried on to the check out. The Weasley's were still behind him and now so was Lucius Malfoy. The last person either boy wanted to see. Draco instantly hopped off Harry's shoulder and rushed behind the books he had placed on the counter.

"That will be 35 gallons and 15 shillings. Anything else you need?" The man at the check out smiled.

Draco rushed over the counter and grabbed a sweet stick with his paws. Harry took the stick and a few packets of other sweets. He then picked Draco up and put him on his shoulder. Turning to the man with a smile.

"Do you have these?" Harry handed him a piece of parchment.

"Oh boy. We just ran out of stock with some of these, but I can order them for you. In the meantime I can give you the rest." The guy said.

"Just give me what you have. Maybe point me in the direction of another store. I'll deal with the rest." Harry smiled.

The man nodded, disappeared and reappeared, rang up the final total and Harry paid. Harry walked out calmly then rushed to find the rest of the ingredients.

He was panting by the time he stumbled into the next store. Not a word was uttered outside of a "thank you" as he collected what he needed, paid and left.

They quickly went to Gring Gotts as the request of Draco. Then stumbled out of the Leaky Cauldron and went back to Harry's house. When they got back they burst out in fits of laughter. Unable to control their nerves from the rather close encounter.

At Diagon Alley the Weasley's had gotten trapped in a heated argument with Lucius.

"This is ridiculous. Why are you even here?"

Lucius frowned. "As pathetic as you lot are, you are not the only ones who require school supplies Arthur."

"Don't you usually come the same time as everyone else? I mean..."

"What I do is none of your concern you filthy mudblood." Lucius snapped at Hermione. "I see your little band of merry puppets is incomplete. Where, pray tell, is Mr. Potter?"

Molly huffed. "Where is your son you can't be getting supplies without him. How do you know what to get?"

Lucius growled. 'No one can know Draco is gone.' He thought. He made one final scathing comment before turning and leaving. Ginny and Ron let out breathes they didn't realize they were holding back. Arthur grumbled something about working with the man. They quickly paid and they moved on to the next shop before returning home with what they needed.

*~*

"Hey Blaise. Sorry about your birthday."

"Thanks Pansy but it's okay really. Have you heard back from Draco yet?" Blaise shrugged.

Pansy shook her head. "No I was hoping he'd be here. Hey there's Lucius. Why don't we go ask him where Draco is."

Blaise shook his head. "I don't want Draco getting into any trouble. Besides my dad wants me back home soon."

"Fine." Pansy moaned.

Pansy and Blaise went from store to store easily and got what they needed. This was three weeks after the Weasley's had done their shopping. Blaise spotted a crop of short platinum blonde hair. Instantly he and Pansy ran towards it. Blaise grabbed the person's shoulder.

"Oh hi Zabini, Parkinson."

Blaise offered a small smile. "Sorry Lovegood."

Luna smiled. "You thought I was Draco didn't you."

"Yeah we did. New hairstyle?" Pansy asked.

"Oh yes. Don't you think I look positively dashing?" Luna hummed in a dreamy voice. "Less space for the nargles to get in."

Blaise and Pansy raised their eyebrows and shared a confused look. They shrugged and gave Luna an affirmative answer before leaving her. They finished their shopping and returned to the Zabini mansion. Pansy asked to stay over until Hogwarts started. Although Blaise's dad wasn't having it. So she had to leave after dinner.

*~*

Lucius Malfoy had been to Diagon Alley four times already. The first time he unintentionally came across the Weasley family. At the time he didn't think much about the strange boy and his hissing ferret.

The second time was after he got a letter from the bank saying some of his money was taken out. The only explanation could have been the Draco was there. He didn't bump into anyone on that day. Instead he got into an argument with one of the goblins. Not a very smart move.

The third time was after he realized that the ferret he saw looked a lot like Draco. He had remembered hearing the clerk saying he was going to order something for that boy. So naturally he went to interrogate the man. He had never seen the boy before so he had no name to put to the face. The clerk had no further insight and, terrified, explained that the kid didn't want him to order the other ingredients. Which meant he might not be back.

The fourth time was when everyone usually went shopping. The hopes of finding someone that knew something. Or better yet finding that boy and the ferret version of his son. The search once again turning up nothing.

Lucius headed to Knock Turn Alley. He gathered some stuff for his house guest. Stalling as much as he could before returning home. Once he couldn't stall anymore he stopped by Gring Gotts. He was greeted by very angry goblins, but they assisted him still. He finally left after that. Deciding it was probably best to perhaps catch Draco at Hogwarts.

(2130 words)