The Girl Who Didn't Die

XXVII- Tension

Everyone began to depart for Diagon Alley via Floo powder. Mrs. Weasley had Ron demonstrate for Harry and Diana, and Diana caught on quickly. Harry, however, did not speak clearly, which was one of the most basic rules of traveling by Floo powder. F*ck, Diana thought. She went next, landing properly in Diagon Alley. She stayed with the Weasleys, hoping Harry would turn up. In the meantime, they waited in Flourish and Blott's for a book signing by some famous wizard called Gilderoy Lockhart. Maybe five minutes later, Harry came into the shop, along with Hermione Granger. Diana wondered where Harry had ended up. Before she could ask, the book signing began. A charmingly arrogant-looking wizard approached the audience dramatically. Diana hardly payed attention as he relentlessly blabbed about his many books and achievements in fighting Dark wizards and creatures. Then, before he could continue, he stared, wide-eyed, at Harry.
  "Harry Potter," he murmured in awe.
  "Harry Potter!" a photographer announced, pulling him forward and basically shoving him toward Lockhart.
  "Oh, and Diana Black," he smiled, less in awe.

Diana subtly rolled her eyes as she was pushed more lightly toward Lockhart and Harry.
  "Smile, Harry,Diana, together we'll raid the front page," he murmured through his fake smile.

Once the picture was taken, he resumed his obnoxious blabbing.
  "Today, when young Harry Potter, and Diana Black, stepped into Flourish and Blott's, they never imagined that they would be leaving with my entire collected works, free of charge," he announced as everyone clapped.

Not surprisingly, it was only witches in the audience. Harry and Diana stepped down, and Mrs. Weasley offered to have their books signed for them. Diana immediately made her way to the back at the top of the stairs, where Draco was.
  "Congratulations," he smirked.
  "Please, he barely noticed me compared to the heavenly Saint Potter," Diana sneered.
  Draco shrugged. "Fair enough. God, that Potter gets all of the attention."

The two made their way down, and Draco immediately began attacking Harry as Diana watched, bored.
  "Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?! Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go to a book shop without making the front page!"
  "Leave him alone," Ginny intervened bravely.

Well, this is going to get messy.
  "Oh look, Potter! You've got yourself a girlfriend!"
  Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, came up behind Draco and tapped his shoulder with a cane. "Now, Draco, play nicely," he said harmlessly.
  He grinned at Harry. "Mr. Potter. Lucius Malfoy, we meet at last," he smiled, shaking Harry's hand slowly. "Forgive me," he murmured, pulling Harry close to him and examining his scar. "Your scar is legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it you."

Oh, great, not this conversation.
  "Voldemort killed my parents," Harry hissed surprisingly calmly. "He was nothing more than a murderer."
  "Hmm. You must be very brave, to mention his name," Mr. Malfoy murmured. "Or very foolish."
  "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," Hermione interjected fiercely.

Malfoy turned his attention to her.
  "And you must be.... Miss Granger," Malfoy realized. "Yes, Draco's told me all about you. And your parents. Muggles, are they?"

Sh*t, this is getting real ugly.
  Lucius Malfoy turned his attention toward Ron. "Let me see. Red hair,vacant expression,tatty second-hand book," he thought, examining Ginny's book. "You must be the Weasleys."
  Just then, Mr. Weasley appeared. "Children. Let's go outside, it's mad in here," he smiled pleasantly.
  "Well,well,well, Weasley Senior," Malfoy smiled.
  "Lucius," Mr. Weasley greeted more coldly.
  "Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur? All those extra raids? I do hope they're paying you overtime. But judging by the state of this, I'd say not," he thought. "What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they're not even paying you well for it?"

Damn.
  "We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

Ooooohhhhhhhhhh!
  "Clearly," Malfoy retorted. He stared at Mr. and Mrs. Granger. "Associating with Muggles. And I thought your family could sink no lower." He slipped Ginny's book, and, to Diana's curiosity, another one into her bag.

Mr. Weasley stared at Lucius Malfoy for a moment, and then smiled at everyone else.
  "I'll see you at work," Mr. Malfoy announced.
  "See you at school," Draco said warningly to Harry. Then, he turned to Diana, with an actual slight smile. "See you at school, Ana."
  Diana smiled lightheartedly. "See you at school, Draco."
  As Draco turned, Mr. Malfoy stared at Diana. "Miss Black! I don't believe we met, I'm Lucius Malfoy, Draco has told me all about you," he said, far more warmly than to anyone else.
  "A pleasure, Mr. Malfoy," Diana smiled, shaking his hand firmly.
  "Oh, call me Lucius. I assume you know your family history," he smiled.
  "Yes, Lucius, and I also understand that we are basically cousins," Diana smiled.
  "Yes, and I'm sure Narcissa would like to meet you, is it alright if we steal you for a moment or so?"
  "I'll be right back," Diana grinned slyly at Harry.

She followed the Malfoys as Draco smirked. He patted his friend on the back. Diana was lucky she hadn't worn regular clothes that day, seeing as that would be a very uncomfortable explanation. She walked out of the shop to see a smiling woman with dark graying hair streaked with pale blonde.
  "Ah, Miss Black, I've been wanting to meet you for some time now," she smiled.
  Diana smiled. "And I've been wanting to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy."
  "Diana, call me Narcissa, there's no need for formality, we're family," the woman said dismissively.
  "Alright then, Narcissa, it's very nice to meet you."
  "Yes, it was very nice meeting you, you're a very well spoken and composed young lady," she complimented.
  "Thank you, I'm sorry to leave, but I should probably get back to my brother," Diana sighed with slight bitterness. 
  "Alright, then, I'm sure we'll see you again sometime," Lucius smiled.
  "Goodbye," Diana waved, heading towards Harry and everyone else.

Once she returned, everyone began to look at her differently.