Flourish and Blotts was packed to the brim with patrons. (Y/N) and Draco had to wait in a line stretched outside the door just to step into the shop. After about ten minutes in the summer sun, they were finally allowed in but found it quite difficult to navigate their way around to find their books for the coming year.

"What is all this for?" Draco looked rather annoyed with all the other people bustling about. (Y/N) couldn't blame him, she was annoyed, too.

"There was something about a book signing outside, didn't you see?" She pressed up against a bookcase as an eager young witch rushed by. "We'll get nowhere in this crowd."

Lucius had gone off to buy their broomsticks, otherwise, (Y/N) and Draco would've allowed him to clear the way for them to seamlessly follow. However, without someone taller and more commanding than them, they were left to retreat up the stairs and away from all the chaos below.

The second floor was nearly empty. There was a tired old shop manager who struggled to stay awake in a chair tucked in the corner. (Y/N) peered over the railing. She hoped to catch a glimpse of who everyone was so worked up about, but could hardly see anything through all the brightly colored robes and overwhelmed looking Muggle parents.

"Here," Draco passed (Y/N) a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2. It was the first on a rather extensive list of books. "Can you see him?"

"See who?" (Y/N) asked.

"Gilderoy Lockhart," Answered Draco. "That banner there says it's him that's visiting now."

"Lockhart? He wrote most of the books on our list, did he not?"

Once or twice, (Y/N)'d heard something or other about Mr. Lockhart and how he was a very talented wizard. He had great adventures and was the center of many heroics, but (Y/N) didn't find him too impressive. She didn't think much of a man who bragged about his feats on paper, or in his case, to a point of writing an entire series about himself and his accomplishments. Not to mention, at home, his name never came up in conversation. When it came to Gilderoy Lockhart, (Y/N) was about as impartial as it got.

"Have you heard some of the titles? Voyages with Vampires..." Draco crinkled his nose. "He sounds like a joke."

The very man stepped out from behind a curtain and the crowd below erupted in cheers. Lockhart seemed to be soaking up every second of it. He was dressed in pale blue robes the same color of his eyes and dawned a bright and charismatic smile. Even though (Y/N) didn't like much about him, she did have to agree with everyone swooning - he was a very handsome man.

A small wizard pushed his way through the crowd, carrying a large camera in his hands. "Excuse me! Excuse me, little girl!" He shouted. "This is for the Daily Prophet!"

Lockhart was already in a pose by the time he raised his camera. He turned for another as soon as the camera flashed, but before the photographer could snap a picture, Lockhart's smile fell away to a look of realization.

"It can't be," He said. "Harry Potter!"

(Y/N) leaned closer to see, and sure enough, she found a very surprised looking Harry among a family of redheads. She wondered how on earth he left Borgin and Burkes and made his way to Flourish and Blotts without seeing her. Nevertheless, she was glad he found a way out of that cabinet and to safety.

"Do you think I'll be able to make my way down there?" (Y/N) asked as Harry was ushered to stand beside Lockhart for a picture. At the very edge of her field of vision, she could see Draco roll his eyes.

"Why? Can't bear another moment without your precious Harry Potter?"

"Oh, would you give it a rest, already?" She groaned.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Lockhart spoke before Draco could. (Y/N) could say she appreciated him for that at the very least. "What an extraordinary moment this is! When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts this afternoon to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me," He was interrupted by a surge of applause from his adoring fans, most of whom, (Y/N) realized, were women. "Which, incidentally, is currently celebrating its twenty-seventh week atop the Daily Prophet best sellers!"

Another wave of applause. Lockhart was just eating it up, but Harry, however, looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

The man adjusted his arm around Harry's shoulder, pulling him closer to his side. "He had no idea, he'd be leaving with my entire collected works, free of charge."

Lockhart might've just as well saved Harry's life, for as soon as the books were in his hands, the women clapped and swooned. Harry got away as quickly as he could and found refuge with Mrs. Weasley, but she took his books and hurried him along. From where she stood, (Y/N) heard her say something about getting them signed for him.

Harry started towards the exit and (Y/N) took that as her cue to go. She had many questions for the young boy, the first of which being why she didn't get a single letter all summer, and she didn't want to wait all the way until the first of September when they'd meet on the Hogwarts Express to learn the answers.

She left Draco just as he started to complain again -- something about how unfair it was that Harry got a free set of books just because he was famous -- and she hurried down the steps. A good bit of the store's shoppers navigated around Lockhart's table, giving her plenty of room to come downstairs, and just enough to spot the very boy she was eager to see emerging from the mob.

"Harry!" (Y/N) skipped over the last step in all her excitement and rushed right into his opened arms. "I've missed you! How have you been?"

"I-I've missed you, too," He just managed to stutter it out before (Y/N) pulled away. Sometime in between finding him in Knockturn Alley and then, Harry found someone to repair his glasses, but he was still covered head to toe in soot. "And I'm alright. How are you?" He still sounded flustered.

"Oh, fine, I suppose," (Y/N) started. "Though I might've thought you were dead until I saw you at Borgin and Burkes! Not a single letter, all summer! And just what were you doing in there, anyway?"

"It's a long story. And I would have written, but I never got any of your letters. A house-elf took them. I only just found out."

"A house-elf?" She repeated. "But why?"

Before Harry could answer, Draco came marching down the steps. He was looking for trouble, of course, and (Y/N) only just rolled her eyes when he started in. "Bet you loved that, didn't you Potter? Famous Harry Potter! Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page!"

"Leave him alone!" A little girl with flaming red hair stepped forward; it was Ginny Weasley. Since the last time (Y/N) saw her at the station, she'd grown a few inches taller.

"Oh, look, Potter," Draco's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "You've got yourself a girlfriend!"

Ginny's freckled face flushed with embarrassment and she couldn't think of anything else to say. (Y/N) came to her defense.

"And what of Pansy Parkinson?" She retaliated. "You two have been getting on well this Summer. Why don't we talk about that?"

That time he was the one who didn't know how to respond. He scrunched up his face, glaring harshly at (Y/N) with the same quelling look Lucius had. However, she did not give him the reaction he desired. She only smiled at Ginny, almost covertly, like they were the only ones in on a secret. The young girl grinned in thanks.

Just then, Ron and Hermione made their way over holding their new schoolbooks close. Fred and George weren't far behind.

"Oh, hi, (Y/N)," Said Ron, looking pleased. "I didn't expect we'd see you until we were on the train."

Draco laughed. "And why is that, Weasley? Didn't think you'd have enough money to come into a shop? I'd be surprised, too. I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay off for all of those." He nodded to their books, most of which were secondhand.

Hermione and Harry had to hold Ron back. (Y/N) thought about later, when they would be back home and she could sneak a spider into Draco's bed, just to give him what he deserved. Until then, she thought a nice elbow to the ribs would suffice. It had, and left her godbrother clutching at his side and (Y/N) rubbing her sore elbow, but otherwise, no worse for wear.

"Yeah," Encouraged George, who'd seen her strike. "That's it!"

"Hit him again, won't you?" Added Fred.

"Ron!" Mr. Weasley called, smiling cheerfully. He was a thin man, going bald, but had hair just as red as his children's. "It's mad in here! Let's go outside."

"Well, well, well," Lucius Malfoy returned to the shop, standing just behind (Y/N) and Draco. She hoped he hadn't seen her hit Draco, for surely if he did, she'd be in a world of trouble. However, that was the least of his worries. Much like his son, Lucius came with the intent of trouble, and (Y/N) didn't want to listen to him shoot a string of insults out at a perfectly good family. "Weasley senior."

"Lucius." Mr. Weasley nodded curtly and tried to get by, but Lucius wouldn't let him pass.

"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur, all those extra raids? I do hope they're paying you overtime..." He reached into Ginny's cauldron and pulled out one of her books. It looked perfectly fine; a bit loved, but still plenty useful. Lucius clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Obviously not. Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

(Y/N) clenched her jaw. Anger swirled inside her, right alongside embarrassment. She didn't want Mr. Weasley to think she was anything like her godfather, nor anyone else who might've been nosy enough to overhear.

Mr. Weasley kept his head high. "We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

"Clearly." Lucius looked towards Hermione's parents who were standing by quietly. "The company you keep, Weasley. And I thought your family could sink no lower."

"What's wrong with Muggles?" (Y/N) couldn't stop herself. Everyone looked at her, Mr. Weasley in surprise, her friends with wide grins, and Lucius with an expression that was more than furious. She'd already dug herself into a deep hole, but after seeing Hermione's bright smile and Ron's prideful stare, (Y/N) didn't want to retract what she said. Instead, she gathered the courage to meet her father's gaze. "Magic isn't everything. It's awful to think that way."

Lucius stared her down, his lips pulled into a thin line. He adjusted his grip on his cane until his knuckles were white. He was close to yelling at her, but she hoped he cared more about saving face than disciplining her straight away. And luckily, he did.

His piercing stare fell on Ginny. "Here girl," Lucius sneered, he dropped her book into her cauldron carelessly. "Take your book — it's the best your father can give you." He eyed Mr. Weasley, and (Y/N) thought she never saw so much disdain in one man's eye. Lucius turned to leave the shop.

"See you at school." Draco tried to sound threatening, but (Y/N) thought it was a futile and tired attempt. With that, he followed Lucius outside.

(Y/N) looked to her three friends, who were somewhere in between pleased with her defiance and sympathetic.

"You know," Said Ron, shifting his weight. He kept his voice low so Lucius wouldn't overhear. "You could always come back with us. I'm sure Mum won't mind."

"(Y/N), come." Lucius said from the doorway.

She managed a thankful smile. "That's okay," As much as she would've loved to spend the remainder of the Summer with the Weasleys, she knew it was impossible. "I'll see you at school," And with that, she followed Lucius out the door.

It was much nicer, the way (Y/N) said it. Her smile made Harry feel warm inside. He could tell she was trying her best to be polite while still making it seem like she wasn't having a decent conversation with them.

She glanced back through the window once they closed the door and waved one last time. Lucius grabbed her arm and pulled her along. The last thing Harry saw of her before they turned the corner was (Y/N) trying to get her wrist free.