Chapter Text
Elara Potter stared at the bag of coins that were in her hands, positive her hazel eyes were quite wide. This was the most money she had ever had or even seen in her entire life! She looked over to her twin brother, Harry, noticing the same expression of awe and surprise written all over his own features.
“Harry,” She whispered softly, more in disbelief than wanting to be quiet. “Are you sure none of this is still a dream?”
Given everything that had happened that lead them to being here...the letters, the moving, Hagrid breaking down their door, seeing Diagon Alley for the first time, then the bank and now all this...it was just too good to be true, in the twelve year old eyes.
“I’m pretty sure, Elly...but even if it isn’t, don’t wake us up. I like it here,” Harry said with a grin, putting his coins up and he reached for his little sister’s hand. Granted, he was only older by five minutes, but it was a fact he greatly enjoyed to exploit when things happened and could use his big brother status to try and protect her.
Elara smiled at her brother before giving him a nod and she looked up at Hagrid, who was looking quite green. “Uhm,” she said, the concern written on her features. “Are you alright, Hagrid? Do you need to sit down?”
The ride to their vault had been quite fast with many curves, but her and her twin had found it a bit fun; almost like a rollercoaster they had heard so much about but yet never experienced. Though Elara hoped they had better protections on the ones outside the wizarding world.
Hagrid looked down at the youngest Potter, nodding his head. “Yeah, I’m alright. Just...would yeh two mind if I head to the Leaky Cauldron for a pick me up? Hate them carts...always make me sick,”
Both Elara and Harry nodded, though Elara frowned slightly. The Groundskeeper had been nothing but nice to them, and answered as many questions as he could for them. She was a little worried about him going off on his own...but being without Harry made her stomach twist in a knot of nerves and anxiety. She knew she was slightly dependant on her twin, but she could push past this...needed to, really.
There next stop was a place called Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, and Hagrid had said it might take a little time to get measured because of how close it was to school time, so best to get it started. But she did want to make sure Hagrid was okay…
“Harry, why don’t you go ahead of me and get in line for getting measured for your robes?” Elara said with a timid smile, keeping her voice down this time so Hagrid wouldn’t overhear her. “We don’t know how busy the other stores will be, so while you’re doing that, I can make sure Hagrid is feeling better, then I can come halfway through and we can switch. If he’s not feeling well, I’ll just meet you back there,”
Harry frowned for the first time in quite awhile. He wasn’t sure about his little sister walking around by herself...when she was around Harry, she wasn’t quite as shy, mostly just a little quiet but she would speak up and make some funny quips. On her own though…
But if she was offering...Harry did want her to start feeling better to being on her own. And the Leaky Cauldron wasn’t too far away. And he knew where the robe shop was as well...and she did make sense...even if one of them wasn’t ready, the other could take Hagrid and start shopping for their books, since they really didn’t need the other to buy the same books needed on the list. Unless there was a different book they wanted to take home and read, though that would be hard to do around the house with their Aunt and Uncle.
“Alright,” Harry said with a nod. “But if you start feeling uncomfortable or someone starts bothering you-”
“Come find you straight away, I know,” Elara said with a smile, grateful her brother saw where she was getting at.
“Or head straight back to the Leaky Cauldron,” Harry added.
Elara nodded her head in agreement. That was quite alright with her, and it made the most sense. Harry nodded in agreement, turning to look up at the gamekeeper “Okay, Hagrid,” and he turned to start his walk over to Madam Malkin’s store. Elara knew her own twin was nervous about walking there by himself, but he had always been so brave to push past those nerves, which is one reason she tried just as hard as well.
So Elara looked up at Hagrid, giving him a soft smile. “I’ll walk you there Hagrid and then I’ll head back here. I just want to make sure you make it there okay,”
“Yeh don’t hafta, Elara,” Hagrid said, though Elara did note he started walking anyway.
“I want to,” Elara said. “You’ve been very good to Harry and me, and I want to return the favor...even though this is probably the most I can do,” She could buy him something at the Leaky Cauldron, but she had a very good feeling Hagrid would refuse that.
Sure enough, once they arrived and Hagrid ordered his pick me up, Elara had tried to buy it for him, but Hagrid refused, saying she needed to save that money for her school supplies and anything else she would want to buy herself. He had the money he needed for his drink and would be fine. Elara was tempted to try once more, but she knew it wasn’t going to get her anywhere. So instead, she nodded, and waited until Hagrid had his drink and began sipping on it. As his color began to come back, she smiled and told the Gameskeeper she was going to head over to the shop. Hagrid nodded at her, telling her to be careful, and she began the very crowded walk over.
Thankfully, nothing truly happened on her walk back to the shop besides being bumped into a few times by some witches that were in a hurry wearing some very bright robes that left Elara blinking at the shade, and she made it to the front of the store. Her belly was still home to several butterflies, but some of them had seemed to settle, leaving her with her normal amount of nerves that she could deal with. As she approached, Harry was coming out, a small frown on his features. From what Elara could tell, her twin wasn’t upset, but more displeased.
“Did you get poked with a needle a few times?” Elara asked as she approached her big brother.
“No,” Harry said with a shake of his head, glancing back at the store. “Just met another student going to Hogwarts this year. I don’t think I like him very much,”
Elara tilted her head in silent question. “Just...kinda reminded me of Dudley, in the sense of he’s spoiled. He was talking about trying to get his mum and dad to buy him some stuff, even though first years aren’t allowed to technically have them,” Harry explained.
Ah, spoiled child. Out of most of the people they knew when they went to school, Dudley was one of the most spoiled children. Elara had met some that weren’t too bad, but spoiled in the sense of they knew their parents could afford anything and everything. Hopefully he was more spoiled in that sense rather than a spoiled brat.
Twelve years with Dudley had been enough, she didn’t need another seven years with one.
“Hagrid was starting to look a little better when I left, but I would feel better if you checked on him,” Elara said with a small smile, changing the topic.
Harry nodded, giving his sister a smile. He reached for the door, holding it open for her. She gave him her own grateful smile but heading into the shop, her butterfly colony growing in her belly once more.
As a chime went off, Madam Malkin, a squat witch wearing a lot of maude, came out, giving the auburn haired witch a smile. “Hogwarts, dear?” Elara nodded but before she could say anything else, the owner continued. “I don’t have any free room for girls right now, but I do have another Hogwarts student in a room, but he is a boy. I’ll be there the whole time, taking measurements, and I’ll have you change in a dressing room. Is that alright? You’ll have to wait quite some time if it isn’t,”
Elara bit her lip, considering. She didn’t want to make Harry and Hagrid wait, but if it was the same boy...but if she left to go shopping, she knew there was a chance her spot could be taken...and this was probably the only time they would be able to even come to Diagon Alley; there was no way Uncle Vernon would take them here and wait. It had been hard enough to convince him to drop them off at the train station for the ride to their new school.
She glanced up at the older witch before bobbing her head. Madam Malkin gave her a reassuring smile, motioning for her to follow. Elara obediently followed her, her hands gripping her somewhat baggy blue jeans. Thankfully, being a girl, she couldn’t wear most of Dudely’s handme downs. Some shirts, yes, but pants were a little different because even most of the pants wouldn’t stay up with a belt. So Aunt Petunia went to a good will just buying some and shoving them at her, not caring if they fit well or not.
Elara wouldn’t complain, it could’ve been worse. Poor Harry still got most of Dudley’s things.
As they entered the room, Elara glanced over at the boy with pale blond hair with a bored expression on his long features, standing on a stool, wearing some black robes and a school uniform while another witch was fiddling with the length, and a measuring tape was measuring his left arm. Without her holding it.
That was so cool!
“Now, my dear, I need you to stand on the stool so I can get your measurements and then we’ll start in on your uniform alterations,” Madam Malkin said with kind smile.
Elara gave her a nervous nod, stepping up on the stool and she dropped her hands to the side. As Madam Malkin got busy, the boy started talking to her.
“Hogwarts, too?” He asked after a small hello as he glanced over at her.
“Y-yes,” Elara murmured out, hating the fact she stuttered. Pretend to be Harry! Pretend to be Harry!
The boy raised a brow at her, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of the stutter or the fact she barely raised her voice. Maybe both.
“Well, my father is looking at books and my mother-” He began to drawl out before he was interrupted by a charm going off. The witch helping Draco paused for a moment, standing up and headed to the front of the store. The blond boy rolled his eyes before continuing. “As I was saying my mother-”
“Mister Malfoy, your mother is here. Are you and this young lady comfortable with her coming back here?” The witch said as she poked her head through the curtain. The boy gave a nod in approval before turning to you and Elara could’ve sworn she saw his eyes narrow slightly.
But since it was another woman, and Elara was fully dressed...and the boy seemed almost done with his own fitting. And Madam Malkin did promise not to leave…
She gave her own quick nod of the head to the witch, her hands coming up to as she was in a T position for the seamstress to measure her arms.
Soon, a beautiful, long haired pale woman entered, wearing an expensive (even Elara could tell) black robes and a beautiful silk green top and a black skirt underneath and black heels. A blond brow rose delicately at seeing her in the fitting room, but Elara had a good reason to think it had to do with her clear hand me down blue shirt and pants and scruffy shoes.
“Well, my mother is here then. Mother, can we go to the broom store after this?” The blond boy asked, though to Elara, it almost sounded like a demand.
She had a very good inkling this was the boy Harry had been complaining about.
“Yes, Draco,” His mother answered, with a soft smile to her son.
Well, at least Elara had a name now. That helped.
“Do you have a broom?” Draco asked as he turned his gaze to her again. Elara felt like she was being judged and if he had anymore questions, they would be too. She even felt it from his mother.
Her inkling that he was a spoiled brat was growing as well.
“No,” Elara said with a shake of her head before her cheeks turned pink as Madam Malkin wrapped a tape measure around her waist and saw just how small her waist was. Elara knew her and her brother were quite small for their age, and she was pretty sure their growth was possibly stunted. It was possible they were just late bloomers but...their punishments of missing meals, and then being forced to share an already tiny cupboard wasn’t good for them. She was grateful that they shared a bedroom now instead.
Elara swore she saw something flash through the eyes of Draco and his mother, but it was gone before she even could try to identify it. And before she could ponder it more, Draco spoke again. “Do you like Quidditch then?”
“...Quid...ditch?” She blinked. What in the world was Quidditch?
Draco’s eyes narrowed more. Yup, judging. “Do you even know what Quidditch is?” He asked, an almost small amount of disgust growing in his tone.
“I uh...no, no, I don’t.” Elara answered honestly.
“Young lady,” His mother spoke up as she studied Elara under a scrutinizing eye. “Are your parents around?”
“Uhm, no ma’am,” Elara murmured,her gaze dropping to the ground, thinking to what have learned about their truth death. It was very sad, and she was still angry for not knowing the truth for as long as they did. “They died when my brother and I were very little.”
“Were they at least our kind?” Draco asked.
“Our…? Oh, yes, they were a witch and a wizard,” Elara said with a nod.
Any other conversation was interrupted with Madam Malkin moving her tape measurers away, placing a robe gently over top of her and began stitching to get it the right length. The silence was there for several moments, and part of it was somewhat eating at Elara. Her curiosity was growing and she looked to Draco for a moment. “I...could you explain Quidditch to me?”
Elara could almost feel and obviously see Draco’s chest puff up as he began explaining the complex game of Quidditch. Towards the end, her head was spinning but in a good way. The game itself seem fun, and once Draco stopped talking, she gave him a true smile. One that actually reached her eyes.
“I would love to be a Chaser or a Seeker,” She confessed.
“Well, that works if you join Slytherin; I’m an excellent seeker.” Draco told her with his own smirk.
“Slytherin?” Elara couldn’t help but ask.
Draco stared at her and so did his mother. She was tempted to wiggle but she was still getting poked and prodded, and the last thing she wanted was to be poked by a needle.
“There are four houses in Hogwarts,” His mother finally said. “Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Each house wants different traits, and there is a test to see which one is the best for you. Do not worry, child, it isn’t bad. You won’t need to much do anything at all besides be yourself,” Draco’s mother stood as Draco was finished with his fittings. They turned to leave and Draco stopped, turning towards Elara. “What’s your name?”
“I’m-” Elara started to say before she was interrupted once more to try on some clothes. She gave Draco and his mother an apologetic wave before she was behind a curtain.
Draco wasn’t too bad...a spoiled brat, yes, but...his mother seemed nice.