Shades Of Grey

It was the middle of August and Arianna Castille was strolling down Diagon Alley, her parents by her side. Patrick and Diane Castille, Arianna’s parents were looking around, twisting their heads around, trying to find Madam Malkin’s in the midst of the fairly calm and small crowd. Everyone seemed to know where they were going but the Castille’s whom were receiving many odd looks as the passersby quickly made their way down the alley.

This was because the Castille’s were new to Diagon Alley. No, Arianna was not a first year at school. She was, in fact, going into her sixth year. However, her father had to move to England from America for work so she and her mother moved out with him to keep the family together. Of course this brought along a complication. Arianna would have to leave her wizarding school in America. Transferring wasn’t often done in the wizarding community so Patrick had to send many owls back and forth with Albus Dumbledore himself to see how to make it so Arianna could attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Arianna wasn’t too keen, at first, about having to transfer to a new school. Especially when she found out that she’d have to be sorted into one of Hogwarts’ four houses; in front of the entire school. As if it wasn’t going to be embarrassing enough to be a transfer student for the first time in decades if not the first time ever. Plus the whole idea of houses confused her, she didn’t have that at her old school.

As she listened to her parents arguing about which way to go, Arianna looked around her, trying to see if she could find what her parents couldn’t. Up ahead she could see a store that had owls in cages out front and her eyes widened. Her old owl, Lightning, had died right before they left America and her parents promised her a new one once things got settled.

“Ari, honey, do you see it up ahead?” her mother asked, pulling her out of her daze.

“No but I do see a store that sells owls. Is it okay if I go in and pick one out while you two find your way? I’ll meet you there,” she said, turning to her parents and smiling up at them.

“Might as well,” her father said with a sigh, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a little satchel with money in it for her. “Get whichever one you like the best.”

“Thanks,” she said, taking the pouch and heading to the owl store. As she got closer she was able to read the sign that said Eeylops Owl Emporium. Looking through the window she could see owls everywhere.

Excited she made her way inside. She smiled at the wizard behind the counter and walked her way through the store, looking at the owls. There was one in particular that caught her eye. A gorgeous snowy owl perched beside an equally gorgeous tawny, but the snowy was just amazing. Slowly she reached her hand out towards it, hoping to pet it.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t get an owl that looked like Potter’s,” a male voice behind her said, causing her to jump and frighten the owl which flew away.

“Was that absolutely necessary?” she asked, turning around and staring straight into a pair of sad, grey eyes.

“Sorry?” he asked. Her eyes looked away from his and she saw the rest of his features. He was slightly taller than her, very thin, almost sickly. His skin was as pale as the moon and his hair so blond it was almost silver. But his eyes… she had never seen a pair like them before.

“Um… the owl… it could have bit me,” she said, stumbling on her words as she got lost in the mystery that was his eyes.

“Didn’t think about that,” he said, frowning.

“What did you mean, anyway? When you said, I wouldn’t get an owl like Potter’s?”

“I meant that insufferable Harry Potter. He has an owl that looks just like that one,” he said, nodding up at the snowy that was now perched near the top of the peaked ceiling.

“You know Harry Potter?” she asked, her eyes widening.

“Unfortunately,” the boy scoffed.

“You don’t like him?”

“Absolutely not. I’m Draco, by the way. Draco Malfoy,” he said, sticking his hand out for her to shake.

“Arianna Castille,” she said, taking it. Instantly she felt an electric shock run up her arm and she quickly let go.

“You’re American,” he noted, seeming unfazed by her quick reaction.

“Uh, yeah. I’m transferring to Hogwarts.”

“Transferring? That’s a first.”

“Yeah well, my Dad had to move out here for work so my Mom and I came with him. He had to write back and forth with Dumbledore to figure it all out,” she explained and couldn’t help but notice that he flinched when she mentioned Dumbledore's name.

“What year are you?” he asked, turning to walk around the store again, looking over his shoulder to make sure she followed him.

“Six,” she answered, looking back and forth between him and the owls. The bell over the door rang signaling someone had come in. Draco quickly looked over his shoulder, his hand springing to his waist before dropping when he saw it was the family of a first year coming in.

“So am I,” he said, stopping to look at an owl before shaking his head and continuing. “Have you been sorted into a house?”

“No, I have to do that with the first years,” she said in a disgusted tone.

“That sounds bloody awful,” he said, stopping again to look at a midnight black owl with bright yellow eyes. He turned to look at Arianna then back at the owl. “This one.”

“Sorry?” she asked, a smile on her face.

“This is the owl for you,” he said, sticking his arm out. The owl flew off the perch and settled on his arm.

“She is beautiful,” Arianna whispered, reaching her hand out to touch the soft feathers.

“She likes you,” Draco noted, looking at Arianna.

“It’s settled then,” she said, walking over to the wizard behind the counter.

“Would you like a cage, too?” the wizard asked, pointing over his shoulder.

“Please,” Ari said, nodding her head. After handing him the money for the owl she placed her in the cage and with Draco, they left the shop.

“What are you going to name her?” Draco asked as they slowly walked down the street.

“Thunder,” Ari said, looking the owl in the eyes. Thunder cooed and Ari smiled.

“It suits her,” he said letting out half a smile. “So, do you still need to get your robes? I’m heading over to Madam Malkin’s and was wondering if you needed to go.”

“I do, actually, I’m supposed to meet my parents there,” she said, frowning slightly.

“Arianna!” her mother called and Ari looked up to see her and her father standing with a group of people, most of them red heads.

“I assume that’s your mother,” Draco said, a hint of malice in his voice as he stared at the crowd of people.

“Yeah, I gotta go,” she said, turning to face him and slowly backing away. “I guess I’ll see you in there.”

“Yeah,” he said, his eyes still looking over her shoulders at the crowd.

“Alright,” she said, her eyebrows scrunching together in confusion as she made her way over to her parents, leaving Draco behind.

“Honey, look at who we’ve met,” her mother said excitedly gesturing to the people by her side. “This is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Hagrid, and Arthur, Molly, Ron, and Ginny Weasley.”

“Wow,” Arianna said, shaking their hands and then looking back at Harry. “It’s so nice to meet you. All of you.”

“You too,” Harry said, smiling at her.

“What happened to your eye?” Ari asked Hermione, noticing the black ring around it. Hermione blushed and looked down.

“Just a stupid object from Ron’s brothers’ shop,” she muttered, trying to pull her hair over eye.

“Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to go to Madam Malkin’s too so we thought you could go over with them and Hagrid and we’ll go get your books with Molly, Arthur, and Ginny,” her father said.

“Yeah alright,” Ari said, smiling at the four. “See you in a bit.”

“Did you just get that owl?” Ron asked as they walked to the robe shop.

“Yeah, I named her Thunder,” Ari said, smiling down at the owl.

“I like the name,” Harry said.

“Thanks.”

“Are you nervous about transferring?” Hermione asked.

“A little, yeah. It’s nice to meet people before I get there though,” she said, smiling at all of them. “Are you all sixth years too?”

“Yeah, we’re in Gryffindor,” Harry said.

“Gryffindor?”

“One of the four houses,” Ron explained, opening the door to Madam Malkin’s.

“Migh’ be a bit of a squeeze in there with all of us,” Hagrid said, looking into the window of Madam Malkin’s. “I’ll stand guard outside, all right?”

The four teenagers entered the store and Arianna set Thunder’s cage down by the windows. They thought they were the only one’s there until they heard someone speak.

“I’m not a child, in case you haven’t noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping alone.”

Arianna’s head lifted at the familiar voice and a smile crept to her face. She craned her neck trying to see over the racks to spot his blond hair. Looking to her right she saw the disdainful looks on the faces of her three companions.

“Now, dear, your mother’s quite right, none of us is supposed to go wandering around on our own anymore, it’s nothing to do with being a child,” came an older woman’s voice.

“Watch where you’re sticking that pin, will you!” Draco said, coming around the rack and into view.

Arianna noticed the set of robes he was wearing that had a bunch of pins in it. She watched as he made his way to the mirror. He noticed her in the reflection and winked, causing her to smile. Then his face turned to a frown and she saw Ron flinch beside her.

“If you’re wondering what the smell is, Mother, a Mudblood just walked in,” he said and Ari gasped.

She looked to her right again and saw Hermione’s face go stiff. Hermione must be a muggle born, but hearing Draco say something like that surprised Arianna. He didn’t seem like the type of person who would say that when she talked to him not ten minutes ago.

“I don’t think there’s any need for language like that!” the older woman said, coming into view. Arianna assumed this to be Madam Malkin herself. “And I don’t want wands drawn in my shop either!”

That’s when Ari realized that both Harry and Ron had their wands out and pointed at Draco. Hermione stood behind them, her face gone slightly red. Ari felt bad for her but didn’t understand why the boys had drawn their wands. Yes, it was an awful expression for someone who was muggle born but surely Draco hadn’t meant it.

“No, don’t, honestly, it’s not worth it,” Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron.

“Yeah, like you’d dare do magic out of school,” Draco said, an evil look on his face that disturbed Arianna. “Who blacked your eye, Granger? I want to send them flowers.”

Arianna’s mouth dropped open slightly and she just stared at Draco. His eyes shifted to her for a moment and they turned soft again, as did the rest of his face. He turned back to the other three and immediately his face grew stiff again and he looked like a completely different person.

“That’s quite enough!” Madam Malkin said. She turned around as if looking for someone else. “Madam --- please ---“

That’s when Draco’s mother came into appearance. Ari could see the resemblance between Draco and his mother. Though her face was stone cold and it frightened Arianna some.

“Put those away,” she said to Harry and Ron, nodding to their wands. “If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do.”

“Really?” Harry asked, walking towards Mrs. Malfoy. “Going to get a few Death Eater pals to do us in, are you?”

“What?” Arianna gasped, speaking for the first time since entering the shop. All six heads turned towards her and her hand jumped up, covering her mouth. Draco’s face stayed stiff but his eyes softened, almost apologizing to her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Really, you shouldn’t accuse --- dangerous thing to say --- wands away, please!” Madam Malkin said, her hands clenched together over her chest.

Harry kept his wand out, pointed at Draco’s mother. Mrs. Malfoy had a wicked smile on her face, one that would unsettle your stomach and Arianna’s heart beat quickened.

“I see that being Dumbledore’s favorite has given you a false sense of security, Harry Potter. But Dumbledore won’t always be there to protect you,” she said. Out of the corner of her eye, Arianna could see Draco flinch again when Dumbledore was mentioned.

“Wow… look at that… he’s not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a husband!” Harry exclaimed and Draco jumped forward. However, the robes were so long that he stumbled forward instead.

“Don’t you dare talk to my mother like that, Potter!” Draco shouted and Arianna jumped at the fierceness.

“It’s all right, Draco,” his mother said, pushing him back behind her. “I expect Potter will be reunited with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius.”

Arianna’s head swam with confusion. Her eyes widened as she watched Harry hold his wand higher. Hermione rushed forward and grabbed his raised arm.

“Harry, no! Think… you mustn’t… you’ll be in such trouble…” she said and it was silent for a moment, all eyes on the three in the middle. Madam Malkin stepped around them and over to Draco as if this were normal.

“I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more, dear, let me just ---“

“Ouch!” Draco shouted, hitting her hand away. “Watch where you’re putting your pins, woman! Mother --- I don’t think I want these anymore ---“

Arianna watched as he pulled the robes off and threw them on the floor. This was definitely not the same guy she had met a half an hour ago. He was so different and she wasn’t sure if it was because his mother was there, or because Harry, Ron, and Hermione were.

“You’re right, Draco,” his mother said, glancing over at Hermione. “now I know the kind of scum that shops here… we’ll do better at Twilfitt and Tatting’s.”

“Well, really!” Madam Malkin exclaimed, watching as they left the shop. Arianna turned to glance out the window and saw Draco looking at her. He gave her a half smile before continuing down the street with his mother.

Arianna could not figure out what the story was between Draco and the other three. It had to be something awful with the way Ron and Harry reacted. She tried to push it from her mind as Madam Malkin measured her for her school robes but it just didn’t work. Her mind just kept picturing those eyes of his and what secrets they held behind them.