What Lies Within

Over the next few days the couple settled into life as a married couple. They spent every waking second together, exploring the small town down the road of their house, or curled up on the couch, reading books and just enjoying each others company. Sophie experimented with muggle cooking every night and Draco seemed to be loving the results. Term was starting in about a week and the couple got a letter from Narcissa saying that their book lists had arrived and they needed to get to Diagon Alley to get their things for the school year.

“I guess we could go tomorrow.” Draco offered as the two of them sat at their kitchen table, looking over their book lists. Sophie nods, setting her list down.

“Your mother wants to go with us.” She tells him as she stands up, reaching for a piece of parchment and a quill to send a message to Narcissa of their plans to go to Diagon Alley the following day. Draco groans, putting his head down on the hard wooden table.

“Tell her we don’t need her to go with us, we are very much capable of getting our things without her.” He says, his voice slightly muffled by the wood. Sophie laughs and shakes her head, already starting the message.

“She can come with us, Draco. It’s not a big deal. Stop being such a man” She insists. He lifts his head and looks up at her.

“Fine.” He gives in. She smiles at him and finishes the letter. She folds it up, addressing it to the proper person and then walks to the window where her owl, Jonesy, sat perched on the window, bathing in the warm afternoon sun.

“Take this to Narcissa, okay, Jonesy?” She says to the owl who gives her finger a small nip before spreading his wings and taking off into the sky. “Aren’t you worried at all about going to Diagon Alley? I mean, you heard about Olivander and Florean Fortescue.” Sophie walks back across the kitchen, resuming her seat beside Draco who looks at her, his blue-gray eyes full of such love and adoration for her it made her blush.

“Yes, but Sophie, the people that did those things are the people we run with, or at least I do. If anything, we are the safest people in Diagon Alley, they wouldn’t touch either of us when The Dark Lord needs us like he does. Me for the tasks he’s set and you to be close to Potter.” Draco explains, making Sophie sigh and shake her head.

“You know as well as I do that I will be staying away from Harry as much as I possibly can, I will not use Harry’s friendship with me as a weapon for The Dark Lord.” She tells him, making him nod and give her a soft smile. He reaches across the table and takes her hand in his.

“I agree, you should stay away from Potter. You being close to him just puts you more in the line of danger and that’s the last place I want you.” Now it was her turn to give him a soft smile, squeezing his hand gently.

“It’s the last place I want you too, but I don’t really have much of a say in the matter.” She says, her voice quiet. Draco sighs, running his free hand through his blonde hair that was growing long and shaggy but Sophie loved it like this, it looked good on him. Much better than the slicked back look he had sported the first two years of school.

“I’m doing it for you, Sophie. I’d do anything to keep you from being a Death Eater. I promise you that you will never be branded like I have been.” He vows. She simply nods, not wanting to get into this argument that they had on a regular basis, and leans across the table, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

The next day, the couple wrapped themselves in their traveling cloaks and ventured out of their house, sliding into the back seat of the car that was still at their service. Their driver drove them to London where they stepped out onto the curb in front of The Leaky Cauldron. It was a very overcast and murky day. A small chill ripped through the air, causing Sophie to step closer to Draco, clutching at his hand for warmth. They stepped into The Leaky Cauldron. Tom, the bar keeper looked up, smiling at them.

“Hello Sophie, Mr. Malfoy.” He greeted them, bowing his head a little. Draco of course ignored the man that was lower than him but Sophie gave him a warm smile. The summer before her third year she had spent two weeks here with Harry, after he ran out of his Aunt and Uncle’s house, and had gotten to know Tom well.

“Good afternoon, Tom.” She greets. “We can’t stop now, but I’ll be sure to talk Draco into coming back after we’ve finished our shopping for a meal.” She assures the older man who breaks into a large grin.

“Thank you, Sophie. That is very kind of you.” Sophie gives him another smile before allowing the impatient Draco to finally pull her to the back where he tapped the brick wall with his wand and it opened up, revealing the dingy and bleak Diagon Alley. There were shops boarded up and familiar faces of Death Eaters blinked and sneered at her from wanted posters on shop windows.

“You are far too nice to people, Sophie.” Draco mutters, smirking over at her. She laughs and squeezes his hand.

“You love it.” She states simply. “Come on, I told your mother we would meet her at Madame Malkin’s. You have grown far too much since your last robes.” He simply nods and allows her to lead him to the robe shop down the lane. Narcissa Malfoy stood beside the entrance, looking very nervous and tired.

“Hello, Narcissa.” Sophie greeted the older woman. Narcissa cracked a small smile and hugged her daughter in law before giving her son a hug as well.

“Shall we do this, then?” She asks, making the two teens nod and head into the shop. Madame Malkin rushed up and immediately began asking questions about what they needed. She then guided Draco over to a mirror and threw some robes over him, starting to hem them and make them fit right.

“You can go do something else, Mother.” He stated as he held out his arm for Madame Malkin to pin it.

“ Nonsense, I came to help the two of you.” Narcissa says, shaking her head. Draco rolled his eyes at her while Sophie smiled softly.

“We are obviously not children, in case you haven’t noticed, mother. We are married and perfectly capable of doing our shopping alone.” In the same second that Draco said this, the door of the shop opens. Sophie turns to see none other than Harry, Ron and Hermione walking in, all of them wide eyed, having obviously heard Draco’s comment about marriage. Harry narrows his eyes at Sophie but she quickly looks away. “If you’re wondering what the small is, ladies, a mudblood just walked in.” Sophie reached over and smacked her husbands arm, but he simply ignored her.

“I don’t think there’s any need for language like that!” Madame Malkin scolds. She then turns to see that Ron and Harry had drawn their wands in defense of Hermione at Draco’s comment. “And I don’t want wands drawn in my shop either!”

“Yeah, like you’d dare do magic out of school.” Draco sneers.

“Put your wands away.” Narcissa sneers at the two boys. “If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do.” She threatens.

“Really?” Harry questions, glaring at the three of them as he pockets his wand, Ron doing the same. “Going to send your Death Eater buddies after us, are you?”

“Harry, that’s enough.” Sophie tells him, glaring right back.

“I used to think so highly of you, Hill.” Harry sneered. “Now you are just one of them, just as bad, just as arrogant.” Draco made a move towards the trio but he tripped over his still too long robes.

“Don’t you dare speak to my wife like that, Potter!” He spat at him. Again, the trio’s eyes widened and Sophie blushed, keeping her arms crossed and her left hand hidden so they couldn’t see the large diamond ring that rested on her finger.

“I think this left sleeve needs to come up a little bit.” Madame Malkin spoke, still focusing on Draco’s robes. She went to touch Draco’s left arm but he pulled away from her.

“Watch where you stick those pins, woman!” He exclaimed, glaring at her. “I don’t think I want these anymore, Mother.” With that, he pulled the large robes over his head and tossed them on the ground.

“You are right, Draco. Now that I know the filth that shops here, we will go to Twilfitt and Tattings.” Narcissa responded, holding her nose up at Madame Malkin who looked shocked.

“Come on, Sophie.” Draco took Sophie’s hand and pulled her from the shop, Draco purpously ramming into Ron on his way out.

“Well that was delightful.” Sophie muttered as soon as they were out of the shop. She saw Hagrid standing a few feet from the door and gave him a soft smile but knew better to stop and talk to him, not with Draco already so angry about the encounter with Harry.

“I don’t think I will ever understand how you were ever friends with them, Sophie.” Draco muttered as they walked down Diagon Alley, Narcissa walking behind them.

“I know, Dray.” Sophie mutters, sighing. “Let’s go get our books.” Once in Flourish and Blotts, they all went their separate ways, getting the books they needed as quickly as possible, all of them wanting the shopping trip to be over and done with already. Sophie had an armful of books as she searched around the shop, now trying to find her husband who seemed to have disappeared.

“Where’s Draco?” Narcissa asks, walking up to the teen who frowns, shrugging.

“I’m not sure.” She says. Narcissa reaches over and takes the books from Sophie’s arms.

“I will pay for these, you go find him. Meet me out front once you’ve found him.” Sophie nods and continues to look around the shop before stepping outside, seeing if maybe he had gone out here. She doesn’t see him but she does see the trio exit Weasley Wizard Wheezes, looking as if they were following someone. She frowned and decided to follow them, maybe they had seen Draco go this way, though she wasn’t sure why he would.

She kept a safe distance behind the trio, following them all the way to Knockturn Alley. She frowned and saw them come to a stop in front of Borgin and Burkes. They soon vanished as Harry threw his invisibility cloak over them. She frowned and stood there for a few minutes until none other than Draco walked out. She gasped and watched as he stomped off, looking pleased with himself. Before she could stop herself, she rushed forward, blindly reaching through the air until she found one of the trio and ripped the cloak off of them.

“Why on earth are you following Draco?” She yelled at them, deciding to not mention the fact that she had no idea why Draco was in Borgin and Burkes, or even Knockturn Alley at all.

“He looked suspicious, he’s up to something.” Harry responds. Sophie rolls her eyes.

“You seriously have nothing better to do than follow my husband around because he looks suspicious?” Sophie didn’t even notice that she had called Draco her husband until the three of them gasped and got wide eyed again. Harry glared at her seconds later though.

“Husband? You married him?” Ron questioned. Sophie sighed, running a hand through her red hair.

“Yes, it’s a complicated situation. I had to. That doesn't matter though, what matters is that you had no right following him.” She says, trying to change the subject.

“Oh no, it does matter. You are only 16, Sophie. How could you be married already? And to him, a Malfoy.” Harry sneers. Sophie rolls her eyes.

“Maybe you aren't clear on what happens when two people get married but usually the wife takes the husbands name, so now I’m a Malfoy as well. And I am damn proud of that fact. I couldn't ask to be married to a better man.” Sophie tells them. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to him. Stop following him.” She glared at Harry one last time before she turns and walks back the way she came. When she approaches Flourish and Blotts a minute later, Narcissa and Draco stand waiting for her.

“Where did you go?” Draco asked her, taking her hand as they begin to walk towards the next shop they needed to go to.

“I went looking for you.” Sophie said, deciding to wait to mention that she saw him in Borgin and Burkes until they were back at home alone. “Where did you go?” He simply shrugs.

“Just outside for some air.” He says. She simply nods, easily being able to tell that he was lying. They finished the rest of their shopping quickly. Just as Sophie promised, she got them to stop at The Leaky Cauldron for a meal from Tom, who was pleased. Narcissa then bid them goodbye and apparated home, leaving the couple to go to their car, which started for their house.

“So, you going to tell me the truth now?” Sophie asks as soon as they are alone in the car. Draco looks over at her, frowning.

“What? Truth about what?” He asks, making her roll her eyes.

“Where you really went.” She see’s the shock ripple across his face but he plays it off and frowns at her, trying to look convincing.

“What are you talking about? I just stepped outside.” He insisted. She laughed a little, shaking her head.

“I saw you, Draco. I saw you in Knockturn Alley in Borgin and Burkes.” She confesses, narrowing her eyes at him, seeing the shock on his face once more as his eyes widen.

“Oh.” Was all he managed to get out. Sophie couldn't wait to hear what he came up with.