"Right," said Harry, when they'd arrived in Diagon Alley. "Where to first?"

Harry, Luna, Severus, Draco, and Mother all turned automatically to Father, who preened at the attention. "I suggest we stop at Madam Malkin's first. I don't know about the rest of you, but I desperately need new clothing." He glanced down distastefully at the robes he wore. "Severus' taste in clothing is atrocious. We should get him new clothes as well, and then burn these, so no one else need be traumatized by them."

Severus bristled. "I'll have you know that I like my clothes."

Luna patted his arm gently. "You must admit that you could do with a bit of color, Sev."

"I will do no such thing! In fact – "

Luna shook her head. "Come on, Sev. Mulpepper's first. We're running quite low on Murtlap, you know, and we need..."

Their words faded as Luna dragged him away.

Draco snorted. He knew he should probably be disturbed by the way Severus allowed the mad girl to drag him around, but he really just thought it was cute. "Merlin, I'm turning into a Gryffindor," he muttered.

"No, I think you're skipping straight to Hufflepuff." Harry smirked at Draco's horrified expression, linking their arms. "Shall we?" he asked brightly. "...Dracopuff," he added in a whisper.

Draco smacked his shoulder, more amused than annoyed at the nickname – and if that's not proof, I don't know what is – but left their arms interlocked. "And you are turning into quite the Slytherin."

Harry smirked again. "Well, I was nearly sorted into Slytherin, you know?"

Draco stopped walking, dragging Harry to a stop as well. "You're joking."

"Nope. I had to convince the Sorting Hat to put me somewhere else."

Draco snorted, but resumed walking. "You convinced the Hat that its first choice was wrong, just because I was a git to you when we first met? Harry, I'm touched."

Now it was Harry's turn to smack him. "Oh, shut up. It wasn't just because of you." He paused. "But, yeah. Mostly, I guess." He blushed, and Draco grinned.

They walked in silence for a bit, and then Harry said pensively, "I wonder what it would have been like, if I'd accepted your hand that day on the train, and let the Hat put me in Slytherin, like it wanted."

"Well, obviously we would have been best friends." Draco frowned. "But not with Hermione. Or Ron. And that could have been disastrous. Yeah... I think it's good things worked out the way they did."

He nudged Harry's shoulder. "I did really want to be your friend though, that day. I just didn't know how."

Harry nudged him back. "I know. And I think I would have been much more receptive to it, except you reminded me of my horrid cousin, Dudley, who bullied me my entire childhood."

"But we're friends now, right? Even though I was so horrid to you?"

Harry grinned. "Don't look so worried. It's not a good look for you. And yeah, we're friends now. I wasn't that nice to you either." There was a brief pause, and then, "Ooh... look! There's the newest Nimbus." They stopped to stare covetously for a few minutes.

Draco turned then, a gleam in his eye. "Do you think..."

Harry's eyes held a similar gleam. "Oh, yes. I definitely think." He glanced at Mother and Father, who were waiting for them – Mother more patiently, as usual. "After Madam Malkin's, though, or your father might kill us."

"But we are definitely getting them." Draco had to be certain.

"Oh, yes. We are absolutely getting them."

They strolled back to Mother and Father, speculating about the new broom's speed and agility all the way.

So Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter ambled happily down Diagon Alley, arm in arm, with Mother and Father trailing regally behind. They drew quite a few stares, but Harry ignored them, so Draco resolved to ignore them as well. It was easier than he'd thought it would be, with the warm presence of Harry by his side, whispering snarky commentary in his ear.

They strolled into Madam Malkin's, deep in a friendly argument about Quidditch.

"I'll be with you in a moment," called Madam Malkin, back turned as she fitted another customer's robes.

After a few minutes, she turned to them, mouth full of pins, took one look at Draco and his parents, and gasped, scattering the pins on the ground at her feet. Harry rushed forward to help. "Here, let me get those for you." He deftly gathered the pins, tucking them into the pincushion sitting on the counter, and then took her arm, guiding her gently to a chair.

"Thank you, dear boy," she said absently, patting his arm as she stared distrustfully at Draco and his parents. Draco shuffled his feet guiltily. Then Madam Malkin looked up at Harry, standing patiently beside her, and gasped. "Oh! My goodness! You're – "

Harry smiled disarmingly. "Yes. Harry Potter, vanquisher of dark lords, at your service." He sketched an elaborate bow, and Draco snorted.

Madam Malkin blushed and stammered like a first year, and Draco had to hand it to Harry – he certainly knew how to defuse a situation with charm. Draco knew him well enough to know that that was the only reason Harry ever pulled out his charm, since it clashed with his Gryffindor honesty.

"What can I do for you, Mister Potter?" she asked, a bit too starry-eyed for Draco's liking. "I haven't seen you in here since – well, it's been years, anyway. Would you like to see our latest designs?"

Draco looked Harry over again, this time focusing on his clothing. It was true, he realized. Harry probably hadn't bought new clothes in years. Draco grinned to himself. Well. They were in a clothing shop. He would just have to convince Harry to get new clothes, too. And he knew just how to do it...

"Oh, no," Harry said, "Actually, it's the Malfoys that need new clothes." He waved Draco over.

"You're with them?" Madam Malkin gasped. "But – but Mister Potter! Surely you know what they are?"

Harry's face closed off instantly, and his voice, when he replied was hard and cold. "What they are, Madam Malkin, is a family whose Manor was burned to the ground with them inside it. They are staying with me, and are currently wearing borrowed clothing." He glared at her. "So, if you can manage to set aside your prejudice for a few hours, we're here to buy a complete wardrobe for each of them. If you can't, then we'll have to take our considerable business elsewhere."

She blanched at the 'our,' and Draco thought suddenly of what would happen to her business if it got around that she'd slighted Harry Potter enough that he'd chosen not to shop there, and had to stifle a smile. He found he quite liked this Harry, who seemed to have embraced his Slytherin side, since the war.

Madam Malkin seemed to have come to the same conclusion. "No, no," she said hurriedly. "No need for that. Come here, young Mister Malfoy, and let me measure you. I believe you've grown since you were last here.

Draco stepped up on the pedestal she indicated, and inspiration struck. He looked into the mirror, meeting the reflection of Harry's eyes. "Hogwarts, too?" He asked innocently.

Harry's eyes flashed understanding. "Yes." He walked slowly forward until he stood directly in front of Draco.

Draco swallowed, throat suddenly dry as Harry focused on him. He held out his hand, willing it not to shake. "I bungled it last time, but, friends?" He held his breath as Harry paused, drawing the moment out, face inscrutable.

Then Harry's face cleared, and he grinned. "Friends," he said, shaking Draco's hand firmly.

They stared into one another's eyes until Madam Malkin cleared her throat. "Well. That was..." She shook her head and indicated the pedestal next to Draco's. "Mister Potter, hop up here, please. I'll get you fitted next."

Harry turned, surprised. "Oh, but I'm not – "

Draco grinned at him. "Oh, but you are. I'm sorry Harry, but if I'm going to be seen with you, you'll have to have more fashionable clothes. A Malfoy does not date slobs." He stuck his nose in the air, much as he had all those years ago, and held his breath, wondering if he'd gone too far.

Harry snorted. "Right." He jumped lightly on the pedestal. "For our first date, we're going to Fortescue's once we leave here, and you're going to buy me a scoop of every flavor. And try every one with me. And then we're going to visit George."

Draco groaned, but it was mostly for show. He looked Harry up and down, letting his gaze linger. "All right. But only if you get an entire new wardrobe and let me pick it out."

Harry grumbled. "Fine."

"Good."

A delicate cough interrupted them. They both turned to see Father, brow raised sardonically. "Are you two quite through? Only I'd like to get out of these horrid robes sometime this century."

Harry and Draco grinned at one another. Madam Malkin shook her head and returned to her measurements. "I'll have their measurements in just a moment, Mister Malfoy, and then I'll get you and your wife's while these two choose styles and colors."

Draco cleared his throat. "You mean, while I choose styles and colors."

Harry frowned. "Hey! What about me?"

"I suppose you can assist me."

Hary snorted. "Of course, Draco. Anything you want."

Madam Malkin snapped her fingers, jotting something down on a small pad. "All right, you two, take your flirting over there, please." She pointed to a cozy corner with plush seats and several thick notebooks on a small table. "All the latest designs and color samples are in those notebooks."

Harry nodded and leapt lightly to the ground, offering a hand to Draco. "Come on, Dracopuff."

Father shook his head as Harry tugged on Draco's arm. "Dracopuff?" he mouthed, horrified. Draco shrugged as he allowed Harry to pull him away. Mother smiled indulgently at him, then stepped lightly onto the pedestal, dragging Father with her.

Draco tried to sit in the seat next to Harry, but Harry tugged harder, pulling Draco into his lap.

"Oof," said Draco, surprised. "Budge up, then."

Harry shifted slightly, and Draco squeezed into the chair beside him and then snuggled against him. "All right, assistant. Hand me that book." He pointed to the top book in the pile.

Harry rolled his eyes, but handed it to him. "All the flavors."

Draco grinned. "Soon. But first – wardrobe."

Harry groaned, but bent his head over the book beside Draco, and soon they were arguing passionately about colors and fabrics.