Shopping With a Malfoy is Hard on one's Budget

[subtle_simmer]

Date: Tuesday, 18 June
Time: Immediately after Order Meeting
Place: Wherever Draco decides
Characters Involved: Severus and Draco and anyone they run into whilst out and about
Rating: Probably PG - 13, because Draco has a potty-mouth

Comments

[zekaryah]

It was supposed to be his day off yesterday, and it was. He was going to check his wards and stay in his home, cozy and comfortable as he would catch up on rest. However, leaving the house was inevitable that day. He happened to run out of food and refreshments, which led him down to Hogsmeade. There, at The Three Broomsticks, he encountered two completely different former schoolmates, and then had to deal with something. As hardworking as Zacharias was, he knew when to take his breaks... Like today, for example.

He lied, calling in sick when he wasn't, and he'd deal with Perkins' mess tomorrow. The old bloke had a tendency to mix papers up at times, but Zacharias was used to it. He had grown patient with him over the months, and learned to deal with it. The Hufflepuff wasn't worried about getting another emergency call from his old colleague today, especially at a time like this. Yesterday was an exception, and he hated it. It's not like the Ministry cared anyway, or so it seemed, since his Office was a mere, minor one. Zacharias bought a new fish tank a month ago to be placed in his little, but comfortable dining room at his flat. To this day, it still remains empty..

And so he found himself getting ready for the day, after sending in that 'sick' note, and apparated to Diagon Alley. Hogsmeade didn't have a Menagerie, which left him with no other choice but to come here. He wasn't comfortable at shopping in Muggle shops yet, especially their pet stores. Before he headed down to the Menagerie, he had gone over to an arts supply store, as he was running out on watercolors and sketchbook paper. By the time the Slytherin duo arrived at the Menagerie, he was already there, standing before the display of pet fish.

Distracted by the fish, Zacharias lost his grip on the bag that held his art supplies, which eventually dropped to the floor. "Oh bother," the boy muttered, kneeling down to scoop them back into the bag. The materials didn't really scatter, but a paintbrush began rolling in the direction of the shop's door...

[suicide_blonde_]

The idea of Severus being too old and tired to cause trouble made Draco snort. Not that Severus appreciated the kind of trouble that Draco did, but he wasn't docile by any stretch.

"I'm sure you'll find Potter the perfect gift," he drawled, walking into the Magical Menagerie.

He was thinking about how odd it was that Severus would consider buying Harry a present at all given their history. Harry had mentioned something about getting along with Severus while Draco was away in France, but that little truce seemed to have ended rather spectacularly. Severus was joking, of course, but Draco was almost certain he'd been invited to Harry and Longbottom's birthday party. Was he going? And if he was going, would he really bring a gift?

Probably. Severus was nothing if not . . . socially acceptable which mean unerringly polite in certain situations.

"Are you going to the birthday party?" Draco asked Severus curiously, taking a step forward and feeling something roll slightly beneath his foot.

He frowned, stepped back and noticed what looked like a paintbrush on the floor. What was a paintbrush doing here? Draco, not about to kneel or bend down, summoned the little thing to the palm of his hand and glanced around for whoever it might belong to.

[subtle_simmer]

"Yes, I'm going," Severus said quietly as Draco walked past him into the shop. "I don't trust any of them to have the slightest notion of true security."

Severus had promised Draco to help in regards to his father, and he intended to keep that promise. Whatever decision Draco made about how to deal with Lucius, it would be done because Draco made the choice on his own - not because of outside pressure! Which was also why he carefully tried to walk the line between his own distrust of Lucius, and not wanting to deliberately turn Draco against his father.

He knew the importance, the empowerment of free-will-choice. He would not allow anything to rob Draco of his.

This was not the place for discussion of Lucius Malfoy, however. He watched the wand - no, paintbrush - sail into Draco's hand, and also looked warily about for the owner.

"That might have been a Portkey, Draco," he chided under his breath. "Careless."

[zekaryah]

Zacharias heard nothing about Potter, gifts, or birthdays. His arm slid through the handles of the bag, where they then rested at his elbow. The boy rose to his feet, soon peering into the bag. A brow raised as he found that his other paintbrush was missing. He was actually going to disregard it until he saw a glimpse of two familiar familiar. A blonde and a ..greasy haired man: former schoolmate and professor.

What were they doing here? Was it some personal field trip to the Menagerie -- perhaps Snape was too cheap for the zoo. Wait. Ah, there it was. He saw the brush in Draco's hand, as he appeared to have picked it up.

The Hufflepuff eventually approached them, his free hand doing a very slight wave. He wore the usual nonchalant look on his face as he looked to them before eyeing the brush.

"That would be mine," he said flatly.

[subtle_simmer]

One of the things Severus prided himself on, during his years as a Professor, was his ability to intimidate.

Actually, he took quite a few pages out of Minerva McGonagall's book, from his own years as a student. Of course, there were quite a few other 'pages' he left firmly in place. Concepts like 'fair' did not belong in the classroom repertoire of a Death Eater Spy trying to stay alive, himself, after all.

The point being that he quickly learnt students 'feared' him more when he addressed them by name, because it was more personal. He made a point of studying the incoming class list of names prior to the sorting, so that it was a fairly simple matter of placing a name to a face. There were some families where the resemblance was so strong, he had only to recollect the surname in many cases. Though using the given name as well, when wanting to be particularly menacing, was quite effective.

However, people seldom look exactly the same at twenty as they did at seventeen - or fifteen if they didn't take his NEWT, and sometimes, as now, it took him a moment to recollect a name when he encountered someone outside the school setting. Still, he was usually correct.

"Mr Zacharias Smith," he drawled with a nod of his head. "I was not aware that magical creatures shops were an ideal place to purchase..."

He glanced at the object in Draco's hand.

"Art supplies?" He completed the sentence, returning his suspicious glance toward Smith.

There had been a Smith among the Death Eaters, though Severus had not known much other than his name - it could have been a pseudonym or one of the thousands of other 'Smiths'. But, in consideration for his own paranoia and constant watchfulness for potential 'dangers', he remained close to Draco and just slightly in front of him. He was not obviously 'guarding' Draco - but he could easily jump to his defence if it was needed.

[suicide_blonde_]

Draco shot Severus a frustrated look. Honestly. A portkey? Draco was never much for being cautious. It took out-and-out terror to prompt him to use common sense. Usually someone would point out later that he'd been stupid and he'd feel properly chided and ridiculous. Usually that someone was Severus (as in the time that Draco had orchestrated the Great Dementor Scheme of Year Three and been yelled at for what felt like hours for ever thinking that was a good idea).

However, even this time Draco had the feeling Severus was being a bit highly strung. Honestly. A portkey.

Draco might have said something disparaging but there was someone walking up to them, apparently the owner of the paintbrush. Draco recognized him but only barely. If it hadn't been for the blonde hair Draco might not've known him at all, but he remembered that well enough, and the other man's last name came to him a moment after Severus said it.

"Here," Draco said, reaching past Severus to hand the paintbrush back.

He wasn't sure quite what else to say so he didn't say anything else, just studied Smith carefully and glanced over at Severus before sighing and asking the obvious question.

"What are you doing here with a paintbrush?"

[zekaryah]

Zacharias wasn't a popular boy at school, but was one of those students who blended in with the crowd despite actually being different from other Hufflepuffs. He didn't mind, either, because he didn't want to be noticed -- at least, too much. The black sheep of the Hufflepuff herd was just known for being a.. well, an asshole. When it came to identifying him, it seemed best to call him by first name because there were too many a Smiths out there. He could never understand why Father was proud of his name: I'm a Pureblooded Smith, so that makes me superior to all the other Smiths on this planet. The name was terribly unoriginal and not so unique. Zacharias considered changing his name at one point, but he felt that even that was unnecessary.

He glanced up at Severus once he acknowledged him. He couldn't recall a time when he had gotten in trouble with the Potions Master -- probably corrected for a mistake here or there, but not reprimanded. Severus never really intimidated him, either, because Zacharias didn't seem to care. He was a boy who seemingly lacked any sort of passion for anything. Zacharias just did his work because he had to. The boy did have goals, however. Like his job, for example.

The Hufflepuff had the urge to say something sarcastic, but managed to hold his tongue. He held out his hand when Draco went ahead to hand him his brush, which he then placed back into the bag.

"Thanks." Yes, Zacharias did have some manners. "It fell out of my bag," he said, gesturing towards the bag. "Went to buy a few art supplies before coming here." He gave Severus another glance.

"Fancy seeing you here, Draco. Professor. It certainly has been a while." He would've addressed Draco as Malfoy, but that seemed like a... Potter thing to do. And why was Snape with Draco? Zacharias raised his brows slightly. "You both seem well. What brings you here, if I may ask?"