A Whispered Confession Can Change Everything
folder
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult
Chapters:
38
Views:
5,848
Reviews:
9
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult
Chapters:
38
Views:
5,848
Reviews:
9
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The weekend passed rather uneventfully, the following Monday Albus and Draco venturing down to the great hall together for breakfast. Breakfast was his second favorite time of the day now, next to bedtime. Every night Albus always tucked him in with tales from a book that was kept in Albus’ room so he couldn’t read ahead. But it was okay...he kinda liked it.
Draco fidgeted lightly in the new blue jeans he was wearing. Jeans and a t-shirt, sneakers on his feet. It was his official summer wear and it was really taking some getting used to. Albus insisted he not wear wizarding robes during the holiday...interesting how the old wizard wasn’t following his own rules.
He yawned and looked up from his porridge, watching as a mottled barn owl slowly swooped down from the rafters before landing rather gracefully in front of him. It held out it’s leg to him patiently and he was just about to touch it when a gentle hand encased his own hand, “Let’s make sure it’s safe, Draco.” He looked up at Albus with a frown while the older man waved his wand and murmured softly. He hadn’t thought about his father all week, feeling completely safe at Hogwarts now. He was well aware that the other Professors remaining at Hogwarts kept one eye on him at all times and in a way it made him feel even more safe. Satisfied that it was a mild glamor spell on the letter with no trace of portkey or poison, he gave Draco’s fingers a squeeze, “Alright. It’s perfectly safe.”
Draco’s frown was more pronounced this time, his own guard up, but he carefully took the letter and gave the owl a piece of his bacon. Unrolling the parchment, his frown deepened:
To Draco Malfoy,
I wasn’t exactly sure what you would wish me to call you so I thought I would start with being completely formal and you could decide from there. As I am sure you are aware, I am not your pen-owl but Harry is. There is a reason I am writing to you. I have enclosed a letter from your best friend, carefully disguised. A second owl, my fastest, should arrive shortly with the spell necessary to decode it, as it were.
As I was there for all the good and bad these last few weeks, I know you will be spending the summer with the Headmaster. I also imagine it might be terribly lonely so I thought of starting a pen-owl with just the two of us. It will be your choice. I certainly won’t force you and I will continue to forward her letters even if you decide not to write to me.
I’ve also enclosed a few pictures, but these are the muggle kind so the pictures will not move. I do hope you will write to me and have a pleasant week.
Hermione Granger
Draco blinked several times, reading and re-reading the letter. Granger wanted to be friends with him? Why? He was suspicious for a moment. Could she be pitying him? But he thought about it and decided against it. She was going out of her way, far beyond pity. Maybe she was being truthful. Then he mentally shrugged. She was a Gryffindor and sly just wasn’t in their nature.
His familiar disdain for mudbloods welled up inside of him before Pansy’s request came to mind. What was she playing at? And Albus had said his father wasn’t always right. His own mother had been a...muggleborn. So if father could be wrong once, could he be wrong about blood, too? He jumped as a second owl swooped down like a bat out of hell, landed and fairly tossing him a small parchment clutched in his talons before flying away. Grinning, he carefully recited the spell he’d heard Albus mumble and when it produced the same effect, unfurled it along with the letter Granger had sent.
Draco felt his eyes cross just looking at the strange symbols Pansy had come up with. Wand still in hand, he tapped the parchment and carefully recited the code.
Dray,
How are you? I’ve been worried about you. And don’t you simply adore my tactic of getting around my father with this pen-owl nonsense? Don’t be angry with me using Granger and please don’t tee her off with your Mudblood comments. Yes, you Dray, for I certainly don’t use them.
So, you simply must send me wondrous tales of your exciting adventures while you’re cooped up at Hogwarts all summer. And I will return with my fascinated days of watching grass grow and the dripping water spigot father is too cheap to fix. In a word, boring.
I suppose I’ll be getting a lot of reading done. And my summer work. Snape will be thrilled. So, my darling little brother, give us a hint of this fall situation. What does Dumbledore have up his colorful sleeves? And don’t say you don’t know. I know better. Anything worth knowing you will discover...please, please, please.
All my love, little brother
Your Pansy
Draco grinned at her letter, looking over Granger’s once more before carefully coming to a decision. Granger was going out of her way to do him a favor, and asking nothing in return except courtesy. Thinking about what Pansy had asked of him, he nodded to himself. Maybe his father was wrong. Maybe he wasn’t. The point is Draco didn’t have his own opinion on the matter, maybe it was time he took a step back and discovered the truth for himself. And besides, why only have one ally when you could just as easily have two? Nodding to himself at sound logic, he carefully rolled up both letters and quickly ate his breakfast. Finishing with a flourish, “May I be excused?”
Albus, eyes twinkling, “Of course.”
***
Draco looked Granger’s letter over carefully, letting his thoughts reflect on everything both Albus and Pansy had been trying to impart. To his own self he could admit he didn’t know how to proceed. He didn’t trust anyone except Pansy and Sev, although he was starting to trust Albus. But he’d never had friends so he wasn’t sure how to make friends with Granger.
The thought of asking Severus didn’t even occur to him, easily able to picture the man’s usual disdain for friendships and close relationships. He could, somehow, try to put Granger off while he conversed with Pansy until he figured out how but in the end he sought out Albus. He found the old wizard in his office, Fawkes sitting on his shoulder and singing. Draco froze for a moment, a feeling of peace sweeping over him, “Ah, Draco...was there something you needed, child?”
Blinking back to reality, feeling shy, “I was wondering if I could ask you something.”
Nodding and gesturing to a chair, “Of course.”
Draco sat quietly and fidgeted, looking down at his hands and gathering his courage. Licking his dry lips, not looking up, “If I wanted to make a truce with Granger how should I do so?”
“Just a truce?”
Puffing up his chest as he pulled in a big breath, “How can I make friends with her?”
The weekend passed rather uneventfully, the following Monday Albus and Draco venturing down to the great hall together for breakfast. Breakfast was his second favorite time of the day now, next to bedtime. Every night Albus always tucked him in with tales from a book that was kept in Albus’ room so he couldn’t read ahead. But it was okay...he kinda liked it.
Draco fidgeted lightly in the new blue jeans he was wearing. Jeans and a t-shirt, sneakers on his feet. It was his official summer wear and it was really taking some getting used to. Albus insisted he not wear wizarding robes during the holiday...interesting how the old wizard wasn’t following his own rules.
He yawned and looked up from his porridge, watching as a mottled barn owl slowly swooped down from the rafters before landing rather gracefully in front of him. It held out it’s leg to him patiently and he was just about to touch it when a gentle hand encased his own hand, “Let’s make sure it’s safe, Draco.” He looked up at Albus with a frown while the older man waved his wand and murmured softly. He hadn’t thought about his father all week, feeling completely safe at Hogwarts now. He was well aware that the other Professors remaining at Hogwarts kept one eye on him at all times and in a way it made him feel even more safe. Satisfied that it was a mild glamor spell on the letter with no trace of portkey or poison, he gave Draco’s fingers a squeeze, “Alright. It’s perfectly safe.”
Draco’s frown was more pronounced this time, his own guard up, but he carefully took the letter and gave the owl a piece of his bacon. Unrolling the parchment, his frown deepened:
To Draco Malfoy,
I wasn’t exactly sure what you would wish me to call you so I thought I would start with being completely formal and you could decide from there. As I am sure you are aware, I am not your pen-owl but Harry is. There is a reason I am writing to you. I have enclosed a letter from your best friend, carefully disguised. A second owl, my fastest, should arrive shortly with the spell necessary to decode it, as it were.
As I was there for all the good and bad these last few weeks, I know you will be spending the summer with the Headmaster. I also imagine it might be terribly lonely so I thought of starting a pen-owl with just the two of us. It will be your choice. I certainly won’t force you and I will continue to forward her letters even if you decide not to write to me.
I’ve also enclosed a few pictures, but these are the muggle kind so the pictures will not move. I do hope you will write to me and have a pleasant week.
Hermione Granger
Draco blinked several times, reading and re-reading the letter. Granger wanted to be friends with him? Why? He was suspicious for a moment. Could she be pitying him? But he thought about it and decided against it. She was going out of her way, far beyond pity. Maybe she was being truthful. Then he mentally shrugged. She was a Gryffindor and sly just wasn’t in their nature.
His familiar disdain for mudbloods welled up inside of him before Pansy’s request came to mind. What was she playing at? And Albus had said his father wasn’t always right. His own mother had been a...muggleborn. So if father could be wrong once, could he be wrong about blood, too? He jumped as a second owl swooped down like a bat out of hell, landed and fairly tossing him a small parchment clutched in his talons before flying away. Grinning, he carefully recited the spell he’d heard Albus mumble and when it produced the same effect, unfurled it along with the letter Granger had sent.
Draco felt his eyes cross just looking at the strange symbols Pansy had come up with. Wand still in hand, he tapped the parchment and carefully recited the code.
Dray,
How are you? I’ve been worried about you. And don’t you simply adore my tactic of getting around my father with this pen-owl nonsense? Don’t be angry with me using Granger and please don’t tee her off with your Mudblood comments. Yes, you Dray, for I certainly don’t use them.
So, you simply must send me wondrous tales of your exciting adventures while you’re cooped up at Hogwarts all summer. And I will return with my fascinated days of watching grass grow and the dripping water spigot father is too cheap to fix. In a word, boring.
I suppose I’ll be getting a lot of reading done. And my summer work. Snape will be thrilled. So, my darling little brother, give us a hint of this fall situation. What does Dumbledore have up his colorful sleeves? And don’t say you don’t know. I know better. Anything worth knowing you will discover...please, please, please.
All my love, little brother
Your Pansy
Draco grinned at her letter, looking over Granger’s once more before carefully coming to a decision. Granger was going out of her way to do him a favor, and asking nothing in return except courtesy. Thinking about what Pansy had asked of him, he nodded to himself. Maybe his father was wrong. Maybe he wasn’t. The point is Draco didn’t have his own opinion on the matter, maybe it was time he took a step back and discovered the truth for himself. And besides, why only have one ally when you could just as easily have two? Nodding to himself at sound logic, he carefully rolled up both letters and quickly ate his breakfast. Finishing with a flourish, “May I be excused?”
Albus, eyes twinkling, “Of course.”
***
Draco looked Granger’s letter over carefully, letting his thoughts reflect on everything both Albus and Pansy had been trying to impart. To his own self he could admit he didn’t know how to proceed. He didn’t trust anyone except Pansy and Sev, although he was starting to trust Albus. But he’d never had friends so he wasn’t sure how to make friends with Granger.
The thought of asking Severus didn’t even occur to him, easily able to picture the man’s usual disdain for friendships and close relationships. He could, somehow, try to put Granger off while he conversed with Pansy until he figured out how but in the end he sought out Albus. He found the old wizard in his office, Fawkes sitting on his shoulder and singing. Draco froze for a moment, a feeling of peace sweeping over him, “Ah, Draco...was there something you needed, child?”
Blinking back to reality, feeling shy, “I was wondering if I could ask you something.”
Nodding and gesturing to a chair, “Of course.”
Draco sat quietly and fidgeted, looking down at his hands and gathering his courage. Licking his dry lips, not looking up, “If I wanted to make a truce with Granger how should I do so?”
“Just a truce?”
Puffing up his chest as he pulled in a big breath, “How can I make friends with her?”