Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Pen Pals	By : GryffindorToy Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 4635 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It is the property of JK Rowling and others who are not me. I make no money or profit of any kind from this story.

Chapter List
- 2
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- 4
Disclaimer: I don�t own the Potterverse. I just play in it
from time to time� but I don�t get paid for it. Nope� nobody pays you to
entertain your own perverse fantasies� And a bloody shame, that is.

Author�s Note: I don�t know where
all of this inspiration is coming from, but hey� I�m just going to roll with
it. I suppose I could probably thank the band Within Temptation. I�ve been
listening to all of their songs on a constant loop as I write this. Hooray for
the eternal inspiration fountain that is Within Temptation! Lol.

~III~

�Hermione, let�s go! We need to
get to the station!� called Ron from the bottom of the stairs.

She sighed, throwing her hair up
into a high, sporty pony-tail and blowing her fringey bangs out of her eyes. Of
all days to sleep in� She hadn�t even had time to read her letter! She rushed
down to the living room, stowing the letter away in her bag to avoid questions,
and followed them out the door.

Later, when she was sitting in a
compartment with Harry and Ron, she pulled the letter out. It had taken longer
this time� would this be a polite declaration of his desire to stop writing to
her? Had she offended him? She shook herself mentally. He had probably been
busy. His entire life did not revolve around their communication. She opened it,
reading it thoroughly. And then she read it again. And once more, just to make
sure she wasn�t mistaken.

He sounded so� despondent. Her
heart clenched at the thought of somebody living such a life. �I just hope
my story has a happier ending.� That one sentence spoke volumes. She sensed
the resignation and defeat in those words even through the letter and knew he
didn�t believe it would. The phrase �pure-blood elitist parents� caught her
attention again and she narrowed her eyes. They sounded like Death Eaters, or
at least the sort of people who supported Voldemort�s cause. Thankfully, he
didn�t seem to share their sentiment.

However, it was the last paragraph
that worried her the most. What could make somebody so unwell that they could
not receive their post for two days? With the life she imagined he must have
led, she didn�t even want to think about it. And she wouldn�t ask. Not about
his parents or the quality of his home life� nothing. If he wanted her to know,
he would tell her when he was comfortable.

Harry made to grab the paper from
her, but she moved it beyond his reach just in time. She folded it carefully,
placing it back in the envelope and then in her bag. �Don�t even think about
it,� she scolded, �These letters are private.�

�Are they from Vicky then?�
asked Ron, making ridiculous kissing noises at her.

�No, they are not. For your
information, I haven�t heard from Viktor in quite some time,� said Hermione
haughtily, �They are from my pen pal, and no I am not telling you anything he�s
written.�

�But you don�t even know the
bloke!� he exclaimed, �Who cares if you tell us what he says?�

�I promised him I wouldn�t tell,�
she replied, �And I plan to keep that promise.�

�Fine,� huffed Ron, crossing his
arms over his chest and pouting rather dramatically.

She laughed and was about to tease
him for being childish when the compartment door slid open, revealing Draco
Malfoy. They only stared at each other for several long moments, not knowing
what else to do. Nobody spoke, nobody moved� they hardly even breathed.

�Er� sorry,� said Draco, abruptly
turning and shutting the door.

�What was that all about?� said
Harry bemusedly, �Do you reckon he�s not feeling well?�

�What the hell was he apologizing
for?� said Hermione as she stood and soared after him.

�I can�t believe he was
apologizing at all,� said Ron.

She caught up with him in the next
train car, spinning him around to face her. �What was that?�

He quirked an eyebrow at her.
�What was what?�

�That! Back there! What exactly
were you apologizing for? Were you sorry because you came into our compartment
or for interrupting our conversation? Or maybe for making our lives hell
up until now?� she whispered, trying valiantly not to draw attention to them.
Her efforts were wasted, though, as a handful of students were already
gathering around them.

�I just came to tell you-�

�Not here. Come with me,� she
said, pulling him to the back of the train where the large cargo was kept,
�Now, how can you expect to be forgiven so easily? One muttered apology
couldn�t possibly make up for six years of torture!�

�But I-�

�You�ve been awful to Harry and
Ron, you�ve made fun of my hair, my teeth� everything!� she continued, not even
hearing him, �And I can�t count the number of times you�ve called me a mud-�

Draco grabbed her by the front of
her shirt and pulled her into a hard, crushing kiss, his other hand going up to
the back of her neck. It didn�t last long, but it sent fire racing through her
blood. Who would have known that he had such soft, skilled lips? �About half
of the female population of Hogwarts, probably,� she thought when he let
her go.

�Don�t,� he said firmly,
�say that word.�

�Why- why did you kiss me?� she
asked, wishing she could sound angry and only managing to come off as puzzled.

He shrugged, smirking. �That�s how
I usually get girls to stop babbling.�

She brought her hand back and
slapped him across the face. �And that, my dear, is why we are not friends.�

�It was a joke,� he whined,
rubbing his cheek, �I don�t know why I kissed you. I just� hate hearing that
word. I acted without thinking and I�m sorry, okay?� He paused and seemed to
consider something. �Come to think of it� I probably should apologize for the
last six years. So� I guess� I�m sorry?� He grinned sheepishly and then was
suddenly somber. �I really am, though. I�ve been a terrible person and I�ve
caused you nothing but trouble. And I�d like to apologize.�

She gazed at him skeptically. He
seemed sincere, but� It was then that she noticed the faint pink tinge to his
cheeks and smiled. �Okay.�

�Just �okay�? What happened to
your righteous speech?� he said, grinning.

�Oh, you haven�t completely made
up for everything and we�re still not friends,� she said, patting him on the
shoulder, �But it�s a start. And as far as starts go, I think that was a pretty
good one.�

�Right�� he said, thinking that
the girl should get her head checked, �We should go.�

�Go where?� asked Hermione.

�The reason I had gone to your
compartment was to remind you of your duties as Head Girl,� he said, running a
hand through his hair, �But you all looked so surprised and nobody said
anything and then it was- awkward.�

�So?� she said, not seeing his
problem.

�So I don�t do awkward,� he
retorted.

�You�d rather flee with your
proverbial tail between your legs,� she teased, and laughed when he blushed
again, following him back out into the passenger cars.

Comparatively, the remaining time
before they reached Hogwarts was rather uneventful. She got into it with Ron again
regarding her pen pal and nearly punched him right in his narrow minded head.
Ginny joined them for a short while and shamelessly flirted with Harry before
he told her- in an incredibly polite and patient manner, of course- to bugger
off. Neville stumbled in to tell them in excruciating detail about some new
type of plant that can cure excessive flatulence. Luna wandered through
aimlessly and warned them against Nargles and Wrackspurts for what felt like
the hundredth time. In other words, it was the same as every other train ride.
Although Seamus did finally manage to successfully turn water into rum
without losing his eyebrows�

As Hermione sat through the
sorting later that evening, her mind drifted between the strange encounter with
Draco and her ever more mysterious pen pal. She wondered if should tell Romeo
about it and ask his opinion on the matter. �No� it would be too easy for
him to figure out my identity. Secrets don�t stay secrets in this school for
long.�

�Are you going to eat, Hermione?�
asked Ginny, prodding her in the side, �Or perhaps you�d rather continue to
gaze wistfully at the potatoes.�

She grinned sheepishly. �Sorry. I
was thinking,� she said, fixing herself a plate.

�About what?� said Lavender, a bit
too innocently.

Parvati tittered in that
irritating way she was prone to. �With that look on her face it had to have
been a boy.�

�That�s impossible,� said Seamus,
�Hermione doesn�t think about boys.�

�She was probably fantasizing
about all the essays we�ll be assigned this year,� joked Ron, making them
laugh.

�For your information,� she
snapped, �I was thinking about a boy.�

�Who? Your precious pen pal?�
asked Ron moodily.

�No, not that it�s any of your
business. Somebody else,� she replied smirking, �Somebody I know.�

�Who?� asked Ginny eagerly, �A
boyfriend?�

�It�s a secret,� she said, smiling
furtively, �But he�s absolutely gorgeous.�

She ignored the furious look on
Ron�s face and dug in to her dinner. He had no right to be angry after telling
her that they were just friends and would never be more. That had been an
uncomfortable moment� However, she had accepted it and moved on with her life.
Now she wished he could do the same.

When she had eaten her fill, she
quickly excused herself, wanting to see what the Heads� dorm was like. That was
perhaps her favorite Head Girl privilege; her own room. She would have to share
a common room and bathroom with the Head Boy- in this case, Draco Malfoy- but
it was worth it. She also had a letter to write, but she wasn�t about to admit
that part of her anticipation was due to that.

She made it to the room specified
in her communication with McGonagall and gave the password, waiting patiently
for the portrait of Malachi the Melancholy to swing slowly open before hurrying
in. The common room was cozy, decorated in soft creams and a deep blue, with a
large sofa and two plush armchairs settled in front of a massive fireplace, a
small table with four chairs that would be a good place for studying or playing
chess, and a row of book shelves stocked with plenty of academic material.

She saw that her new roommate was
already seated in of the armchairs with his back to her, reading a book, quite
oblivious to his surroundings, and decided to have a bit of fun. She moved
quietly forward until she was a scant few inches away, took a deep breath, and
bellowed, �Draco!�

He started so violently that the
book flew out of his hands, making her snicker. �What the bloody hell was that
for?� he exclaimed.

She shrugged, trying to control
her laughter. �I just felt like� you should have seen yourself!�

He scowled, bending to retrieve
the fallen literature. �You made me lose my place.�

She grinned. �You should be more
alert. These are troubled times. Or so I�ve been told.�

He couldn�t help but match her
grin, remembering the insane shopkeeper, Donovan Dieter. Then he frowned as he
realized, first, that they had a private joke, and second, that she had just
called him by his given name. He didn�t comment on it and he wouldn�t do the
same, in case it had been a one time, slip of the tongue kind of thing, but� it
had sounded sort of- nice.

Hermione pretended she couldn�t
see the wheels turning in his head. �Well, I�m going to go get settled. Have a
good night.�

He nodded curtly and she walked
away, heading for the door engraved with �HG�. When it shut behind her,
she sighed. It looked exactly like the dorm in Gryffindor
Tower, giving her that feeling of
home that she had become accustomed to over the years. The only differences
were her bed, which was enormous, and the fact that she had her own wardrobe,
vanity, and desk. She sat down and penned a response to the last letter she had
received. It was carefully worded in some parts and had tried to sound
sympathetic without sounding pitying, but she was happy with it. As soon as she
closed the envelope it disappeared, surprising her.

�That was strange,� she muttered,
hoping it had gone where it was supposed to.

Draco started for the second time
that evening when an envelope dropped from thin air into his lap. He cursed
loudly, wondering if Fate, itself, was determined to give him a heart attack.
However, he recognized it at once and stashed it inside his book, retiring to
his room. As soon as he had settled at his desk, he opened it and read:

�Romeo,

I�m not too terribly upset that
she was absent so long. There were other owls available to me if I had needed
to send any important letters and I am sure that she was well taken care of. I will
admit that I was a bit disappointed when your missive did not arrive
with its usual haste, though I will admit it to nobody but you. Regardless, I
am glad that whatever kept you from your mail seems to have gone. You are
feeling better, right?

It sounds like your parents are
awful! And no, I�m nothing like that and I�m glad to hear that you aren�t
either. I think it�s very brave of you to go against their wishes and follow
your own dreams and ideals. Not many have that kind of courage, you know. I
don�t know if I do.

So you can identify with the
characters of �Romeo and Juliet�? I�m sorry if I�m being too forward, but I
find that rather sad. You must have led a difficult life to relate to such a
tragic tale. I won�t ask about it, but I will say this: If you want it badly
enough, you will have your happy ending. If you�re strong enough to defy the
very people who gave you life, you are strong enough to achieve whatever it is
that you desire. At least, that is what I believe.

I also believe that your
aspirations for the future are incredibly noble. To be honest, I am shocked
that nobody has thought of the applications of non-magical remedies before. I�m
a little jealous that I didn�t think of it! It�s
absolutely brilliant! Do you have any idea how many people will benefit from
that, how many lives you could save, how many families you could rebuild? Now,
don�t forget me when you become internationally famous.

My goals seem humble in
comparison, but I would like to do research on the magical gene, how it works,
why it sometimes recedes and creates squibs, why it sometimes appears in
Muggle-born children, and hopefully develop a better way of educating wizards
about Muggles. I think a lot of this misguided feeling of superiority has been
bred by ignorance. Muggles are highly innovative and just as intelligent as
wizards. They have highly developed technology that even the Wizarding World
would benefit from. For instance, did you know that they have methods of
communicating almost instantly with one another from anywhere around the world?
They also have something called television, which is a lot like radio, but it
is a much larger box with a screen that displays moving pictures which depict
what is happening. And these are only two of their numerous accomplishments! I
also plan to campaign for equal rights to be given to werewolves and other
human-creature hybrids, as well as better treatment of House Elves and other
magical creatures. I abhor prejudice of any kind, but the oppression of hybrids
and creatures of alleged �near human intelligence� disgusts me.

Forgive me for being so
long-winded. I get rather excited just thinking about it. Write back soon!

Fern�

He could only stare at the words
in front of him with what he was sure was an entirely dumbfounded expression on
his face. This girl- whoever she may be- was possibly the most passionate,
intelligent, understanding, and dangerously perceptive person he had ever
encountered. �I am glad that whatever kept you from your mail seems to have
gone.� So she had picked up on that, had she? The fact that she hadn�t
mentioned illness or injury, but simply said �whatever kept you from your
mail� meant that she had formed her own theories and was probably on the
right track. He would have been worried about that if it weren�t for the
sentence which followed it. He could feel her concern in her words, as well as
the slightly stern, scolding tone with which she conveyed it. It was strange. Nobody
but Severus had expressed concern for him since he was a young boy.

And then� she really seemed to
understand how much he had endured over the years, even without being told. She
had said he was brave and strong, something he had never thought of himself. �You
will have your happy ending�� He wished he could believe that. He wished
that he deserved a happy ending. He sighed, forcing his mind in a
different direction.

Instead, he focused on the
enthusiasm in the paragraphs regarding their futures. Just reading the words
infected him with the same zeal. She had so much fervor and an obvious yearning
to help those less fortunate than herself. When combined with her apparent
intelligence, he didn�t think there would be a force on earth that could stop
her.

When he got past his initial awe,
he set about replying, watching it disappear from his hand as soon as it was
sealed.

Hermione was brushing her teeth
when the letter appeared. If she hadn�t reflexively caught it, the paper would
have landed in the sink. She placed it in the pocket of her robe until she had
finished in the bathroom. Once she was safely in her room, she pulled it out,
lying on her stomach on the bed, and read it.

�Fern,

I�m relieved that you are not
angry with me. Artemis was quite happy to stay, as I�m sure you can imagine,
with Mercutio to keep her company. I think, if we were to visit the owlery, we
would them roosting together, don�t you?

I am feeling much better, thank
you for asking. I would also like to thank you for not trying to press me for
information. I find that most people, and especially girls, are far too nosey,
always trying to insert themselves in others� business when it doesn�t concern
them. I hope you don�t take offense by that. I�m simply grateful that you are
displaying more tact than them. That is all.

It is strange that you would
think me brave for turning my back on my parents. Many I know would deem me
cowardly, unappreciative, foolish, weak, but never brave or strong. Even I have
trouble seeing myself and my actions as anything besides idiotic and
pusillanimous. I feel as though I am proceeding with my life in a manner that
is based on the na�ve pretense that everything will get better, even as logic
is telling me that happy endings do not exist and that happiness is an
illusion. You may find that sad, but it is the way I was raised to think and it
is a hard habit to break.

That is not to say that I am
not trying. I think my life goals can attest to that. I�m glad that you see
what I am trying to do, that you understand how much I want to help. You
should, however, know that my reasons are not all as �noble� as you might
think. I have selfish reasons, as well. I am certain that your intentions are
much more pure than my own.

Because you, Fern, my darling
pen pal, are an amazing person. Your ambitions are nothing short of
extraordinary and most definitely not humble. It is a very worthy cause that
you are taking up and I would love to help in any way I can. It will take quite
a large sum of money, so perhaps I could be a sponsor of some kind. Forget
about my fame, I will just ride your coattails to the top! And with your
intellect and dedication that is precisely where you are heading.

Now, moving from the future
back to the present, how has your day been? If it has been even half as
eventful as my own, then I�m sure you must be exhausted.

Romeo

P.S. If we should ever meet, I
would be interested in seeing this �television�. The concept is intriguing.�

She smiled, calling her parchment,
ink, and quill to her. She also summoned a book to write on, setting the ink on
the bedside table before responding and sending it on.

Draco was not caught off guard by
the appearance of the letter this time. He calmly picked it up and opened it.

�Romeo,

You are welcome. I try not to
pry too much into the personal lives of others. I figure if you want me to
know, you will tell me, and I have no right to ask for more than that. I
understand that you are not comfortable enough to tell me about certain things,
though I hope that one day you will be.

I would never call you a coward
for following your heart! You are brave and strong and I will hex
anybody who dares to say otherwise. I do not think that I would like these
people you know. They seem to be the same kind of narrow-minded, prejudiced,
arrogant people I�ve been fighting against since I arrived at this school six
years ago. You really should surround yourself with people who are more worthy
of your company. I assure you that they are not.

I would be glad to have you as
a sponsor. Merlin knows I�m going to need all the help that I can get. I�m
afraid my family isn�t as well off as some. We are not impoverished by any
means, simply your average working-class people. So, you see, I am not nearly
as amazing as you say. I am actually an entirely average person. A bit more
clever than most, but altogether ordinary. Although I would be more than happy
to show you television and more if you were interested.

My day has been odd. Not
exactly eventful, but no less exhausting I�m sure. People seem to be doing a
lot of highly unexpected things around me lately. Things that do not fit in
with the impression they have given me in the past. And, on top of that, I�ve
been fighting with a good friend of mine. He is somebody who I once had
romantic feelings for, but early this summer he told me, none too politely,
that we are �just friends�. However, when I talk about other guys, he becomes
irrationally angry with me. I tell you this because you are also male and I am
hoping that you might offer some insight into this infuriating behavior.
Please?

Fern�

Draco scrawled a reply, feeling
instant embarrassment as soon as it left his fingers. Why, oh why, had he
written that?

�Fern,

Six years ago, eh? That would
make you a seventh year. Thank you for narrowing it down for me. Don�t worry. I
believe in a level playing field, so I�ll tell you that I, too, am in my final
year. And I am trying to form friendships with a better class of people, but it
is more difficult than you can imagine. I am not the easiest person to get
along with. Hence why I have only one true friend. Of course, I can be
quite charming when I need to be.

I have a couple pieces of
advice to give you. First of all, do not let the past dictate your opinions of
people in the present. Perhaps these people are now showing their true colors.
Perhaps they have changed. I do not know the whole story- and I won�t ask- but
it sounds as though these are the most plausible explanations. Naturally there
is a chance that they may be deceiving you, but you should follow your
instincts in any case.

Secondly, in regards to your
friend, you need to confront him. I have, personally, never behaved in such a
way, but I have seen it many times. It is the �I don�t want her, but I don�t
want anybody else to have her either� mentality. He either harboring feelings
for you and regretting his rejection, or he is very, very selfish. Some guys
like to entertain the idea that they are quite a catch and completely
irreplaceable, therefore girls need to spend their lives alone and miserable,
pining after them until their dying breath. So, when a girl they have turned
down shows any interest in another guy, they go on the defensive. Usually they
point out flaws in the �rival male�, making the girl lose interest. On
occasion, though, I have seen it escalate to the point when he begins putting
the girl down, crushing her confidence little by little until she thinks
herself so undesirable that no longer even approaches somebody of the opposite
gender.

If it ever reaches that point
with this friend of yours, you must promise to tell me. I�m not sure what I
could do, but I�m sure I would think of something. If you do not confront him,
it will only get worse. It is likely that he does not see anything wrong with
his behavior. Until somebody metaphorically shoves it in his face, he will
continue.

Just so you are aware, this guy
sounds like a real git. But if he was stupid enough to reject you, then it is
his loss and some incredibly lucky fellow�s gain. Keep that in mind.

Romeo�

Hermione blushed brilliantly.
Well! Charming, indeed� She wrote a simple reply, barely able to keep her eyes
open, and turned the lights out, settling under the covers.

Draco was just about to turn in
when he received her response.

�Romeo,

I cannot believe I told you
that! I feel like such a dolt, now. But thank you for �leveling the playing
field�. I am sure that you are not as disagreeable as you claim. You seem
perfectly wonderful to me. I�m happy to hear that you do have at least
one friend. This whole time I�ve been worried that you didn�t have anybody you
could count on.

Thank you for your advice. It
was very good, much better than any that my friends would have offered. They�re
much too close to the situation to be of any help, I think. I don�t believe
that it will ever reach that point- my friend, while hopelessly dense, is not a
mean-spirited person- however, if it does, I promise to tell you. You can write
a strongly worded letter expressing your outrage. I will even lend him my
dictionary so that he can understand it.

Now, as I am near falling
asleep on this paper, I will bid you goodnight, Romeo.

Fern�

Hermione was on the verge of
slumber when something hit her face. She sat up, relighting her room, and gazed
in confusion at the envelope on her pillow. Opening it, she found a small piece
of expensive looking stationary with a simple reply in large, elaborate
letters.

�Sweet dreams, my Fern.�

That night, Hermione Granger fell
asleep with a smile on her face.

~III~

There! Chapter three done! Are you
happy? Five letters in that chapter! I�m rather pleased with how that played
out� Now review! Review and feed my inspiration!
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