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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
- 3
- 4
Disclaimer: I don�t own it and I make no profit.

Author�s Note: The long awaited
chapter four has arrived! I�m really happy with all of the positive feedback
I�ve gotten! You guys are the BEST!

~IV~

Hermione woke late the next day
and hurriedly threw on her robes, practically running to the Great Hall. She
took a seat between Ginny and Neville, grabbing a piece of toast. �Good
morning,� she said, taking a bite.

�Morning,� said Harry, grinning,
�Cutting it a little close, aren�t we?�

�Stow it,� she said, �I was up
late last night.�

�Were you writing letters to your
mystery boy?� asked Ron scathingly.

�Maybe� what�s it to you?� she
retorted.

�I was just wondering,� he
snapped.

�Well, I know what else you�re
wondering and� I can safely say that he
does not support Voldemort,� she stated, �I won�t tell you how I know and I
won�t tell you anything else, but you definitely don�t have to worry about
that.�

Ron opened his mouth to say
something- most likely something rude- but Harry silenced him with an elbow to
the ribs. �Just leave it alone, will you?�

He sighed, nodding. �Sorry,
�Mione. I don�t mean to be a prat. I just don�t like the idea of some bloke we
don�t even know getting too close to you.�

She smiled softly. �There�s the
Ron I know�� I appreciate that, but I assure you, I�m being careful. It�s
not as though I�ve told him my life�s story, you know.�

�Good,� he said, then grinned
mischievously, �It wouldn�t do to run about telling strange guys that you�re
Harry Potter�s best friend. Could be hazardous to your health.�

She laughed. �Maybe we should find
safer friends.�

�Too true. Maybe a nice
Hufflepuff- ow! We�re only joking, Harry!� exclaimed Ron, clutching his abused
ribcage.

Harry grinned at them. �I�m
certainly glad that you can laugh in the face of your own mortality, because
otherwise you�d have gone mad ages ago.�

�Speaking of going mad� have a
look at that,� said Ron, pointing to the doorway.

Hermione turned in her seat and
was shocked to see Draco Malfoy entering the room, a bright smile lighting his
face. Not a smirk or a smug grin, but a genuine smile. And, if she wasn�t
mistaken, there seemed to be a jaunty bounce to his step. He was damn near skipping
to the Slytherin table! What on earth had gotten into him?

�Something�s sure put him in a
good mood,� said Harry as though this was a normal occurrence.

Ron shrugged, going back to his
breakfast. �Maybe he had a good shag last night.�

�Ronald Weasley!� exclaimed
Hermione, blushing, �There are children at this table!�

�Not close enough to hear me,� he
defended.

She shook her head. �I�ve half a
mind to box your ears myself, simply because your mother isn�t here to do so.�

Ron winced at the mention of his
mother. �Okay! Sorry��

Ginny snickered. �You�ll make a
good mum one day, Hermione.�

�Merlin knows I�ve gotten enough
practice with these two around,� she said, ignoring their protests.

The day seemed to pass at a
snail�s pace for her. They were surprised to see Remus back at Defense Against
the Dark Arts and Tonks teaching Transfiguration, seeing as neither had been at
the feast the previous night. Apparently they�d had last minute Order business
that kept them held up. She�d spent lunch in the library, researching some
advanced charms independently. Snape was as� Snape-ish as ever. Aside from the
appearance of Remus and Tonks- and a minor incident in Care of Magical
Creatures involving a juvenile kneazle and a bucket of water- it was a rather
boring day.

�I thought that would never end!�
said Ron, nearly throwing himself into the hallway after the last class of the
day, Potions.

�Honestly, Ron� it�s not a form of
medieval torture. It�s class,� stated Hermione, �And it is necessary if
you ever hope to become an auror.�

He muttered something
unintelligibly and she hit him. �Ow! What the hell?�

�I don�t know what you said, but
I�m sure you deserved that,� she replied.

Harry laughed. �Just think of it
this way: after this year, you never have to see Snape again.�

�Well� that does sound nice,� said
Ron, grinning, �And having Remus and Tonks around will sure make things more
interesting.�

�That�s the spirit!� said Harry,
clapping him on the back.

They ran into Ginny and Neville as
they emerged from the dungeons. �Where are you guys headed?� asked Ginny.

�Thought we�d spend some time by
the lake,� said Harry, �Maybe visit Hagrid for a bit.�

�Mind if we come along?� said
Neville.

He shrugged. �Course not.�

�I�m afraid I won�t be joining
you,� said Hermione, smiling apologetically, �I still have to work on a study
schedule if you lot have any hope of passing your N.E.W.T. exams.�

�Really, Hermione?� whined Ron,
�It�s the first day!�

�We�ll start with review,
naturally,� she said, �They�ll be covering everything we�ve learned over the
years, you know. And they are the most important tests we�ll ever take.
We need to be as prepared as possible.�

Neville nodded. �I agree with
Hermione. I�m just grateful to have a friend like her to help me, or I�d never
graduate.�

�See? At least somebody
appreciates me,� she said, smiling at him, �Now I�ve really got to go. I�ve
only got a few hours before dinner and I want to finish with the first month
tonight. Ginny, you should stop by when you guys are done doing� whatever it is
that you�ll be doing if there�s time. If not, I�ll see you in the Great Hall.�

�I�ll stop by,� said Ginny,
clearly excited about whatever her friend had to tell her.

Hermione left them and headed up
to her dorm at a brisk pace. She hadn�t really lied to them� She did want to
start on the study schedule. She just also happened to want to write a letter.
There was no harm in that.

�Really, Draco?� said Blaise,
giving the blonde a skeptical look, �You�d rather read some book about Muggles
than go flying with me?�

�Keep your voice down!� hissed
Draco, looking around and sighing in relief when he saw that nobody was paying
them any attention, �And yes. It is a very interesting book. It�s all
about �science� and it�s actually quite educational. I think they may know more
about the world than us, Blaise��

�Don�t let Lucius catch you saying
stuff like that. You know he thinks they�re inferior,� said Blaise.

�They�re not, though,� said Draco
as they rounded the corner, �They�ve figured out how to harness energy using
wind, water, and even the sun. They call it eel-eck-tri-city and they use it to
light their houses and streets, to run all of their household appliances�
everything. For pity�s sake, Blaise, they can fly! Without magic! I�m
going to read about something called the �industrial revolution� and
�combustion engine� next. And chemistry, which seems a lot like potions-�

�Alright! I get it!� said Blaise,
chuckling, �Merlin�s beard, mate. Are they really that smart? That advanced?�

He nodded. �Fern said they have
moving pictures in boxes, but with sound. I asked the Muggle Studies professor
about it and she said it�s like watching a play, only it�s not live and you can
watch it as many times as you want and it�s always the same.�

�Ah� Fern. She must be why
you�re so enthusiastic about all of this,� said Blaise knowingly.

�I�ll have you know that I was
interested long before I started writing to Fern,� he replied haughtily.

�Whatever. If you�d rather read,
then I guess I�ll just find somebody else to fly with,� said Blaise,
mock-sulking.

Draco smirked at him. �I�m glad
you understand. See you later.�

He hurried through the corridors,
hoping that Fern would write to him soon. They really needed to figure out a
more convenient way of communicating. He reached the entrance to the common
room just as Hermione was giving the password. She smiled at him. �Hello,
Draco.�

He was taken aback by her casual,
friendly greeting. �What happened to �Malfoy�?�

She raised her eyebrows at him. �I
wonder��

He wanted to ask what she meant by
that, but she had already stepped through the portrait hole and was making her
way to her room. He sighed, sitting heavily on the sofa and summoning his book.
Hermione Granger� She was truly a strange creature. If Fern wanted to talk
about people doing unexpected things, perhaps he should tell her about the odd
girl. He scoffed. That wouldn�t make it obvious or anything.

He discarded the book when he
realized he�d read the same sentence four times. It was their fault. Between
Granger and Fern it would be a miracle if he passed the seventh year! Wait� if
he was �Draco� now, should he start calling her �Hermione�? It seemed only
fair. And it sounded much better than �Granger�. What an unappealing surname.
Perhaps he should try it out once, just to gauge her reaction.

He jumped when a letter suddenly
fell into his lap. �This is getting old�� He retreated to his room where
he could read without fear of being interrupted. Or caught.

�Romeo,

You know, it still feels
bizarre to write that name. How many people have actually written to somebody
named �Romeo�, do you think? I may be the only one with that distinct pleasure.
Unless you have numerous other female pen pals that you use that particular
ploy on. In which case, I must warn you that I am the jealous type.

Anyway, how was your first day
of classes? Mine was abysmally boring. I�m glad that Professor Lupin has
returned, though. He was the best Defense teacher we ever had. I mean no
offense to Professor Snape, of course, but the man belongs with Potions. Anyone
could see that. I may not e his biggest fan, but I will admit that he is
brilliant behind a cauldron. And I firmly believe that there is more to him
than meets the eye.

In other news, my friend- the
one I�ve been fighting with- apologized to me at breakfast this morning. For
being a �prat�, he said. I didn�t even have to confront him. Although somebody
did give him a nice elbow in the side. Do you think he realizes that he�s been
acting like a moron or was he just saying that? I really hope he was as sincere
as he sounded.

My friends think I�m studying
right now. Can you believe we�ll be taking our N.E.W.T.s
this year? It feels like just yesterday that I was a first year, nervously
waiting for my name to be called at the sorting. Now we�re getting ready to
graduate. And then we won�t be coming back. How sad to think that soon we�ll be
leaving this place. It�s been like a second home to me for so long that it�s
hard to imagine life outside these walls.

And now I�ve gone and depressed
myself. I do hope you have some entertaining news for me. I�m in need of a good
laugh.

Fern�

He chuckled, wondering how one person
can display such a wide range of emotions in a letter.

Hermione sighed, unable to focus
on anything but the gnawing anticipation in her stomach. When had she become so
impatient? She was probably the only weird one, rushing to her room straight
after classes to write a blasted letter! She groaned in frustration, leaning
back in the chair, and gave a small scream when she toppled backwards.

�Of all the bloody-!�

There was a knock on the door that
led to the bathroom just as an envelope landed next to her. �Are you okay?�
called Draco from the other side, �I heard a scream.�

�I�m fine. I just fell off my
chair,� she replied, righting herself and returning to her seat.

�Well, try not to hurt yourself,
Clumsy,� said Draco, and she could hear amusement in his voice.

She tried not to smile as she
cursed him, but it was a futile effort. He had been worried about her� She
shook her head as she began to read.

�Fern,

I do hope that I am not coming
between you and your friends. That simply won�t do. We should make Rule Number
Four now, I suppose, and vow that we will not allow this to interfere with our
friendships. Although I must admit that I would like very much to spend all of
my free time writing to you. I am not trying to sound like a stalker or
anything, but I find our communication very soothing. It is nice to talk to
somebody who does not know my name and will not judge me. It is something that
I have not experienced until now and I would hate to lose it. And, of course,
the mystery of it all is quite alluring, as well.

As for my day, I am afraid it
was nothing special. I agree with you on the subject of Professor Lupin. He
does seem to be the best person for the job. It was foolish of them to let him
go in the first place. Lycanthropy or no, he is a very good teacher and
incredibly knowledgeable, not to mention a good man who I doubt would ever hurt
a student or anybody without provocation.

I am surprised that you
would speak that way of Professor Snape. People do not often have anything good
to say about him, though I can�t say that I blame them. He can be a right
bastard when vexed and he takes his potions very seriously. I, too, believe
that he is basically a good person, if a bit rough around the edges, but I have
met few who share my sentiment. You intrigue me more and more with each
correspondence, Fern. I already find myself wishing to meet you so that I may
know the face of the one who confounds me so.

Your friend is an even greater
puzzle. He may have been sincere in his apology, but continue behaving like an
idiot. You should be wary and if he persists, you must confront him. I cannot
stress this enough. It is possible that he was not apologizing for the full
scope of his actions. I cannot be sure, as I was not present, but it is
possible.

Now, do not fret so much about
leaving this place. It is still a ways off. Besides, it is not supposed to be
�depressing�. Sad, perhaps, but it is always sad to leave something as beloved
as Hogwarts. However, you should not think of graduation as an end. Rather, it
is a beginning, the beginning of a grand adventure in which you will experience
many new and exciting things, and therefore a happy time. That, I think, is
what Dumbledore would tell us, were he here right now.

Romeo�

Hermione had to wipe vigorously at
her eyes to avoid spilling tears on the parchment and blurring those wonderful
words. How she wished she could show her friends� If Harry and Ron saw this,
she knew that they would understand why she enjoyed writing to Romeo. Even
without really knowing her, he seemed to know exactly what to say to lift her
spirits.

She gently placed the missive in
the desk drawer she kept the others locked in, caressing it with a fingertip
briefly before sitting back with a sigh. She had found a good friend in her pen
pal.

Draco was pacing- pacing!-
and feeling more and more uneasy with each pass. He shouldn�t have mentioned
Dumbledore. He should not have said anything about him. He had just begun to
feel better about the events that had occurred mere months ago. Now that guilt
swept through him, as fresh and painful as it had ever been. It felt dirty to
write the name, as though he was sullying the man�s memory by even thinking
about him.

Just as he thought he would go mad
from it, his bedroom door opened and Blaise stepped in.

�Blaise? How did you get in here?�
said Draco, surprised to see his friend.

�You gave me the password,
remember?� the boy replied, grinning, �So how goes the reading?�

Draco scowled at him. �How goes
the flying?�

�There was already a group of
Ravenclaws playing a game,� said Blaise, shrugging, �If you don�t mind my
asking, why are you pacing about like a lunatic?�

When Draco opened his mouth to
reply, he was interrupted by the soft �pop� that announced the arrival of his
reply.

Blaise jumped back as it fell to
the floor, staring with wide eyes when Draco bent to retrieve it. �Don�t touch
it!� he hissed, �It could be cursed!�

�Doubtful,� said Draco, picking it
up and smirking at him, �It�s from Fern.�

Blaise relaxed, releasing his
breath in a long sigh, though he continued to eye the thing as if it might
explode at any moment. �How does it just- appear like that?�

�I don�t know. But they didn�t do
it until we got to Hogwarts- we had to send them using owls- so I think it�s
McGonagall�s doing,� replied Draco, opening it, �It�s a clever bit of magic,
whatever it is.�

�Can I read it?� asked Blaise
hopefully.

�No,� said Draco succinctly,
reading:

�Romeo,

First, I would like to thank
you for making me cry.�

He paused at this, horrified and
angry with himself. He had wanted to cheer her up, not make her cry! He
moved on, hoping that she would not tell him goodbye.

�Secondly, I would like to
reassure you that they were good tears.�

He scoffed even as his face split
into a grin. What a way to open a letter�

�Your words were just what I
needed to hear. And you are right. That is precisely what he would have said.
It sounds like you miss him very much. But I suppose most that knew him do. His
death was a great loss, one that shook the very core of this school. I do not
think, though, that he would want us to spend our time lamenting his death.
Knowing Dumbledore, he would tell us to stop sitting around feeling sorry and
start enjoying our lives. So that is what I have been trying to do, what you
should do, as well.�

He had to pause now, and
turn his back to his friend so that he would not see the moisture in his eyes.
It was a nice thought, certainly. Could she still say that if she knew his true
identity? He didn�t think so.

�On a lighter note, you do not
have to worry about my friends. I couldn�t forget them if I tried, trust me. If
I get too absorbed in something they will simply drag me out of whatever hole I�m hiding in and force me into the daylight. And yes.
I do spend a lot of time hiding in holes.�

He laughed aloud at this, not
caring if Blaise thought him crazy.

�I am just as glad to have you
to talk to. Even if you do not realize, you are helping me tremendously with my
friend. And it is nice to be able to just talk like this. About my worries and fears, my problems, and my dreams. I
know you won�t look at me like I�m half-mad and tell me that it is
impossible for a person to feel so much all at once. Mostly
because one cannot �look� through a letter. Although I do not think you
would if you could. You are much too kind.

I think that if we have met-
and we must have at least once, with the both of us being in our seventh year-
I must have liked you very much. Or are you actually shy in person? I am going
positively nutters trying to figure out who you may
be. I don�t think I know anybody like you, so perhaps we only met in
passing. It is a shame, isn�t it? But it is for the better, I suppose. I like
the mystery, too.

Now why should you feel
surprised that I would say that about Professor Snape? I have proven many times
that I am a rather unorthodox witch. I believe that if more people could get
past his snarky exterior, they would see what I see.
Unfortunately, there are few who can look past appearances and set aside
prejudice and misleading impressions to truly get to know a person. It is
ridiculous how much we all rely on rumors and the look of a person, passing
judgment before we have even spoken with them.

Even at Hogwarts, we are
conditioned to judge our peers based on their house. Slytherins
are all evil and disloyal. Hufflepuffs are emotional
and stupid. Gryffindors are headstrong and act
without thinking. Ravenclaws are all uptight bookworms. Pathetic.
And entirely untrue. Occasionally you do find a few
who fit into that tidy little box, but we are as diverse amongst our houses as
we are anywhere else.

I�m sorry. I began ranting a
bit toward the end. I will stop now and wait impatiently for your response.

Fern�

He grinned as he placed the letter
on his desk. He liked her rants. They were� enlightening. If she really felt
that way- and he believed she did- then maybe she would accept him. Eventually. This pen pal thing was far too much fun to give
it up just yet.

�I�d like to meet this girl,� said
Blaise from his seat at the foot of the bed, �If she can make you laugh and
smile like that, then she is definitely worth looking in to.�

Draco raised an eyebrow. �Hands off, Blaise.�

The boy had the gall to laugh at
him. �I�m not going to steal her away in the night and eat her up while you�re
not looking. I just think she must be very- interesting.�

�I know you too well to believe
that,� said Draco coolly, �I mean it. Stay away from her, you notorious rake.�

�Hello pot, meet kettle,� said
Blaise smartly.

�I am not a rake,� said
Draco defensively.

�That is not what many sixth and
seventh year girls would say,� stated Blaise
matter-of-factly, �Besides, you don�t even know this girl. One or both of us
may have already bedded her.�

�She�s not that kind of girl,�
growled Draco, not sure why rage had suddenly set his blood to boiling.

�How can you be sure?� asked
Blaise.

�I just know, okay?� he
snapped, �Did you only come here to call her character into question?�

�Certainly not,� said Blaise,
smirking, �I also came to call your character into question.�

The corners of his mouth twitched
as he suppressed a smile. �You are an insufferable ass.�

�And you are an irascible prick,�
said Blaise in an entirely friendly manner, �Are we done pointing out the
obvious?�

�I suppose so,� said Draco,
grinning at his long-time friend, the one person he could sit and joke with
like this.

�Are you sure I can�t read it?�
said Blaise.

�I�m sure,� said Draco, �We promised each other confidentiality. That�s Rule
Number Two.�

�You have rules about being
pen pals?� said Blaise laughingly, �You sure are a
strange one.�

�If we ever do meet, there are
certain things that we would prefer others didn�t know,� he replied simply as
he started in on his reply, �Now entertain yourself
for a few moments, will you?�

Hermione was glad to see Ginny
when she arrived. Perhaps the girl could distract her long enough for her to
relax a bit. She couldn�t help but wonder if she had said too much in her last
letter. The general opinion of the student body regarding Slytherin
house was not a positive one. Would she lose her pen pal by defending them? He
didn�t seem like a prejudiced person, but� She shook herself mentally. If he
stopped writing her because of that, then he wasn�t somebody with whom she
wanted to correspond anyway.

�Are you okay, Hermione?� asked
Ginny, �You seem a little out of it.�

The words came before she could
stop them. �I lied about working on the study schedule. I�ve been writing to
Romeo.�

�Romeo?
Is that actually what he�s calling himself?� said Ginny, wrinkling her nose.

�Yes, but�� She chewed her lip.
�You aren�t angry?�

Ginny shrugged. �We figured that�s
what you were doing. Ron had a bit of a fit, but that�s just Ron.�

Hermione grinned at her. �That
really is the only way to describe him.�

�So�� said Ginny, smiling
innocently, �Any chance I can read some of his letters?�

�Absolutely not,� she replied, �I
promised him I wouldn�t tell anybody what he talks about. Completely
confidential, I�m afraid.�

�Oh come on!� the girl whined,
�Give me something!�

She laughed. �Well, what do you
want to know? Ask your questions and I will answer them if I can.�

�I don�t know what to ask,� said Ginny, positively bouncing with delight, �Just tell me
whatever you think is safe to say.�

�I can tell you that he�s not
nearly as narcissistic as the name �Romeo� suggests. He�s intelligent and sweet
and he makes me laugh,� she explained, smiling softly, �We seem to see things
in a similar way ad have common views on many subjects. He is thoughtful and
understanding and not like anybody I�ve ever met.�

Ginny smirked knowingly. �It
sounds like somebody has a crush.�

She felt heat rise in her cheeks.
�That�s impossible. I don�t even know him.�

�You probably know more about him
than you think,� said Ginny, �You probably know more about him than you
do most others.�

�And you are probably
right,� she said, smiling brightly, �But not about the crush. We�ve been
writing each other for five days.�

�Deny it all you want,� stated
Ginny, �But I know infatuation when I see it.�

Before Hermione could form a
response, an envelope landed at her feet. She bent to pick it up, ignoring
Ginny�s startled gasp. �It�s just Romeo. I think Professor McGonagall charmed
the envelope to act as a sort of Portkey within the
castle. Rather clever of her, don�t you think? Otherwise there would be owls
all over the place.�

Ginny smirked when the girl
immediately began reading.

�Fern,

I would like to thank you for
making me feel unnecessary guilt. Honestly, you really know how to make a
fellow worry. But I am glad that they were good tears. Whatever
that means. I suppose I do miss the crazy old coot. We were never
particularly close, but he was a good man. The kind of man
who believed in second chances. I used to think it was folly, that
people don�t change, but I see now that his faith and ability to see the good
in nearly everyone were his greatest strengths.

If more people could be like Albus Dumbledore, the world would be an infinitely better
place.

It sounds like you have good
friends. I�m glad. It is unfortunate that you spend so much time in holes. I
think I may have to end our correspondence now. I am only joking, of course. I
wouldn�t stop even if you turned out into some horrible mole creature.

I�m sure that when we met, you
disliked me. As I said, I am not easy to get along with. Most think I am
arrogant and vain. And I can be somewhat of a bully. I hope you do not think
badly of me for it. I am trying to change, but until I graduate I must continue
to uphold the image that my parents expect of me. For the
most part, anyway.

I find that I like your ranting
very much. It is enlightening. And I agree. Too many of us hold prejudice
toward other houses. Especially Slytherin.
Are we to believe that because every dark witch and wizard has come from Slytherin, all Slytherins are
inherently dark? I don�t thinks so. Maybe if we treated them with a bit more
kindness, less would turn away from the light.

I will leave you with that,
because I, too, abandoned my friend and I think they may be upset with me. I
hope we can continue this later.

Romeo�

Hermione grinned, setting the
letter in the drawer and locking it. She turned to Ginny, who was smirking
knowingly. �Wipe that look off your face. It�s not a crush.�

�It takes somebody awfully special
to make a girl smile like that, Hermione,� the girl stated resolutely, �You
must feel something for him.�

She rolled her eyes. �I think
you�re reading too many romance novels, Gin. Your brain has gone to mush.�

�My brain is just fine and so are
my eyes. Deny it all you want, but I know you better than that,� said Ginny.

She sighed. There was no way she
would win this argument. �Let�s head to the Great Hall before Ron eats our
place settings, as well.�

Draco
turned back to Blaise after sending the letter and
smirked. �There, all done. Happy now?�

�Ecstatic, thank you,� said Blaise cheerfully, �Only way it could be better is if we
actually had time to do anything. As it is, dinner is about to start.�

�It�s not my fault that you came
up here to bother me,� said Draco haughtily, �Now
let�s go eat. I�m starving.�

~IV~

End of Chapter Four! I hope you
enjoyed it! Next chapter coming soon!!!
- 3
- 4
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