It Started With A Letter
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Harry Potter worlds or asscociated works. All rights, money and respect belongs to J. .
Chapter 1
It started with a letter one morning while at breakfast. Harry who had just started his eighth, though technically his seventh, year and was busy gathering his breakfast when he heard the familiar screeched that signalled the morning owl post. Though it had been two years since Hedwigs death it still hurt him to think of her and was one of the reasons why he hadn't got himself a new owl. He was surprised when he felt a sharp peck on the back of his hand and immediately looked up to see a small brown owl trying to balance with one leg held out towards him, and what he swore was a glare on its cute feathery face. Quickly he took the letter and tore of a piece of bacon to give in thanks which it merely placed in its talons, and as it flew away with its piece of bacon Harry focused his attention back on the letter.
It was of decent quality parchment so he knew it wasn't from Remus, that much he did know, plus the handwriting was unfamiliar. Cautiously he opened the letter to see it had been written in a beautiful bottle green.
Dearest Harry
I know this letter will seem strange to you but I ask you to believe in the words I write as they are as true as my intentions.
Over the years we have known I have found myself slowly falling for you and now I can no longer keep them to myself. I wish to tell you in person but can't, at least not yet anyway. Not until you know me, the real me. You see for the last few years I have worn a mask to hide behind and to please others around me. Since the war though I find myself wanting to cast my mask away, to finally step into the light as myself for all to see, but I am still afraid.
As such I know that if I was to approach you know I would never have a chance to win your heart so for now I will try through my letters in the hopes that you will one day feel the same as I do and that when we do meet face to face you will not reject me.
Please expect my first proper letter in two days and understand that a reply is not necessary, for the knowledge that you are willingly reading my letters is enough for me. Though if you want me to stop at any time please let me know and I will do so without question or fuss.
Yours
D
Harry blinked several times before reading it, convinced he must have made a mistake or gotten someone else's letter. Yes he had received many fan letters in the past both good and bad but never had he gotten a letter like this. He couldn't help but wonder if it was a joke of some kind but something about the way it was written and his gut instinct made him want to believe it, but who would write him such a letter in the first place?
Looking around he tried to figure out who could have sent it. Was the initial D the persons first name or last? Two names immediately sprang to mind; Dean Thomas, Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the thought of his dorm room friend writing a love letter to him. Besides Dean had a thing for fiery red heads named Ginny, much to Ron's dismay. Shaking his head he thought of the other person, Draco Malfoy.
Looking over at the blonde Slytherin he felt his heart swell in hope which he quickly squished back down to the deepest darkest corner. He knew that a pureblood hottie like him would never look at a plain scrawny little guy like him even if they didn't have the whole rival history, though why he liked the boy so much was a mystery even to him, but he did and had done for the last couple of years. It had started as a mere appreciation of how good looking the guy was but had eventually turned into a crush that refused to leave, in fact each time he saw the annoying blonde he seemed to fall a little more.
Stirring from his thoughts he glanced down at the letter and sighed, whoever had sent him the letter had not given anything away and so he decided there was no point in worrying about it. He would wait and see if they would send another letter and then take it from there.
As promised the next letter had arrived two days later, this time both Ron and Hermione were with him and he could feel their curious stares on him but merely ignored them and though he eagerly wanted to see what it said he didn't feel comfortably reading it in front of his friends Quietly he merely slipped it into his pocket and promised himself he would read it as soon as he could.
"Harry who's the letter from?" Hermione's curious sounding voice from his side and he merely shrugged in an attempt to seem uncaring about it, "Not sure but I'll read it later when I have some time. So you ready for potions?" He knew she wasn't fooled but thankfully she allowed the subject to change, with Ron's occasional input.
That day had proved to be extremely busy since Hermione had forced them to spend the next two hours after dinner doing homework before Ron had got him to play a couple of chess games, both times he had lost but when playing against the red head it was to be expected. As such it wasn't until he had gotten ready for bed that he had finally found the time to read his letter. Getting comfy in bed he pulled the drapes closed and placed a locking spell on them to ensure privacy.
Dearest Harry
As promised I have written to you again though I never realised how hard it would be to do so. I have so many things I want to say to you but I have no idea where to start. I guess from the beginning right?
I hope that it doesn't matter that I am from a Pureblood family but can understand if it does. I was brought up in a very traditional family filled with high expectations and strong puritan beliefs which I am ashamed to admit I once believed in. Please understand that I was raised with families of similar ideas and beliefs as my parents and so knew no different, even when I started school I was so convinced that what I believed in was true that i had never even considered it was wrong.
I suppose my devotion to my father did not help. I used to think he was the greatest man alive, that he could do no wrong even though I often found it impossible to please him. I guess you could call it tough love.
Believe me when I say that I no longer believe in the things he taught me and have not for several years, but at the end of the day they are my parents and so during the war I stood by them even though I hated them for all they had done and said. For loyally following a monster who only wanted to see the world burn. Now that the war had ended I find myself happier with a more distant relationship with them.
If it helps to redeem myself in your eyes but I am also a big quidditch fan and every holiday I try to see as many games as I can. As a child I had secretly wished to become a quidditch player but I know as long as I carry my family name that will never be.
I am not sure what else to write and so will go. Please expect my next letter in the next two days where I will hopefully be able to tell you more about myself.
As always my feelings for you remain as strong and one day I hope to tell you in person but until then please accept my letters with the feelings they contain.
Yours
D
Harry placed the letter down on his lap and frowned over what he had been told. His mystery pen pal was a pureblood, which didn't bother him but what did was the fact that he was obviously from a dark family. He had an overwhelming urge to write the letter of as an obvious joke and wanted nothing more to do with anyone with such a family. With that in mind he decided that maybe it would be best to end this now only to have an image of his godfather Sirius appeared in his mind and he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. D had said that they didn't believe in what their parents had and hadn't for a while, perhaps even before the war. In fact D didn't have to be as honest as they had been going as far as admitting he had stood by them as they most likely served Voldermort, which he supposed he could understand. Though he had never really had a loving family his friends were the closest he had to it and knew he would do anything for them.
Calming down he decided he would allow the letters to continue before he decided what to do if only because he was extremely curious, with that in mind he proceeded to settle down for hte night and enjoyed a pleasant dreamless sleep.
The letters continued to arrive every two days for the next three months without fail, and he quickly became eager for each new one and the small pieces of information he would learn about boy, he was certain by now that D was male, though he still couldn't figure out for definite who he was no matter how many clues he tried to decipher. D would not only talk about himself but about his thoughts on the schools or social events and gossip and Harry had discovered he had a rather sarcastic and at times dry humour that he found himself enjoying, often laughing out loud at the random statements and sarcastic observations made. Harry had also liked that D was evidently intelligent and not just book smart with many interests and opinions similar to his own.
After he had received his fourth letter he finally let his two best friends know about his new pen pal and predictably they reacted with suspicion and disapproval. Ron had immediately started throwing accusations against D, claiming that it was most likely an elaborate plot by the last remaining death eaters to lure him into a false sense of security before they attacked him. Also Harry's lack of suspicion and easy acceptance of each letter had to mean he was under a spell or curse.
Hermione was quieter as she pondered over what he had told her before demanding to see the other letters. Though he was loathed to show her them he knew it would only be much worse for him if he refused, so he went a grudgingly handed them over and sulked as she read over each one, no doubt scrutinizing each sentence looking for any hidden meanings. When he had finally had enough and asked her to hand them back she decided to check for any hidden curses. He knew they meant well but couldn't help but feel hurt by their lack of trust in him.
It wasn't until the next day that both Ron and Hermione apologised for their accusations and suspicion with his bushy haired friend going even offering to help him find D. Though tempted he decided to wait for D to show himself when ready than try force the matter as he knew how much he would hate it if their situations had been reversed.
Now after three months he was desperate to know who it was that he had found himself falling for and had found that he really couldn't care less who it was, unless it was Professor Flitwick or Hagrid. This worry had manifested itself into several awkward nightmares where both men would chase Harry around the school confessing their love for him much to the amusement of Ron who couldn't stop laughing for the whole day, only stopping after Harry threatened to put spiders in his bed. Just as he was about to crack and send a letter begging for them to meet up he finally got the letter he had been waiting for .
TBC