Waiting for you.

By Willow Reinlock

Draco paced the his room nervously, waiting for a letter, a sign. Or anything. It was now the second week of Christmas Break and he was promised a letter by a certain friend. But the letter had yet to come and every moment it didn't arrive, it became riskier to go down to mailbox before the butler to see if it had. His father was suspious and Draco's excuses were becoming more unrealistic. I'm going for an early walk, I left something in the car, I'm just helping with the house, I wish to smell the roses. His father was now trying to get him to stay for more breakfast, or an important meeting, trying to make him late.

Draco was avoiding breakfast altogether just to get down there without his father distracting him. That was what he was doing now. Waiting for 8:30 so he could rush down to meet the owl, to grab his letter befor his father saw, before the butler brought it to him. Before they figured him out. Draco shivered at the thought, of his father finding out about his...thing. he glanced at his silver watch on his wrist. It was nearly 8:30, so he decided to head down to the box where the mail was left. He opened his door slowly, and peered down the hall. No one was in sight. He crept out of his room and down the hall to the back stairs, then he went down those quickly and opened the door into the music room. This room was always empty, for neither his father or his mother played anything and didn't feel the need to enchant the instruments to play themselves. Which was good for Draco because he could sneak easily here to the front door while avoiding anyplace his father would be. As he made his way to the front, he smiled triumphantly. This was good. He was happy he could at least get a letter without his dad ruining that. He reached for the door knob.

"Draco? Where are you going?" An icy voice drawled behind him.

Draco's smile fell. He turned slowly to meet Lucius, his father, standing just infront of the mainstair case, his hand clutching his signature cane. He took a deep breath, "Just to meet our owl, Father,"

"Why? Are you going to fetch the mail for Ripley? We've talked about this, Draco, you don't do the muggles work,"

"No, I mean yes, I understand that. I-I just am expecting a letter and I don't want his filthy muggle hands to touch it," Maybe if Draco insulted the hard working man, his father would leave him alone.

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and who's this special letter coming from? I can keep an eye out for you,"

"I-It's just from a friend from school, it's not too important. I'm just...anxious to hear from them,"

"Who is them, Draco? I'm anxious to know," Lucius lips turned into a smirk, a smirk that expected him to fail at an excuse.

Draco felt suddenly warm, too warm. His palms were clamy and he was breathing heavily. He didn't want to feel like this, it was just a letter. But it was a letter he did not want his father to see. And he wasn't doing a good job at redirecting him away from the subject. He should have just made another excuse than to try and explain.

He opened his mouth to spit out a random name when someone cleared their throat near by. His father turned his head to the sorce and there was their muggle butler, Ripley, standing striaght. Draco pretended to scowl but was secretly greatful for him.

"Sir, Mr. Goyle has requested a meeting with you, accompanied by Mr. Avery and Mr. Halther, in 10 minutes. Shall this be excepted?"

"Hmmm," Draco's father eyed the floor for a moment before nodding, "Yes, I will except his request," He started to walk towards his office, already seeming to forget Draco. But before he could escape, Lucius turned back towards him, "We will talk about this friend later, Draco," He set a cold glare at him.

Draco nodded stiffly and they turned away from each other. He once again reached for the handel and this time he turned it and left the Manor. He would talk to his father later, but by then, the letter would be read and burned. If the letter came today. He walked quickly on the gravel walkway to the tall blackened gate. The air was crisp and the sky promised snow that would replace the melted puddle that he nearly stepped in. It was freezing as well, but he hadn't brought a coat, thinking it would only take a minute to grab the letter and run back to his room.

The owl had come and gone and thanks to his father, Draco was 2 minutes late. Snatching up the mail, he immediately started shuffling through the letters, scanning the names for his own. But all he saw was his fathers name in scrawling handwritings. He was just about to give up hope when he spotted it. A small gray envolope at the back of the pile. His name was writen on it in small loping cursive and the stamp was a muggle one. He grabbed it and stuffed it into his back pocket of his trousers. He tossed the other lettersd back in the box and bonded up the path back to the house. He bolted inside and up the stairs, making the turns to his room without stopping, not slowing till he was safely behind the door of his room. He put his back to the door and reached his hand gently into his pocket and drew out the letter. He held his breath, afraid it would crumble in his hands. But it didn't and it was soild in his hands. With a sigh, he slide down his door, and thudded against the ground.

He gingerly turned the envolope over and nudge his finger under the flap, losening the sticky paper. The paper crackled as he pulled it open, letting some edges tear. A single page of writing slipped out. He picked it up and started to read:

Dear Draco,

I apologies for not writing sooner. It was diffcult to get your address and even more diffcult to start the letter. But anyway, how are you? Smooth, right? But I am worried about you. What you said about your father, it left me wondering about you constantly. I know it's...silly but I wanna make sure you stay alright. We don't need you broken. I hope your Christmas was pleasent enough and I hope your coming New Years is good. The new year, it'll be fun, I promise. Write to me before we get back to school, ok?

Hoping you well, Andrew xox

Draco stared at the letter. It was short, but it filled him with warmth and relief. He once again could breath. He didn't know what Andrew would be sending but this was good. Taking another deep breath, Draco stood up and walked quietly to his desk. It sat infront of his window, making it perfect to send owls from. He read through the letter once more before tossing it into the fire that burned low in the harth. It flared instantly lighting the room softly. Draco reached for a quil and a spare parchment and jotted down the return address before tossing the envolope in to the fire too. He smiled to himself, knowing now he had succeeded. Sitting down in his chair, he started a letter back to Andrew, one he would send immediately.

Dear Andrew,

Thank you for writing to me, I have been waiting anxiously for word from you. I am fine, despite my fathers attempts to ruin my life. You don't need to be worried about me though. I can handel whatever my father throws at me. How about you? You holding up well? How was your Christmas? Fortunately, my father was to busy to join me and my mother for Christmas dinner so it was very pleasent and at this rate New Year's seems to look promising indeed. I think we should send each other direct owls from now on, my father will be more than inraged to find me writing to you. If you don't have an owl, we can us mine. He's fast and very clever, I made sure of that when I got him. I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely, Draco

He quickly signed it and tucked it into an envolope before calling his owl from his perch. He wrote the address to Bristol and gave it to the owl, whispering directions that would insure the letters saftey. He took the elegant bird on his arm and opened his window wide. Stroking the birds neck he let him go, watching him fly off to deliver the letter and keep it away from his dreadful home.