A.N. I'll try to make this quick. This one-shot is told through a series of letters from Hermione to Draco while he's in Azkaban. It's post Deathly Hollows, EWE, maybe even slightly, slightly AU. I don't know the name (or gender) of Draco's owl. I was hoping the strikethroughs would transfer, but unfortunately, they did not. So, if the text is in [brackets] that means Hermione crossed it out.

Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter


Sincerely Yours


Malfoy,

Hello.

I've rewritten this letter so many times, I've found I no longer care how it starts or ends anymore. Not that you particularly care, either. I'm not even sure if this will reach you, but I thought I might try, anyways.

I found your owl with the ministry. He's an angry little thing, isn't he? I go to the owlery every day and try to get him to warm up to me, but mostly I just get new cuts on my fingers. [Thanks for that. Not that you probably care.] I thought you might like to know someone's taking care of him. Maybe see him, too. If he makes it to you. I hope he does. I hope this doesn't kill him. I know the dementors are gone, but I…

I know what you did for our side, Malfoy. I know what you sacrificed, and I just wanted to thank you. To say thank you. And to say I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

[I'm so sorry]
[I'm so sorry]

I told your owl to find you, and I hope he does. I don't know if you'll care that I wrote this, or if you'll even read it.

But I wanted to write it anyways so I could thank you.

And because I would want a letter in a place like that [even if it came from someone like you]

Sincerely yours,
Hermione J. Granger


Malfoy,

Your owl came back, and he let me pet him. I'm hoping that means he found you. I see no return letter. That's okay. I've always known you as a proud man, and you've always known me as a tenacious woman. I will write again, whenever I can, so you don't feel alone. [If you do feel alone.]

It's only been a month since your [imprisonment] sentence. Since most of the hearings. There are a lot of Death Eaters in there with you, though most of them have died. Maybe that's a comfort to you. Maybe you knew most of them. I wish I could know how you're feeling [or maybe not].

I just keep reminding myself what you had to do. Every time I remember that you fought with the dark for a long time…I remind myself what you had to do. It wasn't your choice. Your decision in the end is all that matters. Who you fought with in the end; that's all that really matters.

I'm sure what I just said made you mad. You probably stopped reading for a while.

[Funny how I think I know you so well.]

I hope you don't think I'm trying to reform you or anything. I'm not. I don't think I could. I don't think you need it.

[I should change the subject]

Harry and Ron didn't go back to school to finish their final year, but I did. I asked for your owl to be transferred to Hogwarts so I could still write to you. I hope that's okay [not that you can do anything about it]

[Sorry]
[I didn't mean that]
[I need to stop talking sometimes]
[Or writing]
[Why am I so dumb]

I should just start over

But I have to go.

Sincerely yours,
Hermione J. Granger


Malfoy,

I'm sorry about my last letter. I didn't even want to send it but I didn't want to rewrite anything, either. Everything has been so stressful. Everyone who returned to school are trying to rebuild the castle while also continuing in their studies, but everyone's just so sad. I think McGonagall thought going to lessons would make everything easier. Like we would have something to do, something else to think about instead of everyone who died.

Harry and Ron are training to be Aurors. I wonder if they'll get stationed at Azkaban. Maybe not Harry, but probably Ron.

[I thought maybe]

Well, but you don't want to hear about that. You hardly probably want to hear about Ron or Harry. But I love them. [and sometimes it feels like I have no one else to talk to]

I'm sure you don't care.
But I'll write again.

Sincerely yours,
Hermione J. Granger.


Malfoy,

I thought you might want to know that they won't hold your mother's funeral until you return. They buried her body, but they will wait for the service for you. They almost didn't, almost had it without you, but I asked for them to wait. I know you won't be out for ten more months, but, well. I thought you might want the chance to tell her goodbye. [I didn't get that chance.] I thought you might like to know someone is fighting for you, even if it is just [a filthy mudblood] me.

Hermione


Malfoy,

Seventh year has been difficult. I'm one of the few returnees, yes, but it's not the same without all my usual classmates. The studies aren't that difficult, of course. And, knowing you, you'd probably have just an easy enough time about it as me.

But there's no one here. [And I've been sad and lonely.] And I've been sad and lonely, okay? I'll admit it. I'll not hide from it.

Sometimes most times I look forward to writing you these letters. I don't know why. I write everyone letters. Maybe it's because you don't know me [or you do.] Maybe it's because I can say whatever I want, though I don't say that much. I don't know. Maybe it's because you won't write back.

[Malfoy, do you ever just]

Malfoy, I hope you are holding up okay. I hope you survive this. I hope you believe me when I say this, too. I want you to survive.

Survive.
[Please.]

Hermione J. Granger


Malfoy,

Should I start calling you Draco? I sign my letters Hermione, but that's mostly out of habit, just like me calling you Malfoy. [I don't think I can do it. I can't call you Draco.]

It's been three months since you've been gone. No one asks about you. No one knows I'm writing you these letters. I still go and visit your owl every day (I call him Bastard), and no one knows that he's yours.

[It all just makes me realize how alone you are.]

I just don't want you to think you are alone, Malfoy. I didn't ever think I would be the person to volunteer for this to or to be in this situation, but if you ever feel like you're alone, come find me. Know that I'm there. Okay? [Okay?]

Godric, that was cheesy, wasn't it? What have I become?

Sincerely yours,
Hermione J. Granger


Malfoy,

I've been a bit depressing, haven't I? I should be giving you visions of hope. Of things to look forward to. I should be telling you about normal, everyday things so you don't forget what it's like to be human.

[Or will that be too boring?]

Well, mostly I study. Read. I read a lot. Let's see…everyday things…well, I brush my hair about once every…never. I never brush my hair. [You try brushing this beast.] My cat snuggles with me a lot. I like to drink tea. [My parents used to drink coffee, though I never had a taste for it.]

[I miss them.]

I'm sorry. I've suddenly forgotten everything I had planned to tell you. Next letter, though, I promise, will be more upbeat than this one.

Maybe I'll tell you about one of my books.

Hermione J. Granger


Malfoy,

…and can you believe this? This girl, who hardly knows anything about the world, suddenly thinks she can just take charge of a whole army? A whole sector of people, just because she's indestructible? Rubbish, I tell you. I'd probably hate the books more if the guy didn't love her with his whole life, and [really, I've always wanted a love like that,] and maybe I'll tell you about this wizard book I read instead, maybe you've heard of it, it's called…


Malfoy,

How are you feeling? You've passed halfway. You're almost done. You're almost out. I wonder if I should see you. If you'll want to see me. If you haven't been getting these letters, you'll think it's weird. If you have, well. Should I be embarrassed? Sometimes I just get so caught up in writing to you that it feels like I'm just writing a journal entry (I'm sorry that in my last letter I alluded to my romantic heart and my disappointment in Ron growing out of our childhood crush). There's just so much I have to say and no one to say it to.

How do you feel about being my hypothetical best friend? Because I feel weird. I feel like I'm just talking to myself. I could just be talking to myself. These letters might be being delivered to someone else. Who is reading my letters? Who cares?

[Sometimes I think about writing "I miss you" but I don't really know you that well to miss you]

Maybe I wish I knew you better. I wish I knew if these were making a difference. If you care. [If I'm just making a fool of myself.]

Hermione J. Granger


Malfoy,

I ran into your friend Blaise. We talked about you. I couldn't tell him I was writing to you. I felt like it was a secret just between me and you [or maybe just me].

I thought you might find it interesting that he's in a relationship with Luna Lovegood.

Perplexing, but they are cute together.

[xoxo] (feeling romantic again, sorry)

Hermione


[Draco,] Malfoy,

(See, I just can't do it. haha)

I finished it. I finished the school year. I passed all my classes, passed all my tests. And now I have to move on with my life. The castle is still far from being restored, and I want to continue to help, but I also know I have to leave, go somewhere new, see something other than a constant reminder of what was lost. I didn't realize how suffocating the school was until I left.

I took Bastard with me. I've grown fond of him. Hopefully, if you haven't been getting these letters, you won't be too upset with me for stealing away your owl. I'll give him back. I promise.

I'll see you [or maybe I won't] in three months.

[I'm scared]
[I'm so scared]

Hermione J. Granger


Malfoy,

I'm sorry I haven't had time to write lately. It's been so busy, what with me trying to find a job and get settled into a flat and everything. I had to stay with Harry for a while—that was interesting—and Ron—that was awkward—but at least he's stopped looking at me like it hurts. At least he is my friend again.

Everything is just so strange, Malfoy. You get out in a month, and I don't know what to do. What to expect. I tried not to build up an image of what our "reunion" would be like, but I find myself…

I would like to see you. Even if you haven't been getting these. I will see you. One day. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll tell you that I wrote these letters. [I hope I'll be brave enough to tell you. I hope you'll let me tell you.]

I just don't want to build a fake image of who I think you are, only to have my illusion shattered. Because you are a real person, Draco Malfoy. You are a real person, Draco Malfoy.

And I can't say I miss you and I can't tell you I love you, but I can write to you all the same. I can still care about another human being. [I can still care about you.]

I hope you got these.

I hope that when I see you, you don't hate me.
[Because I don't hate you.]

I don't hate you, Malfoy. Okay? I don't hate you.

I hope you are doing okay.

Hermione


Malfoy,

I saw you got out today. I'm glad. I'm happy for you. I'm sure this means this is the last time I'll see [my] Bastard. Make sure you remind him that I loved him, once, even though half the scars on my hand are from him.

[If you want]

If you want someone to go with you to your mother's service, [I can go I will go I'll be there unless you don't want me to whatever you want]

[I'm sorry I'm crying all over the place]

I am a mess, Malfoy, a mess, and I'm sorry, [so sorry,] I think I'm going to miss you though I hardly know you and you've been imprisoned for a year [a year] and I'm crying because I won't get to write to you again and I still don't know if you read any of these because I never got a response [but I always hoped for one]

[Draco]
[Malfoy]
[I'll miss you]
[I miss you]

[I'm sorry]

Hermione J. Granger


Hermione,

Thank you.


-0-0-0-0-


Harry,

Yes, of course you can bring your broomstick! You didn't think we'd invite you to spend the weekend at our house for Thanksgiving without planning to play quidditch, did you? I mean, of course you know I won't be playing, but Draco certainly will not pass up a chance to [beat you] play a friendly game of quidditch.

I know Ron's still a bit…weird about everything, but if you can, please try to get him to come, too. I want him to meet Scorpius and Dorado. I think he would really like them. I miss him, too, you know.

Anyways, I've got to go clean up the place a bit. Draco and the kids thought it'd be funny to pull a prank to see who could get the kitchen the messiest with the simplest spell, and, well. I've just got to clean up a bit.

I'm so excited to see you, Ginny, and the boys! And Draco sends his, um, regards. [At least he stopped calling you Potty.]

xoxo and all my love

Hermione J. Granger-Malfoy