Author's Note: Sometimes, looking for little ways to verify that you didn't make it all up in your head is the only way to cope with being so devastated.

Chapter 10: Messages
From the Perspective of Draco Malfoy

I'm not really sure when or how it started, but Potter had somehow begun the habit of slipping me little messages here and there, telling me how much my friendship meant to him. They started out rather simply, then gradually evolved into messages far more personal and complimentary.

I looked back on them now to see if I could try to find the hidden meanings in his words that had led me on in the first place.

He had given me all of them prior to my letter.

I had not received a new one since.

"Hi. I just wanted to let you know that you are my best friend and I hope we will be best friends for life :) You add a lot of fun to my life.

"Yours,

"Harry P."

"Thank you Draco,

"I do not even know where to begin! Should I start by saying that you are awesome or that you're my best friend? I will cover them both I guess, but really, you are the best friend that anybody could ever wish for! You are always in a good mood," I snorted when I read that part, "and you always know how to make me laugh. You are the only friend I know that can make a joke out of anything even though you don't try to be funny; it just happens.

"We have so many things in common and love to do a lot of the same things. You have made me a better person. I cannot believe that in the six billion people on the earth, I ran into the funniest, nicest, bestest, funnest, and coolest person out of all of them! How lucky; I know! I am very appreciative of you because you put up with me even when I am at my craziest. I know that I can be hyper and do a lot of crazy things, but it is always comforting to know that you like that about me . . . Sometimes. Haha!

"I love being able to come up to you and be like, 'hey, I'm bored; save me,' and we end up having the best time ever. Honestly, you are the only person in the world that can make certain really boring activities fun." Interesting; I'd always felt that way about him. "We never run out of things to talk about, which is good because I like to talk a lot.

"Now I would like to take this time to focus on a few sadder topics . . . like what we will do after we graduate and both go in different directions. I can honestly say that you are irreplaceable. My life has become so much fun now that we're friends, and whenever you tell me that you're too busy to see me I literally count down the hours until we get to hang out again. I know that might sound obsessive or pathetic, but you really mean that much to me. I hope that we will be best friends forever.

"I know that we're going to beat all statistics and be those friends who are truly friends forever because I cannot imagine the boring life I would be living without you. I love our friendship so much that I would jump in front of a speeding bullet for you." A speeding what?

"I guess to sum it all up, you are an amazing person and I appreciate everything that you do. You really are the greatest friend ever. Thank you Draco.

"Yours,

Harry P."

This next one was a note that we'd passed back and forth in our History of Magic class. We were supposed to be silent reading passages from the text book while writing our thoughts in the margin.

"I just read the passage about the guy who keeps trying to prove everyone else wrong," I had written. "In the margin, I wrote 'he sounds like a know-it-all; I hate know-it-alls. Guess who it made me think of?"'

Harry had laughed briefly before thinking up his own rebuttal. "Well I just read a message in which someone was trying to insult his friend and hurt his feelings, but it didn't work. So the friend thought to himself, 'my friend sounds like an arrogant snob; I hate arrogant snobs.'"

I tried to mask my amusement as I tried to think up something clever to write back. I settled for scribbling down, "That may be true, but I am your favorite arrogant snob."

When he read my reply, he nodded his head in agreement and winked.

"Dear Draco,

"We did it! This might seem really random, but I was just thinking about how we managed to become friends after eight years of fighting. All I can say is that I am so happy that I decided to help out at your parents trial because if I hadn't, you probably wouldn't have given me the time of day.

"Our friendship has grown so strong, and I know it will continue to grow better and better. I must say, after graduation, I think you should just continue on to Auror training with me (where you belong). Anyways, I'm pretty sure that we're going to be best friends forever because you are funny, entertaining and a blast to be with!

"I just realized something tragic! I am running out of room on this bloody piece of parchment to tell you how much our friendship means to me! I can always count on you; you always have and always will be there for me, and I hope you know that I will always be here for you too.

"I look forward to a great future together!

"Your true best friend (even more so than that bloody Blaise),

"Harry P."

All of the messages were so different, yet so similar. Whether he was talking about the past or planning for the future, he always tied back the message to convey the concept that he appreciated having me in his life.

Was it so unreasonable for me to think that he could want me in the way that I wanted him considering all that he had done and said to me?

It was interesting how by the time that I'd finished reading the letters, I felt as though I was not drowning anymore, but rather that there was a chance I could float back to the surface.

No matter what Harry had to say, it wasn't fair for him to act like I'd made up the whole thing in my head when he'd done so much to lead me on.