A Letter Home
Draco stood in the doorway and watched his cousin carefully. "What are you doing, Potter?"
"Nothing, Malfoy."
The blond leaned against the open door. "Aunt Lily was worried. Her precious Potter missed dinner."
Harry stared at the parchment in front of him. "I'm not hungry."
Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Fine." He turned and began walking down the hallway. He almost didn't hear Harry call out to him.
"Draco!"
He went back to the room and frowned, "What do you want?"
"How would you tell them?"
"Who?"
"Crabbe and Goyle."
Draco was lost. "Tell those two idiots what?"
"About me?"
"I wouldn't." Draco answered quickly. "It's none of their business."
Harry went back to staring at the parchment quietly.
Draco stepped further into the room. "You don't know how to tell Weasley, do you?"
"No."
"Easy. Don't."
Harry's eyes widened slightly. "He's my friend. So is Hermione. They should know. About Mum… about Sirius… about everything."
"They most likely know about Black and Aunt Lily by now."
"But…"
Draco shrugged, "Tell them if you must. They're your friends."
"Doesn't it matter to you?"
"I never really cared what Weasley though of me. And while Granger is a brilliant witch, her decisions and choices don't matter that much to me."
Harry sighed, "That's a cynical view."
"Not really. Does what Pansy think weigh on you at all?"
"No."
"Then you understand what I'm talking about. I don't have to like your friends. And because of that I don't care what they think of me."
Harry watched Draco take the only other chair in the room. He fiddled with the quill in his hand. "So what was for dinner?"
Draco smiled as Harry quickly changed the subject. He could tell that his cousin didn't feel comfortable with the idea that Draco was indifferent to his friends. "Black helped the house elves. So it was mostly desserts. I think Flitwick enjoyed it."
"Professor Flitwick's here?"
"Came back earlier today." Draco answered, "He wanted to talk to Aunt Lily."
"She was good at Charms. Sirius told me that."
"My dad said she was good at Potions, too."
Harry smiled wearily. "I want to tell them. But I don't know how."
Draco nodded. "Be honest."
Harry stared at his cousin in disbelief.
The Slytherin sneered, "What? I don't know what honesty is?"
"I never said that," Harry stammered.
"Good. Granger will take it better than Weasley. Tell her first. That way she can cover you with Weasley."
Harry turned back to the parchment and began writing. He heard Draco get up from his chair and go to the door. "Thanks, Malfoy."
"Anytime, Potter." Draco walked back into the hallway. He was almost to the stairs when he yelled back, "Lupin will bring you something later!"
"Great!"
Draco stood in the doorway and watched his cousin carefully. "What are you doing, Potter?"
"Nothing, Malfoy."
The blond leaned against the open door. "Aunt Lily was worried. Her precious Potter missed dinner."
Harry stared at the parchment in front of him. "I'm not hungry."
Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Fine." He turned and began walking down the hallway. He almost didn't hear Harry call out to him.
"Draco!"
He went back to the room and frowned, "What do you want?"
"How would you tell them?"
"Who?"
"Crabbe and Goyle."
Draco was lost. "Tell those two idiots what?"
"About me?"
"I wouldn't." Draco answered quickly. "It's none of their business."
Harry went back to staring at the parchment quietly.
Draco stepped further into the room. "You don't know how to tell Weasley, do you?"
"No."
"Easy. Don't."
Harry's eyes widened slightly. "He's my friend. So is Hermione. They should know. About Mum… about Sirius… about everything."
"They most likely know about Black and Aunt Lily by now."
"But…"
Draco shrugged, "Tell them if you must. They're your friends."
"Doesn't it matter to you?"
"I never really cared what Weasley though of me. And while Granger is a brilliant witch, her decisions and choices don't matter that much to me."
Harry sighed, "That's a cynical view."
"Not really. Does what Pansy think weigh on you at all?"
"No."
"Then you understand what I'm talking about. I don't have to like your friends. And because of that I don't care what they think of me."
Harry watched Draco take the only other chair in the room. He fiddled with the quill in his hand. "So what was for dinner?"
Draco smiled as Harry quickly changed the subject. He could tell that his cousin didn't feel comfortable with the idea that Draco was indifferent to his friends. "Black helped the house elves. So it was mostly desserts. I think Flitwick enjoyed it."
"Professor Flitwick's here?"
"Came back earlier today." Draco answered, "He wanted to talk to Aunt Lily."
"She was good at Charms. Sirius told me that."
"My dad said she was good at Potions, too."
Harry smiled wearily. "I want to tell them. But I don't know how."
Draco nodded. "Be honest."
Harry stared at his cousin in disbelief.
The Slytherin sneered, "What? I don't know what honesty is?"
"I never said that," Harry stammered.
"Good. Granger will take it better than Weasley. Tell her first. That way she can cover you with Weasley."
Harry turned back to the parchment and began writing. He heard Draco get up from his chair and go to the door. "Thanks, Malfoy."
"Anytime, Potter." Draco walked back into the hallway. He was almost to the stairs when he yelled back, "Lupin will bring you something later!"
"Great!"
