Ginny sat on a bench in Diagon Alley, waiting for Charlie to come back from Madam Malkin's. He needed new fire-proof robes since the last ones had been slashed by a rather touchy Chinese Fireball.

A tawny owl swooped towards her, dropping a letter into her lap before she even saw it, startling her out of her very importating gazing-at-nothing. Ginny blinked and look up, watching the bird fly away again. When it was nothing but a speck in the distance, she took the letter and slit the wax seal, unfolding the note in her hands. It was written on heavy parchment with dark green ink in a refined, aristocratic hand:

Weasley,

I'm not in France yet. Right now I'm in a camp in Brussels where Dumbledore is instructing us in what we'll be doing, once we get into France. He says we'll be heading behind the non-apparition zone soon enough, but he doesn't want to send us there until he's sure we'll be coming back. He's much brighter than he pretends to be on a daily basis. Parhaps the old coot won't get me killed after all.

Don't you dare do that, Weasely! I know you're doing it. You have that pitying, sad face you wore on when we talked the other night about my parents. I don't want your pity, Stupid Weasley. I just wanted someone to talk to and I had figured you hated me enough not to sit there and pity me when I told you about how I was leaving.

Anyway, Albus says that we'll be able to receive letters as well as send them while we're still in Brussels. I know I'd like to get a letter or two to prove to the others that I'm not writing to some phantom girl I made up, because everyone knows if I created someone it would be a Weasley.. Some of the other Aurors here have family back home who're sending them letters and I'm not used to being the odd one out you know.

Sincerely,

Draco Malfoy

She smiled and folded the letter. Something in her was happy that he was still in the country, though only heaven knew why considering the number of insults he'd managed to pack into that short letter.

"Hey, Gin?" Charlie was standing in front of her, waving a hand in front of her eyes, "You awake in there, little Gin?"

Ginny blinked a few times before she was able to focus on her elder brother, "Hey, Charlie." She stood up and grabbed her bag, "Did you get your robes?"

"Yeah, I did." He held up a brown paper packed before offering her his arm. It was the way they'd always walked, ever since she was old enough to reach that high.

Ginny linked her arm through his and pocketed the letter, "Are you going to stay for a while or are you heading back right away?"

"Oh, I'll probably be able to stay for a few days. Mom'd kill me if I didn't, you know." He grinned and noticed the letter as she slid it into the back pocket of her jeans, "What's that?"

She pulled the letter back out. It wasn't as if it was a secret. Right? "It's a letter from Draco Malfoy. The owl delivered it before you got back."

Charlie looked at her, wearing an odd expression. It wasn't usual that Ginny couldn't read her brother's face, but this was one of those times, "Did I hear you right, Ginny? Draco Malfoy?"

She nodded, "Yeah. He's in Brussels doing training before he's sent behind the non-apparition zone in France. You didn't know that Dumbledore had him in the war?"

Charlie shook his head slowly, almost angrily, "I heard about his parents. I heard he sold them out to Dumbledore." Charlie had rejoiced like everyone else on their side that Lucius Malfoy was now behind bars, but he'd also commented on the cowardice of someone who would sell out their own kin to save themselves.

She nodded, "Right. His father's in Azkaban and his mother killed herself before the aurors could get her."

He shook the hardness from his face and managed a small grin, "Just be careful. You're awfully young to start a war-time romance."

Ginny laughed, "Romance? He's just lonely, Charlie. He wanted someone to write to. That's all."

Charlie just shrugged and they headed home. Ginny still had another year in school and he really didn't want her spending it moping over the Malfoy boy. Ginny was a smart girl, though, she knew better than to get involved with someone like that.

She borrowed Hermes that night from Percy who was visiting for the weekend, "I swear you'll get him back before you go back to the Ministry on Monday!" She'd pleaded.

He'd eventually just patted her on the head, "Alright, Gin. You know, we really should get you an owl of your own so you don't have to use mine. I have very important business and the loss of Hermes could be seriously detrimental to my career." He'd nodded his head importantly and gone to fetch Hermes.

Draco,

I got your letter this afternoon while waiting for Charlie in Diagon Alley. I've got to say that I didn't expect to get one this quickly, but it was nice just the same. I was sitting on that awful, hard bench outside Madam Malkin's and thinking about Charlie. I have a big family, you know. They're all in this bloody war, well except for the twins. I don't know what I'll do if McGonnogal gets up in front of one of the Quidditch games to read the list of the Hogwarts dead and one of their names comes up on it. At least I'm not expected to play anymore. I'm just the alternate seeker for the team and I intend to stay that way.

I hope you're doing alright in Brussels and the other aurors aren't being too hard on you because you're a Malfoy. I included a little bag of sweety, though, just to make them envious. I remember how much you liked the pumpkin pasties too, so when I made a batch this afternoon I made one extra for you. Eat it and think of Hogwarts. Things were so much simpler for you when you were still a student, weren't they?

Well, I should probably finish this letter soon so I can get Hermes sent off. I'm borrowing him from Percy and promised he'd get him back by Monday, when he has to get back to the office. You know Percy, he put the fear of God and Sacking into me, because he'd be so lost without his stupid bird!

Thinking good thoughts,

Ginny

She wrapped up the letter and little package of sweets, sadly it was much smaller than she would have liked because she was desperately short on money, despite working at the cafe, and tied both to Hermes' leg, "Take these to Draco Malfoy in the camp at Brussels," She told the owl, petting his head affectionately before sending him out the window.

Malfoy may be dour and insulting in his letters, but she could at least be encouraging and happy. Even if he didn't admit it, Ginny knew that he'd enjoy the pleasant letters much better than bickering and the Pumpkin Pasties had turned out well.