A/N: I just want to thank everyone who's reviewed - I don't always have time to respond to everyone personally but your opinions are very much appreciated :)

Disclaimer: Just realised I haven't done one of these for a lot of my previous chapters, but I think we all know I don't own Harry Potter

Apologies

Astoria,

How is Italy, darling? It must be much warmer than here. We've had rain non-stop for the past six days here, and it's getting incredibly depressing. I can't wait to join you. It should only be a week or so now; I've almost finished my business here and then I have a month off work.

Anyway, I was actually writing because I'm worried about Scorpius. He writes so rarely at the moment, and when he does write he sounds very … well I'm not really sure how to put it. It's not that he's actually complained about anything in particular; he just doesn't sound as cheerful as he used to. I was wondering if he'd said anything more specific to you? Is he okay, do you think? Should I write to the headmistress, or am I just overreacting?

Draco


Draco,

Italy is wonderful, but I'm a little bored. I just miss you, I suppose.

Actually, I was thinking the same thing about Scorpius. It could just be the pressure of his OWLs. Of course, my OWL year was slightly disrupted due to Hogwarts being run by Death Eaters and none of the classes being taught properly and all of that, but I do remember my sister getting very stressed when she did her OWLs.

Don't write to the headmistress yet. Give it until Christmas, and if nothing improves we can write to her then.

Astoria


Ginny,

How are you? I heard Harry's away at the moment; are you coping okay? Just remember, you're always welcome here if you get lonely, or bored.

As for me, I would give anything right now not to have Ron around. That sounds terrible, doesn't it? But he's just driving me mad at the moment. Half his department's on strike at the moment about something or other, so he very often doesn't go to work at all, and when he does he comes home hours earlier than usual.

Now, normally this would be great, but thanks to the whole thing with Rose, he's in the foulest temper all the time. She writes all the time, to me rather than Ron, but she clearly means for him to read the letters, going on and on about her latest boyfriend, Joseph Flint. He's in seventh year, he's a Ravenclaw – though his father is Marcus Flint, the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team when we were at school, so Ron hates him – and he sounds like the most inappropriate boyfriend she could possibly have chosen, which is probably the whole point.

Well, basically it means Ron spends most of his time stomping around the house, muttering about how irresponsible and disobedient Rose is, and yelling at anyone who gets on his nerves, which is generally me. Apparently it's all my fault for dating Viktor Krum in fourth year, though how he came to that conclusion I have no idea. I did point out to him that his relationship with Lavender Brown in sixth year was equally – if not more – irresponsible, but that just made him blow up completely, and I decided just to leave him to it after that.

All in all, not the most peaceful of atmospheres here, and if you wanted to meet up for lunch sometime and get me out of the house for a little while, I certainly wouldn't be complaining.

Oh well, you'll be relieved to know I've finished moaning now. I promise if we meet up to chat I will be in a much better mood. Mainly because I won't be able to hear Ron downstairs, yelling at some poor work colleague who's talking to him through the fire.

Hope to see you soon,

Hermione


Dear Grandma,

It's been a difficult couple of months. I'm sorry I haven't had time to write before now, but the teachers are a nightmare at the moment. We've had endless lectures on the importance or our OWLs, and how we have to work really, really hard this year if we want to achieve our full potential and blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, what it really means is that the teachers are giving us a lot of homework. I have three or four essays due in every single day, and I'm generally up until about one or two in the morning finishing them, and then I have to get up at seven if I want to eat breakfast, or eight if I don't. And before you tell me off for skipping breakfast, I know it's irresponsible and I know I should be taking care of my body and all that, but sometimes sleep is more important.

This is the first moment I've had to sit and write to you, and even now I should be doing my Potions homework, but I figured I'm going to fail Potions anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Without Rose tutoring me I don't stand a chance, and no amount of essays will make a difference to that.

Oh yeah, that's another thing that's made the last few months so hard. Rose is still going out with Joseph Flint, and she's still not talking to me, or Al, though it doesn't bother Al nearly as much as it does me. He just says she'll get over it eventually. He's used to arguing with her, though. It's the first time for me. I've apologised about a million times; I don't know what else she expects me to do. She's just so bloody stubborn sometimes.

Oh, and Al has another girlfriend. Some Ravenclaw girl; I can't remember her name right now. Jennifer or Jasmine or something like that. He asked her out about two days after he and Carmen broke up, and I'm beginning to worry if he's turning into his older brother, James. Except that he actually treats his girlfriends like people, which is more than I can say for James. Not that James is a bad person. As far as I can tell he's a great brother, very loyal friend and generally likeable person. He just doesn't treat his girlfriends particularly well.

So Al and his new girlfriend spend every second that they're not sleeping or in class together, meaning I'm the odd one out again. But I suppose I should get used to it. It's not like I'm going to have a girlfriend anytime soon. It's ridiculous that Rose hasn't spoken to me in months and is mad at me for something that isn't in any way me fault – but which I've apologised for a thousand times anyway – and I still can't even consider going out with another girl. I guess I'm just a complete idiot.

I'm just glad I don't play Quidditch. It annoys me enough that a couple of the guys in my dorm make such a noise when they have to get up at five every morning for Quidditch practice, never mind actually having to be one of those guys. I think I'd probably collapse from sheer exhaustion. I might do that anyway.

Well, this letter has just been one long moan, and I apologise sincerely for that. I promise I won't write again until I have at least one piece of good news to relate. So don't expect a letter for a very long time.

Scorpius


Scorp,

I know you must be really, really angry with me right now, and I'd probably deserve it of you just threw this letter away right now, but please, please, please just hear what I have to say.

Firstly, I'm so sorry. I've been an absolute bitch to you lately, and the whole time you were just trying to look out for me. You're a brilliant friend, and I'm an awful one.

Secondly, you were right. About everything. Joseph was just going out with me for a dare, he was cheating on me like he has on every other girl he's ever gone out with, and I was just going out with him to get back at my dad. Not that I'll be apologising to Dad anytime soon. I'm still furious with him. How dare he try and run my life?

But that's not the point. The point is that I feel awful about how angry I got with you, and about ignoring you and Al for months. You're the best friends I could ever ask for and I'm really sorry.

Forgive me?

Rose


Rose,

Of course I forgive you. You were just pissed off at your dad and you felt like we were trying to control you, like he does, and that's understandable. I'm sure Al feels the same.

More to the point, are you okay? You know Flint doesn't deserve you, right? And he definitely doesn't deserve you wasting time crying over him. However, if you wanted me to talk to James, I'm sure he could arrange that Flint doesn't mess with the Weasleys again in a hurry. I'm not very good at the whole revenge thing, but your cousins could probably manage something?

Scorp

P.S. Could you help me with that Potions essay tomorrow morning?


Scorp,

Actually, I apologised to Al and he's still pretty annoyed with me. Which is fair enough, I suppose. I'm not too bothered to be honest. As long as we're back on speaking terms, Al can take as long as he likes. He'll get over it eventually. He's forgiven me for worse stuff; it just takes him a while.

Nah, don't bother talking to James. I guess he'll find out soon enough, and he probably will do something stupid like getting in a big fight to defend my honour or whatever, but I'm not really that angry with Flint, to be honest. I never actually liked him, and if you think about it, I was using him as much as he was using me.

Of course I'll help you with the Potions homework, but only because I still feel bad about ignoring you, and only if you promise not to leave it this late in future.

I've just realised that it's 2am, and we have to get up pretty early if we want to finish that essay in time. I've missed this, though. Our conversations really late at night. I've missed you.

Rose


Yeah, I've missed you too, Rose

Goodnight

Scorp


Goodnight.


Dear Grandma,

Forget everything I said about not getting enough sleep. Who needs sleep? It's two in the morning and I haven't slept properly in months but I have never felt less tired.

Yeah, I know I sent my last letter a couple of hours ago, but I promised I would write when I had better news, and it turned out that didn't take as long as I expected.

Rose and I made up! Flint was cheating on her, which I suppose I shouldn't be so happy about, but I am! It's not like she's really very upset or anything.

She wrote me a letter apologising, and obviously I forgave her instantly. I'm sure I should be at least a tiny bit angry with her, but I don't think I'm really capable of being angry with Rose. And I know there's a risk she'll start taking me for granted or whatever if I never stay angry with her for anything, but I can't help that. I'm just too pleased that we're friends again to bother staying mad at her.

I have no idea how I'm going to get to sleep now, but I suppose I have to. I'm going to have to get up pretty early tomorrow so Rose can help me write my essay. And I actually have a chance of passing Potions now, so I'd better make an effort to make it a reasonably good essay.

Scorpius


Hermione,

I'm free on Wednesday, if you still want to meet up for lunch. Shall we say one o'clock at that lovely little café that just opened up on Diagon Alley?

I know exactly how you feel. Ron's a nightmare when he gets in a mood about something. But I suppose you know that better than anyone. At least you chose to live with him. I never had any choice in the matter.

I know how Rose feels, too. It's ridiculous, how protective Ron is, and she's just trying to prove that he can't stop her from dating guys if she wants to. She'll move on from Flint eventually. Just stay out of Ron's way as much as possible until she does.

Let me know about Wednesday, and hopefully we can catch up properly then.

Ginny


Ginny,

Wednesday sounds great. I look forward to it.

However, Ron is in a much better mood now. Flint and Rose broke up – well, he cheated on her and she dumped him, so don't be surprised if you get an owl from the school complaining about James duelling again; you know how he is when it comes to guys cheating on Rose, or any of his cousins. Anyway, Rose hasn't actually apologised, and neither has Ron, but she addressed her last owl to both of us, rather than just to me, and he wrote back telling her that she has his permission to go out with someone more suitable, provided he's a Gryffindor and Al approves of him. Which, coming from Ron, is practically an apology. Not that Rose cares whether she has his permission, but she didn't argue about it any more, so the two of them are on speaking terms again.

See you soon,

Hermione