A/N: So here is Chapter 2. I will be posting new chapters on Wednesdays. I am still working without a beta so please let me know of any glaring errors is spelling or grammar. I am trying to keep this DH compliant but there will be some artistic licensing involved. Again, I do not own any of these characters, I am just borrowing them. Please Read & Review!
Chapter 2
My Dearest Draco,
Oh come now Draco, where is the fun in that? If you can't figure out who I am on your own maybe you are not as smart as you always tried to tell me you are. We met just over 6 years ago and I will admit our first interaction was not the most pleasant. Since then however we were able to slowly move on from the petty insults of the immature children we were.
I hope you are in good health (you never said in your letter to me). I am fine by the way. I have a large project coming up so I have been spending most of my free time the last few days planning out how to tackle it. If you remembered who I was I would ask your advice but I feel if I told you what I was working on I would give too much away.
I have included a small token in this letter with an attached chain. Please keep it near because I will be sending you additional tokens until you are able to remember who I am.
Best Regards,
Henrietta P. Griffone
August 8th, 1997
P.S. I know that due to your Malfoy upbringing you will be required by protocol to answer my letter and I am holding you to it.
To Henrietta,
I still have absolutely no idea who you could possibly be. I also do not appreciate you holding protocol over my head in demanding a response to your previous letter. I do not have the time or patience to deal with your petty games and vague hints. There are many people who come to mind when I think of golden snitches and none of them are you so your token is meaningless.
Please refrain from annoying me further
From,
Draco L. Malfoy
August 10th, 1997
P.S. Since when am I 'your' anything?
My Dear, Sweet Draco,
Come Draco, don't be mad at me. I am only trying to have a little fun. There is very very little fun to be had in my life right now and I had hoped that a renewed attempt at a friendship with you would somehow help to lift my otherwise dreary life.
I am currently residing in London and the building tension around town has everyone on edge. Even the others working with me on my project have been out of sorts lately. I fear that no amount of planning ahead will be able to help us when the time comes.
I do know you hope that I would tell you exactly who I am but I am still unable to do so. Partly because it is fun to try and think up appropriately vague hints, sure to challenge your mind, while still appealing to your Slytherlin cunning and curiosity. But also because like I said we did not get off on the right foot all those years ago and I am hoping we may relearn more about each other before your memory of me clouds your judgment.
Hopefully you do not find my letters too tedious and will continue to write to me for I do truly wish that we can at least come to some sort of understanding in the near future. Even if a real friendship is out of the question after you remember who I am.
Hopefully you will add this latest token to the chain with the golden snitch.
Hopefully waiting,
Henrietta P. Griffone
August 11th, 1997
P.S. You are 'my' because I say so!
Henrietta,
Appealing to my Slytherin side will only get you so far and your attempts at flattery are far too transparent. Obviously you are not a Slytherin yourself. Why I continue to respond is solely due to the fact that I have little better to do and not due to any prodding on your part.
I am intrigued however about your latest "token". Was the miniature dragon supposed to flatter my ego due to my name perhaps? Or were you alluding to some shared event involving dragons? Since there are very few events in my life involving dragons and I still do not remember who you could be I will have to assume that at some point I told you about my name. Draco of course being a derivative of Draconius, the constellation.
I also do not see how you foresee becoming friends if our past was as horrid as you make it sound. Would it not be better to just tell me who you are and end this farce so we can both go on with our lives?
Regretfully waiting,
Draco L. Malfoy
August 14th, 1997
P.S. I do believe the only other person to call me Dear or Sweet is my mother.
My Darling Draco,
Thank goodness you have not forsaken me. I thought for sure you weren't going to respond after my last letter but I am pleased to know you are now putting some thought into the mystery I have presented you. Though I had still planned on writing to you again tonight if you still hadn't responded.
And no I cannot end this 'farce' as you say quite yet. Admit it, you would be disappointed to have the answer handed to you at this point. I would even bet that you are now intrigued with the idea of figuring this out on your own.
As for the dragon, yes it does partly have to do with your name but that is not all. I will say no more on the matter however and let you figure out what it means.
I have hit a road block with my project and find myself with more and more time on my hands. Your letters are a welcome distraction from the tedious cleaning chores that have been forced on me by my friend. The place we are staying was until recently basically abandoned and we have not had a chance to get it fully cleaned up yet.
The tension around town is getting worse as rumors fly. I am sure you have heard some of them even if the Daily Prophet seems to be running as if oblivious. I am not comfortable relying strictly on rumors to keep me informed but do not dare risk digging for any real answers even if I knew who to talk to.
I have enclosed another token for you.
Wishing you well,
Henrietta P. Griffone
August 15th, 1997
P.S. I am certainly not your mother!
Henrietta,
While I will grudgingly admit that I was looking forward to receiving the next clue, please refrain from sending your letters to me so late. I was rudely awoken by your owl at 3am and get little enough sleep these days as it is. It would also behoove you to get a decent amount of sleep if you are so stuck on your project. Little sleep will not help you to overcome whatever roadblock is delaying you.
The snake token you sent me is lovely and I have added it to the others on the chain, which I have hid as to not have to answer any embarrassing questions about receiving jewelry from a girl. A snake though does not add any light on the mystery of where I know you from. I have already deduced that you are not indeed a Slytherin so now I must assume that the snake eludes to something else of which I haven't the foggiest.
Due not fret to much over the rumors you have been hearing. As long as your blood pure, or at least mostly pure,you will have nothing to fear. The ministry right now is only interested in cleansing the muggle-born. We Malfoys of course don't have anything to fear being of purest blood ourselves.
Since you will not tell me outright, and your clues are of no help, I hope you will agree to a Q&A. Each letter I will ask you a question about who you are and were I know you from and you will provide an answer instead of your annoying obtuse hints.
My first question is this: Where is it that we first met?
Tired but curious,
Draco L. Malfoy
August 16th, 1997
P.S. Darling? Clearly you do not know me well.
As Draco learned more about Henrietta he wished that he could remember her. He hoped that one day they could meet again when the war was over. Hopefully after the Dark Lord gained power he would start granting Draco a reprieve from his inner circle. Draco knew the only reason he was even involved in the inner workings was to keep his father in line. If it wasn't for his father he never would have been dragged into this mess.
Draco also knew that he could never tell any of this to even his closest friends. He would be dead in moments if the Dark Lord knew he had such thoughts. That he would take any chance to be free of his control. He also knew that his parents would suffer as well but that thought no longer had the hold on him that it used to. He still loved his parents dearly but he knew he could not and would not pay for their mistakes forever, especially if there was a sure way to get out. But there wasn't and there never would be. He was trapped and his only small pleasure in this life of entrapment and fear were the letters from a girl he didn't even remember.