Draco glared around the study room. Why did everything at Hogwarts seem to exist to annoy him? Recently, he had been in a remarkably foul mood. He refused to admit to himself that Thunder's lack of responses to his letters hurt him, and chose instead to be cantankerous and rude as though it were his nature. Draco turned his glare towards his astronomy homework. Why oh why did he have to write an essay about the weather and its effects on the ability to see the stars? Any excuse to avoid the idea of Thunder was pushed aside for this assignment, which was probably contributing to Draco's current mood.
Blaise had noticed a change in Draco in recent days. He remarked that the other boy seemed more snappish than usual, and questioned the reasons for it. Blaise seemed to think that any bad mood could easily be solved by the mention of the Christmas holiday's rapid approach. Draco, however, was simply reminded that he had ordered a book for Thunder as a Christmas gift back when the two were corresponding regularly.
Draco rubbed the back of his neck and looked at his best friend. Blaise was diligently focusing on the potions essay, (which Draco had completed earlier in the afternoon) a frown of concentration wrinkling his forehead. Draco guiltily realized that with all the moping he'd done over Thunder's inexplicable cold shoulder, he hadn't really spent much time with his friend. Draco decided to break the silence between them.
"How's the essay? I had a bit of trouble with it until I remembered the bit about the powdered bone of—"
"What do you want, Draco? I've already lent you my best quill…" Blaise sighed wearily
Draco squirmed, guilty that his attempt at strengthening his flagging relationship was seen as an attempt to get a favor. "Nothing, Blaise! I just wanted to ask you about your essay!" Draco knew Blaise would understand. It seemed like a cold conversation, but any Slytherin would recognize this as an almost sappy conversation. Draco grimaced at how the conversation would have gone were the participants, say, Harry Potter and the Dreadful Weasley:
"Oh Ron! You're my best friend forever, and I've only just realized I've been neglecting you lately in favor of moping around! I'm so sorry! Here, let me offer you some advice on your essay, because I know you don't like potions, and I just want a chance to talk to you!"
"Harry, it's quite alright! I know we're still friends! I lent you my Quidditch book just last week, and if that isn't proof that I still want to be friends with you, can I lend you something else? Something important to me?" (wait, mused Draco, Gryffindors don't offer personal effects as proof of friendship…that part of the conversation would have been left out…oh well…thank God Slytherins aren't like that!)
"Draco? Draco!" Blaise was snapping his fingers in an attempt to get the young Malfoy's attention "Look-there's an owl in that window" Blaise rose and retrieved a letter from the owl "Are you still corresponding with that bloody pen pal? I've only written mine once! Got some bizarre response about 'Hogwarts, a History'…my pen pal must be a bloody loon!"
"I haven't spoken with my pen pal in ages, Blaise." Draco eyed the letter, hoping despite himself that it was from Thunder. He took the letter from Blaise's outstretched hand, and glanced at the envelope. From the outside, it was unremarkable, unmarked and slightly crumpled. Draco opened the letter and read the brief lines penned in a familiar scrawl, and he was embarrassed to admit how his heart seemed to lighten, and his glare lessened in intensity until it was simply a haughty Malfoy frown.
"So it WAS the pen pal?" Blaise sighed "Sometimes I feel like that pen pal of yours comes before everything else in your life. I'd be careful…you could be corresponding with a Weasley!"
"Malfoys and Weasleys have absolutely nothing in common…if this were a Weasley, I would know from the misspelled words and boring anecdotes." Draco smiled at his friend "This pen pal of mine is actually interesting. However, there's no replacement for a truly Slytherin friend." Draco pulled out a quill, ignoring Blaise's yelp that "Hey that's mine!" and began to write his response.
Dear Thunder,
I was beginning to think that perhaps you'd wandered into the forbidden forest and been eaten by a werewolf! Though your letter was a bit light on content, I was very pleased you found the time to write me back. I feel we should return to the earlier stages of our correspondence, because my mention of actually meeting in the flesh is what, I fear, may have scared you off.
I was just thinking of what you'd said in an earlier letter (from early October) about the teachers. I'm thinking that perhaps Snape dislikes you so much because you don't demonstrate your intelligence? From what you've said of your performance in class (not raising your hand, not volunteering extra information on your homework) I feel Snape may feel you are unintelligent, and thus, a waste of his time. I know this is not the case, and if you proved it to Snape, he would probably be much more obliging in his conduct towards you.
Have you kept up with Quidditch? I've been to all the matches, and I must say, Quidditch at Hogwarts is different than anything I've ever seen before, and I've been attending games for as long as I can remember! Even as a first year, Harry Potter is one of the most talented seekers I've seen…excepting, of course, myself. I joke, but I am looking forward to trying out next year. Quidditch has always been important to me, and I really hope I'm good enough to make my House team.
Sincerely,
Dragon
PS-I really AM glad to have heard from you!
Draco folded the letter and sent it off with the owl, who had waited patiently for Draco to finish his letter. Draco grimaced internally at the sappiness of the letter, but after a moment's contemplation, shrugged it off. If he was being honest with himself, Draco knew he wasn't cut out to be a true Malfoy. He was (as he'd heard his mother quote Macbeth) "too full of the milk of human kindness" to be able to distance himself from his peers and act the jerk the way his father did (in public, anyways). Draco knew that while he was an expert at faking the cold Malfoy demeanor, he was too invested in the worldly affairs to be truly aloof.
Soul searching aside, Draco glanced over his homework. Deciding that it was satisfactory (okay, more than satisfactory) he decided to take a break and do some reading. His father had sent him a book about Dumbledore's achievements (with an attached note: "Know Thine Enemy") for his spare time. Draco opened to the chapter about Alchemy. As he read, he kept careful notes about Dumbledore's interactions with Nicholas Flamel. Of course, Draco already knew who Flamel was, as he'd had a private tutor since before he could remember. Draco was simply interested in learning more about the enigma in a purple robe that was Dumbledore.
After another hour of concentration, Draco heard Blaise sigh, and crack his neck. Both boys silently began packing up their schoolbooks, and exited the study room in favor of the library. Walking side by side, Draco and Blaise made their way toward the exit. As they walked, they passed Harry, the Weasley, and the Muggleborn know-it-all. Draco sneered at their weak attempts at subterfuge. Obviously they were researching something that was none of their business. Draco was suddenly arrested by green eyes staring at him. Draco raised an eyebrow to acknowledge the stare, but Harry refused to look away. Draco tried to sneer, but was so unnerved by this unusual interaction, he knew the expression came out as more of a grimace.
I thought I was past all this Draco bemoaned the interaction later, safely ensconced in his bed. I thought I was past the idea of being friends with Harry, I mean, Potter, I mean, Harry! Arrgh! Why is that boy so hard to hate? I can't seem to manage it, and when I try to shut him out of my life, he keeps popping back up and making it impossible for me to forget him. Why?
No closer to finding the answer to his questions, Draco rolled over in bed and closed his eyes. His dreams that night were full of messy haired boys and sorcerer's stones.
Though slightly longer than last chapter, this is pretty short, I know. I'm working on the next chapter, however, and it will probably be twice as long as this one.
Please review...They are really encouraging, and don't take much time. I love to hear how I'm doing, and any critiques just make the story better!
C