Letters

Dear Hermione,

Hey, how are you doing? Has Ron grown a brain? Or did you go with plan B?

Is Harry ok? That Sirius Black guy was on the news again, why haven't they caught him yet? The British police must be as bad as the Sunnydale ones; they're pretty bad at catching murderers too!!

How are your A Levels going? Is your chemistry teacher, what was he called? Snape? Is he still handing out detentions left, right and centre? He can't be as bad as the man-eater we had for biology a few years back!

The Crime Club is going fine thanks, although sometimes I feel like we're in an episode of the X-Files! We actually think the Mayor's up to something, so there's the conspiracy theory right there! Not that some high school students and their librarian could do anything about it, and you know my opinion of our 'oh so wonderful' police force. Us going after him would be as daft as you guys going after Black!

Buffy's cousin from Boston, Faith, is still here; she's starting to annoy me a little. She's always off shopping with Buffy, or flirting with Xander, not that she's not allowed to, but still, you know someone's got to be bad when I start complaining! It sort of feels like she's trying to push me out of the group, and hey! I was here first!

Another thing that's going on is that there's rumours of Angel's old friend, William, being back in town, which is going to be as much fun as you can have without actually having any.

Anyway, I have to go, I'm going to the store to get some stuff for Xan, maybe it'll sort this thing out, its not a thing ting, just a thing. If you get what I mean.

Hope to here from you soon, and that you're having a better week than I am.

Willow.x.

P.S. I'll try to write more next time.

"If I can think of how to tell her stuff without actually telling her, that is," she murmured as she sealed the envelope.

***

"Who's that from? It's not from Malfoy is it?" Ron asked angrily, looking rather like a giant tomato, as an owl headed towards Hermione in her seat at the Gryffindor table at breakfast one morning.

"Don't be silly Ron!" Hermione snapped, "Draco's owl is much more regal than a regular post owl."

"Draco!" Ron spluttered looking to Harry for support, who looked at him blankly, then went back to his porridge.

"That is his name Ron," Hermione answered smirking behind the letter she was now reading.

"Yes, but you don't have to call him that!" he blustered, "He's a Slytherin-!"

"-And Head Boy," Hermione reminded him, "and as Head Girl I work with him. He's not that bad really," she added rather airily as she got up to leave.

"Hey!" Ron shouted, "Where are you going?"

"To write a letter," she told them as she left.

***

Dear Willow,

I am doing fine. 'Plan B' is currently in action, in fact your letter provided more fuel for the fire. Ron immediately assumed it was from Draco! He really was jealous, and I got to remind him of my being Head Girl and Draco being Head Boy, which made him splutter all the more! You really are a bad influence on me Willow Rosenberg!

I do hope it works though, as much as it fills me with joy to see him so jealous, it also fills me with pain that this could be hurting him. But, as you said he may yet grow a brain and realize what I'm doing. I love him dearly, but he can be such a dunce at times.

Harry is back to his stare off into space phase, it really does worry me sometimes. If you are getting reports of Black in America Harry must be in less danger, as I have said before the school has made sure he is safe from any people who may wish to cause him trouble. I think Harry has figured out 'Plan B', as he has given up reacting and now gives Ron blank looks and smirks at me when Ron isn't watching. I hope this means that he's going to join the land of the living soon, I really do.

My A Level's are going fine, I think. My advance study plans are helping a great deal. Imagine where I would be if I hadn't started revision two months ago. I know I can be a bit of a bore with school work, but these exams really are important, even more so than the GCSEs were. We're getting closer to the end, so even Ron and Harry are revising, I think they're beginning to realise that they have to enter the real world soon and that we won't be back next September!

Yes, Professor Snape is still handing out detentions. Tensions are running high so he even gave one to a member of his own house yesterday. You can imagine the shock at that! It will be remembered for years to come. He is not so bad some days, and as I am forever telling Ron and Harry, we should not bad mouth professors, even (and this part I don't tell them) when we really want to!

Your mention of us doing anything about Black made me laugh so much, as if we would be able to! Please be careful Willow, I don't want you getting hurt.

I don't like the sound of Faith, although I am confused as to why you and not Cordelia are annoyed at her behaviour towards Xander. This thing you mentioned, you haven't been acting on that old crush of yours, have you Will? Don't go doing anything silly, you have Oz now and Xander has Cordelia. Right?

Love from

Hermione.

PS. Watch out for William, from what you have said in the past he sounds a lot like Draco.

"There," she said as she read it over," I think that's OK. I wish I could tell her everything."