The Correspondent

The Correspondant

Chapter Two

Dear CupboardLove,

I'm pureblood, to be honest with you. I've been brought up knowing about magic every day of my life. I couldn't live without it! I reckon from your name that you're a girl. Dunno why. Perhaps it's because you're interested in my leather.

Divination? I've never taken it. My dad says it's useless junk - he should know, he took it when he was at school. Trelawney's supposed to be a rubbish teacher though, a right fraud. My friends? They don't really argue much. Okay, I don't really have that many true friends. I just hang around with people. Some of my housemates argue like crazy, but they're in the year below me.

There's one couple, in their sixth year here, who bicker like crazy. They're not in my house though. I dunno if I could stand that.

LeatherTights

Harry smiled to himself. He had a pureblood, male probably, with a father who was alive. He didn't have many real friends either. And he knew about Ron and Hermione... Despite what this boy said, Harry knew he was a sixth year. Lying in his bed, he wrote his third letter of the day.

Dear LeatherTights,

You're a male. I know this much. Somehow I also don't think you're a Hufflepuff. That should give you a clue about my house too. I'd just like to say that I am not a girl, either. Now you're on a level footing with me. I'm a half-blood. I have friends in the year below me, as well as my own year. What about you?

Oh, and you never explained the leather. Why do people think you wear leather?

CupboardLove

LeatherTights replied quickly, his letter dropping onto Harry's head as the sun rose over the horizon. Harry took the letter, and began to read it.

CupboardLove,

Maybe we should only write one letter a day. It would keep our ink levels high enough for when we need to buy more. What subjects are you taking then? Apart from Care of Magical Creatures of course.

Most of my friends are in the same year as me. I don't branch out much. They're mostly all in my house too. I really don't get the leather thing.

LeatherTights

When Harry entered the Great Hall a little later, he spotted his correspondent eating between two other boys in his house. He knew exactly who it was whom he had been corresponding with now, and had decided to reveal this in his next letter. He knew exactly what he would say...

Dear Draco,

See, I know who you are. I had my suspicions all along. Most people I know call you Malfoy, but I wanted to shock you. For my NEWTs I am taking Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Charms. I think I could see you in leather...

CupboardLove

Harry laughed as the owl sailed across the sky. Then he turned to the entrance of the owlery, and left. Ron and Hermione had been waiting for him outside, but apparently they weren't now. He looked about, and saw some movement behind a tapestry, along with some rather breathy voices. Stopping his ears, he ran away to the common room. He had a fairly good idea of what Ron and Hermione were doing now.

"Hey, Potter, wait!"

Harry spun around. There, by the top of the staircase to the charms corridor (except on Fridays), stood Draco Malfoy.

"Hello," he said, wondering where Crabbe and Goyle were.

"How long did you know?" demanded Draco, standing there haughtily.

"Since about the second letter," replied Harry, smirking. He raised his eyebrows.

"What did that comment mean, then?" he demanded. "The leather comment?"

"Oh, I dunno," Harry looked over the boy briefly, and Draco's face twisted slightly. The blonde boy walked up to his enemy and grabbed his right wrist, pulling him into a secret cupboard to the side.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" demanded Harry.

"I..." Draco suddenly fell silent. His breathing was deeper, somewhat. Harry felt, then, something very strange. Feelings he had never had before, and especially not about a boy.

"Oh God," whispered Draco, taking Harry's left wrist and pushing him up against the wooden walls. Harry's eyes widened in shock as Draco suddenly and firmly placed a kiss on Harry's lips.

"Malfoy!" he exclaimed weakly. The blonde boy released his hands suddenly, and pushed away from the Gryffindor.

"I shouldn't have..." he did not complete the sentence, but dashed away.

"Malfoy, wait! I-" but the other boy was gone. Harry sunk to his knees. Why, oh why did he have to fancy Draco bloody Malfoy? The enemy! Why was he destined to be gay? He had always assumed himself to be straight before...