'I tried to give it to Dumbledore. But he said it was Draco's to do what he wanted with. And I don't think Draco wanted to keep it, it probably reminds him of horrid things, like his dad.' She shuddered.
Ron took his hand off her neck and started to walk down the stairs.
'Have I told you lately how extremely glad I am that you didn't end up dating Malfoy?'
'Only about six zillion times,' said Hermione, following him.
'Honestly, I think you're gladder than Harry is.'
'I have my reasons,' said Ron, and before Hermione could ask him to elaborate, he was yelling for Ginny to hurry up and bring the Floo Powder because it was time for them to get going.
The brown barn owl swooped in through an open window and landed, hooting, on the table next to Harry, who was sitting in the Students' Hall, eating lunch. It had two letters tied to its left leg, both rolled into neat little tubes and fastened with different-colored ribbons.
Harry glanced up and across the table at Draco, who was deep in conversation with Fleur Delacoeur. 'Letters, Malfoy,' he said.
Draco looked up and grinned. 'Toss me mine,' he said.
Harry unfastened one of the letters and threw it to Draco. Both of them knew who the letters were from; that went without saying.
Hermione was an eminently fair girl. When she wrote, she always wrote to both of them, one letter for Harry, one for Draco. Harry's letter would be tied with a red ribbon, Draco's with silver. Harry occasionally wished that she would send him maybe two letters for every one she sent Draco, just to make a point, but that wasn't in Hermione's nature to do. She was a scrupulous sort of person.
Harry watched Draco open his letter, read it, and stick it in his pocket, all without changing expression. Harry would have given a sackful of galleons to see what was in that letter, but he would rather have died than admit it. After all, he trusted Hermione. She was his girlfriend. She loved him. Right?
Fleur looked from Harry to Draco with bright blue eyes. Harry knew she was probably nearly as interested as he was in seeing what Hermione had written to Draco. She had attached herself to Draco the first day they had arrived at school. Spotting him standing next to Harry, she had swooped over to them, crying, ''Ello, 'Arry! Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?'
Harry had made the introductions, and Draco had shaken Fleur's hand while she beamed at him and tossed her shining silver hair.
'Malfoy,' Fleur had said. 'I know that name, that is a French name.
Is your family French?'
Draco had admitted that at one time, they probably had been.
'You are part-veela, are you not?' Fleur continued. 'I am as well. I am sure we are related, I have brothers who look just like you. I take one look at you across the hall and think to myself, 'That is a beautiful boy, he must be related to me!'
Fleur said this with no shred of humility. She was just as conceited as Draco, which in Harry's opinion lent a certain credibility to her assurance that they shared family.
'I think she fancies you,' he had said to Draco once Fleur had gone, but Draco had shaken his head.
'We're both part-veela, we're immune to each other's charms,' he'd said. 'She just likes me because I look like her.'
Whether or not they fancied each other, Harry thought, looking at them, they'd formed an effective mutual admiration society. Draco rarely went anywhere these days without Fleur tagging along at his heels. It was almost funny, Harry thought, after all he was the same age as Draco and it wasn't all that long ago that Fleur had considered him too 'leetle' of a boy to be taken seriously…
The owl hooted again, snapping Harry back to attention. He gave the owl a Knute, took his red-ribboned letter, and tore it open eagerly.
Dearest Harry, I can't write much because I'm rushing off to London, but I'll send you another letter later, by Pig. Ron and the Weasleys are fine. Mr and Mrs. Weasley have gone off to the seaside for a romantic holiday, and Fred and George are in Hogsmeade at the joke shop, so it's just me and Ron and of course Ginny, who is back from France and sends her love.
Guess who sent me a letter out of the blue? Viktor Krum, of all people. I would have thought he'd have been too busy to write anyone, he's been touring around with the Bulgarian team, but he's in London now, so I'm going to stop by the Leaky Cauldron and see him. I'll tell him you say hello. And please say hi to Professor Lupin for me.
I can't wait to see you at Sirius and Narcissa's wedding. I'm glad that Sirius is going to be happy, nobody deserves it more than he does.
All my love, Hermione
Harry folded the letter up with a feeling of unease. When he glanced up, he saw Draco and Fleur watching him. 'What's wrong, 'Arry?'
said Fleur with cheerful concern. ''As your girlfriend left you for someone else? Is she pregnant?'
The letter flew out of Harry's hands. 'What?' he sputtered. 'That's ridiculous. How would she be pregnant?'
Fleur and Draco both grinned at him.
'Perhaps now is the time to have that talk about the facts of life, Potter,' said Draco, still grinning.
Bugger, thought Harry, I walked right into this one. 'Shut up, Malfoy,' he said. 'I already know all about sex, thanks.'
Fleur was giggling madly behind her hand.
'That is reassuring to hear,' said a voice at Harry's elbow.
Harry spun around to see Professor Lupin standing behind him, a faint smile on his face.
