41

Dear Harry,

What exactly has gotten into you? You left in the middle of the night and didn't even bother telling us? I know we didn't react as we should have done, and I truly am sorry for that. But you did sort of spring it on us, not that that excuses anything. Especially not Ronald's behaviour.

But if he makes you happy, then I'm alright with it, Harry, I really am.

Please write me back and let me know that you're alright and you're safe.

Love From,

Hermione

P.S. And if you are alright and fine, then you'd better be doing your Christmas homework. I know for a fact that the only thing you've finished is that Defence project, and we have tons for Potions and Charms, not to mention that book we have to read for Transfiguration.

Harry,

Hey, mate, sorry about writing to you out of the blue and all that, but I tried to find you at school only to be told you'd gone home for the rest of the holidays.

Look, I know you're not taking this competition seriously, and I don't blame you. But you didn't even get a clue to the next task, so I think it's only fair.

The second task is merpeople. Well, sort of. They're going to take something we'll 'sorely miss' and hide it in the lake. We have to go get it.

Just you know, thought you should know.

Cedric

P.S. The rest of the 'Puffs are missing you and Nev. It's just not a party without you punching Zacharias Smith and Nev dancing on the tables.

Harry,

We, as his unfortunate brothers, feel the need to apologise for Ron's behaviour. He is a prat of the highest order and by no means represents the opinions of the Weasley's as a whole (Mum said, and we quote 'oh, how sweet! It's so nice that Harry's found somebody at last'. You'd think you were a lonely, single middle aged man the way she was going on).

We agree with her, however, and wish you all the luck in your endeavours with Mr Malfoy. We do not promise not to prank him though, and we think you should know better than to expect so much of us.

We have some more products for you and Sirius to test. We've enclosed samples, but make sure to remember to document the effects properly, that report you turned in last time was utter shite.

Gred and Forge

Draco,

You're a complete and utter ass. This was supposed to be my plan to crush you! I can't believe you abandoned your family for him! You'd never even carry my books for me! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!

This last letter was unsigned and hard to read in places, blotched as it was with tears, but the handwriting was unmistakable (hearts on the 'i's. Only Pansy).

Draco sighed, feeling a familiar stab of jealousy as he watched Harry read through his own letters for the tenth time before he packed them away in his trunk with his other belongings. Draco supposed he should be thinking himself lucky that he hadn't received any more death threats from his father, especially since that prank Harry and Sirius had pulled on him, but he couldn't help but long for the sort of friends Harry had, friends who actually cared enough to write. He had Blaise, he knew, but Blaise was more like a brother than a friend.

Shaking his head to rid himself of his jealous thoughts, he picked up a few bits of clothing from the chair in the corner of their bedroom and unfolded them before refolding them and placing them in his trunk. He may have abandoned his family, as Pansy had put it, but it would take more than a week of living at Grimmauld Place and a haircut to break the habits almost all purebloods were brought up to have.

"Fuck, none of this shit is going to fit in here," Harry groaned, hands full of school books as he stared down at his already overflowing trunk.

"How have you managed to get so much extra stuff in a week, Harry?" Draco asked, looking around at all of his boyfriend's crap in amazement.

"I honestly have no fucking clue, love," Harry said, dumping what was in his hands on his bed. "Dobby?" he called. The tiny elf immediately popped into the room with an enormous grin on it's face.

"How can I help you, Mr Pup?" he asked gleefully. Mr Pup? Harry wondered bemusedly, he's been spending far too much time around Sirius. Harry gestured helplessly towards the mess on the bed.

"Err any chance of some help?" he asked pleadingly. Dobby bounced slightly on the balls of his feet, eyes widening with excitement.

"Oh, yes!" he squealed, "I will take care of everything!" Harry and Draco shared an amused glance as the elf chivvied them out of the door, but did so without protest.

"Hello boys, you all packed?" an exhausted Remus asked as he passed them in the hallway.

"Dobby's umm... taking care of it," Draco said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He was still very awkward about Dobby, remembering how he used to treat the elf.

"Good, good," Remus answered vaguely, leading them down a flight of stairs before disappearing into the library.

"What's wrong with him?" Draco asked, frowning after his ex-professor as they continued down to the kitchen.

"Full moon tomorrow night," Harry said shortly, trying not to remember his now-boyfriend's attitude to Remus the year before. By Draco's suddenly rather sheepish expression, he was doing exactly the same.

"Hey pup, you little shit!" Sirius greeted his godson merrily as they walked into the kitchen. He was sat at the head of the table leant back in his chair with his feet in Ruby's lap. A half empty bottle of firewhiskey sat between them, though by Sirius' state, it was fairly obvious who had drunk most of it.

"Alright, Pads?" Harry asked bemusedly, sitting down next to his godfather, "What's with the booze? It's only just ten. In the morning. This is a bit fucking early, even for you, mate." It appeared that this was the wrong thing to do, as a frown settled onto Sirius' face. He leant forward and beckoned for Harry to do the same.

"I've got a plan," he slurred, "I'm gonna kidnap you!" There was silence for a second and then Harry began to laugh. Sirius watched confused, along with Ruby and Draco, neither of whom knew what was going on.

"You're... going to..." Harry gasped out between bouts of laughter, "Kidnap me? Why?"

"It's not funny!" Sirius growled, but this did nothing to sober Harry's mood, merely setting off a fresh wave of giggles. "It isn't funny!" Sirius insisted again.

"Yes... it really fucking is... Pads!" Harry laughed, clutching his sides. Draco began to suspect that Sirius wasn't the only one who had been drinking this morning.

"Any chance you're planning on enlightening us as to what exactly is so funny?" Ruby asked, arching an eyebrow at the pair.

"Pads here wants to fucking kidnap me!" Harry said, fighting back the laughter that still threatened to spill out.

"What for?" Draco asked.

"Because," Sirius began, speaking slowly as though he were explaining something very obvious to a very dim person, "If I kidnap him then he'll be here. And not at Hogwarts."

"Why don't you want me to be at Hogwarts?" Harry asked, genuinely confused now, his earlier amusement completely forgotten.

"Because then you won't be here!" Sirius exclaimed, exasperated.

"Well, yeah," Harry answered, glancing pleadingly in Ruby and Draco's directions for help. He was terrible at dealing with drunk Sirius unless he himself was drunk. And, to be honest, he was still terrible at it then, he was just so out of it that he didn't realise.

"I think what he's trying to say is that he'll miss you," Ruby chipped in helpfully.

"No I fucking wasn't!" Sirius said indignantly, before plonking his chin into his hands and pouting, "Only a little bit. I'm still manly though." Harry bit his lip, trying with all his might not to laugh at his godfather, even if he was being ridiculous.

"Sirius, mate, I'll miss you too," he said instead, reaching over to grab the drunk, sulking middle-aged man's shoulder. Everybody was silent for a second before-

"Bloody poofs!" A squeaky voice said. Draco thought he caught a slight glimpse of Dobby disappearing through the door, but he wasn't sure.

"Okay, you both ready for this?" Neville asked as he, Blaise, Harry and Draco stood outside the Great Hall. Due to an incident involving a large black dog and obscene amounts of urine, they were late back and everybody else was already sat down to dinner.

"Yeah, fuck it," Harry said nonchalantly, "Come on, I'm bloody starving." Draco looked slightly more apprehensive, but Harry grabbed his hand and began dragging him into the hall with Blaise and Neville following behind them.

The doors creaked as they were pushed open and all heads in the hall turned to look at the four as they paused for a second inside. There was silence for a second, and then conversations broke out everywhere.

"Merlin, Malfoy got hot!"

"Too bad they're gay-"

"What does Potter think he's wearing?"

"Blood traitor scum-"

"Do you think they're up for threesomes?"

Harry smirked at that last one, waggling his eyebrows jokingly at Draco who swatted him on the arm.

"No," he said firmly, turning away and walking towards the Slytherin table even though at least half the table looked as though they wanted to kill him.

"At least think about it?" Harry called playfully at his retreating back, winking at the nearby Hufflepuffs who had been the ones to voice the query. They blushed and giggled happily, but Draco merely stuck up his middle finger without looking back. Sighing, Harry strolled over to the Gryffindor table and took his seat next to Hermione. Ron was sat at the other end with Dean and Seamus, deliberately not looking at Harry.

"Hey Hermione," he said, kissing the top of her head in greeting as he sat down, "Good holiday?" Hermione blinked, slightly taken aback at the unusual display of affection from her friend.

"Yes, it was good, thank you," she smiled, before beginning to gush about how good the books he had got her for Christmas were. Harry grinned, digging into his food. At least some things never changed.