December 12, 2003
Dear Miss Granger,

I would like to start off by saying that it has been five years since I last saw you . When we knew each other previously, we didn’t exactly get along.

This time, I would like to start with a clean state, and start a new relationship with you. By relationship, I mean as two people relate to one another. A friendship, I suppose, is what I would like with you. After all, you are a brilliant and successful young witch, as I am a brilliant and successful young wizard. I believe that we could have interesting discussions about business, current events, books, as well as life. I understand that this is very to the point, but I felt that I must write this letter before I regret it.

Second of all, as I said, I wish to be friends with you, and if you knew my name, you would probably not want to be friends with me. For this reason, I would like to sign this letter (and hopefully more) as S. P. and be referred to throughout your letters (if you wish to converse still, of course) as S. P. Make what you will of that, all I will tell you is that is how I wish to be known.

And now, it brings me to my third point. I hope you will reply to this letter, and keep sending me letters, at least until you come to a conclusion as to whether or not you would like to be friends. That being said, I understand that you probably will not want to be pen friends (if you wish to) with someone you only know as S. P. But, being the brilliant witch that you are, you can probably figure out who I am.

My fourth and final item to tell you is that I honestly and truly wish to be friends. Seeing you today made me realise that how much I missed throughout Hogwarts. And so, I give you an offering of peace and the promise that if I ever pass you in the street before you wish to meet (if you do wish to, of course) I will not curse, hex, or insult you in any way.

Craving forgiveness and friendship,
S. P.

December 14, 2003
Dear S. P.,

As you can obviously tell, I have decided to respond. After careful discussion with three of my friends, I have finally decided to be your pen friend.

You have obviously insulted me deeply, or at least, you feel that you have, and you wish to be forgiven. You also are eager to point out that we knew one another at school, and we weren’t the best of friends, to say the least. Now it seems that you wish to be friends, but you understand that I may be hesitant given our previous relationship.

I would like to start by saying that “Miss Granger” is too formal if we are to be pen friends; “Hermione” will do. Next, I would like to mention that it is impossible for you to have seen me in Muggle London recently as only this morning did I arrive home from a visit to Bulgaria. You must have seen my cousin, who is nine years younger than I am, and a third year at Hogwarts. She is home for Christmas break, and has friends who live in London.

Now, if you do not mind, I will address some aspects of your letter. You say that I am a “brilliant and successful young witch”, which I appreciate. But you follow that with calling yourself “brilliant and successful,” with no hint of modesty! That leads me to believe that you are conceited, and your attitude throughout the rest of the letter somewhat confirms that (or something).

Second of all, what you are referred to as seems very important. This leads me to believe that blood status and status in “Society” are very important to you. Although I can not decide whether you are a pure-blood who respects me or a muggle-born who admires me.

If it wasn’t for the fact that you seem so sincere in your final paragraph about wanting to be friends, I would assume that you who was an old enemy of mine. Actually, that paragraph helps prove my points. I do appreciate the promise not to injure me in any way, physically or mentally, but it would seem that we did not get along well in school. Actually, you say that yourself, and so I am inclined to agree.

But if we are to be pen friends then I have no right to go insulting you. So, if you can prove to me that you really have changed before disclosing your identity, I will forgive you. For now, please put up with my questions aimed to get to know you better.

1. What was your favorite class in school?

2. What is your favorite book?

3. What are your feelings towards the House Elf Rights Act being petitioned in France?

4. And finally, if you were Minister, what would you change about our current government?

With all due curiosity,
Hermione

December 15, 2003
Dear Hermione,

Oh my. I’ll admit I knew that you were headstrong, but I did not expect you to thoroughly dissect my letter. However, that it is expected when one receives a letter from an old classmate, and one who will not give out their true identity at that! Nevertheless, I will answer your questions first, and then ask you to answer your own questions as well as a few of mine.

1. Contrary to popular belief, my favorite class in school was Transfiguration. I always wanted to become an Animagus, and I am still looking into that now.

2. My favorite book is easily One Hundred Ways to Fry an Egg And Other Cooking Tidbits by Pansy Parkinson. I never did like her, but she her writing skills are much better than her personality.

3. I believe that the House Elf Rights Act is a very well worded document. It allows the elves to still be enslaved and work, which they love to do, but prohibits their owner from abusing them in any way. Personally, I could not function without House Elves. In fact, I bought the book previously mentioned when news of the act first came out, and there were rumors of all House Elves being set free.

4. Personally, I would change nothing in terms of politics. It would only cause for political unrest in our beloved England, and divide the Wizarding population in two. As you are well aware, we only just set up the new Ministry, and to change it now, so soon after its creation, would most likely cause another War.

And now I would like to ask you a few questions of my own. First, how do you feel towards pure-bloods? Second, were your school years enjoyable? Finally, why were you in Bulgaria?

I also apologize for mistaking your cousin for you. My town house borders both Muggle and Wizarding London, with the door, obviously opening into Diagon Alley. When I saw “you” I was looking down into the street on which the Leaky Cauldron is on. An associate of mine was with me, and she was the one who noticed you first. I’ll be sure to tell my associate to get glasses.

However, I must admit that I am beyond ecstatic that you have agreed to converse with me. It really means a lot.

S. P.

December 16, 2003
Dear S. P.,

You'd like me to answer my own questions? Really, if you know me at all you should know that the questions I asked you were to see how true you were to my causes. If you know me at all you should know that my favorite class was Transfiguration, as that was what I always envisioned magic to be about. My favorite book is Hogwarts: A History. I wrote the first draft of the House Elf Rights Act (originally written for England) before the French Minister saw it and began petitioning it over on the Continent, and the Ministry would be significantly better if it had considered the HERA before dismissing it.

After I wrote that paragraph, Harry read it and says that I am being too hard on you. He says that if you knew that much about me, you’d be my stalker, really. And so I must apologize. But I find it so difficult to write to you when I don’t know who you are!

But to move on, I’ll answer your questions.

1. Some pure-bloods can be infuriatingly rude, obnoxious, and believe that they are better than others. I am sure you know of Draco Malfoy, and Pansy Parkinson? Well, they are excellent examples. However, others are not always bad, such as Sirius Black. Actually, his family was terrible. So I suppose that the pure-bloods I dislike the most are the Slytherin ones, as they are the ones who care about blood, while others do not. The Weasleys, for example.

2. My school years had enjoyable moments, mostly with Harry and Ron. But there were times when they were angry at me and abandoned me that I was very upset, and [I] Draco Malfoy[/I] was always around to make things worse. I believe there were times when I hated him more than Harry does.

3. I was in Bulgaria visiting friends. Viktor Krum, specifically. Surely you know him, from the Triwizard Tournament and his Quiddich career. He married one of the Slytherins I despise, Pansy Parkinson, and it was their wedding I attended. I know, to you, that it must seem shocking that Krum's ex-girlfriend was invited, but Viktor and I have remained close friends. And it was actually a certain situation involving me that got Pansy and Viktor together.

I am sorry to do this again, but I must dissect your letter. You say that “it really means a lot” for us to be writing, and that again leads me to believe you are someone I never really got along with. Please, at least, confirm this, and let me know what you have done to me. I want to know what needs to be forgiven, and you seem to really want to be forgiven. The honest tone of your letters makes me think that you really wish to be forgiven, and that itself is an honorable trait.

After all, it is almost Christmas, which is a time of rebirth and forgiveness.

I'm more curious than a cat!

Skeptically
Hermione

December 20, 2003
Dear Hermione,

I know it has taken a few days for me to reply, and I deeply apologize. But your letter has caused me to reconsider ever starting this correspondence eight days ago. Not because I regret talking to you, I really don’t, but because once you know who I am you will never find it in your heart to forgive me. Your letters have made this clear.

The Slytherins you have met, especially the pure-blood ones, hate you for being a Gryffindor and a Muggleborn. You have a passion for the rights of others, possibly because you know what would have happened to yourself if Harry had not won the last battle. We share a favorite class in school, a disdain for Pansy Parkinson, and an admiration of Viktor Krum. A love of knowledge is another trait we share. Did you know that the Sorting Hat almost put me in Ravenclaw?

Yes, I am, was, and forever will be a Slytherin.

Yes, you always have, and most likely always will, hate me.

No, we were not friends in school.

Yes, we did have a period of a few months when we were. It was during our seventh year, when Harry and Ron were upset with you.

From this information, I am positive that you know who I am now. And so you know why I simply can not meet you, because your two best friends would not be accepting. Ginny Weasley might accept me, but Harry and Ron would definitely not.

Please don’t get me wrong, I want to be friends with you. I want you to forgive me. Alright, I’ll just admit it: I’ve been in love with you since our seventh year when I saw a different side of you. It wasn't a side that was not just a bookworm or a know-it-all - it was your outlook that showed you cared. At first I thought it was just a phase and it would grow out. And that’s what I started being more mean to you. So I could see you, touch you, look at you, admire everything about you, especially in class.

You, who never thought it was me. You, who knew when I did come back in seventh year that I had never wanted to. You, who forgave me and yet watched me carefully for the entire year, under orders.

That information alone should make you understand. To you how I feel. To explain everything I’ve kept in for five years.

And even if you forgave me, and wanted to meet me, wanted to know who I am, your friends would not allow you to.

Regretfully,
The Slytherin Prince (yes that is what S. P. stands for)

December 22, 2003
Dear S. P.,

You are stuck-up, rude, and ungrateful. You are stupid, sneaky, and you hate everything there is about me.

That’s what I thought of you before seventh year. Before December 12.

Yes, I know who you are. I always have known. You are Draco Malfoy, the one and only Malfoy left on this planet, the stuck-up pure-blood who could have any girl in the world easily, because of your good looks and money.

And yet, you say that you love me. I can’t tell whether this is a joke or not, but I am inclined to believe it is not. You wrote to me before giving me very large hints, asking to be forgiven for crimes you wouldn’t even mention.

I know that when you say “it,” you mean the incident with Dumbledore. I forgave you long ago for that, after Snape confessed under Veritaserum that you had never wanted to do Voldemort's task, that Dumbledore had asked Snape to kill him, so you would not have to. When you came to the Order, asking for Mercy, I kept Harry and Ron away for a few months until they could accept it without wanting to murder you.

After those few months in seventh year, I was extremely hurt when you became cold and distant towards me, resuming your old self. It was that that drove me to Ginny, pouring my heart out to her. Explaining how even though you were cold and rude, if was only because you did not know how to act, and you didn’t want to be that way. You were funny, in a sarcastic kind of way.

You were different than I thought you would be, and I found myself falling in love with you. But I rejected the thought, because for years I had loved Ron.

Somehow, Harry and Ron caught wind of our meetings in the library, and Pansy catching us and writing to Viktor telling him of my “unfaithfulness,” even though I had officially broken up with him three years earlier. Harry and Ron were so upset with me that once school was over, they sent me as far away from you as possible.

They sent me to France, away from them and their quest to destroy Voldemort. I had been banished for loving you, and they were acting as though they were Lord and Lady Capulet and I was Juliet.

Your first letter told me immediately it was Draco Malfoy. How long had I sat next to you or across from you, doing homework or just chatting? Your style of writing was unmistakable, as was your beg for forgiveness.

It was the same call you had written in seventh year, during our discussion over how best to ask someone for forgiveness. I did not mention it to either Harry or Ron, and I let them think it was some poor besotted Hufflepuff, who I had failed to acknowledge.

I did this because I knew that the most difficult part of a prospective relationship of ours would not be conflicting beliefs or differences, because we were like two halves of the same soul, but our friends and family. Our friends and family have a difficult time accepting us together, or accepting one another.

And so I write to you with joy in my heart.

Love,
Hermione

December 25, 2003
Dearest, dearest Hermione,

You say that you love me. And yet I can not believe it. You compare Harry and Ron's reactions to that of Lord and Lady Caputlet, and yours as Juliet.

But I do not wish for us to end like Romeo and Juliet. I’d prefer to stay in Act 2, Scene 2, forever.

Hermione, I’d move to France to be with you, so that no one could separate us and you could work on your beloved HERA. That’s what you refer to as the House Elf Rights Act, is it not? Were you aware that “Hera” was the Greek goddess of marriage and birth?

If you forgive me, please meet me New Years Eve in the Leaky Cauldron at 9 o’clock at night. If not, I understand, and please do not respond.

Draco

December 25, 2003
My love,

Your owl arrived moments ago, and I could not wait until morning to read it. Seeing your name written in paper, proof that we have been corresponding, has made me happier than I have ever been.

Of course I will meet you! I will be there, and I can not wait. Harry and Ron will have to live with it, but I told Ginny, and she is very happy for me as well.

They have all been saying I need to date someone, to settle down. Ginny and Harry are married, they eloped last weekend to avoid the fuss of Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Ron is dating Mandy Brocklehurst, a Ravenclaw of our year.

Oh dear, I hope you don’t think I am trying to pressure you! I do not wish to rush you into something you do not wish to be in.

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father, refuse thy name;
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love
And I’ll no longer be a [Granger].

Love,
Hermione

December 26, 2003
Hermione, my love,

Do not fear for insulting me. I have but one thing to say before New Years Eve, and then I will say no more for fear of cursing our love.

By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I written it, I would tear the word.

Love, love, love,
Draco