A Sirius Summer

15th August 1995

Sitting down to a simple breakfast of Eggs Benedict, served by a happily humming Kretcher, Harry noticed a letter next to his plate, the back sealed with an ornate M pressed into the wax.

"It looks like you have a reply from one of the Malfoys" Sirius observed, looking out from behind his copy of the Daily Prophet. Harry wiped his hands on his napkin, and gingerly picked the letter up, carefully breaking the seal. Inside was a perfectly pressed sheet of parchment. Swallowing down his nerves, Harry unfolded it and began to read.

Potter,

I must admit your letter took me by surprise, though it does give me great delight that someone has finally seen fit to educate you in the proper etiquettes. I accept your apology, the error though grievous was made through ignorance and you have shown you are willing to learn and better yourself above the blood-traitors who seek to undermine our way of life.

I know well the faces we must wear, and as such understand your proposition that we merely call a truce on our public feud. I will still uphold our rivalry, for great men always have rivals and Malfoy's have never been anything but great. We strive for the best, and as such nothing but the boy-who-lived will do for my rival, both academically (please take care to improve your grades as it reflects poorly on myself if you do not do well) and on the quidditch pitch. That does not mean we may not become acquaintances, on the contrary, I look forward to the tales of your summer to break the monotony of my own.

To this end I have several questions for you. Firstly, Father had been beastly to me and refuses to tell me the details of your trial. Was it true that you were brought in front of the entire Wizengamot for the use of under-aged magic? What spells did you use? You must have at least broken the Statue of Secrecy? I demand all the specifics! Was Fudge as useless as everyone says?

Secondly, who finally taught you appropriate etiquette. It can't have been the Weasley's or Granger. Have you spent the summer with Longbottom? It is the sort of thing I can see Dowager Longbottom picking up on. How terribly did you embarrass yourself before someone sat you down and explained?

I await your reply post haste, do not be lax on the details. I am expecting great things from our budding acquaintance, so do not disappoint.

Draco Malfoy

Harry snorted, passing the letter to Sirius when his godfather gave him a questioning look. Sirius took the letter and quickly read it, his eyebrows raising as he went.

"It seems that you have made a friend." Sirius said grinning as he passed the letter back.

"What? How did you get that?" Harry asked astonished, "He just demanded gossip from the trial, told me I needed to do better in class and then insulted my friends."

"What did my mother tell you about masks" Sirius admonished gently.

"That every pureblood wears a mask to help protect them and their families. But what has that got to do with the letter?"

"Heir Malfoy is still unsure as to your true intentions in sending the apology letter. He wants to further the friendship, but also protect himself if your intentions are not honourable."

"What do you mean?"

"Well look at the first paragraph, he accepts your apology and compliments you on your ability to learn and grow as a person."

"Okay, that sounds good, I guess, but what about the next bit?"

"Well what do you think pup? Lets see how well you have been paying attention to your lessons."

"I guess the bit about faces means he agrees why we can't be friends in public. What's this bit about a rivalry though, it sounds like a feud under a different name, especially when he starts on about my classwork not being as good."