Dear Mr. Potter

Chapter Thirty

Draco deposited him at his next class where Harry found his friends waiting for him with his bookbag. Professor Vector lectured the entire time and left no room for any discussion between the three friends but Harry noticed they kept giving him worried looks. But then, so was the rest of the class. The Hufflepuffs had obviously heard about his episode and Harry was sure the Ravenclaws and the rest of the years would know by lunch. The calming effects of the potion had worn off half way through Arithmancy, but Harry tried very hard to keep his emotions on a tight leash. No matter how much he wanted to cry and rage and stand up and tell them to all stop looking at him.

Lunch did not come soon enough.

"Alright then, Harry?"

"Yes, Ron. I'm fine!" Harry swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said in a kinder tone. "I'm doing well now, Ron. And I'm sorry I acted that way. I don't know what came over me."

"It's alright, Harry. We understand." Hermione patted his shoulder. Harry gave her an apologetic look.

"I really didn't mean to act that way to you, Hermione. I didn't mean anything I said. I promise. You have the biggest heart in the whole school." Harry's tone was infused with his sincerest love and gratitude. Hermione smiled and wrapped him in a hug. Harry tensed for just a moment before realizing that Hermione really wasn't a dominant. She was just really good at acting like one sometimes.

"You don't have to apologize, Harry," she said pulling back. "We're just glad that you're feeling better. You had us really scared there. I thought you were going to hurt yourself."

"No, just Draco," Harry said.

"Yeah, you gave him a go," Ron said in admiration. "I can't wait to see him at lunch all roughed up."

"Sorry, Ron, but he got fixed up by Madame Pomfrey," Harry explained. Ron looked crestfallen but seemed to rally quickly at the smell of food wafting down the hall.

Harry thought of something and pulled his friends to the side. The other two gave him questioning looks but Harry gestured to wait until the hall had cleared.

"I wanted to tell you something that happened in the Infirmary," Harry said after the last student left the corridor. "Draco asked Madame Pomfrey for a contraceptive potion for me."

"He did?" Hermione asked excitedly. "That's wonderful. I really didn't think he would be a grown up about this."

"Well, he did and he was. I couldn't have been more shocked when he told me that he did it for me," Harry enthused.

"No way did that spoiled ferret do anything for somebody else," Ron scoffed.

"Don't call him names!" Harry bit his lip and closed his eyes for a moment after that outburst. Opening them again, he smiled sadly at his wary friends. "Sorry. Again."

"It's fine, Harry. You're right, name calling is infantile." Hermione gave Ron a pointed look. "So, he said he did it for you?"

Harry nodded. "He said he didn't care either way but he mentioned that I wanted to study snakes and all that. So, I think he did it a little bit for me. Don't you?" He gave his friends an anxiously hopeful look. Hermione and Ron exchanged heavy glances before turning back to him.

"Harry, I hope you aren't... well, pinning any hopes on Draco caring about what you want or anything." Hermione's brow was creased in worry.

"What do you mean?" Harry frowned.

"You sounded like you wanted Malfoy to like you or something," Ron stated giving Harry a skeptical look. Harry frowned even harder. Hermione decided she should intervene.