Letters To Harry | Harry Potter

Chapter Twelve

 Declan Malfoy had made a mistake. He knew it well enough by now, and he regretted it.

 For his first two years at Hogwarts, he had admired Harry Potter from afar. There was something about the Gryffindor boy that fascinated him. He wanted to know him, really know him.

 Declan had always kept his distance from Harry. He knew Harry would most likely make assumptions. There was bad blood between him and Draco Malfoy. Declan really did care about his cousin Draco, despite his mocking and teasing, but sometimes he really wished they weren't related, and that he wasn't a Malfoy at all.

 He had begun anonymously writing letters to Harry because he thought that maybe it would give him the chance to get to know him that he was hoping for. And it did. Declan became increasingly fond of Harry through the letters he wrote.

 Declan really didn't know why he thought he could keep it up. Harry would eventually find out, and he did. He couldn't blame Luna Lovegood for that, although he was mad at her at first. However odd she could seem, she was a nice girl and a good friend. Besides, she didn't know anything about the letters; she thought she was just introducing one of her friends to another one of her friends.

 And so, after all that, Declan Malfoy felt like a real idiot.

~~~~~~

 Students were beginning to clear out of the Hufflepuff common room and head up to the dormitories for the night, probably tired form the train ride and the excitement of returning to school for another year.

 Declan sat alone on the floor by the fireplace, contemplating his situation with Harry. Should he even bother writing to Harry to apologize, or trying to apologize in person? It was probably too soon; he would have to wait until there was a chance that Harry wasn't angry at him anymore.

 "Declan? You all right?"

 Declan looked up. Rolf Scamander was standing next to him, giving him a curious look.

 "Yeah, I'm fine," he said.

 "Are you sure?" Rolf sat down next to him. "You're usually happy about being back at Hogwarts. Tonight you just seem sad, and it's not like you."

 "Well, it's...yeah, there was something I was thinking about," said Declan. "Lost in thought, I guess. Say, were you going to tell me something?"

 "I was going to ask if you want to try out for the team with me again this year."

 Declan sighed. "I don't know. You know I'm still not good with Quidditch."

 "But we did all right as beaters last year. If we can get on the team again this year, maybe we can do better. And there's nothing wrong with your Quidditch skills, Declan. You just have to remember to practice."

 He shrugged. "If you say so."

 Rolf furrowed his brow. "All right, then. I...guess I'll just go to bed."

 Rolf obviously knew there was something not right with Declan. The two boys had been friends since their first year, and of everyone he knew, Rolf was the one Declan was the closest with. Maybe if he talked to someone about it, maybe Rolf could help him come up with a solution.

 "Hey, Rolf," he said, "Don't go yet. There is something I should probably talk to someone about."

 Rolf turned around. "I thought so." He came back over and sat down. "Did someone do something to upset you? It's not your cousin Draco again, is it? Is it anything with your parents?"

 Declan shook his head. "No, things are all right with my parents, and I hardly ever speak to Draco. It's someone else, something I did. Rolf, I did something really stupid."

 And he went to tell his friend the entire story of the letters. Rolf sat cross-legged next to him, his eyes widening as he heard the story. He started to cry out, "You've been writing secret-" but Declan shushed him immediately.

 "You know, I'd rather the whole world not know," he snapped.

 Rolf nodded. "Sorry. But why didn't you just talk to Harry in person? Why the secrecy?"

 "Rolf, I'm a Malfoy, even if I'm not in Slytherin. There's bad history between Harry and my cousin Draco."

 Rolf sighed. "Oh, that Draco. I know he's your cousin and all, but he's horrible."

 "You think I don't know that? Thus my secret identity. And now that Harry knows, I don't think he wants to talk to me."

 "Well, for now, at least. Maybe he will want to talk to you. He might just need time to calm down. You could still be friends."

 Declan shrugged. "I hope so. I'd miss him if he decided to stop talking to me. But you know what?" He stood up. "Enough of this feeling sorry for myself. We have classes tomorrow, and we have to talk Quiddtich, don't we? There's always a chance we'll make the team again this year."