Letters To Harry | Harry Potter

Chapter Eighteen

 
Dear Harry,

 Even though I'm writing this letter to you, I am probably never going to give it to you. I might someday, but it's just too personal. There are some things I'm not ready to tell you just yet.

 I've always been different, and I've always known it. As we've all gotten older, all the other boys started noticing the girls, how pretty they are. Not that I don't think girls are pretty, but I've never really noticed them like that.

 The truth is that I have always been more interested in other boys than girls. I've met nice girls, but I never felt anything romantic for any of them. I began noticing other boys more instead, definitely more than any of them noticed me. Although there was one boy once: in our fourth year, I met a Durmstrang boy named Gustav who was very fond of me. We were even at the Yule Ball together. But at the end of the year, we decided to stay good friends, and we still write to each other.

 I told Rolf about all this yesterday. He is my best friend, and I don't like keeping things from him. But I should never have worried about it, because Rolf told me it doesn't matter to him whether I like girls or boys because we're still friends. He's the only person I told. I haven't even told my parents, and I really have no clue how that conversation is going to go.

 You must be wondering why I would even write to you about this. I am because I think it's you, Harry. You are the boy I like. Somehow, I managed to fall for you through your letters. Leave it to me to fall in love with someone because of some letters they wrote.

 I'm not going to give you this letter yet. I don't know if I ever will. But I'm going to keep it, just in case I ever give it to you someday, and maybe I'll know what you feel for me.

                                                                                                                                         Love, 
                                                                                                                                         Declan

~~~~~~

 It was already the end of the school year, but everything was different now. Professor Dumbledore, the only wizard Lord Voldemort feared, was dead. Declan was afraid to think about what that meant for them all.

 Declan saw Harry at the platform with his friends, getting ready to board the train.

 "Hey, Harry!" he called, and waved.

 Harry turned and saw him, said something to his friends, and than walked over to where Declan stood. 

 "How are you?" Declan asked. "I wish Professor Dumbledore wasn't gone."

 Harry nodded. "Yeah. Me, too. I was there when he was killed. I know who killed him."

 Declan's eyes widened. "You know who did it?"

 "It was Snape," Harry said, lowering his voice. "I saw him do it. He'll pay someday, but I have to do something else first. I'm not coming back to Hogwarts next year, Declan. I know how Voldemort can be stopped, and I have to at least try. So, I won't be here next year."

 "Well, neither will I," said Declan. "My family is leaving. I think the only way we'll be coming back is if Voldemort is stopped."

 "Oh. Well...I guess I should get a move on, then." Declan couldn't tell what Harry was thinking when he said it.

 "Harry." Declan pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Take this. Just in case...we never see each other again...I wanted you to know. Goodbye, Harry."

 He turned and hurried onto the train without looking back, before Harry could say anything in response.

 Was he stupid for giving Harry that letter? He didn't know. If there was a chance Harry would get killed, he may as well know how Declan felt before he died. But what would he think when he read it?

 Declan knew Harry had broken up with Cho Chang the year before, but now there seemed to be someone else. He saw Harry spending quite a lot of time with Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister. It hurt Declan to think that the two of them might have actually been dating.

 But when Declan got to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and saw his parents there looking nervous and worried, he realized it didn't matter for the time being. Staying alive and safe took precedence over romance until their troubles were over.