Dear Mr. Potter

Chapter Twenty-Five

When Harry awoke the next morning there was no trace of his nightly visitors. Madame Pomfrey did not comment on them and Harry actually began to wonder if he had dreamed it all. Until he found the ribbon that Snape had used as a bookmark. It was twirled up in his sheets. Harry stared at it as he played with it between his fingers, and then stuffed it under his pillow.

Hermione and Ron came to see him at breakfast and lunch. They regaled him with all the gossip and the heartfelt apologies that everyone in Gryffindor was expressing, while Harry ate a few things off the plates. Apparently, none of the others had known how far Duncan and his gang had been willing to go. Seamus, in particular, was exceedingly miserable about the event and had sent along his entire collection of Chocolate Frog cards, which numbered in the thousands. Harry sent them back with a simple message of apology accepted.

Madame Pomfrey decided that the effects of the tranquilizer had dissipated and proclaimed him fit to rejoin society. Harry was just wrestling with the last of his buttons as he finished getting dressed when the curtains around the infirmary bed parted. Harry turned with a smile on his lips in greeting for his friends. But before he could complete the turn, Harry knew who stood there.

Draco was now blood and frenzy free. He was dressed in his regular school clothing and wore his signature superior look.

"Ready, then?" he drawled.

Harry blinked. "For what?"

"For dinner, lack-wit."

"You're taking me to dinner?" Harry asked feeling a bit confused.

"Well, it's not a date," Draco smirked.

Harry actually blushed. "I meant, you're going to walk with me to dinner?"

"No, Potter. I'm going to eat you for dinner." Draco rolled his eyes. "What the hell do you think? Why is this such a hard concept for you?"

"I just don't understand why you would come all the way up here just to walk me to dinner!" Harry huffed.

"Oh, have we forgotten that your own house conspired to have you murdered?" Draco's face remained arrogant but his voice and eyes had become hard.

"It wasn't my whole house," Harry argued. "Just a few of them. The rest of them are really sorry about the way they acted."

"Mmm hmm." Draco was obviously not convinced. "Well, I shall leave room for doubt. Besides, it wasn't just your house alone. I also broke a couple of Ravenclaws."

Harry was a bit disturbed about the casual way in which Draco spoke about the violence he committed. "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

Draco again rolled his eyes. "Of course. I was struck dumb, not stupid."

"But don't you care that you... that you hurt people?"

Draco smiled an evil smile. "Have you ever known me to care whether or not I hurt people? Besides, I actually quite enjoyed it. I only regret that the press hadn't been around with their cameras. But I suppose the artist renditions will have to suffice. But the Daily Prophet bloke did not quite get the spray of blood right. It was more of-"

"Oh gods," Harry groaned and sat heavily on the bed. "I am not going to be able to eat." Draco laughed.

"Well, too bad. You are under orders to eat and eat you shall."

"Whose orders?" Harry asked looking up.

"Snape's, of course. What? Did you think we'd listen to that old battleaxe?" Draco nodded in the general direction of Madame Pomfrey's office.