Order Only: Private message to Draco and Hermione

[alt_harry]

I was thinking about both of you tonight.

I miss you. Writing to you in the journals isn't the same as having you here.

The Slytherin boys' dorm feels really empty. (Not that I miss Teddy.) I thought I'd get used to it, but I haven't yet.

What are you two doing tonight? I ought to be writing an essay for Herbology about where to find these six rare plants that can only be gathered wild, but that class isn't until after lunch so I was thinking I might just do it tomorrow morning.

Comments

[alt_hermione]

Not much. I mean, Tim came over for a while but he says visiting is making him soft, so he's gone back to Sherwood. So I'll probably work a little on the potions Mr Snape and I have been making, or else do a little reading.

Tim's right that just staying here at Grimmauld is fairly soft. It doesn't feel quite right, but then there's really no sense going anywhere else, unless we need to do.

We've been trying to research muggle orphanages in and around New London. There were loads of them, though, especially when Voldemort would have been a boy. It could take a long time. I've been thinking we might need to find old libraries first, to look up old information. I'm not sure, though, if that would be particularly useful or even possible.

[alt_harry]

Do you mean old muggle libraries? Are the books still in them?

Maybe there's a map somewhere that would tell you?

[alt_harry]

What did Hogwarts do, back when they let muggleborns in as students, do you know?

Did they just get letters? How did that work, since muggles weren't supposed to know about magic? Did they send someone to explain?

[alt_hermione]

I think they must have sent someone, yes.

Actually, that's a good thought. I wonder who was sent to tell him? I hope it wasn't Professor Slughorn or Professor Flitwick; we'll never be able to find out anything about it, then.

[alt_draco]

Yeah. I miss being in lessons, as well as just being a student. And a quidditch player, not to mention being a Prefect and a Slytherin.

Anyway, I think I've found a spot for a safe house near Hogsmeade. I'll need a secret keeper, though. The first Hogsmeade day is the 25th, yeah?

[alt_harry]

Yeah, the 25th.

I'd be your secret keeper if you'll have me.

[alt_draco]

That's why I mentioned it, you great pillock. Who else would I ask?

Plus, it'd be best if the secret keeper met me under an invisibility cloak. I'll give you the location details just before, yeah? I want to check it out at least one more time to make sure it's secure.

I can't believe Hermione hasn't yet scolded you for putting off an essay til morning. Though I reckon Harry Marvolo can do what he wants. Like order people to treat halfbloods the same as purebloods.

How's that been going?

[alt_harry]

Morning's a great time to do essays. Fewer people around to distract me.

Anyway, it's been going great. Everyone said, 'why, what a sensible idea! why didn't we think of this on our own?' and it's all sunshine and equality now.

[alt_harry]

The problem is, mostly it's not any sort of official rule. Some people just get shouldered aside and they just get out of the way. No one actually says, 'Oi Perks, stand aside and let a pureblood go first,' but they don't have to because she's already got out of their way.

Sending halfbloods to the camps if they fail too many OWLs -- that's an official rule. But I don't know how to make them change it.

[alt_draco]

It looks like sunshine and equality because they're following your lead. Some of them are probably relieved and glad you said something, but others are probably resentful, you know. You won't change their minds so easily.

Which isn't to say it can't be done.

[alt_harry]

It's not really sunshine and equality. I was joking. As far as I can tell nothing's changed. Or almost nothing.

But I'm not sure how I'd even know because I got treated like a pureblood all along.

[alt_draco]

Yeah, that's the thing, isn't it? You can keep reminding people you're a halfblood but they're never really going to treat you like one or think of you as one, and you can't know what it's like to be one, either. It's similar for me - when I go out to Moddey Arista and Hector are so chuffed to see me and in part it's because I'm like them. And I can tell that it's difficult for Sarah, too. Like she thinks if we'd both never left Hogwarts, we probably wouldn't be friends, let alone more than friends.

Thing is, she's probably right. It's not something I'm proud of but it's true just the same.

[alt_harry]

Well, Sarah was always so quiet, too, when she was here. She wasn't in our House, she wasn't --

Yeah.

[alt_harry]

I should ask Luna if Madam Pince is still making her wait at the back of the line, when I'm not there.

She's not doing it when I'm there, anyway.