Yours Historically
June 2006
Hermione,
I cannot begin to express how good it was to hear from you again. As nice as it was to receive letters from the others, you’re my favourite. An apt birthday present, I greatly appreciate it.
I’m struggling to imagine how your parents couldn’t be proud of you. I know it was an impossible situation, and one you should never have been put in, but surely any parent would be insufferable with pride considering your character and achievements. If Scorp is even the tiniest bit like you, I’ll be inordinately pleased and ineffably proud.
You don’t have to stop yourself from talking about things for fear of upsetting me or making me feel guilty. I will always listen, Hermione. I want to do that for you. If Longbottom’s managed to wrangle Pans, then I want to try and wrangle you. I regret using the word ‘wrangle’ immediately, I’m sorry about that. I suppose I’m just trying to assuage any nerves you have about asking me things, seeing as you’ve lost sleep over the wedding thing. Did you realise you didn’t actually ask your question? I’ll answer anyway. I wrote ‘first’ somewhat subconsciously, but it makes it no less true. I do see it as my first wedding.
This is absolutely not a conversation to have in a letter. Can we put it on pause until March next year? I’ll put it on my calendar. Well, I’d have to buy a calendar first, but after I’ve done that, I’ll then put this on said calendar.
You make me nervous. Nobody’s really managed that before. I’m going to need to distract you now.
Do you think patronuses reflect a person’s personality, or are the animals just random? Discuss.
Yours inelegantly,
Draco
***
June 2006
Draco,
I’m glad we understand each other. Consider everything that makes us nervous and awkward strategically ignored until further notice. I promise to buy you a calendar as a welcome home present.
It was Lily’s birthday last week. You should see how spoiled she is, even as a baby, she’s everyone’s little princess. Your mother is the most guilty. I think she’d never considered that she’d be around girls, considering the Malfoy proclivity for having boys, and so she’s all but adopted Lily as another grandchild. I don’t expect it to, but I hope our dynamic doesn’t change when you’re home. I’d like you to see it, to be a part of it. As someone who grew up with a small family, it’s nice to have such a large one now.
Scorp also dotes on her. His heart is indescribably large, he is such an innately kind child. He helped me make her cake, and promptly declared that he’ll be helping me for every single one I make from here on out. I think it’s just because he wants to lick the bowl, but I won’t turn down the time with him. He’s growing up so fast, it makes me emotional sometimes. I don’t want that to make you feel like you’ve missed too much, though. You’ve got a lifetime left to live together.
I’ve got a bet going with Theo, and I wonder if you’d like to partake. We’re almost certain that Neville and Pans are trying for a baby, as Neville has resigned from the aurors and has finally taken up McGonagall’s offer of herbology professor, so the bet is this - will they have a boy or a girl, and will they give the child a plant based name? Personally, I’m team boy, and I don’t believe Pansy would allow Neville to do something so cheesy. Theo believes they will have a carbon copy of Pans, and shall name her for a flower. What do you think? Will you back me up?
The patronus question is an interesting one. I think the animals must have some kind of link to the caster, otherwise they’d surely all be the same? Or everyone would just cast a non-corporeal blob and be done with it. If you take the examples of our friends, you could prove the link, but I think the evidence would be argued as coincidental. It certainly wouldn’t hold up in court.
For example, Harry’s parents had complimentary patronus animals in the form of a stag and a doe, according to Kreacher. You could argue Pansy and Neville’s compliment each other, too, with the scorpion and the mongoose. Neville certainly seems to be the only one immune to her venom sometimes. Further evidence can be found if you consider George and Theo. George’s is a magpie, and obviously you know Theo’s is a niffler. Both considered thieves with good intentions.
In conclusion, yes, I do think the animal is related. Mine is an otter. I don’t really know what that’s supposed to say about me. Do you think you’d ever have another go at casting one? I know the mark is supposed to be a barrier, but I don’t think it could hurt to try at least. You have so many happy memories to make. You’ll be spoilt for choice.
Theo is badgering me to plan a group holiday. George said we could just all go on their honeymoon whenever that happens and make it a joint thing. I wish you’d been able to hear the noise that Theo made in response to that. Let’s just say he wasn’t completely on board with bringing all the kids on his honeymoon and there are now two firmly separate events. Where shall we go? I want suggestions from you, Malfoy. Narcissa assures me you’ve travelled half the world together, you must have recommendations.
It likely falls under the umbrella of banned topics now, but I’ll write it anyway. I miss you.
Yours sanguinely,
Hermione
***
July 2006
Hermione,
I’ve got a history lesson for you. Try to contain your excitement.
The Malfoys go back centuries, as you know, and back in the day, having a male heir was of far more importance than it is now. As such, Nicholas Malfoy (not sure of the relation, but there’s probably a family tapestry about somewhere if you really wanted to go and find out) struck a deal with a particularly thorough banshee and had the bloodline cursed so that the first born child would always be male. The banshee didn’t give him exactly what he asked for, though. Presumably he didn’t ask her politely, so I don’t really blame her. She made it so that every male heir would be a sign of a forced marriage, that a son would only be born if there was no real love between the husband and wife. It’s all rather depressing. There have been a few female Malfoys born here and there, but far less than romantics like you and I would hope for. It’s quite sad really, to be able to know for certain that your parents didn’t love each other. I didn’t want that for my children, but I did as my father asked and married Astoria anyway. I don’t want to have to tell Scorp that story. I suppose it’s just another example of how awful his family is. I hope he gets to break the pattern if he goes on to have a family of his own. Maybe I’ll look into the curse itself, and see about dispelling it. There, I’ve got a project on the horizon to fill my time.
That is the reason my mother is obsessed with the youngest Potter spawn, though. She knew the moment she first lay eyes on Astoria that she’d never have female grandchildren, but I think she hoped for it nonetheless. I would have liked to be able to do that for her. She would love all grandchildren equally, of course, (as would I), but I think the history would make a little girl a nice surprise. I’d have to find someone to love me first. That’s a challenge in itself.
On the patronus thing, Snape’s was a doe, so does that mean he was the natural match for Potter? Isn’t Ginevra’s a horse of some kind? I suppose they don’t always match, even if a couple are obviously well suited. I’d not realised that about Pans and Longbottom, though. It’s almost tooth-achingly saccharine.
Speaking of, I’d like to formally put in my guess of twins, one boy one girl, and Pans will allow Longbottom to name at least one of them something vaguely botanical. I think she’d want to honour his family somehow too, though. She absolutely won’t honour her own seeing as they were all awful people, but she’d want her kids to have that connection. I’ll do my best not to be smug when I’m right.
I’ve never actually tried to cast a patronus before. I didn’t have any memories strong enough, and then the mark made it feel impossible. I don’t have a clue if I could do it or not. Having said that, if you think I can do it then I suppose it’s worth a try. My mother’s is a swan. Maybe mine would be some kind of bird, too. We are, after all, inherently bird loving people. How are the peacocks, by the way? Is peacock you thriving?
We mostly visited France when I was a child. I think we should go somewhere warm, though. Somewhere with a beach.
If you mean it the same way I mean it, then ‘I miss you’ definitely falls under the banned topics.
Yours historically,
Draco