Chapter 4
Dear Potter,
I hope this copy of the Prophet is enough to disguise my note from whatever prying eyes beset you. In the interests of that privacy I will keep this note brief.
Something is certainly afoot at Malfoy Manor. There has been no invite to Mrs. Malfoy’s annual Christmas ball sent to anyone at all. And when seen in public she appears pale and weak in herself. Rumours fly that she is gravely unwell. I would be inclined to believe them had her son not appeared here at my own home nearly every day for the past week. Draco is far too much of an insipid mummy’s boy to leave her side were she sick. Whatever is preventing the ball and affecting Mrs. Malfoy’s nerves is also enough to displace Draco.
He is here under the guise of being sent to socialise with me, but he makes no effort. He has asked again about the vanishing cabinets, but otherwise he is content to sit in our library and brood over books of charms work. It is a relief not to have to speak with him. My own parents are close to rowing with me over it, but they can do nothing to influence Draco’s disinterest.
Whatever is happening at Malfoy Manor is also disrupting their owl post a great deal, and all their responses are significantly delayed. It is placing a very convenient strain on the contract negotiations.
No hopes yet of how to out the family. Draco is very careful to keep his sleeves tight at his wrists.
DG
P.S. do not send that ridiculously recognisable owl of yours with the reply. Our owl will wait.
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Dear Daphne,
The Prophet disguise worked great. Good idea. I have been practising with the runes. Hope this letter makes sense.
You are a good conversationalist. You can make him talk. Maybe show him the vanishing cabinet. Find out what he wants with it.
Best wishes,
H
P.S. got a copy of Wuthering Heights . I don’t like it.
P.P.S. your owl is mean.
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Dear Potter,
You write like a hippogriff.
Draco fakes a poor amount of interest when I speak with him. I won’t be showing him our vanishing cabinets as they are locked away for good reason. Instead I discussed the charms books with him and he clammed up tighter than a shell. Whatever he is doing he is determined I not know about it.
Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy paid a visit Christmas Eve. Lucius spent a good deal of time with my mother in her office, no doubt negotiating our contract further. Mrs. Malfoy and my father made rather fond conversation over a bottle of wine. I had quite forgotten that the Macmillan family (my father’s former name) are cousins of the Black family. They had quite a time reminiscing about their childhoods. While they were distracted, I poured for Draco and I healthy measures of firewhisky each. But it did not loosen his tongue as I had hoped. It seems my skills as a conversationalist are lacking.
Here is a passage for you to practise your translation. Do not write to me again in that childish scrawl.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
DG
P.S. If you don’t like Wuthering Heights then I suggest also improving your reading skills and trying again.
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Dear Daphne,
Happy new year. Sorry to say I don’t have any new ideas about Malfoy. I hope my improved writing makes up for it a bit.
I am still looking out for a selfish thing to do. I’m pretty sure I could count writing secretly to you as selfish, but that feels like cheating.
I am not trying Wuthering Heights again. I don’t dislike it because it’s badly written, I dislike it because it’s about sadness and death and people digging up each other’s graves. I had no idea you were so morbid. Not to brag but I have enough of that in my real life already.
Interesting about your dad - why did he take your mum’s name? Also, Sirius Black was my godfather. Does that make us related?
Best,
H
P.S. that poem was also morbid. Lighten up.
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Dear Potter,
I haven’t seen the Malfoy’s since new year’s eve. They attended our party but left early. Mrs. Malfoy looked fit to faint. I suspect I won’t see Draco again until we are back at Hogwarts. Such a pity.
I think when we return I shall amp up the rumours surrounding him and his family. It is better than nothing. Perhaps I can charm all the sleeves to fall off his robes. Having now spent some time in close quarters with him, I am certain he is hiding a Dark Mark. My parents have noticed it too. They are replying to late Malfoy notes with lateness of their own. They realise their mistake but won’t admit it. It’s pathetic.
You question my morbidity in the same manner I question your lightheartedness. We both contain multitudes.
To answer your question - the Greengrass name is stronger than the Macmillan and that is why my father took it. Greengrasses also favour matriarchs over patriarchs and have a high female birth rate so the men who marry us tend to take our name, although it is not required. I have no doubt that Malfoy will be keeping his name if our mission fails. I will certainly be keeping mine.
As to your second question - it unequivocally does not make us related. The ‘Godfather’ is a muggle concept and not officially recognised. You can safely remove me from this year’s Christmas card list.
DG
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Dear Daphne,
Very glad to hear you’re not becoming a Malfoy. I have a question though - which name would your kids have? Purely hypothetical, of course, because you’re not marrying that prat.
There’s a quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin scheduled for two weeks after we return to Hogwarts. Maybe a bludger to the head will get Malfoy to talk. I’m sure our beaters wouldn’t mind doing me a favour.
I saw pictures of your new year’s eve party in The Prophet . You scrub up well. The article said you sang for the crowd. Shocked and horrified to have not received an invite, however. Luna Lovegood made the cut, but not me?
Best,
H
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Dear Potter,
Merlin forbid I somehow end up married to Malfoy, it is likely that we would be required to have at least two children. One Malfoy and one Greengrass. It has a precedent but again is not common.
Luna’s mother was a dear friend of my mother’s. Luna and I grew up together. She will always make the cut.
You, however, are just some Gryffindor with more self-righteousness than sense and I wouldn’t be caught dead with you in public. You will remain mine only in the Chamber of Secrets.
Daphne
P.S. I include a book of poetry. Practise translating them. Your writing, while much improved, is still sloppy. Or, if you prefer, you can relate one of those long stories to me.
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Dear Daphne,
I suppose the long story of the seventh floor corridor isn’t too incriminating.
There is another secret place there. One I won't tell you about since the Chamber of Secrets is enough to be going on with. Call that my selfish act.
Last year a group of my friends and I used that secret place to practise Defence Against the Dark Arts. You remember how terrible Umbridge’s class was. We didn’t want to fail our exams because of it. Having some experience with defending myself against the dark arts, I was elected the teacher. It’s quite rewarding to teach. I also wasn’t sleeping well that year and it was a welcome distraction.
We covered the practical aspects of the curriculum that we missed with Umbridge. Then we moved on to some extras. I taught them the Patronus charm. That was the best. Perhaps you could do with a Patronus, might lighten you up a bit.
Now that Voldemort is driving this towards an all out war I’m even more glad we spent so long on defensive spells. Also wishing we’d had more time for offensive ones.
I read some of the poetry book and did a few translations. I hope they’re up to your standard. I liked this one especially:
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
Yours,
H
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Dearest Potter,
That story is not nearly as scandalous as I had imagined. A secret teaching post? It measures up poorly to wielding the sword of Gryffindor. I do worry that you’ve peaked.
I can produce a Patronus charm, thank you. Some of the older students in my house taught us when the Dementors were haunting the grounds in third year. Luckily they were far more interested in you than the rest of us. I did not practise enough to see the charm take corporeal form, however. Perhaps that will be my homework for this year. I certainly have a happy memory to work from - my parents have admitted to their mistake. It seems Mr. Malfoy made it all too clear that he expects us to declare allegiance to the Dark Lord following the marriage, or else we risk ‘embarrassing’ him.
Nothing is quite so gratifying as seeing your parents swallow their foolish pride. They are seeking ways to cease contract negotiations without upsetting the Malfoys. I am fond of the idea of upsetting them.
Your writing has improved, well done. Your taste in poetry is commendable also.
We return to Hogwarts in the morning and I expect you to remain properly distant and disinterested amongst our peers. I have no qualms with restarting those rumours.
Although you may continue to send me poetry if you like. For practice.
Daphne
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Daphne,
Exactly how fond are you of upsetting Malfoy? It’s kind of my specialty.
And what are a few more rumours added to the pile?
Harry