sesheta66 | Promises, Promises (H/D, PG)

Title:   Promises, Promises
Author:  sesheta_66
Rating:   PG
Word Count:   1667
Challenge:   #39 - Promises made and broken.
Warnings:   No beta.
Summary:   Harry makes a promise that he's not sure he can keep.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

It was the evening of February 7th, and all was quiet in the seventh year boys' dormitory room. Well, compared to the abomination that the common room was, this was a quiet sanctuary.

"Thank Merlin we got out of there," said Ron.

"Here, here," chimed Seamus. "All those hearts and cupids flying around were making me nauseous." Dean nodded his assent, as did Neville. Harry remained quiet.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Oh, no, mate. Nobody's buying that," Ron argued.

"Out with it," Seamus prodded.

"It's Valentine's Day. I hate the bloody day! I mean does every girl in this place need to go completely insane at this time of year?"

"It is rather unsettling," Neville agreed quietly.

"Well, at least you get valentines sent to you," Ron grumbled in Harry's direction.

"Too true," agreed Dean. "In fact, you get more than the rest of us put together."

"That's my point," Harry said to his bewildered dorm mates. "I get all sorts of notes, and not just from girls at the school. They come from all over Britain, from total strangers. But none of them even knows me, so what's the point of that?"

"Well, Ginny sent you that one the one year."

"Point. And did she even know me then? NO. All she knew was my name."

"Yeah, and your name is even more famous now," Seamus added.

"Great. That's just fabulous. Now I have more stupid valentines to look forward to. This week is going to be unbearable."

"Why don't we all make a vow - a promise?" suggested Dean.

"Like what?" Harry asked sceptically.

"That we are all going to completely ignore Valentine's Day this year," Dean announced.

"Hermione won't like that," Ron grumbled.

"Fine, then," Seamus said. "You're out, mate. I'm not willing to risk the wrath of that witch, nor should you." He looked around the room at the other three young men. "Are the rest of us agreed, then?"

"Agreed."

"Definitely," said Harry, smiling at his friends. This could prove to be the best Valentine's Day ever. And all because they were going to ignore it.

Well, of course that was the plan ... but around Hogwarts, plans had a tendency to fall through.

*****

Thursday - 6 days to go ...

The letters started to arrive with the morning post. As agreed, they all ignored every pink and red piece of parchment received. For Neville, Seamus and Dean, that wasn't so difficult. Harry, on the other hand, received an even dozen valentines that morning. Eight red, and four pink, all with little hearts or cupids on them. He took them to his room and chucked them into the rubbish bin.

The evening post brought another fifteen. As Harry was about to toss them all, Neville pointed out that there was a plain bit of parchment among the rest, which bore no resemblance to a valentine, and that he should probably not ignore it. So, against his better judgement, he opened it. The first thing he noticed was that it wasn't signed. The second thing he noticed was that it was as plain on the inside as it was on the outside. It was a letter written in neat script.

Harry,
I notice that you are uncomfortable with the valentines you receive. Perhaps because the people who write them don't know you? I have known you for a long time. But I only recently found out a bit about who you really are, and I admit that I don't really know you at all. That intrigues me.
I would like to get to know you better. The real you.
Have I got your attention?

He looked around the Great Hall, but it seemed that nobody was looking his way any more than usual. Harry told no one about that letter, and no one asked. Just as well, because whoever had written it really had managed to get his attention.

***

Friday - 5 days to go ...

Twenty valentines, two parcels with dodgy chocolates, and a stuffed heart arrived with the morning post. Another eighteen valentines arrived in the afternoon, along with one plain letter in the same hand as the last.

Harry,
It's me again. Did I get your attention? Have I kept it?
I meant what I said. I suspect I don't really know you at all. I hope you'll give me the chance to know you better. And maybe you will want to know who I really am too. Because I am very sure you don't know the first thing about me.
Until tomorrow.

***

Saturday - 4 days to go ...

It was a Hogsmeade day, and the four dorm mates made their way to the Three Broomsticks, after leaving Ron and Hermione at Madame Puddifoot's. Harry shuddered at the memory of his Valentine's nightmare there with Cho Chang. Of course he didn't know then ...

"Seamus!" came Blaise's voice from inside, interrupting Harry's thoughts. "Why don't you join us?"

"Alright, then," said Seamus, leading us ahead to the table where Blaise and some of his fellow Slytherins were sitting. Harry didn't argue, as he knew that Seamus and Blaise had struck up some sort of strange friendship (what else can you call a friendship between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin?) after they had helped each other out of a sticky situation in some class or another - Harry never had managed to get the whole story from Seamus. Surprisingly, he and Malfoy even got along. Well, if you call ignoring each other, and making a point of not glaring at each other getting along. It was progress, anyway. The situation, Harry realized, was considerably less tense without Ron there. Strange.

At dinner, Harry tried not to look excited about the post, but Neville gave him a strange look as Harry quickly leafed through his letters and shoved them into his pocket. He barely breathed as he wolfed down his meal and made his way to the dormitory.

Harry,
Well, well, well. Imagine my surprise at seeing you and your Gryffindor friends sitting with, of all people, Slytherins. Someone might actually think you had enjoyed yourself.
Until tomorrow.

That was it? Harry seriously began to wonder if this was all just an elaborate joke. So the person was at the Three Broomsticks today. It had to be someone at school, because they saw him receive his post. It was someone who was at the Three Broomsticks, but he only recalled the three tables with students, although there could have been more. Shit! He wished he had paid more attention to who was there. He did not sleep well that night.

***

Sunday - 3 days to go ...

Harry still had no idea who had been sending him the letters by the time the next one arrived at dinner that evening.

Harry,
You don't look like you slept well. I hope I am not the cause. I really just want to be your friend. Well, that may not be entirely true, but I would settle for that. Perhaps we can start fresh at the Valentine's dance? No, it's not a date. We can just meet and talk. Maybe become friends. I would like that.
Until tomorrow.

***

Monday - 2 days to go ...

Classes that day were fairly typical, Potions being a nightmare, everything else tolerable. Harry managed to get his homework completed before dinner - a first he was sure - since everyone seemed otherwise engaged in conversation about the Valentine's Day dance, while he went up to the dormitory for some peace and quiet. He had stopped counting his valentines. He only rifled through for the one letter he wanted to read.

Harry,
I noticed something in Potions class today. Until Snape approached you, breathing down your neck, you actually seemed to be doing well. Huh. Who knew?
Have you given any more thought to my suggestion?
Until tomorrow.

Bloody hell, this was frustrating, not knowing who was writing these letters! Wait a minute - the person is in Potions with me. That means a Gryffindor or a Slytherin. The person was in the Three Broomsticks, and I don't recall seeing anyone from either house, except at our table. And there were no girls at our table. Shit! Someone knew. Was the letter-writer trying to humiliate him, he wondered?

***

Tuesday - one day to go ...

Harry opened the letter, still not entirely sure if he could trust this person.

Harry,
By now, I would guess that you've figured out I'm a boy. If I read you wrong, then accept my apology. But I still want to try being friends. I hope you do too. If you might want more, well ...
***
Valentine's Day ...

Harry wondered how he was going to get out of his promise. He wasn't supposed to be going to the dance that night, but now he had to go. If for no other reason than to satisfy his curiosity.

Harry,
Outside by the lake at 8:00. We can talk, and if you want, we can go in to the dance. If not, well ... I tried. Again.

Again? What was that about, again? Oh my God, no. It couldn't be. Harry spent the time after dinner thinking about it. Yes, in some strange way it made sense. He had tried to be friends with me all those years ago. We weren't at each other's throats any more. And if he wasn't gay, Harry didn't know who was!

He had about half an hour before he had to make his way down to the lake. The question was, did he want to go? Now that he was pretty sure it was Malfoy - Draco - sending those letters, how did he feel about him? He had really wanted to meet the writer tonight, but did he still want to now?

Well, he wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. This, Harry figured, was worth breaking a promise for.

Sequel (Waiting by the Lake) Here ...