Different Letters

When Easter week arrived, both Addie's exams and bags were all done. Students could either stay at the school for their week off or visit their family. Since Draco stayed for the Yule ball this year, he promised his mother he'd come when spring would arrive. He offered his girlfriend to come with him and she accepted with joy. Alice was familiar with the Malfoys: she spent many weeks living with them. They weren't too sure if they should admit that they're more than they used to be since it wasn't much of their business. Alice could already imagine her mother and Draco's making wedding arrangements and brainstorming the list of guests. They decided, after many scenarios they would simply not bring the subject up. Rachelle was also meeting Blaise's family since she was now technically apart of it. Blaise wrote and explained to his mother her situation and she replied she's looking forward meeting her and will accept to her house with joy. Alice said good-bye to her friend for the week before stepping in a chimney besides Draco near the train station.

"You ready?" He asked, holding a handful of flew powder

"I guess I am." She replied, holding his free hand

Draco kissed Alice before letting the powder go, shouting Malfoy Manor as their destination. Addie traveled by flew powder to his place a million times so she was rather happy to see the familiar living room throughout the smoke. She got out of it looking around, realizing barely anything has changed. Those walls reassured her, when she was little it meant she was going to spend time with Draco. She felt more at ease here than she ever felt at her own house.

"Welcome back." Draco whispered to the young girl's ear as she smiled. He stole a kiss from her; taking advantage they were still alone. They walked out of the room to the hallway and soon met up with a blond woman.

"Draco, I'm glad you're here." She said smiling before taking him in his arms for a moment before looking at the girl besides him. "When Draco wrote to me to say that Alice would be coming with him I said to myself 'what Alice, he never wrote or spoke of any Alice.' I should have guessed that it could only be you Marie-Adelaide. You've grown so much since I last saw you."

"Thank you so much for letting me stay, Mrs Malfoy."

"There is nothing to thank, just make yourself at home, like you used to. I assume you two haven't eaten anything since breakfast. Dinner's ready." She announced with a smile

"Is father here yet?" Draco asked, letting the young girl walk in front of him

"No he's coming later tonight. He's working late again. There's a lot of going on with the ministry."

Draco nodded and Alice had to hide how relieved she was. When she was a little girl, she had always been intimidated by Draco's father, possibly since she never got used to a man's presence. She sat in the familiar dining room.

"I always thought it was a crime that you two stopped talking to each other. Every summer I hoped to see you but your mother always informed me you like better spending you summer in France. I would tell Draco to send you an owl but he'd always shrug it off saying you forgot about him. So relieved it's not the case and you're in my dining room once again."

For the rest of the supper, Marie-Adelaide and Draco responded to his mother's question about the school year. She had to explain exactly why she was at Hogwarts with Beauxbatons. When she informed she was transferring, Draco's mom face brightened up more than it already was.

"That's wonderful dear. I'm sure it's what your father must have wanted. I was disappointed when your mother sent you to France. But I didn't say anything; she did raise you and it was her choice. It truly makes me happy to see everything turned out well."

The young couple was about to leave when a blond man walked in the room. Now that Draco was older, Alice finally saw how much did he really look like his father.

"Hi father." The young boy said with not much emotion. Addie took note that the father's face did not light up like the mother's did upon seeing their only child.

"Draco you arrived." Lucius Malfoy said, looking as bored as Alice remembered him "And you brought a friend."

"You remember her, she was Draco's best friend when they were younger." His wife reminded him

"Lestrange's daughter. Yes I remember you. You used to spend a lot of time here." He said, speaking to her for the first time in years

"It's nice seeing you again Mr. Malfoy." Addie said, expanding her hand to shake his

"I see they picked you out of the few to study at Hogwarts, this year." He said shaking the young witch's hand and also informing her that he was more informed than his wife

"Alice's the best in her year." Draco said with a smile

"Draco mind your own conversations." He spat at his son "Narcissa, I need to deal with some business, tell the elves I'll eat later." He said before leaving the room.

Addie thanked the hostess before leaving with Draco. She was surprised she had yet to comment about her and Draco and ask if they were together. They walked in the hallway before Draco stopped before a door that was just too familiar to Alice.

"That used to be my room." Draco smiled at the fact that his girlfriend still remembered

"This is. Nobody used it since you did like what, almost four years ago."

"Really?" She said, astonish they left it intact.

"Of course, we have plenty of guest rooms and this isn't a guest room it's Alice's room..." He took her hands in his. "You've always been a part of the family. Not as a sister or even a cousin. You've always been more."

He kissed her with passion as she replied with as much love, touched by what he just said. She didn't care if one of his parents caught them, they thought of her as family anyways. She knew they were meant to be. At that point she realized it wasn't just two teenagers dating but a relationship that could potentially last for many years.

When Marie-Adelaide woke up the next morning she looked around to make sure where she was. She sat at the vanity table and looked in the mirror. Four years ago she saw in the back, the reflections of a boy holding his letter to Hogwarts. Alice walked to her old closet and with a smile realized they kept her robes. They were too small now but left totally untouched. She noticed her favourite picture of them as kids, taken right after the first time they ever rode a broom. Both of them looked so happy. Alice promised herself to bring the picture back to Hogwarts and keep it close. She walked across to Draco's room. She knocked a couple of times and entered when there was no answer. A wave of disappointment passed her when she discovered the room completely empty. She entered the dining room and found her boyfriend standing with his father in robes ready to go out and Narcissa sitting.

"Good morning." She greeted Alice. Draco smiled to her but kept quiet. "Hope you slept well."

"I did, thank you." Addie responded, looking at Draco again

"The boys are going to go out for a bit." Narcissa said, noticing the questioning stare Alice was sending to her son "Hope you don't mind spending the day with me."

"No, of course not." She responded, looking back at the blond woman

"Good. Come and sit down for some breakfast."

Alice wanted to know so badly why Draco was disappearing with his father but knew there was no way they could discuss it right now. She'd have to wait for tonight. She swallowed a smile when all the nights they snuck in each other's rooms to stay up all night rushed back to her head. She was missing her childhood more and more. As she walked to the table under everyone's stare she passed Draco's path.

"I'll see you tonight." He said. "She might ask, by the way." He added in a whisper

"Then should I tell her?"

Draco nodded before leaving the room. Addie took a seat at the long table as Narcissa sat right in front of her. After a small conversation about life in France, the blonde found a way into a conversation she wanted to have since Marie-Adelaide entered her house along with Draco.

"How did you like your Yule Ball? I imagine it's not every year a Beauxbatons student gets to experience a night like that."

"No, you're right; I was truly lucky. It was an amazing night. I'm quite sure neither I nor any of my friends will forget about it."

"Who was your partner? A beautiful girl such as you couldn't have gone alone. There must have been a line just hoping you'd agree."

Alice smiled nicely, hoping this conversation wouldn't end awkwardly. They said they wouldn't bring up their relationship but wouldn't lie about it either.

"A few asked but Draco asked me to accompany him first and I agreed. Besides I knew it would be fun with him."

"That makes me so happy to hear. Alice, I wanted to talk to you about something." She said after a pause. "And I do realize that this is really not my business. I want you to stay away from my son."

Addie's mouth dropped as she stared at the woman she knew from birth. How this could be, she kept thinking. What was she going to tell Draco; Alice knew he loved his mother a lot. Her heart stopped beating until she heard the woman chuckle.

"I truly am sorry Alice but I couldn't resist not doing that." Narcissa said with a big smile on her face. "Please breathe, I was only kidding."

Addie started to take breathes but it was still pretty laboured. She smiled faintly to show she was alright as the woman continued talking.

"As I was saying, I do realize this is really not my business but I'd like you to consider, maybe one day since who knows you're maybe too young to be looking at boys this way... I'm just hoping you'll one day think about seeing my son as more than a friend..."

"Mrs. Malfoy..." It took all that she had in her to cut her before the direction would get out of reach

"I know what you're going to say; you're friends since you were little but please just listen for a moment. He would be good for you. And I know I'm his mother but he's not all that bad? He's got his looks after his father which is a good thing and he's well behaved. And as a mother I only want what's best for him. I know that you're what's best for him. I also realize that you're maybe too young to have this conversation but I would rather be too early than too late."

"Mrs. Malfoy I'm really grateful for the support. Draco and I are seeing each other for almost five months. We both know that we're young but we hope it's going to last for a while."
Alice realized her statement shocked the woman who was expecting protest of her part. After the surprise was gone, the smile reappeared.

"Well then, I guess I'm closer to welcoming you to the family after all."

The two witches changed the subject as Alice grew more comfortable with the blond woman knowing that Draco and she weren't the only ones who believed in their relationship. She just hoped Rachelle had just as much of success as she did with her boyfriend's mother.