Letter to a Stranger

[Zoe-Hope Weasley]

Zoe had met the most awesome person over the outing, in Makatu mall. She was in the medley, when she met Maximus Strauss, who attended beauxbatons. They only got to briefly talk, but she wanted to talk to him more, and get to know him more. So, she wrote him a casual letter, in hopes that he would respond. With the letter sort of crumpled in her hand, she walked up to the owlery to send it off. She wanted to read it one last time, before sending it off with one of the owls.

Dear Maximus,

I know this is probably a bit weird to hear from someone you only met once, but I really wanted to get to know you some more. Unfortunately, I don't get out until the winter break, as I'm sure you do too. I'm a bit of a bad writer, in fact, I'm a bit of an awkward person on parchment. I'm more outgoing in person, as you know, and I get along better with guys than girls, because I think there's a whole less drama to deal with. I'm an only child, but my dad is one of seven, and I have a lot of cousins. I work part-time at Gladrags, and I live with my father in his flat in New Zealand. I hope to do some travelling when I'm done with Hogwarts, as I don't know what I want to do.

I guess that I've written all I could think of, as I said before, my thoughts don't go well on paper.

Hope you write back,

-Zoe-Hope Weasley

Zoe sighed, and took out the purple ribbon from her hair, and rolled up the piece of parchment paper, tying a knot around it. She walked towards one of the owls, and stuck out the letter, for it to be sent off. "Thank you, Luna." She said, recognising the bird, after she fed it. She watched as the snowy owl flew away, eventually becoming one with the light snowfall outside.

 

[Maximus Strauss]

Max had another legendary verbal bashing with his brother that resulted in another legendary duel, it had been inevitable that they would get detention but it was down right hilarious that the professor who had caught them had only doled out detention to Alex while Max was simply asked to clean up the library desks of the books students left behind. It had taken him all of twenty minutes as he had been allowed to use magic, smiling as he left only to see his brother on his hands and knees scrubbing the decks with another student Max had to walk in the opposite direction for fear another fight would break out.

As he did so an owl swooped low and dropped a letter at his feet before flying on. Maximus bent down, scooped it up and read the letter slowly as he walked on. A smile came to him fairly quickly remembering with perfect clarity the red haired girl. He had been hoping to be able to see her again some how but knew it would be a long wait, her foresight for writing until then endeared her to him all the more. He had obviously made an impression as she had on him. It didn't take him long to head back to the dorm he shared with five other boys, his brother being one and began to write a letter back to her.

Dear Zoe-Hope,

Did I mention when we met that I love your name? Well incase I didn't I'm telling you again and will probably do it a few more times before this letter is complete. I was glad to receive your letter, would you believe I was counting down the days to when school broke up so that I might get another chance to see you. It didn't even dawn on me to write to you. It probably would have given time but with exams approaching and my brother being his delightful self my brain hasn't had too much time to think of anything else. That isn't to say I didn't think of you at all, couldn't get you out of my head some days. Hope you don't mind my blunt honesty, if I was to list my faults which would and do take up pages then that would be one of them.

I'm not from New Zealand myself, my parents died along time ago and myself and my twin brother were raised in an orphanage and are now the wards of two adorable old ladies. One was the old matron of the orphanage while the other is the ex nurse from there. When not in school we live in a lovely town just outside of Vannes in France. I only have my brother which is more than enough at times.

I work in the local library which doesn't mean I'm massively book smart or anything but I do love books. Thing is I don't usually write or talk about myself alot but will learn to persevere because I would really like to get to know you better.
Thanks for taking the time to write and for even thinking about it.

Looking forward to the owl droppings
Max

 

[Zoe-Hope Weasley]

Zoe had anxiously waited, and checked nearly every day to see if he had responded. When a letter didn't come in the morning post, she would run up to the owlery in between her lessons, wanting to see if the letter came. After she had Defence Against the Dark Arts, her last class for the day, she ran up the moving staircase, then up the spiral staircase half-expecting him not to actually have responded. There was no owl with a new letter there when she arrived, so she sat down on the ground to catch her breath.

Unexpectedly, an owl came in two minutes later, and dropped the letter on her head. She looked up, menacingly at the bird for lack of aim, but then impatiently unrolled the letter. She was elated with what she was reading, and opened up her backpack to get out a quill with ink, and a fresh piece of parchment.

Dear Maximus,

I'm really kind of surprised that you responded. Not that I didn't want you to respond, but I guess I didn't realise the distance between us. If that makes sense. You know, I couldn't help but think about you a lot of the time, too. I guess it's a scene right out of Shakespeare (insert comedy here). You mentioned exams? What sort of subjects are you taking? I'm taking the basic subjects, and Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, though I'm not doing too well in either.

I'm sorry to hear that your parents died when you were young, my mum actually died when I was twelve, and my dad took me out of school for a year. You know, maybe when I get out of school I can come visit you in France. I'm going to visit a friend in Bulgaria (I think, or it might be Russia), with her husband and child, so I could drop by in France, if you like of course. I passed my apparition test, so it is so much easier like that.

I absolutely love books too, but I work at the clothing store, since I was eleven. Reading is my favourite thing to do. My favourite book is 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'. Kind of juvenile, I know, but it's a good escape. You're a really cool guy, I think I'd be miserable if I hadn't met you.

Waiting for your reply,
Zoe

 

[Maximus Strauss]

Max was having a rough week, his brothers high jinx were getting him into the height of trouble and Max was seriously getting tired of coming to the rescue. Of course Alex would hate to think that his brother was actually rescuing him but that was what it ultimately boiled down to time and again. Leaving the library he carried his books in his hands walking alongside two of his friends. Charlotte was really sweet and he knew she had the biggest crush on him for the longest time but to him she was merely a friend and a good one. There was a line there that he simply would not cross. Girlfriends seemed to come and go whereby friends always stuck close. Aidan was nattering away about the state of the world and other such political nonsense that the boy was into at such a young age when a few owls flew by. One dropped a package to Charlotte while two others dropped letters for himself. Scanning the writing on both he smiled immediately. One was from his guardians while the other was from Zoe-Hope.
"I'll see you guys later" he waved heading directly to his dorm so he could read both letters at his leisure. Both made him smile greatly but it wasn't until much later in the week that he had any chance at all of replying to them.

Hi Zoe-Hope

Your letter was a breath of fresh air in a rather unforgiving dull week. The revision schedule got posted two days ago and of course the study group I got hitched with is laden with the most studious of students, I feel out of my depth with them. They insist on a study session three times a day for no shorter than an hour each session. Needless to say I have been strained to the end of my ability to be polite. I do the usual subjects as well but took Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures for my electives. I never did see the need for muggle studies I guess considering I don't know any and never plan on being part of their world. Is it an interesting subject?

Please don't apologize for the death of my parents, twas not your fault and I was only two years old. So really have no memory of them at all. I am sorry for your loss though. Do you miss her? That's of course a stupid question and I apologize for my lack of sensitivity. When I got your letter I also received one from my guardians and wrote them back asking their permission for you to come and visit during the holidays. They are old and set in their ways, I'm not sure how they will take me asking for a girl to come and stay with us. They will probably build on an extra room with triple locks on for the occasion if they consent. It would be lovely to see you again though. I keep trying to picture the particular shade of redness your hair was and am convinced I am failing badly at it.

I am going to find the book you mentioned and am going to read it, so I have another insight to you. Unfortunately I don't have a favorite book, I have shelves of them. I can never decided which one I prefer the most.

I am sorry this letter was late in getting to you and sorry it is rushed, the study group calls. If I don't get an 'O' in every exam I will seriously want to know why.
Is it too soon for me to tell you that I miss you, one brief encounter and I do.

Max

 

[Zoe-Hope Weasley]

Zoe was cramming for all her NEWT's that were coming up in a few short weeks. She was in the Great Hall with a textbook in one hand, and a quill with ink on the tip in the other. An owl came and dropped the letter right on her lap, and it threw her off guard. Too stressed out, she put it in her bag, and waited until later that day. When she was in her dorm and she got the chance to read it, she smiled. She couldn't help but think she was Juliet, and Maximus was her Romeo, though she knew she wasn't in love. One would also hope they wouldn't have the same fate as the two muggle lovers. She wrote back right before she went to sleep.

Dear Maximus,

I completely understand what you're going through with the whole studying thing. I'm cramming for my NEWT's (Don't remember what they stand for, something terribly long though, ugh). That's a real bummer that you have a study group like that. Three hours a day? How would that help you? I sort of regret not taking Arithmancy, it seems really intriguing. How is that course? Muggle studies is really interesting. I guess I just find muggles interesting. Some muggle model scouts have tried to book me before, and I'm actually considering it.

Yeah, I'm a bit sad. Grad is going to be the most depressing thing though. I really hope your guardians let me come and visit for a bit. I know my dad wouldn't really care. He'd probably want to meet you too, though. I hope you get all O's in your exams, I've got lots of studying to do as well. Where shall we meet when school is out? I have a feeling we won't be able to write much during exams. I really do miss you too.

Zoe