Expecto Patronum
Sooo I’m rereading OotP right now, and idk I just kinda thought of this, so I took the idea and ran with it. Not sure if it’s good or not lmao
As Harry walked into the Room of Requirement, he smiled and happily began setting up for that week’s DA meeting. He was really looking forward to this one, as was everyone else, because he was finally going to begin teaching them the Patronus Charm. Just as he had finished getting everything ready, there was a knock on the door, and Ron and Hermione quickly entered. It wasn’t long until everyone had arrived, and they could finally begin.
The meeting started out as they usually did. Everyone simply greeted each other, and once they had all settled down, Harry explained what they would be doing. At the mention of conjuring a patronus, there were murmurs of excitement going around the room. Just as Harry was about to begin giving instructions on how to do this difficult charm, there was another knock on the door.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged looks of apprehension. Everyone seemed to have the same thought in mind as the three of them: What if it’s Umbridge?
“If it were her, I don’t think she would be so polite as to simply knock,” Hermione muttered, attempting to quell everyone’s worry despite her own being very evident on her face.
Harry gave everyone a look that told them all to remain quiet as he cautiously approached the door. He put his hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it, opening the door a crack, through which his eyes immediately spotted a shock of white-blond hair.
Harry slammed the door and turned to the group with wide eyes. Ron and Hermione rushed over to him.
“It’s Malfoy,” he said anxiously.
They all knew Malfoy was keen on getting anyone who wasn’t in Slytherin into trouble, especially those in Gryffindor, and would certainly stoop as low as working with Umbridge to do so.
“Did he see you?” Ron asked.
“I think so, but-” Harry was cut off by yet another knock.
Just like the first knock, it was not one of brute force that demanded entrance, but a polite knock, as if asking permission to come in.
“Maybe you should just...see what he wants?” Hermione suggested.
“Right, and land myself in detention, carving words into my hand for the rest of the year. No thanks, Hermione, I’ll pass.”
“Well you said that you think he saw you, so if what he wants is to rat you out to Umbridge, he would have done it already, but he’s still here.”
Harry looked around and saw that everyone’s eyes were on him.
“Fine. I’ll see what he wants. While I do that, you guys can all just pair up, and practice some of the stuff we worked on previously.”
They all hesitantly did as Harry asked, and Harry then turned back to the door. With a large sigh, he tugged it open and quickly stepped outside so Malfoy couldn’t see who else was in the room.
“What do you want?” Harry snapped, giving Malfoy a sharp glare.
Draco was slightly taken aback at Harry’s hostility, though it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
“I wanted to join in on your meeting...”
Harry attempted to feign innocence.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Draco rolled his eyes and snorted.
“Come off it, Potter. You act like you all do a good job of keeping it a secret, running around school muttering about meetings and spells together. It’s a wonder how Umbridge doesn’t know exactly what you’re all up to yet. I mean I knew she was quite dense, but come on.”
Harry just stared at Draco for a few moments. Maybe he was just waiting for Harry to confess so he could run and tell her.
Draco could clearly see what Harry was thinking.
“Look, I want to pass my OWLs just as much as you all do. My parents would have a right fit if I received anything less than an E on any of them. And speaking of my parents, well, as you know, my father isn’t exactly...morally correct. I know as well as you that Voldemort is on the rise again, and I’m not going to lie...I’m scared. I put on a show for my father of acting like I agree with Voldemort’s intentions, but I don’t. I want to learn how to defend myself, too, because when it comes down to it, Voldemort doesn’t care about blood status; if he doesn’t like you, it doesn’t matter if you’re pureblood or a mud- er...muggle born. He’ll kill you without a second thought.”
Harry couldn’t believe what he was hearing. For whatever reason, maybe because Draco was giving him a look that made him feel something funny in his stomach, he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Fine, you can come in. But you’ll have to sign something.”
Harry figured that if Malfoy was just going to run and tell on them all afterwards, at least they would all have the small consolation of him having horrendous acne all over his face.
When the two of them stepped back into the Room of Requirement, everyone turned to stare at Malfoy, and then Harry with disbelief.
“Uhm...we have a new member,” he said awkwardly before grabbing the parchment with all of their signatures and having Malfoy sign.
Everyone eyed Draco skeptically, but said nothing.
“Right, now that that’s all settled, I guess we can get started on patronuses.”
Harry explained the incantation to them all: how to do it, what it’s used for, and how each is unique to the person casting it.
Harry then easily casted his patronus, a great stag erupting from the end of his wand, to demonstrate.
Everyone, especially Draco, Harry noticed, was staring at him in awe.
“So that’s really it. Just think of something really happy, and say the words. It seems quite easy, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right away. It’s really advanced magic.”
They all had forgotten about Draco’s presence and quickly got into groups or pairs, excited to try the charm themselves.
Unsurprisingly, Draco was left without a partner, so Harry begrudgingly offered to work with him.
“Expecto Patronum,” Draco muttered for what seemed like the thousandth time, still without any effect. Harry was beginning to take pity on him. He knew how frustrating it was.
“You’re not thinking of a happy enough memory. Just take a break and try to think of something else while I go around and check on how everyone else is doing.”
Draco simply nodded and watched as Harry walked off to a different group, smiling at Luna Lovegood as she showed him her patronus that took the form of a hare.
Draco sighed and started to feel worse as he watched every other person in the room have a go at the charm. Even if they were unable to cast a clear, full patronus, they all at least had silver mist coming from their wands. Draco attempted the charm once more on his own, but nothing happened. No glorious animal and no silver mist; just utter disappointment. He couldn’t understand why this was so difficult for him, as he had never had trouble with the charms they performed in Defense Against the Dark Arts before.
After Harry had made his rounds, he returned to Draco.
“Ready to try again?” Harry asked cheerily, though he was unsure why. This was Malfoy he was talking to, after all.
“I guess so,” Draco grumbled before raising his wand and saying the words. To no surprise, nothing happened, and Draco rolled his eyes, annoyed with his own incompetence.
Harry quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Are you sure you’re thinking of something happy?”
Draco shot him a glare but said nothing. He tried and failed a few more times before finally just giving up. Harry looked at him sympathetically, and was about to say something to him, but then he realized the time, and quickly rushed everyone out, assuring them that he’d let them know when their next meeting would be.
Harry hadn’t realized that there was still one person remaining in the room with him. When he turned and saw Draco still standing there, he jumped slightly.
“I just wanted to apologize...for wasting your time.”
Harry shook his head.
“You didn’t waste my time, Malfoy. The whole point of this is to help people learn proper defense. Today’s lesson was really difficult magic that some grown wizards cannot even perform.”
“Well, no one else seemed to have trouble with it.”
“They all knew what we would be doing at today’s meeting and probably read up on it a bit. It’s nothing to beat yourself up about.”
“I couldn’t even get that stupid silver mist to come out of my wand, Potter,” Draco spat.
“It’s okay, we’re going to keep working on it.”
“There’s no point in me even coming again. I’m obviously helpless.”
Harry rolled his eyes at how overdramatic Draco was being, but at the same time, he could see how much this was bothering him, and really wanted to help.
“Maybe it’s your wand movement. Here, watch me.” Harry quickly pulled out his wand and aimed it at nothing in particular. “Expecto Patronum.”
Draco watched, as the silver stag once again appeared. Harry let it trot around for a bit before pulling his wand away.
“Now you try.”
Harry watched as Draco prepared to try again.
“Stop,” he said as Draco began moving his arm. “You’re not starting the motion correctly.”
Harry moved behind Draco and put his hand around his wrist to reposition his arm. Draco blushed at the contact. Harry then helped Draco do the full motion.
After doing this a few times, Harry released Draco’s wrist and told him to try again. This time, a bit of silver mist shot from the end of Draco’s wand, and he quickly turned around excitedly to look at Harry, who was beaming at him.
“Did you see that?”
Harry chuckled.
“I did. See, you’re already making progress. You just have to be a bit more positive.”
Harry then took in Draco’s expression. He was sure this was the first time he had ever seen him smiling in a way that wasn’t sinister or sarcastic. The way his lips so easily curved up into that grin was lovely. Harry’s eyes focused on Draco’s lips for several moments, and he soon realized how close the two of them were to each other. Harry thought back to that funny feeling Draco had given him before, but this time, it was amplified. If before he had butterflies in his stomach, they were hippogriffs now.
Harry smiled back and took a small step closer, nearly closing the distance between him and Draco, who was giving Harry a questioning look, but not moving away.
From the way Draco was gazing at him, Harry had a feeling Draco felt the same way he did. Without a second thought, Harry closed his eyes and leaned in, softly pressing his lips to Draco’s.
It was a short kiss, but they both pulled away smiling, and before either of them could say or do anything else, Draco lifted his wand and, with confidence, shouted, “Expecto Patronum!”
Harry watched as something huge appeared. A magnificent, silver dragon flew about the room, and Harry couldn’t help but grin. He had never seen anything like it. He hadn’t even known it was possible to cast a dragon patronus.
After a while, Draco allowed the dragon to disappear, and he smiled at Harry.
“I guess I just needed something happier to think about.”
Harry blushed slightly but laughed.
“I guess so.”
Draco smiled slyly and leaned in to give Harry another quick kiss.
“I’ll remember that one for next time,” he said with a wink before turning and walking out of the Room of Requirement, looking forward to next week’s meeting.
