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Pub nights had been a regular event ever since they’d finished school. Every friday night they got together at the Leaky and spent the night getting drunk off their asses. Draco honestly still couldn’t quite understand how they had all managed to become friends. Hermione and Millicent started working together and last thing he knew they all were being dragged into the gryffindors’ weekly get-together. Ron and Harry had been the most wary ones, and they’d purposefully ignored the slytherins the first nights, specially Draco. They had come around though, and they all got along pretty nicely now. Except Draco and Ron always had some on going competition that amused their friends a lot. Today’s one was about pets.
“I had a peacock when I was little,” said Neville, “used to bite my nose all the time, the cranky bastard.”
“Are you describing your peacock or Draco?” Harry asked, taking a sip from his pint
“Shut the fuck up, Potter.”
“I just had a cat, like a normal person.” Hermione murmured, shaking her head
“I had a cat too.” Said Millicent, “Actually, I had a lot of cats. Apparently, they’d always run away and my parents would get me a new one before I noticed. They managed to fool me until I went to Hogwarts”
“How did they find cats that looked the same?”
“I have no idea!”
“Maybe they transfigured other animals.” Ginny suggested
“That’s cruel!” Neville answered.
“That’s creepy...” Harry said, almost at the same time
“Draco! Tell them about Antlia!” Pansy said, with a dreamy look on her face
“What the hell is an antlia?” Asked Ron
“Antlia was my pet puma.” Harry choked on his drink
“Excuse me,” Harry coughed, “what the everloving fuck, Malfoy?”
“That’s right. I had her when I was about five, on my birthday. I saw a picture of a puma on a book about wildlife, and I didn’t shut up about it for months on end. So father got me a puma.”
“Merlin, you’re the most spoiled brat I have ever known.” Said Ginny
“Didn’t she bite you?”
“Nah, when I got her she was still extremely young, so we grew up together. I carried her everywhere. Then she got too heavy for me, but she still followed me everywhere I went. Mother used to say she had two children. She slept with me and was extremely protective. I loved her dearly...” He said, looking sad towards the end
“What happened to her?”
He sighed. “Ministry took her. They said a wild animal like her wasn’t supposed to live here in Britain, even if the Manor had enough space for her. We usually hid her when people were over, but I guess someone must’ve seen her on one of my parents parties and told the ministry. I understand it now, but it broke my heart at the time.”
“I remember that. We tried to mobilize a protest to get her back, which obviously didn’t work ‘cause we were just kids...” Pansy sighed. “You should see pictures of them two, they were lovely together.”
“And what’s Antlia?” Asked Luna
“It’s a constellation. I’ve always loved astronomy ever since I was little. It seemed quite fitting at the time. Anyway,” Draco continued, trying to lift the mood, “I win. I don’t think any of you can top having a puma as a pet.”
Ron scoffed. “Mate, I literally had a murderous rat as a pet for years. You didn’t win shit.”
Harry threw his head back and burst into laughing at the thought. Obviously at the time it hadn’t been funny at all, but now even Hermione hid her face to contain her laugh. Ginny started to tease Draco while Pansy and Theo were encouraging him to hit back but, honestly, how could he compete with that? So the blond simply got up and went to the bar to get the next round. The place was extremely crowded. It was late November and it was starting to get really cold, so he figured people decided that drinks were the perfect idea to warm up on a friday night.
By the time he got back to the table, Luna was explaining to Ginny everything about this new mystical creature she had just learnt about, the rest of the girls were really into a talk about Hermione’s project of house elves’ rights and Blaise had shown up.
“I can’t wait for it to be over, honestly.” Neville commented
“What are you talking about?” Draco asked, sitting down
“Auror training.”
“Neville was saying he won’t be following the career.” Blaise clarified
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I got in contact with Professor Sprout earlier this year and I’ve been thinking about taking a year to study with her at Hogwarts.”
“I always thought of you more as a professor than an auror, Nev.” Harry commented, in a encouraging tone
“Thanks, Harry!” Longbottom blushed
“I can’t wait to get to the field, though.” Ron said, excited. “Can you guys picture it? Getting into work everyday, getting a cup of coffee on the way, arresting bad guys, freeing the streets from dark magic…”
“You’re talking like you don’t know how it really looks like.” Harry rolled his eyes
“Besides, we still have the last exams to pass, this last month won’t be easy.” Theo pointed out
“Oh, but that’s the easy part.” Ron took a sip from his beer. “I just gotta practice a bit more of transfiguration, but I’m all good for the dueling exam already.”
“Don’t forget the patronus test! We need to perform a corporeal patronus to actually become aurors.”
“Really?” Questioned Blaise, surprised. “I’m sure it’s not decisive, though?”
“Oh, it is”. Answered Neville, sounding worried
“I wouldn’t worry, Nev.” Ron gave him a pat on the back, then he hugged Potter by the neck. “Harry here had us casting patronuses since fifth year!”
“Really? What form does yours take?” Theo asked Ron, curious
“Are you guys talking patronuses?” Pansy leaned closer to them on the table. “I want in! Mine is a precious ragdoll cat!”
“Mine’s a cat too!” Said Millicent in an excited tone
“Oh, no idea where that came from.” Ginny commented sarcastically, making Bulstrode look at her with an annoyed expression, her left eye quivering, which made everybody laugh.
Harry, though, had noticed Draco kept his face still, and his leg didn’t stop shaking, his eyes were distant, he probably wasn’t even paying attention to the conversation since he got back from the bar. If the gryffindor didn’t know him better, he’d say Malfoy was up to something, but by now he could tell something was really bothering him.
“Are you alright?” He whispered to the slytherin
“I’m fine.” But he wasn’t, and Harry thought he knew why
Draco had thought about his future job ever since he was a child. At age four, he’d imagined being a world famous quidditch player, when he first climbed on a broom. It barely lifted off the ground but his young curious mind quickly imagined thousands of people roaring as he caught a bright golden snitch. At hogwarts he’d started thinking of better careers. He’d taken a liking to potions and it had been his goal for quite some years.
And then the war happened and with the Dark Lord always shadowing his every move, quidditch and potions had been left behind. His goal was to simply survive. He didn’t even know whether he’d live long enough to have a future, let alone a job.
The ministry hadn’t particularly liked that Potter had spoken on his behalf at his trial. Draco wasn’t dumb, he wasn’t easily fooled. Potter might’ve been nice enough to stand up for him, but he knew the majority of wizarding Britain still wanted him to rot in Azkaban. That included the ministry. So they’d told him that he wouldn’t go to prison, but on a number of conditions. One of which was that he should work for them. They probably wanted to humiliate him, but Draco was smarter though. “Am I allowed to choose any career?”
“Yes, you may, as long as it’s in the ministry.”
“I want to be an auror.” And they had laughed at him. He stood his ground, chin up, a serious look on his face, one that he’d seen his father use many times.
“Are you actually serious?”
“Very.”
“Okay, then, you may start training along with the new junior aurors next month.”
Draco was sure they thought he’d give up some day, that he wasn’t strong enough to finish training. Three years later, he was about to prove them wrong, except there was one little, tiny (giant) problem: Draco couldn’t, if his life depended on it, cast a corporeal patronus.
Another condition was a curfew. The blond needed to be inside his flat by eleven every night.
“Well, I must be going now.” Malfoy said, already up, leaving some coins on the table to pay for his drinks
“Oh, so soon?” Luna asked, sadly. His friends were used to him never staying too late by now, but it wasn’t like he advertised his punishments from the Ministry. He figured the golden trio knew by now, and he had told Pansy, but the others had nothing but guesses.
“I’m afraid so. I will see you guys monday. Have a good night.” The blond kissed Pansy’s cheek and waved at the rest of the group before making his way to the cloak rack next to the door and then out into the cold evening. He wondered if he still had time to walk home.
“Malfoy!” He heard Potter call from the door, he seemed to have rushed outside after him because he forgot to put on his cloak. Harry walked to him, hugging his own body, brushing his hands on his own arms. Draco thought it was stupid of him to do so when we could merely cast a spell, and wondered if Potter had come out in such a hurry he had even forgotten his wand. That was until he noticed the bright silver lines rushing from his fingers through his body. Potter was casting a warm up spell, wandlessly.
Malfoy’s jaw dropped. He had never seen anyone do wandless magic before.
“Are you alright? Harry asked
Draco composed himself. “I’m fine, Potter.”
“You seemed uneasy back there, when we were talking about patronuses. Do you need help learning the spell?”
The blond couldn’t believe his audacity. He answered bitterly. “I know the spell, Potter.”
“Well, but you can’t cast it, can you?” He didn’t sound malicious or anything, but Draco rolled his eyes, extremely mad that Potter was throwing his failures at his face. “I can help you, if you want me to.”
“I don’t want your help.”
“I think you do.”
“Fuck you, Potter. I will learn to cast a patronus by myself.”
“You do know you’re talking to a gryffindor, right? I’m not giving up.”
“You don’t win anything out of this.”
“I don’t need to, I just want to help you.”
“Good night, Potter.” Malfoy didn’t even turn to face him while he said that, he merely walked away
Monday started badly. Draco overslept so he got to the classes late and now, for dueling practice, they had been paired randomly and he obviously got Potter.
Now, normally, he wouldn’t hear from Potter outside of the auror training or their weekly pub night. But this weekend, Malfoy got about five owls from Potter, insisting he let him help with his patronus. Draco Malfoy didn’t need help. And Harry seemed quite offended by that, but, honestly, when, in his entire life, had Draco accepted offered help?
The gryffindor walked to him, huffing. He wasn’t any happier to get paired with him instead of his usual partner Theo, but he knew Harry was also mad about the patronus situation. Draco was mad too, about Potter insisting so much. Did he really need to be the savior at all times?
“Are you ready?” Harry spat the words.
“I was born ready.”
“Stupefy!”
“Protego!”
“Locomotor mortis!”
“Protego! Petrificus!”
“Expelliarmus!” And this time he was too fast. Malfoy’s wand flew to Potter’s hand. They stared at each other for a moment, breathless. Grimaces on both their faces now.
“Very good, boys! Go again!” Screamed their trainer, while he walked around the room to check on everybody’s work. Harry threw the blond’s wand to him, with unnecessary force.
“Ready?” But this time he didn’t even wait for Draco’s answer, he was already pointing his wand at the blond and casting spells at him. It took Draco one more round to catch up and hit back with the same fierceness and give Potter some struggle.
“Do you want to make things more interesting?” Harry smirked
“You wanna make a bet?”
“If I win, you admit you need help with your patronus.”
“If I win you stop annoying the crap out of me for the rest of our lives.”
“Deal. Expelliarmus!”
They got on to more rounds than any other pair on the room. Their instructor congratulated them and promised to put in a good word with the head auror, but neither of that interested the men. All they cared about was that, even with the great fight Draco put on, Harry won.
“Are you a man of your word, Malfoy?” Potter asked getting closer to him, while the others emptied the room.
“Fine,” the blond huffed, “I need help casting a patronus.”
“You really do, don’t you?” He asked again, without the smirk and the malicious tone this time.
Draco sighed. “Yea, I do.”
Harry stared at him for a moment, as if considering if he believed him, then said, “alright, good luck then.” and made his way to the door
“Wait! What? I just admitted I need help!”
“I know, but you also said you didn’t want my help, so I’m just gonna go.”
“We had a deal, Potter!”
“The deal said nothing about me helping you.”
Draco gasped, “how slytherin of you.”
“I have my moments,” he said holding back a laugh, “anyway, bye now.”
“Potter, wait!”
“Yea?”
Draco took a deep breath and murmured. “Will you help me?”
“I’m sorry, what was that?”
“I’m not repeating, Scarface, take it or leave it.”
“Fine, let’s work on your patronus then!” Potter said smiling. He looked as happy as children on christmas. “We could stay after the day here to practice.”
“You can come to my flat for dinner. I have a feeling that this will take some time and I can’t stay out late.”
“Alright. See you tonight, then.”
Dinner actually meant ordering pizza because Draco couldn’t cook. But the muggle pizzeria around the corner was pretty good and Harry seemed to have enjoyed his four slices so Malfoy wasn’t going to apologize. They talked about quidditch while they ate, about some news from their friends, nothing other than their usual pub nights’ subjects. And then Harry got up and asked if they should get started.
Draco was actually postponing the situation. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of Harry, and he knew there was no way trying to conjure a patronus was gonna help his case. He had tried to practice before, but he couldn’t get more than a quick faded-silver light out of his wand.
“So, the important part about this spell is a happy memory. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great wizard, if your wand is the most powerful or if you’re saying the words right. If you don’t get the happiest memory to produce the patronus, you won’t do it. So, try thinking of something happy.”
The memory Draco already had in mind was from his 11th birthday. He had received his Hogwarts letter just the week before, his father had bought him everything he wanted, his party had the most popular circus attractions of the year, the weather was perfect that day, the pastry was exquisite, everybody that had an important name was there and all his friends from the Sacred 28 would be talking about that party through their whole first year at school. But when he said the words, he got nothing from his wand. Nothing.
He took a deep breath and tried again. He thought about the day Antlia came to him. He wasn’t expecting it, so when his mother called him downstairs in the middle of the afternoon, the day after his birthday, he obeyed quite hesitantly, wondering what he had done wrong. But his Father was standing right in the middle of the living room, holding a baby puma in his arms. He remembered looking into her fierce blue eyes and holding the paw almost the same size of his hand. This time his wand emitted a long beam of silver light that lasted longer than ever before. But it didn’t last long enough.
He sighed, frustrated and sat down on the sofa, next to Harry, bringing his legs to his chest and hiding his face on his hands. He wanted to scream. And cry. And curse. And tell Harry to get out of there. But when he spoke he just sounded vulnerable and sad.
“I can’t do this shit.”
“Don’t be sad, we’ll get there.”
“I used the best memories I have. If these were not enough, I don’t have anything better.”
“You’ll remember something stronger, sometimes it’s just in the back of our minds.”
“No Death Eater was ever capable of casting a patronus charm. Well, except for Snape, but I’m nothing like him.”
“You are more than your Death Eater months, Draco.” Their eyes were staring into one another. The emerald ones were lovely and caring, and the blond had never heard his name being called with such kindness. “You’re so much better than that...”
And Draco almost believed that was true.
“I think you’re looking at it wrong.” Potter said sitting down on his sofa, on their third meeting. “This memory you chose…”
“It was my first summer home after Hogwarts. Father had just seen my grades and he called me to his office to say he was proud of me.”
“Weren’t you feeling proud as well? Wasn’t it more pride than happiness?”
“I was happy I had achieved something to be proud of!”
“Yea, but you gotta choose happy .”
“What’s the memory you use?”
“The first time I ever casted a corporeal patronus I was thinking about my godfather. He had just promised a life with him and I knew it meant a happy, comfortable, loving life with someone that truly loved and cared for me. I was so happy to be taken away from all the pain I’d been through and into something I knew was going to be good.”
“Is that what you still think about? Everytime you cast the spell?”
“No, I have other strong memories like that now. I have Teddy holding onto my finger and smiling at me. I have Sunday brunches at the Burrow.”
“But those sound so simple...”
“It’s not about being big. Hermione’s is the feeling she gets opening a new book for the first time, she loves the smell, the texture of the cover, the noise of her fingers brushing on the pages. She gets such a satisfaction out of it.” Draco absorbed Harry’s words, deeply, thoughtly, “Luna’s memory is her mom putting her to bed, with a goodnight kiss on her forehead.”
Malfoy looked confused. His eyes were focused on nothing in front of him, his mind looked distant, Harry doubted he had even heard what he was saying. But then, suddenly, he stood up.
“I got one.”
“Alright.” Potter smiled widely. “Let’s try it!”
Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He raised his wand and enunciated “Expecto Patronum”.
From his wand, there was a wisp of silvery light stronger and shinier than ever before. The shapeless patronus danced on the air slowly, shining so bright Harry almost couldn’t look at it. Draco kept the magic on for a couple of minutes, focused on his memory, focused on the light filling the entire room. And then he put it down.
“Alright,” the blond said, tired, sitting down on the floor, “I think it’s enough for the day.”
“You did so well, Draco.” Harry answered, smiling at him.
Harry didn’t ask because he didn’t want to sound nosy, but he went home wondering what was the memory Malfoy chose that had almost worked. These meetings had been tiring and frustrating so far, so to see Draco’s progress today, to think he almost understood what he needed to look for and to know he was a part of it, put a smile on Harry’s face bigger than he ever remembered smiling.
These meetings also gave him the chance to get to know Malfoy better. The slytherin thought that sharing the memories out loud made them stronger, so every time he’d choose one he’d share it with Potter and ask him what he thought. Although Harry was very happy to know Draco trusted him enough to confide in him such vulnerability, he always tried not to judge the memory itself, but only think about if Malfoy’s feeling on it was indeed happiness or if it was mixed with something else, such as pride or relief. Harry had realized the blond usually confused those three.
Harry had also noticed how focused Malfoy got when he was thinking deeply. He’d shut his mouth in a straight line, squint his eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. If Harry paid close attention, he could feel the energy of the room changing when the slytherin cast the spell. Actually, Potter could feel his magic everywhere around the flat, everytime they were really close to each other and every time they touched, even if it was for just a second. Harry loved that feeling. And he loved watching Draco work, even if it wasn’t on the patronus charm, he watched closely while the slytherin levitated the dishes from their dinners to the sink and enchanted the muggle objects to clean it up, and while he used his wand to move the furniture around so they could have more space to work. And even though Harry was enjoying himself, getting to know Malfoy also meant going home every night with his heart beating a little too fast and daydreaming about those grey eyes until he could fall asleep.
When Draco went to bed, shortly after Harry had left, he kept murmuring the spell under his breath and waving his wand on the air, while searching his memories for something stronger. He thought again about his 11th birthday party, but this time, he tried to be more specific. He remembered, as everybody sang happy birthday to you , his mum and dad each kissed one of his cheeks. He focused on the feeling of their lips on his blushed face, his smile getting bigger as he noticed they were both smiling too. Smiling at him and with him, on such an important day.
He remembered watching Antlia getting on his bed, walking around itself before finally laying down on his feet, blinking slowly at him right before falling asleep. He focused on how warm she was and how safe he felt with her right there. Draco remembered the first time he got on an actual broom on his backyard. He flew as high as he wanted to, as fast as he could, feeling the wind on his face, knowing it was messing his hair and not caring for a second.
He thought about one Christmas Eve when he sneaked downstairs in the middle of the night and opened all his gifts, he remembered the adrenaline, he remembered his cheeks hurting from smiling because he’d got what he’d wished for, and the excitement that kept him from falling asleep again. He thought about specific moments in which he felt cozy, or safe, or loved. About tiny moments when he felt like he could be whatever he wanted to be, like there were no strings at all keeping him from anything, before the war, before wrong choices, before he knew what regret meant. He tried to recap those memories with as many details as possible, until he would actual feel that happiness again. He tried really hard and, at some point during the night, he believed he saw, in the middle of a shining silver light, the face of an animal staring back at him.
Thursday night, Draco was sitting on his couch, reading a book, when Potter came through the floo. He tripped as he stepped into the living room, and Draco spoke without taking his eyes off his book, actually used to it by now, “one would think after coming here so many times you’d stop tripping on my fireplace.”
“Are you always this nice to your guests?”
“Just you.”
“I’m flattered.” Harry said, sitting down, dropping a bag at his feet.
“What do you want me to order for dinner today?” Draco asked, closing his book.
“Nothing. I’m cooking for you today.” Harry answered.
“You can cook?”
“Yup, quite well, might I add.” He said, proudly.
“But you don’t need to, aren’t you tired from training?”
“Nonsense, you buy us dinner every night. It’s about time I pay you back.” And if Harry might want to impress the blond, well, that’s just a bonus.
“Hm… You’re gonna try to poison me, aren’t you?” Draco said, in a fake suspicious tone.
“Guess you’ll find out soon.” Harry winked, getting up. “C’mon, let’s go to the kitchen.”
“Wait, but I don’t have any food for you to cook.”
Harry picked up the bag he’d brought with him and shook it in front of Draco. “No worries, I thought about it all.”
“Wow, you can actually think?”
“Careful or I might actually poison you!”
“You wouldn’t.” Draco said, getting up.
“Don’t try me.” Harry smiled. He looked at Draco. “By the way, you look cute.” He smirked, and started walking to the kitchen, heart beating a little bit faster. And if Draco was blushing, it was simply because of that warming spell he’d cast two hours ago.
“Thank you?”
“You’re welcome, Draco.” Harry actually winked. Oh dear god, was he feeling audacious today!
“Can I help?” The blond asked, sitting on his counter, while Harry started to take things out of his bag and displaying them in front of Draco. He opened cabinets and drawers looking for everything he needed, as if he was at his own home, and Malfoy merely stared, fascinated by how the gryffindor owned the kitchen. He gasped when Harry put some carrots, bell peppers and a big knife he didn’t even know he had in front of him.
“Can you cut these?”
Draco raised an eyebrow at him, “Can’t you use magic to do it?”
“I don’t cook with magic.”
“Aren’t you a damn wizard?”
“But then what would be the fun in it?” He winked. Again. Was Potter flirting?
“I don’t know how to do it the muggle way...” Draco admitted, after a couple of minutes pondering the knife.
“That’s alright.” Potter got around the counter and behind him. For a moment Draco thought he was going to hug him, but he held his hands on the counter. With the left, Potter positioned the blond's fingers correctly so as not to risk cutting them, and with the right he held his hand over the knife. "Just like this," he murmured, so close to his ear that Draco could smell his mint breath. The Slytherin felt his whole body shiver and he could have sworn his face was red. "Got it?" He heard Harry's voice ask, snapping him back to reality.
"Yea, I guess so."
"Okay." Harry said, walking away. Draco almost moaned in frustration, the lack of heat from the Gryffindor's body now making the room seem freezing. He didn’t move. “Hm, aren’t you gonna cut the vegetables?”
That made Draco snap back to reality. “Oh yeah, right, the vegetables. I was, hm… thinking… about Robards. Yes, I was thinking about Robards.” He picked up the knife and started doing as Harry taught him.
Harry laughed. “You were thinking about Robards while I’m right here?” He said, in fake disappointment.
“What?” Draco was a bumbling mess. Keep it together, Malfoy, keep it together. “No it’s hm, training. Today’s training. Felt like he was specially strict with me. I mean he always acts like that but...” He wasn’t about to admit he was thinking of how it’d felt to have Potter’s body right behind him, how nice the touch had felt, how warm. Besides, he was actually upset about this.
Harry stopped what he was doing, putting down a spoon, and looked at him. “Oh yeah, you’re right. He’s always been somewhat of an asshole to you.”
“No but I get it. I kind of brought it upon myself, so…”
“Listen, what you did, what we all did, that’s in the past. Yes, you might’ve made some wrong choices, but I’m sure you had your motives and, besides, I’m not even sure it was actually your choice. Voldemort,” Draco took a deep breath at hearing that name, “he’s the one that’s to blame for all that happened. The past is in the past, and I’ve told you before, you’re so much more than those months. Plus, it’s been three fucking years, it’s time people move on and leave you the fuck alone.”
Draco felt so warm inside. “Thank you, for putting it all behind. It actually means a lot, coming from you. I always treated you quite badly in school.”
“Well, I’m certainly not arguing with that.” He laughed. He picked up the spoon again, to stir the food. “You were an absolute fucking asshole, Draco Malfoy,” he turned his head to look at the slytherin, and pointed the spoon at him, “but, I have to admit, it’s been great to get to know you better. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re still an asshole,” Draco fake gasped, “but you’re a rather lovely one.” And then Draco actually gasped, because what the actual fuck is up with Potter today? Harry smiled and they went back to cooking, working in silence, until the food was ready.
“Dinner is served!” Harry said, laying two plates on the counter and sitting in front of Draco.
“Merlin,” Malfoy gasped, after taking a bite “we could be eating this every night for dinner but you let me go around ordering take away food, Potter?”
“Is that a compliment to my food?”
“Is that a compliment?!” Draco took another bite, moaning as he chewed. Harry laughed, taking that as an yes.
Dinner was eaten silently, because Malfoy was too hungry and focused on the amazing food Harry cooked for him to bother speaking. And because Harry took immense pleasure on watching him.
“Why do you always look so focused?”
“What do you mean?” Draco picked up his napkin and brought it to his lips.
“I don’t know, it’s just, you always have this look on your face, like you’re extremely concentrated. I thought it was just when you’re working or using magic, but you were eating and you had that look on your face just now.”
“Have you been watching me?” Draco smirked.
Harry blushed. “Perhaps.” He smiled. Draco wasn’t expecting that.
“Oh hm… I don’t know, I didn’t even know I did that. No one’s ever noticed before, or if they did they never told me…”
“It’s quite cute. You look adorable.” And it was Draco’s turn to blush. They stared at each other for a moment. Draco was still trying to will his cheeks to go back to their natural pale colour, and Potter felt like he’d already extinguished all his gryffindor courage for today. Truth was Draco actually looked gorgeous. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to him. Ever since they’d started hanging out with their friends, Harry had started to notice him. His laugh, the way he sat - always so upright, like he spent hours every day trying to better his posture -, his sarcastic remarks whenever Harry said something, the way he’d smile and how he was always so caring with Pansy. And Draco was bloody handsome. Seeing him on the dance floor, his usual neat blond hair getting all messy, blue eyes shining from the alcohol and the bright lights of the pub, always left Harry thinking about how gorgeous he looked and how his pants had suddenly shrunk. Harry woke up from his thoughts, realizing they’d been staring at each other for a few minutes.
“Alright,” Harry said, looking away, “should we get to work?”
“I actually have something to show you,” Draco answered with a big smile, intriguing the gryffindor. They got up and moved the furniture around to open more space and Harry stepped back to watch as Malfoy got his wand in position.
When he said the words, a silver light flew from his wand immediately.
Harry looked attentively as Draco did the spell. They both watched as the light started gaining form. They saw the beginning of what looked like a paw stepping on the ground, followed by another. They extended into a body and two other paws. They watched entranced as the animal stepped in between them. Harry took a step back as two bright light blue eyes stared fiercely at him, her fur so silvery bright it was almost blinding.
“A puma.” He murmured. The animal took a step forward. It looked glorious, wild and fierce. Much like Draco. “Obviously.”
Draco stared at his patronus. He’d finally done it. He lowered his wand, and watched as the animal disappeared. Draco could do nothing but smile.
“How did you do it?” Harry gasped. He felt immensely proud.
“I was thinking of it all wrong.” Draco said. “I was not only not really getting happy memories, but struggling on finding what was indeed happy. And the thing is: Dementors are not sadness, that’s all they leave behind, but they’re actually darkness, and you don’t confront darkness with happiness. You do so with love.”
“So what was the memory you chose?”
“You.” Draco answered quietly. “I chose you.”
Harry smiled without even noticing, he walked closer without thinking, his whole mind was fuzzing, his heart was beating way too fast and he was sure he was blushing furiously. But the thing is Malfoy was having pretty much the same side effects. They were on the same page for once and with that in mind, Harry cut all the remaining distance that was still left between them and pressed their lips together.
Draco answered immediately to the kiss, he ran one of his hands through Potter’s messy hair and brought him closer by his waist with the other. He felt the gryffindor melt in his embrace and moan into the kiss, completely defeated, which made Draco smile. When did he think this would actually happen? But here he was, kissing Harry Freakin’ Potter in the most voracious, insatiable, lovely way. They were soon out of breath and so, when they had to pull apart, their foreheads leaned on each other and Harry lightly brushed his nose on the slytherin’s.
Draco slowly opened his eyes to those bright emerald ones and to that smile that made Malfoy feel like he was everything that mattered in the entire world. He felt happy, like he’d never felt before. And so, Draco thought that that view right there would be the perfect memory to produce the patronus charm from now on.