❝ he and i are closer than friends, we are enemies linked together, the same sin binds us ❞ | in which lilium snape is bound to harry potter by fate, destined to stand on either side of a war that will soon be waged. she is cursed by prophecy, or so...
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ACT THREE, chapter forty—four : your mind was made of magic, now it's ugly and diseased
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The last lesson before the Yule holiday (with Neville having managed a successful 'Expelliarmus' along with everyone else), Harry decided it was time for everyone to try out the Patronus. Lili would've literally preferred anything but. So, after her boyfriend's instructions were over, she drifted away from the Golden Quartet to a quiet corner to work on her Reducto on the test dummy in peace until suddenly—
"What're you doing?"
Lili startled, whipping round to find Harry standing curiously just behind her. It also occurred to her that they were now standing together under some Mistletoe, something that Luna would say was probably full of Nargles.
Smirking, casual, Harry wondered, "You're not going to try the Patronus Charm?"
"Oh. Well." Her cheeks were flushed pink (how humiliating). "I've tried before."
Harry blinked, shocked. "When?"
Oh Merlin, she didn't want to discuss this.
"Third Year. When you were learning from Lupin, I read a book and tried... It didn't work."
They said that Death Eaters couldn't conjure a Patronus, that it required Light magic and there was not enough goodness in those Marked with the Dark Lord's symbol to ever cast such a thing. She wondered if he knew that. She wasn't sure how to tell him.
Harry's hand brushed hers and he gave her a sympathetic but serious nod, "Yea, well. Third Year was a bit sh—t. It had to be sort of hard to think of any happy memories when you'd just been kidnapped, tortured, and found out your mum was a bloody fugitive. Maybe what you need is a more... personal... lesson."
Desperate to distract herself from her inevitable failure, Lili teased, "Oh, really?"
"Really." Harry smirked, jostling his shoulder with hers, "In exchange for all those potions lessons you've given me."
She heaved a long—suffering sigh, though the somewhat amused glint in her eye did rather give her away. "Fine. How do you cast the spell, then, Professor Potter?"
Her boyfriend's smirk widened into a full—blown grin. "Well, since you asked so politely, Miss Snape, it does take a lot practise, but the key is to choose a memory — the happiest you have — and focus on it while you cast. Patronuses come from our joy, that's what makes it able to fight off the Dementors."
