midnight of the masquerade | d. malfoy

twenty - four ; prize

Alana

    I sit beside Hermione and Liv as we take notes. Hermione then notices that Snape's distracted and nudges me, "D.A meeting tonight."

I nod and get back to writing. I wonder what we'll be doing this time. Harry said that we'll be getting on to the Patronus charm soon, I hope that's today. I saw him once perform a full-body Patronus in year 3 when I had to go with them 'back in time'. I think his is a stag. I wonder what mine will be...

    "Expecto Patronum!" Trials of the Patronus charm were on-going around the room. I tried a few times but it didn't work.

After time, I see a few animals fly around. My friends that've joined; who are Marion, Celeste, and Drea have gotten their Patronuses. Those were the only ones I knew of so far who've conjured a full body patronus. Marion had a robin, Celeste had a leopard, Drea had a dolphin. I was still trying but it didn't happen. Until...

I thought of Draco, and this morning up until the Great Hall. The kiss, the hand-holding, the laughing. All of it. "Expecto Patronum!" That's when it came out. Everyone turned because it flew all across the room. A Pheonix. But there was something very different about this. It had the size of a giant and it filled the room. I heard someone call it out as I watch it soared above everyone, then it came back to me and disappeared.

    "That was bloody brilliant Alana." Celeste says as she throws her arm around my shoulders.

    Then Hermione came over to me and looked at me, surprised more than happy. "How did you do that?"

"What do you mean? You did it too." I say sarcastically.

    She shakes her head and walked closer, "No. How did you make it so..." She tried to find a word. "Giant?"

"Is that not normal?"

    "Ally. That Pheonix took up the whole room. Even more so in fact but the ceiling was too low. Only one person is known to have conjured a patronus that big."

"Who? Harry?" I say looking as he shakes his head.

    "I can't remember the name. It was in the book; Famous Greek Wizards." She paces tapping her finger on her chin. People looked at her as if she was crazy. Typical Hermione. "Oh I remember!" She says turning back to me. "Andros the Invincible was a celebrated Ancient Greek wizard who reportedly, was able to conjure a patronus of giant size. The only Patronus of such size ever recorded..." Hermione looks at me confused, and so does everyone else.

"Is it important?" I ask trying to lighten the mood.

    "Of course it is Alana!"

"Why?" I knew I sounded dumb but I wasn't quite sure what was even happening.

    "I don't know but it feels important." She then takes my wand and looks at it carefully.

"Hey! Give it-"

    "What's the wood?" She asks twisting it around.

"Hazel." I decided to tell her what she wanted.

    "Core?"

"I believe Dragon Heartstring now give my-"

    "This isn't dragon, Alana. We need to go to Ollivander's."

"Hermione! Do you hear yourself? It's just a wand and a patronus. You're being ridiculous about all this." I snatch my wand back and I see everyone's still surrounding us. "Besides, Ollivander said himself that is the core. I trust him." I get my bag and slouch it over my shoulder. "Now, I'm going. I don't want to be caught by the Inquisitorial Squad." I left knowing that everyone stared at me. It wasn't my fault! There's nothing special about my wand. Is there?

"Salazar." I say to the portrait. It swings open and I'm not surprised to see Draco.

    "Hey," he says smiling to see that it's me.

I wave but don't say anything. I'm still a bit irritated. I throw my bag on the couch but go to sit on his lap, he didn't mind. "Hermione's being..." I pause. "Hermione again."

    He laughs at me and brings me closer by my waist. "And this is unusual?"

I shake my head before leaning it in the crook of his neck, "No. But this time she's saying how my-" I stop myself. He's in the Inquisitorial Squad oh Merlin.

    "How your what?" He asks looking confused.

"Never mind." I'm glad he pushes it away because he didn't ask me anything else about it for a while.

    "So where were you?"

Oh great. The question I least needed at this moment. Lie to him. Do it. "I was with my friends outside. Just hanging out." Oh god that hurt lying.

    He doesn't push it and looks down on me. "I really want to kiss you right now."

I lift my head from him but don't get up, "Um... What?" I wasn't even sure he said what I thought.

    He shakes his head and face palms himself. "I didn't mean to say that, I-"

Then I collide our lips together. It was slow at first, but it deepened. It's passionate yet made me feel protected. Adrian's kisses were always rough; nothing like this. I decided to tease him so I broke it off and put my hand over his mouth, stopping him. "There's your prize." I say getting off him and taking bag. I walk to the staircase but he calls for me.

    "You continue to amuse me." He smirks.

I roll my eyes and walk up, "You continue to sit in my arm chair."