Healing

The Stag and the Ferret

Harry gripped Draco's shoulders and turned him so they faced each other, they were barely a foot apart and Draco could see flecks of hazel and dark forest green in Harry's eyes and he wanted to reach out and brush back his hair from his forehead and run his finger along that zig-zag scar. He saw how Harry's jaw clenched when he swallowed and Draco held his breath.

'Don't give up, Draco, you're not beaten yet,' Harry spoke softly, his breath warm on Draco's lips and Draco had to stop himself from closing his eyes. He wanted, so much, to know how that stubble would feel against his lips. He stepped away, turning slightly.

'Show me, Harry,' Draco whispered. 'I want to feel how you do it.'

Harry stepped closer to him, his chest brushing Draco's arm. 'Hold my wand hand,' his breath grazed against Draco's ear sending a chill through Draco. Harry wasn't holding his wand. Draco wanted to run before he reacted. He had vowed to himself he would wait for Harry to make the first move, he would not push the man or, Merlin forbid, repeat the previous weekend's mistake. He would wait until Harry was ready. And now, in this close proximity, he wasn't sure if he could control his heart beat and stop himself from turning around to Harry, from utterly closing the slight distance between them.

He tentatively reached out and placed his hand on top of Harry's, hoping the man would not feel the quiver in his touch. He felt overwhelmed by the smell of Harry, the smell of Quidditch fields and leather gloves and broom polish, the smell of pine trees, the smell of vanilla. He closed his eyes briefly, locking the sensation, the moment, into his memories forever. He felt Harry watching him and opened his eyes, turning to look into those emerald eyes that seemed to hold Draco's fate at their centre.

'Ready?' Harry asked, a slight smile curved on his lips and Draco wondered if he knew exactly what effect he was having. He wondered if Harry felt it too.

'Ready,' Draco breathed.

'Expecto Patronum,' Harry spiralled his hand.

The silver mist sprang from Harry's fingertips and Draco shivered as he felt the magic erupt. And then his eyes widened. The power grew and Harry was circling his hand and the mist formed into a Stag which leapt and ran between the columns of the enormous room, illumination the greyness around it with a soft haze of silver-white light. It twisted and turned and its soft, silver light that burned with vigour around its heart from the potency of Harry's spell and the intensity of the moment. Draco wanted to laugh in delight as it circled to the two men, stopping briefly to look at them before bounding away again. And as it did, Harry circled his hand again and the form changed and shrank. The stag became a ferret that gambolled around them, and Herbert squeaked and leapt to join the silver shadow that played at their feet until it gradually faded and disappeared.

'I don't know whether to thump you or be in awe of you, hug you or hate you. You can change the form of your Patronus?'

Harry pulled his hand away from Draco's grip and stepped away. Suddenly the room felt colder. 'Yes, it is possible, Remus could do it too, when he needed to disguise himself, obviously it was dangerous for his Patronus to reveal his true nature.'

'But a ferret ... you had to choose a ferret!'

Harry laughed, 'what did you want, a dragon?'

'It would be a bit more manly.'

'Perhaps I happen to like ferrets. Now, are you going to try again?'

'Is that a compliment?'

'Yes, now try again.'

'I just don't know if I can do it.'

'Well, the two memories you used, combine them, use the combined projection of both positive feelings.'

'Do you know what I imagined? Could you see the images in my mind?'

'Yes.'

'Oh. I'm not sure how to take that comment. Can you see stuff like that all the time?'

'No, I think it was because we were touching and we were both focusing on you doing this. The shared sentiments were just very strong in those few seconds between us.'

'Oh,' Draco shuddered and was somewhat relieved, though he reflected about the desire that had been coursing through his body and wondered whether Harry had felt that too. 'Right.' He refocused his mind, he thought of the emotions connected with the two memories, the laughter, holding grandpa's hand, the broom and the first true feelings of flying. 'Expecto Patronum!'

Nothing happened.

'Let me try something,' Harry said, stepping back towards Draco. 'It feels like the magic is blocked, like it's there but there's a barrier stopping it from leaving.'

He held Draco's wand hand once more. 'Try again.'

Draco focused again. 'Expecto Patronum.'

He felt it, he felt the rush, the tingle as the magic trickled through his fingers and through his wand. It was a different kind of magic. It was his, it belonged to him, yet he could feel a push of something else, of Harry behind his magic. It was more powerful than anything he'd ever achieved before and it felt wonderful. He closed his eyes trying to hold onto the feeling, the way it crept under his skin and through his blood. He heard Harry chuckle lightly beside him. And then the feeling was gone.

'Did it ... did it work?' He stumbled through his words, his knees felt weak and suddenly he needed to sit down.

'You produced a wisp; I knew it was there. Next time it will be stronger.' And Harry rooted in his pocket and pulled out some more chocolate. 'Eat up, then we need to get you back to the room.'

Draco staggered slightly as he took a step forward, overwhelmed by the feeling of utter exhaustion and without realising how it happened, Harry's arm was around him and Draco was leaning into the other man for support.

'Thank you,' he whispered. He felt as if he could sleep on his feet, apart from his skin felt alive where Harry held him firmly and he never wanted that feeling to end. He leaned further into the man as they made their way back to the year-eight dorms with Herbert chattering on Harry's shoulder and Draco barely keeping his eyes open.

'What have you done to me?' he asked as Harry helped him onto his bed. 'I feel drunk, only sober, or like I have the flu but with a clear head.'

'It's the influence of my magic and the exhaustion of trying to do that spell combined. It will get easier. It's just like exercising, your training specific memory muscles to behave in certain ways. Think of it this way, I'm teaching you how to run a marathon, normally you would start by building up to run for three miles, instead I've just made you run ten miles but I've supported you for part of it. I told you its ridiculously advanced. So, my magic has only served to break a hole in the barriers that were stopping you, so that you could release the power needed to cast the spell. I've shown them how so, going forward, now they have that memory in them. You will remember next time and now you will find it easier.'

'Thank you, I think,' Draco murmured. His eyes already closed, his mind already drifting into sleep, and his hand loosening its grip of Harry's arm where he has been holding it tightly.