Drarry || One Shots

Patronuses And Presumptions

"No", he said. "Just curiosity. Did you know one's Patronus can change for someone they are meant to be with?" And here there was a trace of bitterness into his voice. "What rubbish."

Harry looked at him funnily.

"It's not rubbish. It's true!"

"As if."

"I'm serious! I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Coincidence."

"Do you really believe in those?"

"You are such a dreamer, Potter."

"What's wrong with that?"

And then there was silence. Harry thought the discussion had taken a turn he most certainly didn't like and was upset with himself for driving the blond further away.

"I'm sorry", Draco exhaled and relaxed. "I get irritated when people talk about these blasted things."

And Harry was very happy because he felt like it was a big deal for the blond to even admit that.

"I've noticed."

"Have you really?"

Harry shrugged.

"It's not that hard to tell." If you stare at someone as much as I stare at you, he supplied in his mind. "It's alright, though, you know? Not being able to cast one."

Draco rolled his eyes fondly.

"You all keep saying."

×××

It wasn't long after their talk, a week maybe, week in which Harry kept dropping subtle hints that he would be more than willing to teach Draco to which the blond would respond with a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head, that Harry found himself wandering the halls of Hogwarts late at night again.

Even though it got better in time, he still couldn't rest well. Some nights it was just troubled sleep, others, nightmares he still recalled freshly the next day, and many days after, and other nights he would just wake up and lie in bed, waiting for sleep to take him. It was then that he favoured a nighttime stroll around the castle, or maybe to the lake or the edges of the forest.

Today, though, there was something different. After a particularly vivid dream of cupboards and hissing sounds, he felt too claustrophobic to stay in the castle, surrounded by walls wherever he went and too vulnerable to stay out in the open field, so the forest it was.

He never ventured far, only deep enough so he wouldn't be seen, but close enough to see the light from Hagrid's hut. It gave him a certain kind of comfort and just a light thrill of danger. He knew no beast came this close to the school and yet he was still crossing restricted territory, dangerous territory. Thoughts like this made him, very strangely, forget about the nightmares long enough.

He thought of seating himself at the trunk of a tree and lay there until he felt sleepy enough to go to bed again, but he was restless and so decided a walk was better suited. He took deep, calming breaths, feeling the tension from his shoulders slowly melt away and he was suddenly reminded of how he lay on the ground, not far from there, dead and then not, only a few months prior and, strangely, he felt a sort of calmness he hadn't felt in a long time, at the reminder of the peaceful nothingness from back then. But he wasn't dead and he was glad he wasn't, despite the dark wishes that sometimes clouded his mind before he had the actual experience. He had things to enjoy in life. A family, a future, friends, Draco.

Draco. He suddenly wished the boy was there with him. It would have made it easier to breathe, Harry knows, easier to close his eyes, maybe easier to forget under feather light touches and honeyed kisses he only ever allowed himself to dream of. Closing his eyes, he imagined that instead of the chilly wind, a warm body was pressed to his chest, his arms wrapped around narrow hips and soft, white hair tickling his nose as he inhaled that strikingly familiar scent mixed with the freshness of the forest and night air.

Reluctant as he was to open his eyes to see only the peaceful darkness of the night, he stayed like that for a bit longer, just enjoying the dream. But when he did open his eyes, eventually, it was, unexpectedly, to a soft, blue light illuminating the tree trunks in a ferric way and he was suddenly overwhelmed by a well known feeling of safety he knew better than anything came from a patronus. And it was such a soothing feeling that Harry was taken aback and wondered for a moment how was it possible for someone else's patronus to have such a powerful effect on him. He briefly thought he might have cast it unknowingly, and when he got closer and saw the silver stag between the trees, he was sure he did.

That until he noticed the little differences. It's antlers were softer, lacking the sharp edges of Harry's stag and it was smaller. In terms of zoology, if it's rules could be applied to patronuses, Harry could have said it was younger than his own. But the biggest difference which Harry came to acknowledge with a violent throb of his heart, was Draco Malfoy, who gazed at the silvery wisp of light from a few good feet away, half swallowed by the darkness, as though he was shielding himself from the one thing he created to protect himself . And the look on his face was one of such sadness that Harry was too absorbed to immediately process what he had in front of his eyes.

And the realisation hit him like a truck, all of a sudden and package deal with an impulsive reaction, in old Gryffindor fashion. So really, should he have been surprised when his feet stumbled forward on their own accord and the words came tumbling from his mouth.

"It's a stag." And if it weren't for the shock still fresh in his head, maybe Harry would have found it in himself to be embarrassed at how stupidly dense he sounded. Maybe.

Draco jerked visibly when he took notice of his company and Harry could see the lines on his face twist in agony as he dreadfully realised the position he was in. His hands started shaking and fear settled in the pit of his stomach heavily, glinting in his silver eyes. But Harry couldn't see him anymore for the stag had come forward and curiously approached the new presence, stepping away from Draco in the action, thing that left the blond standing in almost complete darkness.

Harry's heart was pounding furiously and happily in his chest as he looked at the creature in wonder. But with the flick of a wand held between trembling fingers, the stag was gone and they were left with only darkness between them. Draco wanted to run away, but his feet wouldn't move. Not even when Harry started walking towards him. He closed his eyes shut, waiting and accepting whatever was to come, be it a punch, or a hex, or even Sectumsempra again. He would take it because he knew he could never lift a hand against the man in front of him again.

He felt the tear that escaped his closed eyelids, ticklish and wet as it rolled down his cheek and he also felt the gentle hand that wiped it away, slowly and carefully.

He opened his eyes.

And the green of Harry's eyes was so vibrant in the faint moonlight that Draco failed to notice that they weren't angry and murderous like he thought they would be, but rather gentle and loving. It was only when the hand caressing his cheek moved to join the other one on his waist, pulling him flush against the warm, vibrating body that his breath caught in his throat and his heart did a flip and then seemed to just stop.

"I-" He wanted to curse himself for not being able to form a single sentence, but with the way Harry was smiling at him he was surprised he was even standing on his own two feet. But then he realized that must have been Harry's arms, warm and steady on his back, holding him in place. "I thought you wouldn't ever want to see me again", he said, voice cracking at the end.

Harry's grip only grew tighter around his waist.

"I also thought you would have hexed me bruised if you ever found out about my feelings", the brunet said, his eyes dancing with amusement. "And yet here we are."

And Draco knew, when he saw that boyish grin light Harry's face in a way that shouldn't have been so adorable, that that was all he could fucking take. And when their lips crashed together hungrily, when his fingers slipped through soft, messy hair and his name rolled whispered from Harry's lips between kisses he also knew he would be flaunting his patronus for the whole school to see the next day and for the rest of his life.