Hello my favorite people in the world!!! I'm soooo sorry I haven't been updating in forever! I've had writers block on EVERYTHING I am writing right now. I hope you like this...I really do... I really hope it's good...maybe...I don't know. So instead of wanting reviews, I really NEED them to understand if my writing still sucks and still need to get out of my writers' block. So please please please review, you will feel good the rest of your day I swear ;). Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! and a million other holidays!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did... well let's just say, A LOT of things would be different...
Draco P.O.V.:
Chapter 9
"How are you feeling?"
"A little freaked."
"About what?"
"That they won't accept me." I blush as the words tumble from my mouth faster than I can stop them.
"Hermione and Ron are going to explain them…"
"Explain them…what exactly?"
"Well, just that you'll be coming. They say we'll have to do the rest."
"And you're ready to do that?"
"You'll be doing it too!"
"Me? You're the Gryffindor!"
"What?"
"You're the courageous one!"
"Well…not about this."
I'm quiet for a second. "You—you're scared too?"
"Er…yeah. I'm scared shitless."
I smile at him. "Brilliant," I say and kiss him softly on the lips. "Then it's the perfect time to go in, isn't it?" I say clapping my hands. "Er…how do we do that exactly?" He's explained to me that the Room of Requirement can fill almost any need, and we've used the room before, but I'm not exactly sure how to actually get in there myself.
Harry smiles. "You just walk back and forth in front of the wall here while thinking: 'I need the headquarters for Dumbledore's Army. I need the headquarters for Dumbledore's Army,'."
I take a deep breath, bracing myself for the crowd awaiting us within the room. I grab my trunk that I had snuck out of the Slytherin Common Room earlier that day, and with the other hand I take Harry's. We commence walking back in forth in front of the wall. I need the headquarters for Dumbledore's Army. I need the headquarters for Dumbledore's Army.
The door appears and Harry lets go of my hand to open it.
As soon as we enter, the entire room drops to a dead silence.
Everyone stares at me holding my trunk, except for that Luna girl, who's staring at the ceiling. It's so quiet it's as if no one is breathing.
After at time that feels as long as several centuries, one of the Weasley twins, I can never tell them apart, says, "Well, don't all everyone ask at once, he won't be able to hear all of us."
A couple people laugh nervously, just for something to do, because the comment was not especially funny. I thank Fred/George mentally for breaking the ice.
Then Longbottom looks at Harry and asks, "What exactly is going on, then, Harry?"
Harry shuffles his feet and then looks up at all of them.
"Well…" he clears his throat, "Draco—Mal—Draco is going to be joining the DA. And he's got his trunk because he's moving out of the Slytherin Common room into the Room of Requirement."
Now everybody really does start talking at once. I catch snippets: "Draco? Why are you saying 'Draco', Harry?" "The DA! But he's on HIS side!" "He's moving OUT of the Slytherin Common Room?"
"Everyone, shut up!" Ron yells. The questions stop and Ron says, "Let Harry continue." He looks at Harry. "Go on, Mate."
Harry nods his head. "Yes, well…Draco has always been against the beliefs of Voldemort and of his family. And now…he wishes to fight back." He looks at me and smiles with adulation, "And I'm so proud of him for making that decision."
A young Gryffindor opens his mouth, but Ron glares at him and he shuts it again.
Harry continues, "As many of you can guess, being in the Slytherin Common Room could be dangerous for him now. So we went to Dumbledore and he suggested the Room of Requirement."
"What's it to you, Harry?" A Gryffindor fifth year calls out, "Why are you all of a sudden just…helping him, Malfoy, with no questions at all?"
Harry looks at Hermione who gives him an encouraging nod. But Harry seems to have lost his ability to speak so I jump in, surprising myself.
"Because…" Everyone looks to me, "Because… we're together. He loves me and…I…I do too. And we trust each other." A few people wear confused or astonished expressions and some people's eyes are moving back and forth from Harry to myself like they're trying to picture it.
"Is this a joke?" someone asks. I look over to a group of Ravenclaws and see Cho, Harry's ex-girlfriend, and her friend. Her friend is shaking her head in disbelief.
"Er…no, it's not a joke," Harry says and tentatively puts his hand in mine.
"But…but…" she stutters and looks at Cho, "But you were…"
"Um, Harry's already told me," Cho says softly and looks to Harry.
"You mean you already knew? You already knew you're ex-boyfriend, Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived is nothing more than a…f-fag?"
The word brings another silence to the room. Then, Hermione looks at her and says, "Don't EVER use that disgusting word." Her face is red with anger; I have never seen her as furious as she is at this moment. The entire room turns to look at Cho's friend.
"Who CARES if Harry is gay?" the other Weasley twin says and is followed by a chorus of "Yeahs!"
"It doesn't change who he is!" A Gryffindor girl says smiling at Harry.
Cho's friend stutters gaping at everyone, "Er..okay, but what about him? Malfoy! Doesn't anyone else find that absolutely absurd?"
I look down at my shoes, ashamed that the words of this silly girl could hurt me.
"There's no stopping attraction," Luna says speaking up for the first time and everyone nods in agreement. I literally sink with happiness at the acceptance. Looking at Harry I can see he's grateful for the reaction as well.
Then, Cho says, "And if you do think that, I think you better leave." Her friend gapes at her in disbelief and then, without another word, makes her way for the door and leaves the room in a shocked stupor. The room then turns its attention to Cho, awaiting her reaction. Cho looks at the door her friend has just departed through and then she looks at Harry.
"Of course I'm staying, Harry!" she says in response to everyone's unasked questions.
"Thanks, Cho," Harry says sighing in relief. He squeezes my hand. Hermione looks at her best friend and you can tell she is melting with joy.
"But Mal— Draco," Longbottom starts. I look at him and he continues, "I thought you didn't like groups like this. How in the world did Harry get you to come?"
At that the twins burst out laughing and shortly thereafter the rest of the room understands their outburst and join in. A look of comprehension finally dawns on Longbottom's face and he blushes tomato red. "No! I didn't mean it that way!"
Harry and I start laughing.
"Well," Harry says, "I can be very persuasive." The room laughs harder.
"He just hooks on and never lets go!" One of the twins adds and finally, Longbottom has to laugh. Ron clears his throat after awhile and says, "So, Harry, are you ready to begin tonight's lesson?"
"Er, yeah!" Harry says and lets go of my hand to get his wand. I go and stand with the other people to have a better view of Harry.
"Today, we will be learning how to produce a Patronus Charm. Now, as I expect all of you know, a Patronus is used to ward of dementors."
"But all the dementors are guarding Azkaban!" pipes up a tiny Gryffindor.
"Most of them are, but some of them have turned their allegiance over to Lord Voldemort. I myself was attacked this summer when I was out with my muggle cousin, Dudley."
The others nodded in remembrance of the story.
"Now, the spell is one thing. 'Expecto Patronum.' But the real key to a good performance is to think of a happy memory and apply that as you cast the charm." With that, Harry lifts his wand, points to his right and says, "Expecto Patronum!" A humongous stag bursts from the end of his wand and prances throughout the room followed by "oohs" and "ahs" from the DA members.
"Okay," Harry says, "Let's pair off to practice." People quickly make their way over to their friends. I stand there a little awkwardly when Luna looks me in the eye.
"Would you like to work with me and Neville?" she asks in a dreamy voice.
"Er…yes. Thanks," I say. Harry looks at me and smiles. I return it.
"I think I'll try first," Luna says and whips her wand smoothly out from the inside of her sleeve.
"Hmm…" she says as she screws up her face in concentration. "Expecto Patronum!" she says. A faint wisp of silver spurts from the tip of her wand.
"Ooh, look! Something happened!" she coos.
"Well done, Luna!" Harry says coming up behind her.
"Why, thank you, Harry!" Luna beams.
"Now, we just need to make it a little stronger," Harry says, "Try clinging a little harder to your happy memory and push it to the tip of your wand as the happiness fills up your entire body. Try it again."
Luna closes her eyes fro a second and when she opens them again, they are bright with happiness at her memory as she shouts, "Expecto Patronum!" This time, a rabbit Patronus takes flight from the tip of her wand. Everyone stops practicing to look at Luna's Patronus.
"Excellent, Luna!" Harry says smiling.
"Well, you're a fantastic teacher," Luna beams at Harry.
"Thanks, Luna. Neville, how about you give it a try?"
"Er…okay," Longbottom stutters. He lifts his wand tentatively and says, "Expecto Patronum." Nothing happens.
"I'm trying, Harry."
"Yeah, I understand Neville, it's okay." It's then I remember Neville must have trouble finding happy memories. Bellatrix made sure of that. I feel a sense of resentment fall over me for all the things Aunt Bella has done.
I notice the three of them are now starting at me.
"Oh, sorry, what?" I ask them.
"It you're turn to try, Draco," Luna says.
"Oh…er…okay." I try to remember the spell as Harry's expectant gaze rests on me. As Harry looks at me, my feelings for him overwhelm me as they rush to all ends of my body. I feel so lucky to be here right now. Doing something worthwhile. With Harry. The last couple days flash inside my mind. Detention. The Room of Requirement. The bathroom. And then, most thrilling and myserious,… the floating. I raise my wand and shout, "Expecto Patronum!"
That's it for now! You like it? You love it? You hate it? You hate it with a burning passion? Is my writing back? So...Draco's patronous, do you guys know what it is?? Because I sure do! You can guess...in your detailed review of course, and I promise as a reward I will read and review a story of yours, and send it to three people to read as well!!! 3 how that for a treat! 3 you all! ActorPotter
