Expecto Patronum!

Fifth Year

"Okay everybody gather round!" Harry called dodging a few stray spells. He glared toward the source but then continued with anew excitement. "We´re changing tactics for a while. As most of you know, Professor Lupin taught me how to cast the Patronus Charm on my third year." A collective gasp ran through the people around him and he rolled his eyes. "Yes, not a big deal guys. Today, I'm gonna teach you how to produce one yourselves. It has proven to be useful in times, and I believe it´s be rather fun to try."

There was a round of claps and excited cheers. Draco rolled his eyes, but he was smiling happily. His eyes went across the room to where Eva was standing. She looked so at ease, so relaxed, compared to the entire week gone by. She´d somehow managed to get herself in trouble, no surprise there, and earned a week of detention with Umbridge. He´d seen her come back to the common room at very late hours, with tear-stains on her face. Merlin knows what that woman did to her, she never wanted to tell Draco about it. She said that telling him would only make things unnecessarily worse, and it made his blood boil. Right now though, she seemed much better.

She caught him staring, and grinned, making a beeline towards him.

"Exciting isn't it?" She beamed, once she had made it to his side. Draco embraced her and kissed the top of her hair. She couldn´t stop smiling.

"Very." He smirked, not even caring about the so called Patronus. He just wanted to get out of there and sit by the lake, with Eva in his arms.

"C´mon guys, set an example!" Hermione scolded them from their right, she was grinning though. Draco sighed and detached himself from Eva. Wand at the ready.

"Just think of your happiest memory, and say the words. It needs to be a very powerful one for it to work." He heard Harry´s voice on the background. Happiest memory…Draco didn't have many of those. He could count them with on hand.

"The Patronus Charm is one of the most difficult defensive spells known to Wizards, so don´t be frustrated or disappointed if you can´t cast it right away. It´ll take time, and practice." Harry kept explaining as he moved around the room with his hand on his wand. "Patronuses represents one´s personality, it may come in any shape."

Hermione, of course, having read the entirety of the works by professor Spangle, a known wizard to research patronuses, couldn´t keep quite.

"In very rare cases, if the witch or wizard is too strong, it can take the shape of anything they want." She added smartly and Harry grinned.

"That´s right, in very rare cases. But let´s not focus on that. Focus on yourself, and don´t try to manipulate it. Patronuses are one of the most pure representations of our souls. It can tell you more about yourself that you already know. It can show you your inner traits, as well as your connections to certain people around you. It is common for two people to share a patronus, connecting them in a very deep level. Sometimes it can take the form of their hidden desires and true motives."

Harry spoke in a way that caught everyone´s attention, including Draco´s. He couldn't help but wonder what his patronus might be. A snake? That would definitely not help his case right now. What if it´s something dark and horrible, or even worse, some sort of small rodent?

"Expecto Patronum!" He said, thinking of the Christmas during his first year. He´d spent it with his parents, they´d been so proud of him for making it into Slytherin. It was a very happy one. But by the looks of the faint eerie silvery wisp coming from his wand, not happy enough.

"Expecto Patronum!" He heard Hermione beside him, only capable of producing a non-corporeal patronus.

To his other side, was Eva, gracefully waving her wand and frowning every now and then.

In the far right corner, he caught a glimpse of Luna and watched with awe as she successfully casted a silvery hare, leaping around her and over the heads of everyone near her.

"Well done Luna!" Harry congratulated.

Draco took a deep breath, ignoring the cheers coming from Hermione as she too managed to cast an otter, happily swirling around her and barely gracing Draco´s shoulder. He stared ahead, not managing to get a hold of concentration.

He caught Eva once more and noticed how she was struggling. She had that frown between her brows that made Draco want to lift his thumb and massage it away, She was so beautiful, even as she was frustrated. He felt himself engulfed on her swift movements, remembering the warmth of her arms around him, the touch of her lips…

He blinked once, realizing what was happening, and without wasting another second he raised his wand "Expecto Patronum!"

Out of his wand, the wand that had cursed and jinxed and done such horrible things, came the most beautiful silvery light, and out of that light emerged a winged creature, small, but regal. A falcon, he recognized. It soared above, flapping its wings with authority. It faced Draco, before taking off and circling him.

"It´s beautiful" Hermione said from beside him. "Do you know what they mean? Falcons?"

He nodded, as a child he owned a book on animals. He remembered having an affinity for this particular bird of prey. They represented strength, superiority, and wisdom. But also loyalty, and determination. Everything Draco ever wanted to be. Draco grinned, unable to contain his happiness.

"Well look at that." Harry said approaching him, his own eyes wide in admiration as the bird came to a stop and landed swiftly on Draco´s extended arm. "It suits you."

Draco laughed, but stopped when a groan came from beside him, Eva. He turned around, as did Harry and Hermione. Eva had her arms crossed over her chest, jealously staring at the bird on Draco´s arm.

"I hate you." She said, eyeing the bird as it cocked its head to her. Draco laughed, and casted the bird away. It disappeared, and it almost sent a pang of sadness to him. Harry, and Hermione were joined by Ron, as he bragged about his canine Patronus.

Draco finally reached Eva, and with one single peck on the cheek he whispered to her ear.

"Do you know what my happy memory was?" She shook her head, defeated. He kissed her once more "You."

Her eyes widened, and a grin spread through her face. "Really?" Draco nodded and she pounced to him, arms surrounding him like a death grip. She kissed him, so passionately; they caught the eye of almost everyone in the room.

Harry cleared his throat and they broke apart, Eva blushing violently but Draco smirking as though he´d just been told he´d won the House Cup.

"Try again." Draco encouraged her.

Eva smiled at him, her heart still swelled on her chest. It beated so fast she wanted to forget about the whole patronus entirely and kiss Draco until nightfall. This man is the death of me, she thought. But the thought was soon interrupted by the several eyes set on her, making her anxiety grow. She regretted making a show of kissing Draco.

"Ignore them." She heard him say under his breath, and her eyes were suddenly locked on his. She lost herself on them, and suddenly the world around her existed no more. She drowned on those stormy blue grey eyes, looking at her with such love and encouragement. She loved him. She really did, and if her happiest memory wasn´t him, nothing else was.

"Expecto Patronum" She half whispered, eyes still locked on her lover´s. And suddenly, the slivery mist grew, and grew, and grew, until the room itself had to rearrange, and expand to leave space. The mist kept growing, until it was at least 20 feet tall, and then it expanded its wings and made everyone in the room scramble to the furthest corner, except for Harry, Hermione and Draco who gaped at the creature before them.

Eva was unable to muster a word. Out of her wand came a magnificent beast. Standing with authority over everyone else, was the most beautiful dragon, shining with silvery eerie light, lighting up every corner of the room. It stretched its wings, unable to take flight by the size of the room and the people in it, so it simply folded them back. It turned around, and faced Eva, eyes shining in pure siver, almost like…

Realization hit her, as the creature edged the place where Draco was standing. His grey eyes shining almost as bright as the dragon´s looking back at him. Understanding downed on her like a bucket of ice cold water. This was her soul. But also, as Harry had said, this creature, this magnificent creature, was also her heart´s inner desires.

The creature dissipated, as Eva´s concentration faded away. Draco turned around, facing her. Everyone in the room had gone silent.

"Her Patronus is a Dragon." The whispers followed, everyone realizing the obvious. Hermione clasped Harry´s arm as she grinned so brightly at the couple, Harry joined her. They knew, they´d known for a while that Draco and Eva belonged together. This just proved it further.

Draco met her eye, his own screaming with emotion even though his mouth remained shut. Eva smiled. He was her soul, he was her heart´s every dream and desire.

Her Draco. Her Dragon.