December 1994/January 1995
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Wizarding Scotland

"That's enough!" She protested, rushing over to Draco who was sweaty and shaking after his failure. She knelt down in front of him and cupped his clammy cheek with her hand. "Hey, you're ok. It's ok," she soothed, hoping to stop his shivering.

"He needs practice," Snape said flatly.

Lyra seethed. "The last time I checked, a corporeal patronus is a little beyond the scope of fourth year students. In fact, it's beyond the scope of seventh year students as well. Maybe you're setting the bar a little high there, chief."

The older wizard sneered at his daughter. "Get him out of here before he throws up all over the floor," he cut out bitterly. They need to learn this. There's no time, he said internally, watching her help him up.

"Sugar will help," He called flatly to their backs as she led Draco from the classroom.

Despite the nice way it had started, this interval had been brutal. Severus introduced them to the concept of wandless legilimency that, turned out, was quite painful and left both of them with splitting headaches half the time. When they weren't practicing, or convalescing from head pain, he had them working on the Patronus Charm, for some reason. It was very advanced magic and was proving a challenge for them both.

Lyra knew Draco wouldn't want to be seen in his present state so she steered him back to her room and pushed him into a seat on the leather couch that sat closest to the fire in the sitting room. She pulled a chocolate frog out from one of the cupboards in her small kitchen are and broke the legs off so it couldn't escape and then she walked back and pushed it into Draco's hands, which were still trembling slightly.

"Eat," she soothed, sitting next to him and running her hand through his hair.

He grumbled something and bit the head off the frog. "He's trying to kill us," he said miserably.

"It's possible," Lyra confirmed.

"We should refuse to go back. It's inhumane," Draco offered, mouth full of chocolate.

Lyra smiled at him. "Remember, YOU can leave whenever you want."

Draco paused his chewing and regarded her seriously. "I'm not going to leave you alone with that nutter."

"You're so brave, baby. Protecting me from Severus. Shielding Pansy from the snake pit," she teased warmly. During one of their legilimency sessions, she'd seen the exchange that had taken place between the two of them after the Yule Ball and, as expected, she was supportive and quite proud of him for coming to her rescue.

"That's right, I am. Saving beautiful women while you flirt and dance and snog yourself stupid," he chirped back.

"Jealous?" She quipped.

"No. I know you think I'm a better kisser, and that's the really important thing here," he replied, referring to Conleth.

"You're also the better flirt. I wonder if you're a better dancer," she mused.

"Can't imagine that I would be right now, love," he replied. "I feel a right mess."

She frowned at him sympathetically, taking his face in both of her hands. She leaned in and kissed him gently, enjoying the taste of chocolate on his lips. "You're cold," she noted, massaging her thumbs into the sensitive skin behind his ears.

He made a noise of satisfaction and pressed into her touch.

She kissed him again and then retreated into her bedroom for a blanket. She returned and encouraged Draco to stretch out on the oversized couch. She cocooned him in the blanket and swooped in to press a kiss to his forehead. "Rest," she told him. She stood and turned to head back into her room to change, but Draco stopped her, wrapping his pale fingers around her wrist. She looked down and furrowed her brow.

"Stay," he requested.

She studied his handsome face for a moment. He looked...vulnerable. She knew that he wouldn't let her see him like that, nor would he ask her to stay if he didn't trust her. Draco was a proud, cagey, misanthropic brat. And his trust meant the world to her. She inhaled a shaky breath but then crawled onto the sofa next to him.

Draco watched the blush creep into her cheeks and he smiled softly. She smiled back. He respected the distance she'd put between them, but reached out and captured one of her hands with his, so he could be connected with her. He rubbed his thumb back and forth over her knuckles rhythmically until the action lulled him to sleep.

He fell asleep almost instantly and Lyra was transfixed. She loved being this close to him. He looked so sweet while he slept. After some time, Lyra leaned in to nuzzle her nose along his and finally gave in to the nap herself.

When she awoke, the sun had gone down. She wasn't sure how much time had passed. Draco was still with her, sleeping. At some point, he had wrapped her up in the blanket with him and she had turned her back to his chest. One of his arms was pillowing her head and the other was wrapped loosely around her waist. She could feel his breath moving her hair softly and she couldn't recall a time where she'd felt so warm and content. It was such a simple thing, but it made her entire body buzz with a new flavor of happiness that she intended to savor like a rich dessert. She snuggled deeper into him and drifted back off.

"Ok. Again," Lyra said doggedly, tensing her belly in anticipation.

Severus had charmed a Boggart to retain the shape of a Dementor as a practice dummy in the hope that it would give them some incentive to perform. He thought it an elegant solution. Lyra, on the other hand, took it as a confirmation that he was, at heart, a total sociopath.

He flipped the trunk open and the black cloaked shape rose out, generating a frigid wind that extinguished all of the nearby candles.

Lyra started to shiver in the cold. She shut her eyes and searched for a memory that made her warm. She summoned images of her and her mother baking in their kitchen. Cocoa with Diana after a walk in the snow. Christmas in front of the fire when Caelum was home. She thought of the evening prior when she was wrapped up with Draco, sleeping warm and safe. She inhaled deeply and raised her wand.

"Expecto Patronum-" She called.

Lyra felt her happy thoughts move through her wand like liquid gold and burst forward. Open your eyes, Lyra, she told herself. Don't miss this.

She opened her eyes and saw it. Him. Don't ask how she knew it was a him, she just did. Seeing her Patronus for the first time was like having a reunion with an old friend she didn't know she'd been missing.

She had used her magic and her memories to produce a shimmering silver fox that was barreling playfully towards the fake Dementor, causing it to cower back down into the trunk Severus had freed it from.

After a few moments, the fox disappeared and Lyra stood transfixed by what she'd done.

"Wow," she whispered, feeling her magic course in powerful swirls throughout her body.

"Bloody took you long enough," Snape fired, snapping the lid of the trunk shut.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Lyra squealed, laughing and bouncing up and down a little.

"Stop your gloating," he chastised.

"I can't!" She chirped.

Snape quirked his lips at her but then narrowed his eyes. "I've a suspicion that you're going to be insufferable for at least the rest of the day."

"Probably," Lyra confirmed brightly.

"Malfoy. Remediation for your continued failure to complete the charm will be to get this smug child out of my sight," he said seriously.

"Yay!" Lyra cheered and bounded happily from the room.

Draco frowned from the sting of Snape's words and looked over to him. "Is she really going to be like that all day?" He asked.

"Most likely. The spell will give her a high for about an hour or so," he explained. "The rest of it, however...is just her," he added pointedly.

Draco sighed. "Brilliant."

Snape made a face that looked dangerously close to amused for a fraction of a second before he tamped it down. "Ask to read her memory of the cast. You can get a feel for what she focused on to be successful. The feeling she latched onto to perform the charm. It may be useful to you in your future attempts," he said.

Draco nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks," he said and turned to go after his witch.

"Do you want to know if I was thinking about you?" Lyra teased, throwing her arms around his neck playfully as they walked together in the frozen woods.

"No," he lied obviously.

Lyra smiled and snuggled into him, setting her chin on his shoulder and stationing her mouth next to his ear. "Of course I was," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his neck.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, reaching inside her unbuttoned jacked to run his hands down her back. "What about?"

"Sleeping with you," Lyra replied.

Draco balked. "What?"

Lyra exploded in a vibrant blush and buried her face in the fabric of his coat. "No, I mean. I was thinking about yesterday. Taking a nap with you. It was nice, and warm."

"Right," he said, with a raised eyebrow.

Lyra burrowed into him, waiting for her blush to subside.

"Sweetheart?" He asked, squeezing her close.

"Hmm?"

"Do you wank?" He asked.

"WHAT?!" She yelled, her blush returning, hotter than ever.

"Touch yourself. Masturbate. Choose your word," he clarified.

"Baby?!" She exclaimed.

"That's not a no," he countered.

"I...what...I mean...no," she stuttered.

"Well that's too bad. I do. All the time," he said plainly.

"Baby?!" She exclaimed.

"I think about you. How soft your skin is. Your smell. Your voice," he purred into her ear while squeezing her hips with his hands. "You taste like mint."

Lyra exhaled a shaky breath into his shoulder. "Draco, I...please. You're embarrassing me." The heat welling in her belly was becoming unbearable. It almost sent her squirming in his arms.

"I'm sorry, love," he conceded, pressing his cheek to her hair. "What would you like to do?"

Lyra pulled back and looked at him. Her eyes did that melting honey thing that he loved and she pressed up on to her toes so she could place her lips against his, not kissing. Just contact. "Dance with me," she whispered sweetly against his mouth.

He smiled. "Here?" He questioned, referring to the snowy forest.

"Mmm-hmm," she replied with a plafyul smirk.

He put some space between them and took her hand in one of his. "Alright witch, what will it be? Waltz? Foxtrot?" He asked, placing his other hand on her waist and starting to sway her slowly back and forth.

Lyra shifted her hand so it was high on his shoulder and arched her upper body away from him gracefully. Lovely, Draco thought to himself, eyeing the smooth skin of her extended neck.

He started leading her in a slow waltz, a bit confused as to how it would work without music. She followed him with ease, responding artfully to the pressure he exerted on her hand and waist.

Lyra smiled as they executed a turn. "Faster," she whispered.

He sped them up and Lyra tilted her head back, laughing brightly. He increased the pace until Lyra was bubbling with excited laughter. She tripped lightly on a branch and Draco snapped her into his body to keep her upright.

She gasped and relaxed her position, looking up at him. She had snowflakes in her eyelashes and was breathless from their dance. She had never looked so beautiful. In fact, he couldn't recall anything he'd ever seen before in his life looking more beautiful than she did just then. He loved her. He couldn't imagine not loving her.

"What?" She breathed, biting her lip.

He swooped down suddenly and kissed her, causing her to make a little noise of surprise in her throat before she melted into him and rushed her fingers into his hair.

Their kiss started sweetly but after a few minutes evolved into something desperate and wild. He backed her up against a tree and started working down her throat, marking her skin.

Lyra could scarcely process how good his mouth felt against her neck. She moaned breathily and leaned into him. He responded by pressing his body into hers, leading with his hips. He wanted her. She could feel it. Her arousal wasn't as apparent as his, but she wanted him too. Something between them was building and she wasn't sure how much longer she could go without losing her mind. The things she thought about when they were together like this...the things she thought when she was alone and thinking about him. They were growing ever more indecent by the day and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He made her feel...everything. He made her want...everything.

Keep it together, damn it, she told herself as she pulled his mouth off her neck so she could kiss him again.

Author's Note - Kind of a rush job this week, but I really wanted to get this out ASAP for all of you. This was a fun one and we'll be seeing the tension between them start to build from here. Thanks and happy reading! -MM