"It's been a hard month, but at least it's almost over." Harry smiled to everyone. "So, let's recap on a few things. Next week Tuesday will be your testing date. There'll be a review of everything we've covered and practiced on Monday. You'll find out if you passed the day after your test via owl. If you did, you'll have to head to the Auror Head, Quintin Warren, and inform him of your choice in Auror Division. Divisional training will begin on August 5th.

"So, that leaves the next two days pretty open for us. I figured that we'd have a bit of fun and learn something interesting. The Patronus Charm."

Draco had been fine with everything Potter had said right up until that last bit. A Patronus Charm? Did he want him to be made a fool of in front of everyone? Those things were notoriously difficult for the average person. But for him? Someone who's past haunted him on a daily basis? Someone who had to fight to remind himself that he did, indeed, deserve to be happy? Potter had said that this was supposed to be fun, but little did the man know what an enormous burden he had just placed on him.

With a sigh, Draco rose from his seat when Potter dismissed the class. It was as he was leaving that he could hear Travers –that little prick –whispering none too quietly to a few trainees he had befriended.

"Malfoy's going to sink faster than a rock in a lake with this one."

Draco scowled. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was silenced by two things. First was Potter's stare. Second, and most surprisingly, was a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find one of the other trainees, Lydia, smiling softly at him.

"Ignore him." She said. "He's an arse, and you…well, you've proved yourself here."

Draco stared blankly. This woman, in their entire month of training together, hadn't said one word to him. No one had, really. It wasn't out of the pure act of ignoring him, but training was much too involved to chit-chat at all. To think that that was the first thing she had said to him? He couldn't help but look like a stag caught in lights.

"See you tomorrow, Malfoy." Lydia grinned, then she turned on her heel to meet a man who was waiting in the doorway for her. She slipped her hand in his and they headed on their way.

Draco would've continued to stand dumbfounded had he not become aware of Travers' laughter. His snarl was back, but he refused to let the man get the satisfaction he was looking for. Instead he gave a brief nod to Potter before leaving and headed straight for Hermione's office. When he got there he only entered when she said it was okay and was pleasantly surprised to find a full array of food set up on his girlfriend's desk.

Draco smiled. "What's this?"

"Well," Hermione said as walked in front of her desk. "Unfortunately I have to be back here for a meeting at seven, but I didn't want to rush through dinner. So, I figured that we could eat here. Is that okay?"

"That's perfectly okay." Draco replied. He closed the door behind him and walked over. From over her shoulder he could see everything that she had laid out. Pasta, bread, a bottle of wine, and off to the side cherries sans stems and pits, and whipped cream. "You ordered from Donatello's."

"I did. I loved it the last time we went."

"Obviously," he remarked with a chuckle. He leaned over and picked up a cherry, dipping it in a bit of the whipped cream. "This was a good idea, really." He added as he looked at her. "There's nothing wrong mixing a little business with pleasure."

Hmm, it still works, the blond thought as he watched Hermione's skin flush. The brunette in question had tried to control it, honestly, but her body was quite out of her hands when she was with him. In fact it was in his –even now as he let his left hand lay on her waist and his thumb smoothed over her stomach.

"We're supposed to be eating, Draco." Hermione said softly. Draco swiped his tongue over his upper lip.

"And we will, Hermione," he rebutted. "Let me eat the cherry first –woops."

Hermione's eyes followed the cherry's fall. It landed neatly on the inside of her shirt –nestled right in her bra between her breasts –whipped cream smeared on her chest. She looked up at him and there it was. The dark lust that often filled his features when he was with her.

Hermione smirked. "You lost your cherry."

"Apparently," Draco said flippantly as he flicked open the buttons of her blouse. "But I still intend on eating it."

"I see," she groaned happily as his lips made it to her chest, kissing and licking away the whipped cream. "That's not a healthy dinner, you know."

"Never said it was dinner." He paused once he finally made it to the cherry, an expert curve of his tongue picking it up into his mouth. "It's dessert."

Hermione laughed. "One cherry isn't dessert."

Draco smiled, chewing and swallowing his cherry as he unbuttoned the rest of her shirt and dipped his finger in the whipped cream. "Oh, I know." He wiped his finger over her stomach. "But you are."

"Am I?" Hermione said naively. She shook her head at him as she slipped her own finger in the white aphrodisiac and spread some across his neck. "Lock the door and silence the room, Draco."

Hermione's meeting got pushed back an hour which was all fine and dandy for her. She and Draco spent the better part of their time having "dessert" and only just began having dinner. They sat on the floor in front of her desk on a conjured blanket perfectly content.

"I hear that Auror Juno is going to be running the Dark Arts divisional training next month." Hermione said casually. "She's great. I think you'll learn a lot from her."

"Granger," Draco said with an amused grin. "I haven't even passed my regular training yet."

"Which you will,"she replied happily. "You're at the top of your class."

"I suppose," a humble smile on his face. "Still doesn't make these next two days any easier, though."

"What's happening in the next two days?"

"Potter thought it would be fun if we spent the time learning the Patronus Charm."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Oh, that is fun! A wonderful idea, really. Dementors aren't nearly as common to find anymore with the Ministry's roundup and all, but it's still a good charm to know. Not to mention that they're really useful in sending messages."

"Useful, yes, but only if you can get past that hard as hell barrier in creating one." Draco frowned. "I'm not self-loathing, mind you," he added quickly before she could jump in. "But it still stands that I don't have as many happy memories as I would like. If I'm being honest, I don't think I'll ever be able to produce a Patronus."

"Well," Hermione began slowly, "Not to sound conceited or anything, but I would hope that you would have some happy moments with me."

"And I do." Draco said immediately. He reached out for her and Hermione fell into him, relishing in the feel of his arms wrapped around her. "The happiest I've been is with you, but…" He sighed. "I'm also scared when I think of you."

Hermione's brows furrowed. "Scared? But why would you be-?"

"Have you forgotten your apartment?"

"Of course not." She said softly, twiddling her thumbs some. "The person responsible was caught, you know."

"I know, but that doesn't mean something like that can't happen again."

"Perhaps," Hermione shrugged. "But let's look at it this way: you'll look out for me, won't you?"

Draco smiled some. "You know I will."

"And, no matter how premature you think it is for me to say, you're going to be an Auror. As far as I'm concerned, I'm protected twice over."

Draco laughed as he shook his head, making sure to plant a kiss on her forehead. "You are far too optimistic."

"And you should take a lesson out of my book." She beamed. "Now, on your feet."

"What? What for?"

"We're going to work on your Patronus."

"Do we have to?" He pouted. "Your meeting isn't starting for another half an hour and there's still whipped cream left…"

"Unless you pin me down to the floor we are going to work on this."

Draco's eyes danced. "Well, if you insist-"

Hermione giggled and dodged a kiss from him as she rose to her feet. Clad in just her bra and knickers, Draco's gaze followed.

"Up you go, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco clicked his tongue. "So bossy."

He got up from the floor as Hermione reached across her desk for her wand. When she turned she had to stifle her gasp at seeing her fully naked boyfriend in front of her. He was smirking, the little devil. The little Slytherin, actually.

"You were saying, Miss Granger?"

Hermione cleared her throat. "Yes. Um, well… Oh, Malfoy, do put on your underwear, will you?"

Draco chuckled. "Killjoy,"

She rolled her eyes as he found and pulled his underwear on. Once he was dressed (sort of) with his wand in hand, Hermione smiled.

"Okay. Now, we've already figured out a source of happiness for you, so I want you to focus on that when you're casting the charm."

"But, I already said that-"

"I know, but trust me on this next part, yes?" Hermione urged. "Instead of thinking of all the horrible things that could happen to me –to us, why don't you try thinking of all of the good things instead? All of the things that you want to happen. All of the things that should be happening if people weren't such meddlers."

"I suppose I could do that." Draco said with a tilt of his head. "But don't the memories have to be real?"

"Not necessarily. Harry's produced some of his strongest Patronuses on the thought of his parents and, well, he was much too young to have any real memories of them at all. Can we try it?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah, sure, I guess I can give it a shot."

"Good. So, get your thoughts together, and when you're ready just say Expecto Patronum."

Draco took a deep breath.

Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.

The first image that came to mind was a recent one. It was after their escapades with the whipped cream. They had just laid there, on the floor, their heads resting against her desk, and they were silent. Their lips were, at least. Hermione had her hand resting on his, her fingers intertwined with his own.

Draco smiled at that, trying his best not to be saddened at the fact that people didn't want him to be happy. To have this. To have her. With a deep breath he pushed the negativity away and focused on his life with her. On how he wanted it to be.

"Expecto Patronum!" Draco said. A wisp of white light no bigger than someone's breath on a cold day left his wand. It was over faster than he could blink.

"Fantastic!"

Draco turned to her with his brows raised. "Are you kidding? It was just a small bit of light."

"Some people can't even do that." Hermione countered, a huge grin on her face. "Don't underestimate it. With a bit more practice the light could get bigger and brighter. Maybe even take on a corporeal form!"

"I stand by what I said," he chuckled. "Far too optimistic."

Hermione shrugged. "It's been working for me all this time. Why change now?"

"Oh, you're never allowed to change." Draco told her as he set his wand down. "What about you? Can you perform a corporeal Patronus?"

"I can. It was an otter."

"Was?"

"Patronuses can change." Hermione informed him. "They're based on your personality and people can change over time, whether naturally or by some life-altering event." She fingered her wand some and pursed her lips. "I haven't had to cast one since the war, so I'm not entirely sure if it's the same or not."

"Give it a go then." Draco encouraged.

"Alright," she raised her wand and readied herself. "Expecto Patronum!"

Draco watched in amazement as a massively bright white light erupted from her wand. The light swirled and transformed into, not an otter, but a bird, and both he and Hermione stared at it in awe as it flew around the room before disappearing.

"Well," Hermione beamed. "It seems like I feel a lot freer these days."

"Good," Draco nodded. "I hope this means that my Patronus is a bird too."

Author's note: I really do love cherries…before this chapter, not because of it haha. But yey Patronus Charms!

Thanks for reading guys! :D

-WP