AU!
Written for Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
House: Thunderbird
Class: Magical Theory
Task: 4. Emotion: someone's emotions dictating their actions.
Bonus Prompts:
7. (spell) Expecto Patronum
10. (action) waving a wand
Word Count: 1860/4500
The First Step Is Acceptance
Hermione pulled out her wand from her pocket and twirled it in between her fingers. "Have you tried to cast a Patronus before?"
"No… Why?"
"Why don't you try it? I have a very good feeling you can make a corporeal Patronus," Granger said, waving her wand around in circles. "Watch."
Draco stared at the brunette with confusion. Had she said what he thought she had said? Did she really think he was harmless? For Merlin's sake, he had been initiated into the Death Eater circle the past summer! He wasn't harmless — he was the bad guy here, but apparently, Granger didn't believe it. What?
They stood in the middle of the dark hallway, the flickering candles overhead casting elongated shadows around them. Draco's Dark Mark was starkly visible on his arm in the dim lighting, and neither of them moved at the sight of the symbol. He still couldn't believe he had been stupid enough to accidentally pull his sleeves up in front of her.
"What did you say?" Draco whispered, still staring at her. His heart beat a steadily rising rhythm against his ribs, and he fisted his hands by his sides to conceal how vulnerable he felt at that moment.
"You're not… one of them," she mumbled. Her eyes were trained on the Dark Mark. She shook her head and repeated, "You're not one of them, Malfoy."
"How can you say that?" he demanded, suddenly tensing with anger. He shoved his arm in her face. "Can't you see this? I got branded! How can you say I'm not one of them?"
Granger licked her dry lips and whispered, "Because… you might be a bully, but… you're not a murderer."
Draco's heart leapt into his throat at her simple words, but he still couldn't believe it. He had thought the same thing the day he had been branded with the Dark Mark, but hearing it from someone else's — Granger's — mouth still caused him to tremble with unknown emotions. "I… might be… capable of it."
"No, you're not," Granger said calmly, glancing up at him suddenly. "You're not capable of killing someone, and I'll prove it to you."
Before Draco could react, she pulled out her wand and extended it towards him. Draco stared at it with rising confusion, and she stated, "You won't get caught if you hex me with my wand."
Draco's hand trembled as he reached for the wand, wondering what was going on in Granger's mind. Women were complex creatures, and Granger's mind worked in even more mysterious ways. The wand felt cool in his hand, heavier than his own, and he cautiously pointed it at her. "You want me to hex you?"
"Yes, go on." She waited patiently for him to cast a spell on her, but Draco's mind was blank.
As he held her wand in his hand, he came to the sudden realization that he had never physically hurt Granger before. It was always him taunting her, mocking her teeth, calling her names, but he had never physically raised his wand or hand at her. She had punched him, sure, but he had never attacked her physically. Was that what she wanted to prove? That he was unable to hurt her?
He swallowed the lump in his throat, his hand shaking with nerves, and opened his mouth to hex her, but nothing came out. His tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth, unable to move.
Granger stepped closer until the tip of her wand pressed against her chest. "Go on, Malfoy. Hex me. I'm a Mudblood, remember. No one's around to see you hurt me. Just wave that wand and —"
"I can't!" he blurted out, dropping the wand onto the ground. He stumbled backwards, clutching his head in his hands, and stammered, "Merlin, Granger, what are you doing to me?"
"I'm not doing anything. I'm just proving to you that you're not one of them. You can't even hurt me — and you hate me."
"I…" he trailed off when he saw her watching him. "I don't have to explain myself to you."
"No, you don't." Hermione bent over to pick up her wand and offered him a gentle smile. "And I don't have to do this, but I want to. I want to prove to you that you're not a bad guy. If you'd like me to, meet me outside the Room of Requirement tomorrow after dinner."
"The what?"
"The room you and Umbridge found us in last year."
"Oh, the Come and Go Room," Draco murmured, frowning.
"Yes, that one. If you want, come to the room tomorrow. I promise I won't tell anyone of your… mark." She turned around and walked away, leaving Draco to stew in his thoughts.
The next evening, Draco hesitated as he skulked around the seventh-floor corridor, glancing at his surroundings to make sure he wasn't being followed. He didn't even know why he was there, but he wanted to sate his curiosity.
When he reached his destination, he paced in front of the wall three times, his mind blank. Draco didn't even know what he wanted, but the Room of Requirement seemed to peek into his subconscious.
A medium-sized door appeared in front of him, and Draco swallowed and ran his fingers through his hair, not caring that he was messing it up. He stared at the door for a few moments, terrified at what he would find on the other side, and finally, he mustered up enough courage to wrap his fingers around the doorknob.
Here goes nothing, he thought as he slowly pushed the door open.
A homely little room greeted Draco as he entered, and he looked around with confusion, not having expected it at all. The walls were a cheerful yellow with two grey paintings hung on opposite ends. Granger was already seated on the white couch, hugging a large yellow cushion to her chest. She caught sight of him and waved him over silently.
Draco hesitantly crossed the distance, tiptoeing over the zebra-striped carpet. He walked around the mahogany table in front of the couch and stiffly sat down on the other end of the couch.
Neither of them spoke for a few moments, and Draco took the time to scrutinize Granger. She was dressed comfortably in a pair of black sweatpants and a green hoodie, which reminded Draco of his cosy Slytherin-green blanket down in his dorm room. The eccentric room decor and Granger's hoodie somehow managed to calm Draco's nerves, and he felt his shoulders relax into the couch.
Granger was quiet until she was sure he was calm enough to talk. "Did you know Dark Wizards are unable to conjure a corporeal Patronus? Some manage to conjure incorporeal forms, but it's impossible for them to call upon a corporeal Patronus. It's because —"
"They're not pure of heart, I know," Draco finished for her, looking at her confused. "Why are you telling me this? Why do you want to prove this to me?"
Hermione pulled out her wand from her pocket and twirled it in between her fingers. "My parents always taught me to give people second chances. They taught me that there's good in everyone — I just have to see it. So, tell me, Malfoy, have you tried to cast a Patronus before?"
"No… Why?"
"Why don't you try it? I have a very good feeling you can make a corporeal Patronus," Granger said, waving her wand around in circles. "Watch."
She continued to wave her wand in circles and called out, "Expecto Patronum!"
A bright light emanated from her wand, and Draco was face to face with a shimmering otter. He gasped and couldn't help but reach his hand out to touch it. He hesitated and looked at Granger. "May I…"
"Go ahead," she said with a small smile. Draco let his hand hover in the air, and the otter chittered playfully as it rubbed its nose against his hand.
Draco was amazed that the luminous otter's nose felt incredibly warm to the touch. His hand went through the playful animal's nose, and he was filled with a tender, comforting feeling he didn't think he had ever felt before. Despite the realization, he couldn't feel sad at that moment. He continued to soak in the pleasant feeling, his heart soaring with delight.
Granger watched him with the same smile on her face. A few minutes later, she let the otter fade away and said, "Your turn, Malfoy."
"I can't do that," he admitted quietly, filled with shame at his words. "I'm not capable of it. I'm a… Death Eater."
"You can. All you have to do is think of something really happy — anything that makes you happy — and cast the spell," she instructed him.
Draco pulled out his wand and looked at it, desperately hoping he wouldn't disappoint her. Granger trusted his abilities more than he did, and he knew she would be heartbroken if he failed.
He didn't know what memory was enough to use to cast the spell, but he knew he couldn't think of his parents. He hadn't had an emotionally stable childhood, and neither did he have any real friends who supported him. He glanced at Granger and asked, "Does the memory have to be… real?"
"No, it doesn't have to be real. It can be the thought of anything that makes you overjoyed and full of warmth."
Draco nodded and knew which thought to use. He closed his eyes and imagined the scene. He imagined casting a brilliant Patronus and Granger gasping with amazement. He imagined her swelling with pride and wrapping her arms around his shoulders; it was his daydream, so no one could sue him for it.
A sincere smile spread on his lips as he imagined her praising him on his work, and he opened his eyes. Waving his wand around in circles, mimicking Granger's previous actions, he called out, "Expecto Patronum!"
A strong feeling of warmth filled him to the brim, and a bright-silver, translucent animal appeared from the tip of his wand. It was an otter.
Draco hadn't been expecting the spell to work on the first try, and he dropped his wand. The otter flickered in and out of focus before it disappeared into thin air.
Granger gasped and whispered, "You did it! Malfoy! You did it!"
And then, Granger squealed as she threw her arms around his shoulders and laughed heartily. Draco couldn't move as she held onto him with all her might. "I did it."
"You did! I was right! See?" She laughed joyfully, and Draco twisted his head to gaze at her.
"How did — how did you know I could do it?" he whispered, his hands trembling with emotion.
"A little bit of trust goes a long way, Malfoy," she said, grinning at him.
Draco's nose twitched as the scent of his Amortentia wafted around him, and he understood. Tears pricked at his eyes as he gazed at her with wonder and awe. "I need to go."
Before Granger could say anything, Draco shot out of his seat and ran out the door. Emotions he had never thought he would feel before coursed through his veins, almost choking him, as he ran straight towards the Headmaster's office. If she believed in him, then there must be some good in him. He knew what he needed to do: ask for Dumbledore's help.
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