I will come back to you

Chapter Fourteen

In conclusion, he couldn't ignore Malfoy for more than five seconds. He could barely resist a sarcastic retort. Plus, teaching Malfoy to produce a corporeal Patronus ensued a few serious conversations and he wasn't certain if he wanted to converse with Draco Malfoy. "Why a stag?"

He turned to face the blond. The setting sun turned Malfoy's hair gold – added color to his skin – and he had a glint in his eyes. "Not your concern, Malfoy, and correct your stance – it's off."

"Right," He said with a confused frown, pointing the wand in front of him and adjusting the stance with a soft groan and a curse. "must you point out my stance every single time?"

Harry pursed his lips and directed a pointed glare at Malfoy. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't resist a clever sardonic remark: "Oh, well – must your stance be off every single time?"

Malfoy snorted, yet he didn't retort. A tiny victory. It caused a rush of satisfaction within Harry. The corner of his lip twitched and curled into the smallest smirk. "Your constructive criticism isn't encouraging, Potter."

"It's not my fault that you think you're better than everyone else, Malfoy."

"Oh, no." Draco said with a short laugh and re-adjusted to cast the Patronus which still wasn't precise. "I'm better than everyone else. An opinion that is backed up with sufficient evidence, Potter."

"Okay, we're finished with this entire Patronus thing if you want to be cocky."

With an uncertain sigh, he placed a hand on the curve Malfoy's back – extended his arm – turned his left ankle at the perfect angle – pushed his right shoulder back. "straighten up."

"Y-yeah." Malfoy had a pink tint on the cheeks. It was faint. Perhaps, it was the cold. "yeah, sure."

He stepped backwards, when the curve of Malfoy's back uncurled. "wait – don't rush into it – concentrate for a minute before you cast the Patronus charm."

"Expecto Patronum." The wisps of silver smoke curled out of the wand, hovering in the air for a brief minute or two and vanished in the air. "what the – oh, fuck it – I can't."

"It's not the end of the world, Malfoy."

Malfoy scowled, and half-turned to face him with an arched eyebrow, "Oh, the world is ending every fucking day – what's your point, Potter?"

"Yes, well – if you're surrendering within the first four days of practicing the Patronus charm – you're not cut out for it." He said, with a rather dramatic roll to the eyes. "Patience, Malfoy. Patience."

"Oh, only because you cast a corporeal Patronus on your first try –

"I didn't," He said with a soft sigh, tracing his mind back to the first time he had cast the Patronus. Perhaps, Malfoy should work on the thinking aspect of casting the charm. "I couldn't cast a corporeal one for months."

"You – wait, months?"

"Yes, months."

"So, you're not the overachieving Chosen One I resented in Hogwarts?"

"I defeated a hundred dementors at once when I produced a corporeal Patronus for the first time, but no – I'm not the overachieving Chosen One you resented at Hogwarts."

"Oh, shut up."

He couldn't resist a smile. "I will, if you focus on casting the Patronus – which, by the way, will more likely happen if you keep the cursing to the minimum and casting to the maximum."