𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍 (2) || 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯

𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐔𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

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"So, I have to ask. Your tattoos, why dragons? I mean, they look incredible, but it's sat with me for a while, if I'm honest." Edith rubbed her hands together, blowing a short, deep breath into her fingers in an attempt to warm her palms.

She and Daria walked side by side across the thin wooden bridge connecting Hogwarts to the outer grounds, leading to Hagrid's Hut, the Pitch and the Forbidden Forest.

As they walked, Daria hummed through a smile as they stopped on a frost covered hillside.

Wordlessly, Edith watched as Daria reached for her wand instead of replying. She brought it out into the sharp, winter air, holding it so comfortably in her hand that Edith couldn't bring herself to ever imagine Daria when she was little, completely wandless for an early portion of her life.

Daria was so in tune with magic, so immersed in it.

Edith loved her magic like it was part of her soul, which it definitely was. But even halfway through her first year as a Professor, there was still a glimpse of hesitancy underneath her incantations, and movements.

But Daria cast spells like she had lived a hundred lifetimes in the wizarding world.

It was intimidating, inspiring.

Daria raised her wand into the empty space ahead of them, a quiet incantation falling from her lips.

"Expecto Patronum."

The creature which emerged from the tip of Daria's wand was drenched in an ethereal blue shine, it's wings beating against a breeze it would never truly touch, it climbed the sky in a spiralling motion, soaring higher and higher.

Edith watched through a stunned expression, taking a few steps backwards in order to keep the patronus in full view.

Daria gave a gentle pull of her wand, her eyes still stuck on her creation, but instead of sharing Edith's awe-filled expression, Daria's was one of deep fondness, a loving smile on her face that could've warmed anyone within a ten meter radius of the woman.

The misty dragon changed direction, beginning to soar downwards as if time had slowed it, barely reaching the ground before Daria turned, bring her wand with her through a wider smile.

The patronus flew faster, effortlessly soaring towards Edith and circling her over and over again, leaving the younger woman in a halo of stellar mist when the creature moved back towards its creator, steadily slowing to a stop and calmly staring down at Daria.

A twitch of her wand made the dragon inch closer, and Daria's free hand reached up to rest a hand against the creature's large head.

She looked at peace, and so unlike her usual fiery, sharp and bouncy movements and demeanor.

"Daria, he's beautiful." Edith breathed, watching as Daria's hand stroked small patterns into the translucent scales of the patronus, its eyes never once left hers.

"Isn't he? I remember the day I conjured him for the first time. I vas only a young girl, barely fourteen..." Daria's eyes grew misty, and her gentle pets on the patronus slowed with her words.

"I vas young, but so eager to push myself. My Dark Arts Professor vas quick to push the Patronus charm aside, insisting that learning of Inferi and Obscurials vere vhat I should have been focusing on. But ve had been covering those creatures for veeks, it bored me. I longed for a new challenge. I told him this, and he simply stared down at me for a moment, before firmly telling me that I voukd never achieve casting a corporeal patronus in the last six months of the school year." Daria cross her arms over her chest, a proud gleam in her eyes as she smiled.