Dream Girl

FIVE - SOMETHING LIKE A DATE

* * *

"This is new," Draco said, surprised, when he walked down one of the streets in Hogsmeade. Usually he met with Alora in the lovely cottage, occasionally on the same beach when he first met her.

The village was full of life, everybody was chatting happily and laughing. Simply enjoying their life. Not a single face looked scared or worried. He just passed an old lady with her grandson and the child smiled at him. He didn't remember the last time a child gave him a smile. Not even any of the Slytherin first years. They either respected him or feared him. Nothing else.

He just took another turn when he saw her. She was sitting on a bench next to the Three Broomstick. Her wild curly hair flapping gently around her face in the soft spring breeze. She was wearing a nice flowy dress with sunflower print all over. Alora always looked so positive and colourful, completely opposite of how he looked in real life. She looked up and almost instantly two perfect dimples appeared on her face, her chocolate eyes sparkling happily.

"Hi," he breathed out and walked closer to her.

"Hi," she waved at him. "You just really wish to be a normal teenager sometimes," she explained the surroundings when she noticed the puzzle look on his face.

"Why now?" He sat down next to her, a little bit closer than usual. Their legs were touching lightly.

"I thought it was fitting. Considering the fact it is the first day of school today. How was it?" she asked with undisguised interest.

"Okay, I guess," Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I already started on my homework."

Alora looked at him, confusion written all over her face.

"The one you gave me? That I should really think about who my real friends are."

"And?" she smiled at him, happy that he was actually listening to her advice.

"I think that I can trust Theo. You know, I knew him even before Hogwarts. We kind of fell off during fourth and fifth year but he still cares."

"I am happy to hear that," she took Draco's hand, pressing it lightly. She let go too soon for Draco's liking. He enjoyed the warmth she radiated maybe too much. It took all of his effort to not reach back for it.

Draco sighed and continued. "Blaise I am not sure about yet. But I am positive that I don't need neither Crabbe or Goyle," he frowned at the thought of those two nitwits.

Alora waited to see if he would mention Pansy, but it seemed that Draco was done talking. She didn't know what to think about that. She knew that the two were kind of close. She didn't pay any of the Slytherins much attention until now but only blind wouldn't notice how Pansy swooned over him.

She shook her head to get rid of any unwanted thoughts and got up, offering him her hand. Draco accepted it more than gratefully. She pulled him up on his feet and started dragging him towards Honeydukes.

"Come on. No more talking about serious stuff. We have a whole day of fun ahead of us," she giggled happily and entered the shop.

Draco couldn't remember when was the last time that he felt this happy. He was trying to forget that this was just a dream. And it was working. It felt too good and too real. They were laughing as they were trying every possible sweets in Honeydukes. The biggest benefit of this being a dream was that they could eat up all the chocolate in there and didn't get sick.

When there was literally no more sweets to try they moved to Zonko's.

"I've never been in a joke shop before," Alora admitted as she was looking at a pretty looking cup.

Draco quickly whisked it out of her hand. "I wouldn't say," he chuckled, sarcasm seeping from his tone. "This is Nose-Biting Teacup. I don't think I need to explain what it does."

Alora rubbed her nose unknowingly. "What is this?" she grabbed a colourful item with a glass dome on one end, shaking it a little. It looked like it did completely nothing.

"That's a Sneakoscope," Draco explained.

"Sneakoscope?"

"Yeah. It is a kind of Dark Detector. I believe it should make noises and spin or something."

"So it is actually a good thing if it doesn't do anything right now," she looked back at the strange looking item in her hands.

"If you believe it works."

"I believe it works and that it is silent because it can't sense anything dark around," she smiled at him and grabbed his left arm, caressing his forearm softly.

Draco let out a nervous chuckle. He knew she believed in him that he can change, that he can be better. And he really wanted to be. He really did. But there was still the fact that he was assigned the task. And there were only two outcomes. He would complete it and she would hate him. Or he would fail and die.

"I highly recommend not to eat anything here. At least not if you don't want to end up with a fit of hiccoughing, bleeding nose or high fewer," Draco decided to change the subject.

She let go of his hand again and went to look through another shelf. "+I think we had enough sweets in Honeydukes."

When they were done in Zonko's they decided to finish their day in the Three Broomstick. It was packed but it wouldn't be a dream if a perfectly secluded table wouldn't wait for them in the far corner of the inn.

At this point both of them felt like they were on a date, neither of them mind but neither of them would admit it aloud. Draco because he was scared that this wasn't real and Alora because she knew how real it was. Dreams she created were always more real than ordinary dreams. They had more healing power that way.

"I am afraid that there is not enough time for butterbeer," she sighed sadly after they sat down.

"It's morning already?"

"Almost breakfast time. You should really wake up if you want to make it before all the waffles are gone."

"I think I will opt for scrambled eggs today. I had enough imaginary sweets for at least a week," Draco chuckled but stopped when he realized something.

But before he had a chance to ask she was gone.

* * *

Draco woke up with a soft growl as the alarm clock still rang on his bedside table. As always it took him a few seconds when he remembered his dream. A gentle smile popped on his face almost instantly.

She knew when they started serving breakfast in Hogwarts and she knew they served waffles. It could be a coincidence but Draco wanted to believe that she was actually going here. That she, at this moment, could be just a few feet away.

"That had to be one hell of a dream" Blaise chuckled as he entered their shared dorm room. He was the only roommate there, everyone else had apparently already left for breakfast.

"Do you know any Alora?" Draco asked before he could think about it.

"Alora? Which house?" Blaise scrunched up his brows, thinking.

"I don't know. Hufflepuff maybe," Draco stood up and went to his dresser, picking up his uniform.

"I don't usually talk with Hufflepuff, but try Theo. Why are you asking anyway?"

"It's nothing."

But it was definitely something.