Grudges

Chapter 17

The next day Victoria avoided just about everyone until she had to meet up with Harry for her private lesson. She sighed as she entered the room of requirement. The room was now a large training room with Harry stood in the middle.

"Victoria! Glad you could make it this time!" He was beaming for some reason, and honestly it just made Victoria feel worse.

"Hey Harry." Despite her frown Harry still smiled at her.

"Today you're learning a really advanced spell so be prepared. It's tricky." Harry told her the stance and how to hold her wand. "Now all you need to do is think of a happy memory, the happiest you've ever been. When you've thought of it all you need to do is say "Expecto Patronum." Victoria nodded and thought back to a happy memory.

It was 3rd year, for a few months now a girl named Skye Hamilton had been Victoria's helping hand for Transfiguration homework. Skye hated Victoria, and she made that blatantly obvious everytime they talked, though one day in the library Skye looked up at her.

"I think you're different. Not like what the other people say, you're not evil just because you're a Slytherin. I think you're good."

"Expecto Patronum!" A small silvery wisp came from the end of her wand, it was barely anything.

"Something happier. It has to be stronger." Harry said from the sidelines.

"Why are you helping me?"

"You're a fellow Slytherin. Of course i'm going to help you." He responded, almost coldly.

"Why do you have all these supplies?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

"Why are you avoiding them?"

Draco sighed and pulled her hand from the water, casting a spell to dry it before opening the salve and applying it to the wound.

"There are a lot of 1st years who end up with detentions from her, they're so young and easily influenced. I can hear some of them crying in the corridors afterwards, she punishes them for what their parents believe. They can't help it." Victoria gazed at Draco's face as his nimble fingers wrapped the gauze around her hand. His blonde bangs had fallen into his face as he looked down, his pink lips shaped into a grimace.

"I think that's unfair. No one should be judged for their parents beliefs. You are not your parents, I think it's even more wrong for a child's parents to force their beliefs on them. Children are young and influental, and at our age we would do pretty much anything for the acceptance of our parents." Victoria was talking about the first years, but she was also talking about Draco. She knew he was suffering, and she wanted to help him.

He dropped her hand, his eyes locking with her, the blonde locks still hanging in his face. She unconsciously reached up and pushed the hair from his face, a pink blush covered his cheeks. She smiled at him.

"Thank you, Draco. Have a good night. Okay?" As she left the bathroom, her pale cheeks red, she heard a faint response, which made her smile brightly.

"Thank you, Victoria."

"Expecto Patronum!" This time the silver wisp was bigger, it didn't form anything but it was something. It was close. Victoria didn't know what brought Draco to her mind, but he made her so happy. She knew exactly what she was going to think of next. She looked over at Harry who gave her an encouraging nod and she once again closed her eyes.

"You see that constellation? That's andromeda. And that's Sirius. And there, is Draco. I always loved the constellations. Draco is one of the first ones I ever memorized. It's got Thuban, Gamma Draconis, Beta Draconis-

"Xi Draconis, Iota Draconis, Lambda Draconis. Others, but we named the main ones." Draco said, looking up at the stars he was named after. Victoria sat up and admired the beauty before her, though she wasn't looking at the stars.

The calmed look on Draco's face was rare, but he looked so different than the hard look on his face he wore for everybody else. Draco looked down at her, smiling when he realized she was looking at him. Victoria felt an urge rush through her, from her heart all the way to her head and suddenly she was leaning in. Without being aware of it she was so close to his lips. Before she could chicken out she closed the gap between them.

Rush after rush of adrenaline raced through her as they kissed. He brought his hands up to her cheeks and held her face, she placed her hands over his before running them up his arms and into his hair. It was softer than what she had ever imagined, her fingers weaved in it as she pulled herself closer to Draco. He pulled back and took deep breaths. His hands still on her face and hers still in his hair. He rested his forehead against hers with a smile.

"Expecto Patronum!" She yelled, a smile on her face from the memory. Silver bounded from her wand and took the form of a fox, Victoria laughed as it ran around the room happily. It bounded up to Harry and floated around his head before returning to her and disappearing in a small puff of silver.

"That was beautiful! I want to do it again!" Victoria said happily.

"A patronus is always beautiful. What did you think about?" Harry asked. Victoria blushed and looked away from him.

"Just....someone important to me. Someone very important."