Lost and Found (You Found Me, Book #2)

Chapter 5: Patronus Lessons

Aurora's POV

"Draco, come on. You have to try."

Draco groaned, already quite fed up with trying to conjure the Patronous Charm, "This is pointless. None of my memories are happy enough. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because you're my best friend, and somewhere along the lines of the Best-Friend-Code, I believe happiness is a necessity." Draco sighed, leaning back against a desk and looking at the floor. Draco and I had come to the Room of Requirement to practice. It's not going well. Seeing that he really was out of this, I made a sigh as well and leaned against the same desk.

"I'm not going to let you give up." I said after some silence.

"If you're trying to pull that muggle Reverse Psychology crap on me, you're mistaken." I shook my head, "No, I'm not. Its Reverse-Draco-Psychology. And it works every time."

Draco smirked, "How are you so sure?"

I smirked back, "Maybe because within the last three seconds I was using it, you managed to grab you wand and walk to where you're standing now."

Draco had picked up his wand and walked a safe distance away from me so he would have space to conjure a Patronous without even thinking about it. I continued, not giving him the chance to interject, "Plus you're obliged to. I've pulled it on you about three million times and it's work each and every time."

Draco decided to tease me, "Now that's not very best-friendly, Miss Lovegood. You have nothing on me to make me do anything."

"Don't push it, Malfoy. I have red and white striped boxers on you, and that's more than you're ever going to have on me."

He rolled his eyes, now smiling, "Shut up..."

*

Stopping the Patronous Training, I asked, "Why don't we go for a walk?" Draco looked shocked, "Really?" I nodded, "We're not giving up. I'm taking you to find something happy." Draco looked hesitant, as he just stared at me, mildly confused. I scoffed, tugging his hand, "Come on. You'll like this." He sighed and nodded, setting his wand in his pocket and following me. We walked outside, and I felt the brisk wind against me. It was so cold, it was so cold! I'm a freeze-baby so when we were spending time in the tent together, Draco would keep me warm. Yeah, it was awkward...

I held my jacket closed and walked into the forest, Draco following me still confused. "Aurora, where are we going?!"

"Shh."

"Where are we going?" Draco asked in an irritated whisper. I stopped once I could see Threstrals and turned around to see a still confused Draco, "Shh. You're going to scare them."

"Who the bloody hell is them-?" Draco froze, his eyes distant behind me and I knew he had seen them. I turned around and saw a baby Threstral walking towards us. I smiled and walked to meet the baby halfway, bent down and gave her a piece of raw meat I had brought in bag in my pocket. The baby ate it fairly quickly while I stroked her spiny body. She was tiny.

"Aurora, what is that?"

"She's a Threstral," I answered. "They can only be seen by people who have seen death, Draco." I turned to look at Draco and smiled, "Some good does come to you." Draco stood there gawking at the baby Threstral for a moment then walked to us and bent to his knees. The baby Threstral immediately looked at Draco and made a sort of baby horse sound. I smiled, "You have an admirer, Malfoy."

Draco made a small smile, muttering, "They're beautiful."

I nodded, "They are, aren't they? It's kind of a strange beauty."