Enchanted - A Stydia / Jily AU - Teen Wolf

Revelations.

Mon petite chou, Neyla, has told me that putting a 'feels warning' at the start of my more emotionally trying chapters would be a good idea, so here you go, darling:

*WARNING: EXTREME FEELS AHEAD. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.*

Good? Cool. Carry on.

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I know what I know, why don't you fill in the rest?

- Revelations, Audioslave.

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She had successfully avoided him for two days. An incredibly difficult, excruciatingly painful two days.

Lydia could feel him staring at her from the other side of the room, his eyes leaving lightning trails on her skin. She shifted uncomfortably, refusing to look. Allison had the tiniest trace of an I-know-all-your-secrets smile as she watched Stiles watch her best friend. Lydia pretended not to see it.

Instead she elected to watch Malia and Kira's patronuses flit around the room, glowing faintly. Their Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher looked on in approval at the silver coyote and fox.

He was young, for a teacher. His name was Derek - he refused to let them call him 'professor' - and he had worked with dragons for years before coming to teach at Hogwarts. He had the scars to prove it; big, smooth burns along his arms and face. Oddly, his scars had no impact on his overall looks. He was handsome, Lydia had to give him that. The girls that passed him in the corridors would often break out in giggles and whispers once he was out of earshot.

Lydia liked him. He had a logical, practical approach to teaching that she could appreciate. And he was much prettier to look at than Professor Binns.

"Very nice, girls," he told Malia and Kira approvingly. They exchanged an elated grin, glowing from the praise. Derek hardly ever verbally encouraged anyone. He stopped at Lydia and Allison, raising an eyebrow. "Mademoiselle Argent," he said, using the French pronunciation of the word, leaving off the T and practically purring the R. Allison flamed red, suddenly losing every ounce of composure she possessed. "Would you care to demonstrate your patronus for me?"

"I- I... Y-yes, of course..." She gave her wand a feeble flick, barely producing silver wisps of fog as she whispered, "Expecto Patronum."

She looked ready to cry as she lowered her wand, braving a glance up at Derek to gauge his reaction. Instead of hostility or disappointment, he gave her a small, sympathetic smile. Lydia saw Allison visibly relax.

"You'll get it," he said quietly. "Now, Miss Martin... how about you?"

"I'm... I'm not very good," she replied, looking at Allison's fragile expression. "I'm right awful, actually."

"That's fine. Everyone learns at their own pace. Show me what you can do now." Derek wasn't going to leave without seeing her perform the spell, Lydia decided, suppressing a sigh. She nodded silently as she closed her eyes, focusing on how it had felt the night before, to not go down to the common room to meet Stiles... that sinking, bitter feeling in her stomach.

"Expecto Patronum."

There was a flicker of light and a tiny puff of silver mist, then nothing more. Lydia cheered for herself internally. Casting a patronus was one thing, but deliberately not casting one? She was proud of herself for doing that so well.