Thread: Harry Potter and What Really Happened After Voldemort (solvaris & darkangel76)

Draco listened to Ginny's little speech. He knew she was lying. If they could find Harry without him, they would have done so. Draco would have been their last resort. There was too much hatred between them to be forgotten or shoved to the side for a short while. Then Draco's eyes tore from Hermione's to stare at Luna. Her hum of a song was a familiar soothing tone. Unknown to Draco, she was humming the same soothing melody of the phoenix's lament after Dumbledore's death. It was disconcerting to have his anger slowly siphoned away by her song. It made him think of that moment on the tower when Dumbledore offered to protect him, and how it wasn't too late to switch sides. If the other Death Eaters hadn't shown up when they had, he would have accepted Dumbledore's offer. Draco's eyes slowly shifted, looking passed Luna, passed the walls of his mansion, as though he could see that awful place that tower at Hogwarts. A tear rolled down his cheek as he looked off in the distance, seeing what they couldn't. It was then that Draco decided that he wanted to be more than he was, to stop hiding amongst the shadows. He wanted to be the man that Albus Dumbledore had given him the chance to be. Draco slowly turned to one of the windows. He held that hope in whatever he had left of a heart, raised his wand slowly and shouted Expecto Patronum! A silvery wolf shot out from Draco's wand, passing through the window to carry a message to Ron and Neville. His patronus was quite fitting for who he was. A lone wolf in need of a pack. What Ginny said was true. He needed people. Once the patronus was gone, his wand clattered to the table beside the couch. He looked to Hermione. I've just sent the boys outside a message to come inside. It's late...and you're welcome to stay the night. He then looked at Ginny, seeing that heart of hers patter away, so inviting... He cringed and forced himself to look away from her. I'm...going out for a bit...I need to find myself some food... He stepped to another window, opened the latch, and threw it open. Without looking at them he said I'll be back soon. He took another step onto the window sill and jumped into the air, transforming into a bat and flying away. Neville's eyes grew wide and he shook Ron's shoulder with a little more gusto than he meant to. Ron had been nodding off, and so he gasped and shook himself awake, looking to Neville, and then to where Neville's eyes were staring. They both watched as a silvery white light glided across the darkened sky in an arc, coming towards them fast. What the bloody 'ell is that? Ron asked in a panicked voice. Neville squinted at it and said I think it's a patronus! But...it's bigger than it should be... Ron could soon see that Neville was right. This patronus was a larger animal than any of the girls had. The wolf landed atop a boulder feet away from the pair of them and Draco's voice echoed from it as it spoke. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that these girls have bigger balls than either of you two. Their courage has earned them a night in my mansion. You're welcome to come inside considering you're their baggage, but don't touch anything! All the house-elves in Hogwarts wouldn't be able to wash your stench off Weasley, and neither of you have enough galleons to buy what you break. Ron growled and picked up a rock to throw at the patronus, but it had already fizzled away into wisps of smoke. Ron muttered and cursed under his breath as both of them shuffled to the mansion with sour expressions on their faces.