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Professor Blossom turned out to be one of the best DADA teachers they ever had. Lily found his lessons really fascinating from his vast explanations on different situations he faced as an ex auror, the effects of curses and counter-curses to the actual practical lessons in which the professor developed a habit in choosing her as his partner.

As the ex-leader of DA, everyone was listening carefully and taking in each of Lilys actions when she would be the first to try a new useful hex.

This only made one thing certain; Lily was so going to become an auror. Some afternoons she even visited the professor in his office, asking for advice and good books for her to read on the subject.

Halfway through October, Professor Blossom told the class they would start on practicing the Patronus Charm.

'This ancient and mysterious charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings. The Patronus Charm is difficult, and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full, corporeal Patronus, a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity. You may suspect, but you will never truly know what form your Patronus will take until you succeed in conjuring it. But if you don't succeed remember that many of the most brilliant figures of the wizarding world couldn't cast it,' Professor Blossom finished his lecturing in his usual voice that always attracted the attention of the class.

In the back, Seamus chuckled slightly.

'Is there something you wish to tell us, Mr Finnigan?' he asked, raising one of his scarred eyebrows.

'No, not at all professor,' Seamus said and Lily could already feel half of the class grinning in her direction.

Almost all of the DA members had managed to cast a patronus, even discover their corporal form so she was sure they would all give professor Blossom a heart attack with their brilliant performances.

'Miss Potter,' Professors Blossom's voice filled the entire classroom as he spoke her name. She felt 30 pairs of eyes land onto her and she couldn't help but blush slightly. 'I've heard from fellow colleagues that you managed to cast a corporal patronus many times, even on your OWLs examinations, am I correct?'

'Yes, Professor,' Lily found herself smiling at the fact that she was the one he was talking about. Draco looked at the redhead with interest, her smile sending his heart into a set of different races, maybe it even did a 6 feet jump.

'Would you mind casting it for us?'

'Of course, let me just-'

Blossom led Lily to the front of the classroom were she was facing each one of her classmates; she concentrated for a little bit, searching her brain for a memory as the months she lived recently were filled with sorrow. Her eyes landed on Ron and Hermione who both told her she was their family; most of the people looked confused when they saw a wide smile on Lily's face and then, before she gained her courage she looked for a brief moment at Draco and she just knew she could do it, even if it didn't make any sense.

'Expecto Patronum!' Lily shouted calmly, but with determination and a huge silvery light emerged from her wand, her patronus slowly forming as it floated around the classroom. Most of the girls gasped when the majestic and beautiful silver stag landed next to Lily, letting her pat it on the head.

'Heyo, Prongs,' Lily said in a whisper, watching her patronus with adoration. 'Long time no see.'

And even if Lily thought she had been the only one to hear her words, there was also Draco Malfoy who couldn't stop repeating those words in his head over and over again.

'Splendid, Lily!' Professor Blossom began cheering and most of the class joined him. 'Now all of you stand up, quickly.'

When all the students got up, he made the tables and the chairs go to the sides of the room with only a swish of his wand.

'Now all of you think of your happiest memory, allow it to fill you whole and attempt to cast the charm when you feel really ready,' the professor spoke with excitement. 'And of course 20 points for Gryffindor, because of Lily's amazing patronus.'

Professor Blossom winked at her and Lily made her way to Ron and Hermione with a bright smile on her lips.

'We thought you couldn't cast it anymore, you know because of-' Ron stopped when from Hermione's wand emerged her otter patronus.

'Or we thought it would had changed into a wolf, y'know,' Hermione joined in, watching as the otter danced around her.

'So did I, I must admit. I-I have no idea why I am not in the same situation as Tonks was,' Lily muttered, looking at Ron's Jack Russell Terrier. 'But maybe it finally means I've moved on.'

'Or Will wasn't the love of your life,' Ron whispered and Lily's gaze snapped to him instantly.

'W-what are you s-saying?'

'Ron might be right,' Hermione said softly, her attention on her patronus fading. 'It's true that you loved him, Lils, and you are still grieving, but maybe there is someone else who is the love of your life...'

Lily's gaze suddenly fell on Draco who managed only to create a wisp of silver.

'Agh this is not working!' he exclaimed as he looked at Pansy's duck that was floating towards him.

'Pans this one is stressed,' Blaise said in an amused tone. 'He might need someone to help him.'

'Shut up, Zabini!' Draco scoffed and just then he felt a pair of eyes burning in the back of his head.

He slowly turned around, catching the eye of none other than Lily Potter. The girl sent him an encouraging smile before she turned her attention to her own friends.

'You know, my stress might just have jumped out the window,' Draco muttered under his breath, continuing with practicing the charm.

That night Lily couldn't sleep. It was one of the nights she didn't take a Dreamless Sleep potion to see how her nightmares are or if they had gone on their own.

But something was keeping her awake, not letting her get lost into de world of sleep.

With a sigh, Lily drew the scarlet curtains of her bed and let her feet fall onto the ground. She quietly searched for a sweater and her invisibility cloak in her trunk, deciding on spending her night in a particular tower.

Her feet made no sound against the cold stone floors of the castle as she walked freely under the protection of her invisibility cloak to the Astronomy Tower.

Draco Malfoy was not sleeping either. The boy was spending his night into the tower already, trying to master the Patronus Charm. He didn't have a clue why he suddenly became obsessed with it; he wanted so hard to see the form of his Patronus that he would risk detention at 1 am.

'Malfoy?' a feminine voice asked and Draco turned around so fast that he nearly fell off the ledge of the Astronomy Tower; there was no one there.

'I might be hallucinating from the lack of sleep,' he muttered with a scoff.

'You're not,' her voice sounded and a head suddenly appeared from nowhere, followed by the body of Lily Potter.

The girl, despite the cold weather of October was wearing shorts; she was thankfully wearing a thick dark blue sweater, whose zip was pulled all the way to her middle, showing her scarlet shirt underneath. Her red hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, with a few strands framing her face, looking like she just got out of bed. Her earrings were shining slightly into the moonlight and so did her beautiful emerald green eyes.

'Is that an invisibility cloak, Potter?' Draco noticed the thing that she was hugging to her chest.

'Indeed,' she said with a smile, approaching him and sitting down on the ledge. 'It was passed from father to son for generations in my family, an useful little thing.'

'So that's how you do all your sneaking up, huh? I knew the Potters had a way to get into trouble, but an invisibility cloak means that you should get into trouble without being caught,' Draco voiced his thoughts and he was surprised when Lily continued smiling.

'Well I haven't been caught, mostly, but my dad was surely an exception as he was getting into trouble more often than I am,' her chuckles filled the space and the blonde boy couldn't help but smile.

'You know I've heard you say something in class today, i-it was Prongs?'

He noticed the change into her expression, her eyes trying to hide the sadness within.

'You certainly know that Remus Lupin was a werewolf and you know, dad, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and him had a little group; they were The Marauders. Later when they discovered Remus' fury little problem as dad liked to call it, they've decided to become illegal animagi to keep him company on full moons and they-'

'Succeeded, yeah, I know about Sirius Black, was he a black large dog?' Draco asked and Lily nodded slightly.

'And dad was a stag, his nickname was Prongs,' she said calmly, her eyes searching the night sky.

'So your patronus is your dad?'

'Yes.'

A comfortable silence hung into the air as Lily hugged her sweater and cloak tightly around her. Draco caught her bare feet trembling.

'I didn't think half the class would be able to cast their patronuses that quick,' Draco mumbled and Lily's chuckle filled the air again.

'You must remember the illegal group I formed in fifth year; most of the DA members had already learned how to cast the Patronus Charm from me,' her voice held quite the amusement as Dumbledore lied about himself leading the group.

'C-could you teach me too?' Draco's voice sounded so innocent that Lily couldn't help, but look him in the eye and smile.

'Of course.'

'U-uh you know there is a rumor that people like me can't cast it so I don't want to disappoint-' Draco started, but he was cut off by Lily's fingers reaching for the sleeve of his left hand, rolling it slowly and carefully.

There, inked on the forearm of his left hand was that hideous mark that changed the last two years of his life.

'I don't think you wanted this,' Lily muttered and Draco felt the soft skin of her fingers tracing the contour of the mark. 'I've seen it, Draco, I've seen you lowering your wand here, in the same place before Snape killed him. You haven't been given any choice, you're not like them.'

'How do you know that?' he asked in a whisper and nearly flinched under her caring touch.

'Because you saved me,' she said softly, offering him a smile. 'You knew that Voldemort would be furious once he realized that you were lying, and you still did it, regardless of the consequences.'

'Well you saved me two times after,' he muttered and Lily chuckled.

'It's in my system to help people, it was kind of a shock when you saved me.'

'People are not always who they seem to be,' Draco said in a whisper that got lost into the cold wind.

'That's why I believe you will be able to cast the Patronus charm, you didn't torture or kill people like they did, your life isn't filled with darkness,' Lily said and sat up, holding her hand for him.

Draco took it and the girl helped him to his feet. He noticed the height difference again, noting just how all the her freckles looked like stars on her nose and pale cheeks. Her lightning bolt scar was visible on her forehead for the first time in days, not hidden under a little layer of make up.

Draco felt how Lily moved behind him, carefully reaching for his hands and moving them. Just like that, the blonde's right hand that was holding his wand was in the air, pointed at nothing in particular.

'Think of the happiest memory you have,' Lily whispered in his ear, her hot breath touching the skin of Draco's neck, sending a shiver to run down his back. 'Allow it to fill every part of you, both your body and soul.'

Draco nodded slightly, his mind running at top full speed as he thought of a memory. He came across the one were he was sorted into Slytherin, but the sight of the very same 11 year old redhead that was behind him shot an unusual feeling to run through his veins.

'Expecto Patronum!' he shouted and only the silvery wisp he managed to create before emerged from the top of his wand.

'It is a good start,' the girl smiled and walked in front of him. 'May I ask what memory did you choose?'

The boy scanned her face for a few seconds before clearing his throat. 'The day I was sorted into Slytherin.'

'It is clearly not powerful enough, I chose a memory as simple as yours when I first tried to cast it.'

'Which one?' Draco asked with furrowed brows.

'The first time I rode a broom,' Lily chuckled and Draco remembered just how they had a little fight that day. He smiled to himself and chose to say nothing. 'You may try again.'

'Aren't you cold?' Draco asked, eyeing her bare feet before she could say something else.

'It's nothing,' Lily said softly.

'Potter, you wouldn't want to catch a cold, I think you should go to sleep and I'll manage to do this by myself,' Draco said in a serious tone, putting a hand on her shoulder.

'Well if you are sure, I may go. Don't come in late, you also need your sleep, night, Draco' Lily smiled for the last time and she disappeared under her invisibility cloak.

'Good night, Potter,' he muttered as he heard the soft sound of her feet touching the stone floor.

As he looked at the place were the redhead stood, a memory made its way into his head.

'Alcohol and Lily Potter don't work too well,' he muttered under his breath as he carried the girl to her dorm.

She continued smiling at him and her big green eyes studied his face.

'You are handsome,' she said softly before her eyes closed and she fell asleep in Draco's arms.

And in that moment he felt an unexplainable form of happiness; he let it fill him whole before...

'Expecto patronum!' he shouted loud and clear and from his wand emerged a silver light that slowly floated around the Astronomy Tower until it landed in front of Draco, leaving him speechless.

A stag.

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So this is the fanart this chapter is based on! All credits to the rightful artist, not me of course. If anyone knows whose arts it is don't forget to tell me.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter💘