TRAINING WHEELS

EXPECTO PATRONUM

064

Spending so much time with Draco felt strange, although it wasn't often in the past four days or so that Amora had actually spent time with him alone. Therefore, the Hogsmeade trip on Valentine's Day was something she was definitely looking forward to. She'd never done it before, but Amora even picked out an outfit the night before and cast all her Anti-Creasing Charms.

Another charm on her hair made the waves and kinks less frizzy yet more defined, just like Amora liked it. Her go-to outfits when she wasn't in her uniform were always slip dresses over shirts since, depending on how you styled it, they could be dressed up or down. Amora chose a black satin slip dress over a black turtleneck shirt, alongside some matching chunky shoes that raised her height an inch or two.

Normally she wore slightly brighter shades or had a dash of colour somewhere on her outfit, but today she'd chosen against it. Oddly, she felt sort of powerful in all-black.

"Oh, Merlin's beard!" Pansy gave her a wolf-whistle as the brunette entered the Great Hall that Saturday morning for breakfast. "And I didn't even have to help you... Bloody hell, Amora. You look -"

"Bloody hot," Blaise grinned as he came up behind her, his dark eyes glancing her up and down.

Amora giggled and shoved his shoulder, causing him to stumble into his seat. Some people were also slightly dressed up for the occasion, others looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. Owls were bringing in single roses between their beaks, love letters flying around the room, and awkward hugs and pecks being exchanged between students.

"You look nice, Amora," Theo said politely, a few of his own roses by his cereal bowl - no doubt from his girlfriend that Amora had yet to properly meet.

"Would you lot stop hitting on my girlfriend?" Draco appeared behind her, making Amora jump as his arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her into their usual seats, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Yes, I'm looking at you two."

His silver eyes narrowed on Blaise and Pansy who both pulled faces, Blaise holding his hands up in defence. Pansy didn't seem to care.

"She's all yours, Draco, I'm just... admiring," Blaise said, "No harm in paying a compliment to a friend."

Although everybody knew he was just teasing, if he'd said that a couple of years earlier then Amora was sure she would have melted in her seat. Draco's hand tightening around her waist brought butterflies to her stomach instead.

"Me too," Pansy added, "Unless Amora suddenly wakes up and decides she likes girls, I think she's safe from me."

"Merlin, Pans, you make yourself sound like some sort of predator," Theo scoffed as he shovelled some cereal into his mouth.

"I'd date you, Pans," Amora shrugged, her eyes widening a little when Theo began to choke on his cereal and everybody around her began to laugh, including Pansy. "What?"

"You're with me, darling," Draco muttered, his fingers brushing her waist. "Don't forget it."

"How can she forget when you've got her pinned to your side like that?" Blaise retorted, earning a glare from the silver-eyed boy.

"Well, I'm just saying," Amora said, ignoring Blaise and Draco. "Not that I would ever break up with Draco, but you're really pretty, Pans. If you weren't my best friend, I could see myself having a crush on you."

Somewhere along the line, Amora had come to realise that she'd never be able to fall for somebody she was already friends with. It was probably why she could never move past the platonic stage with Harry. She'd only ever had two crushes in her life - one on Blaise and one on Draco. She'd crushed on Blaise without having ever spoken to him and she'd crushed on Draco when they were supposed to be enemies.

Most likely it was because her friends had always felt more like family to her. The idea of being with Harry romantically felt wrong (even if they had kissed before), and she couldn't see herself ever falling for Theo or Pansy now that they were close friends. She could never look at Blaise how she used to either - he was too brotherly towards her.

"You like girls too, Amora?" Draco asked, more gently this time as he made eye contact with Pansy.

"Well, I've never had a crush on one, but I wouldn't rule them out," Amora said, reaching for the honey pot in front of her. "But then again, I'm nearly sixteen and I've only ever had two crushes in my entire life. I don't think I fall easily, you know?"

Draco hummed in agreement, watching her as she made her breakfast. He stared for a few seconds longer, admiring how she was able to be so open with them all like it was no big deal. Amora had always worn everything on her sleeve; she wasn't scared to let people know who she was or what she believed or how she felt. Draco, on the other hand, could never be as open as her. Not when he'd been taught since he was young to bottle everything up. To make no mistakes.

"Draco's got heart eyes again," Blaise muttered, snapping him out of it.

"I can't help it," Draco said, blinking to rid himself of his previous thoughts as he smiled slightly at Amora who'd turned to look at him due to Blaise's comment. "Look at you. You look gorgeous, as always. And we're matching in black."

Amora grinned widely at him, her eyes scanning over his own black turtleneck and blazer. "I suppose we are, aren't we?" She agreed, "And you're being so sappy today, Malfoy."

"It's Valentine's Day, darling," Draco teased her, "Love is in the air."

Pansy made gagging sounds and shoved her nearly-empty breakfast plate forwards. "Ugh. You've put me off. I could have gone several lifetimes without hearing you say that."

Draco glared fiercely at her, making Amora laugh. She leaned into Draco's side as she began to eat her breakfast, her brown eyes drifting over to the Gryffindor table coincidentally. Harry was standing there, Cho right in front of him as they spoke. He looked nervous, blushing and smiling awkwardly, and even Cho looked a little shy as she smiled back. She had forgotten that they were going to Hogsmeade together for Valentine's Day.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, Harry's head shifted and he locked eyes with her. Amora nearly jumped, stilling in shock instead as he stared right at her, their little contest lasting a good ten seconds before she tore her gaze. The brunette grimaced as she lifted her porridge to her lips, wondering what the hell had just happened.

"Now," Pansy spoke up, "Are we going to just ignore the fact that I might actually have a chance with Amora now?"

"Pansy!"

D.M + A.B

Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop had been packed when they'd walked past it in Hogsmeade, but luckily Draco had insisted that he had no intentions of taking her there. He said that it was far too common for him to take her where everybody else was taking their significant others, but she was surprised when he led her into the Three Broomsticks instead.

It wasn't that she was ungrateful - but even if it was cheesy, Madam Puddifoot's shop was a lot more romantic and less casual than the pub. Yet, as Draco led her closer and closer towards the back of the Three Broomsticks, clearly looking for a specific table, she knew that something else was up.

"Oh, wow, Draco," Amora whispered as they made it to one of the last booths.

Cleaner than the other tables, candles had been set up around it, a bouquet of yellow roses in the very centre. A box sat on the side of the booth that she guessed was for her, wrapped up neatly with a bow on top. Draco smiled at the expression on her face as he slid into the seat in front of her.

"It's not exactly a five star restaurant, but us coming to Hogsmeade was rather last minute and Hogsmeade isn't very... classy, shall I say?" Draco huffed through his nose as he glanced around at the other tables, watching others sit with their butterbeers and laugh merrily. "And yellow roses usually signify friendship, I read somewhere, but it's the colour I associate with you, so I saw it rather fitting."

Amora felt her stomach doing flips as she beamed at him, reaching her hand across the table and grabbing his. Her warm fingers pressed against his cold rings, her thumb stroking at his icy skin.

"I love it," Amora promised him, "This is so... So lovely, Draco."

He crinkled his nose a little at the compliment, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. Amora supposed with all of the money that he had, it probably wasn't. But it still meant everything to her.

"Open your present," Draco ordered her, taking his hand back so she could do so. "It's not much, but I... Well, you know I've never believed in Valentine's Day."

Amora shook her head as she grabbed the box, starting to unwrap it. "Draco, I don't care if it's 'not much', it still means - Oh my gosh!"

It was her book - or their book, rather. It was in pristine condition, looking as though Leon had never ripped it up just under a week ago. Somehow, Draco had managed to smooth all of the pages out, he'd managed to fix the spine and rid any traces of the DA from it. Amora smoothed her hands over the leather cover, beaming at the little badger stitched into the corner - now joined by a snake.

"I thought that it was disgustingly cheesy, but Pansy said you're into that stuff," Draco said, although he couldn't deny that seeing her so giddy over something he'd given her warmed his chest.

"I absolutely love it," Amora promised him breathlessly, flipping the pages and finding everything just how it had been before. Draco had even added some plastic slots and inside were the polaroids of themselves. "Merlin... Draco, this is so sweet."

Draco was pretty sure nobody had called anything he'd ever done lovely or sweet before, and today he was rolling in the kind compliments from Amora. He was no good at handling compliments when it came to her, perhaps because he knew that she truly meant them. His cheeks and neck heated up and he was sure that his ears had tinged pink, but he played it off with a cool expression, simply nodding at her.

"Thank you, Draco," Amora murmured as she placed it down and reached across the table, meeting him halfway for a kiss. "I may or may not have two presents for you. Well, one of them is actually not really a physical gift, but I wanted to show you something."

Draco raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Oh, really?"

Not understanding his tone, Amora nodded eagerly. "Yep. We can do it once we leave the Three Broomsticks. But here is your physical gift. I... I really hope you like it."

Draco watched as she reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. She hadn't wrapped this present, which was a little disappointing since he'd been eager to make some sort of insult about her wrapping skills again. He plucked the bow off of the black box and lifted it, his brows furrowing it what lay inside.

Reaching inside, Draco delicately picked up Amora's birthstone ring which was attached to a chain. The green stone in the middle gleamed back at him as he held it up to his eyes curiously.

"Put it on," Amora said excitedly, "Make sure it's touching your bare chest. You're supposed to wear it beneath your clothing."

"That's a rather strange request," Draco mumbled as he did as he was told, slipping it past his head and burying it underneath his turtleneck shirt so he could feel the cold metal against his skin. "What are -"

He watched as she pulled out a necklace of her own that had been against her chest. Draco wasn't sure what was attached to the chain - it looked like some sort of coin souvenir thing. He was pretty sure the London Eye was on it. As she clamped her hand gently around it, Draco's thoughts were cut off by a warming feeling on his skin.

He gasped lightly, his hand moving to touch where the necklace was against his skin. "It's -"

"I put a Protean Charm on it," Amora beamed, "And yours works too. If you just hold it and think about it, mine will warm up as well. And if you tap your wand against it and say something, it will appear on my Muggle London coin-thing. My mother actually got this for me when we went to London together, it was in some type of machine thing that you had to put Muggle currency inside to pick which London landmark you -"

Draco reached out and grabbed her hand. He was sure his eyes were melting. "You did this... for me?"

"Obviously," Amora giggled, shaking her head. "I was going to make you one for Christmas, but then... Well, you know what happened. And we don't have to sneak around to meet up anymore, but I still thought it could be quite sweet."

"I love it," Draco said, surprised by how defensive his tone was. "This is the nicest thing anybody has ever gotten me, Amora."

Amora blushed, her brown eyes drifting from his. "I'm glad you like it."

"But give me yours," Draco said, holding his hand out. "Your necklace," he elaborated upon seeing the confused expression that took over her face.

The brunette did as she was told, reaching for the chain and pulling it off. She dropped it into Draco's extended hand, watching as he slid the souvenir off and then grabbed a ring from his own finger. It wasn't the Malfoy family ring but the serpent one, her breath hitching as he began to slide it onto the chain.

"Draco -"

"Hush," Draco cut her off. "If I get your birthstone ring, then you get my Slytherin one."

Amora's face screwed up in protest. "My ring is worth nothing compared to yours -"

"Amora," Draco laughed, reaching across to grab her pouting face. "You're cute, but I could buy that Slytherin ring again a million times over. Not that I want to - it's yours now. It makes me happier that it's on your neck rather than my hand."

"Draco," Amora breathed, her hand moving to gently place over his. "I love you."

She watched his lips twitch upwards. "I love you more, Buckley."

Amora rolled her eyes. "I refuse to get into that sappy argument with you because Merlin does it irritate me in the novels I read, but I can assure you that that is definitely not true."

Draco's brows rose in amusement. "I beg to differ."

"Don't."

D.M + A.B

Draco did not like the Hufflepuff common room. Not only were there a few first years staring at him like Voldemort himself had just entered the room, but it was far too bright and there were too many plants. Not to mention how yellow everything was, and he thought the circular wooden doors that led to the dorms made it look like an actual badger's sett- which he supposed was the point, but he would be offended to live like such a useless creature.

Yet Amora looked in her element here, her brown eyes focused on the ring he had just given her as they sat on the leather couches in the centre of the room, her legs folded beneath her. She was casting the Protean Charm on it so that the ring she'd given to Draco connected to that instead of her London souvenir.

Draco wished he could understand small aspects of her life like this. He wished he thrived in the same bright rooms that she did or that he'd understand the idea of fairness and justice like most Hufflepuffs - just small things that would bring him closer to her. He felt like she was so involved in his life - being friends with Slytherins, spending time at his dorm, sitting at his table... He always seemed to forget how different she was.

"Done!" Amora's voice brought him out of his own head. "Try it."

Draco reached to place his hand on his chest where he could feel the ring directly beneath his shirt. He saw Amora's shoulders tense and then she smiled, biting down on her lip excitedly.

"Okay, it works," Amora grinned.

"You seem surprised," Draco hummed.

"Yeah, well I didn't even have to use my notes this time," the teenage girl replied, "I actually have it memorised now."

"Clever girl," he murmured.

"You wanna know what else I learnt?" Amora sat up further on the leather couch, glancing over her shoulder at the first years and finding that they were gone. "Oh, good. We have the common room all to ourselves."

Draco looked slightly alarmed, wondering what she was talking about. It must be the 'non-physical' present she'd been going on about during lunch.

"I learnt how to cast a Patronus," Amora grinned at him, "Do you want to see?"

"You learnt how to cast a Patronus?" Draco repeated in disbelief. "That's a pretty advanced spell. Who the hell taught you that?"

"Well... Harry, actually," the brunette said, watching as Draco's face shifted into a scowl. "But that doesn't matter. I wanted to show you my Patronus, and then I thought it would be cool if I... I don't know... if I taught you how to cast one? If you'd like?"

"Why are you getting nervous around me?" Draco said, "Of course I'd like to see your Patronus."

Amora beamed, suddenly less nervous. "I just didn't know if you'd find it boring."

"Nothing you do is boring," Draco replied, sitting back on the couch. "Go on then. Give me a show of your Patronus."

Laughing, Amora stood. "I've only done this once before, so don't laugh if it doesn't work, okay?"

"I won't."

Amora did as Harry had once instructed her to do, her brain searching for the happiest parts of her life. Ignoring Cedric and her old friends who now only had memories tinted by sadness, Amora found Draco in the middle of the library again. The memory was as clear as anything in her head, the way his lips moved, how a tear had fallen, the way the three words sounded when they came out of his mouth.

"Expecto Patronum," Amora cast.

The blond boy on the couch sat up curiously as he watched her Patronus take form in front of him, a streaky blue shape that seemed to mould into a small dragon. His breath hitched in amazement, his silver eyes full of wonder as it began to soar gently through the air, its long tail flicking behind it as it flew circles around Amora. As it headed over to Draco, he couldn't help but hold his hand out, the dragon disappearing as soon as one of his slender fingers made contact with it.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Amora chuckled at his expression.

"You have to show me how to do that," Draco demanded, standing from the couch, his tall figure immediately looming over her as he tugged his wand out of his pocket.

Amora grinned for the hundredth time that day. It was hard not to when she was around Draco. She moved slightly behind him, helping him with the movement of his wand, her small hand resting on top of his hand to guide it.

"What's your wand's core made out of?" Amora asked.

"Why?" Draco asked, "Does that affect it?"

"No. Just curious."

"Unicorn hair," he replied, slightly embarrassed. "Father was disappointed when I didn't end up with Dragon heartstring. It's the most powerful... Easiest to turn to the Dark Arts."

Amora stilled a little from behind him. They never spoke about Draco's father anymore - especially not since Voldemort had returned. She knew Lucius was probably working with Voldemort, and maybe Draco knew something about it, but she tried to remain ignorant, as bad as it sounded. If Draco wanted to tell her about it, he would. Deep down, she knew which side Draco was expected to be on, yet the idea of war felt so unrealistic - like it would never actually happen.

"I have Unicorn hair too," Amora replied quietly, adjusting his fingers, her chin on his arm. "The most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. And most consistent. What wood's it made out of?"

She could tell it was probably ten inches - less than an inch longer than hers. It was sleek and round, coloured brown with little raised grooves above where he should hold it. Meanwhile, Amora's was a darker brown and had a sort of swirl around the handle.

"Hawthorn," Draco said, less unsure this time like he knew she wouldn't judge him. "Gregorovitch says they're adept at curses, but also healing magic. Meant for wizards who are passing through a period or turmoil or conflicting nature, whatever that means. Yours?"

"Rowan wood," Amora replied.

Draco smirked. "Ah, of course. Placed with the pure-hearted and clear-headed. No dark witch or wizard have ever owned it, you know."

It nearly startled Amora how much he knew about dark magic surrounding wands, before she realised that he had probably been brought up on information like this. It hurt her heart to know that he'd been so... brainwashed at so young.

"It also frequently outperforms others in duels," Amora quipped back with a small smile. "Now, should we stand and compare wands all day or shall I teach you how to cast a Patronus?"

Draco released a small breath through his nose that Amora knew was a laugh.

"What?"

"Comparing wands..." Draco shook his head with a boyish smile. "Just sounds wrong."

"What is it with you today, hm?" Amora rolled her eyes in amusement. "Okay, so you need to do the hand movement whilst you verbalise the spell, but whilst you do it you have to think of your happiest memory. It could be a birthday that you've had, spending time with your mother, a Quidditch match -"

"When you gave me a second chance," Draco said, his eyes not peeling from the tip of his wand which was extended in his arm. "In the library that night. When you told me to make a wish on that eyelash, when you kissed me back and told me that you still loved me."

Amora's heart thudded painfully against her chest. "That's my happiest memory too," she whispered and Draco released a breathy chuckle, his shoulders sagging in seeming relief.

"Close your eyes if you have to," she said, "Think about being there in the library, about what I said, how you felt in that moment... And then, when you think you're ready, just say the words."

Amora released his arm and took a couple steps back. She watched his fingers wriggle to adjust on his wand, his footing changing as he closed his eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath. Draco looked like he was truly at peace before he muttered the spell.

"Expecto Patronum," Draco said, opening his eyes in time to watch a blurry blue figure form in the air.

Amora gasped with him. She'd been expecting him to take far longer. After all, she'd tried more times than she could count before she could cast her Patronus.

They watched it closely, holding their breaths as they realised what it was. Draco's Patronus was a dragon too. Slightly bigger than Amora's, it also had spikes up its tail and around its head, its wings more broad than slender, just like the rest of its body. It swooped about in the air, swirling around Draco like Amora's had done to hers.

Amora laughed happily at the look on Draco's face. Pure wonder and amazement, like he didn't think he was capable of such magic.

"Mine is a dragon too," Draco said in shock, watching as it faded away after a few moments, his concentration on it dropping as he turned to Amora. "Ours match."

"Maybe because we used the same memory?" Amora offered, jumping up and down on the balls of her heels as she grasped his hands, intertwining their fingers. "I'm so happy for you, Draco. Well done!"

"Amora... Patronuses can match or compliment each other when you're in love," he told her softly, watching as her face eased in realisation. "And... Do you think the dragon is for..."

"For Draco?" Amora cut him off, still blushing from his first statement. "Yeah, I thought that as soon as I saw it. Romantic in a weird way, huh?"

Draco grinned, and upon seeing his smile, Amora began to laugh. It was a look that Draco only ever really wore around her, maybe his friends too, and one that she hadn't even seen until their fourth year. She thought it was a contagious smile; one that she couldn't help but grin along to when it was on his face. She always thought that if Draco was smiling, then it was definitely something worth smiling about too.

D.M + A.B

During dinner, Amora and Draco decided to stay down in the Hufflepuff basement, away from everybody else. It was still empty aside from themselves, the pair choosing to sit on the floor against the couch for some reason. Their arms brushed as they swayed their wands in front of them, causing their Patronuses to weave in and out of each other and dance dangerously close to the fireplace.

"My dragon is cuter," Amora stated as she watched it swoop past Draco's and towards them, going around their heads.

Draco's dragon seemed to chase Amora's.

Draco scoffed. "Dragon's aren't supposed to be cute, you know."

"Well, mine is," Amora protested.

"I think yours is supposed to be an Antipodean Opaleye," Draco said, pointing towards it. "They're very harmless, actually. Mine's a Ukranian Ironbelly - I think. They're really dangerous and huge in real life."

Amora smiled as she leaned her head on his shoulder, watching their Patronuses collide and fade away, almost like fireworks in the sky.

"And how is it that you know so much about dragons?" Amora asked him.

"My mother bought me a book when I was younger about them," Draco answered, "I'm named after the constellation - it's a Black family tradition - but when I was about seven, I found out that 'Draco' was Latin for 'Dragon' and I had a minor obsession for a while. My father even took me to Romania to see some one year for my eighth birthday, but by then I had grown out of them. I was into Quidditch at that point."

Hearing Draco talk about his childhood made Amora smile a little bit more. She was glad that, despite clearly detesting his father most of the time, he had some nice memories growing up. Sometimes she half-worried he'd grown up with no fun whatsoever.

"I've never left the country," Amora said, "Or, well, I just drift between England and Scotland obviously."

"Never?" Draco repeated, turning to look at her incredulously for a moment. "Not even France?"

"No, never," Amora replied, "To be honest, other than the odd trip to London, I don't really leave Hogwarts or my own home. We don't have a lot of money for holidays, and my mother is always too tired come summer, and my father..."

She pulled a face, one that Draco couldn't really decipher.

"Well, he's just like every father, isn't he?" Amora finished dismissively.

"I think fathers typically are supposed to be better than our ones," Draco said after a few moments. "I know mine loves me. He gives me gifts, he makes sure I'm top of everything I do, and he's proud when I accomplish things like becoming Slytherin's Seeker... But it's like I have to earn his attention. And he's not a good man. I don't want to end up like him."

Amora's breath hitched a little bit. "You won't," she said.

Draco released a small chuckle, dry and humourless. "I hate to say it, Amora, but if the time really comes... Which it looks like it will... I really don't have a choice. I never have a choice with him."

"We shouldn't talk about this right now," Amora said in a strained tone, her face full of pain.

"We shouldn't or you don't want to?" Draco asked, no venom behind his tone, although she expected there to be.

"Both." Amora was quiet. "It may never happen, so we shouldn't dwell on the negatives."

"I know you're not ignorant," Draco said sternly, "Amora, I know you think about it too. How we'll end up fighting different sides of a battle. How one of us is going to lose."

"No." Amora grabbed his hand, squeezing it on his lap. "We're a team, remember? And I know you're not a bad person, Draco. You've been a bully and you still have your moments, and I know you still believe Purebloods are superior, but you don't want to see our Muggle-born classmates be killed and tortured. You hate Muggles, but only because we have to hide from them. You don't really want to see chaos and death and pain."

She stared at him, silence filling the empty common room.

Draco pursed his lips. "You were right, we shouldn't talk about this right now. It's Valentine's Day."

"Wait." Amora grasped his hand before he could lift himself from the ground. "Now I need to hear you say that you don't believe those things. Please, Draco."

"Of course I fucking don't want to see people get murdered," Draco growled, offended that she would believe it. "I'm not a psychopath, Amora."

"I know, I know! But in the second year, when Muggle-Borns were being petrified you were happy -"

"I was twelve," Draco reminded her coldly, "I was a little prick who was angry at the world - angry at my father, at Potter, at this school... Didn't even realise how serious my words were. But I've grown up a bit since then. Especially since meeting you. And I was just saying things - words meant nothing, as far as I was concerned. I said shit to get a rise out of people because I was an attention-seeking twat -"

"Stop," Amora whimpered and he realised that she looked like she could start crying any moment. "Draco, I don't want you to be on the other side. I need you to be on this side -"

"Amora, I'm a Malfoy," Draco laughed bitterly, "Since before I was even born, there's been expectations of me. My father's so high up with the Dark Lord that he knows my name. If he calls me out, which eventually will happen during the war or after if he succeeds, I have to obey him. Or I'm dead, my mother and father are dead, and that's it."

Amora didn't like how he called Voldemort the Dark Lord. It felt like something only a follower would call him.

The look on her face made Draco sigh, his heart aching as he glanced away from her to stare at his knees. Amora was truly distraught, a tear sliding down her face. It felt like they could have the perfect love if only he hadn't been born into the Malfoy family.

Amora cringed at her past self who had been imagining herself taking his last name. She felt bad - it wasn't Draco's fault who his family were - but she didn't know if she wanted to be associated with that last name. Not when that last name had connotations of Pureblood superiority and being high up with Voldemort.

"Do you hate me?" Draco asked very suddenly.

"What?" Amora's head snapped to face him.

"You look sick," Draco replied, "Like you can't stand to be sitting beside me right now."

"I just wish things were different," Amora admitted, "But I could never hate you, Draco. No matter... what you have to do. I just feel like there are other options - there are people who could protect you and your family -"

"That's too late," Draco cut her off firmly, and Amora knew he definitely knew something she didn't.

"Why?" She dared to ask him.

He looked like he wanted to tell her. His lips trembled as she reached and grabbed his hand tight and for the second time in her life, she watched as Draco's silver eyes filled with tears. Draco managed to quickly blink them back, but he looked paler than ever and ill.

"Let's just say that Malfoy Manor has some new guests," Draco muttered, watching Amora's eyes widen fearfully. "My father has been working with them, my mother trying to be an adequate host since just after Christmas..."

Amora swallowed. "He's..." She could barely finish her sentence. "A- At your house?"

Draco gave a firm nod. "It's too late, Amora. I love my mother too much to put her in jeopardy by refusing him if he asks for me."

The brunette felt herself shake as she threw her arms around him and pulled him close to her. His arms went around her middle, his chin resting on her shoulder. Amora pretended not to feel the hot tears falling onto her shoulder, sinking through her shirt. She just held Draco closer, praying that something would happen before Draco ever had to join their side.

...

just to clarify, i know that draco was initially excited to join the death eaters, but obviously since there are changes to his storyline (he's in love w/ a girl who hates pureblood supremacy) he's going to have different feelings and opinions because he's less 2D than jkr made him. if i made him still excited to join the death eaters for the sake of keeping him more canon, then amora would be pointless to his story line if that makes sense?? like she's there so she's altered the story line, including draco as a person and even harry's feelings etc.

ALSO i have made a jj maybank (outer banks) fanfic and it's up on my account if that's your thing :))

word count: 5.5k

thanks sm for reading <333

dyiansobrien.