loyalotter | 11th Gryffindor Note

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11th Gryffindor Note - [text/Action]

...Well that was certainly interesting. I hope everyone made it out of the snow and back to their residences safely. I was caught at home, so I'm fine. If any of my housemates are coming home frozen, I'll have my bluebell flames in their jar in the middle of the common room.

I'd also like to hear from everyone I haven't spoken to yet since the blizzard ended. How are you all doing?

[Hermione is going to send a Messenger Patronus to her housemates, no matter where they are. It says, "Are you all right? Please see me. I need to teach you this." Except to Harry. His says, "I need to teach you this and for you to teach me something," but it comes back to her, whining...

[She'll be waiting on the bottom floor.]

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[Attention is much bigger of a priority than chasing.]

I'm not sure if I should thank him for that. I'm a Malfoy, saying thank you leaves a bad taste in my mouth. [But there's a small smirk anyway.] He mentioned he taught the entire DA...that true?

[she chuckles at that and scratches Padfoot's ears.]

It's true. He taught me, Neville, Luna, Cho, Ron... everyone who was in that last meeting. We were working on Patronuses when the Inquisitorial Squad broke us up. [That whole Umbridge loving on the Slytherins thing is a little bit sore, but she's working on putting it behind her... especially in light of the new alliance / pseudo-friendship thing they've got going on.] Lupin's the one who taught him and he also taught me how to do the Messenger.

[There's a content noise from Padfoot at least. Draco's just folding his hands and resting his chin on them, watching the two of them]

...ah. Right. [Draco remembers this. That...urgh, that last part of the year was no good now that he thinks on it, no matter how much he liked it at the time.] The messenger's incredibly beneficial.

[Terri's going to pad slowly back over and stop near Draco... to look up at him like "wtf is this?"]

...How's that going? [That whole year was awkward for her, being the best friend of the boy determined to get the back of his hand scratched off.]

[He watches Terri for a moment before extending a hand. How may we help you, Otter-tronus?]

...what, the Messenger?

[Terri stretches out to sniff that hand and then look pleased. This whole running around thing is exhausting.]

Of course. What else?

[Well, come here, then. Padfoot's still busy lounging in Hermione's lap after all.]

Slowly for me. I can almost get it to work but not quite.

[Is this a lap invitation? Hermione's still scratching Padfoot's ears anyway.]

What's not quite working?

[Sure, why not, Draco's feeling a bit generous today. Must be the warm fuzzies from the two Patronuses.]

I'm not sure, beyond the fact that Padfoot never really listens to me in the first place.

[....NOT COMPLAINING. Padfoot gets all the attention anyway.]

Is he not going to the correct destination, is it not happening within a reasonable amount of time, or is he saying the message too early?

[Are you used to Hermione's way of helping yet, Draco?]

[Once Terri settles, Draco's going to settle for just resting a hand on her back. Hi there.

Except, groan. Granger, you are not a professor. Stop it.] It's mostly the fact that half the time he doesn't go to the correct destination, and the other half he only says half the message. What do you suppose that means?

[She doesn't seem to mind at all. It's relaxing here. No Padfoot to dodge and play with.

[Except you know she totally tries to be. Genius, remember? Pointed look.] That you need to accept your Patronus and work with him and not against him.

[That's because Padfoot's suddenly a lazy beast because Hermione's loving on him. Stupid Patronus.

Not that that matters, Draco doesn't care if she's a genius or not :|] I'm not working against him, but aren't I supposed to be the one in control here?

[Finicky creature.

[Oh you say that now, but you'll love it if she ever has to save your ass with it 8T] Yes, but it's a bit of a partnership sometimes. [She glances at Padfoot.] Especially with playful ones. It's concentration and understanding at its finest. And trust.

[Well look at his caster.

This is true...okay fine, Hermione can win this time.] Tell him that, not me. I know what I'm doing, he's the one constantly wandering off instead.

[At least he's cooperating right now.

Scoooooore.] Make it fun for him. A game of chase, sniff and search or something.

A game? Sure about that? Look at him, Hermione. He has to grow up sometime, I don't think playing games and having the mannerisms he has is going to make him very effective as a Patronus. [This may or may not be truly what Draco believes, but it's something.]

You won't know until you try and if you do try and find out I'm right, you'll at least have a Patronus that'll send messages like he's supposed to. He's already got the ability to feed happy thoughts. It just takes a little extra effort. [Believe her, Draco. She understands troublesome casting.]

Have you ever thought maybe I'm not supposed to have the full advantages of casting a Patronus? You know how long it's taken me to manage calling out Padfoot just by himself.

And yet you're the only Death Eater who can do it that we know of. Did you ever think about that? Of course they don't generally need to, but even so, you'd think they'd want to protect themselves from dementors, too.

Maybe they don't want to do it. Or can't feel the pure happiness to do it.]

[Sorry, Draco. Brain to mouth filters don't exist in this canon unless your name is Dumbledore or Snape.]

Edited 2010-03-01 03:51 (UTC)

[...he's contemplating telling Hermione that he's heard of Snape being able to cast one, but that's not really necessary right now.] Right, and look at the kind of Death Eater I turned out to be. Maybe the others are just too far gone or something, or just really don't see the point. Why waste your time casting corporeal animals when you can use the killing curse?

[Have a little triumph here.]

But that also sets you apart from them all. You're like Padfoot. You can feel that happiness and need it. You weren't meant for that sort of thing.

[She pauses and scratches Padfoot's belly. Not looking at Draco at all right now.]

You don't like not being in control, do you?

...[he doesn't even warrant that first explanation with an answer because he knows she's absolutely right, and that she knows she knows she's right. Instead, he watches as Padfoot rolls around in Hermione's lap, obviously pleased with the affection. Draco him suddenly blinks in surprise once he registers that last statement] I'm sorry?

[You kind of remind her of herself sometimes. Scratch scritch scratch.]

Well, look at it logically. You don't like Padfoot because he wanders around and won't do as he's told. You don't like Luceti because it keeps throwing things you don't like at you. And you didn't like me or Harry or Ron because we wouldn't conform to what you thought we should be like. Well, that and I'm a Muggleborn. You don't like Riddle because he's threatening what you've grown used to here. It just all adds up.

[Still not looking directly at him.]

[Padfoot the derptronus loves you 'mione, just keep doing that. Draco lifts an eyebrow at the sudden list she rattles off, realizing that yes, that's essentially all true. Still, when he speaks, his voice is a bit tight and he stops moving his hand over Terri]

That's quite a lot to assume so easily, Granger.

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