Draco scowled, chucking his wand forward onto the sand of the Black Lake and slamming his face in between his knees which were drawn to his chest with his arms. He glared down at it.

Everyone made conjuring a Patronus look so easy.
Yet here he was, having been attempting to conjure the spell for an hour a day for the past week and nothing. No more than a white spark and that was it.

It was becoming maddening. He rubbed his temples furiously before sighing and getting up, stalking over to where he'd thrown his wand only to find that it had disappeared. He fell to his knees and began to feel around in the sand, frantically searching for it, "No, no, no, no, no, no—" Draco's eyes widened as water touched his finger tips. His wand must have gotten swept out into the lake.
His throat grew tight at the thought.
He stood up quickly and began to take his sweater off.

"While it'd really be great if you continue- it's right here." A voice murmured from behind Draco, making him jump and spin around to see an amused Harry spinning his wand in his hand.

"Merlin- Potter, give me my wand." Draco crossed his arms.

Harry nodded and walked up to Draco, handing him his wand, handle side out.

Draco looked surprised at how easy that was and grabbed his wand- but Harry wouldn't let go.

"One condition," Harry hummed.

"Of course." Draco rolled his eyes with an unamused scowl.

"Let me help you conjure a Patronus." Harry smirked.

Draco's eyes widen and he sputtered, "H-How did you know I was-"

"You've been chucking your wand into the lake every day for the past week. You know, I usually come down here for some peace and quiet but this is the next best thing. That being said-"

"Being the savior, golden-boy your hero-complex is forcing you into helping me?" Draco dead-panned.

"Mm, yes, let's go with that." Harry let go of the wand and Draco yanked back to safety, twirling it quickly before holding it.

"And why should I let you help me?" Draco crossed his arms skeptically.

"Because you need to be able to cast the spell at the very least if you want to pass your NEWTs." Harry was already moving up the hill, "Come on, the water's going to hit you if you stay there for too long, even with your pants rolled up, and Merlin forbid Draco Malfoy gets his clothes soiled." He chuckled as he stopped where the sand met the grass, halfway up the hill before it sloped any higher.

Draco glared but didn't object for the moment, stopping beside Harry, "Alright, Golden-boy, what fantastic advice do you have for me now?"

"Well, do you even know the basis of casting a Patronus?" Harry cocked an eyebrow.

"Absurd! I didn't ask for-"

"It's an honest question. Do you?" Harry rocked back and forth from his heels to his toes.

Draco frowned, "It's a spell."

"Yes, but one unlike any other- it takes much more focus than, per say, Leviosa," Harry moved his wand easily and a small clod of dry sand lifted in the air.

"Well, now you're just showing of- YOU BASTARD!" Draco hissed as Harry sent the sand flying at him, dusting his hair to where he had to use his hands to brush it out, sending his hair flying every which way.

Harry chuckled in amusement before Draco glared at him and he shut up.

Draco sighed and shook his head a final time before running a hand through his hair and squinting menacingly at Harry, "I could easily leave-"

"You should leave your hair down more often," Harry move his wand to brush a stray piece of blonde hair from Draco's face, "It looks good."

Draco blushes lightly which caused Harry to seem to realize his actions and take a step back, "Right! Anyway, like I was saying," Harry cleared his throat and Draco nodded a small nod, "It's not as simple as swish and flick, you have to ground yourself, for one, it'll help root the memory."

"The memory?" Draco furrowed his brow.

"The positive memory?" Harry frowned before pinching the bridge of his nose, "You really don't know how to cast a Patronus, do you?"

"I know how to cast any spell just fine, thank you!" Draco folded his arms over his chest.

"Great, cast a Patronus then." Harry took a step back, "Think of your happiest memory and-"

"I know how to do it, Potter." Draco sneered before looking towards the Black Lake and focusing. A happy memory...a positive one...Draco squeezed his eyes shut in concentration.
Mother...
"Expecto...Patronus...!"
Too smothering...
His father?
"Expecto-!"
No.
Pansy?
"Expecto Patronus!"
His friends?
"Expecto-!"
What friends-
Not real ones-
Merlin, this isn't helping-
Draco gritted his teeth.

"Calm down, you're not trying to pop the spell out," Harry sniffed, "You should know also that it's Expecto Patronum. Not Patron-"

"Shut up, Potter!" Draco tossed his head in Harry's direction but kept his eyes shut.
God, Potter could he so annoying sometimes.
With his stupid little corrections, how he felt the need to help Draco- and for what? What had Draco done for 'Perfect Potter' to help him? Screw him and his good heart. Really, it was rubbish...all of it...Potter, Harry Potter. Harry fucking Potter. Harry—

"How in Merlin's name did you do that-" Harry's eyebrows lifted.

Draco opened his eyes which instantly widened to see a faint glow of white light emitting from the edge of his wand.

"Even I can hardly do magic without saying the spell aloud, not even most wizards- good job." Harry sniffed, impressed.

The light faded and Draco's shoulders sagged, "Why didn't it stay?"

"Well, it makes sense that if you didn't actually cast the spell then it won't entirely form. Your stance was off, anyway- you're swishing a flicking, you need to cast it firmly, which means you have to stand firmly."

Draco frowned and stood up straight, flicking his wand out, thinking about how much he despised Harry and his brilliant green eyes, because apparently this much raw feeling...of hate, of course...towards Harry Potter, was enough to cast a little bit of light, "Expect-"

"-Expect nothing to happen if you're standing like a stiff board. Loosen up a bit and, for Merlin's sake, don't lock your legs, you're going to fall over. No- don't squat- Draco please you look ridiculous."

"You're the ridiculous one." Draco glared.

"Brilliant comeback." Harry deadpanned, "Now come on," He walked towards Draco, "You need to," Harry reached for Draco's arm to which the blonde quickly flinched away.

"I'm not going to hex you or anything." Harry rolled his eyes, "Just let me show you how to stand, then I'll let you try it on your own-"

"I can do it on my own, now, thank you very m-" Draco glared as Harry corrected the way he was holding his wand. Something about it though, about Harry's hand gently moving Draco's made him give up protest. Must be some kind of curse or charm Potter had installed with him. Stupid P-

"Everything begins with your stance," Harry moved an arm to rest around Draco's shoulders to push Draco's shoulders down, "Relax a bit,"

Draco wanted to respond with something snarky but instead simply forced his shoulders down.

"Now you're twice as tense- here," Harry leaned in so that his hand caressed Draco's far shoulder and he brushed a thumb over, "Just gently put your shoulders down, they can tense all they want when they cast the spell but they have to be able to gather that tension first."

Draco finally relaxed into Harry's touch.

"Good," Harry smiled before kicking the back of Draco's foot gently, "Now get into a shallow lungs of sorts- just move your right foot forward half a foot- good, and move your left one- perfect." Harry praised with a smile that Draco stared at for longer than one should at a smile.

"Shift your torso so that your stomach is facing to your side, so go ahead and turn to your le-" Harry paused as Draco turned right and their noses brushed, eyes locking as their faces were mere centimeters apart- if you didn't count their noses. Harry could feel Draco's gentle breath hit his lips and quickly responded, "Or...turning right works too- but...keep your head turned forward." He was almost disappointed when Draco's gaze broke his and he looked forward at the lake.

"And just...hold a firm grip on your wand, and cast it like this, while you think of the fondest memory you have...and yell the spell out confidently," Harry's hand move along Draco's arm to straighten it before he reached the boy's hand, holding the outside of it and positioning it, "Now, try casting it." Harry began pulling his hand away before he felt Draco's pinkie grab his own and he kept his hand there, allowing his arm to move with Draco's spell casting.

"Expecto..." Draco hesitated, the only thought that came to mind was the feeling of Harry's hand against his and their pinkies linking...Harry's arm around his shoulders and how he'd looked at him a few moments ago, "Patronum!"
He cast the spell and a brilliant white light appeared. He almost had to look away before it collected into a brilliant, shining Doe.
Draco looked in awe before grinning at Harry, "I did it, I- Harry?"

Harry was blushing profusely and took a step back from Draco who looked at him in confusion.

"Did I- Did I...cast it wrong?"

Harry shook his head quickly.

"Then what-"

"E-Expecto...Expecto Patronum!" Harry shouted and a stag appeared, the same brilliant white as Draco's.
They looked at each other before approaching cautiously, circling one another before pressing their muzzles together.
They were perfect opposites...parallels, one might say, but seemed to fit perfectly together despite this...

This realization and comparison seemed to hit Draco and he sputtered slightly.

"Harry...what does that-"

"Some peoples' Patronus are...linked, in a way, if they have a special...um, well, if they have a special...if they're- I'll see you at the Great Hall." Harry darted up the hill.

"Harry!" Draco yelled after him, "Harry what do I do with them!" But the raven-haired boy was already gone. Draco sighed and looked back at the two. Only then did he notice that the Doe was in fact a stag, only his antlers were broken off into nubs, but other than that, they physically matched each other perfectly- other than their eyes...they twinkled differently. Their behavior to one another and their environment was what made them paralleled opposites...in a combined way though...Draco sighed, "It's fitting..." He watched the deers affectionately nuzzle each other, Draco's seeming to toss its head away before Potter's stag won its affection successfully again.

"Brilliant, Potter's deer and mine are gay for each other...bloody Brilliant."

***
//// I L o v e this chapter
Also I'm redoing "Markings" because I wrote it when I was too tired to remember what my original concept was! So, that should be out eventually— hopefully—
Also my phone keeps autocorrecting "Harry" into "Hardy" so if you see that, feel free to point it out so I can fix it—
Thanks!!

-Jay🐦