Potter

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Draco stood just a few inches away from me.

He was dressed similar to as he had been the last time I had seen him, before he had gotten sick; Black shirt and pants, though his coat wasn't there. He stared back at me with gray eyes, only watching as my hand reached out timidly, gently pressing against his chest.

He was solid.

I inhaled sharply, retracting my hand. "How?" I murmured, blinking. Draco smiled lightly at my befuddlement, opening his arms up to me. I stepped forward, sinking into them without a second thought, my arms going up around his neck. He smelt like pine.

I could feel his shirt bunched up under my fingers, the fabric smooth and soft against my skin. It only helped testify that he was real. He had to be. I could feel the heat of his blood, his hands resting gently on my back as they slid around my waist. Miraculously, I managed to not cry. Instead I only focused on his solidity, on his arms around me, on the pulse that was thrumming through his body. His lips pressed softly against my temple before moving down to my ear, his voice low and quiet.

"You're dreaming, Potter."

The dream shattered.

"Lily, wake up. We're going to be late." Neville's voice said. I could feel his hand gently shaking my shoulder, shaking me out of my dreams and into the real world.

"Neville, you have to stop calling me Lily." I grumbled, batting his hand away as I rolled over onto my stomach, hiding my face in the pillow. "It's Alecia."

"Well, you look like Lily right now so that's what I'm going to call you. Now get up, Gran says we have thirty minutes and we both know you haven't packed yet." He said it with obvious humor, though I knew he was right. I had put off packing for Hogwarts as long as possible, not wanting to deal with the stress of it all. I had gone to Diagon Alley three days previously, sweeping through the nearly-abandoned area for robes and school supplies that would work with my new body. It had been terrible walking by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes without going inside, and Neville had practically dragged me away to keep me from going to see if Fred and George were there.

"Alright, alright. Gimme a moment, will you? And get out. I'm not changing with you in here." I grumbled, my hand lightly hitting his arm in an attempt to make him move faster. His pace remained even though as he slid off my bed, walking over to the window and opening the curtains. Light flooded the room.

I groaned, letting out a soft cry of protest and burying my head under the pillow.

"You're nearing on twenty-five minutes, Lily." Neville commented before leaving the room, and leaving me by myself. I let out another loud groan before I sat up, running my hands through my hair in an attempt to smooth it out. While sleeping in had been nice, it seemed as though it had cost me my shower.

The memories of my dreams flooded through my mind as I slid out of bed, and groggily I attempted to repress them, not able to deal with it for now. I didn't often dream of Draco, but it was painfully heart wrenching when I did.

I kneeled down by my bed, taking out the polyjuice potion and downing it. At Hogwarts I supposed sleeping in wouldn't be a luxury I would have. If I took the potion at ten, when I normally went to bed, it wore off at seven. But with classes I supposed I would be waking up earlier anyway.

Finding myself once more looking less like myself and more like Alecia Longbottom, I proceeded to go to my closet and changing, pulling a long sleeved-gray shirt and jeans onto myself. I wasn't too bothered with clothes at the minute, and when I had gone shopping I had replaced my normally colorful wardrobe with grays, blacks, and browns, the only flare of color coming form the blue jeans or the occasional earth-toned sweater or shirt. It was all basic, non-attention-grabbing clothes. The only thing I had kept was the blue dress I had worn to the wedding, along with the heels. Tonks had given them to me, and I couldn't bring myself to let go of the articles of clothing.