Even a Dragon Can Change Its Scales

Every year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry got a little stranger than the year before, lanky Draco Malfoy noticed in an almost lacksidaiscal manner as he stepped off the train at the platform of the school. And every single year, Perfect Potter and his little group were behind it. Now, finally in their sixth year of schooling, things were really coming to a head. First, the strange new girl from Israel had come to the school in their fifth year. Lily Rose Harmony, a girl with silvery hair and mother of pearl eyes and perfect white skin, Potter's new girl. Book smart Hermione Granger had, somehow, been over looked as a prefect yet was finally dating poor Ron Weasley after the most interesting bout of confessions. And now, finally, half way through the last year... the most beautiful creature Draco had ever seen graced the school. Lily's twin sister, Aurora Mystica Rose Harmony.

She looked like an angel from heaven, hair the color of spun gold and eyes to match... Even her skin was faintly golden in color. She looked every bit like her sister, yet the coloration was much different. The day she came to Hogwarts was a day that would live in Draco's memory for all eternity. The way she moved, how her hair flowed around her and framed her face, the innocent and curious look that she had on most of the time, the way she eagerly took to any subject placed before her and especially the way she treated Draco... like he was an equal and a human being unlike the rest of Perfect Potter's little group. She truly was an angel, not caring whether you were a Gryffindor or a Slytherin; she was always willing to be a friend.

Draco's thoughts continued to trail along back into the past when he bumped into the angelic girl for the very first time, he following the rest of his house on to the Sorting Ceremony and feast as he daydreamed. He remembered the two of them bumping into each other as they darted around the same corner in fear of being late to two separate classes. It was that fateful, yet cliché, crash into each other that sent them sprawling onto the floor and spilling their books that started it all. He remembered the frightened look she had, lost and confused as she gathered her books together while exclaimed apologies for bumping into him. Then, as she rose, she flashed him the most bedazzling smile he had ever seen and rushed off.

But the little encounter hadn't stopped there... Oh no... He couldn't forget the way he hurt this angel, the look in her eyes when they sat together by the lake under the moon. He had met with his father in secret that evening and his father didn't approve with the way he questioned his authority... And so his rewardwas the Cruciatus Curse, which caused the most horrible agony Draco had ever known to race through his whole body. He remembered collapsing almost in a faint when a set of arms caught him and held him and cradled him through the pain. And when he opened his eyes in discovery of whom it was that held him... his heart filled with absolute love for the angel of gold but he knew that he could never announce it to her... And so, when he came to truly realize his love... He rose and vanished with only a few harsh words for her... He would never forget the look in those eyes...

The pain from those memories must have shown briefly on his pale features, for his cronies asked him if he was okay. A few words silenced them as Draco's gaze drifted across the room to the Gryffindor table to catch a glimpse of the golden haired beauty as she talked and laughed with her group of friends. His steely gray eyes grew glazed as he drifted right back into his inner thoughts. He remembered sadly, a few months later on when the two unlikely loves were paired together for a Potion's assignment, researching an obscure yet handy potion and making it in class. They were required to have three scrolls of research a piece and a two scroll final report including the recipe. Then, they had to make the Potion for the class.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he dwelled upon the days they spent together, researching. Those were the worst days of his life, he being so close to her and yet having to be so distant in the same instant. Though wanting to reach out and pull her close to him and just touch her... her hair, skin, everywhere he could reach... he had to put on a hard face and an even harsher attitude of sarcasm and dry wit. It was like a double-edged blade nonetheless. Sometimes, she laughed... other times she bristled with anger at how he treated her. Finally, in a final blaze of hatred, she struck him across the face and walked out with tears streaking down her cheeks.

But that wasn't the last of her anger that he was forced to see, more of her wrath would he endure at the last study session that earned them both a detention. His little comment about her parents and how they dumped her here with her sister because they didn't care for her was the final straw for her. She attacked him, wildly, striking with her fists and clawing with her nails. They were dragged apart by Professor Snape, who, angrily, gave them both detention and deducted points from both their houses. Oh the look in her eyes, the hurt and the anger... wrenched at his heart as he longed to run to her and embrace her with open sobs of apology for hurting her, for causing her such pain... It almost brought tears to his eyes as he sat at the Slytherin table.

Detention with Snape that night finally tried Draco's patience to their very end; he had no choice anymore but to act on his feelings for this girl. Directed to clean the classroom from top to bottom in four hours, Draco knew he was going to be pushed to his breaking point. With the brief agreement of cleaning each half of the classroom alone, the two of them did not speak for the next two hours. Draco worked in silence, stopping often to stare at the beauty as she knelt on the floor and scrubbed away at the flagstones with her hands and a sponge. Her golden hair was splayed down her back, alighting on her features to accent that perfect beauty that burned through tear stained cheeks and the furious look on her face. Running fingers through his pale hair, he suddenly threw down his duster.

"I can't take this anymore..." he remembered saying to himself as he darted across the classroom and grabbed Aurora by the elbow and practically hauled her to her feet.

"Draco!" she had sounded so surprised, but her cries of shock were suddenly muffled by his lips pressing against her own. She didn't react for a moment before, to Draco's delight; he felt her return the kiss in the same almost desperate manner. His arms settled around her slender waist, working their way into the silken strands of her hair. Her own fingers laced together behind his neck as he cocked his head to the side to deepen the kiss a little more, his hands grasping her tighter to him. He couldn't help himself; he couldn't stand the thought of spending the next two hours in the same room as this delicate flower of golden silk and black robes and not be able to touch her. His hands traversed her back and sides as he pursued the kiss a little longer.

"I am so sorry, Aurora... I couldn't help myself..." he whispered softly when the kiss was broken and he pulled himself free of her arms. The girl reached to stop him, grab him and pull him close... but he jerked away and returned to his cleaning. His heart was heavy with the knowledge of the pain he just caused the delicate creature... causing a turmoil of emotions to fly through her thoughts. But he needed to do that... if he hadn't kissed her... he would have driven himself crazy with desire and want. As he returned to his work, his thoughts pounded with only one thing, "Forgive me Aurora... forgive me for wronging you..."

That was the last time the two ever spoke. Draco didn't see her except when they had shared classes or when he looked across the Great Hall to find her. And now... there she was, not more then thirty feet out of his grasp... and he couldn't touch her. He knew that Potter and his perfect little friends knew all about that kiss and would not let him within ten feet of her. But he couldn't help staring, wanting, longing to run to her, grab her and kiss her front of the whole school and tell her how much he loved her. Yes, he loved her... his heart admitted it to his brain now... he loved her... he loved her and he needed her... Now... all he longed for was the chance to tell her that... He would never get that chance... but he wanted it...

Wait a second, he was Draco Malfoy. He could have anything he wanted when he wanted it. All he had to do was wait for the right time to corner her when she was away from her pathetic little friends, swoop in and tell her the truth. His dull gray eyes suddenly regained their sparkle as he pulled himself from the daydreams of hurtful memories past. He could change; he could push past the way his father demanded him to be. He could be better than expected; he could prove himself worthy of her love. He could change for her... He never had a reason before to change... but she was enough... She was enough to change for. And he would start now, start with Potter and work his way into convincing his friends that he was worthy of her love.

The feast was finally ending, his musings were put aside to be saved until lights out and he could lie in bed and continue his dreams. Rising from his seat, he knew that it was time to start the first change by instigating a chance to prove it. With Crabbe and Goyle in tow, Draco drifted across the floor in the most graceful manner. He timed his approach so he could have time to turn and look at Crabbe as he knocked firmly into Potter. Draco put on a suddenly startled look as he noticed Potter sprawled on the ground before him.

"Oh, whoa! Potter, are you okay? Here, give me your hand." Draco's voice truly sounded startled as he reached down and grabbed Harry's hand. He pulled him up to his feet and patted him on the shoulder.

"Sorry about that, any bruises?"

"Uhhh... no... thanks though, Malfoy..." Harry sounded shocked as Draco Malfoy actually apologized to him. Aurora turned to look at Draco with a scrutinizing glare but all she got in return was a soft, wounded look before his gaze returned to Harry.

"You're welcome. And do me a favor, okay?" he said lightly to the group of them five of them. The whole group looked aghast. Was Draco Malfoy asking for a favor? This day was to go down in history for all eternity.

"Uhhh... sure... we guess we can, right?" Lily turned to look at the rest, who nodded lightly though with wide eyes.

"Call me Draco." And with that, he offered a wave and a brief flash of a smile before he turned and disappeared down the hallway with his two cronies in tow. He smirked to himself the whole while as he walked, his plan that he laid out in his mind starting to come into play... and it was perfect. His father would never know what hit him when he discovered his son was actually settling down to become a politer, kinder boy who was actually doing well in school. He was going to prove himself to his love; he was going to prove himself to be worthy of her thoughts and of her love and adoration. He was going to prove himself to Aurora and win her love in return, even if it killed him.

"Why were we nice to Potter, Draco?" Goyle asked dumbly.

"It's part of my new plan to make Potter think we're friends and gain access into his inner circle and nab that Aurora girl for myself." He grinned wickedly as he lied to his two closest and stupidest companions. That was not his true plan at all, that was completely far from it. He wanted to be Potter's friend, he wanted to get into that tight knit circle and see what it is really like to have friends... true friends... And above all, to have the love of the most beautiful girl in the entire world... He wanted, more than anything in the whole world, to know what is was like to truly love and have his love returned by another. And so, as he retired to his dorm room and slid into the black satin sheets and green velvet blankets, his thoughts of Aurora blossomed into beautiful dreams of holding her by the lakeside again as he drifted into sleep.

***

Thus ends the first of many threads woven into this dream. The Dream Weaver would appreciate questions or comments most highly so please send them. Sincerest thanks are given to those who have read this story, whether or not you enjoyed it is up to you. Until we meet again, Naamarie.