Warnings: Same sex relationships, Cross-dressing and possibly OC.
You have been warned
DON'T LIKE; DON'T READ.
Chapter 1: Lily
My name is Harry Potter, I am 16 years old and I'm the only survivor of the Potter House and that is to be kept a secret.
Wind hushed peacefully, causing his white shirt to flutter against his body. Harry stood in the middle of the ruins of which seemed to be an old church. No roof blocked the view of the splendid full moon and tattered walls stood no protection against the wind. It was his favorite place in the whole city. No one ever goes here and it's far enough to block out the chattering noise of people in the city. Flowers bloomed in every direction, draping the place with life and color. The ruins stood on the edge of a cliff over looking the vast mountains that surround the city.
"Mum says you should get home, its getting pretty late" said the voice from behind.
Harry didn't bother looking at the person behind him, he knew exactly who he was. "Ron."
"Why do you keep going here anyway?"
Harry turned around to face Ron. His skin emitted a light glow provided by the shining moon that was directly aligned with his body. He flashed a smile and brought his hand to his hair.
"I like silence."
Ron shrugged. "Typical. Let's get home, I'm tired." He said, walking to his horse.
"Be right with you." replied Harry as he took one last glimpse around. He followed his friend outside of the ruins and mounted his own brown horse.
oOo
They arrived after a while of traveling by horse. By the time they got back, most of the Weasleys has retreated to their rooms and the only ones awake were the maids and the guards. Maids of the Weasley House greeted them and highly encouraged them to eat before resting but both refused to do so. Ron bid him goodnight as he entered his room that was 3 doors away from Harry's.
Harry entered his room and went straight to the bathroom. He examined his reflection at the huge antique mirror with a silver frame that has the crest of the Potter house on top. The Weasleys were kind enough to spend money to have the mirror created especially for him, to remind him of his origin. As he eyed himself he noticed that he was a little paler than usual but aside from that everything looked perfectly the same; his emerald eyes were glowing brightly as though there were lights inside of them, his hair was still unruly as ever but much more to the elegant side, his lips full in color despite the paleness of his skin. The young lad sighed and opened the faucet to wash his face.
"Tomorrow is the flower festival. The house and the town would be noisy." He thought as he laid down his king-sized bed. Everything in his room bore the crest of the Potter House. The huge interior of his room had furniture that either matched the color of his eyes or the color of the crest of the Potter House, his canopy bed was forest green curtained with a lighter shade of green and on the top front was the crest. His long couch (which he thought was very unnecessary since almost no one goes in his room) was red, lined with a gold frame, which was also carrying the Potter crest in the middle of it. Furniture in his room seemed as though it had been salvaged from the Potters but everything was new, it was impossible to salvage anything since the house was burned into ashes on the night of the attack (according to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley)
Harry closed his eyes. "Everything will be revealed on my 17th birthday. My past will finally come to light." He said, trying to comfort himself.
oOo
Morning came much too fast for Harry's liking. The red curtains stood no protection against the bright rays of the sun, the slight opening between the curtains allowed the light to shine through, hitting Harry directly on the face.
"Bright." He mumbled as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. Suddenly the doors burst open revealing a set of red-haired twins.
"Morning mate!" they said in unison. Fred and George walked over to Harry's bed and Fred sat on his left while George on his right, sandwiching him in between.
"So, Are you excited?" said Fred, putting his arm around Harry's shoulder.
"Do you have a girl you fancy?" continued George as he did the same thing.
"Are you making fun of me?" growled Harry.
The twins looked at each other and burst out laughing. Harry's eyes twitched in annoyance. "Hmph." He said, pouting and crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"Sorry, sorry." They said in unison. Both poked Harry's cheeks, causing the raven-haired boy to glare playfully.
"Wrong choice of words, brother." said Fred.
"Yeah, brother." replied George.
"What we meant to say was."
"Do you have any boy you fancy?"
"NO! Get away from me!" exclaimed Harry. He wasn't mad about them saying such a thing but instead, he was mad because it somehow made him giggle.
"Ehem." A red-haired girl stood by the door, wearing her nightgown. "Big brothers, please leave Harry alone, we ought to get ready soon so no time would be wasted." she said.
Fred and George finished laughing, they looked at each other and nodded as they stood up from the bed and walked to their little sister.
"You're sounding more and more like mother." They teased. The twins ran down the hall as fast as they could, managing to avoid the flying slipper thrown by Ginny.
"Sorry about them." She said, still standing by the door. "Mother said we should go down for breakfast and get ready to go."
Harry stood up and walked to Ginny. "Where are we going?" He asked.
Ginny can't help but notice Harry's beauty; she blushed as he came closer to her. "Gosh, Harry. You're much more prettier than me."
The young lad chuckled and raked his hair with his hand. "I'm not. I cannot match how beautiful you are, Ginny." He said.
The red-hair found it extremely seductive and swiftly looked away, flustered. "A-anyway, we should get to breakfast, mum and dad are waiting." Ginny said awkwardly as she paced away.
Harry took a step out of the room to see Ginny rush to the left side of the hall. He smiled and said: "The other way."
The young girl paused in her tracks, turned around and paced the other way. "I knew that." She mumbled as she passed a snickering Harry.
oOo
"Harry, Ginny, I am going to take you to town to show you the flower festival! I heard that this year there would be new exotic flowers for display and for parade!" Molly Weasley announced excitedly as Harry and Ginny sat down.
Harry liked this particular side of the Weasleys. They do not mind mingling with the regular townspeople, in fact, they are quite enamored with them, unlike so many other nobles who gag at the thought of stepping a foot at the plaza where all the commoners usually play and chat with each other. He doesn't mind going there too but he's not a big fan of noise, he preferred sitting in silence at the ruins and looking over the breathtaking view of the mountains.
He took a moment to look at the occupants of the table. Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Percy were evenly spread across the long marble table, and at the end was Mr. Weasley with Ms. Weasley right beside him.
"Eat now, darlings, the earlier the better!" chipped Mrs. Weasley happily.
Harry and Ginny nodded and proceeded to eat.
"So boys, what are you up to today?" asked Mr. Weasley as he took a big bite of sausage.
"We're going to the festival of course!" said Fred and George together.
"That's brilliant, how about you Ron?" asked Mr. Weasley again, directing his gaze at his son.
"Maybe go with mum, Harry and Ginny."
Mr. Weasley nodded and looked at Percy.
"I think I'm going out as well, it's not everyday we get to spend the flower festival." replied Percy.
Harry, who only took one of each food served on the table, stood up, causing everyone to look up at him.
"Harry dear, are you done eating already?" Mrs. Weasley asked, concern showing in her voice.
"Yes. I will get ready soon, so if you'll excuse me."
"Are you sure you don't want to eat more?" said Mr. Weasley. "Plenty more to go around."
"No thank you, sir, I'm good, really." He replied as he headed to the door leading to the hallway.
The Weasleys exchanged a worried glance with one another as they continued to eat their breakfast.
"Harry's so skinny," Said Fred.
"The lad needs to eat more. Like Ron." Continued George.
Ron, who was about to take a bite from two sausages at the same time, glared at the twins. "I do not eat much!"
"Yeah right." teased Ginny.
oOo
Bath is great. The feeling of being submerged in water is almost the same as bathing in the wind. The pool-sized bathtub was filled with lavender-colored water with bubbles. Harry sat by the edge of the tub, his arms spread across the edge.
After a minute or so, he decided to submerge his head under the water. He stayed under until his breath ran out. He stood up and left the tub, leaving a wet trail as he walked over to his towel. Harry stood in front of the huge mirror and once again examined himself. 'I need more meat.' He told himself. He had no muscles or any build of a man, instead he had the slender body of a young maiden, which he hated. But he really can't force himself to eat more, he has a bit of an appetite problem, he only needs a few bites before his stomach was full.
He sighed and dried himself with the towel.
He walked to his huge closet and browsed through all the dresses. Should he wear yellow today? Green? Purple? Black? White? Silver? Blue? Pink? He took out a classically simple green dress with long sleeves and transparent white lace around the square collar, on the cuffs, and on the edges. Green ribbon crisscross across the stomach up to the chest. A small ribbon and pink rose adorned the middle of the collar.
His towel was draped on his shoulders, leaving his whole body exposed. Harry didn't mind being naked in his own room; no one was there to see him.
He carried the dress and gently placed it down his bed. He went to his cabinet and grabbed a pair of underwear (which unfortunately were for women) and a white corset. He put on the underwear first before putting on the corset. He tied it so that his waist appeared slimmer than it originally did; fake breasts made out of sponge were inserted to make it look like he was a female. It took him only a minute or two to put on his green dress; running his hands down to smooth the cloth.
Next is to put on his wig and make up, he sat down in front of his dresser and opened the drawer where his wig is kept. The wig was a straight black hair that reached up to his waist and fell into curls. Soft and silky like real hair made it look real and natural. Harry brushed his hair to make it a lot smoother and to fix the hairs sticking up. After that, he put on a lipstick; coloring his lips to make them appear light pink. Light powder since he was pale enough, and red blush to add color to his face.
A knock came to the door followed by a voice, saying: "May I enter?"
"Of course."
Ginny entered the room, carrying a red velvet box. She was already dressed in a blue décolleté dress with intricate rose patterns on its hem. Her neck was graced with a thin silver collar with a heart-shaped amethyst on the middle. Her hair completely let loose behind her. She approached Harry in quick steps.
"Mother brought you new jewelries, she wanted me to bring it to you." said Ginny shyly. Harry looked more beautiful than ever in her— his dress. Even without admitting it, Ginny knew that she's jealous of Harry's looks.
Harry flashed her a gentle smile and took the box from Ginny's hand. "Thank you." He said, opening the velvet box. Inside was a gorgeous teardrop glass vial containing a realistic miniature white lily topped with a romantic vintage-inspired silver cap and strung on a silver rope chain. Beside it was a silver bangle carved with swirls and decorated with teardrop shaped emerald stones alternating in size, its edges rimmed with a thin straight gold lining.
"They're beautiful." said Harry, his eyes twinkling with excitement. Out of all the jewelries he had seen, the necklace was the most beautiful ever. He gently reached for the necklace and carefully unhooked its hinges. He put it around his slender neck and stared at his own reflection in the mirror. It was beautiful... he was beautiful. The necklace complemented his features and his green dress so perfectly that he thought everything was made specifically for each other.
"You look absolutely stunning, Lily." Ginny said, looking over Harry's shoulders. Harry smiled and nodded.
Lily. His late mother's name. That's the name his foster parents chose for him the day they decided to put him in a dress and false long hair. The reason as to why they did so was in order to protect him from those people who assassinated his whole family, which was still a mystery to him. He let out a sigh and stood up.
"Shall we go?" said Harry, adjusting his voice so that it sounded like a girl's, though it didn't need much help his voice never reached adolescence anyway.
"Yes." Replied Ginny, offering her hand for Harry to hold.
oOo
They met Molly and Ron outside and mounted the carriage as soon as it came to a halt in front of them. The three ladies (and one gentleman) were all dressed for the occasion. Today, not only nobles may dress in lavish clothes but also the commoners since it's a day to declare your attraction to the person you are enamored with, also people use this opportunity to find a special someone so they must look lovely or dashing.
"Lily dear, you're looking more and more beautiful everyday." said Mrs. Weasley as she examined Harry's features. "Maybe more than your mother already."
Harry chuckled. "That's not true, my mother was a very lovely person, and I don't believe that a man could top her beauty."
"I agree with Mother." Ginny stated, resting her head on her palm as she watched the view outside the window.
Harry could only laugh silently. He looked out the window and patiently waited for them to arrive at the plaza.
...
A thick crowd of excited people crowded the area. Excitement filled the air as people of all ages and genders scrambled to get to their special person to confess. The sweet, fresh aroma of the flowers engulfed the area.
Mrs. Weasley, closely followed by Ginny dismounted the carriage. Harry stayed behind to ready himself, he peeked outside and saw Mrs. Weasley already walking to the nearest flower stall, Ginny was left outside the carriage, waiting for him to dismount.
As he took a step out of the carriage, people paused to take a look at him. Despite his simple appearance, people still gaped at the sight of him. Harry wondered why the people around him looked as if they're looking at something they have never seen before. What he hadn't known was his skin was practically glowing without the help of the sun or any lighting, his eyes sparkled in perfect contrast with his skin and his hair flowed naturally behind him.
"People are staring." He said, awkwardly avoiding everyone's gaze. Ginny grabbed his arm and dragged him to Mrs. Weasley who was humming in excitement as she picked out flowers from the stalls.
"Mother, would you mind if Lily and I were to walk around the area?" asked Ginny as she clung tightly on Harry's arm.
Concern suddenly filled Molly's face but disappeared a moment later and was replaced by her usual motherly smile. "Of course sweet hearts, but just be careful and meet me at the fountain at the first horn before the parade starts, okay?"
Both nodded and rushed to the other way where the huge fountain was located. Harry and Ginny looked like ordinary friends out on a trip to the plaza. They didn't look alike at all so being mistaken as siblings is simply out of the question for them.
"What do you reckon we do?" the red-haired girl asked as they both sat down on the edge of the fountain.
"I don't know," he continued. "This place is too noisy for me."
"Oh come now, Harry! It is rare enough for you to go outside and you say that you don't like it here!" the girl exclaimed.
The young lad was taken aback a bit at the suddenness of his friend. "It's not that I don't like it here, it's a very lovely place especially with all the different colored flowers decorating the area."
"Then why do you sound so uninterested?"
"It must be your imagination."
"Hmph." Ginny playfully pouted, earning a giggle from the man.
"Well then, it is one of my rare day out so maybe we ought to get some fun while it lasted." He said as he stood up. He straightened his dress and offered his hand to assist Ginny.
"Act more lady-like, Lily." The young lass said, emphasizing the word "Lily."
Around strangers, he is to be called "Lily" for certain reasons. Of course he complied, seeing as it is one of the few requests the Weasleys asked him. Everything regarding his whole life was a mystery to him and reaching the age of 17 would clarify everything.
Harry took a moment to savor the surroundings. Above the fountain was a bridge arching gracefully to connect the road. The crest of the Malfoy House was carved in the middle of it and beside it was an intricate carving of flowers that seemed to be roses. Structures in different heights enclosed the area, creating a pentagon shape. A huge door stood proudly on the east side of the plaza. He's told that the door led to the residences of nobles in high position inside the palace. The Weasleys were supposed to be situated there but they refused the offer, not wanting to be neighbors with such money-driven people.
He noticed noble men and women exiting the huge door and easily blending in with the crown in the plaza. 'So nobles can actually go beyond that door.' He thought sarcastically.
"Ginny!" Ron called, causing the two ladies to look at him.
"What?" replied Ginny.
"Come with me! I just saw a shop where they sell different kinds of sweets and bread!"
Harry giggled, turning Ron and Ginny's attention to him.
"You come with us too Ha—Lily."
Harry paused to think for a moment before answering, "I think I'll walk around for a while until you are done eating."
"Aw." Was all Ron was able to reply. He knew that no matter how much he asked Harry, the young lad would never come with him; he's that stubborn.
"If we get back first we'll wait here, okay?" Ginny told him as she walked towards Ron, who was standing a few feet in front of them.
"Okay." He answered, smiling at them.
Ron and Ginny smiled back and walked away to the shop, leaving Harry behind.
He sighed and decided to just walk around as he said. Everyone in the plaza was dressed in extravagant clothes trying to impress each other in hopes of finding a mate.
Suddenly, a young boy (probably a noble) tugged on Harry's dress. Surprised, he turned his attention to the boy.
"What's wrong?" He asked gently in his womanly voice.
The boy's eyes twinkled in what seemed to be adoration for him. He took a huge breath. "P-please take these flowers!" he said nervously, presenting a bunch of gardenia flowers. 'This flower means you're lovely and secret love... how cute.'
Harry couldn't help but smile and graciously accepted the flowers, saying "Thank you" as he took them from the boy's shaky hands.
The boy beamed at him and ran excitedly to his mother, who waved at Harry and nodded her head in thanks.
He smiled back at the pair until they walked away, hand in hand. He held the flowers in front of his face, sniffing the sweet scent of the flowers.
'What an adorable little boy.' He chuckled.
He looked around the plaza as he wandered around. Everywhere he looked was decorated with fresh flowers for the occasion. People here and there gave and received flowers from their admirers or lovers. Even some kids gave flowers to each other. It was a really joyous festival and he appreciated that.
He ventured off outside the bustling town to find peace. After minutes of walking, he ended up in a place that looked similar to the ruins where he liked but the difference was instead of mountains, it was overlooking the sea. Also it was more open than the other. Flowers also surrounded the place but instead of a wide variety of flowers, it only had one: White lilies.
Downdraft caused the flower petals to lift up in the air, creating a beautiful display of floating white petals. He stood at the edge of the land and threw all the gardenias he was holding, letting the wind carry it; it blew the flowers away from him.
The sound of the flowers rustling made him swiftly turn, only to see a dashing blonde lad. Their eyes locked on each other as their mouths slightly gaped in awe, and their faces flushed.
"Ah.. ah.." Harry panicked, unable to form a single word. His heart was pounding so hard against his chest that it hurt. The blonde looked like a prince out of a storybook. White porcelain skin perfectly complemented his mercurial silver eyes that shone like the moon itself, and pale blonde hair gave his features a gorgeous finish. He was dressed in a simple green long coat over a black shirt adorned with a white cravat pinned in place by a blue oval-shaped brooch, and simple gray pantaloon with knee-high black boots.
He had never seen someone as handsome as the man in front of him.
The blonde took a step closer to him, carefully as though he was approaching a scared rabbit.
Startled, the raven-haired boy flinched as he took a step backward. He brought his hands to his chest in an attempt to calm his pounding heart. There was no more space behind him, seeing as he stood so close at the edge of the cliff; rocky waters with raging waves awaited at the bottom.
He could tell that the girl was nervous and probably scared by his sudden appearance; she was lightly trembling when he approached her.
'Such fair beauty.' He thought as he stared at the young lass. Piercing green eyes equally stared at him in what seemed to be awe and bewilderment. Draco had never had his heart pound against his chest so violently like this.
He couldn't stomach the silence anymore and spoke, with great caution, "I'm sorry I startled you, I didn't mean to, I—" he paused as the girl opened her mouth to speak.
"No, you don't have to apologize..." she said sheepishly, her face flushed. The girl slowly made her way closer to him, her face graced with a gentle smile that made Draco's face grow hot.
"I'm afraid I must go now..." the girl said. She passed him with a bow and hastily made her way out of the ruins. Draco, not knowing what to do, reacted upon his instinct and ran after the lass.
"Wait!" he yelled. But it was no use as her figure disappeared over the distance. He came to a stop, seeing as it was hopeless to catch up with the fleeing girl. He decided to just go back to the ruins in defeat.
Never in his life had he seen such a beautiful maiden before and never has he froze in front of a girl before, Malfoys don't get nervous. Yet somehow the girl managed to render him speechless. Draco sighed at the thought of never seeing the girl again; after all, he had no clue whether she's a commoner or a noble or a visiting guest from a neighboring kingdom. He can only hope that she's amongst the high-ranking nobles or a princess of a kingdom so that they could perhaps meet again in a ball or something.
"Lilies. She smelled like one."He told himself as he remembered the fleeting moment when the girl passed him. He sat down on the grass, where the girl was just standing moments ago.
The sun was in its highest, casting a blinding ray of light down to earth. Glinting a few feet in front of Draco was a crystal bound by a silver chain. He narrowed his eyes in thought as he crawled over to the spot. 'A necklace?' he thought, raising the object up to his eye level. It was a really pretty necklace in a shape of a teardrop vial; it contained a small white flower inside that looked like a lily. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "Maybe this belonged to the girl earlier!" A smile crossed his lips at the thought of it, the necklace seemed new and expensive so the girl would probably go looking for it and he happened to have it. Perhaps they would meet again in the near future or better yet, at the festival, right now.
With that in mind, Draco went on his feet and raced towards the city.
oOo
Harry ran as fast as he could to the city, in panic. He didn't know the reason why he was so scared and nervous in the presence of another man. His breathing in pants, Harry finally reached the plaza where the festivities are going on. He paused in his tracks, taking a moment to catch his breath. Why? Why did he run away from him? The man looked like he meant no harm yet he fled from him... That wasn't a very nice thing to do but it has already been done so no use crying over spilled milk. His faced flushed at the thought of the blonde; he was so handsome that Harry's breath was taken away. He sighed in defeat and sat down on the edge of the grand fountain.
He waited for Ginny and Ron to meet him there but there was no sign of them anywhere.
"Hey there, miss. Wanna come and play with us?"
Harry looked up to see a pair of shabby men who was twice his size. He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance and replied: "Sod off."
"Ohh~ I like 'em feisty." Teased the taller one. Harry's eye twitched.
"Come on miss, we'll show you a good time." Said the other one, grabbing Harry's arm with brute force.
The raven-haired lad was forced to stand, wincing in pain as the man pulled his arm upward.
"Let go of me!" he exclaimed, looking more annoyed than distressed. "Dirty wankers!"
The two glanced at each other and smirked. They enjoyed seeing the young girl's resistance; it gave them quite the urge to do more things to her.
"Let her go!" a familiar voice exclaimed from behind the two. They all shifted their attention towards him and only Harry gasped as he saw the face of his savior.
'The boy from earlier...' he thought, letting his thoughts wander to the scene from earlier when he had felt butterflies in his stomach at the sight of the young lad.
"Oh, what are you trying to be? A knight in shining armor?" The two men laughed, one still had his tight grip on Harry.
Draco's face contorted in anger as he caught a glimpse of the girl's distressed look. Something inside him burned in fury which is probably enough to beat the crap out of those two hooligans. "Help." He heard her say with pleading voice; that did it. With a blink of an eye, Draco moved swiftly and fluidly towards the girl's attacker and hit them both with the back of his sword rendering them senseless. Murmurs of people watching grew louder though unbeknownst to the two who was focused on each other.
"Thanks." Harry spoke softly, as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm.
Draco eyed Harry's arm and gritted his teeth at the fact that the girl was hurt. What is this feeling? He had never felt anything like this before, especially to a girl. Why is he feeling so protective towards a stranger he just met?
He reached out to touch the girl's arm and gently stroked the sore spot with his thumb. Harry looked at him in bewilderment. "We should put some ice or cold wet cloth on this." Draco said, looking straight at Harry's eyes. The emerald color of the girl's eyes was intoxicating.
"Perhaps later..." he replied. Harry's heart was beating wildly in his chest as the blonde stranger showed his concern towards his minor injury. In his sixteen years of existence, no stranger has been this close to him. His heart was beating so loudly that he was almost positive that the other lad could hear it over their close distance. A blush crept to his cheeks as the man came even closer to further examine his bruised arm. 'He smells like berries.' Thought Harry.
Draco flushed at the sight of the blushing maiden and quickly let go of her arm. "Wh-What's your name?" he stammered a little.
"Ha—Lily." He replied immediately, tucking a stray hair behind his ear.
"Lily," the blonde repeated to himself "That name suits you." He said.
Harry's face turned brick red upon hearing such compliment. They both stood in awkward silence. The floor seemed very interesting at the moment for both since they couldn't take their eyes away from it.
"So.. umm.. today's the flower festival." Draco said awkwardly.
"Yeah..." replied Harry shyly.
"Ah!" The blonde exclaimed. He suddenly turned around and ran to the nearest flower stall.
Harry stood by himself in wonder as to what just happened. He peeked through the crowd and saw Draco buying a white rose from a nearby shop.
The blonde ran back as quickly as he can upon paying. He stood in front of Lily and caught his breath for a moment before handing out the flower he bought. "Here! For you!" He said nervously.
The raven-haired lad was taken aback for a moment, although he already saw it coming, it was still a surprise to receive a flower from the blonde. His emerald eyes met the blonde's mercurial ones. Harry smiled and gladly took the flower. "Thank you, that's so nice of you." He told him sweetly.
Draco smiled back, his nervousness fading upon seeing such an angelic smile. All his life he's been ignoring every girls advances; he thought girls could come in later in his life when he's already of age, but now it all changed. "Which family are you from, Lily?" he asked, regaining his cool composure.
"Um.. I'm from the Wea—"
"Lilly!" Ginny yelled from behind him.
Harry turned around to face his friend and was about to ask her what's the matter when she gripped his arm tightly and dragged him away.
"Wait! Ginny!" he exclaimed, feeling panicked at the urgency of the girl; usually when she's in a hurry something's bad is happening or going to happen.
"No time to explain, Mum's calling us." She said quickly, dragging Harry away from the dumbfounded blonde who stood alone wordlessly, his hands outstretched, reaching out to Lily.
The pair disappeared almost immediately in the crowd, leaving no chance for Draco to catch up. Too bad he wasn't able to hear her family name... but at least he got her name. 'And I forgot to tell her mine!' he exclaimed mentally, cursing himself for his own incompetence. Of all things to forget, why his own name? Well, I guess girls can have those effects on men... speaking of forgetting things, 'The bloody necklace is still with me.' A playful smirk crossed his lips, 'More reason to find her then.'
oOo
Displeased, Harry said: "Ginerva Weasley! Would you mind telling me what is happening?" Instead of replying, Ginny kept her mouth closed, aggravating Harry even more. He shook off Ginny's grip and paused in his tracks, causing the redhead to stop as well.
"Harry!" the girl exclaimed, clearly annoyed.
"I will not move from this spot until you tell me what's going on."
The girl looked around, looking for eavesdroppers and only continued when she felt that the coast is clear.
"Who was that man from earlier? Didn't mum and dad tell you to clear off strangers?"
That struck a nerve. "What am I, 5?" He yelled, taking Ginny aback. The ever so calm Harry who rarely gets mad at her was suddenly furious.
"You don't understand anything!" She yelled back.
"That's because you people won't tell me anything!" Harry retorted.
His answer came unexpectedly; normally Harry is extremely reticent about his thoughts. Ginny's eyes widened in response.
Harry realized what he said and things were getting uncomfortable between them. He tried to change the subject to lighten up the atmosphere, "The guy from earlier... he saved me from some thugs. I owe him."
Ginny watched the floor awkwardly, she wasn't used to Harry yelling. She fidgeted as she replied, "Mom's really calling us though... She and Ron are waiting in the carriage."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Another secret. Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance and strode away without waiting for Ginny.
...
"Harry dear, are you alright?" asked Mrs. Weasley.
"Yes. What happened? Why the sudden change of plans?"
Molly Weasley looked lost, giving Harry another surge of anger that can't be directed to anyone. He bit his lower lip and looked away in annoyance.
"Fine. Never mind, I won't ask anymore."
The woman's face eased as relief flooded in. "Sorry dearest. It's for your own safety." She mumbled. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He mounted the carriage and sat in the corner, trying to isolate himself from the world; he did so by closing his eyes and thinking of the blonde whom he met earlier.
oOo
They rode in silence to the Manor. As soon as the carriage came to a stop, Harry was the first one out and strode to his room, determined to lock himself away.
With a loud bang, Harry closed the door and locked it, ensuring that no one disturbs him. The young lad flung himself to the bed, facing the canopy.
This wasn't the first time it happened. In fact, it has happened so many times that he had lost count of how many. One moment they invite him outside and let him have fun and the next thing he knows, he's being dragged back to the Weasley Manor. It's really getting to his nerves. If they only release him to get dragged back in the midst of his enjoyment then why release him in the first place? If they were to stop him from meeting anyone then they shouldn't have let him out in the first place. Their method was hurting Harry with or without them knowing. He'd rather stay inside for the rest of his miserable life than to receive a taste of what's out there and have it taken away from you as soon as you get to enjoy it. It was cruel.
Near to crying, he wished himself distracted by any other thoughts than that, so he found himself thinking of the young lad he met. The mere thought of him brought a smile to his face. It's unfortunate that he didn't get the chance to ask for his name; but knowing his circumstances, there is a thousand to none chance of ever seeing him again...
His eyes suddenly stung with tears. The thought of not seeing the man he just met hurt him, which was weird because he barely knew him. There was something about the blonde that draws Harry to him, something more than just a mere attraction; it was something deeper. But what is it?
'I want to see him..'. he thought as he drifted to sleep. It was still afternoon, too early for bedtime but oddly enough, he had no energy left.
oOo
"It's almost Harry's 17th birthday."
"Yes it is."
"What do you reckon we do? You said so earlier that the gem was glowing brightly while you were in town, it's too early for them to meet! Plus, we cannot afford the boy distracted! We need him focused!"
"I am aware of that. That's why I had us leave the town quickly before they found each other."
"Can we really stop them from finding each other? If Harry comes of age it would be hard to restrain him from seeking what he needs! And there's another pressing matter, the boy might die if—"
"No! He won't! As long as they don't meet, nothing bad would happen to him! That is why we must prevent him from ever finding his destined one."
"You've seen Lily and James! They conquered all the odds and found each other!"
"We can stop it. As long as we keep a close eye on Harry, we can prevent them from meeting. Plus, the gem will glow if his mate nears, we can always take him away before they find each other."
Mr. Weasley went silent for a moment before continuing. "Do you remember what happened before? If James hadn't died, Lily would still be alive and well! The moment James took his last breath; Lily fell to the floor and died too. Even when they were apart on that moment, their bond continued to work and even though only one was killed, the other died as well! What if the same thing happens to Harry and his destined one even if they don't meet?"
"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that."
Draco's body was sprawled on his bed as his thoughts wander off away from the present. All he could think about was Lily, he wanted to meet her again as soon as possible so when he arrived at the castle, he immediately ran to his father, announcing that he wants to wed soon and his father responded almost uninterested. He asked for a ball to be organized inviting all the women of each noble houses, and princesses from neighboring countries. After that, he dismissed his son and left for another meeting.
A grin has been permanently plastered to his face ever since the ball was announced. He could finally tell his father and especially his beloved mother that he has finally found a girl whom he could possibly love.
A flying pillow hit him on the face, causing him to scream in surprise. Not far from his bed was the culprit who was almost laughing his head off.
"You got scared by a pillow!" he mocked as he continued to laugh.
"Ha ha. Very funny, Blaise." The blonde stated with a mock frown. His eyes sparkled with mirth.
Blaise sat down on the edge of his friend's bed. "You seem idiotically happy. What hit you in the head?" he teased, earning a playful punch from the blonde.
"I met a girl."
"Finally." Blaise replied sarcastically.
"Shut up."
The raven-haired lad chuckled at his friend's reaction. Draco rolled his eyes in return and continued, "She's different than any other girl I've ever met."
"Oh speaking of meeting girls, I found a pretty one too at the festival." He started. "I was about to approach her but when I got close to her I suddenly chickened out. Her presence was very intimidating, it felt like I had no right be near her." Blaise smiled wryly.
"That's odd, the resident playboy chickening out? Anyways, what happened next?" Draco gestured for him to continue, suddenly interested in his friend's story; as he momentarily forgot what he was about to tell him.
"Yeah, so I wanted to give her flowers but I got really overwhelmed by what I was feeling so I asked a boy to give it to her for me. He too felt intimidated and bashful but not as much as me." He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"What flowers did you give her?"
"Gardenias. Thanks to you I knew the perfect flower with the right meaning."
Draco felt proud upon hearing that statement. He had always loved flowers and it rubbed off on his best friend. "A flower with a double meaning. Nice one Blaise."
"You're lovely and Secret admirer." Blaise continued, "I wonder if she got the message though."
"What if she understood the 'you're lovely' part but misinterpreted the 'secret admirer' as a 'stalker'? Oh that would be precious." The blonde teased before breaking into a fit of laughter.
"No way!" Blaise exclaimed, throwing another pillow at Draco.
"Anyways, it's my turn now."
Blaise nodded.
"Her name's Lily. I met her at the Ruins. I asked my father to arrange a ball inviting all the nobles and princesses so that I could find her."
"Dray, how do you know she's a noble or a princess?"
"I don't. Do you know any family that starts with 'We'?"
"We?"
"Yes."
"Sorry, nothing comes to mind. But I'll research it for you."
"Thanks."
Blaise paused to think as though he remembered something. Draco waited for his friend to speak. Silence hung over the two of them as the raven-haired lad pondered about something.
A couple of seconds later, Blaise spoke; "You said her name was Lily right? "
Draco nodded, curious to hear what his friend was thinking.
"Well, the only Lily I've heard of is the one from the Potter house."
The blonde's eyes widened. There's no way that girl came from that house because...
"But we all know that they are traitors and their whole family has been executed. Not one of them lives to this day. Pity, I've seen them before, all of them were really beautiful, including their son, Harry."
"Blaise." Draco called his tone carrying a warning.
"Oh. Sorry."
"There's a rumor that Harry Potter still lives. And father is furious about it, he wants him dead."
"Wasteful." said Blaise.
Draco shot him a glare.
"What? You know you feel that way too." He said defensively.
The blonde sighed. Yes he felt that way too. In fact, when his father declared that the whole Potter house has been executed something died inside him. He was friends with Harry after all and he favored him above all his playmates, he cried but not in front of his father. His mother, on the other hand, was very understanding and comforted him until he was able to let it go.
But hearing that Harry was still alive gave him a ray of hope that the lad was really still alive. He fought the urge to jump up and down in happiness when the rumor was passed on to him in fear of being punished by his father. It would be really nice if he were the first to find him, that way he could help in protecting his long lost friend...
oOo
"My chest feels tight." Harry cried, clenching his chest as his eyes tear up from the pain. Fred and George looked at each other in worry before helping their little brother. Fred scooped him off his feet while George went ahead inside to inform their mother.
Minutes later every member of the Weasley family has gathered around Harry. Their family doctor said that Harry has no illness whatsoever; so whatever is causing the pain must be psychological. Molly and Arthur exchanged a knowing glance unbeknownst to the rest. The doctor then recommended a full day rest for the young lad, and then excused himself for the day.
Molly and Arthur left not a while after the doctor, leaving their kids to watch over Harry.
oOo
"What happened exactly?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence that hung over them.
Fred and George said in unison: "We don't know,"
"He was just tending the garden as usual when,"
"He just suddenly looked like in pain so we rushed over outside to see what's going on,"
"Then that's when he clenched his chest and started tearing up in pain." The twins stated.
They all cast a worried glance over Harry. This has never happened before and it left all them worried for their adopted brother.
"Well, I'm going to the kitchen to inform the maids that Harry needs a meal." said Ron, looking worried. "Maybe it's because he doesn't eat much."
They all nodded. Ron left the room in a hurry.
Glancing back at Harry, Ginny murmured almost to herself: "Please be alright..."
oOo
"Molly! It's happening!" Arthur Weasley exclaimed as soon as they reached their private quarters.
"We don't know that for sure, Arthur. Calm yourself." replied Molly, trying to tone down her voice.
"It's 5 days to his 17th birthday, I don't think we can keep them apart any longer! He needs his mate or else he will be in constant pain."
"We better summon Sirius and Remus. They were the closest to Lily and James so maybe they'll know what to do."
"Where are they right now?"
"Sirius said that they are in Sabatha. Remus is currently researching about some ancient artifact."
Arthur gasped. "But that's 7 days travel from here! They won't make it for his birthday! What if Harry dies then? Or goes crazy? Or—"
"Calm yourself, I said!" Molly exclaimed, bringing her hand up to her head. Headache she thought.
"I'm sorry, I'm just worried."
"I understand that but it's our decision not to let Harry be with his mate."
"Because we need him focused on his oncoming task." The man sighed, sitting down on the bed.
"Yes, exactly that. Now, I'll be writing a letter to Sirius and Remus and to the others as well that Harry's birthday is coming."
"Molly d—"
"I know, I'll only mention Harry's predicament to Sirius and Remus."
oOo
Midnight.
Draco found himself in the middle of the woods. He could've sworn that he was just sleeping on his bed a while ago... so this... this must be a dream.
Out of nowhere, a long white feather gently fell on the ground in front of him. It was glowing. He reached down to pick it up and brought it to his face to examine it.
'How quaint.' He thought to himself. Never has he seen such a feather before. Somehow he knew that it didn't belong to a bird.
A rustling sound followed by the sound of crunching leaves caught his attention. He swiftly turned his head to the direction of the noise. There he saw a pair of huge white wings, it belonged to a teen, who appeared to be younger than him. His back was turned to him so that his wings faced the blonde.
'I need you right now. Please hurry and find me... please..' . the teen pleaded, turning to face Draco. Though in Draco's eyes the teens' face was a blur, still he could tell that he was beautiful.
'Who are you?' he asked curiously as he took on step closer to the celestial being.
'You know who I am; please hurry. It hurts.' He cried, tears forming in his eyes.
He could almost feel the pain from the way he pleaded. Draco's heart throbbed painfully as he felt the need to take the teen in his arms and take away his pain.
'Where do I find you?' the blonde asked again, taking another step closer.
The celestial being wept openly as though he was being tormented on the inside; he fell to his knees and clutched his chest. 'Near. I am near.'
'Wait for me.'
'Hurry!'
Draco woke up suddenly, panting and covered in cold sweat as he sat upright. His heart was racing from the dream. What was that about? Who was that person? His face was a blur but he seemed really familiar. Their conversation repeated in his mind like painful music. The person sounded distressed and it hurt him to see that person hurt. Something about that dream felt real; no, he can't deny it, everything felt real.
Someone is calling for him and he needs to find that person as soon as possible.
oOo
Pained moans echoed through out Harry's room. Everything was painful. His chest, his head, and his back... especially his back. It feels like someone was digging a hole and burying a burning sword on his back.
My mate, the other half of my soul... I need him.
"Ahh!" he cried as another surge of pain engulfed his body. The door burst open revealing very worried red-haired twins, though Harry was in too much pain to even notice the door opening.
The twins, who were right next-door, woke up from the sound of moaning and decided to investigate the sound. When it became clear that it was from Harry they immediately burst in his room to help their beloved sibling.
Harry was in a bad shape, they decided as they watched Harry curl up from the pain he was feeling. The black-haired lad was covered in sweat even though the room was quite chilly. And it seems like he was faintly glowing. The twins exchanged worried glances before Fred mounted the young lad's bed and grabbed Harry's shoulders in a successful attempt to straighten him up.
George on the other hand, ran out of the room to seek help from their parents, leaving Fred behind to tend to Harry.
"Harry! Wake up!" he exclaimed, lightly shaking the trembling form of the sleeping boy.
Harry's eyes were still tightly shut even though he was conscious but the pain prevented him from opening his eyes.
"I'm dying..." he whimpered as tears escaped his eyes.
"No you're not!" Fred replied curtly. No way he's going to let anything bad happen to Harry.
Harry reached out his hands, inviting Fred to hold him. The red-hair complied and lowered himself enough to let Harry wrap his trembling arms around him. The boy buried his face on his chest. Fred used his free hand to caress Harry's head gently as he balanced himself on top of the pained young lad.
Minutes seemed like hours as Fred willed his brother to return with much needed help. His shirt was already soaking wet with Harry's tears and sweat, it wasn't one bit gross for him, but instead it made his heart clench in pain. His little brother was being tormented by something that he couldn't fight off and that irked him.
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley screeched in worry as she rushed inside the room towards her two sons on the bed.
Fred sighed in temporary relief. He tried to leave the bed in order to give his mother space but Harry wouldn't release his grip on him; the more he tried to push Harry away, the more his grip tightened.
"Shh. It's alright now, mum's here to help you." Fred cooed over Harry's ear. "It's alright, now let go... I'll be beside you, don't worry."
Harry softly shook his head.
"We're going to stop the pain now so you have to let go."
This time, Harry released Fred. He slowly opened his eyes, which were gleaming in tears and stared at Molly.
"Help me.." he mouthed.
Thanks for reading. Please look forward to the next chapter!
*hides face* ... so how was it? good? bad? please tell me ;_;
oO oOo
How Harry keeps his 'sponge in place' ... he keeps it inside the corset :D corsets are tight so he wouldn't really need something to keep it in place.
Harry is in pain because ... he needs Draco. Oriels will only crave for their mate's presence once they have met and been together enough to familiarize their mates. In this case, they have met when they were children and now they've met again so the need to be with each other intensified like never before.
! !
(Sorry guys, but I can only understand English and Japanese so if you review in another language I won't be able to understand it..)