Severus Snape walked into Lucius Malfoy's study, and was taken aback at what he saw. The usually pristine, essence-of-unruffled Lucius he had known had been replaced by a very ruffled physically distressed Lucius. He was drinking a rather large glass of scotch, and judging by his bleary eyes, it was not his first.
"Sev?" he slurred.
"Yes Lucius. It's me. Now, what has happened? Is it the Dark Lord?" Severus asked, trying not to show how worried about his friend of many years.
"No. No.. Its Draco."
Severus felt his heart leap into his throat at the thought of something happening to his godson.
"What about Draco? What's happened?"
Lucius was trying hard not to panic now. "He went through the Change, Sev. And he disappeared. He apparated away. We couldn't catch him, and we don't know where he's gone!"
Severus was partly relieved, and somehow, more worried than before. The change into a Veela was a dramatic, and exhausting one. It was more taxing on the mind than anything, and most young Veela needed the guidance of an older one to fully control and understand their powers, to prevent 'going wild'. If Draco had disappeared not fully comprehending his powers, anything could happen. His relief stemmed from the fact that, if the Dark Lord hadn't gotten to him already, Draco was a smart boy, whose parents were both Veela, and he had some experience of what it was like to be a Veela already.
Severus looked at Lucius. "Do you think he felt the Pull?"
Lucius shrugged. "It seems the most likely scenario. But we have to make sure he's safe. Why would he not just come to us? He knows we understand, we would have made arrangements immediately for him to find his mate! He could have at least told us where he was going."
Severus said nothing.
Lucius drained what was left in his glass. "Severus, you are my oldest friend. I know you could find him. You find everyone. I know you could track him down."
Severus thought on it for a moment. His abilities meant that he could indeed track down Draco, as his magical signature was sure to be quite distinct at the moment, but even then it would take a while. "I have to go back to Scotland at the end of the month, Lucius. Finding Draco would take longer than that."
"Please Severus. I'm begging you to find my son. The Dark Lord knows what Narcissa and I are. He will realise what has happened before too long, once word has gotten out that Draco is missing. I don't want him to be used the way I have been."
Severus looked into his friend's eyes, and realised that there was no way he could say no. He sighed. "I'll floo to Hogwarts immediately and inform Albus of why I shall miss the start of the term. I'll arrive back here tomorrow and begin the search."
Lucius shut his eyes in relief, and allowed himself a moment of complete discomposure, running his hands through his hair, his shoulders sagging in relaxation. "Thanks you, Severus. This means so much to us both. We are entirely within your debt."
"Did you really think I could refuse, Lucius? Draco is as close as a son to me as I am likely to get. I couldn't leave the boy lost."
Lucius nodded and hugged his friend tightly. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow Severus."
Severus nodded, and flooed to his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Alice had been miserable for weeks now. Jasper was practically panicking, trying to find out what was wrong with her, so he could fix it, but she wouldn't tell him. Edward knew too, but he was remaining tight lipped on the matter.
Jasper usually knew exactly how to fix Alice, but even when he tried to hold her and fill her with good emotions, she ended up worse than ever, desperation and mourning, mixing with dread and a slight hint of anger, and an overwhelming sense of something bittersweet where love used to be.
Jasper wished that he knew what was wrong, so he could fix it. Bella seemed to be the only one she cheered up around now, and even that was just on the surface, underneath, all the ugly emotions still churned around inside her.
This morning, however, she seemed to have a sense of finality about her, and he was worried. Very, very worried. He hadn't seen her this way since they'd had to leave the family in the face of the Volturi threat.
When he went downstairs in the morning, she was sitting around the table with Edward and Carlisle, all three looking rather serious. Their discussion stopped as they heard him approach.
"Good morning." Jasper said uneasily as he approached the table. He bent down and gave Alice a quick kiss. "What are you all talking about?"
Carlisle and Edward's emotions flashed guilty at him, while Alice's resolve doubled.
"Never mind. Apparently none of my business." Jasper sighed. "I'm going hunting." He turned to the living room where Rosalie, Emmett and Bella were all chatting. "Wanna come hunting?" he asked them.
"Excellent. I'm feeling quite peckish." Emmett grinned.
"Why not?" Rosalie shrugged.
"Sure." Bella smiled at him, before turning to Renesmee. "Behave yourself."
"Can't I come?" Nessie whined.
"No. Charlie is coming to see you, so make sure you have a shower before he gets here." Bella said, before leading their hunting party out the front door.
The four of them were running towards the woods when Jasper felt their relief at leaving the house's tense atmosphere.
"Do you know what they're discussing?" Jasper asked Emmett.
"No, but its definitely about you." Emmett said sympathetically.
"I know. That's what worries me. Alice would normally tell me, but now I barely get two words from her."
Bella looked worried, and Jasper felt her guilt rising. "Bella? You know, don't you?"
Bella didn't meet his eyes, but she nodded.
"Will you tell me?" Jasper asked, nearly pleading.
"I think she should tell you herself." Bella said slowly.
Jasper was silent the whole hunting trip, his mind spinning through the possibilities of what could be happening.
It wasn't until they got back to the house that he sensed something going on. The place was positively reeking of anxiety, most of it coming from Alice. Putting on a last burst of speed, Jasper raced ahead, into the house, straight to Alice, who upon seeing him, flung her arms around his neck.
"Jazz! We have to talk. There isn't very much time left, and I'm sorry I haven't explained anything to you. I'm so sorry."
Jasper felt her sincerity, as well as her acceptance and her love, and rather than calming him down any, he felt worse.
"Alice? What's going on?" he asked, returning the hug.
Alice released him and stepped back. "You might wanna sit down or something."
Jasper sat, his worry doubling. He worked hard at not letting it spill over to anyone else.
"Well, about 17 years ago now, I had a vision about you. And since then, it's never even wavered once, although I thought it would. The vision is going to happen today, I'm fairly certain." Alice finished.
Jasper frowned. "So what is this vision?"
Alice sat next to Jasper and took his hand comfortingly. "Its someone who comes looking for you. I don't know his name, or anything specific, really, but I do know that he loves you more than should be possible. I see him looking at you, and you accidentally spread the emotions he's feeling into all of us. That's the vision." Alice finished sadly.
"And that's all? You don't see the two of us together, or anything? What do you see after that?" Jasper asked, trying to hide his overwhelming desperation at the thought of leaving Alice for a male, no less.
"Jazz, even I can't expect you to reject the kind of love this boy can offer you." Alice said. "That's why I've been distancing myself from you. I have to get used to not having you anymore."
Jasper got angry now. "So you made the choice for me? Alice, I love you! Can't you understand that? I am not going to leave you! Not for anyone!" Jasper was pacing the living room, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He really didn't care anymore, even if he was loosing the composure he tried so hard to maintain in public.
"Jasper! I know you love me! I never said you didn't! But I can't see past that vision! Every time I look for something else, I go back to him! He's in front of everything! I don't know what's going to happen! I don't know if I'm going to loose you!" Alice cried out, sobbing.
All at once, Jasper felt his anger and fear give way to Alice's sorrow, and quicker than anyone had seen him move before, he had his arms around her, cradling her like she was the world's most precious object. "I'm sorry Alice. I'm so, so sorry. I wish I knew how to help. What can I do?" he whispered. He poured all of his love into her, showing her just how much he did love her, trying to calm her down. It worked, and Alice's sobs subsided.
"Jazz? Promise me you won't just stay with me because you think you have to? I'll never doubt that you loved me. I've felt how much you love me. But just wait until you meet the boy before you start promising you'll never leave. I promise I won't hold it against you if you did go with him. I've felt how he feels about you. Its much more than I think you've ever felt from anyone. I know if it was me, I could never resist it."
"But Alice.." Jasper started to protest.
"Please, Jazz? Promise me? Don't shut him out?" Alice looked up at him, her eyes large, golden and pleading.
Jasper nodded once, and proceeded up the stairs, needing some time alone.
It was hours later, as Jasper finished the novel he had decided to read, that he felt something happening downstairs. A sudden churning of emotions, and a heady mix of confusion, excitement, sorrow, desperation, and a lingering sense of something that was unstable, and very very wild. Jasper slowly walked down the stairs, careful to make as little sound as possible. He could hear Edward and Bella talking to Charlie in the kitchen, Emmett, Rosalie, Carslile and Esme were standing in the living room, listening to Alice talking quietly to someone. Jasper stepped around the corner, and saw Alice talking to a pale, blonde man. The man looked a little crazy, and he kept moving, pacing, twitching, his eyes were flicking around the room, and he kept pulling a stick out of his pocket, looking at it and putting it back again. Jasper hoped that this wasn't the man from Alice's vision, because Jasper really didn't want to have someone insane be in love with him. Jasper stepped into the room, and he saw Alice's eyes flick over to him for a moment, and she flashed him a smile. "Draco? Can I call you Draco?" Alice said to the man. But it was useless, as the man, Draco, had spun around, and from the minute his eyes landed on Jasper, Jasper knew that Alice was right. He'd never felt anything even close to this kind of love before, and he felt it fill his lungs, and his veins and every other part of his body. He was completely overwhelmed, and for a moment he forgot about everything, including the control he usually had over his gifts. True to Alice's vision, he felt everything he was feeling spill out into everyone else in the house. If someone had been coming down the drive, they would have suddenly felt a need for someone more keenly, and felt love, the need to be loved, and the simple pure adoration that Draco was emanating towards Jasper. And true to Alice's word, it was more than anyone could ever be expected to walk away from. He loved Alice, and he knew that she loved him in return, but this.. it was from another world. Another universe. And the baffling thing was that this man in front of him was just a human. Suddenly Jasper knew he had to get out of the house, he just had to be alone for a while, to be able to feel his own emotions, and to get away from Draco's almost insane, totally adoring stare, and Alice's sweet, accepting, and even encouraging looks. He spun on his heel, and was out of the house in a matter of seconds, and with every step he was getting away from the house, and its confusing feelings. He was getting away from Draco, who had, with one moment, made him turn his back on the woman he swore he was going to love until someone tore him limb from limb. Because there was no way he was going to be able to deny Draco what he wanted, not with the way he made him feel. Alice gave him hope, Draco fulfilled that hope. And that was what was scary. Jasper had expected one-sided emotions, but from the second Draco had filled him with his emotions, Jasper had felt his heart reaching out to him. He'd felt the ground shifting beneath his feet, and the entire universe moved to look at Draco, to point him out, and Jasper knew he'd been changed forever.