July 19th, 1997 (midnight)
Arabella was startled awake as a sudden rush of pain radiated throughout her entire body. Instinctively, her body curled into a ball to shield her from the agony though she knew in her mind it wouldn't make any difference. If she were thinking rationally, she would have reached for the potion resting on her bedside table. As it were, she was not thinking rationally, her mind overcome with pain as her body was changing to ensure compatibility to her mate. Her whole body adjusting to match that of her beloved in every way, shape and form.
Bella was determined to stay as silent as she could to not alert the other inhabitants of the house. She knew what would happen if she disturbed her uncle's sleep. Unfortunately, the pain only escalated and, as much as she tried, a pained whimper escaped her lips. She slowly moved her left hand over her mouth in order to stifle the sounds unconsciously making their way out, thanking Merlin that she had gotten into the habit of locking and barricading the door to her room over the summer holidays. Her birthday had never been enjoyable, but this was next level torture.
As much as this was excruciating, she knew what to expect and that it would happen soon. She was still at Hogwarts when she felt her mate come into their inheritance. While at the time brought a sudden fear and uncertainty, now brought comfort to her Veela, knowing it meant that her mate was still alive, even in the current state of their world. She couldn't imagine having to go through the rest of her existence in pure agony due to the untimely demise of her mate. Though it was never confirmed, something in her gut suggested that she would find her mate at school. That eased her thoughts as it meant that her mate was not in imminent danger as many of her peers will not be permitted to attend this year. It also provided her with the knowledge of her mate also being Veela themselves, which was becoming increasingly uncommon.
Bella was suddenly very aware of the lack of pain her body was in at the current moment in time. Hastily rolling over to lay on her stomach, Arabella braced herself for the next part of the process, hands clenching in the well-worn sheets. This part of the transformation was known to be the most excruciating element of a Veela coming into their inheritance. In mere moments, large shards of bones burst through the skin between her shoulder blades stretching out until they brushed the bleak grey walls on either side of her quaint room. A loud trill escaped her lips as the bones pushed their way out of her body, unable to contain her pain any longer and calling out for her mate, that she realistically knew couldn't hear her. She blocked out the sounds of loud footsteps making their way to her room and the thudding against the door focussing instead on the strange feeling radiating from the new appendages.
Without glancing sideways, Arabella knew what was happening. Her feathers were coming in. It took maybe five minutes before the strange feeling disappeared and another ten before Bella could build up the strength to push herself up to an upright position. Finally opening her eyes, she glanced over shoulder to inspect the wings coming out from her back. They were dark, almost black in colour, with purple coming through as the wings caught the light coming from the street lamp outside her tiny window. Under closer inspection, she noticed the pale blond speckled through the lower half of the feathers. The new appendages contrasted the sandy brown of her long tresses sticking to any exposed skin available but did not look out of place. They most likely spanned out to about six feet, however, the small space caused them to bend slightly as to only brush against the opposing walls.
Arabella knew she had to contract her wings back within her to complete the transformation, but she didn't know how. This was not something covered in any book or her mother's extensive diary. Clenching her eyes closely once again, she took a few deep breaths to relax her body and focussed on the desire to conceal her wings. Suddenly, she shuddered at the feeling of the bones sliding back to their previous position between her shoulder blades.
Opening her eyes once more, Bella was suddenly very aware of the silence around her. Glancing briefly at the alarm clock on the bedside table, beside the pain potion she was meant to take earlier, she noticed that it had been several hours since the process began. She felt drained and all she wanted to do was crawl back under the covers, now balled up at the end of her bed, and rest her eyes. But she knew it wasn't over yet. Taking another deep breath, she focussed on a single spot on the wall as her shoulders relaxed. All her senses tingled, reaching out for a sign from her mate. Something, anything, to help her to identify her mate. Flashes of green and silver danced behind her eyes before zeroing in on a grey iris. That would be very helpful for identifying her mate.
As sunlight started sleeping through the open window, Arabella was brought out of her trancelike state. A yawn escaped her lips unexpectedly. She was tired from the experience but knew that she wouldn't have time to go back to sleep now.
Sighing loudly, Arabella slowly stood up. She let out a pained groan and her joints cracked as she moved. Being cautious of her aching body, she made her way to the small mirror that was attached to her cupboard to assess the changes in appearance. The first thing she noticed was her height. Bella has adjusted the mirror just weeks earlier so that she could see her face reflected in the surface without bending down, only to find today that it was deemed unnecessary. Her average height of 5 feet 4 inches had decreased at least four inches as she now stood at barely five foot tall. She had no idea how she was going to explain this without giving away her heritage.
Other than the major height difference, she hadn't changed too much. Sure, the small layer of muscle she had built up from hard labour over the summer holidays had seemed to have dropped off, but it was nowhere near noticeable. Her shoulder length, sandy brown hair had grown to reach the middle of her back, but at least her facial features hadn't changed. She still looked like the same person, just with a few upgrades. Bella also knew, based off her height alone, that she was the submissive and her mate would be male.
Just like clockwork, the whole house started coming to life as each inhabitant arose for the day. Arabella knew it was only a matter of time before the banging on her door would begin again to punish her for the late-night disruption. Being of age now gave Bella the opportunity to use magic away from school, not that she would have many chances as she lived with her squib uncle and his Muggle girlfriend. At least she could modify her current wardrobe. Due to her sudden change in height, none of her clothes would fit her without some modification.
Once dressed, Arabella looked in the mirror again as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. "This is as good as it's going to get," she muttered to herself while taking in her appearance. While she knew she was beautiful, all Veelas were, her current environment didn't do her any justice. No one could look good here. Bracing herself for her uncle's punishment which lay beyond the door, Bella slowly turned the doorknob.
On the 19th of July, just as the clock struck midnight, Draco Lucius Malfoy was startled awake by a tight feeling within his chest. Having come into his inheritance just over a month earlier, while still at Hogwarts, Draco had a feeling that he knew must have come from his mate. This meant that his mate was also Veela. That made things much easier. The only clue he was given on the day he can into his inheritance was an image of his mate's back, covered in sandy brown hair, and dressed in standard issue Hogwarts robes.
Draco knew that he would not be able to get back to sleep and instead stared at the ceiling of his suite in the manor. Playing host to many Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself, left his home feeling eerie and cold. The blond Veela couldn't wait to go back to the school which he once despised, if only just to escape the dreary manor. But knowing that his mate would be attending as well excited him tenfold. He could not stop picturing a future free from the Dark Lord and his power, living in a small cottage with his mate and children. Draco would never admit this to anyone, for if anyone knew, his life may be on the line.
Suddenly, a pained trill broke him out of his thoughts. Though he knew not where she was, it was ringing loud in his ears. A whimper slipped passed his lips at the thought of his mate in pain. Draco knew that it was a necessary evil coming into a Veela inheritance, but it should not be bad enough to trill. With the right potions and support, the pain of coming into his inheritance was lessened as he was brought home and tended to by both his parents and many house elves. The mere thought of his mate going through this alone sent a shudder through his whole body. Hugging a pillow to his chest as a tear rolled down his cheek, he tried to quell the heartache of his mate in pain. Realistically, Draco knew that there was nothing that could be done but his Veela was not happy that he couldn't help his mate. The feeling of failure lingered over him until he slipped into a fitful slumber unsure of how he would last the rest of summer.
Author's Note: I hope you all enjoy this story. I don't have a beta so if you notice any mistakes feel free to comment and point it out. I would much appreciate it. Until next time...
Disclaimer - I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. That honour goes to the magnificent JK Rowling. I only own Arabella and the plot.