Title: Taking Charge
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Genres: Romance, Drama, Fantasy, AU
Warnings: Slash, Creature!Harry, minor language, minor bashing
Rating: T
Summary: Harry came into a creature inheritance on his sixteenth birthday. Now, he is starting his sixth year and is set on finding his mate. Just who could it be?
Extras: Takes place beginning of sixth year.
Requested By: crystalrose16

-Prologue-

Harry sighed and put his homework under the loose floorboard in his room. It was ten minutes before midnight, and he was getting ready to go to bed. He wasn't expecting any cards, since his friends hadn't written to him all summer. Just as he was getting into his bed, there was a tapping on his window. He walked over to the window and opened it. An old looking barn owl flew in. He untied the letter and the owl flew away.

The letter was very old and yellowed with age. Harry assumed it was one of those letters that was to be delivered at a certain time. And judging by the look of the letter, it was written in the past. He carefully opened the enveloped, pulled out the letter, and started reading.

Dear Harry,

If you have received this then your father and I are no longer with you. I wish we could have been there to see you grow up, but just remember that we are always watching over you. There are some things you need to know and I want you to pay close attention to what I am about to write.

Despite what you've been told, I am not muggleborn. The Evans adopted me when I was young. Albus Dumbledore convinced my birth parents to give me up. I'm not sure how he did it, but I suspect he used the Imperious curse on them. After he had me, he obliviated them and I was placed in an orphanage. When I was five years old, I was adopted by the Evans. I suspect this was Dumbledore's doing. When my Hogwarts letter arrived, they told me the truth about everything. , including the fact that I have creature blood.

At midnight, you will come into your creature inheritance. It will happen while you're sleeping and it does not hurt. You won't even notice the changes until you wake up. You'll need to use a glamour to cover up the changes at school, until the right time. Now, I'll explain just what kind of creature blood you have.

You are part of an ancient race of Nekos. Nekos are basically humans with cat like features. You will have a tail, ears, and your senses will be heightened. Whenever you are angry, excited, or jealous, your claws will come out. You will have a mate too. The way to recognize your mate is by smell. He or she will smell like the most wonderful thing on this planet, to you. It does not matter what your sexuality is. If you prefer men, which is fine, then your mate will be a man.

Some other things you need to become aware of will help you in the war. First, do not let anyone control your life, especially Albus Dumbledore. This war is not what it seems. That prophecy about you and Voldemort is a fake. Second, do not let anyone tell you Slytherins are all bad. Most of them are good, they are just misunderstood. It's all the others you have to watch for. Third, choose your friends wisely. There are many people who will only want to be your friend for fame and money. Lastly, I want you to go through the Potter Family vault when you have time. You'll find some family journals and books about Nekos. There is also many other things in there to look through.

I love you and I hope you make the right choices.

Love,

Lily

Harry placed the letter under the floorboard and climbed into bed. He couldn't believe what he just read. Everything seemed to be true. He was just going to have to take charge of his life like his mother told him to.

Harry Potter looked around the great hall completely ignoring the sorting. He was trying to figure out who his mate could be. When he had woken up on his birthday, he had black ears, a black tail, and his pupils were slits. He also noticed that he could see without his glasses. Before he left his room, he threw on a wandless glamour. His mother had told him to take charge of his life, so that's exactly what he had done.

After he had cooked his relatives' breakfast, he went back up to his room, packed all his things, and walked right out the door without a backward glance. Once he was at the small park down the street, he called the Knight Bus and took it to the Leaky Cauldron. He paid Tom, the barkeeper, for a private room and told him that if anyone came looking for him Tom was to tell them he hadn't seen him. After he got settled in his room, he pulled out his check list for taking charge of his life, and crossed out number one, leave the Dursleys. While staying there, he stayed out of site and when he had to go out, he wore a black hooded cloak.

When September first came around, he put the second thing on list into action. He arrived at the station an hour early and grabbed a compartment to himself. To ensure that he couldn't be found, he locked the door and pulled the little curtain down to cover the window and prevent anyone from looking in. The second thing on his list was to avoid Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. He had his suspicions about them from the moment he met them.

When he met Ron, he was excited at first. The idea of finally having a friend was wonderful. But when they started talking and he learned how poor the Weasleys were, he became suspicious. And when Ron started talking about his brothers, Harry could hear the jealousy in his voice. That's when he came to suspect that Weasley only wanted to be his friend for fame and money. After they had that fight in fourth year, it only confirmed his suspicions about Ron.

The moment Hermione started talking, Harry could tell she was controlling. He still had no clue how he could have ended up friends with her because of a troll. Whenever he would putting his completed homework away, she would take it from him and start making corrections until looked like something she would write. He hated it when she would do that. He always had to rewrite it the way it was before she corrected it. Harry hated how she just assumed he wasn't smart enough to do his homework correctly. He was in the top ten of their class.

Ginny Weasley was the biggest fan girl Harry ever met. He knew that she only liked him because he's the famous boy-who-lived. Not only would he not date her because she's a fan girl, but he's also gay. He always has a hard time avoiding her. She probably memorized his schedule or stalks him everywhere. It's creepy how obsessive she was.

When the train stopped in Hogsmeade, Harry managed to get to the carriages without the three seeing him. He got into a carriage with Neville, Luna, Dean, and Seamus. Those four he knew were his true friends unlike the other three. When they arrived at the great hall, Harry sat with the tree Gryffindor boys, while Luna went to her table. Harry ignored Ron, Ginny, and Hermione when they came in and tried to get his attention.

Now, here was looking around while the sorting was going on. He knew his mate would be male, but he didn't know who it could possibly be. He ignored the looks he was getting from the Weasleys and Granger while he looked around. During the feast he talked to Neville, Dean, and Seamus. He knew everyone could tell that he was completely ignoring his former "friends". When the feast was over, he was about to head up the stairs when his name was called.

"POTTER!"

He stopped and turned around. Malfoy was standing there and looked nervous about something. Harry noticed he looked extremely gorgeous this year. His blond hair fell into his eyes and he had gained some muscle.

"What do you want Malfoy?" he asked tiredly.

"I noticed you weren't talking to the weasels and mudblood," he sneered.

Harry didn't even bother yelling at him for calling granger a mudblood. "I'm just trying to take charge of my life. I'm tired of them trying to control me."

"W-well good for you." Malfoy leaned closer. "Your eyes are brighter."

Harry just stared at Malfoy, who was now blushing. He didn't know what to say to that. Malfoy took off and Harry headed to Gryffindor Tower. It wasn't until he was in bed did he realize how strange Malfoy had acted.

Over the next several days, Harry tried very hard to avoid his "friends", but they just wouldn't leave him alone. It was getting bloody annoying! They followed him practically everywhere and always had to know his business. Not only were his so-called friends keeping and annoyingly close watch on him, but Malfoy had been acting off too. He didn't pick fights with anyone, and instead of hanging out with Crabbe and Goyle, he was now seen with Parkinson, Zabini, and Nott.

One day, when he had finally managed to be free of his "friends", he had gone to fly around the pitch. He was now walking back to Gryffindor Tower to start his homework, when he heard four very familiar voices coming from an empty classroom. He stopped to listen and made himself invisible so as not to be caught.

"How are things going?" That was Dumbledore's voice.

"He's a bloody nightmare!" And that was Ron.

What were they talking about? Harry frowned and continued to listen.

"The potions are not working!" exclaimed Ginny. "You promised he would fall in love with me and we could get married! That way I would get his fame and money after you killed him!"

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to listen anymore, but he needed to know what else was going on.

"Let's not forget you promised to pay for my college funds for helping him in his studies," said Hermione.

"Do not worry children!" Dumbledore said in a raised voice. "Everything will fall into place. You must give it time."

"How are you even able to offer us the amount of money you promised us?" asked Ron.

"It is coming from Mr. Potter's vault," answered Dumbledore.

Harry couldn't believe Dumbledore was stealing from him. He thought about his plan to take charge of his life. Making his decision he left and headed for the headmaster's office.

The next day at breakfast, Harry was sitting as far away from his ex-friends as he could, and it seemed everyone noticed, including the staff. Just then, Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore walked in, and the Transfiguration teacher was carrying the Sorting Hat. Dumbledore clapped his hands for silence.

"I have an announcement to make," he began. "The Sorting Hat has requested to resort a student. As I do not know who, I will allow the hat to call out the name."

The great hall broke out in whispers. No one had ever been resorted before. The whispers quickly died though when the hat called a name.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Harry stood up ignoring the looks he was getting, and walked up to Professor McGonagall. She hesitantly put the hat on his head.

'So Mr. Potter, any particular reason why you asked me to resort you?'

'I want to take charge of my life and I can't do it surrounded by certain Gryffindors.'

'I see you have finally figured out what Albus Dumbledore has been planning.'

'I learned of it just before I came to you.'

'So will you let me place you where you belong?'

'Yes.'

'Be safe Mr. Potter.'

"SLYTHERIN!"

The hall was in shock at what the hat said. McGonagall quickly took the hat off his head and he walked over to sit between Malfoy and Zabini. The students started whispering to each other and Harry went back to eating.

"What the hell is going on potter?" Draco asked.

Harry turned to look at him and noticed his scent seemed different. "Like I told you on the first day, I am taking charge of my life. I'm tired of everyone trying to control me. Now drop it."

He wasn't about to tell Malfoy what he learned yesterday.

Harry lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He just couldn't fall asleep. He was anxious and restless. He remembered reading in one of the journals he found in his vault, that if his mate was nearby he would become restless if they had yet to consummate the bond or even touch each other. He sighed and grabbed his invisibility cloak and put it on. When he was far enough from the castle, he took the cloak off and dropped his glamour for the first time since he arrived at school. He walked over to the quidditch pitch and sat in the stands. He stared up at the sky and wished everything would just be over already.

A sweet smell assaulted his nose and he turned his head to find Draco Malfoy sitting there next to him. Malfoy smelled really good and Harry just wanted to hug him and never let go. That's when he realized that Malfoy was his mate. Then he realized that he wasn't wearing his glamour and Malfoy could see his eyes, tail, and ears. But to his surprise, Malfoy didn't freak out about it.

"What's with the cat features?" he asked.

"I kind of came into a creature inheritance on my birthday." It wouldn't do any harm in telling him since he is his mate.

"I thought your mum was muggleborn? And I know your father didn't have creature blood."

"I thought so too, but it turns out she was adopted."

Harry then proceeded to tell him everything he had learned up to what he overheard yesterday. Draco couldn't believe people could be so cruel. Well, actually he could, but never had he heard something like this.

"Have you found out who your mate is yet?" he asked.

Harry hesitated on this. The blonde Slytherin seemed to take everything else well, but he wasn't sure how Draco would react to this.

"W-well…it-it's…you," he whispered.

He couldn't look at him. He was scared of what he might see.

"Really?" asked Draco.

Harry nods his head.

"That's good."

Harry looked up at him in shock. Did Malfoy just say 'that's good'? Draco noticing Harry's shock explained it.

"I actually have…feelings for you," he told him.

Neither said anything at all. Then Harry reached over and placed a hand on the back of Draco's neck. They move closer together and their lips met in a sweet kiss. Their first kiss, one of many.

A/N: So there's the first one shot. This was something that came to me when I was trying to sleep so I wrote. Reviews are appreciated. Also if anyone as any advice on how I could improve my wirting, then by all means, feel free to tell me.

Listening to: Bulletproof - La Roux