Well its certainly been a while... I've been on an MCU kick for a while and I suddenly remembered my love for Harry Potter. Updates are going to be sporadic due to college and work and life in general.
I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Kayla and her parents belong to me, the Zabini name does not.
Coming into ones magical creature inheritance late really, really sucked. Especially when it was a veela inheritance. This was what Draco Malfoy decided as he sat with Blaise Zabini in the parlor of the Zabini family summer home. They were going back to Hogwarts soon to complete their schooling in what was being called their eighth year and Draco was actually nervous.
What if his destined mate had been killed during the Battle of Hogwarts?
"I can practically hear you thinking from here mate," Blaise threw a wad of parchment at him. "Stop thinking about it so hard. I'm sure it'll all work out in the end."
"You're terribly optimistic," Draco huffed. "Considering you're not the one who has to find their soul mate by the end of next year."
"You never know, she might be right under your nose and you just don't know it yet."
"I seriously doubt that, Blaise."
The pair was interrupted by Blaise's mother calling out in Italian, informing them of what Draco could only guess was something of importance.
"All I caught out of that was something about guests." Draco really needed to brush up on his Italian.
"My cousin Kayla and her parents are coming to stay for the remainder of the summer," Blaise translated for him.
"Kayla?" Draco wasn't sure why he perked up at her name but he did. Kayla Zabini was in the same year as them and as far as he knew, she would be returning with them to Hogwarts to complete her N.E.W.T's.
"Yeah, she's coming over to stay," Blaise raised a brow at his friends reaction but let the behavior slide.
"I see," Draco schooled his features, trying not to seem so excited about seeing someone he'd basically grown up with.
It wasn't long before they heard voices, signaling the arrival of Blaise's relatives. Draco's sudden nervousness amped itself up then, his veela becoming alert as something, a scent, stirred it to life.
The door to the parlor swung open and admitted a petite female, her skin a soft honey and wavy chestnut hair that could almost rival Grangers. Her blue eyes were bright though the shadow of despair that came from the war lay hidden in their depths.
"Kayla!" Blaise swooped over to greet her with a hug and a kiss, leaving Draco rooted to the floor where he'd been left. "Draco? You going to say hello?"
The Malfoy heir frowned as he was drawn from his stupor, his eyes zeroing in on Kayla and Blaise's hands on her shoulders.
"… Hello," He muttered, sounding stiff and not at all like his usual self. Draco excused himself quickly, hurrying out of the parlor to sequester himself in his guest room.
"You'll have to forgive him, a lots been going on in his life," Blaise apologized to his bewildered cousin.
Lucius Malfoy had been given a five year sentence in Azkaban with five more years of parole after that and his wife Narcissa given only two years. Draco himself was given two years parole for being underage at the time of the war, one of those years was being spent by going back to Hogwarts.
"Its okay," the girl sighed. "I can understand somewhat. Now, come on! I'm famished!" Small as she was, standing at a mere 5"3', Kayla could eat as much as an entire Quidditch team if she was really hungry.
The two talked for a solid hour before Blaise excused himself to go and check on Draco, concerned that he hadn't returned just yet. He found the blonde in his room, wrapped firmly in his wings, fingers curved into talons as he breathed hard, obviously trying to calm down. Blaise didn't know too terribly much about veela's but from what he was seeing, it could only mean one possible thing.
"Of all the people… My cousin? Seriously?" Blaise groaned, laughing, trying to diffuse some of the tension.
"Sod off," Draco hissed, turning, baring his fangs at his friend. "Sadly, I don't have a choice in this, and you damn well know that."
"Spare me all the drama, mate," Blaise snorted. "Get yourself under control and come be a civilized person for a while. Think you can manage that?"
Draco took a few heaving breaths after glaring at Blaise, his veela features slowly melting away until he was his usual self.
"Now that I've recognized her, it will be hard to be around her." Draco smoothed out his clothes and sighed, cursing the fates for doing this to him. His best friends cousin was his mate! Admittedly, it could have been worse but he refused to think about that possibility.
"Just don't jump her or anything and we're good," Blaise shrugged as he sauntered out the door. Draco followed at a slower pace, steeling himself, keeping calm as they got closer and closer to where his mate was, her scent like a siren's call to him.
"You look like shite, Draco," Kayla commented when the boys returned, lifting her eyes from her tea cup.
"Yes well, even I cannot keep a flawless appearance at all times of the day," Draco rolled his eyes. "No matter what the rumors may say that is."
"Draco Malfoy admitting he isn't perfect? I thought I'd never see the day!" The brunette laughed, the sound music to the blonde's ears.
Forcing himself to relax, Draco joined the Zabini's for tea, trying his best not to stare at Kayla the entire time. It was hard though, everything in him wanted to grab her attention, to strut around like a proud peacock to lure her in. It just wouldn't do though, he had to control himself.
"Draco, are you certain you're okay?" Kayla snapped her fingers in front of the blonde's face, frowning. "You're spacing out more than usual."
"Do refrain from doing that," Draco swatted at her hand, a jolt going through him at the contact. There was no doubt about it then, she was most definitely his mate. "I'm fine, just thinking about what classes I should take."
"Don't think too hard, I already see steam coming out of your ears." Kayla leaned back, that tittering laugh sounding form her again.
Merlin she was going to kill him before he even marked her at this rate.
"Well, I think we should go out and sun ourselves," Blaise planted his hands on the table, drawing the attention of both Kayla and Draco.
The other adults seemed to agree with this, encouraging them all to go outside and soak up the last few days of summer sun.
Draco, however, was glaring at Blaise, wondering if his friend was purposely trying to torture him. The smile he received in return confirmed his suspicions and it caused him to scowl even harder at the Italian.
The teens went their separate ways to change into their swimwear, all of them meeting up again outside on the lake front. The boys both wore a pair of swim trunks, of the best and most expensive kind, while Kayla wore a simple red one piece suit. The sight of Kayla showing so much skin was nearly too much for Draco and he had to quickly dive into the lake to cool himself off. It had Blaise laughing and Kayla simply thinking Draco was eager for a swim.
They played well into the evening, letting their worries fade away under the late day sun, letting themselves be young again.
"That was certainly fun," Blaise hummed as he laid out in the grass between Kayla and Draco.
"Just what I needed," Kayla agreed, stretching out like a lazy cat in the sun. Draco was immediately drawn to the movement, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as his started to shift to a molten silver.
Blaise saw this and immediately elbowed him, snapping him out of whatever trance he seemed to be in. He coughed into his fist and gave the blonde a pointed look that very obviously said to behave.
"Lets all head in for supper and hot chocolate," Blaise suggested, jumping to his feet. "Come on, both of you!" He leaned down and tugged Kayla to her feet, watching Draco for a reaction. The veela bit back a growl, glaring at his best friend, baring his teeth as he stood; thankfully Kayla saw none of this.
Supper was a loud affair, something Draco had become accustomed to during his stays with the Zabini's, though that night he was far too distracted by his mate sitting beside him. He 'accidentally' touched her hand more than once throughout the meal, basking in the quick contact, his veela content with this for now. When everything was said and done, most everyone parted ways, Kayla declaring that she was going to retire to bed early.
"Don't do anything you'll regret," Blaise warned. "I'm placing charms on her door so you can't get in, don't need you scaring her off."
"Do shut up," Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not that desperate."
"Yet," Blaise sang softly. "Small touches aren't going to hold you for long, Drake, soon you'll need more. You'll have to tell her soon rather than later that you are mates."
"Yes, yes, I get it!" The blonde huffed in frustration. "Get out you bloody git, I want to bathe."
"Goodnight, Draco, behave!" Blaise ducked out of the room just as Draco levitated a vase, threatening to hurl it at him.
Draco huffed as he laid back on the bed, his mind again on his mate who was only a few rooms away. It would be all too easy for him to use his veela magic to influence her dreams, drive her wild, but he wouldn't. No, he would wait a while, tease her, then he'd start to really up his game.
"You will be mine," He purred to himself.
Oh their eighth year was going to be interesting indeed.
