Title: Just Say No
Author: TardisIsTheOnlyWaytoTravel
Pairings: None at present: please note this is NOT, and NEVER WILL BE, a Draco/Harry. Just wanted to make that clear.
Setting: Beginning of sixth year onwards. Non-HBP compliant, but apart from that Harry's history pretty much lines up with what's in the books.
Author notes:
Okay, I had inspiration for this one; "Love and Betrayal" by feanor, a story in which Draco apparently decides to make Harry his mate and Harry resists. I've always hated the 'Draco the veela, Harry his mate' stories, and so I loved feanor's fic. I decided to do my own take on it.
Parseltongue
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PROLOGUE
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"You have a look that makes me want to resign and live the rest of my life as a goat-herder somewhere – because at least that way I won't have to face you."
-All Night Long by Jeconais
Harry trudged up the staircase to the headmaster's office gloomily. A single sentence could sum up what was going through his mind: what the hell does the old coot want now?
This was not a particularly respectful way to refer to the school's headmaster, Leader of the Light and Lord of the Lemon Drops, however it must be admitted that this form of address was to some extent justified. Harry had endured a very trying life, much of it due to the decisions made by the old man, and every time Harry was called into the office upstairs it was usually because the headmaster wanted to introduce some new problem to Harry's notice. Thus, if Harry knocked on the office door looking rather apprehensive, few would have blamed him.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore greeted him as he entered.
"Headmaster," Harry returned with a marked lack of enthusiasm. Lord, I'm sounding like Snape again. Got to stop that. A quick glance around the office informed him that besides himself and Dumbledore there were two other people in the room; a snarky-looking Snape and none other than Draco Malfoy.
"Take a seat, my boy, take a seat," Dumbledore told him cheerfully. Harry sat on one of the chairs on the opposite side of the room to the two Slytherins, eying them warily as he did so. As his eyes met Malfoy's the Slytherin blushed slightly, much to Harry's surprise.
What's going on?
"Harry," Dumbledore began, and Harry saw with alarm and a growing sense of dread that the man's face was grave, the twinkle in his eyes dimmed, "I have a very important matter to speak to you about."
Bad feeling just increased threefold.
"You see," the man continued, "young Draco here is part-veela. For most of his life his vela blood has had little effect on how he lives, however during the summer Draco celebrated his sixteenth birthday and came into his veela powers. Among other things, this meant that Draco was able to identify his mate."
Oh, hell no. Please tell me this isn't going where I think it is going…
"Harry you are Draco's mate."
Yep, it is.
"I refuse," Harry said calmly, even though inside red tendrils were beginning to leech out through his emerald-green composure.
"Harry," Dumbledore said, a little sternly, "you don't understand. Unless you and Draco form and consummate a mate-bond within a year, Draco will die."
Harry considered this for precisely 2.4 seconds.
"So?"
"Why, you worthless brat!" Snape seethed, getting to his feet and preparing to curse him. Harry whipped out his wand in response and aimed it between the man's eyes.
Bring it on.
"Severus! Harry!" Dumbledore called sharply. "Sit!"
Reluctantly Snape sat, while Harry lowered his wand.
"Please, Potter," Malfoy spoke for the first time, "without you, I'll die. Everyone knows you're the perfect Gryffindor. You wouldn't let that happen."
Oh yeah? Watch me.
"And come now, I am a Malfoy. You'd live a life of luxury. Most people would give anything for that kind of status."
Malfoy decided to bring out the veela allure.
Harry promptly swatted it away like a bug.
"What?" he snorted, seeing the looks on everyone's faces. "I can resist Imperius, can't I? Why would veela powers give me any trouble, especially from someone who isn't even a full veela? My answer is still no."
With a roar, Snape leapt out of his chair and opened his mouth.
Harry instantly stunned him. There was an astonished silence.
"Harry, Professor Snape…"
"…was about to curse me," Harry interrupted evenly. His voice had gone low and dangerous, and although Dumbledore did not have the gift to see it, the red tendrils of magic were reaching further out through his aura and beginning to overwhelm the green. "This is a personal matter and if I wish to refuse the bond then I have the perfect right to do so. I am sorry if it means that Malfoy will die, but that is not my problem."
Malfoy, meanwhile, was looking genuinely crushed. Harry almost felt sorry for him. Not quite, however, as Malfoy had done too much to make himself obnoxious for Harry to feel any real guilt. No, Harry was through with guilt, through with noble-mindedness. This year he was living for himself.
"Harry, this is your responsibility…"
Red flared, snapping and crackling like bolts of electricity.
"No it is not!" Harry snarled. "If you have nothing else to tell me, headmaster, then I will be leaving. This conversation is over."
Harry James Potter stormed from the office, leaving one heartbroken part-veela and one irritated headmaster, neither of whom were ready to give up any time soon. The fight was on.