Severus slowly came back to awareness and for the first time ever in his life – as far as he remembered – did he so while feeling safe, it took a few minutes before he remembered that he shouldn't feel so as he never let anyone spend the night as he didn't trust them to not stab him while he slept. So why did he feel safe? And was that arms around him..? Severus woke fully when he comprehended that someone was spooning him and he himself too was spooning a small figure, he tried to remember where he was and who was in the bed with him. It wasn't before the small figure in his arms moved that he opened his eyes and glanced down to find Lily snuggling into his chest contently and worst of all; Severus was holding her close. It was then he remembered about Harry and concluded that it was indeed Harry who was spooning him with an arm around his waist with the hand resting above Severus's navel, the other arm was under Severus's head and hugging his torso with the hand above his heart. Severus spend the next two minutes on panicking before he began analyzing his emotions, his Slytherin instincts reasoned several while pushing any soft feelings back for the moment but one kept coming up whenever he began analyzing a new emotion. Giving up after five tries he focused on it and with disgust he found that it was the mushiest emotion of all; Love. He tried to sensed what kind and found he couldn't decide on family or friendly love not to say what branch of them; was it for a partner or nephew-kind of love or was it the love of a close friend?
"Did you know that when a person touches an empath when agitated it makes the empathy's skin tingle..?" Severus nearly jumped out of his skin at Lily's casual and low voice, he felt her smirk into his chest. "Why are you panicking while the feelings of confusing, love and secureness fill your body?"
"Your dad's hugging me." That made Lily chuckle softly in delight. "I'm confused as to why he is, panicking that I feel any of these things … I can't explain the last two…" Lily snuggled even closer to Severus's warm body, who shivered as her cold limps was felt through his clothes.
"Sometimes one has to take a chance … I had when giving my safety to dad; I had to believe in what he said and did… I started to just accept that dad or mom would always be there for me instead of expecting them to throw me aside any moment." Severus froze when her cold hand moved under his shirt but he relaxed after a few second when it stayed over his navel, Severus found that she meant nothing sexual with the gesture as a conclusion slowly tried to enter his brain but his rational side pushed it back. "Why is body contact such a foreign notion to you? Is it so hard to imagine that someone might actually want to touch you?"
"Pleasant touches are for those who deserve it … I simply haven't."
"That's a load of bullshit!" Severus froze at Harry's heated whisper right into his ear; he felt Harry's tongue licking a trail from the top of his ear down to the vain in his neck where he switched between kissing and nibbling the heating skin. Severus was slowly relaxing under the attention as he realized Harry had properly put a spell on his cock as it didn't so much as twisted even though he felt close to cream his pants.
"…wh-what ar-are you do-doing..?"
"I'm touching you, Severus, without any plans of hurting you or gaining something but simply because I want to." Harry caught a sniff of Severus's hair and promptly moaned before burying his face into the lovely smelling hair, only briefly wondering about the grease but he found it to be silken soft against his nose though it still had an oiled feel.
"But why?!"
"You deserve it the most; you risk yourself on a weekly basis, you saved me multiple times while still hating me and you've suffered so much that I could never make up for it all but I would like to try … if you'll let me…" Harry felt Severus retreat into his mind to think so he waited patiently while rearranging the two of them as Lily got up to feed Ariel, she walked out with a wave and 'Good luck'. Severus slowly came back and tensed in surprise of the new position; Harry was on his back with Severus snuggling into his side, head on the chest and Harry's arm around him.
"How do you mean when you say that you would like to try..?" Harry sighed at the clueless voice but that made Severus tense even more, in two seconds Harry had Severus pinned beneath him with his arms held down.
"You tell me, Severus; do I seem like the type to behave like Tom or even Dumbledore?" Severus was staring scared and shocked up at Harry as he faced a true predator – fangs and all. "You would be my equal in everything should we form any connections, I'm not out to use or gain anything from you than that of a friend. I would like to hear you tell about your life and feelings – not to gain blackmail materials but to offer comfort as you should have had in the first place … will you let me?" Harry waited again patiently for Severus to answer but Severus avoided the red eyes of temptation by turning his head away which made him bare his neck – not that he noticed as his feelings had a battle with each other inside him, ranging from simple happiness to mayor panic. "Sev … relax please … deep breathes, in…out…" Severus followed the instructions as he was beginning to feel lightheaded, it only took five breathes before he felt normal and when he glanced up at Harry he almost stopped breathing again in shock and forgot all about being embarrass.
Harry was looking down at him with Severus's newest favorite emotion from now on; outmost concern, compassion, care, trust and it was all directed at him! Never had anyone looked at him with those particular emotions on their face, there always seemed to be a negative feeling lurking under all the others such as hate, lust – don't ask him why – a gleam of something malice or simply the feeling of falseness ebbing off them in time with their heartbeat.
"What will change?" Harry gave a small smile at that as he knew Severus had surrendered and now needed to focus on facts before he changed his mind.
"Whatever you are willing to, I won't force you to do anything but I can give you an option to think about; the option of leaving your lonely rooms and move in down here, Dobby can pop you to class until I have a secret entrance made. There are basically One rule between us friends and that is we are to treat each other with respect and as an equal." Harry saw that Severus was processing what he said so he paused, not that Severus seemed to notice at all as he once again had retreated into his mind to think.
Severus's head swirled at the prospect of a given option, something no one had ever done before as his choices and life was decided for him and not by him; first his father, then professors, friends – or so called friends, the Dark Lord and now Albus … but Harry was giving him an option to move. Should he take it? What would Albus say..? Severus sneered in disgust at his own thoughts, wasn't it time he controlled his life for once?! Severus thought Harry's option over with fresh eyes; he supposed that Granger could be tolerated outside class… Weasley could be ignored for the most part if it came to that … Lovegood was easily overlooked … what did it mean; to treat others with respect? Well, he would figure that out when it appeared.
"It would be acceptable." Harry gave a snort of amusement at the typical Snape-answer, rolling them over he placed Severus at his side again and hugged him close.
"Sound good." Harry reached out with his Lure magic but instead of the intention of ensnaring he let the feelings of compassion gently touch Severus's aura, ready to retreat if Severus rejected him. Harry rubbed Severus's back comfortingly as Severus slowly accepted Harry's magic there then hurried to cocoon the man in bliss, Severus surrendered completely to the warmth around him and didn't notice he snuggled closer to Harry or that he wrapped one arm and leg around him. "So, do you want to have your own room or do I get to kick Ron out?"
"I don't want to cause problems between you and Weasley; I'll just take a room for myself." Harry sighed as he began to trail his fingers along Severus's back until he reached the lower back where he rested his hand with the thumb rubbing gently.
"Severus, I asked what you wanted. I didn't do that unless I was fully prepared to change things – even kicking Ron out of his own bed – so, what would you like?" Harry sighed again when Severus tensed, he pushed more magic out before wrapping himself around Severus who turned boneless. "Sev, there is nothing wrong with wanting something for yourself. How about we do this; you'll have your own room but anytime you want to you can either join me, Lily and Ron in this bed or ask that Ron takes your bed for the night? How about that?"
"Why would Weasley give up his bed for me?"
"Simple, because that would help you and that's what friends does for each other. He can always bonk with the girls if he can stand sleeping in a coffin…" Harry snickered at the mental image of Ron freaking out about spending any amount of time in a coffin. "Properly not, he'd rather sleep on the floor." Severus mumbled something too low to hear even for Harry's vampire hearing. "Come again? Even my excellent hearing didn't get that." Severus blushed as he prepared to repeat himself louder.
"I don't need a room…" Severus gasped as the cocoon of magic shifted from simple compassion to pride, joy and trust and it swirled around and inside him so he once again didn't notice Harry moving them around until he was moving without actually moving himself. "I can walk…"
"I know." Severus huffed but left it as the magic was filling him; it left him boneless and it had to have meddled with his brain as he had trouble focusing on being insulted about getting carried by his student. "What do you want for breakfast? I usually have pancakes as I don't need the nutritious." Severus was placed on the couch beside Lily, who was reading, she hurried to use his lap to snuggle into while still reading.
"Dad, you better pull back your Lure. It are suppressing his thoughts and own feelings." Harry hurried to do so and it wasn't long before Severus's eyes cleared.
"Pancakes will be fine… what are you doing?" Severus looked at Lily with a peculiar expression which made Harry snicker and Lily merely snuggled closer before turning the page.
"I'm having my cuddle-time and you are my victim." Harry left them and walked to the kitchen, it didn't take long before he had a plate filled with pancakes that he carried to the living room. "…I can help you with potions?! I would love to!" To Harry's amusement they sat as he had left them; Severus was still giving Lily those 'Why are you touching me willingly' kind of glances. "Hey dad! Sev'rus says I can help him with potions! Aren't it great?!"
"Sounds wonderful honey. Why don't you move so Severus can eat? He actually needs the nutritious." Lily did with a laugh and Harry placed the tray in Severus's lap before sitting down beside Lily who was still stuck to Severus's side. "What do you want to do later, honey?"
"Potions?"
"I meant besides that." Lily did an 'Oh' of understanding which made Severus snort in amusement; Lily gave him a sheepish smile before thinking it over.
"Can I take Ariel on exploring?" Harry did a glance at Severus to make it seem he was asking what Severus thought, who struggled his shoulders before taking a bite of his pancakes.
"I suppose, I want you to wear a rope so you can find back." Lily rolled her eyes towards Severus in the obvious 'Parents!' that only children can pull off, Severus mock glared but Lily saw the amused glint in his eyes so she smiled more. "What? She could get lost in those pipes!" Lily snickered.
"Sure dad, though I think you forget we can do magic and Ariel can find the way."
"Oh… right." Severus gave another snort as he placed the tray on the table.
"Why don't you change clothes and head up to help? I'll find Lily later when my potion needs to simmer and she can always call Dobby."
"Mom's coming today?"
"She might for a bit later…" Severus noticed that Harry seemed uncomfortable but decided to wait with his questions. "I'll be back before dinner, I'll see if mom can check on you at lunch, alright honey?"
"Yes dad. I'll be fine, I have Sev'rus!" Harry smiled at that before giving Lily a hug, stepping over to Severus who was very much not pouting at Lily's way of saying his name. "Thank you for looking after her." He gave Severus, who stiffened in surprise, a brief hug before walking out.
"Sev'rus? Why are you confused?" Lily had turned fully towards Severus, ready to crawl into his lap as she observed him with concern in her eyes.
"He hugged me."
"Of course he did! Why wouldn't he?! You're family!"
"Family..?"
"Well yeah… dad looks after you now…" Lily snuggled into Severus's bath robe and hugged him gently around the waist.
"But why?"
"Well… I can't really explain it but I know you are on dad's 'protect list' so he will do everything for you, just like he does with me and my Aunts and Uncle… mom feels the same with her siblings." That had Severus snap out of his trance and zoom in on her. "What?"
"Why do you speak about your mom and dad like they are two separate persons?" Lily stared considering at Severus for a second before simply standing without a word and walking out with Ariel trailing after her. "Lily..?" He barely heard her replay.
"Talk with dad…" Lily ran into said dad a moment later in the hall. "Hey dad, Sev'rus wants to ask you something."
"Right… honey, you have to hurry and put your clothes on, we're late for breakfast and I forgot about Draco, so please hurry." Lily nodded and walked to her room while Harry continued to the living room. "Severus, wanna join us for breakfast? I totally forgot about Draco, Lily are to test if she can go to town."
"Oh right… I'm gonna be brewing all morning."
"Alright, I'm gonna cook dinner so I'll see you later. Bye!" Harry ran out, leaving Severus to brood about the situation of his godson courting Phoebe and by that Harry – who seemed to not really realize what it meant to court the way Draco was raised to as well as what it entitled.
Meanwhile Harry was popped to the great hall with Lily and Ariel; they hurried in after Lily got on her dad's back and they found Ron and Hermione by Luna at the Ravens' table. "There you are."
"Harry! I thought you were in isolating?"
"I'll explain later. How are you feeling, honey?"
"Slightly overwhelmed… not bad but rather uncomfortable actually." Lily filled her plate with a few pancakes, the four friends studied her but she seemed to be fine. "I'm not gonna explode any moment." Ron laughed guiltily while Harry gave her a hug.
"Just making sure, honey. Tell me if it gets worse." Lily just hummed as she continued eating under their observation, Harry kept glancing at Draco but whenever Draco caught him Harry turned it to a glare to keep up the act of being angry that his daughter was being used as a messenger. Draco would look back coolly with a raised eyebrow until Harry looked away when Lily placed her hand on his arm from where he would then stab his pancakes.
"I'll give Mr. Malfoy the message from mom; Dobby will pop me back to my room. Bye!" Before Harry could stop her she ran to Draco's side - a big smile on her face. "Mr. Malfoy!" Only her vampire blood made her be able to stop in time right in front of Draco without showing the slightest shortness of breath. "I've made it through breakfast; we'll be by the doors at the start of lunch. Dobby! To my room, now."
"Yes Mistress Potter!" Lily gave an amused Draco a wave as Dobby took her other hand – Ariel safely stuck on her shoulder – and popped them out.
"What was that child talking about? Why would you care where she will be at lunch… ridicules!"
"Not that I expect you to actually comprehend the concept, as you have never done it, but I'm initiating a courtship by taking Mistress Phoebe to town." Pansy had smoke coming out of her ears and you might be able to cook an egg on her head judging by the heated red color on her face. "Save your breath, Pans, I don't need your acceptance or opinion on the subject. Now excuse me, I have arrangements to take care of for the trip." With that he stood and walked out, he headed to the Headmaster's office so he could inform the barmy old man of the situation. "Move, you bloody piece of fancy spells!" Surprisingly the stone statue did, giving the blond the best of its glares. "Oh save it!" Draco moved up the stairs and knocked on the door, hearing the 'enter!' he opened the door calmly.
"Mr. Malfoy … what do I own the pleasure of this visit?" Albus indicated towards the chair in front of his desk before placing his fingertips together and observed Draco sitting down.
"I'm here to inform you of a courtship being initiated later; I need the day off to make the arrangements for the trip."
"Might I inquire as to who the lucky person are?" Draco gave a glare. "I might have to release the person from classes in future."
"I believe not, Headmaster, as it is Mistress Phoebe from The Four Siblings."
"Ah." Draco felt himself shrink under Albus's stern glare-like look. "Just so I'm clear, Mr. Malfoy, we're talking about a pureblood courtship?"
"Of course."
"I don't believe Mistress Phoebe knows what that means, she was not raised in our world in her early years so she doesn't have your own political upraise. I think she's of the belief of Love in its purest form, sadly she was raised without much herself so I would believe she wants to compensate the loss."
"I didn't know that; I will have to adjust more then. Thanks you, Headmaster, for informing me. I would appreciate if my house elf can pick up my homework from now on?"
"Of course, Mr. Malfoy, I'll inform your Professors." Draco bowed and walked out, checking the time he found he had three hours so he hurried down to his dorm to change – waiting with the shower to later but using a cleaning charm instead. "Tinky!" Draco turned towards the appearing elf. "Pick up my homework today and leave them on my bed."
"Yes Master." She popped out as Draco left the room, still pulling on his gloves and jacket when he stepped outside and he hurried over to Hagrid who was outside his house with Fang. "Professor Hagrid, I've come to ask your help with something important."
"Shoot, I'll be happy to help if I can."
"I'm hoping to initiate a courtship today with Mistress Phoebe; I would appreciate it if you could arrange for a cart at the entrance by the start of lunch. Can it be arranged? We'll walk back."
"Sure, Mr. Malfoy! I'll have it there early." Draco bowed his head before walking off, hurrying down to the town to arrange lunch and gifts – he was delayed so he had to cut his shower short if he wanted to be there on time. His nerves was standing on edge by the time he entered the entrance hall so when he saw two gorgeous young women by the doors he nearly burst a blood vessel but managed to control it to a mere twist of his eye.
"Mr. Malfoy! Here!" Draco studied the youngest woman waving, he knew it was Lily but he had a hard time seeing the connection as the one in front of him certainly wasn't only eleven? Lily's flaming red hair was gathered into a French braid leaving a few curly strands free, though her silk shirt had long sleeves it hugged her young breasts and waist so invitingly that had Draco not known she was only eleven he would have been attracted to her. A slim line of bare skin came before her low riding jeans started which was also rather form hugging and showed off her long and slim legs and weirdly enough she was barefoot but didn't seem bothered by the cold.
"Mistress Potter, a pleasure. May I compliment your attire though I have to ask, why no shoes?"
"A habit picked from me sadly, don't worry about her; they are charmed safely." Draco turned to Phoebe and again had that eye twist as he took in her clothes; her butt-long hair was loose but seemed to have a spell on to stay straight, her shirt too was silk but with spaghetti strops and slightly low cut and it ended above her navel, her jeans were black and too was low riding, she too was barefoot and while her shirt was white Lily's was a tasteful gray with white pants. "So, what are we doing today?" Phoebe stepped closer to him as she ran a hand through his hair gently before fixing his dark blue cotton shirt.
"Follow me and you shall see, Milady's." Draco looked on as Phoebe pulled her hair over one shoulder before turning her back to Lily, when Draco was about to ask what they were doing Lily merely jumped up onto her mom's back and hang on tight.
"Though she managed breakfast she's still sensitive and my aura as well as Harry's act like a shield." Draco nodded in understanding with a smile. "And I have a name, Draco."
"I know Phoebe, Mon Cherie, excuse my forgetfulness. Let me help you…"
"You arranged a cart?" Phoebe stared in wonderment before Draco took her hand and led her closer. "You hadn't needed to, Draco. We could have walked but it's very sweet of you… thanks." With Draco's help she got in without tripping with Lily still on her back, she had to sit sideway with Draco across and soon they began moving.
"This is for you, Mon Cherie." Draco held out a small box the size of a small note book wrapped in light blue silk, Phoebe took it slowly with a small smile.
"You didn't have to… the cart and now this; I thought we simply went for a trip to town?" Draco had the decency to blush slightly.
"About that ... I may have assumed you were raised to notice the subtle signals but the Headmaster informed me that you might not have fully understood the situation."
"What situation?" Phoebe studied Draco as he nervously cleared his throat.
"Well you see… I asked you to town as are custom when initiating a courtship, basically to get a feel of each other and from that negotiate the terms of the future courtship. It's, simply put, an old fashion dating way. The difference is that a courtship have steps and subtle signs, we'll have to adjust ours – if you agree – as you haven't been raised to observe and understand the signals but we'll manage. Now open it." Draco smiled at the surprised Phoebe. "I know it's a lot and I'm sorry for not realizing the possibility of you not raised the same way as I."
"I'll live…I understand it now, Hera talked briefly about it when we started all this as building ground for our courses." Phoebe looked down at the blue silk wrapped present; gently she began to open it. "I'm slightly surprised you would want to start a courtship with me after discovering my blood status."
"Mom, what is a courtship?"
"It's the tradition way of asking a woman to marry him, it have steps and stretch over an agreed period." Lily studied Draco closely for a long time; Draco was surprised to feel like an open book that she read at top speed.
"You wanna marry my mom? Why?" Phoebe observed silently, having figured that Lily was properly Reading his emotions, Draco was studying Lily with keen eyes and a question on the tip of his tongue. "I needed a mom so I chose her – get over it and back to answer my question." Draco lifted his eyebrow before turning to Phoebe, who gave Lily a peck on the cheek.
"Your … mom … are very beautiful and I find myself enjoying our small conversations so far so I want to use this day to find out if it could perhaps lead to more." Lily had stared hard at him and hardly blinking while her mom looked between them.
"Honey? Did he pass this little test of yours so we can get out?"
"He's holding something back he's not proud of." Draco gasped and stared at the smirking Lily and Phoebe gave him a considering look. "What are you not saying, Mr. Malfoy? We are not moving before you are honest and I'll know if you're not." Draco raised his eyebrow when seeing Lily's green eyes flash red for a brief second.
"I already…" Draco's eyes shifted to Phoebe who looked back with a small apologizing smile which he returned. "…love your mom. There, happy?" Lily beamed with a content look in her green eyes. "Apparently so, Mon Cherie can you explain what is going on?" Draco didn't look at Phoebe as he still observed Lily's content smile.
"My daughter is an empath so she wanted to do a Reading, I apologize…"
"I guessed as much and no harm done, Lily…" Lily focused on him. "I can appreciate the need to protect your family but I have to advise you to ask before doing a Reading as some might be very offended. Now, everything is forgiven so let's have a nice day?" Draco stood up and opened the door. "Will you stay with your mom or will you walk?"
"I'll walk, the other students are used to me doing it but it might be weird to the town."
"Very mature of you, Lily." Draco stepped out and held a hand out to them. "Allow me, young lady, to help you. Can I offer a heating charm?" Lily giggled in delight at Draco's antics as she rested her hand in his.
"No need, Sir. I'm fine." Draco then held his hand out for Phoebe to take, she did and as she passed him she pecked his cheek. While Draco got fully out she finally removed the lid on the box. "I wanna see, mom!"
"Draco…" Draco took the necklace from the box and stepped behind her to put it around her neck. "It's really too much…"
"Not nearly enough to compare to your beauty, Mon Cherie." Lily beamed at that as she alone felt the truth of that and maybe Phoebe saw that for she turned around to Draco with a gentle smile.
"You are nothing like I expected… thanks." As she was the same height as Draco she merely leaned forward and gave him the smallest of pecks on the lips and when she stepped back Draco raised a hand to cup her chin gently.
"I'm not surprised as most of the time I have a mask, it is allowed to forego it during a Courtship and in private. It's another of those things you've missed from being raised outside our world."
"Thank you, Draco, it's very lovely." Another peck before she turned to Lily so she could have a good look herself. "What do you think?"
"Where can I buy one like that?!" Lily stared hungrily at the charm in the shape of a gold Lioness laying down with a silver snake wrapped around its neck.
"You can't get one like that as it is custom made but we can get you an eagle in flight, it will have to be charmed when you marry or court."
"What does it symbolize?"
"The lion your house, female like you, with it lying down you is spoken for as you keep it on if accepting and if not you return it – like any of my gift. It is to show my claim on you, so to speak. Remember, it's very old fashion."
"I understand. So, when hers are in flight it means she's free?" Draco nodded as he led them to the first shop.
"Correct. Normally a girl gets the necklace at her twelve year birthdays as pureblood girls then have had a year to scout for potential matches and know what house she's in. I waited with Lily's as I wanted to see if she liked it as she won't really care of its meaning." Draco opened the door and held it for them as they stepped into the sparkling store. "Maurice?! I'm back!"
"Draco! Hush, will you!" An elderly wizard came into the room with an indulging smile under his thick mustache. "Milady's, it's a pleasure."
"Maurice, this is the lovely lady I told you about; Mistress Phoebe and her stepdaughter, Mistress Potter, who I told might want to get an eagle in flight."
"Ah yes. Mistress Phoebe, I thought Draco jested when he said your beauty could out shine any jewel in my store but I see he was truthful." Phoebe blushed with a smile and shyly she hugged Draco's waist, who was quick to place his arm around her shoulders. "Mistress Potter, if you would follow me this way I will show you the display of blue eagles." Lily hesitated. "Your mother is welcome to come too." Lily beamed and Phoebe gave Draco a peck on the cheek before following her daughter. "Normally I only have two kinds of eagles as that house rarely initiate a Courtship but this year I suddenly had half the school order one so now I have quite a few as I felt bad about having ten of each house than theirs." He pulled out a tray and placed it before them on the low table. "The row at the top have a few protection charms, those under can change the color of the eyes, below that a row for those allergic to silver or other metals, then those for virgins, then come those that have fertile luck charms and lastly I have these with build in birth control pills for those wanting to wait with kids."
"Are it possible to combine some if the spells?" Maurice nodded. "Then I want the protection, birth control, eye color in green and if you could put a locator charm and connect it to me that would be great." Lily beamed at her mom and Draco came from behind to hug her slim waist gently.
"A very responsible choice, Milady. Mistress Potter, pick whatever jewel you want and I'll charm it while you shop around." Lily nodded seriously and studied the pieces, after five minutes of looking she finally pointed at one looking like it was about to grasp a fish in the water with its wings stretched high and bend at the middle with its claws out. "A fine choice for a red head, young lady. It has most of the spells so why don't you look around while I finish it? The corner over there is the pet section." Draco was quick to pull the girls over there as he guessed Phoebe wanted to pay the necklace for her daughter so he wanted to buy something else for her.
"You can pick whatever collar you want for Ariel; such a rare creature should have a fancy one."
"Thanks, Mr. Malfoy!" Lily quickly found the shelves needed. "Ariel, why don't you pick one? Huh?" Lily huffed. "Well point at it, girl! Don't you have a tail or in case you don't know it; I can hear you!" Phoebe glanced at a shocked Draco, who seemed to have reached his quote of surprises to handle them calmly for one day as he was staring open mouthed at the apparently bickering pair.
"Didn't she just get the cub like two days ago?" Phoebe nodded sheepishly.
"What can I say? Her dad has a lot of magic and she got some at the adoption and it seems Ariel have and still do absorbs quite a bit of magic and it have made them bond without the help of the ritual – a purer form of bond don't exist."
"That is my point; it would take a lot of magic to bond naturally with any lion. I knew Potter had big reserves but it seems he has as much if not more than the Headmaster."
"Do you hate Harry? Lily said Harry glared at you earlier…" Draco saw Lily pause as she half turned her head towards them, no doubt listening to detect any lies.
"I never really hated Potter, my Father's position and such demanded that I acted as I did and that was by the way the minimum I could. This year my Father has changed for the better, allowing me more freedom, I'm planning to socialize with the Golden Trio soon but I hardly ever see them around anymore – the rumor are that they aren't even at school ground anymore but off somewhere training." Draco glanced at Lily to see her give a small nod as she casually looked over items. "A few weeks back I even suspected it was them running the service but it only lasted a few days." Again Lily gave that small nod but Draco chose to ignore it as it seemed to put Phoebe at ease, she kept turning tense when he talked about serious stuff.
"I hear they train in preparation to Voldemort. Are you finding something, honey?" Phoebe turned to Lily with a blush.
"Ariel can't decide on the green Safire or the red ones… she both wants to match my eyes and hair."
"I can help with that." Maurice came over and took the two items before walking back to his desk. "How about doing a wide web or vines?" Lily glanced at Ariel before nodding, Maurice set to work – totally forgetting his audience – and the longer he worked the bigger got Lily's smile and Ariel's rumbling.
"Phoebe?" She turned around to look at Draco. "Have I said something wrong? You seemed offended before now."
"I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't mean to snap like that, it has nothing to do with you so don't worry. I'll tell you later, I promise, let's just enjoy the day?" Draco smiled as he walked closer, slowly he wrapped his arms around her; one around her waist holding her close and a hand at the back of her head there held her head to his shoulder and neck. "Do you know you smell of vanilla with a hint of cinnamon… it's almost a Lure in itself…"
"Phoebe, forgive me. I have forgotten to arrange for blood…" Phoebe smiled as she moved a little so she could place small kisses on his throat. "Is that your way of asking politely?" Phoebe smirked into the flesh as she nodded slowly with a lick to the vain. "Oh god… Mon Cherie, this is not the place and we're breaking a few unspoken rules…."
"I've never been much of a follower for rules… but yes; this is not the place but I'll hold you to your promise for later." With one last kiss she stepped back just in time for Maurice to be done.
"All done, Mistress Potter. I've woven protections and locator charms into the stones and they are connected to your mother. Shall I put it on?" Lily nodded as she unstuck Ariel and placed her on the desk, Ariel bend her head and Maurice put it on before taking Lily's and walked around the desk and Lily hurried to turn her back to his and lift her hair. "There. That will be twenty gallons for the eagle and fifty for the collar." Phoebe paid first and while Draco did she turned to Lily.
"Remember to thank him, it's an expensive gift." Lily nodded with her serious face. "Good."
"Mom, why are you sad?"
"I have to tell Draco something later there might make him changes his mind and I'm worried what Severus will say to this."
"Sev'rus is very confused; I don't think he'll initiate anything…"
"Lily…?"
"Yeah… I know you and dad are the same… I just like the thought of having two parents like everyone else…"
"Oh Lily…" Phoebe bend down and swept her into her arms, Lily wrapped her arms and legs around her mom and buried her face in the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, honey? I wouldn't have forced you to change that."
"I know but I wanted to keep pretending but even Sev'rus asked and it made me realize I have to grow up… I'm too old for something so childish."
"If you grow anymore you'll miss out on your glories teenage years." Lily turned her head slightly to look at Draco. "Lily, I understand you've missed out a lot on your childhood so it's understandable you want the things now that you can. There is nothing wrong with that." Lily beamed at Draco while reaching her arms towards him and when Draco came close enough she pulled him closer and nearly squeezed the air out of him. "Would you like to look at clothes or have something to drink?"
"We'll go look at clothes." Draco nodded and led them to the door and out to the street, there he made them cross it and walked to a prestige looking shop. "It looks very expensive, Draco, you don't have to unburden your trust fund for me."
"This is nothing, really, so don't worry. Please, just enjoy the day as this is you and Lily's day." Phoebe beamed charmingly and followed Lily inside.
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy. I have the items ready for you."
"Start with this lovely lady while the young lady finds fabrics and cuts." The clerk nodded and indicated for Phoebe to step over to a changing room, Draco gave her a peck on the cheek before walking off with Lily.
"Do you prefer satin or silk?"
"Silk… I think. I don't really know the difference."
"Satin is more stiff where silk is described as flowing water."
"Silk then." The clerk wrote down while the tape flew around her. "You wouldn't happen to know the muggle movie Lord of the Ring, do you?"
"Actually yes; my brother's son was stand in so I've seen the previews."
"Wow cool! I would die for an autograph from the fellowship!" Phoebe was whispering now. "Could you make me the dress Arven had on – the white one – during the scene of Aragon's coronation?!" Phoebe felt hope in her heart at the inspiration lit in the clerk's eyes.
"It would be my pleasure, Milady. What cape would you like?"
"What about a slightly shorter one – as I don't ride horses – of that she have on when her dad tries to ship her off? The dark one she has on in the forest when she sees that vision of her son?"
"Perfect! I would love to copy all her clothes as well as the rest of the elves for you and the young lady. Arven for you with your dark hair, you'll match perfectly and Gabrielle will match the young lady as she is slightly red haired herself in the movies. I have Mr. Malfoy's measurements, would you like a few of Legolas's for x-mas presents? I know he won't understand the inside joke but he'll like the tunica's."
"I'll like that, a set of clothes for him for each you make for me and Lily so we have equal amounts of sets. Charge Draco's on me but I think he wants to pay the rest, he wants to court me so I guess this is part of it…"
"Correct, Milady, today he'll pay everything unless you do as now – behind his back. It's step two in courting; show your chosen one that you can afford gifts in overflow which shows that you certainly can provide a family."
"Wow… that's subtle…"
"It's usually Snakes and Badges who practice the old courting ways. Malfoy's have turned it to an art the rest of us could only dream of pulling off – nerves can do much to a man's confidence."
"I can imagine… so, how long will our dresses take?"
"I'll need the young lady's measurements and it should take about a day's research and at most one day for each wardrobe."
"Perfect, Mr. ..?"
"Eric Welenski but please, call me Eric." Phoebe smiled charmingly which had it with melting men's heart but it seemed Eric could resist slightly. "Your vampire lure won't work fully on me, Milady."
"How not? And please call me Phoebe…"
"I have Veela blood in my family and as I too have a lure they simply cancels each other out. Now, let's see if the young lady has found a dress I can make today so Mr. Malfoy feels his share of his gallons." Eric winked and Phoebe snickered.
"Yes, we better." They found Draco and Lily down by the Cut Displays; they seemed to argue about a slightly 'adult' cut with half bare back.
"But I like it! I can always wear a long sleeved shirt under it, how about that? It just needs to be a size bigger."
"I might accept that is if your mother does." Lily rolled her eyes. "I saw that."
"So did I. Lily that was the last time you ever do that and the dress is acceptable with a shirt under."
"What fabric have you chosen?" Lily handed him the samples. "Silk and satin. I'll be right to assume the silk is for shirts?" Lily nodded and stepped over to the chair and Eric got out his tape. "What color for the dress?"
"Can you take my hair color and darken it a notch or two?" Eric nodded and wrote something down. I want a shirt of each basis color; red, black, blue, green and soft yellow in various length of sleeves. The rest of the colors with long sleeves, please."
"Right. You can pick it up in two hours." Lily jumped down and walked over to Draco.
"Mr. Malfoy Sir, thank you very much for everything. I've never owned that many things or clothe my whole life. Thank you sir!" Draco staggered when Lily ran into him and hugged his waist; Draco felt her shoulders shake and gave a sad looking Phoebe a surprised look.
"We're not done yet, Lily. Even if Phoebe doesn't accept my proposal I'm sure you'll still get lots of gifts, now we go to the potion store as I need several things there and you can pick a shop after that – how does that sound?" Draco lifted her up and proceeded to wipe her tears away. "Why the tears, Cherie?"
"I'm just happy, sir. I'm fine now… thanks." Draco gave her a gentle smile as he dried the last tear; instead of putting her down he hugged her close. "Can I stay here?" Draco nodded and with a wave of his wand she was weightless and stuck comfortable to his hip.
"Why don't you call me Dray or Drake? Mr. Malfoy reminds me of my father and though I love him I don't wanna be thinking of him all the time." Lily snickered. "Are you ready, Mon Cherie?" Draco turned to Phoebe, who was looking at the two of them tenderly for a moment before walking closer.
"Yes, let's get you your herbs and what not. Might as well buy Severus's X-mas gift while I'm there." Draco seemed surprised at that but when Lily gave a warning shake of her head he kept quiet. "Lead the way." She took his arm when they were outside but Draco pulled it back before laying it around her shoulders – by that hugging her close. "You're Severus's godson, are you not?" Draco nodded slowly after a glance at Lily. "What can I give him?"
"A little of everything I imagine or a few rare or expensive ingredients that I know he has a hard time buying as the school have a budged to hold."
"Sounds good! I have to ask what he needs the most when doing potions with basilisk parts."
"Since when does he have those parts?" Draco opened the door and they went inside, he kept Lily on his hip as she showed no sign of wanting to be put down.
"Harry gave him the one from his second year. You find your stuff while I ask for help…" Phoebe waved them off absentminded as she was focused on finding the perfect gift for Severus.
"Why are she so obsessed on my godfather?" Lily turned her head towards her mom, seeing her argue with the clerk. "She doesn't love him, does she?"
"Not the way you think, Drake, dad took Sev'rus under his wing so Mom just wants to make him feel welcome. She's already bought your gift." That made the concern disappear from Draco's eyes and a smile came instead. "I think Ariel is my gift but that's fine with me, she's more than I could ask for."
"Never say no to a gift."
"That sounds very selfish; I don't think Mom would appreciate that way of thinking." Draco observed Lily's serious expression. "Mom's not like that."
"I'll keep that in mind, thank you Lily." Draco smiled tenderly when Lily gave a small reassuring peck on his cheek before looking around. "Do you like potion?" Phoebe heard the question and smirked evilly as she knew Draco had opened a tide wave, one there was heard to stop again before you drowned.
"Oh I love it! Its soo fascinating and the things you can do with them! I've always loved them! They symbolized magic to me for all my life and I already know what I'll do after school!" Draco raised his eyebrow at her proud raised head with the perfect angled upturned nose and arrogant smirk. "I'm gonna complete my apprentice with Sev'rus and be the youngest Potion Mistress!"
Dead Silence…..
"That takes ten years." Lily gave Draco a cold stare of disbelief. "It does! Severus did it in eight years!"
"I know that, Drake, that's why I'll finish it in six at the most and Sev'rus will help me."
"Riiight…." Draco smiled when Lily huffed and then ignored him while he found the things he needed, Phoebe joined them after some time and when Draco was done he smiled to her before pulling her to the counter. "Now is a good time to give you this." From his left inner pocket he drew out a box smaller than the last but the same wrapping paper which led her to guess it too was a jewel. "Here…" She took it with a smile and she proceeded to carefully remove the paper, opening it she gasped and nearly dropped the box.
"Draco…!" Placing the box at the counter carefully like it would break any moment she stood back and observed the glittering jewel, Draco walked closer while placing Lily on her feet and when he reached her side he laid his arms around her as he too observed the box; laid on black silk was what looked like a glove made of thin net fabric but was really very small chains forming the glove made of pure gold, it had very small red safaris and white diamonds everywhere and it only went up half the fingers. "It's very beautiful… but it looks so fragile…"
"It's not, Mon Cherie, Maurice knows his work. Here…." He took the jewel while Phoebe reached out her hand to him. "It symbolizes the same as the necklace but is more a means to show off once capability to support his chosen one." Draco gently pulled it over her hand and observed as it shrunk to match perfectly. "Why don't we go and look at books? Lily might want some about potion."
"Let's go!" Lily jumped up on Draco's back and tried pulling him towards the door but all she managed was shaking him roughly a few times before she realized it, she gave Draco a super gentle hug as he righted himself. "Sorry Drake."
"Damn you're strong, girl… sure you're human?" Lily gave Phoebe a scared look as if asking what to do but Draco didn't see so he merely paid before taking Phoebe by the arm. "Come on, we'll have lunch afterwards." Five minutes later Lily had left them for the potion section so Draco and Phoebe sat down and talked about what books they enjoyed both for education as well as night reading.
"You should try reading the muggle writer Lene Kaaberbøl, she's original Danish but she's translated to several languages. Her series of four books on a girl's life, she has the power to make people regret what wrongs they have done by only looking them in the eyes – it's a lot like Legitimize."
"Sounds interesting, maybe I'll order it. Do you think Lily is about done?" Phoebe indicated to Draco to be quiet and follow her, he smirked before the two of them neared the potion section on tiptoes and the nearer they got the loader her voice got – she seemed to be talking with Ariel.
"Look at this one, Ari! It can make a man pregnant! Aren't potions great!" They saw Lily hug the large book close in happiness. "Oh hush you! I'll make it, I am gonna be the youngest Potion Mistress." Lily gave Ariel a glare as the cub merely stared at her with that 'Oh really?' look. "I know that it will be hard! Dad says I can do it, so I can."
"She's been saying stuff like this for a week; she heard one of the older student talk about future career… I guess it made her think of her own future and with Severus being slightly nicer this year – to her dad specifically – I've even stolen a glance of him braiding her hair a few days ago. You would think from his reputation that he hated children but that's not what I see."
"He doesn't. Potion can be very dangerous and a stone room under a large castle aren't the best suited to house a class of ignorant dunderheads who couldn't care less if their potion turns purple instead of blue or what that then means." Draco gently pulled Phoebe back to their chairs.
"So you say that he's that way as a mean to control the students? Interesting teaching tactic… though not efficient from what I can hear." Just then came Lily, as always these days she was bickering with Ariel. "Honey, why are you arguing this time?"
"Ariel keeps saying I won't be able to handle the pressure! Dad says I can!"
"Lily, as long as you yourself believe it doesn't matter what others say." Lily was smirking at Ariel who seemed to be pouting – if a lion could – Draco was studying Phoebe with an admiring look in his eyes. "Now, did you found the books you want?" Lily nodded and showed a high stack of books floating behind her. "Lily, Honey, is you using a spell? I can't see your wand..."
"I thought the books where charmed… they lifted the moment I went for my wand while trying to remember the spell." Draco gave a small gasp while Phoebe was between being proud and nervous on her daughter's behalf. "Ariel says I'm using a small amount of magic steadily right now but I'm not using my wand so I don't know why she would say that."
"Honey, think very hard on the wish of wanting the books on the counter, don't move, just close your eyes and focus on wanting that." Lily shared a look with Ariel before closing her eyes and Ariel copied her, Phoebe and Draco stared shocked when the stack of books began shimmering and for each time it became fainter until a minute later it appeared in solid form in the counter to everyone's surprise. "Honey, have you ever heard of wandless and silent casting?"
"Casting with-out the use of a wand or vocal words is mostly thought of as something close to myth, those few known in history is far between and was great wizards or witches. It's believed to be two separate abilities and something you are born with but it is unclear why or how many generations of dormant genes before it activates but any new knowledge are to be reported to the Ministry at once so further study can be done." Phoebe looked up scared and saw three people look at them, surprise and wonder evident in their eyes but when meeting her scared eyes they smiled gently – one even made a 'hush' sign with a wink of their eye before continuing with their business. "I read it the first week of school; some even calls the abilities Wish Magic or Intuition Magic but no book will explain how to do it or how to know if it runs in the family."
"Lily, don't tell anyone about this. If the Ministry finds out you'll become test subject the rest of your life, try not using it around others."
"Drake, what in the world is you talking about? You make it sound like I did something gre…." First then did she notice her stack of books was on the counter and not floating behind her, the clerk was even typing them in and packing them. "Who moved my books..?"
"You did honey, your magic did as you wished. You can make your magic do what you want with merely a thought and you do it so casually that you don't even realize it." Lily turned to Ariel as she held up a hand in 'stop'.
"If you knew why the hell haven't you told me?!" Lily glared when Ariel started to lick her paw. "What do you mean that I had to figure it out on my own?! What kind of friend are you anyway!"
"We better go before anyone walks in." Phoebe nodded to Draco.
"Dobby…take us home." Phoebe grasped Draco's hand while Dobby took Lily's; a second later they were standing in the living room. Phoebe left Lily standing as she guided Draco to a couch, Lily was still arguing with Ariel while Draco seemed to be slightly confused from the pop. "Draco, are you with us?"
"Sure… I've just never popped before." Draco shook his head before looking around at what appeared to be a bare dark room. "Where am I?"
"This is Harry, Lily and Severus's rooms. Hermione and Ron as well as Luna are going to move in soon." Phoebe lifted her hand palm up and from her fingertips came small balls of light and they shot off towards the walls where they moved themselves into a glass globe, Draco again looked around and was deeply surprised at the tasteful blend of leather and marble.
He sat in the couch in the corner, it were black leather with dark Mahoney wood and a white wool blanket folded up, a twin was across with a slightly smaller twin at the end of the large glass table in the middle there also had dark wood, above the table was a circle of five glass globes giving a glowing light there reflected in the glass and spread out. To his right stood a diva in the same theme as the couches, two glass globes lighted it faintly – giving the calming atmosphere perfect for a nap. Then came a most comfortable looking chair with a small candle light table in dark wood, silver candle stick with a black candle. From the corner and three sections down the wall came a dark wood bookcase containing both books and family knick knacks, a few photos of Harry and his friends and baby Harry with his parents, Draco even saw some with Ron's family as well as Hermione's. Then came a white marble fireplace with a mantle under a mirror, Draco recognized Severus beside a red haired girl, Lily and Harry was in the middle photo and the one to the left was with several people in what looked like a group photo for some kind of celebrating – he recognized Severus at the edge as well as Harry's parents but the rest was a riddle. Then came a book case more with the same chair and small table as across. A large comfy chair came next with its back against the wall and in front of it was a chess table with a chair across the other, a glass globe on each side gave just enough light to see the pieces without bothering sensitive eyes. In the corner came a square there was lower than the floor with stairs in white marble at the two sides towards the room and couches by the two sides towards the walls, there could easily sit five people at each side with plenty of fur pillows in white, three glass globes above each side and in the middle of the room on the floor were four mats facing each other – properly to do one's homework – they were white while the floor was black marble with white furs as carpets.
"What do you think? I helped with decorating but he chose the materials and colors."
"A fine blend of marble, dark wood and leather. I've never seen it done this way before, I'll have to tell my mother; she re-decorates every room once a year, I think the Family Room is next and she'll love this though I think she'll change the white to maybe dark blue or red." Draco smiled to Phoebe who was blushing in delight from his praising. "Where did Lily go to?" Phoebe conjured tea and quickly made a cup for Draco who raised his eyebrow. "How do you know how I take my tea?" Phoebe froze as she raked her brain for any excuse, Draco took the cup and tasted. "This is even better than I can make it!"
"I may have asked Harry to study your habits… I have an obsession with knowing my visitor's choice of tea."
"Seriously? You had Potter spy on me?" Phoebe blushed but nodded her head. "Right, nothing creepy about that… nope." That made Phoebe laugh. "Phoebe… we have to talk." Phoebe looked up at the strain in Draco's voice, he sounded nervous and now that she was looking he was avoiding her red eyes. "You see, I have to explain the jewels in more details. Please remember that these things are back from my great-grandfather lived – don't ask why none have updated it, I don't know – so it may seem barbaric and cold but instead of updating the rules we've changed the way we see the objects of claim."
"How so?" Draco finally looked at Phoebe, fearing that he would see disgust and rejection but instead he saw curiosity and a calming aura surrounded her person in unseen waves there ebbed off her.
"The necklace is the symbol of the beginning of a courtship, the jewel glove was original a sign of ownership as every glove has the family crest woven into it. Today we sees the jewel as a show of wealth, the finer the details in the jewel the higher the one initiation the courtship – Me – puts the person receiving it – you." Draco smiled tenderly as Phoebe had turned her focus on her hand.
"I'm not sure I'm the ideal choice to measure a jewel's price or beauty as I've never been around such things before I was ten, we all received a jewel as a birthday present. I and my sisters have a necklace with our names in silver and Metis has a bracelet. This is properly the finest piece I've ever seen."
"Without bragging too much I can say that it was the most expensive piece he's made, my fathers is second now. Mother hates hers as father demands she always wear it, she has to work her clothes from it."
"So it's the man's choice concerning when to wear it?"
"Some are older fashioned than others, father don't love mother. They were arranged by the age of ten and married after school, I would never require that. Now a days an engagement can last up to two years without anyone talking."
"What happens before the engagement?"
"Step one is to initiate the courtship which is the necklace, step two is to show off that I can take care of even your wildest dreams which is the glove, step three is to negotiate the terms – in old days it was such as how long the engagement lasted and even what is required by each; today is more about getting to know each other and setting some rules of behavior."
"Would the rules be different if they both were guys… or girls?"
"Original yes but not today, even for the most old fashioned. Step four is the time of the engagement and the final step is the grand wedding, some sets some rules for when an heir is required before the marriage is null."
"Draco… how do you love me?" Phoebe stared down at her hands which she was wringing nervously. "D-do you love my lo-looks or…?"
"Phoebe, look at me… please?" When she didn't look up he reached out and gently cupped her chin, she resisted at first but Draco persisted so she gave up and instead closed her eyes both to avoid Draco's silver eyes and to close in the tears threating to fall. "What is it? Why do you ask so?"
"Please… answer…" Phoebe looked up in surprise when she sensed Lily appear, she saw her step out of the shadows and she ran over to her mom where she hugged her around the waist tightly.
"Please answer, Drake." Draco studied Phoebe who seemed to be on the edge of breaking down and Lily looked pleadingly at him.
"Phoebe, I love everything about you so far. It will take something huge for me to not love the whole you." To Draco's dismay this didn't ease her at all, rather the opposite. "Phoebe, what are you not telling me? Please tell me."
"I do-don't know h-how … I'm so con-confused…"
"Mom! I can help, please, let me help you?" Lily felt her mother accept so she turned to Draco. "You are what confuse her so I need you to come too." Draco gave Phoebe a concerned glance before nodding. "I and Ari have studied this in the book from Dad, that's where I discovered Shadow Shifting, it says I can put you in a hypnotic trance with my Lure and ask you questions and those I will Read. It hints that you can avoid answering if you have a will strong enough." Draco made to help Lily support Phoebe but was surprised when she lifted her mother without trouble and guided her to the door, Draco hurried to open it for them and half ran to reach the next door before them. "Drake, could you change in the bathroom? The closet over there should have some sweat pants there fit, Uncle won't mind, I'll call when we're done." Draco followed her instructions, having decided to wait with his questions as Phoebe needed his help.
"Mom, I'm going to dress you in loose sweat pants and t-shirt… first you need to get out of these pants…damn, those are tight!" Lily managed to wriggle them down while Phoebe simply stood there, thinking about a pair of her Dad's pants they appeared in her hands a second later. She lifted Phoebe's legs one at a time to remove the pants and help her with the new pair, Phoebe didn't resist but nor did she help – she merely stood there in a comatose state with her magic sizzling around her. "Come on Mom, last leg.. Up we go and down again …there you go, now we only need to secure them right here…. There, all fine." She pulled her over to the bed and helped her to sit on the edge, then she gently maneuvered one arm out of the shirt at a time before pulling it carefully over Phoebe's head, minding her long hair. Thinking of a plain t-shirt while un-clasping her bra she again maneuvered one arm at a time before over the head and finally loosening her hair. "There you go, now stand up so I can make the bed…" Surprisingly Phoebe responded and stood so Lily hurried to pull the blanket back before guiding Phoebe over and lying down. "Drake!" A second later Draco opened the door and looked inside. "Come join us."
"How will this work?" Draco laid down with a few pillows behind him so he could still see Lily.
"I'll change the intent of my Lure before covering you with it; you will enter a trance of relaxation where no worries can interfere with your desires or beliefs. Are you strong enough of will you can refuse me but remember this, I'll be Reading both of you the whole time. Lay down fully while I find Ari." Draco followed Lily with his eyes before turning to a still Phoebe; her red eyes focused slightly and he knew she was listening.
"Phoebe, everything will be alright. I'll always love you…" Those words made her turn her head back towards the ceiling to stare unseeing. "I'll fix this… I promise." Determined he laid down and tried to calm his racing nerves and Lily entered shortly after with Ariel on her shoulder and they had an aura of relaxation around them which quickly spread out and covered them the closer she got, when she sat on the bed they were already under deeply.
"Mom, why are you scared?"
"He'll hate me… he already does…"
"Drake, would you hate Mom if she looked different?"
"No…"
"Why not Drake? Don't you like her looks?"
"I love her looks… but they are only a bonus… it's her person and mind I'm really in love with…she's funny, loving, bright and a vampire on top… I know she wear glamour's… I figured she showed when she was ready…"
"Did you hear that Mom, he won't care how you look."
"He will when he knows… will you tell him…?" Lily increased her lure on Phoebe as a strain could be heard in her voice.
"Drake… if I told you that my Dad and my Mom was one person, what would you say?" This time it took longer before Draco made to answer.
"I would be surprised… it's not every day you find out you've started courting Harry Potter… I would miss Phoebe's looks…. It would properly take some time getting used to…"
"Can you still love her if she was my dad?" Again it took a little longer.
"I think so… it would still be Phoebe…. Harry's not bad looking either…"
"Did you hear Mom? He's telling the truth." Lily turned to Draco. "You see, Drake, that is actually how things are. Dad dress as Phoebe for the shop but found a freedom while in that form – one he can't achieve while being the world's savior."
"I'm in love with Potter…?" Lily felt Draco fight against her Lure as he turned his head to face Phoebe. "I wanna see him… I need to…" Lily removed the spells and potions from Phoebe's body with a thought and like it looked when one used polyjuice she slowly 'bobbled' into Harry with slightly longer hair as he had let it grow though hiding it with spells, Harry was still in vampire mode but Draco didn't seem to care. "Harry...? Please… look at me…?" Harry slowly turned his head but wouldn't open his eyes, Draco left it for now as he focused on studying every little detail of Harry's face and what he could make out of his body.
"You don't hate me… for lying…?"
"I'm sure there was a good reason… I'll rather know if you'll accept my courtship…?" That made Harry open in his eyes in surprise and his red eyes stared hard into Draco's silver ones, shock filled him and not even Lily's calming Lure could stop her dad from overpowering the trance.
"You wanna continue the courtship?!" Lily gave up on covering them as Draco too fought her so she sat back, Ariel in her lap purring lowly, and simply observed.
"Why wouldn't I? You're still the same person, are you not? I will enjoy seeing you as you are now as well as Phoebe, they are two faces of the person I've fallen in love with these past few months."
"Dad, don't forget about Sev'rus. He should be back soon for dinner and you promised to make it…"
"I know Lily…" Harry rose from the bed and walked over to his closet, he went past the dresses and skirts until he reached the pants. He found his favorite pair of leather so he tried to find the tank top Luna said matched and when he did he took it all with him out. "Draco, you are very welcome to stay and eat with us. We can talk while I cook?" Draco nodded, still studying Harry's profile. "Lily will show you the kitchen while I dress. Lily, take a bath afterwards." Lily nodded as she pulled Draco with her to the kitchen and placed him on a chair so he could see the whole room.
"What is the deal with my godfather?"
"Well you see… he might have a tiny winy crush on Dad, are at the moment in denial as he is scared of getting abandoned again and Dad has kind of promised that Sev'rus can join us in bed whenever he wants to… Sev'rus are on the breaking point right now from stress and bad confidence in himself, one wrong move and he'll break – I don't know how he be afterwards. I don't know why but ever since Dad appeared as Phoebe and treated him with respect and compassion he's become more and more confused, I think it was the notion of given the choice to do something for himself there was the breaking point."
"Yes, I can see why that would make him fall apart. Despite appearing, my godfather has always been insecure but he has this wall around him and I've never been able to crack it the slightest. I've tried very hard, trust me, ever since I started school as that was when I discovered his wall and masks." Lily saw her Dad in the door but kept her focus on Draco. "It angered me, at first, how everyone treated him… hated him… it wasn't before third year that I understood fully just why he was that way… I had tried to get him to talk with me but he kept brushing me off; saying I was too young to burden with adults business…" Draco trailed off seeing Lily was Reading him. "You really need to ask before doing that… so, what are your conclusion oh Mighty One?" Lily chuckled before glancing at her Dad.
"You care deeply for Sev'rus, don't you? You might even love him without realizing?" Draco studied Lily's twinkling eyes for a moment before shaking his head.
"Don't you twist my feelings and plant thoughts in my head, young lady."
"I'm not, your feelings for Sev'rus are more than the love of a father-figure and closer to that of a friend or dare I say Partner?" Lily smirked when Draco became thoughtful as he seemed to think about it. "Try visualizing your feeling for Sev'rus in the image of your future – don't think about how he is distant, just picture the future you want with him if you could – be it as a father-figure or a close friend – just picture it, you might be surprised…" Draco did as told; he focused on remembering every moment spent with Severus while at school, his feelings in those moments and he then projected those into an image of his future. "You did it, Drake!"
Draco felt himself sink and landed in a blinding white room where a large shadow floated over the floor and as he walked closer it transformed into two images of his future; the one on the left showed Draco and Severus hugging tenderly and as he looked at them he saw Severus bend down slightly and kiss the image-Draco on the lips. In the other he saw Harry, with the ghost image of Phoebe on his face, hug Draco the same way Severus was and he too gave a kiss. As he looked between the two he noticed that the edges began blurring and was moving closer to each other until they merged and as they did he felt something click into place inside him – he studied the new image of the three of them, Harry was hugging Severus from behind and was tall enough to rest his head comfortable on Severus's shoulder to look out at the real Draco. Severus was in turn hugging Draco with the content smile of happiness on his younger looking face, Harry's red eyes shone with love while Image-Draco was smiling kindly and reassuring to Real-Draco with his hands resting gently on his lower belly and now that Real-Draco focused on that area he saw what looked very much like a baby-bump. Draco looked up at the two others in surprise only to see the same bump on Severus's belly, he fell to his knees with his mouth open as he stared at the picture of a perfect future family, just by looking at them you could see the strong love surrounding them. As he sat there and absorbed every detail the picture could provide a shadow began shimmering besides him, slowly turning his head – eyes lingering at the picture – he found an older looking Lily smile at him.
"Lily…? What is happening… I've never been here before…."
"Drake… breathe…" Draco took some deep breathes while looking frantic between Lily and the floating picture. "I helped you to enter, I felt a barrier there held you back but I removed it – that's when the pictures merged – someone powerful don't want you to enter here…." Lily took a moment to look around at the bare room representing a hospital isolating room. "This part of you have been contained and shut off from you… it needs to heal…"
"Wha-what do you see..?"
"I'm not sure… I'm not getting an actual Reading more like I sense something…maybe you can make sense of this, here…" Lily placed her hand on top of Draco's head and projected the senses she got into him. "Can you?"
"…not really… no wait, this feeling…. I remember it!" Draco jumped up, making Lily's hand fall from his head but he didn't care as the senses invaded him in an embrace of joy. "Lily…! I remember…! I could enter this when I was younger!"
"What did you do in here then?" Lily observed as the floor turned to wood, the walls became a soft sky blue while the ceiling turning into a dark sky filled with stars. Draco was looking around with a big smile on his face, one hand caressing the floor lovingly. "Drake?"
"I saw things….. in that picture there… my first broom … mom cheating on my dad….. dad doing the same on mom…" As he talking, looking at the floor, Lily saw the picture shimmer into the two things he described and Lily stared in horror at seeing Draco's father nearly strangle a girl the same age as her while pounding hard into her small body. "… I saw Severus… they were hurting him…" Lily had to cover her ears and close her eyes as the picture showed Severus in the middle of a human circle there were raining blows and spells on him, his screams of pain cutting into the bone. It was then that Draco saw the picture and with a scream of his own he pounded his hand into it, shattering for a moment it repaired itself with a blank mirror.
"Drake…" Draco slowly looked back over his shoulder, silver eyes wide in fright connected with Lily's shocked red ones. "Drake… come on, let's get out…" Lily slowly neared Draco, who was still looking at her scared with his hand still fisted. "Come on… Dad's properly worrying." That seemed to shake Draco slightly as his hand relaxed; Lily took it in hers while the other hand lifted Draco's head so she could look him in the eyes. "Just relax… I'll get us out." Draco nodded tiredly and didn't really feel him enter his physical body but he did hear someone calling urgently.
"Dragon… come on, wake up… please wake up…." Draco groaned as that someone shook him harshly but wished he hadn't as now someone was hugging the life out of him. "Thank Merlin! You're alive…. You're fine….." Severus looked over at Harry to see that he had also gotten life in Lily and she was looking shaken. "Dragon, open your eyes…" Draco shook his head and tried to hide his face but hands held him steady. "Open them right now, Mr. Malfoy, or I'll get my tools and do it for you!" Draco sat up and opened his eyes with a gasp of shock; Severus left him for a moment to catch his breath while he looked at Harry – who was staring between Lily and Draco.
"Lily…lily….."
"I'm here Drake…." Though Harry's protests she still stood up and ran over to hug Draco. "Everything is fine…. Just breathe…."
"But…but that picture! What was it…. Why was it blocked…?" Lily hushed him while rocking them, wishing for a potion it came in her hand and she showed it shortly to Severus – who nodded – before helping Draco to drink the calming draught. "Mom said they were nightmares….." Severus reached out to catch Draco as he slipped into sleep, holding him close he stared long and hard at Lily.
"Sev'rus… I can't explain what happened, I will tell you everything later…. But I need some times to sort through this…" With that she simply walked out of the room with a pensive look on her face, leaving Harry to calm Severus, first he conjured a soft mat and moved Draco into it before conjuring a blanket to place over him.
"Sev, he's sleeping." Severus took a calming breathe, pushing the thought of Draco dead out of his head. "Now we let him sleep a little while we make dinner… come on." Harry helped Severus on his feet's, Severus looked at Draco with tender eyes and Harry felt a knot of unknown feelings in his belly. "Will you make the table…?" Severus looked at Harry for a moment before nodding, as he walked closer to get the plates from the cabin behind Harry he saw the younger man swallow his own spit in a nervous fashion while fiddling with his new glove. Severus's eyes zoomed in on the jewel before flying up to the necklace around his throat.
"Have you accepted him?" Harry again swallowed before slowly nodding. "I see…" Severus took the plates and turned around.
"Sev…"
"There is nothing to explain."
"Like hell there is!" Severus turned shocked to look at Harry, who was glaring at the floor. "I haven't actually said 'yes' … Lily reminded me of you before I could…"
"Meaning what exactly?" Harry's eyes flew to Severus's, who could clearly see the confusing in the young man's eyes. "Let's just make dinner… for now." Harry gave Severus a sad look before sighing and turning to the counter where he cut up veggies, Severus studied him for a moment and saw Harry glance at Draco from time to time. He walked over to get the rest for the table, noticing how Harry tensed up slightly the closer he got but he ignored it and got the things which he had barely placed on the table when Draco gave a groan.
"…painkiller wanted…" Harry snorted to himself but didn't turn around as Severus gave wanted potion to Draco. "….remind me to forbid Lily to mess with my head…."
"What happened? I came to find Harry screaming at you and you wouldn't wake up."
"Lily asked me to picture something; I did and somewhere along that Lily removed a block on my mind. Long story short, I entered something I haven't since I was seven."
"How does that lead to you lying on the floor?" Draco glanced at Severus while fiddling with his pants.
"Don't know… when I did it as a child it was always at bedtime and as far as I remember I always fell asleep while there but woke up like normal next day… I didn't always like being there..."
"Why not?" Draco looked up at Harry, who was walking over with a concerned look in his eyes.
"I didn't like the mirror floating in the room, it showed bad thing most of the time." Draco shuddered at the image of Severus beaten. "Where's Lily?" Draco looked around but didn't found her.
"She's in her room I think… said she needed to sort out something?" Draco nodded to himself as he stood from his make-shift bed; He walked over and gave Harry a small kiss on the cheek. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes, Mon Cherie… don't worry, just old memories." Draco smiled to Harry, who slowly smiled back. "Now let's make dinner, I'm dying." Harry laughed when Draco made to grip something from the counter but stopped halfway as he didn't know what to do to actually make dinner.
"First time in a kitchen?" Draco glared at Harry, who just kept on laughing; Severus's corner of his mouth was curving ever so slightly upwards. "Why don't you go and get Lily, it's done in five." Harry smiled as he pushed Draco towards the door.
"One day I'll make you dinner perfectly." Harry snickered which ended in coughing. "I'm serious!"
"Sure Draco, I'll teach you … now go and get Lily." Draco nodded and with a wave walked out. "The day he can cook is the day the world goes under." Severus snorted at where Harry smiled. "About before… I know I feel something for the both of you…. I just can't sort through it…." Severus hummed thoughtful as he walked closer to Harry, who had turned to the pot of soup. "…It's so frustrating…."
"Tell me, have Draco kissed you yet?" Harry looked up in shock over his shoulder where Severus had stopped right behind him. "Have he?"
"A nice peck here and there… why?" Severus smirked at where Harry swallowed. "Aren't you supposed to be slightly on the breaking point…? 'Couse you don't seem like that right now…."
"I've had some time to think…. I realized I've had fond feelings for you for some time now, therefor I can't stay on the sideline while my own godson tries to take you."
"What if said godson wanted a compromise…?" Both Harry and Severus turned quickly to find Draco standing in the door, Lily half hiding behind him. "Past experiences has taught me to trust what that Mirror shows, today it showed a merging of mine, Harry and your futures." Harry and Severus looked at each other surprised. "If we want's to, of course…" Draco first looked Harry in the eyes, who subtly nodded his agreement, then at Severus. "Think you can lower your walls enough to let us in?" As one they both looked at Harry, who took a step back from the intensity at which they were looking at him, each seeing something different when looking at Harry. "We each love one side of him…I fell in love with Phoebe and you in Harry." Draco cupped Severus's jaw and turned him so their eyes met. "Our love for him connects us too, if you want to." Severus cupped Draco's jaw and pulled him closer, holding his eyes with his own he placed his lips on Draco's, who closed his eyes with a small moan. "I take that as a yes…?" Severus smirked at Draco's breathless voice.
"Yes. I would be a fool to say no… besides, someone has to keep Harry out of troubles."
"Heey! I don't get in to trouble, trouble finds me!" Draco snickered while Severus raised one of his eyebrows. "Well it do, not my fault." Severus hummed thoughtful as he walked over to Harry, who was so not pouting.
"Let's eat." Harry nodded with a smile to Lily, who was sitting at the table, head in her hands with her elbows resting on the table – Harry went to get the food while Severus and Draco sat on each side of Lily, Harry placed the soup on the hot plate before taking a second to decide whom to sit by but in the end he knew Severus needed reassurance where Draco was more secure in his feelings. Both Draco and Severus studied Harry and Lily as they ate, trying to see any change in the way they ate as they now knew to look but they found no change. "Food taste the same as the only difference is that we don't get any nourishment from it. Besides, I was bitten when I was six so you wouldn't see any change but you are welcome to keep looking at me while your soup gets cold." Lily snickered when Draco stuck his tongue out before turning to his bowl, Severus observed them with a calculating look in his eyes but he kept his silence.
"Hey Sev? My book says it's possible to brew a blood solution, would it be something you wanna experience with?"
"Depends if I have the stuff for it. Where is the book?"
"Lily, it's on my bed table..." Lily nodded before phasing out of the room only to appear a few seconds later. "Thanks honey."
"This would explain why none blood baths have been reported, the last is dated before the war. Though a few vampire joined the Dark Lord …" Harry rose with a smile and went to the counter where he began on making pancakes, Severus was already consumed by the book while Lily looked at Draco and did a roll of her eyes to which Draco held back a snicker but unsuccessful as Severus's arm flew out and smacked him over the head without even looking up and turning the page.
"It's rude to snicker at your elders." Draco huffed before turning arrogantly to his soup that he made a big show of eating correctly and by his best manners, Severus snorted into his book while Harry was bending over in silent laughter cramps and Lily smirked as she copied Draco's manners. "One day and you're already a bad influence on her." Draco stuck his tongue out as Harry came over with a stack of pancakes and clean plates.
"Stop fighting at the table, both of you, and Lily you behave yourself at once." Lily at once sat normal and focused on sipping her half warm soup, Draco too had relaxed his stiff stance though he still sat well-mannered. "Found the potion?"
"Yes, it looks simple enough though I would need a blood donor to copy the blood from."
"I'll get Ron to extract some." Severus merely nodded as he turned a page, Harry switched Lily empty bowl with a plate of warm pancakes. "Dobby, a moment please." Dobby appeared a second later, a small broom in hand, and looked as if he had been doing some cleaning. "Could you inform Metis that I need two or so bags? Just what he can spare." Dobby nodded and with a smile to Lily and a bow to the two others he popped out, Draco glanced between them but couldn't decipher their faces as they seemed perfectly neutral.
"Why Ron's?" Harry turned to Draco in surprise as if having forgotten others didn't know.
"Ron's a concubine of Contract between his family and the Queen's Guards. Because they have almost all abided the contract their blood are richer and more for filling, it's what Lily gets in portions bags." As if sensing Draco's question Lily called a bags to her before turning fully to face Draco, who studied her fangs drop slowly to pierce the bag. To his surprise her fainted red eyes connected with his and as she drank they brighten up and the red filled out her whole eyeball but retracted to her pupils as she emptied the now flat bag. "She'll be fill till morning now, right Lily?" Lily beamed as she relaxed back, her hand resting on her small belly.
"Say that again… I've always wondered why Uncle's fills me better than that first deer I had…" Lily glanced up at her dad through half lidded eyes; said dad blushed with a frantic look at Draco and Severus, the last who hid behind his book. "Why is that?"
"That's… a conversation for when you are older, honey. There is no reason for you to worry about that yet." Harry looked pleadingly at his daughter, who for a moment seemed to want to argue further but noticed the look and kept quiet with a slightly stubborn look in her eyes. "Honey, trust me."
"Dad, I may not act like it most of the time but I am twelve, I've been through more than most already. You don't have to treat me like I'm nine."
"I just think you have enough to think about…"
"Dad, if you just told me I wouldn't be thinking about it. Now, if you don't, I will go around trying to figure out why…" Draco smirked at Lily's very Slytherin tactic, having figured out what she was doing as every pureblood child learned it at a young age; the ability to wrap their parents around their pinky – reversed psychology mixed with logic worked like a charm every time.
"I suppose…" See? "Oh alright, you nosy brat, it's because he's a concubine for the Queen. His family has for a long time done favors..." Lily looked long at her dad, who refused to meet her eyes.
"Favors…concubine…" Lily glanced at Draco – who looked back steadily – and at Severus, who was still hiding behind his book with shaking hands. "He has sex with them, that's what the contract is right? He stands at disposal twenty-four-seven and in return he's carrier of the gene and gets total protection. Cool deal, now was that so hard to say?"
"Lily!"
"What?"
"You're too young to talk like that, young lady." Lily glared at Severus's book as it shielded his face. "And don't glare, you'll get wrinkles."
"Then tell me, Sev'rus, when is a person – in my case a girl – old enough to talk like that after your opinion?"
"Maybe after she's twenty and has had a kid or two." That made Lily glare even more. "Why?"
"I may not be twenty by looks but I might as well be, I don't act like it most of the time but I've known about sex since I was eight – I would even go so far as to say I know more than you three and it's not from reading but from firsthand experience. I've even been seven months pregnant so please, be so kind to spare me for your concerns for my non-existing virtue." That had Severus drop his book to stare shocked at her, Draco had dropped his manners and was gaping at her while Harry was looking at the back of her with a sad look in his green eyes. "I'm sorry, Dad, but it's how things is. I'm not an innocent girl and have never really been, you can't change that." Lily walked over to Harry and gave a long hug as she whispered lowly. "I'm still your little girl, Dad, nothing will change that." Harry hugged her closer before letting her go again; she smiled up at him before turning to the door. "I'll be in the living room…" She waved over her shoulder as Ariel rose from Draco's mat and followed her. "…Thanks for dinner!" Harry shook his head before turning to a still shocked Draco and a thoughtful Severus.
"I think she's inherited her name-sister's temper." Harry gave a small laugh, pleased that maybe Lily would get more traits from her gran. "It's easy to forget how mature she really is when she's hanging on you all the time…" Draco agreed franticly and accepted the glass of water Harry summoned for him. "I'll go and get the things ready for the potion; I'll meet you in the living room in a moment." Harry nodded and went to support Draco; Severus rose and hurried out to get it over with.
"What happened with her?"
"Her stepfather abused her; no one noticed or cared enough. She lost the child." Harry sighed as he bended down and lifted Draco, whose legs had begun to shake. "She's fine now, Draco, Ariel helps her a lot." Draco nodded as he relaxed into Harry's arms. "Did you know I was abused too?" Draco looked up in surprise at Harry's serious expression. "Mostly I cleaned and cooked, the rare fence painting or gutter cleaning, but if ever I hadn't completed my chore I got a trashing… got locked in the cupboard a few days and then back to the chores." They found Lily on one of the mats on the floor, looking to be doing her homework; she greeted them with her Lure of calming feelings which Draco soaked up like a sponge. "Here…" Harry placed Draco gently in the diva before spreading the blanket over him. "… I'll go and make tea, okey?" Draco nodded with a tender smile as he relaxed back, surrendering to Lily's lure. Harry smiled before phasing out of the room, looking in the cooler he found cookies newly baked and thanked god for Dobby and his thoughtfulness. Arranging them on a plate while the tea simmered in the pot, he found the china Hera had bought him a few days ago – knowing his love for tea – it was a thin black porcelain with faint red writing around it; words as love, hope, friends and family covered the inside of the cup while the same words covered the outside of the pot. He dusted them off before placing them on the tray; he spelled the whole tray safe before taking it and walking out. He met Severus in the hallway, who took the tray without a word; they walked in silence to the living room where Draco was skimming a book on changing one's look. "Lily come and have your tea, then it's time for bed."
"Yes Dad!" Lily came over bouncing while Harry moved Draco from the diva to the couch, a few minutes went with making their tea in where Harry was prodding her mental walls. "They'll hold dad…"
"Just making sure, honey. Close off your senses, one by one you open for your five senses…." Lily did as told and numbness filled her for a moment where she neither heard, felt nor smelled until she slowly opened for them again. "Now, slowly open for your empath sense…." Lily gave a nervous look before closing her eyes and doing it, they could feel the moment she opened just a little as magic began to sizzle around her. "Honey, relax… it's only us." Harry could see that Lily was struggling with keeping the opening small, her control over her empath was seriously lacking when she tried to take her walls down a little and keep them there. Finally she buckled under and her magic calmed. "Next time we try with Ariel helping you, it will come honey." Lily beamed tiredly as she relaxed into Severus's arm, she studied the owner of the arm who was looking pensively into his empty cup, twirling it around he seemed to be reading the words and she noticed that he would caress the word Family.
Heey Dad…? When will I get a baby sibling? Harry spat out his tea at his daughter's low hissing and promptly blushed deep red with a glance at to the two staring at him. I mean, Drake won't draw things out too long and Severus really wants this so you'll have sex soon and that usually leads to a baby or two at some point…
Lily! Will you stop talking about sex likes it's nothing, it's only in the last six or so weeks that I even knew what sex really was so I'm not comfortable about it yet, alright? Lily huffed but still nodded, Harry breathed in relief and first then noticed Draco studying him and Lily while Severus was holding his cup tight and looking into it.
"I had forgotten how it sounded…" Draco glanced at Severus to see how he took it but he was still staring into his cup, avoiding their searching eyes. "Sev…? You alright?"
"I'm fine." That made Lily look up fast but all she picked up from him was a thick fog of numbness there clouded his feelings and it seemed to do it from even Severus himself. Lily jumped up and phased over to Severus's side where she hugged him tightly, not that he showed any signs of sensing her.
"DAD! He's shutting down!" Harry and Draco flew up and when within reach they both shook Severus who stayed unresponsive. "Dad, hurry and use your lure. Compassion won't be enough this time." Harry's eyes widened for a second before he altered his lure; he sent it out at full blast right into Severus, who gave a gasp and that was all. "More! He's slipping away…." Harry squeezed out every bit of his lure while Draco tried with gently slapping Severus's cheeks, he didn't even bat an eyelash so he shared a look with Lily over Severus's shoulder. "Try kissing him… might be the shock to overload his system." Draco nodded and cupped Severus's slack jaw, placing gentle peck on the unresponsive lips he used his other hand to rub the neck and torso in cherishingly caresses and Lily's happy squeal kept him going though the unresponsive lips under his. "It's working, the fog is lifting … he'll properly be overwhelmed when he wakes…maybe we shouldn't touch him…" Harry studied Lily's tense face before he too looked at Severus and Draco, silently he told Lily to get out and she took Ariel before phasing out, closing the door safely behind her.
"Draco, move behind him slowly…. I better be in front of him in case he lashes out…" Draco stopped kissing but kept touching the still body under him as he moved and Harry took his place. "Sev? Come on, wake up…" Harry glanced at Draco when he felt Severus tense, just as he was about to grasp the tensing arms they flew up to try and dislocate Harry from his lap but Harry merely held himself steady with his legs while bending backwards to avoid the arms. "Sev, calm down!" But he didn't so Harry let go with his legs to roll away, Severus followed with a small cry so Harry hurried to get behind Severus and knock him over before moving in to pin him down on his stomach. "Sev…come on, calm down…" Harry looked up at Draco, who was standing behind the couch, he looked so scared and fragile that Harry felt his inner vampire rejoice over their courtship. When Severus kept trashing around Harry was reminded of the one time that he had had a fit and Alex had to hold him down, Harry moved around a little so he could reach better before letting go of Severus's arms to instead hold his shoulders steady as he pierced the vain with his fangs. Severus turned boneless in seconds and Harry gave a relieved thank to the god and by that didn't notice how his venom was coated out of his fangs and into Severus's bloodstreams and when he did it was almost too late to get his inner vampire back behind his mental walls and nearly rip his fangs out so try and stop more venom getting in but he felt a final small injection leave him and Severus tensing up with a groan before he began seizing.
"What did you do?!"
"It wasn't me! Andy tricked me and it shouldn't mean anything! I did to my friends and none of them got turned and Ron even has the gene!" Draco came running and fell to his knees beside Severus's trashing body but as he prepared himself to hold him down Severus suddenly stilled – unnatural still.
"Oh god, Severus wake up! Come on, wake up…please…" Draco rested his head at Severus's still torso, his body shaking in silent sobs. Harry glanced up as he sensed Lily in the doorway; she was looking with big black eyes at Severus – not seeing her dad's glance at all as she was focused totally on Severus.
Sssev'russs….. Open your eyesss and sssee the world through your new eyesss Harry looked from Lily to Severus whose eyes were fluttering now. "Dad, he'll need fresh blood like me…" Harry nodded to his daughter who then moved away from the door and closing it, leaving him with a newborn and no answers.
"What's going on, what does she mean with fresh blood? Why did you turn him?!"
"Draco, I didn't. Andy did, try reading in the book while I check him…" Harry walked over, grapping the book from the table and handed it to Draco before snapping his fingers in front of Severus's face; no response beyond blinking his eyes once. "Found anything?" He heard Draco flap through the book.
"He's…. he's your….. soul mate…" Harry looked up at Draco, deeply shocked; he nearly fell back on his butt and had to steady himself with a hand. "This Andy of yours gave him the last bit to activate your bond, had he not been your soul mate nothing would have happened other that you would have scent marked him…." Draco looked up from the book with surprise in his eyes. "Vampires have soul mates like a werewolf?!" Harry slowly nodded as he looked down at Severus who was moving his fingers and foots slowly as if getting used to them, he noticed fang scars on Severus's neck which he found strange as they usually healed within seconds of him removing his fangs – he knew Alex had them. "We've never heard of this, we've assumed they went after taste and look… it says it works the same way, mostly, as with werewolves; you have an inner being there can take over your senses, you mark and turn your mates so they survives their new roles, enhanced senses…. It seems the biggest difference is that vampires…"
"Keep their youth while the wolves age quickly due to the transformations…"
"You knew..?"
"I've read that book so many times I can it backwards – it's the only thing I have from my Sire. I don't think of it as I need to masquerade as a human most of the time…." Draco nodded before looking at Severus, who was studying his fingers in slow movements. "If you look closely you can see he's looking a little younger – fate's way of apologizing for fucking up in us being born so far between each other…" Draco did see the change. "You need to make a choice, Draco…"
"About what?" Harry smiled as Draco sounded like he had a pretty good idea about what choice he was referring to.
"Whether you wanna be a Leach too." Draco studied Harry's serious expression, who waited patiently while taking Severus's hand absentminded as Severus rose into a sitting position. "Sev needs blood, he can either get it from a deer newly slayed or from you." Draco glanced at Severus, who was looking around slowly as if seeing for the first time. "He'll stay like this until he drinks… if he doesn't soon he'll go blood-crazy."
"Bu-but… we haven't really talked about this…. Why does it matter whether he gets blood from me, now, or a deer?!"
"Because he'll likely turn you and that creates a bond between you, mine with Alex turned to a father-son bond but yours will be a lovers bond…" Draco bid his lip nervously as his arms hugged his torso as if cold. "What's wrong, Draco?"
"Did you know that being afraid of needles makes you fear fangs…?"
"You didn't seem scared in the town?"
"Felt safe in the belief that you wouldn't actually bite me in a so public place…." Harry lifted his eyebrow in an 'Oh really?' kind of way to which Draco half glared. "Well I was."
"Your answer?" Harry smiled tenderly when Draco again bit his lip. "I promise it won't hurt."
"That's not the problem… I freak out at the thought of some metal piercing my skin…" Draco shuddered but came closer slowly. "Ho-how…"
"Here…" Harry reached out his hand for Draco, who took it slowly. "Best to sit in his lap…" Draco nodded and walked around Harry, whose arm followed, he slowly sunk down on his knees which were on each side of Severus's thighs. Harry spelled his robes off, leaving Draco in a tank top and sweat pants. "Just relax and let him scent you… he'll remember who you are through Severus…" Draco locked his eyes with Harry's as Severus began to sniff Draco's torso, moving upwards slowly while his arms sneaked up Draco's thighs and further up, moving under the loose shirt Severus's spider fingers ran over the warm flesh making Draco's breathe hitch. "Keep relaxed… let him run the show…" Draco stayed slack in Severus's arms though he felt Severus move up slowly to sniff slowly along his jaw up to his ear, he felt a tongue lick the edge and sensed something that he by instincts knew were fangs. "Try to not move….." Draco closed his eyes as the tongue ran down his throat with the fangs gently gracing his skin, Severus's arms had moved to encircle him – holding his arms fixated and his body still. "Take a deep breath and it will be over before you know it….." Draco did as told and as he was about to exhale he felt the prick and gave a pitiful whine there ended in a moan as Severus injected his venom into him. Harry sensing that he was far away enough to not notice anything, moved behind Draco on his knees and lowered his fangs to the free side of his neck while adding his own hold on Draco's shoulders. Draco half screamed in pleasure when Harry's venom joined Severus's, not really doing anything other than connect himself to Draco – not the normal way but he hoped it worked. He focused on Draco, who was rutting into Severus in half convoluting movements. Severus removed his fangs with a groan so Harry gave one last injection before pulling back; Draco came with a small scream before turning slack and falling sideway. Harry summoned a blood bag before turning his attention to Severus who was staring between Draco' still form and Harry.
"What happened?"
"Lily caught you shutting down, you went totally comatose for some time but when you, so to speak, woke you were a little… ohm... aggressive so I had to pin you down." Severus lifted his eyebrow. "I may have used a trick my Sire did to me to calm me… I just wasn't prepared that your magic would steal my venom, when Andy found out he tried to take over but I pulled away before he could but he did manage to give you an extra injection and it made you turn…."
"Why?" Harry coughed as he avoided Severus's intense and unreadable red eyes. "Why?!"
"You-you're my… ohm… so-soul…" Severus's eyes widened slightly. "…Mate…" Harry stilled his eyes on Draco's unmoving body. "Draco chose to let him be turned by you so a bond would grow between you…"
"Why does he look dead?"
"Because he is… at least at the moment … our venom is destroying his cells to take their place. This is why we need blood regular; the venom there replaces our cells needs new blood to sustain our powers." Severus observed as Draco began twitching his fingers and his eyelashes fluttered, White eyes finally opened fully but looked without seeing as he sat up.
"What now? I was like that too?" Harry nodded as he crept slowly closer to behind Draco; calling the bag to him he reached out his arm fast like a snake and took Draco around the torso. Having a secure hold on the struggling newborn he bit the bag before trusting it into Draco's hissing-open mouth, who stilled to focus on drinking.
"He'll wake in a moment…" Harry rose with Draco in his arms and walked over to the diva where he laid him gently. "I'll go and move Lily from the bed…" Severus nodded as he too rose and moved over to Draco, who was looking at them now with focused red eyes. "Draco..?"
"I feel you…"
"That's the bond…" Harry turned and went to the door; Severus looked after him as he walked out before turning to look at Draco. Their red eyes connected and he suddenly felt Draco in his mind, who seemed to be reading him.
"You're scared…" Severus lifted his eyebrow at that statement but Draco just kept looking steadily at him for a moment and then suddenly he phased over in front of Severus in a split second, Severus took a step back in surprise but Draco merely followed. "You deserve this as much as anyone else, Sev, don't think otherwise." Draco leaned in and pressed his now cold lips to Severus's equal cold ones. "Why don't we find our Mate?" That made Severus smirk predatory and as one they faced the door with a small hiss of hunt.
"What a fine idea…"
Harry never knew what hit him.
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Metis popped into the living room with the help of Dobby and when he found it empty, even though it was ten, he struggled and walked out into the hall and further to the kitchen door where he poked his head inside, he found it equally empty so he continued down the hall till he reached Harry and Lily's bedroom. Mindful of the possibility of them sleeping he slowly opened the door and poked his head inside but the sight meeting his eyes made him loose his balance and he fell face first onto the floor with the door swinging into the wall with a bang, the people in the bed woke and turned confused towards the sound.
"….Metis…. what ya doing?" Harry covered a yawn with his hand before resting his head tiredly on Severus's shoulder, whom had sat up to see what it was, looking down at Metis who still had his head on the floor sideway so he could see them and with his butt in the air. "What are you doing here, shouldn't you be open now?"
"There's a test today so we have a free period … it's been some time since we've heard from you so I came to see what you were doing…. and not a moment too late. Mate, what are Snape and Malfoy doing in my bed?"
"We were sleeping peacefully… hey, Lily, move over! That's my pillow!" Draco wrestled with a hissing Lily but managed to get the item from her, he laid back down and shortly after he gave a snort as Lily used his back as a pillow of her own. Metis gave them a weird look but Harry just smiled like he had expected his reaction and hadn't been disappointed.
"You'll get a new room and I'll buy whatever you need, alright?" Metis studied his friend closely, feeling a change but it wasn't until he saw the necklace and glove that he understood. "What?"
"Malfoy's courting my brother…..." Slowly his eyes moved to Severus, as if afraid of what he would see. Severus blushed under Metis's ogling, who couldn't believe his eyes as his before old, disgusting and slimy professor now looked like a young healthy man in his prime but the red eyes looking back at him was what made him gasp and sit up fast to gape at Severus. "I'll be damned… the world is ending… Severus Snape hot…" Severus blushed and avoided Metis's cloth hidden eyes. "….and cute…. Must be the red eyes…." Harry laughed and hugged Severus, who was trying to glare at Metis but he just smiled back. "I'll tell the girls to not disturb you for a few days but please, think carefully about using a potion … babies are a blessing you shouldn't throw away. Dobby." Dobby popped in with his hand covering his eyes and the other held out for Metis, who took it. "I'll see you in a few days…" Dobby popped them out and Harry turned to Severus, who had tensed up.
"Sev, what's wrong?"
"Something inside me is raging at the thought of using that potion… would that be my inner being?" Harry nodded into Severus's shoulder as he guided them backwards to lie down and once down he pulled him close. "What do I do?"
"Either let him be or try talk with him… in this case I would leave him as he will likely try to take over until you're pregnant…. Andy is pounding too." Severus nodded into Harry's chest with a low hum that Harry answered with a smile. "We should get up…" Not that he made any indication of doing just that so Severus snorted in amusement.
"By all means, get up. I'm not moving yet." Severus snuggled contently into Harry's chest. "I have to endure Draco's shopping in a few hours…"
"Yes, I can see how hard that must be for you…"
"What do we do, Harry...? I really don't want to bring babies into this war but on the other hand I keep thinking; what if this is our only chance?"
"We will survive." Draco turned around and looked at them. "Do you hear?!" They both nodded slowly as he stared them down, Severus hugged Harry close as if fearing he would disappear.
"Sev, I'm not leaving…" Severus relaxed slightly but kept his arms around Harry. "Of course I wanna survive but what if I don't? I can't leave you two with babies and Lily…"
"Harry, I think we should take the chance. We're safe down here; the babies would be safe as long as they stay here."
"But Tom can enter these chambers; it will only be safe as long as Hogwarts hold stand and the wards stay active…." Draco leaned over Severus and gave Harry a gentle kiss but though he responded the scared look stayed in his eyes.
"We'll set up alarms and wards, I and Severus will always be here with the babies and Lily… don't worry…"
"Don't worry he says… I have a lunatic after me and those close to me and you wanna have babies?"
"YES! I want your baby now so I might have a chance to be parent!" Severus stopped Harry from answering with a kiss and Draco turned away from them with tears in his eyes. "A chance to keep a piece of you….." Draco rose slowly and went to the bathroom without a word.
"Leave him for now… I'll take the spare bath." Severus kissed Harry's cheek before raising from the bed and walking out, enjoying that he could move without joint-pains. "See you in a bit, brat…." Harry snorted with a shake of his head before he too stood, opening his closet he picked a few different things and then he took his make-up bag and went to the girls' rooms. Lily crawled out of the blankets and made for the door, not really thinking quite clearly, as she merely opened the door.
"Heey Drake..?" Hadn't it been for his new blood he would have ended up with a broken neck, as it were he ended up breaking the marble stone tub behind him. "Oh… sorry…" She turned around with a snicker and held a hand over her eyes, Draco covered himself with the towel with one hand while the other waved his wand to remove the dust and such and then he hurried to wriggle into his jeans. "That was a bit more than I wanted to see… are you decent now?"
"Cheeky brat, yes, I'm covered now." Lily carefully glanced at him and did a big show of whipping her forehead and letting out a big breath. "You just be glad I like you or I had cursed you by now, girl or not." Draco mock glared at the smirking girl, who was once again in tight jeans and a small grey shirt with the words 'Daddy's girl' over her breasts in white letters.
"Oh I know you like me … empath, remember? Never mind, Mom seemed to be unsure what to wear as she carried at least four sets…" Draco's eyes widened in surprise.
"Mom? He's going as Phoebe?" Lily nodded with a smile. "Jeans will be fine, as long as her necklace is visible. I'm ready in ten."
"Alright! See ya!" Lily phased out of the room but he heard her collided with Severus out in the hall and he snickered when he could hear him scold her, he hurried to put on his shirt and locate his left shoe – was behind the toilet – and leather jacket before joining Severus and Lily in the hall. "Drake! Please get him off my case!"
"Nope, your own fault for running in the house. I'll get your mom and then we'll go." Draco walked past them and entered the girls' bedroom where Phoebe looked between two outfits on the bed. "Take the jeans, Cherie." Phoebe jumped half a meter before wrapping her bathrobe tighter around her with a glare at Draco.
"Stop scaring me." Draco smiled innocently while tipping back and forward on his feet's. "I'll be out in a minute…" Draco merely nodded as he kept tipping. "Are you at least gonna turn around then?"
"Nope." Draco smirked when she glared before turning her back to him and while keeping the robe covering her she wriggled into her jeans but she gave up on modesty with the shirt, Draco mentally moaned at the peek he got of her bra covered breasts before she had the shirt over her head. "Ready?"
"Yeah…" She joined Draco by the door. "Have you missed me?"
"A little I admit, I really love your hair…" Phoebe blushed but kissed Draco on the cheek. "Let's go and save Lily." That made her laugh as she followed Draco out in the hall where Lily and Severus was having a staring match. "Who's winning today's match?"
"I am, in a moment. If only he wasn't so stubborn!"
"He wouldn't be Severus if he wasn't. What's the match about anyway?" Lily intensified her glare at Severus, who merely raised his eyebrow.
"He won't let me call him Sev like you do but when I suggested Papa he blew up in my face."
"I've given up on those two a long time ago but I'm not giving up on you; you will learn proper manners!" Phoebe and Draco gave each other a look before breaking out in laughter, holding on to each other for balance they kept laughing until they fell to the floor, never minding the two glares send their way. "Are you done so we can move on with today?"
"Su-sure… Dobby, to town please." Dobby bowed and took Phoebe's hand while everyone held on to her and a second later they stood before the jewel shop from yesterday. "What are we doing here, Draco?"
"The rules are a little different for a Triad, you'll see." Draco led them inside and to the counter where Maurice pulled something out from under it when he saw Draco.
"Mr. Malfoy, I have the pieces ready. I only need one hour for the last two, would you like to wait with these until I've finished?" Draco nodded before taking Phoebe's hand with the glove and held it out to Maurice, who was quick to spell the jewel off before Phoebe could stop him.
"Draco! What's going on?" Draco bowed to Maurice before leading her towards the door. "Draco, my glove..?"
"He just needs to modify it a little… where should we go first?"
"I would like an ice-cream!" Lily beamed pleadingly up at her mom, who raised her eyebrow. "Please?"
"I'm sure that if you promise to eat all your veggi…. Hey, we don't need to eat… huh…." Phoebe rolled her eyes at the two of them before taking Severus's hand and walking to the pub.
"Find a table, I'll order." Phoebe smiled to Severus and led Draco and Lily to an empty table while Severus went to the counter; he had to wait a few minutes before she appeared – boxes with fire whisky and wine floating behind her. "Chocolate ice-cream, salad with tuna and two glass of fire whisky." Severus tried not to notice how she was studying him closely while making his order but when she nearly tripped because she was too busy with looking at him he finally had enough. "Yes?"
"How did you manage to get de-aged? The lovely black haired young lady shouldn't happen to be your Animus Materia, would she? I hear she's a Leach…?"
"How do you know about that term?" She smirked at Severus as her eyes flashed red for a brief second and her face seemed younger too but when he blinked it was gone and she handed him his order. "Thank you." Severus quickly walked to their table, shocked that she were a vampire and that he had never suspected it. He sat down and absentminded turned towards Phoebe, who was handing out the order. "How much have you adapted to mimic humans?"
"If you overlook the need for blood, then we mimic humans in every way. Why?"
"What about aging signs?" Phoebe glanced up from her salad but Severus was looking at the bar.
"Alex said there were glamour's but he would explain more this year… I wonder when he'll show up…" Severus looked at Phoebe who was staring dreamingly out the window; he saw that Draco had heard them when he raised his eyebrow in question. "…and he better have a very good excuse as to why he never mentioned any of this or he'll regret it!" Phoebe smirked and turned away from the window to look at their calculating expressions. "What?"
"I'm pretty sure you should show your elder Sire respect, cursing him would be rude."
"Oh hush, Sev, Alex can handle it. He's not general for the Queen for nothing." Phoebe took a bite of tuna with a smile; Severus shook his head while Draco merely took a sip of his glass.
"Sounds like Alex are used to your antics?" Phoebe just smiled around her fork for a second before she noticed that Lily was ignoring her ice-cream and instead stared out the window.
"Mom… could I borrow some money? There are a few things I wanna buy…" Phoebe studied her daughter's serious expression.
"Sure honey, we have to work out your allowance. Take this and use what you want – within reasons – if it's an animal or body changing stuff some and ask first?" Lily nodded as she stood up and walked over to her mom, she gave a kiss to her cheek. "If we're not here I'm sure Ariel can find us."
"Sure mom. See ya!" The three of them followed her with their eyes as she ran out and across the street where she entered the animal shop, Severus turned to Phoebe to see a sad expression on her beautiful face which Draco saw to.
"What's wrong, Mon Cherie?"
"My first gift ever was Hedwig from Hagrid… and then at Christmas … it's the same with Lily…" Phoebe happened to glance at them when the two of them shared a look. "What?"
"Nothing Phoebe, don't worry." Phoebe gave Severus a tender smile at where he joined his hand with Phoebe and Draco's, Phoebe glanced out the window.
"What do you think Lily's doing?" Phoebe turned to Severus who was also looking out the window, eyes roaming the street.
"I'm sure she's enjoying herself, don't worry so much Sev." Severus grumbled at Draco's smirk of knowing, he flicked Draco's ear making the younger man glare. "It's against the law to hit your Socius!"
"I did no such thing." Phoebe laughed at them and that made the two of them turn their glares to her so she hid her smile behind her hand. Draco huffed before drowning his glass with Severus copying. "Wanna go for a walk?" Phoebe nodded so Severus walked over to pay while Draco rose; he helped her to her feet's before pulling her to his side.
"I'm happy you have this soft side to you or my masculinity would die completely being the bottom of two males… I suppose I would miss Harry after some time, even he has a soft side but not too much." Phoebe smirked before giving Draco a peck on the lips, Severus joined them just then so the two of them guided her out and turned towards the shack. Phoebe studied the house closely while Draco told Severus about the time that Harry had thrown snowballs at him and his friends.
"Who owns the Shack?" Draco halted in his speech and turned to Phoebe, who ignored his eyes in favor of studying the run-down house. "Can I buy it?"
"Why would you wanna buy that old thing?" Phoebe's eyes turned to Draco with a look in her eyes that he couldn't name.
"So we can live here… we'll finish this year, Draco, but Dumbledore has asked us to continue the Service and Lily still needs to go to classes even though she won't be able to live there… besides… I thought that maybe Severus could live with us… if he wants to..." Severus smiled as he hugged her close, Phoebe melted into his side and if she hadn't locked her knees she would have fallen. "I take that as I 'yes'?" Severus nodded. "So, can I buy it? It could even be done remodeling by the end of school."
"If you flash your name and maybe does a controlled interview with a trusted person, then maybe. It's actually protected by the Ministry but I know they hate it like the plague for unknown reasons… maybe people still hear howls coming from here so they have to keep searching it?" That made Draco snort while Phoebe snickered, Severus kissed her temple and just then Lily came running – she was waving her arms around and Ariel was on the ground besides her.
"Mom! Moom!" They stared in amusement as Lily came running for her life and at a distance away a blond boy was following her in short controlled phasing steps. "Help! He's freaking me out!" Lily plumed into Draco's waiting arms but only for a second before hiding behind him, peeking out under his arm. "Make him stop!"
"Easy honey, what's wrong? What is he doing?"
"He keeps touching my arm and asks the weirdest and most personal questions ever!"
By now the boy had reached them and stood a few meters away staring intensely at Lily like she was all he could see. "Leave me alone! I don't wanna talk about that so go away!"
"Lily, it wasn't your fault. Your magic did it to save you but you had already done everything you could at the time. You're not a bad person and this ability are not a curse to punish you but a gift so you can understand people around you and hopefully never end up with someone like your stepfather – can you not understand that? Even Ariel agrees with me." Lily, who had hidden herself completely behind Draco, tried to hold back the tears but they rolled down her cheeks anyway and soon sobs raked through her body. When Draco felt it and Phoebe and Severus smelt the fear and pain on her they all three hugged her close, Phoebe turned to the slightly dirty boy.
"How do you know this?"
"I feel and see it… in here." The boy pressed a hand to his heart. "If only she would understand this and accept it then her gift would settle down, she would only feel when she touched someone … some can even train themselves to only feel when they want to even when touching someone. My mom could." Phoebe let go of Lily and turned fully to him. "Mom said she learned it during my first year of life."
"What's your name?"
"Stiles… yours? It's been awhile since I last saw new vampires in town."
"My name is Phoebe, this is Draco and Severus. You seem to know my daughter quite a lot, do you live in town?"
"At the moment…" Phoebe studied the boy – young man really – closely; the first things you noticed were his dirt filled blond hair, the lightest shade of blue you would properly ever see as he nearly had white eyes in the sun, masculine pre-mature body, worn jeans with rips here and there, bare feet's and his very relaxed pose though he was facing four strangers there happened to be vampires but if you looked closer at the details you could see perfectly shaped and clean nails, white straight teeth's and a confident and eager glint could be seen in his nearly white eyes. "Usually I live in Knockturn Ally with a friend but I needed air so I always come here and help whoever I see in emotional pain, I sensed Lily yesterday like a punch to my gut and the same today." Phoebe gave her daughter a worried glance that Stiles saw. "Mistress Phoebe? I feel I have to inform you, as her mother, that Lily is on the edge of splitting her personality – properly so her life before school will be with one half and everything after with the other. Her emotions are in total chaos – though I have to say she hides it well and I've seen many cases – and so she puts on a mask of how she thinks others think she should be and it is this that is dangerous; she wants to be this happy and normal girl but her emotions from her old life are interfering with that so she hides them away, if it continues much longer anything can trigger her off and then we'll have an even harder work ahead of us."
"Us?" Lily peeked out from Draco's arms and Stiles smiled tenderly to her, it made her hide again.
"I can't leave a damsel in need, wouldn't be right." Stiles winked at her peeking eyes with a teasing smile. "Besides, I'm helping someone else at the school so I'm here anyway." Lily slowly smiled back, feeling his sincere wish to help her; she stopped hugging the life out of Draco who was glad as his ribs had been complaining slightly even with his new blood – that girl was strong!
"What would you require for helping her?" Stiles eyes flew to Severus, whose tone had been his best Scary-Teacher silky voice – normally interpreted as you better answer right – but Stiles' face remained neutral and waiting. "And shouldn't you first tell your friend and parents?" Phoebe nervously bit her lips when Stiles' eyes narrowed in a glare, not that Severus took notice. "I can't imaging they will allow you to run around on your own. How old are you anyway?" Phoebe gave a shout as she phased into the running Stiles, knocking him to the side and off his path towards Severus, Stiles twisted so he rolled sideway a few meter before rising slowly into a crouch. His, before nearly white, eyes glaring at them with no visible pupil as they were now totally white.
"Don't mistake my appearing; it's not wise to judge a book on the cover, something you should know about Mr. Snape." He slowly rose from his crouching position, his white eyes studying them calmly. "I clearly see your shame, your hatred of fate and the path you've taken – anyone can – but I see so much more…" He closed his eyes for a moment and took a breather which turned hissing halfway and he fell to his knees with his head in his hands. "…Not much fear though the dangers in your life… much hate…frustrations…" He looked up at Severus, who was staring with scared eyes. "You've been through a lot Mr. Snape, like Lily more than most. Should I have judged you on your cover I should be screaming the words Death Eather and Murderer at you, no?" Phoebe looked between Stiles and Severus, who seemed to have a silent conversation only for them, she saw Severus cover the mark on his arm with his hand when Stiles' eyes flew down to look at it. "It's lucky I know what lies in your heart…" Stiles' eyes glided over them as the white retracted to let the small amount of blue he had to fill his eyes, he rose fully and phased closer but Phoebe stood in front of the rest, blocking him.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Stiles' eyes moved to Lily, who was between Severus and Draco's arms.
"He is…" Phoebe turned to her daughter with questions in her eyes, Lily saw them and with a short glance at Stiles she gave a small nod. "He won't hurt us…" Phoebe looked over at Stiles, who was still looking at Lily, Phoebe indicated for him to come closer and he did so in a short phase and when he was close enough she grasped his jaw and pulled him very close.
"I don't care how old you are or how powerful, if you hurt my family or friends I will hunt you down. Are we clear?" Stiles took a good look on the face very close to his own, he saw the conviction in the red eyes and from a quick superficial read of her he found that she meant it with the whole of her soul and magic.
"Yes." Phoebe changed from holding him to cup his jaw.
"Good. Now, we'll go get my glove back and then I think it's time for lunch." Lily glanced at her mom before phasing off with Stiles in tow; Severus walked up to Phoebe and hugged her close while Draco did the same from the side. "I should have seen past her mask… I should have recognized it…"
"You and us both."
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It took some explaining when Phoebe changed to Harry but soon enough they were on their way to lunch; Lily piggy-riding her dad, Draco was pouting as Severus had forced him to wear his school robe and Stiles was trailing after them with a thoughtful expression and Ariel turned her head to look at him from Lily's shoulder and it almost looked like she raised her eyebrow in a questioning way, a glance at Lily from her and he interpreted as she asked if he felt the same and he did; her feelings were slowly separating into two but without actually splitting up – yet.
"Did you know that being sad allows us to let go of all those bottled up emotions we hide from, it empties our cup so there's room for new things…"
"Do we have to talk about that right now? I would rather enjoy my lunch." Harry heard how she talked through her teeth's and it made her hiss lowly, giving you the impression of a snake ready to strike out – not that it seemed to concern Stiles the slightest.
"I was merely telling you an interesting fact."
"I might have found that interesting if I was a nerd but as I'm not it's not. I'm giving you my full support to you keeping that kind of things to yourself in the future, fair enough?"
"Sure thing, Darling, I'll just have to talk aloud to myself then." Harry and Draco snickered while Lily turned her head and gave a death glare but he merely smiled back innocently. "Did I say something wrong?" Draco couldn't hold back his laugh while Harry was glancing concerned at his daughter from the corner of his eye as he felt her magic stir up slowly. "Harry, could you put her down?" Harry needed not be told twice as her magic began boiling under her skin, making her slightly hot to touch, ready to strike. "This is normal, I'm pushing her bottoms so she can let go of her emotions. Right now I'm pushing her anger, she's angry at herself for losing the bab… uhh, pretty…" At the word baby her magic broke loose and a cloud of dark blue electrified fog rose behind her in the shape of Ariel – if you had good imagination. It roared and flew towards him with its mouth wide open, Stiles observed calmly with his hands in his pockets. "Just for the record…" The cloud had shot a sickly yellow beam of unknown existence at him but he merely sidestepped it with a phase to the side. "… I just wanna say that you did all you could… if you want to be angry at someone then be angry at your mother for allowing it…. And maybe it was for the best? Think of the life the baby would have had with a mom away most of the time…" Lily shook her head a few times and her cloud seemed confused as it had stopped moving towards him as well as shooting beams of light at him. "Can't you see? The Mother spared you the future pain of losing her, by then you would love her so the loss would have been greater. She rewarded you with this gift of empath so no one could hurt you again – it gave you new parents and friends…" By now she was kneeling with her head in her hands, her magic retracted as her shoulders began to shake in silent sobs and when Harry moved to hug her Stiles pushed him back with his magic.
"Let me comfort her!"
"Not yet, Harry, she needs to face this on her own. Only then can she let go, accept and move on." Lily sobbed at that loudly, arms now hugging herself; she looked at her dad with scared eyes there ripped at the men's hearts.
"No…Dad don't... don't agree…!" Harry stared desperate between his despairing daughter and Stiles, who looked at Lily with one hand pressed hard to his heart as if feeling a pain there. "I don't deserve to move on… I killed my child!"
"No Lily! You didn't, your magic chose that rather than you both died. You have to accept that." Lily shook her head stubbornly as she rocked back and forward. "Hear and remember my words, think about them and if you ever want to talk just say so…" Stiles phased over in front of her and though she flinched back he took her hand and held it safely between his own. "You're not alone anymore, Darling, so there is no reason for you to tackle this by yourself. Alright?" Lily looked into his tender eyes for a long time, searching, before she slowly nodded. "Good girl." Lily glared slightly at that but the corner of her mouth was ever so slightly curved so Stiles smiled. "Now, I want you to take a deep slow breathe as you close your eyes." Lily closed her eyes before exhaling so she could fill her lungs. "Good…keep going while I talk." Lily did and by the fifth time it was clear that she was totally relaxed and almost in a trance. "Now, I want you to hold your breath for a second before exhaling…" Lily did so calmly like she had done this a dozen times. "As you hold it I want you to focus all your negative emotions into your mouth and when you exhale those emotions will leave your body…. Exhale by exhale….." Harry, Draco and Severus gasped when a small fog gathered outside her mouth. "You're doing great, Darling, keep going… easy and relaxed…" They observed as he let go of her hand there fell to her lap, he then used his hands to make some kind of signs and as they looked the small fog was sucked through the hand sign and into Stiles' heart. "You feel heavy and happy… relaxed into your bones…" As he had been talking they could see Lily sway until he caught her calmly. "…good … I'll count to five and then you'll wake up feeling refreshed and calm …. One… two… three….." He guided her into a sitting position and had to hold her up. "…. Four…. Five…" Her eyes fluttered a few times before opening fully and when they did they locked onto Stiles', who was studying her face. "Lily, are you with us..?" Lily just kept looking at him with unreadable eyes.
"What did you do to her?!"
"Easy… she's merely sorting herself…"
"Stiles…?" He looked back at Lily who was now looking at him with focused eyes. "Thank you…" Lily smiled as she leaned closer and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "I feel wonderful… like I could take on the world…" Stiles' eyes narrowed slightly. "What?"
"Listen closely; this method is only to be used in stressed situations like now, tonight before you go to sleep we will deal with them before you push them out. If you don't do this then you'll never get better and in the end you'll go numb for feelings as you've kept pushing them away. Do you understand the importance of this?" Lily nodded seriously and Ariel rumbled low in her throat as she rubbed her nose into Lily's thigh.
"I wanna get better… I have to." Stiles smiled proudly as he pulled Lily into a tender hug, which Lily melted into as her senses was filled with appreciation of her and tender caring feelings coming from Stiles, he held her close while standing and kept his arms around her. "Wanna carry me? I'm feeling rather lazy at the moment…" Stiles laughed but complied and lifted her in bride style and she was asleep before they reached her dad.
"What are you doing to her?" Stiles faced Harry, who was looking curiously at his daughter.
"I'm suppressing all emotions I have in my body – that includes those I just received from her – then I allow only a few positive after my choice to surround me or a person… they tend to get drowsy but she'll be fine in a moment when she smells food." Harry nodded and walked towards the great hall with Draco in hand and Severus was hugging mentioned man to his side. Harry kissed Severus's cheek, Draco doing the same, before dragging Draco to the lions table, Severus staying outside the doors, where he placed him beside Ron before taking Draco's other side.
"Seriously Mate? First my bed and now you want me to eat with him?"
"That is correct, oldest friend of mine, and you'll do so quietly… oh and this is Stiles, he'll be helping Lily heal." At Harry's word of 'quietly' Ron lost his voice and when no one would remove it he glanced at Draco, who was eating tensely. "Lily, are you with us now?" Lily groaned moodily and buried deeper into Stiles' shoulder, who merely stroked her back as he eat.
"Not hungry dad."
"Alright honey." Harry kept one eye on his daughter while eating his pie; Draco was still tensely eating with his eyes focusing hard on his plate. "Draco, the eggs are cooked… there is no need for you to stare so heated at them."
"I am aware of that, thank you." Draco's eyes stayed on his plate.
"Draaay…?"
"What?!" Harry giggled at Draco's hiss.
"May I have a kiss?"
Dead Silence….
"Harry James Potter!" Both Harry and Draco slowly turned towards Hermione who was glaring hard at them with a raised eyebrow. "Are there something you wish to inform me about before I kick your butt?"
"Ohm… I'm dating Malfoy?" Harry tried his 'Kicked puppy/innocent little brother' look but Hermione merely glared harder. "Listen, can we do this later? Please?" Harry glanced around and saw that he had the attention of the whole school – teachers included – Hermione noticed too as she nodded and went back to her book.
Dad… Sev'rus's panicking…
"Dray, come with me. Stiles, stay here with Lily and Hermione." With that he pulled Draco with him out to the entrance hall. "Dobby! Take us to Severus!" A second later they stood behind Severus, who was standing just inside the door leading out into the big chamber. "Severus? What's wrong?" Severus didn't turn or otherwise responded at Harry's voice, he merely stood there looking out the open door but making no move to go through it.
"I can't go out… I've been standing here for five minutes…" Harry and Draco walked closer and hugged him around the waist. "Why am I going into a panic fit at the thought of going to the great hall…? I had forgotten something so I had Dobby pop me here …. But I couldn't get myself to call him or go out…."
"Maybe you fear how people will react to the new you?"
"Harry's right Sev, it will come with time. Why don't we have a cup of tea while Harry changes so he can go talk with his friends and get Lily and Stiles, you and I can read a book?" Severus nodded so Draco guided them to the living room while Harry went to the kitchen. "Don't worry about it Sev, soon enough you will hate being cooped up down here… give it a few months." It took Severus a few seconds to figure out that Draco was referring to their upcoming pregnancies and their need to stay down here but when he did he turned beef red and refused to look at Draco. "What is this, my scary older and more experienced Partner embarrassed at the mention of sex?"
"Zip it or you'll see just how scary I can be." Draco giggled as Harry came in with the tea; he was smirking knowingly but kept his silence. "Not a word, Potter, or you both sleep on the couch." Harry smiled gently and Draco stopped giggling, Severus had crossed his arms over his chest and was glaring at the floor.
"Sev, I don't need to be either an empath or your soul mate to see that something is bothering you. Wanna talk about it?" Harry kneeled in front of Severus, who still avoided their eyes; Harry gently cupped Severus's jaw and lifted. "We really want to know what you're thinking and feeling." Severus had closed his eyes before Harry could make any eye contact so Harry placed a soft kiss on Severus's lips, who gasped in surprise and his eyes flew up. "Do you not believe me when I say that? If you don't then try and sense my emotions… I'm being totally honest." Severus closed his eyes and looked into himself. "You might need to move our incomplete bond past your walls, I had to…" Harry was right as Severus couldn't find the thread connecting them so he tried to look past his walls and there it was. Severus hurried to move it behind his inner walls though he knew his outer walls would hold, he then followed the thread and found it led to Harry's heart and a comforting wave of emotions met him halfway. "See?" Severus opened his eyes and looked into Harry's green honest eyes; slowly he nodded to which Harry beamed. "We'll talk later; I better go and get Lily." Kissing him tenderly he turned to Draco, who was already ready for a kiss; lips pushed outwards and eyes closed. It made Harry chuckle for a second before giving a slightly more heated kiss as he knew Draco could take it where Severus wasn't to be pressed – especially when he was tense to begin with. Stopping at the door he slowly turned his head to them with a glint in his eyes. "I have to warn you two… now that Stiles help Lily and she's handling the great hall my friends will properly want to move in here in their rooms… thought I should warn you…." With that he smirked before phasing out of the door.
"Did he say what I think?! Do you think he meant it?!" Severus got his nerves under control and turned to Draco, who was totally freaking out. "How will I survive living with a Weasley and Granger!"
"Harry once told the rule of treating each other with respect and just be there for each other."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"Don't ask me, we'll just be polite as if it's the first time we meet. Alright?" That seemed to calm Draco a little as he slowly nodded. "How about we get changed and I start thinking about dinner?" Draco answered by standing and walking out, Severus stared after him for a few seconds before following. He found Draco by Harry's closet; a pensive look on his face, Severus walked over behind him and hugged him gently around the waist. "What's on your mind?" Draco gave a small submissive whine and relaxed back into Severus's chest and strong arms, who growled warningly at Draco's distracting tactic. "Answer me."
"… I understand how Harry feels… the desire to blend in, to be a nobody…" Severus graced his fangs along Draco's exposed throat which made the younger man moan wantonly. "I want the same… I don't wanna be Lucius's son… I wanna be my own person for once…" Severus hummed thoughtfully as he nicked the flesh to get a drop of blood.
"So, Draco Malfoy as your public face… who does you then wants to be while at home with friends and family?" After a few seconds the young man waved his wand so Severus closed his eyes so Draco wouldn't decide out from Severus's expression, this was important for Draco to do on his own … or rather on her own. Severus felt the waist get slimmer and curved perfectly, belly flattened out to that of a fit girl and not abs, gliding his hands blindly up along the perfect body till he reached her breasts where he rested them right under her high firm and lovely round breasts.
"Keep them closed, I wanna change first." Severus nodded and took a step back so she could remove the now loose clothes and step into the closet, the door closed after her so Severus called Dobby to get all his clothes and add two closets besides Harry's – decision made; no matter how Draco choose to look he would still love him the same way.
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Am I the only one who thought this chapter was slightly dark-mood? I blame my new music…. ;P R&R !
