The Next Morning

Harry slowly began to wake up. He rolled on to his side and kept his eyes tightly shut. Maybe it was all a dream, and when I open my eyes I'll be back at Aunt Petunia's and it will be my birthday. But he already knew that he wasn't back at Privet Drive, because the bed he was sleeping on was nothing like the lumpy uneven mattress that he wasn't at his Aunt's and then there were the wings that he was still getting used to sleeping on... Ok, well, maybe its still summer and I am at the leaky cauldron… Even as he thought that he knew it was not true. He sighed and opened his eyes, yesterday had happened. Because of his stupid 'saving people thing' he was being courted by Draco Malfoy. He wasn't able to live in Gryffindor Tower anymore because he had to be close to Malfoy. Harry shook his head and snorted, close to his biggest enemy at school. This has got to be some big joke, but why would Dumbledore be a part of this? Harry knew that Dumbledore wouldn't do this to him as a joke, and that if this was dangerous for him that Dumbledore would never have asked him to do this. So now Harry had to do something that would probably be the hardest thing that he has done since he joined the wizarding world… give Malfoy a second chance. There was something else important to consider, Harry had pushed it to the back of his mind when he had found out about it. If he was going to be bonded to Malfoy for life, that bond was sure to have certain… physical obligations. He had never even thought of other men in that way. He tried to picture what it would be like to love a man in his head and to his surprise he wasn't repulsed. In fact, it almost made sense to him. Love is love, he decided, and if I can fall in love with Malfoy, or if not him than with any man, then it will be ok. Now that he was sure that he could love a man he tried to think about the other aspects and then closed his eyes and shook his head, I am not ready for that yet, by any means.

His head was so full with so many different thoughts that he thought about just going back to bed, but then he remembered that no one knew where he was. Harry jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom to get cleaned up. He pulled his wings in, performed the glamour charm that made him look like normal Harry, and then dashed out of his bedroom; right past Draco, who was sitting on one of the couches with a couple of plates of food, and out the portrait hole. He got to the end of the corridor that his new room opened off of, and was just about to whip around the corner and head to the Gryffindor common room, when he ran right into Ron. They both fell backwards on the floor. Harry jumped up and pulled Ron to his feet. "Ron, I am so sorry. I was just coming to find you!"

Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry's neck. "Oh Harry, we were so worried about you. Are you alright?"

"Yeah Hermione, I have so much to tell you both. How did you know where to find me?"

"We went to see Dumbledore last night mate. We wanted to know where you were and that you were…" Ron trailed off. He and Hermione were both staring behind Harry.

Harry whipped around and found that Draco was standing not five feet from them. He had a worried look on his face. "Are you alright Harry? You ran out really fast and I was worried."

Harry looked uncomfortable; he shifted from one foot to the other. "Oh yeah… well, eh… I'd forgotten that no one other then Dumbledore knew where I was so I was going to find Ron and Hermione to let them know what was going on."

Draco nodded, "Well, I had the house elves send us some breakfast. I thought we could… talk or something…"

"Oh… yeah, talk. Er, that is a good idea Mal- Draco."

Ron shook his head. "What are you saying Harry? We don't talk to Malfoy any more then he talks to us. Isn't that right Hermione?"

Hermione stood there in silence, looking back and forth between Harry and Draco. Suddenly it all clicked into place. "Oh no Harry! It can't be…"

Ron looked puzzled. "What can't be?"

Harry sighed and nodded. "Well it is."

"What is?" Ron exclaimed.

"Why does it always happen to you?" Hermione asked.

Ron stepped into the middle of the group and held his hands out. "What always happens to Harry? Someone tell me something!"

Draco smirked. He crossed his arms and said with some amusement, "What Granger has just realized is that I have found my mate."

Ron dropped his arms. "So? What does that have to do with Harry?" Draco looked at Ron with a raised eyebrow. Ron looked from Draco to Harry and back again and then started laughing. "OK, OK. Fred? George? Come out you lot, well whichever one of you is not pretending to be Malfoy right now… You know this was a really good prank." He turned to Harry, "Come on mate, let's go back to the common room eh?"

Harry shook his head. "It's the truth Ron…"

Ron started to slowly back away shaking his head. "No, NO! It can't be! Don't you see what this is Harry? You-Know-Who's second in command's son suddenly finds out that you are his soul mate; it is way too convenient."

Draco's eyes hardened and he sneered at Ron. "Convenient?" He snapped, "Do you honestly think that I could lie about this Weasley? I know that you aren't the straightest wand in the stack, but you should at least know something about this considering there used to be some Veela blood in your family… Too bad you thinned it out too much mating with all of those mudbloods."

Harry and Hermione's heads both snapped towards Draco on the word 'mudblood.' Draco kicked himself. Man, first day and I am already screwing up… I guess that is one word that can no longer be a part of my vocabulary. I had better try and fix this… "I am sorry for the use of that word Harry. I know how it upsets you."

Harry raised an eyebrow, first test on whether or not this can work, he thought. "It isn't me that you should be apologizing to Draco."

Draco's eyes opened wide, and his breath caught in his chest. Harry had said his name without any hesitation. To Draco that meant that Harry was giving him a chance to prove himself. He realized that if he wanted Harry, he was going to have to take these two as well. Who would have ever thought that I'd be friends with a weasel? "You're right Harry I am very sorry Grang- Hermione. I hope that you can forgive me."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's mouths all fell open when Draco apologized to Hermione, and called her by her first name. Ron began to rub his forehead. "Oh Merlin," he moaned, "This is all way to weird. I need to sit down."

Harry opened his mouth but before he could speak Draco said, "Why don't you both come to our new rooms, I am sure that you will be visiting often."

Harry looked confused and then closed his mouth and nodded. "Er, yeah. Come and see where I'll be living this term."

As they turned to head back down the hallway Ron and Hermione fell a few steps behind. "Do you think that Harry has told Draco about his inheritance?" Hermione muttered to Ron.

Draco's ears had become a touch more sensitive than human ears since his inheritance and he heard Hermione's muttered comment to Ron. His ears perked up and he listened intently for what Ron was going to say. What was Harry keeping from him, and why didn't he trust him enough to tell him? Probably because you have been enemies for the last five and a half years but that's just a guess, sneered his inner voice. Draco sighed, if he hadn't been such a prat, then he and Harry could have been friends this whole time and Harry would have been delighted to be his mate. At least he hoped Harry would have, but then again he didn't even know if Harry preferred men or women. What if Harry could never love him just because he doesn't love men? Draco shuddered. By now they had reached the painting of the young witch with the red hair and had given her the password, and then they were in the common room. Harry took them into his room to show them around and Draco realized that he had gotten so caught up in worrying about the future that he had forgotten to listen to what Ron and Hermione said about Harry. Damn it, Damn it, Damn it! I'll have to ask Harry about it soon. Maybe he will tell me.

Harry Ron and Hermione walked back into the common room where Draco was sitting on one of the couches. The three of them went to sit on the one across from him. Draco looked like he was in pain for a second when Harry didn't sit next to him and with a sigh he got up and went to sit next to him. Draco, in his continued attempt to impress Harry and make friends with his friends said, "I only had the house elves send up enough food for the two of us, but shall I ring for more?"

"Eh, sure I guess, thanks Malfoy." The words from Ron's mouth sounded strange, but to all four of the people in the room this was a very strange occurrence.

The four of them sat talking for a couple hours. Draco chose to remain silent most of the time; content to just be near his mate, and he didn't really trust himself to not say something that could get him into trouble with Harry… Ron says the stupidest things, Draco thought. When they had run out of things to say Ron and Hermione stood up reluctantly. Harry stood up with them, "Tell everyone that I am alright and that I will come by and visit tomorrow OK? And probably don't tell them why I am not living there yet…"

Hermione rushed over and hugged him. Ron hesitated and then did the same. "Take care mate."

Harry laughed, "You are treating this like I live two hours away from you, don't. You know where I live."

"And you know where the common room is. The password is…" Ron trailed off.

"Oh Ron, it isn't like Draco is going to tell all the Slytherins the password. Its glumbumble Harry, we'll see you soon ok?"

Harry nodded. "Tomorrow will come quickly I promise," he said as he walked them to the portrait hole. After Ron and Hermione left Harry turned around to face Draco. "Thank you Draco."

Draco shivered when Harry said his name again and then looked puzzled, "For what?"

"For treating my friends that way. I know you don't like us…"

Draco shook his head. "I didn't like you, but now I can't see my world without you in it. Funny huh?"

Harry nodded. "Hilarious. Well I decided that if you can be civil to my friend then I can be civil to you and yours." He paused and thought for a moment, "Tomorrow when I am done visiting the Gryffindors why don't you introduce me to a couple of your friends?"

Draco smiled widely. "That would be amazing Harry. I really want you to like them."

"No promises… but we'll see what happens." Harry began to walk towards his bedroom. "Oh and tomorrow evening maybe we can talk a little bit, get to know each other. Unless you are a spoiled snob who buys anything he wants then I have a lot to learn."

Draco's eyes narrowed for a second. "And if it wouldn't harm me to harm you for making fun of me like that, then I would probably curse you right now."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh come on Malfoy, take a joke. Otherwise this will be a long engagement." With that Harry turned and disappeared into his room.

Draco's eyes sparkled. He is sarcastic and funny. And not so submissive that it will drive me mad. Calling him a submissive, even in his mind caused certain areas of his anatomy to tighten. Draco got up and walked over to Harry's door. He reached out for the handle and his hand was stopped an inch from it. He strained, trying to get closer to his mate, but he couldn't budge closer to the door. At first he was angry, and then he slumped down. No Draco, breaking into Harry's room and violating him right now would probably not be the best idea right now. But it would be amazing… and Harry would like it too! Yeah… or you would hurt him and he would walk away forever. At that thought Draco backed away from the door like it had become electrified. No, he had to do this right. He would do this right. With that thought in mind he went into his own room, to take care of some business and then wait for tomorrow when he would see the boy he loved again.