Later, Draco wandered the halls of Hogwarts during dinner. Harry followed him, sometimes straying in front of him and trying to do something cute (how the hell was he supposed to be cute?!) or funny. Draco had shut down. He wouldn't talk to anyone. He wouldn't even pay attention to Harry, who missed his affection greatly.
Draco finally stopped walking at one point, standing in the middle of the hallway and staring down at the floor. Harry could tell that although the Slytherin stood right in front of him, he was actually miles away. Harry did figure eights around Draco's ankles, purring and meowing, trying to stem the tears he could see welling up in Draco's eyes. Yeah. Draco had been doing a lot of that lately, when he was alone. Harry rubbed up against the inside of Draco's leg, jumping a little as he did, meowing louder.
Finally, Draco crouched down and pet him, and Harry purred. He prayed that he'd succeeded in drawing Draco's attention away from the day he'd gotten the Dark Mark.
Harry didn't hold that against him. Draco had fought as much as one could in his position. He'd even told Harry that he didn't want to be a Death Eater. And as much as Harry tried, he couldn't hate Draco for what he'd been through. His father was obviously abusive, as well. Draco hadn't looked so bad in… well, ever.
And since he'd come to realize he loved Draco, it hurt Harry to see him in such pain. The real Draco, the one he'd come to know, didn't deserve this.
Harry put a paw on Draco's knee, elevating himself up on his hind legs. Draco just watched him with mild surprise in his eyes. Harry began to lap at Draco's tears, ignoring the salty taste. He just wanted Draco to stop crying. For him to stop feeling bad for himself and do something about it. If only he were human again, he'd be able to tell Draco that.
Draco picked him up, petting him while Harry lapped at his cheeks. Now standing, Draco let out a shaky breath.
The snake around Harry's neck glinted, the diamonds seemed to catch the light and hold it, glowing a bright white. The Amethyst of the eye glowed as well.
Harry felt himself begin to grow. It was as painless as shrinking had been. Suddenly, he had his arms around Draco's neck, and they were pressed flush against one another. Harry could still feel the collar around his neck, still resting gently there. It took him a moment longer to realize that he had his lips on Draco's cheek.
Draco, on the other hand, was in shock.
His cat had just transformed.
Into Harry Potter.
What. The. Fuck.
"…What the hell is this, Potter?" Draco flinched back, tears suddenly gone, glaring furiously at Harry.
"Um. Ah. Well. It's a long story." Harry began flailing for words, swallowing hard. "Please, hear me out Draco."
Draco eyed him warily, obviously wondering if he should run or stay put. He sighed, sitting down heavily on the floor.
"Talk." He waved his hand at Harry, gesturing for him to explain.
"Don't you think we should go somewhere a little more private?" Harry looked down at himself. He was still wearing the muggle clothes he'd been to Borgin and Burkes in- a blue sweatshirt, jeans, and trainers.
"Listen Potter. You either talk here and now, or I can leave and leave you to deal with whatever shit your absence has stirred up alone. Your choice." Harry sat beside him, though not too close, with a grimace.
"Alright. Well, before term started, I was staying over at the Weasley's house. We were going to floo to Diagon Alley, but I coughed when some ash got in my throat and I ended up in Borgin and Burkes." He began, fiddling with his fingers in his lap.
"Go on." Draco's voice held no emotion. It only made Harry more worried.
"I found this necklace in the shop, and I didn't mean to touch it, but I did. It must have been cursed, because something forced me to put it on. And then I was a cat. Borgin chased me out, and the witch from Magical Menagerie found me while I was running out. You bought me and brought me home." Harry shifted as Draco's stare turned from the opposite wall to him.
"I didn't like what was going on, I mean, it was you I was stuck with, as a cat for Merlin's sake. I tried to annoy you enough to toss me out so that I could at least get to Ron or Hermione, but it just didn't happen that way. And no matter how many times I tried to take the necklace off, it just wouldn't budge.
"And then I met you. Not… Not Malfoy, but Draco. And I began to understand some things that I didn't think was possible. But it was, and… Well, after you rescued me from the Tentacula, I just… I wanted to protect you, too. I felt like I owed you." Harry wondered if he should confess.
Well, here went nothing.
"And I… I think I… I came to really, really like you. I mean, not as a friend. But… As something more?" It came out as a question, and Harry didn't dare look at Draco for fear of his reaction.
Draco said nothing for a very, very long time. If they weren't careful, dinner would be over and students would begin to return to their dorm rooms. They would be found.
"That's not possible." The blonde finally said quietly. "You're telling me that you were transformed into a cat by a cursed necklace, and then were under my care for months?! And you didn't try to tell me who you were?!" Draco's voice was raising.
"I just didn't want to have the responsibility of being me for a little bit. I'm sorry I-" Harry tried to explain quickly in a hushed whisper, but Draco cut him off by standing up abruptly. Harry stood, too.
"And now you're telling me that you like me? That you want to go out or whatever?! This is insane. You're insane. You're Harry fucking Potter!" Draco tugged at his own hair nervously, and Harry shifted, worrying his lip. This was going downhill way too fast. "You're Harry fucking Potter. You can't possibly like me!" Draco repeated.
"No, maybe I can't." Draco looked up at that. "But maybe Dante did. Still does." Harry's heart beat faster when the confusion and pain in Draco's eyes didn't let up.
"No. No no no no no. I can't deal with this right now. Fuck this. Just- Fuck- Fuck this." Draco put a hand to his face, sighing angrily. He was frustrated. Naturally. Harry took a step closer, holding out a hand that he wasn't sure what it was meant to do.
"Please, Draco. Please, just give me a chance." He begged, eyes imploring Draco to calm down if only he would look up.
"No. No. I can't- I just… I can't. And don't call me that. You're Potter. I'm Malfoy. That's all there is." And with that, Draco ran.
Well, he didn't run. More like walked quickly with long strides down the hallway and out of sight.
Harry wondered why he wasn't running after him. Why wasn't he chasing after Draco, trying to fix this? What was wrong with him. And his heart despaired. What was he thinking? Draco might have been gay, but who said he would ever want Harry? Harry, who purposely tried to make his life into a living Hell. Harry, who ignored him unless they were fighting or playing Quidditch.
The change came slowly this time, though it sped up with every passing depressing thought. Soon enough, Harry was once more a black cat, sitting off to the side of the hallway, hanging his head in sorrow. A large group of students went by chattering and laughing with each other after dinner. Harry's mind was still on Draco, and the pain he'd seen rolling off of the other teen. Especially how he couldn't fix it.
oooOOOooo
"And then he told me that he-" Draco cut himself off, putting his head in his hands, doing anything not to look at Snape. "-Nevermind." No. He'd keep the fact that Harry apparently liked him to himself.
"Well. You know I'll have to tell the Order about this now. And his friends may take this terribly. I want to see that necklace, as well." Draco nodded mutely as his Godfather spoke. "As quickly as you can, please." Snape's voice was tense.
Draco got up and trudged out of Snape's office. He retraced his steps back to the hallway where he'd left Harry, figuring that he'd just go from there to figure out where Harry would have gone (though the Gryffindor common room seemed the appropriate choice). But when he looked, he realized he didn't have to go far. There Harry was, huddled as a cat, staring at the stones beneath his paws.
Draco sighed. He felt so drained. Did it hardly matter how he treated Harry anymore? He was too tired to deal with this shit.
"Snape wants to see your collar." He grunted, scooping Harry up and holding on firmly. "And you're coming, whether you want to or not." And back he went, Harry not putting up a fight of any kind.
"… Sorry for running off like that." Draco mumbled quietly. Harry butted his head against Draco's cheek. It was probably the best 'you're forgiven' that he was going to get.
Soon enough they were in Snape's office. Severus himself was sitting at the desk looking tired, yet composed. Draco put Harry down on the desk, but he didn't step back like Harry thought he would. Instead, Draco kept a hand on Harry's back. Some form of reassurance? Harry couldn't be sure.
"Ahh… Mister Potter. So glad you finally decided to join us." Snape sneered. "Hold still. This shouldn't hurt."
He stood, taking out his wand and preforming a few incantations over Harry. Occasionally, his eyes would narrow or an eyebrow would rise, but all in all there wasn't much of a reaction. It took him about half an hour to finish his assessment. Snape sat back in his office chair when he was done, folding his fingers together in front of his face, staring at the collar contemplatively.
"It seems, Potter, that you've picked up a very powerful cursed item. It's called the Necklace of Allure. When one puts it on, it instantly transforms that person into an animal that the person they love finds acceptable. After that it will twist fate until it brings the transformed and their love together. Only that person's love can force the necklace to do anything. For example, transfigure it, or take it off.
"Taking off the necklace does not remove the curse. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that it would only strengthen it. The only way you will be able to transform back is if the person you love accepts you and your affections both the way you are as an animal and the way you are as a human." Snape sighed at the end of his speech, rubbing his temples.
Harry and Draco shared a look.
"Wait. So does that mean that… I'm the one he loves?" Draco asked, gobsmacked. Both of them looked to the professor for an answer, wide-eyed with surprise. Even Harry's jaw hung open a little bit.
"Brilliant observation, Draco." Snape rolled his eyes, speaking sarcastically. "Maybe we should get you a plaque. Yes, Harry is in love with you. It's up to you to reject or accept his affections, however. Just keep in mind that if you don't, Mister Potter will be spending the remainder of his life eating tuna and meowing whenever he wants something."
"…And… You're… Okay with that?" Draco asked tentatively, finding this conversation extremely strange and more than slightly awkward.
"Honestly Draco, I couldn't care less." Snape met his godson's gaze evenly. "What you do with your life isn't up to me." If there was a little bit more contempt in his voice than necessary, no one pointed it out. "Now if you aren't careful, you'll miss curfew. Potter, tomorrow is Saturday. I expect to see both you and Draco in front of the Headmaster's office at ten o'clock sharp. If you're late, twenty points from Gryffindor."
Harry couldn't find a way to reply to that. His head was spinning with newfound knowledge. Draco had to love him back? He felt sick. Draco picked him up again, and headed back to the Slytherin dorms. He didn't say anything to Harry as they walked, and the sick feeling only grew, and cold dread along with it. What was going to happen to him?
They entered the common room, and Blaise smiled when he saw Draco.
"Yo- didn't see you at dinner. Thought you'd gone off the deep end on us. But you're lookin' better." He noted.
Draco nodded, and headed straight up to bed. Harry was, of course, taken with him. Harry jumped down from Draco's arms, sitting on the floor and watching him go about his getting ready for bed. But unlike all the other times, Draco took his clothes into the bathroom to change. Harry panicked in his silence, and a few times it felt like he was going to throw up.
What had he done?! He never should have looked at the necklace in the first place. Then he wouldn't have gotten himself into this mess…
This sucked. There really was no other word for it, even if he had to pull it out of a seven year old's vocabulary. The epitome of suck. That's what this was.
Draco reemerged, and Harry backed away a little as he crawled into bed. Before Harry could jump onto the bed as well, Draco closed the curtains on him. Harry knew a 'stay out' when he saw one. Instead, he fell asleep on the floor just beside Draco's bed, feeling like a complete loser. What was he thinking? He got a chance to talk, and he blew any sort of chance he had of getting out of this form.
Like he said.
Epitome of suck.