kai crazy: This chapter was a pain in the arse to get done, I kept getting interrupted and my concentration was broken. It's not as long as the last few chapters which annoys me but I'll make up for it in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters. I claim Tara and her family.


Two days came and went faster than one could say Quidditch and yet Draco was still mulling over what to tell Tara.

"Do you want some tea?" Tara asked him, breaking through his thoughts. Draco looked up at his mate, who was smiling softly at him.

"Sure, let me summon a house elf," The shorter female stopped him.

"I want to go get it myself," She told him. When Draco gave her a look like she'd gone mad, she sighed and leaned over, kissing his cheek. "You've done all these things for me and I feel bad since all I've done is sit here and let you do all the work. And before you say it's your job, it's not. As the female, I'm obligated to make you happy too, Draco, otherwise what use am I to you when we get older? I need to know how to do some things, we can't always rely on others to get things for us."

"Fine," He sighed. "Come back soon, alright? And please, don't burn yourself on the bloody teapot," Tara smiled and nodded. He watched as she left and laid back on the bed, swallowing when he felt bile starting to rise in his throat. The potions his father gave him no longer had any effect on him and he was feeling sicker then ever. His stomach gave a violent heave that sent Draco running for the bathroom.

Not now! Was all he could think as he became sick in the toilet. It burned his throat as he emptied his stomach, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He hated it. He could barely hold any food down and the times that he could were rare. He always forced himself to act like nothing was wrong when Tara asked him and whenever she left the room, he always ended up the way he currently was. Kneeling before the porcelain bowl, gripping the edges as he vomited. With a groan, he leaned back, wiping his mouth with a scowl. He truly detested becoming sick like this.

"Draco?" Tara's voice rang out and the male Veela stiffened, eyes widening. "Draco?" She called out again and his stomach heaved.

Her voice should help, not make it worse! He thought, leaning over and dry heaving. He heard the sound of a tray falling and Tara's muted foot falls against the carpet as she ran to the bathroom.

"Draco!" She knelt down beside him, eyes full of concern. When he finished, she reached out and gently framed his face, making him look at her. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Just a stomach bug," He assured her. Tara took in his features and he figured she didn't believe him. Hell, he wouldn't believe himself either if he were looking at himself from her point of view. The circles under his eyes were worse than they'd ever been and his skin was a sickly gray color, his eyes dull and his hair limp.

"You're lying," She whispered, the concern morphing into hurt. "You're sick, I can tell... but how do I help you?"

"Take me downstairs to my Father," Draco told her. Tara nodded and apparated him downstairs along with herself. Lucius and Narcissa were there, a solemn look on their faces.

"Mr. Malfoy, Draco is really sick," She looked at the patriarch who regarded the two calmly. "What's happening to him?"

"He's sick because he has been keeping a secret," Draco glared at his father then. Tara looked at her mate, horrified that he would do something like that to her.

"Why?" She whispered to him. Draco looked at her and then away, ashamed of himself. "What have you kept from me?"

"Promise me that when I tell you... you won't hate me," He looked at her then, begging her.

"I promise," She whispered.

"You know the Malfoy's associate with the Dark Lord," He continued and she nodded. "You willingly came here to Malfoy Manor, knowing that my own father is a Death Eater," Again she nodded. "After he was thrown in Azkaban, the Dark Lord came to me," His voice was strained, his jaw clenched. "He gave me a job, you see, to make up for my father's failure," Tara stepped away from him and she saw the hurt look in his eyes. He rolled up the sleeve on his left arm and removed the glamour. Tara looked at his arm, eyes widening when she saw the Dark Mark slowly revealed to her. "I myself became a Death Eater," He told her in a bitter voice.

"Why?" She demanded, heart beating quickly.

"If I hadn't he would have killed them!" He motioned to his parent's, forcing back tears. "He would have killed me...!" Tara felt sick when he said this. If Draco had been killed... she would have gone through her days depressed and eventually would have died from not having her other half. "I had no choice, Tara, you understand that, right?" He looked at her pleadingly.

"How long...?" She forced herself to speak.

"Since sixth year," He whispered. "I don't want to do it anymore, I can't, it's taking so much of a toll on me," Lucius and Narcissa left then, knowing they needed time alone. "I feel so sick from the things I've done," Tara slowly inched towards him and he watched her, unmoving.

"Do your parents feel the same?" She asked him, unable to bring herself to reach out and comfort him.

"Yes," He nodded. "I even told Potter and the Weasel that I've changed sides," Tara felt her heart skip a beat. "But I need to stay in the Dark Lord's graces, mate, in order to keep you safe. My parents will do the same."

"You should have just told me from the beginning, Draco," She whispered, that hurt look in her eyes again. "You wouldn't have had to suffer like this," Finally, with shaking hands, Tara reached out and cupped his cheeks.

"I was afraid you would hate me for it," He told her. "Afraid that you would reject me and cast me away to die."

"No matter how much of an arse you are, no one deserves to die like that," She told him. "It just would have been nice if you'd told me instead of keeping it bottled up inside of you all these months... are you feeling better though?"

"Yes, I am," He gave a weak smile. Tara moved closer and kissed his cheek, moving her arms to wrap around his neck. She watched, amazed as color began to spread from where her lips touched his skin. She looked into his eyes and found they once again shone their normal brilliant silver and even his hair seemed to return to life. The bags beneath his eyes slowly began to fade but she also suspected he needed a good nights rest to be rid of them for good. "Your lips are magic," He teased her.

"Shut it, Malfoy," She smiled. Inside she was still hurt that Draco had kept such a secret from her and she wasn't sure if she would ever completely forgive him for doing so.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" He looked into her eyes, his smile gone.

"I forgive you but... Draco, my trust in you has slipped a little," She watched him wince at her words.

"Can I do anything to make it up to you?" He asked quickly, eager to win her good graces once more.

"You can start by brushing your teeth," She scrunched up her nose and smiled at him. This earned her a playful glare and soon they were back in his room. "I'm just telling you the truth, you have vomit breath," He rolled his eyes and let her go, heading to the bathroom. He flushed the toilet and set about brushing his teeth. Tara looked down and quickly cleaned up the spilled tea and sighed, upset that her hard work had gone to waste.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" He asked after he'd completed the task she'd apparently assigned him.

"Hmm..." She tapped her chin in a thoughtful manner. "Take your shirt off and go lay on the bed," She told him, eyes glinting. Draco raised an eyebrow and did as he was told, laying on his stomach. He felt Tara get on the bed and smirked, groaning when she sat on his back.

"Tara, your fat arse is crushing me!" He moaned out, receiving a smack to his bare shoulder that made him yelp. "No need to hit me," He scowled, looking over his shoulder.

"How dare you call me fat!" She seethed at him, blushing furiously.

"I'm joking, mate," He snickered. "You're as light as a blasted feather, you need to eat more."

"You want me to be fat?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying a bit of meat on your bones couldn't hurt," He muttered. Tara rolled her eyes and pressed her hands against his shoulders. "What are you doing?" He asked her.

"What's it look like?" She asked and then paused, rubbing his shoulders a bit. "Rather, what's it feel like I'm doing?"

"It feels like you're being a bit of a perv who can't get enough of me," This earned him a smack across the back of his head. He laughed at this and heard Tara grumble about how he had his mind in the gutter or something along those lines.

"Giving you a shoulder rub," She huffed, her hands continuing their ministrations. "You always offer to give me a shoulder rub, so I thought I'd return the favor for once."

"Well that's thoughtful," He murmured, relaxing under her hands.

"What kind of mate would I be if I didn't treat you the same way you treat me?" She smiled, leaning down to place a chaste kiss on his shoulder, right over the fading hickey. She felt Draco shiver and smiled as she leaned back, continuing the massage. The two remained silent, just enjoying each others company. When she finished, she laid down against his back, her cheek resting on his shoulder blade. "Feel any better?"

"Very," He responded. "Magic lips and magic fingers? I got myself on hell of a girl," He and Tara both laughed at this. Draco began to shift and Tara instantly moved, allowing him to do so. He quickly caught her in his arms and pulled her back down on top of him, making her squeak. He always found enjoyment in making her make such a sound. He looked at his mate and took in her features, smiling when he saw the faint blush that tinted her cheeks. "Lets take a bath?" It was more of a question than a statement.

"Of course," She smiled. Leaning up, Draco captured her lips in a dizzying kiss. No matter how many times they did this, Tara always ended up light headed and she had to admit.. she kind of liked it. Before she had time to say anything, he had her in his arms, walking towards the bathroom.

"Can I undress you again?" He asked, looking down at her.

"If you keep your eyes on my face," He nodded and set her down. Tara took a calming breath and closed her eyes, feeling a slight jolt when Draco's fingers skimmed over her neck, reaching for the top button. He slowly began to undo it, his eyes locked on her face which was slowly tinting pink. He moved closer once all the buttons were undone and slowly, almost teasingly, slid it off each arm, fingers skimming over the flesh to raise goosebumps. "Draco..." She breathed his name and he leaned in close, breath tickling her ear.

"I'm not doing anything bad," He smirked. Tara grumbled and let him continue, breath hitching when he reached for her pants. "Relax, mate," He whispered, fingers skimming across the smooth, taut surface of her stomach. He undid the button slowly and reached for the zipper, making her shiver a bit. Pulling it down, Draco smiled and kissed his mate's cheek. "You want to do the rest? I'm sure you'd kick me if I took the honor of removing your pants. The damn thing clings to you like a second skin," Tara nodded and quickly took her pants off. "Want me to close my eyes?" He asked, pulling back to look into the crystal blue depths of her eyes.

"Yes," She whispered. Draco did so and listened as she removed her bra and panties. He heard her squeak and the sound of her bare feet slapping against the marble floor was heard as she frantically searched for something. A towel he assumed. "Malfoy!" He groaned when she said this. "You forgot to draw the bath!" Oh, was that all? Opening his eyes, the taller blonde moved to start filling the tub with hot water and their usual bath oils. Making sure the towel was tied securely around her body, Tara fixed her mate in a hard glare.

"I've undressed you so would you like the chance to do the same?" He asked her, making her blush. All he had left was his pants and boxers. He suddenly regretted the offer though as the thought of her fingers skimming across his flesh started to stir a certain part of his anatomy.

"It would only have been fair if you had a shirt on," She smiled and he gave a mental sigh of relief. Once the bath was filled to a certain point, he shut the water off and closed his eyes so Tara could drop her towel and get in. After she did so, she in turn closed her eyes so Draco could finish undressing and join her. As soon as he was in, Tara found herself in his lap, straddling his hips much to her own surprise. "Dr-Draco..!" She squeaked out, gripping his shoulders and raising herself on her knee's as high as she dared to go. "What's gotten into you?" She was blushing, though the Malfoy heir wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. Either way, it looked cute.

"Just thought it'd be nice to see your face for once while we bathed," He told her simply.

"Yes well... this is so improper!" She managed to say, still not allowing herself to sit down.

"What about any of this is improper?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow. "We're mates, Tara, sitting and bathing like this shouldn't bother you so much."

"We haven't bonded," She reminded him. "Nor am I ready to... to go past snogging!" She blushed even more and he threw his head back, laughing. "What're you laughing about?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"You," He snorted.

"What about me?" She growled and he frowned.

"Tara, do you hear yourself?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "You sound like a first year," Tara blushed angrily at this. "I've been restraining myself to the best of my ability these last few months but this past week has been extremely hard," He watched as Tara slowly let herself sit down in his lap, breath hitching softly as she did so.

"Draco, I'm just not ready," She whispered. "Veela are incredibly sexual when aroused, I know this..." She took a shaking breath, hands kneading his shoulders. "We're only 17... I don't want to rush it, you know?" She gave a weak smile. "And a war is coming... we all know this..."

"If you're also saying you're not ready for kids, we don't have to have any immediately," He told her offhandedly.

"You are utterly and completely barking mad, Draco," She muttered. "Veela love children, you know that as well as I do."

"Do shut up," He sighed. "We'll talk about this later, when you aren't being an overly sensitive git about matters concerning our impending union." Tara gave him a dark look and buried her face against his neck. "I won't force it on you but, you know that, but I will keep persisting until you just let go of that damn control you cling to so dearly." The two fell into an uncomfortable silence then. Draco flinched when Tara moved out of his lap, insisting that she wash herself. I've mucked up again... He thought with a sigh. "Tara," He crooned softly, watching as she struggled to not look up. "Mate," He trilled and whined a bit, desperate for her attention. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I did, it was wrong of me."

"You'd damn well better be sorry," She snapped at him. Draco frowned and realized he might need to use a different tactic to earn forgiveness this time. Silently, they washed up and let each other get out, never saying a word. He stalked out into the bedroom, eyes narrowed, ready to execute his plan. Grabbing Tara, he threw her on the bed and pounced, pinning both hands over her head. His mate looked up at him, shocked and started to struggle. Her eyes widened however, when she felt his free hand tug her shirt up a bit and skim over her sides. A small squeal escaped her lips and he smirked, knowing he'd found it. He soon had Tara shrieking and squealing with laughter, her body thrashing under his larger frame as she tried to escape from his fingers.

"You going to forgive me?" He laughed, continuing to tickle her. Letting go of her hands, he brought his other into play, making Tara shriek and laugh even louder as she squirmed.

"You're playing dirty!" She squealed, face flushed a light pink.

"That's not the answer I'm looking for," He smirked, refusing to relent. Tara laughed and squirmed, trying to grab his wrists.

"I forgive you!" She finally said, albeit she was laughing while she did so. Draco smiled and finally stopped, his hands resting on her hips.

"You should laugh more, I like how it sounds," He told her. He leaned down and captured her lips quickly before pulling back. "Sorry, I'm rather addicted to that," He admitted sheepishly. His silver eyes found the fading hickey and he growled.

"Don't you dare," She squeaked, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Don't even think about it!"

"Oh but I am thinking it," He grinned and ducked down, attacking the spot on her shoulder fiercely. Tara could only gasp and moan, arching against him as his mouth latched itself in place, teeth tugging and nipping at the sensitive skin.

"Draco," She moaned, fingers digging into the duvet, trying to anchor herself down as her head began to spin. "Please," The word came out breathy, almost begging in a way. With one final, harsh suck, Draco pulled away, smiling at his work.

"You were saying something?" He crooned. "Please what, mate?" He asked, tilting his head. Blushing, the blonde beneath him grumbled something that he didn't quite hear, which surprised him as his sense of hearing was heightened due to his Veela blood. "Speak up, its rude to mumble," He whispered, nipping at her neck teasingly.

"More...!" She mewled at him and he froze, processing exactly what he'd heard.

"I'm sorry but... would you care to repeat that?" He said, blinking as he pulled back a bit.

"Draco.. please... more..." She whimpered softly, face flushed. Draco couldn't believe his ears as his eyes lit up with unadulterated joy.

"Be very, very sure of what you're asking for, mate," He let out a slow breath. "This is not something I will take lightly."

"Will you stop if I ask you to?" And those were the exact words he knew she was going to say.

"It'll be hard but..." He struggled to say it. "I'll stop if you want to," Tara smiled at this. "Wait... are you doing this because of what I said in the bath?" His eyes narrowed and she looked away, biting her lip. "Merlin... Tara..." He couldn't find the words to say to her then. "If you don't want this, then we won't keep going. I'm not going any further if its because of something stupid I said to you," Tara flinched and sniffled a bit. Draco thought she was going to cry for a moment and his heart stopped along with his breathing.

"I'm just a stupid, foolish, spoiled prat aren't I?" She whispered. "I don't know what I want really..." Her chin began to tremble as tears fell from her eyes. Draco was frozen as he looked down at her, not sure of what to do. Up to this point, he'd never seen Tara cry and he hadn't any experience on how to comfort a person. The only solution he could come up with was to wrap her in his arms and hold her tight. "I'm a horrible mate," She began to sob softly and this alarmed the taller Veela.

"Never say that again," He whispered, framing her face. "Tara, look at me," The girl reached up to grab his wrists, tugging weakly. "Look at me," He told her in a stern voice. "You're not stupid or foolish, nor are you a prat. And you certainly are not a horrible mate," He told her this in the softest voice he could muster. When this didn't seem to calm her, he whined in frustration and sat back, gathering her in his arms. "Mother!" He called out to his mother, needing her help as it seemed he only made things worse. Within moments, Narcissa arrived in the room, eyes wide. She moved towards the bed and carefully took Tara away from Draco, making sure her skin did not touch the young Veela's. Lucius followed his wife and looked at his son, motioning for him to follow. Draco stood and went to his father, leaving the room reluctantly.

"Would you like to tell me why Tara is currently crying her eyes out?" Lucius demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"We were just... we had another little argument and she forgave me afterwords," Draco told him, running a hand through his hair. "We were just kind of... I wanted to keep going and..." He growled in frustration, tugging at his hair. "She said we could and I figured out she only wanted to because of something I said. Then she started saying stuff... like she was stupid and all that mess. Then she started crying and I – I just didn't know what to do," He scrubbed his hands over his face and tilted his head back.

"You cannot rush things, Draco," Lucius said as though he knew what was going on with his son. And he did.

"I've been waiting months, Father!" Draco hissed. "I waited long enough to tell her about the Dark Mark and she made me promise to wait until Christmas before we did anything else! It's well past that time and she's still telling me to wait!"

"Calm yourself, Draco," Lucius raised his walking stick, making Draco back up, breathing heavily. "I'm certain you can wait another few days or weeks. Courting takes time."

"I've already taken so much time to gain her trust and please her, gotten her things that any normal witch could only hope to possess! I've even displayed for her and she accepted me," His chest began to heave, his body trembling. "What more must I do?"

"You need only wait for her to be ready," Draco let out a growl. "I remember being just as impatient as you are when I was your age, got me into quite a bit of trouble too. You will have your chance, you just need to be patient."

"You're right, Father," Draco finally sighed and looked away. "What if he finds out about her? That's one of the reasons I want to make the bond, I'm terrified by the thought of him finding out about her. What if he tries to take her from me?"

"The Dark Lord wants a great many things, Draco," Lucius reminded him. "But power is his main goal. Should he somehow find out about Tara being your mate, then I shall intervene. As a Veela myself and your father, I take care of my family. As a Veela, I put the lives of my loved ones before my own and as a father, I do just the same. Children are important to our race, Draco, you know that." Draco nodded and his father continued. "Any child born to a Veela is precious, just as any normal child would be to its family. Because you and Tara are both Veela, you have the potential to create offspring that are more than half Veela, as the gene is dominant. " Lucius explained quietly.

"She doesn't want kids yet," Draco scowled as Lucius lowered his walking stick.

"She'll change her mind once you've bonded," The patriarch told him. "For now, focus on keeping her safe and happy, alright?" Draco grumbled and nodded. "Now, off with you, I'm sure she's settled down by now," The younger blonde hurried back to his room, only to be hit with... a book? He stood there, staring at his mate in shock. She'd thrown a book at him.. and nailed him in the face with it. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be angry or amused. Narcissa covered her mouth and laughed a bit, hurrying out of the room.

"Tara...?" He ventured and looked at her, almost fearing she would throw something else at him.

"You're an arse, Draco," She bit out, obviously trying to stop herself from laughing about something. It was only then that he noticed her wings folded behind her and he rolled his eyes.

"Come here," He growled, narrowing his eyes. Tara grumbled and walked towards him, letting him hold her, though not before she smacked his shoulder for good measure. "And you accuse me of playing dirty? What's all this about? You threw a bloody book at me!" Tara looked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent.

"I haven't the foggiest of what you're talking about," She gave a gentle croon and Draco's features relaxed. "I only think its fair, don't you?" She tilted her head, wings twitching as she moved, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Mate, we really must stop this," He groaned. "We fight and then act like nothing happened."

"It's in our nature to forgive our mates, is it not?" She crooned gently. Draco chuckled softly and smiled at her.

"Now you're catching on," He told her. "You've been reading more into our history haven't you?"

"The book your father gave me has been quite resourceful as of late," She nodded. "I'll have to thank him tomorrow," Getting on her tip toes, Tara kissed his cheek.

"It's gotten late," Draco noticed, tearing his gaze away from Tara. His mate noticed as well and smiled when she realized exactly what time it was.

"It's almost the new year," She let out a soft purr. The taller Veela nodded and picked her up, careful of her wings and sat on the bed, content to just hold her for the time being. "If... you behave and don't bother me about it, I'll consider letting you have a bit more control over what happens between us, alright?" She whispered. Draco looked down at her, wondering if she was bluffing again. "I mean it this time."

"I'll hold you to your word then," He said. With a shudder, he let his wings emerge and smiled as Tara's attention immediately turned to them. "Want to dance?" He asked with a grin.

"I was thinking about that and I wanted to do something actually," He saw her eyes glint. "You've been showing off quite a bit when we go out, which is rarely, and I figured I could show off a bit as well... though only for you." Wiggling out of his arms, Tara stood before him, smiling. Parting her lips, she began to sing an old Veela song meant only for one's mate. Draco watched as she began to move, dancing to some unheard beat as she continued singing. His eyes followed each movement her body made, especially when she shook her hips for him teasingly, though this only brought some form of pleasurable discomfort between his legs. He watched as she used her wings in the dance, singing still, her eyes always finding Draco's no matter what she did. He loved Tara's voice, it was angelic, and if he had it his way, he would be the only one to ever hear it. He knew though that she secretly loved to sing and if it made her happy to sing for others, he would let her, no matter how much he might hate doing so.

When Tara finally ended her little show, she found herself encased in the wings of her mate, locked against his chest.

"How is it that after all that's happened today, we can still find peace?" Draco whispered.

"Because we have each other?" Tara shrugged and groaned when she felt his fingers dancing along her right wing. "What did I say about behaving?"

"Sorry, couldn't help it," He grinned. "It's just so tempting," She glared up at him and he put his hand back on her waist. He frowned when she retracted her wings. He folded his own and picked her up, earning a surprised squeak. He chuckled and teased her about it for a while before sitting on the bed, his own wings disappearing into his body. "It's midnight," He whispered to her.

"Happy New Year, Draco," She smiled.

"Happy New Year, Tara," He leaned down and kissed her, noticing a certain amount of passion behind it that had not been there before. Pulling back, he smiled and laid down, holding her close. "Let's get some rest, I'm certain my parent's have something planned for tomorrow." Tara nodded and curled up in his arms, falling asleep rather quickly. Crying certainly took a lot out of a person. I'll have to thank Potter some time... his plan actually worked. He thought, watching over his mate. She doesn't hate me... and that's all I could ask for right now. Inhaling her scent, Draco closed his eyes, pushing aside his worries as he let the darkness of sleep take him. In the back of his mind though, something was nagging him, warning him of the dangers to come...


kai crazy: This chapter certainly had its ups and downs for them, huh? Well, things should improve next chapter, though danger lurks in their future! See you next chapter! Plz R&R!