Lily: AAAAHNYYYOOUUUNNNNNG! I see many people have observed in obvious frustration my plot. It thickened considerably in the past couple of chapters ne? Kind of frightening ne? I am going to be lynched ne? I bet y'all hate me ne? ne?ne?ne? Isn't that annoying? But anyways, I have to say that I think I shall let some cats out of my burlap bag this chapter. LOOK FORWARD TO IT!
Ura-hrd: finally! A person who appreciated taking things slowly! Aaahah jp jp! But thank you, I see you don't mind my pace too much
Anime-san: A-RI-GA-TO gozaimashita! I see you as well enjoy the many greatnesses of Nihongo? Or at least of anime…I shall say to you! Atashi no namae wa Lily desu! Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu! I only like saying that for no reason. Butenyway, I'm glad that u like my fic, what's the word again…Yokatta!
Mimifoxlove: did Lucius think that? I am not remembering…it must be my poorness at writing mysterious things since I am a rather blunt and blatant person
Makalani Astral: I'm glad you like him this way since he wasn't this way in the books…really
DracoDormiens7: 1: this is something you'll find out soon 2:yet another thing left to be revealed…it will be soon and 3: and the only answer you'll actually get…but of course!
Hikaru: I live to please…and occasionally terrorize insects in the park
Belladonna Malfoy: ai-yah! Long review! Ok here we go.
Issue 1: ah…torture threats. It is a sign that one truly likes the fic…or is just very very sick. I'll go with the former rather than the latter since It makes me feel safer. Thank you very much for the compliment
Issue 2: before I started to write this fic, I'd looked at some others and I never really read them since I tend to get bored easily and reading a whole bunch of Veela fanfiction would bore me a lot. Magnetic Attraction is a fic I think I have heard of…but I'm not sure I've read it. In any case, I don't want to read anything until I finish this fic, that way my mind will not be on other people's stories and ideas while I'm trying to write mine. I'll probably read a bunch soon though
Issue 3: I'm confused…what did I saw about Draco again? I don't remember. But anyhow, you've made a lot of good points, and it's true that there are things Draco really did do that I can never imagine doing. But he is a coward in a sense in the series…if u really watch how JKR portrays him and all Slytherins it's pretty obvious. I like him better in the 6th book when he seems to grow a bit of spine.
Issue 4: I happen to like Snape despite the recent wave of Snape hatred that seems to have developed. I won't say much more than that pertaining to the newest book since not everyone has read it and this is not a spoilerfic. I think Snape is a lot less shallow than JKR has given us so far, there are a great many things we have yet to discover.
Issue 5: thank you very much. Merci beaucoup. Arigato gozaimasu. Xie xie. Gesongheyo. And et cetera. I feel honored that you like my fic enough to put it up there with, what sound like, the very biggest of names on your like list.
Ah, I shall dedicate this chapter to you and your super long review since it was so nice!
Malfoyrocks: thanks so much for the compliment; I hope you enjoy the story as it goes on.
Rlmess: yes yes, I am tres sorry about the Lucius thing; I like to fool around with him a lot. He is a maaaajor element in the Dark Lord's plans though! But don't worry, he's taken care of. You'll see. And about Draco, it's little observations like these that lead to what everyone is waiting for.
To all my lovely reviewers that I didn't respond to, thank you for reviewing, I hope you come back and review again. I hope y'all enjoy this!
Chapter Dedication to: Belladonna for her high praise of my fic and her super long review which must have taken a lot of time.
Please enjoy
The moon shone in the sky, a sickly crescent amongst a myriad of sparkling stars. The air was warm and pleasant carrying just a hint of the summer that was coming. Draco lay back against the long grass by the lake's edge and smiled. The weeks had been growing longer ever since Lucius Malfoy had 'died'. He was getting tired of showing his unhappy grieving face all the time, making people believe that he really cared that his father had passed on. After all it's what they expected to see right? So, why not give the people what they want, ne? (Kris: lol )
It had been two weeks since Lucius Malfoy's body had been found bloodied and disfigured. Two frustrating weeks of Auror investigations and Ministry press conferences, and the Wizarding Worldwide (WWW) was hosting weeklong debates on the whole murder, spewing forth ridiculous theories that didn't come close to the truth. During those two weeks Draco had put on his greatest play, it was one he liked to call "Mourning" and there wasn't a bit of sincerity in it. But what does that matter, when everyone around you buys it?
"Your mask is slipping Malfoy," Draco sat straight up and turned around to see Harry Potter smirking down at him. Draco scowled, if one person had been a pain during those two weeks it had been Harry Potter. His constant presence made Draco feel…odd, as if there was some sort of itch just underneath the skin that he could not scratch. The Golden Boy had been there smirking wordlessly when Draco had feigned trauma and burst into tears in History of Magic, he had also been there when Draco had been led sniffling from CoMC, and he had been there when Pansy had yelled at Draco (so loudly that he could've heard it if he'd been in Gryffindor tower rather than down in the Great Hall) to stop moping and eat something or he would die. Harry Potter had been a silent and skeptical audience through all the acts of Draco's performance, smirking at him like an all knowing sadistic bastard. And the worst part was that Draco knew that the Golden Boy saw through his act.
"What mask are you talking about Potter? I, unlike you, don't need to wear one to keep the younger years from getting scared." this snide comment, much to Draco's disappointment, only brought another infamous Potter smirk to Harry's face.
"That's an interesting response Malfoy, but not quite up to your usual standards. Am I to believe that all this…er mourning has put you into some sort of funk?"
'When did Potter get to be such an observant…Slytherin-ish prick?' Draco thought, looking intently at Harry's smirking face.
"See something you like Malfoy? Or do I have something on my face?" Harry asked lightly, sitting down next to Draco and lying back. Draco found himself blushing for what seemed to be the millionth time, whenever he was around Harry he seemed to blush quite a bit1. And his body… 'No Draco, just stop thinking.'
"Of course I don't see anything I like Potter! I just thought I saw a really big zit! But it turns out it was your nose so I suppose that everything is fine here!"
Harry smiled slightly,
"Am I the only one getting a sense of Déjà vu?" he murmured, closing his eyes. Draco stared at him for a moment longer before resuming his previous relaxed position.
"So Malfoy, your performance is a hit. I guess I should congratulate you…" Harry's voice was calm and without malice
"I suppose so…I take roses, white roses, they look better with me next to them." Draco replied deciding that he would drop the act since it only made him look foolish; it was obvious that Harry had seen through it.
"Don't you mean that you look better with white roses, rather than red ones?"
"No I mean exactly what I said. They look better with me."
"Right. I'll put that on my to-do list. But I wonder why no one has seen through it…it's so obvious!" Draco could tell that this had been bothering Harry for a while,
"Not everyone can be a genius like the Great Harry Potter." Draco smirked and Harry scowled.
"It doesn't take a genius to figure this one out Malfoy, even you could do it." Draco winced, well, he had set that one up nicely.
"Nice jab Potter, are you sure you're not a Slytherin in disguise?" he said, partially disgusted with himself and partially surprised at Harry's quickness of tongue.
"Interestingly enough, I was going to be a Slytherin…had I let the Sorting Hat put me there." Draco sat up to look at the reclining Gryffindor, disbelief was etched all over his pale face.
"Don't lie to try and impress me Potter, you're a Gryffindork to the core." Draco said, but was horrified to find that it lacked much conviction. Harry smiled,
"It's true though, the Sorting Hat almost put me into Slytherin but I wanted to be in Gryffindor…" Draco let himself drift into a fantasy of what it would have been like had Harry Potter been in Slytherin.
He saw them sitting together on the train with Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Blaise all talking and joking. He saw himself and Harry on the same Quidditch team trouncing everyone else and always winning the House Cup. He saw the lack of constant fighting and rivalry between them and the friendship they had in its place. But the strangest and, oddly, the most desirable thing he saw was he and Harry curled up together in a bed that smelled just like Harry did, sleeping peacefully with their fingers entwined.
Draco blushed and pushed the image away before any other more desir-disturbing, ones took its place.
"It would have made being in Slytherin a total disgrace if you were there Potter. I guess I should thank Weasley for persuading you to be a Gryffindor then." He said smirking past his blush. Harry got up and was suddenly very close to Draco, his fingers slid to cup Draco's chin. Draco's vision was filled with Harry's green eyes which were solemn as they looked at him,
"By your blush Malfoy…" Harry said and Draco could feel his breath ghost along his skin, he shivered,
"I don't think that's what you imagined when you saw me in Slytherin. You should learn to slip off that mask of yours sometimes. I think you'd be more attractive if people saw the real you." Harry's fingers lingered for a little longer before he got up and began to walk away,
"Goodnight…Draco" he purred.
Behind him, Draco Malfoy was left flushed as bright red as a strawberry with his heart beating frantically in his chest.
Draco laid a hand over the place where Harry's fingers had touched and continued to stare after his retreating back,
"Stupid Gryffindor." He said. But he knew that he didn't really mean it.
Not at all.
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest a figure cloaked in all black watched their entire exchange. Dark eyes narrowed as Harry Potter walked by, seemingly unguarded and at ease. But this person knew better than to attack Harry Potter alone. The Golden Boy was his Master's to kill not his, if he killed Harry Potter now, then a much more grievous death awaited him at the hands of Lord Voldemort. So now he just watched, watched everything that Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter did and waited for the right time.
He reached into his cloak and produced a mirror,
"Morsmordre." he murmured into the mirror and the surface rippled.
"What is it my Servant…" the familiar hissing voice of Lord Voldemort came from the mirror, the cloaked man smiled,
"They grow closer each day My Lord, I believe that it is soon they will realize and mate." The line was silent for some time as if Voldemort was considering something,
"Very good my Servant, your observations have done me much good. However it is time to step in and help them along. You must make them move faster, time is running out." The servant nodded
"Yes Master." He said.
"Now, you will return to your rooms and go to sleep. In the morning you will remember nothing, am I clear?" the man nodded and dropped the mirror back into his pocket before proceeding back to the castle and to his dorms.
In Gryffindor Tower Hermione and Ron sat together waiting for Harry to return. It had become a sort of ritual for them since Harry often wandered out of the tower at night to walk and clear his head; it only seemed natural to wait for him just in case he never came back. Hermione was poring over her newest book for class and Ron was checking out Parvati Patil who sat giggling with her group of friends across the room.
This is what it looked like however, that was not what was happening. In fact, Hermione was not looking at her book; she was looking at Ron and becoming increasingly furious at his blatant appraisal of another girl. And Ron was not just checking out Parvati Patil, he was communicating to her about a rather hilarious joke they had all heard in a Transfiguration lesson they had had that day. It was just his unfortunate luck that the faces he was making seemed to be suggestive and lecherous to Hermione.
Now, Hermione should not be very angry if she loved Ron the way she loved Harry. The only problem was that she didn't love Ron like that. Hermione loved Ron like a woman loves a man, this disturbing fact she had found out a few weeks ago as she watched Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Dean wrestle (for no reason as boys tended to do) and Ron's shirt had been pulled off. Ron was, in no way, as attractive bodily as Harry who was the most attractive male in the school (Next to Draco of course.) as far as a lot of the female and male population had to say, but to Hermione he was perfect.
Now Hermione, a girl whose biggest source of frustration was her grades, had a problem; whenever she was around Ron, she blushed needlessly. When he smiled at her she blushed, when he commented on any little thing about her she blushed. All the blushing she did was really starting to annoy her.
There was another big downside to being in love with Ron and that was the raging jealousy she felt whenever his eyes followed another girl. Ron was well known for his promiscuity, amongst the girls of fifth sixth and, impressively enough, seventh year he was known to be one of the top "one night stand" guys in the school (Second only to Blaise Zabini whose libido was legendary.).
Now as she sat trying to control herself, she realized what a problem her newfound amorous feelings would create. When she had learned of Puberty back in fourth grade health class, long before she had heard of Hogwarts, she had never thought that she, Hermione Granger, would ever be subject to such things as Hormones and Jealousy. Now she found herself a helpless slave to both of them and it was frustrating her.
Ron laughed suddenly at something Parvati said and Hermione's grip on her book tightened considerably. She wasn't really angry, not really, her heart just felt strange. It felt as if something were pulling at it, as if something was trying to smash it to pieces. It wasn't so bad that she felt the need to cry, but the more she saw Ron pay such attention to other females, the more painful it became.
Hermione knew that a lot of people would wonder why she didn't love Harry instead of Ron. In every way, Harry was the better man. He was more responsible, he was smarter, he was more mature (on some levels), and he was undeniably better looking. But Hermione was not the kind of girl to choose based on looks. Harry was obviously handsome and it wasn't a face one could tire of. His looks were unique, unlike many generically good looking students. Ron was good looking in this way as well, only his was more elusive. Ron's handsomeness lay beneath the surface.
Hermione was unused to romantic language and thoughts so she could never explain it to anyone in a way that would make them see what she did whenever she looked at Ron. (KrisXD: Maybe she should read more romance novels. ) She had a distinct feeling that Harry would understand since Harry often saw the beauty beneath what seemed to be plain or ugly.
'Just like he's seeing beneath Draco Malfoy.' she thought. The way the two ex-rivals behaved held no bitterness lately, she realized it. The looks Draco sent Harry when he wasn't looking held contempt but it was only a cover. That contempt veiled something Hermione had known was there for a long time. Love.
Hermione sighed and put down her book. She felt no resentment for Draco Malfoy anymore. That had died a long time ago. Instead she felt a little cold, a little lonely. Harry had always been alone. He had, had the warmth of his adopted family but his heart belonged to no one but herself and Ron. Even more than Ron, Hermione kept Harry's love sacred; she cherished it like some women treasured precious jewelry. Ever since their first year she had, had Harry all to herself, no other girl had ever come close to touching him. Even Cho Chang had never intruded into that sanctuary. Hermione knew that Harry's heart now belonged to someone else, that someone who had finally snuck up on her and stolen it way.
The portrait opened and Harry walked in, smiling at her and looking rosy cheeked and cheerful. She smiled back and pushed away her sadness.
If Harry was happy then she could never show him her tears. She felt like a mother watching her child leave the house, stolen away by something that could love it more than she could. Harry didn't know it yet, but things were drawing to a head. Ron walked over to where she and Harry sat and dropped gracelessly next to her. Hermione blushed and Harry winked at her and smiled.
That smile had always been hers to treasure, and soon it would belong to someone else. Hermione felt her heart break a little more.
The place he was felt very strange, as if he had been there before without knowing it. He realized that he was naked and didn't care, that in itself was strange. The air smelled very familiar, like the special scent someone dear to him had.
"I see that you've finally started to realize it, even if it is unconsciously." he spun and faced a beautiful man who was smirking at him, standing where there once was nothing.
"Little Dragon…Why is it that you are blind to everything concerning your heart?" the man said, appearing suddenly behind him and laying a slender hand on his shoulder.
"Never mind. I am afraid that I shall have to speed things up, the stars have predicted something most grievous happening if you and your mate do not bond soon…"
He didn't know what to say to that but knew he must ask something,
"What is your name?" he managed and the man smiled at him,
"I, young one, am Hiathos. I must guide you to He who shall forever be called Love to you. It has been ordained by the stars." He began to fade,
"Please, how will I find this mate?" he cried, Hiathos smiled,
"The one you seek is always before you, watching, knowing, and protecting. His eyes are powerful and are the key to victory against those who hunt him. Goodbye little Dragon…"
Draco woke up.
Slytherins were never awoken by obnoxious sunlight creeping through their windows, unlike their counterparts the Gryffindors, as they had none since they were in a dungeon. Instead, an irritating noise had been spelled to sound from the walls whenever it was time to wake up.
Draco Malfoy was already up, having woken from his strange dream hours ago. Blaise Zabini and Crabbe and Goyle were the only boys left in the dorm when the alarm went off. Crabbe and Goyle lumbered off to breakfast as usual leaving Blaise to slowly rise. He was usually quite the early riser, but for some reason he was having trouble waking up. His body and mind felt ravaged, as if he had swallowed a substantial amount of alcohol the previous night. He was having trouble remembering what he had done after dinner. He obviously hadn't slept with anyone since he wasn't in a strange bed and there was no one beside him. He hadn't gotten drunk since, aside from the initial disorientation and slight pain, there were no hangover symptoms.
Blaise got up and went to his trunk to pull out some clothes. Strangely enough it was already open. His usually neat things were in place except for a dark cloak and dark pants and shirt. What were those doing there? He raised and eyebrow and figured that Draco had gone through his things again before folding them.
When he felt an ominous prickle along his skin when he touched the fabric he dismissed it as his imagination.
He didn't know that his "imagination" was very accurate.
"Veelic Veritas potion today, you will all work in pairs…that I assign." Snape, Harry found, was in a terrible mood. Harry sat back and waited, the usual pairs were set aside for the ones Snape used when he was in an especially bad mood and Harry already knew who is partner was going to be.
"Potter and Malfoy!" Harry almost rolled his eyes at Snape's predictability and got up to join the Slytherin, waving a small goodbye to Hermione (Who was looking neutral with her partner of Pansy Parkinson).
"You're all OWL level Potions students now. You should be able to brew this potion efficiently. I must take my leave of you now; I will be leaving Professor Harris-Fisherman with you. Begin!" Snape said and swept out of the room.
Draco glanced at Harry,
"I reckon he didn't get any last night…" Harry muttered and Draco smirked,
"Probably not." He replied lightly, they smiled at each other and Harry got up to get the ingredients.
The Veelic Veritas potion was mildly difficult to brew but Draco and Harry had no problem with it. In no time their brew was finished and they had the rest of the class to wait for it to simmer down. They sat in amicable silence, Harry was writing something and Draco seemed to be staring into space.
He wasn't really staring into space though. His eyes wandered over to the boy sitting next to him, unconsciously taking in everything he could about the Gryffindor. It seemed like he did this automatically every time they were together. Harry suddenly looked at him,
"Something you wanted?" he asked, Draco blushed and became flustered,
"N-nothing!" he stuttered. Inwardly he cringed. Malfoys never stutter, never falter, always have the upper hand. Harry had gone back to writing and Draco calmed himself.
Unfortunately for him, Harry Potter wasn't any other person put into a category by some family handbook, he was refusing to adhere to the Malfoy Code and Draco was finding it increasingly difficult to try and make him.
Hermione sighed,
"Look at them," she said, running her hand through her hair. Pansy sighed as well and slumped down on her desk,
"I know, it's disgusting and annoying isn't it?"
Hermione smiled a little,
"They really are blind though aren't they?" she said. Pansy smirked and watched as Draco's eyes slid over to Harry's face again,
"They are…I wonder how much longer it'll take?" Hermione lifted a shoulder in a shrug,
"Being them? I think we'll have to wait for a long time."
"Did you love him very much?" Pansy looked disinterested but Hermione knew better than to believe in what she saw before her. She smiled,
"Not at all. I love him like a mother and a sister but never as a woman. Did you love him very much?" Hermione did not need the answer, she knew.
"Like the very air I breathe…" Pansy's words were laced with a certain wistfulness, she looked to where Draco and Harry where again.
"I suppose you, like I, have already shed your tears." she murmured.
Hermione closed her eyes,
"I've cried for and because of him enough to last a lifetime, it's enough now. Have you cried for him?" Pansy only nodded.
"I guess we've both said goodbye then. I suppose you'll soon get that thick-headed Weasley to notice you and have millions of red headed babies in the future…" Pansy joked. Hermione looked over at Ron, who sat flirting with Lavender Brown,
"Maybe, but it won't be soon…" Pansy looked at her from beneath her lashes,
"If you wait too long, some girl who sees the same thing in him that you do will take him." She noticed with interest that Hermione paled.
"You have a frightening way of motivating people Pansy…" she said. Pansy didn't say anything and the bell rang.
The room was dim but Harry could see that it was rather large. The bed he was in was very big as well and from the looks of it he was not the only one lying in it. He looked over and saw a pale person lying asleep in the bed next to him, the long blonde hair stood out starkly from the dark bedcovers. Harry looked at the face and, with a jolt, recognized a peacefully sleeping Draco Malfoy.
Harry's eyes traveled from the beautiful sleeping face to the body. His eyes widened as he saw the distinct curve in Draco's body. Harry reached out and ran his hands over the firm swell. Pulling back the covers he saw Draco's stomach, swollen and heavy with child.
A hand slipped on top of his and Harry looked into Draco's eyes. The beautiful man smiled,
"Harry Love, why're you awake? Is there something wrong?" He said. Harry looked down at their joined hands on the swollen stomach where he was sure their child grew and smiled,
"No, nothing at all." He said, and leaned in for a kiss. When his lips met nothing he opened his eyes and found himself in his bed in Gryffindor Tower.
It had been a dream.
Harry was considerably peeved.
"I've just had a dream where I was sleeping with a heavily preggo Draco Malfoy and was going to kiss him but didn't because I woke up…and now I can't stop wondering what he would taste like if I really kissed him!" he muttered to himself. In the dream Draco Malfoy's lips had looked really inviting, 'I wonder if they taste as good as they look…' Harry thought.
He decided that he was going to have to find out for himself, and for his sanity.
Lily: UUUWAAAAH! 11 pages! My back hurts! It is now 3:44 AM and I am writing this and finishing now! I'm so tiiired. But I inserted a little bit of love love interaction as well as answering almost none of your Voldemort themed questions. Are u suspicious yet? Are there tons of questions buzzing about in your heads? I'm sorry! Next chapter we'll have Blaise Explained and some yummy Flavors. Also, did you want to know more about Lucius Malfoy and who it really was that died? Let me give you a hint (though I seem to be bad at it)
The one whose murder was truly done upon a bed of roses is a man whose name is odd in its meaning and whose brother took a dark woman to marry.
Think on it closely, I'm sure you can get it! If you know what I mean with my clues.
Cheers!
Review plz
