Well, because I'm in such a great mood, I'll update early! The reason why I'm so happy is because I got my driving permit today! *dances*

QueenSword- If you liked last chapter, you'll enjoy this one even more! It's always refreshing to see a review from you :)

HoratiosGirl101- Well, here's where you find out if he lives or dies!

HermioneandMarcus- Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! I do so love your reviews :)

ireallyamtellingthetruth- You asked for a longer chapter, you get a longer chapter! This one is quite a bit longer haha. Enjoy!

- Oh! A new reviewer! It's nice to hear from a new reader! Here's the chapter for you! Blah! It won't let me put your name but you know who you are!

"MALFOY MANOR!" Blaise watched as Alana disappeared in a flash of green flames. He knew she would make the right decision, all it took was his saying that Draco was dying – which was true – and she went right to his side. The Veela was truly dying, so he hadn't lied to his cousin.

Once Alana arrived, she found Narcissa Malfoy waiting and was quickly ushered to what she assumed to be Draco's room.

She was shocked by what she found.

Draco lay on his bed, barely breathing, his skin pulled taught across his bones, his eyes, though closed, seemed sunken in. Alana was afraid to approach the bed but at Narcissa's urging, she did so.

"How... how did he get this way?"

"I assume you are his mate, correct?" Lucius asked, earning a stiff nod. "He got this way because he refused to call you here or go to you and seek out physical contact with you. You, my dear, are at some fault, as you had not bothered to ask his condition prior to this and as I've seen fron intercepted letters, you refused to come here to the Manor to even visit. He is on the verge of death because of it." Alana felt sick. Draco was dying... and it was mostly her fault.

"What can I do?" She asked quietly.

"You can go and crawl into bed with him," Lucius told her rather bluntly. "The more contact the better," Alana blushed once she figured out what the Malfoy patriarch was hinting at. He was basically telling her to strip down to her under clothes and lay with Draco. That certainly wasn't something you heard everyday.

"Lucius, if you would," Narcissa cleared her throat.

"Right, of course," The older man nodded and left, casting Alana a quick glance as he did so.

"Please, I am asking you as a mother, please help my son," Narcissa took Alana's hand in hers and looked her in the eye. "I cannot lose him."

"Please, Mrs. Malfoy, do not beg," Alana whispered. "You're a high status woman, you need not lower yourself like this."

"You'll do it then?" She asked hopefully. Alana bit her lip and nodded, bringing a smile to the older woman's face. "Thank you. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Alana nodded. Slowly, hesitantly, she began to undress, uncaring that Mrs. Malfoy would see her, she was more focused on the task at hand: saving the obnoxious ferrets arse from death. She kicked her silk pants to the side and got into the bed, crawling to Draco's side. She slipped under the silk sheets and pressed as close as humanly possible, blushing as she threw her leg over his thighs and snuggled into him. She let one arm rest over his torso while her head rested on his chest, her ear pressed over his heart... which, much to her horror, was barely beating.

"Thank you again, my dear," Narcissa whispered, folding her clothes as though they were her own. "I don't think I got your name though."

"Alana Sparks," She told the woman.

"A beautiful name," She smiled. "Rest well and remember, just call if you need anything," Alana nodded and watched as she left after placing her folded clothes in a nearby chair. The brunette sighed and got comfy, knowing she was going to be there for a while.

"You'd better be thankful when you wake up you arse," She bit out. Slowly, lulled by Draco's faint heartbeat, Alana fell asleep

-X-X-X-

Warm. Very warm. And soft. Draco woke up to these sensations and a very alluring scent that tickled his nose. He knew he had to get up but he still felt weak and the warmth made him want to sleep still. And so, he kept sleeping.

Alana watched Draco's face and felt her heart drop when he did not awaken as she thought he would. She'd felt his body twitch and he'd inhaled deeply a few times, as though taking in her scent but then he'd gone back to the soft, steady breathing of a person who was sleeping. She then turned her attention elsewhere, just studying the Veela's pale body. The color had returned to his skin, but he was still horribly thin, most likely because he'd not been eating but that could be fixed. She could still clearly see the outline of his muscles and something in her made her want to trace them. She resisted the urge though. She watched as his nipples turned hard from her breath fluttering over them and blushed, though she really saw no reason to.

"Malfoy..." She sighed. "Please, wake up," She nuzzled against his chest lightly, hoping that he heard her. She felt him move and lifted her head, her eyes locked on his face as it twisted and scrunched up. She watched as his eyes moved behind his eyelids and slowly began to open. Her breath hitched in her throat and her own eyes widened as she watched him. "Malfoy..." She finally whispered.

"Sparks?" He croaked. "What the hell are you doing in my bed? I must be dreaming," Alana pinched his arm and he gave a shout. "Okay! I'm not dreaming!" Alana gave him a smug look. "If I'm not dreaming, I must be in heaven. Why else would you be snuggled up beside me in my bed?"

"Unless you've forgotten, Malfoy, you were dying just a few days ago," She grumbled.

"Did my parent's threaten you into coming here?" He suddenly hissed.

"No, I came here of my own free will," She assured him. Draco, suddenly having a burst of energy, threw the covers back and winced when Alana screeched. "Malfoy!" She scrambled to cover herself. It wasn't as though she was naked, no, she had knickers and a bra on but she just didn't feel like having Draco eye her like a piece of meat at the moment. The Veela, not wanting to be denied such a delicious sight, lunged after his mate and ripped the sheets from her before he pinned her beneath him. Suddenly, he embraced her and her struggles stopped as she panted below him.

"Thank you, for coming here," He whispered. Alana slowly hugged back and buried her face against his neck.

"You horrible, selfish, arrogant, obnoxious git!" She grumbled against his neck. "I hate you! You actually made me worry about you! I thought you were going to die you arsehole!"

"I thought I was too," He admitted. "Why'd you come for me?"

"I couldn't let you die you idiot," She sniffled. "I may not be into this whole mate thing but it doesn't mean I'm going to just write you off and let you die like that."

"Thanks for coming and saving me then," He smirked. He loved the feeling of having Alana in his arms like this but the fact that they both wore close to nothing... wasn't really helping him keep his hormones in check. Deciding to have a little fun now that he was awake, he unhooked her bra without her noticing and as he was letting her go, he pulled it off. Alana shrieked and covered her chest, much to his annoyance, he hadn't realized she was so quick.

"Malfoy! Give it back!" She gasped, glaring at him heatedly.

"I think I'll keep it," He twirled it around on his finger, smirking at her.

"Malfoy!"

"Keep saying my name baby," He chuckled. "Though I think it would be better if you said Draco instead."

"In your dreams, Malfoy," She hissed, sitting up, arms still covering her chest.

"I dream about that a lot," He smirked at her shocked expression. "Among other things."

"I did not just hear that," She groaned. "Give my bra back this instant!"

"Nope," He hummed, pretending to examine the pink frilly thing. "I never pegged you for a pink, frilly person, Sparks."

"Oh, there's loads you don't know about me," She grinned.

"Tell me something I don't know and I might consider giving it back," Alana glared at him.

"Give it back and I'll tell you all you want to know," She countered.

"You drive a hard bargain," He smirked. "But it's not that easy," He waved the bra in front of her and watched as she shot one hand out to try and grab it, ending in failure when he jerked his arm up. She quickly replaced that arm over her chest and scowled at him.

"Give it back!" She tried to move but found it hard because of her arms over her chest.

"Come get it," Now having enough strength, Draco crawled towards the edge of the bed and grinned.

"Malfoy!" She tried her best and crawled towards him. Just then, Narcissa rushed into the room.

"What on earth?" Her eyes flickered between them. Alana's face turned bright red and she glared at Draco, who still held her bra over his head, keeping it out of her reach.

"It's not what it looks like!" She gushed.

"Was I interrupting something?" She quirked an eyebrow at the pair.

"Just having a bit of fun, mother," Draco told her in a carefree voice.

"If you've enough energy to taunt your mate, I suggest getting up and bathing," Narcissa told him pointedly. "Do give her clothes back, Draco, I'm certain you've embarrassed her enough as it is," With a grumble, he tossed it back and got out of bed, stretching for the first time in days. Alana watched this and tore her eyes away, watching from the corner of her eye as he picked out a fresh pair of clothes and went to the bathroom, closing the door. The brunette quickly put her bra on and scrambled for the clothes in the chair only to have Narcissa stop her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Here are some clothes for you," She smiled. "You're about my size when I was your age, so I believe this might fit," Alana turned to see Narcissa holding a Victorian styled dress. It was a dark green color, which Narcissa thought matched the young girl. It was a taffeta fitted top with fringe trimmed marabou around the neckline and shoulders. The gown had beaded wide lace straps, gimp braid trim and black lace dropping at the hips, something Alana quite liked. The lace at the hips created a bustle in the back topped off with a black satin bow. It had a hook and eye back closure and a long taffeta skirt with a train and marabou hem.

"You'd really let me wear this?" She asked softly.

"My dear, you'll look beautiful in it," Narcissa smiled. "Come, I'll help you into it," Alana smiled and let the older witch help her into the dress, she even allowed her to fix her hair as there wasn't time for her to take a shower before Draco returned. "If I were you, I'd tease him a little," Narcissa smiled. "He'll enjoy it and he needs to be teased back once in a while."

"I agree with that, he does enough teasing," Alana tittered.

"Here he comes," She whispered. "Just play along, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. We'll be downstairs whenever the two of you decide to join us for breakfast." Alana nodded and watched as she left. Draco emerged from the bathroom in a pair of dress slacks, the towel over his shoulders, his chest still glistening with water.

"Malfoy," She cleared her throat to get his attention. Silver eyes darted in her direction and his jaw fell open at the sight of his mate. "Well? How... how do I look?" A cute blush rose on her cheeks as she turned for him. Her feet were still bare but the heels that matched the dress sat beside her.

"You look stunning," He finally told her, eyes raking over her body. Alana felt herself stiffen unintentionally under his gaze and watched as he moved towards her, moving with the grace of a majestic wild cat. She felt like she was being hunted as the Slytherin prince circled her, careful of the train as he did so. "Very nice," He murmured more to himself than to her. Finally, he stood in front of her again, towering over her as he looked down into her eyes. "Sparks, do you realize how much I want you?"

"Perhaps but you have to work for it, Malfoy," She gave a teasing smile. She turned, careful of the train and bent at the waist, picking up the heels. She heard the blonde groan and wiggled her bum for him before she straightened rather quickly.

"I rather liked that view," He frowned at her.

"I'm sure you did but I don't appreciate you staring at my arse," She snapped, a smile on her face. "I think I made that clear last time."

"Perhaps not clear enough," He smirked.

"Git," She growled at him. Sitting in the chair, she attempted to put the heels on but she feared she would damage the dress with all her wriggling about. "Malfoy, help me," She scowled at him. Draco smirked as he knelt in front of her and took the heels. Letting his fingers glide over her legs a bit, he put one on and then the other before he looked up at her, one hand still resting hotly on one of her calves. "You can let go now," She raised an eyebrow. When he did not, she raised her other leg and placed the point of her heel on his shoulder... and pressed hard. Draco hissed and moved back, releasing her calf in the process. Alana smiled smugly and lowered her leg, crossing one over the other elegantly. "Would you like to try that again?"

"No thank you," He grunted.

"Go put your shirt on so we can go downstairs you prat," Draco scowled but did as she said. When he returned, she found he was wearing his usual black outfit and his hair was nearly dry. Alana carefully lifted the skirt of the dress so she could walk and followed the Malfoy heir, as she had no clue where to go. Malfoy Manor was a lot bigger than she had originally thought. When they finally arrived in the dining room, they found Lord and Lady Malfoy waiting for them.

"Ah, it's good to see you both out of bed," Lucius actually smiled as he stood with his wife. "My dear, I do believe that we never had a proper introduction. I am Lucius Malfoy, you know my wife, Narcissa," The woman smiled at her. "And of course, you know Draco."

"It's good to finally meet you," She nodded. "My name is Alana Sparks, I'm actually a cousin to Blaise Zabini."

"Yes, we're aware," Lucius nodded. "It was in the paper today, something about families reconnecting." Alana was shocked by this news and quickly asked to see the Daily Prophet. Lucius handed it to her and much to her surprise, there it was right on the front page. There was a picture of her and her parents with Rosabella and Blaise the night they'd gone out to dinner. She could see Seamus just off to the side with a goofy smile on his face. There were statements from her parents and Rosabella and even herself, though she hadn't been aware she'd even given any. Then again, it had been sometime so it must have slipped her mind.

"This was the night before I came to the Manor," She whispered softly, reading the article.

"News spreads quickly, Alana," Narcissa told her. "Especially among the pure-bloods."

"I knew it spread quickly but never this quickly," She breathed.

"Oh just imagine the articles they'll make when they see you and I together, Sparks," Draco smirked at her.

"No such thing will happen, Malfoy," She frowned up at him, handing the paper back to Lucius.

"I could drag you outside right now and there would be reporters flocking to the Manor within seconds," He pointed out.

"You wouldn't dare," She hissed.

"Oh but I would," Alana quickly moved away from him before he could capture her and make good on his word.

"Enough," Lucius sighed. "Let's just sit down and eat, shall we?" Alana sat on the other side, away from Draco, much to his disappointment. Throughout breakfast, Lucius and Narcissa asked Alana about her life and what she wanted in the future. They found out she wanted to be a mediwitch for magical creatures or at least specialize in that field. So if say a Veela needed care, she would be someone who would care for them. Both older Malfoy's thought this was an acceptable career. Draco on the other hand, was against it because he claimed she would have her hands on people who weren't him. This earned him a glare from his mother. Once they'd all eaten their fill, they moved to the living room where Alana once again, sat away from Draco, she didn't trust him after what happened earlier.

"Mrs. Malfoy?" They heard Blaise's voice and they all jumped before going towards the fireplace. "Alana! My little bella donna! I thought for certain Draco was keeping you prisoner in his room!"

"I'm fine, Blaise," She giggled, careful as she kneeled in the dress. "How is everyone at home? Is Seamus doing alright?"

"Aside from him going absolutely mad because he doesn't know how you are, he's doing fine."

"Is that Lana?" They heard the Irishman's voice.

"Yes," Blaise called back.

"Hi, Lana! Come home soon, yeah?" Alana laughed at this.

"I'll see what I can do," She told him.

"Finnigan, she's mine and I'm keeping her here," Draco taunted him.

"The hell ya are!" Blaise rolled his eyes then.

"Alana, do come home soon," He told her. "It's Christmas Eve," The brunette's jaw dropped at this. She hadn't been aware of what day it was since she'd been stuck in Draco's room the last week.

"Thank you for the lovely time," She smiled at the Malfoy's. "But I must really be heading home."

"We understand," Lucius nodded.

"You can keep the dress," Narcissa smiled. "I've no use for it anymore," Alana thanked her and took the Floo powder that was offered.

"Step back, Blaise, I'm coming through," Blaise disappeared and Alana stepped in. "Sparks Manor!" She threw the powder down and disappeared. Draco watched as she left unhappily and stood up, brushing off his pants.

"Draco, if you're ever going to get her to accept you, you must try harder," Lucius frowned at his son.

"I've been trying, father," He frowned back. "It's like she's immune or something! Either that or she just hates me."

"My dear, if she hated you, she wouldn't have saved you," Narcissa told him softly.

"She told me that she wouldn't let me die," He said. "But that doesn't mean she likes me, she just doesn't agree with letting a person die because of something like this. She just.. feels obligated to help is all."

"And rightly so," Lucius said pointedly.

"I have a little over two months and fourteen days to convince her," Draco sighed. "It's my own bloody fault though."

"Again, try harder," Lucius clicked his tongue. "Perhaps... we shall visit your mate tomorrow," Draco's eyes widened. He knew what the look in his fathers eyes meant and he didn't always agree with it.

"I agree," Narcissa smiled and Draco groaned. He knew his parent's were going to somehow conspire with Alana's and they would somehow end up together the entire day. Not that he really minded the thought of being with his mate the entire day but he wanted it to be a natural thing.

"Please don't do anything," Draco chuckled.

"I can't promise anything," Narcissa smiled sweetly. The young Malfoy just rolled his eyes and went up to his room.

-Sparks Manor-

When Alana returned, she found herself sandwiched between Blaise and Seamus, both talking above the other.

"One at a time boys!" She finally gasped, wiggling away and checking the dress.

"Is Malfoy alright then?" Seamus asked, smiling at her.

"Yeah, he's doing just fine," She blushed faintly and it was caught by Blaise.

"He got your bra, didn't he?" Alana whined and hid her face against Seamus' shoulder.

"Uh... did I miss somethin'?" He asked, hugging his friend.

"Veela heal faster from things like this with lots of physical contact, remember?" Seamus nodded. "So if I had to take a guess, I'd say our little Alana here had to strip down to her under clothes and snuggle up with Draco."

"Blaise! Shut up!" She whined, blushing crimson now.

"Did he see anythin'?" Seamus asked, jabbing her side to make her squeal.

"No!" She glared. "You forget, I have reflexes like a Seeker and perhaps even faster. Mrs. Malfoy walked in though..." She blushed even harder if at all possible. "Nothing happened, I swear! Malfoy was just being a pervert!"

"Aww, no reason to be ashamed, Lana," Seamus gave her a grin. "Ya have a beautiful body!"

"Not you too!" She groaned. "Blaise, help me!"

"He's your ex and Draco is your Veela mate," He chuckled. "But, you are my cousin. Finnigan, don't talk about her like that in front of me. And I'll give Drake an earful when I see him too. Feel better?"

"You're all so horrible," She gave a pout.

"Yeah, but ya love us," Seamus nudged her with his elbow, a cheesy smile on his face.

"That, I do," She smiled and hugged the two of them.

"Even Draco?" Blaise asked with a grin.

"Malfoy... not so much," She laughed.

"You're a cruel little thing," Blaise laughed with her. "I've taught you well!"

"That you did, Blaise, that you did," She kissed his cheek. "And so did you, Shay," She kissed his cheek as well. "Now, I've got to go soak in a bath and change clothes! I've been stuck in Malfoy's bed the last few days," She let go and moved as quickly as the dress allowed, up to her room. When she tried getting the dress off herself, she found she couldn't and called for someone to help her. Unsurprisingly, Seamus came to her aid, as Blaise didn't trust walking into her room anymore, clothed or not. "Can you help get it off?" She mumbled, blushing gently. The Irishman nodded and moved to undo the hook and eye catch at the back of her dress. Once that was done, he slowly pulled the zipper down and kissed her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her middle as he rested his chin in the crook of her neck. "Shay..." She sighed softly, knowing they couldn't be like this.

"It's so hard to give ya up," He mumbled. "I'll always love ya, Alana. I know bout Malfoy being a Veela and.. I know ya are his mate."

"I'm sorry, Seamus," She whispered, leaning into him.

"It's alright, I suppose," He sighed. "I understand though. Just know I'll always be here for ya," He nudged the dress off her shoulders and watched as it pooled at her feet. Alana bit her lip as she stepped out of the dress and moved Seamus away from it so he didn't step on it and let him pull her into his arms. She kicked off the heels and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, never wanting to leave. Hazel met blue and something snapped in them as their lips met in a gentle kiss. Alana knew it was wrong for her to be kissing Seamus like this but she just needed it, she just felt too tense about everything. And truth be told, she hadn't had a decent climax since she'd been with the Irishman and she was starting to become frustrated. Even when she tried to make herself come, she barely got any satisfaction out of it and it frustrated her even more. Their kisses became heated and more needy as they moved against each other.

One last time couldn't hurt. She thought as she felt Seamus' hands on her hips. The saner part of her brain was screaming at her to stop this instant, that her and Seamus had sworn not to do anything like this again... but the other part was telling her to throw caution to the wind and let the Irishman sate her needs. The sane part of her won out though.

"Shay, we need to stop," She whimpered between kisses. With one final heated kiss, they pulled apart and rested their foreheads together. "I don't want Malfoy to hurt you."

"I know," He sighed.

"If we had continued and he found out... I'm... he said he would kill you if we did anything again," Alana buried her fact against his neck.

"It would have been wrong of us anyway," Seamus murmured into her hair. "Why don't ya go ahead and wash up, yeah? Meet us back downstairs," She nodded and composed herself as he let her go. "Love ya."

"Love ya too," She smiled softly. Seamus left and Alana quickly picked out a pair of slacks and a cute top... which sadly did not leave room for a bra. Shrugging, she scuttled into the bathroom and filled the tub with her favorite scented oils. She got in and sighed happily as she felt her body instantaneously relax in the combined water and oils. But the hot ache between her thighs refused to stop and only became worse the more she tried to assuage it. Dabbling in the wandless magic she'd been studying with Neville and the others, she cast a charm over the bathroom and slid one hand between her legs while the other gave attention to her breasts. She tried to think of Seamus as she touched herself but sandy brown turned to platinum blonde and blue eyes turned to bewitching molten silver. Tan skin paled to almost glowing white perfection and he became taller, more toned. With a gasp, Alana realized she was seeing Draco Malfoy. Panting, she allowed her imagination to run wild and soon she was seeing Draco pleasuring her, whispering in her ear as he brought her to her peak.

"Oh Merlin... Draco!" She felt her body tense and her toes curled painfully. Finally, she calmed down and slumped in the tub, coming down from her high. With a small sob, she covered her face as the realization hit her. She'd gotten off on the image of Draco doing things to her and she'd moaned his first name! Settling down, she washed up and got out, drying off as quickly as possible before she dressed. Putting on a brave face, she made her way downstairs and joined her cousin and Seamus in the living room. The rest of the day passed in a comfortable silence, they talked about various subjects and even teased each other a bit.

"Alright you three, time for bed," Layla chuckled. The three groaned but dragged themselves to bed and told each other goodnight. Alana changed into the silk pajamas from Draco and slipped into bed, falling asleep quickly and dreaming once again, of the blonde Veela.

-X-X-X-

Alana awoke feeling extremely warm and comfortable, safe even and she refused to wake up.

"Okay, you asked for it," That sweet angelic voice whispered in her ear. Her eyebrows knitted together but then there was a distinct tickling sensation radiating from her sides. It increased and Alana suddenly shrieked with laughter as she squirmed and thrashed about.

"Wake up!" A distinct Irish voice whooped and suddenly she felt more weight.

"My little bella donna, it's Christmas!" Suddenly, more hands were tickling her. She was soon gasping for breath as they tickled her and finally someone told them to stop so she could breathe. Opening her bleary eyes, she blinked a few times and made out three figures. Blaise, Seamus and...

"Malfoy?" She sat upright and gaped at him.

"The one and only," He smirked at her.

"The hell are you doing here?" Blaise hit her over the head. "In my house – no, in my room?"

"Decided to drop by," He told her in a casual voice. He grabbed something behind him and held it out. "Happy Christmas," It was another bouquet of roses and lilies, no doubt meant to make up for his rude appearance in her room.

"Thanks now kindly get out of my room," She blushed. "All three of you! A girl needs her privacy!" Quickly, they all left, apparently not wanting to suffer her wraith as it was her room thus it meant they followed her rules. Alana found a vase by her bed and quickly put the flowers in it before she got out of bed and went to bathe and get dressed. Scowling, she realized she needed to shave. Too lazy to use magic, she pulled a razor out and did it the Muggle way, though it was time consuming she enjoyed the feel of it. She didn't often use this method but she was still used to it although she still had times when she managed to nick herself with the blades. With a small wince, she watched as blood welled up along the thin line near her ankle. Luckily, she was already washed, so she didn't mind bloodying the towel that was previously wrapped around her hair, it wasn't anything a little quick magic couldn't fix afterwords.

"Sparks," The brunette whipped around, eyes wide when she found Draco behind her, eyes narrowed as his nostrils flared. He'd caught the scent of blood and had acted on instinct. "What happened?" He demanded, eyes flashing.

"I just cut my leg a little," She sighed. "I'm fine, Malfoy, now get out," He didn't move an inch.

"Let me see," His eyes never left her face as he moved closer. Alana made no move to stop him as he tore the towel away from her leg and looked at the cut. Carefully, he knelt down and brushed his fingers over the cut and licked the blood clean from his fingers.

"Malfoy, stop it," She sucked in a sharp breath as he lowered his lips to the cut. She felt a tingling sensation flow from the area and spread through her as Draco swept his tongue over it. "Malfoy!"

"All better?" He asked, looking up at her. Alana was about to berate him but then she looked down at where the cut had been. The bleeding had effectively been stopped and the cut itself seemed to have been healed. Shocked and awed, she lifted her eyes to meet Draco's.

"How did you...?" The Veela smirked lightly at her question.

"Sorry, I can't divulge all of my secrets just yet," Alana shut her mouth and fixed him with a glare.

"Get out you perverted ferret!" She hissed, holding the towel around her tightly, crossing her legs as well. "Bl-" Draco slapped a hand over her mouth as he leaned in close to her ear.

"I can smell your arousal, Sparks," He whispered, lips brushing her ear. "Were you having naughty thoughts again? Or perhaps dreams?" The smile on his face suggested he knew about the dreams she'd been having. Alana sucked in a sharp breath but refused to answer him. "You can't resist me forever, Sparks," He chuckled darkly. The brunette scented something sweet and spicy and almost instantly she felt like she was in a daze. Draco knew he shouldn't have been using the allure on her but it was far too tempting for him not to do it. "Come now, let me have a little taste," He nibbled at her ear to earn a soft groan.

"N-no," She forced the word out as she desperately fought against the powerful allure. "Please, stop it," Draco growled in displeasure as his mate once again thwarted his attempts. "Blaise!" She suddenly called out to her cousin as she broke free of the allure. Almost instantly, the Italian was with them, dragging Draco to his feet and out of the room. "Three strikes, Malfoy!" She hissed angrily as she slammed the door after them.

"Draco, what in the name of Merlin's balls were you doing?" Blaise hissed, slamming his blonde friend into the wall.

"Blaise, you don't get it!" He hissed back. "I want her! I need to have her! I'm losing my control!"

"I don't give a fuck!" He snapped back. "Rein it in, Drake, before you lose her!" The Malfoy heir sighed unhappily as he sagged in Blaise's grip. "Now look, you've upset her and quite possibly scared her enough today. Just back off a little, alright? Apologize or something, show her that you're sorry for what you just did."

"That's the problem: I'm not," He avoided his friends eyes then.

"Well, just act like you are," He sighed in frustration. "Now, just go downstairs, I'll deal with Alana," Draco gave him a look before he slunk away. Blaise went back to Alana's room, knocking politely before he entered. The young witch sat on her bed, knee's drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. "My little bella, come here," He sat down and wrapped his arms around her.

"Why me, Blaise?" She sniffled, leaning into him. "He tried using the allure, it was so strong."

"At least you fought it," He told her.

"I almost gave in though!" She let out a frustrated breath.

"Alana, don't be so hard on yourself," He murmured, stroking her hair soothingly. "Would it be possible that... you might actually be starting to like him?"

"No... no that's absolutely impossible!" She told him vehemently. "I do not like Draco Malfoy!"

"Not even as a friend?" Alana fell silent then. "Ah, so you consider him a friend then?"

"Yes," She admitted with a heavy sigh. "I consider him a friend and I... like him as a friend. But that's all."

"Why don't you work from there?" He suggested. "You have a little over two months and fourteen days left," Alana felt her chest tighten when he said this.

"If he can keep his Veela under control, I might consider it," She mumbled.

"You might want to talk to Draco about that one since I can't speak for him," Alana nodded. "Now, let's go downstairs, it's Christmas after all." Another nod. Blaise grinned and put her over his shoulder as he brought her downstairs, kicking and screaming the whole way.

"Blaise, put that girl down!" Rosabella gasped when she saw them. The boy grinned and set her down. He took the only other open seat, leaving the last empty spot for her... which happened to be right beside Draco. Heaving a sigh, she sat beside him and curled up as far away as was possible on the small love seat. Gifts were handed out, pictures taken (as was family tradition) and tears were shed as they remembered Jack. Alana got a few things from the Malfoy's, among the gifts were some evening gowns and ball gowns from Narcissa, all of which were tasteful in color, design and length; they all came with matching heels. Lucius gave her a few books, as he'd learned from Draco that she enjoyed reading. Draco himself had given her a few new pairs of night clothes, some of which Alana were too embarrassing for her to reveal. When he expected her to wear such clothes, she did not know but she suspected she would find out.

"Can we take a picture of everyone together?" Seamus suddenly asked.

"I don't see why not," Bryan smiled. "Dotty, can you come here?" A house elf dressed in what looked to be an old shirt appeared. She'd been freed some time ago but she'd stated that she enjoyed serving the family and had since remained a loyal house elf. "Would you take a picture for us?"

"Oh, Dotty would be pleased to do so!" She smiled and nodded. She took the camera and jumped up on the table as everyone moved towards the mantle, crowding together. The adults in back and children in front. Alana, being the only girl of the children, stood in the middle, a huge smile plastered on her face. "Say cheese!" This got everyone to smile for the picture, even Draco.

"Let's get a picture of just the kids," Rosabella smiled. Dotty handed the camera back to Layla and disappeared once again. Alana threw her arms around the three boys and smiled as the picture was taken. Draco stepped off to the side when the three close friends decided to take one, with Seamus and Blaise kissing either cheek. She took a picture with just her and Seamus, their arms thrown around each other. The next was with Blaise who got the idea to pick her up bridal style. Then came the picture with Alana and Draco. The first picture of them was not what any of the adults wanted. Blaise interfered and pushed his cousin into his best mate's arms before he backed off. Alana stiffened for a moment before she slowly relaxed and wrapped her arms around him, turning her head towards the camera.

"Smile you two," Narcissa prompted. They tried to do so but yet again, the picture came out as one that no one would want.

"Ah, I know," Rosabella murmured to herself in Italian as she moved to try and set the two up for the best picture. She had Draco move behind Alana and had the brunette press her back flush against him while his arms wrapped around her. "Not done," She frowned and snapped her fingers. She made Draco lean over and rest his chin on her shoulder while she had Alana lean into him more and place her hands on his arms. "Perfect!" She smiled and backed away. Draco smiled at the scent of his mate and whispered for her to smile as well. His fingers found her sides and danced over the exposed skin, making her smile. The picture was taken at last and everyone agreed that it would be one to keep.

"You can let me go now," Alana said, letting out a steady breath. Almost reluctantly, he released his hold on her and moved away. "Malfoy?" He looked up, tilting his head. "Escort me to the dining room?" She gave a faint smile as she asked him.

"Of course," He took her arm and walked with her silently. Blaise and Seamus exchanged a look as they ate when they saw that Alana was sitting right next to Draco, chatting quietly about something.

"Most likely some terms for their courtship," Blaise whispered. As soon as the words left his mouth, a roll hit him.

"Draco," Narcissa pinned her son with a quick look.

"Sorry," He sniggered, eyes dancing as he looked at his friend.

"So tell me, what brings Lord and Lady Malfoy to our humble home?" Bryan spoke up. "We never got around to it before."

"Please, use our names," Lucius chuckled. "But as for what brings us here..." He looked at his son. "It concerns our son and your daughter."

"If you've come with a marriage proposition, Lucius-"

"Not quite," He stopped the man. "What I am about to tell you does not leave this house," Alana's parent's nodded. "What you may or may not know is that Veela blood runs in the veins of the Malfoy's and the Black's."

"Draco's a Veela then?" Layla asked earning a nod. "What does this have to do with our daughter?"

"Your daughter happens to be Draco's mate," Alana sunk down in her seat, trying to hide. Blaise and Seamus gave her a sympathetic look

"Alana, why didn't you tell us?" Bryan demanded of his daughter.

"I haven't accepted him yet!" She bit out. "Stop acting like I have."

"Now now, let's not start fighting," Rosabella clucked. "It's Christmas, save all your hostility for another day."

"We're happy for you either way," Layla smiled. "Being a Veela's mate is such an honor."

"You're not mad?" Alana squeaked.

"Merlin's beard no!" Bryan chuckled. "Why on earth would we be?" Alana shrugged and all the adults shared a laugh. "Now, off with you all, we need to talk," Lucius and Bryan shared a look. Seamus and Blaise hurried off, wanting to play a few rounds of chess, leaving Alana with Draco.

"Sparks," The brunette was pulled back against a solid chest. "Ti voglio baciare," Alana shuddered and felt her stomach fill with butterflies at the sound of his voice. She recognized the language as Italian and looked up at him.

"What did you just say?" She whispered.

"I want to kiss you," He smirked and watched as she blushed.

"Too bad you won't be getting a kiss from me," She snorted. She freed herself from his arms before she sauntered away, swaying her hips more than perhaps needed as she did so. Draco followed her quickly and matched her stride easily. "What do you want?"

"Ti desidero," Alana shuddered and glared at him. She knew what he'd said this time.

"Well you can't have me," She sniffed and walked faster.

"You're playing hard to get," He frowned.

"I'm not going to make it easy, Malfoy," She smirked. "I'm not one of your slags who will open her legs for you at the snap of your fingers."

"Never expected you to be," He hummed. "But you cannot deny that you find me attractive," He finally trapped her against a wall, leaving room for her to escape should she need it. Her eyes were wide at first and she started to panic before she realized he wasn't doing anything aside from just standing there. "Am I right?"

"Malfoy, yes you are attractive but it doesn't mean I'm going to throw myself at you," She rolled her eyes.

"Keep telling yourself that," He grinned. "One of these days, you'll be begging for my touch."

"In your dreams."

"Again, that is something I often dream of," Alana made a face of disgust. "Do you want to know what I dream of, Sparks?" He leaned closer. "I dream of you laying on the silk sheets of my bed, bare and welcoming. I dream of you giving yourself to me, begging me for more as I give you pleasure you've never known," He watched as her cheeks heated and she squirmed. "I dream of taking you over and over again, making love from dusk till dawn."

"What are.. you doing to me?" She bit her lip and clenched her legs together tightly.

"Absolutely nothing," He smirked. "I want you so badly it hurts."

"Go wank off then," She grumbled. "I don't care how much you want me because at this rate, you'll never have me."

"Until later, my little lioness," He growled before he disappeared.

-X-X-X-

That night after dinner, a bath and bringing herself to two more unsatisfying climaxes, Alana lay in bed unable to sleep. A light knock on the door startled her and had her flying out of bed to see who it was. She was wearing one of the fine silk night gowns that Draco had given her and tugged it down on her legs before she answered the door.

"Malfoy!" She gasped, shocked to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Apparently, every other bloody room in this place is locked," He growled in a frustrated manner. "Only room unlocked is yours."

"That's a lie," She frowned. "Go to Blaise's room or something."

"He told me that he doesn't share his room," Draco grunted. "I'm not staying with Finnigan either so you're my only choice." Alana suddenly felt very shy in the gown she wore as his silver eyes looked her over. "You look... ravishing in that," He grinned.

"Hands off, Malfoy," She scowled. He held his hands up as he followed her into the room and closed the door. "You sleep on that side and I'll sleep on my side."

"I would rather like sleeping next to you," He frowned.

"What I say goes, Malfoy," She snapped. The blonde scowled but nodded, shedding his clothes until he was only in his boxers. Alana had crawled into bed by now and had her back to him as he got in as well. He got under the covers and buried himself into it, groaning as his mate's scent overwhelmed him. "Goodnight, Malfoy."

"Goodnight, Sparks," He responded tiredly. They both drifted to sleep though they both had no idea what the morning would bring.

Ti voglio baciare- means I want to kiss you

Ti desidero- means I want you.

Bella donna- beautiful woman.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next one has lots of exciting bits in it! Till next time! Love you all! Remember to R&R!