Chapter 13- The Troubles in Telling

It had been a week since our stargazing date, and I was finally content in being Harry's mate. We had been on many dates like our stargazing one, and it was during a quiet picnic, in the Room of Requirement, that he reminded me of the outside world. "You know our dates will eventually have to be outside of this room, right?"

"I know. But once we start going other places, the world, mostly our friends, will need to know. I don't know much about your friends, but I think most of them, like mine, will not like the idea of us dating."

"I know, but I really want to tell my friends that I have someone who means the world to me, and most of mine know you're a Veela so none of them should say anything about it."

He looked at me, with those eyes of his, practically begging me to say we tell others. Thing is, I didn't want to tell anyone else. I had told the one person that mattered the most, and hadn't even thought to tell anyone else. Yet, I knew that Harry needed everyone to know.

Reluctantly I said, "Fine, but I decide when and who we tell it to. Is this all right?"

"Yes." He kissed me, and I did not want it to stop there. I wanted to claim, to be claimed, to give him everything, and to get everything in return. I suddenly relished in the idea of telling everyone that this man, that Harry Potter, was taken off the market for good, and that it was I who won him. I purred the thought. "Draco, why are you purring?"

"The Veela in me loves the idea of telling others. I am purring cause I am happy."

"So, who do we start with?"

"I say we start with Hermione, then go tell Ron, then the rest of Weasley clan, then we hit up my side with my mother, Blaise, and then Pansy."

"Why in this order?"

"Well, you have far more people to tell then I and my side won't threaten to kill you if you hurt me."

"That's strange, I thought they would."

"Well they might if the introduction I plan to make didn't start with. 'When I turned Veela my mate turned out to be…' and you know them knowing that threatening a Veela with killing its mate would get you dead they wouldn't dare."

"Why start with Hermione?"

"Cause, I am pretty sure she already knows, and she will be able to help calm down Ron and make points to the other Weasleys so that they would be able to understand it."

"Oh. When do we start?"

"Tomorrow. I want to spend the rest of today just with you. I want one more day where I don't have to let anyone near you. After all, once we tell people we will have lots of people wanting to spy, bug, or get our attentions away from each other for quite a while."

"Draco. Thank you."

"What for?"

"I will tell you on another day, but for now let's enjoy this date."

And we did. We snuggled, held hands, and snogged for the rest of the date simply loving being with each other.

I went to bed that night with dreams of a smiling Harry, and a really hard problem. I knew that one day I would have to convince Harry that this particular problem is one I cannot solve by myself, or rather don't want to solve by myself, and ask for his assistance but I would never rush this. I couldn't ever rush him into any of this Veela-ness. I just knew that a week into any relationship, especially ours, is not the time to discuss such things. I dealt with the hard problem by myself not really feeling satisfied, and I went to bed hoping that tomorrow I would feel better.

I awoke the next day ready for the day ahead. It was a chilly morning that had me wishing I had Harry to snuggle with. I imagined waking up to those bright green eyes staring at me, his dark hair threaded in my hands, as I moved the blanket away and wrapped my arms around his waist bringing him close enough to kiss those beautifully pink lips of his over and over again. I didn't realize that I was dreaming until my alarm went off. I was troubled again by my hard problem, but I took a cold shower and felt a little bit better, but still I was unsatisfied. I had a feeling that many more days where going to start with such a feeling at least for a while. I got dressed and made my way down to the Great Hall.

When I got there, I saw Harry talking with Hermione. "Good morning, Hermione, good morning Harry."

"Draco, Harry was telling about going to check on the injured, but said you had something interesting to share with me."

"He did?" I looked at Harry and saw the innocent look on his face. He was playing a game with me. I smirked as I thought. Well two can play at this game. After my name had been cleared shortly after the battle, and I had begun to help rebuild Hogwarts; most people thought that I had became friends with Harry and I took advantage of that thought to casually pull him to my side and then hold him there by his waist. I spoke only loud enough for Harry and Hermione to hear me. "Harry here is my mate."

She froze for awhile as Harry squirmed in my arms, and to my utter shock proceeded to shout. "You finally told Harry that he is your mate!" The entire Hall went silent as hundreds of people looked at her as if held in tension. Then Harry, without stopping said, in the happiest tone of voice I had ever heard before, "Yep, we have been dating for a week now and I wanted to tell others. So, here we are telling you."

Suddenly, the hall was in an uproar as people traded money back and forth and many people swarmed around Harry and I to ask many questions. I, feeling threatened, opened my wings and surrounded the two of us in them. "Draco, what is this?"

"Those are my wings, and currently they are protecting us from the on rush of students begging for our attention."

"Why are they protecting us?"

"Well, I saw all those hands coming over, and thought that they would touch you. I wasn't going to let anyone but me touch you for at least another month, and I really don't want to answer a million questions from your fans anytime soon."

Harry giggled and turned around to put his hands on my neck his face inches from mine. "You know, Hermione has probably calmed them down enough not to get too close to us right now."

"This is the last time I tell anybody anything."

"What? Why?"

"Why? I told the one person I knew needed to hear it and he took it well, then I tell one of his closest friends, one of the calmer ones, and now the whole wizarding world will know by tomorrow. Next time I want to tell you something you should not convince me to tell others, and if you do let me not only pick the who, but the when and where as well."

"Are you mad?"

"No. I just… I wanted us to slowly tell others and not suddenly have the entire world knowing. I can't be mad at Hermione being happy for us, nor at you for wanting to tell others."

"Well look at the bright side, now we don't have to individually tell others about it ever again."

"I guess this is the trouble I get for telling."

"We haven't even sat down with individuals and hear them threaten to kill you if you harm me yet. The troubles have only begun Draco."

"Then I will never move my wings so that they can't force me to cause this by itself is tiring."

"You'll have to move them eventually."

"I know but just for a little while longer."

He snuggled into my chest, put his head to my heart and said. "You get ten more minutes then you have to let me out of your wings. Till then you get this treat of snuggles. Ok?"

I smiled and held him close to my chest. I purred for the whole ten minutes, and as promised I opened my wings and let him stand. I spent the rest of the day holding his hand and listening to the age old "you hurt him, we kill you" speech. The smile never leaving my face and the speech seeming to be softer in tone as the day went on.

My troubles in telling were well worth my little treat of holding Harry in my arms. After all those troubles are worth seeing his face smiling the whole day.