cRazy-GIrl-3000 - Narcissa knew Draco was a veela, but she didn't know it was Harry. I'm in the yay zone too, but I know what happens next! I'll give you one clue. Blaise. Not gonna be m-preg, I think that they can adopt if they want kids in the future. One thing that always gets me about m-preg: Draco is the non-human, therefore shouldn't he be the one getting pregnant?! Harry's just a normal guy!
Yana5 - thanks! Glad you like it. Soz, but Harry is gonna be at least slightly punk.
WITCH WERE - a bit twisted. but still, anyone who reads/writes slash has to be slightly twisted, don't they? Lol. Glad you like it. I was going to have it hurting, but then Draco would never have got Harry to agree, so I had to have it painless. Sorry! He can get a real muggle tattoo or something later, ok? What's the betting that I'll forget that I ever said that?
FlowerPowerlol - you love it? Thanks! I am actually on chapter 10, maybe 11 by the time you read this, but my Beta is occasionally slow and needs a lot of nagging. Sorry! Only, if it's unbeta'd you get loads of spelling mistakes and stuff. Plus American grammar, despite the fact that I'm English.
Fiery Phoenix - Love your name! Yeah, what she said was harsh, but she's the big bad, remember? I've got to make her evil!
Elven Warrior1 - I hope you liked it! J
Makalani Astral - y'what? Altercation? Why not just say argument? Lol. Confuzzled me there for a mo. Yeah, she was coming, I could see her looming in the distance with a flashing sign over her head saying 'I am a big bad bitch and I'm coming to get you, Draco!'
Geno - Thanks! I'm glad you love it. Its always nice to know that your work is appreciated!
Moonysgurl - I can't wait to find out what happens next either! ^_^ what? I don't dictate what my subconscious tells me to write!
Gizachick - Punk Draco is the best! And I think Harry is pretty much converted, after all, he now has a tattoo and his nipple is pierced!
Some French in this chapter. I don't speak French, I did it at school for a couple of years and gave it up two years ago, so sorry for any mistakes. As for Blaise's hair, think Zack from FFVII - he happens to be my favourite character in FFVII, so he had to get in here somehow!
"I. uh." Harry stuttered, looking from one figure to the other. Amazingly alike and yet totally different. Draco's silver eyes snapped to his, and the blond sent him a pleading look.
Hush, love. Let me deal with this. We'll be home and dry before you know it. Came his telepathic voice, comforting him.
"Mother, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Draco asked coolly and calmly, turning to look her in the eye. However, Narcissa Malfoy was no longer interested in what he had been doing. She was looking at his clothes with an expression of absolute disgust.
"Draco, my son, whatever are you wearing? Where did you get those horrible garments? They should be burned immediately. A Malfoy should look presentable at all times. I expect you to destroy them the minute we get home," she stated, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder and smoothing the pale blue of her silk robes with a languid hand.
"I am sorry, mother, but I have to return to Hogwarts," Draco said formally, his posture stiff and guarded.
"There are plenty of fireplaces in Hogwarts, I'm sure that hasn't changed since I studied there. But I forget myself. Who is your companion?" Narcissa asked, her harsh voice suddenly dripping with honey.
"Merely an acquaintance," Draco said smoothly, hoping she would drop the matter. But inside he knew that it was futile. He couldn't protect Harry from his mother, however hard he tried. For whatever she did, he still loved her. She was his mother, and he was her son. He couldn't destroy her, he couldn't turn away from her; he could only try to deceive her. For Harry, he would go up against anyone, when he was strong. But it was the mating season and he was vulnerable. Wait. it was the mating season! Narcissa's mate would have to be around somewhere. He knew enough to know that it wasn't his father. And so, if they left, she would not be able to follow without first finding her mate.
A desperate plan began to form in Draco's mind. He called to Harry. I have an idea. She can't stay here long without her mate. I've got the portkey in my pocket. Slide your hand in and activate it, when I say.
Ok. I trust you. Harry said simply, lowering his head and stepping closer to Draco. He slipped his hand in Draco's jeans pocket, and found the small shape of the portkey. He closed his fingers around it and waited, feeling the heat from Draco's thigh soak into his hand. If he wiggled his fingers slightly he could. Sometimes, life would be so much easier if his brain would just shut up, he reasoned, firmly pushing the thought away. 24 hours ago, he didn't even want to kiss the blond, and here he was with his hand in Draco's pocket, thinking about handjobs! Something was messed up with his head, he decided, resisting the urge to slide his free hand into Draco's other pocket and flex his fingers to tease the blond, pulling the Slytherin back against him at the same time... Merlin, he wished his brain would shut up!
Meanwhile, Draco was trying to bring the conversation to a point where he could leave.
"Merely an acquaintance? An acquaintance you were kissing in the street!"
"Not the street, mother. Merely an alley. Ah, look at the time! We really must be going, mother. I'm sorry."
"But Draco, darling, I really need to talk to you."
"No time, mother, sorry." Now!
Harry activated the portkey, and gave into temptation slightly, slipping his other arm around Draco's waist as they were pulled back on the paths of magic towards Hogwarts.
***
"Phew," Harry said as they landed in their room. "That was close. What do you think she would have done if she knew it was me you were with? Maybe loosing the glasses was a good idea after all."
"She'll have figured it out by now. Thank the gods my clothes stalled her. She never could bear me in anything other than the best," the blond commented, grimacing. "One of the many reasons I turned to rock."
"What are the others?"
Draco looked into the fire and shrugged. "I was your normal fucked up teenager. I could loose myself in the music, play it really loud and never have to hear anyone else. One of my favourite pastimes is reading a good book, fantasy or horror, and listening to loud rock music."
"Don't the other Slytherin's complain? I mean, if you play it that loud. personal CD players don't work here, do they?"
Draco looked at him strangely. "Whatever are you talking about? I have a personal music player. You configure it to your magical signature, and then all you have to do is say or mutter the name of the band and the name of the song. If you only do the song, you usually get the one you want, but there are exceptions, and if you just say the band you get every song they ever did in alphabetical order."
"Woah. Muggle music too?"
"Yes, of course, dimwit. Hey, you know the film last night?"
"How could I forget?"
"Well, Legolas was damn sexy, don't you think?"
Harry blushed. "I'm not gay. I may be attracted you, but I am in no way gay."
"Oh?" Draco asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Ok, You're right. Legolas is bloody hot," Harry admitted with a grin, his green eyes sparkling.
Draco merely laughed. Then, as he looked into Harry's emerald eyes, he remembered something. Even though he knew that it was probably one of those 'heat of the moment' things, he had to ask. He had to. "Um. Harry?"
"Mmm? Oh, and don't
call me a dimwit, idiot."
"You know before, when I was telling
you the plan?" Draco asked hesitantly, ignoring Harry's little challenge, for
now.
"Uh huh. What about it?" Harry inquired, becoming serious as he saw that Draco was solemn now.
"After, you said. you trusted me. And then, just now, you said you were attracted to me. Did."
"Did I mean it?"
Draco nodded.
"Yeah. I did. I don't know why I said it, and I don't know why I trust you. A part of my brain is still screaming 'He hates your guts! What the fuck are you doing, letting him kiss you!' but that part is swiftly being convinced that you aren't so bad," Harry explained, shrugging. "I don't know what the fuck is going on, I mean, your mum is some crazy bitch who would turn me over to Voldemort in an instant, but I think I'm beginning to care about you. I know you probably think I'm insane. but I do."
After that confession, Draco was left breathless and speechless. He simply couldn't believe his ears. It was as if he had woken up from a really good dream, only to find that the dream was true, that miracles do happen. He blinked a few times, giving his brain time to process what he had just heard. Harry was looking at him uncertainly, worried about his reaction, or lack of so far. Draco couldn't think of a single thing to say that would reassure Harry that it was ok, so he decided to trust his instincts.
The blond leaned forward, and brushed Harry's lips lightly with his own. "You aren't insane," he murmured, pressing their foreheads together. They were so close that their breath mingled in the small space between them, and the room was so quiet that they could hear each other's hearts beating.
"Oh, good. I did hope that I wasn't," Harry said, grinning wryly. "I do sometimes speculate if the fact that the most illustrious dark wizard in the last few centuries wants to annihilate me will have a detrimental effect on my sanity."
"Such big words!" Draco joked. "Are you sure your brain will be able to cope?"
"Hey! Shut your mouth!" Harry said in mock anger, wrapping his arms around Draco's waist and pulling him closer.
"Make me," Draco drawled suggestively.
Harry paused. He knew exactly what Draco meant, what Draco wanted him to do. And if they didn't kiss now, they would only have to later, so it was in Harry's best interests to kiss the part veela. But there was more to it than that. Harry found that he wanted to kiss Draco. He wanted to feel the other boy's lips against his, feel their bodies pressed tight together. His fingers tingled as he remembered the feel of Draco's silky blond hair, and there was a pulse of blood in his groin as he recalled the feel of Draco's slender body pressed firmly against his own. He wanted this, he discovered. He wanted it more than anything.
"Aw, fuck it," he muttered before leaning forward and closing the gap between them, covering Draco's soft lips with his own.
"Language, Harry," came Dumbledore's amused voice from the armchair behind Harry.
"Ah!" Harry yelped, starting away from Draco as if the blond was scalding hot. "Professor!"
"Sir," Draco said, nodding and looking slightly disappointed. "It is bad manners not to introduce oneself when entering another's abode."
"Quite so, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore allowed, nodding. "I apologize for trespassing on your private time. But I wished to know; how went your shopping trip?"
Draco looked down. The bags they had been carrying were strewn over the floor around their feet. "It was successful. We had Harry's vision corrected. But something unforeseen happened; we met my mother."
"Oh dear. What happened?" the old wizard asked, leaning forward in his armchair and peering at the blond over the top of his half moon spectacles.
"My clothing distracted her for long enough so that Harry could activate the portkey and get us out of there. Mother didn't know it was Harry at the time, but I suspect that she will know now. I managed to get away without being too rude. She caught us in a rather compromising position, one of the reasons she didn't immediately recognize Harry."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, but nodded. "All right. I'll have the house elves send your food up here at dinner time. I suppose you will not want to face the hall again?"
"I never want to see it again," Draco muttered. "Can't I sit at the Gryffindor table?"
"I doubt it, but I will see what I can do. Minerva would have to agree, you see. Anyway, I will say goodnight. Goodnight!" and with that the eccentric old man vanished as silently as he arrived.
"Phew. Thanks for dealing with that," Harry said, sighing in relief.
"That's ok. I know you were dreading it from the moment we realized that he was there."
"How did you know that?" Harry asked, confused.
"I don't know." Draco admitted, his eyes misting slightly as he tried to remember. "I just did. Must be a veela thing."
"Yeah. Now, where were we?" Harry asked innocently, making Draco stare at him curiously. He merely grinned at the inquiring look. "What, I'm not allowed to be a horny teenager?"
"Oh no, by all means carry on," Draco said quickly, stepping closer to Harry. The blond was going to make the most of Harry being accommodating! He let out a yelp as Harry scooped him up in one fluid movement - seeker reflexes - and deposited him on the sofa, gently falling on top of the blond and grinning at Draco's stunned expression.
Draco's breath caught in his throat as Harry settled on top of him, his green eyes bright and sparking. Draco was caught in the green, like a bug in amber. He couldn't move, couldn't look away. He thought he moaned, but he wasn't sure of anything. Nothing mattered, nothing but the warm feeling that was spreading through him. He was tingling all over, and everything seemed bathed in a soft blue light. He heard Harry gasp.
"Your eyes are glowing." the Gryffindor muttered. His voice snapped Draco out of the semi-trance.
"What?" he questioned.
"Your eyes are glowing blue. Seriously, they are."
"I believe you. It's a veela thing."
"Oh, ok. I'm hearing that a lot lately. So, whatchya wanna do?"
"Kiss you, for a start. Then snuggle?" Draco asked hesitantly, not sure if Harry would be willing to kiss him again. But Harry's reservations had crumbled, and he had accepted the fact that he enjoyed kissing Draco. Just kissing, nothing more though!
"Sounds ok to me. But how about some music too?" the messy haired teen suggested
"Mmmm. I have a nice playlist on my player, and I can configure it so it plays out loud. wait a mo."
Harry's breath caught in his throat as Draco moved his hand down between them, reaching for his pocket. Once he reached it, he wriggled his fingers around, searching for something, and inadvertently sending shivers of pleasure through the Gryffindor at the same time. Harry was now the one to moan.
"Dray."
"What?"
"Hurry up, would you? Moving your hand like that is - ah! - well, I'm not sure, but my mind appears to be melting," Harry told him.
"Oh." Draco said with a grin, wriggling his fingers and enjoying the soft, misty look that came into Harry's green eyes.
"Dray." the Gryffindor moaned again.
"Ok, as fun as it is to tease you, I'm taking my hand out now."
Harry caught himself on the verge of saying don't. Instead he nodded, not trusting him own voice. He was still lying over Draco, supporting most of his weight on his arms, and they were beginning to ache a little. "Hey, Dray? Mind if we shift a bit, so we're lying on our sides? Only my arms aren't that happy."
"Sure." They shifted a little, so that they were lying face to face, an arm each around each other's waist. Draco reached up and placed the little round player on the arm of the sofa, then let his fingers slide into Harry's hair. "The Devil's Music," he said, watching Harry's confused look melt and understanding take its place as the music began to play.
#Five pretty boys for ten shitty years, five girls next door, I'm up to my ears, I need a reaction, a new revolution, all over the country but they took it away.#
"Took it Away, by A. This is the Kerrang disk four list. You know what Kerrang is, don't you?" Draco asked.
"Yeah. Magazine. I recognize this, they play it in shops and on the radio sometimes," Harry said, smiling.
"I like it, but I think my favorite song has to be track four, Everything's Cool."
#I hit the city by three and the bottle by four, I'm thinkin' 'bout the shit that I pulled the night before, and by the party at midnight, everything is cool again, 'cos you'll be back with me then.#
"Yeah, this one's good," Harry said softly, rubbing his hand up Draco's back and smiling as the blond arched into him.
"I'm so glad I have the good fortune to be bonding with someone who appreciates good music."
"Don't any of your friends?"
"Well, Blaise does. Most of the others just like seriously heavy metal, all beat and distortion and screaming. Apart from Pansy, she's a Westlife fan, among other bands."
"Westlife? Ugh."
"My feelings exactly."
"So. I've been hearing a lot about this Blaise, but I don't really know that much about him. I tend to ignore you Slytherins as much as possible. You're the only one who ever really caught my eye."
"Blaise is. he's cool. Black hair, hazel eyes, looks a bit like you, really. Only his hair is long and spiky. He's quiet half the time, brooding, then he's completely hyper and psyched up. Keep him away from coffee if you value your life. Uh. French accent. His childhood is very similar to mine. He's good for a laugh, though. We've been through a lot together, and it was either laugh or cry. We comfort each other when things get really bad."
"Comfort?"
"Yeah. Our relationship is friends, but we have kissed and held each other through the night before. Nothing more, so don't get jealous. It was the only way to remind ourselves that life is still beautiful."
"I understand. I'm not jealous. I'd like to meet Blaise. I don't think I've ever really noticed him before."
"Ok. Want me to call him?"
"Yeah, ok. If you want to, if not, it's ok."
"Naw, he can have dinner with us. Now, quiet." Draco said, sitting up and hitting a button on the player. Then he reached up to his ear, and did something to the skull earring. "Blaise, mon chér? Come to the tower opposite the Gryffindor one.. Oui... No, the other direction! Go to the painting of some crazy knight called Sir Cadogan. I can't tell you. He won't let you in, you'll have to yell so I know you're there, ok? Cool. See you soon. Au revoir."
"What was that all about?" Harry asked.
"The earring, he has the other one. We can communicate like that. Growing up with muggles, I guess you don't know about any of this stuff, do you?"
"No. Sounds a bit like a walkie-talkie."
"A what?"
"Never mind. You speak French?"
"Fluently. I've lived there for a while. The Malfoy's were French originally. And Blaise grew up in France. I think he kept the accent partially to annoy his parents."
"Ah, ok. How long do you think it'll be before Blaise gets here?"
"About ten minutes or so. Depends on where he was."
"Does he know about me?"
"Um. yeah. But I don't know how he feels about it. I expect he'll be happy," Draco said hopefully.
"Oh good. We don't want another Hermione," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"No," Draco agreed, leaning forward and giving Harry a quick kiss.
"Dray?"
"Mmm?"
"You need more contact more often now, don't you?"
"Gee, you think?" Draco said sarcastically.
Harry laughed. "I just thought, what if you need something when Blaise is here?"
"Don't worry; he'll be cool with it. We can explain it to him. Wait. will you be cool with it? I don't know how you are about displays of public affection."
Harry grinned wryly. "For you I'll cope, if the need is desperate. Um. Dray?" he asked seriously, running a hand through his hair.
"Uh huh?"
"You won't need to have actual sex, will you?"
"Not this season. I probably will in the future."
"Merlin, don't talk to me about the future, please. I don't think I can cope," Harry said mournfully, staring at Draco pleadingly. He had always hated anything to do with the word future, and the mere mention of it would immediately kill any excitement he was feeling and replace it with dread.
"Gods, I'm sorry," Draco said immediately, hugging Harry tightly. "I know this is a big thing for you. Trouble is, I can't see it that way, my brain just doesn't work like that."
"It just. this is forever. There's no going back. I've never had someone to care for me before, that's new enough to me, but someone who will love me for who I am, forever? I've probably got some sort of complex about that, 'cos I find it so hard to accept. I'm living in the now, and not thinking about the future."
"Well, let's carry on living in the now, and let the future take care of itself."
"It's funny. I never thought I had a future."
"What do you mean?"
Harry shifted so that Draco was half sitting, half lying in his lap. He spoke slowly, meaning every word he said. "Well, what with Voldemort and everything, I find it hard to think beyond school. I've come very close to death before, and dying doesn't scare me any longer. I'm ok with it. Hell, I used to think I'd welcome it. Even if I did defeat Voldemort, what kind of life would I have? People would want me for being the Boy-Who-Lived, they wouldn't want me for me. But now I have you, and suddenly I don't want to die. I've never invited death, I'd never stop fighting and just say to Voldemort 'kill me', because other people would die, pay the price for me giving up. But if Voldemort did beat me, well, it didn't worry me. I'm not afraid of death. I'm afraid of fear."
"I'm terrified of both dying and living," Draco admitted, shivering a little. "Or rather, I was. Living doesn't seem so bad now, but home still invokes a feeling of dread. I don't ever want to go back to the manor ever again; it's my mother's kingdom and I hate it. I hate everything about it. Too many bad things have happened to me there; I wished I was dead most of the time. But I'm afraid of dying. And no matter how low I sank, Blaise was always there to pull me back up. And I would do the same for him. It used to be with just being near each other, there for each other, talking and stuff, you know? But after. well, let's just say we were both so. Oh, there aren't words to describe it. We were sunk in the mud, and there was no daylight showing. We were drowning, and all we could do was cling to each other. And the hugging turned to snuggling in each other's arms, and snuggling turned to kissing. And it was something fresh and new and untarnished. Until our parent's found out exactly how we were comforting each other when things got too much."
Draco had tears in his eyes by this point, but he needed to get it out. Harry just held him, trying to give the blond what comfort he could. He was moving his hand up and down Draco's arm soothingly, and hugging him firmly with the other arm.
"They just couldn't let us be, let us be happy, oh no," Draco continued, sniffing. "They had to make a whole big thing out of it. That was when Mother arranged the pensive thing. Before she had just let visitors touch me occasionally. It was like playing a role. She would give me a portkey to somewhere, and I would wander until I found someone. The person would have been looking for me. They would take me home, bathe me, dress me, comb my hair and kiss me. I was like a plaything. Then she would take my memories and the memories of the person. The memories would be edited and stuff, so you got both points of view. Then it would be done, and I would get a new toy, a broom or something. It was bearable, until she found out about Blaise and I."
"You don't have to, if you don't want to. You don't have to justify it, I know you couldn't help it. You were just a kid, for fuck's sake. It was harsh, but you've put it behind you. I understand about you and Blaise, and it doesn't matter to me, ok? I'll be with you whatever you've done. Don't forget it, 'cos if you forget, you'll stop being wary. But don't worry about it, don't brood about it. Don't let it haunt you," Harry said softly. He knew Draco needed some reassurance, so he placed a soft kiss on the Slytherin's cheek.
Just then there was a call from the other side of the portrait, making Draco twist to his feet, before holding out his hand to Harry, who accepted the help offered, and pulled himself to his feet. His left leg had gone to sleep, he discovered, and he jumped on it, hoping to make the feeling return quickly.
"Dray! Let me in!" came the shout again.
"Coming! Wait a mo!" Draco called back, grinning at Harry, who mock glared back. "Whatever are you doing?"
"My leg's asleep. Never mind, it's a bit better now. Let him in," Harry said, sitting in an armchair and rubbing his calf.
"Ok. you really are as crazy as I always thought you were," Draco informed him, smirking. Harry merely winked.
"You have no idea," he said suggestively.
Draco opened the portrait hole and Blaise immediately jumped in, and closed the portrait quickly. Draco looked at him in astonishment.
"Les idiots," Blaise explained. Draco nodded, and sighed.
"Blaise, mon chér, this is Harry. Harry, this is Blaise. There, introductions over. Care to dine with us ce soir?"
"That would be nice, merci," Blaise said, smiling. "If Harry doesn't mind?"
"No, it's cool," Harry said, looking at the newcomer. Blaise was about as tall as Draco plus boots, making Harry the shortest person in the room (he was as tall as Draco minus boots). The French teen had jet black hair which was long and spiked up. It started in a shock of spikes and then the spikes continued down his spine, a bit like a punk lion's mane. His eyes were dark and rimmed in kohl, and his eyebrow was pierced. A skull earring, identical to Draco's, was in his ear. He was wearing an Offspring hoodie and blue jeans with a pair of worn skater trainers. Blaise raised an eyebrow at the scrutiny, but didn't seem to mind. He grinned at Draco, and threw himself on the sofa, sprawling over the cushions, and looking at the blond, daring him to make a comment. Draco laughed, and went to pull the bell, summoning Dobby.
When the house elf appeared, Blaise sat up suddenly. "Dobby!" he cried in astonishment. Dobby took one look at him, and his small face lit up in a grin.
"Master Blaise!" he squeaked, throwing himself at the teen. "Dobby is so very, very happy to see you!"
"Nice to see you too, Dobby. I think you were called because there's one extra for dinner. Is that ok?" Blaise asked, grinning at the elf who was squeezing his waist, and pulling up the blue baseball cap he was wearing so that he could see Dobby's face.
"That is fine, sir," Dobby said happily, taking one arm from Blaise's waist to tug the baseball cap around so it was backwards and he could see Blaise properly. "I will be getting the other house elves to be making your favourite, sir."
"Merci, Dobby. See you later?"
"Yes, if there is nothing else you need, Sirs?" Dobby asked, turning to face the other occupants of the room.
Harry and Draco shook their heads, smiling. With a final beaming grin for Blaise, Dobby disappeared.
"Well, Dobby seems to like you," Harry commented.
"Yeah. Dobby's cool. Makes good hot chocolate," Blaise said casually, slouching again. Draco could see that there was something on the spiky haired teen's mind, but he knew better than to push Blaise, especially in front of Harry.
"So I've discovered," Harry said, with a smile at Draco.
"Ah, Dray's been educating you?"
"You could say that."
"Draco," Blaise said, turning to his blond friend. "How come Harry is wearing those clothes?"
"Ah, yes! Harry, go change," Draco ordered, thinking that having Harry out of the room would be a perfect opportunity for Blaise to say what was on his mind. "We went shopping today, but at the end we met la belle marquise, and all thoughts of clothes kinda fell out of my mind," he explained.
"Oh no!" Blaise gasped, looking horrified. "What did she say?"
"We managed to get away intact, luckily. My clothes distracted her. It was a close call. She caught us kissing in an alley."
Blaise now looked impressed. He whistled and gave Harry a sideways glance. "He's good, isn't he?" he asked, winking. Harry blushed.
"I'm. going to get changed now," he said, dashing up the stairs. Draco and Blaise looked at each other.
"Bit soon for that, mate," Draco said.
"Oops! Sorry. Hey, does the Gryffindor know François?"
"I don't know. If not, I guess we'll have to teach him."
"I look forward to it."
Draco looked at his friend and smiled, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Y'know, Blaise, you are a very confusing and contradictory person."
"How come?" Blaise asked.
"You dress like a complete punk, yet speak half in François half in English and use sophisticated language. I do too. We must be a bit much sometimes. Our images are totally opposite to our language and speech patterns."
"Oh, I dunno. You can get French punks, I'm sure. French upper-class punks might be a little rarer, but there you go," Blaise said, grinning. "Hey, Dray, completely changing the subject here, but I suppose you're off limits now?"
That was what he had been worrying about, Draco realised. Well, better to let him know now rather that lead him on, so here goes. "Yeah. Sorry, mon chér, but I'm a one man sort of part-veela."
There was silence for a minute. Then, "That was kinda a mouthful," Blaise said thoughtfully.
Draco sighed. "Tell me about it." He looked at his hands for a second, rubbing the dark varnish, and then forced himself to meet his friend's eyes. "Look, Blaise, I'm still your friend, and if I could be there for you the way I used to be, I would. And I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind too much if I comforted you occasionally now, it's not that at all. It's the way I am, the veela bit in me. We mate for life, and we can have no other lover. That's the way it is. And I can't do anything about it, I'm so, so sorry, but I can't."
Blaise sniffed. "It's ok. I can deal. I always kinda hoped that if you would bond with anyone, it would be me, so we could be together forever. But I always knew that that dream was hopeless. We are amis, bon amis, who have occasionally comforted each other by unconventional methods, which were extremely enjoyable for both parties. That's all. Friends, till the end, right?"
"Right. I'll always be there for you, Blaise. No matter what."
Blaise looked up at Draco, his hazel eyes swimming in tears. "I know," he whispered. "I'm happy for you; you found your mate. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. It just feels like I've lost you. I know I haven't, and it's stupid to feel that way. but I do."
"Oh, Blaise." Draco murmured, moving over to the sofa and hugging the taller boy. "You haven't lost me, you've gained Harry. Think of it like that."
"Ok," Blaise said, sniffing and burying his face in Draco's hair, inhaling the familiar scent of his shampoo.
The two teens lay on the sofa, both with eyes full of tears. Harry, who had come in around about when Blaise had changed the subject, tip toed back upstairs, not wanting to disturb the two friends, who were mourning for a relationship that could never be again.
*sniffs* Now I'm all teary too! I've been on the verge of crying all day though. It's Xmas eve, you see, and once again it has hit me that I have never spent a single Christmas with my real dad. Sad, huh? But I wrote him and my Step-Mum and Step-Sis and Step-Bro (and the cats!) a letter this morning and it got me all teary, and now this ending has done the same! I need to do something cheerful. I know! I'll go try to find my Christmas stocking. Now. where is it??
[and that note tells you how long my lovely Beta's spent with this fic!! I didn't read it through when I got it back, I want to get it posted right away, so I hope they didn't do anything too drastic to it.]