Chapter 24: Hanging the Moon
Severus was having a terrible day. It was mid October, just a few weeks after the attack on his mate, and with Halloween and the holidays coming up, he had been summoned more and more frequently. The Dark Lord had heard about the attack on Harry, but even with Lucius poking around the Ministry, he had no real information.
Severus had told the resurrected man of the victim, but claimed to have only seen a few of the children involved, and none of what the boy was subjected to besides the beating.
The perpetrators could not speak of the incidents victim, or any important details about the savior. It was one of the few things Severus felt he owed Dumbledore for. The wizards quick thinking allowed his mate to reintegrate into his daily patterns without the added attention.
But he decided to clear his mind of those thoughts, for right in front of him stood a brown haired boy, almost begging him to ruffle his long curls. It began in the middle of a technical class, the students were adjusting their shield charms over small but shifty targets, and Harry looked almost majestic as he moved. His hair was tied into a tight low bun, a few flyaways framing his blushing face.
The boys wand work was nearly flawless, but he seemed to almost scream the spell, despite the downside of it letting his opponents know his exact moves. He had told his mate this several times, both in and out of the classroom, but today his mate looked almost irresistible. The fact that he could not separate those thoughts while in class meant that he was somewhere around halfway close to his limit.
The dragon knew himself well. If he was faced with his beautiful young mate every day without being able to embrace him, he would surely go insane. Harry had acknowledged him as a potential mate, and until Severus could officially ask for Harry's hand, he was at a crossroads. Instead of picking the teen up and laying him across his desk, the man simply walked around his classroom.
He had never found many flaws within the Ravenclaw's work, but he was a nitpicky man, so he insulted many of the students, only silently passing those who were doing it by his standards. Both he and Harry had agreed that it would be best for him to still somewhat target the boy, only really touching on his house placement.
The banter between them was as fun as it had been in the years before, and usually-- as his other defense classes worked throughout the days-- the two would write to one another.
Harry hardly had free periods, but when he had free time they would speak through a two way journal. The small teen usually visited his quarters every few nights, but save for parting kisses, he was in sore need of his little treasures affection.
It wasn't until later that night when Harry unexpectedly knocked upon the door to his quarters, that he'd gotten his wish.
The boy was wearing his invisibility cloak, and after the teen made his way in, Severus closed the door. Turning, the taller man was opening his mouth to scold his mate for not giving him time in advance, but the boy stopped his rant easily. Harry had adjusted his cloak around his shoulders, then covered his face with his hands for only a moment, showing the observant man the deep blue polish on his nails. Secondly Harry had loosened his hair from the bun he had worn that day, and fully removed the cloak. The green speckle eyed teen did not make eye contact, but as the cloak slipped away, Severus could see that beneath the shimmering fabric, was a girls school uniform.
That in itself did not do anything for Severus, what made his blood heat up was the fact that his mate, his gem was clearly wearing platform heels and thigh high socks. Items that were not a part of the uniform, thus distinguishing it from the original. It allowed the black eyed man to see his mate as something other than an underaged schoolgirl.
"I, um... asked my sisters to recreate the uniform for me..." He said softly, pushing hair behind his ear. The teen stopped himself, wondering why he was using such gestures, and tried to correct the actions. Clearing his throat he looked up at his mate, first seeing the tense stance the man had, and while he was tempted to back away or cover himself back up, he kept looking.
Severus was a very articulate man, he could talk his way into and out of many situations. But the fact that this succulent little treasure who was standing before him was his, made him almost irrational. The young dragon bearer was dressed in a recreation of a girls uniform, adjusted and altered to look close enough to the real thing without being so exact that he would find himself disgusted.
"Stay there Treasure." He spoke, his voice low and gravely. He circled the other male, committing every detail to memory. The way the shorter skirt was still at thigh length gave the teen a sense of modesty, but the thong peaking out above the waist line completely shattered that image. The teen was nothing but a contradicting mix of innocence and sensuality. The midriff exposing dress shirt was made of a thin almost sheer fabric, which painted the picture of a lilac colored bra beneath, and the black chunky heels were emphasized by the white of the socks.
As the older man inspected his outfit, Harry tried not to freak out. This was the first time he had tried something this out of his comfort zone. The heels, the legs showing, the skirt, the sheer materials, even makeup... He wanted to see just what his mate liked and disliked about the choices he'd made. It was mostly to see if the man would accept him if this was his preferred style, or if they would have to compromise. His mate touched the two slits that were sewn into his shirt, and noted the adjusted backless bra.
"And why is this here?" The man asked, leaning forward and brushing along those same spots with his nose.
Harry gasped, he hadn't expected his mate to be this hands on tonight. To be so into his outfit and body that he would lose so much of his control.
The answer was one he could give easily, in fact he only gave the man a small warning before allowing his body to shift, leaving him with all of his draconic features on display.
He would have stopped at a half shift, which was wings, and lengthened nails, but in his excitement he decided to not hold back. So tonight he also had his tail, scales, forked tongue, and his eyes, on display. He didn't have horns, but whether that only applied to his humanoid body, or not he wouldn't know.
The teen wasn't sure if his current state was his half shift or if this was all he could do. His mate was able to return to his full dragon form, but if Harry had a full on dragon form to remain compatible with the man, he wouldn't know.
The dragon standing behind him explored every new piece of skin and scale. Keeping his touch light but his scent gave him away. Severus was holding back, and that thought excited Harry. He'd never really seen the man so beside himself with lust that the teen was at real risk of having to repair his clothing tomorrow.
Animalistic was the only word he could think to use. He felt like the prey in a hunt. In the way that if he made any move to really seduce his mate now, it would jeopardize their courting rules even further.
In the end, Harry realized that he didn't have to worry about his appearance. His mate was releasing a low purring growl as he made his slow way around. The man was gently touching everything, pulling the thong then releasing it, watching silently as it snapped softly against Harry's skin and listening to his little mate gasp and moan. The man played with his hair, and ran a warm hand over the sheer shirt and his wings. He was moving so slowly, so gently, that when the man's hand moved to the front of the blouse and brushed against his nipples, Harry could do nothing more than gasp.
His legs felt a bit weak, and he wondered why he chose today of all days to attempt to seduce his mate.
It wasn't a planned out scene, he had simply wanted to see if his mate would freak out. Would the man welcome the more feminine clothing, or did the man prefer him in his daily wear?
Either answer was one the teen could live with, but his thoughts melted once again when a warm breath of smoke brushed against the nape of his neck. The low growls were a good sign, but the fact that the dragon behind him was holding his waist so tightly sold it.
"And why have you come to me dressed so provocatively? Was your intent to break my control once again, or to confirm your own feelings?" Harry could tell that the man behind him was attempting to have a real conversation, so he answered as honestly as possible, despite his red face and aroused state.
"A bit of both Sevvy... would you care if I always wanted to dress this way?" He asked, after deciding to go into the answer feet first.
"Hmm..." The man sighed, unconsciously pulling the petite dragon closer to his embrace leaving a trail of hot kisses on the teens neck.
"Yes." He started, but held his mate in place as the boy tried to jerk forward and turn towards him.
Harry hadn't expected that one word to hurt so much, but Severus only laughed softly before explaining.
"I would not care if you dressed like this, or if you took after Trelawney in your fashions." Harry was starting to actually become confused, but before he could ask about the weird contradictions, his mate continued talking. "No, but if any other were to see you as you are now... I guarantee you they would no longer have the eyes to gawk with."
The clear threat caused a shiver to run down the teens spine. His mate was possessive, he should have remembered. He was the mans treasure after all, and dragons never give away something so precious as that.
It was weird, Harry mused. That he could be so at ease with his status as the dark haired mans possession. As a Dragon kin he understood that he belonged to his mate just as much as the man belonged to him. It was an odd way of marking your mate-- accepting them as a part of your horde-- but if Harry had been human through and through, he knew it would have caused an enormous misunderstanding.
Leaning his head back and to the side, the green eyed wizard lifted his shy hands, allowing them to trace along his mates hands and forearms. The pose was fairly wholesome in comparison to the way he was dressed, but as he was led to the couch in his mates living quarters, he realized that Severus would always try to comfort him before satiating either of their desires.
The man sat beside him, and the teen knew they would be talking about this in more detail before anything else.
"I don't know how I want to dress." The teen admitted. "I am both a boy and a girl, but neither all at once--"
"Incorrect." the dragon beside him interrupted. "You are no less one gender than you are the other. The way you dress is simply a form of expression, not a conformation to one gender or the other."
The teen managed a small smile, "Either way, I feel that if I wear something more feminine, I will feel less like myself, but if I only wear masculine clothing, I don't feel right either."
"Do not go full on in one direction or the other, simply because you feel it is expected of you. You are your own person, you do not belong to them."
Harry has long since known that Severus was a possessive and obsessive man, but to hear the man claim him so succinctly every chance he got made Harry's day several shades brighter. He hadn't realized just how much he needed the reassurance that his mate would accept him until now.
Severus was usually a hard man to please, so the teen felt that if his preferences weren't aligned with that of his older mate, the man would become bored or simply leave him.
Thinking on it now, after their short conversation, Harry realized just how scared he had been to be himself. It was not the expectations of the school that made him falter, but the fear that his mate would not approve.
With this identity crisis mostly settled, Harry let free a more truthful smile. It also occured to him that it was unfair of him to believe Severus would hate him over something as small as what he put on his body. He felt that by now he should have known that the man wouldn't push him away. There were several things Harry had done over their time together that would warrant that action, but Severus was usually the type to keep people close once he let them in.
That was due to his nature as a dragon, and something Harry thanked the gods for everyday. Not many people got past those walls, but once they did, they had already been proven worthy several times over. For the teen, this was a bounty. He had known his mate for years, they had built up a trust. And though he was still young, he knew how manipulative people could be. Severus was an honest, if surly person who had never led Harry on darkened paths without guidance and protection along the way.
He could admit that it was honestly odd to look at their situation and not see it in a nefarious light. But Harry had enough support through friends and family now, to know that meeting and getting to know his mate could have been much much worse.
The teen smiled even brighter, knowing his mate had at least caught onto his thoughts. Severus was sitting quietly beside Harry, relaxed on the couch and watching him with a smile of his own.
"We got to know one another in such a damning way, didn't we?" Harry spoke, laughter in his voice. "I was 11 when we first met, and you were my silent mentor for five years..."
"Indeed. I was not expecting to see you in the apothecary my mate, however I could not leave you to suffer." The man answered, lifting a hand to fix his gem's hair.
Harry moved a bit closer to the older man, trying not to trap his skirt beneath him as he went.
"I really appreciated your advice, though at the time I thought Slytherin House was somewhere in Surrey." This wasn't anything new, Harry had told his mate that years ago, but it was something he'd never forgotten. They had spoken about the day they met so many times, but there was always one thing that made the teen pause.
"If I had been born as a girl, would we have formed the same bond?"
The question was a bit out there, seeing as Harry hadn't shared any of his thoughts leading to this next question. But Severus still gave the inquiry some honest thought before answering. "Yes. As it is, many dragon kin will reach their inheritance early, and once that happens they fall into three gendered categories. Either you remain as your original gender, you are given an additional set of genitals, or you completely switch genders."
This made the smaller wizard pause. He could have just woke up on his birthday as a girl? It was bad enough that he had woken up the way he had, but that would have been too much for him to fathom.
"Dragons with Dragon kin mates do not generally care about gender, as it is subject to change. More often than not, a dragon kins gender does not change, unless the needs of the population will it into existence."
"Wait. So why am I half and half?" Harry interrupted. He usually tried to wait until his mate was done speaking, but this was baffling to him.
Severus rolled his eyes, but continued. "You were born as the fourth and final Dragon kin of the last two generations. You were the only bearer of them, and in this school you are the only dragon besides myself. Additionally you were blood adopted into a family with Siren blood in their DNA. Both bloodlines have been dying out rapidly amongst wizards, leaving those with the genes to pick up the slack. This has likely skewed the flow of your inheritance, giving you the body and features you have now."
The man stood after finishing his explaination, moving around the room towards his personal desk.
Harry sat in shock as he took in all of the information. He hadn't had the courage to ask the man what he would have looked like without the creature blood last time they spoke, and he didn't have it now either. The only thing was that he should have anticipated his mates intelligence.
Severus knew that with the increased time speaking about inheritances and creature blood over the teens last few visits meant something. His siren was curious by nature, and the teen had likely been wondering for the past year, what he would look like without the genetic changes he had undergone.
Stepping back around the desk, the man produced an ornate wooden frame. It was small in size and rectangular in shape, with a mirror embedded inside. The frame really was not very large, small enough to sit in the drawer of the desk, but when Harry noticed the item, he became noticeably confused.
"This will show you all the different possible outcomes of your inheritance. From no siren or draconic features, to a full shift on either side. I will leave this in the livingroom if ever you get curious."
Harry felt like letting out a sigh of relief. He watched as his mate carefully adjusted the mirrors size, before summoning a pale brown potion. Dripping a bit onto the mirror itself, the teen watched the surface ripple like a still lake when it starts to rain. It was tempting, sure. To see what he would have looked like if he would have continued growing up without any signs of his creature blood. But in the same breath he knew it would hit him like the Mirror of Erised did. It wouldn't show his desires per se, but it would awaken a new desire to be more-- or less-- than he was at the moment.
To covet a version of himself that did not exist in this world... Whether he looked taller or shorter than his 5'5" frame. If he would have still needed glasses, which was more than likely. Whether his hair would have stayed short instead of being longer, or his voice deeper or rougher, he knew deep down that he didn't want to know.
Alternately, he didn't want to see how he would fair as a girl from birth. He could imagine becoming envious of what he would never look like. If she had a better body type, or brighter eyes than he had now. Or perhaps she was more confident in what she wore or who she was.
Maybe they would all look the same somehow. Not in a physical sense, but in the way that they would all feel insecure no matter how they looked. The mirror of Erised had already broken the part of him that wished for more than was possible, but this? That was possible. To change his appearance, whether permanently or temporarily, was possible with magic. Bringing back the dead with no consequence, was not.
He had just come to terms with himself, just started to accept 'Rie' as a piece of his soul that he did not want to part with.
So, it was easy for the teen to stay seated. Looking away from the man and the mirror, and trying to calm his rapid thoughts.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw his mate smirk, then put the mirror away, shrinking it down before leaving it in the desk drawer. The man must have known that Harry would not risk ostracizing himself any further.
"You-- you knew I wouldn't look into it, didn't you Severus?" The teen asked.
"Hm? No, I simply assumed you would either rush to see, or accept things as they are." The man came back and sat right beside the teen. "You are not usually the type to sit still unless you are in deep thought."
"You, my mate are quite literally all that I am not," Severus admitted pulling his mates face closer to his own. Looking deep into those sparkling green eyes he smiled devilishly. "Do not doubt that to me, you hung the moon and aligned the stars."
Harry's eyes widened. He had already confirmed that his man was a romantic. On multiple occasions it was proven and without doubt. But to be told something so intimate to his face was an impossible turn on for the teen. The way the mans hand held his jaw, the way he leaned in so close made Harry bite his lip. He was in control, but if he made a move now he would be relinquishing all of that control to his mate.
And in the end, he did. Releasing his lip from its confines, he looked deep into his mates eyes. The dark gems flickered with heat, passion and love filled the pools of his soul, and far within the depths of those eyes, Harry saw unparalleled lust.