Summary: AU. A "faerie" tale with elves, vampires, and reincarnation. Draco's a transfer student who arrives at Hogwarts during Harry's seventh year, trying to fulfill a promise made nearly a hundred years ago. But what is this promise and does it have to do with Harry? D/H!
Many thanks and kisses to my beta, Mednar! ^_^
Shamera
It turned out that the boy was a vampire… one whom had
been ordered by his sire to kill an elvish princess. The vampire childe
refused to comply, forcing both him and the elvish princess to go into
hiding. They had been on their way to the elvish havens, but had been
hunted by something sinister. Deciding to take a detour, the elvish
princess led the both of them into the faerie kingdom where they met the
lost faerie prince.
The prince was delighted with this story, and questioned the princess in great depths about everything she had seen of the outside world. She answered his questions in stride, not bothered by the words, but not touched by them either. It wasn't long before the prince realized that she had no interest in talking with him, and so he went to the boy vampire for his answers.
The vampire had been greatly disturbed at first by the faerie's inquisitiveness, but slowly grew to cherish them as the faerie prince's questions made him feel important and allowed him to talk for hours on end about the life he had once missed.
'Do you still miss that life?' the prince asked one day as the two were resting near a lake. 'The life of a vampire?'
'No.' the pale vampire admitted. 'I used to, but not anymore. I'm glad I'm here with you now.'
The smile that the faerie prince gave was more brilliant than anything that the vampire childe had ever seen before, and he found himself smiling back, feeling warmer knowing that he could provoke such a smile from the prince. It was from that day on that the prince and the vampire childe were found to be inseparable. The two of them were always with each other as the elvish princess negotiated with the faerie king and queen for her safe return without catching the attention of the sinister beings after them.
The prince grew more and more fond of the vampire, and he pleaded with his parents to allow a vampire to stay in the faerie kingdom, for the other desired it as well. Seeing as to both the boy vampire and the elvish princess acquiescing, the king could not deny his child that request, although there had never before lived a dark creature in the faerie kingdom.
The elvish princess was soon returned to her family while the vampire childe stayed in the faerie kingdom, telling great tales to the faerie prince, living off pre-offered blood and generally coming to know and respect the Seelie faeries very much. Although many had been suspicious of his intentions at first, seeing a need to have someone watch over the faerie prince at all times while the vampire was there, their concerns were soon sated when the vampire fought back to back with the prince when they had been surrounded by wild beasts. The faerie folk soon noticed the tender looks that were exchanged between the two, and all their doubts about the vampire abated.
But their happiness was not to last for long as the boy vampire's sire soon found out who had helped the elvish faeries escape. Many dark creatures rose up in battle against the faeries, containing all their spite and bitterness at being denied the blood of the immortal elvish princess. Because the elf havens were safe from all attacks, the dark creatures turned their attentions of the faerie kingdom, leading to a bloody war that lasted decades. The end of the war was the death of the Seelie queen and king, who had sacrificed themselves so that their people would not have to fight anymore. With their sacrifice, the fey kind would be immune to any and all attacks from dark creatures.
The prince grieved deeply for his parents' loss, and knew that he would have to be the one to carry on the royal faerie blood. He was not yet of age to become king, but knew that without leadership, all the Seelie faeries were doomed to disaster just like the Unseelie. The war had been his first taste of malice, sorrow, and darkness. He found, much to his own disgust, that he had a natural affinity to the dark. Trying to bury that thought, the prince rebuilt the faerie kingdom with his people, carrying the flame of hope for many.
The vampire childe never left his side anymore. There was too much sadness in the faerie prince for the pale vampire to safely leave him. The vampire endured all the screaming rows that they had, the hysterical sobbing, and the periods of tense silence that usually followed. The faerie prince was scared of growing too dependent on the boy vampire, but knew that he couldn't stop his gravitation towards the blonde.
With all the stress in the faerie kingdom and the dark creatures still seething at their failed destruction of those who had defied them, a dark wizard came into the game. The sire of the vampire who sided with the faeries found that he could not do anything to harm the fey kind, so he hired a dark wizard to cast a powerful curse.
The dark wizard had seized this opportunity to allow his apprentice practice. What, he asked his apprentice after much study of the fey culture, could we do to strike the hardest blow to the Seelie faeries?
'They take pride in their royal family.' The apprentice replied evenly. 'With the king and queen both dead, all their hopes fall to the Seelie prince.'
The dark wizard laughed heartedly at his apprentice's perception. He grinned evilly, taking pride in his heir's insights.
'Exactly.'
He didn't even look at my scar.
Harry gave a goofy grin to no one in particular as he strode through the Gryffindor portrait, having already given the password. He had Draco had gotten along amazing despite the earlier uneasiness, and the two had talked on and on about nothing at all, giving little tidbits of their personality in their words. The conversation had ended with Draco outside the Gryffindor tower, and Harry asking if they could talk again like this tomorrow. Draco had immediately grinned and replied that he hoped they could talk everyday.
The two had not questioned each other on aspects of their personal life, and Harry found that greatly refreshing. He was tired of everyone inquiring to his health and sanity, and Draco had done neither of that, instead choosing to waste his words on pointless subjects that Harry eagerly participated in.
Making his way over to where Ron and Hermione was sitting before the fire, Harry flopped himself into a soft armchair with a small sigh of contentment, closing his eyes and cherishing the lingering feeling of warmth that was left when he talked to Draco. It was so good to connect with someone like that, to make a new friend who could relate to him so well. They seemed almost the opposite in personality, but the two of them got on terrifically.
His two best friends had stepped their talking the moment he sink into the chair, and were watching him quite suspiciously. They exchanged a knowing look with each other, and both tried to scoot closer to where Harry was sitting.
Harry opened his eyes again at the off sounds, and blinked when he found both Ron and Hermione staring at him.
"What?" He asked plaintively.
Ron tried to suppress a grin. "Who were you talking to outside, mate? I thought you were just going to return 'Mione's library books."
Harry grinned suddenly, feeling warm again and wanting to tell his friends all about Draco. "I did. I met Draco Malfoy on the way… you know, our new transfer student?"
The ebony-haired boy nearly fell off his seating in shock as Ron started choking, looking like he had just gotten water down the wrong windpipe. Hermione just sat next to the redheaded boy (who was starting to turn as red as his hair) and didn't do a thing to help him. In fact, she was starting to develop a Cheshire grin on her face.
"Ron, are you okay?" Harry asked, trying to get up from his perch so that he could help his friend. Ron only waved his help away with one hand, his other hand fisted and banging against his chest. Harry turned his questioning gaze to Hermione, who snickered and shook her head.
"Don't worry about Ron, Harry." She said soothingly. "He's just getting over the shock of owing me two galleons, that's all."
"But why would he owe you-"
Ron finally got his voice back at that moment. "Blimey, Harry!" He protested. "Why can't you do something predictable for once?"
The poor boy only felt more confused at the statement, and now looked to Hermione desperately for answers.
Hermione's grin stretched. "I told him it would be a boy."
Comprehension dawned on Harry.
"You were betting about me!" he accused, pointing at the two. But then the full implications of what she had said sunk in, and he sputtered, turning quite red, "I do not fancy Draco!"
Hermione laughed. "On a first name basis already, Harry?"
Harry tried to disappear into the cushions, ignoring what Hermione just said. "I do not fancy Draco." He reiterated stubbornly.
"Trust me." Hermione continued. "I know that look you came in with. It's the same look that Dean had on after Padma agreed to go to the Yule Ball with him. You'd notice the look if you saw it yourself. Cor- even Ron recognized that look! You're smitten with him, Harry!"
She elbowed Ron strongly in the ribs, and he nodded enthusiastically. "It's true, Harry. I recognize that look." Then Ron grinned, looking like his older twin brothers at that moment. "Ickle Harry fancies someone!" he teased.
Harry wanted to protest. He had only truly met Draco but a few minutes ago. He did not like Draco like that, he only wanted Draco as a friend. He remembered what it felt like when he talked with Cho, all the nervousness and the sweaty palms, the flush on his cheeks and the racing heart. He remembered nearly stuttering around her, and how his mind just about went blank with envy when she laughed.
He had fancied Cho at one time. He did not fancy Draco. And he wasn't in denial, either! No way. Draco just felt familiar, that was all. He was someone that Harry could talk with and not worry about his problems. Draco was the normalcy that Harry longed for.
"You guys are wrong." Harry stated quite calmly, satisfied with the deduction of his thoughts. "I don't fancy Draco. I never talked to him before today."
"I would normally agree with you." Ron said. "But I know that look too well."
Harry tried to change the subject. "You two are looking rather cozy with each other. I thought you broke up two days ago?"
He wasn't really interested in the answer, seeing as he had seen his two best friends break up and make up far more times than he could count. It seemed to happen every few weeks, when one or the other did something wrong and they would break up… leading to Hermione mocking Ron about not having a girlfriend, as she knew it was a sensitive subject to him. Then they would make up.
"We did." Hermione replied casually. "We got back together tonight. Don't change the subject, Harry. You need to tell us all about what's between you and Malfoy."
Ron now looked like he didn't want to be part of the conversation. He stood up quickly, glancing up the dormitory stairs awkwardly. "I'll think I'll turn in early now that homework's been done. Goodnight, 'Mione, Harry."
Hermione only shook her head in response as Ron hurried up the stairs in order to escape having to listen to something that he might later regret. But she turned back to Harry quickly enough, and gave him a look that insisted he tell her.
"There's nothing between us!" Harry exclaimed after Hermione's smoldering look. He felt frustrated that his best friends had taken the initiative to dig into his love life when there was nothing there. "We just talked for the first time today… and you make it sound like we're in love with each other!"
I don't even know if he likes boys. Harry thought, but then added hastily, I don't like boys.
It was true… almost. He didn't like boys to the extent that he didn't like girls… Harry had not been a normal teenaged boy. The one crush that he had was on Cho Chang, which lasted about two years and then disappeared after that horrendous date in fifth year. For some reason, he had never bothered to think about either boys or girls after that.
Probably due to the mental trauma of that date.
"Well, I've never seen you with that _expression before. What am I supposed to think?" Hermione huffed, and leaned back against the couch she was sitting in. "Besides, Malfoy's not bad on the eyes… there's definitely more than a few girls who were mooning after him since he's arrived. But you're the first one he's talked to."
Harry darkened at that thought. Maybe Draco had talked to him because of who he was? Maybe he was told to get close to the Boy Who Lived, and then catch him off guard.
Seeing the distrusting look that Harry had, Hermione quickly amended, "Maybe you're the only one he found interesting enough. He did seem to stare at you a lot."
Harry was still more than a little skeptical. After all, that information only intensified his belief that Draco was sent to lure him into a trap.
"Give him a chance." Hermione said. "Of course… don't follow him if he wants to lead you somewhere, don't touch anything that he offers to you, and don't give him any information that might be used against you."
Harry glared at her. "That's not much of 'giving him a chance', 'Mione."
She grinned sheepishly and shrugged.
But yes. Harry thought. I can do that. I can be cautious while still being able to be a friend. As long as I follow that Hermione says, I can still talk with him and such.
He nodded at a grinning Hermione determinately. Yes, he could do that.
"Canary creams." Draco said with a grimace, watching the stone gargoyle warily as it moved aside to allow him entrance. The pale vampire gave the headmaster's sanity a few seconds' thought as he pondered on the type of password that Dumbledore chose. He moved briskly to the door of the office, opening it without a knock for he knew that the headmaster would have known he was coming anyway.
Indeed, when he strode into the room, Albus Dumbledore was already sitting behind his desk with his hands clasped together in a patient and comfortable look, his eyes twinkling behind half moon glasses. This only fuelled Draco's dark _expression.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Malfoy?"
The question was simple and would be asked of anyone who charged into the headmaster's office, but the knowing tone behind it was too much for the vampire, who seethed with the idea that this old man (who was actually younger than him) knew more than him.
"Why did you allow me into this school?" Draco demanded, pushing both palms against the top of the headmaster's desk. "You much have known I was a vampire in the very beginning. If not, then I told you in the middle of the interview. Why would you allow a vampire into your precious school?"
"Because you do not wish to harm anyone here." Dumbledore replied casually, "You had been recommended by the elves, and had no history of offense with the Ministry of Magic."
"So you would allow any dark creature without a criminal record into this school, then? That can't be the only reason!"
"Mr. Malfoy." Now the tone was much hardened and firm. "I do not agree with the Ministry's prejudices. I have taught many magical creatures on the premises of this school barring that they hold to me their promise for not harming my students. What they do with my teachings after Hogwarts I cannot control, as I cannot control who becomes a dark wizard. But none of the students have ever broken their promise to me because they know that they would not like the consequences."
Draco's anxiety and slight anger abated after that statement, and he collapsed into a chair that had been conveniently behind him. "Is that all?" he asked rather weakly. "Is that the reason you allowed me here?"
At this, the headmaster seemed to soften. "I have been a friend of the elves for some time, Mr. Malfoy." He tried to explain. "I have long heard of your search for the re-born faerie prince. Of course, it is not my place to help you… but it is also not my place to hinder you on your search."
"Is he here?" Draco asked, ignoring the 'not my place to help you' statement. His tone was quite desperate. "Please. Is he one of the students? Is that why you didn't protest to me wanting to search this school? Is he Harry Potter?"
There was a long moment as Dumbledore studied the desperation apparent in Draco's voice. The vampire was tense as a bow string, grey eyes near glowing and flashing in a way that radiated danger and violence if he were lied to or denied.
"I have allowed you here to continue your search, Mr. Malfoy. I cannot help or hinder you in any way, like I said. Mr. Potter has certainly had enough amazing circumstance happen to him in his lifetime, but Harry is still just a student of this school. It is you who must be able to tell who the faerie prince is, not me." Dumbledore paused and gave him a knowing look.
Draco gritted his teeth in frustration. Was that a no? A yes? It certainly sounded like Dumbledore was implying he already knew who the faerie prince was, but at the same time it sounded like he was saying Harry wasn't anyone special. Or was he just saying that despite everything Harry was, he was a student as well?
He was confused.
Dumbledore gave a grim smile. "You should return to your dorm, Mr. Malfoy. No doubt it is near curfew already. Your housemates would inquire about you if you are gone past the allowable time."
But Draco didn't care about being out past curfew. He was older than most living creatures in Hogwarts anyway. He was certainly older than those who enforced the rules here, anyway. He wanted answers to all the questions that were swirling around in his head.
Was he right? Was Harry Potter the one he had been searching for? Resemblance of the eyes did not mean anything. Physical resemblance did not mean anything. There were tons of people he had seen over the years who could easily pass as someone related to the faerie prince, but none had been him. There was one way he could tell, but he didn't want to risk being wrong.
But he gave the headmaster a curt nod before spinning on his heels and marching away from the office, away from the possible answers he might gain.
"This is impossible." Harry said disgustedly as he took of his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. It was the next day after their Charms class, with the Trio on their way to Herbology with the Ravenclaws. Harry's eyes had been aching all day, and he just couldn't stop rubbing his eyes sore.
"Don't do that!" Hermione scolded as she pulled Harry's hand away from his eyes. "You're going to make it worse."
"Maybe you should just stick to a potion to correct your vision," Ron suggested. He glanced over curiously as Harry struggled to get his hands away from Hermione's range as his eyes were both itching and aching badly enough to demand a rubbing. "I don't understand why you keep those glasses."
Ron did understand, of course. Harry had explained it to him many times whenever the question came up, about how he just didn't feel comfortable without his glasses on. But being that Ron never wore glasses for long periods before and didn't know many people who did, he just didn't understand.
That was until Harry asked him, "Can you honestly imagine me going around without glasses?"
And Ron had hesitated, then finally conceded that yes, those horrid glasses were a part of the Harry-image he had.
"How do your eyes hurt, Harry?" Hermione asked as she once again swatted Harry's hands away from his eyes. "And stop that! Your eyes are red enough already!"
Harry blinked rapidly to try and dispel the feeling of sandiness that remained, wincing at how dry his eyes felt. "Everything's too bright." He stated. "It doesn't hurt because it's bright, though… the brightness just adds to it. It feels as if my eyes are trying to adjust to the brightness, and that's what hurts the most."
"Maybe your eyes are correcting themselves," Hermione suggested. "It's not too uncommon for a wizard."
"No." Harry replied dejectedly. "Everything's still as blurry as ever."
Hermione worried her bottom lip before saying, "How about sunglasses, then? Your eyes might just be more sensitive to light right now. It might be a phase that soon passes."
With a wave of her wand, Hermione darkened Harry's glasses until he felt his eyes stop aching so much.
Harry blinked.
Ron burst out laughing when he saw his best friend.
Hermione looked slightly bashful. "Alright… so that looks undoubtedly strange…" Yes, with his round glasses, Harry looked like he had two huge black eyes. "Well, I guess I can model it a bit more like a pair that I have…" with another wave of her wand and a few muttered words under her breath, Hermione once again changed Harry's glasses.
The ebony haired boy brought a hand up to his eyes, touching the frames of his glasses tentatively. It was still black framed glasses, although now it was decidedly not round, but a more oval shape and much thinner around the top and bottom. It was also much darker, and Harry found that his eyes didn't hurt as much anymore due to that. But the world looked a little more… green.
"It also protects your eyes from ultraviolet radiation." Hermione stated proudly. She was tapping her wand against her chin in contemplation. "That could be the reason why your eyes are sensitive. You're usually outside in the sun for Quidditch practice, and an overdose of UV rays is never good for you."
After finger his newly improved glasses, Harry smiled her at. "Thanks, 'Mione… this is a bit better."
Not that the irritated feeling in his eyes had gone away. But his eyes weren't drying and then tearing as fast anymore, so Harry considered that an improvement.
"Blimey… why green?" Ron whined. They had continued their way to the greenhouses, and were passing a few curious looks at Harry's new eyewear. "Why couldn't you have just stayed with the darkened color?"
"Because with Harry's complexion, it looks like he bruised his eyes." Hermione tried to explain lightly. Harry just listened along, opting not to join into this conversation. "Red looks strange enough… blue would clash with Harry's eyes, and I doubt neither of you would don purple sunglasses."
Ron blanched. "When did you get into color coordination?" he demanded.
"I am a girl, Ron." Hermione said strictly. "I may not acknowledge it, but I sometimes notice things like that. Cor, even you notice when girls don't look their best. I'm just trying to help Harry out, that's all."
"Next thing you know, you'd be giving him a new wardrobe." Ron grumbled.
"I would if he agrees." Hermione responded completely ignoring the fact that Harry was standing next to her and protesting vehemently. "Merlin knows he needs a new one."
Harry let out a strangled noise while Ron reluctantly agreed.
Draco was going through the things he had brought it Hogwarts with him in his school trunk. Headmaster Dumbledore had left him more confused than ever, but Draco was near positive that the boy he talked to the night before was the one he was looking for. But he didn't want to believe lest it not be true.
It had been too long. He had been so optimistic at the beginning, thinking that a hundred years could not be much. Surely with his age… and with the love he had experienced, he would be able to easily endure. A hundred years should have been a breeze, and it should have easy to find his beloved again.
Nothing could have been further from the truth.
His high hopes continued to fragment over the years as he searched thousands, traveling from country to country, continent to continent as he grew more and more desperate to find his prince. Draco began to realize over the years that the spell didn't state when or where the faerie prince would be reborn, only that it would be within a hundred years.
With each attempt to identify someone and end his search, Draco found himself once more broken hearted. Each brush with anyone who reminded him of Emerald let a scar when Draco realized he was wrong.
He didn't want another scar.
It had been over fifteen years since he had allowed another into his heart, and he didn't want to allow Harry Potter the access of those broken fragments unless Draco knew he was correct. The faerie prince, after all, had stolen his heart long ago… and he was just looking for it again.
And he was almost sure that Harry Potter was the end of his search. Those brilliant eyes that he saw briefly yesterday before lunchtime, those eyes that nearly glowed in their luminance, looked too familiar to him.
Although I've seen a great many pairs of eyes that looked like his, Draco rationalized to himself, And none of them had been the eyes I've been looking for.
It was near the bottom of his trunk when he found the glass case. Draco tugged on the glass, making sure to pull it out from the sharp edges of books gently. It would not due for the glass case to break and let out his precious gift. It wouldn't guarantee it, but Draco was sure that this item could identify the faerie prince. It was, after all, once his.
Lifting the glass case gently, Draco leaned back to rest on his legs as he placed the case gently on his lap and turned it over to the front.
Camthalion Lessien Coamenel-Súrion
Draco traced the writings on the bottom of the case with a tip of his finger, whispering the name slowly to himself. For faeries, birth names granted power. Names were words of power that could be used against them, and so Draco treasured this particular treasure of his almost more than anything. It was a rose encased in a glass of tinted pastels, one that would never wilt or die in the hands of those who are its owners.
He stared at it for a few moments longer before wrapping the case tenderly inside the folds of his school uniform. He had to go find Harry. They didn't have any classes together for the day, but he was sure that he could find the other boy around lunchtime sitting outside near the lake.
Hurrying out of the Slytherin dormitories and then slipping out of the common room, Draco went straight for the nearest exit of the castle. He used to hate the sun, but that had changed a while ago, and he now reveled in being able to soak in the sunlight. Hurrying out of a door that led to the Quidditch field, Draco saw the most peculiar sight.
He used a hand to rub his eyes to make sure that the sun hadn't gotten to him.
Why was there…. A potted plant… running with its sprouted roots into the Forbidden Forest??
continued in chapter 4
Authoress' Notes: Yes, Ron and Hermione relationship is weird. But I've actually had friends who kept breaking up and getting back together again. It's annoying, but funny. XD And the vision thing will be explained a bit later, although it's starting to unfold. The glasses that I described for Harry is actually a combination of my computer glasses and sunglasses. I do have green sunglasses somewhere in my room.. I just couldn't find it. ^^;;
Oooh!! In case no one really thought about it, this IS a fairy tale. A really, really bad reedition of it on crack, but it's a re-do of a fairy tale nontheless. And it should be pretty easy to guess. I added the rose from Beauty and the Beast, but NO, this is not Beauty and the Beast... ~_~;;
The plant is comic relief. ^^;; It has no place whatsoever in this story as anything other than comic relief and a funny idea that I had. It's going to stick around for a while. XD I hope everyone enjoys the relaxed moods that I try to put down since I'm a bit sick of going through angst. ^^;; Once again, all responses to reviews for chapter 2 is in my LiveJournal, which you can find in my profile.