Draco fell into step with the dark haired Potions Master as they rounded their fifth corner on the way to the Headmasters office.
"Severus?"
Snape looked over at the blonde Slytherin walking within a hairsbreadth of him, and took in the sight of the young man.
Draco had not changed all that much since he had been a mere seven years old. Now, at seventeen, his face was sharper and more defined. He had a strong chin which was often pointed upwards in arrogance or defiance. His blond hair had grown to reach his shoulders and was, for the most part, only held out of his eyes with a new wizarding moose that the young man swore miracles too. Snape had often chuckled at the boy as he pulled his hair in frustration and moaned continuously when it got unnecessarily ruffled. It had greatly amused Snape that the young Slytherin never complained about his hair during Quidditch matches or when he flew anywhere on a broom. It seemed the laws, when it came to the perfection of hair, were thrown out of the highest window and to the wind when Quidditch practices stepped into play. Draco had kept his place on the Quidditch team for all his years at Hogwarts, yet, his strive to beat the-boy-who-lived had lessened over the years. Draco had witnessed and been part of many things larger than Quidditch rivalry, and had greeted old foes with a different opinion after the Great War came to an end in his sixth year.
He had matured over the years, yet still appeared the spoilt brat around certain others, and still strove to undermine what he once referred to as the Mudblood. Now, however, un-hidden anxiety shone in the depths of his silver eyes as he looked at Snape.
"Yes?" replied Snape, slowing his pace a little, to give the young man time to talk before they reached their destination.
Draco slowed his pace in response to Snape and took in a breath. "This has gone a bit beyond my control now hasn't it?"
Snape's features slid into a grimace of sorts, as much as the man would allow anyway. "It can be fixed, I, for once, am just entirely sure how."
Draco gave a soft chuckle at Snape's small confession to not knowing all the things in the world, then sobered as they turned another corner and stood in front of two stone gargoyles.
"Snickers," whispered Snape.
The stone gargoyles merely glanced at him and stayed perfectly still. Confusion painted its prominence on both of the men's faces at this. Draco turned to face Snape and raised an eyebrow.
Snape held his hands up in a minute shrug and turned back to the stone gargoyles. He glared at the stone statues and muttered names of several sweets in succession under his breath. At the seventh sweet Draco interrupted him.
"Severus Snape! Those sweets are illegal!" exclaimed Draco in a mock shocked voice.
The dark haired man smirked back at the blonde and shrugged nonchalantly, "Oh?"
Draco snorted and shook his head. "Dropping the subject of your fondness for untouchable sweets, why didn't the first password work in the first place? I take it a 'Snickers' is, in fact, an actual sweet, yes?"
"Yes. You really should get out more Draco," replied Snape with a snort of his own. "I don't know why the first password didn't work, that's what it was yesterday."
"Why were you here yesterday?" inquired the blonde boy, innocence coating his tone.
"Never you mind."
Draco gasped, "You two are having a secret affair aren't you? The rumours I heard this morning at breakfast are true! Sev, I thought you trusted me to tell me all these things!"
Snape gagged violently and his eyes widened uncontrollably, it was perhaps the shock of the accusation that let his emotions roam freely over his features. "What!" he coughed.
Draco smirked.
"Oh, just a few little rumours Sev." Draco waved his hand as he finished his sentence and glanced about the corridor in a bored manner.
"A few rumours?!" spluttered the normally articulate Potions Professor.
Draco laughed at the dark haired man and winked.
"You were joking weren't you?" uttered Snape, aiming a steely glare at the blonde.
"Might have been," Draco replied, in a most carefree voice. "Who knows?"
Snape rolled his eyes at Draco and went back to muttering the names of sweets at the stone gargoyles.
"Sev...?"
"Yes?"
"Maybe he's not in."
Snape sighed. "Draco, even when Albus is out of his office, the portraits inside his office run through the castle to alert him of visitors waiting for his presence. We are, for once just not waiting inside his office for him, but outside his office."
Draco raised a sceptical brow at his guardian and friend. "Then why did the password not work?"
Snape shrugged and rolled his eyes. "I have no idea. Maybe Albus left a note or something about his apparent absence, and maybe I just didn't get it."
At the word 'absence' the stone gargoyle on the left began shifting slightly. Both men turned away from each other and towards the stone gargoyles.
The stone statue began extracting a short plump arm from its side, with what appeared to be a piece of parchment held in its fist.
Both Draco and Snape raised a brow at the statue. They looked at each other, then back at the statue.
Snape reached out delicate Potion making fingers and snatched at the note. He opened it and a second piece of parchment fluttered to the ground. Picking it up, Snape scanned both pieces of parchment and mutely handed them to Draco to read.
Draco took the letters from the Potions Professor with a quirked brow and set to reading them in silence.
To Severus and Mr. Malfoy,
I am aware of the incident that occurred toady in the potions room, I have, however, been called away to see to another more political matter and I can only offer you my words in writing at this present moment.
Please see to my second note and contact me if there are any more problems.
Yours,
Albus Dumbledore.
A silver brow shot up at Snape in a questioning manner, but fell into a frown as Snape waved his hand at the second note clutched in Draco's fingers, that the blonde had not yet read.
It was not a letter in fact, but a magical copy of a page from a book. Draco's brow shot up into his hairline in surprise, and then down into a frown as he began reading.
Male Veela;
The Male Veela are rare in their numbers, but extraordinary in their attributes; attributes that they, in fact, do not share with Female Veela, contrary to popular belief.
Complete Male Veela are so few due to what some believe to be tragic inter breeding that has been taking place over the last centuries. However, this only leads to further speculation of the Veela's themselves.
Both Female and Male Veela share common characteristics such as the powerful pheromones that they can produce at will to induce potential partners, or a potential playmate. The pheromones themselves are a burst of magical sense that cling to other magical auras, such as that of a fellow Veela, or even a Witch or Wizard, and attempt to mix with that magical aura.
It is this process of magical mixing that often renders the 'victim' of the pheromone burst completely unstable in both body and mind. When a Veela's magic does not connect completely with that of another Veela, or in toady's centuries, another Witch or Wizard, the Veela will release its hold on the others magic, and draw in their pheromones, leaving the other aware of their surroundings once more.
Male Veela however, support a slightly different type of pheromone to that of the Female's. Both Male and Female Veela use their pheromones when trying to find their other half that aligns them in the magical sense, but a Female's pheromones can also be used to entice Male's, for the need of reproduction. Male's pheromones do not work like this, purely because Female Veela hold this power over their pheromones, so there is no need for Males to do so as well.
Male Veela however, as they do not have this sensual control over their pheromones that the Female's do, and can be more at bay of their emotions. Male Veela have been known to suffer from terrible jealously that has lead to some truly catastrophic results, for both the Veela and the spouse.
Male Veela are often of an intense heart, and hold a higher magical sense than Female's in certain areas of magical practice. For example, Male Veela have been known to be more efficient at wand less magic than Female Veela, due to the difference in their pheromones, which can, in turn, alter the Veela's magical talents.
Male Veela have great control over others minds, and like Female Veela, change appearance when angered.
Both the Female and Male Veela have the ability to wield the power of the elements, but only with great practice, and only some manage to do so. All Veela's however, have to learn control over the elements, otherwise when angered, certain elements that best represent that particular Veela's inner soul will mould with their anger, often causing thunder storms and the like.
Part Veela;
Part Veela share the same attributes as full Veela, but in a lesser quantity. See the further reference for fuller information.
Draco's mouth dropped open and his frown bent deeper into his skin. He glanced up at Snape and attempted words, only to be rewarded with a small croak.
"But...? Where are the- the references? Where's the rest?" exclaimed Draco, after several attempts at speech.
He turned the parchment over in his hands to see if there were any missed bits of writing on the reverse side of the page, much like he had done with the first note from Albus. Seeing only blank parchment on the back of the notice the blonde looked up at Snape.
Snape merely shrugged.
"Severus!" cried the blonde.
The dark haired man plucked the pieces of parchment from the younger boy's grasp and read the first note once more. He shook his head in annoyance and snorted.
"I will owl Albus and ask what all this stupidity is about."
"That doesn't help me right now, does it?" exclaimed Draco, throwing his hands in the air.
"No I'm afraid it doesn't, but both you and I were expected in class rooms about five minutes ago..."
"Oh shit. I'm late for McGonagall's lesson, oh for the love of Merlin," muttered Draco. He reached over to Snape and plucked both pieces of parchment from his grasp and folded them neatly into a square. "I'll drop by later."
"Yes you will. You have detention tonight if you hadn't forgotten. I'll expect you in the dungeons tonight at seven sharp, so we can discuss this puzzle, and then you can serve detention at half seven with Weasley and Zambini."
Snape gave Draco a curt nod, and with a small smile he rounded on his heel, leaving Draco standing alone in the corridor with a lost expression and a fistful of parchment.
Draco sighed and fished for his wand in his robes. Drawing it out, he crumpled the pieces of parchment into another pocket and began walking the opposite way to Snape, and towards the Transfiguration rooms.
"Accio bag." Draco muttered and waved his wand, automatically catching the black bag that soared down the corridor with his free hand. Swinging it onto his shoulder, he quickened his pace, rounded a corner and walked out of sight.