Blood of a Malfoy
The First Flight
"It's not working," Harry snapped again, folding ghis wings with a resounding snap as he met the ground once again.
Severus rubbed his head tiredly. They had been at this all day. Potter had been crabby for days. Severus figured that flying would soothe him as it had always seemed to do before. Harry had been pleased by the idea but when they had gone outside to try it (under several secrecy spells), Harry hadn't been ble to get his wings to work properly. When he had jumped off one of the benches in an attempt to work them, they had just glided him down gently.
Draco had come out with them as the bond had worked and the Veela couldn't be more than fifty yards away from Harry, a larger distance than had been expected and one which all parties hoped would grow with time.
They had spent most of the week so far testing the bonds boundaries. Harry was almost never effected, but Draco could not go for more than a few hours without some kind of contact with the Vampyr.
It had put the usually stubbornly independent Veela boy into a terribly bad mood, and with both creatures upset, Severus wasn't faring much better.
"Have you tried flapping your wings Potter?" Malfoy asked sarcastically. Covert by nature, Draco was uncomfortable being out in the open for so long, even with the comfort of the secrecy spells.
"Of course Veela," Harry snapped. "But it doesn't really work like that."
"Of course it doesn't," Severus said, a spark in his eyes as realization came over him. "Flying isn't a purely physical thing Potter, you need magic to do it."
Harry looked confused, "Birds can fly and they don't have any magic."
"Of course they do Potter. The first birds didn't have wings, they relied purely on their magic. Wings were just the eventual evolution of fliers magic into a physical manifestation of the magic that they use."
Harry's eyes widened. "The call of the sky," he whispered.
"What was that?"
"I understand now. I've been ignoring it but I get it now. The sky has been calling for me, pulling at my magic. I figured it was just my Elfin heritage reacting with nature, but in truth its my Vampyric nature that it's been addressing."
Severus blinked, confounded. "The sky has been...calling you?"
Harry nodded. "You wouldn't understand it unless you felt it, but it's why I've been so unpleasant lately. You don't realize what kind of pull it has."
Harry closed his eyes, an idea forming in his head. He concentrated on his magic, willing it to run through his body and flow into his wings. He opened his eyes, expecting to be aloft, but his feet were still planted firmly on the ground. Frowning, he closed his eyes again, and was startled when he felt the magic around him. He pulled it toward him, and was startled when his wings suddenly pulled him off the ground.
He opened his eyes to find himself twenty feet above the ground, Severus and Draco staring up at him in amazement. He grinned, then concentrated on the magic all around him, and began flying.
Pure joy swept through him as his wings beat faster and faster and he glided through the air. This was not the uncomfortable ride of a Hippogriff or even the smooth flight of a broomstick. This was complete and total freedom.
He grew tired eventually of flying around the Quidditch Pitch and prepared to fly out over the Forbidden Forest when he was suddenly caught in a large black net and dragged back down to the ground.
Harry fought out of the net and was about to curse the one who had thrown a net over him when he realized a very irate Severus Snape stood before him.
"Mr Potter, you have been up there for four hours, completely ignoring our cries and out of Draco's bond reach."
Harry immediately flushed wight guild, he looked over and found Draco shaking and ashen. He hurriedly placed his hand atop Draco's and watched as color slowly returned to Draco's face. He took his hand back in relief and turned back to Severus.
The usually pale Potions Master was flushed with anger. "I don't care if you want to kill yourself Potter, but do not try to kill my godson."
Harry flinched and stepped back, pulling his wings around instinctively to cover himself protectively. Snape's tone of voice was disturbingly reminiscent of his uncle's.
"I'm very sorry sir, I hadn't realized..."
"Of course not Potter. You don't notice anyone but yourself do you?"
Harry shook fearfully at the professors bitter voice.
"Perhaps I should clip your wings Potter, like a common animal, and I will to if you cannot control yourself enough to come back to the ground," Severus threatened icily, making Harry's eyes grow wide with fear.
"Sev, stop," Draco said, noticing Harry's quivering.
"Stop what Draco? You could have died. I don't think he understands that."
"I think he understands it," Draco said, watching Harry back away at Snapes tone of voice, the fear in his eyes was obvious now.
Severus seemed to pause as he considered the boy's shaking frame, then he scowled darkly. He gave each of the creatures in front of him a piercing glare, then turned on his heel and stalked back towards the castle.
Draco led Harry at a more sedate pace back towards the castle, knowing that his godfather needed time to recover his composure.
"I'm sorry Draco, I hadn't realized..." Harry's timid voice began, but Draco hushed him.
"It doesn't matter Potter, I'm fine and no damage was done. How was flying? Was it as good as being on a broom?"
Harry took a moment to digest the Slytherin's cunning subject change and even more astonishing maturity before he answered excitedly. "You can't even imagine it Draco, the feel of the wind beneath your wings, the complete freedom that comes with flight. It's amazing, better then flying on broom ever was."
"Amazing enough to lose yourself in," the Slytherin muttered under his breath, then picked up his voice. "You should be careful when you fly Potter. Don't let the thrill of it get to your head, you have to remember that you belong on the land."
"Do I?" Harry questioned. "Do I really belong on the land? The sky...it has a voice, emotions. It is commanding, and it is welcoming. I feel at home up there."
Draco's was quickly concerned. "No matter how good being in the sky feels, you have to remember that you are only part sky creature, the other parts of you are most comfortable on the ground, and you would do well to realize that."
"Yes," Harry's voice was slightly soured now. "It wouldn't do for me to forget my obligations."
Draco looked up sharply at that. "You have an obligation to yourself first Potter, and that is why you can't lose yourself."