Chapter 25: Close Is Not Enough
"You alone lit the match around the sun, without which I would drown in darkness, and are worth more to me than several worlds combined."
Harry smiled as he tucked the short note from this morning into his pocket. It had been a few days since his half hearted but successful attempt to both seduce and wheedle information out of his mate. The seduction aspect had worked well enough, the older man keeping his body on edge without really touching him.
They hadn't gotten the chance to do much, as the man's fireplace roared and Harry had to dive for his cloak and get out of the room in just under a minute.
He was so glad that it was just someone requesting a call, and not coming through, or else they would have had a whole lot to explain. As it was, he simply had to go back to his dorm room unsatisfied.
They hadn't gotten a chance to be intimate for long since then, so Harry had to be content with reading the mans words instead of hearing them whispered into his ears like an oath from that dangerously silken voice.
The teen shook his head. Thoughts like those, made being apart from his mate even more unbearable than usual. Classes were going as normal, and while Harry tried to learn everything he could about the History of Medical Runes for a written assignment, one section of his new class this year, he also tried to figure out how to gain the truth from Professor Slughorn.
It would have been practical to ask his mate if the man could lend him some Veritaserum, as it was the Dragons invention, but he couldn't always get time with the man this term. Severus was being pulled back and forth between Harry, the school, Dumbledore, the Order, the Ministry, Death Eaters, and Voldemort. The man had little time to sleep or relax, so when he finally had time to spend with his mate, the two would always sit silently and Harry would hold the man against him as the Dragon slept.
Severus had revealed to him last night that he always slept better beside his young gem, and Harry couldn't bring himself to break that moment of peace.
Instead he and the older wizard had stayed on the sofa, Harry on his back with his mate laying over him. The man was tall, but the furniture was just long enough to accommodate him without the use of magic.
They had spoken about the questionable letters Harry recieved, and how Professor Flitwick was trying to find out who sent them. They spoke of all the nonsense they went through in their days, and what they had planned for these next day.
Harry spoke for a long while, as his mate rested against his chest. The soothing sounds had lulled them both to sleep that night. And when Harry awoke this morning, he was relieved to see that his mate hadn't left in the night.
It made him feel the glow of a domestic life, the cuddling and soft spoken nonsense in the attempt to fall asleep. The mans chest against him, ear rested atop his beating heart. Strong arms curled around him, caging him in, while the mans firm body made its welcome presence known between his legs.
After the first night in girls clothes, Harry had taken to only fully dressing that way in front of his mate. Outside of their temporary den though, Harry only ventured into wearing lingerie beneath his usual male uniform. On a few occasions, he had worn a bit of makeup, but hadn't stepped foot out of his room when wearing heels, skirts, or dresses yet.
He wore high waisted jeans that hugged his ass, and low riding jeans that showed a bit of his hips, and hinted at his suggestive underwear, but not much other than that. He still liked baggy and comfortable clothes, so sometimes his top was loose and his pants were tight, or vice versa.
Today he had convinced himself to wear lip gloss. It was only a translucent pink gloss, since he didn't know if he was confident enough for bold colors yet, but he was getting there gradually.
Wandering eyes kept landing on him, and whispers started up again, but the teen was dealing with it better this time around.
Because it had only been a few days since he started to delve into this new style, Harry was allowing himself time to see what he liked and disliked, and of all his experiments, he liked the thought of getting a piercing most.
But this wasn't a thought he could entertain at the moment, as he was still in his ancient runes class, trying to figure out the correct way to apply medical runes onto skin.
Medical runes used to be popular, as they were sometimes carved into the skin like a tattoo, and only needed a bit of the persons magic to activate. It was like having unlimited plasters on your person at all times.
The teen found it fascinating, but runeic tattoos such as those still were not perfect, and in worse case scenarios had been the cause of absorbing entire magical cores. Some had been placed on the hands of Medi-Witches and Medi-Wizards to better control the flow of their magic towards a patient, but in some time around 1924, they admitted that it was unstable, causing the individuals to contract various deadly diseases, and leaving them unable to heal themselves.
Then there were runes that were placed into clothing instead of the skin, which worked infinitely better, and was still used by a few leading masters and mistresses of the trade.
Runes in general became unpopular over the decades, used sparingly in comparison to centuries ago.
Harry closed his book and sighed. Maybe the best way to use medical runes would be to have the runes as temporary tattoos or drawn onto the skin with erasable ink, rather than the permanent sort, that's constantly linked to the core. Or if there was a way to create a system of runes that would lessen the magical exhaustion. Almost like a switch instead of a constant flow?
It became a mental note, as he had decided to consult his friends about their opinions.
Class was almost over, and he had a bit of free time before lunch. The teen was planning on using that time to sit in the sun while it was still fairly warm.
Once the bell rang, Harry stood, collecting his bags, and walking with Hermione and Blaise from the class.
"Hey guys," He started, trying not to draw too much outside attention to their conversation, "do you believe a temporary runic tattoo would be better than a series of runes tattooed into your skin?"
They would all be studying together and helping one another as they went, but he really was curious to know what they thought about the application of runes at this moment.
"Well, it would depend on if the temporary ones are applied correctly. If they are jagged or patchy in any way, you couldn't be sure of what they would do, if anything. And would it connect properly to the subjects core?" Hermione asked after a moment.
"Alternately, if it does connect correctly, how yould you control the supply of magic to the rune? You may still need a rune to act as a switch rather than just one rune that is temporary." Blaise added.
"But if there needs to be a formula for either solution, why not stick to temporary runes, and use a wider variety? If you need a switch for every rune, or one that could connect from your core to each and every rune, I feel that would still sap your energy and magic, defeating the purpose of having a switch in the first place..." Harry agreed. He would look into it more and write a separate paper for each option, then compare the two.
His friends were researching other types of runes, for Hermione her paper was about runes and their connection to growing the magical core using latent energy in the environment. Blaise was looking into runes that connect languages, and seeing if a runic formula could grant the user the ability to understand or even speak other languages.
The three continued to talk on their way out of the castle, and their conversation only changed when they met up with the others by the Black Lake.
It was a good day, and even though Harry and Professor Flitwick were still having trouble finding the mystery person behind those letters, not much else had changed.
HPSSHPSSHPSS
Inside the castle, Severus was speaking with the other heads of house.
They were in the staff room, and despite his reputation within the school, Severus was usually easy to talk to. He had a small social meter, so he tended to stay by himself, but if one of his former professors spoke to him, he would at least entertain a bit of conversation before excusing himself.
Today was not like that, as he was speaking with Minerva, Filius, and Pomona regarding his mate.
He hadn't begun the talk, but it was a subject he could at least feign disinterest in, while gaining more information during the days away from his mate.
"Mr. Dunhill seems to be having quite the hard time lately." Filius spoke in a hushed tone.
"How so Filius?" Minerva asked. Workplace gossip was not usually about students, but as it was about her favorite ex-lion, she overlooked it.
"Yes Filius, how is the golden boy being slighted today? Ah has his fan mail stopped, and he feels lonely, or is it that he has just now realized his own incompetence?" Severus asked lightly. He tried not to put his mate down most days, but if he seemed interested for any other reason, he knew the consequences would be heavy.
"Severus, as his protector you should know the boy better than that!" The older woman whispered with pursed lips.
"The whelp is no less a pain whether I protect him or not Minerva." He retorted.
"Even so, the poor child has been beside himself trying to find out who sent him some very concerning letters. But I feel I may know who the culprit or culprits are." Filius admitted.
More than one? How many groups are going to target his mate in the teens life? First the boy was targeted by muggle hating wizards and their deranged leader. Then after being placed with a group of magic hating muggles, the world he was thrown into is filled with polarizing groups, including the press and the Ministry, whose opinion of him changed weekly. The school he attended was rife with fickle children as well, one moment loving him, and the next obsessing over his sexuality. There was the group of ex students, now prisoners, who saw fit to assault him, and now this group as well. Stalking the siren because he was the boy who lived, or because he was gay and being courted.
Severus mentally sighed. His gem truly drew the short stick. Fame was not at all what it looked to be for Harry, and he knew the teen hated it.
"Yes well," Filius continued as everyone began to make their way towards the great hall. "Mr. Dunhill seems to have a small fan group within Hogwarts, who have recently been told by him to back off. I believe they took it as a challenge instead."
The dragon inwardly groaned. He needed to find some way to keep others from trying to claim his gem.
Suddenly a wicked smirk began to slowly creep onto his face. He knew what his next move would be, and whether it worked would depend entirely upon his mates reaction.
The rest of the staff decidedly ignored the look of pure malice, as they had become used to the dragons idea of a fun pastime. Taking his seat at the head table, the dragon called his personal house elf, Bonn and told her to retrieve a package from his rooms and contactlessly deliver it to the desired recipient.
This was done quietly, as everyone else found their own seats and began conversations about differing topics.
Once the students came in for lunch, the Potions Master somewhat schooled his borderline demonic expression. Instead he stared many of them down, with a deep sneer. He truly did not enjoy teaching a group of sniveling students who could not keep their tongues in their mouths. Rie was his mate, and if any of these 'fans' tried to undermine his position, he would constantly remind them of what they'd never have.
It was a bit petty, to adorn his mate in such a way without being able to publicly claim the teen, but he was in a protective mood today.
Harry had felt his mates eyes on him almost as soon as he and his friends entered the great hall that day. The look wasn't one that he could pinpoint exactly. From a surface level it just seemed as though the bat of the dungeons was staring demonically down at his least favorite student, but beyond that Harry could see a small flicker of excitement?
There wasn't enough time to really analyze it, but Harry trusted his mate not to do anything strange. Really he just wanted to be able to hold the man, to be engulfed by the dark eyed dragon and his scent. He wanted to get lost in those expressive eyes for a long time, and above all else, he wanted the man to look only at him.
Perhaps that was why he had a small bounce in his step upon entering the great hall. Or maybe it was because he and his friends had had a nice peaceful break by the lake. He didn't know.
The teen passed by the Gryffindor table, only waving at a select few classmates, before making his way to the Ravenclaw table. It was still a big adjustment, but he truly didn't think of the house as his family anymore. That time had been fleeting and now looked so far away. Like he grew up but they didn't. He could still see a few other sixth years arm wrestling and being rowdy. A part of him truly missed playing around like that, but the teen also knew that the quiet debates over Quidditch teams and favorite candies was more his pace.
Still young men and women, the Ravenclaws weren't always just studious and quiet. He had always assumed that the group were in by curfew, or that anyone breaking the rules was just an outlier. How wrong he had been. The closer it got to the holidays, the more everyone loosened up. They had small study groups scattered around the common room, but they studied in such a way that made it fun and engaging...
Taking his seat, Harry spoke to the girl next to him about their next Hogsmeade weekend. The entire house in general was laid back, and while there were still those in his new house that had been against him in the past, they had seemed to settle.
While speaking to the girl beside him, he had come to understand that she was a fifth year, and that her girlfriend was in the same year as him and his friends. She had chosen the seat she was in, in order to ask Harry and his friends to look out for the shier tall girl. It was said quietly as she looked across the tables at who Harry now understood was her girlfriend.
The taller teen looked like a wallflower. A Hufflepuff whose auburn hair shined in the light, only really dulled by her lack of confidence. The short siren decided to at least speak with the other girl, and nodded in agreement with his younger house mate.
"I'll see what I can do. No promises however." He amended shortly. He didn't want to get too involved in other people's lives, but he knew that if the taller girl didn't find something about herself that she could be confident in, the two girls might break up over the insecurities.
"Thanks Harry." The younger girl nodded before tucking into her meal.
Today Harry found that on his plate was lightly smoked salmon pasta, with mushrooms, lemon juice and small slices of crescent shaped toast. The meal looked healthy and when he bit into it he found himself humming. It wasn't everyday that he ate seafood, but his mate had made sure he wanted for nothing.
He spoke with his friends about Halloween, and what costumes they would wear if there was a ball this year. Harry was tempted to either play up his Draconic features or go as a dragon tamer, but after a bit of prompting from Hermione and Luna, he decided to use that time to dress up as a full mythos Siren.
He was so entranced by his food and friends that he almost missed the glass popping up beside his plate. In the glass was a bubbly juice that cleared his palate and tasted like fresh fruit. The teen really had to suppress his hums of joy, but even then the surprises were not over.
For after he was halfway done with his meal, a package also made it's way onto the table near him.
"Another courting gift?" Neville asked, since he was the one on the left of Harry.
The siren nodded, but decided not to speak on it as heads turned in their direction.
"Sorry mate, I didn't expect them to all zero in on you like that." The taller ex Gryffindor whispered apologetically.
Harry let out a surprised giggle, "It's like they've been listening to us talk since we got here. But it's fine Nev. I wonder what he sent today..."
The teen was going to just set the gift aside to open in private later, but when he felt a wave of possessive determination he knew his mate wanted to make a statement.
Now what that statement was, Harry didn't know. Chancing a glance up at the head table showed his mate looking at him intently, eyes glittering with anticipation. A few other professors were looking as well, as if Harry's courting and love life was unlike anything they'd seen in Hogwarts.
Placing his fork down, he wiped his hands and face to stall not only the masses, but also his mate. The man really wanted to leave his mark in any way possible, and while it made the teen feel loved it also made him a bit hot under the collar. So he took his time, sipped some more of his drink, then finally pulled the package towards himself.
A quarter of the population was watching him, as he opened the blue square shaped box. Inside was green wrapping paper, as well as a note.
Placing the note to the side of the box for now, Harry unwrapped the gift, staring down with shaking hands at what looked to be a black leather collar with embossed snakes on it. The inner fabric was smooth and meant for comfort, and a small animated golden snitch was connected to the front. In the back was a golden chain that would keep the collar affixed to his neck. The threads of the entire piece was a brightly shining jadeite green, and just above the snitch was a small section of gold plating that read "Treasure".
It was so beautiful and to stop himself from outing his mate, Harry read the note. It was short, but as soon as he saw what was written he gasped and stood abruptly.
"I love you." The words were as clear as day, and surprised Harry enough to prompt a song full of infatuation. His voice carried for a few moments before his legs went numb and he fell back into his seat.
His friends had formed a sort of barrier around him, Luna covering his mouth as Draco removed the note from his hands. The teen was so blind to what was going on, that he only chirped and hummed as if he were alone in the room.
The song was only effective for a moment, and the entire student body had been overcome with a need to follow the small teen, even into death, right up until Luna covered his mouth.
After a few seconds it didn't matter anymore, as Harry's voice had locked onto his mate, and decided that the man was the only one fit to hear his song. The girl moved her hand after the coast was clear, and while everyone could tell the siren was singing, no one could quite hear his enthralling voice.
Harry had well and truly accepted his mate, and while many of his peers were unable to understand the new development, a select few were extremely happy for the teen.
There were also others who felt they had their only chance extirpated, without even having good shot at talking to the golden boy. How could he go and become ensnared by someone who was hiding behind paper and gifts?
Harry had said that he'd met his suitor, but he never revealed who it was. It was so unfair that they didn't even know whom they were competing with, and that set some on edge.
For one redhead, it was her chance to adjust her own narrative, and she acted extremely smitten, despite being just as unable to hear the song. Harry was supposed to be her future, and even if she had to manipulate the situation a little, she would get what she knew was meant to be hers. But others were doing the same, as well, unable to throw off the desperation they felt from the song.
It pissed her off, so she tried to find ways to set her apart from them, hiding her wicked smile all the while.
