Disclaimer: Disclaimer: See chapter 1
A/N OK, I think when I started this fiction I was running under the misapprehension that everyone and their dog had read loads of Veela fics and thus would be all too aware of what was going on here...but considering some of the emails I have gotten, I can now, only assume that I was wrong. I could go all School Marm on you and give you Lesson: Veela's 101, but I think I shall just tell you to go to Frizzy's profile. Since this type of ficcie originated itself with her, she has information on what a "Veela" is. OR you can just read and I will do my bit of explaining as I go along. :)
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Chapter 2: Dance of Denial
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"Sniff you? Pshaw!" Draco made a derisive snort in the back of his throat. "Please! Really Hermione, why on earth would I do something like that? It's ridicu....Ok, yes FINE, I did actually." He waved a dismissive hand and looked over at Hermione.
She had pushed herself up as far against the door to the carriage as she could get and her back was ramrod straight, she tried the NOT making eye contact thing for a while, but since Draco could seem to do nothing but look at her, she finally gave in. Draco drank her in, from her sensible 2 inch heeled shoes to the way her modest navy robes rode up a bit on her leg, showing him just a hint of kneecap, and to the frizzled hair that had so captured his attention moments ago. All of it added up to Hell for Draco Malfoy. What was she trying to do KILL him or something? It felt like someone had taken their hand and clenched it around his heart, so moved was he by the sight of her incomparable beauty.
No woman had a right to be this alluring, to smell this good, to look so.....Damn! He was leaning in again and from the look on Hermione's face it wasn't appreciated.
They were nearing the school and he still hadn't broached the subject of his Veela Inheritance, with her. He needed to couch it in very attractive terms, he needed to be delicate, and careful in what he said. He was going to have to tread very lightly indeed with Ms. Granger, his whole future happiness depended upon that smooth Malfoy way with words!
He cautiously opened his mouth..."Hermione, I am a Veela and you are my Mate!" He nodded and smiled, held his arms out to accentuate his words.
There he had said it!
Yeah, Yeeeaaahhh....there he had said it alright in the most bald unattractive way that someone could say something like this.
Hermione's face took on an ashen appearance and she turned her head toward the window.
SHITE, had he just said that? He seemed to be unable to control his tongue, or the way his mind was wandering to the smooth skin between the knuckles on her hands, would her skin be that smooth other places?
Hermione hadn't said a thing. He had either stunned her so much that she was at a loss for words, or she was so furious with him that she didn't WANT to talk to him. Either option pushed the knife farther into his heart. A quiet Hermione was NOT a good thing!
"Ok, I can imagine what you are thinking. Well, I can't really, imagine, imagine...but well, alright...what I was going to....Uh....Yeah, I mean I did "call" you to Hogwarts, to me and everything, BUT you will notice I have tampered down my Veela attractions so that you can just fall for me in your own time, naturally, no hurry or anything...and...." He trailed off hopelessly, his disjoined speech obviously not impressing the woman of his dreams, he couldn't even remember half of what he had said. This Veela stuff was making him feel like he was fourteen again, he couldn't even form sentences anymore. (So much for the famous Malfoy way with words.)
Maybe better just to let it lie for a while, let her soak it all in. Not say anything more until he could get a hold of himself...but honestly, in his defense, was it fair that her nose should have that tiny little freckle on it like that? Or that her eyelashes should be so long? Well?
The carriage rolled to a stop and Draco sprinted out and ran around the back to open the door on Hermione's side for her. A bit of damage control, be the gentleman. Couldn't hurt.
Alas all he saw when he rounded the back of the carriage was an open door.
Turning he could see that Hermione was already swiftly making her way up the stairs toward the door to the main hall. He couldn't say that she was running, exactly. Though, In her haste to remove herself from Draco's presence, her bag and Crookshanks were forgotten. He got the bag from the back of the carriage and picked up Crookshanks (ignoring all the hissing.)
A very subdued Draco Malfoy made his way inside, ALONE. He had imagined that perhaps they would enter Hogwarts and retire to his apartments, not to be seen for days until Dumbledore had to send out a hunting party of House Elves to locate them...Obviously nothing was going according to plan.
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Merlin! What in the world just happened back there? Hermione was at a loss to understand the usually cool and smooth Malfoy acting like an imbecile. He hadn't had some sort of brain injury or fever or something, had he? She thought she would have heard if anything of that nature had occurred to the Heir of the Malfoy fortunes.
The glaring on the station platform, the sniffing, the telling her he was a Veela, up to his disjointed sentences, all pointed to one thing! A joke played on her. She looked around to see if Ron or Harry were indeed in residence, hiding somewhere waiting to jump out and tease her. She would kill them if they put Malfoy up to something like this, but what other answer could there be?
Putting the last half hour's craziness from her mind she spun around, everything was just as she remembered it. Ahhh...This was why she was here. This was home. She felt safe. A smile lit her face as she made her way to the great hall to see who she could find.
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ASIDE FROM AUTHOR: Denial is a nice place, because in it you can throw inconsistencies like Draco Malfoy doing ANYTHING that Harry or Ron would ever want. And in that state of denial it all sounds completely reasonable!
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It was past the noon hour and there were but a few students and Professors left in the Great Hall when Hermione entered it. Three young girls all wearing Gryffindor colors walked past her, they were talking and giggling together happily. Hermione smiled at them as they moved on by. One of them, a short dark haired girl turned back and stopped. Before Hermione could react the girl was running toward her.
"Professor Granger?" She inquired in a loud voice.
"Yes?" Hermione looked down at the girl who was so small she had to be a first year.
"Are you THE Professor Granger? The one who wrote the books about Muggle and Wizard Relations?" Her little face was aglow with excitement.
"Yes, I am."
"I love your books, I want to be a Muggle/Wizard Specialist when I get older. I own every one you have written, will you sign them for me?" She beamed.
"Certainly." Before Hermione could ask her name, the girl was running toward the door, oblivious to her friends and to the Professor entering the hall.
"No running, Ms. Haroldson. Five points from Gryffindor!" Professor Snape's sneering voice made Hermione cringe. She had been on the receiving end of those snide comments so many times, that even now, as an adult, it was difficult to feel completely comfortable, with his dark eyed gaze upon her.
"So, Ms. Granger. The world famous author back at Hogwarts." He strolled up to her, gave a slight smile and held out his hand in greeting. Hermione found herself looking at it in shock for a moment.
"I am not going to bite, Ms. Granger, I save all that for my students." His dark eyes suddenly reminded her of the headmaster's, twinkling with humor. Well as much good humor as Severus Snape was capable of showing.
"Hello Professor." She tentatively smiled and took his proffered hand.
"Has the headmaster seen you yet?" He questioned, still holding her hand in his grasp.
"No, I have just arrived."
"Well we must remedy that, mustn't we? Let me see...perhaps Lupin will know." There was a bit of a sneer at the name.
He released her hand and strode off. Not sure what to do exactly Hermione stayed where she was and simply looked around the great hall. She remembered her first meal here, after her triumphant (to her) sorting into Gryffindor, as well her last meal here, the one right before the graduation ceremony, and every meal in between. Why on Earth had it taken her so long to come back here again?
Snape was talking to someone, and it wasn't until he turned around that Hermione finally made the name Lupin register in her mind. Remus Lupin! She hadn't seen him in two years and that had been at Harry's wedding. How delightful!
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Draco entered the great hall to the sight of Remus Lupin BOUNDING toward Hermione Granger. (His, Draco's, Hermione Granger!)
Draco Malfoy had always gotten what he wanted, and now that his Veela side had finally manifested itself, that selfish streak had focused itself on one thing. HIS MATE! He wanted to get down on the floor and slam his hands and feet onto it in a temper tantrum and yell... MINE, MINE, MINE! He wanted to smash Remus Lupin through the wall and hex him three ways till Sunday! He wanted to.......a low growl filled his chest and he had to slowly count to one million, TEN was clearly NOT going to cut it at this point.
He set the cat carrier and Hermione's bag onto the floor, never once breaking his concentrated watching of the "good as dead" Remus Lupin horning in on HIS Territory, Hermione in case there was any question on the matter! A glare marred his features as he saw her smiling that welcoming Hermione smile at the DADA Professor. He hadn't gotten that smile from her, the petulant little boy side of him insisted.
Remus leaned in and gave Hermione a quick hug and turned her around so he could see her all grown up.
Damn that werewolf freak all to Hell and back! Why can't he just stick to his OWN woman, shouldn't that red haired ex-weasel be around here somewhere? Maybe he should put a little bug in her ear about her husband's activities. Running around pawing other people's mates. Hmph!
Draco was not happy, not happy at all.
He stood by the door, glowering at Remus, thinking....'Don't touch!...No...don't even look!'(1)
He was going to have a melt down! In about 3.1 seconds he was going to seriously become unglued, and then it would be all over but for the shouting. He took one of those in the through the nose out through the mouth breaths and almost passed out with the amount of oxygen he managed to suck into his lungs. He saw lights for a moment and thought he was going to fall over. By the time he was able to see again, Hermione and Lupin were walking past him on the way out the door.
Remus's "Draco" seemed a bit highhanded and Hermione simply refused to even look in his direction!
He stood with his hands by his side breathing deeply and tossing some affirmations around in his mind. He was a good wizard, He was wealthy, He came from a good family, He was attractive, He was intelligent...He was so bloody attractive and intelligent that he could have ANY woman he wanted Damn it!
"Professor." A voice drew him out of his glaring aimlessly into space, to glare aimlessly instead at the girl standing in front of him. She was weighed down with large hard backed books, obviously much too heavy for her, her back bowed by the weight. Hmph, bloody Gryffinder!
His eyes narrowed.
"Yes Haroldson?" His tone became as snarky as Snape's had ever been.
"Have you seen Professor Granger, she was going to autograph my books." The girl gave a tentative smile.
Draco looked down at her, had he seen Granger? Had he seen her? Oh yes he had bloody well seen her, strolling out of here like some scarlet women in sensible shoes!
"Fifty points from Gryffindor...for...for....FOR, trying to ruin your posture!" And with that, he quit the hall, leaving behind him, a startled first year, and an ornery orange cat. (still in its cat carrier! Forget elves how about a cat liberation movement, huh?)
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If Draco stood on a chair, with the "Hogwarts, Revised History" (the one with Harry's defeat of the Dark Lord in it, unabridged version) on the seat, and stood JUST so, leaning toward the window at about a thirty degree angle he could see her perfectly.
Hermione Granger might be Muggle born but she was one of the smartest Witches in the Wizarding World. Dumbledore couldn't get her working fast enough it seemed. She was out on the west side of the castle showing a group of forth years how to "accio" a bunch of autumn leaves and twigs off the lawn.
She had her hair shoved up into a red knitted cap, and was wearing an ancient pair of walking shoes that could be seen under the hem of her ankle length black robes. A scarf of Gryffinder colors was wound loosely around her neck. She would look better in green and silver Draco thought. (personal preference)
The students were "calling" the leaves and twigs to themselves, then tidying them into neat piles. Draco assumed they were to be magicked away later, by Hagrid. And would be used to feed the groundskeeper's new crop of Glosper Crasps, strange insect like creatures with the snout of a pig and the propeller of a Muggle prop plane for a tail.
He watched from his precarious position, as she 'accio-ed' a group of leaves to herself. If only he could "accio" her! Accio, Hermione Granger. He felt an evil grin slide over his features as he imagined her coming hurtling toward him. A positively nasty little snigger escaped his lips.
Looking over his shoulder he could see 15 pairs of eyes trained on him. Little Blighters!
He turned around slowly, lowering himself to the ground as he went. The back, of his robe, flowing off the chair and settling itself around his feet. He glared at his class of third years, Slytherin and Ravenclaw mixed, Arithmancy class.
"Well? Back to work, before I start deducting!" Even the Slytherin's knew better than to ask. He had been taking points willy nilly this week, no quarter given for house allegiance.
Professor Malfoy was starting to make The (former) Dark Lord Voldemort look like Father Christmas in temperament!
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Hermione was sitting at the head table in between Professors Snape and Dumbledore. Draco from his place at the end of the table, made no pretense what so ever of not watching them. He had moved his chair around to the end so he could better glare at the Damned-Slytherin-Greasy-Git of a Potions Master.
Draco had never noticed how much he hated Severus until this very moment. In the past he had harbored "almost" warm feelings toward his former professor. He had felt toward him as one would toward a father, of sorts.
The Veela's derisive chuckle brought the eyes of Professor Sprout, to his. She was sitting to his direct left and at his pointed look back, immediately began eating. She had been giving him a wide berth and hadn't tried to make any conversation, old bat! He returned his gaze to his Mate. She was laughing up at the Headmaster, in an almost coquettish fashion, and the old wizard was twinkling down at her in a most undignified manner.
Merlin! Was no man safe from her charms, Dumbledore was at least three thousand years old, AT LEAST, and still he couldn't be trusted. No one could be trusted. No one in this whole ruddy place could be trusted farther than Draco could hex them. Everyone was suspect, they were ALL trying to steal Hermione from him. Well it wouldn't work, she was HIS! He glowered around the great hall meeting eyes with half a dozen students. All of whom, he was happy to say, looked terrified!
Hermione's laughter filtered down the table to him and he could stand it no longer. With a curse and a swirl of robes he was across the hall and out the door before anyone could do a thing. An uneasy silence filled the room at his abrupt exit.
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Hermione's heart had started beating triple time when she had seen him rise. He was acting so strangely that she no longer thought this some joke that he was playing on her. She had been at the school long enough to recognize the truth of what he had told her in the carriage. But she still was not ready to admit that she believed any of it, at all.
Dumbledore patted her hand, and shrugged. She tried to smile but for some reason she felt unable to force her lips to obey. If only she could time turn herself back to last week and just apparate herself off the face of the Earth.
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'.....Sense of smell, being the paramount sense. Once the Veela's mate is identified the one of Veela blood can become moody and erratic until the bonding has taken place. It should be noted that there is not room for negotiation, once the mate has been identified, the Veela senses and attractions will become focused upon that one person. Veelas do not change mates, nor can they. They bond only once, and for a lifetime. It should also be noted that the one of Veela blood should be carefully watched and monitored during this very stressful time. If they are, at any time, uncertain of their attractiveness to their mate they have been known to react dangerously.' Hermione slammed the book shut and groaned. Why me? Why, why, why? Her head hit the desk each time she said the word in her mind.
A week ago she had been on the top of the world, now she felt as if she was in some kind of Muggle horror movie! To her there really couldn't be a worse case scenario, this about did it. The mate, for ALL TIME to Draco Bloody Malfoy!
She lifted her head up from the desk and noticed Ginny had come into the library. The younger witch was watching Hermione with something akin to amusement on her freckled features.
"You better not be smirking at me Ginny Weasley!" Hermione threatened.
"Not Weasley anymore my friend, and why would I be smirking?" She came toward Hermione and embraced her.
"I was so excited when Remus told me you were here, I told Ron and Luna that I would just have to visit them later. I don't get to see you much! How was the book tour?" Ginny finally wound down and Hermione smiled for the first time that day.
"It has been too long. I haven't seen you since Harry's wedding. How are things here? Do you like living at Hogwarts?" Hermione and Ginny left the library. The books, that Hermione had been reading, lying forgotten on the desk.
"Of course I love it here...Hermione..."She turned to her friend.
"Remus told my why you are back." The red head gave her a sympathetic look.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"He told you? Well he knows more than I do, I still haven't figured it out myself." They had reached the staff lounge and went inside and sat down in armchairs in front of a cheerfully blazing fire.
"Hermione, its not Draco's fault you know? He has NO control over who his mate is. Because of his age, no one even thought he would come into his Inheritance. If any one had had any idea that we was to be a 'late bloomer' the Headmaster wouldn't have had him teaching until he had bonded. You may think he is acting strangely..." At Hermione's look Ginny chuckled.
"OK, Ok he is acting strangely, but Madam Pomfrey and myself, now that I am back, will be keeping an eye on him to make sure the stress is not too much for him. Honestly you would be surprised at how much restraint he is capable of exhibiting. Really! If you knew the things his senses were encouraging him to do, you would be amazed at his self control..." Seeing that her clinical observations of Draco "predicament" weren't actually making Hermione feel better, Ginny trailed off.
"What I mean is...well, give him a chance! Its not as if you can change what IS. You are his mate Hermione!" The phrase sent a chill into the room. This was so unfair!
"I don't want to be anyone's mate Ginny! I am quite happy being myself, taking care of myself. I have my work. Its so important to me Ginny, its important to the Wizarding community. How can I give that up?" Her voice was filled with despair.
"Why should you have to give up anything? I am married but I continue to do my life's work. You can too, I am sure."
Ginny sounded so sure, but Hermione wasn't. She couldn't be sure of anything especially that Draco Malfoy....or rather THE Veela Draco Malfoy, would allow her to travel the world doing her studies. The Veela nature was jealous and possessive, it was inherent to the race. And all that was IF she was interested in being his mate, in the first place, which she clearly wasn't!
Hermione sighed and turned the conversation to other things.
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Back in the library's restricted section Draco was bent over the same book that Hermione had been reading. Attuned to her scent, he held the book as if it were a precious thing. This was the closest that he had gotten to her since she had been back at Hogwarts.
She always left the room if he entered it, she wouldn't even look at him anymore. His heart felt as if it were breaking. He didn't know how much longer he could go on like this. The pain that ripped through his chest kept him awake nights, so that he only found solace walking the halls barking at students, taking points and assigning detentions. Snape had informed him, only that morning, that he (Snape) already had the cleanest supply rooms of any potions master in the world, so could Draco kindly stop sending the idiot children to him!
Draco, pulled the book to his face and inhaled. At least the scent of his mate had the ability to calm him, if only momentarily.
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"You can't ignore him forever Hermione." Dumbledore motioned her to sit down across from him.
"I can try."
The Headmaster let out a chuckle. "You are more alike than you think." He put up a hand to stop Hermione from disagreeing with him.
"No, my child you are. You are both intelligent, good wizards, and stubborn!" Hermione felt her hackles rise.
She wasn't stubborn! Was it stubbornness that stopped her from falling into Draco Malfoy's waiting Veela arms, and become another idiot in a long line of idiots to fall in love with the blonde's good looks? Just because she wasn't going to let him con her into believing she was his mate did that mean she was stubborn?
"What if there's a mistake? How can I know I really am his mate?"
"Hermione, you have the books, you have studied this, you know there are never mistakes with the Veela's instincts. If Draco has designated you as his mate, then that is what you are." Dumbledore did that twinkling thing that he did so well, but Hermione wasn't really in the mood to be charmed into his way of thinking.
"Professor...what about...well..." She leaned in close and whispered, "Whomping Willow."
"Ahhh, yes there is that. But no one can deny that there wasn't really enough time to find out if that match would have worked or not." He stroked a hand through his beard in thought.
Another piece of strange logic to add to the rest.
Hermione felt her stomach cramp, and she had a terrible sinking feeling that someday, soon, she would find herself leg shackled to Draco Malfoy, whether she liked the idea or not!
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(1) That is my Spinal Tap reference, I put it in there for my best mate. It seemed to fit.
Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed thus far, I appreciate you all very much, especially in light of the fact that I was thinking that I might be the only person interested in a Draco/Hermione Veela fic!
There are some great fics out there...you all should be reading....Spaced out Space Cadet's "Hogwarts Reunion"
Also Fluff has written a Bachelor type ficcie that is pretty fun.
And last but not least, (in fact, always at the top of my list) is Arbitrary's "Temporary Insanity"
So go forth and read and until next time folks have a spiff one! Happy Thanksgiving to the American readers out there! Eat a piece of pumpkin pie for me! :)