Chapter Two

When the silver-eye Slytherin opened his eyes, he noticed two things. One: he wasn't in his room due to a sorry excuse for a bed under him and two: there was Professor Severus Snape hovering on top of him like a mother hen.

"Welcome back, Mr. Malfoy," Snape growled.

"Where am I?" Draco forced his words over his dry throat.

"The infirmary, of course." Pomfrey voice came from Draco's right. "You gave us quite a scare for a minute." When Draco didn't reply, she continued. "You are feeling better now, aren't you?" Draco nodded. Pomfrey turned to Snape. "I gave him a sedative to calm him down; however, I am not sure how long it will keep the shaking and the glowing down."

"Glowing?" Draco scratchily asked. The boy really did look confused.

"Um, Poppy," said Snape. "Would you give me a few minutes with Mr. Malfoy?"

"Certainly, professor," Poppy took the tray from the night stand, that Draco hadn't noticed before and left.

"What happened," Draco asked as soon as the doors closed.

"You mean, you don't remember?" After seeing the boy shake his head, he continued, "Draco, you started shaking right after you mentioned a little thing about being a Veela. Than after a moment you froze and fell forward." Snape looked around the infirmary. "I brought you here then." Draco didn't say anything. "Draco please, I need to know why and when did you think you were a Veela."

"I didn't know I was one until today's lecture, professor, honest." Draco replied. "To tell you the truth, if you hadn't mentioned that one of those Veela freaks you knew had died; I don't think I would have mentioned anything at all."

"But how did you come to a conclusion that you might be one of those freaks?" Snape watched in satisfaction how Draco winced when he was compared to the freaks.

"I realized that something had changed in me when out of no where senses increased."

Snape looked shocked. "Is that how you caught the snitch at the last week's Quidditch gave against the Gryffindors?" The realization hit the potion master as a bloger once did.

"Yes," Draco confessed. "I saw the snitch from meters away than I normally would and went for it."

"No wonder, Potter looked confused at your retreat." Snape said smugly. "When did you first noticed the change."

Draco winced. "The night of my eighteenth birthday. You remember when it was, don't you?"

"Of course I remember." Snape looked offended. "I am your G-d father for Merlin's sake; not to mention the party that you through in the Great Hall."

"It happened after the party; in my dorm room at night." He confessed.

"Good G-d, that was nearly a month ago." Snape paled.

"A month this Sunday." Draco nodded.

"Oh, dear." Snape panicked. "You stupid little brat. Why haven't you said anything to anyone ones you knew that your body went through a change."

"I didn't want to lose my altered senses." Draco whined. "For ones I wanted to be at the top. I wanted to bit Potter at Quidditch and Mud…er…Granger's high scores."

"Why is everything has to be a competition with you, Draco?"

"Oh, please, like you didn't enjoy Potter's surprise when I got the snitch." Draco snorted.

"Draco," Snape said quietly but seriously. "Sunday is two days away. If you haven't found your mate yet, you will die." Snape saw Draco exhale a sigh of relief and asked. "You know who she is, don't you?" Draco nodded. "Well, did you mark her?"

"I am not certain I understand what you mean." Draco said, confusion dominating his pale face. "How would I mark her?"

"I don't know, boy." Snape snapped. "I mentioned to that know-it-all earlier, there are not too many Veela Wizards around for me to write a book on them." He then took a few calming breath and said. "Since you just found out that you are a Veela, I presume you did not mention anything to your mate." Draco winced again. "By your reaction to my question, I imagine you don't like who your mate is."

"No, G-d father, I do not like it and neither will anyone else…especially my farther or my mate."

"Well as long as it's not the know-it-all Granger, I am sure it can't be that bad." Draco lowered his head in defeat. "Oh, dear," Snape swallowed audibly. "It is her, isn't it? Hermione Granger is your mate." Draco nodded again. "Well, how can you be so sure?"

"I smell her, everywhere, even now." He acknowledged quietly. "She smells like a muggle vanilla pudding I had tried ones." He smiled and inhaled deeply. "At first I didn't know where the smell was coming from, but last week after the Quidditch game, Potter, Weasley and her accused me of cheating. She was the last one to turn to fallow her friends and when she did, the wind blew, making her bushy curls tickle my face. I knew it was her then."

"Is there anything else?"

"I can also feel her before I actually see her."

"Hmm, well that would explain shaking and the glowing."

Draco's head snapped up. "What glowing?"

"Well, when I carried you out of the classroom, right after you fainted, Ms. Granger literally bumped into me, making physical contact with you in the process. As soon as you two physically connected, you started glowing gold." Snape reminisced. "You were glowing until, the girl jumped out of the way as if she were scorned by fire." Draco listened on as Snape continued. "I thought it might have been a feminine touch that affected you, but when Poppy touched you the shaking returned. That's when she gave you the sedative."

"So what do I do?"

"Well, if you wish to live to see the next week, I suggest you tell your mate what exactly is going on and somehow make her understand that you have to mark her."

"Make her understand? How am I supposed to do that? She won't believe anything I'll say because she hates me!"

"Beg, Mr. Malfoy." Snape said seriously. "Beg if you have to."

"Malfoys DO NOT beg!" Draco thundered and then more quietly. "There has to be another way to make her understand that I… I…"

"Need her?" Snape finished.

"Yes." Draco said, defeated.

"What I'll do is alert the Headmaster and McGonagall. I am sure she'll believe the three of us over you." When Draco yawned, he said. "Get some rest, Draco. Tomorrow we'll try to save your life." He pushed his G-d son to lie on his back and covered him with a thin sheet. "Just relax and think of something that makes you happy."

For the first time in his life, Prof. Severus Snape heard his G-d son whisper a name that he would never thought of hearing from his lips, "Hermione…" before falling asleep peacefully.

TBC...

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