THE ELF PRINCE'S MATE

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: R

DISCLAIMER: I don't own HP, just this AU verse and plot.

SUMMARY: Harry, Seamus, Dean, and Draco travel to the city of Hogwarts. On the way they learn why the elves are at war. Then when they arrive they learn a secret Draco has kept from them.

PAIRINGS: Draco/Harry, Seamus/Dean, and Ron/Hermione. Others to be decided.

AUTHOR NOTES: I seem to be getting mixed ideas of what this bond that Harry and Draco have is like. Would you all like me to post a sort of explanation and list of qualities of what exactly it is? I wrote it out in my fic notes to help me out. If you would, just say so in your review and I'll post it at the end of the next chapter.

inumoon3 - I don't know if I'll be doing MPREG yet. The ending is still in the planning stages.

shinchangirl - It wasn't you, that chapter was really short. I tried to make this one longer.

Rosaleena/Black Rose Black Heart/Fefs Malfoy/Alora Braken- As you can see from this part, Harry's going to learn that Draco's a prince when they arrive. The fact that they're mates is going to be revealed really soon.

Spark - I'm ashamed to admit that was a typo me and the person who helps me edit and tells me ifstuff sucks missed.

Lena - ;sighs; The Legolas thing was unintentional, I swear...Even if I was watching LOTR when writing the description...

HP Girl 28 - To answer your first three questions all I can say is wait and see! For the forth one, I don't know. If the oppurtunity arises, I tend to find a lot of flashbacks annoying in fics so I don't usually write them.

Maira - Of COURSE the updates will continue to happen. I don't abandon fics, it's a policy of mine. They just might not be as quick as they've been coming thats all. Thanks for the long review!

CHAPTER 5: EXPLANATIONS AND HOGWARTS

Draco soon realized that traveling with humans was vastly different then traveling with elves. When they traveled elves tended to stay quiet in case of approaching danger. Harry and his friends bantered back and forth constantly. Seamus, when he was on foot and not on a horse, tended to burst into silly folk songs he had learned at the tavern he worked at. One night he even coerced Dean to dance with him as he sung while Harry looked on laughing his head off and Draco tried to pretend he wasn't amused at the mans antics.

Since elves mostly kept to themselves if they could help it Draco hadn't had much contact with humans before this. Those he had talked too had been royals of some sort, not regular people like Harry's friends. He couldn't help but like the two of them as he got to know them better in the coming weeks. The dynamics among his mate and his two friends was also interesting to watch.

Dean Thomas was the quietest of the three. According to Harry and Seamus he was quite the artist and the only reason he wasn't drawing everything in sight was that all of his supplies had been burned up in the fire. The blonde often caught the black boy looking down at his hands forlornly and made a mental note to talk to the court artist about a job for the man if he wanted it. While the boy was quiet he was frightening when he glared or got angry. Probably one of the reasons he was able to put up with Seamus.

If Draco could summarize Seamus Finnigan in one word, it would be exhausting. The man talked constantly. He cracked more jokes then Ron did per day and reminded the prince a little of Ron's twin brothers Fred and George who were notorious pranksters. The only difference was that Seamus didn't play practical jokes, he just told jokes. Bad ones, good ones, odd ones, and most of the time, perverted ones. Once it was obvious that Draco didn't care about the fact that they were both male, he flirted with his boyfriend constantly and was never far from Dean's side.

How the three managed to stay friends when they were so different was a question Draco often had in his mind as he watched them tease each other mercilessly. But apparently Harry and Seamus had been friends since they were very little and Dean had become friends with them when his family moved into Surrey at age eleven. Seamus and Dean had supposedly become a couple about two years ago and Harry didn't seem to mind it. Though he tended to roll his eyes when the two flirted, which was a lot.

The two were very likable. True, Seamus had his moments where you wanted to smack him, but he was still charming most of the time. Draco supposed that was part of the reason Dean fell for him. They were also fiercely loyal to each other and Harry which put them on Draco's good side. The only problem he had with them was the fact that because they were there, he didn't get as much time to spend alone with his mate. After having his mate to himself for almost four and a half months, having to share Harry with others took some getting used too.

At least he got to be near Harry a lot though. Because they only had two horses the four doubled up. Seamus and Dean rode Firebolt while Draco and Harry rode Nimbus. It was pleasant, feeling Harry behind him and having slim arms wraped around his waist. He especially liked it when Harry would rest his head against his shoulder blades sometimes when he was tired.

They took turns hunting for food and usually he and Harry teamed up. The two of them made a rather good hunting pair. Like all his kind, Draco could hear the smallest sound with his elf ears and could see as far away as ten feet so he could let Harry know where there were things like rabbits around and the other boy would shoot it. Harry was an excellent archer thanks to years of hunting for his own food.

Most of the days were spent riding. Hogwarts was about four weeks from Surrey and it had only been two weeks since the group had left the village. Draco tried to steer them clear from villages for safety. Besides, they would've looked odd to strangers he was sure. Three humans and an elf were not common travel companions. It didn't help that Hedwig had insisted on coming with Harry despite his attempts to let her go free as he did with the pig and chickens. The snowy white owl often flew over head or perched on a branch Harry found and cleverly attached behind the saddle on Nimbus. The stallion wasn't too pleased but put up with it after Harry fed him the last sugar lumps he had.

By the third week the group had fallen into a routine. Whoever was on watch for the night would wake Harry up first so he could make breakfast. They would take down camp and maneuver themselves on their horses and travel in the directions Draco provided. Had they galloped or at least trotted they might of gotten there in three weeks instead but Seamus would only get on a horse if they walked.

When they traveled, Draco didn't say much but listened to his mate talk with his friends. Doing this allowed him to learn more about his mate so it was enjoyable. The three humans had tried to draw him into conversations early in their travels but soon realized that the blonde didn't talk much when he traveled and so let him be until they set up camp.

The group took turns on who hunted for meals but it was usually Harry who cooked them because he was the only one who could cook decently. They had tried to alternate cooking duty as well but it became obvious in two days that it wouldn't work and Harry insisted it was safer if he just cook.

By nightfall they set up camp by dividing up tasks. Someone would set up tents that they managed to salvage from the wreckage Surrey now was. Another person would gather up wood and set up a fireplace. Two people would hunt and then Harry would cook whatever they managed to find. Usually they found rabbits or some small creatures to eat. Occasionally they would find a small deer of some sort but that was rare. Plus, Dean and Harry had a thing about shooting at deers that neither Seamus nor Draco understood.

During the night someone always stood watch in case of danger. They would swap places about every three hours or so with the next person so each of them could get some sleep. Which was what Draco was now doing; he was keeping watch. The elf leaned against a boulder in the ground thinking over the past few days and planning where he would lead them next.

"Draco?"

He blinked at the sound of his name and looked over at the tents in surprise when he saw Harry climbing out of the tent the two of them shared. They shared because they had only managed to get two and Seamus and Dean had insisted that they were going to share for reasons that Draco would rather not think about. His mate's hair was messier then usual and he was pulling a shirt on over his patched breeches. The blonde swallowed when he caught a glimpse of Harry's bare stomach before the shirt was all the way on. He averted his gaze so Harry wouldn't see his arousal.

This was a problem that had sprung up recently within the past few weeks. Even before they started traveling together Draco had been finding it harder to resist his mate. It had been one of the reasons he had tried to leave because he had been afraid that any day he would snap and frighten Harry. Traveling together was not really helping matters either, neither was sharing a tent. In a way he supposed he should actually be thankful that Seamus and Dean were there; they kept him from jumping Harry. He didn't know when he and Harry would complete their bond, but he did know he didn't want to do it with other people around.

"Your watch isn't for another hour, Harry," Draco said to him, as he came and sat next to the blonde. "You should get some sleep while you can."

Harry shrugged. "I know. I just can't sleep."

"Any particular reason?" he asked.

His mate shrugged again. "I'm not sure. Can I asked you something?"

The blonde blinked at the sudden change of subject and said cautiously, "I suppose."

"Why are the elves at war with Lord Voldemort?" Harry asked. "Isn't he an elf like you?"

Draco sighed and leaned back on his elbows. "I was waiting for one of you to ask me that. Surprised it took this long actually."

Harry just looked at him; silently waiting for him to answer.

"To answer one of your questions, yes, Lord Voldemort is an elf," the blonde answered. "As to why we're at war...it's a very long story. I suppose I'll have to start at the beginning."

"Promise?" a voice came from behind them and they both turned to see Seamus and Dean crawling out of their tent to join them.

Draco sighed. "I don't have much of a choice now do I? Did you three plan this?"

"No." the three of them answered in unison, looking far too innocent in Draco's opinion.

He rolled his eyes. "Right. As I'm sure you know; Hogwarts is the main capital for the realm where all the representatives for the races hold court. It's also the headquarters for the royal army and royal mage school. About five years ago Slytherin city sent one of their elf representatives, Tom Riddle to speak to the king.

"What the royal elf family didn't realize was that Riddle had been planning a coup on them for years. You see, Slytherin city is not known for its tolerance. It's one of the few elf cities that don't allow dwarfs, humans, or any other races settle there. King Lucius has been arguing with them for years about it. The royal family was just about to finally relent and they had sent Riddle to tell the King that.

"However, Riddle hates all the races who aren't elves. He especially hates half-elves or any elves who marry outside their race seeing them as blood traitors. He was furious with the king and queen for giving into the High King and so told the court that Slytherin would not change their ways at all and then left.

"When he went back to the Slytherin palace he gathered all of the followers he managed to get and they murdered the royal family of Slytherin. The High King wouldn't stand for this and sent armies over to Slytherin to arrest him. He didn't count on the fact that most if not all of Slytherin agreed with Riddles views and so didn't care that he killed their royal family. The army was slaughtered when they arrived.

"Tom Riddle renamed himself Lord Voldemort and declared war on the realm. We've been fighting ever since. It's gotten worse in the past year. He conquered Ravenclaw city and now has twice the army he did before hand. He's also started to viciously attack human and dwarf settlements like he did with yours. He's turned into a madman."

When he finished the humans were staring at him.

"Blimey," Seamus said. "I didn't realize this elf war had gotten that serious. Ravenclaw is really now under his control?"

The blonde nodded. "That's why I avoided that shortcut you suggested. If the armies got a hold of you three or me...I'm not sure what they'd do but it wouldn't be good."

Dean scooted closer to Seamus and the other man put an arm around him. Harry frowned and put his arms around his knees. The elf had never seen the three humans this subdued and he wasn't sure he liked it.

dmHPdm

After the explanation of the war it seemed Harry and his friends seemed to realize that there could be danger. After all, the path they were taking was right along the edge of what was considered Ravenclaw country. They still chatted but it was quieter and the three paid more attention to their surroundings. Seamus was even persuaded to let the horses trot so they could get to Hogwarts a little faster.

On a sunny day in late May Draco walked Nimbus out of a dense forest and grinned at the sight before him. Seamus and Dean walked Firebolt out of the forest and starred in awe at the sight. The elf glanced behind him and smiled down at Harry who was dozing and resting his head on the blonde's back.

"Harry, wake up," he whispered, nudging his elbow at the other. Green eyes blinked open and looked up at him drowsily. "We're here."

Harry's eyes widened and he sat up and looked over Draco's shoulder and his jaw dropped.

Draco was used to the sight of Hogwarts castle, having lived there his whole life but he supposed to Harry and his friends who had never ventured far from Surrey, it must seem amazing.

Hogwarts castle stood on a large hill with many towers and turrets. It was made of gray stone that were cleaned once a year using a spell. A stone wall surrounded the gardens that Draco had spent many days as a lad leading his tutors on a chase through. The realm flags flapped all along the wall, along with flags bearing the Malfoy family crest, the dwarfs royal family crest, and the humans royal family crest. Minor races were also represented by their flags as most of their royal families weren't old enough to have crests yet.

Surrounding the castle was the city itself. That stretched for a mile all around the castle. There was another gate surrounding the city part to protect the residents. There was a large white square stone building that had about seven levels. This was the realms Mage School run by Albus Dumbledore who was also his fathers advisor. On the left was a stone corridor connecting the two walls. This was the building for the royal army. Beyond that narrow building was stables for the horses and training grounds.

'It's good to be home' Draco thought to himself. He blinked when he felt Harry's arms tighten unconsciously around his waist and glanced back at his mate. The man was looking at the castle apprehensively. He smiled and placed a hand over one of the fists on his stomach. Harry looked at him in surprise.

"Relax. It's only intimidating on the outside," he reassured the other man. Harry gave him a small smile and Draco turned and urged Nimbus forward before his groin had the chance to harden like it usually did at the sight of Harry's smile.

Hogwarts city was just as busy as he remembered. Elves, dwarves, and humans all lived here and chatted with one another seeming to not realize the physical differences between them. These were the three main races of the realm. There were also trolls, fairies, pixies, werewolves, vampires, and many more around the country. Draco smiled as Harry gasped in delight when a fairy fluttered around him in curiosity.

The guards at the main front gate had recognized him immediately and when he saw one of them run across the top wall to the army building he knew that by the time the four of them reached the castle his parents would know he had arrived, not to mention the whole castle.

As he suspected the main gate to the castle was all ready open for them when the group got there and the front court yard cleared of the usual hustle and bustle of court residents taking shortcuts to get to wherever they needed to be.

"Oh, thank God," Seamus muttered as he happily climbed off Firebolt. "No more riding. I'm never getting on another horse as long as I live."

Draco smirked at that comment when he climbed off Nimbus. He turned and helped Harry off Nimbus. The boy was much shorter so he had more trouble climbing off Nimbus who was larger then Firebolt. Harry slid off and Draco couldn't help but let his hands linger on the boys waist. The two stared at each other for a few seconds but were interrupted by a shout.

"Draconis Lucius Arconian Lestrange Prewitt Black Malfoy!" an angry voice came from the large double front doors that were the entrance to the castle.

Draco winced at his full name and turned around to see the queen glaring down at him from atop the steps leading up to the doors. Most agreed that Narcissa Malfoy was one of the loveliest queens in a long while. She was small and slender with long blonde hair similar to her sons' that was now loose around her shoulders. She wore a elegant purple ankle-length dress with a glittery gold sash around her waist and shiny gold slippers on her dainty feet. She wore a simple gold tiara around her head instead of the heavy ornate crown for queens because she complained that the thing was heavy and it was silly to wear the thing all the time even though it was required for the queen. The only jewelry the woman wore were rings: her engagement ring, wedding ring on one hand and two rings on her other hand featuring the Black family crest and the Malfoy family crest. Grey eyes glittered furiously at her son as she stalked down the stairs.

Draco sighed and drew himself to his full height. It was time to return to his role as High Prince of the elves.

"Hello, Mother."

AUTHOR NOTES: So I'm trying a new thing and doing a chapter from one POV instead of switching around. Not sure if I'll continue this way. It'll depend on how the story progresses. I also tried to do Narcissa's appearance like the books but JKR didn't really give her eye color so I sort of guessed. PLEASE REVIEW!