Chapter Four

Memory Hangovers and Blood Loss

Harry woke up to Ron's voice in his ear, "Harry, are you going to get up? It's like freaking ten o'clock."

"Leave m'lone." Harry had stayed up all night and the last thing he wanted to do was get up. He needed more sleep and less thoughts of how in the hell he was going to face Draco Malfoy.

Draco would turn him down, Harry knew he would, and then Harry would spend the rest of his life without his bloody other half because he and his "other half" couldn't get along.

Harry was still sleepy and a little mad when Ron woke him up, so his mumbled fuck off was taken to heart and Ron walked out of the dormitory in about the same amount of time it took Harry to fall back asleep.

"So, Malfoy hasn't gotten out of bed either?" Hermione and Ron were in the library talking to Blasie.

"No. He has been there all day." Blasie looked worried, "It's almost dinner time. What is wrong with those two?"

"I don't want to push either one of them, but Harry needs sustenance. If they are not at dinner we divide and conquer. I will get to the bottom of this." Hermione was looking like a worried mother and a girl friend that had been left out of the loop, all at the same time.

"Do we need to go to the kitchens to get some blood for Harry, or to Dumbledore?" Ron glanced at Blasie who just looked unaffected and then at Hermione.

She shook her head, "No. I'll let him have some of mine." She shook her head at Ron and Blasies' pale looks. "You guys are so squeamish. Harry won't like it, but I don't mind. Dumbledore said that he needed to feed from someone he was more comfortable with before he had to start feeding from his mate…" At her last word Hermione trailed off.

"Hermione?" Ron was looking at her funny.

"Oh… what? I'm fine. Let's got to dinner." With these words she was up and heading out of the library with two very clueless guys, right behind her.

"Harry Potter, how could you not drink any blood all day? Look at you, you're as white as a sheet and I for one will not let you waste away! Sit up!"

Harry had woken that night, after a full days rest, to the shrill tones of Hermione the Medi-witch. Ron had slunk in after her, trying not to look to obtrusive. He was probably waiting for the battle that would ensue if Harry told Hermione to fuck off like he had told Ron this morning.

Lucky for all three of them Harry was not so cranky. His sleep had helped his mood and now he had two problems. One was that he had to tell Ron and Hermione who his mate was and he was just now dealing with all the memories from last night… it was like a damn memory hang over!

Problem number two made its appearance when Harry sat up and immediately saw stars. He was so weak and he wanted blood. Apparently, Hermione had noticed.

"Do you see what happens when you don't get blood in your system? You can be such an idiot. Sleeping in and starving yourself…" Hermione trailed off her sentence as she climbed onto the bed and sat next to Harry.

"I know that you don't want to do this, but you are too weak to argue and this will be good for you. Dumbledore said you need to practice taking blood from someone you are more comfortable with so you won't feel like you are going to hurt your mate." Hermione held out her wrist so that it was in front of Harry's face.

Harry had managed to prop himself up on his pillow's. He was staring at Hermione in up-most defiance. He was NOT, NOT, NOT going to take her blood.

"Hermione, I don't even know how to get my fangs to come out or anything." Harry was trying to make excuses.

"Don't give me that Harry Potter. All you have to do is think about them and they lengthen. We will start with the wrist because that is less intrusive. You don't want to hurt your mate, do you, Harry?" Harry looked at Hermione, he assumed that she couldn't know about Draco, but her tone of voice was amused and knowing at the same time. He decided he was imagining things. No, he did not want to hurt Draco, though he doubted Draco would ever give his blood freely or anything for that matter.

Harry was too feeble to protest so he grabbed her arm and stared at a vein. He concentrated on the blood running through that vein. Harry felt his teeth lengthen and his instincts told him to lick the sensitive flesh so she could adjust to the bite.

Harry ran his tongue along the vein and then started making circular motions. He soon employed his lips into the mix and ended up practically making out with Hermione's wrist. He felt so funny doing this; the book had said that taking and giving blood was erotic, but Harry didn't really think so. Maybe it was because it was Hermione?

Despite his lack of excitement, except the thrill of eating, Harry knew the moment Hermione was ready and he sunk his fangs into her wrist. She gave a light yelp and then a moan when he sucked the first bit of fluid through the puncture wounds. A least she was enjoying this… oh, that was just too weird, Harry stopped thinking about that because, well, um, ewww.

Ron had sat down on his bed to keep from falling to the floor and Hermione had relaxed her body against Harry's. Harry took as much as he needed, but no more. He pulled his fangs out very gently and then he licked the wound closed.

Harry placed her hand on his lap and let her rest on him because she was drowsy. Ron just swallowed hard and stared at them.

"Thank you Hermione." Harry felt so much better, but he still wasn't entirely ok with the situation.

"You are my friend Harry; it's the least I can do."

The trio sat there in silence for the longest time, just listening to the other breathing and each wondering when their relationship would take another turn.

Snakes, Dragons, Centaurs, Spiders, Death Eaters, they had been through it all together and they would get through this together too… on step at a time.

"Draco, man, are you going to wake up?" Blasie Zabini was sitting on the edge of Draco's bed and looking at the blond with a worried expression. His friend looked really pale and was, at this moment, staring at him with a "go to hell" expression on his face.

"You have been in bed all day. You and Harry have missed three meals in a row. Hermione had to let him have her blood, so he wouldn't get too…"

"She what? He what?" Draco had sat up in bed and was looking extremely alarmed.

"She just gave him some of her blood. What is your problem? Are you sick?"

Blasie was trying to feel Draco's head, but the Slytherin wouldn't let him. He kept knocking his hand away and mumbling, "I'm supposed to do that, not her."

"Draco, mate, I will go get Madam Pomfry, if you don't start talking, and WHAT ARE YOU MUMBLING ABOUT!" Blasie had yelled the last little bit because it seemed Draco was too wrapped up in his thoughts to hear him.

"I was out late last night." Draco looked like he was thinking hard, concentrating on some question that he had to come up with an answer to.

"You were out at the lake again? Did you go out their without a robe or slippers on and catch a cold?" Blasie crossed his arms in a disappointing way.

"No. I went out, properly clothed, to cr… think, and Pot… Harry showed up. Harry turned up and comforted me. I let him at first because I thought it was you, but then he spoke up and I realized who it was. My first reaction was to jump up and yell at him, but I liked being in his arms. It was so comforting and I was so confused as to why I would want to stay, but I did." Draco paused and then glanced at his hands as though they held the answers. He then looked back up at Blasie and continued, "We were talking and I asked him about his mate. You remember we read about Carpathians and their mates in the library?"

Blasie nodded his head, "The mate is the blood source. Upon recognition, the Carpathian will claim his mate. They make love and there is a bonding where they swap blood and then the mate will live as long as the Carpathians lives, with a never ending supply of blood. They share their thoughts, feelings, and powers. It is meant to be, and usually is, a bonding of love. It also said, though, that the Carpathian, unlike any other creature can live without their mate so their mate can turn them down. I found that rater interesting." Blasie looked thoughtful for a second and then said, "Why? Has Harry found his mate?"

Draco nodded and swallowed.

"So, who is it?"

"It's me."

"IT'S WHAT!" Blasie had fallen of the bed and had landed on his ass on the floor.

"I am his mate" Draco looked pathetic, sitting on the bed; he let one tear roll down his cheek.

"Do you even like each other?"

"I think we are supposed to."

"You think?"

"I have thought about it and maybe our hate all these years has been us fighting the inevitable. What if this bond isn't supposed to make our lives hell, but bring us into the relationship we were always meant to be in." Draco looked lost and he sounded as if he were trying to convince himself.

"You will have to sleep with him." Blasie looked at Draco seriously.

"I know."

"You will have to let him bite you all the time."

"I know."

"Just think about it long and hard."

"I'm trying."

Blasie stared at Draco, who stared at his hands. What was the world coming to? Draco kept thinking back to last night. Was he even gay? He certainty had enjoyed kissing Harry. In fact, a part of him was all for this "mates for life" thing and that scared the shit out of him.

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy together for life. Carpathian and mate; husband and… husband? Draco thought he was done after the war. He had celebrated right along with everyone else when Harry had defeated Voldemort. Draco had thought he would finally have a life and now things had become complicated again. Was this new development a way for him to have the life he wanted or the end to a life he had? Both?

Harry and he had made so much progress this summer. They were aware of one another but were they ready to be lovers, to be mates in every sense of the word. Could Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter be soul mates? Who knew?

"Well, Draco is my mate. Isn't that great! Now, I don't have to worry about it or anything." This was not exactly the exclamation that Harry gave his friends, but it was the one the sarcastic side of him wanted to use. What was he going to do now?

"So, Harry, what kept you in bed all night?" Hermione was still leaning on him, although she looked a lot better in the complexion department.

"I was out by the lake." Harry had decided on strictly answering the questions; he wouldn't lie, but he wouldn't help them.

"What were you doing out by the lake?" Hermione was starting to get that "I'm going to figure you out" look in her eye.

"I followed Draco out there to comfort him."

"You… huh?" Ron stood up.

"I went out there and we talked."

"Harry, you mean to tell me, you and Draco Malfoy had a heart to heart by the lake last night?" Ron was staring at Harry open-mouthed.

"We had a bit more than a heart to heart." Harry felt a blush coming on.

"Is Draco your mate?" Hermione was looking at Harry from an angle because they were beside one another on his bed. She looked like she already knew the answer.

"I swear the way you do that is freaky Hermione. Yes, he is."

"Harry, I'm so happy for you." Hermione smiled at him.

"Um, thanks but I don't know what I'm going to do. He hasn't said yes. He didn't say much of anything. Dumbledore told him and Blasie about me, did you know that? He asked me if I had found my mate. I said no and we started talking about the signs and one is a "pull". Well, I've been feeling a pull towards him ever since we got here. I told him and so after freaking out we decided to kiss because that was another way to tell and we wanted to be sure." Harry gave Hermione a sideways glance.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"I'm pretty sure."

"When did you start liking guys?" Ron had finally spoken up and he looked shocked.

"I don't think I like guys, I just like Draco."

"That doesn't make any sense." Ron sat back down on the bed.

"It does make sense," Hermione spoke up. "Look how compatible Harry and Draco are. It makes sense they would be mates, they are complete opposites, and they cancel each other out."

Ron was still trying to grasp it, but seemed to have said his spill.

"So, Harry, are you going to go for it?" Hermione was looking at him with concern.

"I figure that the bond picked Draco for a reason. All I have ever wanted was somebody to love and to be loved in return… not in the way I love you and Ron. If Draco and I work hard enough then we can get there. The bond wouldn't have put us together if we didn't have the capacity to love one another. I will make it work with him, if he accepts me, because I think we can be happy together." Harry took a deep breath, "I hope you guys are ok with him being in my life from now on. I was shocked when I realized who my mate was, but he is my mate and that is that."

"Harry we love you and we will love anyone that you love. We are your friends through thick and thin, though everything. Draco is just another challenge, something we must accept, a prejudice we must overcome." Hermione looked at Ron who nodded his head weakly and mumbled something that sounded strangely like, "glad it's not me".

What do you think? Is the dialogue still stressed? Does everything make sense?

Ash