Chapter Six

Top and Bottom

Harry was lying in bed again, after spending a second long night with Draco. This one had gone much better than the other one a week ago. Harry was still trying to taste Draco's blood from the after taste in his mouth; he tasted like sweet liquor and liquid sugar… it was a very, very, nice flavor. After making out in the library, they had lay together on the floor and talked about each other's lives. So far they had avoided the serious subjects but at least they understood a little bit about what made the other one tick.

Harry was starting to realize that Draco needed him just as much as he needed Draco as a Carpathian, and as a person, as someone who wanted to be loved. They had made a promise to never go back to being who they were and they would try to be who they wanted to be. They would stop thinking of each other a Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, and just as Draco and Harry, Harry and Draco.

So, never again would Harry hear Draco's scathing comments about his celebrity from across the courtyard; no more looking into eyes filled with disgust. Harry thought about that… no more Malfoy. He didn't mind. Harry now got to be with Draco, his mate, his love. Those same eyes that used to be filled with contempt had looked at him last night with lust and trust and curiosity and just a little bit of apprehension.

Harry rolled over on the bed and turned to look out the window as the sun came up. Today would be different. Today he and Draco were mates, officially. They had about three weeks before school started and then they had to face the masses, until then, they had to get to know each other, get to care for each other. Oh, and they had to bond. The Carpathian side of Harry was really excited about that, but the old Harry, the shy Harry, and the inexperienced Harry was REALLY nervous. He needed to read more books. Maybe he would ask Dumbledore for special books.

Harry and Draco had to go see Dumbledore today and that was going to be an awkward meeting. Harry was sure he was calling them in to ask about the bond and everything that went with. This thought left Harry to wonder for the millionth time in his life, how Dumbledore found out these things. The only people that Harry thought knew about him and Draco was Hermione and Ron and Blasie… they certainly didn't tell anyone.

Harry would think about it later. Right now he was occupied with the taste of Draco's blood and the feel of his silky hair and his smooth, creamy skin. Harry found that the more he thought about last night, the less awkward he felt about the bonding, and the more he looked forward to it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Draco wasn't getting any sleep. The sun was starting to come up, but ever since he had come back from the library he had been staring at the ceiling and thinking about when Harry Potter had become such a good kisser. Draco could still taste Harry on his lips. Draco had been with a couple of girls, like Pansy Parkinson (never again!), but being with Harry was different. Draco was still positive he wasn't gay, but he defiantly liked Harry.

Draco studied a spot on the ceiling as he thought about Harry drinking his blood. His neck was a little sore, but it had been erotic... Draco wondered if you could take blood from other places besides the neck. He would ask Harry. Draco still wasn't sure what had possessed him to ask Harry to do it, and he was sure that Harry had been a little hesitant to even try, but he was glad… that was one less thing he had to think about. Now, bonding… bonding, was, well… best not think about that right now. He was too tired; laying here was the only option right now.

Draco thought about their conversation from last night. It was like a catch up, what's been happening kind of talk. It had been a safe conversation, but they at least knew a little bit about each other. It was funny how it started really. Draco had been lying on the library floor for about ten minutes after their little activity, and he had been enjoying the wonderful weight of Harry's warm body on top of him. Draco had been running his fingers through Harry's hair and thinking about trying to have another go when Harry had said something:

"What's your favorite color?"

"My favorite color?" Draco had raised an eyebrow even though Harry couldn't see him.

"Yeah, like mine is green, but I never wore it a lot because, well, it's a Slytherin color."

"I guess my favorite color would have to be… blue, light blue, ice blue."

"Ice blue?"

"Yes. Were you expecting red?" Draco smirked and he felt Harry chuckle.

"No, Merlin forbid you wear that offensive color." Harry smiled into Draco's shoulder, "Plus, I don't think you'd look good in red."

"Excuse me, I look good in everything."

"Yeah, yeah, if you think so." Harry was trying to rile Draco and it seemed like it was working. Draco made a huffy noise and then asked Harry a question, a question he wasn't entirely prepared for.

"Why didn't you shake my hand in first year?"

Harry blinked a few times and thought about his answer, "I saw you in the robe shop the week we went to school and you insulted Hagrid, the first person that had ever been really nice to me and the first person I met in the wizarding world. Then, I saw you in the entrance hall and you insulted Ron, who had just made an effort to befriend me. I really didn't see you as a good sort of person at the moment, you know?"

"I understand. My father wasn't exactly the best role model and that was the age I wanted to be just like him; I'm happy to say that I have grown out of that phase. I never pretended to be a nice person and even now I still have aristocracy thinking running though me. Sometimes I still say and think things and I'll wonder why I ever thought that was the way the world was supposed to work. I think I wouldn't even have this gentleness deep down if my mother hadn't put it there, but, yeah… I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. It's in the past." Harry thought for a moment and then he asked Draco a question that had been bothering him. Ever since he had seen the new side of Draco, the side that didn't aspire to be like his father, Harry had wondered something.

"Draco, did the sorting hat want to put you in Gryffindore?" Draco stiffened underneath Harry and then relaxed… how did he know?

"Yeah, but… how…"

"I guessed."

"You guessed?"

"Well, you see, the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin so…"

Draco interrupted him, "In Slytherin? Are you serious? I mean, really." Draco was laughing.

"Yeah, it said that I could do well in Slytherin. Anyway, I figured if it wanted to put me in Slytherin, than it might have tried to put you in Gryffindor."

"That was pretty logical, since we are opposites and destined to be the completion of one another as mates. The hat told me that I had Slytherin qualities, but that I was loyal like a Gryffindor. You won't find much loyalty in Slytherin."

"Did you get the letter from Dumbledore this evening?" Harry had just remembered about his own letter.

"Yeah, I don't know why he didn't send it at the regular meal time, but whatever. I assume that he wants to talk about us or whatever... nosey bat"

"Draco!"

"What? He is; I have never liked him." Draco sniffed in a snobbish way.

"I gathered that much thanks." Harry sighed with content as Draco absentmindedly went back to stroking his hair. Something about Draco touching him made Harry almost want to purr. He would have to read more on what made him tick and what he and Draco could expect after the bond. Harry still wasn't even sure what the bond entailed.

"I think I'm going to fall asleep." Draco dropped his hand to the floor and took a deep breath.

"We should go to bed, we have been here for hours and I'm tired too." Harry rolled over onto his back to give Draco space to get up. Harry was therefore surprised when Draco rolled over minutes later and straddled his waist to look down at Harry with a smirk.

"I've been waiting for you to do that." Draco ran his hands up Harry's stomach and up to his hair.

"What happened to going to bed?" Harry gasped when Draco traced his ears.

"We are going to bed, but I'm going to give you a goodnight kiss… Potter.

Draco leaned down and captured Harry's lips in a vicious kiss then forced Harry's mouth opened and pushed his tongue inside. Harry arched his back up and moved his hands to rub circles on Draco's hips. They both groaned into the kiss and then Draco pulled away and stood up. Harry pulled himself up of the ground with another groan, this one of regret.

They both walked out of the library and into the hall. Harry turned to Draco, grabbed him by the collar, gave him a quick peck on the lips and said, "Night, Malfoy."

"Ah, oh, goodnight."

Now, as Draco relived the whole thing in his bed at sunrise, he decided that it went as well as it could have gone. But, seriously, when had Harry become such a turn on? Had Draco always found him attractive in his subconscious or was the bond doing something to make him find Harry attractive, or was it a combination? Did it really matter? Um, not really.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry was standing and staring at the Gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. He was feeling slightly embarrassed already because he realized he was going to talk to his mentor about a relationship he was having, that he would always have, with a guy… with a guy… with Draco Malfoy!

"What's the matter Harry? You look pale." Draco slid up to Harry's side and looked sideways at him and then at the gargoyle.

"I… we…well, we have to go in there a tell Dumbledore that we have a bond. That we are mates and that we are, in my "peoples" eyes, as good as married." Harry turned an even paler shade of white.

Draco looked at Harry; it was clear that the marriage thing never really equated in his mind and that he now realized just how serious this was. This was forever. Draco smiled weakly and pushed everything away. He was a Slytherin and he could do this. He and Harry were chosen to be together. What was it his mother used to say? No one knows better that fate.

"Come on." Draco reached in and grabbed Harry's hand. He felt Harry relax a little and smooth his thumb over Draco's knuckles. It was still weird to be intimate even though they had made out not a few hours ago.

"Snickers." Harry said the password.

"Snickers?" Draco raised a thin, elegant eyebrow.

"It's a muggle candy bar." Harry looked at Draco like he expected Draco to make a comment on muggles, but Draco remained silent.

Harry's throat worked furiously as he walked the steps up to the office with Draco's hand still in his. If he brings up something that you have a question about or that we haven't talked about then ask me in my mind, ok? Harry talked into Draco's mind to get the feel of it again so they could do it in the meeting.

Ok. Is he actually going to try and question us about our future, um, sex life?

I don't know, but I really, really hope not. Harry didn't want to think about said sex life at this point in time. He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk looking as twinkely and as wise as ever, if not a little more tired looking.

"Sir, you wanted to talk to Draco and me." Harry sat in the chair to the right and Draco to the left.

"Yes. I wanted to know if you two would like separate living space now that you have found out fates little way of pairing up opposites."

Harry thought that was a really odd way to put things, but then again this was Dumbledore. Harry reached out to Draco. Do you want to live with me? You don't have to; what ever makes you more comfortable.

I would like to have a living space all to ourselves.

"We would like to have our own dorms, Sir. But, how did you find out about me and Draco?" Harry was curious.

"Well, Harry it was your rivalry that got me thinking that things could be different, you two had so much power, so much drive to get to each other, what if you we friends, not enemies?" Dumbledore smiled, "I had a long talk with Fate, yes the Fate, the actual person that controls everything, and she said you two would find each other in "times of calm". I assumed this meant that when we won the war and everything settled down you two would form a relationship. I will admit that I saw it being a regular relationship. I didn't see the Carpathian issue coming, but, yes."

Harry and Draco looked at each other and then at the headmaster. Fate was an actual person? This was defiantly not expected, but then again it was the wizarding world.

"Harry, here are some books for you. I think you will find them a little more helpful then the ones in our library." Dumbledore handed over three books, "I got them from, well, let's just say I got them from a friend." Dumbledore winked at the blond and the brunette, who were a little stunned.

"Thank you." Harry managed a thanks after he finished taking in all of Dumbledore's talk and his little hint about having connections… a friend indeed.

"Well, boys, if you will follow me, I will take you to your new home for the year." Dumbledore strode out of the office and down the hallway. He took many turns but eventually they ended up in a tower next to the astronomy tower. Dumbledore stood in front of an old portrait of a panther, stalking back and forth. The panther stared at them with lime green eyes and growled.

"Meus vita vis meus cruor" Dumbledore smiled as the panther opened the portrait hole, "This is where I leave you to enjoy your new arrangements."

"Uh, Sir, what does the password mean?" Draco spoke up with curiosity in his voice.

"It means, my life force, my blood. Good Day."

Draco and Harry just looked at each other.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

meus vita vis meus cruor… it's Latin.