Chapter 6 - Getting to know you - Day 3 Part 1

Remus and Sirius were waiting outside Remus' quarters for the two Slytherins at 6:30 the next morning. Draco opened his mouth to ask something, but was beaten to the question by Sirius' answer.

"I'm allowed to eat with you, I just have to cook for myself," the dark-haired man said. "Harry said that he wouldn't allow me to poison myself again," he added with a slight blush.

Draco laughed softly. "Actually, I was going to ask for your permission to remove Harry from Hogwarts for tonight's meal and the same for Blaise with Hermione - but thanks for the blackmail material," he teased gently.

The two men laughed and gave their permission, then followed the two younger males into Remus' rooms.

Thisisaline

Blaise pulled an unresisting Draco through the hallway to their first class. It was taking all his control to not laugh at the slightly dazed and goofy smile on his friends face. He pulled him to the potion's lab door just before it was closed by the Professor.

Severus took one look at his godson and raised an eyebrow. "I am going to assume that you were with your mates and that is what has him like this."

Blaise nodded. "It seems that Harry has warmed to him quite quickly and hugged him goodbye when we left. I think he was a little giddy from that, but I think the pretty green eyes that look too big to fit in his head looking at him with the 'I'll miss you so come back soon" did him in."

Severus chuckled softly. "Please put that memory into a pensieve for me. That I have to see!"

Blaise smirked. "Did you also want the one of Draco playing in the rain?"

Before either of them could blink, Blaise was pinned against the opposite side of the hall.

"That is a very special memory of mine, Blaise. I will NOT have you cheapen it by offering it to everyone we see. Do I make myself clear?"

Blaise and Severus nodded, both shocked at the way Draco had reacted.

"When I am ready to share that memory, I will share it with those I feel deserve it!" Draco let go of Blaise's throat and stormed into the room, a silent and shocked Blaise following him. Severus made a mental not to put that memory into a pensieve and call for Lucius to join him in viewing it - but first, he had a class to teach.

Thisisaline

Hermione turned the page of her book, absentmindedly patting the kitten on her lap, which was purring its head off. Harry had transformed to his kitten form and climbed onto her lap just after Remus and Sirius had left, and they hadn't moved once in the past two hours.

"Harry, Sweetie?" Hermione said softly to the dozing kitten. "Can you wake up? I want to talk to you about something and I think you want to talk to me as well," she added with a small smile.

Harry shadowed away and returned in human form with a tray of tea, lemon, milk, sugar and a plate of warm mini apple cinnamon muffins. He took his seat after serving Hermione, then himself. "What did you want to talk about, Rinie?" he asked.

Hermione couldn't help but smile. "I wanted to talk about our mates, of course." She grinned, seeing the light in her brother's eyes grow brighter at the prospect of talking about his mate.

"Okay Rinie. What do you think of Blaise?" Harry giggled slightly, feeling as if he was a school girl setting her friend up with the new guy in school.

Hermione smiled. "He is a very charming young man," she started. "He is fun to be around and very good looking." She blushed slightly. "He seems to be intelligent and I can converse with him easily without needing to stop and explain what I am saying every two minutes." She stopped to have a few sips of her tea and to nibble delicately on a muffin. She hummed in pleasure at the sweet spiciness as it covered her tongue.

I feel comfortable around him," she continued after a while. "I trust him even though I don't know him very well and I feel safe with him. I feel the connection we have as mates and I am drawn to him, I'll admit that," she confessed, "but I also know that I do not love him – not yet anyway. I need to spend more time with him to talk and get to know him. I know we've had the past two days with them, but I need more time alone with him, you know?"

Harry nodded his understanding with a smile on his face.

"So, what do you think of him?" she asked.

Harry's smile widened slightly. "I like him. From what I've seen he is very polite and understanding. He hasn't once become jealous because of me when you focus on me when he is around and he hasn't insisted on you leaving me when he and Draco are here." Harry took a few sips of tea, thinking.

"I can't say that I trust him with myself yet, but I do trust him to take care of you when you need it. I have heard from Remy and Siri that he is intelligent and what I've seen of him so far supports that. I'm sure that the attraction you feel for each other will eventually turn to love."

Hermione smiled. "I'm sure it will. Now, tell me what you think of Draco."

Harry beamed. "I like him! I really, really do! He's cute and cuddly and nice and he smells good!"

Hermione giggled softly. "You do know that you just described a vampire as 'cute and cuddly' don't you, Sweetie?"

Harry blushed. "So? He is."

Hermione laughed. "Not many others would think so – but you are probably right. So, what else do you have to say about him?"

Harry's eyes became slightly unfocused as he thought over the last few days. "He is very ... intense. He is very gentle and extremely possessive. I feel safe with him and I want to submit to him. I feel the pull to mate and it scares me slightly, but I can see that he is holding himself back. I don't think he knows that I am not yet of age, but he still is fighting the urge so as not to scare me."

Harry stopped to think, not noticing the worried look on Hermione's face. It wasn't well known that harry wasn't yet seventeen and for him to be feeling the pull for mating, something had to be wrong. She decided to write to Tom about it and turned her attention back to her kitten.

"I trust him, Rinie. I can tell that I will be happy with him and once he claims me, I will relax. The trouble is I want him to claim me NOW! Every time I see him I want to reveal my readiness to mate, but I hold it in. I am not going to mate until Tom can meet him. Other than that, I think he is wonderful company who has the intelligence to keep up with us. What do you think of him?"

Hermione chuckled at the unsure tone to Harry's voice. "I think he is a lovely person. He is absolutely dedicated to you and he is very polite. He is intelligent, but he isn't obsessed with it like I can be. He will be good for you, Sweetie, though I agree with you about not going further then hugging and feeding him until Tom can meet him."

Harry beamed at her and snuggled into her side. "I'm glad you like him, Rinie."

Hermione smiled. "I've got a letter to write, Sweetie. Did you want to go back to sleep or read?"

Harry looked at the time. "I think I'll start making lunch and something for tomorrow night for dinner – How do you feel about steak and kidney pie?"

Hermione said that the pie sounded wonderful and a sandwich for lunch before walking into Remus' study to write her letter while Harry left for the kitchen.

Thisisaline

Remus, Sirius, Blaise and Draco arrived at the rooms at the same moment. Inhaling deeply, Sirius' stomach growled hungrily. "I hope that is lunch!" he said enthusiastically.

"It isn't," Harry said, grinning as he stepped from the shadows. "It is for dinner tomorrow night – and even if it was for now, you wouldn't be eating it, or have you already forgotten?"

Sirius pouted.

"You will be allowed to join us tomorrow night though, so stop pouting," Hermione announced from behind them, causing them all to jump. "Harry decided to cook instead of sleep while I wrote a letter to our mentor. We promised to send him a letter every two or three days." She stretched, showing off her flat stomach as her shirt rose a little with her movements. "I wouldn't be surprised if he turns up when Beelzebub gives him the letter," she smirked lightly. "He'd particularly be interesting in Draco and Blaise. He'd feel as if it was his job to interrogate the mates of his self-proclaimed family. What did you make for lunch, Harry? I'm staved!"

Harry led an enthusiastic Hermione and a laughing Sirius and Remus into the room, leaving two wide-eyed Slytherins out in the corridor.

Thisisaline

Blaise struggled to keep from laughing as he watched a frantic Draco rummaged through his closet.

"Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?" he murmured.

Blaise lost his fight and rolled off the bed.

"Oh blow it out your besom!" Draco growled as he threw one of his robes onto the floor. "I can't find my good robes! I can't go out like this!"

Blaise forced himself to calm down. "Calm down Draco! You didn't bring your best robes with you, remember? We didn't think we would need them this year, so it is no wonder you can't find it. You look very striking in black, so why don't you wear the grey shirt with the Acromentula silk woven into it with your black velvet robes. Put your hair in the same style as your father's and you will be beating the public off with a stick!"

"But I don't want to impress the public! I want to impress Harry," Draco whined.

Blaise shook his head. "I have a feeling that if you turned up in wet, muddy rags, Harry would look at you the same way as if you wore robes that were made especially for you. It isn't what you wear, or how much money you have that impresses him. It's you."

Draco smiled. "Thanks Blaise – I know all this, but it's always good to make doubly sure." He looked down at himself, only just realising his state of undress. "Now that you've proven yourself useful, you can leave so I can dress!"

Blaise laughed and walked out of the room.

Thisisaline

When the portrait guarding the entrance to Remus' rooms announced that Blaise and Draco were at the door, Sirius leapt to invite them in. He and Remus – even though they knew both boys – had decided to pull the 'over-protective parent' act. Neither of them could wait!

Thisisaline

Draco started when the door opened to reveal Sirius. He immediately noticed the spark in the Marauder's eye and he felt the urge to run and hide under his bed. This was the perfect opportunity for Sirius and Remus to reveal their inner pranksters – and he had a feeling that it would be rather painful for him and Blaise.

Thisisaline

Blaise and Draco silently led a giggling Harry and Hermione out onto Hogwarts' grounds.

"I don't ever want to go through that again,' Blaise announced when they were a safe distance from the main building.

"Me either." Draco shakily agreed, not missing the looks Harry and Hermione exchanged. "What was that about?"

"Maybe you should think of what just happened as a practice run," Hermione began.

"Because Tom will be much worse than that," Harry continued. "Remus and Sirius know you, so they know what you are like. They also don't see us as their children – Tom does."

Both Demons stepped in close to their mates so they could side-long apparate. Neither of them noticed the frantic, almost pleading looks their mates exchanged before both couple disappeared with a loud CRACK!