Chapter 25 – The Duties of a Courting Dominant
Blaise watched Draco silently from his seat in the common room. The previous day had proven to the blonde that his Mother's rash handling of his submissive hadn't harmed the formation of a relationship between the current and future Malfoy family Matriarchs' and the relief almost poured off him.
"What are your plans for the day?"
"I have a few classes after lunch," Blaise answered, "so I was thinking of spending the morning with Hermione."
Draco nodded.
"I hate these new timetables," Draco sighed. "This evening I have astronomy and before dinner I have Quidditch practice. Mother has decided to have a day of bonding with Harry so neither of them will be around until after the evening meal."
He leant forward and rubbed his eyes.
"First will be breakfast with everyone, then I'm heading to the library for a few hours. I'll do the research for the new lot of assignments I've been given and I'll complete the ones I have started already. Then I will attend my first lesson, lunch and first afternoon class. I'll sleep for half of the time before the last lesson and do more of the plans for the house in the remaining time. Go to the last lesson and do more of the plans before I have to leave for a meeting at Gringotts with Father then back for Quidditch training, followed by a shower and dinner before kidnapping my mate for a little time with him before doing more of my assignments before Astronomy."
Blaise just watched his friend with amusement. He had long become used to Draco's habit of planning his day out loud rather than either in his head or on paper.
"Full day," he commented. "If you're ready, we should probably head up to Professor Lupin's room – that is if you wish to see Harry before he leaves."
With one last look around the room and in his bag, Draco nodded and followed Blaise from the dormitory, deep in thought.
~~~They'retakingthehobbitstoIsenguard~~~
When the two of them entered the room, the first thing they noticed was the laughter. A cold chill travelled down their spines as fear slithered into their hearts. They exchanged horrified looks. If what they thought was happening, then they would NEVER be able to live it down. Without a second thought, both of them hurried towards the sitting room.
"…Cius on the ground in tears with half his head bald and what hair he had left was an amalgamation of bright red, puce, yellow and pale pink and in the shape of a shark fin."
Draco closed his eyes in resignation. This was what he was scared of. His mother was telling stories about his childhood. Beside him, Blaise was sniggering softly.
"What are you laughing at?" Draco muttered, "If you can't remember, you and I were together nearly every day so she has just as many stories about you as she does me."
The horrified look that appeared on the elf's face was almost enough vindication for the vampire.
"Let's get this over with," the now almost depressed Blaise said in resignation.
Draco pushed the door open, feeling as though he was going to his own funeral … only for the first thing for him to see being his mate's joy-flushed cheeks, wide smile and sparkling eyes. Suddenly, the blonde's embarrassment vanished as though it was never there. It was then that the true meaning of having a mate hit him and everything snapped into place.
Ignoring everyone else, the blonde strode to where his mate was sitting and, after gently pulling him to his feet, claimed his lips with a deep kiss.
It was silent in the room when they separated, panting for breath and eyes focused entirely on the other.
"I am so glad we belong to each other," Draco whispered heatedly as he pulled the younger male to his chest and pressed his forehead to his mate's. "You deserve the world and I will do everything in my power to prove to you that you are my world every day that I am alive."
The flush on Harry's cheeks darkened as his mate's words registered in his mind. He bit his lip indecisively for a moment as he ears flicked back and he closed his eyes. After several moments his eyes snapped open, full of determination.
"I accept your vow," Harry said, keeping his eyes locked on Draco's. "In return, I will prove that I am worthy of your devotion and spend the rest of our lives proving it so no one will ever be able to claim I am not worthy of you."
"There are very few things you could do to make me break my word Harry," Draco said, staring intently into the wide green eyes below his, "and none of those things are something you will do unless you were forced into it or tricked."
Harry looked away and Draco gently coaxed his head up with his finger until they were once again looking into each other's eyes.
"And if anyone ever attempted to do so, whether they succeed or not, I will hunt them down and tear them apart for daring to harm my world."
"That is a very bold claim," Remus stated firmly, breaking into the glass bubble that had formed around the pair. "Do you think you can honour it?"
Draco turned his head to stare Remus down, something that shocked everyone in the room.
"No," Draco stated, tightening his hold on Harry, who stayed where he was trustingly. "I don't think I can honour it: I KNOW I WILL honour it. I am a Malfoy and a born Vampire. Both are possessive, protective sons-of-a-bitch individually but when combined …" He smirked and stood straighter, revealing the power he normally contained within him so he didn't make anyone uncomfortable. Beside him, Harry instinctually relaxed his tight hold on his own tightly controlled power and Remus gaped as he saw the ease and speed that the two separate power sources combined.
"Let's just say that anyone stupid enough to try it had better have the blessings of the gods themselves, because they will need it to remain a member of living society," The blonde stated, his traditionally grey eyes holding a red glint in their depths.
The tension that had built between the couple and Remus due to the almost visible presence of their combined magic broke when Hermione – who had been watching the unfolding events from just inside the dining room – loudly announced that breakfast as ready.
In the blink of an eye, the magic vanished and Draco steadied Harry as he stumbled due to the backlash of his first magic merge.
As they headed into the next room, those who had enhanced hearing did their best to ignore the almost breathless 'We have GOT to do that on our bonding night," that came from the Shadow-Cat demon as the couple waited for the young submissive's legs to hold his full weight.
~~~thinkDracowouldallowmetoborrowHarryasasnugglebuddy~~~
Narcissa walked through the streets of Godric's Hallow with a bouncing Harry beside her, chattering away about someone she didn't know. When she had told him that they were going to be spending the day in Godric's Hallow – an all magic township that was a short twenty minute walk from Godric's Hollow – she was surprised when he asked if she would mind visiting the cemetery so he could visit his parent's graves. After assuring the youngster that she didn't mind, they had left the school in a flash of floo powder.
"Um … Cissa?" Harry's unsure voice snapped her back from her thoughts.
"I apologise young one," she said with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to zone out on you."
"That's alright," he giggled softly. "Rinie always told me that I was impossible to shut up when I got onto certain topics. I guess that everyone from Mama Figg's is one of them."
"And so they should be," Narcissa said. "They have been a part of your life for the majority of your life. They would be the equivalent of your cousin, nieces and nephews."
Harry beamed up at her and started to walk beside her calmly.
"Do you have any nieces or nephews?"
"I do," Narcissa smiled. "A niece from my oldest sister. She got the Black family Legacy, the poor child."
Harry made a questioning sound.
"She has the gift of metamophmagi: She can change her appearance at will. It is both a blessing and a curse. Nymphadora – like I said, poor child –" Narcissa replied to Harry's shocked giggle with a smile. "As I was saying, Nymphadora Tonks is currently in Auror Training. Her ability is allowing her to get unrivalled scores in disguise and imitation, but is making it difficult for her to pass her stealth and grace classes."
"It makes sense," Harry said with a hum. "The constant changing shape, density and length of the bones, muscles, tendons and sinews would mean that she hasn't had the benefit to get used to how her body works like the rest of us, so she is like a toddler. They know the motions and can do it but they lack the experience to do it well."
Narcissa laughed. "I hadn't thought about it like that, but it sure fits, more than you know. As a baby her eyes and hair were the only things to change. In her toddler years, it was common for her to change her sex. It wasn't until she turned six that her body started to change shape and size. She didn't start getting control over it until she was fifteen or sixteen."
"And by then it was too late for her to learn her own body without resorting to binding her legacy."
Narcissa nodded once again and headed towards a store that was tucked between a bakery/café on the left and an Antiques store on the right.
"I hope you don't mind if I do a spot of shopping today," Narcissa said with a rueful smile. "Lucius surprised me last night with tickets to see my favourite group of performers next weekend over in Canada. I have several nice outfits I could wear, but none of them are suited for the weather over there at this time of year."
"I don't mind at all," Harry said with a beaming smile, "I might even do some shopping for myself, Rinie and Draco as well."
"Wonderful!" Narcissa clapped. "My boys may be able to out shop me, but I swear neither of them has any sense of taste when it comes to fashion."
Harry giggled softly, thinking back to his shopping trip with Draco and Lucius. "If you need me to slow down, just tell me," he said to Narcissa who was looking at him questioning. "I kinda, sorta wore Lucius and Draco out the day we all went shopping together."
Narcissa burst into laughter.
"Oh my dear, dear child!" she exclaimed when she finally managed to get herself under control. "I haven't laughed that hard for a long time. It was time and passed that someone outpaced them for once. I will gratefully take any advice you can give for my outfit and accessories."
Harry giggled and gave the woman a quick hug before allowing her to lead the way to their first stop.
~~~sleepysleepysleepyooochocolate~~~
Draco closed his book with a scowl as yet another giggle came from the table a few rows away from him. Madam Pince – a witch who had a drop or two of dragon blood – nodded at him in approval as he treated the books and scrolls around him with respect, even in his annoyance. He packed his things in his bag and turned to put them away when a pair of muddy green eyes appeared before him. He groaned internally.
"Hello Delia," he said as calmly and as blandly as he could.
"Hello Draco," she giggled as she twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. "I heard that you refused Pansy again."
"Pansy refused to believe that she was not my mate," he said as he turned away from her in an attempt to escape her. She was another female who refused to acknowledge that a man she wanted was taken and/or not interested.
His eyes caught Madam Pince's and she nodded, standing from her seat, hoping to stop the girl before she damaged something. Sighing in relief he moved towards the shelves only to freeze when two arms wrapped around his waist. Two arms that didn't belong to his mate. Something snapped inside him and his vision turned red.
Madam Pince swore loudly when the stupid female touched the Malfoy Heir in such an intimate way. Knowing that she wouldn't get there in time to prevent her from being injured, she flared her magic in an emergency call that all staff members could understand, calling for medical help and aid in restraining a non-human student. She just hoped that someone got there in time: It was so difficult to remove blood from parchment after all.
~~~cananyonehonestlytellmethedifferencebetweenaseedandanut?~~~
Narcissa looked at the stylish dress that she had on in astonishment. It was a beautiful creation of tan and cream wool that ended mid-calf. It was form fitting to the waist then flared out slightly, allowing room for a pair of silk legging to be worn comfortably underneath it for warmth.
Behind her, Harry had clasped his hands to his chest, green eyes sparkling.
"Oh I knew that would look marvellous on you!" he cried out in delight. "Now for the rest of it!"
Before anyone in the store could blink, Harry had vanished into a nearby shadow.
"…Is he always like that?" the shop assistant asked hesitantly.
"Not that I know of," Narcissa responded, blinking in shock. "The first time I met him, he hid behind a lounge and refused to come out until my son claimed he was under his protection before me, my sister, my husband and one of our dearest family friends."
Both she and her assistant remained blinking at the spot for several long moments.
"How long ago was that?"
"Would you believe two weeks ago?"
The attendant turned to look at her incredulously just as Harry returned. Seeing that neither woman had moved from their spots since he'd left, he tilted his head to the side before getting a mischievous look on his face. Withholding a giggle, he copied the expression on the assistant's face and stared at Narcissa as well, making sure to keep the assistant within view so he would know when she moved.
For around ten minutes, Harry copied the assistant without either woman noticing. It wasn't until the owner of the store began laughing at the teen that Narcissa noticed what he was doing.
"You little Imp," she laughed, pulling him into a hug. "When did you get back?"
"About ten minutes ago," he replied with a giggle. "I thought we could cast a few illusions before buying the accessories."
"Don't you mean 'transfigure some things'?" the attendant asked, slightly put out that he had been copying her.
Harry tilted his head to one side.
"Why would I want to transfigure something?" he asked. "It is a cheap imitation that pales when compared to the real thing and a complete waste of magic. I'm not saying that it is completely useless, only when it comes to things of quality and that you want to last for a long time. You don't use transfigured thread or pins while making clothing, do you?"
"He's right, maDear," the seamstress said. "Transfiguration is good in a pinch, but it is only for short time. You will see me using pins that are transfigured from fabric scraps when I have need on an intricate order, but only on the sections I'm sewing first and I only do it when I have to; same with needles."
"But…"
"It's alright maDear," The seamstress said in a gentle tone. "When you haven't the money for things than transfiguration is a very good thing to utilize, but in a business sense, it is quality that is required. Do you remember that dress we made a few months back?"
"The one that looked like a sparkling pink dandelion head?"
"Aye, that one. We ran outta pins real fast on that one, 'member?"
The assistant nodded her agreement, thinking back to it. "We had to transfigure over three hundred pins just to hold the main part of it together."
"Now, d'ya remember where I started sewing from?"
The girl's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh I see! You started sewing from the spot where the oldest transfigured pins were and as you removed them, they returned to their original form."
"Exactly," the seamstress smiled. "The change wasn't my doing, it was the magic that was used to transfigure it running out."
"What about illusions?" she asked, confused once again. "Don't they also take up a lot of magic?"
"For a normal witch or wizard, yes." This time it was Narcissa who answered, watching as Harry did something to her outfit while keeping her away from the mirror. "There are some families with a drop or two of creature blood that gives them an added boost – a short-cut, if you will. Some are well known; such as the Black Family's ability with weaponry and Defensive magic, while others are only speculated upon – such as the belief that the Weasley family is connected with fertility magic."
The assistant nodded, deep I thought.
"Why don't you go out for a cuppa Luv," the seamstress said, gently pushing the unresisting girl out the door, handing her a quickly penned note. The three watched as she stumbled her way to the bakery beside the shop.
"Thank you for your patience," the seamstress said with a sigh as her gaze remained on the short path to next door, "The poor lamb was abandoned at eight years of age. Apparently she didn't learn fast enough for her guardians so they stuck her in a dark corner of an alley and disappeared. I found her two months later; took her in, I did and began teaching her my line of work."
She shook her head with a semi-fond smile and turned towards her clients and gasped in delight.
"Lady Malfoy! You look positively delightful!"
Narcissa blinked at the woman before turning to look in the mirror and gaped at her reflection. Her eyes darted around until they landed on Harry's proud face reflecting in the mirror from behind her. She turned her attention back to her reflection to inspect the additions in more detail.
Along with the dress, she now wore a tan and pale blue pair of knee-high boots with a slight heal and lined with a dense, warm fur, a cream and pale blue belt with gold highlight, a pair of gold and tan fur-lined gloves, a pair of fur-lined earmuffs and a gold scarf with small pale-blue and cream leaves. All in all, the whole outfit looked as though it was made just for her.
"What about a coat or jacket to go with it?"
"If you wear a pair of silken garments under it, you can place a warming charm on them and the coat you wore to the massage parlour would go well with it if necessary. Now, let's go get the rest of your outfit! Lucius is going to swallow his tongue when he sees you," Harry said with a giggle as he pushed the now laughing woman back into the change room.
~~~forsomereasonireallyfeellikeporkbuns~~~
Severus, Blaise and Hermione winced as Draco destroyed the room he was trapped in. The professor's had arrived in time to prevent Draco from severely injuring the girl, but none of them had succeeded in calming him from his rage.
"I have never seen him react like this," Severus said helplessly. "I don't think even Lucius will be able to calm him now."
"I can't."
Everyone turned and looked at the blonde-haired vampire.
"If what I guess has happened, then the only person who will be able to calm him is his mate."
"Before I call him, I want to know what happened," Hermione stated. "The more information I can give him, the faster Harry will be able to soothe him."
Lucius sighed. "The female in question is well known for stealing – or trying to steal – other people's boyfriends. She has never tried with someone with a creature inheritance by looks."
"Until now," Blaise said with a shake of his head.
Hermione nodded, her eyes slowly glazing over. After several moments, she smirked and burst into laughter.
"Care to share, Miss Granger?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Harry is coming as soon as he finds Narcissa to tell her what has happened. I'm laughing because Harry is not happy in the slightest."
"I'm afraid I don't follow," Lucius stated after several silent moments.
"Me either," Blaise and Severus agreed.
Hermione giggled softly.
"He may be a shy, submissive type, but he is still a demon," she explained. "That means he is over-protective, possessive and terrifying when angered. The only difference with a submissive is they are harder to anger to the point they WANT to tear you apart … and Harry tears shreds with his tongue."
Severus and Lucius exchanged looks, smirks slowly appearing on their faces.
None of them reacted when the shadows beside them grew, but the three men jumped slightly when Harry clicked his tongue.
"Oh that really will not do," he said to himself as he watched his mate. "Something has to be done about that."
Without paying the slightest bit of attention to the five people around him, he vanished only to appear in the room with Draco.
"Draco," he mewled, filling the room with his scent by rubbing along the sole vent that pushed hot air into the room.
Draco froze, his eyes wide and nostril's flaring.
Now that he was sure he had the older teen's attention, he slowly made his way towards him, cooing, purring or mewling to ensure Draco remained focused on him. Once he was within reach of Draco, Harry unknowingly placed his hands in the same place as the human who had caused the reaction. In the blink of an eye, Draco had Harry pinned against the wall, his hands held above his head and the blonde's fangs in his throat.
Harry mewled happily as the tension left Draco's body as the first droplet of blood touched his tongue.
Draco took a few mouthfuls of his mate's blood before releasing his grip on the younger man. Slowly, he raised his head to look into loving green eyes.
"Hello," he whispered.
"Hello," his mate giggled. "Are you going to tell me why Rinie called me to protect a room from being destroyed?"
Draco's eyes flashed red. "It was only being destroyed because they wouldn't allow me to kill the bitch who dared to try getting between our bonding."
Harry's eyes brightened dangerously before calming once more. "And how did she do that?" he purred.
"She dared to touch me the way you do," Draco responded, nuzzling his mate's neck.
"She What?" Harry hissed, pushing Draco away from him, only to start rubbing his face, head and hands all over his mate's shocked form, muttering: "This is mine. So is this, And this … That as well. Can't forget there," under his breath, but still loud enough for Lucius, Hermione and Blaise to hear.
"I – I see wh-what you mean," Blaise said thickly as he fought his laughter.
"You haven't seen anything yet," Hermione said with a smirk. "Wait until he starts on the person who did it."
They watched in amusement as Draco pulled Harry into a brutal kiss to stop the teen from stripping him. Severus opened the door – which had unsealed as soon as Draco's rage-filled magic had dispersed. Lucius sneezed and covered his nose.
"He is … extremely possessive," he stated at Narcissa's and Severus' questioning looks. "I can almost taste whatever he has marked Draco with."
"So why aren't Miss Granger or Blaise reacting to it?" Narcissa asked.
"I've been coated with it – or something similar to it – every day since I was three," Hermione replied.
"I've become used to it, "Blaise said with a depreciating smile. "I had no choice in the matter since Hermione is my mate and I share a room with Draco."
The three adults looked at the two incredulously.
"Like I said, He's possessive."
"You say that like it's a bad thing Rinie," Harry pouted as he and Draco finally left the room.
"It is," She teased back, "for the person who touched what is yours."
"I feel neither shame nor embarrassment. They shouldn't touch what is mine."
"And if they didn't know it was yours?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Harry turned his nose up slightly.
"It isn't my fault if they don't notice my claim," he said, "and it is a moot point in this instance since the entire school knows he is mine. Now, let's go to the hospital wing so Draco can get checked so 'Cissa and I can get back to shopping."
Lucius and Draco paled at the thought of Harry shopping, not that anyone besides a smirking Severus noticed, while their respective mates pulled them in the right direction.
~~~nowiwantroastvegies~~~
"…E beast responsible for this attack killed!"
The group heard the commotion coming from the Hospital Wing long before they reached their destination. Harry gestured for the group to stop at the doors to listen.
"Please refrain from calling the students of this school by any derogatory terms," they heard the Headmaster say, a slight hint of steel in his voice. "Did you or did you not sign the parental permission form for your daughter to attend my school?"
"We did but …"
"And," Dumbledore continued, completely steamrolling over the younger male, "Were you or were you not told before you signed that we also taught those with magical being and magical creature blood in this school?"
"We were but …"
"And did or did not the Professor who explained this to you state that those with these inheritances were to be treated with respect and caution during certain times – times, I may add, that would be announced by a teacher to the entire school?"
"She did but…"
"And did or did not your daughter also listen in, read and sign the contract stating that she understood the warning and the consequences of what would happen should she ignore the warning?"
"She did but …"
"So why do you think one of my students deserves to die due to your daughter's negligence?"
"BECAUSE ALL SHE DID WAS TOUCH THE MONGREL BRED BASTARD!"
Everyone in the room jumped and, in some cases, swore as the doors were thrown open with enough force that they bounced off the walls when they hit them.
"Hello Madam Pomphrey," Harry chirruped as he skipped into the room, pulling Draco behind him. "Would you be a Dear and check Draco over for me? I would do it myself but I'm not allowed to be alone with him if either of us is in any way unclothed until we are bonded."
Poppy opened her mouth to scold the teen before catching his eye and swallowing. Even though he had a smile on his face and spoke with a happy tone, his eyes revealed just how angry he was. She decided to do the smart thing and obey, casting a few spells that kept them from prying eyes while allowing them to view what was occurring with the others.
As soon as Poppy and Draco vanished behind a screen, Harry smiled his fakest smile at the girl in the bed and her parents. Everyone bar the parents noticed the girl flinch back.
"You must be very proud of your daughter," he began, locking his eyes onto her father's. "She must be the first person in your family to have magic for you to react this strongly to a perceived threat."
"We are proud of her and everything she has accomplished," the man said with a beaming smile. She will go far."
"I have no doubt of that," Harry smiled. "There are always new openings for people with her background and talent, and if she works hard enough, she may one day find a Lord of an Ancient house that has lost his wife to take her in."
"What do you mean?" the woman – who had yet to speak – asked. "What does working as a liaison between the normal and magical world have to do with being taken in by a wifeless Lord?"
Harry looked at them in confusion. "Who wants to be a liaison?"
"Our daughter," the man hissed.
Harry looked even more confused. "So … she isn't training to be an exotic dancer and escort?"
At the angry expressions on the adult's faces and the shocked one on the female on the bed, Harry hummed thoughtfully.
"Well that explains why you make so many stupid mistakes; no exotic dancer or escort would dare going for someone with an inheritance of some kind – let alone a Dominant in the middle of courting – but you should know that whoring yourself out won't work either."
"Now you see here …"
"No," Harry stated firmly. "This is NOT the mundane world. Out there it may be acceptable for young ladies and gentlemen to act like they are perpetually on heat – though if any of the young ones I am in charge of decides to do so, I will kick them so hard up the rear end they won't be able to even THINK of sitting for at least a month – but in the magical world IT IS UNACCEPTABLE."
Delia opened her mouth and Harry shot her a stern glare. For good measure, he glared at her parents as well.
"Yong wizards are to hold themselves with dignity and are to keep any dalliances they have behind closed doors unless they are serious about the person – then they are forbidden to be alone with the object of their interest. Young witches are to be posed, polite, reputable and, most important of all – VIRTUOUS. In BOTH cases, the person who eventually marries them should have NO doubt in their mind about how faithful their partner is to them."
"All of this was mentioned in the booklet that is given to each new generation magical to read before they sign," Blaise stated when Harry turned to nuzzled into Draco in greeting.
"I wasn't given any booklet," Delia stated, glaring at Harry as Draco nuzzled into his hair.
Harry widened his eyes. "You didn't? Oh my, then that changes things." He gently pushed Draco away and conjured a piece of parchment and a quill. "That is a serious offense. I'm going to need to know who it was that introduced you to the magical world and everything you can tell me about them."
"What for?"
Harry blinked at the now pale girl. "For the investigation of course. I know that if my son or daughter hadn't been given what they were supposed to receive and they still were made to sign the contract, I would be wanting to get legal satisfaction from them – especially if they were as …" he paused to think of the most polite way of saying what was on his mind, "sexually advanced as you are. Even if you are still untouched, the number of different boys you have been caught with in various places around the school – this is without going into the fact that most of them were in relationships with other people at the time – it will follow you through life." Harry explained, ignoring the girl's panicked face and her parent's angry ones.
"Any person you wish to bond with or marry will be leery of being with you – and in case of the more traditional families, you will be ignored because you didn't keep yourself for your future husband, wife or bonded. From an employer's point of view, it shows that you are indecisive and are willing to sleep with your co-workers and boss to make up for mistakes: In other words … no one will take you seriously. All of this is explained in the book that you say you were not given."
"This is why we need the investigation to be done as soon as possible," Hermione stated. "It is possible that you weren't given the information about this because someone wanted to groom some of the prettier or smarter girls from non-magical families to be used as brood mares. So you need to tell us who introduced you to the magical world so they and you can be questioned under Veritaserum and have memories of that time removed, compared and studied by a professional."
"If you are found to be the victim of such a crime, then the person responsible will be fired from their job and imprisoned. Their reputation will be completely ruined just by the fact that they are under investigation." Harry continued. "However, if it is found you did get the book and ignored it, you will be lucky to get a job transfiguring fertilizer from Hippogryph manure for the Society of Worm Welfare."
The girl gulped and her father finally lost his temper.
"MY DAUGHTER IS NOT A COMMON WHORE! SHE ISN'T INTERESTED IN BOYS AT ALL!"
Harry pulled a folder from thin air and dropped it in front of the man.
"This is a record of every detention your daughter has had since she started school," Harry stated, "Each piece of parchment has been soaked in a potion to reveal only the truth and hold enough spell work that each one could power the magical lighting in a classroom for a week before running out."
"Each record holds the date, time and Professor that she was given the punishment by, as well as the situation she was in to get the detention in the first place and what the detention entailed. You can go through that while we fill out the complaint form."
"It was Minerva who was responsible for introducing Miss Johnston to the magical world," Severus stated from a corner, making Delia whimper softly. "It is one of her duties as Deputy Headmistress. We can get her here and do the investigation right now if you like. Both the Headmaster and I are qualified to remove, submit and review memories."
"N-n-no, that's okay," Delia squeaked as her Father looked up from the paperwork he was reading with a dark glower at his daughter. "O-on s-secon-nd thought I-I-I re-remember a b-book that m-might be the o-one you m-mentioned."
Everyone looked at her and jumped when Harry clapped his hands together.
"Well then," he said with a beaming smile, "My advice to you is that clean your act up. Stop acting like you are on heat all the time. Stop stealing other people's partners and focus on your schoolwork so you aren't qualified only for the life of a prostitute."
She nodded her head rapidly and Harry smiled and pat her head none-to-gently. "Make sure you also read up on magical inheritances ok? You are lucky Draco here only roughed you up a bit; he could have killed you for daring to get between our courting."
"If it wasn't for Madam Pince, I would have," Draco growled, pulling Harry into his chest, glaring at the girl darkly.
Harry started purring in an attempt to calm his dominant. When that didn't work, he tilted his head to the side and mewled softly.
Acting on instinct, Draco bit down and released a calmative into his mate. Harry cooed sleepily and began purring once again. As he felt his mate calming, Draco also calmed down and removed his fangs. Instead of raising his head, Draco buried his face into Harry's neck, licking, nuzzling and nipping at it, causing Harry to giggle softly.
"We will leave you alone now," Albus said, eyes twinkling as they glanced at the courting couple. "Poppy will have my head if I bother you much longer." He turned to her parents as he stood. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask our resident Healer – Poppy Pomphrey – the way to my office. I would be happy to answer everything for you."
The two nodded at the man who began following Severus from the room, helping the Older Malfoy couple herd their clingy son and his mate from the room since the blonde refused to be separated from his more-than-patient mate. Just before the doors closed, Mrs Johnston spoke.
"Is what that boy said true? Is my daughter cursed to be a street walker just because of something so stupid as not reading an information booklet?"
Albus sighed and walked back to his seat.
"This is both an easy and hard question to answer," he said softly as he lowered himself into a chair where he could see all three of them. "To understand the easy answer, you need the hard answer as background."
He closed his eyes in thought.
"Talking as the Headmaster of this school, I can say that what young Harry said is not true, but," he continued, raising his hand to stall the questions he could see forming, "Speaking as the head of the Wizengamot and one of the representatives of the IWC, I can tell you what he said is true. Hogwarts is the only school in Europe and the surrounding nations that does not follow that rule. Worldwide, there are only three or four other schools that don't follow it. The truth is … if your daughter had been attending any school but this one, she would have been removed from her classes and given a new schedule that focused on prostitution the very first time she was caught interacting in a less-than-innocent way with a member of either sex unless she could prove the person she was with was her fiancée or they had claimed her as their mate."
He stood once again and smiled sadly at the pale green family. "While ignorance might be bliss in the non-magical world, in the magical world, knowledge is power."
The only sound that was heard after he left was the echo of the doors closing.
~~~pokepokepokeIthinkitsdeadpokepokepoke~~~
"Hey Draco," Blaise greeted as a wet-haired teen vampire slid bonelessly into the seat across from him with a soft whimper, "Did you get much done?"
Draco whined again, put his head back and covered his face with an arm. "I got next to nothing done," he moaned. "I got my research done and I finished one of my previous assignments, but I haven't slept or eaten or done any planning due to making up for the lessons I missed."
"Well, we best get you some food so you can rest," Remus said from the door to the dining room. "After today's episode, I'm surprised that you didn't fall off your broom."
"I almost did," Draco admitted as he pulled his arm away from his face. "I'm lucky that when I did end up coming off my broomstick, I was actually hoping off."
Remus clicked his tongue at the blonde.
"Come on Kiddo," he said as he levered Draco out of his seat. "The evening meal isn't going to be ready for another ninety minutes or so. You can use that time to sleep."
"But…"
"No buts young man," Remus said. "You can have Harry's bed since he isn't here. Either me, Blaise or Severus will wake you up to eat and when your mother and Harry return, you will spend time with Harry so you both fully recover and re-bond from earlier. Your schoolwork can wait another day."
Draco sighed and nodded, not bothering to hide his exhaustion. "I want my bag with me though. It has something very important to me in it," he explained at the suspicious look he was getting from Remus. "I want to share it with Harry, so I bought it with me tonight."
Remus nodded his understanding and watched carefully as Draco grabbed his bag and made his way to the room that Hermione and Harry shared. Five minutes later when Sirius peeked in, Draco was curled around Harry's pillow and out like a light.
~~~isn'tdracojustthecutestwhenheisasleep~~~
Harry and Narcissa entered the room with a burst of laughter and a rustle of paper bags.
"How was your day?" Hermione asked as Harry lowered his parcels to the ground beside the chair he had claimed as his.
"It was fun," he said with a giggle. "We had lunch at the same place as you and me ate at with Mr McGonagall. I had what you had that day and Narcissa had something that was very colourful."
"And what did you do for dinner?"
"We haven't eaten yet," Narcissa admitted. "We were more worried about Draco than we were hungry, so we decided to come back."
Harry, who had walked into the dining room, returned with a frown. "Draco isn't here. Is he alright?"
"Don't fret so Kitten," Remus said as he followed him out of the kitchen. "He is here, but he has proven that he is his father's son."
Harry looked at him questioningly.
"Instead of resting and re-centring himself after this morning, he continued as if nothing happened while still running 'What If's' through his head. In doing so, the silly boy over stressed himself. I told him to go rest on your bed around eighty minutes ago. Either me or Blaise will go and wake him in ten minutes," he continued as Harry prepared to go to his mate.
Harry pouted, making everyone around him laugh.
"Will you be joining us for dinner?" Sirus asked Narcissa, being drawn in by the laughter.
"Not tonight," she smiled, quickly wiping the laughter tears from her eyes. "I will stay long enough to check up on Draco, then I will go home to have dinner with Lucius. It has been a while since he and I have had a meal together."
Harry huffed in annoyance and curled up in his chair, turning his back to an amused Remus.
"Oh dear," Hermione laughed, "it looks as though you're being snubbed this time Remus. Normally it is Sirius who gets snubbed."
"That's because I have enough sense not to tell a clucky submissive NOT to go to their mate after someone tried to break them apart," Sirius said as he seated himself on the edge of the couch Harry was on. "Did you want to go wake him up Narcy?"
"What have I told you about calling me that Ori?" Narcissa scowled. It was evident that she despised the childhood name Sirius had bestowed on her. "I'll go wake up my son but next time I see you, I will show you just why Lucius runs when I get a wand in my hand."
With one last glare at the nervously smiling Sirius, she strode purposefully up to the room she knew Harry and Hermione were sharing. As she disappeared up the stairs, Sirius let out an exaggerated sigh of relief that made Harry giggle softly.
"He really is alright kiddo," Sirius whispered while Remus and Hermione pretended not to be listening. "Either me or Remus would have taken you to him as soon as you got here if he wasn't."
"Still want to see him," Harry whispered back.
"I know and once Narcissa has finished talking with him, then you will be able to see him. Tomorrow is also Saturday so Draco can be with you for longer than he has been these last few days and tonight he is all yours until curfew."
"Really?"
Sirius smiled softly and gently rubbed behind one of Harry's ears. "Really," he answered him, "he has been banned from all work related things. He needs time with you just as much as you need time with him."
"He's right Kitten," Draco said as he knelt in front of the lounge so he could look over his mate's head to see his face. "I haven't been a good Dom lately, focusing on myself more than you as I have. I promise to do better."
Harry had turned around and faced Draco as he spoke. Once he was finished what he had to say, Harry raised his clenched fist and dropped it gently but firmly onto the top of his mate's head.
Draco let out a high-pitched yelp.
"That was for being an idiot and saying stupid things," Harry stated. "You have been a very good Dom; the only thing you've failed at is taking care of yourself. You have to take care of your well being too Draco or you will fail to take care of me. I can't take care of you until we have been bound so until then, you have to take care of your own health."
"Speaking of that," Remus cut in, "Professor Dumbledore wants us in the Hall for breakfast tomorrow for an announcement to the school. He's going to ensure that something like today doesn't happen again."
"Good," Harry nodded decisively, "she should have read the booklet she got."
Sirius hid a laugh in a cough.
"Yes, we heard about that," he said, failing to hide his amusement. "For future reference, Hogwarts doesn't follow those rules anymore; it hasn't since 1942."
Harry looked horrified.
"Don't worry," Severus said, "after he explained it, the girl's parents weren't offended."
Harry ignored Severus and looked back at Draco.
"If any of our children decide to get sent to school, they aren't coming here – not without one hell of a fight from me." He held up a hand to silence Draco when he opened his mouth. "I am not having a child of ours attend a school that allows them to do what they wish without repercussion until they leave its protection. Better to have a job as a respectful prostitute than being known as the office go-to girl due to a wild youth at school."
"One of the reasons I wanted Draco to go to Durmstrang," Lucius stated from beside the fireplace, making Draco close his mouth as the protest he had in his throat died. "The only reason I allowed Narcissa to have her way in sending him here was because he is a Dominant and Blaise was going to be here. If he had been born either a daughter or a submissive, I would have stood my ground."
"I wouldn't blame you," Sirius said, thinking about what happened to Harry the first day he and Hermione had arrived.
Draco, whose mind also recalled the same memory as Sirius, growled softly. "When the time comes for our young ones to obtain their education, we will discuss it further, but I agree that unless their hearts are set on Hogwarts, I will not argue with where they go."
Harry smiled at the older teen then sniffed the air in confusion. "Why can I smell something burning?"
Remus and Sirius looked at each other with wide eyes and yelped, "Our dinner!"
The two men vanished into the kitchen, followed by the sound of laughter and two short flares from the floo system.
~~~danceturtledance~~~
Harry purred as he snuggled into Draco's embrace. Dinner had been over for roughly forty-five minutes, but with cleaning the kitchen, washing the dishes and sorting out the bags of shopping he had bought during his day with Narcissa, no one in the room had been idle. Now that the clean-up was done, everyone was in the sitting room and relaxing until it was time for Draco and Blaise to head back to their dormitory.
Remus and Sirius were in their own armchairs. It seemed that the house-elves had decided that since Sirius was spending most of his time in Remus' rooms, he must not like his room, so they had transferred all his stuff to Remus' now enlarged rooms.
Hermione and Blaise were sitting on the plush carpet with the coffee table between them as they played a card game while taking sips of Harry's special hot chocolate. They were treating their relationship just like any other, having the benefit of developing their friendship slowly. Both knew that the other wouldn't run after someone else and had agreed to a long engagement.
Harry and Draco were also seated on the floor, but they were in front of the fireplace leaning against the couch. Harry was laying on his side with his head resting on one of Draco's thighs, purring happily as behind his ears was scratched and the fire danced for his amusement.
"This is nice," Draco murmured softly, not noticing the privacy spell Sirius had cast over the area the two were in that allowed them to be seen but not heard. "With your permission, I would like to begin a family tradition. I want to know that no matter how busy we are, that there will be a time each day that I will be with you and our future children."
"What is this tradition and when do you want to start it?" Harry asked.
"I want to start it tonight," Draco answered, not looking down as Harry moved so he could look up at the teen. "As for what it is … I want us to share something we both love and have done since we were little."
Draco looked down at that moment and Harry's breath caught in his lungs.
"I wish to share my favourite books with you; and not just the books themselves, but the stories behind them. Where I got them, who was with me, why I like them: EVERYTHING that I connect with the book."
Harry raised a hand that was shaking slightly and put it onto Draco's cheek.
"I would be honoured to begin this tradition with you; with the condition that it not just be limited to our favourites. I'd like for us to be able to one day sit side by side with our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews around us as we read a newly released book to them," he whispered. "No restraint on genre either. I want our family to know that no matter what they read, it is acceptable – It has to be age appropriate though."
Draco smiled lovingly at his mate. "I agree my Dear." He summoned a small bag to him and caught it carefully.
"This book is very special to me," he said softly. "It used to belong to Grandfather – Father's Father," he clarified, "He died when I was around eight or nine, but in all my memories of him, he was a giant. He wasn't much taller than Father, but he wore authority like it was a cloak and it made him seem so much larger than what he actually was. My first clear memory of him was from when I was five."
Draco had a faraway look in his eye, reliving his memory. "I had just run from one of my tutors who wanted me to read from a book that had one word per page with a picture of the word drawn on the opposite page. I thought it was a waste of time and told him so … then I ran."
He chuckled at his past behaviour then turned serious. "I didn't realise that Grandfather was in the room beside the one I was in and had heard everything. He told the tutor that I was more advanced than that and to come back the following week with the proper equipment. He then came to find me. I got into trouble for running off and being rude instead of explaining that it was too easy. I remember saying that I didn't need a reading tutor."
Draco caressed the book that was still in its bag. "He then made me a deal. When I could read and understand a book of his choosing, then he would tell the tutor his presence was no longer needed. This was the book he chose. I watched him copy it into a blank book and he handed the copy to me. It took me two years to be able to read every story it held – no matter how boring I found some of them. The night before he died, he called me into his room and handed me this bag and said: "This was my Grandfathers. He gave it to me and now, I give it to you. Take good care of it and pass it on when its time with you has finished." That was the last thing he said. I opened the bag the day he was buried and found this book. I want to share it with you."
Harry got up onto his feet and jumped onto the lounge eagerly.
Draco laughed and followed his mate to the chair. Once he sat, Harry returned he head to Draco's lap. The blonde smiled and opened the old leather covering before returning his hand to his mate's hair. Softly, he began to read.
"Now Rann the Kite brings home the night
That Mang the Bat sets free –"
~~~ifyoudon'tknowwhatbookthatisfromi'mgoingtodisownyou~~~
From the other side of the room, Remus and Sirius watched both couples with barely noticeable smiles.
"These four are going to be a force to deal with, aren't they Mooney?' Sirius remarked.
"No one will be tempted to get between them, that's for sure, " Remus answered. "Do you regret not bonding to anyone?"
Sirius shook his head. "Nah, I'm not one for all that pompas ceremonial crap. Anyway, the only girl worthy enough for my parents to become Lady Black was Deloris." He shuddered. "I'm glad that she was found guilty of using her position in the Ministry for nefarious purposes. How about you Mooney?"
"Sometimes I do, but Dora was right – we wouldn't have worked as a couple in the long run. She's more interested in work than a family and all I want is a family."
Sirius clapped his best friend on the shoulder in understanding. "Not to worry. One day you will find a she-wolf to howl over."
Remus growled and tackled Sirius to the floor before play wrestling like they did on nights of the full moon.
