Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

I woke up to the sound of humming.

"Draco...Draco...Draaacooo...Wake up Draco!" I rolled over, incoherent curses at the morning trying to claw their way out of my throat. Harry's soft voice tried telling me to open my eyes, so I reluctantly accepted that I needed to get up. "Draco?"

"Hmm?" That was all I could make my voice say.

"Good morning."

"What do I smell?"

"Ah...I uh...I made breakfast, but if you don't want it..."

I sat up. "Gimme, I'm starving." He put a tray filled with all kinds of breakfast foods on my lap. Including my coffee and a small glass of orange juice. I ate quickly at first, but forced myself to slow down so I could appreciate the flavors properly. "That was amazing, thank you."

"My pleasure. Cooking is one of my only strong-suits."

"Along with flying?"

"Well...that depends."

"On what?"

"On who's flying with me." He winked and left the room with the tray of dirty dishes. He came back just as I took in the double meaning of his words. "Well, well, well, the all-proper Draco Malfoy blushes yet again!" I felt my cheeks grow hotter at the comment while he walked towards me.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes blazing with obvious mirth at rendering me speechless.

"And the powerful pureblood, just lays there, letting his arch-nemesis do as he pleases!" I ducked under the covers to hide my smile. I felt his weight shift as he got off the bed and took the lack of noise as a warning. I mean, that man was never quiet.

That's about when he pounced.

My laughter filled the room as Harry mercilessly tickled me. Somewhere in the span of him pouncing and starting to tickle me, Harry had made his way under the sheets with me. Not that I cared right then, I was too preoccupied with my nerves being teased relentlessly by a seven-year-old in a seventeen-year-old body.

"H-Harry s-stop!" My laughter marred my threats, rendering them meaningless. Which, they pretty much were. Suddenly the sensation stopped and I panted, trying to catch my breath. "Not...cool...jerk..."

"I thought it was funny." He wrapped his arms around me. "If it really bothered you so much, then I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's just been a long time since I've ever had fun."

"Like...Your whole life?"

"Yeah, pretty much." I relaxed into his arms and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was gazing into emerald green pools. "Hi."

"Hey. So, to France? Right?" I nodded. "I've never been to France. Let's go!" I smiled and got up. Harry's chatter about going places wasn't annoying like I used to think. It was kind of sad, in a way. This poor man hadn't been anywhere before Hogwarts, except down his street, a store and a zoo. It saddened me that the only traveling he had ever done was to either hide or kill. Excluding Hogwarts and Diagon Alley of course. I was determined to fix that.

"Harry?" I cut him off in mid-sentence.

"Yes?"

"Are we going or not?" I was suddenly eager to get a move on showing him different places, for fun and not for killing or fighting for his life. For relaxing.

"Yeah...wait, I don't have all my stuff..."

"We'll get your stuff now then. Just show me where to go." He took my hand and we apparated to the strangest, and neatest, house I have ever had the misfortune to enter. It was conformity to a tee.

Harry let my hand go and traveled up a set of stairs and came back down moments later with his things. Which wasn't a lot.

"Let's go." His voice was slightly tight, and I quickly took his hand to apparate us to the Mansion in France.

"Where are we...?"

"My garden. When I was young, I needed something to do to occupy my time. Something out of the way, and calming. Dobby gave me a section of the land so I could garden in peace."

"It's so beautiful..."

"As I grew older, my skills increased, allowing me to expand on my plants and charms. When I'm away, all I have to do is activate one charm that magically freezes time here and I can come back to it anytime I want to. Another is that no matter what season it is, each flower is perfectly preserved in the conditions it will thrive in."

"Wow...it's gorgeous..." I smiled.

"No one's ever been here but me. And Dobby, but he doesn't count as he worked for us. He used to acquire the plants I wanted and left them in the shed outside. It's charmed to sustain any and all life within it. It's like...a breeding shed if you will."

"Cool." I watched as he walked around.

Years before I had imagined what I'd do if I ever saw Harry by himself. But that slowly changed, and with that change came a softness I didn't know I possessed. For instance, two years ago I would've strangled him if he ever knew about this garden. As of a year ago, I'd do anything for him. Two years ago I wanted to jinx him...now I wanted nothing more than to hold him.

It was all very confusing if I thought about it like that. So I just thought about the now.

I sat on the edge of a fountain, one of twenty-three if I remembered correctly, and continued to watch him. He didn't touch anything, he just gazed around him in wonder. Only after he walked around the area surrounding the fountain did he look up at me.

"Draco...this is awesome...it's so...peaceful." I smiled and stood to match his gaze.

"A lot like myself, I daresay." Still smiling, I looked up at the clear blue sky.

"Well...I'm usually peaceful. Sometimes it's harder than you could possibly imagine."

"Why?" I looked around at all the flowers and birds surrounding us, suddenly wishing I wasn't who I was. Wishing I was anyone else in the world. I didn't want to ruin the perfect moment. I didn't want to pop the secure little bubble around my life.

I didn't want to lose him.

"Draco?" I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, thinking over my answer.

"Can we come back to that, please?"

"Sure...I guess..."

"I only say that because...it'll be easier to explain at night. Just promise...promise me you won't think any differently of me."

"Well, I'll still enjoy your company if that's what you mean. I'll try." I let that pacify me. For the rest of the afternoon, we set up two separate rooms on opposite ends of the mansion. I was in the East Wing, second floor and he was in the West Wing, first floor.

When the butler announced dinner, we ate in silence, both knowing that tonight would change a lot in our friendship. After we both finished our food, I took his hand and apparated us to my garden.

"So...do I get to know now?" His voice was cautious and wary. Almost frightened, like he was afraid of saying something wrong. I sighed.

"Yes, I suppose you should know." I sat down heavily on the stone bench I had built three years ago and stared up at the stars. One in particular caught my eye and I talked, drawing strength from the tiny white dot in the pitch-black sky.

"Harry...My real father is dead. And no, it's not Lucius, although he is also deceased. My real father's name was Robert. Mother had an affair with him just before getting married to Lucius, making my birth the perfect timing.

Everyone, including Lucius, thought that I was his and not conceived from another man outside of matrimony. Until I turned fifteen, I was able to lead a perfectly normal life. I was completely unaware of the creature inside me until I woke up officially fifteen. I always imagined being happy and sporting the usual...issue I had then. Instead, I woke up sporting boobs and a tail. She then decided to tell me about Robert.

"I'm a Fayeleat. It's a person who transforms to anything that their...mate...desires. A changed Fayeleat has little or no control of their abilities to change. Robert was changed when he was twenty, a total of almost thirty years ago. I can control it to an extent, since I was born a Fayeleat. I can change willingly when conscious, and yet when I'm unconscious, if the willpower of my mate is strong enough I can't control what I become.

"Oh, and you should also know that I have a mate. However, if I ever get the chance to claim him, I have to turn him. Fayeleats are too powerful for a human to be able to handle."

"But...I'm not sure I follow..."

"Because Fayeleats are magical creatures, they can kill humans with their strength. We're simply too powerful to be able to keep a human around us for a relationship. We can't control all of our actions like humans can."

"Okay...So why are you telling me this at night rather than during the day?" I thought carefully before giving my answer.

"It's...complicated, I guess."

"My whole life is complicated."

"Point taken. I just...I guess I'm afraid that you'll run away." At this admission, I took a sudden interest in the grass at my feet. I wasn't used to displaying emotions so readily on my face, especially fear.

"I swear, I won't run away." How I wish that were true...

"Okay. I'm telling you at night because that's when the mate of a Fayeleat finds out who they're mated to. Normally they have no idea what's going on. They only know they're attracted to someone."

"But I still don't get why..."

"Because when my mate realizes...becomes aware...whatever you want to call that, then I'm supposed to receive all of my potential. It's like...I'm not sure, but I'm supposed to do something cool. I just figured I should warn you."

"So...why not tell me this morning?" Damn, he's a persistent one...

"Because A, I didn't have anything thought out and I needed to organize my thoughts. And B, because my timing sucks ass." His brow furrowed.

"How does...If your mate is conscious how will they 'realize' it?"

"Subconsciously. They won't even realize it at the time because it's a continuing process that takes anywhere from days to years. So if my mate was conscious and realized it while awake, then they wouldn't even noticed-they have to wait until they slept next." I stopped abruptly, and clutched my left arm.

The burning sensation was right where the Dark Mark had been forced upon me. As I struggled to keep my eyes open and my legs steady, I could feel the acid-like burning almost pushing the inside of my arm out.

Almost like it was pushing the Mark straight out of my skin.

As suddenly as the pain came, it left. I quickly lifted my sleeve an inch, almost expecting the blackness to still be there. But it wasn't.

I pushed my sleeve up completely, only to reveal smooth, flawless skin. Unmarred by the black that haunted my dreams for so many months. I looked up in awe, and Harry stared right back.

"Harry...it's gone..."

"Why? How is that possible?"

"It's starting. Their subconscious knows." I smiled, a real smile, and fell on my back. Completely giving control of my body up to the creature inside, I stared at the stars in pure bliss.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw a bright blue light, seeming to come out from the core of my body and lift me up from the blanket of grass, ten feet into the air. My body was still horizontal when my lungs filled with air. It felt like the first time I had ever inhaled. I blinked, and it was like I could never see clearly before. I swallowed and suddenly my hearing was better than crystal-clear.

"My mate knows. And somewhere out there, they're waiting for me."

My voice was hushed with awe at the beauty I felt all around me.

My body slowly righted itself in the air and floated back down, gently. I landed on my feet without a sound.

"Harry..." He looked torn between sadness and amazement. I looked at him kindly and took his hand. "Come on." I apparated us to his room and looked at him for the longest time. "Harry, I think you need some rest to think on what I've told you and what you just witnessed." My pause went unnoticed and he agreed quickly. "You know how to find my room?" He nodded and relayed the directions to get from his room to mine. I then walked him to the side of his bed and sat him down on the edge.

"Harry," I sat down beside him, not wanting to seem intimidating. "What's wrong? I'm not blind, you know."

"I'm just...a little envious but I'll get over it soon enough." He stood and got dressed for bed, with me tucking him in soon after.

My heart felt heavy, but I forced my spirit to remain light. He just needed to sleep it off. I put the poor man in shock, no doubt. Upon arriving in my room, I saw that my bed had been turned down and I immediately slid into the Japanese silk sheets. I feel asleep almost instantly.

Dreams swirled around, none of them making any real sense. Colors chased each other, and images frolicked in and out of black. Around three in the morning, a hesitant sound woke me.

"...Draco...?" I opened my eyes to find that I had taken to lying on my side facing the door with my left arm under the pillow, my right reaching out towards the rest of the very empty bed. I sat up, slowly, just taking my surroundings in and pondering over the way I woke up. I never slept on my side before, and it perplexed me.

"Harry, what's the matter?" My voice was raw with sleep and concern and excitement all at the same time. He smiled then. I mean really smiled. His teeth flashed and his eyes lit up. I let out a pent-up breath and reached out towards him.

"Come on." He climbed up onto the bed, almost having to jump since my mattress was so thick. Once he made it up, we fell asleep almost instantly. I finally felt whole for once, and the feeling put me to sleep faster than a bottle of warm milk would an infant or small child.

The next day was a rainy one. I woke up with the first flash of lightning, Harry curled into my side using my shoulder as a pillow. He looked so peaceful in that moment.

Until the clap of thunder.

He jumped and jerked wildly looking to and fro...and in my opinion he was scared.

"Harry?" He was back in my arms, shaking, before I had the time to register what had occurred. "Shh, it's okay. It's just a storm, it won't hurt you."

"I don't like it." His voice was distorted with fear and muffled by his makeshift pillow.

"But..." I briefly remembered him making a reference to a muggle song once. "But storms make rain. And rain makes corn. And corn makes whiskey. And whiskey is good, right?" He looked up.

"Yeah, I guess. You remembered that?"

"Always. Well, maybe not always, but it's catchy once you remember it." His brow smoothed out and his eyes softened.

"Hermione was wrong about you."

"Oh?"

"We all were. You're actually a great person. I'm sorry for rejecting you in first year."

"Don't be. I needed a reality check. It was good for me, being told no for once. Besides, I was wrong for starting it. Call it even."

"Okay. Oh, and I have a question." Another clap of thunder made him flinch.

"Shoot."

"What happens now that I know?"

"Know what?"

"That...I'm your mate. What happens now?"

"Well first I eat your intestines...Just kidding. No really, first you need to eat."

"Aren't you hungry too?"

"Well..." I laid back down on the bed and he settled down next to me, both of us still wrapped up in each other's warm embrace. "See, what happened when you found out...it made me not need food to sustain my life source anymore. I can eat, I just don't need to. It's somewhat of a defence mechanism, so if you were ever hurt, I could spend days, even weeks without needing sleep or food so I could find you faster and heal you sooner. Technically I'll never need to eat again. I don't really need to sleep either, although I will need periodic rests to have enough energy stored up in case something happens.

"See, when your subconscious registered your...fate...future...whatever, then my body reacted accordingly. You witnessed a cleansing and life-sustaining change in me."

"So how do you...How are you...?"

"What do I have to do to change you?" He nodded. "Well, go through a hell of a lot of pain, to be honest."

"What? No."

"Yes, because it shows me how to utilize my full powers and it proves just how far I'm willing to go for you."

"So...what else?"

"Well, you need to eat first. A decent meal, mind you. And then it gets a little hazy from there."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Well...it's a trust thing. You have to be able to trust me and I have to trust my instincts. I won't know what happens next until I'm supposed to be doing it. It's also somehow linked to me being able to better know if you're ever in trouble or hurt." A house-elf brought in a tray of food and left hastily. I let Harry eat while I lost myself in my own thoughts.

"Okay." I looked up to find the tray on the nightstand and Harry sitting across from me.

"What?"

"Do whatever it is your gut tells you to do. I trust you." He looked at me with his big green eyes, and I knew that he did, indeed, trust me with every fiber of his being.

"Okay." I took his hand and apparated to a private section of my garden-even more private and heavily guarded than my own loo-and placed him down on a bed of white daisies.

He lightly touched my face, just a bare brush of skin on skin.

"I trust you. I'm not worried about this." I took a deep breath and nodded. I just hoped I could forgive myself later on.

I kissed him and he let me, and even participated at one point. I kissed down his neck and over his pulse, biting down until I felt his blood hit my lips. He yelled out, and I kept going, biting the insides to his wrists and ankles. He had passed into unconsciousness awhile ago, and I cut open my own wrist, holding it over his cuts, letting our blood mingle and letting their hearts pound the different blood into the rest of them.

He watched as Harry's eyes opened, surprised at all the wetness around him. He could see the exact moment that Harry realized what had happened, and his eyes opened wider before relaxing.

"I trust you." His voice was soft, and encouraged him to continue with what he was doing. He took the dagger that he had always kept with him as a teenager and student at Hogwarts. It had silver at the hilt, twining around a deep red ruby stone. He cut an X directly over their hearts and pressed them together, before all of their wounds healed. The two cuts continued bleeding together until all of their blood had been intermingled, and then healed together.

Harry had lain very still at realizing this, and let Draco do what needed to be done. Draco, hating himself for having to put Harry through this, reached down and took Harry's hand.

"Harry...I'm sorry." Before Harry could respond, he pulled away rapidly, effectively tearing them apart. It hurt like hell, he wasn't going to lie. And if it had hurt, him then that pain would be reflected and added to Harry's pain. Which, in turn, was reverberated to him. And so on it went, until they both passed out.

When Draco came to, he looked at the other, and summoned bandages. He cleaned Harry's wounds and dressed them according to what they would need. Harry came to just as he finished with the last wound.

"You're hurt too." It was then, and only then, that Draco realized that was true. He had completely forgotten that he was injured in his concern for Harry. He was so focused on making sure Harry didn't get an infection, he had forgotten about the pain and itching from the crusting blood. He quickly waved it off.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Harry wouldn't think anything of leaving it alone and started to dress his wounds similarly to how he had done his. But surprisingly, he had a strange sense that this was the final part of what he had to do.

"Why are you so nice after everything I did to you? I felt the pain you went through."

"Because, oddly as it seems, I seem to have feelings for you. Remember?" And indeed, he did remember. Somewhat.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I like you too." He didn't have time to say anything else as Harry had pulled him in for a kiss just then, the bandages on his wrists rubbing against his neck as arms encased him.