Chapter 4:

"I'm Here." . . .By Ravenclaw0829

Summary: All Harry Potter wanted was a family. A family that didn't abuse and torture him for every little thing, like the Dursley's. Draco, being from a pureblood family, has an inheritance, a creature inheritance. In his case, his inheritance isVeela blood. Not having full inheritance yet, Draco has only some of his Veela traits. All Draco wants is his mate. All Harry wants is a family. And when Draco finds out the horrific stuff that the Dursley's have done to him...He tries his best to let Harry know, "I'm here."

Disclaimer: Though I wish, no I do not own Harry Potter or any other Harry Potter Characters.

PREVIOUSLY:

Protect Harry. Protect Mate. Mate.

The two figures endangering his mate looked toward him. They got their wands, but by that time Draco had already tackled them to the ground. He bared his teeth and them, warning them to stay down or be killed.

"Malfoy. What are y-" Harry didn't have time to finish his sentence. He was then tackled to the ground by the Veela. He couldn't move at all; Draco was sitting right on top of him with his arms pinned up by Draco's hands.

CHAPTER 4: DISCOVERIES

HARRY:

Harry decided to go sit by the Hogwarts Lake after having a somewhat civilized conversation with Draco Malfoy. At first, Harry was rather confused when Malfoy greeted him without his usual ego.; It was not something that either of them were used to. Next thing Harry knew…Draco was asking him about the Dursleys'. Why did he care to know about his family? For whoever it concerns, Harry Potter didn't have a family. At least, not what he imagined it to be; Harry Potter always had-

"Harry!"

The voice of a girl disrupted Harry's thoughts. He looked up from the lake to see his two best friends, Ron and Hermione.

"Hey guys…what's up?" Harry said.

Hermione and Ron, like Harry, were in thick sweaters and ear muffs and clinging to their robes to get as much warmth as possible. Hermione stepped up and said, "We've been looking everywhere for you! Why aren't you inside? It's too so cold you're going to freeze to death!"

Harry laughed as Hermione fussed over his health like a mother hen. "Hermione, we're wizards. A simple heating charm can keep me warm for hours." Harry said with a chuckle.

"Well that's not the point. We were worried sick about you!" Hermione stepped closer to Harry grabbing into his arm and pulling him up. "Come on, let's go inside."

"Hey…" Ron spoke, "I have a better idea; why not go to Hogsmeade and get ourselves some warm butterbeer? What do you say, Harry?"

"Ron, no! We're going to get in trouble!" Hermione said with a scolding tone.

"Come on, Hermione. We won't get caught, and besides we'll use the secret passageway to get there." Ron explained as he tried to convince Hermione to get with his idea.

Harry decided now was time interrupt, "Hermione's right, Ron. It's too late to be going over to Hogsmeade anyways…"

"But the sky isn't even that dark!" Ron whined. He walked up behind Harry and started pushing him away from the lake towards the castle. "If we go now it might not be that dark when we come back."

Harry laughed at his best friend's persistence. He was about to agree on his little adventure when-

"Harry, Ron watch out!" Hermione yelled.

They both looked up to see a creature with massive white wings coming their way. They were about to take their wands out when suddenly both Ron and Hermione were on the ground. The creature hissed and bared its teeth as if warning them not to move. The creature turned to Harry...that creature was Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy. What are y-"

Without any warning, Harry was tackled to the ground with his arms pinned by the Veela. "Malfoy! Get off!" Harry struggled to get out of the blonde's grip, but to no avail. Next thing he knew, there was a long deep growl and Harry froze in place.

The noise was frightening, like nothing he had ever heard before. He stayed as still as he possibly could and said nothing more. The veela looks straight into his eyes. Harry sees a huge difference in his eyes. They looked as that of a carnivore, sharp and focused, ready to attack. Instead of their usual silver coloring, they were a deep red color. Harry stared at those eyes as they became more "mellow" in appearance.

Draco, still having Harry pinned down by the arms, took advantage of the situation and sniffed. He inhaled his intended mate's alluring scent. It was amazing. Everything Draco loved all rolled into what he thought was perfection. Something in his mind clicked. His mate was in danger, he had to check for injuries. The veela moved his nose from place to place on Harry's body. He sniffed his neck and came down further. Something wasn't right. There weren't any fresh wounds, no blood at all. But what he smelled was not what he perceived as healthy.

Despite the surprised gasp that came from Harry, Draco lifted Harry's shirt. His eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw. He knew his intended was rather pale, but he looked sickly. His body had a yellowish-tint to it. His ribs were easily seen as if he hadn't eaten in weeks, as well as his hip bones. But that was nothing compared to all the scars. They were everywhere, and some still raged in red. They looked painful.

Next thing Harry knew, he was being flipped so that he laid on his stomach. Draco saw more scars. They looked as if he was whipped. Scars were overlapping scars, some looked as if they were a few years old. The veela couldn't contain himself; he lifted a hand to brush against one of the many scars. The look in his eyes were incomprehensible. So many emotions were going through Draco's mind; anger, fear, hatred, sadness, loathing, pain. What has happened to his mate?

"Draco….Draco, please." A voice called out to him. Malfoy looked up from the scars to see his mate's face and as he did, his soul was crushed.

Harry didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what Draco was doing at all. But once he lifted his shirt, Harry's heart stopped. He knew he would see everything. The results from living with the Dursely's for that past 15 years. He knew his body wasn't attractive at all. He was ugly, his skin was in different colors from the degrees of healing wounds. His body was something that he was not proud of and now, of all people, Draco Malfoy was staring at his body. And he saw it on his face. Pity. He just couldn't take it anymore.

"Please s-stop." Harry couldn't control himself as tears started to flow from his eyes. "Don't look…please." He begged.

The look his mate gave him was heartbreaking. He lifted his shirt down and flipped Harry onto his back. Without a second thought, Draco picked Harry up into his arm and cradled him. His mate was upset and scared. His mind screamed for him to comfort his intended and he was doing just that. He cooed at him and kept a constant purr to tell Harry that he was present.

"I'm here…No one will hurt you again." Draco said as he looked down at Harry.

The look Draco was given in return was nothing but surprise to say the least. But as Draco's words sank in, Harry's eyes teared up more. He felt movement coming from Draco's wings. As Harry was being cradled in Draco's arms, the Veela's wings were moving to enclose him; as if shielding him from the world and from anything that could hurt him. All he could see was Draco's face.

"You are safe, love. I will protect you…I promise you." Draco said with such tenderness.

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Draco Malfoy, the one who he thought hated him for all that he was worth, declared that he will be there to protect him. He didn't know what to say. To have someone there to keep him safe. To not have the Dursely's hurt him anymore. Was he dreaming? No, this warmth and safeness he felt could not be imaginary. But it still felt too good to be true…Harry lifted a hand to reach and touch Draco's face. As he touched his cheek, Draco said nothing…just smiled and kissed the palm of his hand. It was real.

The tears weld up in Harry's eyes once again, but this time he didn't keep them at bay. He let everything go. Fifteen years of pain and suffering were being set free. He clenched a hand onto Draco's white shirt and put his head in the crook of his neck. He cried for what felt like hours, and Draco was there to help him through it. He was being kept warm and safe. Harry could hear nothing but Draco's purrs and feel nothing but the feeling of being in his arms. He wanted to stay in his arms forever. But it was too good to be true.

A cough interrupted them. "Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, excuse me." Came a voice of a man.

In an instant, Draco's head snapped towards the person who could potentially be a threat to his soon-to- be mate; his arms around Harry tightened. Red, carnivorous eyes turned to look at a middle-aged man with greasy black hair, and a crooked nose. It took Draco a while to process that this man was none other than his godfather-Severus Snape.

"Please refrain from looking at me such a way, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape said smoothly.

Draco's eyes reverted to their normal silver color, however, his hold on his beloved did not loosen one bit. He looked down to see his future mate's tear-stained eyes looking back up him with fear and a need for protection. Draco smiled reassuringly as he rubbed small circles with his thumb on Harry's upper arm.

"Sleep, love," said the Veela. Harry felt his eyes droop, and he went into a deep sleep.

SNAPE:

"I don't believe the boy will appreciate you doing that, Dragon," Professor Snape replied as he watched the seen in front of him. He came after Ms. Parkinson and a limping Zabini came bursting into his office shouting frantically. Snape could only understand bits and pieces as he tried to calm them down. Severus Snape had known for years that Draco was a Veela, and that Harry was his intended. So, he knew that when he heard the two names he knew something was immediately off. He had to get to his godson.

Draco always told him everything. What Harry liked to eat, what Harry's favorite quidditch team is, where Harry goes to be alone. He knew where Harry would be because of Draco; the Veela would just not shut up about his intended. That was finally a good thing. As Severus was making his way towards the lake, he came upon his godson-eyes glowing red, wings folded in front of him, which blocked his view of who was presumably Harry Potter. He glanced back towards Granger and the Weasley boy, before Snape looked back towards his godson.

"Severus…." his godson whispered to him. "He was in trouble. I needed to protect him."

"It's all right, Dragon. You're not in trouble with me..." Professor Snape glanced at the small young man cradled in his godson's arms. "You might be in trouble with Potter once he awakens, however."

There was a small silence between them. Draco looked down to his intended and gently smiled. "It is about time I told him about us anyways. It feels so right having him in my arms," said Draco.

Severus stayed silent as he kept a watchful eye on the two. "What happened, Dragon?"

As Draco was about to speak, they were somewhat rudely interrupted by Granger and the smallest of the Weasley males. "Oi, Malfoy!" yelled Ronald Weasley.

Both Snape and Draco turned their heads to look towards two angry and confused Gryffindors. They stepped up to see the confusing sight of their friend, Harry, sleeping peacefully in the Slytherin Prince's arms.

"What is going on here?! What have you done to Harry?!" yelled the red-head.

Draco's irritation rose from the Weasley's stupid questions. Professor Snape sighed, "Here we go…" he thought to himself.

"What have I done?!" Draco harshly whispered as to not wake up the raven-haired boy in his arms. "I'm obviously looking over Harry! Something you two don't seem to have the mental capacity to do so yourselves!"

"What are you going on about, Ferret?!" yelled Ron.

"I'm talking about my mate! I'm talking about how you two haven't seemed to figure out that he's been abused for the past fifteen years!" Draco sneered at them.

Hermione and Ron paused all movement. "W-what do you mean he's being abused? By who?" questioned Hermione.

Draco snarled as she decided to take a step too close to the sleeping Harry, his eyes flashing red. Hermione stilled once again. "You're a Veela…" she quietly said.

"I am," stated Draco with a huff. He slowly moved and folded one of his wings so that his audience can get better access at seeing Harry, but still not be able to touch him. Draco carefully lifted Harry's shirt, so that the three could see healing bruises at various stages. He heard Harry's "friends" gasp at the horror; Severus, himself, had to hold in a gasp, but his eyes could not stop from widening at what he was seeing. After a few seconds, Draco slowly pulled the shirt back down, spread his white wing so that it was once again covering Harry.

Ron was the first to break the silence, "Back in second year, I saw some strange looking bruise on Harry's back…He told me that was from the Quaffle that he had managed to scrape him before he was able to dodge it while he was in quidditch practice. He's my best friend…how was I supposed to know that he was lying to me." Ron's voice was shaky.

"Because you were his best friend!" Draco bit back. "Can't you tell when your friend is lying? When your friend is scared? When your friend is in pain? You don't have the right to call yourselves Harry's friends!"

"I think that is enough, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley." Snape cut in. He turned towards the Veela, "Mr. Malfoy, I think it is best that you take Mr. Potter to the infirmary and have him checked out."

Draco did not argue. He got up from the grass, carrying Harry in his arms. One last glare to towards his mate's supposed friends and he was off to see Madame Pomfrey.

Snape turned his attention to Weasley and Granger and said, "As for you two…it is best to keep was has happened here silent for the time being-"

Granger interrupted, "But Harry is-"

"Harry," Snape intervened, "is on his way to see Madame Pomfrey to have his…injuries looked. You, Ms. Granger, should be well aware of the dangers of getting in the way of a Veela. It is best to leave Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter alone for the at least the next 48 hours. Is that clear?"

Ron was about to speak up when Hermione stopped him by putting a hand to his chest. She knew Professor Snape was right; Veela's are one of the most territorial creatures known in the wizarding world. It is best to let Draco cool down for the moment. "We understand, Professor. Come on, Ron."

She clasped Ron's wrist and dragged him back to the castle. Professor Snape could hear Mr. Weasley arguing with Ms. Granger about why he had to listen to the 'old git.' Severus sighed as he looked towards the lake. "Dragon, what have you got yourself into?" Severus whispered to himself.

Okay, guys! Sorry it took me so long. I am going to college and it is rather difficult finding time to write and post. I am currently on winter break, so I do have some time to write and post.

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