warnings: brief mention of gore. very brief, only a sentence.

I am so happy to have another chapter out for this story after just a week from the last update. Since some of you had questions about the ritual last week, I wanted to clarify: the ritual used was only to identify the veela genes in Draco, not destroy them. Also I know many of you have been hoping for some major fluffiness for the trio, and I promise I will get there at some point, but I have a few chapter outlines of some drama I need to get done first. Hope you don't mind either way. Also sorry for the weird formating, my computer wasn't liking me today

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"I'm not going!" Harry yelled from under the covers. He had been glad to get out of classes for the first week; Sirius had demanded it after the press had arrived last Monday. His godfather and lawyer had said it was necessary after what Dumbledore had done.

So for the week he stayed in his rooms doing any homework Hermione and Ron brought for him. The exception being his defense work. At first the new professor had said she would not allow Harry to make up the work outside of the classroom and had failed him for two class days. She even tried sending Harry a detention slip for skipping class and disobeying a teacher's order. The matter was dropped instantly when Remus burst into the woman's office with a nervous McGonagall and a threat to call Harry's lawyer.

But Harry knew the matter would not be dropped. If anything, it would be worse now that his reprieve was over and his NEWT level defense was his first class of the day. When Severus and Remus had woken up, he asked for a few more minutes to sleep. They had agreed, but Harry didn't fall back to sleep. Instead he imagined all that could go wrong today. Dumbledore would have another chance to harm or humiliate him. The new defense teacher would most definitely humiliate him, that he was completely certain about. The there were the students. Every year brought a new challenge; and with each new one, the students' attitude towards him would change. Harry had yet to meet with anyone other than Hermione and Ron and he refused to let them talk about what people were saying.

Harry Potter did not want to go. In fact he was beginning to regret coming back this year.

"Harry, it is time for class. There is no getting out of it," Severus tried to reason. He had never been one to coddle, but Harry was his mate and terrified. If Severus was honest with himself, he would agree to Harry staying locked away. He understood better than anyone the need to be protected and feel safe, being submissive to Remus helped with that. Now being dominant to Harry made him want to give in, to provide that protection and safety.

"No! I don't want to go," Harry whined. He flung the blankets aside and looked at Severus with pleading eyes. "Please don't make me go Severus? I just want to stay here with you and Remus."

"I have classes to teach. I cannot stay in our rooms," the Veela sighed. He looked to the door that lead to the main sitting room, wishing Remus would come in. Any more begging and he was going to give in to his young mate. How did Remus handle this? From the both of them? He wanted to stick to what was best and needed, be the tough professor once again. But Harry was looking to him to save him! Those green eyes, wide with fear and so close to tears. It wasn't fair to him anymore.

"I can stay in your office?" Harry asked hopefully. "We're already in the dungeons. We could hurry up without anyone noticing and Remus can stay with me to keep me company and make sure no one hurts me."

"Harry, no-" before Severus could finish, Harry let out small sob and buried himself back under the covers. He closed his eyes and pinched his nose, barely suppressing a groan.

"He still not up?" Severus looked up to see Remus in the doorway. When he shook his head, Remus stepped in with squared shoulders and a grim, determined look on his face. Severus knew Harry was not going to like this Remus. If only he tried harder, he could spare Harry this morning. Remus went to the bed, pulled off all the covers and pillows, then pulled Harry up to standing, ignoring the indignant squeak. "Harry James Potter, you will get dressed and you will go to class! No more sulking and no more manipulating Severus into having your way on this. Am I understood?"

"But Remus," Harry stammered.

"No Harry," Remus interrupted. He stared down to Harry with golden eyes. It was the full moon tonight, and with everything happening lately a testy mate was bringing Moony to the surface. "You will go to class. Or," Remus paused. It hurt to see the hopeful glance Harry gave him. The alternative he was going to offer would not be pleasant, not for anyone. "You will stay in the spare room, not with Severus and me. You will stay there except to go to the bathroom. All meals will be taken in there and you will not be allowed to the spring room. You would have minimal contact with us, and no friends at all. Your choice."

"Remus-" Severus wanted to protest, but the werewolf only held up a hand to silence him.

"That's not fair!" Harry shouted. Why couldn't Remus just let him stay with his mates and continue to do his homework here? Having to choose letting people stare and say horrible things or be isolated from everything he enjoyed.

"Pick one," Remus leveled. He knew Harry was upset with him, and may not even talk to him for the rest of the day, but this was necessary. Severus had asked to try first to get Harry to class when it was obvious their younger mate was not getting more sleep, but rather refused to get up. His Veela mate said he could get Harry to agree because he said he could sympathize with the younger man. But it seemed Harry had learned to play on Severus' new dominant instincts. Remus, however, knew how to ignore the need to please Harry and instead enforce what Harry needed.

"I'll go," the mer resigned. He could guess even if he took the offer to stay in the spare room, Remus would do this again after a day or two. That didn't mean he was going to enjoy this or passively accept it. As he moved to get dressed, he glared at the werewolf. "But I'm not happy!"

"I know Harry," the man replied, a hint of a smile on his face. "You need to do this though." He walked over to the mer and ran a hand through the wild hair, cupping a cheek. "You won't be alone today. Ron and Hermione will stay with you in the classes you share. As for defense and potions, I will escort you, but I can't sit in the room with you."

"Why not?" Harry asked. Those would be the two classes he felt he would need someone with him.

"The Board of Governors ask that I don't so I can't influence you or the professors make class too easy while I watch. It's the same reason why Severus can't teach you. And I agree with them," Remus explained. He pulled Harry into a hug, then pushed him to the bathroom to get ready.

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"Promise to be here when I'm done?" Harry asked nervously. He wanted to hug or even squeeze Remus' hand. Anything to have physical reassurance. However, they all agreed to keep their relationship as quiet as possible. It was clear the way Remus was looking at him, he wanted the same thing as Harry.

"I'll be waiting right here," the werewolf promised. He gave a reassuring smile before pushing through the door to his defense class.

When Harry entered the room, everyone turned to stare at him, stopping him in his tracks. He knew none of these people and he was just thrust into their class. Sure he knew of them, played Quidditch with them, but they were not friends. And they were making it known. There were only a few hostile looks, but all were guarded. A single seat by itself was empty at the front of the room. Harry quickly made his way to it, pulling out his books and notes, refusing to look at anyone.

"Nice of you to finally join the class, Mister Potter," Professor Hálal said, her voice like oil oozing across the room. Harry knew she was trying to intimidate him. It was the same way Severus used to speak to him; he felt he could ignore the mocking way she smiled at him. "Last week the class reviewed what they learned in their sixth year. I expect you to come during office hours to prove to me you belong in this class. Understood?"

"Yes Professor," Harry muttered, ignoring the snickering behind him.

"Good." The professor kept her gaze on him. Harry's heart began to beat faster, trying to resist the urge to run and hide. He was having the same unease as he did around Professor Slughorn. As if she were seeing him as an object, a prize, and not as a student. Abruptly the professor clapped her hands and walked to the front of the room. "This week we will be reviewing what you know about dark creatures. You will study more in depth of not only how to defend yourself when encountering one, but how to fight against them. We will learn their habits, the way they think, and what rules and regulations the ministry has set up."

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Harry stormed out of the classroom first when the bell rang. He didn't even stop to see if Remus was around or following as he made for the doors. He had to get outside. Out from under scrutiny, out from the oppressive air. He moved by people smoothly avoiding touching anyone as gracefully as if he were in the water. He wanted to growl and snap at anyone who looked at him. This was why he didn't want to go to class. Actually it was worse than he thought. For the rest of defense, Harry had to endure all that was said about him. It was only the beginning.

'Dark'. 'Dangerous'. 'Valuable'. 'Mindless'. 'Deadly'. Those were used by the students, and Professor Hálal stood there with that oily smile and nodded along with every word.

Harry couldn't understand how anyone could hold those views on mers when there was a colony living in the lake next to the castle. Professor Hálal had so many things wrong and was encouraging the students to believe in the same things. Many of the facts some shared were outdated, but everything was correct in their textbooks. However his classmates seemed to forget what was in print. And they didn't even talk about other creatures! Only mer and how dangerous they could be. It was demeaning and frustrating, and he never wanted to hear another lecture from Hálal.

Remus finally caught up to him near the shore of the Black Lake. The coolness and gentle lapping coming from the water was like a balm to his rattled nerves. His mate's hand on his shoulder slowly drained the rest of the tension. After a few minutes of silence, Remus finally spoke: "What happened in there?"

"All she taught was how horrible mers are!" Harry yelled. "How we are only good for potions. Which are all illegal anyway, not that she would care." He ran a hand through his hair, a finger catching on the feather he always kept tied in it. A reminder always that Severus was with him. He was tired. After one class, he just wanted to crawl back into bed. It had taken everything Harry had to stay quiet and sit still. "I haven't done anything, but that woman had all the students there believing the worst of me. How can they be supportive of the other students with creature inheritances, or even the mer in the lake here, but I'm treated like a dog that needs to be put down?"

"Oh Harry," Remus whispered, heartbroken. He pulled Harry to him, wrapping him tightly in his arms and placing a kiss to the top of his head. "You are not a dog, let alone a bad one. You know how good you are, and to Severus and I. You are precious to us." He gave Harry another squeeze, then held him out at arm's length. "You are so strong and brave and beautiful. They are just jealous of you. Ignore what they all say and sooner than you think, your inheritance will be old news. Remember you defeated Lord Voldemort! Don't let their pettiness defeat you when someone with so much power could not. You are amazing, Harry. Never forget that."

Harry glowed from Remus' words, giving him the strength to go back into the school. He gave Remus a hug and a kiss on the cheek, before squaring his shoulders. He tried to smooth his mussed hair, straightened his clothes and marched back to the school. Because Remus was right; he defeated Voldemort and survived his time with the Dursley's. Taunts and misguided facts were something he should be used to. He was still uneasy about what had been said, and he hoped it would end soon.

At the steps leading to the main doors, a large crowd had gathered making Harry pause. Was it about what happened in class? Or had someone seen the interaction between him and Remus, and told others? He spotted Ron and Hermione at the edge and made his way to them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You don't want to know, mate," Ron replied grimly. His face was pinched and looked queasy.

"There you are!" Hermione exclaimed. She grabbed his shoulders and looked him over checking that he was alright. "It's something you should see, not that anyone would want to. Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore are waiting for you."

"Okay," Harry said numbly. He slowly pushed his way to the front, trying to ignore the whispers. Whatever had happened, it was not good.

It wasn't. In the center of the circle, blocked by professors, was a mangled deer. Not that it could be called a deer. The animal was a mess of blood, bone, and fur. The antlers were the only things that identified it as a deer. Tied to one of the antlers was a note, a note with his name on it. Harry carefully reached across and grabbed the note, at the corner of his eyes Severus and Remus moved closer in case they would need to protect him.

"Open it Mister Potter," Dumbledore said, his voice hard and body tense. Harry looked up to the headmaster, hoping for some clue that he would give that he had something to do with this. The leveled stare revealed nothing, so Harry opened the note.

"I will be the best mate for you. I will always hunt for you- from a real Veela"

Harry dropped the note in horror. Turning away from the bloody mess, he got sick right away. Neither of his mates would do this, nor could they have done this. He had no idea what kind of sick bastard was behind this, but he was terrified. More so than what Dumbledore had been trying to do to him. Not even his biggest tormentors had frightened him this much, threatened him so much. He felt Remus put an arm around his shoulder and begin walking away. But Harry stopped when the headmaster spoke.

"'A real Veela'?" Dumbledore questioned. There was an odd look on the man's face. Harry paled and felt his stomach knot up again when Dumbledore turned to Severus. "I only know of one Veela here at Hogwarts, Severus. Care to explain?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about and I do not appreciate the accusation," Severus drawled, crossing his arms.

"You are a Veela, are you not?" Dumbledore asked, loud enough for the crowd to hear, sending ripples of uncertainty and whispers. "Where have you been today?"

"At class," Severus replied, anger deepening his voice.

"Yes, but I didn't see you at breakfast," the headmaster accused.

"I ate in my rooms. You can ask the house-elves."

"That may be, but I'm afraid until this matter is resolved I have to ask that you stay on school grounds." Dumbledore turned to Remus and Harry, but it was Remus he grinned towards. "No entering the Forbidden Forest or leaving to collect potion ingredients."

"Since this incident involves Mister Potter, I am sure his lawyer will help you with your investigation," Severus countered.

"Yes, surely they will." Dumbledore turned and left the crowd, leaving the other professors to clean up the mess.

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"I don't like you being out here without Severus," Remus said as he undressed behind a tree. Although they were mates, Remus didn't want Harry to feel pressured into acting on bonding sooner than he felt ready. So he dutifully told Harry to wit by the water until Moony came out after the change.

"Neither of us wanted you to be alone for the moon," Harry explained, digging his toes into the wet, rocky beach. "But I feel bad that Severus is all alone now."

After Dumbledore left earlier, Remus helped Harry back to their rooms with Severus following. No one dared ask any questions or even whisper about them. The horrible scene left for Harry and the accusation of Severus kept everyone quiet. After locking themselves away, they agreed not to ignore the headmaster's decision until Severus could be cleared. They decided that Severus would not join them that night for the full moon. None of them wanted to anger the headmaster anymore in fear of retaliation and harming Harry. When they had made plans for the full moon, the trio had gathered together on the sofa and refused to budge for anything, not talking, just being close.

"Who do you think did it?" Harry asked.

Remus sighed, sinking down to the ground and leaning against the tree. He wish he knew who was behind the deer. In truth, he wanted to hunt down whoever did it. Hunt the, down and tear them to pieces for upsetting his youngest mate, placing the blame on his older mate, and for undermining his position as alpha mate. How dare this person insinuate that he could not care for Harry or think they could take him away from Severus and himself? He hadn't noticed any new creature inheritances that would point to who the culprit was, but he would be looking. "I don't know Harry, but I promise I will find out and put a stop to it."

"I believe you will," Harry said.

"The moon's coming," Remus announced when he felt the pull beginning and everything began to tightened. The pain took over as his body changed, and Moony the wolf came forward and basic instincts took over.

The large tawny wolf came out from the tree and padded towards Harry. Sniffing at his mate and nuzzling every inch of the mer. Assuring himself that his mate was safe and whole, he nudged Harry towards the water making Harry laugh.

"You want me to change?" Harry asked. When he got a grumble in response, he dipped into the water and let his true mer form emerge. Once settled, he felt Moony push himself under one of his arms and pulled him back to dryer land. They stayed close, Moony sitting leaning against Harry with the mer's arms wrapped around his neck. They both felt the loss of Severus' presence, wishing the man could be with them. Moony howled, calling for the mate that wasn't around.

Across the lake, near the castle, Severus' heart clenched at the sound of his mate. He desperately wished he could be across the dark water; hoping that the next full moon wouldn't be filled with so much sorrow as this one.