You - I know! That's why I spread it out, because it's a busy year!
However, they'll probably be back to Hogwarts by the end of next chapter.
-YDHP-
Everybody held their breath for an entire fortnight, both Draco and Remus locked into individual silver cages as they waited for the full moon to rise in the sky. Vlad paced up and down, anxiously hoping the fact both of them had completely human scents now was a good sign.
"Even if this moon passes, I expect you both to be taking precautions on the full for at least the next six months. The slightest adverse reaction to silver or Wolfsbane is not to be ignored. If your senses start acting up, or you have a flash of the wolf inside you. I'm fairly confident this has worked, but..."
"We have to be sure. I get it Vlad."
Hermione paced the length of the room in Animagus form, the sleek panther flicking her tail as they waited. Draco's eyes followed her, clearly admiring it.
"Does this mean I'll be able to become an Animagus?"
"I guess so, but I wouldn't be surprised if your form was wolf, or at least canine. That's what your magic knows."
Draco frowned but shrugged, sitting down in his enclosure like a bored circus exhibit. Neither of the two were even twitching, and Vlad could see the moonrise outside through the window.
"Anything?"
"Not a flicker."
"Lupin?"
"My usual stress of a full moon, but no pain. No pull."
"Alright. Last test, then you're free to leave wearing silver bracelets."
Draco and Lupin both nodded - neither had kept their aversion to silver, though Vlad suspected Lupin disliked it out of habit by then.
"What's the test?"
"We take you outside. Just in case."
The cage doors opened, Draco rolling his eyes and drawling out his sarcastic answer.
"That seems totally safe."
"I took on six wolves alone, you think three vampires and a panther can't stop you two?"
Ingrid and Bertrand gestured from their opposite sides of the room, Severus and Raven obviously far away from potential werewolves though Severus was obviously on tenterhooks about Draco's potentially cured status.
They were all on edge as the two reached the front door, taking deep breaths before stepping out into the moonlit night. Hermione bounded past them, stretching her paws as she padded around in front of the two could-be wolves. Several hearts pounded loudly.
Nothing happened.
The only quadraped in the Malfoy garden was the panther with brown eyes. Lupin sucked in a deep breath, then whooped and jumped in a strange sort of excited dance.
"I've not seen the Full Moon with my own human eyes since I was an infant. This is... incredible."
"Congratulations. Put this on. If you even start to turn, these will give you a noticeable and nasty burn."
Draco and Lupin both clicked the silver around their wrists, and Vlad felt safe enough to leave them to it. However, Harry obviously felt like showing off, shifting into his own Animagus form (thankfully not accidentally becoming a Basilisk) and soaring around out of panther-Hermione's reach.
"They became animagi to help Draco like your friends did for you-"
"And you've gone and rendered that pointless by curing us."
He and Lupin may never be best friends, but the wol- no, the man was important to Harry. That made him important to Vlad's happiness indirectly, as his happiness was tied to Harry's.
"Well, it's impressive nonetheless. Shame vamps can't be animagi too, though I suppose I'll be flying this time next year anyway."
"Of course, you'll be sixteen next year."
When did 'intending to leave' become 'talking to Lupin'?
"Yep. Just in time to have finished my OWLs, as if I needed more reason to be irritable than my fangs coming in."
Lupin fell silent for a minute, and Vlad began to pick up on his scent. He was so used to Lupin smelling of wolf that his mind didn't immediately connect, but there was definitely canine on his clothing.
"When are you and Black telling Harry?"
"Excuse me?"
"You can't fool a vamp."
Lupin frowned in thought, but then his face cleared in realisation.
"Ah. I forget my own senses are dulled now, because it's so exciting to see the world right again."
"So..."
"I suppose there's nothing stopping us telling him now really. Unless you told him already?"
"No. But if he asks, you should already know it's near impossible for me to lie to him."
When Harry came back down with his human limbs back in place, Vlad gave Lupin a pointed look. The man took Harry aside so Vlad made a show of not listening, even if it was difficult not to hear them in the open landscape of the garden. Harry didn't even feel surprised, and he simply said "that's great" to his godfather dating his other godfather, then said he wanted to get back inside.
"I'm hungry, and if I have to watch those two" Harry gesyired at Draco and now-human-Hermione kissing enthusiastically "any longer I'm gonna be sick. Go show Sirius your face under the full would ya?"
Vlad found he minded seeing Lupin hug Harry much less now he wouldn't leave the smell of werewolf all over his mate, the one Vlad suspected was planning on another energetic 'thank you' that night, because when Harry looked at him Vlad felt arousal that wasn't his own. Which was saying something given the effect Harry had on him, and it was probably why Ingrid rolled her eyes and walked back into the Manor.
Lupin left, and Harry grabbed Vlad by the hand and pulled him back into the Manor, stopping first to raid the plate full of late night snacks next to the mugs of hot chocolate that magically stayed warm. Vlad suspected house elves. He sipped at the caramel flavoured drink while Harry ate some cupcakes and biscuits, grinning with his cheeks puffed full of food.
"Oh, that's very attractive."
Taking what looked like a difficult swallow, Harry nodded.
"Well, to you it still is."
Harry had him there.
"True. But still, try to reserve some manners or at least don't choke on some kind of hybrid carbohydrate mix in your mouth."
Shrugging, Harry downed his hot chocolate in one long repetitive swallow, panting slightly for air and Vlad felt his mind wandering. Harry finished the treacle tart slice he had left, then gestured to the stairs.
"Bed?"
Heart pounding, Vlad tried to play it cool.
"Bit early."
"Exactly."
Draco and Hermione chose that moment to walk in, flustered themselves and Vlad looked away.
"Get a room!"
"About to. You're one to talk, feeling each other up in the garden. You'll traumatise the peacocks."
Harry chose that moment to run before Draco hexed him. Vlad naturally followed, tracking Harry's scent to his own room though they barely paid mind to which was which so long as they were together at night.
He was practically tackled onto the bed by the broad, muscular one of their two - Vlad was taller, leaner and not part seventy foot serpent. He revelled in Harrys weight atop him, the energy and enthusiasm with which Harry kissed and touched him. Harry still wasn't up to using more than his hand on Vlad, but Vlad really didn't mind. His mate touching him willingly was far better than attempting to touch him nervously, especially when Vlad could feel what Harry felt.
"Can we go sleep with Samael tonight? He's probably lonely."
"Uh, I guess so. Hang on, let me get my t-shirt."
"Why?"
Vlad couldn't help but be amused by Harry's put out expression at the prospect of Vlad putting on clothes.
"I have no idea what will happen if Samael touches the Mark on my chest put there by his previous... owner."
Master was probably a more accurate term, but Vlad was against bigging up Riddle even to himself.
"Right. Makes sense I guess. I'm still not happy about it."
Vlad laughed to himself as he pulled on his t-shirt, made sure his pyjama bottoms were in place and watched avidly as Harry - still shirtless - bent down to open the trunk, then dropped down ahead of Vlad. Vlad locked the door; he doubted anyone would walk in but still. Jumping down into the trunk was always a little odd for him at first - all the knowledge in the world couldn't dull his protective instincts for Harry and watching his mate practically cuddling a behemoth of a snake looked dangerous at first.
"Samael reckons the Mark shouldn't respond to him anyway, but he commends your thoughtfulness."
"Oh. Right. Thank you, I guess."
Harry burrowed immediately into Vlad's arms, knowing full well he was always welcome there and sighing contentedly once settled. Vlad struggled to sleep; his mind was racing. How was he to reconcile where he was and what Harry was with the 'other' pulsing away inside him?
His mate noticed Vlad's sleep-lacking state in the morning, rubbing a thumb over his cheek as he fretted.
"Did you have a nightmare or something?"
"No. Just... I'll explain later. You'll be hungry any minute now."
Harry's stomach growled on cue, cheeks flushing as they bade Samael good morning and left the trunk for clothes, then breakfast. Vlad pushed his eggs and hot sauce around his plate, feeling his stomach toil with nerves as Harry set about sating his reptilian metabolism. If the others noticed Vlad's off mood, they didn't say. Wrapping up a bacon sandwich to-go, Harry ate it on the way back to their rooms, then washed his hands and face before sitting opposite Vlad on his bed.
"Ok, I'm good. Now talk."
Vlad's fingers twisted in his lap, trying to find words to explain himself to his mate.
His Basilisk loving, Slytherin's heir mate.
"Ok. This is tricky to word, so I'm just gonna show you. Hopefully. I've only done this once before."
Harry looked ever more confused, watching as Vlad stood up, closed his eyes and dug down deep. The flames waited there for him, almost like touching a bolt of lightning and feeling the electrocution zip along his nerves, except it was warm and comforting as his body changed.
When he was done, Harry looked like a giant and stared down at Vlad like he had... well. Stretching his wings felt unbelievably good, flapping up to perch on the back of his desk chair which was more Harry's height than the ground at least. Harry reached out a hand, hesitantly touching the plumage on his head.
"You're a Phoenix."
On a scale of big, bizarre revelations, Vlad's animagus form was one hell of a biggie.
Harry spent a minute or two overwhelmed by the transformation, finding Vlad near indistinguishable from Fawkes except his plumage was all darker shades of red and gold, the red bloodied-crimson and the gold ashy rather than bright and vibrant. Then there were the eyes; Fawkes had black eyes. Phoenix Vlad had blue.
He cocked his head, trilling and Harry's mind remembered Fawkes. Remembered how Samael was uncomfortable with only the presence, never mind the powers of a phoenix. Basilisk and phoenix... they were never supposed to mix.
Although... he supposed it may explain Vlad's immunity to Harry's basilisk venom.
"Can you turn back? This conversation is a little one sided."
The bird nodded, ruffling his feathers and hopping down to the ground when Harry stepped back. A shimmer lasted for a heartbeat, then Vlad was back to having opposable thumbs.
"Wow. That was just... wow. How did you even-"
"It started when Hermione made me take that bloody Animagus potion. But... I figured it was a response to vampirism that it showed me a phoenix. But I couldn't shake it. I've been ignoring it for a while, but me and Ingrid were practicing reacting to spells that don't affect biters a couple days ago. Forced transformations charm."
Realising he was still sat on the floor, Harry leant down and helped Vlad stand up.
"So Ingrid knows?"
"Hard not to notice. You're the first to see me do it unaided, transform by choice."
Vlad patted down his face, then body to check everything had switched back right. Hermione had ended up with a human body and a tail a couple of times, and Harry had found some feathers in interesting places back when they were learning.
"Ingrid was the first to see me transform into a Basilisk too. You saw my Animagus form first. What is it with Dracula's?"
"You can't get enough of us?"
Harry was about to answer, but Vlad's head turned toward the wall like it had called out to him.
"About time. Hogwarts letters are here."
"How did you-"
"I warded Malfoy Manor. Turns out I'm good at transport and wards for a reason. The irony is... I'm pants at healing magic."
"That's what I'm for."
Vlad tipped his head in indication, Harry taking it to mean they should go get their school lists. Taking the vampires hand, his mind began to whirl with the implications of his lovers Animagus form again. Could a phoenix and a basilisk really intertwine the way they had, the way they would for the rest of their not-short lives.
Draco was sat next to Severus, who was holding Raven and sipping at his coffee while she babbled to herself. Harry smiled at the little girl, who clapped her chubby baby hands in his direction while Draco held up the stack of Hogwarts letters.
"They sent us yours and Ingrid's too. Plus Hermione's."
Vlad rolled his eyes, taking the letter with his name and waiting for Harry and Draco to hold up theirs.
"Meddling old coot. Let's find out who won the prize. Money on Hermione for girls."
Harry furrowed his brow in thought as they opened their envelopes, Hermione's excited squeal making Raven blink rapidly in surprise. Draco turned his envelope upside down, badge clattering to the table.
"Prefect couple. What a surprise."
Harry peered into his own unusually heavy envelope, finding the 'Quidditch Captain' badge in there he had forgotten was to be his.
"Hey Ingrid?"
"What pus face?"
Harry muffled a laugh into his hand as Ingrid answered Vlad, irate for the red and gold prefect badges.
"What's your DADA book list?"
Ingrid scanned the list, eyes narrowing in annoyance.
"Defensive Magical Theory. If I wanted theory, I'd take Arithmancy."
"Ours too. Umbridge set fifth year and seventh year the same book. That's not worrying at all when the only other professor who set one list for everyone was Lockhart."
Harry asked Dobby if they had a copy in the Malfoy library, the elf returning with what looked like a very basic book all about theory. There were entire chapters dedicated to correct wand grip, the correct distance between ones feet and when to try and avoid confrontational magic.
"Anybody else see the problem here?"
Vlad asked, and Hermione piped in.
"Theres nothing in here about using defensive magic. Assuming the Ministry placed her in Hogwarts... they don't want us what? Trained in defense?"
Vlad bit his lip; Harry had to make himself not kiss it better.
"No. They don't want us trained to fight. This woman has a whole year to try and programme every student to sit quietly and listen, so when Riddle makes his move the Ministry will be able to get away with anything in the name of 'protecting' people. I'll deal with her later... I'm going to go see my mum and find out if she wants us to take George school shopping."
Vlad kissed Harry quickly, then popped out of the Manor with his portkey leaving a stunned silence at his speed behind.
"What's his problem?"
Draco frowned, staring at the spot where Vlad had vanished.
"He hates people telling him what to do. He especially hates when people take advantage of power to enforce compliance. Hilariously moralistic for the future Grand High Vampire. That will become his job."
Ingrid swung her booted feet back off the edge of the table, then zipped off with her Hogwarts letter. Harry took her vacated seat because it was closest, considering why he left so urgently.
"I think he went to them before they could come here. They don't know about Raven and Severus."
"And it will stay that way. That infernal excitable br- child will not be allowed to question me on the intricacies of a male pregnancy."
Harry couldn't argue with that, knowing his boyfriends little sister was just about the most inquisitive, curious and nosy thirteen year old there was.
Vlad was gone much of the day; a day Harry and Draco spent out in the sun playing with Raven, who greatly enjoyed ripping grass from the perfectly manicured lawns and crawling like lightning when their eyes were off her for half a second. He came back with plans to take George with them to Diagon Alley, citing a fair point to Harry as they got ready for bed.
"Before, we were nervous about trouble from Riddle and his lackeys. That's one thing I can ebe reasonably confident isn't going to be a problem this year. However, I still don't trust Yaxley to stop trying, it's safer if we take her and my mum is nowhere near magic folk."
Harry smiled; Vlad eyed him for a minute before growing confused with his scrutiny.
"What?"
"You. You've taken to calling her mum and being a big brother so fast."
"So have you. With Raven I mean."
They fell silent for a few minutes, Harry watching Vlad stretch and rub at a sore spot betweenhis neck and shoulder. Both having avian Animagus forms, Harry knew what that was. Wing ache, where the muscles had to change most of all.
"Here, let me."
Vlad sat in front of Harry, letting him rub deep circles with his thumbs in the sore spots.
"Do you know the story of Life and Death Harry?"
"You'll have to be more specific Vlad."
"It's actually a love story. Life and Death fell in love, but like the day and the night, they were never to exist at the same time. So instead, Life brings Death all her gifts, and in return Death treasures them forever."
Mildly concerned his boyfriend had lost it, Harry dropped his hands and waited for Vlad to turn around.
"Interesting story, but... what's your point?"
"If Life and Death can make it work, there's no reason phoenix and basilisk can't."
-YDHP-
Right then. Back to school next chapter. Anyone else looking forward to Umbridge and her part- or near- human hate mixing with Draculas? Teehee.