Chapter 5: New and Improved? Part 2

(A/N Sorry for not getting the special out last Wednesday, but I have to work when the inspiration hits and well, last Wednesday, it didn't. Disclaimer: I am NOT JK Rowling but these are her characters, so thanks for being nice about me using them JK, and PLEASE DON"T SUE ME! I live in abject poverty! Does anyone else find it amazing that even the poorest people in America can still have a PC? Only in America. LOL.)

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July 1st

2:00 pm

Malfoy Manor

"What the hell is taking that healer so long? It's so quiet." Said Narcissa as she paced back and forth in Draco's bedroom. She went to the bathroom door, "Puff, are you okay? Can you talk to me?" She implored.

No sound, utter silence.

(Pop.) Dilly appeared in the room. "Mistress Narcissa, ma'am, the Veela Healer Meenax is being arriving, shall Dilly be bringing her up, Ma'am."

"Yes, Dilly, quickly." Said Narcissa as she rushed to the bathroom door. "Puff, oh thank god, the Healer is here, she'll help you, baby, I promise."

Dilly arrived with the veela Healer, a beautiful slender woman, with white silver hair, and cool blue eyes. She was dressed all in white, a long flowing dress with sleeves that flared at the elbows, and had a smell of roses and lilacs about her. She was, so obviously, veela that even a first year Hogwart's student could not mistake her for anything else. She moved with a grace that most ballet dancers would envy to the center of the room and did a gentle bow to Narcissa.

"My Lady Black, I am most sorry to be late, a mother was having some difficulty delivering triplets, and as you well you know, a multiple birth among the veela is a rare thing that happens once every 50 or so years. I simply could not leave her, with that sad, your servant here (she indicated at Dilly), has informed that your son has had some problem with his inheritance. Where is the boy?" She said in a voice that was almost like song.

"He's in the bathroom here. Please help him." Narcissa said her voice cracking.

"Of course, my Lady, can you tell what happened when he began his inheritance?"

"I don't know really; he wanted to be alone for it. When I came to see him this morning, there was a huge, pod, or cocoon or something stuck to the ceiling the corner or there. It slowly came down from the ceiling then I heard my son's voice and saw a hand sticking out of slit in the mass. I reached to pull him out and his screamed, and when I let of his hand, it was bruised and starting to bleed. My husband and I cut him free with a cutting charm, and when he was finally free he…(she choked) he… didn't look right, then he asked for his wand and crawled in the bathroom. That was this morning, he's been in there ever since, he doesn't respond when I call him." she cried.

"A pod, or cocoon, you say?" The Healer mumbled half to herself and half to Narcissa.

"Yes, I never heard of the like before, I didn't know what was happening." Said Narcissa.

"Yes, well, a pod transformation is very rare. What time was Draco born?" Asked the Healer.

"He's a tweener, born at midnight. Why?"

"Well, for wizards being a tweener is just an indicator that something huge will happen and they will be special, but for a veela or half veela to be a tweener, it's more complicated. Tweener veelas can either be very powerful, and I'm not really sensing that in your son right now. Or destined to be with the very powerful, which I think is the case. If this is the case, then the pod development is his magic preparing his body to be with someone of such power, that their own mate could accidentally destroy them." Said the Healer as she took a small bag out of her dress pocket put it on the floor and waved her hand over it. The Bag magically grew until it was just the size of a large common tote bag. She reached into the bag took out several potions, her wand, what looked like some herbs and a small silver cauldron.

"So what went wrong?" Asked Narcissa.

"Well, as a tweener, he should have remained in that pod for 10 hours at least or 12 hours at the best, but I think he wasn't in long enough to complete his development. What time did you discover him again?" Asked the healer as she organized her supplies.

"8 a.m. I was coming to get him up early to help prepare for his birthday party. GREAT MERLIN AND MORGANA!" Exclaimed Narcissa, "The party is to start within the hour, I forgot to cancel it! Dilly!"

(Pop.) "Yes, Mistress Narcissa, ma'am?"

"Dilly, I want you to contact everyone who's been invited the Draco's Birthday party today and tell them it's been postponed, until further notice, tell them that Draco is sick. If anyone shows up send them away with my apologies and tell them that they will be notified when the party is rescheduled. Understand Dilly?" Said Narcissa quickly.

"Yes, Mistress Narcissa, ma'am, Dilly be doing that straight away. Dilly be hoping young Master to be welling soon. Mistress. Dilly be going now." Said Dilly with a bow and a Pop.

"What problems could he have from coming out of the pod too soon?" Asked Narcissa of the Healer Meenax.

"Well, my Lady the last thing to be completed in a transformation is the mind set and the heart. Spiritual heart not the physical heart, for him to come out of the pod too soon, may have affected his brain and heart, he may well be damaged. As you know, we veela are creatures of love, and the final thing to develop in us is the capacity to gage love. It is said that there is a thin line between love and obsession, we veela instinctually know this line, through our final part of transformation. Your son did not complete the final part of his transformation; further, I think his physical transformation was damaged as well. Still all is not lost, I am one of the best healers in magical world, and I will do all I can for him." Said the Healer

"Oh, thank you, he's my star, I can't lose him." Said Narcissa.

"As I said I will do all I can, now, it will take some time, you said he has his wand?"

"Yes, when he emerged from the pod, he said 'wand' and we gave it to him, then crawled into the bathroom."

"Your son is intelligent. His wand will help to strength his healing abilities, so that this may not be as difficult as I thought, though it will still be some time before I am done. Also, when I enter the bathroom, no one is to enter after me. I do not care what sounds you hear, unless you hear ME and only me call you, no one goes in that bathroom. Am I clear?" Said the Healer sternly.

"Yes, Healer, as you said, no one and nothing will enter unless you request it." Said Narcissa.

"Good I'm going in, I will do everything I can for him." said the Healer with arms loaded with potions and her wand. Narcissa opened the door for the Healer who put the potions on the counter in front of the blackened mirror. "So, young Master Draco, we will begin." With that the door closed and Narcissa settled down on Draco's bed to wait.

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Privet Drive

July 1st

2 p.m.

It had been three hours since the Dursleys left for their picnic and Harry was nearly done with all the chores on the list. Luckily for him, most of them were completed yesterday, all he had really left to do was clean the kitchen, the master bedroom that wasn't really that bad, just a bit of disorder, organize Vernon's closet, clean Dudley's room and alphabetize Dudley's video collection. The toughest thing amazingly was cleaning Dudley's room again. Harry had just cleaned the room yesterday and yet as he surveyed it today, it looked like a family of wild badgers have taken up residence and destroyed the place. It took Harry an hour to clean the place, working as hard and as fast as he could. Then he moved on to master bedroom and Vernon's closet, finally he cleaned the kitchen and it's just 3:30 p.m. No sign of the Dursleys this time, Harry figured they might have decided to go out to dinner after the picnic, which was fine with him. He got to watch some tele in peace. Uncle Vernon had just gotten satellite television and Harry was quite curious to see what there was to see, since he had already finished his special studies homework for the summer. After surfing, he found he liked MTV Jams and VH1 the best with all the muggle music videos. He closed the curtains to the living room and kept the sound down low enough so that if the family returned he would hear, and could off it without seeing him watch and then forbidding him to watch tele again.

The post was running today, it usually arrived by 10 a.m. but today the postman didn't show up until 2:30 p.m. Harry got the mail and put it on the coffee table while he completed cleaning. Now that he had finished his chores, he listened to "I Love the 80's, 1982" on VH1 and checked through the mail, there was an announcement about the start of summer classes at the local college that gave Harry a brilliant idea.

He sat in the living room listening to videos and formulated his plan. 'Well, if I'm to be a prison trustee, then I have a pretty good idea on how to get myself some more freedom over the summer. I can't wait until they get back, I know this could work.' Harry thought to himself.

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Malfoy Manor

July 1st 4 p.m.

"It's been two hours. Please Puff, be okay for mother." Said Narcissa to herself.

Lucius returned to Draco's room. "Well, how is he?" He said monotonely.

"The Healer has been in there for two hours, she hasn't updated me yet." Said Narcissa as she stared at the bathroom door.

"Well, why don't you just knock on the door and get an update." With that Lucius strode over to the door and prepared to knock.

"NO! No, don't the healer said that they are not to be disturbed, she said that if she needed us she would call."

"Fine, let me know if there is any development." Said Lucius in the same monotone.

"Why do you care all of sudden?" Asked Narcissa, as she eyed her husband.

"Can't a father care about the welfare of his only child?" Said Lucius.

"A father can, but you dear husband lack the capacity, so what are you up to?" Said Nacissa.

"Fine, My Lord has asked for Draco to be brought before him when his transformation is complete."

"What? HELL NO! He is now of the veela, and he will not take the mark, do not force me to have the veela choose in this war of yours, husband, because your side will not be happy." She said in a growl.

"I have discussed this with my Lord and he said that all he wants is to meet Draco after he has transformed, he said that Draco will not be required to take the mark nor to spy at Hogwart's. He said that the kind of transformation that Draco is going through is extremely rare and that his curiosity has been piqued. He wants Draco to come to a meeting with the Death Eaters in full attendance, with so many people about maybe Draco will find his true mate or number two at the meeting, so surly you can't object to that?" Said Lucius. "My Lord said that if you must come along as well, then fine you are welcome to come, if it will ease your mind."

"I don't like this at all." Said Narcissa. Suddenly the bathroom door opened and the Healer Meenax exited. She went to the closet and picked out some robes of dark purple with pale blue details, and then went back into the bathroom. A minute later she exited the bathroom again. She looked tired and a little frazzled. She turned as she heard screams in the bathroom, but just straightened her clothes and looked at Draco's parents.

"He'll need about an hour, to finish up as it were, could have something to eat? Then I'll go back in and check on him, and make sure that thing have progressed as they should." She said.

"Dilly, bring a small dining set up, and bring up some dinner as well, for Healer Meenax." Said Narcissa.

"Send Dilly to get me if the boy comes out I have work to do." Lucius exited the room.

"Yes, Mistress Narcissa, ma'am." Dilly said with a pop.

(Pop1) Dilly returned, she snapped her fingers and a lovely little French bistro still dining table set appeared, luckily Draco's room was more than huge enough to accommodate the addition and still leave a lot of space. Then, Dilly snapped her fingers again, and the table was nearly over laden with food. "Is there anything else, Mistress Narcissa, ma'am?"

"No, Dilly that will do." Said Narcissa. And Dilly disappeared in a pop.

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Privet Drive

July 1st 5 p.m.

Harry was listening to the latest Usher Video on MTV Jams when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He quickly turned off the tele and went to the door to help the family unpack from the picnic equipment.

"Well, boy get the picnic baskets out, dump the leftover and do the dishes. And you better have gotten all the chores done or the will be hell to pay. Heaven knows you had more than enough time." Said Vernon as he got out of the car.

Harry ran to the trunk of the car and got out the picnic baskets, the blankets and the umbrella. Aunt Petunia was already in the house, and Dudley quickly waddled in behind her. Harry had just stepped through door with arms loaded with the supplies.

"Boy, I'm watching you, I'm going to check now and see you completed your chores and if you touched any of the food in this house. You better pray it's all in proper order."

Harry nodded and cautiously went around his uncle as best he could and tried not to touch him. Harry could see already that Uncle Vernon was in a foul mood. Harry took the baskets into the kitchen and unpacked them; he put the dirty dishes in the sink to be washed. He took the blankets into the backyard to shake them out, and then he returned to the kitchen to find a purple faced Uncle Vernon glaring at him.

"I see dishes in this sink, boy." Said Uncle Vernon as he closed in on Harry. "And I see dirty laundry in your hands"

Harry kept his eyes down and backed away. "But Uncle Vernon this is from the picnic, I was just about to wash the dishes and the blankets." Harry said slowly and quietly.

(SLAP!) "Are you talking back to me, freak?" Said Uncle Vernon and pushed Harry back against the kitchen door.

Harry left cheek throbbed into his eye, he kept his eyes down and started to shake but tried desperately to remain calm, panicking now would only make things worse. Harry kept thinking, 'Never look a wild animal in the eye, they take it as a challenge.'

"I'm sorry Uncle Vernon, I'll do the dishes right now. I'll put the blankets in the wash straight away as well." Said Harry as he tried to move over to the sink where the dishes were.

"Did I tell you, you could go yet?" Said Uncle Vernon as he grabbed Harry by the shoulders and slammed him against the kitchen door, it was sudden and sent a shock through Harry body. The shock caused Harry to drop the blankets he was still holding in his hands.

(Punch!) The blow seemed to Harry to come out of nowhere and slammed into his already empty stomach. He fell to the floor in a heap, gasping for air, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. He held his stomach and looked almost up to Uncle Vernon's face then stopped short, 'Never stare a wild animal in the eyes.'

"How dare you throw my property on the ground like that!" Screamed Uncle Vernon and he kicked Harry as he lay on the floor. Harry curled into a ball to protect his head and vital organs. On the third kick, Petunia entered the room.

"Vernon, that's enough, if you do much more, he'll be useless to me tomorrow." She said as she leaned casually in the doorway. "Boy, do the dishes, put the blankets in the wash for tomorrow, and then go to bed. I really don't want to deal with your lazy ass anymore tonight" Petunia said as she walked over gently kissed her husband on the cheek.

"Vernon lets go upstairs and play a bit, like old times. I'll be the robber, and you'll be the defenseless househusband, and I have my way with you." She stepped away from him then in the doorway she turned, winked, and then ran upstairs giggling.

"You're lucky tonight, boy. I get relieve a little tension in another fun way. Do as she said. I'll deal with you tomorrow and no food for an extra two days, so food for you until Thursday." Vernon turned and fairly jogged after his wife. It never ceased to amaze Harry how his Uncle, a man of some considerable girth could be as fast and as agile as he was.

'If the punches hadn't already made me nauseous, the idea of what those two are about to do, certainly would have done it.' Thought Harry as he pulled himself up off the floor. His stomach ached and he felt like maybe he had a bruised rib, but he's gone through far worse from the Dursley's and from school, so he figured he could survive it. Tomorrow he'll put his plan into action, he decided. He then went about the tasks set for him, though he did it gingerly.

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Malfoy Manor

July 1st 6 p.m.

Meenax had finished her meal, and there were no more noises or screams coming from the bathroom, she quietly got up without a word and entered the bathroom as Narcissa watched, praying her Puff was okay.

Ten minutes went by… nothing.

Twenty minutes went by… nothing.

Half and hour went by… nothing.

An hour went by… nothing.

"What's happening?" Narcissa fretted.

Finally the door opened and Meenax exited the bathroom. She was looking as frazzled as her last exit but she had a weak smile on her face.

"I'm done. Before he comes out let me say. I have done all I could for him. I couldn't have done better were I to take him to St. Mungos. Still, I think you will have to see him to understand. Draco, come out your mother is waiting for you." She said.

The door to the bathroom slowly crept open. Narcissa's heart was in her throat, she prayed in her heart to every god or goddess or deity she could think of, for her son to be all right.

(A/N: It would be really bitchy of me to make this a cliffhanger right here, huh? You don't know me very well, do you? Moo hoo haa haa haa. JK, no cliffy right here scroll down.)

Malfoy men were generally good looking, even though their faces were a bit pointed, as were there noses and chins. Draco stood before his mother, and she saw her son and yet not the boy she had raised. He had grown about three inches taller. His hair that was a platinum blonde before was now silver with platinum streaks. His hair had grown, reaching a couple of inches below his shoulders as well. His pointed nose and chin had rounded out give him an almost cherub quality, yet there was a sophisticated adultness to him as well. He walked into the room with something more graceful than the Malfoy march of arrogance. He looked at his mother and smiled and she thought for sure the sun shone just in his mouth. His body before the transformation was an athletic one, he loved Quiddich, and he trained for it, hard just so that he could be that Boy-who-lived. His body now was not displeasing but somehow, softer and not a honed as it was before. He still looked fit and healthy, but, there was just no other word for it, he was now entirely huggable. He was graceful, taller, beautiful and oh so huggable. He was huggable not in a fat guy kind of way but in a snuggle-under-a-blanket on a cold winter night kind of way. His body could provide warmth, and substance, but was still fit and healthy. He had become in her eyes, simple perfection of the human/veela form.

Narcissa stood and looked at her Puff for a few moments, tears building in her eyes, tears of love and relief. She walked over to Draco and pulled him in tight hug, for several minutes. Slowly he came to hug her back, he smiled a bit at the warmth he felt from her. She smelled of lavender, and roses. He had always loved her scent but now he could truly appreciate it, his senses were awakening on a whole new level. Colors had so many levels to them, so many hues. He marveled as he tried to adjust to his new perceptions.

"My Lady, we need to speak of some things." Said Meenax. "Young Master Draco will need a few moments to adjust to his new senses, so we can leave him alone for a few minutes while rediscovers his room." Said the Healer.

"Yes, we can go and speak in my rooms for a few minutes." Said Narcissa as she led the Healer to her rooms.

Narcissa lead to Meenax to her private sitting room. She offered the healer tea and biscuits.

"No, thank you. What I want to talk about is Draco. Physically, all is well. Helping to complete the physical transformation is actually rather easy. It was just a matter of creating a magical version of his pod, and giving him the time he lost, to fully develop. My worry though is his spiritual heart. This is not something that can be easily measured, or examined. And I'm worried because it was development was halted for so long, due to my delay in arriving. I'm afraid there may be some damage. Luckily his intelligence will not be affected but his emotional well-being and his ability to gage love may well be. Now I could be wrong, he could be fine, you said he had his wand as soon as he existed the pod. This is very good; a wand would naturally strengthen his healing abilities and help to hold him in stasis until help can come to help him complete his transformation. Normally stasis would hold for about two hours maybe three, but I took four hours to get here. I am worried, so I would like for you to watch him for the next couple of months. I'll come by once a week and check up on him. If you see any irrational behavior, please let me know immediately. There are steps that can be taken to correct this but they are very harsh, and I would not want to put him through it unless it was absolutely necessary." Said the Healer as she sipped her tea.

"Irrational behaviors like what?" Said Narcissa with a growing look of concern.

"You know your son, if you see him being overly emotional. Although don't worry about anything for the rest of this week. He's just emerged from the pod and he's adjusting to his new perceptions, he may get frustrated until he's used to his new senses and his new strength, he should be twice as strong as we was before. Again, I could be wrong, maybe everything is fine with him. Maybe stasis lasted an extra hour for him, it's not unheard of it lasting up to six hours. But those are really rare cases. All we can do now is just observe him and hope for the best." Said Meenax.

"My husband wants him to go on a business trip with him, is that good idea right now?" Narcissa asked, hoping the answer was 'no.'

"No, it's not. Give him at least a week, maybe two to makes sure that he can handle his new perceptions and you will have to teach him to control his veela allure, or we could cause a lot of chaos in the world. Well, I'm tired between the triplets and your son I've done a lot today. If you need me, here is a connecting mirror. (She reached into a dress pocket and pulled up a miniature purple hand mirror, she waved her hand over and it grew to full size.) I have the mate to this mirror, it will hum to let me know you are contacting me, and we can speak through it as well. Well, give Draco my best and tell him I will be back next Monday at 3 p.m. to see him." Said Meenax, as she Accio-ed her bag from Draco's room and headed down the stairs and out of Malfoy Manor.

Narcissa walked back to Puff's room. She stood in the doorway and looked at him as smelled his desk, and listened to his sheets. She had done the same when she came into her own inheritance. Still, she wanted him to be okay so desperately. He was her Puff, her magic dragon that made her life of loneliness without her true mate bearable. She couldn't lose him. Puff will have to be okay. He just had to be.

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A/N: So how do you like the story so far? Do you it's moving too slow or do you like the way its going? I mean really we are five chapters in and this is still just day 2. LOL Sorry I didn't get the updates done the way I had hoped but as they say 'the best laid plans of mice and men." Still I'm neither a mouse nor a man, so I had hoped to keep to my schedule. Well, we are getting near finals, and the work is building up. OY, so I may not update as often as I would like, but I will try to update, just be patient and leave some reviews that will remind me that you guys and gals do want the story to continue. Okay? So catch you next chapter when we see Harry plan unveiled, and Narcissa watches Draco, and who is the new DADA? Hhhhmmmm? Review please. By the by, looking for a beta any volunteers must have good grammar because heaven knows, I don't. ;o) Thanks to all of you who have reviewed in the past. You are greatly appreciated. Mmmmwwwaaa Ciao.