4th August
The morning of the fourth of August had arrived much too quickly, Harry thought as he rushed around the house, his brother clinging to his leg and his youngest sister screaming in the background. The house was a hectic mess, despite their prior planning over the past couple of days.
Sirius had arrived to babysit Peony and Dylan whilst they were at the Council Halls for the day, and as it turned out, they had forgotten to mention to the pair that they weren't going to be receiving the family's undivided attention for the morning. This did not go down well with them, and they had pitched a screaming fit for the whole house to hear, which Peony was still going at. Dylan, on the other hand, had surmised that he was the reason they were leaving, and had decided to cling to him, greatly hindering his movements as he tried to get everything ready.
He really should have packed his bags the night before, when his mum had told him to.
"Dylan, please, I need to get everything ready!"
"No! No, you stay!"
"Dylan!" Harry huffed, reaching down to pry the toddler off of his leg, who didn't appreciate that one bit, screaming out his disapproval as he was hefted up into secure arms. "I'm sorry, but we really need to go soon, so I need to pack." It didn't help with his anxiety over the meeting that he hadn't managed to finish all of the books he'd been given, adding to the stress he was feeling. He'd decided to pack at least one of those books, hoping that there would be some downtime in which he could read some more. Harry had no idea how this meeting was going to go, or any sort of schedule, so he was only guessing what to bring currently.
His brother continued to wail within his arms, so Harry backtracked back to the living room to deposit the toddler into Sirius' arms, who looked stressed beyond belief. Sirius stared at him with betrayed eyes as he walked quickly out of the room, and towards his bedroom, dodging a tired-looking Liana on the way who had, by the looks of it, been woken up by the racket.
Harry packed his bag quickly and rushed down the stairs. It was already hedging on eleven o'clock, the time when they were expected in the Hall, and he skidded to a halt by the floo just as his bedraggled-looking parents entered the room.
"Good, you're ready. Shall we head off now?" His dad asked, and Harry nodded his head rapidly, wanting to be out of the manor as quickly as possible and away from his siblings. James chuckled as he handed him the dish containing the floo power.
With a deep breath, Harry called out: "The Land of The Fair Folk, Council Atrium!" and stepped into the roaring flames. He stepped ungracefully out of the floo on the other side, and promptly tripped onto the heavily polished marble floor of the Creature Council halls, his parents following him through not long afterwards. His mum pulled him to his feet with a bit of fussing as he brushed her off, embarrassed to have fallen in such a public place. Harry looked around then, making sure that his blunder hadn't been witnessed, only to stare at the sight.
The Potters stood, grouped together, seeming out of place in the grandeur they found themselves surrounded by.
The main hall was dazzling to look at, all gold and marble, decorated lavishly with carvings of Fae and nature adorning every inch of it. There were grand, embellished pillars to hold up the domed ceiling, which itself was made of stained glass, creating captivating patterns upon the reflective flooring.
"Is this... the right place? Should we be here?" Harry agreed with his dad full-heartedly but didn't dare speak a word in the midst of such magnificence.
"I assume you to be the Potters?" A voice spoke to the side, causing them all to reflexively flinch away, hands darting tellingly to their pockets. Harry was the first to recover, straightening himself, and meeting the smiling man's eyes. He was tall and imposing, with dark wings that looked like a dragon's curling around his body slightly.
"Yes, we are. I am Harry Potter, and these are my parents."
"Lord James and Lady Lily Potter." Another voice called out from the other side, so gently that It took Harry a moment to comprehend it. His head twisted, and there stood an elderly man with greenish-blue-hued wings trailing behind him like a cloak.
Harry was hesitant to respond. "...Yes."
The man grinned, revealing slightly pointed teeth with his smile. "Marvelous! Thank you all for arriving so punctually. I am the head chaperone of Mr Potter's meeting, Elder Sampson Murr, and my companion over the head of protection for this meeting, Sir Alden Wallis."
"It is an honour to meet you, Elder Murr, Sir Wallis."
"It is an honour to me to once again be able to host a human-born Submissive Fae's mate meeting. It has been quite a while since I witnessed one."
The fact that the Elder Fae admitted that it was a while ago was telling that this event occurred well before Harry himself was born, most likely his parents and great-grandparents too. "And how long ago was the last?"
"Oh, it must have been around two hundred years ago, give or take a few decades."
Harry's eyes widened. "Submissives Fae's don't come about often?"
"Human-born ones, no. They are more common to Fae parents, although still not as common as Dominants are. But that's why Submissives usually choose more than one, which keeps the population stable. You will be a very sought-after man, Mr Potter."
He gulped. "I'm not sure whether that's a good thing in my mind, at the moment." The Elder laughed throatily, holding out his hand for Harry to take. They began to walk, his parents trailing behind them and Sir Wallis taking up the rear. They walked further into the building, through a pair of gigantic oaken doors, and into an equally lavish hallway that screamed of money.
"Not to worry, most born to humans aren't too pleased to attend these, but I'll have you know, the vast majority walk away happy."
"And what about those that don't?"
"Those that don't are the ones who refuse any mates. And, unfortunately, they go insane soon after. A dreadful occurrence, but we cannot force Submissives to choose a mate, it is their own choice who to spend their life with, after all." He gave Harry a reassuring look, and at the reminder that it was his choice, he relaxed slightly.
"Well, I hope there's at least one tolerable person in there." The Elder chuckled once more, nodding his head to the many guards that they passed in the hallway. This drew Harry's attention to them, as he hadn't noticed them before. Decked in what looked like armour made of an obsidian-coloured material, with a gun strapped to their side and a wand to the other, they looked imposing and downright terrifying. It was good to know that they were here to protect him.
They turned a corner, climbed up a flight of never-ending stairs, and continued along another corridor until they stopped outside of a set of smaller oaken doors. "These are to be your chambers for the entirety of your stay here, a place for you to relax away from the dominants. It is connected to its own private floo network for ease of transportation between your home and the Council Halls."
His mum spoke up then. "Thank you for being so accommodating, and with such short notice."
"It is no trouble, the Submissives who have had their worlds turned upside down overnight should be made to feel as comfortable as possible in such circumstances." Elder Murr nodded to the two guards standing on either side of the doors to push them open, which revealed a beautiful sitting room. Warmly furnished in shades of brown and white, with a glass wall facing the front gardens, it was cosy and a perfect space to escape to.
He felt something stir within him, approving of the room. His Creature side? Whatever it was, it agreed with him, and he left it at that. "This is perfect."
"I'm glad you like it. Would you like some refreshments to be brought up? I'm afraid that we have some details to go through until I can leave you."
"Yes, that would be wonderful."
"Nil, please inform the kitchen staff to bring up something light. Sir Wallis, could you replace Nil's spot for the time being?"
"Yes, Elder."
"Excellent, now then, let's get settled." He, alongside James, took a seat on the sofas in the room whilst Harry made his way over to the glass wall, curious about the view. He almost wished he'd stayed away as he spotted the packs of dominants entering the Hall.
He watched them through the window: groups spilling out of the floo's on the walls of the Council Hall, out of their transportation, a few apparating in, all of them milling into the building. It made him shiver to think that they were all coming to the halls for him. And, apparently, they had been arriving in the days before, ever since the Council had sent out news of his inheritance on the first.
Some of them, he could reluctantly admit to himself were attractive- bulky men with brown hair and leathery wings of crimson red, lithe ones with golden hair and dainty wings of glittering blues, men beautiful beyond compare that seemed to shine- but others...
He could hear them: shouting boisterously, barging into each other, exchanging insults, showing off their characteristics by flaring their wings and polluting the air with the sharp smell of aggression.
Harry turned away from the window, meeting the eyes of his mum, who looked equally as appaled as he did. "Why do I have to do this again?"
"Insanity, Harry."
He looked down at the rabble once more. "If I have to mate with any of them, I think that might drive me to insanity anyway." Elder Murr made a noise in the back of his throat but didn't comment further. "Elder Murr, is it alright if I ask you some questions?"
"Yes, of course, I am here to answer them all as well as to give you all the information you need to know for your mate meeting to go as smoothly as possible. What would you like to know?"
"If you had to estimate, in total, how many dominants are going to be here? From what I've seen only from out the window, there's at least more than thirty."
The man hummed in thoughtfully. "I cannot give you a fully accurate answer because many will arrive throughout the duration of the mate meeting. Although, I can tell you that around five hundred have already arrived. News that you are here must have spread since there seems to be an influx of arrivals now."
"Five hundred... and do I have to meet all of them?"
"If you want to pick the best dominants for yourself, I recommend it. Although, as I am about to ask, there are a few ways to lessen that number. Now, Harry, In what order do you wish to meet the dominants? So that we may group them into certain days."
He hummed, thinking. Grouping it by age might work, but that had its faults. As did grouping it by species. The only way he could reduce biases would be: "Alphabetically, that seems to be the best option. By their last names."
"Alphabetically..." Elder Murr wrote this down in his notebook, taking his request seriously. "And do you have any preferences? Species, age, gender, marital status?"
That confused him. "Marital status? Why would those who are married be here?"
"Because as a Creature, they crave a Creature mate, but they have married a non-Creature. Finding a mate and being married are two separate things." The Elder explained patiently, pen tapping on the notebook. By his expression, he clearly disapproved of such practice.
"Unmarried, please. And also not in any romantic relationships. And for gender... I only like men." The Elder hummed, writing again. "As for age...most Creatures live for a long time, so I assume many are still unmated despite their age? I'd have to say that I wouldn't feel comfortable choosing anyone too old..."
"How about you put down a maximum of, say, one hundred? That's relatively close to your age."
Harry blanched. "That's-that's way too old!" The Elder continued to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't it? Well, I suppose, in Fae, Dragonborn and Vampire terms, you're only old when you're five thousand...and even then..." He chewed at his lip. "How about seventy-five? No, that still feels like it's too old for me..."
"It is your choice, Mr Potter. No matter what age limit you put, you can refuse whoever you like when meeting them, even if they are only one year too old for your liking."
"Ok, yeah, put down seventy-five."
"So, you wish to meet the dominants in Alphabetical order. All female dominants are to be sent home, as well as those who are in romantic or marital relationships, and over the age of seventy-five. Anything else?"
"Um, those with a criminal record as well, damning stuff, you know?" He wrote it down, a serious expression on his face as he did so.
"Of course, those with a bad record are sent home as soon as they enter these doors. There is no chance that we would allow people like that to be matched with young Submissives such as yourself. Is that all?"
"I think so? I can't think of anything else."
"Not to worry, you will be given a brief profile of each Dominant whilst you are meeting with them which will allow you to quickly rule out if you don't wish to mate with them if anything on there bothers you. Speaking of one-to-one meetings, are you comfortable with them? Or would you rather your parents also be in attendance? Of course, I would be there as well, as your chaperone."
"Yeah, I'd prefer if they were there too."
"As you wish. Within these one-to-one, or more so four-to-one, meetings, you will have ten minutes with a chosen Dominant in which they will attempt to impress you into choosing them. Don't feel as though you must pick one during those first meetings, you will be asked after meeting them all to choose a select number to meet again that has interested you. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, we will have the dominant removed at your request and you may return here." Harry nodded his head to show that he was listening. "I believe, taking into account your preferences, the first meetings should take around five days in total."
"If it's over so fast, then why was I told that meetings can take months"
"These are only the first meetings. The next lot should also take a few days, despite that they will contain fewer people, and they will be longer meetings. There is also the fact that dominants arrive even after the meetings have begun, which adds more people to meet and more days to the total. It all depends on when your Creature instincts feel satisfied with the number of mates you have. It could be as simple as one, and you could be done in a matter of days, or it could be as outrageous as five."
A knock on the door announced the arrival of the refreshments, and Harry scarfed down a couple of cupcakes, much to his dad's amusement and mum's disapproval. After sating his hunger, they continued where they'd left off.
"So, my...Fae will tell me when I'm done? That's it? Is it, like, verbal or is it more of a feeling sort of tell?"
"I have been told by my own Submissive, as well as countless others, that it is a feeling. What you believe is your 'inner Fae' is you, after all. Anything that they may 'say' to you is only your own thoughts, and therefore your own feelings."
"There's no separation between me and my Fae?"
"No, you are the same entity. You are a Fae, it's only that your latent instincts have shown up now that you've gone through your inheritance, and they are confusing and foreign so you consider them to be separate from yourself." Elder Murr explained patiently.
Harry had always assumed that being a Creature meant that you gained an extra consciousness that had the characteristics of the creature you were, and that there was a mental separation between the creature side and the human side. He hadn't realised that they were one in the same.
"So, I've always been a Fae? It's only now that I'm seventeen that these instincts have shown up to allow me to know?"
"Hm, mostly yes. In the vast majority of cases, the scent of you being a Fae will tell your parents at birth if you are a Fae or any other species. However, as you were born to both human parents, there was not a scent, only a latent ability to become a Fae. It was in your odds that you would become one, definitely, but there was always the chance that your body was too weak to support the inheritance, and therefore it wouldn't have happened. Take it as a sign that you are healthy, Mr Potter."
"Harry, it feels awkward to be called Mr Potter."
"Harry, then."
After an hour or more so of conversation, in which Harry had some more of the finer, unimportant details explained to him, they headed back home in time for lunch at half twelve. He had expected for them to be gone longer but was grateful to be back, as he was utterly mentally exhausted. So much so, that after he had eaten, Harry slept until dinner, his parents content to leave him to snooze away his stress.
5th August
The next day, Harry woke up shivering from a mix of trepidation, fear and, strangely enough, excitement. Today was the commencement of his mate meeting, and he could barely keep any of his breakfast down, much to the worry of his parents.
At quarter to nine, they flooed into their room in the Council Halls, being greeted by Elder Murr and two others- Elder Yulis and Elder Sampson. Elder Yulis was a stern-looking woman, with blonde hair that was going grey at the roots, and a tall and lithe frame that only added to her intimidation factor. Elder Sampson, on the other hand, was a stockily built man with a beard as long as Dumbledore's, and a wide, welcoming grin that brightened up his brown eyes with a happy light.
"Mr Potter, Lord Potter, Lady Potter, thank you for arriving so promptly. May I introduce to you my fellow chaperones for this meeting- Elder Yulis and Elder Sampson." He looked at each one as he introduced them. "Each has chaperoned countless meetings in the past, so I can assure you that we all know what we are doing, and will do our very best to make sure that your Meeting goes according to plan."
"I am in your capable hands, Elder Murr, Elder Yulis, Elder Sampson." Both chaperones nodded to him in greeting, holding out their hands to shake with both him and his parents, who both looked a little overwhelmed.
Their group headed out of the room and down the stairs, his heart beating ever faster with every step he took. His breathing started to grow audible in the silence, and as the oaken doors leading into the main hall came into sight, he barely repressed the whimper that wanted to tear from his throat.
Behind that door were hundreds of Dominants of all kinds of Creature species, all vying to be his mate at any cost. He could already hear the racket within already, loud bellows and screams, inhuman growls and screeches that made him wince at the feralness in their tone. It made him wish he could turn tail and run, but he wouldn't, he had to do this.
He would not allow himself to go insane, if only for that reason.
The guards standing on either side of the doors took their quick approach as an incentive to open the door, and they began to creak open with a deafening creak, thudding once they slammed onto the walls. Long before they had fully opened, the noise inside had dimmed dramatically, every Dominant within halting their fights, conversations and demonstrations to instead turn their heads towards the door and watch as Harry and his group walked in.
It was nervewracking to enter with every pair of eyes focused solely on himself, only Elder Murr in front of him shielding him partially from the ravenous stares. The smell of aggression in the air alone was enough to make him regret agreeing to this how thing.
Elder drew himself up to his full height, an impressive six foot four- still lacking compared to quite a few of the Dominants he could see- and bellowed out to the crowd. "I will have order in these halls! If you cannot remain civil with one another for more than the five minutes that It took for me to retrieve Mr Potter and his parents, then you should not be here at all! This is the last warning you shall receive, there will be no fighting whatsoever whilst a Submissive is present, am I clear?"
"Yes, Elder." A cacophony of voices responded in a put-out tone, some nearer to him shuffling anxiously as they stared greedily at him, eyes roving his body in a way that made him feel exposed and uncomfortable. He shifted closer to his Dad, who wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders, smile strained.
Elder Murr looked back at him, and in a quieter voice, questioned him. "Now, Harry dear, do you wish to introduce yourself, or shall I do it for you?"
Harry shrank back at the mere thought of speaking up in front of a crowd so large. He had never been the most outgoing of people, only sticking close to a few close friends, and inhabiting the same social groups since he was young. This was all very new to him, and not at all welcome. "Please, could you?" He pleaded in a timid voice, barely audible to the man who stood right in front of him. Still, the Elder smiled at him comfortingly.
"Of course." He turned back to the giant crowd in front. "May I introduce to you all, Harry Potter, a Submissive Fae and a student at Hogwarts. As per usual, you will each meet with Mr Potter in a controlled meeting for ten minutes as a maximum. Mr Potter had decided to proceed with these meetings in alphabetical order. When your name is called, please proceed to the meeting room, which is through those double doors and down the connecting hallway." He pointed to oaken doors that Harry hadn't noticed before, on the left-hand side of the hall. They would have to walk through the crowd to reach them. "The room is warded for Mr Potters's protection, and any Dominant that is forcibly removed from the room will be barred from entering again, which also goes for any Dominant attempting to enter out of turn." Elder Murr turned to him once more. "Harry, would you like to proceed with the meetings now, or do you wish for more time?"
Harry drew in a deep breath, eyeing the eager-looking Dominants surrounding their little group anxiously. All he wanted was to get out of this crowd! "Yes, I'd rather start them sooner than later." He nodded seriously, making eye contact with the other Elders, who tensed themselves into defensive positions and drew closer to him and his parents, protecting them as they moved steadily through the throng of parting Dominants. Some were less respectful, attempting to grab at him as he passed them, but their behaviour didn't go unpunished as the Elders smacked their hands away, and guards descended upon them like hounds to blood.
Finally, they made it into the meeting room, which was large and airy, coloured in creams, whites and dark greens. What Harry enjoyed best about the room, however, was the glass wall that allowed them to look out onto a lush-looking courtyard filled to the brim with greenery of all sorts. It calmed him down enough to relax into the soft, cushiony sofa he was settled on, between his parents and Elder Murr. Elder Yulis and Sampson stayed outside in the hallway, and the two guards who had been posted there before entered the room to stand by the doors.
He was a little uncomfortable with their presence, as he had been told that there was only going to be the four of them, but reasoned with himself that they were simply there for his protection and nothing else. After another five minutes of settling, in which Elder Murr went over a brief overview of the day again, and handed him a stack of papers containing the information of the Dominants he'd be meeting today, Harry was ready to start his mate meeting properly.
Harry's first meeting was with a man named Harvey Abersmith, a tall, heavily muscled man that swaggered into the meeting room as if he owned the place, and they should be grateful for his presence. Harry immediately didn't like the man, looking down at the file in his hands instead to read it, not wanting to have to pay him any attention for the time being.
Name: Harvey Abersmith
Age: Thirty-five
Species: Dragonborn
Nationality: Scottish
Occupation: Build-
The Dominant let out a gruff huff, collapsing back onto the sofa. "What is this, a book club?" Harry didn't look up at his interjection, continuing to read. "Hey, how dare you not look at me! A Submissive should always greet a Dominant when they walk into the room, and only when they've been acknowledged, can they look away. Do you have no manners, boy?" Harry was absolutely gobsmacked in the face of such arrogance. He raised his eyes to look at the Dominant splayed across the sofa in front of him, a scowl upon his face. Harvey grinned as their eyes met. "That's better, I can see your pretty eyes now. Cor, you're a looker, eh? Bet you'd look even prettier-"
"Get him out."
The dominant's eyes bulged in his head, face turning an ugly puce colour at Harry's hissed words. "How dare you speak to a Dominant-"
"Get him out!" He demanded, turning to the Elder next to him who looked equally as stunned. A pair of guards, who had already been making their way over, grabbed the offending dominant by his arms, and even as he struggled to escape their grip, they held on and dragged him out of the room. Harry let out a breath, head falling into his hands. He already felt exhausted, and that was only the first Dominant. The meeting had only lasted for a minute, for Merlin's sake! "This is a big mistake, I don't think I can do this."
His mum rubbed his back sympathetically, cheeks flushed with righteous anger. "He had no right to speak to you in such a way, the nasty, bigoted man!" His father puffed in agreement, hand moving away from where his want holder was situated. Harry sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.
"Can I have a minute before you send the next one in? I feel like I'm going to burst."
"Of course, Mr Potter. The meeting was supposed to be for ten minutes in total. You still have seven of them until the next one is scheduled." Elder Murr soothed, looking flushed. It hadn't escaped Harry's notice how the man had gotten to his feet, wings flaring menacingly at the Dominant, ready to place himself between them if the man had decided to lunge for him. He was lucky, he guessed, to have such a protective Fae for a chaperone.
The next few Dominants were the same as the first, equally as cocky, not allowing him to get a word in edgeways, more interested in bragging about their jobs and exploits than speaking to him about what he wanted in a mate. The worst, however, were the ones that seemed to believe him to be little more than a damsel in distress, needing 24/7 protection and only that.
"-Every submissive needs a Dominant to protect them, and what better than a descendant of the dragons themselves, eh? I think I could be that one, keeping you inside a cosy tower, far away from the dangers of the world." The pretentious man in front of him exclaimed, stretching his wings out in an attempt to woo him. Harry was not impressed in the slightest, both by his words and his actions.
"Oh, is that so? Well, it's lucky that there are many Dragonborn here then, seeing as I feel no attraction whatsoever to you."
"Huh?" He dumbly responded, eyebrows scrunching in confusion before his eyes widened in realisation. "What- You dare-!"
Harry raised his eyebrow at the guards, who both looked amused as they dragged another shouting dominant out of the meeting room. "Well, we finished rather early, eh?"
His mother sighed. "I agree that you should have sent them away, but you could have been the bigger person and punched him in the face instead, darling."
"Oh, I was contemplating it. Wasn't sure if I would get told off for it or not though." Harry looked at the chaperone questioningly.
"No, Mr Potter. A Submissive may protect themself and those they see as kin however they wish when issued with something that they deem as a threat or insult." Elder Murr wore a blank expression, although he was internally snickering at the conversation in front of him. Not many Submissives had the gall to outright express their desire to resort to violence, too indoctrinated into society's pre-determined characteristics of soft, motherly and gentle souls who could do no harm.
"Huh, nice." Harry grinned. "Time for lunch, I suppose, then back to this circus again."
The meetings after lunch were little better, although the dominants were less inclined to try and grab at him with the increased presence of guards around the room, a request from James. It was no longer a four-on-one meeting, more like an eight-on-one, but Harry didn't mind. As long as the dirty paws of the Dominants were kept off of him, he could relax in his seat and snark at them all he wished.
It was during the final few meetings of the day when he had reached all the way to the letter E, that Harry finally met a Dominant worth keeping in the room.
He was lither and shorter than many, although not the smallest he had come across, and respectfully greeted those in the room before taking a seat, crossing his legs a folding his hands in his lap. The image of a perfect gentleman, he could almost feel his mum vibrating with pleased surprise in the seat next to his.
His name was Emeric Edouard, pronounced Ehm-Reek he'd been informed, a magical lawyer from France, whose hobbies included writing books, stargazing and cooking. He was polite and respectful, on the younger end of the spectrum of those he had met before at twenty-eight years old, and was an Elf from notable lineage.
How could a man such as this one not have already been snatched up? It was kind of suspicious, but Harry didn't let his thoughts ruin the only actual conversation he'd been able to have with one of his prospects all day.
"You are top of your class in Magical Defence? Impressive, I myself enjoy the odd duel. Perhaps, we could give it a shot one day, yes?" The golden-haired man grinned up at him, eyes glinting jovially.
"Perhaps." Harry allowed himself to smile softly, thoroughly enjoying his time with Emeric. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elder Murr watching him with a pleased yet nervous expression, which he couldn't decipher what the emotion was for. There wasn't any danger, was there?
The meeting came to an end sooner than he would have liked, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that he could invite Emeric back for another, longer meeting as soon as he was finished meeting the rest. He had the man's name placed onto the list for future meetings, of which his was the first.
It was with a soft smile still on his face that he greeted the next Dominant, a carbon copy of the wonderful man who had just left the room, only with a prominent scowl in place of a sweet smile.
He gruffly introduced himself as Emile Edouard, Emeric's twin brother. And from there on, Harry could guess as to why Emeric was still unchosen, despite his perfectness.
Emile, unlike his brother, was brash and cold, merely grunting in response to his questions, sometimes not even bothering to do that. He snapped and snarled, releasing unattractive pheromones that clogged his nose and set him on edge. The guards around the room shifted anxiously, and Elder Murr was leaning forward, yet they did nothing to stop it as Harry had yet to express his displeasure. It was frustrating to tolerate his manners, but he didn't have to mate with this man, so he wasn't all too concerned with his behaviour. That was until he dropped the bombshell that destroyed Harry's hope of living a contented life with his more likeable twin.
Emile had grinned suddenly, an evil little thing that sent shivers down his spine. "As twins, if you mate one of us, you mate us both. You seem to like Emeric." He spoke in a heavily accented voice, obviously not enthusiastic to be speaking English even momentarily. Harry was shocked, he had not known such a thing. A glance towards Elder Murr confirmed that this was the truth, and Harry had Emile sent away shortly after as he once again placed his head into his hands.
Suffice to say, Harry felt no desire after that to pursue the twin he liked as he did not want to be stuck with such a grouchy man for the rest of his life, even if Emeric had been the only tolerable Dominant so far. And so, his name was struck from the list, not that it even was one yet.
He still had most of the alphabet left to go yet, so he wasn't too worried about finding the ones for him in the rabble.
6th August
The next day saw the beginning of the F's. Farrow, Ferguson, Frank, the list continued, and every single Dominant hadn't appealed to him in the slightest. His hope was fading fast, and he wondered if, perhaps, he was being too picky with his choices.
His father and mother quickly put those sorts of thoughts down, detailing to him all the reasons why he should be even pickier, as their 'darling boy deserved the very best of the best, and no less than that.' It was bad enough that throughout the meetings, they were whispering into his ears everything wrong that they observed about the current Dominant, how he was either too bossy, too rude, too meek or too boisterous, messing with his own thoughts.
It took until the H's until he stumbled across the next Dominant that caught his attention in a positive light.
Name: Anton Hartmann
Age: Twenty-two
Species: Veela
Nationality: German
Occupation: Apprentice Potioneer
He was young, the youngest that Harry had come across so far, which was a plus for Harry- he didn't quite know how to feel yet about the prospect of choosing someone over the age of thirty, let alone nearer to seventy-five. It also helped that he was extremely attractive with his deep blue eyes and dark brown hair, his Veela status obvious.
Anton was a bit cockier than he would usually like, but he made up for it with his hilarious personality, and in the ten minutes they spent together for the meeting, Harry had laughed more than he had in the last few days.
He was sure that this man was going to be his mate or at least one of them, urging Elder Murr to write down his interest for another meeting after Anton left. Elder Murr, with a conflicted expression, noted it down in the notebook he held. Harry barely repressed a sigh of annoyance, the man in front of him being at least five thousand years older than himself, so he deserved that much respect.
"What's wrong with my choice this time? Does he have a twin I'll be forced to mate with as well, one with a terrible personality?"
The man flushed a bit, having not meant to make his feelings outwardly noticeable. "No, not at all. It's just that, did you learn the lifespans of each creature race?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then you'll know that the lifespan of the Fae and Veela dramatically differ. Fae live for, on average, upwards of five thousand years, whilst the oldest Veela made it to only just over seven hundred years. Could you deal with losing a mate so early on?"
Harry opened his mouth and closed it just as quickly. Elder Murr had a point, despite how much he wished he didn't. He would potentially, almost certainly, outlive any Veela mates he took, any mates that were not from the Dragonborn, Fae, Vampire or Boread species in fact. Did that mean that he had to confine himself to only choosing from those select four, just so that he'd have mates that he could live with for his entire lifespan? In his mind, over seven hundred years seemed plenty enough time, but would that change in the future? Harry was conflicted but decided not to say anything, the Elder still studying him.
"Call the next one in."
The next Dominant barely lasted a couple of minutes under Harry's newly ruthless scrutinisation, thrown out for insinuating that he wouldn't allow him to get a job, as 'raising our children in more than enough to do.' He huffed as the man continued to yell about how great he was despite being dragged into the corridor, the door slamming shut and plunging the room into silence once more.
"Well, that one's another no." His dad commented, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle, crossing the man's information out.
It looked as though it was going to be another day of lacklustre success, with the remaining Dominants proving his point exactly as they, too, were thrown out of the room before their allotted time was up.
7th August
On the seventh of August, the meetings for those with surnames of K's to M's began.
It was the same again- Dominants too cocky for their own good, making demands of him with outdated views and opinions, only ending up kicked out of the room by a furious Harry and equally disapproving parents.
However, as the L's came to a near end, a Dominant that ticked all of his boxes came sauntering through the door.
Name: Elian -
Age: Twenty-Seven
Species: Fae
Nationality: Land of the Fair Folk
Occupation: -
He was an extremely pretty-looking man, comparable to the statues Harry had seen of the greek gods, lithe in stature with beautiful golden eyes that matched his blond hair perfectly. His wings were a similar bright gold, sharp yet dainty looking, and that feature caused a thought to rise in his mind, yet he couldn't quite grasp it. Where had he heard of golden wings like that before?
The more pressing matter, however, was the missing information from his sheet. "Why is it not showing his surname? Does he not have one?" Harry questioned Elder Murr under his breath, but Elian, with his soft, sophisticated voice, answered instead.
"Oh, I have one. But for mate meetings, I prefer not to use it. Family reasons." He smiled beautifully, perfect teeth gleaming. Harry was blinded by his attractiveness, spluttering internally about how to respond.
His lack of surname was strange, but tolerable due to how much he liked him. Well, liked his looks, more like. It was yet to be seen whether his personality would hold on to that. "Uh, okay." Harry managed to get out, much to his parent's amusement and Elder Murr's delight, who finally looked happy with his choice. Actually, he looked more than happy. He seemed only seconds away from falling to the floor on his knees, staring at Elian like he was some sort of demi-god.
Where had he heard about those golden wings from?
"So, um, Elian, you're occupation is also hidden. Is that also a family secret?" Stupid Harry, asking stupid questions. What if he wasn't employed and he'd just said something insensitive to insult this extremely attractive, seemingly physically perfect Dominant?
He giggled childishly, sounding years younger than what was written on his profile. Harry had to double-check that the information was still the same and that he hadn't misread it. Nope, still twenty-seven. He also looked younger than that, seeming closer to Harry in age than anyone else had. "Yep, they're kind of connected by association, so I don't want to reveal it either." Elian winked with a cheeky smile. "But, don't worry, I do have plenty of money."
"Oh, no, that's not an issue at all! I was just wondering, I have plenty to support myself."
Elian's head tilted to the side minutely, hair brushing his shoulders. "It's a source of pride for Dominants to be able to supply for their Submissives, even if there is no need to. It's perfectly understandable for you to want to know if any of us can support you and any children you have financially."
Harry had barely been allowing himself to think of future children at the moment, let alone the imminent arrival of his heat that would create those children in Merlin knows how much time. All he knew for sure was that he had already started his heat cycle, as of the moment he came into his inheritance. It could be mere days to years until his heat finally hit him, and the not knowing made him want to rush and find a mate as soon as possible. The non-creature side of him, however, wished to prolong that for as long as he could.
He simply hummed in response to Elian's words, trying to hide how uncomfortable the mention of having children was for him. He was only seventeen, for Merlin's sake! In no way was he ready for children, at least, not until after he had graduated from Hogwarts.
He could only hope that his heat cycle was kind to him, lasting for a while or so, or that he at least had a string of 'unfertile heats', as they were called.
In the meantime, however, he was happy enough to observe the scarce attractive Dominants who were vying for his attention, such as Elian in front of him.
"You are the first Fae that I have met in these meetings so far."
"Ah, that would be because I am one of the few under the age of seventy-five." He chuckled. "Some of my kin looked rather peeved that you had set such a restriction, but it's to my advantage, so I'm not complaining in the slightest."
Harry attempted to smile as normally as he could in response, but he just felt so out of wack that it came out more like a grimace. Did Fae have hypnotising powers or something? He wanted to ask, but the question died in his throat every time he opened his mouth. It ended with him making unintelligible noises that drew the attention of the room's occupants.
"Are you alright, Harry?" The Fae asked.
"Yep, all good!" He practically wheezed, slightly flushing as his mum snorted behind her hand. Elian smiled wider, smugly.
"Hm, if you say so. Anyway, you are a student at Hogwarts, yes? What Fae-related information is on the curriculum?"
"Um, none?"
His eyebrows scrunched. "Nothing?" Harry nodded. "So, how much knowledge do you have on Fae?"
"All that's in ' Magical Inheritances: An overview of this spectacular phenomenon .', and I've started to read another that's a bit more detailed."
The Fae raised his eyebrows. "That's it? Oh, no, that won't do! Not when you're a Fae yourself! Elder Murr, who was responsible for educating Harry about our world, and why have they not done it adequately?" He turned to the Elder, a scowl on his pretty face, making the more dangerous aspects of his features stand out starkly.
The Elder, surprisingly, bowed his head to the man. "Mr Potter only came into his inheritance on the thirty-first of July, his seventeenth birthday. His Consultant gave him books to read, and he has been making his way through them. I assure you, Mr Potter has the resources he needs."
Elian squinted his eyes at the Elder, before turning to Harry. "Ask me any questions you want, I'm quite well-versed in our species despite my age. Actually, it might be better, because I can give you more relevant insight into Fae of our age."
The pair of them talked for the remaining time, with Harry rapidly firing questions at the man. However, the time was not enough for him to be satisfied, and with a smile, Harry had Elian's name written on the list before he left.
"He was nice, I liked him."
James coughed into his fist. "I know, we could all tell." Elder Murr looked amused as he handed him the next Dominant's profile.
Unfortunately, the next lot of Dominants ruined his happy mood with their attitudes, and Harry once again despised the meetings.
The door to the meeting room opened for the nth time that day, and Harry nearly sighed as he looked up when Elder Murr began to introduce them.
"Mr Potter, this is-"
That silvery-white hair was unmistakable, as were the grey eyes and trademark sly smirk that grew wider when Harry spoke over the introduction, as confident and cocky as ever. "...Draco? What-what are you doing here?" He stuttered out, getting to his feet in disbelief. Why was Draco here? It couldn't be-
The man, who looked as if he had grown even taller since they had last met, spread his arms theatrically, the golden wings behind him shifting with the movement. "To compete for the title of your mate, of course. Just as every other Dominant here is doing." Harry gaped at him, before lunging forward and into his arms. He could feel his eyes sting from the tears gathering in them, but didn't care to rub at them, too absorbed his hugging his best friend- the one he fell unconditionally in love with many years before.
He couldn't believe it, he'd barely been able to come to terms with the fact that he couldn't be with Draco, and now he was here, a Dominant Creature at his mate meeting! He voiced his thoughts, no matter how disjointed they came out. "Draco, Draco, I can't believe- I gave up the hope of ever being with you, and then you suddenly just pop up? How am I supposed to react-!"
He hushed him, smoothing a hand through his hair, grimacing as it got caught in the wild tresses. "Well, you could always choose me as your mate. I've liked you for a while now, Harry. I'm sorry that I started distancing myself, but, as you can see, I came into an inheritance. It crushed my hopes of being with you, as at the time, I thought that there was no way you could be a creature. When I heard that you were the Submissive whose meeting was to be held, I didn't believe it at first. But, here you are, a Fae of all things." He chuckled, clinging to him closer as Harry began to sob harder. He could hear his mum sniffling in the background, and his dad clearing his throat as he too tried to hold back his tears. Elder Murr sat on the sofa, staring at the pair of them clinging to each other with a knowing gaze.
"So, you have already chosen your first Dominant, Harry? Congratulations are in order." The man smiled softly at his tear-stricken face, and Harry couldn't help but smile happily as he clung tighter to Draco- his mate.
His first mate.
A small 'Thanks' was all he could manage to get out, too emotional for anything else. He had Draco- Draco who he had loved for years- and they were mates! It was such a shocking turn of events that he could barely wrap his head around it.
With Harry gaining a mate and needing time for their bond to settle, the remaining meetings for the day were cancelled, much to the disgruntlement of the waiting Dominants, but Harry couldn't find it inside himself to care. They settled inside of the rooms he had been given, his parents heading for another one to give them privacy, and sat on one of the sofas, simply clinging to each other as if the other would disappear if they were to let them go.
"Is this a dream?"
"It better not be one. I was dreading having to be with a Submissive eventually because they were not you, but your Potter luck seems to have brushed off on me. Now, I'm mates with my closest friend, who also happens to be the one who I love. If this is a dream, then it's the happiest one I've ever had."
Harry snorted, his mind slowly emerging from the euphoric haze that had been forced onto him due to their sudden bonding, and sat up a bit. "You're such a sap sometimes."
"Way to ruin the romantic moment, Harry." Draco snarked, his own eyes gaining more clarity as the moments passed. "I did not expect it to hit that hard, or so suddenly. You must really like me to snatch me up that quickly."
Harry sighed, relaxing deeper into the sofa as the haziness finally passed. "Hm, I suppose so." They continued to sit in silence as they had previously until a thought sparked to life in the back of his brain. "What creature are you, anyway? I interrupted Elder Murr before he could say, or before I read your file."
"A Boread- one of my ancestors was married to one a few hundred years back. It was surprising that I came into an inheritance with such diluted creature blood, but my dad was a carrier for it, so it was always a possibility." He explained, enjoying the way Harry's eyes widened slightly.
"A Boread?! Aren't you kind, like, really rare? I haven't met a Boread yet, and I'm sure most of the world's unmated male Dominants under seventy-five are in that hall!"
Draco looked undeniably smug. "I'm the youngest one, too. By a hundred or more years, so you won't be seeing any other but me." He practically preened as Harry continued to stare at him. "It's lucky that I mated to you as well, the other Boreads will be pleased."
"Hm, why?"
"Dominant Boreads take on the life span of their Submissive mate. The Fae don't have a definite life span, and that means that I'll live for as long as you do, which is good for my species. There aren't even a thousand Boreads left worldwide, because of the rare chances of a Boreads birth, and the Veela species spitefully mating with Boreads to lower our numbers after being given the fourth highest spot in the hierarchy."
"Ah, I remember reading about this- The Boreads were given fourth, but they gave it up to the Veela instead, so the Veela thought they were taking pity on them. Why did they do that?"
"I don't know, it's a sore subject for Boreads, and as I'm 'so young', they won't tell me much. I'm classed as an adult, aren't I?"
Harry burst into laughter at that. "I feel like we're both going to be told that for a very, very long time." Draco pulled a slight face, not used to the sound of such a long life span even after a month of learning about creatures in an in-depth way.
"Hmph."