Thank you to ALL who read and review.
Thank you to my BETA's: Merlin, GoldenSunnyGrl, Malombra.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. belong to JKR. I am not JKR. Therefore, Harry Potter and Co. are just here for me to play with. And I do so love to play…
Pairing: Harry/Draco so this is SLASH.
No MPREG in this story though it is IMPLIED that it happens in the future. If, by some odd reason, I change my mind, I do apologize now.
Also, Blaise Zabini is a girl in this story of mine. I know that in book 6, JKR finally reveals the gender of Blaise, but this was started before book 6 and anyways, I am not JKR so anything, ANYTHING, I write here is AU.
MY STORY IS AU.
ENJOY!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
HISTORY OF VEELAS cont.
The Veelan Race has had to evolve quickly in order to survive. It has encountered conflicts along the way but for the most part they have been easily overcome.
New cases in the Veela Court and changes in recent Laws, have made transition into 'Modern Times' easier. Of course, the generations of soon to be mated Veela are, for the most part, younger and more accepting than in the older times where change was abhorred. The Younger Veela have taken more control over their lives causing these new changes.
Having the future King of the Earth Clan so young has also had a lasting effect on the younger generation of Veela. The Young Veela Prince will rule the Clans within the next century. Will the Veelan Race prosper or die out due to this unheard of legacy? Only time will tell what kind of leader the Young Veela Prince will be, but he has grown up with the teachings of one of the greatest leaders of the Veelan Race in our time, High Lord Lucien Abraxus Malvolio.
Excerpt from : Modern Times and the Veelan Legacy
By: Lord Toshiri Relin
Information courtesy of The Hogwart's Library
anno domini merlin 1986.
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Draco hovered around Madam Pomfrey as she settled Harry into a bed in a secluded room at the very back of the infirmary. A quick glance around showed that this room was Harry's, an open cabinet held potions that ranged from blood replenishing potions to common headache ones. It was the blanket and bed sheets that gave it away though as Harry had the same ones on his bed in his private room. The ceiling also drew his attention as it showed a night sky that was sparkling with millions of stars. Draco's sharp gaze was pulled from his silent contemplation of the ceiling when the Medi-witch cast one last charm on his mate and stepped back.
His hesitation to get any closer was evident but so was his need to be as close to Harry as possible. He wanted to fall to his knees at the side of his bed and spend the rest of the day and night watching over his bedine. But he knew he wasn't yet accepted. He nervously wiped his sweaty hands up and down his legs over and over as he bit his much abused, almost bleeding lip. The urge to gather Harry up and run off to a safe place was stronger here than when they had been in Harry's room though the actual trip here was a blur to the young Veela. He had spent the trip revelling in the images, feelings, and the joy of holding his mate in his arms and had been very reluctant to let him go. It had taken a sharp word from his father for him to get up from the stretcher.
"He'll be asleep for at least a few more hours. I had to give him a dreamless sleep potion along with the blood replenishing potion." Madam Pomfrey talked to the Veela before her but she was also facing and speaking to the Veela's father as it was clear he would need to know what had been done to help heal his son's mate. She continued as she saw Lord Malfoy's head nod in acknowledgement. "His loss of consciousness was due to head trauma and the amount of blood lost."
Madam Pomfrey hesitated before deciding to keep her counsel. She loved Harry deeply and the way he had been raised was a bone of contention she had with the Headmaster. She had healed many an injury when he had come back to school after spending the summer with his relatives. When he hadn't shown up the night of the welcoming feast she had sought him out. She had listened to his story about the events of this last summer and had been glad for him and made sure he knew to come to her if he needed anything.
Draco licked his dry lips, "will- will he be all right?"
"He will. Harry is a very strong individual, Mr. Malfoy; he will not be down long. He does need rest though and that is why he was given the dreamless sleep potion." The dreamless sleep potion would make Harry sleep as he went through the painful process of his body producing more hemoglobin As an accomplished potion's student Draco would know this and not question the confusion and pain that Harry would experience when he woke. As a Veela, Draco was going to have a hard time reigning in his natural reaction to his hurting mate.
Draco reached out and ran a shaking hand down Harry's right arm. His fingers traced a thin white line of a scar that ran from the outside of his mate's arm from elbow upwards. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood at the flash of anger he felt at the evidence of harm to his beloved. The hand not tracing the scar tightened into a fist. "Where did this scar come from?"
Madam Pomfrey smiled gently at the upset Veela before her. "He got that last year. I am sure if you ask him he will tell you. I hear it is quite the funny story."
Draco felt the irrational anger rise in him at just the thought that his bedine had been injured, funny story or not. He stamped it down by sheer force of will and just nodded. All of a sudden the enormity of the situation hit him and suddenly he was tired. Now that his mate was found, the days of worry and fear were almost over, though he hadn't been accepted yet…there is hope, but not certainty. Once again he pushed that thought down by sheer force of his will. Where he was getting the strength he didn't know, as a Veela the Madness had weakened him considerately. But he was now a Veela that knew who his mate was even if he was still unsure if he was going to be accepted or not.. Because of the turmoil these last few weeks, emotional and physical, his body was shutting down and his mind was finding it hard to keep working, all that kept running through his mind as he stared at Harry was, 'His mate! He had found his mate!'
"Draco," his father's voice was loud, and sharp, enough to shake Draco out of his musings, "you should take this time to rest as well."
Draco nodded and pulled the chair, a comfortable one that was not in the hideous colors of his mate's house but was covered in soft blue velvet, next to Harry's bed as close as he could get it. He sat and drew Harry's hand to his chest and laid his head down trapping their joined hands together under his chin. Soon, light snores were heard from both boys.
Lord Malfoy pulled the medi-witch aside and that left Pansy to watch over the two sleeping boys. Now that they knew who Draco's mate was they could step back and watch the drama unfold as the two rivals went head to head. It should prove to be very interesting. Harry was going to fight this for a little while at least, it was a given based on their history. Draco, though he might want to fight just on principle, wouldn't because his Veela side wouldn't let him. Pansy knew that once Draco was assured that Harry would accept the claim he would be more inclined to argue with his potential mate. Right now, Harry was in the enviable position to ask anything from the young Veela. And Draco would do everything in his power to see that Harry got what he wanted. If he did argue, the emotional and physical repercussions would be high.
Pansy expected that the fights they had had before this would be nothing compared to what they would be now. Legendary – was a word coming to mind – Hogwarts would be lucky to still be standing. The most powerful wizard since Merlin and the Prince of Slytherin - and a Veelan Sovereing-to-be of course. Their fights were going to be something to be feared. She suspected that Draco would be in for some heart ache, before Potter would accept the claim. Had she really known what Harry's childhood had been like, she would have had no qualms; as it were, she had no choice but to be afraid for her friend.
She leaned down to whisper in the unconscious boys ear knowing that he couldn't hear her, this was all for her own piece of mind. "You had better not hurt him, Potter. I know a curse that will boil your blood, literally. Do not give me reason to use it."
The other boy shifted on the bed but didn't wake. The frown gracing his face was actually cute and with that thought came one that most females make at some time when contemplating their friend's love life. They will make beautiful babies together! She smiled down at them both; Draco would string her up if he knew she had just thought that. But they would, with Draco's pale coloring mixing with Harry's golden coloring, their children would be a sight to behold. She could see twins, one of each, one with Draco's pale eyes but Harry's coloring. The other would have Harry's bright green eyes and Draco's pale coloring. Standing beside each other they would be the embodiment of their parent's love for each other.
Pansy had no doubt that Potter would, eventually, accept Draco's claim. (After all, who wouldn't?) Though Potter, she hesitated to refer to him as Harry just yet, was not wizard bred, he would have had the same DADA lessons as the other fifth years and would have heard of the benefits of having a Veela for a mate. But this was HARRY POTTER, and nothing was ever straightforward where he was concerned. 'We shall just have to wait and see; and be ready to pick up the pieces wherever they'll fall.' She shivered; in anticipation or dread, she wasn't quite sure.
She loved Draco as a brother, but she knew that his arrogance and stubbornness got in the way of reason, sometimes. Would Harry see beyond the mask, to the vulnerable boy called Draco? Or would his own special brand of arrogance prevent him from reaching out to the other half of himself...the half he did not know he was missing? And Harry was arrogant! No doubt about it. But it was an arrogance that he'd had to cultivate to survive in the Wizard World. The arrogance of one who knows he is on the side of the light. What Pansy did not know was that he too lived behind a mask and that arrogance he showed was a self-defense mechanism to shield him against so many hurts...too many for any of them to count. "Yes, we shall have to wait and see...and hope!"
The Slytherins, Draco and his friend's, had made it a point to know as much about the 'Golden Trio' as was possible to find out, the Hogwart's persona at least. Of course, no one knew as much as Draco did. Thinking about that it was now apparent why he had been so obsessed over Potter since their first day here at Hogwart's.
She knew that it was going to be rough for the both of them but it was a dream for every young witch and wizard to be the mate of a Veela. Harry would have the kind of unconditional love and family that he craved since he could remember and Draco, though he had fought it the last few months, would know that he was accepted for himself, not because he was the next Veela Prince or because he was the Slytherin Prince. Each of the friends knew what Draco had been through, all his doubts and fears and Pansy knew that Harry was the one to lay all of them to rest. Pulling another chair close to the sleeping boys, she settled down to wait for them to wake. She wouldn't miss this for the world as it was looking up to be a spectacular fight and was sure to rock the foundations of the school. It would be years before everyone stopped talking about it she was sure. Looking around she liked the feel of the room and knew that both boys would be spending time in here. If the infirmary was left standing that is.
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He couldn't stand the burning heat, the clawing, itchy feeling that made him want to crawl out of his own skin. He didn't know if the crushing weight on his chest was real or imaginary. He tried to reign in the feelings of despair that threatened him again but, as always, he was unsuccessful. The pain and darkness crept closer to him and the screams of the unknown hovered just on the outskirts of the darkness, pushing it in with every faint beat of his slowing heart. He tried to stop the screams but the need…the want…the hurt was just too much.
He cried out, "Lessa, ain a? Nian?"
He remembered that at this point he was normally screaming out for a release that never came. Crying out had never resulted in any response before. The need burned him from the inside out and he knew, he just knew, that it was supposed to be a good thing, somewhere in the back of his consciousness it was screaming at him to wake. He cried out for something to end this all.
"Draco!"
Harry woke with a scream lodged in his throat. His body was drenched in sweat and his breathing was ragged and loud. He had not gotten used to the dreams. Maybe now that he knew why he was having them, they would slow down and eventually disappear. Maybe when he either accepted or denied the claim? He didn't know and frankly he didn't want to think about it right now. He tried to move and that was when he realized that his hand was caught in a tight grip.
Draco woke to Harry's voice calling out to him. He felt a tug and the hand clasped tightly in his own pulled him even further from his sleep. He opened his eyes to see Harry's confused green eyes looking at his hand. Draco smiled and without much thought reached to pull his mate into his arms.
Harry, who was not all the way awake yet and who was still pushing the last vestiges of sleep away, stiffened. He was overcome by feelings that he wasn't ready to face yet and the fear from the dream was still heavy in his heart. Feeling more confused than he had ever felt before, he pushed frantically at the arms that held him, small whimpers and pleas falling on the ears of the Veela that held him. Harry had never had this kind of affection shown to him and wasn't dealing with it at all well. Add to this the fact that he was not quite sure if he could trust Draco, and his reactions were only to be expected. He had been betrayed too many times and was very leery of trusting people with his heart. He was willing to sacrifice his life, but his heart?…no! It was too fragile to risk.
The Veela in Draco sensed Harry's withdrawal and took it the only way he could- Rejection! His whole being shuddered and he was overcome by utter devastation. With a low cry he stood and ran from the infirmary believing he understood why Harry did not want him.
Lucius stepped towards Harry with a grim look on his face, which immediately softened at seeing the young man's distress reflected in the large green eyes. He stretched his hand to gently caress the white face and with a nod of understanding let him know that he would deal with his upset son. Harry, with the imagery of his dream still burning in his mind laid his aching head back on the pillow and closed his eyes, totally ignoring the presence of the other Slytherin in the room. Pansy had instinctively stood up, face twisted with rage and ready to wring the Gryffindors neck for upsetting her beloved friend. The look on Harry's face stayed her hand. The presence and understanding of the elder Veela – not someone to cross at any time – made her realized that this was bigger than she could deal with at present. Without a word, but wit a promise to herself that she would get to the bottom of this, she followed Lord Malfoy out of the infirmary, leaving Harry half asleep and alone.
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With Draco and Lucius on the way back to the Slytherin's quarters and Madam Pomfrey in her storage room, selecting various potions for the next few days use, Harry let himself fall back onto his pillow closing his eyes tiredly, trying to think his feelings through. He clearly remembered the fifth year class about Veela, not to mention all the research he did privately. Had he been thinking about it too deeply he might have questioned his motives about that time in fifth year when he spent more time in the library than even Hermione. He had been so obsessed with learning everything he could about Veelas. In hind-sight, that had really been a good idea. He was sure that outside of the Veelan Race itself, he was the most informed wizard about their culture.
He thought of his future plans and how a relationship with a Veela would turn them upside down, of how hard he had fought for his independence from everybody, and here he was trapped again…he felt like screaming at fate, for once again playing him dirty. He wanted to run as far away from all this as he could possibly go. He raged and fumed...and then a stray thought hit him full blast. Draco's hand holding his so desperately, like a drowning man holds on tightly to a piece of flotsam. The warmth in Draco's eyes, hot enough to melt any icy heart. To be surrounded by such warmth! To be cherished by such love! Was that really a trap? But how was he supposed to deal with such declarations of love? He had no experience with this kind of emotions. Lust, yes but Love?
How do you return love, when love, but for a brief moment, tainted by blood, has never been part of your life? He knew the Veela loved him as that was an intrinsic part of their makeup. But did Draco love Harry? That was a question he couldn't answer as yet. His head was spinning from all the thinking. This was a question that was just going to have to wait.
Sighing, as he rubbed his throbbing temples, Harry tried to get his mind to slow down enough for the potions to work again so he could sleep. Totally unaware of his surroundings, he did not hear his door open quietly and then close with a gentle snap, nor did he sense the malevolent presence of another. He was in the infirmary, behind a warded door, one of the safest places in Hogwarts, and so he paid no attention to what was going on around him.
Suddenly, and very shockingly, he felt himself caught in a strong embrace, but his senses warned him that this was not Draco returned to claim him. This presence was far more unwelcome than that of the Veela. It had gotten dark in the room making it hard for him to see properly, but the shape of his attacker was unmistakably that of a female. He tried to fend the intruder off, but she was too strong for him in his weakened state, and his inherent gentleness stopped him from hurting the unknown female.
But as the girl begun to kiss him ferociously and possessively, biting at his lips when he didn't open them for her questing tongue, he panicked and tried to struggled even more strongly. The intruder though, had come prepared, and with a quick spell bound him to the bed and then silenced him. Throwing her wand to the side she proceeded to grope and fondle the terrified boy under her. Harry was totally unprepared for this kind of attack to come from the people of his own school. She gripped his sides hard enough to immediately cause bruises, biting and gnawing at his neck hard enough to draw blood. Blood which he could feel start to trickle down his neck to pool against the mattress and his skin. Desperately trying to pull away from the intrusive and ungentle hands but stopped by the spell silencing and binding him, Harry forced himself to push down his rising horror and listen to his attacker as she muttered, louder and louder, while trying to rape him.
"You are mine." He heard muttered in between more painful bites to his neck. "Draco will never have you, he is not worthy." The longer the insane ramblings went on the harder and more frequent the bites to his neck. By now his neck and other places that she had been biting were covered in blood. He couldn't see her face clearly but the slickly wet smile she flashes him is unmistakable. Harry starts to choke on the fear and bile that rises in him, he had been through so many awful things in his life but this was going to break him, he knew.
"I was here first! You are mine! You were always mine! I will not give you up to that bastard! That Slytherin!" By now she was panting too much to continue biting him and her voice had become quite hysterical. To his horror, Harry finally realized who his attacker was.
"No! God, no! Ginny…? Draco, help!" He could not yell out though as he had been silenced. As he yelled on and on in his head, tears started to fall from his reddened eyes. He was not only frozen by the spell anymore, his fear now had a hold on him far stronger than any spell. Harry was now terrified, humiliated, and deeply betrayed. The figure, whom he had now identified as the younger sister of his best friend, continued to mutter insanely in his ear.
"Harry, my beautiful Harry. Mine...alwaysss mine. I know you love ME! I have always known...you came for me when I wasss in danger... and now I come for you... to sssave you from the monssster who would take you away. I won't let him. You belong to me, to the one who was alwaysss faithful to you." The voice, now almost a mechanical sing song had gradually acquired a snake like hiss in its tone, a sound he had heard before. A sound he remembered from uncountable nightmares. The voice of an enemy.
The horror of it all made him want to retch. But, he could not move. He could not fight. He could not run. He had to lay there, heart sore and physically beaten so far down that all that Voldemort had ever put him through was as nothing compared to this.
Frantically, doing the last think he would thought would work, he launched a mental cry for help to the only person he knew could hear him and free him from the attempts of rape. He was afraid that his call would not be received as he had not yet accepted the claim. In despair, he wondered if Draco would hear; he had not accepted the claim. Would Draco hear him? And if he did, would he come?
As his assailant reached for the waistband of his pajama bottoms the fear holding him was broken. Harry struggled more frantically and mentally screamed out Draco's name as loud and as forcefully as he could.
"Draco!...Oh Gods...Draco!" He sobbed. "Please! I cannot...I can't stand it...Help me!"
Harry screamed as the questing hand reached his body's most intimate and vulnerable part.
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I am sorry about such a time lapse. Holidays were a more stressful time this year than normal for me. I also broke my hand, don't ask-please!, so it was rough typing at all. I actually type about 150-160 words a min but I was hen-pecking it through this. I hope that you all are not TOO mad at the big delay. Also, I am reposting 'I Understand'. Thank you to all that kept at me, and you know who you are, to get back to writing it. And I have a new one that I would like to go read, it is called 'Potter, Harry Potter'. I think it is a funny little start to a maybe nice little story. Well, actually that doesn't make any sense but please go and read it and let me know what you think.
ENJOY!
LMG