A/N:
I rewrote this chapter about seven times because I wanted to get everything right, the facts, the lines, the feelings. So I hope you all like it!
~``~``~``~ Draco ~``~``~``~
I sighed in relief when we finally got to the train station. After many put-downs from father about my hair not being neat enough and how it looked like I had gotten shorter and needed to eat more vegetables to prevent from becoming a cripple we finally made it. Father had denied me of going in; for fear that his robes might've been spotted. This was the only time he'd allowed me to wear muggle clothing and I was expected to change right after I got on the train. I was tugging on the hem of the shirt I was wearing, still feeling very out of place in the world of muggles. I was standing here alone, with tons of muggles around me. Sure, I could probably kill off one easier than killing a fly but it was still odd to be so out of place.
I only grunted my acknowledgement to the man behind the counter of the customer service desk as he pointed the way to the carts. I grabbed my trunk and rolled it over to where he had pointed. I paid the machine muggle money to let me take out a cart and instead it pushed out three of them. I hated the muggle way of counting. I took one of the deposited carts and ignored the strange looks I'd received and went to find platform 9 3/4.
I didn't even glance around as I walked through the magical wall that led to the wizarding world. If I had felt out of place in the muggle world, I felt like a red arrow in a patch of green grass now. Everyone was buzzing about, talking with friends, checking for last minuet things and boarding the train. I sighed as I walked over to where I usually got on. For some reason I was compelled to look back, see what was going on behind me. With one leg still on the train, about three people behind me waiting to get on, I looked back, sealing my fate forever. That's when I heard it. My heart pounded and all other sounds were drained out. The kids yelling behind me, the man telling everyone they needed to board, the loud whistle of the train, it was all lost to this one small voice.
Mate is near.
I looked around desperately trying to see if someone that had been with me in the shop was here. It took a minuet but once I turned towards the direction where people could be let through the secret wall, it started. Everything was fuzzy for a second and there was a loud ringing in my ears. It felt as though I'd passed out, but I knew I was still standing. I felt myself get off of the train steps and could barely make out people asking if I was alright. I heard someone in the distance say that I looked rather pale. They were all completely tuned out though as I got some color back, only it was pure white around everything else, my eyes searched through the never ending absence of color.
Then I found my mate. It hadn't been someone from the shop with the vanishing cabinet. It hadn't been who I expected at all. I had pictured a female only a slight bit shorter than me, ash blonde hair that came to her ribs in ringlets. Green eyes framed in a slender formed face. She was slight and thin. Well, I can say, the only thing I'd been right about was that my mate did have green eyes.
No, instead my mate wasn't female, but a male! I freaking male! He was shorter than me; at least I had thought so. I now knew why I'd seemed to have shrunk a bit. My body had become fit for my mate. So, not only did it expect me to be a mate to a male but it thought that I wasn't going to be dominate in the relationship! His hair most certainly wasn't ash blonde but instead a jet black mess of darkness, He did have green eyes but he didn't have a slender face. Instead he had a defined face that showed that he was defiantly not of the female species. He was thin, but in a male way, not in a female 'I've got curves' kind of way. No, No, No! This couldn't be!
Harry.
The little voice provided. I shook my head and tried to get it to understand that he was NOT Harry he was Potter. I called him Potter, and nothing was going to change that! I didn't want this! I had never wanted this! It wasn't my fault that somewhere in the family someone had the Veela bloodline! It couldn't be. All the books about Veela say that the mate is someone a person was destined for from birth, if you're a Veela it just makes it easier to find them. Mates are indeed, soul mates, in all the sense of the word.
Soul mate. I'd looked the definition up so many times in different sources, always getting the same, if not similar, answer. Soul mates are two creatures designed to be together. Destined for each other. No one else can be as good as a person's soul mate. Ha! Yeah right! Potter and I were most certainly not destined to be together forever. I didn't think anyone was destined for him. Well, maybe the weaselet, Ginny Weasley. After all it was obvious the attraction the two shared. But Potter was NOT my mate.
Yeah, so why am I almost passed out on the ground right now? I argued with myself. It was true; I'd doubled over, practically kneeling before everyone. I'm sure to anyone else it looked as if I were in pain, but truth be told, I felt even better than I had when I first became a Veela. The book had said upon just setting sight on your mate or hearing their voice could be enough for a half-veela. I had been praying on my last hope for Potter not to be my mate, but that was soon whisked away when my worst fears became true. He'd felt it too.
~``~``~``~ Harry ~``~``~``~
I had been fine not two seconds ago. We'd just arrived at the train station, Mrs. Weasley fumbling to make sure that we had everything and everyone. I'd had to help them when it came to getting out the carts to roll our trunks on, though two were already left out so we only had to put in a bit of muggle money. Once everyone was settled with their stuff on their carts, me keeping Hedwig carefully placed on top of everything else in her cage and Ron still a bit struggling to keep Pig, the owl Sirius had given him, in its cage. The smaller owl was trying desperately to get to Hedwig, knowing on the bars of the cage with its beak. Ron's ears flash pink as a few people around us said things about animal abuse under their breaths. Though, I knew that Ron was the person who couldn't harm an animal if he tried. For god's sake, he was scared of tiny little spiders!
We'd all taken turned going calmly through the secret wall that led to platform 9 3/4. First Ginny closely followed by Hermione, then Ron and I, Mrs. Weasley bringing up the rear. Once she made sure everyone was still with us we all started to go find our area's of the train that we usually got on at. Ginny had run off after seeing one of the girls in her year, leaving just Hermione, Ron and myself. That's when it had happened.
I felt that incredible pull on my heart again. I gripped my clothed chest and let out a small cry of what must have seemed like pain. Hermione was instantly by me asking if I was alright. Ron close behind her. My breathing had picked up and my body had started to break out in a cold sweat. Then it was gone, over as quickly as it had come. I found myself nearly hitting the ground. If it weren't for Ron and Hermione holding me up I was sure I would have collapsed. I looked at each of them. They seemed in a panic of worry for me.
"Harry, are you okay?" Ron asked, his voice a bit distant still.
"Was it your scar?" Hermione asked, her face crinkling with concern. I just shook my head.
"N-no. It wasn't pain. It wasn't my scar. It was almost like a mini adrenaline rush." I stood up straight on my own now, but my entire body was shaking.
"Maybe we should tell Mrs. Weasley-"But I cut Hermione off.
"No! Really, it's fine." I said, trying to act as cool as I possibly could. I'd been fawned over for the littlest things in the past. I sure didn't need to be checked over by Ron's mother in the middle of the train station.
We started walking again, Hermione keeping a watchful eye on me and Ron having already moved on. That was what I liked best about Ron; he would drop it if I told him to drop it. I gave a sneer to Malfoy when we passed him. The light blonde haired wizard was a right git if I'd ever seen one. I swore he was up to something. Why else would he have been in that creepy old shop? Certainly not browsing for furniture. The weird thing was though, he didn't glare back. He didn't do anything. He was actually looking paler than he usually was. He gave me a flashed appearance of pure horror and quickly got on the train. I shook my head and continued to follow Ron and Hermione.
We'd just gotten settled into our compartment; Hermione already having her nose buried into a book, Ron was setting up on the floor to play exploding snaps before we had to prepare to get to Hogwarts. I cleared my throat and instantly got their attention. Hermione kept her thumb in her book but let it rest down on her lap. Ron slid back up onto the bench seat on the train. I pushed my glasses closer to the bridge of my nose and looked at them both.
"I think something's going on with Malfoy." I put it out there. Ron just looked confused, but Hermione smiled and shook her head. "What?" I asked her.
"Harry, we don't know anything is going on with him."
"But, he went into that shop, we all saw it!" It hadn't taken long for us to get right into it. We hadn't even gotten to Hogwarts and already I was making my life an adventure.
"We don't know what we saw, Harry." She said slowly as if explaining to a child. "We can just make accusations like that."
"Wait, what's going on?" Ron finally came in.
"Harry is under the impression that Draco Malfoy is a death eater." Hermione tucked a piece of bushy brown hair behind her ear, looking smug.
"Come off it. What would you-know-who want with a guy like Malfoy?"
"B-but he was in the shop!" I tried to argue.
"It's a creepy shop, Malfoy's a creepy bloke." Ron shrugged. I looked at them in amazement. I stood up and reached above, grabbing the darkness powder that Fred and George had given me from their shop.
"I'm going for a walk."
~``~``~``~ Draco ~``~``~``~
The train had just started to move, giving a loud whistle before taking off. I sat down in my seat. Instead of being in a compartment in the back of the train I'd opted to find a more open area, not really feeling like sitting alone in the silence. Though I knew that wouldn't have lasted long. Sure enough came the high pitched voice I'd grown so used to over the years.
"Draco, dear, there you are! You weren't in our usual compartment so I had to hunt you down!" Pansy Parkinson strode over to me like she owned the place; though I was sure she thought she did. She'd been attached at my hip ever since first year, obviously struck with the idea that we were meant to be together. She'd grown quite well over the years though. What was once a small pig-like girl with a weird bobbed brunette style had grown into the young woman before me. She'd lost all of her baby fat and had shrunk down quite a lot, especially in the face area. Her once awkward hair had grown long and fell thinly just a bit past her shoulders.
"You had to hunt him down? Who was the one that spotted him?" Oh, goody, a matching set. Blaise Zambini came over next, Pansy's luggage in his hand. I didn't understand why he liked Pansy that much. Still, the boy was head over heals for her, even though he'd probably never admit it. The boy was only slightly taller than I used to be. His dark hair mixed well with his dark skin tone that framed stable features and framed dark eyes.
"Oh, whatever, like it matters, at least we've found you now Draco." She reached over and let her hand gently brush across mine before quickly pulling away as Blaise sat beside her. "Exciting to be going back though. I've missed you over the summer." I just scoffed at her excitement. "What's wrong?"
"Hogwarts. What a pathetic use for a school. I think I'd rather pitch myself off the astronomy tower before I go through another two years of this." I said through grit teeth.
"What do you mean?" Pansy leaned forward, her face lacing with concern.
"Let's just say I don't think I'm going to be spending my time on charms class." Pansy still seemed beyond curious but she let the subject drop. Then everything around me was once again tuned out as I could hear just this little sense in the back of my mind.
Mate is near.
I almost growled out loud but reduced it instead to just a sigh. Did it have to warn me every single time? I mean, what if he passed me, then forgot something so he passes me again and then when he turns to go back to wherever he'd been heading he passes me again? Will the stupid sense go off for all three times? I desperately needed my books right now. Unfortunately they were lost amongst the other wizardly bags, hiding in a sea of luggage trunks. On the bright side, I at least had a warning whenever Potter was coming around.
As soon as my senses returned to me, which I figured out it didn't take nearly as long as I had thought since it only seemed as though Pansy's sentence had gone five words without me, I scanned the area around me for Potter. Sure enough, there he was. Standing as if he were trying not to be seen, probably eavesdropping on our conversation. I now began to notice that all my senses had sharpened since I'd become a half-veela. I could hear all the way on the other end of this segment of the train, where one girl was speaking to her friend about getting the same card that she already had in a chocolate frog. This is how I noticed the small object in Potter's hand.
It was a pointed rock of some form. It was dark but sparkled like a crystal. It looked so fragile. I could see the small fractures from where it had been horribly compacted together. It was some sort of powder! It would surely crush into nothing more than dust if dropped. There had to be something behind it, something about it that was magical.
As if on cue, this entire segment of the train was suddenly clouded over in a thick black cloud of dust; leaving people coughing after Potter had let it easily slip from his grasp. I tried to stand up, but thought better of it. Pansy called out to me after a second, reaching across the table for my hand, I felt Blaise's fall smoothly over hers. As soon as on girl opened a window all of the thick cloud began to disappear. Within a minuet we were all barely sitting in the left over smoke from the powder. It was strange though, I could still feel the presence of Potter, like the annoying buzz in the back of my mind. I gradually looked up and saw, very noticeably hidden was Harry's presence. I couldn't see him but only Blaise and Pansy's carry on bags. Then there was the squealing of breaks and the soft 'chhh' of the train coming to a stop.
"You guys go on." I told Blaise and Pansy, who looked forlorn about leaving me but still followed out the order.
~``~``~``~ Harry ~``~``~``~
All I'd heard was something about someone not teaching me manners or something like that before I was hurdling down towards the ground. I thought for sure I'd hit my head on the table but I suddenly stopped falling; only feeling a slight bit of a jerk before I actually stopped. I opened my eyes, which I'd only just now realized that I'd closed. I was inches above hitting the table. Instead I was floating in the air.
I glanced over to see that Malfoy had his wand pointed at me, but he didn't seem confused about why I was floating. Instead it seemed that he'd been the cause of this invisible shield. He looked as if he were in physical pain. Sweat had begun to coat his face slightly. I was surprised how gently he'd put me down. Once he'd dropped his wand at his side he began pacing and cursing.
"Dammit! What the hell!? It would've been so perfect! I hate this! I didn't even want to be one!" He shouted to no one in particular.
"Malfoy-?"
"You stay the hell away from me Potter!" He added extra emphasis on my last name as if it were a new insult he hadn't been saying since we'd met. With that he was gone, headed directly out of the train. I stood there a moment, dazed and trying to figure everything out.
"Hello, Harry!" I jumped about ten feet in the air as the cheerful voice came from behind me. I turned rapidly and felt relief wash over me when it was just Luna Lovegood standing there.
Luna had long light blond hair that curled at just the ends. She was only slightly smaller than me. Her voice was an incredibly high pitch and came out soft like she was constantly talking about a dream. She was also a sixth year, only instead of the house of Gryffindor she was in Ravenclaw. She wasn't exactly the most normal person in the world and no one really understands her so they pick on her by stealing her stuff and doing other mean things. Though, I don't think Luna really understands the meaning of being picked on because she always says it's all in good fun. I really didn't mind that she was a bit off; it was just another person who was almost as crazy as I was.
"H-hi Luna." She smiled and we began to exit the train. We were lucky because just as we stepped off it began to move away. I watched it in amazement.
"Oh, Harry, It's bewitched so it knows when people are still on it." She happily began skipping towards where we were supposed to be going to get our rides to Hogwarts.
"So, how was your summer, Luna?" I asked, catching up to her after a minuet. She stopped skipping, which made it easier for me to keep up.
"Oh, pretty much the same, except if you count the time when a pack of Jungli went up my nose…" I blinked. Okay, so maybe she was a bit crazier than me, but not far off because I actually had the courage to ask her about it.
"Um, Luna, what are Jungli?" She smiled and took my hand.
"They're these little tiny, almost invisible creatures that want to get in your brain to take over your body. They plan to rule the world one day, you know." She pulled me forward, speaking as though this was an everyday topic. Though, I suppose for her it is an everyday topic, even though I was pretty sure that Jungli didn't exist.
When we got to the gates of the entrance to the magical path to the school, professor Flitwick was already waiting for us. He almost jumped with joy at seeing us. I could see some sleighs up ahead that would be sure to take us to Hogwarts. I caught Malfoy just leaving in one.
"Ah! There you two are! It's about time! Names?" I just blinked and looked down at the small teacher. Now, I know that for a male I was short, just 5'6, but professor Flitwick was border lining midget.
"Professor you've known me for six years."
"That's no exception, Potter!" I just looked at him confused. "Fine, go ahead, your friends asked for you a while ago." I sighed as Luna and I got into one of the carts and it magically took off.
I was sure Ron and Hermione would give me a lecture about wondering off on my own in these times. Luna and I didn't speak anymore, though she seemed just fine with that. I watched amused as little strands of light blonde danced in the wind as we moved on towards Hogwarts. She seemed distracted enough with a new necklace that was adorned around her neck in some sort of radish fashion. They matched her earrings that were only slightly blocked by her light blonde strands.
Soon enough we arrived at the school. Luna and I bid farewell at the entrance to the great hall. She was not at all secretive about being late to the sorting. I however was grateful for the extra distraction as I slid my way into a seat between Neville and Ron and across from Hermione. She looked up from her book and opened her mouth to speak to me when the sorting had ended and Dumbledore was up to make his speech. She gave me a look that said she'd be saying something about it later as we all faced front.
After dinner, I decided that Mother Nature's calls were more important than curfew so I snuck out of the great hall a bit early, heading towards the nearest bathroom. As soon as I'd arrived though I could hear the sounds of someone else breathing, but the breathing sounded abnormally heavy. Instead of just keeping out of things, I of course had to find out who it was that had also dared to skip out on the rest of the feast. When I came to the stall the noise was coming from, I found that the stall door hadn't even been closed properly. I gently pushed against it, slowly opening the door a bit.
When I caught sight of the light blonde male, breathing heavily as he leaned against one of the stall walls, looking more pale than usual, I decided to make my presence know. I didn't even think about what Malfoy's reaction would be. He seemed to be in pain. When I stepped into the stall with him he didn't even notice. He looked completely spent. I could now see that he was clutching a leather book tightly to his chest. When I bent down to make sure he was alright he finally got the notice that I was in here with him, his eyes snapping open.
"Gah!" He jumped back and nearly hit his head. "Geez! What the hell potter. Why are you in here?!" Funny, I thought he'd react much worse than that.
"I came in and heard you so I came to see if everything was okay. You look paler than usual, are you alright?" I asked, standing up again.
"Oh, don't play the hero card with me, potter." He stood to and stormed out. But not before I caught the title of the book he was holding so closely to him. In the mind of a Veela.
~``~``~``~ Draco ~``~``~``~
I thought for sure he'd ask about earlier on the train. I quickly found my way back to the common rooms to find that no one was here yet. I sighed in re-opened the book on Veela's. I hadn't been able to read what I needed because I was too busy up-chucking what little dinner I had eaten. Now that I'd stopped shaking and my eyes were less blurry I could read the words on the page instead of looking at a ton of dark smudges. I began to read it out loud to myself as soon as I found the part I needed.
"Once a Veela finds their mate, the attraction between the two will be a bit weaker, causing the physical need for contact to be greater. This can result in a stronger physical sickness in the Veela." I sighed and slammed the book closed.
This meant that now that the feelings of finding my mate had set in it was going to take my body time to adjust my body to the right need of attraction, meaning my feelings would be all over the place. I was going to be a complete wreck. Plus I had to stay in contact with Potter in order to survive and I'd have to prepare a cabinet to let death eaters in so they could help the dark lord kill my mate. I wondered what would happen to me when Potter died. Would I be able to go on? Would I end up having to die myself? Another thing, how on earth was I going to get contact with Potter without letting him know and shove me further away and into death?
Who was I kidding? No matter what I did I would end up dead in the end. If I tried to get close to Potter I was sure he'd probably end up killing me, or the other way around which would in turn end my life. Or, if I helped the dark lord, he'd kill Potter which would end my life. I should probably just get used to the idea of an early death now.
I hung my head and slowly pulled myself from the couch in the middle of the empty common room and headed down to my room. I crashed face first into the bed, not even bothering to unpack first or change into night clothes. I barely had the strength to close my privacy curtains before falling dead asleep.
~``~``~``~ Harry ~``~``~``~
"Are you sure it was a book on Veela?" Hermione suddenly looked dead serious at me. I nodded.
"What's going on with Veela? I mean, I know they have a lure and definite attraction-" Ron cut in.
"Even though Malfoy doesn't."
"-but otherwise I don't have a clue about them." I said, pushing my glasses closer to my face.
"Harry, Veela people are not a joking matter or something you can't be sure about." I looked at her unbelievably.
"I swear that's what the book title said!" I stood up angered. She looked at me with doubt still etched into her features. "Just forget it then!" I strode out, ignoring the call she gave to me. I quickly and angrily changed into my night clothes and curled up in bed, trying to figure out why Hermione wasn't wanting to get into this. Of course all the Veela books win the library were in the restricted section, which I only knew because Ron had tried to look them up with Fleur was here for the Triwizard Tournament. I heard the rest of my roommates come in a bit later but pretended to be asleep, still a bit pissed off and not really feeling like dealing with anyone right now. Soon sleep did find me and swallowed me whole.
The next morning I woke up to find that everyone else was gone. I cursed and quickly bound out of bed, swearing to take a shower first thing tonight. I threw on my clothes lazily. My tie hung really loose around my neck and the white shirt under my robes stuck out of the top, not tucked into the black pants, also one of my shoes were untied. I rushed to the Great Hall and quickly found my seat between Ron and Hermione. They looked at me as if I'd just stepped off the short bus. Hermione didn't even ask before she started straightening my robes out. I shooed her off after a while and turned my anger to Ron.
"Why didn't you wake me up?!" He threw his hands up in defense.
"I tried, and so did Neville and Seamus and Dean, but you threatened all of us and rolled back over. You even bit me." My eyes widened.
"I did not-"But I stopped there when Ron held up his pale hand to show red marks running across the base of the thumb and trailing down onto the palm. "I really bit you!" He nodded and put his hand down again. Just then Professor McGonagall came over and placed out new schedules in front of us before moving on. We instantly crowded together and looked them over.
Hermione:
Monday:
Herbology
Potions
Tuesday:
Arithmancy
History of Magic
Wednesday:
Free
Charms
Thursday:
Care of Magical Creatures
Astronomy
Friday:
Defense against the Dark Arts
Transfiguration
Ron:
Monday:
Free
Potions
Tuesday:
Divination
History of Magic
Wednesday:
Astronomy
Charms
Thursday:
Care of Magical Creatures
Herbology
Friday:
Defense against the Dark Arts
Transfiguration
Harry:
Monday:
Free
Potions
Tuesday:
Divination
History of Magic
Wednesday:
Astronomy
Charms
Thursday:
Care of Magical Creatures
Herbology
Friday:
Defense against the Dark Arts
Transfiguration
Yes! Ron and I had gotten all classes together. Hermione was only off by a bit but it was probably because she had Arithmancy instead of Divination. Ron and I had become at peace and Hermione was rolling her eyes at our happiness, jealous that she didn't have every class with us too. Luna skipped by us on the other side of the table. When she saw us she stopped and bent over to look at our schedules…upside down…
"Oh, that's funny; I heard that Gryffindor and Slytherin were getting a ton of classes together, so I looked at some of their schedules. Draco Malfoy has just about the same…Oh! Look, Harry, We've got Herbology together this year!" With that, as suddenly as she'd appeared, Luna skipped away. I didn't miss the glance Neville gave her retreating back.
"Great now we have to deal with that git all the time." Ron said, stuffing a piece of bacon in his mouth as he pouted.
Yes, I was upset about being in a ton of classes with Malfoy but I was also really curious as to what was going on with him. He flipped out on the train and the stormed away in the bathroom like he didn't want me to find something out about him. Now I had to know. I guess no matter what I did, my curiosity always got the best of me, pulling me towards all the trouble I'd been pushed into. I was being drawn towards trouble again and even though there were flashing lights in the back of my mind I was still going towards it.
A/N:
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