Part IV

"Do you want to tell us what the bloody hell has your knickers in a knot?" Blaise asked relatively calmly as Draco, himself and Theodore sat in the abandoned Slytherin common room in the middle of the night, two days after The Scene. They'd taken to calling it that since Draco refused to call it a storm out or show of emotion.

An eagle owl flew in carrying with it a letter that bared the Malfoy family crest. Draco sighed as he grabbed the letter from the outstretched leg of the bird who gave a happy hoot, indicating that he did indeed need a reply. Perching on the end of the bed, the bird began grooming and preening its gold and brown feathers.

Landing on his bed he summoned his writing tools and informed his mother that still had not found his mate. Whilst he was writing, the two boys looked over his shoulder with slightly confused looks marring their features. After finishing the letter and tying to the owl's leg, Draco sent it on its way after tossing the bird several treats.

''Draco, I swear to Mordred's rotting carcass. '' Theo began impatience lining his every word. ''I will Avada your arsenal if you don't tell us right this instant.'' The tone was calm and reserved, but Draco knew not to tempt Theo's level of patience. It was directly proportional to his lack of self-control. Draco heaved a sigh before summoning a book and holding firmly in his hand.

''Veela'' he said simply as his only responses were two very vacant and lost expressions. ''How much do you know?''

''They're bloody hot'' Blaise whispered wistfully. ''They are to mark their mate before a certain date or risk death. There also might be something about not forcing themselves onto their mate.''

Theo eyed the blond curiously before he started, ''What's the big fuss about Veela, Drake?'' his eyes bugged out alas the realisation hit him before the blond could answer. ''Slytherin's Staff! She's not going to know you're a Veela, mate. Have you found the fair maiden?''

''There is no 'maiden', Nott'' Draco replied in a snipped tone. He hated when his instincts were right.

A heavy silence filled the room. Blaise, then realised that Draco's Veela could have been triggered when he saw the public display of affection that same morning. Blaise had a niggling feeling that Draco's mate was a rather, asexual and bookish now, very fetching know-it-all.

Theo simply sat there silently, his mind's eye plotting a way to get the star-crossed lovers together. He wasn't put into Slytherin only because of his blood, he'll have you know.

Severus Snape sat in his quarters mulling over the important information he had gathered from merely observing. A swift pop was heard before an official looking scroll of parchment plopped onto his lap. Peering at it quizzically, he gave into the urge of opening it.

Reading it with a keen eye, his head snapped up as he made his way up to his fireplace. Green flames engulfed his person before he landed elegantly in Lucius Malfoy's study. The room was cold and detached, just as the wizard who owned it. Business like and no room for emotional attachment.

"Severus, dear friend." Lucius exclaimed from the unused fireplace sitting behind his desk. His crisp black robes shifted minimally as he turned around on his heel to face his long time friend. ''What news do you have on Draco's... situation?''

Taking a seat in one of the large stiff armchairs, the Potions Master chose to withhold the information he grasped until Narcissa made her way to the room the two men occupied. The doors few open and hit the walls softly as the Lady of the house gracefully entered the room. ''Severus.'' she greeted standoffishly. Quite aware why the death eater turned spy for the order was there. Her eyes then turned to slits as she analysed the man's face, thinking she might get her answers quickly. "Merlin let it not be a Hufflepuff." She whispered in disgust as a shudder ran through her body.

''Not a Hufflepuff.'' the Professor dully stated as the room filled with relieved sighs. ''But I think Narcissa might have an idea who Draco's mate is.'' He directed that last statement towards Lucius whilst watching Narcissa smirk and giggle rather girlishly in his peripheral vision.

A grunt and a sniff of resignation issued from somewhere behind the Lord of the Manor. Two sets of green velvet curtains wished opened to reveal a disgruntled looking Abraxas Malfoy and a haughty Leo Black. Two female figures were seen training up to the men in the foreground.

Celestia Black, with her sleek black hair glided over to her husband, ''Now, love. You knew this was to happen the moment when Cissy didn't inherit my Veela traits.'' This elicited another resigned sigh from the old man.

''Sweet Merlin, it's a mudblood.'' Abraxas Malfoy exclaimed. ''My grandson is doomed to marry a mudblood.'' His wife gave him a stern glare at which he promptly shut his mouth.

''Such a touching family reunion.'' Severus drawled sarcastically. ''And yes, it seems that Draco is still evidently unaware that his affections lie with the Granger girl.'' Lucius sighed as his wife failed to hide her smug and gleeful expression.

The morning came far too quick for Hermione's liking. The streaks of sunlight interrupted her mind's unconscious musings, causing her to groan and roll over. Her mind raced between classes and her relationship with her boyfriend. She still hadn't spoken to Harry, and he had been actively ignoring her presence. The atmosphere between the usually happy could was tense, to say the least. This made Hermione both jumpy and all too aware of others around her.

Getting up and gathering her clothes she made her way to the private bathroom where she indulged in a steamy bath. Her thoughts strayed to a certain platinum blond haired Slytherin. He was acting decidedly odd, and this disturbed the Head Girl to no end. She's find out the reason for his less than normal attitude, or she was the Gryffindor know-it-all swot Hermione Granger.

Making her way down to the Great Hall for a quick spot of breakfast, she observed the students bustling from their portrait holes. Sighing as she pushed the large oak door and glancing at her friends at the Gryffindor table, she allowed herself a reprieve from her thoughts.

Scratching quills could be heard throughout the second Potions lesson for the week. Snape had given them time to research and begin their essays. Hermione could be seen with her head down scribbling furiously whilst muttering to herself. Flipping through Macavity's Book of Magical Concoctions she spotted the page which had information on Ashwinder eggs.

Taken from those houses infected by ashwinders, snakes that arise when magical fires have been burning unchecked for too long, ashwinder eggs must be located and frozen before they burst into flames. After they've been frozen, the eggs become a valuable potions ingredient. The eggs encompass a variety of colours from dull yellow to brilliant red to stark white, all of which are liquid in appearance, resembling stained glass or marbles; on occasion, some have been known to contain more than one shade, and they take on a frosted coating once frozen.

Ashwinder eggs may be used in a variety of potions - such as warming balms, fire poppers, colouring fluids, and corrosives - and, in some cases, the colour of the egg, which determines its resulting internal temperature and strength, makes a difference while, in others, it doesn't.

Most often, the aforementioned eggs are used one of two ways: in colouring fluids or in corrosives. From the very beginning, Ashwinder eggs are naturally corrosive and dangerous, so they are easily moulded to fit the purpose of being used in such solutions; typically, they are diluted and used in cleaning products and are a great way to remove old paint or something of that sort. They are, however, occasionally used in coordination with erumpent fluid to produce some of the strongest acidic potions possible which should only be handled by expert Potions Masters. As for being used in colouring fluids, due to the wide variety of colours in which the eggs may be found, the eggs must first be placed into a cauldron of diluted erumpent fluid which has been warmed to a predetermined temperature and then allowed to melt. After this point, they must be mixed with a number of items, including a dash of belladonna and essence of mandrake root, in order to neutralize their inborn acidic nature.

Re-reading it, she summarised it succinctly. Happy with her work, she dusted off her parchment and placed the book on the vast bookcase lining the potion s dungeon. Tapping her lips in thought, she failed to feel the eyes of a certain grey-eyed Slytherin boy watch her every movement.

Blaise, who sat next to Draco, noticed the not so covert staring contest the blonde was having with Granger's back. Blaise's gaze held mirth and a kind of pity for his childhood friend. Granger was not going to go down without at fight, and that's not even thinking about Harry 'The Chose One' Potter; her boyfriend. At this thought his head snapped to the unusually cold couple, what was up with that? As Potter's hand made its way to Granger's lower back, who by k=now had made her way back to the desk. Blaise's gaze became heated at the thought of Draco seeing that small show of affection. He felt the atmosphere directly next to him sizzle with unbridled anger and Veela jealousy. Eyeing his friend carefully, he thought to himself that Draco still hadn't reigned in his Veela blood. A quick word with Snape could fix this problem.