Secondly… please forgive the time it takes me to update, my life has been quite a mess lately, I am going on a short three day vacation starting tomorrow night, so I should have a chapter or two done by the time I get back.
Chapter is beta'd
Enjoy
Chrys
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The week before Draco's 16th birthday was a short one. Both boys, under the supervision and teaching of Bellatrix, along with some help from Padfoot, focused mostly on becoming Anamagi. They found the ingredients for the potions that they would have to take, the spells they would have to cast, and the rituals they would need to perform. Once Sirius and James had found all of the information on Anamagi, it had only taken them two months to brew the potions and complete all of the other steps to becoming their animal selves. If Draco and Harry did everything correctly, they should be Anamagi by the start of term.
Even though Draco's initiation would not happen on his birthday, a large ball would still be held celebrating the event. It would be held at the Malfoy Estate, far away from the Castellum, so that Draco's friends from school could attend. Most of Slytherin was there, as well as a few people that had graduated already. Of course there were a large majority of Death Eaters and their children, that Draco and Harry had grown up with, and even Hermione had shown up. Ron had made excuses about being busy, but everyone knew that Ron had never really liked Draco.
The party was huge. Everyone was dressed in his or her best dress robes, and the pile of presents was stacked to the ceiling.
Hermione had stayed practically glued to Harry's side, knowing very few other people in attendance. She danced with only Harry or Draco, who both had to fulfil social obligations on the dance floor. Otherwise the three stood near the top of the room, where the large banquet table sat, next to the everlasting pile of presents.
"You have more presents than there are people in this room." Hermione cried astonished.
Draco just grinned, "What can I say… I'm devilishly handsome and charming to boot. Why wouldn't people want to buy me things?"
"And humble too." Harry replied sarcastically.
Hermione pulled a small box from the pocket of her robes. It was wrapped in silver and purple paper and had a bright green ribbon around it. "I figured it would get lost amongst all of your other gifts…" she said as she handed him the box.
Draco grinned and took the box from her, carefully undoing the wrapping, and opening the rectangle shaped box. Inside was a silver dragon, with a watch face implanted in the center of his body. When Draco laid the silver piece against his wrist, the dragon wrapped itself around his wrist, taking its own tail in its mouth.
"That's awesome. Thank you." Draco leaned forward and kissed Hermione softly on the cheek, "I love it."
"Its nothing in comparison to Harry's gift." Hermione responded with a small blush.
Draco raised his eye brown in a questioning manner.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Way to give away the surprise."
Draco laughed under his breath when Harry took a deep breath and sighed, his shoulders slumping as he shook his head. "I guess I should let you have your gift… although I didn't wrap it."
"Who taught you manners, your always supposed to wrap gifts… people might think you don't care…" The blond mocked the etiquette training they both had to endure.
"Yeah, yeah… I'm sure you'll get over it." Harry raised his arm high above his head, putting out one finger perpendicular to the floor and whistled softly. A very small yellow bird flew in from an open window. Before Draco could laugh at such a joke of a gift, the small bird landed on Harry's finger. As he lowered his arm in front of him the bird shifted until it was a beautiful falcon, sporting shades of green and silver feathers that had never been before seen on a falcon.
Just as Draco was about to ask what kind of bird Harry was holding that could change species, Harry looked the falcon in the eyes. The birds feathers turned into orange and purple scales and the large bony body turned into that of a sleek cobra. The snake wrapped itself around Harry's arm resting its head against his fingers and waiting for his next command.
Draco looked at both Hermione and Harry's hands, looking for a wand performing transfiguration. But neither of them had wands in their hand. "How are you…"
Harry shook his head, "Not me. She's a shifter; an animal that can change into any form it likes. The older they are the more things they can change into, including humans. She's just a kid right now, but as she grows her forms will get bigger."
"She just shifts into whatever she wants?"
Harry grinned and pulled the snake closer to his body, cupping his other hand under her as she changed into a lion cub, who sat purring and rubbing its head against the silk on the front of Harry's dress robes. "She can change into whatever she wants, but usually she just follows the directions given to her… telepathically."
The look on Draco's face was priceless, complete wonder and astonishment. Right on time Hermione lifted the camera and took a picture of both of them, Harry with a shit-eating grin on his face holding the lion cub, and Draco completely amazed at the creature in front of him.
"Now there's a picture worth 2,000 words." Hermione quipped.
Harry didn't wait for Draco to ask how one was supposed to converse telepathically with a shifter. "All you need to know is her name. As long as you think of her name before you tell her what to shift into, she will do as you say. The whole point of her being able to read your mind is so that you never have to say the name out loud. If someone over hears her name, they will be able to control her against you."
Harry stepped forward until he was inches from Draco, and carefully handed him the cub, "Out loud call her 'Danica', but to control her," Harry leaned forward until his lips were against Draco's ear, "Call her 'Delmi."
Draco looked down, catching the lion's eyes, "Delmi?"
"What do you wish of me?"
"Can you change into a hippogriff, Delmi?"
The lion in his arms bowed its head while it's body changed shape. Draco had to put her on the ground from its shear size. Apparently even young hippogriffs were large. When she was completely changed she stood about waist high to both Harry and Draco. This had attracted a lot of attention from everyone at the party.
Draco smirked and stroked her head, "Very good Danica…" He turned to Harry, "She is the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life."
Danica turned her head to the side and watched as Tom Riddle strode across the ballroom floor. She didn't wait for an order but changed back into the cobra form she had been earlier. She slid up Draco's sleeve, hiding most of her body underneath the cloth so that only her head stuck out.
"An interesting friend you have there."
"Yes," Draco choked, making sure not to call him "My Lord," in the presence of Hermione.
"I wonder if you would indulge me in an experiment." Tom asked.
"Of course. What did you have in mind?" Draco answered with the most respect he could muster without giving away anything to those who were not Death Eaters.
"Black! Come over here." Tom said, looking into the crowed of people on the dance floor.
Sirius had been dancing with Lily, spinning her around the floor in a very sensual waltz. When he heard his Lord calling for him, Sirius pecked Lily gently on the lips, handing her off to Remus before jogging over to Tom, Harry, and Draco.
"What can I do for you?" Sirius asked.
"I don't believe that Ms. Granger has seen your… talent."
Sirius raised an eyebrow and looked around, his eyes landing on the beautiful brown-eyed girl standing with her hand on Harry's bent arm. "You haven't seen my other form before?"
Hermione smiled, "I've heard quite a bit about it, but I've never seen it myself."
"Ah, well, anything to impress a beautiful lady such as yourself." Sirius bowed to her with a devilishly hansom smile on his face. He didn't even stand up, but from his bowed position did a back flip through the air, half way through changing into his dog self.
Hermione squatted down so that she was resting on her heals, putting her hand out for Sirius to sniff. She slowly stroked his head; "You make such a cute dog, Padfoot."
"Definitely an improvement from your normal self." Harry quipped, earning him a growl from the black dog on the ground.
"Draco, if you would ask your shifter to imitate Black here?" Tom asked, bringing them all back to what he had asked for.
Draco nodded his head and looked down to the cobra, "Delmi, I want you to look as much like Pads as possible." He dropped down to his knee and let the snake slide out of his sleeve and onto the floor.
The snake slithered over to Padfoot, getting a good look at the dog before transforming. When she was done, Danica looked exactly like Padfoot, except for two things. Firstly she was a few inches smaller than Padfoot, and secondly, she lacked the equipment that made Padfoot the horn-dog everyone knew and loved.
"Very impressive. You've found yourself quite an animal." Tom told the boys before turning heal and walking away.
The dogs on the floor were busy checking each other out while Hermione stood up, linking her arm with Harry's once again. "That was kind of weird."
"Tom is… eccentric. He enjoys things that are out of the ordinary." Harry answered, covering for the odd behavior.
Hermione nodded as if she accepted the explanation given.
"You don't have to stay down there Padfoot… Tom left." Harry said to the black dog that was currently sniffing the smaller female version of himself. Padfoot looked up at Harry cocking his head to the left for a moment before changing back into his normal self.
"That is one amazing animal you have there. If I hadn't watched her change with my own eyes I wouldn't have known she wasn't a dog."
"Where did you find her?" Draco asked Harry.
"I found her egg. Adult shifters lay eggs, both parents keeping the egg warm for two months. A few days before the egg is supposed to hatch they leave the egg in a hidden area, and never return. Apparently her parents thought that the shrieking shack would be a good place to hide her." Harry explained.
"How did you find out her name?" Sirius asked, intrigued at animal.
"A baby shifter will tell the first human that he or she sees, his or her name, but only if that person knows to ask. I read about shifters a few months back when I was looking into becoming an Anamagi, so when I came across the egg I knew what I had found, and I knew I had to ask."
Danica's tale wagged back and forth as Harry told the story. She took a few steps back before jumping on him, changing mid jump into a small tiger. Harry caught her and looked up confused, "Did you tell her to do that?"
Draco shook his head, "Nope, I didn't tell her to do anything."
Sirius grinned. He leaned over and scratched the cat behind his ears knowing exactly what had happened. "She can sense you."
Harry gave his godfather a confused stare. "What are you talking about?"
"She's changed into a cat both times she's been in your arms, she can sense that your animal form is feline. I've got 50 galleons that say when you become an Animagus, you'll be some form of a cat."
"Must be a disappointment for you and Moony, two canines end up raising a cat…" Draco joked.
"As long as you're a big cat, I think we'll get over it." Sirius slapped Harry on the back and turned back to the dance floor, searching out his lovers.
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Draco awoke the next day, to a tapping on his door. He slid out of bed, careful not to disturb Danica who had been sleeping as a silver and purple tiger, just to show off.
Draco slipped on a pair of loose fitting silk pants and opened the door. "Yes?"
Narcissa stood in front of him dressed in silver work robes. "Gather your bag, as well as your new pet. Your training begins in a few short hours."
"Any word yet where my training is to be held?"
"Far away from the Castellum. This is not normal training, you and your tutors will be housed a far distance from any town. This is to give you the utmost privacy as you train and learn. You will see no one else until you return for your initiation." Narcissa reached out and stroked her only son's cheek softly, "I know you don't understand yet, my son, but you will soon enough. It is a great honor that you bring to your family as well as yourself."
With that Narcissa turned and apparated away. Draco did exactly as he was told, gathering his bag, and asking Danica, to change into a snake form so that she was easier to carry.
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What do you think? I promise it will get smutty and more intense soon. If you enjoyed it, please leave a message for me and a carrot or two for Draco Potter.