Told you the second chapter would be up soon! Hope you enjoy. Thank you for the reviews! For disclaimer, see chapter 1.
Chapter 2: One Day at a Time
The train ride to Hogwarts was uneventful for Draco. He was one of the few Slytherins to return and had an entire compartment to himself. He ran into very few people, none of which smelled enticing enough to be Severus' and his other mate. He wondered if their other mate even went to Hogwarts, but hoped to god they did. As a veela, he would be able to live with just Severus, but the longing in his chest would not go away until he was united with their other mate, and he knew it would be the same with his grouchy blood-sucking partner. He didn't want either of them to go through that for an extended period of time.
Finally the train pulled to a stop before the station and Draco trudged to the carriages. It struck him that more people than usual would be able to see the thestrals and his heart plummeted, back into that uncomfortable space near his liver that it always landed when he was thinking about the war. He shook his head quickly to dispel the thoughts and focused on getting through the begin of term feast and back to Severus and a bed. He felt as if he was the walking dead without the potions master so soon after the bonding, and just wanted to return to the man's side. He supposed it was the submissive in him coming out.
Before long he was seated at the Slytherin table, ignoring the world. With all the different scents lingering in the air, he could have been sitting next to his mate and not even known it. He didn't even try. His gaze lingered on Severus before he returned to studying the grain of the wooden table before him, chin resting on his hand. He knew it would be different this year, but he didn't expect the empty space in his chest. He expected to long for the old days, but it seemed as if his heart had vanished altogether in that moment.
Suddenly the room quieted, and Draco looked up to see Headmistress McGonagall standing before the plethora of students. He shuddered, knowing that she was going to address Severus' and his bonding at some point. He listened to her drone on for a few minutes before he heard his name.
"As for the last thing I will address, I am not telling you because I care for school gossip. I am telling you this for your safety. Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy have been mated. Do not antagonize either of them, for you will not come out in one piece. More information on bonds will be given to you in Professor Snape's class." She finished, and people began muttering amongst themselves before the food appeared and the sounds of silverware and chewing filled the hall instead.
Finally dinner was over, and Draco slipped from the hall and down the staircase to the dungeon. He approached a tapestry the depicted the Salem witch trials and muttered the password before vanishing through it and into the comfortable rooms of Severus. Said man was already settled on the couch with a glass of brandy in his hand, and Draco curled into the crook of his arm, relaxing fully into the warmth of his mate. He opened his eyes halfway to gaze into the fire as he spoke.
"Any scent of him?" He asked softly, and Severus knew Draco was referring to their missing mate. He shook his head, pressing a kiss to the veela's hairline before taking another sip of his drink. He summoned a glass of red wine from the kitchenette for Draco and the young man took it with silent thanks, enjoying the taste on his tongue.
They sat in silence for a long time, just soaking in each other's presence, before Severus finally pulled away and tugged a sleepy Draco into their bedroom. After several shared kisses they fell into easy sleep, comforted by the other's enveloping arms and scent.
SSXHPXDM
Harry, on the other hand, was sleeping restlessly, his hips and fingertips twitching longingly. His dreams were getting more intense, and in moments he jerked awake, his throbbing manhood standing proudly. Snarling under his breath, Harry whipped the covers off his body and vanished into the bathroom, thinking of wandering hands and the scent of musk and vanilla.
Finished, Harry washed himself and trudged back into the dorm room, tugging on his clothes and robes before vanishing down the staircase to the common room below. Grumbling when he saw no one awake but thankful no one would ask questions, Harry headed out the portrait and wandered through the castle halls as the sun rose in the sky. That familiar aching in his chest had returned, and he wondered what it all meant. He hoped for his sake he figured all this shit out soon.
A moment later he found himself through the front doors and headed for the quidditch pitch, praying he would find some peace in the air. Harry quickly snatched up his broom from the shed and took to the sky, the wind whipping through his hair and stinging his eyes as he soared over the trees. Swooping back to the pitch, Harry did loops around the goal posts before racing out above the lake. After half an hour in the air, Harry heard the thundering of feet headed for the great hall and landed (for once, gracefully) to put his broom away.
Harry arrived in the hall for breakfast at the same time Ron and Hermione entered, and they settled at the table together, chatting about their first day of classes. The meal passed far too quickly for Harry's liking, and the next thing he knew he was being whisked away by the crowds towards Transfiguration.
The day passed slowly after that, that was, until he walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
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Severus' day was dull – and that was putting it nicely. In accordance to Headmistress McGonagall's wishes, he had been teaching each and every class about creatures and everything that went along with it, including mating. Luckily he didn't have to sniff about the younger classes because he knew Draco's and his other mate was not going to be present. Sadly, that also meant he was incredibly bored, repeating the same information over and over. At least in his usual classes he got to teach different things to each group of snot-nosed brats.
However, his next class was the seventh years and returning 18 year olds. This would prove to be interesting, for Draco and (if his hopes were correct and whoever it was had returned to Hogwarts) their mate would be in the class. He sat at his new desk and glared as the students filed in, his gaze only softening when it landed on his blonde veela, whom entered alone. His heart ached at the thought of his mate being alone all day without him or any friends, but he had to push that feeling down and take care of his class.
It was then that a mouth-watering scent hit his nostrils and he saw Draco jerk around to see who was coming through the door.
No way.
No.
Nonononononononono!
Harry bloody Potter walked through the door looking thoroughly worn but appealingly disheveled. It was from him that the scent came, and when Draco turned to stare at Severus in alarm, he knew that the young man knew it too.
Fuck.
But it was then that Seamus called out that it was sad that Severus was stuck with such a brat for a mate, and Severus saw red.
SSXHPXDM
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