See chapter one for disclaimers/summaries/warnings. Others will be added as I see fit. See A/N at the end.
PREVIOUSLY: Harry's visit to Madam Pomfrey results in revelations he never expected and being Bonded to Megan Jones as his Dragel Alpha. Harry finally has a chance to know what it feels like to complete a resting period without worrying over it.
Harry woke several times over the weekend.
He didn't register much.
Just that there were a few freshening charms cast on him and nothing more. He slept, rested and enjoyed himself. A few times something would startle him from sleep. He'd wake with an inquisitive sound in the back of his throat and would snuggle back into the blankets at a reassuring purr from Megan. A few times he woke to stretch and roll over before promptly going back to sleep. It was a nice cycle.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to sleep with such ease. He fully intended to enjoy every moment of it, granted that he was allowed.
At one point, a nice smell stirred him from dreamland and Harry opened his eyes to find the older girl sitting cross-legged on the bed beside him, her light-grey eyes alight as she inspected a large bowl of cubed fruit. She looked up at Harry's sleepy inquiry and then patted the bed beside her. "Fruit. You haven't eaten much of anything, I think you should." She said, by way of explanation. "Hungry?" With ease belying her taller frame, Megan shifted to share the bowl and Harry realized that her hands had shifted to claws. She was sorting through the fruit bowl and occasionally spearing random chunks of fruit before chomping on them. Her fangs were slender and delicate to the eye, until Harry saw her take a good bite out of a rounded specimen.
It reminded him of the feel of her fangs in his neck. They were far stronger than they looked.
He eyed the bowl and his stomach rumbled, reminding him that he wasn't taking care of it—as usual. He struggled to sit up with sleep-weary limbs. He was so tired—and hungry!
Megan favored him with a light smile, before she speared a chunk of peach on the end of one clawed hand and held it out. "Eat this, at least before you sleep again. It'll help. You haven't really eaten much lately, have you? I didn't want to wake you, because it looks like you needed the rest too."
Harry yawned—and as he did so, opened his mouth and squeaked when the chunk of fruit was pushed in. He scowled at the older girl who didn't seem to notice as she continued to explore the large bowl of fruit. Harry ate until he felt comfortably stuffed and sticky with fruit juices. At that point, Megan murmured a spell as he sprawled out on the sheets and Harry was happy as his fingers to unstuck themselves thanks to the shared cleaning charm. He hadn't felt comfortable eating fruit with his claws as Megan had, but he supposed it was because he just wasn't used to it yet.
The little detail of the cleaning charm wasn't missed either—Megan had thought to cast the charm for both of them—and Harry was grateful. Sometimes, he really missed having magic.
They slept some more.
Harry woke to Megan's insistent shaking and peered blearily up at the shadowed figure. "Meg?" He mumbled, nestling back into the pillow as the now familiar hands carded through his hair. That felt very nice. He knew the hands now and loved the sensation. This was something he could definitely grow accustomed to. Now that his curiosity was satisfied, he could go back to sleep.
The hands stopped abruptly and Harry's eyes flew open with a growl forming in the back of his throat. He'd really been enjoying that—it was a completely new experience and he hadn't wanted it to stop. He stared at the amused face, completely unnerved by the humor glittering brightly in the silvery-grey eyes smiling down at him. "S'not nice." He managed and resisted the childish urge to pout.
"I could have used a tickling charm, Harry." Megan said, mildly. "Believe me, that was very nice. It's time we were both up, I'm fairly certain you don't want to be late for the day." Megan rose from the bed and slipped out between the parted curtains. She snagged a two-toned scrap of fabric from the corner of the headboard, her figure visible through the gap in the curtains. Harry watched as she knotted her black and gold tie before tucking it into her jumper. She'd wakened and showed and dressed already, it seemed. For a moment, he was disappointed that he hadn't been able to watch, but that thought disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. "Breakfast is starting in twenty minutes and while I don't mind escorting you, you do need to be awake and dressed for it." She winked.
Harry blinked. Breakfast. Clothes. Gryffindor. Potions Class. Snape. Draco. Madam Pomfrey. Dumbledore. Terius. Running into Megan. His mind suddenly filled the gaps that had eluded him for the past two days. He sat bolt upright with a yell and then a blush as glittering silvery-grey eyes raked over his nearly naked form in obvious appreciation.
All other thoughts immediately fled as one particular memory surfaced of a talented hand down the front of his pants not so long ago.
"Remember something nice?" Megan asked, too innocently.
Harry snatched the sheets up around him and glared before a sudden flicker of panic set in. He could deal with the conflicting emotions and thoughts later, right now he wanted his head to work. "It's Monday, isn't it?" He swallowed hard. His last lucid memory was somewhere around Friday—Friday afternoon to be precise. His mouth was moving and words were spilling out. He'd slept through the weekend—again—that couldn't possibly be good and now there were sure be rumors flying about and questions that he couldn't answer and then there was Megan and there was probably even homework that would haunt him now that he'd fallen behind and oh joys! Harry ground his teeth together. His life was just one brilliant thing after another. His hands shook faintly with the emotion as he clenched them tight in the bunched sheets. "How long was I…I mean, has no one even…did we-?"
"I told Teacher Terius, whom in turn I believe told Severus. Which most likely means that Dumbledore knows and that is probably enough people to know in general." Megan reasoned, calmly. She tugged the bed curtains fully open. "What they know is probably quite a different story, but I haven't been told, so I suppose we should simply pretend to be surprised. Now come on, Everyone else is gone for the morning. We Hufflepuffs are early risers. Do hurry up." She waved a hand towards a chair at the window. "The elves must be in a good mood, because your uniform's here and it's clean." She smiled, waiting. "A few freshening charms likely wouldn't hurt either. I can cast them for you, if you like."
Harry eyed the stack of clothes and then looked away. "Maybe."
The grey eyes narrowed at once. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing."
"Har-ry." The name was drawn out with the faintest flicker of exasperation. "Fine, then. It's about twenty minutes to breakfast. I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too, so let's hurry up, alright?"
Harry hesitated.
Megan rolled her eyes. "Up!" She said, briskly and reached for the sheets, whisking them away and levitating Harry's newly cleaned clothes into his surprised lap. "Clothes. Dress. Now!" She turned away when Harry yelped and made to cover himself as he sat in nothing but his pants. "Not that I don't appreciate the view, but miraculously, I was able to control myself." Her stomach rumbled and the Hufflepuff winced. "Would you please, hurry already?"
A slightly red-faced, pink-cheeked Harry did so. He stumbled out from the nice, curtained bed and then blinked as Megan caught him, gently, with an arm around the waist. The taller girl hugged him close for a moment and then kissed the top of his head. Harry felt himself flush from the tips of his toes to the tops of his ears. "Harry." The quiet voice was serious. "There is nothing to be ashamed of. We are what we are and nothing will change that."
Harry stiffened in her arms.
Freak. The word echoed in his mind. I'm a freak. I'll always be a freak and-
"I cannot change answering your heartcry and you cannot change having called for me. My objections to your initial cry was only that I didn't wish for it to happen under the circumstances it did." Harry turned away, but one of the arms holding him close loosened to allow a hand to cup up and turn his face back to meet the serious gaze of his new mate. "You deserve the world, Harry." Megan leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the side of that famous scar. "I'd give it to you, if I could." Her expert hands began to run up and down Harry's mostly bare body in a rhythm that spoke of familiarity. "I am very proud of you and to have you. I am very honored as well. There is a great deal we have to discuss but for now, I think we should take things as they come. There is nothing to be gained from worrying and stressing over things we cannot control. Now, breakfast…?"
Harry swallowed as Megan's voice faded into the background noise of his head. This was a lot to take in, but he understood some of it—and he was remembering plenty. The conversation with Snape, hearing Draco's cry of distress, learning that Terius was a dragel—and discovering first-hand just how difficult it was to be rejected by his own kind in any way. Running into Megan. The hazy conversation. Being bitten. Being held. Being cuddled, kissed and tenderly cared for. A certain passage in his Care of Magical Creatures textbook. Megan's gentle touches of dominance. Those wicked, wicked hands. The conversation taking place while he zoned out. He came back with a start and heard Megan's quiet chuckle in his ear and felt her hands trailing softly up and down his side in a soothing rhythm. It prompted a rush of heat that made him want to shove the older girl away and simultaneously hold her close so she wouldn't see the horrible blush.
"Harry?" Megan prompted, after a moment. Her hands stilled, reluctantly, almost, it seemed.
The green-eyed brunet gave a grunt in answer, not quite trusting his mouth to speak and ruin whatever fragile fairytale this was.
"As much as I'd love to explain everything this very second and answer any questions you have—I, well, I suppose you'll learn all of my bad habits in short order, so I'd rather warn you of them first. Breakfast is soon and I tend to lose my patience if I do not have something to occupy my fangs." There was a faintly apologetic note in her voice.
The phrasing almost made Harry giggle. As it was, the very thought of giggling brought his nervousness to the front and he ducked his head, not knowing what to say. Breakfast would be anything but fun, this morning. He could practically see the way Hermione, Ron and Ginny would pounce on him and want to know where he'd been, what he'd done and why he didn't tell them anything. The twins were sure to be there and they most certainly would go about overfilling his plate and urging him to eat more than his stomach could handle—not to mention that he'd probably get that serious conversation they'd promised him.
Yes, if he could avoid breakfast he would.
Something warm and soft distracted him and Harry blinked to realize that Megan was kissing him and doing a rather wonderful job of it. His eyelids fluttered shut in pure enjoyment and by the time the kiss had ended, Harry found himself grinning and unable to feel the slightest touch of embarrassment. It felt right. It felt right in every single way that he could think of and that was enough reason to let go of what little doubts he had.
The textbook had told him a little bit about dragel mateship circles—nothing definite, but something. He had a feeling he was woefully uninformed and hope that it would not cause him too much trouble in the future. Some clues had instantly filled themselves in and that, coupled with some of Megan's reactions and words, had helped. He knew for certain now, that he was a submissive—after all, it was said that Submissives initiated a mateship circle and Megan said he'd answered his heartcry. Harry mused over it for a moment, wondering what that made Megan—his alpha or his beta? He was inclined to think of the taller, older Hufflepuff as the alpha, simply because of the muted, commanding air that she wielded around herself, without so much as a blink. He also didn't like to think of her being beneath anyone else.
It didn't suit her.
Another kiss drew him out of his thoughts and Harry gave into that one with a happy purr. He could think later. This was far more enjoyable to—the kiss ended and Megan finished with a light peck to one cheek.
"Clothes, Harry." She murmured. "Before I decide to eat you instead of breakfast."
That did the trick.
The teasing tone had Harry pushing away from her, as his face heated up to royal temperatures. Megan didn't protest, but rather and backed up a handful of steps, allowing some space. Harry took that moment to look at the clothes that had been in his hands moments before and were now in a folded pile beside his feet. He bent down to scoop them up, consciously aware of the eyes studying him. He studiously ignored them, settling for taking a quick look around his present surroundings, something, he reminded himself, that he should've done earlier.
Of course, he hadn't really been awake or standing up straight to take in much of the room and now that he did so, he could see that there were three beds, instead of four in a typical Gryffindor dorm and there was plenty of space all around with extra privacy curtains for the occupants to draw around their corners of the room. Harry turned back to see Megan waving her wand at the bed to set it to rights. The sight made him pause, before he dismissed it. Hufflepuffs were known to be hardworking and lending a hand wherever they could. It didn't surprise him that Megan was showing her true colors. The house elves probably adored her work ethic. It was something he could appreciate, knowing that most pureblood witches and wizards simply relied on house elves to do such menial tasks.
How he would have loved to use magic on basic chores at the Dursleys! At the very least, it would have made that version of temporary hell somewhat more bearable.
Megan looked up, catching his eye. Her face softened into a smile and she straightened. "If I turn around, would it help?" There was a teasing note in her voice.
Harry was sure his face couldn't be any warmer. He tried to distract himself and succeeded in thinking of a relatively harmless question. "Where are the others?"
"Others?" She sounded puzzled.
"Turn around!" Harry shot back, hugging the clothes to his chest.
Megan snorted, but her figure was hidden from view by the curtains on the bed and she did actually turn around as requested.
"The room."
"What-oh. The Prefect's room actually." Megan half-laughed. "It's really Hannah's, but she hates being alone, so me and Susan stay with her. We've been friends for years and we Puffs, don't stand on much formality. At least not within the House anyway, there's absolutely no need for it. Besides, because of it, we even managed to earn an en suite." She gestured to the bathroom, a slender door half-hidden beside a tall wardrobe. "Susan was in the running for Head Girl you know, but ah…something came up and she couldn't keep her grades at the same level as others." She hummed softly to herself. "Also, seeing as the three of us are the only creature types present among the Puffs, we share. It helps, especially when we don't have someone like Teacher Terius to run to or Professor Snape and we tend to really try to avoid trouble him, the dear man."
Harry blinked. That was news to him and the endearment made his stomach twist. It certainly wasn't a phrase he'd attach to the fearsome Severus Snape. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why'd you, you know?"
"No. I don't."
"Terius and Snape, why'd you go to them?"
"Apart from the fact they are dragel?" Megan perked a brow. "Snape—as you so eloquently put it—is Severus and he is a very distinguished Alpha, at least by current standards. He is usually fair, if only in private, but we older Puffs' try to show our respect and return the favor to him in any way that we can. As for Teacher Terius, well, he is mated to Severus and Draco, while Calida is their sub. They form a very basic start for a mated or Bonded circle. Besides, it helps to have an older dragel to defer to at times, if only in the interest of keeping the peace and the safety of Hogwarts." Meagan rose from the bed. "Finished?"
"Yeah." Harry scrubbed a hand at his head. His hair was hopeless enough without making it worse. "Safety of Hogwarts?"
"Have you done any research on Dragels?" There was a touch of humor in her voice.
Harry shrugged. "I tried. There isn't much out there."
"I assume you tried the usual, common ways—Owl Order or Hogwarts library?" She ticked them off on her fingers. "Ah, so that's why you were in the library that day. I did wonder. I put it together, but I didn't want to assume and say something I shouldn't have."
Green eyes narrowed in response. "Was I that obvious?" He said, bitterly. He'd only been trying to figure out yet another one of the twisted puzzles that made up his complicated life. "I didn't exactly have any other options."
"I don't mean anything by it." Megan stared at him in surprise. "Harry, really." She blinked. "I honestly do not. I was simply stating the facts. See, even dark texts wouldn't have had much to share, we're a very private and closed society. I would have been quite worried if you had found something." She frowned. "You are now more than entitled to my encyclopedia though, for free too, seeing as you're mine now."
"What?"
"You can keep the chocolate frogs." Megan teased. "Though on second thought, I might just take them anyway, because chocolate is always good in any form. You're welcome to borrow the encyclopedia any time you like. I don't know whether it will be the kind of help you're looking for, but we'll deal with that when we have to. I'll lend it to you today—seeing as we are Bonded now and you may borrow it whenever you like. I would suggest reading the entries on Dragels—memorizing them, even." She frowned. "Which worries me, didn't your mentor provide you with anything?"
"What mentor?" Harry said, bluntly. "Who?"
Megan blinked. "Your Dragel mentor—everyone has one." She began slowly. "Everyone. I have one that appeared during my transformation. It is mandatory."
"Really." Harry snorted.
"Yes, really. I've never known someone who didn't." A look of worry flickered over Megan's face.
"and yet another one…" Harry muttered to himself.
"Harry?"
"There wasn't anyone." He scowled. "No one. Nothing."
"Nothing at all?" Megan bit her lip. That definitely couldn't be good.
"Absolutely nothing." Harry squirmed under the intense gaze. "C-can we leave now?" A hand strayed to his stomach, as if to reinforce the hunger factor.
"By absolutely nothing, do you mean,"
"I mean nothing. Please, can we just-?"
Megan sighed, reluctantly. "As you wish. I'll leave it be for now, but this important and it is not good." She frowned. "Didn't you want any freshening charms?" She knew that she certainly would have desired an entire barrage of them, especially after sleeping through nearly three days.
Well, the charms and another important detail.
"Can't. No magic." Harry braced himself.
Nothing happened. Megan simply stared at him as if he'd announced a trip to the loo, something ordinary and normal. "How awful." She said, primly. Her wand slipped from her sleeve holster and she tapped it against her leg. "May I?"
Harry shrugged.
A tingling, stiff feeling sprinkled over him. His mouth dropped open in surprise when he felt the lingering taste of mint.
Megan grinned. "Satisfactory for you?" She replaced the wand and checked the clock. "That should have covered everything, but one particularly pressing matter that doesn't seem to have registered yet."
"What?" Harry stared at him. It took a moment longer. Then he flushed deep red once more. "Just a moment." Harry scrambled to the bathroom and shut the door firmly behind him.
The pretty Hufflepuff laughed after him.
As they neared the Great Hall, Megan stepped sideways and gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "I'll see you later, love."
Harry stared after her, the unexpected touch welcome, before he realized the weight of the words. Megan didn't have any issue with him being a Gryffindor or anything of that sort, but it bothered him on a deeper level that she didn't mind that he'd be seated and surrounded by fellow, red-blooded students. It was almost as if she didn't care that he would be without her. It didn't matter to her that he'd be with others or that he could possibly be in danger—well, possibly—Harry couldn't be sure, they were his fellow housemates after all, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed.
A sudden, new emptiness that washed over him at the fact that his new mate didn't want to sit next to him to share their first official meal.
"You don't want me to sit with you?" Harry looked at her in confusion. He didn't know much about any of this whole mate and circle thing, but he was just lucky that Megan had gotten stuck with him. She'd been nice enough when they were back in the rooms. Yet, now, it seemed like Megan didn't want to be around him. He really must have done something stupid to mess up the entire-
"What?" Megan blinked, staring at him with an equal measure of confusion. "I don't mind if you want to sit with me. I'd be honored, but I do understand that you have your own life and friends and I doubt they'd understand if you decided to visit the Hufflepuff table and sit next to me. I know the girls in your house, they wouldn't let you have a moment's peace. I suppose I could sit with you, but that would bring us right back to the same situation. It would simply be less stress all around if we didn't change anything too much right now." Her brow furrowed further. "Er, Harry, did you want to sit next to me?"
Harry stared at the ground, puzzling through the words. It made sense. Sort of. It wasn't a lack of care, but rather a bit of trust. Megan trusted him to manage on his own and she seemed to mean what she said—at least, with a careful whiff, Harry could tell that the young woman certainly wasn't lying. But all the warm, happy feelings he'd had a minute ago had disappeared into nothing. He felt empty and hollow—like he had on the first day of summer just a few months ago when he'd turned up at the Dursleys.
Vernon had beat him black and blue for simply showing his face. Harry hadn't had any choice. There wasn't really anywhere else he could go without causing a fuss and the very last thing he wanted to do was cause trouble for people. The summer at the Dursley's had started out bad and gotten worse. What happened after that was a blur. The kind of blur that Harry didn't really want to deal with it. He squared his shoulders and straightened up. He could do this. He could manage. He'd done it for years and it was almost two months he'd managed with his Dragel Inheritance. He could do it.
He always had.
Always.
He now realized that Megan was eyeing him with a sudden, new measure of concern. "On second thought, perhaps you ought to come with me. I doubt the rest of us 'Puffs would mind. Are you sure you're feeling alright? You don't look it." She reached out to press a cool hand to his warm forehead.
"I'm fine." Harry blurted out, dodging the hand a moment too late. He found himself leaning into the touch before he could help himself. "It's fine. I'd just wondered. I wasn't sure if this was like Veelas and all that possessiveness. I feel fine. Really."
A sultry smile curved on Megan's face. "I can be very possessive if I need to." She murmured. "I won't smother you, if I can help it and if there's no reason for it. If you doubt that though, I am more than happy to demonstrate." She moved slowly, invading his space, the tempting look on her face tempered by the warmth in her grey eyes.
Harry sucked in a breath and slowly nodded. There was a promise in there that made him feel warm all over. It soothed a raw, achy portion of his soul and almost against his will, he found himself relaxing as she backed him towards the rough stone wall.
"You are precious." Megan informed him. "My precious." She planted a kiss on one cheek. "Precious." Another kiss for the other cheek. "Treasure." She kissed him softly on the lips. "Enjoy your breakfast." She bumped their foreheads together, then backed away, the smile still hovering about her lips.
He felt his face grow warm and knew he was blushing. He ducked his head even as a sudden, silly grin plastered on his face as he straightened his unnecessary glasses and fumbled to straighten his robes.
Megan had stopped them in a corner where they wouldn't be immediately visible to passersby and he was thankful for that little detail. He watched his new Alpha blend into the straggling flow of hungry students. Righting himself, Harry stepped out from the corner and fell into step. That little moment had said enough—it wasn't some deliberate snog to distract him or a casual peck on the cheek, it was a soft, tender gesture that chased away all depressing thoughts.
And it was just what he needed.
Harry grinned, goofily for a moment.
Breakfast sounded like a brilliant thing.
He'd be sure to enjoy it.
A/N: I apologize in advance if this author's note sounds like a rant, but I've put off updating this fic for several reasons, the main one of which will be mentioned below.
This is a STORY, it is FICTION. Don't like it, stop reading it. I am tired of deleting rude reviews and flames. While it does take quite a bit to annoy me, I am quite appalled at the rude and offensive behavior of some fanfiction readers. I do not want to disable anon reviews, because I know some people do not have FF accounts or find it easier to review as a guest. However, to each their own. I am just as entitled to my opinion and beliefs as you are to yours. If this story is not to your liking, then kindly go read something else.
Starting a "straight" version of my original "There Be Dragons, Harry" fic was done as a request to a special reader of mine, as such, I work on it when I can and there are some very distinct parallels to both. The original fic is quite close to nearly 450,000 words at 73 chapters and it is barely even 1/4 of the way through the storyline I have planned for it. It is incredibly angsty at times and there are many bittersweet and fluffy moments scattered throughout. There's not really that much "slash" in it either, and like it, this is not and will not be a smut fic either. The point of TBDH is an exploration into the realistic adventure of a "necessary" harem and the relationships involved with it. If that is not what you were looking for, then find another fic to read, as you will be sorely disappointed.
Thank you for those of you who have been supportive and courteous with your reviews/suggestions and questions. I truly appreciate them and you.