Tiger, Tiger.
After an Animagus potion gone wrong, Harry becomes a tiger and is unable to change back. Though, without the weight of the world on his shoulders, Harry enjoys his new body, until something happens to make him go back to Hogwarts in the possession of Draco Malfoy. HBP. AU. OOC.
Pairings: Harry/Draco one hundred per cent, there will be Blaise/Luna and eventually Neville/OC. Not much more romance other than this, maybe some off screen romance, I don't know, I haven't decided yet.
Warnings: there might be strong language, possible gory scenes in the future. I'll warn you though, so don't worry if you're squeamish. Also bashing of the Dumbles, the Ronikins, the Bookworm and the Weaselette!
I don't own Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling or the poem 'Tyger, Tyger' by William Blake. Also anything you might recognise from other fics on this site or another site is purely coincidental. Enjoy!
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It had all changed when there was just two weeks before Draco had to return to Hogwarts. The day had started out normally, Draco was awoken by rumbling purrs* and soft head butts to the side. When Draco had dressed, he and Prosper had headed downstairs, said hello to Severus who was in one of the potion labs, like any other morning, and had eaten breakfast with Narcissa and Romeo (If you remember, he's Narcissa's fennec fox familiar) before they had returned upstairs so Draco could finish his Transfiguration essay. Prosper had leapt up onto the bed and stretched out regally, purring, content with knowing his Master was safe. Draco was sitting at his dark Brazilian wood desk, his white and grey quill scratching against the heavy stiff parchment, his floor littered with scraps of crumpled parchment. He sighed, tapping the green inked quill against the corner of the difficult Transfiguration essay, re reading what he had already written.
If a person wanted to become an Animagus, there is a potion called Animalis Mutante or Animal Changer that allows the person to change into the animal that is most compatible with their personalities and with their magic for a set amount of time (usually ten to fifteen minutes). If the person's magic accepts the new animal form, that person would be able to shift into their new form at will. The first time a person changes form (after the potion change), the animals instincts will completely override human compassion and humanity if the correct potion (Animi Custos) is not taken before hand. This is best done alone if you have not taken the potion and if your Animagus form is a large creature. It is extraordinarily difficult to have an animal compatible with your magic and that is why so few people try to gain Animagus forms.
Draco sighed again, growling softly in the back of his throat, making Prosper look at him in surprise. Draco was normally very cool and collected, other than in the mornings. When Draco got out of his seat to look for his Transfiguration book that was in his bag, pushing the high backed chair behind him, Prosper leapt off the bed and went over to his agitated Master, purring loudly and head butting his Masters back softly. Draco smiled weakly at the concerned tiger and continued searching for the elusive school bag. Eventually, after ten more minutes of searching and head butts to the back (Draco suspected that the tiger was enjoying himself immensely) Draco abandoned whatever patience he had. "Kips!" Draco snarled to the room. One crack of magic later and the small, straight backed house elf stood before Darco. "Find my school bag and do not let me see you until you have it." Draco snarled at the elf, who nodded at once, too used to the young Malfoy's quick attitude changes to be upset with the snappish command. Prosper, however, looked at Draco with an equal mix of concern and annoyance. Draco scowled at the tiger and ran a hand over his face and through his white hair. "Sorry Kips." Draco said to the room at large, taking a step backwards. Alas, as Draco was walking backwards, he did not see that he had upset the carpet with his searching and now the corner was overturned. Draco's foot caught on the carpet and Draco came down heavily, banging and splitting his head on the hardwood floor, his vision starting to swim and blood starting to seep onto the cream carpet, staining it. Prosper who had sat down after Draco had called the house elf leapt to his feet, knowing and not wanting to know that he would have to change back to his human side if he wanted to help his beloved Master. Draco did not see Prosper changing from tiger to human or the look of concentration on said tigers face before the change. Draco did, however, feel a warm hand cradle his bloody head while another went around his waist, stemming the blood flow and picking the injured boy up. Draco saw through clouded eyes a pair of startled green eyes on the face of a very real and practically naked Harry Potter. And then Draco had passed out from the blood loss from his head, only seeing darkness.
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When Draco had stumbled backwards, Prosper didn't notice, thinking that his Master would catch himself. However, when he heard the almighty crack of Draco's head against the floor he knew it in a little dark corner of his mind that, as a tiger, he wasn't able to keep Draco from bleeding, if anything, Prosper would have made it worse. So, for the first time since becoming Prosper, the 800lb Siberian tiger, he wished Harry was back, even just to help the felled boy. Suddenly, with a fire that race through his veins followed by a fleeting flash of coldness, Harry Potter was back. Allowing only a brief look of surprise on his face, Harrys hands snapped out, one gently grasping Draco's bloodied head and the other snaked around Draco's thin waist.
When Draco had fainted dead in his arms, Harry had naturally panicked, muttering a quick "Sweet mother of shit!". Wearing nothing but tattered denim knee length shorts, Harry lifted Draco up bridal style and had raced out of the room. Sprinting through the long hallways, ignoring the gasps of surprise that came from portraits and house elves alike, Harry finally came to a skidding halt outside the potions lab. Kicking open the door, Harry place Draco on the nearest table not covered in potions or ingredients or weighting scales. He turned to the shocked potions master and pleaded "Please…" Harry whispered, nearly heartbroken with the guilt of what he had caused to his Master. Severus stood stock still, his hand still curled around the crushed spring crocus he was about to drop into the bubbling potion in the cauldron that stood in front of him. Throwing the flower to the side, Severus swooped over to the boy on the table, ignoring (for now) the other boy. Severus realised that there was nothing wrong with Draco other than a cracked skull which, while painful, was very easy to heal. Severus did exactly that with a wave of his wand before he turned to the supposedly missing boy, a frown on his face only to stop, once again shocked at what Harry looked like.
The once scrawny short boy was tall, exactly six foot, and had filled out nicely, judging by the toned muscles in his arms, legs and abs, but that was not what had shocked Severus. The boys once pale skin was now covered in stripes varying from faded grey to blacker that black. Emerging from the back of the boys tattered denim cut offs was a long stripped orange trail, the white tip twitching slightly, only inches off the flagstone floor. His forest green eyes had streaks of shinning silver and gold and his pupils were unnaturally large in the potion labs poor light. The glowing eyes were also filled with despair and desperation and were locked on the unmoving form of Draco. His once jet black hair was now tipped with orange, a startling contrast to his black as sin hair. Around his left wrist, Harry had Prospers collar and on his left pec was the tattoo that had been on Prospers paw. Severus came to a startlingly obvious conclusion; Harry Potter was Prosper.
"Potter." Severus called out to the boy. Harry did nothing to indicate that he heard other that the slight twitch of his fingers. "Harry, he'll wake up in his own time. Why don't you and I go get you a shirt and a cup of tea." Harry hesitated briefly, bouncing on the balls of his feet for a second before nodding slowly, backing away from the still form on the table. Turning on his heel, Harry faced the formidable potions master and followed his swishing black robes out of the lab and back into the hallway.
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Draco awoke, groaning. His head was twinging slightly in pain and he sighed in annoyance. Suddenly, he remembered how he had fallen and more importantly, who was there when he fell. He shot off the table, allowing only a moment of dizziness to pass, sparing only a second of thought to how he arrived in Severus's private potion lab. Draco fought the urge to sprint around the Manor like some undignified animal. "Kips." Draco called out to his personal House Elf. Said elf appeared with Draco's school bag in hand and Draco had to smother a smile at the elf's obedience. "Master Malfoy, your kitty is being in the lounge with Mistress Malfoy and the potions man." Here, the small creature hesitated "If Kips is allowed sir, your kitty is looking strange, and not like a kitty should sir." Draco nodded "Can you bring my bag back into my room Kips." The house elf nodded and disappeared with a crack.
Draco hurried through the twisting hallways of the huge Manor, stopping outside the door of the lounge. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and onto a strange sight. Severus was sitting in a high backed armchair, smiling and nursing a glass of Fire Whiskey and Draco's mother was telling an elaborate story, waving her hands around like a mad woman. It made Draco smile. When they had lived with Lucius, Narcissa was always quiet and subdued, not happy and smiley like she should be. There was black and orange hair sticking up from behind the chair that was facing away from him and towards the fireplace and Narcissa.
Severus looked up and put down his near empty glass on the coffee table. Narcissa also stopped, her voice trailing off into nothingness. They both got up and Severus squeezed Draco's shoulder on the way out and Narcissa whispered "Don't do anything rash, he cares for you little Dragon." Draco only nodded and swept over to the chair in front of the fireplace, the chair his mother had been sitting in. He flopped down in the seat, and glared at the boy opposite him. Draco was shocked, needless to say, when he saw, not the weak Golden Boy of Gryffindor, but Harry, part tiger and Draco's familiar. The forest green eyes streaked with silver stared at him, filled with an equal amount of relief and desperation. Draco smiled softly at his familiar and his friend.
"Hey Prosper."
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Super duperly apologise for the long wait but my dad took away my computer, saying that I had no life outside my bedroom (my brother and I laughed when he said that- it sounds so dirty). What do you think of this chapter? Were there any mistakes? Please tell me if there are any. Also, as this is fan fiction, some of the original characters will be a little different. Draco and his mother did in fact move houses to get away from Lucius, but that doesn't mean that they do not have another Manor floating about the place. This is the first time I have written slash, so be nice please. And out of curiosity, do you guys think I'm a girl or a boy? Either way, I won't get offended.
I'm currently plotting to take over the world
XD
Er, I mean;
I'm secretly annoyed with you
0_o
*For anyone who doesn't know, tigers (and most other big cats) cannot actually purr. I thought it would be nice just to add it in. As far as I know (and please do correct me if I am wrong) cheetahs are the only big cat that can purr.