The Fall Of Darkness
by kittenvks
warnings: SLASH YAOI MALE MALE HOMOSEXUALITY! - can't get much clearer than that o.0 also, there will be a bit of angst, lots of fighting, laughing, flamers to the left.
disclaimer: I own nothing, especially not Harry Potter and co.
For Fiona Flame and the LuvlyLadyLexi :))
Chapter Nine: Learning
Later that night found Draco and Harry sitting across from each other in the living room of Draco's flat, casually sipping on fire whiskey and soda.
"So this brood, you're like a family, right?" Harry asked, swishing his drink around. Draco nodded, taking a swig of his own.
"Oh yes, very much so. I love them dearly, especially Millie and Kestral. I promised Blaise I would look out for her when he passed."
"How did that happen?"
"Rogue Veelas. I took care of the last two- the ones that killed him, he died in my arms, his feathers all wilting out. Hestia, his Chosen and another Veela- also a member of my brood, was already gone."
"I'm sorry, Draco, that really is terrible." Harry said, imagining if it had been he and Ron. Draco shrugged, looking around for a brief moment as though Blaise were there,
"I've come to mourn him already, buried him with some of my own feathers."
"You still have those?" Harry asked, perking up a bit.
"Yes, they're at the Manor. Mother is having them sew into a blanket or some other such nonsense. A gift of sorts, though I don't know if she expects me to give it to my Chosen or if it's to comfort me for the loss. You never stop mourning the loss of your wings."
Harry laid back on the couch, thoughtful for a moment.
"What are they like, your Chosen?" he asked, gazing up at the ceiling.
"I've told you, Harry, I'm not going to give them away." Draco said, rolling his eyes. Harry grinned, turning to look at the blonde.
"I won't go looking for them- Gryffindor's honor."
"No." Draco retorted, finishing his drink and going to make another, "I'll tell you how I feel about them, how's that?" he asked, pouring more firewhiskey into his glass than he had before.
"You've already made *that* clear," Harry said, grinning, "you're plum smitten." Draco laughed, rolling his eyes again,
"I'm my Chosen's Veela, Harry, of course I'm smitten. So what about you, any love prospects?"
"Nope," Harry said, snickering to himself, "can't find anyone who doesn't know who I am. You know how annoying that is? Every man I've found is more than happy to climb into bed with The Boy Who Won't Die- as I believe you put it. None of them give two shits about Harry Potter. I am so drunk, sorry."
Draco staggered to his own seat, carrying his drink and the whiskey and soda with him for Harry to refresh his own drink.
"It's alright," he drawled, falling back into the chair, "I am too. You *are* the boy who won't fucking die, though. That's a part of it, you should see that."
"I do, but there's more than that," Harry sighed, taking another drink.
"Like?"
"Like... like Quidditch and flying, and my Godfather, Siriussss," Harry slurred a bit, laughing, "and a deep love for treacle tart and chocolate frogs. I like to cook, it's relaxing. I like soft beds, and reading mysteries... I enjoy swimming, though I prefer to just stay home most of the time. Unless I'm working, it takes my mind off the empty house and that blasted house elf Kreacher. He just won't die." Harry said, laughing to himself.
"And you like blokes?" Draco asked, arching an eyebrow, "hadn't seen that one coming."
"Yes, didn't know until fifth year and denied the hell out of it."
"Why?" Draco asked, incredulous.
"Oh! I grew up with some bashing muggles. I didn't know the wizarding world was so accepting. Kinda fancied you for a bit, actually. Merlinstrousersineedtoquitdrinking." Draco snorted, nearly spitting his own drink out.
"Me? What is that like, masochism?" Draco laughed.
"I suppose so, I don't know. Too bad I didn't say something before you found your Chosen, yeah?" Harry snickered, downing more of his drink, "thanks for saving my arse by the way, at the Manor."
"Yeah? Well thanks for saving mine, from the friendfyre and the fucking Dark Lord." Draco said, leaning forward with his glass in a toast, "cheers."
"So, what are you really like Draco?" Harry said, rolling over on his stomach to look at the blonde. Draco rolled his eyes, laying himself out in his chair, his tail swishing lightly back and forth on the floor.
"I also like flying. It brings back the memory of my wings. I really was quite the talented flyer. If I were to have been one of the rogues... I probably would have killed a lot more people. I'm harder to hit with a curse. I have a thing for lamb, I don't know if that's the Veela in me or not. When Kestral's not here with me, I get wasted, to forget my Chosen and the war. I miss my own godfather, Severus. I deeply enjoy Potions, he started teaching me when I was young, I sing a lot. Draw a lot too. I think we have a lot in common. Could have been great friends,"
"No reason we can't now," Harry said, shrugging. Draco laughed at him, though there was no hint of mocking in the laugh, "hey, we could. We have a lot in common." Harry said defensively. Draco held up his hands in surrender, eyes closed.
"Cool off Harry, I'm not disagreeing- we could certainly try. I'm willing to let go of Hogwarts if you are."
"Sure," Harry said, shrugging again. He stared at Draco thoughtfully for a moment, "I have an idea- that'll probably regret tomorrow," he said, taking a shot of whiskey straight from the bottle, "how about, we play a game. I'll tell you something you didn't know about me and then vice versa?"
"That could get interesting," Draco said, eyeing him suspiciously, "are you trying to find out more baout my Chosen?"
"No, nooooo, you don't have to go there if you don't want. I'll start, I was almost sorted into Slytherin," Harry said, sitting up. Draco's eyes shot open wider, grinning.
"I don't hate muggles, I just find them odd and ignorant," he shot back, drawing as much surprise from Harry.
"I can not stand the thought of my muggle family, except Dudley- my cousin- who I begrudgingly send Christmas cards every year."
"I am distantly related to the Weasleys." Draco offered, causing Harry to nearly choke.
"Really?!"
"Don't stop now, Harry, your turn."
"Hermione and Ron make me feel like a third wheel a lot," Harry offered after a moment of thought.
"I'm terrified of the giant squid," Draco laughed, taking a shot straight from the bottle.
"I'm terrified of people I care about dying because of me."
"The Malfoy fortune came from muggle investments."
"That's deep, Draco." Harry slurred, giggling a bit. Draco rolled his eyes.
"This conversation never leaves us, right?"
"To my grave," Harry swore, crossing his heart with his free hand, "I find that noise you make, very attractive. Why did I say that?"
"No idea, what noise?"
"The c-crooning," Harry slurred, "and I felt bad for insulting your Chosen earlier."
"I knew what you meant to do, provoke me, that's the right thing to do," Draco said, "now slow down; you're two up on me, yeah?" Draco rested back, thinking for a moment, "I'm a virgin, and... I find it very flattering that you liked my wings and my crooning."
"They were very pretty- I'd like to see one of the feathers... wait, is that coming on to you? I don't care, I'm drunk. Let's see, now it's my turn... I am technically, also a virgin. How's that work?" he slurred, trying to sit up. Draco moved swiftly, winding himself to sit up.
"Lay back down, Harry, you do *not* need to be up, you'll end up falling and hurting yourself." he said.
"Fine, deal. I would really like to hear that noise, Draco- if that's not against... some rule." he said, finishing his drink and setting it on the table, he turned to look at Draco, "I'm sorry, I'm really drunk. I wouldn't be this brave if we hadn't finished off a bottle and... three quarters."
"I understand," Draco said, standing and wobbling a bit before his tail shot out to grip the arm of the chair, steadying him.
"That's kinda cool," Harry said, watching him.
"Thanks," Draco said, coming to sit in the floor next to Harry. He leaned his head back, looking up at the Gryffindor for a moment before crooning quietly. Harry beamed at him, rolling on his side to look at him better. Draco blushed, "sorry, I'm a bit drunk myself."
"I totally understand," Harry said, and then after a long but comfortable pause, "hey Draco?" The blonde hummed in response, his eyes closed, "will you die without your Chosen?"
"Eventually, I'll become more and more depressed and lonely. Veelas aren't loners. That's why I've always been so adamant about my brood staying close, I don't feel as lonely. Now that Blaise is gone and Millie has found her Chosen and been accepted... all I have left is Kestral. She'll go to school in the next couple of years, that'll probably be when it starts," he cracked one eye to meet Harry's emerald green before closing it again, "don't worry though, that's a long time from now, it'll take ages."
Harry swallowed hard, thinking about the possibility of making a new friend, one he was very attracted to at this particular moment, only to know they're going to die. It was sort of like knowing they had terminal cancer. He sighed,
"What do you do with your brood, really?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
"Well, when there's no Chosen for any of the brood, we actually cuddle quite a bit. It's called nesting, technically. Basically like one big dangerous sleeping mass of feathers, fangs and talons. We touch each other alot, Veelas are very touchy. It's no more than friendship you understand, a comforting thing until one's Chosen is found. We also help raise each other's children, it's a group effort. We fight a lot, like brothers and sisters, though I don't know if that's for dominance half the time. We also talk very candidly to one another."
"I never pictured you as a touchy or cuddly sort of bloke," Harry snickered.
"I'm not. If Weasley or someone outside of my brood, other than my Chosen, touched me affectionately, I might bite their hand off."
"So it's like a friends thing, but with... birds."
"I'm not a *bird*, Harry, but yes."
"You're *like* a bird." Harry retorted, closing his eyes a bit, "can non- Veelas join a brood?"
"Yes, they can, sort of. It's just a friendly thing though, with that human wizard or witch mostly, an agreement of sorts, usually a comforting thing for a lone Veela. Very common," Draco replied, his voice soft and sleepy.
"Draco?" Harry asked, barely opening his own eyes to see if the blonde was asleep. Draco made a strange bird like sound to show that he was conscious, though barely. "You can cuddle with me, if you'd like."
Draco crooned again, a sound from somewhere between his heart and throat, and stood- swaying from side to side for a moment before carefully crawling between Harry and the back of the couch- one arm over Harry's back, his leg over Harry's. Harry hummed in response, nearly asleep. Draco crooned, answering the hum, and fell into a deep sleep.