Chapter five: Concerning Mates

"You left me!" Lucius accused when he realized that he had once again forgotten to take a dreamless sleep potion. He was laid out on his side in the room Harry had given to him earlier that evening. His back was to the door, but he could feel his mates standing very close behind him. He felt the bed dip as one of his mates leaned over him.

"Oh Lucius," The gentler of the two sighed in his ear, "You were needed in the waking world. We told you that we would be with you again soon." Lucius almost gave up the argument. But here, in the only place he let his guard down and let himself feel, Lucius couldn't quite let go of the feeling that he had been abandoned almost on a whim.

"If you were going to just leave me so soon you shouldn't have come in the first place!" Lucius almost felt like a child who'd been given a toy he had wanted for ages, only to have his parents take it away and send it back after he'd just touched it for the first time. True, when he was younger he had dreamt of his mates more frequently, but with the arranged marriage to Narcissa, Lucius had taken to blocking them. He didn't like being taunted by a future he was sure he could never have, and dreaming of his mates made him feel like he was stepping into what life could've been for him. Oh, if only he had been given the freedom to search for and marry his mates instead of being forced to marry a crazed death eater woman.

"Don't be a brat." The bed dipped in front of him as his second mate sat on the bed. "We're here now, and we will continue to be here the rest of the night, unless you feel like wasting our time by sulking."

The scolding words were clipped and irritated. Part of Lucius was reminded of someone, though he couldn't remember who. The larger part of Lucius just felt scolded. He shrank a bit back from his obviously angry mate, unconsciously retreating to the calmer one behind him.

The mate behind him had stretched out on the bed, and seemed to be propped up on an elbow or something. He, for Lucius knew both of his mates were male, pulled Lucius to him and cuddled Lucius' back to his chest. Lucius formed himself to his gentler mate's body until he was spooned from behind. He wrapped his arms around the one draped over him, and held it like one would hold onto a stuffed animal or pillow.

"Don't be so harsh with me," Lucius muttered softly.

"He doesn't mean to be, but you've been blocking us for quite some time. The parts of us that have always been with you often become stressed with the confinement, his more than mine. Don't get me wrong though, we understand the confinement."

"Though now, with your plans to divorce Narcissa, I expect you to stop blocking us." This second mate seemed to be incredibly angry with the confinement Lucius had inflicted on him.

"I'm sorry," Lucius said as he reached out his left hand, the one that wasn't trapped under his body, to his disgruntled mate.

His mate sighed and took the offered hand, kissing the back of it to show that he forgave Lucius. The gesture also conveyed that the mate understood Lucius' choice to block them for so long. The mate lay down and moved so that Lucius was once again cuddled between the two, and Lucius' constant aches were quelled for the time being. His left hand was gently held by the mate in front, while Lucius' right cheek rested on one of his other mates' hands. A big and soft comforter was levitated over to them by the mate in front of him. It was then tucked around the three figures.

"why can't I recognize your voices? I feel like I recognize something in the way you both speak, but I can never place the style with the actual person once I wake, or even here for that matter." It was a question that had bugged Lucius for quite some time.

"Same principle as the blindfold. When you're ready, you'll be able to place the voice with the actual person you know." The gentle explanation combined with the earlier kiss on the hand let Lucius know that his mate in front of him had truly given up his grudge.

Lucius sighed and settled in for a great night's sleep. He felt the arms around him tighten comfortably, and decided then and there that he would permanently stop taking the dreamless sleep potion. His mates were right, after all… With the divorce from Narcissa, and the switch to the "Light Side", he really had no reason to block his mates. He promised himself right in that moment that once the time was right, he would truly reach out and find the two people he was meant for.

"Goodnight Lucius." From behind.

"Goodnight Lover." From in front.

"goodnight…..my mates." Lucius slept, in reality and in his dream, with a soft smile on his face.

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A.N. Well, there you go! Review! OH! And if I could get a beta, that would be great. I like to turn these out at one per day, but I sometimes don't have time to reread them until they're already posted. Spell check is already done, I just need someone to catch when I type the wrong word. :) If you have a lot of time, and want to help, then drop me a line! Thanks:)