Chapter 7 – Cards on the Table
Harry woke early, the faint dawn light not even beginning to breach the horizon. He had so much to think about that he knew he wouldn't fall back asleep. With a groan, he left his sleeping roommates and showered, savoring warmth penetrating his muscles. He dressed and returned to the dorm room and quietly opened his trunk, careful not to awaken his dorm mates. He selected "Veelas and their Mates" from the stack Lucius Malfoy had loaned him and then settled back on the bed and drew the curtains. A quiet "Lumos" spell permitted him to read.
It was an easy-to-read book, and he couldn't help but wonder if Lucius had selected it for that reason. The first chapter was about the history of the species while the second was on the physical characteristics. It was not surprising to read that white, light blonde or silver hair accompanied by a pale complexion were classic characteristics. Chapter three provided information on the mating habits on the Veela.
Veela are one of the few species that have a mate counterpart otherwise known as a True Mate. If a Veela doesn't find their True Mate, they may settle for a lesser compatible person as a life companion, although many search their entire lives for that one counterpart. However, if they do find their Mate through a combination of sight, scent and touch, they will never be able to accept a different person. While the Chosen is not required to accept the Veela, the Veela will be forever bound to their Mate. Their recognition will quickly turn to affection and the Veela will become devoted to their Mate and only that person. The Mate is all important to a Veela, a concept many species have difficulty comprehending.
Because the Veela has only their Mate's happiness in mind, they will only accept a consensual relationship. If the Mate rejects them, they will either suicide or sink into an acute depression, refusing to eat or drink until they succumb to death.
Veela's are exceptionally protective and possessive of their Mates and prone to unrestrained jealousy until their bond is complete. Even then, it takes a full year for the bond to mature and the jealousy to wane. If they see someone other than a family member touching their Mate, they will issue one warning and then do whatever is necessary to remove the perceived risk to their Mate.
Harry closed the book as he heard his roommates begin to stir. "Your thoughts are chaotic, ghergo'ir" sent Ortinoth.
Harry balled his fist and punched his pillow. "How many times did he call Hermione 'a filthy Mudblood' or make cruel statements about Ron's lack of wealth? He's insulted practically everyone and everything I've ever cared about. He's been a miserable git. How am I supposed to set that all aside and voluntarily spend time with him, especially if he's going to be clingy and possessive?"
"But as you don't want to be responsible for his death, you believe all control has been removed from you?" Azreth spoke up this time.
Harry retreated into his mind and looked at his lowaar. "Either I accept this or he dies. What kind of a choice is that?"
"You may have read the words, but do not appear to either comprehend or believe what you are reading, ghergo'ir. 'The Mate is all important to a Veela.' Do you think he will continue to behave in ways that are contrary to your basic beliefs?"
"He's a Malfoy. He has been raised to believe that Muggles are filthy and unworthy of magic, that Dumbledore is a joke because he supports Muggle-born students, and the family supports Voldemort!"
Azreth smiled gently. "And yet he apologized to your friends and his Family has said they will oppose Voldemort. Young Malfoy's words were followed up with actions in regards to your friends. If his Family's actions with Voldemort also support their words, what will you think?"
"I…I don't know." Harry frowned at Azreth. "Are you suggesting that I accept this…bond?"
"I am an Academian ghergo'ir. I study, analyze, experiment and then form theories followed by more examination to see if the facts support my hypothesis." He smiled again at Harry. "If your hypothesis is that this is all a hoax, then see if the facts support it. If it is that young Malfoy is a Veela, but that he cannot change from the youngling you've known in the past, then examine his behavior over time to see if it supports your belief. Explore the collective memory…have there been instances of Veela's permanently changing their behaviors to support their Mate? That is part of the analysis I suggest."
Harry evaluated the other and finally his lips twitched into a reluctant smile. "Azreth 'The Cunning' indeed. So grow up and stop living in the past, accept what has been and see what the future holds?" He smiled ruefully. "I suppose whining and stomping my feet won't get me anywhere. All right, I'll try." He accepted a mental hug from the other but muttered "But he's still an arrogant git." Azreth sent him a playful swat and Harry chuckled before packing the book away in his trunk and heading out to start the day.
When Harry finished the evening meal and laid his napkin down, he noticed Draco immediately stood up and walked to the exit. He sighed and stood to follow.
"Harry?" Ron looked at him curiously.
"I have a…meeting…I need to attend. I'm not sure how long it will take, but will see you later tonight."
Ron noticed the blonde Slytherin by the door and grimaced in distaste. "Good luck there, mate. Do you need any backup?" Hermione looked up, ready to go with him if needed.
Harry smiled gratefully at his friends. "No, but thanks. I'll tell you about it later." He followed Draco out of the room to find the blonde was waiting in the hallway.
"Come on, Malfoy. Let's head to the seventh floor." They walked in silence, the raven-haired Gryffidor absorbed in his own thoughts, and not really looking at the other teen. When they reached the right corridor, Harry looked for the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls to dance. He walked back and forth in front of the Room of Requirement and thought "We need a neutral place to discuss an uncomfortable situation." The door appeared and Draco opened it, smiled when he looked in and gestured Harry to precede him.
The Room had apparently decided a family environment was in order and provided a cozy paneled study with two overstuffed leather arm chairs on either side of a low burning fireplace with a velvet covered sofa facing it. There were no House colors in evidence as the floors were covered in a plush taupe carpet while the chairs and sofa were black with taupe pillows. A large chandelier filled with candles offered lighting in addition to the fireplace.
Harry took one of the chairs and waited for the Slytherin to take the other. He looked at the other teen carefully. Malfoy's mask was in place, but instead of the arrogant sneer Harry had seen for the last five years, the blonde had the composed respectful face he usually reserved for those in authority.
Draco took the initiative. "Thank you, H…Potter, I appreciate you making the time to talk with me."
Harry settled himself comfortably into the chair. "It's still a bit surreal Malfoy, but I'm at least willing to talk about it. Your father left me six books, and I skimmed through "Veelas and their Mates". That gave me some information, but I'm more interested in what you have to say. Why don't you tell me what it means to you to be a Veela?"
The other teen looked thoughtful at the question. "I grew up knowing of my Veela heritage. It's considered an honor among the pureblood families to have some magical blood."
Harry interrupted "How are you considered a pureblood if you have Veela in the mix?"
Malfoy looked surprised at the question. "I forget you were raised by Mu…Muggles. Pureblood refers to whether there is Muggle blood in the mix within the previous ten generations. Having magical blood is considered a privilege, as it increases the magic and power of the descendents." He paused. "Does my having Veela blood bother you?"
Harry chuckled. "Magical creatures of any type don't bother me. I don't consider them good or evil. Remus Lupin is a werewolf, but I consider it an honor to know him. Hagrid is a half-giant, but still a friend."
The blonde looked slightly affronted to be compared to his former DADA werewolf teacher and the half-giant, causing Harry to hide a grin.
"Yes..well, Veela have been mating with wizards for centuries. Veela descendents have an increase in magical power when they mature, as do their Mates upon bonding. There is usually between a twenty-five and a fifty percent boost in magic."
He looked at Harry with intense silver eyes. "A Mate is all important to a Veela. The Mate's safety, happiness and well-being is critical. Protection and support of the Family comes second only to the Mate. Once I realized you were my Mate, you automatically became part of the Malfoy Family in our eyes. We offer you our shelter, protection and strength as part of the Family. We will support and accept you when disagreements would tear apart other relationships. Our perspective is that you are the strength of the Family and the Family is your strength."
He paused as shock at the revelation was clearly expressed on Harry's face. The dark-haired teen struggled to come to terms with what he heard. "Are you saying that your parents feel that way as well?"
"Yes, Ha…Potter. That is why my Father agreed to help defeat the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord wants to kill my Mate, a member of our Family. Father knows that you don't trust him, but because you are now Family, he would willingly stand between you and Voldemort. Plus being part-Veela himself, my Father understands that I have a burning desire to reach through the Dark Lord's putrid mouth and rip out his spine, vertebra by vertebra and present it to you as a gift." Harry blinked at the Draco's grisly idea of a present. "You are my True Mate and whether you accept me or not, we will consider you Family, Harry."
"That…that's a lot to take in." "Is it so different than the Clan, ghergo'ir" Ydraith asked. "The entire Juanth Darastrix community accepted you without reservation because one of your ancestors was close-kin. The perspective appears compatible with the Clan, does it not?" Harry paused and set that aside to consider later.
The blonde spoke with a low and sincere tone. "It is how we feel. The Mate and the Family are essential to a Veela."
"What do you want from me? What are your expectations and what do you need for survival, Malfoy?"
Draco swallowed but met Harry's eyes. "What I want is to earn your trust and respect and prove to you that I can be a worthy lifetime companion."
Harry nodded. At least the other teen didn't expect him to accept him with open arms. "And your expectations?"
"If you don't accept me, then I have no expectations."
Harry stopped himself from frowning and decided to let that one pass for now. "What do you need from me to survive?"
Draco swallowed again but replied in an even tone. "I need to spend time with you and I need some physical contact every day. It could be as simple as sitting close enough to touch or a hand on a shoulder, or the way you held my wrist yesterday. If we shared a living space and some classes, that would be sufficient."
"What happens if we don't spend time together?" Dumbledore had already explained it, but Harry wanted to hear the Slytherin's response.
"At first it would be a nagging discomfort, but the more time that went by without being near you, the more difficult it would become. I wouldn't be able to sleep much and eventually the discomfort would become painful. The lack of sleep and the stress of the separation would also affect my memory, judgment and ability to reason. Eventually, the Veela in me would see it as rejection even if you hadn't said so."
Harry nodded; that confirmed what the Headmaster had said. He looked at the other teen and considered.
"You can ask me anything, Ha..Potter. Go ahead."
"You've only mentioned spending time together and the occasional touch. Is that all you need?"
The blonde leaned forward and looked him in the eye, his voice earnest. "While a full bond is the goal of any Veela, it has to be freely made. If all you can offer me is your companionship, then so be it."
Harry managed to avoid squirming in discomfort. "But by bond, you mean physical intimacy?"
"It's much more than that, Harry. If you accept me, a general bond will begin to form between us. We will gain the ability to identify where the other is and if the other is safe or in danger. Beyond that, there is a physical bond. That is what causes the boost in magic power. Some couples can also form telepathic bonds with one another. But I would never push you to that. I may flirt with and tease you, I am Draco Malfoy after all." He gave a wry smile at the other teen. "But I would never try to manipulate you into a physical bond."
Harry gave the blonde a slight smile and said "OK, I'll hold you to that. Dumbledore did offer us new quarters with two bedrooms, a bath and a common area. If we take him up on it, what would you say to your House? Isn't this going to cause a rift with some members of your House?"
"Most of my House knows that I'm a Veela. They will adapt." He paused and looked appraisingly at the Gryffindor. "Not every Slytherin wants to follow the Dark Lord, even those whose parents follow him. If I support you, I might be able to sway some of other Slytherins. They may see that there is another choice."
Draco looked at him, opened his mouth and then hesitated. "What is it Malfoy? We may as well lay all of our cards on the table."
The other teen arched an elegant eyebrow at the Muggle expression. "I wanted to ask whether my friends would be welcome to visit if we shared quarters."
Harry frowned at him. "Of course they would. I would expect you to invite your friends as I would invite mine. If they're not comfortable around me, I will either stay in the bedroom or take a walk or something if you want. Otherwise, if they will be civil, so will I. I assume we'll each continue to eat at our House tables for meals and spend time in the House Common room."
Draco looked uncomfortable and slightly apologetic. "If we haven't had any classes together on a given day, I might need the proximity at lunch or dinner."
The Gryffindor tried not to make a face. "I guess we can work it out. We'll have to match up our schedule and see when that will be a problem and let our Houses know. I suppose we can alternate between tables."
The blonde looked surprised. "You would be willing to sit at the Slytherin table?"
Harry frowned at him. "Malfoy, what did you expect? That I would stomp my feet and insist everything be done my way?"
The other teen spoke slowly. "I expected that as the supplicant, I would be making any concessions or sacrifices. You didn't ask for any of this. I'm the one intruding uninvited into your life."
A slight blush heated Harry's cheeks. He did feel that way; that the Slytherin was an uninvited intrusion. But even so, common courtesy would imply that Harry meet him at least part way. He leaned forward to speak when Ydraith spoke up. "Autgabin, the ghergo'ir looks as if he is coming down with an illness. Perhaps he needs your touch."
Harry noted shadow's under the other's eyes. "Malfoy, do you need physical contact tonight?"
Surprise at the change of topic flashed across the other teen's face and then a slight embarrassment was evident. "It would help" he admitted.
Harry got up, walked over to the sofa and sat down. When the blonde paused, Harry nodded at the seat next to him. He hid a smile when the other teen hurried over and sat next to him. Harry turned slightly so their knees touched and picked up the other boy's wrist as he had done the night before. Tension immediately eased out of the Slytherin and he gave a nearly indiscernible sigh.
Harry sent a thought of appreciation to his nafldask for her shrew observation and felt the wave of encouragement the lowaar sent back.
"OK, back on the original subject. If I were younger and more selfish, I might accept you making all concessions, but simple good manners call for compromise and negotiation. Like this." He indicated the two of them sitting together. "So if we need to sit together for some or even all meals, we'll work out a schedule that's fair to both of us."
"That is…unexpected, Potter. Thank you."
Harry grinned mischievously. "I wonder what Snape will say if I sit at the Slytherin table?"
Draco gave a half-smile. "He knows what I need as a Veela. He is my godfather after all."
Harry dropped the other teen's wrist as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped. Draco laughed and used his forefinger to shut the other boy's mouth. "Nice impression of a guppy there, Potter."
The other ran a hand through his dark hair, messing it up even more. "Merlin's beard! Snape is your godfather? No wonder he favors you in Potions!" He reached over and took the other teen's wrist again.
Draco affected a pretentious look and sniffed haughtily. "Of course he favors me. Who wouldn't?"
Harry snorted. "Does this mean he might visit us if we shared quarters?"
The blonde gave a mischievous grin. "What do I get if I talk him into staying away?"
The Gryffindor pushed the Slytherin with his knee. "The question is what will happen to you if I come home and find Snape there?" He shuddered.
"Hey, he's not that bad once you get to know him. He's always been kind to me."
"And from the first day I met him, he's gone out of his way to treat me as something unpleasant he found on the bottom of his boots. He's insulted me in every way possible."
Draco frowned. "I will speak to him. That will stop."
"Yeah, sure he'll stop. I'm his favorite target. He takes sadistic pleasure in flaying me with his words and mocking me before others."
The Slytherin's voice became distinctly chilly. "You are my Mate. His behavior insults you and makes you unhappy. I will not tolerate it."
Harry took in the blonde's icy expression and rigid frame. He seemed to be getting angrier by the second, as if he was about to charge out of the room and hunt Snape down. "Hold on Malfoy. There's no reason to get angry." He let his voice become soothing and rubbed his thumb rub across the wrist he was holding a few times. "Take a deep breath. It will be fine." He was surprised when the stiffness in the blonde's frame released with his words while the silver eyes dropped to the thumb rubbing his wrist.
"Better now?"
The blonde nodded slowly and he looked a bit self-conscious, an expression Harry hadn't seen on his face before. "Sorry. If I didn't mention it, a Veela puts their Mate's happiness above all else. That's the first time I really felt it though. The idea that Severus had insulted and upset you made me want to defend you." He gave a wry smile. "It was quite the odd feeling."
Harry rubbed the other teen's wrist a couple more times and then continued to hold the wrist loosely. Seeing the Slytherin ready to defend him against his godfather and Head of House was startling. His response had been too abrupt and sincere to be a trick. "It's true" he realized pensively. "Merlin…Draco Malfoy puts my happiness first." The concept was hard to comprehend. But they had held two civil conversations. Maybe sharing quarters wouldn't be impossible after all. "So…regardless of whether your godfather visits us, we probably need to take Dumbledore up on his offer to give us family quarters?"
Silver eyes met his. "That would make my life more comfortable, but not yours."
Green eyes examined Draco's face closely, noting slight shadows under his eyes, remembering the tension that was released as soon as they touched. "Malfoy, when did you figure out I was your Mate?"
A faint blush appeared on the Slytherin's pale cheeks. "I caught your scent on the train, although I didn't know it was yours. I couldn't find where it was coming from."
Harry nodded. "Ron, Hermione, Neville and I needed to talk privately, so we warded our compartment."
"I wasn't sure who it was, but then caught it again at the Welcoming Feast. I knew it was coming from your table. I had it narrowed down to you, Granger, Weasley or Longbottom. You were together so much of the time, I wasn't sure, so I had to touch each of you. That wasn't the easiest to accomplish, but I finally was able to touch each of you either in the hallway or class. There was nothing from the others, but I felt a sharp jolt when I touched you and I knew it was you by the third day of school. I sent an owl to my parents, they came and we talked. They understood totally and we made our plans, and then we approached Dumbledore. The rest you know."
"So it's been a week since you figured it out?" The blonde nodded. "And yesterday was the first time I touched you, and that was only for a few minutes. Have you been uncomfortable?"
Draco's face became expressionless. "There is some discomfort, but it is tolerable."
The brunette tightened his grasp on the other's wrist and silver eyes looked down at the wrist then up at his face. "Let's start out as we mean to go, OK? I propose being candid with one another about this. You don't look like you're sleeping well. Has it already started getting more difficult?"
Draco raised his free hand and tiredly rubbed his eyes. "Candid? Merlin Potter, I'm trying not to send you running away screaming in to the night about this. I know you don't want anything to do with me. But yes, to be able to function, I need to spend six to eight hours with you every day. I don't see how that will be possible unless we share every single class every day or share quarters. If I slept two hours the last few nights, I would be surprised. Not only was there the physical ache but the Veela in me is terrified that you're going to rightfully reject me for the prat I've been over the years. And the Veela doesn't care that I die; it cares that you will find me unworthy." He refused to meet Harry's eyes after that statement and kept his face covered with his hand.
Harry was stunned to see and hear Draco Malfoy be that open and honest. He was sure the other teen had been raised to show no weakness, to always be assured and in control. This whole situation, even if he grew up expecting it, must be uncomfortable and embarrassing. What other Slytherin ever showed so much emotion?
A warm chuckle erupted from Harry and the blonde's head snapped up in surprise. "It must have been almost as painful to be that honest as a Slytherin as the separation is for the Veela. But this Gryffindor says thank you for being that open." Harry unconsciously rubbed Draco's wrist with his thumb again. "So, we'll tell Dumbledore that we're going to accept his offer to share quarters. I'll talk to my House tomorrow. It will be too late tonight. Perhaps we could move in on Saturday, but spend an hour or two working on our assignments in the Library at night until then, and our friends can join us if they want?"
Silver eyes darkened to mercury as Draco stared at Harry. "I never expected a Potter to render a Malfoy speechless" Harry smirked.
That seemed to prompt a response. "I never expected a Potter to be so altruistic to a Malfoy, but it must be that Gryffindor courage and nobility" smirked Draco.
"Must be" Harry agreed. He covered his mouth and yawned. "It's getting late. Ready to call it a night?"
Draco smiled; an open expression that softened his features. "I think I'm ready for a good night's sleep".
In order of appearance:
Ghergo'ir = young one
Lowaar = Indwellers
Juanth Darastrix = Elder Dragons
Autgabin = Grandson
Nafldask = Grandmother
