Chapter Five – A Revelation
Potter had been annoying him for the better part of a week; well, that was what he had been telling himself anyway. His Uncle had been too busy trying to find information about his Father to spend much time with him and as such Draco had spent a lot of time alone. Each day however Potter spent more and more time with him, at first the conversations were as awkward as the first but gradually they got over that and now Draco almost, and he would never admit this, almost looked forward to their meetings.
He still hadn't been able to bring himself to get out of his room, either his Uncle, Potter or Granger would bring him food and he was fine with that the way it was. He didn't need to be socialising with Weasleys or anyone else for that matter. Potter thought differently.
"You should really come down to dinner today." He stated and Draco rolled his eyes, they'd discussed this before.
"I'm sure Weasel thinks differently." Draco sneered.
"I know, he hates you, but you don't feel much different so why let it affect your actions. The rest of the Weasleys don't mind you, Mrs Weasley's really sorry about the first night thing. She wants to apologise in person but she knows you wouldn't want her in your room."
"That didn't stop you." Draco snapped and Potter just grinned and shrugged.
"I'm a stubborn idiot as you take great pleasure in telling me." Potter laughed that annoying laugh but Draco just sighed and didn't look at him again, he didn't tell him the real reason he didn't want to go down was that he didn't feel right intruding on the familial atmosphere of the Order's meals. "But please come down!"
"We've already discussed this Potter." Draco muttered, if he looked at the dark haired boy his large green eyes (which were mysteriously missing the wire-rimmed glasses) and he would cave.
"Please Malfoy…I really want you to come down." Draco couldn't help but stare at Potter then, the Gryffindor was steadily looking anywhere but at him, his cheeks flushed red, he was embarrassed.
"Why?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Well…I kind of consider you my friend, I want you to come down, it can't be healthy to keep so completely to yourself!" Potter looked up determinedly. "Even Snape eats down with us a lot of the time!"
Draco frowned in thought, he cursed himself; knowing he shouldn't have looked into those eyes, they were quickly becoming his weakness. Sighing heavily he decided not for Potter's benefit but his own to go down to dinner. He was going stir crazy in the room.
"Fine Potter." He rolled his eyes at the annoying grin spreading across the Gryffindor's face. "But let it be known I'm doing it under duress."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Potter grinned. "I've got to go. Promised Ron that I'd go for a fly with him. I'll come to see you later okay?"
"Whatever Potter, my life doesn't revolve around you." Draco snapped rolling over to face the opposite wall; as such he didn't see the hurt look that flitted across the Gryffindor's face at the comment. It was hid quickly however.
"Well… see you later then." Draco only turned back over when he heard the door click shut. Sighing he rolled back to face the door, he couldn't help but feel slightly upset at how false his statement was. Since he had purposefully sealed himself in his room he had been so bored that he had begun casting petty spells just for something to do. He looked forward to Potter's visits just so he had something to do.
Harry sighed as he listened to Ron complain once more about how Harry spent so much time around Malfoy now.
"Honestly Ron, can't you just accept the fact that they're becoming friends?" Hermione asked just as tired as Harry was from hearing the complaints.
"No!" Ron yelled. "He's Malfoy! I don't get what Harry sees in becoming his friend! Or have you forgotten all of the terrible things he's done to us?"
"Ron…he's changed. He's not the same spoilt brat we knew." Harry sighed once more. "Now are we going to play quidditch or not?"
"Fine, whatever." Ron muttered before swinging up in the air. They both did a series of speed tests and agility movements and Harry felt so much better with the wind in his face and a good number of feet between him and the ground.
After half an hour in the air however he swooped down to the floor. Grinning and pinked faced. His grin widened as he smelt the most wonderful smell, he spun around slipping off of his broom as he saw Malfoy standing watching him.
"Hey Malfoy. What brings you here?" He asked smirking in a way that would have made Snape proud.
"A certain Gryffindor convinced me it wasn't healthy to live in my room." Malfoy didn't look at him, instead his eyes were watching behind Harry with caution.
"What's he doing here?" Ron spat angrily pushing past Harry and getting up in Malfoy's face.
"I was watching Potter fly obviously." Malfoy raised an eyebrow.
"Why? Why are you even here? Shouldn't you have slunk back to Voldemort by now?" Ron yelled and Malfoy's mouth thinned as his eyes narrowed. Harry glared at Ron and stepped between the two.
"Ron, for Merlin's sake would you just stop being so bigoted for a moment and just calm down." Harry sighed as Ron's face grew even redder.
"Bigoted! Me?" Ron screamed. "This is Malfoy you're talking about Harry!"
"Yes I know that Ron." Harry rolled his eyes. "Now would you stop?"
"I knew this wasn't worth it." Malfoy muttered to himself turning around. Harry spun around and grabbed his arm.
"No, Malfoy, I want you down here." Ron stopped, his eyes widened as they flicked between Harry's face and his hand which was grasping Malfoy's arm.
"He's not…no he couldn't be…" Ron whispered and Harry's eyes widened as he realised what was about to happen.
"Ron, come with me." Hermione gently patted Ron's arm but Ron shrugged her off.
"No! Tell me it's not true!" Ron said desperately. He moved forward but stopped himself. "Harry tell me now."
"What is he going on about?" Malfoy asked pulling his arm from Harry's grasp. Ron stared between the two of them and glared at Malfoy.
"It's true isn't it? Sweet Merlin, how could you Harry?"
"It's not like he has a choice Ron." Hermione said quickly before the red head could react worse than he already was. "You know the legends."
"But its Malfoy!" Ron yelled.
"Shut up Ron!" Harry yelled back. "I haven't told him!"
"Told me what?" Malfoy was glaring at Harry, he took a step away and Harry felt it as a physical blow. His mate didn't trust him. His mate didn't want to be near him. Harry shook his head to clear those thoughts; it was ridiculous to think like that when Malfoy and he weren't an item.
"I…uh…I will tell you, just not yet. Please don't get mad." Harry was practically begging Malfoy but he didn't care, he couldn't lose Malfoy because Ron couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Whatever Potter." Malfoy snapped and he stormed away. Harry turned on Ron.
"How could you do that?" He yelled. "You know how important this would be to me! You know how my instincts feel about him, you know how I would react around him and you went and practically told him anyway!"
"Well sorry if I was a bit shocked that my best friend's mate is Malfoy! Merlin Harry how can you even stand to look at yourself anymore!" Ron yelled and Harry took a step back, the look of hurt clear on his face. Others in the Order had started to come to the door to find out what the yelling was about but most had only caught the last sentence. Ron continued to glare at him though, Hermione took a step towards Harry and Ron caught her arm, she tugged it out of his grasp and slapped him hard across the face.
"You are the most bigoted, arrogant arse I have ever had the misfortune to meet Ronald Weasley and if you ever talk that way again to anyone I will not hold back." Ron was holding his hand to his cheek shocked while Hermione stormed over to Harry and pushed their way through the crowd of confused Order members until they were free to walk to Harry's room.
Harry sat on his bed shell-shocked, he couldn't bring himself to be shocked however, Ron had acted similarly when he thought Harry had entered the Tri-Wizard Tournament without him. Hermione was rubbing her hand unconsciously; it must have been stinging after the hard slap.
"Not everyone will think that way Harry." She murmured softly as she climbed beside him on the bed and wrapped her arms around his, now, much bigger frame.
"I can't help it Mione." He whispered and she nodded.
"I know. I know."
"Why can't he understand that? It's not like I woke up one morning and thought; hey I have an idea, lets pick the person who hates me most to be my mate, that'll be fun." Harry spat and Hermione sighed resting her head against his shoulder.
"He doesn't hate you; I can see it when I talk to him." She said.
"I know that now, but you should have seen some of the looks he gave me when I first gave this friendship thing a try, heck, even the looks he gives me now hurt. Hermione you don't understand how much it hurts when he's angry at me; or upset or any sort of negative emotion!"
"I'm trying though Harry." She declared firmly. "I've been reading all the books I can on the subject."
"Find anything interesting?"
"A few things. For example; did you know that you won't actually feel the blood lust for your mate until you actually are with him when you're…uh, lustful yourself. So when you and Malfoy do get together you might want to hold off on sex until he's knows everything." Hermione said matter-of-factly causing Harry to blush to the tips of his hair. It gave him peace of mind however when she said 'when' not 'if' they got together.
"…I think I should tell him." He stated a few minutes later. "He knows something's up now anyway because of Ron."
"I would wait longer personally but it's your decision Harry." Hermione said hugging him once more. "Don't let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't do."
"Malfoy? Malfoy please open the door!" Harry had been knocking for the past few minutes. He had tried to unlock the door but it was some sort of locking charm he had never seen before. Sighing he dropped his arm down to his side and leant his forehead against the door.
He let out a yelp as the door opened and he fell inside. Malfoy was looking down at him with a frown on his face.
"Malfoy!" He exclaimed.
"What do you want Potter?" The blonde sighed and Harry clambered to his feet grabbing Malfoy's arm as if to stop him escaping again. He dropped it as soon as he realised what he was doing.
"I…uh, I wanted to explain what Ron was going on about." Harry said and Malfoy just shrugged before going back to sit on the bed.
"Say what you want to." He stated but he still wasn't looking at Harry in the eyes and it hurt like a physical pain.
"Well, it all started a few weeks ago. I had my birthday and I came into my inheritance." Malfoy looked Harry up and down causing Harry to stumble over what to say next as red crept up his cheeks.
"Is that what caused the height thing?" He asked "I thought you had too much of a growth spurt for just three months."
"Oh yeah… well, you see the thing was, I didn't have a normal inheritance. I'm a hybrid." This Malfoy was not expecting, his eyebrow shot to his hairline. "I'm what they call a Cruentus."
"As in the vampire-like creatures that have been extinct for centuries." Malfoy scoffed. "Yeah, because that's likely."
"It's true I swear!" Harry cried moving closer, desperately wanting the blonde to understand.
"Alright then, for the sake of argument and this is true." Malfoy narrowed his eyes at the Gryffindor. "What does this have to with me?"
"Cruentus become immortal after they reach maturity unless they find a mate. The mate is the only one the Cruentus can drink out of; their smell is the most divine one possible to the Cruentus, their aura is the most beautiful colours the Cruentus have ever seen and the Cruentus will never find another like their mate if they searched the universe." Harry couldn't help the look of complete adoration that crossed his face when he spoke of the blonde, he knew it all to be true the moment he said it. He could also tell however that Malfoy had realised what he was getting at.
"I'm your mate?" He snarled. "Merlin, no wonder you've been so bloody nice to me these last weeks. Without me you'll live beyond all of your friends. And here I was thinking that it was out of the goodness of your fucking heart!"
"It's not like that!" Harry cried. "Honestly, you have to believe me! I wanted to tell you right away but Hermione told me that it would definitely scare you away if I told you right away, she said to try and be your friend first and then take it from there. God Malfoy, I really, really like you and I want so much to be so much more than friends. It's not just because of the Creature either, I can feel its instincts within me wanting to mate with you but it's the human that feels like this!"
Malfoy stared at him with wide eyes, he began to shake his head and Harry felt the motion tear at his heart.
"You like me?" He murmured more to himself than anyone else. Harry nodded anyway, earnestly. Desperate that Malfoy wouldn't reject him. "You want to be with me?"
Harry nodded again, biting his lip nervously.
"How do you feel about that?" He asked and Malfoy frowned looking down at his hands in his lap.
"We've hated each other for years…Why would we work as a couple?" He sounded conflicted and that gave Harry so much hope that it was almost painful. He moved to sit next to Malfoy but the blonde shifted away.
"Because we're made for each other!" Harry exclaimed. "I grew taller and broader because after Moody attacked you and I need to, no I want to protect you! Haven't you noticed how I don't wear my glasses anymore? It's because you told me I would look pretty without them! My magic did the rest."
Malfoy lost all composure at that.
"I did not say that!" He protested.
"You had a slight concussion at the time but yeah you did." Harry grinned at the embarrassed look on Malfoy's face. "Though I have to admit I like the adjective dashing much more than pretty."
"You wish Potter." Malfoy sneered but there was no real anger behind it. "…Is there any way for you to choose another mate."
A stab of pain hit Harry as his creature took that to be a rejection, he didn't know it would hurt so much.
"I…I don't think so." Harry murmured. "I can't imagine wanting anyone else after you or before you for that matter. No one ever has or will compare to you."
"Merlin's beard Potter, tone it down a bit will you." Malfoy was blushing though and the pain Harry was feeling decreased some.
"But it's the truth. You're just so…you." Harry winced at his lack of ability to express himself and wished he was as eloquent as the blonde. "Would you be willing to at least try to be with me?
"…What do we have to do?" Malfoy asked slowly and Harry's eyes widened, he hadn't thought that it would be so simple to get the blonde to agree.
"Well, we could start by calling each other by our first names…" Harry tried and Malfoy, no, Draco nodded.
"Fine Harry," Draco said slowly as if trying the name out. "I suppose we need to start somewhere."
"We don't have to rush into anything, and I think Hermione has found a couple of books of Cruentus if you want to read them, they explain quite a bit." Harry said and Draco nodded again.
"I would like some time to think this all through." Harry instantly backed away towards the door.
"Take as much time as you need, I'll be in my room if you want me…I mean if you have any questions!" Harry blushed before waving and quickly darting out of the room. He closed the door behind him with a snap and leant against it breathing heavily for a moment before he made his way, beaming, to tell Hermione the good news.