With Wings, You Can Fly
AN. Sorry for the amount of breaks in these chapters, I can't seem to find a happy medium in which to control them. Hopefully they aren't too confusing (: ENJOY!
Chapter Five: Learning To Accept Yourself
Draco woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to go. He had a plan and a determined look, and nothing could stop him! Nodding his thanks to Madam Pomfrey, Draco left the Hospital Wing just in time to grab breakfast and make it to his first class. He had hoped to see Harry, but sadly Slytherin was with Ravenclaw. He would just have to make use of his free period and search him out.
Harry woke up in a much different manner. He could feel his eyes all swollen up and red, and his mood was reflected in his rumpled attire. He must have fallen asleep with his robes on, and now he would have to go to class with the rumpled robes because his others were being washed by the house elves. Harry woke up an hour late, so there would be no food until lunch. 'Oh look! Ron and Hermione must have left me food last night.' Harry would get some food after all, but it was cold. Harry shot a heating charm at the roll and piece of chicken, and tried to flatten his hair and tug his shoes on. Taking a big bite out of the chicken leg, Harry grabbed his bag and rushed out of the dormitory and down through the common room to make it to his second class of the day. Bypassing the Great Hall, Harry ran as fast as he could to make it to Potions on time. Merlin knows that Snape would have his arse if he was late again. Harry shuddered. 'Well that's a disturbing thought.' No one would have his arse if he had anything to do with it.
After sprinting to class and barely making it on time, Snape let him into the classroom with a "late again, Potter?" and a withering glare. All of the seats were taken, it would seem, and the only seat available was next to the person he least wanted to think about. Draco bloody Malfoy.
Draco saw Harry come in the room and also noticed that the only seat left was by him. Draco's inner devil gave an evil giggle, and his inner angel 'harummphed' at the devil's antics. He tried to concentrate when Harry sat next to him, and noticed that he looked like he woke up and put yesterday's clothes on, after they had been trampled by elephants and beaten with clubs. He tugged his wand out of his sleeve and aimed it at Potter, who flinched at the sight of his worst enemy pointing a wand at him. "Relax, Potter." Draco said with a smirk, and shot a spell at Harry that un-rumpled his clothes and made them look clean.
"Thanks," Harry muttered as he tried not to look at Draco.
Running his hand through his unruly hair, Harry sighed and got out his potions notebook and tried to copy everything Snape was writing on the board in the front of the room. It failed beautifully, as Harry was very much distracted by the blonde haired nuisance sitting beside him. Draco was currently starting at the side of Harry's face, and Harry could see Draco's hand twitching as he tried not to reach out and touch Harry's arm. 'This will be a long class hour' Harry thought as he once more looked at the board.
Draco finally managed to control himself, and also tried to concentrate. But when Snape told everyone that they would pair up with the person they were sitting by, Draco's heart leaped with joy and he mentally screamed "SCORE!". Of course he showed no emotion on the outside; he simply said, "I'll go get the ingredients, shall I?" and stood up.
Harry sighed with relief that Draco was leaving for a moment, and sank down in his seat. Being next to someone that made you doubt your own sexuality was disturbing and tiring, and Harry was having some major denial issues. Not that he noticed, as he was currently still trying to brainwash himself that everything was just a huge misunderstanding. Harry looked up and noticed that Hermione and Ron were staring at him. Ron mouthed, "alright, mate?" Harry nodded back and closed his eyes. Moments later, Draco reappeared and startled Harry from his moment of peace.
"I believe I have everything, you have the instructions, right?" Draco was trying to get along with Harry instead of arguing and getting a detention from Snape. Also, he needed to show his mate that he was responsible and trustworthy. They were making an advanced potion, after all and he didn't need any slip-ups. That would just be embarrassing.
Harry nodded. "I think so." He ripped the paper out of his notebook and set it in the middle of the table.
The rest of the class went strangely smooth, and Harry and Draco had worked out a silent agreement that neither would bring up anything strange or mate-like. Draco was disappointed, to say the least, but Harry was pleased with the newest development of Draco being quiet. The potion was made quickly and quietly.
After class, Draco got up and said to Harry, "Meet me by the lake tonight at eleven."
Harry thought for a moment. 'What the heck, at least he might get off my case if I allow him to see me once.' Harry shrugged and said, "Alright, I suppose I can do that."
Draco almost jumped in glee, but then remembered his pride. "Right, well, see you then." He stuck out his hand for Harry to shake.
Harry looked at Draco like he had grown a new head, but took the hand and shook it.
"Bye?" He managed before Draco strutted off with a pleased expression on his face.
After Draco walked off, he thought to himself, 'That went well, at least Potter didn't freak out or anything.' Draco started whistling, but then stopped because a Malfoy never whistles. Instead he started humming a tune that was forever stuck in his head. Something about a small world after all, but he didn't really know the lyrics. 'I should probably try calling him by his first name, after all, we are going to be married and have children one day.' Draco smiled at the thought of a mini Draco and Harry running around. Draco had thought up the perfect plot with Pansy. He slapped himself on the back for the sheer genius of this particular plan. He would be extremely well behaved in front of Harry, and act like a perfect gentleman. He wouldn't try to kiss, hug, or manhandle Harry in any way until he had permission, and he would keep his mate ideas to himself for the time being. If he could get Harry to like him as a person first, then he had a pretty good chance of gaining him as a mate. Pansy had come up with most of it, but Draco took partial credit since he was the one performing the actions. Pansy snorted when Draco tried to tell Blaise that he had come up with the idea all by himself, but Blaise didn't believe it for a minute anyway. Pansy was the best plotter in Slytherin, and everyone knew it. He thought that this plan was the best, but he had a few backup plans just in case. His first action would be to send Harry a note reminding him of their meeting later that night. His mate could be awfully forgetful about these things, and he didn't want him to forget about their special bonding time. Draco chuckled as he scribbled the note and sent it off. Oh yes, his lovely mate would be falling for him in no time.
Harry stood stunned for a moment, but then gathered himself and walked with Ron and Hermione to their next class. Defense Against the Dark Arts would be a pleasant change from the greasy and glaring Professor Snape. Actually, anything would be pleasant compared to him. Harry found himself in front of the Defense room and then waved to Professor Lupin, who had seated himself on the edge of his desk.
The class went normally, but after class Remus called Harry to him and asked him to stay after. When everyone had left the room, Remus pulled Harry into a hug and asked him how he had been holding up.
"Fine, why wouldn't I be?" Harry asked defensively.
"Oh, no reason. Just asking." Remus realized that he was breaching a forbidden topic.
"How have you and Sirius been?" Harry asked casually while elbowing Remus in the side.
"Great! We've been fine, thanks for asking." Remus blushed and smiled wider.
"I haven't had Care of Magical Creatures yet, I can't wait to see him." Harry smiled widely back. This day was looking up a bit from his rough start.
That thought, of course, jinxed everything. As soon as Harry left the classroom, an owl scared him half to death by landing on his unsuspecting head. After pulling the owl talons out of his hair and nearly being eaten alive by the thing, Harry managed to yank the letter off of the violent owl and send it off with a treat and almost half of his finger. The letter was neatly written, and said, "Don't forget our little meeting, Harry. -Yours Truly, Draco." Harry groaned and stuffed the note into his pocket. He didn't intend to remember it until he absolutely had to, but now that he was reminded it stuck in his head for the remainder of the day. And since when did Malfoy start calling him Harry? 'Weird...' Harry thought as he made his way back to his common room.
Seeing his best friend, Ron called out, "Over here Harry! We've got a wicked game of Exploding Snap going on. Wanna join?" Ron motioned towards Seamus, Dean and Neville, who were laughing at Ron's unfortunate one eyebrow. He never was particularly skilled at Exploding Snap, and it brightened Harry's mood a bit to see his best friend with his eyebrow singed off.
Harry walked over and sat down to a friendly game of Exploding Snap, and tried to take his mind off of all Malfoy-related things. He could worry about them later, when he had to.
After having his eyebrows singed off and having some laughs with his friends, Harry was feeling much better. Spelling his eyebrows back on, Harry noticed that it was nearing eleven o'clock and that he had better start getting ready for his meeting with the dreaded Draco Malfoy. Or at least his mind told himself that Malfoy was dreaded, but his heart told him otherwise. Sometimes the two didn't agree, and now was one of those times.
Harry said good bye to his friends and dashed upstairs with the excuse of going to bed. In reality, Harry was trying to find his invisibility cloak. Charming his curtains closed, Harry pulled the cloak over himself and snuck back through the common room, bypassing his pals who were still playing a game.
As he neared the lake, Harry saw that Malfoy was already there. He was standing by the lake, the slight breeze making his pale golden hair flutter around him. Harry, still under the invisibility cloak, felt his heart race and his cheeks grow warm. He blamed it on the weather.
Draco stood next to the lake, foot tapping. His mate was exactly one minute late. He would have to stomp the un-punctuality out of Harry sometime in the near future. Draco couldn't wait to see his mate, and he sensed a presence nearing him. He almost turned around, but then decided for Harry to join him by the lake. He wouldn't intimidate his mate any longer, and he wanted Harry to like him for who he was.
Feeling like he couldn't wait any longer, Draco almost turned around. Before he could, a soft voice said, "Hey," and Harry came and stood next to Draco.
Draco smiled at Harry, "Hey yourself."
Harry stared for a moment, and then looked away. "Why did you ask me here?"
Draco cleared his throat and then pulled a red rose out of his robe. He held it out to Harry, who gingerly reached out and took it out of Draco's hands. He looked closer at the robe, and noticed that the blood red rose was speckled with gold flakes. It almost glittered in the moonlight, and Harry found that his heart skipped a beat when he looked up and Draco had an intense burning in his eyes.
"I want you to know that I still want you as my mate, Harry. Please, give me a chance?" Draco's eyes were now full of pleading.
Harry couldn't stand it. "I'll think about it, but don't expect a quick response."
Draco was elated. He leaned in a gave Harry a chaste kiss on the cheek, and Harry didn't pull away. His heart wouldn't let him.
Walking up to the castle, Harry was almost in a trance. He couldn't believe that he had basically told Draco "maybe" about the mate thing, which was practically a yes. It was like something had washed over him and he couldn't help himself. If he had delved deeper, he would have seen that it was his heart leading him instead of his mind.
The next day was actually not too bad for Harry, who had gone through classes in a very normal fashion with no weird interruptions or blood thirsty owls with notes. By the end of his classes, Harry was in a jolly good mood, and his friends sighed with relief that they wouldn't have an unhappy Harry on their hands again. Hermione had researched more about Harry and Draco's predicament, and had found more information regarding Harry's powers he would have to develop. Ron had been dragged along to the library, and had fallen asleep at one of the desks. Hermione whacked Ron over the head with a book and wrote Harry a note. Tapping it with her wand, it turned into a paper airplane and flew off to find the black haired boy.
"What's happening 'Mione?" Ron asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"I just sent Harry a note telling him to come to the library. I found out all about his powers!" Hermione's eyes gleamed, and Ron mentally groaned because he knew that he and Harry would be bombarded with a ton of information.
"Powers?" Ron questioned.
"Oh yes, apparently he needs a mentor of some sort to help him develop his new abilities." Hermione added, looking in the book she had just whacked Ron with.
"Where is he going to get one of those?" Ron asked, suddenly looking behind him as if another Nephilim would pop out of no where.
Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it says that a mentor will soon appear after a Nephilim gains their Inheritance."
Ron looked disturbed. "Will they just appear out of no where?"
Hermione pondered Ron's question. "We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose."
The mysterious plotting person had finally figured out a plan. They smirked and fidgeted in their seat, trying to drown out the History of Magic lesson that was taking place. Their plan was fool proof, and not even Harry Potter could save the day. Especially since that certain plot was about a certain Harry Potter. Anyone could plainly see the denial that Harry was facing. Draco Malfoy had been staring at THEIR Harry for everyone to see, and now Harry was actually considering dating Malfoy! Harry had obviously been brainwashed or something, because the mysterious figure knew that Harry belonged to them.
History of Magic was finally over, and the person smirked as they continued to plan for Draco Malfoy's ultimate downfall.
Harry felt a small tap at his shoulder and turned around to see what it was. Not seeing anyone, he started to turn back around. However, he saw a small note folded like a paper airplane from the corner of his eye and picked it up.
Harry was at the Quidditch Pitch practicing his flying, but after reading the note, was trudging back to the school to meet Hermione and Ron in the library. Apparently Hermione had found some more information on his current "situation". Anything would help, especially since he wasn't fully aware of what he truly was. Nephilim? Bah! He hadn't found any traits since he accidentally knocked over Draco with enough force to leave a dent in the ground, and that was probably just more accidental magic. There was probably nothing more to his situation that looking better and being stuck with a prat. A handsome prat, he confessed to himself, but a prat none the less.
Reaching his destination of the library, Harry sat next to Hermione and Ron. He sighed.
"Where have you been all day, Harry?" Hermione's voice pierced Harry and Ron's ears.
"Just at the Quidditch Pitch clearing my head, sorry I didn't tell anyone." Harry said sheepishly.
"It's alright, I was just worried. Merlin, Harry!" Hermione gave her black haired friend a side hug.
Ron pouted. "Where's my hug?"
Harry hugged Ron saying, "Oh Ron, I didn't want you to feel left out!"
Ron blushed and shoved his friend, and Hermione and Harry laughed.
"So, Harry. I discovered this book while you were off flying," Hermione's face lit up while Ron groaned and his his face in his hands.
"About...?" Harry knew what was coming.
"Your powers!" Hermione gave Harry a scathing glance. "Don't tell me that you're still in denial."
"Powers?" He questioned innocently.
"Yes! Powers!" She gave a full blown glare and motioned for him to sit down. As he did, she said, "Now Harry, I know that this will be a difficult time for you, but this book gave us good news." She beamed.
Harry waited patiently while Hermione flipped to the right page.
"See here, it says that a mentor of some sort will show up and teach you what you need to know about everything," She patted him on the arm.
"Mentor?" Harry asked.
Hermione turned to Ron. "Is there an echo in here?"
Ron grinned at Harry.
"Yes, mentor," She told Harry. "I'm not sure when they're supposed to arrive, but we should prepare for them any time now."
Harry put his head on the desk. "Will this never end?" He sighed.
"Cheer up mate, at least you don't have to worry about finding a girlfriend! Just remember that horrible Cho incident!" Ron lightly joked.
Harry looked up and gave Ron a half grimace. "Right, thanks."
"No problem," Ron said happily.
"Well if that's settled, why don't we go to dinner and then settle down in the common room and do some homework?" Hermione stood, brushing herself off and putting the book in her bag.
Ron and Harry stood as well, giving each other eye rolls at Hermione's enthusiasm for studying. They walked to the Great Hall, a silent tension rolling over them as they pondered what was yet to come.
Draco Malfoy sat on the most comfortable chair in his common rooms, enjoying the fact that the younger Slytherins looked up to and feared him. Pansy Parkinson sat in the next most comfortable chair in the room, smirking at Draco's contented look.
"You look like a cat that just got the cream," Pansy noted.
"Oh yes, I'm quite content with the recent developments with Harry," Draco said smugly.
"Oh?" Pansy's eyebrows raised.
"Last night I told him that I did, in fact, want him as my mate. I gave him the rose that you helped me charm, and he blushed like a virgin," His inner devil licked its lips at the thought of innocent virgin Harry.
"Thinking naughty again, Drake?" Pansy's eyes shined with mirth.
"Possibly," Draco's lips curled into a smile.
Draco was well aware that at that moment, some sort of mentor was about to pop in on Harry for a visit. He despised the notion that some one else would be informing his mate on the life of a Nephilim, but he rejoiced in the fact that Harry would be informed. He seriously doubted that Harry had read up much on the subject, as his mate seemed reluctant to accept his fate.
To confirm his suspicions, Draco had been patrolling the Forbidden Forest late at night, searching for any newcomers. His heightened senses told him that there was, in fact, another Nephilim in the nearby vicinity. He would just have to wait him, or her, out.
Deep in the forest, a single form crouched in the limbs of a tall tree. They glanced up at the glowing castle, well aware that they could now fulfill their purpose as a mentor and guide. The lone figure's mouth curved up into a wicked smile, showing two pointed teeth.
AN. SO, this story has yet to be finished by a long shot, and I hope that those who have read this far will contintue to do so, and ignore the fact that I can't get a chapter out without a HUGE break inbetween chapters. I hope to fix that (and I've said that before, haha) as school will be starting up for me (Tuesday, ugh) and I'll be back on a normal schedule. BEAR WITH ME! Ta ta for now, lovely readers! Reviews? *nudge nudge, wink wink* (;
PS: I really want to thank all of you for reading this far, it means more than I can type 3