AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Revision 2.0 of this chapter – November, 2015
An eyas is a young hawk or falcon taken from the nest early. For the sake of this fic, I have decided to use it as a term for a 'young Veela' – one who is within the three year span after his first ritual (the Veela's host would be 25-28 yrs. old).
Thank you once more to the masterful, Unseenlibrarian, who beta'd this chapter and gave me some solid plot points to consider. This story wouldn't be nearly as polished without her. She is a miracle worker! Folks, please remember to thank her in your reviews, too, yeah?
CHAPTER 10: CASUALTY OF MEMORY
Wednesday, July 9th, 2031 (morning – late afternoon)
The first thing Scorpius did after waking, dressing and grabbing a quick bite, was seek out his father. He and his grandfather were in the study, going over company issues.
"I need to speak with you both. It's about the Veela and my mating, and I don't think it can wait."
Immediately, his father put his papers down on the desk and turned his full attention to his son. "Let's go for a walk outside, then. It'll be good to get out of this house for a while—for all of us." He glanced over his shoulder at his father.
Scorpius glanced at his grand-père, who merely nodded to the request.
Honestly, the idea of his father's father participating in such a personal chat didn't sit well with Scorpius. It wasn't that he hated the Malfoy patriarch, per se, but the man was extremely hard, unforgiving, and rather cold. His tongue was sharp and could be very cruel. His civility and concern, when they put in a rare appearance, felt entirely disingenuous, as if he was performing a part that society required of him. In all truth, Scorpius doubted he'd ever seen or spoken with the 'real' Lucius, and he'd never been close to the man. Although he didn't despise the family's eldest male heir, he didn't like him much either.
He also didn't have any choice in the matter. It seemed from the furtive glances that the elder Malfoy men were now trading that they had been determined to get the younger man into a conversation about their heritage at some point anyway, so Scorpius resolved his mind to having to play at a share-care moment with two individuals he'd always felt rather uncomfortable around.
The truth was, although he and his father had recently become closer, the two of them had, not too long ago, a very strained relationship. After Astoria's death, Draco had withdrawn from the world, sinking into his own depression. He left behind Scorpius, a confused, angry, embittered pre-teen, whose sorrow had been violently mixed up with a case of raging hormones, as he went through puberty at age twelve. It had been up to his grandparents, the professors at school, and his peers to raise him thereafter, and the situation had become intolerably nasty as a result. He'd harboured a lot of unresolved rage at the unfairness of having his mother and father both so suddenly and violently stripped from his life.
It had taken many more years, and a stern talking-to by his grand-mère, before he and his dad had come to an understanding of his mother's passing and what it had done to drive a wedge between them. Still, he'd held great bitterness towards his remaining parent until the man's newly rallied support in this whole Veela thing.
Thankfully, as a result of Draco's second mating, Scorpius and his father been getting on better than ever, and the hole in his heart that had existed where his father's love had been absent for so many years was beginning to repair itself.
Still, it was a tentative re-acquaintance that he was feeling his way around. And now, he had to step across that remaining gap out of desperate need, and hope not to feel the sting of disappointment.
Chairs pushed back, and everyone headed for the door. The three wizards left the study and headed down the hallway towards the back of the Manor. Scorpius followed behind his father, ever aware of his grandfather pacing him at the back of the line, until at last they were outside in the lovely summer morning's heat, heading down the stone terrace steps towards the graveled garden path.
Once there, Draco slowed and finally turned, stopping altogether, while Lucius moved to stand next to him. Together, they presented a formidable wall, and it was clear that the conversation was going to take place here, on their terms.
Scorpius shoved his hands in his light trouser pockets and met them head-on. Might as well take the bull by the horns…
"I'm worried. Something's wrong with my Veela."
There was only a heartbeat's pause before his grand-père spoke. "In what way is your mating not adequately progressing?"
He knew the question to be Lucius-speak for: 'what the fuck are you doing wrong, moron?'
Scorpius bristled at being spoken to in such a manner, but he reined in his natural reaction to bite back. Getting into a shouting match with the man over showing some respect towards his sole grandson every once in a while wouldn't help matters, and he had more important things to talk about just then.
"My Veela, he's‒" He stopped, unsure how to explain it without sounding weak.
Running a nervous hand through his hair, he cupped the back of his neck and sighed. Who was he kidding? There really was no way to frame this issue in a good light.
"Is the Veela supposed to control you so much? I mean, almost completely? And is it supposed to backstab you to your mate when they're talking to each other?"
His father's brow lowered and he traded a look with his sire. "They talk to each other without you?" Draco hesitantly asked. "How is that possible?"
Scorpius was careful when probing about inside his head, seeking his 'other half'. His Veela was currently dozing, recuperating from having used a lot of energy last night to first yank Rose out of her nightmare world, and then to sustain their shared dream for an extended period of time. That meant he could discuss this freely without being interrupted, or worse, forced into silence.
"He's been able to shove my consciousness to the side and hold me back, taking over my body."
The tension that filled the air was very sudden and very alarming. His father looked at him with mouth agape in surprise, and then turned to his elder in deference, clearly unsure how to address such an issue.
Lucius' frown was so heavy, it lined his features. "Was he able to do that from the time of your Transition?" he asked.
Scorpius shook his head. "When he first emerged, he didn't have a lot of strength, so he just snarked at me all the time, calling me a pussy for not immediately claiming Rose. He acted sort of like a little boy, railing to get his way. As the days have passed, though, he's matured. Recently, he's developed enough strength to completely take over the body, shoving me to the side, and he's begun talking to Rose without me. Last week, his jealousy over her dating Corwin gave him strength, and he came forward, forcing her to make a deal for a time schedule for the mating to take place. When she tried to refuse him, he threatened to kill my cousin."
Draco stiffened at that. He was about to interrupt, when his father put a hand on his shoulder to stay him. He closed his mouth to listen to the rest.
Scorpius sighed, feeling a sickening despair and anxiety sliding around in his belly.
"He figured out fast that threatening Rose wasn't going to work," he continued. "She's stubborn and shrewd, and was working around the bargain they'd made to find some legal loophole to block the mating without our knowledge. When we found out and confronted her on that, and the fact that she was continuing to see Corwin as well, he won her agreement to consider returning to the negotiated deal by seducing her instead."
He shook his head, still amazed by how manipulative his Veela could be. "He's smart, dad. It's scary how quickly he assesses and adapts to get what he wants. And even though he's quiet right now, usually I can feel him sliding around in my head, looking through my memories. I'm unable to stop him," he admitted, knowing this was too important a conversation to let pride stand in the way anymore. "Last night was sort of a turning point in our relationship. He pushed me out of the way and took over my body several times, getting sexual with Rose and trying to keep me from joining in. A few times, he even said things that were intended to make me look bad in her eyes. It's almost like he doesn't want me involved in this mating at all, and would get rid of me if he could."
"What disparaging remarks did he make about you to your mate? Explain," Lucius bade, straight to the point.
Scorpius ran a hand over the back of his neck. "He made a few comments about my, um, sexual history with other women. He framed the whole thing to make himself looked like the good, attentive mate who had remained pure and untouched for her, while I looked like a common slag who didn't care enough about her to be bothered to even ask after her health. And he kept referring to her as his, not ours. He referred to our childhood, and said things like, "that's why I chose you.'"
His father and grandfather exchanged another of those silent looks.
"Go on," his father encouraged.
He rubbed at his tired eyes with the heels of his palms, wanting to scream in mounting frustration. Not even his mother's death had made him feel this powerless. "I feel like I'm quickly becoming some sort of secondary by-stander to this whole mating. The only thing that's been keeping me in the picture is that Rose trusts me more than the Veela, but even that's starting to change. I saw it last night, when she realized that he is, in effect, a virgin who'd saved himself for her. She seemed enamored of the idea. I'm worried that with this tactic, he's going to win her for himself, and somehow figure out a way to keep me from her heart."
His father and grandfather were quiet for far too long after he'd stopped talking, so he hazarded a glance in their direction. They both looked very alarmed.
"Just tell me this kind of split is normal," he demanded, growing irate at the strained silence.
His father looked him right in the eye and shook his head. "No, son, it's not. A Veela should not have the kind of strength you mention. The host is always in control."
"It would seem we have an issue that requires an intervention," his grandfather baldly stated.
The man fiddled with his cane, and then handed it off to Draco. He began unbuttoning his outer robes, and shrugged them from his shoulders, passing them and his white, silken shirt to his son as well. His pale, well-hewn torso came into view, and Scorpius was amazed by the strength that was still contained in the older man's body. This was, he realized, the first time he'd ever seen the man without proper attire.
"It's best we to do it out here, where there's space."
Lucius' shoulders shifted, and a moment later, dark shadows crept across his features and his skin took on a pearl-like sheen that glimmered brightly in the sunlight. From his back, great crimson and black wings magically grew and spread out wide in a lazy stretch. His platinum hair, which had ever been shoulder-length, fell in a great curtain to his waist, and his eyes melted with liquid silver.
In the curious way of Veela, his grandfather's head jerked to the side in a rather bird-like fashion as it eyed him. It sniffed the air, inhaling deeply, and made a strange clicking noise as if it smelled something wrong.
To his utter shock, Scorpius' Veela awoke with a start and pushed forward. His shoulders ached as the wings under his skin sought freedom. With no choice, he stripped off his shirt to set them free, just as the Veela took control. A deep, rumbling growl emanated from his mouth and he took several steps back, crouching for a fight, fingernails growing into talons and curling with anticipation for blood.
What the bloody hell are you doing, he demanded of his beast, mentally pushing to regain control, but finding his consciousness blocked at every turn.
So focused was he on the more dominant Veela that shared a life with his grandfather, for Scorpius could smell the power in the being before him, that he failed to notice his father's Veela until it appeared at his side and grabbed a hold of his wrist with amazing speed and strength. The dark-winged creature hissed at him to be still.
Scorpius knew what his Veela had planned the second the thought crossed its mind.
No, don't, he screamed in panic, but the monster inside would not be tamed.
His Veela lashed out to slice Draco's throat, but as if anticipating the violence his grandfather spoke a quiet, wandless immobilization charm in that second, and his action was halted mid-strike.
Frozen, unable to control his limbs, Scorpius' Veela screeched in rage.
Draco's Veela leaned in and sniffed, and quickly let Scorpius go, backing away. "You're not right," he spoke in that odd conflux of voices that was characteristic of a correct melding between Veela and host.
Scorpius' Veela seethed. "Don't interfere." His voice was that single, deep baritone, whenever his other side was in full control. Scorpius was completely sublimated by the creature now. "I will kill you if you do, father or not."
Lucius' Veela screeched, establishing its alpha status, and Scorpius could feel the Veela within him fighting the biologic compulsion to cringe and lower its head before the elder. Clearly, it didn't like the pecking order.
"Our son is correct: you are not right," Lucius and his Veela pronounced. "You smell older than a youngling should, like a mature Veela. You attack your host and you threaten your mate. This is not our way. Explain, eyas!"
There was no response forthcoming, as Scorpius' Veela refused to answer.
He could sense it was hiding something, though. That secret, coupled with its pride in its refusal to give obeisance to the stronger Veela before it, made it obstinately hold its tongue.
"You will speak, youngling," Draco's Veela threatened, his sable wings spreading wide, blocking the sun. "Or we will force you."
Scorpius could feel his Veela's livid rage boiling under the surface as his father's greater Veela magic began compelling him to his knees. "She is mine," it spat, lips pulled back and fangs bared. "I claimed her the moment I saw her! She belongs to me! No one else may have her!"
She's mine, too, Scorpius reminded his Veela, and he felt the creature turn on him and snarl its defiance.
"No, I share her with you only because she insists," it sneered. "You're unworthy of her!"
Strangely, his Veela's rejection of him hurt. Sure, the creature was annoying and could be jabbing and cruel when it wanted, but he'd never hated it. In fact, he'd been coming to actually like his Veela, finding some of its antics quite amusing, like that pheromone trick at the restaurant with Rose. It was a bit of a blow to realise it didn't feel the same way about him.
So, you're saying you're more worthy of her than me, then?
"I am!" it screamed, its voice turning shrill on the last word. "I love her with my soul! You're the one who has always hurt her, boy! You shag others, like that Eleri wench." He sneered over the witch's name.
Scorpius felt a pang of guilt at that brutal truth. Yeah, he'd been a git to Rose growing up, and yes, he'd been unfaithful to her since she'd been revealed to him as his mate, but in all fairness, this mating had been thrust upon him by a magical curse, and the choice in mates had been startlingly unexpected. He was feeling just as much bound to its will as she was feeling. That Rose denied him at every turn once everything had been explained to her had only fueled his pettiness, too. And it wasn't like she hadn't been fucking Corwin…
His Veela hissed, having picked up on his thoughts. "She will never touch your cousin again—never!"
"You and our grandson are one, Veela," Lucius spoke, his voice a mix of several tones. "Your mate belongs to both of you. This division is unnatural."
The Veela's ire shot through the roof at that. "It's his fault! If he hadn't hurt her, I wouldn't hate him!"
Hurt her? Scorpius reared back at that, unsure what his Veela was talking about. I've never hurt Rose… well, I mean physically, I never did. I may have been merciless about picking on her, but I never hit her, not even the two times she kicked me in the bollocks. She always gave back more than I ever doled out.
His Veela's anger burned so hot and so powerful that the Immobulus cast upon his limbs was undone under the force of his fury. He hopped to his feet, stepped back, and spread his wings as wide as they could go.
"LIAR! You hurt my mate! You all but raped her! You took her innocence, you fucking bastard!"
A thrill of fear passed through Scorpius. What the hell are you talking about? I never raped her!
"You did!" his Veela screamed. "In your last year of school, you were drinking and you coerced her into a dark corner. You took her virginity without care, against a wall. You made her bleed, and she cried with regret after!" His Veela wept now with remorse, with guilt, and in anguish for having failed to protect his mate, clutching his heart, scraping his skin with sharp talons. "You hurt my mate, Scorpius! You hurt her!"
Everything inside Scorpius came to a screeching halt and it suddenly became hard to breathe.
What the fuck are you talking about? I've never had sex with Rose Weasley.
"You did have sex with her!" his Veela spat around his tears, wiping a shaking hand across his face. "And you left me with no choice but to take those memories away, or else we'd be in trouble and she'd hate us forever. See what you did, you selfish bastard! Look, I'll show you! Remember and know!"
The grey curtain of ignorance that had magically blocked his mind for years was swept aside by the Veela's will, and Scorpius' repressed memories were suddenly set free…
They'd been playing drinking games at a party in the Ravenclaw common room—him, Eleri, Rose, some of her cousins and friends, and his cousin, Corwin. Scorpius had gotten pissed off his gourd, but he'd remained coherent enough to convince a rather sauced Rose to follow him down to the dungeons, into a passage he'd known was unfrequented and quiet. There, he'd kissed her ardently against the wall, pinning her in place with his weight so she wouldn't try to get away. He'd been tired of hiding the truth of his several years-long crush for his greatest rival, and he'd decided that this was his last shot before graduation.
Things had gone mad then. Her mouth and hands had been unstoppable, as she melted into him with a matching enthusiasm. She'd had his belt and his trousers unzipped before he could catch his next breath, and then she'd reached into his pants and began stroking his cock. He'd gone hard in an instant as she'd palmed him and swiped her thumb over the head.
Thinking a mutual wank would be too sweet to pass up, his hand had been up her skirt in a flash, and he'd been fingering her sweet, tight passage the next instant…
Rose trembled in his arms and whispered his name against his lips as he brought her to the edge.
"I wanna eat you. I want you coming all over my face."
She nodded to his proposition, whimpering, seeking his lips and tongue with urgent need. He took that as her full consent.
Thumbing her knickers down her thighs to her knees, he knelt even with her pelvis. Her lower lips were completely bared of hair; she shaved down here. Merlin, that was hot! Unable to help himself, he dove right in, licking straight up the middle. Rose wailed with delight, begging him not to stop. He feasted upon her pretty, pink pussy like it was dessert.
Within moments, he brought her to the brink once more, using his tongue to flick and suckle upon her little sensitive clit. When she came, her body tensed and her thighs quivered against his cheeks. As he sucked her little nub of flesh, he felt her blood pulse against his tongue.
When her body stopped shaking, and her breathing calmed, he regained his height and just held her for a moment. He was the one shaking now, never having believed he'd ever be here with her, like this. It was a fucking dream come true.
"I need you, Rose. I've got to have you," he desperately stated, gripping her hips. "You want this, too? Can we? I mean…you know?"
Her beautiful blue eyes were glazed with pleasure, drunk with need. Her cheeks were scarlet apples, to match the color of her swollen, plump lips.
"Yes. God, yes!"
Scorpius nodded, sealing their agreement with a lush, wet kiss.
"I'm gonna fuck you so good, you'll come again," he promised, watching her hurriedly kick her knickers off and raise her skirt over her hips. He palmed his raging erection, and stroked it a few times to assure he was nice and hard. "You're mine after this, Rose, you know? I'm keeping you."
She quaked as he took her into his embrace and pulled her up the wall so that their hips met.
"Wrap your legs around me," he commanded.
She did as he directed, and he slid between her slick petals. With her damp core pressed against him, it was an easy thing to slide into position with a simple tilt of his lower body. Aligning his cock, pressing against her opening, he took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, thrusting hard into her at the same time. He buried himself to the hilt in that one surge, marrying their cores in a smooth move.
Against him, Rose cried out at his penetration, and she buried her face in his shoulder.
"That's it, baby, hold onto me," he whispered in her ear, gritting his teeth at how exquisitely tight she was, how deep he'd gone, how perfectly they fit together. "Hold tight to me and don't let go."
After that, he'd lost himself in the moment, shagging her without grace or consideration against the wall in that dungeon corridor, the need between them too powerful for anything but hot, animal fucking. He'd rutted her as if the Devil himself were driving him on. It didn't help that he'd been urged on by her small moans and gasps and by the press of her fingernails into his back.
Within a very short amount of time, he'd felt her come apart again, her insides squeezing him so tight that he'd followed her over the edge.
"I love you, baby," he groaned into her ear as he came. "Rose…gods, I love you!"
In the aftermath, he'd slumped against the wall, totally exhausted and utterly sated, having finally had the one girl he'd wanted from the time he'd had his first wet dream.
It was only after he'd regained his sanity long minutes later that he realized three very important things: one, Rose was crying, and two, that she was desperate to get away from him, as evidenced by the way she had dropped her legs from around his waist, and was pushing against his shoulders and begging him between sobs to let her go, and three, he'd shot his seed inside of her without any sort of thought for protection.
Blind panic struck as he realized through the fog of half-drunkenness what all of that meant: she'd obviously been a virgin. He'd screwed up their first time, and taken her cherry from her against a bloody wall, and he hadn't been gentle about it at all. Worse, he might have just gotten her pregnant.
He stepped back a bit and looked down between them. Her skirt was bunched up around her waist, and he could see…Ah, Merlin, the creamy skin between her thighs was streaked with crimson, and a small stream of blood was dripping out of her, running down the inside of one leg.
He knew virgins bled; Eleri had just a bit after they'd had sex the first time, too. Was it supposed to be this much, though? Was she supposed to be crying this badly?
"It h-hurts, Scor! It burns!" she moaned, clutching one hand over her abdomen.
Oh, gods, he'd caused her pain! He's made her bleed!
What should he do?
He froze, his muddled brain—jumbled from a combination of too much drink and the buzz from having come really hard—was reacting too slowly to process everything. All he could do was stare at the dark red droplets splashing to the stone floor between her legs and agonize over how he'd ruined this moment for them both.
The Veela inside of him reacted.
Fighting through the magic that held it back as it heard its chosen mate's cries, it struggled to free itself of the powerful magic holding it back, seeking to come to the surface of actualized consciousness to reach Rose and provide help.
Fortunately, its host's inebriated state had facilitated its successful attempt to escape, as Scorpius' mental barriers were severely weakened. He felt a flush of scalding heat all over his body and broke out in a dripping sweat…
…and painful heartbeats later, the beast came fully awake, years earlier than was natural.
It didn't have enough energy to change to its true form upon emergence, but it did manage to push its host's consciousness aside and look through his eyes.
Scorpius thought the sensation of being shunted to the side rather queer, but in his partially intoxicated state, it wasn't painful. In fact, it felt a lot like he was attempting to play Quidditch while sitting a broom backwards, with a head full of wool.
Quickly, his other half took in the situation, and with a moan of distress, it realized what Scorpius had done. Utilizing the knowledge it had stored up over the years from watching and listening, it placed the palm of its hand over Rose's core, cupping her sex, and quickly cast a Healing charm to stop the blood flow. It followed the healing up with a delayed Contraceptive Charm, hoping it would act in time.
When done, it pulled its chosen mate into its chest, cradling her and trying to soothe her with loving words.
"I'm so sorry, baby. Please don't hate me."
Rose continued sobbing. "I-It hurt, Scor. It was o-okay when we…b-but then it hurt so much! It was like a hot fire inside - like I'd been cut open d-down there. You were t-t-too big, t-too rough. I-It was my first time!"
The Veela pulled her back and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I've fixed it. It doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"
She shook her head, sniffling and shaking.
"Good. That's good," he murmured with relief. "It'll be all right now."
"It…it was m-my first t-time. You hur-r-rt me."
She wouldn't look up, his beast noted with some distress, keeping her gaze downcast as if too ashamed or scared to meet its gaze. The Veela felt a sharp pain in its chest from that fact.
"Baby, I'm sorry. No more pain, I promise," it vowed. "I swear to you, Rose, no more."
It had kissed her then with such tenderness, whispering apologies with every pull of lips.
Rose was tentative at first, but very soon the kissing became something fiery and passionate as the Veela released a bit of its power to ease away his mate's sadness and reticence. The taste of chocolate and strawberries flooded its mouth, and it passed the aphrodisiac on to Rose as it thrust its tongue into her mouth again and again, sharing its gift with her.
Enflamed by the Veela's chemical cocktail, Rose immediately responded with a fierce ardor. She kissed back, matching his desire, and her small hands slid down its chest and abdomen, reaching between them to palm his quickly-recovering arousal. She began stroking the stiffening erection, and moaned as the flesh hardened to steel between her fingers.
Despite the raging need to claim its mate, his Veela knew that it couldn't do so until the proper time in the future, as it was bound just as much as Scorpius was by the magic of its curse. Therefore, it tried to restrain its natural needs and be respectful of its mate. It reached under her skirt not to sexually touch her, but to wandlessly cast a Scourgify to clean the blood from her thighs.
It was just preparing to remove her fingers from his desperately straining shaft when Marshall Macmillan rounded the corner and caught them in such a compromising position.
After they had both fixed their clothing and been reprimanded by the Head Boy. The Veela pretended to be Scorpius the whole time. Marshall made him agree to walk Rose back to her common room, with no detours, and in retrospect, Scorpius thought the guy was cool not to dock House points or to give a detention, which would have alerted the teachers as to what he and Rose had been up to.
As they walked alongside each other, Scorpius grew poignantly aware that his Veela despaired at the fact that Rose only loosely held its hand after it had reached for her, and that she hadn't spoken a word to it, or even looked in its direction on the walk up to the fifth floor.
"Do you regret it?" the Veela asked as they finally stopped before the entrance to Ravenclaw tower.
Rose paused to consider, took a deep breath, and nodded. "I'm sorry, but…I wish we'd done this differently."
Her words gave the Veela some hope. "So, you weren't against us being together?"
She clamped her lips together and shook her head. "I…alright, I admit it: I find you sexy and, yes, I wanted you. But, Scor, we're both a little drunk, and…well, there's so much between us. All the hurtful things you've said and done to me over the years. I'm not sure what to think now about any of it. You said you loved me, but…I don't know if that was just something you said in the heat of the moment or if you meant it. Shannon, Holly, and Alicia all say that boys sometimes say that to them, too, but none of them mean it. I'm afraid to believe you. And besides, aren't you're dating Gabriella Finch-Fletchley, anyway?"
She bit her bottom lip in consternation.
"God, you won't use this against me, will you?" She turned to him, her eyes pleading and pained. "Please, don't hurt me with this."
His Veela's heart broke in that moment, comprehending that the years of fighting between its host and its mate, incidents that it had taken a bit of twisted amusement from, might very well never resolve itself as simple childish banter and be set aside. Their rivalry might, in fact, drag on into the future, making the mating it intended with Rose impossible for her to accept.
It sighed in weariness at the thought of the fight to come.
Nearing the end of its strength, and saddened by her words, Scorpius' Veela made a very hard decision, one designed to protect them all: it would Obliviate its mate's memories of this night. If she didn't remember what they'd done, the incident would be like it never happened, and she couldn't hold this against either of them in the future. Then, they could have the chance to do this the proper way seven years hence, when it finally claimed Rose as its mate, all without its host's tainting of their sexual history to muck things up.
"I promise that Scorpius won't hurt you with this," the Veela agreed. It reached out to stroke her cheek. "I'll give it back to you, your innocence. And tomorrow, you won't remember any of this. It won't hurt you anymore, baby."
"Wha-?" she stammered, brows lowering with confusion, this time having caught the meaning of his words. "What are you talking about?" She looked up, and recoiled. "What's happened to you? Your eyes have changed. They look…"
"Like silver coins? That's because I'm not Scorpius. I'm his Veela," he admitted.
She gasped, incredulity flashing across her features, and stepped back and away from him until her shoulders met the wall. "W-What?" She gave a tittering, nervous laugh. "Quit joking, Scor. Whatever you're doing here, this isn't funny. This isn't a game."
Moving quickly, his beast covered the slight distance between them, pressing its body against hers and bent its head to give her a final kiss. "No game and not a joke. I am Veela. Just please wait for me, my mate. A few more years, and we'll be together. I promise to explain it all then, and to make this up to you, too. Forgive me."
Using his magic, he uttered the memory modifying spell and stole her thoughts before she could react to counter him.
Scorpius watched through the lens of time, noting how Rose's eyes flared with terror as she realized what he was doing. They quickly dimmed, however, and eventually closed as the magic worked its way through her head, sealing away her precious memories of the night's events, leaving her with a curious blank spot in her recollections. She would believe the evening lost from consuming too much alcohol.
Using her momentary unconsciousness to his advantage, the Veela quickly slipped his fingers under her knickers, and guided them up and inside her. It took tremendous restraint on the creature's part not to make this act sexual as he cast another healing charm, repairing her torn hymen and replacing what Scorpius had taken from her.
"I can't wait to have you," his Veela whispered as it took its fingers from her, brought them to its lips and licked them clean. It sighed in longing at her sweet, sweet taste.
When it had cleaned her cream from its skin, his beast hugged her tight. Its strength was quickly draining, but it was reluctant to part from the witch it had claimed for its own.
"I'll want no one but you," it promised. "Wait for me."
With a final stolen kiss, it left her leaning against the wall outside her tower, jogging down the corridor to get out of her immediate sight.
Hidden, the Veela peeked around the corner one last time, watching as Rose woke up from her stupor, clearly confused as to how she'd ended up in the middle of a corridor outside her House entrance. Eventually, she regained enough mental faculties to answer the riddle of the Ravenclaw door, and passed through into her common room, presumably to go up to her bed for the night.
As she stepped through, two of her friends swooped down to her side, and got an arm under her to support her weight as she staggered a bit from the residual effects of the alcohol in her system.
Seeing she was safe, the Veela then guided Scorpius' body down to the Slytherin dorms and into his own bed. There, it had cursed its host out for having hurt Rose, and then, it had Obliviated him, too, so no one would ever know what they'd done. He'd left behind a final mental compulsion, just to be sure Scorpius never again attempted to sabotage the Veela's chances with its chosen mate:
Lust for others, but do not love them…and stay away from Rose.
That compulsion was cancelled the same night Scorpius' Veela awoke, of course.
Scorpius understood then that the effort it had taken for the Veela to come forward before its time had been monstrous, literally, and fighting the magical bonds against it, coupled with all of the magic it had used for the night's events had utterly exhausted it. It fell into a deep torpor after that, allowing the magic of the curse to bind it up once more, its last thoughts of Rose and how much it had loved touching and tasting her, and how much it hated its host for hurting her.
As the vision faded, Scorpius fell to his knees.
Slytherin's soul, he'd had sex with Rose!
S-E-X. With her.
He'd been inside her with his fingers, his tongue, and his cock. He'd tasted her, touched her, come in her…
…and it had sucked because he'd hurt her and made a mess of it all. It didn't matter that he'd come so hard he'd nearly blown his skull open. That golden feeling was ruined by knowing he'd made Rose cry and bleed. Worse, he'd treated her like a common slag, shagging her against the wall. It hadn't just been their first time, but her first time, but in that moment, he'd cared only about himself and his own needs.
How could he have been that selfish?
Actually, he knew: a combination of too much Firewhisky, too little common sense, and teenage horniness at maximum levels. He hadn't been thinking at all that night; he'd let his lust dictate his actions. And it had cost them both—no, all three of them.
His 'other half' sneered at him with blazing hatred.
"You see?" it snarled. "You made me seal away her memories. I never wanted to do that to her, but I had to! It's why she doesn't trust me, why she's fears me so much. Now do you understand?"
Her nightmares, Scorpius guessed, the picture beginning to become clearer for him now that he knew the truth.
"Yes, genius, her fucking nightmares!" the Veela screeched.
Scorpius shoved his way to the front of his consciousness, forcing the emotionally distraught Veela back. He took control of his own voice once more.
"In the dreams, her house—which represents her mind—is ruined. It's because something inside of her remembers that something bad happened to her back then, isn't it? You woke up early to fix what I'd done to her, but didn't have the strength to delve deeply enough to entirely remove all of the memories. Her subconscious remembers that she's been hurt, but her consciousness can't remember how. She can't see how, but her instincts tell her that I have something to do with it. That's why she thinks I've stolen her eyes in the dream. It also why she's afraid of you: because somewhere, buried in her head, is the knowledge that you were the one who actually cast the memory spell."
Which I wouldn't have had to do if you'd used some fucking restraint and good judgment, the Veela verified.
Scorpius rubbed a shaky hand over his forehead. "Christ, all those years we were mean to each other as kids, and then this… The negative feelings have just stacked up over the years, like a house of bricks. No wonder why she's always so mistrusting, and has been aggressively fighting a relationship with both of us."
His Veela snarled at him. It's your fault, all of it! You're the one who taunted her, insulted her, and pushed her around when you were in school. You made her bleed and cry. And because of your actions, I had to seal away a piece of her mind to protect all of us from what you'd done. I fucking hate you for it.
"I know," Scorpius murmured. "And I deserve your hatred, Veela. I never meant to hurt her, or to…to cause you harm. I'm…gods, I'm so sorry! I was so stupid and immature, and...fuck, I'm just really sorry, mate."
His Veela had nothing to say to that. It merely sobbed and fumed in his head.
"Eyas," Draco called to him. "You will explain to us what you are doing and why you have created discord."
Scorpius shook his head and looked up at his sire. "It isn't him, Dad. It's me. I've done something terrible." Honest to God tears filled his eyes. "You heard him, right? Dad, I hurt Rose. Back in school. It was just as he said. I hurt her."
His father's features scrunched up. "You raped your mate?"
"No, it wasn't rape! She consented," he explained, "but we were both drunk and…it was really rough. We were just two stupid, horny teenagers going at it, you know? But she was a virgin. I didn't know that until after." He bowed his head in shame and remorse. "After…I must have torn or ruptured something inside her, because she was bleeding a lot, and she couldn't stop crying! The Veela–"
"Our son woke up early to protect and comfort his chosen mate," the man spoke, and Scorpius knew it was the Veela within Draco speaking, although they were of one mind.
He nodded. "He healed her with some spells, and then Obliviated us both of the memory of that night. I had no idea until a few minutes ago what had happened. I thought that I'd blacked out from drinking too much, but that wasn't it at all! He made us both forget! And he put a compulsion in my head before he was forced back to sleep from exhaustion: to only lust after women, never to love them. And to stay away from Rose. Then, once the Transition happened, that compulsion broke, but still…he stole my will from me for those seven years! And Rose…"
He reached up and grabbed a handful of hair on both sides of his head, pulling it.
"She's been having these nightmares that we've had to go into and pull her out of, twice now. It's her mind trying to remember what's been hidden from her. It must be driving her mad."
He glanced up at his father. "Your Veela woke up early, too, didn't it? Did yours have that kind of power, to be able to Obliviate people? Rose told me that she and her mother were talking about the specifics of your mating, and that her mum thought that your Veela had woken up back during your sixth-year, when you'd been injured and sent to the Hospital Ward. She said you two…that Hermione had suspected your Veela of having seduced her that night."
His father had the good grace to actually blush. "Our mate would be partially correct," Draco admitted, slyly smirking to cover his embarrassment. "But no, our Veela did not have that kind of strength back then, as we could not fully awaken. The wizard's Mark prevented our coming forward. There was a dark magical barrier in place when we attempted to break free, and we could not go through or around it. It trapped us inside. We could only use some of our abilities that night, those closest to the surface."
"Your pheromones," Scorpius guessed, and Draco confirmed with a single nod.
Lucius raised one white-gold eyebrow at his son. "Indeed," he stated. "That explains much." He turned those piercing silver eyes upon Scorpius. "It also explains your division." He flapped his crimson-black wings in agitation. "Your eyas was birthed before his time, splitting from your consciousness before the magic of the Transition could keep you bound together as equals."
Helpless before such knowledge, Scorpius began to lose heart. "So, how do we fix this?"
We don't, his Veela growled at him.
"You don't," his grandfather confirmed. "You must learn to co-exist, for each other and for your mate."
Within his mind, his Veela seethed at the idea of being forced to share Rose with its host.
"He's too jealous. It's obvious that he won't share her with me," he conveyed with a stabbing disappointment. "I can feel his resentment of me getting stronger every day, too. I think he's played for my team so far, because he knew he had no other choice as he was newly Transitioned and weak, and because he was learning what worked and didn't work to motivate her. But, now that he's growing stronger and Rose is becoming fond of him on her own, and he's got her interested in having a physical relationship, I think it's only a matter of time before he'll convince her to entirely shut me out of this mating. And he'll be able to keep me out by locking me down in here."
He tapped his temple.
You're in my way, his beast hissed. You've jeopardized my status with her and kept me from her for too long, boy. I don't trust you with her after everything that's happened.
Draco flapped his wings again, and jerked his head in that queer bird-like fashion. "If you continue on as you are, you both will continue to harm your mate."
Lucius squawked in agreement. "She will be as torn as you should you approach her as separate beings, eyas. This may destroy your mating. You have already driven her towards an illness of the mind by giving her nightmares. You may worsen such things, or cause her to kill herself to be free of your fighting."
The Veela shoved forward again, and once more, the weight of its wings fell heavy upon Scorpius' shoulder blades. "I will care for her! I will love her enough to protect her from such things!"
"You cannot mark your mate without agreement from both halves of your heart, son," Draco contested. "You are human and Veela, sharing one form, bound together until the end of your long lives. You must come to an accord, or your mate will continue to suffer, as will both of you."
"Bear in mind, eyas: the longer this goes on, the more risk you take of a challenger appearing," Lucius reminded him. "We have heard the rumours that Louis Weasley is coming of age later this year, and we know his mother to be of Veela blood. He has a male cousin, as well—his mother's sister's son—who is also of the Veela birthright, and turns twenty-five next month. If either male Transitions and desires Rose Weasley for a mate, they could lay a claim upon your female, who is still unmarked. And there may still be more descendants of Veela around, for the scent of our kind has grown stronger in the air of late. The pheromones of those close to Transition mixes with those who are mating, and saturates our senses..." He shook his head and put a hand to the side of his temple. "The scents confuse us. We cannot distinguish them from so far away, but know that they exist and represent a real threat to your mating."
Scorpius' beast growled, getting to its feet. "Rose is mine! I will fight to the death for her! No other will mate her but me!"
But us, Scorpius stubbornly reminded his Veela. We do this together, or she will suffer for it. You heard what father and grandfather said. They're right, and I sense you know it.
The Veela did not reply, but he could feel its bitterness.
Do you want Rose to keep hurting the way she has been, he pressed. Do you want her nightmares to end? Then we need to get our shit together, you and me.
"Veela?"
All three men turned their attention towards the voice of the newcomer…
…only to find Hermione Granger standing in the middle of the path, leading back towards the house.
"Mate," Draco purred in greeting.
She gave Scorpius' father a melting smile. "Hello, love. I wondered if you and Lucius would be so kind as to allow me a moment alone to speak with Scorpius and his Veela? I believe a female's perspective, one who is intimately aware of Rose's temperament, would be just what the doctor ordered in this case."
"Extendable Ears?" his father asked, curious as to how his mate had overheard their conversation from the house.
The witch merely shrugged.
In a flash of black feathers, Draco had her in his arms, and was grinning down at her. "Have we told you how much we love your sneakiness, mate?"
Cheekily, she patted the side of his face. "Yes, dear. I know. Now, kiss me, and then run along so I can speak with your son about my daughter."
He did as bade, making sure to rub his scent marker all over Hermione's cheeks after snogging her one good, just to make the other two Veela nearby once more fully aware of his claim upon her. The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg infused the air. Ms. Granger giggled and rolled her eyes at her mate's macho display.
Lucius snorted, gathered his clothing and his cane, and headed back for the house. As he passed by them all, he turned once to look back at his grandson's Veela. "Think on what has been said, eyas. It would be a shame upon our family's history should we have to destroy you for turning feral." His eyes alighted upon Ms. Granger, purposefully angling his gaze downward towards her womb. "But know that the Malfoys will not diminish with your loss. Our son has already seen to that."
Scorpius' Veela bared his fangs and hissed, spreading his wings wide to face the challenge.
"Oh, dear," Hermione sighed, gathering up Draco's clothing from the bench where he'd temporarily put them down, and handing them off to the man. "I think the two of you have made your point. That's quite enough chest-thumping for the day." She turned to her husband. "Go, and take him with you." She nodded her head in Lucius' direction. "Narcissa is probably wondering where the two of you have gone off to, anyway."
At the mention of his mate's name, Lucius tucked back his dark red-black wings and headed towards the house, his step quickened. His son followed him.
Alone with Rose's mum, Scorpius felt that his Veela was suddenly, keenly uncomfortable. Surprisingly, he stepped back, letting his host take back his body. Gathering up his shirt from the ground, he slipped it over his head to cover up as his wings magically melted away.
"You don't need to reiterate, I heard it all," his step-mum frankly stated.
Shoving his hands into his trouser pockets, Scorpius looked away, feeling as awkward as his Veela had. How did you face the mother of the woman you'd abused so badly? How could you honestly say you were sorry for hurting her baby girl?
"And I know you regret what you did to Rose. I could hear it in your voice," she informed him. "What we need to do now is formulate a plan so both you and your Veela can get what you want."
At that, the beast within him seemed to sit up in rapt attention.
Scorpius sighed. "We're listening."
With confident step, Hermione approached him and linked her arm with his own. She then proceeded to lead him further down the white gravel path, which wound around the entire rose garden. His father's scent was like a perfume all over her, saturating every pore and hair follicle, making his nose itch. He rubbed at it with his free hand.
"Now, from what you've said, your Veela doesn't like the idea of sharing Rose with you, because he's angry at you for hurting her years ago," the woman launched right into the mess of his love life without flinching.
"That about sums it up," he confirmed.
She shook her head. "Well, then your solution is this: remove the block on my daughter's memories, have everyone apologize profusely all around, and then let the Veela make love to her. Not to mark, but just to have her as he wants – in love, alone for the first time. Hold yourself back, Scorpius, and show them both how to trust you again. In doing so, you'll all win."
"If she remembers, she might not forgive me for that night," Scorpius stated the obvious, knowing his Veela was thinking the same thing.
His step-mum shook her head. "She will forgive you – you and the Veela both – once you explain your position. The trick is pinning her down so you can do that without her running. Therefore, I suggest you do so in the dreamscape, where you can control her. You can free Rose by taking her through her nightmare and giving her what she's been asking you for: her sight back, figuratively speaking. Then, you can explain the reasons for hiding it from her while she's still a captive audience."
Scorpius looked hard at her, his mind whirling over her plan, trying to find a flaw. Eventually, he had to concede that it was the best option available to them all. In the real world, Rose could Disapparate away before he could apologize and explain his and the Veela's past actions. Physically chaining her to a chair and obliging her to sit through it would undermine his position, though. Of course, the same could be said about locking her in the dream world, but of the two options, it was the safest and least likely to cause an escalation in brute force.
What do you think, he asked his Veela.
His beast paused to consider everything he'd heard before rendering judgment. I think she'll kill us both once she remembers.
I expect we'll have to grovel a lot to win her forgiveness there. No, I meant you and her… alone, he explained. If I conceded to that idea, would you stop hating my guts so much?
The Veela seemed confused. You'd do that? Let me mate her without you?
Not mark, but… shite, yes, all right, he compromised. I'd let you two have sex without me, if she wants it. But you can't use your Veela magic to sway her. She has to agree to the idea of her own free will, no tricks of any kind. And it has to be only after we've shown her the past and released her memories.
His 'other half' growled. She wouldn't let me touch her if she knew.
"Are you two discussing it, then?" Hermione asked, interrupting the conversation in his head.
Scorpius nodded. "He's interested in the idea, but afraid that Rose won't want him after we tell her the truth about the past and what went down between all three of us, and why the Veela had to seal up her memories."
Hermione patted his arm. "Leave that to me, dear. I'll arrange to have breakfast with my daughter tomorrow morning to discuss the issue. I'm sure I can make her see reason. She was, after all, a willing participant the first time you were together, or so you stated, so she's as much to blame for what happened as you are. That your Veela had to intervene because of your recklessness – on both sides - was unfortunate and unplanned, but necessary. He actually took a rather sensible route, when you step back and really consider how bad the fallout could have been otherwise."
She's right. I saved your arse that time, boy, his Veela haughtily stated.
He sighed. "Yeah, I know."
I'm well aware that I owe you. Rose and I both do, Scorpius acknowledged his 'other'. You kept a bad situation from becoming worse. If she'd gotten pregnant then, she'd have really hated me, as she would have had to give up her Quidditch career. What you did…I'm sorry I put you in that position. I'm sorry for fucking up your awakening. I know what it cost you now, and...shit, man, I'm just sorry for all of it.
His Veela was silent, but he could feel it turning over his words and finding sincerity from its host.
"We'll tell her tonight," he said, making the tough decision for them all, "and pray she doesn't know any castration hexes."
His step-mother laughed, and it was a pretty sound.
As if the grey clouds over his heart parted, Scorpius suddenly felt better. His bleak mood dissolved in the warmth of the afternoon sun and in the face of this woman's support. He put his hand over hers, where it rested in the crook of his arm and smiled down at her.
"My father chose well."
The witch blushed, and gave him a brilliant smile. "Yes, well, Malfoys always have good taste – or so I'm frequently told."
They both laughed at that, and turned back for the house, planning how best to go about freeing Rose from the shackles of the past so as to begin making a future together. Along the way, Scorpius began to understand that he was coming to accept that Hermione Granger was in his life to stay, and that he was perfectly content with that arrangement. It was true that his father's new mate could never take the place of his mother in his heart, but it was equally apparent that she was fast becoming a good friend that he could respect and adore.
TO BE CONTINUED…
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Please review!
For the sake of this fic, here are the important birthdays of the Next-Gen characters, so you'll understand the timeline (given in order of date, oldest first):
- Victoire Weasley = Daughter of Fleur Delacour + Bill Weasley = her birthday is established in canon as being 2 May, 2000.
- Fred Weasley II = Son of Angelina Johnson + George Weasley = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth. I chose 5 November, 2001 for his birthday for this fic.
- Dominique Weasley = Daughter of Fleur Delacour + Bill Weasley = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth, although she is mentioned as the second of three children to this couple. I chose 3 September, 2002 for her birthday for this fic.
- James Sirius Potter = Son of Ginevra Weasley + Harry Potter = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth, although he is mentioned as the oldest of three children to this couple. I chose 15 March, 2003 for his birthday for this fic.
- Roxanne Weasley = Daughter of Angelina Johnson + George Weasley = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth, although she is mentioned as the youngest child of two to this couple. I chose 6 October, 2003 for her birthday for this fic.
- Molly Weasley = Daughter of Audrey (maiden name never given) + Percy Weasley = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth. I chose 23 August, 2004 for her birthday for this fic.
- Marcus Zabini = Son of Pansy Parkinson + Blaise Zabini = an invented character for this fic; does not exist in canon. I chose 10 November, 2005 for his birthday for this fic.
- Albus Severus Potter = Son of Ginevra Weasley + Harry Potter = no date given in canon, aside from him being born in 2006. He is mentioned as the second of three children to this couple. I chose 5 January, 2006 for his birthday for this fic.
- Rose Eleanor Weasley = Daughter of Hermione Granger + Ron Weasley = no date given in canon, aside from her being born in 2006. I chose 22 February, 2006 for her birthday for this fic.
- Eleri Nott = Daughter of Tracey Davis + Theodore Nott = an invented character for this fic; does not exist in canon. I chose 22 March, 2006 for her birthday for this fic.
- Lucy Weasley = Daughter of Audrey (maiden name never given) + Percy Weasley = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth, although she is listed as the second and youngest daughter of this couple. I chose 18 April, 2006 for her birthday for this fic.
- Shannon & Holly Finnegan = Fraternal Twin Daughters of Lavender Brown + Seamus Finnegan = invented characters for this fic; do not exist in canon. I chose 30 May, 2006 for their birthday for this fic.
- Scorpius Malfoy = Son of Astoria Greengrass + Draco Malfoy = no date given in canon, aside from him being born in 2006. I chose 21 June, 2006 for his birthday for this fic.
- Corwin McLaggen = Son of Daphne Greengrass + Cormac McLaggen = an invented character for this fic; does not exist in canon. I chose 10 July, 2006 for his birthday for this fic.
- Alicia Longbottom = Daughter of Hannah Abbott + Neville Longbottom = an invented character for this fic; does not exist in canon. I chose 24 July, 2006 for her birthday for this fic.
- Tomas Fontaine = Son of Gabriella Delacour + Frederick Fontaine = an invented character for this fic; does not exist in canon. He gets no play time in the story, really, but he is mentioned by Lucius in this chapter in passing as an important plot point (referred to as Louis' mother's sister's son). I chose 2 August, 2006 for his birthday for this fic.
- Louis Weasley = Son of Fleur Delacour + Bill Weasley = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth, although he is listed as the youngest child of three, and only son to this couple. I chose 28 October, 2006 for his birthday for this fic.
- Lily Luna Potter = Daughter of Ginevra Weasley + Harry Potter = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth, although she is mentioned as the youngest of three children to this couple. I chose 22 April, 2008 for her birthday for this fic.
- Hugo Weasley = Son of Hermione Granger + Ron Weasley = no date given in canon, not even a year of birth, although he is listed as the youngest of two children to this couple. I chose 1 December, 2009 for his birthday for this fic.