A/n: Firstly, I would like to thank ManonVarendaz, babygurl1944, HermioneandMarcus, Guest, and marlastiano for their lovely reviews! It's why I'm updating now! Secondly, I would kind of like to mention that my updates are kind of random. While I'm updating so soon after the first chapter, I may not do that with later chapters. But as long as you guys keep reviewing, I'll keep writing! Much love!

Chapter Two

I had hoped that the passing of time between my birthday and school beginning that I would get used to everything. But I just couldn't see myself getting used to not being plain. A majority of girls my age longed to have hair that didn't frizz or tangle easily, but it seemed I am different than a majority of girls. Waking up with almost no flaws made me feel like a plastic doll. My parents, sensing my discomfort, got me a new pair of glasses so that I could feel some sense of normality. The glasses weren't meant to do anything but that. But they made me feel just a tiny bit better.

My brother was still trying to get used to this newer version of his little sister. He grew up knowing how I smelled and how my face felt. I was beginning to worry that he would never get used to the way I smelled or how my face was structured now. Every time I approached him or touched him, his behavior indicated that he wasn't sure who I was. It was like I was a completely new person to him. Christopher often had to touch my face to make sure I was who he thought I was.

"Your skin is a lot softer, too," he told one day. "You smell like lavender and the wind in the spring. You used to smell like an apple tree."

"I'm sorry I've changed," I whispered.

"It's not your fault, Cara. It's just going to take me some time to get used to the new you," he replied. His pale hand reached over and gripped mine as he gave me a small smile. "You will always be my little sister, no matter how much you change."

At least I had that promise from Christopher. I was growing more and more nervous as we stepped closer to platform 9 3/4. I pushed my glasses further up my nose as my palms began to sweat. My breathing changed as a familiar warmth spread across my stomach. My dad, who had come to watch me leave for school, shifted his dark green eyes to look down at me as I made a small noise of discomfort. My mom stayed behind to make sure that someone was in the house with Chistopher.

"Are you okay, Cara?" He asked. I shook my head as my fingers touched my stomach.

"That warm feeling is back," I told. His hand moved my fingers away from my torso and shook his head. His eyes moved across the crowd of faces that were around us. We were surrounded by parents and students hugging each other. Some mothers were crying as their children were boarding the train and students were greeting their friends. But nothing seemed out of place. This was the same picture I would see every year.

"I am sorry to tell you that you probably will not be able to shake that feeling," my dad breathed. I looked up at him with a confused expression. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "I think that your mate is on this train and is most likely a fellow student.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I gulped.

"It depends on who he is," he answered. My fingers began to shake and he gripped my shoulders before hugging me tightly. "Listen, I know this is new. I would be in shock if I were in the same position that you are. But don't be afraid of the boy who is going to love you more than you could possibly imagine."

"It's not him that I'm afraid of," I mumbled. His rough hands ran through my hair in an effort to comfort me.

"Don't worry about anyone else, either. You are a smart witch that no one should try to insult you in any way. Instead of worrying about what others will think about you now, think about how much your mate is going to make sure you won't feel any type of pain that he can prevent," my dad insisted.

"I hope so."

"Cara, I know so! Your grandpa loved your grandma so much that he couldn't ever be parted from her for too long," he told. "You'll be fine. I promise."

I smiled at him before I hugged his waist as tight as I could. I hoped that my dad was right and that I wouldn't have to worry about it much longer. Perhaps I would find love like the love my grandparents had shared. Perhaps this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Draco Malfoy felt completely miserable. The moment that his fifth year had ended, it felt as if everything that could go wrong managed to find a way to go wrong. His father was imprisoned in Azkaban and the sentence that was given to him was to live out the rest of his days in Azkaban. Everyone and anyone that could possibly know his family's name swarmed around him and his mother like vultures. Draco and his mother knew no form of peace since then. It wasn't too long after that when Lord Voldemort offered him a deal to make up for his father's "mistake."

"Kill Albus Dumbledore and I may find it in my…heart to try to forgive your father," he told. His eyes watched Draco with a piercing gaze. "Fail and your family will be reunited as they bury your bodies next to each other."

The deal was almost too good to be true, Draco thought sarcastically. Once he had accepted the deal and began to prepare himself for the task ahead of him, his aunt decided to spend a bit more time with her sister and her son. Bellatrix Lestrange had taught him occlumency in an effort to help her nephew succeed, though he knew she doubted him. Hell, he doubted himself when it came to having to murder the headmaster of his school. But he took the Dark Mark and continued forward, completely absorbing himself in what he needed to do.

Until June 5th, his sixteenth birthday. He knew that he would eventually come into his inheritance as a veela, since his grandfather was one. Most people knew that once veela blood was introduced into a family line, that every other male in that family would become a veela on his sixteenth birthday. So it was no surprise to him or his mother or his aunt that he went through the painful transition. His chest broadened, his hair was thicker, his eyes were a brighter blue and could see even the tiniest details, and he was tall and strong enough to take anything on. This was something that made Voldemort quite happy. Draco was more powerful and stronger than ever. But there was one thing that was missing his mate.

Draco hadn't ever really considered dating or courting girls. Well, besides snogging and potentially having (to him) meaningless sex. He knew that, down the line, he would be forced by this internal urge to find one girl and stay with her forever. There were some veela men that didn't find their mates for decades, so it came as a surprise to him when he felt a warmth settle in his stomach on August fifteenth.

"Your mate, she must be your age," his mother said. Despite all of the misery she had been through, she smiled widely at Draco and hugged his neck. "You have no idea how much you're going to love her. You deserve this, Draco."

Draco was now sitting on the train, watching the bags above him as they moved slightly. A large black cloud had just swept through the Slytherin compartments and he couldn't help but feel suspicious. His stomach was burning hot and his limbs ached to move, wanting to find his mate and hold her closely. He squeezed his fists as he tried to battle his conflicting emotions. There was no doubt that his mate was on the train and that she would be at Hogwarts. He would find her.

But first, he needed to deal with Potter.

The sight of the Great Hall made my heart warm. I felt like Hogwarts was truly my home away from home and I loved returning every year. But my excitement eased as I ran my hands across the front of my uniform nervously, approaching the Gryffindor table. Despite my obvious anxiety, I was delighted to see the other students that had returned to Hogwarts for another year. Though there wasn't many people that I considered or cared to call my friends, it always made me happy to see the people I attended classes with. I was happy to continue a somewhat normal life as a student.

I was in the middle of taking a small sippumpkin juice when I noticed that I was sitting across from two of the people in the Golden Trio: Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. The pair were idly chatting but there was something missing. Harry Potter, the raven haired leader, was nowhere to be seen. I look to my left and right to see if I had accidentally sat next to him, but was surprised when I didn't see him at all. My eyes scanned the entire Great Hall in an effort to see if he had gotten lost, but I couldn't find him.

Most people are surprised when I mention that I'm not friends with Harry Potter or his two companions. I think people who aren't in my house had this odd expectation that everyone in Gryffindor blindly followed everything Harry Potter did. While I had no problem with him, I very rarely had a conversation with him. Sometimes he would ask to borrow parchment paper or an extra quill. We had some classes together throughout the years, but nothing more than that. But the odd fact that remained was that Harry Potter was nowhere to be seen and the Sorting Hat had already begun sorting first years into their respected houses.

I sighed as the warm feeling in my belly had cooled to a nice simmering feeling. I started to wonder whether or not my mate had been left on the Hogwarts Express or was much older than I was. Perhaps, I thought anxiously, he is much older and had already had a family. Would I ruin everything for his family, if that were the case? I wasn't sure if I could bear it, but the thought that finding my mate might be delayed made me feel a little…well, glad.

I was suddenly aware of the feeling of eyes staring at the side of my head. I turned to see Ron Weasley staring at me with wide, blue eyes and disheveled red hair. As we locked eyes, pumpkin juice leaked from the corner of his mouth and onto his lap. Hermione quickly noticed the mess he was causing and slapped his shoulder. He sucked what juice was left around his mouth and swallowed it loudly before looking at her.

"That's disgusting, Ron!" she chided as his ears turned red. "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing!" He said, his eye shifting towards me. I gave a small, timid smile as she followed his gaze and looked at me. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at my face as if she was trying to remember where she had seen me before.

"Are you…Cara?" Hermione asked slowly.

"Um, yeah. That's me," I responded, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose nervously. Ron's eyes widened at my reply and I half expected more juice to come out of his mouth.

"You're Cara Valo?" he questioned. His tone was filled with surprise and I shifted underneath his bewildered expression. "Bloody hell, what happened?"

"Ronald!" Hermione exclaimed. My cheeks felt hot and I started to notice that the simmering warmth in my belly started to become more and more intense. I gulped as she slapped him again, becoming worried as I knew the veela was getting closer and closer to me.

I gasped loudly as the doors to the Great Hall opened, my stomach feeling as if a million butterflies exploded inside of it. My eyes turned and I felt two emotions run through my body: excitement and fear. My hands were tingling as I saw the person I was mated to. It could only be him, I thought. My heart was pounding as he walked with power and authority towards the Slytherin table. All eyes shifted towards him even as the first years continued to be sorted. It was completely understandable to stare at him, too. He was taller and his features looked as if they had been sculpted by angles. His blonde hair smooth and there wasn't a single one out of place. His eyes, though the same cold blue, were searching around the room as if they were looking for something. I looked at my lap as his eyes began to search through the Gryffindor table, wanting to delay what would eventually happen. Why him? Why did it have to be him?

"Cara…Cara!" Hermione called. I tried to ignore it as my body tensed up. She continued to call my name as I tried to look down at my uniform. Her hand came across the table and I looked up once it had made contact with my own. "Are you okay?"

I froze and swallowed the lump in my throat when my gaze locked with his. His once icy, stone-like expression melted once he saw me. His body seemed to relax but I couldn't find it in me to do the same. The heat in my stomach was boiling as fear shook my body. In this moment, I swear I heard him mutter 'mine' as he gazed at me.

"Cara, are you okay?" Hermione asked. I looked at her with wide eyes and shook my head.

"No," I replied.

My mate was Draco Malfoy.