A/N: Haven't touched this one in a while. I know you all love Folklore and so I endeavor to provide you with your Snarry mythological fix! Like I said, alerts are nice but ideas are even better. No matter how silly it seems just go ahead and ask. Besides it's you guys I have to please anyway, hmm? Enjoy and ta-ta! Oh, and VERY AU. Like I'm not even kidding.
DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I wave my wand, I will never own Sev and our favorite green-eyed Wizard. *sobs*
WARNING: Yaoi is an important part of these. Please desist in flaming.
-Ryder
P.S. There may be more than one title that gets a continuation; Dragon's Might, Dragon's Might II... etc.
P.P.S. READ ME FIRST! LOTS OF TIMESKIPS! Oh, and merpeople don't age much, so Sev kinda looks the same as he did before he met Harry.
-Previously On...-
Severus felt a cautious, but curious gaze and matched eyes with the younger Malfoy, the silver showing more emotion than the elder's.
"Draco Malfoy, yes?"
"Your Chosen... He is home now?"
"Yes. What is the purpose of your visit?"
"There is no right way to say this." the younger blond fidgeted with his tail, nervousness clearly seen.
"Then say it plainly."
"I want you and Hadrian." Surprise was the least of his emotions.
"What for?"
"Nothing more than what you offer. I'm not my father; I want to be judged on my own merits." Soft silver eyes pleaded with him beneath soft hair that was far longer than Lucius's had ever been. "A chance is all I ask."
"My Father did not approve of- But you are different, and not so cruel as Lucius would have been." A scowl darkened the angelic features, silver narrowing in mistrust. "Seek us out near the white cliffs. It will take you a full week to get there. A chance is what you asked for; a chance you shall have."
-Muirgheal-
Severus waited for Draco and Harry, his swimming becoming agitated as his mild temper mounted. Harry was the first to appear his tail fins catching the sunlight and flashing that goregous green color he loved.
"Sev! The current's great, you have to try it. C'mon!" He was tugged with little resistance into the vibrating swirl of water that revived him with ease. Severus laughed, spiraling in the opposite direction as he swam out and met with the younger Malfoy.
"Enjoy the current with us. Do not think, just do for now." He joined Harry in a game of 'Campus Tag, barely managing to snag a tail fin before Harry doubled-back and tagged Draco.
"Hiya. You're It!" All it took was a blink and Harry was through the current before either of them could move.
"Damn brat." he dodged Draco's attempt to Tag him, but just barely. It turned out that Harry was wickedly fast in the water. More often than not, it was either of them that was Tagged, but he was the only one who could catch Harry in a burst of speed using his battle-fins.
"Severus, are you using your battle-fins?" Draco asked incredulously.
"It's the only way I can keep up with him. Harry's ridiculously fast."
"You can say that again." came the response from the aristocratic merman. "Where is he getting the power?"
"He's always been faster, but I use my battle-fins quite often."
"Just to keep up? Neptune, he's... The gods have gifted him." Severus smirked as Draco came to the conclusion he had weeks ago.
"Quite."
"Sev, there's an injured dolphin... I drove off the sharks circling her." Harry's elbow spikes were shedding blood, but not his own.
The trip back to Atlantis was an uneventful one. Of course, the Palace Mammal Healers had to make it out like Harry had saved the Dolphin Alliance single-finned and out-matched. His Consort-to-be vanished from the spotlight faster than polyps shut. Only one place would hide the High Consort; the Royal Stables. He found Harry petting his hippocampus, whispering soft nothings to the high-strung stallion. Murray was a traitor as he snuggled close to Severus's beloved.
"Hey, beauty. Why do they think I can do everything?"
"They don't my little minnow."
"Hmm. So you say, Sev."
"Harry you do have the oddest conclusions." he murmured into the messy hair as he drew Harry into his arms.
"What do you mean?"
"Your outlook is much different than most. The sea folk have faith that you will bring happiness to the sour Prince of the Seas. I can say without a doubt that you have achieved that." Harry giggled against his chest, rolling around in his grip to greet Draco.
"Hey, Drake. Wanna go for a swim?" Draco choked on his inhale of water at the comment.
"Harry... That implies you want to-"
"Oh! I am so sorry, Drake! I meant just spending some time with you and Severus." Harry realized his mistake mid-sentence.
"Ah. You land dwellers have a strange way of saying things."
"Draco." he warned, a slight edge to his voice.
"My apologies."
-PoV-
Harry breached the water with a whoop, doing a complicated twirl as he dived into the cool blue of his secondary home. Hermione was watching from the shoreline sketching him out with a fierce concentration. After fooling around underwater for a bit, he popped back up in time to see her pencils and paper being taken away by a rough youth with ginger hair.
"Hey! Pick on someone your own gender, you uncouth fool!" he challenged, walking out onto the beach in his regular form and clothes.
"What does this bookworm wench tell you about her?"
"She's not just that, peasant. I would know if she was. Just because she chooses to be educated over suffering your ignoble attentions does not mean she is a wench."
"What are you? Some kind of-"
"Yes, actually. Prince Hadrian at your service. 'Mione, if you would?" Harry drawled in the manner Severus sometimes used. She huffed and snatched back her drawing, smoothing out the wrinkles.
"This is Ronald Weasley. His Father and my Father are friends."
"Ah. Well? Begone. 'Mione, want something to take your mind off of him?" he said, staring down the boy who had harassed his friend.
"What? Are you going to make me?" the boy (Ronald, his mind supplied) sneered, balling up his hands into fists.
"You really don't want to do that." he hummed as he motioned for Hermione to hit the higher ledges. The waves began to slap harder against the beach, the agitation frothing the incoming surf; the sky darkened something fierce as Harry felt the tug of the ocean's power under his skin. "I do mean that quite sincerely."
"Wizard!" the boy (for boy he truly was) shouted while wildly pointing a finger at him.
"Merman and your King someday. Respect that if nothing else, Weasley." This time the waves rose up behind him, the power behind his pull exhilarating. Draco's presence was suddenly there, as was his beloved merman's.
Severus rumbled, "Foolish child, leave now else forfeit your life to the sea." Those beautiful obsidian eyes were alight with the essence of the sea in all its forms. Wide blue eyes took in the glittering armor both of his compatriots wore and their bearing.
"Oh, Merlin!"
After that incident, the people regarded him with awe. Harry was still shy under all of his bravado and often protested the story that Hermione was his lady love.
"So, who is this broad that they're all talking about, son?" his Dad asked with a grin.
"She's a friend. Umm... Dad? What would you say to an alliance with the Sea and Atlantis?" Hazel eyes narrowed as he fidgeted with his shirt sleeve.
"You've been associating too much with that merman."
"I have not." he protested, backing up into his Uncle Siri. "Please... He understands what-Never mind. I'll stop speaking with him immediately." Harry smiled at his Dad, the spark not reaching his eyes. "Which noble lady have you chosen for me?"
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
The people saw the light of Prince Hadrian die slowly, each smile lasting less and less. He would be polite to Princess Luna but there was no genuine laughter from the pair. One day, the Prince stopped smiling altogether.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
He sighed staring out at the sea with blank eyes. When Luna tapped his arm, he gave her a bland smile that tilted his lips. His Dad was starting to notice that he was fading slightly; he couldn't have that. After the banquet he chit-chatted with various noble families and their no-longer-interested daughters. Making nice was something he excelled at-That man was not his former beloved. But the tilt of the eyes and the thick braid laughed at him when Severus turned around. Startled green met sober onyx in a way that all of the people in the room could feel. Anguish bloomed in Harry's chest as he stared at the one he could never have.
"Harry?" Removing his attention from his lost one he looked at Luna dutifully. "Is he-"
"Nothing at all, Luna luv. Just someone I knew before you."
The rest of the evening was a blur after he'd seen Severus. His Dad's study door was shut as Harry made to knock; he wouldn't disturb Kingly duties. Silent footsteps brought him to his bedchambers where he got ready for bed. The wedding with Luna was in two weeks. He liked Luna, so they would get along fine; she also knew his pain of loving another that was not their betrothed. Her love was a quiet gardener who worked at the palace of her kingdom.
"Harry?" the familiar voice hurt so much.
"No. Go away. My Dad told me to marry Princess Luna. You have no part nor place here. Just... go." he said with bitterness, a single tear slipping down his face unchecked. "Go back to Draco."
"Son... I hate seeing you like this."
"I will do my duty to my kingdom." he said lowly, not turning around. "I am done with this conversation. Please leave." A hand on his shoulder had him whirling around, fury lighting up the once wane green eyes. "Get out! You made me miserable and ruined what I had! It hurts to see him! Did you not think of that? Oh, that's right, you just didn't. When I said that Severus understands me you cut me off. When you suggested I marry King Lovegood's daughter, I did it without hesitation. Now I do as you ask and you are not happy. I cannot be in two places, being two different people just for you. I was myself with Severus and Draco; I was happy being in the sea and on land." Harry ended his rant with tears now free-flowing and sadness laced with every word. Severus just wrapped his arms around him as he sobbed, his heart feeling strained. "I can't do this anymore..." he whispered into his beloved's broad shoulder.
"Shh. James, you arrogant twit, look what you have done. Harry means the world to me and I would give everything I have to this man in my arms now." the rumble in Sev's voice was never a good thing. "How dare you hurt someone so full of life and light? He is best when left to himself, most beautiful when he is allowed to bloom wherever he pleases. Your werewolf knows this, your Knight knows this and yet you ignored the signs until Harry became ill! When the Lady Lovegood told you that he had no spark anymore you scoffed. Now who is the fool and who is the martyr?" Harry closed his eyes and took in Severus's thrumming heartbeat, slipping into peaceful sleep as he had not had in months.
He hummed as he snuggled deeper into the warm covers.
"Feeling better?" He sat up suddenly, gasping as be realized he was underwater in Severus's personal sun-grotto.
"Sev!" he held on tight to his beloved just content to be held.
"Harry?"
"Drake, c'mere." The blond immediately complied making him happier than he'd been in a while. "Gods I missed you two." he breathed out, smiling at the bubbles that escaped. His heart was much lighter and he had an impulse to sky-rocket to the surface. "Race me?"
"Of course, my little minnow."
"Ready, set-"
"You're supposed to say go!" Draco called after his retreating form.
"Go!" he laughed, propelling himself with his fins so easily it was like he'd never left.
Ending A/N: No more angst. I can't stand it. I like happy endings better. *smiles* Did you guys know this has a community following it? I didn't. I swear, I uploaded a chapter and then I noticed this thing. I was astonished. Wow. Now, if only people would PM me with fan-art I'd be the happiest person alive... That or ile-o from Devi answering my plea of fan-art for my Sherlock/HP crossover. Eh. As always, folks, review! Send me your ideas. I like getting them. I have several more Folklore chapters to type/finish and they won't be as long a wait as before.