A/n: Thanks to my beta Hunter's Heir! !

If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.

~Khalil Gibran

"Should I be the only one talking to men?" Draco asks later as I round the corner. I'm a bit shaky tonight, stepping out to do patrols with him again. Now he knows that we're truly mated… which makes everything a bit more awkward. And on top of that I went and read the book, and now I have a million things on my mind.

It explained so much! If I hadn't been so distracted this whole time and I'd paid attention to things I could've figured out a few things ages ago! But now I feel obliged to share them with Malfoy, seeing as I haven't told my friends about this dilemma yet, and I have no idea where to start. He needs to know some of the things I learned, for both of our sanities.

"I took my potion," I reply, rolling my eyes. "We'll be fine."

"I thought you said you got more attractive after you found your mate or something," he mutters, shoving his hands into his pockets as we begin walking.

"No Malfoy, I'm pretty sure that's something you thought up."

"Right."

"So… um…" Well, this is a lot harder to start off than I thought it would be. "You can't hear anyone else from great distances?"

"Nope, just you. How lucky you are; now I'll know everything you're saying."

"So long as you can see me," I remind him, arching an eyebrow as we continue walking. Tonight we're moving slower than normal, probably to prolong the experience so we can discuss things. Really, it's not like we can prolong things. "I think I figured out why."

"Oh? And where would you get an answer like that from?"

I look over at him. "From the book you were supposed to read!"

"I did read it, until I got bored. Granger, you're going to read the entire thing and then go to lengths to tell me about it, so why would I bother? I don't want to hear the same information twice."

"Whatever." I shake my head, focusing my vision ahead again. Merlin, Malfoy is insufferable! "Well, do you want to hear it or not?"

"Oh yes, make no mistake of that. I would actually prefer knowing what's going to happen to me."

"To us both?"

"Right."

"Well, you know the basics, right?"

He shrugged. "You're a Siren, supposedly beautiful and your apparent changing voice causes men to fall head over heels for you. I'm your mate, begrudgingly, and we don't get a choice in the matter. We get to tell our parents, friends, and the entire fucking world about this experience, and possibly lose our minds while doing so. Oh, and we're horny. Anything else?"

I blush at his crude language, the meaning behind it reminding me of what we have to do in the end. "Right, you have the basics."

"Go me," he says, his tone flat but sarcastic. I can tell this is going to be a fun walk already.

"But you're missing a lot. I was reading earlier, and there's a bunch of tidbits of information that we need to keep in mind."

"Keep going."

"Well to begin with, that unnatural hearing you have just for me? It's part of a protective set of traits; comes with being the mate of a Siren. In the past mates needed such traits to keep the Siren safe, since they're often killed for specific reasons."

"You're a bit confusing."

"Just let me explain," I snap, "And it will make sense eventually. You're also going to be majorly over-protective at first. After discovering that we're mates it will take a few days to kick in, but I'm sure we'll both notice the change pretty quickly. You're going to end up insanely protective when it does happen."

"Oh goody."

"I'm thinking… maybe… we should tell our friends before then. It gives them time to fume and wonder what the hell is wrong with us, but then when you start acting majorly out of character they will understand why. There wouldn't be any conflicting feelings among them and they can come to their own conclusions and decisions about how to handle this."

"I can't believe you're even suggesting that," he muttered, looking skyward. "You think my friends are going to be accepting of a relationship with someone I've claimed to hate the very existence of? And your friends would sooner skin me alive or permanently turn me into a ferret before they'd ever accept that we're together."

"I know. I didn't say this would be easy, but it's a suggestion- one that we could maybe discuss later once I've finished explaining?"

"Fine. Go on then. Tell me about all the other unexciting things."

"You might come into some other protective traits besides the altered hearing, but it depends specifically on the situation. You might get stronger unnaturally fast, or grow better eyesight. It depends on whether or not something seriously fucked up happens."

"And that's a forever possibility?"

"No," I say taking a breath. "Even though we met, changes in between us can happen over the first year. Any additional adaptations you might need to keep me safe can form, even though I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."

"I know. I'm a witness to that."

"Quite. Supposedly I'm going to end up insanely attractive, but I'm still not seeing it."

"It might make being your mate a bit more tolerable," the blonde says beneath his breath, and I spin on him, pulling out my wand.

"Don't insult my looks," I chirp, eyes narrowing. "Remember, we're stuck together for life."

"Unless I say no," he reminded, arching an eyebrow. This time I smirk, causing his expression to falter. "What?"

"I learned something else while reading. If I find my mate and he denies me, not only am I bound to a life of solitude, but you will die. It's a hasty, rather unneeded extreme, but it's the way things work nonetheless. So unless you're looking forward to an early death-"

"You can't be serious," he snapped, shaking his head. "Is every loophole out of this arrangement already covered up?"

"I think so. Trust me; I looked for one while reading."

"Fucking hell."

"My thoughts exactly," I reply, pocketing my wand as we begin walking again.

"So how do I stop this overprotective bullshit that's going to start here soon? That can't last forever."

"It won't. Once we… you know, then the effect will wear off. You'd only become overly protective by choice, which I hope would only be in required situations."

"Right," he says, glancing my way. "You know you can say the word fuck in that context Granger. It's not like you won't say it at all."

"I really prefer to not think on it that much Malfoy. It's something I can't say I'm looking forward to."

"I'm not that bad," he jokes, eyeballing me. When I have nothing to say he stops walking all together, gently grabbing my shoulder. "What's gotten under your skin?"

"Nothing," I snap, pulling away. "Can we move on?"

He shrugs in response, and I'm sure he's still trying to focus on my strange behavior. Sighing I run my fingers through my hair, looking away as I continue explaining. "Once that's done we'll be fully mated for life. We will never be able to leave each other."

"That might be a pain if we don't get along."

"We could if you weren't such a git." He smirks at me, apparently feeding off my irritation, and I clamp my lips shut. Damn Malfoy.

I clear my throat after a few moments, continuing. "My sex appeal towards others will go down once we've sealed the deal. Only people who truly find me attractive will think of me in that way."

"Too much information Granger," he says, shaking his head. "Let's move onto something else."

"Do you even care what it says about me?"

Shrugging, Malfoy glances my way. "Sure, why not. So long as it has nothing to do with that topic."

"Very well. Sirens are considered to be outstandingly pure beings."

"I read that."

"Good. That means that there are people out there who seek to kill people… well, like me."

"Ah, is this when you explain the part about keeping you safe, right?"

"Yes. When I'm apparently at my purest, my eyes will change color. Have you seen that yet?"

"When they turn blue?"

"So you have seen them." We round a corner, wandering past half open windows. A cold breeze blows through and I shiver. "Well, when I'm in that absolute state I'm at my most vulnerable to be killed. In the past, people have killed Siren's in order to rid themselves of the darkness manifesting inside them. It would be the same as if a Death Eater killed me to rid themselves of their past."

"Okay?"

"This only lasts for the first year as well, so it would be better if the entire world didn't know that I had Siren traits until after that time. Afterwards I won't be as pure anymore, and the ability for my body and soul to suck the evil out of others will diminish. Up until then I'll be very vulnerable though if anyone were to find out."

"So I might have to protect you after all."

I laugh. "Don't count on it Malfoy- I can handle them myself."

"Sure you can. So, why does everything have a one-year time clock?"

"In the past one year was how long a Siren would wait after mating before trying to conceive. Since you have up to a year before your voice becomes overpowering, most just waited that long if they ended up finding their mate beforehand."

He looks stricken. "Did you say conceive, as in children!?"

"Calm down Malfoy! I didn't say we're having children, just that that's why it's a one year time clock more or less."

"I see," he chirps, looking a bit calmer now. I smirk at his sudden fear.

"So how do you know when you're at your purest point?"

I shrug. "I haven't figured that part out yet. I stopped reading right before then. The only thing I can go off of until I read more is whether or not my eyes change color."

"And that's when you're most vulnerable?"

"Yes."

"Can you shield that too, like you're voice?"

"Of course," I reply, rubbing my arms. "Considering that people would apparently want to cut me open if they ever saw my eyes blue, it's not something I plan on sharing with the world."

"Probably a good choice."

"I thought so." I stop walking, spinning to look over my shoulder. Ahead of me Malfoy stops too, seemingly hearing the same thing I did. Without the sound of our footsteps and voices I can hear a lot better, and narrow my eyes. Malfoy is practically on top of me in a moment, those protective traits kicking in.

Oh, great. That should make patrolling a lot of fun.

"Did you hear something?" I ask after a moment, glancing back at him. He nods, looking around. We can't seem to spot anyone, though both of our wands are drawn. We shouldn't be so concerned, especially when we know it's just a student. There's no way that a Death Eater or anyone else could breach the school's security without an alarm going off alerting everyone. We're being too uptight, offset by our conversation.

"We shouldn't talk about this out here anymore," he says, still looking around. I nod my agreement, and we continue on our way, making small talk instead of continuing th rather important conversation we were having. Malfoy walks a whole lot closer to me as we finish our rounds.

I never did see anyone back in that corridor, and that unsettles me. Either no one was there to begin with, or they were hiding.

We pass by Malfoy's dorm room first- a place I've never actually been in but know the location of- and pause. He glances at me, clearing his throat.

"Would you like to come inside?"

His question throws me off, and I almost fall over at the suggestion. I guess I'm so surprised because he's literally never offered before. "Um, yes. Sure."

"I figured we could finish our conversation somewhere where we're absolutely sure we aren't being listened to. I agree, and follow him. We're close to the Slytherin common room now, and he turns and wanders down a flight of steps. I follow close behind as he steps off and turns to the right, away from the common room now. Following in his wake, we walk for maybe three minutes before coming to a tapestry. He says something in Latin that I can't pronounce and pulls the curtain back just a hair. Peering behind, I'm surprised to see an entire room hidden there.

"Go inside," he urges when I refuse to move. Shaking my head I step in, having never actually seen just how he gets in, much less what this room looks like. It's full of greens, creams and quite a bit of black. The space is cozy, complete with an already lit fireplace and two very comfortable looking sofas, behind which sit a large bed.

"The room's locked," he explains while I continue to take in the room. "If I don't want someone in, the room won't open even with the password, unless it's a teacher or the Headmaster of course."

I nod, glancing back his way. "This is lovely."

"That's what every guy wants to hear."

"No," I say quickly, sitting on the couch, "I mean it's unexpected. I thought there would be a lot more black, and maybe a large picture of yourself somewhere in the room."

"Granger, I don't love myself that much."

I smile, relaxing into the sofa. "Of course not."

He says nothing in response but instead sits next to me, the couch sinking a bit due to his added weight. I keep my eyes shut when I next speak, internally a bit jealous of how unexpectedly comfortable his bloody furniture is.

"Did you want to continue our conversation?"

"Would you like to?"

I nod against the couch. "Where were we?"

"I think we were talking about your eyes."

Merlin, that sounds so cheesy. Out of context it seems like a romantic line, but really it's anything but. I'm having a hard time believing that line just slipped out of Malfoy's lips. "Right."

"So is there anything else you wanted to tell me before I walk you back to your room?"

I bolt upright, jaw dropped. Did he really just offer to do something gentlemanly?! I've never actually seen this side of Malfoy before. For a second I think he might just be joking, until I fix in on his expression and realize he's dead serious.

Another time I might've stopped to think why he's trying to be so caring when he obviously detests this whole situation too, but I'm just a little too busy trying to pick my jaw up off the floor. The world might just be standing on its head today.

I clear my throat almost three times before saying a word. "Right. Um… the flirting."

"What?"

"It's natural."

"Yes, that made sense."

Well, that drew me out of my daze a bit. Glaring at him, I shake my head. "The flirting between us happens whether or not we want it to. It's part of the courting stage I guess you could say. We'll have to flirt and get to know each other better before sealing the deal."

"Well that was a given."

"Yes, it was," I agree, rubbing my arms once more. Malfoy's room is warmer than the corridors but I'm still a bit chilled. The air was bitter today, more so than I originally realized. I'm so caught up with trying to warm my arms up that I don't notice Malfoy shifting until something drapes across my shoulders. Startled, I glance back at him. He's given me his cloak.

"Why-"

"Don't question it," he mutters. "Just stay warm."

I'm again surprised that Malfoy knows how to be considerate, but I suppose I shouldn't be that caught off guard. Besides, since we're mates now he can read my body language better- or so I'm assuming- so he probably noticed that I'm shivering. And besides, I can't argue that his cloak is very warm and comfortable.

"So you said you wanted to keep explaining?"

"Hmm? Oh, right." I got lost momentarily in how surprisingly comfortable I was. "Well, like I said, the flirting is natural and as the days continue on we probably won't be able to help it. It will die down and we can choose when to flirt once we've sealed the deal."

"Seems like that's the answer to everything."

"Yeah, it does. Other than that, the only other thing I've really discovered is that we'll live longer than normal. While wizards already don't age the same way as muggles do, we'll age slower too."

"How much slower? This isn't some of that immortal bullshit is it?"

"No, it's not. And I'm not quite sure. The book didn't specify, but if we're really curious we can probably figure it out."

"Probably." We lapse into silence, and this one isn't nearly as awful as the previous ones. It's almost comfortable even.

Eventually, I speak. "We have to start telling people."

"In time. We already agreed that apparently we need to tell our friends within the next week. It'll be awfully troublesome to get done you know. Lots of drama and fights."

"I know. Maybe we should just tell mine first?"

He glares at me, and for a moment I think he might resort to childish retaliations and take his cloak back. "Granger, just because my friends are notorious for being sneaky doesn't make them untrustworthy. I would only tell two of three of them anyway. It seems like a better idea to keep it to just my closest friends."

"Agreed. Should we maybe do it together?"

He gives me a funny look. "That sounds dangerous. There would be a battle before we could even begin talking."

"But it would get it all over with at once."

"True." He shrugged. "Maybe. Is it something you want to decide now?"

"No, we can wait until tomorrow. I should be getting back to my room anyhow."

"I'll walk you." We stand, and I don't protest the company on my walk back. It will make the journey less lonely, and it doesn't seem like Malfoy will take no for an answer anyway. It's just easier this way.

The journey is peaceful. I keep Malfoy's cloak around my shoulders, though it is a bit long and drags on the floor. He doesn't complain though, so I assume everything is alright. By the time we get to my room entrance I'm much warmer, and thank him for his thoughtfulness.

"Yeah, well, you can't just freeze," he says awkwardly, looking anywhere else but me. It's strange for us to be so nice to one another, though I'm not complaining.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning then? We can meet sometime after breakfast."

"Yes, sounds good." We freeze, looking at one another. I can't decide whether or not we should share a goodnight kiss or not.

Malfoy clears his throat in the end and turns away. "Goodnight Granger."

"Goodnight Malfoy." Nope, it's way too soon for sentimental kisses. I watch him for a moment as he leaves before opening the entranceway to my bedroom, climbing up the stairs.

I shouldn't be blushing. This is just silly. But then, I could've used a spell to warm myself up too. I suppose I'm just not thinking too well tonight.

Malfoy's starting to have some odd effects on me, and it's more than just sexual desire now.

"We have to tell him sometime," I whisper in class later. "He's the one who gave me the book."

"Yeah, well, Dumbledore and I aren't on the best of terms after sixth year and all. The fact that he let Snape come back at all to teach is a surprise to me."

I shrug, adjusting in my seat. "Well, I say we have to talk to him, and today too. It will get things out of the way faster."

"He's going to think we're batty. Listen to this fucking story for a moment!"

"He's the one that gave me the book," I remind for a second time, "He'll be the most understanding."

"Are you-"

"Shh," I say lowly, glancing around. No one is paying us any mind since we should be working on our potion together, which is nice. Although my friends are a bit flabbergasted that I willingly worked with Malfoy today, they are the least of my concerns at this moment. Setting up a time to go see my parents with Malfoy in tow is at the top of my list. And we've been discussing this since Snape dismissed us to actually work.

"I promise, he'll be understanding. Dumbledore really doesn't hate anyone."

"I'm sure. I personally never liked the man."

"That's apparent." I shake my head, tossing the next ingredient into the cauldron. "You're so difficult at times."

"You're difficult."

"That's your retaliation Malfoy?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

Sighing, I look away and continue to chop things up. Getting everything planned out is really a pain. After a few minutes of silence, Nott turns around and shoots Malfoy a look. I arch an eyebrow, wondering what that means.

It seems that Malfoy is just as curious, as he briefly glances my way. I don't really know what's going on but Theo gets up a few minutes later to leave, and Malfoy follows minutes after that. Nott doesn't return before my mate leaves.

I'm left thinking that he might've told Theo. But then, in his description of his friends he didn't seem all that close with Nott. In fact Zabini seems to be Malfoy's best friend, and now he's left partner-less like me. I study him for several moments sitting in front of me, trying to gauge whether or not he knows something about the look directed at Malfoy. He doesn't glance back though, and it's hard to tell.

Eventually I settle back and continue working in Malfoy's absence. He's been gone for a bit now, and I'm beginning to wonder what happened. We were getting along surprisingly well up until now, and I can't imagine why he would disappear so long with Nott. My stomach's beginning to twist now, and I have a bad feeling about this.

Just before class ends the two return, earning a glare from Snape and curious looks from half the class. I shoot the blonde an odd look as he sits down, but he blatantly ignores it. I note that he's quite a bit paler than normal. Without looking at me he scribbles something onto a sheet of parchment, sliding it towards me before the bell rings.

After class, the alcove near this room. Meet there.

There's nothing specific about this note, and I can't help wondering what's gotten under his skin. I'm packed up by the time class ends, eager to speak with Malfoy and see what's wrong. He crumbles the note up as we leave, tossing it into the waste bin on the way out. I enter the alcove first, and he follows just a few minutes later. I'm sure I'll hear from my friends at lunch all about how I've been elusive today.

"Are you okay?" I ask when he finally steps in. One hand rests on my hip, an eyebrow quirked. He sets down his bag, immediately flopping on the ground. I don't think I've ever quite seen Malfoy flop before.

"We're in trouble," he mutters, running long fingers through his hair. My eyebrows draw together and I sit on my knees in front of him, trying to gauge his expression.

"What's going on?" I question, crossing my arms when he says nothing more. Eventually he looks up, eyeing me carefully.

"Nott knows," he says, drawing my attention. I realize what he means immediately and I fall to the side, sitting completely on the ground with my arms holding me up.

"How-"

"The corridor," he snapped, looking away from me. "Last night. We were careless. He overheard and he wanted to tell me about it."

"Why would he want to do that? It seems like he'd be better off keeping something like that to himself."

"That's what I thought too," the blonde admits, screwing up his face. "Fuck! Why were we so careless?!"

"We don't know what he's going to do with the information yet," I reason, looking at the ceiling.

"That's what worries me," he mutters. "We don't know what this means."

Nodding, I contemplate his words. Less than a moment later I'm on my feet, extending my hand to him. "Come on."

"Where?"

"We're going to see Dumbledore," I say determinably, looking down at him. "I won't take no for an answer."

"Granger-"

"I said I won't take no as an answer! We're way in over our heads right now."

Sighing, he sits a moment longer contemplating Merlin knows what, before taking my outstretched hand and standing up. Strangely the connection doesn't seem to cause any of my hormones to stand at attention. When we're not arguing and picking on each other, we're actually fairly okay in each other's company. At least I have no urge to rip his clothing off.

Picking up our bags we set off, Malfoy silently deciding to stop being so picky about going to see Dumbledore and just going along with it. I don't know what kind of threat Theo might become, much less why he's being so open with his information, but it doesn't look good. I don't trust him one bit.

As if things weren't complicated enough. I'm pretty sure the universe is throwing everything it can our way. We really just need to catch a break.

A/n: Thanks for all the comments, PM's and reviews! Keep them coming please :) Any thoughts on this chapter and what will happen from here? It was a long one! Let me know.