AN: Thank you if you've made it this far!
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Song suggestion: Battlefield, Jordan Sparks. (Please let me know if these song suggestions are useful or you'd rather I didn't bother? Thank you.)
Chapter Nineteen: Pansy's philosophy.
"She still not back." Blaise asked as Draco opened the door at ten o'clock that night.
"No." He sighed, "She isn't anywhere and the library's closed."
"I'll find her." Pansy nodded, "Come on Blaise."
"How?" Both boys stared at her.
"I'm not as stupid as you two now come on, Draco just go to bed and don't worry, and I'll sort this."
"Good luck." Draco sighed and with that Pansy dragged Blaise back out and Draco huffed and did as he was told hoping she knew what she was doing.
Hermione sat huddled in the back of the library with books spread out around her in big piles. She's been in here in every one of her spare moments, not even eating. She had even stayed in here after closing time, thanks to Harry's invisibility cloak.
Suddenly a plate was moved on top of her book with what looked like a cheese and pickle sandwich on.
"Hungry?" Said a familiar voice.
"Thanks." She mumbled and took a bite, "How did you find me?"
"Please, you are always here when things happen like this."
"I know." Hermione admitted, "I just need to understand."
"You're wasting your time here." Pansy sighed and took the book she was reading away.
"How so?" She asked suspiciously.
"These aren't going to help. They're written by old Wizards who don't know a thing about Veela Mating." Pansy sat down next to her, "They can give you the facts but it's nothing like what they say."
"I guess you would know." Hermione sighed.
"I do, I also understand what you're going through."
"How? You were close to Blaise as it was."
"I wasn't that close but we were on better terms than you and Draco are."
"What happened?" Hermione asked timidly, all anyone knew was she was Blaise's Mate but not the full blow story.
"It was Blaise's birthday…" She glanced at Blaise, who Hermione noted was stood stoic at the little entrance to this section of books, "December eighth. He knew I was his Mate but I didn't. We were holding a party for him in the Room of Requirement. We'd gotten hold of some firewhiskey-but I chose not to drink-so when Blaise cornered me I thought he was just drunk and needed someone to lean on. But he wasn't drunk, he was stone cold sober. He acted without thought-on instinct; he just held me close and bit me." She touched her neck where there was a permanent bite mark, hidden by her blouse, "When I realised I was so angry for him tricking me like that I stormed off."
"What'd he do?"
"He followed me until I screamed at him…I told him I hated him for what he'd done and that I never wanted to see him again." Her face contorted in regret, "The next day he tried to talk to be, get me alone to explain, but I refused to be in the same room as him or be alone…so he sent Draco to talk to be, to explain a bit. It was the most mortifying experience ever, having Draco explain the ins and outs." She laughed.
"Ins and outs?"
"You know the whole bit, everything."
"You mean…" She cottoned on.
"Um hm…I couldn't look him in the eye for days." She smiled at the memory before going sad again, "But I refused to go near Blaise and he was getting sick with it. The longer they go without their Mate, the worse they get. So on Christmas day I caught up with him, feeling bad-not a normal thing for me-about it all and he finally explained it all to be, though I knew most of it." Her face lit up in a smile.
"Then what?"
"He took me to the Room of Requirement and marked me before…well; take a wild guess at the rest of the evening."
"Oh…" Hermione blushed awkwardly.
"We've been inseparable since."
"Pansy, what is the actual Mating Ritual; everything's very vague in the books."
"Oh, the first stage is when you're bitten. It creates the initial bond. You'll be able to sense things about him. Whether he's near, very basic emotions like hunger or happiness, whether he's hurt or needs you." She smirked, "You'll start to feel more drawn to him and the longer you wait the worse it gets. Then he'll draw on your lower abdomen with a mixture of your blood and his, and you'll do the same for him." She pointed to the area-Hermione noted it was a little too close to a certain area for her liking, "Then you complete the bond with consummation. Most combine the two last steps anyway though. Because you can feel his emotions, all of them. Your auras will search for each other, crave each other more than anything else and it will affect anyone between you two."
"What happens when it's complete?" Hermione asked quickly not wanting to contemplate Pansy's last sentence.
"You'll be able to find him anywhere, feel his emotion, read his thoughts-have conversations that way too. If he needs you, like if he's hurt or needs you any other way." Pansy looked sternly at her, "Because they need that kind of energy to survive, that's what being a Veela is about."
"Why does he have to tattoo me?"
"Because it's in case you're unfaithful, it will repel anyone from nearing you in that way. The bite is just claiming you as his own, for everyone to see and starting the bond. It is the most complete bond."
"What will happen if I deny him?"
"He will get sick, very sick, depending on which stage in the bond you are. Right now he is suffering but not as bad as if you had started the bond."
"Would he die?" Blaise hissed at this.
"Yes…" Pansy looked at Blaise to stop him reacting, "You should know Veelas are family based, you piss one off, and they all hate you and will take revenge. It's a very close community. Veelas take care of each other and take care of the Mates."
"If Malfoy died, I die too right?"
"Yes. If the bond has started or completely yes, if not you will just live a cursed life alone, you can't be with anyone else but other Veelas would hunt you down and kill you if you had done it to him but you'd be shunned by everyone anyway."
"I understand." Hermione nodded-she wouldn't kill him on purpose but she knew right now she was.
"You're lucky you know." Pansy smiled.
"I am?" She snorted.
"Yes, you are getting to choose when you start the bond. Draco is refusing to take that from you. He saw what happened with Blaise and I and doesn't want you to feel like that, he wants you to have a choice. No one else has ever had that chance."
"I guess."
"But you're not helping, he can hold back but it makes him sick as you know, and by keep pushing him away it makes it worse! He is in pain over this!" Pansy stormed.
"I just…I don't know what to do! This changes everything in my plan!"
"No it doesn't, you can still do it all, but you just have Draco next to. He will love and cherish you more than the universe." Pansy sighed.
"I need time."
"He doesn't have time!" Pansy cried and Blaise quickly held her in his arms and soothed her.
"I'm sorry." Hermione looked at Blaise, "Can you go? I want to be alone."
"Okay Granger." Blaise sighed swinging her into his arms and carried Pansy away.
Their bond is so strong and loving. Hermione thought. I'm killing him because I'm denying him this. Completely exhausted with the information, she put her books back and walked out of the library. After dropping the cloak back off in Harry's room, she slowly made her way to her and Draco's quarters.
Hermione stood in the bedroom doorway, staring at Malfoy. He was asleep. But she was drawn to the signs of sickness on him. Evidently he used a glamour charm in the day, because she'd never seen him like this. His eyes were circled with black bruises of tiredness. His bones protruded as his face was sunk slightly. His hair was nowhere near in its usually perfect state. She nearly cried but instead she let out a small gasp.
But still not trusting him not to wake up, she got dressed in the bathroom. She replaced her bra with a tank top and over that went her night time camisole then she put on her hoodie she usually reserved for winter before wrapping a scarf around her neck. She'd put on her night shorts then a pair of leggings topped with sweatpants, and then her bed socks and gloves-she thought about her hat but decided that would be stupid and just pulled her hood up. Slowly she slid in the opposite side to Malfoy and huddled on the edge and fell asleep unaware a pair of silver eyes watched her silently.
At least she's come to bed now; I'll have to thank Pansy again tomorrow. Was his last thought before he fell asleep too.