Ginny frowned into her history book, "Draco you haven't eaten a proper meal in a few days. Eating that cheese stick at breakfast hardly counts as nutrition. You are already too skinny as it is." Ginny slammed her book shut. "If you don't come and eat dinner with me I am going to confront Harry myself. I don't know why you are letting this go on. The stress is literally eating you alive. You need to just ask him what is going on."
Draco was sitting in a plush arm chair in the Slytherin common room. "I've tried to ask him Gin. Harry is in another world. Sometimes I don't even think he sees or hears me." Draco shrugged. "I don't know what happened. Everything was fine until he went and had that meeting with the head mistress. He disappears until late in the evening and then crawls into bed like I don't even exist."
"Draco, you have to get to the bottom of whatever it is. Your heat is due by the end of the week." Ginny said watching him carefully. "You cant possibly think you are going to do that by yourself. After being mated going through a heat with out Harry could be dangerous. Plus all this stress is giving a scent off to other alphas, they could challenge Harry for your bond."
"I know that. I can't very well force him to lock himself into the room with me though can I? I'm telling you he is not himself! He barely talks to me, and I can't remember the last time he kept his hands off me this much. I'm worried... I'm worried that he's having regrets about us. After giving that interview. I think... Ginny I think he found someone else. I think he realized he couldn't be happy with me and instead of breaking the bond and leaving me to die he's just off doing his own thing."
Ginny stared at her friend, "You can't be serious for one second. Draco, there is no way in hell Harry is cheating on you. Harry can be a lot of things but a cheater certainly doesn't fall onto that list. Whatever it is, must be serious if he's so lost in his own world." Ginny reached across the way and touched his hand gently. "Draco, I've known Harry just as long as you have, and I know you understand what I am saying. Harry is too loyal and selfless to hurt you that way. I know what it might look like he's being shady but something else must be going on. "
Draco swallowed hard looking up at the spit fire red head. "Unless he's under the imperio curse or something similar I don't know what it could be." He sighed, "Besides who would curse Harry anyways. He's so vigilant I find it hard to believe someone would have had a chance to curse him."
"Well it can't be imperio, Harry can throw that off pretty easily. Listen, I'm going to ask Hermione at dinner what our options can be. If Harry isn't himself, then there has to be a magical reason. There's no way that he suddenly doesn't want you anymore." Ginny said confidently. "Now go get a hoodie that smells like Harry and let's head to dinner. You are going to eat. Then we solve whatever is going on, and hopefully fix it quickly."
Draco knew that arguing was futile. She was worse than Pansy and when the two were together they were almost intolerable. Draco picked up his things and carried them to his room. Once all his things were tucked into his trunk, he found his favorite hoodie he had confiscated from Harry. It had a muggle band on the front of it, it was faded from over use and these perfect holes in the sleeves that he could slide his thumbs into. He held the fabric in his hands and took a deep breath in, letting his mates scent wash over him. Carefully, he slid it over his head, letting it surround him in a shield of comfort.
Once back downstairs, he took Ginny's arm and together they headed up to the great hall. Having her in his life had certainly made things better for him.
He let her pull him to the Gryffindor table and was surprised to see Harry already sitting with Hermione and Ron. Harry didn't even look up at them. Ginny gave him a nudge and he slid into the seat next to Harry wordlessly.
Ron was busy stuffing his face, rambling about tomorrows quidditch match, and gave Draco a small nod, acknowledging his presence.
"You know I've been looking everywhere for that sweatshirt." Harry made a face looking up at Draco finally acknowledging that he was beside him.
"You have? You gave it to me over Christmas break after my heat. I didn't realize you wanted it back." Draco said softly. The scent coming off of Harry was all wrong.
"Take it off." The dark haired man said easily as he went back to picking at the food on his plate like Draco was a mere annoyance.
"Harry!" Hermione hissed. "What is wrong with you? It's just a hoodie. He always wears it."
"And now I want it back." Harry glared at her turning his attention back to his mate. "Take it off right now Draco." Harry said now looking pointedly at the blonde leaving no room for argument.
Draco's brows furrowed in confusion and went to take it off when he felt an arm reach out and stop him. Ginny stood up and pointed her finger in Harrys face. "Harry James Potter, I don't know what the bloody hell has gotten into you the last few days, but you will not take it out on the man you love. You are making him sick for Merlin's sake. If you want it back you can ask him nicely, and give him a different one. You know this close to his heat he craves your scent. I will not watch you make him feel like he's beneath you talking to him like that."
Harry pushed her hand out of his face, jumping up, almost snarling at her, " He is beneath me. He is an omega and needs to learn his place. He doesn't get to take what he wants because we are mated. Draco, take off the sweater or I will rip it off you in front of everyone. Your choice. I will not wait long for you to choose." Harry held out his hand for the article of clothing.
Draco felt the alpha command hit him and didn't hesitate. He pulled the black sweatshirt off and with shaking hands, held it out to him. Once it was snatched from him, he couldn't even meet his mates eyes. This was not the man he grew to know over the last few months. This man was cold and callous.
"Now go back to your dorm and when I need you I will retrieve you. I don't want to see you at the table before that moment. Are we clear?" Harry hissed.
Draco wasn't sure what was happening but for the first time in ages he felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. His biggest fear and nightmare was slowly becoming true. He trusted Harry. He had fallen in love with him and this is what it got him. "Crystal." He whispered hurrying from the hall, other students whispering among themselves about the scene before them. As Draco reached the doors he heard a slap resonate through the hall.
"I have never been more disappointed in you than this moment Harry. You disgust me! How dare you treat him like that." Ginny snapped. "I never expected you to be a lesser man than Lucius and yet here you are. You should be ashamed of yourself." He heard her footsteps fall behind him quickly as she chased after him.
"You are right Draco, that may look like Harry Potter, but something isn't right. We will get to the bottom of this. Come on, let's go get you calmed down and a nice bath."
--
The next few days weren't much better. Hermione had agreed that Harry seemed less and less like himself. Ginny and Hermione took turns looking into plausible options and taking care of Draco. Ron had even started to become concerned at how distant Harry had become, and soon they barely saw their friend at all.
By the time the omegas heat hit, Draco was a shell of himself. Ginny had taken him to the infirmary, where he was moved to a solitary room. Madam Promfrey made a disappointed noise when she was informed that Harry wouldn't be joining Draco. The face she made, made Ginny nervous. She wasn't feeling confident that Draco would come out of this in a good place.
"Hermione, we have to figure this out sooner than later. Draco didn't look well. I read that book you gave Harry a while back about mates and bonds and..."
Hermione looked up as Ginny sat across from her, "I know. The only reasonable explanation I can come up with is he has been cursed. But how is the question. Tell me again about the first night Harry was acting strange. What did Draco say?"
"Draco had been worried about where Harry was. He asked me about the map. I ran up, got it and showed him how it worked. Harry was in the astronomy tower with a girl, uh... Selina Hornsby. She's a Hufflepuff I found out a few days later, but at the time Draco or I didn't recognize the name. She the year beneath me. Anyways, Draco said Harry returned late, smelling like whiskey and that he said he had been in the kitchens."
Hermione frowned, "Whiskey? Harry rarely drinks. One bad night thanks to Seamus and he doesn't touch the stuff usually. It's possible it had something in it... maybe it's not a curse? But a long slow acting potion or poison. I could always ask Snape, he may be willing to lend a hand since it's for Draco."
Ginny rubbed her temples, "It has to be better than nothing. I'm sure that he will be notified of Draco's condition if it gets worse. I know that Snape agreed to be his caregiver over the summer when Lucius kicked Draco out. He will know how to test Harry for anything that may be in his system. At this rate, we have only a few days before Draco may be damaged beyond anyone's repair. I know that if something happens to Draco and Harry comes out of this mess, Harry won't ever forgive himself."
"I'll go down and see Snape myself. You keep an eye out for Harry. I have a feeling that the professor will want to seem him immediately." Hermione stood, and hurried down to the dungeons.
She found the potion master busy brewing as she knocked and announced herself.
"Miss Granger, I hope that this is a life or death matter for you to be disturbing me while I am busy." The man barely glanced at her as he stirred the potion he was working on.
"Yes sir, it is. I'm here because of Draco. He's not well. Something, is wrong with Harry and it is now effecting Draco. I've come to ask a few questions. I am concerned that Harry has taken something that is causing him to behave unlike himself."
"I'm sure Miss Granger that Mr. Potter is a stupid boy, but I doubt stupid enough to take something that he didn't trust. As for Mr. Malfoy, I am sure he is just fine. I would have been alerted if he was unwell. Mentally unstable for choosing your friend as his mate sure, but healthy none the less."
"That is what I am saying Professor. Draco isn't well. He just went into isolation... Alone. Harry refused to join him in his heat. Draco was in no condition to be alone. He hasn't eaten in days, and Harry has started to reject him. He is suffering the effects. Please, I know you don't like Harry but he loves Draco and something is not right. I wouldn't be here if I thought it was nothing."
Severus studied the girl before him for a few moments, "Bring Mr. Potter to me, and I will see what I can do."