Harry Potter 1. Ascending

**Hello, hello!**

**Here it is! A lot of people asked for this story to be brought back, and I decided to do it. I will post new chapters after I revise them, alright?**

**I do hope that you will enjoy this story and that you'll be patient with me. I have another multi chapter story I need to start posting, so I might be a bit slow, but you won't have to wait for a new chapter for more than two days.**

**If this is your first time reading this story, then I do hope you'll enjoy it!**

**All my love,**

**Ms. Yuki**

* * *

_If anyone ever looked at Harry James Potter they would see a boy surrounded by friends, always wearing a smile on his angelic face._

_He was not a tall boy._

_He was short for his age and quite slim; almost too slim. But he was agile and quick on his feet. His nose was a bit small and his lips were somewhat thin, and his short, raven black hair looked more like a bird's nest than anything else._

_But there was something that defined Harry Potter more than his messy hair and slim body. His eyes were the color of the strangest emerald the world has ever seen. They were two wells of so many emotions and thoughts some people found it hard to look into his eyes for long._

_Harry James Potter was a very special young man._

_He was a Wizard; a very good Wizard at that._

_But there was something about Harry nobody knew. It was something not even Harry knew, because there was no one there to tell him._

_It was a secret well guarded and almost forgotten._

_Harry James Potter is about to turn 16._

_He is about to enter his 6th year at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_And a lot of secrets are about to be revealed._

* * *

Harry woke up one morning in his room in Number Four, Privet drive, feeling sick and very tired. He found it difficult to get out of his small, bumpy bed and get down into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for his relatives. His limbs felt like someone hung weights on his wrists and ankles, and his lips were dry no matter how much water he drank. His hands were shaking and his breathing was short and strained, and it felt like the room was spinning.

The moment he finished making tea and its scent tickled his nose his stomach turned and he ran out of the kitchen and into the closest bathroom. He fell on his knees in front of the toilet and emptied his already almost empty stomach. He leaned his forehead on the edge of the toilet seat as he heaved, trying to stop the room from spinning.

'What's wrong with me?' he thought as he stood up weakly. He quickly cleaned everything up and returned to the kitchen to finish breakfast before his relatives woke up. The mere sight of eggs and bacon, not to mention the smell of green tea made him sick again, so he just ran up to his room and locked the door.

He fell on the bed, covered in cold sweat. His breathing was labored and every breath hurt.

As he lay there and shook in fever, he failed to hear the angry screams of his aunt and uncle, and the annoying whining of his cousin. He didn't hear his uncle slamming his meaty fist against his door.

He fell into blessed unconsciousness, praying that once he woke up, everything would stop hurting.

* * *

Harry woke up to a gentle hand running through his hair and a familiar, loving voice calling for him to wake up. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up into familiar, worry-filled amber orbs.

"Remus?" Harry's voice broke and he started coughing. His whole body cramped up and it felt like someone was ripping his lungs out.

"Hush, Harry. You'll be alright." He heard through the haze of pain. He felt two strong, but gentle arms pick him up, and he wrapped his arms around strong shoulders, holding on for dear life. He buried his face in Remus' neck and tried to calm down his quickly beating heart as his whole body was wrecked with shivers and pain.

"Is he alright?" he heard someone ask. He turned his head around a bit and through the blur recognized Tonks' worried face.

"I don't think so. Either way I am not leaving him here a second longer." Remus said and Harry buried his face in his neck again. As he fell into tortured slumber he failed to feel the uncomfortable pull of Disapparation, and he didn't see his uncle run out of the house after the two Wizards who rushed in as if Hell Hounds were chasing them.

The huge whale of a man had no idea what was going on with his nephew. He had no idea that something big was about to happen.

_No one_ knew that a great change was in the air.

A great change that would tip the scales.

* * *

Remus and Tonks appeared in the living room of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and not a moment later Mrs. Weasley ran in to meet them. She looked frightened and worried, and her motherly eyes shone with tears as she looked at the prone body of the boy she came to love as if he were her own child.

"Quickly, get him in his room. Tonks, dear, bring me some cold water and towels." She instructed and ushered Remus up the stairs to the first room on the right. They came in and Remus placed Harry on the bed. With a wave of his wand he transfigured Harry's sweat soaked cloths into dry pajamas. Tonks came in with a basin of water and a few white, clean towels levitating beside her.

"Do you need help, Molly?"

"No, deary. I'm fine." Molly smiled weakly at Remus and Tonks. The pink haired Metamorphomagus placed the basin and towels on the bedside cabinet and Molly took a seat beside Harry on the bed. She dipped a towel in the cold water, squeezed the excess water out and placed the towel on Harry's burning forehead. "Hush, Harry-dear; I am trying to make you feel better." Molly whispered when Harry moaned in pain and tried to move away.

"Are you sure this will help him?" Tonks breathed out frightfully. "It doesn't seem to do so." Remus walked over to the younger woman and pulled her into a reassuring hug.

"He will-…" the door opened in the middle of Remus' sentence and Dumbledore walked in. His eyes immediately fell on Harry's small, shivering form and his blue orbs darkened.

"Is he alright?"

"We just brought him here." Remus spoke up. His eyes were glaring daggers at Dumbledore and the elderly Wizard frowned at him. "I still don't understand why you wouldn't let us bring him home sooner." Remus was barely suppressing the tone of hostility in his voice. Albus approached the bed and looked down at Harry. The young man was covered in sweat, his breathing came in short, pained gasps and his skin was sickly pale.

"I had my reasons, my boy." Dumbledore murmured as he patted his long, white beard. He was looking at Harry with a contemplative shine in his eyes and Remus growled lowly in his throat.

"I don't care about your reasons." Remus pressed out through his teeth. "Harry was suffering there and we could do nothing because of yourorders!"

"I did not know it would start so soon. Harry is a Half-blood. The Lore says they come into their inheritance on the night of their birthday, not one week earlier." Dumbledore explained and Remus' eyes shone threateningly.

"You should have guessed. Harry is far more powerful than you think and you keep underestimating him!"

"Harry will be alright. He passed through too much to be brought down by something like this." Molly spoke up as she replaced the towel with a new one.

"I guess you didn't share this little piece of information with him last time you talked." Dumbledore looked at Remus and the Werewolf knew the answer before it left Albus' mouth.

"It didn't seem like-..."

"With you it's never the right time!" Remus snapped. "When will you learn that hiding the truth from someone never does any good?! You should have learned that it will eventually blow up in your face, _especially_ with Harry!" Remus' eyes flashed gold for a moment as the wolf made itself known, and Dumbledore took a small step black.

An angry wolf was not something he wanted to face especially if said wolf considered Harry his own cub.

"Maybe if you would all be silent or get out, Harry would already be feeling better! Now shut up and calm down. This is getting us nowhere." Molly stopped any further argument. Remus nodded and went to sit beside Harry. He took the boy's shivering hand in his callused, bigger one. Years of malnutrition made Harry's bone structure weaker than it should be which in essence made Harry smaller, weaker and more fragile than he would have been if he had proper care.

Remus suppressed a growl and pushed Moony deeper. _'Now is not the time to lose control.'_

"I have to go. I'm supposed to hand in my report today." Tonks spoke up. She looked at Dumbledore and shot him a warning glare that would make Salazar Slytherin proud, and moved for the door. "I will see you soon." She left silently and without incidents, and Dumbledore looked at Molly, Remus and Harry.

He didn't know what to do. For the first time in many years he was at a loss. He turned slowly and left, leaving Harry in Molly and Remus' loving care.

* * *

Harry woke up slowly and tried to take a deeper breath only to choke up and start coughing.

"Easy, Harry; take it easy." He forced himself to open his eyes and looked up at the blurry form of his last remaining guardian.

"Remus?"

"I'm here cub, don't talk. You should rest." Remus brushed his fingers through Harry's sweaty hair and smiled at his cub. Even though Harry tried to smile at him, Remus could see the pain in his eyes.

"Where are we?" Harry breathed out.

"Grimmauld Place. Tonks and I brought you here two days ago." Harry nodded weakly and his eyes slipped closed. Remus smiled fondly when he saw how hard Harry fought to stay awake. His smile turned into a frown when Harry moaned in pain and tilted his head to the side as if he was trying to bury his face into the pillow.

"Harry?" the teen fell asleep again with a pained frown on his face and Remus placed his hand on his forehead. His heart sunk when he brushed Harry's bangs from his face and saw his inflamed scar.

"For Merlin's sake, don't torture him now." He whispered and placed a cold towel on Harry's burning forehead. He swallowed difficultly, took Harry's hand in his and squeezed it lightly for both of their comfort.

"Hold on, Harry; you'll be fine. You'll be just fine."

* * *

It was the night before Harry's birthday and the mood in Grimmauld Place was very grim. Molly just finished preparing dinner when Tonks walked in followed by none other than Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy.

"Dumbledore sends them. It seems Voldemort started to suspect something." Tonks explained and all but threw herself in the armchair closest to the fireplace.

"I can't go back and neither can Draco. Voldemort is still angry about the failure they experienced at the Ministry. He's cleaning out his ranks and a lot of suspicion fell on Draco and me." Snape said and took a seat on the couch while Draco remained standing in the doorway.

"Draco, why don't you take a seat? I'll bring you both a cup of warm, mint tea. It should make you both feel a bit better." Molly smiled at the young teen welcomingly and Draco frowned in suspicion. Molly's smile never wavered and after a moment Draco nodded and joined his Godfather on the couch. The Weasley Matriarch nodded minutely and turned on her heel to get that tea, but before she reached the kitchen inhuman screams broke the silence of the evening and everyone jumped on their feet.

"MOLLY!" Remus' call echoed through the house, and Molly and Tonks rushed up the stairs with Severus and Draco hot on their heels.

They ran into the darkened room almost as one, only to stop in their tracks when they found the Werewolf struggling to keep Harry restrained.

"It just started a moment ago!" Molly ran over to help Remus while Tonks rounded on Severus and Draco.

"Get out of here." She ordered shortly and Severus raised an eyebrow at her while Draco stared at Harry with wide, terrified eyes.

"Who do you think-…?"

"Get out!" Tonks snapped grabbed Severus' and Draco's shoulders and all but threw them out of the room before she slammed the door closed and locked it with several charms. She ran back to Harry's side and helped Remus hold him down. Molly started to caress Harry's forehead gently and whisper suiting words.

"Harry, you must listen to me! You're stronger then this!" she whispered continuously, hoping her words reached Harry, but the teen was in too much pain. His skin was pale, his clothes were sticking to his sweaty body, his lips were bleeding from him biting into them to stop himself from screaming and his eyes were rolling back into his head.

"It's not working!" Tonks cried out, and all of a sudden both she and Remus were thrown off of Harry to meet the wall. The raven haired teen convulsed on the bed as he choked on every breath he tried to take. The three adults stared in shock and fear as Harry slowly gave up.

With one last choked breath he slowly relaxed on the bed. His head rolled to the side and his eyes dulled.

Silence settled over the house just as the door opened and Severus and Draco rushed in. They stopped dead in their tracks as they looked at the still body of Harry James Potter.

"Harry?" Remus rasped out weakly. He crawled over to the bed and took Harry's lifeless hand in his. Molly rushed over to Tonks and helped her get up on her feet while Remus all but collapsed beside Harry on the bed. He ran his fingers through Harry's hair but before he could say something Dumbledore appeared in the doorway looking as calm as ever.

"He's - he's so cold." Remus whispered. "He can't be-..." Dumbledore walked to Harry's side and gently touched the boy's cheek.

"Harry? Can you hear me?" the boy didn't react. His dull, lifeless eyes stared ahead unseeing. "Harry?" Dumbledore called out and everyone's breath caught in their throats when the pressure shifted in the air.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on?" Tonks breathed out as Molly hugged her tightly. Remus all but jumped off of the bed when Harry's hand twitched. A pulse of something passed over the room. Harry's lips quivered and he took a deep, wavering breath as his eyes slipped closed. They watched in wonder as his chest started to rise and fall so very slowly and some color returned to his pale cheeks.

"Harry?" Remus called for his cub. His voice was filled with hope. Harry slowly opened his eyes. They were milky green and unfocused.

But Harry was alive.

He was alive.

"Remus?" it came out as something more than a breath, but it was enough for Remus. His eyes filled with tears as he grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I'm here, cub. Everything's going to be alright. You'll be alright." Harry nodded weakly and ever so slowly his breathing evened out as he fell asleep. Remus leaned forward and kissed Harry's forehead lovingly before he stood up and turned to look at Dumbledore. The two Slytherins in the room raised eyebrows when they saw the dark glare on Remus' face.

"Remus-…"

"As you can see, Dumbledore, Harry is fine. All he needs now is rest." Remus spoke in a growl and Dumbledore frowned at him.

"We cannot know how long it will take for him to adapt, Remus. We cannot know how he'll be like when he wakes up. I think our safest bet is to take him to-..."

"You're not taking him anywhere. He's staying right here with me_._" Remus growled, and Molly and Tonks nodded.

"Remus, you know better than I do what could happen. Are you willing to risk everything because of the feelings of your wolf?" Remus glared at him, but before he could say anything Severus spoke up.

"What are you implying, Dumbledore? What happened with Potter?"

"Harry-..."

"It's his secret to tell!" Remus interrupted Dumbledore sharply and the elderly wizard pursed his lips with a frown on his face. "You better go. I'm sure you have better things to do than stand here." Dumbledore swallowed and nodded shortly.

"Don't leave him alone." With that said Dumbledore disappeared in a gust of white smoke and silence settled between those that remained.

"Well!" Molly breathed out and tried to smile. "I think we should all go to our rooms and rest; we've had enough for today." She rushed over to Harry's bed and rearranged his covers so they covered Harry to his chin.

"I'll stay here with him. Molly, could you bring me some tea? I could really use a cup." Remus asked and Molly smiled at him warmly.

"Of course, Remus. Tonks, I'll need your help in the kitchen." The two passed beside Severus and Draco who stood rooted to their places. Severus was staring at Harry in quiet contemplation while Draco looked absolutely terrified. He looked at his Godfather and swallowed over a lump.

"What happened to him?" Severus shot him a small glance, but no answer escaped his lips.

"All in due time, Draco." Said teen looked at Remus and frowned when he saw the calm expression on his face. "You should go and have something to eat before you go to bed. You need to rest. You are safe here." Severus snorted and sneered at the Werewolf, and Remus glared at him.

"Let's go, Draco." Severus turned on his heel and marched out of the room. Draco looked after his Godfather before he looked back at Harry and Remus.

The teen he considered his rival ever since their first year at Hogwarts was completely still, although his expression was no longer pained. Black lashes rested on pale, slightly indrawn cheeks and his chapped lips were slightly open. His chest rose and fell with every breath he took and for the first time _ever_ Draco noticed that Harry actually had quite handsome facial lines. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened.

Without a word he ran out of the room and down the stairs.

Remus chuckled and shook his head as he looked down at Harry. He brushed his fingers through Harry's hair and gently caressed his cheek with the back of his fingers.

"There is a thin line between love and hate, they say." He murmured. He leaned forward and kissed Harry's forehead before he stood up and pulled a chair over to the bed. He settled in it and looked at Harry's sleeping face.

Everything would be alright.

He was sure of it.

* * *

Everyone minus Remus was at the breakfast table. They all looked tired and somehow shaken, even Severus, although he looked more on the annoyed side. It seemed there was an air of hostility between Severus and Tonks that just wouldn't go away. Draco, whose place was on his Godfather's right, huffed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes in a very un-Malfoy-ish way.

"Severus, would you please stop that? I can cut the tension with a knife. If we're to stay here, then at least try to be polite."

"Your godson is right, Severus." Molly said with a teasing smirk. "Try to relax a bit. Anyone wants some cake?" everyone jumped up when a frantic Remus ran into the kitchen.

"Has anyone seen Harry?" he breathed out frantically. Tonks jumped in her place and her chair fell back, though nobody noticed.

"When did he disappear?"

"I don't know! I fell asleep and-..."

"Is there something wrong?" they ran into the living room and stopped right in their tracks. The curtains were pulled tight over the windows so no daylight came through. The only light in the room was the firelight. It made the room look dark and dreary.

There was a figure in the darkness of the hallway and he moved slowly into the living room, his form shrouded in shadows.

"Harry?" Remus rasped out. The figure came closer and the light of the fire revealed a Harry they have never seen. He was taller; much taller. A small smile played on the boy's face as he walked to them.

"Where were you, Potter?" Snape snapped and Harry looked at him. His eyes glowed in the light of the fire and his smile turned into a small smirk.

Severus did his best to stop the uncomfortable feeling he felt from showing in his eyes. He felt some kind of darkness around the Gryffindor Golden Boy and he didn't like it; especially since he couldn't determine what exactly happened to the boy.

"I was out taking a walk, sir." Harry spoke calmly; respectfully. "I woke up earlier and as everyone was asleep I didn't want to wake somebody up." His eyes shone Avada green and Severus barely managed to suppress a shiver.

Others didn't even try.

This Harry was different from the one they remembered. He radiated something dark and dangerous, and his eyes were filled with knowledge. They couldn't read him; none of them could. It was like a wall of shadows was separating him from them.

"Listen, boy-..."

"I'm not lying, sir." Harry interrupted Severus. "I merely went to take a walk. Is that forbidden now?" Severus frowned and growled at him and Molly decided to jump in before an argument broke out.

"How are you feeling, Harry-dear?" Harry smiled a genuine smile that seemed to light up his whole face and Molly walked over to him to pull him into a hug. He returned it warmly and Molly shivered when she heard him take a deep breath after he buried his face in her hair.

"I feel good, Mrs. Weasley. How are you?" they parted and Molly moved back a little. Her eyes widened when she realized that she had to tilt her head back to be able to look in Harry's eyes.

"My, you've grown." She breathed out. "You're even taller than Ron now!" Harry laughed at that and looked at Molly with glimmering eyes as he spread his arms to the side and bowed his head.

"I am just as surprised as you are, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh, posh, Harry, call me Molly." Harry smiled warmly at her and nodded.

"Of course." He looked at Tonks and she grinned at him as she walked over to pull him into a hug.

"I never thought you'd be taller than me!" Harry chuckled and hugged her just as tightly as she hugged him. They parted and Tonks looked up at him with a searching gaze.

"What?" Harry smirked and Tonks smiled goofily.

"Nothing." She took a step to the side and Harry looked at Remus. Just then they saw him swallow difficultly as he shoulders hunched a bit and he pushed his hands in the pockets of his dark gray hoody.

"Remus, I-…" Remus was by his side in a second and he pulled Harry into a firm hug. Harry stood there shocked for a second before he pulled his hands out of his pockets and wrapped his arms around Remus.

"Nature or not, nothing will turn me away from you, cub." Remus whispered and Harry shivered before he buried his nose in Remus' neck and breathed in deeply. They parted and Remus patted Harry's shoulder.

Harry looked up and his eyes met Draco's. The Slytherin shivered and fought hard against the need to look away. Potter's eyes seemed to penetrate his soul. If it was possible, the emerald now seemed more vivid. The shadows that danced across Potter's face did nothing to soften his penetrating look.

"Malfoy? Since when are _you_ part of all of this?" Harry looked at Snape and frowned. "I never thought you would allow your Godson to be dragged into the war." Severus' eyes widened.

"How _dare_ you-…"

"I merely stated that I thought you would do your best to keep Draco out of the war, sir. I meant nothing-…"

"Sure you meant nothing_._" Severs drawled and Harry frowned at him.

"I will suffer your stubbornness no longer, sir. I am not my father and you would be better off remembering that." Harry warned and Severus sneered at him.

"You are just like your father." He hissed and Harry's eyebrow twitched. "Always seeking attention, although I am sure you've be pampered..."

"You know nothing of my life!" Harry interrupted him, and his voice echoed through the house like an angry roar. Snape had his wand pointed at Harry's chest but before Severus knew it Harry had his own wand pointed right between his eyes.

"Do not underestimate me, _sir_." Harry pressed out through his teeth. "Don't forget that you are a guest in the house of the man you hated more than you hate Voldemort." Everyone winced at the name of the Dark Lord. "But as it is not my choice and it is only the matter of time before we'll have to leave this place I won't say or do anything." Snape swallowed and fought back a sneer. Potter's eyes shone eerily. They pierced his very soul. "But listen to me and listen to me well_._ Give me one reason, only _one good reason_ and I will show you just why Voldemort fears me, do I make myself clear?" his wand was perfectly still and aimed between Snape's eyebrows.

"Harry; don't do anything rash." Remus warned, and Harry nodded and lowered his wand. Just as he turned to walk out of the room Severus made his move.

"Legilimens!" the spell wasn't even finished before Snape was thrown against a wall. Harry snorted and walked up the stairs without another word. Draco ran to his godfather and helped him get up.

"Can you bring me some water?" Draco asked. Molly disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a glass of water and Draco accepted it with a nod.

"You really don't know when to give up, do you?" Remus growled and Severus threw him a glare.

"That boydoesn't know how to respect authority."

"You never gave him a reason to respect you." Tonks drawled.

"I'll have to agree, Severus. I don't know what hit him, but I know I'll watch where I stand from now on. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of his wand." Draco said. A silent 'pop' resonated through the room and Dumbledore appeared between them.

"Ah; Harry woke up." It was a statement, not a question.

"Is it that obvious?" Snape spat out and Dumbledore chuckled.

"You, my dear boy, just don't know when to keep your temper." Dumbledore chastised.

"Potter should consider that."

With a silent hum, Dumbledore walked up the stairs and went to Harry's room. The doors opened before he even had the chance to knock. He came in and watched for a moment as Harry cleaned the room up a bit. He watched the slender body move with grace and certainty Harry never showed before. It seemed like he was in perfect tune with his surroundings, which meant that he knew Dumbledore was here.

"Usually you just appear. I wonder what changed." Dumbledore walked in, and the door closed behind him with a slam. He watched as Harry took a seat in the armchair by the window and entwined his fingers in front of his face while he rested his elbows on the armrests. He was observing Dumbledore with piercing eyes. Only now did Dumbledore notice that Harry didn't wear his glasses.

"I believe you forgot to mention this little tad bit of information last time we talked." Harry said; his voice was unusually calm.

Harry looked as if they were discussing the weather. Somehow this made Dumbledore feel more insecure. He knew very well how to handle an angry Harry, but this was very new to him, and that meant he wasn't in control of the situation

Harry on the other hand felt like snapping Dumbledore's neck, but something was whispering in the back of his mind; something dark and quiet. Something that was telling him to remain calm; to keep his cool.

"It just-…"

"Didn't seem like the right time?" Harry hummed. "It seems like the time is never right for you to share things of great importance with me." The old man felt as if Harry was looking into his very soul.

"Harry, I-..."

"It's interesting actually." Harry interrupted him and crossed his long, lean legs. "Last thing I remember is excruciating pain, and then I wake up and-…" Harry shivered and closed his eyes for a second. A calm expression settled on his face, but his lips twitched slightly. "I wake up and all of a sudden everything is so clear."

"Harry-…"

"I don't remember being Bitten, Dumbledore." The old Wizard frowned and Harry tilted his head to the side. "Since I wasn't Bitten, please explain to me exactly _how_ I woke up as a _Vampire_. You never said one of my parents was one." Dumbledore shifted his weight under the boy's watchful gaze. "And besides; Vampire children never survive their 16th birthday. Their parents need to Bite them just to have them stay alive."

"And Iam interested where you gained all that knowledge, Harry?" the teen smirked, raised his right hand and tapped his forehead with his index finger.

"Mimetic legacy." He drawled. "My mother's knowledge is my own." Dumbledore's eyes glimmered for a second and Harry just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Then why are you asking me how all this came to be?" Harry's eyes darkened and he stood up.

"Because I want to hear it." the young Vampire pressed out through his teeth as he approached Dumbledore in slow measured steps. The old Wizard barely stopped himself from moving backwards. Harry stopped a breath away from him and Dumbledore looked into his eyes. They were different. The iris was rimmed in silver and there were small specks of what resembled moonlight in Harry's eyes. They were shadowed and glare on Harry's handsome face promised nothing good. "I want to hear it from you." Dumbledore cleared his throat and Harry snorted before he moved over to the window with his back turned on Dumbledore.

"Your mother was bitten by a vampire two months before she came to Hogwarts." Dumbledore waited for a reaction, but Harry simply clasped his hands behind his back and continued gazing at the street below his window. "You already know that she was the smartest witch of her age. When she was 16 she discovered your father was her Mate and they had you. The rest is history."

Harry was quiet for the longest time. Dumbledore tried hard not to shift his weight. He hated this; he hated not knowing what to expect, how to react. He hated not being in control of the situation.

"You have been playing with me, Dumbledore." The old man looked at Harry and frowned. "I don't like that." Harry looked at him over his shoulder and Dumbledore pursed his lips for a second.

"I don't understand, Harry-…"

"I want my freedom, professor. I will no longer play by your rules." Harry turned around to face Dumbledore fully and slowly took a step forward. "You are an old, manipulating fool, Dumbledore; and I will no longer let you manipulate _me_. You've made too many miscalculations and mistakes. They cost me my parents; they cost me my childhood and just recently, they cost me my godfather. I do believe that was quite enough."

"Harry, you must understand-…"

"You used me for the _greater good_. Well." Harry looked to the side for a second as if he was weighing his words. "I do believe that I've given enough for the greater good; my own good comes first from now on. And I don't think you'll have any say in it." Harry's eyes darkened and Dumbledore frowned. "You should leave." Before Dumbledore could think of what to say Harry turned his back on him again and walked back to the window. Dumbledore knew a dismissal when he saw one and even though he knew that he had to smooth things out with Harry, he didn't know how_,_ and that bothered him.

That bothered him greatly.

"I wish you a good day, Harry." he said and disappeared with a pop. Harry looked over his shoulder again and snorted. He looked out on the street at a young couple. They disappeared from sight pretty soon and Harry closed his eyes. He soaked in the warmth of the Sun breaking through the thick window glass and took a deep breath.

Thoughts, images and flashes of memories that were not his own filled his mind. Voices of people long gone fluttered through his consciousness. Whispers of secrets; suspicions of treason clouded his thoughts.

He opened his eyes, and had anyone been there to see them, they would have ran away in fear, because two wells of endless black gazed upon the Sun lit street.

'_We will bring balance to the world again.'_

A dark smirk stretched soft lips and the shadows twisted on the walls.

'_The tables are turning.'_

He snorted and turned his back to the window.

'_We will make our __**own **__destiny.'_


	2. Friends

**The song featuring in this chapter is 'River Lullaby' performed by Amy Grant, from the movie 'The Prince of Egypt', owned by DreamWorks Animation. I claim no rights to the song.**

* * *

A few days after Harry's birthday life in Grimmauld Place was almost suspiciouslycalm. Every morning Harry would join Molly, Remus and Tonks in the kitchen for breakfast and then each one of them would go their separate ways until dinner. Harry and Remus would retreat in Harry's bedroom where Remus would help Harry with his newfound abilities; Molly would go home to her husband and children, and Tonks would go to the Ministry.

No one was told that Harry resided in Grimmauld Place. They didn't want to risk anyone hearing it. Harry learned that Hermione, Ginny, Ron, George and Fred went to Egypt to visit Bill, and that Charlie came back to good ol' England to be close if he would be in any way needed.

No one else came to Grimmauld Place during their stay and Harry couldn't say that he wasn't pleased with that. He and Remus talked a lot. Harry had yet to come to terms with Sirius' death, and Remus' closeness and understanding support meant the world to him.

Neither one of them saw neither Severus nor Draco more than a few times. It seemed Severus was avoiding Harry at all cost. Harry thought he caught sight of Draco observing him a few times, but he decided to do nothing about it.

He concentrated on learning to use his senses and studying. Remus proved to be a great professor, and Harry couldn't be more grateful to have him in his life if he tried.

It paid out to have a Werewolf for a mentor even _if_ Werewolves and Vampires had little in common. Never the less, Remus knew more than enough to make it easier for Harry.

The young Vampire could see the world in a completely different light now. The sensations of smell, touch, taste and hearing were more than tripled, and everything looked so different and new.

There was another reason he was immeasurably happy to have Remus for. Ever since the first day he woke up as a Vampire he felt some kind of a Pull. Every so often he would catch the most beautiful scent in the world tickling his nose.

It wasn't constant, but when he would stumble upon it, Harry would feel something in him shiver with excitement. The scent was both new and yet incredibly familiar, and Harry yearned to find out where it was coming from, but every time he thought he caught it, the scent would fade and disappear completely within minutes.

When he informed Remus of that strange occurrence, the Werewolf smiled knowingly and his eyes filled with a wistful light. He said that Harry was catching the scent of his Mate, and that the reason he couldn't define it or locate it was because his Mate wasn't of age yet.

Harry found it both reassuring and frustrating. He found it reassuring because he was well aware that he was nowhere near ready to meet his Mate. He knew he could offer nothing to them until he wasn't completely sure they wouldn't be hurt by the war or worse, him. It was frustrating because he wanted them. Deep inside the corners of his mind, in the part where his instincts ruled, he wanted his Mate. That part knew that he would be stronger with his Mate by his side.

Harry knew that he had nothing to offer to his Mate; no matter how many times Remus told him it wasn't so, he knew next to nothing about relationships and love. He knew nothing about taking care of someone.

Remus told him it was purely instinctual; that he would know exactly what to do.

But Harry didn't trust him.

He knew he was damaged. He knew he was a walking pile of doubts and misfortune. To be perfectly honest, he doubted he would ever be able to completely surrender to whoever was destined to be his Mate.

No matter how much he wanted them, no matter how much he knew they would be good for each other, Harry had doubts. He doubted himself. He doubted his ability to love anyone the way they deserved to be loved.

After all, the only real example of love was the Weasley family, and yet every time he would think of them his heart would clench, and he would feel a pile of fear and pain gather in his throat.

No matter how much he wanted his Mate by his side, he was sure he would be able to resist the call for as long as this war was going on. He was determined not to put another person in the line of fire.

When he shared those thoughts with Remus, the Werewolf just smiled and shook his head.

"You won't be able to resist it, Harry." The Werewolf said to the young Vampire. "The call of your Mate will be too strong for you to resist it. The need to be close to them, to watch over them and protect them will be so strong that it will leave you breathless. I knew who my Mate was before they were of age and it was easier for me to handle being away from them. I knew them well and they knew me, and the reason it was easier was because we accepted each other. If you don't find your Mate before they come of age, the moment they do you two won't be able to be apart for long. They will need you just as much as you'll need them. You will feel this incredible pull towards each other and it won't calm until you find one another. Trust me, Harry. There is no way for you to keep your Mate away from all of this."

Harry couldn't stop thinking about Remus' words. They kept him awake at night and danced in his mind during the day.

He simply couldn't stop thinking about it, and no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that he would be able to resist it, a part of himknew he wouldn't.

And that frightened him.

That frightened him greatly.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was slowly coming to the end of his wits.

He couldn't stop thinking about Harry Bloody Potter for the lifeof him.

Potter was different, very different from the way Draco perceived him. Severus was avoiding both Potter and Lupin, and Draco, while avoiding direct contact, couldn't help but observe Potter from a distance. The raven haired teen was nothing like the Gryffindor Golden Boy Draco saw at Hogwarts. It made him doubt his perception of the Gryffindor. He knew Potter spent countless hours studying with Remus. He knew that the other teen disappeared in the forest every night after dinner. He knew there was something marginally different about the teen, but he couldn't point it out.

Sure, there were the obvious things. Harry was taller and he filled up a bit. If he wasn't there on the night of Harry's birthday he would have had a hard time connecting the teen he was looking at now with the scrawny, waif-like teen he saw on the last day of school.

Draco knew Potter wasn't as dumb and stupid as people thought he was. Draco wasn't a Slytherin for nothing. He knew how to see people for what they were. His mother and Severus made sure he would be able to see beyond the masks people wore. They taught him what to look for and how to look for it, and he knew it.

He knew Potter was intelligent, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He knew Potter was brave and powerful. With proper education Potter would indeed be a great wizard.

Draco had to admit that he was rather fond of the rivalry they shared. He would like it even more if they were on friendlier terms, but that wasn't possible. Potter was Gryffindor and Draco was a Slytherin; those two don't mix.

They just don't.

Draco was sure that his life would have been so much easier if he had Potter's support, but there was no way to approach the other teen without risking his father finding out.

It became difficult to hide behind the mask of the perfect Pure-Blooded Slytherin his mother and godfather taught him to be. There was little hewouldn't give to have Potter's freedom and possibility of choice.

He guessed he was now at least free of his father's influence, but that meant little, because now he was not only on his father's hit list, but the Dark Lord was looking for him as well.

But Draco wasn't a Slytherin for nothing.

He knew that his chances of survival would increase if he managed to convince Potter that he was indeed on 'the side of the Light'; no matter how corny that sounded. He decided to ignore Severus' obvious dislike for Potter and give his best to find a way to approach the raved-haired teen.

He observed Potter silently; from a distance. If they were to spend what remained of their summer vacation together in Grimmauld Place, then Draco would do his very best to show the Gryffindor that he wasn't as bad as he might think. He would give his best to show Potter that he was a victim of his father's influence.

There was only one problem with that. No matter how much Draco prided himself in his observation skills, Harry Potter proved to be one tough nut to crack.

No matter how much Draco observed him trying to catch him alone, Potter was either with Lupin or with Mrs. Weasley and Tonks. The only time when he was alone was when he'd go out late in the evenings, and Draco didn't dare leave the house to follow Potter into the park on the other side of the street. Unfortunately Draco never caught him coming back; he would fall asleep before the other teen returned to the house.

But he was determined to finish his self appointed mission before the summer was over.

And when Draco decides on something nothing would get in his way.

What Draco didn'tknow was that he would get a chance to get to know Harry Potter much more than he ever hoped he would, because Fate had a lot of things in store for the two teens.

And there is nothing in this world that can stop Fate from knitting her webs the way she imagined it.

* * *

It's been a week since Potter's birthday and Draco got bored of sitting in his room, so he decided to take a walk in the garden behind the house. The sun was out casting its shine on the usually cloudy London town.

Draco stepped out of the house and tilted his head back to feel the warmth of the sun on his face. Sure that no one was there to see him he allowed his shields to fall and smiled. The day was quite beautiful. It was easy to forget that there was a war brewing and that his life was in danger.

Those thoughts dampened his spirits somewhat and his smile faded. He bowed his head as he took a step forward and walked deeper into the garden. He hummed sadly when he saw the old, unkempt flower-beds and different weeds that destroyed what was once a beautiful garden. Most of the flowers that now bloomed there were wild roses and field flowers. Never the less, there was somebeauty to be found there. He found an old willow tree and took a seat under its branches. He leaned back on the old trunk using his hands as pillows, and looked up at the blue sky through the thick treetop. He felt the warmth of the summer day seep into his body, and relaxed completely for the first time since he could remember.

He had to admit that this was nice. He didn't remember a moment in his life when he allowed himself to relax completely. There was alwayssomeone watching. He couldn't relax at home because he never knew when his father would come back and demand to see him, and at Hogwarts there were too many eyes and ears around. He had an image to uphold, and even though that image differed greatly from who he was and who he wanted to be, there was no way for him to actually survive being himself.

'Maybe things will be different now?' he opened his eyes and looked through the treetop at the sky.

Now that everyone knew he and Severus weren't loyal servants of the Dark Lord, maybe he would be able to forget everything his father taught him and simply be himself without fearing punishment.

A small, sad smile tugged on his lips and he shook his head.

'Not until the Dark Lord is dealt with and his minions are locked in the deepest dungeon in the world.' He swallowed difficultly and shivered, feeling as though the skies have darkened and the air grew colder.

He knew.

He knew he wouldn't have the freedom he yearned for while both the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters walked the Earth.

Feeling like lead filled his lungs and stomach, Draco pushed himself up and brushed his fingers through his hair.

"Damn them." He muttered into his chin, crossed his arms on his knees and leaned his chin on his forearm. "Damn them all." He buried his face in his forearms and tried to calm his suddenly quickly beating heart.

It felt as though a mountain settled in his chest. He could hear his heart beating in his ears and he was on the verge of a panic attack.

He could almost imagine he was back in the Malfoy Manor, locked in his bedroom; waiting for his father to come home.

He tensed up and his breath hitched in his throat when soft humming broke the sound of his heart beating frantically in his ears. He raised his head and looked around. Ever so slowly he stood up.

_Hush now my baby, __  
__be still love don't cry.__  
__Sleep like you're rocked by the stream._

The voice singing the song was deep. It was like velvet caressing one's ears. Draco walked around the big willow tree and down a small stony path between bushes of wild roses and cypress trees as the voice grew louder.

_Sleep and remember my lullaby, __  
__and I'll be with you while you dream._

Draco's breath hitched in his throat as he rounded another willow and caught sight of a dark clad figure sitting on a bench a few meters in front of him. They had their back turned on Draco and the huge cypress made it impossible for Draco to see who it was.

_Drift on the river that flows through my arms.__  
__Drift as I'm singing to you.__  
__I see you smiling, so peaceful and calm; __  
__and holding you I'm smiling too._

Draco leaned on the tree beside him and listened. He didn't even realize that he closed his eyes. The melody was quite familiar. It felt like he heard it a long, long time ago. It sounded like a lullaby. The man singing it had a beautiful voice, and Draco found himself wishing for the song never to end. He sighed and looked at the back of the man singing the song.

He pushed himself away from the tree and took a step forward. He moved quietly, trying not to make a sound, because he feared that if he did he would stop singing.

And he didn't want that.

He didn't want that at all.

_Hush now my baby, be still love don't cry.__  
__Sleep like you're rocked by the stream.__  
__Sleep and remember this river lullaby.__  
__So I'll be with you when you dream._

Draco swallowed difficultly as he took another step closer. The shadows of the tall cypress tree hid the man from him and Draco felt his mouth go dry. With yet another hesitant step he caught sight of ruffled, raven black hair and his heart sunk in his stomach. He stopped in his place and his eyes widened when he realized who it was that sang that song.

"You can come and join me, Draco." Draco's eyes widened even more and his jaw snapped open. "I'm not going to bite you."

Draco steeled his stance and slowly walked over to the bench. Potter had his head tilted back a little and the sunrays that broke through the tick branches of the cypress tree danced on his face. His skin was quite pale, but not in an unhealthy way, and his black, form fitting clothes did nothing to hide his well defined body.

He took a seat on the very end of the bench, not able to take his eyes off of Potter. He wanted to say something, but he was afraid that whatever would come out of his mouth right now wouldn't sound neither intelligent nor would it inspire any further conversation.

"It is not nice to stare, Draco." Potter tilted his head to the side and looked at Draco, and the Slytherin felt like his breath got kicked out of his lungs.

"Sorry." He mumbled and looked away. His lips twitched when Potter chuckled and Draco felt him shifting in his seat. Potter's presence was almost overbearing. Draco could feel him all around himself, and he couldn't determine if the scent of nature and wilderness he could smell came from the garden or from Potter.

"I thought Malfoys don't apologize to anyone." Draco snorted and looked at Potter before he could stop himself.

"Malfoys don't do a lot of things." Potter raised an eyebrow at him before he looked in front of himself again. Only then did Draco notice an old, stone fountain under moss, overgrown weeds and ivy. It must have been beautiful at one point in time.

"You say that as though you don't consider yourself a Malfoy anymore." Draco looked at Potter with shock written all over his face.

"Of course I consider myself a Malfoy, _Potter_; don't be an idiot." Draco barely managed to hide a wince. He was falling into old habits even after he decided he would try to at least talk somewhat amicably with Potter. It seemed his father's teaching became too big of a part of him. He just got ready for Potter to snap at him when he heard Potter laugh_._ He looked at the other teen with wonder written clearly over his face, and the Gryffindor shot him a small, sideways glance.

"So either your mother is the one holding all the strings, or your father still hopes he would have some use of you since he has yet to disown you." Draco raised an eyebrow at him and felt something in him jump a little when Potter returned it in kind.

"And since when are you able to draw reasonable conclusions, Potter?" he drawled and Harry chuckled.

"Since Remus started teaching me the ways of the Wizards." Potter rolled his eyes and snorted. "Whoever decided it would be smart to stop teaching Wizarding Etiquette, Culture and Politics at Hogwarts to Muggle-born and Half-blood students needs to have their head checked out." He murmured through his teeth and Draco huffed.

"That would be Phineas Nigellus Black, in 1863." Potter frowned and looked at Draco.

"I thought it was Dexter Fortescue in 1845." Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.

"He gave the suggestion and it was accepted as nothing more than a suggestion by the board of Governors. Black was the only one with enough power to actually see it through."

"Oh." Potter nodded. "Must have mixed it all up; I've heard more years, and dates, and names in the past days than I've heard during our five years at Hogwarts." He stopped as if he was reconsidering his words. "With the exception of the Goblin Wars of course."

"Don't tell me you were actually listeningto that." Draco muttered and Potter shivered.

"When you have Hermione Granger as a friend you tend to listen to _everything_." Draco raised an eyebrow at him when he shivered again. "She can be really scary." Draco snorted and Potter looked at him.

"Rumored to be the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord and afraid of a Muggle born Witch." Draco droned and looked at Potter when he huffed.

"I'd like to see you try to tell her you don't want to study about the Goblin Wars of 1547 and see how well it goes for you. She has a mean right hook, but when she has one of her books in hand, it becomes deadly." Draco raised an eyebrow at Potter when the Gryffindor looked at him wide eyed and leaned forward as he started to speak in a conspiratorial whisper. "Seamus heard from Romilda that Chang told Anthony Goldstein about a kid from the Hufflepuff house that asked Hermione for help in studying. He said that the kid ended up in the Hospital Wing because he didn't listen to Hermione when she told him to read more about the Goblin Wars of 1607. Hannah told Seamus that the kid had a really bad concussion." Draco rolled his eyes and snorted, almost missing the smirk that pulled on Potter's face.

"You're kidding me." Potter huffed and pulled back as if offended.

"I kid you not!" he exclaimed and Draco rolled his eyes again. "The Hogwarts Grape Vine never lies."

"Why doesn't anyone know the kid's name then?"

"Are you insane? Hermione would gut him." Draco looked at Potter dully and felt something flutter in his stomach when he saw the smile hiding in the corners of Potter's lips.

"You're an idiot." Potter chuckled and shook his head.

"Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not. You will never know."

"Oh, I've always know. You're a Gryffindor, it takes an honest to heart idiot to do half the things you did."

"Half the things I did or half the things Gryffindors do?"

"I'd say Gryffindors, but you've always been somewhat special."

"Now why does that sound so offensive in my ears?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should visit madam Pomphrey and see if there's something wrong with your hearing."

"I assure you, my hearing is absolutely perfect. If it wasn't I wouldn't have heard you apologizing to me just a few minutes ago." Draco choked up and Potter smirked at him. "But maybe I _am_ having some problems, because I could have sworn that just now you and I were having an actualconversationthat didn't include the usual amount of spite and hatred our conversations usually hold." Draco cleared his throat and concentrated on the fountain in front of them, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't ignore the scorching gaze Potter was looking at him with.

Sure, Potter was right. If one didn't know them, they could have mistaken their conversation from a few minutes ago for usual banter between friends, and he and Potter were nowhere near friends.

Not that Draco didn't want them to be.

He wasn't an idiot. He knew what it would mean to have Harry Potter for a friend; a real friend. Sure, it meant being practically in the middle of the war, but it also meant an amount of safety only Harry Potter could provide. He took care of his friends. Draco knew that. Sure, last school year they were all hurt, but they were hurt because they chose to follow Potter, not because Potter forced them to do something.

Draco dared to look at Potter shortly. He had to admit that Potter had something in him. It was something that attracted people to him; a sort of charisma. There was something hidden deep inside the dark haired teen that drew people to his side.

And Draco wanted that. He wanted to achieve something with Potter, especially now when his life was in danger. Potter was a good, strong Wizard and if he learned everything that he would need to know he would become a great Wizard on day; a great Wizard indeed.

For a moment Draco allowed himself to forget about Slytherin pride. He looked at Potter again and saw him observing Draco with a small smile. His enchanting eyes were glimmering with mischief Draco never saw in them before.

Draco cleared his throat when he became uncomfortable.

"I - I wanted to -What I want to say is-..."

"It's okay, Draco, there's no need to apologize for anything." Draco stared at Potter as if the raven haired teen just told him Earth was flat. Potter chuckled and shook his head. He bowed his head slightly and looked at his hands, clasped in his lap. "We were both childish and we were_ both_ trying to live up to the expectations of different people; you of your father and me-…? Well." he chuckled bitterly and looked up at the sky. "I had the expectations of the whole damn Wizarding World on my back." Draco frowned and looked at the grassy ground.

Potter was right.

Both of them had a lot of expectations to live up to if they wanted to have a semblance of peace in their lives. It cost them a lot.

But maybe, justmaybe it wasn't too late to fix things.

"You know what, Draco?" the platinum haired teen jumped in his place when Potter spoke up, and the Gryffindor raised an eyebrow at him. He received a small glare in return and his lips pulled into a warm smile.

"What?" Draco mumbled into his chin and Potter chuckled again.

"Malfoys don't mumble." Draco glared at him a bit harder this time and Potter laughed.

"I'm starting to see why I avoided talking to you, Potter." He drawled and Potter laughed harder. Draco couldn't help but think that Potter looked good; he really couldn't help it. It looked as though a mountain of weight fell off of Potter's shoulders and his laugh was honest and deep. Draco didn't think he ever heard Potter laugh like that; not at school at least. Potter's laughter died down slowly and he sighed before he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Can I be honest with you, Draco?" Draco raised an eyebrow at Potter and impulsively leaned forward.

"What about?" the raven chuckled and opened his eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had I accepted your hand that day." Draco frowned. He knew what Potter was talking about. He knew, because he often wondered about that as well. "Would everything be different? Would my life be different?" Draco looked at the ground again with a frown marring his handsome features.

"Why didn't you?" Potter sighed and Draco looked at him from under his fringe. The Gryffindor leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"I don't know, Draco." He murmured, and even though Draco was looking at his profile he could see the honest quandary on his face. "I honestly don't know." Silence settled between them as both teens stared at something the other couldn't see.

"One thing I do know, though." Potter spoke up and Draco looked at him. "A lot of things would have been different; a great many things." He stood up and started to walk away.

"Potter, wait!" before Draco realized what he was doing, he jumped after Potter and grabbed his forearm. Only then did he realize that the Gryffindor was almost a head taller than Draco, and a shiver ran down his spine when a light breeze coming from behind Potter brought the taller teen's smell to Draco.

"I have to go, Draco. Night will soon fall and I have a few things I have to take care of."

"I just-…" the words were stuck somewhere in his throat and Draco just couldn't push them past his teeth. Potter looked up at the darkening sky and sighed.

"I really need to go."

"Where?" Draco finally pressed out. "Where are you going every night?" Potter raised an eyebrow at him and Draco barely suppressed a blush. The Gryffindor smirked at him and took a small step back, making the Slytherin let go of him.

"I just have to take care of something." Draco resisted the urge to puff up his cheeks and pout.

"That's not an answer, Potter." He surprised himself with the lack of malice in his voice. Potter smiled at him and did something incredible. He took a small step forward, ignoring Draco's wide-eyed, shock filled expression, and bowed down. Draco was completely still as Potter leveled his nose with his ear, and the Slytherin heard his deep intake of breath.

"Potter?" he rasped out when he actually felt the taller teen tens up and shiver.

"You smell good." Potter murmured and Draco's breath hitched in his throat when he took another step forward. "Unlike anything I've ever-…" in that moment Potter froze in his place and in the next he appeared a few feet away from the Slytherin. Draco's eyes widened when he saw Potter's pale cheeks and wide, shocked eyes.

"Potter, what is-…"

"Nothing." Draco frowned when Potter interrupted him, took another step back and buried his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I'll – I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." Before Draco could do anything Potter turned on his heel and all but marched down the garden. He was out of sight before Draco could say 'Quidditch'.

"Strange." Draco murmured and looked around. He rubbed his arms when the chill of the early evening started to set it. He made his way back to the house, his conversation with Potter rolling in his mind over and over again.

Potter became more of a mystery than he ever was before. Ever since his birthday, the Gryffindor was strange, and Draco couldn't help but wonder what happened to him. Their earlier conversation just made him more determined to figure it out.

'_You smell good.'_

He frowned as he entered the house and made his way to his room. He stopped in front of Potters room and looked at the closed door. He looked around the hallway and took a deep breath when he saw no one was around. With a slightly shaking hand he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He walked in and looked around. The drapes were pulled tight over the window, so Draco turned the light on. There were different books and papers spread all over the room. Some were on the bed, others were on the worktable and there were some on the small, round tea-table under the window. The armchair beside the tea table was turned towards the window and there were a few comfortable pillows on the armchair. They all looked well used. Draco walked over to the window and slowly pushed the curtain aside. He looked down at the street seeing a few people walk past their house. His heart jumped in his chest when he saw Potter cross the street. He passed beside all the people seemingly unnoticed by anyone. Instead of using the entrance he jumped the high fence without any troubles and disappeared in the shadows of the treetops.

Draco frowned and let the curtain drop in its proper place.

'I'll find out what's wrong with you, Potter. You just wait.' He walked out of the room and closed the door behind himself.

'You just wait.'

* * *

"Good morning." Draco jumped out of his chair and it fell on the floor. The Slytherin turned in his place and looked at a smirking Potter. The Gryffindor was leaning on the doorframe leading into the living room with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

"Potter!" the Slytherin breathed out and ran his fingers through his hair. "Are you trying to kill me?!" Potter chuckled and pushed himself away from the doorframe.

"Sorry." He apologized, but Draco could see the teasing smirk on Potter's face. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"_You_ scare _me_?" Draco snorted. "You wish." Potter chuckled again and walked into the room. Draco followed his every move with a scrutinizing eye, and Potter looked at him from under his fringe as he walked around an armchair and took a seat in it.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Potter drawled and Draco frowned at him. He took a seat in his armchair again, not taking his eyes off of Potter.

"What did you want?" the Gryffindor raised an eyebrow at him and his lips quivered minutely as he tried to suppress a smile.

"I just wanted to see if Molly was in the kitchen. I missed breakfast and I wanted to ask her if she's been in my room." Draco tensed up visibly and his mouth dried.

"Why would she go into your room?" he asked after he cleared his throat.

"Well someone was in my room last night." Potter tilted his head to the side and Draco's eyes widened. He knew; Potter knew he was in his room, but _how_? The only thing Draco touched last night was the curtain. He didn't touch or move any of the papers or books and he was extra careful not to bump into anything.

How did Potter know he was in there?

"Draco?" the Slytherin looked at the Gryffindor, and the dark haired teen raised an eyebrow at him.

"How do you know someone was in your room?" Draco barely suppressed a wince. He knew he sounded insecure. Potter surely didn't miss the wavering of his voice.

The Gryffindor shrugged his shoulders and looked at the fireplace.

"I just know."

'_You smell good.'_ Draco's breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened. Potter looked at him with a closed off expression, and the Slytherin froze in his place as a few pieces of the puzzle that was Harry James Potter unraveled themselves.

"You're not human." Draco murmured and Potter's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe.

"Now, what gave you that idea?" he leaned back in his armchair, rested his elbows on the armrests and entwined his fingers in front of his chest.

"On the night of your birthday-…" the Slytherin swallowed difficultly and shifted in his seat."You died. I saw it. I heard you scream. I saw you lying on your bed. You weren't breathing. You weren't moving. You were dead." Potter tilted his head to the side slowly and Draco took it as a sign to continue speaking. "You changed. You look healthier than you ever looked; you're taller and you're not wearing glasses anymore. But how can that be? You were dead." Draco looked in Potter's eyes and the raven haired teen shrugged his strong shoulders.

"Are you sure that you saw right? I wouldn't be here if I died." Draco shook his head.

"You were dead, Potter. I know a dead man when I see one, and you were dead." Potter nodded shortly and crossed his long, lean legs.

"How do you explain me being here then; alive never the less?" Draco huffed in annoyance and ran his fingers through his hair. He stood up and started pacing the room.

"I don't know!" he snapped. "All I know is that you were dead in one moment and alive in the next, and that you changed in the span of one night! Dumbledore implied something and Lupin, Mrs. Weasley and Ms. Tonks were enraged. Severus looked as though he swallowed the sourest lemon in the world!" Potter snorted and Draco rolled his eyes. "More so than usual."

"Snape looks like that every time someone even mentions me." Potter drawled and Draco huffed.

"You're the bane of his existence. You can't expect him to like you. Although don't ask me what his problem is." He rushed to say and Potter rolled his eyes. "The thing is that you're different and I can't for the love of Merlin figure out how!" Draco all but threw himself in his armchair and looked at Potter. The other teen was observing him with calm, calculating eyes.

"Some things are better left unknown, Draco." Potter warned and Draco frowned at him. "Ignorance is bliss."

"But knowledge can save your life."

"Not if you know too much." Draco pursed his lips and looked at the low tea-table that stood between him and Potter.

"Knowledge is power." He spoke and looked at Potter again.

"Those who know too much are often targeted by those who want that knowledge to remain hidden. Your godfather and you are prime examples." Draco paled slightly and looked at the fireplace.

"I never thought I'd hear a threat from you, Potter." Draco muttered and looked at the other teen when he chuckled.

"I'm not threatening you, Draco. I'm warning you. Digging too deep may cost you a lot more than you're willing to give. Death isn't the only danger you're facing." Draco frowned at Potter when the Gryffindor looked at something Draco couldn't see.

"What can be worse than death?" Potter looked into his eyes again.

"Trust me, Draco. Think. Death is definite. Once you die you're free of this world. Once you die you can no longer be harmed; you can no longer be hurt. In my honest opinion, anyone who knows too much about certain things can only hope that death will be the price of their knowledge."

"Since when are you so morose?" Draco drawled only to have his breath hitch in his throat and a cold shiver run down his spine when Potter's eyes darkened. It felt as though the shadows in the room grew and the air chilled.

"I've had a price on my head since birth, Draco. More often than not, people around me were hurt or killed because they associated with me; because they know me. _Knowledge_ about certain things will either get you killed or tortured, just like knowing some people will end up with the same result." Draco swallowed difficultly and looked at the ground. "Trust me, Draco. You'll be better off not knowing some things." Draco took in a deep, shivering breath.

"What if I don't care?" he looked up at Potter's frowning face. "What if I don't care about the price of knowledge?"

"Then you should reevaluate your opinion, Draco. Because if you value knowledge more than you value your own life, you have a serious problem with the order of your priorities. If I'm not mistaken, you and Snape ran away from Voldemort because you both value your lives more than those who remain loyal him do. You both know too much about him, and your lives are at stake here. You should think about it, Draco. Snape took you with him to save your life. _Don't_ _throw it away_." With that said Potter stood up and walked out of the room.

Draco licked his dry lips and looked at the fireplace.

He had a lot to think about.

A lot to think about indeed.

* * *

"That wasn't necessary." Harry looked up when Remus spoke from the entrance to his room. The door was closed and the only light in the room was the one coming from a few balls of light floating in the air. Harry placed the book he was reading on the tea table beside the armchair and leaned back in his chair.

"I do believe it was." Remus sighed, brushed his fingers through his hair, walked over to the bed and heavily took a seat.

"Even after our conversation last night? I do believe that you woke me up quite roughly right after you came from your hunt. If I remember correctly you were quite insistent in your opinion that young Mr. Malfoy is your Mate." Harry sighed, stood up and started to pace. He was wringing his fingers in front of his stomach as he walked in a quick stride from one side of the room to the other.

"That's the very reason I told him all that." Remus sighed and shook his head.

"Harry, if he's your Mate he'll get involved one way or another. He's already involved as it is!"

"And that's exactly why I don't want him to get involved any more than he already is!" Harry snapped and Remus stood up to face his godson.

"You can't run from it forever, Harry. The moment he comes of age the Pull will be too strong for you to handle. It will drive you insane. If you think the Thirst is big now, wait until later. Trust me; no stray dog will satisfy the Thirst then. Within days you'll go into Bloodlust, and I think I don't have to tell you what will happen then."

"What do you want me to do, Remus?!" Harry cried out. He stopped his pacing and rounded on his godfather. "Do you want me to tell him? Do you want me to bring him into even more danger?"

"You told me that his scent is already pulling you in. That means he is less than a few months away from his birthday. If you don't tell him now, he will find out then for sure. The Pull will affect the both of you. You can't deny him the knowledge-…"

"And what if it gets him killed?!" Remus recoiled when Harry roared at him. "What if being with me gets him killed?!"

"And what if you denying yourself gets someone else killed? By his birthday you'll both be in Hogwarts again. By his birthday you'll be surrounded by other children. What will you do then, Harry? Do you think you'll be able to resist it? Do you think you'll be able to control yourself?" Harry swallowed difficultly, took a seat on the bed, rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. Remus sighed and brushed his hair away from his face. He walked over to the bed and took a seat beside Harry. He wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and pulled him against himself. After a moment Harry relaxed and allowed his hands to hang between his legs. He leaned his head on Remus' shoulder and the Werewolf kissed his forehead before he buried his face in Harry's hair.

"I just don't want anyone else to die because of me, Remus." Harry rasped out and Remus squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

"Harry." He moved back a little, cupped Harry's cheek in his free hand and made the teen look up at him. "You may be the Chosen One. You may be in the middle of this war. But people never did and never will die because of you." Harry was about to interrupt him, but Remus spoke up before he could. "This is war, Harry, and people will die whether you're there or not. This is bigger than anyone of us; it's bigger than you, me, Dumbledore or even Voldemort. The only thing we can do is do our best to protect those we love. And the only way to do that is to keep them close. You can deny yourself the pleasure of knowing and having your Mate beside you, but he will get involved one way or another." Remus brushed a strand of Harry's hair behind his ear and smiled at him lovingly. "And I don't believe that you would be able to live with yourself if something happened to your Mate because you weren't there to save him. I know you better than that." Harry chuckled weakly and sniffed a bit.

"Who would have thought though?" he murmured and Remus frowned in confusion. "Draco Malfoy is my Mate_._" Remus snorted and chuckled.

"Opposites attract. And besides." He winked at Harry and the teen raised an eyebrow at him. "You and Mr. Malfoy are not so different."

"Please call him Draco. When you say Mr. Malfoy I can't help but think of Lucius."

"Oh, Merlin." Remus shivered and Harry smirked. "Can you imagine that happening?"

"Well I do believe it could be worse than that." Harry drawled. "It could have been Voldemort."

"Harry!" the teen laughed while Remus pretended to puke.

"Would you imagine that clash of interests?" Remus pushed Harry away and the teen fell off of the bed, laughing his heart out while Remus tried to erase the image of Harry and Voldemort together from his mind.

"Well one thing's for sure; Dumbledore would have a fit."

"Maybe I should tell him Voldemort's my Mate!" Remus looked at Harry while the teen got comfortable on the floor. He raised his arms and used his hands as pillows while he raised his legs up and crossed them on top of the bed. "It would be fun to see his reaction."

"And if he died of a heart attack you'd be accused of killing the self-proclaimed Leader of the Light." Harry snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Such a great loss it would be." He murmured and Remus chuckled. He patted Harry's knee and the teen smiled up at him. Remus slid off of the bed and leaned back against it as comfortable silence settled between them.

"I'll think about telling him." Harry spoke up after a few moments. Remus nodded and sighed. "Is that the only thing you wanted to talk about?"

"No." he smiled down at Harry. "I wanted to tell you that I won't be here tomorrow. I'm meeting an informant for some information. Just wanted to tell you that so you wouldn't worry if you found me gone in the morning." Harry frowned at that.

"I'll worry about you either way." Remus smiled lovingly and poked Harry's side.

"I'll be alright. I should return before nightfall." Harry nodded and swallowed with slight difficulties.

"Thank you for being here, Remus." He whispered and the Werewolf's breath hitched in his throat for a second. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Remus took a hold of Harry's arm and pulled him up. After a few moments of shifting around, Remus had Harry in a firm embrace and the teen buried his face in the Werewolf's neck. He took a deep breath and engraved the scent of his last remaining guardian in his mind.

"I'll always be there for you, Harry. Always."

* * *

Draco cursed under his breath and almost ripped the page of the book he was reading as he flipped it over. He was sitting on the bench beside the old fountain in the garden of Grimmauld Place because he couldn't stand sitting in his room anymore. He already read 4 books by now; two about Wizarding Maladies and two about Magical Creatures, and the one he was reading at that moment was about Magical Inheritance, and yet he still couldn't figure out what happened to Potter. He found absolutely nothing helpful in neither of the books, and the mystery that was _Harry Bloody Potter_ grated on his nerves more than anything ever did.

"You'll get wrinkles on your face if you keep frowning like that."

"POTTER!" he jumped in his seat and his book flew right out of his hands and onto the ground when the raven haired Wizard spoke up from behind him. He glared at the other teen when he snickered mischievously at him and took the seat he occupied moments ago. He bowed down and picked up the book only to raise an eyebrow when he saw the title.

"Didn't know you were interested in this sort of thing." Draco grabbed the book out of Potter's hands and glared at him heatedly.

"You can hardly say you know anything about me, so stuff it." Potter chuckled while Draco took a seat beside him and placed the book somewhat roughly on the stone bench.

"Didn't know you were so jumpy."

"Like I said; you hardly know anything about me." Potter shook his head with a strange smile on his face.

"I'm not the only guilty party on that front, Draco." He drawled and Draco raised an eyebrow at him. Potter shot him a pointed look and Draco huffed. He leaned forward a bit and hunched his shoulders.

"You're right about that." He admitted and Potter nodded. Silence reigned between them for a few moments and Draco used that time to observe Potter. The Gryffindor looked like he didn't sleep last night. His hair was more ruffled than usual and his eyes were filled with shadows. He was leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers entwined as he gazed upon the statue of a weeping lady with a pitcher from which water used to flow. Both were now almost fully covered in moss and the weeping lady had poison ivy around her arms and wild roses and weed as her hair.

"I should apologize for how I talked to you yesterday." Draco looked at Potter when the Gryffindor spoke up. "I was having a pretty bad day and I took it out on you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Course you shouldn't have." Draco grumbled and Potter snorted. "But you did and-…"

"And?" the raven haired Wizard urged when Draco hesitated.

"And in a way I – I understand."

"You don't." Draco frowned at Potter only to shiver when he saw how hard Potter clenched his hands. His knuckles and the tips of his fingers were white from the force he squeezed his hands with. "I do believe that you in fact don't understand."

"Why do you say that?" Potter looked at him and Draco could find no words to name the things he saw in Potter's eyes.

"Because if you did you wouldn't be reading that book; you wouldn't be sitting here with me, much less talkingwith me. If you did understand you would have packed your bags and ran away with Snape as far away as possible."

"What makes you think that?" Potter snorted and shook his head.

"I thought Slytherins had better survival instincts." He murmured and Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well maybe if I knew what in the seven depths of hell happened to you I would know what to do." Potter sighed, stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. He stopped in front of the old fountain and looked at the face of the weeping lady. He reached out and with a tenderness Draco has rarely seen in his life pushed the stem of a wild rose away from the weeping lady's face. He tucked it between a few stems of the poison ivy before he took a step back and continued gazing at it. His back was turned on Draco, and the Slytherin didn't know what expression Potter carried on his face. He could see that his shoulders were slightly hunched and that he pushed his hands deep in the pockets of his formfitting trousers.

"If I told you what happened, would you run away?" Draco actually flinched when Potter spoke up.

"That depends on what happened." Potter bowed and shook his head with a low chuckle.

"Draco, Draco, Draco." He murmured and turned to look at the younger teen. "I never even imagined how different you are from the image you've shown to all of us." Draco frowned and stood up. He walked over to the fountain and picked a single light pink blossom. He spun it between his fingers, looking at the delicate beauty of the wild rose.

"You're not the happy-go-lucky idiot I thought you were either." He admitted and looked at Potter. The Gryffindor smiled and shrugged.

"You and I both had expectations to live up to, Draco. I do believe you're free from them now." Potter grew quiet and looked at the darkening sky. The sun was setting and the chill of the evening was slowly descending upon the garden.

"What about you?" Draco asked and Potter looked at him. Draco felt a shiver run down his body that had nothing to do with the slightly cold breeze that danced through the garden. Potter's eyes looked different. Sure they were still that strange Avada greed they always were, but there was a red tinge to them Draco never saw before.

"Let's just say that I have a whole new set of expectations to live up to." Potter spoke up and Draco frowned at the raspy quality of Potter's voice. The taller teen moved forward, and even though he was slowly entering Draco's personal space, the younger teen couldn't find the strength to move away. It felt as though he was rooted to the spot. Potter's scent enveloped him and it felt like a wave of warm power danced over Draco's skin.

"Potter."

"Draco." The Gryffindor smirked and the Slytherin frowned.

"What are you doing?" Potter chuckled and stopped a breath away from Draco. From this close Draco could see the red bleeding into green. He could see specks of silver dancing in Potter's incredible eyes.

"You're still not running." Potter wondered out loud and Draco tensed up as his instincts told him to turn tail and run. They were telling him that Potter was dangerous; that he was standing in front of a predator.

And yet there was something else; something that was telling him to stay.

"What is it, Draco? What are you thinking about?" Draco swallowed difficultly and suppressed a shiver. Potter's sweet smelling breath fanned over his face and those instincts were going into overdrive. The conflicting emotions that were battling in Draco's mind made it quite difficult to think.

"I'm thinking-…" he stopped as he tried to catch his breath. "You've called me by my name at least a dozen times by now." Potter chuckled and his eyes glimmered, and Draco couldn't help but notice that the red tinge in Potter's eyes grew stronger by the minute.

"I do believe that friends call each other by their first names." Potter drawled and Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"Since when are we friends?"

"I don't believe we are." In that moment Draco realized that he was moving backwards, and that for each step back he took, Potter took a step forward.

"Potter, what are you doing?" Draco murmured and the Gryffindor hummed his eyes almost completely red by now.

"You really do smell good, you know?"

"What-…"

"HARRY!"

"DRACO!"

The teens jumped apart when two frantic calls reached their ears.

A moment later Severus and Remus ran over to them. Both looked pale and had fear shining in their eyes.

"Remus, what is-…"

"Death Eaters!" Remus gasped out. "They're on their way here! We need to get out of here as quickly as possible!"

Without a word Harry broke into a run, not stopping when Draco and Remus called after him. He ran into the house and jumped two stairs at the time on his way to his room. He heard Severus instructing Draco to go into his room and take only what's necessary before Remus ran into Harry's room. He entered in time to see Harry summon all his books and notes to himself. His wooden trunk flew from under his bed and his things flew into it. Drawers jumped open and his clothes joined his books in the trunk before it closed itself and shrunk. Harry summoned it into his hand and pushed it into his pocket before he turned to look at Remus.

"Ready." Remus nodded and listened for the sounds of Severus and Draco packing up.

"I sent Molly and Tonks a message not to come back here. Molly will stay with Arthur and Charlie, and Tonks will stay at the Ministry."

"Go pack up. We'll wait for you in the living room." Remus nodded and ran to his room while Harry took a look around his room. He took a deep breath and ran out and down the stairs. He entered the living room and a moment later Severus and Draco joined him. He shot them a glance before he started pacing. Severus frowned at him while Draco's eyes widened.

"Potter, what's wrong with your eyes?"

"Not now, Draco." Severus spoke up before Harry could, and Remus joined them in the living room.

"Where to now?" Harry asked.

"Our only option is Hogwarts, but we can neither apparate from here nor can we apparate straight to Hogwarts." Remus spoke in a hurry.

"The Floo network-…"

"We're sealed off." Remus interrupted Draco and Severus snorted.

"Figures."

"Now is not the time to be a sarcastic git!" Harry snapped, and while Draco and Remus looked at him in shocked amazement Severus glared at him.

"Unlike you, Potter, we do not have that infamous Potter luck to get us out of here alive." He pressed out through his teeth and Harry growled at him.

"Our only chance is to run to the first Apparation point, but we're risking a lot with it."

"What about King's Cross. When does the next train leave?" Harry asked and Remus looked at him.

"Harry, you're in no condition to go to any public place, let alone travel with the Hogwarts Express."

"What is he-…"

"Now is not the time, Draco!" Harry snapped and Draco glared at him. "Remus, that's our only chance."

"You know that the Death Eaters won't care about innocent bystanders, Harry."

"Then where is the closest Apparation Point?"

"An abandoned warehouse; it's four blocks away." Harry growled and ran his fingers through his hair, and Draco's breath hitched in his throat when he saw his elongating eyeteeth.

"Let's go then. And we better hope they don't catch up with us." Harry marched between them, leaving the other three no other choice but to follow him.

"This way!" Remus called out once they were on the street and Harry, Draco and Severus ran after him.

Draco's breath hitched in his throat and he tripped when he felt a hand on the back of his neck. A hand on his arm stopped him from falling and pulled him along.

"Keep your head low; your hair is a dead giveaway."

"Potter." Draco breathed out and dared spare a glance to the side. Harry was right beside him, keeping his head bowed as not to attract attention to his eyes, but that meant Draco could see them clearly. They were completely red by now, and Draco's guts sank when he saw black bleeding into red.

"Potter-…"

"That's two down and two more to go. Let's hope we're not noticed." Harry interrupted Draco, and the Slytherin looked at Severus and Remus in front of them. "When we get to the warehouse you and Snape are going first. Grab on to him and don't let go. No matter what_,_ don't let go."

"Potter-…"

"Your father could be among them." Draco's eyes widened and his guts sunk as they all but ran down another street.

"Just four more streets!" Remus called out to them and they hurried forward.

"Potter-…"

"Remember what I told you, Draco. Don't hesitate." They broke out into the abandoned part of the town and Draco's heart skipped a beat when Harry let go of him and pushed him forward.

"This is it!"

"Conseco!"

"Protego!"

"Severus! Draco! GO!" Remus ordered while he and Harry instantly turned to face their opponents. They appeared around them one by one with their wands at the ready. Remus' shield shimmered around them. Harry's wand slipped from his sleeve. He could feel the eyes of the other three on himself, and cared little for it. He was losing it slowly. It's been close to 24 hours since he last Fed, and the Thirst was slowly becoming unbearable for him. He knew he would have to Feed soon.

And something was telling him it wouldn't be another stray dog tonight.

"Draco, go." Harry growled as the shield around them started to fade.

"Potter-…"

"GO!" the shield fell and Harry heard Severus and Draco run into the old warehouse. One of the Death Eaters tried to run past them but Remus cut off his path.

"You'll have to go through us." Remus growled with his eyes glowing like liquid gold. The Death Eaters laughed and cackled at them while Harry crouched lower. "You remember what I told you, Ry?" the Werewolf called out to Harry as he rotated his shoulders.

Harry could feel it.

He could feel the Thirst coursing through his body, igniting the flames and the power sleeping within him. He could hear their hearts beating faster and faster as his eyes bled into pure black, his fangs grew and his other teeth sharpened. Remus smirked as he slowly crouched lower, the call of the oncoming Full Moon allowing his wolf to come out slowly.

"They are not innocent." Harry pressed out through his teeth and crouched low as the Death Eaters sent to kill them shrunk back.

"Kill them! Kill them both!"

And a mighty roar shook the night.

* * *

"Severus we can't leave them!" Draco snapped and tore his arm out of his godfather's hold.

"Draco-…"

"You always told me that together we are stronger! We don't know how many Voldemort sent after us! We can't leave them to fight alone!" Severus growled.

"They can take care of themselves!"

"Potter can't!"

"Draco!" Severus called out after his godson when the teen turned on his heel and ran. "I'm going to kill that Potter brat." He hissed and ran after Draco.

The young Slytherin felt his heart jump in his chest when he saw the entrance to the warehouse. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a mighty, lion like roar echo through the metal structure of the building, shaking it to its very foundations.

"Harry." He breathed out and ran forward, ignoring the calling of his godfather. He reached the doorway only to yelp when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him to the side in time for him to avoid a limp body from landing on him. A Death Eater followed and two screams that belonged to neither Remus nor Harry made the two Slytherins shiver. A Death Eater ran into the warehouse, completely missing them and Draco's eyes widened when he saw someone follow after him in an easy stroll.

That someone was _Harry James Potter._

"Merlin." Draco breathed out unable to take his eyes off of Harry. The Death Eater tripped and fell on the ground. He turned on his back and started to crawl backwards, trying to get away from the tall, overbearingfigure of the Gryffindor Golden Boy.

"No. No! Please!" he whimpered and slipped on a puddle of water. In that moment Harry jumped forward. He grabbed the man by his throat, hefted him up without any real effort and slammed him against one of the supporting pillars. The man was whimpering and pleading for his life, gazing into the black eyes of Death.

"Harry?" Draco breathed out and Harry looked at him and Severus. The Potions Master pulled Draco against his chest as the young teen gazed at the face of a Vampire for the first time in his life.

**"****You were told to leave."** Harry spoke in a distorted, raspy voice, and his completely black eyes shone like the night sky. The Death Eater whimpered and Harry looked at him sharply. Even from where the two Slytherins were sitting they could see the grin that pulled on Harry's face.

**"****You chose the wrong time to attack us. I hadn't Fed yet today. And I must admit."**Harry ripped the Death Eater's mask off of his face allowing them to see his terrified expression. Harry took a slow, deep breath through his nose and an obvious shiver traveled down his body. **"The smell of fear on you is very alluring."**The man screamed as Harry bit into his neck. He trashed against the Vampire, but could do little against the inhuman strength of his captor.

"Harry!" Remus ran in only to stop in his tracks. His breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened when he saw the scene. As minutes passed the three could see the Death Eater struggling less and less, until his head rolled back and his arms fell to his sides. Not a moment later Harry raised his head and took a step back, allowing the whimpering Death Eater to fall on the ground. He was dying.

And he knew that.

Harry snorted and raised his right arm almost lazily. He wiped his mouth a chin clean with the back of his fingers only to lick the blood off of them. With a small hum he turned to face Remus, Severus and Draco, and the three felt shivers run down their bodies as his features shifted back to normal. His eyes turned back to the enchanting green they usually were, the specks of silver in his eyes brighter than ever.

"Harry?" Remus murmured and took a hesitant step forward. The Vampire swallowed and nodded shortly before he took a look behind Remus.

"Are we done here?" he asked. His voice was deeper and raspier than usual, and he radiated strength and power not one of them ever felt coming from him.

"Yes." Remus answered and Harry looked around.

"We should burn this place down and get out of here before someone else comes. You two should leave now." He said to Severus and Draco, and before the young Slytherin could say anything, Severus grabbed him and pulled him up. He all but dragged him along, and as they passed beside Harry, Draco looked at him and their eyes met for a mere second. The platinum blond teen felt something in him shift when a strong smell of nature and wilderness, and pure unrefined power tickled his nose. Just as they reached the Apparation Point Harry turned and their eyes met again.

And something in Draco knew that a lot of things changed.

And then they were gone.

"Are you alright, Harry?" the Vampire looked at the Werewolf and smiled a small, sad smile.

"I'm alright." He said and slowly walked over to the Werewolf as if testing the waters. Remus smiled and nodded at him. It seemed Harry breathed out a breath of relief and he straightened his stance.

"How was it?" Remus asked and Harry bowed his head a little.

"I understand why mom avoided it." He admitted. "I have to say that human blood tastes much better than that of an animal. It should be used only as a last resort." Remus nodded and Harry's smile grew. "We should get this done."

They quickly piled the Death Eaters in the middle of the warehouse and took a look around to check if there was anything left to betray their actions.

"We're safe to go." Remus said and Harry nodded. They walked over to the Apparation point and Remus looked at Harry. "Do you want the honor?" Harry chuckled and his wand slipped out of his sleeve. He placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and grasped it firmly while Harry raised his arm and a sinister smirk stretched his lips.

"Fiendfyre!"

And as the burning inferno erased all traces of life in the old warehouse, the two apparated away to safety.

* * *

Dumbledore, Severus and Draco stood up quickly when the door of Dumbledore's office opened and Remus and Harry walked in.

"Took you long enough." Severus growled and Harry glared at him.

"We took care of the remains." He murmured and spared a glance at Draco before he looked at Dumbledore. "What I really want to know is how the Death Eaters knew where to look for us. I want to know how they knew we would be at Grimmauld Place when I know for a fact that _you_ were the Secret Keeper." Dumbledore frowned and took a seat in his chair.

"I don't know, Harry. I am afraid that someone betrayed us." Harry's eyes darkened and he would have taken a step forward had Remus not grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

"As much as I know, no one can find the place hidden by the Fidelius Charm unless the Secret Keeper reveals its location." Harry pressed out through his teeth and everyone looked at Dumbledore. "It can also be found if the owner of the home was killed and the Secret Keeper didn't switch his allegiance to the new owner. So tell me, Dumbledore. Why wasn't it done?"

"Sirius never named the new owner of Grimmauld Place." Dumbledore spoke up. "As you well know, he didn't like that house and he wanted nothing to do with it."

"But he knew what would happen if he died, and he knew that the Order would continue to meet there. Sirius was a lot of things, but he wasn't an idiot. He must have left a Will in which he named his heir." Remus spoke up.

"I wasn't informed of a Will-…"

"Then why did you continue sending people there?!" Harry roared and everyone looked at him. "If Remus didn't go and meet his informant the four of us would have still been there when they attacked! Molly and Tonks would have been there as well! You've put all of our lives in danger!"

"I didn't know we had a traitor in our midst." Dumbledore spoke in a calming voice. In the next moment he found himself eye to eye with Harry who was leaning on his table on his hands, his face inches away from Dumbledore's.

"Potter!"

"Shut it!" Harry snapped at Severus and his eyes glowed black for a second before he looked at Dumbledore again. "Listen to me, and listen to me well. I suppose you hadn't listened well enough when we talked on my birthday, so I'll try to make myself clearer this time."

"Harry, calm down-…"

"Don't tell me to calm down, you senile old fool!" a silver globe on Dumbledore's table exploded. "I am sick and tired of your manipulations and machinations! They've cost me my parents, my childhood and any semblance of a normal life I could have had, and trustme when I tell you, I have had enough of it all. You want your Weapon? Well, you'll have to think things through, because I might very well pack my bags and disappear, and you can be certain that you won't find me again. You've played with all of us like a Puppet master, playing your own game of Chess, moving us over the board and sacrificing us for the _Greater Good_. Well for all I care the Greater Good can go and _fuck_ itself, because I will no longer be a chess piece on your _fucking board_!"

"You've Fed." Dumbledore stopped Harry's rant and the Vampire frowned at him. "You've Fed on human blood." Harry pushed himself off of Dumbledore's table, but didn't move away from it.

"I'm a Vampire, Dumbledore." Harry spoke lowly. "I'm afraid that that's what we do. We _Feed_ on _blood_. And I must correct you." He sneered and wrinkled his nose. "_Death Eaters_ aren't human. I don't Feed on innocent humans, but so help me I will sink my teeth in every single one of them bastards. And once I find the traitor who put Remus', Draco's and Snape's life in danger tonight, I will drink. Him. Dry_._" In that moment, with a cheery thrill Fawkes appeared in the office. Everyone watched as the Phoenix circled above them before he landed on Harry's shoulder. Severus and Draco watched in fascination as the Phoenix nuzzled his cheek against Harry's as soft, loving thrills flowed out of his beak.

"It is good to see you again, my friend." Harry greeted the Phoenix and patted the underside of his neck with the back of his fingers.

"I thought Phoenix' don't like dark creatures." Draco spoke up for the first time and Harry turned to look at him.

"Dark doesn't mean evil." Harry corrected. Fawkes thrilled before he pulled on a few hairs on Harry's head and the Vampire chuckled. "I'm not a fledgling, Fawkes, stop fawning over me." The Majestic bird let go of a chastising thrill and Harry snickered. "Go you big _chicken_." Fawkes pecked his ear and flew off to land on his perch.

Harry looked at Dumbledore and frowned when he saw the pleased smile on the older man's face.

"I am glad to see you hadn't strayed, Harry." The Vampire's eyes darkened and he fisted his hands by his sides so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Where will we be staying?" he pressed out through his teeth.

"There are two free sets of rooms down in the dungeons. I hope you won't mind staying there." Dumbledore said and Harry nodded. "Harry, I would like to talk with you alone." Harry snorted and turned on his heel.

"I'm sure you would." He passed right beside Remus and slammed the door of the office closed.

"He's not happy with this, Albus." Remus looked at the Headmaster. The Werewolf looked at Severus when the Potions Master snorted.

"Potter will have to grow up. He can't expect everyone to do as he wants."

"You just don't get it, do you, Snape?" Remus wondered and Severus looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Harry is nothing like James. There's more of Lilly in him than of James, and you're so stuck in the past that you just can't see it. He's nothing like you think he is."

"He is-…"

"I'll have to agree with Mr. Lupin on this, Severus." Draco interrupted his godfather. "You know what I thought about him. My opinion didn't differ much from yours. But Potter is different. Right now I'm a bit freaked, but you saw what he did. I know you've been observing him ever since his birthday and you can't find one thing to confirm your more than just obvious dislike of him." Remus smiled and nodded at Draco.

"I do believe that we should all go and get some rest. It's been a difficult day." Remus suggested and Dumbledore nodded.

"Severus, take them to their chambers. Have a good rest." Severus snorted and marched out of the office. Draco sighed and shook his head and Remus chuckled as they followed after the Potions Master.

They just came into the hallway when they found Harry kneeling on the ground. He was talking with one of the House Elves and the small creature was jumping happily in front of him.

"Of course, Harry Potter Sir! Dobby will be happy to help you!" Harry chuckled and patted the Elf's head.

"Thank you, Dobby. You've been a great help, and you're a great friend. Go. Stay safe." Harry stood up and Dobby grinned at him.

"You as well, Harry Potter Sir!" with a pop the Elf was gone and Harry turned to face the other three. Severus snorted and marched right beside him. Harry looked at his back while Draco and Remus walked over to him.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" he murmured and Remus chuckled. He patted Harry's shoulder and they followed after Severus.

"Just ignore it, Harry. " Harry rolled his eyes and Remus nudged his shoulder with his. "He'll get over it one day." Harry snorted and looked at Draco who appeared on his other side. He hummed and looked in front of himself again, feeling Draco's eyes on his face.

"So! You're a Vampire." Harry chuckled and nodded, while Draco continued observing him from the side.

"Indeed I am. It looks like I'm more pureblooded then you are, Draco." The Slytherin snorted.

"That means nothing, Potter." Harry chuckled and shook his head. They walked down the stairs into Slytherin territory and Severus stopped in front of a doorway.

"Lupin, you're staying here. The password is _Draco Dormientes_." The painting of a sleeping dragon moved and Remus smiled at Harry and Draco.

"I will see the both of you for breakfast. Get some rest."

"You too, Remus." The Werewolf pulled Harry into a hug, and once they parted he smiled at Draco and entered the room. Severus moved forward without a warning, and Harry and Draco followed after him with a sigh.

"I will not have you demolish the dungeons. You will keep to your chambers and avoid trouble, am I clear?" Severus said and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Of course, sir." Harry replied. Draco looked at the Gryffindor and frowned slightly. Harry's eyes were somewhat dull; as if he was lost in thought. They stopped in front of a portrait of a beautiful desert cobra. The desert was the color of the deepest emeralds and there seemed to be a light shining over the dunes. Snape was about to say the password when the snake uncoiled and hissed at Harry.

_"__Gryffindor in Slytherin territory! Disgrace! Disgrace!"_ Harry chuckled and shook his head.

_"__Now, now. We aren't all that bad."_ The snake flinched back and bowed her head a little.

_"__You speak our tongue."_

_"__I do."_ Severus and Draco shivered as they listened to the exchange between the snake and the Vampire. Neither could erase the memory of what happened less than an hour ago in that warehouse. Neither could forget the full form of the Vampire in front of them. Harry looked nothing like it anymore, but the knowledge that beneath that normal visage hid one of the most fearsome Creatures in the world left both Slytherins quite apprehensive.

_"__It is an honor to meet you, young Master."_ Harry smiled at the snake and nodded.

_"__Will you allow me to reside in the chambers you're guarding?"_ the snake bowed her head at him.

_"__I welcome you into my chambers. Speak the password and you may enter."_

_"__What do they call you?"_

_"__Sabiha, young Master. Sabiha is my name."_ Harry nodded at her and looked at Severus.

"What is the password?"

"Sang real." Severus drawled and Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't know who chose that password. I know that no one lived in these chambers for quite some time. It's possible that no one lived in here since the time of the Founders." Harry nodded and looked at Sabiha.

"Sang real." Sabiha bobbed her head and the picture moved.

"Draco-…"

"I need to talk with Harry for a bit. I'll find my way to my room." Draco interrupted Severus, and the Potions Master frowned at him. "I'll see you tomorrow." Draco said and entered the room leaving Severus and Harry in the hallway.

"Good night, sir. Rest well." Harry nodded at his professor and entered the room. Severus frowned once the picture moved into place.

He had a lot to think about.

A lot to think about indeed.

* * *

"I do believe that these are the best chambers I've ever seen in Hogwarts." Draco commented while he and Harry looked around. They were in a big living room and fire was burning in the fireplace, warming the whole room. In front of the fireplace on a big, thick, emerald green rug was a set of furniture colored in dark brown and jade. The couch and two armchairs around a low, square tea-table looked comfortable and inviting, and the two smaller round tea-tables on either side of the couch had two candles each on them. The walls were covered in bookshelves filled to the brim with books, and between them were two doors leading to two other rooms.

"Let's see what else we can find." Harry walked over to the first door on the left and opened them. He entered a big bathroom with a walk in tub. The walls were light green with golden details and the air smelled of pine and grass. A door on the right had Harry looking at Draco, and the Slytherin walked over to them.

"This leads into the bedroom." Draco said once he opened the door and Harry followed him into the room. There was a king sized bed in the middle against the wall, a huge mahogany wardrobe and a working table in one corner. There was also a small window high on one wall, big enough to give a nice view of the night sky.

"I will definitely love living here." Harry murmured and Draco snorted. They walked back into the living room and Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry when the Gryffindor all but threw himself on the couch. He sighed and raised his legs up before he threw his arms behind his head and used his hands as pillows.

Draco stood to the side doing his best as not to shift his weight. He didn't know what to do or say. He wanted to ask the Gryffindor about him being a Vampire. He wanted to talk to him about it, but right now there was a conflict in him. The rational side of his brain was telling him to get out of there and run in the opposite direction, but his heart was telling him to stay, and that had Draco confused.

He had nothing with the Gryffindor; absolutely nothing. They weren't even friends.

Now that thought hurt, no matter how much Draco didn't want to admit that.

"Do you intend to stand there all night?" he looked up at Harry and saw him watching him with half lidded eyes. He looked so at home on that couch; relaxed in a way Draco never saw him.

"I don't know. Is it safe for me to stay?" Draco drawled and Harry chuckled. He pushed himself up and took a seat on the couch, observing Draco with amusement in his eyes.

"Don't worry. I do believe I've had enough throats for one evening." Harry returned in kind and Draco snorted. He took a seat in an armchair, never looking away from Harry.

"So. Vampire." Harry chuckled and brushed his hair back with his fingers.

"Yeah. My mother was bitten before she came to Hogwarts. My father turned out to be her Mate and they had me. I ascended on my birthday." Draco frowned and looked at the ground.

"I thought no Vampire child survived their 16th birthday." He murmured and Harry nodded with a bitter smile on his face.

"I've always been special." Draco snorted.

"In your head." Harry snickered and grinned at Draco, showing a line of perfect white teeth with slightly accented fangs.

"You'll have to hide those somehow." Draco looked pointedly at Harry's mouth and the raven haired teen shrugged.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." He shifted on the couch until he was sitting on his legs and looked at Draco with a searching gaze. "So. Now that you know my dirty little secret, what will you do with that information?"

"Go to the Prophet and earn me some money." Draco responded dully and Harry broke into laughter.

"We can split the prize if you allow me to go with you to scare them a bit."

"You could bite Sceeter's head off while you're at it." Harry hummed and looked like he was actually considering the suggestion.

"No. I do believe her blood would taste awful with all the lies and scams she said and did." Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"You think blood tastes different every time?" Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

"Of course it does. Up until tonight I Fed on stray dogs and each one tasted differently. That Death Eater's blood, while it did taste good in a way, left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth." Harry shivered and wrinkled his nose a bit. "At the risk of sounding corny I'd say it tasted corrupted; it tasted like evil."

"You're right." Draco droned and Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "That did sound corny." Harry laughed again and Draco couldn't help but smile.

He's known and observed Harry from afar for 5 years and never once did he see the Gryffindor this relaxed and happy. His smiles rarely reached his eyes, and the only time he looked even remotely similar to how he looked now was when he was on a broom and high in the sky.

"I'm glad we all got out of it alive." He looked at Harry when the raven haired teen spoke up and found him gazing at the fire with eyes filled with thoughts and memories. "I'm glad none of us got injured or hurt."

"Even Severus?" Draco teased and Harry snorted.

"Even Snape." He murmured and leaned back. He tilted his head back and rested it on the backrest of the couch, looking up at the stone ceiling.

"You know he doesn't really hate you?" Harry snorted and rolled his eyes.

"With how many times he saved my life I know he doesn't hate me. He hates the fact that I remind him of my father. He can't stand the sight of me, because every time he sees me he sees James Potter; not me." Draco frowned.

"I can't judge that since I never saw a picture of your father. But I heard people say that you have your mother's eyes." Harry chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah." He raised his head, straightened in his seat, brushed his fingers through his hair and stood up. "I'm a bit tired, Draco. Would you mind-…"

"No; it's fine." Draco stood up and Harry smiled at him.

"I'll see you at breakfast. Rest well." Draco nodded and moved for the doorway. "Draco?" the Slytherin stopped and turned to look at Harry. The Vampire smiled at him and shrugged his strong shoulders. "I wouldn't mind it, you know? Being friends with you; I wouldn't mind it at all."

Draco couldn't help but smile. He nodded his head and for some reason stood taller.

"I wouldn't mind it either, Po – _Harry_." The Gryffindor's smile grew and he nodded at Draco.

"Good night."

"Rest well." With that said Draco was gone and Harry was left standing alone in his new chambers. He sighed and looked at the fire the smile melting off of his handsome face. He crossed his arms over his chest as his bit into his bottom lip.

Remus was right. He wouldn't be able to resist the call of the Pull. He wouldn't be able to resist it.

He could only hope that Remus was right and that it wouldn't put Draco in any more danger.

Although he had a feeling that was a fool's hope.

* * *

Harry woke up with a start. His whole body was covered in sweat and his breathing was quick and strained. He saw it. He saw Voldemort's plans.

He had to warn Draco.

His mother was in danger.

He had to warn him.

Before it was too late.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Legacy

**The song featuring in this chapter is 'Shattered' performed and owned by Trading Yesterday. I claim no rights to the song.**

* * *

Draco ran into the Headmaster's office closely followed by Severus, and his heart stopped when he saw that Harry and Remus were already there together with Dumbledore.

"What's going on? Why were we summoned?" Draco asked.

"I had a vision." Harry spoke up before anyone else could. "My connection with Voldemort seems to be as strong as ever. He's angry about our escape. He doesn't know I was with you, but he does know you and Snape got away."

"What is he planning to do?" Remus asked and Harry frowned.

"He's going after Mrs. Malfoy."

"What?!"

"When?!" Draco and Severus cried out in terror and Harry looked at them with shadowed eyes.

"He already dispatched his men. Your father is leading them. They're supposed to make an example out of her."

"What does that mean?" Draco rasped out brokenly and Harry's eyes filled with sadness. Draco didn't need for him to voice it. He knew what would happen to his mother. "We need to save her." He turned to look at Severus and then at Dumbledore. "We need to save my mother!"

"Calm down, Mr. Malfoy, Your mother will be alright."

"How can you tell me to calm down?!" Draco snapped at Dumbledore. "They're going to kill her! They're going to kill her just to send us a message!"

"Mr. Malfoy-…"

"You know he's right, Albus." Remus interrupted Dumbledore. "We need to find her and bring her here."

"The only ones who aren't on a mission right now are you and Severus, Remus, and I cannot risk either one of you getting captured or killed."

"Draco and I can go then." Harry spoke up and Draco looked at him wide-eyed.

"Harry-…"

"You don't really think you can face Death Eaters alone." Severus drawled and Harry glared at him.

"I won't allow Mrs. Malfoy to be harmed. As much as I understand she's not a Death Eater, or at least she never took the Mark; that's enough in my eyes. She won't get hurt if I can do something about it."

"But you can't Apparate yet, and you can't use Magic-…"

"He can." Remus interrupted Draco. "Harry's no longer just a Wizard. His magic can't be registered. He is also of age and a full-fledged Vampire; the Ministry can do nothing against him." Harry nodded and looked at Draco.

"We can use a Portkey. You can tell us the closest location to where your Mother could be hiding and we could track her down from there. Once we get her we just have to run to the closest Apparation point and use the Portkey to return to Hogwarts. It won't be easy and the risk is too big for anyone's comfort, but Dumbledore is right; Remus and Snape are too valuable to risk losing them."

"You're more valuable than either one of us, Harry." The Vampire smirked at the Werewolf, and Remus raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"I am also the one hardest to kill." Remus chuckled and shook his head.

"I forgot about that." He murmured. Harry snorted and looked at Dumbledore, and his expression growing stone cold.

"I don't like this, Harry. I don't approve of this." Harry sneered at him and his eyes darkened to almost black.

"You'll find out soon that I don't care all that much about your opinion, Dumbledore. You may not care about individuals, but I do, and if it's in my power to save someone then I bloody well will." While Dumbledore and Harry were locked in a stare-down, Severus observed the young Vampire with scrutiny and surprise. Draco couldn't wrap his mind around everything no matter how hard he tried, and Remus was trying to think of a way to help Harry. Suffice to say he was coming up with nothing.

"Harry, you are too valuable for me to allow-…"

"I'm not asking for you to allow anything." Harry hissed at Dumbledore and his eyes flashed. "Remus, you'll make the Portkey. Draco we're moving out." Harry turned on his heel and marched out of the office not waiting for the others to follow.

"You should think things through, Albus. I do believe it's quite obvious that Harry won't listen to you anymore. I'm afraid that you lost yourWeapon." Remus said and followed after Harry. "Let's go, Draco." The teen shot Dumbledore a look before he followed after the Werewolf. Dumbledore looked at Severus and the Potions Master frowned at him.

"You've lost your grip over things, Albus. I guess Potter isn't the Perfect Weapon you wanted to make of him."

"Severus-…"

"Think about it, Albus. The boy isn't wrong in doubting you, if what I've seen is true." Without another word, Severus left the office, leaving Albus alone with his thoughts. His baby blue eyes darkened and he bowed his head in thought.

All his careful planning was going to waste.

And he knew why.

He knew that he forgot to take into consideration that even though Harry had only one Vampire parent that there was still a chance for him to Turn. He underestimated Harry's strength and power and it cost him everything. His careful manipulations were worthless if Harry turned his back on him.

He would have to think it through.

And he would have to be careful.

Otherwise he feared he would lose more, much more than one Weapon.

* * *

"This is it." Harry stopped and turned on his heel to look at Draco, Remus and Severus. He was slightly surprised to see the Potions Master there, but he had no time to think about it. The Death Eaters could already be on the Malfoy Estate. They had no time to lose.

"I need something to turn it into a Portkey." Remus said and Harry nodded. He looked around trying to find something when Draco spoke up.

"Will this work?" he took a necklace from around his neck with a small pendant with the Malfoy crest on it.

"Perfectly." The Werewolf took the necklace from Draco. "Where should it take you?" Draco looked at Severus and the Potions Master hummed.

"Narcissa isn't stupid; she knows the Dark Lord would target her. She won't be at Malfoy Manor. She'll go to a place where she won't be easily found; a place Lucius wouldn't think of first."

"The Western Guest House!" Draco remembered. "It hasn't been used since before I was born. There are no House Elves there and father has never been there. He won't think of going there first." Remus nodded.

"I need exact coordinates." Harry looked around while Draco and Remus worked on the Portkey and met Severus' scrutinizing eyes. He swallowed and nodded at the Potions Master. He barely managed to suppress his shock and surprise when the man nodded back at him.

"Done!" Draco walked over to Harry and the Vampire looked at him. "We need to hurry."

"Let's go. Remus, one of you should wait here for us in case one of us gets injured."

"We'll be ready." Remus assured Harry and Severus nodded. "Good luck." Harry looked at Draco and the younger teen offered him the pendant. Draco suppressed a yelp when Harry wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close against his hard, strong body. He wrapped his hand around Draco's tightly and cursed under his breath.

"I hate Portkeys." He grumbled before he looked at Remus and Severus.

"See you soon." The two nodded at him and Draco inched even closer to Harry.

"Portus!"

The moment they were gone Remus turned to look at Severus because he heard the Slytherin hum.

"Severus?"

"He is really more like Lily than James, isn't he?" Remus smiled and his eyes filled with warmth.

"You have no idea, Severus. You have no idea."

* * *

Harry and Draco appeared at the borders of the Malfoy Estate. Draco was clinging onto Harry's shirt as if it was his life thread, and Harry was trying to fight off the feeling of sickness that was rapidly rising in his stomach.

"I really hate Portkeys." He pressed out through his teeth and Draco chuckled despite the situation. "You alright?" Draco nodded at him and swallowed over a lump.

"Let's go. I'll lead you. Even though there aren't any wards against Vampires, there are some spells to confuse the senses of Vampires and Werewolves. It gives us-…"

"More time to get away; I know." Harry murmured and took Draco's hand in his. He took the necklace and Draco frowned when Harry placed it around his neck. "When we find your mother you two will run for the borders. I'll be right behind you, but no matter what you will keep on running. You won't look back, you won't wait for me; you will run for the borders and you will use the Portkey to get back to Hogwarts whether I'm with you or not, do I make myself clear?"

"Harry-…"

"We don't have time for arguments, Draco!" Harry interrupted the Slytherin, and Draco flinched back wide-eyed.

"Alright." He rasped out and Harry nodded. His wand slipped into his hand and he tugged on Draco's hand.

"Lead the way." Draco nodded and they broke into a run. It didn't take long for Harry to feel the effects of the spells around the Malfoy Estate. It was getting harder to concentrate on the path they took, so he gave up on it. He squeezed Draco's hand tighter and felt the Slytherin squeeze back. They ran deeper and deeper into the forest and soon enough the treetops became so thick they couldn't see the night sky. Not even the light of the Moon broke through the thick branches.

"This way." Draco took a sharp turn leaving Harry with no other choice but to follow him. They broke out of the forest and sighted a Victorian looking house in the middle of a small clearing. They ran over to the back entrance and Draco let go of Harry's hand. He tried to open the door but failed.

"It's locked."

"Move." Draco moved to the side and Harry raised his wand. "Reserare!" the door opened with a bang. Draco gapped and Harry winced. "I'll have to watch my strength a bit." Harry murmured and his wand disappeared up his sleeve. "Let's go." He grabbed Draco's hand again and they all but ran into the house.

"Mother!" Draco called out frantically as they ran through the kitchen, into the dining room and out into the main hall. "Mother, where are you?!"

"Draco!" both Draco and Harry turned around quickly when a breathless voice came from the top of the stairs. Only the weak light of the Moon that broke through the big window above the entrance door allowed them to see the frightened, terrified form of Narcissa Malfoy. She ran down the stairs and pulled Draco into a hug, burying her face in his neck. Draco returned her hug with just as much fervor while Harry looked around. He felt a sense of unease crawling up his back.

"Draco, what are you doing here? You should be at a safe location with Severus!" Narcissa admonished Draco once they parted.

"We ran into some problems-…"

"I hate to interrupt but we came here for a reason." Harry interrupted Draco, and Narcissa looked at him as if she didn't even know he was there before he spoke up. "We'll explain everything to you once we're back at Hogwarts, Mrs. Malfoy. We need to move out. The Death Eaters could be here any minute." Narcissa looked at Draco with a million questions in her eyes, and her son shook his head at her.

"Mom, you have to trust him. Come on, I'll explain everything when you're safe." Narcissa nodded and shot Harry a short, confused look. In that moment Harry felt that feeling of dread almost triple.

"We need to go. Now." Draco took his mother's hand in his and they followed after Harry. Once they were out of the house, Harry turned to look at them and Narcissa gasped when she saw red bleeding into Harry's emerald eyes.

"Remember what I told you, Draco. Keep running and don't look back." Draco nodded and took a firmer hold of his mother's hand. Harry looked to the side and Draco knew he heard something he and Narcissa couldn't hear.

"Mr. Potter-…"

"Go." Harry pressed out through his teeth as his wand slipped into his hand and his features became unrecognizable as his teeth became sharper; his jaw jutted out slightly and his eyes turned from red to black. "GO!" he roared and Draco pulled Narcissa into the forest.

"Conseco!"

Harry erected a shield in the last moment and ran after Draco and Narcissa just as a group of Death Eaters led by Lucius Malfoy ran onto the clearing.

"Get them! Get all three of them!" he screamed. Harry looked in front of himself and noted that there was quite a distance between him and the other two. He ducked just in time to avoid another Dismembering Charm and rolled on his feet again.

"Deasceo! Conseco! Protego!" one Death Eater fell to his Cutting Curse and another fell down screaming as Harry deflected one of their curses. He saw two of them run past him after Draco and Narcissa and quickly fired two Binding Curses after them. One hit its mark but the other missed and he cursed under his breath when he had to protect himself from another curse.

"Crucio!" he ducked and avoided the curse at the last moment. He rolled into a crouch and hissed when he found himself surrounded by Lucius and three more Death Eaters.

"Well, well, well." Lucius sneered at him and Harry returned in kind, his fangs glistening in the weak light of the Moon. "What do we have here? A _Vampire_ fighting on the side of the _Light_." Lucius drawled and Harry felt his fangs _itch_ with the need to sink them into the slimy Death Eater's neck.

"Should we kill him or capture him? The Dark Lord might want him on his side. Maybe he has a Coven that could be persuaded to join our noble cause. He looks awfully young." Harry recognized the voice of the masked Death Eater that spoke up. It was Dolohov, and the need to Feed grew almost exponentially.

"He's pretty good. He took down three of us alone." Harry didn't recognize the third Death Eater, but his eyes fell on Lucius when the eldest Malfoy chuckled and pulled his wand out of his walking cane. He pointed it at Harry, and the young Vampire crouched lower.

**"One day I'll have your head."**He pressed out through his teeth and the Death Eaters laughed at him.

"Really now, young Vampire?" Lucius drawled and Harry had to try hard to suppress the need to Feed. His mouth was watering at the verythoughtof drinking all of them dry. "And why would you do that? If you come with us, you would have many people to feast on. I don't believe theLight is all that accepting of your eating habits."

**"I don't need their approval to feed on you Death Eater scum."** Lucius sighed sadly and shook his head as he raised his wand.

"I am sorry to hear that. I'm afraid that you will have to die now." Without another word all of them attacked Harry, and the young Vampire had to try hard to deflect all of their curses. He managed to duck two Killing Curses, but hissed and cursed under his breath when a Cutting Hex caught his shoulder.

"Conseco!" he spat out and one of them fell on the ground dead. Harry turned on his heel and ran for the border as fast as his legs could carry him. He heard them running after him and hoped Draco and Narcissa managed to reach the borders.

He cursed and ducked, and fired a Burning Hex as he rolled on his feet, taking Dolohov down. Lucius snapped at the remaining Death Eater to catch him, and Harry knew he had to hurry up. He was slowly losing strength as the smell of blood overtook his senses. The spells that were on the Malfoy Estate didn't help things either. His magic was fighting against the effects of the spells, and it was draining him. He knew that he had to get away from them because if he didn't he wouldn't be able to fight the Thirst off.

His heart jumped in his chest when he heard Narcissa's scream.

"Sectumsempra!" he killed the Death Eater that escaped him earlier and the two Malfoys looked at him.

"Harry!"

"Go!" Harry snapped at Draco as he caught up with them, and all three of them ran for the borders. Harry felt it the moment they crossed them, but his relief was of short lasting.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry pushed Narcissa and Draco on the ground and ducked in time to see the Killing Curse fly over their heads. He jumped on his feet and aimed his wand at Lucius and the other Death Eater.

"I suggest all three of you surrender. Your deaths might come quicker that way." Lucius sneered at them and Narcissa pulled Draco close to her while Harry stood in front of them.

"Draco, go." Harry ordered lowly.

"H-…"

"I told you something earlier." Harry interrupted him. He didn't need to see it to know that Narcissa was looking at him with complete confusion. "Go. I'll be right behind you." Lucius chuckled and the other Death Eater laughed. Harry sneered at them, his eyes bleeding back to red.

**"Draco, go."**

"Stop them!"

"Portus!" the moment he felt Draco and Narcissa port away, Harry shifted his stance and attacked Lucius.

He grunted and barely stopped himself from falling on the ground when Lucius managed to hit him with his own Cutting Hex, and Harry felt his back burn and the smell of blood clouded his mind.

"Revincio!" the other Death Eater fell and Lucius recoiled when he realized he was the last one standing. He found himself gazing into the red eyes of the young Vampire, and he felt his heart sink into his stomach.

**"I suggest you run back to your master, Lucius; although you might want to get ready. I have no doubt that he won't be pleased with your failure."** Harry's expression turned positively evil. **"If you want I can kill you right now. I can promise that your suffering will be short." **Within moments Lucius vanished with a pop.

Harry fell to his knees with a grunt and leaned on his arms as he tried to catch his breath. His whole body ached and his sight was blurring. He felt his features turn back to normal as his breathing calmed.

In that moment his strength failed him and he fell to the side. Pain burst in his back and he suppressed a whimper as he tried to gather enough strength to move.

He wished for nothing else but to be at Hogwarts right now.

While darkness took over his sight, he choked up on a breath as the feeling of being pressed through a thin tube washed over him.

"Harry!"

And blessed unconsciousness captured his mind.

* * *

He woke up to the familiar scent of his bedroom at Hogwarts and a pair of familiar, stormy gray orbs gazing down at him.

"Don't move." Draco warned him. "Your back is in a pretty bad shape." Harry groaned lowly, but nodded never the less.

"Remus?" he rasped out.

"Dumbledore organized an emergency meeting. Mother went with them to share everything she knows with the Order. I agreed to stay behind and watch over you." Harry swallowed with slight difficulties and nodded. "Do you need anything?" Harry licked his lips and tried to smirk.

"Some water would be nice." He murmured and Draco shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but Severus gave you a few potions. You shouldn't drink anything for at least 6 hours." Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He cracked one eye open when he felt the bed dip on one side and saw Draco sitting on the bed beside him. He felt the other teen trace the wounds on his back and immediately knew what had the blond frowning.

He knew the Slytherin could see the scars on his back. He knew Draco could see every single one of them.

"Who did this to you?" he asked and Harry closed his eyes.

"My uncle." He rasped out, and could imagine the frown on Draco's face and the way the blond would unconsciously bite into his bottom lip. He did that whenever he was confused about something. Harry's lips pulled into a small smile when he felt Draco's fingers trace one of the thin white lines on his shoulder.

"Why?" Draco breathed out and Harry winced after he tried to shrug his shoulders.

"He didn't exactly like me." Draco's frown deepened at Harry's words and he looked at Harry's face.

The Vampire was tempted to moan under the tender touch of Draco's fingers, but he kept the unwanted sound locked deep within him. Draco's scent was all around him, calming his tired mind.

"I'm sorry, Harry." The Vampire opened his eyes and looked at Draco to the best of his abilities.

"What for?" he asked and Draco bit into his bottom lip.

"For being a brat. I'm sorry for shunning you and making fun of you; torturing you for the past years." Harry chuckled and Draco looked into his eyes.

"I wasn't exactly helping you change your opinion of me." He drawled and Draco smiled a small hesitant smile.

"Thank you." He said. "Thank you for saving my mother and me. Dumbledore wouldn't have done anything, and-…"

"You're welcome." Harry interrupted Draco's rant and the Slytherin's smile grew a little.

"You should get some rest." He murmured and Harry nodded.

"You should get some sleep as well." Draco shook his head.

"I promised to watch over you." Harry rolled his eyes.

"We're at Hogwarts. Nothing will get us here. Go to sleep." Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"Contrary to the popular belief we Slytherins keep our promises. I promised to stay here with you. I'm not going anywhere." Harry smirked at him.

"If you promised to _stay with me_ nothing is stopping you from getting some sleep." Draco's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe. "Semantics." Harry murmured and Draco snorted.

"Watch out, Potter. You're using some big words there." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Come on. The bed is big enough for the both of us." Draco's breath hitched in his throat and Harry shot him a pointed look.

"Do you trust me that much?" the Vampire smiled.

"It seems you trust me enough to stay here with me even though there's a possibility of me losing control and Feeding from you." He countered and Draco recoiled slightly.

"You wouldn't." Harry raised an eyebrow at him. He was doing his best to resist the call of Morpheus, but he knew he would soon lose the fight.

"Do you trust me that much?" Harry threw Draco's question right back at him. A moment later he received his answer. He snorted when Draco lay down on the bed facing Harry. The Vampire could feel Draco's sweet smelling breath fanning over his cheeks, and warmth spread over his body.

"Good night, Draco." He murmured as sleep claimed him.

"Good night, Harry. And thank you. Thank you very much."

* * *

When Draco woke up the first thing he realized was that the room he was in wasn't his own. He sighed and nuzzled into his pillow. The warmth it radiated and the steady heartbeat under his ear were somehow comforting. He pulled himself closer to the strong body he was holding on to and-…

Wait a second.

Warmth?

Heartbeat?

Body?

His eyes opened and he jumped out of the bed only to gape. Harry James Potter was sound asleep facing away from Draco. He realized that he was practically spooning Harry from behind and that he was sleeping with his head resting on Harry's back mere moments ago.

Remembering the events of last night he rushed to check Harry's back. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his wounds were almost completely healed. The only reminders of the confrontation with the Death Eaters were thin red lines that would soon disappear.

Draco swallowed with slight difficulties and took a seat on the bed. He looked at Harry's sleeping face and slowly, ever so slowly reached up to brush a strand of wild black hair behind his ear. He often wondered if Harry's hair was as rough as it looked. He was surprised to find out that it was in fact soft and almost velvety on touch.

'What am I doing?' he recoiled and stood up. 'That's Harry Potter!' he turned on his heel and all but ran out of the room, missing the opening of clear emerald orbs and the heavy sigh that left soft lips.

Ever so slowly Harry took a seat and looked at the door Draco left open when he ran out of Harry's chambers. With tender fingers, Harry reached up and touched his cheek where Draco's fingers caressed him with a butterfly touch. The air was still heavy with Draco's smell, and Harry felt his guts twist and turn. He lay back down and buried his face in his pillow.

'Remus is right.' He thought bitterly and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. 'I won't be able to resist it.'

* * *

When Draco came to breakfast he noticed immediately that Harry wasn't there yet. Severus, Remus, Dumbledore and Narcissa were already at the table, and his mother stood up to greet him.

"Good morning, Draco." She hugged him tightly and he returned it equally.

"Good morning, mother. Has anyone seen Potter?" he asked once they parted and started to walk over to what was usually the teacher's table.

"No one saw him since before we left for the meeting, my boy." Dumbledore spoke up. "Did something happen?" Narcissa and Draco took seats at the table and Narcissa started piling Draco's favorites on his plate.

"Nothing happened, Headmaster. I left him alone once I was sure the potions took effect and when I saw him sleeping properly. I came to check up on him before coming to breakfast, but I didn't find him in his chambers." Dumbledore frowned while Remus and Severus exchanged a worried glance.

"Maybe you just missed each other in the hallway." Narcissa suggested and Draco shook his head.

"Impossible. There's only one way from his chambers to the Great Hall. I would have seen him if he was on his way here." In that moment the door of the Great Hall slammed open and everyone jumped to their feet when they saw the enraged figure of Harry James Potter marching towards the table with a few papers in his right hand.

"What is the meaning of this, Dumbledore!" he threw the papers in front of Dumbledore and placed his hands on the table leaning forward. It took only one look at the papers for Dumbledore to realize what they were and where they came for.

It seemed like every single one of his mistakes was coming back to bite him.

"Where did you get that, Harry?" the Vampire growled low in his throat and everyone at the table tensed up when red started to bleed into Harry's eyes and his fangs grew longer.

"Imagine my surprise when I entered the living room of my chambers and found a very angry looking black hawk perched on the couch with this letter beneath its talons. Imagine an even greater surprise when the letter opened the moment I touched it, and a pretty angry voice started reprimanding me because I managed to miss THE READING OF MY GODFATHER'S WILL!" the windows shook with the force of Harry's roar, and Dumbledore's fingers inched towards his wand.

"Harry-…"

"You knew Sirius named me the next Head of House Black! You knew he would want me to be there, on the reading of hiswill! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE!" Harry slammed his fists on the table creating two pretty deep indentations. It showed just how powerful he was and just how much he was holding back.

"It wasn't safe at that time." Dumbledore knew that was a wrong thing to say before it left his mouth.

"You could have picked me up and accompanied me!" Harry roared and a few cups on the table exploded. Narcissa yelped and Draco stood in front of her, while Severus and Remus summoned their wands in case the young Vampire lost control; although not one of them would be able to find a reason to blame him for it. "You were on the reading! You are the self-proclaimed guardian of the Bleeding-Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived, and you thought it unimportant for me to hear my godfather's will!" Dumbledore looked trapped.

"Harry, listen to me, it isn't wise for you to go anywhere with Voldemort on the loose-..."

"Stop using Voldemort as an excuse for your bloody manipulations, you senile old fool! If you think you can manipulate my life to your liking you are sadly mistaken, Dumbledore! Trust me when I tell you, I will make sure you learn your lesion before this war is over!"

"That's enough, Harry!" the Vampire raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore when the wizard raised his wand and pointed it at Harry. "You should take a seat and calm down before you lose control and hurt someone." Harry looked murderous.

His fangs elongated and he stood straighter. His clothes and hair started to shift around him as his fangs and teeth sharpened and his eyes turned completely red with specks of black bleeding into them.

**"Put your wand down, Dumbledore; unless you want it broken in more pieces than you could count."** Harry warned and Dumbledore tensed up. Severus looked at Remus in shock when he heard the Werewolf let go of a small whine. Remus took a small step back and lowered his wand. He looked as though he was close to showing his neck to Harry, and Severus looked at the young Vampire with a confused frown.

That wasn't a normal reaction. Sure, a young Vampire was dangerous when angered and Dumbledore just made that mistake. Severus never saw anything even remotely similar to what was happening to Harry. Although very pale, markings appeared on Harry's face. Two straight, onyx-colored, fang like lines appeared on both sides of Harry's cheeks and the white of his eyes started to dissolve into black. Harry shook as he tried to gain control of his magic. He took a deep breath and everything stilled. The castle stopped vibrating and the sky seemed to clear of clouds.

"If you'll excuse me, Dumbledore-..." he pressed out through his teeth as his eyes and teeth returned to normal."I have a place to be at." In that moment happened something no one thought was possible. With a loud 'pop' Harry Disapparated from the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

Silence settled over the group of people until Remus turned on his heel and all but ran out of the Hall. When the doors to the Great Hall closed with a bang Narcissa looked at Dumbledore and shot him through with a patented glare possessed only by furious mothers.

"Mind telling me what is going on?" she hissed with her eyes shifting from Dumbledore to Severus, both men trying to avoid her scorching eyes. When the older wizards gave her no answer she turned to Draco.

"As you already know, mother, Potter is a Vampire; an Ascended one." Narcissa raised an eyebrow at her son before her eyes focused on Dumbledore again.

"An Ascended Vampire? I thought it's not possible. I thought Vampire children die on their 16th birthday unless their parents give them the Bite."

"Harry has always been special. I'm afraid not one of us knew just how special." Dumbledore spoke in a calming tone, but Narcissa would hear none of it.

"And what was that about Harry not attending my cousin's will-reading? I thought he was very sick and that his relatives didn't allow him to go because they feared he would get worse?" Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Narcissa you must understand, I only wish to protect that boy."

"Well, then I must say you did a really lousy job, because if people protected by you end up like that I don't really want to know what happens to the people you don't protect." Everyone was surprised when Draco spoke up. His eyes were cold and he had his arms crossed over his chest.

"How do you mean that?" Narcissa asked and Draco snorted.

"Scars." Draco sniped shortly and looked at Severus. "You saw them as well, godfather. His back is littered with scars." Narcissa looked at Dumbledore with wide, terrified eyes. "Scars which are the courtesy of Harry's uncle."

"He was safe there." Dumbledore interrupted Draco. "The blood wards-…"

"I don't know what _blood wards_ you're talking about, Dumbledore, and it's already too late for you to change anything. But let me tell you that as far as I understand you've done nothing to keep him safe from the people those blood wards were protecting, because it sure as hell wasn't him!" before Dumbledore could say anything Draco marched out of the hall. Narcissa swallowed difficultly and looked at Dumbledore.

"Listen to me and listen to me well_, _Albus Dumbledore." She spoke lowly, her eyes blazing hellish fire. "You know that family comes first to us Blacks. Harry Potter is now a Black. If even half of what Draco said now is true, I will personally see to it that those Muggles face the wrath ofevery single Black. And if I find out that all of it happened because of you-..?" she smirked and cocked one perfectly sculptured eyebrow. "Well; I do believe I don't have to spell it out for you." She left the hall with her head held high and back straight. Dumbledore took a seat heavily and let go of a heavy sigh. He looked at Severus who seemed to be in deep thought.

"Severus?"

"I only want to know one thing." The Potions Master spoke up and looked Dumbledore straight in the eyes. The elderly wizard frowned, but nodded his head. "Was Potter mistreated at the Dursleys?" Dumbledore swallowed with slight difficulties and nodded his head. Severus' eyes were growing colder by the second.

"Did that mistreatment include any sort of mental abuse?" Dumbledore nodded hesitatingly and Severus paled.

"Did it include any form of _physical_ abuse?"

"Severus-…"

"Did it include sexual abuse?"

"No!" Severus' eyes darkened.

"But it did include mental and physical abuse."

"Severus, he was safe from Voldemort there." Dumbledore insisted and Severus saw red.

"And yet you assured us several times that Potter had a nice and loving home he goes to every summer! You assured us that Potter was a healthy, happy young man with no other worries but his school obligations! And all the while you knew; you knew he was mistreated and abused by his own relatives! The same people who should have spoiled him rotten!"

"Must I remind you of your treatment of Mister Potter?" Dumbledore interrupted Severus and the Potions Master scowled at him.

"You know very well why I treated him like that, Albus. You know I had an image to uphold, but if I knew that he was yet another abused child I would have made an effort to talk to him! I owe that much to Lily!" without another word Severus left the Great Hall leaving Dumbledore alone. The old wizard sighed and hid his face in his hands.

All his plans were falling to ruin.

And he didn't know how to save them.

He simply didn't know.

* * *

"Draco! Draco, I need to speak with you." Narcissa called out once she entered her son's chambers. The teen walked out of his bedroom and Narcissa immediately knew that he was troubled by something grave. She smiled at him in a motherly way and walked over to him.

"Come, son. We need to talk." He sighed as they walked over to the couch and took a seat on it. She turned to face him fully and with the tenderness only a mother can show brushed a strand of his platinum blond hair behind his ear.

"Care to tell your mother what is going on in that head of yours?" she teased lovingly, although Draco didn't miss the seriousness behind the light tone.

"Someone spilled the beans on Severus and me, so we had to get away from Voldemort. Luckily it was before he branded me." Draco murmured and sighed. "You can imagine that father wasn't exactly pleasedwith me but we managed to get away. When we came to the supposed 'safe house' we found Lupin, Molly Weasley and Tonks there and a very sick Harry Potter." Draco raised his hand and rubbed his face before he leaned back against the backrest and looked at the fire with a distant look. "I didn't know what happened to him then. We were kicked out of the room and by the time Severus managed to open the door, it was all over. When I saw Potter he was dead_._ Next thing I know Dumbledore called for him and he came back to life. I don't have to tell you that it freaked me out." Narcissa smiled and Draco shot her a small amused smirk.

"What happened then?" Draco took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Nothing really." he murmured. "The next morning Potter came into the kitchen looking like a different man. Severus avoided him and I observed him." Narcissa snorted and Draco looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I knewyou had an unhealthy obsession with that boy." She murmured and Draco rolled his eyes.

"_Mother!"_ he hissed and Narcissa giggled.

"Go on; go on." Draco huffed and continued.

"I talked with him and to my surprise realized that he wasn't the Gryffindor Golden Boy I thought he was. He's differentsomehow. He's nothing like I thought he was." Narcissa nodded in understanding and Draco frowned as he remembered the events that followed.

"Lupin went out to meet an informant of his. He came back with news that the Death Eaters were coming for us. Someone betrayed our position. We ran and I found out Potter's a Vampire." He shrugged and bowed his head as he started to fiddle with the sleeves of his shirt. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at her son and pursed her lips slightly.

"And what about your infatuation with Mr. Potter?"

"Mother!" Draco cried out incredulously and jumped on his feet.

"Now, now, Draco; don't try to hide things like that from your mother. That never went well with anyone." Narcissa admonished and Draco choked up on words as a blush spread up his cheeks. Narcissa giggled and Draco glared at her.

"Even if that were true, and I assure you it isn't, it wouldn't matter anyway. He can only be with his Mate." Narcissa rolled her eyes and huffed.

"I never took you for someone who would give up before the battle even started."

"Mother-…"

"He's not pushing you away, is he? And if I remember correctly you two looked quite comfortable with each other last night."

"Mother!"

"Since I know my eyesight is quite good for my age, I know what I've seen last night when I came to check up on Mr. Potter-…"

"Mom!"

"I know that I've seen you sleeping with him, in the same bed, and the both of you looked quite comfortable." Draco was opening and closing his mouth in a cute impersonation of a fish and Narcissa was smirking at him openly.

"He was unconscious! I would bet my entire inheritance that he doesn't even know what happened last night. And besides, we're hardly evenfriends. We've only started to get to know each other." Draco took a seat almost petulantly while Narcissa sighed and shook her head.

"You can deny it as much as you want, Draco, but I know that you are attracted to young Mr. Potter. I just don't know why you're so adamant in denying it." Draco sighed and bowed his head.

"Mother, you remember the stories you used to tell me when I was a child. Vampires Mate only with their destined Mates. You've told mecountless fairytales about princes and princesses falling in love with Vampires who came after them because they were their destined Mates. Even if I felt any sort of attraction towards Potter, which I don't-…" he stressed out with a pointed look. "It would lead nowhere. Once his Mate comes of age he would run off to find them." Narcissa hummed.

"Vampires find their Mates by scent." She said and Draco frowned. Something tickled his mind, but for the love of Merlin he couldn't point it out.

"Like I said, mother; it doesn't matter." Narcissa smiled sadly while Draco looked at the fireplace. She believed he didn't even know how sad he looked at the moment. "I could never be his Mate." Narcissa stood up and kneeled in front of Draco. She cupped his handsome face between her warm, loving hands and looked into his eyes.

"The world is a small place, my son." She whispered and caressed his cheeks with her thumbs. "Believe me. You would be surprised with just how small of a place the world is."

* * *

Harry James Potter walked into the Great Hall of Gringotts with his eyes spitting emerald fire. People and Goblins alike moved from his way when they got a taste of the shimmering magic which danced around the vivid young man.

He walked up to the main counter and took a deep breath to calm his rage.

"Good day, I am Harry Potter and I would like to speak to Goblin Korshak." He spoke as calmly as he could, and the old Goblin looked at him with his beady, scrutinizing eyes.

"Good day, Mr. Potter." He drawled. "We've been expecting you. Follow me please." He hopped off of his high stool and led Harry through a set of golden doors and down a long marble hallway with many closed doors on each side.

"We are sorry if you took offence in the way you were-..."

"There is no need to apologize." Harry interrupted the Goblin sharply. "I've known for a few weeks about my self-proclaimed guardian's unwillingness to inform me of the more important things in my life. This is neither your fault nor mine." The Goblin nodded and stopped in front of the last door in the hallway.

"We knew something must have held you back." Harry nodded while the Goblin knocked on the huge door. A loud 'come in' reached their ears and they entered the office. Harry saw an elderly Goblin whose wise eyes stared at Harry through thick glasses. Harry kept on a cold mask and bowed at the ancient Goblin.

"Good day, Master Korshak." He greeted formally. The old Goblin smiled and showed the young Vampire to sit down.

"Good day to you too, young master Potter. I have been expecting your visit for quite a while now."

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I never received a summoning to see you, and since I spent my summers with my Muggle relatives I had no way to come."

"I am sorry to hear that. If we had known that your Guardian, Albus Dumbledore, neglected to inform you of your duties as the last remaining Potter heir and the newly appointed Head of House Black, we would have sent you a notice sooner." Korshak spoke. "I'm afraid that the Wizarding laws forbid us to interfere, especially if someone as influential as Albus Dumbledore takes someone under his wing." Harry fisted his hands on his knees so hard his knuckles turned white and his nails almost pierced his skin.

"That old man made his last mistake, mark my words." Harry growled while he fought to suppress the bubbling rage in his heart. His guts felt like lead as he thought about just how deep Dumbledore's manipulations went.

"You must understand, young master, that the Hogwarts Headmaster is old; older than you might think he is, and very powerful. Some would say it is his right to act the way he's acting."

"With all due respect-..." Harry pressed out through his teeth and looked at the Goblin with eyes blazing hellish fire. Korshak suppressed a smirk at the amount of pent up rage the youngling held in his heart. Once that rage was directed on something constructive, this young Vampire would bring many changes to the world. "No one has the right to play god, especially not Albus Dumbledore." The Goblin smirked a shark like smirk and Harry frowned.

"I see the Gryffindor blood flowing through your veins is quite strong, but Slytherin's blood seems to be much stronger." The anger Harry felt was pushed to the back of his mind at the new information.

"I know that I'm Gryffindor's heir through my father's side, but I didn't know I was Slytherin's heir as well." Korshak nodded and entwined his long fingers on top of his desk.

"The only descendant of Slytherin mentioned in the history books is his son Hephastion. Not many people know that he had another heir."

"Why was it kept secret?" Harry asked. "As far as I know any child is highly valued in the Wizarding world, especially a Pureblood child."

"His daughter was not a legitimate heir." Korshak clarified and Harry frowned.

"That would mean that Slytherin had a lover, right?" Korshak nodded.

"Yes; Slytherin had a lover. He had a lover his family didn't approve of, which meant that they never accepted any child that came out of that relationship."

"Who was it?" Harry asked and leaned forward in interest. Korshak took a deep breath and relaxed in his chair.

"Salazar Slytherin was a direct descendant of Merlin. His line goes far into the past and his bloodline was one of the purest ones ever. What everyone thinks they know is that Salazar despised everything Muggle. That was not the case. Salazar never believed in the 'purity' of blood, but his family was a matter of its own. Before the Four Founders came to the idea of creating Hogwarts, both Salazar and Godric were very close, although they kept it hidden from the public eye." Harry nodded for Korshak to continue.

"When they met Helga and Rowena, the two women knew from the first moment that the two men were destined to be together. But fate wasn't keen on letting it come true. Salazar's father demanded an heir to the family and Salazar was desperate. He loved Godric, and Godric loved him, but their love was forbidden. When she learned of their dilemma, Rowena came up with a plan."

"They would marry between the families, right?" Harry asked and was awarded with a smile.

"Correct." The Goblin nodded. "Salazar married Rowena, because his father approved. She had a long linage of purebloods in her family, some scripts say even up to 7 generations; no-one knows exactly. Godric married Helga and they were happy." Korshak sighed and bowed his head a little. "Salazar and Godric kept up the image of rivalry between themselves for the sake of their love. They knew there would be a war between two families if word ever came out that the two were together. With them married to two respectable women, everything was well in the eyes of people. Both women gave heirs to the two mighty families and everyone was happy." Korshak's expression fell and his voice deepened. "But then everything went wrong."

"How wrong?"

"Salazar found out he was pregnant." Harry choked up and his eyes widened while Korshak raised an eyebrow at him. "Is there something wrong, Master Potter?"

"I apologize, I just thought you said _Salazar Slytherin_ found out he was _pregnant_." Korshak chuckled and shook his head.

"I keep forgetting that you were raised by Muggles." He murmured. "Male pregnancies are possible among True Mates. It's connected to levels of magic between Mates of same sexes. Magic combines their essence and makes it possible for a child to be created from their union." Harry swallowed difficultly and nodded for Korshak to continue. "Never the less natural pregnancy between normal Wizards without a Creature predecessor is a rare thing, and it is a sign of an undying love. You can imagine that Godric was thrilled, but their happiness was of short lasting. They knew they would never be able to raise the child, since the Slytherin family would have disapproved of it, so they found another way. Salazar and Rowena left Hogwarts and, although he knew it was for the greater good, Godric let himself fall into a depression. What no one knew was that they were True Soul-Mates. Godric was dying and so was Salazar. In the end, Salazar lived long enough to bring the child into the world and name her. He named his daughter Rosa, and left her half of his fortune in secret, leaving his son a note with an explanation. Young Hephastion grew into an honorable man, his heart filled with understanding and love, just like his mother taught him. Gryffindor died not long after Salazar let go of his last breath. Both left heirs to the world more powerful than any other. But the blood wasn't thick enough to withstand the centuries that followed." Korshak looked at Harry with sad eyes.

"Although Hephastion knew of his half sister and took care of her, he was still a Slytherin; and a cast out at that. He went against his grandfather and was killed in a duel defending a young Muggle-born witch." the Goblin sighed. "Rosa was hidden from the Slytherin line although the name was still left to her. She was the sole heir of Gryffindor and Slytherin, not to mention Merlin himself. She married a Muggle and since then hid in the human world. A few times her descendants married a wizard and the blood grew strong again. And that is when we come to your mother." the Goblin looked pointedly at Harry and the young Vampire frowned in confusion.

"You must be mistaken. My mother was a Muggle-born Witch."

"Your mother was adopted by a Muggle family when she was a baby. Her parents didn't survive a fire that happened in the village they lived in, and the Evans family took her in. They gave her their name and loved her as if she was their own daughter."

"That's why aunt Petunia hates me so much." Harry murmured and Korshak sighed.

"Perhaps it was because Lily was adopted; perhaps because Petunia was jealous of the gift Lily had. I wouldn't know. But it is true that Petunia Evans-Dursley holds a grudge against her sister that is too deep to be forgotten with time." Harry sat there in silence for a few minutes. It felt as if the whole world toppled down around him. To think he was a direct descendant of Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff on his father's side, and Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor and _Merlin_ on his mother's side of the family was quite mindboggling.

"This is-..."

"I know it comes as a shock, young master, but the truth is that there is a lot more to you than you could ever imagine." Harry looked up at the aged Goblin.

"How do you know all this?"

"I am the fourth Goblin in charge of your family vaults. The knowledge was passed on from one heir to another in my family in case something like this happened. You are the last sole heir to those families, young master. Tom Marvolo Riddle is a murderer and a danger to us all." Korshak said.

"Is there any way for me to see everything that was left to me; and my godfather's will?" the Goblin smiled and took a stack of papers from his drawer. He handed them to Harry and circled the table.

"I will send someone with a drink for you, young master. You have all the time you need to study these papers and come to terms with everything. The will of Sirius Black is in there as well." With that said, the Goblin left the room and left Harry to his own thoughts.

Harry lost the track of time as he read through the files Korshak gave him. Things were slowly coming into place. Through the Will of his parents he found out just how powerful the Potters were.

They were the oldest family in the Wizarding world. He was Lord Gryffindor, from his father's side, and Lord Slytherin from his mother's side. He had a pretty large amount of money; so large in fact that he could live like a god for a millennia if he so wished. Not to mention that Sirius made him Head of House Black; another one of those powerful families. Dark magic practically stood at his disposal, waiting for him to learn everything that could be learned.

Harry placed the papers on the table, leaned back in his chair and tilted his head back. He closed his eyes and swallowed over a lump that appeared in his throat.

There was so much he didn't know about his family; about himself. So many different things lay in front of him, his to use however he saw fit. He stood up slowly and rang a bell.

"You called, young master?" a Goblin Harry recognized as Griphook entered the room and bowed at him.

"It is good to see you again, Griphook. It's been a while." Griphook looked as though someone told him he would be promoted to Head of a Vault that second.

"You recognize me?" Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

"You are the first Goblin I met, Griphook; of course I recognize you." Griphook smiled toothily and bowed his head at Harry again.

"Forgive me, young master, but no one ever paid enough attention to remember. Wizards rarely take enough time to see the differences between us." Harry snorted and shook his head.

"I understand." He murmured.

"What did you want, young master?"

"I would like to visit the main vault." Harry said and Griphook nodded.

"Follow me." They left Korshak's office and Griphook led Harry down many hallways.

"We took the liberty and organized your vaults. We gathered the heritage of the Four Great Heads in one vault and everything else is scattered in other, lesser vaults. All in all you have 17 original vaults to your family's name and 11 more to the Black name, all safe and secured with the newest discoveries in safety magic."

"Thank you. Everything you've done is highly appreciated." Harry said as they walked deeper into the underground. "How come we're walking?"

"Because the bigger vaults have higher security and they are protected with blood magic. Only a Goblin and the direct descendant of the one who established the vault can enter." The Goblin explained.

"What happens if someone who isn't of the same blood tries to enter?" Harry asked although he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"If there is permission in the form of a letter with that person, then nothing will happen to them, but if it is someone without permission; say a_ thief_? That person dies a really painful death." Griphook said with a pretty ugly smirk on his face and Harry nodded; now he knew why only a fool dared even think of robbing the ancient vaults. They stopped in front of huge metal doors and Harry felt ancient magic course through his veins.

"Magnificent." He murmured and slowly walked closer. The sound of the mechanism made him tense up, but when the doors started to open he was left speechless. The vault itself was huge, but the things that were kept inside left Harry breathless.

Books covered two walls, glass boxes held jewels of all forms, colors and worth. Torches started to light up one after another until they reached the end of the chamber only to reveal four portraits.

"Will you need anything, young master?" Griphook asked. Harry shook his head as he walked into the huge chamber with hesitant steps, and the last thing he heard was the door closing. He slowly walked down the chamber to the four portraits. His hands shook so very hard and his heart beat against his ribcage.

Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff and Merlin looked down at him with gentle eyes. Godric was a handsome man, with shoulder long brown hair and kind hazel eyes. He looked proud and noble but a small amount of mirth could be seen in those endless depths. Helga looked at him with a gentle smile. She was a motherly person and her kind blue eyes held a huge amount of love in them.

Harry then looked at Merlin. Almost the same replica of his eyes started straight back at him. Merlin's eyes held nothing of the silver specks that Harry's had but they were the same consuming color. When he looked at the last picture his breath almost hitched in his throat. Salazar Slytherin himself stared down at him. Emerald eyes seemed to look straight through him and Harry had to gather every ounce of his courage to keep looking at his ancestor. Suddenly a smile appeared on Salazar's face and Harry felt his heart swell.

"I never thought that our blood lines could produce someone so strong." Salazar commented. He had that kind of voice you could listen to for days and never get tired of it. Harry was sure that Salazar was an excellent teacher.

"What did you expect, Salazar? It was bound to happen." Godric drawled. He watched Harry with a kind of fondness in his eyes.

"I must say there is something of every one of us in this young man." Helga spoke.

"You are not human, child." Harry looked at Merlin with a small frown.

"How do you mean that, Grandfather?" Salazar asked.

"Maybe you should introduce yourself to us, young one." Merlin suggested and Harry looked up at his ancestors.

"My name is Harry James Potter. I am the heir of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Merlin, and the Head of House Black. I am also a Vampire."

"You were bitten?" Helga breathed out fearfully. Her kind eyes looked sad and pained, and Harry felt a small smile tug at his lips.

"No, ma'am. My mother was bitten two months before she came to Hogwarts. I Ascended on my birthday." Harry explained and she smiled at him lovingly.

"You are alone?" Merlin asked.

"I wouldn't know. I have yet to meet another Vampire." Harry said.

"It must be difficult." Salazar murmured and Harry shook his head.

"It's not as difficult as it could be. My good friend and honorary godfather is a Werewolf. I don't know where I would be without him."

"Have you found your Mate?" Helga asked and Harry's eyes darkened instantly.

"I – I do believe I have. There is a boy my age whose scent is – it's very alluring to me."

"Do you know of his feelings for you?" Salazar asked and Harry snorted.

"I do believe that we've shared a bond of good rivalry up until a few days ago." He drawled and his ancestors chuckled at his words.

"Just rivalry?" Godric droned and Harry snickered.

"We hated each other." He said shortly and his ancestors laughed.

"There is a thin line between love and hate, young one." Salazar teased, but all mirth disappeared from his face when Harry winced and bowed his head a little.

"Is there something wrong, young Harry?" Godric asked. He could see that their descendant wasn't happy. If he didn't know better he would say the young man turned desperate in a matter of seconds.

"I can't give him what he needs." Harry confessed. His voice sounded broken and pained. "I am targeted by the darkest wizard of our time. He's been after me since my birth. He killed my parents and he repeatedly endangers not only my life, but the lives of those I hold dear. I am afraid that he would target my Mate if I choose to be with him before I find a way to destroy Voldemort."

"There's more to it than that." Helga said and Harry winced. "You know very well that his life is in danger either way. There is another reason why you fear the connection that has already been established between the two of you on a certain level." Harry turned his head to the side. He couldn't look at them. He knew they could see right through him, and he didn't want them to see.

He didn't want them to see how truly damaged he was.

"You never knew love." Salazar whispered and Harry bowed his head lower.

"When Voldemort killed my parents the current Headmaster of Hogwarts and the self-proclaimed Leader of the Light sent me to my Muggle aunt and uncle. Both think that magic is the most disgusting thing in the whole world. So yes; I grew up with no one who would care enough to show me love." Harry murmured. In the next moment a wave of magic passed over him and he felt like a pair of gentle, loving arms hugged him tightly. He looked up slowly and saw his ancestors looking at him with kindness and understanding.

"In time you will learn, little one, that your heart holds such a capacity to love that you would never be able to imagine it. Your Mate will understand, and he will accept you the way you are; and he will help you overcome the pain you feel. Together you will learn how to express your feelings." Helga spoke and even though Harry didn't actually believe her, he nodded in acceptance.

"Love is a very powerful emotion, young one. Once it fills your heart there is little that you can't do." Merlin said. "Just don't run from it. If you do, you will end up no better than that Voldemort fellow." Harry smiled a bit and looked up at them.

"You will learn that the more you love, and the more people you have that you wish to protect, that much stronger you will be." Harry nodded at Salazar.

"It is our purpose and duty to help you find the right path in your life. Know that we will always be here to help you whenever you need guidance and council." Merlin said.

"Thank you." Harry bowed at them and they smiled at him.

"Just remember what we said." Salazar warned him and Harry nodded.

"Thank you once again. I will have to say good-bye for now." The four great wizards smiled and returned the bow.

"We already look forward to your next visit, young one. Come by whenever you find the time." Godric said.

"I will. Until we meet again." Harry turned and left the chamber. He walked swiftly to the main hall and found Griphook and Korshak waiting for him.

"I take it you have to go." Korshak said with a smile.

"I stayed longer than I thought I would. I should return to Hogwarts."

"I want you to know that you and your own are always welcome here, and that whatever you ask for will be done with utmost urgency." Korshak assured Harry and bowed at him.

"I shall see you soon." Harry bowed at them and Disapparated from Gringotts. He appeared in the Great Hall just to see everyone get up from lunch. He wasn't surprised to find Dumbledore nowhere in sight.

"Harry!" his heart jumped into his throat when Draco called out for him. He pulled a smile on his face and looked at Draco. The blond noticed that something wasn't right with Harry, but didn't know what to say.

"Harry is something wrong?"

"I just need time to think, Draco." He nodded at Remus, Severus and Narcissa, gifted Draco with a small smile and walked out of the Great Hall.

"Harry?" Remus called out softly but the doors already closed behind the retreating back of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Something must have happened." Narcissa murmured and placed her hand on Draco's shoulder.

"I'll go and find him." Draco said and walked out of the Hall.

"Narcissa?"

"Leave it, Severus. You know you can't change destiny." The Potions Master snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Potter can only be with his Mate, Narcissa. I seriously doubt his Mate is Draco." He drawled only to frown when Remus snickered. The two former Slytherins looked at him with raised eyebrows while he tried to shoot them an innocent look.

"What?"

"You, Mr. Lupin, know something we don't." Narcissa said and Remus raised his eyebrows at her.

"I do believe that I know quite a few things you don't. We can't all know everything."

"Don't use semantics on us, Lupin; Slytherins invented semantics." Severus drawled and Remus rolled his eyes.

"It's nothing. Harry just mentioned to me back at Grimmauld Place that Draco smelled quite good to him." Narcissa smirked while Severus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his right thumb and index finger.

"Great. This will be an interesting year." He murmured and Remus chuckled.

"You have no idea, my friend. You have no idea."

* * *

Draco walked down the hallways of Hogwarts not really knowing where he was going. His thoughts were centered on one particular dark haired Vampire. He knew enough about Vampires to know they had only oneMate; one Mate that could make them happy.

He hardly knew Harry as it was, but he had to be honest; ever since he first met the raven haired Gryffindor he felt some kind of a pull towards him. At first he thought it was because of the fact that he was Harry Potter; everyone and their uncle wanted to be friends with the Boy-Who-Lived. In his childish stupidity, and under the influence of his father, instead of coming to Harry and trying to talk to him, he allowed himself to be swayed by the general opinion of the Gryffindor. He buried the secret admiration and attraction to the raven haired teen under layers upon layers of projected hate and despise he saw in Severus and his father, and decided that if he couldn't have Harry as a friend, then he would at least have him as a rival.

Any attention is better than no attention.

Or so he thought.

He became so good at lying to himself that he truly forgot that he once wanted to be friends with Harry. His father's demands became harder and harder as years passed them by, and with time Draco's feelings for Harry were buried under so many negative thoughts they were practically non-existent.

And then Draco spent time alone with Harry, and they all climbed to the surface with just a few exchanged words.

But were they feelings that could one day birth love?

Were they really of a romantic sort?

Was his mother right?

Sure; most of the time Harry Potter was the only thing he talked about with her, but he did have a good reason. They didn't have a year at Hogwarts in which something or another didn't happen to Harry. It was only normal that Draco talked about him a lot.

He sighed and shook his head.

Who was he lying to?

His mother knew him best. She knew things about him he didn't know.

So yes; maybe he was attracted to Harry.

But what meaning did it have?

Harry could only be with his destined Mate.

Should he tell Harry he felt something for him? If Draco wasn't Harry's Mate then any kind of relationship could prove to be fatal for Harry when his Mate comes of age.

Not even realizing it, he found himself in a corridor he was never in. He stopped in his tracks when he heard the sound of someone playing the guitar somewhere down the corridor. A familiar voice followed the sounds of the instrument and Draco felt his heart dance in his chest.

_Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding.__  
__Fall into your sunlight.__  
__The future's open wide beyond believing; __  
__to know why hope dies._

He followed the voice to a slightly open door and slowly pushed them open, only to lose his breath.

_And finding answers__  
__is forgetting all of the questions we called home; __  
__passing the graves of the unknown._

Bathed in sunlight that broke through the cracked window was Harry. He was sitting on an old desk, his eyes were closed and his bangs fell into his face; his shoulders were hunched while his fingers danced over the shivering strings.

_As reason clouds my eyes with splendor; __  
__fading illusions of the sunlight.__  
__And the reflection of a lie will keep me waiting; __  
__love gone for so long._

His voice was wavering with emotions Draco couldn't even start to name. He leaned on the doorframe as he listened to Harry sing, and all thoughts disappeared from his mind.

_And I've lost who I am.__  
__And I can't understand__  
__why my heart is so broken rejecting your-…_

In that moment Harry stopped singing and his head snapped up and turned in Draco's direction.

"Draco?" the Slytherin pushed away from the doorframe. He wanted to tell Harry to keep on singing but his words were stuck somewhere in his throat. "How long have you been here?" Harry sounded confused and Draco was still having troubles finding the words he wanted to say.

"I -I just came." Draco finally stuttered out and Harry smiled. The guitar vanished from his hands and he jumped off of the desk.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you."

"It's okay." Draco said and Harry's smile grew a little.

"Were you looking for me?" he asked and took a step towards Draco. The Slytherin entered the old classroom hesitatingly, looking everywhere but at Harry.

"You looked distressed." Draco offered as an explanation and Harry chuckled. Draco finally dared to look in Harry's eyes and he frowned almost immediately. While there was a smile on Harry's lips his eyes were almost dull. It looked like he was closing himself off; as if he was trying to suppress something.

"Careful, Draco. You'll make me think you're actually worried about me." Harry spoke dryly and Draco's frown deepened.

"Harry, what's wrong with you?" Harry snorted and looked away from Draco.

"The list of what isn't wrong with me is much shorter, Draco. Maybe you should ask about that."

"No." Draco stressed out and Harry looked at him. "Damn it, Potter, we've just started to be civil towards each other. Don't make me curse you." Harry chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Harry-…"

"You don't understand, Draco!" Harry snapped. He turned his back on Draco and ran his fingers through his hair. "There's so much you don't know; so much Idon't know, and I'm afraid that it'll all become too much for me to handle!"

"Is this about you being a Vampire? Because you know that it's not something you can help, right?"

"Me being a Vampire I can handle; I'm wondering if I can handle everything that comes with it." Draco frowned in confusion and looked at the ground.

"I don't understand. If you're feeling bad about the Death Eaters you killed-…"

"Of course not! This is war, Draco. If I don't kill them they will kill me; or worse, they'll kill someone I care about." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Don't be a damn martyr, Potter! You can't save everyone and you know it!"

"Then what use is there?!" Harry shouted and rounded on Draco. The Slytherin barely stopped himself from recoiling when he saw Harry's red tinged eyes. "What use is there from forming connections with people if it will get them killed?! I lost my parents, I almost lost Mr. Weasley and I lost Sirius to this! Countless other people died as well-…"

"They died because of Voldemort; not you!"

"I'm supposed to be the bloody Savior! How can I be one, when I can't even protect those close to me?!"

"Because you can't!" Draco snapped and Harry frowned at him. "Harry, people will get involved in this war with or without you. People will die whether you're there or not. You can't be held responsible for anything, because you aren't. You can't. Save. Everyone_._"

"I should be!" Harry roared and this time Draco actually flinched back. In that moment it was as if Harry deflated. His eyes went back to normal within seconds, and he stood in front of Draco taking short, shallow breaths. "I'm sorry." He rasped out and bowed his head. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm sorry. I just – I just lost it for a minute." He turned his back on Draco and took a few steps away from him.

"It's alright." Draco said and took a small step towards Harry. The Gryffindor bowed his head and chuckled. It sounded hollow and sad, and Draco felt something inside him twist and turn.

"No, it's not. I shouldn't have snapped at you." Without really realizing what he was doing, Draco raised his right hand. It hovered for a second over Harry's right shoulder before he lowered it and squeezed lightly. He felt Harry's tightly coiled muscle under his hand. The Vampire was completely tense, and if Draco concentrated he could feel Harry's magic coursing just under his skin.

"That's what friends are for, right?" Draco murmured. "Friends listen to each other, and support one another; even when one of them is acting like a right bastard." Harry chuckled and Draco let go of his shoulder when the taller teen turned around to face him slowly. Harry leaned back against the desk and Draco suddenly felt quite apprehensive.

They were inches apart, and Draco was standing between Harry's parted legs. Standing this close to Harry he could smell the Vampire's potent, but not overbearing scent.

"Harry, what's wrong?" he asked to take his mind off of some compromising thoughts that came to Draco's mind because of Harry's closeness. "And at least try to be honest with me this time." Harry chuckled morosely and bowed his head a little. Draco tried hard to resist the sudden urge to take Harry's big, elegant hands into his smaller ones. He was conflicted, because even though he wanted to look in Harry's eyes, he was afraid that if he did he would lose what little control he had left and kiss the raven haired teen.

"A lot of things, Draco." Harry muttered. "A lot of things are wrong. I have so many decisions to make; I don't even know where to start."

"Decisions about what?" Draco urged Harry on and the Vampire sighed. Draco's breath hitched in his throat when Harry took his hand between his bigger ones and turned it gently palm up. Draco felt a shiver run up his arm when Harry traced the lines on the palm of his hand with his fingers.

"Where to go?" Harry murmured into his chin. "What to do about Dumbledore? How to go on not only as a Vampire, but as a Wizard? Should I look for my mother's Sire? Should I stay here, at Hogwarts and-…?"

"And?" Draco's voice broke and Harry looked at him from under his bangs before he looked at their hands.

"And wait for my Mate to come of age." it that moment Draco paled and his whole body tensed up. "Draco?"

"Your – your Mate?" Draco rasped out and Harry finally looked up at him.

"Draco, what's wrong?" Harry asked and frowned when Draco took a step back and his hand slipped from Harry's.

"Nothing." Draco pressed out over the lump in his throat. "I have to go." He turned on his heel and made his way for the door.

"Draco, wait!" Harry grabbed Draco's forearm and stopped him from leaving. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing!" Draco tried to move but Harry's hold on his forearm while not rough was still strong.

"Draco, you can't tell me nothing's wrong. Just a few minutes ago you asked of me to be honest with you. Why don't you return the favor?"

"I can't help you with your problems, Potter, now let go!" Draco ripped his arm out of Harry hold only to find himself slammed against a wall with Harry's face inches away from Draco's and his hands on either side of Draco's head. The Slytherin's breath hitched in his throat as he looked in Harry's eyes, unable to look away.

Whatever words Draco wanted to say were trapped in his throat. Harry was so close to him; his warmth was smothering him, his scent was cutting itself into his memory and his magic rolled over Draco in waves.

Harry was frozen in his place. From this close it was impossible for him to ignore the call of Draco's scent. The Pull was stronger than ever. The scent of sandalwood, rain, cream and something that was so uniquely Draco clouded Harry's senses and all sane thoughts came to a stop. Draco shivered when Harry leaned forward and buried his face in Draco's neck.

"Harry-…"

"You smell so good." The Vampire breathed out and Draco's eyes widened when he finally figured it out.

_"Vampires find their Mates by scent."_

Draco let go of a wavering breath and felt warmth pool in his stomach when Harry shivered against him and moved closer, flattening his body against Draco's. As if having a mind of their own, Draco arms wrapped themselves around Harry's shoulders and hugged him close.

"We've only just agreed to be friends." Harry's voice was so low Draco almost didn't hear him.

"We've been rivals for 5 years. I do believe that we know each other quite well." Harry chuckled breathlessly and slowly raised his head. Draco's arms slipped until he was resting his hands on Harry's strong chest.

"You're already in enough danger as it is." Harry spoke and Draco knew the Gryffindor was coming up with the stupidest excuses he could find.

"Yes, I am. I do believe that I would get quite bored without a little excitement in my life." Harry breathed out sharply and a small smile pulled on his lips.

"You hated me for 5 years." Harry murmured, and Draco huffed and rolled his eyes.

"And you blessed the ground I walked on, I'm sure." Draco drawled, and Harry closed his eyes, chuckled and shook his head.

"We couldn't be more different if we tried." Harry's voice broke and Draco hummed.

"Doesn't the saying go that opposites attract?"

"I'm as damaged as it gets, Draco." Harry warned brokenly, his eyes filled with sadness.

"I'm just as damaged as you are." Harry swallowed difficultly, sighed, closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Draco's.

"This would all be so much easier if you'd just run away." He murmured and Draco snorted.

"I would just run right back." Draco felt the shiver that wrecked Harry's body. "You can't fight this, Harry. Just like I won't be able to fight it after my birthday."

"I don't want to force this on you. You should have a choice."

"You can't force the willing." Harry opened his eyes and looked deep in Draco's stormy orbs.

"Are you?" he asked and Draco's lips twitched into a smile.

"Are _you_?" Harry breathed a sigh of relief and his eyes filled with warmth. Without another word he leaned in and pressing his lips against Draco's. Warmth enveloped their bodies as Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders, and Harry wrapped his around Draco's waist.

And just for a moment, neither cared about anything outside of that old, unused classroom.

* * *

"About time! I thought you two got lost! I was about to summon a search party!" Narcissa admonished her son as he and Harry walked into the Great Hall together.

"Draco and I lost track of time. I apologize for worrying you, ma'am." Harry said and bowed his head at Narcissa.

"You can call me, Narcissa, Harry." She said while Harry and Draco took seats at the table, and Harry nodded at Remus and Severus. "You saved Draco and me, and now that both of us are free of my husband's influence, I do believe that we can let go of all pretenses." Harry smiled at her, and his eyes warmed when he saw Draco's shoulders lose some of their tenseness.

"Where is Dumbledore?" Harry asked and looked at Remus.

"In his office, I think. He locked himself in there right after breakfast." Harry snorted and piled some food on his plate. "Do you need him for something?"

"Not really. I've been to Gringotts today and found out a few things that made me think about a lot of other things." Harry said as they started to eat. "I've realized that I have a lot of decisions to make, and if I intend to continue my schooling here, I don't have much time to think. School starts in two weeks. My time is limited."

"What do you have in mind?" Narcissa asked and Harry sighed.

"I'm thinking about seeking my mother's Sire out." He said and everyone but Draco looked at him wide-eyed. "What?"

"Harry." Remus started, weighing his words. "Are you sure you want to seek him out? He turned Lily into a Vampire, and she never spoke of him to us. That doesn't exactly go into his favor."

"That's because Dumbledore approached her before he could."

"You know who he is?" Harry looked at Severus, surprised at the lack of malice or mockery in the Potions Master's voice.

"Yes."

"How?" Severus sounded honestly intrigued and Harry saw no reason to hide his knowledge.

"Mimetic legacy." He explained shortly and Severus and Narcissa nodded in understanding. "My mother's memory is my own."

"Interesting." Severus murmured and returned to his dinner.

"Do you know his name?" Draco asked.

"Gabriel. His name is Gabriel Dubois. If my mother's memory isn't wrong a human descendant of his family lives in Surrey."

"That human descendant could be your ticket to finding your mother's Sire." Narcissa said. "I've heard that Vampires tend to stay close to the human members of their family."

"Do you want to go and see if he shows up there?" Remus asked and Harry frowned. He looked at his plate but his eyes told them he was miles away in his thoughts.

"I don't want to take too big of a risk." Harry murmured. "But I have no doubt that there is a lot he could teach me; if he's on our side, that is."

"You won't know unless you seek him out." Remus said and Harry nodded.

"Then I guess I'll go." He concluded and returned to his dinner.

"Can I – Can I go with you?" Harry choked on a piece of bread and started coughing violently, while Draco raised an eyebrow at him and the adults stared at him in amusement.

"Draco, I don't think that's a good idea." Harry rasped out after he gulped down some pumpkin juice.

"Oh, please!" Draco rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'll be in any more danger there than I am here. Besides, I already did my school work and I have nothing to do here in the castle! I'll be bored to death if you leave me here alone! No offence, mother." He added quickly and Narcissa giggled.

"None taken."

"It's not up to me, Draco." Harry said and shot Narcissa a pleading look. He found no support there and turned to Draco again. "We are both underage wizards, and although I can use magic without being detected, you can't. What if we're discovered and someone attacks us? What if I won't be there to protect you?"

"Then we'll just have to make sure we're not discovered." Draco waved Harry off carelessly and the Vampire looked at the Slytherin's mother.

"Narcissa-…"

"Don't look at me, Harry. You are both grown men and you can make decisions on your own."

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but for once I agree with Potter." Harry almost choked up again when Severus spoke up. "The risk is too big."

"I am serious, Severus. Harry and Draco can take care of themselves unlike other children their age. I am not afraid for them. And it will be good for Draco to spend some time in the Muggle world."

"See? Mother agrees." Draco shot Harry a pointed look and the Vampire sighed in defeat.

"Alright." Harry murmured. "I'll surrender gracefully, but only if you promise me something." Draco raised an eyebrow at him and Harry shot him a dull look.

"Alright; alright!" Draco conceded. "What are your conditions?"

"You don't go anywhere alone, and if I'm gone you'll stay wherever we'll be staying at for the next two weeks." Draco sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Alright." He murmured and shot Harry a glare. "Worry wart." Harry snorted while the adults exchanged knowing glances.

"You'll get used to it." He drawled and Draco barely suppressed the need to stick his tongue out at him.

"When will you leave?" Remus asked.

"We'll take the evening to pack and leave tomorrow early before breakfast. I need to go to Gringotts to change some money into a Muggle currency and buy a few things. I suppose you don't have a lot of Muggle clothes." Harry looked at Draco and the Slytherin shook his head. "We'll buy some then. We'll be staying in the Muggle world and we shouldn't draw too much attention to ourselves." Draco nodded in agreement.

"Just promise me you'll be careful; both of you." Remus said and Harry smiled at him.

"We will be." Remus smiled when Draco nodded at him. "We will be."

* * *

"I do believe that Dumbledore will throw a hissy fit when he finds out we're gone." Draco commented as he and Harry entered Diagon Alley. Harry chuckled as he pulled the hood of his cloak lower over his face and stepped onto the almost empty street.

"He can go and choke on a chicken bone for all I care." He murmured and Draco snickered as they walked towards Gringotts. "Do you need something besides Muggle Clothes?" Draco tilted his head to the side in thought before he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll take some money from my vault in case I see something I like. Right now nothing comes to mind." Harry smiled at Draco from under his hood and took a step closer to him. Draco looked at him in wonder when Harry entwined his fingers with Draco's. A moment later Draco smiled and walked closer to Harry.

Once they were done at Gringotts, they stepped back onto the streets of Diagon Alley noticing the growing number of people.

"Where to first?" Draco asked as they walked down the stairs. They noticed a few people shooting them strange looks. They decided against using the hoods of their cloaks since they concluded they would attract too much attention to themselves. Besides, everyone knew about Draco; he was easily recognizable.

Harry?

Not so much anymore.

No one saw the Potter heir since the end of the last school year and Harry changed a lot since then. His hair was now to his ears, covering his scar completely and falling into his eyes. Not even his eyes were the same anymore. If someone didn't look close enough they wouldn't even make the connection. He was taller and wider in the shoulders and he carried himself with poise and confidence he never had before.

There was no way anyone would make the connection between the boy from just a little under a month ago and the young man that walked the streets.

"I need to go to Madam Malkin's. I need new school robes and a new cloak, since magic can only do so much to my old ones." Draco nodded as they stopped in front of the shop. Harry turned and looked at him before they entered. "I need you to do me a favor. Just because I changed a lot, doesn't mean I want to spend more time than absolutely needed here."

"What do you need me to do?" Harry smiled at Draco and took a slip of paper from his pocket.

"Go to Flourish and Blotts and take these books for me." He handed Draco the credit card he just received in Gringotts. "If you find something that peaks your interest buy it. It's my treat."

"You really know how to charm a guy." Draco drawled and Harry rolled his eyes. He pecked Draco's lips quickly and turned to enter the shop. "Be careful!" was the last thing Draco heard before the door to Madam Malkin's shop closed, and he was left alone standing in the street. He sighed and made his way to Flourish and Blotts, and quickly found the books Harry listen on the piece of paper. He raised an eyebrow at the list since the books Harry listed were mostly about Dark Magic and Wizarding History and Etiquette. Finding nothing that would peak his interest he paid for the books with Harry's credit card and got out of the bookstore.

He made his way back towards Madam Malkin's only to have something catch his eye. A small jewelry store he never noticed before had a few pieces of white gold shown in the small window. He walked over to it and breathed out in wonder when he saw a pendant made out of white gold in the shape of a dragon head. It was perfectly realistic even though it was so small it would fit on the middle of Draco's palm. The dragon's right eye was an emerald and his left eye was a diamond, and the details were perfect. It almost seemed alive.

Draco sighed wistfully and turned to walk away only to run straight into a hard body.

"You should be more careful about who you bump into, Draco." Harry's voice reached his ears and Draco quickly looked up only to lose his breath. Harry stood in front of him in a black button up shirt and black trousers, with a long black cloak over all of it.

"Wow." He breathed out and Harry smirked at him. He shifted the few bags he had in his right hand to his left and offered Draco his right forearm.

"Let's go. We still have to go to Muggle London." Draco took a hold of Harry's forearm and they made their way out of the Diagon Alley. Draco looked up at Harry when the Vampire chuckled and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's amusing how no one recognizes me." Harry murmured so only Draco could hear him. "You should hear what they're saying." Draco's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe and Harry smirked at him. "Just now one of those three girls we passed complained to her friends that all the good ones are gay." Draco rolled his eyes and leaned closer to Harry.

"Imagine what they'll be saying when they find out who they're gossiping about." Harry laughed just as they entered the Leaky Cauldron. They passed through it ignoring the looks thrown at them and walked out onto the streets of London.

"Come on, Draco. I'm sure we will find this quite amusing." Harry said and led him to a shopping mall.

"What is this?"

"This is the City Mall, Draco. Here you can buy almost everything you want, from clothes to food. I've been here only once but I remember it quite well." Harry said and led the confused but bewildered Draco through the large building.

When he said it would be amusing Harry sure was right. It was amusing for him to watch the young wizard look around the different shops with wonder written all over his handsome face. With the risk of them being recognized lowered to a minimum, both teens allowed themselves to relax.

They picked Draco a few classic trousers and shirts in black, grey and green, on which Harry commented as 'typical-Slytherin-outfit'. When Draco saw Harry's things consisted of mostly the same colors his comment was more like 'talking-about-a-snake-in-a-lion's-den'. They stopped for lunch after they shrunk their newly purchased things and once they were done made their way to their next destination.

"Where to now?" Draco asked. It was an exciting day for him. He learned many things. He even convinced Harry to buy him a few of those books he saw in a Muggle bookstore. He couldn't wait to sit down and start reading them.

"Now we're going to sit on a bus and go to Little Whinging. I would like to get a few things I left behind at the Dursleys first. Remus and Tonks didn't have a chance to get them the day they came for me." Harry said. They entered the bus and took seats at the very back, and Harry couldn't help but smile when he saw the look of complete wonder on Draco's face as they left the big city.

"It takes longer than it would with Wizarding means of transportation, but I do believe this has its charms." Harry said and Draco smiled at him. The Vampire was surprised when Draco leaned against his side and rested his head on his shoulder. A moment later a smile pulled on his lips and he buried his face in Draco's hair for a moment.

Once they reached their destination they got off the bus and continued forward on foot.

"This is where you grew up?" Draco asked and Harry nodded. The Slytherin noticed almost immediately that Harry's mood seemed to have dropped. Just as they passed beside a small park, Draco noticed Harry's eyes glaze over for a moment and he frowned in worry.

"Harry? Is something wrong?" the Vampire snapped out of it instantly and gifted Draco with a small smile.

"I'm alright, Draco. Just remembering a few things." He remembered the night when he first saw Sirius in this very park. He shook himself out of his thoughts and continued forward hoping Draco would let it go.

Luckily for him, the Slytherin knew when not to ask questions. They took a turn into a street and Harry stopped in his tracks.

"Harry?" Draco looked at him and noticed the way the Vampire paled and how his lips pulled into a thin line. He took a deep breath, nodded for himself and took a determined step forward.

"Let's go, Draco. I don't want to be here longer than necessary." Harry whispered. As they neared Number Four Private Drive, Draco noticed Harry's shoulders straightening and an emotionless expression covered his face. They stopped in front of the house and Harry knocked on the door sharply. He knew his uncle wasn't home right now so he convinced himself he would be able to control himself for a while. The doors opened and Dudley appeared in front of them. He had to tilt his head back to look in Harry's cold, emerald eyes.

"M-m-m-mommy!" he screamed and ran into the house, leaving the door wide open. Harry walked in, followed by Draco who looked disgusted around the hallway. A horse like woman ran in the hallway with a kitchen knife in her hand.

"You! What are you doing here?!"

"Shut up, woman, you screech like a banshee." Draco snapped at Petunia Dursley and she paled drastically.

"Now, now, Draco." Harry murmured. "Be nice." Draco's nose wrinkled for a second and he sneered at the shivering woman, but stepped back never the less. "I'm here to take the rest of my belongings, aunt Petunia. I'm afraid I won't be coming back anymore."

"Good!" she spat out. "You won't be missed!" Harry hummed and turned on his heel to walk up the stairs with Draco following close behind.

"I feel something really bad here, Harry." Draco murmured.

"Just ignore it, dragon. We will be out of here soon enough." They stopped in front of a door and Draco paled when he got a good look at it. 7 locks were on it and Draco felt disgusted. Harry flicked his wrist and the door opened, and they walked into a small room. It barely fit a bed and a closet.

"This was – This was your room?" Draco's voice broke as bile gathered in his throat.

"Yes." was Harry's short answer. He waved his hand again and on the bed appeared his Firebolt, an old album and an empty cage. "On my first night here Vernon killed Hedwig. She was making too much noise because she wanted out. I could do nothing to stop him." With a wave of Harry's hand the cage disappeared. Draco approached Harry from behind, wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and leaned his forehead between Harry's shoulder-blades. The Vampire sighed and bowed his head for a second. A moment later the broom and the album shrunk and flew into Harry's hand. He stored them into his pocket as Draco let go of him, and turned to face him. Draco hummed lowly when Harry bowed down to steal a chaste kiss from him.

"Let's go." Harry said and they left the room together. Draco threw one last look at the room while Harry walked down the stairs. A moment later he turned on his heel and followed after Harry. He found the Vampire in the living room and saw the woman and the boy cowering on a sofa. Harry looked at them as if he was looking at worms under his shoe.

"I don't know whether I should wait for Vernon or not." Harry drawled and Draco walked closer to him to place his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"He's that uncle of yours, right?"

"Yes. I'm wondering if I should stay for a while and thank him for his kindness_._" For a moment Harry looked around, a part of him enjoying the whimpering sounds Petunia and Dudley were making. A moment later he snorted and shook his head. "Let's go, Draco. I have no further business here." Draco sighed and gently took Harry's hand in his. He looked at Petunia over Harry's shoulder and flattened his body against Harry's while the Vampire wrapped his arms around Draco's waist and bowed his head to sniff at Draco's neck. Draco smirked at Petunia when she blanched. He entwined his fingers in Harry's hair and kissed his neck. Dudley looked as though he was sporting a really - well, rather small problem and Draco suppressed a mocking chuckle. Instead he just smirked and whispered in Harry's ear.

"Let's go."

In a moment they were gone, and Harry finally put a lock on all the memories from Number Four Private Drive.

They appeared in a small alleyway and Harry moved back a little. He bowed down and kissed Draco, hugging him close to himself.

"Thank you, dragon. I don't think I would have been able to do that alone." Draco swallowed over a lump and nodded at Harry.

"You're not supposed to do anything alone." He murmured and Harry smiled at him gratefully.

"Never the less, thank you for being there." Draco cleared his throat and took a step back. He didn't miss the small amused smile that tilted Harry's lips and he felt lighter because of that.

"So? How will we find this human heir?" Draco asked and Harry sighed.

"Well, our best bet would be to look into a phone book, for which we need to find a phone booth." Harry said as they got out of the alley.

"Is that it?" Draco asked as he pointed at a phone booth and they walked down the street towards it. Harry got in while Draco waited beside the open door. It took Harry only a few minutes, and Draco frowned in worry when Harry tensed up.

"I'm a right idiot." He murmured.

"Harry? What is it?" Draco asked as Harry got out of the phone booth.

"I just can't believe I didn't make the connection. She's the only one who ever treated me kindly while I was a kid."

"Care to share?" Draco snapped in annoyance as they all but ran down the street. Harry seemed to know perfectly well where they were going.

"There is only one person listen under Dubois in the phone book." Harry spoke in a hurry as they rushed down the street. "One Evelyn Dubois." Before Draco could ask any more questions they stopped in front of a pretty house with a small garden in the front, and a white picket fence surrounding the small property.

"This looks nice." Draco commented and Harry nodded.

"The kind of house I always wanted to have." Draco frowned at Harry in confusion and grabbed Harry's elbow before the taller teen could move for the entrance door.

"Harry, who is Evelyn Dubois?" Draco asked and Harry sighed.

"She was a teacher at my grade school. She is literally the only person who didn't shun me; the only person that actually looked after me. She was the only one who saw what the Dursleys were doing to me and for the last two years of grade school, under the stipulation that I had detention with her, she would take me here to her house. She taught me how to sing and play the guitar. She was the only real friend I had before I came to Hogwarts. I hadn't seen her since I was 10." Draco nodded in understanding.

"Do you think she'll recognize you?" Harry took a deep breath and looked at the dark red entrance door.

"There's only one way to find out." They walked over to the door and Harry rang the doorbell.

"I'm coming!" the door opened a moment later to reveal a beautiful, young woman in her early thirties with shoulder-long, blond, wavy hair and deep, glowing, blue eyes.

"Hello. How can I help you?" she looked at Harry with a warm smile and the Vampire swallowed difficultly.

"Hello, Ms. Dubois. I hope you didn't forget about me." Her warm smile melted into a look of confusion as she looked up in Harry's eyes. A few long moments later her eyes widened and she gasped in shock.

"Harry? Is that really you?" Harry smiled as Ms. Dubois' eyes filled with tears and a beautiful, wide smile stretched her lips.

"It's me, Ms. Dubois." She let go of a breathless laugh, threw her arms around Harry's shoulders and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back just as tightly and buried his face in her neck. Draco smiled as he stood in the back.

"Heavens, Harry." She breathed out as she took a step back and took a good look at her former student. "You've grown into one handsome, young man." Harry chuckled and bowed his head at her.

"You hadn't changed at all, Ms. Dubois." She rolled her eyes at him before she grinned brightly and took a step to the side.

"Oh, posh, Harry, call me, Eve." She patted Harry's shoulder and the Vampire smiled at her. "Now why don't you come in? I just made tea." She ushered Harry inside, but Harry stopped and looked at Draco. "And who might you be?" she smiled widely at the Slytherin and Harry cleared his throat.

"Eve, this is - this is Draco Malfoy. He's my Mate." Eve looked at Harry with a small, confused frown on her face before understanding shone in her eyes.

"Come in. Obviously, we have much to talk about."

* * *

"I always had my doubts about you Harry. I never thought you'd turn out to be a Wizard, although how I didn't guess is beyond me, what with that shine in your eyes! I can feel free to say there is no one in the whole wide world with eyes like yours." Eve served the tea and biscuits before she took a seat in a plush armchair. Harry and Draco were sitting in a love seat together, and the blond teen was looking around the living room in slight fascination.

"I'm guessing you know why I'm here then." Eve sighed and shot him a sad look.

"I know Harry, but I haven't seen him in a while now. I know that you need him, but I don't know why." Harry looked at Draco and the younger teen nodded at him encouragingly. Harry took a deep breath and looked at Eve. The woman gasped in a sharp breath when Harry started to change right in front of her eyes.

"Dear Lord." Harry changed back and relaxed slightly when Draco took his hand in his smaller one and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Two months before she came to school, my mother was bitten by a Vampire. The one who bit her was your ancestor. He is my mother's Sire which makes him my Sire as well." Eve stared at him with wonder and amazement in her eyes.

"But – but how can that be?" she spoke breathlessly. "No Child ever survived the night of their 16th birthday! Not after-…" her words hitched in her throat and Harry nodded.

"Count Vlad Tepes was born a Vampire; like me. I know that since his death no other Vampire Child survived the night of their 16th birthday." Harry said.

"And why do you need Gabriel?" Eve asked.

"I need him to train me. I need him to teach me everything he knows. I know many things; I am neither helpless nor harmless but I need him to show me the world of Vampires." Harry explained and Eve nodded.

"You are free to stay here for as long as it will take for you to meet Gabriel, although I must warn you. Many people were seen here; some darker than the others. I don't want either one of you to get hurt." A small teasing smile pulled on her lips and the two teens tensed up. "And I have to warn you that I have only one other bedroom. So either you share it or one of you takes the couch." Draco blushed all the way to his ears and Harry chuckled.

"Don't worry, Eve. We'll find a way around that small problem." Harry assured her before he looked out the window. "You'll have to excuse me for a while. I hadn't Fed yesterday and I already feel the strain." Eve nodded at him while Draco grabbed his hand as Harry stood up.

"Harry-…"

"Don't worry. I won't take long." Harry smiled at Draco and quietly left the room after he nodded at Eve.

"I never would have thought that Harry would grow up to be such a charming and handsome young man." Eve commented when they heard the front door close, and Draco snorted.

"Trust me, if someone told me three weeks ago that I would be talking civilly to Harry Potter, or even suggested that I would be his Mate, I would have laughed at them and gifted them with a one way ticket to the psychiatry ward at St. Mungo's." Draco drawled and Eve laughed.

"Don't tell me you were that bad!"

"He's a Gryffindor and I'm a Slytherin. It was impossible for us to be friends. The rivalry between our houses was enough even withoutmy father's influence." Draco slowly relaxed and looked out the window into the cloudy sky. "In our first year I offered him my hand in friendship. Up until recently I never really thought about why he declined it. I guess we were too easily influenced at that age." He looked at Eve and gifted her with a small smile.

"You two are completely different, you know? Like night and day. I guess that's the reason behind you being his Mate; opposites attract and all that shebang." She commented and smiled.

"I guess." Draco barely stiffed a yawn and Eve laughed.

"Dear me; you must be tired. Come I'll show you to your room. Harry will find you when he comes back." Draco smiled at her gratefully and followed her up into the guest bedroom. She showed him the room and the bathroom attached to it before she wished him goodnight and left to get ready for bed. Draco sighed as the door closed behind her and all but threw himself on the bed. Everything they bought was shrunken down and stored in his pockets, so he would have to wait for Harry to change them, but as his thoughts flew to the raven-haired Vampire he fell asleep with his lips tingling with the memory of their kiss.

When Harry returned he found his way to the room where Draco was already sound asleep with a small smile playing on the Slytherin's lips. With a flick of Harry's wrist Draco was dressed in silky pajamas. Harry tucked him in the soft sheets and took a seat on a chair watching the moonlight play on his future Mate's skin.

Soon his eyes closed too and he gave in to the sweet call of Morpheus.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Crying Skies

When Draco woke up in the morning he found out he was alone in the room. On the table were his bags, and there was a grey t-shirt and blue jeans waiting on the chair. Once he finished with his morning routine he made his way out of the room. As he walked down the stairs he heard a familiar voice humming a not so familiar melody. He found Harry by the stove preparing breakfast for the three of them.

"Morning." Harry greeted him without turning around.

"Good morning, Harry." The Vampire turned and smiled at Draco as he placed the breakfast on the table. In that moment Eve walked into the kitchen dressed in a too big baby blue shirt and long pants the same color as the shirt.

"Morning!" she yawned and stretched while the two teens smiled at her.

"Morning, Eve. Breakfast's ready, and the coffee is on the table." Eve moaned happily and grabbed the first cup of coffee she could reach.

"You're a lifesaver, Harry." She murmured as she all but drank her coffee in one go. Harry chuckled while he and Draco took seats around the table. "Did you two sleep well?" she asked as they started to pile their plates with eggs, bacon and pancakes.

"I slept great." Draco said after he swallowed a bite. "This is great, Harry. I didn't know you could cook." The Gryffindor snorted and took a sip of his coffee.

"I've been cooking for the Dursleys ever since I was tall enough to see the top of the stove. Of course I can cook." Draco frowned and the atmosphere fell quickly.

"I swear; once I'll be able to use magic without being detected by the Ministry I'll pay them a visit." Draco pressed out through his teeth and raised an eyebrow at Harry when the Vampire chuckled.

"Trust me, Draco. They aren't worth it." Harry assured him and Draco snorted while Eve smiled at Harry.

"What will you do while you're waiting for Gabriel? I know you can't sit still, Harry." Eve asked to change the topic and Harry smiled at her gratefully.

"I was wondering if you needed any help around the house. We're going to be staying here for a while and I really don't want to feel useless."

"I agree with Harry. I don't want to sit around doing nothing all day long." Draco said.

"But what if someone sees you? The entire neighborhood knows I live alone. Last time I had company was quite a while ago. There may be questions." Eve wondered and the two teens shared a look.

"You could say Draco's your cousin." Harry suggested and looked at Eve. She hummed and nodded.

"We could say I am your cousin and I came here for the change of scenery." Draco added and Eve smiled at him.

"See? That's a good idea." Eve rolled her eyes at Harry who smirked at her.

"That covers for Draco, but it doesn't cover for you. You two are too different to pass for brothers." Eve shivered while Draco choked up on a piece of pancake.

"She's right about that." Draco rasped out after he gulped down some orange juice.

"We could tell the truth and say you're Draco's boyfriend." Eve suggested and Harry snickered while Draco blushed. "This neighborhood needs a good topic for gossip."

"I doubt anyone would question the truth." Harry said and Draco shot him a look the Vampire couldn't quite define, while Eve snickered and shook her head.

"You two are as different as two people can be." She murmured and stood up before either of the teens could say anything. "I have to change. I need to take care of a few things in town. Will you two be alright by yourselves?"

"Don't worry about us. We'll find something to do around here." Harry said and Eve nodded at him. She took a refill of coffee and all but skipped out of the kitchen under the caffeine rush. Harry and Draco finished breakfast in silence and just as they stood up Eve rushed out of the house, saying she would hurry back.

"Harry?" the Vampire looked at Draco as he gathered the dishes to wash them.

"Yes?" he asked and put the dishes into the sink.

"I just wanted – What I want to know is-…" Harry turned around and looked at Draco with a small confused frown on his face.

"Draco, what is it?" the Slytherin huffed in annoyance and brushed his fingers through his hair.

"I just wanted to know where we stand." Harry's frown deepened and Draco took a seat at the table with an annoyed sigh. "I'm not so good at talking." He murmured and Harry chuckled.

He walked over to the table and pulled a chair over to Draco before he took a seat in front of him and looked into his eyes.

"Let's try to do this slowly, alright?" Harry suggested and Draco nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know what we are." Draco said and Harry tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"I'm a Vampire and you are my future Mate; if you hadn't changed your decision that is."

"No!" Draco rushed to say when he saw shadows of doubt appear in Harry's eyes. "Damn it, Harry, every little witch and wizard grows updreaming for a Vampire to one day sweep them of their feet. Vampires Mate for life; to be the Mate of a Vampire means to forever be bound to them."

"Does that bother you?" Harry asked with a frown. "You and I don't have a pretty past after all. If you think you won't be able to spend the rest of your life with me then-…"

"Would you stop acting like a martyr and just listen!" Draco snapped and Harry raised an eyebrow at him. Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Everything has happened a bit too fast in my opinion, and I'm just trying to come to grips with all of it. Two weeks ago we weren't eventalking." Harry frowned a little and bowed his head a bit.

"You know just as much as I do why we weren't friends, Draco. Maybe if Hagrid and Ron weren't the first ones I've met when I entered the Wizarding World, I would have done things differently. I dare say I allowed their opinion to influence mine." Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I didn't exactly make it easy for you. I came on to you like a right brat." Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"We were both children, Draco. We didn't know better. What we need to do now is decide whether we can put it all behind us and try to build a future together."

"I don't want to try anything. I want to make it work." The look of relief on Harry's face made Draco's heart skip a beat. Draco frowned when he saw Harry's hunched shoulders and the specks of doubt in Harry's eyes.

"Harry, what's wrong?" he asked and Harry frowned.

"Nothing." Draco rolled his eyes and leaned forward, looking straight in Harry's eyes.

"I dare say I know you better than that, Potter, now spill it." Harry swallowed with slight difficulties and bowed his head, avoiding Draco's eyes. "Harry-…"

"I'm still coming to grips with everything myself, dragon." Harry confessed. "This is all quite new to me as well. Two weeks ago I was just a Wizard with a messed up life." He snorted and leaned back onto the backrest of the chair, still looking anywhere but at Draco. "Now I'm aVampire with a messed up life, only it doesn't affect just me anymore. You're going to be a pretty big part of my life, and to be perfectly honest, at first I thought that I shouldn't approach you until Voldemort is taken care off. I thought that I'd be able to resist the Pull for long enough." He snorted and started fiddling with his right sleeve. "You can see how well that went." Draco chuckled and shook his head.

"I guess I do." He murmured and Harry shot him a small smile from under his bangs. "And even though I think you're an idiot for thinking you can fight what's in your nature, if I degrade my intelligence and try to think like a Gryffindor would think, I can understand why you'd want to stay away from me until Voldemort's destroyed." Harry rolled his eyes at Draco and huffed. "But you have to understand that we're both in this together. I would have been in danger one way or another, and there's nothing you can do about it. If we're going to make this work, we need to work together."

"Never thought I'd hear that from you." Harry muttered into his chin and Draco glared at him.

"Well, I never thought I'd have to teach you about friendship and relationships, and yet here we are." Harry winced and Draco frowned in confusion. "What is it?"

"No-…"

"Don't say 'nothing', because it's obviously something." Draco interrupted Harry and the Gryffindor sighed. He raised his hands and rubbed his face in annoyance before he stood up and started to pace from one side of the kitchen to the other. "Harry-…"

"What if I do something wrong?" Harry asked and Draco frowned. "What if I lose control and hurt you? What if I make a mistake and you-…"

"What?"

"And you see that I'm not worth the trouble." Harry finished tiredly and stopped pacing. He leaned back against a kitchen cabinet and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Harry, if anyone's worth the trouble it's you." Draco said and stood up. "You're Harry Potter! You're a Vampire! I grew up to stories of Vampires and just like every little witch or wizard I dreamed of having someone out there made just for me-…"

"If that's the only reason for you to be with me, then I don't think this will work!" Harry snapped and Draco froze in his place.

"What?" he breathed out and Harry looked away from him.

"If the only reason for you to be with me is because I'm Harry Potter and a Vampire, then maybe you should reconsider your decision."

"Harry, what are you talking about?"

"I'm not perfect, Draco!" Harry pushed himself away from the cabinet and looked at Draco, and the Slytherin saw the full extent of hurt and desperation in Harry's eyes. "I'm a walking, talking pile of so many problems you could try to write a bloody novel about them, and you wouldn't have enough paper. I know nothing about relationships and family and love, and there's a big chance that anyone who gets close to me will most probably end up dead. I don't even think there's a happily ever after meant for me at the end of this. You say I'm Harry Potter; well let me tell you what it means to be Harry Bloody Potter!" Draco stared at Harry wide eyed. "I grew up like a servant! I didn't know my name until gradeschool! I worked like a bloody House Elf since I was five! Nothing I ever did was right! In the Wizarding World I'm either a hero or a lunatic, depending on the newest edition of the Daily Prophet! Everything I ever did was to save someone, and what did I get in return? Lies and manipulation; that's what! I lost my parents and godfather, because yourgodfather told Voldemort about some prophecy Trelawney spewed out before my birth!"

"Harry, calm down." Draco took a step forward when he saw red bleeding into Harry's eyes. The Vampire snorted and ran his fingers through his hair. "I expressed myself wrongly. I didn't mean-…"

"Of course you meant it, Draco. Everyone wants to be with _Harry Bloody Potter_; the Boy-Who-_Fucking_-Lived, and once they see I'm everythingbut their perfect little Savior they turn their backs on me."

"I won't do that!" Draco insisted and Harry snorted. He rolled his eyes and turned his back on Draco before he crossed his arms over his chest. "Harry, I don't think I have to remind you that I'm in this as well! Maybe I didn't grow up like you, but my childhood wasn't all sunshine and roses either! I had to live up to my father's expectations and pretend I'm someone I'm not so much that it became a habit! There's a reason behind us being Mates, and I'd like to believe it's because the both of us can see behind the masks we were forced to wear." Seeing that Harry's shoulders only hunched further, Draco breathed out an exasperated sigh and marched over to the Vampire. He rounded him and looked up at him only for Harry to turn his head away. Not knowing what else to do, Draco cupped Harry's face in his hands and forced him to look at him.

"We aren't as different as we think we are." Draco spoke and Harry swallowed difficultly. The Slytherin sighed and slowly lowered his hands to rest them on Harry's crossed forearms. "Harry, I – I see you." The Vampire finally looked willingly in Draco's eyes, and the Slytherin felt a steel hand grip his heart when he saw so many emotions in Harry's eyes he couldn't even start to name them.

"And I see you, dragon." Harry rasped out and a small smile tugged on Draco's lips. "I see you." Harry slowly lowered his arms and placed his hands on Draco's waist. The Slytherin rested his hands flat on Harry's chest and took a small step closer.

"Then stop thinking that this is a mistake." He whispered and Harry sighed. He tugged Draco closer to himself and leaned his forehead against Draco's. He nuzzled his nose against the Slytherin's and breathed in his scent. "We're Mates, Harry. Someone out there thought that we could make each other happy. Just – just don't shut me out. I've had enough of that from my father to last me a lifetime." Draco murmured.

"I'm sorry." Harry's voice broke. "It's just-…"

"I know." Harry moved back a little and looked down at Draco. He leaned in and kissed the Slytherin chastely, and a low moan escaped his lips when Draco deepened the kiss and dragged his hands up Harry's chest and around his neck. Harry pulled him flat against his body and Draco's breath caught in his throat as the Gryffindor wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. Harry broke the kiss and buried his face in Draco's neck. The Slytherin stood on his tip toes while Harry had to hunch forward, but never the less it felt good.

It felt better than anything ever felt.

And even though they had a lot of bridges to cross, somehow Draco knew it would all pay out.

It would all pay out in the end.

* * *

Draco had to admit that he actually liked the Muggle life. He never had a chance to do anything with his hands, but living with Eve taught him a lot. While Harry busied himself with fixing the fence, the stairs in the house, and Eve's wardrobe, Eve taught Draco a few things about keeping the garden and taking care of flowers. Harry even allowed him to help in the kitchen, and Draco was now proud to say that he knew how to make Yorkshire pudding, lasagna and two other dishes he couldn't pronounce correctly.

Every night Draco would fall asleep before Harry would come back from his Hunt, and he would wake up after Harry went down to make breakfast. It annoyed him somewhat, because he was sure he was the only one who slept in the kind sized bed in the guest bedroom, but he still didn't catch the time to talk to Harry about it.

There were other things they talked about though. They were slowly getting to know each other, and Draco found himself opening more and more to the Gryffindor Golden Boy. For the past three days he saw a side to Harry he was sure no one saw; not even his closest friends.

His suspicions about Harry being much more than he showed to the world were confirmed many times in the past two weeks, more so since they came to stay with Eve three days ago.

He saw it in the way Harry did his absolute best to make sure everything Eve couldn't fix herself was fixed. He saw it in the patience Harry showed while teaching him how to cook or use the washing machine; in the way he got up early to fix breakfast before either Eve or Draco came down.

He saw Harry's intelligence while they talked about different things during dinner, and he saw just how deep Harry's feelings and emotions went in the songs he sang every night when they would sit together in the living room and Eve would ask him to play for her.

Draco could really say he was actually seeing the real Harry Potter.

He could see the kindness, the strength, the humbleness, the doubts and the sadness the Gryffindor carried in his heart.

He and Harry were getting closer with each passing day, and Draco found himself falling for the raven haired Vampire; and it wasn't unwilling.

While they spent little time talking about their problems, Harry seemed to always be there. He tried his best to open up to the Slytherin to the point where Draco somehow felt bad about it. He felt like he wasn't giving as much as he was receiving from Harry. The Vampire was really, honestly trying to let Draco in, and the Slytherin felt like he wasn't returning the favor.

He didn't know that by allowing Harry to open up he was giving to the Gryffindor exactly what he needed. He didn't know how much Harry needed someone to just accept him the way he was; with all the mistakes he made, with all the doubts and fears he hid from everyone, even Ron and Hermione.

Draco didn't know that Harry opened up more to him in the past few days, than he ever opened up to anyone.

He didn't know that Harry was falling for him just as much as he was falling for Harry.

He didn't know that while Harry was opening up to him he was also allowing Harry to truly see him; because he _did_.

Harry could see behind Draco's snark and snide comments. He could see behind his sometimes cold visage. He could see Draco's dreams and fears and hopes, and the kindness he hid because of his father.

He could see his heart.

And that was what Harry was honestly falling in love with.

* * *

It's been four days since Harry and Draco arrived at Eve's, and for once Draco was alone at home. Eve went out to meet a friend of hers and Harry left to buy some things for the dinner he would make that day.

Since all the work around the house was done, Draco finally got along to reading one of the books Harry bought him when they made their way to the Muggle World. He made himself some lemonade and settled in the comfortable armchair in the living room. Time passed him by unnoticed as he got lost in the fascinating adventures of Frodo Baggins and his company, and he almost dropped his book when the front door opened and Harry voiced his arrival.

"I'm home!" Draco marked the page in the book and put it on the table just as Harry passed beside the living room, shooting him a smile.

"Sorry it took so long. I had to go to London for some of the things I needed." Draco followed Harry into the kitchen and saw the Vampire place four big bags on the kitchen table.

"You're not feeding an army here, Potter." Draco drawled. Harry chuckled, hurried over to Draco and stole a kiss from him before he rushed over to the fridge to start emptying the bags.

"I kind of went a little overboard when I saw some of the things. I immediately bought the ingredients I'll need for tomorrow's lunch and some fresh fruit for the fruit salad and the cake I'm going to make. You said you wanted to learn how to make cakes." Draco chuckled and shook his head with a fond smile.

"You don't have to teach me everything within a few days. We have time." Harry smiled and shrugged.

"You said you liked fruit, and that you never made cake, so I decided to kill two flies with one hit." Draco sighed, slid in front of Harry and wrapped his arms around his waist, effectively stopping him from putting the rest of his purchases in their proper place.

"You're too good to me." He murmured and pulled himself closer to Harry while the Vampire wrapped his arms around Draco and hugged him tight.

"I'm just doing what every proper Mate should do. Making sure you know how to bake a cake." Draco laughed and Harry smiled, his eyes glowing with warmth.

"Like I said; you're too good to me." Draco said once he stopped laughing and Harry sighed.

"With everything you're doing for me, that's the least I can do." Draco frowned in slight confusion only to shiver when Harry bowed down and kissed his neck, before he buried his nose in Draco's hair.

"You mean forcing you to teach me how to cook and bake?" Draco drawled and Harry laughed.

"You're not forcing me to do anything." He murmured. "At least we're spending some time together and learning things about each other."

"You're right about that." Draco agreed and Harry moved back a little to smile down at him.

"Do you like it here?" he asked in a warm tone and Draco nodded.

"I never thought I'd say this but I like living as a Muggle. It's – It's simpler." Harry chuckled, leaned his forehead against Draco's and nuzzled his nose against his.

"The Muggles would say Wizards have it easier. There's a spell for almost everything, from cooking to cleaning."

"I know, but it's somehow satisfying; you know what I mean?" Harry nodded. "I enjoy it; working with Eve in the garden, fixing things around the house with you; I even enjoy washing the dishes!" Harry laughed and Draco smiled.

He seriously doubted anyone has seen Harry laugh as much as he has since they first talked back at Grimmauld Place.

'It feels like that was a lifetime ago.' Draco thought as he leaned his forehead on Harry's shoulder and hugged him tightly.

It felt nice; being held by Harry like that.

If there was anything Draco learned about the Vampire it was that he cherished everyone close to him. He may have said that he knew nothing about love and relationships, but Draco thought differently. He was starting to think that there was no one in the world who could love more sincerely and fully than Harry James Potter.

And the very thought that one day Draco would hold his love made the young Slytherin's heart burst with happiness and warmth. He never imagined that falling for Harry would be so easy. He guessed it was because the Vampire made it easy. His words, his actions, his silent presence and warm looks, made it so much easier to fall for him.

"I need to put everything else in place." Harry murmured and Draco groaned.

"Do you have to?" he mumbled and Harry laughed. He bowed down and captured Draco's lips in a tender kiss, and the Slytherin sighed in Harry's mouth.

"Go and read your book some more. I don't know when Eve will get home and I have to start on that dinner." Draco huffed and let go of Harry, smiling for himself when he saw the small, happy smile on Harry's lips.

"Fine. Spoil-sport." Draco grumbled.

"Hey! Who are you calling a spoil-sport?!" in that moment Draco did something he didn't even do as a child. He turned to look at Harry and stuck his tongue out at him. "Why you little-…"

"See ya!" Draco ran out of the kitchen with Harry hot on his trail. He laughed as he ran into the living room and around an armchair, and yelped when Harry caught him and both of them fell on the couch. Draco looked up at Harry and blushed to the roots of his hair when he realized what position they were in. Draco was on his back with Harry leaning over him nestled between Draco's parted legs. Draco was trapped under Harry with Harry's elbows on either side of his head, and the Vampire's closeness did all sorts of things to him.

'Well he can sue me!' he thought. 'We're both teenagers! You don't get closer to a bag of hormones than this!'

"That wasn't nice, Draco." Harry murmured and Draco swallowed over a lump as warmth spread down his body.

"You're the one who spoiled my fun." He accused and Harry chuckled as his nudged Draco's nose with his own and brushed his lips against his, and Draco barely managed to suppress a whine.

There he was, with this gorgeous Vampire he was seriously falling for. No one in their right mind could accuse him of anything.

"Really now?" Harry's voice went straight to Draco's groin and he blushed furiously. Through the growing haze he could see that he wasn't the only one affected by this. Harry's eyes were dilated, and there was a slight blush on his pale cheeks. Besides, he could feel what his closeness was doing to the raven haired Vampire. Harry growled low in his throat when Draco snuck his arms between them and dragged his hands up Harry's chest and neck, until he entwined his fingers in Harry's hair and pulled him into a kiss.

Ever since their first kiss at Hogwarts just a few days ago, the kisses they shared were mostly chaste and short, but this time?

This time was different.

Harry growled into the kiss and deepened it, settling more of his weight on his right elbow as he cupped Draco's cheek with his left hand. Draco moaned as Harry ground down against him. Harry's warmth was all around him and he could feel Harry's magic caressing him on a depth physical contact never could.

It was strange how 5 years of rivalry could change to care and growing passion just by allowing each other in.

"Harry?" Draco breathed out when the Vampire started to kiss down his chin.

"You're going to be the death of me, you know that?" Harry rasped out as he kissed down Draco's neck. The Slytherin gasped when he felt Harry's teeth gently scrap the flesh just over his jugular vein and placed his left hand on Draco's hip, hefting his leg up to hook it on his waist. "You're too tempting for my own good." Draco chuckled breathlessly until it melted into a moan when Harry found a particularly sensitive spot on his neck and latched on to it, determined to leave a mark there. Draco snapped his hips up and moaned when Harry ground down against him harder, the pace growing steadily quicker.

Draco grabbed Harry's head and pulled him into a scorching kiss as they moved against each other.

"Damn it." Harry cursed under his breath and buried his face in Draco's neck as he dug his fingers in Draco's thigh hard enough to leave a mark "We're getting company in a matter of minutes."

"I don't care if it's the Dark Lord himself." Draco's raspy voice answered and he felt Harry grin against his neck. His breath caught in his throat when Harry shifted, and lights flashed behind his closed eyelids. Harry growled into Draco's neck, and the Slytherin wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders as shivers wrecked their bodies.

"Wow." Draco's voice broke and Harry chuckled.

"Yeah." He breathed out. "Wow." He slowly raised his head and looked in Draco's glowing eyes. They leaned towards each other at the same time and their lips met in a tender, slow kiss. Draco sighed as he relaxed on the couch and Harry looked down at him with a small, gentle, fond smile on his lips.

"I am very akin to this color of your skin." Harry murmured as he raised his left arm, cupped Draco's cheek in his hand and caressed it with his thumb. Draco smiled and lowered his right hand to trace Harry's face with his fingers. He followed the sharp line of Harry's chin, caressing, exploring; memorizing. Just as he passed over Harry's brow he felt something above it. A scar, not at all visible, but still there.

"Who did this to you?" Harry frowned in thought.

"My uncle. I don't remember what I did or didn't do exactly, but I remember hitting my head on the door of my cupboard. It didn't hurt too much, but there was a lot of blood. I remember fearing what would happen if my uncle or aunt found all the blood around the house. The blood disappeared and the wound closed, leaving nothing behind but that scar."

"You talk about it without a care in a world." Draco commented with a scowl.

"There is no sense in wishing revenge and dwelling on it. Voldemort did just that and look where it brought him." Harry said with a small smirk and Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Only you can take something so terrible and make a joke out of it." Harry chuckled and stole another short kiss from Draco before he slowly pushed himself up and off of him. The Slytherin took a seat and sighed as he leaned back into the backrest of the couch. He shivered when he felt Harry's magic travel over his skin, cleaning the evidence of their earlier escapade.

"Thank you." He said and slowly stood up.

"You're welcome." Harry smiled at him, but Draco frowned when he saw sparks of mischief in Harry's eyes. "I think we should join Eve and her guest in the kitchen." Draco choked up and tripped on air.

"W—when...?!"

"They came right about the time we-… you know." Draco blushed furiously and Harry snickered earning himself a slap on his shoulder. "Come, dragon, before her guest dies of embarrassment." Draco pouted and looked away from Harry and the Vampire growled. Draco swallowed difficultly when Harry cupped his face in his hands and pushed his head up a bit. He lowered his head and leveled his mouth with Draco's ear. "Continue pouting and we won't reach the kitchen." Harry whispered into Draco's ear deepening the blush even more, if that was even possible. Harry sighed and pecked Draco's lips.

"I'm sorry, dragon. I promise, I won't tease you again." Draco mumbled something into his chin and hugged Harry around his waist.

"You can do it any time you like once I get this blush under control again." Came the grumbled reply.

"You can hide it from people as much as you like, but don't hide your face from me; never from me." Harry said and kissed Draco's temple. Draco sighed and pushed himself away from Harry. He smiled at him and received one of Harry's warm smiles in return.

"Alright. I can do that." Harry nodded and they made their way towards the kitchen.

"And besides, Harry and Draco are wonderful young men. You should see all the work they did around the house!"

"Hello, aunty!" Draco greeted, changing his accent a little to sound French. Eve jumped in her place and hugged Draco when he entered the kitchen. Harry stopped in the doorway and leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm sorry if we interrupted you." Eve teased and Draco blushed to the roots of his hair while Harry chuckled.

"I didn't even hear you come in. If Harry didn't hear you talking we wouldn't have noticed you at all." Draco said and elegantly waved at Harry.

"Good!" Eve grinned and walked over to Harry. He bowed down and she kissed his cheek, and Harry smiled at her warmly.

"I thought you already started on dinner. Eric told me he had no further plans for today so I asked him to join us; thought you two got bored with just me as your company."

"We could never get bored with you!" Draco insisted while Harry looked at the man sitting at the table. If the redness of his cheeks was any indication, he saw just what Harry and Draco did in the living room. Eve was about to say something when she looked at him and burst out into laughter. Draco decided to act innocent, and as far as Harry could tell it was working splendidly. The way his huge silvery eyes looked at Eve would make any man melt in place.

"Is something wrong?" he asked and Eve gushed at him.

"Well, honey, I didn't think you two would be in the living room so when we came home I said to Eric here to go there while I brought some tea. When I went to search from him I found him standing in the doorway his jaw literally hitting the floor while the two of you enjoyed your quality time together." Draco tilted his head to the side looking plainly adorable while Harry 'oh'-ed. "Eric's always been a bit of a prude; he's a bit old fashioned."

"Old fashioned! Eve, you had two men making out in your living room!" Eve laughed together with Draco, while Harry raised an eyebrow at Eric.

"Now, now, Eric, you know what I think about homosexual relationships and I know you found that scene exiting." Eve teased and Eric spluttered. She ignored him and smiled at Harry and the still chuckling Draco. "Now let me properly introduce to you my nephew, Draco Malfoy and his boyfriend, Harry Potter."

"Bonjour!" Draco greeted with a bright smile, while Harry mock saluted the still mute man. Eric shivered under the piercing gaze of the raven haired teen and looked at Draco instead. The sweet, blond haired teen was easier to look at. At least with him Eric didn't feel like his soul was being searched.

"You're from France, right?" Draco nodded as he took a seat at the table and plucked a grape from the plate there.

"Oui." He said and popped the grape into his mouth. "Aunty Eve asked me to come after school ended to see her. It has been a long time since we've last seen each other. I believe I was 8 when she last came to visit our family in Dijon."

"Both Harry and Draco go to a boarding school in Scotland, which is where they met." Eve filled out the empty spaces and Eric nodded in understanding. He dared spare another glance at Harry and a shiver ran down his spine when he found the tall teen observing him with an unreadable, deceptively calm look, and he quickly looked at Draco again.

"How come you're going to school in Scotland?" he asked.

"My parents wanted me to go there because they went to the same school before they married and moved to Dijon." Draco explained.

"And you?" Eric turned to face Harry who just raised an eyebrow at him, while Draco laughed.

"Harry, you are really good at imitating our dear professor Snape." That comment seemed to make Harry really uncomfortable, because he paled drastically.

"I am from Surrey. As Eve said, Draco and I met in the private school we're attending." Harry answered dutifully.

"And do your parents know about you two being together?"

"Draco's mother approves of this relationship and I'm sure my parents would have approved of it since two of their friends were together." Harry said.

"And where are your parents?" Eric asked and Harry frowned at him.

"They died shortly after my first birthday." Eric paled and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry." He murmured and Harry shook his head.

"It's alright. You couldn't have known." He said, and Draco and Eve smiled at him in understanding.

"Now! How about that dinner?" Eve clapped her hands and looked around at the three men. "Do you want me to make something for a change?" she looked at Harry, and he gifted her with a small smile.

"That will be fine with us if you don't really mind."

"Of course I don't! It will give me some more time to talk with Eric." Eve assured Harry and the Vampire nodded at her.

"As you wish." Harry said and Draco stood up. "Call us when dinner's ready."

"Alright." Eve said just as the two walked out of the kitchen. Harry was about to lead Draco up the stairs, but the blond pulled on his hand and stopped him. They took shelter in the shadows of the hallway and leaned against the wall.

"This isn't nice." Harry whispered in Draco's ear.

"I'm a Slytherin, Harry. This is what I was brought up to do." Draco murmured and they quieted down as they listened to the conversation.

"I don't like the tall one, Eve."

"His name is Harry, Eric, and I can't imagine why you wouldn't like him." They heard Eve move around the kitchen as she talked.

"Draco is alright; I like him. Harry? There's something odd about him."

"Harry's a good young man, he's just a bit introverted around new people."

"Introverted?! Eve he was looking at me as if - as if-…"

"He was studying you. He doesn't trust people he doesn't know, and he was just trying to figure you out."

"Eve, we've know each other for years. You don't have to protect him in front of me! Damn it, can't you see it! I mean, look at him! It's a 100 degrees outside and he's wearing a long-sleeve turtleneck! He's-..."

"What are you trying to say, Eric?!" Eve snapped.

"Eve, I don't like him. He seems dangerous! I mean, do you even know anything about him?"

"All I know is that he is a kind, goodhearted young man who suffered more than anyone should! He may seem dangerous to you, but that's because you don't know him and you judge him solely by his looks! He was simply observing you and trying to figure you out! Too many people used him and abused him! He doesn't trust easily! His own relativeshated him since he was sent to them as a baby! They never showed him anounceof love and care! I knowthat because Iwas his teacher in grade school! I know it, because he spent every afternoon during the school year here with me, and trust me when I tell you; he turned out better than anyonethought he would. So don't go telling me he's dangerous. The only people who should fear him are those who hurt his family and friends."

"I'm telling you, Evelyn; that boy is trouble if I've ever seen one."

"You didn't see him, Eric. You didn't see the small, malnourished child I've seen. You didn't see him cower when he'd strike a wrong note while I was teaching him to play the guitar because he feared I would hit him. You didn't see him hiding during races at school because other children liked to torture him. You weren't there." Eve spoke silently, tears soaking her every word. "You don't know how it feels to hold a crying child, begging for you to help them because they couldn't stand the pain anymore. I saw him break. I saw him cry. And trust me; I'm grateful to whatever higher power there is for sending him away to that school, because if he stayed here, heavens know what would have happened to him."

"Eve-..." knowing the conversation was over Draco turned and pulled Harry along up the stairs and to their room. Once inside he closed the door and pulled Harry into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry." No answer came from Harry, but when Draco felt Harry's strong arms wrap themselves around his slim waist, he knew it would be all right.

He knew that someday he would be alright.

* * *

Careful knocking woke the two young men up from their slumber. Harry let go of a tired sigh and with a wave of his hand unlocked the door. A moment later Eve pushed the door open and peeked in.

"Dinner is ready if the two of you want to come down." She said silently.

"Is Eric still here?" Harry asked.

"He stayed, yes." Harry sighed while Draco just buried his face in Harry's neck.

"We're coming in a minute." Harry said and a second later the door closed. Heavy silence settled over the two teens.

"You're in pain, Ry." Draco whispered. Harry sighed and let go of Draco. He took a seat and tugged his shoes on.

"I don't remember a time when I wasn't." Harry murmured. Draco kneeled behind the Vampire and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist. He rested his head on Harry's strong, hunched shoulder and took a deep breath.

"You promised not to shut me out anymore, Harry; remember?" Harry swallowed difficultly and tilted his head back a little.

"I don't want to burden you with some of the things that bother me, dragon. There are some things I have to handle alone." Harry answered honestly.

"Why?" Harry smiled and pried Draco's hands off of him in favor of turning to face the confused blonde. He cupped one pale cheek and smiled. One look in those stormy eyes and he could face Voldemort alone and win.

"Because I care too much." Draco's eyes widened and Harry stole a light kiss from his lips. "Come now, dragon; dinner is ready." They left the room a minute later and slowly walked down the stairs. Before they reached the kitchen Harry tugged on the Slytherin's hand making him stop and face him.

"What did you call me up there?" he asked and Draco looked confused for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"When we were talking, you didn't call me by my name." Harry elaborated.

"I called you Ry. Does that bother you?" Harry smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Draco's forehead.

"Not at all, dragon." Draco breathed a sigh of relief and smiled a little. They entered the kitchen and found Eric and Eve already at the table, and Harry felt a steel hand grip his heart.

He didn't know how to approach the man. He honestly didn't mean to leave such a bad impression on him. The thing was that he cared about Eve greatly, and Eric reminded him so much of Gilderoy Lockheart with his curly, dirty blond hair and perfect posture, he couldn't help himself.

Draco tugged on his hand and Harry looked at him, gifting him with a small, sad smile. He pulled on Harry's hand and they took seats around the table with Draco sitting to Eric's right and Eve on his left. Harry took a seat directly in front of Eric and bowed his head, avoiding the man's eyes. His head snapped up when he heard the sound of someone hitting someone and saw Eric wince while Eve glared at him.

"Eve – Eve told me that this house has really thin walls and that – that you two must have heard the argument Eve and I had earlier." Eric said and Harry frowned before he looked at Eve. She smiled at him bashfully and Harry sighed.

"It's alright. I know that I come off as different at first sight." Harry spoke up and bowed his head again.

"Yeah right; _different_." Draco scoffed and Harry looked at him wide-eyed. "You should have seen him in our 5th year. Harry's been a member of our swimming team since our first year, but he's always been so small and scrawny_, _even with the harsh training and the diet our school nurse assigned for him! And then puff! He finally hit his growth spurt between our 4th and 5th year and came back looking all tall, dark and handsome. I remember some of the guys from the higher years who were bullying my Harry before suddenly wanted to be friends with him. He practically became the most wanted bachelor of our school over night!" Draco grinned and winked at Harry. "Good thing I snatched him in time, otherwise some other lucky bloke would have gotten him." Harry smiled at him warmly and chuckled.

"You know I have eyes only for you." He murmured and Draco squeezed his forearm on top of the table.

"So you've been together for a year?" Eric asked, happy to have something to talk about.

"No, no, no." Draco hurried to correct him. He chuckled while Harry rolled his eyes. "Harry and I hated each other. We didn't have a lot of classes together. Our school has a special system in which it places students into different houses once they start going there. Harry and I come from rivaling houses. There's always been a lot of competition between us, and I'm afraid that Harry and I took it on a completely different level. Unfortunately, I'm from a very old, well standing family and my father is very strict when it comes to tradition and social connections. While Iwanted to be friends with Harry, I was forbidden from doing so because, in my father's eyes, we don't belong in the same social class."

"And since my situation is somewhat complicated, I had problems making friends as a child. I met another kid on our way to Hogwarts and unfortunately his family and Draco's don't exactly see eye to eye in many things." Harry took over for Draco. "I was easily influenced by him and rejected Draco when he asked me to be his friend."

"And since I was a childish little bugger, I decided to torture Harry every chance I had." Draco drawled and Harry chuckled.

"It took us 5 years to see that we weren't all that different." Harry added and Draco nodded.

"At the beginning of this summer I finally admitted to my father that I was gay and he practically threw me out of the house. Since I had nowhere to go I returned to Hogwarts and found Harry there. We actually talked for the first time since we met!" Draco flailed and Harry chuckled while Eve and Eric smiled at the two.

"After a few heated arguments and a few enlightening conversations we actually realized we are not all that different and – and I guess things took a completely different direction." Harry said and Draco smiled.

"I realized Harry isn't the street urchin I thought he was." He explained and Harry snorted.

"And I realized Draco isn't the stuck up snob he always pretended to be." He shrugged and threw Eric a small glance. "One thing led to another and – and I guess we somehow clicked." Eric nodded while Eve sighed wistfully.

"Young love." She whispered and Draco chuckled while Harry rolled his eyes.

"I received my yearly message from aunt Eve and decided to come and visit her since we hadn't seen each other in years. She agreed to house Harry here as well, and we decided to spend what remained of our summer vacation here."

"I didn't even know my grade school teacher would turn out to be Draco's aunt." Harry murmured.

"You can imagine my surprise when he and Draco arrived on my doorstep and not only do I see my little nephew that turned out into a gorgeous young man, but my little Harry, who became one handsome bloke." Harry snorted and shot her a look from under his bangs.

"Admit it, you were terrified when you first saw me. You didn't even recognize me." He pushed and Eve huffed.

"Can you blame me? Last time I saw you, you were a little boy whose clothes looked like they were drowning you."

"To be perfectly honest, I just can't make a connection." Eric said. "You two keep saying Harry changed drastically, but I just can't imagine him being all small and scrawny." He addressed Eve and Draco, and Eve huffed.

"Give me a second." She stood up and ran out of the kitchen. She returned a second later with a small picture frame in her hands. She thrust it in front of Eric and the man choked up on the sip of the wine he took just as she came back.

"Impossible." He rasped out between coughs and Draco leaned over the table to take a look at the picture. Eric gave it to him while he grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth with it. Draco's eyes widened when he looked at the picture. He felt Harry lean closer and the Vampire hummed.

"This was taken when I was nine years old." Harry said and Draco nodded. It was a picture of Harry and it was taken in Eve's living room. He was sitting in an armchair and he looked incredibly small and fragile. His clothes hung on his thin frame and his hair looked like a bird's nest. His glasses stood crocked on his nose and he had a small, white plaster on the bridge of his nose. "It was right after my cousin Dudley broke my nose." Eve huffed, and Draco and Eric looked at her.

"I still don't understand why you didn't allow me to punish him for that." She muttered and Harry smiled sadly.

"Because the beating I would have gotten from Vernon for getting Dudley punished would have been much worse than a broken nose." Heavy silence settled over them as Draco fumed at the Dursleys, and Eric observed Harry quietly.

"Harry, I must apologize to you." Eric said after a while and Harry looked up at him with slightly wide eyes.

"For what?" he asked and Eric smiled a sad smile.

"I allowed myself to judge you by your appearance. While you do appear quite dark and somewhat threatening, if I bothered to take a really good look at you, I would have seen what Eve and Draco see in you. I'm sorry. I guess that even adults can make such childish mistakes." Harry smiled a small smile and Eric was left breathless. Such a simple, small stretching of Harry's lips made him look so warm and inviting that Eric almost completely forgot his first impression of the raven haired teen. Now that he really looked at him, he could see warmth hidden behind caution and weariness in Harry's eyes.

"You have really amazing eyes, Harry." He commented and Harry's smile grew a little.

"I'm told I inherited my mother's eyes." He said and Eric smiled at him warmly.

"Your parents must be really proud of you, Harry. I must say I'm really glad Eve brought me with her today. I suppose I still have a lot of things to learn. I'm glad I met you; both of you."

"We're glad we met you too, Eric." Draco said and Harry nodded in agreement. "See? I told you he'd like you once he'd get a chance to talk with you." Draco poked Harry's shoulder and the Vampire chuckled.

"I know, dragon. I know."

"Why do you call him 'dragon'?" Eric asked as they slowly returned to their already cold dinner.

"Because of his name." Harry explained. "Draco Malfoy. It means _dragon of ill faith_."

"Oh." Eric nodded. "See? Another thing I've learned." Eve and Draco laughed while Harry chuckled.

"Anyway, since our dinner went cold already, who's up for some ice cream?" Eve said and stood up.

"I'd love some." Eric said and stood up to help her around the table. While the adults fussed around the kitchen Draco looked at Harry and smiled at him. He leaned closer to the Vampire and kissed him lightly.

He was slowly coming to realize that he was truly happy to have Harry in his life. He didn't know that those were Harry's exact thoughts as well.

He also didn't know that, while he was slowly coming to grips with his feelings for the raven haired Vampire, Harry already knew what he felt for the blond Slytherin.

The only problem was that he didn't know if he should tell him.

He didn't know if he _could_ tell him.

On one side he was afraid that it would chase Draco away, and on the other he wasn't sure if what he felt was really love.

"Who wants ice-cream?"

"Is it vanilla and strawberries?" Draco asked and missed the small, loving smile that touched Harry's lips.

He would know in time. For now, he would simply let things continue to go slowly.

He had enough time.

* * *

"You go to sleep." Harry said as he pulled on a jacket. "I have to go further away, so don't wait up for me."

"You always say that, Harry." Draco muttered as he followed Harry down the stairs. Eric left an hour ago and Harry got ready to go on a Hunt. "I'm starting to think you're avoiding sleeping with me." Harry chuckled and turned to kiss Draco once they reached the front door.

"Never." Harry assured him and kissed his forehead. "Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." With that said he walked out of the house. Draco sighed as he stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. The evening was quite cold, and there was something heavy in the air. He looked at the sky and frowned when the clouds parted to reveal the Full Moon. Draco shivered when he heard a dog howl somewhere nearby. He closed and locked the door, and turned to go back into his room only to jump in his place when Eve walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." She apologized and Draco smiled at her as he caught his breath.

"It's alright. I don't know why I'm so jumpy tonight." He admitted and Eve frowned in worry.

"Is everything alright?" she asked and Draco sighed. He brushed his fingers through his hair and rubbed his face with his hand.

"It's nothing. Just a bad feeling." He said and Eve hummed.

"Come. I'll make you some hot chocolate. Harry used to beg me for some when he was a kid." Draco snorted and followed her into the kitchen.

"I don't see that happening. Harry would never beg for anything." Eve sighed and nodded her head sadly.

"I may have used the wrong expression there. But you're right; Harry never asked for anything, much less begged." Draco took a seat at the table while Eve danced around the kitchen, making hot chocolate for the both of them. "On the other note, the story you told Eric today was well thought out." Draco chuckled and nodded.

"Most of it was also true; just some switched terminology and a slightly different time line." He said and Eve smiled at him.

"Harry didn't change until the night he Ascended, am I right?" Draco sighed and nodded. He smiled at her gratefully when she handed him a cup, and she took a seat beside him at the table.

"No. He did grow during the years, but now that I think about it, he always looked malnourished and waif-like. His clothes always hung on him, and he looked ready to bolt at any given moment. Why none of the professors realized he was mistreated at home will never be clear to me."

"I am guessing because they saw what they wanted to see." Draco looked at her with a thoughtful frown.

"I guess you're right." He murmured and took a sip of his chocolate. He smiled and nodded. "This is great." Eve grinned at him and Draco chuckled.

"Is Harry alright? I know you two heard us arguing." Draco sighed and bowed his head a little.

"He's not alright." He answered truthfully. "But he will be. One day, he'll be alright." Eve nodded and shifted in her seat.

"Now. Since neither one of us can sleep, why don't you share a few stories with me, hm? I want to know what you and Harry lived through at that school of yours." Draco groaned and rolled his eyes.

"I hope you have all night, because not one of those stories is a short one."

"Hit me with your best shot." Eve looked at him challengingly and Draco surrendered.

"Well, how about I start with our first year."

* * *

Harry walked out of the old abandoned building in London and licked his lips clean. He made sure the body of the stray dog he drank from was burned to ashes before he broke into a run towards Surrey. He did his best to avoid people, using small dark alleys to move until he got into less populated parts of town. Just as he was about to enter the street that would lead him to Eve's he heard two high pitched howls echo through the night.

His breath caught in his throat when the sky cleared of clouds and the Full Moon shone down upon him.

'Werewolves?! Here?!' he thought as he looked down the street. With a minute decision he changed direction and ran out onto the open fields and towards the forest.

His mind was already coming up with exit routs. He ran out of town and onto the fields around it hoping to reach the forest before the Werewolves caught his scent. He could feel his magic dancing just under his skin, and he felt his features shift. His senses sharpened fully, and his mind came into focus.

The forest came into sight, but before he reached it he heard howling behind himself and the scent of the two Werewolves tickled his nose.

**_'Rogues! Traitors!'_** a voice in the back of his mind spat out, and he turned on his heel to face the two Werewolves with a might roar. They stopped in their tracks and bowed their heads slightly as they crouched low to the ground. Both of them looked quite healthy for rogue Werewolves and Harry immediately knew whose side they were on.

**_"You are the Vampire who fought against Lucius and Dolohov."_** One of them spoke up and Harry crouched lower as his nails sharpened into deadly claws and his eyes slowly bled into black.

**_"What is that to you? And what are you doing here?"_** he spat out and their yellow eyes glimmered.

**_"The Dark Lord ordered us to look for you. Who would have thought that WE would be the ones who'd find you so far away from where you were last spotted."_** The second Werewolf spoke up and Harry growled in warning when he saw them inching towards him.

**_"Our Lord wishes to meet you. He wants you to join his noble cause."_**

**_"I have no interest in joining him."_** Harry spat out and the Werewolves snickered at him.

**_"The Light side will turn on you sooner or later. They will never accept you. They will never accept who you are."_**

**_"I don't need their acceptance. I fight for myself."_** The Werewolves growled lowly and Harry knew they were getting ready to attack him.

**_"Then we can't let you walk out of here. You're a Wild Card, and you can't be left alive!"_**

The Werewolves howled and attacked Harry as one, and the Vampire's mind came to a sharp focus.

**_'Tonight we feast on Werewolf blood!'_**

* * *

"What was that?" garnet eyes shone in the darkness as they looked towards the sky. "Kha'bí, who was that?" (beloved)

"I don't know." A low, raspy voice echoed through the darkness. He looked down at the worried face of his Bonded and swallowed difficultly.

"I am worried, ma Kwe." (my lord.) Fearful Prussian blue orbs gazed at the Full Moon. "That sounded like one of our own."

"I know. And I don't like the sound of that any more than you do." Both of them pulled back into the shadows of the forest when a pain filled howl, followed by an angry roar broke the silence of the night.

The air filled with the scent of blood; Werewolf blood.

"There will be a red dawn tomorrow." That deep voice was filled with worry. Prussian orbs gazed up at the sky as the Moon adopted a red tinge. "The Werewolves are dead. Come, ma béi. We must reach the city before dawn, you need rest. We will visit her once we've dealt with official business. I only hope she is safe." (my love)

And as they vanished into the shadows the Red Moon wept for her wayward children and heavy rain poured down from an almost clear sky.

* * *

"You can't imagine how jealous I was of him at that moment! There he was doing the one thing I always dreamt of doing! I admit, I was an idiot when I approached Buckbeak like that, I just could think! So, of course, I got myself injured while Harry-…" Draco went quite and both he and Eve froze up when they heard the door open with a bang. They exchanged a short look before they jumped on their feet and ran into the hallway.

"Harry! Merlin, what happened to you?" Draco cried out and ran to Harry's side. The Vampire was on the ground, leaning against the wall as he cradled his right arm to his chest. His face was smeared with blood, and he looked close to fainting. "Who did this to you?" Draco kneeled by Harry's side trying to see how to help him get up.

"Werewolves." Harry rasped out brokenly. "Two of them."

"I'll call an a-…"

"No." Harry interrupted Eve as he tried to pick himself up. He managed to get on one knee and Draco caught him before he toppled to the side. "There's no way we could – we could explain this to them. I'll heal." Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's waist to help the Vampire get on his feet. Eve rushed over to Harry's left and slowly wrapped his left arm around her shoulders.

Together they made their way into the living room and helped Harry lay down on the couch.

"I'll bring some hot water and bandages. Draco, take his clothes off." Eve ran out of the room, turning on the light along the way, and Draco's breath caught in his throat.

"Oh, Merlin." He breathed out as he fell on his knees beside Harry. From what he could see, the Werewolves did quite a number on Harry. There were claw wounds on his side, stomach and chest, and a bite wound on his left shoulder and right arm. There was another bite wound on his right thigh and Draco feared there was more on his back.

"Dray?"

"Harry, what happened?" Draco's voice broke and Harry managed to open his eyes.

"I have the water and bandages." Eve chose that moment to return and Draco nodded at her gratefully. "Let's get him cleaned up and bandaged." With a lot of effort, and as much help as Harry could give them, the two managed to strip him down to his boxers, and while doing that, they found 5 parallel slashes on Harry's back.

"I'll clean his thigh, you start on his shoulder." Eve instructed and Draco nodded. Neither knew how long it took. Eve had to go and change the water four times, but somehow they managed to clean and bandage Harry's wounds.

"We need to get some water into him." Draco murmured as he looked at Harry's frowning, sleeping face.

"I'll go get some." Eve left while Draco tried to wake Harry up.

"Harry? Come on, Ry. I need you to wake up." Draco shook the Vampire lightly and Harry winced. His eyes opened slowly and Draco could see pain in them.

"Dray?" he rasped out brokenly, trying to focus on Draco.

"I need you to drink some water, Harry. Do you think you can do that for me?" Draco tried to sound as calm as possible. Harry was hardly awake, and definitely not in the right state of mind. If he got the impression that Draco was in any way upset, the Slytherin didn't know what the Vampire would do. Harry nodded weakly just as Eve came back with a glass of water.

"Thank you." Draco said and took the glass. With Eve's help he pushed Harry up and took a seat behind him. Harry grunted in pain, but no other sound left his lips. Eve took a seat beside Harry and placed her hand on Harry's uninjured thigh in quiet encouragement and support.

"Easy now, Ry; sip by sip." Draco murmured as he helped Harry drink some water. Ever so slowly Harry finished the glass of water. Draco handed Eve the empty glass and she put it on the table.

"Should we take him to your room? The couch won't be comfortable enough for him and he needs to rest." Eve said and Draco frowned.

"Harry?" the Vampire hummed, already half asleep. "Ry, do you think you can make it to our room?" Harry swallowed difficultly and opened his eyes a bit more.

"Sure." He murmured and with Draco's and Eve's help slowly got up. It took them almost half an hour to get to the room, but once they were in, Eve moved the covers away while Draco helped Harry get into bed. They tucked him in and Harry gave up fightin against blessed unconsciousness.

Eve and Draco breathed sighs of relief and while Eve took a heavy seat in the armchair, Draco ran his fingers through his hair.

"I need to wash up." He murmured and all but ran into the bathroom. He took his clothes off faster than ever in his life and jumped into the shower before the water warmed up. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he scrubbed his hands and face clean, trying to erase the image of Harry's blood out of his mind.

He hoped those Werewolves were dead, because if they weren't he would find them and kill them himself. He was on the brink of a panic attack; his breathing was short and quick, his muscles were cramping up and his head was spinning. He leaned his forehead against the cold tiles and held his breath.

He needed to calm down.

Harry needed him.

He needed him to be calm and collected.

He couldn't fall apart now.

He opened his eyes and let go of the breath he was holding. Water washed away all traces of blood, but Draco could still see it.

He could still see it.

He cursed under his breath and shut the water out.

He dried himself with a towel and pulled on a clean pair of pants and a shirt he prepared earlier that day. He took a deep breath before he entered the room and Eve stood up.

"He's sleeping soundly. He doesn't seem to be in any pain." She said and Draco nodded.

"Thank you, Eve. There's nothing more we can do but wait for him to heal."

"Can't you send a note to Hogwarts? They might be able to send you some potions or something."

"No." Draco shook his head. "There's a chance we're being watched. I can't risk it now that Harry's injured. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes. If things get complicated I'll contact my godfather." Eve sighed and nodded.

"Alright. Call me if you need me. I doubt I'll get any sleep." Draco nodded and Eve left the room, closing the door on her way out. Draco swallowed over the pile of fear and worry in his throat and slowly walked over to the bed. He carefully took a seat beside Harry before he lay down, doing his best not to jostle the sleeping Vampire.

He desperately wanted to know what happened, but there was no way for him to find anything out before Harry woke up.

He wanted to touch him.

He wanted to take his hand to reassure himself that he was indeed alive and well, but he didn't dare to move, because he feared he would wake him up if he did.

So he settled on watching him.

He settled on counting every shallow, raspy breath Harry took. They cleaned him up but Draco could still smell the blood. He could still vividly see Harry's open wounds, even though they were now dressed in bandages.

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and concentrated on Harry's breathing.

He would be alright.

Harry would be alright.

He had to be.

He simply had to be.

* * *

It was past noon when Eve walked down the stairs and found Draco in the hallway. He was on his knees with two bowls of water, a sponge and a few old towels around him as he tried to clean up the blood Harry felt there.

"You didn't have to do this alone, Draco, you should have waited for me to help you." Eve said as she walked over to his side, kneeled beside him and took the sponge from one of the bowls.

"I needed to do something." Draco murmured. "Harry woke up a few hours ago. He got sick because of the Werewolf venom in his system. It took him an hour to get back to sleep. I couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to clean up." Draco let go of his sponge and sat back on his legs to wipe the sweat off of his brow.

"Is he alright now?" Draco sighed and rolled his shoulders.

"The wounds will take time to heal. I think the Werewolf venom stopped him from healing the way he should, but I think he got rid of it when he threw up."

"Will he become a Werewolf?"

"No. I read in a book somewhere that all he needs to do is get rid of the venom. I really do believe that he managed to do that. Now that the venom is out it will take him a few days to heal and regain his strength." Eve nodded and they went back to work. Once they were done with the hallway they moved on to the living room. When they saw the state the couch and the rug were in Eve sighed and wiped her brow.

"I'm afraid the couch and the rug are ruined." She murmured sadly and Draco sighed.

"Let's just leave it for now then. I could use a cup of coffee." Eve nodded and they walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. After they washed their hands Eve set out to make them some coffee.

"Do you want to eat something?" she asked and Draco snorted.

"I don't think I'll be able to stomach it." He murmured and Eve nodded.

"Some toast then." She said and Draco couldn't find it in himself to argue with her. Draco sighed and slowly relaxed in his chair as Eve finished the coffee. She turned around to give Draco his cup only to jump in her place and drop it.

"Harry!" Draco was on his feet in a second and he turned around to look at the doorway.

"You idiot; you're supposed to be in bed!" he rushed over to Harry's side and helped the weak Vampire over to a chair.

"I'm sorry. My senses are a bit dull right now, and I was just worried." Harry rasped out and sunk in his chair. Draco felt like ripping Harry's pajamas off of him to check if any of his wounds have reopened, but he knew it would only aggravate the Vampire, so he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"It's alright." Draco murmured and crouched beside Harry. He placed his hand on Harry's thigh and did his best to smile up at him. "How are you feeling?"

"I've known better days." Harry admitted.

"What happened? I didn't know there were Werewolves in these parts." Eve said and Harry sighed.

"Voldemort dispatched the Rogues that are following him all around Britain. Lucius told him what happened and they are looking for me."

"You killed them, right?" Draco asked and Harry sighed.

"Yes. I did." Draco nodded and squeezed Harry's thigh comfortingly, careful of his injury.

"Do you want something to drink? Something to eat?" Harry shook his head and swallowed.

"No. I just needed to make sure you two were alright." He spoke in a broken voice, and Draco and Eve exchanged a small glance.

"You need to eat something and get some rest, Harry. You won't recover your strength otherwise." Eve said and Harry gifted her with a small smile.

"I won't mind eating something light." Eve nodded and Draco smiled at him.

"Let's all eat something and we'll all go to bed. We could all use some real rest." He said and Harry nodded at him.

"Sure." Moments later the food was on the table. Draco kept a close watch over Harry. He followed his every move, watching for any signs of discomfort.

Everything would be alright.

He knew that.

But something was telling him that their troubles were only beginning.

And that wasn't a comforting thought.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Chosen

"I can't believe they sent the poor creature out in this weather. The storm outside is horrible! The Hogwarts letters could have waited a day or two until it calmed down." Draco ranted while he carried a tray with some tea for them into the living room where Harry and Eve played a game of chess. An owl was perched on his shoulder and the poor bird looked like she flew through hell and back again.

"Well, I can personally testify that Dumbledore doesn't actually care for his messenger as long as the task is done." Harry murmured and straightened slowly with a small wince.

His wounds were healing slowly, and the only reason Eve and Draco allowed him out of bed was because they knew he would quickly go stir-crazy. They allowed him down into the living room under the condition that he moved for nothing but going to the bathroom, and even then someone had to go with him. He contested that, assuring them both that even though he was wounded he could still use the toilet alone. It's been a little over 24 hours since Harry woke up after fighting the Werewolves, and whether Eve and Draco wanted to admit it or not, he was already healing. The Werewolf venom was out of his system and it was only a matter of hours before the wounds would close completely. So, after a long talk, the two agreed to allow Harry into the bathroom alone. Never the less Draco stood in front of the door; just in case.

In a way, that annoyed Harry.

On the other hand it told him that the Slytherin cared about him, so he decided to keep quiet and just let it go.

"Poor thing." Eve murmured. The owl hooted and hopped off of Draco's shoulder to land on Harry's uninjured one. He raised his hand slowly and caressed the ruffled bird's stomach gently. The owl hooted in pleasure and closed her eyes while Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"Animals have a thing for you." Eve commented while Draco took a seat on the armrest of Harry's armchair and rubbed the owl's head gently with the back of his fingers. Harry raised an eyebrow at Eve when he saw her smirking, and Draco chuckled.

"Draco, what did you tell her?" Harry murmured while the two shared amused smiles.

"Nothing much." Draco drawled. "I just told her about our second and third years at Hogwarts."

"You're still holding a grudge?!" Harry moaned and Draco rolled his eyes while Eve snorted. The owl hooted tiredly and Harry looked at her. Draco noticed the way Harry's eyes filled with sadness and felt his heart clench.

"You miss her, don't you?" Harry smiled sadly and nodded.

"Hedwig was a really good friend to me. Even though it's been over a month, I do still miss her." Harry admitted and Draco nodded.

"I'll make sure to bring her some water and treats later." Draco said and showed Harry the three letters the poor owl brought with her.

"Are those the results of your tests?" Eve asked when Draco handed Harry his letter. Harry nodded and broke the seal.

"Yes; and it seems Dumbledore sent me a message." He took Dumbledore's letter and unfolded it. A moment later he huffed and shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked when the letter burst into blue flames and burned out, turning into nothing but air.

"The first two lines were okay, but the rest got on my nerves pretty quickly." Harry grumbled.

"What did it say?" Draco asked.

"Well it started with 'Dear Mr. Potter, I hope you are alright'. That was okay. But when he started the next part with 'Do you understand what you're doing, my boy' I wanted to send him a well aimed curse." Harry said and imitated pointing a gun at an imaginary Dumbledore. Draco shook his head and Eve sniggered.

Harry opened his letter and Draco peaked over his shoulder to look at Harry's results. What he saw made his eyes bulge.

_Transfiguration O_

_Potions O_

_Charms O_

_Herbology O_

_Defense against the Dark arts O+_

_Divination A_

_History of magic E_

_Care of Magical Creatures O_

_Astronomy E_

"You did surprisingly well." Draco murmured and Harry shot him a small glare.

"I'm not an idiot." He grumbled and Draco rolled his eyes.

"I just assumed you would continue giving Granger the advantage." Harry raised an eyebrow at him and Draco sighed. "We _are_ getting to know each other, Harry, and that means that I know you're not as dumb as you made everyone at school believe. With the little bits of information you revealed about the Dursleys, I can only assume that they weren't happy with you doing better than that fat lump of lard they call their son,which means you had to hide your knowledge. You did it for long enough and it became a habit. When you and Granger became friends you pulled back and allowed her to take the lead when it came to academic knowledge." Harry raised an eyebrow at him while Eve nodded in understanding.

"How in the seven depths of hell did you come to that conclusion?" he murmured and Draco huffed before he bowed down and, careful of the owl perched on Harry's shoulder, kissed the Gryffindor.

"Because I've come to realize that under the good, self-sacrificing Gryffindor you show to the world, you are an honest to heart Slytherin." Harry rolled his eyes at the vogue answer and shook his head.

"Never the less, you're right." He admitted and Draco grinned triumphantly.

"I knew it." Harry and Eve chuckled.

"How did you do?" Draco opened his own letter and gave it to Harry, and they looked at it together.

_Transfiguration O_

_Potions O_

_Charms O_

_Herbology O_

_Defense against the Dark arts O_

_Arithmancy O_

_Care of Magical Creatures E_

_Ancient Runes E_

_Astronomy O_

"You did excellent." Harry said with a smile and Draco nodded.

"Can I see?" Eve asked and Draco gave both of their letters to her. She grinned brightly when she compared their grades.

"This calls for a celebration. I'm making an extra big desert today." The two teens laughed as Eve gave them their letters back.

"Now all we have to do is decide which subjects we'll be taking this year." Harry said and Draco hummed.

"I think I'll take transfiguration, potions, charms, defense, arithmancy and astronomy. I'm not interested in plants. You can pick two additional classes, so I think I'll take Healing magic and Muggle studies." Draco said.

"I'll just get rid of astronomy and divination; as for additional subjects. Healing sounds good, and so does Arithmancy." Draco smiled at Harry.

"Then we'll have most of our classes together." Harry nodded and flinched when the owl shifted on his shoulder. It hooted shortly and flew off to perch on top of the couch. Thankfully Eve wouldn't have to get rid of neither the couch nor the rug. With just a flick of his wrist Harry cleaned up both of them, saving Eve the trouble.

"Are you two hungry?" Eve asked. "I'm feeling a bit pekish."

"I could eat something." Harry agreed and Draco nodded.

"I'll go and make something then." Eve hopped on her feet and walked out of the living room, leaving Harry and Draco alone. The Vampire sighed and relaxed in his armchair. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, and Draco frowned in worry.

"Harry, are you alright?" he asked and Harry opened his eyes.

"I'm fine, dragon." He said and gifted Draco with a small, tired smile. "I'm healing and I'll be alright before you know it."

"But?" Draco pushed and Harry frowned.

"What?"

"I heard a 'but' somewhere in there." Harry chuckled and Draco yelped when he wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled him into his lap. Harry ouffed and tensed up for a second and Draco hit his shoulder.

"You're not supposed to strain yourself!" he pressed out through his teeth and Harry chuckled.

"I forgot about my leg." He muttered and Draco rolled his eyes.

"You forgot about your stomach; and your arm and shoulder." He counted and Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm alright, Draco. My wounds are almost completely closed. In just a few hours I'll be completely healed."

"But not completely _recovered_." Draco stressed out and Harry sighed. "And don't try to avoid the question."

"Alright." Harry mumbled and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist. The Slytherin sighed and carefully leaned against Harry. He rested his head on Harry's shoulder while the Vampire hugged him tightly to his chest. "I have a bad feeling." Harry admitted and Draco frowned.

"What kind?" he asked and Harry hummed.

"I can't explain it. It's like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. The two Werewolves said that there are other Creatures looking for me. I think we will have to return to Hogwarts sooner than we planned." Draco frowned and straightened. He settled more comfortably in Harry's lap and looked down at him with worry written all over his handsome face.

"You think they'll come after us?" he asked and Harry shrugged.

"We need to be ready for anything. I can't risk you and Eve getting hurt if they come after me. Besides, they said nothing about you. They only said Voldemort wants to see me. I think that he'll be quite pissed when he finds out I killed two of his precious allies. They were right about me being a Wild Card. If I refuse to stand with Dumbledore and we both know that there is no way that I'll join Voldemort, I'll be in between a rock and a hard place. Without any support from a bigger group of people, those who are close to me will be endangered from both sides. They will try to get to me through you. Honestly, I don't know what to do." Draco hummed and frowned.

"The only ones who know we're Mates are those we can completely trust. Not one of them will betray us. We'll just have to be careful at Hogwarts and keep our relationship a secret, although since we're both practically in the middle of this, I don't see why we should. We'll both be in danger one way or another. Personally, I believe that strength is in numbers. The greater circle of trustworthy people you have around yourself the greater your chances of success are."

"It all comes down to seeing who's trustworthy and who's not." Harry murmured and Draco nodded. "I know I can trust you, Remus, Molly, Tonks, your mother and Snape. Hermione will take a little convincing and Ron might turn his back on me, so I doubt I'll be telling him everything any time soon. I know I can count on Luna and Neville; they've never given me a reason not to trust them, but pulling them into all of this might attract too much attention. Having too many people could prove to be risky." Draco nodded at Harry's reasoning.

"I know I can trust Blaise, Pansy, Theodore, Vincent and Gregory; the others in my house are either Death Eaters in training or they're playing Switzerland." Harry chuckled at the implication of Draco's choice of words.

"I guess we'll just have to take it one step at a time. I'm not too sure just how many people I can trust, so we'll just stick to what we know and try to play our cards right when time calls for us to."

"And what about that bad feeling of yours?" Harry sighed and leaned back against the backrest.

"I don't know. Up until now my feelings never failed me. I could just be paranoid because of the Werewolves, but I don't want to risk anything. I know that if someone attacks us now I won't be able to protect you." Draco frowned and bowed his head a little. Harry raised his right hand and cupped Draco's cheek lovingly. "Dragon, what's wrong?" he asked and Draco tried to smile for him.

"It's nothing." He muttered and Harry frowned at him.

"If it were nothing you wouldn't try to avoid looking in my eyes, Draco. We may have only started to get to know each other, and we may be in a relationship for just a few short days, but you're forgetting that we've known each other for years. You've observed me and I've observed you to the point where we can both predict the other's reaction. I know something's wrong. We both promised to be honest with each other, remember?" Draco sighed and shifted in Harry's lap until he was straddling him. Harry straightened and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist while the Slytherin wrapped his around his shoulders to steady himself. He buried his face in Harry's hair and Harry nuzzled his nose in Draco's neck.

"I'm just worried, Harry. You've gotten injured trying to stop two Werewolves from locating me and Eve. You're so obsessed with protecting us that I'm afraid it will cost you your life." Harry moved back a little and frowned up at Draco.

"Dragon, you are my Mate; it will always be my first priority to keep you safe. It's not only an instinct; it's my own feelings for you. I don't want to lose you." Draco bowed his head a little with a worried frown marring his face. "Draco?" Harry raised his arms and cupped Draco's face between his hands making him look into his eyes.

"I'm worried, Harry." Draco murmured. "This is all happening so fast. A month ago you and I weren't even on friendly terms and now we're together and I – I'm just losing myself in all of this. I'm finally free of my father, but now I have a whole new set of problems. I want this; I want_ you_. But I can't help thinking that our problems will only birth new ones, and with you literally being in the middle of the war, you'll be in enough danger without worrying about protecting me." Harry took a deep breath before he tugged Draco down and kissed him.

"Draco, we will take this as slowly as possible. I already know that if I got to know you the way I know you now from the very start I would have fallen for you. I would have fallen for every side of you. This Vampire thing means little to me when it comes to you, alright?" a small smile stretched Draco's lips.

"I know, Harry. You've somehow managed to prove that to me in just a few days. And I have to admit that, despite all those Gryffindor sides you have, given enough time I would have fallen for you as well." Harry laughed and Draco smirked at him. He bowed down and kissed Harry. The Vampire growled low in his throat and placed his hands on Draco's thighs, giving them a soft squeeze.

"Are we alright for now?" Harry asked and Draco nodded.

"Sure."

"That's good, because judging by the smell coming from the kitchen I think Eve just managed to burn something." Draco rolled his eyes and hopped off of Harry. The Vampire stood up slowly and carefully shifted his weight off of his injured leg. Draco wrapped his arm around Harry's waist and the Vampire smiled down at him. He leaned forward and kissed Draco's forehead as he wrapped an arm around Draco's shoulder and they walked into the kitchen together to find Eve trying to save at least something. With a snap of Harry's fingers everything was gone and Eve looked at him sadly.

"I think we'll be ordering take out today." She murmured and Draco and Harry laughed.

"Why don't we just go out for lunch? I've heard of a pretty good restaurant some half an hour away from here." Eve beamed at Harry and the Vampire shook his head at her with a fond smile on his face.

"I'll go and start the car!" she skipped out of the kitchen and Draco chuckled before he leaned up and kissed Harry's cheek.

"You're a life saver." He murmured and Harry snorted.

"Sure. Let's go; before she manages to do some more damage." He murmured and Draco chuckled.

"She reminds me of Tonks, you know?" Draco commented as they walked out of the house.

"Merlin, no!" the Vampire breathed out. "Tonks is much worse. She wouldn't have burned just the food; she would have burned the house down. How she became an Auror is still beyond my comprehension." Draco laughed as they entered the car and Eve started the engine.

"Where to?" she asked as she drove off the parking place.

"Make your way towards King's Cross. I'll give you directions as we go." Harry said and Eve nodded.

"Lunch, here we come!"

"Let's just hope they don't burn it as well."

"Draco!"

* * *

"Bishop to H4." Harry murmured and moved the chess piece down the board and Eve groaned while Draco grinned approvingly.

"You're getting better, Harry." He complimented and Harry chuckled.

"Ron wasn't the best teacher." He murmured while Eve huffed.

"I'm starting to regret being a better teacher." She grumbled and Harry smirked at her while Draco snorted.

"You're not sorry at all." He drawled and Eve winked at him.

"It just shows that Harry's making progress in planning and predicting the moves of his opponent." She said and Harry nodded.

"Who would have thought that playing chess is good for developing those skills?" he moved a pawn forward and Eve giggled.

"Many games are actually good for developing planning skills and war tactics. I should introduce you to Risk." Harry nodded and just as Eve moved her Queen Harry felt a shiver of dread pass down his back. He tensed up, straightened and looked towards the hallway.

"Harry? Is something wrong?" Draco asked as Harry stood up slowly.

"You remember that bad feeling I spoke of the day before yesterday?" he murmured and Draco paled while Eve frowned in confusion. Both of them jumped in their places when Harry's wand slipped into his hand.

"Harry-…"

"I want the both of you to go up and lock yourselves in our room. I've placed wards on the windows and the door. No one can get in but me. Is the owl still there?"

"Yes it is, but Harry-…"

"Draco." Harry interrupted him and looked in his eyes. "Do what I tell you to do." Draco swallowed and nodded hesitatingly. "Go up and lock the door. If I don't come for you in half an hour, send the owl to Snape and Remus and tell them where we are."

"Harry-…"

"Go!" Harry snapped and Draco recoiled. With words stuck in his throat he just nodded. Eve grabbed his forearm and shot Harry a warning look. The Vampire nodded and watched as the two walked up the stairs. Once he heard the door of his and Draco's room close and the key turned, he flicked his wand and turned off the lights in the living room. He took a deep breath and tightened his hold on his wind. Without making a sound he slowly moved for the hallway.

Just as he stepped out of the living room he heard footsteps in front of the door.

"Pweye." (open) He pulled back in the shadows. His senses sharpened and he swallowed with slight difficulties as the door slowly opened, and two scents tickled his nose. He frowned when he realized that even though there were two separate scents, they were somehow combined. He pulled deeper into the shadows when the two entered the house and closed the door. Almost immediately their scents sharpened and Harry finally placed them.

_'Vampires!'_ his breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened. _'Sire!'_ something in him recognized them and his heart skipped a beat.

"Eve?!" one of them called out and Harry took a deep, calming breath. With a flick of his wrist the lights turned on, and in the next moment three wands were raised. Harry found himself gazing at two men, whose wands were pointed at him, and his own wand was pointed at the taller one; the one something in him recognized as the Sire of his mother.

The silence between the three of them was heavy as they took each other in. Harry could see both shock and surprise written all over their faces and he had to try hard not to shiver under the strict scrutiny of the taller Vampire's eyes.

"Introduce yourself." He growled and his eyes flashed red.

"I am Harry James Potter, son of Lily Catherine Evans Potter." He murmured, trying to push down the fight or flight instincts that were raging inside his head. He was standing in front of two older Vampires. He wasn't feeling exactly confidant, especially since while his wounds _did_ heal it would take him a few more days to return to full power. "You are?" the taller Vampire swallowed difficultly and Harry saw something enter his eyes; something he couldn't quite name. He tensed up when the smaller Vampire lowered his wand slightly and placed a hand on the taller one's shoulder in a calming gesture. 'He must be his Mate.' Harry thought.

"I am Gabriel Dubois." The taller one spoke up and Harry's heart skipped a beat. "This is my Mate, Emrys." The smaller Vampire smiled at Harry from behind his Mate. "Would you mind telling us what you're doing here?"

"Kha'bí." (beloved) Emrys chastised his Mate and took a step forward. "You have to excuse him, toui'ré. The times are dark and one cannot be too careful." (youngling) Harry nodded and slowly lowered his wand. "We came here looking for Evelyn."

"She is upstairs with my Mate." Harry said and flicked his wand. A beautiful white stag burst from the tip and pranced up the stairs. Gabriel finally lowered his wand and nodded at Harry.

"I apologize." He said. "Like Emrys said; we cannot be too careful in these dark times."

"I understand." Harry murmured. A moment later Eve and Draco ran down the stairs and Draco all but jumped in Harry's arms. He hugged him tightly, breathing as if he ran a mile while Eve stopped in her tracks.

"Gabriel! Emrys!" she ran over to them and hugged them both. Draco pulled back and quickly looked Harry over, searching for any sign of discomfort, unintentionally making Harry smile.

"I'm alright, dragon. There was no fight." Draco let go of a breath he was unconsciously holding and nodded before he looked at the two Vampires.

The taller one had shoulder long, dark brown hair and he had it tied at the nape of his neck with several locks falling into his face. He was a few inches taller than Harry, and stronger around the shoulders, towering above Eve and the other Vampire with his muscled body. His eyes were a strange, garnet color, and he carried around himself an aura of royalty.

The smaller Vampire was beautiful in Draco's opinion. He had waist long, chestnut brown hair that hung down his front in a loose braid. He was lithe and lean, and seemed to be a fast runner. He had a beautiful heart shaped face, and his bangs fell into his eyes, accenting two pools of an enchanting, Prussian blue.

Gabriel and Emrys looked at them while Eve stepped aside, and they approached Harry and Draco.

"You must be Harry's Mate." Gabriel said and offered his hand to Draco. Once Draco accepted it, Gabriel bowed his head at him. "I am Gabriel Dubois; Sire of Lily Evans. This is Emrys; my Mate." Draco shook hands with Emrys and bowed his head at them.

"Draco Malfoy." He introduced himself, surprised at how raspy his voice was.

"We are sorry for frightening you." Gabriel said as he looked around at everyone. "We saw the lights go out and we felt Harry's signature. It's similar to what we felt a couple of days ago when two Werewolves were killed a little outside of Surrey. Instead of doing the reasonable thing and knocking we decided to break it. I apologize for that." Harry nodded at him while Eve giggled.

"Let's all go and take a seat in the living room. I do believe that we have a lot to talk about and we don't have to do that while standing." She suggested and they moved for the living room. Harry took a seat in an armchair facing the couch and Draco took a seat on the armrest of Harry's armchair. Harry placed his hand on Draco's knee and Draco covered it with his own hand while Emrys and Gabriel took seats in the couch and Eve took the other armchair.

"What brings you to our parts of the world?" Eve asked and Gabriel smiled at her. He and Emrys obviously relaxed, but Harry and Draco were still tense.

"We decided to come back when we heard about the situation here in Britain. We heard that Voldemort's resurrection was confirmed and I feared for your safety, since there are a lot of Rogues who joined his ranks. Not many know about you, but we don't want to take any risks." Gabriel explained.

"We had some work to do in London, and decided to come and see you. Like Gabriel said, we felt young Harry's signature three days ago in the forest. I am surprised, toui'ré." Harry's eyebrows twitched slightly when Emrys looked at him. "We didn't know such a young Vampire managed to kill two Rogue Werewolves. We thought it was someone older; more experienced. Your strength impresses me." Harry blushed slightly. Draco squeezed his hand and Harry squeezed Draco's knee in return.

"I feared they would locate Draco and Eve." Harry said. "I couldn't allow them to come closer than they already did." Gabriel nodded.

"We can see that you are quite young, although not as young as your mother was when I gave her the Bite due to a series of unfortunate events."

"A series of unfortunate events?" Harry asked and Gabriel sighed only to smile at his Mate lovingly when he took Gabriel's hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"As you know Voldemort was gaining strength at that time. I was sent to negotiate with the Rogue Vampires that chose to join him. When I told them that the Covens and the Conclave would not support Voldemort they decided to act against me. They took Emrys and chased me to Surrey. I was heavily injured and weak, and I didn't know what happened to Emrys. I am afraid your mother was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Lost as I was, I Fed off of her when she approached me to offer help. When I realized what I did, I quickly turned her to save her life. Unfortunately, she was taken to Hogwarts before I could contact her, and the war was taking a turn for the worst. I managed to free Emrys and we had to hide. I didn't have a chance to contact her since then."

"I understand." Harry said. "She didn't blame you." Gabriel's and Emrys' eyes widened at his words. "She understood what you did and never held anything against you." Gabriel let go of a breath he was unconsciously holding and smiled weakly at Harry.

"You resemble her greatly." Gabriel said and Harry gifted him with a small wavering smile.

"Thank you. More often than not I hear that I resemble my father more than my mother. It's good to hear someone saying I resemble her."

"You have her eyes." Gabriel said and Harry's smile grew slightly.

"I know."

"If I may ask?" Harry looked at Emrys, and the brown haired Vampire smiled at him. "When were you bitten? Who is your Sire?" Harry cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.

"I wasn't bitten." He said and the two frowned.

"But you're obviously a Vampire; and I can say that less than a month passed since you were turned." Gabriel said. Harry looked at Draco and the Slytherin nodded at him reassuringly.

"I became a Vampire on my birthday on 31st of July." Gabriel and Emrys' eyes widened and their mouths opened slightly.

"What?" Gabriel rasped out and Harry cleared his throat.

"I said that I became a Vampire on my birthday. I was never bitten." He clarified and tensed up while the two Vampires stared at him in complete and utter shock.

"This is unheard of." Emrys breathed out and looked at Gabriel with shock written all over his face.

"Not since the days of his Highness." Gabriel looked at Harry with a searching look. "He was the only one among us who survived the night of Ascension; the only Child of Vampires that was powerful enough to survive the Transition." He spoke breathlessly and Harry nodded.

"I know it's strange, but believe me; I'm not lying. I have no reason to lie about that."

"We know that, toui'ré." Emrys said and tried to smile. "But please, understand us. We thought it impossible at best!" Draco snorted and everyone looked at him.

"Harry's quite known for defying all reason and probabilities." He murmured, and while Harry and Eve smiled at him, Gabriel and Emrys exchanged a confused glance.

"Wait a second." Gabriel murmured and looked at Harry as realization dawned in his eyes. "You're – You're _Harry James Potter_! You are the Boy-Who-Lived!" Harry winced and grunted.

"Took you long enough." Draco murmured and Harry shot him a reprimanding look.

"That would explain it." Emrys said. "It takes a great deal of power to survive the Killing Curse." Harry nodded minutely.

"Never the less, this is quite shocking." Gabriel murmured. "Although it makes a lot of things clearer." He looked at Harry while Emrys nodded at him. "I do believe that it's connected to the second reason of our return to Britain."

"What would that be?" Harry asked.

"We've received news two weeks ago about the appearance of a great power somewhere in London. Members of our Coven informed us that they felt a surge of powerful magic on 31st of July. They couldn't trace it, and thus couldn't explain what happened. We planned to come here for Eve either way so we decided to meet up with the members of our Coven and do a little research." Emrys said.

"Suffice to say we found nothing in London." Gabriel continued and Emrys nodded. "We arrived a little before your confrontation with the Werewolves, but decided against following you. We met with our brethren instead and spent the last two days trying to locate the source of the power. To be perfectly honest, I never expected this outcome." Gabriel gifted Harry with a small smile. He could see something growing in both Gabriel's and Emrys' eyes, but no matter how much he tried he couldn't name it. "You have no idea just how much this means to us, toui'ré; how much it will mean to _all_ Kindred."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked and straightened in his seat. Gabriel looked at Emrys when the smaller Vampire placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Bwái xi cénan ü yí lúnini, kha'bí. Süni nim türi nyómatu meh bibe. Em ëmi ot'íme ni suiséye e dúqu Faishí preth." (Maybe you should leave it for later, beloved. Let him get used to us first. I have a feeling he met no other Vampire before.) Gabriel frowned thoughtfully while Harry, Draco and Eve wondered what Emrys told him. Neither one of them could place the language Emrys spoke in.

"Prethini ni nuatu ar dälini. Em dälini ëmi ü ni nuatu ar meh aw q nüwbi nibe." (The sooner he finds out the better. I would rather have it he finds out from us than from someone else.) Gabriel spoke and Emrys frowned.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but would you mind telling us what is going on?" Harry spoke up and the Vampires looked at him.

"Gabriel and I are at a disagreement, toui'ré." Emrys said and smiled a weak smile. "Personally, I would leave this discussion for later."

"And I think I should tell you everything before you find yourself in a situation where you wouldn't have the time to think things through." Harry raised an eyebrow in shock.

"This is a surprise." He murmured and the others looked at him with confusion written all over their faces. "More often than not important information has been kept hidden from me because people thought there was time to tell me, and I would end up finding out at the worst possible moment." Emrys blushed furiously.

"Forgive me, toui kalanye. I merely thought that you should first get to know us better. I never wanted to offend you." (young prince) Harry smiled at Emrys and nodded.

"I understand, but please, try to understand me. I lost a lot of people because I wasn't told everything from the start. Whatever you need to tell me, please, tell me as soon as possible. If you aren't comfortable now, we can wait until tomorrow, but not a day more." Gabriel nodded and Emrys smiled at Harry brightly.

"What I would like to know first is why you are here?" Gabriel said and Harry looked at him.

"I decided to seek you out, because I know that there are a lot of things I need to learn, and I couldn't think of a better teacher than my mother's Sire. I knew you had a descendant somewhere in Surrey." He stopped and chuckled. "I have to admit that it took me reading her name in the phone book to figure out Eve is not only your descendant but my grade school teacher as well." Eve giggled while Emrys and Gabriel looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"It's a small world; what can I say?" she said. Gabriel nodded and looked at Harry again. He took a deep breath and glanced at Emrys.

"I need you to remember, Harry, that what I am about to tell you means nothing if you choose a different path in life. No one can or will force you into anything. No one would dare force you into anything." Harry, Draco and Eve frowned in confusion and Harry straightened in his seat. Gabriel looked as though he was looking for the right words, and Emrys took his bigger hand between his smaller ones offering silent comfort. Gabriel nodded minutely and looked at Harry again. "You know you are a pure-blood amongst Kindred due to the fact you were born this way?" Harry frowned but nodded in understanding.

"I know." Gabriel nodded and sighed.

"Do you know who rules above Kindred?" Harry hummed thoughtfully.

"If I remember correctly, in 876 BC heads of Covens and Packs gathered and formed the Conclave. Each Nation chose two Overlords to represent them in the Conclave and ever since then and up until Count Tepes, the Overlords of the Conclave ruled over the Creatures."

"Kindred." Emrys corrected him and Harry nodded. "We don't call ourselves Creatures; Wizards named us that way. We call ourselves Kindred." Harry snorted.

"Definitely sounds better." He murmured before he continued where he left off. "Anyway. In 1448 he became the King of C – Kindred and upheld the highest ruling power until his death in 1474. There are some writings that say that the first 14 years of his reign over the Kindred were 14 years of bliss, but for some reason he strayed off of his path. After his death no other King stepped out and since then the highest ruling power over the Kindred is the Conclave with the High Regent as the Head of the Conclave."

"You know more than I thought you would." Gabriel complimented him and Harry nodded.

"My mother liked to read." Harry offered as an explanation and the others chuckled. "But what does it have to do with me?"

"It has a lot to do with you, Harry." Gabriel stressed out. "Do you know why Vlad III. Tepes was named the King of Kindred?" Harry frowned in confusion. Draco looked at him with a thoughtful frown, trying to figure it out as well. "Let me give you a hint." Gabriel said after a few moments. "You share a certain accomplishment with him." Harry's frown deepened for a second before his breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened. A moment later Draco and Eve figured it out and Gabriel nodded at them.

"Impossible." Harry murmured and Gabriel smiled understandingly at him.

"It is quite possible, Harry." He spoke. "The fact that he survived the Transition without the help of the Bite; the fact that he was the most powerful Vampire that ever walked the Earth made him our King. And _that_, Harry, means that _you_ will take his place. The fact that you survived the Transition alone, the fact that you're more powerful now than many of our Elders are, makes you our King; it makes you the King of Kindred."

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	6. Back To Hogwarts

Heavy silence settled over the room. Draco and Eve stared at Gabriel with wide disbelieving eyes while Harry sat completely still. His eyes were wide and his lips were pulled into a thin line.

"You have got to be kidding me." Harry pressed out through his teeth and Gabriel frowned at him.

"Harry, I promise to you, this is not a joke. I would never joke with such a serious matter. You are more powerful than you think; more powerful than _we_ can imagine. You're still young and your powers have yet to reach their full potential. You can try to deny it all you want. You can do your best to avoid it all, but whoever meets you, whatever Kindred crosses your path they will feel your power. The Kindred will naturally gravitate towards you; once word spreads they will seek you out for one reason or another."

"You can't be serious." Harry stood up and started pacing the room. "This is some kind of a sick joke."

"Harry, you need to calm down." Draco stood up as well, trying to calm Harry. "Losing control won't get us anywhere."

"I'm not fit to be a king of _anything_!" Harry snapped and Draco frowned at him while Gabriel stood up to intervene if needed. "I already have enough expectations on my head without this! Sure, I'm a Vampire! Sure, I survived the Transition on my own; but I'm a 16 year old boy! Everyone's already expecting of me to beat Voldemort! Two months ago I was still hoping I'd find a way around all this! Two months ago I was still hoping I could have a future! What now?! No matter what I do, no matter what choice I make, that choice will never be mine!"

"Harry, you need to calm down-…"

"Don't! Tell me! To calm down!" Harry roared at Gabriel and the lights flickered. Emrys stood up as well when red started to bleed into Harry's eyes. "I hadn't had a moment of peace in my whole life! I fought year after year to survive! I have a bounty on my head since the day I was born! And now you come in and all of a sudden I have to accept that I'm _King_?!"

"Harry, you need to understand that your power will draw others to you. They will seek protection and guidance in you. I know that's a lot to take in, but you need to calm down and think. I know you're young, but there will be people who will support you and help you."

"Support me and help me?" Harry pressed out through his teeth. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can believe that. My experience shows differently."

"The Kindred haven't been united under one King in centuries. The Conclave has some power, but they cannot affect everyone. A King would unite us; a King would be able to unite all of us."

"So why didn't you choose a King?!" Harry snapped. "Why does it have to be me?!"

"Because no one would be strong enough." Gabriel spoke imploringly. "There is no one we could choose that would be strong enough to unite us all. It takes great power to carry that responsibility, Harry. Such power cannot be given to anyone; you have to be born with it." Harry swallowed difficultly and looked away from Gabriel. His whole body was shivering and his hands were fisted by his sides so hard his knuckles turned white.

"I can't accept this." He growled and bowed his head. "I can't."

"Harry?" Draco finally moved. He slowly walked over to Harry, stopped in front of him and gently reached for his hands with his own shivering ones. "Harry, you need to calm down." He murmured as he took a gentle hold of Harry's wrists. "We'll figure this out together. You don't have to do this. No one can force you into anything, remember?" Gabriel was about to say something, but stopped when Emrys grabbed his shoulder. Gabriel looked at his Mate with a frown and Emrys shook his head before he looked pointedly at Harry and Draco.

They saw Harry's shoulders slowly relax as he took a step closer to Draco and bowed his head even more. Draco pulled on Harry's arms and wrapped them around his waist before he dragged his hands up Harry's arms and wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders. Gabriel could almost see Harry's muscles uncoil as he buried his face in Draco's neck and took a deep breath.

"No one can force you into anything." Draco murmured. "I already told you. You will never have to do anything alone again; never again." Everyone saw Harry relax and his hold on Draco tightened.

"I'm sorry." His voice broke. "I'm sorry for frightening you. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. I just-…"

"It's okay." Draco said firmly. "You didn't frighten me. You didn't hurt me. It's okay." He assured Harry as he pulled himself closer and buried his face in his neck. "I'm alright." Harry nodded as he took slow, deep breaths. It seemed the air thinned and the pressure that gathered in the room dissipated.

"I suggest we continue this discussion in the morning. We are all tired. Harry, you hadn't Fed yet." Eve said, and Harry and Draco parted.

"I'll go now. I need to think either way." He murmured. Without looking at anyone or saying another word, he disapparated out of Eve's house. Draco looked at Gabriel and the Vampire felt a shiver run down his spine when he looked into stormy, gray orbs.

"There's something you should know about Harry." Draco spoke in a low, leveled tone and Gabriel nodded. "He doesn't want responsibility; he doesn't want thousands of lives depending on his decisions and choices. He has had enough of that." Gabriel frowned and bowed his head a little. "But I can tell you that once he calms down and thinks things through, he will accept it." Gabriel and Emrys looked at him with surprise written all over their faces. "For some stupid reason he thinks he should be the one to save the whole damn world. He will think that he needs to help you; he will think he is obliged to help you because he's _Harry_. He has a hero-complex the size of the Universe and enough misplaced guilt on his conscience to last him several lifetimes. He will accept the fact that his powers make him your King, but _mark my words_." The two felt a shiver run down their spines and Eve swallowed difficultly when Draco's eyes started to darken to a steely gray. "Try to use him, hurt him or manipulate him in any way, shape or form and you will have me to deal with. I may not be able to use magic until my 17th birthday and I may not be a Vampire, but I swear I will put you through so much pain you'll be begging for Death. I'm the son of a Death Eater. I know more Dark Magic than anyone should, and I know how to use it."

"Draco-…"

"No, Eve." The Slytherin interrupted Eve as he glared at Gabriel and Eve. "I know him. I know what he wants and I know how much he suffered; I was one of those people who made his life miserable. We may not be Mated yet, and maybe I can't do much, but in the past two weeks Harry gave me more than anyone ever did. He could have done his best to ignore this Bond between us because he has every right to hate me, and yet he talked to me, he made an effort to get to know me and he accepted me, just like I accepted him. I know Harry, and I promise to you thatno one will use him again. Not while I'm here. Despite everything there is still a part of him that looks for the good in people; he wouldn't have given me a chance if that part of him was dead. You hurt him and you'll have to deal with me." He finished and walked out of the room without another word.

Emrys let go of the breath he was holding and heavily took a seat. Gabriel looked at Eve and frowned when he saw tears in her eyes.

"Eve?"

"I'm sorry." She murmured and harshly wiped her tears away. She offered them a wavering smile and shifted her weight nervously. "I never thought things would turn out like this for your visit." Her voice broke, and while Gabriel sighed tiredly Emrys smiled at Eve and stood up. He walked over to her and hugged her tightly.

"Everything will be alright, ma yunyí." (my sweet) Emrys whispered to her lovingly and Eve sighed as they parted. Emrys cupped her face in his soft, warm hands and kissed her forehead. "We all need to rest now. It's been a difficult day." Eve nodded as she swallowed over a lump in her throat.

"You two can take my bedroom if you want, I will-…"

"The living room will do just fine, ma láhci." (my dear) Emrys stopped her. "We will just transfigure the couch into a bed. You go get some rest." Eve nodded and kissed Emrys' cheek before she walked over to Gabriel and hugged him.

"Sleep well." She said and left the two Vampires alone. Gabriel sighed once they were alone and with a wave of his hand transfigured the couch into a comfortable king sized bed. Emrys smiled at his Mate fondly and walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around Gabriel's waist and leaned his head on his strong shoulder. Gabriel closed his eyes and buried his face in Emrys' hair. He took a deep breath before he moved back and kissed his Mate's forehead.

"Bwái em e'rahban nim lü." (Maybe I shouldn't have told him that.) Gabriel muttered and Emrys chuckled.

"E. Ni buéye páhri kn ni rahbéye lü thái süme e'sáhaban q nim. Ni sákuvatu o zamek ez ü y snsüme buatu düvi. Toui Draco rahbéye meh tái." (No. He was right when he said that such things shouldn't be hidden from him. He will come to grips with it and everything will be alright. Young Draco told us so.) Gabriel sighed, let go of Emrys and took a seat on the bed.

"Em e'zápwi. Ni e'chaneye düvi." (I don't know. He didn't seem alright.) Gabriel spoke sadly. Emrys took a seat beside him and covered Gabriel's hand with his smaller one.

"Ni bui toui y payaneye mnai, ma Kwe. Ni thrui vne." (He is young and he suffered a lot, my Lord. He needs time.) Gabriel nodded and smiled weakly at his Mate.

"Em zapwi." (I know.) He cupped Emrys' cheek and pulled him into a loving kiss. "Xi thrui olphenatu, ma yunyí." (You need to rest, my sweet.) With a wave of warm magic, both were dressed in comfortable pajamas. Once they settled in the comfortable bed, Gabriel pulled Emrys into his arms, back to chest and placed his hand on Emrys lower stomach.

"Ni bui däli che." (He is a good man.) Emrys murmured as he entwined his fingers with Gabriel's on his stomach. "Em otan ü. T'han bui mnai dälive n nai wane."" (I could feel it. There is a lot of goodness in his heart.)

"Y mnai xrxe. Em vanume lü ni p'hanatu yalni xrxr aw Merlin beye ez vne." (And a lot of power. I do believe that he will become more powerful than Merlin was with time.) Gabriel said before he kissed Emrys' shoulder and nuzzled his face into his braid. "Ni thrui u'nyatu mnai." (He needs to learn a lot.)

"Ni thruato däli u'nyete." (He will need a good teacher.) Emrys drawled and Gabriel chuckled.

"Buan em lü o nim? Mei e'pameye swi lü däli." (Can I be that to him? We didn't start all that well.) Emrys sighed and gave Gabriel's fingers a reassuring squeeze.

"Ni thrui u'nyete, ani ibni yalni aw lü ni thrui othame. Y vyane mn, ma béi; xi buatu ohn o ni. Y xi chahnatu däli." (He needs a teacher, but even more than that he needs a father. And trust me, my love; you can be both to him. And you will do well.) Gabriel smiled and hugged his beloved closer.

"Em pahnatu." (I'll try.)

* * *

Draco woke up with a start, and sharply took a seat in his bed. He looked around while he brought his breathing under control, only to frown when he found Harry asleep in the armchair. He swallowed with slight difficulties and got out of bed.

"Harry?" he gently shook the Vampire's shoulder to wake him up. Harry's eyes snapped open and Draco's breath caught in his throat when the Vampire grabbed his wrist in a vice grip. It took less than a second for Harry to realize what he did, and he quickly let go of Draco's wrist.

"I'm sorry." He rasped out and stood up, making Draco take a step back.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Draco asked and Harry looked down at him with a confused frown.

"I'm just going to the bathroom." Draco huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Not that. What are you doing sleeping in an armchair?" he growled.

"Oh." Harry shifted his weight and ran his fingers through his hair. "I – I slept there before the Werewolf incident because-…"

"Because?" the Slytherin pressed out through his teeth and Harry cleared his throat.

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Harry blurted out in a rush and Draco raised an eyebrow at him. Harry sighed and took a seat in the armchair again while Draco crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at him with an expectant look.

"So you decided it was a good idea to sleep in the armchair while I had a king sized bed all for myself. How nice of you." Draco bit out and Harry sighed.

"I'm sorry. I should have talked with you; I understand." Draco rolled his eyes and moaned.

"Harry, this is not about that!" he snapped and Harry looked up at him with a confused frown. "Damn it, Potter, one day you're going to kill yourself just to spare Voldemort the trouble of having to kill you himself; you self-depreciating, self-sacrificing, compassionate idiot." Harry's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe and Draco sighed. He kneeled in front of Harry and looked up at him after he placed his hands on Harry's knees. "Harry, when will you stop thinking about everyone else and just be selfish for one bloody time in your life?!" Harry frowned and looked at Draco's hands.

"I _am_ selfish." He murmured and continued speaking before Draco could interrupt him. "Instead of keeping everyone I care about away I keep pulling more and more people into this damn war. I couldn't even stick to my decision to keep you, my Mate, away from it all. No matter how much I want to keep everyone away from it, no matter how much I want to keep everyone safe, I also want you all beside me. Because I know I can't do it alone." He finally looked in Draco's eyes and the Slytherin felt like a steel hand gripped his heart. "Sometimes I just want to pack all my things and disappear. I'm afraid. I don't want to fight Voldemort. I don't want to face him, because I don't know if I can beat him. I want to hide in the smallest hole in the world and just let it all pass me by. I want to gather everyone I care about in one place and make sure Voldemort can't find them, because I wouldn't be able to handle losing someone again. I'm tired and angry and afraid and yet I know that I can't get away from it; I can't get away from any of it, because of onestupidprophecy." Harry's voice broke and Draco felt the shivers that wrecked Harry's body. "_Neither can live while the other survives._ Seven words that destroyed my life. Other parts of the prophecy mean nothing compared to that. It means that either I kill him or he kills me, and this war won't end until one of us dies."

"Harry-…"

"Tell me, Draco, how can I be selfish?" Harry's voice wavered and his eyes filled with tears; tears he would never allow to fall. "How can I be selfish when it never brought anything good? I was selfish once and I lost my godfather. I was selfish only once and I almost got my friends killed."

"Harry, stop."

"And now my mother's Sire is here and he's telling me that just because I survived something it makes me the King of so many people! He tells me that I'm supposed to be their leader! How can I lead someone when I can't even control my own life? How can I decide the fate of thousands when I don't know what it means to have the freedom of choice? How can I be selfish when it brought nothing but pain and suffering to me?" Draco launched forward, grabbed Harry's face between his hands and kissed him with everything he had. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't think of any words that would answer Harry's questions. He couldn't think of anything that would make it better.

So he did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He pulled back, took Harry's hands into his and pulled him up. He led the Vampire over to the bed and tugged him along. Once Harry was lying down, he lay down beside him and pulled him into a hug. Harry rested his head on Draco's chest, wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Draco wrapped his right arm around Harry's shoulders and entangled the fingers of his left hand in Harry's hair.

And then he said the only thing he could.

"You're not alone, Ry. You're not alone."

* * *

It was late morning when Harry woke up, and it didn't take him long to realize he was alone. The memory of last night's events weighted heavily on his mind. He still couldn't wrap his mind around everything Gabriel told him. He still couldn't understand what it was that would make him a King. He wanted nothing to do with that title, but he knew that Gabriel was right.

Power drew people in. Power meant responsibilities.

And Harry obviously couldn't run from them.

He took a deep breath and got up. He undressed on his way to the shower and once he was inside, he allowed the hot water to trail down his body and carry his worries away just for a moment. He sighed and leaned back against the cold tiled wall. He closed his eyes, calmed his breathing and cleared his mind. Thankfully, he had no visions pertaining Voldemort ever since they saved Draco's mother.

At least he didn't have to worry about him for now.

With a heavy sigh he got out of the shower and dressed himself. As he stopped in front of the door he took a deep breath a straightened his stance.

He faced everything up until now without faltering.

He would face this as well.

After all he was no longer alone.

Yes.

He wasn't alone.

* * *

"So there are four Bonds that have to be established in the year the Vampire courts his or hers Mate." Draco concluded and Emrys nodded with a small smile decorating his beautiful face.

"That's right. The Bond of Emotions, the Bond of Mind, the Bond of Heart and the Bond of Flesh. Once all four Bonds are completed, the Submissive is forever Bonded to his Dominant and the Dominant to the Submissive. They cannot live without one another; they live for one another and they die for one another."

"Is the Dominant always the one _in power, _so to say?" Emrys chuckled just as Eve placed a tray with coffee for all of them on the table and joined them.

"I wouldn't say so." Emrys said and winked at Draco who raised an eyebrow at him. "In many cases the Dominants have no desire to be in charge. They don't want their Submissive to bow to them and serve them. Of course there are exceptions, but more often than not the Dominant will hold his Submissive above all else and desire to protect them even at the cost of their own life. The Submissive on the other hand, doesn't need to have control although they do have it. The Dominant loves his Submissive unconditionally, and will do whatever the Submissive asks of them if it doesn't bring the Submissive in danger." Emrys took a sip of his coffee and sighed in pleasure. "All in all the Submissive has great power over their Dominant which is good, because they are the only ones that are able to stop them if they fall to Bloodlust." Draco frowned in contemplation while Eve and Emrys exchanged a knowing glance.

"From what moment does the Submissive have power over his or hers Dominant?" he asked.

"From the moment the First Bond is made." Emrys answered and Draco hummed. "You've seen it last night." Draco looked at the Submissive Vampire with a confused frown and Emrys shot him a pointed look.

"He pulled back." Draco muttered. "The moment I stepped in front of him, he pulled back."

"And that is what we find strange." Draco jumped in his seat when Gabriel's voice came from behind him. The tall Vampire entered the kitchen and lovingly smiled at Emrys before he bowed down and kissed him lightly. He pulled a chair closer to Emrys, took a seat and rested his arm on the backrest of Emrys' chair.

"What do you find strange?" Draco asked and Gabriel offered him a calm smile.

"You are still not of age." Gabriel started on the explanation. "By all means, your Bonding shouldn't have started yet, and yet you've managed to calm young Harry with a simple touch and a few calming words. It's practically unheard off. The Bonding starts once both Mates are of age, and yet it seems as though you two are close to forming the First Bond."

"Magic works in ways we cannot possibly understand." Emrys continued where Gabriel left off. "Perhaps it decided to give Harry someone who would be able to grow with him; follow him wherever his path may take him."

"That would be a first." Everyone jumped in their seats when Harry spoke up from the doorway. Draco stood up to look at him, and Harry shook his head as he pushed himself away from the doorframe and stepped into the kitchen. "I'm fine." He murmured as he reached Draco's side, bowed down and kissed his forehead. "Don't worry about me." Draco nodded reluctantly and Harry smiled at him. With a snap of his fingers he conjured another chair and joined them at the table.

"I hope you've rested well." Gabriel said and Harry spared him a glance while he added milk and sugar to his coffee.

"As well as I could, all things considered." Harry answered. "You?"

"Same." Emrys said and Draco frowned when he caught the brown haired Vampire glance at him shortly. "We didn't hear you come back from the hunt."

"I climbed through the window on the second floor. I didn't want to wake you up." Harry said and everyone frowned when he bowed his head slightly and took a deep breath. "But that is not important now." He murmured and looked at Gabriel and Emrys again. "I need to apologize for my behavior last night. It was inappropriate and my reaction was over the top. I apologize for it."

"There is no need for that. We understand that you have many things on your mind, and even though you asked to be told about it, I can't help but think that it could have waited until we got to know each other better." Gabriel said and Harry shook his head.

"It's better this way. Draco and I need to go back to Hogwarts soon and no one knows what will happen there. Its better I know everything; at least this way I know what to expect." Gabriel nodded in understanding.

"When must you return to Hogwarts?" Emrys asked.

"The train leaves the day after tomorrow." Draco said. "Which reminds me; we need to go to Diagon Alley to buy our books. I think we've postponed it for long enough." Harry nodded in agreement.

"Would you mind if we went with you? I need to buy a few things for myself, and that way we would at least spend some more time together." Emrys suggested.

"I don't see why not." Harry said and Emrys smiled brilliantly at him.

"I do." Gabriel said and Emrys' smile fell as he looked at Gabriel with pleading eyes.

"Gabriel, I'm alright!" he insisted, and Eve, Harry and Draco looked at them with confusion written all over their faces.

"We haven't rested properly in weeks, kha'bí. Last night was the first night we slept in a proper bed. You shouldn't strain yourself." (beloved) Gabriel insisted and Emrys huffed.

"Gabriel, I slept enough last night, and a little walk around the Diagon Alley will harm neither me nor our little one."

"Your little one?" Eve and Draco spoke at the same time while Harry 'oh'-ed.

"That's why your scent is different." Harry murmured and while Emrys smiled at him brightly, Draco and Eve looked at him incredulously. "How far along are you?"

"It will be 5 months in 16 days." Emrys said and Harry smiled at him when he saw the happiness in his shining blue orbs.

"I wish you all the best." He said and Emrys nodded in thanks.

"I didn't even know." Draco muttered and looked at Harry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know myself until I went to Gringotts, and I do believe that we never talked about this; and since we don't have to worry about it just yet, the fact that we can one day have children simply slipped my mind." Harry explained with a shrug and Draco looked at Harry with a dull look while the adults around the table chuckled at them.

"You're an idiot, Potter." Draco murmured.

"That's nothing new." Harry answered carelessly and Draco looked heavenwards with a suffering sigh.

"Merlin, give me the patience not to kill him and wisdom to turn him into a proper Slytherin."

"Hey! I'm more Slytherin than you are!" Harry cried out and Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"You will never be _half_ the Slytherin I am!"

"I'm a Slytherin by blood!" Draco's eye bulged out and he choked up while Emrys leaned forward in interest.

"You're from Slytherin's bloodline?" he asked excitedly and Harry nodded.

"On my mother's side." Harry confirmed.

"I thought your mother was a Muggle born Witch!" Draco cried out.

"She was adopted by the Evans family when she was a baby after her parents died in a fire. My mother was the heir of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin."

"She was of Rosa's bloodline?" Emrys asked and Harry nodded.

"Yes."

"Wait a second. Who is Rosa? Salazar Slytherin had only two children and it was Hephastion Slytherin and Helena Ravenclaw." Draco interrupted Harry and Emrys.

"Rosa Slytherin was the daughter of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. Their respective families were against them being together so Godric married Helga, and Salazar married Rowena. They hid their relationship behind rivalry until the moment Salazar found out he was pregnant with Godric's child, so they made a scene and Salazar and Rowena left Hogwarts. Rowena gave birth to Hephastion who was named the Slytherin heir and their daughter Helena was named the heir of Ravenclaw. Rosa was born after they left Hogwarts, and she was never accepted into the Slytherin family, even though Salazar left her half of his fortune."

"That means we are distantly related!" Emrys said and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Emrys nodded.

"I am Merlin's heir on my mother's side, and the Slytherins were of Merlin's line as well."

"But that – that means-…"

"It means _Voldemort_ and I are very, _very_ distantly related as well." Harry muttered and Draco sagged in his chair.

"This is mind-blowing." He murmured and Harry looked at him with an apologizing look.

"I didn't know half the things I know now, Draco. You can imagine the shock I felt when the Manager of my Vaults told me that I'm the heir of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Merlin. I almost fainted." Draco choked up and the adults laughed.

"You have a Vault Manager?" Draco rasped out. "Only the families with more than 10 Vaults have a Vault Manager." Harry shrugged carelessly and Draco rolled his eyes. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Harry chuckled.

"I hope there will be no more surprises coming. I think I've had enough of them for a lifetime."

"I'd say." Eve commented. "Good thing you don't have a selfish bone in your body otherwise you'd disappear and no one would ever find you again."

"Trust me, Eve; that thought is _very_ tempting." Harry drawled and everyone laughed. Draco shook his head and looked at Harry with a fond smile.

"One day I swear I'll find out everything there is to know about you, Harry James Potter; mark my words." Harry chuckled and finished his coffee.

"Duly noted." He said and stood up. "But until then, we need to go to Diagon Alley and buy everything we need for another year at Hogwarts. Do you want to come along, Eve?"

"Of course!" Eve jumped up excitedly. "Just let me get dressed." She ran out of the kitchen faster than anyone thought possible and Harry chuckled with a fond smile on his face.

"I will certainly miss her." He murmured and Draco nodded.

"I almost have half a mind to just stay here." He admitted and Harry snorted.

"Dumbledore would be on our necks before we'd say Quidditch." He drawled. "I'm surprised he hadn't sent someone to find us already. Someone must be running interference."

"I'll bet you 20 Galleons its Lupin." Draco offered Harry his hand and the Vampire raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'd say it's your mother, but alright." Harry shook Draco's hand.

"No way; she'll sooner jump off of the astronomy tower." Harry shrugged and Eve ran back into the kitchen before anyone could say anything.

"Ready to go?" she asked and everyone got up.

"Sure." Harry said. "I can apparate Draco."

"And I can take Emrys and Eve." Gabriel said. "We'll Apparate to behind the Leaky Cauldron." Harry nodded and Draco walked over to him. The Slytherin smiled lightly when Harry wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer to himself.

"Away we go!"

* * *

"I can't believe just how foolish these people are." Harry murmured as they walked down Diagon Alley. All of them wore hoods low over their faces; even Eve since Harry transfigured her jacket into a robe. Diagon Alley was full to the brim with people running around. They were talking and laughing. They were acting as though Voldemort didn't even exist; as though everything was perfectly fine with the world.

"I know, Harry." Gabriel spoke up. "But sometimes ignorance truly is bliss. Do you think living in constant fear would make their lives safer?"

"I do not want them to fear." Harry said. "But more than half of them are convinced that I will fight their battles; that I will defend them, that Voldemort wants only me. They make fun of me because I'm just a child, and yet they believe that I will fight Voldemort for them, even though they gave me nothing but humiliation." Gabriel nodded in understanding only to frown when Harry tensed up and stopped in his tracks.

"Is something wrong?" Draco asked when he, Emrys and Eve almost ran into Harry. Gabriel felt a shiver run down his spine and he looked towards a dark alleyway Harry was facing.

"Did you feel it too?" Gabriel looked at Harry with a frown when he heard his low, warning tone.

"I did."

"What's wrong?" Eve asked. Draco took a step closer to Harry and placed his hand on Harry's forearm.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Draco murmured and Harry hummed.

"I felt someone watching us." He pressed out through his teeth. "Let's go. Whoever it is we'll deal with them if they try something. It could have just been an Auror."

"Do you still feel it?" hearing the worry in Draco's tone Harry walked closer to him and placed his hand on the small of Draco's back.

"Not right now." Draco nodded and let go of a relieved breath. "It's alright, Dragon. If anything happens Gabriel and I will take care of it."

"I know, Harry, but we have Eve and Emrys with us now."

"I know. Don't worry about anything. Everything will be alright." Draco looked up at Harry, and even though he couldn't see his face because of the hood, somehow he could feel waves of reassuring strength rolling over him from Harry. He swallowed with slight difficulties and walked as close to Harry as possible.

He only hoped everything would turn out alright.

He only hoped.

* * *

"Ah! So the difference between the 'Sleeping Draught' and the 'Draught of the Living Dead' is that the 'Sleeping Draught' gives you a sleep of 8 hours at most, depending on how strong you are physically, and the Draught of the Living Dead makes you sleep until the antidote is administered?" Eve asked as the group made their way to the Knockturn Alley where they would part with Harry and Gabriel.

"That's right." Draco confirmed before he looked at Harry and frowned. For some reason he could feel that Harry has been getting more tense by the second. It's been a few hours since they entered Diagon Alley and Harry and Gabriel felt someone watching them. Harry told him while they were at Madam Malkin's that the feeling never ceased. Draco didn't like it; he didn't like it at all. He walked as close to Harry as possible with Gabriel bringing up the rear and Emrys and Eve between Gabriel, Harry and him.

The youngest Vampire was quiet and his whole body was tense, and Draco could feel his power rolling off of him in steady waves. It made him wonder how no one else noticed it.

Harry was absolutely fuming.

"You sure you want only Gabriel with you?" Draco asked and Harry nodded.

"Yes." Harry murmured. "I just need to take the book I ordered. I don't want the three of you in that Alley. You will wait at the entrance and try to keep close to the crowd. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Harry-…"

"No, Draco. Not this time." Draco had half a mind to argue with Harry but held back when the young Vampire stopped in his tracks and looked at Gabriel. The tall Vampire nodded and kissed Emrys before he joined Harry's side.

"We'll be quick." Harry said to Emrys and Eve before he turned to look at Draco. The Slytherin was surprised when Harry cupped his face and kissed him lightly. "Stay safe." He murmured and a moment later he and Gabriel walked into the Knockturn Alley.

Draco let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding and joined Eve and Emrys.

"We should go to that café and order something to drink. They might take a while." Emrys suggested and Draco nodded.

"Can we take these awful hoods down? It's quite hot under them." Eve moaned and Emrys and Draco chuckled at her.

"Sure. The moment we're off the streets." Emrys said and Eve let go of a relieved sigh. She all but ran into the café while Emrys and Draco followed after her in a steadier pace.

"Relax, d'ata. Harry will be alright." (child) Emrys murmured and Draco sighed.

"I feel as though someone pushed a hand in my chest and they're squeezing my heart." Draco rasped out.

"You're feeling Harry's fear and worry. I'm sure he can feel you too, so try to relax. You are not helping him like this." Emrys said just as they took seats. They took their hoods off and Eve frowned at Draco when she saw the worried frown on Draco's face.

"What is it?" Eve asked and Draco sighed.

"What can I offer you today?" a waiter came in that moment and they made their order. Once he was gone Draco frowned and Emrys sighed.

"Draco can feel Harry. It is a consequence of the First Bond. With time their emotions will fluctuate between them more freely until they learn how to control themselves. He feels what Harry feels, and because of that worries even more." When he was done explaining things to Eve, Emrys looked at Draco. "You should try to stop worrying. Like I said, Harry can certainly feel it. It will be difficult for him to concentrate if he gets a feeling you're in danger."

"How can I stop worrying?" Draco asked and Emrys felt something shift in his chest when Draco looked at him with so much worry in his eyes it almost had a physical impact on the Vampire. "How can I stop worrying when we don't know who it might be and what they might want?" Emrys sighed and looked at the table for a moment.

"Bnyi bui cenyine lümayn c'tau d swate lü xi ëmi yalni knmi nt bym y ü ol'hamaek aw xi srnini ëmi." Draco and Eve frowned in confusion and Emrys smiled at them.

"What language is that? And what did you say?" Draco asked.

"It's the official language of Kindred and what I just said is a saying one very wise man told me a little after I Mated with Gabriel. Translated it says: 'Worry is most often a prideful way of thinking that you have more control over life and its circumstances than you actually do'." (1) He translated and Draco raised an eyebrow while Eve hummed. "Don't worry about things you can't influence, toui'ré. You will soon find that it means very, _very_ little." (youngling) Draco nodded just as the waiter brought them their drinks.

He looked at his cup of tea before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Remembering Severus' teachings he cleared his mind and stored his emotions deep inside.

Emrys was right. If he was indeed feeling what Harry was feeling then the Vampire could feel him too, and it wouldn't do for him to be distracted.

He would just have to wait and see how things develop.

And something was telling him that wouldn't be the first time he would be doing that.

* * *

"Do you still feel it?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes." Harry murmured. They were on their way back to Diagon Alley with the Book Harry bought shrunken and stored inside his pocket. "Whoever they are, they are getting daring." Gabriel nodded. The only thing stopping him from scenting out their stalker was the fact that they were surrounded by people and different stores that sold things older than he cared to know. There were so many scents in the air that it made Gabriel quite uncomfortable.

"I can't scent them out. You?" Harry nodded minutely and Gabriel frowned. He could feel the younger Vampire's power rolling off of him in waves. If they didn't resolve this quickly, others would start noticing.

And he didn't want to find out just how many Kindred lived in Knockturn and Diagon Alley.

He really didn't.

"The air reeks of fear." Harry pressed out through his teeth, and before Gabriel could say anything Harry stopped in his tracks, effectively stopping him as well and looked over Gabriel's shoulder making the older Vampire see his red eyes and growing fangs.

"Harry-…"

"MOVE!" Harry pushed Gabriel to the side in time to have a Blasting Curse fly over their heads. Before Gabriel realized what was going on, Harry was on his feet and he was running after another man. Gabriel pushed himself up and ran after them. People were jumping to the sides in mad attempts to get out of their way.

"Damn it!" Gabriel cursed when the man they were chasing took a sharp turn and Harry followed after him, running out of Gabriel's sight.

He scented the air and followed after them only to stop in his tracks when he ran into a dead end and saw Harry pinning a whimpering man to the wall.

"Why did you attack us?" Harry pressed out through his teeth and the man's breath caught in his throat. Harry's grip on the man's throat was getting stronger by the second, and Gabriel had a feeling Harry was very close to losing control.

"W - what a - are y - you?" Harry growled low in his throat and Gabriel staggered back when an uncontrolled burst of power exploded from Harry.

**_"Your Lord and Master."_** Within a second the man Harry was holding shifted, revealing that he was a Vampire. Harry growled lowly and the man tilted his head back to the best of his abilities in a show of submission.

**_"Why did you attack one of my own?" _**Harry pressed out through his teeth and the other Vampire whimpered.

"I - I'm sorry, My Lord! I f-felt you e-enter the A-a-alley! There have been mercenaries r-r-running around! Vampire mercenaries! They kill all those that refuse to join He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! I attacked before you could attack me!" Harry hissed at the Vampire before he let go of him and took a step back. To Gabriel it seemed as though Harry doubled in size as the other Vampire cowered in front of him. He felt a shiver run down his spine when Harry turned to look at him and midnight black eyes dove into his.

"Have you heard anything about this?" his voice slowly returned to normal, although there was a deep undertone to it that reminded Gabriel of the powerful voice he heard moments ago.

"Emrys and I didn't run into any of them, but I have no doubt that the Dark Lord sent the Rogues to gather more allies." Harry hn-ed and looked at the Vampire. He looked as if he would rather face Voldemort than Harry at the moment. Harry took a deep breath and walked over to the Vampire. He kneeled in front of him as black started to bleed back into red, and looked deep into the brown eyes of the cowering Vampire.

"Usually, I don't take lightly to someone attacking me and my own, but considering the situation I won't hold this against you. What is your name?" the Vampire's breath hitched in his throat in shock.

"Mathayus; Mathayus Cromwell, my Lord." He answered. Harry nodded, stood up and offered his hand to him. Mathayus hesitatingly accepted Harry's help. He couldn't believe his luck. He couldn't see the other Vampire's features but the power that he felt mere moments ago still had him shaking. The black hood covered the man's face in shadows, but he caught sight of the markings, and while he was pinned against the wall he saw two burning black eyes which pierced his very soul. He dared look up only to be mesmerized by two emerald orbs of an intensity he hasn't seen in all of his 150 years of living amongst both mortals and immortals.

"Take care, Mathayus Cromwell. I hope we meet again one day under different circumstances." With that said Harry turned his back on the Vampire, spared Gabriel a small glance and marched out of the alley with Gabriel close behind.

"What do you know of this?" Harry asked and Gabriel sighed.

"Voldemort did that during the last war. He gathered the Vampire Hunters and ordered them to kill all those that opposed him or didn't pick sides."

"Whose side did the Vampires take during the last war?"

"Rouges and Hunters took Voldemort's side. They liked the promises of equality he gave them. Those Vampires that were in Covens were under the Rule of the Conclave, and the Conclave chose not to pick sides in hope that the King would arise soon." Gabriel dared look at Harry who sighed and shook his head.

"How can a child become King?" he murmured as they walked towards Diagon Alley. "How can the simple matter of surviving determine who becomes King?" Gabriel sighed.

"_Power_ determines who becomes King, Harry. You were born a Vampire, you just didn't know it. You are the heir to four that were in their own right more powerful than any wizard ever born after them until you. If you so desired, you could claim the Throne of the Wizarding world and have every right to do so as Merlin's heir."

"But that doesn't-..."

"Harry." Gabriel stopped and took hold of Harry's elbow making the younger Vampire look at him. "You are the only born Vampire who survived the Transition without the aid of the Bite. You do not have to become our King, but the power will designate you as the highest being, and everyone, not only Vampires, will look up to you and seek your council and protection."

"With great power comes great responsibility." Harry muttered and sighed. "_Merlin_, all of this is getting more complicated with every bloody day."

"Quite." Gabriel said and chuckled as he threw an arm around Harry's shoulders. "But as your lovely mate said you don't have to do anything alone." Harry smiled and relaxed a bit.

"I think I'm starting to see that."

* * *

"Do take care of yourself?" Eve said as they were saying their goodbyes at the station. Draco gave her one last hug before he moved over to Emrys while Harry shook hands with Gabriel.

"I will hurry. We should reach the Conclave in a week. We are taking Eve with us. I don't want to risk anything." Gabriel said and Harry nodded.

"Take care; all of you. And send me a letter after you've talked with the Conclave." Harry said with a smile and Gabriel nodded.

After they returned from Diagon Alley, while Emrys, Eve and Draco made lunch, Harry and Gabriel talked. Gabriel told him a few of the most important things about himself and Vampires, and shared with Harry the fact the he was one of the two Overlords that represented the Vampire nation in the Conclave.

Harry knew that there was more for him to learn and Gabriel suggested that Harry thought about leaving Hogwarts and coming to live with Gabriel and Emrys at the Forbidden City. Harry promised to think about it, but Gabriel knew he was reluctant to agree because of Draco. The Slytherin wouldn't leave his mother and godfather in Britain; he wouldn't leave Hogwarts.

And Harry didn't want to leave his Mate behind, especially since his birthday was coming closer with each passing day.

Harry couldn't explain it if he tried, but he guessed that because of the fact that Gabriel was his mother's Sire a part of him accepted him as his Sire as well. He felt a pull towards the older Vampire. He felt like he could trust him and confide in him. Gabriel radiated fatherly warmth; something Harry felt when he saw Mr. Weasley with his sons and in Remus ever since Harry first met him.

Even though it's been a little more than two days, Harry could already feel a connection to the older Vampire, and even though there was a part of him that felt slightly weary, he decided to ignore it and just allow himself to let Gabriel close.

"Take care, Harry." The younger Vampire accepted Emrys' warm hug before Eve got a hold of him as well, but when Gabriel stepped forward and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, Harry felt air leave his lungs.

"Take care, son." Harry's breath hitched in his throat as Gabriel muttered those words into his ear, and with shaking arms he returned the hug.

"I will, father." He murmured and they parted, and if Gabriel noticed the suspicious shine in Harry's eyes he decided not to comment on it. Harry and Draco waved at the three as they pushed their carts through the barrier and over to the luggage cart. Harry quickly put their things inside and they made their way towards the passenger carts.

"What did Gabriel say to you?" Harry looked at Draco with a raised eyebrow and the Slytherin rolled his eyes at him. "I felt you freeze up for a moment." Harry smiled while Draco climbed the two steps leading into the cart and turned to face Harry. The Vampire wrapped his arms around Draco's waist and the Slytherin leaned his elbows on Harry's shoulders. He bowed down and kissed Harry lightly, thanking every deity he knew that they were almost three hours early and that there was no one at the station yet.

"He called me his son." Harry murmured and Draco tilted his head to the side as he looked in Harry's eyes. "That was the first time I actually felt like I belonged in a family; my own family." Draco smiled and brushed his fingers through Harry's hair.

"I will be your family soon, Ry; and Eve, Gabriel and Emrys will never abandon you. I will never abandon you." Harry looked up and smiled.

"And I will never abandon you, my dragon. No matter how far away I am, I'll always be with you."

* * *

By the time the Platform started to fill up with people, Harry and Draco were sitting in Draco's usual compartment. They didn't talk. Draco was leaning against Harry, nestled under his arm, with Harry's arm around his shoulders. His left hand rested over Harry's heart. Contentment, calm and peace passed over the Bond in both directions. Voices from the outside of children saying goodbye to their parents washed over them. Time seemed to have stopped in their compartment for the two knew that these could be their last peaceful moments together.

"I don't want to hide this, Ry." Draco murmured. "Hate to say this, but I'll miss you." Harry chuckled and placed a small kiss on Draco's forehead. Draco looked up in Harry's emerald eyes. With gentle fingers Harry brushed a strand of platinum blond hair behind Draco's ear and caressed his cheek with the tips of his fingers. Draco shivered, closed his eyes and leaned closer into Harry's chest.

"I will miss you too, my dragon. But I want to protect you for as long as it's possible, and letting everyone know who you are and what you mean to me-…" Harry's voice broke. To Draco it was as if he could see all the different scenarios that played in Harry's mind at the very thought that someone would find out what Draco was to him. "I don't want to lose you, Draco. I _will not_ lose you." Draco smiled and hid his face in Harry's chest.

"You won't, Ry." Silent knocking broke the moment and Harry and Draco parted. Harry kissed Draco one last time and disapparated soundlessly. The locking charm disappeared and the doors opened to let in Pansy, Blaise, Crab and Goyle.

"Draco! It's so good to see you!"

* * *

Harry appeared in a compartment he locked and secured before he and Draco searched for the one he just left. He wanted to be alone and that meant making sure that Ron and Hermione wouldn't find him before the train reached the station in Hogsmade. Both were Prefects this year. Harry closed his eyes and stretched over the seats. He couldn't stop worrying about Draco. The emotions he received from his Mate-To-Be were of happiness and excitement, but under them was a sense of longing that made Harry's lips twitch in a small smile. He kept breathing slowly, concentrating on Draco, and basked in the feelings Draco felt as he talked with his friends. Soon he drifted into a fitful sleep, his dreams plagued with memories of loss and pain.

* * *

Harry managed to avoid Ron and Hermione until they reached the gates of Hogwarts. He drove with a few Ravenclaws in a carriage, and Harry found it amusing how they neither recognized him nor tried to talk with him.

He entered the Great Hall and his eyes immediately sought out Draco's. He sent a feeling of calm over the Bond and took a seat at the Gryffindor table. People were getting to their seats around him when two voices reached his ears.

"I still say we should go to Dumbledore first, Ron. We have to find Harry."

"Oh, come on, Hermione. I'm sure he's just fine."

"Ron! He lost someone he cared about dearly barely a few months ago! What if he chose not to come back?" Hermione's panic filled voice made Harry smile a bit.

"The bloody git probably thinks he's better off without us!" at that moment Harry's heart sank and he had to concentrate hard to stop the feeling of betrayal to pass over the Bond to Draco. He stood up in time to meet Ron and Hermione as they passed beside him. He noticed with a small bit of amusement that he was now taller than Ron, because the red-head almost ran straight into Harry.

"What in the bloody hell?! Watch where you're going!"

"HARRY!" Hermione's joyful cry attracted the attention of every student in the hall. Harry returned the warm embrace and smiled at her lovingly when she let go.

"Oh my god, Harry, you changed so much!" Hermione gushed and Harry chuckled.

"Thank you, Hermione. You look wonderful."

"We couldn't find you on the train. Did you stay at Hogwarts? Why didn't you write? I was so worried! All of my letters came back unopened-…!"

"'Mione, please." Harry stopped her and chuckled in amusement. "One question at the time. I was on the train but I needed some time alone and I fell asleep. I couldn't write because - because Hedwig isn't with me anymore. I don't know why your letters never reached me, but I'm here now, and safe, and so are you." Harry said with a calm smile on his face. Hermione smiled sadly at him and nodded. Harry looked at Ron who stared at them with his face almost as red as his hair.

"Ron."

"Potter." The hostility in Ron's voice surprisingly didn't shock Harry. Harry didn't need explanations; he needed neither more proof nor reason to doubt that Ron was never really his friend, despite everything they lived through.

"I have nothing to tell you, Weasley. I'm only sorry that I wasted 5 years on something that just had no future." Harry said. He looked at Hermione with an apologizing look in his eyes and turned around to leave the Hall.

Just as he was about to exit professor McGonagall came in with the first years and called out for him.

"Mr. Potter? I strongly suggest you do not leave this hall." She said and walked forth. Harry decided to stand by the door. His silent presence attracted curious looks from everyone. His eyes met Draco's worried orbs. He shook his head minutely and sent a feeling of reassurance over their Bond. The sorting took little time and Dumbledore stood up to address everyone with his usual speech. Harry tuned him out until he heard him declare that Remus Lupin returned as the DADA teacher. He expected him to finish soon, only to notice something that made him raise an eyebrow in confusion.

The Sorting Hat was still there.

"This year we shall bear witness to something that hasn't been done in almost a century. One of you will be resorted." Whispers spread over the hall and Harry felt as if his heart stopped. He locked eyes with the Headmaster and for the first time since he knew Albus Dumbledore, he saw an old man and not the powerful leader of Light.

"Harry Potter?" the whispers grew louder as Harry walked with confidence towards the teachers' table. Dumbledore stood up, met Harry on top of the stairs leading to the table and summoned the Sorting Hat into his hands. Harry stopped in front of him and looked into his tired blue eyes.

"Harry-..." Dumbledore started slowly. "Will you be able to forgive an old man the mistakes he made thinking he had the right to make them?" Harry's eyes dove into Dumbledore's looking for any sign of deception. He frowned and nodded cautiously.

"We are all entitled to make mistakes, Sir. I may forgive you, but I will not forget. And this doesn't mean I trust you. Trust must be earned; never again will it be freely given." Harry said. Dumbledore swallowed difficultly and Harry bowed his head. A moment later he felt the Hat settle on his head.

_"Ah, Mr. Potter. It has been a while."_

'Will you place me where I rightfully belong?' Harry thought to the Hat.

_"Yes. I had a little talk with your Headmaster and Fawkes expressed his explicit unhappiness with Albus' choices for the past 30 years or so."_ A chuckle left the Hat. Harry smirked at the image of Fawkes berating Dumbledore the Hat sent him.

'Then let me go where I belong.'

_"With pleasure, young prince. Greet your lovely Mate when you get the chance for me."_ The Hat's consciousness disappeared from Harry's mind. Harry looked at Dumbledore with a sly smirk on his face. He turned to face the crowd that observed him in complete silence.

"6 years ago!" the hat started "This young man asked me not to place him in the House in which he belonged, and I placed him in the House that was the home of his ancestors. On this day I give him his rightful place in the House he should have gone to on the first day he came here."

_"I wish you luck."_

"SLYTHERIN!"

* * *

(1) Spoken by June Hunt


	7. Where Should We Start?

Shocked silence settled over the Great Hall as Harry took the hat off and looked at Dumbledore.

"I believe it will be alright if I stayed in my chambers, right?" Harry spoke and Dumbledore nodded weakly. Without waiting for him to say something Harry walked down the stairs. He looked over at Draco and nodded minutely, trying to ignore the need to run over to the Slytherin to erase the worry from his face.

He looked away as he walked with his head held high down the middle of the Hall, feeling the eyes of every single student and professor on himself.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out as he passed beside her and grabbed his elbow.

"I will talk with you tomorrow, Hermione." He said and gently took her hand off of his arm. "Everything's alright. I'll see you for breakfast." Without waiting for her to answer, he turned his back on her and walked out of the Great Hall.

The moment the door closed behind him outrage broke in the Hall.

"Hermione!" the young Witch turned around and caught Ginny when she ran over to her and into her arms. "Tell me this didn't happen!" she whimpered, looking up at Hermione with tears in her eyes.

"Like hell it didn't happen!" Ron snapped. "Potter betrayed us!"

"Ron you heard what he said to Hermione! This changes nothing! He's still on our side!" Neville snapped at the red-head and Ron glared at him.

"He is one of them now! He's a Slytherin; a _traitor_!" Ron spat out, and while Neville glared at him Hermione tried to reason with him.

"There must be a reasonable explanation for this."

"I'll tell you an explanation, Hermione! The bastard turned against us! He joined them! You-Know-Who must have held him under Crucio for too long because the son of a bitch joined him!"

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY!" Hermione's shrill voice resonated through the hall and brought deafening silence upon it. Curious glances came from the Slytherin table, while the other students stared at her with the same shock as the Gryffindors. "How _dare_ you say that about him; after all the times he stood up for you, all the times he did everything in his power to help you?! He stood up for you; he protected you! He was your friend!"

"He's a filthy Slytherin!" to the shock of everyone in the Great Hall, Ron suddenly found himself on the ground, sporting a blooming bruise on his right cheek. Hermione was glaring at him with her eyes shining furiously and red cheeks.

"Until such a time you realize just what kind of a git you are, don't you dare approach either me or Harry, you stupid, _stupid_ boy!" she turned on her heel and marched out of the Great Hall with Ginny following close behind.

"Hate to say this, Mate; but you brought that down on yourself." Ron glared at Dean when the other teen spoke up.

"Don't tell me you actually believe what Hermione said."

"Harry never gave us a reason not to trust him." Neville spoke up and Ron glared at him.

"After what he did last year, you still trust him?"

"He didn't force us to go with him, Ron. We wanted to go with him. What in Merlin's name is wrong with you?" Ron snorted.

"He took us with him, and almost got all of us killed! And then _he_ picks up all the cream!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Leave it, Neville." Luna appeared practically out of nowhere, and Ron looked at her. She frowned at him before she walked over to Neville and took his hand in hers. "There's no sense arguing with him. Come; you can eat at our table." She led him over to the Ravenclaw table while Ron stood alone.

'I'll prove it to you.' He thought and fisted his hands angrily. 'I'll find a way to prove it. I _swear_.'

* * *

Harry reached his chambers and hissed the password. He entered his rooms and angrily started to pace from one side to the other. Dumbledore managed to catch him unprepared. He didn't expect this. He wasn't ready for this, but that didn't mean he wouldn't find a way to handle it all.

He didn't know what Dumbledore had in mind when he agreed to have him resorted, but Harry doubted the reason behind this was any good. This could go wrong in so many different ways. With this, Dumbledore made sure Harry would be in the center of attention for another while. He practically made sure that Harry would have to lay low if he didn't want anyone to find out he was a Vampire. He would be in the center of everyone's attention for Merlin knows how long, which meant Harry would have to be careful; very careful.

A shiver passed down his spine and he heard knocking on his portrait.

"Harry? It's Draco." Harry let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding and opened the door with a flick of his wrist. Draco marched in with wide eyes, pale cheeks and fisted hands. "I call dibs on killing that old coot." He growled and Harry chuckled. He took a seat and leaned back against the backrest of his armchair.

"I'll hold him down for you." He murmured and rubbed his forehead tiredly. Draco frowned and walked over to him. He kneeled in front of him and placed his hands on Harry's thighs.

"Talk to me, Ry." He murmured and Harry looked at him.

"He successfully managed to put me in the center of attention again." He said and Draco frowned.

"Do you think it will stand in your way?" he asked.

"I don't know, Dragon." Harry murmured. He took Draco's hands in his and tugged him up. Moments later Draco was straddling Harry's thighs and the raven haired Vampire was resting his hands on Draco's hips. "I know I'll have the eyes of the whole Wizarding world on me for a while. I don't know what Dumbledore's planning, but it can't be anything good. This will surely reach Voldemort. The fact that I'm a Slytherin now may sway a lot of people on the Light side. I'm supposed to be a Gryffindor; a scion of all that is good." Harry snorted and smirked. "He managed to discredit me in the eyes of a lot of people. I have no doubt that this will be in the morning edition of the Prophet." Draco frowned as he placed his hands on Harry's chest and rubbed it calmingly.

"The greatest problem you'll have will be here in Hogwarts." He murmured. "I heard the Gryffindors; they're outraged. The Hufflepuffs are confused and the Ravenclaws don't know what to make of you now."

"And the Slytherins?" Harry asked and Draco hummed.

"Confused, at least those I could hear. You're a Slytherin now, and Slytherins take care of those they consider their own, but you're Harry Potter; they won't know what to make of you. It was easy until now. You were a Gryffindor and the enemy of the man many of the Slytherin parents follow; it was easy to shun you for the most of them. But now that you're one of us, they'll be confused. You're right when you say that Voldemort will find out about you. He'll know before tomorrow, I'm sure." Harry nodded and sighed. Draco frowned in worry and dragged his hands up Harry's chest and entwined his fingers on the nape of Harry's neck. He played with the short hairs on the line of Harry's hair and the Vampire closed his eyes in content.

"I'll find a way around it all." He murmured and dragged his hands up Draco's hips until he wrapped his arms around his waist. "At least this way we'll get to spend more time together; more than we thought we would." Draco nodded although Harry could feel worry rolling off of him in waves. He opened his eyes and looked at Draco's face. "What is it?"

"I'm worried, Ry." Draco admitted. "I don't know what Dumbledore's planning. I have no idea what to expect."

"I don't know either." Harry said and Draco looked into his eyes. "But I know one thing; I'll make damn sure Dumbledore doesn't find out about what you mean to me. He upped the game; now it's our turn to make a move." Draco chuckled and leaned forward to rest his forehead against Harry's.

"Spoken like a true chess-master." He drawled and Harry chuckled before he leaned forward and stole a light kiss from Draco.

"I learned from the best." He murmured against his lips and Draco smirked. He settled more comfortably in Harry's lap and shivered when the Vampire growled.

"You're a tease." He growled and Draco chuckled.

"I don't hear you complaining." His lips moved against Harry's, the Vampire's cold breath fanning over his sensitive lips.

"How can I complain when I have the smartest, most beautiful creature in the world sitting in my lap?" Harry muttered as he kissed down Draco's chin and neck and the younger teen shivered when Harry dragged his hands down and squeezed his thighs with an almost bruising force.

"And you're calling me a tease?" Draco breathed out and tilted his head to the side when he felt Harry's sharpening teeth scrap against the sensitive skin over his jugular vein. His hips snapped forward when Harry bit into his neck hard enough to leave a mark but not hard enough to pierce his skin. Draco yelped when Harry suddenly moved them both and Draco found himself on his back on the couch with Harry hovering over him. A shiver wrecked his body when he saw Harry's eyes bleeding into red.

"You're going to be the death of me." Harry pressed out through his teeth and Draco chuckled.

"What is it, Mr. Vampire? Losing control?" he teased and Harry growled, slamming his lips against Draco's.

"You've been testing my control ever since we first kissed." Draco groaned and arched closer to the Vampire when he started to ground his hips against Draco's. Draco was coming short of breath as Harry nibbled on his neck and pushed his left hand under Draco's shirt. The Wizard entwined his fingers in Harry's hair, tugged his head up and kissed him hard. Harry hissed and pulled back when he tasted blood. His guts tightened when he saw Draco's bottom lip that was pierced by Harry's teeth when they kissed. Draco shot him a teasing smirk as he licked the blood off of his lip.

"That's kinda sexy." Draco drawled and Harry chuckled breathlessly.

"You're incredible." He growled and bowed down to kiss Draco again, moaning at the remaining taste of blood on his lips. Draco moaned and arched against him, making Harry move faster. Harry bit into his bottom lip and leaned his forehead against Draco's as the pace quickened steadily. Draco's breathless moans were like music to his ears; his scent was all around him and his taste buds were singing with the memory of Draco's blood on his tongue. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut when Draco came and the strength of his scent tripled. He followed him over the edge a moment later. He leaned on his right elbow as not to crush the smaller man. He opened his eyes and looked down at Draco, feeling the content pouring off of him in steady waves. Draco let go of a long, relaxing breath and looked up in Harry's eyes. Harry leaned down and kissed him slowly, lovingly, before he rested his forehead against Draco's and raised his left hand to gently cup Draco's right cheek. He caressed it with his thumb and kissed him lightly again.

"I'll take care of everything, dragon. Leave everything to me." He murmured and Draco snorted.

"I told you already, Ry. We're in this together. I'm here for you. You don't have to do anything alone." Harry smiled and shifted them around until Draco was resting comfortably on him, with Harry's strong arms holding him in place. With a wave of warm, tingling magic the evidence of their escapade was gone, and content settled over them. Harry kissed the crown of Draco's head and received a kiss on his chest from his Mate-to-be.

"I'll listen to the Slytherins tomorrow. I'll try to find out what they think about all of this."

"Don't worry about it all too much." Harry said. "The only thing we really need to worry about is keeping our relationship a secret. I don't want Dumbledore to get any ideas." Draco nodded and closed his eyes.

"It'll be difficult." He murmured and Harry chuckled.

"Good thing I know of a secret passage that will lead you straight into the Slytherin common room from here." Draco snorted.

"No one knows Hogwarts like you do." He murmured as sleep started to overtake him. Harry chuckled and hugged him tighter.

"Sleep, dragon. I'll take care of everything."

Within moments Draco was sound asleep. Harry sighed and looked at the ceiling. The light of the fire created strange shapes and forms on it, and Harry found it slightly hypnotizing.

He chose not to worry about Dumbledore's plans. The public outrage he could handle; it wouldn't be the first time. His only concern was to protect Draco.

And he would.

He would.

* * *

"Hello, Draco." Pansy greeted her childhood friend when he joined them for breakfast. "Would you mind telling us were you were last night?" Draco raised an eyebrow at her as he took a seat and started piling his plate with his favorites. He was surprisingly hungry.

"I don't see why I should." He drawled and his friends raised eyebrows at him.

"You disappeared right after dinner and I didn't hear you enter our bedroom." Blaise said and Draco shot him a glance.

"Does your disappearance have anything to do with the newest Slytherin in our house?" Pansy asked again and raised a well groomed eyebrow.

"We've had a few new Slytherins yesterday, Pansy; would you mind being more specific?"

"You know very well who I'm talking about." She growled and Draco shot her a glance from under his bangs.

"Even if he had anything to do with my disappearance I sincerely doubt that it is any concern of yours." He murmured lowly and his friends raised eyebrows at him.

"Now, now, Draco; that is not the way one speaks with those he considers friends." A deep, sensual voice broke all conversation at the table of the Snake. Pansy's mouth snapped closed and she blushed heavily when Harry Potter appeared behind Draco seemingly out of nowhere. He was dressed in fitting black trousers and a long sleeved turtleneck which would make anyone drool at the sight of that perfect body. His school robe hung over his elbow and his chin long hair danced around his hair in damp locks.

"P-potter?"

"Parkinson; fancy meeting you under friendlier circumstances." Harry drawled as he took a seat beside Draco, and the blond Slytherin cleared his throat.

"He's got charm; that's for sure." Blaise murmured in Draco's ear and the teen shot him a glare.

"I hate to disturb your peaceful morning but I thought it would be a good idea to join my new houseMates for breakfast; the least I could do after leaving yesterday before dinner started." Harry said and shot a look at Draco from the corner of his eyes making him frown in slight confusion.

"Okay." Blaise jumped into the conversation and glared at Harry with calculating eyes. "Who are you, and what have you done with the Potter we all hate and want dead?" Harry chuckled as he piled his plate with his favorites.

"Maybe I locked him away somewhere to be tortured and killed, and came here to claim what is rightfully mine." Draco started coughing after he inhaled some of his pumpkin juice, while Pansy, Blaise, Vincent and Gregory stared at Harry with wide eyes. Harry cocked one eyebrow at them and toasted with his cup.

"Either you're really Potter or you're the Dark Lord and we are all going to die within minutes." Gregory murmured with wide, terrified eyes.

"What would you do if I was?" Harry drawled and took a sip of his pumpkin juice. Everyone but Draco exchanged weary glances, and the raven-haired Slytherin chuckled in amusement.

"Are you?" Vincent asked carefully and Harry's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"No; I am not the Dark Lord in disguise just waiting to kill you all." He said, the smirk blooming into a full out grin. To the surprise of the whole table Blaise broke into fits of laughter. Soon enough he was followed by a giggling Pansy and a second later Vincent and Gregory joined them.

Draco let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding and Harry chuckled. They exchanged a short glance and Draco felt a comforting caress against his heart.

It seemed he didn't have to worry about anything.

It seemed he didn't have to worry at all.

"Mr. Potter?" the 6th year Slytherins tensed up and looked at the looming form of the Head of their House standing behind Harry. The raven haired Vampire stood up and turned around nodding shortly at his professor.

"Professor Snape." He greeted and Severus' jaw shifted.

"I would like to have a talk with you, Mr. Potter. Now that you are a member of my house, there are some things that you should know."

"I am free now, sir." Harry answered respectfully and Snape nodded at him.

"Follow me." He said, turned on his heel and marched out of the Hall. Harry nodded at his new houseMates and followed after Snape, pulling his robe on in stride. The moment they were gone Draco found himself in the center of attention.

"Alright, Draco, spill it."

"No, Pansy; there are too many people here." Draco murmured and finished his breakfast quickly.

"And where do you suggest we take this?" Blaise asked.

"We have potions first class in one hour, guys. We can't be late for that! And I have a feeling Draco's explanation is a lengthy one." Gregory said.

"Listen; Potter has some secrets that can't be revealed yet. My life depends on it." Draco said. Soon he concluded that it wasn't the right thing to say.

"WHAT DID THAT BASTARD DO?!" Blaise roared and Draco winced. He grabbed his arm and pulled him down again before he took a quick look around the Great Hall. He let go of a sigh of relief when he saw that the few students that were still there were either half asleep or completely asleep. Draco's nose wrinkled when he saw Weasley nodding off above his oatmeal, and quickly looked at Blaise again.

"Be quiet." Draco pressed out through his teeth and Blaise raised an eyebrow at him. "Potter isn't our enemy. He's on our side. Just this summer he saved my life _and_ my mother's life; so _calm down_ before you attract unwanted attention to us."

"Draco, what happened to you? You're different." Pansy murmured and Draco sighed.

"I changed, alright? I refuse to live in my father's shadow anymore. I refuse to live by his rules and follow a maniac who would kill us all without a second thought. Potter showed me things I never thought about; things I never gave much credit to. He's not the man we thought he was."

"Then who is he?" Vincent asked and Draco sighed in exasperation.

"Not here." He growled

"Where?!" Blaise hissed and Draco frowned in thought.

"Tonight after dinner; I'll let _him_ explain everything to you." He said and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Gregory asked.

"I have something to take care of. I'll see you in class." He marched out of the Great Hall completely ignoring the other students.

His friends exchanged worried glances once he was out of their sight.

"He's different." Pansy commented.

"I think that's obvious." Blaise murmured and finished his breakfast. "Do you think Potter did something to him?"

"If I didn't see Potter I'd say he did, but it seems Draco's not the only one who changed." Vincent said and the others nodded.

"I don't like this." Blaise said and Pansy sighed.

"No one likes this, Blaise; but I guess we'll have to wait until tonight to see what happened to them." She said and Blaise nodded.

"If he did anything to Draco I'll kill him." He growled and his friends chuckled at him.

"I don't think Potter will be so easy to kill, or did you forget how many times the Dark Lord tried." Vincent drawled and Blaise glared at him.

"If he harmed Draco in any way I'll find a way." He said.

"I don't think he harmed him." Gregory murmured thoughtfully and everyone looked at him. "Did you see Draco? I mean; did you really look at him?" the others frowned in thought. "He seems more relaxed. It's like some of the worries he carried simply disappeared." Vincent, Pansy and Blaise exchanged a glance before they looked at Gregory.

"He _did_ say Potter saved him." Vincent stressed out and the others nodded.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Pansy concluded. "Let's go. I don't want to be late for Potions." And with that the four Slytherins left the Great Hall, not one of them knowing just what secrets Draco and Harry were hiding.

* * *

Harry followed Severus into the man's classroom and the door closed behind them with a bang. Severus walked over to his desk and turned quickly on his heel making Harry stop in his tracks a few feet in front of him.

"Mr. Potter-…"

"Professor Snape, I-..." they spoke at the same time and stopped. Severus nodded at Harry, and the Vampire took a deep, unnecessary breath. "I wanted to apologize." Severus raised an eyebrow at him and Harry strengthened his resolve. He straightened his shoulders and looked directly in Severus' eyes. "I wanted to apologize for intruding on your privacy last year. It was uncalled for, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything my father and his friends did to you." Harry had to stop himself from cringing openly. There was a huge lump in his throat. Snape just gazed at him calmly; as if he was studying him. A moment later he turned around and walked over to his desk. He turned to face Harry again before he leaned back on the table and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mr. Potter-..." Snape started and stopped, as if he didn't know how to continue. "I must say that I too am sorry for the way I treated you during the first five years of your schooling. I must admit that due to your resemblance to your father, and due to things I heard about your home life I let myself believe that you were the exact replica of your father." Harry almost failed to stop himself from raising an eyebrow at Severus. Thankfully he held that reaction back and merely nodded at the older man to continue. "I was wrong and for that I am sorry." Snape said. Harry felt a huge stone fall off of his back. He approached Severus and the older man pushed himself away from his desk. To the obvious surprise of the Slytherin Head of House, Harry offered his hand to him and smiled a small smile.

"I am Harry James Potter. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." Severus, never one to be a slow catcher, accepted Harry's hand and firmly shook it.

"Severus Snape. The pleasure is mine."

* * *

"Harry?" Draco called out when he saw his future Mate come out of Severus' office. Harry turned and smiled warmly at Draco. Thankfully the hallway was empty.

"What happened?" Draco asked when he walked over to Harry's side and the Vampire chuckled before he bowed down and stole a chaste kiss from the worried blond.

"Snape and I had a little talk. Let's just say we 'buried the hatchet'." Harry said.

"You and Severus?" Draco drawled with a raised eyebrow. "I just don't see that happening." Harry chuckled and shrugged.

"I know how much he means to you, Dragon, and I knew it would make you happy." Draco snorted and shook his head.

"You should stop doing things for me, Ry. With the way you're going I'll have to find a way to kill Voldemort myself; I can't think of another way to repay you for everything you've already done for me." Draco said and Harry laughed. Unbeknownst to them, Hermione just descended down into the hallway and, hearing Harry's throaty laugh, hid in the shadows.

"Harry, don't laugh. You know we Slytherins have to keep our masks and I almost slipped this morning with the Slytherins already. It will be your fault if the whole school finds out about the two of us." Hermione gasped and covered her mouth in shock.

Harry stiffened and berated himself for being so distracted. Hogwarts was a place where his senses were clouded, simply because there were so many people, and he hadn't had the chance to practice discerning them one from another. Whoever managed to creep in on them without Harry noticing them, must be someone Harry was comfortable with.

"Come out, Hermione." He called out and nodded at Draco reassuringly. The younger teen turned to look at the Witch who walked around a corner with confusion and worry written all over her face.

"Harry?" she whispered. Draco looked at Harry who looked as though he was seriously thinking about something. The Vampire looked at him, and Draco found that he didn't need Harry to voice his question.

"Only if you trust her; my friends will come to your chambers with me after dinner." Draco said. With a warning look thrown at Hermione he gave Harry's arm a reassuring squeeze and entered the classroom. Harry sighed and looked at Hermione, who had to try hard to suppress a shiver at the weariness in the eyes of the man that was her best friend; her brother.

Ron was never actually all that close to her. Harry was what held them together. When Ron and Hermione went too far in their arguments, Harry was the one that would stand between them to calm the storm. It hurt her to see that weariness in his eyes, but she also knew that it was there for a reason.

"Can I trust you, Hermione?" he asked in a small voice that clashed sharply with the power she could feel rolling off of him in waves. She huffed, ran to him and hugged him for dear life.

"Of course you can, Harry; always." She muttered into his strong chest. Harry let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding and hugged her back tightly.

"I'll come for you after dinner. Draco's friends will find out what happened 'cause Draco trusts them. I want you to know everything as well." Hermione nodded as they parted and she wiped her tears away sharply.

"Alright." She murmured. "Neville and Ginny are on your side too, but some of the Gryffindors are with Ron, while others don't know what to think. I heard that the Ravenclaws think you always seemed a bit Slytherin-_ish_, while the Hufflepuffs decided to wait and see what will happen. I - I don't know about Slytherins." She said and Harry chuckled.

"Trust you to know." He muttered and Hermione blushed. Harry suddenly tensed up and straightened, and Hermione shivered when his eyes turned cold.

"Let's go." He murmured and led Hermione into the classroom with his hand on the small of her back. He left her behind and walked to the front of the classroom, nodding at Severus before he took a seat beside Draco, and while he noticed Hermione's wistful look, he chose to ignore it. Students started to fill up the classroom and Harry raised an eyebrow when he saw that the only Gryffindors that passed into this year were Hermione and surprisingly Neville. Ron obviously didn't.

He sighed and looked at the front of the classroom where Severus stood as intimidating as ever. At nine o'clock sharp, the doors slammed closed, and silenced what little whispers came from the Slytherin side of the room.

"At the beginning of your schooling here I promised you I would teach you how to bottle fame." Snape spoke slowly and walked between desks as his voice carried over the silence. "I said I would show you how to brew glory and _even_ put a stopper to death." Harry smirked when Severus walked beside him. The older man turned and changed his route to the front of the classroom. He turned and faced the class with a smirk on his face.

"You proved yourself to be _acceptable_ enough to be taught the very darkest facts about the art of potion-making. In this class, mistakes are not allowed. Whatever problem you have you will leave it outside of the classroom, because I will have no feuds, silly rivalry or pitiful fights happening under my watch. Here you are to have a clear mind, a calm hand and most of all concentration and the will to learn." His coal black eyes passed over each and every one of them. "If you think you cannot do that, you know where the door is." He said before her turned swiftly to take a sheet of parchment off of his table. He turned and smirked when he saw that no one left.

"Very well; you will be separated in pairs. All who have a problem with their designated partner can come to me after the class. Longbottom and Granger, Potter and Malfoy-..." he continued on before everyone sat in pairs. Harry and Draco took a seat at the front of the classroom.

Harry felt Draco's giddiness over their shared Bond and had to fight off a small smile. The smaller teen looked at him with a smirk.

"I know you had something to do with this." Harry whispered. Draco chuckled soundlessly and if Harry's hearing wasn't so sharp, the feelings of absolute slyness and playfulness Draco sent to him over the Bond would be proof enough that the blond was having fun.

Harry snorted and shook his head with a fond smile tugging at his lips.

"I suppose there is no need to hide anything from him." He murmured and shot Draco a look from the corner of his eyes. The playful feelings dimmed and Draco looked at him with worry shining in his eyes.

"Are you mad at me?" Harry looked at him with all the gentleness in the world.

"You trust him, Dragon?" Harry asked and Draco nodded. "Then I trust him as well. He saved my life a lot of times in the past five years. He is a good man; a good man that made a few really bad choices, but has done a great deal to make things right." Harry spoke silently so only Draco heard him and the younger male nodded.

"I would have thought you would be the first to judge him wrongly considering how he treated you before." Harry shrugged and watched as Severus walked to the front of the classroom and tapped the blackboard with his wand.

"He may have, but I know firsthand how it is to be misjudged." He muttered and smirked. "And he earned my respect." Draco smiled and nodded.

Even though he came to realize a month ago that Harry was very different from what everyone thought he was he never ceased to surprise Draco with his thoughts and actions.

There was a lot he had to learn about Harry James Potter.

And something in him was happy about it.

* * *

"Harry? What are you doing here so early? The class doesn't start in another half hour." Remus greeted Harry with a hug when the young Vampire entered his classroom. Harry returned the hug strongly before the two took seats in the first row.

"I just wanted to talk with you. I couldn't make it yesterday." Harry said and Remus chuckled.

"You made quite a ruckus with your resort."

"Trust me, that wasn't planned." Harry pressed out through his teeth and Remus chuckled.

"I don't know what Dumbledore's planning, Harry. When you and Draco left Hogwarts he barely spoke with anyone. Fawkes even slept in my chambers! He was _sulking_! Did you ever see a phoenix _sulk?_!" Harry laughed at the expression on Remus' face, and tried to imagine the proud animal sulking around. "I think something clicked in Dumbledore's old head." Harry sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know, Remus. I can't trust him. Not after everything he did." He said. "He acted selfishly and didn't even think about the feelings of the people whose lives he submitted to his own whims." Harry ranted. "You know what he did to mom? He convinced her that Gabriel abandoned her! What self respecting vampire would abandon his Child?!"

"I know, Harry. I'm not telling you to trust him. Merlin, I'm not going to tell you to forgive and forget either! This is YOUR life, Harry. Dumbledore made mistakes only a power-hungry man would make, but people change."

"Not people like him, Remus."

"Do you think he'll try something?"

"I don't know." Harry leaned back against the table behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know how he thinks or what his intentions are, or what he's trying to achieve. But what he did to Voldemort; what he tried to do to me it's – it's unforgivable." Remus nodded understandingly.

"I don't know what to tell you, Harry. Personally, I don't know what to think anymore. I always trusted Dumbledore, and yet he betrayed my trust one too many times."

"I wish Gabriel was here; three heads think better than two." Remus raised an eyebrow at him and walked over to take a seat on the table in front of Harry.

"Tell me something about him. Lily never spoke about her Sire." Harry nodded.

"Gabriel is a turned Vampire. He is one of the oldest that have survived to this day, and he is one of the two Overlords that represent Vampires in the Conclave. During the first war, before mom came to Hogwarts he had a meeting with the Vampires that joined Voldemort's side in London. He refused to join Voldemort and they took his Mate, Emrys, and chased after him. Heavily wounded he hid where mom used to live. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time, so to say. The condition he was in made him lose control and he attacked her when she came to help him. He realized in time what he was doing and changed her, but he had to save his Mate so he left. Mom left to Hogwarts before he could contact her again, and with the war taking swing he had no time later, especially since the Conclave decided that they would remain impartial." Remus nodded in understanding.

"He managed to bring his Mate back?" Harry smiled and Remus raised an eyebrow at him when his emerald eyes filled with something he couldn't name.

"Yes. Emrys is pregnant; almost five months."

"Harry? Do you have something to tell me?" Remus drawled and Harry choked up almost falling off of the desk.

"Of course not!" Remus snorted and shook his head.

"You're a really bad liar, Harry." Harry tried to shoot him an innocent look, but Remus just looked at him dully. Harry sighed and his arms fell to his sides.

"You already know. I shouldn't even bother telling you." Remus chuckled and jumped off of the desk. He took a seat beside Harry, wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him against his side.

"You two will be good for each other. I can already see the effect Draco had on you. Don't blow it." Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"Never." Remus smiled and kissed Harry's temple.

"Class is about to start." Harry nodded as Remus got off of the table. "I'll see you in a bit." With that said he left to his office and Harry remained in the classroom alone. He jumped off of the table in time to hear the door open. Draco walked in and raised an eyebrow at him. Harry just shook his head and took a seat at the front, waiting for Draco to join him.

"Are you alright?" Harry nodded and a minute later the rest of the Slytherins entered the classroom followed by two Hufflepuffs and four Ravenclaws. The Gryffindors entered last with Ron in the lead.

"Potter!" he spat out with his freckled face scrunched into something that resembled a frown. Harry tilted his head to the side lazily and simply nodded at Ron.

"Weasley." Harry spoke calmly and attempted to turn away but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He tensed up and swallowed, trying to calm down as he looked at the hand with a disgusted frown.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't touch me, Weasley. I don't want to get infected by your stupidity." Harry drawled coolly.

"You think you have me fooled, Potter? I know exactly what you're doing, you traitor." Ron jumped back when Harry stood up sharply and turned to face him, his eyes blazing righteous fury.

"Really, Ronald; then what, pray tell, am I doing?!" he hissed and advanced towards Ron. The Gryffindor took a step back when he found himself the sole target of Harry's heated glare.

"You joined Him." Ron pressed out through his teeth and Harry growled.

"Just because I'm a Slytherin now, doesn't mean I'm a Death Eater. Voldemort can rot in Hell for all I care." The whimpers that followed Harry's hissing of Voldemort's name grated on his nerves.

"You're turning Dark. You _are_ Dark." Harry smirked.

"It took you long enough to get to that conclusion, Weasley." He drawled and his eyes strayed to Hermione who stood in the back with Neville beside her with his right arm thrown over her shoulders comfortingly. The poor girl looked ready to cry. Harry looked at Ron one last time and turned to return to his seat.

"Watch out!" Hermione's voice shocked him into awareness and he moved fast enough to avoid being hit by a Cutting Hex. In a second the Slytherins had their wands trained on Ron with Draco in the lead. Seamus stood by Ron's side while Neville stood in the back and held a pale Hermione. The Hufflepuffs looked shocked at the turn of events while the Ravenclaws didn't know what to do in the occurring situation.

"What is the meaning of this?" Remus' voice broke the tense silence that descended on the classroom.

"Weasley attacked Potter when he turned his back on him." Draco spat out with his wand aimed at Ron's face. The stormy-gray orbs were burning with rage and Harry found himself stomping on the need to rip Ron's throat out.

"Will you explain yourself, Mr. Weasley?" Remus asked. His amber eyes flashed golden for a moment. He would have to make sure to warn Molly to take better care of her youngest son. Ron gave what could be considered as a growl and spat on the floor below Harry's feet.

"This filthy traitor-..."

"50 points from Gryffindor for offending a fellow student."

"Remus, you can't-...!"

"And 50 points for disrespecting your professor, Mr. Weasley! Now sit down before I make it another 50. I'm sure that you don't need that at this point." Ron turned as red as his hair before he marched to the back of the classroom and petulantly took a seat. The Slytherins backed down when Draco lowered his wand. Still keeping an eye on Ron, they all took seats and Remus nodded at them all.

"As you may have noticed, I will not tolerate any kind of offence in my classroom." Harry tuned out Remus' speech when a note appeared in front of him written in Draco's neat handwriting.

_Are you alright?_

Harry took his quill to answer.

_I'm angry and annoyed. But I'm fine._

_I could feel you struggling for control. You almost let the Weasel get to you._

_I wanted to rip his throat out. I could feel your anger and it amplified mine. I'll need to control myself better._

Harry could feel Draco's surprise and confusion over the Bond. A moment later Draco took the paper and quickly scribbled an answer.

_We'll have to find a way to keep our emotions to ourselves. It wouldn't do for you to lose control._

Harry suppressed a chuckle and nodded. Draco smirked and they concentrated on Remus again. Harry felt a cold chill travel down his spine. He didn't have to turn around to know that Ron was glaring daggers at him.

He would have to make sure Ron didn't do something stupid.

It wouldn't be good if the red-head drove him to losing control.

He would have to do something about his former friend.

Before it was too late.

* * *

"Will Potter join us for dinner?" Blaise asked while he and Draco walked to the Great Hall to meet everyone.

"No. He'll meet us in his chambers after dinner. He'll bring Granger with him so I expect of you to act nice." Draco warned his friend with a meaningful glance.

"Really, Draco; as if I would act differently." Draco snorted and rolled his eyes just as they entered the Great Hall. It was already half full and Draco spotted Pansy, Vincent and Gregory at their usual places.

"Hey, guys." Blaise greeted.

"So, Draco? Will we hear your story tonight or will you find a reason to avoid telling us everything again?" Pansy asked, and Draco sighed and suppressed the urge to smack some sense into the PMS-ing woman.

"If you plan to go all PMS on me again, Pansy, you can forget about me telling you anything ever again." Pansy rolled her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"You've been avoiding us the whole day." Draco sighed and looked at her dully.

"I haven't seen my mother in weeks, and as far as I am concerned she is my top priority."

"So! Potter decided to skip a meal again? You know that he'll have to meet everyone in Slytherin sooner or later." Blaise commented and Draco nodded.

"He isn't doing this intentionally. He's doing this because he has some other things to take care of. He'll be meeting everyone tomorrow or over the weekend." Draco said. "And you'll find out almost everything tonight so shut your mouth, let me eat, and hurry up." Draco stressed out firmly and decided to ignore his friends until further notice.

The four exchanged confused glances but decided to leave it for now. Hopefully, they will get their answers soon.

* * *

"Hermione?" said girl almost jumped out of her skin when Harry called out to her from the shadows of the hallway.

"Harry! Merlin, you scared me half to death!" she breathed out with her right hand fisted over her heart. Harry chuckled and came out from the shadows.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to have another episode with Ron. I find it useless to spend my energy on him and his new best friends." Harry muttered bitterly and Hermione sighed.

"He's just-..."

"Too caught up in his prejudices and pride to see reason." he finished for her while he led her deeper into Slytherin territory. Hermione shifted closer to him when they reached the portrait leading to his chambers.

_"Good evening, Sabiha."_ Harry hissed and Hermione shivered.

_"Ah! Young Master Harry! And you brought a friend. Should I be expecting more?"_

"_My Mate and his friends should join us. Let them in when they come."_ Harry said. Sabiha nodded and the portrait opened. Hermione was slightly bewildered when she entered the room.

"Slytherins have it good." She muttered as she looked around the living room. Harry chuckled and took a seat in his armchair.

"Take a seat, Mione. This might take a while." He offered and Hermione took a seat in the armchair facing Harry's.

"Do you mind telling me what's going on?" Harry sighed and made the fire burn a bit stronger with a flick of his wrist. He caught the surprised gasp that came from Hermione's lips but chose to ignore it. Draco loved it when the room was warmer than usual and Harry didn't mind actually. Warmth didn't bother him, just like he didn't mind the cold anymore.

"Soon, Mione; I don't want to repeat myself more times than necessary." Harry said.

"At least tell me how long the relationship between you and Malfoy has been going on." Harry raised an eyebrow at her and she huffed and rolled her eyes. "I'd like to think I'm one of the few people who actually know you, Harry. Don't bother lying to me." Harry chuckled and nodded.

"We've been _together_ for almost a month." He stressed out. Hermione was about to say something when the portrait moved to let Draco and his friends inside. Hermione stood up quickly and Harry followed at a more sedate pace.

"Dragon." The blond smiled and walked to Harry's side. He didn't have to climb on his tiptoes to kiss Harry, because the taller man bowed his head to place a chaste kiss on the corner of Draco's lips. Gasps and grunts broke them apart and the two looked at them to see the guys gapping at them and Hermione and Pansy blushing furiously.

"Well!" Draco clapped his hands and smirked slyly at them. "Where should we start?"

* * *

**Hope you liked it!**

**More comes as soon as possible.**

**All my love,**

**Ms. Yuki**


	8. I've Got To Let You Go

**The song featuring in the chapter is 'Falling' by The Civil Wars. I claim no rights to the song and make no profit from including it into the story.**

* * *

Harry chuckled, kissed Draco's temple and gently pushed him over to his armchair.

"Why don't we all take seats? This will take some time." Harry suggested as he took a seat on the armrest of the armchair Draco was sitting in. The Slytherins moved over to the couch and squeezed together on it while Hermione remained standing. Draco chuckled when he saw the gapping expressions on everyone's faces.

"Flies are better attracted with honey." He drawled with his eyes shining with mirth. The Slytherins cleared their throats and shifted in their seats while Hermione shifted her weight, still hesitant to take a seat. "You are free to sit down, Granger. Contrary to the popular belief we Slytherins don't bite; hard." Draco said. Hermione eyed him for a second before she took a seat stiffly. Harry chuckled and shook his head with a fond smile. With a flick of his wrist a silver tray with 7 cups of tea appeared on the table and everyone besides Draco tensed up.

"Wandless magic?" Hermione murmured and Harry nodded.

"I've grown quite fond of it. It requires no spoken words and little to no concentration once enough magic has been put into the intent."

"It requires a huge amount of power though." Blaise commented with a sneer. "It seems we underestimated you, Potter." Draco chuckled and looked at Harry. The Vampire smiled at him and Draco placed his hand on Harry's thigh reassuringly. Harry nodded and covered Draco's hand with his. It was more for Draco's reassurance than Harry's. The Slytherin's were easy. Harry only had to show them that he was a power to be reckoned with.

Hermione on the other hand was a different story. Draco didn't know what it would take for the girl to accept him; to trust him at least a little, and he swore that he would gain her trust for Harry's sake. Harry already did a lot of things for him. In Draco's opinion it was time for him to return the favor.

"After my 16th birthday Wandless Magic started to come naturally to me." Harry said softly.

"And when did _this_ happen?" Pansy asked eyeing Harry's hand with obvious distaste. Harry looked at Draco with a thoughtful look.

"A week after my birthday?" he asked his blond counterpart.

"I don't think so." Draco murmured thoughtfully. "We were already at Hogwarts. I think it happened the day we left for the Muggle World. We were _together_ when we came to Eve." Everyone noticed the hesitancy before Draco said the word 'together'.

"But how - _why_ did this happen?" Vincent asked. "I know we never actually hated you, but the rivalry between you and Draco was real if nothing else ever was."

"It happened because Draco happens to be my Mate."

"Guy/guy _friend_, kind of mate or guy/guy _soul-mate_ kind of Mate?" Blaise asked and leaned forward in his seat.

"I wouldn't know about the soul-mate deal, but yes; Draco is mine as much as I am his." Harry said. He didn't see the look of pure devotion Draco sent him, but he did feel the thankfulness and acceptance over the bond.

"That is impossible!" Hermione spoke for the first time. "For you to be Mates one of you has to have Creature blood, and I know for a fact that Harry has no-..."

"Are you sure?" Harry interrupted her and shot her a pointed look.

"But the Potter line-..."

"It didn't come from my father. It came from my mother; and no, Hermione." Harry shook his head at the confused Gryffindor. "My mother was not a Muggle-born. She was adopted by the Evans family when she was a baby. My mother was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin." Hermione and the Slytherins gapped.

"But, that's impossible."

"It's quite possible, Hermione. I am a Vampire; an ascended Vampire." Shocked silence fell over the group as everyone stared at Harry openly.

"But-..."

"I know, Parkinson; no Child born a Vampire ever survived the night of Ascending. It sure was painful, but I survived." Harry said and something shimmered in his eyes.

"Prove it." Pansy hissed. She stood up and glared at Harry. "Prove it!" Harry frowned and Draco tensed up. He could feel that Harry was uncomfortable with the whole situation. He could feel that he was trying to hold back whatever was trying to come out. It hit Draco like a sledgehammer that he didn't feel the usual calmness coming from Harry after he would Feed, and his heart clenched in fear when he realized that Harry didn't go out to Feed that day. It meant Harry could lose control more easily. It meant that if anyone pushed him too far, Harry would snap.

"Sit down, Parkinson." Harry growled warningly. "Do not test me." Draco pulled his hand from under Harry's only to grab it doing his best to ground the Vampire.

"Why shouldn't I? Just because you're the Boy-Who-Lived doesn't make you anything special. You're just a measly little Wizard with illusions of grandeur-…"

"Pansy, stop it." Draco warned but the brunette refused to listen.

"You can't be a vampire, Potter! To think such a pathetic excuse for a-..."

**"How dare you speak to me like that, Mortal?!"** Harry's roar exploded through the room and Pansy found herself gasping for breath. She fell on her knees staring straight into a pair of emerald eyes. Red was bleeding into them and his fangs started to lengthen. Pansy' eyes shifted on Draco, who just stared at her with pity, watching as one of his close friends choked on the very air she was breathing. The pressure in the room was heavy, and even though Draco could hardly feel the effect of it, the others were coming short of breath.

"Ry, calm down." He spoke up softly, knowing Harry would listen to him. The Vampire growled and sat back a little although his eyes were still mostly red. Draco knew Harry could hardly feel the hold he hand on Harry's fisted hand, but he knew Harry could feel the calming emotions Draco was sending to him over the Bond. Harry snarled at Pansy and unclenched his hands.

"Do not question me, Parkinson. Unlike Voldemort's puppets I do not play with my food." He pressed out through his teeth as his eyes returned back to normal, but his fangs remained longer, and his eyes were cold and threatening.

"Harry." Draco murmured and Harry nodded shortly.

"You really _are_ a Vampire." Gregory muttered and Harry snorted.

"Like I said; I became a Vampire on my birthday. My mother was bitten before she came to Hogwarts. Dumbledore helped her hide it. She married my father, who was her Mate, and they had me. _Why_ I survived the Transition is beyond my comprehension, but I _did_." He looked at Pansy who was still kneeling on the ground trying to catch her breath. She tensed up and shivered when she saw the warning in Harry's eyes. "I am now more pure-blooded than you, Parkinson; _and_ more powerful. I suggest you don't tempt me. I have yet to Feed, and my control is a bit _stretched_ right now. The only reason you are here is because Draco trusts you and he doesn't want to hide anything from you. Now, we can all be friends or I can force you to keep your mouth shut, but I won't have you testing my control. You wouldn't like it if I lost it."

"You wouldn't kill me." She spat out and Harry raised an eyebrow at her while Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Guess again, Pansy. He's a Vampire. You know just as much about them as I do." Pansy choked up and paled before she looked at Harry again.

"You've killed already." Hermione murmured and Harry looked at her. "You've taken a life." Harry shrugged.

"It was either me or them." He spoke almost uncaringly. "I chose my life, of course." Hermione swallowed difficultly and frowned in confusion. "Hermione; the outside world isn't as black and white as you may believe. I have a Prophecy hanging over my head. I would have killed sooner or later; Vampire or not. You can either make peace with it, or I can erase your memory of this evening and you can continue on your own path; without me." Hermione looked at him with wide terrified eyes.

"You wouldn't-…"

"Hermione, I killed several Death Eaters and Werewolves. What makes you think I wouldn't erase your memory if it would make sure my secrets would remain hidden." Hermione paled and looked away from Harry.

"You've changed." She spoke mournfully.

"I accepted the fact that I would either become a killer or end up dead. I don't believe I made the wrong choice. Sure, I am sorry people had to die, but they made their own choices. I can't change that. If you can't accept the fact that I killed and _will_ kill again if it means I would survive, if it means _Draco_ would be safe, then I'm afraid we can't be friends anymore." Hermione looked up at him with tears in her eyes only to find the Vampire looking at her with a closed off, emotionless expression. "I am what I am, Hermione. Either accept it or leave." She bowed her head and fisted her hands in her lap. Harry looked at Draco when the blond squeezed his hand and frowned at him for a moment. Draco nodded towards Hermione and Harry sighed. He stood up and walked over to her. He kneeled in front of her and covered her hands with his, doing his best to ignore her flinch.

"I am still the boy you knew last year, Hermione." He spoke comfortingly. "The fact that I changed doesn't mean that my feelings towards you have changed. It doesn't mean that I'm not your friend anymore. But you have to understand that I have different priorities. You have to understand that I need to protect myself; that I need to protect my future Mate. I cannot leave loose ends otherwise more people will die. And I can't allow that to happen. So, either you will accept this and allow me to protect you, or I will erase your memories to make sure you stay safe. It's your choice." Hermione raised her head and looked into his eyes. Harry smiled at her lovingly and raised his hand to wipe her tears away with the back of his index finger. "You're like the sister I never had the chance to have, Mione, and I will do everything in my power to make sure you stay safe. Nothing. Changed." He stressed out and she let go of a shivering breath. She nodded weakly and Harry smiled at her lovingly.

"Alright." She said. "It will – It will take some getting used to but – but I won't let you erase my memory. I'm on your side." Harry chuckled and pushed himself up. Before he walked away he leaned forward and kissed Hermione's forehead.

"Thank you." He murmured and walked back to Draco's side, but he didn't take a seat. He looked at the Slytherins and raised an eyebrow at them.

"The offer stands for you as well." Harry said. "Either you accept this as a fact and we move on from here, or I will erase your memories. Draco's safety comes first to me." Draco shot them all a pleading look. Pansy stood up slowly and looked at her three housemates. Silent communication passed between the four of them while Hermione, Harry and Draco observed them quietly. Harry placed his hand on Draco's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. A few long moments later Pansy turned to look at Harry.

"Can you swear that you'll keep Draco safe? Can you swear that you'll never hurt him?"

"Not intentionally." Harry said. "Things happen. I can only swear that I will do everything in my power to not intentionally hurt him and that I will put my life on the line to keep him safe."

"I do believe that's the best we'll get." Blaise muttered and stood up. He walked over to Harry and offered him his hand. "You hurt him and I'll have your head." Harry chuckled and shook his hand.

"I'd like to see you try." He drawled and Blaise sneered at him while Draco chuckled.

"He took down two Werewolves by himself, Blaise. I do believe you're not up to par." Blaise snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Well, he swore to protect you. I don't have to worry about anything." Harry chuckled while the others snorted at him.

"So what's that Prophecy you mentioned earlier?" Vincent asked and Harry sighed.

"That is a long story, and I do believe I mentioned I hadn't Fed yet. I need to go out. I suggest you return to your chambers and we'll talk some other time about that." He said and everyone nodded. "Hermione, I'll escort you to the Gryffindor tower. Draco-…"

"I'll go with them. You go." Draco said as he stood up and Harry smiled at him. He bowed down and kissed him gently, making Draco sigh.

"Damn." They parted and looked at Pansy. "I hate to admit this, but the two of you look damn good together." Harry and Draco chuckled; Hermione blushed while the guys rolled their eyes at them.

"Sure." Harry murmured. "Let's go." They left his chambers together and parted ways. Harry spared a glance at Hermione as they walked back into Gryffindor territory.

"Will you be alright with this, Mione?" Harry asked after a few minutes and Hermione sighed.

"Like I said; it will take some getting used to." She said and Harry nodded.

"I understand." They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and Harry stopped. "I'll see you tomorrow." He saw Hermione hesitate and chuckled before he stepped forward and pulled her into a loving hug. "This changes nothing, Mione. I still love you." He felt her relax and hug him back.

"I know, Harry. Thank you for trusting me." They parted and Harry kissed her forehead.

"Always." Hermione spoke the password and entered the Gryffindor chambers, leaving Harry alone in the hallway. He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. The Thirst was growing stronger.

He turned on his heel and marched away into the Entrance Hall.

He had some Hunting to do.

* * *

Draco walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. Ever since last night Draco's friends were silent and Draco received some mixed emotions over the Bond. He could tell that Harry was worried about something and that he was distressed, but he didn't know why.

And that bugged him.

He felt as though a mountain fell on his back when he found his friends already sitting at their usual places, only to let go of a sigh of relief when they greeted him with smiles and understanding in their eyes.

"Why do you look as though you were just told the Dark Lord was killed?" Pansy drawled and Draco snorted as he took a seat.

"Morning, Pansy." He murmured. "Frankly, I thought after what happened last night you'd excommunicate me." Pansy rolled his eyes while Vincent, Gregory and Blaise snorted at him.

"You're the Mate of a Vampire, and that Vampire is no other than the man _destined_ to destroy the greatest pain in the ass we know. Now why would we excommunicate you?" Blaise droned out and Draco chuckled.

"Why indeed." He drawled and Blaise clapped his shoulder.

"We thought about everything. If Potter managed to make you all doe eyed at him, then he can't be all that bad. We'll give him a chance." Blaise said and Draco looked at the others. He smiled when he received confirming nods, and his friends shivered when they saw the open expression on his face.

"Thank you. All of you; this means a lot to me." He said and Pansy snorted.

"I gotta say, Dray. You've managed to catch yourself a good one." Draco rolled his eyes while the others laughed.

"Where is Harry, either way?" Gregory asked and Draco frowned.

"I haven't seen him yet." He said. "I haven't seen him since last night."

"Do you think he will be joining us?" Pansy asked. To an untrained ear she would sound uncaring, but Draco could hear the worry in the contour of her voice.

"I don't know. I've been receiving strange feelings from his side of the Bond. I can't name it. It's not worry or anger, or anything." Draco answered.

"Maybe he's just stressed out." The 5 Slytherins turned in shock to see none other than Hermione Granger standing behind Blaise with a small hesitant smile on her pretty face. "Good morning."

"Granger?" Hermione blushed at Pansy's surprised exclamation and bowed her head a bit.

"Would you – would you mind if I joined you?" Draco raised an eyebrow and looked at his equally confused friends.

"Not at all." He said and moved closer to Blaise so Hermione could slide in beside him.

"Thank you." She said and the Slytherins nodded at her. "I – I wanted to apologize to you. I know we've started on the wrong foot, but maybe, for Harry's sake-..." Draco stared at Hermione's outstretched hand for a moment completely shaken. "For Harry's sake I think we should at least try to get along." Draco shook himself awake and accepted the peace offering. Hermione smiled brightly and turned to face the other Slytherins. "It is a pleasure to meet you all under different circumstances." She said. Pansy smiled and the two girls shook hands.

"This will take some getting used to." Pansy murmured and Hermione huffed.

"Tell me about it. I always thought there was something strange about Dumbledore, but I never actually thought he was such a – a _manipulator_." She stressed out as she put some scrambled eggs and bacon on her plate.

"Oh, please! Don't tell me you, of all people, truly believed in that entire 'kind grandfather' visage?" Blaise moaned and Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

"Of course not!" she replied in kind. "I just never thought he was borderline _evil_. He did have me fooled for a while, but I think my trust in Dumbledore started wavering when he allowed Harry to participate in the Tri-Wizard tournament. Last year had me thinking that he was trying to manipulate Harry into something and no one will be using my brother that way for as long as I have a say in it." She spoke passionately, sounding like a mother lioness growling at someone who threatened her cubs.

"You weren't so enthusiastic yesterday." Draco murmured and Hermione saddened.

"Draco, what Harry told us yesterday spoke against everything I thought was true. I am a Muggle-born. Everything I know about the Wizarding world came from the books I've read, and I've been raised to trust authority above everything. Over the past five years Harry taught me how to think for myself; that rules meant nothing if innocents suffered. I stopped trusting blindly because of Harry." She bit into her bottom lip and poked the scrambled eggs with her fork. "I assume Dumbledore knows Harry's a Vampire." She looked at Draco and he nodded. His admission had the others frowning. "I was afraid of that. Harry changed and I have no doubt that he put Dumbledore into his place, thus proving to the old coot he wasn't a tool he could use. This ploy of Dumbledore's about resorting Harry was nothing but making sure that Harry was in the center of public interest for an unforeseeable future, and that means Harry has to lay low. His every move will be followed. Dumbledore just made sure that he wouldn't need any spies to keep an eye on Harry. The whole school will do so."

"I'm surprised he hasn't told anyone Harry's a Vampire." Gregory said.

"Maybe he's waiting for the opportune moment?" Vincent suggested.

"Who knows? That old geezer is one hell of an Occlumency Master. Not even the Dark Lord would be able to see through those shields." Blaise muttered.

"Which is why I'm worried." Hermione said. "I know Harry, and I know he's sick and tired of people manipulating him. If I've deduced anything from our last night's conversation, then the prophecy Harry mentioned, the one we broke when we went to the Ministry of Magic, was about him and Voldemort and if my guess is correct, it prophesized that Harry was the one destined to kill Voldemort."

"And you concluded that from what exactly?" Pansy asked and Hermione looked at them. While Blaise, Greg, Vince and Pansy stared at her in wonder, Draco was looking at her with a raised eyebrow and an impressed shine in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter." Hermione said. "What matters is that Harry will need all the help he can get. I assume you two are trying to keep your relationship a secret, right?" Draco nodded.

"Harry and I debated on it for a while, but concluded that it would be the best course of action. He fears that either Dumbledore or Voldemort might try to get to him through me, and he refuses to put me in more danger than I'm already in."

"That does sound like Harry." Hermione murmured.

"Merlin's balls! Are my eyes deceiving me?" they turned around quickly to see Harry standing behind them with a look of confusion on his face. The Slytherins barely suppressed chuckles but Hermione had no such qualms. She outright laughed at Harry's surprised expression. Unlike them Draco frowned when he saw how Harry looked. His eyes were filled with shadows and his shoulders were hunched in a way Draco hadn't seen them since their last year of schooling.

"Where have you been?" he asked and followed Harry with his eyes as the Vampire rounded the table to take the free seat beside Pansy.

"I was in the forest. I'm having troubles finding anything edible; I'm not too fond of Centaurs and Unicorns, and Spiders are _really_ not my idea of a good meal, so I have to go further out if I want to catch a deer or something. By the time I managed to find something to Feed on it was already close to dawn. I came back half an hour ago and decided to take a quick shower before joining you here."

"You hadn't slept at all?" Hermione worried and Harry shot her a comforting smile.

"I'll be fine. At least Hunting stopped me from thinking too much." He murmured and took a muffin off of a plate. Hermione and Draco frowned when, instead of eating it, he started picking on it.

"There's more." They spoke at the same time and everyone else shot them surprised glances. Hermione and Draco shared a small smile before they looked at Harry. The former Gryffindor chuckled and shook his head.

"It was over 24 hours since I last Fed, and I lost control for a moment yesterday; first with Ron and then in my chambers. It messed with my shields and – and I started remembering. I've been keeping the shields up constantly ever since I changed. To have them collapse just like that was – it wasn't good." Harry's voice broke and he looked at the muffin he was playing with.

"Sirius?" he looked at Hermione with slight surprise while everyone else but Draco frowned in confusion.

"Yeah." Harry murmured and bowed his head a little.

"You know it's not your fault." Harry shrugged and looked at Hermione with a small, self-depreciating smile.

"I know; it doesn't make me feel any less guilty though." He admitted.

"Why I put up with your silly logic, I will never know." Hermione mourned and let go of a grave sigh.

"Maybe because I am incredibly handsome, strikingly irresistible, and-..."

"Sickly conceited?" Hermione drawled with big innocent eyes. Harry laughed and Draco smiled a small smile. He could feel the burdens lifting off of Harry's back. Obviously Hermione knew exactly what Harry needed in moments like these.

"I'll have you know, Hermione Granger, that being conceited requires a healthy dosage of ego, which I in my humbleness lack."

"Of course, Potter. Now excuse us while we get some breath. Your none-existing ego is so small we're having problems breathing." Blaise joined in on the fun and Harry chuckled.

"I humbly apologize, Master Zabini, but compared to the Noble and Ancient house of Slytherin I truly do lack in the fields of egoism. Take, for example, our dear Lord Voldemort!"

"Master Potter! Surely you do not mean that kind sir, which holds our beloved parents in his oh-so-gentle hold?" Pansy gushed and Hermione sighed.

"I believe he does, my dear lady Parkinson." She looked at Harry with her head held high and mock-displeasure on her face.

"He certainly does, Lady Granger. Such a shame! And here I though Master Potter was a man of great honor! To besmirch a name as pure and noble as that of our dear lord Voldemort's is a crime!" Blaise admonished mockingly and Harry laughed.

"Oh I'll do more than besmirch his name; mark my words." He said and wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes.

"Sure, you will." Draco murmured and Harry chuckled. He took a deep breath and smiled at them.

"Thank you. I needed that." Draco snorted and shook his head.

"Gryffindork." He murmured and Harry shook his head with a fond smile.

"No problem, Potter. You're one of us now." Vince said and Greg nodded.

"Exactly; and we stand up, for and by each other." He added and Hermione giggled.

"Well, Harry; I believe the house descriptions drastically changed in the last couple of years."

"Yes, I do believe they did, 'Mione." Whatever he wanted to say was cut short because a beautiful black eagle flew over to them with a mighty cry.

"Is that-…"

"Alaric?" the eagle landed on Harry's shoulder and the former Gryffindor frowned when Alaric nipped his ear. "He's Gabriel's; my Sire's." He clarified for Hermione and the others before he took the letter. He shot Draco a look from the corner of his eyes. Reassuring feelings washed over the blond and he nodded at Harry.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked as Harry opened the letter.

"I don't know." He murmured.

"Well, read out loud." Pansy suggested and everyone leaned closer to Harry.

_Dear Harry,_

_I write to you in great haste._

_We reached the Conclave in good health, but found most of the roads blocked. Before you start to worry we are all alright. No one attacked us along the way._

_But there is something important I must tell you._

_I addressed the Conclave like we discussed I should. The reason why I am in great hurry is because Voldemort is trying to make his move. Rumor has spread about you, Son. There are whispers about the King of Kindred, and you know how fast rumors spread in the Shadows of our world._

_I hope your Mate is safe and that you've kept your Bond a secret, especially from Dumbledore. I am afraid of what he would do if he even got the slightest hint about a way to control you. You may be strong, but untrained you are still vulnerable._

_There is more, Son. The Conclave wants you to join us here at the Forbidden City. They want you to be trained in our ways and prepared for the Role you were destined to take. I know you are still hesitant about it. I know you do not want the responsibility it brings, but I was one against many. I am sorry, Harry. I could do nothing. I managed to convince them to send me for you. I cannot promise more than two weeks to you. I have to take a longer way around because of the Death Eaters. Please, do not blame me for this. I tried my best to buy you more time, but Voldemort moved the Conclave's hand and they overruled me._

_I am sincerely sorry._

_Tell Draco this. Please, do not blame me for the decision of the Conclave._

_You have two weeks. That is as much as I can give you._

_Be ready. Greet Draco for me and tell him Eve and Emrys send their love. They can hardly wait to see the both of you again._

_I shall see you soon._

_Gabriel Dubois_

_Ps. Do not complete the Bond. I still cannot find an explanation as to why your Bonding already started, but please, to protect Draco, do not complete it._

When Harry stopped reading, heavy silence settled over them.

"Harry?" Draco's voice broke. Harry twitched and looked at him, and everyone around him tensed up. "Harry-…" in that moment Harry stood up and marched out of the room with his head bowed.

"His eyes were red." Hermione breathed out.

"Let's go." They stood up as one and ran after Harry. They made it just before the door to Harry's room closed and rushed in. They found the Vampire pacing in front of the fire with Alaric perched on top of a bookshelf. Harry was clutching the letter in his hand and low growls were escaping his lips. His eyes were bleeding from red to black, his fangs were almost cutting into his bottom lip and he was snarling at something only he could see.

"Harry, you need to calm-…"

**"Calm down?"** Harry's voice was unlike anything they've ever heard. He turned on his heel and looked at Draco. The others stood behind the blond, not knowing what to do. Draco swallowed over a lump and stood straighter.

"Yes. You need to calm down. Losing control will get you nowhere."

**"Oh, I'm not losing control, cha'ré." **The growling that was coming out of Harry's mouth was nothing like his usual velvety baritone.** "I am far from just losing control."** The Vampire took a step toward Draco. His skin paled as his eyes turned completely black and markings appeared on his skin. Draco wanted to step back but he was frozen to his place. A part of his mind knew that Harry would never hurt him; he knew that Harry would never harm him.

But he couldn't help the fear from blossoming in his heart.

He couldn't stop his heart from picking up pace, or his breath from catching in his throat.

"Harry-…"

**"For how long?"** the Vampire growled. **"For how long will everyone take the right to rule my life? For how long will I be a _puppet_ to insignificant _worms_?"**

"Harry, this isn't you-…"

**"Wrong, cha'ré**.**"** Harry's lips stretched into a snide sneer. **"This is the real me. This is the _monster_ that was created by those manipulating _b'smachek_** **that led this world into ruin. This is the monster they created when they suppressed the ymek and turned us into nothing more than _servants_ to their whims."**

"Harry, you're-…"

**"Scaring you?"** the Vampire snorted and straightened, looking down at Draco with a cold expression. **"You are not the one who should be afraid of me."** He took another step back until he turned his back on Draco and looked at the wrinkled letter in his hand. With an angry growl he threw it into the fire which burned harder with his anger. It felt as though the pressure thinned and Harry seemed to actually shrink. His hair, which was dancing in a nonexistent wind, settled and seemed more ruffled than ever, and his shoulders hunched under a load of worry.

"Harry?"

"I _am_ a monster." Harry growled lowly and tilted his head to the side to look at the fire. The orange light painted his skin golden and it looked as though some of the strands of his raven black hair turned white.

"You are no monster, Harry." Draco finally managed to take a step towards Harry, and the Vampire snorted.

"You don't understand, Draco." Harry turned slightly towards them, and they tensed up when they saw that instead of emerald eyes black orbs still gazed at them. "I _am_ a monster. Do you know what I want to do now? I want to go out there and kill them; I want to kill them all. I want to Feed on them and make them feel every single _ounce_ of hatred, and pain, and desperation they made me feel. I want Dumbledore and Voldemort and every single sorry son of a bitch out there that has the misconception that they can in any way control my life anymore – I want them to _suffer_. I want to kill. Them. All." Draco swallowed difficultly and took another step closer to Harry.

"You have the right to be angry." He said and Harry snorted. "You have the right to hate them." Draco was a step away from Harry when he raised his shivering right hand hesitatingly and slowly placed it on Harry's tense shoulder. "But you don't, Harry; you don't hate them. Not really. You're not capable of really hating anyone." Harry looked at him slowly and Draco felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw black bleeding into emerald ever so slowly. "You are strong now, and you'll only grow stronger with time. You'll make them all feel sorry for ever abusing you; you will make them all pay. But you won't get your hands dirty with their blood; not until they truly deserve it." Harry turned to face him fully as his eyes turned completely emerald again, and took a step closer to Draco. The others tensed up when Harry bowed his head, wrapped his arms around Draco's waist and pulled the blond close. He buried his face in Draco's neck, and the smaller man wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders. The Vampire kissed Draco's neck before he moved back a little and kissed his forehead.

"I'm sorry, Dragon." He murmured with his eyes tightly shut. "I've completely forgotten myself. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Harry." Draco whispered. He hid his face in Harry's shoulder and the Vampire hugged him tightly, holding on for dear life. Their friends observed him with mixed emotions filling their hearts.

Harry took a deep calming breath as he and Draco parted, and he finally looked at the others with a tired expression on his face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see that. This is the first time I've lost control like that. I don't even know what happened." He apologized and the others nodded at him.

"You didn't even sound like yourself." Hermione said and Harry frowned.

"I don't know what happened." He murmured and walked over to his armchair to take a seat in it. He sighed and leaned back with his eyes closed and head tilted back. "I've completely lost it."

"You've said some words we didn't even understand." Hermione said as they all moved and took seats around the common room. Draco took a seat on the armrest of Harry's armchair and placed his hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"I can't remember." Harry murmured. He looked as though he was close to falling asleep. He looked at Draco tiredly when he felt his gentle fingers brush a strand of his hair behind his ear. "It's all fuzzy."

"You must have tired yourself out." Draco said. "We're late for our first class as it is. You hadn't slept last night. Maybe you should stay in today. We're going to give you our notes." Harry snorted and shook his head.

"I don't think that's smart. I doubt I'll be able to fall asleep, and if I'm alone I won't be able to stop myself from thinking about a lot of unimportant things. I think it would be better if I went to classes."

"You look dead on your feet." Greg said and Harry smiled at him.

"I'll survive." He said.

"What did Gabriel mean when he told you not to complete the Bond?" Hermione spoke up finally and Harry chuckled.

"For some reason, Draco and I already started to Bond despite the fact that he's not of age yet. Gabriel worries that we would be able to complete the Bond before his birthday with the way we're going."

"And why would that be a bad thing?" Vince asked and Harry smiled sadly.

"Because he knows just how hard it would be for me to leave. It will be hard to leave Draco behind now when we only have the First Bond. I can't imagine how it would be if we completed the Bonding and I had to leave. I don't think I would be able to."

"Would it be that bad?" Draco murmured and Harry looked at him.

"You deserve a Mate that can protect you, Dragon. I can't do that the way I'm now. Despite the fact that I hate being forced to leave, Gabriel was right when he told me that I had to learn the ways of the Kindred. I am a Vampire. I need to start acting like one." Harry said and Draco nodded in understanding.

"I understand; doesn't mean I like it though." Harry chuckled and placed his hand on Draco's thigh giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I know, Dragon; I know." Silence settled between them as each sunk into their own thoughts.

"So you really are leaving." Hermione whispered brokenly and Harry nodded.

"Yes."

"You will return?" Pansy asked and Harry nodded.

"I do not know when." He looked up at Draco and the words that came out of his mouth next sounded like an oath. "But I will return; no matter what."

* * *

_Haven't you seen me sleepwalking,__  
__'cause I've been holding your hand?__  
__Haven't you noticed me drifting?__  
__Oh, let me tell you I am._

_Tell me it's nothing; __  
__try to convince me__  
__that I'm not drowning.__  
__Oh, let me tell you I am._

Draco and Blaise looked up from the game of chess they were playing. Pansy and Hermione were staring at Harry with far away expressions on their faces, and Greg and Vince were staring at him in shock; they haven't heard him sing yet.

Draco managed to convince him to play and singe for them. It was a rainy Saturday evening, and while some students left to visit Hogsmade, they stayed behind. It's been ten days; ten days of carefully moving around Hogwarts, of secret meetings, and well planned public arguments and discussions. They knew Gabriel's arrival was closing in on them. Harry could feel it.

And no matter how much both he and Harry didn't want him to come that much more they knew it was the only solution to their current problem.

_Please; please tell me you know; __  
__I've got to let you go.__  
__I can't help falling out of love with you._

Harry was under constant scrutiny. Every single student was constantly observing him and some of the professors always kept an eye on him. Harry practically mastered avoiding Dumbledore by either staying in his rooms or making Remus and Severus keep him back in detention. For now he was successful, but everyone feared it wouldn't last much longer.

Every day it became more obvious that he had to leave Hogwarts.

And it hurt.

It hurt both him and Draco, no matter how much they tried to deny it.

_Why am I feeling so guilty?__  
__Why am I holding my breath?__  
__I'm worrying 'bout everyone but me.__  
__And I just keep losing myself._

Draco looked at his friends, seeing they were all practically mesmerized by Harry's singing. His eyes settled on his future Mate again and he felt his heart clench. He kept telling himself that this was the best solution for their situation; that didn't make him feel any better. He got used to having Harry around; used to having the Vampire near. He got used to his comforting presence; his quiet support, his warm understanding.

If he were to be perfectly honest, he didn't know how he would handle being without him. He didn't know how to go back to functioning without Harry around. Sure, he would have his friends. He should take comfort in that, because where Harry was going he would have only Gabriel, Emrys and Eve. Draco knew what he could expect in Hogwarts. Harry couldn't know what he would find in the Forbidden City.

Draco knew what waited for him; months of worrying and waiting, sleepless nights and endlessly long days.

And he didn't think he would be able to handle it.

He didn't think he _wanted_ to handle it.

_Please; won't you read my mind?__  
__Don't just let me lye here, __  
__and die here._

_Oh, please; please tell me you know; __  
__I've got to let you go.__  
__I can't help falling out of love with you._

Draco's mind came to a sharp focus when the song stopped flowing off of Harry's lips. The Vampire was sitting still in his armchair, his fingers resting on the shivering strings as he gazed at something only he could see. The fire was burning in the fireplace, bathing the young Vampire in colors of red and orange.

'Four days; just four more days.' Draco thought.

"I honestly didn't know you could sing, Harry." Vince said and Harry snapped to attention and looked at him. A small smile pulled on his lips as the guitar vanished and he shrugged.

"It's not like I've been flaunting it." He murmured and relaxed in the armchair. He looked at the fire losing himself in his thoughts again. Draco looked at Blaise and nodded at him shortly. Blaise looked at the others, and without a word they stood up and quietly left Harry's chambers, leaving him and Draco alone.

"Harry?" Draco called out and the Vampire looked at him.

"He's close." He murmured and Draco nodded. He walked over to Harry and took a seat in his lap. The Vampire hugged him close and Draco rested his head on Harry's chest. He closed his eyes when he felt Harry burry his face in his hair, and a moment later feelings that weren't his own washed over him. In a short time, with Severus' help they managed to manipulate the Bond so that they could hide their feelings from the other, but now they opened the Bond, and allowed themselves the luxury of sharing their fears, their weariness and loneliness with each other.

"I don't know if I can stand this." Draco murmured and Harry's hold on him tightened.

"What, my Dragon?"

"The fact that you're leaving."

"I am not leaving forever, Draco; although – although the thought of leaving you here alone hurts me so much I just want to - I want to take you with me; hide you somewhere no one would ever find you. Lock you in the highest tower on the highest top of the world so no one could ever harm you." Harry swallowed difficultly and Draco frowned when he felt somethin over the Bond he never felt before. "I want to stay here with you, and yet at the same time I know I have to leave you."

"Life's dealt us pretty lousy cards to play with." Draco murmured. He tried to stay strong. He tried to keep this blossoming feeling inside his heart from growing any further, but he knew it was in vain; he couldn't deny the fact that the feelings he held for Harry were already too big to ignore.

"We have no other choice but to play with the cards we were given." Harry's voice broke, and Draco sighed and pushed away to look in Harry's eyes. For a moment they just stared at each other, their hearts restless and filled with sorrow.

"Harry?" the Vampire smiled at him lovingly, his eyes filled with tears Draco knew he never allowed himself to cry. It hurt. It hurt to know that Harry never allowed himself that luxury. Even though he wouldn't admit that out loud to just about anyone, Draco often found relief in crying. There was no other way for him to let go of everything he gathered in his heart. The thought that Harry refused to allow it to himself, made Draco's heart clench.

He reached up and caressed Harry's cheek with the tips of his fingers. This Vampire was his Mate; his pillar of strength, his sword and his shield. Despite everything he lived through, Harry was still essentially good; and it broke Draco's heart to know that Harry never allowed himself to show weakness. It hurt him to know that Harry never allowed himself to be anything but strong.

'But he doesn't have to be; he doesn't always have to be the strong one.' He leaned forward and kissed Harry chastely, feeling breath hitch in the Vampire's throat. He took a firm hold of Harry's head and deepened the kiss, moaning when he felt the Vampire's fingers dig into his sides. He pulled back breathlessly and leaned his forehead against Harry's. He wished he could take it all away. He wished he could take back everything he did and said to Harry in the past years; but he couldn't.

He could only do his best to make it right now.

He could only do his best to show the proud Vampire that he didn't have to be strong all the time; that just like he promised to always be there for Draco, that he would always be there for Harry.

The only thing Draco could do was love him.

"Draco, I..."

"Hush." Draco kissed Harry lightly again. "I don't need you to say it; I don't."

"I love you." Draco's breath hitched in his throat and he moved back to look in Harry's eyes. "I don't care if it's too early; I don't care that I'm leaving. I just need you to know; I need you to know that I love you and – and that I'll always – always come back to you. I'll walk through Hell and back again if needed, but I'll always come back to you." Draco's eyes widened slightly when a single tear rolled down Harry's cheek. That single tear triggered something in Draco and Harry's eyes widened when one after another, tears started to stream down Draco's pale cheeks.

"I love you, you stupid Gryffindor." He spoke brokenly. "You stupid, self-sacrificing idiot." Harry chuckled and pulled him into a deep, gentle, loving kiss.

It was surprisingly simple; really. So simple in fact, that Draco cursed himself over and over in his mind for not saying it sooner. He was holding it all back for days, and for what?

Now that he thought about it, he couldn't find a valid reason for not saying those three simple words; those three silly, simple and yet breathtakingly beautiful words. He felt like he could say them over and over and over again, and the waves upon waves of happiness he felt coming from Harry told him the Vampire felt the same.

And all of a sudden, Draco knew his destiny. He knew his place in the world.

Just like this summer, after Harry's encounter with the Werewolves Draco would be Harry's strength when the Vampire had no strength of his own; he would be Harry's shield when his own shields fell. He will be Harry's lover, his friend, his confidant, his consort. He will be Harry's sanctuary.

Sometime later, when his tears dried out, Harry gathered Draco in his arms and brought him in his bed. Draco lay beside Harry with his head over Harry's heart and Harry's arms around his waist with their emotions broadcasting over the Bond.

At that moment it felt like nothing could touch them.

And the world would simply have to wait.

* * *

"Harry? Please stay back." Remus called after Harry while the rest of the students left the classroom.

"Yes, Moony?" Remus looked weary as he showed Harry to follow him into his office. Harry looked around remembering how this office looked back in third year. A small smile stretched his lips when he saw the pictures on Remus' desk. Sirius, James and Lily waved at him with big smiles on their young faces. Remus took a seat in his chair and Harry didn't need to be a master of deduction to see that something was bothering the Werewolf. Harry walked over to him, kneeled in front of him and looked up in Remus' amber eyes.

"Remus, what's wrong?"

"I can feel him, Harry. A Vampire; an Ancient is nearing Hogwarts." Instead of panicking again, Harry smiled softly.

"You're more in tune with your wolf than I thought you were." He spoke and Remus rewarded him with a small, hesitant smile.

"You're leaving soon." Harry sighed, stood up and leaned back on Remus' desk.

"Sooner than I would like." he admitted.

"What about Draco?" Harry took a deep breath and tilted his head back. He focused on one of the statues on the ceiling of Remus' office; a Pixie.

"We talked about it." He said, and Remus could hear the doubt and hesitance in his voice. "I don't know what to do, Moony. I'm so afraid to leave him here, and yet I know that I have to. I know how strong he is, and yet every time I think of him I see him the way he is when we're alone; when we simply let go of our masks." Remus stood up and stopped in front of Harry, and the Vampire looked at him allowing him to see the full extent of sorrow in his emerald orbs.

"You can't let yourself get lost in your worry. You said it yourself. Draco is strong. I assure you he is stronger than you think, or he wouldn't be your Mate. The Submissive is so much more in a relationship than they are given credit; most of the time they are just as strong as their Dominants, because they have to be their Dominant's strength. They are the pillar of strength that holds their Dominants when they cannot stand alone."

"I know, Remus. I only wish we have more time." Remus chuckled and looked to the side thoughtfully.

"Have you ever read 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy?" Harry shook his head and Remus sighed. "The author of those books said something that struck me pretty hard. One of the main protagonists, a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins got a hold of a very dangerous, very dark object that held the soul of the cruelest, foulest being in their world, and he set out on a journey to destroy it together with his friends. One of them was a wise old wizard. When Frodo told him that he wished the Ring has never come to him the Wizard, Gandalf, told him that 'all who live to see such times wish so. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time we are given'." Harry nodded in understanding and Remus smiled at him before he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Spend as much time with him as you can. Don't waste a moment. At least you'll have some good memories to fill your mind until you come back to him."

"Thank you, Moony." Harry said and the Werewolf pulled him into a hug.

"Anytime, Harry." They parted and Remus smiled at him. "Now, come. Narcissa asked me to tell you to come to her chambers before dinner; something about a worried-mother complex." Harry chuckled and pushed away from the desk he's been leaning on.

"I better go then." Before he left he turned and enveloped Remus in a big hug. "In case we don't have time to say goodbye-..."

"No need, Harry." Remus interrupted Harry's whispered words. They parted and he smiled at the young Vampire in front of him. "This is nothing but a see-you-soon; never goodbye." Harry smiled and nodded.

"See you soon then, Moony." And with that said he turned and left the office, not knowing that the next time he would be here he wouldn't come as a student of Hogwarts.

* * *

"Come in, come in!" Narcissa hugged Harry tightly before she allowed him to enter her chambers. "Draco told me everything! You didn't think I would let you go before we had a chance to talk and say farewell to each other; that is no way to treat your soon-to-be mother-in-law!" Harry chuckled while he took his cloak off and took a seat in one of the plush armchairs in Narcissa's common room.

"I apologize. I had a lot on my mind lately. I hope Draco is alright. As much as I try I still can't read him completely." He said and accepted a cup of tea Narcissa offered to him.

"That is my Draco. According to him, you are worse than him." Harry snorted and shook his head.

"He at least knows why I can't burden him with my problems; besides there is nothing I can ask of him that he hasn't already given to me. He's already given me more than I could ever return." Narcissa hummed and placed her tea-cup on the small tea table.

"Strange; he told me the exact same thing. It seems to me that the two of you don't know what a relationship is all about." She said. Harry looked at her with an expression of thoughtful confusion. She sighed and smiled at him.

"Harry, I will tell you what I told Draco earlier this day. Life is all about giving and taking. In a relationship it is impossible to keep track of how much one gained and how much one gave. That kind of thinking breaks the relationship. You must understand that for as long as you care for each other, for as long as you hold each other up, you are both giving and taking." Seeing that she was reaching Harry, she smiled and continued. "People don't know you, Harry, but to me you are as clear as still water. You are incredibly strong; you have to be to bear the burdens of the whole world on your shoulders. But even the strongest fall, Harry. Sure, Draco needs you to protect him; to stand up for him. He needs you to be his shield against the world, while he stands by your side. But he will be your strength in times you are lost, and when you doubt yourself he will be the one to show you just how strong you are." Harry smiled and looked at her.

"It seems everyone can see that." He said. "Remus told me the same thing minutes ago." Narcissa smiled.

"We all care for you, Harry. All you have to do is let us in." Harry nodded.

"I'm starting to think that doing so will be easier than I thought." He said and stood up. Narcissa followed and hugged him.

"I just remembered that I have to take a look at my things. Gabriel could be here soon and I can't lose time. I'm sorry I don't have time to drink tea with you, Narcissa. I hope we will have a chance to rectify that one day." She smiled and cupped his cheek.

"I am sure we will, Harry. And I will be proud to call you my son when that day comes." Harry smiled, let Narcissa kiss his forehead and with a whispered farewell left to seek out Draco and their friends.

* * *

It was dinnertime at Hogwarts and Harry was restless. He was sitting at the Slytherin table with his friends. Hermione was at the Gryffindor table with Neville and Ginny. Harry hadn't found the time to speak with those two, but hopefully one day he would have all the time in the world.

He could feel Gabriel somewhere near, but his senses weren't sharp enough to determine his correct position. He was frowning throughout dinner and could feel Draco's worried glances from the seat across from his.

"Harry, you need to calm down. If you get any more agitated your magic will break out of control." Draco whispered and Harry sighed.

"I can't help it, Draco. I can feel him closer than he should be. It's like he's knocking on the doors of Hogwarts when he shouldn't have yet reached Hogsmade." For a mere second Harry felt a spark of panic coming from Draco's side of the Bond.

"You mean he's-..." the tensing of Harry's back broke Draco's trail of thoughts. Harry looked over to the teachers table and saw Dumbledore tensed up as well. The old man's eyes darted to Harry and the young Vampire met the old man's blue eyes, glare for glare.

"Harry? Harry!" Draco called out.

"Someone breeched the wards." Harry said and slowly stood up. Silence fell over the Great Hall when Dumbledore stood up as well.

"Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore called out as he rounded the teachers table and made his way towards Harry. "I need to see you in my office." Harry swallowed and looked at Draco. His eyes flew over his Slytherin friends before he spared a glance at Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna and nodded at them.

"I'll see you all soon. Take care." He whispered before he turned on his heel and marched towards the gates. He could hear Draco call his name, but dared not turn. He could hear Hermione call out to him, but dared not answer. He could feel Dumbledore on his trail, and just as the old man was about to catch up with him, the door slammed open and both Harry and Dumbledore were pushed back by a strong wind.

A tall hooded figure stood in the doorway, his wand aimed at Dumbledore and a pair of garnet eyes peaking from under the hood.

_"I suggest no one moves." _Harry swallowed difficultly and straightened, his wand slipping into his hand. Dumbledore stood taller as well, but before he could raise his wand the hooded figure flicked his wrist and Dumbledore was pushed back again.

_"You're coming with me, Mr. Potter."_ Harry squeezed his wand tightly and hunched his shoulders, glaring at the hooded man with glowing eyes. _"And I suggest you do not resist. I may be alone, but your professors will not dare attack me in front of so many students. You will come with me without resistance or one of your schoolmates will meet his or hers end."_ Harry swallowed difficultly. He heard Hermione cry out for him fearfully, but Neville held her back. Everyone was frozen to their places, not daring to move.

"No one will be harmed?" Harry rasped out and the hooded figure nodded sharply.

_"All you have to do is drop your wand and come with me."_

"Harry, don't!" Ginny cried out and Harry tensed up. He nodded slowly and straightened before he let go of his wand. It hit the stone floor and the sound echoed through the dead silence that settled over the hall.

_"Good boy. Now, come." _Ever so slowly Harry took a step forward. His magic was dancing right under his skin and every single muscle in his body was twitching. In the next moment the hooded man flicked his wand and Harry was flung forward. The man turned him around and pressed the tip of his wand into his neck as he wrapped his free arm around Harry. A familiar scent washed over Harry making his eyes widen and his breath hitch in his throat.

'Sire!' the Vampire tensed up when Dumbledore aimed his wand at the both of them.

_"You will pay for everything you did, Albus Dumbledore. Mark my words. The Kindred have yet to say their last words. You will face you end!"_

_'I love you, Draco. Never forget that.'_ The Slytherin's breath caught in his throat when loving words caressed his mind.

_'Harry?!'_

_'Farewell, my dragon. I'll see you soon.'_

"Harry!" and in a swirl of colors the two were gone, leaving behind confusion, fear and sorrow.


	9. Light And Dark

A loud thump resonated through the silence of the night, but for Harry the world just wouldn't stop spinning.

"I hate Portkeys." He grumbled and straightened slowly, and his kidnapper chuckled at him.

"I'm sorry, but that was the only way to get you out of there without making more suspicion fall on you. I've been reading the Daily Prophet, and at least this way you'll end up a martyr, and not a suspicious Dark Lord trainee." Harry chuckled and dusted his clothes off.

"And you've successfully managed to make everyone question Dumbledore. A student was taken right from under his nose. I wouldn't have thought of a better way to discredit him if I tried." He finally looked up and smiled when Gabriel lowered his hood.

"How are you?" Gabriel asked worriedly and Harry's lips thinned into a pained line. He closed his eyes and swallowed difficultly, as the feeling of sharp claws clenching his heart made him almost lose his dinner. When he managed to open his eyes he allowed his Sire to see the full extent of the pain he felt, and the older Vampire felt an almost physical impact. "I know, Son; I know." Harry nodded and pulled on every bit of self control he could muster. He looked past Gabriel and his eyes widened almost immediately.

They stood in front of a huge doorway marked with intricate designs. They showed ancient runes, and Harry recognized a few that served to protect and hide. In the middle was the Crest of the King; a Phoenix rising from the ashes with a Basilisk around him, biting his neck. They were surrounded by fire and Harry noticed that the Phoenix had emeralds for eyes and the Basilisk's eyes were made out of pure silver.

"They are the High Guardians." Gabriel explained and Harry nodded.

"The Basilisk represents Darkness, and the Phoenix stands for Light." Harry muttered. "From Darkness comes Light, and Light gives birth to Darkness." Harry looked at Gabriel. "I think I understand." Gabriel smiled and nodded. He clapped Harry's shoulder and moved forward.

Harry took a step to follow his Sire but hesitated. It felt like a voice from far away called his name; a desperate call filled with sadness and pain.

"Harry?" he turned and Gabriel smiled at him in understanding and with sadness in his eyes. "I guess I came a bit late, didn't I?" Harry looked away from him. His heart and mind were pulling him back to Hogwarts where his Mate was, days away from his birthday. The yearning was suddenly so real that if he could have, he would have cried in frustration.

"I could hear him; moments before we left Hogwarts, I could hear his cry." Gabriel placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder and looked in his eyes.

"You cannot protect him the way you are now; it is better this way." Harry wanted to argue, but instead he bowed his head and gritted his teeth. With what little will he could muster he sealed off what little of his Bond with Draco he allowed himself to feel. All of a sudden he felt so empty and alone. He continuously repeated in his mind that he wasn't alone, but the pain didn't lessen.

When Harry looked up Gabriel had to resist the urge to flinch. Harry's eyes were empty.

"Let's get this show on the road." Harry muttered and stood straighter. Gabriel swallowed and nodded. 'Let's just hope everything works out alright.' He thought and walked over to the doors. He brought his hand up and knocked strongly three times.

"Pull your hood up." Harry did as he was told and with a heavy, almost whining sound, the doors started to open.

Two figures waited on the other side. One was a woman with Elven features, waist long silvery hair and sky blue eyes. She looked delicate but stood strong. On her right was a tall man with shockingly dark skin, black eyes and short black hair. He stood at a respectable 6'3 with wide shoulders and an air of dominance around him.

"Septimus, Ondine; it's been a while!" Gabriel placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head and the two returned the gesture.

"Overlord Dubois, welcome back." Ondine spoke. Her eyes landed on Harry's still figure behind Gabriel. She couldn't see his face under the hood but she could feel the power rolling off of him in steady waves.

"We wish welcome to you as well, stranger." Septimus spoke up and approached the hooded figure. Harry bowed his head but said nothing. Something in him was restless. The air here felt strange.

"The Conclave is expecting us. Would you send a messenger to announce us?" Gabriel said. Ondine turned to him from her silent examination of Gabriel's companion. She suppressed another shiver and spoke to the Overlord.

"They are already expecting you; the High Regent summoned them earlier." Gabriel frowned.

"Are all of them here?" Septimus nodded.

"They are." Gabriel looked back at Harry. He could just imagine the younger man frowning although he couldn't see under his hood.

"Well, there is nothing we can do now." He murmured, and Septimus and Ondine nodded at him.

"Shah'ti said that all the Overlords are interested in the recent development. They all gathered here; even the Goblins." She said and Gabriel sighed.

**"Gabriel?"** Harry spoke up at last, and the two guards shivered. His voice was unlike any sound they have ever heard.

"We will have to face them all sooner or later either way." Gabriel murmured and Harry nodded. "Let's go." They bowed their heads at Ondine and Septimus and walked into the city, and the door closed slowly shutting the way into the city clad in night.

"You felt it too, didn't you?" Septimus murmured and Ondine nodded.

"The cloaked one; he somehow reacted to the Ancient Magic that protects this city."

"There are some in the Conclave that will not be pleased if the one Gabriel brought with him is truly the King." Septimus remarked. "What do you think?" Ondine sighed and shook her head at her Mate.

"This does not bode well, kha'bí. This does not bode well."

* * *

"Something doesn't feel right, Gabriel." Harry pressed out through his teeth and Gabriel stopped and turned to face him.

"You feel something?"

"The air is thick with Magic; powerful, ancient, angry." Gabriel turned to look at the building they were walking towards. The stone streets were clouded in a veil of mist and darkness so there wasn't much to see, but the tall palace stood out. It was the palace of the Forbidden City and in it was the Hall of the Conclave.

"The city reacts to the emotions of its inhabitants. That must be what you feel."

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Harry murmured. For some reason he was restless. He couldn't explain what he was feeling. He was angry, and yet he didn't know why. He was worried and sad; anxious and almost nostalgic. "The air is heavy, and the Magic feels almost polluted." Gabriel frowned and hummed.

"Come, Son. I do believe that this meeting can't wait any longer."

* * *

"Have you seen him anywhere?" Pansy spoke between gasps when she met up with her friends in front of the Great Hall.

"I've searched the dungeons. I couldn't enter Harry's rooms so I couldn't check if he's there." Blaise breathed out as he leaned back against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

"I've searched the Gryffindor territory; not a trace." Greg said with a deep frown on his face.

"The Ravenclaw territory is clean. The astronomy tower is empty too." Vince reported and sunk to the ground as he breathed difficultly. Pansy cursed under her breath and collapsed against the wall with her head bowed.

"The Hufflepuff territory is clean too." She pressed out through his teeth. "I even checked the bathrooms, the Quidditch pitch and the locker rooms. He's not-…"

"Greg!" Pansy's rant was interrupted when Hermione ran down the stairs. Greg turned to catch Hermione, who looked like she's been crying for the past two hours. "What happened? The professors are all out!"

"Draco's gone; we can't find him anywhere." Pansy said and Hermione looked at Greg again.

"Have you looked in Harry's rooms? He might be there."

"I don't see how he could've entered; Harry's password's in Parseltongue." Blaise finally caught his breath and straightened.

"Draco wouldn't risk his and Harry's relationship like this. He knows that if Dumbledore came to find him distressed like this he would guess that his relationship with Harry runs deeper than that of friends. He knows that Dumbledore is suspicious because the two practically spent the summer together. Draco wouldn't risk exposing them like this." Hermione reasoned.

"I don't think he could think very clearly in the condition he was in when Harry was taken." Vince said and Hermione shook her head.

"He's somewhere in Hogwarts and our best guess right now would be Harry's rooms. He must have found a way to enter them."

"If he entered them we should be able to enter them too." Pansy concluded and calmed a little, although her voice was still wavering, and Hermione nodded.

"Yes; and I have just the idea how. Pansy, go and find Mrs. Malfoy. I have a feeling we'll need her. We'll go directly to Harry's chambers." Pansy nodded and ran off while the others looked at Hermione.

"Let's go." They nodded and broke into a run.

Things were getting more complicated with each passing moment, and they didn't know how to handle it.

They just didn't know.

* * *

Silence.

Emptiness.

Loneliness.

_'Harry?'_

Nothing.

_'Where are you, Harry?'_

"Draco?! Draco, answer me!"

_'Why can't I feel you anymore?'_

"Draco, open the door!"

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as burning pain coursed through his chest. He felt as though someone was ripping his heart out and he choked back a whimper of pain.

"Draco? Come, son. I'm here." He opened his eyes and silvery-gray eyes slowly came into focus. A worried face followed, and with it he became aware of loving fingers brushing his hair away from his face.

"Mom?" his voice broke as his throat closed up. A moment later he found himself in the loving hold of his mother. Soon enough Draco's waking brain realized he was in Harry's bedroom, on Harry's bed. Narcissa was lying beside him and Draco could almost feel everyone else in the common room.

"You gave us quite a fright, dragon." Narcissa whispered lovingly and Draco looked away from her understanding eyes.

"Why does it hurt so much? Why can't I stop hurting?" Narcissa sighed, hugged him tightly and tucked his head under her chin.

"It's normal, my son."

"I can't feel him. He's so far away. So far-..."

"He's doing this for you, remember? I'm sure he's hurting just as much as you are."

"Then why won't he come back?" Narcissa chuckled and kissed his forehead.

"Because he promised to become stronger; that way he would never be forced to leave you again. That way he would always be able to keep you safe."

"But it hurts." Narcissa sighed and started to run her fingers through Draco's soft, velvety hair.

"Nothing hurts like love, my son." She murmured. "But in the end it's worth it. In the end it's worth every single ounce of pain and sorrow you now feel." She smiled when Draco moved back and looked up at her with tear-stained cheeks.

"Really? It doesn't feel like that right now." He spoke bitterly and Narcissa chuckled and kissed his forehead again.

"In the end the two of you will be able to stay together forever. You just have to hold on." Draco's eyes cleared slightly, and he looked at her thoughtfully.

"Harry said that I should wait for him. He promised to come back." Narcissa smiled at him lovingly and pulled him back into her arms. He rested his head on her chest and Narcissa sighed heavily.

"He'll come back soon." She murmured and smiled when she felt Draco's breathing even out. The door opened and Severus looked in. She nodded at him and he returned in kind before he closed the door. Narcissa looked at the ceiling before she kissed the top of her son's head and relaxed beside him.

'I hope you're safe, Harry. I truly do hope you're safe.'

* * *

"Overlord Gabriel, it is good to see you." The High Regent spoke up when the door of the Conclave closed behind Gabriel and Harry, and the younger of the two Vampires shivered when he took a good look at the man. Gabriel signaled him to stay back before he walked forward and the two Ancients met in a warm, friendly hug, and Harry took a moment to discreetly inspect the huge chamber they were in. The walls were covered in carvings which showed great warlords and battles. The chair of the High Regent was on the first step of the raised dais a little to the right. On the third step, overlooking the whole chamber was a regal looking chair, somewhat alike the chairs Harry remembered seeing in old movies about Julius Cesar. Above it was a grand tapestry showing the crest Harry saw on the Entrance door. This time it was in color which made it more vivid. The eyes of the two Titan Beasts seemed to be alive.

Harry noticed chairs placed in a kind of half circle on each side of the raised dais, and in each one sat a man or woman of different race. He recognized Vampires and Werewolves, Dark and Light Elves, Veela and Sidhe, but some he couldn't place due to his limited knowledge.

"High Regent Silvanus; it is good to see you in good health." Gabriel spoke up and Harry focused his watchful eyes on his Sire and the High Regent. Silvanus was an Ancient through and through. His silver hair was incredibly long, but braided in a loose braid, and it fell all the way down to his knees. He was shorter than Gabriel with kind and loving features. His endlessly wise brown eyes settled on Harry and the young Vampire felt as though something warm caressed his mind.

"Is this-..." Silvanus murmured and spared a glance at Gabriel before he looked at Harry again. Harry could almost feel all the eyes in the room focus on him as the Ancient approached him with measured, slow steps. He straightened when Gabriel turned to look at him, and fisted his hands when his Sire nodded at him.

"High Regent, I would like you to meet Harry, Son of my Child." Harry's mind was suddenly assaulted by millions of voices; whispers so soft that he couldn't understand what they were whispering. He closed his eyes to try and shut them out when he felt gentle, cold hands cup his cheeks. He felt his hood shift and fall and the hands pushed his head up to meet those eyes; those warm eyes that suddenly felt familiar.

"E'bahne mn, d'ata. Em vrai xi e'rae." (Don't resist me, Child. I mean you no harm.) Harry didn't know how he understood the spoken words but ever so slowly he lowered his shields and allowed the High Regent to see what he wanted to see.

His heart clenched when images of his life, memories of everything he lived through flashed through his mind. He just continued to stare in the Regent's eyes as the other unraveled Harry's past. Tears started to sting Harry's eyes when the memory of Sirius became fresh once more, but he pushed the tears back. The death of Hedwig pained him also. But the real trial came when Draco's tearstained face flashed through his mind and he barely managed to stay on his feet. The tears didn't fall but the pain became unbearable.

"Mnai zhrme." (So much pain) Silvanus gently caressed Harry's cheeks with his thumbs. "I can see now the path that you've taken that brought you here, Child; the blood of the Basilisk and the tears of the Phoenix course strongly through your veins." The Ancient whispered and slowly took a step back. Harry swallowed over a lump as Silvanus smiled mysteriously and turned to address the rest of the Conclave. "My beloved Brothers and Sisters; almost two months ago word reached us of something we have been waiting for; something we have been hoping for, for many centuries. Word reached us of the birth of the King." His eyes landed on Harry again who had yet to step into brighter light and allow everyone to see him.

Harry felt something strange in the air. The same pressure he felt outside. The air was still so thick with it that he found it disgusting. His eyes flew over the gathered Overlords; Heads of Kindred.

"Harry?" Gabriel's worried voice made him look at his Sire. Gabriel offered his hand to Harry and called him forth into the light. Harry took a deep breath and stepped forward. He stood straight and proud and allowed the gasps and whispers to wash over him.

"What is the meaning of this?" a man Harry recognized as a Vampire stood up sharply and sneered at him. "Who is this _child_?" he spat out and Harry felt a nerve beside his lip twitch. He could feel something in him stir, and the slight tensing of Gabriel's shoulders told him that he noticed it. Harry swallowed difficultly as he tried to suppress the darkness bubbling under his skin.

"Sit down, Overlord Cain. He is a Child. He came of age less than two months ago." Gabriel stressed out and glared at his fellow Vampire Overlord.

"I've looked into his mind and seen his power. He is a Pure One; untainted. His Blood is that of the Firstborn." Silvanus spoke in a tone that Harry would never believe he was capable of producing. It was harsh and strict and Overlord Cain frowned at him.

"What you say may be true, but I see no proof of the supposed power he is supposed to wield. The Legends say we shall see proof!" a Werewolf spoke up and Harry looked at him. Gabriel shivered and looked at Harry when a pulse of power passed over his back.

"Harry?" he murmured, but the young Vampire didn't hear him. It looked as though he was holding back, but black already started to seep into his eyes; his skin paled and he shifted his jaw making Gabriel aware that Harry was slowly shifting. Pale markings appeared on his cheeks and he fisted his hands so tightly that his sharpening nails pierced his skin.

"He carries in his blood the poison of the Basilisk and the tears of a Phoenix. He is the heir of Merlin. His power is undeniable." Silvanus addressed the Conclave while Gabriel took a step closer to Harry almost mesmerized by the power rolling off of him in steady waves.

"Coincidence, perhaps?" a Kindred spoke up; a woman with silvery white hair and a catlike body. Her voice had a velvet-like quality of a purring cat. Harry supposed she was a were-cat.

"Trust me, Camellia." Silvanus said with a soft smile. He turned to look at Harry again and the young Vampire found himself under the gentle scrutiny of Silvanus' brown eyes.

"Show them your true self, Child." Harry couldn't hold back anymore if he tried, and the power that was bubbling just under his skin surged through him. For the first time in his life he actually felt free. Through a haze he could see the Kindred standing up one after another in shock. As if through thick glass he heard chairs meeting the ground. He took a deep breath as the air around him thinned and the pressure all but exploded.

The Ancient City recognized the rightful Heir.

Everyone watched as Harry's power became visible. Silvery-emerald tendrils of magic danced around the young Vampire and lit the room. The gathered Overlords gasped in shock and surprise, but Harry was too far gone by now to see any of it. The air was finally thinning into something bearable. He finally understood why it was so venomous. The fear, the rage, the helplessness of the Kindred was almost palpable in this city. They all sought refuge here. It was here they hid from the world; where they believed they would be safe. The city gave them security in exchange for their fears and insecurities. It fed off of those feelings because there was no one powerful enough to sustain it anymore. Harry felt as though a warm veil enveloped him and a strong pulse of power that wasn't his own washed over him making him shiver.

Gabriel couldn't believe the power display. It seemed as though Harry's power was growing exponentially. He could feel the air thinning. He was sure that if it could, his heart would have jumped out of his chest in excitement. He observed the son of his Child. Harry looked every bit the Royal Vampire he was. His markings stood out against his alabaster skin and his eyes shone like the midnight sky.

Silvanus smiled and bowed in front of Harry. Harry's eyes focused on him and he nodded in return. Silvanus almost giggled while he turned to everyone in the room.

"My beloved brethren! My Kin; I do believe you all feel it. The City recognized the Rightful Heir. Is it the will of the Conclave to teach him the teachings we have cherished for many millennia so he may one day be the King we have been waiting for?" the words had a ceremonial sound to them. For a moment no one spoke a word. Slowly Camellia stood up, and her eyes flew over the assembled Kindred.

"I acknowledge him." She stated proudly. "I am Camellia; Overlord of the Werecats; I state this as the will of the Conclave." She bowed her head in Harry's direction.

"I Celebros, Overlord of the Elves, state this as the will of the Conclave."

"I Lamenta, Overlord of Elves, state this as the will of the Conclave."

"I Raiden, Overlord of the Sidhe, state this as the will of the Conclave."

Harry felt something shift in the air when one after another the Overlords stood and stated the will of the Conclave. After them Amelia of the Veelas, Súth of the Sidhe, Krönen of the Centaurs, and many more stood and gave their vote.

"I Korshak, Overlord of the Goblins, state this as the will of the Conclave." One by one, they stood up, and stated their approval. Harry looked at Gabriel and his Sire smiled at him.

"I Gabriel, Overlord of the Vampires, state this as the will of the Conclave." Everyone turned to look at Cain, and the Overlord sneered before he shifted his weight and nodded minutely.

"I Cain, Overlord of the Vampires, state this as the will of the Conclave." He pressed out through his teeth. Silvanus chuckled and walked over to stand in front of his chair.

"As the High Regent I see and acknowledge the statement of the Conclave." He looked at Harry and the young Vampire moved forward. Once he reached the first step he turned around and looked at every single one of the gathered Overlords.

**"You have my allegiance."**

And with those words the Crest of the King glowed and the insignia around it burned.

_In the absence of light, darkness prevails._

* * *

"Ms. Parkinson?" Pansy turned to face Dumbledore as the old man approached the Slytherin table. She frowned and exchanged a short glance with Greg and Vince. Blaise left earlier to retrieve Draco from Harry's rooms and they had yet to show up for breakfast. She noticed the worried glances Hermione and Narcissa sent them but at the moment they could do nothing.

"Yes, Headmaster?" she asked as politely as she could.

"I couldn't help but notice young Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini's absence."

"They overslept. They should join us for breakfast any minute now." Greg said. Dumbledore frowned and his eyes lost what little twinkle they had.

"Then I ask you to send Mr. Malfoy to my office right after breakfast, if you would."

"I don't think that will be necessary, Headmaster." Silence settled over the Great Hall as Dumbledore turned to look at Draco and Blaise. "Whatever you need to ask you can ask now." Draco stood at his full height with the patented Slytherin sneer on his pale features. Blaise was standing close to him and Dumbledore noticed the Italian youth's hand on Draco's elbow.

"Very well." Dumbledore spoke up and a frown covered his face. "Since you and Mr. Potter seemed to have grown close, I was wondering if you could tell me something about what happened yesterday. We cannot find a trace of where he was taken, nor can we identify the man who took him. Since the two of you spent some time unsupervised in the Muggle world, I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me where you were and who you were with." The silence grew heavy as Draco raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore.

"Potter and I did leave Hogwarts together, but we didn't spend our time in the Muggle world bound at the hip, Headmaster. I had my own agendas to take care of and Potter had his. We met up several times during those two weeks, but spent any real time alone on King's Cross." Draco drawled. His stormy eyes dared Dumbledore to question his words.

"But you see, Mr. Malfoy, it seemed to me that you were quite close. I am sure you understand that I am worried about Mr. Potter's safety." Draco allowed himself a mocking chuckle as he sneered at the old Headmaster.

"Oh, please, Headmaster; you and I both know that Potter is more than capable of taking care of himself." Dumbledore frowned at Draco and the younger wizard could feel the subtle probing around his mind. He smirked openly at the Headmaster and snorted. "That won't work, Headmaster." He said before he turned serious. His eyes were blazing fire at the old man and he suppressed his magic only when Blaise called his name in a soft whisper to calm him. Draco swallowed and gave his friend a small nod. "I will say this only once as I hate to repeat myself. I don't know where Potter is. Now if you would be so kind and let Blaise and I have breakfast in peace? We have classes in half an hour and I would hate to be late for Transfiguration." Dumbledore frowned but nodded.

"Very well, Mr. Malfoy; enjoy your breakfast." Draco nodded minutely and Dumbledore walked away. Once he was gone Blaise and Draco took seats at the table, and for some reason Draco kept his head bowed.

"Draco?" Pansy murmured as Draco filled his plate with his favorites, and his friends exchanged worried glances. "Draco-..."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have allowed myself to despair." He spoke up silently so that only the four of them heard him. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"Are you alright now?" Vince asked and Draco paused in eating.

"I can't feel him anymore." He confessed. He lowered his fork and bowed his head a little. His hands were shivering in his lap and his shoulders were tense. "He's too far away, but – but right before he was taken I heard him. Right before he left, I could feel the Second Bond open between us. I'm – I'm sure that the reason behind this – this silence is that he's either too far away or he closed the Bond to protect me or keep himself focused."

"And you're alright with that?" Greg asked and Draco sighed. He looked up and gifted them with a small sad smile.

"I'm not, but I will be. I will be."

* * *

**_I hope you liked it!  
More comes as soon as possible._**


	10. The Sword And The Shield

_One week after Harry's disappearance_

* * *

"Are the Gryffindors giving you any trouble?" Pansy asked. Hermione shook her head and giggled when the boys behind them walked a bit closer to them. Hermione learned soon after the night Harry confined in them that the Slytherins knew more loyalty than any other House. They protected those they considered their own, and Hermione found she was extremely happy they accepted her; for more than one reason.

"Don't worry, Pansy. They wouldn't dare hurt me."

"Don't take us wrong, Hermione, we only worry about you." Greg said and Vince nodded.

"We know how temperamental the weasel can be." He added and Hermione sighed and shook her head.

"Ron is a jealous git who wouldn't know something good if it came and hit him in the face." She murmured. "A few times I was tempted to hit him. Now I'm sorry I never did." Pansy giggled while Draco winced making Blaise laugh.

"Maybe you'll get a chance. Weasley won't just sit aside calmly. I'm surprised he hasn't started a riot yet." Blaise said.

"And I can say from firsthand experience that he won't like the hit." Draco muttered and Hermione smiled with a bit of regret in her eyes.

"I'm sorry for that, Draco. I'm afraid you hit a nerve." While the other Slytherins laughed Draco sighed and shook his head.

"No need. I'll be the first to admit that what I said was a low blow." He said and earned himself a smile from Hermione. They reached the classroom and entered. Hermione was about to move to the "Gryffindor" side of the room when Pansy grabbed her forearm and pulled her along.

For a moment Hermione hesitated but then sighed, rolled her eyes and followed after Pansy.

She was surprised when Neville only smiled at her upon entering. 'I'll have to have a word with him soon; him and Ginny.' she thought while getting ready for class. She noticed the meaningful glance Severus sent to Draco the moment the Potions master entered the room. Something was happening and somehow she knew it was nothing good.

* * *

"Severus? What's wrong?" Draco asked. He noticed Severus' nervosas during the Potions class and his godfather's stance was more tense than usual. Severus turned to him with a frown on his face. With a flick of his wand the door was locked and a silencing spell was placed over the room.

Draco took a seat in the chair in front of Severus' desk and waited for the older man to sit and calm down.

"The Dark Lord is up to something. He has been unnaturally pleased lately." Severus said and rubbed his left arm making his godson frown in worry.

"Could it have something to do with Harry?" Draco asked and Severus shook his head.

"The Dark Lord is convinced that Potter is helpless against him and believes that Dumbledore sent him away to train." He stopped as if looking for the right words. "We've received news from our spy in Voldemort's ranks. A Rogue Vampire brought news about the King of Kindred coming to his inheritance. The Dark Lord wants to contact the King of Kindred; he is convinced that the King would accept his offers of equality for all Kindred once the Dark Lord sits on the Throne of the Wizarding world."

"Well at east we know the King would never accept such a proposal." Draco said. Severus frowned and stared at Draco, but a moment later a dawning look settled in Severus' eyes.

"Potter? It can't be." He leaned back in his seat heavily, rested his elbows on the armrests, raised his right hand and covered his face with his hand.

"Severus?" Draco worried and slowly stood up. A moment later his eyes widened when a low chuckle escaped his godfather's lips only to turn into laughter. He stared at the Potions Master with wide eyes while the man laughed in a way Draco never heard him laugh.

"Well one thing is for sure." Severus sighed and shook his head, his lips still twitching from laughter. "The Dark Lord will never get the support he desires." Someone else wouldn't have noticed this, but Draco wasn't a Slytherin and Severus' godson for nothing. The older wizard relaxed visibly, decades of difficult burdens easing off of his back.

Draco smiled a small smile and stood up. He rounded the table and kneeled beside Severus' legs before he placed his left hand on the armrest and his right on Severus' knee. Severus smiled down at him and covered the hand Draco placed on his knee with his own bigger one.

"The tides are changing." He murmured. "Dumbledore lost his most priceless weapon, and Voldemort might have gained his biggest enemy. This war just might have taken a turn for the better.

"Harry will refuse to fight for either one of them. Knowing him, he will rather go against the both of them, than agree to fight with either one." Severus nodded.

"Things are looking up, Draco. I do believe that things are really looking up."

It was getting quite late when Draco and Blaise decided to end with their work for that day. They were leaving the library when Hermione ran to them looking frantic with worry.

"Blaise, Draco; you have to go to the hospital wing. Pansy and Vince were attacked." She blurted out in a hurry. Blaise and Draco exchanged looks and without hesitation started running towards the Hospital wing with Hermione following close behind. They barged in to see Greg arguing with Madam Pomphrey.

"They are our friends and we will stay with them!"

"This is a hospital; not a common room!"

"Greg, what happened?" Draco interrupted Greg's answer. Greg turned to face Draco and his eyes were blazing with fury.

"We can't stay in the common room anymore. We're sitting ducks there. Some of Voldemort's supporters attacked Pansy and Vince while they were going out of the common room." Madam Pomphrey saw that the students decided to ignore her so she turned to check her newest patients.

"Harry's chambers are big enough for all of you. I can ask Dobby to put some more beds there. I doubt that Dumbledore will question you, and if he does you can tell him the truth. Draco is a known traitor and I doubt you hold any hidden love towards your parents if they are truthfully serving Voldemort." Hermione suggested and the others nodded.

"That is a good idea. They wouldn't dare attack us when we are all together, and we can't live in fear." Blaise said and Draco nodded.

"We'll see if Pansy and Vince know who attacked them. I know for sure that Severus and Professor Lupin would take our side in this so we have at least some backing from the professors. In the worst case mother can pull some strings in the Wizengamot. She already talked with some people about trying to remove Fudge form the office."

"I'll go with Hermione. We've been socializing openly with her; she could be in danger." Greg said. Hermione gave him a tired smile and the two ran out. Blaise and Draco exchanged weary glances, and when Madam Pomphrey turned to yell at them to get out of her hospital they treated her with the combined power of not one, but two patented Slytherin glares. She huffed and turned away, walking briskly to her office mumbling all the way about Slytherins and students in general. Draco sighed and moved towards the beds where Pansy and Vince lay. Both looked pale but there was no physical proof of the attack.

"I wonder who dared to attack them." Blaise murmured.

"I'm afraid we won't find out. What little Severus knows comes from the Dark Mark and the spy in Voldemort's ranks. Since Dumbledore is out of the school for now we have one less man to worry about, but that doesn't make me feel any better." Draco answered and took a seat by Pansy's side. Blaise stood behind him with his hand on Draco's shoulder. "Harry won't be happy when he finds out someone he accepted as his own was attacked."

"It's a good thing that there is no way for him to find out." Blaise grumbled and Draco chuckled.

"No, Blaise it's a good thing that he is too far for our Bond to work." Blaise sighed and rolled his eyes.

"It's a good thing I remembered to put a Privacy spell around us." Draco chuckled again and shook his head.

"You don't think I would speak so openly if I didn't know you put that Spell around us?" Blaise huffed.

"We did things of far greater risk before." He reminded and Draco nodded.

"Hermione will take care of the chambers; we will move in tonight." Draco said. "I think it would be smart if she moved in with us, although that might make Dumbledore doubt something." He sighed. "Things are too complicated for us to handle them all alone. I can't help but think how helpful it would be to have someone Dumbledore trusts on our side."

"All we have to do is hold on until Harry comes back. Things should start looking up by then." In that moment Pansy moaned lowly and her eyes fluttered open.

"Pansy?" the girl looked around weakly and whimpered when her eyes settled on Vince.

"Who found us? We were just coming out of the common room-..."

"Greg found you and stopped the attack. Do you know who attacked you?" Blaise asked.

"No; they were using the Disillusionment Charm. If we couldn't see them, neither could Greg." She couldn't take her eyes off of Vince. "Vince protected me. They used some curses and hexes that are borderline Dark-..."

"Its okay, Pansy." Draco interrupted her reassuringly. "We're moving into Harry's chambers. Hermione is setting them up with the help of a House elf. Everything's alright."

"What about her? The Gryffindors-..."

"For now it's better if Dumbledore's suspicions are kept at a minimum." Blaise said gravely. "We will act if she is openly attacked."

"But then it might be too late!" Pansy cried out making Draco and Blaise frown. The silence was broken with Vince's waking.

"We will come for you when the chamber is settled." Draco said and Pansy nodded weakly. "We're going to talk with Severus just in case something goes wrong." Draco said, and without waiting for an answer he left the hospital wing with Blaise following close behind. "Pansy is right; what if something happens to Hermione because we didn't take the necessary precautions?" Draco pressed out through his teeth as they walked down the hallway.

"We can't take everything into consideration. Hermione said that the Gryffindors wouldn't dare attack her. I know it's not much but we have to accept her word and hope she's right, at least until we find a way to keep her safe without half of the school thinking she's becoming a Slytherin. Gryffindors could attack then, thinking she was a traitor. She would become an open target." Blaise reasoned.

"If something happens to her Harry won't have mercy; he'll come back looking for blood." Blaise huffed, grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him to a stop.

"This is why the fact we can't reach him is good. Look; Lupin is going to support us and Severus too. I'd love to have someone else on our side as well, but you know that right now it would be too risky to look for more supporters. We have to work with what we have and try not to turn Hogwarts into a bloody battlefield." Draco frowned and looked away.

"In a way it's good that I can't reach Harry right now. I know he'd be back in a matter of days. We didn't think it would come to this. I don't think even Dumbledore suspected things would turn out this way when he had Harry resorted." Draco sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "I don't know. Harry and I talked about a lot of possible outcomes, but something like this never crossed our minds. Things would be so much better if only he were here." Blaise sighed and nodded before he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Let's go see what Hermione's doing. Right now I want to stop thinking about everything for an hour or two." He said and started walking again. Draco shook his head and followed trying to stop worrying.

But somehow he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop; not when they didn't know what to expect.

* * *

Harry sighed when the door of the Regent's Office closed after Akasha, Overlord of the Sidhe. He leaned back heavily in what was usually Silvanus' chair and rubbed his forehead tiredly. Silvanus and Gabriel chuckled before they took seats in the chairs in front of Harry.

"It is quite tiring, isn't it?" Silvanus asked and Harry looked at him before his lips twitched into a small, tired smile.

"I've seen 8 Overlords since breakfast. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm still awake." He murmured, straightened in his chair and winced when he heard a few cracks in his back. "If being a King means I have to sit this much we're going to have a problem." Gabriel chuckled and shook his head.

"You have one more left, Harry. Then you have lunch break and you have a study session with Ondine." Another wince tugged on Harry's face, but he nodded never the less.

"Please, tell me it's not Cain. I can't stand that man." He murmured and Silvanus sighed.

"I don't know what has gotten into him. He has been acting strange for months now." He said and Gabriel frowned.

"Cain and I were never good friends, so I don't know what could be bothering him. What I can tell you is that he is very ambitious and traditional. His Mate is Darwa, and they have a 15 year old son and an 11 year old daughter; Kagan and Teuta." He said and Harry nodded before he looked at Silvanus.

"What do you think about him?" Silvanus sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know what to think about him. To be perfectly honest I heard a lot of strange things lately. His Coven and the Covens he represents aren't happy with him as an Overlord, but we can do nothing without explicit proof that he has been working against the Kindred. No one has been hurt yet, but I do know that several members of the Covens he represents have either vanished or gone Rogue." Harry frowned in worry and looked at the papers he had in front of himself.

"Something doesn't feel right about him." He murmured. "I'm not saying this because of the way he acted when we arrived. I understand that people are suspicious about me. It's just something I can't explain."

"We can postpone this meeting if you so desire." Silvanus said and Harry hummed.

"No." He stood up and walked over to the window with his hands clasped behind him. "I want to speak to him." Gabriel and Silvanus exchanged a look.

"We'll have him summoned."

"Alone." Harry stressed out and looked at them over his shoulder, and the two frowned at him. "I want to speak with him alone. You've taught me a lot in the past week. I want to see how I'll handle being alone with someone who shows obvious dislike towards me. I intend to make this work. I haven't left Hogwarts to learn how to be a proper King, and then depend on you two to fight my battles. You two can go and have an early lunch. I will handle Overlord Cain on my own." Gabriel and Silvanus stood up and bowed their heads at him.

"Spoken like a true King." Silvanus said with a small smile, and Harry nodded at him before he looked out the window again at the streets of the Forbidden City. He heard the door open and close, and took a deep, calming breath. He closed his eyes and bowed his head a little. Thousands of thoughts were running through his mind, and more than half of them were about Draco. He couldn't help but worry about him. Just yesterday news reached them from London. Dumbledore was being question more than ever; people doubted him. Voldemort and his followers were nowhere to be found. Teams were sent to look for Harry, and the Wizarding World was in panic because of the kidnapping of their Savior. Things were in motion, and Harry had no idea how everything would end.

Three sharp knocks woke him up from his musings and he strengthened his stance.

"Enter!" he snapped. The door opened and he turned to look at Overlord Cain. The Vampire bowed his head at him and Harry raised an eyebrow at him. Everything Gabriel taught him about proper etiquette jumped to the forefront of his mind and he straightened his stance.

"Your Highness." Cain spoke, and Harry heard the mocking undertone in Cain's voice.

"You asked for admittance." Harry chose to ignore it for now and walked over to his table to take a seat in the chair. He leaned his elbows on the armrests and entwined his fingers in front of his chest before he crossed his legs under the table.

"Yes, my Lord. I wanted to welcome you into the Forbidden City and wish you the best of luck." Cain spoke up and Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wasn't under the impression that you were pleased with my presence here in the Forbidden City." He drawled as he showed the Vampire to take a seat at his table. Cain swallowed difficultly before he took a seat. He was stiff as a board and Harry's lips twitched into a mockery of a smile.

"I apologize for how I acted on the night of your introduction, my Lord." He said and Harry hummed.

"You do understand that I can hear the displeasure in your voice, Overlord Cain. You cannot deceive me. I suggest that from now on you try to be more honest with me. I do not like people trying to play me. High Regent Silvanus informed me that the decision to bring me to the Forbidden City was unanimous, which means that you agreed to have me here. What I want to know now is why." Cain cleared his throat and Harry saw that he almost didn't manage to stop himself from shifting in his seat.

"I am being perfectly honest with you, your Highness. Besides, there in nothing I can do against you. You are the rightful Heir to the Throne."

"Every King has enemies. Every King can be overthrown." Cain tensed up and Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "What I need to know is if I should see you as my enemy, or my ally, because if you turn out to be my enemy, I assure you your future will not be bright."

"My Lord, I would never-…"

"Do not interrupt me." Harry spoke sharply and Cain paled. "I have eyes and ears everywhere, Overlord Cain; you should remember that. Now, I may have arrived to the Forbidden City no more than a week ago. I may have Ascended a little over two months ago, but I wasn't born yesterday. I learned quite some time ago to recognize friends and foes, and I learned how to treat both. As I've already said; either you are an ally or you are not. Your future and the future of your wife and Children depend entirely upon your choices." Cain nodded minutely.

"Permission to speak, my Lord?" he spoke lowly and Harry waved his right hand almost carelessly. Cain shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "I promise that I am not working against you, my Lord. All I've ever done was for the sake of my Coven and the Covens I represent."

"That remains to be seen, Overlord Cain." Harry said and slowly stood up. Cain followed quickly and bowed from the waist making Harry raise an eyebrow at him. "You should remember that I am not your enemy, Overlord Cain; I sincerely hope you won't turn out to be mine." Cain nodded sharply and straightened. "Dismissed." with those words Cain turned on his heel and left the Office. The moment the door closed Harry's shoulders sagged and he let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding. A moment later the door opened again, and Gabriel and Silvanus rushed in.

"I must say, Harry; I'm impressed with how you handled him." Gabriel said as Harry all but collapsed in his chair.

"Something tells me I will be looking forward to facing Voldemort once my training is over. Killing him looks easy compared to talking with dozens of Overlords." He spoke mournfully and the two older men laughed at him. "Anyway, I thought I told you two to go to lunch."

"We didn't want to leave you alone." Silvanus said and a small smile tugged at Harry's lips. "We didn't know you would handle Cain so easily." Harry snorted and rolled his eyes.

"That wasn't easy." He grumbled.

"You hadn't faltered once. You gave Cain a lot to think about." Gabriel said and Harry nodded.

"I could really go for that lunch right now." He murmured and stood up. Almost immediately his shoulders straightened and his expression turned stone cold.

"You're a quick learner." Silvanus commented and Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "You're already acting like a member of Royalty." Harry hummed and rounded the table, making his way towards the door.

"I am just waiting for the day when it will all come to me naturally. Gabriel promised it would come soon, and I sincerely hope it will be so. My back won't be able to handle much more." And they left the room with Gabriel and Silvanus smothering laughter.

* * *

"Damn it!" Harry cursed while Septimus laughed. The younger Vampire glared at him from him place down on the hard floor before he brushed his hair back and accepted Septimus' hand. Septimus pulled him up and Harry took a firmer hold of his sword as they took a few steps away from each other.

"You seem distracted today, Master Harry." Septimus said as he took his stance and Harry followed.

"I'm trying to get a grip over everything; I have a lot of things to think through." He said and parried when Septimus moved forward.

"When dealing with swordsmanship, you should clear your mind. The slightest distraction can mean life or death!" he moved for Harry's head, but the young Royal cut him off and moved into offense. Septimus parried and they stepped back.

"I do believe that's easy to say when you don't have one teacher teaching you swordsmanship, one trying to teach you the whole Hogwarts curriculum in a day, one teaching you Court Protocol and one traipsing gleefully through your mind every chance he gets." Harry moved for a sharp horizontal slash, spun on his heel and his blade met Septimus' when he moved for his head. Septimus chuckled and pushed Harry back, and the two started circling each other.

"I understand your situation, young Master, but you need to learn how to clear your mind instantly. Like I said; it could mean life or death." Septimus lowered his sword and straightened, and Harry followed a moment later. "Never the less, you're already getting better." Harry snorted and moved over to his chair. He sheeted his sword while Septimus followed after him and took a seat.

"It's all taking too long." He murmured and Septimus laughed as he took a seat beside his student.

"You have undertaken training that takes years, and decided to do it in months. That is not an easy task."

"Yes, well; contrary to popular belief I have a life beyond these walls." Septimus chuckled and shook his head.

"For now you need to put that life on hold and do what you came here to do." Harry snorted and tilted his head back.

"That's easier said than done." He muttered. Septimus raised an eyebrow at him and crossed his long legs in front of him.

"What awaits you beyond these gates, if I may ask?"

"Destiny." Harry murmured and Septimus frowned.

"What sort of destiny?" Septimus asked and Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. A moment later it dawned to him that Septimus didn't know who he really was and he snorted.

"I keep forgetting that you don't know who I am out there." He murmured and Septimus leaned closer. "My name is Harry James Potter." Harry clarified and Septimus' eyebrows met the line of his hair.

"Merlin be damned." He wondered. "So you're the missing Boy-Who-Lived." Harry shot him a dull look and Septimus shook his head with a chuckle. "A Savior and a King; you've pissed off someone really powerful." Harry snorted and tilted his head back again to look at the ceiling.

"You know what people say; no good deed goes unpunished." He pressed out through his teeth and Septimus laughed again.

"No wonder you're in a hurry to learn everything and that Master Silvanus and Overlord Gabriel go over hills and bounds to keep your identity secret." Harry nodded and closed his eyes. "In times like these you can't trust anyone."

"Yes, well; all we can do is use the time we're given to the best of our abilities." Harry said and straightened in his seat. He rotated his shoulders and neck and looked at Septimus. "You want to throw me around some more?" Silvanus chuckled and stood up.

"You're making me wonder why I never took an apprentice before; it's funnier than I thought it would be." Harry snorted and drew his sword.

"Let's see how funny it will be when I bring you down." Septimus grinned and raised his sword.

"I would like to see you try."

* * *

"I can't believe McGonagall actually dismissed the class so early!" Greg said.

"She was obviously distressed. I will talk with her later. Maybe something's wrong." Hermione wondered as she and Greg walked towards the Gryffindor tower.

"Is everything alright with you? The Gryffindors didn't try anything stupid?" Hermione shook her head.

"No. Neville's been walking with me when you guys couldn't, and I'm sticking close to him and Ginny when we're in the common room. I spoke with them and they said that they know Harry didn't join the Dark Lord and that they are on his side. Luna Lovegood said that a few of the Ravenclaws agree with that and the Hufflepuffs are still looking for guidance I guess." Greg huffed and rolled his eyes.

"I guess we won't be able to count on them when the time comes. They'll protect those they care about but I don't believe they'll take sides if given a choice." Hermione nodded as they reached the stairway to the Gryffindor tower. Greg didn't dare walk further in fear someone would see and try to attack Hermione for associating with him.

"I'll see you after dinner, alright?" he asked and Hermione nodded with a smile.

"Of course." she turned to leave but stopped when she remembered something. "I almost forgot." she turned and looked at him. "Tell Draco that Professor Lupin whishes to speak with him after classes. It's Draco's birthday in two days, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Greg said with a warm smile. Hermione looked away in thought before she nodded like she just came to a decision.

"Then I have just the present for him." She said, kissed Greg's cheek and disappeared up the stairway before he had the chance to realize what happened. For a few minutes Greg just stood there absolutely confused until a big, goofy grin appeared on his face. Later he will thank the gods there was no one in the hallways to see him walk down to the dungeons, because there was a definite skip to his step and the grin just wouldn't leave his face.

* * *

Greg found Draco lying in Harry's bed. While Dobby did add another room for the boys and another one for Pansy, Draco asked him not to change Harry's room. Right now Draco was dozing off, comfortably nestled in the many pillows on the huge bed. Greg walked silently to Draco's side and slowly took a seat. With a gentle hand he shook Draco's shoulder.

"Dray? Come on, wake up. Professor Lupin said he would like to see you." Greg said. Draco groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Professor Lupin; why?" he asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned.

"I don't know. Hermione just told me that Lupin wanted to speak with you." Draco sighed and slowly got out of bed.

"Alright; he should be done with his classes by now so I'll go talk to him before dinner." Greg nodded and stood up to leave.

"Greg, wait!" said teen stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at his friend. Draco fixed his tie and waved at Greg to follow him. Greg fell into step with Draco as they left Harry's chambers and made their way out of the dungeons.

"You have been spending an awful lot of time with Hermione, Greg." Draco said in a casual tone, which was what worried Greg more than an open threat. He cleared his throat and thought well about what to say.

"I find Hermione attractive and I have considered courting her." Draco nodded.

"You know Harry considers her his sister?"

"I know, but I'm not worried. I know I would treat her well; she deserves the best." Draco nodded in agreement.

"I expect of you to treat her right, then; you know Harry won't show any mercy if you hurt her." They reached DADA classroom and Draco smiled at Greg. "I will see you later." He entered the classroom leaving Greg alone in the hallway. The tall, strong Slytherin cleared his throat, shifted his weight and made his way back to their new rooms.

"Overprotective brothers; now I know how Vince felt."

* * *

Remus was putting away his books when a soft but determined knock drew his attention away from them.

"Come in!" he called out and waited for the door to open. Draco entered his office and Remus offered him a small smile.

"You wished to speak with me, Professor?"

"There is no need for formalities in private, Draco. Harry is like a son to me and I promised myself a long time ago to protect both him and the one destined for him." Draco offered Remus a small smile and Remus returned it equally.

"Alright, Remus; what can I do for you?"

"Nothing, actually, I summoned you here because I have something for you." Remus smiled at the expectant and confused look he received from the young Malfoy heir.

"For me?" the Werewolf chuckled and walked over to his desk.

"Your birthday is in two days, isn't it?" Draco looked sincerely surprised.

"Yes; yes it is." Remus smiled and opened a drawer to take something out. It was a small velvet case. Remus smiled at Draco and gave him the case. Draco took it and looked from it to Remus and back at the case again.

"What is it?" he asked and turned the case in his hands. It wasn't heavy at all and it radiated magic.

"Technically it should have been my gift to Harry once he found his Mate, but it would end up with you anyway, so I decided to give it to you." Draco opened the case slowly only to have his breath hitch in his throat. Inside was a ring made out of pure white gold with a round emerald in the middle, with two small diamonds on each side. As he turned it around he found an inscription on the inner side.

"What language is this in?" Draco asked as he tried to read it.

"Language of the Kindred." the young teen looked up at Remus with a raised eyebrow. "It says 'Béi trwatu yí vaste' and it means 'Love to last for all eternity'." Remus translated. "Harry's mother, Lilly, carried it on her wedding with James. It should fit you quite well as it resizes to fit its current carrier." Remus approached Draco and took the case from his hands. Remus took the ring out and gently put it in the middle of Draco's hand before he closed it around the ring. "This was Lilly's inheritance. It is the Slytherin engagement ring which she found when she came to Gringotts for the first time. It has an insane amount of protection wards so you should at least be safe while carrying it." Remus sighed. "I found it last weekend when I went to Godric's Hallow to visit their graves. I went to the house as well and found it there. It was in the same drawer where she always kept it. I went to Gringotts and they told me everything about it. Like I said; I wanted to give it to Harry, but I have no doubt that it would end up on your finger eventually." Draco managed to stop his tears from falling but his eyes were brimming with them, and Remus saw it. Draco turned the ring in his hand, feeling its weight. It was light and magic radiated from it, emitting incredible warmth. With all the gentleness in the world, Draco put the ring on his right hand ring finger.

"I'll tell him about it when he comes back." He spoke in a strangely tight voice. "Thank you." Remus smiled warmly and patted Draco's shoulder.

"Think nothing of it, Draco. Go now; and if you get a chance, tell Harry I said hello and that I wish him luck. I have a feeling he'll need it." Draco nodded and with one final bow left the room. He looked at the ring and smiled a small smile.

Even though Harry didn't know about it, somehow Draco felt closer to him by wearing this ring.

And his heart felt lighter.

* * *

"It seems brighter." Harry murmured as he walked the streets of the Forbidden City with his head tilted back. The clouds in the sky were light gray, and every now and then a beam of sunlight would break through and play upon the gray stones the city was built from.

"The air seems lighter as well." Gabriel added and Harry nodded before he looked down again. He sighed as he looked around. He could feel people in the city, but they only met those on guard duty, and in a way it bothered Harry. He knew there were children in this town. He knew there were different Kindred living there, but he had yet to meet anyone but the guards and the Overlords.

"Why are people hiding?" he asked and Gabriel frowned. "We've been walking down these streets for almost two hours and we have yet to meet anyone but the guards."

"People are afraid, Harry." Gabriel said. "They came here looking for sanctuary. They don't go anywhere unless they absolutely need to."

"But they are safe within the walls of the city." Harry looked at Gabriel and the Overlord sighed gravely.

"They don't feel safe, Son. You've felt it yourself when you first came. This city has been feeding off of their fear, and sorrow, and anger for so long it polluted the magic. When you came and the City recognized you as the rightful Heir, the magic started to cleanse itself through you, but it will take time." Harry nodded in understanding only to stop when he felt slight shifting in the air. "Harry?" the younger Vampire raised his hand to silence Gabriel as he turned around and looked into a shadowy corner. With quiet, light steps he approached it, ignoring Gabriel's confused look.

"Come out; I won't hurt you." He murmured gently as he neared the corner. Gabriel's eyebrows met the line of his hair when a small, black kitten peaked out from the shadows. He looked at Harry when the young Royal chuckled and kneeled on the ground. Gabriel tensed up when he felt someone approach them. He was about to warn Harry, but when he looked at him he saw the younger Vampire nod minutely. A moment later the kitten mewled and stepped out slightly. "That's it, little one. I'm not going to hurt you." Harry offered his hand to the kitten and waited for it to come out. Gabriel caught someone observing them from around a corner. It was a man; a Vampire. He felt somehow familiar, but Gabriel couldn't place him.

"That's it, little one." He looked at Harry again and his eyebrows disappeared under his hair when he saw him with the small kitten in his hand. It was big enough to fit in it, and it mewled pitifully while Harry gently rubbed its small head, before he brought it to his chest to protect her against the chilly autumn air. "You can come out, you know?" both he and Gabriel turned around to look at the man that observed them. Harry raised an eyebrow when he managed to take a good look at him and Gabriel finally recognized him. "Mathayus Cromwell, I never thought I would see you here."

With shock written all over his face, Mathayus took Harry in completely, and when he saw the crest of the King embedded on Harry's shirt, right over his heart, he fell to his knees and bowed his head low. Harry sighed and shook his head.

"This is something I will never get used to." He murmured so only Gabriel heard him, and the Overlord chuckled. Harry took a step over to Mathayus and got down on one knee. Careful of the kitten sleeping on his chest, he placed two fingers of his free hand under Mathayus' chin and made him look up at him. "You didn't bow when you first met me; you don't need to grovel now." He said and Mathayus let go of the breath he was holding. Slowly, both of them got up and Mathayus tried to smile weakly.

"I never thought I would meet your Highness like this." He spoke and Harry chuckled.

"The two of us are obviously destined to meet in the strangest of places." Mathayus chuckled and his shoulders relaxed slightly.

"I didn't mean to spy on you my Lord; it is just that my wife saw you walking by our window and I wanted to see if it was really you. When I saw you lure that kitten out I thought I would come out to greet you and apologize to you again for attacking you that day."

"I blame you for nothing." Harry said and the smile on Mathayus' face grew bigger. "When did you come to the Forbidden City?"

"Two weeks ago, my Lord. We left London a few days after we met."

"And your family?"

"They are all here with me."

"I'm glad to hear that." Harry said and Mathayus nodded before he shot Gabriel a weary look.

"I was wondering, my Lord; I would like to invite you to have dinner with my family and me." A snort coming from another alley had the three men turn around and look at the young man leaning against a wall.

"Don't be silly; a King has nothing to look for in your house." The man spoke spitefully and sneered at them, and while Harry and Gabriel raised eyebrows at him Mathayus paled in panic. The man smirked at Harry and shifted his weight. "But I wander what sort of King this _boy_ is if he gets down on his knees for a _kitten_."

"What sort of King would I be if I wasn't willing to get on my knees for the smallest creature living under my protection?" Harry spoke up before Gabriel could react. Mathayus and Gabriel looked at him with wide eyes while the man sneered at him.

"Pitiful." He spat out and Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is it?" he asked. "This kitten seems to be completely alone in this city. If I think myself above finding a shelter for this small creature, how can I ever hope to be a King that offers shelter to men and women who, while have the ability to stand for themselves seek refuge behind walls of stone and steel?"

"My Lord, please forgive him; he doesn't know what he's talking about." Mathayus blurted out and Harry smiled at him kindly before he looked at the other man and his eyes turned cold and unfeeling.

"I do believe that you should have introduced yourself before you took the right to criticize me." The man pushed himself away from the wall he's been leaning on and bowed mockingly at Harry.

"Kagan, Son of Overlord Cain." Harry's eyebrows met the line of his hair and he hummed lowly.

"I thought Overlord Cain raised his son to be a smarter man." He drawled, and while Gabriel barely managed to stifle a chuckle, Mathayus choked up when he tried to stop the laughter that tried to bubble up from his throat.

"You little-…"

"I am your King, Lordling." Harry pressed out through his teeth and his eyes darkened. He noticed a shiver run down Kagan's body. "You would do well to remember that." Kagan fisted his hands and sneered at Harry.

"I think you're a poor King."

"Kagan!" everyone turned around quickly when a beautiful woman with olive skin, long raven black hair and almost white eyes walked briskly down the street and grabbed Kagan's elbow.

"Mother-…"

"What do you think you're doing, young man?!" she snapped and Kagan's eyes widened. "You were told to stay at home; not to wonder the streets! Where is your sister?! And how dare you speak to your King like that?!"

"Lady Darwa; please-…" Harry jumped in and the woman looked at him. She bowed her head and he nodded minutely. "Your son merely expressed his dislike of me."

"I apologize, My Sovereign. I never raised him like this." She glared at Kagan who looked at her wide-eyed. Harry chuckled and shot Gabriel a small glance. When he saw the amusement shining in his eyes, Harry barely managed to suppress a chuckle.

"Don't worry, my Lady. I am not much older than he is, and I know how hard it is sometimes to accept a change of authority. Please, rest assured I hold no grudge against him. Now, night is about to fall. I do believe you two should return to your home." Lady Darwa bowed her head at Harry, grabbed Kagan's ear and pulled him down the street, speaking in the Language of the Kindred so fast Harry didn't even manage to catch the words he learned in the past week.

"Well done, Harry; well done, indeed." Gabriel murmured. Harry smiled while Mathayus chuckled.

"Now; how about that dinner?" Harry smiled at Mathayus who suddenly gapped while Gabriel cleared his throat.

"Maybe you should dine at the castle." He suggested and Harry sighed.

"Gabriel, I won't be the kind of a King who thinks himself above having dinner with the people I'm supposed to rule. Besides, how am I supposed to be a good King if I don't know what my people think?" Gabriel sighed and smiled fondly at Harry. He looked at Mathayus and nodded.

"Would you mind if I joined you as well?"

"No; of course not!" Mathayus hurried to say.

"Lead the way, please." Harry said only to look down when the small kitten in his hand shifted and mewled sadly. "I do believe she's hungry as well." He murmured as he patted her head.

"I think we'll find some milk for her as well." Mathayus said and Harry sighed.

"I'm only afraid that I won't be able to keep her with me. With my training, I don't have time to look after a kitten." He said.

"Why don't you send her to Draco? His birthday is in two days after all." Gabriel suggested and Harry frowned.

"I don't have an owl and you sent Alaric to your Coven yesterday, remember?"

"Maybe I can help you with that." Mathayus spoke up, and as they rounded a corner Harry's eyebrows met the line of his hair.

"You sell birds." He concluded dully and Mathayus chuckled.

"Yes, and I have just the right one for you, my Lord." Harry smiled and shook his head with a fond look in his eyes.

"I do believe we will be great friends, Mathayus. I really do believe so." Mathayus smiled brightly while Gabriel looked at Harry with carefully concealed pride.

"Come, my Lord. My wife must be waiting with diner already." Harry and Gabriel nodded and followed Mathayus into the shop.

"Let's not keep her waiting."

* * *

_A day before Draco's birthday_

* * *

"Evening blessings, Harry." the young Vampire turned to smile at Eve when she entered his room.

"Evening blessings, Eve; to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" he asked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes and Eve laughed and hugged him.

"Emrys has problems climbing up stairs lately. The Healer said he is perfectly healthy, the child is already magically very powerful." Eve said. Harry took her hand under his and they made their way down the stairs to the main dining room.

"I'm glad to hear that. Will Septimus and Ondine be joining us tonight?"

"I think they will. Gabriel said something about stepping up your training." Harry barely managed to suppress a groan.

"I know I seem to be in a hurry to return to Draco, but I am no miracle child! I can't learn faster than I am already learning." Eve laughed.

"Harry, you've already impressed everyone who approached you. Lord Silvanus is practically walking around with a permanent hop in his step; Septimus is so thrilled with you that Ondine can't calm him; although it would be easier if you didn't charm her the way you did everyone else. Camellia is as excited about you as everyone else, although she doesn't show it-..."

"Eve, please!" he interrupted her in tired exasperation. "Septimus beats me down every time we spar. I can't seem to do anything right. Ondine is fascinated because I have completed the charms for the 6th year already and for no other reason. Anyone could have done that if they were slave-driven into practicing for as much as I was. Silvanus is giddy by nature. The only reason he's hopping and giggling all the time is because he has someone new to Read. _He_, obviously, finds _my_ head pretty fascinating." By the end of Harry's rant Eve was laughing so hard that they had to stop so she could lean against the wall. Harry looked at her with a small, fond smile. She finally stopped laughing, sighed and patted Harry's shoulder with a big goofy grin on her face.

"You have no idea how much you've achieved in so little time, do you Harry?" Harry sighed and they started walking again.

"I may have achieved a lot, Eve, but we didn't even begin on the really hard parts. This is nothing. Swordsmanship is one of the most complex arts in the world. There are so many techniques, so many different styles that I don't even dare imagine how much time I'll need to get a hold of them. Ondine has been teaching me the Hogwarts curriculum this fast because she wants to move on to the really complex spell-work as soon as possible. Emrys swore to work on Potions with me the moment it won't be dangerous for him. That means that come February I will have one more subject to conquer." Harry sighed as they stopped in front of the doorway leading into the dining room. "I guess I'm afraid I won't be able to follow everything." Harry looked at her when she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Trust me, Harry. Before you know it you'll finish with this training and return to your Draco. You've been doing great. Keep up with this pace and everything will be alright." Harry sighed and pushed some of his magic into opening the huge doors. Gabriel and the rest were already at the table and everyone turned to face Harry and Eve as they entered.

"Evening blessings." they greeted as they walked over to the table.

"Evening blessings to you as well, Harry; how have you been?" Emrys asked from his place beside Gabriel. Harry took his seat on Slivanus' right and smiled to the Ancient.

"I am well, Emrys. Eve told me about your visit with the Healer. I'm happy to hear everything's alright."

"Thank you, toui'ré." (youngling) Emrys said and Gabriel nodded.

"Things have been going extremely well as of late, both with your training and Emrys' pregnancy." He commented and while Harry winced the others laughed.

"I don't know about my training." Harry muttered and Septimus chuckled at him. When he and Ondine were off guard duty both seemed much more relaxed. Septimus was a very strict teacher, even more so than Gabriel. But swordsmanship demanded discipline, devotion and immaculate concentration. It didn't help that he found an eager student in Harry, so he pushed him harder than anyone else.

Ondine was a master of wizardry. Harry was sure that if she had a bit more power she would give Dumbledore a run for his money. All the same, she would also teach a cow to dance waltz, as Harry came to believe. He was strongly convinced that if the delicate woman ever met Voldemort he would give up on his insane quest just so the woman would leave him alone. As that will never happen, Harry made peace with the original plan of him kicking the old bastard's behind.

As much as Ondine would teach said cow to dance, Gabriel would teach it to be the most well behaved lady of the High Court. Grace and poise were practically drilled into Harry's dreams by now. Sit like this, walk like that, don't smile to openly, but don't close your expressions; bow like this, but not to some people, don't look them in the eyes, but bow in return.

For the first three days Harry was sure he would write all those things down just to burn them later and send them all to hell.

All those kinds of greetings and bows, wordings and practiced lines were driving him insane. But when Gabriel would smile at him in that _special _way Harry would just sigh and repeat everything they've covered for the day, trying as hard as he could (read: as hard as he was capable after a training with Septimus) to do everything right.

Silvanus was a refreshing occurrence. Harry had training with him two times for now and the Ancient decided that Harry would need to achieve complete balance of both mind and body. He was teaching Harry how to meditate properly. Silvanus' soft voice would whisper directions to Harry and surprisingly Harry could follow him with immense success. Harry was sure that if Silvanus tried to teach him Occlumency, Harry would be a master of the art by now. The Ancient took everything in stride with the grace and poise Gabriel so much appreciated in his teachings.

Although Harry would never admit it, he could listen to Silvanus for a very long time. The Ancient reminded him of Draco. His Dragon moved with same fluid movements; same ease in his steps when he didn't need to hide from the world. Harry could imagine Draco being like Silvanus one day when he wouldn't be afraid to take his masks off in public.

"You've been doing great, Harry; so great in fact that I wanted to suggest something to you." Silvanus spoke up and Harry tilted his head to the side slightly.

"What would your suggestion be?" Harry asked and Silvanus chuckled.

"Gabriel told you about the Inner Demon, no?" Harry frowned and looked at Gabriel who seemed slightly taken aback.

"He mentioned it in passing." Harry said and Silvanus nodded.

"What do you know about it?" Harry shifted in his seat, rested his right elbow on the armrest and placed his right index finger on top of his upper lip, while his left arm rested in a relaxed manner on the other armrest.

He seemed both relaxed and prepared to move in a moment's notice. His mentors exchanged pleased glances as they observed him. He learned a lot in such a short time, but it was obvious he had something royal written in the core of his very being. He caught on to a lot of things very quickly, and his behavior was slowly starting to resemble that of a King and not that of a normal soldier.

"As much as I can recall, every Kindred has an Inner Demon who is the exact mirror opposite of themselves. That Inner Demon has his own name. In order for the Kindred to become whole, in order to have complete control over themselves, they must know the name of their Inner demon, accept it as their own and accept the Demon as themselves."

"That is correct, Harry. For example, Gabriel's Inner Demon was everything Gabriel hid from the world. You must understand that there were times when people weren't allowed to openly express themselves. All of us kept a part of ourselves hidden for a long time; unlike some Kindred who are born into their species, Kindred who need to be bitten to become Vampires for example, after the Transition develop a separate consciousness. It's not something that wasn't there before. It's something everyone has; a kind of primeval instinct that exists in the very bottom of every creature's Being. You've already met it." Silvanus looked at him pointedly and Harry frowned in thought.

"When I fought the Werewolves." he murmured. "And when I received Gabriel's letter, after I lost control. But it felt-…"

"I know how it felt, young one. It felt dark and evil." Harry nodded and fisted his hand over his thin-pressed lips. "It doesn't mean that you're evil though. It means nothing more than that your Inner Demon reflects your real self. It took over your mind when you couldn't handle the fact you had to kill to get away. You are not a murderer, Harry. You are a leader; someone people can look up to. You are a King, and a King must sometimes be merciless. Your Inner Demon is simply the manifestation of your power, everything you could but never will be. He is a murderer, a cruel creature that feeds off of the fear of others. Once you merge, those feelings will disappear making you stronger, and making your Inner Demon a permanent side of who you are. It will show only when you use your full power."

"But then it would mean that this Inner Demon _is_ my power; something regular people wouldn't expect. An aspect of Being only Kindred would know of." Harry' voice faded as he mused over the fact.

"Exactly, Harry; the power _he_ knows not." Harry's eyes met Silvanus'.

"It would take a Demon to kill a Demon, no?" Harry drawled with a smirk and those around the table who never saw Harry's darker side shivered. Silvanus' smirked, which looked strange on his usually soft features.

"To tell you the truth I could barely follow you two, so if you wouldn't have anything against continuing dinner in peace, I'd say it would be time to tuck in?" Eve suggested and broke the heavy atmosphere that settled over them.

"Eve is right." Harry said and straightened in his seat. He gifted Silvanus with a minute nod before he smiled at everyone. "I hope you enjoy your meal."

* * *

"Harry, could I borrow one minute of your time?" Silvanus called for Harry as he climbed the stairs to his chambers.

"Of course, Lord Silvanus; what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to tell you that all your training tomorrow has been canceled. You and I will try to complete that bond with your Inner Demon." Harry frowned.

"Do you think it wise? In a way I think I'm not ready yet, and so does Gabriel."

"Gabriel worries about you; he would say the same thing even a hundred years from now." Silvanus waved off Harry's comment. "I want you to rest well tonight and come find me tomorrow after lunch. You have to be as relaxed as possible considering what we will be doing." Harry sighed and nodded.

"I suppose you would know best." Harry said with a small smile directed towards the Ancient. Silvanus giggled and clapped his hands.

"Of course I would, Harry! Now go to your chambers and rest. I will see you in the great training room tomorrow at 3 sharp, alright?" Harry bowed his head at him shortly and smiled indulgently.

"Of course, Lord Silvanus; I wish you a blessed night." Silvanus giggled and glided down the hall waving to Harry as he left.

"Rest well, toui'rosh." (young king) Harry sighed and slowly made his way up the stairs and to his chambers. The window was wide open letting the cold wind of the now fresh air in. Long, silvery curtains danced on the wind and moonlight broke through thick, dark clouds. Harry lay on his bed and rested his head on the big, soft, slightly chilly pillow. Ever so slowly he opened the Bond he shared with Draco, feeling the calmness of dreams on the other side. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, imagining he was holding his small dragon in his arms.

* * *

_Boy-Who-Lived mysteriously disappeared!_

_Yesterday, this writer received some interesting news obviously well hidden by Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, disappeared over a week ago right after dinner that dreadful evening. Hogwarts students said that Mr. Potter sat at the Slytherin table (we all remember the incident in which our Savior was resorted into the house of the Snake) when he tensed up. Headmaster Dumbledore asked him to meet him in his office, but before either wizards managed to leave the Great Hall, an unknown man barged in. He kidnapped Mr. Potter right under the nose of Albus Dumbledore! Neither hide nor hair of our precious Savior has been found to this day._

_Is he a prisoner of Voldemort?_

_Is he alive and well?_

_Or was it, like some people say, just a ploy for him to escape Albus Dumbledore's watchful eye and join the Dark Lord?_

_We can only hope he knows that our prayers are with him, wherever he is._

_Reeta Skeeter_

Draco huffed and threw the Daly Prophet into the fire burning in the fireplace.

"Those papers serve for nothing else, anyway." He was startled by the door of Harry's chambers opening and his friends and family marched in with bright smiles on their faces.

"Happy birthday, Draco!" the Slytherin teen found himself with an armful of a squealing Pansy, and he hugged her back tightly when she kissed his cheek sloppily.

"Thank you, Pansy. I almost forgot."

"Only you would forget your own birthday, brother." Blaise chastised, walked over to Draco and hugged him when Pansy moved back. His closest friends followed soon with Hermione hugging him last. Severus gave him a slightly strained smile which told Draco all he needed to know. Without a word he hugged Severus and whispered in his ear so only the older wizard could hear.

"Stay strong, Sev. It'll all be over soon." Once they parted Draco smiled at his godfather and his smile grew when he saw that Severus's shoulders relaxed a little.

"Oh, my baby boy has grown up so fast." Narcissa came next and enveloped her son into a tight hug. Draco rolled his eyes and smiled at her indulgingly. "Now; technically you were born minutes before midnight, but as you have classes tomorrow, and we're all free today, we thought it would be great if we spent the day together, like a family." Draco smiled and nodded.

"That would be great. It's a pity that we can't go to Hogsmade."

"It doesn't matter. We'll stay here if it's necessary." Narcissa waved away Draco's comment. "Now, first presents and then breakfast!" everyone jumped at those words and Draco sighed with a smile on his face. They are his family and he would give his life for each and every one of them. In his heart he felt incredible warmth and somehow he knew that whatever Harry was doing at the moment he was thinking of Draco, and that thought alone made this day so much better.

Pansy was the first to give him his present. It was a cape clasp in the form of two snakes entwining around two flowers, a lily and a narcissus. One snake was the color of his eyes and the other an emerald green. He smiled brightly and gave Pansy a hug before he carefully returned the clasp back in its velvety case.

Blaise got him a wand-holder made of dragon hide. It fit him perfectly and had enchantments and wards on it to make sure he didn't lose his wand.

Vince bought him a book on Creatures and their cultures, and Vince bought him a long black cape with emerald and silver linings.

His mother gave him a necklace that was in the family for generations. It was a simple diamond shaped like a tear within thin strands of white gold, which were wrapped around the diamond like snakes. It had tracking charms on it and wards that protected against weaker dark spells.

Severus gave him his notebook on potions and Draco couldn't have been more excited about it than he was. He knew that some potions Severus worked on were somewhat dangerous, and some of them weren't even finished. This was an open invitation to work with him on those so they could complete them together.

Draco looked at Severus with excitement in his eyes and the older wizard knew that his gift was very much accepted, just like the invitation was.

Hermione approached him last and Draco noticed she was a bit worried. She held in her hands a slightly bigger, square shaped, neatly wrapped gift. When she gave it to him she smiled.

"Maybe it will soothe the loneliness; I know the one I have often helps me." Draco looked at the blue wrapping and started to remove it with incredible care. He realized he was holding a picture frame and when he turned it to look at the picture he came face to face with an unmoving photograph of Harry. The picture must have been taken recently because Harry looked just the way Draco remembered him. He was leaning against a window and must have turned to face the one who took this picture. His hair was dancing around his face and his eyes were filled with warmth. The kind of warmth they held every time Harry looked at him.

Draco was holding onto the frame so hard that his knuckles turned white. A soft smile graced his lips and a lone tear tackled down his cheek. With gentle fingers he traced the outline of Harry's face.

"Thank you, Hermione." He spoke brokenly and looked up at "Thank you very much."

* * *

The happy group just returned into Harry's room after a long day in the Room of Requirements. Hermione suggested it when they realized Harry's rooms were too small for them to play games, and a light rain started to fall outside, so they spend their day in the Room which created for them a copy of a beautiful countryside. They played Quidditch and had lunch there, and the only way Draco's birthday could have been better would be if Harry was there with them.

The happy atmosphere of the group was broken by a loud screech the moment they entered the room. They reached for their wands only to find a beautiful, large mountain owl perched on a big package in the middle of the tea table. There were little air holes on the sides, and a letter was attached to it.

"Who's it from?" Blaise asked and Draco shrugged.

"I have no idea." He moved forward but Severus stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"Let me check it first." He said and Draco nodded. Severus waved his wand over the bird and the package and a moment later his shoulders relaxed.

"It's not dangerous." He said and Draco nodded. He took a few steps forward before he kneeled by the table. The owl thrilled before it flew over to perch on top of a bookshelf Draco looked at the package and took a deep breath. He took the letter and frowned when he found an unfamiliar crest on it.

"What is it Draco? Who's it from?" Pansy asked.

"I don't know." He said and reached out to open the package. When he touched one of the strings that held the box together, the strings unraveled and the box was transformed into a basket.

It was a basket for kittens, and in the middle of it was a small black ball of silky soft fur, asleep and unbothered.

"Oh, Merlin! That's a kitten!" Pansy squealed, making everyone around her laugh.

"Who sent you that, Draco?" Hermione asked and Draco took the letter again. It was addressed to him in a very familiar handwriting. His breath hitched in his throat and his heart started to beat faster. Slowly he broke the seal and opened the letter.

"Draco, read out loud." Narcissa said and Draco nodded and cleared his throat.

"Dear Draco-…"

_Happy Birthday! I hope you liked the present I sent you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, but I want you to know that I miss you a lot. Ever since Gabriel and I arrived to the Forbidden City, I've constantly attended meetings and training sessions._

_Before I forget, the owl that brought this to you is Cassia. She is completely untraceable. You can send whatever you need over her._

_Anyway, I hope Dumbledore's not giving you too much trouble. Gabriel said that there are people following his every move. We hope to find some proof to lock him away as soon as possible. I don't trust him with the fate of the Wizarding world. He is too used to getting what he wants._

_But that is not what I wanted to write about._

_Frankly, I don't know what to write._

_I guess I should apologize first, right? After all, I left you alone moments after the Second Bond was established._

_It was difficult for me, but I can't imagine how hard it was for you._

_I am sorry, my Dragon; I am truly sorry for everything. If I could I would come back right now, but what little I've seen and learned here in these few short days, tells me just how much I have to learn before I can come back to you. I can only hope that you can forgive me._

_I won't write about my training. I have no desire to think of it once I leave those training rooms. A part of me is glad I'm finally learning something useful, but the other part of me wants to just hurry everything up._

_Silvanus, the High Regent, proposed that I finish my schooling here. I wanted to ask what you thought about that._

_Along with my training I am learning the same things I would learn at Hogwarts, and there is the possibility of taking my exams during my training here._

_Greet everyone for me, okay? Give Hermione and your mother a hug, and if it is possible, keep an eye on Hermione. Ron is a jealous git and when it finally hits him that Hermione broke up with him for good, he might try something stupid._

_Try not to be alone. I know that you've lived like this for your entire life, but I would feel so much better if you had at least Blaise with you at all the times. I know you love him like a brother, but if Dumbledore thought you two were something more then he would probably leave you alone at least for a while._

_I should stop considering that dinner starts in 10 minutes and I have yet to shower and dress. I just want you to know how much I miss you, my Dragon, and that I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me._

_Take good care of that little ball of fur. She kind of reminded me of you._

_I love you, Dragon. Never forget that._

"Yours for as long as you will have me, Harry James Potter." Draco finished reading the letter but couldn't stop staring at it. Harry's scent was engraved in and it made Draco shiver.

"I know why I would stay with him." Pansy murmured and startled everyone from the stupor they were in. "He can write a damn good apology."

For a moment there was silence, but then Narcissa giggled and soon after everyone was laughing hard. Draco chuckled, folded the letter and tucked it into the inside pocket of his robes. A tiny mewl attracted his attention and he looked down at the small fur-ball to see it trying to stand up. Two big, emerald eyes settled on him and Draco fell in love with it almost immediately. He gathered the small kitten up and chuckled when he saw that she fit on the palm of his one hand.

"Hello, little one. I wonder where he found you." The kitten mewled again and started purring softly, nuzzling her small black nose into Draco's hand. "Aren't you a beautiful little girl?"

"What will you name her?" Blaise asked and leaned over Draco's shoulder to gently scratch the kitten's head earning himself a playful swipe of a small black paw.

"Cory; her name will be Cory."

"You'll have to write him and answer." Narcissa said and Draco nodded.

"I will." He said and yawned. "I'll write it before I go to bed."

"You should hurry up then. You look close to falling asleep." Blaise teased before he yawned as well, and Narcissa giggled.

"You should all go to bed." She said and Draco nodded. He picked Cory up and smiled at everyone.

"I'll see you all in the morning." He said and left for his room. He placed Cory on one of the many pillows. She mewled and Draco chuckled.

"I'll be right here, little one. This won't take long." Draco walked over to the work desk, found some paper and settled down to write a letter to Harry. He smiled and started on the letter, for the first time since Harry left feeling as though he was right there with him.

* * *

Draco twisted and turned between his sheets as he dreamed. He felt as though lead filled his lungs and his thoughts were a jumbled mess. In his dreams he was in an endless, gray Void, and mist danced around him creating nameless forms.

All of a sudden, coming from nowhere, a familiar melody echoed through the Void. Draco felt calmness settle over his mind as the verses filled the air, and a loving voice caressed his heart.

_Hush now my baby; __  
__be still love don't cry.__  
__Sleep like you're rocked by the stream._

_Sleep and remember my Lullaby, __  
__and I'll be with you when you dream._

* * *

"It's past diner time! He's been at it for hours!" Gabriel raged as he paced in front of the entrance to the Training rooms where Harry and Silvanus worked on merging Harry's Inner Demon with him.

"You should calm down. It took you a whole month to finally get your Inner Demon to say his name to you." Emrys tried to reason with his mate with little to no success. Eve seemed to be in much the same condition as Gabriel but she settled on sitting in a corner and imagining all the worst possible scenarios.

"Harry is too young! He shouldn't be in there trying to complete the Transition!"

"Gabriel, Harry knows what he's doing, not to mention that Silvanus is with him there! The two of them can and will work everything out."

"Gabriel! Have they finished yet?" Ondine called out as she and Septimus returned from guard duty. Gabriel growled and returned to pacing like a caged tiger. Emrys sighed and threw his hands in the air, finally giving up on reasoning with his Mate.

"No, they aren't out yet. There hasn't been a sound from them ever since they entered and locked the doors." Emrys said with a heavy sigh and Ondine looked at Gabriel.

"Has he been like this the whole time?" she asked and Emrys gave her an exasperated look making Ondine laugh.

"Young Harry is incredibly powerful; I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to complete the merging in one day." Septimus commented and Gabriel growled louder making his friends and Mate laugh. He was about to make a retort, when all of a sudden the whole castle shook. The shaking stopped quickly but the 5 stood still for a moment. All of a sudden Gabriel jumped and moved Emrys away from the door while Ondine and Septimus jumped away too. Not seconds later the doors slammed open and a figure flew out hitting the wall opposite of where the doors stood seconds earlier.

"Silvanus!"

* * *

_Draco opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by silver mist. He was sure he was dreaming because this kind of mist could never exist in the real world. It looked like diamond dust but felt like feathers against his skin._

**_'Welcome.'_**_ a strange, melodious voice greeted him from somewhere._

_"Where am I?" Draco asked and turned around looking for whoever spoke to him. "Where - Who are you?" thrilling laughter reached his ears and the mist suddenly disappeared, and to Draco's surprise he found himself in the living room of Harry's chambers._

**_'I have a feeling you'd be more comfortable in more familiar surroundings.' _**_That melodious voice came from behind him and he turned on his heel only to lose his breath._

_"This can't be."_

* * *

The wind stopped and Silvanus slid down the wall. Gabriel was by his side in a second.

"Silvanus?"

"Harry-…" Gabriel looked into the room at Silvanus' breathless moan only to have his breath virtually kicked out of him. In the middle of the room was Harry, but one they have never seen before. His hair was considerably longer and it was dancing around his body. His skin was ivory pale, shining with magic in his blood. Thick tendrils of magic danced around him, whipping against the walls of the room creating dents and cuts so deep in the stone that no amount of magic would fix them. His markings were clear on his skin and fangs showed over his bottom lip.

They stared in shock and wonder as midnight black eyes opened and looked at them, and time seemed to stop.

* * *

_Draco swallowed difficultly and tensed up when the Creature in front of him giggled and covered his mouth with a delicate, long-fingered hand. Draco couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was looking at an older version of himself. His hair was waist-long and lighter in color. His skin was ivory white and, dare he say, glowing._

**_'Close your mouth, dear; gaping does not befit the King Consort.' _**_His other self reprimanded him gently before he glided over to the armchair he and Harry often shared. He took a seat and looked at Draco expectantly. Draco straightened slowly before he walked over to the armchair facing the ethereal being in front of him, and stiffly took a seat._

_"Who – What are you?"_

**_'Why, I am you.'_**_ He said and Draco frowned. **'More correctly, you will become me once our King completes the Fourth Bond with us. When that happens you and I will become one; we will become whole.'**_

_"Become whole?" his other self nodded._

**_'I am everything you hid from the world. I am your absolute power; your true self.'_**_ Draco tilted his head to the side in confusion._

_"How do I know this isn't a trick; a trick of Dumbledore's to get to Harry?"_

_'**Because you can feel it; or you would if you tried.' **Draco suppressed a shiver when the creature in front of him smirked at him and his eyes glimmered mischievously._

_"I thought only Kindred have Inner Demons." Draco said._

**_'You are the Mate and future Consort of the most powerful Kindred in the world. How much closer to being Kindred, aside from being born as one, can you get?'_**

_"How do we complete the merging?" Draco asked. His other self smiled._

**_'All I have to do is share my name with you. When you accept it as your own and the two of us become one, all that has to be done is for the Fourth bond to be completed. Only then will I become a complete part of you, because then you will belong to your Mate and your Mate will belong to you.'_**_ Draco observed himself silently, trying to see anything that would confirm this as some sort of a trick, although he already knew it wasn't. He could feel the magic bonding him to this creature and subconsciously he already accepted it. All he had to do now is learn his name._

* * *

All of them fell on their knees as those midnight colored eyes settled upon them. Their breaths were stuck in their throats, and their hearts were filled with respect, fear and aw, as they witnessed the birth of the greatest Creature to walk this world in centuries.

Silvanus managed to get on his feet and he took a step forward. He got down of one knee and bowed his head at the powerful Creature.

**"I Ruach, the Spirit of Earth, greet you."** He spoke up as the others moved forward. Gabriel and Emrys kneeled on Silvanus' left and bowed their heads at him.

**"I Eldon, Friend of All, greet you."** Emrys spoke.

**"I Garren, Guardian of All, greet you."** Gabriel followed while Septimus and Ondine kneeled on Silvanus' right.

**"I Phenex, the Phoenix of Wind, greet you."** Septimus murmured and bowed his head lowly.

**"I Zaphyr, Wind of the West, greet you."** Ondine bowed lowly and the wind that was blowing around them stopped suddenly, making them all take a deep breath. Midnight black eyes gazed above them at Eve who was standing in the doorway, leaning weakly against the doorframe, her wide eyes staring at the Royal Vampire in amazement. He looked at each one of them respectively before he raised his head high and his shoulders straightened.

**"Em bui Araceil, Mehk d Svah; Rosh sha Jau y Qrwe."** He spoke in a voice that shook the very foundations of the world. **"Yez sákuvatu qrqek d Rosh." **(1) Everyone looked at him and placed their right hand over their heart and they spoke as one:

"Bw on buatu bgai!" (2)

* * *

_"Tell me your name then." Draco said softly. His other self smiled warmly and stood up. Draco forced himself not to tense when those delicate hands cupped his face and his other self leaned his forehead against his._

**_'I am Aegis, the Shield of the World.'_**

* * *

Draco woke up with a start and fell back against his pillows. The sun was braking through the small window, dancing across his covers. A small mewl drew his attention to the small kitten that clumsily climbed over the bed towards his pillows. Draco felt strange; as if something that was hidden deep within him woke up. A presence was in his mind that wasn't there before and if he concentrated just a little bit he could feel Harry better. Cory mewled and but-headed his hand that lay limp against the black covers.

"I'm okay, Cory; I'm just a bit confused." He said. His eyes landed on the letter that rested on the bedside table. He already wrote and sent the letter with Cassia back to Harry, and already he couldn't wait to read another letter from him.

The new presence in his mind agreed and warmth spread over his body. This new power felt so familiar; like something you knew as a child and forgot when the world made you accept the reality you didn't like. He smiled and patted Cory's head.

"Let's start the day with a good breakfast, agreed?" he asked and the kitten mewled happily as if she understood him completely.

* * *

(1) I am Araceil, Sword of the World; King under the Sun and Moon. Now come the days of the King.

(2) May they be blessed.

* * *

**How was it?**

**A bit long, I know, but I didn't have the heart to split this chapter.**

**Hope you liked it!**

**All my love,**

**Ms. Yuki**


	11. What happened?

Sitting alone in his throne room, Lord Voldemort stared at the wall in front of him. His red eyes showed an inner turmoil he never showed in front of his minions. He was worried; oh yes. He was very worried.

And he was angry.

His Death Eaters failed him yet again.

The Wizarding World was in chaos and he wasn't the cause of it.

No.

The Potter boy's disappearance threw both sides off. No one knew where the boy was; he was nowhere to be found. Both Voldemort's and Dumbledore's people were searching for the Boy-Who-Lived to no avail.

It was as though the boy vanished into thin air. Whoever kidnapped him worked alone; they were neither on Voldemort's nor Dumbledore's side.

And that worried Voldemort greatly.

If Potter was taken by an unknown side in this war, it meant Voldemort had more enemies he didn't know he had before; although, they could also be allies. They took the boy right under Dumbledore's nose, which meant they aren't on the side of the Light. It could mean that whoever took Potter either fights for their cause or they have yet to pick a side and they took Potter as leverage.

He cursed under his breath and looked to the side when the low hissing of his beloved Nagini reached his ears.

_"You seem worried, Master."_ She hissed as she coiled around his legs. Voldemort snorted and looked up at the wall in front of him.

_"I should be concentrating on finding the Forbidden City. I should be concentrating on contacting the King of Kindred. I need them on my side. And yet I am losing time searching for the Brat. I need to contact the Creatures before Dumbledore does. They will be the ones to tip the scales in this war."_

_"They refused to join you last time, Master."_

_"Last time they were divided; they weren't united under one King. If I manage to convince the King to join my side, the Creatures will follow. They won't dare go against their King."_

_"Then forget the boy for now, Master. Send the Rogues with one of your Death Eaters to the Conclave. The Potter boy will show up sooner or later; dead or alive."_ Voldemort chuckled and rubbed Nagini's head fondly.

_"You are the only one I can count on, my precious Nagini; the only one I can trust."_ Nagini hissed and Voldemort looked up as his eyes filled with steel.

"Wormtail!" he hollered and the traitor rushed into the room not a moment later. He fell on the ground in front of Voldemort like the pitiful, whimpering mess he was and Voldemort sneered at the sight of him.

"W-w-what can I do for you, my Lord?" Wormtail stuttered out and Voldemort snorted.

"Summon the Rogue Creatures that are on our side. I have a mission for them." Wormtail nodded and quickly scurried out of the throne room. Voldemort smirked and leaned back in his chair as Nagini rested her head in his lap. Her low hissing was suiting to Voldemort's nerves and he chuckled lowly as he patted her head.

"This time I will beat you, Dumbledore." He murmured. "This time I won't be stopped. The Wizarding World will be mine. It will _finally_ be mine."

* * *

_"Harry-…" Gabriel looked into the room at Silvanus' breathless moan only to have his breath virtually kicked out of him. In the middle of the room was Harry, but one they have never seen before. His hair was considerably longer and it was dancing around his body. His skin was ivory pale, shining with magic in his blood. Thick tendrils of magic danced around him, whipping against the walls of the room creating dents and cuts so deep in the stone that no amount of magic would fix them. His markings were clear on his skin and fangs showed over his bottom lip._

_They stared in shock and wonder as midnight black eyes opened and looked at them, and time seemed to stop._

_All of them fell on their knees as those eyes settled upon them. Their breaths were stuck in their throats, and their hearts were filled with respect, fear and aw as they witnessed the birth of the greatest Creature to walk this world in centuries._

_Silvanus managed to get on his feet and he took a step forward. He got down of one knee and bowed his head at the powerful Creature._

**_"I Ruach, the Spirit of Earth, greet you."_**_ He spoke up as the others moved forward. Gabriel and Emrys kneeled on Silvanus' left and bowed their heads at him._

**_"I Eldon, Friend of All, greet you."_**_ Emrys spoke._

**_"I Garren, Guardian of All, greet you."_**_ Gabriel followed while Septimus and Ondine kneeled on Silvanus' right._

**_"I Phenex, the Phoenix of Wind, greet you."_**_ Septimus murmured and bowed his head lowly._

**_"I Zaphyr, Wind of the West, greet you."_**_ Ondine bowed lowly and the wind that was blowing around them stopped suddenly, making them all take a deep breath. Midnight black eyes gazed above them at Eve who was standing in the doorway, leaning weakly against the doorframe, her wide eyes staring at the Royal Vampire in amazement. He looked at each one of them respectively before he raised his head high and his shoulders straightened._

**_"Em bui Araceil, Mehk d Svah; Rosh sha Jau y Qrwe."_**_ He spoke in a voice that shook the very foundations of the world. **"Yez sákuvatu qrqek d Rosh."** Everyone looked at him and placed their right hand over their heart and they spoke as one:_

_"Bw on buatu bgai!"_

* * *

Gabriel woke up with a start and looked around the room he was in at the people sitting around the living room of the Royal Chambers. The fire burned in the fireplace keeping the room well warmed as winter showed its teeth. In the high hills of the Transylvanian Mountains winter has already made herself at home. By the window stood Septimus with his eyes staring unseeing somewhere in the distance and Silvanus was sitting in an overstuffed armchair staring at something only he could see.

On an equally overstuffed sofa, Emrys was resting against Eve who was playing distractedly with Emrys' long hair. Eve's eyes were sad and pain filled, while Emrys looked as if the weight of the whole world rested on his shoulders. Ondine was asleep on a sofa in a corner, with dark circles under her eyes. The 5 who were awake jumped at the sound of the doors opening. Out came a beautiful woman with skin as white as snow and long, silvery-blond hair. She was of Elven descent, the princess of the Light Elves, Lamenta, the Jewel of Sorrow, and her eyes were filled with worry.

"Lady Lamenta?" Silvanus whispered when he stood up an approached the beautiful Lady.

"How is Harry?" Gabriel asked. The Lady sighed and shook her head.

"His condition hasn't changed. His body is still going strong, as if nothing is wrong, but his mind - it is as though he is in a deep sleep." Emrys approached Gabriel and leaned against his side to hide his face in Gabriel's chest.

"Are you sure there is nothing we can do?" Silvanus asked and Lamenta shook her head, her weariness clear in the lines of her beautiful face.

"Perhaps if he was Mated his Mate would be able to call him back, but in his momentary condition there is nothing we can do." She sighed. "It seems as though he is merely sleeping. In all my years as a Healer I have never encountered anything similar." A soft moan turned their attention to Ondine and Septimus excused himself to talk with his Mate.

"What if we brought his Mate here?" Eve asked and Lamenta shook her head.

"Nothing short of a Full Bond would wake him now. Not even the most Ancient of magic managed to wake him, and trust me, I have tried everything. Maybe we should just let it be." She said softly. Eve shook her head and let go of a pained whimper. Gabriel hugged Emrys closer drawing comfort from his little Bonded. Silvanus looked worried and pained, while Ondine and Septimus shared their own worry.

"He's been asleep for almost two months now; what is going on?" Gabriel growled.

"I shall come and look for any kind of progress in two weeks time. Until then-..." she bowed her head and silently left the room. Those who remained took seats around the warm fire, each one sinking into thought.

"Draco should know." Eve spoke up after a few moments and Gabriel shook his head.

"We can't bring him here. Draco wouldn't be safe here. With Harry asleep, the Conclave closed its gates. Many returned to their Covens, Packs and Families." He sighed and shook his head. "I should have known that everything was going too good. Just as we finally found our King, he was taken from us by something we cannot change."

"The Overlords started to ask questions again." Silvanus murmured and sighed. "We won't be able to hide the truth from them for much longer. Not only that; Lord Voldemort sent word that he is sending his Emissaries here to Negotiate. They will be here in a matter of days." Heavy silence settled over the group of people.

"I still say that we should bring Draco here. Harry needs to wake up as soon as possible and I _know_ Draco would be able to bring him back to us." Eve said and Emrys smiled at her lovingly.

"The Submissive does have power over the Dominant in some cases, but we would be risking Draco's safety by bringing him here, and Harry wouldn't want that. He would want Draco to stay as safe as possible." Eve bowed her head in defeat and Silvanus looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

"I am afraid that there is nothing we can do, Child. We can only wait for Harry to come back to us, and hope that it will not take much longer." Eve swallowed difficultly and nodded before she stood up.

"I'm going to sit with him. I will see you for dinner." She murmured and left. Once the door of Harry's bedroom closed behind her the ones remaining in the living room sighed and bowed their heads.

"What could have happened to him?" Ondine asked. "I've read every book I have and found nothing concerning his condition."

"I'm afraid we won't know until he wakes up." Septimus said and hugged his Mate lovingly.

"I am afraid Septimus is right." Silvanus said and slowly stood up. "I must send word to the Overlords. I will see you later." He left the Royal Chambers with his head bowed and heavy weight on his shoulders.

"I have never seen him like this." Ondine commented.

"I have." Gabriel murmured and everyone looked at him. "It was a long time ago. Honestly, I hoped I would never see him in this state again. He blames himself for what happened to Harry, I'm afraid. Nothing short of Harry waking up will shake him out of that condition."

"Then we must hope he wakes up soon." Septimus said.

"For more than one reason." His Mate added and the others nodded.

And silence settled over them once again.

* * *

Eve swallowed difficultly as she closed the door behind her and her eyes fell on the still, sleeping form of her former student. Harry looked peaceful and calm. His now longer hair lay around his head like a halo, and his arms rested by his sides limply. Even though he was asleep for so long, his body didn't lose strength; if possible he even looked stronger.

She walked over to the bed and took a seat beside him. She reached up and lovingly brushed a strand of his velvety black hair away from his face. She moved back and her eyes strayed to the bedside cabinet. An unfolded letter rested there and Eve's heart ached as she took it into her hand. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Harry again. The letter was from Draco. It arrived the morning after Harry sunk into this unnatural sleep following the Merging.

"You need to wake up, Harry." She whimpered. "Not because of the Kindred or – or because of me. You need- you need to wake up because of Draco. You need to wake up for him." She stared at his calm sleeping face and her heart ached. She looked up at the letter again, and as her hands shook almost madly, she started to read the words written on the piece of parchment.

"Dear Harry-…"

_She is absolutely adorable! I decided to name her Cory and I simply adore her. Crookshanks is completely in love with her. Too bad she's just a kitten._

_You have no idea how happy I was when I received your letter, but don't think you're off the hook. I am not angry with you, but I miss you. I hope you don't mind that I've claimed your rooms for myself. Blaise and everyone come often as there are some Slytherins who support the Dark Lord. Those who never openly associated with us are safe, but I worry for Pansy too much so we often spend nights in your chambers. Your elf, Dobby, was kind enough to trick the snake into changing the password into something we can pronounce (we will talk about your habit of using passwords in Parseltongue once you return)._

_Hogwarts seems so empty without you, Harry. Even the professors miss you. McGonagall almost cried once. She was explaining something to us and her eyes constantly shifted to the place you usually occupied. All of a sudden she sniffed and dismissed the class. Hermione talked with her; she told us that McGonagall worries about you._

_Dumbledore arranged the Order to look for you. Even the ministry is trying to send out search parties. Fudge is convinced that you went to join Voldemort and that it's only a question of time until you make your move to try and attack the ministry. The fool locked himself in his office together with Umbridge. Amelia Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt are leading the Wizarding World now. Mother is subtly working on removing Fudge from the office. She talked with a lot of her friends, and we're hoping they'll manage to convince their husbands to vote out Vote of Confidence._

_Next Saturday is the first game of the season. Gryffindor will play against Hufflepuff. I have no doubts that Gryffindor will win, but they won't have a chance against us now that Ginny Weasley is playing Seeker. I hoped that I could play Chaser now that you joined Slytherin but I guess I'll have to remain on the Seeker position._

_I miss you so much, Ry. Remus asked me to say hello for him and wish you luck. He said you're going to need it. Mother worries about you and asks if you're eating and sleeping enough, and she says not to worry, that they've been taking good care of me. (She made me swear I'd write this) Hermione says that it would be a great idea to finish your schooling there. If it will make you come back faster than by all means, go for it._

_ Severus asked me to tell you that the Dark Lord's up to something. He's suspicious of your sudden disappearance and believes that Dumbledore sent you for training, so there is not only Dumbledore looking for you, but Voldemort as well._

_I'm trying to imagine the moment the two parties would meet and realize they are looking for the same person. I try to think of them working together but somehow I just can't from all the laughing. Blaise agrees to that._

_Gregory and Hermione are together, believe it or not. As you weren't there to approve he asked me and I gave my blessing to the two of them thinking that you would approve of them going out. Tell me if I was mistaken. Hermione is your sister after all._

_You have no idea how I miss you, Ry; do hurry up?_

_Tell me how Eve and Emrys are? Is the baby okay? Did you meet many Vampires there?_

_I can't wait to hear from you again._

_I miss you._

_With all my love,_

"Your Dragon." She finished the letter as tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked up at Harry and choked on her breath.

"Please, Harry; please wake up. He'll be devastated if you don't. Please; please, wake up."

* * *

_Several weeks earlier; after the Merging_

* * *

_Everything hurt._

_Everything burned._

_Everything._

_It was too painful to think; too painful to try and scream._

_The fire was spreading over his body as thousands of voices whispered and screamed in his head._

**_"Araceil."_**_ through the voices one stood out. A voice so strong and yet so warm. Other voices tried to overpower it and the pain grew. This pain was so great that he wished it would all end. Death seemed such a good thing at the moment._

**_"Araceil!"_**_ this time the voice was more determent to reach him but the screams grew stronger and so did the pain. Only then did he realize that it was him screaming; screams of pure pain and agony, ones not even the Cruciatus could produce. Hands grabbed his face and the skin where they touched him burned with the fire of thousands needles._

**_"Araceil!"_**_ the whispers seemed to cower before the voice and he fought to stop the screams. The burning subsided and only whimpers left his mouth. Harsh, deep, uncontrolled heaves shook his body. The hands moved from his face and hugged him gently to a warm chest. The feeling of familiarity struggled to overcome the pain that still shook his limbs._

**_"Hush, my little prince; all is right now."_**_ Gentle, loving fingers brushed through his hair and warmth started to envelop his shivering body._

**_"Rest, my little Araceil. Rest now; all will be well." _**_His heart filled with warmth and the breath he was unconsciously holding left his lips, taking with it all the pain that he felt._

**_"All will be well."_**

_"Mother?"_

* * *

_"Welcome."_

_He stared at the familiar wooden ceiling as he tried to remember what was going on. His whole body was heavy and he felt like he could sleep for a millennia. Chuckling made him turn his head to the side slowly and the light of the fire blinded him for a second. He squinted to try and take a good look at the two forms sitting on the tea-table beside him. As his sight cleared his eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat. Two pairs of eyes were gazing at him with tears gathering in them; one pair was hazel and obscured by round glasses, but the other pair gazed at him with so much love and sorrow it took his breath away. That other pair of eyes was emerald green; a perfect copy of what his eyes used to be._

_"You gave us quite a fright, son."_

_"Mother?" his voice broke as he looked at the man whose carbon copy he was told to be. "Father?" they smiled at him as tears started to roll down their cheeks._

_Ever so slowly he pushed himself up. He was unable to take his eyes off of their faces; the faces he only saw in old photos and dreams. "What is – what happened?"_

_"Oh, Harry!" in a second he found himself enveloped in the loving arms of his parents. They held him tightly as he tried to get a grip of everything that was going on. He couldn't think straight. His mind was in disarray as he tried to make sense of the situation he found himself in._

_"I am so sorry, my son. You were alone for so long; I'm so sorry." His mother whimpered in his ear as she lay kisses on his cheek, and his father was holding the both of them tightly, his face buried in his son's hair._

_"My son; my precious, brave boy." The young Vampire felt something in him clench as his father murmured into his hair. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to simply bask in the feeling of safety he felt as his parents held him; safety he didn't remember he ever felt. They moved back and he took a good look at them; their eyes, their faces, their hair, their smiles and their tears._

_"What is going on?" he murmured. "This can't be real." His mother smiled as she cupped his face and caressed his cheeks with her thumbs while his father brushed his fingers through his hair and passed with his hand over his shoulder and back, as if he was trying to convince himself that he was really there with them._

_"This is not the real world." His mother said and his father nodded. "This is the Astral Plain; a world of many levels of Reality. This is the world of Dreams."_

_"What does that mean? Am I – am I dead?"_

_"No!" his mother was quick to correct him and she gently took his hands in hers._

_"You are alive. You were brought here after you merged with your Inner Demon to finish your training. It would take too long in the world of the living, and I am afraid your Destiny can't wait." He frowned as he was still having trouble wrapping his mind around what was going on. He looked at his hands, covered by his mother's delicate ones._

_"Who – who brought me here?" he asked. His mom and dad exchanged a glance and all of a sudden a shiver of familiar power washed over them. They stood up as the room around them started to shift and they appeared in a wide, white hall with hundreds of tall pillars. Between those pillars were doors, and Harry frowned when he realized that each door stood alone without walls to hold them up._

_"I brought you here." A voice spoke from behind them and the small family turned around. He frowned when he faced a woman with hip long brown hair and chocolate colored skin. She stood at a respectable 5'9, but carried herself with the dignity of a goddess. Her face was round with soft curves and her eyes were almost completely white._

_He felt as though he stood in front of a Queen and bowed his head at her. She smiled and nodded at him before she spoke up again._

_"Welcome, young King, I have been very anxious to meet you in person."_

_"I am no King, my Lady. I'm not deserving of such a title." he spoke lowly with his head still bowed. A moment later two long, thin fingers settled under his chin and made him look up in those white eyes._

_"I have chosen well." She murmured before she took a step back and looked at his parents. "I shall send him to you later; you will have more time with him after I do what I came here to do."_

_"We will wait for him." With that said his parents vanished and he looked at the Lady again._

_"My lady-..."_

_"Walk with me, Child." She said and turned around. He was surprised yet again when their surroundings changed into a beautiful garden. The air smelled of flowers, the sky was clear blue, and a warm wind danced around them. In front of them was a fountain, and crystalline water cascaded down into a stone basin._

_"I am Oracle." The Lady spoke up as she made her way over to the fountain. She took a seat on it and showed him to take a seat as well. With little hesitation he obeyed her and took a seat in front of her. "You may know me as Mother Nature or whichever name the mortals gave me over the centuries the world of Mortals existed. I am what some would call the source of God's power on Earth, his Regent if you want." He kept silent as the Lady spoke and she smiled at him in approval. "A long, long time ago, when Evil first appeared in the world, God appointed me to choose a champion for the Light. The champion was supposed to be someone who knows both darkness and light; one who would not surrender to either yet respect both. Now, a human was out of the question." He frowned in confusion as she spoke, but decided to wait for her to finish. "Humans are the most egoistical creatures and their power may know no bounds once they stand united, but the champion was supposed to lead the World. He was supposed to be the Ultimate Servant and the Ultimate Ruler. He rules by serving, yet he never sways from what he believes to be best for his people." She looked up at the sky while he continued to observe her quietly. "I knew what I was looking for and I decided to pick a champion from the race of the Kindred. All the Kindred have both Light and Dark in their souls, and that means that they know how to balance it, if properly taught, of course. My champion was good; but due to my mistake, we lost him. We lost him to the darkness."_

_"Count Dracula." He stated and she nodded with a difficult sigh._

_"Yes. In my haste to give the World a King that would rid it of its Demons, I forgot to take into consideration his own Demons; his own darkness. I forgot to give him someone to serve as his guardian and guide, and we lost him." She sighed and dragged her fingers over the shimmering surface of the water._

_"Ever since then no one was there to balance the world. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't find the perfect one; the one who would be the King of the Kindred, the Balance in the world." She fell silent as she stared at the shimmering water under her fingers._

_"Why did you choose me?" he finally broke the silence and she looked at him with kind, motherly eyes._

_"I looked into your heart, Child, and I found what I was searching for. Even after all the pain and suffering you lived through, your heart remained pure and untainted by hatred. Even though you carried a piece of darkness in you, you remained a true beacon of light. You went against all odds and you've beaten them, and I know you will do so again with your Consort by your side." In that moment his eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat._

_"Draco." His voice broke and he looked at Oracle when she placed her hand on his forearm in a reassuring gesture. She let go of him and waved her hand over a part of water. As the water rippled his eyes widened. Seconds later he was gazing at the sleeping face of his Mate; his Dragon._

_He reached forward with a shivering hand and traced the line of his Mate's cheek without touching the water, afraid that the image would disappear if he did. A warm caress passed through his hair and something woke up in him, roaring to be let out._

_Oracle smiled as she watched her Chosen change right in front of her. His emerald orbs bled to pure black, his markings stood out against his ivory skin and his shoulder-long hair danced in a none-existing breeze. The air around them shivered with anticipation and Oracle felt a wave of power wash over her._

**_"Aegis."_**_ his voice sent a shiver down her spine and she looked at the shimmering image of the young blond._

_"That is right, young King. That is your Mate; your Balance. Your Aegis." One clawed finger touched the surface of the water and the image rippled._

**_"I need to see him."_**_ His voice broke and wavered. **"I need to talk with him."** He looked at her and she smiled at him._

_"Alright, but first you have to know that time flows differently in this world. What feels like moments to you, lasts hours in his world. Here you will have four hours with him, but there he will be asleep for eight, so be mindful." She warned him. "And after that you shall join your parents and me in the Gateway. Your Mentors are already waiting for you." He nodded and looked at the rippling image again._

_"How will I get there?" he asked although his little Mate's face distracted him from paying full attention to Oracle._

_"Call for me and I will take you there. Now go; your little Aegis is anxious to see you as much as you are anxious to see him." And with those words she disappeared, and he found himself standing in the living room of his chambers at Hogwarts. With slow, hesitant steps he made his way over to the bedroom. His hand shivered over the knob as he took and turned it. He pushed the door open and his breath hitched in his throat._

_His dragon lay in the middle of the bed amongst a mountain of pillows, and there was a small, sad smile on his beautiful face. He approached the bed slowly and climbed on it with all the carefulness in the world. He raised his left hand and careful of his claws, caressed one pale cheek with the back of his fingers._

_"Wake up, my Dragon." he whispered lovingly. "Wake up."_

_Ever so slowly he leaned forward and placed a butterfly kiss on one pale cheek. He breathed in the scent he missed so much, memorizing it once again. He basked in it, bathing his very soul in the scent that represented the very center of the universe to him._

_"Harry?" a breathed word rolled off of Draco's lips and his eyes fluttered, but he did not wake. With a small, amused smile the Dominant leaned closer and finally pressed his lips against those he grew addicted to. His body was shaken with such power that he shivered and moaned. The taste of his Mate made his heart give a distinguished beat and incredible fire spread over his body, burning every possible nerve in it. For a moment he thought that nothing in the world could be better than this, but then those lips moved against his, inviting him closer. Two shaking arms sneaked around his neck and he sunk into everything that was his Dragon; his Mate._

_His Aegis._

_If asked later he wouldn't know for how long their lips moved against one another's in a perfect, calm rhythm, but when he moved away and looked into those stormy orbs, time seemed to stop._

_"This is a dream." Draco whispered as he looked up at his Dominant. Midnight black eyes filled with love and warmth gazed down at him, and Draco swallowed difficultly as his heart beat in his ears. "This is just a dream."_

_"Just because this is a dream doesn't make it any less real." He spoke in a wavering voice and Draco reached up with shivering hands to cup the face of his beloved Mate. The air around them shifted with power that started to dance around them, and stormy-gray eyes started to bleed into silver._

_"You are here. You are really here; my Harry, my Mate." Draco whispered and his Dominant bowed down to kiss him before he rested his forehead against Draco's._

**_"I am here, my Dragon; my Aegis." _**_The smaller man shivered as his Dominant spoke to him, and his power washed over him like a wave of warmth and strength._

**_"My Araceil. My King."_**_ the sound of the wind dancing through the trees, and the song of the stars shimmering in the night sky caressed the Vampire's ears, and he let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding._

**_"I love you, my Dragon. I missed you so much." _**_He whispered, his heart clenching so hard he was surprised that it didn't burst. The silver eyes shone with incredible love and crystalline tears tackled down pale cheeks._

**_"I love you too, my King. I love you too."_**

_And the Third Bond was forged._

* * *

_"What happened, Ry?" Draco asked as they lay together in the middle of the big bed. Draco was snuggled against Harry's chest with Harry's arm around his waist. Their legs were entwined and Draco's right hand rested over Harry's heart. The Vampire was staring at the band of white gold on Draco right hand ring finger. Draco already told him how Remus gave him that ring to protect him and the Vampire noted for himself to thank the Werewolf the next time he saw him._

_"I don't know. I remember trying to complete the Transition with Silvanus and then - I don't know. I remember my magic bursting out of my core and then nothing but pain; hot, searing incredible pain. And then someone was calling for me and I woke up with my mother and father right there with me." Draco took a seat sharply and looked down at Harry with fear in his eyes._

_"Harry-..."_

_"I am not dead, Dragon. You don't have to worry about that. These are the Astral Plaines, and my parents were merely there to greet me." Harry said with a small smile on his lips. His eyes on the other hand, portrayed the feelings of confusion Draco felt over their Bond. He sighed and lay back down, shivering when Harry's fingers brushed through his hair._

_"What now?" Harry sighed and wrapped both arms around Draco to hug him tightly. He kissed Draco's forehead and tucked his head under his chin._

_"I don't know, love." He almost chuckled when Draco shivered at the endearment. "I guess I'll find out soon." The clock on the wall chimed four in the morning and Harry squeezed Draco closer to his chest. Draco moved up and kissed Harry lovingly as a strange pull tugged on his mind._

_"Soon, Ry?" he whispered and his Mate smiled at him lovingly._

_"Soon, my Dragon; soon." and with that his Dragon disappeared from his arms. With a heavy sigh he took a seat and pushed himself out of the bed._

_"Lady Oracle?" as a wave of power washed over him he found himself standing in that wide, white room again._

_"I am sorry, my Child, but I promise you; the time will come when your Mate will be beside you without the need to hide or fear." Oracle said and Harry nodded._

_"Thank you, my Lady, for this chance; it was more than I hoped for." He caught the approving glances his parents sent him from behind Oracle and smiled at them._

_"Come. It is time for you to meet the ones that came before you and for you to start learning the way of the King." She said. He steeled himself, hid his feelings with practiced ease and nodded at her. She smiled and walked over to one of the doors while James and Lily walked over to Harry and placed their hands on Harry's shoulders._

_"We'll be waiting here for you." Lily said and kissed his cheek lovingly. "Whenever you need to talk just ask Oracle to bring you here. We'll be waiting." Harry nodded as Lily took a step back and he turned to look at his father._

_"I'll see you later son, and then we'll talk about everything you want to know." Harry smiled and nodded at him. As James took a step back Harry looked at Oracle and she smiled at him. She pushed the door in front of her open and Harry took a step forward. As bright light enveloped him his thoughts flew to his Dragon, and all of a sudden, his heart was filled with warmth._

_And he knew he was ready for whatever waited for him on the other side._

* * *

_Draco woke up slowly, feeling the sun cares his skin. A huge smile appeared on his face when he remembered the dream he had that night. He dreamed he was woken by Harry. The dream itself was kind of blurry, but the feeling of Harry returned somewhat to his body. Mewling drew his attention to the black fur ball trying to climb on the tall bed. He chuckled and stood up, patting Cory on his way to the bathroom. Thankfully it was Saturday so he didn't need to go to any classes. Judging by the sounds in the Living room, his friends decided to stay in their chambers as well._

_"Let's get ready for the day, huh Cory?" he asked with a bright smile on his face. The scent of Harry was all around him; as if he was really there with him. He entered the bathroom and closed the door behind himself, only to have his breath kicked out of his chest when he looked at his reflection in the mirror._

_He raised his right hand and touched his kiss swollen lips. His eyes slipped closed as he licked his lips. He could almost taste Harry on them._

**_'Feel it.' _**_His eyes snapped open and he looked at his reflection as his eyes turned silver._

_'Feel what?'_

**_'Araceil came to us in our dream. The Third Bond was established. Our Bond with him is stronger than ever.'_**

_'But it was a dream...'_

**_'No, it wasn't. Concentrate. We can feel him.' _**_Draco closed his eyes and concentrated. It didn't take long for him to feel it; a heartbeat not his own echoed through his mind. Warm and strong, it beat in synch with his. He opened his eyes and almost jumped away from the mirror. Emerald shone through his normally gray eyes._

**_'Our Mate is with us where ever we are. No matter the distance, he is with us.' _**_Draco smiled and his shoulders relaxed._

_'Yes. He is with us.'_

* * *

_It seemed as though he was passing through a tunnel of countless stars. Voices and pictures passed by him disappearing in the light of the stars. Everything moved so quickly that he forced himself to close his eyes. He felt as though his body was standing still but his mind was running a marathon._

_Suddenly everything seemed to slow down and the world stopped spinning. When he opened his eyes he barely held himself back from raising his eyebrows. The room he was in was the exact replica of the living room in his chambers at Hogwarts._

_"Welcome." He almost jumped out of his skin at the silky, hissing voice behind him. He turned only to face the last man he expected to see._

_"Slytherin?"_

_"Surprised to see me, Harry? Or should I call you Araceil, now?" Harry swallowed difficultly and took a weary step back._

_"Maybe it would be better to call him Araceil. After all that is who he is now." Harry turned on his heel only to choke up on his breath when his eyes landed on yet another one of his Ancestors._

_"Merlin?" the old man smiled before his eyes focused on the silent person on Harry's right. Ever so slowly the young Vampire turned and his eyes widened._

_"Gryffindor and-…"_

_"Good evening, young Vampire." The man beside Godric took a step out of the shadows and Harry swallowed over a lump in his throat. This man was the impersonation of Royalty. He stood as tall as Harry although his body was much leaner. Long, raven-black locks fell down his back and a pair of blood red eyes gazed at Harry with unhidden interest._

_"King Dracula." The young King bowed his head and his predecessor chuckled at him._

_"No; not for a long while now, my young descendant." Harry looked up and straightened to his full height when the Vampire Lord approached him. Godric moved to Salazar's side and Merlin took a seat in an armchair. Vlad circled Harry like a hawk circling its prey. "I must say I expected someone-…" he stopped and frowned. "I guess I expected someone with far less applied potential. You seem to have already gained reign over your Inner Demon and you established the Third bond with your Mate. There is not much we can teach you, but it is very important for you to know everything."_

_"That is why I am here, is it not?" Harry asked and Vlad nodded._

_"You are right. You were brought here so that your training may be done faster than it would have been done in the World of the Living. Here you will learn everything you need to know and much more. To you it will seem like years, but in the real world you will only be asleep for several months. What changes happen to you here, your body will pass through them. This will not be easy and only with maximum appliance will you make it though."_

_"My Lord; I have a Mate and a lot of friends waiting for me. There are people who worry about me and, whether I like it or not, people that need me. I will do anything to return to them as soon as possible." Harry said, never braking eye contact with his predecessor._

_"I told you he's much like you, Godric; stubborn and loyal to the bone." Salazar remarked with a fond smile and Harry looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "We have been observing you ever since the night you ascended, Child."_

_"Not to mention that they have been making bets on everything you'll do once you have the necessary power; mainly concerning one Albus Dumbledore." Merlin murmured and Harry shook his head with a small amused smile._

_"Can you blame us?" Godric said with a sheepish grin on his face._

_"Not really; no. I will accept a few suggestions and ideas, though." Harry drawled and Godric laughed while the others snickered at him._

_"There is not much time." Vlad said once they all calmed down. "We should start your training as soon as possible." Harry nodded and stood straighter._

_"Where do we start?"_

* * *

_Present day_

* * *

"Good morning, Draco!" Pansy greeted him with a smile and a kiss to his cheek. He placed Cory down on the floor and watched her skip around the room chasing the little ball of yarn Blaise made for her.

"Good morning, Pansy. I trust you slept well?" she nodded as Draco took his usual seat at the Slytherin table.

"I did, I slept very well; and so did you it seems." She winked at him and Draco blushed, making her and Vince raise an eyebrow at him.

"Good morning!" Blaise all but flopped into his seat beside Draco and the blond rolled his eyes at him, although he was smiling still.

"You slept well?" Draco asked.

"Great. This night was somehow particularly restful."

"Greg and Hermione are late. I thought he waited for her in front of the Great Hall every morning." Pansy remarked as she placed some blueberry pancakes on her plate. Draco and the other boys frowned and exchanged worried glances.

"Maybe something kept them-..."

"Guys?!" they jumped on their feet when Greg ran over to them looking as though Voldemort was on his heels. "Hermione is late! Have you seen her?"

"She's not here." Vincent said, and in that moment Ginny ran into the Great Hall looking for all it was worth like Death Eaters broke into Hogwarts.

"Hermione – Ron – Library - Help!" the Slytherins were on alert in a second and they all had their wands in their hands.

"Pansy, stay here with her!" Draco ordered and ran out closely followed by Greg, Vince and Blaise. The moment they rounded the corner leading to the library Draco raised his wand.

"Incarcerus!" a voice Draco had grown to hate over the years called out and the voice of Neville Longbottom responded with a Protego.

"EXPULSO!" he roared and the floor under Ronald Weasley exploded, and the force of the explosion threw the idiotic redhead back. Seamus Finnegan and three others Draco didn't know by their given or last names turned to fire curses back at them. Draco saw Greg running to Hermione's side while Neville Longbottom faired a curse at Seamus.

Blaise and Vincent each moved onto the other two idiots, while the third one suddenly ran down another corridor.

"Get up, weasel! Get up so that I can knock you back down!" Draco spat out, with his wand aimed calmly at Ron.

"Well, well; if it isn't the bouncing ferret! Finally crawled out of your hiding hole!" Weasley teased although a nice, thin stream of blood decorated one side of his face. In his rage, Draco didn't wait to see the weasel raise his wand.

"Incidere!" he made a sharp cut towards Weasley's knees, but the weasel dodged the string of red light and fired an Expelliarmus at Draco. Draco sidestepped the yellow ball of magic sending an Inflatus at the stupid Gryffindor. Weasley didn't have enough time to dodge the orange ball and the blast threw him into the closed doors of the Library, and he slid down with a pained groan. Draco dodged a Cutting hex, but didn't see the Burning hex aimed at his back by Finnegan who managed to blast Neville into the wall.

"Protego!" he turned to see a blue shield absorbing the Burning hex and nodded in Hermione's direction. Greg was with her checking her over for injuries. Blaise held his own against the Gryffindor he was dueling and Vincent managed to incarcerate the one he dueled.

Draco turned burning eyes on Ronald who suddenly flinched. Draco, in his rage, didn't notice he let Aegis out to play, making his eyes completely silver. He aimed his wand at the weasel with another Incidere on his lips when McGonagall came running down a hallway, followed by the cowardly Gryffindor and Mrs. Pince.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the acting headmistress cried out, her hazel eyes flashing furiously. Draco sneered at Ronald and took a deep breath to calm himself.

_'We would have killed him if she didn't stop us.'_

'Yes but now we have to prove to her that the weasel started this.'

"Professor! The Slytherins attacked us! Look what they did to Mione and Neville!" said weasel shouted and pointed at Draco. The Slytherin growled lowly while Hermione and Neville exchanged bewildered glances.

How anyone could be that stupid was beyond their comprehension.

"That's a lie!" and then Draco did a double-take. He turned around to see Ginny Weasley standing there glaring furiously at her brother with Pansy right behind her, looking quite breathless.

"Ginny!" Ronald squeaked.

"My brother is lying, Professor McGonagall! He and the rest attacked Hermione. If Neville and I didn't follow her this morning when we saw she turned for the Library rather than the Great Hall, Merlin knows what they would have done to her."

"And how do you fit into that picture, Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall asked, and Draco suppressed a sneer and swallowed.

"We were just getting breakfast when Greg ran into the Great Hall saying that Hermione didn't meet him as it is common for them. We were ready to go and look for her when Ginny ran over to us and said that Hermione and Longbottom were under attack." McGonagall looked at Ginny who nodded furiously.

"It's true. Hermione sent me to get Malfoy and the others."

"And why didn't you come for me?" McGonagall asked with a frown on her features.

"Your office is too far. I imagine you came so fast because Mrs. Pince floo-ed you from the library and McKinley ran into you while he was trying to get away from the fight that issued here." Ginny reasoned, still shooting daggers at her brother.

"Ms. Granger?"

"What Ginny says is true." Hermione said. Greg helped her up on her feet and Neville took his place by Ginny's side. "I remembered a book I forgot to take yesterday and thought I would take it before breakfast. Before I entered the library Ron, Seamus, McKinley, Greenvy and Daniels confronted me. They accused me of- ..." Hermione paled and swallowed. "Of selling myself to V-V-Voldemort." McGonagall paled.

"Is that exactly what they said, Ms. Granger?" she asked weakly and Hermione shook her head.

"They called me Voldemort's b - well you know." She whispered with tears in her eyes.

"You little bastard!" Greg turned on Weasley with a raised wand but McGonagall stopped him.

"Enough of this! Mr. Weasley, you and your friends will wait for me in my office. If I see even one of you missing you will lose your house 200 points each, on top of being suspended for the rest of the semester, do I make myself clear?" the 5 Gryffindors paled and scurried down the hallway. Once they were gone McGonagall turned to look at the Slytherins and the remaining Gryffindors.

"I know where you've slept for the past month or so, Mr. Malfoy, and I have a feeling that you won't mind accepting Ms. Granger with you, if not Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Weasley as well. Slytherin will be awarded 50 points each for promoting both inter-house and house unity, and coming to help Ms. Granger and Mr. Longbottom. Gryffindor will lose 100 points each for attacking a fellow student. Ms. Weasley you are awarded 50 points alongside Mr. Longbottom for helping a fellow student." She finished and looked at Hermione. "Ms. Granger, go to the hospital wing if you need to. I will ask a House Elf to move your things to your new Chambers."

"Professor McGonagall." Draco stopped her from leaving. "I suggest moving Longbottom's and Ginny's things to our Chambers as well. Dobby the House Elf will be more than happy to enlarge our Chambers some more." McGonagall awarded him with a small smile and Draco nodded his head at her. She turned and left the Hallway, leaving the Slytherins and the three Gryffindors alone in the hall, and Draco moved swiftly to Hermione's side.

"Is everything alright? Are you injured?"

"I'm alright. Ron managed to fire an Expelliarmus at me before Neville and Ginny came to my rescue." Hermione said.

"Draco!"

"Everything's alright, Pansy. We're getting a few new room Mates, but everything's alright."

"Why did you do that, Malfoy?" Neville asked, with nothing but curiosity in his voice.

"You'll find out soon enough; these halls are not safe enough to have a conversation in. We should go to the Hospital Wing if someone needs to and then to our chambers." Draco said as he checked everyone over, trying to make sure no one was injured.

"If I knew you Slytherins were so accepting of newcomers I would have joined you sooner." Ginny muttered as they moved for Harry's chambers.

"Trust me, Ginny. They're just a bunch of cuddly kittens on the inside." Hermione said and Blaise groaned.

"Merlin forbid anyone heard this!" he cried out. "Our whole reputation goes down the wind." Hermione laughed together with Neville and Ginny.

"I hate to burst your bubbles, but your reputation is already as tarnished as it could be. You 5 are officially blood traitors and somewhere right beneath Harry Potter on Voldemort's 'To Kill' list." Neville was kind enough to inform them, making the Slytherins let go of mock-suffering sighs.

"We knew what we're getting into when we decided not to follow in our parents' footsteps." Vince said mournfully as he wrapped an arm around Pansy's waist.

"Frankly, the so called 'Light side' is much more fun to begin with." Greg remarked.

"Yeah; you can always laugh at the stupid things your fellow Light citizens do when they don't have someone to lead them on the 'right path'." Blaise droned out and Draco chuckled.

"And you're forgetting your main excuse to switch sides, Blaise." Draco said and nudged his friend with his shoulder.

"And what might that be?" Blaise asked suspiciously and Draco smirked.

"Why, dearest friend, you said it yourself; the Light side has much more good looking men!" Blaise growled and started to chase Draco to their Chambers leaving a laughing group behind.

* * *

Later that night Draco was reading a book on Bonds and Bond Mates while petting Cory, when knocking interrupted him.

"Come in!" he called out and left the book on the bedside table. He gathered Cory in one hand and continued petting her while she happily purred her little heart out. Blaise opened the door and entered.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now." He said and Draco smiled.

"I know. I just couldn't sleep. Are Neville and Ginny settled?" Blaise looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Draco just shrugged.

"Yes, they are. Pansy is overjoyed with having another girlfriend to talk with and Greg finally found someone as obsessed with plants as he is. The two even made Hermione roll her eyes." Draco chuckled but fell silent. Blaise scratched Cory's head making the small fur ball stretch towards him. "You thinking about what McGonagall did today?" Draco nodded.

"Sev says she's probably on our side as well. Mom and Remus seem to agree on that. It would be great if she truly was on our side." Blaise hummed and lay down on the bed with his head on Draco's legs.

"Things are really getting too complicated for us, don't you think?" he murmured. Draco hummed and looked out the window.

Yes, things were getting more complicated with each passing day. He swallowed difficultly and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back against the headboard. He missed Harry more than ever. He kept wondering how the Vampire was; how his training was going, was he alright, when would he come to him again. He couldn't help but hope that the Vampire would come to his dreams again. He wanted to see him. He wanted to talk to him and hold him.

People say that distance makes the heart grow colder.

Draco thought he proved them wrong.

With each passing day, the feelings he had for Harry grew ever stronger. Draco couldn't wait to have him back. The Bond sang in his blood each day, and his heart ached with the need to see Harry again; to touch him, to kiss him.

A part of him hated this; hated the distance. And yet another part of him knew it was necessary.

He looked down and saw Blaise asleep with his mouth slightly open. Draco smiled and looked down at Cory.

Big emerald eyes stared up at him in wonder.

"I guess we should try and get some sleep as well." He said and settled more comfortably against the pillows without waking Blaise. As his eyes closed the feeling of Harry's heartbeat beating in sync with his made him smile softly in his sleep.

Soon.

* * *

**More comes as soon as possible!**

**All my love,**

**Ms. Yuki**


	12. King Under The Sun And Moon

"Draco, are you daydreaming again?" Pansy popped beside Draco, on his (actually Harry's) bed and shook him out of his daydream.

"Yes, Pansy, and it was quite a nice daydream! Thank you 'oh-so-much', for interrupting it." Pansy laughed so hard she fell off the bed which caused little Cory to stumble on her quest to reach Draco. Draco rolled his eyes and looked over the edge off the bed at his laughing friend.

"You know, Pansy, there is a ward at St. Mungo's for people like you. Maybe you've heard of it?" Pansy calmed her laughter until only giggles escaped her. She sat up on the bed only to be faced with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, Dray, but the guys and I wanted to go to Hogsmade and wondered if you would like to join us. You know Harry will send you a sign when he has time to talk with you again?" Draco shrugged and took Cory in his arms. The kitten purred and nuzzled against his chest. Draco patted her and leaned back against the pillows.

"I know, Pansy; but it's been almost three weeks since I've last talked with him and I - I guess I just miss him." Draco said and looked away from his friend. Pansy sighed and climbed on the bed. She took a seat beside Draco and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I know you miss him, Dray. Hell, I miss him! But he wouldn't want you to sit around as if you're mourning. He'd want you to go and have fun while there is still time. Dray, Christmas is close. You need to get out a bit. Find some presents for your friends." Draco chuckled at her pointed looked and nodded. He knew she was right and Harry told him to try and relax. Voldemort's focus was now on finding a way to get a conference with the Kind of Kindred. There were barely any raids lately and that was why the 6th and 7th years could go to Hogsmade. He looked at Pansy and smiled at her.

"Alright, I'll go. But we'll head back before dark." Pansy smiled widely and hugged him.

"Oh, thank you Draco! I know you won't regret it!" she ran out of the room to tell everyone Draco was coming with them, and left Draco alone in the room to change.

The blond sighed and stood up. He placed Cory on one of the big pillows and left to change for the trip outside. It started snowing two days ago, and Hogwarts was clad in a thick, white cloak of pure snow. Draco opened the closet and looked for something to wear. He found a nice warm pullover and some trousers. He dug deeper for a scarf and came upon something soft and warm. He pulled it out and his eyes widened when he saw it was Harry's cloak; the one he bought when they went to Diagon Alley before they went to see Eve.

Draco took it out and nuzzled his face in it only to be overwhelmed by Harry's unique scent. Draco realized why Harry looked for this specific material. It was good for any time of the year. During winter times it kept its wearer warm; during autumn and spring, it protected from the rain. He chuckled and shook his head; if nothing else his Harry was practical.

Draco sighed and nuzzled his face against the soft material. He smiled and spread it over his bed. At least for now Harry's cloak will do.

* * *

"I don't like this, Gabriel." Emrys murmured. They were with Harry at the moment, and Eve was with them. The human was sitting beside Harry on his bed. A few changes happened to him in the past weeks. His hair mainly wasn't pure black anymore. There were silvery white locks of hair at his temples and a few were scattered through his bangs. A few thin, 'barely-there' worry lines appeared around his mouth too.

Harry seemed to have lost any and all facial characteristics which showed his young age. He gained harsh aristocratic features and instead of weakening because of his inactive state, he seemed to have grown stronger physically too.

"We can do nothing, love. If Lamenta is correct then Harry is beyond our reach."

"Are you sure we cannot bring Draco here? You said you'd try to convince Silvanus to allow it." Eve whispered. Her voice was filled with pain and she barely held back tears which threatened to roll down her face.

"I'm sorry, Eve. But we have other things to take care of. Harry is strong and I am sure that he will come back to us. You remember what Lady Lamenta said. Harry is alright; he is just sleeping." When a few tears escaped Eve's eyes Emrys let go of Gabriel and rushed (as fast as his big belly allowed him) to Eve's side. He hugged the crying woman to the best of his abilities and muttered suiting words to her.

"I want him back. I want him to wake up." She whimpered and Emrys buried his face in her hair as they rocked together from side to side.

"I know, love; I know." Emrys looked at his Dominant and his heart ached when he saw him gaze at his Child with sadness written all over his face. He looked at Harry and a few tears escaped his own eyes.

'Please come back to us, Harry. Please; we need you. We all need you.'

* * *

Strike, parry, parry, strike, block, step, step, parry, strike, strike, block.

Harry thought of nothing else but the sword in his hands and the moves of his opponent. His attacks were precise, blocks effective, technique perfect, but he wasn't happy. His mentors were beyond pleased with him, be he wasn't. He still believed he had much more to learn but he knew that he was running short on time. How long has it been since he'd seen Draco? The Bond on his side was quivering with the strain, but he couldn't allow himself to despair. He would see his love soon, but first he had to prove to himself that he could protect him.

Parry, strike, strike, block, strike.

A perfect hit.

Harry took a deep breath and placed the tip of his sword under Godric's chin.

"Do you yield?" the older man chuckled and nodded. Harry sighed and stepped back before he offered his hand to his ancestor and helped him up on his feet.

"Damn it, Harry. You exceeded everyone's expectations!" Gryffindor said and clapped Harry's back. Harry frowned and shook his head.

"I still have much to learn, Godric. And yet time is running short." Godric sighed.

"For Merlin's sake, kid, what more do you wish to learn? Once Merlin is done with his lesions in Ancient Magic you're done. The moment you leave this place you can take the tests to finish your schooling, and you'll pass them with more than just flying colors. I have never seen Zar so giddy! You've mastered Potions, Transfiguration, Charms; pretty much everything we had to teach you. You even mastered the court relations so well that Vlad actually _smiled_! _And_ you speak the Language of Kindred as though you grew up speaking it which makes listening in to you and Vlad pretty difficult." Harry had to chuckle at Godric's expression. "You can beat Zar, Vlad and me in a duel, three to one, without breaking a sweat. Face it, son. There's nothing more we can teach you." Harry sighed as they reached the fountain in the garden they were practicing in, and Harry bowed down to wash his face.

He looked at his reflection and frowned. The last time he'd seen Draco he still looked somewhat like his old self. He could hardly recognize himself anymore. There were grey locks on his temples and if he used enough imagination he could imagine himself walking down the street like a darker version of Lucius Malfoy. He didn't know if that was a funny or a scary thought. All in all he looked older; more serious. He brushed his bangs back and looked at where his scar used to be. Godric took a seat on the fountain and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Didn't take you for a narcissist." He drawled and Harry chuckled. He turned around and took a seat beside Godric before he sighed and looked at the blue sky.

"I've changed, Godric." Harry murmured and the older man hummed.

"Of course you've changed. It's been 6 years since you've joined us here and started your training. Sure; in the world of the living less than two months have passed, but here you've lived and aged. Technically, you're 21 year old." Harry chuckled and shook his head. "You know a lot more than you've known when you first came. You know what you need to do to fulfill your destiny and kill that monster. You're ready, Harry. All you need to do is accept that." Harry bowed his head a little and looked at his hands, clasped in his lap. There were calluses on his fingers from handling various weapons; proof of how hard he worked to come to this point.

But he still wanted more; he still didn't believe he was ready.

"But there are still so many things for me to learn, Godric." The older Wizard sighed and clapped Harry's shoulder.

"Listen, Harry." The young Vampire looked at his forefather. All of his ancestors proved to be different from the characters he learned about in school. Godric was a serious man; one who, despite his playful nature, stubbornness and honor knew how to act in any and all situations. He could be a playmate one minute and turn into a serious teacher the next. Salazar would look at you with a smirk or a sneer only to dump a whole cauldron of a skin-color-changing potion over your head when you turned away from him.

Merlin was wise beyond imagination, but sometimes acted like an excited child. He always made it a point to learn through self-realization. If you couldn't get it on your own, then you won't get it either way. And Vlad; he was a sad, sad man. Harry did his best to learn everything that man wished for him to learn just to see him nod in pleasure. In those moments when Vlad knew he taught Harry something that will help the young Vampire in the future, his red eyes shone with inner pride and for a moment his sadness disappeared.

"Harry, one can never know everything. You are young, and you are immortal. You have an eternity to learn everything you want to learn and knowing you, even after a thousand years you'll still believe yourself to be unworthy of the throne you will rule from and wish to gain more knowledge to be able to please your people." Harry was never more thankful for Vlad's teachings, because the blush which would have settled over his face would have been more embarrassing than the truth Godric just said about him.

"Harry? Godric? We have guests." Salazar called out. Harry sniffed the air discreetly and a smile broke out over his face. Godric smiled at the young man. When he smiled his face showed his age, although the smile itself was somehow sad. It reminded him of Vlad, and made him thank the Oracle for giving the young Vampire someone to go back to; someone to live for.

"Mother, father, Sirius; it's been a while." Harry was enveloped in three pairs of arms and laughter filled the garden Harry and Godric trained in.

"We knew you were working hard so we decided to come and see you. You deserve some rest." Lilly said when they parted.

"Oracle told us you haven't seen Draco in a while too. You know that working too hard can bring more harm than good." James chastised his son and Harry smiled at him in apology.

"I know, dad; its just-…"

"Its okay, Harry. We know." Lilly said and Sirius nodded.

"And that's why we came here today; to take you away from your tormentors and make you visit that lovely Mate of yours." Sirius said, although he openly shivered at the mention of Harry's Mate, making the young Vampire chuckle at him.

"Sirius, he may be a Malfoy but-…"

"I know, I know; don't need to tell me twice-…"

"Or trice."

"Or four times." Lilly added and James nodded. Harry chuckled and shook his head. His parents came to visit him several times to make sure he wasn't working too hard. His heart almost stopped when Sirius came with them the second time. When he asked why Sirius didn't come the first time the man said something about those on the higher levels loving his striking personality and looks. Harry was laughing too hard to listen.

"And, with all due respect-…" Godric jumped in. "Who are you calling a tormentor, young man?! I'll have you know that _we_ are the ones being tormented. This youngling here's always: What now? And next? Is there more?" Godric groaned while Harry glared at him. All the while Lilly, James and Sirius were practically rolling on the floor with laughter. "No, really! Soon we'll have to start coming up with things just to keep this kid entertained!" Lilly wiped a few tears of mirth away and wrapped her hands around Harry's elbow.

"Let's go, Harry. We've already talked with Merlin and Lord Dracula, they are giving you today off, and the Oracle allowed you to use the Fountain of Summons." Harry sighed and nodded.

"Let's go." He left with Lilly, James and Sirius, but not before he shot Godric one last look which promised pain on their next session. The older man just waved him good bye with a big grin on his face.

When Harry disappeared together with his family Salazar, Merlin and Vlad walked into the garden. Salazar leaned against Godric and kissed him, while Merlin and Vlad took seats on a bench Merlin created.

"Just a little while longer and he'll be ready." Merlin said. Godric sighed, and pulled Salazar down on the warm ground.

"Even with everything we've taught him, we didn't manage to boost his self-confidence." Godric murmured and Salazar smiled at him comfortingly.

"It's not that and you know it, Godric." Vlad said. He leaned back against the backrest and crossed his arms over his chest. "Harry believes he should serve the people by being able to protect them. We taught him how to accumulate his powers, we taught him all sorts of magic, both Light and Dark. He knows how to use his powers. What he _doesn't_ know is the real extent of his powers and I doubt he will ever find out."

"Vlad is right. We managed to teach him everything we know, and we even managed to find a way to destroy Voldemort for good. All Harry has to do now is find a way to get back to Hogwarts and find Voldemort's Horcruxes. There is no doubt in my heart that he will defeat him." Merlin said and the others looked at him with almost matching frowns.

"I think I hear a 'but' somewhere in there." Salazar murmured and Merlin smiled at him sadly.

"_But_ I fear the day Harry would be forced to use his full power. We can only assume just how powerful he really is. To tell you the truth I hope he is never forced to do it." Merlin muttered and patted his long white beard. "The results might prove to be quite exploding."

* * *

"I can't believe Dumbledore let them get away with it so easily." Hermione grumbled as they walked down the streets of Hogsmade. People were glaring at them as they passed them by. They were the only group larger than three or four in the whole village.

"You always knew Dumbledore played favorites with Gryffindors, Hermione." Draco said from his place in the middle of the group.

"But they outright attacked me! And McGonagall was furious!" Hermione cried out in outrage. Greg wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's waist and smiled at her.

"Calm down, Hermione. You knew this would happen; why are you so angry?" Hermione sighed and melted against him.

"I don't know, Greg. It's just - he could've at least forbidden them to go to Hogsmade like McGonagall asked of him!" Pansy, Vincent, Draco, Ginny, Blaise and Neville all rolled their eyes at the couple.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks. I'm in need of something warm." Blaise said and shivered to prove his point.

"Aw, poor Blaise; no love to warm you in your cold nights?" Pansy cooed at the Italian youth who growled and made a swipe at her head. She hid behind Vincent and grinned at Blaise, who was blushing so hard Neville thought the smaller man would faint.

To be honest ever since he and Ginny started hanging out with the rouge Slytherins he found the Italian to be quite fetching. He was kind and very protective of his friends, especially of Draco. He and the blond could be found walking together at all times of the day. For the first few days Neville thought the two were together, especially with the promise ring on Draco's right hand ring-finger, until Hermione sat him and Ginny down and told them the truth. She requested a Wizard's oath from the both of them, but that wasn't really necessary, although it was enough to give Neville hope. Now if only the dark youth would notice him.

Now, it was far from Neville's knowledge that Blaise actually did feel something for him. The fact was that the dark skinned youth thought Neville and Ginny were together. Where Ginny went, Neville followed. What he didn't know was that the blond Gryffindor made it his responsibility to watch over Ginny. One never knew what Ron might do, even to his own sister.

And speak of the devil.

"Well, well; look what the snake dragged out." The group turned and faced Ron with the rest of his goons. Finnegan and Thomas stood each on one side of Ron, with McKinley, Greenvy and Daniels behind them.

"What a surprise. The weasel crawled out of his hiding hole. Wasn't the last time enough for you, weaseling?" Ron growled and pointed his wand at Draco. Draco's friends took their wands out but Draco stopped them by waving his hand. He could handle the weasel on his own. "What is it, Ronald? Afraid? Now that your precious Potter isn't here to save the day you've decided to take his place, haven't you?"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Ron snapped as a furious blush covered his face.

"Oh, please, Ronald!" Draco drawled with exasperation. "One would think that after 6 years you'd think of a smarter comeback." He started to circle the redhead. He could see that his friends kept Weasley's friends at their wand points; although to an untrained eye it wouldn't seem so.

"You will pay, Malfoy! For everything you did to us! You are nothing but a filthy Death Eater! I don't know what you did to Granger, Longbottom and my sister to turn them into disgusting Slytherins, but you will pay for that!"

"I did nothing to them!" Draco spat out and a surge of power pulsated through his veins. _'Calm; we must stay calm. We mustn't lose our concentration. He isn't dangerous to us but others might get hurt.'_ Aegis spoke in his mind and Draco tried to calm his breathing. "You are the one who made them leave. You and your close-minded nonsense you've been spouting ever since Potter resorted at the beginning of the year."

"Potter is a traitor! He left and joined You-Know-Who! He is a disgrace to the Light side!" Ron shouted not really seeing that they've attracted quite the crowd.

"You are the disgrace, Weasley!" Draco had to cast a shield over himself because Ron sent a hex his way. "Oh, please! Can't you cast any hex above second year? I'm sure Potter taught you better than that!"

"You bastard!" Ron snapped and fired an Exuro at him. Draco responded with a Burning hex and continued with a Sectumsempra. From the corner of his eyes he saw Remus, Severus and his mother run to them followed by several more seventh year students.

"Incidere!" Ron spat out and Draco avoided the curse, while at the same time he fired a curse of his own. Ron was flung into the bench and his groupies ran to him to help him up. Draco had yet to lower his wand. He was fighting hard to keep Aegis inside and it took its toll on hm. He was breathing hard and a thin layer of sweat covered his brow.

"What is the meaning of this?!" McGonagall's voice broke the tense silence.

"Weasley fired the first curse!" Hermione shouted before anyone else had the chance to say anything.

"I saw that, Ms. Granger, thank you!" McGonagall looked at Ron like a fire breathing Dragon ready to burn the weasel into a crisp. "You, Mr. Weasley will come with me this instant. You will write your parents a letter in which you will tell them exactly what you did. After that you will hand the letter to me and I will send it with my owl."

"But, Professor-…"

"I am not done, Mr. Weasley!" she roared and everyone tensed up. They have never seen McGonagall this furious. "You will lose your house 100 points for attacking and provoking a fellow student; you will lose your place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and your prefect's badge, and don't think the Headmaster will save you this time." Ron was as red as his hair. He was shooting glares at Draco who barely suppressed a full blown smirk. 'Could this day get any better?'

McGonagall grabbed Ron and dragged him down the road to the carriages that would take them to Hogwarts. Draco sighed and returned his wand into its holster. Before he had time to move he was enveloped in a warm hug by his mother.

"Never do that again!" she breathed out and hugged him tighter. Draco sighed and returned the hug. He tried to ignore the smirks his friends sent him.

"It's okay, mother. Weasley can't hurt me." He said and Narcissa let go of him.

"I know, Draco, but that doesn't mean that you must fight him."

"Your mother is right. What if the other Gryffindors shot joined the duel?" Severus said.

"They wouldn't have a chance to hit him." Blaise said with utter conviction. Severus looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"And what makes you so sure, Mr. Zabini?"

"We had them at wand point, sir." Neville said. "If they made one threatening move, we would have engaged them into a duel." Blaise shot him a look from under his fringe and Neville fought off a blush.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice that, Severus?" Remus said with a smirk pointed at his school colleague. "You aren't growing old on us, are you?" Severus growled at the Werewolf, while said Werewolf turned to the 6th years and winked at them.

"Don't make me challenge you to a duel, Lupin. I'm sure I would be able to hold my own." Remus grinned at him.

"Now, now, Severus! All in good fun!" Remus said and clapped Severus on his back. Narcissa and the 6th years laughed at the grown men.

"Can we go to the Three Broomstick's now? I must agree with Blaise's earlier statement and say that it is quite cold." Ginny said and Hermione nodded.

"Let's go. I'm sure we're all in need of a warm cup of tea."

"Good Merlin, Hermione, you just sounded like my mother. Don't do that again." Ginny said with a shiver. Everyone laughed again and made their way towards the pub. Draco felt something warm envelop his heart and his eyes strayed to the sky. A slight shimmer of magic brought a smile on his face.

'Tonight.'

* * *

"What's wrong, Silvanus?" Gabriel asked. He came looking for the High Regent and found him in the Great Library with a letter in his white hands. Silvanus looked deep in thought and his eyes were alight with worry.

"Voldemort has made a formal request. His emissaries are to be accepted here for an audience with the King. They'll be here a few days before Christmas." Gabriel cursed under his breath and walked to the window. He moved the heavy, crimson drapes and looked at the snow covered streets of the Forbidden City.

"We cannot lie to them, Gabriel. The Law forbids us from hiding the truth from them, especially if he sends Kindred."

"I know, Silvanus. But what if we bring them before the Conclave? They have done many atrocities against Kindred. We have every right to imprison them and declare ourselves impartial-…"

"You know that is not the will of the Conclave, and you know very well that it is not the will of our King to sit aside while the world is torn apart by Darkness again." Gabriel growled and turned to face Silvanus.

"But what if Harry doesn't wake up? What then? Silvanus, my Mate is about to have our first child! I cannot leave him alone!"

"Do you think I do not know that, Garren?!" Silvanus asked and turned his back on Gabriel. "Do you not know how many times I have fallen asleep with blame in my heart? The condition our King is in my very well be my fault." Gabriel stared at Silvanus with wide eyes. He has never heard nor seen the High Regent this distressed.

"You know it's not your fault, My Lord. No one knew this would happen." Gabriel tried to comfort his old friend.

"I know nothing." Silvanus whispered. "Everything has gone in a direction in which I cannot follow." Gabriel approached Silvanus and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Everything will be alright, my Lord. You'll see; everything will be alright."

* * *

"You sent him a sign?" James asked his son. They were seated in the living room of Harry's chambers, waiting for Draco to appear.

"Yes, dad. He should come soon." Harry said with a smile although he couldn't fool them.

"Stop worrying so much, Harry. You look wonderful!" Lilly said and Harry bowed his head with a sigh.

"It's not that mother. I-…"

"Harry, Draco knows what you're going through. He accepted you for whom and what you are. If he didn't the Third Bond wouldn't have been established. Just because you look - well, slightly different won't make him stop loving you." Lilly said and Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't look only slightly different, mother." He drawled and Lily tsked and rolled her eyes.

"Listen to Lils, Harry. She's your mom, she knows what she's talking about." Sirius said and winked at his godson. "Besides; you look HOT!" James and Lilly laughed while Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Sirius is right." James hesitated and swallowed. "Merlin, I can't believe I've just said that." He muttered and earned himself a pillow in the head. "Draco will love you no matter how you look. You have 4 hours to spend with him; don't waste them." Harry sighed and nodded. A slight shift in the air let them know of the newcomer. Harry looked at his family and they disappeared with smiles on their faces. Harry stood up and walked to the fireplace. His back was turned to the bedroom door, but he heard it when they opened and careful steps alerted him of his little Mate.

* * *

Draco said goodnight to his friends and left to get ready for bed. He could feel it. Tonight he'll see Harry again. Harry told him last time that he might change physically, but Draco wasn't afraid. Harry would always be Harry, no matter how he looked.

Draco settled in the king sized bed with Harry's cloak under his head. He sighed as he was enveloped in the warm material which still carried Harry's comforting scent, and slowly Draco started to drift into sleep.

The familiar feeling of waking, yet not waking made him shift in the bed. He opened his eyes and noticed the slight differences between this room and the room in the chambers at Hogwarts. He frowned when he saw he was alone and got up. He opened the door which led to the living room and saw the man he was looking for standing in front of the fireplace. Harry's wide back was turned to him and Draco took a deep breath. He immediately saw that Harry's hair now reached the middle of his back. Harry was leaning on the mantel-piece, the muscles of his arms accented by the shadows the light of the fire created on them.

"Harry?" Draco called out with slight hesitance. He walked to Harry's side slowly, and with each step his feet sunk into the thick carpet. Harry sighed and pushed away from the fireplace. Ever so slowly he turned to face Draco. Draco's breath hitched in his throat and he stopped in front of Harry.

His Harry looked indescribable.

Those emerald eyes were deeper than before; filled with ageless knowledge. All the childishness left Harry's features, and thin, barely visible lines from worry and laughter appeared in the corners of his eyes. Draco touched Harry's face to remember the feeling of his skin under his fingers. He cupped Harry's cheek and watched as those emerald eyes closed. Harry's hands wondered to Draco's hips and pulled him closer to the hard body of the Vampire.

Draco placed his left hand on Harry's chest and passed with his right hand through Harry's hair. It was just as soft as he remembered, but the last time the gray locks of hair were still black, and the deep sadness wasn't so pronounced in Harry's eyes.

Harry opened his eyes and complete darkness drew Draco in.

"You're worried." Draco murmured. His voice was warm like honey, like a lullaby in a stormy night and Harry pulled him closer and rested his forehead against Draco's.

**"It is nothing, my Dragon."** Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and nuzzled his nose against Harry's shoulder. He turned his head slightly to the side and kissed Harry's neck, a soft groan coming from Harry's mouth as his award.

**"Were you afraid I would not love you the way you are now?"** black eyes met silver.

**"That is a fear I will always carry in my heart, my little one; my Aegis."**

**"Or at least as long as it will take for me to show you just how much I love you, my Araceil; my King."** Their lips met in a bruising kiss, although Araceil still kept back his own need and passion. It was hard; so hard to remember that his little Aegis was still very much human and that one careless touch could cause him pain. Araceil took Aegis into his arms and brought him into the bedroom. He laid him in the middle of the bed and broke their kiss to bury his face into his little one's neck. Aegis' delicate hands fisted in his hair and he looked up into the endless silver orbs.

With a shaking hand he touched Aegis' face, followed the perfect line of one soft cheek, the small nose, soft lips and the aristocratic chin only to dive into the eyes once again when his hand settled over Aegis' heart. Araceil leaned on his left arm, careful not to crush his precious one with his weight and leaned down to kiss those delicious lips which opened without a need to ask for entrance. They parted and Aegis covered Araceil's hand that rested on his chest with his smaller one.

**"It beats for no one else but you, my King."** He murmured, still breathless from their kiss. He shivered, not from the cold of Araceil's body, but from the wrecking emotions which were sending shivers down his spine.

**"Just like mine belongs to no one else but you, em sashenyi bi."** (my perfect one) Araceil whispered and smiled with love filled eyes down at his greatest treasure.

Araceil cupped Aegis' cheek and they kissed with all the passion and love of desperate hearts. Time stopped as hands touched what they couldn't touch when awake, lips kissed what the mind only dreamed off kissing and senses indulged in what their hearts loved with every beat they made. Emerald met silvery-gray when breaths started to mix in hurried puffs. Lips met in loving, chest kisses when the passion gave place to a calm they haven't known ever since they last saw one another.

"I can't wait to see you, touch you; feel you without the veil of dreams between us." Harry whispered and rolled on his back. He pulled Draco on his chest and the smaller man nuzzled his cheek over Harry's heart.

"How much longer, Ry?" Draco whispered and pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. The things he felt only moments ago were something he loved and hated at the same time; loved because Harry made him feel all that, and hated because it was something only his mind will remember.

"I am nearing the end of my training. If what Godric says is true I'll see you for the Christmas holydays." Draco sat up quickly, his breath hitching in his throat. For a moment he just stared in Harry's eyes, trying to find any trace of lies in them.

"You're not just saying this, are you?" Harry smiled at him and cupped his cheek. Draco straddled him and leaned forward. His hair has grown and now fell in playful locks down to below his chin. It tickled Harry's face and bathed his senses in Draco's scent.

"No, kha'bí. I will send you a letter when I wake with a note on when I will come to see you. My dad spoke of a safe house. Not even Dumbledore knows about it. When I wake up I will send you a portkey. You can bring whomever you want with you. There is enough room for everyone." Harry said. Draco laughed and hugged Harry to the best of his abilities considering their current position. Harry chuckled and lowered his hand from Draco's waist to his hips.

The blond leaned his elbows on each side of Harry's face and nuzzled their noses together. Harry rubbed circles on his hips and leaned up to kiss his lips.

"You have no idea how much I love you." He whispered and Draco opened his eyes and smiled warmly at his Mate.

"If you love me as much as I love you then I think I'm pretty close to guessing." Harry chuckled and leaned up to steal another kiss from Draco. "How long can you stay?"

"If you're willing to sleep one hour longer, four and a half hours." Draco smiled at him smugly and carded his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Why not use that time for something constructive?" Harry smirked up at him and rolled them over. He settled between Draco's legs and caressed Draco's hip with the tips of his fingers.

"Why not indeed?"

* * *

Ever since that night, time seemed to pass too slowly for Draco's liking. Again he woke up the other morning with fading marks from Harry's touches, and Harry's scent and voice were still clouding his senses.

His friends saw how distracted he was and didn't comment on it, but Narcissa worried. She understood very well how it felt to wait for someone, but what she didn't know was that with each passing day, instead of feeling sadder, Draco was drowning in feelings of expectation and anticipation.

While Draco looked forward to the Christmas holydays the Forbidden City buzzed with nervosas and fear. Not even the upcoming birth of Gabriel and Emrys' child could lift their spirits. The Conclave had yet to make a decision on what to do in the upcoming war.

On the night the emissaries were to arrive, Silvanus, Gabriel, Septimus and Ondine were sitting in Harry's room, hoping against hope that Harry would wake up. A hesitant knock on the door made them jump in their seats. Silvanus cleared his throat and tried to smile, but failed miserably. He sighed instead and looked at the door.

"Come in!" he called out and Shah'ti, Silvanus' lady in waiting, walked into the room and bowed at them.

"My Lord, the guards send word of three visitors nearing the city gates." Silvanus took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright. Summon the Conclave. Gabriel and I will come soon." Silvanus smiled at the poor girl. She looked completely out of herself. She nodded and left the room. Silvanus turned to look at Harry. He sighed and his eyes turned distant with sadness.

"Let us go, Garren. It is time." Gabriel nodded and they walked out. Ondine sighed and took a seat beside Harry. She took his hand in hers and looked at his face.

"He really grew in on me." She whispered. Septimus sighed and approached her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and closed his eyes.

"He'll be alright. I have never met a man, mortal or immortal, with so much magic in him. He will come back to us." He bowed down and kissed the crown of Ondine's head. He turned to walk away only to stop when he felt a shift in the air.

"Harry?"

* * *

Silvanus was seated on the throne with Gabriel standing to his right. He looked around at the Overlords of the Conclave. Several were missing.

The doors opened and heavy silence settled over the Conclave. Two guards, Basson of the Vampires, and Larette of the Werecats, came in. Three cloaked figures walked in behind them. One was human, Silvanus was sure of that; the other two were Kindred, and Silvanus didn't like that.

"High Regent, we come in behalf of our Lord Voldemort. He sends us to discuss the Terms of Cooperation with you." The human spoke up and Silvanus frowned.

"Customs say that it is common to introduce yourself before speaking the will of your leader. State your names." Silvanus said. His face was a cold mask of false kindness and his eyes betrayed nothing while they watched the newcomers lower their hoods.

"Forgive me my rudeness. I am Lucius Malfoy and these are my companions; Fenrir Grayback of the Werewolves and Grima Dauntless of the Vampires."

"Rouges." Gabriel pressed out through his teeth with disdain clear in the tone of his voice. Silent whispers spread over the room. Fenrir sneered at them while Grima winced.

"Excuse me?" Lucius asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Those Kindred that go against the will of the Conclave are considered Rouges and are no longer welcome here in the City." Silvanus said. His voice was like ice and eyes like unforgiving glaciers.

"We are not here to discuss their will, my Lord." Lucius tried to appeal to the High Regent. "They have listened to my Master's offers and found them appealing. I know that when you listen to them they will be to your liking as well." Silvanus was about to say something when another voice broke the silence of the Hall.

"And what would those offers be, Mr. Malfoy"? Silvanus and Gabriel exchanged glances of shock. Both almost choked on air when Septimus and Ondine appeared on either side of the throne behind them. They looked at each other again when realization hit them. A figure moved through shadows and walked down the middle of the room. The darkness cleared and Lucius and the other two felt an incredible killing intent aimed at them.

The stranger circled them and then started his track up the stairs and to the throne. Silvanus stood up and moved to the side. He met his eyes and bowed his head. Gabriel, Septimus and Ondine did the same. Lucius choked on whatever words he wanted to say. When those black eyes looked at him he felt like the lowest life form in the world, and he didn't like that; he didn't like that at all.

The stranger had perfect white skin with onyx markings on his cheeks, and completely black eyes. He was slightly taller than Lucius with wider shoulders, and he radiated power Lucius never felt in his life; not even in Voldemort. The man's cloths were simple; a black button up shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black dress pants and dragon hide boots.

The first two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned and showed off just enough of the perfectly sculptured chest. If he wasn't so uncomfortable (Lucius refused to admit he was afraid) he would admit that the Vampire was quite a beauty for an obvious Dominant.

When the High Regent bowed to the Vampire, Lucius' eyes widened and he realized who that man was.

They were standing in front of the King of Kindred himself.

Those black eyes focused on him again. The King settled comfortably in his chair with Silvanus to his right and Gabriel to his left. The female guard stood behind Gabriel and the male behind Silvanus.

"Well then, Mr. Malfoy? What does your _Master_ offer to us?" the King drawled almost disinterestedly and Lucius tried to remember what he was supposed to say.

"Before I answer I would like to know who I am addressing." Lucius said although he had to try hard to make his voice as smooth and self-assured as it always was. The King looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Never in his life has Lucius felt so _little_.

"How very rude of me." The King drawled mockingly. All of a sudden Lucius didn't want to know this man. Those black eyes promised nothing good. The King looked at the male guard and nodded. The man took a step forward and with a hidden smirk in his eyes made the announcement.

"It is a great honor to present to you the King of Kindred; Araceil, King under the Sun and Moon!"

* * *

**Hope you liked it!**

**Tell me what you think, please?!**

**All my love, ****  
****Ms. Yuki**


	13. Coming Home

Complete silence fell over the room as every head turned to their smirking King. He was sitting in his chair leaning on his left elbow on the left armrest, while his right hand rested on the right one and he was tapping against the surface with his clawed, index finger.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy? You asked for conference with us. Don't waste our time." Lucius swallowed and took a small step forward.

"My apologies, Your Highness. We were not aware we would be speaking to you directly. You must understand we are quite surprised." The King tilted his head to the side, observing Lucius with a scrutinizing gaze. The blond man felt as though he stood revealed in front of the Dark Creature. Those black eyes were like two infinite wells of power and wisdom beyond this world.

Lucius was afraid; he was very afraid.

"That matters not, Mr. Malfoy." The King spoke. With inborn gracefulness he stood up and slowly descended the stairs. "What matters is that you came onto our territory, that you were led here by two Rouges and that you violated the Sanctuary many considered home throughout history far before your time."

"But, Your Highness-…" black eyes narrowed, and the King's Markings seemed to glow in the darkness.

"It was not your Lord's right to send a messenger onto our land. As it is custom, and as a Lord your Voldemort should know that, he should have summoned one of us to neutral lands to arrange a treaty, but no. Just like with all else your Lord has shown an alarming lack of respect when dealing with Royalty, and I assure you, Mr. Malfoy that means a lot to us." Lucius swallowed difficultly and bowed his head.

"Your Grace, I apologize in the name-…"

"You are overstepping your rights, Human." The King spoke lowly. Lucius swallowed and bowed his head lower, never taking his eyes off of the King. The King turned away from him and his eyes passed over the Overlords.

"My Brethren." his velvety, hypnotizing voice carried over the room. "We know what this Dark Lord offers to us. We also know what he did during the first war. Our blood was needlessly shed; our younglings have died, our Elders have suffered." Many Overlords looked away from their King with their eyes filled with grief. "We know that our Mother still remembers the Blood of her Children which was spilled for a meaningless war-…"

"This war is not meaningless-…"

"Silence, Rouge!" Araceil roared and Fenrir hissed and recoiled. "For as long as the blood of the Innocent is spilled, this war is meaningless. For as long as our Mother cries tears of grief over her Children, this war is meaningless. For as long as this war leads to Darkness and Sorrow and Pain, this war is meaningless." Araceil turned to his people again and his eyes wrecked over them.

"In the last war the Kindred stood neutral!" he spoke as he made his way back to his throne. As he took a seat he looked down at Lucius, and the Wizard bowed his head quickly. "It is our decision whether we will join this war or not, and if we do join, on whose side we will fight." Camellia stood from her chair and gazed over her fellow Overlords.

"I saw the last war! I saw what this _Lord Voldemort_ did during his reign of terror. I refuse to allow him to do the same this time around."

"But he offers us equality!" one of the younger Overlords, Kieran of the Werewolves, said. "He offers us our rightful place in the world."

"Do not be deceived, my Kin!" Raiden of the Woodland Elves spoke. "He plans on ruling alone. No one will be his equal."

"What does our King say?!" Krönen called out and everyone focused on Araceil, who was gazing at their guests. Lucius looked as though he wished he was anywhere but here. It was obvious that his diplomatic ways would not suffice here. Fenrir looked as though he wished he could chop off a head or two and his first target would be Araceil, and Grima looked like he would start crying in fear any minute now.

"One side hunted us because we are considered below them, the other because they wish to use us. We have been neutral thus far, and so it will stay."

"But, Your highness-…"

"Silence!" and silence there was. "We know both Darkness and Light; both Evil and Good, and we know the Balance between them. That Balance has been disturbed and Natural Order must be reinstated!" as their King spoke the Overlords bowed their heads. "We shall join the war, but on whose side has yet to be decided!" content settled over the gathered Overlords. "At this moment we are neutral. We shall observe both sides and decide on an alliance once we have enough information on both Light and Dark."

"Permission to speak, your Highness?" Lucius spoke up and Araceil waved his right hand almost carelessly "Our Lord hoped we'd bring him news on how this meeting played out. What are we to tell him?"

"You will tell him nothing." Araceil's voice was a low rumble laced with a silent threat, and Lucius felt a shiver run down his body. "Your companions are Rouges and they violated our Law; no Rouge is to set foot in our City. They have gone against the Will of the Conclave and the Will of their Overlord. By all means they are dead to us." Grima whimpered while Fenrir growled and Lucius paled and swallowed with slight difficulties. "Even though you are but an emissary, you carry the name of your Lord. Our Laws say we cannot hurt you. Your Lord could consider it a direct threat, although I sincerely doubt it." Lucius' eyes widened when Araceil shot him a pointed look. "Unless you agree to have your memory altered, so that you can never lead anyone into this City again, you can never leave this city." Lucius bowed his head and Araceil smirked, but when his eyes landed on the two Rouges they filled with sadness. "Fenrir Grayback and Grima Dauntless." the two Kindred straightened, although Grima looked like he was holding back tears. "You have no choice in the matter of how your treachery will be handled. You will have your memories altered so that you do not remember the way to our City. You will never set foot on our land again. No one will ever be allowed to lead you here. Grima Dauntless; because you abandoned your Coven, you will forever be considered dead to the Conclave and your Coven. Any and all contact between you and them will result in your death, and expulsion of the one you contacted." Grima gasped and bowed his head in resignation.

The Overlords bowed their heads. Thus said the Law and so it had to be done. They looked at their King and saw the deep sadness in his eyes. This pained him as much, if not even more than it pained them.

"Fenrir Grayback; you led your whole pack away from the Conclave. They are no longer considered Kin. Once this war is decided, for Light or for Dark, it will not matter. You will move your Pack to a different location. This Punishment will apply for the living members of your Pack." Araceil's voice was grave. "So it was written, so it shall be done." Fenrir sneered at him.

"You will regret ever doing this." He growled and Araceil shook his head.

"No, Rouge. Regret comes out of guilt and I know no guilt. Septimus, Ondine." The two guards stepped forward.

"Yes, Our King."

"Take those two to the dungeons. Make sure they are taken care of and are out of our City by sunrise. Place Mr. Malfoy in the west wing. There is someone who would like to speak with him on a more _personal_ matter." Septimus and Ondine bowed and walked down the stairs. In a matter of seconds they were out of the room. Araceil was silent for a moment.

"My Sovereign, permission to speak?" Krönen of the Centaurs spoke up and Araceil nodded at him. "As one of the last remaining Elders, I wish you welcome in the name of all gathered Overlords. We have been told of your condition and have hoped that the state you were in would not last. We are happy you are again with us, for we feared that we lost you shortly after we finally found you." Araceil smiled and his eyes shifted to the original emerald and silver. The silver lining on the outer edge of his irises was now a bit thicker and the emerald shone with magic. His markings thinned slightly and the air around him felt a bit lighter.

"I am happy as well to be amongst you. For the past two months I have been on the Astral Plaines finishing what some of you started." He fell silent as he looked around at the men and women surrounding him. "When I first came here I promised my allegiance to you and asked nothing in return. My decision to be your King hasn't changed, but there is a choice I must make. As your King it is my duty to keep the Balance in the world. Like I said; the Balance was broken. I know many of you do not wish to fight and some of you do. I will ask of no one to do something they aren't ready to do. This war is not our war. It is the war of the Wizards. I was a Wizard, as were many of you. But do not let former loyalties cloud your judgment. I am aware that we cannot sit through this war, but if neither side deserves our help, then neither side will get it."

"Are you saying that we will stay neutral?" Aure of the Sidhe asked.

"No. I am saying that if need be we will divide our forces. The Light is too lost in their prejudice against Darkness, and the Dark side lost sense of themselves, and lost themselves in Evil. Balance must be reinstated, and if the reinstitution of the old Monarchies is needed then so it shall be done."

"We will stand neutral then?" Lamenta asked.

"For the moment it is for the best." Celebros agreed.

"But how will we observe them? You said, my King, that the Light holds too much contempt towards us. We cannot hide who we are from them." Kieran wondered and Araceil nodded.

"That is why I need one of you, _only_ one of you, to volunteer to go and observe the Dark Lord. I know I am asking much, but whether I like it or not, I know that we will be forced to join this war, and it would be better to do so on our own terms." Approving glances were exchanged among the Overlords. Camellia smiled for herself and stood up, standing tall when other Overlords looked at her in confusion.

"Lady Camellia?" her King smiled warmly at her.

"My King." She bowed her head lowly before she looked at him with determination. "It would be my honor to help you gather the necessary information. In my pack there is a Shadow Walker. She can go to this Lord Voldemort and bring back whatever information you need." Araceil smiled again and nodded at her.

"Thank you, Lady Camellia. I will send for you later. Tell your Pack member to join you for the meeting."

"My Lord?" Korshak called out and Araceil smiled at the old Goblin. Korshak nodded in acknowledgment and bowed at his King. "What about the Light?"

"I am afraid that this one I will have to handle personally." Outraged Overlords stood in protest.

"Silence!" the silence that settled over the hall was deafening. "The Light will not show their true face to the King of Kindred, and they will be extra careful around him. But around their Savior someone is bound to talk." his eyes darkened. "And talk they will."

* * *

Silvanus walked into Araceil's chambers and found the young Vampire King standing beside the window looking out at the snow covered city. The Sun fought its way through the clouds and for the first time in centuries there were children running out on the streets.

"My King." He murmured and got down on one knee as Araceil turned to look at him.

"Silvanus." He breathed out with a low chuckle. He kneeled in front of the Regent and took his elbows in his gentle, and yet strong hands and looked into his eyes. "There is no need for formalities outside of the Hall. Please, just because I look different doesn't mean I changed as a person; I am still Harry." Silvanus' eyes filled with tears and he all but threw himself into Harry's arms.

"I am so sorry!" He cried out. "If I had known-…"

"You couldn't have stopped it, Silvanus. It was bound to happen, one way or another. I had too much to learn, and if I stayed here it would have taken too long. Even in the Astral Plaines it took me 6 years of intense work to master everything I needed." As Harry spoke they stood up and Silvanus looked at him wide-eyed.

"6 years? But you were asleep for-…"

"The time on Astral Plaines flows differently. My head starts hurting when I try to calculate the difference." Silvanus laughed and wiped his tears away. "If anything I should be apologizing to you, Silvanus. I should have found a way to inform you of my condition, but I had one choice and-…"

"You had to talk with your Dragon one way or another." Harry smiled warmly and his eyes filled with love. He looked out the window and covered his heart with his hand. Silvanus frowned in suspicion at first but then complete shock colored his ethereal features.

"You have completed the Third Bond! But - but how?!" when Harry turned and Silvanus felt the full blow of his smile he knew why the City itself felt more alive. Their King finally learned how to Love and Live. Silvanus relaxed, sighed and shook his head.

"Shanyek dgane, em ptai."(Miracles do happen, I suppose.) Harry laughed out loud and nodded his head. Silvanus tilted his head to the side with a small, fond smile on his face. Their King was finally the man he was destined to become.

"Em ptai ön!" (I suppose they do!) the door opened and in walked Gabriel. He bowed low missing the happiness that shone in Harry's eyes when he looked at him.

"The Overlords have been taken care of and the-…" the rest of his sentence was cut off when Harry appeared beside him and enveloped him in a warm hug. After a moment of shocked hesitation Gabriel closed his eyes and returned the hug whole heartedly.

"Em ndeye xi, Othame." (I missed you, Father.) Harry murmured and Gabriel let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding as he buried his face in his son's hair.

"Em ndeye xi dkor, d'e." (I missed you too, Son.) They parted and Gabriel took a good look at Harry. They were at the same height now. Gabriel took in Harry's features all the way form the longer, silky hair with silvery white tresses at his temples and in his bangs to the more chiseled lines of his face.

"It is good to have you back, Son. There is a lot we must do." Harry nodded.

"Yes, but there is still time. We have all the time we need." Gabriel smiled.

"Come, Emrys and Eve don't know you woke up yet and they are both desperate to see you awake." Harry chuckled.

"I have to see both of them. By tomorrow evening I must make my way to Britain. Hogwarts will release students the day after tomorrow so I need to make sure Draco and everyone he plans to take with him are comfortable in the Gryffindor Manor." Gabriel looked at Silvanus and the Regent nodded at him.

"I must go and meet my Coven, but I cannot leave Emrys yet." He said and looked at Harry who smiled at him reassuringly.

"I can bring Emrys with me; either way I expect you to join me in Britain. I am taking Septimus and Ondine with me as well; as the King's Emissary I have to have Bodyguards, don't I?" Gabriel and Silvanus laughed at the smirk that decorated Harry's handsome features.

"I will do my best to keep the City safe." Silvanus promised and Harry nodded at him.

"You have done a great job throughout the years. I have no doubt that you will keep the city in one piece, but we will still remain in constant contact."

"But how? All the Communication lines are heavily watched." Silvanus worried, but after Harry winked at him in a conspiratorial way he felt a shiver of giddiness pass over his back. Harry smirked and whistled a low, even note. With a flash of white mist a beautiful white owl appeared on Harry's shoulder. She hooted lowly and nipped at Harry's ear.

"Gabriel, Silvanus, I want you to meet one of my most loyal friends; Hedwig. Well Hedwig, what do you think?" the ghost owl hooted shortly and looked at the two men. She bobbed her head up and down and Harry chuckled. "She likes you."

"Harry, but – but how?" Gabriel stuttered out in obvious confusion.

"She was my Familiar." Harry explained. "Our bond was strong. Oracle gave her to me because she knew Hedwig would be very helpful in this time of need." He raised his hand and two black envelopes appeared in his hand.

"Here you go, girl. Your first job will be to take the first one to Draco and the second one to Dumbledore. Come back to me once you're done, and make sure no one sees you." He said and gave the letters to Hedwig. She hooted, took them in her beak and flew off into the air, before she disappeared in a cloud of white mist. When Harry looked at Silvanus and Gabriel he saw the two smiling at him. "What?"

"Nothing, son. You're just full of surprises." Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Come. I wish to see Emrys and Eve before my talk with Mr. Malfoy. Gabriel, you have to make sure they are ready to travel by noon tomorrow. I can apparate all of us directly to Gryffindor Manor." They slowly made their way down the stairs.

"Emrys shouldn't-…"

"Father." they stopped in the middle of the hallway and Harry looked at Gabriel with a reassuring gleam in his eyes. "Trust me. I would sooner harm myself than allow any harm to befall either taye or the d'ata." (papa, child) Harry walked beside Gabriel so he missed the look of utter joy and pride that settled over Gabriel's face. Silvanus covered his smile with his hand and he and Gabriel followed after Harry who walked in a brisk, self-confidant stride down the hallway of the palace.

Things started to become quite interesting.

* * *

Draco sighed and pushed his food over the plate. How he wished this was all over and he was on his way out of this place. All of them were leaving Hogwarts for the Holidays. Severus and Remus would have to remain in Hogwarts, but Narcissa would be leaving with them.

Now, the only thing missing was the portkey that would take them to where ever Harry decided to house them.

"Draco?" Pansy called for him and he looked up. "Cheer up, Draco. I'm sure everything's alright."

"Yeah, I'm sure Harry's just fine." Blaise said and Draco smiled.

"It's not that. I can't wait to see him, but at the moment I'm more worried about Dumbledore. That old coot's been staring at us throughout the whole meal." And indeed if one was to look carefully, they would see that Albus Dumbledore kept a close eye on the Rouge Slytherins.

Ever since he returned to Hogwarts Draco and the others had to be more careful than before.

"You're right. I don't like this." Vincent murmured and Draco nodded. All of a sudden in a gust of white mist a black envelope landed on the table in front of Draco. Another poof alerted everyone to another letter and Draco turned to see that Dumbledore received a letter as well. Draco took a deep breath and looked down at the envelope in his hands.

"Draco, what is it?" Draco shook his head at Pansy's question.

"I don't know. I've never seen a black envelope." He said and turned it over. It wasn't sealed in any way, but when the light hit it just right an emerald and silver watermark appeared. It was the same phoenix and the basilisk he'd seen before.

Draco swallowed and slowly opened the envelope. His hands were shaking so hard he was surprised he hadn't dropped the letter.

He pulled out a white, neatly folded piece of paper. In the middle of it, in black neat writing stood a short message

_I will see you soon, kha'bí.  
Be ready tomorrow at 19:30.  
The portkey is in the letter.  
The activation word is 'omwe'. _

_I love you._

Draco's hands started shaking even more as he fought back the tears of joy. Only years of hiding managed to keep back the huge smile which would have broken over his face. He let go of the letter and it disappeared in black flames. He turned the envelope and a small pendant in the shape of a dragon fell out.

"Draco?"

"We're leaving." He said shortly. "Tomorrow at 19:30 we need to be ready to take off."

"Is he-…?" Draco nodded his head and looked up. His friends wore expectant looks on their faces and hope shone in their eyes.

"Harry is back."

* * *

Eve and Emrys were in the living room of Gabriel and Emrys' chambers playing a game of Chess when the door opened to let Gabriel in. Eve jumped up and Emrys just straightened in his chair. He looked absolutely radiant. The baby could be born any day now and the excitement made his eyes shine.

"Gabriel? The meeting is already over?" Eve asked and Gabriel nodded as a smile bloomed on his face.

"Yes. The Conclave came to a unanimous decision." Eve and Emrys exchanged confused glances.

"How? I mean, Harry-…" the two jumped in their places when a low chuckle came from behind Gabriel. As if coming from the shadows, a tall, dark figure stepped out. Smooth pale skin, dark black, gray streaked hair and shimmering emerald eyes made them both gasp in shock.

"Harry?" Gabriel and Harry exchanged amused glances before Harry looked at Eve.

"In person." Within a second Eve was in Harry's arms and tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh God, Harry!" she sobbed in his chest and Harry smiled sadly at her and patted her head.

"It's okay, Eve; I'm alright. This had to be done."

"Why?" she pushed back and looked up at him. "Why was this needed? Do you have any idea how worried we were; how afraid we were?"

"I know, Eve. I know how worried you were. I could feel it. But this had to be done; otherwise I wouldn't be ready in time." Eve whimpered and hugged him around his waist. Harry wrapped her in a protective embrace and she buried her face in his strong chest. "It's alright, Eve; I'm here now." He said. Eve pushed away and wiped the tears off of her face.

"Okay, but you have a lot of explaining to do." Harry chuckled and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"I know. But there will be time for story-telling. That time has yet to come." He looked at Emrys and smiled at the weeping Submissive. He rounded Eve and approached Emrys. Harry kneeled in front of the pregnant Vampire and looked up at him. Emrys ran his fingers through Harry's bangs and brushed a few soft strands behind his ears.

"Welcome back, Son." His voice broke and Harry smiled at him with love shining in his eyes.

"It is good to be back." He said. "There are some things we must discuss. I have one more thing I have to handle before I am ready to leave."

"You're leaving again?" Eve cried out.

"Calm down, Eve." Silvanus said as he walked in followed by Septimus and Ondine.

"I will not calm down! He just woke up, he can't-…"

"Would it calm you if I told you I am taking you, Emrys, Septimus and Ondine with me and that Gabriel would join us for Christmas?" Eve stopped in the middle of her rant when she saw the smirk on Harry's face.

"Oh! Yes; yes it would." She said and took a seat in an armchair.

"Harry-…"

"Do not worry, taye. I would sooner hurt myself then bring any harm to you or my sibling." Emrys suddenly smiled widely.

"Oh, Harry." He breathed out and hugged Harry to the best of his abilities. Soon they all settled around the room and Harry related to them everything about the meeting and the decisions they made.

It was early in the morning when Hedwig flashed back and interrupted their little meeting. Harry patted the ghost owl and she disappeared with a hoot, leaving a white envelope in Harry's hands. Harry broke the Hogwarts seal and took out the letter.

"Dumbledore's?" Gabriel asked. Harry nodded.

"Yes. I sent him a notice in which I explained that the Dark Lord already approached us and that we have declared neutrality in this war for the moment. I also said that the Conclave decided to send someone in to see if the so called Light side is anything better."

"You said you would go as Harry Potter, but you no longer look like a 16 year old boy." Ondine said and Harry smirked.

"Don't you just _adore_ Concealing Magic." He drawled and comprehension shone in everyone's eyes while Harry snorted and opened Dumbledore's letter. "Dumbledore will get the surprise of his lifetime when his precious Golden Boy enters his halls with two Vampires behind him." Everyone chuckled while Harry unfolded the letter. "Your Royal Highness…"

_I must admit that I was surprised when I received Your letter. I was not aware that the former Monarchy has been reinstated. It would be a great honor and pleasure to welcome Your ambassador to our Country._

_I am most pleased that You refused to join the Dark Lord's side. I know what he promises Your people and it comforts me to know that You have chosen the right side._

_I await Your ambassador in the castle of Hogwarts at the start of the new term as you suggested._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

"… Headmaster of Hogwarts, Order of Merlin yadda, yadda, yadda." Harry harrumphed and burned the letter in his hand. "Pompous coot." He muttered and his family laughed. Emrys and Gabriel shook their heads while Silvanus tried to cover his laughter with one delicate hand. Silvanus' booming laughter resonated through the room while Ondine and Eve rolled on the floor with laughter.

"It is unbelievable how people hear only what they wish to hear." Gabriel commented and Harry shook his head as stood up from his place beside Emrys.

"That is Albus Dumbledore for you. Anyway, I must go and talk with Mr. Malfoy now before I send him back to the other pompous coot. Please be ready to move out in two hours." He said and after a few hugs to Eve and Emrys left them with Ondine to pack, while Septimus, Silvanus and Gabriel followed him out.

"Septimus, go get ready. We will move out as soon as everyone's packed." Septimus turned down a hallway after bowing shortly to Harry. Harry made a sharp turn and led Silvanus and Gabriel into a drawing room.

"Gabriel, you must go as soon as possible, use Apparation as often as you can to reach your Coven as fast as possible." With a wave of his hand a cape clasp appeared in it. "This is a portkey directly linked to my signature. Use it once you're finished with your duties with your Coven to come to Gryffindor manor." Gabriel smiled and took the clasp. It was in the form of their crest and radiated magic.

"Alright. Take care, all of you." He said and went out. Harry turned and focused his attention on Silvanus. Before he could say anything Silvanus waved his hand elegantly and bowed from the waist.

"It will be a great honor to stand as your Regent until you return, my Sovereign." Harry smiled and bowed his head to the older man.

"You have my eternal gratitude, Ruach." Silvanus smiled widely and seemed to hop in his place.

"Now! Let's see that disguise you will use to fool that Headmaster of yours." Harry chuckled and closed his eyes. The magic buzzed in the air and Harry's features started to change right in front of Silvanus' eyes.

A minute earlier Harry's hair reached the middle of his back. Now it danced around his face in playful tresses. The gray hairs turned black again, and his face became smoother and he looked slightly thinner around his shoulders. All in all he looked like a boy again.

Silvanus clapped his hands excitedly and grinned.

"This is marvelous; simply marvelous!" Harry grinned and bowed his head.

"Thank you, Lord Silvanus. Now, let's go met with our guest." Silvanus smiled and started to lead the way. Harry walked behind him and did a few changes to his outfit, turning it into a uniform of the court officials.

It consisted of black trousers which followed the line of his strong legs and were tucked in knee high, dragon hide black boots. On his upper body was a black, dragon hide turtleneck which showed off his well formed arms; on it was a dark emerald waistcoat, and two metal gauntlets were on his arms which went from his elbows to his wrists. They were dark emerald with black and silver intricate designs. A black, thick scarf rested over his shoulders and danced behind him falling to his knees, but it was slightly raised on the left side of his chest to show the crest of the King which rested right over his heart.

His wand was hidden in his right sleeve and a long, curved sword rested against his left thigh on a loose black belt.

Silvanus looked over his shoulder and smirked. Even dressed like a servant and under a masking spell, Harry still radiated power.

They reached the chambers in the West wing and Silvanus smiled at the lackey, who bowed low and opened the door.

Silvanus entered first, followed by Harry. Lucius Malfoy stood up from the armchair he occupied. A sneer marred his face when he saw Harry behind Silvanus.

"Potter? What are you doing here?!" he spat out and reached for his wand. Silvanus' wand was aimed at Lucius before the blond could understand what was going on.

"You are in the presence of the High Regent and the King's Closest, Mr. Malfoy. I suggest you keep your disregard at a minimum." Silvanus spoke lowly and Harry took a step forward.

"My Lord, there is no need to worry. I can handle this myself. My King wished to speak to you, so you better go." Silvanus smiled at Harry and turned to look at him.

"Don't let him get to you too much. There is a long way before him."

"I only wish to speak with him. There are some things he must know if he wishes to survive what is sure to come."

"Oh? You're talking about his Highness' Mate?" Harry smirked and his eyes shadowed for a mere second. Lucius swallowed and took a small step black.

"Why, yes, my Lord." Harry drawled and Silvanus giggled.

"Alright then, I will leave you to it." Silvanus said and left the room. When the door closed and Harry was left alone with Lucius, the air became so heavy it was almost too difficult to breathe.

With slow, measured steps Harry rounded the sofa and took a seat in the armchair opposite of Lucius'. He leaned back comfortably, rested his elbows on the armrests, and entwined his fingers in front of his chest.

Lucius couldn't take his eyes off of Harry. Those emeralds he had for eyes promised nothing good.

"Why don't you sit down and relax, Mr. Malfoy? You are a guest here. No one will hurt you for as long as you're protected by the Rite of Embassy." Lucius took a seat carefully never taking his eyes off of Harry. The teen was different; very different. Lucius could hardly connect the young man that was sitting in front of him with the brat he fought before. He was completely calm and collected, and he looked as though he cared little about sitting right in front of a Death Eater; a Death Eater who wasn't exactly in his Lord's graces and who would take him and deliver him to Voldemort without a second thought. Lucius' thoughts were broken when Harry chuckled and tilted his head to the side with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Don't dwell on those thoughts, Mr. Malfoy. Kidnapping me isn't possible. Even if you somehow tried you would make sure that the Kindred wouldn't fight on your side in this war." Lucius' eyes widened before he managed to stop himself.

"You are the King's Closest." Lucius pressed out through his teeth and Harry merely smiled. "What is it you want with me, Potter?" it took all his self-control not to spit that name out, and judging by the smirk on the brat's face he knew it; he knew it all too well.

"I am here to deliver you a _friendly_ warning." Harry chose his words carefully. "His Highness, King Araceil decided to send an Emissary to the Light side. Both Voldemort and Dumbledore will be observed and then the decision will be made whose side in this war we will take. I am here to warn you that King Araceil's Mate is a student at Hogwarts. Should any harm befall him, and should that be a consequence of your Lord's doing, you will lose the possibility of any sort of alliance with the Kindred."

"What does that have to do with me?" Lucius spat out and Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously. Lucius observed him quietly, and it hit him a moment later. "Draco."

"Correct." Harry bit out and Lucius swallowed difficultly.

"The Vampire that was with Draco this summer; the Vampire that saved my wife and him-…" Harry had to try hard to resist the urge to clap at the older man and simply nodded. "He was the King. He was right under our noses the whole time and we didn't even-…" Lucius looked at him and his eyes widened when he looked in Harry's eyes. "And you -…" a small smirk tugged on Harry's lips revealing his growing fangs. "You were turned. You're a Vampire."

"3 of 3, Mr. Malfoy." Harry drawled and clapped slowly. "Very good."

"What will you do to me?" Lucius' voice broke no matter how hard he tried to stop himself from showing the fear he felt. Harry chuckled and stood up slowly. He approached Lucius and stopped beside him. He placed his left hand on Lucius' left shoulder and the man shivered when a wave of power washed over him. Harry stared at the wall in front of him as his eyes bled into black.

"I will do nothing to you, Lucius Malfoy." He spoke strongly, keeping a tight control over his magic. "But if you ever approach Draco again with intent to hurt him I promise, things will not go smoothly. You can tell your precious master that if he wants to have a fair chance to have the King of Kindred help him in this war he will keep away from Hogwarts for as long as your son is in there and could be hurt in Voldemort's foolish attempt to conquer the Wizarding world." Lucius felt something cold and threatening wash over him and the hold Harry had on his shoulder grew stronger, making the Wizard wince in pain. "You won't be able to tell anyone that you've met me here. That will remain our little secret." Harry let go of Lucius and the man let go of the breath he was holding. He looked at Harry as the young Vampire walked over to a window and looked out. Ever so slowly Lucius stood up and his wand appeared in his hand. He realized a moment later that it was a foolish move.

"You are not a smart man." A heavily accented voice made him turn around quickly and Harry chuckled lowly as he looked at him over his shoulder and his emerald eyes shone with a clear warning.

"Strata, Mari; put your wands down." Harry said to the two twin Werewolves that stood in the doorway with their wands pointed at Lucius. They were identical twins; tall and bulky, with short brown hair and harsh amber eyes.

"My Lord-…"

"He is not a threat to me, Strata." Harry turned to face all three of them and Lucius shivered when those emerald eyes dove in his light blue ones. "Is everything ready?"

"We are ready to erase his memories." Mari spoke up and Harry nodded. "Strata and I will then take him to the borders."

"Thank you, Mari; Strata. His Highness is very grateful for your help." The two bowed low to Harry, and the young Vampire nodded at them before he looked at Lucius again. "Remember what I told you, Mr. Malfoy. You will not be able to speak of me to Voldemort, but I am sure you'll find a way to tell your master that your son is out of his reach." With that said Harry walked out of the room, leaving Lucius alone with the two Werewolves. Lucius swallowed difficultly not even trying to keep his image anymore.

His Lord won't be happy with him.

He won't be happy at all.

* * *

"Are you ready to go?" Harry asked when he found his family waiting for him in front of the great entrance. Emrys and Gabriel were just sharing their last kiss, while Eve, Septimus and Ondine stood to the side practically buzzing with excitement.

"Yes, we are. Our things are in our pockets and we're ready to set off, Emissary Potter." Septimus said with a smirk and Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He didn't change from his outfit, and didn't take the Glamour off. Emrys and Gabriel parted and Eve gave her forefather a hug.

"I will see you all on Christmas. Take care." Gabriel said and disapparated after smiling at Harry. Harry looked at his family and smiled at them.

"Let's go then. It won't do you all any good to stand outside in the cold for too long, especially not to taye and my sibling." (papa) And with that Harry snapped his fingers and in a swirl of colors they left the city behind.

* * *

The time was almost right.

Draco looked at his wristwatch for the hundred time.

19:27

"Everyone; get ready!" he called out and made sure that Cory (now slightly bigger than a while ago) was tucked safely inside his cloak. His friends and mother gathered around him and took a firm hold of the chain and the pendant.

"Everyone ready?"

"I can't wait to see what Harry has in store for us!" Pansy said.

"I can't wait to see Harry. Period." Ginny and Hermione spoke in unison and grinned. Draco smiled and his eyes shone with excitement.

"Alright then! 3, 2, 1; omwe!" and they were gone in a swirl of colors.

* * *

They appeared in a beautiful hallway with a high ceiling, decorated with griffins and lions and angels. The whole hall was made out of wood including the stairs which parted to two different hallways. In the middle, over the huge wall hung a tapestry with the Potter Crest.

Everyone gasped at the sheer warmth which washed over them the moment they appeared there.

"Good Merlin." Blaise murmured as he looked around.

"I knew Potters had it good, but this?" Vincent looked at Pansy and saw her looking around with mouth open and eyes wide.

"This is Harry's home?" Ginny whispered.

"It looks marvelous considering no one lived here for over 30 years." Narcissa commented.

While everyone looked around in wonder, Draco couldn't calm his quickly beating heart. He could feel him. Harry was close; he was so very close.

"Draco?!" a woman's voice called for him and he turned to see Eve standing in a doorway.

"Eve? Eve, you're here too!" he let go of Cory, who jumped down and trotted to a tall wooden lamp by the stairs while Eve and Draco met in a warm hug.

"Good God, Draco; you've grown even more handsome since the last time I saw you." Eve murmured as she hugged him tightly and Draco laughed.

"And you look as radiant as ever, Eve." They parted and Eve checked him over before she looked at the group of people staring at them in expectation.

"Are these your friends?" Draco nodded and led her to the small group of confused people.

"Guys, this is Eve, Harry's grade school teacher and the human descendant of Harry's Sire. Eve, these are my friends; Blaise, Pansy, Vincent, Gregory, Hermione, Ginny and Neville. And this is my mother, Narcissa."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all." Eve said before she turned to look at Draco with an excited smile. "Come, Draco. There is someone who's dying to see you again." Draco's eyes widened and his heart did a strange kind of jump in his chest. Eve pulled him along through the door she came through. In the back of his mind, Draco knew the others were following them, but as they walked down a hallway towards a door at the very end, the only thing Draco could think of was the growing feeling of warmth and safety in his heart.

They stopped in front of the door and Eve turned shortly to wink at Draco before she pushed the door open.

"We'll need to organize ourselves once we're there; the Horcruxes will be-…" Harry's voice faded away and his whole body tensed up. Draco could only see Harry's back because he was talking with two other Vampires, but Draco would recognize him anywhere.

Harry's long hair was gathered in a low ponytail with a silver clasp, but some of it fell loose and danced around his face as Harry slowly turned and faced Draco.

Draco's breath hitched in his throat as those emerald orbs settled on him.

Everything felt so surreal.

He tried to move forward but his legs wouldn't budge.

"Draco?" when his name left Harry's lips in a whisper it was like a dam broke in him. He didn't remember how he got there but the moment he landed in Harry's strong arms something in him burst.

The magic in the room seemed to dance around them.

Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and felt Harry's arms wrap themselves around his waist. Harry lifted him up slightly and hid his face in Draco's neck. Draco's face was covered in tears of joy and silent sobs shook his body.

"Harry." he whispered and tightened his hold on the Vampire. He could feel Harry smile against his neck and those arms tightened around his waist.

"I'm home."

* * *

**Hehe!**

**I think this one's pretty good, don't you?**

**All my love,  
Ms. Yuki**


	14. New Arrivals

Narcissa, the Slytherins and the Gryffindors couldn't take their eyes off of the beautiful scene in front of them. They were also trying to connect the man holding Draco with the boy that left Hogwarts a few months ago. Draco said Harry looked slightly different, but obviously their definition of different and his didn't see eye to eye.

Harry Potter was gone; in front of them was a powerful Vampire whose mere presence demanded respect. Never the less there was still something familiar about him. There was something familiar in the way he held Draco; the way he looked at him when they finally parted, and the way he looked at them with eyes full of gratitude and acceptance.

"Neville, Ginny, it is a pleasure to see you here." The two blushed furiously when Harry addressed them and bowed their heads making Harry chuckle as he looked at the others. "I see Severus and Remus decided to stay back." He commented and looked at Draco who nodded at him. The blond Slytherin's right hand was resting on Harry's right elbow as if Draco was still trying to convince himself the Vampire was really there.

"They decided to stay behind and cover for us. We know that once Dumbledore finds out we left Hogwarts he won't be able to ignore everything we've done. We've hoped the two would be able to deter him away from us, at least for the holidays." Harry frowned.

"I'm afraid you are hoping for too much, yunyíem." (sweetness) Harry spoke warmly. "But anyway-…" he smiled and looked at his silent group of friends. "There are more joyous things we have to talk about. We should all go to the Drawing room; I do believe we will be more comfortable there."

"Harry?" the Vampire looked at Eve and nodded minutely. "If you don't mind I will go and check up on Emrys; see if he needs anything."

"He should be sleeping and Dippy should be with him, but you can go. You already know everything."

"My Lord-…"

"Septimus." Harry interrupted the other Vampire with an exasperated tone. "We are among friends. There is no need for formalities." Septimus pursed his lips and looked aside with an almost pouting frown, and Ondine sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Ignore him, Harry. Take your family to the Drawing room while Septimus and I go and inspect the wards. We'll take care of everything."

"If it's not too much of a bother, Ondine; I have a lot to make up for." Harry said with a grateful smile and Ondine nodded.

"Not a problem at all." She grabbed Septimus' hand and all but dragged him out of the office, leaving Harry alone with everyone. He chuckled and shook his head with a small smile.

"How those two came to be Mates is beyond my comprehension."

"You're the one to talk." Draco murmured and Harry looked at him with a loving smile.

"Right." He said and leaned forward to kiss Draco's forehead, and the smaller man chuckled. "Come; I'll order some tea to be brought into the Drawing room. Like I said; we'll be more comfortable there. I'm sure you have many questions." He started to lead the way out of the office and the others followed.

"Starting with that 'Lord' thing." Blaise grumbled and Harry chuckled as he pushed a double door open and led them into a beautiful big room, colored in pastel greens and light browns with a magnificent white marble fireplace. Tall, floor to ceiling windows, with white see-through drapes showed a beautiful sight of snow covered fields, which faded into the setting sun.

In front of the fireplace were two sofas facing each other and two armchairs on each side around a light brown, low tea table.

Above the fireplace was a portrait of two young women. They both had waist long, curly, light brown hair and smiling hazel eyes, and they wore similar white dresses. They were sitting in a park on a wooden bench with their hands entwined between them. In one corner of the room was a grand white concert piano and beside it, in front of a white chair was a beautiful cello.

Along the walls were a few more pictures, some of green, summer sceneries, and others of the two girls either playing their instruments together or sitting somewhere in the manor.

"Who were they?" Pansy asked while everyone settled around the tea table.

"They were Miriam and Mirabelle Potter. Miriam was my great-grandmother. This was their favorite room, as you can tell, up until Mirabelle was murdered by one of Grindelwald's followers. Ever since then and up until my father inherited the Gryffindor Manor and moved in with my mother, this room was sealed shut. Mother reopened the room."

"It's beautiful." Ginny said and got nods from Hermione and Narcissa.

"Tinky!" Harry called out and a small House Elf, dressed in what could be the uniform of the Gryffindor family, popped in with a big smile on her face and happiness in her big eyes.

"Yes, Master Harry, sir?" Harry sighed and one could see he barely held something back.

"Would you be so kind and bring us all some tea?"

"Of course, Master Harry, sir. Right away. And Tinky was to say to Master Harry that Lord Emrys is feeling very tired and that he will stay in his room. Lady Eve said she would stay with him."

"Thank you, Tinky. You're free to go." Harry said with a warm smile. The small Elf popped out and Harry quickly raised his right hand and looked at Hermione with a pointed look. "Not. A. Word." He stressed out and Hermione huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Harry sighed and shook his head before he took a seat in one armchair and Draco perched on the armrest beside him. Harry smiled up at him and placed his hand on Draco's thigh.

"You'll have to get used to people addressing you formally, Harry." Draco said and brushed a strand of raven black hair behind Harry's ear while the Vampire snorted and squeezed Draco's thigh lightly.

"I've been told so, but I am afraid I still find it unnecessary." Draco chuckled and shook his head with a fond smile.

"I'm not sure I'm following you two, but does this have anything to do with the 'Lord' thing? And who were those people?" Blaise drawled and Harry smiled a small smile.

"They are Septimus and Ondine; members of my Personal Guard."

"Why would you need a Personal Guard?" Vincent asked and Harry shot a short glance at Draco.

"Did you tell them anything?"

"Only what they absolutely needed to know." Draco shrugged and Harry sighed.

"Which means they know only what I've told them?" he murmured and Draco patted the hand Harry rested on his thigh. Harry looked heavenwards for a moment before he looked at the others and took a deep breath.

"Apparently, it's normal for the members of the Royal family to have someone breathe down their necks every time they feel the need to step out of their golden cage."

"Now, now, Your Highness. You know we want only the best for you." Harry smirked while his guests jumped in their seats. Draco, who felt Septimus coming over the Bond he shared with Harry, only smirked.

"I have a feeling my definition of what is best for me and your definition of the same thing don't quite see eye to eye." Harry drawled and Septimus glared at him.

"Now listen, you brat-…"

"How easy it is for you to forget who you're speaking to." Harry's voice lowered and his eyes darkened making Septimus tense up and his friends shivered because they never heard him speak like that. Sure they've seen him angry; they've seen him lose control.

But this wasn't his usual anger.

He was in perfect control over himself.

And that made him even more dangerous.

That made him an even bigger threat.

"I apologize, my Sovereign; I will try not to forget myself again." Septimus said with a smirk on his face and Harry suppressed a wince.

"Sovereign?" Greg stressed out.

"As in 'King'?" Blaise's eyes widened while the others gapped at Harry, and the young Vampire nodded minutely.

"You're the King of Kindred?" Narcissa breathed out with wonder in her eyes.

"Erm-…" Neville joined the conversation hesitatingly and everyone looked at him. "I understand the 'King' part of the deal, but I think that before you explain to us how you became a King on such a short notice, maybe you should first explain that 'King of Kindred' thing. As much as I know, but take into consideration that it isn't much, the Kindred are ruled over by the Council of Overlords; the Conclave."

"You're right." Septimus said and Neville frowned in confusion. "But only because the first King of Kindred was lost to us a very long time ago." Harry nodded in agreement and took over explaining everything.

"The King of Kindred can only be someone who has seen both Darkness and Light." He crossed his long, lean legs and leaned back in his armchair. "It has to be someone who knows the Balance, and someone powerful enough to be the one to guard that Balance and reestablish it when the world dips too far into one side or the other." He stopped as if he was looking for the right words and his eyes dulled slightly as he got lost in his thoughts. Draco frowned and squeezed Harry's hand reassuringly making the Vampire look at him with a small apologizing smile. "I'm sorry, kha'bí; I seem to have drifted off again." (beloved) Draco smiled and bowed down to kiss the crown of Harry's head.

"It's alright." He whispered. Harry took a deep breath and looked at the expectant faces of his friends and family. Septimus smiled at him encouragingly and nodded at him.

"It seems that the Fates deemed me powerful enough to take upon myself that role when I came into my inheritance. The real reason why I had to leave, except to be trained in my new powers, was to learn the way of Royalty and take my rightful place in the Hall of the Conclave."

"But that means-…" Narcissa muttered and Harry focused on her. "That means that this whole war depends on your decisions." Harry gifted her with a sad smile.

"I'm afraid that fact never changed, Narcissa. This war always rested on my shoulders, but I have to admit that even though it took some getting used to, my position as the King of Kindred made it all a bit easier."

"How? If what I think is correct then it is up to you whether the Kindred will or won't join the war, and on whose side they will fight." Blaise said and Harry nodded.

"Yes, you are correct. In the first war the Kindred stood neutral, aside from those who broke away from their Packs, Covens and Families. The decision was made for things to remain that way for now."

"What?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean by that?" Harry stopped the assault of questions by raising his right hand. Narcissa was the only one, aside from Draco and Septimus, who regarded him in a calm way.

"Both Dark and Light wronged us in the First war. The Light feared us, and still does, because they do not understand us and they don't even try. The Dark wants to use us, and that I cannot allow. Both have sunk to deep and the Balance has been disturbed."

"What will you do then?" Hermione asked and Harry smiled at her.

"I will send a spy into Voldemort's ranks. She will report to me and tell me exactly what is going on behind their lines, while I do my own research here. Dumbledore has already been informed of an Emissary from the King who will come to see if the Light side is worthy of our help or not. If neither side deserves our help then we shall infiltrate both sides and destroy them from the inside, starting with Voldemort and Dumbledore."

"You can't let the system collapse! It would bring to Anarchy!" Hermione cried out fearfully and Harry just raised his right hand calmly again.

"That is not something I will allow to happen. It is my duty to take care of the world. I know it sounds unbelievable that the world is well and truly in my hands, but I am afraid that it is indeed so. If need be I will start the reinstitution of the former Monarchies or at least the Council of Elders to make sure that the Wizarding world of Britain doesn't fall to ruins."

"But wouldn't it be considered take-over form your side? The rise of the Kindred would cause mass panic." Greg said and Harry nodded.

"That is why we will try to do everything as discreetly as possible." Harry said and that seemed to have eased some of their worries.

"So, what about this Emissary?" Hermione asked. "Will Master Septimus go?" at that Septimus burst out in uncontrolled laughter, followed by Harry and Draco's silent snickering.

"Good Merlin, Hermione, no. As a matter of fact I have a perfect person to shake up the Wizarding world." Harry said and a smirk covered his face telling everyone that he was up to no good.

"And who would that be?" Ginny asked. Harry chuckled and exchanged an amused glance with Draco.

"Why, Harry Potter!"

* * *

Draco stood by the window in the master bedroom. The windows were just as big as the ones in the Drawing room, but the drapes were the rich color of dark red and the walls were made out of polished mahogany wood. The bed was made out of black oak, just like the wardrobe and the little bedside tables, with heavy red curtains around the posts. The bed was almost overstuffed with black and dark red pillows made out of fine silk and the comforter was black with deep red linings.

Fire was burning in the fireplace made out of black marble, and the air was filled with the scent of sandalwood and musk.

A small shiver wrecked Draco's body as he took a seat in the armchair in front of the fireplace. He pulled his legs up and under himself as the warmth of the fire washed over him in waves. Lost in thought he failed to see and feel Harry enter the room. The Vampire leaned on the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest as he observed his Mate. A part of him still had problems accepting that this was all real. A part of him was still afraid that he would wake up and find Godric staring down at him with a huge grin, waiting for Harry to get up and train with him.

But the moment he would look at Draco the knowledge that he was finally with his Dragon again would calm his mind. He constantly kept repeating to himself that Draco missed him as well. Sure, to Draco it was only a few short months; Harry spent 6 years in the Astral Plains. His changed physical appearance confirmed that. By all rights he was a 21 year old Vampire, and Draco? Draco was still in many ways the same teen Harry left behind when he left Hogwarts.

In a way, that made Harry unsure of how to proceed with their relationship. Of course, he knew that Draco loved him; he knew Draco wanted him. But still; while Harry had 6 years to love Draco, 6 years for his feelings for Draco to grow and strengthen, Draco had only a few months. What Harry didn't know was if Draco was on the same page as he was so to say. Harry had 6 years of dreaming and hoping and _wanting_. He wanted to complete the Fourth Bond so hard it felt like his guts were turning into lead every time he would look at Draco. And yet he knew he couldn't do that. By all rights Draco was still young; hell _Harry_ was still young if one neglected his time in the Astral Plains. But Harry couldn't put it all behind. He couldn't erase those 6 years.

No.

He could only wait and see, and keep a tight reign over his emotions and needs until Draco was ready to complete the Bond.

Pushing those thoughts to the deepest parts of his mind, Harry looked at Draco and smiled lovingly at his small Mate.

Draco looked absolutely beautiful as he sat in that armchair bathed in the light of the fire, dressed in those too big pajamas. Harry instantly knew that the black shirt and pants Draco wore belonged to him at some point. The shirt hung off of Draco's shoulders and the sleeves had to be rolled up at least three times to fit him, but never the less he looked beautiful.

So frail.

So perfect.

The fire made his hair shine in every possible color of the burning sunset. His pale white skin seemed to glow like liquid gold and his silvery-gray eyes burned with so many emotions. A small sigh escaped those perfect lips and Harry felt something in him shift.

That small irregularity in his otherwise constant, calm flow of emotions caused Draco to notice his silent presence, and he turned his head to look at the raven haired Vampire. A loving smile settled on his perfect lips and Harry felt love flow over their Bond, and allowed his feelings for his little Mate to broadcast freely from his side.

"Harry?" the Vampire pushed himself away from the doorframe and made his way to Draco. He fit so well with the evening atmosphere of the room. His black trousers followed the firm line of his muscled legs. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his arms hung by his sides in a relaxed manner.

He moved like a panther circling his prey, but his eyes glimmered with such love and warmth, and the Bond was quivering from the love he felt, that Draco had problems keeping his breathing even. Unconsciously, he stood up and met Harry half way. He had to tilt his head back to keep looking in Harry's enchanting emerald eyes. Draco let go of a wavering breath when Harry reached up with his right hand and cupped his cheek lovingly.

"Is everything alright?" Draco managed to ask and Harry smiled at him before he leaned forward and stole a light kiss from Draco's willing lips.

"Everything is fine. Everyone's settled in their rooms and I just checked up on Emrys. He might join us for breakfast tomorrow." Draco nodded as Harry nuzzled his nose with his and his lips brushed against Draco's in a butterfly-like caress. Draco shivered when Harry placed his left hand on his waist and rested his hands on Harry's broad chest to steady himself. He sighed in content when Harry tilted his head back and leaned forward to place a few tender kisses down Draco's neck.

As if trying to make herself known, Cory shifted in her little basked by the feet of the bed and looked at her masters. She saw them lost in their own world and settled back to take her evening nap. Unaware of the little feline the two Mates basked in each other's presence, drinking everything the other had to offer.

"Did you finish with whatever needed your attention?" Draco asked. Harry smiled at him although Draco closed his eyes some time ago.

"Yes. Camellia fire-called to confirm that she and her pack-member would come for lunch two days after Christmas. I do not wish to send her anywhere before making sure she would be alright." Draco smiled and opened his eyes to look up at his Mate. The Bond was humming softly in his ears and he felt warm and safe for the first time in months.

"Still keeping your priorities in check, I see." He whispered and Harry chuckled as he caressed Draco's cheek with his thumb.

"I've neglected the most important one." He murmured and Draco frowned in slight confusion.

"You did what had to be done." He said and Harry smiled sadly. "Besides; you're here now. You came back to me." Draco dragged his hands up Harry's chest and neck, and cupped the Vampire's face in his hands before he climbed on the tips of his toes and kissed his loving Mate. He remembered the nights he spent with Harry in the bedroom of the Astral Plaines. The dreamed pleasure always left him aching for Harry's touch in the mornings. He entwined his fingers in Harry's raven black hair and watched as the grays turned golden in the light of the fire. His Harry. His Araceil. His King. Only his.

As if hearing what Draco thought, although their emotions were so strong they overrode all thought at the moment, Harry's eyes slowly turned black and Draco felt something in him burst leaving him breathless. In that moment the back of Draco's legs touched something and he fell back, and only then did he realize they somehow made it to the bed. His raven-haired Vampire kneeled on the bed between Draco's legs and leaned over him on his left elbow as he cupped Draco's left cheek with his right hand.

**"Mine."** The low growl that left Harry's – no, Araceil's lips sent a shiver down Draco's spine and the blond Slytherin gasped as warmth pooled in his stomach.

"Yours; only yours." He whispered as Harry kissed down his chin and neck, his lips following his right hand as he caressed Draco's chest. With clumsy fingers Draco reached in Harry's hair and unclasped the silver clasp that held it together. He threw the clasp somewhere and entwined his fingers in Harry's hair before he pulled the Vampire up into a scorching kiss. A shiver of magic passed over him and his shirt unbuttoned itself. Harry dragged his right hand down Draco's chest and side until he reached his hip and thigh and hoisted Draco's left leg up to hook it on his hip. He latched his lips onto Draco's neck, just over his quickly pumping jugular vein, and the younger man's breath hitched in his throat as he arched closer to his strong Dominant.

He licked at Draco's skin and the taste of his small Mate made his taste buds sing. Draco tasted better than any blood ever could; the sounds he made were like the most beautiful music ever composed.

Ever so slowly, Araceil moved his hand down and pushed the edge of Draco's pants lower. Almost insane need to feel that responsive, beautiful body shiver against his in the throes of passion took over any sane thought. He bit down on Draco's neck strong enough to leave a mark, but not to pierce skin. He knew that if he were to taste Draco's blood now he wouldn't be able to stop himself; he would mark him and finish the Bonding. But he couldn't do that; not yet.

"Don't." Harry looked up in Draco dilated eyes at the breathless plea and frowned in worry. "Don't stop." Something in Harry shivered when Draco cupped his face and pulled him into a kiss. He arched closer to the Vampire, their aching needs meeting through layers of clothing, and Harry growled low in his throat both in passion and in warning. "Please, Harry. Please. I missed you. I need you." Draco murmured against Harry's lips and the Vampire squeezed his eyes tightly shut as his body moved on its own. He kissed Draco hard, squeezing his hip with an almost bruising forced.

"Damn it." He breathed out as he buried his face in Draco's neck and the younger man wrapped his arms around his shoulders. With each quick, strained exhale Draco's breath fanned over Harry's ear and neck, fueling the desire and passion that threatened to overtake him. Draco's breath hitched in his throat and he threw his head back as his orgasm washed over him and Harry followed close behind. He leaned his whole weight on his left elbow as not to crush Draco and raised his head slowly to place a loving, warm kiss on Draco's quivering lips.

"You were – You're holding back." Draco breathed out and Harry looked in his eyes. He raised his right hand and caressed Draco's cheek with the back of his fingers.

"If I lose control I will complete the Bond, ma yunyí." (my sweet) he rasped out and Draco frowned in confusion. "I cannot do that; not yet." Draco cupped his face in his shivering hands and caressed Harry's cheekbones with his thumbs.

"What troubles you?" he whispered and Harry closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against Draco's. He swallowed difficultly as he breathed in Draco's pure, untainted scent. "Harry?"

"6 years." Harry's voice broke and Draco frowned in worry when he realized his Vampire was shivering. "I lived through 6 years without you. To you it may have been months, but to me-…" he opened his eyes and looked down at Draco, making the younger man see the full extent of his pain. "I buried myself in training. I _devoured_ everything they had to offer to stop myself from thinking of you; of how much I wanted – how much I needed you. For 6 years I slept alone and dreamt – _hoped_ that once I came back I would be able to complete the Bond with you and simply – simply be. But that's not possible."

"Harry-…"

"While I dreamt of it all for 6 years, you had just a few months without me. By all rights I'm 21, and you – I can't finish the Bond with you Draco, because I feel – I feel like I'd be forcing you into something you don't fully understand."

"What is there to understand, Harry?" Draco whispered and Harry looked at him with wide eyes. "Yes; I only had a few months to miss you. You suffered for 6 years without me, Harry, and you did it, all of it, to become stronger. You did it to become the King you're supposed to be and – and the Mate you want to be." Draco leaned up and kissed Harry lovingly. "You're my Harry. You're my King. Nothing will ever change that." Harry swallowed difficultly and rested his forehead against Draco's again.

"Merlin, I love you. You have no idea how much I love you." Draco kissed him lightly and nuzzled his nose against Harry's.

"I know, my King." He murmured and Harry moved back to look down at him. "I know; and I love you just as much." Harry let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding and slowly rolled to the side. He pulled Draco along and the smaller man nuzzled against Harry's strong chest. He closed his eyes as he basked in the feelings of love and safety that were washing over him in steady, strong waves. Draco could hear Harry's thoughts. He could feel his fears and doubts as if they were his own, and his heart ached for his Dominant. "I will never deny you, Harry." He said and looked up at his Mate; his King. He shifted around a bit before he leaned on his right elbow and looked down at Harry. He reached up with his left hand and caressed Harry's face with the back of his fingers. "If you don't want to complete the Bond yet, even though I don't understand why you'd want to hold back, I'll try, alright? I'll try to understand. But I swear to you, I will never deny you anything. Even though it's only been a few short months to me, to you it's been years. By all rights you should have claimed me the moment you saw me, and yet you're holding back even though I can _feel_ how much you want me." Harry smiled a sad smile and reached up to brush a strand of Draco's velvety soft hair behind his ear.

"I do; I do want you." He spoke in a broken voice. "But I want you to want it just as much as I do." Draco smiled at him lovingly and leaned down to kiss him.

"You just insist on protecting me from everything; even from myself." Harry chuckled and shrugged.

"I don't want you to have any regrets." Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.

"The only thing I regret is not snatching you away the first time I saw you." Harry laughed and Draco smiled.

"I do believe we were a bit too young then."

"So what? I could have locked you away in my room until we were both older." Harry flipped them over and Draco found himself under Harry again with the Vampire kissing down his neck.

"Really now?"

"Sure." Draco breathed out as Harry kissed down his chest with his hands caressing his sides. "You would have had everything you would need and I would have made sure you would have fallen in love with me sooner." Harry chuckled as Draco's breath hitched in his throat and his torso arched off of the bed when he kissed Draco's reawakening member through the thin material of his pajama-bottoms.

"Maybe it would have been the other way around." Harry murmured as he slowly pushed Draco's pants down and the younger man gasped when Harry kissed his right hipbone before he moved over to the left, completely ignoring his growing erection. Whatever words he wanted to say were lost in breathless gasps and moans as Harry kissed all around his straining need. The Vampire moved away and Draco's pants met the ground.

"Damn you." He hissed, grabbed Harry's head and pulled him up to slam his lips over his. Harry chuckled against his lips only to yelp when in a burst of strength Draco didn't know he had, he flipped them over and straddled Harry's hips making him hiss and arch closer to Draco when the teen landed on his straining member. "You are seriously overdressed, my Lord." Draco pressed out through his teeth as he slowly unbuttoned Harry's shirt and kissed down the middle of Harry's chest each time a button popped out of its hole. Harry growled in warning and ground up against Draco, but the smaller man simply shot him a small glance and continued. He pushed Harry's shirt apart and rested his hands on either side of Harry's head as he gazed down at him with lustful, dilated eyes.

"Really now?" Harry drawled as he dragged his hands up Draco's naked thighs and rubbed suiting circles into the soft skin. "What will you do about it?" he sat up and kissed Draco as his moved his hands over to Draco's ass and pulled him closer. The younger man moaned and threw his head back, offering his neck to Harry like a sacrifice worthy of gods. Harry latched onto his neck like a man thirsty for water and Draco entwined his fingers in Harry's long hair to keep his head in place as he ground down on Harry. The Vampire moaned and flipped them over. With a wave of warm magic his clothes disappeared and Draco moaned at the sight of pale, perfect skin. With trembling fingers he traced Harry's shoulders and upper arms as the Vampire gazed down at him with desire in his darkening eyes.

**"Mine; only mine."** He growled as black bled over his eyes and a pulse of power washed over Draco, making his own core react. Silver met black and their lips met in a searing hot kiss. They moved as one against each other with Harry leaning on his right arm as he sneaked his left hand between them and took a firm hold of their aching needs. Draco threw his head back and let go of a long, guttural moan as his Dominant brought them closer and closer to the edge. Harry growled when Draco's nails dug into his arms and within minutes both collapsed in content and pleasure. Harry rolled to the side and pulled Draco along so that the smaller man rested on his chest. As Draco worked on catching his breath, Harry used his magic to clean them both up. Draco rested his head on Harry's chest and closed his eyes, sated and calm for the first time in months. Harry kissed the top of his head and with little effort covered them both with a blanket.

As they both calmed down and only the feelings of content and peace passed over their Bond, Draco started to drift to sleep. He nuzzled closer to Harry and smiled when the Vampire hugged him closer to his strong body.

"Sleep, ma béi." (my love) He murmured as Draco's breathing evened out. A small smile tugged on Harry's lips and he lay his head down on the soft pillow. A wave of warmth passed over him and ever so slowly he started to hum a loving melody.

_Sleep my darling, as I sing to you. __  
__The night has fallen; I'll watch over you. __  
__Nothing will harm you as long as I'm here. __  
__I'll always love you; I'll always be near._

_Sleep my Angel; tomorrow can wait. __  
__Nothing will touch you as long as I'm here. __  
__I'll be your sword and I'll be your shield. __  
__You have nothing to fear for as long as I'm here._

_Sleep now, my love; I'll watch over you. __  
__Tomorrow will come; there'll be a lot to do. __  
__So rest now, my Angel; do not fear the dawn. __  
__I'll keep it away with my song._

* * *

Harry woke up with a start, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

"Ry? What's going on?" Draco's sleepy voice came from beside him and he looked down at him.

"Nothing, love. Go back to sleep." Harry murmured, kissed Draco's forehead and quickly got out of bed.

"Harry?" Draco sat up in bed and frowned as Harry pulled on a pair of clean pants and a black, tight turtleneck.

"I'll be right back, kha'bí." Harry hurried over to the bed and leaned down to kiss Draco's lips in reassurance. "Sleep." With that said Harry rushed out of the room. He was about to round a corner when Ondine ran into him looking for all it was worth like the Hounds of Hell were after her.

"Ondine, what's wrong?" Harry grabbed her shoulders to steady her as she hyperventilated in panic.

"Harry! You need – you need to call Gabriel!" a cold hand of dread gripped Harry's heart and his eyes widened in fear.

"Why? What's wrong?" Ondine shook her head as she desperately tried to push the words she wanted to say beyond her lips "Ondine, is something wrong with Taye? Is something wrong with the baby?" (papa) Harry barely kept back the panicking desperation which threatened to overtake him.

"Harry, what's going on? I heard your voice?" Hermione came out of her room followed by a half asleep Ginny.

"I don't know, and it seems I won't find out until Ondine finally manages to say what happened with Taye!"

"Harry?" Neville came out next from the room across from Hermione and Ginny's. "What's wrong?"

"NOTHING'S WRONG! EMRYS HAS GONE INTO LABOR!" Ondine screamed and silence fell over the hall. She looked up at the gob-smacked look on her King's face and the bewildered looks on their guests' faces. Another door down the hall opened and the sound seemed to have snapped Harry in motion.

"Ondine, did anyone try to contact Gabriel?"

"No, you're the only one who can. Narcissa and Eve are already with Emrys trying to make him as comfortable as possible." Ondine blurted out and Harry nodded.

"Alright; go and wake Draco. He can help you with whatever you need. I'll go and call Gabriel. If nothing else I'll drag him over here. Tinky! Dippy!" two pops resonated through the hallway and two sleepy Elves appeared in front of Harry.

"Yes, Master Harry, sir?"

"Emrys has gone into labor. I need you two to do whatever Ondine tells you to, understand?" the two Elves were immediately awake and bouncing in their places.

"Of course, of course! We'll help, Master Harry; we'll help!"

"What's going on?" Blaise, followed by Greg, Vincent and Pansy came over to them.

"Let someone else fill you in. Ondine, don't forget Draco!" Harry said and rushed down the hallway to where his study was.

"Ondine?" Pansy asked.

"Emrys has gone into labor. Let's just say that this will be an exciting night." Ondine said and ran down the hall to Harry and Draco's room.

"Labor?" Blaise asked and looked around at his friends.

"A baby!" the girls squealed happily, while terrified expressions covered the faces of the boys.

"A baby?!"

* * *

Harry ran into the common room of Gabriel and Emrys' chambers without Gabriel and with a pissed off expression on his face. Not even the full room of people broke him out of his foul mood.

"Did you get Gabriel?" Septimus asked. Cold, deadly emerald eyes focused on him in a flash.

"Does it look like I got him? He's not close to a fireplace; apparently he's in the middle of a meeting. I told an Elf to send him over the moment he's done." Harry pressed out through his teeth as he started pacing, trying to burn off some of the anger that was coursing through him. His friends exchanged worried glances and sat back in their seats.

It looked as though a long night was in front of them.

* * *

It's been 3 hours.

3 _really_ long hours.

Blaise and Neville were asleep on the sofa, Ginny was on the couch with her head in Hermione's lap, while Hermione's rested on Pansy's shoulder, and the Slytherin girl's head was tilted back on the backrest of the couch. Vincent and Gregory were one in each armchair sleeping with their arms crossed over their chests. Septimus was leaning against the wall by the window with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, and Harry was silently pacing in front of the door which led to Emrys and Gabriel's room.

Whether it was out of sympathy or something else, Narcissa placed silencing charms on the room so no sound came out. Harry didn't know whether to thank her or strangle her for it.

"Harry, you should calm down." Septimus suggested and Harry snorted and shot him a small glance.

"I can't calm down. I can't reach Gabriel; Taye is in labor for almost 4 hours already. I mean - what if something goes wrong? What if something's already gone wrong?! What if Othame could have done something if only he showed up!" (papa, father) Harry snapped and everyone jumped awake.

"What?! What happened!?" Hermione was one her feet in a second. Because of that Pansy now sported a bump on the back of her head and Ginny was on the floor, rubbing her forehead.

"Nothing; I'm sorry." Harry murmured, stopped in his pacing and took a deep breath to calm himself. Obviously it didn't help because he started pacing again with a low growl.

"Harry, calm down!" Blaise moaned in exasperation. "Merlin; I'm afraid of how you'll act once Draco's in this predicament." Harry tensed up and stopped.

"Ah – I-…" suddenly the door opened and a flushed Gabriel rushed in. He stopped in his tracks when he was faced with a room full of young people and a very angry, pissed off, obviously very disturbed son.

"I - I came as soon as I-…" before he had the chance to finish the sentence he found himself sporting a large bruise on his left cheek from where Harry's fist made quite a meaningful impact. Said young Vampire just cleared his throat and straightened his shirt as if nothing happened.

"Harry?" Harry speared Gabriel with a strict look and forgoing any and all lesions taught to him by Vlad and Gabriel, pointed his finger at the door and hissed in the most dangerous voice anyone has ever heard him use when not in his other form.

"Get. In." For obvious reasons Gabriel decided it would be wise to listen to his Son and without another word, went to the door and entered.

A mere second later he ran right back out and a dull 'thud' signalized a pillow meeting the closed door.

"GET OUT!" Emrys' voice reached them just before the silencing charm fell into place. Gabriel leaned against the door and cleared his throat.

"I think I'll just wait here."

* * *

Another hour later one found Gabriel pacing in front of the door, and Harry sitting on the settee by the window, playing a game of chess with Septimus. Ginny, Pansy and Hermione were playing with a deck of cards, and Blaise, Vincent, Greg and Neville were standing around Harry and Septimus, drinking in a very interesting game.

Though anything but waiting in silence seemed interesting at the moment.

Everyone stilled when the door opened and Draco came out with a basin filled with blood stained water and towels. He looked dead on his feet, but when he looked up everyone saw that his eyes were shining with something no one has ever seen in them.

"Draco?" Gabriel's worried voice broke the tense silence. Draco snapped his head up and smiled at the Elder.

"Everything's alright. You can go in now. Mother and Eve are just changing the sheets and Ondine is taking one last look at Emrys and the baby." Gabriel took a deep breath and slowly entered the room, closing the door behind him. Draco left the basin on the table and rubbed his hands on the ruined robe he wore.

"Dragon?" Draco looked up at his Mate. Harry looked at him with a warm smile and Draco realized that his feelings of expectation and happiness broadcasted well and free over the Bond.

"Harry." Draco breathed out and all but threw himself in Harry's arms and buried his face in Harry's chest, completely ignoring the shocked expressions on the faces of his friends. "That was – that was the most frightening and yet the most beautiful experience I've ever had." Harry chuckled and buried his face in Draco's sweet smelling hair as he hugged him tightly.

"One day, Dragon; one day." The door opened and Draco and Harry parted while the others stood up. Gabriel walked out of the room and looked up at Harry with tears in his eyes.

"Harry, I want you to meet your brother." Harry looked incredulously at Gabriel when the older man offered the small, barely half an hour old baby to him.

"Father, I-…"

"Don't worry." Harry saw the complete trust in his Father's eyes and gently, as if holding the most precious piece of glass in the world, took the little baby in his arms.

Pale blue eyes opened and Harry found himself falling in love with this new life almost immediately. He felt someone lean on him and looked to his right. Draco's head was resting on his shoulder and his smaller Mate reached to gently caress the little newborn's red, wrinkled cheek. Harry swallowed and looked up at his father.

"What did you decide to name him?" Gabriel smiled as he came closer and gently cupped his son's head in his big hand.

"Actually, Emrys came up with a good name while you were still asleep. He decided to name him Hariel; Hariel Myrddin Dubois." Harry swallowed difficultly and his eyes shone strangely. He looked down at the cooing baby and let go of a breathless chuckle.

"Hello then, little Hariel." He murmured and caressed the baby's face with the back of his index finger. "Welcome."

* * *

**Personally, I love this chapter. ****  
****What do you think?**

**All my love, ****  
****Ms. Yuki**


	15. Happy Days

Draco walked into his and Harry's room still wearing a silly smile on his face. Little Hariel was settled with his parents in their room and everyone returned to their respective rooms to get some much deserved rest after that exciting night. With a sigh he took his robe off only to realize that Harry wasn't in the room and that the shower was running.

Flashbacks from the night before ran through his mind and an evil smirk covered his face. He closed his link with Harry as not to alert the Vampire of his plan and slowly made his way to the bathroom. He took his house-robe off in stride and levitated it over to the chair beside the bed. Ever so slowly he opened the door trying not to make a sound. He closed the door and looked up only to have his breath stolen from him.

Through the fog created by scorching hot water he saw the most perfect being to ever grace the world with his presence. Harry had his back turned to Draco; his hair was pulled up in a messy bun and he was leaning forward on his outstretched arms, rotating his tense shoulders. Water cascaded down his muscled back and-...

'Merlin, save me.'

Draco swallowed difficultly and slowly walked forward. He shed the rest of his clothes without really realizing what he was doing. His throat was dry and his breath was coming out in short gasps. To think that this perfect creature was his for all eternity-...

'What did I ever do in this or any other life to deserve this?'

Harry straightened and a heavy sigh escaped his lips. He raised his face towards the spray of water and let his arms hang by his sides. Draco stepped into the shower, wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and rested his forehead between Harry's shoulder-blades.

"Dragon?" Draco felt Harry's voice vibrate through him and a shiver shook his body. Harry's larger hands covered his and he entwined their fingers on his stomach. "Is everything alright, kha'bí?" (beloved)

"Yeah." Draco whispered in a broken voice. "Everything's prefect." Harry let go of Draco's hands and slowly turned around to face him. He cupped Draco's face lovingly and raised his head up to look into his eyes as he caressed Draco's cheeks with his thumbs.

"What is it, love?"

"It's nothing, Ry." Draco smiled weakly and Harry's eyes filled with understanding warmth. "I guess I'm - I'm still under the impression. I really – I really want that one day." He didn't know how to put his feelings into words, but it seemed he didn't need to either. Harry bowed his head and kissed Draco lovingly.

"I swear to you, ma béi." (my love)He murmured against Draco's lips as he nuzzled his nose against Draco's. "Once this is all over; once this darkness is behind us, we will have our own family." A shiver ran down Draco's body as Harry whispered loving promises against his lips. "We will have our own son or daughter; as many as you'll want." Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and entwined his fingers in Harry's wet hair. He pulled the band off and Harry's long hair cascaded down his back, sticking to his skin in long locks. It seemed darker than the darkest black in that moment.

Harry moved his hands down to Draco's hips and pulled him closer under the spray of warm water. Draco sighed and tilted his head back as Harry rounded him and summoned a bottle of shampoo in his hand. With all the tenderness in the world he started to wash Draco's hair, and his Mate sighed in content.

"Do you really believe we will win?" Draco murmured after a few moments of silence, and felt Harry kiss his shoulder.

"I have everything I need to defeat both Voldemort and Dumbledore. I'm not saying it will be easy, but with all the knowledge I gathered, I do believe our chances of coming out on top are bigger than theirs." Draco chuckled as Harry washed the shampoo out of his hair, and he turned around to face his raven-haired Vampire. "And besides-…" Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry when the Vampire smirked. "I have you, don't I? You're enough reason for me to finish it once and for all." Draco chuckled and shook his head with a fond smile on his face.

"You really have a way with words, Potter." He drawled and Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

"Really now?" he murmured and Draco hissed when his back met the cold tiles of the shower and Harry towered over him, his eyes blazing passionate fire.

"Really. One might think you're trying to use your way with words to seduce me." Harry smirked and placed his hands on Draco's waist, making the blond Slytherin shiver.

"Better I seduce you with my words than with my body. I don't like being objectified."

"I see nothing wrong with your body, my Lord." Draco drawled teasingly only to gasp when Harry bowed his head and started to lay kisses down his neck and shoulder. "Besides, I – I really don't believe I need much seducing." He breathed out as he tried to hold on to the last bits of sanity he had left. Harry's hands and lips were doing all sorts of things to his body, and he really didn't want to collapse on the cold, hard floor of the shower.

"Does that mean I've managed to win your heart, ma yunyí?" (my sweet) Draco groaned when Harry rubbed his pebbled nipples with his thumbs and gently bit into a particularly sensitive spot just under Draco's ear. Deciding to give just as much as he was receiving (if only to distract himself from the overwhelming pleasure) Draco grabbed Harry's head and pulled him into a deep, scorching kiss.

"You've won more than just my-…"

"HARRY! DRACO! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!" Draco growled and hit his head against the wall while Harry sighed and rested his forehead on Draco's.

"Great timing, Ginny." He muttered and moved away from Draco. "We're in the shower, Ginny! What is it?!"

"No one can sleep so we decided to get an early breakfast!" she called out to them and Draco rolled his eyes. Harry chuckled and pecked Draco's nose.

"We'll be down in a few minutes!" he said and Draco thought he heard Ginny giggle.

"Okay! See you in a few!" they heard her run out of their room and Harry shook his head with a fond smile.

"Damn her." Draco muttered. He sighed when he felt Harry's hands on his shoulders followed by a gentle kiss to the nape of his neck.

"Let it go, Dragon. We have all the time in the world." A small smile tugged on Draco's lips and he turned around to watch as Harry stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a big towel and started to dry himself, only to look at Draco over his shoulder when he felt the sparks of desire over their Bond. "Like what you see?" Draco turned the water off, stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel in stride.

"Very much so." He drawled and dried himself while Harry chuckled and dressed in a bathrobe. They entered their room and Harry dried his long hair with his magic. He got dressed quickly while Draco went to the wardrobe to find something to wear.

"Do you want me to wait for you?" Harry asked.

"I want to go and check up on Emrys first. I doubt he and Gabriel will join us for breakfast." Harry hummed and approached Draco just as his Dragon pulled on an emerald green turtleneck. He took a hair-band to pull his hair into a high ponytail when Harry gently grabbed his hands and slowly turned Draco around to face him. He lowered Draco's arms down and gently ran his fingers through Draco's wet hair. With a gust of warm air Draco's hair was dry and Harry smiled.

"Leave it down. It's-..." Harry's stopped with his mouth slightly open, but Draco didn't need him to finish whatever Harry wanted to say. Draco climbed up on the tips of his toes and placed a loving kiss on Harry's chin.

"Alright. I'll see you in the dining room." Draco said and left the room with a smile on his lips. In the bedroom Harry smiled for himself and pulled on a black, silk shirt, leaving the two top buttons unbuttoned, and a pair of black trousers. He left the shirt un-tucked and took a look out the window. It just occurred to him that Christmas Eve was in a day.

'Damn. I've forgotten about presents.'

* * *

"Morning blessings." Harry spoke as he entered the dining room.

"Good morning, Harry-dear. You look well." Narcissa said and got up to place a motherly kiss on Harry's cheek; one he, to the obvious surprise of his Gryffindor friends, accepted without tensing.

"You look marvelous, Cissa. Did you see Draco?" Harry asked and took his place at the head of the table. He noticed that his friends left one seat on his left free and smiled at them.

"I met him in the hallway; he said he would go and see if Emrys needed something before coming here." Harry nodded and poured some tea in his cup forgoing the food.

"Harry, darling-..."

"I hadn't Fed in a few days now. I don't want to ruin my appetite." Harry interrupted Narcissa and she nodded in understanding.

"It is so easy for me to forget your special diet." She said and Harry chuckled.

"What special diet?" Ginny asked and Harry raised an eyebrow at her, making the youngest among them blush furiously.

"Do you feed on Animals or did you ever feed on a human as well?" Neville asked in interest and Harry smiled at him.

"I Feed on animals mostly, but I would lie if I said I don't Feed on humans as well." Neville nodded although he looked quite pale and Harry laughed at him. "You don't have to worry about it, Neville. All you people need to worry about right now is how to rest and relax. No one can find us here unless I allow it and even if someone knew the general location of Gryffindor Manor, there are three griffins and four hippogriffs guarding the estate, not to mention blood wards, rune wards and ancient wards around the estate and the manor itself."

"So basically we're safer here than at Hogwarts." Blaise concluded and Harry nodded.

"Quite right."

"Would you mind if I studied the wards a bit?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"Don't you think it's a bit cold outside for that, Mione?" Greg worried and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I want to see how blood wards are used. You know they are considered Dark Magic so I can't find anything on them in the Library at Hogwarts."

"Hermione I assure you that you will have the chance to study the wards on a later date as I am sure this is not the last time you will be here at Gryffindor Manor. Until such a date you are free to borrow as many books about Blood Magic from the Potter Library as you want. The offer stands for all of you." Harry said, sounding amused. Narcissa chuckled when Hermione immediately perked up. The door opened and Draco walked in.

"Hello, hello! How is everyone?" he greeted and made a bee-line towards the seat to Harry's left. He took a seat and leaned to the side to kiss Harry's cheek lovingly, making the Vampire smile at him.

"Forget about us, you look absolutely ecstatic!" Draco smiled at Pansy with gleaming eyes.

"I feel great!" Draco said and placed a few spoonfuls of the fruit salad on his plate and poured some tea in his cup.

"Could it have something to do with Ginny finding you two busy in the bathroom?" Vincent asked innocently. Draco choked on a piece of fruit he just popped into his mouth while Harry sprayed his sip of tea all over the table.

"Vincent! That is none of your business!"

"Ginny, I am deeply disappointed in you." Harry chastised the young Witch as he cleaned up the table with a wave of his hand.

"Quite right; what Harry and I do in _our_ bedroom is frankly none of your business." Draco grumbled while Harry elegantly wiped his mouth clean with a napkin. "Besides neither Harry nor I are poking our noses into what _you_ guys do when you're alone." Draco shot a pointed look at Vince, Pansy, Greg and Hermione and they blushed furiously.

"We're sorry." The four plus Ginny spoke in unison and Draco snorted.

"I bet you are; Harry, please pass me the syrup." While everyone went back to breakfast, Ginny and Neville finally managed to take a good look at Harry and Draco. She and Neville never had the chance to observe them before, and a part of them still doubted that Harry changed as much as Hermione told them he did. Sure the physical changes were obvious; they was thinking about the changes in Harry's behavior.

Right now they could see it; they could see the changes in both Draco and Harry. Draco seemed so much more relaxed and open, while Harry, for the first time since Ginny and Neville met him, radiated calmness.

"You are starting to see it too?" Hermione asked softly while the others, including Narcissa and Eve threw teasing comments at Harry and Draco.

"See what?" Ginny asked.

"The way they complement one another." Hermione said. She had a fond look directed at Harry's laughing face. What was probably the strangest thing was that his eyes were alight with laughter.

"I think I see it." Neville said and Ginny took a closer look trying to see exactly what the two were seeing. And then it hit her. She actually felt rather stupid for a moment for not seeing it right away. It was the way Harry was leaning towards Draco ever so slightly. It was the way Draco's hand would brush against Harry's forearm every second or so even though there was no need to do so. It was the way Harry seemed to know exactly what Draco wanted or needed all the time. The way he would look at the blond man with all the gentleness in the world. The way Draco would subtly shiver every time Harry would smile and look directly at him.

It was the way they loved each other.

"I see it; I really do." Ginny murmured and Hermione smiled for herself and shared a secretive look with Narcissa and Eve. Eve knew Harry since he was a child and she knew exactly how much Harry changed. The young, tormented boy grew up to be a formidable young man and a powerful wizard; one you didn't want to challenge. He was a good man with a heart of gold, bent on protecting those he considered family.

Narcissa couldn't take her eyes off of her only son. The proud woman was gazing at him with her heart filled with happiness. Her little dragon found true love. No matter what challenges laid ahead, now they had something that would help them face them. No matter how difficult it was.

* * *

It was late in the evening of that day when they all found themselves in the drawing room with glasses of warm chocolate and tea, and they were enjoying a quiet evening together. Eve excused herself and went to bed early. Harry and Draco were nestled in a blanket on the love seat with Draco sitting between Harry's legs, leaning on Harry's chest. Narcissa was sitting in her own armchair with a blanket over her folded legs. Vincent and Pansy settled on the floor while Hermione and Greg took one end of the couch with Blaise on the other end. Neville was on the floor leaning back on the couch beside Blaise's legs and Ginny was sitting in front of Narcissa, and the older Witch was braiding Ginny's long fire-red hair. Emrys and Gabriel were in their room with their newborn son, and Ondine and Septimus were in their own rooms catching up on some much deserved rest.

"What were your plans for tomorrow, Harry?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"I have a few things to take care off at the Ministry and some personal things I'd like to handle. Other than that I had no other plans. A Healer from Gabriel's Coven will come to check up on Emrys and Hariel. I'm sure both of them are well enough to join us in this room for dinner since it's Christmas Eve tomorrow and I'd like it if we spend it together."

"We could decorate our own Christmas tree!" Ginny said with a huge grin on her face.

"That's a great idea! Especially since we have little Hariel with us! I have my camera with me so we can make a lot of photos!" Pansy suggested.

"But where will we find a Christmas tree? And how will we bring it in here?" Blaise asked.

"Don't worry about that. I am sure that Ondine, Septimus and Gabriel will be more than ready to help me get a Christmas tree. While we do that you can ask the House Elves to allow you to make some Christmas cookies while they prepare dinner." Narcissa said.

"That is a great idea. My mom taught me how to make them." Hermione clapped her hands in excitement.

"That's all good and dandy, but what about decorations for the house?" Blaise asked.

"I'm sure the House Elves know where they are stored. You can all use magic freely here if there is something that needs to be restored and I have no doubt we'll think of something if we lack some decorations." Harry said.

"I think we should leave the Christmas tree for when we're all together. We'll decorate the house and bake the cookies while Harry's out and the Healer is checking on Emrys, and then in the evening we can have dinner and decorate the tree. We can do it in this room seeing as we're all comfortable here." Narcissa suggested and everyone agreed.

"Great idea. Now I'd say it would be a great time to go to bed since we'll have a busy day tomorrow." Draco said and stood up, pulling Harry up with him. Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"Very well; we will see you all in the morning." He said and allowed Draco to lead him out of the room. They were followed by teasing laughter and cat calls but Draco seemed intent on reaching their rooms in record time.

"Dragon-..."

"Na-ah, you're not getting out of this." Draco said and pulled Harry up the stairs. They reached their room in record time and Harry chuckled when Draco all but dragged him over to the bed and pushed him back on it. "I remember having a plan to utterly ravish you this morning in the shower, but you successfully distracted me."

"Draco-…" said young man straddled Harry's hips and bowed down to kiss him, and Harry could do nothing but moan and hold on to Draco's hips as his Dragon took his breath away. A wave of power washed over Harry, and his own core responded to it. Once they parted emerald eyes met silver ones and the smaller man dragged his hands seductively up Harry's strong, muscled chest.

"**Tonight it is our turn to pleasure you.**" Harry growled and his eyes bled to pure black. All of a sudden the positions switched and Aegis found himself with Araceil on top of him, and a wave of pleasure traveled up and down his spine.

"**You keep tempting me, ma béi."** Aegis made a sound between a growl and mewl, when Araceil ground against him and scratched his neck with his fangs.

"**We do not care. All those who matter know of our love. Others can be deceived." **Aegis spoke, trying to get his point across before Araceil got bored of playing and took him over the edge. What surprised him was the gentle kiss which Araceil placed on the corner of his lips before he buried his face in his shoulder.

"**You have no idea how much I want you; how much I want to mark you as mine forever."** Aegis shivered and wrapped his arms around Araceil's shoulders.

"**Then why won't you, my King? Why must we stay like this? Why can't you ease your soul?"** Araceil moved back and looked down in Aegis' eyes.

"**Because this way if something happens to me, you will still be able to move on."** Aegis' eyes widened when the complete and honest truth rolled off of Araceil's lips. Those midnight black eyes spoke of worry and pain the Vampire masterfully hid from him, and Aegis heart filled with sorrow. **"I would not be able to live while knowing that I was endangering not only my life but your life as well."** Aegis' eyes filled with sadness and he cupped Araceil's face in his small hands. He looked deep in Araceil's eyes and allowed his Mate to see the true expense of his emotions; the true measure of his love.

"**I will rather live one short life-time with you and die with you, than spend a small eternity with someone who may be by my side, but will never make me feel the things you make me feel."** Araceil sighed and leaned his forehead against Aegis'.

"**Araceil-…"**

"**Hush, love; I won't mark you yet."**

"**But-…"**

"**Arrangements must be made. Soon, love; soon you will be mine forever."** Aegis' mind suddenly went blank with pleasure overload and the only thing that left his mouth that night besides moans and pleas was a desire-filled and happy 'soon'.

* * *

"Morning everyone!" Draco greeted when he entered the dining room.

"Aren't you in an exceptionally good mood this morning?" Narcissa asked teasingly making her only son blush.

"It would be stupid to deny that I am, so there; I am in a great mood and not even Voldemort knocking on our front door would dampen it." He said while he piled his plate with his favorites.

"Aren't you hungry! Had a busy night?"

"Pansy! A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell!" Draco said and shot a teasing smile to his childhood friend.

"No but he does give slight Intel." Eve drawled smugly.

"I do believe we've concluded yesterday that what Ry and I do in _our_ bedroom has nothing to do with you noisy people." Draco said with his head held high.

"Now, now Draco, all in good fun." Hermione said before she bowed over the table with a conspiratorial grin on her pretty face. "Was it good?"

"HERMIONE!" Draco whined and threw his napkin at the girl. "Mind your own business." He murmured although the smile never left his face.

"We just wish to know if our Lord is taking good care of you." Blaise drawled.

"Speaking of our Lord, where is he?" Neville asked and Draco shot him a grateful glance.

"Harry left to Feed a little before dawn and then went directly for the Ministry. He said he should be back before lunch-time, or at least before dinner." Draco said and took a sip of his tea.

"I wonder what business he has in the Ministry. I thought he would try to keep his presence unnoticed at least until the second semester starts." Ginny said.

"He must have some kind of a plan or else he wouldn't be this nonchalant about all of this." Greg said and Draco shrugged.

"I wouldn't know, he hasn't told me anything. What I do know is that he would never put us in any unnecessary danger."

"Quite right, young master. Harry would sooner harm himself than those he cares about." Ondine said when she entered the room followed by Eve and Septimus.

"Ondine, please, don't call me that. I don't hear you addressing Harry with 'my King' or 'your Highness' all the time." Draco said, barely holding back an eye-roll.

"That is because Harry would curse her if she dared call him anything besides Harry outside of the Hall of the Conclave." Septimus murmured as they joined the others at the table.

"Look who's talking. It wasn't Ondine Harry threatened to turn into a statue the next time they called him 'your grace'." Eve said with a smirk and Septimus growled.

"He should get used to that. He is now the King of Kindred. Everyone will be addressing him as royalty." Septimus insisted.

"Septimus, Harry considers us his friends and family. He doesn't want to be reminded of his obligations outside of the Hall of Conclave, much less in private." Ondine said and Draco nodded.

"You should remember that he didn't choose this. It was practically forced upon him." Draco said softly.

"Harry had things forced upon him all his life, both in this world and the Muggle one." Hermione agreed with Draco. "The only reason he accepted this whole situation, I believe, is because this way he can make sure all of us are taken care of. He accepted this power so that he can help people."

"You just might be right, not to mention Draco played a major part in him accepting this peacefully." Neville said and drew a round of strange looks aimed at him. "What? I may not be especially close to him, even though I consider him a friend, but what do you think is Harry's greatest fear?" everyone was left speechless after that. Draco frowned and bowed his head.

Yes; he knew what Harry's greatest fear was. It took little to realize that. Draco remember the night he spent alone with Harry a few days before he left Hogwarts with Gabriel. He remember the bitter fear and pain he saw in Harry's eyes.

For a moment he wanted to slam his head against something really hard. Yesterday, ever since the shower they took together the only thing on Draco's mind was to get Harry for himself; to make Harry feel what he made Draco feel. That perfect sense of completion when Harry brought him to the very peak of passion. He didn't even think of Harry's desire to keep him safe. He didn't even think of Harry's wish to keep everything dangerous as far away from Draco as possible.

If they Mated every wizard with at least some cognitive power would recognize them as Bonded and if Voldemort found out - forget Voldemort, if _Dumbledore_ found out-...

"He's afraid of facing the world alone." He muttered and everyone's focus settled on him.

"Draco-..."

"That is his greatest fear, mother." Draco interrupted Narcissa and looked at her with wide, sad eyes. "He isn't afraid of facing Voldemort. For the sake of Merlin, he could march right out today and finish it all by killing Voldemort. But he is afraid of being alone. Nothing scares him more than that thought."

"He isn't alone! He has us! And my family will stand behind him at any given time!" Ginny insisted.

"He knows that, darling." Narcissa said. She looked slightly pale but she directed a gentle smile at Ginny. "But put yourself in his position. He is immortal; very few things can harm him. But all those he cares about are mortals. He can lose any one of you at any given time, and that is what he fears."

"That's horrible." Pansy whispered.

"I know, but what I think is more horrible than that is the fact that we can do nothing about it." Vincent murmured.

"There is something you can do." Septimus corrected Vince, and everyone looked at him hopefully.

"What?" Hermione asked. She was on the verge of tears. Eve, who was sitting beside her put a comforting arm around her shoulders and Greg took her hand in his.

"You can listen to him when he tells you to be careful. You can obey him when he orders you to do something. You can do everything and anything to keep yourselves safe." Eve said.

"He can't expect of us to just stand aside while he fights!" Ginny shouted.

"No he can't, and he doesn't." Draco looked at Ginny and she frowned in confusion.

"Young Draco is right." Septimus said. "Harry doesn't expect of you to hide somewhere while he handles things. He will allow you to aid him. But he will also make sure you are all kept safe."

"How? How can he do that when he's focused on fighting a war?" Blaise asked.

"Why do you think he chose to come to Hogwarts himself?" a voice from the doorway startled them all and they turned to face Gabriel. Septimus and Ondine stood up and bowed to their Overlord, but Gabriel waved them off and approached the table.

"How come you're here? Is everything alright with Emrys?" Draco asked and only Gabriel's hand on his shoulder stopped him from getting up and running out of the room.

"A Healer from my coven has arrived and Emrys told me to go and get some breakfast while they do the check up. Everything is alright." He said and took a seat beside Draco. "What's important at the moment is that you try and understand Harry's decision to come to Hogwarts."

"We know why he's doing it. He needs to make sure everything functions accordingly and-..."

"There you are wrong, Ms. Granger. He could have easily sent a true Emissary to Hogwarts to evaluate the situation for him. The reason he's coming personally is to make sure his family is safe. He knows very well that the war will come to Hogwarts at some point. He's just making sure that he is there when it does. He knows very well that we are running short on time and that he will need to have everything under control when the time comes for him to fulfill the prophecy."

"You say that he came back knowing that things will become hectic not only with Harry Potter coming back, but him coming back as a Vampire none the less, and he did so because of us?" Pansy asked.

"Pansy, darling, this may sound a bit harsh, but Harry doesn't give a damn about the world." Eve said.

"How do you mean that? He is the King of Kindred; the prophesized Savior of the Wizarding World! How can he not-..."

"Because, Ginny, it all means nothing if he doesn't have his family with him." Ondine said. Draco swallowed and closed his eyes.

Harry closed off his side of the Bond so Draco was sure his feelings weren't passing through to Harry. He was sure that if they did Harry would have come back to the Manor in an instant. 'I've been acting so selfish.' He thought and fisted his hands in his lap. 'Damn you, Ry! You're still trying to carry the burdens of the world alone! Why can't you just-…'

"Because he loves you." Gabriel words interrupted Draco's thoughts and everyone looked up at the Ancient who just smiled at them. "No, I do not read minds; but I know what's going through your head because it is in my head as well." He looked at the children and sighed. "Harry doesn't want you to carry his burdens. He does not want you to see the darkness he has seen; the darkness he is a part of. Yet he knows he can't protect you forever. He cherishes you all as family, and he will do his damned best to keep you all safe. That is why he is ready to face the Wizarding world as nothing more than an Emissary for the King of Kindred, even though his position as such is everything but admirable."

"Why do you say so? I think it is a great honor to represent a whole nation." Hermione said.

"You think so, but try to think as the rest of the Wizarding World." Septimus suggested and Hermione frowned.

"I don't understand." Ginny said and everyone nodded. Except Draco, that is; he knew very well the views of the purebloods.

"Well, darling-..." Narcissa started but stopped as she tried to find the right words. "In the eyes of the people Harry will be viewed as nothing more than a - a messenger?" she finished questioningly and turned to Gabriel for help.

"There is no need to sugar-coat it, mother." Draco spoke up instead. "Everyone will see Harry as nothing more than a servant of the King of Kindred; the King's dog." Draco said bitterly. Gabriel chuckled and found himself target of 8 heated glares, Draco's being the most scorching one.

"No need to be so protective of Harry. He knows very well what people will think of him. He will carry the mark of the King's Closest; you can only imagine what rumors that will bring." Gabriel said.

"Not to mention him having two guards from the King's Personal Guard with him." Septimus smirked and Gabriel chuckled.

"That is not at all funny!" Hermione snapped and stood up sharply. "Can you even imagine the amount of - of _ridicule_ he will have to face? Do you have any idea what people will make of him?"

"And do you, Child, have any idea of the possibilities that will be lain before him?" Ondine said. "He will be able to enter the most secret of places under pretense of being the closest to the very King of Kindred. They may talk ill about him but no one will dare deny him access to places nobody else has ever seen without proper authorization. Not to mention it is Harry Potter we are talking about. People still view him as their Savior. They will naturally open up to him in hope of him making the King aid the Wizarding World in their war against Voldemort." Hermione swallowed and took a seat again.

"It is still not fair." She mumbled and Neville chuckled.

"When has life ever been fair to him?" he said bitterly.

"He chose this, Neville." Everyone was surprised when Draco spoke up. "It's on us to make it as easy on him as it is possible, and if it means staying in the background for most of the time then so be it." He said. He now understood better than ever why Harry had yet to complete the Fourth Bond, because he knew Harry wanted to do it badly.

"_Because this way if something happens to me, you will still be able to move on. I would not be able to live while knowing that I was endangering, not only my life but your life as well." _

"Damn him. He sure knows how to complicate things." Blaise muttered.

"Yes, well. We shouldn't complicate things any further!" Narcissa said with a difficult, yet playful sigh. Her easy tone startled everyone out of their dark mood and they looked at her with wide eyes. "Harry left us a mission to complete and that is to decorate this huge place before he comes home." The more she talked the more the dark mood was lifting off of the group of youngsters. "I say we all split into teams and start from the highest floor down. Septimus and Ondine; don't think you'll get out of this." The two Vampires groaned and took seats again (they were about to inconspicuously disappear).

"Pansy, Greg, Hermione and Vincent you'll take the second floor hallway. Ginny, Neville, Blaise and Ondine you will take the first floor hallway while Draco and Eve decorate the rooms. Septimus you will come with me so that we can pick out a Christmas tree for the Drawing room. And Gabriel - well, you go and see how Emrys and the munchkin are doing so that all of you can join us in the evening. You can even place the crib in the Drawing room and transfigure something more comfortable for Emrys to settle in. Come on people, chop-chop! We don't have much time!" more from shock than from anything else everyone was on their feet in a second while Hermione ran off to look for the Elves. "Oh and Hermione-dear, about the cookies-..." Draco watched his mother hop over to Hermione with a sigh. A gentle hand on his shoulder made him look up in Gabriel's fatherly eyes.

"Don't worry, Child. In time Harry will learn to share his burdens." Draco nodded.

"I know; although that doesn't stop me from worrying for him right now." Gabriel chuckled and clapped Draco's back.

"I know, Child. I know."

* * *

"Damn it all to the 9th gate of Hell." Harry growled while he left yet another Gift shop in Muggle London. He already dealt with what he needed to handle in the Ministry and he couldn't wait for the Evening Feast of the First day of the second semester at Hogwarts. He bought and wrapped the presents for all his friends and his baby brother, but for the love of Merlin he couldn't find a suitable gift for Draco.

He didn't want to give Draco something from his vaults. Yes, there was plenty of things he could find there that he knew Draco would like, but he didn't want to give his little dragon something someone already used before. He wanted Draco to have something specific only to him. Something unique: something special. With a difficult sigh he apparated back to Diagon Alley and decided that if he didn't find anything he would go and find something in the vaults. 'Maybe some book on Ancient spells would be go-...'

He stopped in midstride not even noticing that the man who walked behind him almost slammed right into him. The man left, cursing for himself, but Harry didn't even notice him. His eyes were stuck like glue on the necklace in a window.

It was shaped like a dragon head and it was small; barely big enough to fit the very middle of his palm, yet the details were magnificent, and the magic he felt coming from the pendant made the little hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention. It was the most ancient of magic and it was calling out to him. Without looking at the price he entered the small shop and went directly to the saleswoman.

"I'm sorry; could you tell me if the Dragon pendant in the window is available?" the woman behind the counter was old; she looked to be well into her hundreds, and she had centuries of knowledge in her tired eyes. Her gray hair was pulled back in a long braid, but she moved with surprising ease when she stood up and went over to the window.

"I came to believe no one would ask for this piece of jewelry." She said. Her voice was weak and raspy, and Harry begun to wonder just how old she was.

"I don't care for the price, madam. I only wish to gift it to someone very precious to me." Harry said. The woman chuckled, turned around and showed Harry the pendant. It was even more beautiful from up close and Harry noticed a line of tiny diamonds around the dragon's eyes, so small one could almost confuse them for the natural shine of the white gold the pendant was made of. The dragon's right eye was an emerald while his left was a diamond.

"My master made it a long, long time ago. It is his finest work." She said. "Magic is sown into the very core of the Material; protective magic. And these are not normal jewels. They were found on the edge of the lake where the Lady of the Lake, Morgan La Fay cried her tears of grief when her son Mordred died. It is said that they carry the very power of a mother's love. No one knows just what power these jewels have, but to me this pendant is priceless." Harry's heart ached when he looked at the old woman. With a difficult sigh he took his hood off and the old woman gasped when she saw him.

"Madam-..." Harry stopped her before she could speak." When I saw that pendant in the window I felt a pull towards it. It was like - like everything focused on that single pendant. The man I wish to buy it for is my heart. He is my heart, my soul; he is my life. Please; I cannot imagine how much it means to you. But please, name the price; I will give you whatever you wish for." Harry expected the woman to curse him and push him out. He expected of her to offer him something else. He expected a lot of things, but never this. She smiled and turned into a young, beautiful lady, with long brown hair, ethereal facial lines and the eyes the color of the lakes, right in front of him.

"Oracle was right to pick you, young King." Her voice was like the gurgling of a small river across rocks and the pitter-pattering of rain-drops on the window sill, and it radiated ancient power. Harry swallowed and bowed to her from the waist and she chuckled and approached him.

"Do not bow to me, young King. I lost my power a long time ago." She made Harry look at her by placing two long, delicate fingers under his chin. Harry straightened and the woman smiled gently at him.

"What is it you want from me?"

"Cherish and love your Mate, do not let him come to harm, for if he dies, you will soon follow. You are not only bound together by the power of the Bond of Mates, you are also Bound as Soul Mates. You are Two Souls destined to be One." She approached him and cupped his cheek, and Harry felt a shiver run down his back when her eyes bore into his.

"I waited for centuries to tell you this, King Araceil; there is a great destiny in front you, and you will be a great King; but you must understand that your only true weakness is your Mate. You can survive almost everything, but the death of your Mate will be your downfall." Harry swallowed difficultly and nodded weakly. Suddenly he felt a soft, warm hand grip his left wrist and raise it up. His eyes focused and he saw the woman (he had a silly suspicion he knew who she really was) open his hand and place an open, velvety box with the Dragon pendant neatly placed there on a long chain of white gold.

"Take this to him. It will protect him in moments when you will be unable to. But remember my words, my King. He is your one true weakness. Guard him well." And all of a sudden Harry found himself standing in the middle of a dark street. He looked at the closed box in his hand and a hysterical chuckle escaped his lips.

'Can't have a normal day, can I?'

* * *

It was a little before dinner time when Harry popped into the Front Hall of the Manor and his eyes almost popped out of his head. The hall was decorated in green and red ribbons with lit candelas floating around, decorated with mistletoe and lightly tingling little bells. On each side of the staircase was a small Christmas tree decorated with glittering lights and different colored orbs. Some were even see through and had snow falling in them. The air was filled with the delightful scent of chocolate chip cookies and other aromas which would make anyone drool in hunger.

"Master Harry, sir! Welcome back!"

"Hello, Dippy. Could you tell me where my friends are?" Harry asked kindly and the little Elf nodded her head exuberantly and grinned, her large ears flapping around her head.

"They be waiting for Master Harry sir in the Drawing room. They be decorating the Christmas tree, but wanted Master Harry sir to be there too." Harry smiled.

"Thank you Dippy. Can you make sure that dinner is served when we're done with the Christmas tree?"

"Of course, Master Harry sir." Dippy said and popped away. Harry sighed and took off his winter cloak making his way to the Drawing room. He came to the Drawing room and the door opened only for Harry to have his breath kicked out of him. A safe distance from the fireplace in the furthest corner beside the windows was a huge pine tree. It was perfect. The branches were thick and full of delicate pine needles, and the air smelled of Christmas spirit. Harry felt his heart constrict almost painfully. The Christmases at Hogwarts were nice, but this? This was his first real Christmas.

"Harry!" his eyes were torn away from the Christmas tree to an excited Ginny. She ran across the room and threw herself into Harry's arms giving him a bear hug which strangely reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley's hugs.

"Easy, Ginny! What if I didn't catch you?" Ginny pulled back and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, like that would happen." She muttered. Harry wanted to ask her what she meant by that but he didn't have the chance to since she turned around and pulled him after her. Only now did he notice that they've already rearranged the sitting places. Now there were several love seats and bigger armchairs arranged in a circle around a low, round tea-table.

Almost everyone was there already. Ondine and Septimus were comfortable in their own love seat, wrapped up in a blanket. Vincent and Pansy were together in another with a carton box in front of them and they were sorting through something or another. Greg and Blaise were just finishing a game of Chess while Emrys was settled in an armchair among a pile of fluffy pillows with Hariel in his arms.

Harry smiled and rounded everyone to reach Emrys.

"Evening blessings." He said and kneeled in front of Emrys to get a better look at little Hariel. The baby's eyes opened wide when he saw Harry and the Vampire felt incredible warmth spread through his body. He cast a disinfecting charm on himself and reached out to gently grasp Hariel's delicate little hand. A chuckle was torn from him when the baby gripped his finger with surprising strength, and Emrys smiled.

"He's a strong little minx, isn't he?" Harry smiled and looked up at Emrys.

"As he should be. You'll see. He'll be quite a little Marauder when he grows up."

"Sure he will. With you as his brother and so many favorite Slytherin aunts and uncles he'll be causing mayhem by the age of 5." Gabriel said. He must have entered while Harry was preoccupied with his little brother. His eyes were drawn to the little bundle of joy.

Emrys smiled at the look of pure adoration in Harry's eyes. In his heart he knew that if anything were to happen to Gabriel or him at least their son would have someone to take care of him until he was old enough to do so himself.

"Do you wish to hold him?" Harry's head snapped up.

"Erm - can I?"

He didn't even notice the slightly sad looks his friends were aiming at him. They were starting to see what they missed at first. All they could see before was the Vampire; the King, the Savior. They failed to see a 16 year old teen, with the worries of the world on his back. They failed to see a boy who was robbed of his family; an abused child, an insecure teen who was afraid of failing those who surrounded him. A teen afraid of losing those he allowed himself to care about. Even after six years on the Astral Plaines, that part of him was still there.

"Of course you can, silly." Emrys said with a loving smile on his face. Harry returned it with a thankful one and accepted Hariel into his arms. He took a seat in the closest armchair with Hariel nestled against his strong chest. His little head fit on Harry's palm and he seemed so delicate, so breakable; like a piece of priceless, fine glass. He leaned back against the backrest allowing Hariel's little head to rest against his heart. The baby was waving his little arms and legs around creating funny little sounds. Harry held him with one hand while he made an orb of pure light float in front of Hariel with the other.

"What did the healer say?" he asked.

"Hariel is perfectly healthy and he has an incredibly strong magical core already. The Healer thinks its because I spent a lot of time with you while you were asleep, so instead of feeding on only mine and Gabriel's magic, Hariel fed off of your magic as well." Harry nodded and looked down at Hariel and his worries faded into the background. The little one was looking at Harry as if asking why the orb wasn't moving anymore. Harry smiled and wiggled the orb in front of Hariel's face making the baby reach for it.

That is the scene Draco, Hermione, Neville, Narcissa and Eve found when they came in, each carrying a tray of something.

Draco faltered when he saw Harry play with Hariel. Harry looked like someone whose life was finally coming together.

"He does look like someone in his element, right?" Draco shook out of it when his mother whispered to him. "He'll make a great father one day." She nodded conclusively and Draco smiled for himself and followed everyone to the table.

Draco put down his tray with the punch and rounded it, joining Harry's side. Harry looked up and smiled.

"Hey." He greeted silently. Draco smiled and took a seat on Harry's right so that he could play with Hariel as well. Hariel's little mouth pulled into a little baby smile and Draco chuckled.

"Aren't you the cutest little creature in the world." He whispered and tickled Hariel's tummy. Harry chuckled and passed Hariel to Draco. He looked at the table and found himself impressed with the effort everyone put into this. There were several different types of cookies, a bowl of punch and warm chocolate and Harry only now realized what Pansy and Vincent took out of the box. They were glass orbs the size of Harry's fist. Some had little angels playing harps and violins among snowflakes; some were of little white Christmas trees and some simply had snow flying around while others had little, glowing bells swinging in a steady rhythm, creating thrilling, tingling sounds.

"These are the only decorations we could find that aren't damaged in any way." Pansy said and Harry nodded.

"It doesn't matter. We're all good in charms and transfiguration. We'll think of something." He said and stood up. "But first-..." he moved over to the tree and winked at them when he saw the curious glances they were looking at him with. For a second he stopped surprised by his own thoughts. 'Yes; they are my family.'

He smiled for himself and turned to look at the Christmas tree. He focused on the image in his head and willed the magic around him to listen to his will.

Everyone gasped when Harry clasped his hands in front of his chest and slowly started to part them. As he did all the colors of the rainbow started to twist and turn between his hands. Harry looked at the lights and blew lightly in them and they flew into the air to start twirling around the tree from top to bottom. They settled in the thick branches in a spiral and Harry took a step back to look at his handiwork.

"Wow; that's so pretty!" Pansy murmured and Harry had to fight off a blush.

"It's something similar to what the Muggles put on their trees. I saw it a few times. It's not the same but electricity doesn't work here and-..."

"It's beautiful." Narcissa said and approached Harry with a few of those orbs Pansy and Vince found in her hands.

"I dare say it's more beautiful than what the Muggles have." Eve said and Hermione nodded. Harry smiled and sought out Draco. The blond was gazing at the tree with wide eyes. Hariel was still in his arms and Harry felt something tighten in his guts. When Draco looked at him and their eyes met Harry opened the Bond and sent a feeling of immense appreciation to Draco.

Draco saw the way Harry was looking at him and he couldn't stop the blush from spreading over his face. He looked down at Hariel and imagined how it would feel to have his own child in his arms.

_'You will, kha'bí; one day you will.'_ Draco smiled and looked at Harry again. His heart felt strangely light at that moment and he felt incredible joy spread through him. He stood up and gave Hariel to Emrys, who just gave him a mysterious little smile and nodded his head in Harry's direction. Draco nodded and went over to his mother and took one orb.

"Come on now, we don't want the dinner to turn cold." Draco said, levitated the orb and hung it on the closest branch before he turned around and placed a gentle kiss on Harry's lips. This seemed to get everyone moving, even Ondine and Septimus joined in, with Ondine creating some crystalline stars and smaller orbs.

Harry felt Draco by his side and looked down at him.

_'Are you happy?' _Harry was slightly taken back by the question.

_'What do you mean by that, Dragon? Of course I'm happy.'_ Draco smiled when he felt the truth in Harry's words.

_'I just - we are your family, Harry; all of us. We just - we just want you to know that.'_ Harry smiled and looked around. He saw Ginny, Hermione and Pansy bickering about something or another; he saw Greg and Vince (taught how to do it by Ondine) put see-through, emerald orbs on the tree with levitation charms. He saw Blaise and Neville creating snowflakes on the tips of the branches and little icicles among pine-needles. He saw Gabriel and Emrys enjoying the evening with Hariel sleeping between them and Narcissa reprimanding Septimus on spoiling his dinner with too many cookies and too much punch.

"Harry?" Eve joined him and Draco.

"Yes?"

"I forgot to pack my guitar." She said with a goofy smile and Harry chuckled.

"Dippy!" he called out and the little Elf popped in.

"Yes, Master Harry sir?"

"Could you bring the guitar from the music room?" the little Elf jumped in her place happily.

"Of course, Master Harry sir! Right away, Master Harry sir!" she was gone with a pop and back again with the instrument levitating in front of her. Harry took it from the air and gave it to Eve who smiled at him and went to sit in an armchair. They attracted everyone's attention when Eve called Harry over and all but ordered him to sing.

"Eve, come on-..."

"Harry?" Draco interrupted his Mate and Harry looked at him pleadingly, but Draco only smiled at him and climbed up on the tip of his toes to kiss him. "Please, sing for us." He murmured and Harry sighed.

'Why do I have the feeling it will be increasingly difficult to deny him anything?' he thought as he walked over to Eve and took a seat on the ground beside her feet. She started to play a soft melody which Harry recognized immediately. He looked at Draco and the warm, loving smile on his lips made Harry's heart fill with warmth.

_Come they told me, pa rum pum, pum, pum.  
A new born King to see, pa rum pum, pum, pum,._

Draco looked around. Yes, he has seen good Christmases before, since his mother always made an effort to make them a happy time for him. But this was the first Christmas when his mother was actually radiating happiness. His friends all looked so relaxed; like all masks were down and they were acting like the children they still were somewhere in their hearts.

_Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
To lay before the King, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
rum pum, pum, pum, rum pum, pum, pum._

Hermione exchanged a small glance with Neville and Ginny. All three of them looked at Harry. Neither Neville nor Ginny really knew Harry was such a good singer, but that didn't matter at the moment. They were finally seeing Harry without his masks on. Even though he looked older, even though there were much too early grays in his hair he looked happy; he looked really happy.

_So to honor Him, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
When we come._

Gabriel looked at his Child. Everything could have been different. If Dumbledore hadn't taken Lily from him, even if Lily had died at one point, Harry would have had a family; he would have grown up surrounded by love. 'But that doesn't matter right now.' Gabriel thought and looked down at his son. 'Things are finally looking up.'

_Little Baby, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
rum pum, pum, pum, rum pum, pum, pum._

Narcissa smiled for herself when she saw her son help Ginny learn how to create red crystalline orbs of all sizes. She was so afraid that Lucius' influence would turn Draco into yet another blind follower. But now that she looked at him she couldn't feel more proud. These children; they were the new generation. They were the generation that will one day remodel the world and create a better future. And what a bright future it seemed to be.

_Shall I play for you, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
On my drum?_

"Do you need any help?" Blaise almost jumped out of his skin when Neville came from behind him. He looked at the taller boy and barely fought off a blush.

"I can't seem to decide where to put this one." He said to cover up the momentary confusion which took over him. Neville smiled and took the orb from Blaise's hand. Blaise shivered when Neville's hand touched his for a second and that same place seemed to tingle warmly. Neville placed the orb on the free branch and smiled at Blaise when he turned around.

"I think we found a place for it." He said and this time Blaise couldn't stop the blush or the silly little smile which took over his face.

"I do believe we did."

_Mary nodded, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
rum pum, pum, pum, rum pum, pum, pum._

_'Are you happy, beloved?'_ Harry looked up at Draco and smiled.

_'Yes I am, love; I am.'_

_Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum, pum, pum,  
Me and my drum._

* * *

When Harry woke up the next morning it took him a moment to remember the events of last night and the fact that it was Christmas. A moment later he realized that he was in fact alone in bed, but Draco's warmth hasn't left it yet, so Harry knew Draco couldn't have left their bed a long time ago. A gentle prod against Draco's shields and the blond man answered Harry's call.

_'I'll be right back, Harry. Just a moment.'_ Draco's gentle voice came over their link.

_'Alrigh'; 'm not goin' anywhere.' _Harry's sleepy voice made Draco laugh over their Bond. Harry was shaken when a slight weight jumped on the bed. He looked up and saw Cory climb over the expense of the bed to settle on Harry's chest. Harry sighed and scratched her behind her ears.

"Shouldn't you be seeking warmth, you little minx?" Harry muttered. The kitten gazed at him in a bored way, yawned and laid down on Harry's chest, crossing her paws under her chin. Harry sighed and slammed his head back into the pillow. "I swear this kit understands every word I say." He grumbled.

"Well they do say that black cats are often incarnations of evil wizards and witches." Draco's amused voice floated over from the doorway. Harry looked up and was faced with an amused smirk. Draco looked fabulous in loose black pants and a big burgundy-red pullover. A few playful tresses danced around his face and fell into his eyes, while the rest of his hair was pulled into a low ponytail. In his hands was a tray with two cups of a steaming liquid. Harry thought he could smell the familiar scent of Earl Gray and chocolate croissants.

"Should I see if she is actually an animagus?" Draco chuckled and walked in and over to the bed. Harry took a gentle hold of Cory and placed her in his lap when he sat up, only for her to trod away from them and settle at the feet of the bed. He noticed the blush that overtook Draco's face at the sight of Harry's well formed torso and shook his head. Draco decided to ignore it all (no matter how hard it was) and took a seat on the bed and placed the tray between them before he crawled over to Harry on his hands and knees. Harry smirked at him and reached up to cup the back of Draco's head in his hand and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Merry Christmas, love." He said and hugged Harry around his neck. He felt Harry's chest vibrate with laughter and leaned back a little.

"Merry Christmas to you as well, kha'bí." He said warmly and Draco smiled widely. He pulled back and settled back against the headboard.

"Come on. Soon everyone will wake up and wish to go and open presents." Harry chuckled when Draco tucked into the obviously fresh croissants. Draco stopped when he noticed that Harry hadn't moved. He looked to the side only to see Harry watching him with a silly little smile on his lips and an unreadable look in his eyes. Draco tilted his head to the side a bit.

"What is it, Ry?" Harry shook his head and leaned over to place a loving kiss on Draco's forehead.

"Nothing, love. I'm just coming to grips with a few things." He said and picked up the warm pastry while Draco frowned in confusion.

"What things?" Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"Nothing special. Just that I truly have everything I need. Things that I want - well if I could wait for years to get them, a few more months don't seem so bad, don't you think?" Harry asked and finished his croissant. Draco didn't even try to pretend that he didn't know what Harry was talking about. He crawled closer to his dark haired Mate and kissed him gently on the lips.

"I think that no one should wait to take what they want." He said as he straddled Harry's lap and the raven haired Vampire laid down on the bed.

"Oh really?" he murmured as Draco leaned over him with his hands on either side of Harry's head.

"M-hmmm." Draco hummed and shivered when Harry's hands settled on his hips and pulled him down. A whisper of the pleasure Draco was becoming familiar with shot a wave of warmth over his body and he saw goose-bumps appear on Harry's skin. He smirked and decided to tease his Mate a little.

"Dragon?" said teen ignored the warning in Harry's voice and gently scrapped Harry's jugular with his teeth. A low growl escaped Harry's lips and it vibrated in his chest. "Draco."

"Hm?" Draco muttered sounding as if he couldn't care less what Harry was thinking at the moment. He had the Vampire exactly where he wanted him and there was no way in hell he would allow this chance to pass him by.

"Draco, if you don't stop-..."

"Hush." Draco's lips were suddenly beside Harry's ear and his small hands were dancing over his chest, leaving trails of burning heat wherever they touched. "Just relax, love; let me show you how much I love you." Harry growled at the sound of Draco's enchanting voice.

"Dray, stop. Just-..." whatever Harry wanted to say was lost inside a gasping moan which Draco tore out of Harry's intoxicating mouth. Draco barely suppressed a self-satisfied smirk and, ignoring his own need, rubbed against Harry in the most primal of ways know to him.

_'Dragon!'_ Harry's voice echoed through Draco's mind and this time he couldn't stop the grin from taking over his face. He pushed his own passion down wanting to see his loving Dominant receive as much as he gave for once in his life.

"Cum for me, lover." He growled in Harry's ear and suddenly found himself on his back with his hands locked above his head in a vice like grip, and a gasped half scream -half moan was torn from his mouth, when Harry ground against him, their bodies almost completely flushed together. Draco made himself open his eyes and look up into Harry's clouded emeralds, and for a moment the world seemed to stop and Harry stopped moving against him. He cupped Draco's face with his left hand and bowed down to kiss him with so much pure love and adoration Draco wondered how his heart didn't burst. He arched against Harry in a jerking motion and all off a sudden light flashed behind his eyes and both of them sagged down, gasping for breath. Draco didn't know how long they just lay there, gasping for breath. Harry managed to move slightly to the side as not to crush Draco with his weight, but the comforting arm around Draco's waist told him that the Vampire was alright, although the sated feeling which was flowing over the Bond told him Harry was possibly even more than just alright. What was about to become a relaxed atmosphere was interrupted with loud knocking and running footsteps in the direction of the Drawing room.

"Wake up, sleepyheads! It's Christmas! Time for presents!" Ginny's excited voice came from the other side and Harry groaned.

"I swear; Ginny is destined to be my alarm clock by some cosmic karma or something." He grumbled and Draco snorted.

"Well, it is either that, or she has some sixth sense concerning wrong timings. That wouldn't surprise me since she grew up with - what 5 brothers?"

"Six actually. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George and Ronald. I think I get what you mean." Harry said and pulled Draco closer to nuzzle his chin against Draco's shoulder and let go of a difficult sigh. Draco couldn't stop the loving smile or the feeling of happiness from taking over.

"Come on, Ry. We better take a shower." Harry groaned again and hugged Draco tighter.

"The first time I really want to lie in, first day in my life that I _can_ sleep in and it has to be Christmas." Harry grumbled and Draco chuckled.

"Come on, you big baby. We can't go down all sticky like this."

"Well maybe if we did they'd learn to leave us alone." Harry muttered and rolled off of Draco to rub his face with his hands and try to cover a huge yawn.

"Aw, you know you don't mean that." Draco said and slowly got out of the bed, stretching like a cat. A second later he felt Harry's heated glare on his back. He walked over to the bathroom door and threw Harry an inviting look over his shoulder.

"Coming, lover?"

Before he realized what was going on he found himself pinned against the door gazing into completely black eyes.

**'Oh, I will be ****coming****; don't you worry about that.'**

* * *

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Draco greeted being first to come into the Drawing room. Breakfast was obviously served there in the form of warm pastries and delightful tea and hot chocolate. There were pancakes and waffles with cream and fruit, and there was a ton of presents under the tree. The drapes were pushed aside to allow them all to see the beautiful sight of the land behind the Gryffindor Manor covered in snow.

"Merry Christmas, you two. It took you a while to get down here." Narcissa said and gave them both a kiss on their cheeks.

"You know how it is; we slept in and then we both had to take a shower-..." _'Several times'_ Draco landed a hit on Harry's shoulder when Harry sent him that thought and while Draco just blushed, Harry only smiled a small mysterious smile and drank from his cup of tea.

"Me thinks Harry and Draco did something naughty this morning." Ginny sang and leaned in Hermione's direction trying to act inconspicuous.

"Me thinks we should roast them later and focus on presents right about now!" Neville cried out with a huge blush on his face eliciting a round of laughter.

"I agree with, Nev. Present time!" Pansy said and pulled on Vince's arm to bring him to the Christmas three. Draco looked at Harry and smiled at his Mate, who simply sighed and stood up.

"Who's gonna go first!" Blaise asked.

"Hey, hey, hey! No opening presents until we're all together!" they all looked to the doorway and wished a Merry Christmas to Gabriel, Emrys, Hariel, Eve, Ondine and Septimus, Ondine being the one who reprimanded them. A round of hugs and kisses was issued. It wasn't much later that they were all comfortably seated and exchanging presents.

While his friends, his family was opening presents, Draco looked at Harry. He noticed that the dark haired Vampire received a few gifts. Draco suddenly felt horrible. Yes; he forgot to buy a present for Harry. He was so excited about finally seeing him that he completely forgot about Christmas and presents. He bought little things for Gabriel and Emrys to give to them on a later date, but he completely forgot to buy a present for Harry.

Harry looked at Draco when he felt his distress over the Bond. He didn't know why Draco would suddenly feel so horrible, until a stray thought coming from Draco hit him and Harry smiled for himself. He looked at the bottom of the tree and saw that all the gifts were given already. It was just about time.

Hermione elbowed Ginny gently when she saw Harry stand up and reach for something in the back pocket of his pants. Draco looked out of it, lost in some troubling thought so he didn't notice his Mate kneel behind him. Everyone's attention was drawn to them and they couldn't stop a smile at Draco's jumpy reaction when Harry kneeled behind him.

"Harry-..."

"Close your eyes. No peeking." Draco frowned but after a moment did as he was told. Harry winked at his friends although they saw a slight look of worry in his eyes. They watched him as he reached around Draco and saw something silvery fall into the folds of Draco's pullover. They couldn't tell exactly but it seemed it rested just a bit over his heart. When Harry was done fastening whatever it was they all felt a wave of magic wash over them. Harry took a deep breath and took a seat beside Draco on the floor again.

"Open." Draco, who was shaking with the desire to see what Harry gave to him, let go of a shaky breath and opened his eyes. He took the pendant into his hand delicately only for his breath to hitch somewhere in his throat. He had no words to say. He felt great and yet so sad at the same time. The pendant – it was the same one he saw when he was in the Diagon Alley for the first time alone with Harry. The same pendant which attracted his attention on sight. "Dragon?" Harry could feel that Draco was overjoyed with the gift and that he loved it, but he didn't know how to erase the lingering sadness.

"I - Harry, this is perfect." Draco stuttered out. He could feel the powerful protective magic which radiated from the pendant and wondered how Harry found it. "It's beautiful, Harry; thank you." he said and carefully placed the pendant under his shirt. He felt its comfortable, yet somehow accusing weight over his heart and tried to think of something -anything to say. "I haven't bought you anything." He finally whispered and looked at Harry who was looking at him in a knowing way and with a loving smile on his face. Draco didn't fight him when Harry wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gently pulled him into a loving embrace. Draco hid his face in Harry's shoulder and sighed when Harry's scent and warmth enveloped him from head to toe.

"The best gift you could ever give me-..." Harry started and stopped as if searching for the right words. "What I want most in this world is your safety." Draco swallowed and tried to push himself closer to Harry. "I have everything else. There is nothing else I would need or want as long as you are safe." Hermione and everyone exchanged sad looks. The talk they had with the Vampires, Narcissa and Eve during yesterday's breakfast finally made perfect sense. They watched as Harry gently pushed Draco away to look into his teary eyes.

"Harry, I-..."

"I thought I wouldn't see you for a very, very long time. I thought that you would choose to stay at Hogwarts once I finished my training. I thought we wouldn't have time for ourselves for at least a few more months. But I was wrong. And this is the best gift anyone could have ever given me." A lone tear trailed down Draco's cheek and Harry caught it with his index finger. "I have you, all of you here with me and I can honestly say that this is the best Christmas of my life, and that I hope there will be many more in the future: simple Christmases just like this one."

"There will be Harry. We'll make sure that there are many, many more." Pansy said and smiled.

"And next time there will be more people here. More family." Vince said and hugged his girlfriend to his chest.

"And true, loyal friends." Neville added and looked at Blaise. The Italian teen blushed and looked away, only to shoot a wondering look in Neville's direction.

"But for now!" Ginny jumped up and looked around with an excited look. "Who's up for a snowball fight?" everyone was up with a cheer; even Eve, Ondine and Septimus looked interested in the idea. Emrys and Gabriel decided to watch them from their balcony where a heating charm would make sure Hariel was safe from the cold.

_'Dragon?'_ Draco looked at Harry. He was about to go into their room; he wasn't in the mood for any festive behavior. The pendant warmed him, but it also reminded him of his mistake.

_'I don't feel all that well, Ry. I'm just gonna-...'_

_'I don't care, Draco.'_ Draco looked up into Harry's loving eyes. Harry opened the Bonds and Draco saw that what Harry was speaking was indeed true.

"I don't care about presents. I have you, right here, and I am happy. I truly am happy." Draco sighed and leaned into Harry's chest.

"I feel guilty." Harry sighed and hugged Draco close. He couldn't think of anything which would make Draco feel better. And then it hit him.

He thought of doing this some other time, when he and Draco would be alone. But the time was as good as ever, and he learned not to miss chances. Harry took a deep breath as he took a step away from Draco, took his hand into his and led him over to the couch. Draco stared at Harry with a confused frown on his face as Harry took a seat on the tea table in front of the couch and showed him to take a seat as well.

Unbeknownst to both of them their friends were hiding behind the door listening in. Harry took Draco's hands in his and focused on them, having difficulties with looking in Draco's eyes. All of a sudden he was nervous. He didn't know why, but suddenly he found himself speechless. He cleared his throat and dared to throw a short glance at Draco through his bangs before he looked back at their joined hands.

"Usually it's custom for the Dominant to ask the father of their intended for his blessing in courting them. With Creatures it isn't much different except we do not pick our Mates; I can say without a doubt that we are blessed with our perfect counterpart. Someone that completes us. Someone that loves us for who we are; not the mask, not the farce, but the person inside." Harry's voice broke so he cleared his throat again and took a deep breath. "It's also tradition that Chosen Mates don't complete the Fourth Bond without going through the Bonding Ceremony." At that Draco's mouth went dry, his eyes opened wide and he forgot to breathe. "Usually, I would ask your closest male Guardian, but I think this time I can allow myself to ignore Tradition." Harry made himself look up only to find crystalline tears trailing slowly down Draco's cheeks and the feeling of complete and utter happiness on Draco's side of the Bond. Harry felt his heart turn so light he almost felt his head spin.

"Draco, I don't ask anything Material from you. I don't ask for promises of endless happiness, or a light future. All I ask for is to have you by my side for as long as this world may exist. All I ask for is your hand, not only in the eyes Magic and Nature, but also in the eyes of the World." Harry let go of Draco's hand and a small black, velvet box appeared in his hand. It opened with a wave of magic, and Draco's breath caught in his throat when he saw a beautiful, simple band of white gold nestled in gray velvet. "Draco Malfoy, will you - will you marry me?" Harry's voice broke several times and he was surprised when he realized that it was not only him that was shaking almost madly.

"Yes." Draco's whisper was so silent Harry almost mistook it for a breath, but when that beautiful smile he loved so much bloomed on Draco's tear-stained face he knew he heard right. "Yes, I will marry you!" Harry let go of a breathy laugh and scooped Draco in his arms, spinning him around. Both were shocked when they heard someone applauding from the doorway.

Their friends, their family was there, some with tears in their eyes, some with huge smiles on their faces, but they were there. Harry remembered Remus and Severus; how both of them will probably ask for a pensive memory. He remembered his parents and Sirius; how his mother must be crying her eyes out, while James holds her and Sirius is laughing at him with tears in his eyes.

And then he looked at Draco and suddenly none of that mattered. Nothing and no-one mattered for as long as Draco was there.

_'I love you, kha'bí.'_

_'I love you too, Harry. I love you too.'_

* * *

**Hope you liked it!  
More comes as soon as possible!**

**All my love,  
Ms. Yuki**


End file.

Harry Potter, Horror, Romance