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4. Foreword For a moment, right before we enter, I hesitate, holding Harry back. He looks at me, I know before I was willing but now, at the true moment of decision I can’t help but face the fact that if I do this, I will not only destroy myself, I will destroy Harry too. Before I wouldn’t care but now, this is different. I feel conflicting emotions that I didn’t even know existed before. I feels as if I am fighting a loosing battle. I want to step out and defy all I stand for but it seems so easy just to hold back to hide. Wait, did I just think that? To hide? I won’t hide. I will face my fears and I won’t be alone, my mate. Harry will be with me, we will suffer it out together. I squeeze his hand and nod, my other hand gently pushes him forward. His smile appears and this time it feels genuine. He steps out and the room applauds, of course he’s the new head boy, someone to admire and look up to. Not mention the fact that he’s absolutely bloody gorgeous. Several girls faint, and all around those of the women kind are blushing, whispering and giggling. Harry’s grip tightens, he is not happy. He must hate it, all the attention and expectation now there is one more thing they have to worship him for. Then he walks out and I am momentarily blinded by the light change from dark and gloomy to bright and disgustingly cheery. The hall slowly goes silent. I can almost hear what they’re thinking, Harry Potter is with Draco Malfoy and no sign of bloodshed? Or even better yet, They’re holding hands. I glance around and carefully look over to those I know, not necessarily friends, actually none of the people I know are friends. Just enemies and bribed allies. Pansy has fainted and Crabbe and Goyle look as confused as normal. Blaise looks absolutely pissed but he’s not the only one, most of the Slytherin table either looks confused or angry. The Gryffindor table, only look pissed. They all hate me. This may be more difficult then I first perceived. Harry walks forward to the center of the room all eyes watch us. Dumbledore has a look of mild confusion mixed with his normal good-natured, cheerfulness. Once in the middle and in front of everyone’s eyes he lets go of my hand and bows. It’s an absolutely perfect bow, one that would make a king weep in shame. His hand gracefully came up and out, he bends at just perfect, textbook angle, his hair flipping over his shoulder. Another handful of females periodically faint. He then turns to address Dumbledore, Sir, he says, may those of different houses dine together at one of tables? Dumbledore blinks and adjusts his spectacles, You and Mr. Malfoy have a bet is it? He asks, Well if you must know, there is nothing in the school rules that says you can’t but then again there is nothing saying that you can. Smart ass old man, he figures that by answering the question to both ideas that he can appease our ‘bet’, clever. Unnecessary but clever. A quick look around shows that everyone has taken Dumbledore’s assumption as fact. They look relieved, I don’t know how long that will last but then again I have no idea what Harry is planning. Dumbledore Has given him the perfect out. Will he take it? Looks like I won the bet Malfoy, Harry says a tad over loudly, his eyes are shining with a laughter that seems to mimic Dumbledore’s. I scowl not necessarily at Harry, more at his horrible acting. He turns around and grabs my arm, half dragging me to his table. The hall instantly fills with chatter and gossip. I pick up bits as I am dragged, such as, how beautiful the two of us are, ideas about what kind of bet and how it was possible to win with the answer given and the last snatch of conversation I managed to grasp before we reached the Gryffindor table was a group of girls discussing what a cute couple we would make. They didn’t know the half of it but they were pretty damn close. We stopped on the far side of the Gryffindor table, with our backs to the wall and Weasley and Granger across. People slid over quickly to make room for us, they seemed to treat us like a disease or me like a disease and Harry like the contaminated. I slipped into the bench after Harry and was met by the stares of immense dislike by everyone around me and some sort of primal satisfaction. Granger leaned forward, an eager, malicious glint in her eye. Damn, who knew she could be so freaken scary. Life isn’t going to be easy. I have to remember that these are my mate’s friends, I must respect them as my mate does. This is going to take a lot of work and concentration. I haven’t been nice to these two since we met. Harry, Granger whispered, what happened? What kind of bet did you guys have? What did you get since you won? Yeah! Weasley said a little overenthusiastically, Does this mean that Malfoy is like you slave for a week? Because I have this really nasty pair of sweat socks and they need to be washed. Granger and Weasley laughed, I would too if I had been in their position. You’re joking, Granger gasped. Dude that is so funny, Weasley snorted, but who would want Malfoy for that long? I feel my heart contract for some reason. Perhaps I really don’t matter. I feel my cheeks flush and my head falls down to look in my lap. I’m ashamed for something I have never been for before. Maybe it’s because from this point forward, besides my mate’s opinion on me his friends are the next most important. Or…because it hurts to know that no one really would ever want me except to hurt and punish me. But that’s my own fault isn’t it? If I hadn’t been such a bastard to begin with. Why did Harry want me then? What does he see in me? Or did he only pick me because of my scent? He’s probably never even caught scent of another submissive veela, he just picked the first one he came across. Am I just convenient or just sport? To see if he could get me? If that’s it then what do I have in life to look for? Nothing, it’s just like Harry said, I’m his slave for life. I feel a hand under my chin, gently tipping my head back up. I suddenly realize that I am crying. I have never cried before, I feel heat swell my face and I yank my chin away from him and look away. I ignore the looks those around me are giving. I try not to think about anything, to clear my mind like I would before, to hide my vulnerability with anger and sarcasm. I can’t. A warmth on my cheek, I turn back to see Harry’s worried eyes. He cares I remember, as he gently pushes back my hair and, and he kisses my tears away. Right there in front of all his friends and comrades! He won’t hide me, he won’t treat me like a broken toy. He every action seems filled with an adoration and almost worship that I can’t comprehend. My mate, the words slip out of my mouth without me even noticing but they’re so soft that only Harry and the two hear me. Their expressions seem to be fixed in a permenate state of shock. I scoot over slightly, to be as close to Harry as possible, and lean against him, placing my head on his shoulder. He seems to relax but he’s the only one. All around more and more eyes are turning to look at us. Harry’s bluff was only a minute distraction, he knew that. Under the table I feel his hand clasp and squeeze mine. He begins eating, some how managing to eat with his left hand only, as his right remains linked with mine. I try to eat but I never ate much before, to begin with. I was always accused of being a picky eater but to be honest I just never had it in me to eat. It just never appeals to me, if I didn’t have to eat to continue living I wouldn’t. Weasley and Granger slowly snap out of it, shaking their heads, Weasley even pinches himself. Then he looks at my mate and I, eyes skimming back and forth between us. Hermione blinks and her eyes cloud for several seconds in thought. What the bloody hell?, Weasley mutters. Right after Hermione mutters what sounds like, I don’t understand… Out of the two Hermione is the most intelligent and level headed. I think under the current circumstances the half truth would serve well. I reach up and pull my hair back away from my face, flipping it behind my back. Then pulling down the collar around this dreaded school uniform to expose the mark my mate had given me. Hermione’s eyes instantly lock onto it and after a minute or maybe more, recognition springs into her eyes. I get it!, She exclaims softly. Get what?, A dazed Ron asks. Malfoy, she starts in a matter-of-factly tone, has a veela genes right? So look at his neck. Ron looks confused and agitated, So? He mutters. So!?, Hermione practically shouts, that’s the mark of a claimed submissive veela! I read about it over the summer. Veelas have only one mate through their entire life span and once a veela is marked and mated then that veela will never leave the other! But if that’s true, and the only one I’ve seen Malfoy with is… Ewww! Ron gagged, what do you mean they have to mate? Harry doesn’t even have veela genes! That’s disgusting Hermione, you’ve got to be wrong. Even if Harry was part veela he would never pick Malfoy. I guess your right, Hermione sighed. I felt horrible, like I would throw up any second. I never thought anyone could be more heartlessly cruel than me but Weasley and Granger did without even thinking. Harry’s hand tightened suddenly, shocking me out of my reverie. No, Hermione, Harry murmured, his eyes flashing dangerously, you were right. Draco is my mate and through some horrible twists of fate, I do have veela blood running through my veins. No matter what you would like or wish to believe I did choose Draco. He’s mine, forever and by my own will. But Harry why him?!, Ron pleaded, There are more than one veela out there! Why’d you have to go and pick him? It’s true, Harry smiled, looking over at me, there are other veelas. I saw quite a few actually, many of them submissive, a few unclaimed but they didn’t smell right. Their scent wasn’t right, Draco’s was and I had to have him. He’s perfect in every way and I wouldn’t change anything even if I could. I love him. My thoughts froze, my heart skipped a beat and I felt my breathing fail. He couldn’t have just said that, it’s impossible for someone to ever love me. part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, part nine, part ten, part eleven, part twelve back |