Title: Veiled Threats
Author: cyane_snape
Team: AU
Prompt: 18. "This one time, at Hogwarts..."
Wordcount: 22,369
Rating: NC-17ish
Warnings: Mpreg, misbehaving Veela, dirty words, dirtier sex.
Summary: No one had any idea what had really happened that eventful year, but then there was that one day they all remembered…that one time, at the final battle at Hogwarts when everything changed and Harry and Draco disappeared. According to the authorities, the savior had been kidnapped and the Minister had no other choice than to issue a warrant for the immediate arrest of Draco Malfoy on charges of treason.
Author's Note: None of this would have been possible without my beta, Gavilan the Great. Special thanks to sugareey, joanwilder, and teganscrush for the added 'spark' of inspiration and MajaLi for the coding help.

Veiled Threats

The battle raged on into the dark February night as Harry Potter tried his best to reach the Dark Lord. It had been a long hard school year. Dumbledore's recent death at the hands of Amycus Carrow had left the Order in a shambles. The search for the last Horcruxes had taken its toll on Harry and he just wanted the battle to be finished once and for all. They had finally destroyed all the Horcruxes and Neville had just killed Nagini a few minutes earlier. All that was left for Harry to do was to face the snake–faced bastard. Physically, Harry didn't know how much strength he had left. He had to finish this as quickly as possible. His time was running out.

The grassy slope leading down from the old castle was slick with blood, but the Order and all of its warriors were valiantly fighting back the Death Eaters who had managed to break through the lines of defense. Neville had taken out Bellatrix Lestrange while she had been distracted by Andromeda Tonks. Lucius Malfoy had been struck down by Charlie Weasley after the blond had killed Arthur. There was so much smoke and spell–magic in the air it was hard to tell friend from foe.

Harry was ready for all of this to end. Voldemort pushed his way through his followers and began to taunt the younger man, but Harry was really tired, his back hurt and he just didn't feel like rising to the bait. His time was running short and he needed to end this now. While Voldemort continued to whip his followers into a frenzy with one of his endless pontifications, Harry palmed his wand and shot the killing curse at the now–dead Dark Lord.

It was utter chaos for many minutes following, the worst of which was when Draco Malfoy ran up behind the Boy Who Lived and grabbed his arm, both wizards vanishing in a shimmer of silver light the next moment.

The Ministry searched over the British countryside for weeks, but there was no indication that either Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy had been seen. According to the authorities, the savior had been kidnapped and the Minister had no other choice than to issue a warrant for the immediate arrest of Draco Malfoy on charges of treason. No amount of argument from anyone at Hogwarts would change the order for arrest.

~*~*~*~

Nearly a year earlier, where the story really began

"Oh, dear…this is certainly unexpected."

This was not the norm for the all–knowing ever–powerful Albus Dumbledore. His eyes constantly twinkled and he knew everything before it happened. This was a first, and hopefully the last time that the legendary Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be caught unprepared for such a world–shattering event. It was whose world that was going to shatter that was the big problem.

It was, at the exact moment, just after midnight on the seventh of August. The school was quiet and the only people currently in residence were a few of the faculty and staff, but a tremor of magic had passed through the castle precisely at midnight. A bright purple parchment had been delivered to his office at precisely 12:01 am with a distinctive seal from the Ministry of Magic: Department of Binding Documents Control. The magic seal had opened on his touch and the contents were startling.

The wise old wizard stood away from his desk and threw a pinch of Floo powder into his hearth. He needed to consult with two of his professors immediately, specifically the Heads of Gryffindor and Slytherin houses.

"Severus…"

A dark head appeared in the green fire. "Yes, Headmaster?"

"Severus, I need to see you as soon as possible. Are you free at the moment?"

"Yes, Headmaster. Give me just a moment or two and I shall join you. Is there anything that I should be prepared for?"

"No, Severus. There is nothing that you can do until I see you in person. Join me as soon as possible."

The Headmaster then threw another pinch of Floo powder and called for his Head of Gryffindor.

"Minerva, are you there?"

The grim face of Minerva McGonagall peeked through the fire and grimaced.

"Albus, is there something the matter?"

"Minerva, if you would, please join me here in my office as soon as possible. Something unexpected has just arrived and I am in need of advice."

"I'll be right there, Albus."

As soon as the call ended, Severus Snape appeared at the Headmaster's door with a quizzical expression on his normally emotionless face.

"Headmaster."

"Thank you, Severus. Minerva will be joining us shortly. Please have a seat."

Professor Snape was worried. Dumbledore had not offered one of his ridiculous lemon drops and his eyes were not quite twinkling. If Albus' eyes weren't twinkling, this was serious.

They were presently joined by Minerva McGonagall and the Headmaster gestured to the other chair for her.

"Albus, what's the matter? This is usually the quietest time of the year. Has something happened?"

Albus Dumbledore sat down behind the ancient desk and picked up the parchment from the Ministry. "I have just received this parchment from the Ministry. I admit that I was completely taken by surprise in that I had no previous information about this and I'm at a loss as to the solution." He then handed the document to Severus Snape.

The Potions Master quickly skimmed the document and upon reaching the pertinent information, smirked. He handed the parchment to Minerva and she tried to contain a gasp of surprise, but didn't quite succeed. She held her slight smile behind her hand as she handed the purple document back to the Headmaster.

Albus peered at his two trusted friends and asked, "Do either of you have any advice on how to proceed with this revelation?" He looked at Snape for some kind of help.

"Don't look at me. This is certainly not something I am willing to do without major monetary compensation. Put me in Tom Riddle's dungeon, blast me with a Cruciatus curse and strip me naked…but THIS is way beyond my willing participation."

"Minerva, do you have any ideas?"

"Well, Albus, I don't think we have much of a choice. The only option that we have is to follow the directives of the document. Do we know how he might possibly react?"

"Yes, Minerva. I am also thinking that there is someone who might be able to shed a little more light on the situation. Do you have any idea where we might be able to find Remus Lupin?"

"I believe he is still staying at 12 Grimmauld Place, Albus."

The Headmaster stood and waved his wand. Two parchments requesting a meeting appeared on the desk. He handed one to Minerva and instructed her to go to Grimmauld Place and escort former professor Remus Lupin back to Hogwarts.

"Severus, take this one. I am requesting that you personally deliver this document and escort our young friend back here to Hogwarts."

"Why ME, Albus? Why does Minerva get the easy job?"

"Why, Severus, I was under the impression that you would rather do anything than be around our werewolf friend."

"Better to fetch the werewolf than this. Really, Albus, why me?"

"I am trusting you with this mission because I know that you will succeed in your objective. In other words, I know that you will bodily drag him back here if necessary. Very well, if all is settled, be on your way, I want all of you back here as quickly as possible. Please let me know if you are delayed for any reason."

"Headmaster, one more thing."

"Yes, Severus."

"What exactly am I supposed to tell him is the reason for the return to school in the middle of his summer holiday?"

"Just tell him that he is indulging an old man."

Snape snorted and thought Well, that will make all the difference.

~*~*~*~

The summer passed slowly on Privet Drive. It had been the hottest summer Harry Potter could remember, but then there wasn't a lot about summers at Privet Drive that Harry liked, so nothing could really make him happy. It had been hot and the house never seemed to cool, even in the evenings. Tonight's violent rainstorm had brought some relief from the heat, but it was still miserable. Being outside was miserable and being inside was miserable, but then being miserable was the status quo for Harry Potter. He was as miserable as any newly 18–year–old wizard could be. He had been 18 for a full week and was still coming to grips with the changes he was experiencing. He was fortunate to have lived long enough to reach his birthday and was anticipating coming into his full powers at his majority. Harry had returned to the Dursleys' after spending his entire seventh year of school trying to track down all of Voldemort's Horcruxes, managing to get almost all of them.

Harry had lived to see 'eighteen' and had expected something drastic to happen on his birthday, but he was to be disappointed. His powers didn't surge. He didn't grow taller. The secrets of the universe had not become clear in his mind. All in all he was rather annoyed. All of his friends had experienced some kind of magical and physical change on their eighteenth birthdays. Again, Harry wondered what was wrong with him.

A week had passed without any new revelations. It was now the seventh of August and in a few more days he would be allowed to go to the Weasleys for the remainder of the summer holidays.

Harry had been working in the sun all day. It was so hot that he had stripped off his shirt once the sweat had started to itch on his back. Several times he had stopped working for a while to sit in the shade due to mild bouts of nausea. He knew that heat stroke could be dangerous and he also knew he wouldn't get any help from his family if he became ill.

At exactly 7:23 PM, the most excruciating pain ripped through Harry's back and knocked him off his feet. He grabbed his shirt and shoved it into his mouth to keep from biting through his lips as he stifled a scream of agony. The last things he saw before he blacked out were currents of wild magic whipping around his body.

His last thought was Well, fuck.

~*~*~*~

When Harry regained consciousness, the sun had set and stars were twinkling in the clear sky above him. It was late and he had missed dinner. Once he had reached seventeen the previous year and was able to do magic, the Dursleys had not forced him to cook their meals. They also didn't feel the need to go out of their way to make sure that Harry ate with the family. Very often he grabbed something late at night once everyone had gone to bed.

The dark–haired wizard tried to sit up but an unknown item was hindering his progress. Harry felt around and found something that felt leathery running down the length of his body. His hand slid up the side and over his head to find a bony structure that came to a point.

What the fuck?

He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation, only to learn that his hair had lengthened considerably. In fact, it was down to his waist. It was still dark and very silky. When he tried to push it behind his ears he noticed something else. His ears had changed. They were now pointed.

Double fuck.

As he stood up, the leathery thing unfolded into large bat–like wings while his hair caught in the current of wind and wild magic that surrounded him. He seemed to cast a glow from the pores of his skin and the wild magic slowly seeped into the pores, searching out his inner magical core. Harry felt his feet leave the ground as the magic settled into his body. Slowly, he floated back down and the world finally set itself to right.

Then he sneered.

I have wings. Bloody fucking hell. I have big black wings…and pointy ears. SOMEBODY is going to pay for this little surprise. I have dealt with all of the lies and misdirection once and for all. If Dumbledore knew about this, I will kill him myself!!!

The young wizard stomped into the house just in time to hear…

"Boy!"

Bloody hell, what now? I've stayed tucked nicely away so that no one sees me. What could I have possibly done now?

"Boy, you get in here this instant!"

Harry opened the door and made his way through the kitchen. A red tendril of magic ran down his arm, causing it to shake. Harry took a deep, calming breath. It had been more and more difficult to control his wandless magic, especially in emotional situations, but now he was really fighting with it. When the tremor in his arm ceased, he entered the parlor.

Well, it will do no good to delay this, so I might as well see what the problem is.

~*~*~*~

A minute or two earlier.

The tall dark figure of Severus Snape had finally arrived at the Dursleys. The weather outside was particularly miserable for travel. A horrible storm with lightning and thunder split open the skies. It had been unseasonably hot all day, but the storm had formed quickly around twilight.

There was a very sharp knock on the front door and Dudley left the kitchen to open the door. A crack of lightning illuminated the person on the front step, causing Dudley to scream at the top of his lungs. Severus Snape glared at the sniveling coward. He was soaking wet from the heat and not in a mood to deal with any form of stupidity. Unfortunately that was the one thing that the Dursleys had in abundance.

"Be quiet, you wretched boy."

"Mummy! Daddy!"

"Oh do get on with it." Snape stepped into the front hall of the home, pushing the obese boy aside. "I am here to see Harry Potter. Bring him to me immediately."

Vernon Dursley stomped down the stairs from his bedroom. "Now see here, you cannot just come barging into my home making demands."

All the dark–haired man did was wave his hand at the obnoxious man and utter "Silencio!" Vernon's mouth continued moving but his voice was silent, his face suffusing to an odd shade of purple.

Petunia stood behind her husband with her mouth wide open.

"Madam, I suggest that you send for Potter before I turn your husband into a toad."

"We haven't seen him since lunchtime. He might be in his room. Dudley, fetch the boy from his room."

Harry was standing in the parlor looking down at the sight in the front hall. Severus Snape was hexing his uncle and Aunt Petunia looked as if she were going to faint. Dudley's hand was pointing at the top of the stairs and shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm here, Professor." Harry slowly made his way across the room to stand before the Potions Master. Snape succeeded in controlling his reaction to Potter's new appearance.

"Potter, Dumbledore has sent me to retrieve you."

"Excuse me?"

Snape sighed. "Dumbledore has sent me to return you to the school. You are leaving with me now."

Harry looked up at his teacher with a look of total disbelief. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Harry Potter, we are leaving in fifteen minutes with or without your cooperation. If you would like to have more than the clothing on your back, which is very poor indeed, I suggest you go upstairs and pack. You will have the ability to study your summer lessons while you are gone. Bring everything that you need for school, including your owl."

"Fuck this. Perhaps you haven't noticed the big FUCKING wings that are now attached to my back. Did you perhaps notice that my hair just grew two feet in about five minutes? Did anyone notice that I grew several inches since the last time I saw you? Fuck you and Dumbledore. I'm not going anywhere until someone explains what the bloody hell is going on."

"Brat, get your things now. We are leaving."

"Why should I follow you? Why should I believe you?"

"You should believe me by the simple fact that I would never consider crossing the threshold of these disgusting creatures if I were not under the strictest orders from Albus Dumbledore."

"I really don't give a shit what Dumbledore wants. Fuck him and the phoenix he rode in on. His bloody ideas usually get me into the worst troubles of my life and let's not forget that there seems to be a hell of a lot of things that he still hasn't told me about my heritage! LOOK AT ME!"

Snape closed his eyes and sighed, fighting the urge to rub his forehead. "Potter, this time, I repeat, THIS time, none of this is his fault. He has recently received a document from the Ministry of Magic that he is commanded to read to you."

"A document? About me?"

"Yes, Potter. It seems that a mistake has been made. Today is actually your real birthdate. Happy Birthday. May we now leave?"

"Just give me a moment to collect my things." Harry climbed the stairs to throw his meager belongings into his school trunk. Snape plastered the Severus Snape Death Glare on his face and dared for anyone to speak or move. The quartet of mixed souls waited in the front hall of the house for Harry to return. The Potions Master looked Dudley up and down.

"You…you are Potter's cousin, I believe."

"Y…y…yes, sir."

"Go upstairs and bring down Potter's trunk and be quick about it."

Dudley ran up the stairs before Snape could put any curses on him. Vernon's mouth continued to move but no sounds were audible. Soon both boys came back down the stairs: Dudley carrying the trunk and Harry, Hedwig's cage. Snape took the cage from Harry and guided the two boys outside with the large trunk. Dudley ran back into the house and the Dursleys quickly closed the door behind the two wizards, turning out the light on the front step. Harry looked back and watched his Aunt Petunia close the curtains of the front room.

Snape took the owl cage and opened the door. "What is your owl's name, Potter?"

"It's Hedwig, sir."

Snape began stroking the back of the owl in long smooth strokes. She sat very patiently on his hand and very calmly looked into his eyes. It was almost as if she could communicate with him.

"Now, Hedwig, Potter and I will be traveling by Portkey. You will be flying to meet us. Go and hunt for your dinner and meet us at Hogwarts." Snape leaned forward to whisper into the owl's ear. Hedwig gracefully flapped her wings and took off into the stormy sky. Harry was a bit stunned by Snape's careful treatment of the animal.

"What did you think I was going to do, torture her?"

Snape waved his wand at the trunk and the cage and reduced them both to the size of a small box. Snape placed both in the pockets of his robes, then held out an old clock that had begun to buzz. "Grab your trunk and hold the Portkey with the other hand. I will hold the other side."

Harry felt the grab behind his navel and felt the pull through the Portkey. He could see Snape holding the other side of the Portkey. It all seemed very surreal to him. He was blindly following Severus Snape, of all people. Just as quickly as it began, the two wizards landed with a thud on a grassy field on the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

"Now what, Professor? Can you tell me what this is all about?"

"Later Potter, we must arrive at our destination first. The Headmaster will explain everything to you."

So much for pleasant conversation. I guess I'll find out what's up when I reach Dumbledore's office…

~*~*~*~

Snape watched the boy, no, young man, as they entered the massive front doors of the school. There was an air of confidence and strength that had not been present before.

The boy has changed. He's changed in so many ways. On the surface, he's taller and his hair is longer. And those ears…what happened there? But his eyes…they show a fathomless depth and they've changed to a deep cobalt blue not to mention he reeks of unconstrained, raw magical power. I'm sure he has no idea what they symbolize. I've only known one family that ever had those particular blue eyes and. Potter has no clue as to what this means. I'm almost afraid to discover what powers have been unleashed by reaching his majority.

The two wizards traveled silently through the long halls of the school until they reached the massive gargoyle at the bottom of the stair to the Headmaster's office.

"Everlasting Gobstoppers." Snape sneered at the latest password. As he and Harry reached the top of the revolving staircase, they stepped off at the massive door to Albus Dumbledore's office. There was a definite feeling of hesitation—or concern—surrounding the normally formidable Potions Master.

Before allowing Harry to enter the office, Snape placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder and turned the boy to face him. Harry looked into his professor's eyes and saw a flash of…what?…concern?

"For what it's worth, Potter, I'd like for you to know that I had nothing to do with any of this. I'm sorry. If I could have given you any information…prepared you in any way…for this, I would have."

With that cryptic statement, Harry Potter was guided into the Headmaster's office.

Oh, fuck, this can't be good, was Harry's first thought as he entered the office.

The Headmaster noticed the aura of rampant and raw power surrounding the boy. Dumbledore broke the uncomfortable silence. "Ah, Harry…at last…so good of you to join us."

Harry couldn't help his irritated reply. "I had a choice? Professor, what is this all about and why is he here?" Harry indicated Remus Lupin off to his right.

"Please have a seat, Harry, this matter concerns everyone present."

~*~*~*~

Barely fifteen minutes later, the door to the Headmaster's office slammed open. Glass was shattering in the bookcases and the door was blasted to a cinder as Harry stormed past.

"NO FUCKING WAY!! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING WAY, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Harry Potter ran blindly down the revolving stairs and through the halls until he reached the front doors. He didn't know where he was running, but he knew he had to get out of the office before he killed someone…or all of them.

Fucking Hell! Why can't they just leave me alone? WHY do I always have the deepest shit dumped on me? What could they have possibly been thinking when they did this? Why is there never anyone to tell me these things?

The occupants of the office stared after Harry, not quite sure what to do. The reaction was not totally unexpected, but the level of hatred rolling off the young Gryffindor was palpable.

Snape's sarcastic voice was the first to speak. "Well, that went well."

~*~*~

The rage that had building up inside of Harry Potter for most of his life finally emerged seven nights after his eighteenth birthday. Throughout the last week, something had been building inside the wizard that was clawing to get out. When he finally stopped running, the young man found himself standing in the middle of the Quidditch pitch gasping for breath. Nothing will ever be the same again. Harry had been betrayed again and this betrayal had hurt more than anything Dumbledore had ever done. This betrayal had come from his so–called parents and his godfather, Sirius Black. Both wizards had reached out from the grave to twist Harry's life into the macabre dance it now led.

The document that Dumbledore had received from the Ministry had explained that Harry Potter was in actuality the son of Sirius Black who was really crown prince Astraeus of the Royal Veela monarchs: King Rigel Belmonde and Queen Nyli. Sirius had been stolen by Grindelwald from the king and queen as an infant and been given to the Black family to be raised in the service of the dark wizard. The document from the Ministry had also proven that his birth mother had been an elf, the granddaughter of the Sylvan elf queen. She and Sirius had met when he had been thrown out of his family home at age 16 and carried on a great love affair until the day she died in childbirth with Harry. In his grief, Sirius had given his son over to James and Lily to raise as their own.

Tears of anger and frustration ran down Harry's face. He raised his hands to the stars and, with a push of his new powers, opened up the skies into a violent storm with pelting rain. He summoned the thunder and lightning to illuminate the night sky. Harry's pain ran through him like a river of molten fire and his body ached with betrayal as he yearned to rip his own skin from his body. Lightning crashed around the pitch as Harry held his arms wide apart and screamed with the force of a hundred banshees. Red blasts of magic shot out of his hands as the dark–haired wizard shattered the Gryffindor side of the pitch. His taut body was enveloped by the ruby red tendrils of raw magic and he leaned into the seductive embrace of his leathery black wings. He watched with a crazed smirk as the yellow and red Gryffindor stands crashed to the ground and burned.

I can feel the darkness in my power and it feels good.

He tried to focus the energy that coursed through his young body. Feeling the uncontrolled magic pulse through his arm, he blasted a crater in the middle of the grassy field. After nearly half an hour, Harry Potter stood amidst the total destruction of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. Nothing remained but the smoldering ashes of the towers and stands along with the burned–out holes in the ground. With nothing left to destroy, he sat down on the scorched earth and let the cold rain run down his face.

The one good thing about rain is that no one can see you cry.

~*~*~*~*~

Harry's pseudo–godfather watched the destruction of the pitch from a safe distance. He was afraid. He was afraid for himself and he was afraid for Harry. The young man's magic was powerful and out of control. No one could predict the changes in his magic when he reached majority, but this display of power was frightening…and dangerous.

"I know you're there, Remus. I can smell you. You might as well come out where I can see you."

Harry didn't even turn around to look at his father's friend. He wanted to believe that he hadn't known about any of this, but the fact that he had verified everything to Dumbledore proved him wrong.

The werewolf cautiously approached Harry. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Why didn't you tell me, Remus?"

Lupin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I thought that Sirius had written a will to explain everything. He and I had discussed on several occasions and he promised me that he would take care of it. When he didn't, I didn't think it was my place to tell you the truth. I'm so sorry. He loved you so much, but he was devastated when Ilarien died. He truly believed you would better cared for by James and Lily than by him."

"Is there anything else? Beyond my parents not being my parents and my new elf and Veela genetics?"

"No, that's all the information I have, Harry. What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure, Remus. I'm extremely angry and I don't make very good decisions when I'm angry."

Lupin started to return to the school, but turned back to Harry. "Whatever you decide, Harry, remember that this is more than just your life we are discussing. You hold your mate's life in your hands also."

My mate? That was a whole new pot of emotions that Harry wasn't quite ready to face.

"What mate?"

~*~*~*~*~

Harry returned to the Headmaster's office shortly after Remus Lupin. Harry paced frantically around the desk, glaring at the Headmaster.

"I want to know everything. Now, Dumbledore. I want to know any other secrets that you have kept from me. I do not want to wake up a day, a week or even a year from now and find out that Tom Riddle is my twin brother, that Minerva's a lap dancer on weekends, that Lucius is a crossdresser, that Ron is pregnant with twins or that Snape is your catamite or even that Neville's toad has a secret plan to take over the world! I am sick and tired of being used and abused by everyone and it is going to stop right now. Is…this…everything!?"

"Harry, if there are any more secrets to be revealed, they are unknown to me."

Harry turned to McGonagall, Lupin and Snape, asking the same question. "Is there anything the three of you want to tell me? This is your last chance. I will not be held responsible for my actions if any of you are lying to me." The three adults remained silent.

"Fine, then. I'm going to bed and I don't want to see ANY of you until I've calmed down and figured out a way to deal with all this. The Fuck–Up Fairy has already been here once today. I just didn't want her showing up tomorrow, too."

~*~*~*~

By the middle of the afternoon, Harry woke up from a deep sleep. For the tiniest of moments he wondered why he was sleeping in his dorm room. The events of the past evening pushed to the forefront of his memory and he sagged back onto the bed. He briefly wondered what he should do after last night's disaster. He had figured out how to pull his wings back into his body, but hadn't yet decided what to do about the pointy ears and changed eye color.

Harry slowly got up out of the bed and threw off the previous day's clothing, grabbing fresh clothes from his trunk. He padded into the shower and tried to wash the past day's misery off his tired body. He let the water run as hot as he could stand it and let the pulsing rhythm work into his tight muscles. His mind kept returning to the previous night.

I am a Veela and a Royal Veela to boot. My parents are not my parents and somewhere in the mix is my mother, the elf. Thanks for the pointy ears, Grandma. And now my eyes are blue, not green…blue. Why me? Why is it always fucking me?

Harry scrubbed his hair and turned off the shower. After towel drying, he put on his clean clothes. When he went down the stairs to the common room, a tray of food had been left with a warming spell. It's probably Dobby trying to console me. No one else is stupid enough to approach me today.

As Harry sat down and finished his lunch, he thought about what his next move should be. He sat and stared into his fireplace and decided that what he really wanted was a Butterbeer from The Three Broomsticks. Perhaps it would bring a sense of normalcy to his otherwise bizarre life. Harry closed his eyes and let the warm feelings of the tavern washed over him. He truly wanted to leave the castle.

Sudden noise and laughter forced Harry's eyes open. He was astounded to find himself sitting at his favorite table in The Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosemerta strolled over and put a large mug of Butterbeer in front of the young man. "Harry? I almost didn't recognize you. Here you go. I didn't see you come in, but you look like you need a drink. Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. Thanks for the drink." She smiled at Harry and went back to her work.

Okay, now, what just happened and how did I get here? Did I just APPARATE out of Hogwarts? No one can just apparate out of Hogwarts! But then…what could the explanation be?

Harry finished his mug of Butterbeer and concentrated very hard on being back in the Gryffindor common room. When he opened his eyes, he had returned to the school dorm.

Oh, shit. This can't be good. I'm not supposed to be able to do this. But…whoa…this must be part of the new 'powers' I'm supposed to have. I just bet old Dumbledore will croak when he finds out about this… Or maybe this will be my little secret.

Harry smiled to himself and concentrated on being back in Hogsmeade. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the middle of the village. He spent the remainder of the day in the town, shopping for a few things he thought he might need. He visited Honeyduke's and Zonko's, then went to the bookstore. His last stop, before returning to the school, was The Three Broomsticks. After making his purchase, Harry apparated back to the Gryffindor common room.

~*~*~*~*~

Late that night, another resident of the school wandered the halls of Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy had also been living at the castle since his eighteenth birthday. He and his mother had fled to the safety that Dumbledore offered once the teen had come into his inheritance. Coincidentally, Draco Malfoy was also a Veela. His Veela genes were passed down through the Black line and his mother. Narcissa had hoped that it would be dormant in Draco, but that was not to be the case. She had been forced by her husband to hide Draco's nature since his birth. She was also not allowed to tell him anything about the Veela or even that he might be a Veela.

Lucius had been forcing the young man to take a suppression potion since childhood to counteract the undesirable flaws in his heir's blood. He never told his son what the potion was for and Draco never bothered to ask. He trusted his father with his life…and that was his biggest mistake.

On his birthday in June, Draco felt the magic trying to break free within him. He had flashes of images that he could not quite grasp. On top of that, he was in a great deal of pain. His screams alerted the household and his parents rushed into his room to discover the problem. Lucius stood in the doorway and sneered at his heir. Narcissa commanded a house elf to bring her the potion that it had been keeping for her. She helped Draco swallow the potion and moved out of the way. A bright white light filled with pure light magic enveloped her son and at the same time, glorious white wings forced their way free from his back. The young wizard floated a few inches over his bed until the light dimmed and he settled back down, totally unconscious. The witch had anticipated that her son might carry the dominant Veela gene, so she had prepared for this in advance. She had secretly trained Draco in the traditional Veela ways and he would be fine once his body fully adjusted to the changes. What she had not prepared for was her husband's reaction.

Lucius had thrown both his son and wife out of the mansion into the night. Narcissa had taken her son directly to the safety that Hogwarts could offer. She offered her services to the Light in exchange for the protection of her and her son. She knew that the Dark Lord had selective tastes in sex slaves and that if he ever got his hands on Draco, he would be dead within a month from the tortures that Voldemort liked to inflict. The young blond ran into his mother just outside one of the guest suites near their own. She was carrying a tray of food.

"Mother, what are you doing here?"

Narcissa smiled at her beloved son. "There is another student who has just arrived. He is also Veela and the Headmaster has asked me to look in on him and bring him some food. He did not come down for breakfast or lunch and Dumbledore was worried."

"Another Veela. May I come too?"

"Not yet, my son. He has only just learned of his heritage and the Headmaster says that he is hurt and confused. Unlike you, he had no knowledge of any of this. He has also just learned that the people that everyone believed were his parents were in fact not."

"Perhaps, I could help. I've experienced a similar situation."

Narcissa kissed his cheek. "Let's compromise. Give me a little time alone with him. Come back in an hour or so and bring that book on Veela that I gave you. You can let him read it before we return it to the library."

"All right. I'll be back soon." Draco turned to leave, but just as suddenly turned back. "Who is it, Mother? Who is the other new Veela?"

Narcissa looked at the old oak door and sighed. "Harry Potter." The elegant blonde raised a small fist to knock at the door while her son stood, totally confused.

~*~*~*~

When Harry opened the door he was surrounded by the most alluring scent. Without speaking he leaned into the woman standing there and took a deep breath.

"Mmmmm. You smell good, really good. Close, but not exactly right."

He looked to the left and right, but saw nothing but an empty hallway. The origin of the heavenly smell was gone.

"Was someone else just here?"

"What do you mean, Mr. Potter?"

"That smell. It…I don't know. It's really nice. I've never smelled anything like it…Oh, bloody hell, what's wrong with me?"

Narcissa Malfoy cocked her head and considered this new information. It was beyond curious, but she wouldn't make any snap judgments. Narcissa entered the rooms and spent nearly two hours with Harry Potter trying to explain everything she knew about Veela to the young man. He was understandably upset, but warmed up to the idea that he had a family in the Royal Veela court and began making mental plans to seek them out. The idea that he was a submissive Veela (indicated by the black wings) and had a mate somewhere had interested him as well. Narcissa had also told him Draco's story and had quietly asked Harry to give her son a chance at friendship. She explained that her son had only ever tried to be what his father had demanded, but that he was truly a kind and loving young man. Harry and Draco now had something in common and she asked if he would consider befriending her son. She also added that if he ever had any questions or just wanted to talk to someone, she would be there for him.

"Mr. Potter, I know that you have no reason to trust me, but understand that as a mother I want only happiness for my son. Your mother would have wanted the same. I know that I would never attempt to replace her, but I swear on my magic that I will never betray you and wish only the best for you. I will always protect both you and my son. There are many out there who would wish to do you serious harm just because you are Veela, nefarious people beyond the Dark Lord and his followers. My husband has sworn to kill both Draco and me if he ever sees us again. You can protect him. I can help you and protect you both. There have been so many lies already. I promise to only give you the truth."

~*~*~*~

Severus Snape looked down at his godson. He had become the boy's second legal guardian when Lucius had thrown him out. Narcissa was upstairs with the Potter brat. That left Snape to deal with what he called "The Draco Situation". Not that he actually minded, he loved Draco like a son, and over the last few years they had formed an even closer relationship. Draco had been staying at the castle since the school term was over and had been enjoying the little bit of protection that the castle afforded. He had given his ward no more information about Potter and his inheritance, but he did suspect what part of Draco's problem was.

He leaned over and whispered into the young man's ear. "Draco, is everything all right?" The Potions Master noticed a slight tremble in the blond's hand. His silver eyes flashed dangerously, but shielded themselves quickly.

"Yes, Severus. I'm all right."

"Did you find your mother?"

"Yes, Severus. She was outside of Potter's room. Dumbledore asked her to talk to him. It seems that he has just learned that he too is a Veela."

Draco looked at his godfather. "He's beautiful, Severus. His hair is long and silky and he has the most gorgeous cobalt blue eyes. I couldn't take my eyes off him. He also smells so good."

"Do you know what those blue eyes mean, Draco?"

"It means that he is from the royal family, doesn't it?"

"That would appear to be true."

Draco ducked his head so that Severus could not see his eyes. "Sev…I'm afraid."

"Of what?"

"When Potter opened the door for my mother, I had an overwhelming need to go to him. All I could think of was that I wanted him to be happy. I'm afraid of what that means."

"Have you confirmed your suspicions?" Snape tried to remain as neutral as possible.

"Yes, Severus," Draco lowered his eyes and whispered, "he's the one."

Severus Snape sat down next to his young charge and placed what he hoped was a comforting hand over Draco's.

"I'm sorry, Severus…it's just…it hurts. He's always hated me."

"I understand, Draco. I should have been more understanding of your concerns." Snape pulled his hand away. "You do realize that this means you will have to talk to Potter soon."

~*~*~*~

Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy sat in front of the fire in Snape's private sitting room. Draco had been silently staring into the fire for nearly an hour.

"Draco, tell me what you are thinking."

"I'm not sure, Severus. I think I'm in shock."

"Understandable."

"Will I ever be free? Will I ever have a chance to make my own decisions and plan the course of my life?"

"Your life will be what you make of it, Draco."

"But…a life with Harry Potter? This was not anything that I could have anticipated."

The Potions Master sat next to his young ward. "Draco, for your own sake, you must put aside any feelings of animosity for Potter. You'll never survive if you don't."

"It's not Potter. The animosity between us has been just for show on my part for over a year, you know that. All my life, I've never been good enough for my father, he was always disappointed in me, my Slytherin friends are weak–minded fools, the entirety of Gryffindor hates my guts…and now my soul and magic will be bound to the one person who hates me the most on this bloody planet."

Snape stared into the warm fire and took a deep breath. "If faced with the truth, will you take Potter as your mate?"

Concerned grey eyes looked up at the older wizard. "Yes. Of course I will. I have to protect him."

~*~*~*~*~

Late in the evening, Draco went in search of his mate. Harry is my mate! His new situation was difficult at best, but he wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible for himself and for Harry.

Contrary to what anyone at Hogwarts believed, Draco did not hate Harry Potter, far from it. He had been sexually attracted to the green–eyed, now blue–eyed, Seeker for a couple of years. Now he was beginning to understand why. If he hadn't been on the suppression potion, he might have figured out that Harry was his mate much earlier and had time to repair their relationship into at least a friendship over the last few months. His father's strong hatred of anything even remotely homosexual had prevented Draco from ever expressing his desire for his own sex. Lucius would have killed him on the spot if he had known.

Earlier that evening, Narcissa had instructed Draco to find Harry and talk to him. Draco had asked a house elf to prepare a basket of food for him to share that evening with Harry. The little elf had been thrilled to prepare all of the favorite foods that Veela preferred. Draco had been trying all day to work up the courage to speak with Harry, but had not been able to find him anywhere in the castle. Draco had arranged to have a tray of food left for Harry to find earlier that day, but he had not ventured outside the guest quarters, as far as Draco could tell.

Draco gathered the basket and prepared to leave the kitchen in search of Harry. His godfather opened the door as he reached for the knob.

"Ah, Draco, good. If you are in search of your errant mate, I suggest that you check the uppermost section of the North Tower. It seems that he is sitting on the edge of the parapet, screaming his rage at the world. See if you can keep him from killing himself. He seems to have frightened Sybil Trelawney nearly to death."

Draco ran to the top of the North Tower as fast as his body could run. When he reached the top, sure enough, Harry was sitting on the edge of the wall with his feet dangling over the edge. Draco stopped to allow his breathing to return to normal. He didn't want to make any sudden movements that would frighten Harry, so he set the basket down carefully.

Harry was indeed screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Damn you James and Lily Potter! Damn you, Sirius Black!! Damn you, whoever the fuck my birth mother was! How could you do this to me? Can't I have anything normal for once in my entire life! Must every bloody thing in my life come back to haunt me! FROM NOW ON, JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!"

He held a large bottle of scotch in his fist and was taking huge gulps during breaks in his tirade. Those fathomless eyes turned and spotted Draco, who noticed the tears in Harry's eyes. Silver eyes connected with blue and neither dared to breathe. Harry was first to blink.

"Well, there you are, Draco. I wondered when you would show up."

"Harry."

"Oh, so it's 'Harry' now, is it? When did I become Harry and not Potter, or Potty or Scarface, Draco?"

Draco refused to drop his eyes. "The same moment I became Draco to you."

Harry set the bottle on the wall. "Well said, ferret."

"Please don't call me that."

"Well, to bloody hell with you, MALFOY! I don't need you and I don't want you around. Get the hell out of my life."

This time, Draco turned his eyes away to stare at the sunset and willed his heart not to break. He had been afraid of this. Harry had rejected him. Draco knew that he had never had a chance with the other wizard. Harry absentmindedly ran his hands through his long hair truly regretting the pain he saw in Draco's eyes. He knew he was the cause of that pain. The blond tried to grab the edge of the wall just as his knees collapsed under him. Snape stormed through the door and assessed the situation quickly. Narcissa came in just behind him and ran to her son.

"What did you say, idiot boy? What did you say to him?" Severus snarled, trying to get the younger man to focus on his words.

Harry's blurred gaze landed on Snape as he batted away the man's hands. "It hurts. It hurts so fucking much. Why does it hurt?"

Snape sniffed the air and then turned to Narcissa. "He's drunk. How is Draco?"

"He's dying, Severus. Help him."

Snape turned back to the dark–haired wizard. "Get down, Potter, before I kill you myself."

Harry opened his eyes and saw the Potions Master's angry face. "Wha?"

Narcissa stood and touched Harry's arm and he looked down at her face. "That feels good. It doesn't hurt so much when you do that. Can't you make the pain go away?"

"No, Harry, I can't. I'm similar, but I'm not the right one. There is only one person who can make your pain go away, but somehow you've said something that makes him feel that you've rejected him."

Harry didn't understand, too much alcohol had left him disoriented. "Who?"

"Draco. You must accept Draco for the pain to go away." Narcissa helped Severus turn Harry so that he could see the young blond lying on the ground. "He's your mate, Harry. You must say the words and accept him as your mate to make the pain go away. You must say 'I accept him'."

"I accept him?"

"Close enough," said Snape as he let Harry support himself. He reached into his robes and pulled out a purple vial. "Here, drink this. It's a sobering potion."

Narcissa rushed to her son, "Draco, DRACO! Speak to me, please."

The blond cracked open his eyes. "Mum?"

Narcissa gathered her son in her arms and wept. "Oh, Draco. It's going to be all right. We will all make sure that everything will be fine from now on."

"How? But…"

Draco looked over to where the Gryffindor was sitting up high. He crawled on his hands and knees to sit on the stone floor near the other teen.

Harry swayed as he looked at the blond below him. "Look, Draco. I'm sorry. Really. This is all very new for me and I'm not dealing with it very well. I'll drop all the animosity crap if you will. I mean, we are going to have to get through this together, aren't we? We might as well start out as friends."

Draco sagged against the stone wall and sat with his back to the cold stones. "I wish you'd come down here and sit next to me. You're making me very nervous."

Harry looked down at the ground from his perch and laughed. "I guess I do look pretty crazy, but I wasn't planning on doing anything, I was just venting. I have a bit of a temper at times."

Draco rolled his eyes and Harry sat down next to him. "No, I've never noticed." was his sarcastic reply.

Since the two young men hadn't killed each other, the two adults quietly left them alone in the North Tower, hoping that the boys would start their relationship with fresh insight. Harry took another huge swig from the bottle and offered the bottle to Draco. The blond took the bottle and took his own healthy gulp…and choked.

"Ugh, that's liquid fire, Harry. What is that?"

"It's a very fine old Muggle Scotch. The better the quality, the more it burns. It can also give a great buzz when you need it."

"And tonight you needed it."

After reclaiming the bottle, Harry looked at Draco. "Yes, tonight I needed it." Harry tipped up the bottle and let the burning alcohol fill his mouth.

The duo sat quietly on the stone tower, watching the last rays of the sunset behind the distant mountain. Harry watched as twilight outlined the perfect features of the man sitting next to him…his mate.

Harry looked at the blond, "Draco, can you explain something to me about this Veela business?"

"If I can."

"Why do I have leathery black wings? All the Veela I've seen before have had feathery white wings?"

"Oh…well…only the dominant partner has the feathery wings.

"You have wings, don't you?"

Draco unfurled his white wings. Harry couldn't resist touching them. "They are beautiful and so soft."

"Only for you, Harry. When I need to protect you, they will become sharp as knives."

"You will protect me?"

"I will protect you with my life."

"No one has ever wanted to protect me before…So my wings are black because…"

"You are a carrier, the Veela partner that can bear children. I am considered the dominant, the provider and protector, not that you need protecting, your magic is much stronger than mine. But even though I am the dominant, I expect us to have an equal relationship in all things. I am only considered the dominant in protecting my mate and our children."

"I can have babies?"

"Yes, Harry."

"I've always wanted a family of my own."

"You have one now. My mother and I, as well as our children, will be your family now. We will teach you everything that you need to know about Veela and our way of life. Mother and I follow the orthodox Veela traditions as established by the royal family centuries ago. Most of us have entire lifetimes to prepare for this, but you will learn quickly. I promise."

"You know, Malfoy, right at this moment, I don't know whose life is fucked up more—yours or mine."

"I think that it's probably an even draw, Potter. You are as tired of living up to everyone's expectations as I am and don't forget, we are now numbers one and two on Voldemort's kill list."

"This is just too bloody weird."

"Tell me about it."

A companionable silence lengthened between them until Draco grabbed the basket and offered its contents to Harry. "I had the house elves make a basket of food for us. I noticed that you didn't come down to the Great Hall for lunch or dinner. Did you get the tray of sandwiches that I had sent up at lunch?"

"You sent those up?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Draco's eyes were mesmerized by the errant strands of black hair blowing in and out of Harry's eyes. "I…I…knew you'd be hungry…and I thought you'd want to be alone… away from everything…and everyone."

"Even you."

"Yeah, even me."

Harry turned his body to face the blond. Harry realized that he didn't want to hurt this man that was now a part of his life. Harry grabbed a few slices of fruit and thought quietly for a few minutes, wanting to change the subject.

Draco looked up at the dark sky and asked, "You've changed a lot since your inheritance, and not just physically. Have you been able to discover the full extent of your new powers yet, Harry?"

Harry laughed out loud. "Well, I'm not sure. It's only been a couple of days, but I did have a really good time summoning that storm and blowing up the Quidditch pitch in the middle of the night." Harry grabbed a sandwich from the basket and began to eat calmly, as if blowing up the Quidditch pitch was the most normal thing in the world.

"That was you?"

"I totally destroyed the viewing stands and left a huge crater in the middle of the field. I have no idea how I did it. I didn't even have my wand out. It was totally wandless magic. It's a little scary to think about, but I've got to work with it and see what I am truly capable of doing."

Draco smiled, "I would have liked to have seen that. I would love to have seen Hooch's face when she saw her precious pitch destroyed. You know, this whole thing could turn out to be a lot of fun in the long run."

The two laughed and relaxed for the first time that evening. They tilted their heads back against the wall and watched the stars appear in the night sky. The storm from the previous evening had left a cool, clean summer breeze blowing across the rooftop.

Draco began to pack away the contents of the basket, hoping to avoid more questions from Harry. Harry handed him his plate and napkin and stopped still.

"Draco, are you even gay?"

"Um…yes."

"How long have you known?"

"A few years. Once I started dreaming about men sucking me off, I had a strong clue."

"Oh. I guess that means I'm gay too."

"That would make things easier."

"Draco, does this mean that eventually we will have to…have sex?"

The blond turned away. "Yes."

"When?"

Draco smiled at his mate. "Whenever you're ready and comfortable with the idea, Harry. We can take our time."

"All right. You know, I've never had sex before."

Draco had to bite his lip to keep from coming right then and there. His Harry was a virgin. Dear Merlin!

~*~

The two young men gathered the remains of the impromptu picnic and left the tower. As they were leaving, they noticed a parchment bearing their names had been fastened to the door. Draco removed the message from the door and handed it to Harry.

"What does it say, Harry?"

The Gryffindor smirked and shook his head. "It seems the Headmaster has adjusted our living arrangements since last night. He's moved all of our things into new living quarters. We are to have a private apartment on the 7th Floor near the Gryffindor tower just past McGonagall's office. He says it's not going to be safe for us to be near the Slytherins. He's included a map so we can find it. It looks like it's somewhere near the Room of Requirement."

"The what?"

"Nevermind, I'll tell you about it later. Let's go check out what dear meddling Dumbledore has prepared for us to live in."

~*~*~*~

A little later…

Draco and Harry had finished unpacking and storing away their possessions. Draco "Fashion Police" Malfoy had decided that one of their first orders of business was to get Harry a complete new wardrobe. Nothing he had fit, and everything was a rag, according to Draco.

"You cannot be seen with me looking like that. You will carry the name Malfoy so you must dress like a Malfoy."

Harry plopped down on the bed and stretched his muscular legs. Dobby had once again appeared and left a large tray of food on the bedroom desk. Draco had moved to the bed so that the raven–haired man could pick through the tray. Draco stopped his organizing and sat down next to the tray, grabbing a sandwich and napkin. His impeccable manners were not lost on Harry.

"Malfoy, do you ever get messy?"

"Never. It's not in the Malfoy DNA structure."

Harry leaned over and ruffled Draco's immaculate hair. "There, now you look like a Potter."

"Stop that, you bloody Gryffindor!"

Draco's long hair fell over his eyes and around the side of his face. He reached up to push it back but Harry moved to stop him.

"Don't…don't put it back. It really looks good like that, falling around your face. Leave it."

"Very well." Anything for you, Harry.

Harry continued to stare at Draco, who flushed red in his cheeks. When his heart started racing, he knew it was time to change the subject. Draco jumped off the bed and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.

"I'll be right back. I just need to get something from the Manor. Don't move." He stepped into the fireplace and shouted, "Malfoy Manor!" and disappeared.

After about 30 minutes, Harry was starting to worry. Draco had not returned and he was afraid that something had happened at the Manor. Just before he was prepared to Floo himself into the Manor, Draco appeared in a cloud of ash and flame to step out into the room.

"Where the bloody Hell have you been? You said you'd be right back. Are you all right? Did anyone bother you? What if Lucius had seen you?" Harry finally realized how panicked he was at Draco's disappearance.

"I'm sorry I took so long."

Harry stalked around the room as the walls began to rattle and shake. The furniture began to vibrate with the force of his uncontrolled power.

"Don't ever do that again! Don't ever go to Malfoy Manor without me, understand?"

Draco cowered under Harry's rage. "Yes, Harry. I'm sorry. Don't worry. Father wasn't there. He's always at the bank for a Board of Directors meeting at this time." He reached out to console his mate.

Harry shook his finger in Draco's face. "Don't ever scare me like that again." Harry looked at the large trunk that Draco had brought back from the Manor. "What is all this stuff? What was so important that you had to go back to the Manor to retrieve?"

"I'm sorry I took so long, Harry. I didn't know when I'd get a chance to go back again. I just brought a few sentimental things back. I brought the family photo album and some books from the library on wandless and elemental magic—things I thought you might need to read about. What I really went for was this."

In his hand was a square jeweler's box. Draco opened the black velvet box to show its contents to the raven–haired wizard. The box contained two exquisitely crafted identical rings.

"These are the traditional Veela bonding rings that have been in the Black family for generations. Since Sirius wasn't really a Black, they were passed on to me when he fell through the veil. They adapt their design for each new generation. See, there's a rampant lion and a serpent on each side, just for us. The top is now the Royal Veela crest and that hides an inner compartment. My mother wanted to use them, but Father refused and hid these years ago, but I discovered them once when I went through his study. Even though I've been thrown out, the wards still let me in because I have Malfoy blood. The house knew that I was only there to claim what was mine and these belong to me."

Draco flipped open the top of one of the rings to exposed its interior.

"There's a blood ritual that is performed to connect the rings. When it is completed, we would have an unbreakable link between us. I wanted to give this to you…as a kind of…bonding gift."

Harry was ashamed of himself. Damn, I feel like the biggest piece of shit.

Harry looked down at the beautiful rings. "Draco, would you please forgive me for losing my temper. I should have never yelled at you like that. I was only terrified for your safety. The rings are exquisite and I thank you for this beautiful gift you have given me. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"So, how do we do this ritual thing?"

Draco sat down on the bed and took a knife from the tray of food. "Here give me your left hand." Harry gave him his hand. "Harry, do you trust me?"

He didn't know why, but somewhere deep within Harry he knew that he trusted the blond with his life. Without hesitation, he answered, "Yes."

Draco sliced the palm of Harry's hand with the knife. A small puddle of blood began to form in the center. He set the knife down and opened the top of the two rings. Taking Harry's hand, Draco poured several drops of blood into the top of each ring. He pressed his hand to Harry's and the wound was immediately healed. He sliced his own palm and repeated the process. When Draco placed his blood in the rings with Harry's, the red liquid began to smoke and hiss. A flash of purple sparks closed the lids and sealed the rings shut permanently.

Draco placed one of the rings on Harry's hand and began to speak the words that would join them.

"With this ring, I bind myself to you, heart and soul. I will protect you with my life. I will honor you with the truth. I will care for you throughout the trials of our life and I will love you until my dying day. I will wait patiently for your love and the final bond your body shall gift to mine. You are my life and my love. With my heart and with my mind, I bind you to my heart and soul."

Draco gathered Harry's hand to his lips and kissed the ring. He kept his eyes lowered until he reigned in his raging emotions. Harry sat stunned. This was a side of Draco that he had never seen before. Trying to think of anything to do, Draco ran his free hand through the magical aura surrounding their two hands.

"You see? Your magical aura is red. Mine is blue. When we combined our blood, our joined aura became purple. The blood bond is complete."

Harry took the other ring from the box and placed it on Draco's hand. "No, Draco, now the blood bond is complete.

~*~*~

Draco roused to wakefulness with a smile on his face. He didn't know why he was smiling but he knew that he was warm and happy. His hand was softly massaging a muscular chest covered in a few soft hairs. The skin under his lips was deliciously appealing. The tempting backside that was rubbing into his morning erection…morning erection?…tempting backside?…BLOODY HELL!!!

Draco snapped his eyes open to stare at the black, unruly hair of his mate. He had somehow managed to spoon against Harry's back during their sleep. They had agreed to sleep in the same bed, but not to complete the sexual bond that night. Draco looked at his sleeping mate and couldn't resist the temptation. The blond kissed the nape of Harry's neck and breathed in the natural scent of his spouse. Gods, you smell so good.

Harry rolled over to be greeted by the morning sun and the fiery lust in his mate's eyes. With a wave of his hand, their nightclothes vanished. Harry instinctively knew that he was ready for this, ready to be Draco's in all ways.

Draco kissed Harry's cheek. The warmth of his breath caused Harry to tremble with anticipation. The blond's tongue dipped into the corner of his mouth, tasting the slightly salty moisture that had been captured there. Soft lips covered Harry's as Draco swept his mate into his arms, encircling his waist and hugging him close. The dark–haired wizard could not prevent the hitch in his breath when Draco's hand slid down the tanned and toned chest to thread through the dark hairs at Harry's groin. The elegant long fingers gently wrapped around Harry's shaft, slowly stroking him to a full, throbbing erection.

The blond shifted between Harry's thighs, the erection nudging his entrance. A quickly whispered spell had Harry prepared and lubricated for his mate. His hands balanced his body on Harry's legs as Draco leaned back, pushing slowly into his lover. Harry's hands gently gripped and fondled the blond's firm cheeks.

The Slytherin forced himself to still as Harry fully accepted the invasion of his body. Harry's teasing hands roamed to caress the muscles of the blond's back. He pulled his mate forward and his mouth latched on to a dark, dusky nipple. Harry's tongue licked and rolled the nub until it was hard and Draco moaned. Refusing to ignore its partner, Harry laved the other nipple into a stiff peak. Satisfied with his work, his tongue traced a warm, wet path up to Draco's collarbone. Harry sucked and licked until he had left a souvenir of their lovemaking for his husband. He couldn't resist marking his mate. Draco was his and he was Draco's forever.

The blond's insides were quivering like gelatin as he made soft pleading noises. Draco's hands swept down Harry's body to stroke and fondle just under his balls. The sudden stimulation caused the young wizard to shudder. He pleaded, "Please, Draco, I need you, move now."

Draco leaned over his submissive lover. "Harry, you do understand what is going to happen, right?"

"Um, you're going to fuck me and I'm going to like it?"

"Well, yes, but I mean you do know about what happens the first time Veela finalize their bond?"

"We come all over each other and do it again?"

Draco couldn't help but smile. "Not exactly. I mean, we can, but that's not to what I was referring."

"Okay, I give up."

"When mated Veela first consummate their bond, there is always a conception. It's a sign of the purity of the bond. Your body would adjust and change inside, temporarily growing the necessary female organs. A child, Harry, we would make a child…within you, and I will do everything within my power to keep you and our child protected."

Harry thought silently for a moment. He would have a child inside him if they had sex.

Draco became a little concerned. "We don't have to do this. I can pull out and bring us to orgasm without being inside you."

"No, Draco, I want this…if you do. We have our own lives to live. This is the way things are supposed to be for a Veela couple, right? I know there are concerns about the future, but I will not let Voldemort or anyone who follows him take our lives away from us."

The grey–eyed wizard gazed into the eyes of his love as he began to pick up the pace and thrust into his warm tightness. Draco was feeling overwhelmed and concentrated solely on the sensation of sliding in and out of Harry's body. Harry ached, he was hurting, but the pleasure/pain combination was one of the most erotic things he had ever experienced.

Draco moaned Harry's name into his ear. "Oh, fuck, Harry. That just feels too good to be legal." The blond squirmed and wiggled, trying to find the best angle of penetration.

Suddenly Harry cried out, "YES! Holy Merlin, think of all the poor straight guys who never get to feel THAT!"

Harry looked down at his cock, which had grown heavy and hard, which throbbed and needed immediate attention. The blond used his strong thighs to quicken his pace. "Touch me, Draco." Draco wrapped his free hand around the bobbing erection. Harry gripped tighter on the firm globes of Draco's arse and whispered into his ear. "Tell me what you want me to do."

Draco threw his head back and gulped for air, "Dear Merlin, Harry, not parseltongue. You don't KNOW what that does to me!"

"Sweeeet Ssslytherin! Yesss, you know what I'm sssaying to you. Tell me what you want."

Draco leaned forward and bit down on Harry's neck, marking his bonded mate and finding the spot that made Harry arch his back and tremble at the contact. Unable to hold back, Draco fisted Harry's erection and shuddered as Harry's orgasm shuddered through his body. The muscular contractions around Draco's cock pushed him over the edge as he emptied himself into his mate's body.

Draco collapsed onto his lover, resting his forehead on Harry's. A golden glow surrounded them and then dissipated once their breathing came under control. The bond was now complete and the blond snuggled close to the man he knew he loved more than anything else in the world, and wrapped himself around his mate's body.

"Draco?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"When all this with Voldemort is over, I want to go far away to some place that no one will ever find us. I have nothing to keep me here and we can completely reinvent ourselves as we wish. I want to leave England and start a new life where no one knows who we are or what we've done."

"If that is what you desire at the end, we will do it."

~*~*~*~*~

When Draco entered the sitting area, Harry handed him his black wizard's robes.

"Why do we need these? We're just going to Diagon Alley."

Harry cocked his head to the side and grinned. "Okay, picture this: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are walking together down the street. They are chatting amicably and just happen to be wearing matching wedding bands. They spend a lovely day shopping for clothes…oh and don't forget that I need to buy those special maternity clothes you told me about. What did you call them?"

"They are called burkas."

"Oh, that's right. Anyway, I pick up a few books on the care and feeding of Veela after shopping for clothes. Is that really what you want to see on the front page tomorrow?"

"I see your point. We can use the hoods for camouflage."

"We should also use glamours to hide our new looks. If you don't mind, I think it would be best if we kept all of this a secret, especially our bonding. I don't want anyone to use you against me, or to use me to hurt you. If we are careful, we might get through this without attracting any unnecessary attention."

Draco slowly began to put on the long black robe. It was plain black silk and had no Hogwarts house insignia on the chest. Only the serpent clasp gave any indications of its wearer. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and they disappeared together. Neither noted the fact that they shouldn't have been able to do that.

The two wizards apparated near the Leaky Cauldron and stopped in to ask Tom to reserve a room for them. When Harry and Draco arrived back at Diagon Alley, Draco insisted that he lead Harry through the crowd, holding his hand. "I need to do this, Harry. I must protect you. Just keep your hood over your face and we shouldn't be bothered."

Their first stop was at Gringotts Bank. Both wizards produced the keys to their vaults and a written request for a withdrawal. Griphook, the goblin in charge of Harry's accounts, informed the dark–haired man that there were certain legal documents that needed his attention.

"Sir, while I'm signing these papers, could you please find out the balances on our accounts. We also need to sign documentation to make my personal accounts into joint accounts. There will also be a name change on the account for my mate and I."

The goblin bowed low and left the men alone. He reappeared ten minutes later with a stack of papers and the information Harry had requested. The goblin raised an eyebrow when Albus Dumbledore's name was removed from all the accounts and the accounts were placed under the names of Harry Potter–Malfoy and Draco Potter–Malfoy.

"Griphook, I'm sure you can understand that all of this is to be kept under strictest confidence."

"Absolutely, Mr. Potter–Malfoy."

Harry smiled at the polite usage of his new name. Draco smiled at Harry's smile.

The goblin turned to Draco, "Master Draco, the balance of the Malfoy heir trust fund has been transferred to your new account. Your mother released the Black fortune to you on your eighteenth birthday. Your personal trust fund has also been released into your new account. There is a small fortune that remains in your father's name, but that would only be released to you in the event of his death."

Draco was astounded. His father had really slipped up. Lucius had not taken the time to remove Draco from the Malfoy vaults. The bank official handed each man a parchment with the account balances and totals at the bottom.

"Bloody Hell, Harry. Look at this. We are rich! No, not rich…I mean really rich. We can do anything we want! Go anywhere we want to go!"

Harry had never seen so many zeros following numbers in his life. Damn, that's a lot of gold. He and Draco stared at each other for a moment and then reality set in. They both started laughing with glee. Harry wiped a tear from his eye and addressed the goblin, "Please forgive us, Griphook, this just came as quite a shock to us."

Harry calmed down and wrote out a few instructions on a parchment. He requested Muggle passports and identification in the names of Marc and David Belmonde as well as bank drafts in the amount of five million pounds and Muggle credit cards to be drawn upon their Gringotts account. It was common for the bank to provide such services for the wealthiest clients in order to make travel between the Muggle world and wizard world as easy as possible. He also requested cash of one hundred thousand English pounds and an equal amount in galleons.

The goblin returned carrying a large black lacquer box and two smaller leather pouches. Each pouch contained a wallet with a hefty quantity of English pounds and the pouch had a large amount of galleons.

"I thought that Messrs. Potter–Malfoy, um…excuse me, Belmonde, would like a bit of pocket money for their use."

Harry and Draco each took one of the pouches and placed it inside their robes. The goblin tapped his long finger on the box and it popped open. Placed inside the box were the credit cards, passports and identification as well as the remaining money and bank drafts they had requested. The couple was instructed to place their left hands on the box. An incantation was spoken over their hands and the purple magical signature surrounded both their hands and the box. The goblin tapped the box again and the aura vanished.

The goblin reduced the box to a small size and handed it to Harry. "The box is keyed to only open under the influence of your magical signature. Either one of you may open it at any time by simply placing your hand on the lid. Is there any other service I may provide for the two of you?"

"Thank you, Griphook. That is all we require today. Again, I ask that no one is to learn of our transactions today. I am placing you under strictest confidence. I know that I can rely upon you."

"Absolutely, Mr. Potter–Malfoy. I look forward to doing business with you and your husband in the near future. Should you need to contact me in any way for any banking services, this is my private owl service. I am available at any time of the day or night for our most exclusive customers." He handed Draco a small bit of parchment, much like a Muggle business card. "Gringotts has branches in all the major wizard cities in the world. Should you need anything, just contact one of our representatives and we will take care of your every need."

Leaving the bank, Draco patted the pouch in his robes, "You know, Harry, I never thought I'd ever be rich enough that two million English pounds would be considered 'loose change'." Draco smiled that devilish grin of his and pulled Harry down Diagon Alley. "Let's go shopping."

~*~*~*~*~

The newlyweds spent all of the next morning buying the perfect wardrobes for the rich lifestyle they planned to lead. The first place they stopped catered specifically to Veela and their mates. Harry would enter the traditional breeding robes once he reached the beginning of the second trimester, but until then Draco was going to dress him in the finest clothes that money could buy. Draco was finally happy because Harry's clothes fit perfectly and accentuated his lean body. He formally declared that Harry looked so good that he could now officially be seen in public with Draco. Okay, my mate is officially a hunk. I'll spend all my time fighting off the men or women he attracts. How am I going to keep my own hands off him?

They left the Bond Street section of London and hopped in a cab, Draco directing the driver to the Covent Garden section of town. When he dropped them, the blond steered Harry into some of the more trendy shops in the area. Draco loved to dance and go clubbing, so they needed appropriate clothes for these nocturnal activities. Many pounds and several shopping bags later, the two had several choices of tight leather pants, snug black or blue denim jeans, tight–fitting t–shirts and sleeveless tanks. Each also purchased a short leather jacket.

As they left the store, Harry spotted another one across the street that piqued his interest, a piercing and tattoo parlor. "Come on, Draco. I've always wanted to have an earring."

The two walked into the store and were greeted by the female proprietress. Harry could tell that she took an immediate fancy to Draco, and the Slytherin turned on the Malfoy charm and flirted outrageously with her. The woman called a large man out of the back room and he escorted Harry into a cubicle while the woman escorted Draco into another.

In seconds, Harry's right ear had been pierced with a white gold stud. The man handed him printed directions on the cleaning and healing process of his ear. But secretly, Harry knew that a simple healing charm would finish it in a snap. The dark–haired wizard spied something on the wall and asked the man if he could do that…and THAT! A large black and red serpent was tattooed on Harry's wand arm and a beautiful green dragon graced his back. A little magic would animate both of them once Harry left the shop.

The woman who owned the shop stopped in to ask if everything was going as planned. Harry acknowledged her and smiled a little too sweetly, "Please tell my husband that I'll be a bit longer than we anticipated. I'm…uh…getting a tattoo." He couldn't help but notice the woman's face fall when he said 'husband'…oh well, Draco shouldn't have flirted with her. Am I jealous of that woman touching Draco?

Quite a bit later in the afternoon, both wizards emerged from their cubicles, Harry rubbing his hand over his right arm, and Draco rubbing his lower back. Harry tilted his head at Draco questioningly. The blond challenged, "What? You're the only one who could get a tattoo today?" He would show his husband the rampant lion on his back later…in bed.

"Uh, no…it's okay."

"So, Potter, what kind of tattoo did you get?"

"I'm not telling you. It's a secret, Malfoy. "

"Fine, be that way," Draco answered. But he knew that he'd uncover that tattoo…and very soon.

~*~*~*~*~

Around four o'clock that morning, Draco was awakened by the most horrible blood–curdling scream he had ever heard. Draco looked around and realized that he and Harry were still in the Leaky Cauldron. Once the blond discovered that the terrible noise was coming from his husband, he tried to shake the Gryffindor awake.

"Harry, wake up! What's the matter? Harry? HARRY!"

There was no response from his mate. His cobalt blue eyes were open, but glazed over. His body was convulsing and he screamed when Draco touched him.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god…"

Draco tried once more to wake Harry from the horrible nightmare. He put a silencing spell on Harry, hoping to keep him from straining his vocal cords, but nothing he tried on Harry's body would work. He couldn't heal him. Having absolutely no idea what to do next, Draco panicked. Without bothering to even put on a dressing gown, Draco Flooed directly into Severus Snape's bedroom at Hogwarts. He shook the Potions Master roughly to wake him.

Obsidian eyes popped open and Draco found himself at the end of Snape's wand. Once Snape realized that it was his godson standing in front of him, wearing only pajama bottoms, he lowered his wand.

"Draco, by all the gods, what do you think you are doing? I could have killed you!"

"It's Harry! Something horrible is happening! You've got to help me!"

Draco grabbed Snape's arm and Flooed him to the Leaky Cauldron. Draco pushed the older wizard toward the bedroom where Harry was still writhing and tossing in the bed.

"What's the matter with him, Sev?"

"I'm not sure, Draco. The way his body is moving, it looks just like the reaction to a Cruciatus Curse."

"Someone is cursing Harry? But how?" Tears were falling freely from his silver–blue eyes.

Snape had never seen Draco in this much pain, and gathered the young man in his arms to comfort him.

"What this looks like is another one of Harry's visions."

"Visions?"

Snape sat on the bed next to Harry, trying to look into the young man's eyes.

"Draco, Harry is linked to Voldemort. At the times when the Dark Lord is in a state of high emotional frenzy, Harry connects to his mind. Sometimes he sees through Voldemort's eyes and sometimes he sees through a Death Eater's eyes. I'm guessing that tonight, Harry is seeing through a Death Eater's eyes and I also assume that the Dark Lord is enjoying a little torture session."

Draco placed his hand on Snape's shoulder, "But why weren't you called, Sev, if Voldemort called the Death Eaters for a meeting?"

"I don't know, maybe he's discovered that I'm a spy." Trying to divert the blond, he asked, "Do you have any kind of potion supplies here? Harry will need several when this is over."

Draco padded into the bathroom and returned with the potions supply that Harry had purchased.

"Harry bought these in Diagon Alley."

Snape rummaged through the assortment of potions, grunting his approval at the selections. "It seems that Harry knew exactly what kinds of potions he would need should this happen. I will administer the potions, but I will also leave detailed written instructions for you, should you ever need to do this yourself. I will send replacement potions by owl as soon as I return to the school."

When they checked Harry, he had stopped convulsing and appeared to be asleep. Draco removed the silencing charm and gently nudged his shoulder to waken him. At the blond's touch, Harry sat up and screamed.

"Harry, it's all right. You're here with me. Nothing can hurt you, love."

Draco climbed in the bed and sat behind Harry, pulling Harry into his arms. His fingers threaded through the long black hair, while Harry tried to calm his breathing.

"Voldemort…Death…Eaters…Lestrange…LUCIUS!"

Both Draco and Snape's eyes opened wide at the mention of Lucius Malfoy.

"Harry, take a deep breath and tell us what you saw." Draco tightened his arms around Harry and his head dropped back to rest on the blond's shoulder.

"It was Voldemort. He was torturing someone…I think Pettigrew. But Lucius was there. Gods, was he furious. Lucius, not Voldemort. And Bellatrix. She was there too."

Snape interrupted Harry, "Were those the only Death Eaters in attendance?"

"Yes, only those three. But they were talking about you, Severus. They know you are a spy. It's no longer safe for you. You can't go to them anymore. Your life is in danger."

Snape sighed and relaxed a bit. "It was only a matter of time, Harry. We all knew that it couldn't last forever."

"There's more. Draco, Lucius knows about the bank account. He knows that you have taken control of a large part of the Malfoy fortune. He was really angry that he couldn't get access to that money."

Snape began to give Harry the potions that would help heal him. "Harry, take these. You know that they will make you feel better. You must take care of yourself now that you are bonded."

As Harry took the potions, Snape continued, "Dumbledore is expecting you two to show up on the Hogwarts Express. Are you returning to the school?"

Draco answered, "We haven't made a decision yet, Severus. Harry and I are in more danger than ever. If or when Voldemort finds out that Harry is my mate, he will not hesitate to kill both of us."

"If you do not return to the school at the beginning of term, I would suggest that you move to a new location. Find a new place to hide. The first places that Lucius will look for you, outside of Hogwarts, will be the Malfoy residences. A large city with a wizard population would probably be the best choice."

Harry offered his hand to Snape who allowed the young man to shake his hand. "Thank you, Professor, for everything you've done to help us. I know that we haven't always had the best relationship, but I want you to know that I appreciate everything you've ever done to help me and also I want to thank you for the numerous times that you've saved my life."

"You're welcome, Mr. Potter."

"Please sir, call me Harry." Harry's blue eyes sparkled as he smiled at the older wizard.

Snape's mouth curved into a slight smile, "Please, Harry, when in private, call me Severus."

"Thank you…Severus."

Draco faced his godfather, "Severus, I have a special favor to ask you."

"Yes?"

"Would you be willing to be our Secret Keeper?"

Snape could see that this request was very important to both young men. Taking the Fidelius oath was a major commitment on his part, but these two had no one else in whom to place their faith. "Yes, I will be your Secret Keeper."

Harry leaned back into Draco's arms. "We will return to Hogwarts eventually. Beyond that I can't tell you much more. Draco, where do you think we should go from here?"

"Rome. We'll go to Rome."

"Very well, owl me as soon as you have settled in. Now Draco, if you can let go of that husband of yours, I'd like to get some sleep before my early morning meeting with Albus."

~*~*~*~

September 1—the Hogwarts Express

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger stood on the platform for the Hogwarts Express looking for their best friend. Hundreds of students were milling about with their parents and siblings waiting for the train to leave. Almost everyone in Harry and Draco's year were repeating their last school year: Hermione and Ron because they'd been with Harry, Draco and the others because of the lack of education their seventh year.

"Do you see Harry, Ron?"

The redhead turned to his girlfriend. "No, I don't see him anywhere."

Both pair of eyes continued scanning the platform. On one end a group of Slytherin students were scanning the platform as well.

"I wonder what the snakes are looking for?"

Hermione turned to see what Ron was talking about. "They seem to be searching for someone? Ron, I don't see Malfoy anywhere, do you?"

The tall boy stretched to his full length to look over the crowd. He found his sister Ginny and the other Gryffindors, but no sign of Harry or Malfoy. "That's really weird. Maybe he's on the train."

Hermione, the new Head Girl, was concerned. "Ron, Malfoy should be here. He's the new Head Boy. He's supposed to help with the younger kids. Maybe he's with the Prefects in their car. Let's go find out."

Ron and Hermione dumped their trunks in the compartment with Ginny, Neville, Seamus and Dean. "Have any of you seen Harry?" With negative responses from all three, they headed toward the front of the train, hoping to find Harry. When they reached the Prefect's car, Draco was nowhere to be seen.

Hermione asked the occupants, "Have any of you seen Malfoy? He's the Head Boy." None of the students had seen the blond Slytherin. "I'm going to check with Crabbe and Goyle. They'll know something."

Hermione headed to the back of the train where she had seen the group of Slytherins. She knocked on the door and Pansy Parkinson opened it, a shocked look on her face. "What do you want, Granger?"

Hermione took count of the students: Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Pansy and a couple of seventh years. "Have any of you seen Draco? He's Head Boy and we need him in the Prefect's car."

None of the Slytherins had seen young Malfoy since his belated birthday party just after the end of term in June. "You haven't heard anything from him? That's really strange." Hermione started to leave the cabin, but turned back to the group. "Have any of you seen Harry?" No one had seen Harry either.

"Strange."

The rest of the train ride was quiet and curious in the Gryffindor car. No one had seen Harry or heard anything from him since they sent his birthday presents. They hadn't even received any acknowledgment that he had gotten their presents.

~*~*~*~*~

The older students had gathered in the Great Hall to prepare for the Welcoming Feast. Professor McGonagall was trying to organize the first–years in the entrance to the school. The students were whispering among themselves. Everything appeared as normal, except for the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall. The ceiling had been enchanted to reflect the weather conditions outside the school, but tonight was different. The ceiling was projecting the image of a violent thunderstorm with lightning flashing across the room. Outside, the weather was completely clear and starry. Even the Headmaster was concerned about the significance of the lightning storm.

Albus Dumbledore searched the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables for Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. They had disappeared the day after Harry's birthday and hadn't been seen since. The only information that he had received was from Severus Snape. He had informed the Headmaster the next morning that the boys wanted to take a trip to Diagon Alley to shop. Albus had not been concerned at the time and had decided to give the boys a little freedom, because of the events of the previous night. But it had now been over three weeks since he had heard anything from the boys and he knew that it was a bad sign.

What are those two boys up to?

~*~*~*~*

Mysteriously, Draco had appeared that evening in his mother's rooms at Hogwarts. He and Harry had decided to arrive separately and under very strong glamour charms. Harry had arrived the next morning to much fuss and fanfare. It had been decided by the pair that Harry would be "officially" keeping the private quarters that Dumbledore had given them while Draco stayed with his mother. Narcissa had quietly helped Draco make a secret passage between the two rooms. He would be staying with his mate, but they had decided to continue keeping their relationship a secret. Only Narcissa, Severus, Remus and Dumbledore knew the whole truth about their Veela heritage, but Severus and Narcissa were sworn to secrecy about their personal relationship. Not even Dumbledore and Remus knew that Harry and Draco were mates and had bonded. The two wizards spent the entire school year under extremely heavy glamours and gave no indication that their relationship had changed.

The one thing that had changed was that Harry stayed mostly to himself in his rooms. The Gryffindors didn't understand but he merely explained it away as preparing for his NEWTs and the anticipated confrontation with Voldemort. Little did they know he was spending every night in Draco's arms. During the day, they were tracking down Voldemort's Horcruxes.

But then there was that one day…that one time, at the final battle at Hogwarts when everything changed and Harry and Draco disappeared.

~*~*~*~

Remus and Minerva pulled themselves out of the pensieve that Severus had retrieved containing the memories that Draco and Harry had left before the final battle. It had been over two years since the pair had vanished. Since their return to Hogwarts, he had no longer been their secret keeper, but they had left the memories in his keeping in the event of their deaths. They had wanted the world to know about their life together during the last year, hoping that people would understand when they left.

Remus was speechless, "I had no idea. I taught them all year long and didn't have a clue that they were mates."

Minerva found her voice, "I didn't even know they were friends. Why didn't Albus tell me?"

Severus piped in, "He was sworn to secrecy, Minerva. I'm sure he would have told you if he could. Draco and Harry wanted their lives to remain private."

Remus turned to the potions master, "Severus, this means that Harry was expecting a child during the entire school year."

They reentered the pensieve to carefully examine that last moment on the battlefield before the couple vanished. They noticed the flutter of magic surrounding the couple, complicated glamours, and Minerva watched as Harry's tired eyes looked up at his mate and he whispered to Draco, "Let's go, love."

The trio knew that Draco, the dominant Veela, would have had every legal right to remove his breeding mate from the battle and use any means to protect him and the unborn child. Unfortunately, the couple had been missing for over two years and the Ministry had not ceased their pursuit of the two runaway wizards. There was still an arrest warrant for Draco's capture on charges of treason and kidnapping Harry.

~*~*~*~

Remus, Severus and Minerva called in all favors from their friends and co–workers in their efforts to find Harry and Draco. Once the European continent had proved fruitless, they had begun searching other Wizarding areas throughout the world through the use of a private detective. A possible lead had recently come to their attention by way of the recent sale of one of Malfoy's Italian properties to the Zabini family. Its sale transaction could be traced to the American southwest in a small town in Arizona. There was a fairly large population of wizards and witches since there was a large magical university in the town. Perhaps the couple was there.

The private detective that Remus had hired had told them that a couple of male Veela had enrolled in the university shortly after Harry and Draco had vanished. The detective had talked to the university president, who couldn't reveal the names of any of his students, but did state that he did not recognize the names of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. The detective thought it was strange that they had never heard of Harry Potter in the states, however, Remus and Severus decided to take the trip to America and see if these Veela could possibly be the missing wizards.

~*~*~*~

The university president, Dr. Townsend, had refused to see the two foreign wizards for three days, but had finally relented and allowed Severus and Remus into his office. He had been warned by the young couple not to tell anyone anything unless it was an emergency. He was only to give out information in a life–or–death situation.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lupin, but our policy is not to reveal the identities of any of our students. However, I can honestly tell you that we have no students registered under those names here."

Remus pulled out two old photographs and handed them to the man. "Please, sir, this is my godson and his mate. They've been missing for over two years and their friends are desperate to find them."

"Why should I believe you?"

Severus stepped forward and pointed to the blond in the picture. "This is my godson. Both of his parents are now dead, lost in the war against Voldemort. Our Ministry wants to arrest Draco for the kidnapping of Harry. We know they are mates and left voluntarily, but the authorities refuse to accept our explanation. We don't wish any harm to come to either of these young men, but it is imperative that we speak to them before our Aurors manage to track them here. If Remus and I were able to find them, the Aurors will be here soon. Remus and I are the only family they have at the moment and we are here to help them. Their lives are in danger."  

Dr. Townsend looked at the photo once again. "The blond looks like David Belmonde and the brunette could be his mate Marc, but they look very different. When was picture taken?"

"During their fifth year at Hogwarts. They hadn't received their inheritances yet. They would now be almost twenty–one years old."

"Gentlemen, I don't know how things are in the UK, but here in the American southwest we don't get many magical creatures. We have a couple of werewolves, a small colony of vampires in a cave and several elves, but we have never had a pair of bonded Veela before and they have caused quite a stir. Our Dept of Magical Creatures Chairman has practically deified them. Veela are rarely found in the US as they stay mostly in France. To have a bonded male couple of breeding Veela has been a real boon, not to mention having a member from the royal family."

Dr. Townsend pulled out a fat file and read through a few pages. "The fact that Marc is a royal Veela prince adds a great amount of interest to the situation. His grandparents visit the pair frequently. They are quite a lovely couple."

The Dean looked at David's records. "Yes, it says here that David and Marc were bonded on August 8, 1998. David stated that they were bonded for their last year of school. That makes them bonded for over three years."

Severus caught an earlier reference, "You said 'breeding'? They had the child?"

"Well, yes. Marc arrived in a full Veela breeding burka. He was covered for protection and as a warning to anyone who might accidentally approach him. According to our Care of Magical Creatures professor, it is traditional for a breeding Veela to be covered from head to toe during a pregnancy. The allure is strongest during the breeding cycle and for the safety of the mother and child they remain covered. Supposedly, a Veela's beauty is even greater when expecting. I never saw anything but Marc's blue eyes until after he gave birth."

"And when was that?" Remus asked.

"Approximately eight weeks after they arrived."

Dr. Townsend checked the records. "Yes, it says here that their child was born on April 7th."

"What did they have? A boy or a girl?" Snape asked.

"I know nothing beyond that the child was born. David and Marc choose to live an orthodox Veela life. The child will remain sequestered at home until the age of three. No one but the medical healer has ever seen the child. Marc stays home as caregiver with their house elves, Dobby and Winky. He takes university courses by owl correspondence."

"That has to be Harry and Draco, Severus. Dobby wouldn't serve anyone but Draco and Harry." Remus turned back to Dr. Townsend.

"What are they doing here?"

"David is studying advanced Mage magic. Marc is studying creative writing. He is so strong in his magical powers that he needs no more study in that area. They live a very secluded life together. David has a written restraining order on strangers stating that he or Marc can curse or obliviate anyone who harasses either of them. We made a special case for them due to their breeding status. David is the dominant and is very protective. He adores and protects Marc."

"Can you tell us how to find them? Where they live?"

"I'm afraid not. I am their secret keeper. They demanded that stipulation upon entrance to the university. They keep their private lives very secret. They only faculty member who has access to them at all is our Care of Magical Creatures chair and that contact is only by Floo. He visited them earlier this week and discovered that Marc has returned to wearing the burka. It seems he is now entering his second trimester of his second pregnancy, carrying twins. That is very rare, especially for a male pair."

~*~*~*~

Remus and Severus had remained near the campus for several days, mostly walking the campus paths hoping to find Harry out of the house, possibly shopping, or Draco en route to class. They knew that time was limited and Aurors could only be a day or two behind them. It was imperative to find the couple as soon as possible. After nearly two years of searching, the Ministry's finest were nearly rabid in their desire to find the Death Eater's son.

As the two wizards sat on a bench in the middle of the school's quadrangle, Severus spotted a curious figure crossing from left to right on the far side and the figure was completely covered from head to toe in embroidered white silk.

"Remus, see if Harry will let you approach him. I'll stay here and watch from a distance."

The werewolf turned to face Severus. "Why don't you approach him? He was much closer to you that last year than he was to me. He still hasn't forgiven me for keeping his heritage from him."

Severus scanned the area around the campus. "I will stay here and watch for Draco. If there is trouble, I will have a better chance of controlling the situation from here. Besides, it is Draco that I really need to see. This is your chance to mend your relationship with Harry."

"All right. If I'm unsuccessful, see if you can follow him home. Maybe we'll find Draco there."

Remus slowly crossed the grassy area in an attempt to intercept Harry before he disappeared. Only a quick turn of the veiled head let the werewolf know that he had been seen. He followed Harry as the young man quickened his pace and tried to think of something to say that wouldn't scare him away.

"Harry. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

Harry turned and crossed in front of Remus without stopping. He didn't know why Remus had showed up, but he didn't want to talk to anyone without Draco standing next to him. He was very vulnerable in his current condition. Harry had embraced his Veela heritage completely. None of the campus residents would dare to approach him like this. He had hexed enough people for that so that it hadn't been a problem for quite a long time.

"Congratulations, Harry."

The covered figure stopped and turned to face the werewolf. "I don't want to talk to you, Remus. You knew about my parents and didn't tell me. I owe you nothing." Harry walked away from his friend.

The werewolf tried to make eye contact with Harry but his eyes were veiled. The silky white burka covered his entire body and a gauzy net covered his eyes, but even through the veil, Remus could see the bright blue eyes blazing with emotion. Remus continued trying to reach the young wizard, "Congratulations on your marriage and your…child."

Harry stopped once again. "I…Thank you, Remus. I wasn't sure how you'd react to Draco being my mate and bonded spouse. Malfoys were not very well–loved or even respected back in Britain by either side of the war."

"He's your other half, Harry. He was created for you. Draco is your perfect mate."

"Not many people back in England would understand or appreciate that."

Remus understood the prejudice that some wizards still had against magical creatures and their ways. The fact that Harry and Draco were magical creatures and Malfoys worked against both of them, even if Harry had saved the world. He had no doubt that Draco loved his family and protected them from anyone who would dare even approach them.

"Well, he must love you very much. You and your child."

Harry ducked his head to hide his eyes. "My son, Remus. I have a son."

"I'm sure he's as beautiful as his parents."

"His name is Asariel. My son's name is Asariel. It means 'prince of God'. He's named after my great–grandfather, King Asariel the Wise. He looks just like Draco, all blond hair and blue eyes."

The werewolf took a step closer to his best friend's son, but refrained from trying to touch him.

"Are you happy, Harry?"

Harry backed up. "Yes."

"Is he good to you? Does Draco treat you well?"

"Of course he does. Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to hear the words directly from you, to make sure that you are all right."

Harry reached down to adjust his clothing, making sure that every part of his body remained covered. He really didn't want to argue with Remus here in the open, but he refused to take the werewolf anywhere near his home and child. There was an instinctive Veela reluctance to trust a werewolf even though Harry had known this specific werewolf most of his life. Harry really wished Draco were there with him. If Remus tried to grab Harry, for any reason, there was nothing he would be able to physically do to protect himself and his unborn twins.

"Draco is perfect. He loves me and I adore him. We started our relationship under unusual circumstances. A life of lies from people I trusted turned me toward the very family that I had been taught to hate since my first day at Hogwarts. MAYBE if I knew the truth, maybe if I had known I was a wizard before I got my Hogwarts letter…Maybe, maybe, maybe. WHAT IF I had been able to form a friendship with Draco that first year? I could have had years of friendship before we discovered we were mates. I lost years because of those lies. Draco is my dominant and protector and I am the carrier. I have never been happier in my life, Remus. I am no longer anyone's 'savior' and I have given all my care over to Draco, but I am not his doormat. We share and we discuss. We are equal in our home. Partners. I choose to follow his lead when we are with others. He always knows what is best for our family, but I have the right to disagree at any time. I love giving over control to him. My body is not as strong as it was once. The repeated damage from the Cruciatus and other curses weakened my body, but not my magic. If Draco seems arrogant and possessive, it is only because he cares so deeply. I nearly did not survive the birth of my son, so close after the battle with Voldemort. Wearing the glamours for almost a year weakened my body even more than the curses. This burka keeps me protected so that I don't need the glamour spells. Draco will be highly overprotective during this entire pregnancy, insuring my safety and that of our twins.

"Why did you choose this particular place?" Remus asked.

That was easy for Harry to answer. "The Magical Creatures department here is the finest in the world. Dr. Vinthorp has been with us every step of the way. He stays in constant contact with the royal family in France as well as their healers. My grandparents and their advisors have given him vast amounts of information on Veela and Veela hybrids. I couldn't be in better hands. My grandparents are very kind people. They are funding Vinthorp's research into the care of Veela and their mates."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Why are you here, Remus? What do you want? I will not go back to Britain, so don't ask."

"I just wanted to make sure that you were all right.

"I'm not going back. I never want to go back there. The people that I believed in the most betrayed me. I don't know if I can ever trust anyone like that again."

"I understand, Harry, but sometimes we must do things we don't like for the benefit of those we love. What if you were needed to save Draco?"

Harry had learned from Dr. Townsend that two wizards were looking for him and Draco. Harry knew that the other one had to be Severus and he wanted to know why he was there. Surely he knew that Harry and Draco were together and safe. Why would Draco need saving?

"What does Snape want? I saw him slinking around that bench where you were sitting."

"He needs to talk to Draco."

A quick crack of apparition and Draco appeared behind Harry and wrapped him completely in his protective white wings. He sensed a threat to his mate and the white feathers became as sharp as knives. Seeing the werewolf, he pushed Harry behind his body, spreading his wings to block Remus from his mate.

"Go away, wolf."

Remus nodded to the Veela. The werewolf understood the proper protocol for dealing with the dominant and his mate and did everything he could to prevent an attack by the protective Veela.

"Congratulations, Lord Malfoy, on your marriage and the gift of your children. May the blessing of the gods be over you and yours."

The werewolf bowed deeply in front of the Veela, baring his neck in submission.

"Great health, happiness and good fortune follow you throughout the days of your lives."

Draco ignored him for a moment, running his hands over his mate's body and checking for any injuries.

"Are you all right, love?"

"Yes, Draco, I'm fine. Pull in your wings; it's just Remus."

"I felt your agitation all the way across the campus. I asked you this morning to avoid our unwanted guests."

"Be reasonable, Draco. We were just talking about my family. Remus says that Severus needs to talk to you about something. I admit that I'm worried now. It must be important for him to come all this way just to talk to you."

" He can wait. I can tell how much this has taken its toll on your body. You are tired and agitated. I'm taking you home to rest."

"Stop worrying. I'm fine."

"No, you are not. You and the babies are my primary concern, plus Asariel needs you. Do not argue with me on this."

"Yes, love."

Remus watched this interaction and was satisfied that Draco was truly devoted to his mate and not just a bully. The werewolf nodded once again and spoke formally to the Veela.

"You are a superior mate for my godson, Draco Malfoy. You protect him with your strength and cherish him with your love. That is all any family member can ask of you. Thank you. May I have permission to owl Harry while I am visiting here?"

Draco looked into the eyes of his mate and saw the need he conveyed. "If that is what he desires."

"Before I leave, may I hug my godson?"

Draco stiffened. It went completely against his nature to allow the werewolf to touch his mate, but intellectually he realized that this was someone who was very important to Harry and a way for them to begin rebuilding their relationship.

Harry's eyes lit up as the blond gave him a little nudge toward Remus. The werewolf hugged his godson gently, kissing the cloth covering his cheek. Remus lowered his head and stepped back. With a slight nod to Harry, he turned and walked away from the couple.

"Let's go home, Harry. You need to shower and rest. His scent is all over you."

~*~*~*~*~

Draco escorted Harry back home and settled him into bed with a napping Asariel. He had seen Severus standing far behind Remus and had signaled him to follow. The Potions master was waiting outside the small home that Harry and Draco shared with their son. Draco closed the front door and walked out onto his lawn and met Severus under a tree.

"Severus, why are you and Lupin here?"

"You are my godson, Draco. You disappeared without a word. The entire Ministry is looking for you. They think you've kidnapped their savior."

"We left the pensieve memories for you."

"And I've shown them to the officials, but they want their savior back and they want you to be punished for taking him."

Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. He and Harry had left behind all their memories to explain. Why wouldn't the Ministry leave them alone?

"What do we need to do, Severus?"

Severus considered the man who was his son in all but blood. "There is an arrest warrant for treason. The Aurors will take you into custody as soon as they find you. They want you put away in Azkaban and then 'kissed', Draco. It's a bad situation that gets worse the longer they look for you."

The blond looked away as he considered his options. His primary goal was to keep Harry and Asariel safe. Their son knew nothing of the life back in England. They had hoped to protect him from their pasts. The blond made up his mind.

"I will return to England and explain our situation. Harry will stay here with our son. He would not survive the kind of harassment that the English press can inflict."

"Draco, Harry must return to London. They need to see for themselves that he is all right and that you haven't harmed him."

"That's ridiculous. I have a right to protect my mate from those hungry vultures. Above all considerations Harry and my son must be safe, no matter what."

"I agree, but the wizarding world wants their savior back."

"Harry doesn't want that."

Severus sighed. "They will not give him the choice."

A sharp crack of apparition was the only warning the pair received before Severus was stunned and an army of Aurors surrounded the now–enraged Veela. Swift wand work had the blond encased in magical ropes. The Aurors were not taking any chances that their prey might escape.

Draco struggled to escape his bonds. "Get me out of these bloody things! Severus!"

The potions master lay bound on the ground, struggling to free his arms and legs. Dawlish leaned over to sneer at his nemesis.

"You should have brought him to me, Snape. Now both of you will stand trial for treason in front of the Wizengamot."

~*~*~*~*~

The dark stone Courtroom 10 on Level 9 of the Ministry of Magic was jammed for the trial of the notorious Death Eater's son. Everyone in the wizarding world wanted to witness the final fall of the Malfoy dynasty. Or so they thought. Reporters from all over Europe had come to fill the back rows of the Wizengamot and magical folk filled every other seat available. Severus had been acquitted of all charges almost immediately after it was revealed that he and Remus were working under the directions of the Order of the Phoenix. However, Remus and Harry had not yet been seen and it had been nearly a week since the blond's capture. Minister Scrimgeour was sure that the Boy Who Lived would have made an appearance by now.

Only the Malfoy solicitor had been allowed any contact with Draco and that was only in the presence of an Auror. Tonks had volunteered to watch over her cousin while he discussed his trial. She knew that he was not a threat and that he had not committed any crimes. She had minimal Veela blood through the Black family, but she knew that Draco could never harm Harry. She also feared what would happen when Harry finally arrived to take on the entire wizarding world.

The evidence against Draco was weak at best but the Ministry wanted someone, anyone to take the blame for the disappearance of its hero. The trial was only a device to force Harry back to England and back under the Minister's thumb. Scrimgeour wanted his hero and would do anything to get him back.

~*~*~*~

"All rise. The honorable Rufus Scrimgeour, Chief Mugwump, presiding!" yelled the bailiff.

The entire body rose as Scrimgeour and the judicial panel strode in to take their places. The sound of a gavel brought the courtroom to order.

"Bring in the accused."

Draco Malfoy arrived at the side entrance, bound in magical ropes that pinned his wings back into a useless position. The fury radiating off the young Veela was palpable as he glared at the hated minister. The Aurors led the blond over to the chair in the middle of the courtroom, binding him in the chains that connected to the chair. The raised benches around the courtroom were filled to the limit.

Before the Minister could call the assemblage to order, the back doors of the courtroom burst open in a pulse of raw magic that filled the courtroom. Not one soul moved.

Draco smiled.

That should have scared the Wizengamot more than anything else.

Just as everyone began to catch his breath a large procession of people filed into the courtroom. A collective gasp went up through the room as those present witnessed the entrance of a large contingency of Veela warriors leading in the royal family, King Rigel and Queen Nyli bringing up the rear as well as the elven queen, Alatariel Silverleaf, who carried a small blond child. The king and queen were tall regal creatures that towered over nearly everyone in the room, their personal guards protectively at their sides.

Severus watched the Veela enter, noticing that several were covered in burkas. He had no way of discovering if Harry was one of them because the royal guards allowed no one near the royal family. The Veela filled the area surrounding Draco in a protective circle. King Rigel stepped forward to face down Scrimgeour.

"Your Ministry has falsely arrested a Veela for crimes and separated him from his mate. You will be tried in the World Creature Court for interference with Veela mates and their children. Seize him!" King Rigel ordered.

Four Veela warriors moved to surround the Minister.

"This is outrageous. This is an official ministry court proceeding and you have no right to interfere."

The king stood his ground. "This is a member of the royal family that you hold there. He has committed no crimes and you are preventing him from properly caring for his mate and child. That alone is an offence punishable by death in the World Creature Court. Veela are protected in the magical world and you have broken the most sacred laws."

Scrimgeour stood and slammed his fist to the desk. "Mate? MATE? I see no mate. This man kidnapped Harry Potter from the battlefield at Hogwarts. We have spent these last years in pursuit of this criminal in order to return our hero to his rightful place. Draco Malfoy is nothing more than a filthy Death Eater who should have answered for his crimes against wizards years ago!"

From deep within the depths of the Ministry of Magic the very foundation began to rumble and shake down to its core. The courtroom fell completely silent as paintings fell from the walls and tables skittered across the Floor and candles fell from their resting place while observers screamed as hot wax and flame fell on their formal robes. Chaos erupted as the room filled with wild elemental magic. From behind the Veela king, a smaller covered figure stepped forward. The brilliant white embroidered and beaded garment glistened like raindrops in the moonlight. The magical aura surrounding the figure was so powerful that everyone in the room could see the pure gold color it contained.

The figure stepped forward and pointed a single finger in the direction of the blond that was bound to the chair. The chains and ropes that bound Draco vanished as if they were nothing stronger than a sigh. The squirming blond child reached out from his grandmother's embrace and shouted, "Da!" as the older blond jumped up to stand protectively in front of his rescuer.

Scrimgeour stood, "Now see here. You have no power here. You have no right to release this dangerous creature. Aurors, arrest that person for obstruction of justice."

Two brave Aurors stepped forward but were immediately pushed back by the pulsing powerful magic. A very quiet voice then spoke.

"The only person guilty of obstruction of justice is you, Minister."

The veiled head lifted to reveal two deep blue eyes. There was not a doubt as to whom the eyes and voice belonged, but Scrimgeour was a fool in love with his own power. He refused to recognize the signs of danger and pushed his elusive savior to the limit.

"You have not been recognized by this court. You hide behind those garments and expect us to listen to you. We don't even know your identity. Aurors, arrest him!"

The Aurors took a step forward before realizing what the Minister had said. King Rigel stepped forward and glared at the Minister.

"It is a sacrilege to ask a breeding Veela to remove the protective coverings. You cannot ask this. If the garment hides identity, how would you guess that the wearer is male? Unless you have already recognized my grandson."

"Your grandson is nothing more than a Death Eater's whore!" shouted the Minister.

The smaller figure reached up with one hand and removed the veil that covered his head, throwing off the outer robes at the same time. Long flowing black hair tumbled down his back in a long plait. His ears were distinctly pointed and his skin was as fair as the finest porcelain. The blue eyes were unmistakable. There, in the middle of the courtroom Floor, finally, stood Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. A bright, pure light filled with magical power encompassed the young wizard. His clothing was purest white with elegant crystal embroidery decorating the edges of his formal robe. It fit close to his body and a slight bump was visible at his abdomen. The light temporarily blinded the gathered crowd and everyone felt the rush of magic that filled the room.

Harry's overwhelming beauty captured the minds and hearts of all those watching. It seemed as if the purity of his soul enveloped his entire body. Scrimgeour covered his eyes as he turned away from the beatific sight in front of him.

"HOW DARE YOU!" shouted Harry. "How dare you slander me or my family. You are a disgrace to all wizards and witches. You are a liar and a manipulator."

Harry turned to face the assembled crowd before continuing. Every eye in the room was focused on the beautiful creature in front of them. Draco positioned himself just behind Harry's left shoulder, placing himself between his mate and the irate Minister.

Harry swept the room with his eyes making sure that he had everyone's attention.

"I left Britain nearly three years ago of my own desire. On my eighteenth birthday, I received an unknown inheritance from my true birth parents. Only one person remains alive that knew the truth of my birth. I am the son of Sirius Black, born Crown Prince Astraeus of the Royal Veela family, and Ilarien Silverleaf, Queen Alatariel's daughter. Upon his death, the title transferred to me. I am Crown Prince Salah of the Royal Veela. My common name is Harry Potter and my mate is Draco Malfoy. We have chosen to live away from Britain and the Minister's grasp for the last years, living in peace in America. This man captured my mate in an attempt to force me to return."

Harry turned back to face Scrimgeour.

"Well, it seems that you have succeeded, Minister. I am back, but only to take back what is rightfully mine." Harry turned to his husband. "Draco, take Asariel before he bruises his grandmother."

Draco reached out and took his squirming son into his arms. Asariel immediately settled comfortably into his father's arms. Harry caressed his blond head.

"It will be all right, son. We will be leaving soon."

Scrimgeour couldn't believe the brash disrespect that Potter expressed. He was the Chief Mugwump and Minister of Magic! How dare Potter turn his back on him. He raised his wand to strike Potter while his back was turned, not realizing the results of threatening the young prince. The four Veela warriors tackled him to the ground pinning his arms and legs. Harry Potter stood over the Minister wand drawn and pointed between his eyes.

King Rigel moved next to his grandson. "Let him up, son. The guards will take care of this criminal."

Harry stood back as Scrimgeour was lifted off the Floor.

"Stop!" the young man shouted.

Harry reached over to grab the Minister of Magic's left arm. It had just been a flash. Could his eyes deceive him? Harry pushed up the sleeve of Scrimgeour's robe as the older man struggled to free himself.

The entire courtroom came to a standstill as everyone there witnessed what Harry had revealed. Grotesquely etched on the minister's arm was the Dark Mark. The Minister's right arm came up, holding his wand, and pointed at Harry.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Surprisingly though, it was Scrimgeour falling dead to the Floor. Draco had erected an impenetrable shield surrounding the entire Veela clan. The Minister's sightless eyes stared up and no one in the room felt the slightest sadness or remorse. Deputy Minister Amelia Bones stood and banged the Chief's gavel.

"Aurors! Remove that body. If there are no objections, I acquit Draco Malfoy of all charges brought against him. This council bears no ill will towards him or anyone from the Veela contingency. We also recognize Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter for their service in the last war by awarding them the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Everyone stood to their feet and enthusiastically applauded the acting Minister's words. Madame Bones then walked down to Floor level to greet Harry and Draco as Queen Nyli handed her grandson his burka and veil. Once he was fully concealed, Harry turned to face her.

"Harry, please accept the profound apologies from the Wizengamot. Please believe me when I say that Minister Scrimgeour had been feeding us false information for years. We had no idea that you and Draco were happy, settled mates. We truly believed his lies."

"Didn't you see the pensieve memories we left?" asked Draco.

"What memories? We've seen no pensieve memories?" Bones answered.

Severus stepped in at this point. "It appears that when Remus and I delivered your memories to the Minister, he failed to share them with the other members of the Wizengamot. We should have suspected him all along."

Draco couldn't help but sneer, "And now we know why he tried to kill Harry. He was one of Voldemort's men all along. He must have been protected by the Inner Circle. I thought I knew all of them, but this was a total surprise to me."

Harry reached out to take Asariel into his arms. The small boy immediately snuggled into his birth father's arms and went to sleep as only the innocent can in stressful situations. Harry gently laid his hand on Draco's arm.

"Let's go home, love."

The Crown Prince wrapped his arm around his husband's waist and apparated his entire family out of the courtroom, leaving all others in stunned silence.

~*~*~*~

"Harry, I don't understand. They're not really your parents. Why do you feel the need to be here? I thought we were going home."

Draco leaned against the tree watching his son chase leaves blowing in the breeze. Harry bent down to remove the debris from the two tombstones. He gently placed a wreath of flowers over both Lily's and James' graves and then stood.

"I know they didn't give birth to me, but they were my parents, even if it was for a short time. They loved me as their own and died for me. That is enough."

Harry felt the arms of his husband embrace him from behind. He leaned back into the comfort and warmth of his lover and mate. He finally had everything he had ever wanted. Harry had this beautiful man who loved him and a growing family.

"Do you think they would be proud of me, Draco?"

"I'm sure they are proud of you, Harry, and we'll teach Asariel all about them when he's older. Now, let's go home."

Draco picked up his son and held an old book out for Harry. As the dark–haired wizard touched its surface, the small family disappeared from the glen at Godric's Hollow.  

The End

Cyane Snape—March 17, 2009

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