When Veela's Collide

Prologue

The coldness seemed to envelope his body; each pore seemed to fill with ice, yet his whole posture remained ridged with tension. His only movement was to glance impassively at the large ornate clock that sat ticking on the Slytherin mantle above the roaring flames of the fire.

5 Minutes…

Raising an elegant hand he surveyed his immaculately manicured nails, each one shone glossily and felt like a brush of satin as he brushed it along his cheek. It gave him something else to focus on. Being immaculate was something he prided himself on…it was part of his perfect image.

If only they knew, if only they could see.

He was far from perfect; he'd had his etiquette pounded into him from an early age. Taught all the poise and grace from his parents that would be expected of someone of his caliber and befitting of his station. Told that he had to rise above everyone to be the best.

And oh how he hated it.

He was adored by his peers; each one would willingly allow his expensive leather shoes to walk over their shoddy robes, or would bow down to kiss his feet if he asked. Now with his inheritance only…he looked up grey eyes focused on the clock…two minutes away…they would all find even more excuses to worship him.

"Draco" he heard his name whispered from the darkness and gave a slight smile. He turned pale features to regard one of only a select few he considered to be his real friends.

"Hello Pansy" was the soft reply as the flaxen haired witch settled herself in the seat opposite his own; she pulled her hair back from her face and secured it with a rubber band. Settling her hands on her lap she surveyed him, the silence so tangible it could be tasted. She glanced briefly at the clock and decided to break the deafening quietness.

"One minute" she said gently and he snorted. He'd always dreaded this day ever since his father had told him of it…ever since he had known that there was something in him that would one day be set free…the awakening of the Veela within him.

"So it would appear" he said tonelessly.

"We're going to have our work cut out for us" Pansy said. "Half the school already adores you. It's going to be absolutely catastrophic when one mere glance will have them running to fawn all over you" she added as an afterthought missing the slight shudder than shook his frame at her words.

As if he didn't already know that.

Ten…

It was sickening to think about all the students pawing at him. Almost like he was a piece of their own lost property they wanted to spend an eternity re- acquainting themselves with.

Nine...

Each one convinced that they could be lucky enough to be his mate that they were special enough to be able to bond with him thus securing their place within his life. Cooing over how handsome he was, how worthy they were of his love.

Eight…

Sucking up to him in a way that he had always loathed, he hated spinelessness and that's all the students at Hogwarts would ever be to him. With the exception of Potter but even he had seemed somewhat different these past few days.

Seven…

If only he'd had a different life. One with no cause for complications or hardships and stupid changes he had to endure in order to have some stead in his fathers eyes…to be considered worthy of the family name.

Six…

Why did everything end up spiraling out of his control?

Five…

Only moments away from his destiny and he wanted nothing to do with it, no matter what the consequences were.

Four…

Maybe he'd shut himself away, fold in on himself to a place where nobody could reach him. Away from all the expectations that were expected of him so that he was just free to be himself. He didn't want the burden of finding a mate; he was too young to worry about petty things like love.

Three…

He was a Malfoy, built and shaped to be impassive.

Two…

He didn't care, didn't thrive on emotions; they only made a person weak...and he sure as hell didn't need anybody else to make his life feel complete. He was and always would be alone and that was the way he liked it. He didn't need someone to claim his heart, didn't need to claim someone else's in return.

One…

So why did the thought hurt so much?

"You alright mate?" the question seemed to hang there tainting the quietness of the room with its uncertainty. Turning bronzed features he arched a dark brow and his slight snort showed the fact that he thought the question slightly moronic.

"Just peachy Ron" was the sarcastically drawled reply.

"Your not still mad at me are you Harry?" Ron said quietly his voice a reflection of sadness. Harry closed his eyes so that his friend would not see the anger that suddenly simmered in their green depth, either that or give away the fact that he was fighting the urge to hit him.

"Now whatever gives you that idea" Harry spat his voice pure venom. He eyed his friend coldly and conceded that at the moment he hated the sight of the redheaded boy standing before him. That one wrong word from him would be all it would take to tip Harry over the edge and tear him apart.

He was always expected to forgive or to forget…sanctimonious Harry Potter, ever the naive boy…but not this time. This time Ron had gone too far, he'd never have expected one of his best friends to hide something so important from him…and Hermione oh yes she was in his bad books also.

Along with Albus Dumbledore.

"Look Harry, it was for your own good" Ron huffed his voice rising. "We were sworn to secrecy, we took a vow of silence bound by Phoenix decree" he finished his voice changing now to add a hint of desperation to the words he uttered.

Harry sighed.

What was he supposed to do? A part of him did indeed want to give the benefit of the doubt, yet another part of him felt utterly betrayed by both his best friends as well as his headmaster. He had trusted all three beyond redemption…and now they had shattered that trust as surely as if it had been a fragile glass dropped carelessly to the floor. He couldn't believe they had been keeping something so important from him, and for so long

He glanced down at his wrist watch and frowned; time had flown by so quickly…it was already five minutes to midnight.

As soon as both hands rested on twelve he would change.

Not a physical change as such, this change would be on the inside…less noticeable. Something was about to awaken within him that Harry had never known even existed never mind hibernated within his blood.

Until now.

How had he ended up in this mess? Sometimes he wished he could magic all his problems away, but he had yet to find a spell that could accomplish such a feat. He still couldn't believe at this moment something was about to stir in his blood releasing dark powers within his veins.

A Dark Veela…that was what he was going to become, a magical enigma thought to have been extinct long ago. But fate it seemed had other plans just like it always did when it came to the matter of his life

At the moment he was severely wishing he hadn't overheard Ron and Hermione's conversation in the library…a foolish place to talk really, a place where they could be overheard by anybody. If he had not heard he'd be in bed now, with nothing but his nightmares to worry him.

But now with the knowledge of what was inside him, he was scared…he wanted to run and hide from it.

Oh now people would scoff at the cowardice of the great Harry Potter. How they would mock and scorn him for allowing a weakness such as fear to enter his mind.

He let out a sardonic laugh

Like their opinions mattered, they were all mindless sheep following the current trend…which at the moment so happened to be himself and would be even more so after midnight.

It was sickening.

Nobody ever wanted to know the real him, they were all just so easily seduced by the golden image. The Wizarding worlds only hope against the darkest wizard to ever walk its plains. People would point at him their eyes focused on a place just above his eyes, that's all he would ever be to people…a famous scar which they would love the right to show off.

"Ron if you wouldn't mind I'd like to be alone" Harry whispered his green eyes resting on the flames that danced in the fireplace. The yellow flames reflected in the unblinking green orbs they held in their sway, almost like their quality hypnotized him to look at them constantly.

Ron looked as though he wanted to protest but one glance from Harry had him nodding in agreement…he obviously felt he owed Harry that much at least.

Sighing Harry switched his gaze to the clock just above the Gryffindor entrance mesmerized as the hands moved closer to midnight. Finally he closed his eyes to shut out the sight wondering why nothing in the life that he been cast for him was ever simple.

He opened his eyes just as midnight struck, and felt an inhumane pain fire across his body. He heard the distant sound of a tortured scream only to realize that the sound had come from his own lips. An echo sounded out which he recognized as the patter of running feet...darkness swallowed him.

Then all was quiet.