Here's another chapter, my lovely readers! The veela and mate are still a little conflicted, but Draco might finally have a plan…

Hermione could not find a place for herself while Draco wanted to talk to Severus, even in the ridiculously lavish playroom for the cat where she had to maneuver between squeaky mice toys and little balls that had the tiniest bells attached. Usually it was not such an enormous task but the moment she left Draco alone her head began to spin and she could barely stand up straight in the Manor's library while searching for books about veelas. She had to admit that she had grabbed the first ones she found as the other, older tomes were only accessible via the rolling stairs and she did not want to land on the ground with a few joints twisted out of their normal order.

Going to the cat's playroom had seemed like the best option for a neutral space that had no indirect connotations of veelas and their feathers. Draco's magnificent wings were all she could think about. The pale golden gleam of the feathers, the majestic wingspan was really out of this world.

She tried to tell herself that as a witch she had seen plenty of magical creatures and unusual sights, but Draco was different. Even a third year student knew that veelas were considered most valuable magical hybrid creatures and that lines with veela blood were considered even purer than regular families as the veela magic was so special.

Draco was special. He couldn't cope well with his wings just now but he would be able to control them in the near future. Hermione had no doubt that as soon as he found his mate he would be back to his normal self, whatever that could be. He might even turn into the snobby spoiled brat she knew in school.

There were some hard to digest facts in her life. First and foremost, she could not save everyone and ensure world peace. She could, bit by bit, make a small impact on certain people. Like Walden McNair who had become more like a dotty uncle than a prisoner on probation to her.

The beautiful, fragile and a little bit mentally wrecked veela was a whole other bag of feathers. Hermione knew that she had to fight the attraction to him with every breath she took. It was natural to be attracted to a veela. He was in heat, looking for his mate so his magic was trying to get some relief. She could barely read a page in the books she had taken. Draco, so resplendent with his wings, the white gold gleam of the angelic feathers was like a lure to her. It was not professional to want to do the things to him that her mind told her to do. Like kiss him and rip off all his clothes so that he was just beautiful as he was, without a scrap of fabric.

The thought made her tremble so much she dropped the book she was holding on the cat's bed. Well it was actually a regular four poster double bed, but Draco apparently thought it was just enough space for a fluffball. Her back hit the soft and fluffy bedcover and she tried to tell her mind that she absolutely needed to think about Viktor. A man so many women dreamt about, available to her.

Tall, strong with shoulders so much wider than Draco's. A light golden tan from all the hours spent flying. A complete opposite. Yet he was the one she could have. Millions of witches probably dreamed about getting to see Viktor in a game, but she would be his beloved, in his bed. Her mind became fuzzier and fuzzier, and she closed her eyes for what she thought was just a second but lasted for much, much longer.

Had she read the book at the very bottom of the pile she had picked up in the library, she would've found out that veelas had a lot of subtle magic that affected their mate and kept them safe. The closer the veela was to the mate, distance wise, the stronger the magic's influence. As soon as it detected the mate thinking about someone else, the magic would make the mate sleepy. It was something the veela could not consciously control. There were so many other important things Hermione should've known, all hidden within the slightly dusty pages of the books next to her, but the veela wanted her to rest and this overpowered all of her natural thirst for knowledge.

'Miss Hermione! You must wake up! Master Draco wants to see you now!'

Still dazed, Hermione tried to focus her eyes on the elf, but her mind was still so fuzzy it was impossible to tell which of the elves serving at the manor had woken her.

'Okay, I will be down in a few…' she murmured and tried to get up from the bed, but the elf had decided that it was best just to apparate her and the kitten to the right destination.

The fuzziness of her mind left off when she saw the veela again, maybe it was because of the ever so enticing smell of fresh pizza filling the room.

Hermione did not quite remember what exactly she had said, besides small talk, until the chair she'd sat in burst into a million splinters.

'Are you alright?' she heard Draco's call as his pale hand reached for her and grabbed her with inhuman strength. He steadied her up, his eyes scanning her for any visible marks.

'Just a little shaken, it was just a bit of accidental magic, nothing too terrifying.'

'Accidental? No, I can't. I would never harm you!' The blond veela paced the room in swift steps, his wings only giving away the slightest tremble.

Sudden dread washed over her. He had just said that he would never harm her, but what about others? There was a legend that a French veela, Oivier Artois, had literally torn the heads off from his mate's admirers. Gentle, fragile Draco would never do this, he was not some 16th century lout. But Hermione could not let that feeling of unease go. What if she was in the veela's way, what if she was the roadblock to the veela's mate for some unknown reason?

Draco stopped moving, he could barely breathe. His mate felt scared. Scared of him! He could feel the discomfort that she had. He had to fight with all of his human powers to stop the veela from screaming in agony.

One. Two. The third deep breath helped him focus more. He was glad that the size of his wings hid the emotional rollercoaster in his face. His mother had told him that a Malfoy always handled every situation with grace.

'Hermione, would you like to sit on the couch and eat with me? I'm sorry for scaring you.'

She still looked cautiously at him. The veela inside wanted to just grab her and drag her to the bed. Skin to skin contact and a dose of pheromones would calm her down, the voice assured him.

He pushed the table with the food nearer to the couch, careful not to break yet another piece of furniture in front of her eyes.

'Draco, are you sure I am the one to help you? Maybe medical professionals could…' she hedged, her voice filled with a nervous edge. Against Draco's will, the veela released some calming magic and he saw how his mate walked towards the couch.

As she had sat down, he sat down at her feet. The veela wanted to sit right next to the mate, but he still had some human decency. At least as far it concerned how touchy-feely he could become.

'Hermione, you know the healers treat veelas?' he said with a dose of bitterness in his voice. 'They should have seen what was happening to me…while I was locked up, but they did not. And now, if you confine me to the hospital, they will…do you know what they will do to me now?'

She tried to hide that fact that she did not know what would happen to him. Even his mate, the smartest girl on this planet did not know everything. But he could use this to his advantage. It was the Slytherin way. Hadn't Severus told him to be less whiny but more assertive? He could make her feel a little guilty. It would not harm her at all. He poured her a big glass of fizzy drink from the green bottle and handed it to her. He needed to act normal.

'The healers should have tested me for veela magic before I was locked up but I suppose they forgot. It could have saved me some of the pain and confusion I felt.'

'But now, now they would know how to help you!' her hands shook slightly and tiny droplets of the drink sloshed over the brim of the glass.

'They would put me in an isolation ward, knock me out with sedatives enough to take out a Hippogriff and give me manual relief.'

She looked questioningly at him. The veela inside cheered. The mate was interested to hear the horrors of veela treatment.

'If you wonder what this relief is…well the medics are so far behind in veela knowledge that they think that…releasing some of the sexual tension would be helpful. Of course, under sedative influence to keep it ethical.'

'So the romances were right! The veela has an enjoyable time in the hospital. It couldn't be too bad, could it?' She did sound uncertain, at least. He shuddered at the thought of being helplessly sedated and at the mercy of grab-happy mediwitches.

Draco could not help it. He took her hand, slowly, gently. Not fast enough to startle her. He stroked his fingers over her palm in circles, trying to find the best way to tell her that there was no way he would go to the hospital willingly.

'You would let me be helpless? Sedated?' he asked, trying to not sound as desperate as he really was on the inside.

'No, Draco, no. I would never want you to be helpless. I want you to find your mate, as quicky as possible so that you can go on to a happy life. I don't know how I could help you find her. I…I also don't want to be in your way.'

'Are you afraid that I might hurt you while searching for my mate?' he asked and the veela inside sighed in relief. He was finally focused enough to eat something, as he felt his energy vane.

'Yes, I mean I understand but…. But you are so strong and….'

This time the calming magic was released with Draco's permission. His mate relaxed, her tense smile vanished and she grabbed a slice of pizza.

'While the veela blood does make me stronger, it does not mean that it makes me needlessly violent. You're the only one who can help me. I think I'd die if you abandoned me to the grabby bastards at the hospital.'

'It wouldn't be fair, would it. I never shirk my duties!'

Draco smiled. 'I am not like the veelas the bodice rippers portray. I will not rip my mate's clothes off and have my wicked way with her in a haze of lust. I want her to know that I am her veela, that I will love her for ever and ever.'

The veela stifled a purr when Hermione's hands absentmindedly played with the feathers closest to her.

'It seems talking to Severus has helped you better than I ever could. You seem less upset as before.'

'I am trying to form a plan about this,' Draco said and scooted slightly closer to her so that his wings would be within her reach. Her touch helped him concentrate. The veela had stopped to bombard his mind with images of mating and his human senses could enjoy the closeness to her.

The easiest plan, one he could not bring himself to implement, was just telling her the truth. The truth that he was a horny creature who would do anything for her, for his mate. But the truth held the danger of rejection. She might just be defiant and insist that he was trying to hoodwink her into being a placeholder mate until his one true love was found.

So the best plan would be worm his way into her affections. The veela in him reluctantly agreed to that. She already loved his wings, he just had to find out what else about him she found attractive. What would he give for a look inside her mind!

The other problem was the quidditch oaf. It was clear that she adored that guy. Part of Draco just wanted to give up and die this instant. The mate wanted someone else. The veela did not want to give up, there was still hope. Draco knew that if he weren't a veela, a one on one duel with Krum would give him a fair chance. The Durmstrang alum was probably not beyond using some magic that skirted on the grey zones of the law, just as Draco would. But as a veela he could overpower Krum. It would not be ideal, but he had better chances against Krum than if her possible beau were Potter. Veela or no veela, Draco was absolutely sure that in a duel against potter for the hand of his gorgeous mate there would just be a pile of singed feathers left from him.

'Are you alright, Draco? Did I hurt your wings? You just shuddered so…' His mate did look truly concerned for his wellbeing. It made his heard sing.

'I was just worrying about whether my mate has another love interest. At least I can hope it's not Harry…' he trailed off, hoping that his subtler approach would still work on her savior instinct.

'Harry could probably duel a veela easily. And he'd be the only one to have no consequences. But don't worry about silly things, Draco. Your mate will be so happy to have you. I don't know why I'm feeling so sleepy today…' Wearily, she put down her drink and her body nearly slid off the couch.

Concentrating on his plan had taken a lot of energy. The veela now wanted the reward. Draco carefully picked her up and carried her to his bed. The veela demanded that he take off some of their clothes, but he would not let the creature trick him. Waking up after mating with her would happen when she wanted him out of her own free will. He had allowed this tiny bit of the creature's magic to keep his sanity. There was nothing morally wrong with just cuddling her and staring at her beautiful face while she slept.

The lusty fog in his mind lifted as he held her close. They were meant to be like this, wrapped around each other. Real, in love couples also spent time just like this.

She smiled in her sleep and sighed contently. 'Viktor…'

The soft, sleepy murmur broke all of Draco's composure.

Oh noes! Tune in for the next chapter where Hermione goes to the gala with Viktor and…

Reviews help emotional veelas write! :)