A Tale Of Unconditional Love

Chapter One

Rating M for sexual situations between males.

AN: Looking for a Beta.

In the wizarding world, a Child's seventeenth birthday is a big deal. It was the day in which the child was recognised as an adult, and came into possession of their inheritance, the traits of the family- a strength or a power found only in that gene pool. Even the poorest of wizard families made sure to celebrate this day in the most elaborate way they could afford. For me, however, the wizarding worlds so called hero, my seventeenth birthday arrived as I sat on my old bed, counting down the seconds to midnight: alone, not a present in sight, no inheritance, no family willing to celebrate with me, the only other presence in the room my large snowy white owl. It wasn't ideal, but for me, Harry Potter, who had been living with muggles for as long as I could remember, it was normal.
"Twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven," I found myself muttering under breath, as I watched the seconds count down. "Five, four, three, two, one. Happy Seventeenth Birthday Harry." I whispered. I was just musing to myself that I didn't feel any different, when a white hot pain shot through my spine, making me arch my back in agony and scream soundlessly. The pain quickly spread from my back to the rest of my body, so that I felt like I was on fire. I clawed at my clothes, trying desperately to get rid of the pain, and bit my lip so hard I drew blood. I began to convulse violently, my eyes rolling back into my head. The pain seemed to go on forever, and I didn't notice when I fell onto the floor, only willing with what conscious I had left that the pain would go away. If anything it seemed to get stronger, and I lost all grip on consciousness, and slipped into blackness as the fire swept over me.

When I finally regained my consciousness it was sunset, and shadows danced around my vision. The room was bleary, and I looked around for my glasses. Not finding them, I rubbed my eyes, only to find that miraculously, my glasses had somehow managed to stay on my face during the night. It was only then that I realised I should have been seeing the room clearly, not foggy as it was. Taking the glasses off, in order to wipe them, I found that the room suddenly sprung into focus, allowing me to see the destruction that lay around me. My clothes, or what was left of them, where in tatters, and smeared in bloodstains. My body was also smeared in blood and deep gouges had been taken out of my flesh and were now stinging violently. I was lying in a dried pool of blood and I could also see it on the bed and on the table next to it. What the hell happened? Was all I could think to begin with. Then came Did Death Eaters attack me? But that notion was quickly dismissed, as I realised no follower of the dark lord would have been stupid enough to leave me here, when they could have taken advantage of my obvious weakened state. Then what happened? Deciding to try and stand, I gingerly stood, swaying slightly, but otherwise fine. A shower was in order, I decided; trying to find answers would come after.

When I finally emerged from the shower, warm, clean and relaxed, I quickly dried myself, wrapped my towel around my hips, and turned to get some clothes from my room. What I saw out of the corner of my eye, however, made me stop and gape into the mirror. The person staring back at me was a stranger, with long dark glossy hair, that reached his shoulders in tamed waves. His lips were luscious, pouty almost, and defiantly kissable. His cheekbones where defined in an aristocratic manner, nose firm, eyes large and emerald, defined by thick, black lashes. The only thing that made me recognise the alien face as my own was the lightning bolt scar located on my forehead. My body had also changed, losing its angular shape, that came from Quidditch training and little food, to become more soft and, dare I say it, curvier. All and all I looked like a cross between an extremely good looking guy and a girl!

"What in Merlin's name has happened to me," I strangled out. "I look..."

"Like a Veela that has come into his full inheritance," a voice said from behind me. I jumped around, cursing when I realised I didn't have my wand on me, and therefore was helpless. My wand wasn't necessary, I found however, when no other than Dumbledore stepped into the small bathroom.

"Professor?" I said surprised, "what are you doing here?" He smiled at me over his half-moon glasses, blue eyes dancing with excitement.

"I am here, my dear boy, because I wished to see if you had come into possession of your family inheritance. It is now obvious, clearly, that you have, making you the first Potter in two centuries to have bequeathed the trait."

My mind felt like it was in overdrive as I attempted to process this information. The pain I had felt was that of my inheritance, an inheritance that had not been possessed in over two hundred years, the inheritance of a...."A Veela?" I exclaimed, the professors words finally catching up to me. "But Veelas are female."

"In fact they are not Harry. There are rare cases in which male Veelas are born- it hardly ever occurs. They tend to be bit different to their female counterpart- they don't have the same light features, instead having darker hair and more masculine edge to their beauty." His eyes trailed meaningfully over my hair and face. "They also have stronger defensive powers and just as much allure as the females-why do you think you have always had the students of Hogwarts attention? Even if you had not been the boy-who-lived, you still would have drawn their gazes! Now I suggest you go into your room and change, while I have a word with your Aunt and Uncle. Pack your trunk as well, Harry- you will not be back here."With that he strode out of the room, and I hurried into mine, pulling on a baggy shirt that had once belonged to Dudley, and some jeans.

I pulled out my trunk, which was already packed, due to my boredom in previous weeks, from its place under my bed, retrieved Hedwig's cage from the desk, and waited eagerly for the Professor to re-appear. I didn't have to wait long- he walked into my room with a satisfied smile on his face.

"All set Harry? Yes? Then let's not dally." Placing a hand on my arm, and one on my trunk, I felt the familiar twisting sensation in my stomach as Dumbledore guided me in a side long apparation. We arrived at the familiar gates of Hogwarts, and proceeded into the castle.

Dumbledore led me into a corridor I had never been into; it was long and portraits of people I had never seen before hung on the walls. He walked up to one portrait, that of a middle aged man, with dark brown hair and a very attractive face.

"This, Harry, is Giles- another male Veela just like yourself. Giles, this is Harry Potter, your great great great great great grandson."

"Good to meet you my boy!" Giles exclaimed. "Its good to see another Potter with the ancient bloodlines running in their veins. Congratulations!"

"Thank-you, sir," I answered, slightly shocked at seeing a relative that was vaguely alive. "If you don't mind me asking, how come you look so," I trailed off and waved at his features, "masculine, while I look a lot more..." I trailed off, embarrassed by my more feminine looks.

"More female?" he finished for me gently, he turned to look at the Professor. "Have you not told him yet, Headmaster?"

"No Giles, I thought it would be more suitable if you told him instead." He turned to face me. "Harry, Giles is the portrait that will guard your quarters. The password is morde. Go inside, unpack, then go into the living room. Giles has another frame there in which he can enter. He will explain everything. I will expect you at the Great Hall by eight for dinner. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes sir," I answered, still slightly stunned by the events that had taken place in a few short hours. I said the password, and went to enter, when Dumbledore's voice called from behind me.

"Harry?" I turned. "Happy Birthday."

I smiled faintly. "Thankyou Sir," and then walked into the room, Giles's portrait swinging closed behind me.

The room was nothing special-in fact it was decorated in the same as the Gryffindor tower; a fire, and living room, a bedroom to one side and a study to the other. The bed was furnished in red and gold, and there was a cupboard to put all my clothes into. I opened my trunk, which was already in the room thanks to Dumbledore, pulled out my wand and flicked it in the general direction of the wardrobe. The clothes came streaming out of their places in my trunk and came to rest neatly inside the space provided for them. Deciding that unpacking was done; I walked into the living room and sat on one of the couches, facing the empty portrait.

"Giles," I called, and he walked into the frame, smiling amiably.

"Harry, my dear grandson, finished unpacking already! That was quick."

I smiled back. "I practised my spell work a lot last year. I've mastered the ability to direct my magic purely through thoughts- I don't need spells anymore."

His eyebrows rose in astonishment. "Are you telling me that you have already accomplished not only silent spell work, but also thought directed magic?" At my nod, his eyebrows rose even higher. "My boy, that is an astonishing achievement! Nobody has ever been able to achieve that so young- I believe Dumbledore himself was the youngest wizard to master it- at the age of forty-six!"

I frowned. "But it's so easy. Why would it take anybody that long?" Giles looked flabbergasted by this time and shook his head back and forth slowly.

"This isn't something you should be discussing with me- you should bring this up with Dumbledore. I am here to answer all your questions on your Veela nature." He settled down, and assumed a comfortable position. "Now, where to begin. Firstly, you asked me about you more feminine features. I'll get to that in a second. I'm going to explain to you first about Veelas and their mates."

"Mates?" I interrupted, shocked. "What do you mean mates."

He frowned disapprovingly at me. "I'll tell you if you don't interrupt me again. Ok? Good. Now where was I...Oh yes. Veelas are a dark creature- not evil, but dark, as they possess the ability to use coercion on others with their beauty and their so called allure. This makes the people around them, generally wizards, unable to think normally, and they can persuade them to do as the Veela wishes. For example, you could use your allure on your teacher to get out of a detention, or make a fellow student give you his (or her) answer for a question on a test. This is what makes us Veelas dark, as the student would have no choice but to do it. This is also the reason that we are not considered evil, as we can only use this allure for small, general things. As soon as the person is away from close contact or sight, they regain their senses. We wouldn't therefore, be able to make somebody rob Gringotts, as when they would leave to do your biding, they would come to their senses. Now, a Veelas main reason for their allure is that of securing herself, or in your case yourself himself, a mate. On the night of their transformation into their inheritance, their features change to suit the wants of their intended mate. Even if the Veela has never met her mate, she will still change so that her appearance appeals to him.

"You see, a Veela always has a male as a mate, and in the rare case of a male Veela, like you and me, we too do. The Veelas are also always the dominant one in the relationship, as they are generally stronger than their wizard mates. I was dominant in my relationship, as although my mate was male, I was stronger, as I wasn't all human. This brings us back to you, dear Harry. My features are the way they are because I was the dominant one. From your features, the only deduction I can make is that you will not be the dominant one in the relationship, as your mate will be a Veela as well, and a dominant one at that- meaning that you will be the submissive one in the relationship. I believe this has only ever occurred once, around eight hundred years ago, where a male Veela became the submissive, as his mate, another male Veela, was the dominant."

"Another male Veela...are you trying to tell me that this mate of mine is also a Veela and another guy!" I started hyperventilating at this point, too shocked to hear Giles telling me to breath. "But I'm not gay! I don't want another guy as a mate let alone for me to be the girl in the relationship."

"You don't have a choice Harry," Giles voice said. "As soon as you see your mate, you will know-and you will let go of any apprehensions you have as in the great chain of things, he is your soul mate- the one person in the world that is perfect for you. When you see him, your Veela nature will take hold. This is important, so you must listen to what I am about to tell you. There are three stages in which a Veela bonds with her or his mate.

"To begin with, there is the hunt; where your senses and instincts will lead you to your mate. Upon finding him, the Veela will then wish to court the mate- to show that she/he is able to provide for the mate. This will not begin, however, until the Veela knows that his or her mate accepts them, through a kiss. When this has occurred, the Veelas allure will be so strong that it is a danger for her or him to be around others. When you find your mate, Harry, and begin the courtship, you must confine yourself and your mate to a place where nobody will be able to find you. Your allure will send any human in a kilometre radius to distraction and they will become a mindless mob-all wanting the same thing-you. Once this has begun, it will hurt both members of the relationship to be away from the other for any long amount of time. Now, in your case, as you are not the dominant one in the relationship, your mate will most likely be courting you- showing that he can provide for you and such, which means that his allure will be just as strong, if not stronger than yours. The final stage is the acceptance of the bond. This is when Veela and her or his mate accept the life bond, and accept it through a kiss and a ritual performed by a Veela elder. It is only after this that the bond is complete.

"There is another serious issue that I must talk to you about, and you must assure me that I have your full attention." At my nod, he continued. "Veelas mate for life. If at anytime- even before you complete the bond, you cheat on your mate, your mate will lose all feelings for you, and will then die. A Veela cannot live without her or his mate- and therefore will die a slow and painful death from starvation and mistreatment. The Veela will go into a trace like state where it cannot eat or drink, or clean its self, and will slowly die from starvation. Do I make myself clear Harry? You are your mates and your mates only, as he will be to you. If either of you break the bond, you will both die." I nodded again, mind too busy to acknowledge his words with anything but that gesture.

"Can you please tell Dumbledore that I will not be attending dinner, as I am not feeling that well?" I ignored Giles's worried look, only seeing his nod, and walked slowly into my room, collapsed onto my bed, and let the darkness pull me under.

_____________________________________________________________________________

When I resurfaced, it was light in my room, sun shining in through the windows. My stomach growled, making me realise I hadn't eaten anything in more than twenty-four hours. Jumping out of bed, I had a quick shower, changed into some sweatpants and an old hoodie, and walked to the Great Hall. Finding it empty, I sat down at one of the tables, and called Dobby. There was a loud crack and the house-elf appeared, a smile beaming on his face.

"Mister Harry Potter, sir," he squeaked in excitement. "It is good to see you sir, it is truly. What can Dobby get for Mister Potter, Sir?"

I tried to hide my smile, and requested pumpkin juice and some toast. He disappeared with another crack, and almost instantly a jug and goblet of pumpkin juice appeared, along with a stack of toast, butter, jams and other spreads. I dug in, revelling in the feeling of the food in my mouth, my stomach rejoicing as it slowly filled up. I was just chewing on the last piece, when my Veela side went haywire- making me gasp from the sudden dizziness. I felt a pull, that seemed to lead out of the Hall, and without thinking bolted from the room, following my senses, not able to control my actions. I followed the pull, as it led my back towards the corridor where my room was. I was just turning into the passageway when I smacked into a warm body, and fell to the ground.

"Oww," I whimpered, as I rubbed my head, where it had hit the stone floor. Slowly sitting up, I found myself staring into silver grey eyes, and my Veela side cooed in satisfaction. In an instant I felt whole, complete, protected, loved. My eyes traced my mates face, the familiar lips and cheekbones, the beautiful white blond hair....i was jerked out from my daze as I realised that the person I was staring at was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy," I whispered in shock, "No no no no no, you can't be my mate!" I scrambled to my feet and backed away hurriedly, trying to ignore the look of shock that flashed through his eyes, and the look of love and adoration that followed. As he went to get to his feet, I turned and ran, sprinting away from the other boy, desperately wanting to get away, and yet trying to ignore the side of me screaming to go back.

By the time I stopped running, I had no idea where I was; the halls where dusty and unused-some of the wood on the stairs rotten.

"Oh shit," I whispered. "Where the hell am I?" I looked around, trying to find a portrait that I could send word to Giles through, but there wasn't one in sight. "Shit." I said again. I lent against the wall, and sank to the ground, banging my head on the wall. "Stupid stupid, stupid," I muttered. "Why did you run?"

"That's what I would like to know." My eyes flew open and I saw Malfoy crouching in front of me. "Are you alright?" he asked tenderly, cupping my cheek in his hand, making my Veela side hum in satisfaction, but my human side jerk back in reflex. He dropped his hand, and I attempted to ignore the look of pain in his eyes at my rejection.

"Why do you care Malfoy, if I am alright or not?" he frowned, and looked at me if I was stupid.

"You have come into your inheritance haven't you," he asked slowly, then answered his own question, "Well, obviously, look at you," he gestured to my much changed face and new appeal. "Then you are a Veela. Like me. And somebody, most likely a relative, has told you about us Veelas, right." I nodded reluctantly. "Then you know that Veelas can't live without their mates. I've been looking for you since my birthday-back in April. Now, when I have finally found you, it turns out you still hate me-for no real reason. But you can't reject me Harry. If you do, we both will die. You are just going to have to put the past behind you and look forward to the future. So I care if you are alright or not because you are my mate, and it's what I am suppose to do-worry about you, and you about me."

"What do you mean I hate you for no real reason!" I exclaimed, outraged at this assumption. "All you have done since first grade is bully my friends and me."

"Have I really?" he asked. "In first year you let Weasley's vendetta against me cloud your judgement, when I offered you friendship. Then you and your friends" he spat out the word, "went around calling me names, assuming that my friends where just minions, having no idea about my life." He assumed a softer tone in his voice, and sank to the ground in front of me. "I tried Harry, I really did, but you rejected me. I admit, I called your friends names, but did you do any different to me? We are both in the wrong here, so please, please, don't let the past interfere. Put it behind you and let us both learn from our mistakes." He looked so earnest, so hopeful, and my Veela side purred with satisfaction, telling me to accept his apology. But there was one thing I couldn't wrap my head around.

"You called me Harry," I whispered.

He smirked and stood up, offering me his hand. "I think we are both old enough to call each other by our first names, don't you agree Harry?" I shivered as he said my name, a thrill going through me.

"Your right," I said, taking his offered hand, "Draco." His answering smile was brilliant as he pulled me to my feet.

'I'm glad," he whispered, dropping my hand, and I found myself disappointed in the lack of contact between us. I pushed it back, however, and looked around, trying to get my bearings.

"So, where are we and how do we get back to our rooms?" I asked, looking at the older Veela.

"I know where we are," he answered. "Follow me." He began to stride forward, leading me through twists and turns, and I used the time to get a good look at him, to see how he had changed.

The first thing obvious was that he had grown. My transformation had left me at the height of 5'7, a respectable size I personally thought. Draco had however shot up to a huge 6'2, making him tower over me. His form had filled out as well, but in a subtle way. He wasn't a wall of muscles like run, but rather lithe and wall formed. I caught up to him and walked beside the object of my scrutiny, gazing at him through the corner of my eyes. His face's general structure had stayed the same but had come to possess an almost ethereal look, a lot like my own, making us look other worldly. All in all he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. He noticed my staring, and grinned at me crookedly.

"Like what you see?" he asked coyly, making me blush. I was saved from answering, however, when I found myself standing out the front of Giles portraits; the person in question snoozing peacefully in his frame.

"Giles," I said loudly, making the man jerk awake, and look around blearily. "Is that you Harry," he asked sleepily. "Good, I was wondering where you were. I was getting worried; I was just about to call the Headmaster in fact, but I was a little sleepy..." he trailed off as he caught sight of my companion. "Hello!" he said in surprise. "Who are you?"

"Giles, this is Ma...Draco Malfoy. Draco, this is Giles, my five time great grandfather. He was the last Potter to inherit the Veela blood."

"Nice to meet you sir," Draco said and nodded respectively, shooting a look at me from the corner of his eye. "It is wonderful to meet another male Veela, besides Harry of course."

"Another male Veela," Giles said, eyes wide. "But then you must be-" he looked at me meaningfully, but before I could answer, Draco did for me.

"Yes sir, I am Harry's mate."

Giles looked at him in shock and then absolute delight. "This is wonderful! Congratulations to both of you in finding each other. I must say, I have never seen such an attractive couple as you too! Of course, most of the time only one of the partners is the Veela, but you two are perfect for each other! Have you started the courting yet Draco my boy? Because I want only the best for my grandson, he is, after all going to be the saviour of the wizarding world..."

"Giles! I yelled, interrupting him in the middle of a sentence. "Enough, please. No, we have not begun the courtship, as we are not together. Mal...Draco here has been my biggest enemy since first grade. I need a little time first to wrap my head around everything. Alright?!" I aimed this at both Giles and Draco, the latter looking rather dejected at my words, but nodded none the less. Giles looked shocked at my words.

"But Harry, he is your mate, your soul mate at that. He can't be your enemy. He can't hurt you physically or mentally, without hurting himself too. You shouldn't be able to hurt him either-but you are! Look at the poor boy, he is miserable!"

"That's enough, thankyou Sir Giles," Draco said abruptly, his eyes now cold. "I see how it is." He turned to look at me, face void of any emotion. "I shall see you around, mate." He then turned and strode away, leaving both me and Giles gaping after him. As soon as he was out of my sight, I felt as if I had been physically stabbed in the chest, as a pain so great coursed through me. Sadness, pain, loss unworthiness and self hatred shot through me, like a bullet to the heart. I gasped in pain, and sunk to the ground, holding my hands over my chest.

"Harry, what is wrong?" Giles was yelling at me, but I couldn't answer.

"So much pain," I whispered. "Draco." And then, for the second time in forty-eight hours, I sunk into pain induced unconsciousness.