Standard Anti-Litigation Charm: The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

AN: Ah, the old 'creature/mate fic'. Like the marriage law, a staple of Potterfic that I felt I'd take a try at. This will probably be the shortest and fluffiest of my stories. Enjoy!

Chapter One:

Draco Malfoy stumbled up the walk from the apparition point near the main gate of Malfoy Manor. Since the end of the war, the estate wards had been reconfigured so that it was impossible to appear in the manor house itself due to fear of reprisal from either rogue Death Eaters or those who believed the Malfoy family should be in Azkaban and sought vigilante justice.

The Malfoy heir had barely been able to Apparate himself home, and each step towards the stately entrance became more labored and weak. Setting a shaking palm on the door alerted the wards to his presence and the heavy iron and oak door swung open soundlessly at his touch. He stumbled through the threshold and collapsed on the marble floor beyond.

A house elf popped into the entry way to welcome his young master, and upon seeing him on the floor, he screeched in dismay and rushed to Draco's side.

"Master Draco? Master Draco?" he sobbed, tugging on the man's arm. The elf's cry alerted the other Malfoy elves and a dozen more popped into the room. A few of them instantly blinked out to alert the other residents of the manor. Within minutes, Narcissa Malfoy came running down the hallway as fast as she could in her slippered feet and flowing gowns. She went over to the couch where the house elves had just levitated their unconscious master.

"DRACO!" came the trembling scream, as the distraught Malfoy matriarch knelt by her son. She placed a hand on his forehead and another on his chest. The heartbeat was racing under her palm, and his skin was slick with sweat and fever. She called his name over and over, trying to get her son to wake.

A moment later, she heard thundering steps come down the hallway and looked up as her husband tore into the room. Lucius Malfoy took in the scene; his eyes wide with concern. "Cissa? What happened to Draco?" he demanded as he got to his knees beside his wife and wrapped his arms around his son.

"I have no idea. The elves said that he collapsed just as he came inside! Do you think he was attacked?"

"We shall see," he said grimly. The Lord of the Malfoy family's face was drawn tight; his lips in a thin line and his eyes cold as ice chips. Narcissa knew her husband and could tell that he was beyond terrified for their son. Lucius hefted Draco's body in his arms and walked over to the fireplace. "Cissa, if you would, please," he commanded, nodding toward the jar placed on the mantle.

The shaking woman ran and grabbed the floo powder from the jar. Tossing it into the flames, she yelled out 'St. Mungo's', and after watching her family disappear; quickly followed them.

An hour later, Lucius' pacing was interrupted when two men pushed their way into the waiting room outside the Emergency department of the wizarding hospital. "Malfoy! You were sentenced to house-arrest and are now in violation. We are taking you into holding at the Ministry pending your hearing. Give me your wand, slowly!"

Lucius glared at the young Aurors as he handed over his wand. "I seriously doubt that there will be a hearing. I am permitted to leave the house in the case of medical emergency and I believe this situation falls under that provision."

"You look fine to me, Malfoy," one of the Aurors said with a smirk. Lucius identified the man by his red hair.

"My son is seriously ill, Weasley, which can be verified in but a moment. There is no reason to take me to the Ministry, and if anything happens to Draco further whilst I am gone, there will be hell to pay!" Lucius growled.

"I'd like to see you try something, Malfoy!"

"I defied the Dark Lord himself when it came to my son. What makes you think a lowly Auror will deter me?" Lucius sneered at the men who swallowed heavily.

"I'll see you…." Ron began, as a healer rushed into the room.

"Mr. Malfoy! I need to speak to you and your wife immediately!"

"What is it?" came Narcissa's panicked voice as she rushed to her husband's side.

"Please, follow me, I shall ask my questions along the way," the healer said, gesturing to the double doors leading to the emergency wing. The Aurors began to follow them. "You stay here! You have no business in this wing!" the healer barked at them.

"We're here to take him in!" Ron yelled back, pointing at Lucius.

"There is a medical emergency, and you are wasting my time," the healer said, waving his hand in dismissal. The doors shut in front of the Aurors' faces and were warded against any non-essential personnel or family members from entering.

"Now," the man said, indicating for the Malfoys to follow him down the hall, "I am Healer Taggert. I was called in because I specialize in Magical Creature attacks. Your son was bitten by a Veela," he began and was interrupted from a pain-filled and shocked gasp from the worried parents behind him. "Yes, you understand the danger your son is in. A Veela's venom is certainly fatal to anyone other than the Veela's mate or another Veela." The man stopped when he noticed Narcissa start to swoon. He grabbed her arm as Lucius grabbed her around the waist. "Mrs. Malfoy, forgive me for causing you alarm. I must know, which of you has Veela ancestry, and how far back does it go?"

Lucius paled even further, and he looked to his wife. "This goes no further than you," he said to the healer.

"Of course…" Taggert said, somewhat confused.

"In certain circles this information could be damaging, although with the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters being defeated, it is not as great a concern…" he said, shaking his head, "to answer your question, both my wife and I have Veela blood. My great-grandmother and Narcissa's great-great grandmother were near-pure Veela."

The healer shook his head, "I hope to Merlin that it is enough to save your son. He appears to be fighting the venom, but is still severely ill. We have had to stabilize him…this way," he said, pulling back a curtain. The panicked Malfoys followed Taggert to their son's bedside. Narcissa fell to her knees by the bed and grabbed her son's pale hand.

"He is burning up!" she cried.

Lucius looked at Draco's sweating face and pushed back the damp hair from his son's forehead. "Is there anything you can do for this fever?"

"It is his body fighting the venom. I have been hesitant to give him a reducing potion, as a Veela's temperature spikes when they go through changes upon reaching maturity…to interrupt that process could cause severe damage. I am monitoring him closely; if his temperature spikes too high, then I will try to reduce it gradually, with an ice bath."

"You think he is changing?" Lucius gasped, turning wide eyes to the healer.

"It is a possibility," Taggert said, furrowing his brow. "When a Veela marks a human mate and releases venom into the system, the mate will undergo certain systematic changes to allow their magic and genetics to become more compatible… in your son's case, I am hoping that the venom is acting as a catalyst to his own dormant Veela traits."

"My son will become Veela?"

"It is his only chance of survival, Mr. Malfoy," the healer said sympathetically. "If he does not change, the venom will be fatal."

Lucius closed his eyes against the threatening tears. Narcissa gripped Draco's hand tighter and began to sob. The elder Malfoy laid his hand on his wife's shoulder and joined her, silently, in her despair.

"What is that in his arm?" Narcissa sobbed out.

"An 'I.V drip'," the healer said. "We could not get him to take potions, so we are dispensing them this way, along with a solution to keep him hydrated. It is a muggle invention, and I find that in situations like this, it is life-saving," Taggert said, somewhat defensively. Other healers and patients' families had scoffed at his usage of muggle medicine, but he had found some of their inventions and procedures to be indispensible.

Lucius barely shrugged, "Whatever it takes, Healer."

Over the next few days, the Malfoys barely left their son's side. Draco's fever had raged on unabated for over forty-eight hours. His sweat-drenched body writhed and twisted so much that he was restrained to the bed by straps. The Malfoy's took turns sleeping on a cot brought to the room and reading to their son from his favorite books. Neither Lucius nor Narcissa would have been easily recognizable. The dark circles under their eyes and their rumpled clothing would have thrown-off anyone, even those that knew them well. Lucius mourned the absence of his friend, Severus Snape. The Potion Master would have been a boon to the family at this dark time, even if his potions proved to be no help. Although the elder Malfoy was an intensely private and independent man, since their school days, he had relied heavily on the friendship and counsel from the former spy for the Order of the Phoenix.

The Malfoys came out of the trials following the war better than anyone expected. Lucius was sentenced to three years of house arrest only, which was to satisfy the remainder of his sentence from when he had been caught at the Ministry of Magic a few years earlier. As nearly all of the Malfoy families' actions since Voldemort's resurrection were done under duress as the Dark Lord had repeatedly threatened all of them with the loss of their lives, coupled with Narcissa deceiving Voldermort regarding Harry before the final confrontation and the fact that the elder Malfoys took no part in the battle, the Wizengamut was ready to sentence Lucius to only an additional five years. Under Veritaserum at his trial, Lucius finally admitted that he had discovered Severus Snape's true role as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, and had supplied his old friend with news to take back to Dumbledore before that same man's engineered 'murder'. Severus had been Lucius' only true friend since their school days, and each knew they other as well as they knew themselves. Lucius had picked up on Severus' mannerisms and ticks that were unnoticeable to all others, even Voldemort. Lucius was also privy to Severus' feelings for Lily Potter, and it took little effort to put two and two together. There was no possible way that Lucius would have revealed Severus' true status to the Dark Lord; to do so would have meant the Potion Master's torture and death. So, the elder Malfoy turned informant. Even Draco and Narcissa were surprised by this revelation.

Once again, Lucius had done everything he could for his family. He cared not if he had been sent to Azkaban if Voldemort had lost the war; he only cared if his son and wife were safe. That is why he supplied Severus with information, under the pledge that the Potion Master would do everything in his power to protect Draco and Narcissa. This new information led the wizarding court to their scandalous decision. Regardless of their heroic actions, there were some that would always see the taint of the dark on the Malfoy family. Lucius, although he chafed against his confinement, still saw some good in house arrest. Hopefully by the time he was allowed to rejoin the wizarding community, rumors and harsh feelings would have dwindled.

Lucius looked over at the sleeping Narcissa and heaved a heavy sigh. If Severus was not in a coma from Nagini's bite, he would have taken the woman's place in vigil so she could return to the Manor to get some needed rest. 'Not that Narcissa would have gone without argument,' Lucius thought with a smile. The woman was as coddling and protective as a Weasley when it came to her son.

Soft moans started to come from the bound form on the bed. Lucius leapt from his seat and rushed to Draco's side. The youngest Malfoy's eyes fluttered for long moments before opening. Lucius stifled a gasp when he saw that his son's grey-blue irises had turned a mercurial silver.

"Father?" came a dry whisper.

"I am here, my dragon," Lucius said as a tear coursed down his bristled cheek. Too many times had he feared for his son's life, but once again, whatever gods there were had been merciful and brought Draco back to him. "Are you alright? Are you in need of anything?"

"Water…" he rasped.

Lucius conjured a glass and filled it with cool water. He unbuckled the straps and got in bed so he could maneuver Draco's limp body to recline against his own. Raising the glass to Draco's chapped lips, he helped his son drink as he ran his fingers through baby-fine blond hair.

"Mother?"

"Resting over there. I will wake her in a few moments, when you have finished."

"Where am I? What happened?"

"St. Mungo's. You came home days ago and collapsed in the foyer. I brought you immediately here. From what we could ascertain, you were bitten by a Veela. Do you remember what happened?"

"I went to Diagon Alley to get a book… some woman came at me… she grabbed my arm and tried dragging me away…kept shouting that I was a Death Eater and should die…that I killed her husband…she…she bit my hand…" he said weakly, slowly raising his left hand to his eyes. There was a healed mark on his hand; a thin, pink crescent by his thumb.

Lucius closed his eyes and rested his cheek on his son's head. "It is my fault…" he muttered. "If I had fought harder to keep you away from everything…."

"Not your fault…you did what you could do…" Draco mumbled, patting his father's hand weakly. "I was bitten by a Veela?"

"Yes…"

"Why am I not dead? Did this do something?" Draco asked, looking at the needle and tube in his arm.

"They could not get you to take any potions, so they have had to inject them directly into your vein."

"There is an antidote to the venom now? I thought that was impossible…is Uncle Severus awake?"

"No. Your Godfather is still unconscious…and there is no antidote, Draco."

"So why am I not dead?"

"You are not dead because Veela mates and Veela are immune to the venom…"

"That crazy woman was my mate? Then why would she attack me?" the young wizard asked, confused.

"Draco…there is something that your mother and I have not told you. It was not because we mistrusted you or lacked faith in you; we thought that if the information got out to the wrong sort by accident, it would have spelled great danger for our family. Now, as the Dark Lord is gone, it is probably of little consequence," he said. Draco looked even more confused, so Lucius endeavored to get to the point. "Truth is, Draco, your mother and I both have Veela ancestry. The venom was not fatal for you because of this, although you were gravely ill and we all feared the worst. Thank Merlin you did not succumb," the elder Malfoy said, full of emotion.

"So…I have enough Veela in me that the venom was not fatal? That is a spot of luck," he said with a smirk, "and quite ironic too, as the thing that saved me was impure blood."

"We are still Purebloods. Veela are a magical race, but as they are not wholly human, some would have held that against our family. That is why it was never revealed."

"I never thought blood mattered, anyway," Draco said softly, half fearing his father's reaction.

"I did. I believed that it mattered with everything in me, until I saw all the blood on the battlefield and could not tell any difference. And when I saw mere children lying amidst the ruins… there is absolutely nothing in the world that would justify that."

"So why were you helping Uncle Severus before, then, if you still believed at that time?"

"I may have believed in Pureblood supremacy, but I knew that the Dark Lord was an insane megalomaniac that needed to be destroyed. Unfortunately, my hands were tied. The only thing I could do without being obvious was feeding Severus bits of information to take to the Order. If he had fooled the Dark Lord for as long as he did, I had the utmost faith that he could keep my actions secret."

Draco nodded against his father's chest. The young man closed his eyes and rested. It had been some time since his father had just held him like this. It was a frequent thing when Draco was younger; however, when he reached his teenaged years, he, like any other teenaged boy, did not want to cuddle with his parents. Now, he relished the warmth and love he felt. Contrary to popular belief, the Malfoy family was close-knit and very affectionate, in private. It was only under the eyes of others that they donned the "Malfoy Mask" of indifference and propriety.

"Here," Lucius said, raising Draco up so he could get off the bed and reposition his son against the propped-up pillows, "you lay back and I will awaken your mother."

Draco sank into the bed and closed his eyes. He had nearly drifted off to sleep when he felt a soft, cool hand brush his forehead. His eyes fluttered open and he saw the worried face of Narcissa Malfoy.

"Hello, Mother," he said with a weak grin.

She began to sob in relief and threw her arms around her son. "Oh…Draco…if anything had happened to you, I do not know what I…"

Draco could no longer lift his arms, so he rested his cheek against her hair. "I will be fine, Mother…just tired."

"Of course…you rest, my dragon. We will be right here when you wake," she said, dabbing her nose with a lace handkerchief. Lucius said that he would inform Healer Taggert that Draco had woken up, and left the room.

Moments later he was back with the green-robed wizard. "Mrs. Malfoy, if you could step back for a moment, I would like to examine him."

"He is sleeping, now," she said softly.

"Just some diagnostics, I will not disturb him unless necessary," Taggert said, running his wand over the sleeping form. He cast spell after spell, some leaving traces of color in the air that were peered at intently. After long moments, he finally put his wand away and turned to the anxious parents.

"Would you like to hear everything now or should I wait for Draco to wake?"

"We need to be informed now, Healer," Lucius said grimly.

"Well, first off, your son is in perfect health. He is just weak and drained from the fever…and the change he just went through."

Sighing, Lucius rubbed his forehead and asked, "So he is Veela, then?"

"Yes…he is full Veela now."

"Do not misunderstand…I am more thankful and relieved than you could imagine that he is still with us…but…"

"After everything he has been through already…" Narcissa began where her husband drifted off, "it is not fair that he will have to deal with this as well."

"Mrs. Malfoy," Taggert said, taking a seat across from the couple, "he will be able to lead a very full and productive life. There will be no ill effects to his health or daily life from the change. His senses and his magic will be increased, which he should adapt to with no problem…."

"But he will have to find his mate, will he not? What if she is unsuitable?"

Leaning back, the Healer leveled a piercing look at the Malfoys. "You are a prominent, Pureblood family. I can assume that you have negotiated a betrothal contract for your son."

"Yes. He has been betrothed since he was sixteen," Narcissa said.

"Due to your son's nature, that contract is now null and void, unless the young lady he is betrothed to is his mate. And yes, Mr. Malfoy…these are perfectly legal grounds for dissolution of the contract…you and your family will not suffer for it. Veela bonding rights supersede even a marriage, due to the consequences to the Veela and their mate if they do not form a bond. Anyway, I digress," he said, waving his hand. "You chose his betrothed based on what you viewed as the young woman's compatibility with your son. Bloodline, education…wealth?"

"Of course," Lucius said, drawing himself up. "Although, at this time, bloodlines are not as important as they once were. Still, my family would prefer a girl from the same circles, with the right upbringing."

"My point is that you looked for what you thought to be the best and most advantageous match for your son. In the case of a Veela and his mate, it is their magical core and their very souls that match them. They will be perfect for one another, in every way. I do not think you can get more compatible than that."

"Which means she will be hot," came a weak voice from the bed.

The Malfoys and Taggert looked over to Draco, who was lying back on the pillows with his eyes open a slit and a weak smirk on his lips.

"How are you feeling, Draco? I am Healer Taggert, I have been treating you these past days," the healer said when he reached the bedside.

"I feel like I got trampled by a herd of hippogriffs, but other than that…just dandy."

"Now that you are out of the woods, I can start giving you more potions. I could not give you anything that may have reacted to your change. I will have a mediwitch bring you a pain-reliever and a mild pepper-up. You can also have something real to eat for dinner, and not get fed through a tube," he said, pointing to the I.V.

"That was my food, too?"

"Liquids for hydration and a sugar solution to sustain your metabolic function for a short time," Taggert said as he jotted down notes in Draco's file.

"They jabbed it into my arm," the young man said while scowling at the needle.

"Better than implanting the tube in your stomach as we could not open your jaw at all to shove a tube down your throat. Now, I shall get those potions sent to you. I believe that young Master Malfoy will be able to go home this evening," Taggert said to the joy and relief of the Malfoys.

"So soon?"

"He is in perfect health; he just needs rest and full-balanced meals for the next few days until he regains his strength. I can give you some materials regarding some of the changes you have gone through, as well as the contact information for the Veela liaison with the Ministry…they should be able to answer any questions you have. I will be writing to them and informing them of your situation, but I will not release your name. If and when you do contact the liaison, just tell them that you are the patient that I referred. Good luck, young man," he said, nodding at Draco as he turned to leave.

"Thank you, Healer…for everything," Narcissa said.

The man nodded again, and shook their hands. With a wave he left the room. Narcissa left to instruct the elves to ready the house for Draco's return, while Lucius helped Draco change and go through the instructions on his potions. He took the pain-reliever and pepper-up right away, but he was given a few bottles of an additional potion.

"This is a suppressant, just a mild one. For the next few weeks your increased senses and magic might be a bit to handle, especially if you go into a crowd, so you might want to take a couple of drops of this," the mediwitch explained. Lucius nodded and placed the vials in his robe pocket.

As Lucius had turned his wand over to the Aurors, he was unable to assist Draco to the floos magically. With a strong arm wrapped around the younger man's waist, Lucius helped Draco walk slowly down to the floos.

As they reached the main lobby, a grizzled man in Auror's robes reached them.

"Malfoy!" he barked in a voice as grizzled as his face. Lucius stiffened and turned to face the Auror. "Auror McClintock….glad I caught ye. Shacklebolt sent me to let you know there won't be no hearing and he hopes ye boy is doing alright. Looks like he is, though he's as wobbly as a colt."

"Quite…" Lucius drawled. "I thank you, and could you please inform the Head Auror that my son would like to speak to him as soon as possible. I believe Draco has some information for him regarding his attack in Diagon Alley."

McClintock's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "We were led to believe that the young man got hexed by…er…" he said, suddenly uncomfortable.

"I would not listen to a word a Weasley says about a Malfoy," Lucius sneered. "Now good day, I am taking my son home."

"Ye might be wanting this, then," McClintock said, holding out a wand.

Lucius retrieved his wand with relief, and nodded to the Auror curtly. In a whirl of green flames, the Malfoy men were back at the Manor. Lucius helped Draco stumble out into the study where Narcissa was waiting for them. Smiling, she swept over to them and warmly welcomed them home.

"Your room is all ready for you, and I have had dinner sent to your room on a bed tray."

"Thank you, Mother," Draco said with a smile and a small eye-roll.

"Oh, stop…you will always be my little boy, and after what happened, I am more than allowed to smother you a bit. Deal with it!"

"Yes, Mother," he said with a chuckle that was echoed by Lucius.

"Come along, Draco. You should eat and rest before your mother breaks out your old stuffed toys and a story book," Lucius said, sending his wife a smile over his shoulder. Narcissa shook her head and watched as Lucius helped Draco up the stairs to his room. Shutting her eyes, she sat down on the couch and covered her face with her hands. A few minutes later, she felt the couch shift as her husband sat next to her.

"He is fine… he will be fine, Cissa," he said softly, taking her into his arms. Sobs wracked her body as she let loose all the stress, despair, and relief of the past few days.

Lucius just held and rocked his beloved wife until she fell asleep in his arms. Scooping her up so he could lay her down on the soft couch, he took off her slippers and covered her slim form with a blanket. He pressed a gentle kiss on her head, then moved quietly over to his desk to read quietly while his family rested.