Engagement Season; Chapter Eight

Harry woke slowly, languorously. He had never in his life felt so… complete. He was warm, and he felt safe. He took a deep breath, breathing in slowly, and exhaling just as slowly. Harry shifted forward stretching, noticing that his blankets had constricted around his middle in the night, he swept a hand down to move them aside, encountering warm solid flesh instead soft cotton. He froze. Careful to move his head only as much as necessary, he looked down and saw to steel muscled traps covered in pale skin wrapped possessively around his middle, his naked middle.

Gulping, Harry closed his eyes. He didn't remember drinking last night, had Seamus snuck in another bottle of Firewhiskey? His head wasn't pounding with the painful reminder of over indulgence. Opening his eyes again he chanced a look around, this definitely wasn't Gryffindor Tower. His heart began racing, agitation and fear curled through his veins. He was naked and alone somewhere he didn't recognize with someone he couldn't recall. Startled out of his thoughts when the arms constricted around his waist, Harry froze.

Warm lips caressed the back of his neck as a hand moved to trace the curve of his hip."Harry, are you alright love?"

Terrified, Harry closed his eyes again and whimpered.

"Harry?" The bed moved when the person behind him sat up, the voice was clearly worried. "Don't you remember yesterday?"

Eyes closed Harry shook his head, silky raven hair falling over his face. He refused to turn over, refused to open his eyes. What had he done? He wasn't like… this.

"Oh love," the voice was full of compassion. "Do you remember the forest? You were gathering potions ingredients as a detention?"

Harry gasped, he did remember the forest. Images and feelings flashed through him. Running, he remembered running. They could only have him if they were worthy. His Broom! He remembered summoning his broom, then his dominants, because they were all his until he chose one, forced him into the maze, "Dr-Draco?"

Warm strong arms moved to pull him up and into the other boys lap. "Yeah love, it's me."

Harry's arms moved without conscious thought, winding themselves around his dominants neck. He heaved a sigh of… relief? He wasn't sure. He knew he felt safe and complete, but it still didn't make any sense.

Draco looked down at the messy raven hair tucked in close to his chest. He brought a hand up to tilt Harry's face so he could see those brilliant emeralds. "I know you don't understand Harry, and I'm sorry I don't have an explanation. But I'm not sorry I claimed you. I love you Harry, I have for a long time. I would have come for you even if you hadn't called, I wasn't as gone in my instincts as you may have thought." Draco watched as Harry's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, wonder, and a little bit of satisfaction. Lips parted, and Draco watched as the tip of Harry's pink tongue darted out to wet them. He moved the hand still cradling Harry's chin up to cup his face, tracing a thumb across the curve of one soft cheek. Harry closed his eyes and leaned into the caress, and Draco relaxed as he felt his mate finally calm.

"What happened to you?" Harry whispered.

Draco laughed delightedly. "You did love. You gave me a brilliant chase, and an even more brilliant fight. You made me work for you."

Harry reached up tentatively tracing the vivid bruising across Draco's cheek and around his eye. He looked like hell, but he also looked more handsome than Harry ever remembered seeing him before. "I did this?"

Draco ran his fingers through his mate's soft hair and leaned them back on the bed. "The only reason you are a submissive my love, is because you can naturally bear children. There is nothing else submissive about you. You fight like a demon, wild and unrestrained. You wouldn't have accepted me if I couldn't at the very lease prove myself equal." Draco nuzzled his face into Harry's soft hair.

"How long have you loved me?" Harry whispered as he contentedly traced circles over Draco's torso.

"Since fourth year."

Harry sat up. "That long?" he asked incredulous. "What about those stupid badges?"

Draco shrugged. "I couldn't get you to look at me otherwise. I got rid of them after the first task. When I first put them together, I didn't think they would affect you that much; your eyes said differently." Draco's eyes darkened in remembrance. "I hurt you."

"You did," Harry acknowledged.

Draco stroked his hands up and down Harry's back. "Are you going to be ok with this?"

"It'll take some getting used to Draco."

"At least we know we're sexually compatible." Draco chuckled.

Harry's face flushed, and he turned it, hiding in Draco's chest. "I-I don't really remember."

Draco laughed again, "Well now love, that isn't really fair is it?" He slid them further down the bed and rolled them so he was above Harry. Cradled in his mate's thighs, Draco slowly ground his erection against Harry causing the other teen to gasp. "I would love to remind you." He purred in Harry's ear.

Harry whimpered, his hips rising of their own accord. "Dra-Draco?"

Draco grinned wickedly and attached his lips to Harry's pulse point. Harry moaned and tilted his head to the side giving Draco access to the soft flesh.

"I see you two are awake."

Harry bolted upright almost knocking Draco to the floor. "Ma-Madame Pomfrey?" he squeaked.

Poppy chuckled delightedly. "Oh Mr. Potter, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

Draco meanwhile had repositioned himself back under the sheet, pulling it up to cover his mate as well, and growled deep in his throat.

"Draco," Harry hissed elbowing him sharply in the ribs. "Stop that!"

Another low chuckled reached the newly mated couples ears as Lucius Malfoy sauntered into the tent. Harry squeaked again before diving under the covers leaving just his brilliant green eyes uncovered. "Now now Mr. Potter-Malfoy, no need for that," Lucius smiled indulgently at his son's mate.

"Father, must you?"

Lucius raised his hands in supplication as he eyed his son. "My goodness Dragon, he certainly put up a fight."

Draco gazed down proudly at his hiding mate. "He did."

Poppy rolled her eyes and waved her wand, spelling boxers onto her two patients. "Ok boys, I need to look at you please. And yes that means you too Mr. Potter."

Harry looked between her and Lucius.

"It's fine love," Draco bent low to whisper in Harry's ear. "Madame Pomfrey will numb us, and check to see if you're pregnant."

Harry's eyes got impossibly wide as a hand flew down to cover his abdomen. "It can happen that fast?" he screeched.

Lucius laughed again. "Yes Harry, it can happen that fast. Come now, out of the covers. Your fathers are waiting for you in the Gathering tent, and you need to be checked out before we can go."

Draco slid from the bed, and turned to pull Harry out, cradling him in his arms before settling them both on the edge of the bed in front of the medi-witch. Draco was one large bruise from top to bottom, and Harry winced seeing bite and scratch marks all over his dominant. He traced one huge bruise over Draco's right shoulder blade. "I'm sorry."

Draco smiled at the shorter boy. "I'm not."

Poppy rolled her eyes, and placed two numbing charms over her patients, she didn't agree with not healing the marks, but as it was a veela thing, she could do nothing about it. Rubbing ointment into the various marks would make sure to prevent infection, and she was done but for one last thing. "Well, are you ready?"

Harry held his breath and nodded.

Poppy waved her wand… and nothing happened. "No little Malfoy-Potter's yet my dears."

Harry feeling slightly dejected slumped into Draco's shoulder. "Oh."

"It's alright love," Draco reassured his mate. "We have plenty of time."

"Yeah, I guess."

"This will give your mother and Mrs. Weasley more time to plan the bonding at least," Lucius smirked. "I believe those two women and the Headmaster have a good start already though."

"Bonding?" Harry's eyes widened comically. "Oh Merlin."

Poppy ducked out of the tent as Lucius nodded. The older man hummed in agreement as he handed the boys the clothes that he had brought for them. "They had some interesting thoughts on your bonding robes last I heard."

Harry shook his head bemusedly as he slid into the trousers that he found in his bundle. He shook out the robe, and wondered where his shirt was before he saw Draco standing proudly in nothing but trousers and his open robe. Shrugging, he slipped the fine silk over his shoulders, leaving it open like his mates. "No shirt?"

"No shirt," Draco confirmed. "It is an honor Love, especially for me." He gestured to himself, "These marks show I was made to prove my worth to you as a mate, and that your veela accepted me. I proudly wear them. Your marks," Draco continued as he reached out a hand to stroke over the bites and bruises on his mate's shoulders and chest, "show the same. They prove that we are a strong match."

Harry blushed brilliantly once again. If this kept up, he was sure he would pass out from elevated blood pressure. "Oh, ok then?"

"Ok then." Draco confirmed.

"Are we ready?" Lucius gestured to the tent flap. "Presentations for those mated on the first run will begin shortly."

Draco nodded to his father before turning and holding out his arm for Harry, causing his mate's cheeks to deepen to a fine wine red. "Come Love."

Harry hesitantly slipped his hand into the crook of Draco's elbow before nodding bravely. Draco smiled and bent down to brush a kiss across his cheek.

"Thank you Harry."

"For what?"

"For letting me woo the man."

Harry returned the brief touch of silken lips, standing on tiptoes to reach his dominants cheek. "I've loved you for a long time as well Draco," he whispered in the blonde's ear.

~oOo~

Those gathered in the main tent waited patiently for the presentation to begin. The veela archivists sat quills poised over parchment dutifully waiting to record the newest matings.

Narcissa Malfoy waited, practically vibrating with excitement, Sirius, Severus, and Remus beside her. She sighed dreamily, cute little Potter-Malfoy's flitting through her head, a beautiful grand-daughter to dress up and spoil rotten, tea parties, and ponies.

Remus, sitting beside her, heard the soft sigh escape the woman's lips. "Is everything ok?" He leaned in closer, lowering his voice.

"They'll make beautiful children," Narcissa murmured.

Remus choked, gasping for breath. "Don't you think they're a little young for that?"

"Contraceptives, even if their instincts would have allowed for that in last night's mating frenzy, do not work on veela. Besides," she sighed sadly, "initial matings usually do not produce children. Do you really think they're too young?"

"Too young for what?" Severus asked tuning into the whispered conversation beside him.

"For children of course Severus dear." Narcissa sighed dreamily once again.

"For fucks sake woman, first your son molests my child, and now he's trying to get him up the duff?" He roared.

Silence filled the tent, only to be broken by gasping giggles beside the irate man.

"Mutt?"

"Ye-yes dear?" Sirius breathed out breathlessly.

"If you ever want to be invited back to my bed again, I suggest you shut up."

"Yes dear," Sirius replied solemnly, his grey eyes sparkling madly.

Remus coughed uncomfortably. "I think they are arriving," he pointed out trying to break the now strained silence.

Narcissa turned eagerly in her seat, searching for her husband who would lead in their son and his mate. She spotted the bright blonde head towards the back of the crowd and sighed impatiently. Of course the man would wait to make an entrance when all she wanted was to coo over her new son.

Severus also searched the crowd impatiently for his son. Harry better be smiling and in one piece, and most definitely not pregnant if Draco did not want to lose valuable body parts. He spotted them in the back of the crowd. Harry was smiling softly, leaning against the tall blonde boy. They both wore lose black pants that rode low on their hips, and open emerald green robes over their shoulders with no shirt. Harry's chest was clearly littered with bruises, scratches, and bite marks, and Severus was pissed.

He didn't care that Draco also looked a little worse for wear. He was focused on his son, who look like he had gone three rounds with the Dark Lord once again. "What the hell did he do to my son," Severus hissed angrily.

"That is enough Severus Snape," Narcissa hissed back. "They are veela, you know perfectly well what had to happen. Look at them. They look happy. Look at Harry smiling. Look at how they watch each other." Narcissa met Severus' eyes. "Do you really think all these years of such intense emotion between them wouldn't eventually lead them here?"

"What do you mean Narcissa?" Severus snapped.

"Draco told me on his 17th birthday that Harry Potter was it for him. I believed him then. It's unusual, but it can happen. Veelas dominant or otherwise do not always mate with each other." Narcissa watched the stoic man visibly deflate. "Do you understand a little better now?"

"They were like Siri and I. We put far too much effort into each other for it to not eventually lead somewhere."

Sirius who had been silently listening to the exchange, reached over to grip his partners thigh. "I would be lying if I said I didn't have a feeling something like this would happen. They would never be happy if they weren't together."

Severus sighed, glancing over at his partner before returning his gaze to their son. "He does look happy. But, could they at least but some clothes on?" He gripped, finally letting a small smile stretch his lips.

Narcissa pat his shoulder in sympathy. "They will after the presentation both be able to wear lose open necked shirts. Now shush, the presentations are beginning."