What a Terrible Mess

Chapter 12

"You could have been a Slytherin Granger- could have been a good one. That was smooth what you did back at the Pitch."

"Yes well, no one ever wants to play the what-Hermione-learned-today game. Now, stop stalling. Speak."

"Watch it Granger," Draco snarled, "you don't really mean shit to me, you will speak to me with respect. Now, moving on, I supposed you found out that I'm a male Veela?"

Hermione nodded.

"yes... well, I don't know a lot about it... except what my mother told me before... before we were captured. Male Veela's are very rare- there hasn't been one for centuries. Veela's- the females, only give birth to other females- it's been this way for hundreds of years. Occasionally one is born with no Veela attraction- kind of like a squib. She had expected that I would be that way, when she found out that I was male. As you saw, male Veela's can transform into what's called a true Veelan form- I didn't expect what happened either by the way. I'm not sure how to control that just yet. Though, don't worry, I'm still the same person- even in that form. We still look like the Veela women in hair and skin color, and we still have mates. Female Veela's, however, don't always find their mates- the wizarding world is large you know. This doesn't really effect them, they can lead normal semi-happy lives without their mates (my mother seems to have)- though they will be unable to reproduce-"

"Then where did you come from?"

"I don't know Granger, my mother refuses to speak of my biological father."

"You're not a Malfoy?"

"No. I'm not a Malfoy. Great powers of deduction there. I expect papers any day from the Ministry, letting me know I've been disowned and disinherited. Mother expects me to go by Black then. Anyway... male Veela's have what's called bondmates. Each and every one of us is born with a mate. We have to find that mate. It isn't hard, there's sort of a pull, like a sixth sense, that guides us to them. We can also smell them, and sense when they're in danger. If we do not bond with that mate, completely, we will die. If our mate rejects us, we will die. We have six months from the day we find them to complete the bond. That's not even written in stone though, Mother only believed it was six months- she wasn't positive. Male Veela's- and female's alike- would willingly give up their lives for their mates. We love them unconditionally, follow them anywhere, they're apart of our very being. If our mate dies, before or after we bond- even if it's before we meet them- we also die. It's an all encompassing, powerful magic- unlike any other. Except for maybe the Magiodrago. That's what Blaise is. Directly translated, it means 'Dragon Eater'... what. are. you. doing?!"

Hermione was now furiously scribbling away on a piece of parchment, tongue stuck out slightly to the side in concentration.

"I'm taking notes- continue."

Draco just stared at her.

"You need real help Granger, I would pay for you to go to a therapist-"

"Just continue Malfoy."

"Whatever. So, the Magiodrago and the male Veela, have a certain bond. We work very well together like a clownfish and an anemone. They're very rare as well, if not rarer than male Veela. We used to be very prominent. The Magiodrago- Blaise- have mates as well, and will also perish without them especially if their mate dies- though it takes years and years without the mate's death- depending on the power of that particular one. It's also harder for them to find their mates, even though Blaise has succeeded. Their mate's are bound to them as much as their mate is to them. It goes both ways. Even though they can deny them and the bondmate survive easily. Mangiodrago's, dragon eater's are said to have swallowed all the knowledge of dragon's and can interact with them peacefully. Also, they always take the shape of a dragon- just like Blaise did- though the dragon may be different for each individual. Male Veela's- I think- all look something like me."

With that, Draco sat down, almost collapsing in his chair. Hermione continued to scribble, pausing only to look up at Draco- appearing to be checking to make sure he was still there- before continuing again. Finally, she broke the silence,

"your mate- do you know who it is?" Draco nodded.

"*bondmate* Hermione. Females have mates. I have a bondmate."

"Bondmate then. Who is it?"

"I don't think that's important." Draco said in his laziest drawl.

"Oh, but it is, I need to determine if you're dangerous or not." Hermione shot back.

"Fine. It's Harry."

"HARRY POTTER?!"

"No. The other Harry, Granger, really?!"

"Sorry. So Harry is your bondmate. Does he know?"

"No! No, he doesn't. I don't want him to either."

"Why not?"

"Because, Harry is... I don't know, he's just got a big heart I guess..." Hermione smiled softly and nodded, "He just... I don't want him to bond with me because he doesn't want me to die."

"You know, it figures. Harry has all the weirdest stuff happen to him. We can't get through one year without something strange." Hermione said with a big smile. "Though, Draco- you never know with Harry. He might want to. Don't you at least want to find out?"

"No. I- if he rejected me- I'd die. I can't protect him if I'm fucking dead."

"True. But you'd still have the same amount of time to protect him if you didn't tell him. At least that's how I understand it."

"I'd just be weakened more, I guess. I don't know."

Hermione gasped, so startled that she sat back. She was now staring at Draco, her mouth gaping open- as if he had two heads. Afraid that Harry was behind him, Draco spun around. They were still alone.

"What? What is it?"

"You... you're face..." Hermione whispered. The disillusionment charm had worn off. Draco closed his eyes, tired.

"It was a charm, that truth telling spell you didn't think I saw must have reacted with it. Please, can you put it back?"

"I can try," Hermione said, pulling out her wand, when she was finised she sat back down. "what happened to you?"

"Voldemort and his Death Eaters happened to me. They wanted to give me the Dark Mark though I never wanted it. They somehow discovered that I wasn't pureblooded. They were just going to kill me, then they discovered Blaise... I guess Voldemort thought- with two creatures as powerful as us suddenly popping back into existence when we should be extinct- that he could use us in the war. He... they... tortured us for a long time, trying to turn us. Anyone else would have turned but we had already come of age- we could both sense our mates. I suppose, looking back at it now, every single thing I've done from that point forward has been some subconscious pull to please Harry."

"Even when you didn't know him?"

"Yes. To a Veela, they've always known their mate, whether they've been introduced or not."

"How did you survive the killing curse?"

"That's still a mystery to me- I honestly don't know." There was a long pause before Hermione said,

"I still think you should tell Harry, Draco. He deserves to know."

"No. You saw my face right? Well he has too. No one will want that Hermione. No one. I'll not be pitied by him, I won't."

"Draco..."