Chapter Twenty Eight

Monday 14 September 1998

Harry

I inhale deeply as I wrap my arms tightly around Draco's waist, letting his scent wash over me, submerging me until I'm drowning in it and all I can think is Draco, Draco, Draco. I feel my heart rate start to decrease by the second, the blood rushing in my ears quietens, and my muscles relax. Even after I calm down, my head is pounding and I realise it's you. You're practically screaming in my head, bouncing off the walls of my school, your emotions completely smothering mine.

He's perfect he's perfect he's perfect I love him I love him I love him my mate my sub my mate my sub my mate my sub, over and over again. And, of course, you're right. I've always had a temper. It got worse since my inheritance. I've never found anyone who can calm me down, especially when I'm that angry. I genuinely could have killed him. Would have, if Draco hadn't stopped me. Fuck, I love him.

"Thank you, mate mine," I murmur into his ear, and feel him shudder as my breath ghosts the side of his neck.

"For- for what?"

"I would've hurt him. I didn't - I don't - want to hurt people, but when they say things like that I just can't stop myself. But you did. So thank you, mate mine." I feel his body go lax against mine, and I love that just my words can have that effect on him, that his body trusts mine enough to hold him up.

I sit back down, pulling him with me so he's on my lap. His face is still buried in my neck, so I feel the heat of his blush against my skin at the stares. It doesn't mean I let him go. I don't care if we're being gawked at. Let them know he's mine.

Good - there should be no doubt. If anyone does, I'll kill them.

"What are you hungry for, sweetheart?"

"Pick for me?"

I love him, he's perfect, Merlin-

"'Course. Anything you can't eat? Or don't like?"

"Whatever you want."

"Draco. I'm your mate. Don't you think I should know what kind of food you like? I'm honoured you want me to pick for you, but I want to give you everything you want. How can I do that if I don't know what it is?" He takes his face out of my neck to look at me, and the look in his eyes grips onto my heart and tugs, and I just know that I'm never getting it back. I don't mind.

"I, um, I like sweet things. Like fruit and chocolate."

"See, was that so hard?" He shakes his head, smiling softly at me, and I can't help but return it, not caring about how cheesy it must look from the outside. I find that the only person whose opinion I care about now is Draco's.

---

We have potions together first, which is good because I'm not nearly ready to part from him yet. Normally we sit across the room from each other, but Parkinson is already sitting in a different seat to leave the one beside him empty for me. I send a nod her way in thanks, before leading Draco to the workbench by the hand.

When Slughorn enters he looks at us confused, but seemingly decides that it's not worth it. Or maybe its because I glare at him as soon as he lays judgemental eyes on my mate.

Should've killed him.

Eli. No murdering, okay?

Oh, so I shouldn't have killed that chimaera?

I bristle. Fine, let me rephrase - no murdering unless Draco's actually being hurt.

Ugh, fine.

I honestly couldn't say what potion we're making. What I can say is that Draco looks stunning with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hair messy from the humidity and falling into his eyes, face slick with a light sheen of sweat, eyes focused and mouth pierced as he dices some sort of magical animal shell. I don't quite realise what I'm doing until my hand is threaded through his hair as I push it out of his eyes. Immediately he blushes and cucks his head.

He's so cute when his cheeks go red like that...

I know. Merlin.

"Do you need any help, mate mine? Aside from being your personal sight-clearer."

"Um, I need a couple more scarab eggs. Please?"

"'Course, I'm here to serve." He giggles as I press a kiss against his hand and head over to the supply closet.

Do you realise what just happened?

What do you mean?

He asked something from you. He's getting more comfortable with you, Harry, that's progress!

As you point it out, a smile takes over my face. Don't get me wrong, I love how submissive Draco is, but I hate that he feels so... scared to ask anything of me. I would do anything for him, but I can't if he doesn't let me know what he needs.

But then the door flies open, and Draco quite literally barrels into me. He's mumbling something into my chest, and I realise it's 'sorry, sorry' over and over.

I think I spoke too soon.

"What happened, mate mine, what's wrong?"

"Didn't... didn't mean to- to make you do something, and felt bad, and then you left and I couldn't see you and, and..."

He missed me. Merlin.

"It's okay, I'm not going anywhere. And you didn't make me do anything, I asked if you needed something and you answered my question truthfully. If you didn't you would have lied to me, and I never want you to do that, okay?"

"O-okay." I tilt his head up, brush a tear from his cheek and press a kiss to his lips. "And for the record, I missed you too. Even though it was only thirty seconds."

---

Missed him? You think you missed him? For thirty seconds? You didn't know what missing him is - you had no idea...

Yes, thank you, Eli, I get the picture. I was a foolish, naive idiot. Because now I've been sitting in defense for an hour that has somehow stretched into at least a week and Draco's absence is a gaping hole in my chest even though I can fucking see him through the window in fucking greenhouse 7 with his fucking plants and he looks so fucking alone that I might just kill fucking Professor Trengove so I can get out of this stifling class room where we're learning about fucking patronuses which I learnt in fucking third year!

Well, shit. Because now my desk is broken, and my hand hurts and everyone's looking at me. Great. Fucking spectacular.

"Reparo," I mumble under my breathe, and the desk knits itself back together from where I snapped a leg off from gripping it too tightly. Fucking werewolf strength.

"Mr Potter?"

"Fine. Just - may I be excused?" Trengove gets all huffy and smug. Oh she wouldn't-

"Well, if you think you can figure out how to produce a corporeal patronus by yourself, then by all means-" Oh, she fucking would.

"Expecto patronum." Draco. Draco's smile. Draco's blush. Draco's lips on mine in the middle of our future nest - and that's all it takes for the familiar shape of a whispy stag to erupt from my wand, trot right up to Trengove, and snorts in her face, before turning back around to dissappear into my wand. "I think I'll be fine thanks, Professor." Then I leave.

I try to resist the urge to go down to the greenhouse, not wanting Draco to get in trouble, but then I remember it's Professor Sprout, and whilst she can be strict, she's a softy at heart. And anyway, I'm a werewolf. I can do what I want.

I can tell when Draco scents me because I can see him through the glass of the greenhouse, and he makes it pretty obvious. He whips round in his chair, practically collapsing off it when he sees me, and his wings flare out and nearly hit Neville in the face.

Guess he missed you almost as much as you did him.

He flies - quite literally - into my arms and buries his face in my neck as soon as I enter the greenhouse. Neither of us speak for a few moments, just inhale deep lungfuls of each other's scent until we calm down. When I finally lift my face out of Draco's hair, I'm surprised to see the students have barely spared us a glance, and Professor Sprout is simply rolling her eyes.

"Wonderful, twice as many disruptions. Take a seat, Mr Potter, and try not to break any plants."

I'm confused for a second, before I see Zabini sitting with Neville on his lap and rather shattered plant pot on the floor behind them.

I lead Draco to where he was sitting. "You, alright, mate mine?" I murmur in his ear. He nods slowly. "Talk to me, my love."

"Better with you here."

"Likewise, mate mine. Always." I turn to Blaise. "So you cracked first, huh?"

"Maybe I just missed my mate more than you."

A growl tears out of my mouth in the shape of the word "impossible."

"Boys, enough please. Let my students work," Professor Sprout says. I huff, but acknowledge that shutting up means getting to watch Draco's hands at work again and so settle down.

Pretty hands.

Aren't they? Merlin, we're lucky.

I know.

1584 words

A/N so um... bad news... I'm caught up with myself, meaning I haven't finished writing the next chapter. All that basically means is that whilst I promise I'll try my hardest, I can't guarantee the weekly updates. It's still likely, just please don't get too mad if I'm a bit late sometimes. But good news is that I have a very clear plan for where this books going to go, and I'm not stopping until we've finished (and it's only about half way done... we've got a while to go get)!

Thank you so much for 100K+

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See you next week,

Cameron