A Ride to School
The train ride had gone smoothly enough, but both of them knew the real challenge was just beginning. They would have to act as if nothing had changed once they reached Hogwarts. No lingering looks, no accidental touches, no strange behavior that might make anyone—especially their friends—suspicious.
“Alright,” Draco muttered as they navigated the crowd toward the carriages, keeping his voice low. “We need to at least try to act normally.”
Harry shot him a dry look. “Define ‘normally.’”
Draco ignored that. “First rule—no eye contact. Shouldn’t be too hard since I’d rather not look at you anyway.”
Harry snorted. “Funny. I was going to say the same thing.”
It was a blatant lie. The bond practically demanded they look at each other, but they had to resist.
Draco barely paused before continuing, adjusting his gloves in a way that looked casual but was anything but. “Second—physical space. No sitting next to each other. Across or diagonal, nothing closer.”
Harry exhaled sharply, already feeling the pull. “Yeah, sure. What’s next?”
“No touching. Not even by accident.”
That one stung a little. Every fiber of Harry’s being wanted the reassurance of contact, something to quiet the persistent hum of the bond that thrummed under his skin. He knew Draco felt it too, even if he was trying to pretend otherwise.
“And,” Draco added with a pointed glance, “we feign indifference.”
Harry scoffed. “Right. Because ignoring each other has always been our strong suit.”
Draco smirked. “Just think of it as a return to our roots, Potter.”
Easier said than done. Especially with the added challenge of keeping their allure in check. Harry was still struggling to control his, and though Draco had more practice, neither of them had ever had to suppress it under these conditions before.
Which was why they had a plan.
Harry subtly inclined his head toward a familiar blonde figure standing near an empty carriage. “Luna?”
Draco nodded once. “She’s our best option. No one usually sits with her, and she won’t pry.”
That wasn’t exactly true—Luna was curious about everything. But she had a way of accepting things without pushing, which was more than they could say for most people.
They made their way over just as Luna turned, her dreamy gaze landing on them with a thoughtful expression.
“Hello, Harry. Hello, Draco,” she greeted pleasantly. She studied them for a moment, her head tilting slightly, as though she were noticing something unspoken.
Draco tensed. “What?”
Luna blinked slowly. “Oh, nothing. You both just feel… different.”
Harry’s stomach clenched. “Different how?”
Luna smiled faintly. “I don’t know yet. But it’s nice.” Then, as if she hadn’t just said something oddly insightful, she climbed into the carriage.
Harry shot Draco a quick look, but Draco just sighed and stepped in after her.
Harry followed, settling across from Draco, keeping to the plan—no touching, no staring, no lingering too long in each other’s space.
Luna, meanwhile, simply gazed out at the castle in the distance, humming softly. If she sensed anything else, she didn’t say a word.
They stayed there for what felt like seconds or minutes; time seemed irrelevant, stretching and distorting in a way that made the situation even more unnerving. The thought of being caught together, of Harry's or Draco's friends spotting them, sent an uneasy feeling through them. If they did, the questions would come flooding in, and it was more than either of them could handle right now. The idea of explaining or facing their friends’ reactions made the tension between them palpable, like an invisible weight pressing them down.
Just as the unease was starting to gnaw at them, they heard familiar voices. Hermione and Ron stepped off the train, scanning the platform for Harry.
"Harry!" Ron called out, his voice carrying through the air.
Draco’s heart skipped a beat, and Harry stiffened slightly, both of them instinctively bracing for their friends to see. But before anything else could happen, Luna leaned forward and murmured something softly to the Thestral, who, as if sensing her command, jerked its wings and began pulling the carriage away from the station.
The wheels of the carriage creaked to life, slowly inching away, and Harry and Draco couldn’t help but feel a brief moment of relief. They had been spared—for now. They’d be able to move away from the station without drawing attention, and Luna’s quiet intervention had kept things from escalating. They both silently thanked her, though they knew better than to say a word. Not yet.
The trail of carriages began to slowly roll forward, and the pair exchanged a glance. Luna, blissfully unaware of the tension, seemed perfectly content with her strange world of daydreams, oblivious to the storm of emotions brewing behind her calm demeanor.
But Harry and Draco knew that soon, the other students would be following. They'd notice the two of them together, and the rumors would spread like wildfire if they weren’t careful. Even the smallest movement could be a giveaway.
Draco’s mind worked quickly. Without shifting his upper body, he extended his legs just enough that they brushed against Harry’s. It was a subtle gesture, but it was enough to ease the pull that had been building between them, a brief and almost imperceptible connection that calmed the tension. The touch was almost imperceptible, but to both of them, it felt like the first moment of calm since boarding the train. It wasn’t a solution, but for now, it was enough to keep the bond under control.
They didn’t speak, neither daring to break the fragile silence between them. But for the first time since they had entered the carriage, there was a sense of tentative peace, as if the space between them, both physical and emotional, had just opened up enough for them to breathe.
As if the universe had decided to make things just a little easier, the carriage began its slow descent toward the school grounds. The looming silhouette of Hogwarts Castle loomed larger, its ancient towers and spires rising majestically from the mist, like a timeless guardian. The end of their journey was drawing near, but instead of a sense of relief, a fresh wave of anxiety hit Harry and Draco. They would soon have to face not only the scrutinizing eyes of their fellow students but, more unsettlingly, their friends. The pressure of the unspoken bond weighed heavily on both of them.
Luna, her eyes fixed on the castle, let out a dreamy sigh. "Isn’t it lovely?" she murmured softly, her voice distant, as though she were speaking to the castle itself rather than to the two boys beside her.
Harry and Draco both nodded in unison, though neither truly felt moved by the sight. There was too much swirling in their minds to appreciate the beauty of Hogwarts at that moment. Draco’s gaze was fixed on the horizon, while Harry was already mentally preparing himself for the oncoming scrutiny.
As the carriage came to a stop with a soft creak, both boys instinctively bolted out of it. Draco, ever the gentleman, turned back toward Luna with a polite and elegant nod. “Thank you, Lovegood,” he said, his voice cool but respectful.
Harry, on the other hand, was less formal. He muttered a quick "Thanks" before practically leaping from the carriage, eager to put some distance between himself and the growing tension. Both of them headed toward the large wooden doors leading into the vast corridors of Hogwarts, but their progress was halted by a familiar figure.
Hagrid, the giant gamekeeper, stood in their way, eyeing them curiously. “Where do you two think you’re goin’ like that?” he boomed, his rough voice carrying across the courtyard. “There’s a speech before you can go anywhere, you know that.”
Harry, aware of Hagrid’s usual dislike for Draco, stepped forward first, determined to smooth things over before the situation escalated. He glanced back at Draco before looking at Hagrid. “It’s urgent, Hagrid,” Harry said, his tone more serious than usual. “A very important matter needs to be discussed with the headteachers. It’s... vital.”
Hagrid squinted at Harry, noting the urgency in his voice, then glanced at Draco with suspicion. “Aye, I can see ye mean it,” he grunted, stepping aside. “Ye’ll find ‘em in the staffroom. Go on, but don’t dawdle now.”
Relieved that Hagrid wasn’t pressing the matter further, Harry nodded quickly. “Thanks, Hagrid,” he said, the words coming out a bit faster than he intended. He turned to Draco, giving a slight nod. “Let’s go.”
Draco gave a small, curt nod in return, and without another word, they both rushed toward the castle doors. The moment they entered the corridors of Hogwarts, the atmosphere seemed to shift. The noise of the students outside faded, and they could breathe a little easier. The students would be held a little longer before entering the castle, giving Harry and Draco a small window to relax before the inevitable scrutiny.
As they made their way down the corridors, they found themselves glancing at each other more than they intended. Without even wanting to, their allure was being released into the air around them, the pull between them undeniable. They couldn’t help but feel the electric tension between them grow with every step.
Harry kept his gaze forward, but he couldn’t resist a quick glance at Draco out of the corner of his eye. Draco, too, shot a fleeting look at Harry, both of them acutely aware of the other’s presence. Neither could control the magnetic pull that seemed to hum between them. The allure, always present but now more intense, filled the space between them, and neither dared to address it out loud. They were still too vulnerable, still too uncertain, but at least in the safety of the corridors, they could allow the tension to simmer—just for a moment longer.
The corridor leading to the staff room felt heavier with every step, the weight of what they were about to do pressing down on them. As they reached the door, Harry hesitated, his hand hovering just shy of the handle.
“What if they don’t take this seriously?” he muttered, half to himself.
Draco, who had been watching him, tilted his head slightly. “They will,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically even—reassuring, almost. “Professor McGonagall isn’t an idiot, and neither is Professor Snape. This isn’t something they can ignore.”
Harry still didn’t move, his mind spinning with all the ways this could go wrong. A part of him hated needing help with this at all. Another part feared that, even if the professors did take them seriously, they might not have a real solution.
Draco sighed and, without much thought, reached out to grab Harry’s wrist. The moment their skin met, a slow, spreading warmth seeped through him, like sinking into a hot bath after standing in the cold for too long.
Harry exhaled sharply, and before either of them could think better of it, they moved—instincts taking over. Draco pulled him in, and Harry didn’t resist. The embrace wasn’t desperate or heated, just a steady, grounding point in the chaos of the past few days. It lasted only a few moments, but it was enough.
Draco was the first to pull back, straightening his robes like nothing had happened. “Alright, Potter,” he said, voice back to its usual drawl. “Let’s get this over with.”
More at ease, Harry nodded and pushed open the door.
Inside, Professor McGonagall stood near a desk, flipping through a stack of parchment. She looked up as they entered, adjusting her glasses as if trying to determine whether their presence in her office at this hour was a bad omen.
The room itself was simple, filled with shelves of books and paperwork. It was the kind of space that smelled of ink and old magic, a stark contrast to the tension curling around them.
McGonagall set the papers down. “I assume you have a very good reason for barging in before term has officially begun, Mister Potter, Mister Malfoy?”
Harry and Draco exchanged a brief glance before stepping forward.
Hogwarts had a staggered start-of-term schedule—first years would arrive first, followed by the upper years in phases over the week. Most students were back, but classes had yet to begin. It was the only reason they had time to deal with this now rather than be thrust straight into lessons.
Taking a steadying breath, Harry started explaining. Draco added in when necessary, though both were uncertain what kind of reaction to expect. It wasn’t every day that a professor had to deal with not one but two students discovering a Veela bond right under their nose.
McGonagall’s expression remained unreadable as they spoke. But when the realization settled—when the reality of who was bonded clicked into place—her lips parted just slightly in a rare display of genuine shock.
Of all people. Mister Potter and Mister Malfoy.
Horrified might have been too strong a word, but the flicker of it was there. She composed herself quickly, though, pressing her lips into a thin line. “Well,” she said at last. “I suppose the one silver lining is that I will no longer need to police the two of you for hexing each other in the corridors.”
Harry let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, while Draco scoffed lightly, though not in real disagreement.
McGonagall straightened her shoulders. “This situation is… highly unusual. Even under normal circumstances, Veela bonds manifesting in students are rare, and Hogwarts has little precedent for dealing with them.” She exhaled through her nose. “However, there is protocol in place.”
The tension in their shoulders eased slightly, though not completely.
“What kind of protocol?” Draco asked, ever the pragmatist.
She folded her hands in front of her. “Given the nature of a Veela bond, the school has private quarters set aside for affected students. Usually, it is a shared space with others in similar circumstances, but…” Her gaze flickered between them. “This year, no other students have reported any such manifestation.”
Harry’s stomach twisted at her next words.
“You will be assigned one of the unused staff quarters.”
Draco looked distinctly pleased by this arrangement, a small, satisfied smirk curling at the edge of his lips. A room all to themselves? Perfect. No distractions, no idiots, no one getting in his way.
Harry, on the other hand, felt something inside him sink. He had spent years in Gryffindor Tower—laughing with Ron, staying up late talking with Hermione, playing chess, complaining about homework. The idea of suddenly being separated from that, from his friends, from everything familiar, was jarring.
Draco, ever perceptive, caught the shift in his expression. His smirk wavered slightly. Normally, he would find Harry’s discomfort amusing, but now? That strange pull in his chest didn’t quite agree with that sentiment. He forced himself to ignore it.
McGonagall continued, detailing the adjustments they would have to make, the courses designed to help Veela and their mates navigate the bond in its early stages. But as she spoke, her sharp gaze flickered between them again, thoughtful, assessing.
Then, after a pause, she asked, “I trust the two of you have been... adjusting to your circumstances?”
Draco stiffened. Harry swallowed before forcing himself to nod. “As well as can be expected, Professor.”
She hummed, unconvinced, her eyes narrowing just slightly. “I see. And I assume, given that you are both standing here in relative composure, that no... irreversible steps have been taken?”
Draco’s fingers twitched, but his voice remained smooth. “We are aware of the implications of our situation, Professor.”
McGonagall’s lips pressed together briefly before she gave the smallest nod. “Good,” she said simply. “For now.”
But then, as if considering something, she added, “That being said… it may be in your best interest to finalize the bond sooner rather than later.”
Harry blinked. “What?”
McGonagall adjusted her glasses, expression neutral but firm. “As you are aware, an uncompleted Veela bond is unstable. It will only grow more obvious the longer it remains unsealed.” She gave them a pointed look. “The danger of an outside party attempting to interfere is significantly higher while the bond is still in its early stages. A fully completed bond would… discourage any such interference.”
Draco lifted his chin slightly. “You mean, once it’s solidified, no one would dare try to take Potter from me.”
Harry bristled at the phrasing, but McGonagall didn’t acknowledge it, only giving a curt nod. “Precisely, Mister Malfoy.”
The weight of her words settled heavily between them.
McGonagall glanced between them one last time before sighing, her voice softening just slightly. “Regardless of how you choose to proceed, you must be cautious. Your bond is rare—unheard of, even. There will be curiosity, and not all of it will be well-intentioned.”
Harry and Draco exchanged a glance, something unspoken passing between them.
“Understood, Professor,” Harry finally said.
McGonagall gave one last nod. “Then I suggest you both get some rest. There is much to prepare for.”