Chapter 9
Harry had apparated directly into his study, a flurry of papers following him as he pushed through the doors of his evil, empty house and into his room. If only Malfoy had seen this room. Then he’d actually be proud of Harry for how wonderful it is in there.
Harry collapses into the pile in his bed. Malfoy here. Now that's a thought worth lingering on. Harry should invite him over sometime. He could make lunch. It hadn’t been going so terribly before Harry's horrible office distracted Malfoy, had it? Surely Harry had a chance at having Malfoy over for lunch.
Harry stood from his pile abruptly and headed towards the kitchen. Surely the only way to prevent something like that from happening again is to be proactive. Harry peered into the messy kitchen- Dishes were piled high, and clutter filled every corner. The grout on the tiles that may have once been white were stained a dirty brown. Mugs sat half empty on the counter, and a pile of paperwork Harry had taken home and never finished sat on the island. It hadn’t been touched since Sirius had passed, really.
Harry didn’t eat in much anymore; his diet mostly consisted of takeout and instant ramen, but of course that wouldn’t be good enough for Malfoy. Harry couldn’t picture Malfoy bowed over a bowl of instant noodles, he needed to put effort into whatever it was he fed him.
But first, if Harry even wants a chance, the kitchen cannot look like this.
Harry rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
***
Draco had compiled all of the information he had gathered about Potter's ailment and given it to the library. The library seemed to say with no small amount of confidence that Potter was a Veela.
The ‘Veela Mates Guide to Their Feathery Companions’ did not seem like a strictly informative book- the back of the book was covered in advertisements for the author's other books, all of which appeared to be fiction and raunchy in nature. Still, it was the best Draco had so he opened up to chapter one.
“The nature of a veela's bond with their mate is typically romantic, often consisting of enhanced sexual passion, though not always requiring it, You may be swept up in the throes of passion as making love with your mate will be a unique and exciting experience.
Initially, though, your veela may be exhibiting some strange behaviors. While none of these behaviours are particularly out of character for your mate, they will likely be bumped up several notches. If your mate is big on physical contact, you will suddenly be faced with constant physical contact; if your mate is big on quality time, you’ll begin to notice that they never leave. Really, each behaviour is dependent on your situation.
Whilst each Veela’s particular ‘Mating ritual’ is unique, a great deal of the different types are rooted in birds (See pg 158 for details on bird mating types)
The veela allure, whilst it may be fun for more established couples, will not play a part in the initial wooing, in fact Veela allure has a very different effect on the veelas mates compared to others.
While others may immediately swoon for the Veelas allure, the mate will be saddled with the feeling of an intense, almost mind-numbing calm. Whilst the Veela typically has control over these powers, in times of their mates need the Veela may lose their grip on this ability. Depending on the severity of the danger, this instability may be dangerous for bystanders as the allures affect will remain deeply lustful to them. ”
Draco could not possibly be expected to believe that he is Potter’s mate. Draco sighed. There was simply no way. Never mind the allure. He was going to flip to 158 and look at the bird mating types. When Potter doesn’t show any signs of any of these types, Draco can take a step back from Potter and go about his merry way.
The list was organized alphabetically and had at least 80 birds and their traits to flip through. A great deal of them mentioned dances or colorful clothing or spontaneous song. Which Draco could only laugh imagining Potter attempting to pull that off.
But as he flips through the book he starts to feel relief. Not a single one of these birds sounds like something Potter would do. As he reaches the end of the section on bird mating types he hits W. More specifically, wrens.
“WRENS: Individuals who exhibit a wren-like style of mating often appear hyper-focused on their environment's presentation near their mate. Strong feelings of self-consciousness may become apparent upon the mate's acknowledgement of their space. These feelings are intense, and for Veela with an unsecured mating bond, dangerous. If your feathered companion appears to be panicking, the best move to make is to complement the room. Sooth the Veela and try to divert the attention.
Additionally, this style of mating is often accompanied by a strong sense of territorialism and a need to care for one's mate. If your Veela has this style, they will likely invite you into their ‘Nest’ (See Chapter 3 for more details) and pamper you. If you’re put into perceived danger, your Veela will likely demonstrate violent tendencies towards the object or individual threatening you.
This mating style is rather unique in its nature as few other styles focus on the nest in this way.”
Draco slowly closes the book, placing it on the table to his right. He was Harry Potters mate. Harry James Potter, the boy who won’t die. Potter had romantic intrest him. Draco breaks out in manic laughter. Twelve year old Draco would be thrilled.
A tawny owl flies through the window, dropping a letter in his lap, landing in a flurry of feathers not so graciously on his armrest, demanding a treat with a violent peck to his hand. Draco sighs, passing the bird a treat, watching it take off through the empty window.
Draco opens the letter and reads it.
“Malfoy,
The owls name is Feathered Fuck, but we just call him Fefu. He really is a bastard. He was instructed to wait for a response, but there's no telling whether he did or not. He has a tendency to do the bare minimum.”
Draco could certainly attest to the bird being a bastard.
“Sorry about that, but I don’t really have another owl to send…
Anyways, I am really sorry for what happened at the office and was hoping to apologise for my… Outburst.”
The word ‘Outburst’ was surrounded by… what might’ve been dirt? The parchment was worn down around the strange grey ink.
“I was hoping you’d be open to coming round to mine for lun- dinner sometime.
If that sounds good to you then go ahead and send a letter with Fefu he might peck you but he’s like express mail right?
If Fefu abandoned you, send me an owl whenever you're free.
Thanks,
Harry Potter”
Dracos life just keeps getting better.