Snakes, Mates, and New Worlds
A boy no older than ten sits in the cupboard under the stairs. Wrapping pilfered bandages around his torso. Pale-ish skin covered in cuts, bruises, and blood. Inky black messy hair falling into lifeless venom green eyes framed by round glasses. His clothes were three sizes to big and his glasses had obviously been broken in the past made clear by the tape around the nose bridge. This boy, was Harry Potter. Harry had messed up again. He had burnt the bacon at breakfast that morning. Vernon had yelled at him and dragged him to the spare room by his hair. Beating him and whipping him with a belt.
Then he made Harry clean the table, wash the dishes, and get his stuff for work ready for him. The whale and Harry's giraffe of an aunt yelled at him while handing him a list of the rest of his chores for the day. Meanwhile their pig of a son was whining about wanting to go to a friend's house, which of course he was allowed to do. Then, finally, they all left. And Harry got to work. He cleaned the house, watered the plants, washed the laundry, folded the laundry, put the laundry away, and a variety of other things. Finally, he got to his last chore of the day other than dinner (The Dursleys were eating out for lunch).Tending the garden.
It was one of the only chores Harry actually enjoyed. It was an escape of sorts. Harry always dreamed that once he escaped the Dursleys he would get a well paying job and buy a house out in the country. With lots of land and a big garden. Maybe even a boyfriend or husband to keep him company. He shook himself out of those thoughts. That was one of the only secrets he had managed to keep from the Dursleys. If they knew, Vernon might actually kill him. Harry was gay, he had always known. He just didn't like girls. But even with the threat of Vernon's punishment, that didn't stop Harry from laying in the cupboard at night and dreaming of it.
Not to mention the bond he felt in the back of his mind, for he was sure that was what it was. It felt muted or something, and he would often lay awake at night trying to figure out why. But whoever was on the other side, for he was sure there was, would always send him comforting emotions when he was sad or hurt. They loved him, and they didn't even know him. Harry had long since decided that he loved them and wants nothing more than to find them. Sending them love and comfort whenever they were upset. He always loved to just lay in bed with his eyes closed and try and imagine what they looked like. Picturing him lying his head in their lap as they played with his hair.
Of course, he was still only just a boy, so he always got really flustered whenever he thought of actually asking someone out or kissing and cuddling. He jolts out of his thoughts and hurries outside to get to work on the garden. Pulling up the weeds and trimming the bushes and trees. As he was finishing up he saw a flash of black out of the corner of his eyes. Curious, he follows it. He ends up following it to a hidden nook behind the house. And finds out its a small snake. Small being four or five feet long. Most people would have ran. But not Harry. Harry likes snakes. He crouches in front of it. It was cute in his opinion. Soft obsidian scales, and pretty blue eyes.
"Hello little snake...." He whispers to it. "Hello little speaker~" The snake hisses back. Harry was shocked, of course he wasn't stupid. He knew animals could all talk, they just didn't speak human. So of course, he asks the reasonable question. "How can I understand you?" He sits down, picking up the snake. It did not look impressed with that."You are a parselmouth little speaker.~ you can understand and speak the language of the snakes.~ which is really the language for all reptiles and serpents.~" Harry ponders that for a moment. "A parselmouth?~" He asks, confused. "But I'm just a normal boy?~" He says, not understanding.
"Those pathetic muggles really told you nothing?~ You are a wizard little speaker.~" Harry processes that for a moment, then gets an intense look in his eyes. "Tell me everything you know.~" He demands, craving more knowledge.For the next few months Harry keeps the snake, who he learned was named Nightshade, hidden from the Dursleys. Ever hungry for more knowledge. One night, two moths from Harry's eleventh birthday, he decides to ask Nightshade about the bond in the back of his head. "Hey Nightshade?~ What is this bond thing I feel in the back of my head that sends me comforting emotions when I'm hurt or upset?~" Harry asks the snake softly.
"That, young speaker, is a mate bond.~ When you turn sixteen you will go through a creature inheritance.~" The snake explains."Your mate is the one destined for you.~ They are perfect for you in every way, and are the only lover your creature will ever accept.~" Harry let's that information sink in, and for the first time hope starts to bloom in his chest. Hope that someone might love him for himself one day. "But why does it feel muted?~" He asks Nightshade. The snake gets an intense look. "Muted?~ Listen to me closely Harry, someone must be trying to suppress your mate bond.~ We must free it before the magic can do any damage to your bond.~"
Harry nods, he couldn't bare the thought of losing the bond. "Tell me what to do.~" Harry says. "You must use your magic to create impenetrable barriers around the edges of the magic blocking your bond so it can't dig any deeper.~" Nightshade hisses, and Harry quickly does as told. "Now start to loosen the anchors of the bad magic, closing in your barriers as you do so it can't grip back on.~" Nightshade orders. It takes Harry a moment, and drains him, but he does it until the bad magic is barely clinging on. He nods to indicate he was ready. He could almost feel the bond. Like, actually feel it.
"Now crush it with your magic!~ squeeze your barriers tighter and tighter until you crush it to nothing!~" Nightshade hisses.Harry does as told, crushing the magic until it's nothing. He can't help but smile in bliss as the bond floods his mind. As everything fades to black he feels a burst of shock, worry, and love from the bond. Before he finally falls unconscious he sends a weak pulse of love and comfort down the bond, and then everything fades to black.
Draco was enjoying a nice meal with his parents at Malfoy manor. Chatting excitedly about Hogwarts in a few months. Not to mention the possibility of meeting his mate. He couldn't wait, even the thought of it made him get all flustered and exited. He often just daydream about what it would be like, what they would look like, smell like, what house they would be in. All of a sudden he felt a sharp tugging on the bond, and he grabs his head with a groan. "Draco dear are you alright?" His mother asks in concern.
The tugging doesn't hurt really, but it doesn't feel good either. He doubles over, knocking his ham and cheese hashbrowns off the table. Which was a shame, it was one of his favorites. Narcissa runs over to grab a hold of him before he could topple out of his chair. The large dinning hall spinning and blurring. Lucius hurries over, gave etched with concern. They quickly move Draco over into the living room, placing him on a large black couch. He curls up and groans in discomfort. Whimpering. He wishes his mate was here.All of a sudden, the tugging stops, and the bond floods his mind. He gasps and sits bolt upright. "Draco what's wrong?" His father asks, at his side in an instant.
"My mate.... he fixed our bond...." Draco says with teary eyes, because suddenly he knew it in his soul that his mate was male. Narcissa squeals in excitement and quickly grabs a journal and a quill with ink. She knew when bonds suddenly strengthened like that a flood of information about your mate would happen to help you find them. She quickly hands the stuff to Draco. "Quick! Write everything down before you forget!" Draco hurried to open the black and silver journal, dipping the black feather quill in the ink and hurrying to write:
Mate:
Male, loves to garden and cook, beautiful venom green eyes, goofy, touch starved, black hair, glasses, taken from family and put with muggles.
Because suddenly he just knew it all in his soul. It was as if he could feel the pure peace that came from his mate at the thought of gardening. Or the simple domestic pleasure they got from cooking. He could feel their longing to be cuddled and shown affection. And the image of a face with inky black hair, round glasses, and the most perfect venom green eyes was seared into his brain. But Draco frowns at the last part. And as he feels a weak pulls of love come from his tired and worn out mate suddenly even the roaring fireplace seemed to be ice cold. All color drained from Draco's face and he started to hyperventilate.
His parents tried desperately to calm him down and find out what was wrong, but he couldn't hear them passed the ringing in his ears. "My mate...." He whimpers. "They put him with muggles..." Tears were streaming down his face and he was shaking. "Those muggles are hurting my mate...." His parents froze at that. All at once Lucius stood up and left the room. The crystal dragon would not let this stand. He didn't want to see his son like this. Narcissa calmed Draco down as much as she could and tucked him into bed. Then, the ice wolf left to go help her husband. They had some letters to send. A lot of them, and send they did. To all of their trusted friends and family.
Lucius scrounge the ministry for any clues about who Draco's mate could be and where they could be at. Narcissa looked everywhere she could for clues. Even Severus and Tom stepped in to help. After all, Draco was their godson, and they didn't want to see him hurting. No-one liked to see the exited little blonde suddenly so silent. Flinching at invisible blows and whimpering at his mates pain. Crying at night because he knew his mate was trying to shield him from it. But feeling the waves of love they sent through the bond to comfort him only made him more desperate to find them. He felt like he was going crazy. It only got worse once his mate learned how to send images through the bond.
Because they would send him images of their arms wrapped around him, of them cuddling together at night, of mental flowers. It broke Draco's heart. Because his mate was so sweet to him and so kind and comforting even though they were being hurt day after day. They didn't deserve this. His mate didn't deserve this cruelty. He should be able to protect them. Draco passed through the days in a daze. Spending time staring into nothing as he focused all he could on trying to learn where his mate was. He barely ate, and the only reason he could sleep is because his mate filled his dreams with them cuddling all night. Two months pass, and still no progress on finding his mate. But then one day at night, after his mate had just gotten the worst beating yet, a searing pain rips through him, and he screams. His parents rush into his room, and it all fades to black.
Percy had just gotten back from a lovely weekend at his mom's house. He couldn't believe how the last two years had gone. So much had happened. He had found out he was a demigod at eleven, fought the Minotaur, fought Medusa, went to the underworld, his mom had shot Luke with a shotgun because he had been trying to help Kronos, and kronos's remains were scattered back into tartarus. All in a year, freeing him of the prophecy that was supposed to either save or destroy Olympus when he turned sixteen.
Then, in the last year he had met Nico and his sister that had died, then Hera had kidnapped him and swapped him with Jason from the Roman camp. The whole war between the camps and Gaia was averted after Octavian launched himself into the sky with a catapult and the doors of death were freed. Now Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Reyna were spending time at camp to get to know the others better. Life was going really well right now for once. Smelly Gabe got turned to stone, and his mom was with a new guy named Paul. She was also going to finish collage and finally be able to write that novel like she always wanted.
He was excited to go back to camp though. Even over such a short time he had missed his friends and Annabeth. He was only thirteen, but he really did like her. He made it to her favorite spot with a wide smile on his face, excited to give her the necklace his mom had given him for her. The necklace itself was gorgeous. A rose gold chain with a sea serpent pendant. The sea serpent had lapis scales, with sapphire fins bear its head, down its spine, and on the end of its tail. And it had pretty ivory teeth with ivory claws, and emerald eyes.
His mom had said it was a family tradition on her side of the family for the oldest child to give it to their lover. Which was why his heart broke when he say Annabeth cheating on him with Drew. He couldn't believe it. His girlfriend, Annabeth, was making out with Drew from Aphrodite cabin. He didn't care that Annabeth was kissing a girl, but it broke his heart that she was cheating on him. He runs to his cabin sobbing, not paying attention to Nico and Will as he ran past them. Of course this made them very concerned, so they rushed to get the others.
They found Leo in the forge with Festus the metal dragon, Reyna and Jason were chatting as they spared in the training arena, Piper was chatting with Frank while Hazel was giving Arion some gold. They tried to get Annabeth, but she just scoffed and waved them off. Saying she was busy and that Percy could handle himself. They hesitantly left her alone and went to Percy's cabin. Blackjack the Pegasus and Arion the fastest horse in existence waiting outside. They found Percy inside, sobbing on his bed as he clutched the necklace. They were all very concerned. They did their best to comfort him, and Hazel got him a blue hot cocoa when he was slightly calmer. Once he wasn't sobbing anymore they finally asked what was on all their minds
. "Percy....? What wrong...?" Piper asks gently, able to sense the heartbreak rolling off him in waved as a daughter of Aphrodite. "A-Annabeth sh-she cheated o-on me!" Percy sobs, eyes red and puffy as he clutches his hot cocoa and whimpers. "W-with Dre-ew! I-i caught th-them making o-out!" Percy breaks down again, and the others do their best to comfort him while internally fuming. Once Percy is asleep they leave to spread the word. Making sure everyone at camp knows what Annabeth had done. Everyone liked Percy, he always tried to help when he could. Even the Ares kids didn't mind him, and he always made the littles laugh.
It soon became an unspoken rule to avoid the two girls. One day, the group took Percy to the beach to try and get him to snap out of it and have some fun. He just sat there, staring at his necklace. That was, until Hecate showed up. Everyone else tenses up, but Percy just looks dead inside and asks tiredly. "Are you here to send me on some quest or deliver some prophecy about me?" Hecate looks at him sympathetically and shakes her head. "No son of Poseidon. I am not here for any of that." She reassures him. "Then why are you here?" Leo blurts out.
"As you all know I am the goddess of magic and the mist, but there is a reason I am the goddess of magic." She says calmly. "To put it simply, your mortal parents weren't just normal humans. They were wizards and witches. I didn't know if you all had magic until now, bit now that I know I want to send you to the best magic school in the Wizarding world so you can learn how to use it." Percy perks up a bit at that. "Where is it and when does it start?" He asks, because at this point his mom being a witch didn't surprise him. Hecate chuckles.
"It's in London, and starts here in about three months. I will provide your transportation to London, and one of my trusted wizards will guide you from there." They all seemed excited now. They were demigods, their life was already crazy, so why jot throw witches and wizards into the mix? "You can ask Percy's mom to fill you all in more. Only pack your personal things, clothes will be taken care of later. Your transportation will arrive at the hill in a month." With that, the goddess disappears.