Narcissa
Harry's eyes were wide as saucers as the dog twisted on the ground, its form morphing into something taller, shapely...
Something unmistakably human.
Draco had noticed too, of course, and had immediately said "no," his voice breaking. Harry turned to him, flabbergasted, only to see the blond already looking back at him. There was something in his eyes that screamed of fear, though the source wasn't obvious. What--or who--was Shadow?
When Harry looked back, he had his answer.
Narcissa Malfoy was stunning, her silver hair cascading down her back. She was clad in nothing but a robe light as gossamer, and her eyes bore into Harry's even as she straightened up, one hand pushing off of the mossy ground. He knew his mouth was gaping open, but he couldn't find the will to close it. What the hell was going on?
"You're in this for the long run?" the woman said, her voice ringing out, both amused and stern. "If that is true, Potter, I think I should take some of my son's burden off of his shoulders."
There was a pause, and Harry managed to splutter out "I don't understand," his head still swirling with the sheer surprise of this revelation.
"I've been lying to you," Draco said, his voice tight, and Harry was shocked to see tears glimmering in the man's fiercely set eyes. "I haven't changed at all, you see. Still a stinking, lying, dea-"
"That is quite enough," Narcissa snapped, and Draco sullenly shut up, looking down at the ground. "My son has been protecting me, Mister Potter, even at the risk of his own feelings. Feelings for you."
Harry felt dumb as he stood mute, looking between Narcissa and Draco stupidly. "But... Shadow was a boy," he said lamely, unable to think of anything else, and the woman burst into a peal of laughter, throwing her head back.
"Yes, well, I suppose we're all lucky you didn't decide to check on that matter," she said, a rather mischievous glint in her eye. Harry couldn't help but laugh too, and send another glance at Draco, who hadn't unclenched his fists and was still staring resolutely at the ground. "But, although that comment was amusing, I suppose what you're really wondering is why. Why would I pretend to be my son's dog, to the point of sleeping with you two on the couch, eating dog food...?"
Harry nodded, feeling rather foolish for not asking that first.
"Well, it's rather because of you," Narcissa said honestly, and Draco let out a little choking noise that had Harry reaching out and grasping his hand. He thought the gesture would be refused, but the blond surprisingly clung to him like a lifeline, his grip almost painful.
"You see," Narcissa continued, her sharp eyes not missing their hand-holding, "you gave a particularly damning testimony on my husband's behalf. Of course, I will forever be grateful that you saved Draco from Azkaban--for we both know it was only your testimony that pulled him from the dementor's grips--but it put me in a perilous position. It was only a matter of time before I was called to trial as well."
"But you didn't--you were nothing like Lucius!" Harry burst out, unable to help himself. "You saved my life! I would've testified for you as well, I swear."
Narcissa smiled and stepped closer, still holding her robe tightly around herself. "Thank you, Mister Potter. But even your word only holds so much weight, and I don't think you could've saved more than one member of the Malfoy family. Besides, I would've been a good example to other pureblood women. A message not to marry into death eater families. So I went to Minerva McGonagall."
Professor McGonagall? She was one of the only people Harry really trusted, really, really trusted. So much so that she was the only one he'd told exactly what happened the night of the battle. It was lucky for Albus Dumbledore that he had passed by then, because her fury at hearing Harry had been "raised to die" was unparalleled. "She's a great woman," he said, hand still tightly gripping Draco's.
"Yes. And, not surprisingly, she knew how I had saved your life. So when I asked her to help me become an animagus, she agreed. Minerva seemed to think that as I had saved you, she needed to save me. I wouldn't be here now if not for her and her amazing generosity. We didn't know how long I had until the dementors would arrive at our doorstep, so we had to work as fast as we could. Within a month I had made my first transformation."
"Mother is an amazing witch," Draco said quietly, glancing up, and Narcissa smiled gently at him. "That speed is unheard of."
"Thank you, my love. We discovered my animagus form was a white dog. If you were wondering, when in that form, canine instincts do not seem disgusting to me. I suppose if I wished I could spend my life as Shadow. And that is what Minerva and I decided must happen, even if only for a small amount of time. Enough time that all the madness in the wizarding world will have died down. So she sent me here, and after some time Draco as well. I spend most of my time as Shadow, so if a stranger were to happen upon us, as you did, there would be no suspicion of Draco's intent."
Harry nodded slowly, casting his mind back to the few days he had spent with Draco. "So you've saved my life twice now," he realized, thinking back to the river. "I guess I'll always be in your debt, Ma'am. Thank you. But I have to ask... Why not reveal yourself to me earlier?"
"Draco," Narcissa said simply. "My son wasn't sure of your intentions at first, and once he realized you may share his long-suffering feelings, he begged me not to reveal myself. He seemed to think you would hate him for the deception."
Silence settled over the grove as Harry realized what that fear in Draco's eyes had been earlier. Fear that Harry was going to leave him, end this, and most likely despise him for the rest of his life.
How impossible.
"Draco," Harry said sharply, and the blond turned to him, his chin turned up defiantly.
"What, Potter? I'll have you know I'd do it all again, and I don't have any sort of remorse about the situation. You can leave right now if you wish, go back to your damned cabin and just--just forget this all happened. I don't need you, I don't need your stupid eyes and your stupid hair. It doesn't even lie flat, you always look like you just woke up. And you're practically blind, so."
Harry couldn't help but carefully reach out and wipe away the tears from Draco's cheeks, and the blond started, unaware that he had been crying in the first place.
"You dolt," Harry said fondly, and the look in the other's eyes made him laugh quietly. "I'm not leaving, Draco."
"You're not?" the man said quietly, and Harry shook his head, smiling.
"Well, that's fine then," he said after a second, looking away, a grin spreading across his face that Harry could see no matter how hard he tried to hide it. "Are you angry?"
"No," Harry said patiently, and then couldn't take it anymore and gathered Draco up into a tight hug.
"I couldn't be mad at you for protecting your family," Harry murmured. "I would've done the same in your shoes. I'm a bit put out that you mistrust me so, but I guess I have to work off of years of you hating me."
Something else Narcissa had said rang a bell and he tilted his head to the side, looking down at Draco. "Or do I? Long-suffering feelings, hmm?"
"Shut up," Draco snapped, although he was smiling, and then he paused. Uncharacteristically, he impishly rose onto his tiptoes and kissed Harry's cheek, then turned back to Narcissa. "Well, Mother? It seems you were exactly right about how he'd react. Are you going to keep standing there, or..?"
Narcissa rolled her eyes at Draco and waved a hand at him, shooing him away. "Let me have the chance to stretch my feet. All the revolting details of the things I've done as a dog as rushing back to me, and I need some time to process. You and Harry should go back to his cabin. I'll be fine."
"Do you have your wand?" Draco asked shortly, and Narcissa drew it from a pocket inside her robe. He nodded shortly and then turned, looking at Harry. "Shall we?"
"We shall," Harry replied, reclaiming Draco's hand and then safely apparating them back to his cabin.
As soon as their feet touched solid ground he claimed Draco's mouth in a hungry kiss, pushing him against the wall.
Someone needed to be shown exactly how much Harry thought of him.