My Mate

My Mate
Chapter 19: Revealing Revelations and Boyish Brawls

Draco stood stiffly, watching his pale mother being worked on by Madame Pompfrey and his…well fiance, he supposed. Narcissa’s breaths were coming in short gasps and she looked even more frail than when he’d first brought her here if that were possible.

Severus had shown up a few minutes ago, ranting about having to leave his class in the inept hands of Professor Flitwick. When he got a glimpse of Narcissa, he had gone pale for a few seconds before a sneer plastered itself on his face.

“I assume there is a purpose I was dragged up here.”

Ginny shot him a disgusted look as she reached for a blue vial.

Albus cleared his throat. “I’m afraid there’s a very pressing problem with Mrs. Malfoy that has made her condition worsen to the point where she may soon…” Dumbledore hesitated. “…may soon pass away if nothing is done to correct it.”

Severus went white as a sheet this time, and the sneer faltered but never left his face. “What does this have to do with me Headmaster?” His voice was stiff.

Dumbledore got to his feet with a sigh and with a hand on Snape’s back, propelled him to the bed. Severus had jerked away as soon as he felt the touch and shot a glare at the older man.

“As it turns out, Mrs. Malfoy is a veela.” Dumbledore paused and everyone’s eyes seemed to be trained on Severus. Ginny and Olivia let out little gasps of surprise, but Draco and Simeon both seemed turned to stone, resembling the Potions Master more than a little.

“And…” Snape’s voice came out hoarse.

Albus put a hand on Severus’ shoulder and this time he flinched but didn’t shrug away.

“Lucius wasn’t her mate. She’s been so long without her mate, that it’s starting to affect her, but she’s degenerating so rapidly because she’s in close quarters with him.”

He paused again to see how Severus was reacting, only to see that he wasn’t. Not a single muscle was moving. His eyes didn’t even flicker.

“If she doesn’t join with her mate soon, Severus, she’ll die.”

“Spit it out Albus!”

“You’re her mate.”

The Potions Master was completely still for all of two seconds and then he erupted.

One of the beds went crashing against the wall and a bookshelf toppled to the floor, the crash drowned out by the loud bellow of rage that shook the room. Simeon and Draco jumped forward to grab his arms, but Draco doubled over with an elbow to the stomach and Simeon got a fist in the face.

“Severus!” Dumbledore’s voice echoed low and deep through the room stopping everyone, even the two young men on the floor, who froze clutching various parts of their bodies.

“Go take some time Severus, but I want you back here in an hour.” His voice was firm and this time there was no argument, just the slamming of the hospital door.

Ginny stared at the scene around her with a weird sense of detatchment. This had to be some sort of screwed up alternate reality. Part of her kept waiting for some one to shout “April Fools!” Except that it wasn’t April and this was real.

Draco was a veela and she was his mate. Narcissa was a veela and Severus was her mate. And to top it all off, they apparently had a love child as evidenced by Simeon, who at this moment was shoving Draco, who shoved him back, starting a brawl right there on the floor in front of her.

“Get off me Malfoy!”

“Shut it Black! Or should I say Snape?” Draco spat venemously, from his place atop his half brother.

“Don’t call me that!” With a roar, Simeon bucked Draco off him, sending the man crashing into one of the beds. He dove after him, landing a solid punch to the younger man’s nose. “I am not a Snape. I want no part of that bastard’s name!”

“Oww! You broke my nose, damn you!” Draco held one hand over the bleeding appendage and with the other gave his brother a good right hook to his already coloring eye. Simeon fell backwards and landed on his butt.

“SILENCE!” Dumbledore towered over them, his eyes glittering with a rare show of anger. “I have had enough of adults throwing tantrums like spoiled children. Now both of you will stop this squabbling and act like the wizards you are.”

Ginny snickered under her breath at the notion of Severus Snape throwing a temper tantrum like a two year old, but Albus seemed to have heard, because he threw a quelling look her way.

His reprimand had the desired effect and both men parted with slightly embarrassed expressions. Draco’s nose was practically gushing and Simeon’s eye was already turning purple.

Ginny jumped into action, leaving Poppy to deal with Narcissa, and shoved Draco onto an empty bed that hadn’t been disturbed during the commotion. She attempted to pry his hand away from his nose, but he whined and moaned and tried to move his head from her reach.

“Stop being such a baby!” She snapped.

Draco gave her a cold, haughty glare, which looked rather ridiculous considering he had blood all over his face and one eye was covered up by his hand.

“Malfoys do not act like babies.” He sniffed, completing the injured air he was projecting.

“Then move your hand so I can have a look.” Ginny rolled her eyes.

A loud “CRACK” had everyone turning around to the sight of Simeon sitting on another bed, a bright red handprint on his unbruised cheek, and Olivia a foot away, fidgeting and not looking anyone in the eye.

The absolute fury in Simeon’s eyes had Ginny taking an instinctive step forward, but he surely wouldn’t hit Olivia. Especially in front of Dumbledore. Though, the way his clenched fists were turning white did nothing to ease her concern for Olivia.

“Congratulations Olivia!” Everyone’s eyes turned to Draco. “I daresay, you’re the first woman to ever get the upper hand with him.” He chuckled at his own unfunny joke, and Ginny glared at him.

She took the opportunity to yank his hand away from his face and probe his nose. Simeon looked extremely satisfied with Draco’s yells of pain.

“Enjoying yourself Malfoy? I must say, I envy you such a sympathetic woman for your mate.”

“Men.” Ginny muttered under her breath.

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Olivia splashed water on her face as she stood staring at her flushed cheeks in the bathroom mirror. She lifted a trembling hand to her swollen lips. It still seemed unfathomable to her.

After Ginny had grabbed Draco, she had somehow dredged up the courage to push Simeon onto a bed and…Olivia blushed. She had stood in front of him, practically between his legs, but considering how long they were and how far they stuck out from the bed, she’d needed to, if she wanted to be able to reach his face. Although now that she thought about it, she could have come from the side…

Olivia had reached out and ran her fingers ever so lightly over the swelling on his eye, and down his cheek. His eyes had glowed like coal set afire, an almost possessed gleam that sent goosebumps rippling over her.

He’d suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his face and with the other hand, gripped the back of her neck and clamped his mouth over the round “o” of hers. Simeon had immediately thrust his tongue in her mouth and for a girl who’d never been kissed before in her life, it was more than a little bit of a shock.

His mouth had been hot. Were mouths supposed to be that hot? His lips had seared her own, as if she had been branded. His tongue had been silk and fire and erotically stimulating. She’d had no idea a kiss could be like that. It had stolen her mind, until all there was was him. He’d kept her in place against him with the hand like steel on her nape.

It might have gone on forever, if Ginny’s voice hadn’t penetrated the fog that clouded her mind. Everything had come rushing back then…his derision, disdain, the abhorent way he treated his mother.

Anger had given her strength to shove herself away and without thinking, she’d slapped him. Hard too. Her hand was still sore. He’d been stunned for a second, his black eyes blank, but too soon, a cold fury had blazed to life and Olivia had been reminded of Snape in those identical spheres.

It had been a mistake to hit him. It was tantamount to pulling the tiger’s tail, or maybe in this case, slugging it in the head. He was sure to exact revenge. She’d seen that in the ebony depths. The promise of retribution.

It made her shiver.

With dread or anticipation, she wasn’t sure.


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Narcissa awoke to harsh, discordant murmurs. Every muscle in her body screamed in agony and her eyes felt too heavy to open. She felt so incredibly weak and it scared her. Death was closing in and despite everything, she didn’t want to die. Not when it seemed that she might actually have something to live for.

She must have drifted off again because the next time she became aware, it was to a cold prescence by her side. This time her eyes came open and she immediately tried to recoil at the hatred in Severus’ eyes.

Cruel hands bit into her arms and drew her closer to the almost terrifying vision in front of her.

“I want to make it very clear that I still loathe you. There aren’t words to describe how much so; however that being said, I have told Dumbledore I will take you as my mate. If it were up to me, that’s all you would ever be, but because the school has a reputation to uphold.” He sneered as he said the words. “I have to marry you.”

A strangled moan escaped her parched lips. And Severus laughed bitterly.

“But once it is safe for you to leave here, I’m shipping you off to the Snape Estates and that’s where you’ll stay until you die, do you understand me? As soon as we’re mated and you’re assured to live, I want you out of my sight again.”

“You can’t…” Narcissa struggled with the words. “…marry me. I’m still…Lucius’ wife.”

At the mention of the Deatheater’s name, the hands that held her, convulsively squeezed tighter, ensuring she would have finger shaped bruises later.

“If you value your life, you will never speak that name in my prescence again.” His voice was so cold and void, that Narcissa shivered.

“Now, since I’m consigned to this, I think I deserve a little something.” Lips collided brutally with hers, wrenching a gasp from her. It was hard and bruising, but despite his words, there was passion in it, or maybe just long suppressed desire.

It nauseated her, but she shivered as tiny tendrils of arousal began creeping through her body. She hadn’t felt anything like it for years, not since her last night with Severus.

When he jerked his mouth away, Narcissa felt a flush of shame flare into her cheeks, giving them rare color. She hated that she responded to him even though he made his dislike of her so apparent.

“Just push the right buttons and you turn into a cat in heat.” Narcissa gasped at the unfair comment. “I bet Lucius enjoyed having a slut at his beck and call.”

His words seemed to slice through her heart, drudging up memories of the rapes she had endured from her husband until he’d finally taken a mistress, pronouncing her as cold and passionate as a dead fish. Once he’d had his heir, he’d lost interest, and she thanked God everyday for it.

Hate suddenly suffocated her and she swung blindly. Severus easily knocked her hand away.

“I’d supress your violent tendancies if I were you. It could get you into more trouble than you can get out of.”

“You can’t do anything to me that Lucius hasn’t already done a thousand times over.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it.” He disappeared into the shadows.

Narcissa slumped back into the pillows, feeling strangely alive for the first time in months. Bitter, and heart sick, but alive.

She wasn’t sure if she liked it.