Of Potions and Wings

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Draco sat down across from Pansy and Blaise and groaned. “I want to go back to bed.” He said tiredly.

 


Pansy raised a brow at him, then pushed the coffee carafe toward him. “Have some caffeine, Darling. That’ll wake you right up.” She offered.

 


Blaise shot her an alarmed look. “You do remember when he drank coffee last, right? Third year?” He reminded her.

 


Pansy shrugged. “He looks like he really needs it. I’m sure he can keep himself under control.” She responded.

 


Draco poured himself a small bit of coffee, adding milk and several spoonfuls of sugar. He took a sip and grimaced. “Urgh, this stuff still tastes foul.” Was his opinion.

 


Pansy smirked. “Yes, well, I don’t drink it for the taste, Darling, and neither are you.” She pointed out.

 


Sighing, Draco just nodded and took another sip. “Father ran us ragged last night, and now I’ve got Severus’ lessons tonight. How can I face him when I’m in this state? I look horrid, don’t I?”

 


Blaise looked him over critically. “You just look a little tired. Pansy’s right, the coffee should fix you right up.”

 


Pansy smiled. “So drink up, Dear.” She told Draco, saluting him with her own cup.

 


Draco took another sip, grimacing again.

 


Blaise shook his head. “I really hope the coffee doesn’t hit you like it did last time.” He said.

 


Draco waved his hand. “I can control myself. There’ll be no pranks, ill-thought-out or otherwise, as a result of this. I promise.” He said, already looking better and sounding slightly more awake.

 


Blaise smiled, looking relieved. “Well, that’s good, then. So, you got back pretty late last night. I was just heading to bed when I heard you coming in. I had been trying to wait up for you.”

 


Draco nodded. “Sorry. I wouldn’t have been much good for company, the state I was in. Like I said, Father ran us ragged. Now he’s talking about adding Severus to the lessons.”

 


Pansy looked interested. “What are you even doing in these lessons?” She asked.

 


Draco shook his head. “Not here. We’ll go to the Room of Requirement at lunch, I can tell you there.” He explained.

 


Pansy and Blaise both nodded, and all three began to eat, the discussion held off for the moment.

 


*****

 


Draco stopped Harry on the way out of Charms and spoke to him quietly. “I’m going to tell Pansy and Blaise about our lessons and what we’re doing. Is that okay with you? Do you want to be there with me so I don’t tell them anything you don’t want them to know?”

 


Harry blinked. “Oh. No, that’s fine. Just make sure Pansy can’t tell, and all. I trust you.” He said lightly.

 


Draco smiled. “Thank you, Harry. That actually means a lot to me.” He replied, then headed off with Pansy and Blaise.

 


Harry turned to Hermione and Ron, who had stopped a few feet away after realizing he wasn’t with them.

 


“What was that about?” Hermione asked.

 


Harry smiled. “Draco wanted my permission to tell his friends about our extra lessons.” He explained.

 


Ron narrowed his eyes. “You told him not to, right?” He asked.

 


Hermione shook her head. “Really, Ron!”

 


“Actually, no. I told him to go ahead, and just put Pansy under a lip-locker spell. She’s as big a gossip as Lavender, but I trust Blaise to keep his silence.” Harry told Ron firmly.

 


“But, Harry, they’re-“

 


“If you say ‘Slytherins,’ Ron, I will hex you, I swear it!” Harry hissed. “All Slytherins are not Death Eaters, and I happen to know that those two are trustworthy. Neither of them plan to join the Death Eaters, and Pansy’s even running away from home to avoid it, so don’t judge them based on their house, Ron.”

 


Ron clamped his mouth shut and stomped off toward the Great Hall.

 


Harry sighed. “Do you think that was too harsh?” He asked Hermione.

 


Hermione shook her head. “He has to learn somehow, and this really seems like the only way he’s going to get over his prejudice against them. I think you did the right thing, telling him like that, although he may not see it that way. Don’t be too mad at him if he takes it hard at first? Give him time to come around.” She advised.

 


Harry nodded. “I intend to, it’s just... I’m really sick of all the sniping he does at Draco. Draco’s been making a real effort, and Ron hasn’t seemed to see that at all! At this point, I’m leaning toward not talking to Ron at all until he can get over his hatred toward Draco. You’re making an effort to be nice, Ginny’s talked to him civilly, even Neville has had a non-confrontational conversation with him. The only one that seems to still not be willing to make an effort is Ron, and I’m sick of it!” He finished, throwing his hands up in the air.

 


Hermione sighed. “Let’s just get to lunch.” She said. “Maybe things will look better after you’ve eaten.” She suggested.

 


“I doubt it.” Harry muttered, letting her drag him toward the Great Hall.

 


*****

 


Draco led Pansy and Blaise into the Room of Requirement and turned to face them, pulling out his wand. “Potter wanted me to put you under a lip-locker, and I agree with that. Can I?” He asked Pansy.

 


Pansy sighed and shrugged. “Fine. But I’m highly unlikely to come across any Death Eaters looking for information.”

 


Draco smirked. “Better safe than sorry, Pansy Dear.” He said, then cast the spell.

 


Draco sat on the couch and thought for a moment, smirking when two chairs appeared across from it. “I love this room.” He said happily.

 


Pansy and Blaise sat in the chairs, looking at him expectantly. “Well? What exactly is going on in these extra lessons?” She asked.

 


Draco smirked. “Aside from Sev drilling us in the killing curse, Father is giving us some practical lessons in dueling. He’s also talking about adding Sev to those lessons, like I told you earlier. And I don’t really like the idea of going up against him. I’m sure he’d like it even less. Every instinct he’s got would be against the idea of him holding his submissive mate-to-be at wandpoint, but we don’t really have the option of not learning, so there’s not much to be done about it.” He said with a shrug.

 


“Are you dueling him separately? How’s Potter doing in these lessons?” Blaise asked in interest.

 


Draco cocked his head. “Actually, that’s the part that made me get his permission to tell you: Father’s got us working as a team. The two of us against him, watching each other’s backs as we duel. We work surprisingly well together.” He said lightly.

 


Pansy nodded thoughtfully. “So he’s training you to watch Potter’s back? But that would put you in the thick of the fighting. You’d think he’d want to keep you out of it all.”

 


Draco smirked. “Father knows I won’t sit idly by while others are fighting around me. Especially if Sev is out there risking his life. I’m not going to just wait here for the battle to end, where I’m safe. I need to be out there, doing my part to help. If my part is to stick by Potter’s side, keeping the bloody Gryffindor alive, that’s where I’ll be. Someone needs to do it, and his friends will likely have their hands full pretty early on. I intend to stick close to him.”

 


Blaise nodded. “I want to make sure you know, if my family does get approached by... Him... I’m with you. I’ll fight alongside you and Potter before I become a Death Eater. Mother’s already said that if we have to choose sides, she’d rather be on Potter’s side. I don’t want to fight if I can avoid it, because I know my skills, and they don’t lie in battle, but if I have to choose a side, it’s yours.” He said firmly.

 


Draco smiled. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

 


Pansy sighed. “I’m with Blaise, but if he goes into battle, I’m working as a Healer, instead. I’m getting pretty good at most of the healing spells, and since that’s what I want to do, anyway, I’d be more than willing to lend my wand for those that get injured. But I’d be more of a hindrance than a help on the battlefield.” She said honestly.

 


Draco nodded. “Every extra wand would help, Pans.”

 


Blaise cast tempus and nodded. “Well, now that we’ve got all that sorted, we need to head to class. We’ll just make it if we leave now.” He pointed out.

 


“Alright.” Draco stood. “Let’s go, then.”

 


*****

 


Draco dropped into bed with a loud sigh. He’d managed six spiders tonight, while Harry had been able to kill seven, and now he had another private lesson with Severus on Tuesday. He hated being the reason they were moving so slowly, but both Severus and his father had told him that he shouldn’t push himself to match Harry’s pace, so what could he do?

 


He drug himself out of bed and changed into pajamas, then slipped under the covers, pulling them up over his head with a groan. He really didn’t want to continue holding them back, but short of discontinuing the lessons, which wouldn’t be very good for him in the long run, he couldn’t see any other way forward.

 


He’d just have to stick it out, and hopefully, everything would turn out well.

 


*****

 


Draco paused in his eating as Vinculum swooped in to land next to his plate. He took the letter tied to the owl’s leg and opened it, offering a bit of his breakfast to the bird.

 


Vinculum sniffed at the food suspiciously before turning his head away.

 


Draco snorted. “Too good for elven food?” He asked teasingly.

 


Vinculum ruffled his feathers and flew away, and Draco chuckled softly.

 


He’d been surprised to see Potter eating elven food at breakfast yesterday morning, but after learning the house-elves here would make it on request, he’d decided to treat himself to something a bit more palatable to his sensitive tongue than bacon and eggs.

 


Caritica root with strawberry sauce had a much milder flavor, and it tasted like heaven to his poor, abused taste buds. He turned to Blaise and smiled. “He wants me to meet him in his rooms at lunch.” He said happily.

 


Blaise hummed and nodded. “This is your last date.”

 


Draco smiled at the letter, which asked him to bring along a vial of the dampening potion, but not to drink it. Severus apparently wanted to start getting accustomed to Draco’s scent, before he was forced to be in close proximity to it overnight.

 


“After this, I can kiss him whenever I want.” Draco said to Blaise happily.

 


“When he’ll let you, you mean.” Blaise corrected.

 


Draco shrugged. “I don’t mind keeping my hands and lips to myself in lessons, but I’ve been waiting for this for weeks.” He said. “I intend to make the most of it.”

 


Pansy smiled. “Well, Draco, I hope you have a good time, wherever you’re going today.” She said.

 


Draco beamed at her. “I’m sure I will.”

 


*****

 


Draco knocked on the door to Severus’ rooms.

 


Severus opened the door and smiled at him. “Did you follow my instructions?” He asked.

 


Draco tilted his head to the side. “Why don’t you see for yourself?” He asked.

 


Severus leaned in and inhaled, then pulled back, eyes closed. “That will take some getting used to, I suspect.” He murmured, opening his eyes to meet Draco’s.

 


Draco breathed in, savoring the spicy scent he could smell clinging to Severus. “You smell wonderful.” He said with a smile.

 


Severus returned the smile. “Yes, well, I suspected you’d want the chance to get used to my scent, as well. We’re going to walk to the end of the Wards, then I will apparate us to... Where we’re going.” He said.

 


Draco pouted. “All this secrecy.” He mourned.

 


Severus chuckled. “It’s part of my charm.” He assured the blond.

 


They headed out of the dungeons, keeping pace with each other. “So, what’s the plan for today? Or are you not going to tell me that either?” Draco asked.

 


Severus shook his head. “Not yet.” He answered.

 


Draco huffed. “Not even a hint?”

 


“We’re going somewhere you’ve never been.” Severus told him.

 


Draco rolled his eyes. “Because that really narrows it down.”

 


Severus chuckled.

 


Draco took his hand as they left the castle, heading for the gates. “Is this somewhere we’ll be going more than once?”

 


“Yes.”

 


Draco smiled. “During our courtship?”

 


Severus glanced down at him for a second, then shook his head. “Not likely. Since you choose when we marry, I assume it will be happening quickly.”

 


Draco nodded. “It will. Hmm... I still have no idea where we’re going.”

 


“Good.” Severus said, sounding very satisfied with himself.

 


Draco smiled up at him. “You’re enjoying this a little too much, I think.” He noted.

 


Severus nodded. “Allow me my few pleasures in life.” He said, stopping just outside the gates. “Come here.” He pulled Draco against his side and apparated them.

 


Draco blinked at the large Manor house they were standing in front of. “Oh. Prince Manor?” He asked.

 


Severus smiled. “It is customary during a courtship for the new Lady of the Manor to actually see the house before the wedding, I believe.”

 


“Oi!” Draco glared at him. “I’m not a girl!”

 


Severus chuckled. “He who bears the children, Draco.”

 


Draco’s glare darkened further. “Git.”

 


“Come on, I’ll show you around before lunch.” Severus said, taking Draco’s hand and leading him to the front door. “I need to key you to the Wards first.” He told the blond.

 


Draco laid his hand against the door.

 


Severus placed his hand next to it, his wand held between his palm and the door. “Sicut dominus huius domus huic iam hospitalitati.”

 


Draco felt the Wards wrap around his hand and envelop his body before they fell back, dormant again.

 


Severus nodded, opening the door. “Come on. I’ll give you the tour.”