Promising Submission

There were all kinds of pain in life; physical, emotional, mental. Pains that stung, burned, made you numb and Draco Malfoy had lived his whole life sheltered from every one of them. His parents were mostly indifferent about him, they had no interest in the process of raising him, only the end result. House elves have really no idea how to raise or even relate to a human despite generations of wizards depending on them to do just that. Draco\'s every whim was instantly made reality, though they did instruct him in his father\'s ways.







Belle Morte was a completely different world for Draco. She, and those under her control, hurt Draco in ways Voldemort probably couldn’t survive. He quickly learned to shield his mind and act completely broken even while plotting mentally. He was broken yes. There were things he would do, accepted, even craved, that he would never have before, but he was not a pet. He was not completely damaged beyond repair.







Consequently Draco was able to act contradictory to his thoughts. As he watched Harry Potter, his secret hope and rescue fantasy for five years of hell, sleep deeply with his pet, he let his mind shatter while he could afford to. Draco desperately needed to piss but coveted his relative alone time too much to wake his new owner.







Draco was capable of surviving as Potter’s play thing. In fact, Draco was more confident of his abilities of compliance for Potter then he was returning to his old personality and responsibilities which Severus Snape would surely expect. That was of course if Snape didn’t immediately turn Draco over to his father.







That could not be allowed. That way lay ruin.







He hated the current lack of knowledge. Draco didn’t know his father’s location, plans, or expectations. He didn’t know what was expected of him as Potter’s pet. He didn’t know what kind of security from others Potter provided. Having finally amassed a small amount of respect at Belle’s court through a complicated mesh of sarcasm, blackmail, and submission Draco was loath to return to the bottom of the totem pole. His first year with Belle’s people, he was passed around more often then the common flu. It shamed him to be forced to return to that, but he didn’t know his other options.







Nathanial whimpered in his sleep and Draco relaxed into a faux-sleep. Neither man on the bed woke however, Potter simply pulled the braided leopard deeper into his side and Nathanial relaxed. It made Draco sick.







Draco’s worst fear was succumbing, drowning in his outward submissive existence, of being like Nathanial. He’d survived Belle’s court, mind mostly intact, only because he could remind himself it was an act, a way to appear broken and evade punishment or attention. He ignored all the very many ways it wasn\'t an act. The night before had been too real, he’d have to quickly learn what was expected and gain control.







A quite pop demanded Draco’s attention. The house elf rang a bell which produced a gentle ring and then disappeared. Years of experience kept Draco’s face blank. An eidetic memory was torture in Belle’s hand but Draco could never forget Dobby’s unusually floppy ears or incongruous blue eyes.







“Mmm, you awake kitten?” Potter mumbled. His voice was rough with sleep and his stretch showed off a perfect stomach and sculpted hip bones, normally Draco’s favorite body part but Draco’s attention was firmly focused on the perfection that was Potter’s pet Nathanial.







He was beautiful, more flawless then any of Belle Morte’s supposed ‘jewels’. Large glazed lavender eyes framed by a sculpted face. Nathanial wasn’t rugged and manly like Potter or pixy like and feminine like Draco. He was something in between, beautiful but undisputedly masculine. Nathanial stretched his perfect, naked, body, grabbed his braid in one hand, and jolted, surprised, at Draco\'s avid gaze.







He grinned and Draco couldn’t help but blush. It galled Draco that the effect Nathanial had on him was not only superficial.







“Yes master, and so is Draco.” Nathanial said, diverting Draco’s apparently unwanted attention and reminded Potter of his presence.







“Oh! Right. You sleep well Draco? Need to piss?”







“Yes Master.” Draco answered both questions, having already decided honesty was expected.







“Why didn’t you wake me?” Potter said, finally giving Draco a look past the flawless Dom and into the arrogant Gryffindor school boy within.







“Master, please forgive this boy!” Draco cried. Last night\'s extreme submission had served him well so continuing it was only logical.





Potter sighed in exasperation. "Well, you have permission but come back as soon as you\'re done." Draco cursed Potter\'s forethought. He\'d planned on using a spell he invented that suspended reality in a bubble around Draco\'s person. It would have allowed him to watch Potter and Nathanial together without him as neither Nathanial\'s super human senses nor Potter\'s magical prowess could access him. It could also be done wandlessly, as his wand was long gone. It was a strategy Draco had perfected at Belle\'s court and was the secret to his survival.





Instead, Draco rushed through a quick clean up and relieved himself before hurrying to his new master\'s side.





"I\'m so sorry master." Nathanial was near tears by the time Draco returned.





"I think perhaps we should postpone your responsibilities until after Belle leaves."





"NO!" Nathanial wailed, louder then Draco ever expected the timid leopard to speak to Potter. "No please! I just forgot. Master, Harry, I can do it I just forgot. Please don\'t...don\'t loose faith in me..."





Draco winced, though externally he bowed his head. It was pet edict to not watch another pet\'s punishment unless ordered. Nathanial was badly brainwashed if he was begging for Potter\'s respect rather then leniency.





"Alright Nathanial, if you think you can keep up with your daily duties I\'ll let you, but I will be punishing you for your failure."





Internally, Draco let himself relax. Potter couldn\'t be hard to control if he gave deals like this: escaping punishment and burdens, or have daily duties and be punished. Not a hard choice to make.





"Yes, I understand and deserve it." Draco nearly fell over.





"Alright kitten." Potter said with a soft smile Draco was sure hid danger, "Your choice made me happy and I\'m even more pleased you didn\'t choose it for that reason." Draco scoffed and his reality righted.





Nathanial was a better manipulator then Draco gave him credit for. Playing on Potter\'s since of fair play and honor by agreeing to punishment and making himself indispensable would give Nathanial leeway later on. It also reinforced his position as Favorite Pet now that the beautiful leopard had competition.





"But you still will be punished," Potter continued, "go pick out a paddle and grab the thin blue plug while I chat with Draco." Draco gulped.





Potter turned on the bed to better see Draco who was kneeling where the mattress he\'d slept on used to be.





"As you can see I have a wonderful pet so I imagine that you\'ve been trying to figure out where you fit in." Nathanial returned with a bright blue plug that was thin and pliable and a flat wooden paddle permeated with holes. He held them out to Potter who took them absently. "Truth is, I don\'t need a pet and before you go thinking I\'ll get rid of you or am doing this out of pity or whatever, I\'ll just tell you why I want you."





He pulled Nathanial on his lap, naked ass in the air and warmed the flesh with slaps from his hand. Nathanial only sighed, face blissful.





"You might remember from Hogwarts that I thrive when needed. I used to run all over the school saving people." Draco did remember, it had been his joy to stop him. "That carried over into adulthood, believe it or not. It\'s the reason I first chose my kitten here, though he hardly needs me now."





Nathanial arched up in protest, nearly angry, but Potter settled him down. "I know, I know, but you need me differently now then you did. When I met you, you were a broken sub. You were terrified of any change because you had no foundation. It has been my honor to see what you\'ve become with a support base, to be that support base." Nathanial twisted and looked at his master with an expression so full of longing and fear, an emotion Draco knew all to well. It was the same expression Draco had worn just before his father sealed the deal with Belle and signed away Draco\'s freedom. Potter recognized it as well and his face hardened.





"Nathanial! You are wearing my marks in your skin, tattooed in ink and ritual. Do you still think I will give you up? It\'s not possible anymore even if I was capable of getting tired of you. You\'re mine forever silly kitten." Nathanial blushed and slunk back down to accept the increasingly hard slaps from his master.





"Anyway, though I still have Nathanial, I\'d like to provide you with the support you need and eventually you will get strong enough to stand on your own or with someone we both trust. Should you accept, you\'d be my sub not my pet. I\'d have fewer rights over you but you\'d still be subject to my control."





"What rights?" Draco slipped out before he could stop himself. He knew better, questions were demands for answers and pets, subs, whatever had no right to demand anything.





Potter raised an eyebrow at Draco\'s wince and chuckled " It\'s a good question, one you have the right to ask. My pets are mine in every way possible. I\'ve had quite a few subs, but Nathanial is my first pet. My pet\'s are mine, heart, body, and mind. He has no rights to his own thoughts, or secrets, or past. I am constantly in his mind and his body. Because pet\'s are forever and subs are not. Your mind will be secure except in two conditions, if what\'s in your mind is hurting you or someone else. Likewise I won\'t be having sex with you, though I may orchestrate situations with Nathanial. This isn\'t a usual feature with my subs but I feel it important with you."





Draco wasn\'t sure if it was Nathanial\'s inclusion that was unusual or the no sex bit, but wasn\'t about to press it. He understood that what Potter was offering had no checks. So while it sounded fantastic, it could, and probably would, change at the moment\'s notice.





"I see you\'re skeptical. Well that will change as the offer continues to stand. The only physical punishment you\'ll ever receive from me is the one I\'m giving Nathanial now. Your arse, my hand, my lap. There are five rules that will get you a spanking, everything else will result in the withholding of extras like desert, trips out, or sleeping in my bed, things like that. I\'ll tell you the rules after Nathanial\'s punishment."





Potter waved a hand, releasing a flood of magical pressure so powerful Draco could taste it. Nathanial\'s legs bent and the bed melted around his knees, trapping the leopard across Potter\'s lap, arse completely exposed.





Potter reached for the blue plug, lubed it up and slowly began inserting it into his helpless pet. Over Nathanial\'s moaning Potter said, "Your punishments will not include the plug and you\'ll have a pre-determined amount of spanks. With my kitten here, it\'s more about a mind-set and emotional goal. Sometimes he gets where I want him quick, but I doubt that\'s how it will be today."





He ordered Nathanial to bear his face to Draco who was instantly astonished by the other sub\'s expression. He\'d expected Nathanial to be, at the least, fearful of what Potter could and would do. Instead, Nathanial looked eager, and desperate for Potter\'s attention but still shamefaced that he\'d disobeyed. Draco couldn\'t understand it. The leopard\'s manipulations were so far beyond anything Draco could grasp. Potter couldn\'t even see the leopard\'s face. How did Nathanial expect Potter to react and understand this calculated move if he couldn\'t see it.





Potter continued warming Nathanial\'s arse and thighs with hard slaps from his hand. Nathanial gasped, moaned, and struggled as it became harder to take and the plug aroused him. "This is a punishment pet. You\'re not allowed to cum." Nathanial moaned heavily. "Why are you being punished Pet?"





Nathanial groaned at a particularly hard slap but answered through his gasps. "I didn\'t wake you up. I didn\'t obey and didn\'t live up to your expectations. I disappointed you."





"Good, that\'s good Pet." Potter picked up the paddle and gave Nathanial a rainbow of welts with it. Draco could see the swollen marks left by the holes. "I am disappointed. I expected better of you. But once you are punished all will be forgiven. So I want you to give up control to me."





Potter waited, using the paddle to stroke the flesh in smooth circles while Nathanial slowly relaxed. "That\'s it pet. This is my right and my responsibility. Give it up."





He then stopped talking and worked Nathanial over with the paddle. Nathanial groaned and moaned. Draco could see Nathanial was hard but couldn\'t understand it.





"Master, Master." Nathanial whispered over and over. He shuddered as Potter continued to punish him.





The rhythmic slapping of wood on flesh faded into the background as Draco watched Nathanial slip deeply. He became aware of a pressure, a pulling that felt like the room was sucking him in, towards Potter. Nathanial felt it too. He groaned and begged pleading with Potter and his cries of Master became desperate.





"It\'s mine Nathanial. Everything about you is mine. Give it up. I can control it. Its mine, give it to me."





The pressure increased until Draco could hardly breath. It compressed him and forced him to the ground. He knew it was centered around the leopard and his body convulsed and he began to cry out loudly. Nathanial\'s skin shuddered and then ripped as fur erupted. Bones lenghtened and Nathanial exploded outward with a scream. The pressure firmed and Draco was covered in the goo that comes from a change. Draco wiped it from his eyes to see Potter crooning and cleaning a Leopard man in Nathanial\'s place.





"That\'s right kitten. All mine."





"Yours." Nathanial whispered, the \'s\' hissing against fanged teeth, and Potter released him. Nathanial curled up around Potter as he was now to long to sit in the wizard\'s lap. Nathanial\'s purring vibrated the bed and Draco wasn\'t sure what to think.





Draco had seen plenty of changes. Belle kept an assortment of cats for her food and pleasure. Draco knew their mannerisms and culture as they were his competition. Draco was the only human Belle had, until she caught Granger only a few weeks ago. Wizards cannot change into Vampires like muggles, with only three bites. Belle would need to drain him completely and then feed him blood. She did not for many reasons but the most pressing was that Draco would loose his magic, and she had use for it.





Despite Draco\'s experience with lycans, he\'d never seen a wizard force a change. Only vampires with animals to call or Alphas could do that. That Potter could, proved that he was more dangerous and unexpected then Draco\'d first assumed. He knew now that Potter\'s relationship with his pet was more convoluted then first appeared. If Potter was in Nathanial\'s mind, he would know the leopard\'s manipulations and if he could control Nathanial\'s beast, then he had more power over the lycan then Draco gave him credit for. This put a new twist on their interactions that Draco would have to figure out.





They sat there for some time while Draco shivered in gooey change he wasn\'t brave enough to wipe off. Belle had made him bathe in it when she found out his aversion to certain textures. He would not give Potter the same ammunition.





Finally Potter pushed Nathanial behind him where the leopard man curled up around Potter\'s back still purring. They both turned serene looks on Draco.





Curious, Potter waved his arm and vanished the liquid change. "How are you Draco?"





"I am cold master." Draco knew tops wanted accurate and short responses to questions. He did not expect Potter to rectify the situation.





"Come here Draco."





Draco crawled forward and was pulled into Potter\'s lap. Nathanial curled closer to put his head in Draco\'s lap and continued purring.





"Did Nathanial\'s punishment frighten you?"





Draco shook his head. He wasn\'t afraid, he\'d experienced much worse then what Potter dished out. He was confused about the emotion he\'d felt and how Potter had forced Nathanial to change. Nathanial should have been experienced enough to hold out longer. Draco had seen Lycans hold out loosing control for days before braking and changing even if they were a vampires animal to call. And never had he seen a lycan loose control without an orgasm.





But Potter took Draco at his word and changed the subject.





"I\'d like to tell you the rules and how our daily lives would work. Then you will have until after lunch to decide if you\'d like to be my sub or go with someone else. There will be no repercussions should you chose someone else and I will abide by your decision. Be reminded though that this will be the last decision you get to make for a while should you choose me."





He petted Draco\'s sparse hair and kissed his cheek. "So the rules. You will trust me. What I say to you is truth. If I say the sky is purple, you will believe me. If you don\'t you will get five spanks. You will obey me. I will order you to kneel and you will, I will order you to keep silent and you will. Each time you do not obey me immediately, you will get ten spanks. You will not hurt yourself. You will not put yourself in situations where you will be harmed by others. Each time this happens you will get twenty spanks. You will not let anyone else touch you without my permission. There will be no situations where someone will brush by you on accident, so there should be no problem there. Touching against your will, I will take into consideration, but you should run or call for me. Each time someone other then me or Nathanial touches you, you will get thirty spanks. You will not lie to me. I ask you a question and you tell me the truth, the whole truth. For every lie you will get ten spanks. You and I will keep a count and then deal out punishment every night before sleeping. If your count is less then mine, the punishment will double."





He waited for a moment.





"Repeat them back to me."





"One trust you, two obey you, three do not harm myself, four do not let others touch me without permission, five do not lie."





Potter nodded with a grin and kissed Draco softly on the neck. Something warm in his chest made Draco shiver. He did not understand his reaction to Potter\'s happiness but he liked the warm feeling.





"That\'s it Draco. Those are the rules. Only for breaking those will you be punished.





Draco nodded hoping it was true but refusing to be optimistic. It was likely that punishments for other things would be worse.





Potter turned Draco\'s head so that Draco was forced to lean on Potter\'s firm chest. One hand settled in Nathanial\'s hair which somehow still remained despite his change to Leopard man. Sighing deeply, Potter breathed them in.





"I believe this will be nice."





Draco let himself relax into Potter\'s hold, knowing Potter wanted it and hoping it would make Potter underestimate him. He did not acknowledge the small part of him that enjoyed the caring contact.





After a few minutes of cuddling, Potter made them get dressed so they could go get lunch. Nathanial was so much larger in this form that he couldn\'t wear his clothes.





"I could change back master."





Potter smiled, "I know but I like you like this. Wear some of my pants. You can change back after Lunch.





Nathanial let Potter pull him down into a kiss. It looked sick and odd from where Draco was watching. Nathanial\'s mouth was to big, his skin furry and Potter\'s tongue disappeared into it.





Potter gazed up at the leopard serenely, reminding Draco that Potter had constant access to the leopard\'s mind and creating a cascade of panic.





Not only was Nathanial an excellent manipulator he had to also be a better occlumens then even Severus Snape to keep out Potter\'s concentrated strikes. Draco knew full well the rumors of a mental attack on the Dark Lord that had resulted in his squib-hood. It was on these rumors that his father had built his empire. Someone that powerful was out of Draco\'s league.





But it was not in Draco to give up. He would wait, watch and learn. He would bide his time, interacting with these two as expected until they believed him broken. Then he would enact his master plan. Admittedly, Draco had no master plan, but he would when the time was right. Draconius Malfoy would have his freedom and his revenge.





Lunch ended up being a conglomerate of chaos. Harry was an eye of serenity in a room of loud rambunctious people Draco knew and didn\'t know who all had expectations and desires. The wizards knew him immediately and their reactions were varied and many. He was shocked to realize that only Snape questioned Harry\'s claim on him, the others accepted it uneasily. They wondered about him, asked him probing questions about his life after the war and in Belle\'s company. After each question Draco would glance at Harry who would give permission with a nod or refuse with the shake of his head. Draco was relieved that Harry refused a majority of the questions.





The peace that came from following orders helped him deal with the push and pull of those clamoring for Harry\'s attention. He and Nathanial sat at Harry\'s side and as the reports came in Draco leaned further into his master. Finally Harry pushed Draco to the floor so he could lean on Harry\'s legs. a feeling of contentment, submission, and peace enveloped him but Draco was not foolish enough not to pay attention to the reports coming in.





"I was able to open the chest but the boy has proven unhelpful," Bill Weasley told them. "The eye its self is beyond anything I\'ve ever seen, the spells hiding it are so detailed and complete that I could spend months studying them. In fact, I\'d very much like to do that. Are you in a hurry to get at the Eye?"





Harry shook his head, "There isn\'t an emergency yet, but you can expect Belle will try to get it back. I want to understand it and have it a known entity before she brings it into play. You have tonight for sure, she will be scoping out the land tonight. Things didn\'t go her way last night and she\'ll need time to reevaluate her plans. One night is all I can give you though so use it wisely."





Bill nodded, "in that case, I\'d like some help."





"Its not wise to bring in others right now." Remus leaned forward in his seat, his fingers pointed and resting over his mouth in contemplation. Draco remembered this gesture as one of concerned thought. The werewolf used it frequently when he called Draco in to discuss his lacking grades third year.





Bill sighed sadly, "Well then, can you spare some wizards to help me?"





Harry laughed softly, grinning in amusement, "Well you\'ll have to ask them."





Severus nodded from his seat, "I would like a chance to examine it."





There was a poignant silence as the light wizards watched Harry. He pursed his lips at them and nodded at Severus. "Sure, I shouldn\'t need you tonight. Your legilimancy wouldn\'t be able to tell me anything I won\'t be able to divine. She will be planning but I can find out her plans at a later date."





Draco swallowed and sat up a little taller. He wet his lips in anticipation for speaking amongst this crowd. Luckily Nathanial saw it and must have transferred it to Harry. Harry looked down at Draco and smiled gently.





"Master." Draco\'s voice was rough and dry with nerves. He wet his lips once more. "She knows of legilimancy and has a counter." Several of the wizards hissed and an unfamiliar dark haired man said roughly, "What else did you tell her Feallaire." Draco winced at the insult.





"Sirius, what did you call him." The man, now identified as Draco\'s cousin tossed his head to the side and turned his nose up. Harry glared at him and then around the table until he hit Bill who was also wincing.





"Bill, tell me now!"





"It\'s old Gaelic. Very loosely it means traitor but its connotations are what make it an insult. It is a term used for those who betray their people, their race, or their creed. Wizards in the past used it for people who sold our secrets to the outside races, muggles, Vampires..." He trailed off as his meaning became clear.





Harry jerked his face back to Sirius and bared one side of his mouth in a soundless snarl. "How long did you last Sirius, before the Dementors had every last secret from your mind? A day? a week? Draco lasted years. I cannot believe you of all people..."





Sirius had dropped his head and closed his eyes as Harry\'s barbs struck home. Draco leaned harder on Harry\'s leg, overcome by the vicious defence. Never in his life had Draco been so thoroughly defended.





Remus raised his hand to halt Harry\'s words and Harry trailed off panting to gain control of himself. Nathanial and Draco both leaned on him heavily in support.





Harry huffed out a cleansing breath and turned away from his godfather. "Draco, you were saying."





Draco swallowed heavily but Harry put a hand on his negligible hair and rubbed. In his mind, the other people faded away until it was only Harry and Draco. "Vampires have never worried about Legilimancy because their shields are supremely strong. Only the most talented and the most powerful could get through even the weakest of them and She has never been weak. When I was...acquired...I had only a rudimentary control over shields and only theoretical knowledge of Legilimancy. Still, I used it on the mortals in her court to gather Intel." He paused unsure he wanted to continue.





"Draco.." Harry prompted in a hard tone.





"I don\'t think anyone knew it was me. The vampires are always in our minds so they probably just thought it was one of them if they felt me, which they probably did, I am probably like a hammer."



The Weasley twins huffed out surprised chuckles at his small joke. Draco had forgotten anyone was there and so his nerves returned. Harry used two hands to capture Draco\'s face and attention.





"When did She find out?" Harry asked.





"Granger." There were hissed intakes of breath but Draco couldn\'t see who it was. He was captured by his master and they faded again to the wayside. "She...didn\'t last long." He paused again hoping Harry would give him some clue how much he wanted to know about Granger\'s torture and breaking.





"Tell me about the legilimancey." Draco nodded within Harry\'s hands.





"She was inconsolable after a while, so I tried to...I tried to help her build shields but she was so gone that when she realized I was in her mind she told Her. She said she could create an external buffer which would put out harmless thoughts to any invaders. I don\'t know if she succeeded but she wasn\'t around my area anymore. I didn\'t see her until...we were here. She didn\'t look so bad when I last saw her. That may be an indication she failed."





Harry smiled at him and leaned forward to chastely kiss his lips. Draco moaned at the contact, an instant and trained response. Snape made disgusted sounds.





The rest of the talks centered on Jean-Claude\'s admission that Belle would most assuredly force a power competition. There would be two or three rounds; the first would be lightning quick mental attacks on Harry and Jean-Claude where she would attempt to roll them under her power. The next would be disguised as a feeding but she would likely turn it into a pleasure game: who can make their victim cum the fastest or hardest. She would set the standard there.





Harry needed two volunteers, for himself and Jean-Claude. He assured them that he would not expect them to service her.





"That\'s good mate." Fred spoke up.





"Yea," His brother added, "We thought about volunteering,"





"Those Wicked Truth guys weren\'t so bad," Fred continued.





"But after seeing what she did to Draco here," George pointed unnecessarily at Draco\'s lack of hair, and emaciated body.





"We\'ll pass on her." Fred finished.





Harry nodded without a smile. "that\'s fine. I made it clear to Jean-Claude that they\'re not getting a drop of magical blood."





"Potter," Severus interrupted, "If she has fed on Draco or Miss Granger then she will be addicted to the magic in their blood. She will crave it like a drug, and be most unreasonable and dangerous if it isn\'t available."





Harry nodded, "That\'s something I didn\'t know and all the more reason not to provide her with any."





Harry thought for a moment. "In fact, if I didn\'t need protection for my kitten who\'s performing, I\'d make you all stay here and go it alone."





Several wizards protested and the lycan\'s who had until now turned their animal like focus on him. Draco felt very vulnerable being near the subject of such concentrated attention.





Harry held up a hand for silence and it was given slowly, "Severus, how long do you suppose she will last before the addiction affects her reason."





Severus sighed, "She is very old and so probably a night or two, her underlings however..."





Draco nodded in confirmation when Harry glanced at him to see if he\'d been fed on by those here. "I\'d say their irrationality will be apparent tonight. When was the last time you were fed on Draco?"





Harry nodded permission so Draco answered Snape, "She fed on me before our arrival here, my blood held the curse at bay better then the others. Even Granger\'s didn\'t help as much. She was bled nearly dry by the others." Draco swallowed back the image of the vampires descending on her screaming body, teeth exposed.





Harry nodded, "Alright then. You\'re staying here. I wasn\'t going to take you anyway, but now its official. Richard?" He called out to the Ulfric, "What I know of vampires says that they grow attached to a mortal if they feed on them to often for to long a time period. Do you know if that\'s true?"





Richard nodded, "Yes a pomme de sang is a life time job. A vampire who is attached to a mortal will make them their pomme, when they die or leave, the Vampire usually takes another one quickly." The wolves turned to a subby blond wolf to sat up straighter in defiance of their gazes.





"I see. Is that an emotional attachment?"







Richard tilted his head and his eyes were far away. "It\'s like a favorite possession. Some vampires translate that into emotion, but Belle will probably not. She will not care for a possession\'s feelings any more then she would a table or a chair. All she will feel is that the mortal is hers and she will feel possessive of them, nearly obsessively so."





Harry quickly etched out his plan which was bounced around and added to by the Ulfric and Nimir-Ra and those with them until it was agreed on by all.





Lunch broke then and the various factions mingled and talked and introduced themselves. Slowly but surely Draco was separated from Harry and pushed from the crowd. He leaned against a wall in relief, needing its support. He was tired. His body still weak from his ordeal with Belle. It was a condition he was used to, but was no less irksome.





"Draco" Snape\'s voice shocked Draco but he was too used to controlling his reactions to jerk.





"Professor." Draco responded politely.





"Severus, really, I\'m your Godfather Draco."





Draco nodded, his eyes cooling, "You told me when I entered Hogwarts not to expect anything from you as my Godfather. When I graduated, I had hoped..." Draco pursed his lips. He was not up to word games. It shocked him how weak his constitution had become. He hadn\'t tried word games with Belle\'s court in years. Astonished by the strength of his desire for someone to buffer for him, Draco could only look around for Harry.





"Hmm yes well that\'s in the past." Severus continued coldly. "I have prepared potions for your appearance and health." He deftly pulled out a container of several vials and pushed them at Draco. He grabbed them in reflex, nearly dropping the load.





"Careful, you idiot." Severus hissed. Draco winced, this interaction with Severus was reinforcing his choice to stay with Harry. He simply wasn\'t capable of being as smooth and calculated as Severus expected of him.





Severus reached into the load uncorked a vial and held it to Draco\'s mouth. "Here drink this one first, you look ridiculous without hair." Draco jerked his head away but the wall at his back and the box in his arms prevented further retreat.





The vial at his lips tipped up and the potions was poured into his mouth. Draco was unwilling but years of training betrayed him and he swallowed, choking only a little as some of it went down his esophagus.





Draco glanced away from his godfather, a futile effort to distance himself from this. He met the eyes of a tall black man and held them. The man was broad and his waist tapered to a lean point but Draco only got impressions of the rest of him; dark skin, hint of a black goatee. Draco was lost in the large dark compassionate eyes which were soft in sympathetic passivity.





"Severus." Draco was relieved to hear Harry\'s shout from across the room. Bodies fell to the wayside as Harry stormed across the floor, Nathanial trailing gracefully behind him. He ripped the vial from Severus\' hand and pushed the box into Nathanial\'s waiting arms. What the leopard did with it Draco couldn\'t see.





"What was that?" Harry demanded, hands running over Draco\'s face and through the quickly growing blond hair. It itched as it sprouted from his scalp but Draco didn\'t scratch at it or draw attention to it.





"Obviously it is a restorative potion." Severus commented sarcastically, pointing at Draco\'s quickly growing hair.





"You\'re telling me, that you forced my sub to drink a potion, knowing I\'d kick your arse for it, and what you gave him was for his appearance? Not his apparent bad health, or many wounds, but his hair was worth that to you? Now do you see why he\'s better with me?" Draco turned behind Harry\'s shoulder which was broad enough to hide him from the many curious faces and Severus incredulous eyes.





"Of course that wasn\'t the only potion he will be taking, but surely you do not expect me to allow him to continue to be humiliated just on your say so."





Harry hissed and his fists clenched repeatedly. Nathanial moved in between Harry and Draco and wrapped the smaller sub in his large furry arms. He was still cat man and so was large enough to completely shelter Draco.





Draco smiled up at him slightly. "Thank you," he whispered. Nathanial leaned down to nuzzle his hair. It was now long enough to hit his shoulders, Draco was fleetingly concerned about when it would stop.





Draco had missed most of the argument but heard Severus say, "Draco, when you are done participating in Potter\'s charade, you will have a place with me."





Measured footsteps alerted Draco to Severus retreat. Nathanial moved out of the way so Harry could have access.





"Draco, did you want me to call him back? I told you that you would have a choice, a last choice. Do you want me to call him back?"





"NO!" Draco cried clutching to Harry\'s arms. His mind replayed Severus\' expectations and how they\'d hammered at Draco\'s fragile strength, how he had looked for Harry for rescue. He knew Harry wouldn\'t help him if he wasn\'t getting something out of it. The tales of Potter\'s fervent defense of those under his protection were nearly legendary in some circles. Draco desperately wanted to be apart of that.





Harry smiled and chuckles from the audience reminded Draco that he was making a fool of himself. He flushed heavily and pulled away. Harry stopped him, gently running his knuckles over Draco\'s face. "There is no need to be embarrassed Draco. Most of them are just jealous."







"Master" Nathanial\'s soft rasp interrupted any comment Draco may have made. "I would like permission to change back."







Harry nodded, "Yes, you need to save your strength."







Draco watched with avid fascination, never having seen a shift so graceful or seamless. Nathanial smoothed into human skin, barely any shift seeping from him. The fur simply fell to the side as he shrunk in size.







"Wow," one of the wizards whispered, Draco thought it was his cousin\'s keeper.







Nathanial blushed.







"Well he\'d better be good at it," one of the twins chattered out.







"Considering he gets payed to do it in public." The other finished.







The room exploded in chuckles, not because they were loud but because of the density of people.







"Stay near me Draco." Harry instructed as he and Nathanial worked the room again. Draco watched rather then listened. Nathanial fluttered around the room, not at all ashamed of his naked chest or exposed marks. His grace shamed Draco, he would never be a social butterfly to dance around people. That they all loved him was evident with every aborted touch or longing look.







Draco sighed.







"He\'s something else isn\'t he." A deep voice rumbled behind Draco. He jerked slightly and then instantly found Harry. Potter winked at him but continued talking to the Ulfric. Draco took that as permission to talk.







"Who?" Draco glanced at the man beside him out of the corner of his eye to find he was speaking to the owner of the compassionate eyes that had soothed him during Snape\'s unexpected pressure.







"Nathanial."







Draco nodded, glancing briefly at his fellow sub. His attention was split between the dark man at his side and his master and didn\'t have more room for Nathanial\'s movements.







"Do you want to be like him?" The man asked.







Draco shrugged. The man next to him commanded attention, the other lycanthropes gave him space, but he also soothed something in Draco. "I\'m not." Draco said finally.







"No," The man\'s chuckle vibrated along Draco\'s spine and he recognized it as attraction, "You are not."







Draco wasn\'t really sure what that meant and so didn\'t comment. He stood, leaning on the wall next to this dark man for a moment.







"Your name?" Draco asked quietly.







"Noah."







Draco smiled softly, "Draco."







Noah bowed his shaved head.







"Can I ask you a question Noah?" Draco winced at the opening, he rather hoped this Noah wouldn\'t use that tired old line.







"Yes." Noah said instead making Draco smile.







"I can tell you are a lycan," Draco began slowly, he hadn\'t questioned someone in a long time, "But you aren\'t Nimir-Ra. Why do they avoid you so?" Draco shrugged a shoulder indicating the wary looks sent Noah\'s way.







Noah sighed and turned to look at Draco directly. Draco couldn\'t hold his eyes though, even though they were soft instead of angry, and turned away. Before Noah could answer, Nathanial appeared and latched onto Draco, tugging him away with scared wary eyes in Noah\'s direction. Draco let him but he didn\'t miss Noah\'s sadness nor his regret.







"Nathanial?" Draco questioned softly.







Nathanial tugged Draco straight to Harry who raised an eyebrow at Nathanial. The Leopard blushed but didn\'t stop until they were up in Harry\'s space. "He\'s...he scares me." Nathanial confided and Harry nodded.







Draco glanced back at Noah, confused and found the large black man leaning on the wall, arms crossed. His face was stone but his eyes were deep pools that Draco again lost himself in.







"We\'ll talk about it later kitten." Harry said but Draco heard it as if through water.







In the end, Draco decided he would take Harry up on his offer and strengthen himself. He would become someone who could stand on his own and then he would find love; the kind of love Harry and Nathanial shared.