Warriors in love

ofcourse bèta'd by the one and only Vittani.

A/N:
Some people don't seem to grasp the idea behind this story.
So I went over the chapters a few times more.
I added spaces, fixed up errors that were caused by the site and even changed some aspects 'to fit some peoples tastes more', how much more do I need to do?
You know what? Don't like? Don't read!
Because of the people who DO like my story, I will continue.
All I can say is, you have to read to find out.
Thanks to my reviewers, you people are amazing *big hug*

5-Home is, where the heart is.

It was late in the afternoon when Draco stopped running, to determine his position.
His heartrate hadn’t gone up very much and he didn’t even breathe faster.
There were definitely perks to being an elf.
He closed his eyes and let his mind go blank.
Then he felt it, a pulsing sensation in his stomach.
He was near, he was almost home.
He was about to start running again, when he froze on the spot.
He was being watched by someone.
He stood there, eyes closed, head held high.
If that someone wanted a piece of him, Draco was going to make damn sure that the other wouldn’t get a chance to ever live to tell about it.


“Stand down, young prince. There is no need for that kind of display.” A very low male voice said, coolly.
“Come and I will take you to our High Counsil” the man ordered.
Draco hesitated, but sensed this person, whomever it was, didn’t mean him any harm.
He opened his eyes and started to walk towards the place the voice had come from.
But where was he? Draco didn’t see him.
Then, all of a sudden, he saw just the tiniest shimmer of movement and walked towards a very big tree.
The tree was old and heavily overgrown by ivy.
He bowed his head to the tree, to give it respect and looked straight in the eyes of the stranger, who was camouflaged in the same colour and structure as the tree.


“Very well done, young prince. You passed your four tests” the man said, while stepping out of the background.
“Four tests? What were they?” Draco asked, a bit annoyed about being tested in the first place.
“The first was to feel the rhythm of Our Mother, the pulsing. The second was being in balance with your surroundings, the feeling of being watched. The third was The Greeting Ritual, bowing to our Watcher Tree and the last was Seeing, noticing me.” the man said with…was it pride in his voice?
Draco didn’t see what the big deal was, but let the man have his fun.
He bowed his head to the man slightly and introduced himself as Draco.
The man, in turn, bowed low to him and said his name was Gabriël.
Draco wanted to laugh…an elf with the name of an archangel?
He thought better of it though, it would not do to make an enemy on the first day there.
He just acknowledged the man and they walked past the Tree.
It seemed that the tree created some kind of barrier.
After passing it, Draco felt very different.
He felt light, alive and complete for the first time in his life.
Then he noticed the sounds of the forest become more quiet by the second.


He blinked a few times and thought he was dreaming.
The view he saw took his breath away.
There, right in front of him, were the most beautiful trees and plants and flowers he had ever seen.
He never had seen trees made from silver before.
Or at least looking like they were made of silver, sunlight filtered through the canopy.
And the grass under his feet was the greenest ever, tall and lush.
The flowers were so very exotic, their colour the brightest he had ever seen.
The smell sweet and intoxicating, sensuous almost.
If Draco was honest with himself, he had to admit it looked like a drawing from a book with fairietales.
He then noticed a group of people sitting around a table, carved from a tree stump.
There were 15 pairs of eyes looking at him and he stared back at them, although his parents always had told him that staring was rude.
He couldn’t help it, they were beautiful.
“So are you, my prince” Draco heard a voice in his head say.
Draco almost jumped out of his skin, he hadn’t anticipated the fact they would address him directly or through a mind link.
“Thank you” he said a bit ashamed of his behaviour.
He heard the sound of little bells all around him and realized the bells were actually the laughter of children.
“Come closer” one of the people around the table said.


Draco went in front of the group of elves and noticed the oddest thing.
They were all red headed, not one had black or blond hair.
“Do not worry about our looks, young prince. But, do try to remember we can all hear your thoughts here” the lady, who had called him to them, said.
Now Draco really was blushing from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes.
More tinkling of bells could be heard and Draco never felt smaller than at that moment.
“Come, my prince. You must be weary from your excursion. Let us go see the King and Queen and then you shall rest” the lady said again.
Draco moved at lightning speed.
He would see his parents again.
He held back his grin, but couldn’t hide his excitement and the lady smiled at him.
*Ah…to be young again* she thought.

Draco was lead to an opening in a tree and stepped through after the lady.
“My name is Summer’s Eve. But you may call me Eve.” The elf said.
“I am Draco. Pleased to make your acquaintence” Draco said politely.
He had a feeling she was a high placed elf and didn’t want to get on her bad side by being rude or worse, ignorant.
“Still thinking as a Slytherin, young one?” she asked with a laugh in her voice.
“Self preservation comes first?”
“Well…” Draco started, but she waved his answer away.
“Do not worry, you did nothing wrong. I would say your parents did a splendid job on raising you” she said….was there pride in her voice too?
Draco was getting more confused by the minute.

All of a sudden, Draco was embraced by two strong arms and almost squeezed to a pulp by his father.
“Son, you made it. How splendid.” Lucius beamed at him.
“Erm…vav? I van’t bweave” sounded Draco’s muffled reply.
Lucius loosened his grip a bit and then held Draco at arm’s length.
“I’m sorry Draco. I am just delighted to see you again. Let me have a look at you."
“My, my, you have become quite a handsome young man. You do my old heart proud” Lucius said beaming even more.
Draco was blown away.

His dad was displaying his joy?
Wait…his dad actually enjoyed something?
Wasn’t he always told elves weren’t big on the emotion thing?
Weren’t they supposed to be composed and confident and all that?
Lucius, hearing Draco’s thoughts, let out a thundering laughter.
“No Draco…not elves. But elves living like humans” Lucius guffawed.
Draco shrugged, he didn’t care anymore.
It was wonderful to see his dad laugh like this, tears of mirth running down his cheeks.

Then he heard a gasp and then the most beautiful sound in ages... his mother’s voice.
“Dragon? Is it really you, love?” his mother asked in a soft voice.
He turned around and answered shyly.
“Yes mom, it’s me. I missed you” he said and flung himself in his mother’s waiting arms.
To hell with the rest of the world.
He was right where he wanted to be and couldn’t care less about anything else.
His mother kissed his cheek and stroked his hair.
“You look like a Greek God” she stated.
“I always knew you were a handsome young man. But look at you now…you are breathtaking” she cooed.
Draco blushed, but said nothing about her praise.
He did feel a bit odd, however.
Like his energy was being drained somehow.
“Mom? I feel very tired all of a sudden. Is there anywhere I can sleep for a few hours?” he yawned deeply.
“And will you sing me a song? I love it when you sing” he said sleepily.
“Ofcourse you are tired, dear. And I most certainly will sing to you” she said wiping away a tear from her cheek, without Draco noticing.
She knew why he felt tired…his mate wasn’t in their Realm.
She had to let him go very soon again.
Her heart broke with the thought of setting him free, days after finally holding him.
She had waited eight months, only to have him for a few days.

Narcissa lead Draco into a room that was pitch black.
The room was secured against light, thoughts, sounds and all other kinds of disturbances from the outside.
Draco would sleep soundly there, until he was rested enough to face the High Counsil again the next day.
Narcissa lead her son to the bed, tucked him in and sang him a lullaby from the wizarding world.
It was about a golden dragon, that felt he didn’t belong anywhere, until he made a friend.
Draco smiled while closing his eyes, he always loved that song.
And while he lay there listening to his mother’s warm and beautiful voice, Morpheus came to claim him and take him to worlds unknown.


The following morning Draco sat up and couldn’t see a thing around him.
He wanted to call out, but heard his father’s voice in his head.
“Don’t worry, I’m here. Stand up, turn to your right and walk towards me. It’s only a few steps. You need to learn this, son. Count on your senses to guide you. Close your eyes and walk” Lucius said in Draco’s head.
Draco stood and made a sharp turn to the right. He closed his eyes and let his nose guide him first.
He tried to smell his father, took a few steps and almost lost his balance.
Well, that didn’t help much.
He closed off his smell and tried his ears.
Trying to hear his father’s breathing he strained his ears.
No such luck, he still couldn’t find his father.
Okay, how about touch then?
He stretched out his arms in front of him.
He made a circle around him with his hands.
He tried to touch something, anything, but felt emptyness all around him.
Shit, how was he supposed to do this?
Then it hit him….he wasn’t supposed to use his senses on a consious level or apart from one another.
He should try to let them blend together and go with his instincts.
Draco made his mind void of all thought and just ‘was’.
There! Just to the left of him.
Draco’s mind ‘touched’ another presence.
He found his father in two seconds flat, without stumbling or falling.

Lucius led him out of the dark room, into the bright day light.
Draco had to blink a few times, to let his eyes grow accustomed to the light.
“Well done. Well done indeed. It took me the better part of five minutes to get it right, when I had to find my father.” Lucius said aloud.
“How long did it take me, dad?” Draco asked inquisitive.
“You, my wonderful son, did it in 43 seconds” his dad said positively overflowing with pride.
“No elf has ever finished this task in less then one minute. You are truly worthy of the name ‘Yuraish’. It means ‘Great One’ and you are great, no two ways about that”
“Dad, would you please stop doing that?” Draco asked, his cheeks tinted a bright red.
“Do what, Draco?” his father asked confused.
Draco pondered his answer, while walking beside his father.
“Well, I am not accustomed to you being so overly cheerful or praising. It’s…well, it’s a bit unnerving really. You always were very strict and demanding. I know you in that way. I am not complaining, mind you. But it is a bit difficult to adept, I suppose”
“I understand, Draco. I was indeed rather hard on you. Always demanding perfection, not giving you any leeway. I do hope you understand why that was?!” his father said quietly.
Ofcourse Draco understood.

He had known about his heritance and needed to blend in with the humans.
Because of his background, he had to learn how to think, act and speak like a human child.
Being an overly intelligent child, Draco picked up what was taught effortlessly.

His father always wanted to praise the boy, but didn’t trust himself to keep his composure.
He did, however, always sing Draco’s praise to anyone else who was near enough to hear him.
How intelligent his son was, how well mannered, what a good looking boy he was, how well he was doing in school… etcetera etcetera.
Some people even stayed out of Lucius’ way, they had grown rather annoyed with the constant display of fatherly pride.
They felt as if Lucius thought his child was the only one worth mentioning.
Lucius didn’t mean to alienate his friends.
He was just so damn proud of his offspring.
Narcissa often stepped in and lead the conversation in another direction, which Lucius wasn’t very gratefull for.
His friends hadn’t heard yet of Draco’s first solo flight on a broom, while only being four years old.
They didn’t know yet of Draco’s first self made and working Veritaserum potion, when he was only seven.
Yes, to say Lucius thought the world of his son, would be the understatement of the decade, so to speak.
The only one who was always ready to listen to yet another heroic episode of the life of the young Malfoy, was his godfather.

Severus Snape was in awe about the young boy himself.
His first Veritaserum at age seven? It was unheard of.
Yet, Draco managed to do just that.
Snape was very fond of the youngster and spoiled him rotten.
That was one of the reasons Draco had become a selfcentered brat in the first place.
He could do no wrong in the eyes of his godfather.
He would buy the boy the most expensive robes, heaps of candy (which Narcissa constantly admonished Severus for), the newest got-to-haves in the wizarding world.
Severus also often took him on trips to his manor, where Draco could gather potions ingredients to his heart’s content.

The manor was very well known for it’s vast amounts of plants, nowhere else to be found in the wizarding world.
People often wrote to the potions master to ask for a tour or to request the purchase of a certain ingredient.
He seldomly did honour those requests, for some of his plants were priceless.
But Draco? He got to roam the gardens and pick whatever he wanted.
When at school, Draco would visit his godfather in the dungeons to have a talk or to brew some very difficult and demanding potions.
They always had a great time and Snape enjoyed every minute of it.
He would often write a letter to Lucius about Draco’s latest improvements or the boy’s antics, while at school.
Draco was known as a great prankster amongst his housemates.
He received as good as he gave, he was no sore loser, but mostly came out on top.
His repayments for pranks pulled on him were legendary.
Which were cause for laughter more often, than not.
Also the bullying of the ‘Golden Trio’ were a constant source of laughter and pride for the two grown ups.
The two adults weren’t particularly fond of those kids.
Especially that bushy-haired know-it-all, that bested Draco in most subjects.
Except for potions, that is.
Draco had an affinity for brewing, which came naturally to him.
Where that Granger girl had to study all night long on a potion, Draco just looked at the ingredients needed and somehow knew what had to be done.
This pleased the dour potions master to no end and the older Malfoy was just as proud.

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Draco and Lucius reached the table of the High Counsil and were greeted in a formal way, by the Elders.
“King Zawain, we welcome thee. Young Prince, we welcome thee” they said in unison.
Draco followed his father’s lead and nodded ever so slightly towards each and every one of the Elders, a bit unsure of what to do.
“I, King Zawain, feel honoured” Lucius said in a formal tone.
“I, Prince Yuraish, feel honoured” Draco said just as formal.
Lucius gasped and looked at Draco in horror.
There was a profound silence and all of a sudden one of the Elders rose to his feet and asked in an icy tone “YOU feel honoured, my Prince?”
Draco was stunned. Had he done something wrong?
Draco’s mind was running at top speed.
What did he do? What went wrong?
Then he groaned…oh no, he made a capital mistake.
He wasn’t supposed to say his elven name until he was attached to his mate.
“I apologise for Draco’s behaviour. He had not realised his error until it was too late. Please forgive my son. He is young and not accustomed to our laws yet” Lucius said in a pleading tone.
Draco stood there with his head hanging, eyes firmly cast down.
“This time and this time only we will give the young prince a chance to redeem himself” the Elder said sternly.
“I thank you, High Counsil, for your kindness” Lucius said relieved.
“Son? Address the High Counsil again. Right this time, please” his father said quietly.

Draco looked up at the High Counsil.
Eve looked at him expectantly and gave him a small nod.
“I, Draco Malfoy, feel honoured” he said and hoped to high heaven he didn’t mock up this time.
“As should you be, young man” the male Elder said, still a bit icy.
“We will not accept your father’s plea, would there be a next time”.
Draco stood there, head held high and took the scolding like a true Malfoy.
Malfoys didn’t accept defeat.
He would make his father proud.
This behaviour he was familiar with.
And he acted the part perfectly, if he did say so himself.

He guarded his thoughts and answered in a clear voice “ I am thankfull for your kindness. I understand and accept your terms. I pledge to thee there will be no more mistakes.”
This answer seemed to please the sour looking Elder and he nodded his acknowledgement.
“Very well then. Let us continue, shall we?” he said and took a seat at the table again.
Lucius went to sit at the table, but Draco remained standing.
“What is it now, young man? Don’t tell me you do not know what will happen next?” Elder ‘sourpuss’ said.
“It is not, that I do not know what will happen. I am, however, waiting for the Queen to be seated, before I sit down myself. It is my understanding she needs to be here to help decide my course of action. As the Queen is above me, I am to remain standing, until she is seated. Am I wrong in my understanding, Sir?” Draco stated clearly and firmly, not backing away from the glare he received from the Elder.

Eve, however, looked at him approvingly.
She would never openly defy the First Elder, but he was a bit high strung and felt he could do with a bit of pegging down.
“Well done, young one” she said through the mind link.
Draco looked at her with a question in his eyes.
“I know what you want to ask. I can send you thoughts meant just for you. You will learn how to do that yourself, very soon” she send with a touch of humor in her thought.
“I already am able to do so” Draco send back with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Eve looked at him, then checked the faces of the others at the table.
It seemed they hadn’t picked up on their little ‘exchange’.
“You learn fast, young one” came the thought with a hint of surprise.
Before Draco could answer, he stiffened.
Someone had challenged him.

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