Soar on Delicate Wings

**Please do not comment on how I write. It's simple. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it. If there are mistakes however, you are more than welcome to point those out. This is Harry/Draco you must like it if you're in this section.**


CHAPTER FOUR: WITH A CUP OF TEA


Brilliant rays of sunlight streaming across the room from the stained glass window woke Harry bright and early. Warmth was pressed against his back, while something heavy held him down to the bed. He realized that it was the first time since the death of Voldemort that he had slept soundly through the night, not even waking to nightmares. Wondering if the warmth had any thing to do with it, he opened his green eyes and looked down to see that it was an arm wrapped around his waist. Blinking it took a few moments for the memories of last night to come back to him, and when they did they flooded in, but he was surprisingly headache free like the last few times it had happened. Reaching back he felt a thigh pressed into the back of his own and a slight tickling sensation ghosted over his neck as Draco breathed deeply in his sleep.


Also remembering his last question to see Draco’s animagus form and the blonde’s response he was suddenly excited. Trying to wiggle out of Draco’s hold proved fruitless so he merely turned to face him better. Very gently he took the time to get more acquainted with his soon-to-be-mate by tracing the curves of the sleeping prince’s face. Harry didn’t even notice the change in the other’s breathing pattern or the slight shifting. Lost in the details before him until silvery-blue eyes opened and then the curious hand was stopped by a pale one.


“Sorry, I just couldn’t bring myself to wake you rudely again,” Harry said, grinning sheepishly.


“I have to admit that was better than any other I’ve had,” Draco said, yawning.


“You said you’d show me your dragon form today,” Harry said, squirming excitedly.


“So I did. First I think we need something to eat,” Draco said, releasing Harry so they could get up.


Harry’s excitement bubbled over in the blonde, allowing the energy to move him faster than usual. Yet Draco would not permit himself to be anything less than perfect, thankfully years of practice helped him to be ready sooner. Venturing from the school they found a place Draco thought was good enough and Harry stood back. A few moments later the man who stood in front of him twisted and transformed into a giant green and silver dragon.


More than three times the size of the normal human height, the scales glistened in the sunlight and the long tail flicked almost uncontrollably. The green covered most of the body except for the underbelly and the dangerous spikes down his back. Harry having faced two dragons in his life had never seen one as beautiful as Draco. The intelligence in the silver-filled eyes suggested that he might be able to get closer. As he did, two giant silver wings moved, shading him from the sun. Upon reaching Draco’s side a slightly hesitant hand reached out to feel the scales.


The texture was not unlike the basilisk he fought second year. The main difference was that he didn’t think he could cut himself on Draco’s scales. It was smooth, almost seamless like chain mail. Green eyes closed, and Harry breathed in Draco’s scent; he smelled like a tropical waterfall in the midst of summer. Losing himself in the smell and the imagery it brought with it, he didn’t noticed when the petting stopped and his body began to shift.


~Harry, you changed.~ The blonde touched his thoughts to his mate’s.


~What? How did that happen? What am I?~ Harry’s mind panicked.


~It happens differently for everyone, so I’m not quite sure. You appear to be a Nundu if I’m not mistaken.~


~A what?~ Green eyes opened and he noticed that he was taller, almost to Draco’s shoulders instead of an elbow.


Draco led Harry to the lake so he could look at himself. Peering down into the water Harry realized he looked like a leopard he had seen in the zoo the one year he got to go with the Dursleys’. Only Harry seemed to be twice the size of the leopard. Draco moved to lay in the shade of a large tree as the sleep he had gotten wasn’t quite enough for him, even though his mate appeared to be doing just fine. For several hours the dragon watched the nundu run around, getting used to the new form. Draco let himself use the time to remember just how they became friends in the first place.


Draco sat there watching as Goyle sat upon the chair, Kingsley questioning him about the accident that happened in the Room of Requirement during the first part of the Second War. Goyle spoke of how the three of them found Potter and his friends searching for a diadem in the mess of a room. He spoke of how Crabbe had shot a Killing Curse at first Hermione and then Ron, before using Fiendfyre that he had learned from the Carrows. The fire burned out of control, much to the horror of Draco and Goyle, and along with the Gryffindors. Then things went blurry for him before he saw that he was outside of the room, and told by Draco that he had been Stunned and Harry Potter had saved them.


The blonde had already heard the story, and even told his own, seeing as how the ministry was so intent on not giving Crabbe the burial his mother wanted. Most of the Council wanted to bury him right alongside his Death Eater father in the Azkaban graveyard. Draco, feeling nauseous from the Veritserum nearly got up to leave when Goyle was asked to step down when he heard Harry Potter’s name. Silver eyes watched as the boy he’d always tortured got up from his spot to sit in the now vacant chair. The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice as the headlines were calling him looked worse for wear. Dark bags were under his eyes, the green eyes didn’t sparkle like they used to, his skin was an unhealthy shade of yellow and his clothes hung off him like he were nothing but skin and bones.


He was handed the Veritserum, just like the rest of them, and he drank it without complaint. Handing the empty vial back to the potions maker, when it was all gone. From there it continued like it had the rest of them. Making sure that the truth serum was working properly, then the real questioning began.


“How did you know Vincent Crabbe?”


“He was one of Draco Malfoy’s ‘friends’, I didn’t really have a lot of interaction with him until second year.”


“What happened during second year?”


“Draco challenged me to a duel and Crabbe was his second, although we never did duel. Then over the holidays Hermione, Ron and I completed the Polyjuice Potion, to question Draco about him being the Heir of Slytherin and opening the Chamber of Secrets. To ask him we made Sleeping Draughts and became Goyle and Crabbe and snuck into Slytherin. After that I didn’t really have much to do with them, except for the times they were accompanied by Draco.”


“Until the Room of Requirement?”


“Yes, we were on the search for Horcruxes Voldemort had left everywhere and one of them was in the school, so sneaking back in we eventually ended up in the Room of Requirement. Crabbe shot a curse at Hermione and then at Ron before casting Fiendfyre. He lost control and it spread everywhere before it swallowed him up. I summoned my broom and could see Draco and the Stunned Goyle trying to escape. I couldn’t leave them to die, no one deserved that death so I saved them, before leaving to fight with the others.”


“Thank you Mr. Potter, you can step down.”


He did, given an antidote as he returned to his seat. The council whispered amongst themselves before Kingsley turned to look at the room.


“I hereby give Mrs. Crabbe permission to bury her son, Vincent Crabbe, wherever and however she wishes,” With that the crowd dispersed.


Mrs. Crabbe was sobbing into her handkerchief, relieved that someone as noble as Harry Potter would speak on behalf of her son when his friends wouldn’t. The only three witnesses were Draco, Goyle and Harry, but apparently the Golden Boy had given them what they needed. It seemed that Harry was at all of the trials, and even a lot of funerals, in the course of the last few weeks, and it was showing. The papers showed every one of his good deeds that he had done in the time following Voldemort’s defeat. He had even shown up at his parent’s trial, only speaking good things on behalf of his mother, but could only tell the truth of his father. Draco wasn’t sure if he was making sure the Death Eaters were imprisoned for the rest of their life or if that was all they got.


When the boy in question tried to leave the courtroom Mrs. Crabbe called his name, moving over towards him. She seemed to be thanking him for what he did, and then perhaps inviting him to the funeral. If that were the case then Draco would be sure to attend, even if he was already going, forgetting the fact of what Crabbe had said to him near the end.


It wasn’t long before Draco got to see the Golden Boy again, his black cloak that all wizards and witches wore to a funeral sitting upon his shoulders like a block of marble weighing heavily on his back. When the ceremony was over Draco rushed over to make sure that the sickly boy didn’t disappear before what he wanted to say to him was no longer valid.


“Potter. Thanks for coming, and for what you did for me and my mother,” Draco said, stopping near him, but not exactly close, since he still didn’t have his wand back.


Harry nodded, and reached into his cloak, Draco flinched, waiting to be cursed, but instead the wand he had used since he was eleven was there, being offered back to him. Draco wasn’t sure if he was allowed to take it since the Ministry had him on probation, so he didn’t touch it.


“I spoke to Kingsley and he said I could return this to you,” Harry said, obviously knowing what was on his mind.


Draco nodded, and took the wand back, feeling the power rush through him. When he went to thank him, all he saw was Potter’s retreating back and he rushed to catch up with him.


“Mother wants me to invite you over for tea sometime this week, when you’re free. We usually have it around one or two, so just let us know,” Draco said nervously.


“I have some free time on Wednesday, I’ll be there about one-twenty,” Harry said before exiting the gates and Apparating away.


Draco fretted and paced in the three days until he could see Harry again, wondering if the boy would get any worse. So by the time it was about the time he showed up his hair was messed from running his fingers through it. A house-elf announced that their guest had arrived and it was mere moments before he stood in the doorway of the sunroom where they took their afternoon tea.


“Mrs. Malfoy, Draco,” Harry said, nodding his head briefly.


“Please sit down, Kildy will bring the tea shortly. I’ve seen what you’ve been doing according to the Prophet, but I know it hasn’t always been accurate. So please tell us, you look like you’ve fought off twenty dragons,” Narcissa said, pointing to the chair next to Draco.


So the next hour was spent by the Golden Boy telling them just what he had been up to, apparently both wizarding and Muggle families had wanted him to attend the funerals of their loved ones. When the clock chimed four o’clock Harry said that he had another funeral to attend to and when he stood it seemed like the room spun and his hand went to his forehead before he collapsed. Before he could hit the white marble floo,r Draco moved and caught him. His mother gave him a look and he picked up the light boy moving him to lay him down on the couch.


From then on Harry stopped by for tea daily, enjoying his time with the Malfoys’ even against Ron and Hermione’s protest. Until one day he invited them to come with him and they saw that they were not poisoning him, or cursing him. Instead, they saw him laughing, unsure of when their friend had a real smile on his face. Ron even accepted that Harry was not or ever going to marry his sister because that’s what he felt for her, she was his little sister too.


That was how their friendship started, with a cup of tea, Draco’s hope for them being more one day, finally growing. After all, he was Harry Potter, and the Malfoy name had now been dragged through the mud, yet even though all the years he had spent torturing the dark haired boy seemed like it was nothing more than a mildly bad dream. Draco was glad that Harry wanted to do nothing but put that all behind them, only bringing them up as funny stories of how they met. The tea visits seemed good for Harry. The dark circles began to fade, the green eyes sparkling with every embarrassing story about him his mother told, his color tanning with each Seeker game they played, his body filling out healthily with every passing day.


Then long after lunch Harry came towards Draco, breaking him out of the memories, laying next to him, exhausted, and closed his cat-like eyes. Together they allowed sleep to lure then into its embrace, Harry curled into the larger form of his mate, while a tail protectively encircled the smaller body.
Several hours later the leopard began twisting, as if a nightmare danced across the black of sleep.

Silver eyes opened to watch his mate struggle against an unknown enemy, nearly too intent on watching that he almost didn’t hear the sound from across the lake. Shifting his gaze, Draco noticed a pair of yellow-red eyes watching them, before a black mass and the eyes shot from the hiding spot and into the forest.


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celestialuna: Thanks for the reviews. Wow, it's a lot of them.


Arieru: Well, here's what you've been waiting for. Chapter Four, with all it's goodness.


paigeey07: Thanks for liking my chapter so much.


Ero: I had planned to put it in eventually, but Harry just didn't want to look at himself yet. I hope the explanation was good. In the next chapter I'll put up the design of their wings for you all.


Naughty Tooner: Thanks for taking an interest in my story...I hope you like it.


momoko: Thanks for the review.


foxyval: Thanks for enjoying it so much. Nope, no flying type. That's what he has Draco for. Besides, he already has wings...I think it's time for him to keep his feet on the ground, what with all the 'falling off of brooms' that happen to him and around him. Yes, they will eventually have children, the strange, non-Muggle way, just not right now. I do have other stories where they already have children if you'd like to add those.


Lilith: Well, now you see it!! Isn't it wonderful? Yes, I think it is.


Night The Storyteller: Well, now it's here. Wait no longer!!

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I hope to see that you all are still with me! Thanks for all the good comments!