The Lambs

Hey all, here is the next update.

I would like to say, to people that accused Harry of being OOC and then pointed it out to me, uh, if he was wouldn’t you think I would know seeing as I wrote him? And he wasn’t, mind you, it was the thing Fenrir explained about. This story is completely AU so keep an open mind, ok?

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter, et all are property of JK Rowling, and Bloomsbury, and Warner Bros and all those other nifty people that make it so we can read and watch the Potterverse whenever we feel like it. I make no money from doing this, so don’t sue me.
Summary: [FG/HP] A society of werewolves hasn’t got a lot to be afraid of, expect perhaps The Lambs, a collection of elemental-magic-wielding werewolf hunters. If that wasn’t important enough to worry about, the werewolf Alpha, Fenrir, has to figure out how to kidnap the Lambs’ Heir, Harry. Harry just happens to be Fenrir’s mate, who doesn’t believe in the existence of werewolves, because his parents decided ‘if he didn’t know about it, it can’t kidnap and mate with him’. AU non-magic.
Warnings: Slash. FG/HP AU. Character Death. Violence. Language. Werewolf. Non-magic. M-Preg.
Rating: R/NC-17 SLASH!!

Words: 5,887
Chapter 7
This New Life
August 7th 1998. The day after Harry left.

Draco spent his morning running laps around Hogwarts. Each step sent jolting pains up his legs but he didn’t stop running despite the ache. He gritted his teeth, bore the uncomfortable pains and kept running. He had to. He needed to. It was what Harry would have been doing if he had still been at Hogwarts. Harry would have enjoyed this. Draco had been running for four hours and he had practically worn his feet down to stumps. He had blisters on top of his blisters but he honestly didn’t care much past the pain. Severus would heal him later.

He wasn’t ready to go back inside yet.

When he woke this morning, the first thing he did was look out the window to see if Harry was running past yet. Then he checked Harry’s room, which was still full of Harry’s possessions because Bill wouldn’t let them pack anything. But Harry wasn’t there.

It was like an avalanche of emotion. Surprise, shock, horror, loss, resentment, fear: mostly agony, agony, agony. The emotions poured over him, knocking him to his knees as they clamoured over him and under him and through him, choking him and burying him alive. He gasped for breath, mentally trying to claw his way back to the surface, trying to remember how everything looked before his world had crumbled down around him. He couldn’t remember. He sat on his hands and knees, retching but nothing came up, and eventually he had to lean back on his haunches and admit defeat.

It didn’t matter how much he grieved or how long he sat staring at the foot of Harry’s bed, Harry wasn’t coming back. Harry was gone now, buried deeply beneath the avalanche that shook Draco’s world, and nothing Draco felt or did was going to bring Harry back to the surface, nothing would bring Harry back into Draco’s world.

So Draco ran. Each step that hurt him, that punishment was rightly deserved as far as he cared. He had caused this. He had been the one who left Harry alone with Fenrir, he who had been trusted to protect Harry had left Harry alone, and now Harry was a werewolf. Pain lanced up his legs and into his side. He gasped and clutched at his chest, before wrapping his arms around his rips. He stopped running and tried to catch his breath. His lungs were frantic and his heart beat wildly, trying to cope with his punishing morning exercise.

He wasn’t ready to go back inside yet.

He started to run again. Two minutes later, he heard Queen Lily screaming from inside Godric’s Hollow. He gave a derisive smile. “They know Harry is gone.” He whispered to himself.

Charlie had sent back a letter with Bill. Bill had left it on Harry’s pillow and Draco was too much of a coward to explain to the King and Queen himself so he had left the letter there even though its very presence mocked him and made him feel like his heart was bleeding.

It was a piece of white paper, with four long scratches gouged into the surface. Someone had written the letter ‘F’ beneath the claw mark in curvilinear handwriting. Draco could almost imagine Fenrir shredding sheets and sheets of paper and he tried to get the message just right, and he shuddered. Harry was with that monster now and it was his fault, so he kept running even though his feet ached. Lily screamed again, and Draco thought everyone in Hogwarts could hear her distraught wailing. It made his heart ache, but he ran on.

The pain in his legs, physical, tangible pain was preferable to the overwhelming anguish he was suffering through mentally. He didn’t think his heart could take anymore. So he kept running.

XXX

August 20th 1998. The night after the Full Moon.

He woke again, slowly. His head felt heavy and his muscles screamed in protest. He stretched, wincing at the popping noises his joints made. He scratched at his ribs and gave a sigh as he finally made himself sit up. Harry blinked his eyes slowly taking in his surroundings. He had slept in Fenrir’s tent for the past two weeks despite the pains he took to avoid the wolf during the day. No one would disobey the Alpha by letting Harry share their tent or their furs, and Harry wasn’t above admitting that he could suck up if it meant not sleeping on the floor outside. Doing that in wolf form, he knew now, wasn’t so bad, but as a human it would always be a last-choice option for him.

He turned his torso to the left, his eyes falling on his sleeping bedmate. Fenrir always came to bed later than Harry. He always made sure to have something to occupy his time until Harry was safely asleep before he entered the tent, and Fenrir was always gone before Harry awoke. If not for the scent of him that lingered and the warmth that was embedded in the furs, Harry could almost believe the tent was his alone, that he slept alone.

He eyed Fenrir now. He wanted so badly to look away, to storm from the tent and run and run. He was exhausted though, the first moon had taken a lot out of him and he was no longer as restless as he was before he left Hogwarts. He didn’t want to run just to run anymore, he wanted to run to get away!

Everything was different now. Everything was new.

Before last night, Harry thought he had experienced as much change as anyone was possibly able to handle. But now everything had changed again. Last night he didn’t hate Fenrir. He had teased him, his voice echoing in Fenrir’s head and vice versa. He had accepted help from the Alpha gratefully and happily, feeling pleasure in the fact that Fenrir paid attention to no one but him that night. He had run and jumped and Fenrir had caught him. They had nipped at each other playfully, and curled together after Fenrir carried him back to the tent. It was all very disconcerting.

Harry had pet dogs when he was younger, before the pups grew old enough to hunt. When they were puppies they had all played together and nipped at each other and ran around and rolled on one another. And after they had been taken away from Harry and made to hunt, Harry had snuck into the kennels to see them. One had been male and the other a female breeder. As pups their behaviour was so different from what it was that night as Harry watched them, confused. At seven-years-old he didn’t understand why they were rutting against one another like that, nor did he think that lying on top of one another could be very comfortable. But thinking back on last night, Harry was afraid to say the Alpha’s behaviour reminded him of the adult dogs in heat. There was nothing playful about him and Fenrir last night. Harry may have been playing, but to Fenrir it was probably some sort of drawn out foreplay before they mated.

Harry shuddered and stood up, pushing the fur down onto the rest of the pile. Fenrir slept on unaware of Harry’s internal turmoil.

Last night he had liked Fenrir, actually cared for the other man. But before yesterday he still distrusted and quite honestly disliked Fenrir. He didn’t hate the man. That was a lie. He had said that in anger and because he was afraid but it wasn’t true. Fenrir’s personality grated on his nerves at times and he didn’t like that way the Alpha expected Harry just to do as he was told all of the time. If they were going to be in any sort of relationship Harry wanted it to be as equals!

And there he went again. His mind running away from his more rational part of itself. Days ago he would never have considered having a relationship with Fenrir, and now he had gone through a full moon he wanted an equal relationship. He scoffed as he dressed himself. There was a Moon tonight and the next night. Two more life altering moons like last night to go, and he frowned as he thought about what Fenrir said to him.

He was entering a new stage of his life. This wasn’t the old life he was used to, not the life he understood. For all he knew the longer he spent in wolf form the more that part of him would influence his thoughts. Maybe werewolf-ism was like HIV? It was completely safe to have unless you had unprotected sex and passed it on to someone else. Maybe if you were a wolf and you never changed on the full moon you were safe from it, exempt. He feared that the more he changed the more he would subconsciously like Fenrir and he didn’t want that.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to like the man. It was that he was afraid to like this new life. He tried to image a few months from now. God knows how many Full Moons from now if his father were to come and forgive all werewolves if his son would come home, and he tried to imagine himself saying ‘no, father I like this life now’. He couldn’t bare the thought. It made his stomach roll and his throat close up.

He wanted to go home. He didn’t want to get attached to anything in case he was given the chance to go home, to his parents, Sirius, Draco and Fred and George. Having a mate couldn’t be all that it was cracked up to be if Harry would prefer to leave that mate for family, most of which wasn’t blood related.

A small voice wailed inside of him at that thought. It sobbed quietly and begged him to go back into the tent, to go back to his mate. Harry scowled. The wolf part of himself had woken up it seemed. He figured he’d have to learn to control that part of himself, to learn to ignore it or to incorporate its desires into his own much like a conscience. It was not there, not real, but it was a part of him, and an important part he guessed as much as it chagrined him to admit it.

He looked over his shoulder to see Fenrir standing beside the flap of the tent, holding it open with one hand in invitation. Harry decline the offer, turned his head away and kept walking. A part of him wanted this. Wanted to be loved and cherished and taken care of. He wanted someone to tell him about being a wolf, to calm his fears and be there for him like Draco couldn’t be.

But the larger part of him was still bitter. He had been lied to for years, and then tricked into being turned. Oh he had had sex willingly of course, but he wouldn’t have if he had known that Fenrir was going to infect him. He hated having his choices taken away from him. He hated being forced to be what someone else decided he should be; ignorant, werewolf, it was all the same.

He hated it, and irrationally he blamed the only person he was near enough to blame. His parents weren’t there, neither was Sirius. That left Fenrir.

He shrugged as he left the clearing. Two more Full Moons this month still left ahead of him. The way his luck was going lately, he could wake up after that last moon and decide he was hopelessly in love with Fenrir. He snorted.

“Kill me now.” He mumbled wishing that Draco was there to reply.

XXX

September 18th 1998. Full Moon.

The moon was high. The sky was a dark blue colour, with a handful of twinkling lights spread over its vast expanse, like diamantes on a dress. The moon seemed to shine with an otherworldly light. Every time Harry looked up at it the moon seemed to expand slightly, giving off a brighter glow before dimming again so it was the same as when Harry wasn’t looking. The boy-wolf frowned, and wondered if maybe he was seeing things.

The pain had been worse this time. The three nights of the last month he had Fenrir with him, guiding him, comforting him, and it had been sore, but not too sore. This night it was almost agony. Remus had hovered around him, frowning and mewling and butting Harry with his nose. Harry had fought the change. Every time Fenrir came near him, he ran. He didn’t want Fenrir’s help. He couldn’t need it. When he was back at Hogwarts, he’d have to get used to changing on his own. He couldn’t afford to become dependant on Fenrir’s presence.

As he thought that, the large silver wolf came up behind him. “Why shouldn’t you depend upon me? I am your dominant, it is my role to care for you.”

Harry let out a soft growl and the fur on the back of his neck stood up as he bristled. “I am not submissive to anyone. I am the Heir to The Lambs and I am Prince Harry James Potter of Hogwarts! We shall not submit.” Even speaking directly to Fenrir’s subconscious Harry’s voice sounded overly arrogant and conceited. He snorted as he thought he sounded a little like Draco when the boy felt particularly offended.

“You are my mate. You are Harry, the Alpha’s mate, and that is it. None of your fancy titles matter here, cub.” Harry growled again. Fenrir sighed and moved closer to the other boy. “What is the matter with you? You were fine on the moons of last month, and the time in between you seemed to be getting used to this new life. You avoided me less as well.” Fenrir sounded a little hurt, but he covered it up by opening his mouth to expose his teeth in a mockery of a grin.

“I’m fine. God, that’s a lie. I’m not fine. I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to be a Werewolf. I want to go home. I miss my parents and I miss Draco and Sirius and my other friends. I don’t want to be your mate, because then I wouldn’t need to be a Werewolf, and I don’t want to get used to you being around to help me because then I’ll miss you when I go home.”

“If you go home. You don’t honestly believe they’ll accept you back? You’re a monster to them.” Fenrir let out a wolf-like chuckle. It sounded more like he was about to pounce on something and eat it than he found something amusing. Harry fought back a shudder. He refused to be afraid of someone who apparently would never hurt him.

“I’m not a monster, Fenrir. I haven’t hurt anyone. I haven’t hunted anything. I eat the food others bring back only if it were cooked first, just like I would have done at Hogwarts. I don’t go hunting on the full moon and I’ve never turned anyone on purpose. If anyone is a monster, it’s you.” Harry blinked his eyes closed a few times, as if he thought he might cry and was trying to stop the tears. If Fenrir was human Harry thought he might look devastated. As it was, the silver wolf merely backed away a few paces and lowered his head submissively.

“I cannot apologize enough, Mr. Potter.” Then he took off running towards the forest. Harry watched him go, and a part of him wanted to follow and take back everything he said, but he stayed where he was.

A large red wolf padded over to him, then dropped to the ground with a sigh. “Stupid boy,” Charlie said focusing on Harry’s mind alone. Harry jumped, startled, as he heard the words. “He is in love with you. He would take care of you. Do you not want someone to love you, someone for you to love, unconditionally?”

“It isn’t unconditional though is it. One of the conditions is that I have to be a Werewolf and live in a forest and never see my parents again.”

Charlie seemed to consider that for a moment. His head tilted sideways before he leant over to nip Harry’s leg. “But it is love, Harry.” That ended the conversation for the red wolf. Charlie laid his head on the ground and yawned before rolling over and going to sleep.

Harry stared at the other wolf’s back for a moment, thinking hard. Did he want this? Yes, he always wanted to fall in love and get married and this was apparently as close as he was going to get. But did he want to settle for that? Who else was out there that he thought he could marry? Not Ginny, definitely not. He had always preferred boys, and he definitely wouldn’t go after a redhead. They all reminded him too much of the Weasleys. There had never been anyone for him like Mione was to Draco. Draco didn’t love her, but he didn’t want to let her go either. He was obsessed with her, he was fond of her and he enjoyed having sex with her. Harry didn’t have anyone who stood out so starkly in his mind. There was no one person who was as important to him.

‘Yes there was.’

Harry frowned at the voice of his inner wolf. It was as bad as having a cricket on your shoulder, telling you to do this or not to do that. He tensed up and pushed the voice away. He didn’t have time to talk to himself.

‘There is,’ it said again.

“There is what?” Harry’s mouth moved to say the words, but as Werewolves couldn’t speak in their wolf form the words were only heard in his head.

‘There is someone who stands out, someone who was important to you, don’t you remember?’ Harry frowned as the voice dredged up memories he had been trying to forget. He panted as he watched the replay of his time with Fenrir outside of the Hogs Head. When the memory finished the wolf in him seemed to have quietened down and Harry lifted a paw to rub at his eyes.

Did he want to do this? He questioned himself. Was he willing to do this? He took a few deep breaths and straightened out. His fur was black as night and his eyes were amber coloured, but they shined with a greenish light as Harry looked up at the moon.

“God help me,” he prayed silently. Then he ran off into the forest, searching for his mate.

He would do this. He deserved this, and if he were honest he wanted to be loved and taken care of. And in the worst-case scenario, if his parents ever did try to hunt him down, he wanted Fenrir to protect him and fight for him.

He wanted Fenrir Greyback. The thought almost made him hysterical, but then he caught sight of the other wolf. The large silver wolf was standing at the edge of a lake about two miles away from their clearing. He looked despondent, his ears lay flat against his head and his back legs trembled.

Werewolves couldn’t swim. They were too densely muscled with too little fat. “Don’t do that.” Harry said quietly, moving towards his mate.

“Do what?” Fenrir asked without turning around. “Exist? Like I said, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t go in the water, ok? Please.”

Fenrir let out another chuckled. “I wasn’t going to drown myself, but it is nice to know that you’d care.” He finally turned to face Harry, and the way he was looking at the small wolf made Harry’s knees weak. Harry took a step back as Fenrir lopped towards him. “Do you care, Harry?”

“Of course I’d care. I- I’d miss you, so don’t go anywhere ok?” Harry lay down on a soft patch of grass and held a paw out to Fenrir. The silver wolf gave a small grin and made his way closer to his mate. Fenrir lay down on the ground just behind Harry, but the black wolf shifted backwards till he was pressed flush against his elder mate. “I want to be your mate. And I don’t think you’re a monster. Sorry.”

“It is forgiven, my precious one. I love you.” Harry didn’t say anything back, but Fenrir was relieved by the pleasure filled purr Harry started to make. The black wolf purred until he fell asleep, safely tucked against his dominant.

Yeah, sometimes Fenrir still pissed him off, but he figured they could work on that. What really mattered was that they would both be happy. Harry had no doubt that Fenrir could make him happy. (‘Happier than Ginny at any rate,’ his inner wolf giggled).

XXX

September 24th 1998.

Fenrir lay on his back, surrounded by furs that smelt of his delectable mate. He had his eyes squeezed closed as Harry had demanded, and he resisted the urge to peak. He was naked, because he always slept that way. Nudity was not something that embarrassed him but it was something Harry felt uncomfortable with. Fenrir frowned as he heard the zipper in the tent close. Harry had sealed them in. Harry was definitely in the tent because Fenrir could smell him. He smelt nervous and Fenrir fought down the instinct to check on his mate because it would mean opening his eyes and Harry had made him promise.

A weight settled on his thighs and Fenrir’s hands came forward automatically to grip the boy’s waist. Harry wiggled slight and Fenrir let out a moan. He hadn’t been allowed to touch his mate since their first bonding. “You can open your eyes now.”

Fenrir did, and they widened as they met the sight of a naked Harry wriggling in his lap. Fenrir swallowed heavily, entranced by the sight of his mate. He, also, had the deep-set need to know that Harry wanted this. He didn’t want Harry to think badly on sex with him anymore. “Are you sure?”

”I’m ready. I want you, and I want this. Please?” His eyes fluttered closed as he shifted up Fenrir’s body. Fenrir was almost immediately achingly hard and Harry hovered over the erect penis, a grin on his face. “I already prepared myself. In case you decided not to do this for my own good or something.” He smirked and let himself sink down on to Fenrir’s cock and the silver wolf gave a loud groan that made Harry blush.

“This is going to be over quickly.” Fenrir huffed as Harry bounced on top of him. His fingers dug into Harry’s hips before they ran up the length of his back, raking his skin, marking him.

“We have all night for a repeat performance.” The brunette panted, his hands braced on Fenrir’s chest.

“Or several,” the elder added with a leer. His back arched as Harry reach down to squeeze his balls.

“You bet!” The last word turned into a cry as Fenrir’s hand began to fist him, slowly running up and down the length of him as he arched and cried out, moving his body faster. He came hard, his body tensing up as his released landed on his stomach and Fenrir’s. The elder wolf flipped them over, and began to trust into him brutally. Harry moaned with each thrust, crying out softly each time Fenrir hit his prostate, but he was too blissed out to do much more than lie there and take it. Fenrir came a minute later with a decidedly happy howl. His teeth bit into Harry’s shoulder, where it met his neck, and Fenrir lay on top of his mate for a while just licking at the bite mark.

His eyes softened as they met his mate’s green-amber eyes. “I love you.” Harry still didn’t say it back, but Fenrir knew Harry felt something similar for him already. The boy just needed a little more time. After waiting over twenty years for a mate, Fenrir could wait a few more months to hear those three words repeated to him.

XXX

October 26th 1998.

Dearest Draco. How I miss you.

It’s very different here, but it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I have decided to accept Fenrir as a mate, and I rather like the results. He isn’t as bad as every one makes him out to be though. I’m sure if there was a vicious battle going on he’d be dangerous, but I’m pleased to say I think I have him cowed. No one can resist my puppy dog eyes! Not even you, so don’t be gloating over there.

I love you Draco. I miss you so much. There are times when something funny happens, or I have a strange thought and I want to tell you so much, but its hard to get paper over here, and Bill’s owl is only around every so often. It would be easier if you wrote to me yourself you know. Maybe I can convince Fenrir to let your owl through as long as it isn’t close to the full moon when he arrives? There is so much to tell you, but so little paper. Words, words everywhere, and not enough space to write. Ha! Am I not witty?

I miss you Draco, and I’m relatively happy. If it’s safe, say hello to your dad, Sirius, my parents and the Twins. Thanks! I hope I can see you soon. Maybe next time Bill visits Charlie you could come as well? I’ll never have another friend like you Draco, so I hope you don’t hate me. And don’t hate yourself. Everything I said to you before I left was bang out of order. I was scared and angry, and I didn’t mean any of it.

I love you, all of you. Harry.

Draco folded up the piece of paper after he had read it and sniffed. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and Bill frowned over at him. He had been reading over Draco’s shoulder and he smiled at the blond boy softly.

“When I go next, you can come.” Draco smiled thankfully, but didn’t speak.

It was silently for a while as Bill read his letter from Charlie. Most of it was about how Harry was progressing, and how much they both wished they could go home but knew they couldn’t. Bill read those parts out loud for Draco. But the rest of the letter, the stuff about Charlie’s life, Bill kept private.

“I better go back inside.” The blond looked towards Godric’s Hollow. He could see his father, a dark silhouette with a halo of blond hair, waiting at the front steps. “Bye, then, Bill.” He said, throwing a wave back over his shoulder as he walked briskly to his father. “Harry says ‘hello’,” he whispered quietly, knowing his father wasn’t particularly adverse to werewolves and so he would snitch to the King and Queen.

“I hope he is well?” Lucius asked softly.

“Yes, very, but he misses everyone.” Draco added. They both fell silent as they entered the atrium. A guard led them through to the throne room where most of the other influential Elementals waited. Everyone within the throne room was a member of The Lambs. They would not speak of Harry here.

James cleared his throat and the room went silent. “I, James Potter, declare this meeting of Lambs open. The first order of business?” He looked around the hall but no one wanted to be the one to bring the subject up. It had been ignored for months now, but sooner or later James would have to deal with it.

Peter was the first to speak. “I declare the first order of business to be the fate of Harry Potter.” Hushed whispers filled the room. Everyone had been fond of Harry and they all knew he was a good boy, and werewolf or not none of them wanted to be the one to condemn him to death. Most turned to glare at Peter, but he threw off their looks. In his opinion, why did that little brat get to have the power he so badly wanted? It wasn’t fair, and he deserved to be punished.

“Then it shall be.” James’ voice was weary. Lily stood beside him looking pale and thin. She bit on her tongue to keep herself from shouting out her denial. “What shall we do about Harry Potter?” James tried to keep his voice detached and cold, but he didn’t quite manage it. It hitched slightly as he said his son’s name. His only child.

“We should kill it.” Peter said immediately, and a few people gasped.

“Reasons?” James asked, even though he really wanted to use his element to set Peter on fire.

“He is a werewolf?” Peter asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“As was Remus, but we did not kill him.” Sirius pointed out while James fought to control his temper.

James had spent his entire life believing that werewolves were evil creatures that deserved worse than death, but now Harry was one. And James knew Harry. His son wasn’t evil, and James doubted that being bitten was going to change the fundamentals that made his son who he was. Harry wasn’t evil, he wasn’t. The thought made him feel like the world was tilting sideways all of a sudden and he couldn’t understand how he was supposed to make everything ok again. Had he been wrong for so long?

“We sent him away though. He betrayed us.” Peter was almost shouting.

“That is ridiculous. As I have said many times before, Lupin was not the cause of the Prince’s mate mark. Lupin had nothing to do with it. Your own foolish actions are what drove Lupin into Greyback’s arms. Lupin is no doubt with the Prince as we speak.” Severus sneered as Peter turned to look at him. Peter flushed under the hate filled gaze the Healer shot him, and turned away.

“We were foolish, yes, but that cannot be changed. We will not be foolish again.” James said slowly. The fingers of one hand were crossed behind his back. “All in favour of killing Harry Potter raise your hand.” Peter’s hand rose, and a few others raised their hand as well. “All in favour of leaving Harry Potter be, unless Harry Potter starts an altercation, raise your hand.” The majority of the room voted for that option, including Sirius and Lily. James released the breath he had been holding and uncrossed his fingers. “Very well. Harry Potter is to be left in peace. If he comes to us in surrender we will welcome him to us with open arms and if he attacks us we will attack him back. The first matter of business is settled. On to the second matter of business for today.” He waited for someone to suggest something.

As the others fought for something to discuss next Peter clenched his hands together and glared at anyone who looked at him.

Lily was the one who spoke. Everyone stared at his or her Queen in shock; unable to believe she was the first to suggest it. “The second order of business should be the punishment of Fenrir Greyback for his unprovoked attack on Prince Harry of the Lambs.”

“Very well.” James said, a small smile tugging at his lips. He may have been a King second and a father first, but he really loved the handful of times those two went hand in hand.

Draco clutched the letter in his hand and smiled softly. Lucius and Severus both looked down at him, and he caught Bill’s eyes from across the room and his smile widened. “I want to see him.” Draco mouthed. Bill’s eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what the blond said, before he nodded softly.

Lucius squeezed his son’s shoulder and frowned. “Be careful.”

“Harry won’t let anything happen to me.” Draco’s smile faded. “He’s a better friend than me.” Lucius squeezed his shoulder again, and moved to stand in front of Draco so the younger blond was hidden from view. Draco read over the letter again, ignoring the meeting completely as his brain focused on one specific part.

And don’t hate yourself. Everything I said to you before I left was bang out of order. I was scared and angry, and I didn’t mean any of it. I love you.

“Love you and miss you too, Harry,” Draco whispered before wiping the tears off of his face. He tucked the letter into his pocket just as the meeting finished up and everyone turned towards the door. He was the closest to it, so he was the first one from the room. He ignored anyone who tried to talk to him and he thought long and hard about something that terrified him. Would it be worth it to tell the King and Queen? To put himself in danger? But would he actually be in danger, though, they had deemed Harry a grey zone. He was allowed to remain Harry’s friend as long as Harry didn’t attack him or anyone else first.

“King James, Queen Lily.” He shouted.

Both stopped and turned to look at them. Sirius stood by their side, smiling softly at him. “Yes Draco, dear?” Lily asked softly. Her eyes glazed over slightly as she watched him and Draco thought she was probably thinking about how strange it looked to see Draco without Harry beside him. That thought made him rather sad as well.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” They waited patiently. “Actually, it’s something Harry wanted to tell you.” Lily’s breath caught, and James’ eyes widened. Sirius took a step forward, his hand held out like he could touch his godson if he tried hard enough. “He loves you, and misses you all.”

“Tell him to come home,” Lily begged. “Tell him to stay away from Greyback.” Draco nodded and frowned. He didn’t tell them about Harry’s decision to mate; he didn’t think it would be a good idea. Nor did he tell them he didn’t think Harry would come home, but he entertained the thought as he walked back to Malfoy Manor and got ready for bed. It was unlikely Harry would come to Hogwarts without Fenrir, but it was a nice thought nonetheless.

He dreamt about it that night. When he woke, it wrote his dream out in complete detail, then added a quick mention of what happened in the meeting and the decision King James reached. He folded the paper up and went in search of his own owl. Without asking his father’s permission, he sent Hades to find Harry and hoped his owl didn’t get eaten.

Hades came back three hours later in one piece. But he came without a letter.

XXX

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