Trying to be Good Mates (Drarry)

Chapter 15

"Hey, Draco," The two mates were lying in the same position as when Harry took the Saiwola venom, Draco reading a book and Harry with his head on his chest, looking at the book as Draco read aloud. 

"Yeah?" Draco looked down at the back of Harry's head. 

"Am I what you thought your mate would be?" 

"To be honest, no." Draco gave a small smile. "Of course, that doesn't mean that I'm not really happy being with you, you're still my perfect mate." 

"What did you think your mate would be like?" Harry's voice wasn't upset, but it was as monotonous as it would be at the end of every year, so it wasn't a good sign. 

"I didn't really have an idea, I didn't want to put any expectations when I didn't know anything about my mate. I'm really glad it's you though." Draco ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "But I guess I thought my mate would be taller, or have longer hair." 

Draco didn't think much about his words, everyone had vague ideas of what they wanted in future. Harry wasn't different to what he thought about. There was nothing he could really do about his height, but now they were together Draco found he loved being taller than his partner, he liked being able to feel protective. And if anyone needed protecting it was Harry. As far as hair length went Harry could grow it out if he wanted. 

What Draco couldn't see, though, was that Harry's eyes weren't their usual green, but the same blue of the flowers Harry saw in the small area of the fae realm he was in when he met his elf self. 

"What about you?" Draco played with Harry's hair, his eyes slowly turning green again before he spoke again. "Am I what you expected in a mate?" 

"I was raised by muggles, remember?" Harry let out a bitter laugh. "I didn't know a thing about mates. Besides, they have told me more than a few times I would be better off dead. I never thought I would have a future partner at all, let alone a mate." 

"Well I hope I'm not going against what you wanted." Draco frowned, it hurt to hear that his mate was told repeatedly that it was better if he was dead, he already knew Harry wasn't raised like the prince he thought he was. 

"Like I said, it's not like I had any ideas. I just wanted someone who loved me, and I think you do that." Harry shrugged, though he was starting to feel an odd need to grow his hair out. 

----- 

"Harry, can we talk in here?" Narcissa gestured for him and Draco to join her and Lucius in the oversized Living Room. 

"What's up?" Harry took a seat, his heart racing. He knew there were consequences if a mate couple who hadn't fully gone through the bond were separated for a long time, but the only thought in his mind was that they were kicking him out. It's not like he had done anything useful in his time now. 

"Please let us finish talking before you respond." Lucius said. 

Draco sat down next to Harry, but Harry didn't notice, his heart pounding in his ears. The words of his elven part came to his hears "we have to make them love us" "He'll leave us if we're not perfect" is that what's about to happen? 

"Harry? Are you alright?" Draco touched Harry's shoulder, making him flinch. 

"Hm?" Harry tried to hide his panic as he turned to look at Draco. "I'm fine." 

"Harry, as I'm sure you're aware, we technically belong to The Dark Lord's side. We don't have the power to go against him, but we have come up with a way to protect the pair of you." Narcissa tried to keep her voice level and gentle, though she was a lot more stressed than she was trying to let on. 

"What do you mean?" Harry had no idea what they were getting at, and what they meant that they couldn't leave. There were ways to hide using magic they could use. 

"Narcissa and I made the unbreakable vow to The Dark Lord before he made it so obvious that his desire was mass murder. I'm not going to pretend I like muggles, or how much muggleborns are changing the world we live in, but I didn't intent to sign up as a mass murderer. Draco is currently safe, but we will always be able to find him. The Dark Lord will not let us allow him to escape." Lucius knew what he was saying was hardly going to put himself in Harry's good books, Hermione was a muggleborn who wanted to change the society of the wizarding world after all. 

"I still don't know where you're getting yet." Harry was only half lying, he was pretty sure that he did know what they were trying to ask him, but he didn't want them to. 

"Dumbledore is the only person who could have sealed your inheritance, have affected your magic, and we know he was the one who placed you with the Dursleys." Draco was the one to speak this time. 

Harry felt like he was going cold, and the smell of the place he went when he met his elven self was filling his senses. He hated the way this conversation was going, though he couldn't yet be sure of the end goal yet. 

"Please join The Dark Lord's side. He has agreed to leave you alive if we can show that you won't betray him. You might even be able to save your friends." Narcissa's eyes were intense, but Harry couldn't see it, he could hardly see anything. 

"No." Harry barely managed to get the single word out. "I'm not joining Voldemort!" 

Harry ran from the room, he couldn't tell where he was going, but he needed to get away from them. Draco was right, it was no time for him to support Draco through the use of Saiwola venom. 

----- 

"Are you sure you're making the right choice?" Val watched Killian from the door. 

"I need to be with my mate, you know that better than anyone." Killian sighed, looking down at the robes that felt so alien to him. "Take care of her, yeah?" 

"Have I ever not?" Val rolled their eyes at Killian's ridiculous request. "I'll be sure to tell you if anything changes." 

In the silence that hung after that both knew there would never be any changes. They would never be able to give up on the hope as long as her heart beat and her chest moved with deep breaths, but she was dead. 

"I'll be seeing you."

Killian left, just like that.