Deeper Than Blood

Chapter 7

"Harry?" Draco was softly knocking on his door. "Harry, can I come in?" He tuned into his veela hearing and heard a faint sob. So faint, he thought he didn't hear it until it happened again.

He pushed the door open and sneaked inside before shutting the door softly. Harry was on the floor in the far corner of the room, wings wrapped firmly around him. The door had helped muffle the sobs, but Draco could see now that the wings were absorbing most of the sound.

"Harry?" he called softly. His feet whispered across the floor in his haste to give the boy some sort of comfort. He felt, rather than saw, the wings stiffen at his approach. "Oh Harry." He dropped to his knees beside him and gathered him in his arms softly, careful not to touch his wings too much. He knew just how sensitive they could be, especially when emotions run high, and he didn't want to cause more harm.

"I-I j-just don't k-know wh-what's w-wrong. I-I'm just s-so s-sad," He tried to keep talking through the sobs, but the sorrow eventually won out, effectively cutting his speech off.

"Would you let me in, Harry?" One of the wings opened just enough for the blond to fit through and quickly cut out the outside world again. Draco pulled Harry to him, holding him as sobs wrecked through his entire body. After a few minutes Harry's sobs had quieted somewhat and Draco took advantage of that.

"You're lonely." It wasn't a question, more of a statement. Harry's body had been so preoccupied with healing itself inside and out, trying to heal sixteen years worth of wounds, that the mate aspect of it all hadn't been something they thought to discuss. Normally it was a slow progression, the loneliness. It was supposed to be a gradual change, something that took a year or more to develop into a bond with their mate.

Harry seemed to be getting the brunt of the loneliness all at once, and none of the bond. A tear slipped down Draco's cheek. It had only been a few months for him and the hollow loneliness was already intense. He couldn't imagine getting a year's worth all at once.

Harry leaned into his embrace, clutching at his shirt for dear life.

"Shh, it'll be alright Harry. Everything's going to be okay." He explained his suspicions to him and Harry slowly quieted over time, letting small hiccups replace the sobs. "Father and I did some research on dark angels. The loneliness will be there until you're completely changed. Slow changes, mostly internal, happen over the course of a year. It's also believed to be the period in which a creature is meant to find their mate-to use the time to socialize as much as possible so it's easier to pinpoint who you're mat it later. Most, anyways. I believe that your magic finished with you much faster than everyone else's would have, and that's caused all the buildup for a mate to drop on you all at once.

"I know it hurts, believe me I know. Your mate is out there Harry." He gently ran his fingers through the boy's hair while he held Harry against his left side. "Either your mate hasn't met you yet, haven't turned sixteen, or they're like us and going through these changes as well. I can help you through this as best as I can until then." Harry sniffled and pressed closer into Draco's chest, relishing in the closeness. It was easing the pain, although not by much.

They didn't know how long they sat there, tied up in each other's embrace. Both were benefiting from the prolonged contact, experiencing the loneliness subside a little. It was like this that Lucius found them, holding each other under Harry's vibrant wings. Lucius softly closed the door, letting them be.

He spent an hour or so scouring his personal library, trying to find the book he had on mates and their bonds. When he finally found it, he cracked it open to the page he needed and started reading.

'When one is powerful enough to go through the change faster than a year, the loneliness will be overpowering. All of it will hit all at once, usually rendering the creature useless at everything including; self preservation, self defense, eating, and even walking is impaired. It is imperative that the creature have someone they trust completely to help them. Physical comfort from this person will help alleviate some of the pain and will assist in getting them to take care of themselves on their own.