Not your usual Veela mate [Chapters 39-69]

A Harry Sized Headache [62]

Thursday, Sep. 19
"My, my, my, what have you two been up to?" Ginny asked, taking in Harry's windblown looks and the happy grin on his face as he slid into a seat opposite her at the Gryffindor table, Draco still on his shoulder in his bird form.
Harry gave her a saucy wink. "Why, nothing much. I just took my boyfriend flying," he replied easily, surveying the food spread out before him, trying to decide what he was in the mood for.
"

Flying? Are you telling me that you manage to sneak out of the hospital wing? From right under Madam Pomfrey's nose? How in Merlin's name did you manage to do that?!" Ginny asked, astonished.
Harry gave her a confused look, then he chuckled. "We didn't have to sneak out, Ginny, we just walked out. To tell you the truth, the hardest part was convincing Lucius to come flying with us." Harry shook his head at the memory. Why someone so graceful on a broom had been so adamant against going flying was beyond him.
"You just walked out? Harry James Potter, what in the world did you do to the Dragon Lady? She never allows her patients to just walk out and well you know it!" Ginny said in some exasperation.
Harry gave her a confused look, but then his face cleared. Turning slightly to the impatient bird who was shifting restlessly from foot to foot he asked, "Is lamb chops okay with you, or would you rather have-"
Draco nipped his mate gently on the ear, and Harry nodded once before reaching for the lamb, piling some onto a plate for the Veela. Draco swiftly and gracefully jumped down onto the table and began to eat hungrily, making those around him a bit nauseous at the way he was ripping into the meat.
Harry wasn't faced in the least as he piled some onto his own plate, along with some wild rice and broccoli. Glancing up at the fuming redhead, he grinned and decided to start explaining before he was subjected to her famous Bat-Bogey Hex. "Pomfrey kicked us all out."
Ginny gaped at him. "She did what?"
Harry shrugged lightly, filling his goblet with pumpkin juice, not lifting an eyebrow as Draco hopped over to it and drank his fill before going back to tearing up another lamb chop, his sharp claws and beak making the task easy. "She kicked us all out."
"Harry," Ginny groaned in annoyance, not appreciating his odd sense of humour at the moment. Honestly, getting information out of the brunet was sometimes as difficult as pulling teeth off a hen!
Harry chuckled and relented. "After Pomfrey had checked all the falcons out, pronouncing them healthy and fit, she was about to tell them to find a perch and take things easy until the potion had run its course, or until Professor Snape had made the antidote. However, some of the birds figured that what could be done in the Great Hall could be done in the infirmary as well, and they started a mock skirmish or something. I'm not that skilled at bird language," Harry added with another chuckle. "Pomfrey was not amused, so she kicked us all out, even the birds, stating that they could rest and recuperate just as well in the Slytherin common room, giving everyone stern orders to make sure they weren't that far above ground unless they wanted to break their fool neck."
Harry grinned at the memory of the flustered nurse as half of the Quidditch team began flying around, attempting to have a pillow fight. There wasn't much of a fight, since the pillows turned out to be much too heavy. However, since the sharp claws penetrated and tore up the fabric, feathers still flew through the air, and the birds found much amusement in making as many feathers fly as possible.
"And yet you took Draco flying? Wasn't that dangerous?" Ginny wanted to know, giving the falcon a concerned look.
"Nah, according from what Professor Snape said, there should be a tingling sensation as the potion wears off, giving the transformed person plenty of time to land on solid ground. Besides, why do you think I pestered Lucius Malfoy into coming with us?" Harry asked, finally getting to start eating his meal.
"But still…" Ginny said, looking uncertain, causing Harry to snort in annoyance. "I knew what I was doing. Lucius was there to help me make sure that nothing bad happened. I love Draco, Ginny, and I would never knowingly put him in danger. It is nice to know that you think so little of me," he added harshly, pushing away from the table and storming off, his meal practically untouched.
Draco gave the girl an angry look before launching himself into the air with an angry screech, making a swipe at her head with his wing as he flew past her. Landing easily on his mate's shoulder, the falcon cooed softly, pulling gently on a strand of hair. Pausing in the doorway, Harry glanced back into the room and plastered a smile on his face with some difficulty. Rising his voice he called out, "Before I forget, I have completed sorting you lot into the different D.A. groups. The lists should be posted in your common rooms as we speak. The first meeting will be on Tuesday night, I'm looking forward to seeing you then." Nodding his head once, Harry turned away and continued his trek, fighting hard to keep his temper in check.
Left behind at the Gryffindor table, a stricken looking Ginny was left to look contemplatingly at the untouched plate of food, wondering how things had fallen apart so quickly.