A Veela's Mate || Draco Malfoy

Sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ I Sᴛᴀʏ ᴏʀ Sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ I Gᴏ III

Sunday, November 3

Iris looked around the breakfast table, sighed deeply, and put down her fork. "We need to talk, don't we?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Iris?" Draco asked, looking up at Iris with a mix of worry and curiosity.

"I take it that Draco doesn't know?" Iris asked, arching an eyebrow at the two adults.

"We saw no reason to add to his worries," Lucius replied, arching an eyebrow at Iris.

"I take it you somehow have found out what is happening?" Severus asked, thinking back on the events of the previous day.

"Yeah, I talked some to Dobby while I was out working in the garden," Iris said with a nod, looking down at the tabletop.

"Why would you be talking to Dobby? What is it you aren't telling me? And hey! What do you mean that you were outside working? I thought you were just outside, soaking up some sun, and taking it easy," Draco said, sounding most displeased.

Iris couldn't help but smile, and wrapped an arm around her irate Veela's waist, sighing happily as Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"Before you two get any more sappy, let's take this to the parlor. The breakfast table is not the place for this discussion," Severus said curtly, getting to his feet.

"Sev?" Draco asked, giving his godfather a worried look.

"Let's take this discussion to the garden. I think we will all feel better there," Iris said quietly. With a sigh of regret, she pulled away from Draco and climbed to her feet.

Draco watched them with a worried frown, but didn't comment as he followed his Elf to the garden. Whatever was going on, it was bad. Very bad.

~ ϟ ~

"So, who wants to go first?" Draco asked sardonically, looking around the group. They had been sitting in the garden for five minutes and no one had yet to open their mouth and start filling him in.

Lucius and Severus shared a glance, and then the blond aristocrat sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What do you know of the situation at Hogwarts?" he asked, picking up on of his mate's hands, toying with the long, slender fingers.

"Not much," Draco admitted, starting to get truly worried. "I take it something has happened? What? Dumbles stupidity has reached new heights?" he asked, attempting to infuse some levity into the gloomy mood the others were projecting.

Iris snorted, but instead of saying anything, she curled up around her Veela, silently seeking comfort from her mate.

"Father? What did he do?" Draco asked quietly, starting to get scared.

"The problem, my Dragon, is that he did not do anything," Lucius said with a soft sigh. "I have been in contact with Mercury. The house-elves have been kind enough to act as carriers for us, delivering our mail securely.

"What Merc had to report..." Lucius trailed off, shaking his head in profound sadness.

"Because Albus didn't do anything about Pansy - the girl didn't even get a detention!" Severus said with a snort, a sour look on his face, "things have turned rather... nasty." Severus sighed deeply and squeezed Lucius' hand. It looked as if he was drawing strength from his fellow Slytherin.

"Draco, the Slytherin House became divided in two. Those who supported you and Iris - and you have support from far more snakes than even I thought possible. Your supporters did not like what Parkinson did and set out to get revenge for you. And as you know, a Slytherin set on revenge can get very creative," Severus said, a wry smile playing on his lips for a moment.