2. THE ROLES WE PLAY
After Lucius had left the office, he followed Harry's scent to where the small boy was curled up in a dark corner not far from the Headmaster's office, his wings protectively wrapped around him like a cocoon.
"Hello, Harry." Lucius carefully lowered himself to the ground next to the trembling little elf, though not touching. Harry needed to come to him, to start to trust him on his own, not just be calmed by his embrace. "How are you feeling?"
"Scared." Harry sniffed. "I can't feel anything else because I'm so scared. I wanted to be angry, and I wanted to run away, but when I got here, I was too scared to go on."
"That's because you distanced yourselves from us, Harry," Lucius said gently. "As long as a dominant creature is near you, you won't feel this frightened. We can balance your emotions, offer you safety. That's why Draco is supposed to take care of you."
"He scares me even more," Harry admitted, curling tighter in preparation of a punishment for his insolence.
"I know Draco's honesty did not help to make you feel better," Lucius soothed. "But he also has a hard time accepting you as a submissive, but he knows submissives are to be treated with respect, that they are precious. You are precious, Harry."
"I'm not," Harry sniffed. "I'm a burden-"
"Don't say that, little elf," Lucius admonished him, and Harry's mouth snapped shut. "Draco only knows you as his rival-"
"And you don't know me at all," Harry mumbled, burying deeper under his wings.
"You're right, Harry," Lucius admitted. "But I'd like to get to know you, will you allow that?"
"Why?"
"Because I've heard so many good things about you, Harry. Because I think you are an intelligent, compassionate, brave young man. And because, as a dominant, I have the urge to protect you, as does Draco, even though he doesn't want to admit it."
Harry sniffed miserably, carefully peeking over his wings at the handsome blond. "Why does he have to be the one to... protect me? He doesn't like me, and I don't like him either - much," he added the last word hastily, afraid to offend the blond veela, but Lucius gave him an encouraging smile, nodding in understanding.
"Harry, I guess you wished one of your friends could take care of you? Mr. Weasley or one of his brothers, perhaps?"
Harry nodded hesitantly, but with hope rising in his chest. Surely the Weasleys would welcome him in their family, as they had always done. Mrs. Weasley had said often enough he was like a son to her, and they all liked him, didn't they?
"I'm afraid, though, this is not possible," Lucius continued. "You need not only a dominant, but you need a dominant creature."
"But that's not fair," Harry protested. "Humans can order me around, but..."
"... they cannot make you feel safe or help you to channel your abilities, no, which is why you need Draco, for now," Lucius answered. "There are few creatures left anymore. Less submissives than dominants, that is true, but dominants aren't exactly numerous, either. The Weasleys have no noticeable creature blood, and though I know some dominant creatures, they are not..."
"They are Death Eaters?" Harry offered cautiously, and Lucius nodded.
"I promise, we will find you a nice dominant. My wife is already working on it. But until then, Draco will take care of you-"
"Why can't you take care of me?" Harry all but whined, not ready to give up yet. "You are a veela, too, aren't you?"
"Yes, Harry, but I'm already bonded," Lucius said as consolingly as possible, though he knew Harry would take this as a rejection.
"I'm sorry," Harry whimpered, once again hiding in his cocoon of black feathers.
"No, Harry." Despite his earlier decision, the Malfoy patriarch once again took the shivering little creature in his arms, and Harry in turn folded his wings lightly around Lucius. "It was your right to ask. I understand this must be very confusing, and you are bound to have questions. You have to believe I would gladly take care of you until Dumbledore finds you a suitable mate, but, as it is, submissive veelas are very jealous. Narcissa would feel betrayed if I looked after you, and I wouldn't be able to give you all the attention you need."
"But I didn't mean it like that," Harry protested, blushing brightly.
"I know, Harry." Lucius chuckled. "But Narcissa will feel threatened even if I spend more time than absolutely necessary with another sub. It's how veelas are. She could do nothing else. Just as you can do nothing about feeling frightened and taking our words to heart."
"Nature really messed up with me," Harry muttered darkly. "It's not normal to be like this. It's like someone put a leash on my feelings and was dragging me away from all reasonable thoughts and emotions to fear, panic and guilt. I shouldn't feel like I did something wrong, and I shouldn't care if you're happy with me or not, but I am, and it's annoying," Harry ranted, pulling his hair.
"Earlier I said submissives have a soothing influence on dominants," Lucius said softly. "Thus, your emotions are intoned to ours. You feel the need to make dominants happy, just as we feel the need to protect submissives. It's an interplay, Harry. It's not as one-sided as it now seems."
Harry grumbled. "It's still stupid. Balance of powers, or whatever Dumbledore was trying to say! It's merely the surest way of getting me killed. No wonder there are so few creatures, it's completely uneconomic! Don't you hate being a creature, Sir?"
"I did in the very beginning, when my parents told me what it entailed," the blond answered pensively. "Creatures don't have as much control over their feelings and instincts as humans have, but just as our feelings are the key to our magic, our magic is much stronger than that of an average wizard. Also, we have mates, another being who is destined to be with us and to complete us. We do not need to go through several unsuccessful marriages before finding the right person."
"But Dumbledore said..."
"Yes, but in this case, Albus' beliefs are too simplistic: just take a dominant and a submissive and everything is splendid." Lucius carefully pulled Harry closer when he felt the trembling start again. "All creatures have a mate, but it is the task of the dominant to find the submissive. You can be bonded to anyone else, even against your will. Though you, too, have a chosen mate, it is not necessary for you to bond with him. You can be happy with another dominant who really loves you, and you won't feel any loss. Or you can be used by someone who doesn't love you, and slowly die because of it."
"But what if I'm not Draco's mate?"
"I would say the chances are rather high you're not, Harry. Now, Draco could easily bond to you and once he finds his true mate he bonds to them, too." Lucius caressed Harry's face, brushing away the crystal tears. "But that won't happen, Harry. We'll find your mate, don't worry. At the moment, it's more important you learn to get used to your new situation."
Harry pulled back to look into the older man's eyes, wishing his action was with due suspicion and not with the trust he felt for the blond wizard. "Why are you being so nice to me, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Because we are on the same side now," Lucius replied, a second time. "I really changed sides after the Dark Lord's fall. Everyone seems to assume I spent a lot of money to get out of Azkaban, which is only partially true. The full truth is I told everything I knew to save my life and that of my family. I've been a spy ever since. You play an important role in this war, whether you want to or not. The second reason is that you need my help. Normally subs are taken care of by their families until they find the right dominant, but as your parents obviously can't do that for you, and as you have no others to help you, the Malfoy family has taken on that responsibility."
"Why?"
"My wife has... let's say a connection with your parents and though it's not really obligatory, it's a matter of honour." For the first time Lucius seemed slightly uncomfortable, and Harry immediately felt guilty. "It's not really important."
"Okay." Harry snuggled into the tall blond, simply glad he wouldn't be punished. "Thank you."
Lucius had just decided he needed to take Harry to his new rooms when an angry screech nearby roused Harry from slumber, making him whimper in fright as his wings enveloped the two of them protectively.
Over Harry's shoulder, Lucius could see his enraged, beautiful wife - she was always the most breathtaking when she was furious. She stormed towards them, screaming and seething. Her eyes were pools of deep blue fire, burning and freezing at the same time.
How he loved her!
Grasping Lucius roughly, she dragged him to his feet. As she tried to dislodge the small elf in his arms without success, her long rose-coloured fingernails dug through his cloak. "Lucius, I left you alone for two hours, and already you found someone else. You make me sick!"
"Cissa," Lucius attempted to soothe her, looking at her with adoration and love in his eyes; how could this beautiful creature belong to him? He could almost understand Draco reluctance to care for Harry. No one compared to his Narcissa. "You know I would never try to replace you. There's no-one who could replace you. You are my everything, my world, my..."
"Oh, shut up, Lucius!" she interrupted him, though she already was a little placated by his words. "If what you said was true, what is that little birdie doing in your arms? It would be just like you to build up his hopes."
"He's Harry Potter, Cissa. We talked about this," the silver-eyed wizard answered calmly. "He's our responsibility. You said so yourself, my darling, didn't you? You asked me to look after him. Have you changed your mind and now want me to leave a frightened sub alone?"
"No," Narcissa relented, looking guilty as she watched the small elf tremble more violently in her husband's arms, "but you could still set him down."
"I would be doing so, except..." Lucius held up his hands in surrender. "Harry, let go, please."
Immediately, Harry released his grip on the blond. His small body dropped to the floor, though it was hard to make out anything other than the big wings.
"Lucius, don't be so inconsiderate. You could have lowered him gently to the ground. He's in enough pain and confusion as it is," Narcissa chastised. She kneeled next to the other sub, motherly instinct taking the place of her jealousy. "Honey, shh, it's alright, you're safe."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry." Harry's wings loosened, allowing the elfish boy to look at the tall blond woman. To his eyes, when she did not have a sneer on her face, she looked like an angel, though whether an Avenging Angel instead of a Guardian Angel, he wasn't sure.
"It's okay, sweetie, I still know how it feels to be so unsure." Narcissa smiled winningly at the delicate creature at her feet, studying the soft, but still prominent features.
She was immediately spellbound by his brilliant green eyes, gazing at her with so much uncertainty and fear but also hope. Many shades of green swirled within their depths, making it impossible to give their colour a name. They were bright and luminescent, but so deep they beckoned one further and further into the green shadows, and for a moment Narcissa feared to get lost in them. But before this could happen, Harry averted his gaze, his sooty lashes fluttering against his porcelain cheeks until they obscured the better part of his eyes.
"You don't seem scared..." he murmured softly.
"That's because I'm already bonded, sweetheart. You'll feel better, too, once your mate is with you." Narcissa squeezed his hand reassuringly. "And veelas are not as dependent on their mates as elves. Would you like us to tell you more about your inheritance?"
Harry nodded shyly, a smile lighting up his face.
Lucius helped him to his feet before wrapping his arm around his wife's slender waist. Lucius then turned to his son, who had been watching them with a neutral expression. He lifted one eyebrow as he asked, "What took you so long, Draco?"
"We came as soon as possible, dear," Narcissa answered instead, gently pushing the small elf towards Draco despite his obvious reluctance. "Don't be shy, Harry. We don't bite." Her laugh was like the soft tinkling of a bell, the sweetest music Lucius had ever heard.
Draco rolled his eyes and smirked, but wrapped his arms around the slender Gryffindor, too tightly for Harry's comfort.
"Let's go to your new rooms, Harry," Lucius offered, wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms tightly around the eternal beauty next to him and kiss her so deeply he would feel the taste of her on his lips for several days. "Dumbledore arranged them for you, so you won't have to stay alone in the Gryffindor Tower, and Draco can keep you company."
"That's nice of him," Harry murmured, trying to sound sincere, though he couldn't quite keep the sarcasm out of his voice, and while Narcissa laughed and Lucius sent him an encouraging smile, Draco's arm tightened around his waist, surely leaving bruises.
Harry sent him a look that had been intended as a glare but ended half way between. "I can walk on my own, thank you, Malfoy."
"You know, you're not exactly making this easier." Draco shrugged, arched an eyebrow at his father, but dropped his arm.
The small procession moved along the deserted corridors, down the equally deserted stairs, until they reached another long staircase. The staircase was hidden behind the tapestry of a forest that seemed to hold many hidden secrets and creatures, even though Harry couldn't see any of them. The staircase spiralled up as high as the Astronomy tower and ended in the most amazing room Harry had ever seen. All the furniture, walls, and floor were made of a nice-smelling wood and the carpet and the wallpapers were of a light blue colour that reminded Harry of the sky the moment before it started snowing.
"How... cozy," Draco said with a contemptuous look around the room.
"I like it," Harry offered timidly.
"You would, wouldn't you?" Draco muttered, too low for Narcissa or Lucius to hear.
Harry whimpered.
"Oh, dear, there's no need to be frightened," Narcissa tried to comfort him. "Why don't you sit down, so that we may talk? Draco, come, I'm sure Harry would appreciate your presence. After all, an unfamiliar room isn't the best precondition for feeling safe."
"I'm not sure that Mal... erm, Draco is a good precondition, either, Mrs. Malfoy," Harry protested weakly.
Narcissa furrowed her brow. "You know, Harry, there is not much Draco can do to help you if you block all his attempts. You will have to work together."
"Come now, Potter. What do you want me to do?" Draco demanded. "Should I promise not to embarrass you or something like that?"
"It would be a start," Harry admitted.
"Fine, I promise, and I also promise to do my best to make this work, if you do the same."
Harry gnawed his bottom lip, but nodded reluctantly. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."
"Exactly, so may I sit next to you?" Draco asked impatiently.
"Go ahead," Harry murmured, dropping on the far edge of a loveseat, and breathing a sigh of relief when Draco put an arm around him, not painfully this time, but almost comforting.
He had the stupid urge to snuggle into him. He still didn't like the younger Malfoy, and a part of him was shouting at him not to let his guard down, that Malfoy couldn't be trusted, yet a bigger part wanted him to trust the Malfoy heir unconditionally and told him that suspicion and mistrust toward a dominant was totally out of line. He felt calmer with Malfoy's arm around him, though not as safe as with Malfoy Senior.
"Then we can talk, Harry." Narcissa smiled. "What would you like to know first? I'm sure you have questions. I certainly did, and I grew up with the knowledge that I might be a veela."
"I don't know..." Harry said timidly.
"Well, we'll just tell you a little bit of everything, honey," Narcissa said kindly. "There's not much known about elves, especially submissive elves. They're said to be very peace-loving and don't like to see someone hurt or die, though the dominants can react viciously to threats on their family and mates, like almost all creatures. The dominants, like your father, are great warriors, though their aim always has been peace. Because of that, elves were often sent into war zones as mediators in old times. They also can hold a grudge longer than is probably reasonable, and once you're on their bad side, it's difficult, if not impossible, to get back into their good graces.
"Elves are creatures of nature, and it has even been rumoured they can change the weather with the force of their feelings, though that claim was never substantiated. Elves have a special connection to other creatures and animals, sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker. If I remember correctly, your father was always one of the best in Care of Magical Creatures, especially after he came into his inheritance. They also have a talent for building and mending things, as well as for healing. Another rumour is that submissives have control over the elements, and an enraged submissive's ire is said to be a deadly force which no-one has ever survived."
Harry snorted. "No wonder Dumbledore is so fucking happy about this." He blanched as soon as the words left his mouth. "Sorry."
Lucius chuckled. "No need to be. Albus can be rather annoying with his cheerfulness. Would you like to hear some more?"
Harry nodded and the older blond continued, "You will need a dominant to help you with your powers. I can't tell you exactly how your behaviour and your feelings will change after you have bonded, but in general, subs feel more sure of themselves once they have done so, and as you already know, they will always protect their mates. You will gradually become aware of your abilities, mostly in times of need. For instance, your wings will protect you from most curses, but you won't be able to control them for a while yet. You will not be able to fight, disobey or even disbelieve a strong dominant creature's words, though depending on the strength of the dominant, you can choose to... misunderstand them."
"Misunderstand them, Sir?"
"I'll give you an example, but call me Lucius."
"Okay, Lucius."
"See? What I obviously meant was that you should call me Lucius in the future, but if you really wanted to, you could call me Lucius once and be done with it," Lucius explained gently. "As long as the order isn't specific, you can 'misunderstand' it, although I really do want you to call me Lucius, understood?"
"Okay." Harry smiled timidly and then yawned, the excitement and stress of the day finally catching up with him.
"You seem tired, honey," Narcissa noted, amused. "Maybe you should think of a few more questions to ask us tomorrow. Draco will stay with you."
"Why?"
"Because, Potter, you need me," Draco stated, sounding bored and a bit exasperated.
"We talked about this, Harry." Lucius hugged the young man gently while he held his wife's right hand. "I would take care of you if it were possible. You will be safe here." He leaned in even closer, whispering directly in Harry's ear. "You have to tell me if Draco doesn't treat you well, even if it's just one word."
The small elf nodded, reluctantly letting go. "Thank you."
Harry watched the two older blonds close the door behind them, then watched with a sense of dread as Malfoy spelled the door locked and sound-proof.
He took a step back, but before he could do anything else, a hard, unforgiving hand closed around his throat, pushing him against the door, lifting him off his feet so he was on eye-level with the Malfoy heir.
"Now, listen to me, Potter," Draco grinned, seeing the fear in those big green eyes; kind of gorgeous, he noted with mild interest. "Unlike my father, I still know who my loyalty belongs to, and you'll know soon enough, as well. You will obey me, you will not question me, and you will not tell anyone of what happens here or what I tell you, understood? And no more of those demonstrations of mistrust, it's getting annoying."
Harry wanted to tell him that not even all the gold in Gringotts and the natural (but quite painful) death of Voldemort could persuade him to be a slave for such an idiot, but all that escaped his mouth was a frightened whimper, and on top of that, his head also jerked in agreement.
"I'm sure we'll have lots fun then, Potter." Draco smirked, squeezing Harry's throat once more for good measure, before letting go so suddenly Harry fell to the floor in a trembling little heap. "At least until the Dark Lord finds a better use for you..."
"But you promised!" Harry whispered, whimpering when Draco glared at him.
"Just for show, for the fool who calls himself my father. He thinks I'm still a spoilt, immature child so that will be exactly what he will get. An immature and spoilt, but all in all good child. I'm the perfect son, Potter," Draco mocked. "But why should I keep my word to a Mudblood like you? Besides, I never said what I would make work..." He laughed, and a shiver ran over Harry's body. "And now, lick my shoes!"
*ducks flying objects* Erm... sorry? I guess you don't feel like reviewing, do you? I might deserve that, but stop throwing objects!