It was the Christmas season at Hogwarts. The great hall looked beautiful, it's candles floating aimlessly, and the burning of the fires which sent a warmth throughout the school.

The corridors and hallways were decorated intricately with lights and small candles, the flames dancing over each other. It was truly a magical time.

Draco walked down to breakfast, accompanied by Pansy and Blaise. The three had talked out what was stressing Draco. He had lied and said that he had a bug, and he wasn't feeling well over the past weeks, and that was why he seemed very off.

Pansy, not wanting to be in Draco's bad books, had accepted his apology happily, not caring for the reason, only that her Drackie wasn't angry with her anymore.

The trio walked into the hall, making their way to the Slytherin table, sitting among their fellow housemates.

Draco's grey eyes automatically sought those of a raven-haired Gryffindor, who was sitting, laughing with Ron at the new dress robes he had been sent from his mother.

Draco's heart instantly melted at seeing the boy so happy. He looked so content as he laughed, and Draco fancied he could hear the angelic sound that escaped his lips.

Then Draco started to become hot. Very hot, all over. His palms were sweating the more he looked at Harry. The boy was intoxicating. He stared and stared at Harry, just watching him laugh. He was beautiful.

Draco watched as he playfully shoved Ron, giggling at something the red-haired boy had said, and then did something very unexpected. He winked at Ron.

Draco gulped, and his throat constricted. Harry had winked. And what Draco couldn't understand was why he had found that so unbelievably hot. That should be made illegal.

He bit his lip and looked away, realising what a fool he looked. It was no big deal. Potter winked at his weasel friend, nothing special.

But no matter how hard Draco tried to convince himself he wasn't attracted to Harry in any way, he couldn't. He knew, deep down how he felt about Harry, and that drove him insane, for he was trying so desperately hard not to be attracted to the Gryffindor. But that was impossible.

Draco looked at his plate, trying to gather his thoughts and what he was feeling, but was stopped by a cackle and a yelp of disgust.

He looked beside him at Pansy who was holding a newspaper in her hands, laughing evilly. Blaise was leaning across her, reading the article she was pointing at.

"Ugh, Potter and the mudblood, together? How utterly revolting," he said, revulsion evident in his tone.

Draco grabbed the newspaper, ripping it from Pansy's hands, ignoring her cries of protest.

Draco's grey eyes scanned the article, and stopped at the picture; a continuous loop was playing of Harry and Hermione, embracing tightly before the first task.

Draco gripped the paper hard and stared daggers at it. A stab of envy pierced his chest, and a wave of jealousy enclosed him.

He looked up towards the Gryffindor table, his insides twisting and turning. He was fuming on the inside. Draco felt his eyes flash to the silver they were starting to possess more and more often.

He caught Harry's eyes, which were locked on his, as if pleading silently to him, for some reason Draco couldn't quite grasp at.

Draco moved his eyes across to Hermione, who was talking to Ron, oblivious to his stares.

Harry noticed and made the connection, and Draco registered the look of realisation that passed his face.

He watched as the Gryffindor shook his head subtly, his features contorted into a position that contained guilt, but mostly denial.

Draco pressed his lips together, and broke eye contact, looking anywhere but the Gryffindor table. He was still angry, still jealous. He couldn't help it. There was something inside him which made him want to get up and strangle the mudblood. But he knew better than to do so.

"Drakie?" A girly, high-pitched voice said from next to him. "What's wrong? You've been really quiet this whole breakfast," Pansy said, pouting at him.

"Nothing," Draco said shortly, dismissing Pansy with a wave of his hand.

Pansy looked at him skeptically. Draco pleaded silently that she wouldn't ask any more questions, but sadly today just wasn't his day.

Pansy looked over at the Gryffindor table, or to be more precise, Harry, and looked back at Draco.

She took a deep breath. "Draco, look. Is there something going on? You say you're ill, but it's been too long. Surely you would have recovered, or gone to the hospital wing by now? I don't understand. You've been acting completely out of character for the last month or so, and it's weird." She let out her breath, catching it, panting after her rant.

But before Draco could deny anything, she was off again.

"Is there something going on between you and Potter?" she asked, suddenly. Draco snapped his head up and felt something in his chest tighten. He opened his mouth to tell her no, but she was still talking.

"When Blaise and I made the badges, you completely freaked. You leave the table at random times, nothing like how you used to. You stopped me from taking him to the library, and just now you seemed extremely angry at the Skeeter article. I know you said you couldn't be mean to him, and to be honest I still don't understand why, but does that really mean you have to act like this? What's gotten into you?" She stared at her best friend, utterly perplexed.

Draco could see the hurt in her eyes from how he had been behaving. And he now realised how he had been treating the both of them. They were his best friends, and if he kept up this behaviour, they were sure to leave him.

He knew in that moment he couldn't keep it a secret any longer. He would have to tell them. And hope they understand.

"Come with me," he finally said. He grabbed Pansy and Blaise's wrists and dragged them out of the hall to the Slytherin dorm, locking the door behind them.

Draco stood in the middle of the room, facing Pansy and Blaise, who had both sat down on his bed.

He took a deep breath. "Okay," he said, looking them both in the eye. "There are a few things you need to know."

He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the amount of questions that were sure to bombard him.

He reopened his eyes, to see the two sitting in the same position, watching him carefully, waiting.

"I'm a Veriae."

Silence. No one said a word. He bit his lip and gulped, watching his friends intently.

They just sat there, staring at him, unblinkingly, until Blasie opened his mouth.

"What?"

Draco sighed. Somehow a reaction from his friend caused him to breathe a little easier.

"I'm a Veriae," he repeated, chewing his lower lip.

"And what exactly is that..?" Pansy asked, finally coming out of her confused state.

"Let me explain," Draco said. He sat down cross-legged on the floor and faced the two.

"A Veriae is a magical creature. Not many exist anymore, in fact, from what I am told, I believe my family are the last form of the Veriae," Draco explained, still watching Pansy and Blaise closely.

They said nothing, but looked at him expectantly, urging him to go on.

"The Veriae race is like that of a Veela. We have..." He trailed off, unsure of how to break this to his friends. He had no idea how they would react. But he was saved from having to finish his sentence.

"Mates," Pansy breathed, shock written over her face. "The Veela race have destined mates, which means if Veriae are similar to Veela then..." she didn't finish her sentence, for she was too in shock as she put all the pieces together.

Blaise had also worked it out. He was sitting, staring at Draco, stunned.

"Are you saying... Potter...?" He whispered. He didn't finish as he stared at Draco, who nodded and looked down, determined not to look at either Slytherin.

"Oh my god," he breathed. "So there wasn't a girl after all.. it was.. Merlin."

"Well," Draco said, trying to make a joke out of the situation. "It's not Merlin, obviously, it's... Potter." Draco swallowed. There. He had said it. This was his secret. And now they knew.

Then the abominable amount of questions pounded him.

"Wait, so if you're a Veriae, do you have wings?" Pansy asked.

"Can you fly?"

"But you hate Potter! Are you saying you love him?"

"When will you tell him?"

"Are you actually going to tell him?"

"What if he rejects you, will you die?"

"How did it happen? When did you gain your inheritance?"

"Are you gonna get some?"

Pansy slapped Blasie's arm, who looked at her, with an innocent expression.

"What? If they're mates, it's gonna have to happen some day soon!" He defended.

They looked back to Draco, who was sitting, looking at both of his friends amusedly.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked, grinning.

"Yes," they both said in unison, looking expectantly at him, waiting for answers.

"Well then, I'll tell you, as long as there are absolutely no interruptions," Draco replied, still smirking.

They both nodded and sat on the stone floor, leaning on the back of the bed behind them to face Draco.

"Okay, well, last year, my father told me about our family and how we belong to the race of the Veriae. I hadn't known before, no one had told me and I hadn't come into my inheritance. So, of course, to say I was shocked would be an understatement. I asked millions of questions, and he just told me they would all be answered in due course. I had to just give it time, whatever that meant," he said, tracing circles on the stone of the floor with his finger.

"My father told me that this year, as I turned fourteen, I would come into my inheritance as a Veriae. In our family, you come into your inheritance at fourteen, however you come of age to being an actual Veriae at seventeen." He rubbed his nose, as he always did, when trying to think properly. It was hard to explain. He was a Veriae yes, but not fully, not officially, not until he turned seventeen.

"It means that I have a destined mate, not a bonded mate. Father told me that once I have found my mate, I will not be bonded to them until I turn seventeen. I still feel the same feelings as a bonded Veriae would, only we wouldn't actually be bonded, only destined, if that makes sense."

The two nodded, staring at him, telling him to carry on.

"A Veriae's relationship with its mate is simple. The Veriae itself is the dominant of the two, protecting and making sure their mate is happy. The submissive; Potter, in this case, is supposed to care for and help the Veriae."

"So when we arrived at Hogwarts this year, as soon as I saw Har-Potter, I knew. I knew it was him. And I couldn't be more angry. I was revolted, disgusted at the thought of him being my mate. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised it was perfect. We were perfect. We're a perfect match."

"So when Potter's name was called for the tournament, I was panicking. He's my mate, of course I was going to be worried. He could die! And that scares me, so, so much."

"So that's why you were so panicky," Pansy said quietly, understanding.

Draco nodded, and kept going.

"Pans, do you remember when I got those funny pains in my chest after I left the hall?" Pansy nodded, remembering.

"Well, a Veriae get pains in their chest whenever their mate is in danger. I felt them because Potter had been entered into the tournament. It was probably the most dangerous thing he could ever take part in, it still is," he sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair.

"Blaise, do you remember how you kept telling me how my eyes kept changing colour? To the deep blue, instead of staying grey?"

"Yeah," Blaise said, making the connections.

"When a Veriae is in love, or in the close proximity of their mate, their eyes change to a deep blue, only noticeable by the people closest to them, the people who have known the Veriae's real eye colour their whole lives."

"And when a Veriae is angry, jealous or sad, it having something to do with their mate, their eyes will flash to a silvery-mercury colour that can only be seen close up. And, Pansy, that's why my eyes changed when you said you were going to take Potter to the library and jump him. I got extremely angry, and I apologise," Draco said, nodding towards her.

"But when a Veriae comes into their inheritance, emotions and feelings are heightened. Anger flows a lot easier, and they feel everything so much more. If I am feeling happy, I'll feel excited and completely ecstatic. But if I'm sad, I'll want to tear the world apart."

"A Veriae also feels envy and jealousy a lot, and I mean a lot. When I saw the paper just now with Ha-Potter and the mudblood, I freaked, because Potter is supposed to be mine, he belongs to me," he said, angrily, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Pansy and Balise noticed, and looked at each other worriedly. Pansy reached out and put a hand on Draco's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Carry on, Draco, we need to hear the rest," she said in a soothing voice.

"I also feel protective. So, so much. It's like I have to always be there, to make sure no one hurts him. But it hurts me that I can't be there. I have to make sure he's okay, every day. I can't let anyone harm him," he sighed, burying his head in his hands. "But I can't protect him, because he hates me, and I can't tell him he's my mate. How can I?" He started shaking, as his throat closed up. He noticed his breathing had turned into breaths of hyperventilation and he knew he was showing too much.

Pansy and Blaise stared, open-mouthed, unsure of what to do. A Veriae feels all too much, and if their mate is sending rejection signs, they will curl in upon themselves.

Pansy quickly wrapped her arms around the boy, trying to be a comfort somewhat. She looked at Balise desperately, as Draco buried into her shoulder.

"Draco," Pansy said, quietly. "You need to tell us the rest, Dray, we need to understand,"

Draco nodded, avoiding both pairs of eyes, embarrassed at how open he had been and sat up.

"Once a month, a Veriae sheds its feathers, to grow new ones, ready for its mate. A Veriae's feathers are very delicate. If their mate touches them, or if the Veriae is near their mate, the feathers will turn silky and soft to the touch. But if the feathers are touched by someone other than the mate or the Veriae itself, they will become sharp and jagged, cutting them."

He took a shaky breath, before continuing. "If a Veriae's mate dies, the Variae itself will not die, but suffer eternal pain, both physically and emotionally. A Variae cannot take it. The fact that their mate is dead..." he trailed off, biting his lip.

He looked up at both of his friends, his face red and blotchy.

"What if.. w-what if—"

"No, Draco, he won't," Pansy said firmly. "Don't you dare start thinking about that."

Draco swallowed. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to live if Harry died.

"So.." Blasie said. "When are you planning on telling him?"

"I.. I can't, Blaise." Tears welled in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

"You must!" Pansy exclaimed, shocked. "If you don't, what happens?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"It becomes painful," Draco explained. "More and more every day. It's already starting to hurt." He put a hand to his chest, indicating where the pain was hitting him.

"...Until, one day, I guess, you...y-you.." He couldn't finish, but instead let out a deep breath and finally let his tears fall, however he brushed them away furiously.

"How am I going to do this?" He whispered, more to himself, than to his friends.

"You have to tell him," Pansy said. She seemed to have her mind set. "You must, and soon."

"But Pansy! What if he rejects me?! I'll die! Don't you get that?" Draco shouted.

"Of course I do, Draco! But it's a risk we have to take! I am not letting you die of pain from not having your mate by your side." She folded her arms, glaring at him.

"Get him to like you," Blaise said unexpectedly.

"What?" Draco looked up though his hair at Blaise.

"Yeah, become better friends with him, make sure he trusts you, then tell him. That way it won't be as much of a bomb drop, and he'll have to accept you," Blaise smiled, pleased with himself.

Pansy slowly let out a smile, grinning at Draco, who looked at both of them, before letting out an evolutionary grin of his own.

"We've already become friends, but we told each other we'd make sure to fight and stuff when people are around, so nothing is out of the ordinary," Draco told the two.

"Well that's settled then, just make sure you tell him soon," Blaise said, and Draco smiled, agreeing.

"Draco..." Pansy started, unsure of how to persue the question. "Can, um.. can we see you wings?" she blurted out.

Draco stared at her. He had never shown his wings to anyone other than his father and mother. They were an important part of him, sown thing he rarely showed, as the consequences were pretty drastic.

"You.. you do, um, h-have them, right?" she asked, biting her lip and looking at Blaise.

"Y-yeah, I've just never shown them to anyone before," Draco explained. "But if you want.. just be careful not to touch them; they'll cut you."

Draco closed his eyes, and willed his wings to open out. A ripping sound echoed through the room as his shirt tore where the wings cut through the material.

He opened his eyes to find Pansy and Blaise staring behind his shoulders in awe. Blaise's mouth was hanging open.

Draco looked behind him and saw his beautiful black wings, spread out behind his shoulder blades. They were tall and slender, the top feathers tinged with green.

"Oh Merlin, wow," Pansy breathed, unable to take her eyes away from the wonderful sight.

Blaise's breath had caught in his throat and he was unable to say anything.

Draco ruffled his wings proudly, and the green tinge caught the light and made them shine, glowing.

"They're used to protect the mate. They can deflect spells, such as curses, for example," Draco said.

"I wish I could touch them," Pansy sighed. "They look so beautifully soft."

"Thank you, they're still very delicate though," Draco said, grinning at their stunned expressions.

"Can you fly?" Blasie had finally broken out of his trance.

"Yeah, I can," replied Draco, folding his wings away into his back.

"This is.. Draco this is amazing!" Pansy squealed. "You have wings, you can fly and you have a mate!"

Draco blushed, surprised at Pansy's reaction. "Even though it's Potter?" he asked.

Pansy scrunched up her nose and sighed in defeat. "Guess we'll have to deal with it, won't we Blaise?" She turned to Blaise, who groaned.

Draco laughed. He felt as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He had finally told them. He had let his secret out. The only thing to do now was to tell Harry. And he was sure it was going to be difficult.
__________________________

Harry awoke early on Christmas Day. He was excited and also nervous. He had managed to grab himself a date, last minute, but all he could think about was Draco, and how he'd look.

He sighed, wishing he could dance with the boy, instead of Parvati. She wasn't bad, but he knew Draco would be so, so much better.

Harry mentally scolded himself for his thoughts, but no matter how hard he tried to think about anything other than Draco, that was impossible, for the blonde was clouding every corner of his brain.

He laid back on his bed, his hand to his forehead. There was no denying it. He would have to accept it. He was falling rapidly for the Slytherin. And fast.

Harry sighed and got out of bed, trying not to wake the others as he crossed the dormitory to the bathroom.

Once inside he locked the door and turned to the sink, looking in the mirror. His eyes were tired, there were dark circles underneath them, and his skin was a lot paler than usual. His hair was messy and stuck up in random places.

He tried his best to flatten it down, and rubbed his eyes, splashing his face with cold water.

When he returned to the dormitory, he found Ron was awake, holding a package in his hands.

"Harry! I figured you'd gone to the bathroom, here."

He tossed the package to Harry. He took it in his hands and sat down on the edge of his bed, ripping the paper off.

Inside, he found five boxes of Bertie Bot's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and a vast array of other sweets Harry hadn't seen before.

"Happy Christmas, Harry!"

Harry was overcome by a sense of déjà vu. He thanked Ron and watched as the other boys started waking up and opened their presents, wishing each other a merry Christmas.

"Aren't you going to open the rest, Harry?" Neville asked from across the room, holding a plant pot in his hands.

"What?" Harry asked. He had only received one present and that was from Ron.

"There," Neville pointed to the foot of Harry's bed by his trunk. Harry looked to see a pile of presents stacked neatly, one on top of the other.

Harry received the usual; a book from Hermione, a knitted jumper from Mrs. Weasley and other gifts from his friends. He was happy, however he couldn't help his thoughts from wondering to a beautiful blonde boy with grey eyes.
__________________________

Snow was falling thickly onto the grounds, and the trees looked as if they'd been sprinkled with icing sugar. Everything was lit up, and it all looked incredibly beautiful.

The day passed quickly for Harry, and before he knew it he was back in the dormitory pulling on his dress robes, whining to Ron about how his buttons wouldn't do up.

But Ron wasn't listening, as he stared at himself in the mirror, looking in horror at his robes.

"Harry!" he said despairingly. "I look like a girl! This is practically a dress, for Merlin's sake! Padma's gonna kill me. It's gonna be so embarrassing. Harry!"

Harry had walked over to stand next to him, laughing at Ron's reflection.

"Harry! It's not funny, imagine if it was you! Dobby would look nicer in this than me! Hell, Hermione would look more manly in this than me, and she's a girl." Ron rambled on, tugging and pulling at the cuffs on his sleeves, trying and failing at making himself look more presentable.

"Harry, Ron, we need to go." A voice from behind them said.

They turned to find Dean who grabbed both boys, whilst Ron grumbled, still whining at the sight of his robes. The three plodded down the stairs, to greet their dates in the common room.

There were students everywhere, a sea of multicolours roaming around.

Parvati was waiting for Harry at the foot of the stairs, she looked very beautiful; Her long, black hair was down and she wore a dress of shocking pink.

"You — er — look nice," Harry said awkwardly.

"Thanks," she replied, as she slid her arm through his, and they started walking across the room, through the portrait.

"See you in the entrance hall," Harry said to Ron, who was pulling at the loose bits of thread hanging from his sleeves.

He mumbled a reply Harry didn't hear, and he and Parvarti made their way through the school.

The entrance hall was packed with students, the girls were all giggling and the boys stood awkwardly, talking amongst themselves.

Harry scanned the crowd, knowing exactly who he was looking for, and who he wanted to see so desperately.

And there he was. The boy he'd been dying to see since the day began. He watched as Draco walked up the steps from the dungeons, looking as elegant as ever. He was wearing black velvet robes, and his hair was slicked back, but not too much, but enough to make him look much hotter than usual.

Harry's breath caught in his throat, restricting the air passing down it. Draco hadn't noticed him, and he was glad of it.

Harry stopped his staring, only to glare at Pansy, who was clinging onto Draco's arm. She was wearing purple, flowing robes and her dark hair was tied back.

Harry's blood boiled as he watched her whisper something to Draco, and he laughed and smiled at her. Harry clenched his fists, but before he could go over and rip Pansy's head off, Parvati's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"...looks beautiful..." she was saying.

"Yeah, he does," Harry agreed, still thinking solely of Draco.

Harry turned and immediately realised that of course, Parvarti was not talking about Draco, but about the beautiful girl who was delicately stepping down the stairs, smiling at Harry.

Harry grinned back at Hermione, as Krum took her to the line outside the hall, where all the champions were standing with their partners.
__________________________

"PANSY!" Draco yelled from his position in front of the mirror. He was tugging at the cuffs of his sleeves, willing them to stay in place. The rest of the Slytherins had already headed up to the Entrance Hall.

"What?" Pansy panted, running through the door, crossing the dormitory quickly. "What's wrong? Is your chest hurting? What's happening?"

She leaned against the wall for support, clutching her side as she breathed deeply. Her robes bore that of a deep purple, flowing and beautiful.

"No, nothing, Pansy," Draco breathed, looking at her in fascination. "You look beautiful," he blurted out. The girl really did know how to dress up.

She blushed and smiled. "Thank you, Draco, but shouldn't you be saying that to your mate?" It was Draco's turn to blush.

He seemed flustered. "Pansy, do I look okay?" He tugged at his hair, pulling it in different directions to neaten it up.

"Draco, stop worrying. You look fine," Pansy said reassuringly. "He'll be drooling all over you," she added with a smirk.

"B-but—"

"No, Draco, how could anyone resist you? You look perfect, I promise you. Now, I think we should make our way up," Pansy said.

Draco sighed, took one last look in the mirror, then held his arm out for Pansy to take.

"Such a gentleman," she laughed.

Draco was surprised at the amount of students who were milling about outside the great hall. He scanned his eyes across them, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of Harry before they went in, but couldn't seem to find him.

"Filch is here with his cat. How very cute," Pansy whispered and made a disgusted face.

Draco didn't really hear her, but laughed anyway. However he was intent on finding a black-haired Gryffindor.

"Dray, come on, we should go in now," Pansy said. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him through the golden doors into the hall. They pushed their way through the crowds and Pansy dragged him to the front by the ropes so they would have a good view of the champions.

They waited a good few minutes before Draco started to get impatient.

"Pansy, where are they," he grit out, jaw set.

Pansy looked up at him with a smirk. "Is someone getting a little impatient?" she giggled.

Draco glared at her. "No," he bit. "I just want to see him. He's mine and this is a special night. He huffed and crossed his arms.

"Calm down, look, the doors are opening," Pansy said, and Draco fixed his eyes to the front of the hall, waiting.

He watched as Fleur graciously walked in first, smiling, arm wrapped around her partner.

She was followed by Hermione and Krum. Draco stepped back a bit, raising his eyebrows at the unlikely couple. How the mudblood managed to do that, he had no idea.

Then came Diggory with the Chang girl, and lastly, Harry.

Draco's heart melted as he looked at the boy, who looked so adorably nervous. He so badly wanted to duck under the rope and grab him right there and then. He was wearing dark dress robes, and his hair was a cute mess on his head.

However, suddenly Draco felt his wings threaten to spring from his back as he took in the girl next to him. Harry's arm was wrapped around her elbow, and she was holding onto him.

Draco gripped Pansy tightly, accidently digging his nails into her skin, leaving marks.

"Ow! Draco, what wrong? Potter's just ther— oh," she said as she realised what Draco was seeing.

"Draco, you need to calm down," she said softly. "You look like you want to slit Patil's throat," she laughed nervously.

Draco wasn't listening as he stared at Harry and the girl. Jealously pumped dangerously through him and he grit his teeth.

"Draco, your eyes..." Pansy trailed off, remembering what Draco had said about a Veriae's eye colour changing to a metallic silver whenever jealous or angry.

"Come on." Pansy quickly took control and grabbed Draco by the wrist, pulling him into the dance floor.

"Dance. Come on, don't think about it," she said into his ear as she steered them away from the dancing couple.

Draco still had his eyes locked on Harry and Parvati as he grabbed Pansy's hands angrily.

Pansy didn't know what happened if you made a Veriae angry, or let their jealously take over, but she knew it couldn't be good, so she tried her best to engage him in conversation.

"So, um, do you like the music, Dray?" Pansy asked, trying to be casual but knowingly failing.

Draco looked at her, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. It wasn't going to work.

"Don't talk, Pans, let's just dance," Draco said. Pansy could tell he was angry.

She nodded in response and they danced for a while, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep him occupied for long.

Draco couldn't concentrate. He kept craning his neck to watch as Harry danced with the Patil girl. Draco noticed he had his hand very far down her back. Dangerously low.

He tensed his jaw and gripped Pansy tighter, his pent up jealousy burning inside him. He made frustrated growling noises in the back of his throat as he watched the couple dance. How come that bitch got to touch Harry and not him? No one should be able to touch Harry except him. No one.

"Ow, Draco, you keep stepping on my feet," Pansy said, irritated.

"Sorry," Draco mumbled. He felt bad, as he was probably ruining Pansy's evening stressing over the fact his mate was dancing with another girl. Someone who wasn't him.

Pansy sighed and took his hand, pulling him over to the side of the hall by the window.

"Draco, listen to me. Potter is your mate, and we will make sure he's yours by the end of the year, no matter how weird or disgusting I find it, friendship comes first, and I need you to be happy. Got it?"

Draco nodded, then opened his mouth to speak.

"But, Pans, it's so hard. He's supposed to be mine, he should be with me," he said, looking over wistfully at the still dancing pair. He turned back to Pansy, who was looking at him sympathetically.

"Listen, Draco," she said, taking his hands in hers, making him look directly at her.

"No matter what, he will be yours by the end of the year, I promise you. But for now, you're going to have to deal with what comes. And this is one of those times. I know it must be hard to see your mate with someone else, but you need to control your feelings. I've noticed your eyes flashing all evening, and I know that's not a good sign. But I just need you to calm down for me, okay? It'll all be okay," she said soothingly, looking into his eyes.

Draco looked as if he was ready to break down. Pansy took notice and wrapped her arms securely around the boy, who was trying extremely hard not to smash the window behind them.

He hated feeling like this; so angry, so jealous and crazy at not having Harry by his side. It was driving him insane.

He pulled away from Pansy, breathing heavily, running a hand through his hair. He felt frustrated. This was all too much to handle.

Draco looked back at the dance floor, seeking out Harry and his stupid partner. But he couldn't find him. The dance floor was now so crowded with people, it was impossible to see who was there, and who was not, but Draco was sure Harry wasn't.

Panic arose inside Draco, as he felt his wings ripple, closed inside his robes, as the Veriae instinct to open out, kicked in.

Harry was not there. He was not on the dance floor. Draco told himself to calm down, he must have just sat down at the side.

"Draco? Are you alright? You've gone a bit pale," Pansy said worriedly from behind him.

Draco swallowed, his panic growing.

He turned to Pansy. "He's not here, Pans," he said, biting his lip.

Pansy looked confused.

"Where is he?" Draco asked, scanning the room, begging his eyes to find a mop of black hair. But there was none to be found.

"Pansy, Harry's not here!" His voice cracked and Pansy's eyes widened at the use of Harry's first name. She suddenly realised how much her friend was panicking.

Before she could say anything, Draco had gone.
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Harry sat down in one of the silver seats next to Ron, watching the dancers in the middle of the room. He was flushed and hot from dancing with Parvati.

He had been trying to get to Draco all night. He had wanted to talk to him. He wasn't sure what about, but it felt like something he needed to do. However Parvati had been intent on keeping his hands on her waist all evening; she wanted to dance, and Harry didn't want to ruin her night.

Now, he watched as Hermione twirled with Krum, a gorgeous smile lighting up her face. Harry was happy for his friend. She was lucky to be having fun.

He glanced at Ron who had a sour look plastered across his features as he watched the two dance. Harry knew how his best friend was feeling. Seeing Draco dance with Parkinson had caused his heart to squirm painfully in inner turmoil.

Speaking of, he searched the room for the farmiliar head of blonde hair, his finding successful.

Draco and Pansy were in the corner of the hall, whispering quietly to each other. Harry couldn't decipher the emotion Draco had written on his face, but he watched as Pansy grabbed his hands, talking to him softly.

Something inside Harry boiled. This wasn't allowed. How dare that pug face touch his Draco like that.

Wait, his Draco?! Harry mentally smacked himself, trying to tear his eyes away from the two, but failing. He looked on, and all of a sudden he was hugging her. He was hugging her.

Harry felt a stab in his chest as he watched the two embrace. His throat closed and he turned to Ron.

"I need some air. See you later," he said shortly. Ron made no acknowledgement, his eyes still locked on Hermione.

Harry stood up and swallowed, fast-pacing to the doors. He reached them and slipped out quietly, taking himself to a secluded area, round the corner, out of sight from anyone who happened to pass by.

He sat down, leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. To say he was upset would be an understatement. But he didn't want to feel like this. He knew Draco wouldn't like him in that way, of course not, that was absurd.

They were friends, nothing more, and Harry realised in that moment that that's all they would ever be. How could he have believed that for one second, he could have had a chance? Obviously he asked Parkinson to the dance because they were probably dating or something.

Harry mentally smacked himself for the second time that evening for his stupidity. He realised he knew hardly anything about Draco, and would probably not find out anything more.

Harry bit his lip, trying to calm himself down, his eyes still closed.

He jumped when he heard a voice from above him.

"Harry?" the voice whispered.

Harry's eyes shot open and landed on the last person he expected, or wanted to see here.

"Go away, Malfoy," Harry bit at him, angry. "Go back to Parkinson, she's probably missing you," he said, his tone laced with venom. He turned his back to the blonde and faced away.

Draco took a step back, shocked at Harry's tone and the use of his last name. I thought we were past surnames, he thought.

"Harry? I don't understand, what's wrong?" Draco's voice held worry and concern, and Harry had to bite his lip to stop himself calling out to him.

"Nothing, everything's fine, but I'm sure your date is missing you, so why don't you go back to her, instead of wasting your time with me?" Harry said in the same venemous tone.

"Harry," Draco said, suddenly realising what this was about, and nearly laughed. "Listen, Pansy and I, I promise you, we're not together. We're just extremely good friends, just like you and the mud— your own friends." He breathed a sigh of relief, stopping himself just in time.

Harry was looking at Draco, a new expression had adorned the shorter boy's features.

"I promise," Draco said softly.

Draco's heart was beating fast as he watched Harry, who looked at the floor in embarrassment, a blush forming to coat his cheeks. Draco's stomach erupted into butterflies. The boy looked so adorably cute.

"I-I'm sorry," Harry mumbled, biting his lip and silently cursing. He'd been such an idiot. How could he jump to conclusions like that so fast? He felt embarrassed and refused to look at Draco.

"Hey," He felt a finger under his chin and looked up to see the Slytherin looking at him with a pure expression Harry couldn't quite place. "It's okay, don't worry about it," he gave a small smile.

Harry blushed and shyly returned it, swallowing.

Draco stood up and held a hand out to Harry, who turned an even deeper shade of red, and took it. The both of them looked at each other, shocked as they felt the strangely farmiliar sparks shoot up their arms.

Draco gulped and looked at Harry. He was so close. His mate was right there, he could reach out and grab him, claiming him. It angered Draco that Harry was just within his hold but he wasn't able to get him.

So he knew what he had to do.

Draco took hold of both of Harry's hands, trying to ignore the thrill it gave him to touch the other boy's skin.

"Draco, what are you—" Harry started, uncertainly, but was cut off.

"Care to dance, Harry?" Draco smirked at Harry, taking in the sight of his mate. His hair was adorably messy and ruffled, and he looked flustered, which Draco decided made him look very hot.

Harry's breath stopped for a second or two, staring into Draco's eyes, trying to figure out if the boy was serious.

"B-but, what about your date?" he asked before Draco placed a finger to Harry's lips, silencing him.

"That doesn't matter," he whispered. "You're my date now."

Harry froze, unsure of how this made him feel. He eventually decided it was good. It was a good kind of feeling. He liked it.

"So, Harry, I ask again," Draco grinned, devilishly. "Care to dance?"

Harry gulped before nodding, stunned at the turn of events.

Draco smiled happily as he grabbed Harry's hands and unexpectedly twirled him round fast.

Harry shrieked at the sudden movement and grasped Draco's fingers tighter, causing the taller boy to laugh.

They twirled and spun, dancing and moving together in sync. The music blared from the great hall, and they moved to it, the whole while both thinking the same thing; how extremely lucky they were to be holding the other like this.

Harry gasped as Draco tipped him towards the floor, and grasped onto him tightly, clenching his eyes shut.

"It's alright," Draco whispered quietly, bringing Harry up to standing. "I've got you." He felt Harry relax and the song ended, leaving both boys staring at each other, hands still clasped tightly, their breathing fast.

The next song started playing; it was a slow one, and Draco knew what he wanted to do.

He slowly placed his arms around Harry's waist, and Harry instinctively wrapped his around Draco's neck.

Both boys were still breathing heavily from the previous dance, and Draco's breath tickled Harry's face, causing him to blush and look down.

"Look at me," Draco whispered softly, and Harry brought his face back up to look at him.

Harry looked deep into Draco's eyes, which had turned a passionate, deep blue colour.

The two started swaying in time to the music, forgetting the rest of the world and looking nowhere but deep into each other's eyes.

Harry was surprised he didn't step on Draco's feet. He knew Draco was leading and guiding him, but he was still pretty amazed at himself.

They continued to sway, wrapped so tightly together, they didn't realise the song had finished. But they kept swaying nonetheless.

Harry looked up at Draco, who was no longer smiling, but had his eyes trained on Harry's lips. They stopped swaying and stood still.

Harry leaned in closer until his lips ghosted Draco's, hovering above them, both boys' breath mingling. They stood, waiting, waiting for the other.

And all of a sudden, they closed the gap at the same time, capturing each other's lips in a blissful need, their eyes fluttering closed.

Both were too shocked to do anything, but Draco decided to take charge and kissed Harry slowly, lovingly. Harry kissed back, his brain fuzzy and all he could feel was the blissful state and warm, fuzzy darkness.

Sparks flew, and everything became so much more hotter than it was before. There were more sparks then they felt when they touched each other, or brushed shoulders. This time it burned. It burned like wildfire.

Draco's emotions were going into overdrive. Here he was, finally, after so long, here he was, kissing his mate, he was kissing Harry, he was kissing his Harry. He felt his wings ripple with pleasure inside his robes, threataning to burst from his back.

The Gryffindor and Slytherin pulled away, panting for breath, looking at each other with a deep sense of shock and dizziness.

Barely a second had passed before their lips reconnected, however this time it was different. It was desperate, it was needy, wanting. It was moving.

Draco gripped Harry's hips, pulling him closer, if that were even possible. Harry ran a hand up his neck and through Draco's hair, messing it up, tugging at it, causing a moan to escape Draco's lips.

They pulled away, and Draco pressed his lips together, trying to savour Harry's taste.

They stood, staring dazedly at each other. Harry was blushing profusely and Draco was biting his lip. He wanted more. He wanted his mate.

"I have to go," Harry whispered. "Merry Christmas, Draco."

Draco nodded, still in shock. "Goodnight Harry, Merry Christmas," he said quietly.

"Goodnight, Draco," Harry replied, a grin threatening to break through his lips.

Harry turned the corner and bit his lip, trying to stop his love struck grinning.

He was so busy thinking about what had just happened that he didn't realise he had bumped into Hermione, who was red in the face and on the verge of tears.

Harry was about to ask her what was wrong when she unexpectedly shouted at him.

"Where have you been?!" she said, her eyes angry.

Before Harry could reply, she was off again.

"Never mind! Up to bed, both of you!" She screamed angrily at Harry, who looked behind her to see Ron, who was looking just as livid.

Harry realised what this was about and quietly climbed up the stairs with Ron, walking back to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry went to the dormitory and changed, climbing into bed. He laid down and out his head in his pillow. He let out a muffled squeal, but immediately felt ridiculous. Honestly, he was acting like a love stuck schoolgirl. Which in fact he was, minus the girl part.

He grinned, dazed, feeling giddy and overcome with an emotion he hadn't felt before. He laid down and closed his eyes, his dreams being filled with only that of Draco Malfoy.
__________________________

Draco bolted to the dungeons, running though the common room, up to his dormitory, where he slammed the door open and ran to his bed.

He jumped on it and slammed his head in the pillow, before squealing into it with happiness.

He didn't care who was in the room at that moment, he was so overcome with dizziness.

Thankfully it was only Pansy and Blasie, who looked at each other worriedly, before turning to Draco, who still hadn't finished his fangirling episode.

"Uhm, Draco, honey, what's wrong?" Pansy asked, making her way over to stand next to Draco's bed, putting a comforting hand on his back.

Draco flipped over to face her. He was grinning from ear to ear and couldn't stop. His face was flushed and he kept biting his lip.

"Nothing's wrong, Pans, everything's right, everything is right," he sighed happily and jumped up to hug her.

She stumbled back in surprise, her eyes widening as she glared at Blaise, who just shrugged.

"Uh, what do you mean, Dray?" she asked the clinging boy.

Draco pulled back to look at her.

"Harry kissed me," he said, smirking and brought a finger to his lips.

Pansy gasped. "What? You kissed?" she asked in disbelief and Draco nodded, his smirk growing wider.

Blaise was sitting there, shocked, as always.

"It was amazing," Draco sighed wistfully, clutching his heart as he flopped back down on the bed. "My mate kissed me," he said, disbelievingly. "My mate kissed me," he said again, and squealed even louder.

He knew it was an extremely un-Malfoyish thing to do, but he couldn't help it, and for once, he didn't care.

"Are you drunk?" Blaise asked, looking at Draco like he was insane.

Draco shot up into a sitting position and glared at Blaise. "No, I am not. I am simply happy that Harry kissed me. He's my mate, what do you expect?!" he grumbled.

Blaise held his hands up in defence and said, "Okay, well you have fun dreaming about Potter, I'm going to bed, in hopes that this is my own dream," he smirked at Draco.

"Draco, I'm so happy for you!" Pansy said, putting on a fake smile whilst trying to rid the thought that her best friend just kissed his supposed-to-be-worst-enemy.

Draco just smiled at her and she left, leaving him to fall asleep in a giddy daze.
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A/N: I was listening to 'for him' by Troye Sivan whilst writing the bit where Harry and Draco dance, and I felt like it was the song they danced to? I feel like the lyrics kind of describe them.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]