"There has been much ssstrange activity, Master," Nagini hissed quietly from her perch on the back of Tom's chair.

"Strange?" Tom murmured back, eyes focused on his sleeping mate.

The snake also watched the small, pink figure cocooned on the bed. Her Master's chair was as close as she cared to get to the boy – there was something else in the room with them and that something hung on the wall above the boy, an invisible protector silently warning her away. She didn't know what it was and she had no desire to test its effectiveness.

"More people going in and out. Many were hooded and their pace hurried – not at all like the usssual visitors. Owl traffic has nearly tripled and..."

"And?"

"I have sssmelled the rat on him. Three times this month he has come within striking distance and all three times he sssmelled of the rat."

Nagini hissed in pleasure as her Master caressed her head. It had been nearly seven months since she'd been in his presence, nearly seven months since she'd been sent to watch that idiot Fudge's estate.

"You have done well my friend, thank you."

"Anything, my Master."

"Nagini..."

"Yes, Master?"

"Harry and Lucius are my mates now."

"I know. I can sssmell you on them and them on you."

"Harry carries my young within him."

"Truly?"

"Truly."

"That isss good Master. I worried you would never breed."

The brunette chucked at that.

"You are very different now, Master."

"Oh?"

"I like it."

He stroked her head again, "I am glad to hear that. When Harry wakes I will introduce you to him properly. Of course you already knew he could Speak to you, but now Lucius, Severus, Draco and a young girl named Hermione can too – they are all like me now."

"That isss good, it will be nice to have others to Speak with. Field snakes just do not understand what life is like with a Wizard."

Silence filled the room for a few moments.

"Will Harry's guardian allow him to Speak to me?"

"Guardian?"

"Yes. I cannot see it, but I feel it...sssitting above his head somewhere. It doesn't want me near the boy."

"Really?" Her Master sounded so surprised.

"Yes, Master."

"I will speak with Harry, my friend, and we shall see what can be done."

The cobra hissed a quiet assent.

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Severus and Lucius sat in twin wingback chairs before a small fire in the Potion Master's main sitting room, each absorbed in the flickering flames and occasionally sipping from their brandy glasses.

Severus sighed, "If only I was the Drake." That had been his mantra for the past three months.

"Oh stop whining Severus, you are not suited to be a Drake and you know it. You hate being the center of attention, you like nothing more than futzing about at home and you guard your privacy more zealously then a goblin guards their gold," Lucius scolded.

A snort was the only response.

"Face it, my friend, you are the consummate Wyvern."

"But we fight...and more and more Hermione must intervene."

Lucius sighed, "I hadn't realized it had gotten so bad."

"Yes well, you have had you own issues to deal with."

The blonde waved a dismissive hand, "I am his father. I should have been paying more attention."

After a few minutes of silence Lucius asked, "What do you fight about?"

"It is always the most ridiculous things..."

Lucius quirked an eyebrow when Severus didn't finish his sentence. He knew neither of them was comfortable with dissecting their feelings, but with their Draconian instincts often conflicting with their Human expectations it was an important activity.

Severus put a hand over his face and mumbled something.

"What was that Sev?"

He mumbled again, a little louder.

"Severus stop being childish!"

"He wanted to go out and ride his broom and I wouldn't let him."

Lucius felt his eyes go wide and he sat silent, flabbergasted.

Finally, "You had a fight over a broom?"

The Potion Master didn't reply, nor did he come out from behind his hand.

"Did you have a reason for denying him?"

"Of course I did! It is summer and we are in a school that is supposed to be empty, but for a few teachers. If Draco were to be seen outside it could compromise our position and put both Hermione and Harry in danger."

"Did you explain your reasoning to him?"

"No," Severus admitted quietly.

"How, in the many years of our friendship, did I miss the fact that you are a complete and utter moron? Outside the classroom, when has it ever been the most intelligent choice to give Draco a mere 'no'? Now with his Drake instincts running wild – why didn't you just slap the boy and get the bloodshed over with?"

Severus was clenching his fists and glaring when Lucius finished his diatribe.

"What exactly would you suggest then," he growled.

"Tell him exactly what you told me! He will most likely still growl about it, but in such circumstances he will bow to your wishes. You are the Nest Guard, Severus, the safety and security of the nest and therefore the health and happiness of your Queen are your province. Nine times out of ten Draco will heed your wishes on these issues, but you must explain it to him. You can no longer afford to treat him as a bothersome student Sev; he is your mate and your Drake."

Severus slumped back in his chair, "You are right, of course, Lucius. I apologize for my...theatrics."

"Quite all right, my friend. We are all entitled to such moments from time to time. Besides...who am I to turn away from an opportunity to scold the fearsome Severus Snape?"

"Ha. Ha."

The men sat in companionable silence.

"You have been balancing between our Lord and Dumbledore for a very long time, my friend," Lucius said softly. "Now you have before you an opportunity to use your considerable skills of diplomacy, observation, and cunning to benefit yourself and the two people who will cherish you unto death – no matter what."

"We are truly blessed, tainted as we are with blood and black magic. The Lord of our youth is restored to us and our purpose again made clear. We have been shaken out of our downward spiral and made new. But for all our blessings we must fight to prove we are worthy of such bounty. We must find the ones who attacked Harry before they can do any more damage."

Severus raised his glass in salute and then finished off its contents with a large swallow. Standing, the Potion Master swept from the room.

Lucius rolled his eyes at the now empty room, "Thank you ever so much for your wise council...Whatever would I have done without you," the blonde muttered at his brandy in an awful impersonation of his friend, before smirking and relaxing back into his chair.

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Severus found his mates in their now much expanded bedroom. Hogwarts had been very accommodating to the two Draconian families, seeming to understand their need to be together. Instead of the four bedrooms they had had to preserve their charade during the school year, his small bedroom was now a rather expansive suite, complete with a large bathroom to rival that of the prefects, a bed more than large enough to accommodate him and his two mates, and a sunken sitting area with fireplace.

A small fire gave off just enough light to show him Hermione asleep in their bed...and Draco on the sofa, brooding by all appearances.

Quietly Severus closed the door behind him and took a deep breath for strength.

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Draco ignored Severus' entrance, just as he had ignored everything his mate had said and done since their fight two days ago. It was childish he knew, but he was still a child – even if he would never admit it aloud – and sometimes the devices of childhood were all he had.

He couldn't win with Severus, no matter what he did. His mate wouldn't accept his compromises, wouldn't listen to his arguments and ignored his tantrums. Silence was all that was left to him, even as his instincts screamed at him to take charge, to command and prove his dominance.

Draco rolled his eyes at the mental image of him tossing the austere man to the floor and pounding on him until the arrogant bastard acknowledged the blonde as the Drake in this relationship. Unfortunately, said inner Drake seemed to enjoy that thought as his body suddenly broke out into a sweat.

Movement jolted him from his thoughts and the blonde was surprised to find their object before him – kneeling before him in point of fact.

"I have come to apologize for my disrespect, my Drake." Severus laid his head in the teen's lap.

Draco knew he had to look confused, because he sure as Merlin was confused.

"What exactly brought this on?"

The Potions Master settled further against Draco's legs, his long arms wrapping around the younger man's hips.

"Despite popular belief Draco, I am capable of admitting when I am wrong."

They smirked at each other before Severus continued, "Our disagreements have escalated in recent months and I could not stand it any longer. I went to your father to see if he could offer any advice to a fellow Wyvern..."

Slowly Draco began running his fingers through the older man's dark hair, "And?"

"And he gave it to me. He pointed out my own stupidity and that I have grossly neglected my duties as a Wyvern and member of this family."

"He said all that?"

"Not in so many words...the important thing is, when I refused to let you take out your broom I did not explain my reasoning - which I should have done. Nor did I offer an alternative – which I also should have done. I didn't want you out on the grounds because I fear for our safety. We still do not know who attacked Harry and we have no idea of their whereabouts. We are safe at Hogwarts because no one knows we are here. Harry cannot be moved if we are discovered, not even by Muggle means. I fear the damage they could do trying to get to him and I know you would be in the middle of it trying to protect him."

Severus lifted one long fingered hand and caressed Draco's face. The blonde couldn't stop himself from nuzzling into its warmth.

"I was only ever able to do my work for our Lord because I had nothing to lose...now I have more than I ever thought possible in you and Hermione. I fear losing you and sometimes that fear gets the better of me..."

Draco gave his mate a small smile. The man was clearly uncomfortable, his cheeks red and his eyes flickering back and forth between Draco's eyes and chest. Severus had said more than enough to assuage his anger so the young blonde decided to put the man out of his misery.

Gently he took Severus' head in his hands, cutting off whatever heartfelt confession his Wyvern was to make. Pulling the man up, he kissed him.

It was chaste at first, merely a meeting of lips to convey forgiveness and reassurance but then Draco became curious. The lips beneath his own were soft like Hermione's, but thinner; so different, yet so alike. Before he knew it his tongue was further investigating them and then they parted...

Draco groaned and tightened his fingers in Severus's hair, pulling the older man closer and wrenching a moan from him.

Finally Draco pulled back and stared wide eyed at the panting man before him. The blonde opened his mouth, to speak he supposed 'though he wasn't sure what to say, when Hermione's sleep thickened voice purred through the silence.

"You two could at least have the decency to do that sort of thing where I could watch!"