"Sorry I'm late!" Hermione exclaimed breathlessly as she slid onto the bench across from Harry at the table in the furthest corner of the library. "I had a few questions for Professor Babbling about our assignment. What have I missed?"
Harry looked up from where his nose had been buried in his blue and silver Omega book. "What?"
"Never mind," Hermione said as she withdrew a stack of spare parchment and a quill from her bulging school bag. "All right, what have you found out so far?"
Harry glanced down at the book laid open in front of him as though it was about to jump up and bite him. "I've skimmed through the first chapter on male Omega characteristics."
"And?" Hermione replied, quill poised and ready, eager to learn everything she possibly could about male Omegas; to help her friend as well as to satisfy her endless thirst for knowledge.
"Apparently I am slowly turning into a sensitive and delicate flower."
Hermione laughed before she could stop herself and quickly clapped a hand over her mouth as she darted an anxious glance towards Madam Pince behind her large mahogany desk at the far end of the large room. "What do you mean?" she asked in a whisper, trying her best not to giggle.
Harry glared at her before replying in an unhappy tone, "it says during their eighteenth year, the male Omega will begin to develop a more sensitive and nurturing side, that I will acquire what are generally considered femalecharacteristics."
Hermione swallowed her laughter and tried to school her features into a thoughtfully neutral expression. "And have you noticed any of these changes yet?"
Harry absently toyed with the edge of the page. "I dunno… maybe."
"Such as?" Hermione asked with interest.
Harry sighed and tried to think back on the day he'd spent with Malfoy in Hogsmeade. It was the only time he had felt… different, as though his thoughts were unlike anything he'd thought or felt before. "When I went to Hogsmeade with Malfoy, I…" Harry could feel his cheeks heat as he spoke. "I wanted to be taken care of," he mumbled.
Hermione's expression softened. "And you've only felt that way around Malfoy so far?" she asked quietly.
Harry nodded without looking up.
"But you've hardly turned into a delicate flower," she reasoned, seeing how distraught her friend was. "I mean, you still act like you as far as I can see. So what if you want to be in a relationship with someone who will take care of you? It's about time somebody took care of you Harry, instead of you always being the one to do it for everyone else." She smiled a little before turning back to the book. "So, what else is there?"
Harry flipped to the next chapter, grateful to be off the subject of his feelings. "Choosing a Mate," he read.
"Ooo let me see!" Hermione replied eagerly, reaching for the book.
Harry gave her a look. "This isn't some romantic fairy-tale Hermione; this is my life we're talking about here."
Hermione smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'll try to… bear that in mind." She looked back to the page in front of her and read aloud. "A male Omega does not differ from a female Omega when it comes to choosing a mate. The male Omega will be drawn to one, or even several, unbonded Alphas during their search for a life partner. As Alphas are exclusively male, this means that a male Omega will always end up with another male as his mate." Hermione paused to glance up at Harry. "Good thing you're gay Harry. Imagine being a homosexual Alpha and having to be with a female Omega because there's no other choice? That would be awful."
"Now you know why I want to keep it a secret," Harry muttered. "There would be hundreds of Alphas out there who wouldn't care about what I'm like so long as I have all the right bits."
Hermione chewed her lip as she nodded in understanding. "I think it's a good idea - in theory," she replied slowly.
"In theory?"
"Well, I wouldn't want you to miss out on the perfect mate just because he doesn't know you're an Omega. It isn't a crime to want your own children."
Harry's expression hardened. "If you're referring to Malfoy-"
"I wasn't," Hermione interjected quickly, "but there wouldbe others like him. He's an Alpha Harry; it's in their genetic make-up to want to start a family, to want to procreate with their mate."
"Charlie's an Alpha and he chose a Beta," Harry pointed out.
"I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm just saying it's uncommon."
"Well I'm not in a rush, I can wait until the right person comes along," Harry replied determinedly.
Hermione smiled. "Is this part of your new delicate flower sensibilities?" she couldn't help asking. "Wanting love instead of just sex?"
"Fuck off," Harry replied with a reluctant smile.
Hermione laughed as she flipped the page over and continued reading. "It says that you can keep severalmates if you wish but that your Alpha, or Alphas, will only ever remain loyal to you and you alone once you're bonded."
Harry grimaced but kept his comment about wanting just the one partner to himself, as it would only encourage further disparaging remarks about his female sensibilities.
"Oh this is interesting," Hermione was saying as she pointed to a paragraph halfway down the page. "To become officially bonded, an Alpha will bite the male Omega somewhere on his body to the extent that it will leave a permanent scar, or claiming mark as it is generally referred to. The most common location is on the neck, as the site is visible to the general public and will demonstrate to anyone who cannot scent a claim that there is in fact one in place."
Harry frowned. "That is not happening," he said firmly. "No one is fucking claiming me."
Hermione glanced up. "It says that the Omega will actually crave this mark from his Alpha."
Harry shook his head, determined that he wasn't going to consent to such an archaic ritual.
"But Harry… how else will you bond with your Alpha?" Hermione questioned worriedly. "If you don't officially bond with one then you will be forever chasing off Alphas who think you're still on the market. The claiming mark doesn't stop all of them - just as a wedding ring doesn't - but it definitely helps. Plus it will ease your Alpha's insecurities about you being around other Alphas on your own."
Harry swept a hand through his dark hair with a sigh. "I dunno, I guess it's something I'll have to think about. And talk over with my… erm, mate, when I find one."
Hermione nodded and decided to move on. "Do you want to skip the chapter on mating?" she asked.
"Er yeah, I think I know where all the bits are supposed to go," Harry replied, caught between amusement and embarrassment.
"All right, good," Hermione replied, looking relieved. "And if you do have any questions, I'm sure Ron can answer them." Hermione flipped through the short chapter on mating and paused near the end, frowning at one of the definitions. "Do you know what knotting is Harry?"
Harry shook his head and leaned over to peer at the paragraph dedicated to 'The Act of Knotting.'
"It says that an Alpha's pen-" Hermione cut off and quickly pushed the book back to Harry. "Actually, I think perhaps you should read this on your own."
Harry leaned over and began to read as Hermione turned away to make some notes on her parchment, cheeks slightly pink. Green eyes widened as he read that a bonded Alpha's penis will engorge at its base into a large mass, or knot, during ejaculation to keep the two wizards tethered together. This will ensure that the semen remains in the mate's body for a time to assist with conception. The length of time the knot remains in place will differ; anywhere from one or two minutes up to a full twenty minutes. The knot will dissolve quickly if danger is present or will last longer if the Omega is reluctant.
"Reluctant?" Harry repeated with a frown.
"What's that?" Hermione said, looking up.
"It says that the knot will last longer if the Omega is reluctant. What's that supposed to mean?"
Hermione bit her lip and fiddled with the quill in her hand. "Well, I guess it's referring to the fact that some Alphas will take an Omega against his or her will."
"You mean rape?" Harry replied furiously.
"Yes." Hermione confirmed with a nod.
Harry frowned at the book, once again hating how much of his life felt completely out of his control. "When Dean… started touching me in the boy's toilets, I… I wanted it Hermione." He looked back up at her, fury still burning in his eyes. "As soon as he had me, I just… submitted. I'm not attracted to him, never have been, but it was like my Omega side just took over."
Hermione placed a hand over his, her brown eyes resolute as she met his gaze. "But you did stop it when he wanted to take it further and you can do it again Harry. You're not helpless, it's probably a little like fighting off Imperio - and you can do that easily."
Harry sighed, trying to push aside his anger. It was more important to learn everything he could now and think about the ramifications of it all later. "Yeah… I guess."
Hermione gave his hand a squeeze before releasing it. "Okay, what else do you want to know?" she asked, pulling the book back towards her.
Harry leaned his arms on the table and dropped his chin onto his forearms as he frowned at the scuffed table-top. "I guess I should know about male pregnancies," he said.
"Is that something you're okay with?" Hermione asked casually as she flipped to the relevant chapter.
"Yeah," Harry replied instantly, "I am. It's the one good thing about this whole bloody Omega mess. Not that I'm looking forward to the actual pregnancy part of it."
Hermione smiled to herself as she turned the pages. "All right, male Omega pregnancies are very similar to any human female, whereas the Omega will gestate for nine months, can suffer morning sickness, food cravings, nesting behaviours, hot flashes, etc… the only two differences are that the baby must be born by caesarean and that the Omega's body will begin to form a womb during each heat cycle in order to accommodate the foetus." Hermione paused to glance up. "That doesn't sound so bad," she observed encouragingly.
"Yeah, I could put up with all that," Harry replied as he pressed a tiny grin into the sleeve of his jumper.
Hermione smiled as she thought about Harry having his own children, it was something she wanted for him very much and knew he did as well. She had her suspicions about his Muggle relatives going beyond just not treating him well while raising him and had always wondered if that's where the strong desire for his own family had stemmed from. That and the fact that he had lost his parents at such a young age.
"Guess we should move on to the heat cycle," Harry proposed unenthusiastically.
Hermione nodded and turned back to the chapter entitled 'The Male Omega Heat Cycle.' She smoothed the pages out and began to read: "the male Omega will go through one heat period per month-"
"Every month?" Harry repeated, eyes widening in shock and dismay.
Hermione cleared her throat and continued. "A typical heat period lasts about two or three days. During this time, the Omega will emit heat pheromones which alert any nearby Alphas to the Omega's condition - regardless of whether the Omega is bonded or not. Most Omegas will spend their heat cycles at home and not leave until the cycle is complete. It can be slightly uncomfortable for an Omega to be in heat without the assistance of an Alpha to alleviate the overwhelming sexual urges, but it can be done without too much distress with the aid of masturbation. The Omega's anus will self-lubricate during his cycle to assist in easy penetration and safeguard against injury, which could deter copulation during the cycle and delay conception; which is the ultimate goal of a heat cycle. A male Omega can only fall pregnant during his heat."
"Well that's good to know," Harry interjected.
Hermione nodded. "It also mentions that an Alpha can only ever form a knot with his bonded mate. An Alpha can impregnate any sexual partner at any time but their chances of conception significantly increase once bonded due to the formation of the knot."
Harry nodded thoughtfully, trying to work through all the information. This was why he had asked Hermione to read the book with him; he absorbed information much easier when it was read aloud and discussed rather than him simply reading it by himself.
"So… I can only fall pregnant during my heat, but anyAlpha can impregnate me, it doesn't necessarily have to be my mate?"
"Yes, that's probably why Omegas hide out in their homes until they are finished their cycle."
Harry exhaled heavily. "So if an Alpha was to rape me during my cycle - even if I were already bonded - I could potentially become pregnant with his baby?"
"Yes," Hermione confirmed, "just as any female could."
"Okay." Harry nodded, absorbing this. "Does it say whether there are any signs for when a male Omega is about to go into heat?"
Hermione hummed as she skimmed through the rest of the chapter, finger running across the page as she read. "No, not really," she surmised in disappointment. "But it does say that you will have your heat at the same time every month and can plan for it." She looked up with a slight smirk. "Just like a girl on her menstrual cycle. Maybe we'll sync up."
Harry rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to make me feel better not worse."
"Sorry," Hermione laughed.
Harry sat up and absently pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Okay, I think that's enough for today," he said, feeling a little overloaded with information. He looked up with a grateful smile. "Thanks for your help."
"Any time," Hermione replied, slipping her notes back into the bag at her feet.
They both stood and gathered their belongings, Harry hiding the Omega book deep within his leather book bag, before walking with Hermione towards the exit.
"So how are you feeling about everything now?" she asked quietly as they passed through the library doors and out into the corridor.
Harry shrugged noncommittedly. "I dunno, I'm glad I have more information and a better idea of what's happening to me but… I also dislike so many aspects of being a you-know-what." Harry paused and glanced around to ensure that they were alone before adding, "and the most frustrating part is that I still only want Malfoy, who clearly has no interest in me."
"Maybe we should take a trip into Diagon Alley next weekend to find you another Alpha to fixate on," she suggested with a sly grin.
Harry couldn't help but chuckle, eternally grateful for his friendship with such an understanding and intelligent witch.
. . . .
Harry stood in the centre of the quidditch pitch and watched with intense concentration as his team practiced maneuvers high above him in the crisp September air. He clutched his Firebolt in one hand, dried sweat on his brow from moving through his own set of grueling Seeker exercises at the start of practice.
He grinned in triumph as his team managed to complete a particularly complicated passing maneuver - and did it flawlessly. He clapped and whistled his approval before signalling for them to return to the ground.
They landed around him in semi-circle; exhilarated smiles on all of their flushed faces. The only returning members of the Gryffindor team were Harry, Ron and Ginny; the other four were all new faces.
"Great job everyone," Harry said enthusiastically. "I knew you could do it - please don't forget exactly what we did today. We'll run it again next practice to make sure it's really cemented in your brains before our first game against Ravenclaw."
The Gryffindors thanked Harry before proceeding to the change rooms.
"Ravenclaw hasn't a hope," Ron said with a grin as he and Harry quickly collected the practice equipment and placed it back into the battered wooden trunk before heading off the pitch together.
Harry returned the grin, emerald eyes sparkling with energy. "Yeah, we have a decent team this year. I was a little unsure when I saw Abercrombie and Peakes at the tryouts for Beaters - but they're brilliant!"
Ron laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean, they're so little but they really pack a punch."
The two pushed through the doors at the back of the stadium tower and jogged up the stairs with their brooms in hand.
"I think their size may actually help," Harry commented. "It makes them quick flyers instead of looking ungainly in the air."
Ron nodded his agreement as they pushed through the door into the loud chatter and rushing shower water of the boy's change room. It appeared that the Ravenclaw team were already gearing up for their practice as the room was full of blue robes as well as red.
Harry smiled to himself as the two teams spouted some good-natured teasing back and forth behind him as he walked to his locker; each team certain of victory for the upcoming match.
He'd really missed quidditch over the summer, and now it was the only time he felt even halfway normal.
Harry had a quick shower and washed his hair before toweling off and slipping into clean clothes. It was Saturday and he was wearing his old worn-in jeans and t-shirt along with his favourite scuffed trainers to complete his typical weekend ensemble.
"Hey Harry, can I ask you a question?"
Harry peered around his open locker door at the captain of the Ravenclaw team; Anthony Goldstein. "Yeah sure," he replied as he hung up his damp towel.
Anthony walked over, absently fastening up an armguard. "I happened to pass by the pitch during Slytherin's practice Thursday night and it appeared as though their Beaters were practicing the Dopplebeater Defence."
Harry raised his brow in surprise. "Really?"
"Hey Harry, do you want me to wait?" Ron called out as he slammed his locker shut and turned to him, ready to leave.
"Nah, I'll catch up. Hermione's waiting, remember?" Harry called back.
"Right." Ron waved and walked out of the locker room, the rest of the Ravenclaw team trickling out with him to start their practice session.
The locker room was finally silent as Harry turned back to Anthony. "Is that legal at Hogwarts?" he asked, knowing that the act of both Beaters hitting the bludger at the same time for maximum power - and maximum impact - was permitted in professional quidditch but he'd never seen it done at Hogwarts before.
Anthony finished lacing up his leather armguard and looked up. "I believe it's technically allowed, but no team has attempted it in all of my time here."
Harry nodded as he chewed his bottom lip in thought. "Well I certainly wouldn't put it past Slytherin to be the first," he finally surmised.
Anthony nodded in agreement. "I suppose all we can do is warn Hufflepuff and just be prepared for it."
"Yeah, thanks for letting me know," Harry replied with a brief smile. "I'll have to keep my team on their toes when it comes to what Slytherin's Beaters are up to next match."
"I suspect the Seeker will be most at risk," Anthony pointed out. "Especially you Harry, they know how essential you are to a Gryffindor victory."
Harry shrugged self-consciously. "I have a great team behind me this season," he replied. "So I'm not as essential as Slytherin may think."
Anthony smiled and held out his hand. "Well, good luck Potter, I'll see you on the pitch next Friday."
Harry shook his hand. "Yeah, same to you."
When Harry went to remove his hand from Anthony's, the other boy's grip suddenly tightened. Harry's eyes darted up to Anthony's face and he paled as he noticed the dilated pupils in Anthony's bright blue eyes.
"Anthony?" he said, feeling a strange sense of deja vu wash over him.
Anthony held fast as he took a step towards him, nostrils flaring. "You… you smell delicious Harry."
Harry groaned inwardly; it was Dean all over again. "Anthony, let go of my hand," he said firmly, taking a step away from him.
Anthony frowned as though confused and then before Harry could even take a breath to speak, Anthony had brought up his other hand and pushed Harry up against the wall of steel lockers at his back.
Harry inhaled sharply, surprised by the sudden impact.
Anthony pressed the length of his body up against Harry's, his hands pinning Harry's arms to his sides to keep him in place. He smirked in satisfaction and then proceeded to lean in and press his lips to the side of Harry's neck to suckle at the soft skin.
Harry couldn't stop the moan from escaping his lips, his knees trembling as his arousal shot into overdrive and his dread melted away. He was instantly hard and rolled his hips against Anthony's body.
Anthony growled and immediately inserted his thigh further between Harry's legs, one hand dropping to his backside to encourage Harry's rutting motions.
"Oh fuck..." Harry gasped, eyes rolling back in his head as he continued to thrust his jean-clad erection against the muscular Alpha.
"Yes," Anthony hissed against Harry's shower-warmed skin, pleased at eliciting such pleasure from his delectable quarry. He moved his lips downwards and scraped his teeth along the soft juncture of Harry's shoulder.
Harry instantly shivered with desire and Anthony smiled around the skin in his mouth when he felt Harry's response. He set his teeth more firmly around Harry's flesh and bit down.
Harry's eyes flew open and his foggy mind quickly cleared. He wrenched his head to the side, as far from Anthony's sharp Alpha teeth as possible. Unfortunately this had the unwelcome result of him striking his head against the open locker door beside him and being cut by the sharp steel edge.
The pain only seemed to fuel Harry's anger and he promptly shoved Anthony away from him. The Alpha's grip had slackened when Harry had started to respond to him so he stumbled backwards without requiring too much force.
"Stay the fuck over there!" Harry panted warningly, green eyes burning as he held up one hand as though to ward him off.
Anthony remained where he was but his eyes were still burning feverishly, not even blinking as he stared back at Harry, hands twitching at his sides as though wanting to grab ahold of him again.
Harry quickly withdrew his wand from the waistband of his jeans and pointed it at him. "Stay right there Anthony," he said as calmly as he could manage, his heart beating rapidly in his chest and his body tensed in flight or fight mode. "I'm leaving and you will stay here until I'm gone. Then all of this will stop and you will be able to think clearly, and know that you don't actually want to claim me."
Harry swallowed, horrified at the thought of what could have happened. He slowly backed away from the other boy, who hadn't moved a muscle during Harry's speech. Harry walked backwards towards the door, never taking his eyes - or wand - off of the tense Alpha. He cursed the fact that his robe and bag were still in his locker but didn't want to take the chance that Anthony might jump him again if he went back for them.
Harry bumped up against the door and, with one last glance at Anthony, spun around and pushed through. He sprinted down the short hallway to the stairs and leapt down, taking two or three steps at a time in his haste.
Harry burst outside in to the cold air and kept running, wand still clutched in one hand. When he felt as though he were far enough away, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. Anthony was nowhere to be seen and he exhaled shakily in relief, bending over with his hands on his knees, breathing hard.
Once he'd caught his breath, he straightened up and absently reached up to wipe the sweat from his eye - and his hand came away red. Harry frowned then remembered that he'd cut himself on the locker door.
He cursed, half wondering if he could heal himself without a mirror.
"Potter?"
Harry spun around and instinctively raised his wand, body still fraught with adrenaline.
Blaise Zabini held up his hands, eyes wide. "Whoa! Steady there Chosen One."
Harry slowly lowered his wand again. "Sorry," he said, knowing he must look mental running around with his wand out, no robe, and blood dripping down the side of his face.
Blaise merely appeared concerned though. "Are you all right?" he asked. "Did Dean Thomas' attacker get to you too?"
Harry frowned. "Who?"
Blaise's gaze shifted over Harry's shoulder and Harry instantly turned to see what he was looking at. Anthony Goldstein had exited the tower and was walking towards the quidditch pitch, clutching a broom in one hand and absently rubbing his temple with the other as though bewildered.
"Blaise?" Harry prompted, satisfied that Anthony no longer posed a threat. He knew he would have to look into why this was happening to him when he was alone in confined spaces with a single Alpha, but he needed to know what Zabini was talking about first.
Blaise turned back to him. "Dean was sliced up somewhere near the lake."
"Sliced up?" Harry repeated, stunned.
"Yeah, some sort of cutting curse or something."
Sectumsempra drifted unbidden through Harry's mind and he quickly shook his head. "Is he all right?"
Blaise nodded, not looking too concerned. "Oh yeah, Pomfrey had him fixed up and out of the infirmary in an hour. Don't know why anyone would target such a straight-laced Gryffindor."
"Hmm…." Harry hummed thoughtfully but his mind was spinning. Why Dean Thomas indeed? Did it have something to do with what happened between Dean and himself? Only Ron and Hermione knew about that though. Would Ron in his new protective mode carry out revenge on Dean or would only his true Alpha mate do something like that…
"Are you sure you're all right?" Blaise asked, interrupting his musing. "Because you do know your head is bleeding, right?"
Harry blinked and forced a smile. "Yeah, quidditch practice," he dismissed offhand.
Blaise didn't look entirely convinced. "You seem a little jumpy Potter, are you heading back to the castle? I could walk with you?"
Harry was about to refuse then thought better of it. Maybe an escort wasn't such a bad idea until, he could sit down and figure this out with Hermione. He knew Blaise was an Alpha but the Slytherin appeared unaffected by him. "Yeah, all right."
The two fell into step as they walked back towards the castle together. Harry shoved his hands into his jeans pockets for warmth, cursing the fact that he hadn't been able to grab his robe from the locker room.
"So do they have any idea who attacked Dean?" Harry asked.
Blaise shook his head. "Not as far as I know. No magical signature could be traced on the wounds and he doesn't have any known enemies either. Bit of a mystery until it happens again I suppose. Dean isn't allowed to go anywhere on his own for awhile. His parents are furious that this happened on school grounds, but honestly, a lot worse has happened here over the years."
Harry snorted in agreement then glanced sideways at him. "So… was the person trying to kill Dean, do you think, or just… you know, scare him?"
"Definitely out to scare him, I'd say," Blaise replied reflectively. "The cuts weren't that deep and he was left out in the open. Dean can't remember a thing, just that he was walking near the lake and then something knocked into him and everything went black."
Harry frowned at the description; it didn't sound like a wand attack, at least not at first. "Perhaps it was a wandering Acromantula?"
"Yeah, I think that's what they're investigating at the moment, with Hagrid's assistance," Blaise replied as they approached the wide stone entrance steps of the school.
"Zabini."
Harry and Blaise both looked up to see Malfoy striding towards them, a strangely blank expression on his face.
He stopped in front of them, eyes glancing between the two before finally settling on Blaise. "Thought you were coming to the library," he said without preamble.
"I was on my way, just helping Harry here," Blaise replied evenly, and Harry noticed that Blaise's expression was oddly defiant. "As you can see, he's been injured."
Draco's grey eyes flicked to Harry's forehead a moment before returning to Blaise. "Yes I can see that. Why don't you carry on to the library and I'll walk Potter to the infirmary and then meet you there?"
Harry frowned as the two seemed to be conducting some sort of stand-off before Blaise finally nodded.
"See you later Harry," he said with a tight smile before striding past Draco and disappearing into the school.
Harry's frown deepened. "I don't need an escort Malfoy," he said irritably as Draco turned to him expectantly.
"I beg to differ Potter."
Much to Harry's surprise, Draco reached out to take him by the elbow and began to walk him into the school. Harry was so shocked that he went along with it without complaint.
When the shock wore off, halfway up the first set of stairs, Harry wanted to tear his arm out of the Slytherin's firm grasp but Draco's touch was warm and tingly on the bare skin of his arm and he just couldn't find it in himself to do it. He cursed how pathetic he was as he walked alongside the Alpha, trying to ignore how Draco's warmth was seeping into his side as they walked nearly shoulder to shoulder.
"Why are you doing this Malfoy?" Harry asked crossly. If he couldn't physically force himself away from Malfoy then perhaps he could do it verbally. "I know how much you hate me."
The grip on his arm tightened for a fraction of a second then loosened.
"Well?" Harry demanded when he didn't get an answer, glaring at Draco as the tight-lipped Slytherin stared straight ahead.
"I don't hate you," he finally replied.
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Much," Draco added, lips twitching.
Harry gaped. "You're unbelievable," he stated. He was irritated by Malfoy's erratic behaviour and with himself for feeling so hot and bothered by Malfoy's close proximity.
They turned up the corridor to the infirmary and approached the double entrance doors.
Harry let out an undignified yelp when Malfoy suddenly dragged him sideways into a small alcove, hidden behind a rusty suit of armour. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Harry demanded loudly before Draco placed a hand over his mouth.
Grey eyes stared intently back into furious green for a moment before Draco's gaze slid upwards to the wound just above Harry's right temple.
Harry's anger immediately evaporated when he saw the expression on Draco's face.
"I just need to… confirm that you're all right," Draco murmured distractedly as he lifted a hand to brush Harry's dark hair off of his forehead and away from the small gash.
Harry shivered as soon as Draco's hand came into contact with his hair. He had to bite back a moan as Draco suddenly leaned in and inhaled the skin right below his ear, breath promptly exhaling warmly and causing gooseflesh to rise on his arms. Harry's eyes fell closed as the scent of Draco's shampoo and something that was probably uniquely his, drifted to his nostrils and filled his body with coiled desire; ready to spring at a moment's notice.
This was completely different to the other two times that an Alpha had crowded his space and he'd submitted. This wasn't submission; this was pure want. This wasn't foggy, unconsciousness forcing his reactions and movements; this was something he wanted - with clear-headed certainty. He felt it right down to his very bones; this wasn't just some random Alpha, this was a potential mate.
"Please…" Harry whispered, not knowing what he was asking for but needing something - anything - from the Alpha. He didn't care that he sounded needy because he fucking was, and clearly Draco was feeling something as well or he wouldn't be sliding warm hands up his sides and curling his arms around Harry's back to pull him in.
Draco held him close as he moved his head back to stare into Harry's eyes as though trying to find something there.
Harry held his breath, praying that Draco would succumb to whatever internal struggle he was currently waging within himself. Those grey eyes were so close that Harry could see every little speck of black and variation of colour as they stared intently back at him, deciphering.
The Slytherin eventually frowned and, as though having to force himself, took a step back. "Come on," he said quietly, taking Harry by the elbow once more and leading him out of the alcove as though nothing had happened.
Harry felt his stomach drop with crushing disappointment - but he had hope, he knew that whatever he had been feeling, Draco felt it too, or at least felt something.
Draco silently led him up the corridor, straight into the empty infirmary and over to the nearest hospital bed. "I'll fetch Pomfrey," he said unemotionally, about to turn away.
"Wait!" Harry reached up and grabbed him by the arm. "We need to talk."
Draco frowned as though confused but Harry could see panic hidden in those guarded grey eyes. "About what?"
Harry glared. "About what the bloody hell just happened in that alcove Malfoy," he replied, trying to keep his voice down. "And why you felt the need to personally escort me to the infirmary in the first place."
Draco swallowed as he glanced down at Harry's hand wrapped around his wrist. Harry saw the moment the mask came down and the Slytherin's expression fell in obvious defeat. "Yes, I suppose we do," he finally relented, forcing his gaze back up to meet Harry's. "What do you propose?"
Harry exhaled in relief. "Meet me in the seventh floor corridor-"
"Opposite Barnabas the Barmy?" Draco guessed with a knowing look.
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
"At ten?"
"Ten," Harry agreed, excited and relieved and scared all at once.
Draco turned his wrist in Harry's grip and fleetingly rubbed his thumb over the top of Harry's hand before turning and walking off.
Harry visibly sagged and had to place his hands on the starched bedsheet beside him to hold him up, shaky with everything that had happened.
He glanced up and saw Draco speaking to Madam Pomfrey just outside her office.
He needed to speak to Ron and Hermione as soon as he was released, there was so much he needed to talk to them about. He needed to find out how certain Alphas were able to respond to him as though they knew he was an Omega - despite the fact that he was still taking daily scent masking potions. He needed to find out more information on what happened to Dean, and most of all, he needed to know whether they thought him meeting with Draco alone was a good idea or not. Draco had reacted to him in a way that was similar to the other Alphas, but he was the only one who had been able to stop himself and walk away, despite Harry doing everything in his power to spur him on.
Harry's eyes fell closed for a moment. Merlin, he wanted to be alone with Draco again; the Alpha's scent and the feel of his arms around him and his warm breath on his neck… He wanted it so much that he positively ached with the strength of his desire.
Harry swallowed and opened his eyes to see Madam Pomfrey striding towards him, wand in hand. Draco was nowhere to be seen.
Harry answered the nurse's questions mechanically as she went through her routine and efficiently healed his injury, which had scabbed over long ago, his mind all the while on Draco and their possibly disastrous upcoming meeting.