Harry stumbled over the threshold of the Gryffindor common room as he pushed his way in through the portrait hole. He paused to look for Ron and Hermione and quickly spotted them in their usual seats next to the fire.
"Harry, where on earth is your robe?" Hermione asked as he joined them, noticing his bare arms.
"What took you so long?" Ron asked with a frown.
Harry withdrew his wand before taking a seat in the armchair across from them. He subtly cast a strong privacy charm around the trio, causing the other two Gryffindor's brows to rise in surprise.
"What's happened?" Hermione asked, leaning forward in concern.
Ron's eyes narrowed. "You smell of the infirmary," he observed grimly.
Harry swallowed, still slightly breathless from his run from the hospital wing. "What hasn't happened?" he responded. "Goldstein pulled the Alpha card in the locker room and almost bit me. I had to push him off before running for it."
Hermione gasped, looking horrified. "He tried to biteyou?"
"But he didn't, well, not hard enough to break the skin anyway," Harry quickly assured them when he saw that Ron's hands had curled into fists. "Then I ran into Blaise Zabini and he told me about what happened to Dean as we walked towards the hospital wing-"
"Hospital wing?" Hermione interrupted. "Did Anthony hurt you?"
"No, I cut my head on a locker door trying to get away from him. I'm fine," he quickly brushed off with a wave of his hand. "And then we ran into Malfoy and for some reason the git took it upon himself to walk me to the infirmary instead of Blaise and…" Harry paused, suddenly feeling a little awkward. "And he kind of pushed me up against the wall behind a suit of armour and… and sniffed me. He said he needed to make sure that I was all right. We kind of… had a moment. It was odd." Harry shook his head. "And then he just snapped out of it and walked me the rest of the way to the infirmary."
"And then what?" Hermione asked raptly.
"And then I said we needed to talk about what the hell just happened and he agreed," Harry replied, still feeling a little baffled himself. "I'm meeting him in the Room of Requirement at ten."
"Whoa…" Ron surmised, sitting back. "This is big."
Hermione nodded in agreement and Harry ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.
"Okay," he said, attempting to focus on one issue at a time. "First thing I need to figure out is why some Alphas seem to be able to detect that I'm a… you-know-what." Even with his privacy charm in place, Harry was reluctant to call himself out as an Omega with so many students around.
"Right." Hermione took on her 'determined pupil' expression and sat up straight. "Ron, what does Harry smell like to you?"
"What?" Ron exclaimed, turning to her in horror. "I'm not bloody sniffing him!"
"Just do it," Hermione instructed with a sigh. "You're an Alpha so it's the simplest solution without involving anyone else."
Ron glanced about the room before reluctantly moving to stand in front of Harry's chair. Harry couldn't help but snicker as Ron leaned in and took a big whiff of his neck.
Ron immediately took a step back, eyes wide, as he looked down at Harry. "Yeah mate, you smell like an Omega."
"Shh!" Hermione admonished as Ron returned to his seat on the sofa beside her.
"But how is that possible?" Harry cried out in frustration. "I take a scent masking potion every day!"
"It's only faint though," Ron said. "I can only smell it when I'm close and purposely sniffing at you."
"And maybe it's harder to detect with lots of people around," Hermione added, indicating the common room full of studying Gryffindors. "The only times an Alpha has jumped you is when you're alone with him."
Harry nodded before leaning forward on his elbows. "So perhaps I need to strengthen the potion or switch to two a day or something."
"Maybe," Hermione replied, wrinkling her brow in thought. "You should probably speak with Madam Pomfrey before making any changes though Harry, I don't know anything about these scent masking potions; you don't want to make yourself sick."
"I don't get them from Pomfrey," Harry reminded her. "Directly, anyway; Kreacher steals them for me."
"Oh that's right, I'd forgotten." Hermione withdrew a notebook from the bag at her feet. "I'll look into it for you."
"So you heard about Dean?" Ron asked, turning to Harry as Hermione quickly jotted down a few notes in her book.
"Yeah, just briefly," Harry replied solemnly. "Any ideas on who or what it was?"
Hermione and Ron glanced at each other, causing Harry to frown.
"What?"
Ron cleared his throat uncomfortably before speaking. "It's just… the description sounded a lot like that spell the Half-Blood Prince came up with, the one that you know how to do."
Harry merely stared at the two of them in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened in disbelief. "You think it was me?!"
"It's just that Dean assaulted you recently and perhaps he tried it again and you just… lost control?" Hermione answered tentatively.
Harry would have laughed if he wasn't so offended. "I don't lose control and almost kill people!"
"The cuts were relatively shallow," Hermione pointed out, placating. "Whoever did it certainly didn't set out to murder Dean."
"Sectumsempra doesn't work that way," Harry explained tersely. "It will kill you unless you know the counter curse. I can assure you that it wasn't me; I had nothing to do with it. I actually thought it might have been you Ron."
Ron snorted. "You're having me on."
"Actually, it crossed my mind as well," Hermione cut in quietly. "You have been very protective of Harry lately."
Ron spluttered. "Yeah but he's not my bloody mate, is he? That sort of violent revenge isn't something a friendwould do; it would've had to have been Harry's mate."
"And I don't have a mate," Harry immediately acknowledged, "so maybe it's just a coincidence that Dean was attacked? Maybe it has absolutely nothing to do with what happened between us. If I didn't do it, and you and Ron had nothing to do with it, then-"
"Oh no," Ron groaned.
"What?" Harry and Hermione said at the same time.
"Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" Harry repeated. "What about him?"
"Remember? He was in the infirmary when I told Pomfrey about Dean attacking you."
"And he knows Sectumsempra," Hermione finished conclusively, looking as though all the pieces were suddenly slotting into place.
Harry slumped back into his chair, gobsmacked. "And he went overboard trying to see if I was okay today..."
"So does that mean that Malfoy is drawn to you?" Ron asked, puzzled. "Because he certainly doesn't show it."
"What do you think Harry?" Hermione asked quietly. "Do you think Malfoy secretly sees you as a potential mate?"
Harry let his head fall back against the squashy surface of the well-worn armchair. "Yesterday I would have said no, but… after today I think he definitely feels something. Whether he wants to or not is another thing."
"If he feels drawn to you, then wouldn't he know what that must mean?" Ron asked, looking to Hermione. "An Alpha isn't drawn to a Beta, they can fall in love the usual way but they don't have an inexplicable need to be with them. If Malfoy doesn't want a Beta but is drawn to Harry regardless, wouldn't he be the world's biggest thickhead to not know what that proves?"
Hermione chewed her lip as she stared at Harry. "Not necessarily," she said slowly. "There hasn't been a male you-know-what in about eighty years, so it's possible that the idea wouldn't even cross Malfoy's mind. Or any of the other Alphas you've tempted."
"Or perhaps Malfoy already fancied you and when he came into his Alpha inheritance, he just chalked it up to his inheritance intensifying what he already felt," Ron suggested.
Hermione stared. "That is the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say Ronald Weasley," she declared, causing Ron to flush.
"Do you think that's true?" Harry asked them both, clenching his hands on the armrests, embarrassed at the hope that coloured his words.
"Well… he has always been interested in what you're doing," Hermione answered carefully, thinking back on previous years.
"And he lives to irritate you," Ron added helpfully.
"So what you're saying is that he's proving that he fancies me by antagonising me?" Harry asked.
"He wouldn't be the first male in history to do so," Hermione pointed out with a smirk.
"You've always been interested in him too though, haven't you Harry?" Ron asked. "You're always watching him. I assumed you fancied him but didn't want to tell us."
"No, of course not," Harry replied indignantly.
"But Harry, if you want Malfoy to want you for being you, then shouldn't he expect the same courtesy in return?" Hermione asked pointedly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if you never thought of him that way until this year when he came into his Alpha inheritance, then how is that any better than him falling for you because of you being a you-know-what?"
Harry opened his mouth but words failed him. She was right.
"Can we please stop calling Harry a 'you-know-what'?" Ron begged, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "It's too close to You-Know-Who - and that's just fucking disturbing."
Harry and Hermione turned to look at Ron and simultaneously burst out laughing at his uneasy expression.
"Well it's true," he persisted stubbornly, a reluctant smile pulling at his lips as his friends continued to laugh.
"All right, what would you prefer to call him then?" Hermione asked, grinning.
"Prongs," Harry answered for him, saying the first thing to come to mind when thinking of code names. He studiously ignored the sympathetic look Hermione turned his way. "You're right though Hermione-"
"Usually is," Ron cut in with a smirk.
"- if I don't like him without the Alpha component then I'm not any better than what I've been trying to avoid by not telling anyone about being a- a Prongs," Harry finished with a sigh. "It's so hard to think about how I felt before this year though, my… feelings for him are so strong now that I can't even remember what it was like before. I feel like I've always wanted him this way."
"Maybe you have," Ron said with a shrug. "Maybe you were just in denial."
"Yeah, maybe." Harry exhaled, feeling mentally exhausted.
"And maybe it doesn't matter," Hermione said shortly, obviously a little weary of Harry's excessively honourable ways when it came to his Omega inheritance. "What you feel for him now isn't fake Harry; Alphas and Omegas have been pairing off like this for centuries. It doesn't make it any less real or any less wonderful. It's common knowledge that mated Alpha and Omegas are extraordinarily happy and content couples."
Harry looked up at her and suddenly felt like such a wanker; overthinking something that most people would see as a gift. To be given the opportunity to love someone that intensely and completely, and have the same returned, is all he could ask for in life. Maybe he really was fucking it all up by not wholly embracing it.
"Yeah Harry, I say just go with it," Ron said encouragingly.
Harry emitted a bitter bark of laughter. "Oh sure, just tell Malfoy that I'm a… Prongs and that I'm in love with him and wait for him to break my heart. You don't even like him, so I'm not sure why you're pushing this, I could just as easily find someone else."
"But you haven't," Hermione pointed out briskly. "There are plenty of young, fit Alphas walking around these corridors and you've only felt drawn to one. At least if you tell Malfoy the truth tonight, he can make a fully informed decision and you will know once and for all. If, as you say, he says no and breaks your heart, then we can move on to Plan B and find you another Alpha. How does that sound?"
"Terrifying," Harry quipped before his expression set with determination. "All right, I'll do it. I'll tell him the truth and just… see what happens."
"Good." Hermione nodded in approval.
"Are you going to be okay alone with him though?" Ron asked worriedly.
Harry absently toyed with a loose thread on the arm of his chair. "Yeah, I think so. I'll take my wand in any case but he's the only Alpha so far that has been able to stop and walk away from me."
"Are you going to be able to stop yourself?" Hermione asked, blushing a little at thinking of her friend in that way but needing to get her concerns across regardless.
Harry bit his lip and shrugged. "I… I dunno. Do I have to?" he added quietly.
"Harry!" Hermione cried, scandalised.
"Come on Hermione," Ron said with a smile. "Harry's eighteen, and he's not in heat, so what does it matter?"
Hermione blushed as she snapped her mouth shut.
Harry felt sorry for her but shared a smirk with Ron over her head as she bent to busily put her notebook back in her bag.
"You're going to be late."
Harry looked at Ron with a frown before his gaze slid to the large copper lion's head clock on the wall. "Shit," he swore at seeing that it was somehow nearly ten.
Harry quickly dissolved the privacy charm and stood up, noticing that the common room had virtually emptied while they'd been so ensconced in their discussion.
"Good luck Harry," Hermione said sincerely. "Should we wait up for you? Just to make sure you're okay?"
Harry shared a look with Ron before shaking his head. "Nah, don't wait up, I'll be fine."
"Yeah, good luck mate," Ron added with his easy, lopsided smile. "Just keep the details to yourself, yeah?"
Harry rolled his eyes and turned to walk out, slipping his wand back into the waistband of his jeans.
He shivered when the icy air of the corridor hit his bare arms and once again cursed the fact that he'd left his things back in the quidditch locker room. Harry hurried to the seventh floor corridor as fast as he could; not wanting Malfoy to think that he'd stood him up. That would be a terrible beginning to their night.
He spotted the tall blond leaning causally up against the stone wall opposite the now familiar Barnabas the Barmy painting, the wooden door leading to the Room of Requirement already in place next to him.
"Hey," Harry said somewhat inadequately as he approached; unsure of what sort of reception he was going to get from the mercurial Slytherin.
Draco turned to look at him before pushing off of the wall. "Potter," was all he said before turning to open the door and walking inside.
"Good to see you too," Harry muttered before following.
Harry halted abruptly just inside the room, the door almost smacking him in the arse as it swung shut and locked behind him. He'd never seen the Room look quite like this before: instead of the large castle stonework rising up to meet a square, flat ceiling, they curved and arched overhead as though they were in some sort of cave. There was even loose soil, rocks and what appeared to be hay littering the floor. There was a cracked window on the far wall that was covered in a layer of filth so thick that it barely let any light through. There was no furniture of any kind in sight, nothing to sit on to conduct a civil conversation.
Harry didn't think it boded well for their forthcoming chat.
Malfoy had wandered to the far side of the room, arms crossed over his chest, not seeming perturbed in the slightest by the conjured room's bizarre appearance.
"What on earth were you thinking about when you summoned the room?" Harry asked curiously as he looked around and took a few venturing steps forward. The air was cold and damp, only increasing the impression of being inside an old abandoned cavern deep within a mountainside.
Draco turned to face him, arms still crossed protectively over his chest, expression stern. "Are you going to confess Potter?"
Harry blinked, taken off-guard by the question. "Confess…?"
Grey eyes narrowed. "Yes, confess Potter. Admit that you or your army of house-elves put something in my food."
"Like what?" Harry responded, feeling nettled already.
"Amortentia."
Harry nearly choked in surprise, then started to laugh. Malfoy looked ready to punch him. "You think I slipped a love potion into your tea?" he exclaimed.
"But you obviously have," Draco persisted, ignoring Harry's amusement.
Harry quickly sobered when he saw how determined Malfoy appeared to be about this love potion business. He kept his distance and wrapped his arms around himself for warmth, watching the Alpha carefully.
"What are your symptoms?" he asked solemnly, genuinely curious about what the blond had been going through compared to his own suffering.
Draco huffed out in annoyance and his glance skirted away from Harry's openly curious expression. "Ever since the start of term, I can't stop…" He paused to emit another breath of irritation, though perhaps a little more self-directed this time. "I can't stop thinking about you. I have this… this ridiculous compulsion to be near you at all times, to ensure you are safe with my own eyes, to keep others away from you…" He finally brought accusing grey eyes back to Harry. "How is that not a potion or spell of some kind? You've fucking confounded me Potter - and I want to know how and why!"
Harry swallowed, unable to not be hurt by Malfoy feeling so outraged by his clearly unwanted feelings for him. "So…when you accompanied me to Hogsmeade, it wasn't because you wanted to?" he asked, thankfully managing to keep the injured tone out of his voice.
Malfoy swiped an agitated hand through his blond hair as he began to pace in front of the grimy window. "Yes, I wanted to. I wanted to see if being friends with you would ease this… this torture. I also didn't want Blaise to go with you, or anyone else for that matter."
Harry nodded, it all made perfect sense when you knew the truth of the matter, and then he suddenly remembered something. "Were you the one who attacked Dean Thomas?"
Malfoy whirled around to face him. "I never raised my wand to him Potter," he bit out vehemently, eyes narrowed; daring him to dispute it.
Harry detected the sincerity in his words and immediately backed off. He turned and walked over to where the walls began to curve upwards and ran his hand along the moss-covered stone, fingers dipping in and out of the deep grooves and dislodging the gathered beads of moisture there. "It wasn't a love potion," he finally said, oddly calm now that the moment had arrived, green eyes absently watching the droplets of water as they trailed down the damp wall away from his roaming fingertips. "Or a spell, or anything that I've done to you."
"What is it then?" Malfoy asked doubtfully.
Harry took a deep breath and turned to face him. "I'm not a Beta, I'm an Omega."
Malfoy simply stared.
"Everything you've been feeling this year, I've felt as well. Maybe even more so, since I haven't been fighting it like you," Harry couldn't help adding resentfully.
Too many emotions flashed across the Slytherin's face to actually pinpoint a single one, but Harry thought he could detect a rising anger underneath it all.
"So you didn't think being the Boy-Who-Lived was enough?" Malfoy finally responded, voice pulled tight with anger. "Now that the Dark Lord is dead you have to pretend you're a sodding Omega to get attention?"
Harry's mouth dropped open, incredulous. "You think I want to be a fucking Omega?" he retorted furiously, irritation prickling hotly all over his skin. "Do you know how miserable I've been since term started - and it's still September! I've had to take daily potions to hide what I am from every student in this school, I've had two Alphas jump me already - despite the scent masking potion - and despite what you may think, and what you've alwaysthought, I don't want to be the Boy-Who-Fucking-Lived either!"
Harry turned away after forcefully expelling his pent-up frustration at Malfoy and rested his forehead against the damp stone wall, hands coming up to press palms against the cool stone on either side of him, eyes closed.
Silence greeted his outburst and he really couldn't care less if Malfoy just up and left right now. In fact, he hoped he did.
Harry turned his head to the side at the sound of approaching footsteps. Malfoy had moved closer and was watching him with an apprehensive look on his pale, aristocratic face, which was not an expression Harry was used to seeing on the Pureblood.
Malfoy's brow creased as he surveyed Harry in silence for a moment.
Harry braced himself for whatever vitriol the blond would spew forth next.
"You're not making this up, are you?"
Harry couldn't help but laugh hollowly. "You really think I'd go to this much effort just to take the piss Malfoy?"
Malfoy dropped his gaze, staring reflectively at the gravel-strewn floor for a moment before looking back up. "No, I suppose not," he finally accepted.
Harry turned and exhaled heavily as he slid down the wall to sit on the floor, uncaring of the filth, arms wrapped around himself in a futile attempt to keep warm.
After a moment's hesitation, Malfoy slowly sat down opposite him, arms clasped around drawn up knees. Harry eyed his warm woollen cloak with envy.
"Perhaps you should start at the beginning?" Malfoy suggested, still looking guarded but no longer accusing.
Harry took it for the olive branch that it probably was and took a steadying breath, trying to quell his temper. "On my eighteenth birthday, I awoke in the middle of the night feeling ill and called for the help of the Black family house-elf, who is loyal to me." Harry waited for a caustic comment on that but none came. "I was going to ask him to fetch some Pepper-up from Pomfrey when he told me what was actually happening. He's the one who told me that I was an Omega."
"And he knows this how…?"
Harry smiled ruefully. "Because of your mum, actually. He mentioned that during his service to the Black family, he 'd witnessed Sirius' Alpha inheritance as well as your mum's Omega inheritance, and he knew which was which just by scent. The fact that two Alphas - or three now including you - have reacted strangely to my presence when we're alone, confirms it. And Ron said that I smell like an Omega too."
Malfoy's eyes closed briefly, as though to steady himself. "So you're telling me that you're an Omega who is sharing a dorm room with three unbonded Alphas?"
"I know it sounds mad but I assumed the scent masking potions would do their job and no one would know," Harry replied honestly, suddenly hearing how completely naïve he sounded.
Draco eyed him speculatively. "You do know those potions are not supposed to be taken on a continuous basis, right Potter?"
"What? Why?"
A heavy sigh was the first sign that he'd obviously rushed headlong into something without proper research again. "They were created to mask an Omega's scent during their heat if they absolutely had to be out in public," Malfoy replied knowledgably. "They are also known to be harmful to your chances for conception if taken regularly."
Harry's eyes widened with alarm. "What? Fuck."
Draco's features relaxed for the first time that night as he smirked at Harry's horrified expression. "I do believe it takes about twelve months or more of non-stop ingestion before you need to panic Potter."
Harry exhaled in relief and Draco cocked his head to one side, watching him.
"You want children?" he asked with interest, looking as though he was surprised by this fact.
Harry looked up and nodded. "Yeah, it's about the only plus side to this whole Omega nightmare."
Draco's expression unexpectedly pinched as though he were in discomfort.
"What?" Harry couldn't help asking.
Draco absently plucked at a thread from the hem of his charcoal grey trousers. "I… I apologise for being so obtuse. You hate the fact that you're an Omega in part because of me."
Harry blinked in surprise. "I can't really blame you Malfoy; you've hated me for years and there hasn't been a male Omega for nearly a century, of course you're going to jump to conclusions."
Draco shook his head. "I should have realised," he said. "I pride myself on thinking things through logically and if I had just put aside our petty differences…"
"When have we ever been able to do that?" Harry asked with a sly grin.
Draco acknowledged this statement with a small but genuine smile and Harry felt that familiar tightening of his gut at the sight. Harry hugged his arms tighter around himself to stave off the shivering that had started up from leaning against a damp stone wall in nothing but a thin t-shirt.
Draco immediately noticed his discomfort and, without hesitation, unclasped his black cloak and held it out.
"Won't you get cold?" Harry asked uncertainly.
Draco shook his head and handed it over. "I don't tend to feel the cold."
Harry smiled gratefully as he lifted the expensive woollen garment and draped it around his shoulders. He was immediately infused with warmth from the cloak and from Draco's lingering body-heat. The scent of the Alpha invaded his nostrils, making him want to sigh with contentment.
Harry hadn't realised that he'd actually closed his eyes in bliss until he opened them again to see Draco arching a questioning brow at him.
"Sorry," he mumbled, cheeks heating, "it smells like you."
Draco blinked, startled out of his mocking amusement.
Harry determinedly shoved away his self-consciousness in order to delve into what it was they needed to discuss. "How is it that you can… resist me, for lack of a better word, when the other two Alphas couldn't keep their hands off of me when we were alone?"
Draco swallowed and nodded, as though freely consenting to Harry's efforts at steering the conversation towards the crux of the matter. "Self-control?" he speculated.
"Really?" Harry replied with a sceptical frown. "So… are you employing self-control right now?"
"Yes."
As soon as the word was out of Draco's mouth, it occurred to Harry that Draco's inscrutable grey eyes had been fairly dilated for the entirety of their meeting, from the moment the door had shut behind him. The Slytherin had also been maintaining his distance up until he sat down, but still not close enough to accidentally make physical contact.
"What about you?" Draco asked stiffly, interrupting his musing. "What are you... feeling?"
Harry could tell the Alpha was uncomfortable with the line of questioning. "Full disclosure?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Harry smiled. "It means, let's just forget that we're having the most awkward conversation of all time and not hide anything. No question is off-limits and no emotion is absurd."
Instead of appearing deterred, Draco actually looked a little relieved. "Agreed," he nodded.
Harry exhaled and dropped his chin onto his knees, eyes on Draco. "I... What I'm feeling is so hard to describe. I guess I should start by saying that since my inheritance, I've only ever felt drawn to you. It's as you said before, I want to be with you all the time, and not just in a 'jump into bed with me' way, but in a serious relationship sort of way."
Draco nodded in understanding.
"Full disclosure," Harry muttered, steeling himself before continuing, "and I want… I have this desire for you to take care of me."
Draco's lips parted and his eyes flashed silver in the weak light.
"And maybe that doesn't sound strange to you but I've always been a fairly independent person and I've never wanted someone to watch over me before," Harry tried to explain, squirming a little in embarrassment.
Draco swallowed before replying. "That… that is like music to an Alpha's ears Potter."
"Huh?" Harry blinked, astonished. "You… Alphas wantme to be like that?"
"If it's your natural reaction, yes," Draco confirmed. "An Alpha lives to take care of his mate, and if that mate longs for their Alpha's presence and protection…"
"It's like an Alpha's wet dream?"
Draco's lips twitched into a smile as he nodded. "That and their mate wishing to start a family."
Harry smiled as he absently rubbed his chin in the soft fabric of Draco's cloak; stirring the scent of the Alpha up into his nostrils with a tiny sigh of pleasure. "So I'm not completely failing at this Omega thing?"
Draco smirked. "Do you ever fail at anything Potter?"
Harry laughed outright and it felt good. "I guess the next question is… now what?"
Draco's easy expression turned troubled and he hesitated before finally replying. "The proper way of things is for you to register with the Ministry as an Omega so that any enquiring Alpha is informed of your existence and given the opportunity to meet with you."
Harry held his gaze. "And the un-proper way of things?"
Grey eyes searched his face intently. "The… un-proper way of things is to just give in to your urges and settle for the first Alpha that piques your interest."
Harry could feel the atmosphere in the room change as it thickened with a heavy, expectant tension that wasn't altogether unpleasant. "I think I prefer the second option," he replied, mouth suddenly dry and heart pounding wildly in his chest. "If you're interested."
Harry held his breath, feeling horribly exposed as he laid everything out there and waited for a response. Yes Draco had his faults; he concealed his emotions, was relentlessly condescending, sarcastic, and was a bit of a ponce. But he was also intelligent, challenging, interesting, didn't pander to Harry's celebrity, and, truth be told, was rather easy on the eyes. If they could just reconcile their past history, Harry didn't think he could find a more perfect match.
Draco's eyes, which had been positively blazing moments before, suddenly dimmed as he dropped his gaze to the floor, a slight frown creasing his brow.
Sharp and immediate disappointment filled Harry as he nodded mutely and quickly pushed himself to his feet. He wasn't in the mood to hang around to hear the reasons why.
Draco swiftly stood up as Harry unclasped the borrowed cloak from around his shoulders and held it out to him.
"Harry no, wait," he said at once, ignoring the extended cloak in front of him.
"It's okay," Harry said, forcing a smile. "I just wanted to make sure you knew all the facts before rejecting me."
"No!" Draco exclaimed fiercely, reaching out with one hand to clamp around Harry's arm. "I'm not rejecting you. Merlin, I want you. Very much," he said bluntly, breathlessly. "In fact, I was planning on approaching you until the idea of a love potion was put into my head. Beta or not, it was beginning to not matter to me anymore. Now that I know you're an Omega and it isn't some sort of trick… I can't… there's just no way that I can let you walk away."
Harry's eyes widened as his heart soared with sudden joy - then immediately sunk like a lead weight. "There's a 'but' though, isn't there?"
Draco's gaze was penetrating as he stared back at him. "There is a 'but' - however it has nothing to do with not wanting you." He took a step closer, directly into Harry's personal space.
Harry had to tilt his head back to maintain eye contact. The urge to step back to keep some distance - and a clear head - was strong but he managed to resist as he waited expectantly for an explanation.
"There's something you don't know about me that you need to - before consenting to be my mate."
Harry felt a shiver run through his body at the title and unconsciously swayed a little towards the Alpha. "What is it?" he asked roughly. A part of him suspected he'd agree to anything Draco said in that moment, merely from the close proximity and intense eye-contact.
"I can't tell you here," he replied and Harry had never seen the Slytherin look so grave. "Tomorrow, away from the school."
Harry swallowed. "Why?"
Draco's gaze flicked about the room before returning to rest on Harry's questioning face. "Someone may hear; this castle has eyes and ears everywhere."
Harry raised his brow, a tingle of apprehension suddenly running down his spine. "Is this thing something that will affect my decision?"
Draco's expression didn't change but Harry saw the brief flash of sorrow in his eyes. "It may," was all he said.
Harry frowned at the mysterious sadness he instantly knew was buried deep inside the blond, and slowly raised a tentative hand to slide trembling fingers across Draco's cheek. His thumb came to rest along one pale cheekbone as he cupped his face and stared intently into grey eyes; trying to discover the Slytherin's secrets and reassure him all at the same time.
Draco closed his eyes briefly and leaned into the touch before mirroring Harry's action by sliding a warm hand across the chilled skin of Harry's cheek. His hand continued sliding backwards into thick unruly hair and moulded firmly to the back of Harry's head.
Harry swallowed and allowed the Alpha to guide him forward, green eyes dropping to stare transfixed as Draco ran a pink tongue over dry lips, and then his eyes fluttered shut as those lips suddenly brushed against his. It was just a light pressing of lips but it still sent shivers through Harry's body and made his stomach clench with want.
Draco's cloak dropped carelessly to the floor as his other arm wound its way around Harry's waist and pulled him close. He cautiously opened his mouth to deepen the kiss but he needn't have worried, Harry was only too happy to comply as he submitted completely.
This thing between them had been building for so long that Harry couldn't have resisted even if he'd wanted to. It struck him again just how different Draco was to the other Alphas; his movements weren't desperate and depraved, they were slow, methodical and maddeningly arousing, as though he knew it was a living breathing person in his arms not just an Omega undistinguishable to any other Omega.
Harry made a needy noise in the back of his throat as his tongue collided messily with Draco's, sweeping his mouth before tangling insistently, hotly, with his own. Harry had been hard as soon as his questing fingertips had touched Draco's cheek and he pressed his erection firmly against Draco's thigh as they kissed, suddenly wanting the Alpha to feel it, to know how affected he was.
Draco pulled away from the kiss with a deep shudder that seemed to run the entire length of his body. He rested his forehead against Harry's and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "Fuck… you are… that was…"
"Yeah." Harry grinned breathlessly, fingers clenching in the soft cashmere of Draco's black jumper, pleased to have rendered the articulate Slytherin so incoherent.
Draco opened his eyes and smirked, eyes still glazed with arousal.
Harry couldn't help pressing another kiss to that smirking mouth, he'd never been so close to that trademark expression before and it made him positively giddy that it now belonged to him.
Depending on what he was told tomorrow of course. He didn't want to take things too far tonight just in case whatever he heard tomorrow really did make him want to walk away from Draco as a potential mate.
With that in mind, Harry gently - and reluctantly - extracted himself from Draco's warm embrace and took a step back. "Tomorrow?" he said, smiling to soften his actions.
Draco exhaled unevenly, attempting to compose himself, and nodded. He leaned down to retrieve his forgotten cloak from the floor. "I'll meet you at the front gates after last class."
"We're leaving the grounds?" Harry replied in surprise.
"It's safer that way," Draco replied evasively. "And it would be prudent to have our conversation with my parents in attendance as well."
Harry's mouth dropped open. "You want me to go to the Manor? And meet your parents to discuss our relationship?"
Draco's lips twitched imperceptibly and Harry covered his face with his hands.
"Oh god, they will not be pleased."
Draco gently pulled Harry's fingers away from his face. "You will be fine Potter, once they hear that you're an Omega they'll welcome you with open arms."
Harry snorted sceptically. "Easy for you to say, they didn't want you dead last year."
"To be fair, only my father wanted you dead," Draco quipped with another smirk that melted some of Harry's anxiety.
Harry smiled wryly as he shook his head. "We must be mental," he proclaimed as he furtively slipped a hand into Draco's.
"Decidedly," Draco agreed with a smirk, threading long fingers with Harry's.
They walked to the door, shoes crunching noisily over the gravel-strewn flagstones. Draco turned to him, one hand on the handle, the other still firmly clasped in Harry's.
"I think you should stop taking those potions," he said, concern sharp in his eyes. "Regardless of what happens tomorrow."
"I know," Harry replied hesitantly. "But… then everyone will know what I am."
"If you cover your scent I- your Alpha won't be able to find you."
"Find me?"
"Yes, your Alpha is able to detect your scent from miles away if you're not hiding it through potions," Draco explained. "He'll also be able to distinguish when you're in distress. If… if it was me, I would sleep easier knowing that I would be alerted to any threats to your safety - especially with you sharing a room with those other Alphas."
"Alright, I'll stop." Harry gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Also, you needn't worry about my dorm mates; Ron is exceptionally straight and not interested in me in that way, and Neville is the same as far as I can tell."
"And Mr. Thomas?" Draco reminded darkly.
Harry smiled a little. "And Dean won't try anything again, he felt really guilty the last time, and I'll just make sure that I'm never alone with him. Plus Ron has turned into my bodyguard when it comes to other Alphas. Purely as a friend thing," he hurried to reassure when Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're not my mate yet Draco, you can't go all jealous and possessive," he teased, trying to lighten the mood and smooth away those worry lines on Draco's face.
Draco's expression immediately relaxed and he tugged Harry up against him. "The sooner the better," he growled, the sound going straight to Harry's groin. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you haven't told me who this other Alpha was who attacked you Potter."
Harry grinned. "And don't think that wasn't on purpose Malfoy."
Draco chuckled as he suddenly released him and stepped back. "Here, take this," he directed, lifting his cloak and passing it back to Harry. "Your skin is fucking icy Potter. Don't they teach common sense in Gryffindor?"
Harry took back the warm garment and swept it over his shoulders. "Just for that, I will take it and you can bloody-well freeze Malfoy."
Draco smirked at Harry's attempt at a haughty expression and opened the door. They stepped out into the corridor together and Harry suddenly found that he didn't want them to part just yet.
"You're thinking something horribly sentimental right now, aren't you?" Draco asked with an arched brow.
Harry laughed, slightly embarrassed. "Never," he refuted, hugging the cloak tightly around himself.
Draco wavered, looking disinclined to leave as well. "See you tomorrow Potter," he finally uttered quietly.
Harry was learning to look to the Slytherin's eyes for a hint of what he was feeling, and there was a softness there that immediately put a smile on his face.
"G'night Malfoy," he said before turning and heading for Gryffindor Tower.
This 'relationship' between them was so different to what he thought finding a mate would be like; he thought it would feel like he wasn't in control and that there would be an instant intimacy, but there wasn't - and that discovery delighted him. The initial attraction and pull was definitely there, but they would still have to work at this, despite being an Alpha and an Omega. Their mateship wasn't going to be a free ride by any means and they would still argue and get annoyed with each other, and everything else that went along with sharing your life with someone. They weren't automatically in love - they still had to fall the old fashioned way.
He lowered his chin into the soft cloak wrapped around him and inhaled the Alpha's scent indulgently, already knowing that there was a high probability of him sleeping with the cloak tonight - and vowing to never, ever mention that fact to Draco.