As soon as the shock wore off, Harry felt his natural instincts kick in and his mind demanded that he jump into 'fix-it' mode. Before he opened his mouth though he realised that his mate had yet to say anything.
"Draco?" he said gently, turning to the blond still standing pressed to his side.
Draco's gaze was unfocused as he replied. "I… I think I need to sit down."
Harry immediately walked him over to the middle of the guest room and sat him on the edge of the bed, the other occupants of the room looking on silently. Draco wrapped one hand around the bedpost, the other clutching a fistful of the quilt in his hand as he continued to stare unseeing across the room.
Harry placed a hand on his shoulder and kept it there. He immediately turned to the head of the Nundu Board; more determined than ever to defend his mate.
"What can we do?" he demanded resolutely. "How much time do we have?"
Hugh rubbed his jaw as he considered, fingers rasping audibly on the white stubble that peppered his face. "There will be an official hearing in one week's time. I cannot advise you on what to do Mr. Potter, as I am on the Board and must remain impartial, but I will recommend that you gather whatever evidence you can in order to refute the claim."
"Is this about Professor Fischer?" Harry asked, needing to know all the details. "Oh fuck…" he breathed out with sudden realisation. "This is my fault..."
Draco immediately snapped out of his shocked stupor and turned to him, placing a hand over Harry's resting atop his shoulder.
But Hugh shook his head before Draco could speak. "No, it's regarding a student who was attacked on school grounds."
Harry frowned in confusion. "Dean Thomas?"
"Yes, I believe that was his name."
"Who requested the inquiry? Who is accusing my son of this assault?" Lucius demanded.
"You know I cannot tell you that Lucius," Hugh replied, sounding sincerely apologetic.
"It's obviously someone from Hogwarts though," Harry interjected. "Who else would know about it?"
Hugh sighed then and straightened his cloak. "I will be in touch with regards to a hearing date. I'm truly sorry this has happened Draco."
Draco nodded but remained seated as the Board Chair gazed at them all sadly before taking his leave.
The door clicked shut behind him and Harry immediately began to pace the small space, needing to move with the influx of restless energy.
"Did you do it Draco?"
Harry stopped his pacing as he glanced at Lucius in surprise. He supposed it was a fair question, Harry had already asked Draco the same thing the night of their first conversation in the Room of Requirement.
Draco's solemn grey eyes met his father's. "No," he replied concisely.
Lucius nodded in acceptance and Harry exhaled, not realising that he'd been holding his breath. He'd believed Draco that night when he'd said that he hadn't touched Dean and he still believed him now, but the reassurance of the genuine look of assertive truth in Draco's eyes was still a comfort.
"Harry is right," Narcissa spoke up for the first time, her tone quiet but steady. "The accuser would have come from Hogwarts, someone who knows of our kind for them to bring it forward to the Board."
Harry nodded. "Who at Hogwarts knows the truth?"
"Depends who you have enlightened," Lucius countered with suspicious eyes.
"I haven't told anyone!" Harry snapped back, unable to help himself. His emotions were running dangerously close to the surface.
"Lucius," Narcissa said warningly. "Attacking eachother is not about to help matters."
"It doesn't matter who brought the request forward," Draco interrupted impatiently. "What matters is proving my innocence."
Harry nodded in agreement. The flare of sudden fear in his chest prodded him to stride back over to his mate and sit next to him, needing the closeness. He pressed his shoulder against Draco's and entwined their fingers, resting their joined hands on Draco's thigh.
"I'll speak to Dean myself," Harry continued after taking a calming breath. He looked to Narcissa, ignoring Lucius for now; it was better for his temper. "I'll find out everything he remembers about that day and hopefully we can prove that Draco wasn't there. This person, whoever it was, only believes that it was Draco because Dean sort of molested me the day before when he scented the Omega in me."
"If you had been enacting revenge on behalf of your mate, then surely the boy wouldn't still be alive?" Narcissa said with an arched brow. "The Board must see that if you were in your Nundu form, this other student wouldn't have survived the encounter?"
Both Draco and Lucius nodded in confirmation, causing Harry to swallow uncomfortably; he hoped it never came to that some day. He wasn't sure how he'd feel if Draco - his mate - killed someone in vengeance. The idea didn't sit well with him.
Harry shook his head; there was no point in dwelling on that. Professor Fischer was still alive and Draco had actually witnessed him attacking Harry with his own eyes, so that must mean Draco had a modicum of self-control.
Harry suddenly turned to Draco. "Wait, the Board can't just… just make you disappear," he said earnestly. "It was printed in the Prophet that you're my mate, the whole of the wizarding world now knows that I'm with you. If you suddenly disappear, people will ask questions. Plus, do they really think that I'll keep my mouth shut about the existence of Nundu if they kill my mate?"
Lucius withdrew his wand and threw a powerful silencing charm at the door before turning to Harry with sparking eyes. "You fool!" he hissed. "You can't say such things when my home is full of our people - the ones that approve of you as well as the ones who do not. Draco's accusers are likely in this very house right now!"
Harry felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment. Lucius was right of course, not that Harry was about to admit it.
Narcissa rose from her seat and walked over to stand in front of Harry and Draco, placing a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. "We will prove Draco's innocence," she said with quiet determination. "Do not worry yourself over this Mr. Potter. I have every confidence in the two of you working through this and emerging victorious. You always do, don't you Mr. Potter?"
Harry swallowed, feeling the weight of Narcissa's gaze. "I… I normally have help," he admitted quietly, thinking of Hermione's tenacious intelligence and desperately wishing that he could confide in her about all of this. "But I am stubborn," he added resolutely, "and Draco is awfully clever."
Draco gave Harry a faint smile and it bolstered his spirits.
Narcissa nodded, appearing satisfied. "Perhaps it would be best if the two of you returned to school now?"
Draco stood slowly, looking as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. His mother embraced him, a hand on each shoulder as she pulled back to look him in the eye.
Draco nodded, as though they were conducting a silent conversation, before reaching back for Harry's hand.
"Goodbye Mrs. Malfoy," Harry said dutifully to the graceful woman as he stood. "Mr. Malfoy," he added, nodding shortly at Lucius without making eye contact.
"Goodnight Mr. Potter," Narcissa replied, pale eyes warming a little as they alighted on him.
"Come on," Draco said as he led Harry forward towards the door. "Father," he said briefly as they passed Lucius. It seemed Draco was a little miffed with his father's treatment of Harry as well.
Once upon a time, Harry would have grinned smugly at that, but he was too preoccupied with the terrible turn of events to even entertain the idea.
The two boys walked swiftly through the corridors of the large Manor, the echo of music and voices still resounding from the ballroom. They made their way out the entrance doors, past the house-elves standing guard, and down the gravel drive without saying a word. They didn't speak again until they had Apparated back to Hogwarts and were making their way across the darkened grounds to the castle.
"Did you want to be with me when I talk to Dean tomorrow?" Harry asked, glancing sideways at his mate. His mind was already working frantically; making plans and strategizing, trying to take control of the situation as best he could.
Draco's pale brow furrowed slightly. "I'm not sure…"
Harry nodded, turning front to absently watch the shadowed ground pass beneath his feet. "I don't share a room with him anymore, so I'll ask him at breakfast. Do you think we should put together a list of questions for him tonight? I don't want to miss anything."
When Harry was met with silence, he glanced at his mate. "Are you all right?"
Draco visibly swallowed before replying. "I don't really want to talk about this anymore tonight, if you don't mind."
Harry stopped and turned to face Draco, a hand on each of his arms. "Draco, they're not going to execute you," he said firmly, desperately, eyes searching Draco's slightly ashen expression. "You're innocent - we just have to prove it."
"That's not what I'm concerned with," Draco replied quietly, and then amended, "well, I am, obviously, but there's more to it than that."
Harry frowned. "Such as?"
"You were right Harry, if they find me guilty and execute me, then there are certain procedures in place to ensure your continued loyalty and secrecy. You will be immediately placed with a new mate - of their choosing."
Harry's eyes widened and his stomach felt as though it had dropped right out from under him. The shock was quickly replaced with anger though. "They can't do that!" he retorted, trying to keep his voice down. "I'm not… I'm not just some piece of property that can be passed around from Alpha to Alpha."
Draco's expression flickered with anguish. "They can and they will Harry. They will take you from me the moment a guilty sentence is passed and you will not be allowed to return to Hogwarts, or to the outside world, until you can be trusted enough to continue to keep our secret."
"So they'll imprison me?" Harry replied angrily. "I won't do it, I'll tell people now - tonight. I'll make it so that if I disappear on the date of your inquiry, someone will reveal the truth to the media."
Draco shook his head, expression intensely serious. "You mustn't Harry, if I am declared innocent and they find out that you informed someone outside the clan, then it will be you who will be held accountable - and most likely executed."
Harry clenched his jaw as he dropped his grip on Draco's arms and strode away towards the castle, needing to move, hands clenched into fists as he glared at the ground. He was furious and, worst of all, he felt a tiny flicker of regret; for blindly agreeing to be a Nundu's mate without knowing every single detail and eventuality that could come of that decision. The Nundu people were clearly barbaric in their common practices and the trapped feeling he was now experiencing was maddening. The entire situation made him want to explode with the blatant injustice of it all.
Harry stopped his headlong flight and spun around to look for Draco. The blond was still standing where he had left him, staring hard at the ground.
Harry instantly felt a wrenching guilt in his gut; this wasn't Draco's fault, the fact that his mate's biggest concern was Harry's welfare once he was gone spoke volumes of the kind of man his mate was.
He quickly walked back to Draco and reached out for his hand. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm not angry with you, I'm just angry at… the situation."
Draco met his gaze and nodded in acknowledgment, his expression carefully blank, but his grey eyes were clearly distressed.
Harry quickly tugged him in and slid his arms around Draco's waist, forehead coming to rest against his mate's firm chest. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out," he whispered into the cold night air.
Draco's arms eventually came up to enfold him and Harry sighed at the welcome infusion of warmth that always came with his mate's hot-blooded body. Draco rested his chin on top of Harry's head and sighed, his breath ruffling the strands of jet-black hair.
"Hey, if things were easy for us, I would be concerned," Harry murmured wryly into the thick fabric of Draco's woollen cloak.
Harry felt the soft snort of laughter rather than heard it and it made him smile with relief. He pulled back and slipped his hand into Draco's to get them moving once more. He carried a little more hope in his heart now and crossed his fingers that that spark of optimism lasted through the night.
As they crunched across the gravel towards the stone steps leading up to the large entrance doors, they spotted someone walking out of the darkness to their right.
"Good evening gents."
The two stopped as Neville came walking out of the shadows with a grin on his face, arms full of empty bottles and soil evident on his hands and beneath his fingernails.
"Hullo Neville," Harry greeted in surprise. "What are you doing out so late?"
Neville shifted his awkward load as he came to a stop in front of them. "Could ask you the same thing," he countered good-naturedly.
Harry tried to smile but it felt stiff. "Just visiting Draco's parents."
"Oh?" Neville's brow rose. "And did it go well?"
"Er, yeah," Harry replied self-consciously.
"As well as can be expected," Draco interjected smoothly, a slight smirk on his face.
Harry looked at his mate and was immensely impressed with his stoic demonstration of false nonchalance.
Neville's easy grin instantly returned. "Yeah, I can imagine." He shifted his load again, the glass bottles clinking together. "I've been chosen by Professor Sprout to feed the Midnight Bottle Brush plants in Greenhouse Four. It's quite an honour really."
"So… your job is to come out here at midnight every night and water some plants?" Harry asked dubiously.
Neville laughed. "There's more to it than that, but yeah… They're very temperamental plants and are used in loads of potions."
Draco nodded knowingly and Harry thought with embarrassment that he probably should've known that.
The three began to walk up the steps and into the school, the massive oak doors whooshing closed behind them once they'd entered the entrance hall.
"So… how is it living together?" Neville asked with a teasing grin as they began to climb the first set of stairs. "Any domestic rows yet?"
"What?" Harry replied distractedly as the question pulled his mind away from mulling over the Nundu situation again.
Neville glanced at him. "You all right Harry? You seem a little… on edge."
Harry shook his head as though attempting to shake the thoughts clear out of his mind. "Yeah I'm fine, just uh… just a bit tired. Not usually up this late."
Neville nodded silently but Harry didn't think he was entirely convinced. It made him wish he had Draco's acting ability.
Draco slipped a hand into Harry's as they paused in the corridor where the three were to part ways; Neville to head up to Gryffindor Tower and Harry and Draco to their third floor living quarters.
"Goodnight Neville," Harry said with as much normality as he could muster, even managing a small smile.
"Goodnight Harry," he said and then added with a nod, "Malfoy."
Draco dipped his head in return before directing Harry away and into the adjoining passageways which led to their private rooms.
"Good show Potter," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.
Harry glared. "Sorry that lying doesn't come quite as easily to me as it does you," he retorted sharply.
Draco looked at him as they turned the corner. "I was being facetious."
"Oh." Harry bit his lip as he withdrew his wand and touched it to their door. "Sorry."
The two walked inside and, while Harry unclasped his cloak and tossed it haphazardly over a chair, Draco busily put up a strong silencing charm over the door in conjunction with his usual locking spells.
Harry sat down on the end of the bed, leaning back on his hands braced behind him. "I thought you didn't want to talk about it anymore tonight?" he asked, nodding at the formidable silencing spell.
Draco finished casting and began to remove his cloak, sharp gaze on Harry's. "That's not why I placed a silencing charm on the door."
Harry's eyes widened and he promptly sat up, a sudden energy stringing his body tight as he took in his mate's predatory gaze. It had been a long time since he'd felt such strong desire and he was instantly wide awake.
Draco neatly hung his travelling cloak on the coat rack near the door before stalking towards Harry, hungry intent written all over his face.
Harry licked his lips as he tilted his head back to look up at his mate. Draco's expression seemed to say 'your move Potter' and Harry's lips twitched into a smirk at the implied challenge.
Draco was right; enough talking for tonight - and what better stress reliever was there than sex?
Harry moved his hands to the outsides of Draco's thighs and then slowly slid them upwards over his black trousers, the warmth of Draco's skin seeping through to his hands. His fingers dragged over the black leather belt before touching upon the deep blue shirt that was neatly tucked into the waistband of his expensive trousers. Harry glanced up with a wicked smile as he carefully untucked Draco's shirt, fingertips lightly skimming over bits of exposed skin, and then started on the shiny row of shirt buttons.
Draco's breathing faltered at the contact and his eyes fell closed as he tipped his head back.
He made such an arousing picture that Harry was suddenly in no mood to take things slow. He unbuttoned the top button and then dropped his hands to slide eager palms up over Draco's flat abdomen to his chest and then outwards to push the shirt open, revealing more delicious pale skin to Harry's eager eyes. Draco didn't have any scars but there was a smattering of freckles and a tempting trail of pale blond hair that only served to enhance his mate's masculine appeal.
Harry pushed the shirt off of Draco's shoulders and let it flutter to the ground before reaching for the hem of his own jumper and roughly pulling it over his head, uncaring of his glasses getting caught up in the process as he dumped the lot onto the floor.
Even without his glasses he could see Draco's responding smirk. Harry scooted back on the bed and lay down, staring back at his mate in invitation.
Draco made a rough sound deep in his throat before climbing onto the bed and crawling forward to hover over Harry's prone body. Harry hurriedly reached up to pull Draco down on top of him, snaking his arms around his warm torso and dragging him in for a deep kiss.
He nearly sighed at the release of tension that simple act caused; his whole focus now on pleasure and touch and taste instead of frazzled nerves and explosive tempers.
Draco's firm body rested perfectly in between his parted legs and he arched up into the wonderful weight against his groin. He moaned into Draco's mouth, tongue stroking deeply, rolling his hips up into a hardness that matched his own; his cock achingly full within his trousers. Draco's naked torso felt brilliant against his own; muscles shifting underneath warm, soft skin as he kissed Harry back, moving his hips down into each of Harry's upward rolls.
"What do you want?" Draco asked as he pulled back and searched Harry's face intently.
Harry's eyes opened. "All of it - everything."
Draco made a noise that was part whimper and part breathless moan, the sound going straight to Harry's prick and causing him to firmly thrust upwards, once. Draco quickly knelt up, knees straddling Harry's legs, and began to unbuckle Harry's belt and then unzip his trousers, the ones Draco himself had painstakingly picked out for Harry to wear to the Board meeting. He made quick work of pulling them off and tossing them to the floor.
Draco leaned down to nuzzle his face into Harry's pants, lingering over the damp spot from Harry's leaking erection. He inhaled his mate's scent deeply with a slight moan and kissed the tip of his clothed erection before slipping long fingers into the waistband and pulling them down and off, the discarded pants now joining the rest of the pile on the floor.
Harry had been watching with rapt attention and once Draco had divested him of every stitch of clothing he had on, he quickly sat up and reached for Draco's belt. Draco knelt up and Harry pressed a tender kiss to Draco's stomach, right over the trail of blond hair leading down into his trousers, the scent of his mate's arousal evident even through his clothing. The smell seemed to surge through Harry's body almost like euphoria, causing his body to hum and ache with need.
Harry lowered the zip and then pushed everything down to pool around Draco's knees. He looked at the long, curved erection standing stiffly in front of him and flicked his gaze up to Draco's expectant face before returning to stare at Draco's flushed cock, licking his lips in anticipation., heart pounding.
He leaned forward and licked upwards from the base of his mate's shaft, all the way up until he hit the head, and then wrapped his lips around it and sucked greedily, the salty tang bursting onto his tongue, causing his mouth to water.
Draco's hands quickly moved to Harry's head, fingers sliding through the thick strands and gripping tightly as he moaned.
His mate's reaction spurred Harry on and reassured him that he wasn't completely useless at this. He'd never done this before so he knew he would have to learn as he went, guided by Draco's responses as well as what he knew he himself liked.
Harry's hands moved around to knead the soft flesh of Draco's rounded arse as his mate thrust shallowly into his mouth in tiny pulses, clearly trying to hold back so that he didn't choke him. Harry hummed around Draco's cock as he stroked the base with his right hand and moved his mouth up and down as far as he could, firmly tonguing the underside on each upward slide, the stiff shaft quickly becoming wet with saliva and aiding the smooth glide of Harry's movements.
Draco's breathing had sped up and turned shallow, fingers tensing and releasing in Harry's hair like a cat kneading its claws. He bit off a moan and suddenly pulled back, holding Harry's head firmly away from his flushed prick.
"That was close," he gasped weakly, eyes still closed in concentration.
Harry smiled smugly and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he watched his mate take a moment to compose himself. Draco finally opened sharp, silver eyes that quickly and intently zeroed in on Harry. Harry felt his mouth go dry at the expression on his mate's face; it was all arousal and fierce possession, and Harry's cock twitched in response.
Draco's full lips quirked with the tiniest hint of a smirk before he stood and removed the remainder of his clothing, penetrating gaze still on Harry as he squirmed expectantly.
"You haven't done this before have you?" Draco asked quietly as he removed his wand from his discarded trousers.
Harry shook his head, swallowing. "H-have you?"
Draco smiled a little as he crawled back over him, wand in hand. "I've had one or two practice sessions, most Alphas do." Grey eyes tracked Harry's captivated expression. "I don't want to hurt you."
Harry smiled and laid his head back on the pillow. "You won't."
Harry could see just how much his words, and the implied trust they carried, had affected his mate. Especially after everything they'd been through that night.
Harry's expression softened. "What's this for then?" he asked, meaning to distract his mate as he touched a finger to Draco's wand.
Draco blinked shiny grey eyes and then his playful smirk swiftly returned. "For this," he replied, raising his wand and whispering a few quiet words.
Harry watched, fascinated, as a healthy dollop of thick, clear liquid formed in Draco's cupped hand. "Ah... a lubricant spell."
"And your new best friend Potter."
Harry grinned and then promptly gasped as Draco dipped one lube covered finger to trace down the crack of his arse. "That's cold," he complained. Despite his grousing, Harry parted his legs to give his mate easier access. Harry emitted another gasp – for entirely different reasons – when Draco's slick finger gently circled his hole.
"Feel good?" Draco asked with a knowing look.
"Yes," Harry gasped as Draco's finger continued to stroke up and down and then circle the rim.
"More?"
Harry quickly nodded and then arched his neck, clutching onto the bedclothes beneath him as Draco's finger gently pushed its way inside his body. "Fuck..." he gasped as the pleasure washed over him, his cock leaking copiously onto his stomach.
Draco pushed his finger in and out, slowly, stretching and rotating as carefully and thoroughly as he could, then adding a second finger and gently repeating.
Harry was a mess; feet flat on the bed as he pushed into the brilliant pumping of those long fingers, blankets fisted in taut hands and eyes clenched shut in pure bliss. The addition of a third finger didn't even faze him as he lost himself in the heady fog of pleasure.
"Fuck... Harry, you look so good…" Draco uttered, his voice low, nearly gravelly with arousal.
"I... I'm not going to last if you keep doing that," Harry cautioned, eyes still closed. "Please..."
Draco obviously didn't need telling twice as he instantly withdrew his fingers.
Harry opened his eyes and raised his head off of the pillow to watch as Draco used the rest of the lube to coat his own prick which was bobbing rigidly in front of him. Harry had to swallow and nearly look away. He was already on the edge of losing it completely, his entire body strung tight and humming with a tingly anticipation and aching with need. His body's demand for this to happen was definitely outweighing any anxiety or hesitation.
Harry blinked and came back to himself as Draco gently guided him to turn over onto his hands and knees.
"It's easier this way for the first time," Draco murmured into his ear as he curled his body over Harry's, his slickened erection sliding tantalisingly between Harry's arse cheeks.
Harry nodded in understanding, pushing back a little to encourage the delicious sliding movement of Draco's heavy cock over his arse and bollocks.
Draco smirked into the back of Harry's neck and then placed a tender kiss to his warm skin before kneeling up and taking hold of his prick. "Ready?" he asked before going further.
"Yeah," Harry rasped out, facing front and dropping his head down, eyes closed, trying not to tense.
Draco stroked one hand down Harry's spine in a soothing motion as he nudged the head of his cock at Harry's loosened entrance and pushed.
Harry inhaled sharply at the pain of Draco breaching his body; like a burning/stinging/stretching intrusion. He bit his lip and held his breath as Draco pushed the swollen head of his cock in and then stilled, Harry's body holding his member tightly in place once he'd pressed in past the yielding rim.
Harry exhaled shakily and took another deep breath, trying to relax, waiting for the initial pain to recede. Draco stroked another comforting hand down his back. Harry could feel him trembling with the effort to remain still.
Harry took another steadying breath. He could feel his body slowly accepting the intrusion, which felt uncomfortable rather than painful now. "You can move," he instructed in a whisper.
He could feel Draco hesitate and then slowly continue pushing forwards, until centimetre by centimetre he was all the way in. Harry suddenly felt the wiry coarseness of Draco's pubic hair pressed against the soft, sensitive skin of his arse and, for some reason, this renewed his waning arousal once more; the image in his head of his mate buried deep within his body was intoxicating.
Harry moaned under his breath and pushed back experimentally, his body relaxing further and further as his arousal began to enflame again.
Draco placed a hand on either side of Harry's hips and pulled out halfway then firmly slid back in in one smooth motion.
Harry moaned loudly and dropped his forehead to the pillow, his arms braced on either side of his head. There was no more pain now, just an amazing fullness that made him feel connected to his mate in an entirely new way.
Draco curled over his body and kissed the nape of Harry's neck as he continued his slow, deep thrusting movements, rocking Harry's body forwards, causing his mate's breath to hitch and to press back against him in counterpoint.
Draco groaned and reached around Harry's hip to enclose his mate's warm, rigid prick in his hand.
Harry gasped as his eyes flew open. "I… I'm going to come if you do that."
"That's the point Potter," Draco replied breathlessly as he tightened his fist and gave Harry's cock a firm stroke.
Harry moaned loudly and didn't think he could handle any more; the full thrusting feeling of Draco's considerable cock inside him in conjunction with the amazing stroking on his own prick; so sensitive and hard that he felt ready to explode.
Draco continued to stroke and push, his breathing shallow and fast, damp forehead pressed to Harry's shoulder blade as he moved over him.
Harry shook his head with a helpless whimper - and decided to let himself go and stop trying to hold back. Draco seemed to sense this and suddenly wrapped an arm around his waist and hauled him up and back so that Harry was now sitting in his lap, still impaled on his cock as Draco began to thrust up into him; fast and hard.
Harry cried out as Draco's solid member seemed to touch upon something deep inside of him that sent sparks throughout his body and exploding in front of his eyes. He quickly reached one hand back to balance himself and enclosed his other hand around his reddened prick to continue stroking at a rapid pace.
Harry began to whimper and gasp and moan and make all manner of noises as he felt his orgasm begin to build. His body tensed and his eyes clenched shut as he dropped his head back onto Draco's shoulder. Quite suddenly he reached the pinnacle and tipped over the edge with a shout as his cock began to spurt thick, white ropes of semen out over his hand and onto the bedclothes.
Draco's breath caught and faltered behind him and then he roughly thrust up twice more before freezing, thigh muscles straining, as he emptied himself inside of Harry with a muted groan. Harry distantly felt the pulsing of Draco's cock within his tight channel and the feeling prolonged his own orgasm; his cock giving one last feeble squirt out over his fist.
Draco released the breath he'd been holding with a gasp then wrapped both arms around Harry's chest, holding him tight while he caught his breath.
Harry swallowed and allowed himself to just melt back into his mate's embrace, feeling utterly spent and unable to actually form any words.
Draco nuzzled his nose into the side of Harry's damp neck and inhaled reverently before kissing his heated skin.
Harry smiled softly and hummed in appreciation.
"We'd better get under the quilt before you get chilled," Draco murmured into his ear.
"Yeah, all right," Harry sighed, still in a sated haze as he carefully extracted himself from Draco's lap.
Draco reached for his wand and cleaned them both with a quick spell before sliding under the bedclothes and pulling his mate into his chest, legs entangling, heartbeat strong and comforting against Harry's bare back.
Harry relaxed into him with another sigh of contentment as his heartrate began to slow back to a normal pace once more. He could feel the rest of the world threatening to push back in to his mind and crowd out this shiny new bliss, and he just wanted to stay in his bubble of happiness a little longer.
"That was… good," he commented nonchalantly.
A huff of indignant laughter blew across the back of Harry's neck, causing him to grin.
"That was fucking fantastic and you know it Potter."
Harry laughed. "Yeah all right, let it be known that Harry Potter agrees with Draco Malfoy."
Draco chuckled, warm lips pressed to Harry's skin. "It will be even better when you're in heat."
"Really?" Harry replied dubiously, trying not to tense at the mention of another heat cycle. He was still dreading it after the last one. "How do you know?"
"Because," Draco replied quietly, lips moving against his nape, "you won't require any artificial lubrication or preparation. There won't be any pain at all - only pleasure. Which will go on and on for hours."
Harry felt his mate's spent cock give a little twitch and he knew how much Draco was looking forward to one day spending his heat with him. After what they'd just done, he had no reservations whatsoever of going into heat around his mate; he knew Draco would take care of him. It was just the fear and uncertainty of when and where his next heat cycle would hit and the loss of control he'd felt - and the loss of control of those around him.
Harry shivered slightly and shifted back into Draco's warm embrace, his hand tightening on Draco's forearm, which was draped over his chest.
"Are you cold?"
Harry forced away any further thoughts about his heat; they had bigger problems at the moment. "No, I'm fine, you're like my own personal heater." He sighed and stared out the moonlit window. "What are we going to do?" he eventually whispered, struggling to keep the helpless sorrow out of his voice.
Draco sighed and shifted behind him. "Whatever we can," he finally replied.
Harry closed his eyes, exhausted; mentally and physically. He hadn't slept well the night before due to his anxiety over meeting the Board for the first time and now it was already past two in the morning.
Draco's arm tightened around him and he finally drifted off to sleep with a feeling of safety swirling around him.
At least he wasn't alone.
. . . .
Harry woke late the next morning; the muted autumn sun already streaming through the window and creating a rectangular square of light on the flagstone floor.
Harry rolled onto his back with a yawn, stretching his arms over his head and then wincing a little as his backside came into contact with the mattress.
The bruised feeling made him smile in remembrance.
He turned to Draco's side of the bed to discover that his mate was already up and gone, his half of the bed cold to the touch.
Harry sat up and looked to the small clock on his bedside cabinet. If he hurried he could still make breakfast and ask Dean if he would meet with them at lunch.
Harry threw back the bedclothes and quickly dressed and brushed his teeth, running a comb through his rather hopeless hair as he stared into the mirror with a frown. Draco generally woke before him but he'd never left without him before, not since they'd begun sharing a room. He thought it was very odd, especially since last night was the first time they'd had sex and the first time Harry had ever had sex. He had expected to wake with Draco next to him today.
Perhaps he was being silly and overly sentimental but he couldn't help but feel a hollow sense of disappointment.
Harry sighed as he tied the laces on his scuffed school shoes, the weight of last night's other, less pleasant, events settling heavily onto his shoulders, made so much worse by the fact that his mate had apparently decided to leave him to deal with it on his own this morning.
Harry straightened and pressed his lips together as he collected his cloak. He knew dark thoughts were made worse by an already gloomy mood so he tried to not automatically condemn his mate for his actions. Perhaps Draco just needed some time alone to think, and Harry couldn't begrudge him that.
He slung his school bag up over his shoulder and left the room. The corridors were mostly empty as the majority of students were still having breakfast in the Great Hall.
Harry walked swiftly through the quiet school and down the moving staricases, mind preoccupied with possible questions for Dean and distracting images of last night in bed with Draco. He was surprised that he didn't trip and fall headlong down the stone steps with everything that was going on inside his brain.
Harry walked into the Great Hall and looked to the Gryffindor table, disconcerted to see that his mate wasn't there. He frowned and walked over to take a seat next to Ron (trying his hardest not to wince), and felt a flicker of worry over where Draco could be.
"Tired of each other already, mate?" Ron asked around a mouthful of toast and marmalade.
"What?" Harry turned to him, belatedly realising what he'd said and then dropping his bag to the ground behind him with a loud thunk. "Oh… not sure where Draco's disappeared to this morning actually."
"He's over there," Hermione piped up across from him, tilting her head towards the Slytherin table.
"I thought the two of you were going to have breakfast with us every morning?" Ron said as Harry looked over at the Slytherin table, surprised to see his mate seated with the other eighth years, mid-conversation with Daphne Greengrass.
Harry clenched his jaw to prevent himself from saying anything impulsive. He narrowed his eyes at his mate speaking to Daphne - an Omega no less - and flicked his gaze around the Slytherin table, searching for Daphne's little sister, Astoria. It hadn't escaped Harry's notice that Astoria still flirted with Draco and hung on his every word as though she were still promised to him. His gaze finally landed on her and he found that she wasn't paying Draco the slightest bit of attention; in fact, she seemed to be flirting heavily with a boy in her own year for once.
Slightly placated, Harry forced himself to tear his gaze away from the Slytherin table and reach for the platter of sausages.
"Harry?"
Harry sighed inwardly, not in the mood to deal with a prying Hermione. "Yes?" he replied without looking up, loading his plate with food.
"Is everything all right between the two of you?"
"Yup," Harry replied shortly as he poured some pumpkin juice into his goblet.
There was a slight pause and then, "Neville said he saw you last night, coming back from Malfoy Manor."
Harry set down his knife and fork with a heavy sigh and looked up. "And?"
Hermione bit her lip and glanced at Ron, who pretended not to listen, clearly unwilling to be involved but also wanting to hear the ensuing conversation. "Well, he just mentioned that you seemed a little… tense, and not quite yourself."
"What would you expect me to be after sitting through an evening making small talk with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy?" Harry countered. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the truth either.
"It was awfully late…"
"Midnight isn't late when you're eighteen," Harry ground out in irritation. "You're not my bloody mother 'Mione."
"Hey, she's just worried about you," Ron interjected quietly.
Harry knew he should leave before he said something he regretted. He should've known coming to the Hall was a mistake, he was too distracted and stressed to attempt to hold normal conversation with people who didn't have anywhere near the level of complications he had to deal with at the moment.
It seemed eighth year was going to be just as difficult as every other year he'd endured so far at Hogwarts.
Harry swivelled on the bench seat and grabbed up his heavy school bag before standing. He reached over and snatched two pieces of buttered toast from the plate.
"Harry, don't leave," Hermione said, startled, eyes wide and pleading. "We hardly see you anymore. We don't have to talk about whatever's bothering you..."
Harry forced a smile and shook his head. "It's all right, I'm not very good company this morning. I'll catch up with you later."
Hermione looked as though she were going to say more but Harry just gave a quick wave and strode off down the table, pausing next to Dean Thomas.
"Hey Dean, do you think I could speak with you later? Maybe at lunch?" he asked, hoping his tone was neutral enough not to make him uneasy.
Dean blinked in surprise then smiled. "Sure Harry, something wrong?"
Harry shook his head and tried to match his casual smile. "No, not at all, just some… uh Potions questions," he replied, quickly recalling one of Dean's best subjects. "Meet you in the centre courtyard at lunch then?"
Dean nodded. "It's a date." His eyes widened as he seemed to realise what he'd said as a few heads turned their way with interest. "Well not that sort of date…"
Harry laughed, and it seemed to ease some of his tension, if only for a second. "Yeah I know, see you then."
Dean grinned and turned back to his breakfast as Harry walked off, absently munching on one of his pieces of toast.
He knew he was being petulant but Harry steadfastly refused to glance in Draco's direction as he left the Hall.