Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Learnt in the Cradle	By : Sasunarufan13 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 2671 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor make any profit of it. J.K. Rowling owns it.

Chapter List
- 1-Learnt in the Cradle
- 1
Author's note: This is a birthday fic for my dear friend, whose birthday it is today. Happy birthday, sweetheart!
Now this is my first time actually incorporating the aspect of Veela into a story, so I hope I didn't screw up too badly with it! And like some of my previous stories, this story is mainly made up out of different scenes with time skips between each one mostly.
Warnings: Narcissa's pov; altered timeline; time skips; slash; Veela!Draco; takes place when Draco and Harry are still children
I hope you'll like it!
Learnt in the Cradle
It was an old misconception that creature heritage only came into effect on the seventeenth birthday of the child. Certainly for some heritages this was the case, such as the one where families had mingled together with Merpeople.
Most heritages, however, developed far earlier, depending on the power of the child and the circumstances which could convince them to come through.
Given that, it was of utmost importance that the parents informed themselves well and were aware of any possible inheritance that could develop, so they could support their child when the time was there for the heritage to affect him or her. A creature inheritance could come through any moment, so there was no excuse for the family to be unprepared.
The Malfoys, in particular, took careful track of the possible inheritances that could show up in their children. The family prided itself on being purer than most other Pureblood families, with almost no intermarriages with other species, but they did have some creature heritage in their blood thanks to a joining of an ancestor with a Veela. That particular bloodline had become rather diluted throughout the years as it had been more than a century since the Veela blood had been added, but it had the possibility of surging up once more with the recent marriage between Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black.
Marriages between the Blacks and Veela were more recent and a blood test had confirmed that both Lucius and Narcissa carried the Veela gene. Neither of them bore any Veela characteristics – save for their more enhanced beauty compared to other Purebloods – but both of them carrying the gene meant that the chance of their son coming into his Veela heritage was rather high and they had prepared themselves for that possibility.
Which turned out to be a good thing when they were woken up on Halloween due to their son screaming his lungs out.
Narcissa was the first one to wake up; her mother instinct tuned into her son, stirring her at even the faintest sign of distress. The scream emitting from her son was primal, shrill, and loud enough to pierce through three thick walls, resembling a screech of a bird more than that of a human.
Instantly she knew something was wrong, something more serious than a full diaper or a bad dream. She was already out of bed before her mind was completely clear and she hurried towards her son's bedroom without grabbing her dressing robe; her heart clenching tightly at the pure agony mingled into her child's crying. Lucius followed closely behind her; a silent shadow as they passed panicking house elves.
Her magic slammed the door of the bedroom open and she ran inside – only to come to an abrupt halt when she was nearly blinded by the pure white glow emitting from the bed.
"What the …" Lucius breathed next to her and out of nowhere a whirlwind formed, racing through the bedroom, snatching at their hair and stinging their skin, and ripping off the drapes, causing moonlight to stream into the room like water being poured down into a cauldron.
Her son howled like a wolf and screeched like a hawk and the bright light ensconced him like a blanket as he trashed around on his mattress. An invisible barrier kept his parents from him and they watched helplessly and furiously as the whirlwind kept wreaking havoc in the room and the light never dimmed, but never brightened either.
Until it all stopped.
The whirlwind disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind a wreckage that would make the house elves cry in frustration, and the bright light dimmed into a soft, barely there glow until it sank into Draco's skin and vanished, leaving nothing but the gentle moonlight as their only source of light.
Their son's loud screaming had dropped down to some faint sniffling and as soon as they felt the barrier no longer press against their skin, they rushed forwards.
"Oh dear," Lucius murmured; his left hand coming to rest on the bars of the bed.
Narcissa closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself, force her racing heart to calm down, and then looked down at her one year old child.
Pure, molten, silver eyes stared back. A faint shimmering outline was visible behind Draco's shoulders, which took on the shape of wings and small, sharp nails glinted in the moonlight as he clenched and relaxed his small fingers. Something akin to a beak flickered in and out of existence and a soft, nearly inaudible crooning sound escaped Draco's throat.
He stared at them solemnly, silver deepening even more, before he blinked and yawned. The silver colour bled out of his eyes, turning back into soft grey; his sharp nails grew rounded and human like once more. The image of a beak vanished, together with the shimmering outline of the wings.
Draco fell asleep again; his face smooth and peaceful as if he had never been disturbed in the first place. Only his closed, red rimmed eyes and the tarnished room proved that something more unnatural had occurred here.
"Have you ever heard of a child receiving his inheritance at such an early age?" Lucius murmured, studying his son contemplatively.
Narcissa swallowed and uttered a sigh soft enough not to disturb the sleeping toddler. "No, I haven't," she replied quietly and gazed at her son with mixed feelings.
Draco was a Veela, no doubt about that. The outline of the wings, the beak flickering in and out of existence, the sharp nails which would grow eventually into talons … Her son had received his Veela inheritance when he was only sixteen months old; possibly the youngest age for a Veela heritage to come through.
Becoming a Veela had nothing to do with reaching a certain age, as Draco had just proven. The inheritance only came through when the person either met their destined mate – or when that mate was in grave danger.
Clearly it was the second possibility which had forced the inheritance to come through.
What could have …
Lucius hissed and grasped his arm tightly, sagging forwards.
"Lucius?" Narcissa asked sharply, placing her hand on his back, feeling how tense the muscles there were.
"It's the Dark Lord," he hissed through gritted teeth; sweat was dampening his forehead.
She stiffened at the reminder of the one mistake she hadn't been able to prevent. "Does he need you now?" she inquired in a low voice, mindful of the sleeping baby next to her. She drew her husband away from the bed, out of the room.
"Clean the bedroom but don't wake up my son," she ordered the two house elves waiting with big eyes next to the door.
They nodded and swiftly disappeared into the bedroom.
"Lucius?" She turned back towards her husband warily.
He was staring dazed at his arm; his skin as white as the sheets on their bed. Slowly he drew his sleeve back, revealing the Dark Mark in all its glory – but the dark, vivid colour had dulled and faded. It felt dead somehow and not pulsating with Dark magic like it had been doing up until now.
"What does this mean?" she whispered and a tendril of fear wrapped around her; its embrace ice cold.
Grey eyes lifted up from the mark and stared at her apprehensively. "I don't know exactly," he murmured, drawing the sleeve back over his arm, covering up the faint mark. "But I wager we will discover the cause of this tomorrow."
With that ominous premonition hanging in the air, they went back to bed.
They both barely slept that night.
The next day the newspapers' headlines announced in screaming, bold letters that the Dark Lord had been defeated the night before, thereby ending a reign of terror which had lasted thirty-five years.
The Potters had been responsible for his defeat, though neither them nor their friends nor Dumbledore were willing to come out and explain how they had managed a feat no one had been able to do before. They were left with a ruined home and their one year old son with a scar on his forehead.
But the Wizarding World was finally free of the terror that had been You-Know-Who and the tale of Harry Potter, the baby who had defeated the Dark Lord, was inscribed in the history books so that nobody would forget just what they owed the little boy.
The end of the Dark Lord and the beginning of the Boy-Who-Lived.
For the Malfoys, this meant one thing: damage control. For years they would dance out of the reach of the Ministry, flatter important politicians and show the Aurors that they were as innocent as the Potter family.
Not an easy feat to accomplish, but when had a Malfoy ever given in? Never; simple as that.
But in spite of the new negotiations they discussed and the delicate balance that kept their focus sharp and never allowed them to make a wrong step, they never once forgot what had happened to their son on that faithful Halloween night. Since then nothing else had happened, however, despite Draco meeting various Pureblood sons and daughters as his parents tried to figure out which child was their son's mate. Nothing came out of those meetings; Draco didn't manifest any Veela traits and for all intents and purposes appeared to be a normal wizard.
That was until they visited a Ministry ball when Draco had just turned six years old.
"I see you survived talking with Elorina Greengrass." Lucius cropped up next to her, sipping idly from his glass of bubbly champagne.
"One would suspect she was hit with the Never Ending Chatter Charm," Narcissa murmured; a hint of resentfulness slipping into her voice.
Talking with the dark haired witch had been maddening and exasperating and the blonde woman was happy she had managed to finally get away from her. Appearances were everything, though, and her mask prevented anyone from seeing her irritation.
"I just talked to Severus," Lucius murmured, placing his empty glass on the tray that a house elf carried past him. "He's receiving more interest in his potions business."
"Would he be willing to come over for some tea?" she asked, allowing some of her amusement to bleed through. "I'm certain Draco will enjoy having him over."
"I'll leave it up to you to convince him of that, my dear," he answered with a faint smirk.
Convincing Severus Snape to come over for some tea was like trying to pull a tooth from a dragon: nearly impossible. But Narcissa could just be as persistent when she wanted to be and her mind was already whirling with ideas as to how she could convince the Potions Master to join them for tea.
Lucius' almost inaudible sigh brought her back out of her planning. "It is almost nine o'clock," he murmured, adjusting his cuffs slightly. "Perhaps it is best if we depart now if we don't want an ill-tempered son tomorrow."
She inclined her head in agreement. "I will - "
A furious screech cut her off and at once the noise in the large ballroom died out as everyone whirled around in search of the unexpected sound. The screech sounded quite familiar even if she hadn't heard it in five years and her heart skipped a beat as she strode forwards, slipping past frozen groups of shocked wizards and witches.
And yes, there he was, in the furthest corner of the room where the children tended to gather together in an attempt to stave off the boredom. This time, however, most of the children had fled to their parents, leaving only three behind. A girl, whose dark hair was braided and tied together with red bows, quivering in fear in front of two boys. The first boy was her son whose piercing silver eyes were glaring at the girl, as a low chirruping sound left his throat. His wings were no longer just a shimmering outline. They were tangible now, the feathers made out of the purest white, so bright it nearly hurt her eyes to look at.
And they were shielding a second boy behind Draco.
"Draco, what happened?" she asked calmly, knowing that sounding agitated would only make the situation worse.
Something had caused Draco's Veela side to wake up again after laying dormant for five years and she could only think of one event that would have his Veela side resurface.
His mate.
"I – I didn't do anything wrong!" the girl stammered, sounding indignantly even when she was still looking fearfully at Draco.
In response Draco hissed viciously, his wings tightening around the mysterious boy. Despite still being a child, his wings were large enough to obstruct Narcissa's view of the boy and she could only glimpse a few strands of black hair and see white shoes standing immobile behind Draco.
There was commotion behind Narcissa and when she turned her head slightly, she noticed a red haired woman struggling to make her way through the crowd, elbowing the bystanders roughly. She was closely followed by a dark haired man, whose silver coloured glasses glinted in the light.
"What is – Harry?!" The red haired woman finally wrestled her way out of the mass and her green eyes widened at the spectacle that Draco was currently creating.
Narcissa had never spoken to the couple directly, but everyone – at least if they weren't living underneath a rock for the past six years – would recognise them immediately.
James and Lily Potter.
If they were here, calling out to their son, that meant that …
Next to her Lucius groaned softly in dismay. "Really?"
A pair of emerald green eyes – the exact copy of his mother's, but hidden behind glasses like his father's were – peeked out from behind Draco's wings. "Mum," Harry Potter said, but didn't make a move to escape the wings.
Whether that was because he didn't want to or because he couldn't …
"What's going on here?" James Potter asked perplexed, his eyes going back and forth between Draco and his son. "Harry?"
The little boy reached out with a hand and carefully patted Draco's right wing, which made the blond boy quiver and his glare lessened somewhat. The glower was back full force, however, when the girl shuffled her feet slightly and she froze again like a rabbit staring into his hunter's eyes.
"This is Draco," Harry said brightly and his hand closed around some feathers. "Look how pretty his wings are, dad!"
That made Draco preen and he stood up straighter – a feat Narcissa hadn't thought was possible.
"Is there a reason why you have your wings around him, Draco?" she questioned, even though she knew the answer already.
It wouldn't hurt for Draco to make his claim in public, though. The more people were warned to stay away from the Potter boy, now that he was a Veela's mate, the better. Because there was no doubt in her mind that Harry Potter was her son's mate, not with the way Draco was standing guard in front of him and had his wings wrapped around the younger boy.
The sudden manifestation of his Veela inheritance five years ago made sense now as well. It had happened on Halloween, the night the Dark Lord had attacked the Potters. Draco must have felt his mate's panic and the ensuing battle and his heritage had been forced to activate in response to it. As he hadn't met Harry until this evening, however, his Veela side had gone dormant again. It had just been biding its time until the moment Draco met his mate finally.
"Harry is mine," Draco answered simply. His face was a curious mixture of relaxed and suspicious as his mate still had his hand resting on his wings, but the girl kept standing too close to them for his comfort. "And she tried to touch him," he ended with a growl; his eyes sparking brightly when they looked at the girl.
"I didn't do anything wrong!" the girl squeaked again, but she was swaying on her feet and looked ready to start crying.
Narcissa turned towards James and Lily Potter with an inviting smile, clasping her hands together in front of her stomach. "Why don't we discuss this somewhere else? A place where we will have more privacy?" she suggested and let her eyes trail meaningfully over the crowd, who had started murmuring and whispering while their eyes remained fixated on the two boys.
Lily took a deep breath and nodded; determination glowing in her eyes. "Yes, let's. This is definitely something we need to discuss," she said and offered a reserved smile as her husband sighed and muttered something underneath his breath.
Narcissa and Lucius shared a look before turning back towards the two boys.
Now, to convince Draco to release his mate for at least a little while.
And prevent him from attacking the girl. She eyed her son warily. That last one might be the most difficult task yet.
But this was all part of being prepared after all.
The Potters hadn't been really happy with the revelation that their son was Draco's mate. James more so than Lily, but that probably had something to do with the fact that as an Auror James knew how many times the Malfoy name had popped up in investigations.
Not that the Aurors had ever been able to prove anything, of course, but that didn't take away his suspicion.
Despite that, they agreed to let Draco court their son; a crucial part in the Veela mating process. The boys were too young as of yet, of course, to complete the mating process, but that didn't mean Draco didn't have instincts already.
Instincts which demanded that he took care of Harry by bringing him food – which at their age mostly meant sweets Harry liked – and showing him he could take care of him – by intimidating anyone who regarded Harry warily because nobody knew how exactly he had defeated the Dark Lord.
The majority of the Wizarding World praised the Potters, practically honoured them for defeating a Dark wizard, but there were some who thought that simply meant the Potters were even more dangerous and perhaps even Darker. The children of those people absorbed their views and some of the more brave ones dared to insult Harry and taunt him.
No more than once, though, because after that one time they would be greeted by an enraged Veela and even the children weren't stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.
Slowly, begrudgingly, the Wizarding World started to accept the bond between the two boys as the public realised it would be foolish to go up against two powerful families.
"Thank you for doing this," Lily smiled and accepted a glass of fruity champagne from one of the house elves walking around.
"But of course," Narcissa said smoothly, sipping of her own glass. The champagne left a tingly, bubbly sensation behind in her throat as it slid down. "There is no need to thank us for this. We are happy to do this for Harry; Draco, especially, was happy to help prepare the party."
Happy was an understatement perhaps. Her son had been most adamant that he would have a part in planning Harry's eighth birthday party and had insisted on being present every time she and Lucius discussed it. As a Veela, he wanted to ensure that his mate was happy and more importantly, he wanted to be the one who made his mate happy.
It had been two years now since Draco had discovered who his mate was and both boys had undergone some changes already. There had been some physical changes; Draco usually walked around with his wings out now whenever Harry was with him. A Veela liked showing off his wings to his mate and the young Malfoy heir was no exception to that rule; it certainly helped that Harry was fascinated by the soft, white feathers which glowed in the light.
The most important changes so far had happened mentally. Before meeting Harry, Draco had been a rather selfish child – Narcissa was not blind to this fact. Growing up as an only child had made her son rather spoilt and he didn't appreciate having to share his belongings with anyone else.
That was until meeting Harry. The dark haired boy was rather soft spoken and timid at times and Draco had been forced to learn how to be less selfish in order not to hurt or offend his mate. Being around Draco taught Harry how to be more outspoken, more confident as well; the bond between them made sure they balanced each other out.
It was still a trial of errors of course. There were times when Harry gave in to Draco's demands too easily and moments when Draco acted like the spoilt boy he had been. A gentle reminder of one of the adults was usually enough to get them back on track. They were learning and that was the most important thing.
"Still thank you. The Ministry had wanted to give another birthday party this year," Lily grimaced, pushing back a lock of her bright red hair behind her ear. A smirk unfolded on her face as she continued, "Too bad for them that we had already agreed to attend your party. Such a shame they weren't quicker with their proposal, hm?"
Narcissa smiled amused. The Ministry had thrown Harry a birthday party last year – the place had been full with people unknown to the little boy and they had all been intent on getting his favour; never mind that Harry had only just turned seven years old. It had been less about Harry's birthday and more about people attempting to curry his favour and thereby advancing politically.
It had been a pure disgrace.
The Ministry's disastrous attempt at a birthday party had been one of the reasons why the Malfoy family had decided to throw the party this year instead. Harry deserved to have a wonderful birthday party and it wouldn't hurt to show the Potters how well the Malfoys could provide for those they considered their own.
"Too bad the Weasleys couldn't attend," Lily sighed.
Narcissa inclined her head, but refrained from commenting. The Potters and the Weasleys knew each other through the Order of the Phoenix, a group Dumbledore had led in the war against the Dark Lord. The Weasleys' youngest son was the same age as Harry and Draco and Narcissa had heard Draco complaining often enough that Ronald Weasley and Harry spent too much time together for the blond's liking, assuming the Weasley boy was intent on stealing his mate away from him.
When it was time to send out the invitations for Harry's birthday party, Draco had initially refused to send one to the Weasleys; his anger at even the thought of having some of the Weasleys in the manor big enough to cause several bookcases in the library to tremble and nearly spontaneously combust. Narcissa had managed to calm him down by pointing out that even if the Weasleys weren't people they wanted to associate with, it would make Harry happy to have them at his party. She herself didn't understand what was so interesting about the Weasleys – a starker difference couldn't be found than the one between the Malfoys and the Weasleys – but they had planned the party to make Harry happy. If the Weasleys' attendance would make the dark haired boy happy, then they just had to deal with their presence for one day.
As suspected, Draco's anger hadn't managed to win it from his desire to make Harry happy and begrudgingly he had allowed an invitation to be sent out.
In the end, however, it turned out that Draco's fretting and frustration at having to share Harry's attention with the Weasleys had been for naught. As soon as the Weasleys had realised that the party would take place at Malfoy Manor, they had sent back a weak excuse that they couldn't attend because of 'prior family obligations'. Only her good upbringing had restrained her from sneering at the poor excuse. But no matter. Their absence would only show Harry who he really could count on to be there for him.
A part of her wished she could be there when Harry asked why they hadn't come to his birthday party; their faces would surely be a sight to see.
"Mother, can Harry open his presents now?" Draco inquired; the tips of his wings fluttering agitatedly. There was impatience lurking in his eyes and she smiled, knowing that he just wanted to see Harry's reaction when his mate opened his present.
"Shouldn't Harry be the one asking that?" Lily asked amused and her green eyes flitted over to her son who was shrieking and laughing as he was chased by his godfather in his dog form. Lupin, James' other best friend, was jostled by Harry when the boy ran behind him and grabbed his robes in an effort to hide himself from the barking dog. James was sneaking up on his son and even from this distance Narcissa could see a devious smile on his face.
"I'm asking in his place," Draco sniffed and restless energy clung to him.
"If Harry wants to," Narcissa murmured and turned her head to look at her husband, who had been drawn into a conversation with Emanuel Parkinson, Pansy's father. Pansy herself was sitting at the table, casting shy glances at Draco as she fiddled with the bows on her dress. She still seemed to be under the impression that Draco would choose her one day and Narcissa had to supress a sigh. She could only hope the girl would grow out of her silly daydream soon as Draco was already spoken for.
Even if he hadn't already found his mate, Pansy Parkinson would have been the last person she would have envisioned as a partner for her son.
Lucius caught her eyes and offered a small nod, understanding her silent message that she wanted him to come to her.
"Why don't you go get Harry and then he can open his presents, hm?" Lily suggested with a chuckle and Draco perked up, before hurrying to retrieve his mate from the evil clutches of his father and godfather.
In spite of the Weasleys not being present, it was clear that Harry was having a great time. A grin was never far away from his face and his eyes brightened with every present he received.
Sirius Black, his godfather and Narcissa's cousin, had gifted him a new child's broom, which had him on the receiving end of a Stinging Hex from Lily as she scolded him for buying yet another broom. Her exasperation only grew when James' gift turned out to be a set of a Quaffle, a Snitch and two Bludgers; the items had been enchanted not to fly too high as they were aimed at having children practice Quidditch.
Lily's and Lupin's gifts were fairy tale books; Harry's latest obsession. His bedroom was full with books, ranging from fairy tales to history to children's novels; his love for reading was enthusiastically encouraged by both his mother and Lupin. The Parkinsons gave him a potions kit, which had Harry cocking his head bemusedly and Draco looking interested. It probably wouldn't be long before the house elves would find that particular kit back in Draco's room.
Amelia Zabini, Blaise's mother, presented him with a set of deep green robes trimmed with silver and Narcissa saw Lily pressing her lips tightly together. She and Amelia could never quite get along; Amelia was too cold, too standoffish, while Lily was as warm as her fire red hair. The young witch probably also didn't appreciate the allusion to Slytherin's colours.
The slightly strained atmosphere was quickly forgotten when Harry opened Narcissa's and Lucius' present, which was a guided tour in the magical zoo in Oxford. They knew of Harry's interest in everything that had to do with animals and knowledge about magical creatures could never hurt. The gift had Harry grinning and hugging them around their waist, though his embrace of Lucius lasted significantly shorter than the one he shared with Narcissa.
Then the moment came Draco had been waiting for ever since he had woken up this morning. It was time for Harry to open his present.
Her son stood next to her, on Harry's left, and she could feel him vibrating against her legs, his wings twitching and trembling, as he watched with hawk like eyes how his dark haired mate carefully plucked open the silver bow before peeling off the deep red wrapping paper and removing the lid from the silver painted wooden box.
"Oh!" Harry exclaimed stunned as the box revealed a thin bracelet with a single, small, pure white feather dangling from it. A finger carefully brushed across the length of the feather and wide, emerald green eyes turned to stare at Draco shocked. "This is one of your feathers!"
Draco's cheeks flushed a bit, but he nodded and smiled as he deftly undid the delicate clasp of the bracelet and tied it around Harry's right wrist, which the boy promptly offered. "It is. I took it from my wing and it will keep the bad dreams away. It will be like I'm right there," he explained and Narcissa was most likely the only one, bar Lucius, who could see the uncertainty lingering on her son's face, as he didn't know how his gift would be received by his mate.
He need not worry.
Harry positively glowed as he stared at the bracelet dangling from his right wrist and he smiled brightly, "Thank you, Draco! I really like your present!"
Draco's arms closed almost automatically around Harry when the other boy hugged him, but his wings started shivering madly when Harry suddenly pressed a kiss on his cheek, leaving the older boy stunned as a low chirp escaped him.
"I really, really like it," Harry repeated, grinning widely, before turning his attention to the large chocolate cake which was being brought out by three house elves.
The rest of them had all turned to the cake already, eager to eat a slice of it, and so Narcissa was the only one to watch how Draco slowly raised his hand and covered his cheek where Harry had kissed him before his cheeks filled with red and he started preening; his wings fluttering in delight.
A soft smile spread out on Narcissa's face and she brushed her hand over her son's pale blond hair. He offered a quick smile back before he turned his attention back to Harry, his right wing draped half across Harry's shoulders, shielding his back from sight.
It was hard to imagine how Narcissa had once feared they would never find Draco's mate. Yet here they were, celebrating his mate's birthday, witnessing how the two boys grew closer with each day that passed.
In a few years they would leave for Hogwarts and then the real courting process would start; the Veela wanting to prove once and for all that he was the only one worthy of his mate's attention and affection.
Challenges lay ahead of them. It wouldn't always be smooth sailing, especially not with how stubborn both boys could be.
There was not a single shred of doubt in Narcissa's mind: they would meet the challenges that arose head on and defeat them.
After all, that was just part of being prepared.
AN2: So how did I do for it being my first attempt at a Veela story? ^^; I hope I didn't do too badly!
Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me!
I hope to see you all in my future stories!
Cuddles
Melissa
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Learnt in the Cradle