Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Awakening To the Dream	By : ChimaeraChan Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 45316 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-CH1
- 2-CH2
- 3-CH3
- 4-CH4
- 5-CH5
- 6-CH6
- 7-CH7
- 8-Ch8
- 9-Ch9
- 10-Ch10
- 11-CH11
- 12-CH12
- 13-CH13
- 14-CH14
- 15-CH15
- 16-CH16
- 17-CH17
- 18-CH18
- 19-Ch19
- 20-CH20
- 21-CH21
- 22-Ch22
- 23-CH23
- 24-CH24
- 25-CH25
- 26-CH26
- 27-CH27
- 28-CH28
- 29-CH29
- 30-CH30
- 31-CH31
- 32-CH32
- 33-CH33
- 34-CH34
- 35-CH35
- 36-CH36
- 37-CH37
- 38-CH38
- 39-CH39
- 40-CH40
- 41-Ch41
- 42-Ch42
- 43-Ch43
- 44-Ch44
- 45-Ch45
- 46-Ch46
- 47-Ch47
- 48-Ch48
- 49-Ch49
- 50-Ch50 *End Part 1*
- 51-Ch51
- 52-Ch52
- 53-Ch53
- 54-Ch54
- 55-Ch55
- 56-CH56
- 57-CH57
- 58-CH58
- 59-CH59
- 60-CH60
- 61-CH61
- 62-CH62
- 63-CH63
- 64-CH64
- 65-CH65
- 66-CH66
- 67-CH67 *New 6/6/2015*
- 68-CH68
- 69-CH69
- 59
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- 61
CH60

“I suggest no more window hopping, bird, unless you want to be put into one of the dreary rooms downstairs.”
Seamus pursed his lips, not answering. Beau continued to stand in the doorway, waiting patiently for the boy to get to bed.
“…I don’t like being locked in.” Seamus finally spoke.
“Who does? It’s only for a few more days, I believe. Mostly to keep you from attacking Juro.”
“I wouldn’t attack him.” Seamus said immediately, his brow furrowed. “I smelled him… it’s like, well, like he’s not the same person from when the rot—I mean the evil, I guess, got him.”
“I think rot is a good description… far better than evil.” Beau said, watching Seamus pace his room with a thoughtful look. “You don’t know what you’re sensing, do you?”
“Huh? Uh… well, you know, it’s bad stuff.”
“Yes, but you don’t know why bad stuff can be okay for some, and evil for others.”
Seamus narrowed his eyes, stopping in the middle of his room. “What—are you reading my thoughts?”
“I can, if you like.” Beau admitted. “But no, I haven’t been. You seemed very uncomfortable when we were talking about the people Juro and I killed tonight. And it’s only natural for one your age, coming from the background you have, to have a confusion when it comes to immortals.”
Relaxing, Seamus shrugged and sat down on the edge of his bed. “You killed somebody hours ago; I can smell the blood on you, but why don’t I smell the rot? What’s so different? How do I even know that the bad smell has anything to do with someone being bad? What if… what if the person I killed wasn’t even bad at all?”
“I’m sorry to say this, but in all truth you don’t know, not really. Unless you catch them in an evil act, you can only go by your instincts and senses to tell you that someone is rotting away on the inside, lad. And that’s the problem, isn’t it? Because there is many a person who is rotting that has never lifted a hand against another. And there are others that have hurt people that smell as pure as the day they were birthed.”
“…That doesn’t really help me.” Seamus said after a moment, eyes downcast. “Is it… is it really evil? The longer I’m here, the more I wonder if I even know what evil is. It was all so easy when I was younger, but now…” He sighed deeply, and idly tapped his claws on his knee. “Things aren’t so simple and clear anymore.”
“I’m afraid that’s all a part of growing up. The thing you sense… it’s certainly a horror, but I don’t know if I can call it evil. Mostly because I watched it grow in my brother, and as bad as he became, I could never call him such a thing. But… I suppose many would argue that evil is exactly what it is.”
“But what is it?” Seamus asked desperately. “I think I might have been able to handle what is happening to me, if only I knew that what I instinctively wanted to destroy was evil. If not… I don’t know. It’s all just too much.”
Beau pushed himself from the door, stepping into the room to clasp Seamus on his shoulder. “What did you sense when you smelled Juro?” He prodded, his voice soothing and matter-of-fact in face of Seamus’ obvious alarm.
“…He was changed, I think. And… scarred.” Seamus answered hesitantly, trying to put into words what Juro’s scent had pictured for him. “Whatever it was, he almost… almost died…?” He shook his head, correcting himself the moment he had said it. “Almost lost himself. It’s like who he is now is all new, and separate from who he used to be.”
“Very good… very good. Not all can see it so clearly. Many an Anhk Ro only sees the echo of rot in my brother. He’s a good example really, because you can see first hand just what it does to a person.” Beau ran a hand through his hair thoughtfully. “…I can’t tell you what it is, because even through all my time I’ve yet to find the truth. I know only that it infects indiscriminately and not always with an obvious pattern. But I do know what it does to a person.
“You have an essence, something that exists and persists once you lose your mortal form. What you sense is something that attacks this essence, corrupting it, changing it, and eventually destroying it. It can only attack the essence—soul, if you will—while it is contained in a living form, and thankfully, when the form dies the soul is free from the attack. The soul will grow again, although how soon, and how well varies. Some reach a point where they cannot return… Juro was once one of them.”
Beau sighed, blinking away the pensive mood he had set. “Life is a wonderful, maddening gift, lad, and I will never suggest otherwise. But some beings, for their own good, are better dead. They do not have the strength to free themselves from the cruel thing that feeds off their soul. You come from a society that does not understand death. You fear it, and deny it. Until you change that, you will never see what it means to live.”
Seamus looked away, not quite sure how to respond to something like that. “So… it’s like an illness… but for the soul.”
“Yes, and innately that could be considered evil, couldn’t it? Souls are pure, free from the earthly strains that life can weigh on us. To corrupt something like that is a true terribleness.”
“And they can’t fight it?”
“Some can.” Beau amended. “Some can keep it from spreading, others lock it away. But a lot reach a point where it becomes too much. No one knows how it will come on, you see. Usually it is so subtle that a soul is already lost before they even know that there is a problem. We are able to sense it on a higher level; to the ones it is happening to there is no such sense. They become victims—”
“But they hurt people!” Seamus interjected. “What about personal responsibility? Just because they’re being corrupted doesn’t give them an excuse to hurt others.”
Beau smiled faintly. “There’s your answerer, isn’t it? The smell will always be the same. But who has given up, and given into the corruption are certainly not without blame. They let it get to that point, they allowed themselves to be open to the wrongness in the first place. I am not without pity, Seamus, but I have never hesitated to destroy a broken life before it could spread the corruption.”
“Oh…” Seamus still didn’t think he would ever allow himself to harm another living being… but he was slowly losing the normal sick taste he felt every time he heard mention of others doing it. “What about your brother, then? Why didn’t you kill him?”
Beau stiffened, a sad look crossing his face. “Selfishness, I guess. …I allowed him to suffer because I’d rather that, than him dying and leaving me to eternity alone.”
“But he fought back, though. I mean, he must have, if he’s, well, like this now. So, it was good you didn’t kill him.”
“Perhaps… Juro is ten years my senior. He was already corrupted by the time I learned how to walk. It was a fate for most of the immortals in those days. It seemed we were more susceptible to it, as if our powerful bodies housed immature souls that were easy prey to such corruption. I was lucky, having been born with the ability to sense and avoid the corruption… I don’t think in the beginning Juro ever acted upon it. He was the type to endure silently, never letting help break past his boundaries. We don’t talk about those days, and I honestly feel that he’s lost most of his memories of back then. He suffered a very long time before he finally faced his fate… I always wondered if I had only been stronger if I may have helped him some how. But now I know that it’s something one has to do alone, and just hope someone is waiting to help pick up the pieces.”
“…And that was you?” Seamus ventured quietly.
Beau nodded. “Turned out that way.”
“How did he… that is, how was he able to save himself? How can you stop the rot like that?”
“I don’t know.” Beau said with a shrug, slowly pacing in a small circle. “I couldn’t be around him at that point. He had turned violent, and liked to squirrel himself away in secluded places where travelers would come across, and he could slaughter them. I had thought all of him had been lost to the corruption at that time, but even then I couldn’t let him go. So I walked away and determined to get on with my own life. I expected fully to hear word of his death by the hands of a less queasy immortal… Instead he sent me an illegible letter, apologizing for the pain he had caused me, and our mother, who had died thousands of years previous. He used to be fixated on the past in those days, as if he could have changed things.” Beau shook his head slowly.
“He claimed he was going to kill himself, saving us both from his weakness. Two weeks later he was left at my stoop, feverish and… and purged, I suppose is the best description. I don’t know how he survived, to be honest; he was nothing but rot, so once that was amputated there was hardly anything left. It was years before he could even function. When he returned it was like he was a form without a soul… if not for those thin threads left, I think I would have lost all hope and killed him.”
“And he grew back from that?” Seamus asked, amazed at the idea. “Are all souls so, err, resilient?”
“Don’t know. Juro’s the only one I’ve met that’s gone through something like that. Although, in less severe cases, I’ve seen a great ability for regeneration in souls. The one who brought him home said there was little chance that he’d survive, but if I were to stay by him his chances would be greater. Apparently souls grow when loved.”
Seamus blinked. “Really?”
Beau smirked. “That’s why children are naturally lovable; it kick starts their growth.”
Seamus rolled his eyes skywards in response. They may look young, but all the immortals he had met had such a lame streak at times that could only come from being extremely old, and out of touch with the current generation. “Do you think the one that brought him home had helped him? It seems odd that someone would know so much about his condition.”
“Ah, I’m pretty sure Zunseht was the one that showed Juro how to save himself, although I don’t think he helped in it. As I said, it seems to be something one must do on his own… and Zunseht has never struck me as the type to go out of his way to help anyone outside of his family. I suspect he only helped Juro because of my status with the Heir… Don’t disregard your job, little bird. We Recorder’s have a an important task in helping the Heir.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Seamus grumbled. “I’ve heard all about it from the Unvoiced.”
Beau raised a brow. “You don’t sound that enthused.”
Seamus shrugged; he hadn’t been feeling much enthusiasm for anything lately. “…I think my book already hates me. That stupid bird attacked it, and I may have mentally insulted it the first minute it was in my hand.”
Beau laughed lightly at Seamus’ pout. “No worries there. They may be a bit stubborn at first, but once you create a true connection, you’ll find your problems disappearing. Just treat it with respect, and take into consideration the fact that it has a personality of its own. I’m afraid I have to leave on business before the night is out, but I should return before you’re off to Carn, and the Anhk Ro territory. I’d be happy to go over any worries you have about your Recorder duties then. But at the moment, I do believe Juro is waiting for me.”
“Oh, s-sorry about that!” Seamus apologized with a blush. “I didn’t mean to keep you.”
“Not to worry. I was giving Musa time to have a particular conversation with our oblivious Juro. Maybe it’s because he’s lost the majority of his original memories, but I swear that man has no idea how quickly children grow. He is so protective—worse than a hen. He used to go through the lands around the temple, instructing people, and animals alike that he would personally destroy anyone who would lay a finger on our little Musa.” Beau smiled gently. “He made quite a fool out of himself threatening senseless animals. No wonder the boy is smitten with him.”
“Musa, err… likes Juro?”
“Hah, he was shadowing Juro the first day the boy saw him. I don’t think he would have even returned for his exritus if not for Juro living here. Musa’s not the type to need others for protection like most children. He comes and goes as he pleases, unattainable except to those he allows to let catch him. Juro is completely unaware that he has had that honor from the beginning.”
“Oh…” Seamus said blankly, rubbing his head with his arm. “…He kissed me the other day… I don’t suppose I have to worry then, if he likes Juro. Good, I guess.”
“Has he now?” Beau stepped closer, smiling down at Seamus indecipherably. “Seems the little brat beat me to it.”
“…Heh, too bad for you then.” Blushing, Seamus edged away nervously.
“Seems so… Tongue?”
Seamus nodded quickly.
“The brat.” Silently he leaned down, his curls brushing at Seamus’ cheeks. “I’d let you play with us tonight, but I think you’re too unstable for such fun just yet.”
“Wh-Who says I’d want to?” Seamus gasped out, realizing immediately what Beau was suggesting.
Beau smirked, trailing his gaze over the boy’s trembling features. “Those senses you have aren’t reserved for seeking out corrupted souls alone, little bird. You’re entering your first mating cycle, and soon anything with a nose will be well aware of it. I’m sure Kayne will find you a suitable teacher in Carn for such intimate things, although I feel no impropriety in admitting that I’d be happy for the job myself.” He met Seamus’ wide, gold eyes for a moment before boldly nuzzling into his neck and hair.
Tensing, Seamus bit his lip hard. He could have moved away, Beau had kept his hands very loose on his shoulders to ensure that. But he didn’t. Secretly he didn’t mind the contact. Beau smelled fresh, and tangy, but with hidden warmth that combated the dangerous feelings Seamus felt around the man. …Secretly he really wanted to know what it felt like to be touched. Seamus tentatively tilted his head to the side, wanting to feel more of the tingly feeling shooting to his toes. Beau indulged him, gently sliding his mouth up over the cords of muscle in his throat, sucking at the soft flesh beneath the boy’s ear until Seamus gasped aloud and shivered.
“…You’re whetting my appetite.” Beau whispered huskily, pulling another gasp from the boy as his breath washed over his ear and neck. “Go to bed, little one… and do consider my proposition. I’ll see you again in a month’s time.”
It seemed an eternity before Seamus noticed that the heated body had left his side. He blinked in confusion, glancing to the door to find Beau watching him. The man gave a slight nod of farewell, his eyes glinting in amusement when Seamus nodded dazedly back before the door closed.
“Whetting my appetite… Hah, he can be so lame.” Seamus jumped, whirling to find Musa halfway through his window, the wards hardly set on the door.
“How long have you been there?” He demanded. Musa grinned, and Seamus’ heart sunk. Would this day never end? “You know what? I don’t care anymore. This whole situation sucks and you can’t possibly make it worse at this point.”
Musa cocked his head to the side. “I’m glad you feel that way. Help me in?”
Sighing defeat, Seamus got up and helped pull Musa through the window. Once inside, Musa gave a great yawn and stretched, sprawling out on the floor carelessly. “Care if I sleep here tonight? Those two are loud as hell when they go at it.”
“…Aren’t there like a zillion rooms in this place?” Seamus countered tiredly, not in a hurry to share his room, even if he didn’t truly have ownership.
“Yeah, but yours is the only one currently warded to keep the noises of people screaming out. Juro takes good care of his guests.”
“Go sleep with Kayne and that lot, then.”
“You’re kidding, right? They’d eat me alive. I can at least trust you not to do anything untoward.”
“They would never do something…” Seamus trailed off at Musa’s knowing look, remembering how Kayne said that the boy didn’t lie. Right, why should he have expected the creatures like him to be above the normal immortals and their ways? Seamus sighed internally. “Fine, whatever, just don’t piss me off.”
Musa smiled winningly, rolling onto his back and settling in. “You have to admit though, you’re pretty easy to set off. You mustn’t have many friends when you’re snapping every five minutes.”
“I have plenty of friends.” Seamus growled. “I’m normally not like this.”
“Feathery? …Bitchy?”
“Unhappy.” Seamus glared down at the smirking boy and decided he was going to ignore him. “I’m going to bed.” He stomped away to blow out the light, and swiftly stripped to his boxers and curled up on the mattress. His sharp claws and scales kept him from enjoying sheets just yet, but the temperature control wards left him comfortable. And if it did happen to get cold he could always bury himself in the plentiful amounts of pillows. Speaking of which… “Here.” He tossed a few of the larger pillows in Musa’s direction, not bothering to see if he used them or not.
“Thank you.” Musa’s call was muffled slightly as he buried his head into one of the pillows. “Seriously though, why in the world are you unhappy? You just had a very beautiful, very prestigious immortal in your bed, offering you something people have killed to even taste. He’s a very good teacher, just so you know.”
“How the hell do you know?”
“How indeed.” Musa countered. “Just because Juro thinks me five doesn’t mean Beau is oblivious. It’s a normal Clan rite after one’s exritus.”
Seamus just shook his head tiredly, letting Musa get back to his tangent of subtly calling him an idiot.
“So, anyways, you’ve been chosen as a Recorder for the Heir, which is not only a very cushy, easy job, but also says to the world that you’re one of the few immortals that have no fear of being corrupted. And, you’re an immortal. You should be cheering your head off! How can you be unhappy?”
Seamus laughed harshly, running a free hand over the strange new texture of his hair. “Have you ever considered the possibility that I don’t want to be an immortal? That I was happy with the way things were? I can’t even be with my parents for fear that I might go into a blind rage and kill them. Yeah, my life is just fucking awesome.”
Musa stared blankly at the dark ceiling, his smirk gone now that he had no fear of Seamus seeing him. “You need to stop looking at the bad side. At least your parents still love you. They let the Anhk Ro bring you here so you could live, and live well. They didn’t want you to have to fight the killing rage like others do.”
“…Is that why your parents brought you here?”
Musa snorted, rolling over to stare at where Seamus’ eyes were glinting in the dark. “Juro and Beau are my parents. I don’t know anything before them.”
A new sense flared in the pit of Seamus’ stomach, and he knew the boy was lying. “I thought you said your parents were Laskour and Dorea?”
“They sired me, true… but I wouldn’t call them parents.” Musa admitted quietly.
Seamus nodded slowly to himself. He had heard of parents that weren’t proper parents before, thankfully none in his own family. “So… what happened? Did they leave you with the immortals, or not?”
“…Not exactly.” Musa closed his eyes, and burrowed further into his pillows. The silence stretched to the point that Seamus thought that Musa really had fallen asleep. He was just about to roll over and do the same when Musa spoke up again, his voice subdued and missing its usual harmonious lilt.
“If I tell you, you have to write it down later. Promise?”
“…Yeah, okay.” Agreeing didn’t seem so difficult now, when his stubbornness was faded with sleep.
Musa still took a moment to answer, his eyes staring blankly into the dark. “She was human, so she didn’t know what immortals were. She didn’t know what Laskour was either when he seduced her. He had looked human at the time, able to transform like a normal, healthy Eclipse Dragon.” That Musa was neither normal nor healthy remained unsaid.
“When I was born, everyone’s first impression was that I was a naga. That’s how she tried to keep it. She traveled around a lot, part of a troupe of actors and entertainers. She was a star among them, and it hadn’t been unusual for her to consort with the nagas of the land… along with a great many other beings. She would entertain every night, and I watched from the wings, learning how to act. The crowd loved her, and even more so when she became a mother. It added a maternal air to her, a warmth that she could never really pretend to have. She was a great actress, but her eyes were always cold. She would stare in a mirror for hours on end, but she could never change her eyes. So when it was revealed that I wasn’t a naga, and immediately after I was targeted by the current village leaders for death, I wasn’t fooled when she told me she would protect me.”
Seamus sat up, obviously having heard wrong. “What? Why the hell would they want to kill a little baby, naga or not?”
“Because I was clearly a monster.” Musa said simply. “They came to destroy me, but I fought back. I killed five people, one for each year I had lived. She broke from the troupe and ran, but no matter where we moved, unrest built, until we were on the run again. They thought I was a demon spawn—humans are so ignorant. Mother tried to remedy it. She sawed my horns off first, and when I grew too large for it to be covered, she cut off my legs as well. They still found us. In a fit of desperation she claimed that she had been raped, and she pointed them to where Laskour dwelled. They hired a band of mercenaries and set them on him… he was young still, and alone…”
Musa sighed heavily. “And then mother tried to sell me. I killed the first group, who were clearly intent on skinning me for my scales. The second group I didn’t stand a chance against. The immortals had found me, having heard of Laskour’s death, and his missing son. I was so foolish… I fought so hard to stay with her. But then they brought out a contract, and I finally realized that she didn’t want me.”
All Seamus could do was shake his head, horrified. “She… she c-cut off your legs?!”
Musa blinked and turned, almost forgetting he wasn’t alone. “Yeah. You can still see where the flesh healed over.” He slid over, flipping to his side to reveal misshapen scales covering thick muscles that legless nagas didn’t have. “I gained them again when I had my exritus, but since I’m sealed till the Candidate Trial, I’m stuck like this. Same with my horns too.” He smoothed back the hair on his scalp, the flesh darker around small pieces of broken bone rising out of his skull. “It destroyed my whole development. My immortal genetics never fully set in after such a rocky start. My body will degenerate and I will die of old age, or disease, and I will never be able to transform into my human form. Juro and Beau have been researching ever since I arrived. I think if there was more time they could find a solution, but once I reach the end of my puberty, my cells will no longer accept alteration.”
Seamus tentatively ran his fingers over the splintered bone of Musa’s horns. “…Why did she… what kind of person…? This is horrible, Musa. This is soulless. I’m so glad you have this place, and didn’t have to stay with a monstrous person like her. They’re a little weird, but Juro and Beau certainly love you.”
“I know…” Musa leaned his head heavily on the edge of the bed, looking thoughtful. “I loved her though. Still, even. It wasn’t her fault that those people were so cruel. She was a weak person. I took that weakness with me; it was the only thing I could do for her since I couldn’t be there to protect her.”
“You’re not her weakness. Don’t think like that.”
Musa glanced over, smiling faintly. “I don’t. What I mean is that I literally took her weakness. The hand that took my limbs, the hand that pointed out my father’s lair, the hand that signed me away; I took her sin into me so that she could be free of it.”
“…You… took… her hand…?” Seamus wasn’t quite sure if that was what Musa was saying, but it seemed like that was what Musa was saying.
“I told you I had eaten human flesh before. I don’t see humans as a source of food even if I can rationalize it; I was only teasing you then. I reserved that for her alone. At that moment I think she finally saw me for who I was, and not some horrible creature she’d been burdened with. So many times I heard her curse Fate, the Gods, the World for sending me to her. At least now she can go have her life back. She was the type that could smile her way back into anyone’s good graces; I’m sure she’s doing well now.”
Seamus didn’t say anything. Something told him that Juro had killed Dorea long before Musa had come to terms with his past. “I don’t know how you can be so merciful. I would think you’d hate her forever… I can’t say I could be so forgiving if it had happened to me…”
Musa shrugged. “If you had lived it, you may feel differently. She was weak… I can’t hate her for not being strong enough. All of us have weakness.”
“Yeah, but all of us don’t hack up our children either.” Seamus muttered lowly. “She should have just given you to the nagas. They would have cared for you, right?”
“They would have treated me like a god.” Musa whispered. “But I wouldn’t let her go. Every time she left me in the wilderness I always crawled my way back home. She was my mother, my world. I only knew her.” He blinked sleepily into the darkness, eyes idly tracing over to the curtains that were blowing lightly in the breeze. He found it strange that even then he could remember her scent when he had forgotten her face years ago.
“…That’s fucked up, man. That’s really fucked up.” Seamus got up suddenly, restlessly pacing around the room. “No wonder you were such a spaz when we first met. I think I hate all humans too, after hearing that.”
Musa watched him, not really sure what to say. “…I don’t hate humans.”
“You’re certainly biased about them, if not scared of them. You might not jump like I do in the face of that Blood Elf, but you certainly weren’t happy to see those wizards in Portent, or that Argon chap for that matter.”
“Argon preys on children; that is why I despise him, not because he is human. I’ve yet to prove it, but certainly your attack on him will keep the Tribe more watchful of his actions.” Musa said evenly, pausing a moment before continuing with a less convinced air. “…But yes, I have had to fight an irrational fear of humans. It is easier to be with immortals and the Fae, who understand what I am. It’s hard for me to be around you, because as feathery as you are, you are very human. I think I’m learning though… as are you.”
Seamus nodded, still pacing. “Yeah, I’m learning. I’m finding out the hard way just how similar we really are. I may not like you, but I—”
“You like me.” Musa said with certainty.
Stopping, Seamus turned and glared at the boy. “Don’t sound so sure of yourself. You’re an absolute prat.”
“Yes, but I’ve been nothing but honest to you. As nasty as I am, you respect that I don’t treat you like a fragile little bird that needs to be sheltered.”
That he was right annoyed Seamus more than the truth. “Are you going to tell me what I’m thinking too?” He snapped, returning to his pacing. Musa returned to leaning on the bed, watching Seamus fume.
“Is there a reason you’re angry right now, or is this an Anhk Ro thing?”
“It’s not—I’m angry at that woman that calls herself a mother. And those people that would judge a child like that. I’m angry that two strangers would do more for you than the whole world combined. And you. How can you be so… so…?” He searched fruitlessly for the right words.
“Juro was the one who named me Musa. Apparently he thought mercy was more than just a passing characteristic in me. She never even named me the whole five years she had me; that’s how little she thought of her child. So I don’t think of her. That time is gone from me, and as such I cannot be joyful that I am away from her, or angry of the things that she did to me. It’s just… just the fear I haven’t overcome just yet, but I will. Her face, her voice, her presence; it has all faded from my memory. She was just an obstacle that I had to get past before I was able to start my life. I found my fathers, have a wonderful home, and a beautiful pet. And now the Fae have called me to my fate. I feel no grief or regret.”
Seamus bit his lip, increasing his pace. The boy was unbelievable. What sort of strength would Musa need to overcome such hardship…? It was mind-boggling. And here he was whining because his own easy life had suddenly started a rocky path. Certainly he was better prepared for this than a newborn child was. Certainly he could overcome this.
“Come over and lay with me. Otherwise Master Kayne will be pecking at the door, wondering why his little bird is spiking energy.”
Seamus trudged over, staring at the bed warily. “I don’t feel much like sleeping anymore.”
“Well, I’m afraid you’re not getting any attention from me. I prefer more experienced company.”
Brow furrowed, it took Seamus a moment to figure out what Musa had said. “…I meant I wanted to take a walk, you perv! Why is everything about sex with you immortals?”
“Because it’s so fun.” Musa replied brightly. “Head games and sex; that’s about all they live for. Oh, and the whole preserving the planet and all, but I suspect only Beau and Juro actually enjoy doing that, and the others follow along so they aren’t killed.”
“Oh, that explains a lot.” Seamus grumbled, climbing into bed and sitting cross-legged among the pillows. “You must like the head games part.”
“Definitely.” Musa agreed. “It comes rather easy for me, and really, who doesn’t like a nice mental challenge?”
“Me. I like things straightforward and honest.”
“Are you saying you haven’t had even the slightest bit of fun while here?”
Seamus thought it over. “Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
“Liar.” Musa smirked through the darkness, pounced on Seamus’ foot, and gnawed on his taloned toe playfully. Seamus just stared at the odd boy blankly before lightly kicking him on the shoulder.
“Quit it; you’re probably rabid.”
Musa held on with his hand, although he did stop biting. “Come on, you have to love these feet. They remind me of my own, except I have large dewclaws, and yours are shaped a little more widely than mine. It must be the speed element.”
“They’re weird, and clunky, and I can’t step anywhere without fear of tearing things apart.”
Musa just rolled his eyes and lunged for Seamus’ hand. “Well what about these wicked claws? You can cut rock with these suckers, and they’re absolutely beautiful to look at.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Seamus asked incredulously. “They’re ugly as sin!”
“They’re beautiful.” Musa insisted. “As are your shiny, shimmery scales that you refuse to care for. I polish mine everyday, and they hardly shine like yours do.”
“Really? You polish your scales?”
“Well, not every day.” Musa admitted. “More like, uh… once a month, I guess, since I returned to the Temple. I never bothered when out in the wild. Anyways, you have the cutest fluffy wings ever, so you certainly can’t dislike them!”
Seamus really didn’t know how to explain to the boy that he pretty much hated his new form, no matter how much Musa flaunted over him. “They’re annoying, and always get in the way. I can’t even wear a bloody robe because of the stupid wings and scales. I don’t know what I’ll do once I get back to school.”
“Don’t worry, there are plenty of charms for clothes to keep them from sticking. Once you’re able to be around magic, I’m sure Kayne will teach you all the things to keep you normal.” Musa ruffled Seamus’ hair next, plucking at his strange, feathery strands with a pensive look on his face. “…What’s it like to go to school? I asked Juro once; apparently it’s the norm for most adolescents to group together in a learning environment.”
“…Haven’t you ever been with kids your own age?” Seamus asked doubtfully. Musa just didn’t seem like he had a lot of influence outside of crazy mothers and ancient immortals.
“No. When I was little I used to panic and attack others, so Juro and Beau had to keep me with people who could defend themselves. In the same way, the Tribes made sure adults were with me, as a sign of respect for my station. And, well, they all seemed a bit stupid to me.” He added with a scowl. “Always running around, and picking on each other with no intelligent thought in their head.”
“They teased you, huh?” Seamus gave the boy a knowing look.
“They stopped quick enough.” Musa shot back. “Cowards didn’t know how to fight.”
“You didn’t…?” A mental image of a ten-year-old Musa eating some poor kid’s foot off flashed in his mind’s eye. The strange urge to laugh quickly followed.
“They started it.” Musa sniffed defiantly. “Made fun on my hair and everything. So I knocked out the biggest three of them, and bit the leader on the face. Left a nice scar to remind the little twerps who they were messing with. Of course, Juro went and healed it right after, even though I asked him not to.”
Seamus shook his head, torn between concern for Musa’s obvious social issues, and laughing at the idiot for pouting over something that happened so long ago. “School, although most kids won’t admit it, is pretty fun. Hogwarts is, anyways. I mean, out of all the schools, it’s probably the most amazing.”
“Do you really sleep together there? In houses… no, dorms or something.”
“Yeah… why?” Musa’s tone immediately set warning bells ringing for Seamus.
Musa leaned in excitedly. “Ever sleep with a particularly pretty boy that can talk with snakes? He has scruffy dark hair, and stunningly bright green eyes. Oh, and he may be a little, err, damaged, I guess is the best term.”
Seamus narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “How the hell would you know anyone from Hogwarts?”
“Magic, of course.” Musa evaded with a flippant air. “So do you know him?!”
“…I don’t think I want to tell you.” Seamus answered slowly. “Not until I know why you would know something like that. These are kids like me, and I don’t want anything bad happening to them.”
“Do you really think that I’d hurt him?” Musa countered, meeting Seamus’ eyes. They stared each other down in the dark until Musa finally conceded with a smirk. “He is to be my master. I will protect him, and do his wishes for the good of this world, and in return my fate will be attained. Sadly, I have only spoken with him briefly, and in a situation where we were not allowed to get to know each other. I want to know more about him.”
“You’re saying he’s the Heir fellow you lot have been talking about?”
“Yes.”
Seamus closed his eyes, and slowly smacked his hand on his forehead repeatedly. Harry was the Heir. He was going to have to follow around Harry Potter for the rest of his life. Yeah, they were friends and all, but seriously, Harry was a fucking walking disaster that everyone who was anyone wanted to either control, or kill. Neither were prospects Seamus wanted anything to do with.
“So… do you know him?” Musa prodded when Seamus showed no signs of response beyond a strange hint of masochism.
“Yeah, he’s my bloody dorm mate.”
Musa gave a small cheer, jumping on the bed and nearly falling off before rolling back to Seamus. “What’s he like? I mean, as a person, not the big powerful Heir thing.”
“Uh, well that’s the only way I know him really. As a person, that is. I mean, Harry’s done some amazing things over the years, but he’s always been… well, human. Maybe extra human, even.”
Musa tilted his head questioningly. “What do mean?”
“Umm, he’s always been a bit of a drama queen. Not about the fame thing, but just his emotional stuff. But, I guess his past sort of excused him from being completely stable. I guess his home life wasn’t the best, with his parents dead and his aunt and uncle being so uncaring, and all.”
“He didn’t seem like a drama queen.” Musa thought back to the short moment they had actually spoken together. The boy had seemed unusually strong, if not a bit level on his outlook when things had gone crazy.
“Well, not in the loud sense, I guess. Harry sort of eats his emotions. Which on the outside seems fine, but sooner or later he’ll be screaming from nightmares, and shaking the castle down, because he just doesn’t know how to deal properly. He’s a strong sort of guy… but he lacks an understanding of what to do with all the emotions his mad life brings up.” Seamus shrugged uncomfortably. “We help when we can, but he doesn’t let us in enough to really break through any issues. And let’s face it; we’re all trying to learn how to deal as well. You-Know-Who is a threat to all of us, not just Harry.”
“I see…” It seemed to fit with his idea of how Harry had been in his memories over the summer. “What does he like to do? Hobbies, friends, favorite color?” Musa pressed, his eyes sparkling when Seamus just stared at him blankly.
“I’m not his bloody girlfriend, idiot. Why the hell would I know all that stuff?”
“Does he have a girlfriend?” Musa asked excitedly, completely undeterred. “I bet she’d be pretty.”
Seamus rolled his eyes. “He had one, and she was beautiful, in an immature sort of way. But it didn’t go well and they split up before it really started. I guess Harry being there when her old boyfriend was killed sort of started them off rocky to begin with.”
“Oh my, did he kill her old boyfriend?”
“No!” That Musa didn’t seem to be joking worried Seamus more than the actual insinuation. “Harry wouldn’t hurt a fly, never mind kill poor Cedric. Voldemort had caught them both, and Cedric got killed during the battle while Harry barely managed to escape.”
Musa merely rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck back unconcernedly. “Violence and love tend to go hand in hand, especially with the Fae gods. How do you know he just didn’t use it as an excuse to get rid of a love rival?”
“…That’s not funny.”
“Who says I’m trying to be?” Musa leveled his gaze on Seamus’. “Do you think I wouldn’t kill a threat to the ones I love? Granted, I am far more selective on what would be a suitable threat compared to other immortals. I don’t have the mindless instincts overtaking my body like most Faelings have to deal with. Some truly can’t stop themselves. Why do you think they’re keeping you out of school until your first mating is complete?”
“Well, I certainly wasn’t thinking that.” Seamus suddenly felt very glum. He had thought that his only problem was his weird killing urge that kept him out of society. Obviously he had been wrong. “But anyways, Harry was normal back then, and really freaked out about Cedric’s death. He’s my friend; I know he never would have done something like that.”
Musa didn’t argue, instead grilling Seamus for as much information as possible on Harry. Seamus in turn began to wheedle some more interesting facts on what the hell the whole mating thing was going to do to him once his body was strong enough to deal with the changes. He was in trouble, Seamus finally admitted to himself. He was in a lot of trouble, and he had a very long life to get into more.
“Oh, remind me to show you the pools tomorrow!” Musa said suddenly, his expression pure glee. “Each has its own magical properties, and you’re always sure to find rare magical creatures there. Ever hear of the Flora Fairies? They nest in the back gardens.”
“You like that sort of thing?” Seamus asked, his attention perked. He and Dean had spent many a sunny day searching the edge of the Forbidden Forest for rare creatures.
“Well, yeah. What, do you think I lay around the place all day? It can get pretty boring here, especially since I spent most of my life out in the wilds. Training against empty air kinda loses its appeal after a while.”
“What do you train? Magic?”
“And fighting. Weaponry, defensive and offensive spells; basically survival.” Musa explained.
“Sounds a bit like this club we had back at school… well, except the weapon stuff.”
Musa nodded sleepily, having lain back on the bed long ago as he fought valiantly to stay awake. He really was an early sleeper after all. “Train with me, then. I’m probably too advanced for any real sparring, but it would do you good to learn how to fight. And training is a good release for all those bad feelings that build up…” He smiled teasingly. “We both know you could do with some of that.”
Eyes once again trained on Musa, Seamus decided that as much trouble as he was in, he didn’t quite mind as much. Even the first real, impossible foe that he had encountered in his personal life had turned out to be someone who he could talk to as an equal. He wasn’t necessarily the nicest person, or even the most stable, but he had a feeling the boy would make a really good friend.
“Yeah, okay. I think I’d like that.”
“Good.” Musa said agreeable, and then immediately stole the largest side of the bed for himself. Seamus just sighed, pushed the annoying tail out of the way and laid back, his mind wandering as Musa’s soft breathing filled the room. That the boy snored only made him even less annoying than before.
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Awakening To the Dream