Icarus Rising: Chapter 4 by Ryokoblue
Chapter 4: "Icarus Rising 4"
4.
Consciousness returning, Harry groggily pulled himself up into a sitting position from where he lay, recognizing his surroundings immediately as those of his home at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The only thing out of place was Dumbledore, who sat in a chair at his bedside watching him with a twinkle in his eye. "Harry," he greeted.
Harry swallowed and ran a hand back through his eternally messy hair. "What happened?"
"What is the last thing you remember?"
"The trial," he answered after a pause. "Malfoy. He said--"
"Yes, I myself was not present at the trial, but Severus has filled me in on the details."
"Malfoy said that I'm his match. Then everybody panicked."
"Quite a stir, indeed. I am sorry you two were separated in such a disconcerting manner, but the court feared for your safety. Matched Veela can be... unpredictable."
"But what does that even mean?"
Dumbledore reached in his robes for a tin of hard candy, offering one to Harry who declined. "What do you know about Veela, Harry?"
"Just what was taught in school. They're powerful, bird-like creatures with the ability to seduce you to do their bidding."
"Hmm. You said you were immune to Mr. Malfoy's charms, did you not?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you never wonder why that was?"
"Well, sort of. I mean, I thought maybe Veela power was an extension of the Imperius Curse in which case I would be able to throw it off."
"Yet Mr. Malfoy is not the first Veela to have crossed your path, is he?"
"No, sir."
"Did the last Veela... affect you?"
"Yes," Harry said, thoughtfully. "At first."
"Hmm," Dumbledore repeated. "Well, you're not wrong, Harry. Veela charms are related to the Imperius Curse, just not in the way you're thinking."
"Please explain, sir."
"Veela mate for life. They can recognize their mate by scent, sight, or touch."
I saw you... I smelled you...
"A Veela mate can be witch or wizard, muggle or pureblood, male or female. It matters not. The match is one between two twin spirits. Heart halves, if you will."
You are my match.
"Wait," Harry stuck out his hand. "Wait, just a minute. Are you saying that he... that Malfoy and I are..."
"Match, mate, companion, twinstar. These are all words used in connection with the intense bond between a Veela and her -- well, in this case, his -- intended."
"And that's me?"
"Harry, please understand. You are not obligated to Mr. Malfoy in any way. You can choose never to see him again. You have the option of loving whomever you please."
"But what will happen to him?"
Dumbledore smiled at Harry's inherent selflessness, before growing serious. "I'm afraid it is not so simple for him. Mr. Malfoy will never love another. He did not choose to love you and he cannot choose not to. Most Veela who experience unrequited love fall into a deep depression and never recover. They live half-lives. Mr. Malfoy, in his current state, would most likely go mad. If he is not half-mad already. He will die, Harry."
Harry's heart nearly thudded to a stop in his chest. "There must be something that can be done. Some... middle ground. I mean, I... I don't want to marry the guy. I don't even know him, and when I did he hated me. But there must be something I can do. I've been working with him lately. In prison. I think his mind is beginning to come back from whatever dark place it's been confined in. He responds to me, he reacts to me."
"He reacts to you because you are his mate. He will do whatever you -- and only you -- command him to do. To the best of his abilities, at any rate."
"So that's how it's like the Imperius Curse," Harry concluded with dawning horror. "Only I have him under the spell, not the other way around."
"Exactly."
"Isn't there any way to break the spell?"
"Only when love is returned and affection reached on equal ground will Mr. Malfoy be free from your control."
Harry collapsed his head into his hands. "Well, seeing as how that's not likely to happen anytime soon, do we have any other alternatives?"
"I am sorry that you are burdened with this, Harry. You have been through enough already."
"You're sorry for me? Draco has his mind raped by his own father, his body altered, his will destroyed. Now he's in prison and the only person who can save him from a brief lifetime of pain and misery is me! Who he hates!"
"He doesn't hate you, Harry. He probably never really did."
"Why didn't this ever come up in school?" Harry groaned.
"The... person whom Mr. Malfoy has become was never meant to be. His wasn't a natural development."
"In the middle of sixth year," Harry thought back. "He just... disappeared. But he was never seen at any of the Death Eater meetings by Snape, nor at any of the raids or battles by the Order." Harry considered something else. "He said he killed people for Voldemort. Is that enough to convict him?"
"Yes, Harry. By his own admission, Mr. Malfoy is a Death Eater. I do not know the circumstances under which he killed, but the killings themselves would be enough to sentence him to Azkaban. If not..."
"...execution," Harry finished.
"Yes."
"But Lucius Malfoy himself admitted that Draco's will had been impaired!"
"Lucius Malfoy stated that he was aware some Veela were given such a serum, but he never witnessed it. He cannot attest to whether Draco was among those Veela or not."
"Professor, Draco saved my life. Surely that's worth something."
"It can be, Harry. That all depends on you."
"What do you mean?"
"Veela are allowed to kill by law under one circumstance. To protect their mate. If the courts believe everything Mr. Malfoy ever did was to get back to you, to keep you safe, then his crimes will be excused. In order to convince the Ministry of this, you would have to testify to coming into contact with him at an earlier date than you actually did."
"Either way, I have blood on my hands," Harry sighed. "If I testify on Draco's behalf, I have the deaths of everyone he ever killed on my head. If I don't... then I have Draco's. I don't know what to do."
"I don't know if this will help you come to a decision, Harry, but it is my belief that Mr. Malfoy's instincts were being compelled to kill. That he had little choice in the matter."
"You've seen him," Harry deduced.
"I have."
"Do you think he could still kill?"
Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "For Mr. Malfoy right now, there are two types of people. Those who are friendly to his mate, and those who are not. He will viciously protect the one, and viciously defend you against the other. You will have the power to control his actions, but make no mistake. To help him would be no small undertaking. He is completely dependent on you right now. Emotionally, psychically, physically--"
"Physically?"
"He will require touch, Harry. He will never force himself upon you, or do anything else that might hurt you, but -- now that the bond has been initiated -- he cannot abstain from contact with you for long without becoming sick. This need will abate with time, but in the beginning it can be quite demanding."
"But a simple touch will do, won't it? I mean, I wouldn't have to..."
"A simple touch will do," Dumbledore assured. "Small touches here and there when you can afford them should suffice. He will be grateful for whatever attention you give him."
"You make him sound like a puppy."
Dumbledore cleared his throat, uncomfortably. "To be honest with you, Harry, I do not know how much of the human in Mr. Malfoy is left. I know you spoke to him in your head, but he may never grow beyond that. He may never speak again, nor desire anything independent of a world with you in it."
Harry's expression fell desolate. "No. I won't believe that. The way he looks at me, the way he... touches me. There's someone in there. Someone more than the Veela. If I can just bring that out of him, maybe... maybe he can go on to live a normal life. A life of his own."
Dumbledore refrained from saying anything that might dampen Harry's faith. "Once the charges are cleared, he will come to live with you here at Grimmauld Place. You can give him a separate bedroom and see him only at mealtimes, if you so desire. That is up to you. Or you may choose to continue your instruction, help him become as human as he possibly can. Be aware that the Ministry is unlikely to allow him a wand. Beyond what powers he possesses inherently as a Veela, any magic on his part may be considered a breach of his parole. That will be up to the judge."
"What about wandless magic? I've become much better at it lately, maybe I could coach him a little. Just simple domestic spells, of course."
"I cannot endorse anything that contradicts the magistrate's final ruling, Harry. That said, I believe the more Draco is submerged in the way of life he was accustomed to before, the better his chances are of recovering the self he has since forgotten." He leaned forward, winking conspiratorially. "What the Ministry doesn't know..."
"God, I can't-- I can't do this. I'm just one guy, I have no idea how to take care of someone so brutally scarred. Even if I were allowed to teach him basic spells using wandless magic, Malfoy can't speak. How do I work with that? I just don't think I'm qualified to--"
"Breathe, Harry. Calm down. Let me first reassure that you are the most qualified person for this position. If you recall, he is not currently responding to anyone else. More than that, Harry, I have trust in you. You have carried great burdens in your lifetime and prevailed through them all. It is possible this effort may prove to be less the hardship you anticipate and more a rewarding endeavor."
"Professor, this is someone's life at stake here. His life. I can't go into this looking for my own reward. This isn't about what I might get out of it, this is entirely about what's in Draco's best interest."
"And your concern for that is yet another reason why the assistance he requires would best come from you."
Harry sat silently ruminating. Running over every conceivable consequence of his decision. Whatever he ultimately chose, Harry decided, he needed to be completely sure. There was no room for half-hearted regrets where someone's livelihood was concerned. Trembling with uncertainty, Harry whispered, "And if I can't help him?"
"Take it slowly," Dumbledore suggested. "Some days will be better than others."
"He won't hurt my friends, will he? Should they come to visit?"
"As I said, he will not attack anyone unprovoked. But should a situation arise, you can always tell him to stand down. He will listen to you. I must also tell you that wards will have to be placed around your house alerting the Ministry should he try to leave the property. Mr. Malfoy will essentially be under house arrest until he is no longer perceived to be a threat. He cannot leave Grimmauld Place, even with you, or the Ministry will rule that an escape attempt on the part of a Dark Creature."
"So, basically, I'll be under house arrest too."
"Not necessarily. You can tell him to wait patiently for your return and he will obey. He may seem like a puppy at first, but I promise he will not chew on your furniture."
Harry snorted at that, feeling his previous insecurities vanish in the wake of a sudden, overwhelming confidence. "Okay. I'll do it. I can't not do it."
"It pleases me to hear the conviction in your voice, Harry. I will, of course, help you in any way I can."
Harry smiled to himself, already at ease with his own determination. "I guess there's only one more thing to decide then."
"And that would be?"
"Who's going to tell Ron."
>>5
4.
Consciousness returning, Harry groggily pulled himself up into a sitting position from where he lay, recognizing his surroundings immediately as those of his home at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The only thing out of place was Dumbledore, who sat in a chair at his bedside watching him with a twinkle in his eye. "Harry," he greeted.
Harry swallowed and ran a hand back through his eternally messy hair. "What happened?"
"What is the last thing you remember?"
"The trial," he answered after a pause. "Malfoy. He said--"
"Yes, I myself was not present at the trial, but Severus has filled me in on the details."
"Malfoy said that I'm his match. Then everybody panicked."
"Quite a stir, indeed. I am sorry you two were separated in such a disconcerting manner, but the court feared for your safety. Matched Veela can be... unpredictable."
"But what does that even mean?"
Dumbledore reached in his robes for a tin of hard candy, offering one to Harry who declined. "What do you know about Veela, Harry?"
"Just what was taught in school. They're powerful, bird-like creatures with the ability to seduce you to do their bidding."
"Hmm. You said you were immune to Mr. Malfoy's charms, did you not?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you never wonder why that was?"
"Well, sort of. I mean, I thought maybe Veela power was an extension of the Imperius Curse in which case I would be able to throw it off."
"Yet Mr. Malfoy is not the first Veela to have crossed your path, is he?"
"No, sir."
"Did the last Veela... affect you?"
"Yes," Harry said, thoughtfully. "At first."
"Hmm," Dumbledore repeated. "Well, you're not wrong, Harry. Veela charms are related to the Imperius Curse, just not in the way you're thinking."
"Please explain, sir."
"Veela mate for life. They can recognize their mate by scent, sight, or touch."
I saw you... I smelled you...
"A Veela mate can be witch or wizard, muggle or pureblood, male or female. It matters not. The match is one between two twin spirits. Heart halves, if you will."
You are my match.
"Wait," Harry stuck out his hand. "Wait, just a minute. Are you saying that he... that Malfoy and I are..."
"Match, mate, companion, twinstar. These are all words used in connection with the intense bond between a Veela and her -- well, in this case, his -- intended."
"And that's me?"
"Harry, please understand. You are not obligated to Mr. Malfoy in any way. You can choose never to see him again. You have the option of loving whomever you please."
"But what will happen to him?"
Dumbledore smiled at Harry's inherent selflessness, before growing serious. "I'm afraid it is not so simple for him. Mr. Malfoy will never love another. He did not choose to love you and he cannot choose not to. Most Veela who experience unrequited love fall into a deep depression and never recover. They live half-lives. Mr. Malfoy, in his current state, would most likely go mad. If he is not half-mad already. He will die, Harry."
Harry's heart nearly thudded to a stop in his chest. "There must be something that can be done. Some... middle ground. I mean, I... I don't want to marry the guy. I don't even know him, and when I did he hated me. But there must be something I can do. I've been working with him lately. In prison. I think his mind is beginning to come back from whatever dark place it's been confined in. He responds to me, he reacts to me."
"He reacts to you because you are his mate. He will do whatever you -- and only you -- command him to do. To the best of his abilities, at any rate."
"So that's how it's like the Imperius Curse," Harry concluded with dawning horror. "Only I have him under the spell, not the other way around."
"Exactly."
"Isn't there any way to break the spell?"
"Only when love is returned and affection reached on equal ground will Mr. Malfoy be free from your control."
Harry collapsed his head into his hands. "Well, seeing as how that's not likely to happen anytime soon, do we have any other alternatives?"
"I am sorry that you are burdened with this, Harry. You have been through enough already."
"You're sorry for me? Draco has his mind raped by his own father, his body altered, his will destroyed. Now he's in prison and the only person who can save him from a brief lifetime of pain and misery is me! Who he hates!"
"He doesn't hate you, Harry. He probably never really did."
"Why didn't this ever come up in school?" Harry groaned.
"The... person whom Mr. Malfoy has become was never meant to be. His wasn't a natural development."
"In the middle of sixth year," Harry thought back. "He just... disappeared. But he was never seen at any of the Death Eater meetings by Snape, nor at any of the raids or battles by the Order." Harry considered something else. "He said he killed people for Voldemort. Is that enough to convict him?"
"Yes, Harry. By his own admission, Mr. Malfoy is a Death Eater. I do not know the circumstances under which he killed, but the killings themselves would be enough to sentence him to Azkaban. If not..."
"...execution," Harry finished.
"Yes."
"But Lucius Malfoy himself admitted that Draco's will had been impaired!"
"Lucius Malfoy stated that he was aware some Veela were given such a serum, but he never witnessed it. He cannot attest to whether Draco was among those Veela or not."
"Professor, Draco saved my life. Surely that's worth something."
"It can be, Harry. That all depends on you."
"What do you mean?"
"Veela are allowed to kill by law under one circumstance. To protect their mate. If the courts believe everything Mr. Malfoy ever did was to get back to you, to keep you safe, then his crimes will be excused. In order to convince the Ministry of this, you would have to testify to coming into contact with him at an earlier date than you actually did."
"Either way, I have blood on my hands," Harry sighed. "If I testify on Draco's behalf, I have the deaths of everyone he ever killed on my head. If I don't... then I have Draco's. I don't know what to do."
"I don't know if this will help you come to a decision, Harry, but it is my belief that Mr. Malfoy's instincts were being compelled to kill. That he had little choice in the matter."
"You've seen him," Harry deduced.
"I have."
"Do you think he could still kill?"
Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "For Mr. Malfoy right now, there are two types of people. Those who are friendly to his mate, and those who are not. He will viciously protect the one, and viciously defend you against the other. You will have the power to control his actions, but make no mistake. To help him would be no small undertaking. He is completely dependent on you right now. Emotionally, psychically, physically--"
"Physically?"
"He will require touch, Harry. He will never force himself upon you, or do anything else that might hurt you, but -- now that the bond has been initiated -- he cannot abstain from contact with you for long without becoming sick. This need will abate with time, but in the beginning it can be quite demanding."
"But a simple touch will do, won't it? I mean, I wouldn't have to..."
"A simple touch will do," Dumbledore assured. "Small touches here and there when you can afford them should suffice. He will be grateful for whatever attention you give him."
"You make him sound like a puppy."
Dumbledore cleared his throat, uncomfortably. "To be honest with you, Harry, I do not know how much of the human in Mr. Malfoy is left. I know you spoke to him in your head, but he may never grow beyond that. He may never speak again, nor desire anything independent of a world with you in it."
Harry's expression fell desolate. "No. I won't believe that. The way he looks at me, the way he... touches me. There's someone in there. Someone more than the Veela. If I can just bring that out of him, maybe... maybe he can go on to live a normal life. A life of his own."
Dumbledore refrained from saying anything that might dampen Harry's faith. "Once the charges are cleared, he will come to live with you here at Grimmauld Place. You can give him a separate bedroom and see him only at mealtimes, if you so desire. That is up to you. Or you may choose to continue your instruction, help him become as human as he possibly can. Be aware that the Ministry is unlikely to allow him a wand. Beyond what powers he possesses inherently as a Veela, any magic on his part may be considered a breach of his parole. That will be up to the judge."
"What about wandless magic? I've become much better at it lately, maybe I could coach him a little. Just simple domestic spells, of course."
"I cannot endorse anything that contradicts the magistrate's final ruling, Harry. That said, I believe the more Draco is submerged in the way of life he was accustomed to before, the better his chances are of recovering the self he has since forgotten." He leaned forward, winking conspiratorially. "What the Ministry doesn't know..."
"God, I can't-- I can't do this. I'm just one guy, I have no idea how to take care of someone so brutally scarred. Even if I were allowed to teach him basic spells using wandless magic, Malfoy can't speak. How do I work with that? I just don't think I'm qualified to--"
"Breathe, Harry. Calm down. Let me first reassure that you are the most qualified person for this position. If you recall, he is not currently responding to anyone else. More than that, Harry, I have trust in you. You have carried great burdens in your lifetime and prevailed through them all. It is possible this effort may prove to be less the hardship you anticipate and more a rewarding endeavor."
"Professor, this is someone's life at stake here. His life. I can't go into this looking for my own reward. This isn't about what I might get out of it, this is entirely about what's in Draco's best interest."
"And your concern for that is yet another reason why the assistance he requires would best come from you."
Harry sat silently ruminating. Running over every conceivable consequence of his decision. Whatever he ultimately chose, Harry decided, he needed to be completely sure. There was no room for half-hearted regrets where someone's livelihood was concerned. Trembling with uncertainty, Harry whispered, "And if I can't help him?"
"Take it slowly," Dumbledore suggested. "Some days will be better than others."
"He won't hurt my friends, will he? Should they come to visit?"
"As I said, he will not attack anyone unprovoked. But should a situation arise, you can always tell him to stand down. He will listen to you. I must also tell you that wards will have to be placed around your house alerting the Ministry should he try to leave the property. Mr. Malfoy will essentially be under house arrest until he is no longer perceived to be a threat. He cannot leave Grimmauld Place, even with you, or the Ministry will rule that an escape attempt on the part of a Dark Creature."
"So, basically, I'll be under house arrest too."
"Not necessarily. You can tell him to wait patiently for your return and he will obey. He may seem like a puppy at first, but I promise he will not chew on your furniture."
Harry snorted at that, feeling his previous insecurities vanish in the wake of a sudden, overwhelming confidence. "Okay. I'll do it. I can't not do it."
"It pleases me to hear the conviction in your voice, Harry. I will, of course, help you in any way I can."
Harry smiled to himself, already at ease with his own determination. "I guess there's only one more thing to decide then."
"And that would be?"
"Who's going to tell Ron."
>>5