Disclaimer:

You know...not mine, etc...

I've rated M for: Violence, Abuse, Rape, Slash M/M! Don't like, don't read! No Flaming.

Summary: The Dursleys beat and abuse him. As Harry learns of his inheritance, he begins to doubt the prophecy and in turn Dumbledore, Hermione and Ron…Will someone help the beaten saviour? Will he help himself?read and find out! H/D Slash!, D,HG,RW bashing!, AU, Creature!H+D

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Chapter Eight: Out

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Groaning, Harry slowly cracked open his eyes. Blurry whiteness greeted them. Blinking several times, the room slowly shifted into focus. Finally, he recognized a bright bedroom. White curtains framing exceptionally large windows and a soft beige carpet covering dark, wooden floors. Mahagoni furnishing contrasted nicely with the luxurious, white four poster bed he was currently laying in.

Deciding that the room was indeed stunning and, although foreign, didn't seem to harbor any immediate threats. He stretched leisurely and wondered briefly why he hadn't woken up in cold sweat, shivering from his most recent night terror, as he usually did as of late. The early morning hours, before sunrise, were usually spent calming himself and taking several showers. Not that he was complaining about this positive change. Quite the opposite, in fact: he was thankful for the rare occurrence and felt pleasantly refreshed. It had definitely been a while since he'd felt this rejuvenated.

As he stretched his right arm, his hand bumped something large and relatively hard under the covers (A/N: Am I the only one who finds this sorta suggestive...?). Twisting his head to look beside him, he noticed a rather large bump under the covers. He also noticed – and immediately recognized - the blond mop that stuck out at the top. Soft strands of silky hair filtering over the pillow.

What? What happened?

It clearly wasn't everyday that you woke up next to a previously sworn enemy half naked. Well, except in one of those dramatic TV soaps he'd once seen. Everything ended with everyone having gone to bed with everyone at some point. But...they couldn't have...could they?

"Would you mind taking your hand off my head?" A husky drawl interrupted Harry's musings. Draco turned in bed and faced Harry with an unreadable look in his grey orbs.

The brunets still very perplexed expression was replaced with outright shock at Draco's next comment. "What's wrong, love, don't tell me you don't remember our first night together! Oh, I'm shocked!" A saucy smile on his handsome features and practically purring, Draco slid a hand onto Harry's chest, fingers lightly grazing soft pink nipples, that happily perked up at the touch. "I'll just have to remind you then..."

Not quite suppressing a pleasured moan at the electric jolts the contact seemed to evoke, Harry's eyes widened in apprehension the moment the sound had escaped his mouth.

Had they really...?

Desperately trying to remember, his mind finally replayed yesterday's – or what he assumed was yesterday – events.

Finally, his brain spit out the missing piece of memory. But it seemed to be all blurry and mashed together. Entangled with raw emotion and overwhelming colors.

Snape.

Pain.

Soothing.

Warmth.

Mate.

Malfoy.

"Oh, god...!" He groaned. This was such a complete mess. A public break-down and Malfoy and Snape...

"Why, thank you, but 'Draco' is fine." The blond drawled. At Draco's comment, Harry was jolted out of his train of thought and he noticed embarrassedly, that he had been ridiculously aroused by Malfoy's actions. His touch had set his body aflame with desire. And he couldn't deny that he needed, no, craved more. The blond's proximity, combined with his intoxicating scent, made Harry want to jump him there and then!

He realized numbly that he really wanted the arrogant prat. All sorts of lusty fantasies suddenly seemed to have infested his mind. Draco Malfoy seeming to hold the lead role in every single one of them.

This was all this stupid gene's fault! Never had he felt more betrayed by his body's reaction. It made him feel controllable. Ashamed.

He felt dirty.

"Get your hands off me now, Malfoy!" He hissed angrily. Noting the slight flinch the other boy gave at the sharp tone.

Yes, he had tentatively befriended the Slytherin, but it had been on his terms, in his own time and in his own pace.

That had – like so many other decisions and choices – been yanked out of his hands in a second. He had no more control over their relationship proceeding. Never knowing if he really liked Draco or if it was only his Valyr part acting up. Never being able to distinguish what was really there in his heart and what was just a symptom of this sickness.

Malfoy was equally helpless, he knew that and he knew that he was just shoving all his frustration, and consequently all the fault, onto his long-term rival quite unfairly, but he didn't care. Besides, he'd probably known and bonded them on purpose, without consulting Harry beforehand.

Oh, Harry knew he was bonded to his mate, alright. He'd felt it connect. The first touch had been the initiation of the first bond. The Chaste Bond, as it was so accurately described. Initiated by the first chaste touch of the two mates, it was the first of two stages of the equivalent of marriage. This first bond established the mental connection between the two mates, making it possible to share emotions, enhancing the need for the touch of the other and being all-around annoying, in Harry's opinion. This first bond also made the two Valyri crave intimacy with each other, in the final stages practically forcing the two mates to have sex. It would be inevitable and uncontrollable.

And that's what Harry feared.

Once that happened, the second bond would enhance the connection between the two parties even further. They would then be able to communicate with one another in their minds, feel each other over great distances and, due to their Magical Cores practically fusing together, they would be able to share their very life force in case of great need or danger. But they also wouldn't e able to live without each other any longer.

They would be bound together for eternity. Totally dependent of each other.

Harry was not going to let it come that far! He wasn't ready for that.

A profound claustrophobic fear suddenly made him want to flee what he supposed was Draco's personal chambers immediately.

"Oh, so we're back to last names, are we, Potter?" Draco shot back, immediately closing off his emotions, his face stony.

"Who said you could feel me up!" Harry countered, his voice having a slight quiver in it. Fear all the while clutching at his heart.

"I was just teasing you! You know what, Potter? I thought we were past that. I thought we were..." He paused, his voice thick with disappointment. "I don't know what I thought." Another pause, as Draco slipped out of the bed and began dressing himself. "You know that we're mates, right? You know this isn't something we should fight." He gestured vaguely between them. "This isn't something we can fight."

"I figured. But if you think this will change anything...I won't let this stupid disease control my life!" as Harry watched, Draco put on his clothes and finally, dragged a hand tiredly through his messy blond strands, not meeting Harry's defiant gaze.

"Fine. Be a stubborn brat. See if I care when you die!" Heaving a frustrated sigh, Draco finally looked at Harry. Disappointment clear in his face. "Just get out. Get out of here! Do whatever you want and when you've finally come to your senses, maybe I'll talk to you then." With those words he stalked out of the room, fully intent on informing his parents of his mate's refusal and absolute idiocy. He never noticed the frightened look that flashed in Harry's eyes.

"Fine. Good. I'll leave." Throwing the covers clean over the side of the bed, Harry shot up, grabbed all his clothing and ran toward the door half naked. He passed a mirror on his way and noticed confoundedly, that he was no longer in his Valyr-form, or rather, that someone had put the obligational Glamour on him to hide the teeth, ears and exceptional vibrancy of hair, eyes and skin.

Deciding, that this definitely wasn't the time to ask unnecessary questions, he stepped out into the hallway.

Looking around, trying to get his bearings, Harry found himself in a long, lavishly decorated corridor he had never seen before. Following it toward a staircase, he noticed voices drifting up from down below. Straining to hear properly, while sneaking down the steps slowly, he recognized several voices.

One was definitely Severus Snape and another belonged to Lucius Malfoy. He thought he'd heard Saïra, too, but he wasn't entirely sure. He couldn't make out what the voices were saying, but they seemed distraught.

He didn't really care, though.

He really needed to leave the Manor. Besides, Draco had as good as told him to fuck off.

The source of the voices was an door that stood ajar. Silently sneaking past it, he found himself stepping into the entrance foyer. Getting to his room from here was a piece of cake.

Slamming open the door of his Chambers, he quickly and deftly dressed, packed his meagre belongings and headed back downstairs.

Expecting to just be able to walk out the front door seemed to be somewhat of a stupid notion, considering where and what he was. The four Elders, the two older Malfoys and Snape were seated in the previously empty entrance hall lounge. At his appearance, they all turned to face him.

"Where are you going, honey?" Vailyn stood from her lounge chair and stepped up to him. Lowering her voice, she continued. "You should really stay here, Harry. You're going to suffer if you leave now." The strange look in her eyes told Harry that she knew something he didn't. He guessed her specialty must be divination. The gift of the Seer.

"And what am I going to do, if I stay here?" He looked at her and then turned to stare wildly at the other occupants of the foyer "I don't want to be mated to Draco Malfoy. I don't want to be mated at all!" He was building up a veritable panic attack, as the truth of yesterday's events finally hit him. He had no choice in the matter! His chest tightened painfully and no amount of swallowing could get rid of the lump in his throat. "I never chose this! None of it! I need to get out!"

Laying a soft hand on Harry's forearm, Vailyn tried to calm the distressed fledgeling.

The other Valyri in the room knew that coming close probably wasn't a good idea with a Young One that couldn't control his powers yet.

As Harry desperately tried to suppress his fear, he spoke in a shaking voice.

"Vailyn, please. Please, let me out. I can't do this, I just can't."

"Shhh, little one." She mumbled tenderly. "Tell me, where do you want to go?"

"I don't know." He half-sobbed.

"You need Draco, darling, believe me. He - and only he - will complete you."

"But the bond! It will force us!" Wide, green eyes stared up at Vailyn. "It will make him..."

Lyocos stepped up behind Harry and laid a firm hand on his trembling shoulders.

"He will not harm you." The soft baritone seemed to calm Harry somewhat. "Trust him, you will not be in danger at his side. Put away your differences. We do not want to see Valyri die of stubbornness." Somehow he was calmed by the words spoken and relaxed further. Lyocos' gift was obvious.

Just as Harry had relaxed enough to talked out of fleeing the Valyri haven prematurely, a loud bang jolted him back into his panicked state.

A young fledgeling had slammed open the entrance door by magic in an attempt to get out of the rain faster, dragging mud and water all over the entrance hall. When he stopped and looked around, he finally noticed that a slight whimper was coming from a group of Valyri standing or sitting in the entrance hall. The culprit now stood in the middle of the foyer, dripping wet, with glares being sent his way by all bystanders.

"We'll discuss your serious lack of decent behavior later, Jeremy. I suggest you stay in your room for now." Scurrying out of their sight, everyone now looked back to where Harry was, just a moment ago, shaking on the floor. He had jumped through the small crowd and was racing toward the still half-open entrance door.

Severus Snape was the only one in his way and – in the blink of an eye – he had grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled the youth toward him, to prevent the escape.

This proved to be a really bad idea.

Within seconds Harry had started to hyperventilate and all warning words came too late.

Just as Severus released his hold on Harry, an enormous amount of raw magic broke out of his body and blasted through the room in several violent pulses. Wild tendrils of it curling into every corner of the room. It was alive. It felt like a sentient being had been released. One that was too mighty to control.

The professor closest to him was blasted to the far end of the hall, while the Valyri had had the foresight to erect shield charms, to fend off the worst of the blast. The extreme power still threw them several feet and made their defenses quiver and shake.

When the magic in the air lessened and the shaking of the room had calmed, Harry was left in an exhausted heap on the rich carpet. His Valyri traits were once more visible for all to see. His magical burst had nullified the Glamour, not only on himself, but on every single one in the room.

The Snape, Elders and the Malfoys looked impressed and worried. As did Draco, who had heard the slamming of the door and had come to investigate.

Harry feebly tried to stand up, but failed miserably.

Vailyn, having noticed Draco in the doorway, said softly.

"Go to him. Your presence will calm him best of all." With a glance to Harry she added. "Then bring him to your room to rest. His magic is depleted." With these words she looked at Saïra, Dynal and Lyocos. They all nodded slightly and left the room.

"We should give them some space." She suggested, now voicing the previous, silent conversation to the remaining three.

After the room was void of any disturbance, Draco sat beside Harry and pulled him up into a hug.

"It's okay, you're alright. Just relax. Sleep, if you like." He whispered to the tired boy in his arms. It seemed to be the right thing to do, as Harry's eyes slowly drifted closed.

Just before he closed them completely, he murmured.

"Out..."

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Pro's 'n' cons? Tell me the good and the "room for improvement"-aspects.

^.^