Chapter Seven
“You two have been acting awfully… familiar,” Hermione said, suspiciously eyeing Harry as the trudged through the snow. Harry hitched his bag higher on his shoulder and looked back at his friend in question.
“What do you mean?”
“You both smile at each other and hold hands a lot more,” she answered.
“Well, we are boyfriends,” Harry said with a smile.
“You see? Right there. You seem to always smile whenever Draco is brought up.” Hermione stepped onto the well-trodden path to Hagrid’s hut. “And don’t give me that fish tale about being together. I never believed that for a second.”
“What?” Harry stumbled to a stop. “What do you mean?”
“Honestly. You can’t lie to me Harry. I know you to well. I just went along with it until I could figure out what you were up to,” Hermione said with a satisfied smile. Harry shot a look at Ron who was eyeing his girlfriend with more than a little fright. Harry turned back to Hermione.
“I – well I don’t know what to tell you. Draco and I are together and–”
Screams from further down the path interrupted him. The three friends turned to look and saw the class of students that had already met in the usual spot were scattering and yelling. Harry took off running in the direction of the danger.
He broke through into the clearing and was met with a terrifying sight. A snake that would have made the Basilisk run home to mummy was half coiled in the meadow. It’s huge purple and green head was trained on a target, it’s eyes blinking slowly. Huge spines dotted its back and the fangs it was displaying in its mouth were as long as Harry was tall.
But the most terrifying aspect to the beast was that its target was Draco Malfoy.
Draco was against a tree, staring at the snake, his eyes wide in terror. The end of the snake’s tail was pinning Draco to the bark. Hagrid stood not very far away but was obviously being careful not to startle the beast.
“Harry, get away!” Draco called out. “Don’t be an idiot.”
“I thought you liked it when I was fighting something?” Harry yelled back, trying to keep the tremor from his voice. The snake moved, a shiver rippling up its body, forestalling anything that Draco was going to say.
Harry moved forward until he was within clear sight – and striking distance – of the snake.
“My name is Harry,” he greeted in Parsel-tongue. “Please don’t hurt my friend.”
“I am called Salmay,” the snake hissed. It twitched its tail and Draco squeaked.
“Hello, Salmay. Please, do not hurt my friend,” Harry said again.
“The bright one is pretty. I wish to keep him,” Salmay answered, barely sparing a glance at Harry. The large iridescent head swooped down and nudged at Draco’s blond hair. “He will make a fine mate.”
“But he is human. How can he be your mate?” Harry asked. The tension in his shoulders eased as he realized that Draco was not in danger of being eaten, as he had thought.
“I know the ways in which to milk the seed from humans,” the snake answered with a hissing laugh. “He will make many a fine hatchling.” To prove the point, the tail began undulating against Draco’s hips and thighs. Draco became red in the face.
“Harry! What the hell are you telling it to do?” he shouted.
“I’m trying to stop it from tenderising you, ass!” Harry shouted back, then turned his attention back to the snake.
“Salmay, please forgive me, but the bright one is my mate already,” Harry explained.
The purple and green head turned a bit to look at Harry. “Yours?”
Harry nodded his head. “Yes. So, if you please, let him go. I do not wish to challenge you for him.” Harry really didn’t want to fight the snake. He’d already had quite enough of that. Besides, Salmay only wanted Draco because he was pretty. That wasn’t a crime, right?
The snake seemed to hiss out a sigh. “No, I will not challenge one as small as you. You will make pretty hatchlings with him?”
Harry fought back a blush. “Um, yeah.”
The snake nodded and the tail pulled back, releasing Draco from his position against the tree.
“Wait, Salmay!” Harry thought of something. “Will you do something for me, though I have no right to ask?”
“Ask, small human, and we shall see.”
“It is difficult keeping such a pretty mate in line. Will you help me?”
Salmay gave a snakey smile.
“Harry! Watch out!” Ron shouted as the snake lunged at Harry again. Harry effortlessly dodged the attack and rolled to the side. The snake attacked again with fangs protruding. Harry again dodged out of the way. Then, with a fierce yell, he aimed his wand at the beast, which promptly shrieked and began pulling away into the forest. Draco fell from where he had been held by the tail. He quickly rolled to his back and watched as the snake slithered back into the blackness of the Forbidden Forest.
“Draco! You alright?” Harry asked as he ran to the blond.
Draco nodded. “Yeah. You?”
“I’m alright.” Harry held a hand to his shoulder. “Just a bit banged up.”
Draco suddenly grabbed Harry and pulled him tight to his chest. Then he was kissing him deep. When he pulled away he stared into Harry’s eyes.
“You have saved my life. It is my honour to trade your life for mine. I release you,” Draco intoned solemnly.
Harry felt a slight tingle run along his skin. He smiled up at his lover.
“Well, good. I hated that one-sidedness. Wanna go take a shower and shag?”
Draco blinked and then smirked. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”
As they walked back to the castle a little later on, Harry decided that maybe one day he would tell Draco what had really happened.
But then again, maybe not.
… And they lived happily ever after. The End.
Laura D Durham 