No Longer

Protecting His Heart

Era Damon White**

It was a brief kiss, just a brush of his lips over his mate's, but in it Era felt all the love he had for this blond veela mate of his.

"Era, I- I love you too," Lucius said quietly, looking up at him through his eyelashes.

"Thank you, Lucius. That's the best gift you've ever given me."

The faint pink blush that had been in Lucius's cheeks deepened, and Era stood up, pulling Lucius on up with him. He put one arm securely around his mate's waist, and snuggled his face into the crook of his beautiful mate's neck.

"Lucius, do you formally accept our mating bond?"

"I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, accept you, Era Damon White, as my true mate and life partner."

"And I, Era Damon White, accept you, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, as my true mate and life partner."

As was necessary to officiate a mating bond with a veela, Era opened his mouth and bit down hard on Lucius's neck, leaving a red mark in his wake. Then, he kissed his mate again and lifted him into his arms.

"I love you so much, love, more than I could hope to express," Era said, and walked with Lucius carried princess -style in his arms to their bedroom, where they laid down together and snuggled up cozily until it was a more appropriate hour.

___

Era knocked on the door to his personal suite and smiled as Tom opened the door. Tom looked depressed, and Era came through and asked immediately, "Sweetheart, can you tell me what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Tom asked miserably, "How can you ask that of me? Everything's wrong! I killed people, and I'm not having to pay a price for it? I'm literally a parasite! I stole someone else's body, Era, that's what's wrong!"

Era reached one of his hands out and stroked it down Tom's arm, finally grasping his hand when he reached the end, "Sweetheart, I promise you we'll get you your own body back soon. I've been doing a lot of researching, actually, and think I've found a ritual to return you to your proper body and restore Quirrel's mind. Are you willing to try them with me?"

Tom nodded rapidly, trying to cover the tears that had begun to well in his eyes.

Era began to put the supplies needed for the rituals out as he went over what had happened leading up to this moment. While Lucius was still asleep, he'd made breakfast. 

There were fluffy scrambled eggs, tartines with raspberry jam, bacon, and fresh cut strawberries and some mango as well. After eating together and sharing a few more chaste kisses, Era had said he had to go to work.

Lucius had been disappointed, and made a point over fussing with Era's hair and clothes as well as giving him another kiss before he left. Era had then apparated to the club and used Athena's timepiece for the first time. He'd gone back to five-thirty the previous evening, and went over to his suite of rooms.

As he had before, he called Bliss, who'd yet to see the other him and made sure the snake would tell Era the exact same words he had previously, ensuring no rift would be formed by him not actually retrieving the timepiece.

Then, he'd gone in to see Tom.

Now, he was laying out seven types of oil, six of which were essential oils, lemon, peppermint, jasmine, lavender, orange and grapefruit, and one of which was a very refined sarrowgrass oil, used in rituals of transformation.

This ritual required a great many blood sigils, and rune circles that had to be exact in order for the spell to work correctly. Era lined up a piece of white chalk that was made primarily of bone ash and a piece of ordinary black chalk that had been infused with magic.