Everlasting Bond

Chapter 7

After a conversation with Hermione, Harry reluctantly agreed to not bother Allysia about who she was anymore. 

Hermione, however, wasn't going to let the matter drop. It wasn't for selfish purposes - quite the opposite, actually. The library held three books on veela, and two of those were in the restricted section. She wanted to actually meet one.

The entire day, she studied the boys from Slytherin. They didn't have very many classes with Ravenclaw, but from what Harry had told her, Allysia made it sound like he was from Slytherin.

Allysia had blond hair, and bright silver eyes, metallic-like. Dainty features and a natural grace. However, reading about veela, she knew that only some of those things would apply to the counterpart.

Hermione sat in the library, the book on veela in front of her and most of the magical creatures books spread out across the table. She was scribbling furiously on a sheet of parchment - possible names, notes about veela, sketches, diagrams.

Hermione glanced up and met Draco Malfoy's eyes. Well, no. He appeared to be frozen in shock, his eyes focused on the material in front of her.

And Hermione nearly dropped her quill with sudden realization. She sprang to her feet and walked with firm strides towards Draco.

He seemed torn between the urge to run and the urge to stay frozen - like a deer caught in headlights, or a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar.

"Allysia," she said, poking a finger into his chest. "You're Allysia?"

Draco swallowed. "I-" and then his Malfoy mask came back on, and he took a step back. "What's it to you?"

"Could I-" Hermione hesitated. Draco was literally her mortal enemy. But a veela... the chance was too great to give up. "Could I speak to her? Please? It's in my... understanding that you can fully transform into her. Or at least let her take control - you've changed this year, I can tell, I don't understand why I didn't realize it earlier."

Draco sighed. "Fine. Meet me right before curfew on the second floor."

***

This is a bad idea, a really bad idea, Draco panicked, palms pressed against the "bubble." What if Harry catches us? Granger knows, what's stopping her from telling? I-

Allysia laughed. Draco, it's fine. She won't tell. Harry catching us... well, I think I warned him off. Guilt flooded her, and Draco shook his head. 

It's not your f- well, yes, it is. But you didn't mean it. Quit blaming yourself, Draco scolded lightly. There she is.

Hermione glanced up, and gasped, scrambling to sit straighter up in the window seat. "Allysia! You're - you're prettier than I expected," she admitted.

Is that an insult? Draco snapped mentally.

"Draco wonders if that's an insult," Allysia murmured absent-mindedly. "Anyway, what did you want to ask me?"

"Before we start," Hermione said, digging through her bag, and pulling out a quill. "Harry shouldn't disturb us - I think I warned him off."

"I - I think I did too," Allysia confessed, her voice shaking slightly. Draco could feel himself getting cold - and not figuratively, quite literally. His skin goose-bumped and he shivered.

Hermione felt it too. "You can't feel guilty!" she exclaimed suddenly, like just realizing this. "It's not good for you, you could go suicidal without meaning to and-"

"You're rambling," Allysia said quietly, not quite arguing this statement.

Hermione, being the bright witch she was, noticed this and narrowed her eyes. "You can't die! You're a veela! They're extremely rare - nearly went extinct fifty years back or so."

"And we've repopulated since then," Allysia countered. "Since both male and female veela can have children."

Hermione scribbled furiously on the paper. "How?" she asked, glancing up.

"Oh, um," Allysia stammered, a light blush brushing her cheeks. "Well, both genders lay- lay a sort of egg, to be-" she sighed, putting her head in her hands. "Some dominants can't lay eggs because they're more human than the submissives. And-"

"What do you mean by eggs?" Hermione asked, stopping in her writing for a second.

"Quite literally, I mean eggs. The shells are made up of light, practically, and the substance that forms feathers. This is not a very strong combination, so the eggs are very fragile. There's a sort of... liquid inside, a bit like the fluid in a mother's... womb." 

By now, Allysia's face was bright red, but she continued for Hermione's sake.

Draco was watching this all in amusement - he knew most of this, but some of it was news to him, too.

"Anyway, this is basically what the veela's... essence is in," Allysia kept talking awkwardly. "When the baby hatches, the egg dissolves into the baby, as well as the fluid. Most likely they'd be- they'd have their wings already grown then, which will eventually retract."

Hermione was searching for another piece of parchment. "Wow. I wonder if I can get a permission slip from a teacher to check out the two other books about veela in the Restricted Section. I should be getting back soon, just want to ask a few other questions..."

***

Harry shifted in his bed. He wanted to give Allysia space, but at the same time, he wanted to go track her down.

Allysia. Allysia.

Who was Allysia?

NOTES:

I'm so sorry guys, I planned to have this up a least a week earlier, but I accidentally deleted it, so I had to re-write it, and didn't really have much motivation. 

More of a filler chapter, really, but I hope this explains a lot to you people out there who are still confused. 

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