True Love's Heart

Chapter 15: Tall Grass and Happy Mates

Harry woke the next morning in basically the same situation as the day before, though almost the opposite: he was sleeping on his side, resting his chest and right leg on the main coil of Nagini's body, for she was curled in an oval spiral. He had went to bed in only sweatpants, and he could feel her cold scales tickling his bare chest as their bodies brushed each others as they breathed. He was practically kissing distance from her neck, his right arm on the other side, sandwiching her in his embrace. Her head, he could feel, was buried in the hair at his crown.

Harry couldn't think of a time in which he felt more content with his life. He smiled a face-cracking grin as he brushed his nose up against her neck, taking in the smell of the forest she held between her scales.

This must have awoke her, for Harry could feel movement above his head. ~Good morning Harry.~

~Good morning Nagini.~

~You know, I fell asleep in the canopy last night like a did Saturday night, but it seems my subconscious prefers to sleep with you.~

~So it seems. I really don't mind.~

~I have a feeling that you don't.~

~Huh? I...Oh.~ He practically jumped into a sitting position, grabbing the nearest blanket to cover himself as Nagini chuckled.

~You really are too cute.~ She also sat up, her sitting position reminding him of a picture in a magazine he fished out of the rubbish bin at Privet Drive of a snake charmer and his snake in mid-trance.

He felt his face turning red as he avoided her eyes and his glance fell on the unused bed across from him. ~So since you don't use that bed,~ he nodded toward it for emphases, ~and you end up in my bed anyways, what should we do with it?~

~I thought it was rather thoughtful for the Headmaster to provide it for me, but you're right, I don't use it.~ She turned her attention to the aforementioned furniture piece. ~You can transfigure it into something else or send it away with the elves, I suppose.~

~Hmmm....oh I know!~ Reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing his wand, he worked on transfiguring the bed.

The bedframe was expanded and turned into a square wooden frame on the ground, about two and a half inches tall and about twenty feet wide. He turned the mattress into dark brown dirt, the sheets and blankets into bits of moss and tall grass, and the pillow into a large grey stone that sat in one of the corners of the box.

He heard a gasp come from his mate and he could feel her excitement flood his chest. ~Oh Harry! You didn't!~

~I sure did, go check it out!~

With what he could have sworn was a squeal of excitement, Nagini practically launched herself off the bed and raced into the garden, rolling in the dirt and he soon lost sight of her in the tall grass. She had plenty of room to stretch herself to her full length and still be hidden from view.

~Oh Harry! Thank you, thank you, thank you!~ She praised as she popped her head out from below the grass, her eyes beaming. ~If I were human I would...~ She cut herself off, breaking her eye contact with him before hiding amongst the moss in embarrassment.

~You would what, Nagini?~ he asked, curiosity filling his words as he crawled off the bed and walked over to the stone in the corner of the garden and perched himself on it. ~Come here.~

After a few beats of silence he heard rustling in the grass and she emerged and came to 'sit' in front of him, her eyes looking at a spot on his chest, anywhere but his eyes.

~Look at me Nagini.~ He gently commanded, waiting until she complied before continuing, ~Don't be embarrassed of your feelings, we are mates after all. Though I am unsure of how a wizard and a snake can be...involved, we can't deny our feelings. You found out a bit ago that I sure can't.~

~Harry I...~ she had a pleading look in her eyes as she obviously was battling with something in her mind, before she gave up with a sigh, breaking up their eye contact again. ~You really should be getting ready for class. It is Monday, after all.~

Harry looked down at her from his perch on the rock, trying to decide whether to pursue an explanation to her sudden anxiety or not, but finally decided that would be a conversation for another day. She did have a point. ~Of course, wouldn't want to be late for Potions.~

He stood up, exited the garden and walking over to the wardrobe, grabbing a set of clean school robes and changing onto them.

~I'm gonna stop by the kitchens real quick and grab a muffin before class, do you want me to send for a chicken breast for you? We don't have time to hunt until lunch time.~

~That's fine, Harry, thank you.~ Her voice was sad, she was again hidden from view below the grass.

He wanted to comfort his mate until they both were happy, but after casting a quick tempus and seeing that he only had twenty minutes to run to the kitchen and make it to Potions in time, he wished her a farewell as he left the room with a soft close of the portrait.