Be My Wings {drarry}

Chapter Six

Tuesday 1 September 1998

Harry

By the time the first of September roles around, I feel confident in my knowledge and abilities. Of course, I'll keep practicing at Hogwarts, but I feel ready enough not to make a fool out of myself. Siri and Re, as I have taken to calling them, are at the station with me.

"Thank you so much for helping me," I say.

"Of course, pup. We were happy to."

Family, pack, don't leave.

I have to, Eli. Our mate might be there, remember?

Mate? Go, go, go!

I put you on figurative mute, and take a breath. I've been wanting to ask a certain question for a while, but I never found the right moment. But I guess I'm kind of running out of time.

"Do you think I could come back for Christmas break? I've always spent it at Hogwarts, but I would like to spend it with you. I don't want to impose, though."

"We would love to have you, pup." The joy that fills me is one of the many ways I know that this, the three of us, are family. Are pack.

"We were actually going to invite you anyway." I grin at them, pulling them into a three-way hug.

"I'll see you at Christmas, then."

"See you at Christmas. We'll miss you, pup," Re says.

"I'll miss you too."

I wave goodbye, heading to the train.  I find a compartment where Hermione and Neville already sit. Apparently I'm not the only one who went through an inheritance; as soon as I get close to the compartment I can scent it. He's some kind of elf, I think, probably a nature one, knowing Neville. And submissive, interesting.

He's guarded as I walk in, but relaxes when he sees it's me. Nature elves and werewolves who decide to live outside wizarding society tend to inhabit similar places, meaning although they can get along, there can be friction between the two species. Of course, the opposite can occur, and werewolves and nature elves can become close and work in harmony. It's similar with all forest dwellers.

I make eye contact with him before anything else, just in case, but as expected, he's not my mate. I sigh, and you whine quietly in my head.

"Hey guys," I say. I remain standing, looking to Neville as a form of respect that I wouldn't normally offer, but I would like us to remain friends. If we do, I could end up becoming much closer to him. He nods, and I smile, sitting next to him.

He's your friend? We should watch out for him.

Was already planning on it.

"Harry! Tell me everything that happened!" Hermione exclaims. I laugh, rolling my eyes.

Who's she? You seem guarded, probably assessing her threat level.

Her name's Hermione. She's one of my best friends, and probably the smartest person you'll ever meet. She'll have already done her research about everything, you don't have to worry about her doing anything out of line.

"I assume you've already been grilled?" I say to Neville, keeping my voice calm and low. He relaxes a bit more. I assume Hermione would have picked up on his inheritance, as it's reasonably evident; especially in his demeaner. Nature elves are known to be calm and confident, even though he's a sub, unlike Neville's previous self. Like typical elf inheritances, his hair is also much longer and his ears are pointed. His bone structure is much more defined as well. I'm almost certain someone like Hermione would have noticed. He laughs as well.