Chapter 17
When Harry woke up the next morning, he gazed down at his lover's head, which was resting low on his shoulder; the thick, but almost colourless locks spreading out in every direction, some even over Draco's own face. Harry oh-so-gently petted the pale hair, putting a little order into the wild disarray. Draco stirred, but didn't awaken.
His full bladder called to him; the reason he woke in the first place. Harry tried to gently slide out from under his love's head without waking him, but he wasn't entirely successful.
"Harry?" came the sleepy voice.
"Hush, love. I'm just going to the toilet; I'll be right back, okay? Go back to sleep." He slipped on yesterday's robes against the chill. It was all he was wearing.
As he came around the Chinese privacy screen, Harry caught sight of Dobby sitting in a chair that was over three times too large for him, his arms full of shimmering material. Before Dobby could say a word, Harry put his finger to his lips, signaling for silence, then quietly explained "Draco's asleep. Are those the tunics?"
Dobby, with over-exaggerated care, quietly replied "Yes, sir, Master Harry, sir."
Harry's bladder would brook no delay. "I'll be right back," he said, then hurried on to take care his problem. Upon his return, he said "Thank you, Dobby. What is the cost for them?"
"No cost, Master Harry, sir. They are the Master's by right!" Dobby said, with firm conviction. "Here, let Dobby show Master Harry!" he continued excitedly. He stood up on the chair, letting one tunic lay on the seat beside him, and held the other up for Harry to view. It was a shimmering midnight black, with deep reds, blues, and greens as sub-colours shimmering across it like the Northern Lights. The back was slit in two places on the back, from shoulder to hem, but done so cleverly that the slits, with the aid of the magic woven into them, would seem but seams if not in use as access for their wings. Upon Harry's enthusiastic approval, Dobby carefully handed the tunic to him, bent down, then held out the other for inspection. This one was of the same cut, but of a brightly shimmering silver, with light, even faint, sub-colours in violets, reds, and blues shimmering through. Neither had a pattern on it, except for those made by the sub-colours as they shifted. Both tunics were accompanied by a long sash of the same colours and material. Harry was certain the colours had been carefully chosen to complement his and his mate's colouring.
Grinning, Harry said "Dobby, they couldn't be any more perfect." Privately, he was determined that if Dobby wouldn't take payment for the tunics, he would find an extra-large bonus in his pay. Tunics like these couldn't be cheap.
"Harry? Who are you talking to?" came Draco's sleepy voice. Evidently, Draco could hear the voices, but not what was being said.
"Just Dobby, love," Harry replied, raising his voice to carry.
"Come back to bed," Draco whined.
"I think you may want to get up, love; I have a present for you!" Harry said, grinning, and giving Dobby a wink.
The elf's chest was puffed up with pride, and his head looked like it might split in two, his grin was so big.
"A present?"
"A present."
"Oh, all right." Draco was trying to sound blas� about it, but his eagerness shone through. In only seconds, he came around the screens, a sheet wrapped around him, toga-style. "So what is it?" All pretense was gone, now.
Harry was working hard not to laugh out loud at the thought of 'perfectly groomed' Draco only wrapping himself in sheet - too excited or eager to delay long enough to dress, all in expectation of a present. But then his heart melted as the corollary hit him; a present from him. It made him want to unwrap... He chuckled. Draco was his present - every day.
Draco spotted the tunics. "Oh, they're beautiful!" he exclaimed.
"Silver for you, black for me," Harry said. "Do you really like them?"
"Of course! Well, I won't really know for sure until we try them on, but..."
"Dobby has more!" the elf exclaimed, and turned to pull a bag from behind the chair. Opening it, he pulled two pair of Japanese-style trousers from it, in the same material as the robes; but handed the opposite colour to each young man.
"I don't know who your style consultant was, Dobby, but they are to be congratulated!" Draco said, beaming.
Turning to his husband, Draco threw his arms around his neck. "Harry? You are just - the best! Thank you," he said, planting a big kiss on Harry's lips.
"Mmm... Keep that up, sweetheart, and it's going to be a while before you can try those on!" Harry said, placing his head so they were cheek to cheek. Without looking, he addressed the elf. "Dobby, you have outdone yourself."
"Twinkie choose the colours, Master Harry, and think of the trousers," Dobby said, disclaiming responsibility.
"Well, tell your mate that she has exquisite taste," Harry replied. "Is she well employed? If not, she is welcome to join you."
"Dobby thanks the Master, but Twinkie very happy making home nesting," the elf announced.
Both young men turned their heads to him. "You're going to have a young one? Congratulations!" Harry said.
Dobby blushed, but didn't say anything. Harry got the hint, and dropped the subject.
"Thank you, Dobby," he said again. "Draco, love; we need to bathe so we can put on this wonderful clothing. Or maybe we should wait for that until after we eat breakfast?"
"Harry, I love you dearly, but if you make me wait any longer than absolutely necessary, I'm going to kill you - slowly." Draco threatened, yet his voice was as sweet as honey.
Harry laughed. "Right! A shower, then. What would you like for breakfast?"
"Hm... A fry?"
"Hungry today, are you? Dobby, can you do that for us?"
Dobby looked uncomfortable. "No, Master Harry. Dobby doesn't have the food."
Harry felt ridiculous. "No, of course you don't, Dobby. I'm sorry. Well, then, could you request it for us to be ready when we get out of the shower?"
Dobby looked miserable as he said "Yes, Master Harry."
"It's not your fault, Dobby. I just forgot that you don't have the supplies or facilities here that you did at Hogwarts, and you and Twinkie are such good cooks that I was looking forward to a meal prepared by you."
Dobby was looking even worse, that he couldn't fulfil his Royal's wishes.
"I think I'm just making it worse, Draco. What do I do?" Harry asked worriedly.
Draco shrugged. "Add on a kitchen?" he suggested.
"Draco! He just brought us those tunics!"
"I'm sorry, Harry, but he's feeling guilty for nothing!"
Harry turned to the elf. "Dobby? He's right, you know. You shouldn't feel guilty for something you can't do anything about."
There was a knock at the door. "Oh, shite! I'll bet that's Astrofel or Andaral; or maybe both, and we're still lolling about!" Harry exclaimed. "Dobby, please answer the door. Draco, come on; we've a quick shower to run."
Following his husband into the bathing room, carrying their new clothing, Draco remonstrated with his lover. "Harry, calm down. I enjoy my bathing with you too much to rush it. Either they'll wait, or they'll come back."
It wasn't easy, but Draco got his way, and they emerged about an hour later; clean, relaxed, and dressed in their new tunics.
They were greeted with "You might want to change into something you can exercise in."
'The dragons have arrived,' Draco 'said' impertinently to his husband.
Despite himself, Harry snickered. 'So it would seem,' he remarked back, humour evident in his 'voice.'
Aloud, Harry said "I'm sorry; did we keep you waiting? And what's on the agenda today?"
Astrofel raised an eyebrow. "You know perfectly well how long I've been here. As for what's on the agenda, that's up to the two of you; are you up for some lessons?"
'What do you say, lover mine? Lessons? Or parading around, showing off our new tunics?' Harry asked.
'I'd love to show off the tunics, but I don't think we have an appreciative audience. But we haven't eaten, either.'
"I'm sorry we kept you waiting; it was rather - unavoidable," Harry said, sending a pretend glare at his husband. "Can we presume upon your patience a bit more? We do need to change, and we haven't eaten, yet." 'Why am I finding myself doing all the talking? Did your lips get sewn up when I had my tongue elsewhere?' Harry asked of his mate.
"I suggest a light breakfast. You won't want anything heavy weighing you down," Astrofel said.
'Why, Harry! Whatever are you suggesting?!' Draco asked, coyly. 'No, you're doing a great job; I'm just - nervous,' he admitted. 'I never was good in 'Care of Magical Creatures,' remember? But I'll be here to pick you up if you fall down - verbally speaking.'
"Fruit and toast, then, Draco?" Harry asked aloud. They were getting pretty good at carrying on two conversations at once, he thought, congratulating himself. 'Gee, thanks. I'll keep that in mind when I've got egg running down my face.'
'Any time, sweetheart,' was the saccharine reply.
Childishly, Harry stuck his tongue out at his husband. Astrofel looked at him, perplexed. Harry blushed, and Draco had to hold on to his mate to keep himself from falling down, he had started laughing so hard.
"Um... Private joke?" Harry said to the dragon, in halting explanation. He grabbed his mate's hand, and started hauling him off to the wardrobe so they could change clothes - a bit awkwardly, since Draco was still laughing hard enough to have problems with his balance.
"It wasn't that funny!" he hissed, once they were out of sight and starting to undress.
Draco, still chuckling lightly, agreed, but "I couldn't help it - the look on his face, and he's telepathic? Didn't he hear any of that?"
Harry paused. "You know, it doesn't seem he did. Maybe we've been making assumptions where we shouldn't?"
The blonde shrugged. "Could be, but..." He paused for a bit to put his thoughts in order, then continued. "You know, Granger once bored me to tears with an explanation of some muggle thing called a 'ratty-oh.'"
"Radio," Harry corrected, absently. He thought he knew where this was going, and was already contemplating the implications.
"Whatever... Anyway, one of the things she went on about was 'stations' on different frequencies. Maybe we're on a different frequency when we 'talk' together?"
He'd been right. Harry was silent for minute, trying to put it all together. Finally, he gave up; there were too many 'if's' and not enough facts. "It's an interesting thought, but how would you test it? And if you don't know about radio, how do you know about frequencies?"
"In order: We'll have to think about ways of testing it, and 'radio' isn't the only thing with frequencies, Harry. Sound, light - sound familiar?"
"Okay... Sorry," he said, as stood up from putting his shoes back on.
Draco kissed his mate on the cheek as he was finishing the fastenings on his old school robes. "Forgiven. Now! Breakfast! I'm famished!"
After their light breakfast, accompanied by tea and juice (coffee would overpower the taste of the fruit, Draco insisted), they were ready to continue.
"So what are you teaching us, today, Astrofel?" Harry asked.
"I won't be teaching you. I'm taking you to a couple, also dragons, who can. And they will be the ones to assess what best to teach you. What I can tell you is that they will be teaching you martial arts," he explained, as he opened the door. They started to file out.
"Martial... Military skills?" Draco queried, surprised.
Astrofel laughed. "In a way, yes; but probably not Western style. Self-defence courses that can also be used offensively; a lot of it is unarmed combat techniques from the East, but there are styles from India, Africa, and elsewhere as well. As I said, though, they will make the decision about what suits you best."
"When are we going to start learning how to use our magic?" the blonde wanted to know.
"When you have a good, basic, knowledge of martial arts." As Draco started to protest, Astrofel explained. "There are two reasons why it was decided to do it this way; one, is that if you were learning magic at the same time, you might have a tendency to depend upon that too much, as using magic is something you're already used to. This way, you'll pay more attention to these lessons. The second reason is as an incentive to learn the martial arts faster. Fortunately, there are two of you; you can use each other as sparring partners."
Harry groaned. "I thought we were through with that!"
Astrofel looked at him questioningly.
"Until we bonded, all we did was bicker and fight with each other," the royal explained.
The dragon snorted, amused. "Well, you'll be doing so cooperatively, now - I hope," he said, looking at the two sidelong.
Draco smirked. "If it involves a lot of body contact, we might not get a lot of sparring done," he said, insinuatingly.
"Draco!" Harry exclaimed, blushing. "Our sex life is nobody... Gah!"
"Going to spank me, Harry?" Draco teased, smirking.
"As soon as we're alone!" Harry promised.
Draco stopped dead in his tracks, his smirk gone. "I... I wasn't serious, Harry... Love? Darling?"
Harry stopped as well, facing his mate. "I am; and it's too late for sweet talk." Then, grabbing the blonde's hand, started dragging him after the dragon. "Come on; we have teachers to meet."
Draco followed nervously. 'Shite. When am I going to learn not to push him too far?' he thought to himself. 'Damn it, I'm just too used to that damned school rivalry banter.' He sulked for a couple of seconds, then thought 'Well, he might try to spank me, but I'm not going down without a fight.'
Harry felt his mate's rebelliousness. "And if you fight, it's just going to last longer."
'Bugger.'
"Here we are," Astrofel said, amusement evident in his voice. Harry gave him a sharp glance, but didn't say anything about it, which only seemed to amuse the dragon more.
After being admitted, Astrofel introduced them. "These are Ornei, and Atalai," indicating two Asian-looking men. Ornei was about five foot four inches in height and of a rather solid build, Atalai about five foot eight inches, and more slender. "Ornei, Atalai, may I introduce Harry and Draco D'Lumiere; the bonded Veela I told you of?"
Harry frowned. He might be mostly Veela, but it wasn't a designation he was comfortable with, yet. He could feel that his mate wasn't entirely sure of that introduction, either. Still, it wasn't untrue, so he could hardly protest. Yes, damn it, he would! "Excuse me, Astrofel, but while what you call us may be mostly true, it's not something we're used to identifying ourselves as, as of yet." Okay, it was a very mild protest, but he didn't want to alienate anyone, and he felt he was already on thin ice with this particular dragon.
Astrofel nodded his head in acknowledgment, then said "I'll just leave you for now. I, or perhaps that elf of yours, will be back to guide you back to your quarters for the midday meal."
"He's a friend and employee, but thank you," Harry said, correcting the 'of yours' part of the comment.
'Damn, love; don't you let any detail go?' Draco queried, giving his mate a mild reproof.
'You think I'm being overly sensitive?'
'Just a little, yes. Are you trying to get that egg on your face?'
'Point taken,' the dark-haired young man 'said,' brushing his lips over his mate's.
"Hem-hem!" came from behind them.
Turning, Harry faced the two 'men' who would be their new teachers, putting an arm around Draco's waist. "You have a problem with us being a male couple?" he asked mildly.
Grinning, Ornei said "Not at all. Didn't Astrofel mention that we" he said, indicating Atalai and himself, "were a couple?"
Startled, Harry said "Yes, but I didn't think.. I just..." Turning his head to his bonded, he said "Got a hankie, love? I think I just got egg on my face." The other couple burst out laughing.
Eyes twinkling, Draco grinned as he said "Bound to happen, sooner or later. What can you expect from a Gryffindor?" Harry swatted his mate's bottom; sharply, but not hard. Draco bit his lip and tried to look repentant. He wasn't very successful. The four were instant friends.
"Um... If it's not too personal... I mean, everyone else here seems to look European; why do you look Asian?" Harry asked.
"Harry!" Draco remonstrated.
Harry ignored him, waiting for an answer.
"We don't mind... Draco, isn't it?" Atalai said. At Draco's affirmation of his identification, Atalai went on. "It's because of our jobs, really. Since the martial arts are mostly of Asian origin, we decided, when we were learning human forms, to take on an Asian appearance."
Draco thought to note a logic error in that, but decided to let it go.
"Why don't we sit down? We won't have much of a chance for it, once we've actually started lessons," Ornei suggested. Once they were seated, he offered tea or other refreshments, but since Harry and Draco had just breakfasted, they declined.
"Alright, then," Atalai said, "let's begin. What we're going to do is some magic to find out your physical capabilities and potentials, as well as where your interests might lie. It's a lot faster this way than to try to explain every style to you, and let you decide for yourselves. There are literally hundreds, and not knowing the intricacies of them, you'd likely pick the wrong one for you, anyway - no offense meant!" he added quickly.
Harry didn't like the choice being taken out of his hands yet again, but conceded that they probably knew what they were talking about. Draco concurred. Speaking for them both - again - Harry said, with a sigh, "Very well."
For some reason, this took longer than the Council examination, involving the young men being tested both together and separately, and changing position, standing to sitting, crouching to supine, from time to time. When they were through, the two 'Asians' conferred, then Atalai presented their findings. "We think you'd do best with two different styles; Dim Mak, and Ninjutsu. Dim Mak may have originated either in China or India, and is almost a purely pressure-point style of fighting. It can be the most deadly, but the same techniques can also be used to heal. Ninjutsu was developed by Japanese mountain people to use against invading samurai warlords, and among other things, teaches close range combat, and the art of invisibility and espionage; also map making, disguise, silent entry and escape, leaping, high endurance, sabotage, and the use of anything in your surroundings as a weapon."
Something there didn't sound right to Draco. "Invisibility?" he asked.
"Through techniques used to blend into your surroundings; either as someone who belongs there, or otherwise; very handy if you can't use magic, due to detectors, to do the same," Ornei explained.
"And how long will it take to learn these styles?" Harry asked, apprehensively.
"That depends on you and your magic, really." the smaller man said. "Muggles take three to five years to become somewhat proficient, with constant application and study, and perhaps a decade or two more to become expert. But it takes a steady regimen of practice even after that, to retain a high level of proficiency. If your magic gets involved, and that depends on your will, the time might be shortened considerably."
"Bloody hell," Harry said, appalled.
"I'll second that," Draco chimed in.
"Here are some books that will give you some history, and outlines some of the techniques, plus one for stretching, limbering, and strengthening exercises. That last will be more useful as a book than the others, but I thought you'd like some idea of what you'd be learning," Atalai said. "And for today, I think we'll concentrate on the stretching and limbering exercises. This afternoon, we'll add in the strengthening exercises, and introduce you to some of the ninjutsu weapons. We'll take you along as quickly as you can firmly learn what we teach. It's all up to you, really," he said, repeating what his partner had said.
By dinnertime, both boys were sore, and thankful for the break. By suppertime, they were not only exhausted, but their heads felt over-stuffed with the information that had been provided on the types of weapons, along with the introductory lessons to a couple of the most common ninjutsu weapons - the short sword, and darts. When they fell into bed that night, they were too tired to do more than cuddle. If there had been an observer, they would have noted a light golden glow around both bodies for about an hour after the couple fell asleep.