19Chapter 12
"Merlin, I'm so glad that Billy is going to be ok." Renée sighed climbing out of the car beaming at Charlie.
"As am I" he agreed, walking towards the front porch but stopped abruptly. The house was dark. Either Bella was asleep already, which she should, or she had slipped back out to the Cullens. If that was the case, then there would be hell to pay. He couldn't wait for her to finish high school and take her away from them.
But that was not why he had stopped. His gaze was drawn to someone standing at the front door, and Charlie grit his teeth. The clothing was less inconspicuous than that of British Aurors, but still a bit outdated in Muggle standards. That was one of their kind. And that was a problem.
"Charles and Renée Swan?" the wizard asked neutrally stepping down the porch towards them.
"Yes," Charlie answered clipped. "We were not expecting any visitors."
"Especially at this hour. And we've become legal citizens via the No-Maj way." Renée added tensely.
"Well, that remains to be seen. You should have informed the MACUSA of your whereabouts as well." He lectured them sternly. "It is your obligation to be registered, and your daughter should have attended Ilvermorny."
"We were aware of that. But, had we done that then we've would have put her in danger, Sir. We had to stay away from our world for the sake of our daughter." Charlie explained with a rising heartbeat.
"You can explain that to my boss at MACUSA. I, please ask you to come with me willingly."
"We are willing to explain ourselves, but somebody needs to stay here with Bella," Renée argued, but the Auror shook his head with a petulant grin.
"No need. Your daughter is already at MACUSA." Renée and Charlie shared a worried look at hearing that. "And yes, we know that she has her high school exams in a few days." He grinned at them. "She doesn't get tired of telling us."
"Alright. Lead on." Charlie grunted grumpily taking hold of the Portkey presented at them. Bella was in trouble, and they would make sure that she wouldn't be sent back to Britain, where she was easy prey for Draco.
When they arrived, they spotted their daughter sitting sheepishly at the old desk of an Auror. Her gaze was apologetic.
"Ok, I changed my mind." Renée narrowed her eyes. "You ARE grounded until graduation."
"Sorry." Bella grit out.
"There is no need to be sorry for, Ms Swan." The young man told her. "She just told us about what she suspects is going on in Seattle, and it does sound valid."
"But as of yet, these things are just suspicions." Charlie protested. "We don't have any proof about those creatures there yet."
"And even if we actually do manage to confirm that are the creatures supposedly created by the sorceress, there is still no way on how we could actually defeat and kill them on a large scale without the Muggle ahm… No-Majs finding out." Renée continued.
"In that case, you should have come to us and worked with us on that case." An elder Auror cut in stepping into the light. "Your daughter did the right thing and came forward. Why didn't you? Who were you hiding from? Death Eaters?"
Renée glanced at her daughter and took a shuddering breath. "Yes. We had to protect our daughter from them. So, we bound her magic and hid among the No-Majs here."
"We couldn't risk making us known to the MACUSA as we didn't know if anything would make it's way back to Britain." Charlie insisted. "And you have our full cooperation in this case if Bella stays safe. After all, we entered the states legally through the Muggle way."
Stepping out of MACUSA's fireplace, Draco's senses jumped to overdrive. He could sense all those people in the building. Different tastes and smells, the whirring of interdepartmental memos, chatter, fluttering, and many other things, but most importantly: He could smell HER! That was her. She was here! In the same building! He couldn't let her slip his grasp. He needed her. He wanted her. Her familiar dulcet voice stood out to him among the white noise of the thousands of other ones. She was far up in the upper levels. Draco took a deep breath. Control. He needed to maintain control. MACUSA wasn't known to be friendly towards his kind. Neither what his family technically represented, nor being partly a fantastical creature, which could lure women. Well, one specific woman. He had to compose himself. After all, he couldn't let the Veela part of him take over and take her right here against the wall, in front of half a dozen witnesses. Yet his animalistic part growled that it would certainly enjoy it as he claimed her as his. He mentally groaned. Merlin was he lucky to wear robes. This way, he could hide how much his throbbing little problem was affected by her. He thought about how to approach her. If she was here with her parents, then they might be able to whisk her away from here again before he could get to her. Or they might accuse him of all sorts of things, just to keep her away from him. And getting banned from the MACUSA wasn't precisely what he had in mind for the future. And abducting her also wouldn't be in his best interest. Although it was a practice that many Veela had done in ancient times. No, he had to make himself known to only her and best not to her parents. So, he decided to bide his time. He had waited all those years; he could wait a few more minutes. Carefully he ascended the broad stairs which were winding themselves upwards. Of course, he could have taken the elevator, but that could have led him directly into the fangs of her overprotective parents. He could smell them too, as they did have a familiar scent. No, he had to keep just out of sight and show himself to her when she was separated from her parents. For now, he would wait and lure her to him. Luckily, he had marked her and strengthened their bond. It was now or never. He stopped in his tracks. No, going up, he would need to confront her parents. It was time to use their bond to bring her down to him.
Bella was sitting in the corner, her head dropping to the side. She felt sleepy. Considering that she had not napped at all last night, it wasn't particularly surprising. She pondered. It was strange. There was a strange tingling in the air that has snapped into place an hour ago. Was it her closeness to magic in this building? A warm feeling slithered over her like a caress, stealing her breath. Bella frowned, stopping her hands from wandering. What was going on? She sniffed the air. Was that coffee? She could have sworn to smell coffee, but when she gazed around, seeing her parents gathered around a table with other Aurors, there was none in any close vicinity.
"Is there a coffee shop nearby?" she asked flatly suppressing a yawn.
"Yeah, there's one downstairs. Mind getting us some?" Auror Graves asked her with a smirk, which he immediately dropped at the hard stare he received from her father.
"She's not going anywhere out of my sight," Renée told them a matter of factly. "It's far dangerous." Another Auror snorted. "She's in the middle of MACUSA. Nothing will happen to her here, and we really are in dire need of coffee."
"Bella is not a house-elf" Renée continued pointing at her daughter. "So, you stay put."
Bella groaned. "Mum. You are all working overtime to plan against the new-borns. So, I could make myself useful. I mean, school today is probably off the table anyway."
"Oh no, you are still going to school today. Your nightly stunt won't go unpunished, young lady." her father told her sternly. "But coffee does sound good. So, you go down order coffee and come straight back up. You are not talking to anybody."
She rolled her eyes. "And how am I supposed to order coffee if I'm not allowed to talk to anybody? Should I mime?" There was vailed snickering behind them coming from the Aurors.
Her father took a deep breath. "Ok, you only talk to the barrister and nobody else. Understood?"
Descending the large staircases towards the ground floor, Bella had no idea what the hell was happening. She felt as if she was floating, warmth fluttering through her the further down she went. There seemed to be a pull towards the ground level. But why? Was her need for coffee that strong? She had no idea but continued.
Draco had crossed his legs to keep his probing member hidden from view. He had to stay calm and collected. He could smell her coming closer. Gripping his steaming coffee cup tighter to distract himself from jumping out from his seat and running towards her. He had to stay collected. He could not scare her off. He needed her. And this was his chance of proving her that he was real. That they could have a future together. He shook his head. She was stubborn, and he could not get ahead of himself.
There she was! His breath hitched. Gliding past the tables towards the bored barrister. The Veela in him growling with the hot need to bend her over the table and mark her as his. But he could not. Otherwise, he could deter her from him and get a permanent ban on entering the USA. He gulped. She was more beautiful than in their shared dreams. He observed her rattle of several orders which the barrister prepared and magically sent to whoever had indeed ordered them using Bella as a messenger. When she received hers, he quickly chucked down the last remnants of his bitter coffee and stood up. It was time.
Bella inhaled the aroma of her cappuccino before she took a careful sip and moaned silently. Draco took another deep breath; otherwise, he would have lost it truly. He quickly took another step towards her and called out to her forgetting everything around him. She was here. Bella was his and NOTHING would separate them.
"Bella!" a familiar husky voice called out to her, and she froze, almost letting go of her cup. She knew that voice! But it could not be? That was impossible. Her stomach muscled clenched in anticipation as she carefully turned around. Her eyes widened. HE WAS REAL! She gulped. Draco, the man of her dreams, stood in front of her. Taller than she remembered him to be from their shared visions, but it was him. She gulped as she felt belly clench again as warmth was spreading towards her entire body. Bella wanted to run towards him, kiss him senseless and … she mentally shook her head. No, she was in the middle of MACUSA. She could not indulge in her favourite past time in public. A deep quivering had begun inside of her, and her skin felt flushed all over.
A moment later, he stood in front of her, his warm silver eyes shining. All she wanted to do was pulling him closer to her, that not a sheet could separate them and kiss him senseless. His scent was just as she remembered it. Virile and intoxicating. "Draco," she said hoarsely licking her lower lip.
"I told you that I was real, Bella," he told her velvety gently brushing a strand out of her face. She exhaled slowly as she resisted the thug off her lower regions to brush against him. She could not lose her countenance. Her eyes roamed over his handsome face and his neck that she wanted to nibble on. She knew that it had turned him on during their shared dreams. "I couldn't believe it." she murmured and realized a second later that she had entwined her right hand with his. His thumb was massaging parts of her hand and warmth spread through her entire being. Her heart began to speed up. His other hand brushed down her back sending shivers down. She needed him now, but they could not do it here. Something was placed in the side pocket of her jeans, but she was too mesmerized by his hot gaze to see what it was. And she still was engaged to Edward. She sobered a bit at that thought. But Draco was not a dream. He was standing right in front of her. So that changed everything, didn't it? Another jolt went through her as Draco tentatively kissed a warm kiss onto her knuckles and Bella could feel herself grow damp. She had to get out of this situation, or she would jump him right here in public. But she didn't want to lose him now that he had found her. Bella needed him. Most especially inside her. Right now. Draco's intense gaze told her that he seemed to feel the same. Something hard was probing her stomach, and she gulped. When had he come this close to her? Not that she did mind. He did feel the same need. But she remembered, her parents were upstairs. She was not allowed to talk to anybody. But his lips were enticing her. She wanted to kiss him. Draco put his head to the side and slowly moved closer clearly, having read what she wanted. Her skin pebbled as he expelled the breath he had inhaled, and it wafted along her skin, making her nipples tighten in reaction. Just a few centimetres more and …
"Ey, you two lovebirds, get a room!" she heard the barista's annoyed voice call out to them and she quickly took a step back hearing Draco groan. A grumble that she mentally shared.
"I need to go back upstairs." Bella murmured breathlessly pulling away from him. "Technically, I'm not allowed to speak to anybody besides the barista." Draco only nodded, but he would not let her escape his grasp so easily. "I could come with you," he suggested raucously. She took a deep breath to collect her wits.
"Pretty sure my father's going to take your head off when he sees you." she attempted to joke, but he only smiled knowingly.
"A father's prerogative to protect his daughter, but I'm not a danger to you, and you have your exams in a few days," he told her. A few days was not time enough to claim her, he knew. A veela's mating would take several rounds, and he would not be finished before she had to take her exams. But afterwards, he planned to take full advantage. Now that he had found her. He would be able to live a few more days without his mate even if it would be pure torture for him.
"I could come and visit you," he told her, stepping closer to her again. He needed to know where she lived. He would be content to share her bed until her exams were over. Just to hold her in his arms. Even though he knew it would be pure torture for him.
"No, you won't" a harsh male voice interrupted them, and both jumped. "Our house is warded against the likes of you! Leave her alone, Malfoy!" Charles Swan was stepping between them, and Draco was close to losing countenance, but he could not. Bella was his. Her father had no right to keep her from him.
"Wait, dad, you know him?!" Bella inquired with wide eyes.
Her father huffed angrily. "Of course, I know him. His family tried to force a marriage between our families when you were an infant."
"That's not true, and you know it," Draco growled with darkening eyes stepping closer towards Bella's father. He could sense his mate's confusion, and he would not lose her. He could not get away from her when he had just found her again.
"Bella, he bit you when you were still a child and nearly killed you back then. His kind is dangerous." Charlie explained calmly, yet Draco's neck hair straightened. Her father displayed golden eyes! He had never heard about any wizard like that. So, the rumours of her line being something special was true. What had he gotten himself into?! The Veela in him had chosen a powerful mate. But he would not give up. And her father would not stop him from getting what he wanted. What Bella clearly wanted as well.
"But,… but what the hell are you talking about?" she asked frowning. "bit me? bit me where?"
Draco's heart clenched. He wanted to explain everything, but right now, he couldn't risk it. Not within MACUSA.
"Bella, Draco Malfoy is not who he appears to be. The vampires are dangerous for your life. He is critical for your future, and I will not let him take it away from you by just turning you into a breeder for his family's bloodline."
Shock was written all over Bella's face. Draco wanted to take her into his arms, assure her that her father was lying or instead omitting large junks of the truth, just to keep her away from him. But he did not get that chance as the man, a bane of his existence, got a hold of his mate and apparated away before he could stop them.
