Chapter 19

"You should have come straight to me at the beginning of term Mr. Yetao," she said crisply as she looked him over. "Any Omega should directly report to the Ministry upon discovery of their status and the Ministry would have notified me before your return to Hogwarts. I realize male Omegas are extremely rare and you probably didn't want the added publicity, but I could have taken the proper precautions for you to avoid what happened today."

Hu Yetao avoided her disapproving gaze as she straightened up and dug his glasses out of her apron pocket for him. He slipped them into place, absently noticing that the cut on his nose had been healed.

"Now, Mr. Yetao," she continued seriously, hands folding in front of her. "Your heat has ended early due to elevated stress levels."

Hu Yetao frowned, feeling a tiny ache of sadness at her words and he wasn't even sure why. "Really? I… I didn't know that could happen. How long have I been here?"

"About two hours."

Hu Yetao nodded as the events of earlier began to flood back in and fill his head with suddenly urgent questions. "Where's Oscar? What happened to Professor Chao?"

Madam Chen Zihan held up a hand to stay his questions. "Slow down Mr. Yetao. The Headmistress would like to see you in her office once you're dressed. I believe Mr. Wang is with her."

Hu Yetao threw back the thin sheet covering his pajama-clad body. He suddenly needed to see Oscar straight away; he wanted the reassuring touch and scent of his mate so much that it ached. "Where are my clothes?"

Madam Chen Zihan turned and removed a neat pile of clothing from the top of the small chest of white drawers and handed them over. "Mr. Zhang brought these for you."

"Zhang Xinyao knows?" Hu Yetao asked as he took the clean clothes from her.

"He was still here when you were brought in by Mr. Wang."

"Oscar brought me in?" Hu Yetao replied in surprise as he began to tug on his socks.

Madam Chen Zihan nodded before moving towards the door. She turned and glanced back at him, seeming to hesitate before asking, "Is Oscar Wang your chosen mate?"

Hu Yetao looked up as he slid on his other sock. "Yeah, he is Mental, right?"

Madam Chen Zihan smiled for the first time. "Not necessarily Mr. Yetao. Come to my office when you're ready and I'll take you to the Headmistress' office."

Hu Yetao changed as fast as he could before making his way to the nurse's small, cluttered office near the entrance to the infirmary. His body was still weak and exhausted, and his legs felt like jelly, so he was glad of Madam Chen Zihan's presence as she helped him walk the long distance to Professor Amber's office.

The two made their way up the spiraling staircase and Madam Chen knocked on the door, Hu Yetao shifting his weight from foot to foot as he waited impatiently.

"Come in," Amber's voice rang out from within and Madam Chen opened the carved, wooden door.

Hu Yetao hurriedly pushed past her and, before he could get a proper look in, suddenly had an armful of tall, blond Alpha.

"Hu Yetao…" Oscar breathed, burying his face in Hu Yetao's hair and inhaling deeply, arms wrapped tightly around him.

Hu Yetao encircled Oscar's slim waist as the door clicked shut behind them and allowed his mate's scent to fill him up, calming the panic that had felt permanent from the moment he'd regained consciousness. He pressed his face into Oscar's neck and closed his eyes.

"I know you're not alright but… how are you?" Oscar murmured so that only Hu Yetao could hear; the two completely ignored for the moment the silent Headmistress seated behind them at her desk.

Hu Yetao exhaled, thankful that it wasn't too shaky. "Better now that you're here," he admitted just as quietly. "My… my heat ended early because of what happened," he added.

Oscar pulled back to look at him. "I know."

Hu Yetao could sense that his mate wanted to say more but his brown eyes held a promise of later and Hu Yetao nodded in acknowledgment of the silent promise.

Professor Amber cleared her throat and the two finally turned to face her, arms still loosely wrapped around each other. "Please take a seat gentlemen," she said, indicating the two armchairs fronting her large desk. The flowered armchairs were new additions to the office since Shen Baoping's time and looked oddly out of place with the masculine feel of the rest of the space.

Hu Yetao kept ahold of Oscar's hand as they each took a seat, Oscar having to slide his chair closer to maintain contact. Hu Yetao would have been embarrassed if the need for touch at that moment hadn't been so dire. He knew Oscar probably felt the same way; the Slytherin was not one for public displays of emotion.

The Headmistress folded her hands on top of the desk and peered at Hu Yetao over her square spectacles. "Firstly, how are you Mr. Yetao?" she asked gently, concern etched in the lines around her eyes.

"I'm okay," Hu Yetao replied with a shrug, not knowing what else to say, he'd hardly had time to process it himself. Oscar gave his hand a light squeeze.

"If you need to speak with someone, a Professional," she continued, eyes nearly piercing him with their intensity, "then please let me know and I can arrange for someone from St. Shèng  to meet with you."

Hu Yetao's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh no, I… I don't think that will be necessary."

"Very well, if you change your mind please let me know, or you can always contact them on your own time. I will say no more about it." She stopped and reached for the waiting cup of tea next to her elbow, her gaze taking in the pair of them as she sipped. "I suppose I do not need to ask this question after witnessing the pair of you together and after my discussion with Mr. Wang, but humor an old woman," she said, resting her cup in one hand. "Hu Yetao, is Mr. Wang your chosen mate?"

"Yeah - yes," Hu Yetao replied instantly.

Amber nodded, obviously confirming what Oscar had most likely already told her.

"Professor?" Hu Yetao spoke up. "Is… is Professor Chao okay? It wasn't his fault…"

The Headmistress' eyes instantly hardened and she set her cup back down with a loud clink. "Yes, he has recovered from the frenzy he found himself in. Mr. Yetao, while the Professor's Alpha instincts took over because of your heat pheromones, he has still committed a heinous act against a student and has thus been informed that he must leave Hogwarts immediately."

Hu Yetao's lips parted in shock and then a wave of self-loathing quickly washed over him. "But… but Professor that's not fair. He's a brilliant teacher and he loves his job, you can't sack him!"

"Mr. Yetao, if Mr. Wang had not sensed your distress and come to your aid, Professor Chao would have most certainly succeeded in raping you. He cannot in good conscience be allowed to remain here and continue to teach. Rest assured that he is not out on the street though; he will be accepting a transfer to a different place.''

Hu Yetao sat back in his chair, feeling dreadful for being the cause of Professor Chao's departure. He didn't blame him at all; it was just terrible timing for his heat to start then, combined with the unfortunate fact that Hu Yetao didn't know how to recognize the signs of an impending heat cycle.

"But-"

"Hu Yetao, do you think you could sit in class with Professor Chao instructing you after everything that's happened?" Oscar interrupted quietly, turning to face him. "Do you think I could sit in class with the two of you in the same room again?"

Hu Yetao looked at his mate and tried to picture it. He knew instantly that Oscar was right, there was no way he could act normally in Professor Chao's presence again, not as flashes of images from earlier suddenly assaulted him.; snap-shots of being pinned down, unable to move, and intrusive finger breaching him, hot breath on the back of his neck, and the terrifying sound of a zipper being pulled down…

Hu Yetao shuddered in revulsion and quickly tried to hide his reaction but the squeeze to his hand let him know that he wasn't fooling anyone.

Amber picked up her teacup once more, seeming satisfied, and took a sip of the fragrant liquid. "Hu Yetao, I know you detest the Ministry so I will not push you to inform them of your Omega status, but they will find out eventually."

Hu Yetao sighed and firmly pushed aside the disturbing images from earlier to concentrate. Truthfully he never wanted to think about it again. "I know. It doesn't matter I guess. As long as they also know that I already have a mate and that I don't want any other Alphas contacting me."

Amber surveyed him over the rim of her steaming cup. "Mr. Wang has informed me that you have not been officially claimed as of yet."

Hu Yetao felt his face heat. "Er no, I guess not. I… I don't really… I don't know that I'm all that comfortable with the whole… biting thing."

The Headmistress' lips twitched minutely and Hu Yetao refused to look at Oscar, knowing the Slytherin would most likely be smirking in amusement at his naiveté too.

"I'm not afraid of the pain," Hu Yetao explained defensively. "I just don't like the idea of being claimed. It's archaic and… and a little insulting. And I've read that the Omega doesn't bite his Alpha to claim him in return so… so it's sexist too! Well, not sexist in our situation since we're the same sex but you know what I mean."

Hu Yetao chanced a glance at Oscar and, instead of being met with a smirk, his mate was steadfastly looking at Amber, a trace of dissatisfaction in his brown eyes.

"I'll think about it though," Hu Yetao swiftly added, not wanting to upset his mate, not after everything he'd done for him that day. The fact that a claimed mark would help ward off other Alphas was certainly a benefit that he couldn't argue with. It was just all so confusing; his human side at odds with his Omega side.

"I'm not here to discuss the minute details of your relationship Mr. Yetao; I simply wish to ensure that you are aware of how mateship works between an Alpha and Omega. Being raised by Muggles as you have been, I know your knowledge may be limited compared with Mr. Wang's, and I realize some things may not seem as 'normal' to you."

Hu Yetao nodded, relieved that she understood.

"You are now aware of when your heat cycle will occur every month," Amber continued efficiently, "so I expect you to take the proper precautions during that time. You may miss your classes and use the isolation room in the infirmary for the duration if you wish. We have a few female Omegas here that have already arranged their schedules with Madam Chen Zihan. You are the first Omega here to have already selected a mate though, so I must insist that you are removed from Mr. Wang's presence during this time. It would be irresponsible for me to allow you to spend your heat together and possibly end up with a pregnancy before you've finished your education."

"Yes Professor," Hu Yetao replied with a nod. He had no intention of ending up pregnant at eighteen either.

The Headmistress set down her now empty teacup and sat back in her chair with a creak of ancient wood, tugging her tartan shawl around her bony shoulders despite the warmth of the crackling fire in the large grate located beneath the vast collection of moving portraits. "I believe the student gossips have already been hard at work spreading the rather astounding news that Hu Yetao is an Omega and that Oscar is his mate, so brace yourselves; I hope you're prepared for what this news may bring upon you - from both sides."

Hu Yetao looked to Oscar and was relieved when the Slytherin finally made eye contact with him again. His mate looked resolute and determined and his eyes visibly softened when Hu Yetao looked at him. He turned back to the Headmistress and knew the same stubborn, determined look was on his face.

She observed them both with what could only be described as fond exasperation. "If you have any trouble or if anything else happens to you Mr. Yetao, please alert me straight away."

"Yes Professor," Hu Yetao promptly assented.

"And Mr. Wang, thank you again for your quick action today," she added, turning to Oscar. "It's good to see that Hu Yetao has an Alpha that just may be up to the challenge of being his mate."

Oscar smirked and Hu Yetao could tell that they'd had quite the conversation while he'd been unconscious. He wondered what else they'd spoken about without him around.

"That's all for now," Professor Amber said, straightening in her chair in a dismissive gesture. "Keep me advised of any changes or odd behavior from other students or professors. I shall make a short announcement with regards to Professor Chao's transfer without divulging the details of what transpired. I will find a replacement as quickly as I can and classes will hopefully resume shortly. Good day gentlemen."

"Uh, Professor?" Hu Yetao said as he and Oscar stood. "I've had two erm, encounters with other Alphas - both students - when alone with them and… it doesn't seem like the female Omegas have this problem."

"Who were they?" she asked with a frown.

Hu Yetao glanced at Oscar, who was listening closely, before replying. "I'd rather not say," he said. He didn't want Amber to know that one of them was Kazuma since she might accuse Oscar of being the one who attacked him, and he didn't want to tell her Zeng Hanjiang's name since Oscar didn't know that one and he wanted to keep it that way.

"I see," she replied pensively. "Well, most unclaimed Omegas will avoid being alone in the company of an Alpha. That's just good sense, is it not Mr. Yetao?"

Hu Yetao nodded, feeling distinctly foolish. There was no way he was going to mention taking the scent masking potions to excess now.

"Thank you, Professor," Oscar inserted smoothly as he pulled on Hu Yetao's hand and led him from the room, clearly ready to leave.

Hu Yetao breathed a sigh of relief once they were out in the empty corridor together. "That was awkward," he surmised over the noise of the stone gargoyle grinding to a close next to them. "What?" he asked when he turned to see Oscar staring at him rather intensely.

"Come on." Oscar turned and began to drag Hu Yetao along behind him.

"Where are we going?"

Oscar glanced over his shoulder at him, eyes gleaming silver in the flickering torchlight. "To our room."

"Our room?" Hu Yetao repeated in confusion. "Do you mean the Room of Requirement?"

"No, Professor Amber has seen fit to allocate a spare set of bed chambers for the two of us to share."

Hu Yetao's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Oscar rolled his eyes at his mate's incredulous expression. "You're such a prude Taotao, she knows what we will be getting up to behind closed doors, so she's decided to keep us away from prying eyes. Plus, it'll be safer for you to be living away from those Gryffindor Alphas."

"I still can't believe it," Hu Yetao said, amazed.

"I also told her that you only wanted the one mate and I'm fairly certain that romantic notion is what completely swayed her into giving us our shag room."

Hu Yetao's stride faltered and he blanched at Oscar's words.

Oscar stopped to face him, eyes tightening in concern. He took in Hu Yetao's pale face and the shameful expression that he was attempting to hide and then gently pulled on his hand to get them moving again. "Come on," he said softly.

Hu Yetao followed silently, a sense of dread coming over him. He didn't want what happened to affect him, he didn't want to be weak or have it change his desire for Oscar. Professor Chao hadn't even succeeded in actually raping him, he should be fine.

Hu Yetao hoped it wouldn't scar him for life; he had enough of those already.