Chapter 86

"Now place the tip of your wand over your heart."

Hu Yetao nodded and raised his wand to do as Professor Mika asked, steadfastly ignoring his silently seething Alpha in the corner of the room.

Hu Yetao had had to tell his DADA professor about the possibility of him being pregnant to find out whether it was still safe to begin his Animagus training, and despite Professor Mika's assurances that Hu Yetao could continue without any harm coming to a potential fetus, Oscar was not pleased. They had had quite the row over it, the tension of which was still lingering between the two mates, but Hu Yetao was determined to learn how to transform, and he also needed a distraction during this interminable two-week wait.

"That's it." Professor Mika watched closely as Hu Yetao complied with his directions. "Now say the incantation."

Hu Yetao licked his lips and held his wand in place over his heart. "Amato Animo Animato Animagus," he chanted quietly.

"Good Hu Yetao," Professor Mika said encouragingly, "now drink the potion."

Oscar emitted a sound of disapproval as Hu Yetao reached out with his free hand to lift the crystal vial from off of the wooden table on his left. Without looking at his mate, Hu Yetao quickly downed the blood-red liquid and then swiftly set the vial back down, knowing, from the professor's warning, exactly what was to come.

Hu Yetao grimaced and shut his eyes against the rather fiery pain that erupted deep in his chest.

"Tell me when you feel it," the professor called out in the background, tone steady and calm.

Hu Yetao took a deep breath and tried to ignore the burning sensation under his skin to detect the thud of a secondary heartbeat.

His eyes flew back open as he suddenly felt it. It was there; the distinct thump, thump, thump of a heartbeat in counterpoint to his own.

It was a very odd sensation…

Hu Yetao stared straight ahead and held his breath as the next stage began to materialize right before his eyes. Professor Mika was speaking in the background but he couldn't understand what he was saying, he merely continued to stare straight ahead as a faint silvery light began to glow and rise out of the dusty floor of the Shrieking Shack, slowly increasing in size.

Hu Yetao knew this was his vision of the animal he was to become whenever he transformed. He tried to pick out the antlers of the stag as the ball of light slowly took its intended form.

He frowned as the reforming light began to take on the shape of something that wasn't anything like a stag - or any sort of hooved animal at all.

It wasn't as tall as a stag, and a long tail seemed to be developing and becoming more solid under his baffled gaze. He wanted to look to Professor Mika for assistance but he knew only he could see his intended animal; this was his vision and his alone.

Hu Yetao's eyes widened as the distinct shape of some sort of jungle cat began to take shape. It wasn't as tall as a lion or a tiger, its legs were shorter and stockier, but it had rounded cat ears and a long, oddly thick tail.

As the white fur with the black spots became obvious, Hu Yetao suddenly knew what it was. He'd only just seen one of these exact animals at the Island Zoo with Xinyao and Jing-Long.

The cat swiftly became solid and looked at Hu Yetao with a cheeky sparkle in its eyes. Hu Yetao absently admired the beauty of the creature for a minute, noting the black zig-zag on its forehead which perfectly matched the placement of his lightning-bolt scar.

The glowing creature only remained solid for a minute before finally beginning to dissolve into silvery mist once more.

He blinked and suddenly the vision was gone, the dim room of the Shrieking Shack coming back into focus and causing him to instantly miss the warm light of his Animagus.

He felt nothing now; not the mild burning sensation in his chest nor the secondary heartbeat.

He turned to see his mate standing next to him; the concern Oscar felt for his Omega overriding any residual irritation.

"It wasn't a stag," was all Hu Yetao could think of to say.

Professor Mika approached him, looking curious. "What was it?"

Hu Yetao swallowed and a reluctant grin twitched at his lips as he got over the initial shock of his Animagus form not being what he had expected. "I think it was a Snow Leopard," he replied, answering the professor but looking at his mate.

Oscar arched a brow. "You don't say…" he murmured, clearly amused.

Professor Mika laughed out loud. "Perfect!" he said, looking pleased. "Your magic has chosen a form to match your Alpha; that's extraordinary."

"But I'm not a…. you-know-what," Hu Yetao replied, bemused. "I'm not even a tiger or any sort of cat that comes close to the same size as a you-know-what."

"But you will have the same sort of inclinations as Oscar," Professor Mika said, still smiling. "The same sort of instincts and nature, perhaps not as emotionally turbulent as him, which is brilliant, as you may help ground your mate in times of distress. It is perfect Hu Yetao," he added, and then paused, his smile turning sympathetic. "I know you were hoping to share the same form as your father…"

Hu Yetao smiled a little and shook his head. "I'm not disappointed, I'm just… surprised. I assumed my Animagus form would match my Patronus."

"You may find that your Patronus has changed as well."

"Really?" Hu Yetao didn't know how he felt about that, he'd always felt as though his Patronus was like having a link to his father.

He re-sheathed his wand, not wanting to find out in that particular moment.

"How are you feeling?" Oscar asked as his assessing gaze ran over his mate, searching for any hint of discomfort.

"I feel fine," Hu Yetao replied with a nod, as he reached for his cloak on the broken chair behind him. "Completely normal."

Oscar glanced at the professor while Hu Yetao slung his cloak over his shoulders and clasped it into place around his neck. "And he can safely continue his training if he's pregnant?" he asked for perhaps the tenth time that evening.

Professor Mika nodded, smiling indulgently at the young Alpha. "Yes, as I've said before, there is no harm in allowing Hu Yetao to continue to learn this process. I would advise against transforming during his final trimester as it would put extra strain on Hu Yetao's magical reserves at a time when he will need to conserve it." He paused, his eyes flicking to Hu Yetao and back. "I am certain he will be much too exhausted to even think about attempting a transformation by that point though. Male pregnancies are known to be quite taxing on the body."

Oscar exhaled heavily, still not looking pleased, but at least he seemed a little more accepting of Hu Yetao's foolhardy ways.

Hu Yetao smiled at him, wanting the tension hanging over their heads to be gone. "Hey, no complaining, you knew what I was like when you accepted me as your mate," he teased.

Oscar reluctantly smiled back. "Yes, but I never used to care when you were reckless," he pointed out. "I encouraged it wholeheartedly."

Hu Yetao laughed and they followed a grinning Professor Mika towards the exit and down into the secret tunnel, which had been surreptitiously restored by the Golden Trio and a few close friends after it had been destroyed during the war.

Oscar held onto his hand as they made their way back to the castle and Hu Yetao felt better than he had in days, like some of the weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He'd completed the first stage of his Animagus training and Oscar was at least speaking to him again. He knew fighting with his Alpha was not going to make this pregnancy fiasco any easier so he vowed to at least hold off on his training until after they found out.

The three carefully emerged onto the snow-covered grounds of Hogwarts. It was still early evening, but too cold and dark for any of the other students to be wandering around out there, so they were safe to make their way back into the castle unobserved.

Hu Yetao took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he walked close to Oscar's side. In just six days he would find out if he was truly carrying their child.