"I'm sorry," her small voice interrupted his thoughts. Sorry? For what? He turned on her speculatively.

She knew he wouldn't ask why, he was a man of few words, so she continued on, "I'm sorry that I'm such a disappointment to you, and you hate me so much. I never asked to be trained with you."

Why did everything she say just infuriate him more?

.

.

Draco Malfoy looked up into the bitter night sky with a grim expression. He had been out on the arctic tundra for almost two weeks and he still had no evidence that the shadow scream dragons had been there. He couldn't be too upset, at least he was alone.

After everything that happened at the end of his seventh year at Hogwarts, being alone was the greatest gift he could ask for.

Insufferable Potter defeated the Dark Lord, but still left behind many followers with nothing except vengeance on their minds. Draco's family wasn't exactly the all fearing one that it used to be, they all had targets on their backs.

University wasn't even an option for him. The good and normal people of the wizarding world still looked at him as if he were a monster, and the stranded followers branded him a traitor.

Then he found out about the Dragon's Guild. These guilds were all over the world filled with highly trained fighters and scholars with the sole mission of tracking, taking care of, controlling, and categorizing the many dragons that existed. He jumped at the chance to do anything that involved beasts over wizards...and he became very good at it.

Draco shrugged away the chill that began running his spine and went back to camp, he had to make contact with his chief commander.

.

"Still nothing?" Draco's superior asked with a sly grin

Draco had to roll his eyes. His chief commander, Larson, thought that Draco was lying about the shadow screams and just wanted a reason to escape any sort of society he could. Shadow screams were thought to be extinct for almost a millennium.

Not that Larson cared. He believed that Draco was a good man, and a hard worker, so he thought the young wizard needed a vacation...even if it was in the isolated frozen tundra.

"Nothing yet. I'll give it another day or two and then I'll be back at the guild."

Larson nodded his ashen head poking from Draco's fire pit, "Sounds good, I'll need you here soon anyway."

"Why?" Draco questioned. He hated doing things that concerned anything other than what he was currently doing.

Larson contained his chuckle, he could tell that Malfoy was already irritated, "We're getting a potential new recruit, a good one too...smart, experienced...I'll need you here to go over the training basics."

Draco sighed, on one hand he was honored to be a commander, training was something he was trusted with because he was the best, but on the other... how annoying... Especially a smart and experienced one. Those were the ones that gave back the most lip. How experienced could he be if he was a new recruit anyway?

Staying true to his word, Draco apparated back to the stony, moss covered castle known as the North East Dragons Guild after two days of nothing except miniature ice dragons.

There were times Draco's peers would try to heckle him for the lack of info he brought back, but his stony features and reputation were enough to usually keep any of them from speaking to him at all.

Today, as he entered the headquarters, he noticed he was getting an array of different looks, from quizzical to mischievous, but not a word. Something felt a bit off...

"Malfoy, my office!" He heard Larson call from across the room. Draco made his way there before he gave into the urge to punch a fellow guild member in the face...

Inside of the office Larson sat behind his desk and he was speaking warmly to an astoundingly out of place woman. She stood up to greet him as he entered and Larson boasted happily, "Malfoy, this is our newest potential recruit, Cam." She was small, he noted, with a bundle of chestnut colored hair piled into a bun atop her head. Everything about her seemed dainty, from the button nose on her warm toned skin to the dragon hide boots on her feet.

Draco kept his features hard, although he felt quite confounded. He had never had to train a woman, nobody has...because there has never been a woman in any of the dragon guilds. Tracking and dealing with dragons is rigorous, strenuous, and very hard work. She looked small and dainty...like dead weight.

Even when he shook her hand he felt as if he might crush her frail bones, but she continued to smile, "Good to finally meet you, I've heard so much-"

"Forget what you've heard," he gruffed while taking his own seat, not bothering to look at her again.

Cam's polite smile faded and she smirked knowingly, "I'm referring to your dragon work Mr. Malfoy." As he no doubt believed she was speaking of his school days as a lost little Deatheater.

He made no change that he cared about what she was referring to.

Larson chuckled nervously, "Well, this is going good..." He turned to Malfoy, "Take her to the mountain. Three days training, then report back to discuss if we will induct her."

The mountain.

Dragon Mountain.

Cam's heart bottomed out. She knew that she would have to return there some day, but she didn't think it would be her very first day...

By the look on her face Draco knew that she was well aware of what the mountain was. She didn't look so confident now he reveled. He would break her on her first day and send her back to where she came from...

Larson had to urgently leave the room to attend to a brawl that just erupted between two bull-headed guild members, so Cam was forced to look at the hardened face of Draco Malfoy. A man famous for his trivial but important parts in the War...and knowing Harry Potter, or hating Harry Potter, whichever...she never looked into it much. She studied how well-groomed and handsome he looked, which surprised her because she thought they would all look like outdoor grizzly men...much like how her father always use to look...She couldn't help but curl her lip when her eyes got to his face. He was still wearing a silent snarl...

She soon tired of his cynical stare and broke the silence, "Yes, I am a woman. How long is it going to take you to get over it...?" Because she knew that that was what he was holding against her. There wasn't any other reason for his blatant discomfort with her.

Draco clicked his tongue, slightly impressed at her gall, "Until you prove yourself."

She couldn't help her widened eyes, she didn't think he would actually agree that he was against a woman becoming a dragon guild member...but he did.

"Fair's fair, "She replied coldly.

Already, Draco knew that she was going to be hard to break, which made him want to do it even more. He took a deep breath, he needed to just start this damn training... "Have you ever been to the mountain?"

"Yes."

"How many times?"

"More than I can count."

He wasn't expecting that, how had she been there so much?

Cam saw his eyes narrow further, as if he didn't believe her, but she left it. She watched as he nonchalantly picked up her portfolio and browsed it casually, making her bite her tongue in frustration the entire time. Why did he still have that aggravated look? There was nothing but good things within that folder... further proof his disdain towards her was completely personal.

The surely commander looked up at her suddenly, his mouth set in a smarmy smirk, "Do not expect me to take it easy on you."

The blood running through Cam's body immediately began to churn, she was outraged at how disgusted he seemed to sound with her, "I don't, " She practically spit.

He only 'hmphed' and stood up without a word. She realized he was leaving the room and he expected her to follow, but she had to take one very quick moment to reel back her rage...just what was he going to do to her? She wasn't scared, but she was anxious.

The smell was the first thing to invade Cam's senses as her toes touched down on the scorched ground. She inhaled deeply...pine, ashes, blood, decay... With nearly a hundred dragons and twenty species, both big and small, Dragon Mountain was a crammed space full of carnage.

She winced back the terrible memories that overwhelmed her from the last time she was there and gathered her wits. She had to be completely and totally alert.

Draco saw the fleeting fear in the girl's eyes and felt his mouth curve into a grin. Before he could speak though, she was already marching north, she was right by doing so, but he didn't know if she knew that she was right...

She spoke before he could even ask, "Open forest, mid-morning, prime time feeding hours for miniature spike-fangs, north is best."

He followed her silently.

Cam reacted out of instinct, it wasn't until she had taken a few steps away from him that she realized she didn't even let him give a command...

Once she felt that she was safe pressed up against a small rocky alcove, she turned to him, "Sorry, natural reaction..." His gray eyes bore into her, scrutinizing her, she assumed he didn't take kindly to her reacting without orders.

As she apologized, Draco couldn't help noticing her long black eyelashes that batted at him. He was appalled at how cute she looked. There wasn't any room for cute on this mountain! He may be impressed that she knew what to do right away, but he wouldn't acknowledge she looked attractive while doing it.

So, she was smart...but could she actually handle a dragon? Could she physically endure one...alone? He highly doubted it.

"Lesson one, " he drawled, not even addressing her apology, "Find a completely secure camp."

She nodded her chin confidently, a determined scowl on her face. Of course, she could do that, that was rule number one for just about any outdoor situation.

Draco continued to watch her closely as her eyes scanned the area around her thoughtfully.

They stood on a slanted hillside made of soft earth and partials of hard rock. Tall pine trees towered over them and the gleaming morning sun poked through their arms sporadically. They were still fairly close to the bottom so the temperature was still warm...

Yet again, Draco was impressed when she chose an underground camp. She confidently drove the tip of her wand into the dirt where a one-meter round hole then appeared.

"Done," she told him calmly after she stood and looked at him, her demeanor calm. His arms were crossed and he wore the same bored scowl he had been wearing since she met him, it was utterly impossible to read his face.

"So, show me inside then. "

The potential recruit had thought out every detail. The inside of the camp was small, practical, and stocked. Not at all like how he thought a woman would conjure one up. He felt 'well done' on the tip of his tongue but withheld. "Lesson two. Discreetly identify every dragon in the vicinity."

Again, Cam nodded confidently then headed toward the door. He made no move to follow her, no interest in shadowing her. She didn't ask any questions in accordance to his vague description of what to do. If she were to ask questions, she felt he would only ridicule her and then not even answer her, so she faced her fear and walked back into the forest on Dragon Mountain alone.

Draco collapsed onto the nearest cot and let out an irritated breath. So far, she was exceeding expectations on her lessons. His only hope in still breaking her lied in his doubt for her physical capabilities and stamina. He was keen to crush her there...

It took Cam all of two hours to identify as many dragons as possible in the area. As much as she feared being there, alone on the mountain, she had to admit she felt very comfortable doing what she was doing.

Dragons were her life. She knew of every species and had damn near met close to all of them. They were fascinating and completely fantastic creatures, but she also feared them as much as she loved them. Every species was capable of being a cold-blooded killer and cared for next to nothing besides their kin. They had taken so much from her, but her love for them still remained.

There didn't seem to be anything too frightening around them, mostly lumpy sparkhooks, venom stalkers, and three-toed razortails. There may be the possibility of a ghost fury, but she couldn't be positive, they were hard to see.

Cam's training mentor was fast asleep when she came back to camp around noon. She had foraged some berries and even caught herself a rabbit and decided to make some lunch. She did her best to stay quiet so he could rest. She didn't need to be a mediwitch to notice the dark circles beneath his eyes, he could use a good slumber.

It was hard, but she kept her eyes on the food she was preparing. Every so often her eyes would wander to the sleeping man that looked as if he had demons no less frightening than hers...

Draco didn't have a clue as to what time it was when he finally woke, but something smelled delicious. He was taken aback to find on the small table a very detailed rendering of the forest, a list of dragons and how many, and a still piping hot bowl of stew.

He took note of how irritatingly thorough she was, and how instead of being pleased with her he found her to be quite obnoxious. He felt like he was dealing with a hot Granger, and he hated Granger... Still, he sat down to eat the stew and scan the list she had made. It was all very straight forward, nothing exciting...until the very last note...Possible ghost fury, proof is not tangible enough for proper conclusion.

Draco's body felt cold. If she thought she saw a ghost fury, she did see a ghost fury.

A ghost fury dragon had a ridiculously impeccable memory. They spent 99.9% of their life in the same exact location, their haunting grounds... He was familiar with the ghost fury that lived on the mountain but thought the old beast had died years ago. Of course, ol' Reaper would still be alive, how could this get any worse? He wanted to growl as he hastily made his way out of the small camp. Reaper probably already had his scent and was searching for him...

Cam kept herself cloaked and her steps light. She finished above and beyond what her trainer asked of her and then went back out to continue researching. She was currently observing a lumpy sparkhook baby search for food while its mother watched on adoringly. Nearly twenty minutes passed before the mother suddenly screeched, called it's young to her, and fled.

There's only one reason that causes a dragon to flee in terror, and that's another bigger and scarier dragon...

That's when Cam felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and her body stiffen in fear. The forest was now eerily calm and she had a very good idea why...she did see a ghost fury...

Draco ran through the trees and brush swiftly, following the signal Cam's wand gave off to her fellow guild members. He could feel his heart rapidly beating, threatening to burst through his chest. He knew he said she needed to be taught a lesson, but now that he knew she may be up against a vengeful ghost fury alone he feared he may have her death on his hands soon...

The closer he got to her signal the quieter the woods became, a definite sign that Reaper was on the prowl. He continued to stalk her signal quietly, now a bit more aware...until he heard the frightfully loud sound of Reaper's roar. He would never hear the end of it from Larson if he had a recruit killed on the first day!

Finally, Draco came upon a clearing where all he was able to see was the large white bony backside of Reaper, Cam's signal thrumming from the other side of the silent white dragon. She was dead, she had to be, he could think of no other reason for the dragon to keep so silent and calm unless her dead body was laying before it.

Cam stared into the large yellow eyes of a full-grown male ghost fury. She demanded herself to stay calm as she thought over the dragon's stats, what were its weaknesses?! It was hard to try and recall when it seemed as if the dragon was reaching into her soul with its stare! It seemed to be mentally dissecting her which was very baffling, why had it not eaten her yet?!

Draco inched his way silently around the clearing until he was clearly able to see the dragon's profile.

What he was looking at was one of the most awe-inspiring things he's even witnessed.

Cam was face to face with Reaper, the two of them just calmly looking into one another's eyes. He had never witnessed anything like it, the dragon was actually docile! In his state of mild shock, he made the rookie mistake of snapping a twig loudly beneath his foot, drawing the dragon away from Cam and right into his own face as the beast let out a deafening roar.

Reaper's eyes enflamed as he recognized Draco and wasted no time springing toward him, it's massive jaws gaping in hopes of devouring the wizard. Draco's last thought before he knew the teeth of the dragon were about to maul him was, this is why woman don't belong in the guild...

The fear was trying to choke Cam as she saw the dragon turn to Malfoy. She was not scared for herself anymore, but for Malfoy, her commander. The thought of him dying shook her down to her bones.

It took only a split second for her instincts to kick in once again. Without a thought she threw her charmed rope around all four of rampant dragon's feet, letting gravity take effect and forcing the beast to fall over, whaling in anger. The ground thundered as its full weight hit and the dragon lay near her feet. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the creature scream and squeal, she hated to see its pain and suffering so she immediately reached for the dragon knockout serum they used to subdue dragons and injected it.

It all happened so fast! If Draco would have blinked, he wouldn't have been able to watch his trainee take out Reaper's legs with one throw of her rope and then subdue him without a second thought!

Now, he couldn't look away as she sat at the dragon's side, her head bowed, hands placed upon the dragon's ribs, weeping quietly. Reaper was now fast asleep and Cam looked well exhausted.

Cam could hear his footsteps approaching but she didn't want to look up, she knew he was going to scold her.

"What do you know about ghost fury's?"

"Please be more specific," she asked though the emotion lump still lodged in her throat.

"What's their greatest ability?" He grit out, annoyed with her attitude, and for some reason he didn't understand, furious as well.

"Their memory," she responded, sounding more composed but still looking at the ground.

"Exactly. This is Reaper, we have met before."

Cam finally looked up at him, "He remembered you."

"Yes. He also remembers how I inadvertently killed his mate."

Cam felt her jaw drop, "That's terrible, " she whispered. She could feel her heart break a little for the poor dragon.

Draco huffed, now visibly annoyed, "It was an accident! No matter, we have to move camp before Reaper wakes. He knows I'm here, he'll come looking for me. And he won't stop until my scent has vanished or he kills me, so we'll have to hike to the complete other side of the mountain."

It was hard for Cam to hold her tongue, but she didn't want to make a habit of back sassing her superiors, no matter how insufferable he is. Why did he have to be so mean to her though? She just saved his life!

"Of course, " she told him somberly while standing to her feet and summoning the camp in one move. He didn't move a muscle as she did, so she took it upon herself to start walking east.

Draco clenched his jaw when she began moving in the right direction, of course he didn't need to tell her where to go!