Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I own the legend I used in this one shot. I have no rights to it nor do I make any money from writing these fic's.
Dragon Koi
His golden wings shone in the sun light, his bright emerald eyes glowed like a cat. The wind rushed past him causing his long black hair to dance against his traditional Chinese Marshal arts and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead to show.
"Big brother," came an excited child's voice, "Big brother!"
The male turned around with a kind smile showing the pattern of a silver dragon on his clothes. He knelt down and held his arms open in a warm invite for the child.
"Imōto, what has gotten into you?" the male asked with a small smile, "Is there mice in your clothe draws again?"
The young child shook her head, her long brown hair going everywhere, "No big brother, Pansy-Chan sorted that out!"
He chuckled and placed a loving kiss on her forehead, "Then just what has gotten into you then?"
"Visitors!" squealed the girl, "Tousan has gone to meet them in the entrance way!"
A frown covered his face, "And…just what is it that these visitors want?"
"I don't know big brother but Tousan told me to come and get you," the young girl said, hugging her elder brother tightly, "Good luck…they're scary."
"Fear not young Hermione," He said as he placed the girl, Hermione, down, "I'll protect you."
"I know you will big brother," came the honest and innocent reply.
"Hermione," came a loud shout from the main house, "Lady Hermione!"
"Go," the winged male said, giving Hermione a gentle push, "Your family needs you."
"W…will you be alright?" Hermione asked as she petted her brother's wings, "I mean…the rules…"
"I shall be fine," he pushed her again, "Now go and see why you are needed."
"Alright!" Hermione said with a final hug, "I hope it happens soon."
"So do I, now scat."
"Alright, alright, I'm going," with that Hermione disappeared back into the house but not without a smile and wave.
"I wonder what they'll do when they realise you're the one," he said with a sigh, "I wonder what will happen when they work out I'm here to take you away…"
With that he turned and looked up at the cloudless sky, the wind blew once more to show a certain lightning bolt scar. A small yet sad smile graced his lips at what he heard.
"Lady Hermione where have you been?" Ginny, Hermione's closet nanny, asked taking the young girls hand, "You know your parents don't like to be kept waiting."
"But GinGin I was talking to my friend," Hermione said with a small pout, "His still waiting for whoever it is…"
"Well you know the rules," Ginny said as she sorted the young mistress out, "Don't go near him alone, don't talk about him in the presence of guests and your parents, this is-"
"Our little secret," Hermione said with a giggle, "I understand but why can't he meet mum and dad for? He doesn't mean any harm and I'm sure they'd love him."
Ginny gave a soft smile, "If he is waiting for someone like you said I fear a death will happen soon, I do not wish to change anything…it is dangerous to play with life and death…yet your parents will use him to…"
"They'll want to know who and then all about the death," Hermione said in understanding, "But…"
"Ginny is my daughter ready?" came a knock at the door, "I have someone to introduce her to."
"Coming my Lord," Hermione said quickly.
"Ginny," Hermione said nervously, "I…I don't want to do this…I'm scared…"
"I know little one," Ginny said wiping the tears away, "But we have to grow up, it is tradition for you to meet your-"
"But I'm only five years old!" Hermione said with a stomp of her foot, "I want to go back outside to him."
"I know," Ginny said hugging Hermione tightly, "I know and you can…let's just get today out of the way with and then you can play for a long time…I'll even join you."
"Alright!" Hermione cried out in happiness, "Let's go and meet the doo doo head and get this over with."
"Hussh they'll hear you," Ginny said with a watery chuckle, "Now then are you ready?"
Hermione checked her outfit over, she had the proper clothing and jewellery on for a meeting just as this, "I'm…as ready as I'll ever be."
"Good luck," Ginny said before standing up, "I'll always be with you, they may take my body away from you but my spirit will be with you always."
"Thank you…mummy," Hermione said causing Ginny to break down, "Now let's meet this idiot."
"As my Lady wishes," Ginny said with a nod, "Let's meet the idiots."
"Ah there they are," came the happy and proud cry from the Lord, "My precious daughter come here."
Hermione nervously stepped forwards to see her father, a medium sized male with soft brown hair dressed in the clothes of a noble man, at the door with another male, much like her father but this man was thinner and held black hair with a small boy her age behind him.
"Tousan," Hermione said with a smile as she remembered her manors, "I am here, what is it you wish of me?"
"My my what a fine girl you have," the black haired male said looking at Ginny as if she was a piece of dirt, "She will do, not the best but my son is already six and he won't be getting any younger. Girl meet your husband."
Hermione gripped her dress tightly as she laid eyes on her future husband. The boy that stood opposite her was only six, Hermione based this on his father's words, yet to look at him Hermione would have guessed him to be older. He looked like a miniature version of his father on it seemed he had his mother's hair which was a mixture of red with black streaks in it.
"So what do you think?" her father asked happily, "A match made in heaven."
Hermione winced; they went together as good as a fat man on the toilet after a spicy meal. Through she kept her manors…to bad it couldn't be said for her future husband.
"Ugly and old," the young boy said with a sneer, "Well have a walk around your famous pond then I shall decided."
"Oh yes," Lucius cried out in pride, "My pond has the rare golden koi fish!"
"I bet he had a servant paint them," the elder muttered to his son, "Shall we?"
Hermione allowed her future husband; she hated that fact, and allowed him to lead her out of the house and towards her Tousan's prized koi pond. Her only hope of getting free of this would be resting on her brothers shoulders…would he still be standing there looking up at the sky like he normally did? She hoped so…she also hoped that when they caught sight of him they'd run away like cowards.
"My name is Edwin," the boy, Edwin, said stiffly, "It means rich friend; I can be your rich friend when we marry."
Hermione bit back a hurtful remark, "It is a pleasure to meet you Edwin, my name is Her-," at her father's cough she continued, "Hermione."
"Minus three points," Edwin muttered as he took her hand as if it was going to attack him, "Father, are you sure that…"
"Well after this I'm not too sure but…" the father said with a glare at Hermione, "Maybe once you get to know each other?"
"Here we are," Lucius cried out as they stepped outside, "My wonderful pond! My wonderful Koi fish!"
Hermione groaned, her brother wasn't here to scare them…maybe if she punched Edwin in the stomach…
"You stupid idiot," Edwin's cry came breaking Hermione out of her thoughts, "I asked for green tea, this isn't green tea its normal tea!"
Hermione turned and let out a gasp as at the sight that meet her eyes. Lying on the floor curled up tightly near the edge of the pond was a servant being kicked by Edwin and his father while Hermione's own father just stood on and watched.
"What do you think you're doing?" Hermione cried out in anger as she stormed over, "You don't treat people that way!"
"I know we don't," Edwin sneered through he didn't look at Hermione nor did he stop kicking the servant.
"Then why are you attacking the servant for?" Hermione said as she stamped on Edwin's foot, "Leave him alone!"
"But it's a servant," Edwin's father said as if he was talking to a very young baby, "It's not a person."
"They are as important as we are," Hermione said standing between the servant and the two attackers causing them to stop, "Father, I- AHH!"
Hermione screamed as Edwin pushed her only for her to fall over the curled up servant and into her father's Koi pond with a loud splash, hitting her head on a rock as she went.
"HERMIONE!" Ginny screamed in fear as she ran over from where she had been watching, "Hermione don't worry, I'm coming."
"What have you done?" Lucius cried out in anger, "Your son has killed my daughter!"
"You can have another one," Edwin sneered, "And try to make this one better."
"Why I…" Lucius growled out as he realised just how precious his daughter was to him, "I should-"
"Save Hermione," Ginny cried out, "I can't see her body and she hit her head as she fell."
Lucius closed his eyes for a few seconds before yelling, "GUARDS! Arrest these….animals…for the death of young Lady Hermione."
Lucius and Ginny neither heard nor saw no more, instead they concentrated on trying to save young Hermione only to see no body in the pond.
"Damn it," Lucius swore standing up, "Ginny, take my cloak, I'll jump in and…"
A sharp gasp from Ginny caused tears to appear on Lucius' face, blood…innocent blood could be seen in the water…a lot of blood.
"She's…" Ginny gasped as she placed a hand over her mouth, "She's..d…"
"Fear not for not all is lost," came a calm voice, "Look for the Koi fish with Lady Hermione tiara."
Quickly turning around Ginny gave another gasp, "It's you! The one Hermione called her big brother!"
Kind emerald eyes smiled at them both, "That is correct; I am here to take my Imōto to her next playground. I am here to protect and guide her."
"There!" Lucius cried out as he pointed at a Koi fish, "The one in the centre of the pond, it's the one swimming towards the large gate I have blocking the koi in so they can't get out!"
"It seems she wishes to attempt it earlier than normal," the man said happily, "I shall be carrying out what is needed of me now."
Wrapping his wings around his body the male disappeared and with a flash of golden light a large Chinese golden dragon stood in his place.
"Oh my," Ginny gasped with wide eyes, "The legends are true!"
With what seemed to be an encouraging roar from the golden dragon Hermione jumped out of the water. Everyone watched with baited breaths as the young lady jumped over the large gate.
"Someone get some water quick," Lucius yelled only to hear a voice in his head.
'There is no need' the voice spoke in such a way Lucius could tell it was the winged male from earlier 'I shall protect her.'
All of a sudden Hermione turned from a young Koi fish into a large golden Chinese dragon and with a mighty roar flew up into the air happily.
"Hermione!" Lucius cried out in tears, "My little girl!"
'This is the price you pay for your actions' the same voice spoke in his head.
With one last mighty roar the dragon that stood next to Lucius and Ginny took off into the sky to join a shaky dragon Hermione, helping her to get used to this new body.
"Amazing," Ginny said through tears, "May you be free…my dear daughter."
Everyone now watched as the two dragons flew up and away into the clouds. As the pair disappeared the words, "All she ever wanted was freedom" echoed in their minds.
The End.