Dragons of Twilight : First Millennium, a harry potter fanfic

Dragons of Twilight – First Millennium

Prequel to Dragons of Twilight

*The Harry Potter Series belongs to JK Rowling.*

*All characters in this story are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.*

CHAPTER I

"What the hell do you think you were doing back there, Gryffindor?" Salazar hissed at his red-haired companion, who was still laughing and let himself fall onto the soft pile of moss and conifer needles.

Godric looked up at him, the usual mischievous smile on his handsome face, sea-coloured eyes dancing in amusement.

"Oh come on, Sal, even you have to admit that it was bloody hilarious. By Morrigan, did you see their faces?" He broke into another fit of laughter.

The raven-haired wizard closed the space between them with a few graceful, gliding strides and loomed over his companion, scowling darkly.

"Indeed did I see their faces," he snarled. "And forgive me when I have to inform you that I most certainly cannot find anything remotely amusing in the whole situation."

The younger wizard frowned slightly.

"Now Sal..." he started, but was cut off almost immediately.

"Don't you 'Now Sal' me, Godric Gryffindor," Salazar pressed through clenched teeth. "I can tell you what you were doing at the celebration. You were playing with our very lives! You know what will happen should anybody find out about us! What were you thinking?"

Blue-green eyes dimmed at his words, and Godric sighed.

"I was thinking of how much I long to have you at my side, openly, all the time, not just the short little trysts we can sneak off here and there. I am tired of all the lying and hiding."

The lithe, tall wizard snorted, but his companion could see the cold grey eyes soften gradually.

"You know what your family would say, not to mention mine. And you know what they would be forced to do."

Fire blazed in the younger man's eyes.

"But they don't know you. All they can see is a name and a pedigree and their bloody prejudices. I want you, Sal, I want to be with you forever, and I am not ashamed of that."

Salazar snorted again, and turned away with a whirl of his dark green robes.

"You have always been a fool, Gryffindor, and will without doubt stay one for the rest of your life."

But the tension in his shoulders betrayed his own anxiousness, and his next words were softer, to conceal the coarseness of his voice.

"Even if our families were not engaged in a century-old rivalry, love between members of the same gender is strictly forbidden and a crime to be punished by death. We both know that."

"I don't care any longer!" Godric exclaimed heatedly, jumping to his feet in a fluid movement reminiscent of the big cats he so adored. "I love you and if the price for that shall be my life, then it's well worth it."

Salazar turned back to him at his outburst, and his face bore an expression that only few people ever saw. Tenderness softened the harsh features, affection brightened his eyes to molten silver and the ghost of a smile tugged the corners of his mouth upwards. The younger wizard before him was really a sight to behold, his sea-green eyes sparkling defiantly, his wavy, unruly hair falling down to his shoulders and surrounding the handsome, strong face like a fiery halo, or a lion's mane, his whole pose showing his readiness to fight. Once again, the raven-haired man wondered how such a beautiful creature could have chosen him of all people when he could have had almost anyone he wanted.

'Must be my special charisma.'

Godric relaxed slightly under his gaze, and when the taller wizard drew him into his arms, he sighed and melted into his lover.

"Silly Gryffindor," Salazar murmured silkily into his ear, and he shivered deliciously.

"Your silly Gryffindor," he replied in a husky voice, and could feel the other man purr deep in his throat.

'Sweet Brigid! I wonder if he even realises that it was him who got me hooked up with my fascination for big cats?'

Godric raised his face from Salazar's shoulder, and their eyes met only moments before their lips did, too. The kiss was searing, and when the redhead traced the line of his lover's lips with his tongue, asking for entrance, the older wizard hesitated only a moment before he granted his wish. Godric knew that Salazar did it because he didn't like to be predictable, and he didn't mind. It made their encounters all the more interesting. Velvety tongues met in a subtle battle for dominance, but as they were near equals, neither succeeded in getting the upper hand, and it seemed to end in a draw. At least until Salazar let one of his hands wander casually from the younger man's small back to the bulge under his robes. Godric moaned, and the other man seized the opportunity to conquer his lover's mouth, tasting him, exploring the hot cavern eagerly.

When they finally separated, both were breathing heavier. The fire-haired wizard pouted at Salazar, blue-green eyes twinkling.

"You cheated," he said accusingly, but the effect was somewhat spoiled by his light panting.

His silver-eyed lover smirked. "I did not hear you complain."

"Sneaky Slytherin."

"Gaily Gryffindor."

They kissed again, passionately, daring.

"I really love you, you know that," Godric whispered when they had broken apart again and his head was resting in the crook of Salazar's neck as if the spot was specifically designed for him.

"Do I?" the older wizard replied in a voice you could hear the raised eyebrow in.

The redhead looked up in surprise.

"Did I ever give you reason to doubt it?"

"No," Salazar answered softly, scratching him lightly at the nape of his neck, and Godric's eyes all but fluttered closed while he started to purr.

The older wizard allowed himself a sad smile.

'He is so easy to please, my little lion.'

Without warning, he took a tight grip of the thick fiery hair at his lover's neck, and the young man's eyes flew open.

"But would you still love me if you knew my darkest secrets? You are a naïve fool, Gryffindor. You think you know me, but all you know is another pretty mask I have shown you. I have seen things, possess knowledge that would haunt your dreams, little boy. Oh, of course, you are sooo brave and sooo very talented, but believe me when I tell you that you know nothing about our world. People call you their Golden Boy and say you have met and defeated darkness, but believe me, what you encountered were only mere shadows. The real darkness is out there, blacker than black, bottomless like the void of a starless night sky, and the battle against it will go on for eternity. It will never end, Gryffindor, never."

Godric shuddered in his arm, but his gaze remained firmly locked with Salazar's.

"Tell me," he demanded. "Show me. Teach me."

Salazar smiled. It was a scary smile.

"You really are a fool, Gryffindor, but you are my fool, and I shall do as you ask."

And he released him. Taking out his wand, he cast the strongest sealing and anti-eavesdropping charms Godric had ever seen on their hiding-place in the hollow tree.

"You might as well sit down. This will take a while."

The younger wizard obeyed and sat down cross-legged on the soft, covered ground, while his raven-haired companion remained standing and leaned against the wood behind him.

"A long time ago, the world was different than we know her today, wild, dangerous, untamed. It was an age of extreme contrasts, of great knowledge, yet also of bloody battles, and leadership was determined by fighting and conquering. In this time, the Wizarding and the Mundane world were still one, and magic folks lived among their non-gifted kin, respected and admired. People looked up to us, they came to ask us for advice and for guidance, and we were well-trusted as the mediators between this world and the Other Realms. Every king, every clan-chief, every leader whatsoever had his own magical consultant, who served his land and his people by using his unique talents to their benefit. Most wizards and witches were content with their position in society, but there were always those who craved for more power. They used to stay in the shadows, alone, and could thus be managed with relative ease.

That is, until one of those overly ambitious members of our kind started to gather others who were willing to follow him, luring them with promises of wealth and dominance about the Mundanes. He started the rumour that witches and wizards didn't belong to humanity, but were in fact members of a new, superior race. And in a time of darkness and fear, a considerable part of the magic-gifted people believed him. Once he had ensured their loyalty, he lead them deeper and deeper into the darkness, persuaded them to take over his twisted morals and forged them completely into his minions. Together, they threw the Wizarding society off balance, undermining it, corrupting it, and took over whole countries. The Mundanes' trust in us made them easy prey for the Dark Wizards, and soon they were no more than slaves without even realising it.

The other wizards finally saw that they had to do something, but they were at odds and posed no threat for their dark brethren, at least until the old Merlin was killed and his successor and the Lady of the Lake decided that things had gone too far and stepped in. Now as you well know, the wrath of Avalon is not something to take lightly, and the Dark Wizards finally crossed another of the holy boundaries – they used their powers to alter the appearance and nature of Mundanes, in a way that was passed to next generations."

Godric gasped at the blasphemy.

"Yes, it was a horrible thing to do, but after all the oaths and holy laws they had broken by the abuse of their powers, it was just another crime of many for them to commit. They experimented with those they should have cared for, changing their size, merging human with animal, playing with their minds and souls. In the process, they created the giants, the werewolves, the vampires, and the Dementors, among many other of what we today call the Dark Races.

The Light Wizards soon realised that they stood no chance against an army of those monsters, and eventually they decided to create their own servant, a living weapon, beautiful and deadly at the same time. So they took the fire of the Sun, the stealth of the Night, the speed of the Wind, the mutability of the Sea and the strength of the Earth, moulded it into the physical shape of a dragon, the mightiest beast known to man, and combined it with the soul of a human warrior. The result exceeded their expectations, and at first, it seemed as if the Dark Wizards could be fought back. But they used their darkness to turn the Dragon against his creators, and he brought terror and death upon all who opposed his evil masters.

So the Light Wizards started a second attempt, and this time, Atlantis provided them with the means to control their servants: They took a small part of the Dragon's soul and put it into a wizard, so that no Dragon could live without being Soulbound to a human. Unfortunately, the Dark Ones found means to corrupt the bonded wizards, and after a while, there were Dragons on both sides, and people called them the Dragons of Twilight, because they were either good or evil. The Dragons of Dawn were warm and lovely, and brought with them the hope of living to see a new day, while the Dragons of Dusk were cold and gloomy, and their presence announced the coming of the night with all the horrors that took place in the darkness.

Eventually, a great war broke out and the losses on all sides were terrible. I will not go into detail, suffice to say that the Dark Leader was defeated and his hordes scattered into the four winds. The Wizarding community, however, was such deeply shaken by the events that they decided to separate the two worlds forever, and gradually, the gifted started to draw back from the world of the Mundane, but in some areas where the people refuse to let go, the process is still taking place, and this island is one of those. The Dragons of Twilight that survived the Great War stayed with their wizards and continued to serve faithfully, but they were forbidden to breed and became fewer and fewer with time.

And thus ended the Age of Twilight."

Salazar fell silent, and looked at his fiery-haired companion, obviously waiting for a reaction.

"So this is why Atlantis retreated Under the Sea and Avalon into the Mists,"Godric said softly. "The style of your storytelling... it reminds me of the last Merlin."

The other wizard sneered.

"As is only natural since I learned it from him."

"You knew Kevin Harper?"

"Yes." Salazar scowled. "I was his apprentice for a short time while he was still the Merlin. Before Avalon decided to execute him as a traitor. Shocked, Gryffindor?"

"No," the younger replied calmly. "I think he was a good man and even if he wasn't it wouldn't be my place to judge him."

The tall, green-clad man snorted. "Your family seems to think differently about that."

"I am not my family. They are still upset by the retreat of Avalon into the Mists."

"Fools they were, all of them. They thought they could prevent the Age of Darkness from coming by what they did, but nobody has the power to do that."

Godric was silent for a while, before he finally asked: "What happened to the Dragons of Twilight in the last centuries?"

"They became scapegoats for the faults of the wizards," Salazar hissed.

"Time and ignorance made the wizards' legends of what happened change, and they became twisted and turned into what we can hear today. That the Dragons of Dawn were created first, but didn't accept the superiority of the wizards and betrayed and corrupted their bonded, luring them into the darkness in their thirst for dominance. That it were their deeds that brought the Dark Races into life. That unless bonded before they reach maturity, they are but monsters that need to be hunted down. The more time passed, the more was blamed on them."

He smiled again, that feral, dangerous smile of his.

"Do you know why the love between two persons of the same gender is under death sentence today? Naturally, it is all the fault of the Dragons of Twilight. If they hadn't found a way to reproduce despite the wizards' better efforts to keep them from breeding, things might well be different now. For you see, the wizards made sure that a Dragon of Twilight would only bond to a wizard of the same sex and be unable to have intercourse with any other person, so that despite their ability to take a human form, there would be no children. But the Dragons eventually found that if they truly loved their Soulmate, the merging of their spirits in passion alone could plant the seed of life into them, and when the wizards finally realised what had happened, it was too late, and the half-bloods went out into the Mundane World and mixed with the non-magic folks, making it virtually impossible to find them."

The silver-eyed man laughed harshly.

"Of course, telling this tale is a crime of its own, and I would land in prison before I could say 'trial'. Have you heard enough, Gryffindor? Or do you want me to continue? I have lots of more tales to tell you."

But Godric just rose from his seat and came to stand about a foot away from him. Salazar was only a few inches taller than him, but somehow the other always managed to make him look up into his face. The younger man shook his head slightly.

"I would like to hear more, but first I need to ask you something."

Salazar cocked an ink-black eyebrow at him.

"You are a Dragon of Twilight, Sal, aren't you?"

Silver eyes darkened to storm grey.

"Yes," he snarled, "I am. My father's line has Mundane blood in it, it is from his side that I got the curse."

"I wouldn't call it a curse."

"But it is!" Salazar hissed furiously. "I have to hide what I am till the end of my life, otherwise everybody would be free to slaughter me for the monster I am! I will never find love, never bond to my Soulmate, never be whole! You have no idea what it is like, to live with a part of your soul missing, to feel the aching void in you, day after day, knowing that you can do absolutely nothing about it. The emptiness, the incompleteness, it never lets you rest, never gives you a break, never lets you belong. It always urges you on, out to seek something you know you can never find. I am a mere shadow of myself, unable to feel alive, and it will stay this way till the day that I die."

Sea-blue eyes started to glitter faintly.

"How do you find your Soulmate?" Godric asked softly.

Salazar growled. "By now, there are more than a few wizards that hold a part of Dragon soul in the depths of their being. I can feel it when I come near one and choose whether or not I allow a connection to grow. It doesn't really matter which Dragon's soul the wizard possesses, except when I meet the one who has the part of my own, then the urge will be stronger, and the strength of the wizard also plays a role. But in any case it is my choice in the end. If I do not wish to bond, I can resist the drive and walk away."

The sea was moving in Godric's eyes again, whirling and seething.

"What would happen if things were different and you would actually find a suitable Soulmate and be free to bond?"

The older man was silent for a moment, before he replied curtly: "We would take the vows, and bond body, mind and soul."

Godric nodded as if he had expected something like that.

"Do I possess a part of a Dragon's soul?"

Salazar scowled darkly.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Because I want you to bond to me."

Silence.

"Are you completely out of your mind, Gryffindor? Do you know what..."

Godric cut his companion off before he could launch into another tirade, since he knew that he would have no chance of changing Salazar's mind otherwise, as outraged as the other seemed to be. And he also knew that if they didn't bond now, they would probably never get another chance. It was Samhain, the day that belonged to both summer and winter and at the same time to neither of them, the festival of the transition, a time of release and the opportunity to let go off the old and move on to new grounds. Everybody was still celebrating, and there would be no questions if they came back late in the morning.

"Yes, I know what the punishment would be if they caught us, a very slow, very unpleasant death. I also know what our families would say, we would both be disowned before we could blink. I am also aware of the fact that we are both expected to pick a nice girl and produce a bunch of heirs. I know that there are numerous other affairs that will complicate things further, and I most certainly know that it won't be easy.

But do you know what?

I don't care. We are two of the greatest wizards of our time, and even if you wouldn't admit it, I'm not completely clueless, so they won't catch us. Our families will never know of this because we'll keep it secret as we have been doing for the last seven years now. As to the girl thing, I happen to know two very competent and talented witches who aren't particularly keen on finding a man either, and would be rather grateful to strike an arrangement. With the other problems we can deal when they arise, after all, we've made it through worse.

So the question is not if I know what I want, because I have known for many years now.

What do you want, Sal?"

Salazar stared at him for a moment, and in these short seconds, he was without his usual mask of cold arrogance, showing the lost, heartsick, lonely wizard that was underneath and gazed longingly at the younger man with a look so sad that it gave him a stab in the heart. Then the mask snapped back into place.

"What I want is irrelevant. Did the thought ever occur to you that you might not belong to the 'suitable potential Soulmate' category ?"

"Not really, no."

"And why, pray tell, not?"

"Because I believe that you've already 'allowed a connection to grow', as you put it."

"You arrogant, self-concious little twerp! Your infatuation with me does not automatically mean that I return your misguided feelings!"

"Indeed? Well, then you will surely have no problem at all with proving that to me."

"Of course not! How?"

"Kiss me. Look me into the eyes and show me that you don't feel anything."

"You little..."

"Scared?"

"You wish!"

And almost brutally, Salazar crushed his mouth hard to Godric's. Storm-grey eyes burned into sea-green, as the redhead pressed his body heatedly into the lithe form of the taller man. Passion took over then, and the kiss quickly became another fight for control, hungry, desperate, and anything except emotionless.

Both man were panting when they broke apart, and Salazar's gaze was liquid silver again.

"You... are... incorrigible," the older wizard snarled, or rather attempted to, since he was still trying to catch his breath.

"I know... But that's... what you love... about me... isn't it?" Godric retorted, eyes twinkling.

"Cheeky brat."

"Your cheeky brat."

"Yes," Salazar murmured, cupping the younger man's cheek in his hand and stroking gently over the red, swollen lips with his thumb. "Mine."

They gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment, before Salazar let his hand fall to his side and tilted his head to one side.

"I take it you plan to make my life living hell and will not leave me in peace until I give in to this insane request of yours?"

"Yes!" Godric replied firmly.

Salazar's face darkened.

"Well, then you leave me no other choice."

Out of a hidden pocket in his robes, he produced a silvery dagger, beautiful and deadly, with snakes decorating the hilt, curling around the emeralds set into the gleaming metal, and pointed it at the younger man.

Godric simply beamed and pushed up the left arm of his garments.

Salazar raised a brow briefly and nodded in respect for the other's quick thinking. The cut was usually made on the right wrist and people wouldn't go looking for it at the other arm.

He drew the sharp blade of the dagger first over the soft skin of Godric's forearm, then over his own. Blood quelled up almost instantly.

"I choose you, Godric Arthur Taliesin Gryffindor. Do you understand and accept my choice?"

"I understand and accept your choice, Salazar Uther Gwydion Slytherin. Your trust honours me."

Salazar nodded, and when they pressed their cut arms together, he wound a white ribbon around them that held them in place.

"Then speak the words with me that will bind us together for this life and beyond."

"Is tu fuil 'o mo chuislean, is tu cnaimh de mo chnaimh.

Is leatsa mo bhodhaig, chum gum bi sinn 'n ar n-aon.

Is leatsa m'anam gus an criochnaich ar saoghal."

They said it together, their blood mingling between their bound wrists, and they had just spoken the last word when a bright red light flared up from their arms. Moments later, it was gone, as was the ribbon, and upon closer inspection they could see that the cuts were healed to thin, silver lines, and a glittering tattoo wound around their forearms. On Godric's was a silver snake, that held its tail in its jaws thus forming a circle, on Salazar's a golden lion that did the same. Both animals were in typical celtic style and fainting under their gaze until no one who didn't already know what to look for would be able to see them.

Salazar raised his hand, tracing the snake on his lover's arm with a feather-light touch, and it emitted a soft green glow under his fingers. Looking up, his silver eyes met the blue-green ones of his lover- no, husband, and for the first time he permitted himself to give in and drown in them.

Cupping the slightly smaller man's face in his right hand, he drew him up for their first kiss as Soulmates. Fire flared through them, and what began chaste soon turned into something entirely different. Hungrily devouring Salazar's mouth, Godric pressed his body hard against the other's, and ground their erections together. Both of them moaned, and suddenly there was way too much clothing separating them, and the redhead started to open the fastenings of his Soulmate's green robes with shaking hands.

With kind of a hazy relief he noted that Salazar's hands were shaking as well as they freed him of his outer robe and spread the heavy cloaks on the soft ground before them. A small modification in the warming charm on their sanctuary raised the temperature to a cosy level, and both men proceeded to relieve each other of the remaining garments, exploring every inch of exposed skin with hands and tongue.

Godric captured his lover's mouth in another soul-searing kiss that left them both weak in the knees, before trailing a path of featherlight kisses along the strong jaw and down a slender neck, licking, suckling and teasing at the pale throat Salazar exposed by leaning his head back to grant the younger man better access. He let his hands run over the smooth muscles of the taller wizard's back down to his bottom, his skilled fingers leaving trails of molten fire that made Salazar growl deep in his throat and arch into his body. Smiling wickedly, Godric lightly bit down on the other's neck and was rewarded with a low moan, only to be drawn up to have Salazar plundering his mouth greedily, thoroughly mapping the contours of the hot cavern.

His attack left Godric breathless, and gave him time to let his hands roam over the redhead's toned chest, pinching and twisting at the sensitive nipples, making the other gasp when Salazar finally fastened his mouth to first one, then the other nub, licking and suckling at the abused flesh, sending a jolt straight to his groin by the action. Never one to just lean back and do nothing, the younger man tilted his head until he could reach Salazar's ear and took the lobe between his teeth gently. He could feel the other's sharp intake of breath against his nipple and traced the shell of his ear with his tongue before biting down lightly. This time, the moan was more pronounced, and the older wizard's nails dig into his back, making him moan in return.

The rest of their clothing was shed rather quickly as their desire caught up with them, and several impatient moments later they stood face to face naked as the day they were born.

Both drank in the sight of the other man as if they had never seen each other unclad before. Silver eyes were smouldering while Salazar hungrily took in the well-toned, bronze-skinned body of his bondmate with lots of lean, hard muscles developed over the years of sword-fighting, riding and spending life on the road, the flat stomach, the broad shoulders and the handsome face. Burning sea-green eyes framed by unruly locks of fire-red hair returned his heated gaze, wandering over his slim figure, the angular lines of his body, the wiry muscles and the paleness of his skin, courtesy of a northerner in his ancestry, as was the younger man's red mane and their eyes. Which was rather lucky, since both he and Godric were related to the Old Folk, and would be much smaller if it wasn't for their taller northern ancestors.

Salazar allowed himself a seductive smirk and said in a dark, enticing voice:

"I chose you, Godric Gryffindor. Now take me. Claim me. Complete me."

Blue-green fire flared hotly in his lover's eyes, and in a husky, but firm tone he replied:

"You are mine, Salazar Slytherin, as I am yours. This night, two will become one..."

The passion in his words made the older wizard shiver in anticipation, and Godric closed the small distance between them with a determined step, pressing his naked body into the warmth of the other's and his lips on the taller man's mouth, letting his arms circle around the slim waist and drawing his bondmate even tighter against him, while Salazar twined his hands into the thick, golden-red hair that curled down to his shoulder-blades. Never letting up the sensual, slow slide of their mouths as they kissed and suckled at one another, the redhead carefully unfastened the strap of black leather that held the other's ebony braid and gently ran his hands through the silky black strands, until the fine hair fell to Salazar's waist like a shiny, blueish-black curtain.

Even as the shock of being pressed up against all that warm skin thrummed pleasantly through him, Godric could feel his bondmate's arousal at his thigh, pulled back from their embrace to sink down on his knees and took him into his mouth slowly. He wrapped his hand around the shaft and went to work. His other hand moved to cradle the man's balls, gently caressing them with his thumb. Salazar gasped and felt his knees begin to buckle, but Godric expected that and grabbed one of his knees in each hand, bracing them, and keeping him upright. He began to move, he sucked and licked every inch of Salazar's length, and soon the older wizard felt his balls tighten in preparation for his orgasm. Godric released his grip on one of his knees and squeezed them in his fist. His bondmate shuddered in response as his release was unexpectedly stopped.

The fiery-haired wizard drew his lover down to him and kissed him deeply, while wordlessly summoning the vial of massaging oil they kept here for easing aching muscles after a long day spent on horseback. For a moment, Godric was unsure of how to proceed, since for all the fooling around he had done with the other acolytes before he had met Salazar, he was still a virgin in taking as well as being taken. But while he was hesitating, the familiar warmth of the bond spread through him and made ancient instincts take control.

Opening the vial, he poured some of the oil in his hand to warm it before turning back to his bondmate. Salazar let himself sink down on the cloaks and lay there, leaning back on his elbows, regarding his lover seductively from under long, dark lashes, waiting for him with parted thighs and a proud, leaking erection. Godric could virtually feel the blood rushing to his groin, and with an almost desperate groan, he bent over the other man, attacking every inch of skin he could reach. He went back to Salazar's nipples, licking at one before blowing on it; he watched as it puckered, then nipped it, causing the raven-haired wizard to gasp and writhe beneath him. As he directed his mouth to worry at the other nipple, his hand stole down to rub at his bondmates entrance, sliding his slick fingers around the puckered flesh. He bit down on a nipple as he slid a finger inside Salazar, the older man shouting and arching his hips up, trying to get more of Godric's finger inside him.

Despite his own growing arousal, the younger wizard took time to prepare his lover gently and thoroughly to make his First Time as painless as possible.

When the two finally joined, it was an explosion of ecstasy, an outburst of pleasure, a feeling intense like nothing they had known before, and the blazing fire of passion let the rest of their lovemaking sink into a haze of rapture, until their completion came with the force of an erupting volcano.

Afterwards they lay in each other's arms on Salazar's cloak, Godric's claret red one draped over them. The older wizard was gently stroking the other's thick fire-red mane, and Godric was purring contentedly.

*That was bloody amazing!*

*Astute as always, Gryffindor.*

*What the...! I could hear your voice inside my head! Is this part of the bond?*

*Yes, the ability to speak mind to mind is indeed part of the Soulbond we share, among other things.*

*What other things?*

~Amusement. Mischief. Playfulness.~

Not his own, though.

*You will see.*

Curiosity. Happiness. Contentment.

Salazar smiled at his bondmate's eagerness, playing absentmindedly with the golden-red locks.

*As long as you're willing to show me.*

*Oh, do not worry about that, we have a lot of time at our hands. Dragons of Twilight and their bonded tend to grow a lot older than the average wizard.*

Wonder. Pleasant surprise.

*How much older?*

~Mirth.~

*I guess you will just have to wait and see, Gryffindor.*

Mild annoyance.

*You know, you could at least call me by my given name when you talk to me like this. Considering I can hear your voice in my head I think a little informality wouldn't be amiss.*

~Amusement.~

*You were never one for formality.*

*No. Now will you?*

~Glee.~

*What do I get out of it?*

A groan.

*That's typical for you. Will my eternal gratitude suffice?*

*No. Actually, I had something a bit more... substantial in mind.*

Curiosity. Trust.

*Whatever you want, Sal.*

~Laughter.~

*You really should know better than to promise a Slytherin anything he might ask for.*

*Not if said Slytherin is the love of my life.*

~ Awe. Tenderness. Love.~

*Flattering will not help you.*

*Just tell me what you want already.*

*Well, if I recall correctly only one of us lost his virginity today...*

Surprise. Amusement. Arousal.

*Silly git. All you had to do was ask.*

~A chuckle.~

*Oh, but it was so much more fun this way.*

*You are incorrigible.*

*I know. That's what you love about me, isn't it?*

*Just shut up.*

And he made sure that Salazar did.

Later, much later, Godric lay snuggled into the older wizard's side, head on the other's shoulder, sleeping peacefully. Salazar looked down on his bondmate and stroked one of the unruly, fire-coloured locks tenderly out of the handsome face.

Dawn would come in a few hours, and with it the morning of the Day In-Between and their return to the celebrations and their families. But the raven-haired man knew that nothing would ever be the same after this night. Even if the rest of the world wasn't aware of it, they had left everything they had and pretended to be behind, and had become not only men, but also their true selves in the process.

When the sun set today, they would start their lives in a new world, a world that held great dangers, but also the greatest happiness they would ever find. And even though he knew that dark times lay ahead, and he did not mean the darkness of the approaching winter with that, he let go of his former life like the trees around him let go of their leaves, for he had the comfortable certainty that he wouldn't have to face this new life alone, and that his very own living flame would accompany him wherever the gods would lead them.

A last thought flashed through Salazar's mind before his breathing evened out and he followed his lover into the arms of Morpheus.

Whole. Whole at last.

:}~{:§:}~{:§:}~{:§:}~{:§:}~{:§:}~{:§:}~{:§:}~{:

A/N:

I AM VERY SORRY!!!

I know I should be posting another chapter of Dragons of Twilight (DoT), but I had a bad case of writer's block, together with my exam (which I passed, by the way! *YAY* Many thanks to all who wished me luck, I owe you!), birthdays (I got myself a new pen name to mine *smiles*) , university, family affairs, Christmas preparations, and now my kitten is ill, I really hope she gets better soon!!!

And when I just feared I would have to present you with a poorly-written, too short chapter 9, I got the idea of creating this prequel, which not only provides you with knowledge about the DoT as well as the love scene I couldn't write for DoT yet because it's still too early, but which will also make the rest of the other story, especially the end ( Yes, I have already planned it...) more understandable.

The sex scene was my first and closely inspired by 'Healing the Haunted' by Faerie Angst, 'The Road To Hell' by Cybele, 'Rite Of Passage' by Rushlight, 'Remedy' by Jade, and 'After Curfew' by DragonLight. I borrowed a bit from them and hope they don't mind.

I sincerely hope this is still within the limits of R, please tell me should it be otherwise, or if you think it is crap and that I never should try to write eroticism again!

I think this might turn into a trilogy, together with a sequel to DoT. That means if you, my dear readers, want me to continue First Millennium and would be interested in said sequel. First Millennium will outline the relationship of Godric and Salazar, the Founding of Hogwarts, and the events that lead to Salazar's break-up with the others and his departure. I think it will be pretty short, it shouldn't take more than five or six chapters to tell the important things, perhaps even less. And yes, I know that the language isn't correct for the time, but I guess this way it will be easier for us all.

Of course, DoT will always take precedence over First Millennium!

It's just nice when you have something you can turn to if you are stuck in a story.

The literal translation is:

You are blood of my veins, you are bone of my bone.

Yours is my body, that we may be one.

Yours is my soul until our worlds end.

Or, as Diana Gabaldon put it:

Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone.

I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.

I give ye my Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done.'

The characters from 'The Mists of Avalon' belong to Marion Zimmer Bradley.

*sighs*

I can only hope that this is an adequate substitute for chapter 9 and that you liked it at least a tiny little bit. I will try and write and put up the infamous chapter 9 of DoT as soon as possible, hopefully by the end of the year.

Until then

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!!

I really hope this chapter was at least a bit interesting for you. Please tell me what you think about it, especially if you believe I should tune it down a bit to go with the R-rating. I have no experiences about what is okay and what is too much, and I don't want to offend anyone! *looks around anxiously*

Carpe Diem,

Luceo*Non*Uro