Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Drabbled for Lo, who just wants alllllll the wing fics apparently :P
Word Count - 1213
Of Wings and Shiny Things
He had a way with the Dragons that Charlie had never seen before. They seemed drawn to him, like magpies with shiny things.
(Which Charlie found appropriate - in certain sunlight, his hair actually shone.)
Charlie was intrigued with the younger man, he watched him sometimes, even when they weren't doing the rounds of the reserve.
Draco kept to himself, and as far as Charlie knew, spent much of his downtime alone in his hut. He certainly didn't socialise with the other Dragon Tamers, that much was for sure. It wasn't even like he thought himself above them, it was more like he was trying to hide himself in plain sight.
Charlie didn't quite know what to make of it.
…
"We're going to the bar after we're done here," Charlie offered quietly, as he ran his checks on the egg he was looking after. "You're welcome to join us."
Draco offered him a wry smile. "Thank you, but no."
Charlie nodded sadly. "Well, you know where we'll be if you change your mind."
…
"Hey, we're done here for now. Are you coming to the canteen?"
Draco shook his head. "I'm not very hungry. I'll see you back out here in an hour though."
Charlie watched him walk away, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
…
"Come with me?"
Draco frowned. "Where?"
"Just… please. I want to show you something. Oh. And grab your broom."
"I don't think -"
"Don't think. Just… come with me."
Draco stared at him for a moment before he nodded. "Okay. I'll be back in five minutes with my broom."
Charlie could practically feel the suspicion coming off of Draco, but he ignored it, knowing that, even if he didn't get what he wanted out of this, the younger man would at least still enjoy it.
Five minutes later, Draco was back, broom in hand, suspicion still present in his eyes. Charlie grinned at him widely and mounted his own broom, taking off with the expectation that Draco would follow him.
He wasn't disappointed.
The two of them flew for forty five minutes or so in pleasant silence, until Charlie led the way to a mountain peak. He landed, moving out of the way for Draco to follow suit, and laid out a picnic blanket he'd shrunken and put in his pocket.
From another pocket, he pulled out a picnic basket, and, resizing it, he put that in the middle of the blanket.
"A picnic?" Draco asked, eyes wide.
"Yes. But also something else, if you just have a little patience."
Draco sat down cautiously as Charlie opened the basket. "I didn't know what you liked, so I fetched a little of everything."
"I'm sure it's fine," Draco replied quietly. "You didn't have to do this, whatever this is. I'm okay, you know? Just because I'm not social, doesn't mean I'm lonely."
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Lonely."
Draco sighed. "Perhaps. Sometimes. I'm used to it."
"Maybe you don't have to be."
Staring at Charlie for a long moment, Draco nodded once. "Maybe you're right."
Charlie smiled. Then he looked around, and his smile widened. "Our entertainment has arrived."
Draco blinked. "Entertainment?"
"Look," Charlie murmured, looking down over the side of the mountain peak. Draco joined him at the edge of the blanket and gasped.
Just below them, the Hungarian Horntails flew freely in the sunset, swirling and twirling around each other in an elegant dance.
"Thats… that's amazing," Draco whispered.
Charlie could only nod his agreement.
…
And so began a tradition. Once or twice a week, the two of them would fly up to the mountain peak. Draco began smiling more, and would even laugh when it was just the two of them.
Charlie was happy to see that he was opening up. And yet… if Charlie pushed him, even a little bit, Draco run and he hid.
Not wanting to force him away entirely, Charlie backed off a lot but he was frustrated. Every time he was with Draco, he fell more and more, and he hated feeling like he was the only one. He hated feeling like there was no hope.
…
Charlie knocked on the door, then wiped his hands on his trousers. He was ridiculously nervous, mostly because for as much time as he'd spent with Draco, the younger man was still completely unpredictable to him.
Draco answered, his eyes widening when he saw Charlie.
"What are you doing here?"
"Can I come in?"
"Um. Sure." Taking a step back, he allowed Charlie entrance, closing the door before he turned to face him.
"I… So. We've been… a thing… for a few months, and I really like you, and I know that you're hiding something big from me and I really don't want you to run and hide again like you have been doing, but i need to know what it is so that I can tell you that I still like you and we can move past whatever it is that -"
"Charlie, stop," Draco said, interrupting the rambling mess of words spewing from Charlie's lips. "I knew this was coming… I just… I guess I hoped it wouldn't. At least not yet. Stand back, okay?"
Charlie nodded, taking a few steps back away from him.
Draco took his shirt off slowly, and Charlie eyes were drawn to the Dark Mark etched into the skin of his left forearm. He looked away from it, not wanting Draco to think he was being judged.
And then wings were surrounding Draco, the most beautiful grey-green scales adorning them. As the swept out, Charlie realised they were protruding from Draco's back.
"You're…"
"A… about a quarter dragon, yes," Draco admitted. "I certainly have dragon blood, thought he exact amounts I'm not sure. But… being around the Dragons, it makes my wings itchy, like they want to escape. That's why I don't socialise.
"Any time I'm not working, I'm here, in privacy, where my wings can be out without curious looks or judgement. I don't want to be freakshow. If anyone saw this…"
"You're not a freak," Charlie said firmly, stepping closer. "You're… you're beautiful."
Draco snorted, shaking his head. "I'm a half breed. The one thing that my father hates. You should've seen his face when I got my inheritance on my twenty first. I thought he was actually going to drop dead on the spot. He cast me out before my birthday was over."
"He's wrong," Charlie whispered, stroking a gentle hand over Draco's cheek. "So, so wrong."
"You don't even know exactly what he said."
"I still know he's wrong. I've been captivated by you for months, and it had nothing to do with these stunning wings and everything to do with Draco. And Draco with Dragon wings is just as captivating as Draco without."
"Charlie… you can't -"
"I can. I do. Tell me to stop and I'll stop, but if you don't, I'm going to kiss you, and I won't ever stop kissing you."
Draco didn't tell him to stop.
…
Later that night, lounging on the sofa with Draco's wing draped on his hip, Charlie startled.
"What is it?" Draco asked sleepily. He'd been on the verge of unconscious when the movement startled his mind to alert.
"Can you fly with your wings?"
Written for;
Auction - Hungarian Horntail.