Author's Note: Thanks to my team for always being there when I need them. :)

Written for…

Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. Team/Position: Holyhead Harpies, Seeker. Task: Write about getting a pet for the first time and it turning out to be different than expected.

More Than Expected

1,123 words

"Don't you think the house feels … empty?"

Draco looked up from his book to find his husband staring out at their back garden. He narrowed his eyes. "Empty?"

Charlie heaved a sigh, turning to pout at the blond. "It's just … the house is so big, and it's only the two of us."

Draco set down his book and massaged his temples, willing away the headache that was already starting.

He'd suspected this day was coming for some time. They had talked about starting a family before, but Draco had been confident that the topic had been shelved until their fifth anniversary, at least. They were barely past the one year mark.

"I don't think now's really the best time to think about having a child, do you?" he tested hesitantly. He knew how much Charlie wanted a large family, but Draco imagined them starting a family when they were a bit more settled into their careers. Charlie had only just agreed to cut back his time at the reserve in order to spend more time in England and take up a part-time position dealing with dragon affairs at the Ministry. And Draco wanted to get a bit further in with his healing career before he made time for children.

Charlie stared at him, dumbfounded. "I'm not talking about a baby, Draco," he said calmly. "I just thought, maybe, we could talk about getting a pet."

"...a pet?"

"Yeah. We both love animals, I don't see why we shouldn't open up our home to at least a couple-"

"One, Charles. One pet. We can talk about more later."

The redhead's face lit up. "I'll start looking tomorrow."

:-:

A few days went by and Draco heard nothing more on the matter. He knew better than to assume Charlie had forgotten or let the subject drop. He was much too stubborn for that, and he cared too deeply about creatures for the subject not to come up again soon.

When Charlie eventually came to him and excitedly announced that he'd found what he considered to be the perfect pet, Draco was naturally skeptical but was far too busy to see for himself. Every time he agreed to go with Charlie to the shelters and shops, there was an unavoidable emergency at St. Mungo's. In the end, he conceded that Charlie would just have to select a pet on his own, and Draco would deal with the consequences later.

Surely it couldn't be that bad, he reasoned to himself. It wasn't as if the Magical Menagerie sold Blast-Ended Skrewts.

:-:

The fact that Charlie wasn't waiting by the door with an excitable puppy when Draco came home worried him slightly. What havoc were his husband and new pet wreaking upon the house?

He hurried to shed his coat and shoes and rushed through the downstairs, calling Charlie's name.

He was shushed the moment he stepped foot in the living room and froze at the door, watching Charlie as the redhead rocked back and forth in a seemingly brand new rocking chair by the fireplace. In his arms was a bundle of soft pink blankets.

"We agreed not to have a child," Draco said accusingly, barely containing his anger. He couldn't see what was wrapped in the blankets but it stirred at the sound of his voice. "How could you do this behind my back?"

Charlie stared at him with a confused expression. "Do what?" he whispered. "This is what we agreed on - a pet."

Draco crept closer to the chair, staring over Charlie's shoulder at the bundle. He was no magizoologist - hell, he could barely tell the difference between a cat and a kneazle - but he was fairly certain that his husband was rocking a tiny dragon to sleep.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked quietly, unsure whether to be frightened or concerned.

Charlie beamed at him. "Isn't she beautiful? She's only a few days old. Corvin confiscated her from an illegal breeder in Russia. Obviously they can't keep her at the reserve-"

"Charlie. Please don't tell me a dragon is your idea of a pet."

"Of course it is. She's tame, I promise."

"She's a dragon. She breathes fire, for Merlin's sake!"

"Well, not yet. Possibly not ever. And please keep your voice down, I'm trying to get her to sleep."

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling another headache coming on. He stomped to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a drink, then sat and glared at the infernal winged beast in his living room.

"Why is there a dragon in my house, Charles?"

Charlie smirked. "She's got some health issues."

"Like?"

"Bad breeding led to … well. She's unnaturally small, for starters. Corvin's not sure she'll grow larger than a pig. Her wings are bent. There's a chance she'll never be able to breathe fire. Draco, I couldn't leave her."

"Why couldn't they just keep her at the reserve? There are other dragons-"

"Fully grown dragons, yeah. They'd be enormous compared to her. They'd squish her!" He tightened his hold on the bundle, as if he could protect her from all the dragons. Draco suppressed a smile. "Corvin said that unless someone took her in, they were going to have to put her down."

Draco sighed. He knew Charlie was going to fight tooth and nail for the damned dragon to stay. He had to admit that watching his stocky, muscular husband rocking the bundle was adorable. But it was still a dragon, no matter how sick.

"Please, Draco." Charlie gave him his best puppy dog eyes, and Draco nearly caved then.

The bundle shifted again and Charlie stilled the rocking, cautiously rubbing a hand over what Draco presumed to be the dragon's back. There was a tiny whimper before a silvery-blue snout peaked out of the blankets and stared at Draco with wide violet eyes. One foot, not much bigger than a galleon, came to rest on Charlie's shoulder, reaching out for Draco.

"Okay, fine. She can stay." Charlie grinned, but Draco held up a finger to quell his excitement. "But if she burns, bites or scratches anything, she's gone."

Reluctantly, the redhead nodded. "Deal."

"And I get to name her."

"I've been calling her Dina."

"No."

"Mildred?"

"Absolutely not. She needs something much more enchanting. Like…" He searched the room for inspiration, his eyes landing on a recent copy of his healing journals. A healer's name stared up at him from the cover. "Rhya, for example."

The dragon made what Draco assumed to be a content noise. He took a chance and reached out to pet her and she nuzzled into his hand. He suppressed a grin as Charlie beamed.

"She's going to fit right in," Charlie decided.