QLFC Round 4 – Pet Me;
Arrows, Captain: Write about someone known to be stoic/cold/aloof using baby-talk with a pet.

to escape is to heal

Draco stares up at the building in front of him as he shakes off the queasiness from travelling by portkey. He's never been the best traveller, and long distance portkeys make it even worse, but he refuses to allow his new coworkers to see him unstable.

The building is much more normal than he was expecting—a small part of his had been expecting it to look as eccentric as he imagined the inhabitants to be. It's an old, manor-like house with ivy crawling up the walls and stone steps leading up to the grand double doors.

He takes one last breath to ready himself before forcing his face into a neutral expression and heading up the steps and through the door.

"Draco Malfoy," he tells the receptionist. "I'm the new Healer sent by St Mungo's."

"I know who you are, Mr Malfoy," the woman says, a displeased look on her face as she hands him a key. "The rooms are kept locked by the Sanctuary staff when not in use. This key will undo our locking enchantments and allow you to cast your own should you wish. You can also choose to use the key in a conventional manner if you wish to keep our locking charms. Your room is on the second floor, and there will be a meeting in the dining hall at six-thirty after which dinner will be served. Have a nice evening."

Draco doesn't listen to the woman's explanations really, he only takes in the basic information needed— second-floor room, meeting at six-thirty—and leaves as quickly as possible. His fears have all but been confirmed by the woman at reception. The people here know him, they know his reputation. The war may be over and Harry bloody Potter may have vouched for him to the Ministry, but that doesn't stop people from holding grudges against him for the things his father did. All he wanted was a fresh start away from his past, but that doesn't seem likely to happen.

Charlie has to stop himself from doing a very physical double take when he walks into the dining room. He's seven minutes late, of course, and even though he's been at the sanctuary long enough for everyone to know he'll be late, he doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself as he slips into the first free seat he reaches. Across the table from him sits a new face. Well, it was a new face to the Sanctuary, but not to Charlie. He had known there would be a new healer joining them, but he certainly wasn't expecting it to be the blond-haired man that Charlie recognised from Ron's many rants over the years sitting across from him.

"Now that we've all arrived," Carl, the head trainer at the Sanctuary, says with a deliberate look in Charlie's direction. "I'd like to introduce our newest healer, Draco Malfoy. I would also like to remind you all that the war is over and those who died fought to end prejudice. I do not want to see any of you discriminating against Mr Malfoy because of his family name. We make our own family here, and Mr Malfoy is now a part of it just as much as the rest of you."

A few murmurs spread around the table and Charlie thinks he sees Draco shrink down in his chair a little. He can't be too sure, though, because when he looks at the other man properly, he's already shifting his position so he's sitting up straight and hard-faced. He looks as if nothing can phase him. Charlie has to refrain from rolling his eyes. He had hoped the war would open the eyes of those on the opposing side somewhat, but clearly, Draco Malfoy is just as self-centred as Ron had described him.

As the meeting goes on, Charlie keeps half of his attention on Draco. He seems to be listening intently and making a lot of notes, which isn't alarming as Charlie should really be doing the same except he's using a pen instead of a quill. There's something odd about seeing a Malfoy using a pen—it's not something Charlie thinks one of the so-called 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' would even think of doing. Then he remembers that technically he's part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and has been using pens since before he graduated Hogwarts. They really are more convenient, after all.

The only time Draco moves from his position making notes it to check something in his inside pocket. Charlie assumes it's a pocket watch and rolls his eyes at Draco—there's a clock next to the door—who sends a sneer back at him.

Definitely hasn't changed since school then, Charlie thinks.

The meeting finishes and one of his coworkers immediately drags him into a conversation about the Swedish Short-Snout that's due to arrive the next day. He only half pays attention; his eyes keep wandering to where Draco is sitting. Nobody tries to talk to him, and he doesn't seem interested in attempting to start up a conversation, he just eats his dinner quickly and then leaves. Charlie can't help but wonder why Draco's here. He clearly doesn't want to make friends with anyone, and Charlie isn't sure how well that's going to work if Draco's supposed to be there to heal them all.

The first week goes surprisingly well for Draco; he's allowed to watch the newest dragon being brought in (it's his favourite breed and her scales, silver with a hint of blue, look magnificent in the sunlight so he's incredibly pleased he's allowed, not that he'd let it show, of course), the hospital wing is set up almost exactly like the wings at St Mungo's so he gathers his bearings quickly, and the other healers are all at least superficially amicable with him so he's mostly at ease while he's working. The only issue he has is Charlie Weasley.

Draco hadn't known that Weasley worked at the Sanctuary in Romania otherwise he'd have looked into the ones in Sweden, Poland and Australia more. He did know that one of the Weasleys worked with dragons—Ron wouldn't stop talking about it after the Triwizard Tournament—but he assumed Weasley would work in Wales where it was closer to home. He'd looked into Romania because it seemed to be the best dragon sanctuary in the world and it was far enough away that he thought he'd be able to escape his past. Clearly, he was wrong.

Weasley ends up in the hospital wing almost every day for some injury or another, and somehow Draco is always the one that ends up treating him.

"Why are you here, Malfoy?" he asks one morning while Draco's applying burn-paste to a particularly nasty burn on Weasley's forearm.

"To work as a healer," Draco says as calmly as he can. His guard is firmly up and it's taking every ounce of concentration Draco has to remain calm and professional. "Turn your arm, please."

Weasley does as he's asked, but he clearly isn't happy with Draco's answer. "I mean, why are you really here? You don't exactly strike me as the helping kind."

Draco bites his tongue. He wants to ask how Weasley would know, it's not like they've ever been particularly interested in getting to know his family over the years, but the words from Carl's speech on his first day echo in Draco's head: those who died fought to end prejudice. His family and friends may have been on the losing side, but Draco knew he had been in the wrong, and if holding his tongue around Weasley is what it takes to prove that, then that's what he's going to do.

"Right, you're good to go," Draco says, deciding not to answer Weasley's question. "That should be healed in a couple of hours, and do try not to get so close to the flame next time you're handling a dragon, Weasley."

The next time Weasley comes in he asks again, but Draco is determined not to let Weasley get a rise out of him. His answer is, again, "To work as a healer." Weasley doesn't seem to like the answer, but after the third time he visits and gets the same answer, he stops asking.

Apart from Weasley, the other Dragonologists seem to accept Draco's presence with ease. A few try and strike up a conversation with him, but Draco isn't sure he's quite ready to be friends with these people yet so his answers are usually short and vague, and he avoids talking about anything other than his work or the sanctuary as a whole.

Despite not making any friends, Draco isn't lonely. The Sanctuary employees aren't allowed to bring pets—something about the pets' safety around the dragons—but he'd managed to sneak Celery in and so far nobody has found out. He knows it's cliche, but Celery really is like having a little piece of home with him, only it's a little piece of home that doesn't hold any judgement. He didn't bring many material items either, just his favourite book, which he always carries with him, and a few things from school and healer training that may be useful.

Plus, he really does love seeing the dragons. He's taken to strolling around the sanctuary after his late shifts and seeing the dragons all settling down for rest. Some of them fly further into their enclosures to rest, but some are close enough to the front that Draco could reach out and touch them if he wanted to. He doesn't. Draco knows all too well the damage those dragons can cause to a human; he treats minor injuries on a daily basis.

Still, being out in the open with no judging eyes and coming face to face with a dragon for the first time. Well, the first time since school, but Draco was so far away then that he doesn't count it. How could he count it when the memory from school is nothing compared to the magnificent beasts in front of him? He can see each scale as it glints under the moonlight, feel the puffs of warm air as they breathe, and see the danger always present in the glint of their eyes. He might have come here to prove himself as a healer and escape his past, but he's found a home among the dragons he could never have imagined.

Charlie can't put his finger on it, but something doesn't seem right about Draco. From what he remembers Ron saying about him, Draco never showed any interest in creatures at school, so Charlie can't work out why he's come to work at a dragon sanctuary. He's determined to find out, though, and that's how Charlie ends up following Draco after his shift one Friday night.

He can't follow Draco into his room, but it doesn't matter because Draco is back out five minutes later and heading towards the dragon enclosures. Charlie's heard from his colleagues that Draco often spends time by the dragons, but he can't believe it until he sees it for himself. Or rather, he doesn't think he can trust Malfoy until he knows how he acts around the dragons. Everyone else here cares for the dragons, Charlie knows that, otherwise they wouldn't be here.

Charlie's inner voice seems to whisper to him. Maybe that's why Draco doesn't seem right, it says. Maybe you don't trust him because you don't believe he cares about the dragons.

He hurries on, making sure to stop when he gets to corners and make sure Draco can't see him. It's times like this Charlie wishes he could cast a Disillusionment charm on himself, but the wards block the use of them and Charlie knows it's to protect themselves around the dragons.

"Who's a good boy?"

Charlie hears a voice coming from around the corner and stops. It sounds like Draco speaking, but it has an almost sugary sweet tone that makes it sound like he's talking to a baby.

"You are," Draco coos. "You're a good boy, yes you are."

Charlie casts a non-verbal silencing charm at himself before he can burst out laughing. He's suddenly very glad he knows how to remove the charm non-verbally too. It isn't the first time he's had to do this, except last time he couldn't undo it.

"Have you missed me while I've been working? I bet you have. You're a very good boy."

Charlie can't believe what he's hearing, but he knows the Peruvian Vipertooth's enclosure is just around the corner, so maybe Draco really does care about the dragons. The blue-green of Helio's eyes are incredibly captivating, Charlie knows that all too well—it's how he ended up with a burn up his forearm a few days ago.

After composing himself, Charlie removes the silencing charm from himself and decides to face Draco and clear up this mess once and for all.

"Malfoy, what are you doing out here? You do know dragons are dangerous even to those of us with training in how to handle them, right?"

"Weasley," Draco says, his voice not holding any of the surprise Charlie thought it would. "I should've known."

"What?" Charlie asks. He didn't mean to, but Draco's statement thew him off a little.

"I knew someone was following me," he says. "I just didn't know who. I should've known it was you."

Charlie stares at him dumbfounded for a minute before his eyes focus on what's in Draco's hand. "Is that a Bowtruckle?" he asks.

It takes a moment, but Charlie finally realises who Draco was talking to and he can't help but burst out laughing.

Draco blushes slightly, but when Charlie finishes laughing he says, "Yeah, this is Celery."

The reluctance is clear in Draco's tone, but Charlie can't help but smile at the fact he's finally been given some real information, his usually cheerful demeanour coming back to him after days of irritation and unease.

"I misjudged you, Malfoy," Charlie says. "How about we put the past behind us and start fresh?"

Word Count: 2,330.

This is for:

Hogwarts World Cup Event – Croatia;
Charlie/Draco

Hogwarts Yearly Event – Insane House Challenge;
336. (potion) burn-heal paste

Hogwarts Yearly Event – 365 Prompts;
67. (creature) bowtruckle

Hogwarts Yearly Event – Fanfic Resolutions;
43. Write about a canon Death Eater doing something very undeatheatery
62. Write a collection based around Death Eaters

Hogwarts Writing Club – Character Appreciation;
22. (era) Trio

Hogwarts Writing Club – Disney Challenge;
C5 - Write about someone with a kind heart, despite their harsh demeanour

Hogwarts Writing Club – Book Club;
Tik Tok - (occupation) healer, (object) book, (word) protect

Hogwarts Writing Club – Showtime;
1. (plot point) making a fresh start

Hogwarts Writing Club – Amber's Attic;
S7 - Charlie/Draco

Hogwarts Writing Club – Count Your Buttons;
O2 - Pen
D2 - "I should've known."

Hogwarts Writing Club – Lo's Lowdown;
C8 - (word) Poland

Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Days of the Year;
Ballpoint Pen Day - Write about a witch/wizard using a pen instead of a quill

Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Summer Prompts;
(word) travel

Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Colour Prompts;
(colour) blue-green

Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Fire Element;
(word) flame

Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Shay's Musical Challenge;
Book of Mormon - Write about travelling away from home for a long time

Hogwarts Northern Funfair – Sophie's Ice Cream Stall;
18. Eggnogg - Draco Malfoy
79. Cream Cheese - Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Easter Funfair – Penny Slot Machine;
1. Charlie Weasley
22. Draco Malfoy
38. (word) magnificent

Hogwarts Southern Funfair – Henna Tattoo Booth;
Location: Right Arm - (trait) cheerful
Tattoo: Dreamcatcher - (dialogue) "How about we put the past behind us and start fresh?"
Style: Monochrome - (colour) silver

Hogwarts July Event – Hamilton Mania;
17. (era) post-war
OP2. (character) Draco Malfoy

Hogwarts Fortnightly Event – Canadian Craze;
19. Moosi - Write about encountering a creature for the first time

Hogwarts Chocolate Frog Cards Club;
Cantankerus Nott - Reference the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' in your story