Disclaimer: I don't own, I don't own, I do not own

(to the tune of Hermione Can't Draw)

Chapter Two

When Ideas Collide

Charlie Weasely had been a dragon tamer in the Northern Romanian Reserve ever since he graduated from Hogwarts. He had gone through training within three years, a record far outshining the one set before him, five and a half years. He had a way with the large creatures that caused the Muggleborns to call him the 'dragon whisperer' jokingly. He only got the reference thanks to his father's insane obsession with all things Muggle.

He loved his job. He was great at his job. All his co-workers loved him, if he did say so himself. Then why was he here at the director's office? Charlie sat straight up as her door creaked open. "Come on in Charlie!" she called. As he walked into the large room he stiffened unintentionally. "Oh come now Charlie, you're not in trouble – nor any of your family" Director Hess teased. "Good morning" he said levelly to the many occupants in the office. For the room was full. He could recognize every Director of each Romanian Dragon Preserves and many upper level Dragon Tamers, the ones that worked in the high security enclosures.

"Sit Mr. Weasely" a commanding voice said from behind him. As he sat in the empty seat before him, the owner of the voice walked around to face him. She was young, younger than him, most likely not even out of school. She had long wavy blonde hair – so pale that it looked silvery. Her normally dreamy eyes were sharp and filled with secret knowledge. As she gracefully hopped up onto the edge of the desk the butterbeer cap necklace around her neck tinkled faintly. "Luna?" Charlie gasped, shocked to the core. "Show some respect to the Drathgon Princess, Weasely!" one of the Directors said, advancing on Charlie only to stop at Luna's cool glare. "I hardly think that the man who used to baby-sit me and taught me how to read should be so formal with me Director Hastings. However, this is immaterial." She turned towards him again her usual smile lighting up her face. Jumping down from the desk she stood in front of Charlie, her posture relaxed.

"We are here to induct you, Charlie Weasely, into one of the most highly held secrets of the Wizarding World. You who have a tremendous gift with dragons have been selected for a very special ask."

"You see, we elite in the world of dragon tamers are guardians of a grave secret. If you were to join us you would enter only through an unbreakable vow that only the Drathgon Prince would be able to free you from. Your life would never be the same. You would be forced to keep secrets from your family, friends and all those closest to your heart."

She tilted her head and stared at him, as if she could see into the very depths of him, past even his soul. It was truly something he knew was uniquely her. Quite suddenly she turned from him and moved to the desk again, leaning against it. "Or…you could choose not to, you wouldn't be the first, and definitely not the last….though we'd be forced to obliviate you afterwards." Something in her gaze was deadly, almost…dragon-like. That something excited him more than anything had ever done before.

"What to I need to swear?"

The question caused an approving rumble to circle the room. A hand clapped him on the shoulder and he looked up into the warm eyes of Linka Richards, his mentor and friend. "I'm proud of you kid" she murmured to him under the din, "I'm the one who recommended you to this, and though the Princess agreed wholeheartedly, most were unsure about inducting one so young. You are the youngest by far to agree to this surprisingly. Erica Ciero, the blonde over there," she said gesturing to a petite woman of about thirty standing to Luna's right "was twenty-seven when she was inducted."

Smiling at him the older woman gave him a quick hug before backing off and the chatter died away.

"Repeat after me Charlie" Luna commanded as she lifted her wand to join with his, "I swear to respect and uphold the ways and laws of the Drathgon, to never betray or harm any of the Drathgon. I will respect the ways of the Drathgons until they may fly free under the eyes of the Prince. So mote it be."

As the words died on his lips he could feel his magic reaching up and out to meld with the alien magic that suddenly filled the room. A sudden heat filled his entire being as his sight began to fade. Despite his initial instinct to thrash around and scream in panic another more animalistic urge within him welcomed the unknown.

Luna leaned down to him and he realized that he had sunk to his knees. "Sleep Charlie, knowledge will come with the morning light."

Luna's voice carried him through the final wave of fear and into sweet oblivion.

Charlie suddenly was aware of the battle that was raging around him. Wizards and witches threw spell after spell at the mot breathtaking dragons he had ever seen. But they were much too beautiful, too dangerous and wise to be mere dragons. No, these were true Dragons, myths to even witches and wizards. Well, except those Dragons that were fighting here now.

How dare these insignificant beings try to harm these wondrous creatures? The rage sprang up unannounced, yet filled his entire being. A man shot a cutting curse at a slender female and Charlie sprang into action before he had time to comprehend. He threw himself in front of the Dragon, but could do nothing as the curse went straight through his body without leaving a mark to fell the beauty behind him.

"Why" he whispered brokenheartedly.

"This battle was fought long ago. We are here now in a sort of memory from one of the great dragons who fought." Turning Charlie was unsurprised to see Luna standing behind him. "This is the final battle between the forces of Gregor the Merciless and the Great Drathgon before Gregor, using the blood of the Prince of the Drathgon, given freely so that the Prince might save his kind bound all Drathgon into the Realm."

Turning Charlie watched the battle with weary eyes. A large emerald green Drathgon reared up, thrashing back and fourth as cutting curses turning his flank into shreds.

As he dropped to the ground his body grew fuzzy, as if looking at it through frosted glass, and seemed to fold in on itself until clarity popped back into existence, and where once stood a wounded Drathgon now stood a young man of no more than twenty years. Without breaking stride he fired off three killing curses at his attackers and faded into the ranks of the Drathgons to where a young woman with silvery hair stood surrounded by wounded Drathgons and people.

"So that is what makes the Drathgon special" Charlie stated, way past the point of being shocked by anything as he gestured to the man who moments before was a mighty Drathgon. Luna smiled, but soon a somber expression overcame her features. "Shh, watch" she mumbled.

As in all memories they found themselves pulled along as the man stumbled towards the young girl. The girl's eyes grew anguished as she spotted him, reaching out to him wound, her hands glowing with Healing Light. "No, my chooshki, my dear sister, save you power for those who need it." At her incredulous look he continued "I won't be needing it. A dead man has no use for such things."

The young woman stared at her brother in horrid understanding before slowly nodding, a tear tracing a silvery path down her cheek. The man before her wiped it away with trembling fingers and with a softly whispered "Sorry chooshki, love you" he was gone.

Charlie watched in fascination as the Prince of Drathgon appeared before Gregor the Merciless and willingly offered his own sacrifice so that his people might live. The Prince appeared in the middle of the battle where the horrid man was watching the death and destruction around him.

"I have come offering surrender Gregor." He said softly to the stunned man before him. With my death you will let my people be or you shall suffer the consequences."

The man smirked and nodded, obviously not taking what the young prince was saying. "So you have realized how futile your resistance is monster? Very well, have a good afterlife in Hell!" with that he jumped out of bed and drove his sword into the young Dragon's stomach, killing the wounded prince instantly.

"No!" came the heart-wrenching wail as the Princess of Drathgon appeared, watching the light die from her brother's eyes. Gregor smirked before using the blood seeping from the body before him to draw complex runes on the ground before him. He murmured a spell and all at once a sickly green light shone around each member of the Drathgon. "Now I will lock you away forever you disgusting beasts!" he crowed "never again will you be seen in this world!" At his utterance a ghost-like figure arose from the dead body of the prince and smiled at the insane man before him in pity.

"Do you know nothing of blood magic, human? Do you know nothing of the laws of blood freely given? No" he said after a pause. "I can see you don't. Nevertheless, my own sacrifice alters this curse. My people will dwell within our own realm, the Autumn Lands only until the Prince; the Bringer of the New Life defies those that would control him. As for the price you must pay for taking the life of a Royal let it be that you and your and yours forevermore shall serve the Drathgons in any capacity needed. As I say, so it will be."

The apparition disappeared in the wind and the light that surrounded the Drathgon flickered, and then faded, taking their bodies with them.

Charlie watched in sick fascination as the few dozen warriors left alive on the field screamed in pain as magic altered their bodies, making them taller, more agile, with sharper teeth, swifter reflexes and better senses.

Then there was darkness.

"Good morning your Highness" a group of servant girls said as she glided past her through the sunlit hall. She smiled at the young girls, murmuring "good morning Josephine, Nedira, Louisa" as she went, oblivious of the excited giggling her greeting had caused between her faithful worshippers.

She travelled onward, through the open, freshly cleaned hall until she reached a less used wing of the palace. Dust coated everything as the servants had yet to clean the wing. She walked down a smaller side hallway that ended in a giant art window. The blues and greens of the glass sea cast colored shadows on the floor. She turned right and pressed her hand to the bare wall.

The wood around her hand groaned as it let out a soft glow and disappeared. The room in front of her was clean, unlike the dirty halls and forgotten rooms behind her. It was large, but homey, with arching ceilings and rounded walls. They were whitewashed cut by smooth arches and panels of deep burgundy wood. Deep-set windows rested at intervals along the walls, bordered by bookshelves. It was easy to imagine a person sitting for hours in one of the cushioned windows reading book after book from the convenient shelves.

Plush couches and chairs sat in groups surrounding dark wood tables where a group could sit in the evening and laugh off the pleasant full feeling left over from a fulfilling meal.

She swept through the room and through the hidden door beside a bookcase. The hall beyond was light and airy. Doors lined the hall, each with a name engraved on it. She did not stop to read the writing on the doors, her path was clear.

Stopping in front of one, she briefly ran her fingers over the word Healer. Peaking in she spied her quarry. "Sorry to bother you Healer Ivy, but–"

"Lily, why did you doing here? Are you sick? Why did you go through the secret wing to get to me…unless Lily, please tell me you didn't go in to visit them I told you not–" "No, I didn't I swear!" Lily squeaked, looking more than a little terrified of the imposing woman in from of her. "I needed to clear my mind, and was hoping that I'd be able to visit them….please Healer Ivy" she begged.

"Oh goodness Lily, please call me Elizabeth, we've known each other too long to stick to formalities" the woman grumbled, leaning back into her chair. "I believe they'll be waking soon, so yes you can go visit them" a joyous cry ripped from within Lily as she threw herself across the room at the amused Healer. "Thank you so much 'Lizabeth!" she cried as she rushed from the room, chased by the sound of the Healer's deep laughter.

She stood outside the room directly across from Elizabeth's office, wanting to enter, yet afraid of what she'd find. She'd watched with her father as the agents of those who wished to keep them from the Other Realm had cheated and lied to the one who lay in the bed behind the door. She finally had him back, but would he even want anything to do with her?

Gathering her Griffindor courage she pushed into the room.

His dark head was bowed, resting in his hands, loose hair casting shadow on his haunted face. Even broken as he was his image brought tears of love and happiness to her eyes, "Oh thank the gods" she cries softly, slowly sliding to the floor along the wall.

"Lily" he cried as his head shot up, eyes rising to meet hers. In two leaping bounds he was standing in front of her, silent. Dropping to his knees he reached shaking arms up to caress her face and hair.

"Could it really be you?" he murmured to himself. "I feel like I've been living in a nightmare, one where our life together fell apart, betrayed as we were, left for dead, our child not knowing who we truly were."

Rising to her knees Lily met his gaze head on, her own hands grasping his firmly. "Your life has been nothing but a nightmare since that night love, one that I have been unable to free you from, until now." Leaning forward she brushed her lips against his in a gentle kiss. His body, which had been frozen in his anxiety and fear of hallucination, responded, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.

The two clung together, desperate to feel the other against their skin. To know that the other was truly there, not another dream sent to torture them of what had once been. Lips brushed skin and hands grasped at hems as the need for skin-to-skin contact pulled them onward. Slowly, their need was quieted though they remained tightly wound around on another.

Lily hugged her husband hard "Oh Sirius, I've missed you so!" she whispered.