A/N: I thought I'd post one more chapter for this story until the weekend. The chapters are a bit longer than usual for me so you'll get more stuff in one chapter :) Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for the follows and reviews!
Draco landed gracefully in the middle of a valley. It was nearing dark so it wasn't too bright out there. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. He frowned and pulled out the parchment that told him where to go from the port key hub. He cast a quick navigation spell which pointed him north which was the direction he was supposed to go. He started that way, casting a lumos as he walked.
He knew that he was far away from civilization based on the lack of superficial light. It seemed to be a good place for someone to hide if they were trying to get away from the Ministry. He walked for nearly an hour before he finally reached the town he was supposed to stay in. The last location of the known missing Ministry official.
He walked up to the inn that was off the road and walked in. It was definitely old and seemed run down, but he imagined that was just a glamour. The place was buzzing with magic. He walked in and his point was proven as the interior looked much more up to date than the exterior. It was beautiful.
He walked up to the desk and waited. Someone walked out from the back. The man looked rough around the edges, but he had a friendly smile. "How may I help you?" he asked in a gruff tone.
"I'm wondering if you have any rooms available," Draco asked politely.
The man nodded and opened up his register book. Draco took that moment to look around to figure out where he was. It was soon apparent when he saw all the Romanian words that were around. He frowned slightly. Romania? He thought.
"I have a room available on the third floor. How long will you be staying?" the man told him.
Draco looked back at him. "Um, could you leave the departure date open? I'm not sure how long I'll be here," he replied.
The man looked more closely at him for a moment. He shrugged and nodded. "We get that a lot. Lots of people come here to visit the dragon reserve and they are never sure when they'll leave. What-" the man paused when he saw the horrified look on Draco's face.
"Dragon reserve?" he asked in a quiet voice.
The man lifted a bushy brow. "Yes, the dragon reserve. Are you here on other business?" he asked suspiciously.
Draco gulped. "Well, yes. I'm looking for someone who has gone missing from Britain. They might be on the dragon reserve, now that I know that it's here. How strange," he replied.
"Ah, well, we get a few people out here who have left their homes to chase the wild. I'm sure if you have a missing person, they are probably on the reserve. Of course, they probably don't want to be found. A dragon reserve is not for the faint of heart," the man replied.
"I don't doubt that," Draco replied quietly. His heart was pounding as he thought about the dragons that were not too far away.
"Your name, sir?" the man asked.
"Uh, Draco Malfoy," he replied.
The man nodded and wrote his name down and the room number. Draco gave him some galleons. He hoped that those would work where he was considering he wasn't told to get different money. The man accepted them and passed him the key.
"Three floors up and to the left. If you are hungry, there is a pub down the block that has great grub. Have a good night," the man told him.
Draco nodded and started towards the stairs. He climbed up them, worrying his lip as he thought about the dragons again. Even though his name sake meant dragon, it didn't mean that he had to like them. He reached his room after a few more minutes and opened the door. The room was quaint and he found it surprisingly acceptable. He set his bag down and resized it. He took out his clothes, ones that made a bit more sense now, and put them in the bureau. He walked over to the window and looked out. He seemed to be facing the mountains. He couldn't make them out very well, but dark hulking shapes seemed to match more closely with mountains than say dragons.
He stood up and pocketed his key. He wanted to get going on his missing person case and figured the local pub might be a good start, plus he was hungry after all. He left his room and walked back down the stairs. He exited the inn and walked down the block. He could hear lots of talking and laughing and he assumed that was probably from the pub. He walked up to the entrance and entered the pub. He looked around for a moment before he walked up to the bar. He sat and ordered some butter beer and a shepherd's pie. He turned and leaned back, looking around the room again. He was looking for any person that might meet the description, not that he had much to go on. The person was a man with dark hair and light colored eyes. At the time of his disappearance he had worn glasses so he was also looking for someone who wore glasses. He was shorter in stature and slender.
His eyes settled on someone that did not meet his description, but made him pause. The man had bright red hair and was pale. His hair was tied back. When the man turned to come towards the bar, Draco stared at him in surprise. There was no doubt in his mind that this person was a Weasley. He vaguely remembered that one of the Weasleys was a dragon keeper and worked at a dragon reserve. This must be the one. Huh, small world.
"Another round, please," he said as he stood next to Draco. He turned and glanced at Draco for a moment and turned away, but then he turned back to him rather quickly. "I recognize you," he stated.
Draco extended his hand. "Draco Malfoy," he introduced himself.
"Ah, Malfoy, yes. Charlie Weasley," he said as he shook Draco's hand.
Draco nodded. "Nice to meet you," he replied.
"Likewise. What brings you to these parts?" he asked curiously.
"A missing person case," Draco replied.
Charlie's eyes widened and he glanced back at his group. Draco looked over at them, seeing if anyone that was sitting there met the description. There were a few, which was helpful. It let him know where to begin. "Huh, well, we tend to have missing people up here because they want to experience one of the wildest things there is, but eventually they go home," he replied.
Draco nodded. "Well, I'll come up there tomorrow then and ask around. I don't have a specific name, otherwise I'd ask you if you know them," he replied.
Charlie nodded. "Right, well, good luck then. I'll be around there tomorrow," he replied.
Draco nodded and watched him walk away. He finished his dinner and left the pub. Tomorrow he'd head up to the dragon reserve to investigate and ask questions. Tonight he was going to sleep.
XXXX
Charlie went back to his flat and knelt in front of the floo, throwing in floo powder and calling out Ron's name. He ended up in Hermione and Ron's living room. "Ron? Hermione?" he called out.
Hermione appeared. She looked worried. "Charlie, what is it?" she demanded, expecting the worst.
"Harry's fine, don't worry. Listen, Draco Malfoy just got here," he said without much preamble.
Hermione's eyes widened. "He is?" she asked as she began worrying her lip.
"Yes. I just saw him in the pub," he replied.
"Was Harry with you?" she asked.
"No. He stayed in tonight. What should I do? I can't very well send Harry away. He'd be very suspicious and he has nowhere to go," Charlie questioned.
Hermione frowned and worried her lip some more as she thought. "Let Harry stay. Don't stop Malfoy from seeing him. Maybe it will somehow trigger memories or something. I'm not really sure if that's possible with this spell, but maybe it will work. Plus, I have a feeling that the missing person that Malfoy is looking for might be Harry. I have no idea how they found out, but I think I'm right," she said worriedly.
Charlie nodded. "Alright. I'll update you soon," he replied, his tone just as worried.
They cut the connection. Hermione was more than determined to figure out what was going on and how they found out where Harry was. Who were these people?
XXXX
The next morning, Draco woke up. He showered and dressed. He stood at the window looking out. As he had suspected last night, the view out his window was mountains which looked amazing. He smiled. If anything, he at least would get to enjoy the scenery. He walked downstairs and stopped at the receptionist desk. A woman was there this morning. He guessed that she might be the man's wife.
"Good morning, Mister Malfoy," she greeted.
"Good morning. I am looking for somewhere to have breakfast. Do you have any suggestions?" he asked politely.
"Of course. There is a café just down the block, but we also have a delicious bakery that serves breakfast sandwiches and coffee. Either place would be an excellent choice," she suggested.
"How far is the dragon reserve from here?" he asked.
"Oh, the main camp is about five kilometers. The dragons themselves are a few more kilometers away," she replied.
"Thank you. Have a nice day," he said as he started out the door.
He decided to stop at the café today. He left there and started up the road that led to the dragon reserve. It was a peaceful enough walk and then the town ended abruptly and he was left alone with nature for the last two and a half kilometers.
It wasn't long before he heard yelling up ahead. He stopped and drew his wand. He continued forward, unable to make out what they were saying. Then he heard a loud roar and a zapping sound. Draco jumped and threw himself to the ground. He covered his head and curled up into a ball as he waited for the yelling and roaring to stop.
It stopped about five minutes later and he cautiously looked around. He was still alone on the road, but the yelling was no longer happening nor the roaring. He stood up and brushed his robes off and started walking again. He arrived at a large gate that appeared to be at least 30 feet tall. He stared up at it. He could see the glimmer of enchantments around it and knew that it was meant to keep something large in. He gulped and reached out to touch the gate. It swung open and he was met by someone on the other side, someone he hadn't seen through the gate.
"Draco Malfoy?" the man asked in heavily accented English.
Draco looked around in surprise. He wasn't expecting this. "Um, yes," he agreed.
"This way. Charlie will meet you up at the top of the hill," he stated.
Draco nodded and walked up the hill. Once at the top, he saw Charlie standing there waiting, glancing behind him with a contemplative expression. "Mornin' Draco. Come along. Most of the team members are out in the field, trying to get a rogue dragon back into the mountains, but I can take you up to our main building."
Draco followed him and looked around. There were several buildings that he assumed housed the resident dragon keepers. "How many dragon keepers live here on a regular basis?" he asked curiously.
"We have around twenty-five year around, but in the summer we have at least a hundred that come in and out of the reserve, mostly researchers or other keepers from other reserves. It's spring so they are going to start coming in soon enough. Right this way," he said as he gestured around a corner. Draco followed. A dark shape crossed overhead and he looked up in surprise, wondering if a cloud was covering the sun. He cried out as he saw a dragon flying above and covered his head and crouched down. Charlie looked down at him in surprise and then looked up. He chuckled and reached down to help him up.
"Don't worry, it's not going to swoop down here. We have a dome overhead," he assured him. Draco nodded and went into the building as quickly as he could. "Have a seat over there. I'm going to get my trainee and introduce you two. He's about your age. He's nearly done with his training. He'll be your guide while you're up here and help you talk with some of the others." Draco nodded again and sat down.
Charlie walked through a door and found Harry sitting at a table, looking over some books about the dragons they had on the reserve. "Hey, Harry. Listen, we've got a guest up here from Britain and I'm wondering if you can show him around. I'm going to help the others get Norberta back in the mountains," he requested.
Harry looked up from the book and frowned thoughtfully at the name. Charlie waited to see if that name might trigger something, but Harry just shook his head and stood. "Sure. Let me know if you need any more help with Norberta," he replied. Charlie nodded and walked out of the office.
"He'll be with you in a minute," he said as he headed for the door. Draco watched him leave and then stood up when he heard an office door close.
The man was looking down and for a moment Draco just stared. He had black hair that stuck up all over the place, but still managed to look like it was meant to do that. He was shorter than him and slim, but clearly had more muscle than it appeared. Draco's heart stopped as he looked at the hair, knowing that he recognized it. Then the man looked up from whatever was in his hands and he stopped and stared.
Draco gasped and stumbled back in surprise. Green eyes stared back at him. Green eyes that he hadn't seen in years. Green eyes that he shouldn't be seeing now. Green eyes that were not behind a pair of round rimmed glasses. Green eyes that sparkled like emeralds. Green eyes.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked in concern as he walked forwards and tried to assess if the man was feeling alright. He had sat down in the chair and put his head between his knees. He had never gotten a reaction like that from someone he just met.
"I'm dreaming. I'm not seeing him. He's dead. He's not supposed to be alive. I'm seeing things. There's just a strong resemblance," Draco muttered so quietly that Harry couldn't hear him clearly.
"Sir, are you alright?" he asked in confusion.
That brought Draco out of his muttering and looking up at him. "Sir?" he asked in disbelief.
"Sorry, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Harry Potter," Harry said as he extended his hand to Draco.
Draco stood up and watched as Harry stepped back. "I know who you are," he replied quietly.
Harry frowned. "Oh, well, I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," he responded.
"You don't know who I am?" he demanded.
Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Should I?" he asked.
Draco's mind was racing. Harry was supposed to be dead. He knew that this was Harry right in front of him. It most definitely was him, but he didn't know who he was. The Harry Potter he knew would definitely know who he was. "Yes, you should," he replied.
Harry frowned and then looked down between them. He ran his hand through his hair, his muscles flexing. "Right, well, I suppose that's possible. I had an accident a few years back and lost most of my memory. I guess I could have known you before," he replied.
Draco stared at him. The inner child in him, the one who tortured Harry for seven years, wanted to be pleased that he had no idea who he was and that it might lead to them starting over again, but the adult in him felt horrible for the fact that he had lost so many memories and he wondered if Hermione and Ron knew about this. "Um, I'm Draco Malfoy," he said as he shook Harry's hand.
"You resemble someone that I should know, but I just can't place it. I feel the same way about Charlie. It's frustrating," he muttered.
"I'm sorry. Do I trouble you by being here?" Draco asked.
Harry looked up in alarm. "Merlin, no. Actually, I'm the youngest dragon keeper here so having someone who is my age visiting, is a breath of fresh air," he replied.
"Not many young dragon keepers?" Draco asked curiously.
Harry laughed. "During the summer, there are, but they are wet around the ears and really just here for the thrill of working with dragons. Many tend to run away the second they see a dragon, crying for their mummies," he replied.
Draco snorted. He didn't remember Harry being funny, but then again, he didn't know him that way. "Ah, well, I'll admit right now that I'm quite nervous about being around dragons. I was sent here to look for a missing person, not to work with dragons," he explained.
Harry looked over at him thoughtfully. "Interesting that you're nervous around dragons, your name does mean dragon after all," he said thoughtfully.
"Yes, well, dragons scare me," he replied simply.
Harry nodded. "Well, come with me and I'll show you around. Norberta escaped from the mountains so they're trying to wrangle her back in. They really aren't that scary if you know how to respect them," he explained.
Draco stared at him, remembering third year when he had not listened to Hagrid or Harry about the hippogriff, Buckbeak. "I do have some experience with not respecting things I should," Draco replied.
Harry gave him a side long glance as they started walking further up the hill. "All magical creatures deserve our respect. I feel like someone told me that in my life at some point. I'm not really sure when or who, but it's something that I recall. Dragons are very scary, but I have one that I'd like you to meet. I think you will find her quite charming," he explained.
Draco looked over at Harry. He knew who might have said that to him. It was interesting that not all his memories were blocked. They seemed more like they were snippets and that they weren't connected. "I thought you couldn't tame dragons," Draco whispered nervously. He looked around again as if a dragon would swoop down and pluck him off the ground.
Harry laughed. "You most definitely cannot tame a dragon, but you can respect it and they can respect you. They can get close enough to you and not want to eat you. Come on, Hedwig is just over here," he stated as he gestured to an observation deck.
Draco stopped short. He recognized the name Hedwig. "Her name is Hedwig?" he asked uncertainly.
Harry nodded. "Yes, it seemed to suit her. Come along, she's beautiful," he insisted.
Draco jogged up next to him and they walked up onto the observation deck. Harry whistled in a certain way which caused Draco to slide closer to him and nervously look around. Harry glanced over at him and smirked at him. Draco stared at him for several seconds, years of seeing that smirk directed at his friends. This time it was directed at him and he couldn't decide how to feel about it.
Draco turned his gaze to the valley below when he heard what sounded like a drumming sound. It was deep. He inched closer to Harry, the hair on his neck standing on end and his stomach turning in anxiety. Harry flicked his wand at Draco and just in time, as he screamed when a dragon emerged from beneath them and settled on a boulder that was just a few meters away. Draco kept screaming as he gripped Harry's left arm. He finally stopped when he realized that he wasn't making any sound. He stared at the dragon nervously and then he looked at Harry with a panicked look because his voice was not working.
"Are you going to continue to scream?" Harry asked. Draco shook his head. "Are you going to be calm?" Harry asked. Draco made a gesture that suggested he would try his best. Harry cancelled the spell and looked at Draco closely. "Remain calm, and you will be just fine," he said in a soothing tone.
Draco wasn't sure if he was using some sort of magic on him, but he suddenly felt calm and he nodded slowly. He turned and looked at the dragon that was looking at them both curiously. She was pure white; well, her scales had an iridescent shade to them. She wasn't as large as he imagined she should be. Her eyes looked like jewels that changed colors depending on the way the light hit them. He watched as Harry tossed something to her and she caught it, eating it in almost one gulp. "She is very beautiful," he whispered, his voice cracking.
Harry looked over at him and smiled. "She truly is. She's an Antipodean Opaleye. They aren't native to this area, but we rescued her from her homeland. She was born very small, much smaller than most dragons. She's grown some, but she would have been eliminated by other dragons had we left her there," Harry explained.
She still seemed rather large to Draco so he wasn't sure how much smaller she was than other dragons. "Is she quite a bit smaller?" he asked uncertainly.
"She's about fifteen feet long, which is about half the size as most dragons. She's sturdy though. This is her area. We keep her separated from most of the other dragons, but there are a few that she doesn't mind being around. Norberta is one of them. She's an escape artist though. Hedwig is not. She stays put. I spend many hours with her. Well, when Charlie gives me a break in training anyway," Harry said in awe. He was smiling fondly at the dragon. Draco found that he enjoyed the smile.
"Is she tame?" Draco asked nervously.
Harry shook his head. "No, but she knows me. I was there when she was born and she connected with me. They could tell by the egg that she was going to be small so they called us in before she would hatch, just in case. We have a connection which is another reason we brought her here. She respects me and she will allow me to pet her on occasion, but not very often. We are working on flying together. She trusts me though."
He tossed another chunk of meat to her. She came closer, after catching it. She was just a meter away now and Draco felt his panic setting in. Harry picked up on it instantly and looked at him.
"Step right here," Harry said as he moved him towards a square that was a few meters behind him. Draco stepped into the box and instantly relaxed. Harry smiled at him again. "It's a calming box. Stay right there and don't move, okay?" Draco nodded and just looked back at him serenely. Harry smirked and turned back to Hedwig. Her attention was back on Harry.
He tossed her another chunk of meat which she snatched out of the air quickly. She lowered her head and butted Harry's shoulder. He reached out and brushed his hand across her scales. Draco watched in disbelief as Harry pet a dragon, a real dragon. He couldn't believe it. Harry was alive and he was a dragon keeper and he had no memory of his previous life, well, at least a memory that made sense.
Hedwig allowed Harry to pet her a few more times before he tossed her one more chunk of meat and she snatched it and flew away. Harry smiled as she flew away. Draco had stepped out of the square and was standing next to him again. "That was amazing," he whispered.
Harry was leaning against the railing on his elbows. He turned to look at Draco and smiled slightly. Draco's eyes widened as the light hit Harry just right and made him look far more handsome than Draco remembered. He looked at peace here and rugged. He looked like he belonged. If the missing person was Harry, he wasn't about to complete this mission, especially considering that he suspected that Hermione was right. Harry was in danger and had been three years ago. Someone wanted him out of the picture and somehow they found out that he wasn't actually dead. They contacted Draco to find him for reasons he didn't know and Draco was going to do whatever he could to prevent Harry from going back.
