Interlude
'Mustard… where's the mustard'
Charlie Weasley was looking around the kitchen for the 'glorious gold' as he once called it to compliment his masterpiece. Ok, it's just a good ol' BLT, but he was pretty pleased with it. Hermione may cook unsavory meals from time to time, but he once served burnt salad. The two may have been kind enough to not say anything, but they also forbid him to come near the kitchen for meals. So he has every right to feel smug about his sandwich. Besides he's only serving himself, so no harm done.
Whistling while adding his finishing touches, he grabs a drink from the cold box and head to the living room. These sparkly sodas are just too sweet for him but he guess it will do. Sometimes he miss pumpkin juice.
"What did I miss?" He ungracefully flops down beside the witch. Her curls are a little bit more bushier than the usual and she's wearing one of her worn out pajamas, but who cares it's 'movie night'. They were watching some game show about chairs, or was it sofas. Charlie doesn't know. Muggles can really think of the funniest things, people killing each other over a chair he doesn't get, but there were dragons in the show so he guess it's alright.
Besides, Hermione once explained to him it's only a fantasy, not real, just fake, a make-believe. Which another thing he doesn't get because dragons are very real. Hmph, maybe not anymore, those muggles decided that Dragons are too dangerous and cannot be tamed. Their programmed Jets took flight to chase down those glorious beasts and sends their target missiles on them. One by one they fall. Beautiful, magnificent creatures. Killed for doing what they were born to do.
"Hey, it's just a show. You didn't miss anything..." Hermione touches Charlie's darkening face, her voice soft. Merlin, he could look really scary sometimes. At least he doesn't blow his top off when she starts watching without him, unlike some blonde git.
"What? Oh.. yeah.. So what is this Karen girl doing with that whip? That's quite kinky, eh?" Charlie waggles his brows at her, his eyes full of mirth.
"It's Kha-lee-si" She pronounces deliberately. "Apparently, she's gaining control over the Valyrian Army in exchange for the dragon. That's the small flying lizard over there…" She points towards the telly.
"I know.. what a dragon.. looks like Hermione!" He said in-between chewing. Hermione pulled a face at his lack of manners. Apparently, Ron got that nasty habit from somewhere.
"I mean look at that!" watching the scene before him. "Dragonlings cannot produce that much fire, at least not enough to burn thru the man thoroughly. That's why the new recruits were assigned to the youngling's thrall in the reserve. They're easier to manage without them burning your arse off..."
'Ugh!' Hermione is getting irritated. She forgot Charlie is one of those guys. Can't she just watch in peace and not listen to some dragon tales! She's having a harder time tuning him out, god dammit she needed this break! Her research has reached another dead end, and she just wanted to relax and watch some CGI dragon burn a bald man.
"... besides, a dragon's fire is magical. It is a magical creature after all. A younger dragon should accept the mother's or any elder dragon's conjuration of ignis vitae. That's why it's dangerous to raise a dragon alone, not to mention the transition will be painful for the young one. Like Norbert, you remember him do you? Oh you were quite the small thing too…"
Hermione freezes. Her brain working overload, memories flashing back at her.
…
First year Hermione in Charms class, listening to Professor Flitwick teaching. "The Incendio is a Fire-Making Charm that conjures fire. A very useful spell, can be used in lighting a floo or warming up your food. However, it can also be harmful… Yes Ms. Granger?"
"Sir, you said it's a conjuration spell? Does it mean you are summoning the fire from somewhere?"
"Why yes, Ms. Granger. Any magical fire conjured by a magical creature comes from the ignis vitae or the fire of life. Very astute observation, 5 points to Gryffindor!"
…
Hermione reads a passage on one of her heavy tomes in the library. She's researching a way to contain non-combustive flame in a jar so that she can read at night without burning her sheets.
~ It was said that Prometheus defied the Gods.
He kindled the eternal fire and breathe life on his molded clay, thus creating man.
He was the thief of fire. Provider of flames to the humanity, to progress their civilization.
However, not known to many, Prometheus stole the fire from Hephaestus.
The fire he was suppose to give to Hecate for helping him claim Aphrodite.
Hecate sees this as an act of treachery. Man did not pray to the Gods anymore.
They became ungrateful and arrogant. They started to destroy, to defile.
Their beautiful creatures and creations were corrupted or slayed.
So she sends her children, her creations to teach the barbarians.
Her magic, her fire imbued their very core.~
She slams the book shut, that was not very helpful. Informative, but not helpful. Grabbing the 3rd grade Books of Spells, she looks into the conjuration of cold blue fire. Hmm.. they look like blue bells.
…
"I bet it would be wicked to have those dragons fire thru these couldrons, can't these potions go any faster?" She thinks Ron whines all the time.
"You shouldn't make light of that Ronald! Harry has already got his wand in knots with the first task!"
"Geez Hermione! I was just joking about the dragons…"
"Dragon Fire may incinerate you to your very bones Mr. Weasley, but I do not suggest using it for potions making lest you want its magic to make your ingredients volatile. We don't want our potion's attacking us! 10 points from Gryffindor! It seems the work is not enough for you Mr. Weasley…" Hermione always wonder why Ron can't keep his trap shut during Snape's class.
…
"What's that you got there?" Ron asks Harry, mouth full of chocolate. Hermione just sits in the corner, reading a muggle novel. The train's movement lulling her a bit to sleep.
"Oh it's a Phoenix! Like Fawkes." Harry shows his card to Ron. This is how they should be, the three of them alone in their compartment. Him and Ron swapping chocolate frog cards and Hermione... Harry glances at his friend and smiles. Well Hermione certainly is being Hermione. He continued to read his card, "A gentle creature, the phoenix lives to an immense age because it can regenerate each time it bursts into flames. Phoenix song is magical and its tears have healing properties- quite true, it did heal me back in first year!"
"Blimey I almost forgot about that!"
"Yes, you forgot about the tree-headed dog, a plant suffocating you, being struck-down by a life-sized chess piece, and Harry getting attacked by Voldemort, all in our first year" Hermione gripes, suddenly awake. Atleast Ron had the audacity to look sheepish.
"Good thing there's no such spell to be reborn again from an eternal flame. Or else we would have a harder time with Voldemort" Harry said, the three not anymore bothered by the name.
"Forget about that, who wants to be reborn again if you just end up as a baby. Geez no thanks! Have you seen my mum with babies?" Ron grimaced, and the boys continued in their card swapping. Hermione tuned them out and let sleep consume her.
…
It was not a normal fire. As they turned a corner the flames chased them as though they were alive, sentient, intent upon killing them. They land roughly just outside the Room, coughing and catching their breath.
"That was like being chased by the Dragon in the tournament again…" Harry coughs.
"That was not an ordinary fire Harry, that was fiendfyre. It is a dark curse that is conjured to follow you and kill you." Hermione said, dusting off her charred pants. "Yeah, like what I said, the dragon. Back then, its fire tried to…"
"Vince… It killed Vince" another voice choked. The pudgy boy's friend fell to his death, devoured by the fire of his own making. Horror and disbelief etched on Greg's face.
"He deserved it! He tried to kill us!"
"Ron! Not now!" Hermione thought no one deserves such death.
…
"Oh. My. God!"
Hermione jumps off the couch, drops her half-eaten chocolate croissant and runs out the door. Not even glancing at Draco when he entered the living room.
"What is wrong with her, where is she going?" Draco grumbles, looking at the other occupant of the sofa. He narrowed his eyes at Charlie. "What the fuck Charlie! Did you eat my croissants again?!"
Charlie just blinks.
…
"For it to work Draco, the one to cast should have just as much conviction as true and pure as love."
Hermione looks at Draco. Seeing his face pass different emotions as he starts to realize the gravity of what she's saying. Confusion, apprehension, understanding, and finally horror.
"No! I can't do that! Are you telling me, that my fire is not enough to propel the spell?!" He was shouting now. He can never really control his anger.
"Draco…"
"And pray tell Hermione, who do you wish to sacrifice for the spell to work?!"
Hermione slumps down on her chair. Can't he see that this was hard enough for her too! He didn't have to sound so disparaging. She found a way to fix things. But the spell is too complex, it needs a life source. Another sacrifice…
"I'll do it." Charlie walks out from the shadows, his hands in his pocket. His voice was determined, making it sound like there was no room for argument. He knows he will have a hard time to join them in Hermione's crazy plan, what with his right leg missing, face and body marred with old scars and burns. He knows he is also suffering from a deteriorating sickness, but he didn't have to tell them that. He couldn't say that to Hermione. Him and Draco might not be the two boys of her choice but they were all she's got. And if she finds out he's sick, she wouldn't be able to take another heart ache anymore. Not now when she's so driven to fix their fate.
But Charlie was more than ready to join his family.
…
Standing in the middle of his rune circle, he takes a deep breath. Both hands now bloodied, he tries to steady them before he gives the dagger its final thrust, his last step to seal the spell. Charlie nods at Draco. It was more a nod of forgiveness than a signal to carry on.
Draco faces the man before him, his friend and confidant. Their eyes conveying each others' emotions. He lets an old family curse take over him, his body changing into a new form. Scales, claws, wings and a nuzzle. He braces himself as he breathes out fire. His fire magical, sentient, alive, and powerful. And as silver eyes bore down to the man being engulfed by his flames, a tear escapes.
End Scene
...
...
AN:So here's a short Interlude with bits of scenes that can explain or give you a clue as to what Hermione's time travel spell and ritual needs. Also explains why she suddenly left the boys and was gone for three days to find books. Yes, Draco is a dragon. Wasn't I mentioning that since the prologue? But no, he's not an animagus in a dragon form. And I'm so sorry Charlie had to die.
The Greek God story was created for the purpose of this fic. Some of it was a fabricated lie to fit the story.
Jusqu'à la prochaine fois!
…
Disclaimer: I do not own anything just the plot. I try to upload everyday, but I'm only human.
