Me again! I'm sorry if I've turned anyone off of this story, but thanks to those who are still reading :) Anyway, during a free period today (of which I had two out of four lessons in day. I had two lessons! One at the start and one at the end *grrr!*), I was bored and signed a Laptop out of IT. This story was on my external harddrive which I took in today, so I just wrote this :) Enjoy. This is probably the best chapter so far ;)
Chapter Six
Dragon Riding
The next morning, the three girls dragged themselves out of bed to see Hermione was already awake and dressed. She was beaming brilliantly at them wearing a similar outfit to the one she had been wearing the day before, except she was wearing a long jacket that seemed to be made out of light weight dragon hide.
"Morning. Get ready. There are dragon hide jackets on each of your beds and you'll need them today." Hermione told them.
The girls moved to their beds that were still pushed to the outside of the room. On each of their beds, as she had said, were dragon hide jackets, each a different colour depending on the owner's preference.
"Nice." Cassie nodded appraisingly.
"But it doesn't go with anything I own! I'm going to look fashionably challenged!" Annaleise whined.
"They're not for fashion, they're for survival." Hermione snapped in a voice that sent chills up the girls' spines.
"Yes 'Mam." They all intoned.
Hermione nodded sharply and swept from the room.
"What stick is up her ass?" Sadie commented.
Pansy shrugged. "I guess we should be taking this a little more seriously." She sighed.
"Whatever." Annaleise huffed, still hurt at being yelled at, and stormed off into the en-suite to change.
Hermione walked down the halls to see Harry sat in a window seat not too far away lost in a day dream.
"Potter!" She yelled, smirking.
Harry yelped and jumped about a mile high, before crashing to the floor at his best friend's feet with a startled expression.
Hermione burst into laughter and had to clutch her stomach to stop it from hurting so much.
Harry mock glared and got to his feet grumbling. "It's not funny." He mumbled.
"Your face!" Hermione giggled. "Sorry. Thinking of something nice? Or should I say someone?"
Harry blushed a little and a goofy look came over his face. "Okay, I was thinking of Pansy." He admitted.
"I noticed." Hermione remarked.
"She's so incredible! I think I love her." Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"And that's bad why?" Hermione asked.
"What if she doesn't feel the same, or is only with me as a kind of rebound after the stuff she's been through?" Harry explained. "Like Cho? Or Ginny?"
Ginny and Harry had briefly dated, but Ginny had broken it off saying she didn't really love Harry but had sort of liked him for the person history had painted him as, a Hero. But really he was a broken little boy starved for affection.
It had hurt Harry deeply and he had vowed then to never date again. Though he couldn't really blame Ginny, nor did he resent her. In fact they were still good friends and he had been happy for her when she had gotten engaged to Dean.
This was completely different. The bond between Pansy and Harry was so bright, Hermione was surprised no one could see it.
"Harry, trust me. This is nothing like Ginny or Cho. Pansy loves you and she is just as broken as you are. You're good for each other." Hermione assured her friend.
Harry smiled softly. "Thanks Mione. You're a good friend."
Hermione gently nudged his arm and smiled in return. "Yeah, well I've got to prepare for today's lesson."
Harry laughed. "Good luck."
Hermione ruffled his hair and sprinted away before Harry could retaliate, laughing as she went.
"I'll get you for that, Granger!" Harry yelled.
Hermione walked outside and into the large barn that housed the subjects for that day's lesson.
Lucius and Draco were already there.
"Woah! That was close." Draco sighed, patting his hair that was smoking a little from where the creature had struck out.
"You okay there?" Hermione stifled a laugh.
Draco pulled a face and went back to trying to calm the creature. A large, emerald green dragon towered above him.
"Hello, Hermione. How are you this glorious morning?" Lucius asked as he emerged from his own Dragon's stable.
Only the dragon hide jacket was free from singes and gaping holes from where the flames had caught him. Even his long hair was slightly singed. But he was acting gentlemanly as possible.
It was rather comical actually.
"I should be asking you that question." She pointed out.
Lucius waved her off. "Fine, just fine."
Hermione rose an eyebrow and looked pointedly at him.
"It's fine. This is only surface burns." Lucius smirked. "But I'm touched that you care."
"Of course I care. You're like my father, apart from the fact you're alive that is." Hermione told him.
Lucius nodded briskly and turned away so Hermione didn't catch the affection clearly written in his eyes.
"So are they saddled and ready for today?" Hermione asked.
"All bridled and ready to go." Draco confirmed, emerging from the last dragon's stable.
"Great! And how is Rosie?" Hermione sighed.
Rosie was Hermione's two year old Dragon. She had hand reared the hatchling after her mother had been killed in Deatheater raid. It was this baby that gave Hermione the idea about Dragon Riding.
Rosie was a formidable looking Norwegian Ridgeback who was as soft as a dog, but was also fiercely protective of those she considered family. She was a dream to ride, though a little temperamental, and only really behaved for Hermione.
"She's actually behaving today." Draco mused.
There was a loud roar and Draco winced. "Well, sort of."
Hermione laughed and walked down the rows of stalls until she reached the end, where Rosie lived.
Rosie looked down at her mistress and a low rumbling sound issued from her throat. It was a sound of affection.
Hermione gently rubbed the Dragon's nose. "Hey girl. Fancy a ride?" She asked.
Rosie made the grumbling sound again, this time a little more high pitched.
Hermione giggled and walked round to the Dragon's side.
"Hermione!" Four voices called.
Hermione smirked as she climbed up onto Rosie's back. "Let's go greet the kids."
Pansy, Annaleise, Sadie and Cassie were waiting outside and looking around. They assumed Hermione had gone into the barn, but they couldn't be sure.
Suddenly, the door to the barn burst open and a huge dragon ambled out of it.
Annaleise screamed and ducked her head. "A dragon!"
"We can see that!" Sadie snapped. "Run!"
As the girls turned to run, Pansy caught sight of something sat atop the dragon. Hermione.
When she looked closer she could see the dragon was bridled and saddled, like a horse.
"Guys, wait. Hermione's riding it." Pansy exclaimed.
The girls stopped and looked up to see that Pansy was telling the truth. "Oh my god!" Cassie gasped.
"Hello girls. Ready for today's lesson?" Hermione greeted, patting Rosie gently on her head.
Rosie gave a high pitched almost purr and butted her head further into her mistress' tiny hand. Hermione laughed and tickled the dragon behind one of her large horns.
"What is our lesson?" Cassie asked nervously.
"Dragon riding of course." Hermione replied.
"You want us to ride one of them?" Annaleise shrieked.
"It's just like riding a horse, except the fact you fly." Hermione pointed out.
"I don't know about this." Sadie grumbled a few minutes later as she sat atop her Welsh Green named Hugo.
Hugo grunted and flexed his wings, making Sadie shriek and hold on tighter to the saddle.
"Trust me, it's fun." Hermione smiled.
"Fun? Are you serious?" Annaleise whined.
"No, that's me." A voice joked from behind them.
Sirius, Tonks and Kingsley rode over atop their own dragons with Draco and Blaise beside them.
"These guys are coming with us to keep an eye on you and to stretch their dragon's wings." Hermione explained. "Okay, first thing first. To start them moving whistle. To speed up you tap behind the head. To slow down you stroke behind the head. To go right, you pull the right side rein. So go left you pull the left. To go up, you flick the reins while pulling back, to go down flick the reins twice. To stop, pull on the reins. That's all."
"Just like that?" Pansy scoffed.
"Pretty much. The Dragons do the rest, don't you Rosie?" Hermione cooed.
Rosie huffed in ascent and shook her head.
"Right off we go." Hermione whistled and the dragon took of at a trundle. She tapped Rosie behind her head and the dragon sped up to a sort of trot. Once more and they were at a run.
The students followed her lead, the other adults close behind them. Pansy was surprised at how easy and comfortable it was to ride a Dragon.
"Now we go up!" Hermione called, flicking her reins and pulling back. Rosie's wings extended and she soared into the sky.
Sadie squealed, shut her eyes and did as Hermione had done. She heard the wind whistled past her ears as they launched into the sky.
After a second, she opened one eye cautiously to see they were still going up through the clouds. She didn't even feel the pull she thought she would flying at a near vertical angle.
Slowly, the Dragons all levelled out and the group took in their surroundings.
They were high in the mountains, looking down at the beautiful Italian scenery, the hills rolling away into the distance and little villages dotted all around.
The sun's rays made the lakes and rivers below glisten like diamonds. It was so beautiful it took their breath away.
"Wow." Pansy gasped.
"Yeah, I know right." Draco smirked, flying along side his childhood friend.
"It's wonderful." Pansy breathed.
"I love flying Dragons, you just feel so free and safe." Draco sighed, leaning back slightly in the saddle of his Dragon, another Welsh Green named Nora.
"Thank you Draco." Pansy smiled.
"For what?" He asked, frowning.
"For breaking away from the Dark. If it wasn't for you doing that, the seed of doubt wouldn't have been set in my mind and I wouldn't be here. I would willingly be a Deatheater." Pansy said.
Draco smiled back sadly. "Yeah. I'm glad you're here, Pans."
"I chose the right side in the end." Pansy nodded.
"And found the guy of your dreams." Draco teased.
Pansy blushed and giggled. "I did, didn't I?"
Hermione was ahead of everyone, soaring, spinning and swerving through the sky, Rosie reading her every whim.
It was pure heaven and one of the things she was going to miss. If you could miss anything in death.
This thought cause Hermione to lean forward and pat the dragon tenderly on the neck. "I love you Rosie. So, so, so much."
Rosie made the purring sound once more and nuzzled her neck to the side, as if she was leaning into her touch.
Hermione smiled softly and sat up straight once more, enjoying the ride. She didn't know Sirius had just witnessed her affection.
Sirius frowned. He had noticed Hermione acting more and more melancholy and he didn't like it.
It was as if Hermione was preparing herself and them for something bad that was coming. It gave him a sense of foreboding and shivers that ran down his spine.
No, something wasn't right at all. He was going to have to talk to Remus about this.
After all, he did love a good mystery. It was like he was a Marauder once more.
But with a darker result than mischief.
Please Read and Review. Um, did anyone notice the accidental reference to Hermione and Ron's children from Deathly Hallows? Opps, lol.
