AN: I have not abandoned this story. It was on my old laptop which broke so I had to wait before I got it back.

The Chapter in which outings take place

Gajeel snickered as he left the common room.

It was a lazy October afternoon in which the room was nearly deserted anyway. Juvia and Cana were brooding with Laxus over ancient books in an attempt to figure out what the first task might be. Jellal had disappeared right after lunch and had not returned yet which made Gajeel wonder what his friend was up to. Ultear and Meredy, the inseparable ones, had left for a walk along the lake which – for some reason – was coincidently also the place where Lyon Vastia and his friends had declared to be during the afternoon. Flare and Evergreen sat in the corner, braiding each other's hair and working on the style they would put them into for the Yule Ball.

The black-haired boy used the general state of business as he hurried up the stairs and then through the hallways. He impatiently put his hair into a nicer, less messy look and grinned widely as he spotted a petite girl with blue hair on the outside.

"Did you wait long, Shrimp?" he asked as he stopped next to her.

The Gryffindor girl shook her head. "I just arrived," she said as she took up walking. "Say, do you still carry around that Invisibility Cloak your dad gave you last year after he caught you sneaking around once too often?" she asked.

"I got it always with me," he said. "Why are you asking?"

"Are you scared of the Forbidden Forest?" she asked as she tugged on his sleeve. "Because there's something in it … something you might want to see…"

"Shrimp, the so-called Forbidden Forest was the playground for me and the boys when we first arrived in Hogwarts," he stated. "I ain't afraid of something like that - the monsters in there are harmless for me … but … you weren't in there alone, were you?"

"I was there to investigate," she stated as she stopped. "Uh, we might want to get under the cloak now," she said as she looked up to him. "Because … what I want to show you … I don't think that anyone is yet supposed to see that…"

"You got my attention," he said as he unfolded the silvery material and bent down. "I carry you – that should give us the best way of moving through that forest … otherwise, you get scratches and your roommates might wonder where you have been to get this kind of injury."

She rolled her eyes as she jumped onto his back before she placed the cloak carefully over them. "You could nearly pass as a gentleman, Gajeel," she said with an amused twinkle in her hazel eyes. They had dated for a little more than one year now after meeting in detention. He had pissed off Professor Milkovich once more and she had accidentally set her partner in potions aflame which had miserably failed to make her teacher laugh. Of course, they had dated in secret because both their houses were not exactly known for being friendly on those who 'fraternised with the enemy' even though, at least according to Gajeel, many were guilty of that crime.

"Oi, I wanted to ask you to be my date for the Yule Ball but if you're like that…"

"You know that I don't mean it like that," she said cheerfully as he walked into the forest. "How … deep into the forest do I have to go? Because if I carry you, I can't hold my wand as well."

"It's not far," she said as she rested her chin on top of his head. "They count on the natural fear most students have, I'd guess. Maybe two-hundred metres left to go, really."

"And you really don't want to tell me what the hell is there?" he asked with a frown.

"No," she said as she shook her head. "But … I guess it is supposed to be a really big surprise."

He was silent as he kept walking and then, he nearly dropped her as he recognised the familiar symbol. He had grown up in a muggle village in Wales because his father had been working for these people after he had quit the job as auror. He had worked with the Mulan Family, a family that specialised in the breed and the care of dragons.

"They can't be serious…" he whispered as he carefully approached the camp. "They can't…"

"You also think that this is part of the Tournament?" Levy asked drily.

"Yeah – there's no other explanation," he said. "Dragons … they got fucking dragons? Are they kidding me? No one can control a dragon – and no single wizard got a chance fighting them."

"Yes," Levy said. "I did some research after I saw this."

"I guess that I should since I am a good friend tell Laxus about this," he sighed before he caught sight of a dash of green hair. "And looks like Durmstrang discovered this as well," he added.

"And I saw that headmistress of Beauxbaton sneaking around close to the forest lately," Levy added. "So I guess that that Veela-girl and Lohr are warned as well. And our champion cannot be the only one who has no clue what is going to be the first task."

Cana sighed deeply as she strolled down the street with her father. It was no Hogsmade weekend but she had special permission from her father and so they were walking through the village in silence. She had been brooding over an especially interesting spell in the common room when Sting Eucliffe had arrived to tell her that Professor Clive wanted to see her.

Now she was there, feeling extremely awkward and in no mood to say anything because she did not feel like there was anything she could say without feeling uncomfortable.

"…why didn't Professor Milkovich join us?"

Wrong question and she knew it. Her father flinched like she had just slapped him and looked down. No matter what happened to confuse the both teachers like this, it had been something big – something that had thrown them off-track.

"I somehow was under the impression that you are not all that fond of Ur."

"I was a brat," she replied with a shrug. "She is important to you. Laxus is important to me. I would throw a fit if you would start to criticise my relationship with him so I won't go ahead and start to complain about the fact that you have a girlfriend."

He shook his head. "Ur isn't my girlfriend – never was, probably never will be," he explained.

"But you spend a lot of time with her, don't you?"

"We hit a rough spot a few weeks ago. She started to hang out with Redfox and Layla again and I was a little on my own. I can deal with things by myself, too. It's a rather common misconception that I am only capable of living when she's around … even though I probably did a lot to create that misconception to be honest," he sighed. "After that day, we rarely parted ways. When I quit the auror career, she did the same. We both lost people in the war, people we loved. I am not the only one who came back to a dead spouse." He shook his head. "The story of Ur and me, it's no tragedy even though it's often sad. We are no bitter, broken-hearted aurors-turned-teachers in our early forties who gave up on everything – including life – a decade ago. We were always the special ones, always the ones who were remembered."

"You were never just one among many?" his daughter asked.

"Never," he said. "If you want to become an auror, you learn to pay attention to the little things – and when we were chasing after someone dangerous, I learned to read the little differences in the way she walks, in the way to speak. No one could have used the Imperius Curse or the Polyjuice potion on her without me noticing. There is just one Ur and I know her."

"Why did you become an auror?"

"Honestly? There was no one else I was good at. DADA was always the only thing I excelled at, well, with the help of my friends, I got on in school rather well but I was no super brain – that was the thing for Layla and Ur, never me. I wanted to be someone useful. So I asked my head of house – Professor Dreyar – and he looked at me and said 'Boy, become an auror' and I thought that this was a good idea so I became an auror. Later on, I figured out that he had talked with Ravenclaw's head of house and that old hag said since I was always running after Ur anyway, I'd probably do the same thing she did … the headmaster originally wanted me to be a healer."

"Somehow, I have a hard time to imagine that," she said drily. "Laxus and I want to be aurors too when we finish the school. It's something we have to do for our mothers…"

"Cosima and Cornelia were good women, tough and stubborn, never scared of a fight – they always stood their ground … and I cannot remember that they ever backed down. Becoming an auror is hard, I'd know, but it you work hard enough, you can do it." He frowned a little. "I think your last DADA essay was an E, wasn't it? And you handed it in more or less right after Laxus was made champion … how are you dealing with that all, anyway?"

"It's annoying," she said. "Not the helping part – I like to help Laxus with the spells and all that stuff. It's just – we never got this much attention. Slytherin was usually hated because we got a pretty bad reputation and so, well, many just acknowledged us when it was to insult us. Now, we suddenly have people of other houses to help us. I talked with Gray Fullbuster for the first time in all the years we have been partners in potions – and we didn't talk about the potion alone. It seems like slowly, everyone understand that we are people as well."

"Is it really that bad?" he asked with a frown.

"It has been worse," she said. "I wouldn't want to trade places with the Slytherins in time of the war. It must have been hard for Professor Redfox to become an auror – I mean, he was chasing his old roommates. The idea that I had to chase Flare and Juvia…"

"Oh, I did arrest Zancrow," Gildarts said with a smirk.

"Don't go around and lie about that," the familiar voice of Ur rang out as she gently hit her book onto his head. "It was me who came up with the plan that led to his capture. You just did what I told you – something you are rather good at … if you bother listening."

"I thought you were busy grading essays," he remarked as he lifted his eyebrow.

"Oh, I finished them last night," she said. "Why? Would you have asked me to join your trip to Hogsmade if you'd known that I was free this afternoon?" she asked with a mischievous grin. "Hello, Cana. Did he lure you out of your common room?"

"Uh, yes, Professor," the girl said with a nod. "What are you doing here?"

"Lyon's birthday's coming up and with Ultear distracting him, I managed to sneak out of the castle and into the village to buy some new quills for him – and some candy. I am terribly uncreative when it comes to my boys … it's a good deal easier when it comes to my girls."

"Ultear made a rather long list with suggestions – I know that because we discussed them last weekend when we took a break from stunning curses," the brunette said as she shrugged. "I am sure that we could help you to pick up something he would like."

"If Gildarts doesn't mind…" Ur sent him a calculating glance.

"I know you a little too long to even try to say no," he sighed. "I'm in."

"Great," she said beaming. "And, Cana, out of class, feel free to call me Ur. Gajeel does the same."

"A dragon. A fucking dragon."

"Yes," Gajeel said as he lowered his head. "I saw them with my own eyes – they keep them in the Forbidden Forest. And I know dragons. There is no doubt that there is indeed a bunch of dragons in the Forest. I had hoped to bring better news."

"Wait a second, Gajeel," Flare said as she sat down next to him. "Why were you in the Forest? Had you maybe, Heaven forbid, a date?"

"We are talking about Gajeel here," Juvia said in a rather desperate attempt to protect her friend's best kept secret. "Gajeel does not have dates. He was probably just curious and-"

"I had a date," he admitted. "Sorry, Rainwoman, but I can't have you lie for me any longer."

She shook her head and fell silent.

"With whom?" Laxus asked. "I promise, man, I won't get mad. Well, if you were out with Cana, I might get mad … but I would leave you alive … I think."

Gajeel shuddered. Laxus' inability to admit that he was in love with his 'partner' had had terrible consequences lately and no one wanted to be the next one caught in the crossfire. "I was out with the Shrimp, Levy, I mean, Levy McGarden," he said and waited for hell to break lose.

But it did not happen.

Laxus merely shrugged. "She's smart, isn't she?" he asked. "So, why is she bothering with you?"

"That's the awesome thing about her," Gajeel said, in disbelief that his friends did not care at all that he was dating a Gryffindor. "She doesn't care about those things – neither about my lousy car that makes Juvia want to trade me for a friend with a better car … she doesn't care about the fact that I got never any money to spend on her – and when I saved up to get her a really pretty necklace for her birthday, she liked it but she said that she was the happiest that I took the time to see her even though it was a day I should have spend with Wendy and mom."

"So you had poor little Wendy lying for you?" Flare tsk-ed as she crossed her arms. "I have never been this disappointed with you before."

"Oi, Gajeel, but why didn't you tell us?" Sting asked as he sat down with them. He was no regular in their group because usually, he sat alone or hung out somewhere with his Ravenclaw friend Rogue Cheney but every once in a while, he joined his peers. "We were already worrying that you might, well, swing the other way."

"…thanks for the mental image," Jellal groaned.

"Don't tell us that it's just because she's a Gryffindor," Sting went on. "I got friends there, too."

"Yeah, I thought you'd be on my case for fraternising with the enemy or something…"

"No, no!" Flare said. "We want to meet her! We have to make sure that she's good for you."

"Meeting her might be difficult," he said as he rubbed his neck. "I mean, I can hardly bring her into the common room when people like Orland are here, can I? But if you really want to, I can probably work something out. But listen, don't be … overbearing, yes? No, she is not using me somehow, alright? She likes me because I am me – and not because I look like that one famous quidditch player or anything."

"She also cannot like you just because you're smooth as Professor Clive," Juvia smirked as she ruffled his hair. "Face it – Gajeel! There is no charm oozing out your ears!"

"That's what I was trying to explain," he said as he gently pushed her hand away. "She likes me with my flaws and yes, I know, Juvia, I got many, no need to say that again."

"Your flaws are one thing – your indecisions are the other one," Jellal smirked. "Or when you are insecure whether your butt looks fat in your quidditch uniform."

"Oi – that was once and I was making fun of Rainwoman over here!" he defended himself.

"So she probably also doesn't like you for your collection of Chocofrog cards," Sting said amused as he grabbed a handful of sweets. "I heard she's afraid of great heights so no quidditch player bonus for you either … I got it: she likes you because you got awesome friends."

Flare nearly fell from her chair and he caught her. "That's it, right?" she giggled. "She likes you because you got the most awesome group of friends, I got it."

"It's definitively not because Gajeel sings like … Pavarotti," Juvia said with a grin.

"Pavarotti?" Sting asked. "What kind of bird is that?"

"An Italian Muggle opera singer," she shrugged. "My muggle grandma totally likes him."

"Talking of someone called Pavarotti," Laxus said with a grin, "and knowing how much Gajeel likes rhymes … he ain't much of a hottie either – or are you girls of another opinion?"

"Nope," Flare said. "He's not my type … how about you, Juvia?"

"Gajeel is like my brother," Juvia said with a sneer. "He is like a teddy to me."

"Sorry, but you wouldn't be my type either," Gajeel said with a playful pout.

"No hot and curvaceous bombshells for you, Gajeel?" Flare chuckled. "Your loss, then."

"The thing is … while I still don't get why she likes me, I can tell you why I like her," he said. "And yes, no offence, ladies, but you are my anti-type if there is such a thing. I like her because she is herself – quirky and clumsy, maybe a little bit of a daydreamer. She doesn't need Spitfire's hair or Rainwoman's body. She just has to be herself – and that's already enough for me."

"She probably likes you because you are the only guy in existence who can insult one with a compliment," Sting grinned as he patted Flare's shoulder. "There, there, Corona, he didn't mean to be a cold-hearted bastard to you … but if you need a shoulder to cry on, you know where to find me. But anyway, Laxus – what about the dragon?"

"I got an idea," Jellal said. "But, well, Laxus probably won't like it."

"If it's simple enough, I will most likely do it even though I dislike it," he sighed. "Spill it."

"High up in the air where freedom is limitless, little Laxus flies," the ex-chaser and ex-keeper sighed. "We all know that you hate to fly and that you are pretty bad at it – but we still got time to fix that. We can teach you how to fly and you would be able to get that egg-thing."

"We cannot be sure that it's really an egg though it would make the most sense," Gajeel said. "Female dragons are generally aggressive up if you steal one of their eggs … I'd really not want to be in your shoes once you got an extremely aggressive dragon lady on your heels."

"If we want to outfly a dragon, we need one hell of a broom," Juvia said slowly. "How's our budget at the moment? Because I fear that we'll have to buy a faster broom for him."

"I just got cash from my guardian."

Flare raised her eyebrow. "Sting, you are always absolutely broke," she remarked. "How can you have money this time around when it really counts? And your guardian would never even consider giving you any cash because you will just spend it on your … shirts again, so spill it."

Jellal chuckled but Sting shot him a nasty glare. "I know," the blue-haired male stated in amusement. "But I am disappointed in you, Juvia. You should have figured it all out already."

"Fernandes, you are a dead man." Sting rose to his feet, searching for his wand. "You promised not to tell anyone about this. By Merlin's beard, what did I do to deserve this?"

"Nah, nah," Laxus said amused, raising his hand. "Fernandes is the prefect and I am the head boy. You don't want to start a fight right here, Sting, you don't."

And Juvia started to laugh. It was not rare for her to giggle, especially not with Gray Fullbuster around. But this was a serious situation and it was rare for Juvia to laugh like she had not a single care in the whole wide world. "Is it what Juvia thinks it is?" she asked, her eyes wide and her whole face so much more pretty than usual when she was feeling gloomy for some reason.

Jellal nodded, his face smug and his eyes full of mischievousness. "Exactly that," he grinned.

"Mind to let us in?" Flare inquired, a little impatient now. She did not like being left out, no one ever liked this but she had been left out of things a few times too often and she did not want this to happen ever again and so, yes, she was demanding to hear things.

"Sting participated in a muggle photo shoot," Juvia revealed, her cheeks flushed and gasping for air because this was just too funny and she could not keep herself calm and collected anymore.

Gajeel blinked, once, twice. "…the hell?"

"I am always short on money, okay?" Sting snapped, face crimson because this was embarrassing. "And when I was in muggle London, I ran into someone who was hiring. You try making sure that Lector gets his books and all and not be broke, okay?"

"For your brother?" Flare rose to her feet. "You subjected yourself to torture like that – for your little brother? Are you, what, holy or something?"

"Yeah," the blonde admitted. "But see, I can pay for a broom, now. I got the cash. I am sure that…"

Laxus sighed as he whacked his sometimes-friend-sometimes-rival onto the head. "Don't bother. I have enough money, too."