UNTIL I FIND A BETTER PART OF ME

Chapter Twenty Eight

Hermione could feel the heat of Graehanna's fire even with her shield up. When she finally let go of her shield, Graehanna backed off. The bristling dragon snorted out a small breath of fire as she once again circled above her.

Why should I trust you? A gravelly voice hissed into Hermione's mind.

Shocked, Hermione's eyes popped open. Graehanna?

Graehanna blew out a river of fire just to Hermione's left. Attempting to keep from reacting, Hermione thought savagely that Jasmine wouldn't flinch. A renewed sense of courage pushed through as she straightened her back.

Why do you foolish creatures call me that? The voice once again pierced through her mind. I can still smell your fear, little girl. Do you dare to deny it?

Hermione swallowed, glancing at Graehanna warily. What do you wish to be called?

The voice chuckled, just before the massive dragon touched down right in front of her. Hermione bit her lip as Graehanna leveled her with a stony glare. Graehanna's forked tongue flicked out at her and she could feel puff of heated breath warm her.

Why should I tell you anything? You're only here to steal my young.

Hermione quickly shook her head in response. No, I'm not here to steal your young. I'm a healer. Your youngling is severely injured, Graehanna. I just—

Graehanna hissed then blew out a fiery breath right above Hermione, just barely missing her. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the scorching heat. Her teeth clenched in attempt to quell her desire to scream in pain. She was too overcome by the immense that heat that she wasn't prepared for Graehanna's tail as it swung towards her. She gasped, waiting for the painful impact, but she was surprised when she felt the light impact and she fell forward on her hands and knees.

My name… Graehanna's voice once again entered her mind. My name is Karine. It is proper etiquette to bow if you creatures wish to address a dragon. Perhaps, if you lot decided to do that instead of steal my young, I'd be more accepting of your presence. If you value your life, I would take this chance to leave my territory.

Hermione watched as Gra—no, Karine – began to move back towards her cave towards her injured young. A smart witch would've hightailed it out. Most dragons would never issue a warning. They would just pounce as their nature to do so. She watched Karine for a moment before she got to her feet and took a step forward.

Karine, please, Hermione begged. I'm only here to help.

Karine turned only her head to face Hermione. Why should I even—

Because you know that your youngling is hurt.

Hermione bit her lip, regarding Karin carefully. She watched and waited as Karine looked over at her cave. If anybody asked her if she would be actually conversing with a dragon in her mind, she would've never believed it. This was the type of stories and stuff that Charlie would regale the others with. She licked her lips as she considered if she was in way over her head. She snorted at the ridiculousness of that thought. No, she was obviously in way over head.

She jumped when Karine swung around to face her.

Then why are you doing this? Karine asked, clearly having heard her thoughts.

Because every soul matters, she told her softly. You matter. Your young matters. That's why you're here. Those foolish creatures over there that you attacked have been trying to help you the entire time. You only see the part where they try to tame you and steal your young. They.. Hermione gestured to all the dragontamers now standing around the perimeter. All of them have a passion to protect you and prolong your species. The only reason why they do what they do is because they cannot communicate with you—

You're doing it right now! Karine growled out with a huff of fire and smoke.

Because I risked my own life on a theory to see if it was possible!

Karin reeled back momentarily in surprise. Hermione flushed, realizing she had shouted that aloud and in her mind. Karin looked around at the dragontamers before casting a look of suspicion. Why should I believe you?

Hermione sighed then shrugged. Karine, you believe what you want.

Just as Hermione turned in defeat to walk away, Karine took to the air, forcing Hermione to look up at the massive and amazing creature. A dangerous creature that was now glaring at her before she settled down once again in front of her. This time, Karine was much closer than the last time. Hermione sucked in a breath, waiting for the end to come.

Risked your life? Karine questioned. How?

She licked her lips. I drank dragon's blood. It's lethal to creatures like me.

Then how are you—

In small doses, it is fine, Hermione informed her. However, I will need to drink dragon's blood every day until half my blood is diluted with dragon's blood. From there, I will only have to drink doses monthly.

Karine cocked her head to the side. And if you don't?

I die, she told her honestly.

Why? Why would you do this?

Hermione eyed the curious beast in front of her. Because every soul is worth saving.

Karine snorted out a puff of smoke. Hermione swallowed as the dragon ventured forward. She forced herself not to take counter steps backwards. Karine's large clawed foot settled close to her body. Hermione looked up in surprise, gazing up at the impressive, powerful, and huge creature. She chewed her bottom lip as Karin's eyes stared down at her.

If you truly have dragon's blood inside of you, we will be able to see each other's memories and thoughts through contact, Karin informed her. Her foot flexed, twitching as she tensed. Place your hand on me. I will be able to see if you are truthful as you claim to be.

Hermione blinked, trying to figure out if she had just dreamed this encounter. When Karin's long tongue slithered out of her mouth and the heat of her breath warmed her skin, she realized that this was her chance to prove herself. She nodded her head and she raised an outstretched arm. It shook with her visible fear as her hand closed the gap between herself and Karin. When her hand met Karin's scales, she sucked in a breath as she felt a tug and her mind began to flood with images.


Earlier In The Day…

Hermione eyed Micah while he finished up fixing up Conrad's arm. She had watched him, keeping silent as she digressed in her own thoughts. She had overheard Charlie and Henric discussing the inevitable tragedy of Graehanna's youngling dying. They had both thought she was busy getting dressed for the day, but she had heard their attempts of whispered conversation. Their voices laced with concern and it was still etched in their faces when she had walked out from behind the curtain into the main part of Charlie's tent.

"I heard through the grapevine," Hermione said aloud, drawing both Conrad and Micah's attention. "That Graehanna's youngling is going to meet an unfortunate end."

Conrad sighed before he nodded grimly. "It is true. Since Graehanna won't let us near her and her will is too strong to control magically, her youngling will die without treatment." He looked down at his patched up arm. "It's a shame, because the youngling would've grown up strong like his mama."

She watched Micah pat Conrad's back. The action seemed to pull him out of his melancholic cloud. Conrad gave both of them a strained smile and expressed gratitude to Micah for fixing his arm. Both of she and Micah watched the dragontamer walk out of the tent. He seemed to have once again get lost in that melancholic cloud. It seemed to have eclipsed all of the dragontamers as the amount of days passed and they still couldn't get to Graehanna's youngling. In fact, Graehanna only seemed to get more aggressive and dangerous.

Micah sighed, causing her to look over at him. He gave her a lopsided smile. "If only it was easy to speak dragon, we would all be much better off at the Reserve."

Hermione watched Micah chuckle at the concept before he began to clean up his supplies. Her eyes widened as that idea took root in her mind. Why wasn't that possible? She didn't even realize she had spoken those words aloud until she heard Micah's soft chuckle. She heard him regale her of the complex nature of what that idea would need to actually work if it was even possible. She offhandedly brought up possible spells that could work with blood if she were to ingest blood. He concluded that scientifically and theoretically there has always been the possibility, but the danger outweighed making that happen. There was too much unknown and he would never ask anyone to put their lives on the line for the sake of science.

She raised her eyebrow at that. "So a human guinea pig is what is needed? If it was shown that it was possible, would this further the communication and development of dragons and dragontamers?"

Micah paused the nodded.

"How important would it be?"

"It would be the doorway to unknown and unimaginable knowledge. It would be the key that would ultimately bond man and beast to one another. There would be no barrier – just clear communication."

She watched Micah turn to her and give her a wink. "But this is of course all speculation, my dear. Nobody truly know if dragon's blood will work quite that way. All we do know is that death run hand in hand with dragon's blood. A beauty theory – truly – but it can't be ventured."

When Micah patted her shoulder, she watched him mutter something about lunch and asked if she would like to join him. She quickly made the excuse that she had so much yet to read from the ancient dragon scrolls. The moment Micah left promising her to bring back food in his wake, she jumped off her stool and rushed to Micah's private supply of dragon's blood that he would experiment with. When the dragontamers could get close enough and the beast was sedated, they would draw blood from the unconscious beast.

She found the newest batch and she knew they hadn't been tampered with quite yet. She had been with Micah as he extracted the freshest batch of blood just a day ago. She had watched him label the glass vials carefully when they had made it back to his lab. She eyed the vial, noting that it was the correct amount to ingest if her research was correct. She bit her lip as she thought about Micah's voiced concerns.

It would be the doorway to unknown and unimaginable knowledge. It would be the key that would ultimately bond man and beast to one another. There would be no barrier – just clear communication… Micah's words floated in her mind. The hushed conversation between Charlie and Henric and other overheard conversations between other dragontamers seemed to fill Hermione with what she knew what needed to be done.

She smirked. "Human guinea pig, hmm?" She sighed, shaking her head. "I always believed I should've died in the war," she mused to herself as she uncorked the vial then raised it up in the air like a toast. "Bottom's up."

With that, she tipped back the vial and she felt lukewarm liquid coat her throat. The thick liquid slid down the back of her throat. She didn't have any time to think about how bad off she would be now. Instead, she thought the incantation Charlie and Bill had used and she kept repeating the words until her entire body felt full. Coughing, she keeled forward and tumbled to her knees. She clutched her stomach as a massive headache began to overtake her. Her heartbeat began to race and she squeezed her fists into the material of her shirt.

She pressed a hand to her mouth as she coughed violently. She saw specks of blood on her hand and she wondered if she may have taken it too far. As her vision shifted and spun then snapped into narrowed vision, her heart leapt at the sudden crispness of her eyesight and the sharpness of smell. She opened her mouth and her tongue tasted the air.

"I'm not dead," she gasped triumphantly as she forced herself up. She pressed a hand to her body, testing herself for any weak spots. "I'm-I'm okay."

She heard roar in the distance and she looked at the entrance of Micah's lab. She sighed, realizing that she may have cheated death at the moment, but there was no clarity if she had fully.

"I swear I had a death wish the moment I met Harry," she chuckled, shaking her head. She forced herself to walk dizzily out of the tent and towards Graehanna's pen.


Present

She tensed when she heard Karine let out a roar. The beast turned her head skyward and a river of whipped above her. Hermione's eyes widened as Karine promptly took to the skies, causing her to fly backwards. She hissed, feeling the burn from the friction as her skin came in contact with grass, rocks, and dirt. Her eyes kept on Karine as she circled her rapidly before Karine touched down roughly in front of her. Quickly putting her arms up over her face to protect her from the dirt kicking up at her, Hermione also pressed herself down upon the ground as she heard a chorus of screams surrounding the pen.

She waited for something – for death – for a word… for something…. Her heart thudded in her chest in anticipation. When it didn't come, she slowly lowered her arms and glanced over at Karine who stood before her. The beast with her stance emitted strength, dominance, and power. The last thing she ever imagined to happen followed in a shocking turnabout.

Karine bowed to her. The mighty dragon bowed in a submissive poise.

Karine? Hermione questioned in shock.

Please, Karine begged. Help my youngling.

Hermione gaped at the massive creature for a moment then nodded. As she struggled to her feet, she followed Karine as she quickly scrambled towards her cave to lead her to her youngling. The barrier between dragon and human was finally broken.