Chapter 29: Wind Down
Dagmar was relieved that she wasn't required to participate in the actual meeting. It was a little surreal to sit there with them all, and she couldn't help that her mind kept wandering whenever Dumbledore was going over something she already knew about.
By the end, Dagmar was completely mentally exhausted. She and Draco stuck around to socialize a little bit (Dagmar was happy to see Professor Lupin again) but she was relieved when they were able to say a final goodbye and step out.
She side-along apparated back to Malfoy Manor with Draco. He rubbed his eyes while yawning in his bedroom. "Fancy a kip?"
"Ja." Dagmar unbuttoned her blouse. "I feel like I just wrote all my NEWTs in one go. My brain is a melted pile of ooze."
"Mine too."
Down to her knickers, Dagmar was content just to throw on one of Draco's shirts before crawling into the bed beside him. They naturally gravitated together for some pre-sleep affection, but it was more short-lived than usual. Neither of them had the energy.
Dagmar's dreams were a confusing mess. She didn't remember any of them when she woke up. They were enough to keep her laying there while she processed being awake again. Draco was still out.
The things Dumbledore had told her earlier made no sense. Dagmar didn't doubt he'd done his research, but it was very unsettling to learn that her life prior to her parents joining Voldemort wasn't as normal as she thought. What if her dad wasn't actually her father? Where was she born if not Bergen? Was her mum's family even dead like Dagmar had been led to believe?
Carefully as she could, Dagmar slipped out of the bed. Draco still hadn't budged by the time she returned from the toilet. Dagmar grabbed a piece of parchment off his desk and scrawled out a note to leave on his bedside: Gone to my manor. Come find me when you wake up. xo
She pulled some shorts on and headed off. As Dagmar stepped out of the fireplace, she wondered where even to start. Would her parents have actually left something lying around in the open where she might stumble upon it?
Somewhat hesitantly, Dagmar headed for the drawing room. She hadn't been in there for years since it had long been desecrated by her parents' work with Voldemort. It was empty now. If Dagmar didn't know any better, she might have been able to convince herself that nothing like that had ever happened in here. The room was quiet and cool with the curtains drawn. Dagmar opened them to let in some natural light.
When Dagmar and her parents first moved here, she remembered her dad showing her a display of family heirlooms. It was no longer set up. Dagmar started going through some of the cupboards, pausing when she found at least something she'd been looking for: photo albums. She put them on the table at the centre of the room before carrying on her search.
Dagmar was sitting at the table flipping through the albums when she heard the whoosh of the fireplace out in the great room. She reached the drawing room door when Draco was just about to the foyer.
"Hey," she got his attention. "I'm in here."
He changed trajectory, following her in. He slowed inside the doorway and looked around with his hands in his pockets.
"Never been in here," he said. "What're you doing?"
"Going through some stuff." Dagmar returned to her seat. "Come here, I want to show you something."
Dagmar had set aside a couple sleek, black boxes. One was plain, the other decorated with raised runes. Dagmar opened the plain one first as Draco approached.
She tucked some hair behind her ear as the golden medal attached to a green ribbon gleamed in the sunlight streaming in. "This is the Order of Merlin my great-grandfather received after the Second Muggle World War."
Draco accepted the box from her, lowering himself into the seat beside Dagmar as she unlatched the box with the runes on it. The second medal was also made of gold, but inlaid with small rubies in the shape of a mallet hammer. The ribbon was the same shade of red.
"This is his Order of Thor." Dagmar smiled fondly. "Essentially the same thing as the first-class Merlin."
"Cool."
"They were among my grandpa's most prized things," Dagmar said. "They were on display in here when we first moved in. I found them tucked in the back corner of one of the cupboards."
The expression of fascination on Draco's face faded into pressed lips as his and Dagmar's gazes met.
"I suppose You-Know-Who wouldn't have liked looking at them much," Draco said.
"Nei," Dagmar agreed with a sigh. "I found my mum's old photo albums too."
Draco pulled up his chair a bit closer. "Anything interesting?"
"Ja and nei." Dagmar idly flipped through the pages. "There's nothing from before I was about five. If I didn't hear everything from Dumbledore earlier, I would've just thought that was when my parents finally bought a camera."
Otherwise, they appeared just as Dagmar remembered them: a normal family. The pictures covered a scope of holidays and then the candid moments in-between. Some things Dagmar remembered, like a garden party at their home when she was eight. She had been really excited to wear the dress she had on, and the pictures showed that by how brightly she beamed.
"You made for a cute kid," Draco commented as he put an arm around her. "You looked so happy all the time."
"I was." Dagmar rested her head on his shoulder.
Draco's head weighed on her in turn as Dagmar turned the pages. "Have you thought at all about the things Dumbledore said?"
"A bit," Dagmar said. "Mostly that I don't really care if my dad was actually my father. I was his daughter either way."
She blinked away tears as she looked at a particular picture she kept coming back to. She must have been six at the oldest, still small enough for him to hold her. Dagmar grinned in the picture, her short, curly hair blown about by the wind and her cheek pushed up toward her eye as her dad kissed it.
"That doesn't change anything," Dagmar carried on. "Maybe my mum made a mistake when she was younger and my dad came later. Honestly, I don't even know that I care if Voldemort happened to shack up with my mum and here I came. I'd never recognize him as that, and I don't think he'd care to see me that way either. Dumbledore's right. It wouldn't matter to him. There's nothing he would ever gain from having a child."
"He might like the idea of someone being bound to him like that."
"Tough luck then, for all it got him from me."
Draco snorted. "Well, I'm glad you're not letting the possibility destroy you or anything."
A little detail did make Dagmar nervous, though. She lifted her head off Draco's shoulder and studied him. "Not that I buy it, but. . .you'd asked me who in my family is a Parselmouth because it's hereditary. I didn't mention it to Dumbledore. I don't know if I want everyone thinking I might be related to him. Maybe it doesn't matter to me, but it might to them. I already feel looked at a little warily because we're coming in from Death Eater families."
"We'll see where the evidence goes." Draco pushed some hair out of her face. "It doesn't matter to me either, just so you know. I love you either way. Erik is the only person I would ever recognize as your father."
The drawing room ended up being where they focused their attentions for the next week as they sorted through Dagmar's parents' things. By the time they were packing the following Sunday morning in preparation of returning to Hogwarts, Dagmar felt like she had a decent grasp on the personal items she would take with her when she moved away.
Kingsley knocked on the front door close to eleven so that he and Tonks could apparate them back to Potter's house. Dagmar braced herself as they came into the front door there that Mrs. Black might go off again. She stayed quiet behind her curtain.
"No Potter?" Draco asked.
"I think he left once Ron and Hermione headed for Kings Cross," Kingsley replied.
Draco headed first through the fireplace after bidding goodbye to Kingsley and Tonks. Dagmar gave them a small wave on her way toward it. "Thanks for everything the past few weeks."
Kingsley bowed his head. "See you next Friday."
Dagmar spun her way north through the floo network, sticking out a foot when she saw Dumbledore's office. Draco was still there. It was a long walk down to the dungeons with their things.
"The castle's so quiet," Dagmar said. "Wish it always was."
"It's kind of nice, isn't it?"
It seemed like hardly no time at all they were standing outside later waiting for all their friends to come back, swapping tales of the holidays over dinner, and then heading down to Herbology in the morning.
"Two more weeks," Theo lamented as he, Dagmar, Draco, and Daphne went on with the day's work at their greenhouse station. "Then no more homework. Just review."
"You really think the homework will stop because we're starting review?" Dagmar asked.
"What more's there to learn once we've covered all the course material?"
Dagmar hoped Theo was right. Professor Sprout accepted their homework from the holidays at the end of class and turned around with another assignment. So did Professor Flitwick next period, and then Professor Vector after lunch.
The sun was warm later in the afternoon as it came close for Draco's Care of Magical Creatures lesson to end. Dagmar couldn't find it in her to focus well enough on her homework in the library, so she and Blaise headed out onto the grounds earlier than they normally would to collect Draco and Luca. Blaise and Luca ended up staying out in the courtyard while Draco mentioned wanting a shower.
"Jormundr's being an absolute twat right now," Draco huffed. "Hagrid wasn't wrong when he said they were getting ignorant. I didn't get bitten but Jormundr spat on me twice."
Dagmar snickered. "Now imagine what that's going to be like when you're dealing with dragon adolescents instead of firedrakes."
"Save me a bed at Olaf's."
"Joking aside, I wouldn't be surprised if Jotunheimen has one reserved there."
"Oh well." Draco bumped into Dagmar's shoulder with his, smirking. "Least the Healers will be nice to look at."
"Ja, ja, spare me."
The dorm was empty when they reached it, which did little to dissuade Draco's fresh behaviour. What did was the bits of dried firedrake bogey in his hair. Dagmar recoiled away from him when some came away on her fingers and she ushered Draco off to the shower.
Dagmar was just about to make herself comfortable on Draco's bed when she noticed a note on the bedside table addressed to him in Snape's writing. She poked her head back into the bathroom.
"Draco?" she called over the sound of running water.
"Yeah?"
"You have a note here from Snape. Can I open it?"
"Go for it."
Dagmar flopped down onto Draco's bed with it. As she read, she had a feeling she (along with every other seventh-year) would find something similar on their own bedsides:
Mr. Malfoy,
This year's graduation ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 13th. Each graduate is allowed a maximum of five guests. I need to know by June 1st how many are coming so that accommodations can be arranged for them within the castle.
The ceremony's official schedule will follow in a separate note as it is finalized.
Professor Snape
Draco came out of the bathroom later with a towel wrapped around his waist. He closed his bed curtains. "What's that about then?"
"Grad," Dagmar answered. "We're all allowed five guests and Snape needs to know who we're inviting."
Draco hummed, slowing in his search for pants in his trunk. "The only people I can think for myself are Auntie Andie and Uncle Ted. Tonks, if she'd like. Do you think it's too soon to ask them something like that? We only just met."
"I think you should ask them if you want them to come." Dagmar idly watched Draco towel off. "I can't see why they'd say no. They clearly want a relationship with you if they reached out, and it might mean a lot to them if you take the next step."
"Probably," Draco replied. "I'll write them today then before I have a chance to forget about it. Who're you going to invite?"
Dagmar shrugged. "The only family I have is in Oslo. It doesn't seem like the best way to meet them again for the first time in like ten years."
Draco hummed again in thought. Dressed as far as trousers, he took a seat on the edge of his bed. "Blood relatives, maybe. What about Filip and Janne? I bet they would come if you asked."
A smile touched Dagmar's lips. "Well, Fru Dyrdahl did offer to come to help me with the estate if I needed it. I'd rather invite them to Britain for something fun."
It still made Dagmar nervous to ask something so personal of Herr og Fru Dyrdahl. If they declined or just couldn't make it, then Dagmar had nobody. She did her best not to let that anxiety seep into the letter she wrote, framing it instead as a chance to see each other since they hadn't over Easter.
One by one, Dagmar and Draco completed the last essays and assignments they would be given for each of their classes. April ended on a Thursday, so with it Dagmar handed in Potions, Herbology, History of Magic, and Astronomy.
She could hardly separate herself from Draco in the Room of Requirement as they met up afterward. "It's been so long since I didn't have homework looming over my head. I forgot what this feels like."
Draco laughed. "Me too."
They only really got the one night to enjoy the feeling. First thing Friday morning, review began with Professor McGonagall. Dagmar's brain felt slushy by period's end. McGonagall had left them with recommended areas of study to get through by their next class Wednesday, and Professor Parasca and Professor Vector did the same. That afternoon, Dagmar idly flipped through some of the things she'd handed in the previous autumn for those classes. Despite receiving Os on the lot, she hardly remembered penning it in the first place.
The schedule for the NEWT exams was released the following Monday for the first week of June. Draco wrinkled his nose as he read through the same letter from the Ministry every other seventh-year had received during breakfast. "I have to sit Charms on my birthday."
"It's your last one," Dagmar reminded him with a kiss to the cheek. "Lucky you. I have to sit Astronomy at nine that night. While you'll all be celebrating I'll be studying for one more."
"Guess you should've dropped it," Milly said with a nudge.
"Nei, it was actually really interesting this year!" Dagmar replied. "Honestly, it was one of my fun classes. Even the homework wasn't bad."
"You must be kidding," Draco told her. "What were all those numbers you were putting in your homework? It looked Greek to me."
"It was Greek," Dagmar said. "The way magic exists in the universe can be written mathematically and they use Greek characters for variables."
"Glad I dropped that one then," Theo replied. "Doesn't sound like my cup of tea."
"Why, can't do math?" Blaise asked him. "What's seven times eight?"
"Er. . ."
"Come on, seven times eight," Blaise repeated, breaking into an amused grin. "It's not that hard."
"I'm thinking, shut up!"
"It's okay." Luca reached over to pat Theo sympathetically on the arm. "We love you regardless."
"Who needs brains anyway when you have looks like mine?" Theo theatrically brushed his hair back where it nearly touched his shoulder. The rest of them laughed.
The first week of May also came with a daily stream of other owls intent for their fellow seventh-years. Everyday in class, Dagmar heard exciting news shared between friends about who got a job offer where. She started to get nervous even though it made sense job offers closer to home, like at the Ministry, would arrive first. Dagmar just about keeled over when an owl landed in front of her Friday morning at breakfast. She recognized it as Mímir then, which was just fine. Herr og Fru Dyrdahl had happily accepted her invitation to come to Hogwarts for her graduation ceremony, so there was one less thing to worry about.
A small owl landed in front of Draco on Monday morning, halting him on eating his breakfast.
"Oooh, what kind of owl is that?" Daphne asked. "It's cute!"
"A boreal owl," Dagmar replied. "Where's it from, Draco?"
Draco's hands shook slightly as he untied it, and Dagmar didn't blame him. Boreal owls were native to Norway, amongst other places. He exhaled as he read the return address. "Gate of the Arctic."
"What's that?" Theo asked.
Draco ignored him while opening the envelope. Dagmar read it over his shoulder:
Mr. Draco Malfoy,
Thank you for your application to Gate of the Arctic Dragon Reserve. We are excited to inform you that we have a tentative position available for you in our apprenticeship program. The position is conditional upon the results of your NEWT examinations. As a reminder, we require a minimum of:
- O in Potions
- O in Care of Magical Creatures
- E in Herbology
- E in Charms
- A in Transfiguration
The position starting date is August 1st with an annual salary of 4500 dragots (approximately 3767 galleons according to current currency values). Kindly let us know as soon as possible if you're still interested in the position as well as attach a copy of your NEWT results once available.
Thank you,
Edensaw Tsaagweidí
Warden, Gate of the Arctic Dragon Reserve
Lggeyisaa, Alaska
Draco's grin was wide as he folded the letter back up. "Job offer from the dragon reserve in the United States."
Theo's jaw went slack and he blinked. "You're not really moving that far away, are you?"
"Don't want to," Draco replied as he went back to his breakfast. "It's just one of the reserves I tried for to see what happens. Ideally I'll get on at the one up in Norway."
"Dragons, huh?" Theo eyed him warily. "That's what you're going to do with your hopefully-not-short life? Dagmar, you're allowing this?"
"Of course." Dagmar put an arm around Draco and kissed his cheek. "He can do whatever he wants so long as it's somewhere I can go with him."
"What's there for you over there?" Blaise asked Dagmar.
"A hospital," she answered. "I'm still going into Healing."
While it was exciting for job offers to begin rolling in, it still came with anxiety. An owl arriving from Alaska before Norway wasn't the best sign in the world. A couple more owls arrived on Wednesday, one for Draco from Cǎlimani Dragon Reserve in Romania, and one for Dagmar from Olaf Kyrre.
"Oh, I'm scared to open it," she said while Draco tore into his.
"I can for you," Daphne offered. She smiled as she opened the envelope, but it quickly disappeared. "Oh, it's in Norwegian."
"Damn." Dagmar took it back.
"I got another offer," Draco said.
"Ooh, good for you." Dagmar thrust her letter at him. "Now read this for me before I die."
Draco's gaze darted quickly over it. He smiled. "You must have just known you'd get it. How could you not?"
"Did I?" Dagmar snatched it back, then sighed in relief. "I just have to make the right grades for the NEWTs. That's all that stands between me and Bergen."
"That and my letter from Jotunheimen. . ." Draco reminded her.
"Is that what you two have been up to?" Theo asked. "I thought you were just trying to be clever learning a language no one else could speak. I've heard my name often enough in all that mess, I know what's up."
"To be honest, sometimes we just sprinkle it in because we know it annoys you," Draco told him. "But yeah, we want to move over there. I just need to get a job now."
"Do you, though?" Theo replied. "I'm sure you'd do just fine without."
"Financially, but not mentally. I don't want to just sit around and live off my family's money."
Theo put a hand to his chest. "I'm so attacked."
"We're just going to travel first for a while." Daphne rested her head on Theo's shoulder and rubbed his back. "Then we'll get married, then maybe a kid or two. . ."
Dagmar smiled at her. "Nothing wrong with that."
"We'll come visit you!" Daphne's eyes lit up. "I've never been to Norway. You could show us around."
Draco at least didn't have to wait long for news from Jotunheimen. A Ural owl landed the next morning at the table. At first Dagmar thought it was Mímir, but its markings were different and it stuck its leg out to Draco instead.
He stared at it. "Well, this is it, I guess. Our entire future rides on this."
"Ja, so open it."
Draco handed it over to Dagmar instead. As she read the first paragraph, tears of happiness sprung to her eyes. Draco didn't look sure what they meant, but he at least relaxed a little when Dagmar tightly hugged him.
"Get the right grades on the NEWTs and we're going," she told him.
Draco had to read the letter for himself before he accepted it. They ended up leaving breakfast early before Potions started. Down in the dungeons, Draco picked Dagmar up and held her tightly as he spun her around.
"Pressure's still on," he said after kissing her. "At least once we play Hufflepuff on Saturday there's nothing else to do but review."
"Mhm." Dagmar held his face so that she could press her lips to his one more time. "I think we're going to do just fine. The hardest part is behind us."
The sound of Slytherin's section in the Quidditch pitch still rang through Harry's ears as he waited in one of the hallways below. He was just starting to rethink this when laughter sounded from deeper within. A door opened and Malfoy, Zabini, and Parasca all emerged from the Slytherin male change room with wet hair. Malfoy spotted Harry first, his eyes narrowing in consideration while Zabini and Parasca just looked curious.
"Need something, Potter?" Malfoy asked.
"Just a quick word."
Malfoy pointed his jaw at Zabini and Parasca. "I'll catch up to you."
They headed off, leaving Harry alone with Malfoy. Yet again the impulse hit Harry just to tell him never mind and that he'd see him on June fifteenth for the last Order meeting of the year.
"Just wanted to say congratulations on winning the Cup," Harry told him. "We won't catch your lead, and I doubt Ravenclaw has any better a chance."
Malfoy's usual smirk emerged, but it was a warmer type of proud than it used to be. "Shouldn't be too hard for Gryffindor to still get second place. You only have to score two-hundred points to get over Hufflepuff."
"Yeah, true." Harry nodded as they started a slow walk toward the exit. "Ravenclaw's tough this year though, even if you shut them out."
"They were," Malfoy confirmed. "Still, you came back well after our game. Just hold your momentum."
Harry studied him, relaxing since Malfoy didn't mirror how awkward Harry felt talking to him. Hermione had been right to point out that it didn't take much at all to draw out a pleasant Malfoy. Harry had done it once before when he asked Malfoy about his plans after Hogwarts. Quidditch seemed to be an even easier way to accomplish that.
"It almost sounds to me like you want Gryffindor to get second," Harry said.
"Of course," Malfoy breezed. "Of all three teams, we beat you the worst. If you manage second, it only makes us look better."
Harry scoffed, wondering why he'd ever been surprised. "Hey, I never had the chance to ask you yesterday at the meeting. What's the story behind the rumour going around that the lot of you received invitation letters for professional tryouts?"
"The ones in seventh year on our team did." Malfoy nodded. "I turned mine down since I won't be around. Blaise is on the fence but Milly's going for it. She was asked by the Cannons to try for Beater."
"Huh." Harry wondered what Ron would think of that.
"Did anyone on the Gryffindor team get offers?"
"I did." Harry's face warmed a little. "I turned mine down too, though. I got on for Auror training."
Malfoy smirked again. "After everything you've dealt with since we got here, they could probably just skip testing how you work under stress, huh?"
"You'd think." Harry laughed. "You and Ramstad still on for Norway, then? Or do you know yet?"
"So long as we do all right on the NEWTs," Malfoy replied. "Don't want to get ahead of myself, but I think we will. We've worked too hard this year not to."
"Probably, although I'll admit it's been strange to watch you work for anything, for once."
"Yeah, yeah." Malfoy rolled his eyes before nudging Harry with his elbow. "See you around."
He'd spotted Ramstad waiting for him outside the pitch. While Malfoy made his way over, Ramstad waved at Harry. He returned it before heading off toward the castle.
Ron and Hermione had already made it to the Gryffindor table. Harry could hardly hear himself think from how loud the Slytherins were being. They deserved to feel proud of themselves as their Quidditch season ended, but Harry could see other students that didn't agree. Most of the people at the Gryffindor table acted like an aeroplane passed directly over their heads, all while casting exaggerated glares across the Great Hall.
"Where were you?" Hermione asked when Harry sat down beside her.
"Talking to Malfoy." Harry scooped some steak and kidney pie onto his plate.
"What about?"
"Nothing, really." Harry shrugged.
"We mates with him now then, or what?" Ron asked with a slightly-wrinkled nose.
"Meh," Harry said. "I just thought since he's in the Order it's kind of important to feel like I can actually talk to him."
Ron pointed his fork at Harry. "Cheers, I'll give you that."
It remained surreal to Harry how the school year had changed with Malfoy compared to how it began. He'd thought it would go a lot differently than it had, with Malfoy hell-bent to prove himself worthy to Voldemort. Maybe if Malfoy intended to stay in Britain and he and Harry were in close enough professional proximity, the tentative respect that budded between them would have a chance to develop beyond that. Harry felt pretty neutral about it, if he was honest with himself. It pleased him enough that they'd reached a mutual understanding.
Ron grimaced beside Harry as the Slytherin table lit up anew. Malfoy had entered the Great Hall, hand-in-hand with Ramstad while both of them grinned at the enthusiasm. For the moment with their guaranteed Quidditch Cup win, their housemates had forgiven them the shadow of their parents.
"That's a bit obnoxious, isn't it?" Ron asked.
Harry just shrugged with a smile. "Let them have their day."
It seemed like no time at all that Monday June first had arrived, and Draco was nervously entering the Great Hall shortly before nine to write his first NEWT. He found his seat amongst the rows of desks, sandwiched between Longbottom in front and Macmillan behind him. Longbottom was the only person that hadn't to some degree taken on a pale appearance. Draco wondered how it must feel to exude that much confidence on the first day of the week that determined the rest of their lives.
"You're going to do just fine," Dagmar reassured him when he came over to her desk to visit a little bit. "Just remember everything we reviewed."
"There was so much of it, though."
Draco needed an O on this NEWT. If he didn't manage that, it wouldn't matter how else he did. An E today meant everything else was worthless. He tried not to think that way as an exam administrator set the written section face down on his desk.
"You have one hour," another one said at the front. "At ten o'clock, we will move on to the practical section in Greenhouse Seven. You may begin."
The rustle of parchment sounded small in such a massive room. Draco flipped his over as well and ignored his pounding heart as he read the first question: Describe in detail the properties of fluxweed per each of the four moon phases.
That wasn't so bad, then. It hadn't even really been Herbology that Draco learned this, but Potions. He dipped his quill into his ink and began to write with a flurry that even Granger would probably respect.
Transfiguration came the next morning in much the same format as the Herbology exam, and then Dagmar had Arithmancy in the afternoon. Draco studied for Potions while she sat that, and Dagmar joined him after she was done. Potions on Wednesday didn't feel bad at all after the steep learning curve making the Polyjuice Potion from scratch had put Draco on. Defence Against the Dark Arts was Thursday morning, followed by Care of Magical Creatures in the afternoon. Hagrid worked some jobs he probably didn't have to nearby the firedrakes enclosure to look in on the practical portion. Jormundr was worse-behaved than usual as his adult instincts came in, but Draco thought he did a good job handling him for the hour he sat with an examiner. Hagrid returned his thumbs-up as Draco headed back up to the castle to join Dagmar on studying for Charms.
All week Draco had missed his chance to sleep with Dagmar up in the Room of Requirement. He hardly had time to think about his needs beyond eating and sleeping as the NEWTs went on, but Draco was starting to grow weirdly anxious without more than passing affection from Dagmar. He tried not to be too much of a pest as he turned eighteen on Friday, for right after the Charms NEWT let out Dagmar still needed to prepare for her last. She let herself be briefly distracted as all their friends ate cake and drank firewhisky in the boys' dorm (Dagmar skipped the latter) in celebration of Draco's birthday. Draco had sobered up before Dagmar even headed for her exam at nine o'clock, and he was beyond eager to have her to himself when she could finally join him in the Room of Requirement afterward.
Draco pulled Dagmar up against him after she'd set her bag down. Now that they were both finished with exams, it started to really sink in that that was it. Other than their graduation ceremony and fifteen more sleeps, they were completely done with Hogwarts.
"Went all right?" Draco asked her.
"I didn't think it was bad at all." Dagmar leaned in for a kiss. "It's over. That's all I care about right this second."
The lightness in Draco's chest carried easily over to her. On this side of all the stress, doubt, hard work, and everything else that had gone into their final year at Hogwarts, Draco wanted nothing more than to experience how carefree things could be. Dagmar caught his drift before Draco could really even try to lead her there, her fingers ghosting up his abdomen underneath his shirt. Draco didn't leave enough space between them for her to carry on with it when they moved to the bed. Dagmar was more prone to run her hands up and down his back anyway, holding him close.
With nothing else to concern over until their NEWT results came, it became quickly commonplace to sneak off with Dagmar whenever the urge visited them in the slightest. Stress fell over the castle again come Monday as the fifth-years started their OWLs, but Draco caught none of it. He was only excited as Friday grew nearer and he and Dagmar greeted Auntie Andie, Uncle Ted, Tonks, Janne, and Filip when they arrived for the ceremonies come Saturday. When Auntie Andie and Uncle Ted drifted off to revisit old favourite corners of the castle and Tonks was waved over by Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Dagmar eased her and Draco's conversation with the Dyrdahls over to Norwegian.
Their tour of the castle ended up on the Astronomy Tower. Little wisps escaped Janne's hair as they all looked down over the grounds.
"I always wondered how Hogwarts was different," she said. "I prefer the mountains. There's hardly even really trees around Kapsferd."
"Oh really?" Dagmar asked. "How far north is it?"
"About as far as Tromsø, just further east." Janne smiled. "So how long now until you find out for sure if you're coming to Bergen?"
"Not much longer," Draco answered. It had made him proud that his Norwegian was good enough now to keep up with native Bergensere. Only a few times had he needed to ask either Janne or Filip to repeat something because their accents were a little different than he was used to. "By the end of next week our NEWTs should be back. They bang them out really fast at the Ministry since we're trying to figure out what the rest of our lives are going to look like."
She laughed. "That's considerate of them."
"Have you thought at all where you're going to live in Bergen?" Filip asked. "If you're buying, renting. . .?"
"We're not quite sure yet," Dagmar said. "Both our jobs aren't due to start until August so we have plenty of time to sort it out. We were going to maybe go back and forth a little bit, getting things ready at our manors here and scope out the market."
"If you don't want to rush into buying a place, you're more than welcome to rent our cottage up on Sanviksfjellet," Janne offered. "It could use some presence. Nobody's lived there since Ingrid and Roar bought their own place."
"That's a very generous offer," Dagmar replied. Draco could see her struggling with it.
"It's really not." Janne winked at her while touching her shoulder. "We'll come up with a fair market price on rent and honestly, if you two like it enough we can arrange a sale. The view is gorgeous."
"I think I remember going to a party or two up there, if it's the place I'm thinking of," Dagmar said. She glanced at Draco, who nudged her. "Sure, we can at least check it out. I don't know that we're very picky about size or anything. So long as it's close to our workplaces, it's perfect."
"A view doesn't hurt," Draco jested.
Dagmar appreciated visiting the Dyrdahls and Draco's aunt and uncle on Friday because Saturday didn't offer much opportunity for it at all. The graduation ceremony started mid-morning and was over by noon. Dagmar hardly felt like she had a chance to say goodbye to their guests before she was walking down to Hogsmeade with the rest of the seventh-years. Dumbledore had bought out Madam Rosmerta's liquor stock and reserved them all the Three Broomsticks for the evening.
Come Monday, Dagmar still hadn't fully recovered. She headed down for breakfast mid-morning only when she heard that NEWT results had started trickling into the castle. A couple tawny owls landed in front of her and Draco as they took their seats at the Slytherin table.
"Well, this is it," Dagmar said.
Draco held his against his chest, head bowed briefly in prayer. "Please, for the love of god."
Dagmar laughed and opened hers, nauseous with a combination of nerves and anticipation:
O Transfiguration
O Charms
O Potions
O History of Magic
O Defence Against the Dark Arts
O Herbology
O Arithmancy
O Astronomy
Her jaw dropped. Beside her, the breathe was audibly pulled from Draco's lungs.
"Well?" Dagmar leaned over to look:
O Transfiguration
O Charms
O Potions
O Defence Against the Dark Arts
O Herbology
O Care of Magical Creatures
"Hey, same as me!" Dagmar put an arm around his shoulders. Draco hardly reacted from his shock. "Bloody fine job, if I do say so myself."
It was what they'd averaged in their lessons as well. Now that Dagmar held her results in her hand, she wasn't at all shocked at what she and Draco had accomplished. There was no room for doubt that they deserved it, and certainly not that they'd earned it. Draco's chest was puffed out, his grin wide as he and Dagmar went up to the owlery with one of the Ministry-provided copies to send off to Olaf Kyrre and Jotunheimen.
Their return owls arrived on Thursday, officially offering the positions and arranging dates for orientation prior to their August third starts. Dagmar didn't think, despite how dark some periods of her year had been, that she could feel happy at all as she packed her trunk for a Saturday departure. Her chest was starting to grow heavy in some regards at the prospect of saying goodbye forever to Hogwarts, and she allowed herself to feel some grief that neither of her parents would ever be able to share her success. Dagmar debated sending an owl to her mum, but ultimately decided against it.
Despite the lack of activity on Voldemort's part, Dumbledore offered Dagmar and Draco the same quick trip to London via floo to Potter's place. Saturday morning, after Dagmar hugged all their friends goodbye with promises to get in touch, it was only her, Draco, and Potter at the castle.
The three of them gravitated toward each other when the last carriage headed down the drive. In the distance, smoke rose from the Express' engine.
"Guess this is it, huh?" Draco said to Dagmar and Potter to break the silence.
"Oh, don't," Dagmar told him. She was a little horrified that tears rose again in her eyes. "I was doing so good."
Potter laughed a little. "I know what you mean. This is the only place that ever felt like home to me."
"What about where you're at now?" Draco asked.
Potter shrugged with a wrinkled nose. "Because Sirius' family put so many spells on it, it's hard to make it my own. Doesn't help I haven't been there nine months out of the year."
"I can't imagine Great-Aunt Walburga makes for much of a flatmate either."
Potter snorted. "No."
As Dagmar and Draco headed down to the dungeons to fetch their trunks, Dagmar's emotions swung again from melancholy to unabridged happiness. She pushed Draco up against the wall with a chuckle and sighed contentedly as they kissed.
"I'm never spending another night away from you," she told him. "What a luxury to never have to fight for it again."
Draco's gaze softened as he tucked a piece of Dagmar's hair behind her ear. "I know. I'm still a little in shock that things worked out—well, mostly."
Dagmar nodded. "I remember back in September when it seemed impossible to see past the train ride. We fought like hell. The things we have—the things we're getting—we deserve all of them."
Draco smirked. "We do."
Dumbledore was alone in his office when they made it up there with their trunks, a grumpy Heimdall, and Ulysses.
"Harry's already gone," he told them. "He'll be waiting for you on the other end, I imagine."
Dagmar nodded. "Thanks, Professor. I'm glad this isn't the last time we'll be seeing each other."
"Of course not." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Send me an owl when you're all settled in and I'll give you a date and time to meet. I don't anticipate we'll have much to catch up on, but it's good for all of us to keep in touch."
Even if Dagmar and Draco weren't at potential risk from Voldemort right this moment, Dagmar was incredibly happy they could skip the train ride to London. She wanted to start the rest of her life as soon as possible, even if she was still fighting back emotion as she took one last sweeping look at Dumbledore's office before stepping into the fireplace. Sure enough, as Dumbledore predicted, Potter had lingered in his parlour. He and Draco stood together with mirrored crossed arms making what looked like stiff conversation. Draco looked relieved for Dagmar to have arrived.
He held a hand up to Potter in a quick wave. "See you later."
Potter nodded. "Cheers."