FORBIDDEN FRIENDSHIP
31st August, 1987
Following her return to the castle, Mira and her Dracanis' found themselves in more trouble than they'd ever been in before. Miss Ali had scolded them for nearly half an hour, raging about how irresponsible and careless they had been. She had been so angry that Mira actually feared that she might tell her parents about everything. Had she not valued her life, she would've begged her for forgiveness, but she was already in enough trouble and didn't dare to speak a word during her rant. Thankfully, Dimitri had eventually stepped in, and the three were sent to Mira's chambers, and were ordered to remain there until Miss Ali had decided their punishment.
They remained there for hours, terrified of what the consequences of their actions would be; Tala tried to reassure them that it wouldn't be too bad, Mira feared that she wouldn't be allowed to see Koda and Tala, but Koda was utterly convinced that they were going to spend at least a month in the dungeons. Somehow, Mira doubted Koda was right.
As dinner approached, Miss Ali and Dimitri finally came to see them, and delivered their sentence; For two weeks, Mira was to spend extra hours being tutored, and the Dracanis' were to join her. When she was not attending classes, she was to remain in her room until mealtimes. They were not permitted to play at all, or see her Brothers outside of classes and mealtimes. If - and only if - they followed the rules and atoned for their behaviour, Miss Ali would allow Draco to come to the Castle.
Mira had been outraged by the decision. She wanted to scream and shout and stamp her feet, but she knew it wouldn't do to anger Miss Ali any more than they already had. So she relented, and accepted her punishment without complaint. Thankfully, Miss Ali had granted her one mercy and allowed her to write Draco a letter explaining why he wouldn't see her for a fortnight. She enlisted the help of her House Elf, Bumble, and had her deliver the letter to Dobby at Malfoy Manor, just as Draco had instructed. The moment the letter had been taken from her hand, her punishment began.
For the full two weeks, Mira was a model student. She attended her every lesson without complaint, she excelled in her German and Russian, and had finally perfected her table etiquette, to Miss Ali's great joy. True to her word, she didn't see or speak to her Brothers when it wasn't permitted, but the lack of time with them was pure misery for her. She wanted to do nothing more than play in the gardens and race them through the hallways, but Miss Ali's rage had struck fear into her, and she knew she couldn't go against her rules, unless she wanted to be punished forever. So she behaved, and accepted the little time she had with them, including when she had her tearful goodbye with Theron when he left the castle to return to Hogwarts.
Her punishment seemed to drag on forever, but it did eventually came to an end, and Draco could finally come to the castle.
Draco was past himself with excitement on the day of his first visit. Once his Father had left for the Ministry, Draco declared to his Mother that he was going exploring once again. She'd frowned and insisted that he remain where she could see him, but after a great deal of pleading, she gave into him. She had Dobby fill Draco's bag full of refreshments, and gave him an order to be back by four. With a promise to his Mother and a skip in his step, he rushed out the doors of the manor and sprinted across the grounds until he came across the dense woodland which separated the lands of his own family, and Mira's.
He followed the trail he'd walked a dozen times and eventually arrived at the stream where he and Mira had separated a fortnight ago, and found that a tall, burly man was waiting for him on the other side.
"Draco Malfoy?" The man called.
"Yes?" Draco squeaked.
The man smirked and gestured for him to come over. The young boy swallowed nervously but carefully made his way across the stream, his perfectly polished shoes tapping on each stone he stepped on.
Once he arrived safely on the other side, Draco took in the man's appearance in greater detail; He immediately noted that he wore a pure black cloak embroidered with red and gold, with the sigil of House Vandeviere glittering proudly upon his breast. The very same cloaks he'd seen the castle guards wearing when they rescued Mira and himself from the jaws of the Gytrashes. He should've settled once he was sure he was a guard of Mira's, but his intimidating presence gave him little to relax about. He was perhaps the tallest and burliest man he'd ever seen in his life, his pale skin littered with scars from past battles, and his eyes were blacker than the night itself. He wondered how anyone could possibly dare to threaten the Vandeviere's when they had people that looked like him protecting them.
"I'm Shin," he said, eyeing the boy distastefully. "Let's go, the Princess is waiting."
Shin didn't even check to make sure Draco was following as he walked through the rest of the woods. Draco didn't dare speak another word as he hurried after the man to ensure he could keep up with his large steps. They seemed to be walking forever, with no glimpse of the castle in sight, even when they appeared at the edge of the woods. He'd expected to see the castle standing tall and proud the moment he'd broken through the tree-line, but he saw nothing but a huge field which sat between them and yet another dense wood. It was safe to say he was disappointed.
Noticing the deep frown on the boy's face, Shin snorted as he brandished his wand from its holster and raised it in the air. He began repeating an incantation Draco didn't recognise while waving his wand, seemingly deeply focused. Draco looked up at the man, his face twisted in doubt and judgement until he caught a sudden glint of blue light in the corner of his eye.
"Welcome to Wiltshire Castle."
The boy's eyes bugged as a huge blue shield dissolved away around the field, revealing a massive fortress. Wiltshire Castle was truly something to behold; It had been built near a thousand years before by King Khari II for his darling wife, Queen Cassia, and his three children, Maximus, Laurent, and Celeste. It was the grandest and one of the oldest of the castles the Vandevieres built in Britain. Its colossal white walls were made from the finest, strongest stone Khari could find, its stained glass windows had been handmade by the finest glazier, their intricate and unique designs glittering in the sun, and its three pearly towers stood tall, their spires touching the clouds.
Draco was so transfixed by the sight that he hadn't even realised that Shin had begun walking again until he shouted at him to hurry up. Shaking from his reverie, Draco followed Shin down the hill until they reached the wide, gravelled driveway which led straight to the castle. The closer they got, the more imposing the castle became, towering so high that Draco could no longer see the turrets. They came to a stop in front of a great, black wrought-iron gate, and Draco found himself captivated once more; The metal had been intricately twisted into two dragons, their clawed feet gripping the metal bars while their sharp teeth were bared, seemingly a warning to any intruders. In a blink of an eye, the gate seemed to become see-through, and the two of them could walk through it. Draco glanced behind him, and was quick enough to see the gate return to its former state.
As he turned back, he huffed as he saw that Shin was already a good few paces away. Hurrying after him once more, Draco longed to properly take in the surroundings, but he wasn't given the chance as the grand doors to the castle swung open, and Draco was led inside.
"Mr Malfoy, I presume?"
Draco glanced up at the mention of his name, and found a woman stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, her hands folded neatly in front of her, and her brown eyes piercing into his. She was a tall woman, and beautiful too, in an intimidating sort of way. Her brown skin seemed to glow in the sun, and her pure black hair was neatly swept into a perfect bun. Her nose flared a little, her lips pursed with irritation as she studied the boy.
She fought a sneer as her eyes drifted from the perfectly white hair upon his head, to the grey storms which brewed in his eyes. She took in the pointed features on his face, and the perfect costly quality of his clothes. Even as wide eyed and innocent as he appeared, there was no doubting this boy was anyone but the son of Lucius Malfoy. The offspring of a man as prejudiced and hateful as he was proud. The Malfoys were one family her King couldn't stand, and here she was allowing Lucius' own heir to grace their halls and become the first friend of Oryn's only daughter.
"Mr Malfoy, my name is Aleena Kapoor." she said, gazing down at him. "I am Governess to their Highnesses."
Draco's eyes flickered with realisation. "You're Miss Ali!" Her jaw tightened slightly and Draco immediately understood why Mira had been less than eager to return to the castle after that day in the forest.
"Oh, is he here yet?"
Both Draco and Miss Ali glanced up the stairs as the delighted voice of one Princess Mirella came floating down to them, followed by the exasperated pleading of her guard.
"Mira, slow down..."
"DRACO!"
A smile immediately broke out on Draco's face as the Princess leant over the bannister, waving frantically to him. In an instant, she disappeared once again, but he could hear her coming closer, the patter of her shoes echoing off the walls as she came bounding down the stairs. She near flew down the final few steps before skidding to a halt at Miss Ali's side, a beaming Koda planting himself between her feet. Dimitri descended the stairs a few moments after them, and planted himself on Mira's other side, his stare burning into Draco's skull.
"Hello!" Mira burst out, waving frantically, that bright grin never once leaving her face.
"Hi."
Draco could hardly believe that the girl he'd met in the woods was the very same one that stood in front of him. She'd been filthy and dishevelled a fortnight before, but there wasn't a speck of dirt on her now. She was tidy, her mane of wild curls was pushed out of her face by a cerulean blue headband which matched her dress. Her tights were pure white, and she wore well-shined, black patent leather shoes upon her feet. She was exactly how he'd imagined a Princess to look.
"We're so glad you could come!" Mira exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. "I've thought about all the places I could show you! There's the stables, and the kitchens, and the library, and the gardens! Oh, and-"
"That's quite enough, Your Highness." Miss Ali chastised gently. Mira peered up at the woman and immediately glanced down with a huff when she saw the silent order in her eyes. "Before you go running off, we need to go over a few rules."
Mira scoffed and Koda rolled his eyes, but both fell silent when Dimitri shot them a look. Draco, on the other hand, listened intently. Miss Ali rattled off rule after rule; They weren't to wander off anywhere they shouldn't be, they weren't to go past the borders, they weren't to be improperly behaved, or bother the staff. "And most importantly, your visits here are to be strictly confidential. Not a soul can know about you being here, and if you are unable to do that, then you cannot come. Is that going to be a problem for you, Mr Malfoy?"
Draco swallowed nervously at the sharpness of her tone. Both she and Dimitri levelled him with frightening glares, whereas Mira looked at him expectantly. "No," he said, "I won't tell anyone, I promise."
Mira squealed with glee and begged Miss Ali to allow them to finally go. With a sigh of resignation, Miss Ali agreed, and Draco though that Mira would explode with excitement. An elderly man took Draco's coat and bag, and before Draco could even comprehend it, Mira was dragging him through the halls. Dimitri and Shin followed behind them, as stony as ever; Having them in their presence was yet another requirement, but Mira had promised that he'd get used to having them around.
The Princess and her Dracanis showed him around as much of the castle as she was allowed to, introducing him to nearly every member of staff they passed during the tour. He marvelled at the dining hall, with its six great hearths, and glittering chandeliers. The long table was adorned in the most valuable china, each setting perfectly arranged. She showed him the library, and Koda wondered whether Draco's eyes would pop out of his head as they watched the boy take in the room. There were thousands of books adorning the shelves, and lavish seating areas placed throughout should one wish to sit by the fire with a book.
Mira had to practically drag Draco from the room to show him everything else. She brought him to the kitchens where cooks and House Elves alike were bustling around to prepare the meals of the day, while the head chef, Eliza, was fuming at a pair of wizards whom spelled several crates through the door from their cart. Draco had been rather reluctant to meet the frazzled-looking woman, but the moment she'd spotted Mira, the stress seemed to melt from her face and was replaced by a warm smile.
"So this is the boy, hm?" Eliza wondered, her eyes swirling with amusement as she briefly glanced at the guards behind them before crouching down in front of the children. "If yer ever hungry, lad, you come t' me. Gotta make sure yous 'av got yer energy during yer adventures." She shot them both a wink as she slyly handed them a cookie which was nearly the size of their heads. She tossed Koda a bone and told him not to tell his siblings.
The Dracanis didn't have to be told twice as flapped his tiny wings with glee and trotted out of the kitchens, the massive bone secure between his jaws. Mira and Draco nibbled on their cookies as they maneuvered their way through the grounds as the staff went about their day. The two of them narrowly avoided a horse as it charged into the courtyard, pulling a massive cart piled high with logs of wood. While Dimitri and Shin scolded the carter, Mira brought Draco to the stables and introduced him to her pony; A tan filly by the name of Poppy.
With a great deal of coaxing on Mira's part, Draco finally had enough courage to pet the animal. He near jumped out of his skin when she snorted, earning a giggle from Mira. "She likes you. Watch..." She gently took his hand and helped him to stroke down her nose, earning more soft snorts from the pony. After a while, Mira released his hand and let him stroke her by himself, before handing him a few carrots to feed her. Draco carefully handed her one as Mira instructed and squeaked a little and retracted his hand when her hairs tickled his palm. Mira once again burst into giggles at the horror on his face, but even Draco couldn't help the giggles which tumbled from his lips.
After their brief time in the stables, Draco was finally led to the gardens, and for about the hundredth time that day, he was blown away by what he saw. There was no end in sight to the magnificence, and no area seemed the same; To their left were rolling hills of perfect green grass, to their right was a winding path through beds of roses blooming in reds and blues and yellows. And right ahead of them was the grandest fountain he'd ever laid eyes on. It seemed to sit upon the side of the small hill, several pools of water linking to a larger, longer pool. It was massive and breathtaking, the pale stones of the fountain walls damp from the constant spray of water as the jets put on a magnificent display.
Draco was brought out of his reverie by the sound of Koda's gnawing on the bone he'd been given and the shouts of someone close. Both he and Mira looked around for the source and they found an elderly man stood amongst the roses, barking orders to a small company of gardeners before sending them on their way. Mira beamed, telling Draco that he was Old Winston, the Groundskeeper, before she rushed over, and Draco thought he ought to follow.
They were about to step into the garden before the man yelled loudly, making the two freeze.
"Not so fast." he grumbled, waving his finger at them. "Now...Who've we go here then, hm?
Old Winston carefully stepped through the roses before coming to a halt in front of them. The man was very old, and plump. His cheeks were red from the heat, but the rest of his face was either covered in thick white facial hair, or shielded by his brown, straw hat which had certainly seen better days. He tipped it up slightly so he could take a look at Draco, his pale eyes narrowing. He sniffed disapprovingly before glancing at Mira who was looking up at the man expectantly as she babbled about Draco saving her from being eaten by Gytrashes. "Gytrashes, hm? Nasty ones, they are! Of course, not as nasty as those bloody gnomes that keep popping up here! Pesky little ba-" Dimitri cleared his throat loudly. "-buggers. Pesky little buggers."
Winston rolled his eyes a little before he produced a flower from behind his back, earning a gasp from Mira. The flower was a lily, and was a dazzling blue, almost matching that of Mira's dress. "Here you go, Your Highness, just as promised." She squealed and gently took the flower from his hand, thanking him over and over as the breathed in the beautiful scent.
Draco gave her an odd look, one he felt he'd given her a thousand times since they'd begun their tour. Everytime they'd come across the staff of the castle, Mira spoke with them as though they were anything but. She thanked them and pleaded with them, and she'd even embraced a few. She even spoke kindly to the House Elves, and told Draco about how much she loved them all. It was bizarre to say the least. He thought of Dobby every time and gagged at the thought of treating him the same way Mira treated her servants. Dobby was there to serve, and everyone treated him as such, but with Mira, she treated her inferiors as though they were friends - family even!
"And you boy!" Winston snapped, gaining Draco's attention once more. This time, he was met with a pair of shears a mere breath away from his face. "You best look after our Princess or there'll be trouble. So long as you do that, and keep off my blasted flowers, we'll get along just fine."
Draco gulped and nodded, staring at the shears with wide eyes. Mira scolded Winston for scaring her friend as she tucked the flower in her hair, but the man paid no mind and returned to his work, muttering something about pale-haired pansies.
Thoroughly shaken by the old man, Draco needed no encouragement to carry on as he hurriedly followed Mira towards the fountain where he spotted two boys gathered by the middle, while three dogs splashed around in the water. Mira yelled to them and waved, earning the attention of them all. As a familiar black pup leapt out of the water, Draco realised that they weren't dogs at all, but Dracanis', and those boys were Mira's Brothers, the Princes. Draco was sure there were supposed to be three, but he recalled Mira telling him that her eldest Brother, Theron, had already returned to Hogwarts.
The two boys immediately came rushing up to their Sister, interested to meet the boy Mira had told them all about. The first to approach was clearly Mira's older Brother. He was more than a head taller than them, but shared many of the same features as his siblings, the features of a true Vandeviere. His skin was a dark bronze, and his hair was pure black and just as curly as Mira's. He'd expected his eyes to be identical to Mira's, but they were a darker green than he'd anticipated.
"You must be Draco. It's nice to finally meet you, I'm Xander. And this is Brina." The Prince pointed down to his Dracanis as she sat herself beside her companion. She had bright reddish-orange fur, and blood red wings which appeared to have wingspan which doubled Draco's height. Her eyes, which were perhaps the most frightening part about her, were like looking into flames. They were a blazing, burning red, and it struck fear into him.
"Hi there!" she said, flashing her teeth in some attempt of a smile, but Draco's heart thrummed in his chest at the size of her. He was shocked enough to see Koda and Tala the first time, and they were no bigger than rabbits. But Brina was big. Almost reaching his shoulder big.
"He's frightened of Dracanis', I see." Xander commented, humour lacing his voice.
"Don't be mean! Brina's just a bit intimidating is all." Mira huffed, placing a gentle kiss to Brina's head. The Dracanis licked her cheek in response as Xander approached Draco who appeared to be frozen in place.
Xander dropped a hand to Draco's shoulder and smirked. "Don't worry about her, mate. She won't hurt you unless you're trying to hurt me, which I sincerely doubt." Draco glanced up at the Prince with wide eyes, and he merely shot him a grin in response. "No offence."
Brina approached the trembling boy and carefully nudged his hand with her wet nose before giving his hand a lick. Draco whimpered slightly which only made Brina snicker. "Well on his way to being a Gryffindor, I see."
"Brina!"
Draco huffed at the teasing and stood a little straighter as he reached out to pet Brina. He would've fooled them all with his act of bravery had his hands not been shaking the entire time. Nonetheless, Brina nudges his hand once again and Xander patted his shoulder. "Well done!" Draco gave a nod of thanks to Xander, a flicker of pride in his heart. Mira beamed over at him, clapping her hands together.
"Hello!" Draco glanced down at the young boy who had spoken. "I'm Lorenzo!"
Mira's younger Brother was the closest to her in age, only a year between them, but he looked less like her than Xander did. He was a small boy and was full in the face. His skin was bronze, and his hair black like his siblings, but his hair was much straighter, not a curl to be found. His eyes were strange...While one was a brilliant green, the other was a deep hazel.
"And I'm Juniper! But you can call me Juni!"
Draco felt much more relaxed at the sight of Juniper. She was as small as Koda and Tala, a size he was able to process. She had brown fur, and small bronze wings, but her eyes seemed to take after her companion, as one was green, and the other was hazel. Exactly the same as Lorenzo's.
"It's an honour to meet you." Draco said, nodding to both Xander and Lorenzo.
Xander waved him off while Lorenzo only beamed up at him. "Xander said he'd play hide and seek with us again! Will you play too, Draco?" The youngest Vandeviere looked at him hopefully and Draco glanced at Mira who appeared at his side, a smirk upon her lips.
"Don't worry, I know all the best hiding places!"
And that was how the rest of their day was spent, playing several games in the gardens for hours on end, and by the time 4 O'clock neared, Draco didn't want to go home. He'd had so much fun with Mira that he felt like bursting into tears when it came to an end, but with the promise of seeing one another the next day, it was easier to leave.
As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, Mira and Draco became the best of friends. He came nearly every day, and would spend hours with her. When it was blisteringly hot, they would play in the fountains or the stream to cool down before relaxing on the grass with freezing drinks and the most delicious ice cream Draco had ever tasted. When it rained, they huddled by the fire in the library, a hot chocolate in hand while they bullied Dimitri and Shin until one of them caved and told them a story. When they grew bored of being inside, they'd manage to slip outside despite Dimitri's protests and chase one another around the grounds. Their laughter would echo throughout the grounds of the castle as they played in the rain and slipped in the mud more than once, at least until Dimitri and Shin would drag them back into the castle to get cleaned up.
Having spent most of his time at the castle, Draco came to know its occupants quite well, and they found that they didn't mind the presence of the boy, especially when they saw how much brighter the Princess was. Eliza was always giving them snacks for their adventures, and was sure to prepare a delicious selection of food if they ever wished to have a picnic. The stableboys, Anton and Elias, helped to teach Draco how to ride so that he could take his own pony rather than ride with someone else. Even Old Winston warmed to him - slightly - and was gradually allowing them more and more access to the flowers, although the man still terrified Draco.
The boy had also met Mira's cousin, Blaise Zabini, when he'd returned to the castle a few days before Mira's 7th birthday after his visit to Italy. The two boys were instantly cautious of one another, having heard plenty about each other's families. Blaise was reluctant to be around him at first, but after a great amount of pleading from Mira, and the promise that Draco was a good person, Blaise caved. He also swore not to say a word about Draco being there, though he still wasn't pleased. It took a few weeks for them to get along, but once they discovered they could team up against Mira, they became good friends indeed. It had become a nightmare for Mira once Blaise and Draco teamed up, and she only had Lorenzo and Koda on her side, as the others enjoyed picking on her just as much. She lost nearly every game they played, and she was almost certain that they were cheating. However, it all stopped once Theron returned from Hogwarts.
Draco had thought Brina was the most terrifying of all the Dracanis', until he met Soren for the first time. As it turned out, Soren was far less empathetic to Draco's fear, and quite enjoyed the terror he invoked in the boy. Draco couldn't go a single day without nearly dying of fear due to Soren, and Theron certainly wasn't going to hold his Dracanis back. The eldest Prince liked Draco, it was true, and he was glad that his Sister had a friend, but that wasn't going to prevent him from being anything less than her annoying big Brother. Plus he loved the look of defeat on Draco and Blaise's faces everytime he joined his Sister's side during a game.
With both Blaise and Theron home, and Draco constantly coming over, Mira felt that it was the best summer she'd ever had. She put in extra work in her studies with Miss Ali so that she could spend extra time outside, especially since Theron had managed to convince Miss Ali to allow them to play a safer version of Quidditch. The Prince had announced that he wanted to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team when he returned to school in September and wanted to get some practice in. Miss Ali had agreed, so long as there were no bludgers involved, and that they weren't allowed to go too high of too far. They'd all agreed, but she'd spelled the Snitch and the brooms to make sure they didn't push their luck. Regardless, Mira still enjoyed every second she could while her Brother was home. Unfortunately, the end of August came around, and Blaise returned to Italy, and there was only a single day before Theron returned to Hogwarts.
"That's not fair!"
"I disagree...It seems rather fair to me." Mira shrugged from the opposite side of the fountain before glancing up at the Dracanis perched on her shoulder. "What say you, Koda?"
"Agreed, this is completely fair."
The two began cackling as Lorenzo fumed on the other side, clenching his fists at their mockery of him. He'd tried everything possible to get to them; He tried to run around the fountain, but Mira would swiftly evade him, leaving them in the very same position. He'd even tried to get across the water, but Dimitri had brought a swift end to that when he yanked him away from the fountain wall.
"Just give up, Enzo...You'll never catch us!" taunted Koda.
Lorenzo glared at the two of them before his expression morphed into that of amusement. His mismatched eyes lit up and giggles burst from his lips. Koda and Mira glanced at one another in confusion, checking each others appearances for anything which could've elicited such a reaction from him, but found that they were both well-kept.
Glancing back at her Brother, Mira folded her arms. "What is it you're laughing at?"
Before Lorenzo could even form a response, someone poked the sides of Mira's waist, and she screamed bloody murder, while Koda went tumbling from her shoulder. Laughter surrounded her, and as she whipped around she found that the cause of her fear was none other than Draco Malfoy.
"Draco! That wasn't funny!" she scolded, shoving his arm which only made him laugh more. She tried to hold her glare, but the longer Draco laughed, the more difficult she found it to keep a straight face.
"I thought it was funny!" yelled Lorenzo as he sprinted over to greet Draco.
The blond boy seemed rather pleased with himself as he beamed at her, nudging her arm a little. "It was a little funny..."
As a giggle threatened to leave her throat, Koda suddenly jumped back up onto her shoulder and glowered at Draco as he shook out his fur. "That wasn't very nice." he grumbled.
"Not nice at all." Mira agreed, keeping her eyes on Draco whose grin was slowly slipping from his face as he recognised the expressions the two wore. "I'd say it shouldn't go unpunished. What do you think, Koda?"
Koda snickered. "I agree...And that one too. Mockery is a terrible crime around here." He nods to Lorenzo who immediately halted his giggling and hid behind Draco as he slowly backed away, knowing exactly where this was going.
"Dimitri...HELP!"
"No can do, Your Highness." shrugged Dimitri, failing at hiding his smirk. "I'd say you should get running."
Lorenzo didn't think twice about Dimitri's words and immediately sprinted away from them, closely followed by Juniper who was doing a fine job of keeping up with him. Mira snorted as she watched them run away before her gaze fell back onto Draco.
"I'd suggest you listen to Dimitri, Malfoy." cackled Koda before leaping from Mira's shoulder. "Run."
As the word left his mouth, Mira let out a piercing battle cry and charged at Draco. The boy screamed at the sudden attack and took off running in the opposite direction while Koda went hunting for Lorenzo and Juniper. Mira chased him all around the grounds, laughing and hollering as he deflected her every attempt to catch him. Dimitri and Shin watched the two in amusement, cheering for Mira everytime she nearly got him.
Eventually, the Princess caught up with Draco and launched at his back, sending them both tumbling to the floor. She wrapped herself around his back as they rolled on the ground, both of them trying to get the upper-hand until Mira began tickling at his neck, sending Draco into a laughing fit.
"Do you yield?" asked Mira, cackling as she relentlessly tickled his neck.
"I YIELD!" he screeched, "I YIELD!"
Mira finally released him and giggled as Draco tried to get his breath back. She sat up on her knees and grinned at her friend as he glared back at her. "I missed you!"
He scoffed and turned away from her, but she soon launched at him again and wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing him in a tight hug. "Alright! I missed you too!" he laughed, embracing her just as tightly before shoving her off with a laugh.
The two of them got up, and Mira winced at the state of her swimwear, knowing Miss Ali would likely have a few choice word about the mud and grass stains. She was about to call to Dimitri to beg him to get rid of the stains, but Koda's screaming interrupted her.
They looked over and found Lorenzo heading towards them while Juniper and Tala dragged a screaming Koda behind. "Can we go to the river now?" whined the young Prince.
Mira looked over at Dimitri for permission and he nodded. Mira cheered loudly, and ran with Draco towards the river that they'd been waiting all week to day in. Lorenzo and the Dracanis' raced after them, followed by a call of warning from Dimitri for them to be careful.
The river was just within the woods at the borderline and was the newest area available for the children to play. Their Father had come to visit a few weeks prior (when Draco wasn't there), and had told them about where he and his siblings used to play when they lived at the castle. Of course, the moment he'd mentioned this place they'd begged him to take them, and he'd eventually caved when they clambered over him and refused to release him until he showed them.
The moment they'd set eyes on the river, they'd fallen in love with the prospect of playing there. It was deep enough should they wish to swim, but there were also shallower creeks which split off where they could chase the fish and hunt for pretty rocks. Their Father agreed that they could play there too, so long as they were careful and a guard was always with them. They'd agreed in less than a second, eager to spend their time in the water. Since that day, it'd been their favourite place to play.
Once they reached the body of water, the children wasted no time and leapt into the water with shouts of glee, the spray of water narrowly missing Dimitri. He shook his head fondly before sitting down on a tree stump.
Mira and Draco immediately started racing one another to each side of the river while Lorenzo practiced his diving under the watchful eye of Tala. Once he'd perfected his dive, he called for Draco to watch him, and once he had the blond boy's attention, he proudly showed him how far he could go before he needed to take a breath. When he'd reached the surface, Draco and the others broke out into cheers and applause, making Lorenzo beam with pride.
They spent the rest of the morning at the river, swimming as far as Dimitri would allow them and challenging each other to see who could hold their breath for the longest time. Surprisingly, Lorenzo had beaten his Sister and Draco, but it was Tala who reigned supreme overall. Once they grew bored of that, Draco had spotted a the rope Theron and Xander often used to jump into the water, and that became their next venture. Their gleeful laughter and the splashes of water echoed throughout the forest as they balanced on the smooth rocks before swinging as high as the rope would allow and taking an almighty leap. After the third time of being near-soaked by them, Dimitri had opted to just cast a protection charm whenever they were taking a leap. And when he saw Mira brace for another go, determined to get higher than Draco, he made sure that his charm was as impervious as possible.
With a massive swing and a mighty roar, Mira splashed back into the river, splashing everyone with water on impact. Her head broke through the water, her mop of black curls covering her face as she cheered at the success of her jump. She swam to the embankment where Draco and Koda were waiting.
She glanced over at Dimitri, and was only slightly disappointed to see that he was still as dry as he'd been before she'd jumped. Her guard merely cocked an eyebrow at her. "It's not going to happen, Mira."
She only grinned in return before pushing herself to sit beside Draco and her Dracanis on the embankment while they waited for Lorenzo to take his turn. Both Juniper and Tala were demanding to go with him, and their argument was almost loud enough to mask the thundering sound of hooves approaching. Almost.
Mira glanced over her shoulder and stomped her feet angrily when she spotted Theron and Xander riding towards them on their horses, Soren and Brina running beside them. They skidded to a halt, barely a foot away from Mira and Draco's faces making the latter squeak in fear and jump back into the water.
"Don't you be ruining our fun!" yelled Mira, scowling up at the two older boys.
Theron smirked at his Sister's outburst, but focused his gaze on Draco. "I did think that was you, Draco...Did you not fancy seeing me on my last day?"
Draco's eyes bugged, looking between Mira and Theron in panic. He barely stuttered out a reply before Mira stood in front of Draco protectively, folding her arms and glaring at Theron in some attempt to look menacing. "You didn't want to play with us today!" she hissed, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. "I asked you and you said no!"
Theron shrugged. "Did not."
"Did too!" Mira's fists balled up as her glare darkened. She had expected to spend her the whole day with him as it was the last time she was going to see him before Christmas; She'd suggested they all go and play in the river for a little while, but he'd quickly declined and rubbed it in that Miss Ali had permitted him and Xander to go riding. Of course, Theron thought that was much better than playing around in the river. After the hours of fun they'd already had in the water, Mira would sincerely have to disagree.
"The ride was much better anyway," boasted Soren, stepping just a little closer to Mira. "We saw deer and a fox...We even saw one of those Gytrashes you're so scared of. It ran off as soon as it saw us, though. I guess none of you were scary enough to ward it off before."
"Liar!" snapped Koda, thoroughly unimpressed by the insinuation. "There's no way you'd be brave enough to face a Gytrash! You got scared by a hedgehog once...You even got Theron to carry you back to the castle!"
Mira snorted at the memory, and Soren seized up, his blue eyes narrowing on his Brother. He snarled a little before scoffing and knocking his Brother into the water. "Whatever Puny..."
Theron guffawed before shooting a smile at Mira. "Downstream's much better anyway."
Without even a goodbye, Theron and Xander rode off with Soren and Brina, their taunting laughter still ringing in their ears.
Draco carefully lifted a soaking, spluttering Koda out of the water, and Mira immediately knelt before her friend, gently stroking his fur. "Are you okay?"
He huffed before shaking out his fur, successfully dousing both Mira and Draco. "They're so thickheaded." he grumbled, glaring in the direction that his siblings had fled.
Mira cradled him to her chest, humming in agreement before she paused, and a twisted grin formed on her lips. "Yes they are..."
Her eyes gleamed with a glorious idea. As always, Koda's mind was intertwined with hers, and when he saw the look in her eyes, he snickered knowingly, in a way which made Dimitri tense, knowing nothing good could come from such a pairing.
"Mira..." he warned, but the Princess paid him no mind and turned to Draco and Lorenzo who were wading in the water.
"How about with give them a well-earned goodbye present?"
After putting their heads together, they'd come up with a perfect plan. It wasn't anything too severe, just a simple prank...but it would certainly give them something to laugh at.
Said simple prank had lead to Draco, Lorenzo and Juniper in one tree, while Mira, Koda, and Tala sat in the one beside them. Theron and Xander were skimming rocks across the water, while Soren and Brina were wrestling in the grass, completely oblivious to their presence.
It was Mira who made the first move; She plucked a rock from the pile she'd collected on their trek to find her Brothers, and threw it at the water. The two boys jumped at the sudden splash from something which they didn't throw. Theron looked up, searching for what could've dropped the stone.
Xander rolled his eyes. "It was probably just a bird. It's your turn."
Theron frowned, but brushed it off nonetheless. The two returned to skimming rocks, and it was Lorenzo who threw the next rocks, succeeding in hitting Xander on the back of the head. Mira had to bite her tongue to control her laughter, but after Draco managed to hit Soren on the back, they certainly had their attention. Mira launched another and it whacked Theron in the back of the head making him yell out in frustration as he whipped around, searching for any sign of someone nearby. When he stepped closer to the trees, they knew that he would find them soon enough.
With a nod from Mira, Lorenzo and Draco suddenly jumped out of the tree, yelling loud enough to make the four of them jump and stumble a little. But it wasn't enough to really frighten them.
"What are you doing?" Theron fumed, glaring between the two of them. "That's not funn-ARGH!"
Before he could finish his conversation, Mira screeched out as she leapt from the tree, making the four of them scream and tumble back into the water. The six of them howled with laughter as their heads popped out of the water, glowering at the group. Lorenzo and Koda were particularly amused as they made a mockery of their actions, teasing them for their fear.
Mira and Draco snickered along until the latter noticed the snarling coming from the two larger Dracanis', and he swallowed nervously. "Um, Mira...Do you maybe think that we should leave?"
Mira followed his eye, and her smile immediately dropped when she noticed them beginning to get out the water. "Time to go." she squeaked. She immediately snatched Koda up and tugged on Lorenzo's arm to start running. Draco got Tala and Juniper and let out an almighty screech as Brina launched for his legs. They had not considered the potential retaliation, and now they were running for their lives as Soren and Brina gained on them, snarling and snapping their jaws in their direction.
Lorenzo screamed in terror, begging for Dimitri as they sprinted towards the guard who looked on in confusion until he spotted the furious Dracanis' chasing them. He barely got a word out as they whipped past him and clambered up a tree to try and escape. They climbed as high as they could, gripping tightly onto the branches as Soren and Brina circled the bottom of the tree, barking fiercely in their direction, and jumping up every so often to try and get to them. Mira had never been so grateful that their wings could only hold them a metre or so.
"Come on down before you make it any worse for yourselves." snarled Brina.
Soren cackled from beside her. "We promise we wont hurt you...much."
"O-okay. We'll come down." whimpered Lorenzo, immediately going to climb down, but Mira caught him by the arm and dragged him back up.
"No we wont." she said firmly before glaring down at the two of them, her voice shaking a little in sight of their rather large teeth. "We wont!"
The two growled warningly, but before they could frighten them anymore, Dimitri stepped up to the tree and cleared his throat, catching their attention. "Now, now...That's no way to treat anyone, is it?" He cocked his head at them and they sneered. "I suggest you run back to the Princes...Otherwise I may have to arrange for Aeris to come and visit."
At the mention of their elder sister, the two froze. Soren went to snarl once more at the group in the tree, but Brina softly nipped him and shoved him away, knowing no amount of teasing was worth a telling off from Aeris. Soren grumbled out some complaint, but followed his Sister regardless.
Once they were far enough away, Dimitri stepped under the tree and looked up at the group, seeing them still gripping onto the branches and staring down in fear. "Are they gone?" whispered Draco.
Dimitri snorted. "Yes, they're gone." As they slowly climbed down, he helped them out of the tree one by one before halting when it was Mira's turn. He smirked at her disheveled appearance. "It seems that I'm always finding you up trees."
She laughed sheepishly as she climbed into his arms to be lifted down. He plucked a leaf or two out of her hair before glancing around the group who all seemed terrified that Soren and Brina were going to leap out at them at any moment. "How about we get you back inside to dry up? I can even rope Eliza into making you some hot chocolate."
Their demeanour immediately changed as they cheered at the prospect and happily started the walk back to the castle. At some point, Mira had settled onto Draco's back, and quizzed her friend on what they should do for the rest of the day, but he wasn't too sure as Eliza's hot chocolate was all he had on his mind.
"What about pirates?" Lorenzo suggested, waving around a stick he'd picked up on the walk back. There was collective agreement amongst them and they each started calling out who they wanted to be.
"Can I be First Mate?" pleaded Juniper.
"Yes, you can be my First Mate." agreed Lorenzo, gently kissing his Dracanis' nose before he looked up at Draco hopefully. "Please will you be on my crew? Mira always beats me."
Draco looked at him in surprised before smiling. "I would be honoured, Captain."
Lorenzo squealed before huffing as Mira snatched the stick out of Lorenzo's hand. "You'll need all the help you can get, Captain Enzo." she announced, hopping onto the fountain wall.
"For I am-"
"Be careful, Mira!" Dimitri warned.
"For I am Mira the Dreaded, the Captain of the most feared pirate ship on the seas...The Crimson Hydra!" The others giggled at her as she began pretending to sword fight the air, telling them all of her great adventures of piracy.
She skipped down the wall, and leapt over a slight hump, but her foot slipped from the stone. She fell hard onto the concrete steps, a sickening crack filling the air, shortly followed by Mira's gut wrenching screams. The five of them rushed to her side, panicking over her state before being ordered aside by Dimitri as he knelt before her. He carefully lifted her, and fought a wince at the sight of her arm, which was bent in a way it definitely shouldn't have been.
"Alright...It's alright. Let's get you inside." he whispered, carefully wiping away at her tears before cradling her in his arms. Her crying didn't stop as he rushed back to the castle, and he wished for nothing more than to take away her pain.
They made it to the castle in record time, and Dimitri barked at another guard to fetch the healer to Mira's room as he rushed inside the doors. The Princess' wailing echoed throughout the halls, earning the attention of all, including an unexpected visitor.
"What happened?" Dimitri froze at the booming voice of his King. Oryn swiftly left the side of Miss Ali and rushed towards Dimitri, and took Mira into his arms. "Oh, Sweetheart, what happened?"
"I-I fell." she wailed, pressing her face into her Father's neck. "It h-hurts, Baba!"
"I know..." He kissed her forehead and glanced back over to Dimitri who looked both panicked and ashamed. "What happened, boy?"
"I- She was just-"
Dimitri began retelling the events, but as he did, Oryn's eyes fell from him, to Lorenzo, and then to the unfamiliar face beside him. At least, he remained unfamiliar until he recognised the tell-tale signs of any Malfoy.
He seized up and his eyes darkened dangerously. "WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?" he roared. "WHO ALLOWED THIS DEATH EATER SPAWN TO BE NEAR MY CHILDREN?"
Draco trembled at the rage in his voice and recoiled at the look in his eyes. From behind him, his Dracanis appeared, and he'd never felt such fear. Aeris stood over a head taller than him, far larger than Soren, and far scarier too. All the Dracanis' he'd met had been friendly, but Aeris was not; Her canines, longer than his fingers, were bared as she advanced on him, her silver eyes wild and furious. She snarled viciously as she lunged at him, snapping her jaws close to his face as the boy screamed and shielded his face.
"Leave him alone!" screeched Mira, reaching for Draco with her good arm.
Oryn shushed her before sneering down at the boy who was sobbing beneath Aeris. "Dimitri...Take the boy home, and tell Lucius to keep him away if he knows what's good for him."
Dimitri agreed wordlessly and waited until Aeris had retreated off him before pulling Draco up. He sighed at the puddle of fear the boy had left, and quickly waved his wand to be rid of it. He directed him towards the door while Oryn stormed past Aleena to take Mira upstairs. She sniffled and glanced over her Father's shoulder, her sad, watery eyes meeting Draco's until he disappeared from her sight.
And that was the last time she saw Draco Malfoy.
When Mira woke, it was nighttime. Her mind was fuzzy, and she had no clue where she was until she glanced around the room and recognised it to be her bedroom. And it had clearly been taken over by her Brothers as she found them scattered throughout the room; Xander and Brina had settled on her chaise longue, Theron was snoring on an arm chair with Soren at his feet, and Lorenzo was sleeping peacefully beside her, Juniper tucked into his arms while Koda and Tala had laid across her legs.
She frowned at the sight, trying to recall what had happened, and when she tried to push herself up, the sharp pain in her arm reminded her. She yelped and fell back down, her eyes tearing up at the throbbing pain which was now evident in her arm.
"Shh...You're okay, Sweetheart. I'm here." Her eyes popped open at her Father's voice and found him sitting beside her, his hand cupping her cheek to wipe away her tears. "How are you feeling?"
"Hurts." she muttered, settling back into her pillows.
"I thought it might. Don't try and put any weight on it." he chuckled quietly. "How is it you keep getting yourself into these situations, hm?"
She frowns, unable to humour him as she remembered everything; The river, pranking her Brothers, the fall...And Draco. The pain in her heart far outweighed the pain in her arm as she recalled how awfully he'd been treated. By Aeris, and by her Father.
"Why?" Her words were almost inaudible.
"What was that?" Oryn hummed.
"Why were you so mean to Draco?" she whispered, the tears once again returning, only this time for her friend.
Oryn immediately stiffened at the mention of the boys name, and his rage reignited at the thought that he'd gone months without knowing that Lucius' own son had been at the castle. Aleena had told him everything once Mira had been left to sleep, and he was furious to say the least. They knew what his family was capable of, Mira did not.
"You aren't to see him again, do you understand?" he said sternly. "He is not someone you want to be associated with...His family are- Well, his family aren't good people."
Mira's frown deepened at his response. "Draco is a good person. He's my best friend!"
She refused to believe that Draco was a bad person. He couldn't be. They'd spent months and months together, and he wasn't mean at all. They'd played together for hours in the sun and rain, they'd eaten their weight in food, and they'd injured themselves together. He was perfectly nice, and became one of her favourite people to spend time with. How could she possibly believe he was bad after all that?
Her Father knew that stubborn look in her eye, the same one so many could see in himself, and knew that it would be no easy task getting her to understand, especially if she was as close with the boy as he'd been led to understand.
He came to sit on the edge of her bed, and stroked her wild curls out of her face. "You always see the good in people, Sweetheart. But you'll understand some day."
Mira sighed as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Perhaps she would understand one day, but she didn't think it was possible to see him in another light. She'd spent so long with Draco, and she couldn't imagine never seeing him again. She didn't know what she would do if she couldn't play with him anymore. But arguing with her Father was futile, especially when he was angry as he'd been earlier in the day. Perhaps she could persuade Miss Ali or Dimitri to sneak him back.
Suddenly she gasped at the thought of Dimitri. "Is Dimitri okay? I hope you didn't shout at him, Baba...It wasn't his fault I fell."
Oryn was surprised by her outburst. "Don't worry, Dimitri isn't in too much trouble. I know how you can be, after all." He smirked at her before gently guiding her to lay back down. "Why don't you get some sleep. I'll still be here when you wake in the morning."
"I don't want to sleep. I'm not tired." she pouted, shaking her head defiantly. "Please could we go and get some hot chocolate?"
He looked down at her with mock sternness, and she met his eyes with a wide, innocent gaze making him snort. "Those eyes wont work on me, Mirella. You know that."
She huffed before cocking her head with an idea. "What about a story then?" she bargained.
Oryn hid a smirk as he shook his head, unable to quite believe how alike she was to him. "What would you like to hear?"
Mira hummed in thought, mulling over the many stories she loved, before Koda beat her to it. "Something about dragons." he mumbled as he dragged himself to Mira's stomach and gently licked her hand. Her eyes brightened at his suggestion and she nodded eagerly, her curls bouncing.
"Yes! About dragons."
Oryn chuckled at her eagerness. "Very well."
He brandished his wand and muttered an incantation to create thousands of little blue lights which flittered around her head. She reached out to touch one, but it zipped away from her before she could making her giggle quietly.
"It is rumoured that early members of our family were great dragon-riders..." he began, watching Mira react as the lights took the form of a dragon and a thousand warriors. "How else could they have conquered our Kingdom, after all? Many believed that we were as closely linked with Dragons as we are with Dracanis'. Like our companions, dragons are great, terrifying beasts, both frightening and dangerous, as well as breathtakingly beautiful."
Her Father continued with his story, but Mira was utterly entranced by the dragon which flew around her head, a small figure upon its back as it shot fire as the warriors, reducing them to ash. Her mouth opened in awe as she watched the majesty of the creature. She wished for nothing else than to see a dragon.
"But if they really did ride dragons, why can't anyone else?" wondered Koda, having listened to Oryn's story more than Mira did.
"Well as much as the stories are wonderful...They are just speculation and rumour. No one truly knows whether they did or not. But I imagine it would take a brave man to attempt to ride a dragon."
"Or a brave woman." Mira pointed out.
Oryn chuckled. "Yes, or a brave woman. But all I know is that it is impossible to ride a dragon. They're too wild and vicious for anyone to attempt." He pressed a final kiss to Mira's forehead. "But perhaps you could in your dreams. So go to sleep, and you can tell me all about your adventures with dragons when you wake."
Mira smiled at the thought and snuggled deeper into her covers. "Okay. Goodnight, Baba."
"Goodnight, Sweetheart."