They were climbing the steps of the Astronomers tower, the pain
was building with every step. How she was keeping from screaming was
beyond his comprehension. Practice he supposed.

It had hurt when she'd told him, hurt almost more than the
separation had. That he'd borne until the link snapped, he'd figured
they'd found a way to break the spell, for a while he'd been glad, to
be alone in his own head again was a blessing.

Then he'd realised how far his worth to his family had sunk with
the departure of their link. He'd found out then how little his father
and mother had cared for him.

Breaking out onto the roof flooded him with relief, because she
felt the same way, then he saw her step away from Snape. It had hurt him
to see the way she'd tried to get him to walk away, but he wasn't
going to let Potter see it, not in a million years.

He moved then, towards her and she turned, he could read the
desperation in her eyes. They were the colour of old bruises, all the
sparkle was gone, pain hit his soul again and he felt old.

"I, Amaris, I..."

She shook her head and placed a finger in the air above his lips.

"I know, when I get back, Draco, I promise"

He nodded, he could hold her to her promise, it was the only
thing they had once trusted about each other that thin barrier of their
words.

She had turned to Hermoine and had taken the herbs, she was
standing with effort but it looked perfectly natural, poised grace.
She placed the herbs into her mouth in some sort of order and the
names she was murmuring were making Granger look more than sick.

Then she walked over to the edge of the tower near the narrow
crenalation and shrugged out of her robe.

He heard the hissed intake of breath from behind him but he didn't
think he could have moved if 'you know who' had mounted a full assault
on the school, she had been a beautiful thing as a child, with the
same disdain for underwear, but now.

She was all there, and beautifully done, the light of the moon
just beginning its rise silvering her like a perfect statue. The tattoo
he'd never seen before, but it suited her, he could feel her magic
rising through it even as they stood there.

From the side he could see her slender hips and the perfect high
reflex curve of her breasts, yes right now he was in the perfect
position.

Then she screamed.

It was like nothing out of the earth that cry and staggering she
fell from the side of the tower, he was stunned but he hit the ground
running for the side, he almost went over after her, his mind was
a humming blank until Snape caught his arm.

"Don't be an idiot, she's alive, wait"

Then it came a rush of wind and there hovering in the darkness was
a shadow that gradually resolved itself, he heard Snape murmur next to
him.

"both name and nature indeed"

She was a Dragon