Chapter 24

A dark shadow passed over him, and Draco looked up. His jaw dropped, and he knew what Ginny had been looking at so intently.

The dragon made one last pass overhead, then headed towards them. Softly, quietly, and so gently that you couldn't even feel it, it landed in front of them.

It's large, protruding eyes looked at them, glancing from one to the other. There was a awareness in those eyes, an intelligence that shocked Ginny. She had known that dragons could talk, in there own way, and Charlie had often told her how smart they were, but Ginny would never have dreamed that they could seem so…so…human.

The thought gave her courage. Perhaps if they could think like a human, they could care like a human. There might be hope for her and Draco yet.

Remembering the stories Charlie used to tell her, she decided that trying to talk to the dragon was the best option. Preferably before it decided to eat them.

Stepping forward, she held both hands out from her body, slightly raised, palms forward. It was supposed to be the expression of peace or "no harm intended" that dragon keepers used. She hoped it work.

The great eyes focused on her, and slowly but surely, it raised it's small forelimbs in answer. Ginny restrained herself from letting out a sigh of relief. The hardest part was yet to come.

For a dragon, the expression, meant that it would refrain from eating you long enough to negotiate. It didn't guarantee your safety if negotiations didn't go well.

Draco sucked in a sharp breath behind her, wondering what she was trying to do. He opened his mouth to tell her to run away and save herself while she could, but one look at the intense expression of concentration on her face silenced him. If he interrupted whatever she was doing with that dragon now, they would die. Draco was certain of it. Silently, he cursed those wretched villagers that had put them in this position. He'd have his vengeance on them some day. If they lived through this.

Ginny took a deep breath, steadying herself. Closing her eyes, she tried to recall her brother's words. To speak with a dragon, you don't use words or gestures, you use thoughts. You must open your mind, and send the dragon thoughts. It's hard at first, but it gets easier over time. I warn you though, not everyone has the gift.

Ginny half-smiled as she remembered the confident words of an eight year old she had given in response to his warning. I have the gift, she had told him, I know I do.

Ginny swallowed nervously. Hopefully, she'd been right.

With more concentration and effort than Ginny had ever used on anything else in her life before, she opened her mind to the dragon, and a single thought slipped out before she could stop it.

"Please don't eat us."

Suddenly, she felt a new awareness, another presence in her mind. The dragon. It laughed softly, and the sound sent shivers up Ginny's back.

"Eat you, little one? Why would I do that?"

Ginny frowned at the unexpected words, and her next thought went out as an answer to him before she'd had time to decide what she wanted to say.

"Because you're a dragon!"

Ooh, nice one, Gin, very diplomatic.

The dragon laughed again. "You're right, you know. What do you have to offer me in exchange for your lives?"

Ginny grimaced. This was the part she had feared most. What did they have to offer?

Keeping careful reign on her thoughts this time, she formed her answer delicately before sending it to him. "I'm afraid we have nothing to offer you great one." She paused, sure that that wouldn't be a satisfactory answer. "Except that the assurance you will not be hunted and recaptured, if you promise to eat no humans."

Ginny crossed her fingers, hoping that would suffice.

The dragon remained silent, thinking. "Who are you, that you could give me such guarantees?"

Ginny didn't reply at first. That wasn't the response she'd anticipated. She'd thought the dragon would be angry at her for even suggesting such a thing; instead, he seemed merely curious.

"I'm not really anyone," she began, "but my brother is a dragon keeper of some position who is working in Romania right now. Charlie can get people to leave you alone."

The whole time she'd been speaking, Ginny had thought she felt an annoyance growing in the dragon, but suddenly, at the mention of her brother's name, the feeling was replaced by intense interest.

"What did you say your brother's name was?"

Ginny gulped apprehensively, wondering what that had to do with anything. Surely this dragon hadn't heard of her brother. How was that even possible? "Charlie, Charlie Weasley," she answered.

A soft snorting sound rose up then, and Ginny felt a blast of air tickle her cheek. The dragon was laughing at her. Not just in her head, but really laughing.

"What's going on?" Draco asked nervously from behind her.

She waved his question away, concentrating on the creature in front of her instead. "What are you laughing at me for?"

That only seemed to increase the dragons mirth. "I'm laughing, little one, because even as you are begging for me not to eat you, I am bound by dragon law not to."

What did that mean? "The dragons have a law against eating humans?" she asked curiously.

"No." Seeing her perplexed expression, he decided to elaborate. "You see, several years ago, when I still lived in China, I was captured by a group of warriors. I would have been killed too, had your brother, Charlie Weasley, not stepped in and saved me. I owe him my life, and I swore him an oath then, that I would return the favor he did me. Since I haven't had a chance to help him, I am honor bound to help you."

"Oh," was the only thing Ginny could think of to say. So they weren't going to be eaten.

"As for him," the dragon motioned to Draco, "I can't promise you anything."

"What?!!" Ginny cried, eyes flashing. "He's with me, you can't-"

But the dragon was already laughing again, enjoying her display of anger.

"What's so funny now?" she asked, irritated.

"Nothing," the dragon answered simply, "just the look on your face. Actually, I've rather lost my taste for human flesh. I would not have ate either of you anyway. But you did prove quite amusing."

Ginny glared. "That wasn't funny."

Again, the dragon laughed, but quieted quickly at the soft moan that slipped from the other human's lips before he could stop it. Draco's head was hurting again, and he ached all over. "Your friend is injured."

It was not a question.

"Yes," Ginny answered, a worried look replacing the glare. "I've got to get him to a healer."

She turned away from the dragon then, knowing he would not hurt them. Again, she tugged at the ropes that held Draco. It was useless.

"Let me help," the dragon offered, stepping forward carefully.

Watching warily, Ginny moved away and allowed him to come closer.

"Ginny, what's it doing?" Draco's nervous voice-carefully drained of fear- made her smile slightly.

"It's okay, Draco. He'll help." Ginny didn't know why she was so sure of that, she just was. Just as she had been equally certain that something bad was going to happen back in that village.

Draco didn't reply, watching the dragon through swollen eyes as it came closer. Then, with an abrupt slashing motion, almost too quick for the eye to follow, he had sliced through the ropes that bound the boy to the pole.

Draco dropped like a sack of grain, hitting the ground with a painful thump. His legs wouldn't support him, and he felt as if he could just lay there and die.

Except that would be leaving Ginny alone with a great hulking dragon…no thank you. He fought to raise himself, but only succeeded when he felt Ginny's gently touch on his arm, pulling him into a sitting position.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her eyes shining with tears.

"I'm fine," Draco replied gruffly, feeling suddenly, unexplainably embarrassed that she should be crying over him. What could he possibly have done to deserve such heartfelt tears? He shook his head in disbelief.

Ginny, shook her head too. "No, Draco, your not fine. We've got to get you to a healer."

The compassion and love in her voice pierced him to the core. He wished he could take her in his arms and kiss her, then and there, and tell her exactly what he was feeling. He'd tell her he loved her, that he wanted her by his side forever. How would she react? Draco could only guess.

But he couldn't even hardly move his arms. So the kiss was impossible. And he didn't want to tell her he loved her without being able to back it up first. She was right; they had to find a healer.

Ginny took his silence as agreement, and her thoughts shifted to wondering how she would possibly accomplish it. Biting her lip, she glanced up, to see the dragon looking at her intently. And then, she knew.

"You've only to ask," the dragon replied in answer to the unspoken question. "I owe your brother my life. I will help you carry him to safety."

Ginny nodded, hope filling her. They would get out of here after all. She had found a way.

A/N: Yes, that's it for now. Sort of another cliffy, but not too bad I hope. Next and final chapter will probably be out tomorrow, so remember to keep an eye out for it! Thanks to all my reviewers:

dragonsprincess: I must say, you're review really made me go ahead and release the next chapter as soon as I did. I was going to wait another day. So you can put down your sign and congratulate yourself now, lol.

Moonlight and Midnight: No apology necessary. I love to see lot's of exclamation marks!!!!!

Hplova4eva: Well, that says it all, doesn't it?

Dracos my man!!!!: Hmm, that's interesting, because I could have sworn Draco was my man…No, JK. *grins* I'm glad you like the story and my writing.

turtlerabbit: Do you still feel sorry for them? Lol.

Allie*: I love dragons too! So of course, I had to throw one in. It just made things a lot more interesting! And I'll set you're mind at ease a bit. There will be some more D/G action in the last chapter… Another story idea? Sounds interesting. EMAIL ME!