Title: Eyes of Smoke
Summary: Post-Hogwarts. Hermione is a dragon specialist working at Hogwarts for the new program Dumbledore is trying. What happens when she learns someone else is supposed to be helping her? Who is it, and what effect will they have on her work?
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. Get over it.
Chapter One
Thirteenyears ago…
Hermione Granger was a pretty normal seven-year-old girl. She went to school, earned high marks, and was rewarded by her parents. She had never broken a rule in her life. That is, until one night she saw something so magnificent, it had to be imaginary.
Hermione was lying awake one starry night when she heard something from her backyard. She cautiously slipped out from under her covers and tiptoed to her window. There, beneath the willow tree with its elegantly waving branches of tender leaves, lay a dragon. It was a shimmery black color, with wings folded gracefully under its side. She couldn't see its eyes, since it was asleep.
Knowing it was wrong, Hermione still snuck out of her house at almost two in the morning to see it up close. She walked to the large weeping willow it was under and gently shook it to wake it up from its deep slumber. It eye lazily opened and looked at her. The eye was a swirling mix of gray and silver. Being only seven, Hermione waved at it and smiled. The eye closed again, deeming her no threat.
Hermione started to shiver out in the cold, then got a great idea. She lay down next to it. Its skin was burning hot but she cuddled up to it anyway. The dragon stared at her, surprised that she wasn't afraid of it in the slightest.
"I think I'm going to call you Smoky," Hermione decided. She smiled and went to sleep.
Hermione woke up to her parents shaking her shoulders, afraid that she was dead. She looked around for the dragon, but it wasn't there. Afraid that it was a dream, she began to search around frantically for some proof that it had been real. Her parents were yelling at her, but Hermione ignored their voices. Finally she found what she had been looking for. A large black scale lay in the grass. Hermione picked it up and smiled. It was still warm. From that day forth, Hermione loved every aspect of dragons.
Now…Hermione opened her window and cautiously stepped onto the ledge right beneath it. She carefully made her way to the ground by jumping on various ledges. Finally reaching the damp grass, she ran to the Forbidden Forest.
The looming dark branches of the numerous haunting trees used to give her chills. Now, Hermione barely noticed them. She had become used to the horrors of the Forbidden Forest, as she traveled there so many times for her research.
"Scarlet! Scarlet, where are you?" Hermione waited for a sound to betray the dragon's approach. After a few long moments a shadow crossed over her. Hermione looked up and saw a beautiful red dragon circle closer and closer in the sky. Hermione smiled at the sight of her friend.
"Scarlet! There you are!" Scarlet roared happily at Hermione in response. Smiling, Hermione watched as Scarlet landed gracefully on the ground. Her beautiful smoky eyes were twinkling. The dragon's glossy red scales shone brightly, nearly blinding Hermione. She didn't mind.
"Hermione! I wasn't expecting to see you until this afternoon! Why so early?" Scarlet tried to speak softly, but ended up nearly deafening Hermione anyway. Hermione merely smiled, used to it.
"I just wanted to spend some time with you, that's all. By the way, Scarlet, I wanted to know how you feel about flying with someone on your back." A puff of smoke came out of the dragon's nostrils.
"I don't particularly want to have someone ride me, but if it's someone like you, someone I can trust, then I'll think about it." Hermione smiled.
"Does that mean you'll let me ride you? Like right now? If you feel up to it, that is." Scarlet nodded her head.
"As long as you don't make me wear one of those things. Saddles, I think? The ones they put on horses. Don't even try to put them on a dragon, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup." Their laughter rang through the air, the laughter of two good friends.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Draco Malfoy silently cursed his former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Honestly, the man was off his rocker! He was asking him to work at Hogwarts with the other dragon specialist. He, Draco Malfoy, work with someone else? Dumbledore was absolutely insane if he thought Draco was going to do it!
"Now, shall we discuss the matter of pay? If you decide to accept the position, that is." Draco perked up. Pay? Pay was always good. Not that he needed it, of course. But, then again, he might someday. Besides, it was good to have more money.
Dumbledore spoke the amount, and Draco felt his jaw drop. After a few seconds, he retained his dignity and closed his mouth, still in shock.
"I accept the position you have most graciously offered me, Headmaster. Or, well, former Headmaster." Draco shook his head in wonder. No wonder how Severus was always wearing silk robes!
"Well, I think it is time for you to meet the other specialist you will be working with. I do believe she is with her dragon right now. Follow me, Mr. Malfoy."
She? This is going to be more fun than I thought. A roar from the sky distracted Draco from his thoughts. He looked up to see a large red dragon swoop down in front of Dumbledore. On its back was a person he had hoped never to see again.
Hermione Granger was the other specialist. Oh dear Merlin.