Fic Title: Love of a Leo and a Capricorn
Chapter Title: Inferi (07 of ?)
Author: Firesword
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to JKR and so on. I just own the little bit of plot...
Summary: This is love between a Capricorn and a Leo. Leo will teach Capricorn all the ways to enjoy life, while Capricorn will teach Leo responsibility. Despite their differences, they have one thing in common – they love to pamper each other.
Genre: Action & Adventure, Slash, Romance, Fluff
Warnings: Slash, HP/SS, Post-HBP, OOC, un-beta'd, major fluff? In addition, Severus Snape is the late Dumbledore's man.
Rating: M (For language.)

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Love of a Leo and a Capricorn
By Firesword
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- CHAPTER SEVEN: INFERI –

It was an hour after the sun had set that Harry was woken by a firm grasp on his shoulder. He opened his eyes immediately and found Severus' face hovering above his. He nodded and Severus released him. Harry sat up and looked as some of the dragon riders went about breaking camp. Two of whom Harry had rarely spoken with were cutting something up into small pieces quickly, while two others were wrapping the parts with huge leaves. A figure approached the copse cautiously.

It was Travis, a dragon keeper the same age as Charlie. Harry studied the wizard curiously, who knelt quietly beside a sleeping Ron.

"Ron," Travis whispered.

"Huh?" The red-haired wizard stirred. "Is it time to go?"

"Yes." Then he carefully aided Ron to his feet.

Ron sleepily looked at Harry's direction. "See you when we get home, Harry."

"All right, Ron." Harry stood up as well. Ron and Travis ambled off to the southwest, and then Charlie appeared from the east.

"If you're ready, let's go," Charlie said quietly.

"It is strangely silent," Harry said. Neither Severus nor Charlie said anything.

Harry followed Charlie as he led them to where Saerna waited, and by her alert stance, Harry knew that the quietness was a sign of trouble. She must have smelled something in the wind, he thought grimly.

Charlie skillfully climbed onto her back and settled quickly behind her crown. Harry went up cautiously and he sensed the tension in her dark scales. He sat astride on her spine and absently secured the straps on himself.

"I don't care for the idea that much, but I think it is best if you two use the magical ropes," Charlie said to him and Severus.

"But that would damage her scales." Harry frowned heavily.

"They can be replaced," Charlie said shortly and Saerna snorted as well. "I have the feeling that Saerna may have to pull on some stunts on her own tonight." Just as soon as he said that, dark shadows came out of nowhere and twined around Harry and the dragon's body.

"Severus, it would have been nice if you had warned me first," Harry sighed.

"It is a waste of time," Severus answered shortly.

Harry rolled his eyes in sarcasm.

"If you're ready then."

"Let's go." Harry nodded.

"Okay."

Saerna walked forward to a bigger clearing before spreading her huge wings. Then she launched into the air. Severus placed his hands on Harry's hips as they flew at a sedate pace. He turned and looked over his shoulder. Severus gave him an inquiring look.

"Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Harry arched his eyebrow sardonically and purposefully looked at the hands on his hips. In revenge, Severus slowly slid them further down, to the top of his thighs. He paled immediately. "Okay, okay. You win," he whispered. The hands went back to hold him at a much safer place.

Several hours passed and the night grew deeper. Harry noticed that one dragon was peculiarly making rounds. When it flew alongside them, its dragon keeper tossed something at Charlie, him, and Severus. Harry looked at the leaf-wrapped object he had caught in his hands.

"Supper," Charlie explained.

Cautiously, Harry opened the packet, and saw several slices of smoked beef. He ate only two of it, as he was not particularly hungry. Severus had not touched them at all – he had given his to Harry to hold. When Harry had offered to feed him, Severus had merely shaken his head.

It was sometime past two in the morning when they were flying in an area that Harry had seen marked as Inferi-sted on a map two weeks before. He leaned back, so that Severus could hear his whisper.

"Lucius was supposed to be working with some of the members to get rid of them, right?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, but this place should have been cleared days ago." Severus was interrupted suddenly by a vibration beneath them.

"Inferi," Charlie whispered harshly to them.

The air was filled by simultaneous clicking sounds and the herd of dragons was scattering into several different directions.

"What in the hell?" Charlie then swore. The burly Weasley tried to nudge Saerna to follow another dragon, but she determinedly kept on her own course.

"What's wrong, Charlie?"

"She's not listening to me," he muttered in reply.

"This has never happened before?" Harry pulled out his wand after feeling Severus do the same.

"I was working with her alone, so I didn't think too much of it. We had come upon a clan of giants by accident, and she had fought – her style," the dragon keeper explained. "Damn ... she's heading for the lake." Charlie twisted in his seat. "Snape, there's a lake, isn't there? I thought so. Damn. It means that Malfoy and the others hadn't been successful in defeating them."

A peculiar scent hung thickly in the air and Harry's stomach churned uncomfortably. Saerna climbed higher into the sky and as Harry looked down, the giant pines gradually gave way to a valley and in the north, he saw the glittering expanse of water. Under the moonlight, Harry was able to see it rippling.

He had sat straighter and he had narrowed his eyes, as though by that action alone he could see what was disturbing the water. As they approached the lake, he finally saw something white darting through the darkness. He realized that it was a man, and the figure was running in their direction.

Severus suddenly grabbed his shoulder and leaned forward. A jet of red light bolted out of his wand and for a second, it disappeared. Then there was a loud roar, and a small section of the lake had burst into flames. Harry immediately felt nauseous when he saw the Inferi flinching back automatically, like a wave of a gray curtain. However, they started to spread out again, and they surrounded someone with long, white hair.

"The idiot," Severus muttered darkly. "Why is he alone?"

"Could something have happened to the others?" Harry asked in a hushed voice. He paled as a thought occurred to him. "Or did they abandon Lucius?" He turned his head around and looked at Severus. His lover did not reply, but he had a grim look on his face.

The Inferi was pushing Lucius Malfoy back into deeper waters, and Harry could see that the wizard was floundering slightly even as he was trying to defend himself by lashing several Fire Spells at the zombies.

Charlie's dragon let out a low whine and she swished her tail left and right repeatedly, thus making their flight jerky. Harry heard Charlie sigh and thought he heard the dragon keeper mutter, "Draco will ... he'll never speak to me again." Harry blinked. "Just don't get too carried away, girl. Be careful where you breathe," Charlie continued.

Harry was so startled by what he had heard. Bloody hell ... Charlie ... and Draco. Fuck! They're a couple? No wonder I thought I had seen Charlie sneaking out of Draco's room! Bloody hell! He glanced back at Severus, who looked strangely calm. "You knew?" he asked in an undertone. Severus just shrugged.

Saerna suddenly dipped downward. Harry yelped a little and placed the flat of his palm against her rigid spine to stabilize himself. The dragon took a deep breath, and then she blew fire at the edge of the lake. Some of the un-dead caught fire and it managed to scatter the Inferi. Saerna continued to breathe fire and cleared a path for Lucius. Fortunately, the silver-haired wizard had seen the given opportunity and had run quickly toward them.

"Malfoy! Look out!" Harry shouted unconsciously when a couple of hands reached out to grab at Lucius from behind.

"Damnation," Charlie swore and he nudged Saerna forward. "Harry, did you see if he is wearing protective clothes?"

"If he is not then he is a bloody fool," Severus answered.

"Fuck ... Saerna, stop!"

It was too late, however. Her fiery breath touched the ball of un-dead bodies. Then she swiveled around to create a wall of fire around them.

"Severus! We have to go down and get Lucius!" Harry shouted over the roaring flames. The greasy–haired wizard nodded and waved his wand at the shadows that secured him to the dragon. Saerna landed on the murky water, and the way she wriggled in it showed that she did not like being in it much. Harry knew why seconds later, when he found himself sinking up to the ankles inside the mud. He did not waste time grumbling about it.

Silently, he cast a Wind Spell at the crumbling bodies of the Inferi, and Lucius gasped for air. Harry and Severus helped him up, and went back to the dragon hurriedly. Saerna was still wriggling and flexing her legs, and Harry had thought her expression was of mild disgust.

I must be exhausted to be imagining this, he thought sarcastically to himself. Together with Severus, they aided Lucius climb to Saerna's back.

"Sorry, Saerna," Charlie rubbed one of his dragon's horn, "someone needs a free ride tonight."

"No smart comments from you," Severus said suddenly and Harry looked over his shoulder as he tied the security belt around his waist. The shadows returned and they added more protection to the riders astride the dragon.

"What should I even comment on, Severus?" he asked, exasperated. He glanced at Lucius and the older wizard appeared slightly apprehensive. "Lucius, if you don't mind, keep your hands off Severus."

"Shut your trap, you brat. I am not the one who has a problem with heights," Lucius growled at him.

Harry blinked. His emerald eyes flitted back to Severus, and he blinked again.

"Damn you, Lucius," Severus snarled.

Harry was still staring incredulously at the Potions master when Saerna had leapt into the air. He shook his head slightly and faced the front. Saerna circled, dove and let out a loud roar as she unleashed her fiery breath on the rest of the Inferi. Then they left the burning lake of Inferi for home.

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To be Continued on to Chapter Eight