Penndragonne

By Tashasaphi

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own Photoshop 7. And a pencil.

Year 6 and all is not well at Hogwarts. After a devastating attack on the castle, the world is turned topsy turvy for the work-stressed Harry, and he finds a new light in a new companion…

WARNINGS: Mild violence and non con at the end of the chapter

A/N

Oh my giddy aunt! CHAPTER 5! Whee, this story is really moving along nicely now. I hope you've all picked on the plot twist now. If not, it won't spoil your reading at all, I promise.

This chapter, as you will see, takes us far away from Hogwarts, to a certain Manor in Wiltshire. Be prepared for some new characters (mainly my own- apologies) and some great fun!

'All packed?'

Harry couldn't believe how the week had sped past. It was a blur in his mind of the petulant penndragonne, his ever pressing studies and Ron staring in disbelief at the now well thumbed tickets to the Halloween Festivities at Malfoy Manor. Harry tucked Draco's essay away in his bag.

'Gimme a few more minutes, Ron,' he protested, before eying the clock. 'Your Dad won't be here for another hour!'

'That's not the point!' Ron squawked, before Pig's voice covered his. Harry shook his head. Silver, ever calculating, but appearing rested and calm, sat on his bed and watched calmly as Harry packed. When Harry slipped in the essay tube, he attempted to follow it, but was deferred away like a cat. He swiped at Harry's hand, but missed.

'That's Malfoy's,' Harry explained in a slightly patronising tone, which earned him the coldest of all death glares from the reptilian midget.

'Are you nearly done?' Hermione asked from the doorway. 'Ron's having a coronary downstairs with Pig… and I think he'd nervous.'

'Wouldn't you be?' Harry asked lightly, scanning his strewn belongings. 'He's going into the lion's den for a weekend.' Hermione frowned thoughtfully, her Penndragonne, dubbed Tigerlily, toying idly with her hair.

'I wish I was going,' Hermione mused. 'I read that malfoy Manor is an ageless wonder of architecture, held together with magic, full of history…'

'And a Muggle-born hating convicted death eater…' Harry added. Silver began to shred his bed sheets. Hermione extracted Tigerlily from her hair and let the Dragon flutter off around the room, stooping to gather up Crookshanks.

'Lucius Malfoy,' she hissed, 'is under restriction. His wand has a limiter on it. He can only use so much power in a day, and he cannot leave his house.' She smirked. 'I hear he can't even go outside for the festivities this weekend.' She sighed. 'My point is, I wouldn't have been in any danger.'

'What about Draco?' Hermione cocked an eyebrow at him.

'Apart from being a ferrety little brat,' Silver stalked the bed, obliterating a passing spider, 'he's… damaged-' there was a delighted shriek from over their heads and the golden eyed Tigerlily spotted her miniature beau. Looping, she dived, and elicited a yowl of dismay as Harry's dragon shot across the confines of the bed. Tigerlily hit him like a cannonball, knocking him clean over and onto the pillows, sprawled in a most undignified manner. Bouncing and squeaking excitedly, Tigerlily eyed him playfully, more than twice his size, and still considered adolescent.

'Hermione!' Harry growled. She laughed.

'I have no idea why she follows him so much. Every time I bring her up here to study, she's always looking for him.' Tigerlily quacked, cocking her head. Silver hissed hatefully, glaring at her.

'Play nice,' Harry chided. The dragon defiantly puffed smoke through its nostrils and folded its forepaws. Tigerlily hopped closer, squeaking, and within seconds had reeled away screaming like a banshee, rubbing at the painful line across her face where Silver's tail had caught her.

'Silver!' Hermione and Harry chastised in unison. Silver defiantly ignored them and lay his head down to doze. Harry sighed as Tigerlily alighted on his head, keening miserably.

'Sorry, girl,' Harry eased, lifting her into his hands, 'Silver's not exactly the playmate kind of midget.' Silver snorted indignantly and crawled behind the pillows sulkily. Harry relinquished Hermione's project, shaking his head, before finishing his packing and heading for the door. He turned, briefly to look to Silver, but since only the swishing tail of his penndragonne was visible, he deigned to call it to him when they were due to leave. He left, muttering 'dormitory' to his bracelet. As the door clicked shut, Silver saw his chance. His anger melted, and he carefully lowered himself to the floor and clicked over to Ron's bedside cabinet. He yanked open the door to the lower section and rolled out a dark blue vial. He, nudging with his nose, rolled it across the floor and under the bed, where he sat, tense and waiting, among the under-bed litter, clinging to the bottle until he welted the glass with his grip.

Hermione had accompanied Ron and Harry to the carriage where Mr Weasley was waiting for them. Ron had been expecting floo powder. Harry had at least expected to have to use his broom. A laid on carriage, gleaming ebony with silver inlay and ornamentation was not what he had expected. Lucius Malfoy was really pulling out all the stops in this stunt. Even to impress Arthur Weasley, who, like a rag in a satin spread four poster hung out of one of the windows, waving to Ron and Harry. The driver, a young man, was dressed in top and tails, and when he nodded his head politely to Harry and Ron, the Malfoy smirk was clear on his pale lips. Harry hadn't even noted what was pulling the cart until Hermione squeaked abnormally. Harry's gaze caught up with hers, and he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Still, he wasn't surprised to see Hagrid lurking, cooing like a new mother to the three monstrosities harnesses to the carriage, snarling like caged pitbulls. With bodies lost somewhere between bulls, stallions and wolves, the creatures were already confused, but with huge bat-like dragon's wings, spined and crested backs, antlers, horns, a tail like a scaly lion crossed with a fox, and the head of an extremely large, confused and horned horse, they were more than a little intimidating.

'They must be some sort of chimera,' Hermione hissed. Ron swallowed hard.

'They look like something Hagrid thought up,' he complained. Hagrid had made his way up to the lead beast, a young male, cooing and holding out a hand. The creature whined and snuffled at it cautiously, the two behind it hissing and snapping irritably, before it accepted some sort of dead animal from inside Hagrid's coat. It snatched it from his hands and flung his head back, tearing it in twain. The two behind shrieked and snatched the flying body from the air, ripping it asunder and spraying the lead beast's back with entrails. Hermione covered her mouth tellingly. As did Ron. A footman came and took their cases as the two rear beasts licked guts of the curved rump of the leader, him pacing a little on the spot, his claws and hooves clicking, his huge bulk leaning to Hagrid to search for more. As Harry and Ron bid Hermione goodbye, the driver yanked his reins and cracked his whip, sending sparks of energy flying into the creatures. They shrieked, bucked, kicked, roared aggressively, but no longer sought Hagrid.

'Amadenian Chimera's are not for petting, oaf,' the young man snarled at Hagrid. 'Feed em, and they'll see you as meat yourself. Now, get ye gone! I have passengers to deliver!'

'Oi!' Harry cried, storming up to the front of the carriage from his place at the steps. 'Don't shout at him like that!'

'S'all righ' Harry,' Hagrid sighed. 'Twasn't my place anyhow… jus' curious, is all…'

'He still had no right to yell at you like tha-' Harry's sentence was cut short as a dinner plate sized hoof collided with his chest and threw him several metres. He landed with a thump, opening his eyes to see the chimeras bearing there teeth at him, making an odd snickering sound. There was human intelligence in their eyes. It disconcerted him.

'As I said, boy,' the man sneered, and even though his eyes were blue, there was a familiar harsh and aloof coldness to them. 'Amadenian Chimera's are not to be petted. Nor are they to be approached. They're a fair sight smarter than you think, boy. Probably a fair sight smarter than you yourself, I'd imagine.' He narrowed his eyes. 'So, if you'd be so kind as to get in the carriage, we can all get underway.' Ron and Hermione, who had rushed over, helped him to his feet, but his glare flicked between the driver and the sinister beasts as their glowing eyes followed him. As he slammed the door shut, he heard the driver bidding a good day to Hagrid, before the carriage lurched, and he found himself automatically waving goodbye to Hermione's fading image.

'Now then, boys,' said Mr Weasley. 'How about a game of exploding snap?'

Harry had discovered earlier in the week what the penndragonne was doing with the little blue bottle. He had been tempted to stop it from drugging itself to sleep, but he, like the rest of his Potions class, had seen its nightmares. He empathised, rather than criticised, and trusted the beast's intelligence. Besides, Silver was plain adorable when he was sleeping. All the tension left his velvet skinned body, an his face was ironed of it's scowling demeanour, leaving only the fine bone structure, delicate features and soft purring of his breath as it left his lungs. While Silver slept, dreamless and peaceful, Harry could hold him, pet him, look at him, without fear of rebuke, injury or the dark and hurtful criticism of the boiling grey eyes that lurked within the tiny skull. While Ron dozed and Mr Weasley snored, Harry spent his sleepless time doing just that, the image in the cloud never far from his mind. That dark looming figure… had it been Voldemort? The vision had been blurry, but there were figures everywhere, all equally dark, but one or two larger than the others. Harry sighed. He felt as though he might have sussed the tiny animal out once and for all. Somehow, Silver had been in the grounds when the attack had taken place. Disorientated and terrified, he had taken refuge in the castle where the dust had choked him and Hermione had rescued him. A tiny runt like this was likely to be sickly, and however he had gotten out into the cold outdoors, the large space would have easily led him astray into Hogwarts' grounds.

'Poor Silver,' Harry muttered, stroking the slender, carved lines of his throat, and watching the little creature reflexively swallow.

'Doesn't seem to badly off to me,' Ron drawled sleepily, opening one eye to smirk at Harry. 'You like it more than it deserves to be liked.'

'Whatever you say, will you at least admit that it's cute?' Harry grinned. Ron raised an eyebrow.

'You sound like Hermione talking about some deranged House Elf or something.'

'Shut up, you,' Harry snapped back, hugging Silver to his chest. 'He's adorable. Like Grumpy from Snow White.'

'What's Snow White?' Ron asked blankly. Harry shook his head.

'Muggle film,' he groaned. 'Don't worry about it.' Ron sighed.

'Sometimes I feel like the isolated one when you and Hermione witter on about Muggle stuff. I swear it's meant to be the other way around.'

'Gee, Ron,' Harry joked. 'You're gonna fit in just fine at the manor.'

'Don't even joke about that,' Ron scowled. 'I can't believe you persuaded me into coming.'

'Me!' Harry guffawed. 'You were the one trying to get me ready quicker!'

'Lies!'

'Come on Ron, admit it,' Harry smirked as Silver snuggled into his chest sleepily. 'You're excited, if only for the chance to go black magic hunting.' Ron's scowl deepened.

'Don't know what you're talking about,' he finally grumbled. 'Too many of those Muggle film things are obviously bad for your brain.' Harry snorted in amusement, secretly overjoyed that, at least when sleeping, Silver seemed to seek his warmth for comfort. Obviously the serum didn't work perfectly on penndragonnes, because his eyes still flickered dreamily, but at least he was calm, and woke refreshed and well. Silver's mouth cracked open, and he made a light gurgling noise, before snuggling even deeper into the folds of Harry's jumper. As Harry released his grip a little to take one of the chocolate frogs that Ron was grudgingly offering him, Silver's eyes flew open, but Harry's mind was flooded not with his shrieking, but with burning pain and a voice he knew all to well.

I know what He's planning. I know His real cause. Find Him, before He can! He, if nothing else, will make a good defence against his arsenal…

'Harry! Harry snap out of it!' A hissing noise, as well as the tapping of Ron's hand against his head brought him back. He peeled his eyes open, but event eh dim glow of the candles stung like hellfire.

'Ow,' he complained. He heard scrabbling moving up his seat, along with hissing.

'Oh shut up, you miserable runt,' Ron hissed. Silver yowled back at him. 'You heard

me!'

'Don't,' Harry chided. 'He's just frightened.'

'Of what?' Ron snarled as Harry began sitting himself back up with Ron's help.

'What just happened,' Harry whispered. 'Of Voldemort.' The silence that fell after that was heavy and cool. The wind whistled outside the carriage. Mr Weasley snuffled a little in his heavy sleep. The harnesses of the chimeras creaked against he strain.

'That dragon's a maniac,' Ron said to break the silence. 'He's nothing like any of the other ones.'

'He's younger, that's why,' Harry explained. 'And I've never had Chudley or Tigerlily or one of the other's around when I've had a…' he was tempted to say vision. He was tempted to say psychotic episode. He settled on saying neither. Ron knew what he was talking about anyway. They fell into another painful silence.

'How long do you reckon this is going to take?' Harry broke the silence this time.

'Dad didn't know. But he said we're going to Wiltshire. That's where Malfoy Manor is.'

'That's at the other bloody end of the country!' Harry groaned.

'Well, it's not as if we're travelling by train or anything,' Ron mused. 'It's a chimera drawn carriage!'

'Only a few more hours, then?'

'By my reckoning,' Ron sighed, wriggling into the velvet chair. 'This isn't half bad for a piece of Malfoy property.'

'Mmm,' Harry agreed, snuggling into the soft chairs. 'Morbid, but tastefully so.' Ron chuckled.

'Fancy a game of chess?'

'Sure, why not,' Harry mused. Ron began to set up. Harry raided the travel bag for a flagon of pumpkin juice and some munchies.

'Silver,' he called under the chair. 'Are you hungry?' A pair of emotionless silver eyes blinked back at him from the gloom. Harry smirked. 'Feeling better, then?' He tore off a bit of a sandwich, and felt it be snatched out of his hands as the critter lumbered back into the gloom to munch. Ron heaved a muttering Chudley (his Penndragonne, for the remainder of the COMC course) out of his bag and plunked him on the seat. He was still half asleep, and without further prompting, proceeded to return to his previous dozing. Chudley, named after Ron's favorite Quidditch team, was approximately six times the mass of diminutive Silver. This was not only because Silver was dwarfish, but because Chudley was immense. He was energetic, but slow witted, and very greedy, and was incapable of walking or running, preferring more the waddle and puppyish flounce. He was probably the most ridiculous, plump and dense penndragonne ever to be seen. Ron adored him. Ron stroked him after setting up every chess piece.

'I'm glad Hagrid let me bring him,' Ron mused. 'He'd probably of forgotten me if I'd left him behind.'

'I highly doubt that,' Harry mused. 'I mean, who else would put up with him stealing half their food all the time?' At this precise moment, Chudley had awoken enough to eat Ron's sandwich. Silver clicked out from under the chair and clambered up onto the seats opposite. He curled up on a satin cushion and glared demurely at anyone who cared to come under his gaze. A clock materialized out of the wall above him and chimed three.

'What do you suppose that means?' Ron asked. Harry frowned.

'Maybe three hours to go?' He looked out of the window at the dark world passing by. 'I wonder what happens when we get there.' Silver puffed smoke through his nose and nodded to a small black book behind Harry. Harry collected it, but it was Ron who read it.

He quoted 'Guests will be arriving from 6pm onwards on the night of the 29th. Guests will report to the main door, through the main gateway. They may leave their beasts, carriages and other modes of transport with the valet. Guests will them be escorted to their chambers. On the morning of thirtieth, breakfast will be served in the left wing dining hall between eight and eleven. The grand hunt begins at one. Those intending to hunt should gather on the Ancestry lawn to the east of the building. The feast will be held at seven in the evening in her Ladyship's Hall-'

'Slow down!' Harry protested. 'I'm not taking all of this in!'

'Neither am I,' Ron groaned. 'It's so complicated. Go here at this time, go there next, east west, up down… Shall we just wing it?'

'Yeah,' Harry grinned, 'go for it.' The started the game, and Chudley fluttered off behind Ron, and stared, unnervingly, into the back of his head.

'So why did Lucius Malfoy invite your dad and us?' Harry enquired. Ron frowned.

'He sent tickets to the entire ministry. Basically, he was trying to suck up. Dad said that loads of people refused to go, but he and mum decided it would be a good idea. God knows why.'

'And then they invited us to fill up the two gaps…'

'Percy's too busy… and things are still a little rough with him,' Ron sighed. 'Fred and George can't keep their gobs shut, Ginny… well, that's a no brainer, and Charlie and Bill are away. That leaves-'

'You and me.'

'Exactly.' Ron sighed. 'Check mate.' His queen obliterated Harry's king violently.

'How the bloody hell did you do that!' Harry exclaimed. Chudely crawled over Ron's shoulder, gurgling. Harry frowned.

'I swear that's cheating.' Ron grinned.

'What can I say?' He petted the dragon. 'He loves Chess!' Chudley gurgled cheerily. Silver grimaced in disdain.

Harry and Ron, having dozed off, were not expecting the tumultuous thump that awoke them, and sent Silver reeling into Harry's lap with a shriek. Paling, the creature cried out again and tried to scamper away, but Harry held him in place on his knees.

'What on earth was that!' A dozy, sleep-slurring Arthur Weasley enquired. A slot opened in the front of the carriage, and the meek, pale footman peered through, his youthful face smiling bashfully.

'Chimera's aren't very good at smooth landings,' he explained. 'Apologies from the driver.' He closed the slot hastily, but not before Harry got a glimpse of a locket, about thimble sized, filled with a suspiciously scarlet liquid, which hung on a long gold chain around his neck.

'Well, if they've landed, we can't be far,' Mr Weasley speculated as Ron rolled over on the seat and fell back to sleep in the now slightly jiggling carriage. Harry did not. Silver was tense in his grip, but did not try to escape. He postured angrily at Harry's fingers from time to time, which held him in place on Harry's thighs, but he seemed as sleepy as everyone else and too tired to be violent. The clock chimed a half and twinkled green. Harry picked up Silver in one hand and shuffled closer to the window, where he lifted the curtain and peered out. They were clattering along a country track, down towards a tiny rural village, illuminated only by the glowing, curtained windows. Over the fields of cattle, sheep and other domestic beasts, the myriad of glows that signified the looming manor twinkled like distant spooks in the black, and the jagged, forested crest of the hill it stood on was clear against the moon-bright sky. The lunar orb glowed near full. Harry's thoughts drifted briefly to Professor Lupin, but were quickly swayed back when he felt pricking on his chest. He had absent mindedly clutched Silver to him, almost for comfort, and, though exhausted, the tiny beast, thoroughly pale and horrified had dug in its claws through the several layers of Harry's clothing in process.

'Oh don't complain,' Harry hissed, looking down into the distraught eyes. 'It's not as if I'm stabbing you or something.' Silver growled. Ron sat up, apparently more sleepless than it had appeared.

'Yeah, Silver,' Ron sneered. 'Learn some manners. And some affection wouldn't hurt either.' He lifted Chudley into a matching hug. 'Like this, grasshopper.' Chudley purred contentedly, nuzzling Ron's jumper. Silver looked disdainful, but his claws could get any deeper, so, defeated, he relaxed a little and set about chewing holes in the jumper he was so firmly pressed against. He gave up quickly. The wool obviously wasn't to his taste. He did, however, completely object, and ferociously, when Harry tried to stroke his head. He lashed his neck, hissed and spat, bearing his teeth and snarling. After that, Harry was put off from trying again, and consented just to hold the Penndragonne, as he and Ron watched the manor approaching. Harry noted that Silver was watching too, and unconsciously pressing himself closer to Harry's chest with every passing mile.

As Harry stepped out of the carriage, the tiredness hit him before the surrounding did. Very little was visible under the heavy blanket of the night, but he could hear animals, people working shouts, the sound of constructive Spells. The night air thrummed with the sort of activity he would have expected of the daytime. The Driver stepped down from his seat, leaving the footman. Wiping his brow, the driver took off his hat and went around to the back of the carriage, where with the flick of a silver birch wand he levitated to baggage. He moved back around to the door, to ensure that they had all safely made their way from the carriage.

'It is my honourable duty,' he drawled, looking the image of boredom. 'To welcome you, most esteemed guests to Malfoy Manor. Upon entering the manor, a member of staff will escort you to your room and offer you further guidance. Until such time as you should enter the manor, you are under my jurisdiction.' He seemed to relax, his sparkling eyes flitting between the Weasleys and Harry. 'And here's where you need to concentrate. Don't go and pet the chimeras, or any other beasts you see around here. I won't take the blame for any injuries, poisonings or impromptu deaths that may occur. Secondly,' he narrowed his eyes a little. 'No wandering off. I'll lead you straight up to the manor, through a path which has been specially arranged for this evening. The manor and it's grounds are a dangerous place, especially after dark.'

'And why would that be?' Mr Weasley asked snidely. The driver smirked.

'Because Mister Malfoy's ancestors hated non-pureblood wizards,' he said gently, eyes settling for a moment on Harry. 'And they liked intruders, nosy parkers and children even less.'

'I wouldn't suppose a lot has changed then,' Mr Weasley mused. The Driver's smirk widened.

'I wouldn't have asked you to, sir,' the venom with which he said the honorific, though well covered, was clear. 'Shall we move on?' He clicked his fingers to the cases and they shot away and up and over the rise. He was about to lead off, when someone loudly called.

'Evelyn!' and waved erratically at him in the gloom.

'A moment, sirs,' he said quickly, and dashed away. Mr Weasley began mentally taking notes of his surroundings, and Ron played with Chudley, who like an overweight baby, was curled inside his coat, pawing and meowing like a cat. With no one to stop him, Harry's curiosity got the better of him, and, keeping his distance, he walked until he was parallel with the chimeras, even surrounded by the noise and dark, their shining blood eyes glinting at him, glowing from within. Silver, who Harry was still clutching at, wriggled from his grip and climbed onto his shoulder. He was ignored. Harry heard the harnesses creak as the Chimeras began to lean. However, despite hearing, he was unaware of what he did as he stepped towards that sound. Even the quickening of the chimera's puffing breath did not alert him, or the widening of now whirling golden eyes. He wasn't even aware of raising a hand towards a set of widening jaws…

'Harry!' Ron squawked, seeing what was going on. Baying, the young male lead beast, eyes still entrancing his quarry, lunged for the flesh, but was stopped by a flash of silver darting down the arm and catching the whirling gaze. As if he'd been frozen, the beast stayed, his harness jingling despite his cessation of movement. Silver locked eyes with him, winter pouring into gold and blood. Harry stayed frozen, eyes unseeing and wide. The chimera blinked slowly. Silver did not. The chimera puffed through it's nose. Silver did not. Very gently the chimera began to lean, but a sharp bark brought it scuddering back to attention at the front of the procession, it's two flanking mares following it, all stock still, erect, possibly even terrified. Silver lashed his tail and flattened his ear crests, narrowing his eyes. The chimeras whimpered a little, a keening sort of whine made only by the puffing of their diaphragms.

'Bloody hell,' Ron managed. Chudley cooed appreciatively to his cousin. Silver, sulkily, slithered back up Harry's arm, and he sat, once more, upon his shoulder, demurely pondering the world and its intricacies. Harry, as is relaxing from a state of high tension, folded back into reality, blinking and letting his arm drop like a dead weight.

'Are you alright?' Ron asked hurriedly, beckoning Harry away from the statue like Chimeras, which almost upon the instant where driven away by the returning footman.

'Fine,' Harry mused. 'I was just looking at them. Trying to suss them out a bit, that's all.' Ron frowned, and looked at Silver. The dragon met his gaze, and narrowed his own.

'Why?' said Harry. 'Did something happen?' Ron, after a short pause, shook his head.

'No,' he lied. 'Not really.'

Harry had been disappointed by his entry to the grand manor house. Evelyn, as the Driver was called, had led them along a winding, hilly path, laid with quite ordinary stone to a small side door, where a maid collected him and Ron and led them into a room that wasn't really much grander than any of the soft furnished rooms at Hogwarts.

'Evelyn,' said a young maid with a thick accent. 'Can joo wait for a moment or two wizz the boys? I must escort Mr Weezlee.' With that, she exited, and Evelyn re-entered.

'Don't mind if I loosen this jacket, do you?' he asked cordially. Ron and Harry shook their heads. Evelyn sighed, slumping into an armchair and unbuttoning the fitted black dress coat.

'Apologies for the waiting room- it's the servants' living room. Mister Malfoy hasn't finished the preparations on the rest of the house due to his…' he swallowed hard and lowered his voice. 'Limitations.'

'Understandable,' Harry said gently, looking around. 'There are a lot of portraits for a servants lounge.' Evelyn followed his gaze to one prominent portrait above the fireplace of a man, probably in his thirties, who had the looks of a Malfoy, but a happiness and light in even the painted visage of his face that made he far more approachable and friendly to look at. He was laughing mutely as he played with what looked like puppies.

'You'll see portraits and paintings in every room,' Evelyn finally replied. 'All except the ballroom. Usually, it is covered in portraits, but they have been moved for the occasion. Some of Mister Malfoy's Greek relations have a habit of getting a little rowdy on Uzo and splattering then with food. That's why Lord Amadeus is down here today.' The painting looked up at the mention of its name and waved cheerily, before being swamped by the leaping puppies. Harry counted sixteen.

'Are you attending the party?' Ron asked meekly. Evelyn smiled, removing a locket that matched the footman's from around his neck and tucking it away.

'Why do you ask?' he drawled easily.

'You're a Malfoy, aren't you?' Ron asked. Chudley peered out from his Jumper. Evelyn smiled.

'A Malfoy-Rottering,' he said gently, getting up to poke the fire. 'And I am only invited to work.'

'Oh,' Ron said softly. Chudley keened. Silver was watching the portrait with as much intensity as Harry. The fire flared and cast a shimmering red glow over the oil paint.

'Chimeras!' Harry spluttered. Evelyn turned and eyed him almost sleepily.

'What about them?' he sighed, moving to lean on the sideboard.

'In the painting!' Harry pointed at the animals Amadeus was playing with. 'He's playing with Chimeras!' Evelyn peered at the painting.

'So he is,' he mused, looking bored and tired. 'They're cute at that age.' He stretched.

'Family stories say that Amadeus' chimeras never grew up for him. Even full grown, they would roll on their backs for him, or cuddle up to him when they could. He was a father to them.' Harry's gaze reluctantly was caught why Silver hooking a small painting off the wall and examining it with a fish-hooked neck.

'Silver!' Harry gasped, snatching it away. Silver hissed and jumped down the back of the sofa. Evelyn chuckled.

'Curious little runt you've got there,' he mused, examining his nails.

'S'for our Care of Magical Creature's advanced projects,' he said quickly. 'Hagrid said we could bring them along. So they'll bond to us more.' Evelyn nodded.

'I did Care of Magical Creatures at Durmstrang,' he wittered, petting Chudley. 'Of course, my "advanced project" was a Runespoor rather than a penndragonne. Probably would have been nicer though. I had to Charm mine to stop it from attacking its other heads. Most people finished the course with only a stripey snake and failed.' Harry peered into the painting. It was tiny, perhaps even just a framed photograph, but it was something wondrous to him. A fully grown penndragonne was so far draped across a tiny boy's lap that he couldn't move, and he giggled as it nuzzled his face. Feather's from it's large wings littered the floor, and his black velvet dress robes were tinged with the rug's dust. The boy looked up, before waving at him, still laughing. He couldn't have been more than three. Harry smiled and found himself waving back. The door reopened and the maid re-entered, a little red in the face.

'Master Weezlee,' she puffed. 'You muzzer has this moment arrived. I have sent Marie with her and joor father to their quarters.' She turned to face the entire room. 'Would you, Master Weezlee, and you, Master Potter, pleez follow me to joor quarters.' Harry whispered to the bracelet 'my shoulder' as he stood up, and the chair jumped forward as Silver was slung up beside Harry's head. Thankfully, the foreign maid had been exiting the room at the time, so hadn't seen it. Silver hissed hatefully, and Chudley giggled.

'Are you coming to the hunt tomorrow?' Evelyn asked, just as they moved to the door. Harry and Ron turned.

'I… we hadn't really thought about it,' Harry muttered. Ron looked uneasy. Evelyn smirked and tossed something to Ron.

'You'll probably need this then,' he grinned. 'Have a good evening, gentlemen, Penndragonnes.' He caught Silver's eyes and paled a little, before sweeping from the room. Ron peeled open his hands and nudged Harry as the darker haired boy pocketed the framed photo. It was the scarlet locket that Evelyn and the Footman had worn.

'Are you quite certain of what you saw?'

'Positive,' said the voice of the kneeling man, shivering with desperation, cheeks flushed, uncomfortable. 'Now… please…'

'Confirm to me,' said the cooler, slower, calmer voice of the questioner. 'Tell me… exactly what you saw…'

'Please…'

'Tell me!' The questioner stepped out of the shadows, and the kneeling man winced and groaned wantonly at the shimmering fire of his assailants eyes.

'A penndragonne,' he whispered, words interspersed with pants and huffs of inexperience. 'On the Potter boy's shoulder. Curious… clever… bitter… with…' he groaned and shuddered.

'With what?' The words issued from full, lily white lips that seemed to merge with porcelain skin of the man's face.

'Silver…' the man whispered, raising his dark haired head, blue eyes glittering. 'Silver eyes.' His assailant allowed a smile to cross his lips, and he crouched down before the man.

'Good boy,' he whispered, his dizzyingly warm breath crossing the skin of the man's face like a lovers touch. 'You are so observant for me… my Evelyn.' He captured the back of Evelyn's head with one hand, and used the other to trace wild patterns on Evelyn's body as he took Evelyn's lips in a possessive, lust-filled rage of movement. Evelyn whimpered, and was thrown back onto his backside, his lip bleeding from a sharp wound. His assailant narrowed his flaming eyes and straddled the shivering, lust-poisoned body of his informant. Evelyn watched his hands move to his face, doodling almost.

'Did you see anything else?' asked the questioner.

'What do you mean by that?' Evelyn asked lightly, breath catching in his throat just by the featherlight, meaningless touches of his assailant. 'I've told you everything… now… release me.' The questioner raised an eyebrow.

'Do you really want to be released?' he asked softly, eyes intensifying and eliciting a sharp gasp from a now shivering Evelyn.

'Yes!' Evelyn snapped hoarsely. 'This isn't fair and I hate it-'

'There are many things in life which are not fair,' the assailant said bitterly, finishing his picture and clicking his fingers so it glowed. 'There are many things that you hate. That does not mean that they just go away when you ask.' He stood up, and Evelyn breathed a small sigh of almost relief. 'Are you sure that's really all you know?'

'Yes,' Evelyn snapped, wiping blood off his chin. 'If you're so bloody interested, you can go and see for yourself!'

'I will,' the attacker said, eyes flashing blue as Evelyn's markings caught fire, and his eyes fell blank. He fell back against the floor, panting and limp.

'We didn't have this conversation,' said the icy voice. 'What do you know about Harry Potter coming to manor today?' Evelyn sat on, his hard-on vanished along with the drawings, his eyes still trying to find their light again and blood trickling from his ear and lip.

'I took him up to the house,' he whispered dryly. 'Antionette took him from there.' The assailant smiled and turned away.

'Good boy, Evelyn,' he smiled as he released the chain on the chimera and gestured to the young man's bare neck. 'Good boy.'

A/N

GASP! WHO IS THIS ASSAILANT OF WHICH I SPEAK? Find out soon! And yes… he oozes Slash. I pwomise

MWAH! Keep reviewing!