Happy Dragon Tuesday, everybody! Tonight, our favorite teams go clubbing. What could possibly happen, I wonder?

This week's dragon spotlight goes to Norberta from the Harry Potter series. Originally named Norbert, this dragon appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a temporary pet to Rubeus Hagrid. She's a Norwegian Ridgeback and is shown to be incredibly vicious, making it necessary for Hagrid to give her up and send her to Romania, where she is cared for by Charlie Weasley. Charlie later tells Hagrid that Norbert is now called Norberta, citing her ferocity as a telltale sign of being female.

Enjoy!

The adjustment period for the newly-rehomed dragons varied. Dragons like Pit, Titan, and Nymph were able to adapt relatively quickly to their new quarters, sleeping peacefully on the first night and greeting their partners the following morning. Others, like Huo and Fang, were furious with their partners when they returned and made sure to show it. Their anger simmered lower and lower over time, as they realized that their new homes were nice and spacious, and that their partners always came for them promptly in the morning. There were some who, while concerned in the evenings, were able to get some rest eventually.

Zircon and Storm, however, fought this new change every step of the way. They would resist going into their stalls, making the use of halters and lead ropes, along with the cooperation of several other Riders, necessary. Then, they wouldn't let their Riders leave for several minutes. Both Ruby and Sage developed a nightly ritual of pep talks, scale stroking, and making sure their scents were strong in the stalls.

Occasionally, Weiss would help by singing the dragons to sleep. They all seemed to enjoy the sound of her voice, and would calm down, at least a little, when she hummed to them.

This was the case on Saturday evening, when she hummed to Storm, Zircon, and Twiggy to get them to go to sleep. The group left quietly, hoping that the dragons wouldn't reawaken.

"You're really good at that, Weiss," Ruby commented, still feeling guilty that she was getting ready to go clubbing while her dragon was still adjusting to her new settings. "Maybe we should leave recordings in the stalls."

"I think that would take away from making them more independent," Weiss noted. "But, thank you."

"I wonder if I should start playing guitar again." Jaune glanced over his shoulder at the stalls as they walked. "If the dragons like music, I could maybe play for them sometimes."

"You play guitar?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yep! I left it at home when I came to Beacon," Jaune explained. "I figured there wouldn't really be time to practice. Maybe I'll get my parents to send it up after all."

"You should. I'd love to hear you play."

"Ooh!" Nora gasped. "What if Jaune got really good at the guitar and played for Weiss? You could make a fortune selling dragon-calming CDs!"

Weiss coughed uncomfortably. "I…don't particularly want to market my singing."

"Because you like doing it just for fun?" Ruby guessed.

"Something like that, yes."

The group separated in order to change into clean outfits for the night, then met up in the courtyard. Jaune and Neptune decided to ditch their hoodie and jacket in favor of plain black tee shirts. Ruby, after some consideration, had left behind her red cloak. Scarlet had done the same with his cape. "Taking it off with a flair would look cool for, like, a second," he said. "But after that, I'll spend the whole night worrying about it getting stolen or trampled."

Yang, Sun, Nora, Scarlet, and Jaune were the most enthusiastic. Ruby was a little nervous about how many people would be there, but was quickly reassured that she'd be able to dance at the edge of the floor away from the larger groups.

"Fine, but if anyone tries grinding on me, I'm leaving!"

"Sis, if anyone tries grinding on you, they'll be going home in a body bag."

The club was loud and lively, with a theme of darkness punctuated with neon and bright red lights. A DJ wearing an exaggerated dragon mask overlooked everyone on the dance floor, which seemed to be pulsing with energy. The smells of conditioned air, sweat, and fruity scent mists combined in a strangely-exhilarating mix.

"No one carded us," Sun noted. "What's up with that? Don't night clubs usually card people and draw on people's hands if they aren't twenty one?"

"Junior's really lax about that kind of thing," Yang explained. "You can basically order anything at the bar, as long as you look old enough."

"If anyone even thinks of buying alcohol, I'm leaving," Weiss declared. "And I'm not sure being in a place with rules like that is a good idea."

"Loosen up, Ice Queen," Sun said, slapping her shoulder. "Take a walk on the wild side."

"Yeah, and don't worry," Yang added. "The cops only busted this place three times."

Weiss's brows shot up and her mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?!"

"Kidding!" Yang laughed. "Junior's too smart for that to happen. Just relax."

Weiss looked around, glanced at her friends' hopeful faces, and sighed. "Fine, but you are forbidden from picking our destination in the future."

Yang led them to some tables before walking confidently toward the bar. "Hey, Junior! I see you're running the bar tonight." she called. "Miss me?"

The man behind the bar scowled. "You'd better stay on that side, blondie."

"Aw, now my feelings are hurt," Yang laughed. "Don't worry. I'm just having a night out with my friends."

Ruby looked over, noticing Junior's wary expression. "Yang, don't tell me you got into a fight here."

"She could, but she'd be lying," Junior huffed.

"It wasn't a big thing, and I paid for the damages." Yang shrugged. "Just don't say anything to Dad, kay?"

Ruby's eyes widened. "Wait, that part-time job you took last fall… You were at that for over half a year! What kind of fight was this?!"

"It's better you don't know, kiddo," Junior muttered. "So, what am I getting everyone?"

"I'll take a Strawberry Sunrise." Yang grinned, as if sharing some kind of inside joke that Junior was not enjoying. "And send a pitcher of water to our table. We're gonna be dancing."

"Wow. You'll actually be using the dance floor for what it's meant for," Junior drawled. "Is it my birthday?"

Sun stared at Yang as she returned with her drink. "I'm sensing a story here, and I really want to know what it is!"

"Maybe some other time. And yes Weiss, this is a non-alcoholic beverage, so stop giving me that look." Yang took a sip of her Strawberry Sunrise, then set it on the table. "So, who's ready to dance?"

"Yang, you shouldn't leave a drink unattended in a club like this," Weiss warned.

"Ugh. It's like Dad's here," Yang groaned. Still, she downed the drink before making her way toward the dance floor.

Sun followed immediately, his tail whipping back and forth with excitement. "This is a sick beat."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Please don't try sounding hip. That's what gets you punched in the face in places like this."

Neptune watched as Sun started dancing with Yang, and his heart sank a little. Great. How can I compete with that?!

Scarlet noticed Neptune's expression. Poor guy. He always gets nervous about dancing around people. "Hey, don't worry," he urged. "No one will laugh. Why don't you ask Weiss for a dance?"

"Uh…" Neptune shook his head. "I think I'll just sit here for a bit. You go ahead."

After a few more attempts to get Neptune to move, Sage and Scarlet eventually gave up and joined Sun and Yang. Nora, meanwhile, had dragged Ren onto the floor, where he was dancing surprisingly well.

No one, however, could outmatch Jaune and Pyrrha. Pyrrha was stunned at just how good of a dancer Jaune was, but found that it was relatively easy to follow his movements. His bright grin and easy laugh were incredibly contagious.

Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Neptune ended up sitting together, thinking about joining their friends but ultimately deciding to stay put.

"This kind of dancing isn't really for me," Weiss said. "And it's a bit loud."

"What?" Ruby asked.

"I said it's a bit loud."

"WHAT?" Ruby shouted.

Weiss opened her mouth to answer again, then groaned. "Don't be immature, you dolt."

Ruby giggled.

Blake smiled at the two, but stiffened when a soft noise caught her attention. She waited to hear it again.

"Psst!"

She looked over her shoulder to see Junior looking intently at her from the bar. Feigning thirst, she approached and sat on a bar stool. "What is it?"

Junior set about pouring some root beer into a glass. "Someone's looking for you, kitty-cat," he muttered.

Blake's heart pounded and she felt light-headed for a moment. She shook her head to clear it and leaned closer. "Who?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Some bull-horned White Fang creep," Junior replied, sliding the root beer over. "Didn't like the look of him."

"When was he here?"

"Not too long ago. Don't ask me too much. I could get in a lot of trouble for blabbing about him," Junior warned. "He wouldn't give a damn if I had some sort of 'accident.'"

"Why are you telling me this?" Blake asked, trying to keep her ears from flattening under her bow.

"Because you're Yang's friend, and I actually do like the girl." Junior shrugged. "Besides, you all seem like nice kids. Too nice to be getting involved with creeps like that. Don't worry. If he comes back and asks, I never saw you, and neither did my people." He started polishing a glass. "Hell, if I told him where you were, he'd probably just knife me for the fun of it. He seems crazy enough."

"He certainly is," Blake growled. She stared at the bubbling root beer, wondering what to do next. Even if Junior was telling the truth about not ratting her out, Adam probably had eyes all over the place. If he was looking for her in downtown Vale, it was only a matter of time before he put two and two together and set his sights on Beacon. What would happen then?

"Hey!" Ruby chirped, sitting down at the stool next to Blake. She noticed her friend jump slightly. "You okay?"

"Yes, I just…" Blake hesitated. "The music is a bit loud," she finally said lamely.

"I hear ya," Ruby said. "Next time, we should maybe just go to the park or something." She turned to Junior. "Non-alcoholic cherry cordial, please!"

Junior couldn't help but smile at the cheery girl. "Looks like one of you has good manners. Think you could teach your sister a thing or two?"

"Nope!"

"Of course not," Junior snorted as he set about preparing a drink.

Weiss came over, sitting on Blake's other side. "What were you talking to him about? You looked worried."

"I…" Blake looked at Weiss. In that moment, her teammate looked truly concerned. Ruby's expression was similar. She glanced around, then at her drink.

Ozpin's words came back to her: "Having a few trusted people in your corner is highly beneficial."

"I'll tell you later," she finally said. To her relief, both Ruby and Weiss seemed satisfied with that answer. Now, I just need to figure out how to tell them…

Neptune was staring at his hands, already regretting that he had agreed to this. Why would you willingly come to a freaking dance club? Did you want to make yourself look even lamer than you already are?

His mournful thoughts were interrupted when Sun suddenly bounded over. "Get up, Nep!"

"I, uh…"

"Nope!" Sun cut in. "You're not allowed to sit here moping. I don't care if I have to drag you out there. You're dancing, sucky moves or not!"

"I, uh…"

"And now you're sounding like a broken record. Come on!" Sun grabbed his best friend's arm, pulling him toward the glowing dance floor.

Neptune yelped, but didn't resist as Sun dragged him into the center of the group his friends had made up. The others grinned encouragingly. "I'm not very good," he warned.

"What, you think anyone here is?" Yang asked, pointing toward another group, which was full of thrusting, grinding people. "No one cares! Just go for it."

Neptune hesitantly joined in with the others, relieved that no one in their group was thrusting or grinding. Then again, Weiss probably would have lectured them profusely if they had started dancing like that. When Sun playfully nudged his arm, he felt a smile coming unbidden to his face.

After about two hours, some members of the group started looking tired, so Yang suggested going somewhere for dinner before heading back. This proposal was met with unanimous agreement.

They returned to the bar to thank Junior, who had been chatting with Weiss, Blake, and Ruby. "Quite a team, huh?" he said as Yang approached. "Three lovely young ladies, and one hot mess."

"Watch it, Junior!" Yang warned. Her eyes were slightly red, but were countered by a good-natured grin. "I can always climb over this bar."

"Do that, and you'll never get booze here, even when you are of age."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Jeez. Have a guy by the balls once, and he'll hold a grudge for over a freaking year."

Sun, Neptune, Scarlet, Sage, Jaune, and Ren all looked sharply at Yang before nervously edging away.

Weiss groaned. "I don't even want to know."

The group ended up at the noodle stand Sun had been to with Huo. The old man greeted them cheerfully, glad that Sun had actually decided to return. After some very tasty noodles and dessert, the young Riders found themselves feeling very ready to go home and sleep.

They were in the courtyard when Blake suddenly stopped walking. She looked around. No one else was out. The group was all together. Maybe now was the best time to tell everyone. Junior's warning was fresh in her mind, and she shuddered at the thought of running into Adam alone and unprepared in the near future.

The others noticed Blake stopping. "What's wrong, Blake?" Ruby asked.

Blake looked at her friends, speaking before she could lose her nerve. "Can we…sit down somewhere?"

Though puzzled, the group moved to their usual spot on the lawn near the oak tree. They looked attentively at Blake, their tiredness temporarily forgotten.

Blake looked at each of them. She thought of Pit, Adam, and everything else that was about to be revealed. It terrified her, but there was no turning back now. "There's…something I need to tell you guys."

Reaching up, she found the end of her ribbon, closed her eyes, and pulled.

So, no bar fights. I like portraying Junior and Yang as having a relatively friendly relationship, like in Volume 2. I also wanted to show that she paid for the damages, because…come on. Yang being awesome aside, she did go into a dude's club, grab him by the balls, and then beat up everyone and everything in there totally unprovoked. Being called "sweetheart" doesn't give you a Destroy Everything License, okay?

One thing I'm enjoying in this story is exploring how people's characters would change if they had a dragon to worry about. For example, since Blake has Pit to consider, running away at the drop of a hat isn't really a viable option, at least until he's bigger.

If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

If you want to see writing tips, prompts, top 10 lists, and fandom rants by yours truly, check out my blog at soloragoldsun dot wordpress dot com.

Peace out!