DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter Twenty-Two - The Difficulty With Dragons
Draco shook his napkin out and laid it across his lap, smoothing the white cloth with an absentminded stroke. He slumped down comfortably in the hard wooden chair, draping an arm across the table as he watched a house elf dutifully fill the wine glasses placed above each plate. Lifting a hand lazily, he ran his fingers through his hair, combing the damp locks back from his face. He straightened as the door at the end of the room swung open, revealing his mother in all her beauty. The witch's pale eyes brightened and she swept toward him with a little clap of her hands, dropping the empty wine glass she held. Wincing as the glass struck the floor and shattered, the blond sighed and shook his head lightly.
"Draco, darling, how has school been?" Narcissa cooed, pausing behind her son's chair to drop a light kiss atop his damp hair. Patting him lightly on the shoulder, she glided down the length of the table to take her seat, the expensive blue robes she wore hissing along the floor behind her.
Rolling his eyes, Draco straightened the first of four forks and leaned back in his chair. "Quite boring, mother. However, I did manage to summon a species of dragons originally believed dead. Not to mention that I've been stuck in some horrible, dirty old manor for the past few days with Harry Potter after being stolen by said dragons from Hogwarts, who isn't really that bad by the way. Also, the dark lord wants to use the dragons to take over the world."
"How thrilling, darling." Narcissa purred enthusiastically, slipping gracefully into her chair and allowing a pair of house elves to push her closer to the table. Holding her hands up, the witch waited for one of the elves to place her napkin on her lap before reaching for her wine glass.
"So, dad is going to take me to a Death Eater meeting where I'll summon the dragons and wait for them to arrive with Harry. And after Harry rescues me, I'm probably going to shag him senseless." Draco finished, watching with an arched brow as his mother drained her glass and set it back down on the table.
"I'm so proud of you, sweetie." Narcissa gushed, gesturing for the little elf to refill her wine glass. "If you keep it up, I'm sure Dumbledore will make you Head Boy next year."
Shaking his head, Draco reached for his own wine glass and took a cautious sip. Swirling the liquid thoughtlessly, he looked up as his father strode into the room and took his place at the head of the table. As soon as Lucius Malfoy was seated, house elves began to appear carrying trays loaded with appetizers. Nodding his head politely, the blond accepted a bowl of fruit and continued to watch his father. Clearing his throat, he slid his spoon beneath a strawberry. "Did you contact the Ministry about the Mage Dragons?"
"I did," Lucius drawled; back handing the elf that was attempting to lay his napkin across his lap. Muttering something under his breath, the older blond flicked the white cloth out and rested it upon his knee. "The Minister has agreed to allow the dragons to remain with Potter as long as he maintains control over them at all times. Should the Ministry feel that the dragons are becoming too dangerous, a team of hunters will be sent in to complete the job that was started centuries ago."
Draco ran his tongue over his lips, glaring down at the perfect strawberry sitting upon his spoon. "That isn't acceptable; those dragons are harmless. They're smarter and definitely more tame than those things the Ministry currently allows to roam the countryside." Sitting back, he waved a hand and waited for the practically untouched bowl to be removed. He wrapped his fingers around the stem of his wine glass and pulled it toward him, taking a long drink while waiting for his father to reply.
"I suppose the Mage Dragons will just have to prove their worth to the wizarding world then, won't they?" Lucius stated, sitting back in his chair and focusing his pale eyes on his son.
Narrowing his eyes at his sire's words, Draco thunked his glass down on the table and stood. "I'm not hungry," he announced, pushing his chair back and stalking from the dining room. Ignoring his mother's cheerful goodbye, he stormed up to his bedroom and began to pace its length.
He circled the trio of trunks perched in the center of the room, hand brushing along the dark wood as he chewed on his bottom lip. Within one of the large trunks, lost among his school uniforms and books, was a journal. The journal he'd stolen from Harry the night they'd been fighting in the music room. Smiling at the memory, he paused, fingers of his right hand drumming on the dark wood of the first box. His brow drew down as he considered the music contained within the pages of the book, the melodies that had seemingly been written to call and command the Mage Dragons.
Hooking his fingers through the handle of the first trunk, he dragged it from the pile, wincing as the wood crashed into the floor. He did the same with the second; glancing in the direction of the door to see if the clatter had drawn the attention of either of his parents. Shaking his head, he flipped the clasps on the trunk and swung the lid open. Almost immediately books and quills spilled from the interior, dropping to the floor and adding the mess. Using the side of his foot to shove the clutter away, he knelt down and began to rifle through the jumble of textbooks and parchment.
Blowing his bangs out of his eyes, he smiled slowly and dragged a large book from under his potions text. He held the book to his chest as he rose, stepping over the third trunk and walking toward his desk. In a graceful sweep of his arm, he cleared the wooden surface of old school work and unused quills. The large text was gently set before him, a hand gliding over the leather cover lovingly. He slid the nail of his index finger down over the line of closed pages, halting when a soft snick reached his ears. Slipping his finger between a pair of pages, he flipped the book open and stared. Resting well hidden in the hollowed out book, the small journal silently promised him the knowledge he required.
"Thank you, Harry." He whispered, lifting the little journal free of the larger book. Running a hand over the creamy leather, he tugged on the cover only to find the book locked. Swearing loudly, he plopped down into the desk chair and glowered at the Blood Sealed journal. Just his luck. In order to summon the Mages successfully, he was going to need the completed version of the melody, not just the refrain.
Sliding deeper into the chair, he glared up at the ceiling and rubbed his forehead in agitation. He froze with his hand on his right temple, eyes widening as he straightened slowly. The portraits! "Of course," Draco hissed in excitement, dragging open the lower desk drawer and pulling out a sheaf of staff paper. Grabbing a quill and a bottle of ink from the floor, he fled his bedroom, slamming the door closed behind him.
He ran through the halls, ignoring the grumbles and shouts from the paintings of long dead family members. Panting lightly, he charged up a set of stairs and down the shadowed corridor, coming to a sliding halt before a tightly closed door. Drawing a deep breath, he placed a hand on the knob and pushed the door open, slipping silently inside.
The room was still brightened by the Ever-Lasting candles, though the high table they were perched upon seemed a little more scuffed up then he remembered it being. A flash of movement drew his gaze from the empty space between the candles, turning his eyes to the painting hanging in the center of the wall to the left. Watching him in amusement, Reginald Malfoy slid deeper into his char and crossed his ankles, brilliant blue eyes flicking to the sheet draped painting across from him. Arching an eyebrow, he pursed his lips and crossed his arms.
Draco moved stiffly to the high table and set his supplies down before turning to the stare at the right wall. Drawing a deep breath, he stalked the short distance to the painting and locked his fingers in the white material. With a gentle tug, he pulled the sheet from the portrait and let it drop to the floor. He backed up a step and held his breath, waiting impatiently for something to happen.
The raven-haired witch in the painting turned slowly to peer at him, an expectant look on her face. She tipped her head to the side, emerald eyes burning eerily. Billowing in the phantom wind, her skirts swirled around her legs and danced over the whipping grasses.
"I need the music," he stated, holding the Dragon's Maw up. The light from the candles made the flute shimmer, the engravings along its length appearing to dance and dive in the uncertain glow. He lowered the instrument and waited, watching as the witch considered his request. "Something bad is going to happen; Harry and the dragons are the only ones who can stop it. This could be our only chance to prove that the Mage Dragons aren't evil, that they shouldn't be slaughtered. Right now, the only thing keeping them alive is Harry's deal with Dumbledore."
A smile curved the witch's lips and the flute appeared in her hands, her fingers sliding over the keys in an absent caress. Eyeing him carefully, she lifted it into position and arched an eyebrow. Behind her, lightning flashed over the churning ocean, the strong breeze tearing at her long skirts and pulling a mass of dark curls across her face.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Draco placed the Dragon's Maw atop the staff paper and pulled the table away from the wall. Circling it quickly and uncorking the bottle of ink, he dipped the quill into the black liquid and made several notes at the top of the page before lifting his gaze back to the witch's. "Please begin," he murmured, quill poised above the first series of lines on the parchment. With a slight bow of her head, Raveana closed her eyes and began to play, the notes as sweet and pure as the first time Draco had ever heard them. Bowing his own head, the blond began the careful chore of recording each note.
XxXxX
Harry ran his hand along Basta's neck, fingers gliding over the smooth scarlet and gold scales. He smiled as the dragon cooed and pressed into his touch, almost knocking him off balance in his eagerness to get closer. Around him the other dragons grumbled and hissed, opening and closing their long wings as they searched the surrounding stands and pitch for danger. A wind rose up and swirled around the clan, sending the cloth concealing the wooden structures of the stands flapping.
Shrieking in threat, F'lor snapped his wings open and lunged toward the Ravenclaw bleachers, tail swinging wildly behind him. In a show of strength, the blue Mage lashed out with its foreclaws, rending and ripping the material to shreds. As if that wasn't enough to show his superiority, the Greenback male drew back and calmly spat a ball of fire at the waving cloth, his eyes glowing fiercely as the flames consumed the entire structure in a matter of seconds.
"I am so dead," Harry whispered loudly, pressing his hands to his cheeks as he watched F'lor roar victoriously before plodding back to F'lar's side. Inhaling deeply, he propped himself up on Basta's shoulder and observed the unnatural way the fire ate its way through wood and cloth.
"Harry!"
Slipping beneath the red dragon's arched neck, Harry smiled as Hermione and Ron came trotting toward him. "Hey guys!" He loped forward happily to meet them, throwing his arms around their necks and hugging them warmly. Laughing, he stepped back and looked the pair of them over. Before he had a chance to say anything else, Ron's blue eyes widened and he took a quick step back, finger lifting to point at something over Harry's left shoulder.
Turning, Harry found himself staring into a gleaming emerald eye that matched his perfectly. Curling his lips back in warning, Basta snarled and opened his wings, making himself appear larger than he already was. Chuckling, the raven-haired wizard lifted a hand and gave the dragon a gentle pat on the cheek. "Good boy, but Ron and Hermione are my friends." Moving out from under the Mage's protectively arched neck, he walked forward and placed a light hand on both Ron's and Hermione's shoulders.
Huffing, Basta folded his wings with a snap and turned to hiss at Druid, who had a frosty cloud of white air hovering around his muzzle. At the King Mage's grumble, the dragon snorted and closed its swirling orange eyes, the cool mist disappearing.
"Madam Hooch is going to kill you," Ron remarked, staring at the burning tower with something akin to awe in his eyes.
Hermione shook her head and caught Harry by the forearms, frowning as she carefully examined him from head to foot. "I'm sure everyone will be very understanding about the whole thing, we're just happy to have you back in one piece." The witch muttered, shooting the crackling blaze a quick look.
"I'm pretty sure Ron's right, Hermione." Harry breathed, jumping slightly as the front supports of the stand folded. Lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck, he shifted and glanced over his shoulder when the King Mage growled at something approaching him from behind.
"Where's Draco?" Blaise demanded, coming to a halt several feet away from Harry and placing his hands on his hips in a commanding way. The dark-haired wizard took a nervous step backwards when Silverhawk made a loud snuffling noise, a trickle of dark smoke creeping free of the his nostrils and sliding across the grass toward the Slytherin.
Frowning, Harry prowled between the pair and lifted a hand in warning. Before the black cloud could touch the leather of his boots, it dissipated. "Lucius took him," reported the raven-haired wizard, striding forward to slide a hand along the side of the Mage's face.
"Took him where?" Pansy called, wrapping her cloak around her body as she observed the dragons from what she considered a safe distance.
"He transferred Draco to Durmstrang, or at least that's the story he's telling." Muttered Harry. Shaking his head, he paced away from the white dragon's muzzle, trailing one of his hands down the creature's side as he walked. Rumbling softly, Silverhawk shifted and opened his mouth, exposing razor sharp fangs.
Blaise shook his head and glanced at Hermione, sharing the confused look the bushy haired witch wore. "Lucius wouldn't transfer Draco, not when he has so much power over the Board of Directors."
Harry nodded in agreement, tracing the edge of a golden wing while watching Druid and Black Lady snap at each other. On the opposite side of the dragon clan, a shrilling bark began. Almost immediately the warning was taken up by a second dragon, the pair's loud calls ricocheting over the abandoned Quidditch pitch. Wings unfurled in response to the unseen threat, heads lifting and tipping to better search the sky. In a hiss of scales, Esdra slipped from under F'lar's spread wings and launched herself into the air, a small streak of bronze shooting into the night.
"What's going on?" Hermione questioned sharply, her eyes wide as she backed away from the group. The witch exchanged a frightened look with Ron and Blaise as they crept backwards, all three of them gasping when Harry vanished beneath a scarlet and gold wing.
"Nothing to be worried about," Harry hollered, his voice muffled by the thick wing currently hiding him from their view. Narrowing his eyes in concern, he waded deeper into the clan and scanned the shadowed sky. The terrified hoot of an owl had him ducking and shielding his face with his arms, yelping in pain when the black bird sank sharp talons into his upraised forearms. Milliseconds later, Esdra collided with him, her amber eyes locked on the Great Horned Owl. In a tangle of legs and wings, the three rolled over the grass.
Swearing, Harry yanked the package tied to the owl's leg free and threw an arm around the Sandtongue's neck, pinning her against him. "Stop it," he growled at the small dragon, curling his fingers around a flailing wing and tugging it away from his abdomen. The owl fled in a flurry of feathers, its disappearance calming the dragons. Biting his lip to keep from groaning, the raven-haired wizard let go of the Sandtongue and rolled slowly away.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione yelled from where she stood next to Pansy, Blaise, and Ron. The quartet exchanged relieved looks when the wizard waved a hand in acknowledgment of the question, muttering something they couldn't quite make out over the grumbles and snarls of the Mage Dragons.
Cursing quietly, Harry patted the ground in search of the package he'd taken from the owl. His hand closed around the paper wrapped parcel, lifting it from the grass to hold it above his face. Chewing on his lip, he pulled the string and sat up slowly as the light from the burning stand turned the creamy leather to a fiery bronze. "Draco," he whispered, sliding a hand over the cover of the journal. He tore the rest of the paper away, searching the thick brown wrapping for a small note or message from the blond.
"What is it?" Blaise hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth. The Slytherin flinched when the little Sandtongue hissed and spat at him, the gob of venomous saliva falling short of his boot tips. Dancing backwards, the small group watched in shocked fascination as the acidic drool chewed its way through the grass.
Shooting a warning look at Esdra, Harry shook his head and ran a hand over the cover of the journal. "It's Raveana's book," he stated softly. Placing the book in his lap, he tipped his chin up and gazed at the pale crescent sliding across the sky. With the Blood Seal in place, the journal would have been useless to the Draco. Sighing, the raven-haired wizard rubbed his temples and collapsed back onto the grass. The blond was safe for now, that was all that mattered.
"Are you coming back to the tower tonight or what?" Ron asked, eyeing Esdra anxiously. Lifting a hand to ruffle his red locks, he let loose a sharp yip and stumbled backwards when the Sandtongue coughed loudly.
"I think I'll stay here tonight," replied Harry, glancing around him at the dragons. The large animals shifted nervously, their heads constantly tipping in search of danger. Turning his head, he watched the remainder of the Ravenclaw bleachers collapse into a pile of ashes, the embers glowing brightly. "I'm afraid of leaving them alone out here." He acknowledged before lifting a hand and waving good night to the quartet. Crossing his legs, he watched the two Gryffindors and the pair of Slytherins traipse toward the castle side by side.
Moving quietly for so large of an animal, Basta sidled up next to him and dropped to his stomach. Humming in contentment, the Mage lowered its head and carefully curled the length of its neck around Harry, protectively concealing him from anything that might creep up on them in the night. Grumbling and hissing at each other, the rest of the clan closed ranks, spreading their wings over their neighbours in a warm blanket of scales and magic.
Flopping back onto the grass, Harry stared at the underside of Basta's wing and wondered if the dragons would really allow themselves to be used in such a manner as he was planning. Sighing, he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, allowing the heat seeping from Basta to warm him.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review.
zeynel - The next chapter will hold more interaction between various students and the dragons. I believe that Lucius thinks something is up but I'm pretty sure he has yet to realize the extent of Draco's commitment or adoration to both Harry and the dragons.
kasmo - I think it would be like trying to watch a litter of puppies, impossible to keep track of all of them. Right now, Lucius is assuming that Draco will be able to control the dragons via the flute.
Zoomi - You've definitely got Draco's relationship with the dragons right, they choose which orders they follow.
fraewyn - For now the dragons are safe, under both Harry's protection and whatever magic Lucius managed to work with the ministry.
GryffieGurl - The connection between Harry and Basta is going to come in very handy and be very important. Actually, I really don't think there are they many more chapters to go. Considering where we are now and where we want to go, I'm envisioning six or seven.
Shinigami - Introductions between various students and staff will occur next chapter. lol, I don't think the wizarding world would know what to make of the animal right activists.
Fiery Phoenix - I adore Harry's Slytherin side and think we don't see enough of it.