VII:
Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus
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I knocked at Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleurs door and when the door flung open I got cheek kisses and hugged enough make it last until Easter Dinner. It was Christmas and I was looking forward to hug and kiss all my thousand and thousand relatives and eat. Mainly eat.
The Christmas dinner at Shell Cottage was a mix of classic Christmas food, French food and the bloody stakes served for Bill exclusively. After grabbing as much food as a Potter was allowed in a Weasley environment I sat down in the small but crowded living room. Despite sitting almost too close to everyone in the room that was pretty decorated by a tree and different mixes of red and greens I felt the lack of my favorite Uncle Charlie. At Christmas dinner he usually interrogated me on the current boyfriends (that he promised to execute if they hurt me) and begged me to listen to the latest story behind the freshest wound he sported. It was only natural that I asked Uncle Bill where Charlie was.
"zeey are comin" zoon" Fleur replied to favor Bills stuffed mouth.
"Who are they?" I asked her but I saw the redness spread across Hugos food stuffed face (despite being twenty one he eats like when he was twelve) and I knew the answer already.
Classic.
"Uncle Charlie and his trainee," Bill replied before asking Fleur to get him another stake from the kitchen.
He could just have said Charlie and his trainee Jacob. We hadn't spoken since the incident (only six days ago) with the drunkenness', he didn't floo, I didn't think of him (that much) and we surely didn't mind each other's absences. But I did mind his presence and got very annoyed when the rest of the crowed living room didn't notice the great distress I was in when I knew that Jacob was coming.
Mum was busy teasing Dad with a slow process of eating Treacle tart and missing her mouth on purpose to make Dad lean in and kiss it away. Pretty gross. Albus and Rose told a story to most of my cousins who roared all the sudden by something witty Rose said. Aunt Angelina, Uncle George, Aunt Audrey and Uncle Percy were involved in a stiff conversation that only half the party seemed to enjoy. I shouldn't even describe what perverted things Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron did in the darkest corner of the living room with only one plate of Treacle tart and two glasses filled rather generously of the French wine Horsia and James (who left the room a while ago to check at Fleurs gnome problem outside…right) brought with them as a gift. It looked like a normal Christmas before a heavy thump and a roar louder than anything human filled the living room and drowned the sounds of laughter.
It was during times like this, when all the sudden most people freeze and have a fit that the heroism in the room was visible. How much he even fights it Dad can't avoid standing up, wand raised high and ready to fight. I was never surprised to see how quickly both Hermione and Ron stood up; wands rose just as high as Dads and took place at each side of him to observe the situation.
"It couldn't be but… It sounds like a small one of that one at Gringotts. We should put safety spells here," Ron said carefully. Both Hermione and Dad nodded and they worked quickly with their wands.
"Maybe it is one of those. But who sends one…Could it be activists?" Hermione asked carefully while whipping her wand a final time. The whole room stood up with the wands ready and casted protection spells they were taught since birth to protect them from Death Eater activists that reminded after the dark times. There was a shriek, three loud yells of panic and another inhuman roar from the garden and Dad went to action.
"James! Horsia! They are still outside! I need a broom," Dad yelled and ran out with Ron following him.
"What is it, the thing outside?" Albus finally asked to help everybody still their curiosity. I knew this sound from somewhere, perhaps a class I slept through but I knew that she sound was...
"Possibly dragon," Hermione mumbled as it was the most normal thing. "But we will be safe, I've – we've put all the available spells there is so if everybody just stay here…"
I realized between Albus reaction and Bills robust tone of calming them down that I was an Auror, I was trained to do something, to help my brother, my Dad and all the other ones that fought a dragon outside. So I ran outside, against my Mum's angry yells and Hermiones carefully placed rants about the"blood of Potter". I ran out, cold hitting my face and my body and a vision that made me forget all about the Goosebumps that appeared slowly on my arms and legs.
Bloody hell and every little curse I could name.
It was a dragon.
I saw a dark brown dragon hover above Shell Cottage and spitting accidental fire too close to the Cottage and on top of that was this boy, a messy haired boy I called Jacob. The dragon had black ridges on its back, rough skin and was easily met up to 35 feet and this boy, he looked to tiny on it but had a thigh T-shirt on him revealing the built arms that clutched dearly to the heavy chains around the dragons neck. Jacob pulled the chains hard and I could see his arms tense in the Lumos light of the small crowd's wands (me included) and the dragon made a sound and spat fire across the night sky.
Simply, the dragon was petrifying to observe and Jacob sat on it.
"Good tame!" yelled a man, my Uncle Charlie on a broom high up towards the starry Christmas sky.
"Are you sure?" Jacob hesitated but I saw that he smiled teasingly towards Charlie.
I joined Dad, James, Horsia and Ron who stood with mouths hanging, wands of light towards the sky and watching the huge dragon roaring and by the squeals it made suffering?
"Of course, just land her here!" Charlie yelled wildly and pointed to the lawn where the white roses were carefully hidden in plastic to save them from snowflakes. I had no idea of how to save them from a huge fire spitting dragon.
Somehow Fleur felt her precious roses death closing up because she ran out to the lawn were we stood paralyzed and watched Jacob slowly instruct the dragon to land carefully. Fleur probably cursed Charlie in French and pointed an accusing finger towards him while he hovered on his room to maneuver the landing. When the huge dragon landed carefully on the spot a couple of yards from the house (right on the poor rosebushes) he started to stroke the dragon, stroke, to keep it calm before he tied it down with a couple of waves with his wand. He gave Charlie two thumbs up and Charlie jumped off his broom to pour a potion in the nose of the dragon.
Jacob walked calmly towards me, no us and I didn't know why but I took two steps forward to separate me from James, Horsia, the yelling Fleur, Ron and a fight ready Dad to meet him.
I thought it was proper to meet him in the middle I guess.
Jacob was sweaty, his body looked worn out but his lips smiled a lopsided and teasing smile against my gesture of stepping forward. We were at arm length distance when I saw that he was oozing of heat against the freezing night from the effort of taming the beast.
"Hi Lily," he said hoarsely, the same kind of hoarse you had in your voice after waking up and he blinded me with his most charming smile plastered across his face.
I didn't want to admit it but Jacob flying in on dragon back with sweat dripping uncontrollably down the strong features of his face and messy brown hair turning even messier from the adventures he took to stand in front of me was by far the sexiest thing I ever seen.
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Fleur scolded both Charlie and Jacob when they entered the room, sweaty, bruised, a bit muddy but as heroes and they quickly stole the spotlight during the last half hour of eating and during the gift unwrapping. The gifts were odd, most contained fireworks or practical jokes wrapped in beautiful paper and glittering ornaments for the parents. Most would say it was cheap gifts, a Weasley trait according to the Malfoys but I personally thought that gift giving was one of the Weasley-Potters stronger suits. We all got personal gifts, thanked a lot and felt happy over the (hideously) knitted sweaters but Christmas was like that. It was all about sharing, so much that James even borrowed Jacob his newly unwrapped Weasley sweater (although he told him specifically to keep it for eternity and beyond).
The night died slowly after sharing war stories (the classical Umbridge attack told from Georges point of view or Bills "action" story he liked to call the Goblin incident), love stories (Vicotrines and Teddys romantic proposal story or Dads famous "Road to Hermione – the hopeless story of Ron Weasley" to everybody's amusement except Rons) and numerous jokes (Percy out of date ones and Freddys fresh ones). It was time for the saying goodbye to loved ones part so they could floo or Apparate home. The few families left started to doze off in front of the sparking fire or watch the heated chess game between Rose and Ron. I chose to go outside for some air, for some stars or for a minute of coldness to make my lazy body stay awake.
It was the perfect Christmas night; besides the sleeping dragon only meters away from me and it looked as peaceful as a night could be. A light layer of snow fell over the old layer and hid the footsteps from before. It was childish but I stood with arms stretched and let the snowflakes fall onto my tongue to try to taste Christmas or heaven or whatever the taste of snowflakes was.
"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus," a soft voice behind me whispered and interrupted my attempt to taste heaven. I turned around and saw that it was in fact Jacob that had come out to join me in nothing else than a couple of Bills borrowed jeans and James newest Weasley sweater.
"What does that mean?" I asked him and to my surprise he laughed.
"I thought you went to Hogwarts like the rest," Jacob stated.
"I did," I told him smartly and he laughed again, annoyingly.
"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus – never tickle a sleeping dragon"
"Believe me when I say that it's nothing I plan to do in the future… but what does that have to do with Hogwarts?" I asked him, now more interested in him and what he had to say.
"I'm sorry," Jacob said sincerely. "But I thought students of Hogwarts knew what the school motto was," he added and laughed more at me than at the joke he made.
I never regretted this deeply that I turned down Aunt Hermiones proposal of lending me Hogwarts: A History as 'light reading'.
"What is up with the dragon anyways? I've known my uncle my whole life but he has never caused this big of an entry when he arrived." I asked Jacob harshly.
"Oh" Jacob said and looked lovingly at the dragon that slept heavily a safe ten meters away from us.
The word being lovingly.
"Norberta couldn't stay alone – Charlie said that he could take her with him but I told him that I could manage her alone. He insisted on taking her and asked me to follow him and here we are" Jacob said with sincere hurt dripping in his voice.
"Okay," I said and Jacob smiled vaguely towards me, or so I assume in the darkness.
"I am sorry by the way, about Sunday and all," I said and thanking the darkness that he couldn't see me biting my lip.
"Let's not bring that up," Jacob answered, forgiving me with his lack of words.
We fell in silence after that.
I wondered a lot of things about Jacob, first of all; why did he spend his Christmas with a dragon and a co worker instead of home with his family? Two; the straight scar across his face, how did it end up there? Three; what problem did he have with alcohol or me drinking it anyways? (but I admitted that I didn't care much for that question at all after a minute of thinking on it) And finally how did he manage to fly a wild dragon like it was the simplest thing on earth and still look calm and poised when he actually stood on earth?
Jacob cleared his throat and said "Norberta had a baby, a girl. Charlie let me name her of course because – I mean I will raise her so it is only right."
"Raise?" I asked and had a hard time imagining that a dragon could be raised to behave proper.
"She is dying, Norberta. That's why Charlie didn't want to leave her. Did you know that's why Charlie comes to your uncle and aunts on his birthdays? To thank them --- and Harr – Mr. Potter of course for giving him Norberta. He thanks them by his presence I assume" Jacob wrinkled his forehead adorably, no scratch that wisely and added, "He is a bit odd that way."
I knew that Charlies unwarned and intruding birthday bashes was causing more panic than gratitude to Hermione and don't start talking about Ron but it was my turn to form an "o" with my lips and we fell quiet again. The moments went and Jacob started to dig in his cloak, much like Severus did I recognized and let that thought leave my head quickly. I shouldn't start obsessing, not on the holidays but when Jacob finally fished up a glass jar that contained a fire burning at its own my obsession started to grow. I couldn't help but gasp, my thoughts went to my namesake, to my grandmother and her Christmas.
"I want you to have it, it's her first fire," Jacob said so uncharacterized and shyly that it reminded me of Severus.
I was being dumb. "Whose first fire?"
"Norbertas daughter of course, Lilys," Jacob said just as shyly and I could have sworn that he went red in the dark. Again, uncharacterized. Wait! What? Did he just say Lily.
My fury rose."You named a fire spitting baby dragon after my deceased grandmother! What kind of human are you?" I spat suspiciously and furiously.
"What? No! You told me that you burnt like a dragon remember, so I named her after you." Jacob burst out in defense.
Oh… that Lily. Me. I was extremely sorry and I had no words, this boy, this dragon riding, mischief loving, bloody annoying and utterly mental boy went and named a dragon after me? Not Lily Evans Potter the heroine but me, the alcoholic and unfriendly girl with the flaming red hair and absolutely no knowledge about tickling or not tickling a dragon.
"I am sorry, I just thought that – you know."
"It's okay," Jacob said and handed me the fire. The flames were shifting yellow, red and traces of green and blue that was the trademark of the first fire of a baby dragon. It felt a bit warm against my hand and glowed up the small area I stood and held it in, it was beautifully and like nothing I'd ever seen in a glass jar.
"But… I don't have anything to you," I said shamefully.
"No, it's not a problem. We weren't going to give each other gifts it was just that it was Lily's, not yours of course being a dragon I mean not that you're evil. It's not your grandmothers either although I really…" Jacob said uncertain and scratched his left arm a bit nervously. "I'll be quiet now but I don't expect anything."
I stared at the little pieces of him that I could see. My thoughts went to Lily kissing Severus after the glass jar gift and I wondered it was the appropriate response. Should I kiss this handsome boy that stood and fumbled with the sleeves of James Weasley sweater to repay him, or just see what the lips that smiled the lopsided smile tasted like against my own? Maybe they tasted like the heaven that I thought the snowflakes would do? But they were best friends and children and I barely know Jacob, I'm not even sure that I like the cockiness he often sported or the ego of his that made Hugo swoon or the stuttering mess he sometimes became… No, I was not Lily Evans Potter and he was not Severus and we were not romantic in any kind of way.
"I don't know what to say," I told him after a minute of soul searching.
"Words are overrated," he told me casually and looked at the sleeping dragon
"Uhm," I said. Good thing he finds words overrated.
"Never tickle a sleeping dragon," he added and we fell into a comfortable silence, admiring the dragons shifting skin in the small rays of light from the cottage and we could have been there forever if Fleurs voice didn't called us back for a night cap.
I clutched the jar dearly in my pocket as I walked next to him back to the Cottage, I was not certain of how he did it but he certainly made the spark between us turn into a blazing fire, if only for a minute.
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And this is the end where I ask you -- what will happen between Lily and Jacob?
How did he get that scar?
Are you as hungry as I am?
How many words will you write in your review?
Review oh sweet one, Lumos Maximum