Hello there. Finally, the new chapter. I'm sorry for the long wait, but I've been busy writing a Halloween story. It's also HPLV, but on my other account Here a link for those interested: www . fanfiction s/9769398/1/ Amber-emeralds
It's nearly coomplete, only missing an epilogue now .

Now for something else: several people left reviews or PM's with concerns as to how their relationship is developing, and some even worried about abuse. This will NOT be an abuse story in any way, just to have that be clear. Also, regardless of his behaviour in bed, Harry will not suddenly turn into a weak being who'll hide behind his lover all the time. The 'abuse' as some saw it, is Harry and Voldemort getting more comfortable with heavier sex, and interested in BDSM. And whereas abuse is founded on anger and guilt, shatters trust and satisfies only one partner,BDSM is found on trust, respect and communication and is meant for both to enjoy.

I have to admit that they've both lacked in the communication bit till now, but that is mainly because Harry has never heard of BDSM or the rules regarding that, and Marvolo probably never cared enough for his lovers to do so. They will most certainly talk about it soon though. I'm sorry if it makes some people uncomfortable, but it's simply a way for me to express myself through my writing, as me and my fiancée are getting more and more into BDSM ourselves and figuring out how stuff works; safe words, soft and hard limits etc.

well... rant over :P sorry for that.
Enjoy the story!


It's really beautiful… you say they grow these? How is that even possible?" Harry asked, looking around in fascination. The cave they were in was long and outstretched, the walls covered with minerals and precious metals. Amethyst, beryl, garnet, topaz, tourmaline and other stones that Harry didn't recognise scintillated in the sunlight that reach even down here by way of the mirrors.

"Magic, of course. They have their own type of magic…"

"Are dwarves allowed wands?" Harry asked, curiously. "I haven't seen any, but it does not seem to be as big of a deal as Goblins are."

"They are, actually, because they are recognised as more 'humanoid' than Goblins are… But Dwarves don't really like fragile sticks. Staffs are sometimes used, but more often than not they have enchanted a weapon and given it a core to conduct their magic through. That does have the consequence that their magic is mainly used for battle or larger spells, as you see here. Precision and accuracy… more refined spells are hardly practised, also the reason why they're so far behind on the medical field. I very much doubt that they will want to change that…"

"They don't seem to want to change a lot…" Harry grumbled, getting an odd look from Marvolo.

"Of course not. They think their society is fine the way it is. As long as the majority doesn't see need for change, and there won't be any leaders who rise up to challenge the authority, they will continue on as they have done till now. And in a society that is as collectivistic as theirs, and where the word of the King is revered, it will be hard to find Dwarves willing to stand up and face their sovereign. To be honest, Clagh is one of the best things that happened to this society, and even people who don't agree with the traditions he likes to uphold recognise the need for him to stay. For all his faults, he is a good leader… And besides that, I shall aid him no matter what if trouble does stir."

"Politics are so annoying," Harry sighed.

"Sadly you shall have to deal with it. As my right hand you will be expected to know your way in it and have an intelligent say. As long as you are determined to help me with this war, that means that you will have responsibilities and expectations thrust upon you by others."

"I've thought a lot about the future, actually," Harry suddenly said, releasing a slow breath. "You told me I could stop and start doing what I really want any time… While now is not that time yet, I do think that, once things start to become mainly political, I'd like to quit. I'm a fighter, but feel very uncomfortable with the rigid, diplomatic aspect of war."

"What would you like to do instead?" Marvolo asked, genuinely curious.

"Follow my dreams… Fly." He looked to his right, unsure. He knew that Marvolo was aware of how much he liked Quidditch, and the man had even given him professional books on it to prepare him, but to suddenly see it as a real possibility rather than some faraway dream… He also knew that Marvolo did not think highly of the sport and thought it reckless, dangerous and an unnecessary form of entertainment for the mass public. To his surprise, there was merely a ghost of a smile and a hint of pride in his lover's eyes.

He sighed as Marvolo took a step closer and hugged him from behind, arms tightly wrapped around his chest. "I'm glad. Don't let anyone tell you what to do and follow your heart's desire, love. If you want to fly, you shall fly. I believe in you."

For a moment Harry was speechless and his eyes teared up a bit, which he was highly embarrassed about and tried to hide by blinking the drops away. He knew it was futile, he knew how well his love's senses were and he could probably smell the salt from a ten foot distance, but thankfully Marvolo didn't comment on it.

"Come," the man said, stepping further into the cave over the small stone path that zigzagged its way in between the sharp crystals. Harry followed him cautiously, silently asking him where it led to, but he only got a smile in return. His curiousity roused, he tried to peek into the far back of the cave, and stopped when a waterfall of sparks suddenly flew off a wall. On a second look, he saw it hadn't come from the wall at all, but a small tunnel inside of it. Curious, Harry followed Marvolo into the tunnel, awed when he saw the walls were covered in beautiful armor and weapons.

"The master blacksmith…" Marvolo muttered. "What you see here is something few humans have seen before, and few ever will…"

"What's that glow?" he asked, touching one of the chain mails, the small ringlets glowing a faint blue, which reminded him of the door of the room they'd slept in. Entranced, he watched as they lit up and faded again.

"Dwarven magic. It's not bound to anyone yet, but this metal can bond to a particular person, making the armor impossible for anyone else to use who does not have similar magic. Sometimes it happens that armor is more lenient towards other dwarves, usually family of the original owner, and some remain loyal to one person only."

"How do they make it?"Harry asked, curious. "Spells?"

"Spells, yes, enhanced by magic-embedded crystals. It's a complicated process." Harry watched as dwarves bustled about, hammers that looked giant in comparison with them being raised to hammer the steel. He raised his eyebrows when the sparks, which were at first the usual red and yellow, changed to green mid-air.

"This is really something…" Harry muttered. "I bet Fred and George would love to know how to make those colours for their fireworks."

"I very much doubt that they'd be able to produce them without kidnapping a Dwarf," Marvolo said dryly. "Though of course, you never know with those two… You'd better not tell them or the palace might find their best blacksmiths missing next thing. I still haven't forgotten that time one of my house-elves vanished and turned up in a tree in the backyard three days later, completely blue. I still don't know what they did exactly…"

"Probably best not to know either," the teen hummed.

"Wait here," Marvolo suddenly said, and before Harry could reply, the man was already gone, disappearing behind the streams of sparks. Two minutes later the sparks stopped, and Harry saw two hot-headed, very pissed dwarfs ranting at Marvolo in Dwarfish. The man did not look intimidated in the slightest, instead looking down with a mixture of curiousity and mild annoyance. After a few calm but clear words from Marvolo, the dwarf who had been shouting the hardest took a step back in obvious fear, and Harry was really curious to what was being said. A smirk spread over the man's face as the dwarf's shoulders slumped and he turned, shuffling away, only to come back with one of the strange, glowing armours, handing it over to Marvolo, who inspected it, nodded curtly and turned around, walking back to Harry.

"What was going on there?"

"I merely obtained one of these…" he responded, smirking. "I know you promised to not join in battle anymore, but if it can't be avoided, you'll at least have some real protection now. It is highly efficient against magic, absorbing most of the power and using it to strengthen itself."

"He didn't seem too happy about giving it to you…"

"Of course not, I'm not a Dwarf. I am, however, the future ruler of this country and a good friend of his monarch. It would not be very wise to anger me, while the fame of having been the one to smith protective armour for me is invaluable… He had nothing to lose, really, apart from his own pride," Marvolo answered, folding the armour up, the small ringlets shimmering, and shrunk it until it fit easily in his pocket. "Now, I think you've seen most of what I wanted to show you… Unless you want to visit some Frongol farms?" the man teased, making Harry blush and slap his arms.

"Oh shut it. It's getting late anyways. You have an appointment with the dragons do you not?"

"I know… I suppose we'll go now then, before it gets any later. Come… It's not really done to apparate or portkey out. We'll have to go to the main entrance."

"We did apparate in."

"Into the main hall… where we're going right now," Marvolo answered, and they made their way back. The crystals didn't look any less impressive than before as he balanced carefully on the narrow path to avoid stepping on the sharp gems that grew on either sides. He wondered if there were ever accidents with these… And how the Dwarfs even reached those on the far back when harvesting them.

"Special shoes," Marvolo answered his unspoken thoughts. "Some of these gems are of such a hardness that they cut through most anything, so they fabricate shoes from the hardest gemstones they grow. Part of the reason why there is a feud between the two clans is because of these gems actually… the other clan has diamond but they can't grow that as it's made through a far more complicated process… they lack coal here, and the equipment to pressure it into diamond. I believe that Clagh has a pair of diamond shoes but he's the only one, and he never wears them because he doesn't want to show off a gift received by the other clan."

"They really don't like each other do they…"

"About as much as goblins like house-elves,"

"You know I don't have a clue about how goblins see house-elves don't you?"

"Weak creatures who let themselves be commanded around by wizards? They're far-away family but regarding independence about as different as can be… Goblins have a deep-running disgust for elves," he told Harry as they went around a corner and found one of the main roads which lead to the market squares and the main hall beyond. Harry stored the information in his brain while looking around, still intrigued by the craftsmanship of the Dwarves.

Harry took the small thing king Clagh had given him before Marvolo had showed him around, while they had said their goodbyes. The miniature hammer was a small trinket, and apparently not made of the most valuable materials or even magical, but Harry appreciated it nonetheless. The carvings on it were beautiful, and when held in the light it had the oddest red shine.

"I must be one of the few who can claim to have a souvenir from the Dwarven kingdom," he grinned, and Marvolo rolled his eyes.

"You realise it's most likely the cheapest thing he could have given."

Harry shrugged. "He could also have given me nothing. Or frongols," he joked, laughing as they entered the main hall. Marvolo just shook his head and grabbed his arm before walking to the apparition spot.

"Hold on tight," was his only warning before he was whisked away.

"I really loved it," Harry said, when he got control over his stomach again. "Despite… you know, the prejudice, it was a nice day. And despite the Dwarven feast not exactly being a romantic dinner."

"I'm glad," Marvolo answered, stroking Harry's hair as he hugged him from behind. "And you'll get that dinner another time love, with just the two of us." Harry leaned back against the man and looked at the sky, which was surprisingly blue for February. "I should visit the dragons now though… Weasley should be waiting for us."

"Please call him Charlie, love… It gets very confusing to hear 'Weasley' constantly with four of them being in your service, and two living on the grounds."

Marvolo chuckled softly and nodded. "True, that… Charlie then. Do you want to come with me? Or have you had enough encounters with dragons? I heard that the egg I had Quirrel give to Hagrid ended up with you somehow and then there was the first task in the Triwizard Tournament…"

"Call me insane but I'd love to come. I would like to see some friendly dragons for a change. They haven't given me anything but trouble before but we were saved by them during the last battle. I'd like to express my thanks as well."

"And then there's the fact that you like danger…"Marvolo muttered, to which Harry protested.

"It's not that I like it, it always seems to find me!"

"Which is why you're interested in becoming a Quidditch player I'm sure," the man went on as if Harry hadn't said anything. "Now come, before the Muggles see us," he said, opening the gates, the empty meadow changing into a manor and an extensive garden before their eyes.

Harry just sighed and shook his head while following his lover, who started to make his way around the manor to reach the backyard and the forest behind it. It never ceased to amaze him just how vast the grounds were, and he understood how they were able to house that many dragons here "Does he know you're a dragon Animagus, actually?" Harry asked, curious.

"No. I hardly ever use it. It's very impractical as it's so recognisable. Perhaps I'll use it more when we're in the open… Also, I can communicate with several dragons through Parseltongue so it's not necessary for me to change into that form to speak to them either."

"You'll keep it a secret then?"

Marvolo seemed to think upon this for a while as they crossed the grounds. "Maybe not… While it's not necessary per se, it might help… to show them I'm more connected to them than any other wizard they could choose to side with." Harry nodded in silence, seeing the value of it. They finally reached the back of the yard, and Harry was only slightly surprised to find no cages here. While any other dragon reservation had to rely on those, he was sure that Charlie had found other methods to keep both dragon and human safe. He looked in awe at the numerous types of dragons he didn't know. His school books had only mentioned a few… had it only covered the most common ones?

Scaly backs shimmered in the sunlight and the air was filled with growls and roars. To the left, a few seemed to be fighting, but as Harry didn't see any blood, he was sure it wasn't something that would have to be solved. Play-fighting most likely… Training for the next battle. Finally, he spotted Charlie among the mass of twirling scales. He waved until the red-haired man noticed him and got up, approaching them.

"Weclome," he said, smiling broadly at Harry and sinking down on one knee in front of Marvolo. "Thank you very much for granting the dragon's request of your visit. They have been restless and excited all morning." Marvolo's lips twitched into a rare smile that usually wasn't granted to his followers, and Harry wondered if the man had a weak spot for dragons that was as bad as the one for snakes.

"The honour is mine. Not many people will ever have the chance to meet dragons on such friendly grounds… and so many species on top of that. This is a unique sight indeed. Was there anything in particular that they want to discuss?"

Charlie didn't answer, instead rising to his feet and whistling sharply. Almost instantly, the air changed, becoming wilder, and a shadow fell over them. Ignoring his instincts to run, Harry stood his ground as a large dragon fell from the sky, landing with a force that made the ground tremble. The dragon was a deep, night-blue colour with the plates on its belly and its horn black. He was absolutely massive, though smaller and sleeker than the Horntail Harry had had to face during the Tournament. He was actually quite grateful that no Horntails seemed to be a part of the pack… or however a group of dragons was called.

"This is Xaphia. He will speak on behalf of the rest. We have been… close friends for a long time and recently he's learnt the basics of English." The dragon snapped its head to Charlie and seemed to glare, growling in warning. Harry wondered what exactly had offended the dragon… was its English skill better than basic?"

"Crose parrrtnerrsss." The dragon spoke, half-growling, half-hissing, and it took Harry some time to register that it had been English. Charlie threw all of them a hopeless look.

"Xaphia…" apparently the dragon did something threatening that Harry didn't see or recognise as such, because Charlie suddenly tensed and took a hesitant step back. "Alright, alright… I just wanted to have a civil conversation without immediately over-complicating things… dragons take to this better than humans you know…"

"Stuborr…" Xaphia chuckled. –or Harry assumed it was the dragon version of chuckling anyways. It sounded playful, and reminded him a bit too much of Marvolo when his fiancé was horny beyond control. "But we didn't come here to discuss my relationship," Charlie suddenly said. "Apologies, My Lord."

"Oh no, I find it quite… intriguing. And here I thought you were the only one with a dragon fetish, darling," the man replied, tuning to Harry with an amused glint in his eyes and a lecherous smile.

"Dragon fetish?" Charlie muttered, to which he didn't get a reply as Marvolo was trying to undress Harry with his eyes and Harry, in return, was trying to decide whether his own stare back was in defiance or because he was falling into the other's eyes. Charlie looked at them with obvious confusion, until Harry finally looked away, blushing heavily.

Marvolo merely smirked. "I wanted to show this herd something which will hopefully establish a deeper bond and meaning between them and what they are fighting for… and who they're fighting with, a bond which won't be broken easily. I realise it must be difficult to accept orders from a human being like me, and fight in a war that, while it concerns you, wasn't started by dragons but humans, a far lesser species than your noble kind. So please, allow me to… distinguish myself from the rest." Harry barely contained a snort at the dramatic tone. At least he didn't have a monologue of half an hour this time…

I heard that.

Good. Now, don't keep them waiting much longer…

Marvolo sent him a mental equivalent of a mild stinging hex and Harry jumped and rubbed his head, glaring at the man. The glare faltered and faded to nothingness as Marvolo started to transform, his skin stretching and becoming black and scaly, his face getting longer until it formed a snout, and dangerous spikes growing from his back. Harry had always wondered what exactly happened to the clothes as they seemed to melt into his body, and he knew from when Sirius transformed that the clothes were, oddly enough, back when he transformed into a human again. He supposed it was one of magic's many mysteries.

Eyes travelled over Marvolo's changing body, fascinated like the first time he had seen it. The man seldom used his Animagus form, as it wasn't very practical. Truth be told, Harry had secretly longed to see it again… After the first time Marvolo had only used it once more, and that had been interrupted by some rude Death Eaters before anything could happen… He secretly hoped that Marvolo would keep this form until long after the talk with Charlie was over.

You're getting spoilt…

You weren't supposed to hear that, Harry answered, a blush creeping on his face. But maybe I like being spoilt.

Maybe I'll grant your wish if you'll be a good boy and obey me.

Harry nearly gaped at the dragon, spluttering something unintelligible as Charlie watched on in confusion. The hell? 'Good boy'? Marvolo didn't answer his shocked, embarrassed splutters, and Harry was torn yet again between being uncomfortable and, for some inexplicable reason, turned on. The reaction confused him, as he in no way would have thought he could become aroused by being called demeaning names. He pushed it far into his mind for the time being, concentrating on the matter at hand.

The dragons were looking at Marvolo in a whole new light, even Harry could notice by how their stances relaxed and their heads dipped. One large, red dragon came forwards and uttered several growls and snarls, but the only answer he received was in Parseltongue.

~My apologies, but while my body has the ability to transform into one of your race, I have never been around dragons long enough to learn your language, which does not come naturally to me as the language of snakes.~

The red dragon merely looked at him in confusion, before a few other dragons started a short discussion, and Harry remembered Marvolo telling him that Parseltongue was a language that could not be understood by all dragons due to some races being further away from snakes than others. Finally, a small dragon unlike the ones Harry had seen before stepped forwards, its long body golden and sleek, with what looked like feelers attached to its face in various places.

~I have been chosen to represent the other dragons as I am most fluent in the language you are familiar with, Lord Winged Death. Initially we chose Xaphia, but while he understands Parseltongue, he is not very good at speaking it… If you wish to converse in human language though, I suggest to speak to him instead.~

~Parseltongue suits me more at present.~

~Very well. We are most honoured to be in your presence today, and to aid you with this war… And it is most definitely a surprise to see just how… close you are to our kind.~

~I had assumed it to be difficult for you as it is a war that the dragons have been dragged into…~

~We came of our own choice. All of us volunteered to fight. This war may have been started by humans, but we have to face that humans control this world now, and rather poorly. We wish to fight to gain back the respect of this world. Do not mistake our intentions; they are not solely altruistic.~

~Neither are mine, so we are flying parallel winds here.~

Harry tried his best to follow the conversation, but got distracted whenever he looked at the majestic creatures in front of him. During his last encounters with dragons the first thing on his mind hadn't exactly been admiration, nor had he had the peace to get a good look at them. Well, maybe at Norbert but the baby dragon had looked like a wet, half-broken umbrella that has just been through a storm. There was of course Marvolo, but there was something wild about these beasts that a human-to-dragon transfiguration just couldn't quite catch.

The way they moved was stunning, as if they were one with the air themselves, their bodies a part of the scenery rather than something invading it, shimmering scales rolling like waves with every movement. Such grace… Not at all like the Horntail had been. Perhaps he'd been too distracted trying to outrun its claws and fire… or maybe it was just a nesting mother thing to turn into the most hellish beast on earth. Merlin knew that Mrs Weasley had…

He suddenly froze at the thought of her. Arthur had undoubtedly informed his son about his mother's demise but it felt disrespectful to think of her in the presence of Charlie, who had given up everything to aid their side. Said man suddenly leaned over to him and asked in surprise if Harry could understand what was being said.

"I'm a Parselmouth," he whispered. "Was world-news or something several years ago when the Chamber of Secrets was opened and everyone thought I was the new Dark Lord and thus bad guy no. 1"

"Well, they weren't far off were they? Dark Lord junior?"

Harry pulled a face and smacked the other. "You make it sound like I'm his son," he said in disgust. "I don't do incest." Harry shook his head and focused on the conversation once more as a peculiar word fell.

~Dragonheart?~ Marvolo asked on a curious tone.

~Xaphia's human… It is the name one of the centaur chiefs gave him. His name was carried by the fire to us, through memories…~

~I am sadly incapable of sensing like you do… not as strongly, though I can see some vague memories in the air. It seems that to fully see them my brain would need to stop being human completely.~

~Would that not be better?~ the dragon questioned, and Marvolo seemed to hesitate, not wanting to offend the other.

~I was born human… Surely if I were meant to be a full dragon I would have hatched from an egg. A human brain is what belongs to me. I cannot fully shift my entire being. That would be wrong and an insult to my own existence.~

The dragon slowly swayed his head from side to side, and Harry thought that it looked suspiciously like thoughtful nodding. ~I understand. An insult to your own existence… and the creator of all.~

Well, who would have thought dragons were religious… Certainly not Harry. Marvolo kept politely silent about it. In all actuality, religion had never been a point they had discussed. He was certain the man didn't follow any religion but he did not really know what Marvolo did believe in. As he was so scared of dying it certainly wasn't an afterlife. Odd, really, seeing as they had both proof of that there was more after death, ghosts being the prime example of that, even if they were only a 'reflection left behind.' And then there was the thing that had happened at the graveyard where his parents and Cedric had briefly joined him…

But even if he believed there was something after death, Harry didn't really believe in a creator or God who was watching them constantly. Oddly enough, the Dursleys hadn't either, even though it was normal to be religious in their neighbourhood. Maybe they had too little imagination to believe in any God. It did surprise him that the dragons did however.

~What will happen next?~ the dragon suddenly asked after several others broke out in growls, maybe translating what was being discussed among them. Harry could hear Xaphia speaking in broken English, translating the conversation for Charlie.

~You can stay here until the war is over, if you want… I am not sure when the other countries will make a move again but the next fight should not be too far off. In just over a week there will be elections to choose a new… hmm.. what would be the best word to describe it. Warlock chief? A new fight will most certainly break out if the one who wins is not the one the other countries would like to win.~

~A Warlock chief? Will he be chosen by battling to death?~

~No, he will be chosen by the public. Perhaps I used the wrong title, but Leader or main Chief is not the right word as he'll work under me.~ The dragon slowly shook his head again.

~We shall wait, then, until needed. If there are any other tasks…~

~Not yet. I did want to ask what you plan on doing after the battles are over.~

~Fly,~ the dragon replied simply. ~Live, without cages. You will provide that, will you not, Lord Winged Death? Dragonheart saw a future for us and shared the images through his memories. We shall be free yet protected from those of your kind who want us for our bodies and magical properties.~

~Yes, I shall,~ Marvolo replied, and Harry could feel the surprise from Marvolo's side of the link. Harry too had thought that they would have to negotiate a lot with the dragons to convince them of their sincerity, but the dragons didn't seem to doubt that they would be in good hands after the war was over.

"Where did you see the future?" he muttered to Charlie.

"Centaurs… There was this centaur chief who wouldn't stop bothering me in Romania, constantly nagging me about my destiny. One day he took me to his home. I think he drugged the fire, because I had visions of different futures, and when I woke up again the single thing I was convinced of was that I should join the Dark Lord if I ever wanted to have hope of the dragons flying free again."

"I see. Oh, before I forget, we visited the Dwarfs and they have a dragon problem apparently… It's living under the earth near their homes and now and then likes to play population control… Do you think there's anything you could do?"

"Underground?" Charlie frowned. "Highly unusual. Dragons like caves but only in mountains so they can fly when they feel the need to. Are you sure it is a dragon? I know the Goblins keep a few underground but they have practically enslaved those dragons and keep them under control by torture… Bill told me," he said, his expression devastated. "I wish I could get them out. Dragons hate being cooped up."

"Well, the Dwarfs have many giant halls and caves, probably big enough for a dragon to fly in sometimes. I did get the idea that they'd seen him quite often so I trust them on their word that it's really a dragon… I did not know about the Gringotts dragons though, I'm sorry to hear that. I think Hagrid mentioned once that there were rumoured to be dragons there but I had not realised what conditions those poor creatures are being kept in. Marvolo is going to visit Gringotts soon… perhaps he can try and do something about it."

I will try. Now please be quiet Harry, the link is on my end a lot more open like this and I can't concentrate on my own conversation.

Sorry love, Harry answered hastily. I hadn't realised.

It's alright…

Charlie's eyes lit up though, and Harry smiled at the hopeful look, but he shushed Charlie and focused on his lover again while Xaphia resumed translating.

~That settles it then?~ he heard. ~When we win, you shall be allowed freedom, on the condition that you eat only non-intelligent beings?~

~A strange request, as a life is a life, but yes.~

~Not that strange… If I were to choose between killing an ant or one of your fellow dragons-~ The dragon and several others who had understood hissed fiercely. ~Precisely,~ Marvolo hissed softly. ~Forgive, me, I merely wished to offer another perspective, not suggest that I think your lives are worth the same as an ant's… rather the opposite.

~But we are dragons. Of course it is different for us…~

Harry nearly laughed when he realised why Marvolo's form was a dragon… His ego was certainly one to match the dragon's superiority complex.

You'll either stop those thoughts or sleep alone tonight.

Hmm… sleep alone or have you choke me… I think I know what I prefer.

Good.

~Can we invite you for a hunt?~ The golden dragon suddenly asked, and from the slow way it was phrased and the way the other dragons reacted Harry gathered that invitation was quite a big deal.

~I would be honoured,~ Marvolo replied before turning to Harry. ~This will likely take a while, so please take… Dragonheart inside. You're going to get soaked otherwise.~

Surprised, Harry looked up at the sky, and saw the clear sky of before had greyed. ~It doesn't look that bad…~

~It will pour within thirty minutes, trust me. And you don't have scales to protect your skin from it.~ Shrugging, Harry nodded, not seeing a point in staying outside much longer anyways if the dragons were going away. He walked up to Marvolo and pressed his face against the leathery snout, smiling when the other inhaled deeply and after wafted warm breath over his face and neck. A deep feeling of love and appreciation filled him and he looked into his love's eyes, which, surprisingly, looked more human than in his normal form, a hint of white around the irises. For a few long minutes, he let himself be lost in that stare, his hands placed on either side of the large head now.

~Beautiful,~ he finally hissed. ~Now go have some fun ripping animals apart or whatever you like doing. Clean your mouth before you get back though.~

~What are you, my wife?~

~Soon will be,~ Harry smiled, pressing a soft kiss to the black, soft snout before turning away and beckoning for Charlie to follow him. Xaphia curled himself around the man for a moment before untangling himself and joining the others, and Harry smiled at how obviously smitten the dragon was. He just hoped Charlie felt the same, as he seemed to be rather embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Let's go inside?" he asked, and Charlie nodded and followed him. He briefly wondered where Ron was, until he remembered that Marvolo had ordered his poor friend to sit in the library this full day. He might have to visit later… He knew how much Ron despised reading anything unless it was Quidditch-related. Well, that and the book 'twelve fail-safe ways to charm witches' even though up until now the book apparently hadn't done him any good. Maybe Hermione just wasn't susceptible to cliché methods… It was probably that.

A house-elf appeared as Harry clapped his hands to get them something to drink as they settled on the couches. Charlie gave the creature an uncomfortable look. "House-elves Harry? Really?"

"If you think I'm enslaving creatures, I'll have you know that house-elves weren't my idea. Marvolo had a few before I came here already. I've argued with him about it before, but the point is that this house is, even with magic, too large to maintain, and no wizard or witch in their right mind would settle for a cleaning job. We can't exactly hire Muggles can we? They're treated well though… certainly a lot better than most families treat their elves." His face darkened when remembering Dobby. "I wouldn't go so far as to say I treat the elves like friends, but they like being here and working."

Charlie nodded at his explanation, though commented: "I suppose I've just never been used to elves. We certainly couldn't afford one… And after my work with dragons, having creatures work for you in this way, enslaving them, is a sore subject to me. I always tend to forget they'd protest and most likely would die in a corner if you were to give them clothes."

"Enough about elves though… I want to hear about dragons!" Harry exclaimed. "Especially about your 'good friend…' Harry smirked as Charlie shifted uncomfortably.

"Look, I know it's weird, trust me; I didn't even notice the signs for a long time just because I thought it couldn't happen…"

"Is the sex good?"

"Harry!" Charlie exclaimed, and the teen shrugged non-apologetically. "I'm not asking you how the sex between you and… and…"

"He's absolutely brilliant in bed." Harry said matter-of-factly. "And in case you haven't noticed, his Animagus is a dragon Charlie. I can hardly judge you."

"You mean you… you have…" the man spluttered. He had definitely not come here for a chat like this… Merlin, he'd only met Harry a few times in his life, always briefly. They were practically strangers, and on top of that, Harry was apparently also his boss.

"Yes, we have," Harry smiled, his eyes taking on a strange glint. "It was bloody brilliant too… Only once though," he scowled. "Here's to hoping that tonight will be different."

"Well, because you're so curious, no, we haven't had sex. It's just… all so new to me. And frankly, sometimes it scares me, he scares me. I know he wouldn't want to hurt me but there's a reason dragons are labeled as extremely dangerous. The reason why you can buy dragon scales in shops is not because of killed dragons, but because sometimes parts of skin are ripped off during mating."

Harry winced at that information. "I didn't know that… ouch. Fuck Charlie, what if…"

"Understand my concerns?" the other said dryly. "I won't do anything until he can properly speak English so we can talk it all out because right now it's a righteous mess. He doesn't seem to understand why I don't want to be together fully yet as 'I like him and he likes me.' He sees things very black and white sometimes, or less complicated than a human would."

"I don't understand though, the dragon we spoke to today was… very eloquent. I thought the translation Xaphia gave you was much shorter because of his English skills, but there were whole sentences he left out…"

"You spoke to a Banpon Golden. They are some of the oldest dragons and lived in close human proximity as they were worshipped like gods in former cultures. Dragons… Dragons have the strange ability to see memories of what happened around them, and as the ties between Banpons was so close to humans, they rapidly developed well beyond any other dragon. This particular one was born here, and while she never learnt human language, she did learn human thinking patterns as that is what she's been born to excel in. Forming a bridge between humans and dragons, so to speak."

"Usually dragons have the name of a place in their name, but I don't recognise Banpon?"

"Banpo is the name of the capital city of an ancient civilization in China. It was alongside the Yellow river, which is also rumoured to be the birthplace of the Banpon Golden. Even Muggles know the tales of the Golden Dragon King, the mightiest spirit of the Yellow river. It is also said to be able to switch forms between a golden snake and a dragon. Rubbish, of course, but perhaps that originates from their ability to fluently speak Parsel… Or maybe they did evolve directly from snakes."

"You really know a lot about dragons," Harry muttered, fascinated. "You and Marvolo should have a chat, I'm sure he'll be excited by all that knowledge."

Charlie merely shrugged. "It's my life's study, of course I know a lot about them. I researched every single known dragon before working with it, and I always thought their histories fascinating."

"And Xaphia? What kind of dragon is he?"

"Vietnamese Vipertooth. Family of the Peruvian version but much less known. They usually dwell in forests at nighttime. Xaphia is strangely active at day for one of his kind. They have never lived near humans though, and their thoughts are a lot… wilder, or so I've come to notice. He describes things a lot differently than you or I would. The sun is a burning orb, the horizon a 'never-ceasing line in the distance' and so forth. He refuses to name things rather than describe them, and while it's endearing, it does hinder communication as he speaks in riddles to me. Don't for a moment think his thinking patterns are simple, because they're infinitely complex, but they're so… different. It's hard to cope with."

"How long has it been since you recognised your feelings?"

"Few weeks… not very long yet. I should have seen the signs though… I think he liked me a lot sooner than I did. We've been close for years and he's always been very protective. We've mainly shoved it away to focus on the war and teaching him English though so even now there's not much progress."

"You mean you have pushed it away, He seems angry about it."

"What are you, my relationship counselor?"Charlie grumbled.

"Might as well be. Look, Charlie, you do both love each other… It will work out. Marvolo isn't exactly fully human anymore either and his magic could accidentally crush me, theoretically spoken. He could hurt me if he blew up in anger and I happened to be in the room. I'm willing to take that risk because I love him. Don't let fear stand in the way of your love. You haven't seen him before but he used to look… more human and did something to look like this. For some time I was very afraid of him and didn't want to touch him… It was ridiculous and I still feel guilty about it, because I've realised that you should never fear someone you love. If so there's something terribly wrong."

"I… I won't. Harry… thank you. That is actually reassuring, though I'm a bit afraid for you now…"

"Don't be. Hey… could you… could you give me some advice in return, if you can?" Harry asked, suddenly very nervous.

"I'll try, sure."

"Have you ever had a relationship before... uhm… well what I'm basically asking…"

"If I'm a virgin?" Charlie answered, amused. "No, I'm not. I had girlfriends before at Hogwarts. Two. One was a fling, the other lasted for years until we lost touch as I got absorbed in dragons and she moved to a secret branch of the French Ministry which left her with little to talk about. W grew apart… that didn't make it hurt any less though. Only my work kept me standing…" he trailed off and coughed awkwardly. "But I'm sure you didn't want to hear about my crappy love life."

"Well… knowing you've had sex is not a guarantee that you'll understand but… the sexual part of my relationship has grown… strange lately. It's… r.. rougher and I don't know why I like it. I shouldn't like something that hurts right? Hurt always meant my cousin's fists and sadness and emptiness before. And I'd leave Marvolo the second he'd dare to strike me but in bed… why is it different in bed?" Harry finished, looking lost and confused while Charlie groaned and buried his face in his hands.

Why him.

"Harry…" he said when he was finally able to look the other in the eyes again without looking like a tomato even more than he already did with his red hair. He took a deep breath as he looked at the boy, and decided that in this moment, he was not doing this as a servant, or even a friend, he was doing this as an older brother Harry had never had. "Pain… Pain can be exciting. My long relationship had pretty soft sex but the fling I mentioned before… well, different people like different things. She-" he coughed, "She liked to be extremely submissive with me. I didn't understand it at first and I was never able to meet her desires which is why we broke apart but for her is was a way of giving up all the responsibility she had to face through the day, to place her trust in someone's hands and not to worry about anything but pleasing and being pleased. She liked being spanked and bound and gagged… and it's not wrong to associate such things not with humiliation but with pleasure…" he trailed off, wondering if he'd gone too much into detail.

"I... see," Harry faintly said. "So it's not… not something I have to push away?"

"Do you trust the Dark Lord?"

"With my life and soul," Harry instantly answered, his shoulders straightening and eyes shining. Charlie smiled at the other.

"Then no, you should do what you enjoy. However, such a thing relies on trust and communication. Talk to him about it. Make sure you know where you stand." Harry squirmed at the words.

"I prefer having sex over talking about it," he admitted. "But yeah… it might be better." Before they could say anything else, the door opened and Ron came in, munching on some chicken.

"Hey Harry!" he said, waving. "You know, your house-elves are really awesome. Did you know I can ask for as much food as I want and they'll give it to me?"

Harry laughed and scooted over so his friend could sit next to him. "Yes, I know. What have you been up to? Thought Marvolo had locked you into the library?"

"I'm allowed out for lunch, right?" Ron asked, looking around distressed. "Right?" Harry just shrugged.

"Even if not, Marvolo is currently busy. It'll most likely be another hour or so before he's back so enjoy the freedom while it lasts."

"Good. Hey Charlie, your dragons okay?" Ron asked, relaxing into the couch and continuing to devour his chicken. Charlie affirmed it and Ron immediately launched into how amazing it was here. "I do have to read books of course, but I never knew that reading could be interesting… He gave me a book on the strategies on ALL Muggle and Wizarding wars ever fought! Well, I say book, it's a series really. Quite detailed too. You think Hermione would like me more if she knew I was reading?" he hopefully said, and Harry laughed.

"Definitely a plus Ron."

"Also, I can actually play chess now and say it's for studying purposes. How amazing is that? Did you know that I finally got five checks on the Dark Lord in chess the other day Charlie? I'd expected him to blow up when I kept dancing around him and slaying his pieces but he didn't… Just told me I was improving greatly. It won't be before long till I'll be able to defeat him completely!"

Harry leaned back into the couch as Ron and his brother caught up with each other, feeling content. Was this what family felt like? He'd gotten glimpses of it before, when at the Burrow or with Sirius but he'd still always felt like an outsider looking through a window. Now though, he was actually a part of it, both of them living in his home, and the only thing missing was Marvolo sitting next to him on the couch, petting his hair or resting his arm on Harry's shoulder.

Who would have thought this could have happened half a year ago? Or well, slightly longer than that… Last summer he had still been fighting for Dumbledore, fighting to stay alive, Ron and Hermione helping him train and the three of them making mischief at Hogwarts… Now both Harry and Ron had dropped out of school, Hermione was doing important research and gathering support, they'd all gone dark and Dumbledore was blissfully dead and not missed in the slightest.

He wondered how much of a shock it would be if he were to ever visit the Dursleys again… A shock by how much that place would have stayed the same. His life had been turned upside down but he couldn't imagine the pristine gardens of Privet Drive to look anything but perfect, shining cars in front of the garages just to show them off, every spot on it quickly rubbed away, wilting flowers on the windowsill replaced before a petal could fall…

Disgustingly ordinary… Harry couldn't fathom how he had been able to live there for so long now he spent his every day surrounded by not only magic, but wealth as well. Not that the Dursleys hadn't been rich –Vernon was CEO of a company after all,- but because they had such a bland taste. And even at Hogwarts he hadn't lived like this. The castle breathed magic, but it wasn't implemented in everything, and outside of the classrooms only the teachers and prefects were really allowed to use magic.

Now, he felt like he was a part of the house, part of the magic. He belonged here… He didn't know when he'd started referring to it as his or their house, though it had taken longer than Marvolo had probably wanted, as the man had referred to it as that for ages. Perhaps when they'd gotten engaged had he been able to think of it as that… or even later, after living here for a while.

"Harry?" He looked up with a shock.

"Yeah?"

"You looked very far away," Ron joked. "I'm heading back to the library, want to come with?"

"Ah… I actually wanted to train. Have you seen Shay anywhere?" He felt guilty, having completely forgotten about the woman in the past days, too caught up in other things. Shay occupied one of the rooms on the lower floors, despite Harry's protests to have her near him because she was supposed to protect him. It had fallen to deaf ears. In Marvolo's eyes, she was merely a Muggle, and not worthy of sleeping on the same floor as they did, but rather on the same one as the house-elves. Ridiculous really… But at least she had her own room and had not been moved into the elf quarters.

"Alright, see you again then. It's crazy how large this house is though… sometimes I wander around for ages without running into anyone… If I took two steps at home I feared crashing into someone."

Harry laughed. "True. The Burrow is a lot cozier than here though. I think I prefer it. I love this house but… your place is just so much warmer."

"It's empty now though," Ron said, grin faltering. "Dad has moved in with the twins to help them in their shop instead of me. He said he couldn't live with the memories there now, and it's not used by any of us either."

"I hadn't thought of that. Shame… what will happen to it?"

"I'm not sure. Dad is thinking of either selling it or keeping it in case one of us want to have it later. I don't think he's decided yet."

Mournfully, Harry thought of the ever-welcome Burrow, and he just didn't understand how it could have gone so wrong. Mrs Weasley had always treated him with kindness before… And now… now she was dead and their family was spread out over all possible sides in the war that existed. Percy worked for the Ministry, the Twins were Death Eaters, Ron was an unofficial one, Charlie was an ally and a factor of his own, Ginny probably had no idea what was going on, Arthur was neutral but grudgingly accepted the Dark for the sake of his children and no-one knew where Bill stood, only that he'd agreed with the Order before. They really were the perfect example of how divided war could make a family.

If he still had his family… where would they stand now? Would he never have seen how good the dark was? Would Dumbledore still be alive? Would Marvolo ever have died and been reborn sane?

"Well, it doesn't matter now anymore," he muttered to himself.

"What doesn't?"

"How everything might have turned out with a lot of What-if's. Nevermind me. You'd better run back to the library. And Charlie, it was nice to have spoken to you."

"Same here Harry."

With a final nod to the both of them, Harry headed for Shay's room to get his ass kicked back in gear. If Marvolo had gone back on his opinion of not letting Harry participate in battle anymore, he had some training to catch up to. He couldn't let the armour Marvolo had obtained for him get dusty in a closet after all.


He glared down at the witch in contempt. Did she honestly think that she would gain anything by coming here yet again? He had to give it to her though: she was certainly persistent, almost as much as a toe-nibbling Tikkari, and had stirred quite some discussions among the Goblins. He himself didn't believe all the nonsense about wizards wanting to start treating them equally. He'd heard all the empty promises before. Grindelwald, Voldemort, Dumbledore, a long line of Ministers of Magic… none of them had kept true to their promises and changed a thing. And now he was especially sceptical… Nothing improved for them after Voldemort's first war, so why would he make them a priority in his second? What would he win by it?

Even he had wavered though, thought that perhaps all these golden promises could hold at least a grain of truth, could be the change they had all been waiting for, but while she had dragged some high-ranked Death Eaters to Gringotts , their leader had not breathed a word about goblins in his passionate speeches. Those only seemed to focus on wizards and Muggles.

He'd heard rumours of dragons joining, and while he didn't completely trust his source for that, it did make him wonder about, what had convinced them to join if it were true. Certainly they could not expect Voldemort to mean change for them. It always irked him whenever he was reminded that dragons could think for themselves… The Gringotts dragons had thankfully been trained into submission and became dull, obedient creatures, only enraged by intruders. Brought down to nothing but animals… He smiled softly at the thought of his own race being so much more powerful than the 'kings of the sky.'

It was a pity that, unlike with the dragons, the treaties between Goblins and the filthy human race still existed. In his personal opinion all humans were better off with their heads on stakes as decoration for the mining carts. Then they wouldn't be able to steal Goblin gold anymore with their filthy grubby hands… Not to mention all the enchanted items and books… He had not once heard of a an artifact that had been in human hands being given back to its maker after the borrower dying. Instead, they seemed to have the ridiculous idea that they could pass it onto other magicians as if it were a common household object!

No, he didn't like humans, he didn't like them at all…

"Miss Granger," he sneered, putting as much acid in his voice as he could muster. "I see you found your way back into our bank?"

"Yes," she answered, nervously glancing around. "I'm waiting for someone though… And if you will turn me away again after this meeting I will not return anymore."

His face remained blank, but inwardly he was surprised. She seemed to be so desperate… What kind of game was she playing, really… He became almost curious about the one she was waiting for. Almost. With a shrug, he turned to a bag of gemstones that needed to be tested on quality. It was mainly a formality though, as the bag came from the Dartmoor Dwarfs, and while he didn't like Dwarfs any more than humans –and really, how dare humans mix up Dwarfs and Goblins?- he had never had gemstones that weren't high quality from there. He always shuddered though when noticing how rough they were. Dwarfs were some of the finest metal smiths and gem farmers, but he didn't think any Dwarf had ever polished a gem in their lifetime.

But then, a shadow was suddenly cast over the beryl in his hand, and irritated, he looked up at the human who had entered and interrupted his work. When seeing just who had just walked up to his desk though, the gem fell from his hand, the clanking sound of where it fell on the stone floor resonating through the hall, also causing him to gain the attention of the other goblins.

"Lord… Voldemort," he whispered, eyes wide when they met slitted red ones. He finally tore his gaze away to look at the young witch. From the way she was shaking he didn't think that she was any more comfortable with the Dark Lord being here than he was. That did not stop her from opening her mouth and speak to him though.

"So… will you grant me a final audience?"


Yes, I'm evil, I'm sorry. I just really wanted to update this chapter as it's been a month… Though maybe you'll be pleased to know that I used that month to write another story: Amber Emeralds. It's T-rated and thus on the account elfinmyth. A link, if you're interested: wwwdotfanfictiondotcom/s/9769398/1/Amber-emeralds. Just remove the spaces and replace the dotcom because it seems to remove that. Or search it through the search engine. Of course HPLV like always. Werewof-themed.

A link to where I got the information about the golden dragon from: wwwdotworldoftalesdotcom/Asian_folktales/Chinese_Folktale_59dothtml. Again, replace the dotcom.
And yes, Banpo was actually the capital city of the Yangshao culture.. I was surprised however, when I actually started making up the whole story of golden dragons coming from the Yellow river and I searched for stories that might back it up and they were plentiful… Although to be honest it's not that much of a stretch in imagination.

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews!
xx