Disclaimer: So I hiked to the top of Mt. Olympus yesterday. Guess what I found? You got it! Nothin' but SNOW! SNOW I tell you! Curse words! I like snow but I wanted Eros so he could give me Lestrade for my blankie! It didn't work out that way and now I have to head off to Siberia! Great! More snow! Until I warm up and find Eros Lestrade and Sherlock and John and Not-Anthea and Mycroft and the rest don't belong to me and I cannot claim their paychecks.
A/N: So here you go! I finished this over the week and decided not to make you wait for the Blitz on Sunday. Enjoy!
The Loch Ness Monster
Chapter Five: The Monster
Chapter Summary: Our heroes have finally reached the loch. Will Nessie acknowledge their presence or will she continue in her anonymity?
Sherlock and Luna chattered as they finally left the potion's lab. Neither of them knew the time, nor did they care. Luna had shown Sherlock how to brew sunblock, bug repellent, and a potion to make everything someone ate taste like Earl Grey tea. That last one wasn't necessary but he thought John would enjoy it.
Luna stopped abruptly with a giggle. Sherlock followed her gaze and let out a light chuckle. John and Harry had apparently stayed up very late. The morning sun shone through the incongruous windows and across the faces of the two men sprawled in very ungainly positions on two of the sofas in the front room.
Harry was curled up on one sofa, cards still in his hand and chocolate drops melting under his arm with his head propped up on the arm of the sofa. One leg was thrown up over the back and the other bent at the knee with his bare foot caught between two cushions.
John had settled deep into the other on his stomach with one hand and his head dangling off of the sofa. His leg looked in danger of following. He had no chocolate drops around him.
"Maybe we should have gone to bed last night," Luna mused quietly so as not to wake the slumbering men. "Harry obviously cleaned out John's chocolate stash. Harrymine's murder at poker."
Sherlock shook his head. "They're grown men; if they don't want to go to bed we can't force them."
Luna lifted one blonde brow. "I have my ways, Sherlock Holmes." She gazed at the men and nodded. "Well, we've much to do today. Let us wake them."
Sherlock was about to shake John's shoulder none too gently when Luna waved her wand and two large buckets appeared over Harry and John. Sherlock stepped backwards quickly and stood at Luna's side. "John! Harry! It's morning!" He yelled as the only warning.
Harry moved his head a bit and John's leg finally gave in and fell a victim to gravity. Other than that neither man moved at Sherlock's shout. Luna giggled a little and waved her wand again.
"LUNA!" Harry yelled spluttering after the bucket tipped and doused him with ice cold water. "How many times do I have to tell you that a gentle poke would wake me?" He whined.
John wiped the dripping water off of his face and glared at the giggling duo at the doorway. "Not funny, Sherlock."
"I thought it was," Sherlock told him in his most innocent tone. "Go wash up and dry off and Luna and I will make breakfast for you."
Harry's eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed. "What are you planning on making?"
"Toast," Sherlock said simply. "And tea. John needs tea…with milk." He nodded to himself.
Harry cocked his head to the side, nodded and stood. He strode across the room and kissed his wife on the cheek before disappearing down the hall. John watched and then stood to follow. "Don't let him burn the toast again, Luna."
Luna patted his arm. "I won't," she said. "Harrymine enchanted the toaster a long time ago. Ron never can make toast without burning it either."
SH/JW HP/LL SH/JW HP/LL
After a breakfast of perfectly toasted toast the group set off to the loch. Even for early in the morning the day was already warm and clear. Planning to spend the day by the loch whether the Loch Ness Monster answered their call or not Harry had a picnic basket over one arm and Luna had thrown a blanket over her shoulder.
"What's the plan for finding the dragon, Luna?" Sherlock asked when they'd reached a secluded stretch of the loch.
"You mean you haven't deduced it yet?" John laughed. "I know what she's planning. You always claim I'm an idiot and yet I know and you don't." He taunted his flat mate lightly.
"I know it has something to do with Harry, but I don't know what he could possibly do that the rest of us can't," Sherlock pouted.
"Dragons can talk to snakes," Luna said dreamily. "They're supposed to be very good conversationalists."
"Which ones?" Sherlock asked. "Dragons or snakes?"
"Most snakes are pretty boring to talk to," Harry said. "They always want mice or other rodents before you talk to them. I've never actually spoken to a dragon but if Luna says I can then I'm sure I can."
"Can't any magical person talk to animals?" Sherlock asked.
"Oh no," Luna shook her head. "It's a very rare talent. Anyway, Harry can't talk to animals, only reptiles."
"Parseltongue?" John asked with wide eyes. "However did you acquire that talent? It's not a Potter trait that I am aware of."
Harry scowled a little. "It isn't. When Voldie killed my parents and tried to kill me he transferred a bit of his magic into me. Dumbledore theorized that the talent would disappear when Voldie was vanquished for the final time but the Parseltongue stuck. I don't actually mind much. I mean there are worse bits of himself he could have left with me."
"Like his soul?" Luna asked.
Harry started and stared at her. "How did you know about that? I deliberately didn't tell you."
Luna's face lost its dreamy look and she sent him a fierce glare. "I am a Ravenclaw, Harrymine. Daddy knew what your scar was the moment Voldemort returned. Daddy knew all sorts of esoteric magics and you already know that I learned from him."
"Oh," Harry nodded with a flush on his cheeks.
"Do I want to ask?" Sherlock asked John quietly.
John shook his head with a frown. "It's more than likely a painful story and full of dark magic, especially if it has anything to do with Voldemort."
"Mmm," Sherlock hummed, disappointed at lost knowledge but not willing to hurt his new friends with his questions. It was a curious sensation and one he'd only recently become acquainted with. He'd never cared before but now his friendship with first John and then Harry and Luna was changing him.
Luna spread the blanket on the shore and sat down. "Well, go on then, Harrymine, call her." She flapped a hand towards the water.
Harry frowned unwilling to drop the subject of Luna's knowledge of Horcruxes. However one look at her mulish expression changed his mind and he turned to the water. He could feel three pairs of eyes watching him and he cleared his throat. "Hello?" He called out.
"English, Harrymine," Luna informed. "Shall I conjure you a snake to talk to?"
Harry frowned at her for teasing him. He turned back to the water and concentrated, ignoring the curious gazes. "Hello! Miss Ness? Are you there?"
"Much better, Harrymine," Luna approved. She waited patiently for a few minutes. "Well?"
"Nothing yet, Lunalove," Harry said and then stumbled back and fell as a plume of water doused him.
"Who calls me?" The gigantic head that followed the plume of water hissed at the group.
Harry picked himself up and wiped the water from his eyes. "Er…I did," he hissed back to the dragon.
The dragon brought her head down to his level and snuffed at him. Suddenly her entire countenance changed and if a dragon could be said to grin then she would be. "A Potter! And a Potter Speaker! Excellent! It has been long and long since I have been greeted with a Potter Speaker!"
"A Potter Speaker, Lady?" Harry asked confused. He was unaware of any Parseltongues in his family. Though really what he knew of his family wouldn't fill three feet of parchment.
"Oh yes!" The dragon hissed in pleasure. "I have spent many peaceful suns conversing with Potters," she paused. "Though as I said it has been long and long since then. I'm so glad you are here, young Potter. Finally! I have been waiting and waiting for a Speaker to come. One did, many suns back but he was thick with blackness and I did not answer his call."
"I am sorry, milady," Harry told the dragon and patted her nose. "I was unaware until just recently that I could even speak to dragons."
"How could you not know, young Potter?" The dragon huffed in exasperation and nearly blew Harry over. "One of your fathers had one of your mothers write down everything we spoke about."
"I was orphaned at a year old by that other Speaker and didn't find out about my heritage until I was eleven. I would have come sooner had I known."
The dragon eyed him again and then looked beyond him at the group gathered on the blanket. "Oooh, you brought friends! Can they Speak?"
"I'm afraid not," Harry told her regretfully. "I actually wanted to ask you something. Well, my wife wanted me to ask you."
The dragon turned her attention back to him and then looked back to Luna. "A Lovegood? Another excellent tiding! Lovegoods and Potters! What does the little Lovegood want to know, young Potter?"
Harry shook off the shock from the conversation's revelations. "Do you know where to find the Crumple Horned Snorkack?"
The dragon drew her head back and glared at him. "What business is that of yours, young Potter?"
Harry swallowed suddenly realizing exactly how big this dragon was. "Luna, that's my wife, would like to talk to the Crumple Horned Snorkack and learn from him…or her."
The dragon seemed to scan all of them and then she settled her head back in front of Harry. "Such sadness hangs over all of you," she sighed. "Maybe…he can help you." The dragon's head rose up again. And she glided back into deeper water. "Stay there, young Potter. I will return with an answer for you. If you possibly could…" she cocked her head to the side and blinked. "I would like some of the hot chocolate drink, if you can possibly find me any."
Harry blinked back at her. "I don't have any with me but I can get you some, if you'd like. It would take me a few minutes."
"Oh yes! Please, young Potter! It has been long and long since I have had any chocolate at all and the chocolate drink that is hot is my favorite." The dragon ducked under the water and swam off.
"Well?" Sherlock asked impatiently.
Harry turned dazed eyes back to the group on the blanket. "She wants some hot chocolate," he said in a quiet voice.
"Hot chocolate?" Sherlock asked just as confused.
"Can dragons have chocolate?" John asked.
"Go get her some!" Luna ordered.
Harry nodded. "I did promise her that I'd get her some." He smiled still a bit dazed and disapparated.