Dragon Hunt

Draco woke up with a rumbling in his belly. He could honestly say he’d never been so hungry in his entire life. He felt Harry curled up behind him, fully dressed, and was confused. He remembered Harry being inside him, loving him. For a week now, he’d been making love with Harry almost constantly, but he had not felt so alive until the night before. He couldn’t explain it.

But he couldn’t fathom why Harry had dressed afterward. He’d fallen into a sated slumber and assumed Harry had followed, but—there was something there, but he couldn’t quite remember. He shrugged it off, and reluctantly Harry’s embrace as well because his stomach needed tending.

It didn’t take long to find a tray someone had left for them. Draco dropped onto the floor in front of it and abandoned all manners as he shoveled in cheese and cold sausages, crackers, fruit, everything. He even licked his fingers and pressed them to the tray to pick up the crumbs. He leaned back against the large chair behind him and burped, loudly. He heard giggling from the bed and soon, Harry emerged from the plush comforter that had buried him. “Draco Malfoy belches,” he laughed.

“Shut up. I was suddenly ravenous.” Draco excused haughtily. “Besides, it’s not as if either one of us have been eating regularly.”

Harry laughed again and pulled himself from the bed and stepped over, taking the chair behind Draco and rubbing his shoulders. “You want to tell me what happened?” Harry asked.

Draco could feel the curiosity and concern. “I just needed you inside me, Harry. It was certainly a night I’m never going to want to forget. You’re incredible.”

Harry laughed again. “Thank you, but that’s not what I was talking about. Where did you go? Better yet, why?”

“Go?” Draco asked, turning to face his mate. “What are you talking about?”

“We were in bed and I was watching you sleep and you transformed. I managed to get you out on the balcony, with no time to spare. You flew away, disappeared into the forest,” Harry explain, watching his mate’s confusion and feeling his own concern growing. “I had to go find you, convince you to transform back and practically carry you back.”

“I don’t . . . remember,” Draco said. “I—You have no idea why? Where did you find me?”

“You were in a clearing in the middle of the forest, curled up around that weird rock,” Harry said, flicking his wrist towards the bed.

“Rock?” Draco asked, pulling himself from the floor and taking a few steps towards the bed. He grabbed the edge of the puffy white comforter and pulled it back to reveal the rock Harry spoke of. But something told him it wasn’t a rock. “Harry, umm . . .”

“Do you recognize it?” Harry asked, moving to stand beside the pale dragon.

“Did you touch it?” Draco asked. His breathing had deepened. Harry heard the purr take on a panicked and confused note.

Harry shrugged. “Wrapped it up in my robe and brought it back all bundled up.”

“Touch it,” Draco commanded.

Harry did what he was told and reached for it, laying hand on the smooth, hard surface. He instantly knew that it was not a rock. It wasn’t cool like stone, it was warm and pulsing with life and it had a purr all its own. “Oh gods!” he gasped, jumping away from it as if it had burned. “Draco, that’s an egg.”

“Uh-huh,” Draco muttered, staring at the shining surface of the object in question, swirling with green and silver and shining from some kind of light within.

“An egg!” Harry shouted, staring at his mate. He was confused, astonished.

“Yep,” Draco answered, still focused on the egg.

“D—Draco, you . . . you laid a—an . . .egg?” Harry said trying to wrap his head around what was happening.

“It would seem so,” Draco said dully.

“How did you lay an egg?!” Harry shrieked.

“Hells if I know!” Draco shouted angrily, finally turning to face his mate.

“Did you know—“

“Had I known, I sure as hell wouldn’t be so shocked, now would I?!” Draco shouted.

“Well if that’s what’s going to happen when we fly together, I sure as hell won’t be doing that again any time soon!” Harry shouted back.

“What are you saying?” Draco asked, getting a grip back on his anger.

“I—“

“That’s not just my egg, you know! It’s yours too! And what ever is inside it. Are you saying you want no part?!”

“Yes!” Harry shouted, seeing and hearing Draco’s pain. “No!” Harry sighed and reached up to rub his temples. “I think I’m in shock,” he muttered, dropping straight down to sit on the ground. “You and I are in this together. We’re in everything together and I wouldn’t want it any other way, but—“ Harry groaned and moved his rubbing from his temples to his eyes. “I can’t form coherent thoughts.”

There was silence in the room for a long time. Harry knew from the brightness that it was just past noon. He continued to massage his head, trying as hard as he could to wrap his head around the fact that his boyfriend had just literally laid an egg. Ok, so neither of them had ever used or even thought of their relationship in terms of boyfriends. Harry had always thought of Draco as lover and mate. Mate. The term was so animalistic. But it helped him put the current situation into perspective.

When he finally thought he could focus again, Harry glanced up and saw Draco kneeling beside the bed, both hands resting on the smooth surface of their egg. He crawled over and joined him, lacing his fingers through Draco’s as they touched their egg together. “Harry, what do we do?” he asked quietly.

“No idea.”

“I mean . . . Do you think that whatever is in there is human or dragon?” Draco asked nervously. “I—“ Draco gulped when Harry didn’t respond. “How do we tend an egg? Do we lay on it or something?”

Harry laughed lightly and flicked his eyes up to meet Draco’s gaze. “I have no idea. We could ask Hagrid?” he suggested.

Draco shuttered at the idea. “I think the fewer the people who knew about me the better. I don’t think bringing Hagrid into this will help.”

“Then I’ll write Charlie. We’ll have him come and tell Dumbledore that we’re ready to answer all his questions about dragon mating,” Harry suggested.

“Good idea.” Draco nodded dully and returned his gaze to the egg. He crawled up into the bed, wrapping himself partially around the egg. Harry sighed. “We can’t leave the egg, Harry. Not until we know—well, something.”

Harry chewed on his lip as he thought. “Perhaps we can feign sick a bit. I’ll call upon Charlie immediately.” Harry stood, sliding his fingers from Draco’s and the egg. “Wait here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Draco nodded. He watched Harry pull on a silvery cloak and disappear. He couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s how you manage to sneak all about?”

A disembodied voice responded. “Yes. Please do not pass this fact along.”

“As if I would give away any of your secrets, love,” Draco laughed. “Hurry back.” He watched the French doors open and close on their own and settled back to watch the egg cradled against his body. The coloring was fitting: a swirl of green like Harry’s eyes and shimmering white like his own scales when he was a dragon. It was beautiful. It was so beautiful: a part of both Harry and himself.

But the reality of what was inside came crashing down. A child. Or a dragon? He didn’t know what to think. In all actuality, he and Harry had only been together a little over a week. A week and they were going to be parents? And Draco was a spy for the Order. Harry was the object of an insane Dark Lord’s homicidal tendencies. How would they ever handle any of this?

“It’s going to be okay,” Harry’s voice said quietly. “We’ll figure something out.” Draco smiled softly at his mate, who appeared suddenly in front of him. “I promise. Even if it means the two of us taking off and hiding out for the rest of our lives.”

Draco laughed. The thought was tempting. But he knew it was impossible. His face became serious. “It’s your destiny to rid this world of the Dark Lord, Harry.”

“Draco—“

“No, listen,” Draco said, laying his fingers over Harry’s lips. “It is your destiny, as it is mine to help you do that. We are in that together as much as we are in this together,” Draco said, running his hand over the smooth surface of the egg. Harry’s quickly joined his.

They curled up together, cradling the egg between their bodies. “I asked Charlie to come immediately. In the mean time, the two of us need to make an appearance.”

“What?!” Draco shouted, almost in panic.