Dragon Hunt

“You’re blue,” Charlie commented as he regarded the blond.

“Spell,” Draco responded. “It’ll wear off, Harry assures me.”

“Kinky,” Charlie replied with a shrug. Draco bit back a reply.

Charlie dropped onto the cushioned chair and faced the two younger men as Harry took a seat on the couch as far from Draco as he could manage. Charlie frowned at the distance, but said nothing on it. “I brought a quicknotes quill if you don’t mind.”

Harry eyed the thing nervously as Charlie released it into the air. Draco shook his head. “No quill. No notes.” Charlie looked thoroughly disappointed, but snatched it up and put it away. “We’ll answer your questions if you answer ours first.”

“And take an Unbreakable vow to not repeat anything said or seen here until our questions are answered,” Harry piped in.

Charlie stared at the couple and muttered agreement.

Draco looked towards Harry, who nodded, before stepping over to the bed. “Repeat this to no one, Weasley,” Draco reiterated. Charlie rolled his eyes at the secrecy, but nodded. Draco dug into the blankets and carefully lifted the egg out of their make-do nest. He sighed in contentment as he felt the warmth there.

“That looks like an egg,” Charlie said dumbly.

“Harry, you said he was an expert,” Draco drawled.

Then Charlie laughed. “Draco Malfoy laid an egg! Oh, I wish I could tell Ron that one. It would make him so happy!” Draco looked thoroughly angry, but that faded when he heard Harry’s giggle. Hearing his mate happy for even the briefest of moments was certainly worth his own humiliation.

Charlie got to his feet and stepped over to Draco. “May I?” he asked as he extended his hands towards the egg cradled in Draco’s arms. Reluctantly, Draco passed off the egg to be cradled in Charlie’s arms. As Charlie examined the egg, Draco sat back on the couch, this time close to Harry. He reached out and threaded his fingers through Harry’s, knowing his mate would not turn him away with Charlie as a witness. “It’s an egg.” Charlie said. “To determine whether or not it is fertilized would require some tests.”

“It’s fertilized,” Draco said.

“How can you tell?” Charlie asked.

“It purrs like Draco used—like Draco purrs,” Harry said.

“I don’t hear anything,” Charlie shrugged, “But then again, I don’t hear Draco’s supposed purr. Well, shall I tell you about basic egg care?”

Harry and Draco both nodded. Harry spoke up. “I saw Hagrid put Norbert’s egg in a fire, but that didn’t feel right.”

“Because it’s not,” Charlie said. “Not for your egg. When Hagrid was tending Norbert’s egg, he did that in an attempt to bond with the egg. You, as its natural parents won’t really have to.” Draco and Harry both nodded, listening intently. “When a dragon mates to conceive, an egg is produced almost immediately. Dragons mate in flight and the egg is laid usually the moment the fertile dragon lands. Does that fit?”

“Close enough,” Draco admitted.

“Eggs of nonmagical creatures are fairly self-sufficient, needing only warmth and safety. However, a dragon egg requires magical energy in order to ensure it hatches. An egg is laid fertile, but not truly alive because dragons are magical in nature. The egg will not have its own life until it has gathered enough magical energy to sustain life. Dragons are able to literally share their life force with their eggs.”

“How?” Harry asked.

“From our observation, both parents must have physical contact with both the egg and their mate. After that, focus on channeling magical energy into the egg. It weakens both mates, but needs only to be done for approximately a month and a half,” Charlie explained. “But while raw magical energy needs to be filtered in, no actual spells should be used on the egg. None.”

“How long until it hatches?” Draco asked.

“Well, after enough magical energy is filtered into the egg, the egg is usually hidden away. It doesn’t need to be heated through the entire process, but it should stay at room temperature or above. And then, four to six months after that, you have a dragon. Or a baby?” Charlie laughed again. “Do you realize how odd this is?” he asked rhetorically. Draco rolled his eyes, but reveled in the feel of Harry’s hand gripping his tighter in a show of comfort. “How long ago was the egg laid?”

“Two days,” Draco answered easily. Charlie looked alarmed and stood. He held the egg out to the pair of mates. Draco looked to Harry and then to the egg nervously. Instinctively, he pulled Harry closer, wrapping an arm around him, cuddling and getting comfortable before holding an arm out to gather the egg.

Charlie watched the couple. He’d sensed a certain tenseness when he’d entered the room, but now they were cuddled up together, the egg on their combined laps, entwined hands resting upon it.

“Focus,” Charlie directed.

Harry felt himself tear up feeling Draco around him, holding him. He’d miss the feel of his mate against him. And when their hands entwined on their egg, Harry heard that comforting purr again. He didn’t know if it was Draco, or the egg, but it was beautiful and comforting and so needed.

Draco felt his mate’s relief being in his arms and renewed his determination to understand what was going on with Harry. But right now, he needed to focus on the egg. It didn’t take much. Sitting so closely, Harry’s and Draco’s magics pushed and pulled against eachother. It wasn’t working. Draco leaned closer putting his forehead against Harry’s. “I love you, Harry. You make my life worth living,” he said so softly that Harry second guessed whether or not he had even heard it.

The two forces pushed and pulled against eachother, fighting to gain control, but neither could. Eventually their magics slid into eachother, blurring into one force. And almost automatically, Harry took control of their combined energies and pushed it into the egg beneath their hands.

They continued to let their magics flow into the egg until Harry groaned in weakness and Draco pulled his mate’s hand from the egg. For the first time in days, Draco managed to catch his mate’s emerald gaze.

“Good,” Charlie said quietly. “You’ll need to do that twice a day for the next month or two. You’ll know when it is no longer necessary. In the mean time, no fear of another egg appearing. Dragons seem incapable of producing a second clutch until one has hatched.” The pair nodded, but didn’t turn to face the dragon handler. “I’m going to be at Hogwarts for a few days. Dumbledore has asked me to guest lecture in a few classes. I’ll come see you first thing tomorrow, and I expect you up to answering my questions then.”


Draco watched Charlie disappear and then turned back to Harry who was dozing on his shoulder. “Harry?” he asked, wondering if his mate would answer questions in his sleepy state as he had before. “Why are you angry at me?”

“Not angry,” he said quietly.

“Before Charlie arrived, you were about to let me make love to you when you—When you didn’t want me?” he asked, concerned.

Unfortunately for Draco, the statement/question woke Harry up completely. Harry cradled the egg against his chest and struggled out of Draco’s embrace. Draco watched him tenderly lay the egg on the chair opposite them, cushioning and securing it with pillows. When Harry was content with the state of the egg, he finally responded. “Yes,” he said matter-of-factly, not turning to face the dragon. Instead, he watched out the window.

“Why?” Draco gasped, pulling himself from the couch to stand behind his mate.

Harry shrugged. “It’s all that you want from me.”

Draco laughed coldly. “Are you trying to make me feel like dirt?” But the innocent and blank tone in the brunette’s voice showed that his words weren’t meant to hurt, just to respond honestly. “How can you think that?”

Harry cleared his throat. “If you intend to leave me, Draco, I would prefer that you tell me now. I’ve—I can’t—“

“I will never leave you,” Draco said seriously. He grabbed Harry, turning him so that he could see his face. He had to force his mate to look him in the eye. “I will never leave you by choice, Harry. I love you. I want to spend forever beside you. What is all this about?”

Harry jutted his chin out defiantly and refused to answer. “I love you, Harry Potter. I love you with everything I am. Why do you doubt it?” Draco asked. Harry shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’ve been distracted. I should have talked to you about it, but I didn’t know how you would react. I didn’t think about how you would react if I were to be distant with you, especially with everything that’s going on.” Harry regarded him without emotion. “Please,” Draco begged. But it wasn’t just the blond before him, it was the dragon. Harry could hear the fear and the anxiety and the need in the purr. The purr was strong again like it hadn’t been since the egg had appeared. It was enough to convince Harry to trust his mate with the truth.

“Draco, no one ever wanted me. After my parents were killed, I had my aunt and uncle who both treated me like garbage. I get to Hogwarts and everyone wanted to befriend the-Boy-Who-Lived, not Harry, but the Boy-Who-Lived. Even Ron and Hermione to an extent, though they have truly become better friends than I ever hoped to have. And then Cedric—I pursued him and according to you, he gave in at least partially to get under your skin. How am I supposed to—“

“I—“

“No!” Harry interrupted. “Let me finish.” Harry bit his lip and looked down, shaking his head to regain himself. He refused to cry, refused to pity himself and as a result ask for Draco’s pity. “You refuse to talk to me. You refuse my advances, but when you wanted me—I love you Draco, and if I am just a convenient outlet for the dragon’s biological urges, then I accept that as my place.”

“Harry, you have this all wrong. I—”

“You’re hiding something from me,” Harry said quietly. “You don’t trust me. The only reason you even took a second look at me in the first place is because the dragon in you demanded it. I’ve served the purpose the dragon needed fulfilled. You have your heir.”

“No! Stop!” Draco shouted, shaking Harry by the shoulders. The purr was angry and panicked. “The egg has nothing to do with this! This is about us! Harry, I love you. I would love you even if you had refused my touch. You are beautiful and strong and you make my life complete and real. Don’t ever for a moment doubt that I am completely and horribly in love with you.”

“You know that every night of my childhood was spent locked in a cupboard. You know my dreams. And I know that you’re hiding something. The purr has been muffled. It has been my link to you, to us and I can’t hear it. I can’t hear you! Why can’t you trust—“

“I trust you,” Draco cut off. Harry only laughed coldly. “I’m scared!” Draco finally admitted. Harry’s cold humor was erased as he impatiently watched his mate find the words he was looking for. Draco took a step back. Being so close only made him want to fall into Harry’s arms and forget. “I didn’t tell you something about my meeting with Voldemort after my father’s death.” He glanced nervously up at Harry, who nodded for him to continue. “He—He propositioned me. He made it quite clear that he was interested in my presence not only in his inner circle, but also his bed.”

“Oh!” Harry gasped in surprise.

“I managed to avoid the subject and divert his attention to the powers of the dragon, but—He summoned Severus as my legal family. Even though I am of age, pure-blood tradition requires parental approval before a wizard can ask for a witch’s or another wizard’s hand,” Draco finished.

Harry chewed his lip. “You’re telling me that Voldemort means to marry you?”

“According to Severus, he had begun the proceedings with my father as soon as Pansy’s big mouth had spilled my sexual preferences to her parents. My father saw it as an opportunity to gain footing with the Dark Lord, footing that couldn’t be arbitrarily taken as Voldemort is known to do. Voldemort saw it as a way to inherit money and fulfill sexual appetites,” Draco finished quickly.

Harry could hear the despair in his mate’s purr and silently apologized for causing him any stress over the situation because of his own insecurities. “And now—“

“Voldemort’s thoughts have not changed,” Draco said flatly, turning away from the brunette.