Dragon Hunt

It was late evening the next day that Snape knocked on the magical doorway. Harry pulled the door open and frowned at the bat. “The Order has called a meeting. You both must attend.”

Harry nodded and grabbed his robe to pull over his clothing. “I’ll get Ron and Hermione?”

Snape shook his head. “Unnecessary. Charlie has already fetched them.” Snape stopped and stared at Draco, who hadn’t moved from the bed. “Draco, did you hear me?” Snape asked. “Get dressed. We have to go.”

Harry turned to face his mate and saw the nest of blankets he was sitting in and realized why his mate was reluctant to leave. “How long will we be gone?” Harry asked.

“It will probably be an all night session,” Snape snapped, not removing his glare from his godson.

“Professor, we will need a moment,” Harry said. When Snape didn’t move, Harry added, “Privately.”

“This is no time for a quickie!” Snape shouted angrily, impatient at the pair of (from his assessment) randy teenagers.

“Understood,” Harry said coldly. “We need ten minutes and then we will meet you in Draco’s dungeon room.”

Snape looked ready to argue until Draco softly added “Please?”

“Ten minutes,” Snape agreed and left the way he’d come.

Harry went back to the bed and immediately wrapped his arms around Draco and the egg. Their magics swirled and meshed and slid together. Harry pushed the power into the egg and basked in the comfort of the growing bond that held together the tiny family.

Draco felt Harry’s weight lean more heavily on him and knew that Harry was beyond exhausted. He also felt when Harry slumped against him entirely and knew that he’d passed out. The dragon unwrapped himself and eased Harry to lie on the bed while he dressed hurriedly. “Dobby!” Draco shouted.

“Master Draco calls?” Dobby asked even as he appeared with the familiar pop.

“We need you to watch the rock for us again.”

Dobby nodded excitedly, clapping his hands together. But, when Dobby laid eyes on the stone, the elf froze. “It is an egg.”

Draco’s eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t think Dobby’s recognition would change, though he wouldn’t lie to the elf. “Yes.” Dobby stared at it quizzically. “It’s our egg, Harry’s and mine.”

“Master Draco and Harry Potter trust Dobby with their egg?” he asked with a tear in his huge eye. “Master Draco and Harry Potter trust Dobby with their child?”

Draco couldn’t help but smile warmly at the house elf. “Yes, Dobby. We do. We trust you to care for our child when we cannot.”

“Dobby will not fail!” the little elf said fiercely.

Draco smiled and turned to face his mate, still unconscious on their bed. “Harry,” he whispered softly before placing a kiss on the brunette’s temple. “Wake up, love.” He brushed his hand through the dark locks and gently slapped the other man’s cheek before Harry managed to pull his eyes open. “We have to go.” Harry nodded and Draco pulled him to his feet, tucked himself beneath his arm and supported his weight as they left together.




“This will be an information sharing meeting,” Dumbledore explained. “Severus?”

Snape stood and nodded. “The Dark Lord has announced his engagement to Draco. The wedding is planned for New Year’s Eve,” he announced without emotion, though there was shock and gasps from around the table. Harry and Draco both just stared at their clasped hands, trying to ignore the stares directed their way. “Apparently, he feels it will be the beginning of a new era for both himself personally and the wizarding world under his control. He so much as said he plans on being in power by then.”

“Which would coincide with our previous information that he plans to attack the ministry during the holiday break,” Remus pointed out.

Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. “Traditionally, the Ministry offices are closed at noon on Christmas Eve and all day Christmas Day. When the offices are closed, there is a minimum of personnel on hand for any kind of defense. The wards, however, are there and quite formidable.”

“He has not announced to his followers any plans to either break or circumvent them,” Snape said.

“So that is where we’re left,” Sirius concluded. “He will attack when the ministry is weak, so we know approximately when, but we are left trying to figure out how.”

“The way I see it,” Moody interjected, “Is that we have to figure out a way to break in.” All eyes turned to him. “Simple really. He seems to feel confident that he has a way in, so we have to figure one out as well.”

“Yeah, simple,” Sirius muttered sarcastically.

Moody laughed. “I would think that you would find this the easiest.” At Sirius’s raised eyebrow, Moody continued. “You broke out of Azkaban. Breaking in to the Ministry shouldn’t even be a challenge by comparison.”

Harry kept his eyes down, focused on his and Draco’s clasped hands, on the differences of the tone of their skin, of Harry’s Quidditch roughened palms to Draco’s smooth ones. Harry momentarily wondered how Draco escaped the traditional broom calluses, but then realized that his mate loved lotion and took better care of himself than Harry did. He felt the meeting shift to breaking and entering strategies and the stares that they were getting move away, all except one pair and then quickly a second returned.

Harry glanced up to see his two best friends staring at him. Hermione was concerned, but also assessing. She was trying to figure out a secret. And Ron looked confused and questioning. He was the type to wait until he was told what he needed to know. Harry shook his head gently and looked at Draco, who was easily returning the two Gryffindor’s stares. Harry couldn’t help but smile when even Hermione withered under his mate’s stare.

The teenagers were vaguely aware of the meeting, but it seemed even Hermione was having difficulty following the discussion of high level spells and obscure magical objects that might aid in the break in. Harry’s weakness soon got the better of him and he collapsed against Draco, falling asleep on his shoulder. When he awoke, he was in his old bed in Grimauld place.

He glanced towards his fire place, seeing his mate in the large chair, staring flatly at his two best friends who were sitting on the couch returning the glare. “What are you doing to him?” Ron demanded harshly, yet quietly. Harry closed his eyes to listen.

Draco only shrugged. “Nothing he didn’t fully appreciate, if that’s what you mean.” Draco answered smoothly.

“He’s exhausted,” Hermione commented.

“And you blame me?” Draco asked, feigning surprise. “He has a choice, you know? You act as if my relationship with Harry is entirely based upon sex. I love him, you realize? I would love him even if he had never accepted my touch.”

“If you love him so much,” Ron snapped. “You’d let him get some rest!”

Draco rolled his eyes and glanced back at Harry, who was still curled up on the bed. He knew his mate was awake, but chose not to out him. “Believe me when I say that I understand and share your concern. Trust me when I say that I am doing everything I can to keep him healthy and strong.”

“Have you spoken to Charlie?” Hermione asked. “He may be able—“

“Charlie is completely apprised to our situation, much more so than I am personally comfortable with,” Draco responded. Harry couldn’t help but love the way his mate stayed cool and confident under the interrogation of his friends, something he truly knew the difficulty of.

I love you, Harry sent quietly.

Draco grinned and turned back to Harry. Then come defend me from these jackals. He heard his mate’s laughter in his head, though Harry had not moved from his place curled up on the blankets. Are you feeling all right?

Just exhausted.

Draco bit his lip and turned his attention back to his mate’s two friends. Harry, these are your two dearest friends. Do you trust them?

With my life, Harry answered easily.

With mine? Draco asked.

They would never do anything that might endanger one I love so completely, Harry responded easily. And I do love you completely, my dragon.

“I would like to invite the two of you to our room. I think I can reassure you about Harry’s health.” Draco smiled, feeling Harry’s confusion and awe. “Now, if you could do me a favor?” Draco asked of the two Gryffindors. They both looked at him suspiciously. “Watch over Harry while I check on the meeting.” Without waiting for an answer, Draco stood smoothly from his seat. He stopped briefly beside the bed, leaning to kiss Harry’s temple and run a hand through his hair. “I am so worried about you, love,” he whispered. Harry didn’t know how to respond, so he stayed silent. He heard the door open and close. His two friends were silent for a long time.

“I don’t like it,” Ron gruffed. “Harry seems weaker every time I see him. And Malfoy just seems to be happy about it, like it’s some symbol of how much Harry is in his control. Like he’s proud of it!” the red head complained.

Harry couldn’t pretend any longer and laughed.

“Harry!” Hermione said. “You’re awake!” She raced over to the bed and crawled in beside him. “We were worried.”

The door opened and Harry felt a jealous spike in his mate’s purr. “The meeting is winding down,” Draco announced stiffly. Harry dragged himself from the bed and went directly to his mate. The purr calmed when he wrapped his arms around the blond. “We should go.”

“Are they still invited to our room?” Harry asked.

You are my family, love. And they are yours.

Harry laughed. Are you saying that you consider Ron and Hermione family? He knew his friends were looking at him strangely.

Not out loud. Draco smiled at his mate and entwined their hands.

Harry just beamed looking first at his mate, then his friends. “Come on. There’s something we want to show you.”