Dragon Hunt

“Godfather, I need a favor.” Draco stood tall in front of his potions professor. Snape looked at him coldly. “As we speak, Professor McGonagall is being informed that I have knocked Harry unconscious—” Concern flashed in the older man’s dark eyes, but he didn’t move. “—and you’re doling out the punishment to me.”

“And why am I doing this?” Snape asked dryly.

“Harry is unconscious and I won’t be leaving his side until I know what’s going on,” Draco said adamantly.

“What is going on Draco? You’ve both been tired and I would blame nightly activities, but it is more than that. Potter’s not just tired, he’s weak and exhausted.”

“Charlie is being contacted. Hopefully he’ll be here today,” Draco explained.

“Charlie is an expert on dragons and last time I checked, Potter is human,” Snape said.

“Yes, but I’m not and we have reason to believe that I am the cause.”

“And that reason is?” Snape asked.

Draco grimaced. “Well. . .” Draco cleared his throat and looked his godfather directly in the eye. “I can’t answer that without Harry’s agreement and he’s unconscious. In addition to that, not telling you gives you the benefit of not having to keep something else hidden from the Dark Lord.” Snape stared long and hard at his godson before inclining his head in acceptance. “Thank you.”



Hermione smiled weakly at Draco as he reentered the room. “He hasn’t moved, but I moved the egg into the bed with him. I hope that’s all right?” she asked.

“More than, thank you,” Draco said quietly. “I was stupid. I should have reminded him to take the potion before we tended the egg. We’ve been up most of the night and he hasn’t eaten. I—“

“Draco, he’s going to be fine,” Hermione admonished. “No blame needs placed, let alone on you.” She stood from her seat on the end of the bed and stepped over to Harry. “I’ve seen him far worse off than this.” She leaned to kiss Harry’s temple before gesturing over to the sitting area. Draco looked anxiously to Harry before following and taking a place across from Hermione at an angle so that he could still see Harry. “My curiosity is known to make people quite annoyed by me, but I’m going to risk it.”

Draco gave her a dubious look. “Are you going to pry into my life?”

“Harry’s, actually,” she shrugged. “When you were tending the egg, your skin shimmered. Does that always happen?”

Draco looked surprised by that comment and shrugged. “When Harry and I blend our magics, I’m so focused on that and the egg I can’t—I don’t know if my eyes are open or closed, but I don’t see anything.”

“Why would your skin shimmer?” she asked.

“I thought this was about Harry.” Hermione only gave him a pointed look. Draco was beginning to understand why Harry was so close to her. She had an odd way of looking at you like she was your doctor and mother and body guard all at once. She wasn’t someone you argued with. Draco focused a moment and just barely allowed the dragon change to begin before becoming fully human again. The effect was simply allowing his skin to shimmer in preparation for scales. “Like that?” Hermione nodded, mouth half open. “It’s the first stage of my transformation to dragon. It’s my scales beginning to emerge.”

Hermione nodded as her mind processed what Draco had just said and combined it with what she saw when the pair had tended to the egg. Her conclusion made no sense. She couldn’t fathom how—

The heavy knocking on the door stopped her from voicing her thoughts. Draco was on his feet, pulling open the wooden door between their suite and Gryffindor tower. Not one but two red-heads emerged. “What’s the emergency?” Charlie asked immediately, stepping to Draco to check his health. “You seem fine. How is the egg? Are you run down? Have you—“

“It’s not me,” Draco said impatiently as Charlie grabbed his head and tried to pry his eyelid open as if he were a doctor examining him for a concussion. He swatted his hands away. “It’s Harry.”

“Ron,” Hermione interrupted. “We should go.”

“But—“ A glare from Hermione silenced him.

“Draco, please keep us posted. Perhaps we can arrange to have dinner brought up and share a meal?” Hermione asked. Draco nodded distractedly and the Gryffindors disappeared.

“Has he been taking his potions?” Charlie asked once his brother and Hermione had left again.

“Yes,” Draco said, taking a seat on the bed beside his mate. “But they help less and less. And before, he would fall asleep and be out of it, but now he’s falling unconscious. Sometimes for a couple of minutes, sometimes longer.”

Charlie looked at the sleeping form of the younger man. “How long has he been out for?” he asked quietly.

“Almost an hour now,” Draco said softly.

“I’m not a Healer, Draco. I don’t—I mean, I don’t know what I can do for him.” Charlie stepped over to Harry and laid a hand on his forehead. He was warm, but somehow not feverish. “Take the egg out of the room. I want to do some diagnostic spells, pretty heavy duty ones.”

Draco almost protested leaving his mate, but nodded. He kissed Harry gently and whispered his concerns and his I’ll-be-back-soons and his love. He then cradled the egg and lifted it from its place beside Harry. “I’ll be in my dungeon room. As soon as you’re done, please knock and let me know?”

Charlie nodded and Draco disappeared.

Charlie raised his wand and started muttering as his arm began moving in a set of complicated movements that only a skilled dragon researcher would know. While he hadn’t lied to Draco, that he wasn’t a Healer, he wasn’t entirely honest. He knew quite a bit about healing dragons, just not humans. And so, if he was the one being called upon to heal Harry, he had no choice but to treat Harry like a dragon.

He did every diagnostic spell he could figure on before calling Draco back. “Who all knows about the egg?” Charlie asked immediately. Draco watched him pacing and his concern grew. “Draco!” Charlie demanded harshly.

Draco cradled the egg against his chest. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

“I don’t know,” Charlie admitted. “I—Who knows about the egg?” he repeated.

“You and I, a houseelf loyal to Harry, Ron and Hermi—“

“Perfect,” Charlie muttered. “Stay here with Harry. He should awaken soon. Do you think the egg is close to . . .“

“I feel like it is, but I have no idea what I’m basing that on,” Draco said.

“All right. I need to speak with Hermione. She’s crazy when it comes to research. Maybe she—“

“Charlie!” Draco interrupted before the red head made it to the door to Gryffindor tower. “You’re scaring me. What is it? Is Harry all right?” he begged.

Charlie froze, hearing Draco’s fear and concern. “I—I think he’s going to be fine. I know it sounds strange, but—When you tend to the egg, what happens exactly?”

Draco shook his head, trying to mentally change gears. “Our magics blend together, combine. Then the combined power is pushed into the egg. It’s what you told us to do! Have we been doing something wrong?”

“No, no!” Charlie assured him. “How do you push the magic into the egg?”

“I don’t know. Harry controls it.” Charlie nodded thoughtfully. “Whhhat doesss it all mean?” Draco demanded harshly.

Charlie looked up at Draco and for the first time for him, he saw the dragon coming through. Pupils elongated and gleaming, skin shimmering like ice crystals, his voice taking on a distinct hiss and strength. And luckily, that was also the moment Harry groaned, signaling waking. It distracted Draco.

Immediately, the dragon went to his mate, ignoring Charlie. “Draco,” Charlie said, though he was mostly ignored. “Stay with Harry. I’ll be back soon.”

Draco didn’t even hear the red-head’s exit. “Harrrry,” he purred. “Wake up, love.” He placed kisses on his lover: first his forehead, each eye lid, his nose and finally his lips. Harry kissed back lazily. Draco pulled back. “Open your eyes, love,” the dragon whispered.

It took effort, but Harry opened his eyes, blinking several times. Draco watched, confused and doubting what he was seeing before he finally saw the familiar emerald depths staring at him, obviously confused, but obviously trusting his mate with his safety. “Harry, how are you feeling?” Draco asked.

“Ffiiine,” Harry hissed in parseltongue. “Tiirred,” he shrugged. He grabbed Draco’s wrist, tugged him toward the bed. “Hhhold mee,” he demanded like a child. Draco was powerless to refuse. Immediately he curled up beside his mate.

“Harry, are you really all right?” Draco asked worriedly.

“Yesss,” Harry hissed.

“Why are you speaking in parseltongue?” Draco asked. Harry didn’t respond and Draco heard his quiet rumbling breathing. The dragon lifted up on his elbow so that he could see his mate’s face. Harry was dead asleep. Draco frowned with worry and pulled himself from the bed. He grabbed one of the magical restoration potions and moved back to the bed. “Wake up!” he demanded harshly. Harry’s eyes rolled open momentarily and Draco ceased the moment to haul Harry to a sitting position and pour the potion down his throat.

The brunette coughed and sputtered, but managed to keep the potion down. He was already asleep again by the time Draco lowered him onto his back again. Draco wrapped his arms around his mate protectively and held him as he slept.