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There Be Dragons, Harry	By : Scioneeris Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Slash - Male/Male Views: 58400 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 27
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of its characters. I make no money by writing this story..

Chapter List
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RECAP: Theo is off at Gringotts signing paperwork. Hogwarts has been evacuated due to a magical attack on the school, resulting in the dark mark now floating overhead. Hermione has been missing since the first wave of the attack and no one has seen her since lunchtime. Snape was called by Voldemort. Terius and Draco escaped to the Zabini's during the evacuation. Harry was sent with the Weasleys. Also staying with the Weasleys are Lavender, Dean, Neville and Seamus. Voldemort has given a favored Death Eater, free reign to attack Harry. Harry has currently been spending some time with Charlie Weasley and together, the two of them have hatched and discovered a companion creature for Dragels, known as Nytura. ^_^

SATURDAY MORNING

"Do we have to go down?" Harry yawned, sprawled out fully on the bed with Shadow tucked under his chin, napping. The emerald-eyed boy toyed with a strangely shaped locket, one of Bill's trinkets that Charlie had okayed for The Order.

"Only if you don't want to starve." Charlie said, mildly. "Not that Mum would let us, but-" His blue eyes narrowed and he surveyed the wistful wizard. "You'd rather skip?"

Harry made a gesture that might have been a shrug, but it was hard to tell with him lying down.

The dragon tamer read the reluctance in his eyes for what it was and offered the best that he could at that moment. "I could say you're still sleeping, if you like." He suggested. "Any moment now-"

"Breakfast!" Mrs. Weasley's voice boomed, ringing out through every space in The Burrow, impossible to be ignored.

"And there we have it." Charlie concluded. "So, breakfast?" He snapped his fingers, hand extended, waiting.

Harry hesitated. "I…I don't think I could stomach anything right now." He looked away.

"Harry?"

"M'fine."

Charlie frowned, but he didn't push it. He left the room and took his time coming downstairs for the breakfast meal.

"Charlie dear, where's Harry?" Mrs. Weasley paused in her mealtime bustling, a serving tray of buttered, French toast in her capable hands. "Didn't you wake him?"

"He said he wanted to sleep a bit more." Charlie shrugged, apologetically.

"But he needs to eat, all growing-"

"He looked so tired, Mum." Charlie took the platter of toast from her. "I told him to go back to sleep. I'm sure he'll come down if he wants something."

The redheaded Matriarch was silent for a moment and then she sighed. "Take him up a plate when you're done. He can eat and go back to sleep, if he likes afterwards. I won't have people skipping meals in this house if I-"

"Yes, Mum." Charlie cut her off with a light kiss to the cheek. "Everything smells good. I can't wait."

When Charlie opened the bedroom door, he was surprised to see a nice, sizeable pathway from the door to the little space on the other side of the room. He walked through, cautious, to find Harry and Shadow in nearly the exact same place he'd left them. Well, except for the several stacks of unpacked and repacked crates and various odd items decorating the small living space.

He blinked, shook his head and blinked again. Harry had made more progress in the time he'd eaten breakfast, than he'd done when Harry had taken a shower. "Mum sent up a plate for you." He managed. He wasn't sure how he felt about this yet. Harry working with him was one thing, Harry working on his own was another.

He trusted Bill, but there was a reason that his brother chose to send his finds directly to him.

Harry rolled his head to the side, looking at the plate in Charlie's hands and then returning his attention to the old scroll of parchment in his hands. "Thanks. I'm fine though." And really, he was. At the moment, Harry had no particular inclinations to eat anything at all. He had a slight craving in the back of his mind, but knew it wasn't anything that the Weasleys could help him with and for that reason alone, banished the thought and chose to distract himself in a more productive way.

"You're going through the crates on your own?" Charlie frowned. "Harry, I don't really want you-"

"You said Bill would've taken out all the curses and dangerous things, right?" Harry countered, quickly. "'Sides, it's pretty interesting." He waved towards a scroll of parchment on the desk. "And I've been slaving over those notes for you." He set the parchment down to catch Charlie's blue-eyed gaze. "No magic quick quotes quills—all by hand." He sniffed, delicately. "Not even thanks for my efforts?"

Charlie sputtered and spluttered for a second and then he walked over to the bed and plucked the parchment from Harry's surprised hands and set the plate down—almost on top of Shadow—who gave him an angry huff and indignant squeak for his troubles. He sighed. "Sorry little guy." He reached for it.

"Shadow." Harry reminded him. He poked a finger at the plate and frowned. He really wasn't hungry.

"Shadow." Charlie amended. "Breakfast time for wizard and critter."

"It's a Nytura." Harry said, helpfully. Shadow chirped in agreement.

"Eat, then explain." Charlie retorted.

Harry made a face at the redhead's turned back.

Shadow blew him a raspberry over Charlie's shoulder.

Harry came down for lunch and stopped on the stairs the moment he saw Ron and Lavender gliding towards the kitchen. His hands clenched into fists and Shadow broke out in a flurry of angry hisses and squawks. The green-eyed brunet turned, already aiming to retreat to Charlie's room.

"Harry?" The ponytailed redhead asked, worriedly. He took the few steps back up to half-block Harry's path. "What's wrong?"

"Has anyone heard from Dumbledore?"

"Not for today…"

"I don't feel very hungry." Harry flashed a fake smile and continued on up the steps. "I'll take a nap or something…didn't really get much sleep last night."

Charlie hesitated, then let him go. He had watched him—and Harry hadn't had much sleep at all.

"I miss Theo." Harry told Shadow. He stroked the little thing as it pretended to nap on the spot it had claimed on his chest.

'Your mate?'

"Yes."

'Why is he not here?'

"He had some business to take care of."

'More important business?' Shadow blew a raspberry.

Harry rubbed his nose gently to the cool, scaled face. "Something like that."

'Something?'

"You know, I don't think anyone would be happy to see us together." He admitted. "They'd all pitch a fit." But even as he spoke, Harry smiled, his mind locked on the memory of those rich, honey-gold eyes and those, wicked, wicked hands. "They'd yell." He told Shadow. "But I'd laugh." He snorted. "I'd laugh 'cause it wouldn't matter anymore."

Eventually, his stomach did protest and Harry found himself on the last end of his food-craving cycle, wanting some fresh, whole fruit. Normally, he loved Mrs. Weasley's cooking and there was never any reason for him to think of it as anything other than delicious. But then that pesky inheritance bit had come along and the next thing he'd knew, he was scarfing down foods that normally wouldn't have agreed with him.

The birthday box had gone virtually untouched.

He slipped out of Charlie's room and padded down the stairs with the intent of grabbing a few pieces of fruit from the kitchen. He'd already considered a good story to give Mrs. Weasley if she caught him, but he was counting on the fact that they'd all be too busy at the table with their guests and the food to notice him.

At times like this, he dearly wished for his magic and the simplicity and ease that a simple notice-me-not charm would provide. With a sigh, he peered around the corner of the wall into the kitchen and stifled a groan. Everyone was seated around the table, mid-meal, chattering and talking over each other in their usual way.

The only thing out of place was a certain white-bearded wizard—Dumbledore.

Twinkling blue eyes zeroed in on him at once. "Harry!" Dumbledore greeted. "Mr. Weasley said you were resting. I trust you are feeling better?"

Harry reluctantly stepped out from behind the wall as all eyes now turned to him. "Hello Professor Dumbledore." He hovered in the doorway, torn between his stomach and wanting to know if there was any news. "Has there been any news?"

"Oh Harry, come in dear, sit down!" Mrs. Weasley fussed, bustling over to him and ushering him into the room, all but dragging him to a chair and sitting him down in an empty chair beside Ginny. "I'll fix you a plate." She dived for the stack of clean plates and began to fill the ceramic disc with a little bit of everything.

The elderly wizard sighed. "Unfortunately no." He began. "There hasn't been any reports on Vold-" He stopped, as if suddenly realizing he had the ears of Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan around him. "Ah, just a moment." He slipped his wand out from his sleeve and traced a few shapes in the air, before casting a temporary silencing charm around the four odd student-guests. "There." A moment later, the four in question were chattering amongst themselves again and their attention was back on their meal.

Harry wondered exactly what spell the old wizard had cast. He'd never known a simple silencing or privacy spell could do that. "Is he back?" Harry prompted. Severus. He corrected, mentally, hoping that Dumbledore could take the hint and tell him what he wanted to know. He didn't want to break the Potions Master's cover in some inadvertent way and somehow he doubted that Ron really believed that Severus was a spy for the light. Any conversation here could become dangerous if Ron chose to repeat any of it in the future in a less opportune moment. Harry leaned back as Mrs. Weasley placed the plate in front of him. He ignored Charlie's sudden, piercing gaze and the worried glances from the Twins. He had a feeling that serious talk they'd warned him off would probably happen sometime in the near future.

Dumbledore shook his head, sadly. "No, he has not yet returned to us. Have you had any dreams or visions of-"

"No." Harry cut him off. "Nothing." He ignored the sudden, startled blue gaze that drilled into him from Charlie's corner of the table. "What about Hermione, sir? Has anyone found her? Who is searching? Have they found anything? Can I help?"

"There's nothing to worry about, Harry. There are people searching and I shall let you know as soon as there is any information. Right now, I'm afraid there isn't anything you can do to help. It would be best if you could simply lie low for a bit." Dumbledore's twinkle faltered for a moment. "I am sure Miss Granger is fine. She is a-"

"A smart witch and can take care of herself." Harry finished. "Yes, I know Professor. That's not what I'm asking. I want to know who's looking for her and if they've found anything yet." His eyes narrowed. "And if they haven't found anything, then why? Hermione's smart. She would've left some clue for us to find if she was kidnapped and if she wasn't, then that means that she's somewhere nearby and we should find her!" A sudden, urgency had come over him in regards to the bushy-haired witch. It was almost like a bad premonition and Harry didn't really want to focus on it.

Dumbledore heaved a sigh, but then paused and rethought whatever it was he nearly said, at a sudden, puzzled look from the Weasley parents. "We are doing all that we can." He said, calmly. "Hogwarts is still marked. Everyone on its grounds would be in danger should they venture back. I am sure that if Miss Granger were there, we would have heard from her by now and-"

"When was the last time you saw, Hermione, Ron?" Harry turned on his best friend. His piercing emerald eyes zeroed in on Lavender and she immediately dropped her vise-like grip on the redheaded boy's arm. She might not be able to make much sense of the conversation happening around her, but she could certainly read the unspoken words in Harry's glare. "I left you two at lunch to go and see Professor Dumbledore with Professor McGonagall." He frowned. "She said she was going to go to the library. Didn't you go with her?"

Ron blushed a bright and healthy red. "Er, she was just going to do some research mate." He fidgeted. "I-I didn't want to be in the way. You know how she is when you interrupt her and she reading."

"How could you have been in the way?" Harry's voice had gone deathly, silky soft. "It's just research. It wouldn't have killed you to read a few books."

A flicker of anger filtered through Ron's blue eyes. "So? It's not like my reading them would've helped." He said, defensively.

Harry perked a brow. "So where did you go then? You just let her go off to the library alone?"

"I didn't just leave her" Ron protested. "She can take care of herself!"

"No she can't!" Harry snapped. "You all know how she gets when she starts reading!" He glowered at his fellow classmates, more perturbed than he'd been in a long while. Hermione had always had a hard time making friends, but Harry had always reasoned that their unlikely friendship was something that would stand strong through anything—even Ron's idiocy. "You know how wrapped up she can be inside a book and forget everything else!" He snapped. "She wouldn't have even noticed that there was something wrong with the-"

"Harry, my boy, calm down." Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat, meaningfully. "The Hogwarts library was evacuated as well and there is no one there."

"Is?" Harry demanded.

"Was." Dumbledore amended. "Both. There was no one inside when we cleared the castle and there is no one there now."

Harry's glare didn't lessen. "So what are you doing to find her?" His Dragel senses had begun screaming at him the moment he'd finally registered the new pairing of Ron and Lavender. The change in scent had confirmed it. There was no hint of Hermione anywhere. It hit him somewhere below the stomach in a spot where Harry hadn't really wanted to acknowledge. Sure, he'd been secretive and distant for a significant portion of the school semester so far, but that didn't mean that he was any less attentive. He'd still made time to do homework with Hermione—Terius' charm with prying questions had made it an enjoyable experience—and he's still played chess with Ron every few days. He still listened to their conversations, even if he still had nothing to add to them.

That was how he knew where Hermione had been going. That was how he knew that Ron had been the last one to see her. That was how he knew—something was horribly, terribly wrong.

"We are doing all we can." Dumbledore repeated.

"Aurors?" Harry demanded. "If her parents weren't muggles, I'm sure they'd insist on-"

"Aurors?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, her hand went to her mouth. "Albus, is it that serious? I thought you were able to get everyone off the grounds once you saw the-"

"You mean once Professor McGonagall almost lost her temper." Harry half-spat. "You didn't think that it was important enough to get everyone out of the castle with-"

"Albus, is that true?" Mr. Weasley's soft blue eyes had suddenly sparked to life. He was fiercely protective of his large family and mothering wife. The fact that a respected wizard had almost knowingly endangered not only his children, but others as well, didn't sit right with him.

"I was considering alternative options." Dumbledore said, smoothly. The twinkling blue eyes grew hard. "I would not have chosen something that would have put my students—or you children—in danger." He frowned. "Harry, I did not come here to debate what is already done. I've come to discuss an important matter of your-"

"Hermione is important!" Harry's statement was punctuated by a vicious hiss from his shoulder—Shadow—who chose now to make his presence known.

Mrs. Weasley squeaked from her position on the opposite end of the table. "Is that a-!"

"He's mine." Harry snapped. "Charlie gave him to me." His emerald eyes sparked with a flicker of gold. "His name is Shadow."

"He's adorable!" Ginny gushed, she reached towards the little thing.

Harry swatted her hand away, annoyed. "Don't!" He snapped. "He bites." Shadow chirruped in agreement, yawning to show his pointy teeth. His blue-violet eyes morphed into the darker shade of purple.

Ginny stared at him. As did nearly everyone else at the table.

But Harry's attention was fixed on only one thing. Dumbledore. A low rumble sounded in his chest, birthing in a quiet growl. "She's been missing for a whole night and half-a-day. If Voldemort has her-" he ignored the slight flinches around him. "Then he won't be kind to her."

"I'm sure if she was taken—we will let us know and we will do our best to-"

"What if she's somewhere else?" Harry wanted to know. "Shouldn't you contact the Aurors? Just in case?"

"You know Minister Fudge does not agree that there is a threat at large and-"

"Don't you want to find her?" Almost the moment, he'd said the words, Harry wished that he could take them back.

Dumbledore's expression darkened considerably. "Harry." His voice was weighted with a tinge of magic. The privacy shields flickered out, signaling the end of all private conversation.

Harry swallowed, feeling the touch of magic and Shadow's quivering form as he burrowed into Harry's neck, cuddling up at the collar of the borrowed shirt. Why oh why couldn't he ever keep his mouth shut when it counted?

"I actually came to discuss an important matter with you."

"Important?" Harry managed. What could be more important than Hermione?

"Yes. Your bonding to Mr. Theodore Nott." The blue eyes were hard and piercing.

Harry felt this throat tighten and his stomach clench. He couldn't believe it. But now he had no choice. He had heard it. He could now hear the whispers of the Weasleys and his fellow Gryffindors. "What of it?" He forced himself to speak quietly and calmly. Shadow licked his neck in support. Harry resisted the urge to suddenly and violently destroy something.

"It worries me that you did not think it was important enough to-"

"What has happened between me and my…mate is personal and private." Harry shot up from his chair. "It isn't anyone's business."

"Mate?" Mrs. Weasley's voice grew shrill. "Harry, what are you talking about?"

"Nott?" Ron sputtered. "I know you were going around with those snakes, but you—you bonded to one?" A look of complete horror and utter loathing painted itself on the redhead's face. "That's just…that's disgusting!"

Ginny had gone rather pale and she pleaded silently with Harry to take it all back as her brown eyes misted over.

But the green-eyed boy glared at Dumbledore, his hands clenched at his sides, body literally quivering. "That wasn't your news to tell!" He hissed. "And even if it was, couldn't you have found a better way to do it?" The literal tone of his voice made them all flinch.

All except Dumbledore.

"I cannot disguise the truth." The old wizard said, sadly. "And this something that we all must be aware of-"

"The truth of what?" Harry demanded. He held up his hand, the small glamour flickering off to reveal the thick, platinum band on his left hand. "This? This truth? I'm not denying it! I just don't think it's anyone's business who I choose or not!"

"Harry, dear…you are…are you—bonded?" Mrs. Weasley stared at him, tearing up. "You're only sixteen!" Her hand went to her mouth and her bright brown eyes flickered between her teary-eyed daughter and then at the angry Harry. She gave a slight shake of her head.

Mr. Weasley patted her arm soothingly, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Er, Harry, is this true?"

"Tell me it isn't." Ginny whispered from beside Harry's elbow. "You can't be-!"

"I'm afraid it is, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore said, gravely. "It troubles me, Harry that you did not think to inform me of your changed status and I am worried for your health, your lack of magic and-"

The uproar began.

Harry could only stand there, numbly, the hand coming to rest on the back of the chair where he'd sat just moments before.

"Lack of magic?" Fred exclaimed. He looked at George. "Gred?"

The redhead twin shrugged. "I didn't know there was anything wrong with his magic, Forge."

"You're magic's what?" Ron gaped at him.

Ginny looked simply horrified, her expression identical to that of her parents.

His fellow Gryffindors ranged in visions from horrified to complete shock and barely contained reactions in the wake of such startling news.

Charlie only frowned, his blue eyes looking troubled as he attempted to catch Harry's gaze—yet again.

But Harry was only staring at the white-bearded wizard who didn't seem to care about the upset he'd just caused.

"-your association with your mate, is questionable. Mr. Nott comes from a dark family and his influence is less than acceptable, I must protest this on your behalf. I only have your best interests in hand." He sighed. "This cannot be allowed."

"Do you?" Harry swallowed hard. "Do you, sir? If it were anyone else, would you even care?"

"Harry!" The cries went up around the room.

But Harry wasn't listening any more. "Who would you have chosen for me?" He said, bitterly. "Who would you have allowed?"

Dumbledore ignored the jibe. "Well, there is Mr. Henry in-"

"I don't even know him."

"And there were several girls in Hufflepuff and-"

"I don't swing that way."

"-and even Sev-"

"Don't you dare!"

"-and there are bound to have been other options." Dumbledore's gaze narrowed. "Your Dragel nature will not be content with Mr. Nott for long."

A sharp intake of breath came from one end of the table.

"Dragel?" Mrs. Weasley said, sharply. Her tears vanished at once. "Albus, what's going on here? Harry?" There was an edge to her voice, one that demanded answers.

It made Harry shift uneasily.

"Harry has come into a Dragel inheritance this past summer." Dumbledore smiled, charmingly. "As such, he is currently building his mated circle. There are several declared Dragels attending Hogwarts at present, but it seems that Harry has chosen Mr. Nott, in spite of other available suitors-"

Mrs. Weasley's eyes drilled straight into the short, messy-haired boy. "You can't be a Dragel." She said, at last. "You parents wouldn't have had the-"

"Now, Molly, calm down. It isn't anything to get excited over." Dumbledore said calmly. "I'm not sure how it happened, but it is a most wonderful thing. It may just be what we need to win this war. However, Harry's choice in mates is somewhat lacking. I'm sure you're in agreement that there are more suitable-"

"Not a word more, Albus." The witch whirled on him. "I will not have you stirring up trouble where there is none to be had." Her angry gaze whipped around to drill into Harry. "Is it true?" She demanded. "Is it? Are you happy?"

Harry stepped away from his chair, standing tall. "It is." He said, coldly. "I am mated and happily bonded!" His hand dropped back to his side and curled into a fist. "And you, sir, that was not your—truth—to tell!" Harry had never been quite so furious in all his life as he was right now. He was private enough that the mention of something this intensely personal was nothing more than a grave, personal affront. He had wanted to break the news in his own way—and in a decidedly less public manner.

The Weasleys were the closest thing he'd ever had to—no wait. Harry literally felt his thoughts jerk to a stop as he realized that his Dragel self was only taking on a rather small count at the moment.

For his family circle, he had Terius, Draco, Snape, Blaise and Hermione.

Not the Weasleys.

The realization slammed into him like a bucketload of bricks.

That was not something he'd been prepared for.

He took a staggering step backwards.

Mrs. Weasley lifted her chin high. She turned away from the seething boy and then to face Albus.

The floo flared to life and Professor McGonagall's voice filtered through the room. "Albus? Albus, he's come back. I think you'd best come quickly!"

The tension in the air was abruptly shattered as Dumbledore rose to his feet so quickly, he knocked over his chair and all but dashed to the floo. "When?" He demanded.

"Just a moment ago." The Professor's face turned away. "Albus…he's in a bad way. Really bad. I think something's happened."

"Stand aside, I'm coming through!"
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There Be Dragons, Harry