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There Be Dragons, Harry	By : Scioneeris Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Slash - Male/Male Views: 58487 -:- Recommendations : 9 -:- Currently Reading : 28
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: Snape has returned from his meeting with Voldemort. Dumbledore flooed back to Hogwarts. Harry is at the Burrow with the Weasleys, who are also housing Lavender, Dean, Neville and Seamus. Harry becomes closer to Charlie. During Sunday Morning, a knock at the door, worries everyone. Mrs. Weasley opens it to find Theo came to have Harry sign some paperwork for Gringotts. Theo notes that Harry has chosen Charlie as a potential for their mateship circle. He mentions the importance of pure blood between them in light to the Weasley's Blood Traitor status, by Dragel standards.

"…Harry?"

"What?"

"I am serious…" Theo tossed him his shirt from where it lay on the floor. "If he says or does anything else to bother you—anything—tell me."

"So you can do what?" Harry snatched the shirt out of the air and began to shrug it over his shoulders. "It's not like you can-"

"I have more authority than you'd like to think." Theo said, simply. "If he is threatening you or you feel threatened, then I have all rights, as your dominant mate to remedy the situation however I see fit."

"Why do I think that your fit will somehow result in pain and terror for all parties involved?" Harry grumbled. "Where'd you throw my trousers?"

"Subtle terror." Theo amended. "Your what?"

Harry gestured to his pants clad lower-half with one perked eyebrow. He didn't really want to be getting dressed right then, but Theo had mentioned the portkey from Gringotts was timed. The last thing Harry wanted to do was get pulled along with him for the ride.

"Er, vanished them, I think." Theo pinked for a moment. He fumbled in the pockets of his robes and withdrew a handkerchief. A moment later, he handed Harry a newly transfigured pair of decent trousers.

Harry rolled his eyes, but accepted the apologetic kiss to the cheek that came with the new pair. "Those were Charlie's favorite dragonhide pants." He said, causually.

Theo swallowed. "I'll be sure to…remedy that."

Harry snorted. "Do that—and get them properly. He'll know if it's the wrong kind. He is a dragon tamer."

"I don't doubt his dragon taming abilities in the slightest." Theo retorted, slightly miffed. "You, on the other hand…I worry. Have you had any experience taming anything at all?"

Harry blushed spectacularly. "Never mind that! I'm fine. I'll be fine. You don't have to do anything." He looked away.

Theo's golden eyes narrowed. "Nothing doesn't have you all torn up to pieces over-"

"Let it go."

"-something that you don't have any control over-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Theo." Harry said, firmly. "It's my problem and I'll deal with it on my own time."

There was a long pause from the other side of the room as Theo slipped his robes on. "…very well. But, Harry, I am serious-"

"I know you are." Harry ran a hand through his messy hair and moved over to get the last of his possible cuddles before Theo was off. The taller wizard willingly wrapped his arms around him in a possessive embrace. "I just don't want…I just…" He sighed, irritated. "I don't know! I just don't want you to-to-you're a Slytherin!"

"Of course."

"Slytherins don't do things in halves."

"Should I be offended?"

"You wouldn't care if it was Dumbledore, Voldemort or what, you'd just—you'd do what you thought was right even if it was wrong…!" Harry trailed off. It had everything to do with being dragel and absolutely nothing to do with being Slytherin, but he couldn't quite make the nonsense in his head make any real sense. If Theo saw something as a threat, there were absolutely no illusions in Harry's mind that said threat would be neutralized or destroyed in short order, especially if one took into account the snippets of things that Theo had to say about his adoptive family circle. His mate certainly had power at his disposal if he so desired it. "I just don't want you to make a-a-"

"To make a muddle of things?" Theo kissed the top of his head. "I'll try, treasure. But I am more inclined to muddle it, if I know you are being hurt by something that should not be hurting you in the -"

"Look, just don't, you know, kill him or anything." Harry mumbled.

"Kill him?" Theo said, innocently. "Me? Kill Dumbledore? Supreme Mugwump and all that?"

Harry groaned. "You would."

Theo smirked. "For you, treasure, I would try my best to keep my temper in check."

And that, Harry figured, was the best he would get out of it.

So he happily spent the next few minutes snogging that smirk off of his mate's face.

When they finally came downstairs some time later, breakfast was over and everyone had remained seated.

The cause of this was the appearance of a familiar, white-bearded wizard.

The very topic of their conversation not moments before.

Dumbledore sat in his seat of honor, a steaming cup of tea before him. He looked up with a smile that froze on his face as he caught sight of Harry and Theo entering the kitchen, their hands linked. "Harry, Mr. Nott."

Harry bristled inwardly and outward, at once. He didn't step backwards, but Theo did step forward and place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, as if sensing what his mate did not outright say. It took a deep breath before Harry could force himself to stand as he normally would and suppress the slightly murderous intent at seeing that smiling face so soon after the secrets it had spilled. The deep breath helped—along with the fact that Theo stood right behind him and that if he dared to falter just then, Theo would probably take some sort of action—and so he didn't answer.

It didn't escape him that Dumbledore had used his name and Theo's student title. He frowned.

Theo's features subtly shifted and rearranged to present an even more neutral mask than his younger mate. "Headmaster." He inclined his head, taking note of the faintly displeased look on the face of the Weasley Matriarch. Something was off there. He mentally filed the detail away for later. "I did not expect to see you here, has something happened?"

The question was genuine and innocently phrased. It hung in the air as the elderly wizard gave a careful shake of his head, blue eyes narrowed faintly. "There are many things happening right now, but it seems that there will not be an attack on Hogwarts after all."

Everyone began to talk amongst themselves.

"What do you mean?"

"No, attack? Then what?"

"What is going to happen then?"

"What about the-!"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "We have received news that the focus of these attacks are all centered around, well," He paused. "Harry."

Theo's face blanked beautifully and Harry grew rather pale and still, his free hand clenched tight beside him.

A quiet, musical trill came from Shadow who leapt off of Harry's shoulder and launched itself onto the table before Dumbledore. It hissed and spat before Harry snatched it up and gave it a slightly disapproving glare. "No, Shadow." He struggled to keep his voice even and calm. "It's not his fault that Voldemort wants me." The smile that was used to punctuate his statement was more forced than anything. "If this is about where I'm staying, then I'll just have to stay somewhere else. I have to do this. No one else can."

Shadow gave a reluctant huff and bit Harry's hand for his troubles. Harry frowned, mildly.

"Harry!" Fred gaped at him. "It's no one's fault and it's definitely not something you have to handle on your own-"

"Do you think he'll come here?" Harry worked to keep the disdain from his voice as he stared down the man who had caused him such grief just a day before.

"It is possible." Dumbledore said, gravely. "The Dark Mark still looms over Hogwarts gate and the magical fluctuations have been causing no end of disastrous-"

"And you're telling Harry this, why?" Theo broke in.

"Because if he's searching for me to attack and knows that I'm staying at here, it'll be a problem." Harry said, quietly. "Haven't you wondered why I'd stay at Hogwarts for the holidays instead of with someone?"

Theo frowned.

Harry sighed. He'd have to deal with that unasked question at another time. This was just a matter of course. He knew that this year couldn't be anything but another horrible trial, but perhaps it wouldn't turn out to be as bad as he'd figured this time around. At least, right now, he'd have Theo behind him. He also knew what Dumbledore was getting at—he knew the old wizard after all—they'd been through too much for him not to. "Would you prefer that I returned to Hogwarts, sir?"

"Harry, no!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "That's far too dangerous for anyone to go back there and-!"

"Harry, I have to agree with Molly. This isn't-" Mr. Weasley began.

"You want to go back there?" Seamus sputtered. "Are you insane?"

"There's the what-?"

Protests filled the air until Dumbledore cleared his throat. The clear blue eyes did not twinkle, but they remained bright as they surveyed Harry from head to toe. "Harry, my boy, are you certain of this?"

"That's what you're here for, isn't it?" Harry countered, unable to keep the rest of his accusing words inside. "You came to ask if I'd be bait."

"No!" Mrs. Weasley was on her feet, her face pale, but her body trembling. "Arthur, tell him. Tell him that he can't make Harry do this. It isn't right!"

"There is a war to be won, Molly." Albus said, gravely. "Sometimes one must think of the greater good. Better to lose a battle and win the war than to win a few skirmishes and lose the world." He sighed, laboriously. "It is mere conjecture that perhaps if Harry was present, then we might have an advantage on our side to knowing where the attack would come from. But, our reports verify this as truth. It would be wise to take action on it. Besides, where else could Harry be safer than inside Hogwarts herself?"

"So this might bring him out of hiding or at least force his hand?" Harry mused. It made sense, in a rather twisted way. "Because if he's after me and I'm there, he won't take it out on anyone or anything else." He frowned. "He's never taken this long to attack before."

"Not necessarily." Dumbledore relaxed. "It is about this time that he chooses to make his presence known."

They traded words back and forth until it somehow became decided that Harry would be returning to Hogwarts in accordance with Dumbledore's plans. The younger children and guests had been hustled off and out of the proceedings, courtesy of one upset Molly Weasley. Strangely enough—though somewhat unsurprisingly—Ron was one of those hustled out. He didn't seem the least bit put out as he left with Lavender on his arm, albeit a tad pale at the casual discussion of attacks and counterattacks.

Harry would've thought it might bring out his strategical side. But Ron had only shuddered and scrambled to get up and out when the others had left.

No one commented on it.

Strangely, Dumbledore hadn't said a word to Mrs. Weasley since his arrival. Upon closer look, she hadn't even served him tea, Ginny had done it before leaving.

Mr. Weasley wasn't the least bit happy about the conversation, though it seemed more attuned to the fact that only because it was upsetting his dear wife, who hadn't so much as spoken a word in contribution to the conversation other than her initial protest and there was something akin to a fire burning in her light brown eyes.

Charlie and the twins spoke up in Harry's defense, as Harry himself wasn't saying much.

They were, unfortunately, shot down by Harry with his own brand of equally logical reasoning. It finally ended with the exasperated exclamation. "I'm going to do this and nothing any of you say is going to change my mind!" Harry snapped. "Can't you even consider how I'd be if I was the cause of everything going-"

"But you aren't causing any trouble." Fred protested. "This is madness! If you don't have any magic, how can you just put yourself up for-!"

"Fred's right, Harry." George spoke up in his quiet way, wary of the untwinkling blue eyes that were riveted on him. "At least, you should wait until there are definite plans before going-"

"I can't wait!" Harry snapped. "You heard what Dumbledore said." He swallowed. The blue eyes had iced over. "Professor Dumbledore," He corrected, quickly, avoiding the penetrating gaze. "The longer I take to make up my mind, the bigger advantage that we'll have-"

"Harry, I'm with Fred and George on this." Mr. Weasley tried again. "It is dangerous, especially if what Albus said yesterday is true. You have no magic and this will be dangerous. I don't doubt Albus' ability to protect you, but Albus-" and he looked to the elderly wizard. "You said it yourself, this is war."

Harry's hands clenched at his sides. He was remembering lines of a prophecy speaking of a power that the 'Dark Lord knew not'. Perhaps that was it. The power to be powerless. No magic certainly equated to that. He sighed. "Mr. Weasley-"

"Harry," Charlie finally interjected. "If you're going through with this, there needs to be a back-up plan of some sort and-"

"No." Theo finally spoke. The weight of the singular word said more than perhaps, a mouthful would have. All eyes turned to the Slytherin who had been standing quietly at the end of the table, just behind Harry, but remaining silent through the recent conversations. It was as if they'd all forgotten about him.

Most of them probably had.

Harry hadn't.

He sat frozen for a moment and then turned around to look at his mate with a flicker of confusion. "No?" He repeated, a tad uncertainly. There was something about the way that Theo had said it, that sounded quite different from any of the other offered protests so far. Harry wasn't so sure he liked that. His green eyes narrowed.

Mrs. Weasley brightened. "I agree." She said softly. "It is too dangerous. Surely you can see this, Albus!"

"I would never risk Harry's life without-"

"Without even the slightest inkling of a contingency plan?" Theo inserted, smoothly. "I have yet to hear one. I do not like the way that this has been presented. It would be extremely foolhardly to follow through on something with no solid direction-"

"It's not," Harry paused. "That's not it!" He frowned. "I-if someone were to come here, to The Burrow—just because I'm here—then why not let them try it at Hogwarts? At least there, I have the castle. At least there, nothing will really be damaged if there's a fight and there's protections on the castle." He hesitated. "Here, it's just The Burrow." He half-shrugged. "This is home to all of you." He nodded towards the remaining Weasleys clustered around the table. "I couldn't do this…to you…to anyone." He said, at last.

"The answer is still no." Theo said, quietly.

"No?" Harry repeated. "You can't-" He stopped. Theo stared at him, steadily, bright golden eyes meeting shocked emerald ones. "You can't be—Theo!" Harry exclaimed. This was not happening. Not after all of this. He would not stand back idly and let a home be destroyed simply because his being there meant it would happen. "This isn't something that I'm-"

"It is too dangerous."

Harry's green eyes suddenly flashed with fire and morphed to show flecks of gold. Within a half-second, he was on his feet and facing Theo with an angry expression painted over his normally pale features. "You don't know what you're asking me to do!" He said, furiously. "If it was your family and your home that I was endangering just by being…here!" He nearly stomped his foot. "You wouldn't be like this. You don't understand."

"Then make me." Theo said, calmly. "I do not see how anything useful could come from-"

"I don't care!" Harry hissed, his temper finally getting the best of him. He was tired of people making decisions for him—Dumbledore had started and he obviously wasn't finished, but so help him, Harry wasn't going to sit down and let them continue to order his life around. He wanted to have a hand in it! It was his life after all, not anyone else's! "That's not your choice to make! I am not some helpless child who has to sit down and wait on others to do everything for me." He growled out. "This…this madman delights in ruining everything good I have ever had in my life, he's going to try and take away something that means a lot, to more than just me! I can't stand by and do nothing if standing up and doing something can change this." Harry boldly stepped forward. "I cannot." He stressed. "Understand this, because I'm not going to repeat myself. I am going to do this with or without your permission—anyone's permission—" and here, he glowered at Mrs. Weasley. "Because I sure don't need it to do what I feel is right. You can accept it or ignore it, but it won't change my mind. I don't care what you do, say or think, this is my choice and I am the one that's going to have to live with it whether I'm right or…wrong."

It was the strangely bemused expression of on Dumbledore's face that made Harry falter. He caught sight of the twinkling blue eyes and then took in Theo's cold, furious ones and understood that his reaction had been exactly what the older wizard had been counting on. Feelings of guilt and shame immediately flooded over him. Again, Theo hadn't really been unreasonable—much—he'd simply been concerned for Harry's wellbeing and Harry had gone off in typical fashion.

He'd snapped at him. He'd lost his temper and told his dominant off in front of an audience, no less. But he would not take those words back. It had been the truth. That was exactly how he felt.

Harry swallowed hard, his Dragel side scolding him at the same time for choosing such a public setting for what should've been a private conversation. He was relieved that his creature self didn't seem to take offence with the fact that he probably was speaking out of turn, but it seemed as if he'd managed to punch Theo in the face.

"If you will excuse me, I must be on my way." Theo said, abruptly.

Charlie's mouth twitched faintly when Theo reached over and plucked the Nytura from Harry's hands and deposited it on his tanned arm instead. Before he could speak up, the golden-eyed boy looked him over from head to toe with the same appraising glance he'd given Mrs. Wealsey earlier.

"Thank you." He said, at last. "For looking after Harry. Thank you also for the use of your room. I will return for him as soon as I am able, please continue to look after him."

Harry stood, stricken at the end of the table as Theo had circled around him and gone to Charlie. He couldn't take it back—he wouldn't! There was nothing against speaking his mind and he wasn't some damsel that needed to be coddled and pampered and—well, Harry stopped there. He wouldn't really mind the pampering, but that was beside the point and, suddenly Theo was there in front of him again. Harry froze as that lovely head bent down to whisper in his ear.

"That's one, Harry." Theo whispered, softly.

Harry swallowed. He didn't dare speak.

"You have three chances before I lose my temper." Theo murmured. "I'd rather it not be towards you. As such, this is one. There are two chances left. I concede. If you believe so strongly in this, then I will not stand in your way, however, I am unable to accompany you sooner than tomorrow. I would prefer that you did not leave before my return. I also know just what is going through that head of yours. You are not to draw on my element unless you are in mortal peril. You have not had anywhere near enough practice and you will wreak havoc on things that you cannot salvage. Do not use that password unless there is no other option." He straightened and reached out with one hand to tip Harry's head forward. He pressed a kiss to the messy mop of hair and then turned on his heel. "Harry—do not push me on that."

And before anyone could protest, Theo disappeared with a flash.

A few nervous laughs could be heard.

Then Charlie spoke up. "Portkey?"

"So it would seem." Dumbledore said, smoothly. "Harry, my boy, I had no idea he was so demanding of you and insistent on his way. I could speak to the ministry and work out a way to end this-"

"Shut up." Harry snapped, his cheeks burning a bright red flush. He didn't need to hear proof of what Theo had told him earlier. Half of Theo's time at Gringotts had been for the sake of closing legal loopholes that Dumbledore had been trying to use to end their legal mateship. On top of that, Theo's reaction to his outburst had been mild, really.

There were more to Theo's words than any of the others would know. He would most certainly do his best not to push anything—at least, not without sufficient thought beforehand, anyway.

Dumbledore left.

The Weasleys busied themselves with their usual things.

The twins—though subdued—went about creating and testing a new prank powder to produce singing hiccups.

Charlie accepted Harry's help to continue with cataloging the artifacts in his room.

They worked through lunchtime.

Charlie convinced Harry to come down to eat some fruit and eventually, at Mrs. Weasley's insistence, they began to move some of the Order-verified items downstairs and pack them for travel.

Harry didn't recall exactly what it was that set him off.

He only remembered that familiar feeling of dread creeping over him, in the way it usually did right before Snape's wrath would come burning down on his unsuspecting self. He felt this premonition as the first inkling of something about to go horribly wrong.

It was followed immediately by a loud shrieking screech and then an explosion from somewhere in the kitchen or possibly somewhere outside. It shook the ground with the sheer force.

"Death Eaters!" Seamus howled, streaking through the house.

They all gathered in short order and within minutes, spells were flying everywhere as the doors and windows were smashed in and everything went downhill from there.

Dementors.

He almost couldn't believe it.

In swirling circles, their raspy, eerie sounds giving way their presence, the guards of Azkaban were very real and very present in their hovering over The Burrow.

"Dementors!" Harry managed to cry, ducking and running from another incoming spell. He had never felt quite so helpless as he did right now. The present lack of magic was more than a mere annoyance, it was downright terrifying.

Harry ran out the backdoor and into the yard, his eyes searching frantically for something, anything that he could use. He could still hear Theo's words echoing in his head in regards to the well of elemental power that was just within his reach. All he had to do was handle it, they'd already sent out alarms and surely there would be help here soon. There wasn't much he could do with Theo's power and he certainly didn't want to bring The Burrow down around his ears.

Whatever the Weasleys were to him, Harry had a feeling that wrecking their home wouldn't mend or break any good bridges between them.

"Well, if it isn't Harry Potter…and all by himself."

The dark voice was far too familiar for Harry to do anything but react. Rowle. The name floated through his mind. Thorfinn Rowle. A monster in wizard form.

Harry backed away, his eyes searching and finding nothing that he could use inadvertently or obviously. "Stay back." He warned, tensing.

Rowle fingered his wand, as if he couldn't decide which curse or hex to use first.

Harry dodged the brilliant flashes of light that came sparking out of that wretched wand. He ran, jumped, twisted, ducked and did a generally decent job of staying directly out of harm's way. He focused by tuning out Rowle's ill-formed taunts and kept his eyes out on the Weasleys who had now all moved out to the backyard and currently held their own against the remaining gaggle of Death Eaters and swirls of Dementors.

He couldn't understand it. The Order should've been here by now and this was practically a full-scale attack!

Mrs. Weasley seemed to be all but literally on fire as she fired off spell after spell with deadly accuracy and a look of righteous anger on her face. "Keep away from my children!" She snarled at one approaching masked figure. The spell she sent hit the figure dead on the center and he crumpled to the ground with a cry as the witch whirled around and continued to fight. She fought back to back with her husband beside her, her children scattered around her and paired up with their guests, casting shield charms and firing off stunners.

Harry saw it seconds before it actually happened.

It was a hazy blur in the corner of his eye and he realized the spell would hit him before he even considered moving out of the way. He wasn't prepared for the little scaled, streak of black that leapt in front of him and morphed to the size of a centuar, the furry wings snapping up to absorb the spell intended for Harry.

"Shadow, no!" He yelled. But could do nothing as the spell hit and Shadow shrieked in pain, dropping and writhing on the ground as his soft, furry wings were engulfed in flames.

The distraction was costly.

In the moment where he'd yelled, Charlie had turned.

Harry caught that movement in time to see Rowle fire off a curse meant for him and intercepted by a timely shield thrown by the ponytailed dragon-tamer.

"Keep your eyes open, Harry!" Charlie barked, dodging and ducking, before throwing off a few nasty hexes that he shouldn't have known, but did, courtesy of Bill. He threw a quick water charm towards Shadow and immediately took up a stance between the Nytura and Rowle. The setting sun glinted off fiery red hair and flashing blue eyes, filled to the brim with energy and emotion, as Charlie expertly threw himself into the fray.

In that moment, Harry thought that Charlie Weasley was perhaps, the most handsome dragon tamer and wizard he'd ever seen.

Well, besides Theo, of course.
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There Be Dragons, Harry