Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Dragon Blood	By : Aline Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 55990 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
*Disclaimer: Harry Potter, and all the characters from it doesn’t belong to me, they belong to J. K. Rowling, I’m not gaining anything but fun from writing this.

Author’s note: I know it has been a long, long while, but I have realized that it is almost impossible for me to write two stories at the same time and still take care of job and real life, so I wanted to end Consequences before continuing with this, because if I didn’t then I wouldn’t finish anything. I have to contact my beta for this story again but in the meanwhile I did a minor edition to the previous chapters.

Chapter 04. Dreams of Dragons.

Faster, must go faster, must escape… there was a purple light engulfing him, pulling him into a black void…

Draco opened his eyes and tried to regain his breath. The same dream again, he had spent a week in Potter’s home and every night he had dreamed the same, not only that, but also he usually waked up at midnight in the kitchen, in front of the shelf that supposedly concealed a secret door. The dream had become more vivid and Draco always awakened from it feeling like he was a huge creature with wings. He was going mental, there was no doubt about it, this house was somehow doing something to him, and he had to find out what it was before he truly lost it.

He turned around in the bed, it was too early and he was still exhausted. Draco closed his eyes and fell asleep again almost immediately.

Training was hard. Training with Alastor Moody was hell. The ex-auror was teaching them to fight hand on hand and was really strict in that they should be perfect at it. Lupin was being hard on them too, he was teaching them some very complicated spells and had promised to teach them wandless magic too, but compared to Moody the werewolf was a ride to the park. Moody had made it clear since first day that he was not going to tolerate laziness and was true to his word, making the teenagers work very hard.

To everyone’s surprise, Alastor had ordered Draco to be an active participant in his training sessions. Hermione and Ron had complained loudly about it, saying that they should be careful with Malfoy and that they didn’t need him to have any means of escape, but Harry considered that if Moody, who was the most paranoid auror that had ever walked the Ministry, didn’t mind that Malfoy was training with them, then it should be ok. Hermione and Ron were not happy with his lack of support to them, but Harry put an end to their complains pointing out that it was unlikely that Malfoy could be better than them in a fight, and even if he tried to do something stupid they still had their wands and he didn’t.

Finally his two friends had no choice but to grudgingly accept Malfoy’s presence at the training, but Ginny had been another matter entirely. The red-headed girl didn’t like one bit to have the blond Slytherin near Harry, she considered him a danger and an unworthy prat, and was utterly frustrated because Harry didn’t seem to think like her.

Harry just ignored the stubborn girl, deciding that he was not going to spend more energy trying to change anyone’s mind, and was actually happy to have Malfoy training with them, as that gave him the chance to fight someone who was more unlikely to hold himself back to cause less damage.

The first day of training with Alastor had been somewhat a problem. The wizard had insisted in that Hermione should be training along with the boys and Ginny had asked if she could join in the action. At first the boys had felt awkward, especially Harry. The brunette had tried to spare with Hermione and had been very cautious on his movements, until she had given him a good kick to the stomach, then he had reacted and had immobilized and taken her to the floor, however he still had been watching himself so as to not hurt her. Moody hadn’t liked it and had insisted on the necessity of them fighting with all they had; pointing out that if it had been Bellatrix Harry wouldn’t have been very considerate.

Soon they had realized that Malfoy was crap in that kind of fight, and Ginny was even worse. Alastor had put both of them to spare, just to see how they moved and Draco had won, the Weasley girl hadn’t liked that and had stood furiously to get to her wand and had hexed Malfoy. Moody had been furious, the rules were very clear and he would not have any kind of magic on his training, so he decided that Ginny wouldn’t be allowed into it. The red-head had cried and begged forgiveness but Moody had not changed his mind and Harry had been pretty annoyed with her for the rest of the week, he still was feeling protective over Malfoy, though he couldn’t say exactly why he was doing so.

The truth was that Harry had grown a little bit fond of Draco, they already had been living together for a week and not only they hadn’t killed each other, they also had managed to actually get to know each other better. Malfoy had dropped his usual attitude and had started to act more open towards Harry. The occasional insults between the blond and the trio lacked entirely the venom they used to have, and the majority of the time Draco would just stay around them in silence. He was only willing to talk about his personal life with Harry and so far they had only covered the last year at school and the fact that Malfoy still feared for his mother, not remembering if something had happened to her.

It had been a surprise to see how the cold hearted Slytherin prince really was, and Harry decided that he wanted to help him and maybe try to be friends with him. Ron and Hermione were still guarded around the blond, but they were getting used to have him around; however his quiet demeanor bothered them a little, it just didn’t fit with their mental image of Malfoy and they were actually relieved to still have a few spats with him once in a while.

Some days before Harry’s birthday Remus and Tonks had to go away, the Order had an emergency concerning giants and they needed all the help they could have, so the youngsters were left alone in the house with only Moody going on a daily basis to their training, the rest of the time they spent practicing their spells, researching and putting the house into some semblance of order, helped by the two house-elves, Ginny was left with them and she was helping too, trying at the same time to get Harry to be closer to her again, so far her efforts had been in vain.

They were training in one of the unused rooms of the second floor that Harry had made the house-elves fix especially for Moody’s sessions. It resembled closely a gymnastics room with a lot of mats on the wooden floor and ample space to move. It was perfect for their hard sessions, Alastor was confident in that they would built muscle and improve their tactics in no time and they were left utterly exhausted at the end of each session, but they continued to put all their effort in learning new maneuvers that could help them to have an upper hand on their enemies.

After one especially hard session, once Moody had retired, Ron and Hermione had run to the kitchen to have a glass of water, telling Harry that they were going to take a nap after that seeing that both of them barely stood on their feet. Draco thought that the nap was a good idea and was about to follow them out of the room when Harry suddenly stopped him.

“Come on Malfoy, one last spar with that movement that Moody shown us, yes?”

Draco turned to look at the other boy open mouthed.

“Are you crazy Potter? I’m dead! I want to reach the nearest couch and sleep until next week! That man wants to kill us; I can’t believe you still want to practice!”

“Oh, come on Malfoy! Just one more time, I want to be sure that I have it right.”

Draco groaned and walked reluctantly to where the Gryffindor was standing, questioning his mental health for abiding with Potter’s wishes.

He didn’t know what was happening to him, even if he really wanted to make amends and show Potter that the real Draco Malfoy was far from the prat he had known at school, he accepted that his behaviour had been a lot more subdued than it should. It was the house, it just had to be, the house wanted him to do something but he was aware that it was a crazy idea. He didn’t know if he would be able to tolerate this situation any longer, he wanted to scream, to tell someone what was happening but he just couldn’t and he was starting to feel really afraid.

He stopped in front of Potter and assumed the fighting stance; soon they both were throwing and dodging blows. It finished quite quickly, Draco was really tired and his speed suffered from it, added to the fact that Potter was much better than him on muggle fighting, the blond soon found himself on the floor with the dark-haired boy over him, pinning his wrists above his head and straddling his thighs.

Harry breathed deeply, happy to have mastered the movement; he looked at the exhausted blond under him and gulped. The word ‘pretty’ appeared instantly in his mind and he ushered it away. Malfoy was gasping for breath and Harry couldn’t help but notice the movement of his well defined neck and the way his torso was moving up and down, he wondered how Draco would look like in that position shirtless, acting on instinct he leaned over the boy’s face, breathing over his parted lips, wondering what they would taste like… Harry blinked and stared horrified into Malfoy’s grey eyes. That could not be, he was not, Not, NOT thinking of Malfoy in that way! He was not interested in Malfoy, he wasn’t even gay for crying out loud! He felt guilt creep to his gut while he registered fear in the blonde’s eyes.

Draco didn’t like the position he was in, he felt vulnerable and exposed, Potter was looking at him as if he was thinking the best way to start eating him, Draco felt fear wash over him as he stared at the green eyes which were too close to him for comfort. He had to do something, any time now Potter would make a move he’ll regret later and Draco didn’t want it to be that way, but he lacked the energy to throw Harry off him; he hated to be so helpless. Suddenly the eyes above him blinked and a guilty and horrified expression filled them. Malfoy feared for an instant that Potter was disgusted to be in that position with him, but then realized that it was his chance to get out of the situation and he attempted to compose himself.

“Ah, you can let go of me now Potter, you have proven what a mighty fighter you are.”

He tried his best to sound calm and felt relieved to see that Potter gulped and relaxed.

“Mm, yes, of course. Sorry.”

He started to pull himself up and away from Draco when the door opened and Ginny entered the room, pausing a few steps inside and eying them suspiciously. Draco thanked the gods that Harry’s face had not been inches away from his when the red-head appeared; she only got to see Harry still straddling Malfoy’s thighs.

“Harry, what are you doing? Is everything all right?”

“What? Of course Ginny! We were only practicing, you know, a move that Moody taught us, and well… Malfoy was helping me, but he’s not really good at it you know.”

Draco moved and freed himself from Potter’s legs, scrambling hurriedly to his feet, he needed to get out of there, the feeling he was getting in his groin was rather alarming.

“Yeah well, I’m going to have a nap. I’m really tired. See you at lunch.”

The blond escaped hurriedly from the room followed by the intense glare of Ginny, Harry pulled himself upright and focused in the girl.

“Well Ginny, did you want something?”

The Weasley girl turned to him with dangerous eyes. Harry’s eyebrows rose, he couldn’t fathom the cause of Ginny’s apparent foul mood.

“I really hope that you are not getting comfortable with him Harry, he’s just a nuisance over here, I hope that McGonagall or Moody quickly find another place to drop him or that they’d decide to give him over to the Ministry, I don’t like to have him around.”

Harry felt hurt all of a sudden, Ginny had no right to say that, this was his house and he wanted to have Malfoy safe, he had offered the blond his help and, truth be told, Malfoy had not been ungrateful, he even was making an effort to stay on good terms with Hermione and Ron!

“Look Ginny, even if they do I’m not going to allow it. Draco could be in great danger if he leaves this place! I offered him help and I’m not going to take his security away from him!”

Ginny seemed shocked and asked quietly.

“Draco? Since when he is Draco?”

Harry blinked, not sure of what to say, they were not on first names basis but somehow he just didn’t feel like referring to the blond as Malfoy when he was defending him from Ginny.

“That’s beside the point Ginny. He’s not leaving here until we are sure that the Death Eaters would not be after him.”

“That’s ridiculous Harry! What if he’s just waiting the right moment to betray you?! He’s Malfoy for Merlin’s sake! He’s a prat! And his father is a fucking Death Eater!”

“He’s not his father Ginny, and he may have been a total prat when we were at Hogwarts but he has changed!”

“Harry how you could believe that?! He’s using you! He knows that he has no other choice but to act nicely so you let him stay! And you had fallen for it Harry!”

“It’s not like that Ginny! Look I can’t explain it but I know that he’s changed and he’s trying to adapt to his situation, he hadn’t been the troublesome git we had been expecting! I think that he had been through a lot and he only needs to feel that he still has a chance to be a different person, and I’m willing to give him that chance!”

Ginny pressed her lips and looked livid, she wanted Harry to hear her, he should be paying attention only to her while they had the chance, not worrying over a worthless Death Eater spawn!

“I don’t believe it Harry. I can’t believe it! Just look what he’s doing! He’s making you get away from me!”

Harry looked shocked before he shook his head.

“Ginny please, this is not his doing; I’m not pushing you apart. I have a lot to do and I have to be prepared for the fight with Voldemort. I won’t allow myself to be closer to anyone until I’m finished with him and you know it. I…”

Suddenly he didn’t know what else to say, he knew that Draco wasn’t the reason of why he had procured to be apart from Ginny, but he wasn’t ready to tell her that he didn’t feel the love he once thought he felt towards her, he turned away from her and walked towards the door.

“Look Ginny I’m really tired. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

“But Harry…!”

“Please Ginny. I don’t want to talk. Malfoy would stay here, maybe you can take the time to know him better and you’ll see that he really has changed. I’m going to take a nap.”

He walked down the corridor to his bedroom; Ginny’s eyes followed him intently.

Little three year old Draco ran happily through the garden in persecution of some butterflies, his mother was inside the house talking with her aunt and had left the house-elf Kreacher to watch over the boy. The garden was a bit dark, even when it was mid-afternoon, but the child paid little mind to that, he looked to the vine covered wall that separated the garden from the outer world and ran to it, he had spotted some humming birds flying between the flowers and wanted to catch them.

He was entertained enough that he almost missed the subtle movement between some bushes at the far corner of the garden, intrigued he walked over to investigate, followed by a dutiful Kreacher. The boy reached his goal and peered between the bushes, suddenly he found himself in front of a big scaly nose. He yelped in surprise and retreated a step, looking in awe as an enormous head got out of the bushes, followed by a long neck and a huge body. Draco was impressed; the creature was multicolored and had the most beautiful wings he had ever seen. The boy looked over at Kreacher, the house-elf was looking at the huge beast wide eyed, Draco giggled at the elf’s expression, it seemed like its entire face consisted only of eyes.

“Ke’che, wha’s this?”

“Master Draco… a magic dragon Master… a young one…”

“Dagon!!” The boy yelled happily and threw himself to the big creature’s neck, hugging it; Kreacher did a strangled horrified sound.

“Master! Careful!”

But to the house-elf’s surprise the dragon nuzzled tenderly the blond boy’s head, making him giggle, and comprehension dawned upon the elf’s face as it looked the interchange.

“Geen Dagon!!”

The multicolored scales changed to multiple shades of green and the boy giggled in delight, he started to run towards the garden’s opposite end.

“’ome Dagon!! ‘un!!”

The creature gave chase as the boy laughed in happiness…

Malfoy woke up with a start and shielded his eyes against the sunlight. He had fallen asleep on a garden chair while he was trying to sort out whatever had happened with Potter in the training room. He looked around the unkempt garden and realized that the garden furniture were the only things that seemed to be new and recently cleaned, he supposed that someone had ordered the house-elves to start getting the garden decent.

He stood up and started to walk, the ground was covered by overgrown grass and weed, there was ivy everywhere and the bushes were getting in his path, the garden seemed most like a wild forest to him, a far cry from the thing he just remembered. He walked until he reached the far corner where he had seen the dragon in his childhood. The creature had looked exactly like the one on that mysterious book in the Black library, a Rainbow Dragon. He remembered the house-elf calling it a magic dragon but that was somewhat obvious, all dragons were magical creatures after all.

He looked to the point where the dragon had stood in his dream, it was a round patch of grass surrounded by bushes, no weed or ivy had grown there, it seemed that someone had been taking great care of that single corner apart from the rest of the garden. Draco thought back to his dream, in it the dragon had seemed the most enormous thing he had ever seen, but then he had been only three at the time, in reality it must have been a small dragon just to fit in the garden.

Malfoy rubbed at his temples, wondering whether his dream had been a real memory or not, he remembered having been at Black manor to visit many times before Walburga Black had passed away, but it was the first time that he actually remembered with crystal clarity anything he had done while in the old house, assuming that it indeed had really happened but to his utter surprise Draco just knew that it had.

The blond boy looked again at the ground below him and something urged him to take a look ‘under’ it. He spotted a small gardener shovel between the bushes and retrieved it; he got on his hands and knees and started shovelling the earth away, not pausing to think for one second about what he was doing or why.

Harry found him later that day, the black-haired boy had wondered why the blond hadn’t appeared for lunch and had been informed by a rather unwilling Kreacher that “Master Malfoy” was in the garden. The Gryffindor had first thought that Malfoy would likely be trying to locate the secret door that he had mentioned some days before, but he couldn’t find the blond when he arrived to the garden.

Upon searching more thoroughly he finally had spotted movement and heard faint gasps from a far corner at the very limits of the garden and was truly surprised to find the Slytherin on his fours in the middle of a large space of removed soil, covered in dirt and seemingly wanting to dig as far as he could with a small gardener shovel. Harry looked at the boy with a quirked eyebrow and then coughed slightly to get his attention.

Malfoy jumped about two feet in the air when he heard the faint sound behind him, then turned around with the shovel in front of him, handling it as if it was a wand. Harry’s eyes widened in surprise and then proceeded to laugh at Draco’s reaction, recognition took over Malfoy’s features and he scowled at the shovel realizing that it was no wand.

“Bloody thing! Where the Hell is my wand when I need it most?!!”

“Malfoy… what the hell are you doing?”

Draco looked around him flabbergasted, he really didn’t know what had gotten into him, but he sure as hell didn’t want Potter to find out about his temporary insanity or the very weird dreams he had been having.

“Well… I was bored Potter… and this garden do need a bit of a care!”

Harry looked at him not knowing if he should be shocked of amused.

“I never thought I’ll see the day when you’d lower yourself to do a hard manual work just as gardening. I thought you regard it as house-elf’s work.”

“Well yes, as a matter of fact it is house-elf’s work, there’s no way a decent wizard would lower himself to put this mess together! I was only bored I told you!”

“Alright, alright. Tough I must say that it looks like you were doing a greater mess than trying to fix it.” Said Harry, looking amusedly at the big patch of soil and the little mounts of earth surrounding it. Draco stood up and huffed indignantly.

“As if this place could be any messier.”

Harry sniggered and followed the blond to the house, wondering if Malfoy’s boredom would make him try to dig a tunnel into muggle London.

Warm. It was warm and comfortable… suddenly something nagged at his side and a loud urgent growl was heard, he stood on his four shaky legs and was pushed outside the nest, for a second the light blinded him and then he was pushed from the cliff, his wings reacting just in time to avoid collapsing into the forest below, then there was noise, growls and screams and blasting, many figures were chasing them, must get away, must go faster… faster… run… “Run Draco!”… The forest was dark and the branches scratched his face and arms while he ran blindly, he had to find it… he had to return home…

Draco opened his eyes and breathed deeply, he remained very still while his eyes grew used to the dark and tried to relax. Soon his brain started to work again and he realized that he wasn’t laying in bed, in fact he wasn’t even in the bedroom, he was standing in front of a bare wall, a shelf was to his left evidently out of its rightful place and Draco realized he was facing the mysterious secret door.

He gulped and started to shake uncontrollably, giving a few steps backwards and finally extending his arms, looking for something to lean into. He grabbed a chair and let himself fall on it, burying his face in his hands. It had happened again, only this time he had somehow moved the shelf out of the way, Draco wondered idly if he was loosing his mind or if someone was controlling him.

He needed help, he had to tell someone about what was happening, but every time he tried to bring the subject out with Potter something made him shut up, deep inside his mind was the thought that it really was a very bad idea to let others know about his dreams and sleep walking. Draco wanted nothing more than been rid of those strange dreams, he wished he knew what was happening to him or why.

Malfoy remained sometime collecting himself and then stoop up and hastily returned to the bedroom, not caring that the shelf was still out of place.

When he was gone two small shadows emerged from their hiding spot and one of them promptly levitated the shelf to put it right, the other was fidgeting nervously with its hands.

“Should tell Master Harry Potter… Harry Potter should know…”

“No!” The elder elf snapped angrily at his nervous companion. “Us are not saying a thing! Not yet!”

“But Master Malfoy is remembering! Harry Potter should know!”

“Traitor Dobby is?” Kreacher said dangerously, Dobby looked indignant.

“Dobby is not traitor! Dobby took care of young Master many years! Been there when big dragon came to Mistress Narcissa! Dobby knows what’s to be donne! Had kept secret carefully! Concealed Master Draco’s memories of Dobby helping! But Harry Potter…”

“Is not chosen yet! Powerful Master Potter is, but he must not know! The dragon will choose soon. Then if Master Potter is the right one, he’ll learn.”

“Soon…”

The house-elves made sure that the kitchen was in order and then retired to their newly improved quarters, a tense peace between them.

Harry was about to snap at Hermione, he only wanted a peaceful breakfast, but the bushy haired girl was giving him and Ron a speech about elves’ rights, all because he had asked Kreacher why the only thing in the garden that had been taken care of was the furniture, and if it could be made more presentable. The house-elf had refused to work in the rest of the garden, saying that it must be kept as it was and explained that it had always been taken care of under the watchful eyes of the deceased mistress of the house, and that she had put several protective charms to be sure that only her would have a say in how the garden was arranged, besides, Kreacher was too old for such a hard work as gardening.

That last bit Harry was sure to be an excuse, but unfortunately for him those were the only words that Hermione had heard when she had entered the kitchen. Thus the harsh words she was presently throwing at Harry, saying that she had expected better of him than to be an enslaver. Ron was getting his part of the berating too, and the two house-elves were looking wide eyed at the girl, but Kreacher seemed far more horrified than Dobby at Hermione’s words of elf freedom.

Harry had already explained to his friend the situation, but she insisted in that he should be more considerate towards the old elf, how he could possibly think that fixing that mess of a garden was a suitable task for the creature? Harry and Ron had already resigned themselves to hear her angry words for the entire morning when Draco entered the kitchen and greeted them all absentmindedly before taking a seat in front of Harry at the kitchen table, waiting for his breakfast to be served.

The teenagers now knew some of Malfoy’s little morning rituals, and so they were certain that the blond was still half-asleep when he carelessly ordered his usual breakfast, Kreacher snapped his fingers and Draco’s pancakes, eggs, bacon and juice were instantly in front of the boy. Hermione pressed her lips in a thin line and Harry and Ron threw sympathetic looks at the blond, who noticed their strange behaviour and lifted an eyebrow at them, he was totally unprepared for Hermione’s attack.

“So Malfoy; too lazy to get your breakfast by yourself?”

“What?” Draco turned to look at the girl, he wasn’t expecting either her annoyed tone or the murderous look that she was giving him.

“Do you ever think about the injustice of enslaving another living being to do your minor deeds? Or you are just too royal to care?!”

Draco turned to look at the two boys, wanting to know what he had done wrong.

“What’s she talking about?”

Ron looked embarrassed and let Harry do the explaining.

“Well, you see, Hermione thinks that the way in which the house-elves are treated is too akin to slavery.”

“It is slavery Harry! And it is wrong!”

Malfoy have to do a great effort not to roll his eyes, really, muggleborns could come up with such crazy ideas!

“You’re a pureblood wizard Weasley. Why don’t you explain her?”

“Explain?!” shrieked Hermione, slamming her fist on the table. “What’s to explain Malfoy?! That it is the way they are?! That’s bullshit!! There’s no excuse valid enough to enslave another rational being!!”

Ron looked at Draco with an expression that said ‘That’s why’ and the blond groaned. It was too early to have an argument with the Granger girl; she was too stubborn for her own good. Hermione continued her rant while Draco looked longingly at his pancakes.

“There should be a law that protects the house elves’ work. They should have rights and certain privileges, be allowed to dress decently and get paid!”

Draco looked very surprised to the girl and Harry was trying very hard not to laugh at the terrified expression that Kreacher had managed to put on. The blond boy couldn’t believe his ears.

“Pay them? Money?”

“Of course money you twit!”

“And what would they use it for?”

“For whatever they want it for! To improve their living conditions for example! Or what? Do you seriously think that what they have is enough?!”

Draco blinked at her, turned his head to look at Kreacher and Dobby, then did a mental comparison of what he had seen of the rooms destined to the elves with the ones he had once seen in Malfoy manor, and finally compared Harry with Lucius and turned again to face the girl.

“Well, I don’t know about Kreacher, but I’m sure that Dobby is far better serving here than in Malfoy manor, but only because my father was a bastard and almost impossible to please.”

To Harry’s surprise Dobby nodded fervently at Malfoy’s words, however Hermione didn’t see the elf and she smiled in triumph to the blond.

“That is Malfoy because he’s a free elf and Harry pays him.”

Draco looked incredulously at Harry.

“You actually do that?”

“Err… well, I…” Harry blushed in embarrassment; he didn’t know what to say. The truth was that he had absolutely forgotten about paying Dobby.

“Of course he does! And it’s nothing to be ashamed of Harry!”

“Um, Hermione, I…”

Draco ignored Harry’s dilemma and turned again to look at Dobby, the elf was trying very hard to hide behind a chair.

“He doesn’t look like a free elf to me.” Said Draco. Harry looked over the blonde’s shoulder at the house-elf while Hermione turned and moved away the chair behind which the creature was hiding. Draco could swear that the elf was blushing.

“How could you say that Malfoy?! Can’t you see the way he’s dressed? He’s practically a clothes’ collector! He has…! A… Many…”

“Yes Granger, I can see that he has almost all the tea cozies, towels, napkins and pillowcases that he could find on. But I can’t see how that makes him a free house-elf!”

Draco knew that Dobby was a crazy elf; he had always done extravagant things like that, until Lucius had tired of it and had punished the creature. Malfoy didn’t understand why everybody seemed so surprised. Hermione approached Dobby and inspected him, almost as if to make sure of what he was wearing.

“Dobby, where are your clothes? What happened?” Neither of the trio had really noticed Dobby’s new attire until then, the elf started playing with his fingers and squeaked.

“Dobby gave them to Master Harry Potter. Master Harry Potter said that Dobby could stay and help in the house Miss.”

Hermione turned to pierce Harry with a glare.

“Harry! How could you do that?! That was insensible of you!”

“Hey! I told him that he could stay; I didn’t say that he would be bounded to a family again!”

“You accepted anything from him?” asked Malfoy, Harry turned to look at him.

“Well, a couple of days ago he offered me a scarf, but I thought it was a gift or something.”

“Good. You took it, now he is your house-elf. He wasn’t offering only the scarf; it was a symbol of servitude.”

“Oh” Harry was a bit flabbergasted about the situation; Ron was trying hard not to laugh.

“It is not funny Ron! It’s a horrible action! And Harry is going to correct it now! Harry?”

“Mmm. Oh, yes.”

Harry started to take of his sock when Dobby’s loud wailing interrupted him.

“Dobby’s a bad, bad elf! Master Harry doesn’t want Dobby as house-elf!”

“No, no Dobby, it’s not that! You’re a great house-elf Dobby, but I thought that you liked to be free.”

“Dobby doesn’t want to be free anymore. Dobby is wanting to help Master Harry Potter with house!”

Harry looked confused at the elf, Hermione tried to reason with it.

“Dobby, you can continue doing your work as a free elf, like in Hogwarts.”

“Dobby could not be as in castle. Dobby is needing a house. Dobby doesn’t want freedom anymore.”

“But why? You were very happy Dobby.”

The elf turned to look at Harry and then to Draco before answering a bit ashamed.

“Dobby was waiting for Master Harry Potter to have a house, so Dobby could go with Master Harry Potter and serve him.”

“What?”

Hermione was shocked into silence by that, Ron took her by the arms and guided her to a chair, Draco snickered at her and Kreacher mussed something under his breath about idiot strangers. Harry glared at the older elf and then looked over to Dobby.

“Well, I suppose you can stay Dobby. If that’s really what you want.”

The elf’s ears straightened and he started to bounce in happiness.

“Yes Master Harry sir! Dobby would be a good house-elf Master Harry Potter sir!”

Harry smiled and returned to his breakfast, it took a while for Hermione to collect herself and start complaining again about the injustice of slavery. Ron wished he had gone with Ginny to The Burrow for some clean clothes. By the end of breakfast Malfoy was very tired of hearing the bushy haired girl.

“Please Granger, that’s the way they are, you can’t change it.”

“It’s not the way they are Malfoy! It’s what the wizards had made them! No one even cares to know how they were like before wizards enslaved them to serve in their houses!”

“Granger, no one enslaved them. They came with the houses, before that there wasn’t house-elves.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

“Well, it’s true Hermione.” Said Ron timidly, his girlfriend turned sharply to him

“What?”

“It’s true, and it’s common knowledge, why do you think they’re called house-elves? They need a house to live.”

“You see Granger; they just appeared one day inside some of the wizarding buildings. I admit that many wizards like to count an elf among their properties, but the reality is that the wizard doesn’t ‘own’ the elf, the house does. The clothes thing is only a way for the family to acknowledge them.”

“How’s that?” asked Harry interested. Draco turned to look at him.

“Well, why do you think that the ancient families are the most likely to have a house-elf?”

“I thought that they bought it.”

“That’s not correct.” Ron said. “I sometime asked to my father why didn’t we have enough money to have a house-elf, and he told me that it wasn’t because of the money, it was the house the one that wasn’t powerful enough to have one, it’s like the elf’s magic feeds from the house’s energy.”

“That’s why they’re so valued.” Draco continued. “A wizard can’t buy a house-elf, neither can he sell one, all the wizarding houses had a certain amount of magic within them, if the family that lives in the house is strong and stays in the same place for some generations then the magic becomes stronger, until it calls a house-elf. If the family frees it, the house loses a part of its magic and it can be years before it gains enough power again to have another house-elf.”

“But Dobby arrived here following me.”

“Yes, but believe me Potter, if this house hadn’t been powerful enough to sustain two elves, then Dobby wouldn’t have entered it.”

Hermione still was not totally convinced, and was ready to continue arguing when Ginny entered the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley in tow, both of them looking really disturbed.

“Guys! We have trouble!”

“Ginny? Mrs. Weasley what happened?” Harry stood up worriedly while Ginny desperately clung to his arm. Mrs. Weasley tried to sound calmer than how she really felt.

“The battle has finished, but the situation is bad. There are many injured. I’m afraid that I’d have to ask for your help, we need more hands!”

“Of course Mrs. Weasley” said Hermione getting up instantly. “We’ll help in what we can.”

The youngsters got ready to go, except Malfoy who was looking lost and had no idea of what he should do. Harry suddenly remembered him and hesitated in his way to the main hall.

“Oh, Malfoy you have to say here. Can I trust you to not try to get away from the house? You know that if you do it there won’t be any more protection from our part.”

Draco looked at the seriousness on Potter’s eyes and felt greatly relieved that it was not expected of him to offer help. He didn’t want to risk some spy spotting him or having to face the many light wizards that he knew would have something to say against his change of sides, much less when he didn’t have a wand to defend himself. He nodded at Potter and opened his mouth to assure him that he had no problems in staying when Molly Weasley retreated her steps.

“Oh my, I forgot for a moment! We really shouldn’t leave him alone, that’s what McGonagall ordered.”

She looked at the blond intensely, Draco felt somehow attacked and pressed his lips composing his features into the cold mask he had been so good at putting on while in Hogwarts. The evident defence didn’t go unnoticed by either Harry or Mrs. Weasley, and the woman was ready to say something that would ease the blond when Ginny spoke disdainfully.

“I don’t see the problem; we can just let him secluded in a room and put a ward on it until someone returns. That would be enough.”

Draco crossed his arms over his chest, ready to snap at the red-headed girl, but he glanced at Harry and noticed that the boy was clenching his hands tightly, the blond wondered what had gotten the Gryffindor so furious, he heard Ron’s response to his sister’s comment.

“Well, it’s an idea.”

Ron and Hermione looked like it was no big deal. Harry suddenly saw images of him being stuck in a cupboard while his aunt Petunia went shopping and Mrs. Figg couldn’t take care of him. He suddenly felt a bit insulted that his friends were accepting that kind of suggestion.

“Are you crazy? That’s not gonna happen! We’re not letting anyone closed up in a room! If he can’t be left alone then I’ll stay!”

Draco was surprised that Potter seemed to be actually defending him, and by the shocked faces of Potter’s friends he wasn’t the only one. Ron was about to say something but Hermione, suspecting what had been the reason for Harry’s anger, shut him up whit her hand, Ginny started to complain but her mother cut her out quickly, having been told a few of the most horrible facts of Harry’s childhood she knew what had made the boy so upset.

“But Harry…”

“I’m sure that Mr. Malfoy here would have no problem in staying within the house’s walls, and the two house-elves would be able to watch over him just in case.”

She looked at the blond prompting him to agree and Malfoy did a perplexed nod before returning to look suspiciously at Potter. Mrs. Weasley considered that was enough.

“Would that be ok Harry?”

“Sure…”

“We’ll return as soon as we can.” Molly assured the black-haired boy, who finally relaxed a little.

“Now, let’s go kiddos. Hurry up!”

Potter apologized to Malfoy and instructed the elves to not leave the property and not let Malfoy to do so and followed the others into the floo system.

Once they had left Malfoy shook his head.

“Well, that was… confusing.”

“Master Harry Potter had a poor childhood. Harry Potter is sensible.” Dobby felt the need to clarify the point, Draco just arched his eyebrows in wonder, he wasn’t sure of what the elf meant by ‘poor childhood’ but he let it slip and quickly finished what was left of his breakfast without another word.

Hours passed by slower than they should, and Draco eventually got tired of reading in the library. His mind insisted to return to the garden and the hole he had started. He fought all the morning against the invisible force that seemed to be pulling him outside but after lunch he gave up and wandered again towards the improvised excavation. He looked at the patch of removed soil for a while and wondered what the hell he was doing.

Finally, unable to resist the compulsion that seemed to have gotten a hold of his mind, he took the garden shovel and started again. After several minutes of hard work he threw the little thing away, realizing for the first time that he was not progressing as fast as he should.

“Kreacher!”

The house-elf appeared instantly, he didn’t seem in the least surprised of what Draco was doing, and neither did he offer help.

“Yes Master Malfoy.”

“Bring me a bigger shovel! Quick!”

“Of course Master.”

The elf did as he was told and Draco started working again. It never occurred to him to order the elves to do the job.

It was almost dark when Draco finally finished uncovering a big circular bronze plate that looked like the entrance to a vault, it had ancient runes all over its surface and a star shaped form with strange symbols covering them. Malfoy analyzed it curiously, wondering how he could move the thing as he had no wand to levitate it.

He thought about entering the house for parchment and copy the runes, the star seemed some kind of seal. He brushed away some of the dust with his hand and in doing so his skin touched the center of the plate. The star-seal brightened and disappeared, then with a hollow sound the thing started to move. Surprised, Draco jumped back a step and watched as a hole big enough for a person was uncovered. A set of stairs leaded into the dark underground and Malfoy stood at the top, not sure of what to do. He probably should tell someone about this, but at the moment he was alone and feeling that he couldn’t think straight. He started to climb down the stairs before realizing that he wouldn’t see a thing down there, he stopped intending to retrace the few steps he had taken down, but his body refused to cooperate, it was as if his legs wanted to go down. Malfoy felt a pang of panic inside, which increased when in front of his eyes appeared a sphere of light, the thing hovered for a moment and then advanced, illuminating the way ahead. Malfoy gulped and before he realized it his feet were moving, following the sphere downstairs.

‘Merlin, what’s happening?’

The panic was slowly turning to terror when Malfoy couldn’t stop again, but suddenly he felt something inside him, a soothing feeling telling him that he was in no danger. Draco blinked in confusion but stopped fighting and let himself be guided by the strange orb.

He descended to a tunnel excavated in the earth, it smelled old and the soil walls didn’t look stable to him, but he continued following the light, soon he reached an intersection with a solid looking corridor and the orb turned left. Malfoy noticed that the corridor extended to both sides and wondered where it came from, but it was pitch dark to the right and he decided to explore it later when he’ll have a light and a body that he could actually control, for the moment he hurried to catch the orb that continued advancing down the empty corridor.

It stopped at the very end and Malfoy found himself in front of a strange multicolored wall. It looked ethereal and the colors were constantly changing. Draco had the impression to be looking into a wall of colorful water, it was bright but for some reason it didn’t illuminate the corridor, Malfoy hadn’t even noticed it until he had been facing it.

He lifted a hand in wonder and looked as it got trough the eerie wall, a feeling of longing that he was certain was not his seeped trough his very soul and he closed his eyes. Visions of a big dragon playing with him soaked his brain and then there was again the feeling of flying, of wanting to escape, fear that he wouldn’t make it, moments before some ancient magic sucked him away and then a big structure in front of him, surprise and panic as he went crashing into something…

Draco opened his eyes and stared at the colors playing before him, debating whether to take a risk and cross the wall or return the way he had come and stay with his doubts. After a moment he sighed in defeat, somehow he knew that whatever force responsible for the dreams, sleepwalking and sometimes odd behaviour would not let him simply walk away from this. Bracing himself for what may come he gave a step and crossed the wall.
- 4
- 5
- 6
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Dragon Blood