Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

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
- 58
- 59
- 60
See first chapter for disclaimers/warnings/summaries.

RECAP: Harry's circle has now reached the clinic, Theo still has a horrible headache and and Quinn has wakened from his healing sleep to find Bharin waiting for him. Quinn mother was so worried, she sent for his Sire and Father, but before Quinn can meet them, he is 'ported away by Kyle's frantic call. Kyle is at the clinic where a young girl, Meg, has been brought in, suffering from an early transformation and something more sinister at play. Theo, Charlie and Harry are on the sidelines as the emergency begins to play out and Wikhn returns to see what's been happening.

NEVARAH : HEALTH CLINIC

"He is not fine." Charlie shot back, exasperated. He turned his look from Harry to Theo. "You are not fine! You're a terrible liar." The redhead gave a snort when Theo gave a half-wave of dismissal with one pale hand. "But you had better hope you this is something passing when our appointment comes." He frowned. "Or else, I will have something to say about it." He reached over to feather a hand over Theo's warm forehead. "Speaking of which, you're right Harry, there should be more people here. This waiting is-"

"Hunting season." Wikhn's droll voice made all of them jump. The now pale-pink-eyed Gheyo blinked in surprise. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you." He sighed in a way that meant the exact opposite. "We're short-handed to begin with, but Hunting Season makes it worse." He frowned, expert gaze taking in the situation. His entire posture shifted into something slightly more sinister. "This isn't safe. What are you lot still doing here without—oh right. Kyle Kalzik, I will wring your neck. Did he leave you here? I knew I shouldn't have left. That idiot is—attendants? They're leaving him out there with, did they all—drat that Nabers." He growled. "I ought to carve his heart out." The dark head whipped around. "Mimei! Get your lazy blades over here!" There was authority crackling through his voice and the temperature around them dropped several degrees.

Charlie took note of Theo's hands shifting to cover his ears. He frowned and looked at Harry who was staring at Wikhn in something like shock.

Harry stared, even as he felt goosebumps prickle and dance up and down his arms. He could still feel Charlie's warmth beside him, but suddenly, everything was cold. Even though Wikhn's eyes were the palest of pink hues, he couldn't help feeling that this serious, dark aura around the young Gheyo was very, very bad.

Wikhn didn't draw his sword, but his sword hand rested meaningfully on the hilt.

Harry didn't need his imagination to know what it looked like, he remembered the broad, dark blade from the day before. He remembered Dahlia's offhanded comment. She'd said it almost carelessly, but he'd seen the faint flicker in Wikhn's half-red eyes. That same eerie calmness now came to the forefront and it made Harry's insides cringe, because somehow, it made Wikhn seem much older and much wiser, even though he'd barely seemed Charlie's height or possibly even Charlie's age.

The pale pink eyes flickered towards Harry and then flickered away almost as quickly as they'd strayed. He turned, frowning, towards where he'd called over his shoulder. A nervous hum of energy ran over him.

The blonde, Mimei, appeared in short order, chewing on something that resembled a drumstick. She twirled the bone in her hand before she snapped it between her fingers and promptly began to suck on them. "I think I've been insulted." She drawled. "I'm not any more lazy than your worthless, pale hide and—what's the matter-oh."

And before Harry's eyes, the prissy blonde straightened and held her head high. She turned from princess to princess warrior in a matter of seconds, the moment that her eyes landed on Wikhn. She turned and spat the bones into a waste receptacle, then reached into her blouse and produced a tube of bright pink lipstick. In the following seconds, she proceeded to generously apply to her lips. "Talk to me. Where's everyone else? What's going on?"

Wikhn took a deep breath and then blew it out. "Can't scent any of the useful ones. Was this a full day or a half?"

"A half?" Mimei guessed. "I don't know. I never keep track of it. Dahlia does. I just try to keep from strangling people."

"We all do." Wikhn rolled his eyes. "Dahlia isn't here, darling." He snapped. "So if there's anything you would care to contribute, I'd appreciate it."

"Then you should've done it." The blonde snarked. She reached behind her to pull out a pair of sais. "I take it we're helping?"

"We're certainly not spectactors." Wikhn retorted. "Does Kyle look even remotely competent to handling that? He's a Medic, not a healer and children aren't his specialty, not to mention that this one's really young. I can scent it. Kyle's versed in bone-mending and midwifery!"

"Three cheers and big whoop." Mimei rolled her shoulders back with practiced ease. Her bright pink lips pursed into a practiced pout. "Very well, where's Quinn? I thought he'd be here today. Was rather hoping for it, since Dahlia's out."

"You and me both." Wikhn frowned. "Let's go."

"Got a plan?"

"Of course not, idiot."

"I refuse to dignify that with an answer." Mimei groused.

"You three, stay." Wikhn said, ominously. He paused especially to glare at them, before stalking off towards the screeching and thrashing spectacle. "Throw up a few wards, it might be best."

Charlie gave a brisk nod.

"Good boys." Mimei cooed. She wiggled her hand in a little wave and then her eyes darkened. She tracked Wikhn's moves with diligence that betrayed her ease in doing so. "Wik? Talk to me, hun."

"Cue left." The dark elf's pink eyes narrowed to a corner of the room. He'd been doing the mental calculations and probabilities in his head. He'd found something of a solution. "Wings are in the way. We need to stop that. Someone could be thrown by them. Pin them down. I'll take one side, you take the other."

"Stab or pin?" Mimei twirled the shiny weapons in her hand. "She's jerking around a lot. It'll be hard to get a good hold."

"Pin." Wikhn reached for his sword. "And take care with it. She can't be much older than ten."

Mimei grunted in answer.

They left as a pair and moved as a single entity.

It happened rather quickly, though to those watching, it was something of slow-motion.

Wikhn's prediction came through with devastating accuracy.

There was a shadowed blur from one of Meg's flailing wings and suddenly Kyle's crouched form was hooked by one massive appendage and hurled backwards. He hit a wall with a sickening crunch and lay motionless on the floor.

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. Kyle…!

Charlie's arms around his shoulders now felt like a burning vise. Without a second thought, Harry began to fight that warm grip to get free. His mind replayed the past few seconds and he could swear that the sound of Kyle slamming into the wall, echoed in his head.

Harry's frantic protests roused the disoriented Theo, who wearily raised his head, searching for the source of his Submissive's panic, before his golden-eyes grew pitch black. Raw power crackled over him as the golden eyes turned dark and ablaze with power that refused to be restrained. His eyes watered for a moment and he clung desperately to his frayed strands of control. He could not afford to lose it now. Not now...

Wikhn and Mimei surged forward as the last attendant rushed to Kyle's side.

"Kyle!" Someone yelled.

The giant flailing girl-dragon rolled over and bellowed out a screaming roar of weak flame. It scorched the ceiling and sent a shower of debris pelting downwards.

A brilliant burst of teal-colored magic sprang to life, providing a strong shield. The debris and ebbing flame were easily repelled by the powerful energy dome. Quinn's figure materialized beside the motionless Kyle, standing tall, hands at his side. The mute healer held the shield with an easy wave of his hand, while he took a look around. The present state of the emergency was rapidly deteriorating and Quinn's actions were quick and fluid. He spun lighted cords between his hands and threw them out as several binding ropes of pure, blue-green light.

They danced across the air and clear over to the other side of the waiting room, falling downwards with a weight that didn't seem natural to them. The moment they touched the frantic dragel Halfling, they pinned her to the ground, with little resistance.

"Quinn?" Kyle rasped from the floor. He tried to move and winced.

The blond perked a brow and extended a hand.

Kyle pressed his lips together to hide a hiss of pain.

Quinn frowned, a flicker of emotion passing through his teal-hued eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I'd hardly call it lucky." The Medic grumped. A moment later, he gingerly picked himself up off the floor, accepting Quinn's hand and the quick-set healing spark of magic that came with it. "Ow. Ow, ow, ow. That hurt." He gave a funny little, jerky wriggle and there were a few loud snaps heard, as if his body was cranking into its usual position.

Quinn perked a brow.

"Yeah, that's better. Thanks." Kyle gestured towards the still thrashing dragon. "How long will those ropes hold? I'm worried she'll hurt herself somehow. I don't know where everyone went and Nabers—well, do something?" He held up his hands, helplessly. "She's too young for this to happen and-" he hesitated.

Quinn poked his stomach.

"Ow, hey!" Kyle glowered at him. "And, I was going to say that I think there's something off with her. You take a look." The glower immediately changed to a look of exasperation. "No, Quinn, I just meant that—well, maybe. I don't know. It feels familiar, but it shouldn't, which is kinda why I called you. No. Ha ha. No. I'd never call you just for flying into a wall. You've thrown me into enough of them that I hardly even feel it these days."

Quinn affected something that could've been a pout and sniffed, imperiously.

Kyle punched him in the shoulder.

Quinn dodged, the pout morphing into a faint smirk. The energy shield dome flickered and vanished.

"Wikhn? Mimei!" Kyle called out. "Quinn's here, alright? I'm fine. He's fine. Now, listen up so we can—Quinn, wait, what are you doing—don't!"

A pained look flickered on Quinn's face. His teal eyes were locked onto something on Meg's suffering figure and he reached into his tunic to draw out the small, black, stone cross pendant. He touched it to his throat even as Kyle leapt forward to snatch it from his hand.

"Quinn, no! You used that already yesterday! You can't use it so close together. It's not good for your throat and Mama will ne-!"

Quinn's lips merely quirked into a half-smile. "Ororo Carmena." A disembodied voice parroted the necessary vocals for the spell to come to life. Quinn hacked out a sputtering cough as the magic twined itself through him. Thick bands of black stretched out from the pendant and sank into the pale, scarred flesh of his neck, hidden by the high-collared tunic he usually wore. It twisted around to depict the elegant scrolls of ivy and Celtic knots, before it flared then faded. Quinn's teal eyes flashed. "My choice, Kyle." He said, softly. "Not yours. I'm the one that has to live with it and I'm the one that would have to live with this." He gestured towards Meg. The ropes were straining as if they were about to break. His narrowed gaze flickered towards the current situation. "Wik, Mimei?" He called out, hesitantly.

"Quinn!" Wikhn appeared at the healer's side, his sword drawn and poised.

"Your call, Wik!" Mimei spoke from somewhere out of sight.

"Pin her wings down. Was that what you were trying to do? If so, then do it! Hurry. I can't bind her fully until the wings are out of the way. It could permanently affect her ability to fly later in life. Mimei!" Quinn barked. He lurched forward, bright green fire crackling at his finger tips. "You take one wing, Wikhn will take the other. Kyle, I need you to brace yourself and use that Anchoring spell we did that time in where—you-know-when."

"That one?" Kyle squeaked. A flush of red crept up his face. "Quinn!"

"No time!" The blond snapped. He was terrifying and beautiful in the imperious image he presented. Righteous indignation coursed through his elegant features and the burning, green glow of healing magic swirled readily around him. "If she keeps this up, she'll hurt herself permanently—and I, for one, refuse to live with that on my conscience!"

Charlie felt his grip on Harry loosening as something new captured the younger man's attention. The redhead barely spared a glance to the side as he saw Harry gravitating towards Theo. That was good. He released him, without a second thought, his mind fixed solely on the little dragon child. Harry could help Theo, that was good—and maybe he could help this dragon.

Instinctively, Harry leaned towards Theo's compact figure. He could feel the raw power rolling off of him in unchecked waves. It worried him, but the powerful aura was seductive and teasing. Harry couldn't help wanting to move closer and help, somehow, anyhow, however that he could.

"Theo?" His own issues aside, Harry was now officially worried. He struggled to keep his mind free and uncluttered, as Hermione had often chided him. He could hear her voice echoing in his head, reminding him that a wizard with a clear mind always stood a better chance than one who was too busy panicking to think straight. "Theo? Hey, Theodore, it's me." Harry reached out and gently took one of Theo's hands in his.

It was pale and cold.

Harry cradled it to his chest for a moment, then pushed aside his robes and undid the clasps along the collar of his shirt. He tucked Theo's cold hand into the newly revealed warmth. "Theo, it's Harry. Everything will be fine, alright?"

Theo trembled. His lips moved silently, but Harry couldn't make out any of the words. He leaned closer, only for Theo to lean away. The golden eyes squeezed shut.

Tentatively, Harry squeezed the captive hand and then rubbed the arm connected to it. There were phantom pains ghosting through him and uneasy feelings pouring in by the bucketful every second, but Harry stubbornly forced them away, willing himself to concentrate and focus.

Focus on Theo.

Tendrils of despair registered that perhaps, he was cursed in some way. Cursed in that everyone he really did care about, came to some twisted, ridiculous end.

A whimper left Theo's lips and Harry couldn't help himself. He yanked Theo close to him and drew up his robes like something of a blanket. He cuddled Theo close to him, and buried his face in the soft, brunet hair.

Words he didn't know tangled in his mind and Harry felt his lips moving, even though the magic that sprang to life in his veins was too foreign to comprehend.

Sledeare nea mea…

Emerald eyes burned bright and a strong ripple of magic washed through the entire the clinic.

Quinn reveled in the feel of pure magic that suddenly rippled over him. The energy was comforting and almost familiar, but he did not have the time to dwell on it. Instead, he tucked away the welcome memory for later perusal and silently sent up a prayer of thanks for the steadiness it afforded him.

He smirked.

Kyle roused beside him. He took one look at Quinn's face and stifled a groan.

"Something the matter?" Quinn asked, sweetly.

"You louse." Kyle grumbled in return. He rolled up the sleeves of his tunic and passed Quinn a pair of gloves. "Hurry it up, would you?"

And Quinn did.

It was beautiful.

Quinn's magic.

Harry stared.

He'd managed to shift from horrified, to terrified to downright awed. Quinn was a master healer and wielder of the healing arts. He hardly seemed to breath as he threw out waves of pure, shimmering, wholesome magic. His voice, even though called forth by that damaging spell, was beautiful, an ever changing melody as he called out his orders to every open ear.

When Quinn began to undo the buttons on his tunic, Harry felt a distinct ache burrow into his chest and nest there. He stared as the pale, scarred skin was revealed when Quinn finally shed his upper layers. The healer called forth his dragel gifts, the pale skin morphing as the shimmering colors came to the surface.

Quinn's colorful wings emerged and unfolded with little ceremony. But the moment they stretched out, they spanned the waiting room, as his body shifted and morphed, growing by a few feet and gaining more muscle to appropriately compensate for the large wingspan.

The moment his shadow settled over the struggling dragon form, a hiccup belched from the fanged snout and then, the body slowed its movements.

"Kyle?" Quinn called, softly.

"Behind and beside you." Kyle murmured. His own wings shot out, but they remained compact until he was clear of Quinn's commanding figure. Then they rose and grew, his own height towering over Quinn's impressive cut.

Harry watched as Kyle's lovely sienna wings stretched and arched themselves, forming a half-circle from the far end of Meg's prone form, opposite of Quinn. Like Quinn, Kyle sported a spectacular amount of scars across his torso and back, a few white-scar stripes visible on the spines of his pale orange wings. They didn't seem to affect him, as Kyle moved just as quickly and fluidly as Quinn.

It was like watching a mirror.

Quinn's magic, green, rich and vibrant.

Kyle's magic, soft, white and golden.

Harry watched in amazement as the duo of Quinn and Kyle took a complicated mess of a situation and calmly handled it as if it were everyday trials. Between the both of them stripped down to their trousers, calling forth their Dragel attributes and working a lovely sheen of magic, he could only find himself entranced.

Harry could honestly say he'd never seen anything like that before. Never.

The spell Quinn had intended, took some preparation.

It required a musical tune, provided by Quinn's expert whistling and Kyle's surprisingly good voice. The visible bands of light, turned into tangible silken cords that fused themselves with the ground, effectively restraining the young girl in her dragonesque form.

Wikhn and Mimei's participation had been a quick movement, though vicious, but necessary. A simple stab of their respective weapons into a particular spot on the huge, leathery wings; a spot marked by Kyle's glowing white energy balls, at Quinn's direction. In a matter of minutes, the thrashing monster fluxed into a frightened young girl with oversized wings splayed across the floor and up to the walls of the waiting room.

The wings shifted and shrank to a more proportional size and a few audible whimpers came from the crying girl. As if an invisible gate had been lifted, attendants came pouring in, Medics following close behind as several healers inched into the waiting room.

Charlie bristled in his seat as he watched the proceedings. It rubbed over him in the worst way as he watched one of the aloof attendants approach Kyle and speak with a few wild hand gestures. He noticed how all of them avoided Quinn. Quinn, a mute healer, currently speaking with a very complicated and powerful spell—yet, they ignored him still. Charlie felt an unnatural warmth beginning to blossom in his stomach. He bit his lips, hard enough to draw blood. Everything felt like his mind was fogging over. Something was wrong. Wonderful, now that's all of us. He thought, darkly.

"Charlie?" Harry resisted the urge to elbow his tallest mate. He'd felt a wisp of restlessness from the redhead and had been mildly annoyed that it had interrupted his silent observation of Quinn and the others.

Harry vaguely realized that Theo had also stilled in his shaking and now clung to him fiercely. His pale fingers twined in Harry's dark robe and his eyes remained shut. Harry swallowed and rested his chin atop Theo's head. He stroked the pale face, wondering what had arrested Charlie's attention now. The blue eyes had tracked every movement around the dragon-child up until now.

Charlie hadn't even seemed to notice the little display of power Harry had inadvertently summoned. Harry didn't know what magic he had done, but it seemed as if it had eased Theo's suffering and he'd accept that in the wake of doing something strange and unusual—again. That horrible twist in his chest stabbed a little further and Harry scowled, darkly. He wondered if it was a seal that plagued him so.

If it was, then he wanted Quinn to remove that one today. He'd honestly had enough of quite a lot of things. All of the unexplained happenings, the dangers to his health and the mysteries surrounding each of his current mates. Theo was hiding something from him, Harry could sense it—and it wasn't just a headache.

He'd felt it before, though not so strongly after their moment in the park this morning. A feeling of being incomplete, one that had manifested even before Charlie's arrival and had yet to settle. Harry didn't like it at all. He liked Theo. He liked Charlie. He didn't like how confusing everything was being!

Annoyed, he realized that the present emergency meant that even though Quinn had arrived, things would not be settled for some time. His mind caught up to his musings and Harry nudged his beta again. "Charlie, is something wrong?"

"I sincerely hope not." Charlie managed. His vivid blue eyes returned to the spectacle of Quinn and Kyle, trying to work with the injured Meg.

Harry tracked his stare with no small of amount of surprise of his own. Then he shrugged it off. It was no big deal if Charlie liked watching Quinn too, he reasoned. Quinn was a very nice person—no, dragel—to watch.

Something happened and Harry's attention leapt between Quinn's lovely wings and the angry shouts coming from Kyle's corner. He frowned. When did all the others arrive? He didn't remember seeing that…

Charlie couldn't keep the low growl out of his throat as he watched one of new healers, a taller, slender man, elbowing his way to where Quinn had been working. He fought to resist the urge to move. His magic roiled uncomfortably within.

"Charlie?" Theo's eyelids fluttered open, seeking his beta. The darkening eyes fluxed between black and gold, as he struggled to keep a handle on his own powers, drawing a faint tremor in the ground. Harry hugged him harder, unsure of what else to do.

Theo grimaced as the pounding in his head began again. It had eased for a while, thanks to Wikhn's generous offer, but the following events and current situation had sent him back to the dark place in his head, where everything was reduced to counting the painful throbs resonating throughout his body.

"Theo?" Harry's head snapped between the alpha and his beta. Charlie twitched as if lit on fire. Harry connected the dots a half-second too late. "Charlie? Hey—wait!"

"Wait here." Charlie muttered. He was on his feet and moving forward before either of his mates could react to that.

Charlie strode directly to Quinn's side where he calmly reached over to grab the arguing healer and not-so-gently moved him aside. He dropped to a crouch beside Quinn's kneeling figure and took stock of the situation.

His creature training surged to the forefront as he recognized the familiar curve of the snout. Hebridean Black. He thought, fondly. It was rare to see one of these dragon-kind. The MacFusty clan usually guarded them quite jealously and any tamers outside the family underwent rigorous training and screening processes just to be admitted for an interview.

A happy, satisfied thrill rippled over him as Charlie subconsciously called his own dragel nature to the front. He felt a warm tingle of magic over him, and turned in time to see Quinn's half-wave of one hand. It registered as his clothes being magicked into a neatly folded pile beside him, just as his wings ripped free of his shoulder blades with a satisfying snap. Charlie hissed, softly, but the sparks of pain faded when Kyle looked up and threw a small ball of energy his way. He nodded his thanks.

Kyle gave a snappy salute and returned his attention to healing the collection of gouges and scrapes along the awkwardly stretched reptilian limbs. "Quinn? We're going to have to coax her into one specific form, this can't be good for her."

Quinn grunted.

Charlie looked from Kyle's forest-green head to Quinn's bobbing blond locks. From the side of Quinn's face, he could see a scowl.

"Towel." The Healer snapped, not looking up, his entire focus on the small, delicate face cradled in his hands. "A bunch of them. Transfigure a pillow. Something soft, but sturdy." He bent over Meg's still form. His fingers twitched, but no spell was cast.

"I'm good with dragons," Charlie heard himself say. "She's a Herbridean Black. They're a little fussy, but not too much trouble. Nothing you won't be able to handle anyway. I can help, if you don't mind." He handed over a handful of towels from the stack someone had placed beside him. He slid his wand from the holster at his waist and cast the spell for the usual sturdy puff pillows they used at the reserve.

Quinn shrugged in answer, but his hands twitched again and he gently took the small head in his hands. He took the pillow from Charlie and eased it beneath the head. "Her head spines are missing, aren't they?"

Charlie leaned closer. He frowned. "Yes. They are."

"Hmm." Quinn shifted. "Sit here." He pointed above the pillow. "You'll have to hold her head."

"Er," Charlie said, eloquently.

"Sit." Quinn pointed, "Stay."

Kyle snickered from somewhere nearby.

Charlie felt himself blush as he sat and found himself virtually helpless as Quinn moved around him and arranged Meg, so that her smooth, scaled head rested in his lap, padded by the pillow. Feelings of awe and embarrassment conflicted within as he felt his curiosity taking over and his dragon training coming forward.

"Hold her head as long as you can, keep her steady any other way you know." Quinn said, distractedly. "This will hurt."

"The spines probably won't show, because she's too young."

"That's not what I'm talking about." Quinn said, stiffly. His eyes were fixed on her chest as if he were seeing something that no one else was.

From the sudden tension and Kyle's quick appearance, Charlie surmised that his guess was true. The Medic looked between patient and Healer, his own features taking on a new shade of pale. "Can you transform her?" Kyle prompted, at last.

"Not a matter of if, but how." Quinn countered. He heaved a sigh. "Where are the other healers?"

"You don't need them." Kyle snapped, brusquely. "Trust yourself. Trust me, anyway. I trust you."

"Kyle."

"Just help her, Quinn. You know out of all of them here that you're best suited for this." He frowned. "What's the problem?"

"She's fighting me, but somehow, it's not her that's fighting." Quinn bit his lip.

"Quinn…?"

"I know." The blond twitched. "Bharin knows."

"Should I worry?"

"You always worry." Quinn took a deep breath and pushed a wave of warm, pulsing energy into the grey-scaled body beside him. "Come on, Meg, darling." He soothed. "It is alright. Everything will be just fine. You are fine. You are safe. Please, shhh."

Kyle tensed beside him and then, suddenly slumped to the ground beside Charlie. He listed to the side and braced heavily on the redhead, his eyes wide, lips parted. His breath came in short, gasping bolts.

"Er, Kyle?" Charlie twisted to look at him.

"Shh." The Medic closed his eyes. "M'fine."

Charlie did roll his eyes this time. What was with everyone and telling him that they were fine, when they clearly were not?

"I really am." Kyle gave a half-smile. "I'm just grounding that fellow." He gave the faintest of nods towards Quinn. "My gift's something of an anchor. If it is what I think it is, then I'm glad he's finally tapping in. It's about time. It would've been a pain to smack some sense into him. Idiot."

"There's something else in here with her." Quinn said, quietly. The green glow of energy snapped back to him and Kyle lurched forward with a gasp. "Kyle?"

"Warn me next time, you blockhead." The greenette coughed.

Teal eyes gave a spectacular roll. "Of course, whatever you say." He muttered, sarcastically. "This is a bad place to do this."

"Not like you have a choice." Kyle countered. "Suck it up. Deal with it."

"I'd like to see you-" Quinn began.

"Something else how?" Charlie interrupted. He didn't like the gaps in the conversation fluttering around him.

"Something else like, possession, maybe." Quinn's colorful wings fluttered enticingly in the air.

"Maybe?" Kyle scoffed. "Fine, then, you tell me that I'm losing my mind and we can both retire tomorrow."

"Shut up, Kyle." Quinn's lips quirked into a smile. "You were right, alright? I do admit it. You have your uses. Now, the both of you stand back. This really is a bad place to do this, even one of the rooms would be better reinforced."

"I could cast some wards, but I can't say how they'll hold."

"Don't." Quinn murmured. "I just borrowed half of yours to reach into it, I don't want it to latch onto your signature and cause more trouble."

"Point taken." Kyle allowed. "Ready?"

"Further back." Quinn said, smoothly. "I think you've met with enough walls for today."

Kyle grinned. "How charming of you. I appreciate the concern." Kyle's voice came from beside Quinn. His quick, gloved hands, shifted the pillowed head from Charlie's lap, back to the hard ground. He tugged Charlie away as the Healer rested his clasped hands on the small chest and pressed gently.

"I am sorry about this, little one," Quinn breathed. "I can help you and I will." He smoothed a hand over Meg's pale forehead, glistening with a faint sheen of sweat. "But it will hurt."

It did hurt.

And it didn't just hurt Meg.

Charlie was certain he'd never ever forget that transformation anytime soon. He instinctively covered his ears, but it was a flimsy barrier against the painful screeches and fiery roars.

It was the most excruciating of reminders that this was no ordinary dragon. It was a scared little girl whose powers were stronger than her physical body had been able to handle. She would be fine, now that Quinn had managed to coax her transformation over into her human form.

The lack of head spines had resulted in horrible screams with her claws and wings scrabbling towards her head, an attempt to find what was not there.

Too young. Underdeveloped. Charlie's mind supplied. Too young for this kind of pain. His heart returned. It was Kyle's strong hands gripping his arms that kept him from lurching forward too soon and too early.

"Whoa, hey, calm down!" Kyle urged. "Calm down before I have to spike you!"

Charlie squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on neat, even breaths, even as they came in short, huffing gasps.

"I suppose that's an improvement." Kyle muttered. "Relax. Everything will work out. I called Quinn because he's good at this sort of thing." He sighed. "Keep breathing. Your pulse is jumping again." And then Kyle's fingers gave a flick, his wand gave a dip and Charlie welcomed the blessed silence of a deafening charm.

It took a while for Quinn to finish. His efforts paid off when a fine, grey-black mist rose up and dispersed from the body, leaving the tortured form limp and pliant. They'd been right. Meg was possessed.

Quinn drew back from her motionless form, his own face deathly pale and streaked with perspiration.

"Quinn?" Kyle was the only one brave enough to speak.

"I've seen that." Quinn swallowed hard.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Immortals." Quinn closed his eyes and turned his face to rest in the crook of Kyle's neck.

His friend merely knelt beside him, allowing the contact and gently scrubbing a hand through Quinn's blond locks. "Shh. You did it. That was brilliant. Everything's working out now."

"I have to tell—someone." Quinn took a shaky breath. "Kyle, the Immortals are waking!"

Charlie felt a chill creep over him as he eyed the close pair and then look down at his hands. They trembled, faintly, though from what, he couldn't tell. He could only reply Harry's horrific episode that morning and the same fine black mist that exited via that curse scar. His hands clenched into fists.

Immortals. They certainly sounded ominous enough.

Quite frankly, Charlie didn't think he cared. Any authorative being in power that dared to abuse their position and gifts, weren't worthy of whatever awards and lauds were heaped upon them. No, it was a betrayal, perhaps, of the very worst kind. Betrayal of trust, given by the people, that sort of thing, Charlie knew he couldn't forgive.

And it really didn't sit well with him as he watched Kyle continued to comfort Quinn, while the Healer slowly gathered himself together.

Time blurred.

Eventually, the healers and the attendants who could be spared, came to see what the fuss had been about. None of them had any decent excuses for their absences, save those who had just come in for the evening. Some had been outside, tending to the groups of injured helpers who had attempted to move Meg away from the heavily populated areas.

She had caused a great deal of damage.

It would take some time and considerable magic to right things again.

When the final dose of blood-spiked potion had been administered, Quinn rose from his position on the hard floor—with a gently cast heating charm—before he slipped off to join the audience of Medics and Healers forming an impromptu circle.

Kyle trailed after him for a moment, then detoured to check on Charlie. "Your help was much appreciated." He praised.

Charlie now sat cross-legged on the floor, the scaled snout of a properly sized Hebridean black—Meg—resting on the fat pillow on his lap. He gently stroked his hands across the chilled scales. He smiled as the heating charm warmed the floor beneath them. Quinn was good, he'd give the healer that.

Meg was doing much better. As a dragon, Charlie knew exactly how to help her. As a healer, Quinn knew exactly what kind of help was needed. Between the two of them—and Kyle—they'd managed to bring things to where they were now. He was very relieved, though he had to admit, somewhat afraid of Quinn's fiery temper. He hadn't known the fellow had it in him—and Kyle was right. Quinn scarcely needed his voice to say much at all. His expressive face did most of the talking for him.

Charlie surveyed the innocent, scaled face, feeling a page of sadness as he observed the faint furrows and shallow breaths. From what he could gather, Ariki—the young man who had come rushing in—explained that Meg was part of a visiting circle. They had all come down to the flying fields for a bit of exercise and practice. He didn't know what had happened, but at some point, Meg had collapsed. They'd taken her to a hospital, where her parent's had to be sedated before the Healers could even attempt to approach her. Then Meg had sprouted a pair of oversized, grotesque wings and everything went downhill from there.

Subsequently, Meg's transformation had become more violent and dangerous. She'd thrown herself out of a window and nearly killed herself. It had taken many hands to herd her towards the clinic as a last resort, when her magic went out of control.

Ariki turned out to be a teaching assistant at the flight academy, trained to work with young dragels learning to use their wings and physical therapy for the elderly. He had followed the family to the hospital in hopes of being helpful. He'd witnessed nearly the entire thing and explained how he'd come to help the flying group attempting to guide Meg to a less populated area, so someone could help her.

The clinic's large outdoor pen had drawn their eye and they'd worked to bring her down and then indoors. Kyle tended to him with renewed efficiency, now that Meg was taken care of and he insisted on staying on the floor beside her. The Medic hadn't seen anything wrong with that and allowed it.

Charlie smiled at that.

Quinn, on the other hand, was far from calm. The brief glimpse or rather, the only moment where a lack of control had shown—was with Kyle after the possession removal had taken place. Afterwards, Quinn had excused himself from Charlie and Kyle—and Meg and Ariki, respectively, before joining the newest gaggle of healers that had come. He then proceeded to royally ream out the head healer, the sullen man who had treated him so rudely earlier.

Charlie caught the name of Nabers, and felt some of the puzzle pieces clicking into place as he watched. Quinn had quite a vocabulary. The others in the unofficial audience had begun to others edge away when it appeared that Quinn wasn't about to wind down any time soon.

Apparently, none were foolish enough to interfere.

Kyle merely watched in growing amusement, and thoughtful enough to cast a muffling charm over the snoozing patients. "I suppose I ought to go and calm him down." He said, cheerfully. A pat was given to Ariki's shoulder, as the fellow slumbered on.

"Calm him down?" Charlie turned to look over his shoulder. He'd been listening to the argument and now, his eyes widened as he took in the sight of Quinn's furious figure, enhanced and punctuated by his flared wings. They seemed to fairly glitter in the overhead lights, the dark blue patches surfacing and seeming to darken everything else. A warm flush danced over his face.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Kyle's knowing gaze flickered between the dragon tamer and the Healer. "The prettier they look, the more dangerous they are, you know."

Charlie swallowed. "Y-yeah. Right."

Kyle grinned. "You're pretty good with dragons."

"Dragon tamer." Charlie heard himself say. "Romania."

"Nice." Kyle beamed. "We were lucky to have you around then." He winked. "In that case, look all you like. Quinn's wings are one of a kind."

This time, Charlie really did blush.

Kyle snickered. "Well then," with a huff, the Medic was on his feet and heading towards the two arguing dragels. "Quinn? Hey, take it easy and let him-"

"Take it easy?" Quinn whirled on him, the teal eyes flashing madly. His wings quivered. "How can you possibly-!"

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy. Shhh. That's enough. Calm down. Come on." Kyle reached towards him even as Quinn flinched. Kyle ignored it, and continued forward. He expertly backed the irate Healer away from the group and towards the two patients in the center of the floor. "You didn't even thank your assistant."

Quinn blinked, comically. "What?"

"We're lucky to have him, you know." Kyle continued. "Dragon tamer isn't exactly a popular line of work you know, the Dragons can be tricky."

Quinn's head snapped around, his teal gaze settling on Charlie's careful form. The blond brows furrowed and after a moment, Quinn spoke, his voice decidedly softer and more measured. "Dragon tamer?" He repeated.

Charlie turned, a smile quirked across his lips. "At your service."

"Charlie." Quinn murmured. The confusion melted away. "Oh. Oh. That Charlie. Hello again. That means—where are your mates?" The furrow deepened and Quinn turned his head to the side, taking a deep breath. It took a half-second for his brilliant teal eyes to zero in on the duo of Theo and Harry, sitting on the sofas at the far end.

And Charlie swore he saw the fire rekindle in those gleaming teal eyes. He winced.

Somehow, the miserable trio found themselves safely ensconced within Quinn's healing room as they'd been the day before. This time, the irritated Healer sat them all on the waiting couch and dropped to his knees before them.

"Eyes open wide." Quinn snapped. He held up the cross-pendant and a flicker of light showed on the end. "Lumos!" Quinn intoned. "Indea nautica." The glow dimmed to an acceptable level and Quinn caught Theo's chin with one expert hand. He flashed the light quickly in each fluxing, golden eye and frowned. "Not good." He muttered.

Kyle hovered nearby, his wand twirled between his fingers as he silently observed Quinn's careful restraint.

"You have a mentor, yes?" Quinn inquired. The question was directed to Theo, as he moved down to Harry, who was sandwiched between Charlie and Theo, as usual. "Harry, right?" He murmured. "Eyes open wide, please." He flashed the light into the emerald depths and his lips pursed again, with a disapproving hum.

Theo gave a faint nod.

Quinn waved his hand at Kyle.

"Name please?" Kyle prompted. He leaned down to appear less threatening, a gentle hand on Theo's quivering arm. "We need them here for a minute, it seems that you—well, Quinn?"

"A name, Kyle." Quinn snapped. "That is all I need."

"Are you sure you do not need Bharin as well?" Kyle retorted. "You're as prickly as a-!"

Quinn turned to glare at his assistant.

Harry sneezed.

It immediately drew the attention of everyone.

Quinn frowned. He produced a handkerchief and pressed it into Harry's hand. He feathered a hand against Harry's throat. "Hmm."

Harry's pale face flushed a lovely shade of pink.

Quinn's frown deepened. "A fever…?" He muttered. "Stay still."

Harry gave a muffled squeak as Quinn's face was suddenly much closer than it had been a moment ago. Emerald eyes grew wide as Quinn pressed his forehead to Harry's, his teal eyes shut, lips pursed in concentration.

"Quinn?" Kyle ventured.

Quinn withdrew, his brow furrowing. "That is not good either. Potions," he snapped his fingers. "Fever reducer, mild calming draught, blood replenisher." Quinn ticked them off, quickly.

"Spiked?" Kyle whirled around to the counter, where he began to pluck colored potion vials off the rack hanging from the wall.

"I'll do it." Quinn murmured. "The name, now!"

"Mm." Kyle returned to his earlier position beside Theo. His voice was gentle and soft, in cadence as he spoke to Theo, before straightening. "Ilsa. Ilsa Gorgens."

Quinn's eyebrows arched upwards in surprise and then gave a slow nod. "Why am I not surprised?" Kyle snorted. But Quinn turned to Charlie and caught the pointed chin in one hand. "Look at the light, eyes wide." He instructed. The pendant fizzled out a moment later when Quinn shifted to his feet. "Look at me, all three of you." He instructed. His expression was dead serious, as clear teal eyes meet each of them in turn, emerald, gold and blue. "Do you trust me to heal you?"

The weight in his words hung heavily in the room.

Theo released a shuddering breath. "Yes."

Charlie bit his lip. "Yes." The word was forced through him.

Harry flinched beneath the deliberate stare. "Yes." He whispered.

"Thank you." Quinn said, cordially. "Solumn sania duermo." He clapped his hands. A single, loud clap.

All three patients slumped forward in a forced sleep.

Quinn sighed.

Kyle moved to stand beside him, one hand resting on his friend's shoulder. "Quinn?"

"Potions?" The Healer said, wearily. "It's going to be a long day."

"You never minded before."

"Papa is going to have my head on a platter, the moment Mother notices I'm not home."

Kyle smothered a laugh. "So 'Mama' is Mother now?"

Quinn's lips quirked into a fond smile and his worry smoothed away. "Shut up, Kyle. We have a lot of work to do."

A/N: Yay! Another chapter! Whew. This one took a lot of work. I hope it was worth it. :) Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last one. This one's longer, just for you! To clarify, Meg was possessed and Quinn saw it, which explained how her entire dragon form had gotten so out of control and ill-proportioned. Charlie's helping with Quinn is prompted by his Beta nature realizing that Theo needs help and that he can "get help" by helping Quinn, so that Quinn can come and look at Theo sooner. It also doesn't hurt that he's a pretty decent dragon tamer in his own right. Quinn's having trouble with the Head Healer, a fellow named Nabers, that is one of the folks who doesn't want Quinn working at the clinic. Kyle is helping to "ground" Quinn in as many ways as he can, if he'd been there for the seal removal the day before, Quinn wouldn't have collapsed like that. Anyway, there's Ilsa coming up and Quinn starting to unravel the poorly knit lines that connect these three. It'll be fun. :D Thanks for reading!

Heartstar--You didn't miss anything! LOL. Theo's condition is a lingering aftereffect, it's been a little while in coming, but it's nothing too serious. I won't kill him off, otherwise it wouldn't be a Harry/Theo, right? . :) Oooh, and yay, that's awesome! I never would've guessed. Thanks for following me on both places. Enjoy the new chappy! :) Thanks for reading!

Jan--Ah, Meg's transformation is in all the wrong proportions and she left quite a streak of damage in her wake, so some of the healers present were outside tending to the wounded and of course, this is a fully-equipped clinic, operating short-handedly due to the Hunting Season, so Kyle called Quinn, the only one that he could and trusted enough to help with the situation. Just a situation of too much happening and too little hands available. :( Enjoy the new chapter though! :) and thanks for reading!

~Scion
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There Be Dragons, Harry