Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

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

Chapter List
- 64
- 65
- 66
See first chapter for disclaimers/warnings/summaries.

RECAP: At the Health Clinic, after his SOUL CAST, Theo has to fight his caspers to prove his worth, then Ilsa tests his resolve in relation to his new mates. Harry wakes in Charlie's arms and worries for Theo and himself. Terris Sukey visits Harry in his mind and breaks the Soul Seal that Dumbledore had originally placed on him. Harry suffers the painful aftermath of channeling some of Theo's changes as well as the unintended soul seal unraveling and discovers that he has grown. Theo returns to them all and is greeted warmly by an excited Harry and relieved Charlie. At the Burrow, something dark is approaching and Neville, Seamus, Dean, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley must prepare for it.

NEVARAH : HEALTH CLINIC

"Charlie." Theo greeted, warmly. He shifted the armful of Harry, having walked forward to the examination bed where his beta had observed his entrance amusedly.

"Theo." Charlie returned. He nodded at Harry. "Had us worried there for a bit."

"It will not happen again." Theo moved close enough to ease Harry onto Charlie's lap, sharing the warm weight of their Submissive, even though the brunet's arms remained looped around the Slytherin's neck. "I am glad to see you are alright." He reached for Charlie and the redhead had no time to react, beyond a surprised squeak muffled in his mouth, when the young Alpha calmly leaned forward and gifted him a bite to the ear.

Charlie sucked in a short, quick breath, completely taken off guard by the unexpected greeting. He hadn't been expecting that at all and especially not after the decidedly clingy and obviously romantic display between his younger mates just moments before. It was sweet in a way that suited Harry, Charlie supposed, but he'd found himself hoping that Theo would not allow him the same. He wasn't exactly in the mood to be trading light, polite-for-company kisses.

It was mostly why he was further surprised when Theo gripped his chin in one hand and bestowed a warm kiss of welcome, followed immediately by a sharp nip to the lower lip as if he'd read the Dragon Tamer's mind. Charlie swallowed. That caught his attention for sure. It was definitely not too sappy or romantic. That, Charlie could handle. He kissed back, teeth and tongue and lips, in mild show of defiance and acceptance when Theo returned it in kind, a little more forcefully.

Harry made an inquisitive sound between them and the two older mates broke apart to turn their attention to him. He blushed under their combined gazes, but there was obvious joy and hope in his expressive emerald eyes.

Theo smiled down at them both and ran a hand lightly along Harry's tattooed back, careful to avoid the painted markings, feathering the same light touch on Charlie's arms a moment later. His golden gaze raked appreciatively over the dragon tamer's bared upper torso, taking in the well-defined muscles—product of hard work—and the scrolls of navy-blue ink. "Lovely." He pronounced.

Harry followed his line of sight and broke out in a grin once more. He reached a hand out to trace the tips of the navy scrolls along Charlie's upper back. He was glad to be able to put his hands on Charlie, though the urge to pounce on either of his mates hadn't quite yet dissipated. He sighed, longingly. He really wished they were anywhere else but where they were at present. A low whine sounded in the back of his throat.

Charlie's blue eyes immediately flickered away from Theo's weighted stare to look at Harry in concern. He gave the quietest of rumbles, something that could have almost been a purr.

Theo's golden eyes warmed at once, watching the wordless interaction between beta and sub. "Tonight." He promised. "We will have all night, tonight. I have no other pressing engagements and neither do either of you—not tonight, anyway."

Charlie shifted as flickers of interest washed over him. That was a slightly possessive and assuming stance to take on things, but he wasn't about to argue with that. He really didn't have anything that necessarily had to be done straightaway—nothing that couldn't be figured out the next day anyhow. At the moment, he did not have any objections to simply retreating to a quiet, private room and engaging in something decidedly filthy and pleasurable and most likely unfit for the viewing of their current audience.

Having Harry around him at present, with those fancy runes painted on his slim, pale chest, had definitely tripped one of his triggers. He'd always had a thing for brunets—and Harry was simply delectable with his messy dark hair, now sticking up even more so with the way he'd been fussing with it earlier, worrying about Theo. His green eyes seemed to have taken on the task of speaking for him, because while his hyper-energy remained buzzing below the surface, it had only taken one of Kyle's aggrieved sighs and one of Quinn's pointed eyebrows to curb his chattiness from the preparation routines.

Charlie bit back a smile. Harry hyped up on raw magic was rather fun. He was like a vibrating ball of energy just waiting to be released. The promise in Theo's voice had suggested that his new, young Alpha was thinking along the same lovely lust-filled line. He hoped the Soul Cast wouldn't drain the excitement from Harry, a night filled with eagerness and curiosity promised to be singularly delightfull.

Rationally, he wagered that Quinn intended to keep them for the greater part of the evening and most likely perform the Soul Cast as he'd done for Theo. His thinking was interrupted when Theo cleared his throat, as if requesting his attention. He looked over, silently.

Theo's gaze had settled on the mating necklace fastened around Harry's neck, boasting the single, shiny brown-gold scale, then on Charlie's decidedly bare neck. He squeezed the back of Charlie's neck, once, then trailed his fingers around the bare column.

Charlie mentally resisted the urge to reach a hand upwards. He usually wore a dragon tooth necklace or something on a cord with a fang or claw of the sort—freely given, of course. When Theo had challenged him and won—he'd snapped it free from around his neck and Charlie had felt rather bereft in the wake of it. He couldn't quite remember a time when he didn't have something around his neck. Seeing Harry playing with the single scale earlier had set him on edge in an instinctive way he couldn't explain.

"I had almost forgotten." Theo murmured. "Too many things to keep straight." His lips quirked into a smirk. "Hold this." He deposited Harry directly into Charlie's available arms and lap. "Harry, stop squirming." He planted a kiss on one blushing cheek and then braced both hands on Charlie. One on each of the redhead's bare shoulders.

Harry instinctively caught on first to what his intent was and immediately fought the arms holding him. "Theo, no! They just went in. You can't bring them out again-"

"Shh, treasure." Theo soothed. He leaned forward to thump his chin on Harry's head. "This will be painless and I will help him refold them after I call them. This is different than before. If they are called out in harmony, they will not pain him."

Harry gnawed on one pink, sorbet lip for a long moment. His hands had shot up to grab Theo's wrists and pull. The Slytherin hadn't so much as budged, but there was warm and honesty in his eyes. Harry gave the wrists one more squeeze and then reluctantly withdrew his hands, gripping Charlie's tanned forearms instead.

"Thank you." Theo smiled. "Charlie, do you mind?"

"I guess not." Charlie half-shrugged. "What exactly will you do?"

"Call out your wings—with my Alpha rights." Theo's eyes burned a sudden, bright golden hue and a visible strand of magical energy leapt to life, crackling and dancing from his shoulders downward and into Charlie. There was a silent moment of anticipation and then, Charlie's wings burst forth in a seamless, fluid movement. They stretched up and then curved around, reaching towards the energy that had coaxed them free.

Charlie stared in a mixture of surprise, remembering how painful they had been moments before. Bharin had magic hands, most likely or Theo was very good with his Alpha-rights. The dragon tamer swallowed, waiting.

Theo rewarded him with a smile and then reached a hand towards his left wing. The rich, navy scaled appendage curved closer, trembling with the faintest of quivers at the first, firm stroke that Theo bestowed upon it. "They healed well." Theo murmured, drawing the wing closer and running his hand along the top, smooth, muscled spine. "May I?"

Charlie licked his lips. "Of course…"

"Good boy." Theo's lips twitched and he curled his fingers, gently scratching along the top-hand corner.

Charlie shuddered for a moment, then straightened, his shoulders moving back. That felt very good. Not overtly sexual in any way, but rather more like a good scratch on an annoying itch. His eyelids slid half-way shut in pleasure, a burring sound catching itself in his throat.

Harry shifted in his beta's lap to sit front-to-back, able to reach out and touch the wings on his own. He ran curious, wondering fingers over the leathery spans, watching Theo's skilled hands work their way on a patch of what seemed to be faintly loose scales. "Does it hurt?" He peered sideways to see Charlie's bliss-filled expression. His own face softened at the sight and he began to administer the same, albeit in lighter, more careful motions.

It took a whole minute before Charlie's self-control slipped away and he was audibly purring for the entire room to hear.

Harry worried at that, looking up to find that except for Ilsa standing in the corner of the room, examining her hands-turned-claws, Medic Kyle and the others had stepped out. He was grateful for the unexpected privacy as his mind connected the dots for what Theo had really wanted. They would exchange scales within the next few minutes, it seemed. He was both happy and a tad annoyed. Glad that he now knew something of what was to come next, instead of feeling entirely and utterly clueless about important things like exchanging scales. The moment he'd seen the look in Theo's eyes, he'd instinctively known what was coming when his Alpha had braced his hands on Charlie's bared shoulders. He'd reacted, remembering Charlie's previous distress with those gorgeous wings and was relieved to see that his beta was handling it so well right now.

Happy, Harry allowed a soft purr of his own to join Charlie's a sound that was mixed when Theo gave a pleased rumble of his own and withdrew one hand bearing a handful of rich, dark blue scales. He held them in the palm of one hand and picked them over with a critical eye. Harry leaned forward in interest, nudging Charlie to garner the redhead's attention.

Both watched curiously as Theo picked through the dozen or so scales he'd scratched free from the wing and sorted out the ones with dents or bent edges. He finally had two dark blue scales, with the faintest hint of blue-black sheen to them and with a flicker of gold magic, had banished the rest somewhere, extending the offering to Harry. "What do you think? Do you like these, would you prefer one with red?" He smiled as Charlie's other wing curved even closer, effectively cocooning them all.

Charlie surveyed the dark blue-black scales with uncertainty. He hadn't really had much of a chance to take a good look at his own wings, but he'd take Theo's word for them at the moment. He wondered if the scales were prettier in some areas than others. A blue-red sounded rather pretty, but he looked to Harry, wondering if the brunet minded either way.

Harry reached for the scales taking them one at a time and turning them over his hands before handing them back to Theo. He bit his lip for a moment, brow furrowed in thought before his cheeks pinked slightly. "They don't feel…right."

"A little dark, maybe?" Theo mused. "That is fine. Let me check somewhere else..." He stepped out from the winged-cocoon and moved to the side, taking the other wing in hand and beginning his gentle scratching.

Charlie felt his eyes roll back in his head as stabs of pleasure rocked through him. He tightened his grip on Harry, jolting when he felt a tentative kiss on one ear and a very light poke in his side. A light poke bordering on ticklish. One blue eye popped open to survey Harry's innocent expression. He could recall a certain little black Nytura, tickling and remembering what it felt like to pin Harry to the floor with his hand up the brunet's shirt. His eyes narrowed and then he readjusted his grip to pin Harry's arms to his sides.

Emerald eyes grew wide in comical expression before quickly shifting to a look of panic when Charlie skimmedthe fingertips of one hand along the exposed skin in the barest hints of a tickle. He froze for a moment, green eyes meeting blue before he tried to fight the embrace.

Laughter spilled out as Charlie tickled him generously for a moment, squirming and jerking at a few moments when Harry managed to get in a few good pokes and tickles himself. A moment later, they stilled and quieted. Harry gave a few huffing laughs, tears at the corner of his eyes. "Ch-charlie!"

A mysterious smirk settled on Theo's face as he'd circled back around to watch them, a new handful of scales awaiting Harry's inspection. Charlie looked up in interest, noting that he hadn't even felt a thing. He'd been too preoccupied. Harry perked up at once, spotting the shiny scales in Theo's hands and shifting eagerly in Charlie's lap.

It took a significant amount of self-control to keep from groaning aloud as Harry wriggled and leaned forward. Charlie silently began to count in Romanian in his head. It hadn't slipped past his notice that Harry hadn't even once tried to move from his lap since Theo had deposited him there. It appeared that the brunet's clinginess extended to him as well and Charlie wasn't about to complain, seeing as this was the happiest and most content he'd ever seen Harry at all.

"That one." Harry's hand darted out, snatching up a perfect specimen. A scale of both red at the top and blue at the bottom with a deep indigo hue swirling in the middle. "This one, Theo. I like it." He turned the scale over, humming in approval, then touched it to his necklace. He made a sound of surprise when the scale seemed to glow and then meld itself around the rich, brown cord already holding Theo's scale. "Wow."

"Indeed." Theo chuckled. He selected one for himself and then banished the remaining scales in his hand before locking gazes with Charlie. "Look at me." He commanded, firmly.

Blue eyes met gold.

"Trust me." Theo's words were velvet and iron tangled together, weighted with his circle rank.

There was an invisible flicker of magic meshing together and then, in a heartbeat, Charlie's wings retracted, folding into his back without a single hitch.

Harry's jaw dropped and Charlie stared.

Fast and painless.

Theo winked. "Alpha's rights." He murmured. "Your turn, Harry.

Theo called Harry's wings out in very much the same method he had used for Charlie. Harry found that he could not complain when he experienced it himself. It was something along the lines of a very needy want to please the ethereal figure before him and his magic rose up and responded accordingly. There was absolutely no pain at all as his wings unfurled and he felt the weight settle. He was rewarded for his troubles with chaste kiss to the scar on his forehead. It made him hum in happiness.

He was now balanced chest-to-chest on Charlie's lap, so that his wings could stretch out and relax enough for Theo to explore the scales. Charlie balanced him carefully and expertly, without comment. Harry gratefully nestled his head in the available neck, breathing in his beta's scent while Theo's magic fingers scraped gently along his wings, rubbing off loose scales and soothing the new, tender ones beneath the rough patches. He found that he couldn't withhold his own purrs of pleasure and made a silent point to himself to be very careful of allowing anyone near his wings in the future.

Charlie and Theo were fine, but if the result happened to be the new hardness trapped inside his trousers, Harry had a feeling that he'd have to be very careful about his wings. He squirmed in Charlie's lap, seeking a touch of friction and hoping that neither of his dominant mates would notice his current predicament.

His face warmed at the memory of the recent park escapade and he had absolutely no doubt that if either of them noticed, that Ilsa would most likely have to leave the room. Harry froze at that and it was a good enough thought to effectively turn him off. He snuck a glance over one shoulder and spotted her, still standing at the entryway, her attention on one clawed hand.

He swallowed hard, grateful for her presence, if only because it had saved him from certain embarrassment. He shuddered, unable to process that particular line of thought any further as he felt a warm hand trail between his shoulder blades, where scaled wing met supple skin. He felt his wings receding before he could process anything further and gave the faintest shudder as they folded all the way in.

"Charlie?" Theo extended a hand filled with a few peach tinted scales bearing the faintest of silvery hues. "How about one of these? Do you like any of them? Harry isn't exactly shedding scales at the moment, do you want to wait or would you rather a temporary-"

"That one is lovely." Charlie reached for an irregularly oval-shaped speck of pink-orange loveliness. He held it up in the light, noting that it shifted to have the silvery, pearlescent hue that Harry's overall wing color sported. "I like it."

"Good." Theo turned. "Oretta?"

The short Gheyo pushed away from the wall and trotted over, her hands falling at her sides. Her golden eyes were rich and sharp as they swept over the trio with a practiced eye. "Ready?"

Harry straightened. "Ready for what?"

"The cord," Theo grinned. "I can spin an excellent one, but Oretta taught me and she is much better at it than I." He reached over, carding a hand through Harry's hair. A moment later, he drew back, holding a few short strands pinched between his fingertips.

Harry blinked. "What?"

Theo handed the hairs to his mentor and waited.

She rolled them between her fingers for a second and then squinted. There was a flash of golden magic when she rubbed and rolled a moment later. To Harry's surprise and shock, it seemed as if his hair and pure magic morphed into something of an elegant, gleaming cord, that hung from her suspended fingers as if she'd spun it out of nothing.

Ilsa looked it over with a critical eye and then handed it over to Theo. He pressed two scales into it, watching as the magic did its work and then held out the finished product for inspection. It was a lovely, thick cord that held one brown-golden scale and one peachy-silver. He twirled it in his hand and then handed it to Harry.

Harry took it seriously, turning it over to check the craftsmanship himself. Admiration shone in his sparkling eyes as he turned back to Charlie and tugged on the cord gently to part it. He circled it around Charlie's neck and then pinched the parted tips, a moment later, the cord meshed together as if it had never come undone. Harry fingered the scales lightly, relieved and amazed to find a portion of his inner self settling down significantly, satisfied with the knowledge that his beta bore more than a mere mating mark.

"Congratulations on your mating." Ilsa said, formally. "Do not waste any time." She pressed a hand to her ear and a moment later, grimaced.

"Oretta?"

"Work." She bit off, pressing her left ear a little harder. "Mauriel? I swear, woman, if you are calling me as your-" There was a flash of golden white with a hissed "-temptrificus Ergen!" and the room was now empty, save for the trio.

"Work?" Harry questioned, staring at the spot where the grumpy woman had stood a moment before.

"She's a trained fighter." Theo reminded him. "and she works the gates, meaning that she is all but a general for the front line defenses for Nevarah."

"Works the gates?" Charlie repeated.

"Border patrol." Theo shrugged. "She monitors the walls and barriers of Nevarah with a special attack unit. They fight back the Fabrine—dark things."

"Fabrine?" Harry's eyes narrowed. "What kind of dark things are we talking about?"

"Anything, really. Fabrine is a blanket term." Theo explained. "It covers little wisps of darkness, possessed creatures, negative energies in sentient creatures and so forth."

"Sentient?" Harry cringed. "Inferi?"

"Worse." Theo frowned. "Do not think about it. I do not, because I know what it entails. Hideous creatures with waves of dark magic coming off—the wrong kind of dark magic."

"There's a wrong kind of dark magic?" Charlie said, wryly. "I was entirely unaware."

Theo looked at him sharply. "Do not repeat that outside of this room." He scolded. "There are Shadow Dragels in Nevarah. You rarely see them outside of Nevarah, if at all and they are the very essence of dark magic. They may not be as visible as other elements and such, but they are Dragels like ourselves, just the same. Suggesting that their magic is wrong or evil is a grave insult of the very worst kind."

"How?" Harry wanted to know.

Theo sighed, softly. "You know dark magic, yes?"

Harry nodded. They'd all learned about that in DADA classes, the whole 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' bit had rather ensured it.

"Alright then, wrap your head around this." Theo sucked in a breath. "There is dark magic and there is black magic. Black magic is the very worst kind. Filthy, abominable and downright evil—it is called black for a reason. Dark magic, is simply light or neutral magic that has shifted priorities. It is hard to gather the line between dark and black, but I assure you that every Shadow Dragel is fully aware of it and struggling with the boundaries every single waking moment of their life. To keep from casting something unforgiveable to modifying their spell repertoire. Dark magic often invites shadow magic."

Harry scowled. "Does it have to be so confusing?"

Theo smirked. "I did not create the system so I cannot answer that. To keep it straight, any Shadow dragels you see here, are most likely either shadow magic users or dark magic users, we can say that our mutual enemy, a certain dark lord, uses black magic—if you need a specific comparison."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Voldemort." He snapped. "Why does every insist on using ridiculous names and titles and-"

Charlie's hand clapped over his mouth. "Because sometimes there's a taboo on the name. You say it and you give yourself away."

Emerald eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror. He shoved Charlie's hand away, turning to Theo. "I didn't-!"

"I am unaware if there is one on the name at this time." Theo said, smoothly. "We shall leave it at that and assume that we can all fill in the gaps for each other, yes?" He tugged the sleeves of his robe even with his wrists. "Now then, it is becoming rather late in the day and I have the most delicious urge to take both of you home and do things that are definitely not meant for polite company." The golden eyes darkened wickedly.

Harry swallowed hard and Charlie shifted, restlessly.

"I will be call the Healers back in now, if you have nothing particularly pressing to ask of me."

Charlie looked to Harry, who seemed to be lost in thought. After a long moment, the brunet finally nodded. "That's fine. I don't want to stay in here all day."

"I doubt Quinn will keep us that long." Theo grinned. "Did he trouble you in any way?"

"Huh? No. I mean, not really. I was worried when you were—I couldn't-" Harry faltered, frustrated. He couldn't parcel into words the intense emotions, energies and feelings that had channeled through him when he'd realized that Theo wasn't physically present beside him. The experience had resulted in some rather acceptable side effects, but Harry knew it was something he did not want to repeat again. Above all, today Quinn had been nice. Well, except for the poking and the scowls since his speaking spell had worn off. Harry silently wondered if the Healer had any alternate forms of communication and if there was any way for him to regain his voice.

When Theo asked the others to return, Quinn was the first one in the room. His bright teal eyes immediately latched onto the newly exchanged scales hanging from their respective cords around the trio's necks. His lips twitched into a smile and he sketched a formal bow in silent congratulations.

Theo returned the gesture with an inclination of the head. "My apologies if I have caused more trouble for you with my temporary absence."

Quinn waved a hand dismissively and turned at once to Medic Kyle. They held a silent conversation, stares locked for several minutes before both turned away abruptly.

Bharin had declined to enter and he stood outside the door, chatting with Wikhn.

"We need to finish the runes," Kyle explained, bustling around them. "and Quinn would like to know what prevented you from using the gel he sent home yesterday?"

Harry winced. "I forgot?"

Kyle stifled a smile. "Then you are lucky that we would not lay a hand on a Submissive, I daresay Quinn would like to smack you upside the head. It was not a friendly suggestion. Your current state of health is rather lacking, the gel would help with more than I could explain right now. Suffice it to say that it is just as much the little things as the big ones that affect your health. Please do not forget to use it tonight." He threw a glance over at Quinn. "Would you could that as scolding enough and stop scowling, please?" There was a barely audible huff from the opposite end of the room and Medic Kyle rolled his eyes. "Never mind him, can you stand? Both of you? We'd best be hurrying things along or we'll run out of time again and there really isn't a good breaking point anywhere between these preparations."

Charlie and Harry slid off the shared examination bed and Theo steadied them both with a hand on their shoulders. He squeezed, gently and then looked to Quinn who was fiddling at the end of the room.

"Good, thank you." Kyle extracted his wand and held it at temple-level with Charlie. "This is a quick, simple and painless diagnostic." He informed them. "Please stand still." He skimmed the wand down the front of the redhead's body, eyes narrowing at the resulting feedback. He then did the same to Charlie and gave a pleased grunt, moments later. "They are ready for the spell, Quinn. Have you made up your mind?"

Quinn's gave a scowl in answer, but he washed his hands at the sink, dried them and then donned a fresh pair of gloves. He stood beside Kyle, checking the results from the diagnostic and occasionally shaking his head.

"Is something wrong?" Theo shifted closer to Harry, waiting expectantly.

"Not quite." Kyle hedged. "It's—well, can I tell them?"

Quinn hesitated, then shrugged. He turned away again, this time to the rack of filled potion vials lining the back wall.

"Thank you." The Medic shook his head fondly. "We were hoping for some different readings since the Soul Seal was removed." He began. "Removing a Soul Seal is pretty serious business and there can be countless side effects both positive and negative if it is not done properly."

"But none of you removed it." Harry frowned. "Theo's Casper—the Sukey, she did it."

"Which brings us to the next issue." Kyle offered a lopsided grin. "The initial projection for the Soul Cast is different now. The results of that little scan was testing your present state to how you were a few hours ago when we started. It appears that the Cast is changing and the colors are shifting. Also, the fact that a Casper removed it means that there may be residual magic from a new signature as well."

"What does that mean?" Harry looked from the Medic to the Healer and then over at Theo, who rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I thought you said mine was pretty bad and if I already have thirteen signature things on me..."

"It was and still is." Kyle emphasized. "However, the removal of the Soul Seal seems to have affected you on several levels. In the short time it was removed to where you are now—it has improved considerably. As for the thirteen, you should only have eleven now, counting the Blood Seal from yesterday and the Soul Seal from a moment ago, but the additional Casper touch, would make it twelve. You follow?"

Harry blinked. "…really? I guess." Theo's hand squeezed gently on his shoulder and Harry leaned into the touch as he puzzled through the new information. "So you wouldn't use the Cast now?"

"Quinn thinks that it would be best to make that decision after we've removed the runes." He gestured towards the painted markings on the bared chest of both Charlie and Harry. "Since Theo's appearance, both of you have reacted favorably to his presence and your magic has responded accordingly." He motioned to Theo. "As these are their Casts, they cannot see them, but I can show you and perhaps you can follow our reasoning?"

Theo stepped away from Charlie and Harry, moving to stand beside Kyle. He looked at the proffered charts in interest and after a moment, gave a short nod. "I see."

"Then you understand?" Kyle seemed relieved. "Of course, we cannot say for certain, but after the runes…?"

"Then runes it is." Theo acknowledged.

The process for removing runes wasn't as complicated as Medic Kyle had made it out to be. Harry and Charlie stripped out of their robes and wore standard-issue, white bathrobes to be escorted to the chamber where the spells would be activated. It wasn't very far from the examination rooms, merely further into the clinic and behind a series of carefully guarded doors.

The spells, Kyle had explained, could be mildly dangerous in terms that it advanced the age of the recipient and so, to be sure that none others were affected, a glass room was needed. The glass would darken to allow some privacy inside and Quinn would cast the spell while Kyle monitored the outcome.

Theo made it clear that he had no intention of being anywhere else but as close to his mates as possible, and surprisingly, Quinn had not argued with that at all. Instead, he'd simply included the young Alpha right along with his plans and had Bharin and Wikhn as their escorts.

When they reached the chamber, Quinn accessed it by pricking his finger to provide a blood sample and appropriate confirmation for the security level.

Charlie had raised an eyebrow at that.

Kyle chuckled. "Quinn has the kind of—clearance, I suppose you should say, for things that most Healers don't." He smiled. "Do not worry, you are truly in good hands."

An empty chamber greeted them and Kyle moved to the control panel beginning to fiddle with the switches and screens. Quinn set about checking the printed readouts for a moment and then, gestured towards the empty room. They entered one at a time, Charlie opting to be first and spare Harry the nerves, so he could see what would happen.

He was first presented with a large bottle of water and a vitamin packet, then two shots of adrenaline and insulin. "Normally, you would not need either of them," Kyle explained. "But this is a special kind of spell. You are going to age and your body will suffer the kind of consequences that might cause you to crash."

Here, Charlie shrugged and accepted the fare. He downed the water, munched on a granola bar and tried not to wince when they poked him with the needles. It made him growl in annoyance.

"You can leave your robe here." Kyle motioned to a hook at the side of the room. "It is best not to be wearing anything inside the chamber. It will age with you and it might interfere with the casting."

Charlie scowled at that and reluctantly slid it off his tanned body.

Kyle punched a few keys on the control panel and the glass walls darkened, adding some extra measure of privacy. Harry shifted nervously, definitely not looking forward to having to bare all in front of anyone other than his mates. Thankfully, Bharin and Wikhn were keeping watch outside the door and the only other two were Kyle and Quinn, but still…

Theo calmed him with soothing rumble while holding Harry tucked against his side, one arm wrapped possessively around the white-robed waist. Harry did not fight the closeness, but rather watched with sharp eyes as Kyle and Quinn set about working around each other with a synergy that was difficult to ignore.

They worked as matched Healer pair ought to, with the occasional mumbled phrase between them until Quinn gave the signal for the go-ahead.

Harry's hands clenched into fists and he watched as Kyle toggled something on the panel and then Quinn pressed his hands to the glass walls and simply poured his magic into it. His breath caught in his throat and Harry felt Theo start behind him. For a moment, it wasn't Quinn, a mute Healer, but rather some powerful and terrifying creature with magic both new and old, twining, twisting and crafting even darkness itself, into lightness to be used. They stared, transfixed as Quinn's head bowed, his hands splayed along the glass and magic in vivid blue-green twined out from his fingers and enveloped the entire room.

Charlie flinched and then several minutes into it, shuddered violently falling forward to his hands and knees as the black painted marks on his body began to evaporate in fine, wispy mists. He trembled for the remainder of the spell and finally gave into it. A handful of minutes later, Quinn entered the room and fed him a vial of blood, a bottle of water and three packets of sugar.

When the dragon tamer could stand again, the Healer supported him with an arm around the shoulders and walked him out and into Theo and Harry's welcoming arms.

"Charlie?" Harry fussed over him, worriedly. His fingers skittered over bare skin and he was grateful for Theo working the spell that began to clothe his beta. As much as he did like Charlie's bared form, he was now worried for the lack of immediate response from said mate. Charlie had looked so vulnerable for a moment that Harry had nearly thrown himself at the glass in an attempt to hide the private moment and protect his newest mate.

"He will be fine, Harry." Theo assured him, with a glance over at Kyle and Quinn, who were now resetting the chamber for Harry's turn.

Harry snorted at that, but did not relinquish his grip on the redhead, even when Theo guided them to a backless sofa to sit down for a moment. He simply wrapped his arms around his beta and held tight, until he felt the broad, tanned shoulders twitch faintly in response. "Charlie?" He tried again.

The ponytailed head thunked gently against Harry's shoulder. "Harry." He said, faintly.

Quinn paused to detour over and hand Theo a large bottle of water. He made a gesture with one hand and then pointed to Charlie, before returning to Kyle's side.

Theo looked at the bottle for a moment, then unscrewed the cap and sniffed the liquid. It seemed to be pure water and after a moment of studying Charlie, Theo calmly pricked a finger with a single fang and dribbled a few drops of blood into the bottle. It turned into a lovely, pinkish hue and satisfied, Theo shifted to place it in Charlie's hands and wrap those large, tanned fingers around it. "Drink up." He advised, smoothing a hand down the sweat-soaked ponytail.

"Was it supposed to be this bad?" Harry turned accusing eyes to Quinn and Kyle. Emerald eyes locked with teal ones and a moment later, Quinn elbowed Kyle.

Kyle's head snapped around and he gave a small smile. "He is actually handling it rather well. There is nothing to worry about. He will be fine. He needs to be kept on fluids for at least three hours, blood-spiked is best. Some sugar will help, but the blood more so than the sugar. A few good meals wouldn't be amiss. His body needs to adjust, this was a fairly intense spell. It forcefully aged his body in a strictly enforced time period." He sighed. "It will most likely work to convert the food to energy and the energy into magical power. It will do this until it feels it is safe once more."

Harry frowned, now looking uneasily at the glass room.

"It is painless." Kyle assured him. "And you will be fine." He nudged Quinn and the Healer trotted over with the same assortment of water and a nutrient square as preparation. "This will let us know if you should actually take the Soul Cast today or not." He frowned. "Neither of us have any desire to push you further than you can handle at the moment, I do understand you wish to have all of these seals removed, but some things cannot be rushed."

"Thank you," Theo said, smoothly. He accepted the items from Quinn and transferred them to Harry, taking over the brunet's job of supporting their beta. "If you wouldn't mind, a moment of privacy would be much appreciated."

Quinn bowed, formally and moved away to work beside Kyle once more.

Before he knew it, his turn had come and Harry found himself standing inside the chamber. There wasn't really a way to properly describe the experience, as it was something he'd never even thought possible. All he knew was that he had no point of reference and that it felt very, very odd.

Time seemed to blur past and the next thing that happened, he was flat-out face-down on the ground and everything was too bright, too cold and too hard. He shivered and shuddered, eyes shut against the whiteness.

A gentle caress on one arm drew his attention and he leaned towards it, instinctively, seeking the warmth from the figure and then rousing himself enough to see that there were treats brought. He allowed himself to be fed a bottle of deliciously cold, clear water. A moment later, a few precious mouthfuls of the most delicious, warm blood filled his mouth and slid down his throat. He chirred happily at that and a blissed-out purr came when a few servings of gritty sweetness was emptied into his mouth as well.

Harry let himself be moved and carried outside to where he was vaguely aware of familiar scents, hands and touches. He snuggled into the warmth of a faintly smoky scent and buried his face in the neck of the one holding him tightly.

"It will take about fifteen minutes before he is a little more of himself." Someone was saying. "Do not worry, it is mostly the age difference between the two that is allowing for the variation in reactions."

Harry snuffled at that, but he didn't care to protest. Something cool and hard pressed against his lips and he opened his mouth to receive a sip of water with the faintest tinge of blood inside. He smiled leaned back, tiredly, drinking in slow, careful gulps as his eyes remained stubbornly shut.

He felt a warm hand resting on his knee and thigh, while smaller hands carded through his hair.

Theo. Charlie. Harry thought, fuzzily. He heaved a sigh and turned away from the water bottle. A whisper-soft kiss was pressed to his brow and he let himself fade into the welcome blackness of sleep.

"You forced his resting period?" Theo's voice was stiff and formal. His hands twitched, faintly as if his claws wanted to make an appearance of sorts. He was torn between the luck of the matter and the fact that he would have rather have been informed of it later.

"No." Kyle soothed. "We did cycle it longer than we'd originally intended though."

Theo frowned. "You should have-"

"You said his resting period was a week and a half, yes?"

The Slytherin gave a short nod.

"You also have a pending note in your file that you do not intend to stay in Nevarah very long. Now, far be it for us, mere Healers and Medics to interfere, but Harry," Kyle's expression softened. "would not have fared very well outside of Nevarah handling his first resting period between all three of you."

Understanding dawned at once. "I see."

"Quinn did not mean for it at first, but when Charlie went first, his reaction was cut short in the middle of what would have been the appointed time for the Resting Period. He thought it was in your best interests to simply cycle the time forward to ease additional discomfort and unrest."

"I find myself agreeing." Theo half-smiled. "Though I do wish someone had mentioned it first."

"I would have," Kyle acknowledged. "Except for I am sure you are aware of your Alpha Rights when it comes to these sorts of things. You needed to be there for both of them, without worrying about the politics of it."

Theo shook his head. "You are the strangest Healers I have ever had the misfortune of interacting with."

Here, Kyle beamed. "We aim to please." His shoulders relaxed, minutely and he tipped his head in acknowledgement. "That said, we have no wish to be keeping any more secrets or in-the-moment decisions from you. Quinn would like to speak about the Soul Seal removal and once Harry is awake…"

"That would be most appreciated." Theo nodded his assent. He paused for a moment. "Er, Medic?"

"Hmm?" Kyle looked up from the control panel. He was the only one in the room, Quinn having left after he'd tended to Harry, to return and prep the examination room.

"My oretta—er—Lady Ilsa, she signed off on this, did she not?"

The Medic's lips twitched faintly. "Aye. Indeed she did."

Theo returned the faint smile. That completed the puzzling equation in his head and he did not worry. Ilsa would have signed off on the release form for the aging spells and likely would have been the one to point out the timeline to Quinn. A tendril of warmth curled through his belly, brightening his countenance at the thought of his mentor looking out for him again—his entire circle included.

CHARACTER SNIPPET : SEAMUS FINNEGAN : THE BURROW

"Mrs. Weasley?" Seamus dropped to his knees beside the distressed woman. Her eyelids had begun to flutter and her hands began to move, the first signs of life they could attribute to her since the rest of her family had left. He exchanged a glance with Dean and then gently nudged Ginny out of the way.

"What's happening?" Lavender demanded. "And what exactly did you mean by worse?"

"Worse in that we should be worried." Dean shifted, restlessly. "Ginny, firecall McGonagall, she said she'd be in the office for most of today. Neville, how are you feeling? Do you think you can move, if you have to?"

The pale Gryffindor gave a wan smile. "If I have to." He winced. "if."

"He shouldn't be moving at all," Lavender griped. A touch of concern flickered across her pretty face. "And I swear, Longbottom, I hardly took anything at all! Now will you please tell me what is going on before I-"

"There's some winged—things—approaching." Seamus said, carefully.

"Winged things?" Neville repeated. His face took on a whole new shade of pale. Lavender squeezed his shoulder gently and drew out another treacle tart from a cloth napkin she'd had in one hand.

"Torvak, I think." Seamus sucked in a breath. "Mrs. Weasley?"

The redheaded witch was now awake, her soft brown eyes snapping with sudden clarity. She forced a grimace. "Seamus." She acknowledged. Panic flickered through her face. "Ginny!"

"Right here, Mum." The little redheaded witch skipped back into the room. "The floo's blocked. What did you do to it?" Her accusing eyes settled on Lavender.

The curvaceous girl straightened at once. "Excuse me? It's your bloody floo! I didn't do a single-"

"Girls." Dean interrupted, patiently. He sighed. "It seemed like there was a barrier along the far end of the property and that there were three young men with black feathered wings trying to break through it."

"…break…through…it?" Ginny's words faltered. "Mum?" She turned her worry directly to the witch she'd always looked up to. "Mum, what's going on? I'm really scared now."

Mrs. Weasley slowly sat up with some help from Seamus' capable hands. She trembled, faintly, beneath his touch and fatigue could clearly been seen rolling off of her in waves. "Torvak?" She looked him straight in the eye. "No redheads?"

Seamus swallowed, understanding the unspoken question. None of the Torvak were Weasleys. "Yes."

A flicker of resolve burst into flame in those warm brown eyes and Mrs. Weasley drew herself up with a resigned, capable air. "I never thought…" her voice trailed off. "Never mind, what I thought does not matter now, apparently. Is this all of you?" Her encompassing gaze swept over them all. "Aye, it is." She answered her own question, grasping Seamus' shoulder to stand upright. "You have all had the chance to speak to your parents?" She rubbed her face and then smoothed her hair back, tucking the limp red strands behind her ears. A smattering of red-orange-pink scales began to blossom along the length of her face, disappearing down her neck and lower. "Speak freely, please. If there is any time at all to tell, it would be now."

The young wizards and witches exchanged looks with each other. "I have nowhere to go. That's why I came with Ron, if you'll excuse my using him." Lavender ducked her head, lightly. "My Mum dinna care." She flipped a lock of honey-brown hair over one shoulder. "I'd be encroaching on her territory if I went home anyhow. Haven't got a Da and he won't care even if I did."

Mrs. Wealsey nodded, briskly. Her slowly sharpening gaze flickered to Dean.

The dark-skinned Wizard quirked a smile. "Native magic." He inclined his head. "Nothing you need worry yourselves of. I am mated well enough, we will bond when the year is legal. My folks will not worry. They know I can take care of my own."

Seamus nodded in confirmation. "The same. Me Mam wishes us luck."

"Neville?" Mrs. Weasley turned to him. "How is Augusta?"

The pale wizard took a shaky breath. "Couldn't reach her."

The redheaded witch gave a faint smile. "She is fine, lad. No worries." Her fond gaze settled on Ginny and she reached at once for her only daughter. Ginny went willingly, allowing the tight hug, starting only faintly when there was the sound of rustling fabric and then a leathery snap.

A collective gasp alerted to her to the fact that something had happened, but she could not backtrack from the tight embrace. "Mum?"

"Shh." Mrs. Weasley beckoned to them all. "Come quickly. We have not the time." Her wings curved forward, protectively. "Stand just inside of my wings, you must trust me."

"Mrs. Weasley?" Neville licked his lips.

"We shall visit your Gran, first." Mrs. Weasley said, smoothly. "The only reason anyone would be stuck at the barriers around the Burrow would be if they had intent to kill or bring about grievous bodily harm."

Eyes grew wide and the young witch and wizards scrambled forward. They stood, awkwardly, half-together and half-touching as the broad wings, peach and faintly red-pink along the spines, sheltered them. The ground shook and the sound of something exploding outside had Lavender grabbing onto Neville and Dean placing a steadying hand on Seamus, who had grabbed the Weasley Matriarch's outstretched hand.

"I honestly did not expect they would send them so soon." Mrs. Weasley said, wistfully. "I thought perhaps, they would eave me alone. That maybe I'd suffered enough, even by their standards." She squeezed Seamus' hand and tightened her other arm around Ginny. "Trust me." The words were deceptively soft. "Everything will be alright."

Something rattled and shook, the door to the Burrow burst open.

Molly Weasley turned with a smirk on her face and magic in her mind. "Temptrificus Saurenth!" A ring of fire exploded outwards, burning around the floor, circling them all. Peach-hued wings glowed the faints of pink-reds and then, an unbearable wave of heat surged upwards with blackness rising along with it.

Seamus turned in time to see one angry, scowling face and a mess of black feathers and blue-magic hurtling towards him as the red flames leapt upwards and everything blurred away.

A/N: And our boys will be leaving the clinic soon and moving somewhere to get a bit of privacy for other, *ahem* things to be taken care of. Thank you for the well wishes, those of you who have been following the info on the forum. A dear Aunt of mine has been in the ICU for over four days and it's been quite stressful. Writing out this chapter helped me to deal with it, so I apologize if it seems a little slow, compared to the last few ones. We'll get back to the action and Harry/Charlie/Theo in upcoming chapters. I promise.

Unneeded--Yep. Pretty much all of the medical things will be sorted between this chapter and the next, by then, the boys will be out of the clinic. There's trouble brewing at the Burrow though. Thanks for reading!

Jan--I'm having fun picking up the other characters. Seamus and Dean are cute! Enjoy the new chapter! :)

~Scion
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There Be Dragons, Harry