Winging It 8
Title: Winging It 8
Author: enchanted_jae
Character(s): Harry/Draco, Arthur/Molly, Ron/Hermione, ofc
Word Count: 1000
Rating: PG
Warnings: Non-magical AU, age-disparity (Draco is approximately nine years older than Harry)
Disclaimer:Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Written for: Birthday gift for lyonessheart, who requested more of Winging It
Summary: All in a night's work for dragonriders.
Draco and Harry bolted upright at the same time.
"Salzaria!" Draco blurted, while Harry cried, "The dragons!"
Draco's heart was racing as he struggled to disentangle himself from the blanket. He nearly fell off of the elevated pallet, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't in his familiar cavern in Hogsmeade. Harry began pulling his clothing on as Draco ran for his own room, intent on doing the same.
They emerged from their separate rooms, nearly colliding with the other dragonriders.
"What's going on?" Hermione whispered, sounding anxious.
Arthur grabbed Ron's arm to prevent him from pelting down the stairs, and he held his hand up for caution. "Let's take a moment," he counseled quietly. "From Weasley, I am getting a sense of annoyance and curiosity. He is neither frightened nor angry."
"I agree," said Molly. "Although Prewetta is feeling protective of something."
"None of these queens was due to hatch, yeah?" asked Ron.
Draco, Molly, and Hermione shook their heads.
"Alright, let's go see what has them so excited," said Arthur. "We will be quiet and contained," he added. "There is no need to create a spectacle."
The others nodded at his sage advice, and with Arthur in the lead, all six of them composed themselves and descended the stairs of the inn.
Once outside, they quickened their pace. As they left the village behind, they had only the moonlight to guide them to where their dragons were clustered together near the flat rock where they'd sunned themselves earlier in the day.
Draco was mildly alarmed. This wasn't typical dragon behavior. Normally, mated pairs like Salzaria and Hedwig would be in close proximity to one another, but a group of dragons seldom engaged in such behavior. The queens were in a tight knot, while their mates formed a loose perimeter around them, almost as if they were guarding something as a group.
The drakes warbled greetings, but the queens hissed and flapped their wings in agitation.
The dragonriders halted uncertainly.
"Are you sure one of them didn't lay an egg?" asked Harry.
"They aren't that protective of their eggs," Hermione reminded him. She lifted her chin and strode bravely forward.
Hedwig's head snaked down, blocking her path.
"What the shard?" muttered Ron.
Molly took charge. "Arthur, Ron, Harry," she said. "Call your drakes to you."
As they did so, the drakes reluctantly broke rank and padded to their bondmates, leaving the queens clustered together.
"Draco, Hermione, calm your queens," Molly instructed, even as she stepped forward and stroked Prewetta's muzzle.
Draco reached for Salzaria, but she reared back on her haunches, extended her wings, and flapped them. Draco was taken aback. "What has gotten into you?" he asked his dragon.
"They're protecting something," said Hermione.
Draco felt breath on the back of his neck. He turned his head, nearly bumping noses with Hedwig. "Erm, Harry...?"
"Hedwig, get back," Harry scolded the drake.
In the meantime, Molly and Hermione succeeded in coaxing their queens forward.
Draco peered under Salzaria's wing and saw...a woman.
Molly gasped aloud. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I...I felt safe here," the woman replied, straightening slowly from her crouched position.
Draco frowned in confusion and took a step towards her. Salzaria blocked him with her head. "Salzaria!" he cried again.
Hermione cautiously approached the Muggle woman.
"Be careful," Ron urged her, moving closer to his partner.
Salzaria spat a gout of flame over his head.
"Bloody hell!" cried Ron, jumping back.
Hermione raised her hand before the others could raise their voices. "I need the men to move back, please."
They obeyed, albeit reluctantly, and Hermione moved closer to the stranger in their midst. "Do you need help?" she asked in a soft voice.
The woman sniffled and ducked her head. The movement, combined with the moonlight, allowed Draco to see a dark bruise on her cheek. She seemed to firm her resolve. "I would like to go to Hogsmeade with you," she said. "I heard talk in the pub that you don't mistreat your women."
Draco's stomach dropped at her words.
Molly shouldered past Hermione and grabbed the woman's hands. "Who has mistreated you, dear?"
"My h-husband," she hiccuped in reply.
Draco heard Arthur swear softly behind him. Arthur didn't move, but he pitched his voice to be heard in the protective circle of queens. "Marriage among Mu...uh, Mainlanders is sacrosanct."
"Please, sir!" the woman entreated. "I am not afraid for myself, but I am now with child."
Molly turned imploring eyes on her partner. "Arthur..."
He held up a hand. "We'll discuss it. Hermione, please stay with our guest, won't you?"
The others gathered around Arthur.
"It is not my intent to deny Hermione a say in this, but we cannot have a tie vote," he said. "Now, what shall we do? My concern is that there will be trouble with the Muggles should we abscond with someone's spouse."
"But, the poor dear has been mistreated," Molly protested.
"And, she's with child," added Harry.
"We don't want to bring trouble to Hogsmeade," said Ron, making his position clear.
All eyes turned to Draco. His face warmed, and he was glad the darkness hid his flush. It was apparent that he had the deciding vote. "Arthur, Ron, I appreciate your concerns," he said. "However, our queens have chosen to protect this woman. Can we, in good conscience, do any less?"
"Right, then," Arthur said with a decisive nod. "How shall we do this? Seamus and Dean won't return with their boat until tomorrow."
"We could have her don Molly's cloak and sneak her into the inn," Harry suggested.
"We can hide her in my room," said Draco, warming to the idea. "Harry and I will share his quarters."
"As if you haven't been already," Ron teased.
Draco's face got hot again, but he had no chance to respond. Molly was already busy unfastening her cloak and swinging it from her shoulders.
"What are we waiting for?" she asked cheerfully. "Let's get this rescue underway."
Winging It 9
Author: enchanted_jae
Character(s): Harry/Draco, Arthur/Molly, Ron/Hermione, ofc
Word Count: 1000
Rating: PG
Warnings: Non-magical AU, age-disparity (Draco is approximately nine years older than Harry)
Disclaimer:Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Written for: Birthday gift for lyonessheart, who requested more of Winging It
Summary: All in a night's work for dragonriders.
Draco and Harry bolted upright at the same time.
"Salzaria!" Draco blurted, while Harry cried, "The dragons!"
Draco's heart was racing as he struggled to disentangle himself from the blanket. He nearly fell off of the elevated pallet, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't in his familiar cavern in Hogsmeade. Harry began pulling his clothing on as Draco ran for his own room, intent on doing the same.
They emerged from their separate rooms, nearly colliding with the other dragonriders.
"What's going on?" Hermione whispered, sounding anxious.
Arthur grabbed Ron's arm to prevent him from pelting down the stairs, and he held his hand up for caution. "Let's take a moment," he counseled quietly. "From Weasley, I am getting a sense of annoyance and curiosity. He is neither frightened nor angry."
"I agree," said Molly. "Although Prewetta is feeling protective of something."
"None of these queens was due to hatch, yeah?" asked Ron.
Draco, Molly, and Hermione shook their heads.
"Alright, let's go see what has them so excited," said Arthur. "We will be quiet and contained," he added. "There is no need to create a spectacle."
The others nodded at his sage advice, and with Arthur in the lead, all six of them composed themselves and descended the stairs of the inn.
Once outside, they quickened their pace. As they left the village behind, they had only the moonlight to guide them to where their dragons were clustered together near the flat rock where they'd sunned themselves earlier in the day.
Draco was mildly alarmed. This wasn't typical dragon behavior. Normally, mated pairs like Salzaria and Hedwig would be in close proximity to one another, but a group of dragons seldom engaged in such behavior. The queens were in a tight knot, while their mates formed a loose perimeter around them, almost as if they were guarding something as a group.
The drakes warbled greetings, but the queens hissed and flapped their wings in agitation.
The dragonriders halted uncertainly.
"Are you sure one of them didn't lay an egg?" asked Harry.
"They aren't that protective of their eggs," Hermione reminded him. She lifted her chin and strode bravely forward.
Hedwig's head snaked down, blocking her path.
"What the shard?" muttered Ron.
Molly took charge. "Arthur, Ron, Harry," she said. "Call your drakes to you."
As they did so, the drakes reluctantly broke rank and padded to their bondmates, leaving the queens clustered together.
"Draco, Hermione, calm your queens," Molly instructed, even as she stepped forward and stroked Prewetta's muzzle.
Draco reached for Salzaria, but she reared back on her haunches, extended her wings, and flapped them. Draco was taken aback. "What has gotten into you?" he asked his dragon.
"They're protecting something," said Hermione.
Draco felt breath on the back of his neck. He turned his head, nearly bumping noses with Hedwig. "Erm, Harry...?"
"Hedwig, get back," Harry scolded the drake.
In the meantime, Molly and Hermione succeeded in coaxing their queens forward.
Draco peered under Salzaria's wing and saw...a woman.
Molly gasped aloud. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I...I felt safe here," the woman replied, straightening slowly from her crouched position.
Draco frowned in confusion and took a step towards her. Salzaria blocked him with her head. "Salzaria!" he cried again.
Hermione cautiously approached the Muggle woman.
"Be careful," Ron urged her, moving closer to his partner.
Salzaria spat a gout of flame over his head.
"Bloody hell!" cried Ron, jumping back.
Hermione raised her hand before the others could raise their voices. "I need the men to move back, please."
They obeyed, albeit reluctantly, and Hermione moved closer to the stranger in their midst. "Do you need help?" she asked in a soft voice.
The woman sniffled and ducked her head. The movement, combined with the moonlight, allowed Draco to see a dark bruise on her cheek. She seemed to firm her resolve. "I would like to go to Hogsmeade with you," she said. "I heard talk in the pub that you don't mistreat your women."
Draco's stomach dropped at her words.
Molly shouldered past Hermione and grabbed the woman's hands. "Who has mistreated you, dear?"
"My h-husband," she hiccuped in reply.
Draco heard Arthur swear softly behind him. Arthur didn't move, but he pitched his voice to be heard in the protective circle of queens. "Marriage among Mu...uh, Mainlanders is sacrosanct."
"Please, sir!" the woman entreated. "I am not afraid for myself, but I am now with child."
Molly turned imploring eyes on her partner. "Arthur..."
He held up a hand. "We'll discuss it. Hermione, please stay with our guest, won't you?"
The others gathered around Arthur.
"It is not my intent to deny Hermione a say in this, but we cannot have a tie vote," he said. "Now, what shall we do? My concern is that there will be trouble with the Muggles should we abscond with someone's spouse."
"But, the poor dear has been mistreated," Molly protested.
"And, she's with child," added Harry.
"We don't want to bring trouble to Hogsmeade," said Ron, making his position clear.
All eyes turned to Draco. His face warmed, and he was glad the darkness hid his flush. It was apparent that he had the deciding vote. "Arthur, Ron, I appreciate your concerns," he said. "However, our queens have chosen to protect this woman. Can we, in good conscience, do any less?"
"Right, then," Arthur said with a decisive nod. "How shall we do this? Seamus and Dean won't return with their boat until tomorrow."
"We could have her don Molly's cloak and sneak her into the inn," Harry suggested.
"We can hide her in my room," said Draco, warming to the idea. "Harry and I will share his quarters."
"As if you haven't been already," Ron teased.
Draco's face got hot again, but he had no chance to respond. Molly was already busy unfastening her cloak and swinging it from her shoulders.
"What are we waiting for?" she asked cheerfully. "Let's get this rescue underway."
Winging It 9