(2) Dracarys (D. Malfoy)

Chapter Thirteen

"You are not going again, Dani?" Hermione asks as she walks with Dani, Neville and Ron towards the courtyard. It's another Hogsmead trip, the last one before Christmas.

"No" She answers and shrugs. "I have a divination lesson, plus my grandfather sent an owl, he's going to be here...I thought I would get some time in with him...."

"Do you think he's here because of Buckbeak?" Ron asks, Dani shrugs, she had considered it. That Dumbledore would have contacted Newt to see if he could save Buckbeak, or do something. Maybe even offered Hagrid's position.

"I don't know" She answers. "I hope so" She adds. "If anyone can save him...it's going to be Newt"

"Malfoy overreacted" Hermione points out. "It wasn't even that bad of an injury" Dani keeps silent, offers a shrug. "They have to see that..."

"It's Malfoy" Ron counters. "That family...they won't stop until they get what they want"

"I bet your dad is pretty upset too, Dani" Neville offers, changing the subject back to Buckbeak and away from the Malfoys. Dani nods. She is sure he is as well. Buckbeak is from the family herd, her father would have watched him grow up, trained him, raised him.

"Yeah" She whispers. She really hopes Newt can fix this. "I have to get to my class...I will see you all at dinner" She then walks away, tucking her hands behind her back.

.................

Dani hums to herself as she makes her way through the corridors and towards Dumbledore's office. She's not going to see him though, she's here to see Newt. He's waiting for her. Turns to face her when he hears her humming. He smiles warmly at her.

"Daenerys" He greets softly, she smiles sadly at him and he instantly knows what she needs from him. Newt holds open his arms and Dani is instantly there, taking comfort in her grandfather, who holds to her tightly. Dumbledore has explained as much as he knows. Newt strokes her hair. "It's okay" He whispers to her, trying to comfort her. He pulls back and brushes a few tears from her cheek. "Come on, come here" He motions to a bench close by. "So...How come you are so upset?" He asks her as they sit on a bench, she shrugs a little.

"Maybe I am not cut out to be shadow-kissed" She whispers as Newt plays with her hair. "I keep getting it wrong" She sniffles a little getting upset. "I'm not fast enough" He shrugs and gives her a look.

"You're thirteen" He reminds her. "And you are learning...." She sniffles and brushes her sleeve over her cheek. "Don't be so hard on yourself" She nods a little. "And everyone makes mistakes" He adds and lifts her chin. "Everyone" She gives him a warmer smile this time and nods again.

........

Being around Newt does cheer Dani up, the stories he tells her about the magical creatures he has met and studied. It just makes her more determined to see out her education. She wants to do that. She wants to be a magizoologist or at least a draconologist. It is going to be one or the other but it is definitely going to involve magical animals.

.........

Draco isn't going to Hogsmead this time either, mostly because he knows Dani isn't going, and this is a chance for him to talk with her and not have it be in some quiet corner, or a chance for them to do so uninterrupted. So he goes looking for her. He finds her in a dark corridor with her dragon. Somewhere down near the dungeons, it's not really somewhere he expected to find her. He walks towards her.

"Hello, Draco" she greets leaning up but stays on the floor. Drogon curling up at her side. Draco is drawn to her eyes, the purple in them seem brighter in the dark of the corridor.

"What are you doing down here?" he asks her as he glances around the empty hallway.

"Drogon likes the dark" she answers touching the dragon's head, he pushes back against her nuzzling into her palm. "And the quiet" Draco moves closer to her as she touches the pouch on her belt, Drogon jumping around now, knowing that she has food in there. Dani reaches up, takes Draco's hand without thought and pulls him onto the floor with her, Draco watches her, surprised. Confused. "Here" she comments pulling a small cube of animal meat from a pouch in her belt, she holds it out to Draco who pulls a face, she chuckles and shakes her head. "It's just a bit of cow" she comments. "He eats cow. You eat cow. Everyone eats cow." she points out, they share a look and he takes the cube from her. Drogon watches Draco curious before lumbering forward knowing he's got food, Draco pushes himself back, almost scrambling across the floor. Dani laughs, musical and happy as she watches the two of them. Draco's back hits the wall across from her and he closes his eyes, holding out the piece of meat blindly. Drogon is gentle though when he takes it from the boy. Draco slowly opens his eyes to watch Drogon throw the cube up into the air and then breath fire onto it before catching it and eating it. Draco relaxes a little when Drogon moves back to Dani and away from him. He leans back against the wall and pulls his legs underneath him, mimicking her pose.

"Why a dragon?" He asks her, she shrugs and lets Drogon curl up in her legs. He's wanted to ask her that for years. Most would be happy with a cat, an owl, or a toad, but she's got a shrunk down dragon. But no one seems to know why.

"I wanted one" She answers and looks at him, she says that like it is the most obvious answer in the world, and it probably is. "Dad's a dragonologist" She strokes Drogon's head. "Spent my whole life around them...It wasn't going to be anything else" Her eyes flicker to his arm, still bandaged but no longer slinged. "Does it still hurt?" She asks him, he shakes his head, his fingers touching his arm.

"Not really" He admits.

"Then why do you tell others that it does?" She counters, he smirks at her and shrugs.

"Well you know" He teases, she just stares back at him and then gives her attention to Drogon. He scowls a little, not getting the reaction he thought he would from her. She just ignored him. He's not used to being ignored. He clears his throat and looks away from her. "Are you feeling better?" He asks quietly, unsure that she has actually heard him.

"Yes," She answers but offers nothing more.

"Do I upset you?" He counters, she looks at him and raises an eyebrow.

"You annoy me" She answers. "With your stupid face" She adds, but he can see there is amusement in her eyes, he smirks at her.

"Can't say my view is much better, Scamander" He counters, the two of them sharing a look before she looks down at Drogon, her cheeks heating up slightly. He clears his throat and takes a breath. Wanting to have a real conversation with her. "What are you doing for Christmas break?" He asks. He knows that it is also her birthday, because he knows that it is Vis', and they're twins, and he's not that stupid.

"Dad's going away with my grandfather, something about a bowtruckle infestation somewhere west," She tells him. "So we're staying here over Christmas....it's not so bad.....What about you?" She asks him, he shrugs.

"Traditional Malfoy Christmas" He answers. "Absolutely nothing until Christmas day when my mother organises a big dinner" She looks at him. "And any family members not currently in Azkaban are invited...." She snorts a little. "You have any dark magic?" He asks.

"Nope," She answers. "We're a family of do-gooders"

"Not what I heard" He teases, she raises an eyebrow at him. "Wasn't your grandfather expelled from Hogwarts?" She snorts, they all know Newt's story, about what actually happened, he's rather proud of himself.

"Protecting a LeStrange....that's your family, right?" She adds, the two of them share a look.

"Sort of" He answers. "My aunt's husbands side...so not really" She shrugs. "All purebloods are usually somewhat related...." He reminds her, she hums a little in agreement. He scoots closer to her, sitting at her side as they talk together. Possibly the most relaxed he's been around her yet. Even Drogon seems to be more....friendly with the Slytherin boy.