The Dragons of Raveana

Summoning Dragons

Draco ran his hands slowly down the front of the black robe he wore, absently straightening the folds and brushing away imaginary wrinkles. He stood before the mirror in his bathroom glaring angrily at the reflection cast upon it. His features were pinched with distaste, blue eyes narrowed. Sniffing, he picked up the white mask resting upon the marble vanity and held it in front of his face. The mask did nothing to hide the fire burning in his pale orbs, nor did it conceal the revulsion and revolt that he felt at being forced to darn the Death Eater garb. Sneering at his image, he swung around and stalked from the room.

He halted just within his bedroom, hands fisting at the sight of his father perched elegantly upon his bed, ankles casually crossed. Resuming his course, Draco strode to his desk and seated himself gracefully. Swivelling in the chair, he observed his father while sliding his right foot into a black boot. "What are you doing in my room?" He asked finally, running the zipper up the inside of his leg. Patiently waiting for the older blond to respond, he grabbed the other boot and dragged it slowly on.

Lucius sighed heavily, slumping for a moment before shaking his head and straightening his spine. "Tonight, Draco, will either guarantee our survival or be the cause of our deaths. Unfortunately, all this rests upon your ability to play the Dragon's Maw. Neither I nor Severus will be able to cover for you; the Dark Lord will be riveted completely on you and the flute." Lifting a slender hand, the blond combed long fingers through his mass of hair. "Voldemort is fully expecting that the Mage Dragons will arrive shortly after you have called them. I need to ask you, my son, if you think the dragons will come."

Rolling his eyes, Draco rose and stretched fluidly. He turned away from his father and dragged open the top drawer of the desk, pawing noisily through its contents. His fingers snagged the silver chain he'd carefully placed there earlier, pulling it free of the clutter and debris. Spinning around on his heels, he held the necklace up and watched as the charm hanging from it swung back and forth. "Do you know what this is?" He demanded softly, stilling the dangling golden ring with a gentle touch. The flying dragon engraved on the metal winked at him, the emerald twinkling with promise.

"Please answer the question, Draco." Lucius said, leaning forward and squinting to better see the object his son was fondling. Frowning, he shook his head and stood, closing the distance between them in a few long strides. His hand reached out to capture the chain but he found himself clutching only air as the younger blond took a graceful step backward.

"I'll answer your question when you answer mine," Draco responded. Taking a few steps farther away from his father, he slipped the necklace over his head and cupped the ring resting above his heart. He ignored the huff of annoyance Lucius issued, turning his attention to the silver flute sitting forlornly on the small table next to the bed. Moving closer, he perched himself on the dark duvet and tucked his feet beneath the bed. His fingers fell away from the ring in favour of the instrument's shining keys, playing lightly over the rough dragonheads.

"We don't have time for these games," Lucius bit out. Whirling around, he stalked the length of the room, dark robes floating eerily in his wake. He gritted his teeth when Draco remained silent and turned to face him, flexing his fingers in agitation. When his son arched an eyebrow and glanced at the clock, he snarled softly and tangled his fingers in his hair. "I'd hazard a guess and assume it was some expensive trinket you felt the need to purchase but by the way you're handling it I'd say it's a little more than that."

"How obsverative of you," Draco commented, flicking his gaze to the wizard standing across the room. Shaking his head slightly in amusement, he picked the silver flute up and held it lovingly, thumbs brushing absently over the smooth metal. "Reginald Malfoy married Raveana Draconis; the ring I carry belonged to him. Even if I didn't already hold her flute, the ring would probably guarantee me some power over the dragons. However, the holder of the flute will not command the Mage Dragons; they have already chosen their leader. And to answer your question, the Mage Dragons will come to the call of the Dragon's Maw, their ability to hear the summons across great distances has already been proven."