Rescuing Dragons

A Party with Secrets

 The next few weeks seemed to go by in a blur. Raven was kept busy planning her classes, teaching, grading papers, keeping her storeroom stocked, researching her father's notes, and taking her turn walking the corridors at night to make sure students weren't out after curfew. She saw Charlie during meals and they got together on weekends, usually to ride at night over the Forbidden Forest. Raven rode on Brae, and Charlie used his racing broom. She was impressed with his flying skills. "I'm surprised you're not on a Quidditch team!"

"English National team tried to recruit me but all I've ever wanted was to work with dragons."

"Seriously? You're constantly surprising me!" Charlie just grinned and did a few more rolls on his broom.

Charlie had taught Brae to come to the word, "chérie," the French word for sweetheart, after he heard Raven call her "sweetie." Luckily, thestrals have very good hearing so Raven didn't have to yell very loud. Brae always came immediately, which was both good and bad. If she was in the middle of eating, she brought her meal with her. Raven never knew what half eaten creature might be dangling from her mouth when she arrived.

________

The day before the party, Raven and Charlie were discussing how they would get there. "Could just ride together on Brae," Charlie suggested. "She's a lot faster than my broomstick."

"Well, the problem is... I want to use a bubble head charm so my hair doesn't get ruined by the wind," Raven said, looking embarrassed.

Charlie thought for a moment. "We could try putting one bubble around both our heads at the same time."

"That might work. I'll look into it."

"How 'bout I figure it out? You're not the only smart one you know," he said with a wink.

"Okay, I'll meet you inside the Front Hall tomorrow evening at seven forty-five."

Raven woke up the next morning with mixed feelings. It's always fun to dress up for a party. And she did look forward to seeing Draco and Astoria, and possibly even Narcissa, but she was worried most of the people there would be — I don't know — sociopaths?

Dilly already had her clothes laid out for the evening. Raven had purchased a formal dress from Gladrag's Wizard Wear. It was a full-length, black, strapless dress that had a long slit on the left side. There was a dark green bolero jacket to wear over it and an inside pocket where she could stash her wand. The finishing touch was a pair of black high-heeled ankle boots.

Raven went down to breakfast and took her usual seat next to Charlie. "Are you sure you're up for tonight?" she said teasingly.

"With you and Chit there to protect me, I'm not worried."

After breakfast, Raven went to her office to grade papers, only taking a brief time out for lunch at her desk. She glanced at her clock. It was time to get ready. Dilly was finishing a final check on her clothes, making sure every crease and fold was gone. Raven slipped into the dress and looked at herself critically in the mirror. It fit like a second skin. At first, she considered just leaving her hair down with a few curls but then decided to add some height to her short stature. With Dilly's help, she French braided her hair up, starting at the back of her neck, ending it in a loose bun. A hair comb with a few of Chit's glossy feathers attached went under the bun. After touching up her makeup, there was just one decision left; what jewelry to wear? She had considered a delicate necklace Lyra had given her when she was young but Dilly pointed out there was another one that was perfect. Narcissa had sent it to her on her seventeenth birthday, the same day Raven found out she was her mother. It was a black choker with a silver pendant of a raven head in profile. It was engraved in a Celtic style and an emerald was mounted where the raven's eye would be. Small emerald drop earrings went with it. Raven added a silver cuff bracelet from Lyra that had embossed feathers swirling around it. Finally, all that was left was to put on the bolero jacket and appraise herself in the mirror. The green jacket brought out the green of her eyes. She was pleased with how it all came together.