by my side¹ - d. malfoy

Ten

LAURA DRAGGED Draco out with her on a walk.

She had asked Blaise and Pansy, but Pansy had to finish an assignment, and Draco claimed Blaise had fallen asleep.

Laura looked around; everything looked ethereal and enchanting by the moon's bright glow. It was about midnight, way past curfew, but Laura had things to find.

"What's with the smile?" Draco asked, noticing the smile on Laura's face.

"Nothing, it's just beautiful out here," Laura said with a happy sigh.

"Especially since you're out here," Draco said casually.

Laura snorted at this comment. However, she felt her face heat up a bit.

Draco had been in a flirty state with Laura that week. He made little comments here and there. Though, Laura tended to ignore it.

"Wait-" Laura said, putting her hand out, stopping Draco. "I- is that Hagrid and... Madame Maxime?"

"Yeah... that is them," Draco nodded, squinting his eyes. "I don't get how you like the oaf."

"It's because I'm not judgmental," Laura shot back, causing Draco's eyes to widen a bit. "No majes- or I guess muggles, people, giants, merpeople... they're all people."

"Well," Draco turned away, causing Laura to roll her eyes.

"They're leaving," she said before he could say anything more. "I'm following them. You either come with me or go back to your dorm."

"They're going to see us, Pickering," Draco said, folding his arms.

"No, they're not," Laura sighed, pulling out her Invisibility Cloak. "Not with this."

Draco raised an eyebrow at this. Laura didn't blame him. She got the same reaction every time a new person saw it.

"Funny joke, Pickering," Draco said. However, Laura couldn't help but laugh when he froze as she disappeared. "Laura-?"

"Invisibility Cloak," Laura said, pulling it off. "So, are you joining me?"

Draco hesitated but nodded. Laura pulled him over to her and covered them with the cloak.

They followed Hagrid and Madame Maxime. As they did, they walked further and further from the castle and lake.

Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting roar. It was accompanied by shouting and spell-shooting. Draco looked at Laura skeptically.

"You can still go back," Laura said in a hushed whisper.

"What if you do something stupid? Who is going to protect you?" Draco asked as Laura dragged him to get a better view.

"Oh. my Merlin's beard," she groaned, "if you only came to 'protect me,' I'm sorry to tell you this now, but I don't need protecting. Especially from you, Malfoy."

"I'm still not leaving, Pickering..." Draco didn't finish his sentence, his eyes getting wide. He turned Laura around to see.

Her jaw dropped.

Dragons.

She turned to see four fully grown dragons in a fenced-off area. They watched as they thrashed around, shooting fire into the dark sky.

"Okay, wow," Laura breathed.

Draco was too enthralled by the dragons to say anything.

There was a silvery-blue one with long, pointed horns. A smooth-scaled green one. A red one with a fringe of gold spikes around its face. Finally, a gigantic black one. Laura noticed it looked more lizard-like than the others.