The Dragon Heirs | House of the Dragon x Harry Potter

Chapter 4

The flickering green flames in the Slytherin common room cast long shadows on the walls, adding to the somber air that seemed to cling to Rhaenyra and Daenerys. The room was unusually quiet for a Friday evening; most students were out having fun or disappeared into the dark corners of the castle. The sisters sat on one of the leather couches near the fireplace, deep in thought, barely speaking to each other or to anyone since the Quidditch match the other day. Rhaenyra stared at the flames, trying to make sense of the turmoil inside her.Daenerys sat beside her, arms folded, stealing concerned glances at her sister. The warmth of the fire couldn't melt away the cold tension gripping their hearts.

Just as the silence settled, the door to the common room swung open. Lorenzo, Blaise, and Draco walked in, their voices low but curious as they noticed the sisters seated alone.

"Look who's gone all mysterious again," Blaise commented, flopping into an armchair across from them.

Lorenzo, less playful than usual, narrowed his eyes slightly, leaning against the arm of the couch. "You've both been weird lately. What's going on?"

Rhaenyra's heart skipped, but she kept her face neutral. "Nothing. Just... tired."

Draco snorted. "Right. You lose one match, and suddenly you're all moody."

Daenerys shot them a cool glance, protective of her sister. "Not everything's about Quidditch, you know."

Lorenzo wasn't letting it go, his gaze flicking between the two sisters. "It's more than that. You've been distant for days. What's going on?"

Rhaenyra exchanged a glance with Daenerys, their shared secret pressing on them, but she couldn't let it slip—not now. She forced a small smile. "Just girls stuff. You boys wouldn't understand."

Blaise leaned forward, grinning. "Try us."

Rhaenyra chuckled lightly, masking her anxiety. "Trust me, Blaise. You'd be bored to death."

Draco rolled his eyes, standing up. "Whatever it is, just sort it out. We need you focused for the next match, Rhaenyra. We're not losing to Gryffindor again."

Lorenzo's gaze lingered on Rhaenyra a moment longer, searching for something she wasn't ready to give. "Yeah. We can talk later, alright?"

As the boys left them to their thoughts, the room fell silent once more. Rhaenyra let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, but the weight of everything still pressed down. Daenerys, sitting close, whispered, "We can't keep dodging them forever, Rhae."

Rhaenyra stared into the fire. "I know."

The warmth from the fire crackled softly as the silence settled back into the common room. Rhaenyra leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her fingers absentmindedly brushing through her hair. Daenerys still sat beside her, the tension thick around them like the dark green velvet curtains hanging by the windows.

"They're right, you know," Daenerys finally broke the silence, her voice almost a whisper. "We've been distant."

Rhaenyra's eyes didn't leave the flames. "What else can we do, Dany? We can't tell them. Not about... everything."

Daenerys sighed and shifted in her seat, drawing her legs up onto the couch. "I hate this. Lying to them, dodging questions. They're our friends. And Lorenzo—" she stopped herself, but Rhaenyra knew where her sister's thoughts lingered. Lorenzo wasn't just any friend.

Rhaenyra pressed her lips together, her heart heavy with the weight of it all. The truth felt too dark to share, too dangerous to bring to light. Not just because it was about their family, but because of what it might change in their relationships—what it would make of them in their friends' eyes.