Once Upon A Time (A Drarry FanFiction Collection)

Chapter Eleven

   "I'm looking for the prince," Harry said.

Immediately, the dragon roared, the gust forcing Harry to stumble backwards several steps as fire glowed at the back of the creature's throat.

"Stop, STOP!" he commanded, throwing his hands up again, but making no attempt to reach for his sword. "He is not yours to keep. I simply wish to take him home and leave you in peace."

The dragon lowered its head and glared at Harry, who held his chin up high in defiance.

"Though," he added. "If you could broaden out your hunting grounds, I'm sure the people of my town would be most grateful for the increase in mutton and lamb."

The dragon snorted again. It almost sounded like a laugh. Its tail swished behind it, and Harry tried to work out the colour of its scales in the fading light. It was dark to say the least, perhaps black or stormy grey? He didn't get long to ponder though, as the dragon crouched down, bringing its head closer to Harry's level.

"That's it," Harry whispered. "Good boy, nice and slow."

He didn't know if he should try and get around the dragon, but then he decided he should probably talk to it some more. He'd never tried to plicate anything larger than a horse in the past, and even then there had been times when he had received a kick to the chest for his troubles. This beast had far worse to offer than wayward hooves though.

"Good boy," he repeated keeping his words simple. Too much talk confused an animal (and indeed, some men for that matter). He would keep his actions strong and his tongue thrifty if he was to have any hope of calming the monster. He took another step, wishing to soothe the dragon before attempting to bypass it. "That's it, shhh."

He was tempted to strain to try and see where the rest of the cavern lead, but he knew better than to take his eyes away from his charge. So he would just be patient, like he had been this past day, these past few years as well. "Good boy."

He advanced slowly. The beast twitched and swiped its tail, but gradually it hunkered down, never moving its eyes from Harry either. He could feel his heart thumping hard against his chest, and Harry feared the beast could surely hear it, but he didn't let that slow him as he stepped closer once more.

The dragon seemed almost curious as Harry reached out his hands towards the end of its snout, closing the gap between them. "That's it, nice and easy," he said. "Good boy."

Eventually, his fingers touched scales, and Harry gasped in surprise. The creature was warm under his hands, and with the contact it let out a rumble from deep in its throat. It was almost like a sound of contentment, and Harry had to fight against his frayed nerves to stop the mirth from bubbling out his own mouth at the idea of a dragon purring like a kitten.

The dragon though leaned into his touch, just like a pet seeking affection, and Harry stared down in wonder. This beast had eaten many men this afternoon, and yet here it was, within minutes of Harry's care, drowsy with submission.

"Good boy," said Harry once more, stroking the smooth scales under his skin. "Good boy."

It all happened so fast.

A storm of purple smoke swirled into life as great cracks of thunder and lightning boomed against the cave walls. Harry was thrown several feet backwards, and scrambled to his feet urgently to see what manner of spell was encompassing the dragon. It was no longer visible behind the angry clouds, and sparks of light kept Harry from coming any closer. He felt a pang for the dragon – had he broken the spell, was it vanishing into existence as quickly as he suspected it had come? It couldn't have been real then, but still, it was still a creature, just like his godfather's farm animals.

The wind tore at his clothes as the spell continued to roar, and gradually, the purple smoke diminished, the tornado churning itself smaller and smaller, until...

...until there was no dragon left at all. Only a young man dressed in fine clothes, swaying on his feet and blinking his eyes in disbelief.