Song: Royals by Lorde
Length: 1.2k words
Harry's POV
The morning dew resting delicately on the emerald grass makes it's way into my leather boots, staining them dark.
Minerva, Severus, and I stand on the border of House Gryffin territory and House Slyther territory, right on the edge of the river. The bridge is beside us, dark and foreboding in the early mist.
House Slyther territory is glamoured with salt and pure, snow white stones placed at the edge of the tributary.
"Why can't we take the bridge?" I inquire, turning to Minerva.
She smiles and looks at Severus.
"Ask him, not me."
I glance at him.
The dark haired man stares into the churning water, his gaze on something I am unable to see.
"If you go over the bridge, you enter House Slyther territory." He begins suddenly, looking up at me. "However, if you cross the river... You still end up in House Slyther territory, but an especially protected sector, protected by means you can't even think to understand. Dumbledore, Tom, and I are the only ones who can access it."
I purse my lips and shift.
"But why is it so protected?"
At that question, Severus snorts, throwing his head back.
"Think for a moment, will you, you bloody Gryffin?"
It occurs to me just as he utters those words. Instead, I exchange my previous question for a new one.
"But why am I the only one who can save the princess of House Slyther?"
There it was.
The question I had been dreading to ask, as I feared it would bring on a negative reaction.
But instead of negative, Minerva and Severus's expressions were stone cold.
"A long time ago," Minerva begins, her gaze on the river. "just before you were born, the duke and duchess of House Slyther had a child. That child was said to be cursed, a product of Tom's experiments. So, in fear of this child growing up to be just like Tom, all the current house heads met and decided to send the child away. However, if the child was deemed innocent when they turned seventeen, the most powerful prince or princess of the four houses would go and save the princess of House Slyther."
"Ah." I mumble, and direct my gaze towards House Slyther's territory, frustrated that I can't see through their glamour.
Out of all the houses, their glamour is the second strongest; House Raven's being the strongest, House Huffle's being the second weakest, and House Gryffin's being the weakest.
"Well," Severus says finally, placing a tentative foot in the river. "we'll be off, then. Harry, you did learn how to swim in your measly seventeen years on this planet, yes?"
I can't help but snarl at his words.
"Of course I know how to swim!"
He only smiles smugly.
"Fine, then. Minerva, I think it would be wise if you shifted to your soul form for the time being, unless you'd prefer to swim in your human form. Same thing goes for you, Harry." He says before shifting into his famous doe form. I follow in suit, shifting into a stag, while Minerva shifts into a rather large cat.
It would be so much easier to swim in our human forms.
But, instead of falling into the river as I had expected, Severus disappears the moment he hovers all four hooves over the water.
I take a glance at Minerva, only to find she has also disappeared.
I sigh deeply.
Glamours.
Ridiculous things, really.
And, without further hesitance, I step into the river.
Before I open my eyes, I don't know what to expect out of that obviously powerful glamour.
Where are we?
When I open my eyes, I know immediately that we're in House Slyther territory.
The sky is it's perpetual silver, shifting with the smell of a close rain.
Yet, instead of calmness, the air churns with stormy anger, electricity crackling along my fingertips like fire along candles.
The emerald grass is covered with a heavy layer of crystal dew, which also sits on the occasional white flower.
When I glance at the horizon, I catch a brief glimpse of an evergreen forest and purple mountains before the clouds swallow up the view.
"What is this place." I whisper, and turn to look for Severus and Minerva.
They're gone.
My heart takes a dangerous leap, and I step backwards, blinking rapidly.
Oh, Merlin...
What the Hell?
"Hello?" I call.
Unsurprisingly, nobody answers.
The world seems completely empty and devoid of life, shrouded in a cloak of silver storm clouds and white fog.
But, when I turn around, I can clearly see a tower in the distance.
Is that...?
The princess of House Slyther's tower, undoubtedly.
Entranced, I take a step forward, only to be pushed back by a particularly powerful gust of wind.
Glaring at the clouds, I force myself to move forward.
But, instead of wind this time, the grass beside me is engulfed in orange flame.
I jump back with a hiss and glance at the sky.
Above me, a strange, large creature circles, its hungry golden eyes on both me and the tower.
I attempt to swallow the lump in my throat.... And fail.
I take a shaky, labored breath before sprinting for the tower.
The dragon lets out a great roar from above me, diving towards the ground behind me.
I gasp as I hear its claws dig into the dirt and grass.
Its roar chills me to the bone, but I forge onward, fueled by my own terror.
I can only wish for Severus and Minerva's company as I near the tower.
It looms above me, great and foreboding, crafted with dark stones and strung with jade vines and crystal flowers.
When I finally arrive at its side, I can no longer see nor hear the dragon, yet I can sense its presence behind me.
Terrified, I begin to clamber up the stones, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I make my ascent.
I throw my head back with a gasp to scan the gray sky.
Nothing.
The dragon is utterly silent, undoubtedly behind me.
But I continue onward.
My breaths become labored as I near the top, especially as I recognize the telltale wingbeats of the dragon.
Those beats become louder and louder, until, eventually, all I can hear is that terrible creature's flying and my own heart in my chest.
Only a couple more feet until the window....
Just as I dive inside, the dragon takes one more breath at me, and my back and right side ignites in flame.
I scream, hitting the stone floor with a loud thump.
When I look up, my tears blurred with pain, I can see a pale haired person standing above me.
The princess?
No. This person is male.
They cross their arms with a huff.
"Aw, damn you. You're a bit late for my happy ending, eh? And, stop moving around... You're going to light the rugs on fire. So, anyway... Are you the prince that was promised to me? Because, if you are, you're a bit of a disappointment."
Part three, anybody?
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sparks~drarry
Fanfictionbaby, you've got sparks dancing between those feather fingers a book of drarry oneshots and headcanons note: my oneshots do get better as they get newer, so if you want to see how i improve as a writer, go ahead and read through the entire book, or...
