The dragon King

14

'Hermione, this is madness. They've been in there for 5 days now, and haven't shown since. What if something happened, or something is wrong?' Ron asked for the 4th time today, while pacing back and forth the room. 

'Ron, calm down. If there was something wrong, we would have felt or  smelled it by now. And it is very natural for a dragon to hide their mates once they've found them. Their mates need to be engulfed in their scent for at least 3 days, so the mates can adjust to and take in the scent. Every dragon has a different scenting ritual, just as a different mating ritual, battle rituals and death rituals, they have different times of processing things,' Hermione explained calmly, her eyes never leaving her arithmancy book. 'Also, it would be much better if you'd just focus on arithmancy, instead of wasting your time. This chapter needs to be finished by tomorrow.' 

'Hermione, you don't understand. My best friend is in there, and-' 

'I do understand, Ronald Weasley, he's my best friend too!' Hermione cut him off. 'Now sit down, get your book and start reading, this needs to be finished by tomorrow, you haven't even started yet, and you know by experience that this is difficult material to read.' 

Ron huffed at that and plopped down on the couch. 'I just don't know how you can stay this calm.' 

As speaking of the devil, the door to Harry's dormroom opened. A voice sounded. 'Remove or burn all dangerous things. Clear the air of outside smells. Empty the couch and the table. Then sit down on your knees, and keep your heads low. Now.' 

Ron's face showed confusion, but Hermione didn't doubt the voice. She quickly cleared the air and Ron joined in, emptying the couch and table, and then together removing all dangerous things in the room. Then they sat down on their knees, heads bowed, waiting for Harry to speak again. 

Soft, nervous footsteps walked down the stairs, and behind them, soft but firm steps. 'You may raise your heads now, but don't move,' Harry spoke. He stood on the stairs, two steps higher than the twins, his wings surrounding them, leaving just a small stroke open for them to look around. The twins stood nervously between his wings, holding hands and almost quivering. 

'Aren't they precious?' Harry asked rhetorical. He slowly but steadilly pulled back his wings, revealing more and more of the world to his mates. 'Stand now, Ron, Hermione. Mates, go forth, and take their scent.' 

Fred and George slowly walked over to Ron and Hermione, like prey walking to predator. Hermione and Ron had stood up carefully and slowly, as not to startle the mates nor Harry. Once Fred and George were a meter apart from Ron and Hermione, they started sniffing the air, and quickly realised, this is Master's scent! , and quickly came closer, rubbing their faces on sleeves and shoulders, blind to the awkwardness of Ron and Hermione. 'Harry, please call them back. We want no fight today,' Hermione said. Ron looked confused at her. 

Harry whisteled, and Fred and George calmly walked back over to Harry, and sat down on the stairs, next to his legs. 

'Are they ready?' Hermione asked. Ron once more looked at Hermione in utter confusion. 

'Yes. At least I think they are,' Harry responded. 

'Good. About time. Tomorrow we can try to go to breakfast, and maybe even outside, to the closed parts of the gardens. Would they be ready for that?' Hermione asked.

'Not without the two of you there. I need backup. My mates need to stay as close as possible, so I won't have my hands free. We need to make sure nobody can harm them. You need to free a part of the Gryffindor table, easy accessible. We go back to our nest now. Sleep awaits.' 

And with that, Fred and George rose, and the three walked back to Harry's dormroom. 

When the door closed, Ron questions came. 'Why did we need to clear the room like that? Why did we need to kneel? And then the rubbing on our arms, what was that for? And a fight? How could we start a fight at that moment? Then lastly, ready? Ready for what? Breakfast?'Ron rattled on. 

'Keep it down , will you, I'll explain. Clear the room, so the mates won't be startled. Kneel so they won't feel oppressed. The rubbing, as a sign of acceptation and recognition. A fight, bacause we aren't Harry, though we carry his scent, and he would have gotten jealous and bitten our heads off. Then lastly, ready for the outside world. The past few days, the minds of your brothers have gone down to basic instinct-thinking. Any good or even delicious smell could send them running, just like every little sense of danger. Running off could only get them into more danger,' Hermione explained as she counted on her fingers. 

Ron plopped down on the couch once again, now taking up the whole couch, sighing and rubbing his temples. 'Too much to process right now.' 

'And even more with the arithmancy you need to finish. Better get started..' Hermione grinned.