Toward End Game
Chapter Three
By Libertine
Toward End Game
Chapter Three
By Libertine
As they plummeted down into the darkness, Ron had the feeling something was wrong. Draco's body was freezing cold again, icey to the touch, and Ron's skin was almost burning as Draco wrapped his arms around him. The white dragon seemed to be on some kamikaze death-dive – they were going so fast Ron's lips almost reached his ears. He wanted to yell out, but his vocal chords had wrapped themselves about his ribs.
He couldn't see the ground beneath them. He dug his nails into the white dragon's body and simply held on.
Then all of a sudden they were out of the crack – the walls had vanished, and they were flying down towards a city – a Muggle city – a skyline – England! Ron thought. What on earth was going on? They were there to destroy the medallion, weren't they? He was desperate to shout at Ralph, to ask what the hell the dragon was –
Ron remembered he could speak Dragon. Like, duh, he reprimanded himself.
What the fuck do you think you're doing? he swore into the white dragon's brain.
Wow, Ron. I thought you'd be happier to see me, Ralph taunted. Or maybe not. You and my Master don't get on very well. Such a shame.
What? Ron blinked, as best he could with his eyelids pinned to his forehead.
Silly little wizards shouldn't play with important artifacts, said Ralph. You could get yourself into all sorts of trouble. Thank goodness those dragons were so stupid that they didn't realise how the medallion had to be destroyed, when the answer was staring them right in the face. Bad luck to them.
Wh-what?
My Master will be so pleased. I've brought him the key to the End Game. You can't stop us now, little wizard boy. The world will be destroyed.
Okay. Back track a bit. I lost you, right after the bit you started talking about having a Master. Since when did dragons have Masters?
But I'm not a dragon, wizard boy. Animagus – and thanks to my Master, a dracimagus, too. I'm surprised you didn't notice – but you weren't very clever, were you? Always relying on that girl who kept that awful cat. I had to stay as far away from you as I could, so that you wouldn't notice.
Wouldn't notice what? Ron yelled.
Yes, I'm rather curious too, Draco said, in a rather high pitched voice. Ronnnn.. what the hell is going on..
Even as he sped downwards to the moonstruck metropolis, Ralph extended one of his forefeet.
The foot itself was missing, all the way to the haunch.
"Wormtail," squeaked Ron, with his lungs pressed against his heart.
I'm guessing this is a bad thing, said Draco.
We have to get off! Ron screamed.
If you say so.. Ralph-or-Wormtail swerved in mid-air.
Ron let out a scream as his fingers lost contact with the dragon's slippery scales. With Draco still clutching to his back, he dropped like a stone.
"My god, Weasley," Draco growled into Ron's ear, as the wind flew past them. "The shit you get me into."
"Aaaaaaaah," went Ron, flailing at nothing.
"Didn't I tell you all this would end in tears?"
"Aaaaaaaah," said Ron, again.
"Shut up. I have my wand, you git. Oops, no I don't. Must have fallen out somewhere along the line."
"Whaaaaaat?" Ron screamed.
Draco smirked. "Just fucking with you, Weasley. Here – leviatus corpus."
Their descent began to slow, and they bobbed a few metres off the ground before finally coming to rest in the middle of the street. Ron threw himself away from Draco, his hands over his face.
"Oh my fucking gods," he babbled incoherently, kneeling on the pavement.
Draco sighed, and looked up. He could just see the last trace of the white dragon flitting away across the sky – looking for his Master, whomever that happened to be. He tucked his wand back into his robes, and suddenly became aware of the crowd of Muggles who surrounded him, gaping wide eyed.
"Oops," said Draco. He sidled over and kicked Ron in the backside. "Ron," he hissed. "There's people here to see you."
Ron was beyond hearing. Draco thought he heard the tough, cool and composed Ron the Rogue whimpering for his mother.
Draco sighed a second time. He looked around at the crowd.
"Damn those suicide pacts," he said, offhandedly. "They never seem to go right, do they?"
The crowd continued to gape.
"We're gay," said Draco, loudly. "We're homosexual lovers."
All of a sudden the crowd realised, to a man, that they had better things to do with their time. They became very interested in the ground, and then pattered off in all different directions.
"My stars. So father is right," Draco muttered, hauling the gibbering Ron to his feet. "No one wants to hear about my sex life."
Lucius gripped the corners of the photo album. He and Harry had been sitting on the top of the staircase, tossing suggestions to each other, when Lucius noticed the images beginning to resolve to a more familiar landscape.
"They're here," he said, standing, abruptly.
"Huh?" said Harry.
"Dracotius averantha, and bloody now," Lucius snapped, gesturing with his wand.
"..about my sex life," said Draco, appearing suddenly in the middle of the floor of the hall, with a drooping Ron in his arms. He blinked, and did a double-take, trying to regain his bearings. "Well – that was unexpected," he muttered.
"Where have you been?" Lucius snarled.
"Off with dragons. Eesh, dad. I'm twenty five, you know." Draco made a face, and let Ron fall back onto the floor. "Hi, Harry." He wriggled his fingers at Harry.
"You bastard," Harry began, starting forwards. "You have no idea –"
"Explain yourself, Draco," Lucius growled, following Harry.
"I want my mum," said Ron, in a small voice.
"Father," said Draco, raising his hands.
"Draco," Harry spat.
"Harry," Lucius cautioned.
"Lucius?" Harry asked.
"Harry," Draco looked at the floor, remembering what he'd done.
"Draco," Lucius began.
"Father?"
"Draco."
"Harry. Draco.."
"Lucius."
"Stop that," said Ron, snapping out of his stupor. "And – I think I need another pair of trousuers," he added, into the silence.
It took them the better part of an hour to sort matters out. When they were finished, all of them were rather flushed of face – especially Draco, who'd been on the recieving end of two slaps courtesy of his irate boyfriend, one from Ron, who was doubting his sexuality even more, and six from Lucius, who'd felt that he should be the one to reprimand his son, and had whacked Draco twice for each blow the other two had struck. Draco's ears sung, painfully.
"Narcissa's out of the running," said Lucius, frowning. "She's drunk so much even I can't sober her out of it. I suppose it will have to be the four of us."
Ron, who still hadn't gotten his fresh pair of trousuers, shifted from foot to foot in a sticky way.
"My bedroom," said Draco, helpfully, noting Ron's discomfort. "In the closet – ow, what the hell did you do that for, Potter?"
"You bastard," Harry huffed.
"I was talking about his pants, you git – ow. Yeow! Father, he's pulling my haaaair.."
"If you both don't stop, right now," said Lucius, in an even tone, as Ron headed out of the room, "it's Veela time. Apocalypse or no."
Harry let go of Draco's hair, and Draco stopped biting Harry's wrist.
"I can't believe I have to face Voldemort with you three," Lucius muttered. "What do you plan to do to him? Bitchslap him to death –"
He was interupted by a shout from Ron. They hurried after him, and found him standing by a window, staring out at the moon.
"Would you look at that?" Ron breathed.
The moon was green – a bright, shimmering green. It hung high in the sky, and for a second the image of a dragon was seen, breifly shuddering across its surface. Then the picture splintered, and was gone. The moon separated into four even quarters, split with clear black lines.
"This isn't good, right?" said Ron.
"Bugger," Harry agreed.
"It's starting," Lucius said. "Let's get into the circle.."
They ran. Behind them, the moon darkened, and then went out completely.