Chương 32: Slumbering Dragons

They had barely fit into the Invisibility Cloak when the time came to leave and Anos was sure that their ankles were visible as he held Norberta's cage to his chest. Simon had insisted in any case and Alucard as well as Harriet had agreed to it, so he did not have much say in the matter though he could not guess why Simon would wish to go in the first place; he expected such from Draco yes but not from him.

So, they shuffled and hunched their backs and began to sneak their way out of the Common Room while Hermione and Draco stayed behind alongside Lan, with the latter's only reaction to the plan being to ask "Is the beast edible?" for some reason, but then again Anos had made his bed with this group of madmen he called friends and now he would like to lie in it, but instead he shuffled step by step to the Astronomy Tower instead.

The tower seemed so incredibly far off as they tried to walk, Alucard and Anos in the front and Harriet and Simon in the back as per Hermione's plan.

She had considered their height and told them that since Alucard and Anos were the tallest they could be in the front, so even if their ankles were visible they would have time to see in front of themselves and to hide their legs, while Harriet and Simon could cover themselves as best as they could since they could not see behind themselves constantly and risk someone seeing them from behind without them even knowing of it.

"Ouch, do they feed you or not you bag of bones." Simon said, stopping to rub where his nose had come into contact with Alucard's elbow."I remember some fat swine insisting that he would like to help and he's performing as can be expected of one." Alucard said in reply.

"Well if you like pigs so much why don't you choke on one, idiot," Simon retorted, trying to stand to his full height before Anos grabbed him by the collar with his right hand and pulled him down forcibly as his left hand still held the fitfully sleeping Norberta." I swear to the stars I'll kill you both if we get caught because of your bickering."

Anos said and he believed those words, his father would be extremely disappointed if he was found sneaking around at night, and then he'll be furious that he was sneaking around with a dragon hatchling and all dreams of a summer at the Draco estate would die, because of wailing pigs no less.

"Alright, alright geez." Simon said and they continued to shuffle forward step by step. When they reached the halfway point Alucard pointed out the lack of portraits in the path and while Anos wanted to he could not answer that he knew this to be the safest path for the limited portraits in between; Sir Cadogan had informed him of it. Especially after hearing that he meant to rescue a feeble creature from an unjust fate.

"Continue doing deeds like this and I might just make you my squire." Sir Cadogan had said with pride and if he could come out of the portrait Anos was sure he would be patting him on the back for the adventure, though if he knew it was an almost wyvern that Anos meant as the feeble creature the reaction would have certainly been different.

"Don't look a gifted horse in the mouth damnit, just walk." Anos said, leading them around to the Astronomy Tower as they slowly and carefully made their way past a group of portraits set up in the hallway chirping about sewing and hairnets or something." The phrase says gift not gifted." Harriet mumbled." The horse can be a dragon for all I care. We can argue grammar after we've got this sweet dragon off my chest."

Anos said, as Norberta had fallen asleep but was clenching and scratching at his chest from time to time in her sleep, he could not take the cage away from his chest without throwing off the cloak. They went past the room holding the telescopes and eyeglasses, reached the ladder that would take them up to the tallest point of the tower and quickly got out of the cloak, as Simon set up right beside the gate as a sentinel." Go quickly." Simon ushered them.

"Oh quickly huh? I remember someone else being not so quick just a moment ago. Maybe I should set up a bubble bath right here for me and Norberta." Anos said, vindictive and the hatchling dragon chirped as if in agreement. Harriet got him to shut up as she went up the ladder first, checking to if anyone was there even though it was unlikely someone would be there at 3AM, since the last class ended just half an hour past midnight, and no one lingered over here.

She motioned for Anos to follow with Alucard at the rear. Anos shifted the cage in between his torso and arm as he climbed with the other hand.

'Fucking death trap school, asking for sensible elevators would be too much.' Anos cursed as he reached the top, putting the cage on the ground before lifting himself up, reasonably sure that his clothes now sported a fine layer of dust. Alucard came up a moment later and dusted at his clothes before joining them as they stared down the side of the tower.

"You gave them the right time right?" Anos asked and if Alucard was annoyed he did not show it in his speech. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"They'll be here any minute now." Alucard said and Anos gently shifted Norberta's cage, the dragon sleeping well now though he hoped she would continue to do so after he gave her to whoever was coming to pick her up. They waited, shuffling their feets and whispering quietly. Once in a while one of them would think that Simon was warning them from down below but it would be nothing but their imagination." They should be here." Alucard said, scratching at his ring." Well they aren't, so sit and wait."

Anos spoke, gently settling himself against a wall that allowed him a view of the horizon and placing the cage next to himself.

"Well, will you both standing in greeting make them appear faster? Just sit down." Anos said, patting at an empty spot to his side. Alucard sighed but followed to sit in front of him while Harriet sat at his side." Looking at her sleeping almost makes you forget that she can maim you to hell and back." Anos said, pointing at Norberta lying belly up, breathing in slowly. Harriet strained her eyes to see in the dark, before simply shaking her head." Both of you can see in the dark, I can't." She said huffing."

I drink blood from flesh, the boons given to our kind are simply recompensations for our curse." Alucard said, brushing a hairlock to the side,"Well, I also happen to not be human with no idea what I'll grow up to in the future. Wanna exchange?" Anos asked Harriet in turn and she quickly shook her head. They sat in silence for a bit before she spoke again.

"Well it can't be all bad can it? I've known you since like forever. I think you'll grow up just fine." Harriet said with innocence, so when Anos replied his gaze did not leave the sky.

"There's much and more I can turn into and I assure you not all of it is great." He answered before blinking and looking at her "But, I do make for a good best friend huh?" He continued, nudging her with his elbow.

"Who said we were best friends?" Harriet asked slyly and he chuckled in turn." Well, some things don't need to be said. I simply am too good to not be considered the best of friends." Anos answered and Harriet laughed but more surprisingly there was a chuckle from Alucard." You think entirely too much of yourself." Alucard said with a smile." At least I think." Anos replied good naturedly." Fair, wouldn't want you to not enlighten us with the ongoings of your wise mind."

Alucard said, coughing into his hand that suspiciously sounded like a chuckle." The path to enlightenment is paved in pain." Anos answered with a self satisfied nod while Harriet gasped before hitting Alucard on the shoulder.

"Look! Your stupid way of speaking infected my best friend." She said in mock outrage while Alucard doubled over chuckling freely now while Anos despite wishing to tune the laugh out could not bring himself to do it.

"What in the seven hells are you talking about? I was born this way, my first words were 'Father, this milk is terribly uncouth and distasteful in nature. From which cow have you brought this? Return it to its udders at once.'

" Anos spoke, mimicking the voice of his uncle Lucius best he could while his friends laughed freely."Uncle Vernon says my first words were me cursing." Harriet shared and Anos rolled his eyes."Well I think this uncle Vernon is a bit of an arse." Alucard said, putting his weight onto his ankles.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen, such vile words. Simon needs to know." Anos said, still chuckling. There was a brief lull of silence followed by 'Don't talk behind my back!' from beneath the stairs which broke the friends into a laugh again.

"What were your first words?" Harriet asked Alucard and Anos hissed at the question even though Alucard remained unphased.

"I believe my first words were 'Brother', I was a terribly late speaker surrounded by entirely too many of my guardian's servants." Alucard said, with a tinge of melancholy that dissipated with the night mist as he talked again of different things, never straying close to the topic of childhood again.

They were speaking of the lack of railings in the school when there was a sudden shadow over the opening followed by a shape taking form which obscured the moonlight that seeped through, misty black shadows hid the rays of the moon as they quickly stood up, Alucard losing his smile before Anos had even noticed the new presence.

"Well, I believe there's a dragon I have to carry." The stranger spoke, face hid behind a mask of shadow as dark as his cloak, as he spread his right hand forward towards the dragon's cage cloaked in fine black cloth.

"Is this the guy?" Anos asked Alucard, less in disbelief and more in confirmation as Alucard nodded, first to the stranger in greeting and then to his friend in answer. Anos picked up the dragon's cage and walked to the stranger, he could see him clearly beneath the cloak, the sharp features that matched Alucard's and the hair that matched the cloak he wore in turn. More visible than any other features was the stranger's presence, thick and viscous in the air as he raised an eyebrow at Alucard.

"Your friends are unbecoming of yourself." The stranger spoke in a strange heavy tongue, his voice dark and hoarse. Anos recognised it as cold speech and before Alucard could think of anything to say he already replied in the same heavy tongue with a tinge of warmth.

"I believe my brother can decide that for himself or do you not trust in his wisdom?" Anos asked as the man seemed to smile for a moment beneath his cloak before inclining his head." Some wisdom remains to him then, I shall do my duty." The creature spoke, inclining his head in greeting towards Anos who carefully gave up a sleeping Norberta to him, the dragon gave shallow breaths but did not wake from the exchange." If I may talk with you for a moment."

The stranger spoke to Alucard and they both stood silently, Harriet confused at the interaction while Anos tried to think of how they were communicating, arriving at some mixture of Legilimency as the answer. The exchange was brief as the stranger melted into the darkness alongside the same silence he had formed from in a few moments, taking the dragon's cage with him, but the mind spoke faster than the tongue and Anos could not know what they spoke.

Alucard said nothing as they descended the stairs, looking resigned. When they stood at last at the base of the ladders Anos saw Simon with a bloody lip, mouthing 'sorry' as Percy Weasley stood behind him in turn shielding a Maxwell sporting a rapidly bruising eye while trying to curl in on himself. Behind them all of course stood his dad, with that same dark cloak and a rather unflinching grimace on his face. And it was that most of all which made Anos grow cold in fear.