“I still have pictorial proof of that one too”

Dracon wouldn’t exactly say he had a monkey face, but she did have proof of his yelling and excited face, if that was the same thing. When she had asked him to go to the quidditch match over the summer, he had been surprised. They hardly knew one another, mainly by name, and she was asking him to go on a date. Well, that’s how he viewed it anyway. It all seemed a little untraditional for him, but before he could tell her no, she subtly reminded him why he knew her name. She was the cousin of Dominick Wiedman of the Falcons – he was their star beater. He had the skills that rivaled the Broadmoor brothers and matched their viciousness pound for bloody pound. Now, he was a Tornados fan through to his core, but the Falcons were in a very close second. When she promised him a meeting and handshake of his favorite beater, Dracon couldn’t say yes fast enough. They went, and while he was expecting an awkward game of mild mannered clapping, she surprised him again with her enthusiasm. Not an inappropriate amount, she wasn’t stripping off her clothes or painting her face, but she cheered and seemed generally excited to be there. Dracon was obviously sharing her excitement. She had snapped a picture of him and he had grabbed her and she stretched out her arms and snapped a few more pictures of herself with Dracon behind her. In one photo, he made a distorted face behind her just to see her laugh.

What happened during the game was fun, but it was nothing compared to what happened afterwards. They found themselves snogging behind the stands, only a few paces away from a family’s tent. Perhaps he was drunk on quidditch, but he found it impossible to keep his hands off of her. Likewise, Liviana seemed to welcome his hands and his mouth all over her. They stumbled into the empty tent and he pulled her shirt off, sticking against her like glue, and began to feel for her zipper when she stopped him. It hadn’t been awkward after that, another surprise, but they spent more time walking closer to each other and kissing. It took almost two weeks for Dracon to finally write to her, a short simple sentence to let her know he was thinking about her. After that, they were almost inseparable. There was just something about Liviana that he needed to have, and everyone knew that Dracon loved a good challenge.

Dracon tilted his head after she spoke, their bodies planted at the back of the line. “Well, at least Ah’m a good looking monkey, right?” The line moved forward a little and they stepped up. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a small and private kiss on her neck.

Liviana just laughed, resting one hand over his as he slipped his arms around her middle, “Yes Love, I dare say you’re the most hansom monkey I’ve ever let kiss me”. The line was shortening with each passing minute but she felt as though they were in their own little world. The displays of public affection were uncommon for her. She hadn’t ever really shared that with anyone else - the little touches and not so private kisses…her other relationships had been very controlled and chaste. It showed a difference in mentality, she had decided. They had a very “grown up” [for lack of a better word] relationship. When she thought about her life with Dracon it stretched out beyond a point she could see. With other boys it had never been that way, she could always picture herself with someone else, moving on, living her life outside of that relationship. It seemed insane after such a short time [having spent the previous six years only vaguely aware of one another in a “oh you’re my friend’s cousin”/”you’re my cousin’s friend” sort of way] he would be so ingrained in her life - as much a part of it as her siblings or Giselle. There was no picture of the future without him in it - though it did present some problems as he was going away to study after graduation and she still didn’t know what she wanted to do with herself for sure.

At long last they reached the front of the line, and a petite blonde girl stood behind the counter with an exhausted smile. There was still a line of about fifteen people, easily, that stretched behind them and she almost felt sorry for the girl until she caught how the witch was eyeing Drake. Feathers ruffled slightly, she looked down her nose at the blonde, scowl curling the corner of her lips. She said nothing - but the expression on her face said a lot. To her benefit the blonde seemed to take note and quickly rang Liv up. The exchange was terse at best and Liv stepped away from Drake with her bag. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much - it wasn’t as if she was really insecure. There was just that feeling in the back of mind, knotting up her stomach, that while she could pick and choose any boy she wanted too Drake had the same luxury with women. He was charming and well spoken not to mention completely stunning. Granted he didn’t seem very attracted common girls who had to work but sometimes she felt that feeling was just a cover for something else. It brought her mood down slightly as she waited for him by the door.

Dracon wondered how many monkeys she had kissed. Before he could ask her, they were next in line. The blonde girl behind the counter looked expectantly at them, but said nothing and waited for them to start the transaction. Dracon let go of Liviana and stepped beside her, watching the bag being set down on the counter. Dracon placed both sets of fingers on the counter edge and drummed his fingers as the girl gathered the candies. By chance, he happened to glance up at the cashier and saw a set of brilliant green eyes looking up through dark eyelashes at him. Her mouth tweaked a little and a shadow of a smile crossed her lips before she looked down and began to count the candies. Dracon smiled a little, still slightly surprised but also flattered for the attention, and looked at Liviana who was casting a laser beam from her eye sockets at the top of the blonde’s head. When the cashier looked up to input the number of treats into the register, she almost fell over when she discovered Liviana was staring at her. The girl moved quickly now and shove all their candies in a golden bag with a black silk bow tied at the handles and handed it over to Liviana without anymore eye contact to either of the couple. As soon as Liviana touched the bag, she moved out of the way and stood next to the doorway. It didn’t take a seer to know that she was standing ridged, her muscles tense from her toes to her lips. He half expected to see her arms fold and stomp her feet like her dear friend Giselle was so famous for. Dracon quietly shelled out the amount and gave the girl one quick apologetic smile and thanked her before stepped out of line and shoving his wallet back into his coat.

Dracon opened one arm and draped it over Liviana’s shoulders. “All right, luv?” he asked her as they walked out the door, his head turned to look down at her face. His neck craned sideways to get a better view of her face, trying to make eye contact. It wasn’t that the cashier wasn’t pretty, or that he had anything against a hard working girl, but she looked like a muggleborn to him anyways. She was at the very least a halfblood, and he didn’t date halfbloods – friends were a different situation. There was a difference between talking to a halfblood and sharing your bed with one. It just didn’t seem right. He understood why some other people did it, and that was their business, but he felt that if he wanted to become a proper, respectable pureblood, he needed to act like one. Besides, Dracon had slightly more class than to pick up another girl while on a date with a different one. Unlike some, he had standards and a code of operation.

Dracon decided to change the subject and get her mind off whatever had bothered her so much. The couple walked past a few local hot spots, like The Three Broomsticks and Madam Malkin’s. Quality Quidditch Supplies were just up ahead and Dracon was eager to peek in the window and see what the shop’s new line had to offer, not that he could ever afford one from there, but it was nice to stare at the items that existed only in his wildest fantasies. The shop in comparison to his family’s was, to say the least, different.  Just before they passed the last shop before Quality Quiddtich, Liviana stopped and Dracon jerked back when the body connected to him ceased movement. With a puzzled expression, he turned to Liviana just in time to be pulled by his hand into the Magical Menagerie.

Alright luv? ALRIGHT?! Taking a deep breath she silently fumed as he slipped his arm around her and once again they were greeted by the cold night air. She found herself huddling closer to him for warmth without really thinking, “She practically thrust her breasts at you,” her voice was a low displeased hiss. “I absolutely cannot stand girls like that - and yes, I realize my best friend is a girl like that. Giselle can’t help it, it’s in her nature. That girl wasn’t even pretty enough to one twentieth Veela. Obvious dye job”. Her tone was quite catty, a part of her wishing she could slice through the girl’s ego and jab all of her insecurities.  Perhaps it bothered her so much because it was so obvious that she and Drake were together - even if they weren’t actually “together”. They were acting very much like a couple standing in line, his hands lingering on the softest places of her body, almost cooing in her ear, honestly if she were part of the spectacle she’d probably have found it disgusting the way they seemed compelled to touch one another.

It went back to being territorial perhaps - and also acutely aware of how many women must do that all the time. All she could ever do was trust him, which she did - because well it wasn’t like he encouraged the blonde candy tramp. But what if there were other girls? What if he had a string of girls in Cardiff? There were so many questions she never got to ask. To a degree she appreciated it because it meant there were a multitude of things he probably wanted to ask, that she wouldn’t want to answer, so he didn’t. Full disclosure was not part of whatever agreement between them this was. It was unsettling to have something she’d been fretting over earlier that day trust into her face. She was completely overreacting - much like Giselle would have, but it was difficult not to.

She didn’t want to be “that” girl, but some part of her already was. Chewing on the inside of her cheek she didn’t respond, simply resting her head against his shoulder and giving a small sigh. She would get her insecurities under control. She would not ruin this night. Her little pet talk lasted right up until the passed the Magical Menagerie storefront. In the window display was a collection of various pink and purple fuzz balls that instantly made her lips curl up at the corners. She loved Pygmy Puffs. They were so adorable and affectionate. It was like a puppy without all the horrible work of house breaking. Stopping in her tracks she eyed one of the older looking puffs, big and furry. It was adorable and she found herself making an “awwuh” noise in the back of her throat, “Let’s gone in for just a minute, please”? She didn’t wait for him to answer before tugging him toward the door and slipping inside the noisy shop. It was warmer at least than out on the street and like most girls, snuggling adorable things made her feel better.

“She practically thrust her breasts at you”

That was nearly impossible not to laugh at. Dracon stifled a laugh, barely, but a small noise echoed in his throat and in his nose. He didn’t know if she’d appreciate her words being laughed at or if she was in a bad enough mood that she would take it at him mocking her or at the very least not taking her seriously. He did, but the phrasing was funny and the literal image that it formed in his mind was equally amusing. “I absolutely cannot stand girls like that - and yes, I realize my best friend is a girl like that.” Dracon nodded, with a yes-that’s-true expression on his face. “Giselle can’t help it, it’s in her nature. That girl wasn’t even pretty enough to one twentieth Veela. Obvious dye job” That he could also agree with, Giselle, even though he knew the attraction was only on one level and it was a deep mind manipulation charm that her friend was genetically encoded with, still overran his senses when she was around. He didn’t like Giselle in that way, she seemed like a fun girl who was filled with life and moxie, but she was far too high maintenance. Giselle needed constant attention and that was something that Dracon was lacking. His attention went to what he needed first, like school or quidditch, and then whatever was left over went to social gatherings. Luckily for him, Liviana was mostly the same way although she managed her time a bit better since she had a little less on her plate. Basically, Giselle was undoubtedly gorgeous, in a memorizing and dangerous way, but she wasn’t for him and he thought the feeling was mutual. The girl at the cash register would be hard pressed to find a man who’d prefer her over a Veela - half or not.

Dracon had let Liviana fume and sulk all the way down the road until she suddenly, with new vigorous tone, decided to go into the Magical Menagerie. Of course he followed her, as if he had any other choice in the matter, and the two disappeared inside. The shop was emptier as it grew darker outside, only a few random spurts of Hogwarts students walked the aisles. Dracon glared as they walked past a group of fourth year Gryffindor boys who were poking their fingers in a cage of enormous purple toads. Subtly, as Liviana was talking and scanning the store eagerly, Dracon gave one of the boys a hard bump of his elbow as they passed. The boys turned and muttered under their breath before clearing off. Dracon, pleased with himself, turned his attention back to Liviana and what she was saying. They walked past a large white bin with no lid and several pink and purple puff balls rolling around inside. Beside their habitat was a noisy cage of ravens that Dracon stopped to look at as Liviana stood beside him, enthralled with the puffs.   

It was a huge cage, from the floor to the ceiling, and contained no less than over twenty ravens that fluttered about. Some used the iron bars that ran vertically as grips, wrapping their enormous talons around the bars and hanging sideways. Others sat perched on the numerous rungs to eat, screech, or fight with the other birds, and the rest flew the cage manically from one rung to another, chasing each other in a bird frenzy. Some were fat and stout while others were tall and thin. The only thing they all had in common were their stark black bodies and beady black eyes. As Dracon drew closer, some took notice and twitched their necks sideways in curiosity. He decided they looked wicked and wished that Chester wasn’t such a pain in his arse so he could bring one home. Then, after hearing the cawing from a period of time, figured that one raven would probably be annoying as ten Chesters.

Holding the Puff helped. Ignoring the fact he’d had to bite back a snicker also helped. She knew she was overreacting. She trusted him, even if women threw themselves at him all the time it didn’t mean he reciprocated those feelings. It wasn’t even women in general she was threatened by. It was one girl, in particular that Liviana vaguely worried about in the back of her mind. The thought was always there, the idea that if Maeve wanted Dracon she could pick him up easily. The problem of course was that Drake didn’t have the bank roll to finance the kind of life a Whitman girl would be use to. While Liviana was half Whitman…well it was the part furthest from the purse strings. She loved Meave… in that “we’re distant relatives and we used to run around in nappies together” way - but she was also aware that Meave posed a potential thread to the things that were making her happy.

\That was something that made the petite seventh year just a little bit sensitive. Still, that was no reason to get upset over some other blonde who obviously used an inflation charm to fill out her uniform. Turning toward Drake, who seemed thoroughly engrossed in the cage of crows she tapped his shoulder, “Does he look like a Melvin to you? I think he might,” her voice was softer again, a signal the brunt of her annoyance had faded away and she was one again calm. “I can picture him in little suspenders and glasses”. Her silly joking wasn’t as enthusiastic as before, but she was trying as she held the purple Puff in front of his face, her voice comically croaky “Kiiiiiss Me Drae, I will turn into a tall skinny blonde girl”. So, maybe, she was going to get her digs in where she could. He’d smiled at that stupid girl.

She didn’t go around encouraging boys to thrust their hips at her, why should he get to smile at candy store floozies. Besides he got angry the afternoon he walked in on Fergie giving her a hug and got upset - not only was Ferg only fifteen, he was gay as the day was long. She got one hissy fit, it was only fair. She did give him a small smile though, to sort of indicate she was only teasing him. Pulling the Puff back she touched the tip of it’s nose, “I always wanted a Puff- but Redmond would have pecked it’s poor little eyes out before I’d had it for a day. He’s such a nasty little bird - which of course means he’s Aliec’s favorite,” she sounded rather amused as she gently petted the puff, “And to round off the ‘things that make Liviana’s life sad’ list is the fact I never got a puppy either,” this time she really did laugh, her brow eyes flicking to Drake’s face, lips curving back into their former smile.

There were a tap on his shoulder. Dracon looked over at Liviana who stood there looking at him. “Does he look like a Melvin to you? I think he might” His first thought was wondering who the hell Melvin was and who looks like him. Then there was a purple puff in his face suddenly and Dracon had to move his head backwards quickly to avoid getting a pygmy puff in between the eyes. He blinked to readjust his sudden focus and looked down at the little creature in her hands. He personally didn’t understand the love of pygmy puffs. Dracon thought they were ugly little beasts with goblin-like features disguised in pretty colors that memorized girls into believing they were cute. He wondered if there was perhaps a charm on them that made them appealing to the opposite sex. Since he didn’t think goblins were cute at all, he didn’t think their miniature, halfbreed cousins were very cute either. But Liviana apparently liked them well enough. “Kiiiiiss Me Drae, I will turn into a tall skinny blonde girl” Dracon smiled and with an equally joking expression of amazement and tone, he said, “really now? Well, in that case.” Dracon leaned forward as if he intended to kiss him but pulled back just in time and gave a light laugh. “No, can’t even fake it, luv,” he said, shaking his head. Dracon wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, a playful smirk on his lips. “I only kiss cute things, and that thing isn’t cute,” he said, kissing her forehead while she played with the puff in her hands.

“I always wanted a Puff- but Redmond would have pecked it’s poor little eyes out before I’d had it for a day. He’s such a nasty little bird - which of course means he’s Aliec’s favorite”

What she said gave him a spark of an idea. The way she continued on about how she never got a puff made the spark into a light. Dracon relaxed his arms around her waist and let her go, allowing her room to move on her own without him stuck to her hip. A crowd of vistors came in behind them and Dracon looked back at them before nodded forward to Liviana, “what’s that in tuh cage up there? Tuh orange snail.” Dracon waited until she had moved forward to investigate and the crowd moved in between them before making his move. Dracon quickly look back into the bin where she had put Martin (or was it Marvin?) and tried to find the puff she just sat down. They all looked bloody the same but knowing Liviana, she would’ve been able to spot the difference. As fast as he could, he spied the one who looked a little startled to be away from the warmth of her hand and the biggest one of the lot and scooped him up. He thought he heard her call his name as he reached the cashier with the purple puff tucked into his coat pocket. The cashier looked surprised to see Dracon pull the puff out and gave him a strange look. The Slytherin nodded to the back of the store while he set the puff down, “fer a girl, yee see.” That seemed to clear the matters up and in a few moments more, the puff had a little bow tied around it’s neck. The bloke behind the counter wanted to put him in a box but Dracon thought that would look mighty suspicious and didn’t want her to see it until they left the store, so he opted to carry the little monster in his pocket.   

Working his way back through the crowd, he found Liviana’s shoulder and placed his hand on it and smiled when she turned around to look at him. “There yee are, thought Ah lost ya’,” he said casually.

She gave him a rueful smile, and stuck her tongue out at him again as he pretended to lean in and kiss the Puff, “Watch it or you won’t be kissing anything else tonight,” it wasn’t really a threat because she knew it would be impossible to push him away - even if she was mad. Sometimes the way she melted for him made her mad at herself. When she was keeping score she liked to be in control. She was used to being in control. With Drake she wasn’t, she hadn’t been since the first time he kissed her - right after Dominik had managed to send someone sailing off their broom. It had left her mind reeling and as the night progressed she felt almost drunk. She was never that scandalous and reckless. She was not the sort of girl who enjoyed full frontal snogging in a strangers tent at a Quidditch match. He brought that out in her. It was both thrilling and… well a little scary. It made her vulnerable and gave him a certain power over her.

She smiled as he kissed her forehead, and then followed is line of eyesight to the orange snail, “Ugh, and you think Pygmy Puffs are icky looking,” she laughed a little, moving to inspect the slimy creature. She didn’t do snails, slugs, or flobberworms. Actually she hated flobberworms most of all. Daz had always kept them in the garden when they were growing up - due to their mucus’ use in potions. When Liviana was four she had a distinctly unpleasant memory of tripping over a rock and landing face first on one with an open mouth. She had been thoroughly traumatized. She still got the heebies when she had to use their mucus for anything. Just the pervious summer she and Aliec had been in the garden when one happened to move across her bare foot which resulted in much shrieking about having just been flobbed.

When she looked away from the snail, her skin crawling more than a little bit with all the images it conjured up for her, Dracon was nowhere to be seen. Looking around the store she stood on her tip toes trying to see between the ages and bins, past people’s heads, “Drae? Where the devil have you gotten off to? This isn’t funny,” and if that were true she oughtn’t have sounded mildly amused by the whole thing. She wondered if maybe he’d stepped outside, and headed toward the storefront just when he caught up to her, turning to look at him she grinned, placing a fleeting kiss on his cheek, “Is that right? If I didn’t know better I’d think you were trying to distract me the way you vanished back there,” Slipping her hand into his she pulled him toward the door, “Come on, let’s get some Coco and go down by the lake? Maybe I’ll give you your present in exchange for getting you into a pair of skates”.

Dracon tried not to think about the little puff ball in his coat pocket. All he could hope for was that it had relieved itself prior to being pulled out of the habitat. He wouldn’t be a very good mood the rest of the night if he pulled out the beast and felt a sticky pile of feces in his pocket, and he doubted very much that Liviana would be into snogging if he smelt of pygmy puff urine. Liviana mentioned that it seemed like he wanted to vanish the way he suddenly disappeared like he did, and all he could do was give her a shake of the head and a believable smile as he pulled her out of the crowd of people and she led him by hand towards the door.

“Come on, let’s get some Coco and go down by the lake? Maybe I’ll give you your present in exchange for getting you into a pair of skates”

Which wasn’t going to happen.

He liked sports, loved physical stimulation by any means, but ice skating just wasn’t his type of activity. It all seemed a little too frilly to him, gliding around on ice. The only men that he had ever seen outside of school doing it was when he passed by the local electronic repair store and saw a man in tights twirling around on the ice on the television display in the front window. That just hadn’t looked appealing to him at all, and while he was sure it was a perfectly gender neutral thing, Dracon just wasn’t interested. “Cocoa and tuh lake sounds canny, but Ah think Ah’ll pass on the ice skating tonight, my dear,” he said as they exited the store. The two walked down the path and took a left turn at the lantern post. It was much darker now; the sun almost fully behind the hills and a faint orange hue draped over the valley where Hogsmeade rested.  The two Slytherins stopped at a local stand where Dracon purchased two cups of cocoa just as the shop was closing up for the evening. As they cradled their cups in hand, they continued on their way towards the lake. The lanterns were lit by small fires and somewhere on the outskirts of the village, there was a glow from a small private bonfire. The sounds of carolers going from place to place gradually drifting through the air and the farther along they walked, hand in hand, the quieter it became. Eventually, the sounds of distance fires and songs and general merriment by families and friends was replaced by the silence. Dracon knew they were near the lake before they even had seen it. By now, in a warmer season, they would have heard the whispering of water but the thin ice over the lake made any movement below inaudible. The couple rounded the final bend and in their comfortable silence, a joy shared by few people, he could make out the indentation in the Earth and the shining surface of ice.

Black Lake – and just beyond it, there sat his home.

It had made him realize how much he missed Hogwarts. The two stopped and Liviana walked on ahead a few steps and took a seat in the white powder, and Dracon found himself halted in the snow looking thoughtfully at the towering castle in the distance. His breath came out in puffs of white clouds, but he was more focused on something else. Perhaps it was the castle and the thought of being so close yet so far away from where he belonged, or maybe he saw the memories that existed surrounding that place and how much he would miss them when he was gone. Dracon would be leaving Hogwarts come the spring and it really hadn’t sank in until then. Coming back to reality, Dracon took a small sip from his cup and walked where Liviana had sat. Gently, not wanting to spill his boiling hot drink or squash a living-breathing animal in his pocket, he eased himself down on the snow was a slow crunch.

He looked at her, “so, where’s my present?”

It would be too cold to shag out here.

Damn, said a little disappointment that echoed in his head.

She gave him a sulky look, bottom lip protruding just a little, “What if I said pretty please with cauldron cakes on top? Skating is the second best way to spend a snowy evening,” there was a note of laughter to her voice as she slid her hand into his. She didn’t really care if they didn’t go skating, she just liked to see if she could get him to do things that he normally wouldn’t. She was fairly sure that was just a girl thing. She couldn’t help it, it was coded into her genetic makeup… and it made her feel a little special when he actually went along with one of her requests. Still, she was more than happy to sit on the bank and watch the moon finish rising. She just wanted to be with him for a little bit longer… not only because the cottage was over run with people but also because she really did miss him when he wasn’t around. It was as though she would pine for him and stop eating… but when you spend almost every day with someone, going to class, eating together, studying together, even if you’re never alone… it’s strange to not be able and turn to them when something amuses you. She loved her family, loved being home, but there was no denying that she equally missed her friends when they were on Holiday.

Sitting herself gingerly in the snow, she looked up at him with a grin, “Next time I will think ahead to bring a ruddy blanket, though I suppose if I can’t remember gloves, we shouldn’t count on me to remember anything at this point,” curling her fingers around the cup of coco she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Drake stood, for a long time, his eyes gazing off into some hazy middle distance. She didn’t bother to ask why, she knew he was peering at the castle. It was a strange time for her to be investing in anyone if she really thought about it. The ideal time to have fallen in love with him would have been her fifth year, with all that space between them and graduation. Even though it was still months away it didn’t feel like it anymore. It felt as though she were staring it down daily and that everything would change without any real notice. What would it be after graduation - not just between them but with her life? She couldn’t work for the ministry, she’d die in a place like that. So what did that leave?

She could become a party hopping socialite…except that existence was painfully vapid. She didn’t know how Dazmond had made it through that phase with Dolly. She could maybe help her sister…but Daz was very competitive and Liviana knew better than to try to compete in that arena. She had no interest in playing pro quiddy because…well even if he loved her Dominik would knock her off a broom faster than someone could say Salazar’s Knickers if she got in his way during a game. So… that left getting married at eighteen and popping out brats by twenty…and that was not particularly appealing to her either. She wanted to stop time, go in reverse, something, anything to avoid June. Her lips formed a small frown, a crease coming to her forehead as she chewed the inside of her cheek. She didn’t realize that he sat next to her until he spoke. Looking over she gave him a half smile, bottom lip caught between her teeth, “I’m not sure you deserve this, after all you’re not taking me skating - still, I suppose I brought it all the way down here,” reaching into her coat she pulled out the carefully wrapped package, offering it to the waiting boy, “It took me awhile to find something I thought was perfect, so if you hate it I will cry”.

Dracon was still waiting to hear back from the Dragon Elder Association Decision (“D.E.A.D”) who would determined after his N.E.W.T’s whether or not he was worthy enough to receive his training, they would also instruct him where to be stationed during his study. Even though he had applied for Wales, there was the small chance he would exceed expectations and, depending on how many trainees were killed that month, could be placed elsewhere and in much more dangerous positions. Typically a student started in a smaller facility, like Wales, before moving on to a larger threat. Romania was notoriously dangerous, but Norway was equally dangerous because of the sheer cliffs and frozen mountains their species lived on. South America dragons were poisonous and extremely deadly, with venom that ran through their flesh (more like salamanders in appearance with the lack of scales) and through a vein in their fangs like a snake. Chinese dragons were more civilized but cunning and easily able to manipulate and distract an untrained human being, they were easily the most intelligent of all the races. While Dracon could dream about meeting these species and having to go toe to claw with one, he knew if he left Wales, Liviana and everything that was comfortable and familiar would be gone. He was divided on the issue so he simply relied on the committee’s decision. His fate would be in their hands. Dexter had assured him that he would no doubt be accepted into the profession, but he couldn’t say where. The mentor had mentioned that New Zealand had recently lost a team of researchers last month. It was what he wanted, beyond a doubt, but sitting beside Liviana on a cold night at dusk, Dracon wondered for the first time in years whether he should accept a job in the Ministry of Magic and give up on chasing dragons and dreams. It would be steadier, a more acceptable for a pureblood wizard, give him power and wealth and allow him in stay in Britain.

He didn’t really know what to do.

His ambition faded that night and uncertainty took its place.

Dracon had never really thought about what others might want before. Everything he had ever done had been to benefit himself in some way. Would this sacrifice make him a better and happier wizard, or would it just leave him miserable and unfulfilled?

“I’m not sure you deserve this, after all you’re not taking me skating - still, I suppose I brought it all the way down here” Dracon smiled weakly and said, “Ah’ll make it up to yee sometime.” She handed him a perfectly wrapped box, larger than he had expected but through the wonders of shrinking charms anything was possible. It was rectangular with bright yellow and red paper and a fat green bow on top – it reminded him of Wales. He held it for a moment gingerly in his hands, making sure to handle it with caution. Dracon didn’t want to break it and yet, he also knew that Liviana thought herself to be a jokester and hoped it wasn’t going to explode in his face. He told himself that was ridiculous, but he still wondered in the back of his mind. “It took me awhile to find something I thought was perfect, so if you hate it I will cry”. He was definitely curious about what it was. It was a guilty personality trait of his, being extraordinarily curious. It was what helped him learn about dragons and helped him throughout school, always eager to do more and understand everything. Dracon laughed at what she said, a hearty laugh, “Ah certainly will not hate it, Ah promise yee that.”

Unless it exploded in his face.

“Ah have complete faith that whatever yee chose will be wicked,” he said with a reassuring smile, then proceeded to pull of the paper. The boy popped off the box top and looked inside. At first, he didn’t quite understand what he was looking at. Well, obviously it was a beater bat, any wizard knew that much. He pulled it out and peered inside the box at two perfectly pressed tickets to the quidditch stadium for the Tornados and Falcons match (two halves of his whole heart). The tickets alone made his eyes widen to saucers and his jaw drop as he carefully picked them up to look them over, holding them like they were made of air and could blow away any second. “Wow, Liviana… a new beater bat and tickets for tuh Tornados and Falcons,” he said almost breathlessly as he turned his attention to the beater bat in his hand. He hadn’t played beater in years, since he hit a height spurt and realized he was faster than he was stronger, and Dracon always played his strengths. But the thought was what counted, and he did love to collect quidditich equipment. The beater bat looked worn and used. There were small chunks missing from the wood and the polished dark oak was rubbed raw in some places. Dracon didn’t mind, it looked actually pretty wicked with all its battle scars.

He looked at her and smiled widely, “thank yee, a lot. They’re bloody brilliant.”

Liviana watched him expectantly, a breath held in her chest. The previous summer, when they’d gone to the match she could feel how badly he wanted to meet Dominik. He wasn’t a spoil sport or anything when Dom had ducked out and given her the brush off. Whether it was because he could tell she was equally disappointed or just happy to have gotten to watch the eldest Wiedman play she didn’t know. She liked to think it was because he knew Dom had rather hurt her feelings acting like a sulky child and skittering off. Sometimes her brother made her so mad, but then being angry with him made her sad. She missed him, the person he had been before everything went so bad. She missed the Dominik that would wear silly hats and put her back to bed when she had a bad dream. Now there were times she felt like she didn’t know him at all - like that whole nasty brawl earlier in the week at the Quiddy tent. That person was not her brother. He was a beast… and sometimes an embarrassment. She felt even more guilty thinking that.

Taking a deep breath she pushed Dominik out of her mind, a small smile twitching on her lips as she realized Dracon didn’t actually get what the beater bat was. That meant he’d be even happier when she showed him the scrawled signature near the base. She’d used her biggest puppy dog eyes and thrown in a whine for good measure to get Dominik to do it. The bat was actually something she’d ganked from him when she was a kid. It was the last bat he used at Hogwarts and he was just going to throw it away! She collected a lot of her brother’s things, she was his biggest fan - always had been. Well, until she met Drake, he might rival her love for Dominik’s professional career. Which was exactly why she’d decided he should be the one to have it. Leaning over she placed a kiss on his temple with a small laugh. “Not new love,” a grin twitched on her lips in the fading light.

“You, my dear boy, are holding in your hands the last bat Dominik Wiedman ever used at Hogwarts,” reaching out she turned the bat over to show him the silver signature, grin turning to gleeful smile, “I knew how disappointed you were he didn’t sign your shirt. So I thought what better thing to give you than an autograph and promise that after the match, whether they win or lose, he’ll have dinner with us”. She was genuinely happy to have been so spot on with the gift. It meant she really did know Drake as well as she thought she did…granted it probably wasn’t a well as Maeve knew him but really…she would just have to let go of that. He didn’t make her feel like she was less important so maybe he didn’t think about her at all when they were together. She could hope, because insecurity was not something any Wiedman dealt well with. Slipping her arm through his, she bit her bottom lip, dark brown eyes glowing with excitement, “The game will be epic, though I know we’ll be cheering for opposite sides. Silly Tornado loving boy”.

“Not new love”

Admittedly, the state that the beater bat had been in was a little confusing, but nothing he would have ever complained about. Dracon’s gift from his parents was rarely an eye-popping event. It usually consisted of a few wrapped boxes of new socks and a new quaffle cleaner. The most expensive gift they had bought him, aside from his Hogwarts supplies and uniforms, was Chester. Dracon had learned to appreciate gifts for what they were, not what state they were in. Being poor certainly made someone more humbled during Christmas. When Liviana spoke, he turned his attention back to her with a confused look on his face. He could see that it wasn’t new, but he was more curious why she was smiling like that. “You, my dear boy, are holding in your hands the last bat Dominik Wiedman ever used at Hogwarts” Liviana turned the bat over in his hands but his mind had long since be gone. He was staring now in utter disbelief. Weidman’s last beater bat? The bat he used when he was scouted for his team after he left school? The bat that he almost cracked over Milton Grady’s skull? The bat that he used when Slytherin won the quidditch cup? The final beater bat when he was still an amateur player. Her words echoed in his thoughts and his mind numbly processed what she was saying. His eyes looked down and sure enough, gleaming faintly in the rising moonlight, there was a silver scrawl near the end of the bat.

“I knew how disappointed you were he didn’t sign your shirt. So I thought what better thing to give you than an autograph and promise that after the match, whether they win or lose, he’ll have dinner with us”

Yeah. Dracon’s mouth was opened slightly, his eyes still consuming the signature. He turned it over in his hands and put it close to his face trying to make out the letters. This bat was worth galleons. Especially since he was like a dead artist in that he was a onetime Death Eater and his picture was constantly splashed across the sports page for various assaults. He was double famous – and known for not giving out autographs and memorabilia. Dracon was almost sure there was maybe himself and a handful of individuals who owned anything that Weidman had taken the time to write on, and Dracon’s once belonged to Weidman, not a worthless trinket in the gift shop. It was all utterly startling and fantastic all at the same time. This old worn bat was easily the most expensive, and nicest, thing he owned. Then he recalled a word she had said a few moments ago: dinner. Dinner! Dracon would eat with Weidman and Liviana. He wondered how that was going to go, and secretly hoped to be present for a famous Weidman throw-down.

“The game will be epic, though I know we’ll be cheering for opposite sides. Silly Tornado loving boy”

It was true that as much as he liked the Falcons, he loved Wales more. It would have felt like a betrayal to his country that raised him if he cheered against them. It just… wasn’t right and didn’t sit well with him at all to imagine it. Either way, it was at least going to be a good match and no matter what side won, Dracon would be completely satisfied with the outcome. Still, he remained slightly in shock and finally looked back at Liviana, who was beaming with pride.

“Ah- thank… yee. Ah really,” he gave an unsure laugh, and suddenly a grin spread on his lips. “Ah really don’t know what to say. ‘dis is the nicest thing anyone has ever gotten me. Really.”

It wasn’t until then did Dracon feel a movement in his pocket. Startled, he jumped and remembered that he still had an animal buried inside his coat. “Oh, Ah forgot completely,” he said quietly, putting his hand into his pocket. “When yee weren’t looking, Ah got yee something. Ah thought yee might like to take this little beast home with yee,” Dracon pulled out a little puff ball of light purple fur and put his hand out to Liviana, careful not to let him jump off his hand.

His utter disbelief made her happy. She knew she had pleased him and that pleased her. She wondered vaguely if that meant she was in love with him, the wanting him to be happy more than she cared if she was happy, it seemed like a love-type thing. Still, there was no rush to declare such a feeling. She’d wait and see where it went. The more time they spent together the more it felt like love. Of course until they had started spending time together she thought love was a silly chemical reaction in one’s brain and oughtn’t be trusted if it could be brewed up by her sister on a whim. Feelings were a tricky thing, she knew that she loved her family more than anything in the world, that she would do anything to make them happy. This feeling for Dracon… it was deeper, it was more, if she wasn’t careful she might drown in it - but all she wanted was to be close to him and make him happy. The problem was the very things that made her love him were the things that made it impossible to tell if he felt the same way about her. He was so stoic, and his affections, at times, seemed more dotting than passionate. Of course there were those other times…but she had to pull those up short - and certainly couldn’t indulge in them in such a public and snowy place. The last thing she needed was to get a reputation as a loose girl, she’d worked hard to seem untouchable most of her life at Hogwarts, being the girl that is desired but never had.

Smiling at him she hugged his arm and kissed his cheek, “I’m glad you like it. I’d had part of the idea for months, you know going to a Tornado Falcons game,” she rested her head against his shoulder looking out over the lake as the sun sunk lower and lower, sky shifting from blue to gray. “The bat came to me later. I was rearranging my room when I first got home and I have this box of Dom’s stuff, old articles - you know, cause I’m kind of his biggest fan,” she paused looking over at him with a sly grin, “Or so I thought until I met you. Anyway I was laying on my floor going through everything and then I saw the picture of us at the game…the one where you kissed me for the first time,” her cheeks flushed a little as she spoke, they often went back and forth about who kissed whom first. It was sort of a simultaneous meeting of lips really, they were both cheering, jumping up and down, then they’d looked at one another and it just happened and for the rest of the night some part of them seemed to need to be touching the other. She loved the little stack of pictures she had from that night, they hung on her wall in her dorm and she had copies on her walls at home - not the kissing one of course, that would lead to unwanted questions from her father… and that would be most awkward the next time they were all in the same room

Shifting her eyes down as he put his hand in his pocket she was confused for a moment before the furry purplish-gray creature came into view, at which point she squealed and clapped her hands together, “Melvin! Oh he’s perfect Drae,” she couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice. If she were like most other girls she might have been irritated that he’d waited till that day to get her present while she’d finished his weeks ago. Livi, however, was just touched that he made sure it was something she would like. It meant that he listened, he noticed when things mattered to her. Scooping the little ball of fuzz up with one hand she cradled it close to her body for warmth, her other arm wrapping around Drake’s neck, lips easily finding his in the dimming light. It was an awkward position, trying not to squish the Puff during a series of rather exuberant kisses. His lips were cold at first, his tongue tasting like coco. The snow crunched beneath them as Dracon laid back, Livi balancing herself and the Puff precariously against him, a different kind of warmth spreading through her body, pulling back for a moment she looked down at him her bottom lip caught between her teeth, the moonlight outlining her face, “Happy Christmas Drae”.