Chapter Text
Theodore Nott had demoted his perception of his current employer and did not have one ounce of empathy. He knew exactly how miserable a person could feel by being called one of life’s great disappointments, but those were exactly the words that came to mind about the Ministry of Magic right now. They had wronged him in a most foul way.
After five years of proving himself on highly complex assignments, the Ministry should have never asked him to go on location to fix a dragon problem. Asked was a generous word. He was more like told this is what he would be doing.
The blood underneath his skin was humming. To say it was a colossal miscalculation on his part to give so much to the Department would be an understatement. He should have never had any expectation that they reciprocate in kind.
“There isn’t anything you can do about this, Theo. The case is yours,” Hermione said.
She handed over the case file, which was a couple centimeters thick and full of sticky tabs and color coding, as if she did not even trust him to put in the base level work for the job.
“In case you have forgotten, I do have higher level skills than this. This is not even what we do in Mysteries! I am sure someone in Magical Creatures would be more adept,” he said, grimacing as he thumbed through the file.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. “What is it about you that makes you think you get the pick of the lot? This is a perfectly fine assignment. I have practically done half of it for you already.”
So, she was punishing him for botching the Goyle manor raid. Just because he was personally familiar with dark objects did not mean he knew enough about them to disarm them. Curse-breaking was not his specialty.
Two other Unspeakables failed to get that job done too, and he did not see them being sent to Unspeakable purgatory. No, they were recently assigned to locate the lost city of Atlantis, thought to be a hidden magical city that had evaded even wizardkind for thousands of years.
Even Harry fucking Potter and that twat Ron Weasley, the two Aurors on scene, escaped the Minister’s ire from the Goyle debacle. Nothing bad ever happened to the Golden Boy and his lackey.
Theo shifted his sharp green eyes down at the case file.
Location: 45.5000° N, 24.5000° E
Carpathian Mountains, Romania
Task: Support dragon mating season
Contact: Charles Weasley
Theo hated the mountains. He hated dragons. And, perhaps most of all, he hated all things Weasley.
Huffing out a sigh, he asked, “How long do I have to be there?”
“As long as it takes to get the job done. And need I remind you, the Minister is very serious about finding a solution to this one. If we do not figure out what is preventing the dragons from mating or provide magical assistance, we are going to have an extinct species on our hands. I’m afraid this goes well beyond Magical Creatures’ ability,” she said, adjusting random items on her desk with as much interest as she was putting into the current conversation.
Theo was content within the confines of his Ministry lab. The thought of having to spend months in the backwoods was untenable. Hermione knew better than anyone what it was like to rough it. He had recalled the horror stories floating around the Department about the Forest of Dean. Although she had never made a point to get to know him personally, she should have known enough to recognize he would have difficulties with this particular assignment. After all, she did once comment on his choice to walk, not run, the Ministry 5k. This ill-fit assignment was considerably outside his comfort zone.
“Again, I implore you to reconsider. I am willing to accept a desk job for the next six months if that’s what it takes for me to get out of this assignment.” In his frustration, he bit his lip, drawing a prick of blood that tasted like copper on this tongue.
“No, Theo. There’s no one else who has the skill, and you know it. Now, get over yourself and make your arrangements. Your portkey leaves in two hours.”
Her praise was a shot of morphine, temporarily dulling the dread of what was sure to be a most miserable and disappointing assignment. He mentally recoiled at how effectively her words managed to convince him to surrender.
She continued, “Failure to complete this assignment will not be favored. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he grumbled as she shot him a stinging glare.
* * * * *
Theo’s magically expanded suitcase was packed with all the things he imagined needing for this ungodly assignment. A cauldron, a set of brass scales, and a healthy supply of ingredients, including enough Ashwinder eggs (kept frozen in stasis, of course) to fill the pool at his former manor. Books, plural, about dragon mating habits (gag!). A collection of deterrent sprays for the bugs, bears, and vipers. They were non-magical creatures after all and he did not trust his wand to ward them off. A full body fire protectant suit for the dragons, in case he would have to get close enough that he could be burned to a crisp. Heavy mountaineering clothing for if the assignment ran long into the winter and he got stranded on some jagged peak without shelter (or a wand). Perfectly normal supplies to “support dragon mating season” in the rugged outdoors.
Survival would take every ounce of strength.
Ten seconds to countdown. Theo half considered not grabbing the miniature ceramic pug that was his ticket to the reserve, but he knew that his job would be on the line if he did not. Hermione had made that much clear.
Theo’s hand clamped down on the dog — another reminder of a thing he disliked (pets) — and he shifted through space, landing outside a one-story medieval-styled hut.
The force of travel spun his insides, and he retched his lunch onto a gathering of white flowers that adorned the mountain meadow. Thankfully his trousers and crisp buttondown were spared, but there was a smudge on his leather shoes. He winced at the disgrace.
A tall, red haired man with a slight scruff was walking toward him. He was wearing muggle clothing and a wide-brimmed straw hat. What in Merlin’s name was this place? Some kind of Spaghetti Western? That hat was an abomination.
Quickly wiping the sickness from his mouth with his hands because he had no handkerchief and his wand was stashed in his luggage, Theo gritted out, “You must be Charles.”
“It’s Charlie,” he said, offering his hand without concern for the residue that now crusted Theo’s fingers. “I take it you’re the one the Ministry sent to help with our dragons? They didn’t tell me who was coming.”
“Theodore Nott, at your service,” he said, standing tall despite the unfortunate display near the flowers.
“Nott? What a fucking load,” Charlie grumbled under his breath. His pale blue eyes were vacant as if he had seen a ghost.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing. . . ” Charlie said, stiffening. “Let’s get you settled inside, and then we can discuss the situation.”
“Thanks, but I have the case file. We can skip the formalities,” Theo said.
“Fine, but we’re going to have to discuss the specifics at some point. I can tell you have very little real world exposure to dragons, and you will need more information,” Charlie said dismissively. “Come on, let me show you to your lodging.”
Charlie led Theo into the hut. It was larger inside than it appeared when Theo first arrived, but still modest. The front entry led straight into a combined kitchen and living room area that was simple in design and smelled like stale campfire. In ten steps, they were at the back of the hut, where there were two bedrooms and one single bathroom.
Theo inhaled slowly at the thought of having to share a toilet with another wizard, let alone one who clearly did not care about touching another man’s vomit-crusted hands.
“This room’s yours for the week,” Charlie said, gesturing to a small room that was practically the size of a closet. “I can tell you’re accustomed to finer accommodations, but we try to keep a low profile here at the reserve. This space is about the dragons, not luxuries. You’ll find there is a lot to do outside, so all you need here are the essentials.”
Theo was getting annoyed by Charlie’s passive aggressive comments. Still, Charlie was not far off about his standard of living expectations. Even though he no longer had the manor, his flat was several times bigger than this hut.
His gaze narrowed on the dismal offering. The bed was a single and still took up a large part of the room.
“I take it you’ve got the master suite?” He said glumly.
Charlie cleared his throat. “If that’s what you’d like to call it, sure. But don’t get any ideas. I had to move my reading room so you could have this space. There was barely enough floor space for the book shelving that was moved in the front room. I’m not willing to give up any more, even if you do have the skills to make a magic elixir to save dragonkind.”
From under the bed, there was a rustling sound that grew louder. Theo startled and pulled back toward the door frame.
“It’s just Milo,” Charlie said, as an orange tabby scampered out onto the open floor batting a tiny rattan ball. “Unfortunately, this is also his room, so you might have a bedmate.”
“Great,” Theo sighed, “and, dare I ask where I might set up my potions lab?”
Charlie nodded over to the window. “Just behind the house there, you’ll see the stables. We have a few ponies that we keep on hand if we need to track the dragons for longer distances. Believe it or not, the dragons don’t like if we apparate near them unexpectedly or invade their airspace with a broom.”
“We?” Theo asked, hoping there may be other company besides Charlie on the reserve. Maybe there would be a bigger hut where he could stay — something closer in size to a Refugiul where he imagined each room had its own bathroom. That, or at least warmer company.
“There are a few of us out here, mostly trainees at this point, but their huts are dispersed in the mountains. Closest one might be a few kilometers from here,” Charlie said.
So much for finding a better place to stay. The trainees probably had even less space and who knows if they would know what to do if a bear attacked. Charlie looked established and he was brawny, which leaned toward the presumption that he was wiser in the ways of the mountains even if he had the personality of native sandstone.
“So, I will be sharing a lab with your ponies?” Theo asked haughtily. A million things could go wrong with the unsanitary conditions where he would be forced to brew. But, truly, what more did he expect from this assignment? He was already being set up for failure.
“Ponies, an owl, and probably a few barn cats, yes. What can I say? All of this was short notice. I’ve been sending letters to the Ministry for years and was resigned to full extinction. I didn’t think they would actually send anyone.”
“No one came from Magical Creatures, I take it?” Theo said.
“Nope. I had a row with the Head of MC some years back, and I think he pushed this one to the bottom of his priorities. Finally caught Hermione’s attention though, so I’m grateful for the help, even if it’s from you.”
Theo jerked his head back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” Charlie cleared his throat. “From that pile of puke I saw after you portkeyed in here, you must be hungry for dinner. There’s a leftover game pie I can reheat.”
“It’s fine. I am tired and would prefer to get an early night’s rest. Big day tomorrow finding a way to get your dragons to mate and all that,” Theo grumbled.
“Suit yourself. I told Hermione I would feed the lodger. I spend a lot of time in the mountains studying and caring for the dragons, so the best I can do is one warm meal a day. You won’t get another one until tomorrow evening.”
“It will be fine.”
“Alright. Come Milo,” Charlie said as the cat scampered after him.
Sighing, Theo shut the door and unpacked what he could given the small footprint of the room. It was still light outside when he grew bored of unpacking and had nothing else to do but rest. With a few sticking charms on the curtains, he managed to get enough darkness in the room that he could finally tuck in.
As if on cue, he heard Milo scratching against the door as he slid under the covers. Scratches turned into yowls, followed by a perverse combination of scratches and yowls, which droned on well past what must have been safe for Milo’s vocal cords. Theo smushed the pillows around his ears in an attempt to mute the noise. No luck. Finally he got up and fished his wand out of his bag to cast a strong muffliato.
* * * * *
The next morning, Theo woke up to the faint smell of Earl Gray wafting from the front room. His dark curls were sticking straight up in places, but he was half asleep and could not be bothered to tame them. As the temperature inside had dropped significantly overnight, he threw on his pale pink cashmere jumper and decided to brave what little was considered the common areas of Charlie’s hut.
The front door was open, and Charlie sitting on a wooden lounge chair outside the front of the house with a teacup in hand. Another cup was sitting on the counter kept warm by a stasis charm. Probably another agreement Charlie made for “the lodger.”
Theo grabbed the tea and made his way outside to the chair adjacent to Charlie. Charlie did not say anything or even glance his way, which was just as well because Theo did not want to talk either this early in the morning. Certainly not after he was disrupted several times in the night and forced to recast the muffliato. The black tea was still too hot to drink, but he leaned over to smell it, hoping it might trigger his brain to move.
His body ached in the stiff wooden chair. The hut was located on a cleared meadow not far from an aquamarine-colored lake. It was set underneath a range of mountain peaks, the surfaces a jagged bad omen of what to expect in the coming weeks. Alpine trees littered the sides of the meadow and up into the mountain rock.
Theo shivered. Not far from bear territory, then. That would be his death, he thought morosely. Well, that, or the dragons.
Finally, Charlie spoke. “So, I suppose I should apologize for Milo. He’s a stubborn beast. He’s not used to visitors.” The last sentence was said in a curt tone, as if it was not only Milo who considered Theo unwelcome.
“It’s fine,” Theo said, shifting his weight in the chair. Milo was a pest but there were more stubborn creatures Theo had to worry about.
“You could just leave the door open tonight,” Charlie said, clearing a scratch in his throat, “for Milo, that is. He won’t cry if he can get in.”
“I’ll think about it,” Theo said, taking a sip of his tea before nearly spitting it out. There was a horrendous screech above him, followed by the swift flight of a purple-colored dragon headed toward the steep peaks.
Charlie’s cold demeanor broke as he chuckled softly. “That’s Esmeralda, one of the female dragons.”
Oh, she gets his attention. Got it. Charlie is nice to the dragons.
Theo’s eyes were wide as saucers. “Merlin. She’s huge. One swipe of her tail and your entire hut would be sidelined.”
“If you think she’s big, then you haven’t seen her mate, Oskar,” Charlie said.
“Mate? I thought these dragons were struggling with mating . . .” Theo said, rubbing his hand against his neck.
“In a way. Some of them are unmated, but others like Esmeralda and Oskar are mated pairs that are refusing to . . . how do I put this delicately . . . refusing to get intimate.” His voice was frozen over again.
Theo’s face contorted like he smelled stale milk. “Oh, Gods. I get it. And, I take it you need me to brew something that will encourage their . . . activities,” he said.
“It might be our only hope,” Charlie said. He pressed his calloused fingers against his temples, pausing in contemplation before he continued, “We’ve added more wards to the reserve to help them feel safe and done countless spells to improve their breeding grounds. Dragons are fussy creatures. A lot of the magic here is their own, and they have been resistant to our efforts.”
“Do you know why this is happening?”
“No. It’s a complete anomaly. . . “ Charlie responded. “None have laid an egg in over five years. Though, not one of them has shown any signs of sickness. Those that have passed on have done so due to old age.”
“And you think a potion will do the trick?”
“Who knows.” Charlie’s voice was clipped. “I’ve not found any other solution, and you’re who the Ministry sent to help.”
“I truly cannot think of a more uncomfortable assignment,” Theo’s face grimaced.
“Look, Theodore,” Charlie said with a bit more heat, “you don’t have to be the one to administer the potion. As long as you can brew something potent enough for their weight that won’t end up killing them, I can manage to get the potion into their drinking source.”
“You want to slip this into their drinking water? That’s — ”
“Got a better idea? The lake they prefer is not too far from their breeding grounds and that area is kilometers away from here. You won’t have to see anything.”
“Thank the Gods,” Theo said, relaxing slightly. “But, so it’s clear, you will be needing personal protective clothing before you attempt to unleash a potion like that. You’ll definitely need a mask. I’ve got to prepare the script from scratch, but I am certain whatever the final concoction becomes, it will be potent. If the rest of them are as big or bigger than Esmeralda, this will need to be a very strong dose so that it still works once it’s diluted in the lake.”
Charlie stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language before he returned to drinking his tea in silence. After a few minutes, Charlie went back inside the house, leaving his teacup sitting a quarter full on the side table. Theo heard the taps from the bathroom shower, signaling Charlie was definitely done with this conversation.
Sipping on the last of his tea, Theo stayed to sort out his thoughts, growing increasingly miffed.
In the distance, the purple dragon was perched between the harsh mountain peaks, its toothy maw extended as it let out another hellacious screech. It was a sound so murderous, yet so in tune with Theo’s inner monologue.
This world was going to rip him to shreds if he was not careful.