Vagary • Charlie Weasley

・ Chapter Five ・

The first thing Pihla noticed upon waking, was the smell of dense, burning smoke. It was everywhere, clouding the ceilings in dark thickets of grey. Her throat burned, choking on the taste of fire. She shoved off her bed covers, attempting to rid of the humidity that held her in a firm grip.

Somewhere in the distance, a teacher's voice was yelling orders for Slytherin students to evacuate, the words lost to Pihla's ears. Her dorm mates had already cleared out.

Pihla stuttered to her feet, hands outstretched, grasping at objects that would lead her to her way out. Her eyes burned and breaths left her body in small gasps. She couldn't see, only the bare flicker of hall lights that lead to outside the dormitories.

She took hurried steps, cautious not to knock into anything. There was the distinct sound of Slytherin students outside; murmuring, whispering, crying.

She knew she was in the Common Room, could make out the green-blue glow of the Black Lake - from creatures and underwater flora alike. The couches had been pushed aside, most likely from students in their haste to leave. Despite the fireplaces in the room, no sign of fire was seen. Pihla wondered where the smoke would be coming from if not them.

A resounding growl stopped her from taking another step.

She turned, only so that her body stood more in line with the doors. A huff and snort sounded from before her. A silhouette, too small and disfigured to be a witch nor wizard, stood with the light of the Black Lake as a backdrop. Red eyes glinted through black smoke.

Pihla felt her heart drop. The stark colour of those eyes took her back to the day when she stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, teetering between safety and danger. This was what had been following her.

The creature moved closer, steps heavy and slow. Pihla willed her frozen body to move, to run, yet not one step was taken. She only stared, eyes watering with more and more smoke.

With a small breath, she whispered, "What are you?" If she were to run now, she wouldn't make it far without being cornered by the creature again.

It bellowed a sound, rearing back, head raised. Red eyes stared at her and Pihla blanched. A whimper, a cry - something so soft compared to the sound it had just made - echoed. Smoke cleared and she heard it again, the small sound of a mewl. It stepped closer to her.

Pihla held in her gasp.

A dragon. Young - only a child surely - and smaller than what they were deemed to grow. It watched her and cried out again, a flash of illuminated teeth and metallic grey scales.

"You... you're a..." she felt dizzy. The cause of the smoke and fire, the evacuation. How had no one seen it? It cocked its head, ears twitching and Pihla heard a noise from the doors. The voices of professors drifted into the room, hushed words uttered as they scouted the rooms.

Pihla knew they would find her and the culprit for the fire. What would happen afterwards, she had no clue of.

She approached the creature slowly, extending a hand formed into a loose fist. She let it hang by the dragon's snout, careful not to be abrupt in her actions as she moved closer. She held her breath as it sniffed her.

It huffed and nuzzled her hand. Warmth spread through her body and Pihla couldn't help the smile on her face. She'd never seen a dragon in her life - let alone had one come close enough to touch her. The feeling was exhilarating.

An exclamation resounded. She turned, yet no professor was behind her. They hadn't reached her yet. Panicked and feeling a spike of adrenaline, Pihla ushered the dragon away from the main room, glancing over her shoulder to ensure they weren't followed.