Disowned (Drarry/Pansmione)

Chapter Thirty Six

AN: Why hey there. I did it again and didn't upload for a while. Sorry! I sincerely hate school and all the homework that I have to do. I'd rather just write my fanfictions all day. And another apology for this chapter being a little jumpy; I'm a bit rusty as I haven't written for a while. Well, enjoy anyway, and expect more chapters soon!

Draco could honestly not believe what he just witnessed. Hagrid's dragon had just hatched in front of him. It was a bit hideous, but in an extremely cool kind of way. Draco loved the orange eyes. They looked like fire orbs.

The tiny dragon sneezed and a few sparks flew from its long snout. Draco grinned.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He pet the dragon and it nipped at his giant fingers curiously. "Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!"

"Hagrid," Hermione began, clearly trying to stay calm, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

Hagrid was looking out the window. The color had drained from his face. Draco and the others turned to look - Millicent was running away from the hut. She had seen the dragon.

"Hermione," Draco whispered, "Did you tell Pansy about the dragon?"

Hermione looked down in shame. "I didn't think she would tell anyone."

Draco groaned and put his head in his hands. This could not be good.

----------------

Draco kept a close eye on Millicent throughout the week. She didn't seem off, but she would sometimes catch his eye and wink before turning back to Pansy and Tracey. Draco knew she was up to something. The four Gryffindors had been useless at trying to get Hagrid to set the dragon - Norbert - free. Then, one day, Harry came up with a brilliant idea out of nowhere: send Norbert to Charlie Weasley, Ron's dragon loving brother in Romania. Hagrid had agreed to that plan reluctantly, so Ron had sent a letter off to Charlie. It had taken a week to get a response, but Charlie said that his friends would take it to Romania when they visited him next.

Unfortunately, Ron got bit by Norbert a few days before the day that Charlie's friends would pick him up, so Ron couldn't help move Norbert up to the meeting place - the tallest Astronomy tower. How Draco, Harry, and Hermione managed to get Norbert up to the tower, he had no clue. However, the plan went off without another hitch, and the two boys made it back safely into Gryffindor without being caught, and Hermione had been dropped off safely at Pansy's room. Ron's hand was healing nicely, and all seemed to be going smoothly.

The next morning however, Professor McGonagall came up to them with an aggravated expression.

"Miss Bulstrode tells me that you lot were helping Hagrid hide an illegal dragon. Is this true?"

"Of course not, Professor," Hermione said quickly. "We'd tell someone if Hagrid had a dragon."

"Then explain this." Professor handed them a piece of parchment and Draco's heart sank. It was Charlie's letter explaining the plan.

"How did you get that?" Ron asked.

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "It seems that one of you left it in the halls by accident. Miss Bulstrode found it and took it to me. She says that she also saw the dragon when it was just hatched. She says that you all were there."

"She's lying," Hermione blurted.

"What?"

Hermione looked down. "Millicent is mad at me for being Pansy's mate and is trying to get me expelled. And the more Gryffindors she can take down with me, the better."

"Is that so?" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow in interest. "And how did she manage to perfectly forge Charlie Weasley's handwriting?"

"I - I don't know, Professor," Hermione said weakly.

Professor McGonagall sighed. "Detention, all of you, and fifty House Points each for lying to a professor about something so serious as this. Hagrid will be dealt with accordingly. And there will be twenty points to Slytherin for Miss Bulstrode's assistance in righting the situation."

"What's going to happen to Hagrid?" Harry asked nervously.

"Nothing drastic, I assure you. The Headmaster seems to adore the man. The four of you will serve your detentions once the correct situation arises. Enjoy your breakfast."

The four Gryffindors spent the day sulking. Everything seemed to have gone perfectly, yet one of them managed to lose Charlie's letter and get them caught. The question was, who had done it? Which one of them had messed up so badly? Draco knew it wasn't him, because he had never touched the letter. He wanted to know, not because he wanted to punish the idiot who let the letter find its way into Millicent's hands, but because he wanted to - well - okay, maybe he did want to punish the idiot who let the letter find its way into Millicent's hands. Also, he needed to get back at Millicent for doing this to them. Did she really hate Hermione that much? Or was it something deeper?

Draco found himself awake that night after the other boys had fallen asleep. He couldn't serve detention, he just couldn't. He knew it wouldn't be writing lines, although he wished with all his heart that that would be the case. They were going to be made to do something dangerous, and he was going to have to pick his favorite friend. That was a worst case scenario of course, but he had no clue who he'd pick if it came to that. Hermione was obviously his best friend, and she was his old best friend's mate. He couldn't let her die, because then Pansy would die too. But then there was Harry. Draco was crushing on Harry hard, and the world needed their savior, so Draco couldn't let him die either. But Ron was the one who he'd be living with next summer. Ron was the one that gave him the option to not be homeless. Draco couldn't let him die. So Draco was extremely worried for this detention. More worried than he should have been, to be honest. He suspected that they'd have a teacher with them - at least one, right? - so hopefully no one would die or even get hurt, but things could still happen as he knew from the many stories from his ex-family.

Draco decided that sleep wasn't going to come that night without help and pulled out one of the vials of Sleeping Draught he had stolen from Snape back when the man was his godfather. The potion knocked him right out and he didn't wake up the next morning until Ron splashed him with water in retaliation. Draco was tired and groggy that whole day, and decided that maybe next time he wouldn't drink the whole vial.

"Draco, are you alright?"

"No," Draco said.

Neville frowned. "Why not? Is it about the dragon?"

"Yes."

"Want to talk about it?"

Draco shrugged. "Not particularly, no."

Neville nodded. "Oh, okay." He turned to leave.

"Neville?"

"Yes?"

"Want to hear me play the flute?"

Neville beamed. "Sure! I didn't know you played."

Draco brought Neville into the dorm room and took out his flute. Neville sat quietly on his bed with an excited air all around him. Draco actually thought that it was kind of pathetic, but he wanted to see this.

Neville's aura was green. Not quite as intense as others', but still green. Draco tucked that information away. Neville might be useful one day.

"Thank was brilliant, Draco," Neville said. "Can you play me another?"

Draco grinned. "Sure, if you can beat me at Gobstones."

Neville grinned back. "Oh, you're on."