(1) Dracarys (D. Malfoy)

Chapter One

In Kielder Forest, amongst the trees, the landscape and the rives is a tree house, three levels to it, tall and proud and winding around the trunk of an old Douglas fir tree, reaching up to the sky above it almost. Smoke pours from the chimney. And standing outside, on the ground, white hair shining in the moonlight is Daenerys Scamander. Dani. She's been there a while, lingering where she stands, waiting, excitement bubbling under the surface of her skin. Today is her birthday. And turning 11 is a big deal in her family. Turning 11 means Hogwart's letters. And in the wizarding world those letters mean everything to kids her age. So as the clock struck midnight on December 25th Dani snuck out of her bed to stand in the garden waiting for the owl to bring hers and Viserys' letters. She's been waiting for this day for years, watching her big brothers get theirs, hearing their stories about lessons, and the school, and the teachers. And now she stands, freezing in the back yard in nothing but her quidditch pjs, in December, in the UK. She's paler then usual with the temperature but she is a picture, white hair, pale skin against the snow around her and her bright purple eyes peering up hopeful at the sunrise.

"What are you doing?" A voice states behind her, Dani turns around to find her father, Apollo, watching her with bright blue eyes, crinkled around the edge with amusement, arms folded over his chest. She smiles a little and swings her arms before shrugging.

"I wanted to watch" she admits. He smirks at her.

"How long have you been out here?" he asks moving towards her, shaking out the jacket in his hands.

"It was still dark" she admits as he helps her pull the jacket on, zipping it up at the front to shield her from the chill.

"You're freezing" he whispers pulling her closer and rubbing her arms and then picking her up, she wraps her arms around his neck. "I thought you were the smart one, Daenerys" he teases slightly. "It's December, we live in Kielder and you are standing in the garden in your pjs like it's August in the South" she chuckles against his neck. "Plus I thought you would be waiting for your birthday breakfast" he adds carrying her back towards the house behind them.

"I wanted to see the owl come in" she points out again motioning behind him.

"If you're this excited now I cannot wait to see you the week before you actually start school" he mumbles with a smirk.

...................

Dani curls back up on the top of her bed, Drogon bounces up onto the top of the covers. Apollo tucks her in and leans back to watch them together, Drogon nudges Dani's arm up to slip under it.

"Get some sleep" he tells her.

"I don't want to sleep" she argues back.

"How about I make you some coco?" he asks brushing her hair out of her eyes, she nods a little. "I'll be right back" he assures her before leaving the two of them to the bed.

...............

When Apollo returns, lingering in the doorway, it's to find Dani fast asleep in her bed, Drogon's head on her waist snoring away. Smoke exhaling through his nostrils with every breath. Apollo smiles and backs away, leaving them to it. His plan all along knowing that Dani would not be able to resit the sweet embrace of sleep.

.................

Dani wakes once the sun is fully up and shining through the window, she sits up alarmed and disappointed in herself for sleeping at all. She's bound to have missed the owl now. She hangs her head, white hair falling around her face, Drogon nuzzles into her leg and she turns to look at him. A figure lingers in the doorway, with dark hair that hangs around his eyes like a veil, and piercing blue eyes that peer out from underneath, the family look. Well everyone but Dani and Apollo, the eyes are his but the hair is all their mother. Viserys. Vis. Dani's twin brother. He glances to her and then away before holding out the letter in his hand.

"You missed the owl" he comments, Dani stands, climbing out of her bed and moves to him, taking the letter from his hand.

"Thank you" she offers back quietly not looking him in the eyes, uncomfortable, it's not that they hate one another, it's just that Vis can be a bit...cruel to his siblings. Dani more so. The others are older so they fight back more then she does. Dani just takes it as sibling rivalry. The others see it as something more.

"It came from the front so you wouldn't have seen it from where you stood. You were out the wrong side of the house"

"How do you know I was outside?" she asks him.

"I saw you..." he tells her. Apollo steps into the doorway, having been listening.

"If you knew your sister was out there then why didn't you bring her in...or take her a coat out to her?" Apollo asks Vis who shrugs.

"Not her babysitter" he comments and walks away planning to leave the room, Apollo takes a deep breath and turns to his son.

"Viserys" he warns, Vis turns back to him. "You know the drill"

"Do I have to?" Vis asks.

"It's yours and Daenerys' birthday and Christmas day....." Apollo gives him a look. "You know the drill" he repeats.

"We're Jewish why do we celebrate Christmas?" Vis asks.

"Because your mother was a Christian" Apollo answers. "And we do it for her"

"She's dead, she doesn't care" Vis argues back. Apollo takes a step closer to him, eyes icy but calm. Vis has to avert his eyes.

"You are going to go downstairs" Apollo starts flatly, unemotional, it's worse on him then anger. "And put on that ugly sweater that your grandfather bought you, you are going to celebrate this holiday like we do every year......you are going to listen to your brothers sing carols, and your sister talk along to that reindeer film she likes, you are going to sulk and pout but you are going to celebrate this holiday. Jewish or not. For your mother" Vis looks down and then walks away. Apollo takes a steadying breath and turns to Dani.

"He doesn't mean it" she defends her brother, as usual, no matter what he does.

"Your brother" he starts cupping her cheeks. "Is a very complicated individual" he adds softly.

"Because of me?" she asks. "Because of what happened with mom and the banshee?"

"No" Apollo frowns arguing with her. "No, it's not your fault, what happened wasn't your fault...Viserys is just how he is....he's just growing up, figuring out who he is...." he kisses her forehead. "Get your sweater" he tells her pulling back. "Come downstairs" she nods. "And we'll open your letters together" she smiles at him as he leaves. Drogon lifts his head from the bed as she bounces back over to him.

"Jēda naejot jiōragon bē" [Time to get up] she tells Drogon who wines in his throat. "Paktot sir" [Right now] she adds, Drogon jumps down off the bed and stretches like a lazy cat, Dani moves to her wardrobe where she finds her Christmas sweater folded in the box at the bottom, she runs the scratchy fabric through her fingers and then smirks turning to Drogon who cocks his head.

"Do not ask Drogon to burn that sweater" Ray warns leaning in the doorway behind her, curly hair flopping slightly against his head, blue eyes peering back. Dani, she looks to him and smiles innocently.

"I was not going to do that" he hums in disbelief and raises an eyebrow. "It's scratchy" she complains. "And it chokes me"

"And it was a gift from grandfather" Ray argues back. "It'll only be for a few hours and once he leaves you can take it off again" he offers, she pauses to think about this little nugget of information, he does have a point, wear the sweater for a few hours, or burn it and probably get a new one that she knows, without a fact, will be worse then this. She nods and pulls on the jumper over her pjs. Ray smirks victorious just as his fat cat Wisdom runs along the hall followed by Vis who is shouting at it. Ray watches them go. "What is going on?" he asks.

"Your filthy beast has Ilan in his mouth again" Vis snaps. "Thinks he's a stick!" Ray sighs and hurries out of Dani's room to help chase down Wisdom. Dani chuckles and follows, Drogon running after her.