The Hellish Life of Helia Potter

“Chapter 14 Norberta the Norwegian Ridgeback” McGonagall read through pursed lips. “Seems like I owe Miss. Parkinson an apology.” She glared at the Trio.

Lily stared aghast at Helia, “But that’s a dragon.” She squeaked.

“Yes, Lily-pad it is.” James said slowly, not caught on to what his wife was saying.

“James, you dolt! Our daughter was near a fucking dragon!” Lily yelled, swatting him over the head. "Please, tell me you didn’t have to fight a dragon,"

Helia shook her head, “Nah, that’s not til fourth year.”

Lily looked ready to faint.

“Should’ve kept your mouth shut, pup.” Sirius winced. “She’s not gonna make it to book four at this point.”

“Norwegian Ridgebacks are one of the only dragons to have venomous fangs at birth, and my eleven-year-old daughter was messing around with one.” Lily gasped, hyperventilating.

“To be fair, Mrs. Potter, she wasn’t messing with it.” Ron said, but he didn’t think Lily appreciated his input.

"That’s enough Mr. Weasley, let her calm herself, this isn’t something parents like hearing," McGonagall said. "Let's get started."

McGonagall had a sinking feeling she was about to learn the truth about what happened the night four first years were all out of bed.

In the weeks that followed, the trio kept close surveillance on both Snape and Quirrell. Helia had to admit she didn’t think Quirrell had the balls to double-cross Snape,

Draco burst out laughing. Helia looked at him even more astonished than she had when Draco had said he wanted to be in on her adventures. But before she knew it, she started to laugh too. They were both laughing, Draco doubled over his knees, and Helia leaning against Sirius.

Snape looked at the two of them and shook his head, even he didn’t have the heart to scold them.

the stuttering man while a semi okay Professor when he wasn’t trying to convince them he fought all different kinds of dark creatures

Helia winced, She knew she was supposed to pity Quirrell for what Voldemort inflicted on him but to her Quirrell was just as guilty he followed his master willingly and had no problem trying to strangle a eleven year-old girl.

—Fred complained that Quirrell ditched out on teaching Muggle Studies the year the twins signed up for an easy grade—

What made Quirrell decide to go after the stone?

Percy frowned, “It’s not like Professor Quirrell wasn’t renowned in his old field of study, he was well on his way to be one of the lead masters in Muggle Studies in the UK.”

Bill nodded, “I’ve never noticed him taking any interest in the studies of the defense against the dark arts or the dark arts themselves in the years he taught in my years at Hogwarts.”

Charlie disagreed with his brother's assessments, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did go after the stone, he doesn’t seem pleased in his role as the Muggle Studies Professor. He always seems to be fishing for praise from his students, who as of most are just there for an easy grade.”

“Totally, he really thought the sun should shine out of his ass.” Tonks scoffed.

What was Snape doing going after it as well, hell he has been a professor at Hogwarts for a decade, Percy did tell her once that Snape wanted the Defense against the Dark Arts position. Was he faking wanting the stone, planning on letting Quirrell take the fall in hopes to get him sacked and finally Snape could get the job he wanted?

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, “What leads you to believe that I’m that desperate for a job that still leaves me teaching the same children I already do.”

All the Gryffindors all blinked at Snape, blankly. Everything led them to think that, but none of them were going to be telling the dungeon bat that.

Quirrell’s quest to get the stone seemed to be taking a toll on him, he was paler and thinner, and much to Hermione’s disappointment he hasn’t led them to believe he was being blackmailed by Snape.

Tonks frowned at Hermione, “Why are you so upset about Quirrell?”

Hermione crossed her arms in a huff. “Is it so much to ask that the adults, that we were meant to trust with our care to be decent human beings and just teach us.”

Bill ran his hand up and down her back, “It’s perfectly in your right to want adults to be upheld to standards we believe they should, especially when they expect your trust.”

Hermione scoffed, “Then why does it seem like every adult in our life is severely lacking? In fact they’re faults grow with each passing year.”

“It’s human for people to have faults, Miss Granger.” Dumbledore sighed.

“You know Professor, I usually try to keep my distance from people who never admit that they are wrong. They always seem to blame you for everything, and I have no interest in having those people in

mine or my friends lives.” Helia sneered, shifting in front of Hermione to block her from the headmaster’s twinkling gaze.

Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Helia, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside.

Moody nodded in approval, “It’s good to keep track of the entrance for any signs of tampering or forced entry.”

Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, whither because Quirrell was double-crossing or because he couldn’t get past the traps himself, maybe he was trying to protect the stone as well —if he was, did that mean he could help them? Why did she have the feeling Snape wouldn’t spit on her if she was on fire, no matter what he knew about her mother—

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and color coding all her notes. Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging he to do the same.

“That is over two months away, Hermione.” Remus told her gently.

"I just wanted them to be prepared." Hermione fidgeted with her hair.

“It’s ok to settle down and chill a bit, Kitten.” Sirius said, patting the blushing girl’s hand. “You’ll burn yourself out like that, take it from me. I had to talk Remus out of couple nasty study binges.”

“You don’t have anything to prove, so don’t take on to much your fine how you are.” Remus declared.

"They’re right, Miss. Granger," McGonagall said. "While we did give you preparation work to prepare, burning yourself out is a serious matter. I myself have that problem as both a student and a teacher. I’ll give you some pointers on how I handle my urges to overwork.”

“Thank you, Professor, Remus, Sirius.”

“Why aren’t you bugging Helia to do the same.”

Hermione glared at Ron, huffing. “Helia gets headaches when she stares at the bright colors of the highlights, Ronald.

Lily turned to Helia concerned, “Do you get headaches much, Heli?”

Helia could only offer a shrug and mumbled “Frequently.”

Hermione huffed at her best friend’s stubbornness, “She refuses to take any muggle or magical medical help for them, trust me we’ve tried.”

Helia scoffed, “Oh please, Mione. Like my headaches are the normal variety- even for the magical world.”

“Helia while you get debilitating headaches when Voldemort is near you, bright lights, colours, stress, pent up anger do as well.” Hermione lectured, leading everyone to believe this has been a repeated conversation. “If it takes even a little of the pain away from you, it’s worth it.”

“Not to me, I live with them my whole life if I didn’t need it before then I don’t now.”

“It wasn’t that you didn’t need it, it was that you weren’t allowed them and they weren’t available for you. Now they are so please think about it.” Lily pleaded to her daughter.

Sides she organizes them using the mind mapping and Cornell method, have you noticed this yet?”

Ron stated blankly at Hermione, “How am I supposed to know the names of how Helia takes her notes?”

“I noticed a week into the school year, Ronald. Do keep up.” Hermione informed him, smugly.

Ron turned red, opening his mouth to snap at Hermione.

“Guys.” Helia warned the two of them, “I thought I told you two to stop competing, I can’t believe you guys are still onto what the Twins said.” 

“It’s not fair, Hermione gets the extra boost of a magical bond!”

“Well, you meet her first and got to have her all to yourself during the holiday break.” Hermione argued back,

Susan looked between Ron and Hermione, “Don’t tell me you two fight over Helia’s attention?”

Ron blushed bright red, clashing with his hair. “Look I hide no fact that I’m possessive of everything I hold dear—I’m not saying I consider Helia mine in a if-I-can’t-have-her-no one-can way! However she is my best friend, the first person I connected to outside my family and I decided that I didn’t want to share with my siblings like I did at home.” He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “So eleven-year old Ron didn’t take it too well when his best friend got a magic sealing bond with another kid, let alone one he didn’t like too well.”

Hermione giggled at the teasing glare he shot her. “Yes and eleven-year old Hermione didn't share well either. She never had any friends growing up and all the kids found her weird and abrasive. Then she found the one person who accepted her and pledged to never leave her, there was no way she would’ve liked people saying anything against it.”

Blaise smirked, “Yes, it is quite a spectacle when the two of you fight over Helia, like a favoured doll you both like to yank on.

Hermione and Ron scowl at Blaise.

“Now do you want to color code or would a different method suit you better.”

"Hermione, the exams are ages away. "

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel. " 

"But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it's an A. " 

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me. . . "

“You became friends with us?" Helia suggested.

"You bonded with Helia?" Ron suggested at the same time, getting a "Hey," from Helia.

Hermione laughed, “Yeah, that's the most probable cause,” she agreed, making Helia pout playfully.

Unfortunately for Ron, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements. Helia and Ron spent most of their free time in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work. 

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.

Helia, who was looking up Pluto’s moon names (Charon, Hydra, Nix, Kerberos, and Styx) from Moon Magic: A Handbook of Lunar Cycles, Lore, and Mystical Energies, and didn't look up until she heard Ron say, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat.

"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once.

“Oh, the poor man is a terrible liar.” James groaned. "He's giving himself away."

Lily paled, connecting the title to something Hagrid said in the past chapters.

"An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

“Nah, our little trouble magnets have moved on to the next tidbit of info into the plot.” Fred snarked.

“Yeah, always ready to stick they’re noses into the next mystery that has nothing to do with her.” George nodded, sagely

“She makes us so proud.” They cried fake tears into Daphne’s shoulders as she patted they’re heads.

“Oh—" Ron started, only to yelp in pain, grabbing his shin. “Whatcha do that for.” He whispered, glaring at Helia.

Helia ignored Ron, and just smiled sweetly at Hagrid, "No, of course not," she said. "Although we did have some things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact."

"'Bout what?" he asked, still suspicious. It was like he didn’t trust them or something?

"Well, I really don’t think what you’re hiding in something that should be spouted out in the library, all willy-nilly.” Helia hinted at knowing what had Hagrid sneaking through the library shelves like he was doing something wrong.

Hagrid's beetle eyes widened. "Oh, yeah! "Listen -- come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh--"

"Great! See you later, then," said Helia.

“Manipulation 101, bluffing the shit out of that fucker.” Theo deadpanned. “It’s a wonder you're able to trust anyone at all.”

Helia rolled her eyes, “Yeah, pretty hard to do when your whole childhood was bullshit and manipulation.”

“And yet here you are, rising above it all.” Theo mocked.

“Rising above.” Helia scoffed, what complete bullshit. “I made myself who I am, and found people to surround myself with that worked well for me and they earned my trust and love.”

Hagrid shuffled off.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully. “Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

“No idea, but it’s probably not the stone, he knows he’s not doing anything wrong with the stone.” Helia theorized,

Snape pinched the bridge of his hooked nose, “Is sticking your nose in the philosopher's stone business not enough for you, Miss. Potter?”

Helia shrugged carelessly, knowing it should piss off Snape acting like she gave zero fucks. “Oh you know how it goes Professor, gotta have a finger in every pie and all that.”

Snape looked like he’d would’ve like to choke on pie at that moment.

“This though had him acting skittish, like he was doing something illegal.”

"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, who'd had enough of working. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.

"Dragons!" he whispered. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide. "

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him, " said Helia.

“For the Magic of Hecate, will someone please tell me that there was no dragon.” McGonagall groaned.

"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that.

“That Mr. Weasley that most certainly is not common knowledge.” Madam Bones chuckled.

Ron blinked, because he’s been raised on an unhealthy amount of dragons facts since Charlie Weasley was five-years-old and devastated that Mum lay down the law that absolutely no dragon, drake or wyvern was stepping on foot, paw or scale into the burrow while she still drew breath.

“Not everyone grew up with a dragon obsessed manic, who needed a repeated lecture not to bring fire-breathing monsters into our very burnable home.” Percy scoffed, adjusting his glasses.

“They’re not monsters! They’re complex beings with thoughts and feelings just as yourself, they want to live lives with their hatchlings but we’ve hunted most of them to the edge of extinction for potion ingredients or leather hides. I don’t blame them for seeing us as threats, because to them we are.” Charlie ranted, Percy just let him as he had heard this a thousand times before.

“Char—Charlie! Chill, you know he’s only trying to rile you up.” Bill tried to stop his brothers from going any further.

It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden -- anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania. "

Luna gazed at the man next to her, burn scars littered his forearms that weren’t covered by his rolled up sleeves and even peeked out from his vest. When he leaned a certain way his hair fell forwards showing that he had an undercut recently and healing burns on the back of his neck and head. The fire must have burned a part of his hair leading to the long on top and buzzed underneath style he had.

"But there aren't wild dragons in Britain ?" said Helia. 

"Of course there are," said Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget. "

"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" said Hermione.

When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut an hour later, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. “Be there in a mo'!" Hagrid shouted from behind the door, the sound of clattering furniture as Hagrid fumbled his way to the door followed his voice. A few minutes later, he opened the door and peeked his scraggly head out, looking down at Helia, Hermione and Ron. Helia starred head on at Hagrid with a cross look on her young face, Hermione and Ron had to hide their smirks as Hagrid wilted in the face of the look on Helia’s face.

"Oh," Hagrid said slowly, his eyes shifting nervously, "uh, it's you three."

Helia raised an eyebrow, “Yes, just as we said, we are now here later.” Helia drawled. “Now Hagrid, we need to talk to you—

"Well, now's no' really a good time fer a chat," Hagrid told her, starting to close the door. Only for Helia to jam her combat boots in the way,

“Learn to leave things alone, Miss. Potter.” Snape sighed.

“Oh, I don’t know Professor, how can I leave a friend alone when he’s clearly stressed about something.” Helia said in a fake coy voice, just to mock the Potions Master.

she couldn’t help but think if this was back in when she was stuck with the Dursley’s she would’ve never been able to do this without the fear of getting her lights knocked out.

“The Philosopher Stone.”

The door slammed back open, Hagrid shot out a hand, grabbing Helia by the collar of her shirt. "How d'you know abou' that?" he demanded, quietly.

"Let us in," She told him, pulling her shirt collar from his grip. She took a deep breath, to settle her racing heart, she hadn’t expected Hagrid to grab her like that.

Luna wandered off the loveseat she sat on with Charlie over to where Helia sat and curled up into Helia’s side, offering her friend her presence to soothe old stressors. She didn’t say Hagrid didn’t mean to or bring up anything about the Dursleys, she just laced her blonde head on Helia’s shoulder as a comfort to the both of them.

Hagrid heaved a massive sigh as he stepped aside, letting them pass.

Helia gagged as she stepped into the steaming hot hut, the air was so hot it was stifling. The Fireplace was roaring as logs were stacked high for burning. Hagrid offered the three of them tea and cake, which they all reluctantly took. “We know the stone is what Fluffy’s guarding, and we know that it’s not going to be enough to protect it.”

"Codswallop," Hagrid exclaimed, “Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the Professors all have protections on the stone, there’s no way anyone is getting past them.”

Hermione bit her lip. “But Hagrid, we heard it with our own ears, there’s a plot to steal the stone.” Her hair seemed to be growing in the humidity.

“This is about you three not liking Snape, isn’t it. I don’t know what you heard, but Professor Snape is not trying to steal the stone.” Hagrid said, furiously. “Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it. "

“I do not think Severus is trying for the stone, but he shouldn’t just dismiss your claims at least he could bring them up to the other staff members that there are people concerned about the safety of the stone so more measures can be taken to protect it.” Kingsley proposed.

Moody grumbled in agreement, “If anything the people who helped protect and know about the stone are the most likely to steal it, they ain’t wrong to suspect their professors first.”

Helia knew Ron and Hermione were thinking the same thing. If Snape had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything -- except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.

Snape gave the trio a drawl look. “What do you take me for, do you really think I had a hard time getting past his guards.” He appeared quite offended.

Hermione pursed her lips, “We didn’t know what his protection was at the time, and with you threatening him the most obvious conclusion was you need him to tell you how to get past his level.”

“But now that we know — and I won’t be saying what— no we don’t think you’d have trouble getting passed.” Helia said, rolling her emerald eyes.

Which seemed far-fetched to her, why would Snape not know how to get passed Quirrell’s spell, which was probably just Trolls. It didn’t make sense something like that wouldn’t stop Snape, so why threaten Quirrell? To keep the stuttering professor from the stone or something even worse?

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy. aren't you, Hagrid?" said Helia demanded. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.

"Well, that's something," Helia muttered to the others. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling. "

"Can't, Helia, sorry," said Hagrid. Helia noticed him glance at the fire. Helia looked at it, too.

Only to flinch when the fire shook and flared higher, one of the logs cracked and fell over, exposing a round, black egg sitting in the flames.

“Loki’s hairy ball! Tell me that is not what I just read!” Sirius groaned, bloody trolls and now dragon eggs which will most likely hatch around his godchild.

“Miss. Potter, I swear that better not be a dragon eggs.” Professor McGonagall glared at the Golden Trio.

Helia suddenly had a very bad feeling.

“Hagrid, you didn’t.”

"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's -- er. . . "

Helia stared at Hagrid in shock, she just knew she wasn’t going to like what that egg was. “Hagrid! Tell me you didn’t!”

Probably realizing it was too late to lie to her again, Hagrid said rather weakly, "It's… a dragon.”

Helia gave Hagrid a look that said yeah-no-shit, who was looking toward the fireplace with a doting look on his hairy face. "I suppose there's a reason you were hiding it?" she asked.

Hagrid blushed beneath his beard. "Well, technically, yer not s'posed teh own one," he said, fusing over the egg piling more coals over the egg.

Percy facepalmed, “There’s no technically, he’s going to end up fined and serving a sentence in Azkaban if he’s caught with it.”

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune. "

"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest. "

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library -- Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit -- it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here -- how ter recognize diff'rent eggs -- what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them. "

He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't.  

"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she said. “Dragon’s fire and wooden houses do not mix.”

Charlie opened and closed his mouth. “Yeah I can see how that could be a setback.”

Bill slapped his dragon-crazed brother upside the head without looking at him. “It’s not a set back you flobberworm, it’s a fucking death sentence.”

Hermione huffed in agreement, it was good that there was at least one sensible Weasley child. Not that you could call Bill Weasley a child by any means.

But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire. Helia twitched when she heard a high voice hissing in her ear "—warm—warm—" but when she shook her head, the voice was gone.

So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.

“For now we can’t do anything about the stone, we’ll have to trust that the threat of Professor Dumbledore can hold them off for now.” Hermione said, “They say even Voldemort is afraid of crossing Professor Dumbledore.”

Helia nodded, even though she knew Dumbledore had his own agenda, the dragon about to be hatched was more of a priority right now. “We focus on the dragon for now, we can’t have anyone find out or Hagrid’s gonna be in big trouble.”

The next several days, Helia, Ron and Hermione spent every free moment in the library. Hermione had gotten it into her head that there must be an avenue for legally removing the dragon egg from the school. Helia and Ron weren’t so sure, but they dutifully helped Hermione search through piles of books for anything that might be able to help Hagrid. Unfortunately, they weren’t having much luck.

“There has to be a way where Hagrid doesn’t end up behind bars for this sort of thing somewhere!” Hermione bemoaned, exasperated, as she slammed shut yet another book on magical beast-keeping laws. “I mean, it’s not like Hagrid actually purchased the egg. Surely there’s got to be some exception to that, I mean, what happens when you just happen to wander across a nest of dragon eggs? Do they just throw you in jail and throw away the key, even though you did nothing wrong?”

“Charlie said the ministry requires you to report the discovery but otherwise leave the egg untouched,” Ron said casually without looking up from his book. “Only people with the proper licensing would be allowed to actually take the egg, and they’d still have to take it to an accredited sanctuary or nature reserve to make sure it was being brought up in the proper environment.”

 “Any hope that Hagrid has that license?” Helia groaned, running a hand through her messy locks.

Hermione groaned back, “If he did, do you really think he would be trying to secretly raise an illegal dragon in his wooden house.”

“Oh pup, you have a bleeding heart.” Sirius groaned, running a hand through his hair.

Remus rummaged through his pockets pulling out a wrapped square of chocolate, his hands shook as he unwrapped the treat. He was stress eating more than when he was all alone those years after James and Lily’s death and Sirius' incarceration.

“Fawn’s going to do something incredibly dangerous, too keep Hagrid from being in trouble isn’t she?” James deadpanned, drawing an innocent looking smile from his daughter.

“Without a doubt.” Sirius and Remus chorused.

“Sides says here that it takes months to qualify for a license, by that time the dragon will be bigger than Hagrid’s hut if it’s even still standing by then.” Ron sighed, slamming the book shut. "Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed,

The Trio all sighed, a hopeless sigh. They all had given up a hope for a peaceful life.

“Still wonder what that’s like.” Ron muttered.

“Tell me about it.” Helia and Hermione echoed.

as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making study schedules for Helia and Ron, too. It was driving them nuts.

Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Helia another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: It's hatching.

Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn't hear of it.

"Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"

“I can’t believe you guys gotta see her hatch, it must have been amazing to watch.” Charlie lamented.

Luna turned to Charlie curious. “Is it rare to watch a dragon hatching? My daddy had written an article years ago about the spiritual means of dragon eggs, he studied up to a year with his colleagues at the Norwegian dragon sanctuary and he actually met my godmother Dagny Dahl there.”

Charlie turned to Luna with stars in his eyes, “Dagny Dahl, esteemed Dragonologist she’s the top researcher in her field. I’ve read all her books on dragon care.”

“Auntie Dagny would be quite pleased, she says young wizards nowadays only want to be on the reserves for the cool factor of working with dragons.” Luna mused. “She also said that barbecued cocky little shits make for good snacks for nesting mother dragons, so there’s that as well

While others blanched, Charlie only sighed in adoration.

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing--"

"Shut up!" Helia whispered.

Malfoy and Parkinson were only a few feet away, and they had stopped dead to listen. How much had theyheard? Parkinson’s pug face twisted into a malicious grin, but it was Malfoy that made her weary, she had a very bad feeling that she wasn’t going to like what he had planned.

“CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody shouted. “Ears are everywhere, enemies always around the corner—

“Yes, yes, one eye on the invading force at all times. I know, Mad-Eye, cool your cauldrons.” Tonks fearlessly interrupted.

Helia sighed before turning to her two sheepish friends. “Okay guys, enough is enough. Ron you said yourself dragon eggs take a while to hatch, so we still got time, we can go down during morning break. What I need is for you guys to watch what you’re saying, now Parkinson and Malfoy know something is going on at Hagrid’s. They’re probably going to be giving us trouble.”

When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, the three of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.

"It's nearly out. " He ushered them inside.

The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.

They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; Helia thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella.

“Helia!” Charlie gasped looking like Helia insulted his own child. “She did not!

Helia rolled her emerald eyes, “You weren’t there Charlie, and you didn’t see Norberta until she was quite grown. So yes when she came out of the eggs she looked like some weird cross between a bat and a crumpled umbrella.”

Charlie groaned as if physically pained.

Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.  

It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs. 

"Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!" said Hagrid.

The dragon made a rumbling purr in Hagrid’s direction, and in a high feminine voice chirped. “Mummy!”

Helia blanched, whipping her head to the talking dragon,

James blinked owlishly at his daughter, “Holy Shit, you can talk to dragons, since when?!”

Lily slapped her dense husband upside the head, knocking his glasses aside, “You tosspot Dragon’s are reptilians and must have enough in common with snakes that her parseltongue allows her to communicate with them too.”

“Well how was I supposed to know if it was just parseltongue or some other animal talking power she never knew she had, Lily!” James exclaimed, “And does this mean our daughter could talk to dinosaurs?”

Lily and Helia stared blankly at him.

“What?! Talking to dinosaurs could be useful, not to mention cool.”

“What the fuck! Since when could dragons talk.” She round on Ron. “Why didn’t you say dragon’s could talk?!”

Ron gave her a look as if she had gone bonkers, “You’ve lost your marbles, mate? Dragon can’t talk.”

“What do you mean? There’s a bloody walking talking dragon right in front of your bleeding eyes!” Helia exclaimed, pointing at the dragon who was scratching at the table.

Theo bursted out laughing, “Ah you’re a riot, Potter. You’d think someone or all those books I know you read would’ve told you if dragon’s talked.”

Helia blushed, letting her hair cover her face. “So what if I freaked a bit at a talking dragon, I wasn’t expecting it, okay!”

Theo sobered from his laugh fit, wiping away a tear. “But talking snakes are a no biggie, huh?”

“Fuck off.”

Hermione laid her hand on Helia’s arm, looking quite concerned. “Helia, we can’t hear what you’re hearing, what is he saying?”

“Mummy, hungry!” The dragon screeched, sparks flaring out of its mouth.

Helia winced, “She’s calling Hagrid, Mummy and wants food.”

The dragon turned its orange eyes onto her, screeching at her, “Speaker, Hungry!”

“Yes, Yes, I Know.” Helia told the dragon, it sure was a demanding little thing.

“Bloody Hell!” Ron exclaimed, flinching away from Helia. “You never told me you’re a Parseltongue, Helia.”

“What?”

“Parseltongue, it’s a skill that allows you to speak with serpents.” Hermione told her, eyeing Ron reproachingly.

“What she’s not saying is it’s a Dark Magic skill, a skill that is passed down through House Slytherin, their bloodline.” Ron cut in.

Helia blinked, “I know that I can talk to snakes, it’s happened a few times, but why is it dark? And why can I hear the dragon, she’s not a snake.”

Ron started at Helia, before shaking his head, “We’ll get back to you knowing you could talk to snakes and not telling us. It’s Dark because all the Witches and Wizards who possessed the skill were Dark.”

Hermione scoffed. “Oh please, just because some bad eggs have the same skill as Helia doesn’t make the skill or Helia dark.”

“I’m not calling Helia a dark witch, I’m just telling her what I know.” Ron argued.

Susan giggled, “I love how the both of you are trying to protect Helia from each other in totally different ways but also the exact same.”

“I just didn’t want Ron filling Helia’s head with a bunch of nonsense about a skill being Dark just because some bad people had the same skill.” Hermione huffed.

“Well, I wasn’t gonna lie and let her go in blind when she could very well be persecuted by everyone for having something that most people fear and will fear her for having.” Ron defended.

“Guys, I love you both, and I know you both are just trying to look out for me.” Helia soothed.

“Guys, enough!” Helia cut them off. “Why am I hearing the dragon talk?”

“Well, I suppose some dragons are classified as serpentine.” Hermione mused, “I’ll have to research.”

“Norbert, really, called me his mummy?” Hagrid sniffed, pulling out a hanky.

“She, and yes.” Helia corrected.

Hagrid’s face lit up. “Well then instead of Norbert, I suppose I’ll call the little lass Norberta. Who’s a good girl for mummy, eh Norberta.” Hagrid cooed.

“He really has lost his marbles.” Neville muttered.”

Padma slapped his shoulder, “Be nice he’s just excitable around animals.”

"Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face -- he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

"What's the matter?"

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains -- it's a kid -- he's runnin' back up ter the school. "

Helia bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him. 

Malfoy had seen the dragon.

Padma sighed, “Of course, he did.”

“The ferret really needs a hobby, Georgie.” Fred tutted, at Draco.

“But Freddie, my lad, stalking Helia is his hobby.” George snicked, at the dismay on Draco’s face.

Helia didn’t even hesitate to rush out the door after him, ignoring Hermione and Ron’s shouts. She ran out the hill, booking it after Malfoy, it didn’t take her long to catch up to him. Seems he didn’t expect any of them to come after him, it’s like he didn’t know her at all.

“Yeah, Malfoy gotta up those stalking skills of yours.” Blaise teased.

“Blaise, you bastard!” Draco growled, betrayed.

Giving him no time to run again, she pounced on him, shoving him back against the stone wall.

“Whatcha’ doing out creeping outside Hagrid’s hut, I thought you wouldn’t be caught dead near the help?” She hissed.

Helia and Draco blushed as the Twins wolf whistled at them.

Malfoy shoved her off him, to straighten his robes. “I think the real question here is what are you going to do for me, Potter?” He sneered, with a look not unlike the cat who got the cream.

Helia scoffed, “Why would I ever do anything for you?”

The drawl look he shot her, got on her nerves like no other. “Please, that oaf’s got himself an illegal dragon and all it’s going to take is one word from me, and you can say bye-bye to your favourite as he rots in a cell in Azkaban. So if you want to keep him, best not test me, Potter.”

“Blackmail.” Sirius growled, his hackles raising.

Helia held up a hand to stop him from changing into snuffle mode and tearing out Draco’s throat. “Chill out, gods help me but it was nothing bad.”

Draco smirked, his silver eyes warmed like molten silver, “I told you that you’d enjoy it.”

Helia scoffed at the cocky look on his face, it was painful that she couldn’t deny it. She hated when he was right, he was already a little shit didn’t need to give him any more reasons to be.

Helia felt like her insides froze at the threat against Hagrid, barring her teeth at Malfoy who smirked knowing he had her.

“I’ll see you around, Potter.” Malfoy called over his shoulder, strolling away back up the castle. “Who even knows, maybe you’ll enjoy it!” 

Helia really didn’t think she would.

You did.” Draco sang annoyingly, much to Helia’s frustration.

Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Helia, Ron, and Hermione very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.

"Just let him go," Helia urged. "Set him free. "

"I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die. "

They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor. 

"Isn’t she just the cutest" said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "She really knows me now, watch. Norberta! Norberta! Where's Mommy?"

"He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Helia's ear.

“Ron agrees with me.” Neville whispers teasingly to Padma. He fake cowered away from her when she raised her hand threateningly.

"Hagrid," said Helia loudly, "give it two weeks and Norberta’s going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment. "

Hagrid bit his lip.

"I -- I know I can't keep her forever, but I can't jus' dump her, I can't. "

Helia suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie. " She said.

Remus turned to Helia with a beaming smile that made his weary face appear years younger. “Helia, I’m proud of you.”

Kingsley blinked at Remus, “You're proud that she’s planning on dragon smuggling at the ripe age of eleven?”

“What? No! I mean, sort of?” Remus stuttered. “Helia has a very hard time trusting adult and for her to even suggest asking on for help is astonishing and something to be proud about.”

Madam Bones conceded that from all that she learned about Helia from her years of being Susan’s friend and these chapter it was uncommon behaviour for Helia to ask an adult for help. "All things considered, Mr. Weasley is a trained Dragon Trainer.”

“Please, call me Charlie, too many potential Mr.Weasleys not to.” Charlie waved away the formalities.

"You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"

George facepalmed, while Fred smacked Ron upside the head. “You dolt.” They both groaned, there had to be a limit on how dense a person could be, because this was just sad.

"No -- Charlie -- your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norberta to him. Charlie can take care of her and then put her back in the wild!" 

"Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"

And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.

“CHARLES WEASLEY YOU BETTER NOT LET YOUR BROTHER TALK YOU INTO SMUGGLING A ILLEGAL DRAGON FROM SCOTLAND TO BLOODY ROMANIA!” Mrs. Weasley screamed, furiously at her second oldest son. Mr. Weasley held her back from grabbing Charlie by his shirt collar and shaking him.

Charlie carelessly shrugged, he had no regrets agreeing to have Norberta come to the reserve his Mum just didn’t get that his job wasn’t always the most law abiding at times. “What’s a five hour flight to check up on your little brother, and if you happen to come across a hatchling in need of assistance, all's well in my book.”

Fred and George looked on in awe and pity.

“He must have a death wish.”

“Yes, probably where we got ours as well.”

“He was a good brother while he lasted, one of our favourites, really.”

“When we get money from our shop, we’ll pay for the nicest funeral a jokester could buy.”

In the library that afternoon, Helia found Hermione researching dragons instead of studying for exams.

“Find anything to suggest why I can talk to dragon’s yet?”

"Nothing concrete," Hermione sighed, flipping through the book she was reading to a certain page and pushing it toward Helia. "Dragons are a class five beast by the British Ministry, XXXXX is the wizard killing, can not be tamed creatures. Which leads to not many people having the training to do research on them, which is crazy because who wouldn’t want to study them.” Hermione rambled.

Charlie pointed at Hermione with a triumphant and smug grin on his face, his whole being conveying see-see-she-gets-it.

“But anyway, the way it seems to be is dragons are somehow serpentine-reptilian class in the loosest definition, and there are absolutely no books on parseltongue and dragons anywhere in this library.”

“So we don’t know if it’s just with this breed of dragon or all dragons, huh.” Helia mused.

“Let’s just hope this is our last dragon, so we don’t have to find out the hard way.” Hermione nodded.

Hermione groaned, facepalming “Brilliant, Jinxed ourselves.”

The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Hermione and Helia sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Helia's invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norberta, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.

"It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief.

“Bloody hell, Ron! Why didn’t you tell me you were bitten?!” Charlie rounded onto Ron, grabbing his hands examining them over. “Do you still have weakness or pain in the hand, you tell me right now.”

Ron ripped his hands away, “Jeez, Char I’m fine and so is my hand. I went to see Madam Pomfrey, she fixed me right up.”

Mrs. Weasley glared at the Hogwarts staff, “Why weren’t we notified when Ronald ended up in the hospital wing, how could you not at least let us know.”

McGonagall frowned, “Madam Pomfrey has strict patient confidentiality clause, unless a student is in moral danger to themselves. If there is ever a case that is above her ability she hands it over to St Mungus.”

"I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby. "

There was a tap on the dark window.

"It's Hedwig!" said Helia, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

The three of them put their heads together to read the note.

Dear Ron,

How are you? Thanks for the letter -- I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting her here. I think the best thing will be to send her over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.

Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take her away while it's still dark.

Send me an answer as soon as possible.

Love, 

Charlie

“You sound awfully cheerful for someone being drafted into illegal business.” Ginny scoffed at her blushing brother.

“Yes Charles, what exactly were you thinking, when our littlest brother writes you offering up a dragon.” Fred mockingly scolded.

“Yes, tell us Charles.” George mockery demanded.

“One don’t call me Charles.” Charlie glared, before turning sheepish. “Two, that we didn't have any breeding Ridgebacks and it would be a new dragon for the reserve.”

“Dragon-brained idiot.” All his siblings but Ron, sighed.

They looked at one another.

"We've got the invisibility cloak," said Helia. "It shouldn't be too difficult - I think the cloaks big enough to cover two of us and Norberta. "

Lily turned snow white, “Oh for the love of—Please tell me you did not put a dragon under the cloak with you in the smack dab of Hogwarts.”

Helia blinked at her mother like she was the crazy one. “Nooooo?”

Before Lily could sign in relief.

“That would be stupid, Norberta was in a crate.”

It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other two agreed with her. Anything to get rid of Norberta -- and Malfoy.

Susan eyed the golden trio, “It was that bad you guys just went along with the first extremely dangerous plan to get rid of a dragon?”

The Trio shared the same deadpan expression.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Not by choice.”

“Hey I got injured, be kind to me.”

There was a hitch.

“Why is there always a hitch?!” Neville whined, the stress was killing him.

By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey -- would she recognize a dragon bite? By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norberta's fangs were poisonous.

Ron eyed his mother who was trying to breathe through the stress of hearing her youngest son being poisoned by a freaking dragon, without her knowledge.

Helia and Hermione, both in a hurry to get to the hospital wing at the end of the day, split up to get all Ron’s homework and agree to meet up at the hospital wing.

Helia skidded to stop in the middle of the corridor, dread filling her at the sight of Malfoy causally lounging on a bench. She had little doubt that Malfoy choose this corridor willy-nilly, as she would have to past this corridor to reach the corridor towards the hospital wing.

Sirius gritted his teeth at the little shit that was his cousin trying to back his Pup into a corner. He knew his Pup could fight and was willing to bite anyone who tried anything against her, but he also knew she would lay down in forced surrender if it meant keeping her friends from taking any blows.

More likely, Malfoy was coming to call for his favour for keeping his trap shut about Norberta.

The smirk on Malfoy’s face deepened when he caught sight of her. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? Isn’t it the most wonderful surprise running into you here, Potter.”

Growls ripped from Sirius and Remus, while James was steaming with rage at the little toe-rags arrogance. This was not karma for all the shit they pulled when they were young at Hogwarts, it couldn’t be, no way did they deserve having to listen to some snobbish Slytherin snake try to get his way from their Fawn.

“Guys, chill.” Helia tried to soothe, before they tried to lunge at Draco.

Helia was too tired to put up with Malfoy’s brand of bullshit right now. “Cut to the chase, Malfoy. What do you want?”

Malfoy laid a hand on his heart with a mocking, hurt look on his face. “Why I’m hurt, Potter, here I am checking up on you in your time of need only for you to think the worst of me.” Malfoy pouted, “Well I’m sure I should go inform Madame Pomfrey where she can find the venomous dragon that likes to bite students, it’s for the safety of the school after all.”

“Would you shut up.” Helia hissed pulling the boy by his robes, shoving him in the empty lavatory

“Whoa, pants down, Shelia!” An Irish boy yelled, pulling his fly up and evacuating the premises.

  Malfoy laughed, “You sure you want to continue this conversation in the loo, Hogwarts just might get the wrong idea about us.”

“Helia out of the bathroom, now!” Lily shrieked, blushing furiously.

“Mum, please calm down, there's no reason to be so dramatic.” Helia waved off her mother’s floundering.

Theo snorted at the look on Draco’s face, outwards he was cold as ice but he could see the cracks that little the everliving panic that was running through his brain.

“Oh please, you hound my steps enough that it’s nothing new.” Helia spat.

The Twins burst out into snickers.

“Now what do you want, I won’t have you threatening Hagrid. And don’t try to play coy, I know if you wanted to get Hagrid in trouble you would’ve already ratted us out.”

Malfoy tilted his head as if to say you have a point. “That’s true, I could have, maybe I still could.”

“Malfoy.” Helia growled.

“Now, now, I want in.” Malfoy waved her off.

“You didn’t.” Snape deadpanned to his godson. “For the love of everything sacred….you didn’t.”

“I can always just say I didn’t if it would bring you some comfort.” Draco drawled.

Snape looked as if he wanted to strangle his godson, til he turned blue. Maybe it would kill the stupidity before it took root, but at last it may be too late as the book did dictate back to his godson’s first year. He should probably just put the little shit out of his misery, or pray someone would gift that mercy to himself. 

“In?”

“In on the plan to get rid of the dragon.” Malfoy drawled, like she was dull for not understanding.

Narrowing her emerald eyes, “What makes you think I have a plan?”

Everyone gave Helia a are-you-for-real? Look. 

Helia had to admit they did have a point, but they could at least let her try to bullshit her way out as a common decency.  

“Oh so you’re gonna let the oaf keep the dragon then, must not like him that much than. The beast will kill him in less than three weeks.” Draco mused, darkly.

“Don’t call him that.” Helia warned. “And yes fine I have a plan, but why should I tell you about it, you’ll just ruin it.”

Malfoy’s mocking gasp of hurt made Helia roll her eyes.

Susan blinked rapidly at the two rivals, “Was I really that blind?!” She asked her yearmates. She had never really believed people who thought Helia and Malfoy’s bickering and fights were hinting at deep romantic light underneath all the duels and tricks they had over the years. Morgana’s sake she even got involved in a couple of fights trying to help Helia.

Padma, Hermione and Neville all chorused, “Yes.”

Ron scratched his head, “Nah, I don’t think so.”

Hermione scoffed, “Ronald you have no room to talk, you never see when Helia has a romantic interest in any person.”

Ron looked at Hermione blankly, “Why would I want to?”

“Why I’d never, Potter, it’s like you don’t trust me.”

“We both know you so would, and have so don’t try to play innocent.” Helia hissed.

Blaise sighed at his best mate, “You segaiolo, I can not believe you—no wait I can believe you were that stupid. You could’ve gotten the wrath of Lord Malfoy down on your head if you were caught, acting like a reckless Gryffindor.”

Draco winched, but held firm. He deserved that taste of freedom, and it being with Helia made it all that sweeter.

“I don’t see why you want in, I have it completely under control, the dragon’s going to be gone soon.”

 “Soon as in Midnight on Saturday?” Malfoy smirks and Helia is speechless. Before she could ask him how he knew, he holds up a letter, waving it in front of her face. Once her eyes focus, she realizes it was Charlie’s note.

“Thief, thief, thief!” The Twins cried, pointing at Draco, startling him. “Malfoy! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!” They growled at Draco, before bursting into snickers at the confusion marring Draco’s face.

Bill leaned over to Hermione, “You the one who’s been getting them into Muggle authors, I’ve been noticing some of they’re pranks have had a certain flare that seem familiar. And the twins don’t usually copy other people’s pranks so I was curious.”

Hermione blushed, “They were curious about my books I brought from home when Helia asked to borrow a couple, I saw no downside to letting them borrow them as long as they brought them back as they were.”

“Should’ve known they’d just take what they learn and twist it to their own means.” Bill sighed, “They’ve been like that since the terrible twos.”

“Where the hell did you get that.” She growled, reaching to snatch the parchment back, only for Malfoy to hold it away from her grasp.

“Hey, it’s not my fault Weasley isn’t more careful with his things.” Malfoy taunts, “I figured with Weasley down for the count, you might need some assistance with your dragon smuggling.”

Helia heaved a sigh, running a hand down her face. “So when you say you want in……you mean you want to help me.”

“More like helping himself, by consequence that just leads to helping you.” Theo deduced, “If it didn’t pull thru he’d just throw you under the unforgivable.”

Lily paled, “The unforgivables?!”

Helia was quick to correct her mother’s misunderstanding, “It’s just a saying Mum, like how the non-magical say throw them under the bus. He’s not saying Draco would cast the unforgivable curses at me at age eleven.”

“Yes, Lady Potter, forgive my slip of tongue.” Theo apologized, giving a slight head bow to the previous Lady Potter.

It just didn’t make sense to her, what did Malfoy get out of help her. “Why in the blazes would you want to do that?”

Malfoy shrugged carelessly. “I find myself bored with the average day life of Hogwarts, and low and behold, here you are the perfect cure to that.”

Helia studied the pale boy closely, trying to figure out if he was pulling on her leg. “Look, you do realized we could be actually breaking laws here and maybe even expulsion if caught doing this right?

“Oh, wow you really are just so noble.” Daphne hummed, “Quite sickeningly so.”

“She’s just trying to warn him, Daphne, it’s nice of her.” Astoria softly told her sister.

Daphne smiled at her younger sister, patting her head, “Exactly, nice is disgusting and gives me hives, and we can’t have that.”

Why on earth would you want in on that?

Malfoy smirked, “that’s the thrill of it though, isn’t it? Sides, I thought you weren’t planning on getting caught?”

“No, I’m not planning on—

“Great so it’s a deal, I’ll be waiting for you in the hieroglyphic hall fifteenth after eleven, don’t be late now Potter.”

Hermione blinked before turning to Helia, “Okay I believe you, he really did drop a bomb down on you, then just moonwalked out of there.”

Helia shrugged. “I tried to tell you.”

The wizard and witches all had no idea what just came out of Hermione’s mouth.

Before Helia could stay anything else, Malfoy strolled out of the lavatory leaving Helia to stew in silence. Malfoy peaked his head back in the door. “Oh and try to ditch me, I’ll go straight to Professor Snape if you don’t show up on time, ta for now.”

Helia can do nothing but bend under the blackmailing, showing submission for the first time since she met Draco Malfoy. But she has no options, but to do as Malfoy wishes, she knows if she tries to pull anything Malfoy has no trouble opening his trap up and spill all about Norberta.

Sirius winced, he had a feeling it would come to this. His pup was too good to her friends that she put their well-being and feelings above her own. She took the blackmail and backstabbing with nary a blink just to keep Hagrid's reputation clear.

A tense walk to the hospital wing, and as soon as she’s pasted the doors, Ron is apologizing. “Helia! I’m sorry Malfoy stopped by, hetold Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books, so he could come and have a good laugh at me. But the problem is the book he took it had Charlie’s letter—

“Bloody tosser!” Ron Growled, mad at Malfoy and himself.

“Let it go, Ronald it’s been years, it turned out semi alright.” Hermione sighed.

“Yes, but he blackmailed Helia with something that was in my care.” Ron seethed.

“It’s alright, mate.” Helia soothed.

“Charlie’s letter.” Helia sighed, interrupting him. “Yeah, I know, we had a little chat. It’s okay, Ron.”  Hermione and Ron look at her, uneasy with anything to do with Malfoy. She quickly gave them the run down of her and Malfoy’s strange chat.

“The bloody prat!” Ron cursed, furious that Malfoy is blackmailing them just because of a whim. “I don’t care if daddy’s spoiled heir is bored with school life! What give him the right to mess with us and Hagrid like this, Ugh! -- I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this. "

Draco smirked at Ron, “It’s good you can learn from your follies, Weasley. Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

“Why you…” Ron growled, turning a furious red as he held himself back from trying to reenact their first year brawl.

Helia and Hermione tried to calm Ron down. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.

Reluctantly, they leave Ron’s side, giving as many reassurances as they could that the plan would go fine even with Malfoy tagging along.

As the girls walk down to Hagrid’s hut to tell him the plan, they try to hash out the new twists to their plan. "It's too late to change the plan now," Helia told Hermione. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norberta. We'll have to risk it.

"Yeah, you guys could do that or and, this is just a suggestion, you could, I don't know, ask for help.” Tonk pitched. 

Helia openly showed her distrust on her face, while Hermione and Ron both knew logically they should ask for help from professors or family. But they also witnessed and had been disappointed when they did ask and received none.

Sides, if we try to leave Malfoy out of it, he’ll send Snape after faster than we can blink than we’re in even more deep shit.”

They found Fang, the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them.

"I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norberta's at a tricky stage -- nothin' I can't handle. "

When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norberta had just bitten him on the leg.

“Play, Mummy," the dragon whined. "Hungry—Mummy—play!"

"Aargh! It's all right, she’s only got my boot -- jus' playin' – she’s only a baby, after all. "

“Let go, behave!” Helia hisses.

Norberta froze at the reprimand, slowly releasing Hagrid’s leg.

Charlie beamed at Helia, in awe that she told a dragon what to do and it listened, it really understood. He had to get her to visit the reserves one day.

She turned her orange eyes to Helia cocking her head curiously. “Speaker, play? Nestmate gone!”

And that’s how she ended up having a baby dragon chattering at her none stop, Norberta went on and on about how her ‘two-legged Mummy’ wouldn’t let her play with her nestmate no more. Which took her longer than she liked to admit figuring out that Norberta meant Fang. Who Norberta found to be quite odd despite being her nestmate even though fang was covered in fur and could not talk with her.

“Ok, that might have been the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard.” Padma cooed.

Helia and Hermione walked back to the castle feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.

They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say good-bye to Norberta if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do.

An hour before midnight, Helia and Hermione threw on the cloak over their heads it was going to be a tight fit with the both of them, Norberta and Malfoy underneath the cloak, but it would hold. Helia tried to tell Hermione she didn’t have to risk coming with her and Malfoy, but Hermione shut that down fast saying it was best she was close so if Malfoy did something to mess up they could warn each other through their bond. And it would be a cold day in hell before she trusted Malfoy to watch Helia’s back over her.

Helia grinned lopsided at Hermione, sending a ticklish fizzing-crackingly feeling of magic down their bond, receiving a bright warmth that filled her whole body.

The girls sneaked out of the Fat Lady’s portrait, leaving the Gryffindor tower behind as they make their way to the Hieroglyphics Halls where Malfoy should be waiting for them. It was long before they passed a stone gargoyle that guarded the Hieroglyphics Halls they both creeped into the dimly lit halls hidden in the shadows, Helia’s eyes adjust when the moonlight shines perfectly off Malfoy’s hair. His pale hair is glowing Snow White in the moonlight, and his eyes like silver drops that glimmers and glints in the dark.

Helia avoided looking into anyone eyes as they read her fucking waxing poetry about how pretty Draco looked in moonlight.

James groaned to himself, Potters always fell hard and fast.

Feeling mischievous, she whispers, “Malfoy.” Hauntingly in the silent halls. The pale boy sets out of the shadows at the call of his name, only to pause when his silver eyes register nobody to speak it. She holds in her giggles at the look of confusion on his face. “The little girl just could not sleep because her thoughts were way too deep, her mind had gone for a stroll and fallen down the rabbit hole.” She trilled sweetly, hoping to creep the boy out.

She could see the cold sweat starting to break out on the boy’s neck.

“Were you trying to give me a heart attack!” Draco hissed.

Helia giggled in delight. “Oh come now, Malfoy, it’s all in a bit of fun.”

“Helia.” Hermione sighed, pulling the cloak off,putting an end to her fun.

“Oi, it was just getting good.” Helia whined.

“Potter.” Malfoy growled, holding a hand over his racing heart. “That wasn’t funny.”

“Oh, come on, it so was.” She smirked, and was surprised when for a second she could spot a small smile on Malfoy’s face. She supposed the boy did have a sense of humour that wasn’t at the expense of others humiliation.

“Well transform me leaves and call me a bowtruckle! Miracles do happen, Fred!” George exclaimed.

Fred wiped away a tear, “I’ve never thought I’d live to witness this monumental moment in our lives.”

Draco could be seen visibly trying to hold himself back from strangling the Twins.

Malfoy’s attention was drawn to the simmering cloak held in Hermione’s grasp. “You have an invisibility cloak?

Daphne gave Draco a surprised glance, she remembered in third year Goyle and Crabbe both complained that Helia had an invisibility cloak on school ground. Draco at the time had nothing to say, he just sat broody on the commonrooms leather chair which wasn’t an uncommon sight. However she found it strange he had nothing to say about his favorite subject Helia Potter, only for him to already be in on the secret for the past two years and never told a soul. How unslytherin, of him.

Hermione gave him a suspicious glare, not liking how he eyed the cloak. “Yes it’s Helia’s heirloom from her father, now we best head to Hagrid before we’re late.”

Helia beaconed Malfoy underneath the cloak with them, “Quick get in, we got a dragon to smuggle.” Malfoy hesitated for a moment before crowding close to her side underneath the cloak.

It took them a minute of walking before they could get a good rhythm without tripping over each other and revealing themselves.

It was a very dark, cloudy night, and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the entrance hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall.

As they made their way down the grounds, Helia speaks up as she sees Hagrid’s hut come into view. “I’m warning you Malfoy, don’t say one slur or rude thing to Hagrid, I have no problem knocking you out. He’s having a hard enough time as it is, right now.” She warned, and she can tell Malfoy is gonna say something that will make her want to punch him.

“Hit him.” Ron urged.

Draco’s silver eyes widened before they narrowed into glare. “Hey, I kept my mouth shut around your precious groundskeeper, Weaselbee.”

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, “Sadly he’s right. Ron, he did keep from insulting Hagrid.”

Draco smirked, “See Weaselbee I can follow like a good soldier too, only I was actually useful unlike some people.”

Ron glared darkly at Draco,  “You, areshole.” He turned to Helia. “G’on hit him!” He ordered much to Helia’s amusement.

“Ron, you know we don’t blame you for being out of commission, you were in the hospital wing for crying out loud. Just chill, he’s just trying to get a raise out of you and you're falling for it.” Helia reasoned, but Ron was too furious to listen to logic.

“You're my best mate! Go knock his teeth down his thro—

“Ron!” Helia cut him off before he could finish his tirade. She turned to Draco, how schooled the smug sneer off his face when faced with her deadpan stare. “Enough. Stop antagonizing him.”

“Weaselbee—

Helia cut him off by punching him on the shoulder.

“Yes!” Ron cheered in delight.

“I mean it, Malfoy, don’t test me because I’ve been waiting for a chance to hit you, and by the time you wake up and make your way to snitch on us, we’ll be long gone.”

Malfoy looked at her trying to see how serious she was, before he decided it would be smarter to hold his tongue. “Fine.” It sounded like it really hurt him to agree to her terms.

 When they arrived at Hagrid’s hut, Hagrid was confused why they had Malfoy along with them but, he was too worried about Norberta to really question it. Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate. “She’s got lots o’ rats an’ some brandy fer the journey,” Hagrid explains, voice muffled. “An’ I’ve packed her teddy bear in case she gets lonely.” 

From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded an awful lot like teddy was having his head torn off.

"Jeez," Kingsley winced.

"How lovely," Susan said. "Got a friend to rip its head off."

Charlie chuckled nervously, “Yeah, dragons don’t do to well in enclosed spaces unfortunately.”

"Please hurry," Lily muttered, nervously. "Get the damn dragon up to the tower and get out of there."

"Sounds so simple when you say it like that.” Helia scoffed at herself.

Draco gave her disbelieving stare, “It was in no way simple to lift that bleeding crate up all those flights.”

 “I was being sarcastic.”

“Bye-bye, Norberta!” Hagrid sobs,

Norberta stopped ripping up the teddy bear. "Mummy? Where you? Dark! Dark, Mummy!" she whined. "Dark!"

Helia winced. "She’s going to miss you, Hagrid," she said, then to Malfoy, "Come on let’s get her underneath the cloak, Mione you go first to hold it up.”

 Helia and Malfoy cover the crate with the invisibility cloak before stepping underneath it themselves to join Hermione. “Mommy will never forget you!” 

McGonagall heaved a sigh, “He’s lost his mind, a dragon in my school. I thought I’ve seen it all.”

Helia grimaced, “Technically you didn’t see the dragon.”

“Be glad I can’t give you detention, Ms. Potter.”

       How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. UP another staircase, then another – even one of Helia’s shortcuts didn’t make the work much easier. 

        “Nearly there!” Helia pants as they reach the corridor beneath the tallest tower. She watched as Malfoy wrench a hand through his sweat soaked hair, she had to bite her tongue from teasing the boy about finally using his hands for some actual hard work.

“How was the work? Worth it or developed an aversion to menial labor?’ Kingsley prodded Draco.

Draco caught himself before he sneered blatantly at a high ranking Ministry officer, “If I didn’t think it was going to be worth it, I’d never would’ve forced myself in on Helia’s plans. And for the record I never had a problem working for things I want for myself.” He smirked at Helia, drawing a light blush towards her cheeks. “I think I benefited perfectly from our little excursion.”

Merlin knows he probably never had a hard day of work like she had everyday, with the Dursley’s. She’d have to remember to do it later when they weren’t under the threat of getting caught red-handed with a dragon after hours.

The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower felt like they went on forever, Helia feet felt as if they were led, it was a miracle they found each step without tripping. She could feel how tired Hermione was getting from their bond as well, Hermione usually only felt this tired after a week’s worth of study binge. It wasn’t until they’d stepped out into the chilly night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to breathe properly again.

“We did it.” Malfoy pants, running a hand through his sweaty hair. He chuckled, slides down to the floor leaning against the crate paying no mind when Norberta hissed complaining the boy stunk to high heaven—not that anyone but Helia could understand, and she totally agreed with the dragon—

“It’s not as if you smelled of fresh flowers and honeydew yourself, Potter.” Draco scoffed.

“Yeah, but I wasn’t the one the dragon was complaining about.” Helia laughed.

“Regret weaseling your way into our shit yet, Malfoy?” Helia smirked at the boy, not noticing when Hermione gives her an odd look at the light teasing her magic is sparking Malfoy’s way.

Helia struggled to not shove her burning face into a pillow and scream, this damn book was giving everything away like it fifty percent off at the grocery store.

Malfoy rolled his quicksilver eyes, imperiously. “Come off it, Potter, you wish.” Then, to Helia’s surprise, he tiled his head up to peer into her eyes and….smiled. Helia blinked as she froze under the heart racing look on his pale face, she suddenly felt very off foot in the face of that blinding smile.

And she immediately knew that she wasn’t trying to catch her breath from lugging a heavy crate filled with a baby dragon, but that smile took her breath away in away she never experienced before.

Helia gulped as she saw a shy but no less luminous smile break on Draco’s face. The smile was like lightning in the darkness, both beautiful and blinding and full of mystery. She fought the urge to throw caution to wind and just be with him right at the moment, to hell with everyone and they’re bigotries, it was physically painful to resist.

“Hmm, I guess you were useful.”  She admits, looking away from that smile and eyes that make such a deadly combination. She’d have to weary of them in the future.

Blaise huffed, “It’s amazing you're not more of an awkward duck, Carissima.

Helia startled at the endearment, before tilting her head in query.

Blaise rolled his eyes, “You’ve been so used to hiding your feelings for what I believe your whole childhood, that’s it’s no surprise that it took a toll on your mannerism. You come off as a little awkward in most things, not obviously but noticeably.” 

He was very used to the condition, his cuore suffered from it as well. It was not a skill one gained by training but seared into one’s being for survival. The ability to look, to the outside world’s perspective, utterly serene, at times cheerful or down right emotionless. While their heads were full of chaos.

“Was it enough adventure for you, then, worth it?”

Malfoy takes a minute to think before he nodded with a smugly satisfied look on his face, “It certainly killed my boredom,” He caught her eye again. “So I’ll say it was most definitely worth it.”

Draco couldn’t agree more with himself, everything they had to do, every part they played was worth it. He wholeheartedly believed that everything thing happen exactly the way it had to…so he could find Helia Potter right when they needed each other the most.

She could feel the truth in his words even though he meant something totally different, she didn’t know what he found worthwhile with this little ‘adventure’ but he seemed satisfied. “You know Malfoy, it’s a pity you don’t show your true face more often, things between us would’ve been very different.”

Malfoy scoffed, not really at her, but more at the overall situation. “Oh, please you know yourself, Potter nobody is what they say, and nobody has a choice in how they’re viewed not if they want to make it in this world.” He sighed, gazing at her for a moment. “And some aren’t allowed, so that makes us enemies.”

Helia flinched, she might not like how Malfoy conducted himself or what he said to people, but she had never connected him to the word enemy.

Draco turned amazed eyes toward Helia, he couldn’t believe she really hadn’t classified him as her enemy back then, even when he was falling head first into love with her. He was well aware that he was falling for the enemy his parents raised him to hate, it was a given he’d be on the opposite side of the girl-who-lived so that made them enemies.

Helia smiled fragiley, “Not everyone you fight are your enemies.”

Draco breath was hissed through his teeth, even when she appeared to be so delicate, Helia Potter was no pushover. Even when her own wellbeing hangs in the balance, she’ll stick to her ground. He hated that he felt a misplaced kernel of pride, as if he somehow had some ownership of that strength. “Line we’re drawn before we were brought into this life, Potter.”

“Chain by expectations and fear, fear of loss, of death. Who gives a fuck who shackled us, because we can break the chains that bind us.” Helia told him, with magic crackling in her emerald eyes. “All we need is a chance.”

A smirk tugged at his lips, “Chance for gray.” Draco said, confusing some people but delighting the girl who wished to live in a gray shaded world with him.

Why hadn’t she? Before Hogwarts, if asked by someone who was her enemy she wouldn’t answer, but she’d be thinking of her relatives. Now though with this whole girl-who-lived business hanging over her head like an axe waiting to drop, and many plots of unseen danger around her, she supposed she did have enemies. However, was Draco Malfoy her enemy? Why did that thought make her want to puke her guts up?

They were startled out of their thoughts when Hermione spoke up. “Oh, don’t be dramatic, Malfoy.” She huffed, staring down at the shocked Slytherin. “Helia doesn’t consider you her enemy, because you’re not. You’re just hostile to each other because of your different views and opinions, even though some of those views are thrust upon you.”

“Point to Hermione, for reading Helia as easily as a kindergarten level book.” Ginny noted.

Malfoy is quiet as he looks at the two Gryffindors both saying they would take him on as a friend if he just left all his raised upon beliefs behind. “It doesn’t matter.”

“That is the biggest lie people fall for.” Luna observed, drawing Draco’s darkened quicksilver eyes onto her. “Your opinion doesn’t matter, your choice doesn’t matter, your influence or your existence doesn’t matter. You don’t matter.”

Draco choked down the pain the blunt words induced onto him. He did not expect Helia’s little shadow, she was so protective of, to be able to inflict cruelty as easily.

“It is the worst lie we ever believe, in consequence it damages far more than just ourselves but others as well. Please don’t fall for the evil lie, everything about you absolutely does matter.” Luna said sincerely, Draco had no words to say for once in his life.

Before Helia or Hermione could push the matter,four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.

Charlie’s friends were a cheery lot,

Charlie grinned. "They were really excited to pick up a dragon from Hogwarts."

"And they didn't care about the danger..or about the fact that it wasn't legal?" asked Kingsley. Those dragon lovers were a crazy lot.

“Nah it’s good to get out and stretch our legs, you know.”

No Kingsley did not know how doing illegal acts were to be confused with taking a nice outing.

showing them the harness they’d rigged so they could suspend Norberta between them. With their support, Norberta was quickly and safely buckled into it and then, with a shake of their hands and a “thank you so much”, they were off. Flying off into the distance until they couldn’t see them anymore.

Helia heaved a sigh of relief. Norberta was gone!

“Thank Merlin!" Several people exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, just when we thought we were safe, the other shoe dropped." Hermione gritted through her teeth.

Lily turned to them in shock that danger of the dragon had passed but another danger was right around the corner. “What how?!”

“Oh, you’ll see.” Helia hissed.

They had finally managed to solve one of their many problems. Turning to speak to Malfoy she found his walls firmly in place as he held out the cloak to wrap around the three of them, Helia smiled sadly taking it as her answer. It was time to go back to normal.

The route back to the Slytherin common room was silent and heavy with unsaid apologies. Helia wasn’t sure why it was so painful to have Malfoy as an opposed force, it never really bothered her much that people didn’t like her or didn’t interact with her back in non-magical school—not like Dudley would let them, the first whiff he got that another kid was being nice to her, he and his gang merciless bully the kid until they left her behind—Ron and Hermione were her first fully admitted friends, and Malfoy when he had that annoying front up was a bully towards than and every chance he got he tried to prod her into losing her temper to get her in trouble.

But, He was also smart, clever and lonely just like she was before Hogwarts. His underneath was like looking into a mirror of her past, like she was stifled to act a certain why by her Aunt and Uncle, he too wasn’t free to be how he really was. And to her that was sad, because she liked him in the few moments she had with him.

“How quickly you fall in love.” Theo mused, to Helia’s bewilderment. “You don’t care for people, not really it’s only when you attach yourself to them and find yourself doing everything to keep them. That you realized how big of an impact people have in your world.”

Hermione raised to her bonded’s defense. “Helia is extremely caring.”

Theo raised a hand stopping her. “Only after she considers them to be her people, she did pay any attention to you at first until she found you crying and claimed you, now you were hers and meant to be cared for. But before you’d be lucky to get an awkward or even an unintentional aggressive interaction.”

Hermione glanced at Helia uncertainty, because it was true that was her interpretation of encounters she had with Helia before their bond. Helia stared piercingly straight at Theo.

“You literally can’t be fully aware of another human being unless you love them. By that love you see potential in your beloved.” Theo theorized, “Through that love you allow your beloved to see their potential, expressing that love. Your beloved’s potential comes true.”

She wanted to know him better, know his real likes and dislikes. Did they share any of the same views? Curiouser and Curiouser she wanted to shout, who was stopping him, why?how? And just why did he give her that necklace if he consider her an enemy?

Malfoy slipped out from underneath the cloak, without so much of a look back he was going….going…gone.

Despite her better judgment, she felt rather quite sad that this was most likely the last time, maybe even the only time they’d team up. A pity, really.

As they made their way back to the Gryffindor tower, Helia still pondering of Malfoy, when a sudden movement ahead of them startled them. Forgetting that they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows,

 “For being the one that owned the invisibility cloak, James was always the one who forgot when he was wearing it.” Sirius barked, laughing at the pout on his brother’s face.

 “Sirius I told you the cloak’s magic just felt so similar to mine that I just forgot I even had it on.” James whined.

staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared.

Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net, had Pansy Parkinson by the ear.

Draco, Blaise and Theo all facepalmed at Pansy’s recklessness. She went to get Helia caught and ended up getting herself in trouble instead. She was lucky she didn’t get more house points lost or worse a letter written home to the lord of her house, her father.

"Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you--"

"You don't understand, Professor. Helia Potter's coming -- she's got a dragon!"

“Fucken hell, Pans, know when you're beat.” Draco hissed.

"Did she really think McGonagall would buy that?" Theo sighed.

Blaise didn't answer. He was trying hard to ignore the Pansy induced headache he could feel growing.

"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on -- I shall see Professor Snape about you, Parkinson!"

The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again.

James leaned over to his daughter to whisper conspicuously to her, “Try air-freshener charms works wonders.”

Helia nodded seriously.

Hermione did a sort of jig.

"Parkinson’s got detention! I could sing!"

"Don't," Helia advised her,

“Look, we all can’t have a voice like a siren leading sailors to their doom.” Hermione defended herself.

Helia blush red, at the jab at her singing. Hermione knew compliments threw her off her balance more than a slight did.

Neville nodded in agreement, “You really do have a lovely voice, Helia.”

“Nev, please Shut up.”

she folded the cloak in her saddlebag she enchanted it with an undetectable extension charm and a notice-me-not charm. “At least wait til we’re back in the dorms.”

“See I would’ve let you sing, just in a better location.” Helia huffed.

Hermione laughed, pushing Helia’s shoulder jokingly. “Oh, stop.”

Chuckling about Parkinson, their minds off Malfoy, They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norberta was off them. No more dragon – Parkinson in detention -- what could spoil their happiness?

The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.

"Well, well, well," he whispered, "we are in trouble. "

They should’ve left the cloak on, she had a feeling the Twins would’ve called this a rookie mistake.

“Shit taking the cloak off before the common room was a big no-no.” Sirius groaned.

“Rookie mistake indeed, Heli-flower.” Fred tutted.

“Looks like you need some lessons, we of course would happily supply for a certain incentive.” George added, smirking.

Helia gave both of them a dark glare, finding no fun in the stupidity of her youth.