The Lewis House 70 страница

His head snapped toward her and he stood still.

"DOWN, HARRY!" Charlie yelled, and Ginny stifled a scream. Norbert had brought his tail around so quickly that she hadn't seen it coming - it was inches from slamming Harry's head - Harry dropped to the ground and flattened himself against it at the sound of Charlie's voice, and barely avoided being beaten to a pulp.

"He can't ride that dragon anymore," Ginny heard herself saying, hardly aware of her words. "Bring another one out here, this is ridiculous, this isn't safe -"

"That's why you're here, isn't it?" Harry had managed to scramble away from Norbert; he came to the edge of the landing area and stood several feet away from Ginny, breathing hard. "You're going to look at him, aren't you?"

It was a moment before Ginny could gather her thoughts. Harry was gray with fatigue; his skin was ashen and sweating, and his eyes were feverishly bright. All day, he had relived the cruelest moments of his past. She heard pleading voices swimming toward her; felt the aching waves of his disgust and fear. Her stomach began to tie in knots and she felt the overwhelming compulsion to go to him - to put her hands on him -

Block it, she heard Remus direct sternly, in the back of her mind. Block it. Block it.

It was excruciating, but she managed to drag an open corner of her mind shut again. "I'm... supposed to look at all the dragons," she answered slowly, and worked on reining in the rest of herself, a fraction at a time. In the near distance she could see Draco Malfoy's dragon landing, and the shouts of the keepers helped refocus her mind on her purpose. "I hope I'll be able to help."

"Just be careful." Harry's voice was low, and Ginny found it almost impossible to continue to block him now. Mixed with his unpleasant vibrations, she could feel another energy from him - one she didn't want to deflect. He really did care for her. Ginny had to look away.

"There are other trained dragons," she said. "Aren't there? Why don't they send for one? You shouldn't be on Norbert. He's not tame."

"Brilliant observation," came a cold voice from the clearing. Ginny turned toward it and narrowed her eyes. Malfoy was approaching them. He stopped just inches from Ginny, and she stiffened. "Is that what they brought you out here to tell us?" he asked sarcastically. "That Potter's dragon is deranged? What an astounding gift you have, Weasley."

"Shut up." Harry stepped up beside Ginny. She felt the sudden warmth of his defensiveness, and permitted herself a tiny smile before working to block it out. "You said your shift was over," Harry said, "so go home."

"If she's here to look at dragons," Malfoy returned, "then I'm not going anywhere until she's looked at Mordor."

"She has a name," Harry hissed.

"I understand that Mordor is less affected than the others," Ginny replied with pointed efficiency, hoping the fight wouldn't escalate. It wasn't worth it. "So I'll probably begin with Norbert, since he looks worst."

"Oh, of course," Malfoy said. He ran a gloved hand through his fine hair, and smirked at her. "Must take care of Potter."

Ginny didn't even flinch, and she congratulated herself for it. Things had certainly changed. "Yes, that's right," she returned, in a voice as cool as Malfoy's. "Excuse me." She swept past him towards Charlie, who was standing half-slumped and panting in the center of the landing area, watching as the keepers led Mordor away, with Mick at their head. "You okay?" she asked quietly, when she was close enough.

Charlie shrugged and straightened. "Could you tell anything?" he asked, in lieu of an answer. "Did you - get a vibe, or something?"

"What - from the dragons? No, I need to get closer to them, Charlie. They're huge. I can't tell anything standing down at their feet."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up. "You want to get closer?"

"I don't have a choice. I think I should start with Norbert - he's worst off, so he'll be the easiest to read. So just go on and stun him -"

"Stun him?" Charlie gave a tired laugh. "He's just flown for ten hours. He has to eat, he has to hydrate, he has to have a proper rest or he won't be any good to us tomorrow - I can't stun him."

"Well, which one can you stun then?"

"Of the full shift dragons? I can't stun any. You can stand outside the enclosures, and that's about it."

Ginny felt a thrill of fear. She hadn't expected that the dragons would be awake for their examinations. "Charlie, you don't understand. I can't feel anything from outside the enclosures. I have to be in range."

"Well, if you think I'm going to fly you up next to one of their heads, you can think again."

"I thought you were supposed to know how to do that!"

"I do. And I don't mind risking my neck. But I won't risk yours - not like that, not with how they've been behaving."

"Well, what am I wearing all of this for, then?" Ginny demanded, tugging at her protective gear.

Charlie shook his head. "Fireproof all the clothes you want, they'll still turn you to a crisp if you make a false move."

"They're unstable, Ginny."

She jumped. Harry had practically sneaked up behind her. "I have to get close," she pleaded, turning to him for support, "and I really want to get this over with. But Charlie won't take me up - will you do it?"

Harry glanced at Charlie before answering. "No. I don't think it's safe."

"Oh, this is just rich!" Ginny glowered from one to the other of them. "You -" she pointed at Charlie "- have been dragon keeping for ages, driving Mum wild

with fear. And you -" she glared at Harry "- have been strapped to a mad dragon all day long. But it's not safe for me?" She shivered with anger, amazed that she could have felt, earlier, that she was being treated as an equal. She should have known better; when push came to shove, she was still considered a child. "Which of you is going to take me closer?"

Charlie and Harry exchanged another glance, and Harry shifted uncomfortably, but neither seemed inclined to change his mind.

"Is there a problem?" Malfoy called, from the edge of the clearing. When Ginny turned, she found him looking right at her. "Do you plan to do your job, Weasley, or are you going to be useless, like the rest of your -"

"Sod off," Charlie called back, before Malfoy could finish. "Nobody's interested in your opinion."

Malfoy walked slowly up to Charlie, still holding his broom, his riding gloves dangling from his other hand. "You should be," he said softly. "Unlike you, I have no need of a job."

Charlie and Harry both opened their mouths, looking ready to swear, but Malfoy cut them off.

"Insult me again, and I'll quit. I mean it." He raised an eyebrow. "Don't pretend you can replace me. You're having trouble finding riders."

Charlie made a growling sort of noise. Harry turned away.

"I asked what the problem was," Malfoy repeated, his voice icy. "Can someone explain why she -" he gestured to Ginny "- is standing around chatting while my dragon gets worse? I think you're aware of what I've invested to be sure of proper treatment for Mordor. Your specialists have spent all their time examining the Ridgeback - I want her to look at my dragon. Now."

"She's not looking at anything," Charlie seethed, "until we get things straightened out."

Malfoy turned his stare on Ginny. "What things?"

"Apparently it's unsafe," Ginny explained, clipping her words to let Harry and Charlie know just how she felt about it, "for me to examine the dragons while they're awake. I assumed they'd be stunned, but since that's not possible -"

"Of course you can examine them awake," Malfoy said with a snort.

"No. I can't do it from outside their stables. I need to get close to the -"

"I know what Healers do," said Malfoy in an impatient, patronizing tone of voice. "Go up and do it."

"She's not flying up on her own," Charlie said, looking outraged. "She's untrained."

"Then go with her. Honestly, must your decisions be supervised?" Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't Potter take her?"

Charlie looked as if he wanted to say something truly rude, but he bit his tongue.

"It's not going to happen," Harry said flatly. "It's going to have to wait."

Malfoy gave Harry a lazy smile. "Scared of them?" he asked, and jerked his head toward the dragon enclosures. "Well, I'm not. And I'm not going to spend the evening here, while you play protect the girlfriend. I'll take her up." Malfoy pulled his riding gloves back on and mounted his broom. He fixed Ginny with a very unsettling look. "Get on."

Ginny hesitated. Her skin crawled at the very idea of being so near to Malfoy, for any reason. To trust him, after all he had done to hurt her family and friends, was pure foolishness. On the other hand... if no one else was going to give her the opportunity to do the job she'd been hired to do...

"Don't even try it, Malfoy." Harry's hand was very near his wand.

"Oh, just stop," Ginny burst suddenly, looking at him in annoyance. "I came out here to do a job, and I'm going to do it." She undid her cloak and handed it to a very surprised Charlie, got astride Malfoy's broom so that she sat in front of him, and clutched the handle with both her hands.

"Ginny, don't you -" Charlie started, but Ginny didn't hear the rest of it, nor did she have to stay on the ground long to endure the look of pure horror on Harry's face. Malfoy had reached around her, grabbed hold of the broom, and kicked off the ground at top speed. They were fifty feet in the air within seconds.

"Take me to Norbert first," Ginny yelled over her shoulder, trying to move forward as much as possible. A wave of something vicious and cold had surrounded her, and she realized that she was in Malfoy's aura. It was by far the most disturbing she had yet encountered. Malfoy had been through the same war as the rest of them... but in such a different manner. His energy was riddled with violence. Darkness. Ginny shuddered.

"No." Malfoy steered a straight course for his dragon's stable. "If Potter wants his dragon looked at, let him deal with it."

"I'm telling you," Ginny returned angrily, "that if Norbert feels the worst, I'll have the easiest time reading him. This has nothing to do with personal preference."

"Of course it doesn't." Malfoy did not change direction.

"The quicker I can work out what's wrong, the quicker your dragon will have a remedy," Ginny yelled over the rushing wind, "and I'm telling you for the last time, Malfoy, Norbert will be the quickest way to tell. I don't want to stay up here any longer than you do."

It was ridiculous. Like talking to a wall. Malfoy laughed softly, near her ear, and Ginny felt ill. Again she felt the icy rush of his hatred - his past. It was a past that included violence against the Grangers and violence against her brothers - there was real cruelty in his energy. And beneath that cruelty, threatening to swallow her like an undertow, there was sickening grief. Malfoy's whole aura twisted with a black, relentless suffering, and, quite against her will, Ginny found that she was raising her hands and turning towards him. Whatever tortured Malfoy, she was distraught to realize, she felt compelled to drive it out.

Block it. Ginny shook her head and straightened her spine. Remus's voice was suddenly strong in her mind again. Block it. He isn't there.

"Fine, Weasley, have it your way." Malfoy jerked the nose of the broom so violently that Ginny feared she would tumble from it, but he turned them toward Norbert's enclosure. "You better be right."

Malfoy flew fearlessly towards the dragon; it startled Ginny, who had expected less from him. "Don't get too close," she warned, when Malfoy made no sign of slowing down. They were twenty meters from Norbert's immense head.

"Nothing will happen," Malfoy said, speeding up.

"Don't get that close," Ginny repeated, yelping in terror and sliding back into Malfoy on instinct. They weren't ten feet from Norbert's sharp, bronze horns. His enormous right eye glinted madly. He turned his giant, scaly face towards them and opened his jaws - Ginny could see all his massive teeth - they were each the size of her hand - he must be about to breathe fire right at her -

Malfoy raised his hand, and Norbert's mouth closed at once. His head swiveled away.

"Back up!" Ginny shouted, terrified, elbowing at Malfoy to do something. This was lunacy. It was suicide to stay this close to a dragon. He must be trying to kill her.

"You're fine," Malfoy said, sounding bored. "He's not even looking at you. Stop kicking."

"We're too close - I mean it!" Ginny tried to steer the broom herself, but couldn't pry his hands from the handle.

"You Gryffindors are all talk." Malfoy gave a derisive laugh. "Frightened of a dragon."

"It's good sense to be frightened of some things - now back up -" She managed to get the broom to point left, and tried to fly it away from Norbert.

Malfoy jerked the broom back into place with a snarl. "Do you honestly think I'd risk my life just to scare you?" he asked, his voice suddenly very low. "Do you think for one second I'd bother putting you in danger? Not that I care if you burn to death, but I'm right next to you. I'd get burnt if you did. Think about it."

Ginny wanted to give him a nasty look, but she didn't dare take her eyes off the dragon. "And why should I trust you?" she demanded.

Malfoy sighed. "Just get to work, Weasley," he said. "This should be close enough."

Though her heart raced with fear, Ginny went hot in the face. "Don't order me," she retorted. "I work for the Ministry, not for you."

"I've paid the Ministry to look after Mordor," Malfoy said smoothly. "I've financed this visit of yours. So get to work."

It was hard to reach out her hands - she didn't want to be any closer to that dragon than was absolutely necessary - but Ginny did it. She closed her eyes and hoped it wouldn't be the end of her. For a minute she was too frightened to do anything but sit there, but finally she focused with every shred of her self-control, and to her shock, she connected. Norbert's aura was so powerful that she gasped.

"What?" Malfoy demanded.

Ginny ignored him. He didn't exist. She moved her hands through the great, warm barrier that was the dragon's natural shield. "That's beautiful," she murmured to herself.

"What?" Malfoy repeated, sounding even more irritated.

"We should check the eyes," Ginny answered, hanging on tightly to her tenuous connection with Norbert. "Is it safe to fly right in front of his face?"

Malfoy made an impatient noise, and flew directly before Norbert's snout. Ginny gulped anxiously and gazed into the dragon's yellow eyes, each of which was half as big as she was. But Norbert did not so much as snort as they approached, and Ginny felt oddly... safe. Slowly, she allowed Malfoy's energy to penetrate her senses again. She felt for his motives - searching for anticipation, for personal hatred, for intent to injure. When she sensed no danger, she closed off again - it was much easier this time - and opened up to Norbert. She concentrated, amazed at how simple it was for her to feel everything - her practice had really paid off.

"It's his eyes," she said aloud, when her palms skimmed across a troubled patch in the dragon's force field. Her fingers curled around tight, hot knots of energy, close to the corneas. "But it is physical," she mumbled to herself. "This is pain in the tissue. I thought they already had their eyes checked!"

"They did," Malfoy answered shortly.

"They need a more thorough examination," Ginny said. "I don't know how to fix this, but there's definitely a problem in his eyes - let me feel the rest of him and make sure it's just that."

Malfoy steered them around Norbert's enormous form; when they were directly over the dragon's harness, Ginny gasped.

"Stop - go lower."

Malfoy dropped into a hover over Norbert's back and Ginny shivered. It was cold here, right where Harry sat every day. Norbert's back ached - but this wasn't a muscular ache. This wasn't physical. This was almost like the waves she had felt from Harry, after his brushes with Dementors. This was like her own experience with Dementors, though, coming from the animal, it wasn't exactly emotional. And yet it was…

"Bizarre," she whispered. "It's in his back, but not in his tissue." Charlie had been right about the dragons after all. Ginny groaned inwardly at the idea of giving him more reasons to treat the beasts as if they were human... but it was amazing.

"Let her down, Malfoy."

Ginny's concentration broke at the sound of Harry's voice - she hadn't realized it, but she had expected him to come after her sooner. He was hovering alongside them, looking murderous, and Ginny felt a twinge of impatience.

"I'm fine, Harry," she began, but Harry didn't seem to hear her.

"I said land," he barked at Malfoy. His wand was out and his eyes flashed.

Malfoy gripped Ginny's waist, pulling her back against him. "She said she's fine, Potter," he drawled. "Get out of the way."

Ginny gasped and wrenched herself forward, but Malfoy didn't let go. Harry looked as if his head was about to explode; he raised his wand, and Ginny's heart fluttered at the open jealousy in his expression. She had never seen him look so much like Ron - like he might truly lose his temper. She was so strangely flattered that she didn't notice Norbert's head swinging towards them again until it was almost too late. The dragon's jaw opened wide and its teeth looked ready to snap Harry in two.

"DIVE!" Ginny screamed.

Harry dove. He flattened himself along his broom and just escaped being eaten - but not for long. Norbert let out a frightening, angry roar, and snapped at Harry again, while Ginny pulled her wand in a panic. She pointed it at Norbert but it was of no use - she had no idea what to do. Harry seemed to, however; he deflected an enormous jet of fire with what looked to be an invisible shield. A foot from his face, the fire met a wall and exploded before him.

"You'll have to land, Potter," Malfoy called out, sounding amused. "Seems you haven't got the right touch."

Harry maneuvered around the back of Norbert's head, but it was only a moment before the dragon twisted its neck and found him again. "Damn it!" he yelled in frustration. "Calm down!" But whatever he was doing with his wand meant nothing to Norbert, who was aggravated in the extreme.

"Land," Ginny begged, forgetting herself. "Go on, Harry, just land - don't hurt yourself."

He didn't listen.

"Land," Ginny ordered Malfoy, not bothering to hide her fear. Harry wouldn't go to the ground unless she did; she knew that. "Norbert's even worse now-" She cringed as a sheet of fire came at her, and screamed again at the sight of the dragon's head as it lunged for the broom.

Malfoy's body didn't even tense. He kept hold of Ginny with one hand and raised his wand with the other, deflecting the fire. He left his wand up for a long moment. As Ginny watched, Norbert calmed down and turned away again, suddenly docile. Harry hovered on the other side of the dragon, panting.

"What did you just do?" Harry yelled.

Ginny pulled Malfoy's hand from her stomach and threw it off.

Malfoy laughed, but didn't answer. In his energy, Ginny could feel a hot, thrilling sort of charge. Power.

"Why did you wait so long to do that?" Ginny demanded, trying to turn and face him. "Norbert could have killed Harry -"

"Like I care," Malfoy said, emphasizing each word.

Strangled with frustration, Ginny gave up. He was hopeless. She had to block him out, along with all his darkness, and ignore her own utter fright at being eye to eye with a meat-eating beast. She had to concentrate, regardless of Harry hovering in the air and Charlie shouting on the ground, and regardless of the fact that Malfoy's body was still touching hers. She was here to work. Ginny took a deep breath, gripped the broom with her knees and held out her hands, palms facing Norbert.

Malfoy grabbed her hard around the waist.

Ginny's concentration was instantly shattered. "Let go," she said furiously, squirming in his painful grasp. She caught Harry's eyes and the injured anger in his face made her feel guilty for no reason.

Malfoy was laughing again. "I'm not having some drama where you fall and have to be caught," he said quietly, pulling her tighter against him. "Don't flatter yourself that I get off on this..."

Ginny had the very distinct and disturbing feeling that he did - if only to torment Harry. Still, the very idea was disgusting and she realized that as long as she was on this broom with Malfoy, her concentration would be shot. She couldn't trust him - not now that he was on a mission to infuriate Harry. This wasn't going to work.

"Land," she said shortly. Malfoy didn't move the broom; Ginny pressed down on the nose but he was stronger and he held it in place. "Land," she said again, louder. "I'm finished for today."

"You haven't looked at Mordor."

"And I'm not going to until I have some proper working conditions. Take me down. Now."

Malfoy snorted. "Oh, I don't think so."

Harry flew up to Malfoy so that their brooms were nose to nose, and told him to land. He used several words that Ginny had rarely heard from him.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth, Potter?"

Ginny elbowed Malfoy in the gut. She didn't care that she was on his broom and at his mercy - feeling Malfoy's stomach contract and hearing him wheeze in pain was a satisfying victory. Ginny met Harry's eyes, and this time there was no anger in them. They shone fiercely at her.

"Come on," he muttered, pulling his broom alongside Malfoy's. Ginny didn't hesitate. She swung one leg over its handle, and pulled the other one off of Malfoy's broom before he had recovered enough to tighten his grip on her again. Harry clamped an arm around her and flew instantly higher, out of Malfoy's reach.

"Thanks."

Harry didn't answer but he moved his thumb against her stomach and rested his head against hers for a second. Before they landed, she could have sworn she'd felt his mouth on the back of her neck, even through her hair.

"Are you bloody insane?" Charlie was on top of her before they'd even dismounted. "What the -" Charlie's language was worse than Harry's and it took him longer to exhaust his colorful vocabulary.

When he'd finished, Ginny crossed her arms. "It's your fault for not taking me yourself," she hissed. "Dad's going to be really angry."

"You're damn right he is!" Charlie answered hotly. "With you! Getting on a broom with Malfoy after what we've bloody well -" And off he went again.

Ginny looked at Harry. "I'm going to take this off," she said, ignoring her brother, whose stream of curses had yet to die down. She tugged on her dragon vest. "Have a good shift, Charlie."

"Shift?" Charlie laughed. "Like I'm going anywhere other than Dad's office. He's going to know about this right now. Besides, I don't have to fly for another four hours."

"Fine. Tell him I want a proper escort next time. And a pay raise."

"Oh you won't be getting a pay raise." Malfoy's voice was hard and cold. He'd landed silently beside them and held his broom clenched in his fist. His eyes were ice gray and fixed on Ginny. "I'll report this charade to the Secretary Privy, Weasley, and you'll be fired before the end of the day. I don't care who your father thinks he is."

Charlie took a dangerous step towards Malfoy, and Harry blocked him. "Don't," Harry said, very low. "Not worth it."

"I'll see you at the Ministry then," Charlie snapped at Malfoy. He pulled his wand and Disapparated without another word.

Harry and Malfoy looked at each other for a moment that seemed to last forever. Ginny finally touched Harry's arm, and he jumped. "Let's go," she said.

Harry nodded.

"How sweet," Malfoy drawled behind them as they turned and went to the equipment tent. "Seems you can't do anything without a Weasley, Potter. Predictable that you ended up f-"

"Shh, don't," Ginny whispered, grabbing Harry's arm to stop him from launching himself back at Malfoy. "Not worth it."

Harry's jaw tightened, but he kept moving forward, past the clearing where the dragons had landed earlier. New ones were taking off now; one strapping older man was disappearing out across the water atop a Welsh Green as another climbed into his harness. A woman was already circling the far side of the island atop her dragon.

They headed into the deserted equipment tent. Ginny watched, impressed, as the three reserve riders flew around the prison and wondered if she might be able to persuade the female rider to take her up in the air.

"I want to go up to the Ministry," Harry muttered. He tore off his fireproof clothes and threw them in a locker. "I want to back Charlie up."

"You want to tell my dad I shouldn't come back here?"

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04