Written for:

Stickers: Write about Charlie Weasley or Hagrid

Days of the Month - A dragon

Book Club: Computer Jack - (word) strength, (word) pedantic, (action) making a discovery

Buttons - "You're doing it wrong."

1000 - (job) dragonologist

365 - Creature - Dragon

Resolution - Write about a creature from the books/movies, write a fic set in trio era

Showtime "That's enough."

A Way With Dragons

Dedictated to Sam and Laura (aka: Saura)

Charlie/Draco

"You're doing it wrong," Charlie murmured, his gaze on Draco as Draco tried to clean Saura's injured tail.

Draco turned his gaze to Charlie just for a second, his eyes narrowed. "Well, I'm fairly certain you weren't an expert the first time you did this," he retorted. He returned his attention to the tail and Charlie turned his gaze to Draco.

Draco had only started at the reserve a few months before and had automatically ended up getting the worst jobs. Though he complained (loudly and often), he still made the effort to get everything done and he put his all into the tasks laid out as though trying to prove that he could do well.

He did prove himself. Charlie only had vague ideas of why Draco was so eager to prove himself and in a setting far away from everything that had happened. Several of his theories were based around the mark Draco kept hidden on his arm… though when he rolled his sleeves up to tend to the baby dragon Charlie had tasked him with earlier, it was on display.

And Draco was on edge (more than usual) because of it, half expecting people to say something. But at the reserve, no one cared. They all knew the story. It was old news what the Malfoys did and who could blame a teenage boy whose own father was a Death Eater for turning out the same way? Harry Potter had spoken on his behalf and in their eyes, that was the end of it.

Draco picked up the cloth, dipping it into the water and squeezing it. Charlie turned his attention back to the baby dragon. He could muse over Draco later, but the dragons always came first. He watched carefully as Draco pressed the cloth against the scales that led down Saura's back, taking more care than before.

"Slide the cloth the same direction as the scales go," Charlie instructed. "Don't rub in circles because pushing the scales the wrong way could hurt a dragon and upset them."

There was a slight nod of Draco's head before he began to do as he was told. Charlie opened his mouth to tell Draco to clean the whole tail whilst he was at it, but before he could say the words, Draco had moved the cloth to the side of the tail without needing to be told to do so.

Charlie smiled, proud of how well Draco was doing. Saura hadn't snapped at him once and the baby dragon had been pretty fussy about being handled - only Charlie (and now Draco) were allowed to treat her as she didn't lash out at either of them. Hungarian Horntails were known to be a little tempermental at times, depending on who was around.

"Her scale is twisted on the side," Draco suddenly said. "I shouldn't wash it, should I?"

Charlie quickly moved around, his eyes on Saura. "Her scale?" he asked, frustrated. When Saura was brought it, the report said that her sister had bitten her tail roughly to break a scale near the top of her tail. It said nothing about a twisted scale on the other side near the bottom.

If Draco had pushed the cloth over that scale when it was twisted, it'd have stung and upset the dragon. They might have had to use magic to calm her down and Charlie was against using magic unless absolutely necessary. He made a mental note to have a word with whoever had written the report. He wasn't pedantic, but when something wasn't checked or recorded, it caused extra work, upset in the dragons and made things more difficult just because someone wanted to save a couple of minutes.

"Well done spotting that," Charlie said. "Avoid this scale but we'll continue healing the wound where the scale was pulled out. I'll show you how to handle a twisted scale afterwards."

Draco nodded and turned his attention back to the tail, taking great care in washing it.

"That's enough," Charlie said after a couple of minutes. "Now, reach for the jar next to you - the pale blue one. We start with that."

...oOo...

"You have a way with the dragons," Charlie said, a few days later, watching Draco tend to another dragon. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Draco gave a shrug of his shoulders. "There's a lot more to me than meets the eye."

"I don't doubt that." Charlie cleared his throat. "I need to tend to Norberta later. Unfortunately she has a bit of a temper and has to be knocked out due to her strength - she managed to hurt her wing. I want you there helping me."

Draco looked surprised. "I thought only people who have been here for a long time are trusted with the bigger dragons."

"Normally, yes, but you have a way with them that I'm impressed with." Charlie grinned at him. "You're done here so let's have lunch together and I'll fill you in on the procedure."

836 words