Dragonseed I - The Serpent's Head

DRAGON SEED I - The Serpent's Head

Chapter Two - The Sapphire Ring

He slipped the small pellet discreetly into the crystal goblet before filling both glasses with a flourish. There was a slight extra flash in the contaminated cup, but then it was gone and there was no discernable difference. He did not think there would be any difficulty in getting her agreement to his plans tonight, but having come this far he was taking no chances.

He turned and carried the filled champagne glasses back to the bed, handing one to the woman lying there. She was stretched, out totally unashamed in her nakedness. The satin sheet casually draped over her hip was there more to enhance than to conceal. He felt desire start to rise in him again, but sternly pushed the thoughts aside. Business first. He sat down next to her and touched glasses. "To your beauty my dear."

"You flatter me." But she smiled acceptance of the compliment and, lifting the glass to her lips she drank, then set it down on the headboard before turning to look at him again. He held her eyes and gazed deeply into them, forcing his will into her subconscious. He could feel a slight resistance, and this was something that he would have to work on. Eventually he would need her total submission, but for now it was not a major issue.

The feeling required was comfort, safety, and need for him. He tried not to visibly show the effort of projection. Her eyes softened and he could feel the resistance lessen. Good, it was time. He held his hand out towards her and as he turned it palm up a magnificent ring appeared. It was old gold with a large step cut oval sapphire set in the centre. Around the sides of the sapphire were two dragons with diamond eyes, their bodies and tails forming the ring.

"Marry me," he said. It was not a question, but a command.

She lifted her hand and said "Yes." The ring slipped on smoothly and then tightened. It would not come off easily.

She looked at her hand as if somehow it was not part of her and softly said, "We will have to tell my family."

"Of course we will." He reached up and caressed her flaming red hair. "But unpleasantries like that can wait. Tonight it is just you and me."

***

Bright sunlight was streaming into the back door of the Burrow. As he stood there Marcus Weasley squinted in the glare of it and shook his head again. Last night's dream had been the clearest yet, and definitely the strangest.

When he turned thirteen his dad had sat him down and they had had 'The Talk'. So he knew it was okay to have erotic dreams. But his dreams did not always seem to be quite like what Dad had described and certainly having one starring your aunt was probably not a good thing.

The weird dreams seemed to have increased in duration and frequency since the end of term. Marcus wasn't sure why. They were just another thing to mark him out as different. The blonde boy knew he was forever identified as the Slytherin Weasley.

It had taken nearly two years to gain general acceptance from his house mates and the last thing he needed was for any of them to find out about these dreams or visions. He had no intention of discussing these dreams with his parents either. This was another secret that he was only prepared to discuss with one person.

"Wake up, Snake boy," said a way too cheerful voice behind him. "You're blocking traffic sleeping there."

"Sod off, Jimmy." He turned as he said it and stuck his foot across the step, just in time to send his cousin sprawling in an ungraceful heap at his feet.

"Nice trick," James grinned up through a fringe of unruly black hair. He held up one hand. "Help me up."

The minute he grabbed Marcus's hand James gave a pull and brought him down on the floor next to him. They both lay there laughing fit to kill until the looming shadow of their grandmother blocked the light.

"I think there are better places to play than the middle of the doorway boys."

"Yes, Nanna," they chorused as they quickly got to their feet and ran outside, before she decide to co-opt their help in getting ready for Sunday lunch.

"A great day for flying, don't you agree?" said James, as they stood looking across the valley behind the Burrow.

"Definitely," Marcus agreed. It was fine and sunny with just a slight breeze. "Let's say ten laps," he said as he already started running towards the broom shed.

He could hear James close behind him. Both on the ground and in the air they were a fair match for each other.

There was nothing like flying. It was easy to forget about the weird dreams and everything else when soaring ten metres above the ground. Marcus love the thrill of it and even more the thrill of the competition, be it just pitting one broom against another like now or in the chase for the Snitch.

Last year, in only his second year, he had made seeker for Slytherin after an unfortunate mishap had put the previous seeker out of action just before the Ravenclaw game. His star performance had certainly helped his in-house popularity and this year the Seeker position was indisputably his.

They were always careful at the Burrow to fly within the charmed boundaries. The penalty for crossing them and risking being seen by Muggles was confiscation of your broom until the end of your stay. Marcus shuddered at the memory. Once was enough. He could hear James pull closer to him as they completed the fifth lap

"We have company. Double-Ds at six o'clock." Marcus looked down and sure enough he could see Uncle Fred's twins, David and Daniel rising through the air to intercept them. The twins were a year younger, but had already decided in their first year at Hogwarts that their aim in life was to surpass the exploits for which their father and Uncle George were legendary.

The race now turned into something of an obstacle course with the twins doing a wonderful approximation of a pair of human bludgers and Marcus and James had to swerve and dip and use all their skills to avoid being unseated.

At last, tired and sweaty, the four boys landed outside the yard gate and, having stowed their brooms, walked back up to the lawn outside the house which was now a hive of activity.

Nanna Molly's Sunday lunch was a once-a-month gathering, where most of the family and close friends were encouraged to attend when they could. Midsummer Sunday lunch however was a 'Royal Command Performance'. Woe betide the Weasley who was not there. Nothing short of Death or Mortal Peril would be considered an acceptable excuse.

Long tables had been moved into position on the lawn and were presently being covered with plates laden with all kinds of wonderful cooking, jointly provided by the adults, under the careful orchestration of Nanna Molly herself.

The boys walked past Uncle Ron and Uncle George who were standing by the doorway talking quietly. "Ginny's not here yet?" said Uncle George. "You don't suppose ...?"

"She'll be here," said Uncle Ron. An unusual scowl darkening his features. "As long as she doesn't bring that slimy git here again."

"Boys! Inside and wash up!" James' mum came up behind them and directed them inside, her hair glowing a most becoming daffodil yellow. During term time the young professor was careful to keep it in somewhat more sober normal hair colours, but during the holidays she liked to express herself.

Marcus was disappointed. He would have liked to hear more of that quiet conversation. Over the last two years he had come to take a great interest in trying to find out family secrets. Looking for the key to his.

He followed James upstairs to the room the boys shared when they stayed at the Burrow and changed into fresh robes. By the time he came back outside most of the extended family had gathered at the tables and were merely waiting for the word to be seated.

During the last war against Voldemort the magical defenses at the Burrow had been strengthened, and in fourteen years no-one had seen fit to dismantle them. It was impossible to Apparate directly onto the property from outside, so a small gatehouse had been provided just outside the boundary to allow some privacy from Muggle eyes to visitors wishing to arrive in this manner.

As Marcus came through the door he could see two people emerging from the gatehouse, a man and a woman. As they made their way slowly up the path towards the assembly, he identified the woman as his Aunt Ginny. Still unmarried at thirty and the despair of Nanna Molly's life. Well, that's how Nanna put it.

The man accompanying her was fairly tall and lean with silver blonde hair. As recognition set in among the adults, Marcus could definitely sense a change in the mood. Where a few moments earlier, everyone had been relaxed and the atmosphere warm and friendly, now the adults were all tense and alert and the emotional climate had become decidedly chilly.

The approaching couple seemed oblivious to the less than warm reception. Ginny made her way straight to her mother with the man following close behind her. Something about him seemed strangely familiar to Marcus, but he wasn't sure why. Molly returned her daughter's hug and then took a step back. "You're a little late, Ginny, love. We were about to start without you."

"Sorry, Mum, but I was waiting for Draco to be ready. Of course you remember Draco Malfoy."

As the man extended his hand which Nana Molly grudgingly shook as if it was about to turn into a snake and bite her, Marcus and most of the other children were drawing their breaths in shock. A Malfoy! Here! There had been bad blood between Malfoys and Weasleys for generations and all the children knew how Grandfather Weasley had been killed by Lucius Malfoy during the last war.

Ginny continue speaking, deliberately ignoring the glares directed at her companion. "I insisted he come with me today. We have some wonderful news. Last night Draco asked me to marry him and I accepted." With a huge smile on her face she lifted her left hand up in front of her. On her ring finger was a huge sapphire ring. It was old gold with a large step cut oval sapphire set in the centre. Around the sides of the sapphire were two dragons with diamond eyes, their bodies and tails forming the ring. Marcus could see it clearly from where he was standing and he stared at it in horrified fascination.

Slowly, as if in a dream, he lifted his gaze to the face of the man standing behind her. For one moment he was looking straight into a pair of cold pale blue eyes. A terrifying wave of familiarity hit him and he felt suddenly faint and nauseous. As he stumbled slightly, there was a dig in his ribs and a sharp whisper. "Marcus, are you okay?" He looked down into the concerned eyes of his cousin Judy.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he mouthed back. "Just getting hungry."

***

Talk about setting the cat among the pigeons. Aunt Ginny always has had a flair for the dramatic. However, if looks could kill both she and Mr. Malfoy would have been dead several times over before we finished dinner. It was a strangely subdued affair for a Weasley Sunday lunch, which is normally a fairly loud and boisterous occasion. Thank goodness that there are silencing charms all around the Burrow's borders as otherwise you would normally hear us in the next county.

But as we sat there eating our lunch most of my attention was on Marcus. When The Big Announcement was made there were a lot of stunned looks, but as I glanced sideways at my cousin he appeared to turn pale green and nearly collapsed on the grass. Too much flying on an empty stomach? I don't think so.

As we sat down I quietly asked, "What's up?"

He glanced quickly at the happy couple and muttered sideways out the corner of his mouth, "Not now, later in private."

So I sat there and watched him. Nearly all the other children were staring fixedly at Draco Malfoy like he was some special and particularly deadly magical creature that Dad had produced to scare Hogwarts students with. But not Marcus. He seemed to be deliberately avoiding looking in that direction and generally kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone, which is highly unusual behavior. His normal procedure is to keep sharp and careful track of any and all dinner table conversations in his vicinity. It wasn't happening on this occasion.

Immediately after everyone finished eating, Nanna Molly, Dad and all the uncles went inside with Ginny and Draco. When Daniel tried to follow we were all shooed away from the house by Mum. Obviously it was to be a serious family discussion, with no eavesdropping allowed, and with the aunties hovering around, ostensibly tidying up but also guarding the door, there wouldn't even be a good Extendable Ear opportunity.

So we bowed to the inevitable and grabbed our brooms for a scratch match of Quidditch. There are twelve of us Weasley kids, not counting Uncle Ron's son Tristan who is too little yet, so when all were present we played six-a-side quidditch, with only two chasers.

While we were still playing Aunt Ginny and her fiancé emerged from the house and headed directly to the gatehouse. Even at a distance I could see that she was in a temper. The 'Weasley temper' - another one of those things that Uncle Fred would copyright if he could.

So we wrapped the game up pretty quickly and the other kids ran back up to the house to try and figure out what had happened. As we followed them towards the broom shed, Marcus grabbed my elbow and held me back. By the time we reached the shed the others had all left.

He shut the door and slid down onto the floor with his back resting against it, closed his eyes and sighed. I sat down next to him.

"Okay, now can you tell me what's up?"

"That engagement ring," he said flatly.

"What about it. Bloody big thing, must weigh a ton."

"I've seen it before."

I was a bit confused by that statement. "What ... a picture in a book?'

"No. I had another dream last night."

"I heard you. I have one word to say. Silencing spells."

"That was two words, James. No, I saw her get that ring." He paused and took a deep breath. "I gave it to her."

"You gave it to her?" Now I was really confused.

"Well not exactly. I saw her get it but I was looking through his eyes."

"Through Draco Malfoy's eyes?" I asked slowly, an involuntary shiver running down my back. "How?"

"That's just it, I don't know. But I reckon those other strange dream fragments were also through his eyes, and that scares me."

A thought suddenly struck me. This was our aunt's fiancé' we were talking about. "How much did you see last night?"

He sighed again. "Too much, James." He leant back, closing his eyes with a pained expression on his face. "No thirteen year old should ever see that much of their Aunty."