Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lily Potter  was pissed, beyond pissed and the reason was that she was short a child. 

No, she hadn’t lost one of her children. Well, in a sense, she felt like she had. 

Oh but it was far worse, in her mind that is. 

See, her daughter, her youngest child, Merida, had chosen to stay at the Skyfall during the summer instead of returning home as she was supposed to. 

She didn’t understand why, was it so horrible to be at home with your parents and twin brother?

“Of all things for her to do!” She ranted as she paced back and forth in her husband’s office. Her heels klixked sharply on the hard wodden floors as she ranted her feelings about her youngest choice. 

“Refusing to come home! And they won’t even send her back when we asked them to!” She threw down the letter telling them that no, Merida would not be sent home simply because they wanted her to be there. 

To her, it sounded like the Skyfall academy was deliberately keeping her daughter from her. Which, in her mind, was completely unacceptable! 

James watched his wife pace angrily, feeling more annoyed than angry. Sure he’d have preferred Maria to come home so they could have one very long and overdue talk about her behaviour during that year. 

But he didn’t think it was a reason to be as mad as his wife was.

‘It’s almost like she’s forgotten we can visit and talk to our daughter’ He thought, watching the way his wife paced which was reminding him of an angry lion. 

It wasn’t like they had a ban on visiting, they just had to notify the Skyfall instructors that they were going to visit their daughter with the date and estimated time written on the letter. 

He sighed when Lily left, slamming the door to his office, it was going to be another long summer, wasn’t it?

Harry was not having a fun time. At all. He was moody, and didn’t want to talk to Ron at that moment, or be near his sister. 

Ginny, was more than a bit weird, having this strange obsession with him that he didn’t know where steamed from. 

Neville wasn’t his friend, despite being his godbrother. But then, he’d never really tried to befriend the other, he’d never really felt a want or need to. 

Hermione was spending time with her parents, which he got. She hadn’t seen them most of the year so he was sure she had missed them, he certainly had missed his parents…even if his mother had been angry enough to spew fire since the summer break started. 

And Merida, his twin…wasn’t there. 

It bothered him, more than he wanted to admit. That she had chosen to stay rather than come home. 
he didn’t understand her choice, what did the Skyfall have their home didn’t? Other than screaming and fighting parents that is. 

It made him grumpy and snappy, even with his parents who for once were home and he loved it! 

But they argued and fought so much. 

So, he spent most of his time with Shyxriva, his dragon, who wasn’t liked by his parents dragons. 

His mothers dragon was a mean bright red dragon, she’d snap and snarl at any who wasn’t his mother. 

His fathers on the other hand, was a big, black and bronze dragon, calm and slow to anger. 

Harry loved to climb on his fathers dragon, and had ridden on him with his father on more than one occasion. 

To his mothers chagrin. 

She hated when James would take him out on a flight, calling it unsafe and stupid. 

It would only ever be unsafe and stupid if James didn’t make sure that Harry was strapped in, had flight goggles on and was dressed for the occasion. 

And not once had his father failed in that regard. 

it was like his mother had forgotten how to be a dragon rider, he never saw her fly her dragon, or spend time with her. 
was that why the red dragon was so snappy? He wished Merida was there, she’d probably be able to answer that question. 

But that didn’t matter then, because at the current moment he was bored and had nothing better to do than read in the family library. 

But even that wasn’t fun anymore. The place was quiet and still, like a presence was missing from it. 

he knew who that presence was, as she wasn’t curled up in her usual spot, three books around her with a fourth in her lap and an apple in her hand. 

It made him weary, so he left behind his books, aimlessly wandering the manor he had grown up in. there were still rooms he didn’t know the secrets of, places he hadn’t explored. 
he had thought he would do that with Merida, but, that never happened. 

and he didn’t like to explore alone. 
he didn’t like being alone at all. 

He walked past portraits of his ancestors, some moved in their portraits, others didn’t, either because they weren’t in frame, asleep or because the painting hadn’t been activated. 

He didn’t understand why some of them hadn't been activated. He knew the portraits activated upon the death of the person so he didn’t understand why some hadn’t become active. 

It couldn’t be that they were still alive. that was absurd, they’d be nearly a thousand if not a thousand years old now. 

One of the frozen ones honestly looked a lot like one of the healers at the Skyfall. Even shares the same first name. 

Reyna. Though his ancestor’s last name wasn’t Griffin but Gryffindor. 

He’ll admit, the portrait of his ancestor is beautiful, frozen as it is. 

He wanders on, not dwelling on the fact one of the healers at Skyfall looks like a copy of his ancestor. 

He heads to the enclosure, giving a wide berth to his mothers red dragon, who was a mean creature on a good day. 

His father’s dragon, on the other hand… was a bit of a goof. 

He couldn’t see him but he didn’t doubt that the giant dragon was either asleep in his enclosure or out sunning himself somewhere. 

Shyxriva was…not in a good mood that day, he found out as he had to dodge…was that a piece of meat? The moment he stepped inside to her angry screeching. 

At the skyhold Merida was having a completely different time to the one her brother was having at their family manor. 

She spent her days out in the forbidden forest, which she wasn’t supposed to be out in on her own. She wasn’t supposed to out in it at all actually. 

She climbed, wandered and explored. 

To the surprise of the instructors that stayed back at the skyhold. 

“It’s like she grew up in a forest” Amras commented as he and his twin watched her scale a tree like it was nothing. Like she had done it her entire life, or at least her entire childhood. 

Seraphrax watched her from the ground, looking concerned and amused. His rider was going to give him a heart attack one day. Of that, he was certain. 
he didn’t know he’d experience the first one that day. 

He gave a concerned screech when he saw her foot slip slightly, though she got her foot back on the branch properly soon enough. 

“She likely did.” Amrod and Amras turned around as Reyna walked over to them. Seraphrax did not take his eyes off his rider, though he kept his hearing tuned to the older redheaded healer. 

“If my memory hasn’t completely deteriorated then Potter manor has a large forest as part of its grounds. So it’s very likely that she grew up exploring a forest.” She explained, watching the smaller red head like a hawk. 

“Now have either of you seen your brother?” She asked, because she couldn’t find the blond idiot that was hiding from her. 

“Hm, last I saw he had taken Narya for a short mission, he should be back sometime around midnight” it had been very last minute that Celegorm had been called out to the mission. 

A scouting mission, one of their eight year teams had gone missing after failing to keep contact, so Celegorm, arguably being the best tracker and hunter within the Storms Court, and their instructor, was sent to find out what had happened. 

“Hm, well nothing to do about it then, I’ll jut have to wait for him to return—Merida Eliza Potter! get down from that tree! I saw that wince!” She called when she spotted the younger red head wince as she tried to reach one of the higher branches. 

“I’m fine!” The stubborn eleven year old called, because gods forbid she admitted that she might have overtaxed her body. 

Then, because Merida really couldn’t catch a break, the branch she was standing on snapped and she started falling. 

Merida didn’t even have time to make more than a startled yelp, feeling the wind and branches zip past her when Seraphrax launched himself at the tree like a missile, snapping his jaws around Merida’s clothes as he frantically flapped his wings to try and slow the fall. 

It was a testimony to his strength and growth that he managed to slow their descent, breaking more than a few branches on the trees as they went. still they landed with a hard thud! And “oof! Owe…” from Merida. 

Though Reyna doubted it was with any serious injuries. She had seen many injuries from falling out of trees over the centuries and Merida’s? Was honestly one of the lighter falls she had seen. 

“Well, first patients for the summer.” She muttered as she walked over to where the young girl sat slightly dazed on the ground with her dragon heaving for air behind her, eyes wide as black smoke coiled around them. 

“Alright troublemaker, time for you to visit the infirmary, again.” She lifted Merida up, carrying her away in her arms like she weighed nothing. And Seraphrax? Was tugged under her other arm, the young dragon shaking and twitching slightly from saving his rider and feeling pure terror as he saw her fall from the tree. 

“I’m fine!” Merida insisted once again, not even trying to escape the older red heads hold. 

“No you're not.” She pouted, she was fine! Sure she might have sprained something and she was definitely bruised after that harsh landing but nothing was broken! 

though she worried about Seraphrax, she could feel the panic run through him like rushing blood from the bond, it was not a feeling she liked. At all. 
It was like a punch to the stomach, or a dragon tail to the stomach the way he was shaking, his tail giving small odd twitches. 

that was her fault, her doing, her careless behavior and glee at climbing the trees in the forest. 
Fuck. 
damit. 

Tears of frustration and self loathing prickled at her eyes. 
she hadn’t meant to make him panic. to make him worry. 

hadn’t thought of how her behavior would make him feel. How it’d affect him.

Chapter Text

Her trip to the infirmary showed that she had in fact sprained her wrist and had been banned from the forbidden forest, which didn’t stop her from trying to go in there. 

“But it’s just a sprained wrist!” She’d complain when she got dragged away from the forest in protest. 

“Fine, guess I’ll just raid the library” she grumbled, going to the library instead where she’d sit for hours and read. 

and Seraphrax? Well he hadn’t been too happy with her, had spend days ignoring her. 
“I’m sorry, i didn’t think about how my actions affects you.” She had apologised, feeling terrible for the way she had scared him when she fell out of the tree. 

still it had taken him a week to forgive her. A week where he’d grumble and hiss at her. 
“I, I made a dumb mistake didn’t I?” She asked Reyna one early morning where Seraphrax had once again refused to spend time with her. 

The older redhead sighed as she sat down beside her. 
“you did, but Merida, that’s part of the journey, of life.” The older rider ruffled her curls, making Merida grumble softly. 

“all riders makes dumb mistakes, but the important thing is, to learn from them. you’ve apologised to Seraphrax, you meant that apology, he knows that. But dragons are complicated creatures that takes time to forgive” 

Merida drew her knees up, she knew that. 
“I know, I-I’ve just never had him be this angry with me, hell i don’t think he’s ever been angry at me before.” 

She hated it, hated that he was so angry at her. “give him time, he’s young, temperamental, this won’t last for long” 

and Reyna had been right, because later that day, while she was sitting outside, alone with her thoughts, well her stubborn dragon had landed before her, jaws bloody from a hunt. 

she didn’t say anything as she stared at him, she didn’t know what to say. 
Apparently neither did he. 

“…” she stared at him, seeing the way the horns on his head had started to curve as they grew. His spikes had also gotten bigger and longer, growing down his tail as she had suspected they would. 

the golden stripes were far more solid, deep in colour and made her think that flames were trailing on his body, especially on his wings.

he walked over, laid his head on her lap and draped a long wing over her legs. 
“…we’re terrible” she whispered, snickering softly when she got a small grumble of agreement from him. 
“I’m sorry, I truly wasn’t thinking, I guess, I’m just used to not having anyone being concerned about me so I sometimes forgets that not everyone is as crazy when it comes to tree climbing as me” she explained, or tried to, she wasn’t sure how well she got her meaning across to Seraphrax. 

the young dragon simply pushed his giant head gently into her middle, and through their bond she could tell that he was no longer angry at her. 

“I over reacted too, that is not your fault, but you need to learn to be more careful when climbing”  Merida didn’t realise that she wasn’t just reading his emotions through their bond, but that, she had, actually heard him speak, disordered and hard to understand as his speach was. 

for to her, she was still mainly hearing him hiss and screech, though with what she thought was a few more human like tones. 

it was a warm sunny day in early July, Merida was sitting outside, a book on runes and how they were applied in dragon gear, flight uniforms and weapons in her lap, happily rattling off to Seraphrax, who was laying not too far from her, letting the sun warm his scales. 

Cub, trouble,  spitfire, little flame. 

Would it be alright with you if I were to come visit you at the skyhold later this month? 

Regulus and his family are visiting the Malfoy's and I have yet to get an answer from James about me visiting him and Harry. 

From, Padfoot. The world’s best godfather 

Merida blinked at the short letter, why would she have an issue with him coming? Sure she hadn’t seen him in years but that was no fault of his. 

Do you even have to ask? Of course you can come— just remember to tell the staff or I think some might get cross with you. 

From, Merida Eliza Potter. Your goddaughter. 

Celegorm would be the first to deny that he was surprised by just how different Merida was now that the summer break had started. 

She still kept her hair cut short, apparently preferring it that way to the longer hair she had arrived with at the start of the year. 

But she was not still and calm at all. Oh no, that was apparently just a mask she wore. Celegorm often had to go and retrieve her from the forest, where she’d spend hours upon hours. 

Or his dragon did. 

And at some point he honestly felt like she was making a game of escaping him and his brothers. 

“At this rate we might as well start lessons early with her, she’s clearly comfortable in the forest. Far more comfortable than most third and fourth years are and I have a feeling she’ll be one of the most comfortable second years we have” he commented to his brothers while watching her from a distance. 

she was currently scaling a giant boulder like it owned her something. 

“Hm, we could, but I don’t think we should do so yet, let her enjoy her break, her year has been intense enough” though that didn’t mean they wouldn’t throw in surprise lessons with her. 

“Well at least we know she has good core, leg and back muscles” Amras said, pointing to Merida who just scaled a boulder most third years had trouble climbing. 

and as for the surprise lessons? They started that very day. 

“First lesson, dodge” Celegorm had grinned one afternoon as he went to retrieve her from the forest. 
he had to admit, she was fast, and knew how to dodge, though that wasn’t enough to escape him. 

“Second lesson, evasion” Amras had cackled as he followed her, surprised when she’d use her smaller size to avoid him. Or the forest, using the trees, rocks, whatever was around her to avoid him. 

“Third lesson, hide” Amrod had seemed to have a lot of fun pretending he didn’t know where she was. She was good, for an eleven year old human girl he’d give her that. 

But when you're an elf with thousands of years under your belt.  is a hunter and has one of the best hunters for an older brother, well a human child doesn't really stand a chance. 

And each time she’d pout while being carried out because they had realised that she’d never leave on her own. 

She had been carried over their shoulders, under their arms, like a misbehaving kitten, had been carried out by Krillnor and Nirvel and had even managed to get carried out by Celegorm’s dragon Narya who had complained the entire way out of the forest. 

Merida, to the surprise of the three had hissed at Narya when the she dragon had complained and grumbled once she had seen Celegorm carry Merida out of the forest. 

And it wasn’t just that she hissed at Narya that surprised them. 

It was the way it sounded, like how a hatchling would hiss. Far too dragon, too little human sound in that hiss. 

“You should not be able to make that kind of noise” Celegorm had said, silver eyes serious as he looked at the small eleven year old in his grip.

Merida simply hissed at him in turn and he had snorted because it was clear she didn’t care that she should not be able to make that kind of sound. Or that she had made the dragon version of “i don’t care!” 

Seraphrax had looked at his rider like he’d never seen her before, clearly never having heard her make that sound before. 

“Why is the small Spitfire being carried like an unruly kitten?” Celegorm turned around at the sound of Andrew’s voice, noticing that the teen had returned from his mission. and had not yet cleaned his uniform. 

“Because she is an unruly kitten, one who hisses at dragons and wanders forests she’s not supposed to be in” he commented, only setting the eleven year old down once he was sure she wouldn’t make a dash for the forest. 

He did not feel like chasing after her again. 

Andrew blinked, because what had his instructor just said? “Hisses at dragons and enters forests she’s not supposed to be in?” He repeated, looking at Merida who was, again dangling in celegorm’s grip. Because she had tried to make a dash for the forest. 

“ and has very sharp claws” Amrod appeared from the shadows of a tree, holding up his bandaged wrist. he had surprised her one day so badly that her claws had come out and had scratched him pretty deeply by accident. 

And when andrew looked down at Merida’s hands, sure enough, her nails were more claw-like than human nails. The tips were a Smokey black, to his surprise. 

It wasn’t the first time he had seen them on her, but they certainly didn’t come out a lot. 

Well outside of now, that is. 

“She’s had them out for days and they have yet to retreat” Andrew blinked, surprised because what? 

“That’s, rare…” he trailed off. 

What was he supposed to say? Sure, more dragon like traits tended to appear in riders but for the claws to have been there for days? That was not as common as most thought. 

“I like them” he almost groaned then, because of course she’d like them. 

“Of course you do.” Andrew hid a snort at Amrod’s muttered words. 

“They make people like him—“ she said, pointing at Amrod with a claw tipped nail. 

“Hesitate to grab me when they try to make me leave the forest” 

He looked at the two brothers. 

“How often is she inside the forest?” He didn’t want to know but gods damn it. 

“Daily” well, alright then. she was a forest menace then, one whose hair occasionally set itself on fire. 
fuck him. 

“You are a menace, you know that?” He said looking at the dangling eleven year old who honestly didn’t seem all that bothered to be dangling in the air. 

Chapter Text

Sirius black had been on mission after mission for years, to the point where he had seen neither of his godchildren since they were nine. to the point that he hadn’t seen his little brother Regulus and his nephew Nyxaden in just as long. 

But that was about to change. 

Because in the middle of July he and his dragon, Aquarius, a deep ocean blue and bronze dragon landed on the flight field at the skyhold one summer morning, with Sirius nearly leaping from his saddle the moment he had freed himself from the safety straps on his saddle. 

Not too far away stood his goddaughter Merida, who had grown since he had last seen her. 

Beside her hovered a young dragon that, if he didn’t know from her previous letter what hatched for her during late November, well he would have sworn that he was nearly a three year old dragon. 

“Cub!” He cheered as he caught her. 

“You’ve grown” he notes, because she has, she’s long and taller, though her hair is shorter. Though he honestly thinks it suits her better than her longer hair ever did. 

“Of course I have! I won't stay small forever” she exclaimed, hugging the older man tightly. 

Sirius lamented that she was right, she wouldn’t stay small forever. 

“This is your hatchling I take it?” He asked, nodding towards Seraphrax who was hovering in the air, yellow green eyes staring at Sirius with caution. 

“Yup, he’s the youngest in our year, yet he’d already outgrown some of the others before school let out!” She was perhaps just slightly proud of it. 

“So what did you want to do??? A flight????" He snorted when he saw the way her eyes were practically begging for a flight. 

“Later, because we are going shopping— I will spoil you today and we will get your shopping for second year done.” He said, setting her on the ground. 

“Fine~” she grinned. She had missed the older man, he’s been one of the only positive memories that centre Potter manor and her childhood there. 

“But I have to put Seraphrax back in the enclosure, unless you were intending to take him with us?” It wasn’t unheard off for young dragons to go with their riders, usually though, they were a bit older and a bit less temperamental than her Seraphrax. 

“Hm, that depends on if your instructors think that he’s ready for such a thing?” He asked, looking over at Reyna Gryffin who was heading towards them. 

“You’ll have to ask Cain and Eleanor that, as they are the ones who have been around Seraphrax the most but I’ll say, I doubt there will be any reason for him not to be able to tag along.” She said as she got closer. 

“Sirius Orion Black! It has been over a decade now since you graduated and not once have you visited the academy that taught you everything.” 

Despite the scolding tone Merida could hear the humour in the healer's tone. 

“Yeah well, work kept me busy?” He sheepishly said, smiling that smile which always charmed everyone. 

Reyna simply raised a brow at him, shooting him a look that said; try better. 

“Either way, welcome back— don’t get lost in a broom closet this time” with her piece said she turned around leaving a disbelieving Sirius and a confused merida. 

Well until she got the memo that her godfather likely got caught kissing someone in a broom closet. 

“Really? A broom closet? You have better taste and style than that!” Reyna only just held her laughter back until she reached her and her husband’s rooms. To the shock of said husband who looked at Reyna like she had lost it. 

“What made you laugh like that?” He asked, looking at his wife with not just a smidge of concern. 

“Sirius black being told by his eleven year old goddaughter that he had better skills than to drag someone into a broom closet to make out with!” She cackled as she collapsed onto their bed, still laughing, because it was funny. 

And Sirius, well he got the confirmation he needed to take Seraphrax with him on his and Merida’s shopping trip. 

“Word of advice? Get her a focus stone, she was having trouble with her wand during the school year and I have a feeling those troubles are far from gone” Cain told Sirius as the man checked he had everything he needed for the trip. 

“A focus stone, already?” It wasn’t that common for riders that young to need focus stones, but it wasn’t unheard of either. 

Cain nodded his head. “ She's already doing some things wandlessly, something she has apparently been doing since she was younger” the old instructor commented dryly. 

“We’ll start looking, but I can't promise we’ll find anything that matches her at the current moment.” 

Sirius doubted that they would find a focus stone for Merida then, she was not even twelve but cain was right, it wouldn’t hurt to start looking, to figure out which would suit her better, certainly would make it easier later on. 

Merida was excited, bouncing on the balls of her feet and in her flight jacket, having forgone wearing her entire uniform. 

She had on a pair of dark blue jeans, her boots and her hair was pulled back in a short ponytail. 

Her flight goggles were nestled in her hair, ready to go over her eyes, her gloves were on. Seraphrax was on the ground, he refused to be carried the entire way to London. He didn’t blame him. 

“ Come on Siri!” She called her patience wearing out. She wanted to fly! Her small kidnapping with Nelyanor did not count. 

“Calm down cub!” He called as he walked over after saying goodbye to his old instructor. 

He climbed into his saddle after making sure Merida was strapped in it properly, he’d rather not take a chance. “almost forgot, here” he quickly tied a scarf around her throat. “the winds get biting and dead cold so no leaving your throat unprotected, ever” he said after having sat down behind her. 

It was normal for the rider to be sitting behind whatever passenger they had,usually the safest in case of emergencies. 

Aquarius swiftly climbed into the air, his large wings hitting the air like thunder, which that’s just how dragon wings sound when they beat the air, like thunder. 

 Seraphrax followed quickly, his wings beating the air loudly as he climbed higher and higher. 

Sirius had to give it to the smaller dragon; he was keeping up nicely. Sirius didn’t doubt he’d be able to handle distance flights soon. 

Merida felt weightless as they soared higher and higher. 

The wind whipped her hair about, throwing it in all directions, but she didn’t mind. She had missed the feeling of the wind in her hair. Of it nipping at her cheeks, ripping at clothes and the coldness of being so high up. 

The sky was clear, calm and far prettier up there among the clouds than down on the ground. They weren’t the only ones up in the sky, oh no, Merida could see more than a fair amount of dragons up in the air, flying at different altitudes and speeds. 

She saw some reds, blues, yellows, greens, a variety of colors, sizes and builds. Some were relaxed, just letting the winds carry them, some glided and others flew at breakneck speeds. 

she looked to the side where Seraphrax was following them, keeping up surprisingly well. But then, this wasn’t the fastest Aquarius could fly. Actually it was a rather relaxed flight for the dragon. 

Around midway through she noticed that Seraphrax was starting to struggle with keeping up and was losing altitude. Flapping his wings more than he previously had, where he had ridden on the gusts of wind from Aquarius wing beats. 

But before she could say anything Aquarius had turned slightly and flown under Seraphrax, allowing him to land and hold onto the older dragon. 

She could tell he was tired, though not exhausted, and so the journey towards London continued, with Aquarius speeding up even more. His wings beating more as he sped up even more, seemingly no longer wishing to fly at a languid pace. 

Merida laughed as the large dragon flew faster and faster, even Seraphrax seemed to enjoy it. 

And Sirius? Well he was just glad that Merida was having fun while he focused on guiding his dragon where he wanted to go. 

The sound of Merida’s laughter as they flew faster and faster was a much missed sound. He had forgotten that Merida had always loved to fly fast, and he didn’t doubt that would be true when she started flying with Seraphrax in her third year. 

Seraphrax was looking at Merida with wide eyes, likely having realised too that she was a bit of an adrenaline junky. Sirius chuckled at the look of; my rider is a crazy tree climbing child with an adrenaline addiction. 

Aquarius flew even higher up and Sirius activated the protective rune shield that protected them from the thin air. flight jackets came with built in basic warming charms to keep the rider from becoming too cold. Sirius had long since had his upgraded and customized, placing stronger heating charms, weather and tear resistancy to it. 

Seraphrax would be fine, his lungs could actually handle the cold thin air, and his own body heat was capable of keeping him warm, not to mention that Aquarius' own body heat helped too. 

“How much until we’re going to land?” Merida asked, turning to look at her godfather. Sirius thought for a moment, having flown for over a decade by then, well he had learned to tell how far he was on known routes without having to look at clocks or watches. 

“It takes us around three hours to get from the skyhold to London, and with how much ground we have been covering, I’d say we’re around thirty minutes out from the dragon sanctuary in London.” 

Sirius had booked Aquarius into the sanctuary in London, where his dragon would rest. 

Well the sanctuary wasn’t in London, and it was one Merida knew well. 

It wasn’t long before Aquarius started heading for the ground, flying over green plains, plains Merida knew well. 

She looked to her right and sure enough, there in the distance she could just barely make out the manor. 

“Firestorms retreat?” She breathed as Sirius deactivated the runes now that they were back in breathable airspace. 

“Yup, I’ll apperate us into London and then we’ll walk the rest of the way.” 

He said, grinning at the stunned look on Merida’s face. 

To her left the sanctuary slowly came into view, passing over the gates, touching down in the landing area, a large sandy plot of ground. 

Merida looked around, so far, nothing had changed about the place from what she could see. 

She quickly removed her flight goggles and started getting herself free from the safety straps that had been attached to her flight jacket and jeans. 

She was climbing down from the saddle before Sirius even had time to do more than get his gloves off. 

Merida could see what she believed to be one of the workers walking towards them, and for some reason he did not look happy. 

At all. 

Seraphrax could obviously sense that the guy heading towards them was not a happy camper and leaped from Aquarius back, gliding down to where Merida stood. 

Even Sirius could see that the Firestorm’s Retreat worker wasn’t happy and instincts honed over a decade had him out of the saddle and in front of Merida in an instant. 

“You four aren’t allowed on my landing platform without permission!” Merida blinked, what? She looked up at Sirius, then, taking a step to the side, looked at the worker. 

“…” she didn’t say anything as she took in his attire, but it was the pin on his chest that had her pause. 

“Is Cassandra White no longer the head dragon handler at Firestorms Retreat?” She asked, because Cassandra had been the head dragon handler for as long as Merida could remember. 

“And your landing platform? You’re not the owner of this place, not unless the sanctuary has changed hands within the last nine months.” She continued as she stepped around Sirius. 

The man gaped at her. 

“And I booked an enclosure for my dragon, and I know that as the owner's daughter, my goddaughter has a permanent enclosure here for her dragon whenever she’s visiting or staying nearby.” Merida shot her godfather a look, because what? 

Since when?? 

‘Calm down, that doesn't matter right now!’ She thought as she looked at the apparent new head dragon handler. 

“I am the head dragon handler here when Lady Cassandra isn’t here or the owners aren’t, and I’ve never seen you here nor have I heard anyone mention you.” He snapped, face redder than a tomato. 

“No really, perhaps it’s because I’ve been at school, learning and bonding with my hatchling” she said pointing to Seraphrax who was hissing rather menacingly at the guy. 

“And let me introduce myself—“ he cut her off before she could. 

“No thank you. I do not need nor want to know the name of some brat!”…well, alright then. 

“Alright that’s enough!” Sirius stepped in, eyes furious as he took a step forward. 

But Merida wasn’t done. Because in the distance she could see a familiar graying redhead. Cassandra White. 

Oh things were about to become fun. 

“Perhaps you do not know who she is, but I think you’ve heard the name Black before perhaps, Potter too?” Sirius’s tone was one octave from lethal as he stepped forward, arms crossed, silvery blue eyes steeled as magic nearly poured out of him, almost visible to the eye. Oh he was angry, 

Merida could see the guy pale, tremble as he looked at her godfather, really looked at him. 

From his dark curly hair, to the silver blue eyes, the light complexion, the aristocratic looks, yes, one rarely ever had trouble when recognising a Black family member. 

Especially not when it was Sirius Orion Black. 

“Richard! I better not see you cause issues for these two riders!” The newly named Ritchard twirled around and lost all colour in his face, and seeing her chance, Merida chose to deal the finishing blow. 

“Well you know my godfather's name, clearly, so let me introduce myself, my name is Merida Eliza Potter.” 

Richard was white as a ghost as he stared at Merida. 

And Cassandra? Was storing over, an ugly look on her face. 

“Merida, Mr Black, I hope my employees haven't been causing you two troubles.” 

“He called me ‘some brat’ Cass, can I feed him to Seraphrax?” She asked, pointing to her dragon that was nearly to her waist. 

“Merida, no! He’d get a stomach ache, now let’s get these two to their enclosures, I’m sure you two have places to be.” 

Merida nodded her head as she and Sirius let Cassandra lead them, dragging Ritchsrd who was now whiter than a sheet. 

Seraphrax’s enclosure was a mix of forest and mountain terrain, its own ecosystem which allowed him to hunt if he wished. 

He quickly found a big flat rock to sun on, and actually fell asleep pretty quickly after. 

“Huh, guess he was rather tired after all.” She whispered as she left him to his sleep. 

Chapter Text

Alright so I decided to update the world building, which I haven’t added to this fic.

Which, would you all like to have it added here on this fic too as I did with Where wings soar, hearts sing and dragons dance.

There’s going to be added some more rules that I finally got around to adding, thanks to a lovely commenter that asked me questions about the worldbuilding that I hadn’t thought of.

Which thanks! Because it got me thinking, and those questions were valid as hell.

They asked about students with traits of pyromania, sociopathy, psychopathy, bipolar disorder, rage attacks, multiple personalities. About students with muteness, blindness and deafness.

And honestly? I hadn’t thought about those things. Not when I started on the world building back in January.

But those are going to get added to the rules, which will hopefully explain well how the storms court would handle such students.

Now one of the things that will be changed is the way I explain about the dragons, there will be added more to it. A fair bit, lore too.

I’ll add the founders of the storms court too so you guys get to find out who started the Storms court backs little over a thousand years ago.

And yeah, the court, officially isn’t much older than Hogwarts.

The student’s list of itims will be updated, which is something I’ll be doing for every year, because it will be changing for the students every year— not by a whole lot, but there will.

Especially as survival starts up in second year.

I’m working on chapter four, do not think I’m not, where an important OC of mine Nyxaden will appear, and he will be important for Merida.

And Harry too, now that I’m thinking.

If any of you have read Of Death and icy winds then you know who he is, don’t worry, he’s not traumatised in this story, too much. At least not the way he is in his original story.

Anyway if you have questions, please comment and I’ll Answer them, or you can ask me at my tumblr— where anonymous asks has been turned on, didn’t realise I had it turned off.