A Tale of Two Dragons: A Dramione Story

Chapter 11

Draco and Hermione had retreated back to Besnik's house in stunned silence, clutching handfuls of notes. Draco was supposed to be sleeping on Besnik's couch, but it was three in the morning and sleep had never been further from Draco's mind. His mind kept spinning and spinning, running in overdrive.

Draco was increasingly afraid of what they were learning. He almost didn't want to know. Each association they discovered the horcrux had with Voldemort made his stomach clench more intensely.

Draco couldn't deny it any longer. Voldemort was somehow associated with the witch or wizard that had made the scroll horcrux. There must have been a reason why Voldemort had made Professor Quirrell protect the horcrux in his vault. Voldemort must have had a stake in that person's power. Perhaps Voldemort was friends with the person who could control the kulshedra. Maybe he manipulated them so he could have a steady supply of dark magic to support his disembodied self during the years he hid in Albania. The kulshedra was snake-like. It even fed snakes. Voldemort had an affinity for snakes. Maybe he was he only one who could control it. That wasn't too much of a stretch, was it?

Draco sighed loudly and turned to lay on his other side. They knew a lot about this kulshedra monster. But still next to nothing about the witch or wizard who created the horcrux. Animals don't make horcruxes, that's strictly a human obsession. Isn't it? It would have to have a human mindset to even crave immortality.

Draco sat bolt upright. But kulshedra do have a human mindset. They can transform into a hag.

Draco sprang to his feet and ran to the guest room where Hermione was staying. He threw open the door, and shook her awake. How could she possibly be sleeping, Draco thought.

"Draco! Stop shaking me! What is it?" Hermione yelled, looking at him with extreme annoyance at being woken.

"A kulshedra can turn into a hag."

"Yes," Hermione said slowly, not understanding where this was going.

"The hag was the person who made he horcrux. I just know it. It feels right."

Hermione stopped and considered. "It makes a measure of sense," she said calmly.

"Why are you not more excited about this? We figured it out."

Hermione laid back down in her bed. "No offense, but I don't trust intuition. Except for Harry's."

"Don't compare me to Potter," Draco snapped. "Ever."

Hermione waved him off. "Just go back to bed, Draco."

Draco's jaw clenched and his pulse started to race. "We have nothing else to go on. We at least need to find the kulshedra. We basically know where it is! Whoever may be guarding the kulshedra is important. Even if they're not who created that horcrux, somebody that's protecting that monstrosity of a dragon is evil. It could even be the person who created the horcrux. They know something."

"Sure," Hermione said shortly.

"Why are you even fighting me on this? Is this a pride thing? Are you mad that you didn't figure it out first? We travelled all the way to Albania on intuition. The kulshedra made the horcrux while she was a hag. A human can have delusions of immortality, even though an animal may not." Draco was aggressively pacing the room now, his vision more and more clouded by a red fog.

"I thought you trusted me," he said, his voice cracking, before he left the room, slamming the door.

~~~***~~~

When Hermione woke the next morning she found that Draco had already made her a large hot breakfast, complete with pancakes, sausage, eggs, and tea. He was in the kitchen cleaning up when Hermione sat down at the breakfast table.