'Never thought about it,' said Draco truthfully, shrugging off his jacket and reaching for the clothes on the table. Charlie whistled.
'That,' he said, 'is a great sword.'
Draco glanced down at Slytherin's sword, which was stuck through his belt. 'Thanks,' he said. 'It's been in my family for a long time.'
'Can I see it?' Charlie asked, reaching out a hand.
Draco shook his head. 'It's enchanted,' he said regretfully. 'It'd char off your fingers.'
'Well, who wouldn't enchant a sword like that?' said Charlie, with another dazzled look. 'Although,' he added, 'you're carrying it wrong.' He grinned at Draco's expression. 'There's no point sticking it through your belt where it's going to bang against your leg every time you move. You should carry it over your shoulder, so you can reach back and grab it if you need it, but it'll be out of your way.'
'You seem to know a lot about this,' said Draco.
'I like swords,' said Charlie. 'It sort of goes with the liking-dragons thing. I've got lots of gear I could lend it to you.'
'Thanks,' Draco said.
'As a matter of fact,' said Charlie thoughtfully, 'if you're going to be feeding dragons, you're going to need all the right gear. Hold on a minute, I'll be right back.'
'Your brother seems to like Malfoy,' said Harry, as he and Ron washed the dirt off their faces and hands in the tent that Charlie had provided for them.'The dragons like Malfoy, so Charlie likes him,' said Ron, shrugging. 'He'd like the Dark Lord if he got along with the Hungarian Horntails. At least it took his mind off us.'
Harry looked at himself in the mirror over the sink. He'd removed most of the dirt and blood with a washcloth, revealing a very pale, very unhappy face whose green eyes were smudged with exhaustion.
He put his glasses back on and straightened up, running a hand through his untidy hair. 'Cheer up, love,' said the mirror gently.
'Nothing's that bad.'
Outside the tent they met Ginny, who, not being as filthy as the boys, had cleaned herself up more quickly. Her red hair, wet from being washed, hung in damp fiery tendrils around her face. She smiled at Ron, then looked anxiously at Harry, 'Feeling better?'
Harry shrugged. 'Just tired.'
Ron smiled at his sister, and then his eyes slid sideways and he stared in surprise. 'Well, would you look at Malfoy,' he said.
Ginny and Harry turned and glanced where Ron had indicated.
Draco was walking towards them across the clearing. Charlie had dressed him in an outfit that was much like his own. It appeared to be standard dragon-keeper wear, if anything about dragon keeping could be considered standard. Draco wore Charlie's jacket of black dragon-hide leather, and black dragonhide trousers. Charlie had also given Draco a pair of sturdy black boots, which were a little too big on him, and a worn dark pullover sporting undarned holes in the sleeves. Against all the black, Draco's silvery hair and pale skin stood out startlingly. He looked a older, thought Ginny, and different, and just a little…dangerous.
'Heavens above,' said Ginny, utterly unaware that she was speaking out loud. 'Malfoy looks really hot.' She clapped a hand over her mouth. 'Did you just hear me say that?'
Ron nodded.
'Oh, God,' said Ginny, with feeling. 'Somebody, kill me please. I don't want to live anymore.'
Harry snorted with laughter.
'Ginny, shut up,' said Ron, looking exasperated. 'He looks like an idiot.'
'No he doesn't,' said Ginny, sounding amazed, 'he looks…like a painting I saw once…'
Harry snorted again, this time in disgust. 'I can just see that hanging in the Tate,' he said. ''Still Life with Prat in Ridiculous Trousers.''
Ginny ignored him, standing with her hand over her mouth as Draco approached them, waving. When he reached them, he looked at her curiously. 'Something wrong?' he said.
Ginny squeaked, turned around, and fled in the opposite direction.
Draco looked curiously at Ron. 'What's bothering her?'
'Leather,' said Harry, looking after Ginny with an expression of mixed amusement and surprise. 'She hates leather. She's a vegetarian.'
Draco rolled his eyes. 'It's dragon-hide,' he said. 'Taken from already-dead dragons, might I add. Dragons are way to valuable to kill for their skins.'
Ron made a muffled sort of noise.
'Do you want me to go and tell her?' said Draco, sounding exasperated.
'Oh, no,' said Ron. 'She wants to be alone, with her, uh…'
'Vegetarianism,' said Harry.
Draco looked at them dispassionately. 'You two are the least skilled liars in the world,' he said. 'And I include Neville Longbottom in that statement.'
'Then you'll know that I'm not lying when I tell that you look completely ridiculous,' said Ron. 'Leather trousers, Malfoy?'
'They are flame-retardant dragon hide and extremely useful,' said Draco, aiming his nose into the air. 'Besides, I look really hot in them.'
