Tom Stark-Malfoy

". . . As I said. I know how dangerous it could be and I'm sorry for breaking my promise to you that I should stay far away from there. I understand that you are now disappointed in me. I really am sorry, but if time were to revert back, I still would have bought those ingredients and risked me life."

I ȧssured Potter as I watched his disbelieving glare slowly soften in confusion

". . .You do? What are those ingredients that you would risk your life for?"

Potter looked at me speculatively, positive in his mind that I was smart enough to know what was bad for me. Thus, he was really confused as to why I did what I did. . . Potter, you have changed my opinion of you. I wish other ȧduŀts were like you. . . Unlike dad. I'm positive he wouldn't listen to me. He would just stick me back in my room throwing soft comfortable stuff toys in to keep me safe and occupied; then watch over me while I sleep to make sure I wouldn't sneak out. . . *Sigh*. . . over-protective parents. I still like him as my dad though, I wouldn't trade him for a million Potters. . . Wait, no. I wouldn't trade an old smelly sock for a million Potters. Who would want a million Potters? Too noisy.

"I can't show you here, let's go elsewhere, where there are no lurking eyes."

I watch Potter breathe deeply, as if pushing back all of his anger in fear of letting it all out on a child. . . Well, I understand his anger. Really. In his eyes I really am a child, and I too might have shouted at a child I was responsible for if they did the same thing I did. But, I'm not a child.

At times, I will act immature (I don't know why) but I already deeply understand all the hideousness of the world. I should know, especially after all I've experienced both in this life and in the past.

When his hands stopped trembling I took a cautious hold of the sleeves at his wrist. Careful not to anger the dragon lurking in Potter's eyes. I started to lightly tug and drag him towards the nearest cafe which resembled an underpopulated 19th century Starbucks, made with old but sturdy Nara wood and no glass windows, but a familiar two-tailed mermaid sign hanging right above the open door.

"Alright, I agree that the 50% of what I bought may have been splurging."

Potter eye twitched as though they were clouded with incredulity beheld before a "blatant lie". . . or simply put, in annoyance of what I said; but thankfully it seems as though he is holding himself back and waiting for me to finish what I was going to say before coming to a conclusion.

"Okay I was splurging." His facial muscles relaxed a bit, but the anger in his eyes remained at its full strength.

"But when I saw what he had I knew I had to get it before someone terrible does." I reach into my pocket and take out the tiny thing from within.

It fit into my palm nicely, the color blending with my skin, but was spotted with amber-like gold. It was a hibernating Bakunawa egg, a type of dragon long thought extinct, but the worst thing about it was, it was radiating heat. It's close to hatching.

Unlike most dragons, the Bakunawa are smaller, much smaller, and don't breathe fire/water or have other elemental abilities. Closer to a snake-- they have potent venom and tricky hypnotism which folklore told they used to play tricks on humans - by pretending to be one of them and making the moon appear to have disappeared in the most random of times.

Although they are identified as a dragons with their snake-like body with four short yet distinct arms and claws; their Maine of fur which was wrapped around their "necks" and ran down their backs as well as their abilities have lead people to believe that they are the hybrid of a basilisk and a wampus cat.

Honestly, the idea of those two species mating scares me more than the "offspring" itself, but I guess they're not as bad as hidebehinds.

But why does it feel. . . a bit wet? I turned the egg over and saw that the egg had cracked. Shoot! Did I crack it? . . . No. The eggshell is moving on it's own. . . The egg shell is moving on it's own!

"Hold your breath. Now!" he hissed.

I nodded and held my breath, he held my shoulder securely and tugged me up. Quite painful and rude if you ask me, but before I could complain, he twisted in his spot and apparated us away. .

I was dizzy for a moment, but quickly got over it as I was quite experienced with tag-along apparition and portkeys (specifically the dark mark).

I looked around and we were in one of the rooms in Potter manor. Which room specifically, who knows? There are dozens.

Potter carefully lifted the slightly damp handkerchief from the egg and I saw the most adorable creature alive! Her baby scales were shining a midnight blue, that gleamed in the faintly lit room. Her claws were thick, yet as short as my pinky nail, and they were slightly dull since she of course hadn't sharpened them up yet. But no worries, we can sharpen them in a jiffy!

Wait. . . what?

I could hear Potter murmuring across from me "this is bad, this is bad, this is really really bad."

Indeed Potter, it really is bad. Why didn't you take it from my hand earlier?

Wampus cats are very territorial and like werewolves and vampires, imprint on their mates and young. Likewise, the young also imprint on their parents, which is why they make the best familiars.

I personally have a fondness for snake patterns, but for actual snakes themselves. . . Who knows what the dark lord and Saint Potter could make it do to me. Which is why I wanted to give her to you as thanks for being my meat shield these past weeks. Why did she have to hatch now? Couldn't she have hatched just a couple seconds after?. . . Can I kill it?

Owww!!

I wince at the tiny Bakunawa biting into the tip of my thumb. It didn't penetrate through skin, but it was still painful. Impossible. . . Did I anger it? Did it hear my thoughts? Almost like a response, I heard an incoherent hissing in my mind. And once again, I don't think I quite fancied the idea of being able to differentiate the difference between "coherent" and "incoherent" hissing.

I looked up at Potter, hoping he knows a solution to what my stupidity has brought. But alas, his eyes were flickering between disbelief, fear, and amazement. I don't think we'd be able to have a comprehensible conversation any time soon.

"Samuel? Is that you? Did you already drop off that dear boy Tom?"

Mrs. Potter's voice shook him out of his stupor and he hid me inside the closet.

{Shall I raise you?} I stared into black beady eyes. And almost as if she understood me, she nodded her head. {You can really hear my thoughts can't you.} I demanded more like a statement than a question. As expected, she nodded her head again.

*sigh* I brought up my occlumency shields that were flimsy from disuse.

{I guess, you can help me. Can you still hear me?}

The tiny Bakunawa tilted its head, as though confused. It can't hear me anymore. Aha, so it really has Legillimency like a Wampus. I scratched her head and she seemed to like it. Cute thing. Looks like I need to start practicing my occulunency shields again. I brought down my shield and looked into her eyes once more.

She was still, almost contemplative, then she nodded her head and gently licked my thumb (like a cat would, but with a lizard-like forked tongue. Strange). I guess this is her way to apologize for biting me earlier, and as approval towards her name.

So there I was, a seven year old boy, stuck in a closet with a hatchling Bakunawa ŀɨċkɨnġ his thumb. And I thought Saint Potter was the 'special' one. . .

Ahh yes. What a win I had. Afterall, I didn't actually buy her, I was actually buying her stock of food for when she hatches so Potter wouldn't have to. However, I really didn't expect that she would hatch so soon. But I guess there's no helping it.. It must be fate that she hatched in my hand before I could hand her over.