Chapter Text
The day before the first task, Dimitrius had decided that instead of going to sit in on classes, that he would take Viktor to the forest so they could both relax. Dimitrius could tell that his lover was getting more and more stressed as the First Task approached, and decided that it would be best to leave the castle for the day.
Plus, they were not required to be at the classes as long as they completed their essays for their Durmstrang classes.
So, Dimitrius had made sure that he had woken up early, before Viktor so that he could prepare a small picnic for them. He had learned where the Hogwarts’ kitchen was within the first week of their stay, asking a nice pair of redheaded twins where it was.
After tickling the painted pear, and watching the door swing open, he walked into the bustling kitchen, waving to the house elves that were working on breakfast. Some waved back while others just continued to work. He headed straight for the section that the elves had set aside for students that wanted a quick breakfast. But it was not only breakfast foods, as there were stacks of sandwiches, thermoses of soup and cocoa, and closed containers of salad.
He hiked up the picnic basket on his arm, opening it and putting some sandwiches and soup into the basket, along with some plates and silverware.
Dimitrius left the kitchen quickly, making it back to the ship faster than usual due to no one being in the hallways.
When he got there, Viktor was already up, lounging in their shared bed, dark red wings revealed and curling horns sprouting from his head. He set the basket down, then stretching his hands over his head.
"Good morning, my love." Dimitrius hummed, letting his own glamours fall, letting his elven features surface. He sighed, loving the feeling of magic washing over him.
"I will always love looking at you, my mate." Viktor purred, his eyes running up and down Dimitrius' body. Dimitrius smirked, walking slowly towards the other male lying on the bed while swaying his hips. Viktor sat up from his laying position, opening his arms, welcoming Dimitrius to sit in his lap. It was an invitation he took, straddling his lover's thighs.
"I have something planned for us today, my heart." Dimitrius whispered in Viktor's ear, then kissed the lobe.
"Oh?" Viktor asked, grabbing onto the smaller's hips and kissing a pale cheek.
"We are going to have a nice picnic in the forest, just the two of us."
Viktor hummed his agreement. "That does sound nice..."
Dimitrius smiled and wiggled his hips before getting up and grabbing the picnic basket.
"You should be an Imp instead of a Wood Elf." Viktor scowled playfully, but stood from the bed and followed his mate out the door.
During their time at Hogwarts, Dimitrius and Viktor had found a multitude of spots that were deep into the forest so that a wandering person could not find them, and also surrounded by nature. One of the things that both of them love is the density of raw magic that was in the forest. It was no coincidence that inside the Forbidden Forest, magical plants grew everywhere, even the rare ones, and magical creatures roamed without care of the world around them.
And most of all, Dimitrius and Viktor were safe, safe enough to let their glamours drop, even if it was only for a few hours. But those hours would feel like days, and that was all they needed to feel like themselves again.
A blanket laid beneath them, spread out with their food on top of it. The two creatures shared lazy kisses and caresses, content to hold each other and nothing more for the moment.
“When we get back home, I say that we build our home by hand, no magic or anything like that. Just our two bare hands.” Viktor said, stroking the side of Dimitrius’s arm with a clawed finger.
“Yes, that would be nice, to live in a home we built.” Dimitrius sighed wishfully. They had discussed building their home before, but he had never thought of building it by hand, and he loved the idea. “That way we would have a place to go to just… get away.”
“Get away…” Viktor echoed. The air was still for a few moments, with only the trees swaying and birds chiming breaking it. “I do not know if I want to continue with Quidditch for too long. I would like to spend as much time with you as I could, and after school, and the team manager wishes for me to commit to it full time.”
Dimitrius nodded, looking to his lover. “But I know you love it, and I do not wish to hold you back, Viktor.”
Viktor shook his head. “It is not like that, Dimitrius. I would gladly stay by your side than play Quidditch. You are, in no way, holding me back.”
“I-” Dimitrius looked down, then back up. “It is truly your choice, Viktor. I will support you no matter what.”
Viktor nodded and then smiled. “Thank you, my love. For everything.”
The two stayed in the woods until the sun began to set, and even then, they left reluctantly, donning their human masquerades as they walked away from their solitude.
Dimitrius sat in the stands nervously, Adalet and Ivan next to him as other students piled in.
In front of him sat a rocky battle arena. Dimitrius had to guess that there would be a magical creature that the contestants would need to battle, and his mind was wracking through the different scenarios.
It all just mattered on how far the organizers of the tournament were willing to go.
Would they dare to put a humanoid in the arena for the students to fight? That would certainly send a message with two of the contestants being creatures.
Or could it be something like a Griffin? Or maybe even a Sphinx? Maybe they would go with something that is tame until aggravated, like a Hippogriff.
Adalet touched his shoulder. “Dimitrius, calm down. Everything will be fine.”
“I doubt that they wish for any students to die, and even then, Viktor is strong.” Ivan added. “He will survive.”
Dimitrius nodded, his nerves receding just a bit.
There was a bell chime, and the voice of an announcer. “Welcome to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament! Today, they will be facing…” the man paused, building tension. “Nesting Dragons!”
Dimitrius almost let out a laugh. Viktor was a Drakon, a humanoid version of a Dragon that most Dragons regarded as kin. And if the Dragon is nesting, and with Viktor not yet having reached adulthood, the Dragon would most likely consider him one of her brood. And, even if she did not, there would be no way that she would ever harm Viktor.
Adalet covered up a snort with her hand. “There is no way that Viktor will not win.”
Dimitrius nodded with a smile, his anxieties now non-existent.
Once the stands were full, the judges took their spots and the crowd began to chant and cheer, holding up banners. The Durmstrang students around him and his friends hoisted their own, ones that showed their support for Viktor.
The sudden boom of a cannon made him jump, but he looked to one side of the arena where a Swedish Short-Snout was being escorted by Dragon handlers. Another came in, carrying a nest of eggs, one a shining gold compared to the pale green.
Dimitrius felt his heart drop. Were they actually using real Dragon eggs? He hoped not, but if they were, he would like to talk to the handlers later.
Adalet seemed to have the same thought. “They better not be using real eggs.”
Dimitrius and Ivan nodded.
A moment later, Cedric Diggory walked out from the opposite end, and the first task began.
Dimitrius watched the Hufflepuff, taking note of his strategy. It was actually quite clever, turning a stone into a dog to distract the Dragon and take the golden egg that held the clue to the next task.
The five judges spoke for almost a minute, and finally gave him his score of 43 points, to which Dimitrius clapped politely to.
He held his breath when Cedric had gone back into the champions tent, and let out a sigh of frustration when Viktor was not the one to come out. Instead, it was Fluer, walking out with the grace only a Veela could have. He saw her look off into the crowd, specifically to the blue-clad Hogwarts students, and he smiled knowingly. Luna was probably somewhere in the crowd. It soon quickly fell when he realized he and Luna were in the same situation. Worrying for their mates in a dangerous tournament.
He shook his head and instead tried to focus on the Tournament, and thought to seek out Luna later, just to even see how the younger girl was doing. He turned back to Fluer, and realized her plan when she opened her mouth.
The song of a Veela was memorizing to anyone with a weak mind or was not devoted to a partner, something that even powerful creatures could fall victim to.
Something even the Dragon could fall into.
He closed his eyes as the song rang through the stadium, humming along to the notes.
There was the sound of stumbling, then a thump, and Dimitrius slowly opened his eyes to see a sleeping Dragon, and the golden egg in her arms. Her score was 40, her main loss of points being that the dragon could have crushed the eggs when it fell.
The next would be Viktor standing in the arena, and he felt himself tense.
When his mate finally walked into the rock terrain, he was not looking at the center of the stadium, where the dragon laid. No, his eyes instantly seemed to find Dimitrius’ own.
He nodded, clapping along with the other students, who had began after Viktor appeared.
Viktor smiled, one that was more of a quirked lip, and then he looked to the Dragon that stared right back. The red scales shimmered in the light, and a puff of smoke flared from her nostrils.
A high croon left the Dragon's mouth, one that was such a high pitch that only creatures with exceptional hearing would hear. A similar noise left Viktor's throat, a softer note. He bowed his head, and the Dragon approached, sniffing him for a moment before backing away.
Hesitantly, Viktor advanced, and picked up the golden egg. He nodded at the Dragon, and Dimitrius swore that it nodded back.
He found himself standing, whistling and clapping along with his classmates. So far, Viktor had one of the cleanest and quickest times. His score was a near-perfect one, a 48, the two points off due to his unknown technique.
Though, to Dimitrius, that did not matter. The only thing that did was that Viktor was fine, he was unharmed and safe in the champion’s tent.
He turned to Ivan, having to yell to be heard over the cheers. “I am going to see Viktor.”
He only saw Ivan nod before he was rushing off into the crowd.
Dimitrius would have burst into the champion's tent if there was not a handful of reporters surrounding it like vultures. They looked eagerly at every student that passed, hoping one would give them a story. The worst was Rita Skeeter, a poised and ready quill floating behind her.
So he waited, longer than he would have liked, for them to be distracted by two other students before slipping into the tent.
Instantly, his eyes found Viktor’s in the area, and he rushed as fast as he dared to him.
“You did so well, my love,” Dimitrius smiled as he wrapped Viktor in an embrace.
“Thank you, my soul,” Viktor said, a grin spread across his own face. “It means the world to hear those words from you. It gave me so much confidence to see you in the stands.”
“You flatter me,” Dimitrius spoke as he pressed a kiss to Viktor’s cheek. “I should be the one waxing poetic.”
“I will always have a need to complement you, Dimitrius,” Viktor stated. “I would do anything for you. I am doing this for you, for us .” Viktor looked at him in the eyes, lush green meeting a deep brown. “I will win this for you.”
Heat grew on his cheeks, and if they were not in the tent with the other champions, he would have kissed Viktor until the sun went down.
Instead, he scoffed lightly. “You never need to do anything for me. You will always be enough.” Dimitrius pressed their foreheads together. “As long as you are by my side, I will be happy for eternity.”
A light chuckle left Viktor’s chest, but he did not say anything more. They stayed in their embrace for only a few more moments, only parting because of the cannon going off, and the roar of a dragon.
Dimitrius held out a hand for Viktor, which the other quickly took. “Come, let us go to the stands. I'm sure the others would like to see you as well."