【 you know i wanna be your destiny,
so please just say hello. 】
— Shawn Mendes, Just Say Hello.

『𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄: 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐕𝐘 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐑』

1 Year and 8 Months Earlier...

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐕𝐄. No stars, no clouds, no moon. Simply a blanket of blue in the shade of nightmares and loneliness. Not a sound as well. Silence so deafening, it feels like her head was caged in a cement box. Or at least, that's how it was outside of her mind. Inside, however, played a memory disguising itself as a recurring dream.

"It will only last a second, sweetheart."

Her mother's velvety voice echoed in her head, once a sound so comforting, her mere whisper felt like a gentle embrace. Now a reminder of what she'd done. Fiola Dragonne looked down at her, placing an object in the girl's tiny palm.

"Well done, Solaria."

It was the night of the Soul-binding Ritual. The night that was supposed to make her a true Dragonne, as true as she can be. It was supposed to be rewarding—enlightening. But ever since, she just became even more buried with questions she was too scared to search the answers for.

"You've done your family proud."

Her eyes slowly opened upon the end of the dream, or rather, the nightmare that she had. Her lids revealed where her spark used to be, twinkling in her eyes with the essence of her childhood innocence. There in the same circular blue crystal for eyes now lies the bittersweet realisation of her return to her bleak reality—one just as dim as the one she watched with her eyes closed and her consciousness absent.

Unlike some, Solar does not gasp awake after a recurring nightmare that stemmed from the trauma of her childhood. She wakes up, peacefully, in the middle of the night, and has no trouble going back to sleep after.

It's not like she isn't bothered by it. She is. Very much so. For it felt like that one night clung to her like a leech, sucking out whatever goodness she thought she had. It was a decision that set her up on a path that led to the same one her parents and her relatives had chosen.

And she wasn't sure if she wanted to be like them.

Solar shifted under her blanket, looking to her side and seeing Kairus balancing himself on top of the lampshade on her bedside table, ruining the perfectly good nightstand ornament under his clawing feet. His scales are muddy yellow, the underside of his wings an even darker shade. Being 7 years of age, Kairus stands at about 3 and a half feet tall. His eyes are lighter, more striking gold than his skin.

In contrast to Kairus's warm eyes, Solar's cold blue ones landed on the obsidian stone on his chest, fashioned into a necklace, or maybe it was a collar. She wasn't sure. But she preferred calling it a necklace. Carved into it, was an elegant swirl of the letter S. She reached for the stone hung around the dragon's neck as a pendant, her thumb caressing the indented curved lines that showed her initial. Kairus simply perked up at the contact, like a kitten excited for the attention he was given as he curled up and embraced Solar's hand, tucking it closer to him like he was hugging a pillow.

Solar could only smile at the dragon before taking it upon herself to carry him to her bed, slightly grunting at how slightly heavy he was becoming. From then on, she went back to sleep, her mind calming from the after effects of the recurring nightmare.

.・゜゜・

"Solar?" The sixteen-year-old blonde witch whirled around at the sound of her sister's voice, Lunaria Amaris Dragonne. The little girl famously known for being the first Dragonne to not get sorted into Slytherin. Solar will never forget the earful of disappointment and blame that Aris received for simply being different from the rest of the entire bloodline. To Solar, it was a phenomenon. One that could possibly change the course of their family's path. Solar knew herself was a lost cause. She was a Slytherin through and through. Her sister, however...the blonde witch sees her sister as their family's redemption.

They both could only wish their parents and relatives thought the same.

"What is it, Aris?" Asked the curious blonde as she proceeded to arrange her belongings, her 12 ¼ inch wand made of yew wood with a dragon heartstring core finding the familiar comfort of her palm warm and inviting.

"Mother said both her and Father are to attend to their other responsibilities. I'm just wondering if you would be so kind as to accompany me to Diagon Alley to prepare for the start of the year?" Aris stated, the young girl extremely well-spoken and well–mannered. Innocence and politeness still radiated off of her stance and aura, making Solar wonder how the girl was able to keep her righteousness intact while also being a part of this family.

"If you keep speaking like that, I won't." Solar replied, a hint of disgust tracing the lines of her grimace. "I'm not Mother or Father. You don't have to be so polite and stiff around me. I feel exhausted for you."

Not a day goes by in this world that the people are not looking for something headline-worthy from the Dragonnes. Most journalists wake up everyday wishing that the day has come that the Dragonnes have once again gotten themselves into a bit of a scandal. The last one was two years ago. Aris's first day at Hogwarts.

That being said, the members of the family are forced to be as well-mannered as possible, now forced to refrain from engaging in disobedience–how unlike Slytherin of them. But that hasn't stopped Solar from becoming a nuisance at school so long as it remained nonsensical and unnecessary of strict monitoring.

"Will you just come with me?" the brunette witch insisted, lowering her head and hiding her hesitant and wary blue eyes behind her full fringe bangs.

Solar might have a strong, devil-may-care personality, but it doesn't affect her ability to sense when something is off, especially when it involves her little sister whom she's very protective of.

"Aris, are your classmates messing with you?" Solar asked, even though she didn't need to ask. Her eyes identical to her little sister's were already flaming blue.

The 13-year-old witch shrugged her shoulders as she looked up to her sister. "They're only joking. Perhaps I simply lack the intellectual range to understand their humour."

Which was ridiculous. She's a Ravenclaw. She's absolutely smart.

"Or they don't have any range at all." The young woman could feel the intense anger brewing in her tiny body. She despises the fact that she's forbidden to hurt anyone, even if they do deserve it. The last thing she wants is to be blamed by the entire family for being, once again, in the front page of the Daily Prophet.

"Come, we'll go to Diagon Alley together." Solar said, grabbing her plum-coloured cloak. The cloak always reminded Aris of her favourite sugarplum apple treat from the sweet shop—which reminded her, she needed to stop by the sweet shop to buy some of those.

.・゜゜・

Like they've expected, as the beginning of the new school year approaches, Diagon Alley finds its stores crowded with students of different years. The cobbled street was lined with magical shops, each possessing distinct services and items that cater to wizards and witches. Solar can't help but feel reminiscent as she passes by Ollivander's and sees the first-years browsing for their own wands, recalling her first time witnessing how her wand chose her.

Ylliard and Fiola only gave them limited time to buy everything they needed for school before returning back home. They have quite a lot on their list, but Aris insists that she goes to Sugarplum's Sweet Shop to buy herself some treats before going home. With a couple more pretty pleases from the younger Dragonne, Solar finally gave her permission while she went to the Flourish & Blotts to cut down their time.

About twenty-minutes later, Solar exited the bookstore—leaving the refreshing and quite addicting scent of crisp, aged, tanned pages. She cradled the heavy books, both hers and her sister's,  in her arms, colourful curses singing out of from Solar's sinful lips as she complained how heavy the books were.

"You're pathetic, really." Solar's ears perked up at the mention of the words, turning herself around to the direction where she could hear the words of what she could guess is a 13-year-old bully.

"Maybe you're adopted. That's the only way to make sense of this. My father said someone like you doesn't belong in your family."

"I bet you're a Mudblood."

"Filthy Mudblood, that she is."

Solar took one step forward toward her sister and her bullies, and she stopped, surprised by the person who stood and put himself in between Aris and the boys making fun of her.

"Why don't you spend your time doing something productive? Unless you want this girl's sister, or her cousins, to catch you." Cedric Diggory casually warned the boys. He wasn't trying to be scary, which had always been weird to watch for Solar. She'd often witness him save young girls and boys from being bullied but there was never a time that he appeared to bestow fear upon them, unlike what she could have demonstrated. He approaches them with patience, and reason—sometimes even kindness, to those who don't even deserve it!

As the boys walked away with a string of complaints chattering away in the wind, Solar found herself unfrozen from her spot and approached both Aris and Cedric.

"Are you alright?" Asked Solar, gently dropping the delicate books onto the ground before placing her hands on Aris's shoulders. Aris doesn't even look up to her sister. She's only looking down at the sugarplum apple that was now on the ground, one that she had been so excited to eat until those boys smacked it off her hand.

"Here. Have mine." Cedric offered, reaching toward Aris to give her the sugarplum apple he originally purchased for himself.

"It's okay. I'll buy her another one." Solar replied, not really wanting to accept more of Cedric's help.

The Hufflepuff wizard slightly shook his head as he answered. "Nonsense. Why waste more money when I have a perfectly good one right here. Come on, Aris, I insist."

The younger Dragonne looked up to her sister, as if looking for her approval to reach forward and grab the apple from the kind man's hand. There was a twinkle in Aris's eyes, one that Solar had seen so long ago in the mirror. One that was terribly difficult to resist.

"Go on." She told Aris.

The brunette witch exploded in joy as she accepted the sugarplum apple from Cedric, to which the young man smiled and softly laughed at. Solar missed that, having an emotional range that can be measured by sweet treats. She barely laughs now.

Solar turned towards Cedric and spoke. "This will not happen again."

The blonde Slytherin witch picked up the books off the ground once more, preparing to walk away and return home as Cedric watched her.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to say thank you." Cedric pointed out, a hint of friendly-teasing to be sensed from his tone...and his smile. Everything about this man screams friendly. It irks Solar.

"Do you only save kids for the sake of being praised?" the blonde witch arched her eyebrow at the wizard.

"Not at all. But it'd be a bonus if I could brag to people how I made Solaria Dragonne say such a Merlin-forsaken word." Cedric answered before he began walking away backwards, his eyes still set on the blonde Slytherin witch with a giddy smile plastered on the Hufflepuff wizard's lips. "Anyway, you're welcome."

Solar watched as the man turned around to safely walk forward and away from them, returning to his own circle of friends. The witch sighed deeply before shifting her attention back to her sister and hurrying back home.

.・゜゜・

"Solar, sweetheart." the eerie call of her mother sent shivers down her spine as she fought the urge to shrug at the way Fiola's voice chilled her. Perhaps it was the madness that sang with it. "Can you come to the study, please? Your father and I have something to discuss with you."

Before she could even put her boot past the threshold of her father's study, she was already aware of what the topic of this discussion will be. And boy, was she dreading it.

"The door, honey." Fiola added once Solar was past the doorframe. The young witch pushed her lips into a thin line before turning around and shutting the door, creating a complete division between them and Aris who is reading a book in the tea room.

"You're 16, dear. And it'll be your fifth year at Hogwarts." Ylliard began. He was sitting on his chair while his wife sat on the chair's arm, her legs crossed. "We thought it best if you were to finally set your... interest in someone."

Here we go.

"You'll be of age in a year's time. A lot of families will be offering to take your hand. And that would be quite the chaos." Fiola said. Solar internally grimaces at the thought of wizards—of all shapes, sizes, and ages, might she add—pooling at their doorstep, asking for the company of the blonde Slytherin witch, simply for the sake of getting the chance to be a part of the Dragonne Family because Merlin-forbid there's anything else interesting about her than her family secrets.

"It will spare us a lot of work if you are to decide a month before your seventeenth birthday. So we could prepare for the engagement ceremony as well." Ylliard finally went to the point. "You'll think on it, won't you? I'm sure there are a handful of young men in your school fit to take your side. A Slytherin, of course."

The blonde witch, whose hands are intertwined and squeezed behind her, forced a smile on her lips, shoving down her secretly bad manners as she answered her parents.

"Of course."

.・゜゜・

Double update to celebrate the official start of the book <3