Aaric appeared on the island and took a deep breath, sighing in contentment as he looked at the otherworldly scenery around him.
"Thank you, Nibbin. Where are Mom and Dad?" Aaric asked.
Nibbin smiled. "They're in South Africa, killing some monster," he said and vanished with Aaric's permission.
Aaric approached Orion, the leader of the centaur tribe on the island, and presented him with the golden scales.
"This... this is truly magic bordering on the divine, my lord," the centaur said in awe as he inspected the shimmering scales.
"Can we fashion it into a necklace?" Aaric asked.
The centaur nodded. "We can create a powerful magical necklace—with the help of the goblins."
Some time later,
Aaric, Orion, and the goblin chief were working in the forge. Aaric called upon his silver flames to melt the scale into a liquid form.
The scale slowly began to soften and melt, while the goblin chief and Orion worked on the mold for the necklace.
The walls of the forge shimmered with a golden sheen, reflecting the radiance of the dragon scale.
"It's done!" Aaric shouted as the scale finished melting and settled into a silver container.
Orion hurried over with the mold. "Here, my lord," he said, and Aaric poured the molten gold into it.
"I've got the Vulcryn Water," the goblin chief added quickly, pouring the silvery liquid over the mold.
A loud sizzling sound filled the forge. Aaric began circling the mold, chanting in Parseltongue as his wand traced glowing patterns in the air.
The other two watched solemnly as the chanting continued for nearly half an hour before Aaric finally stopped panting, but smiling brightly.
"Excellent work, my lord," the goblin chief said, adjusting the final runes on the necklace to bring out its perfection.
"How long until the Celestium is formed?" Aaric asked.
"At least two months, my lord," the goblin replied respectfully.
They had devised a method to combine the other scale with Dragonsteel to form a new metal for weapons and crafting. The process, however, would take considerable time to complete.
The goblin chief brought out an ornate wooden box and carefully placed the thin golden necklace inside. The pendant bore a delicate half-moon design that caught the light beautifully.
Aaric smiled as he closed the box and tucked it into his pouch, thanking both Orion and the goblin for their help.
Aaric reappeared in his Hogwarts room in a flash of blue light. "Thank you," he said to Chaya, who ignored him once again.
He smiled wryly and glanced at his pocket watch. "It's 5 p.m. They must be at the lake by now." He muttered and left the room.
"He's probably out there having fun right now... sick, my buttocks," Ron muttered.
"Language, Ron," Hermione scolded, obviously.
"What? I said buttocks, not ass or butt," Ron grinned, only to wince as Hermione's hex stung his arm.
"I think he has severe diarrhea right now... at least I hope," Harry said with a grin, enjoying the disgusted girl noises Daphne, fleur and Hermione were making.
Harry stiffened when he noticed Ginny's disgusted expression too. 'When did she get here? 'he thought, looking up at the sky. 'Why do I even have the ability to speak?'
"Where's Luna?" Fleur asked.
"She seemed a little sad when I saw her earlier," Daphne said with a frown. "She said she needed some time alone."
The group exchanged uneasy looks. "Let's give her that," Daphne said, and the others nodded.
Meanwhile,
Luna wandered the greenhouse, moving between the plants in search of privacy. The place was empty, quiet except for the rustle of enchanted leaves.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Aaric standing there, grinning with his hands behind his back.
She smiled softly. "There are theories going around about what you might be doing. Some of them are... quite creative."
"What was your guess?" Aaric asked, tilting his head.
Luna shrugged. "Fighting dragons? Lazing around? Admiring your own reflection?" She began listing them on her fingers.
Aaric's lips thinned. "I... need a corner to cry in," he muttered, turning away.
Luna giggled and followed him. Aaric sat in a corner, drawing circles in the dirt, while Luna cupped his cheeks and stretched them into different shapes.
"Well... tell me, what were you actually up to?" she asked, still tugging at his face. Aaric didn't answer and looked away dramatically.
Luna ended up consoling him for the next fifteen minutes.
Finally, Aaric stood, his grin wide, a small wooden box in his hands. "I was getting this for you," he said.
Luna placed the box on a nearby shelf and opened it carefully. "Is this..." she whispered, eyes widening as she saw the necklace inside.
"It is," Aaric said, his smile softening.
Luna traced her fingers over the golden surface, then turned to him and hugged him tightly, a smile lighting her face.
"Put it on me?" she asked, turning around.
Aaric nodded, gently fastening the necklace around her neck.
She turned back to him and rested her head against his chest. "What have I done to deserve you?" she asked softly.
Aaric stroked her hair. "Being you," he replied.
A/N: I hope you guys don't die of cringe... but that's romance between teenagers for you.
If you want them to bang, give me Power Stones and reviews.