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When Harry the Brave received her mission, she expected to face a fire-breathing beast or an evil wizard.
Instead, she was greeted by a princess.
To be precise, Princess Draco Malfoy—the sole heir to the kingdom, with platinum-blonde hair and grey-blue eyes, her chin perpetually raised higher than anyone else's, her entire being screaming, "I am more noble than you."
But at this moment, the princess was chained to a stone pillar in the dragon's cave. Her silver-white nightgown was covered in dust, her hair a tangled mess—yet her tongue remained as sharp as a poisoned dagger.
"You're the brave sent to rescue me?" Draco looked Harry up and down, letting out a sneer. "I expected them to send someone decent. You look like you can barely hold a sword."
Harry slid her sword back into its sheath, leaned against the cave wall, and replied unhurriedly, "Then you can keep waiting here, Your Highness. I hear the next brave will arrive in about three months."
Draco's face turned crimson in an instant.
"You—!"
"What about me?"
Harry tilted her head, watching with great amusement as the princess trembled with fury. She was indeed beautiful, even in such a disheveled state—her skin luminous pale, her lips pressed together stubbornly, her eyes like a winter sea. The way she threw her head back and glared was... not the least bit intimidating.
"Do you have any idea who I am?" Draco's voice rose an octave. "My father will—"
"Find you a better brave, I know," Harry said casually, walking over to crouch before her and examine the chain. "But you have to get back alive to see your father, don't you?"
For a fleeting moment, a crack appeared in Draco's perfect porcelain facade. She turned her face away, her voice dropping low. "That's none of your business."
"Of course it's my business," Harry said, rising to her feet, looking down at her. "I'm here to take you home, Princess. It's my job."
Draco said nothing.
The silence stretched on.
So long that Harry thought she might have frightened her and was about to say something to lighten the mood, when Draco spoke softly, "Can you really get me out?"
She looked up at Harry, and finally, something else appeared in those grey-blue eyes—a cautious, almost fragile glimmer of hope.
Harry's breath caught.
"Yes," she said, her tone as certain as if she were stating a fact. "But you'll have to cooperate."
Draco bit her lower lip and nodded.
Harry drew her sword and aimed it at the chain. A silvery-white light blazed along the blade—this was the kingdom's holy sword, passed down through generations of braves, said to obey only a truly courageous heart.
The chain snapped.
Draco slid down from the pillar, the shackles still around her ankles. She stumbled, instinctively grabbing Harry's arm. Her fingers were cold and gripped tightly, like a drowning person clutching their last piece of driftwood.
"Don't let go," Harry said.
Draco looked up at her, her lips parting, and finally managed two words: "... I know."
As they made their way out of the cave, the dragon's enormous shadow swept past the entrance. Harry immediately pushed Draco behind her and gripped her sword hilt. Draco's hand was still clutching the edge of Harry's cloak, and Harry felt the grip tighten.
"Scared of what?" Harry glanced over her shoulder with a grin. "I'm not afraid of your mouth—why would I be afraid of a dragon?"
Draco froze for a second, then shot her a vicious glare. "When we get back, I'm going to have my father throw you in the dungeon."
"Fine by me," Harry said, still smiling. "But at least let me deliver you home first."
The dragon's roar echoed through the cave, flames lighting up the entire sky.
And Brave Potter, clutching Princess Malfoy's wrist, sprinted down the mountain, the collapsing cavern and swirling ash behind them.
Draco ran until she was breathless, the shackles around her ankles clanking with every step. She was practically being dragged along by Harry. Finally, her knees gave way, but before she could fall, Harry's arm shot out, caught her around the waist, and hoisted her up.
"Hold on tight," Harry said.
Before Draco could react, Harry's arm had securely hooked under her knees and lifted her clean off the ground.
"You—!" Draco's face flushed scarlet. "Put me down! What kind of brave carries a princess while running?!"
"Fine. You run, then." Harry made as if to drop her.
Draco shrieked and clung desperately to Harry's neck, burying her face in Harry's shoulder.
Harry laughed.
She laughed loudly, the sound scattering on the wind along the mountain path. Behind them, the dragon's lair was collapsing. Ahead lay the road she had traveled to get here. In her arms was an arrogant princess.
"Your Highness," she said, with a certainty that made one's heart flutter, "you're heavier than I imagined."
Draco muttered into her shoulder, "I'm going to kill you when we get back."
"All right," Harry said, still smiling. "I'll be waiting."
Behind them, the dragon's roar finally faded into silence.
And their adventure had only just begun.