Pegasus

July 5th, 1977

A soft snap echoed over the flower-covered field as they staggered onto a dirt path, holding on to each other for support. Blossoms in brightest red, orange, yellow, and pink invaded his vision, making him squint his eyes momentarily.

"It's so beautiful!" Marlene breathed beside him; her fingers still curled into his shirt to steady herself: "But where exactly are we?"

"It's called the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens, in Bollenstreek, roughly forty kilometers out from Amsterdam," Harry replied, gasping between shallow breaths.

Apparating across the channel was certainly not an easy feat. Especially with the magical barriers between the British Isles and the continent. He held his ribs, where a sharp pain plagued him.

'No wonder Voldemort preferred to fly the distance.'

Marlene shot him a concerned glance and started stroking his back affectionately: "Are you sure you're fine, Harry? Take all the time you need."

"I'm okay now." He took a few deep breaths: "But I'll need a moment to concentrate on the next destination. I've never been there myself actually."

"Okay, I'll leave you to it." She sent him a soft smile and squeezed his hand.

Harry closed his eyes; his thoughts drifted to one of the many memories that he'd started pushing far away after the war with Voldemort, burying them in the depths of his mind.

The world swirled past him and he was gliding along a twilit street. The buildings on either side of him had high, timbered gables; they looked like gingerbread houses. He approached one of them, then saw the whiteness of his own long-fingered hand against the door.

He knocked. He felt a mounting excitement … The door opened: A laughing woman stood there. Her face fell as she looked into Harry's face: humor gone, terror replacing it ….

"Gregorovitch?" said a high, cold voice.

There was no need to continue watching; Harry knew exactly how the event unfolded and what contemptible fate the laughing woman and her children met, simply for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

He forced himself back, far away from the memory, and into the present until he felt Marlene's soft fingers playing with his again while she looked at him expectantly.

"Let's go." He tightened his grasp on Marlene's hand and took a step forward, forcing the world past him.

A gentle summer breeze played with Marlene's hair, tickling his nose with long strands of golden curls when they reappeared with another strong snap. He spun around, taking in his surroundings. The houses looked the same as the memory, almost like a single day had not passed between now and when Voldemort haunted the place twenty years in the future.

"And where are we now?" Marlene asked curiously, glancing over a children's chalk drawings on the sidewalk

"In a small German village called Hainewalde, right at the border to Poland and Czechoslovakia," Harry replied, taking her hand and leading her further down the road.

"Is it like Hogsmeade, as in a purely magical village?"

"You tell me." Harry grinned: "Can't you feel it?"

He slowed down ever so slightly to allow Marlene to close her eyes and take a deep breath: "There's definitely wards around here." She frowned. "However, they've been applied over the entire village, not just individual houses."

"Wizarding and muggle communities are a lot more interwoven here on the continent than they are in Britain." Harry explained: "And by that, I don't mean that they break the Statute, simply that they actually engage and take care of their muggle neighbors."

"How curious." Marlene hummed as they came to a stop in front of the house Harry saw in his vision.

He immediately felt that something was different with this house. Despite a thick layer of wards, the magic from within was practically leaking out of it in small ripples. Suddenly a large sign, of which Harry was certain hadn't been there before, materialized out of thin air right in the middle of the lawn.

"Gregorovitch Zauberstäbe"

Marlene attempted to read the thick golden letters in gothic font. She chuckled: "I probably butchered that one horribly. My mother is German and taught me when I was a child, but I haven't practiced since Hogwarts."

"Perhaps I could organize some tutoring lessons for you," Harry smirked as they crossed the lawn: "Just to get you up to speed, you know."

"Only if you're going to my tutor, Professor Peverell." She shot him a sultry look, batting long eyelashes with a wink: "And I promise to pay attention and follow your instructions. All of them."

He forced down the flicker of excitement, pressing a kiss to her cheek while laughing: "Alright let's get your wand fixed first, you little harpy." He knocked on the door and waited.

After a few seconds, they heard a voice from within the house. Someone was making his way to the front and rattled at the door from within.

"Guten Morgen, es ist ein bisschen früh für Kunden." They were greeted in German. The man in front of them had pure-white hair and a thick, bushy beard. He looked like a trussed-up Father Christmas.

"Guten Morgen." Harry replied with a slight incline of his head that was mirrored by Marlene.

"You're English, yes?" His accent was noticeable, yet he seemed knowledgeable enough of their language. The man's sharp brown eyes roamed over them from head to toe. He became slightly more guarded, keeping one hand on the door: "Who are you? What do you want here?"

"Yes, we're from Britain." Harry acknowledged: "But we simply wish to be customers like any other, hoping you could help us with a problem."

"Do you have gold?" He glimpsed from Marlene's expensive earrings and necklace back to Harry, lingering on the thick ring on his finger: "My services don't come for free."

"Good thing we have plenty." Marlene took out a heavy-looking sack, not giving Harry the chance to reply. She opened it and threw him a single thick Galleon: "That one is for simply hearing us out. Much more awaits you if you manage to help us, sir."

"Very well." The man twirled the Galleon between his fingers before it vanished in a pocket within his robes: "Come inside then."

He opened the door for them, glancing suspiciously in the open street before closing it: "Follow me to my workshop."

Harry forced his face not to betray any emotions when they walked along a very familiar corridor. Only this time he wasn't hurrying in stout little Gregorovitch's wake as the man held a lantern aloft.

'This is the place where the Elder Wand was stolen by Grindelwald.'

'No wonder, old Mykew grew a bit paranoid.'

They turned into the room at the end of the passageway, which looked like a workshop; wood shavings and gold gleamed in the traces of warm light the morning sun sent inwards through the large window. Harry almost expected a young man with golden hair to sit there, firing a stunner at them with delight on his handsome face.

"The fact that you're here tells me that Garrick failed to help you with whatever issue you face, didn't he?" Gregorovitch chuckled drily: "I suppose I should feel honored at finally having the opportunity to outshine my old colleague and snatch some British customers from him."

He walked over to his bench and started laying out a few tools, brushing off the wood shavings with a wave of his arm: "Tell me then, what services do you require?"

"Roughly a year ago my wand started heating up after I performed larger pieces of magic." Marlene retrieved her wand from her waist and handed it over: "Ollivander believes there is some sort of inner conflict or turmoil within the wood. Supposedly, I have undergone some changes that altered who I am and accordingly, who the wand originally bonded to six years ago."

"Hawthorn and unicorn hair, 13 and a third inches. Unmistakably crafted by Ollivander or his forefathers." Similar to his British colleague, Gregorovitch merely hummed and brought the wand up to his ear, listening to it for almost a minute.

"Wands don't choose a partner for half a decade, my dear." He looked up at Marlene, amusement dancing in his brown eyes: "They chose to serve for life. If this wand truly struggles to uphold its bond to you, then the changes you underwent must have been drastic and certainly not natural..."

"All that matters is that they were necessary." Marlene replied, tossing golden curls over one shoulder: "What I wish to know is whether my wand can adjust to them or not? Ollivander mentioned a potential solution. One he himself does not dare to consider, since it involves magic our Ministry might disagree with."

"Typical British idiocrasy." Gregorovitch snorted, shaking his head: "Any practices they don't understand, they declare illegal."

He trailed his finger along the wood: "Garrick was correct in assuming that there's a turmoil within the wood. However, its source is not the wood itself. Hawthorn, a wood so contradictory in its nature, is able to adapt to even the most extreme changes in its yielder's magic."

'Hawthorn makes a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth, whose leaves and blossoms heal, and yet whose cut branches smell of death.'

The quote echoed through Harry's mind and by the short look he exchanged with Marlene, he knew it was true for her as well. "If it's not the wood, it has to be the core, doesn't it?"

"Yes, indeed. Especially since your wand's core is a unicorn's hair..." Gregorovitch whispered in fixation.

He looked up at Marlene: "Tell me, my dear, how much of your moral innocence and virtuous purity, which your wand's core is supposed to reflect, is left at this point in time? How much of it will be left once you've overcome whatever challenges and burdens lay ahead of you?"

'And for how much of it am I responsible?' Harry added silently, holding his girlfriend's gaze: 'Have I already corrupted her in my pursuit to save her?'

Marlene gulped heavily and her knuckles tightened while she clenched her jaw. Ice-blue eyes sparked a shade darker when she finally spoke, yet it was not the wandmaker whom she answered: "Every piece of innocence I lost has been freely given in exchange for an advantage I gained in return. Innocence doesn't help me survive. Doing what's necessary will."

"You're a very interesting young lady." Gregorovitch nodded slowly: "I don't know what you've done in the recent past or plan to do in the future. There's no need to justify your actions and motivations either. All I'm saying is that we've found the root of the issue you have with your wand. Its core is no longer suitable for you."

"Shouldn't another core work then?" Harry inquired, having kept himself in the background so far.

"Unfortunately, I doubt it." Gregorovitch shook his head, after bringing the wood up to his ear for another minute: "The hawthorn will reject any core that shows too many dissimilarities from the magical creature it currently holds."

"So it has to be a similar creature?" Marlene's voice carried traces of excitement: "If not a unicorn, then would perhaps a different magical mammal work? They belong to the same group of creatures after all?"

The ghost of a smile washed over Harry's face, knowing what his girlfriend was implying.

"My dear girl." Gregorovitch chuckled drily: "In the entire history of wandlore, there has only been a single incident where a craftsman successfully manufactured a wand with an ingredient from a magical mammal that wasn't a unicorn."

Marlene and Harry forced themselves not to glance at each other, knowing that the legendary wand Gregorovitch talked about, was currently in this very room.

An expression of longing hovered on the old man's face: "An attempt to replicate such a feat would require an almost unheard-of affinity between wielder and creature."

"May I?" Marlene held out her hand with a confident grin.

"By all means, be my guest." Gregorovitch handed back her wand, watching her curiously.

She squeezed Harry's hand and brushed her lips against his in a lingering kiss. Then she shot him a soft smile before closing her eyes:

"Expecto Patronum."

The entire workshop was bathed in a blinding silvery light when Marlene's guardian burst from the tip of her wand and flapped its wings. Gregorovitch staggered backward in shock, colliding with his working bench when the ethereal creature threw its head back gracefully and posed on its strong rear legs before breaking out in a sprint, vanishing through the walls of the workshop.

"I have never seen something like this, especially from someone so young." The old man held his chest, his breath came in short gasps: "That was a Granian, wasn't it?"

Marlene nodded proudly, twirling her wand between her fingers: "Is there a chance that it will work?"

"I can't make any promises," The man sat down in a wooden chair, wiping his forehead with his sleeve: "But knowing what I've now witnessed, you certainly have the necessary affinity to make it work."

"Yes!" Marlene let out a small cheer in triumph and threw her arms around Harry's neck.

"Do you have any idea where we might find one of them?" Harry inquired, infected by Marlene's excitement.

Gregorovitch hummed thoughtfully: "As far as I know they were nearly extinct roughly a century ago before the Greek magical government collected the last of their kind. They set them free on some heavily protected islands in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey. It won't be easy to find them. Especially since they won't take kindly to strangers."

"We will find them." Marlene loosened her hold around Harry and turned back around to the wandmaker. She twirled her wand through the air, conjuring a miniature model of her Patronus out of the wooden shavings littering the ground: "What parts of them do you need?"

With another flick of her wand, she sent the model over to the wandmaker who studied it curiously.

"I suggest we use a large feather from one of their wings, integrated with a hair from the tail of the same creature. That should make for a powerful combination." He too seemed excited at the prospect now: "You should also keep in mind that the magic within them might be stronger if the ingredients are freely given. However, I couldn't even begin to guess how to persuade one."

"We will find a way and come back to you right after." Marlene bobbed her head; golden curls bounced up and down.

"Very well." Gregorovitch chuckled, standing up from his chair he led them back to the entrance of the house: "I will admit that you have me very curious about this project. I shall consult my notes in the meantime and make the necessary preparations."

"Perfect, thank you so much, sir." She practically dragged Harry through the door. Turning around, her hand dipped into a pocket on her dress and she took out a handful of galleons: "For listening to us and for the hard work I expect from you once we return."

"I'm looking forward to it and wish you the best of luck." The old man replied with a chuckle and closed the door.

"Let's go right now, Harry!" Marlene bounced on her heels, eyes widened in anticipation.

"Easy there, love." Harry kissed her forehead and took her hands in his: "How about we go back to Britain and pack some things first?"

"Pack some things?" Marlene replied bewildered: "I have everything I need on me."

"Do you now?" Harry grinned, taking her in his arms: "I think you'll need a bit more than one set of robes for the upcoming vacation the two of us spend in the Aegean Sea. Unless you want to go swimming naked? In which case of course, you won't hear me complaining about it…"

July 7th, 1977

Her lungs were pressed together as she was squeezed through an impossibly tight tube. A bright rainbow of colors flashed past her until she suddenly staggered over a polished floor.

'Still not a fan of Portkeys.'

Squinting away the bright white spots in her vision, Marlene raised her head and cast a look around. Harry still stood next to her, patting his upper body with both hands, seemingly checking if he lost anything on a magical journey.

A heavily accented female voice made her turn around: "Hello Mrs. and Mr. Peverell. My name is Katerina Baros. I welcome you to the Greek Ministry of Magic in Athens."

A pink blush crept up her cheek, but it had nothing to do with how the witch who greeted them butchered Harry's surname.

'Mrs. Peverell... Marlene Elizabeth Peverell.' It didn't sound so bad and it certainly wasn't the first time she toyed with the thought.

Harry's gaze flickered over to her. He looked a mixture of amused and conflicted while sheepishly scratching his jaw: "Uhm, well, you see, we're not actually married. Yet..."

"Oh." The witch dressed in professional working robes raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her note: "My apologies, it's just that for the course of your vacation here in Greece, you have been registered under one name. It's a common practice that helps us keep track of the many magical visitors we receive during the holiday seasons."

"It shouldn't be an issue." Marlene quickly expressed: "Right, Harry?"

"Yes… I mean- No, it's completely fine." Her boyfriend cleared his throat.

"Thank you." Ms. Baros exhaled in relief: "That would have been a lot of paperwork for me." She handed over a small porcelain vase: "This is your Portkey to the Island of Naxos where your hotel is located. From there we ask you to adhere to the International Statute of Secrecy for the entire duration of your stay around muggles."

"Of course, thank you." Marlene nodded, accepting the vase and allowing Harry to hold a finger to it as well.

"Very well." The witch smiled and waved at them: "The Greek Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant stay in our country."

A split-second later Marlene felt herself getting sucked towards the vase by her navel and repeatedly being squeezed through the exact same pipe until they landed on solid ground again.

A deep breath filled her lungs with salty air while a strong breeze played with her hair. the sounds of waves colliding with sharp rocks echoed from somewhere below her.

"Bloody Portkey-travel." Marlene cursed, blowing strays of golden hair that blocked her vision away from her eyes while steadying herself on Harry's shoulder.

Glancing up, she spotted a swarm of seagulls crying in the cloudless sky. They stood on a shallow cliff, with a view of the turquoise Aegean sea that stretched until the far horizon. Even from up, the water was so clear that it allowed them to see the multicolored coral reef on the seabed.

"Unfortunately, it's the only way not to raise too much suspicion." Her boyfriend chuckled while glancing around to orient himself: "Attempting to apparate through more than ten European countries would have likely left me as a squib."

"My wand would have been well worth it," Marlene replied with a smirk. She looked towards a settlement of flat roofed, two-story white buildings surrounding a larger one in a semicircle. She recognized the flags of multiple muggle nations blowing proudly on high masts above the central building: "That one looks like a muggle hotel, I suppose."

"Actually, it's called a resort." Chuckling, Harry took her hand and led her a few meters to the road leading down to the settlement: "Never would I have imagined me taking a proper pureblood witch on vacation into a five-star muggle resort."

"I know how to blend in with muggles!" Marlene objected as they walked down the hill: "Just look at my outfit. Have you ever seen a cuter muggle girl?"

Harry's eyes traveled up from her sandals over long legs, her short blue skirt, and white tank top, and lingered on the pair of sunglasses she quickly placed on her nose: "Ta-Da!"

"I like it a lot." He smirked: "But to fully blend in…" He checked their surroundings for a second before he flicked his wand and enlarged a simple black suitcase: " …We probably shouldn't act as if we can store our luggage within a tiny pocket."

"Good thinking, Mr. Peverell." Marlene linked their arms, grinning up at him.

"Why, thank you, Mrs. Peverell." He laughed.

Marlene hid the briefest grimace, knowing that if she and her father had their way, they'd already be betrothed at this point. But perhaps she could use this vacation to find out why Harry hesitated to progress their relationship to the next natural state.

A man in a white uniform held open the doors to the large central building for them and offered to take their suitcase in slightly broken English.

"Mrs. and Mr. Peverell, welcome to our fine establishment on Naxos." The receptionist's English was much better already, despite the flicker of surprise at seeing a married couple that was apparently so young, at least by muggle standards.

After checking in at the reception and handing over the set of muggle IDs that have been issued to them by the British Ministry, the couple was shown the way to their private bungalow, whilst a member of staff explained the mealtimes and other organizational things.

Marlene only listened with one ear, too distracted by the culture shock she was experiencing from going full muggle for the first time in her life.

Their apartment consisted of a living room with a muggle television, a spacious bedroom, with an equally large canopy bed and an ensuite bathroom, fully equipped with showers, a bathtub that rivaled what Harry called a whirlpool, whatever that was supposed to be.

"So, what do you think, love?" Harry said as he scooped her up in his arms as soon as the staff member left, grinning down at her: "Ready for your first muggle-style vacation?"

"I like it so far." She pressed her lips against his in a searing kiss, fingers curled around the collar of his shirt before they dipped lower and unclasped the first button. Marlene gently pushed him backward until his knees collided with the edge of the bed and they stumbled on top of each other; a laughing mess of human limbs and long, golden curls.

"How about we have a small, private celebration." Marlene claimed his mouth more aggressively, tracing his bottom lip with her tongue until it opened: "And afterward we go down to the beach so you can finally see me in that bikini I bought for the occasion."

Harry didn't seem to have any objections to that: "You should make the plans more often."

July 10th, 1977

The deep turquoise ocean stretched endless below her; white foam crowned the peaks of steady waves; always edging to break yet failing to do so until they reached the next shore. The faint outlines of hundreds of smaller islands rose from the distant horizon.

The gentle Aegean wind toyed with her curls as she tightened her grip on her broom, and dipped low to keep up with Harry. She had to admit that the Nimbus 1 she currently rode performed leagues better than the Comet she played with during the last season at Hogwarts.

It accelerated quicker, and kept its speed, even over large distances, allowing Harry and her to travel from one small island to the next in a matter of minutes. Today was the third day since the beginning of their vacation, and just like the previous two days, they had spent the majority of their time scouting the endless sea. Some of them weren't inhabited by humans, thereby increasing the couples' chances of finally encountering the magical creatures they came looking for in the first place.

'So far without any luck.'

Of course, they were aware that the exact location of the creatures was a well-kept secret, yet still, Marlene was slowly growing frustrated with their lack of progress. The only benefit so far was that flying on a broom led to quite a good tan. Therefore, Marlene always took to the sky in her Bikini top and shorts, similar to Harry, who flew in his swimming trunks.

She was about to continue to admire her boyfriend's broad tanned backside when he suddenly slowed down considerably up to a point where he hovered on the spot.

Upon approaching him, she caught on to the reason behind him. The small hairs on her arms started standing at full attention. A shiver ran down her spine, leading to full-out goosebumps.

"Wards?" She inquired curiously, hovering in mid-air, next to Harry, staring down into the ocean that looked just as it had anywhere before.

"Yes, quite strong ones, actually." Her boyfriend nodded, as he snatched his wand from where it was attached to his trunks: "There is something hidden right underneath and in front of us. I will try to penetrate them without alerting half the Greek Auror force."

With the Elder Wand held out in front of him, Harry leaned forward, slowly edging closer to whatever barrier they had met. Then he raised it high to the sky, thrusting his magic into the air until even Marlene sensed the saturation on her entire body. She watched him in fascination as he repeated the action multiple times while murmuring in a foreign language under his breath.

Suddenly the air flickered all around her, small vertical ripples danced to the tune of Harry's magic until the turquoise depths underneath her started shifting.

Marlene gazed at the small island that suddenly materialized out of nowhere. It was roughly the size of the Hogwarts grounds, with various hills and cliffs enhancing the scenery. Yet, just as she was about to take in this untouched spot of nature in its entirety, right from underneath her, a pair of large white wings surged upwards and missed her by an inch.

Marlene was almost knocked off her broom by the strong gust of wind that followed. The sound of a horse neighing echoed through the clear sky. She threw her head back to follow the creature and gaped at what she spotted.

Its skin shone an ethereal white, making for a strong contrast against the dark blue sky. It glided back down towards them on a pair of feathered wings, flapping twice to gain a few meters in height. Marlene warily watched it make a large turn and fly back towards them. Tightening her grip on her broom she prepared to dodge the ethereal creature when she noticed that it wasn't actually aiming at her, but rather at a spot right below where she hovered.

"I think It wants to play." Harry's voice rang over to her. He gestured down to the ground: "Actually, I think they all want to play..."

Half a dozen more Granian took to the sky and joined the fellow in gliding past them, never making contact, but rather teasing them in a playful manner.

"Well then, Seeker of the Century, let's show them what we've got." Marlene laughed and dipped low to engage the closest Granian, which was the one that first spotted them.

The creature threw its white mane backward, neighing in appreciation as Marlene flew spirals and loops around it. Harry joined in on the fun soon after, leading to a friendly game of catch between the humans and the Granian.

Half an hour later, Marlene was ecstatic but covered in a layer of sweat from the exertion. She slowly flew towards the ground with Harry following right after.

"That was brilliant." She giggled when she jumped off her broom. Shielding her eyes from the sun she glanced upwards to watch the creatures approach them and land gracefully on a nearby cliff.

"Let's try to get closer." Harry suggested: "Just be careful and avoid their hooves."

Despite becoming playmates, the Granians still seemed rather shy of the two humans. Marlene had no idea why she did so, but to ease their worries and concerns, she twirled her wand through the air, murmuring the incantation for her Patronus.

Her silvery guardian seemed very curious about his real-life counterparts, approaching the nearest, which luckily allowed it to bring its nostrils up close for a whiff before it neighed once more. Channeling her inner Gryffindor, Marlene slowly approached the nearest one, which was currently playing with her Patronus.

"The apple, Harry." Marlene kept her eyes trained on the creature, one hand held out in front of her in a comforting manner. Harry carefully levitated the apple into her other outstretched hand.

"I've got something for you, my friend." Marlene waved the apple, easily catching its attention and drawing it towards her until it was barely a meter away.

She gulped when she finally managed to take in their sheer size now that they were on even ground. The Granian slowly bent its mane-covered neck, gently snatching the apple from her open palm. The bright red fruit was crushed between thick white teeth and swallowed soon after, but Marlene still received another neighing in thanks.

"You're quite welcome, actually." She laughed, turning to Harry who watched her from behind.

Marlene held her breath when the Granian lowered its head once more, its nostrils closing in on her face inch by inch. She forced herself not to yelp when a rough, wet tongue licked her cheek from bottom to top.

"Try to pet it."

Very tentatively, she reached out with one hand and started gently stroking the Granian's neck, her fingers brushing over the long silvery strands of hair. It would be easy to snatch one of them and run away. However, Gregorovitch's words rang in her ear. The wandmaker required both a feather and a string of hair.

'Just a little more patience.'

Her musings were interrupted when the creature she was petting suddenly lowered its frontal legs and bent its knee.

"What does this mean, Harry?" Marlene frowned, turning back towards her boyfriend who watched the scene with amusement dancing in his green eyes.

"I think it wants you to ride it." Harry grinned: "Come on, I know you want to."

"This is what hanging out with foolish Gryffindors has led me to," Marlene murmured under her breath: "Are you sure, my silvery friend?"

She received a short nod and another neigh from the creature, which was all the confirmation Marlene needed. Holding on to the thick mane, she hoisted herself up on the Granian's back: "Please be ready to catch me, Harry!" Marlene cried when her playmate lifted its front legs, almost making her fall off.

"Don't worry, I've got you." He grinned, mounting his broom: "Enjoy the ride, love."

Without warning, ten-foot wings flapped open on either side of Marlene, she just had time to seize the Granian around the neck before she was soaring upward. It was nothing like a broomstick, and Marlene knew which one she preferred; no matter how graceful it might look, the Granian's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of her, catching her under her legs and making her feel like she was about to be thrown off.

The silvery mane slipped under her fingers, but she didn't dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of her Nimbus, she now felt herself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Granian rose and fell with its wings. Still, the lift was incredible, and she couldn't help but cheer in marvel as her ride dipped low and surged towards the surface of the sea, pulling up just before its hooves connected with the water.

Her playmate flew once more around the island with Harry always hovering right underneath them before it lowered back to the ground where the rest of its kind was watching them, neighing when they returned. The landing was much more graceful than she had expected, yet Marlene still thanked Morgana when she jumped off the Granian's back unscathed and well, with only her golden curls in a disheveled mess.

"Thank you, my friend." She gently stroked the Granian's long mane, gently patting its snout with her other hand.

She leaned in, bringing her lips towards its floppy ears: "Could you do me a favor? I need but a single feather from your wing and one hair from your mane. After taking you up on that crazy ride, I deserve a spare, don't you think?"

The Granian large eyes focused on her curiously and Marlene held its gaze without blinking even once. Finally, as if finding what it was searching for, it neighed, before it flapped its right feathery wing, bending until it was able to seize a single feather between a set of sturdy teeth. Then, it plucked the feather out with a small tucking motion.

"Thank you so much." Marlene blinked away a tear and patted the creature's head when it dropped its long feather in her open palm.

Knowing that she had its permission, her fingers followed a long stray of hair from the wild mane to where it was connected with the smooth skin. The Granian barely twitched when she plugged it out, perhaps due to the peaceful words she kept whispering in its ear.

"I promise to treasure your gifts. Always." She vowed with the last pat of its head, before the Granian retreated and joined its kind.

She watched as the herd took to the sky again, pressing the two ingredients to her chest and taking a few deep breaths.

"You were brilliant." Harry's arms circled her waist from behind and she allowed herself to lean back against his chest: "I'm very proud of you, love." He plastered a series of kisses on her neck, his large hand cupping her smaller ones on keeping their hold of the Granian's gifts.

"I've got everything I need now." Marlene swallowed heavily: "Tomorrow we will interrupt our vacation to take a small trip back to Germany."

"Of course." Harry whispered in her ear: "It's high time you wield a companion that evolves with every step you take."

"Because becoming stronger is the only way I survive the dangers we face." Her fingers curled around the long feather: 'Until I'm strong enough to stop anyone who could take you away from me, Harry."