Chapter 1: The unknown trap

Chapter 1: Snips and showers

"There you go Char" The group of four who had just travelled half way around the world on hard brooms, gently placed the crate they were carrying on the muddy floor. "One Common Welsh Green safely delivered"

"Thanks guys" The red headed dragon keeper they were talking to knelt down to have a look. "So we have another female, it's a good job. We need another in the troop, but she will need to be trained up a bit. Her wings look good and nice strong legs" Charlie mused looking into the cracks to see the small green dragon inside. "Her tail is strong with the whippy bit at the end. I would guess she is three to four months old. Good size as well. Not long before she can join the troop"

"Beware Char, it's a fierce one" Charlie looked up in question when flames shot out the crate and sent Charlie backwards, landing on his backside. "I warned you, it got my robes" The man in question lifted the hem of his robes to show there was a singed patch of robe; some had even been burnt away.

"Good job this little one did not get you then" Charlie brushed himself off and had another look at the dragon. "Just look at her" Charlie said in ore "You can tell Hagrid cared for her, the scales are the right shade, and her eyes" He stood up a pink tinge to his cheeks as he realised he was ramberling on. "You guys sure you don't what to spend the night, we have plenty of room" He looked to his four friends hoping they might, it had been years since they had got together.

"Thanks but no thanks; we still remember the last time we got together. You would not shut up about dragons and how you were going to work with them"

"Yer that was when we were still at Hogwarts" All five of them laughed at the happy memory.

"We better get going; we need plenty of sleep before we go back"

"Ok" Charlie said a little disappointed but still glad that they came "Have fun at the inn, I might be down there later" They were staying at the inn that the dragon keepers drank in, it was only a mile down the road.

"See ya Char" And they walked in the direction of the inn.

"Now" Charlie said more to himself as he knelt down next to the crate "Where are we going to put you?"

--

Two hours later Charlie walked into his tent. It had been a tough day. After they had got the new dragon into her home for the next six months, she would not feed. They got her to eat but it took ten keepers and a medi wizard. As Snips (Her new name) had decided to bite some of the keepers when they came to close and several got burned.

He threw his wand onto the sofa as he walked past to get to the bathroom, turning the taps for a shower. He pulled his working clothes off his aching sweating body and put them in the wash basket. As he checked the temperature of the water, the muscles he'd built from the years of dragon keeping rippled. His skin was tanned from the hot Romanian sun, and burns streaked his body from not being able to jump out the way of the dragons flames in time. His hair was still the flame red he inherited from his mother and his fathers green eyes, along with the few freckles he had across his nose and cheeks. His body sighed when the hot water hit it, the steam that drifted over the curtain helped to clear his head.

He could smell the strawberry shampoo from the last person to use the shower, he could imagine her hands working it into her curly hair, and her eyes closed as the water hit her body and the small smile on her face while she hummed to herself. It was four years ago when they had started going out. He realised it was not brotherly love when Hermione helped him though the ordeal. It was only Hermione who could get though to him when he was having hallucinations.

It was only three months later when Fleur had given birth to the first Weasley grandchild Victoire, she looked like her mother but had Bill's green eyes and personality. Her fourth birthday was next week. They had already booked time off to go see her. It was another year before Victoire would have a playmate; Katie had given birth to Gabian breaking three of George's fingers in the process. Gabian was a spitting image of his father; George would sometimes call him his mini me. It was two months later that James was born, Ginny knew how Harry felt about not knowing his parents, and it was her who suggested the name. Where ever there was trouble you could find Gabian and James right in the middle of it.

Charlie's mind wondered to the letter on his bedside table and laughed at the contense. The letter was from his mum, reminding them about the party along with some other news. Ginny and Katie were pregnant again but this time so was Angelina. It was fate coming to bite Fred and George on the backside as both Katie and Angelina were pregnant with twins. He could not contain his laughter when Mrs Weasley expressed her relief when Percy had brought his partner home, but was shocked to find it was Oliver Wood. He was woken from his thoughts as someone came into the room.

"Charlie, are you in here?" A voice asked as she came though the door.

"Yer" He replied washing the last of the shampoo out of his hair.

"Bad day then" The voice said. Charlie could here some movement on the other side of the curtain.

"No just stressful" the curtain moved as someone climbed in behind him. "New dragon" He turned to see his wife for the past three months. Her curly brown hair was as soft as ever, her brown eyes were sparkling and she seamed to be glowing "How did it go with the healer? Is there anything wrong?" He asked worried. Hermione had been having mood swings, having trouble sleeping and not been able to keep much food down.

"Alls fine. I do have some good news" She looked at him before continuing "I'm pregnant" Charlie just looked at his wife, his mouth was slightly open as water ran down their bodies. "The healer is not sure how far along I am, but she will be checking next week when we get back from the party" Charlie started to jump up and down with excitement.

"I'm going to be a dad, I'm going to be a dad" He repeated over and over, getting louder and louder. He leaped out the shower and ran out the room still shouting and jumping. Hermione tried to warn him, but stopped mid sentence when she heard screaming as Charlie ran out the tent with nothing on still wet, shouting 'I'm going to be a dad'. She quickly dried and changed running out after Charlie with a towel in her hand following the trail of shouts and screams.