Dragon man
Chapter 1 – Dawning
Charlie Weasley was sitting watching the sun rise, he loved dawn in Romania. There was something about it that reminded him why he was here, why he was doing this job. He looked down from his treetop bunkhouse, which gave him an excellent view of the dragon enclosures nearby. He yawned and scratched his chin, reflecting that he'd better shave before he went to bed this morning, he was on a 'quick return' which meant he would be back out on the reserve by 2pm. The managers of the reserve were surprisingly sharp on their keepers appearance, and Charlie had had his 'privileges' suspended or as it was generally known, 'de-priv'd' before for turning up for work sporting the tramp look. He had known some of the women on the base be 'de-priv'd' for having greasy hair and last nights make up on. On nights he was in charge, there was no senior management breathing down his neck, he and the team appreciated it a lot. They could work their seven night stint and not shower or shave if they so chose, Charlie was their boss and he didn't really care what they looked like as long as they did their jobs.
Nights were quiet times in the winter, the dragons slept for most of the time and there were few people that were stupid enough to try and breach security and break into the reserve. The reserve was under the command of the team leaders at night, with anyone above that level being safely tucked up in bed. Charlie had made team leader four years ago, and refused to apply for the more senior jobs that came up now and again. He hated paperwork, politics and offices. He loved being outside with the dragons and that's where he intended to stay. He had worked hard to put his team together and train them well, the team were solid, they worked, ate and drank together. Charlie was the only member who had a log cabin on the outskirts of the forest that made up part of the reserve, the rest of the team slept in a bunk house, although now and again the whole team crashed in Charlie's cabin after one of his 'get togethers'. Charlie Weasley's get togethers were legendary on the reserve. Everyone was invited and drink flowed freely, Charlie had only two rules, Clean up your own vomit, and that only himself and his chosen partner, should he decide he wanted one that night, were allowed in his bed. Callie, the only woman on his team had broken the latter rule once with a visiting American handler, Charlie was not pleased and Callie was banned from coming to the parties for a good six months after that. Others took heed and followed the rules. Charlie was well respected by his team considering his calm and laidback attitude, he allowed mistakes and offered guidance when they occurred. But Charlie would not tolerate laziness, sloppiness or bitching between colleagues. He dealt with these situations usually by warning once and then losing his temper. Charlie was laid back to a fault, but he got once riled, there was no going back. The system seemed to work, everyone knew where they stood and Charlie's team had the lowest injury and escape record. They were also known as the happiest team on the reserve.
Charlie jumped as a dragon below him snorted and started to uncurl. He stood and stretched, running his hands through rather dirty ginger hair, wincing as his back muscles protested. He watched as the dragons started to wake, some blinking sleepily, some roaring at being woken by the others, but one by one the dragons in his area awoke and started to pace around. Charlie looked at his watch, 7am on the dot. He smiled, the dragons were fed twice a day, by the day shift that came on duty at 7am, and dragons learned fast where food was concerned. Gradually, all the dragons made their way to the entrances of their enclosures ready for their breakfast. Cows with calves were nudging their babies away from the fences and already getting anxious about the approaching keepers getting too close. Bulls that were kept alone were displaying to one another aggressively and the young stock, calves of over a year who were enclosed in small groups were squabbling amongst themselves to get the front spot.
Charlie would be off duty at 7.30am, he was responsible for watching out for the keepers who fed in the mornings, and his relief would arrive after feeding was complete. As a safety measure all the enclosures were watched over by a keeper at all times, the other keepers being responsible for the day to day care of the dragons. Other teams had specific positions but Charlie liked to rotate his team every few shifts to stop them getting bored, and if truth be told, to stop him getting bored with one job all the time.
As 7.30 approached, a soft pop next to him let him know that he was now off duty. Tom was a bear of a man, rugged and tattooed like most of the men who worked on the reserve. Charlie was sure he was sixty or older, but Tom was as fit as any of them and an excellent keeper.
"Quiet night?" Tom asked, leaning over the safety rail to take in the activity below.
"Aren't they all this time of year?" Charlie replied with a smile.
"Yeah" Tom laughed "spring, that's when nights get hairy"
"Tellin' me!" Charlie laughed "I hope Arci behaves this year" he nodded towards a huge Ukrainian Iron Belly bull "I can't be doing with chasing him halfway around the world again"
At the moment the bull looked up, straight at the two men, snorting in their direction. Archimedes was the most valuable and aggressive bull in the reserve, he had broken free last year at the start of the mating season and it had taken half of the reserve staff nearly a month to round him up again.
"Yup, the healers were busy the day he got loose" Tom remarked dryly.
"Yeah I remember" Charlie replied, with an equal dryness to his tone, Charlie had been injured quite badly on the day Archimedes escaped. He'd taken to his broom immediately and tried to stun the dragon, other keepers were on their way but no one was fast enough to help him when he needed it most, Arci had swept him from his broom with a swipe of his tail. Although he'd been in agony most of the time, Charlie had insisted on going after the dragon, and refused to give in until he was caught and safely back in the reserve. Leaving several villages devastated and, Charlie suspected, quite a few cow dragons with a smile on their face.
"Anyway mate, have a good one, I'm off to bed, quick return"
"Buggers they are" replied Tom, sitting on the guard rail, his back already to Charlie and his attention on the dragons below "Seeya buddy"
Charlie apparated to the forest floor. Keepers were only permitted to apparate when they changed watches in the bunkhouses, and only to the forest floor. Too much magic interfered with the dragons and upset them. Upset dragons are dangerous, so Charlie set off to walk back to his cabin.
"Hey boss!" Charlie groaned inwardly as he heard the voice behind him. It was Phil 'Nelly' Nelson running to catch up with him, it wasn't that Charlie didn't like Nelly, he did – he was on the team after all, but all he wanted was a shower, food and bed.
"Go to bed Nel" Charlie sighed "Whatever it is, it can wait until 2 o'clock I'm sure"
"Charlie, mate!" Nelly stopped in front of Charlie grinning like an idiot. Nelly looked about twelve and had the biggest eyes on a man Charlie had ever seen, yet he was a quick and able keeper and an integral part of Charlie's team.
"No, whatever it is, no. Might be yes when I've had some sleep but right now – no"
"So you don't want me to bring all those lovely new trainee healers to the party on Friday then, ok, I'll make sure I tell the guys it was your idea…." Nelly waited for a reaction.
Charlie sighed "I'd get lynched either way!" he said "If I say yes, I'll have that bloody awful matron breathing down my neck again for allowing her 'delicate young ladies' to be seduced by you lot, and if I say no then I'll have to listen to you lot whining about not getting your leg over"
"Got it in one guv'nor!" Nelly grinned.
"Alright, but if anyone asks it's your idea and I have nothing to do with it, ok?"
"Fine by me, matron will blame you anyway, she's never forgiven you for bedding that trainee Mediwitch anyway" Nelly laughed as Charlie glowered, he continued in a high pitched voice, imitating the matron "Re-heally! Never have I witnessed such debauchery! You a team leader too Mr Weasley! These girls are very delicate and impressionable and you are taking advantage!"
"Yeah, she weren't impressed was she?" Charlie admitted reluctantly.
"What did you say to her again?" Nelly was virtually shaking with anticipation about hearing the story again, Charlie was his hero.
Charlie sighed "I said seeing as I was on the bottom, the girl was doing the taking and…"
Nelly interrupted, his words interspersed with laughter "asked her if she wanted to join in?"
"Yeah that's about it" Charlie said quietly, he'd got into a whole host of trouble for that one, and the story was legend on the reserve, it got brought up or referred to at least once a week, more if he was unlucky.
"Right Nel, off to bed like a good boy before I curse you there 'cos I'm knackered and I need sleep" Charlie ordered.
"Boss!" Nelly saluted and ran off towards the bunk house; Charlie shook his head although he was smiling. Nelly had far too much energy for someone who had just finished seven nights.
He was obviously looking to get laid at the party Charlie was hosting the following night, although Nelly was always looking to get laid. Charlie doubted that he'd fail; Nelly was popular with the girls. Charlie wondered who would turn up, he never quite knew.