Chapter 1 Hogwarts Again

Charlie thought life was funny. Here he was, seven years after graduation, back at Hogwarts helping his favorite teacher and because he was here now, he was standing in the middle of Hosgsmead with his jacket button caught in a beautiful Slytherin's hair. If you had asked him a month ago where he was going to be, he would have answered any place but where he was standing right now.

He wasn't even sure how it happened. A minute ago, he was walking down the street back towards the school. She was walking towards him. She smiled, he smiled and the next thing you knew he was holding this angelic creature in his arms.

He tried to untangle the button but his hands were too big. All he was doing was pulling her hair. He reached around to get his wand but it was in the wrong pocket and couldn't reach it. "Can you manage your wand?" He asked.

She pulled out her wand and handed it to him. "You better. I might turn your nose purple."

Charlie performed a simple non-verbal spell. He was more reluctant to let her go and so he held on. "Turn my nose purple?" He looked down at her. She had the prettiest green eyes. She looked like she was of age; she couldn't manage a simple spell?

"I'm better at potions than charms." She pulled back from him.

"Wait." Charlie was stalling. She was going to walk away. "Let me buy you a drink."

He saw her hesitate. She had long blond hair that she wore loose down her back. She was maybe five inches shorter than he was. Plus he thought she was absolutely gorgeous.

"For pulling you hair," he added. "Come on. I'll be the perfect gentleman." He reached out his hand and she took it. He led her into the tavern.

There was a table in the back and he took it. Her eyes mesmerized him. "What is your name?"

"Aster."

"Like the flower?"

She smiled.

"I'm Charlie."

"Oh – you're here to help Hagrid with the baby dragons."

"Yeah he has to have a licensed handler supervise them until they can be moved."

The server brought the pitcher of ale and they both reached for it at the same time. Charlie jabbed his fingers into the outside of her hand. "I'm sorry." He looked at her. She looked like she was going to cry. She was holding her hand. He recognized a new burn just barely showing under the sleeve.

"Aster?" He came around and sat down on her side of the bench. He picked up the glass of ice water and held it to the top of her hand. "How come you didn't go get it healed?" Then as quickly as he said it, he thought he knew why. "Sometimes baby dragons can be more dangerous than the adults." He continued sliding the icy glass over her hand. "I have some salve back at Hagrid's. Walk back with me and I'll put some on you."

Charlie led her back to Hagrid's. He wasn't home. Hagrid's hut usually wasn't the most organized place, but now thrown in one of the corners next to an unmade cot was a whole crapload of his stuff. Even one of his dirty t-shirts was strewn across a chair. He was embarrassed. To her credit, she didn't seem to mind. She just moved the t-shirt to the back of the chair and sat down while he searched his things for the burn ointment.

"Okay here it is." He turned to her. She was trying to roll up her sleeve. The burn went almost midway up her forearm. He started dabbing the ointment on it. Everywhere the ointment touched the skin went from red to pink. He heard her sigh. "Is that the only place it got you?"

"No. Here on my side too." She pulled up her shirt. Charlie started dabbing the ointment on her side.

"I have another jar. You can have this one. Just put it on when it starts to get sore again." He looked up at her. He could get lost in her eyes. He closed his eyes. Then the next thing he knew they had started kissing each other. Her lips were so soft. When he realized what was happening, he reached around her and pulled her head closer to him. He touched her lip with his tongue and she opened her mouth. She tasted sweet like candy. She was wonderful. Her hands were on his chest. One of his hands was holding the back of her head the other one went to her face and caressed her jaw. She pushed him.

"I have a boyfriend."

Charlie smiled at her. For some reason he didn't feel threatened at all. "Let me know when you call it off with him because I don't share." He put his head down. Now she was going to leave. He didn't want to let her go. "Can I walk you back?"

"No." He watched her leave.