A belated Birthday fic for the wonderful .. Happy Birthday Amy, sorry it's late!
Hermione struggled up the steep rocky path, her breath coming in sharp gasps, sweat pouring off her as her muscles ached in protest with every step she took. For the first time ever she wished that she'd spent less time reading and more time jogging or doing something active. It wasn't as though she was fat, or even particularly unhealthy by normal standards, but she was nowhere near fit enough for the five day hike up a mountain that she was currently undertaking. It didn't help that her guide seemed determined to drag her up the mountain as quickly as possible, seemingly unbothered by the steep climb, the rocks littering the path or the warm sun which had been beating down on them constantly. Rather, he seemed annoyed at her inability to move at his pace, and irritated at her presence in general.
As the leading light of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, not to mention the only person in the department both under 50 and weighing less than 15 stone, she had been the obvious choice when reports came in that a White Dragon had been located in Romania. White Dragons were believed to be a rumour, but the wizards who had seen it had been subjected to a thorough examination and this claim seemed to be real. While tiny, barely bigger than a Labrador, the White Dragon was the most intelligent, and most dangerous, breed of dragon. Their fire was deadly if it so much as touched human skin, and they could communicate using human speech. It had been decided that magical envoys should be sent to the Dragon, and since the Romanians refused to disturb it the task had fallen to the British Ministry. However, White Dragons were known to be touchy and didn't tolerate magic near them, so it had become necessary to climb the mountain the Muggle way. Hermione had jumped at the chance to meet a White Dragon, and hadn't been put off by the news she would have to walk up the mountain, or even that the nearby Dragon Reserve was put out that they weren't allowed to handle the meeting internally and had to have a Ministry representative with their own envoy.
Any worries she had about the attitude of her guide had disappeared when a familiar red head greeted her at the Reserve. While she didn't know Charlie particularly well she counted him as a friend and was of the opinion that there were much worse people to spend the better part of a week up a mountain with. The easy going second Weasley should've been a pleasure to spend time with, especially since Hermione knew that of all the Weasley boys Charlie was the gentlest; softly spoken and friendly behind the rugged looks and hard muscles. So it was to her surprise and disappointment that Charlie had barely spoken to her since the morning of the second day of their trip, spending most of his time scowling as he paused just long enough for her to catch up before setting off once more at a blistering pace. It was now the fourth day they had been climbing, and Hermione was frustrated by the cold attitude. She sighed to herself, pushed her hair out of her eyes and carried on, wanting to get to their destination and go home so she could forget about the gorgeous man who was driving her mad.
Charlie leant against an outcrop of rock and watched as Hermione batted at the curls that floated into her face, escaping the band she had pulled them back with earlier. Even as she was right now, her hair a mess and her cheeks pink with exertion she was beautiful. He wished more than anything that he had refused to come on the expedition, he would be willing to miss this opportunity if it meant not being tortured by her. He knew she was struggling with the speed he was climbing at, and that she was hurt by his attitude but he didn't have any other choice. If they carried on at the current pace they would reach the Dragon's cave just before sunset, which meant they could talk with him and hopefully gain permission to apparate home by morning. That meant that he didn't have to spend another night in the Muggle tent with her, to sleep so close to her he could feel her breath on his skin and smell her scent in his dreams. The first night out from the reserve it had taken all his willpower not to kiss her when he had entered the tent just in time to see her climbing into her sleeping bag in a pair of shorts and a thin t-shirt. The material had clung to her curves, leaving little to his imagination. His imagination had provided the rest in his dreams that night, and he woke aching and desperate for her. That morning he had vowed to climb this god-forsaken mountain as quickly as possible and get as far away from her as he could. In the meantime he was distancing himself both physically and emotionally as much as was possible, trying to ignore the fact that he knew she was upset by his behaviour.
The sun was just setting when they reached the cave reputed to be where the Dragon was residing. The snow capped peaks which surrounded them were glowing with pinks and oranges as they reflected the light of the dying sun. Inside the cave was darker, the walls glowing eerily in greens and blues, as if millions of sapphires and emeralds were back lit with candles. They walked side by side down the wide dry cave, following the walls as they twisted. After nearly ten minutes the colours changed, the blue and green becoming red and purple. The cave was huge, nearly the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. The walls were dazzling in their shimmering lights, the floor soft underfoot as they made their way to the large stone at the far end of the cavern. As they approached a figure shifted. The creature was pure white, from the top of its head to the tipoff its tail. The only break in the white was its eyes, which were the azure blue of a summer sky, hot and free as they focused on Charlie and Hermione.
"Welcome, friends." The creature spoke, its voice clear and low, gentle yet holding a hint of strength behind it.
"Sir, we come from Wizarding society to give our respects and to offer friendship of wizards to you," Hermione said.
The dragon laughed and shook his head. "No my children, you cannot speak for your people until your souls are pure." At their puzzled looks he continued. "It is only when you admit what is in your hearts, to yourselves and each other, that you can become worthy of representing others. Go now, return with the lightness in your souls that is within your reach."
"Father Dragon, I don't understand," Charlie said.
The dragon growled deep in its chest, a sound of annoyance. "Child, you do not understand because you refuse to try. Stop running from your wishes and see what is plain in front of you."
With that the dragon curled back up on the stone and tucked its head beneath a wing, dismissing the humans.
With looks of confusion and disappointment Charlie and Hermione left the cave, heading back to the mountainside to make camp in the dusk and try to figure out the meaning of the dragon's cryptic words. Wordlessly they fell into the routine they had followed the last few nights, Charlie pitching the tents while Hermione cooked.
"So, what do you think he meant?" Hermione asked as they began to eat. "That we need to play twenty questions and learn each other's deepest secrets? First crushes and whatever?"
Charlie chuckled slightly. "I don't think that's what he meant somehow. I don't know. Is there something you've been keeping from me?"
Hermione ducked her head to avoid his blue eyes as she muttered a reply.
"Sorry, what was that?"
She sighed. "I said, you've been driving me mad all week and I'm pretty much pissed off at you."
Charlie looked sheepish. "Yeah, I've kinda powering up here haven't I?"
"And you've barely spoken to me. I just don't get what I've done wrong, I thought we were friends."
"You haven't done anything." Charlie said.
"Then why are acting like you can't stand me?!" Hermione almost shouted.
"Because it was either behaving like an arse or do something I'd regret. Enjoy, but regret." Charlie said, his ears turning slightly pink.
"Now you're being as cryptic as that dragon. What would you regret?" Hermione asked, her confusion written over her face.
"Oh, to Hell with it," Charlie muttered. "This." He leant across to her and kissed her fiercely. Hermione moaned softly and opened her lips, allowing his tongue to dart forward and tangle with her own. Hermione slid her hands along Charlie's strong arms, her forgotten dinner plate clattering to the floor, unnoticed by either of them as they kissed.
Charlie pulled her closer to him as his hand slid under the thin cotton of her shirt, caressing the soft skin underneath. She pressed against him, her breathy moans driving him mad. Eventually they pulled away from one another.
Charlie gazed at her for a moment, admiring the flush on her cheeks, the fiery look in her eyes tempered by a touch of uncertainty. "Um, was that ok? I probably shouldn't have but," he trailed off and shrugged, playing with a blade of grass and avoiding her eyes.
Hermione laughed softly. "Oh course it was ok. I've been wishing, hoping, all week you felt the same way I did. I've been lying awake with you so damn close trying to muster up enough courage to just roll over and kiss you, but I didn't want to risk it."
"If you had we could've taken our time coming up the mountain, enjoyed the trip a bit more." Charlie said with a grin.
Hermione smiled coyly. "Well. There's nothing stopping us enjoying it now, is there?" Without waiting for a reply she slid closer to him and kissed him, her hands working at the buttons of his shirt and pulling it off his shoulders as their lips and tongues danced.
"In a hurry? Charlie asked. "We have all night you know. We could take things slow." His eyes grew dark, his voice husky as he spoke, running his fingers along her arm.
Hermione licked her lips before pouncing at him, knocking him flat on his back. She smirked down at him as she straddled him. "Don't feel like being slow." She squealed as Charlie deftly flipped them over so he was lying on top her.
"Fine, if that's the way you want to play it." He leant down and kissed her passionately, his fingers making quick work of her shirt. She arched her back to allow him to tug the material off her body. Her bra quickly followed, and he moved his hands down her body, stroking her skin as he moved to her shorts. She lifted her hips for him as she moaned at the sensation of his mouth on her neck. Charlie stopped to look at the woman lying in the light of their fire. Her breathing was quick, her eyes bright as she lay there in nothing but a pair of blue knickers. He moved forward and kissed her again, his fingers playing with the waistband of her panties. She gasped as he slid his hand lower, his fingers gently teasing her as his mouthed latched onto one rosy nipple. He slipped one finger into her slick passage as his teeth dragged across her nipple.
"Charlie! Charlie, please" she whimpered. He grinned down at her then slid the damp material covering her off her body. She undid his jeans and pushed them down his legs impatiently before stroking his hard length.
Charlie lifted his hips and plunged into her, relishing the feel of her, hot and wet around him. Hermione moaned as he thrust into her willing body, she wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips to meet him, mindless of the hard ground beneath her. He began to thrust harder, her moans becoming louder until they echoed off the mountain walls around them, the sound of his name reverberating as she came undone beneath him. It didn't take long until he followed, her name falling in a rough gasp from his lips as he fell forward onto her.
After a few moments he moved to the side, summoning a blanket from the tent as he pulled Hermione close, both too sated and happy to move the short distance to the tent. They fell asleep beneath the stars, wrapped around each other.
The next morning, after a heated repeat of the night before, they headed back into the cave, reasonably sure that the Dragon had been referring to their feelings for each other when he had sent them away.
No sooner had they set foot in the massive cavern than the dragon appeared on the raised stone.
"Welcome back children. And thank you. Not many are brave enough to share their souls with another."
Hermione and Charlie were a little unsettled by the apparent omniscience of the Dragon, as if he could see into their deepest thoughts. However both knew that what had happened between them was more than just sex, that they had something special.
"Sir, we should be thanking you. If you hadn't made us face our feelings we might have left as less than friends, not more than friends." Hermione smiled at the creature as she spoke.
"Perhaps. I think you would have reached one another in the end. Some things are meant to be, written in the stars as it were." He looked from one to the other, the expression on his face kind and peaceful. "I know you come with offers of cooperation and the sharing of knowledge. But those such as I cannot share all we know with those such as you. Know only that I mean no harm, and that I have the best interests of wizard kind at heart."
Hermione sighed softly, wishing the dragon would share his knowledge, at least a part of it with them, after all he seemed to know so much, who could tell the extent of his wisdom.
"If that is your wish we will respect it sir." Charlie smiled at the dragon. "Regardless of what those superior to us might say, you have given us more than we could have dreamed of, and that's without the fact we met a white dragon."
The dragon smiled. "Glad I could be of service. Goodbye, my children." With a graceful leap the dragon took off, soaring to the top of the cave and out of sight.
Hermione and Charlie smiled at each other and left the cave hand in hand. Once outside they packed up their camp.
"You know, he never gave us permission to apparate off the mountain," Charlie said.
Hermione smiled. "True. And we wouldn't want to offend him. Looks like we're walking back then."
It took them a week to walk down, with frequent stops. Neither of them would ever tell the full story of their encounter with the dragon, and it would be hundreds of years before another wizard met a white dragon. There were, however, those who swore that at the wedding of Charlie and Hermione Weasley there was a white creature in the sky, too large for a bird, and a puff of smoke which fell as silvery shimmering dust to the ground.