Hotter than most

Part 3

I think I was having a nightmare as the world came into focus, because my heart was pounding. I was lying rather uncomfortably on my stomach and it took a moment to regain the use of my limbs. I lifted my head feeling the drool that had collected around the side of my mouth, "uck," I muttered. Sitting up the sheets slide down reveling my lack of shirt to which I responded with, "Hello!" as I grabbed for cover. But I realized that it didn't matter much because I was in my ownroom. "What? How did I get?" But before I could ponder it more, my mum walked in the door.

"Hi sweetie how are you doing?"

"Umm fine I guess," I answered. I really was fine, no pain or anything.

"Cary wanted to know if you felt up to working this afternoon. The guys who attack that little girl have been arrested and the police say it's perfectly safe. Are you alright?" she asked, probably noticing the confused look, are you insane look, that was interrupting her ramble.

"The. . .the guys who?"

"Yes you remember," she assured me. "The guys they were trying to kidnap that little girl. You saved her but they lit you on fire." She looked to me expectantly.

"Right, yeah I remember," I answered while looking at her like she's grown two heads. "What times work?" I asked as I stood up, sheet firmly wrapped around me and grabbed my robe.

"Maybe you shouldn't go," mom said with concern. I graced her with a smile that was really a smirk.

"Come on I feel fine, plus I need the money." It was a point she could argue against so she resigned and left the room. I shut the door behind her and walked up the full length mirror. My hair was a little shorter but the ends weren't singed, they must have been trimmed, right? I was stalling, I knew, and slowly I found the courage to turn around and lower my robe. I didn't know if I wanted it to be there or not but sure enough there was a large shinny patch of skin covering most of my back. Now I'm not a doctor, only a vet student sure, but even I know that burns don't heal that fast. I opened the door and called out to my mom.

"Hey, mom how long ago was the accident?"

"Three days sweetie," she yelled up the stairs. "The nice doctor brought you home yesterday. Said you had been sedated, that you wouldn't remember much," she said nonchalantly.

"Right," I answered to myself and headed for the bathroom. I had been brutally set on fire and the day I wake up my mom causally sends me to work and my burns are healed. Quite a few things were amiss I could tell but I decided to let myself be blown along with it.

An hour later I was sitting poolside under my umbrella just staring at nothing. Life seemed more interesting that books today. The skin on my back had begun to itch after my shower and I kept squirming in my chair trying to get comfortable. An hour later I felt like I was going out of my mind. I had moved from subtly rubbing my back against my chair to full out itching and cursing about how my hands couldn't reach. I heard chuckling and turned to see my tormentor waiting at the gate. My evil glare didn't affect him as he walked through and sat at my table.

"So how are you doing?" he asked in his British accent.

"I don't know. Supposedly I was attack by a gang of thugs and set on fire three days ago," I answered accusingly.

"It was the best I could come up with," he said with a chuckle.

"And I itch in places I can't itch," I whined.

"Turn around, I'll help," he offered as he scooted forward in his seat, ready to be of assistance. A little reluctant I complied. A minute later he could have asked me to do anything and I would have obeyed. My head rolled to my shoulder and I sighed. "Better?" he asked, his breath tickling the hairs on my neck.

"Much," I purred. The scratching subtly turned into kneading and he slowly began removing the tension I had acquired from sleeping on my stomach for the past few days and the whole attack thing of course. "What did you do to my mother?" I asked tentatively, hoping it wouldn't make him stop.

"I used a small memory charm, made her think you were attack by men," he answered calmly, still continuing the comforting rhythm on my back.

"Instead of a dragon," I finished for him. "That was a dragon wasn't it?" I asked as I threw him a smile over my shoulder.

"I believe it was," he laughed and I could tell he was looking for signs that I was going to freak out.

"Right that's what I thought," I said. "So that makes you a."

"Wizard," he answered quickly.

"Cool," I answered back. There was a moment of what I assumed was silent amazement. "I was attacked by a dragon, did you think finding out you're a wizard it going to be a great shock. Plus I saw your broomstick and your stick is poking out of your pocket."

"I believe it's called a wand," he corrected in good humor.

"Right I'll remember that. So why don't I remember going to a hospital?" I asked suddenly remembering what I didn't remember. He hesitated for a moment unsure of how I would take it.

"They erased your memory and put you under sedation," he said.

"So what happened while I was there?"

"Well you wondered around the hospital with the back of your gown open singing 'I'm a little teapot," he answered straight-faced and I gave him a small backwards punch in the ribs. "Ow, you American girls hit hard," he teased. "But seriously you went through treatment. The doctors didn't know what to do with your memory because you would still have the marks and blocking such an event could damage your memory. They didn't know that you were awake and were a little shock when you sat up and told them to keep their bloody sticks away from you.

"I didn't," I gasped.

"Oh yes you did. Well not the bloody part. I can't remember the exact word you used but it was equally colorful." By that time I was shaking my head with shame.

"But that still doesn't explain why I don't remember," I pointed out.

"They erased your memory of the hospital anyways," he replied. "It was a very painful procedure," he assured me. "If you remembered it you wouldn't have wanted too, believe me I know."

"And you stayed there. . . The whole time?" I asked blushing.

"I bloody well had too," he added with zeal. "You had this death grip on my hand. I couldn't shake you off." I had to giggle. He gave my back one more pat and told me to turn back around. He sat back and sighed as he ruffled his short red hair. His green eyes look at me with what I knew was reluctance.

"You have to go don't you?" I asked.

"You sure you sure you're not a witch," he chuckled but mood was getting heavier.

"You're just easy to read," I answered, still smiling.

"I have to go back to Romania, that's where the dragon preserve is. I was sent to see if you changed your mind before I go back, about the memory charm?" he asked delicately. I could tell he was hoping I would say no and I simply smiled and shook my head. "Right. . . well, can I write you?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course, I'll give you my address," I said reaching for paper.

"It's okay," he assured me. "My owl can find you. Just be sure to let him in and give him some food before you send a letter back." I smiled at him oddly as we stood, wondering if he meant a real owl, and I walked him to the gate. "Well I'll be seeing you I guess," he said with a bashful grin.

"Goodbye Charlie," I said as he walked off. It wasn't the strangest thing to happen in a few days but I suddenly wondered how I knew his name when I couldn't remember him mentioning it. As I returned to my table suddenly remembered lying on a bed watching him sleep in a chair beside me. Of course knew what the memory must have been from but that was impossible wasn't it? I sat down still a little dazed but managed to yell at a little boy running around the pool deck. It was turning out to be a pretty normal day, pretty normal for me anyways

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Okay, so I'm without a name for the owl so I'm taking suggestion. Hopefully something dragon related. Thanks for reading please review.

Before I thank the reviewers I'd like to mention that I got a flame not five minutes after posting the intro(these first few chapters were posted together). I personally think it's kind of funny and probably a record. I emailed the person back a reply and well posted it here because I believe if you plan on being rude and not even adding helpful comments I get to make fun of you in my own little way ;p

tropical-paradise04 email ladybug600@hotmail.com re: okaaaaaaaaayyyy... would be a waste of time except it was short and the short ones are always good so i can tell you that with a bit of work you could be an accountant.

My reply was and is

Hey thanks for the vote of confidence. I just posted the story like 15 second before you read it and there is already another chapter up so I guess now I just plain suck according to your criteria. Anyways thanks for reviewing because your comments were so constructive! p.s. my mom is an accountant so that comment is just plain cruel! (a/n) anyone who doesn't know me probably doesn't get this but oh well.

Reply to other review

foreva-urs Chapters will get longer, even longer than this, but I wanted to have the beginning separate for my own insane reasons.