Jess and Tatiana had braided feathers into Hermione's hair after lunch and talked to her about wild stories. Hermione was laughing as they sat out on some of the grass and the baby dragons flitted around them in curiosity.

"We had an issue a while back. The wizards were fighting over who was going to be 'alpha' man. It was really entertaining. The ladies never really have that issue. Jess and Destiny are together and I don't mind taking a backseat." Tatiana declared and Hermione giggled and covered her face.

"Was it funny?" Hermione murmured and Jess nodded.

"Char and Torg worked two days straight trying to prove who was better at working with the dragons. In all honesty, there is no one like Char. Torg had more opportunity of being secondary than anyone, but Charlie is more dragon than man." Jess explained and Hermione smiled.

Tatiana raised an eyebrow, "you know, you are a lot less timid than I was expecting. Char told us stories that his brothers told him about you and your friends, but I always suspected you to be a bit... uptight."

Hermione blushed and shrugged her shoulders, "I can be, but courage is just as important as knowledge."

"You are not a princess, you are a warrior," Jess declared with a squeeze on Hermione's shoulder and ran a hand over her scar. "This is a badge of that, Hermione."

The younger witch nodded and smiled at the Dragon Keepers, "we all have had our battles."

A few of the small dragons jumped over and one of them landed on Hermione's lap. "Alright, don't move or jerk. Let them sniff you out. They see we are companions, you just need to let them make the decision." Tatiana murmured and Hermione took a deep breath.

The small spiny dragon stood up and sniffed her face. It tilted its head and stuck its tongue out, tasting the air. Hermione cocked her head gently and the dragon leaned and licked her nose before hopping off. The young witch smiled and glanced at the Dragon keepers who nodded at her.

"That's good, he will tell the others," Jess spoke with a smile.

"How is it that all the little ones come down here? Don't the brooding mothers miss their hatchlings?" She asked them who raised their eyebrows.

"Dragons are fickle. If their brood is safe, they tend to follow in the social mannerisms of their clan. We are as close to clan mates as possible for humans. We let the little ones come down here and pick off the rodents, small game and such, the bigger dragons enjoy the lakes and mountains. They separate to their different species as they mature, but you will see all the babies down in the valley." Tatiana explained and Hermione smiled.

"I like that, it's a beautiful thing. Most of these dragons are considered aggressive, but you all work hard to understand them." Hermione murmured and someone cleared their throat.

Hermione's view snapped toward the intrusion to see Charlie standing there, his shirt was a bit bloodied and scratched. Hermione jumped up and gasped as she ran to him with her wand out. "Oh, Charlie! Are you alright?" She exclaimed and started peeling his shirt off.

Dashing her wand around his scratches and bruises he frowned at her as she moved her hands about him to check under the grime and healed him. "It was just a bit of rowdiness, Mione." He said softly and she huffed.

"Charlie, you are a silly man," she grumbled and walked around to his back.

When she was satisfied with her work she stepped to the front of him and he was smiling, "did I scare you?" He asked and she huffed and folded her arms.

"Does that surprise you?" She retorted and he shook his head.

"Bok jente, I have been doing this for seventeen-years," he murmured and she ran a hand over his face.

"I know, but just be careful and stop trying to make my heart stop," she growled with a small smile and he gave her a boyish grin.

"He, honestly, just wanted to see what you would do. Usually he cleans up after a bad scrap," Tatiana retorted and Hermione glowered at Charlie.

She twitched her lips and he gave her a toothy smile, "you were quite upset," he muttered and Hermione rolled her eyes and waved him off.

"I think I am going to go read," she hissed and stomped off making him watch as she left with annoyance in her walk.

The female Dragon Keepers glanced at each other and giggled, "Char, you are leering," Jess teased and the redhead glared at them.

"I was not, she is my brother's ex. Not going to open that up, witches," he spat and they laughed harder.

Jess sighed and nodded, "she is very cute, if I wasn't in a relationship..." The woman trailed off and Tatiana gasped and shoved the woman with a giggle.

"Where are the Ukrainians, I am sure they would love to see her?" Tatiana jested and Jess covered her face.

"I hope that witch can hold them off!" Jess declared with a bright grin and Charlie glared at them.

"You both are pests today. I do enjoy what you did with her hair, so that is a bit forgivable." He grumbled and the witches giggled.

"What is this story about a mistletoe?" Tatiana asked with a raised eyebrow.

Charlie blushed lightly and pursed his lips, "we were stuck under one of my brother's wretched mistletoes. There isn't a tale there," he murmured and Jess whispered in Tatiana's ear which made them giggle again. "What?" He snapped and the smirked.

"It must have been a pretty good kiss, Char," Jess snickered and he waved her off.

"I am going to go finish my rounds." He growled and tossed his messy hair up in a bun. "I suggest you prepare for the evening feedings." He snapped and walked away.

0o0o

Hermione was sitting in the mess hall and the Ukranian gentlemen were sitting around her and talking. They were interested in her adventures in school and she was telling them all about the crazy stories she had of Hogwarts.

"This, werewolf, was he scary?" The soft brown-haired man name Derrek asked.

Hermione shook her head with a smile, "not as a man. He was a kind and gentle man. His transformation was the scariest, however, and we had to run from him. The time turner helped with me drawing him away from us that were running from him. He was a giant wolf, huge teeth and bright gold eyes!" She explained and the men glanced at each other with shock.

Charlie was sitting back and listening in the corner as he went over some paperwork and never heard the recounts from her end. He had only heard Ron and Harry's stories, but never from her.

"Do you think that you would do it again if you had to?" The man she knew as Pallas asked and Hermione nodded.

"I would do everything over again if I had to," she replied and sipped her drink.

Torg nudged Burgis, "she was the girl that dated Viktor Krum," he told the man and they all chuckled.

Hermione blushed and rubbed her cheek, "well, yes, I did. He was an interesting man. Still is, we write to each other."

"Does he... does he you know," Pallas asked and put a fist in his open hand with a grunt.

Hermione blushed scarlet and cleared her throat, "well, I do not," she mimicked his hand movement, "and tell."

The wizard burst into laughter and Derrek winked at her, "we can help you with that, Harminny," he flirted and she giggled and shook her head.

"I am not interested in an orgy, fellas," she said smartly and their jaws dropped.

Pallas ran a hand through his hair, "Merlin, Harminny, you are a minx," he told her.

"Her- my– oh- nee," she mouthed gently and they nodded.

"Hermione?" Torg asked and she nodded with a smile.

She went to pour herself another drink and the wizard grinned, "there is plenty more, have your fill." Burgis said with a wink and she rolled her eyes.

Charlie shuffled his papers together and went to sit next to her, "it will take more than a little ale, fellas. She is a bit refine," He teased and tugged a braid.

Hermione sighed and shook her head at him, "Charles, you are mental."

"Feeling adventurous?" He asked her and the Ukrainians chuckled.

Hermione blushed and cleared her throat, "what did you have in mind?"

He stole her drink and drained it before standing, "come on," he murmured and smirked at her.

Hermione stood up and the other wizards were scoffing and murmuring as they left the mess hall. Charlie grinned at her and nodded toward the distance. "Don't worry, all the beasties are sleeping, well, aside from me," he teased and took off in a stride.

She moved to catch up and tried to keep pace with him as they started to walk up an incline. It was a rocky trail and Hermione gazed back at the cabins a few times before she was comfortable just letting him lead. Charlie got to the top and helped her, grasping her hands as they finished their scaling. The Dragon Keeper walked a bit of distance on the new elevated ground before they got to a cliff hanging over a lake about fifty feet.

Hermione gasped and beamed as she saw the moon shining on the large lake in front of them. "Wow, this is absolutely breathtaking," she murmured and saw the waterfall nearby.

Charlie stood at the edge and lifted his arms up, "it is nights like this that I wish I had wings," he sighed and she approached him with a smile.

"That would be fun," she sighed and he grinned at her and yanked his shirt off.

Hermione glared at him as he unlatched his belt, "Charlie..." She trailed off and he chuckled.

"Feel like living a bit, bok jente?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

His pants fell and she blushed brightly as he smirked at her in nothing but his maroon boxers. He was a very handsome man and knew it. He winked at her and she crossed her arms. "are you trying to get me naked, Charlie?" She asked and he nodded but turned from her.

"See you down there, Hermione," he told her and jumped off the cliff making her gasp.

He howled on his way down and landed in the water. When he resurfaced he laughed loudly and hollered in excitement again. "Come on! The water is just fine!" He shouted up at her and she gulped.

"If you get me killed, Charlie, I will come back to haunt you!" She yelled at him and he laughed and moved out of the way.

Hermione stripped herself of her shirt and pulled her jeans down, slipping her boots and socks off. She felt extremely exposed and gulped as she placed her wand under her pants; she didn't want to chance breaking it. The witch stepped to the edge and Charlene whistled. "Come on, book witch, show me your courage!" He taunted and she exhaled heavily.

Walking away from the cliff edge, she shook herself and ran up, leaping off with a scream of elation and surprise. Falling through the air was shocking and made her heart thump loudly before she broke the water. When she surfaced she shouted and gasped. "Fuck!" she hollered and giggled.

Charlie was chuckling and swam up to her, "closest thing to flying without assistance a human can feel," he told her and she smiled brightly at him.

"Why does this feel like an exotic vacation more than a research stay?" She asked with a laugh and he splashed her.

"Tomorrow I have some time, you can pick me apart all you like," he told her and she rolled her eyes and swam closer to the shore.

He came up behind her, "Hermione, did you want to try that again?" He asked, his voice rumbly and she glanced back at him as she climbed from the water.

"Why did you want to?" She responded and he smirked at her as he emerged.

He stood in front of her and raised an eyebrow, "well, you are already wet," he teased and she blushed and became self-conscious. "How is it that you always make me seem like a pervert," he mused and she glowered at him.

"You are a bit of a pervert, Charles," she snapped and walked off throwing a smile back at him.

"I am not," he replied as he caught up to her.

Hermione waved him off and shook her head, "it isn't my business, I am just teasing you."

"Shagging Tatiana for physical relief and companionship is not being a pervert, Hermione." He defended himself and she cleared her throat.

"Like I said it isn't my business what you do with... well, anyone," she was rather uncomfortable with this conversation.

The rocks were digging into her feet as she climbed the trail, but they were not too horrible. "Hermione, it is hard to not have physical contact being so alone out here." Charlie was trying to convey and she was thankful to be in front of him so he could not see her blush.

"I can understand that, but I am not sure why you are trying to make me see the reasoning to your actions." She declared and he huffed.

"You are the intelligent one so you have your own thoughts and opinion about it." He grumbled and she laughed.

"Charlie, if you shagged everyone in this country it isn't my business. That would be unreasonable and completely insane for my opinion to affect your decisions." she voiced and stumbled a bit.

The Dragon Keeper rushed up behind her and helped her find her footing. She was in his arms and felt his masculine body so close to her bare skin. She would not admit, could not fathom confessing, it felt very arousing and cleared her throat before she pulled from him. "Thank you," she murmured and finished climbing.

When they got back to their clothes, she used her wand and dried herself promptly. Charlie watched the young witch as she was in thought and drying herself. He ignored the urge to touch her again and dried himself with his own wand. She slid on her jeans and he bit back a smile as she jiggled to squeeze in them. Her hips were wide and made the fabric squeeze her and make her chest seem pert and welcoming.

"I always feel like you are critiquing me, Charles," she murmured and her blush was a clear giveaway.

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "you aren't bad to look at," he said casually and she turned scarlet, which was almost purple in the moonlight.

When his shirt was back on and she had righted her clothing and made sure the feathers weren't ruined, she sighed and smiled. "Thank you for the fun," she said and he chuckled.

"not the first time I have heard that from you," he teased and she glared at him.

She started down the hill before she responded, "I was pissed and you got me stuck under that mistletoe, Dragon Keeper," her voice was crisp and made him grin as he followed.

"Very true and Ron was so angry with me... but he was more concerned with me whooping him." Charlie chuckled and Hermione tossed her wild mane of hair in a head shake.

"Do you know how angry he stayed. He kept asking me if I shagged you," Hermione giggled and Charlie laughed loudly and sighed.

"Not you, bok jente, you are a loyal witch," he told her and Hermione smiled back at him.

"Thank you," she replied and her eyes were full of mirth.

They were on flat land before she turned to him, "so, tomorrow?" She asked unsurely and he gave her a nod.

"You can have me all day long if it pleases you," he told her and she gave him a mischievous grin.

"Oh? Are you going to keep that shirt on?" She teased and his jaw went slack.

"Hermione!" He exclaimed and she giggled with a blush.

"I am sorry, I had to," she sighed and he chuckled. "Good night, Dragon Keeper," she murmured and he cleared his throat.

"Good night, bok jente," he responded and she gave him another smirk before walking off.