Sorry about the delay folks, I've been struggling with a serious Manga/Anime addiction, but I'm better now...I hope. It isn't long but it just might sustain you a little longer.

I don't have a beta though...The first few readers will probably understand why I need one but I swear I've read it at least ten times. Sorry about that. Please email me if you are interested, and include some of your background.

Hotter Than Most

Part 13

It's been a year...well I suppose not quite a year but I'm in the mood to be melodramatic. Sometimes things work out (or don't work out as the case may be) and all of your plans flop like an undercooked pancake. You know how you're impatient for the first batch to start and so the griddle isn't preheated all the way and...well, flat broken pancakes. I usually scrap the first batch when no one is looking, can't really do that with a relationship. But it had been a year when the most amazingly wonderful disaster happened. I didn't graduate. I know what you're thinking ("but isn't that bad? Now you can't run off to see him without obligations") but wait. See I had this advisor that kind of told me that I didn't need to take a foreign language because I had learned enough in high school. I guess four years of humoring Maestra Gonzales was a good thing. I even took a test and passed. Expect that they don't have my test. Stupid massively large universities, that depend on computers for everything and your life can be ruined with one tiny glitch. I swear I sat there and watched the proctor grade it. Sorry I'm getting off track, because really this is a good thing. So after repeating the phrase, "What? You have to be kidding me," about eight times. My advisor told me I could 'walk' with my class if I signed up for a study abroad and could graduate after I passed a proficiency test. So...I have to learn 4 semesters worth of a foreign language in less than a semester's time. And did I do the smart thing and sign up to go to Mexico, where I could quickly relearn everything, pft! Yeah right. And this I believe is what they call in movies "Deus ex machina,"a stroke of luck in my mind and I'm certainly not complaining...well maybe a little, I do have a lot to study.

And that is why I was trudging up the drive to the dragon preserve, in the middle of nowhere (his dad didn't mention that part). The bush next to me shook and I started to wonder if part of my brain was missing.

"Doamna, (Miss) please keep up," The guide called. Nothing to worry about, just a bit of nonmagical wildlife. Yes, because Cuddles was so happy to stay in his enclosure. In context, I suppose the preserve having guided tours isn't weird. Muggle preserves have guides. Still I was a bit shocked when Mr. Weasley told me. I decided this was my bravery building activity of the...okay really for my life. I wanted to get over my fear of dragons since it could get in the way of my relationship with Charlie...then again a healthy fear of dragons might be more normal (evolutionary wise) than his fascination with them.

So what does the tour include, why a flying carpet trip of course...because flying through a dragon preserve is perfectly safe. So while I hyperventilated in the back, the wizard went on lecturing about the various species. I was paying attention for the most part. Blah blah eats mostly sheep (probably the occasional researcher), blah blah teeth bigger than my forearm and then I think 'scream from hell' is an accurate description of my reaction. Cuddles, while I was assured dragons wouldn't be able to see, hear, or smell us, decided to take off right as we were flying over. I have the worst luck to ever existed.

While I was curled up with my head buried in the carpet, several ladies petting and crooning to me. I heard the guide say, "I know that scream. You're that American girl!" At least I was memorable some how. It didn't take him long to put it together. "No, you're Charlie's girl." I could hear the wonder in his voice. "What are you doing up here? You're suppose to be a magnet for dragons." That didn't make me feel better. In fact I felt guilt for putting the other tourists in danger. I sunk lower. And was that really how Charlie introduced me? Julia "the dragon magnet" White.

"Listen up gents. This young lady here is engaged to one of the researchers (eh? First I've heard of that!). They met when she saved a young girl from an escaped dragon." I heard a few murmurs of praise and a 'well done, ducky.'. "And without a wand!"

"Good Lord!" said the woman above me. "How did you do it?"

"I have a feeling he's about to tell you," I muttered but the guide was already into the story...with sweeping hand motions.

"There she was sitting by the lake (it was a pool actually), when suddenly the land around her went dark as the massive beast flew over (it wasn't the apocalypse or anything). She tried to get everyone out of the water and harms way (There was only one girl, was he even there?). But one little girl was left behind. Our heroine and the dragon saw the girl at the same time and it became a race. The dragon darted out of the sky (sky? He was trying to turn his fat ass around in the pool) as she sprinted for the child. This lady grabbed her up just as the Cuddles (how can you take a dragon seriously with that name?), unleashed a stream of fire hitting the spot where the child had just been. Kid in arms she leapt a five foot (three foot) high fence and covered the child as the dragon unleashed another firebolt! (oooohhh ahhhhh!). There she lay, burnt and in pain (that part's right) as the dragon pinned her down (pinned me...eh?). She let out a terrified scream as the dragon breathed in to roast it's dinner." There the guide sat, with his hands up (playing the dragon of course), when he dropped them and smiled. "And that is how she met the love of her life." Cue burning red face. That time, when my face was buried in the carpet it wasn't from fear. "Charlie and the other Dragon-tamers, myself included, swooped in and kept our missy here from becoming a crispy critter." I got several pats on the back and a few questions like, "Is he cute?" "When's the wedding?". I decided the worst part of a magic carpet is there isn't anyways to escape that doesn't include a long drop.

A little while later one of the ladies forced me up and held me close to her side, for support. "Come on, luv. You have to see this beautiful sunset." It really was beautiful, parts were just the color of Charlie's hair. The mountains and forest glowed and I was glad that I had seen it. Then I looked down into the forest and a magnificent chill ran through me. The Lady squeezed a little tighter.

"You really do love him to be doing this."

"Yes," I answered. "I really do."

"Look, I need to know how to get to this address." I held up the note once again and spoke slowly. "I know it is close by." I had convinced the guide to keep quiet about who I was but now for the surprise to be complete I had to get to Charlie's place before he got off of his shift. It was only a mile, so I was told by Mr. Weasley. But the blasted receptionist, as soon as she heard that I was looking for Charlie pretended she couldn't speak English.

"No, I do not know what you want."

"Directions, look you can even point for all I care but please tell me how to find this street!"

"We don't give out information on-" she was cut off by a man behind me speaking in Romania. She looked to argue back but something he said must have been pretty harsh because her eyes went wide and she looked away in quiet anger.

"You Julia?" I sighed and turned towards him.

"Yeah."

"I'll take you, come on." I followed him out of the office to a beat up European jeep. "If you wanted your arrival kept secret you shouldn't have told Peter."

"I didn't exactly tell him." He released a sharp laughter, a carefree one that helped to calm me down after my confrontation with demon behind the desk.

"Hop in," he said as he walked around to the driver side. "Yeah, he told us all how he recognized your scream." I felt like all the one-liners in the world couldn't save me in front of this man, he was so open. After my quiet response he looked down at me. "I hope I haven't offended you."

"Not at all," I said with a smile. "I'm just a little shocked still. I wonder if Peter was right, if I really am a dragon magnet." The man chuckled.

"I hate to break it to you, but you are...and so am I, and so is everyone else in this world. We're what the dragon's like to think of as fresh meat." My chest shook a little until I couldn't hold it anymore and laughter erupted from my mouth.

"You're Ivantie right?" I remembered him from Charlie's letters. 'A man who could make all of your worries evaporate and put you at ease'. His identity also explained how I just got into a strangers car without question.

"Bingo. Pleased to meet you. Charlie says you're a vetera...eh, vetria. I'm sorry. I learned English from the time I was a boy but some words are still difficult"

"Veterinarian, Vet is fine as well. I'm still studying though."

"So a Vet and a Dragon Researcher, that's a pretty good match." I was speechless as he pulled into a long driveway. A short ways back was a darkened modular home. Ivantie stopped the vehicle and put it into park. "You should get some rest, I heard you had quite an ordeal." I looked away and smiled. I had a feeling that carpet ride wasn't something I would live down. "I'll send Charlie home as soon as he comes in. Tell him I dropped off a rather large package."

I opened the car door and thanked him for the ride. I slung my day-pack over my shoulder as I walked to the house. He was right, I was tired. I was lucky the door was unlocked, but then again Ivantie might have had something to do with that. This wasn't one of my better thought out plans, and I'm even counting the time I visited my uncle Mel's farm. Monetary rewards wouldn't get that story past my lips.

It was pretty dark when I got inside, thank goodness I hadn't walked. Still, In my tired state I had the feeling then house seemed bigger on the inside.

A sharp intake of breath awoke me, not mine, it was someways away on the edge of my dream. I whined softly as sleep started to drain out of me and I felt the worn-out cushions of Charlie's couch resisting my shape. He definitely needed new living room furniture. I probably would have rolled over and gone back to sleep if not for the soft light and that voice. I heard my name. My eyes were so slow in opening but finally I saw a dark head, halloed in red.

Suddenly, my joy was fighting with stale loneliness and tears were appearing. To me it was the oddest thing. I knew I would be seeing him, it was all planned. Yet, there I was crying. God, I had missed him.