A/N: I'm so sorry. No words can express how sorry I am. It has been crazy. Work, life has just been beating me hard. And this chapter is not enough, not even close. But I do hope you all like it. Please forgive me. Much love- Bookworm

Defiance

"Hermione, what happened last night? Mum came back in the cabin in a right foul mood, and after I asked her about it, she said that she went and spoke with you." Charlie said to her at lunch the next day in the cantina.

"Well… I'm not sure you really want to know what happened.." Hermione said, and Will nodded his head a tiny bit in agreement.

"Please, tell me." Charlie said, placing his fork down on his plate.

"Fine." Hermione said with a sigh. "She asked me to.. Well she asked me to break it off with you…" Hermione said nervously.

"She did what?" Charlie asked her in disbelief.

"She thought, that you know, if I did, then you would go home." Hermione said, staring at her plate.

"I wouldn't. I wouldn't leave." Charlie said.

"No Charlie, I know that. But I wasn't going to do that. I wouldn't dream of leaving you." Hermione said, placing her hand on his gently. He looked at her and shook his head.

"I just can't believe she's that desperate… " Charlie said, and Hermione shrugged.

"Charlie, she's worried about you. She doesn't want you to get hurt anymore, she doesn't want you to not come home." Hermione explained, and Charlie nodded.

"I know, but she's going about this all wrong. I know what she wants, but she isn't listening." And with his last word, he stood abruptly.

"Where are you going? You have to be back with James soon." Hermione asked, worried.

"I'm going to tell my mother I'm not going anywhere." Charlie said as he left the cantina.

"Oh boy." Hermione whispered, looking at Will and James, who were staring at her. They sat in silence until it was time to go back to work. The three of them walked out together, and ran smack into Charlie outside the doors. "Charlie!" she exclaimed, reaching out and touching his arm.

"Hey. We should go back to the enclosure." Charlie said to James, and he nodded before they all walked back to their jobs.

"Do you think he's okay?" Will asked, and Hermione shrugged.

"Honestly I have no idea. I guess we'll find out later. Now though, let's just worry about the dragons, alright?" She said, and Will nodded in agreement.

That day, work seemed to crawl by. Hermione focused on her work more than anything, she didn't want the dragons to sense her anxiety.

"Hey Hermione?" Will said, and Hermione looked up at him. "You've washed her about six times. We're all done, lets go get some dinner." He said, gesturing to the dragon she had been tending to. She looked down and sighed, she had been thinking and it made her distracted.

"Damn. Okay, yeah lets go." Hermione said, wiping her hands on her pants. She put away her brushes and sponges, then followed Will out of the enclosure and to the cantina. They were the first to sit down at the table they always inhabited, but very soon James and Charlie sat down next to them as well.

"Mum went home." Charlie said after a long silence. Hermione stared at him for a moment, then turned her attention back to her plate. She stayed silent the whole time they ate, until she stood to leave the cantina and Charlie followed.

"I'm sorry Charlie." She blurted out. "I didn't mean to cause a fight." She said, looking at him trying to gauge his response.

"It's not your fault Hermione. She was pushing me too much. I just told her the truth. That I wasn't going to be leaving. And that you weren't either. I told her what she needed to know." Charlie explained. They stopped walking as they reached Charlie's cabin.

"Charlie… I really am sorry." She whispered, and he nodded.

"I know Hermione, I know. But I love you, and her being here, trying to get me to leave, it was causing problems. It was stressful, and it was effecting my work." Charlie said, reaching out and grasping her hands.

"I.. I love you too Charlie." Hermione said, leaning forward and kissing Charlie gently on the lips. "Are you and your mum okay?" She asked, and Charlie nodded slightly.

"Yeah, she'll get over it." Charlie said, and Hermione smiled weakly at him.

"Charlie?" Hermione suddenly had an idea, that might be able to help things.

"Yeah?" He asked back, pulling her into a hug.

"Maybe we should visit them for Christmas next month." Hermione said gently, and Charlie thought for a moment before answering.

"I think that's a good idea Hermione." Charlie said, kissing her forehead gently.