Hermione spent the next day reading the two books on Witch Pregnancy and Elvish Breeding, the chapter on Mothers Lusts and Matings was very informative and a little disturbing but the entire book was fascinating.
Landren returned mid-afternoon and kissed between her eyes in greeting before laying his hand on her abdomen and speaking softly in his own tongue.
"What did you tell the baby?"
"It is a blessing." He told her with a shrug. "How are you feeling?"
Hermione answered with a shrug of her own, a moment later she felt her knees go rubbery as desire washed through her. "Don't do that." The command was half a plea.
Landren smirked at her. "Would you like me to stop?"
Hermione blushed and turned away. "What have you been doing?"
"A dragon was sick, I went to sing to her."
"Sick!" Hermione spun on him, "Who? Is she ok? Do I need to go to her?"
Landren smiled at her and shook his head, "She was… not medical sick… I don't know the words in English. She was… sad I suppose."
"Sad?" Hermione frowned at him.
Landren nodded, "She felt her mother passing."
"A dragon died?"
Landren nodded, "Somewhere. Yes."
"You mean they can feel when their parent dies even if they aren't together?"
"Yes." Landren nodded. "Dragons are often solitary creatures but they carry strong bonds within and always recognize family or mates on sound and smell. The mother bond is the strongest and they always feel it broken."
"You know a lot about Dragons."
"I do." Landren nodded, "My family are a long line of Dragon Riders. When you visit Isle Mars you will be able to visit many places you could not before, both through the bond we will be sharing and because Iliyra is now one of ours. I will take you to the Dragon Pens and introduce you to my girl Nyla."
"You ride dragons!" Hermione gasped.
Landren nodded with a chuckle, "We do. Dragons share a special connection with my tribe, unicorns with my mothers tribe, each of us has a… I don't know a word to match but a life form that is tied to us. For my family it is the dragon and for me specifically it is also the trees. In me you will smell the rain and earth because they give me strength as they nourish the trees. I am most at home in the forrest. Keo is of the oceans and is most at home on the shore. Our younger brother is of the caves and the youngest of the grass."
"What about your parents?"
"My father is of the rocks and dragons, my mother is of the lilac and unicorns. They were… a difficult match from differing peoples. Like Keo and Iliyra, it took many permissions for them to marry, many trials but the match was good."
"So you have to have permission to marry an elf from another tribe or a witch or muggle?"
Landren shook his head, "I must have permissions to bring her to Isle Mars to live, to make her one of our tribe. I may choose to leave but we are connected to the earth and to our peoples, it is not a first choice though some, like Iliyra and Keo hope to live in both worlds. My parents tribes were at war and their match was to promote peace."
They talked a lot about his people and how different the culture was from both muggle and wizarding ways before delving into the information she'd learned in the books and by the time Charlie had returned from working it felt like they were old friends.
Each day that passed her stomach grew and with it she became increasingly uncomfortable but all the nearly painful desire had disappeared. Or at least it did until Landren's eyes would turn liquid and his scent wash over her. He'd kiss a spot, sucking gently, and though it seemed such an innocent spot it would send pleasure shooting through her and she'd instantly come with a shiver.
He let her explore his smooth chest and trace his tattoos with the tips of her fingers. His skin would ripple with shivers when she did and his eyes begin to swirl and the lilac become darker even as the silver shone liquid and small traces of his scent escaped, not enough to drown her in his pheromones but enough to make her flush a little with desire.
Once, his eyes had closed while she traced a tattoo on his neck, it was small and had a series of swirls and dots. She let her fingers trace up his neck and explore the folds of his ears, when she reached the pointed Helix his breath came out in a soft moan. She traced the points of his ears gently with just the tip of her pointed finger and then used her thumb on the other side to gently pull along the point. When she reached the tips her nails gently scraped the sensitive skin and he gasped as a shiver ran through his body, his eyes flew open and she felt his hips jerk up into hers. His silver lilac eyes seemed to burst into a star of light with his release.
Hermione bit back a smile, all the times he'd affected her so easily and she had finally given him the same and without really meaning to.
Landren was panting as he closed his eyes and let out a string of elvish before meeting her eyes again, "Where did you learn that?" He breathed at her.
Hermione shrugged and giggled, "From you, just now."
He let out another word in elvish and then pulled her to him. It was the first time he kissed her. Hermione was surprised that instead of building the need in her she felt tension she didn't know she held fade away and sank into the kiss. Later when he left he placed a gentle kiss to her lips before his finger tips rested on her belly in blessing to the baby as was his usual custom before departing. She blushed at Remus and went into her room to think about all that had happened. On her bed lay a note.
Do not think with your mind witch. Kiril is and always will remain in your heart. What is between us, is not the same, not physically or emotionally. Do not let your mind confuse this. Just let it be what it will be.
Hermione sighed and sank into the bed. Already he knew her well. She decided he was right though and she wouldn't think about it all. Instead she distracted herself from overthinking with work on the werewolf project.
Sometimes when he was spending a couple days in the woods or with the dragons Hermione found herself tracing Charlie's dragon tattoos with her eyes and wishing she could trace them with her finger tips and tongue but she shook off the thoughts and reminded herself it was just the pheromones. Mostly she didn't feel it but sometimes Charlie's scent after after he'd been working hard still made her tummy flutter and her breath catch.
After one lunch with Draco, she made Landren go with her if she was going to visit London or she was sure she'd accost the blond. Theo didn't seem to affect her much, nor did George or Harry. Ron did only the slightest if Landren weren't around or hadn't touched her recently and Blaise did almost as much as Draco. What really surprised her though was how strongly Bill affected her, almost as much as Charlie still seemed to because Landren only dulled his affect, not erase it.
Landren explained it was the werewolf in him, which was also why Remus had affected her so strongly though their pheromones were not a proper match. When she asked him how he knew that Landren just shrugged, an explanation meaning it was just an elf sense thing he couldn't explain. The elves just accepted a lot of things as just being the way they were. His connection to the forest or dragons, lust, love and mating. He didn't own a wand, all of his magic came naturally, though they were not good with charms or transfiguration, because as he told her, a thing was what it was meant to be. The only exception being Animagus, all elves were an Animagus. He was naturally good at herbology, care of magical creatures and earth magic but she was surprised they also put huge emphasis on runes, astronomy, arithmancy and potions. For hours she'd walk with him in the woods discussing and debating the topics and he made her look at things with different eyes. Some things were supposed to be so instead of trying to force them to change, she should use the way they were meant to be to bend them in the way she needed. It was a difficult concept but as soon as she grasped it, she returned to the werewolf project with a vengeance. She had been trying to force them to be something but she could use what they already were to change them, that's what Iliyra had started with the Animagus styled shifts, what if she used what they were instead of what they weren't in the runes and instead of trying to suppress the wolf in them she could use the potion to make them more like proper wolves instead of trying to bind them to humanity by basically poinsoning or caging the wolf part. It could be the change she needed to make the change stick instead of needing it redone monthly and the tattoos, instead of spelling the runes on monthly she could do something like the elves did, trying their magic into the tattoos and the magic of the runes.
Hermione threw herself into the research that had seemed to reach a deadend with renewed vigor and each night she'd send a recording to Iliyra of her progress. The witch quickly agreed with her, berating herself for not having thought of the tattoos which both she and Kiril had received.
Over Christmas she was with the Weasley's and was grateful elves celebrated winter solstice on the twenty first and not Christmas so while he disappeared for two days for that, he was with her the rest of the time. As soon as he arrived Hermione dragged him to a field out back because two days in a house with Bill and Charlie and no Landren was enough to drive her to distraction, add in the only slightly less strong pull from Draco and Blaise, a renewed pull to Remus and the little flicker from Ron and the witch was near tears she was string so tight. Even if Landren had coated her in his pheromones before leaving.
They went to Isle Mars with with Kiril's parents to spend New Years with Iliyra which was a big holiday amongst the elves and while she loved her friends and family in London it was almost a relief to say goodbye to all that chaos.
Hermione was surprised when they arrived and Keo hugged her tightly kissing her forhead between her eyes and thanking her before leading his brother away to talk privately.
"She is more herself now than she has been." Kalina explained later. "Iliyra has blamed herself for Kiril, my husband for the both of them."
This was the first Hermione had heard anything like it, "Why?"
"My husband and I were meant to be there but Kiril and Iliyra went alone because my husband wished to attend a conference discussing the cultural divide between us in Europe and those in the Americas. Kiril offered to go in his stead and Iliyra knowing she might have to remain here soon for the two years went with him. My husband believes it should have been him." Kalina shook her head sadly. "My daughter, Kiril was killed protecting her. I think she has not forgiven herself completely for surviving." Kalina smiled sadly at her, "She has taken it much harder than she wished you to know that you do not have him at your side and for a time worried you would hate her for stealing him from your child. The loss of her sight as well as the loss of her twin makes her feel helpless and afraid. You have renewed her spirit and purpose with this project though and Keo can see the woman he has always loved returning."
The whispered conversation was interrupted with Yesen's arrival as he pulled Hermione into a hug. "It's good to see you my daughter." He kissed her cheeks and pulled her further into the hut.
Iliyra pulled her away after a little while to prepare for the feast. The entire tribe would eat and drink together outside with a bonfire. Hermione dressed in the red silk she'd gotten from Hogwarts with the warm white cloak. Unable to share in the meade she still enjoyed herself immensely experiencing the celebration as the elves did a fire dance and sang. Hermione almost fainted when several of them flew in on dragon who let out bursts of flame. The dragons landed peacefully though and Hermione saw Keo and Landren jump off of two before joining her and Iliyra.
"That was amazing!" Hermione grinned at them. "Nothing like the one we rode out of Gringotts!"
"You rode a dragon?" Keo seemed impressed.
"Please." A strange man smiled at her, "Tell us."
Landren motioned between them, "Zana, our father, Androrn."
Hermione blushed and shook his hand, "Pleased to meet you."
"You as well. My son has been good to you?"
"Very." Hermione blushed looking to her feet.
Iliyra laughed and nudged her, "The dragon?"
Hermione explained to the elves about the blind old dragon in Gringotts and all the elves hissed as she explained its treatment. Elves and goblins did not get along to begin with or so Yesen explained but to harm a dragon, or any other magical creature went against every part of them. She blushed and went on to explain how they freed it and rode it away, all three terrified and even more so when they jumped off and into the water. The elves all seemed impressed though and hailed her for freeing the dragon as well as her bravery.
"When born, you return and we take you up, you will see, wizards know nothing of flying." Androrn told her, placing two fingers on her forehead and saying something in elvish before leaving.
"It is a blessing." Iliyra explained later. "He's noted you as sort of extended family, not just of mine but his as well. It's a high honor." Hermione blushed, "He was very fond of Kiril and was the one to sponser him as a boy through the trials on man, it's why his tattoo had the same dragon mark in it as Keo and Lan."
Over the next days Hermione was warmly greeted by the people who lived in the tribe and unlike her previous visits she was allowed to wander about on her own. Landren was more distant than usual and she found she missed their talks but knew he must be pleased to be home so didn't think much of it. His distance on the trip home bothered her more.
"I'm sorry to take you away from your home." She told him quietly. "It must be so hard."
"I return with you because it is my wish not because I am duty bound to do so." He replied with a shrug. "It was my choice Zana, it has always been my choice. Only if we were married or Kiril had been of my blood would I be bound by duty to protect and care for you."
Hermione blushed, "Why then?"
"Why do I return with you?"
Hermione nodded making Landren shrug, "You… I'm not sure there is a word in English… you interest me I suppose. I am fascinated by your mind, I was attracted to you from the first time I saw you arrive with Kiril to the meeting place in Hogsmeade, I am captivated by your reactions and mesmerized by the emotion you share with people and hold close to your heart." He shrugged, and hesitated tilting his head in thought until finally coming to some conclusion in his head, "You enthrall me."
Hermione blushed and let the topic drop as they arrived on the outskirts of the reserve. She couldn't wait to see Teddy, Remus and Charlie. She'd missed them over the last week. Charlie especially, since he seemed the only one who could get the baby to stop its gymnastics at night with his soothing hum and he knew just the right spot to rub on her back to make everything stop hurting.
Though there had been some tension between him and Landren, for the most part all three men got along well and Teddy was fascinated by the elf. Hermione missed Harry and Ron and all of her friends but she loved her odd little family and was more content with her new life here than she ever would have expected when Draco suggested she come. She missed him as much as Harry and Ron, mostly because she had only seen him a handful of times over the last few months. He had moved into muggle London and was re-educating himself. Or that's the way he explained it to her when they had met for lunch. Draco could laugh at himself for his ignorance and she was impressed with the ways he was changing. Their friendship grew through many letters and Hermione knew that he had been right about more than coming to Romania helping her heal.
He did love her and she loved him as well, they would have been happy together, content in their home on the Isle of Wight, bickering their way into old age and watching their family grow but both of them deserved more than content. Yes there was passion, lots of it the way they fought but under the lust the love was companionship and not the partnership and she'd shared with Kiril. Draco she would have been happy as their lives were lived side by side but she had chosen Kiril because of the interwoven way they connected, not parallel or crossroads but braided together. That was what she wanted again and the only thing she would accept for herself and her child because anything less would never match to Kiril in her heart and soul and she would forever hate herself for not being able to love him in a way they both deserved.