Harvey was more than happy to have Vanessa arrive early. It turned out the eggs of the Swedish Short-Snout her brother had faced in the Triwizard Tournament had just hatched. The next day, Vanessa was working with the Short-Snout. She immediately earned the admiration of dragonologists on the reserve. They couldn't believe how fearless she was on her first day, going up to the mother dragon and touching her snout, helping to assure the beast that she meant no harm to her hatchlings.

Vanessa helped to check to make sure the hatchlings were healthy, making sure they had everything they needed. She had a calming nature with the dragons, something that took most dragonologists months to years of work to perfect, some never even getting it right.

Her nightmares still came every night. She was staying in the spare bedroom of Charlie's apartment on the reserve. The first few nights, he came into her room to check on her, but on the fourth night, he stayed with her. He held her as she tried to fall back to sleep, just as Fred and George had done the night before she left.

It went on for three weeks before she finally decided to make a change. She was tired of the nightmares and tired of being a burden to Charlie. She woke up earlier than she had wanted to one morning. She got up quietly, not wanting to wake the redhead in the bed next to her. She grabbed her cauldron and some ingredients from her trunk, before heading into the kitchen.

She set to work brewing a sleeping draught, disappointed that she hadn't thought about it earlier. After about an hour, she heard footsteps behind her.

"You woke up early."

"Couldn't sleep again. Figured it was time I finally did something about it."

Charlie walked over to the counter and looked down into the cauldron. "Sleeping draught?"

She nodded her head. "Plus, I'm sure you want to sleep in your own bed again."

"I don't mind it. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I don't know that I'll ever really be okay again."

Charlie wrapped his arm around her and hugged her. "You will be. It might take time, but you will be."

"Thanks, Charlie." She left her potion, waving her wand to start preparing breakfast. She had been cooking for him almost every day. It was the least she could do since she was staying with him.

"Fred and George sent you another owl. Came in after you went to bed last night. You should write them back."

"I'm going to be home soon, it can wait."

"They're worried about you. I've been writing to tell them you're doing great with your internship, but they want to hear from you."

She waved her wand a few more times, finishing the food and pouring coffee for the two of them. She thought about the twins every day, and how she was slowly starting to fall in love with George. But Voldemort was back, and the war was coming and she didn't want to lose either of them.

The plates filled themselves and placed themselves on the table, along with the coffee. The pair sat down and ate in silence. After a while, Vanessa broke it.

"I'm scared. I'm scared of what the future holds, of what could happen to the people I love. My brother is gone, my Mum left to go live with my aunt, my father doesn't even remember who I am, not that he ever cared in the first place. I feel so alone."

"But you're not alone. My whole family loves you, and you know damn well the twins would do anything for you. Bloody hell, George saved your life when you tried to off yourself. They love you Vanessa, and that's what scares you."

"Says the guy who's been single all his life and likes being alone with dragons."

He rolled his eyes. "Fair enough. I'm probably the last person who should be giving advice on the subject. But you know I'm not wrong about my family. Ginny loves you like a sister. She was giving the twins hell after how they treated you at the Yule Ball. Hell, she almost hexed me for saying I found you attractive last summer. Fred and George almost did too."

She blushed. He found her attractive? That was interesting news to her.

"I should probably get ready. Rosie and Antonia wanted to take me out today. Something about shopping and other girly things. I can't wait."

Rosie was one of Charlie's coworkers and someone Vanessa had become friends with as soon as she met her. Antonia was Rosie's girlfriend who owned a shop in the Muggle village nearby.

"Well, I'm glad you're going out and doing something. You've been working so hard around here. Harvey has been considering asking you to just skip your last year of school and offer you a job here. But Mum would kill me if she found out."

Vanessa laughed. She was being silly about everything. Charlie was right, she still had a family, a crazy family of gingers who she loved dearly.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"What?"

"You found me attractive."

"Still do," Charlie said, standing from his chair and picking up their now empty plates. "I'm not blind. I also know my brothers would hex me to no end if they knew we were sleeping together."

"We're only sharing a bed. And it's only because you were worried about me."

"You and I both know that those two would take it to mean so much more."

"We don't have to tell them." She stood up and walked into her room to get some empty flasks for her potion. She returned to the kitchen and with a wave of her wand, the flasks filled themselves. She cleaned her cauldron and picked up her things to take them back into her room, but not before catching Charlie's eye.

"What?"

"You're the most incredible witch I've ever met."

"So I've been told." She smiled and walked back into her room, closing the door behind her.

She put her things away and went out getting ready to go out with her friends. Several minutes later, she heard a knock at the front door and voices moments later. She finished putting her hair up into a ponytail before heading out into the living room.

Rosie was a shorter woman who resembled a pixie. Vanessa had to do a double-take when she first met her, thinking to herself that someone that small couldn't possibly be a dragonologist. She had bright blue hair that she kept short and was almost always wearing something leather. Her girlfriend Antonia on the other hand was the total opposite. She was tall and blonde and was almost always dressed like a model.

"Ready for your day of fun," Rosie asked excitedly.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The three of them Apparated out of the apartment and into the nearby village where Antonia's shop was.

"So I've set aside a few pieces for you to try on. Everything from clothes and shoes to accessories. You talked about stepping outside of your comfort zone when Rosie first introduced me to you, and that's exactly what we're going to do today."

"You wanted change, you came to the right woman. She still tries to get me to wear different things."

"But I know she'll never change her mind."

The trio made it to the shop, which Antonia had closed for the day. From what Rosie had told Vanessa, the shop was very successful but catered more towards the younger crowd. Antonia ushered her towards one of the dressing rooms, where clothes hung on hooks and lay on the chair. This was not a few pieces.

"I'm not going to wear half this stuff."

Antonia looked at her, slightly offended. "You have a beautiful body Vanessa, you need to show it off."

She rolled her eyes and closed the curtain, starting to try on the different outfits. She would come out after each one was one and show the two women on the other side. Rosie seemed to like everything, but Antonia was brutally honest with what she liked. She even came into the room with Vanessa to help her out a few times.

Once she finally made it through all the clothes an hour later, she came back out wearing the black t-shirt and skinny jeans she originally had on. Antonia went back into the room and waved her wand. Some clothes went flying back onto the shelves, while a good pile folded itself back up and put itself into several bags.

"These are for you. And before you say no, it's a gift and I won't accept them back."

"Thank you, Antonia."

"Now for me," Rosie said excitedly. "You told me the other night that you've been wanting to do something different to your hair. Well, if you'll let me, I've got just the thing."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope. I'm going to do your makeup too." The shorter woman pulled her over to a chair in the changing room area and went about waving her wand in Vanessa's direction. After a few moments, Antonia gasped.

"What is it? Please tell me she didn't take my hair all off." Vanessa stood up and went to look in the mirror in one of the dressing rooms. Her jaw dropped. Gone was her long brown hair. It was replaced with jet black, wavy hair that cut off right above her shoulders. It was a cut she had always liked but never dared to try. Her makeup was simple, except for the dark maroon color lipstick she was wearing.

It was something she could get used to. She returned to the women and hugged them both. "Rosie, I love it. I have one more favor to ask though."

"What is it?"

"Charlie told me you're good with tattoos."

"Yeah, I've done a few. You should see Toni's back piece. Show her babe."

Antonia turned around and Rosie lifted the back of the blouse she was wearing. It was a beautiful vine of flowers that started at her upper back and stretched beyond where her jeans had started.

"It's beautiful, but I don't want something that big. I was hoping to get a small badger on my left wrist. My brother was a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts and I thought it might be a nice reminder of him that I could always have with me."

Rosie nodded. "I think I can do that. But you'll want another one. These things are addicting once you get started. Give me your wrist."

Vanessa held her hand out and Rosie held her wand to the spot she had indicated. After muttering a few charms Vanessa had never heard, a small badger appeared on her wrist. She looked down at it and smiled.

"It's perfect."

The trio left the shop, deciding to stop and get lunch at a local restaurant. They laughed and talked about anything and everything. Both women were so easy to talk to, but they made her miss Hermione and Ginny. She hoped they would be able to forgive her for leaving and not writing them. Part of the reason she enjoyed spending time with Rosie especially, was because Rosie had also lost a sibling. She had a sister who enjoyed experimenting with potions, and one day something went wrong. Rosie had been the one to find her. But it helped to have someone to talk to about the hurt that losing a sibling caused.

They went back to the reserve a few hours later, Antonia and Rosie to their apartment, and Vanessa to Charlie's. Charlie was in the living room working on something when she Apparated back. He looked up at her with an odd expression in his eyes.

"What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

"What did they do to you?"

"You don't like it?"

"I like it very much."

She blushed. "Shut up Charlie."

Vanessa went into her bedroom to put all of her things down, and he followed closely behind.

"You got an owl while you were out." He handed her the thin envelope, which she quickly opened. It wasn't from the twins like she expected, but from Professor Dumbledore. She read it over twice, before looking up at Charlie.

"The Order of the Phoenix? Isn't this the group your family was in during the first war?"

"Yeah, my parents and uncles. My uncles died fighting in the war. But I can't believe they want you. You're only seventeen. I doubt Mum will even let the twins join."

"I have to leave in two weeks to be a headquarters."

"I have to escort you back. I got a letter from Dumbledore myself. Basically telling me what he told you, but that I'm to go with you. But do you know why he wants you?"

She sighed and looked down at the ground. "My magic. He told me at the end of the term to be careful with it, that if Voldemort knew, he might seek to find me and use me for his cause. But Dumbledore just wants to use me for their side."

Charlie wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him. "You don't have to do this you know. You could always tell them no."

"But maybe if I join the Order, I could help protect the people I care about."

They sat in silence for a while. She found comfort in his arms, he reminded her so much of George. She eventually got up and got ready for bed, Charlie joining her again that night, even though she told him he didn't need to. He insisted. She took her sleeping draught and got comfortable, finally drifting off for her first peaceful night sleep in weeks.

Two weeks flew by. Vanessa, Charlie, Rosie, and Antonia were able to catch a Quidditch game thanks to Viktor. The Bulgarian couldn't stop complimenting her new look but also claimed that she was beautiful before as well. She had stayed behind that night to catch up with him, but most of the time was spent making out. It's one of the things they were so good at together.

She hated having to leave the reserve, not when she knew what awaited her when she returned back to reality. Rosie and Antonia insisted on taking her out that night, along with Charlie and the rest of the dragonologists on the reserve. Even Harvey was joining them, and apparently, he never went out.

Antonia dressed her in a tight black dress she had gifted her, but much to the blonde's dismay, Vanessa paired it with flats instead of the sky-high stilettos Antonia wanted her to wear. She had agreed to wear the dress, but she refused to wear those uncomfortable shoes.

Vanessa was still wearing her hair the way Rosie had styled it the first time. She found she loved the darker color and the natural-looking waves. She also opted to continue to wear the dark maroon lipstick. She really did have a newfound confidence and just felt better about herself.

They went to a wizard's bar that night and Vanessa found herself drinking firewhisky for the first time, which may or may not have been a good idea. After just a few drinks, she was already starting to feel the effects, and they surprisingly felt good. That night she felt carefree. She had even convinced Rosie to give her another tattoo. She opted for a tattoo of a Swedish Short-Snout, also a tribute to her brother, that she put on her right shoulder blade. It was bigger than the badger, but she loved it just as much.

Vanessa and Charlie Apparated back to the apartment several hours later. She was drunk, a feeling she had never felt before. Charlie helped her into her bedroom and pulled out some sweats for her to put on. He turned around so she could change, not wanting to leave her in that state. After stumbling about for a few minutes, she had finally gotten dressed. Charlie got her into bed before going to change for bed himself.

He came back into the room and she seemed to already be asleep. He got into bed next to her and turned out the lights and wrapped an arm around her like he had every night since the first night he stayed with her. He kissed the top of her head and found himself starting to fall asleep.

"Thank you for everything, Charlie Weasley."

He smiled and squeezed her gently before they succumbed to sleep.

When they awoke the next morning, Vanessa had a splitting headache. Charlie went to make breakfast and came in several minutes later with a tray and a large cup of coffee for her. She finished off the coffee right away, and Charlie brought her another. Once she finished her food, he took the tray and cleaned up the kitchen.

She finally got out of bed and started packing up her things. The time on the reserve had flown by and she was going to miss being there. She was going to miss her new friends. She was going to miss Charlie. But she was looking forward to seeing the twins and Hermione and Ginny.

Vanessa went and showered and got ready for the journey. She looked at herself in the mirror before she got dressed. She took in her new appearance, her new hair, and even the tan she had acquired while working outdoors with the dragons during those long days. She smiled as she looked at the dragon tattoo on her shoulder blade. Rosie had done such a good job.

She got dressed, opting for a white tank top that showed off her tattoo nicely, and a pair of black skinny jeans. With a wave of her wand, everything was packed back into her black bag. She waved the wand at herself and did her hair and makeup before walking into the living room. Rosie and Antonia were there to see her off. She hugged both girls, thanking them continuously for everything.

Once they left, she took a look around the place. Charlie had joined her a moment later. "Are you ready to go?"

She flung herself into his arms and hugged him tightly. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. For helping me with the internship and getting me through the last month. I couldn't have done it without you."

"You're a tough witch, you'll make it through." He leaned down and kissed her softly upon the lips for a moment, and then pulled away and smiled.

She smiled back at him before leaning up to kiss him back, but just for a moment. It wasn't like her kisses with Viktor, no this was a kiss between friends. Charlie's one true love would always be dragons. "Let's go."

Charlie took her hand and they were gone, a moment later appearing outside of 12 Grimmauld Place.