All in all, Charlie only spent four days in the hospital after he woke up. He wasn't in 100% condition when he came home, but close to it. A few days later and you could barely tell he had had any accident at all. Which was good, because I was suffering from quite a bit of morning sickness and he was having to pick up the slack from my work.
Things began to go back to relative normality and we were able to bring another staff member from the Romanian Reserve to fill Brie's spot. Now that they weren't so overrun, it was easier to spare a few people and we needed someone fully trained and up to speed.
A few weeks after the attack, we were lying in bed and Charlie was rubbing my stomach.
"I still can't believe we made a baby and our little bean is currently growing in your belly."
I placed my hand over his. "It is quite amazing." I had something I wanted to discuss with Charlie, but I had been reluctant to do so." Deciding I could put it off no longer, I broached the subject. "Char, I have something I want to run by you."
He stopped his ministrations and peered up at me. "Go ahead, love. You know you can always talk to me."
I sucked in my lower lip. He was right. I did know I could always talk to him, but that didn't have to mean he would always be thrilled with what I had to say. "I've just been doing some thinking about everything that's gone on. The attack, the baby, you nearly dying." He winced, still uncomfortable with how close he had come to losing his life. "How would you feel about talking to Kingsley about getting approval for two more managers so we no longer have to do shift work? You would still be able to be in charge of the training and management of the teams and I would still focus on the administrative side, but it would remove us from having regular shifts in the enclosures and would decrease our chances of injury."
We really only did shift work once or twice a week, but there was a risk that came with that. Charlie had scars from his years as a trainer to prove it. Now that we have a baby on the way, it seemed only sensible to remove ourselves from that risk if possible.
Charlie didn't flinch away as I expected him to. "I've been giving that a lot of thought actually. I'm on the older end for a trainer. Though I'm still in excellent shape, the job takes a significant toll on your body and most trainers retire in their mid to late 30s with a significant wealth from their time on the reserve. So, it would still be a little early for me, but not completely out of the ordinary. Besides, I wouldn't actually be retiring, just shifting my responsibilities. I think it's something we should talk to Kingsley about."
And so we did. Kingsley readily agreed that hiring two additional managers was a wonderful idea. He was still pleased with our leadership and roles in bringing down the poaching ring that we probably could have asked for more. It didn't take long for us to find some good people to help fill our responsibilities and life became significantly less stressful from a work perspective.
At home, things were only starting. Charlie and I converted his office into a nursery since we had made his room into our room after our wedding. As my due date got closer, my anxiety rose as I questioned whether or not I was ready to become a mum. Charlie was there to reassure me every step of the way, always ready with the right thing to say.
When I went into labor, two weeks early, he was there to hold my hand and summon Draco to our home. We had decided that we wanted our daughter to be born into a house that was full of our love for each other and the love we already had for her instead of the stuffy hospital room.
Our red-headed little girl, Cora Jean, was absolutely perfect. Charlie and I couldn't get enough of her and I often found myself staring at her sleeping form for hours.
One might think a dragon reserve to be a dangerous place to raise a child, but for us, it was perfect. Our love started because of dragons and they were a huge part of who we are both as individuals and a couple. And so it seemed fitting that our daughter would grow up somewhere she could appreciate the animals, as well as all other creatures, and learn to care for them and respect them properly.
Charlie had lasting effects from growing up in such a large household. He loves his family, but he was also ready to admit it was just too many kids to really give them each the attention they deserved. As a result, we decided we were happy with our perfect little Cora and dedicated our lives to raising her into a lovely young woman.
As for Charlie and I, well, falling in love with him had been completely unexpected. When I was transferred to the reserve, I had plenty of hesitations and reservations on what life would be like. We seemed to have a whirlwind first couple years as we got everything up and running, started our relationship, dealt with family tensions, got married, nearly died, and had our sweet daughter.
How everything unfolded was from the path I had imagined my life would take. However, looking back at it all, I wouldn't have it any other way. I learned so much through my childhood experiences. Fighting a war at such a young age leaves lasting marks that I wasn't sure I would ever recover from, but it taught me so much about myself.
I learned to stand up for what I believe in no matter what. But I also learned so much more. I am stronger than I ever thought possible and I can take anything that is thrown at me. There is so much worth fighting for in this world and you need to be prepared to do that, but not at the expense of your own happiness. That is what Charlie showed me. Before my time on the reserve, I was so wrapped up in helping others that I often forgot to take care of myself. Charlie brought out the best in me and showed me to have fun and enjoy life while pursuing my passions. Working at the reserve exposed me to a whole new, slower type of living. Cooking more fresh foods, being out in nature, and protecting the beautiful animals in our care while we learn more about them.
Had Charlie not mentioned my name specifically for the reserve, there is no telling where I would have ended up. I probably would still be floating through life fighting one battle after another without ever seeing what was passing me by. But that's kind of the funny thing about life, isn't it? We never really and truly know where it will lead us. If we can be open minded and accepting of the challenges that present themselves and willing to accept the adventures as they come instead of over analyzing and worrying, we will allow ourselves the opportunity to experience joy and fulfillment we never thought possible.
I looked out at the reserve Charlie and I built from the ground up. Our responsibilities at the reserve had lessened more and more over the years and Cora stepped in with her husband, Benjamin, to take over the leadership. She still came to us for advice and we still checked in on our dragon friends regularly along with a fair amount of research, though now we also spent plenty of time in the gardens and going for walks.
A few years ago, Cora gave us another precious gift to look after. Grandchildren.
As I sat here now, looking out our back porch, I saw Charlie teaching the oldest, Genevieve, how to fly on a training broom. Cora was nursing their six-month-old as Benjamin looked at her with the same love I've seen in Charlie's eyes.
I shook my head with a smile as I brought in the last of our dishes from our picnic dinner. Love and dragons. What a wonderful life indeed.
A/N: What? It's over! I really do love this pairing and I hope you have too. Thank you to all who have read. I hope you've enjoyed this little story and my play on characters. If you're looking for another read, I'm about to hit submit on my next story, Maybe it was Meant to be. It's completed so expect regular updates! I am also working on a Hermione/Oliver Wood story (as requested!) as well so that one will follow soon!