CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
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May 25th 2006
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Almost two weeks later, one and a half of which he had spent in St Mungo's taking skin regenerating potions that tasted worse than anything he could imagine, Charlie stood next to Max in the entrance to the administration building on the reserve. Well, it was where the entrance would have been if the building hadn't been burned to ashes two weeks previously. All around the two men were the remains of enclosures, tents and huts, all of which were now no more than dust after being exposed to the fiery breath of six rampaging dragons. The reserve had, in all honesty, been flattened and Charlie didn't even know if there was anything left to be salvaged.
"Ironbelly did most of it, apparently," muttered Max and Charlie nodded in understanding, "where do we go from here?"
"I haven't got a clue, mate," Charlie sighed, clasping his hands together and holding them behind his head, "there's nothing left to salvage. If the ministry want a reserve in the UK, they're going to need to start all over again."
"I might head back to Romania for the year, then," Max sighed, having come from the reserve there at the same time as Charlie, "I can't be out of work for the length of time it took to finish this place the first time."
"I need to stay here," Charlie shrugged, smiling slightly, "can't be dragging Hermione off to another country, not to mention Arty and the baby."
"I never pegged you for a family man, Char," Max said, raising his eyebrow as Charlie snorted, grinning, "I always imagined you to be more happy on your own."
"I was always happy on my own," Charlie admitted, his grin fading to a small but truly happy sigh as he shoved his hands in his pockets, walking in step with Max as they headed to the main gates of the reserve, "then Hermione came along and made me realise that there was more to life than dragons and casual sex, you know?"
"Not really," Max shrugged, laughing, "I guess I'll take your word for it. She seemed pretty awesome when I met her. I mean, she was obviously worried and incredibly angry, but still…"
"She's amazing," Charlie grinned, stopping as they passed the boundary and turning to Max, "even if you do go back to Romania, I still want you here as my second, the head if I end up finding something else to settle into."
"You're thinking of quitting keeping?" Max gasped and Charlie frowned as he shrugged.
"It's not that I want to, but you know as well as I do how dangerous this job is, I mean, how many married men do you know that work with dragons?" He asked and Max hummed, shrugging.
"I can't think of a single one," he sighed, "I guess you have a point. But what else can you imagine doing that you'll enjoy after all this?"
"I'll speak to Kingsley," Charlie shrugged, "the good thing about having a brother in law who's close friends with the minister, is that I happen to know that the Ministry's dragon expert is retiring and his position is up for grabs."
"A desk job?" Max snorted, shaking his head, "you'll be bored out of your mind within a week."
"There are field expeditions that happen pretty regularly, plus visits to reserves all over the world to check the living conditions and health of the Dragons," Charlie informed and Max nodded, "it might not be as exciting or physical, but I can't risk not being around for another baby, I don't want to lose Hermione and I'll enjoy having more time with them. It's a win, win."
"I suppose," Max smiled, looking up at Charlie and sighing, sticking his hand out and grasping Charlie's when it was offered, "whatever you go on to do, keep in touch, alright?"
"Of course," Charlie chuckled, nodding, "you can't get rid of a Weasley once you've bonded with them."
"Good luck, Charlie, with the Ministry and the family," Max said, his voice croaky, "you've been a wonder to work both with and for."
"Don't get all sentimental in me, mate," Charlie grinned, pulling Max in for a hug and patting him on the back, "I've got enough hormones to deal with at home."
"Ah, fuck off," Max laughed, shoving Charlie away from him, "get back to your family, you git."
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The ministry atrium was busy with people leaving or coming back from their lunch breaks when Charlie arrived, hoping to catch Kingsley and talk to him about the Dragon Expert position that would soon open up. It was strangely exciting to be thinking about taking his life in a new, more family friendly direction and as he walked up to the welcome desk to have his wand logged, he was distracted enough that a tap on the shoulder made him yelp as he turned around, coming face to face with a laughing Harry.
"Don't do that, you prat!" He gasped, not fighting the grin that formed on his face as he shook his brother in laws hand, "where are you off to?"
"I was just about to head off for lunch," Harry informed him, nodding towards the cafeteria and Charlie nodded, handing his wand over to the clerk, "what are you doing here?"
"I was hoping that Kingsley would be free for a quick chat, actually." Charlie said as he took his wand back and turned away from the desk, seeing Harry grin.
"You're going for it?" He asked excitedly.
"Hopefully," Charlie replied, shrugging, "I don't suppose you happen to know where he is?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Harry nodded, smiling as he gestured for Charlie to follow him, "you're lucky, he was supposed to be having his monthly meeting with my the heads of department today, but it was cancelled because one of them is off sick or something."
"That's fortunate, for me at least," Charlie chuckled as he followed Harry towards the ministers office, "what's wrong with them?"
"No idea, I heard the word diarrhoea involved and decided I was better off not knowing," Harry shuddered as they stepped into the lift when it arrived and Charlie laughed, nodding, "but yes, it's a good thing where you're concerned. How did Hermione react when you told her about the job?"
"I uh… I haven't told her yet," Charlie muttered, scratching the back of his neck, "I don't want to worry her, with the baby any everything, so I thought I'd see how this talk went before mentioning it."
"I agree with your reasoning," Harry sighed, stepping out of the lift when it reached their floor and chsrlie followed, "Hermione worries a lot over things that she can't control, so you probably did the right thing."
"Only probably?" Charlie asked and Harry shrugged, grinning as he knocked on the ministers door.
"She's pregnant," he snickered, "literally anything is possible."
"Hello Harry," boomed Kingsley in his rich accent, "what can I do for you?"
"Not me, Kings," Harry said, gesturing to Charlie who nodded at the minister, "Charlie here was hoping to speak with you."
"It's good to see you, Charlie!" Kingsley grinned, holding his hand out and Charlie shook it, smiling, "what did you want to discuss?"
"A little birdie," Charlie grinned, nudging Harry who groaned, rolling his eyes, "told me that the expert on Dragon care and behaviour is retiring. I was wondering what I would need in order to apply for his job."
"You're interested in working here, at the Ministry?" Kingsley frowned, stepping aside and waving goodbye to Harry as he ushered Charlie into his office, "I must say, I can't imagine you doing a desk job, Charlie."
"I don't know if you know or not, but Hermione and I have a son already and we just found out that she's pregnant again," Charlie explained, frowning when Kingsley's eyebrows shot up, "You didn't know?"
"For once, it seems that this piece of gossip has not reached my ears!" Kingsley grinned, "when did this start?"
"Arty, our five year old, was conceived on the night of Harry and Ginny's wedding," Charlie sighed, leaning forward, "a lot of miscommunication and untimely coincidences led to me not being in their lives for five years, so I've known about Arty for… Eight months now, or there abouts."
"Arty is your son?" Kingsley asked and Charlie nodded, smiling, "he's a wonderful child, Hermione is a wonderful mother."
"She's incredible," Charlie agreed, nodding, "but I left her, albeit completely unwittingly, to raise one of my children alone. I can't risk that happening again, which is why I'm interested in putting my knowledge of dragons to some use."
"It's going to involve field expeditions and travelling all over the world, you understand?" Kingsley asked and Charlie shrugged, smiling.
"I'm aware, but with magic it's not like I have to spend weeks at a time away and I can be back at a moments notice if I need to be," he suggested and Kingsley nodded, reaching into his drawer and pulling out a thick pile of parchment.
"This is the contract, take it home and look it over, discuss it with Hermione," he said and Charlie gasped as it dawned on him that Kingsley was giving him the job, "ignore the salary section, we will match what you earned as head keeper, your experience more than warrants it."
"What?" Charlie squeaked, "you're giving me the job and almost doubling the salary?!"
"Like I said, your experience and expertise will be invaluable and I would trust no-one more to liaise with the reserves," Kingsley shrugged, shoving the parchment pile towards him, grinning, "so yes, the job is yours if it fits in with you and your family. The current expert retires in two months, so I will give you a month to think it over, though I doubt you'll need it."
"I'd take it right now, if it were solely up to me," Charlie admitted, shocked, "but I should talk to Hermione."
"Good decision," Kingsley muttered, chuckling, "always listen to the woman in your life, Charlie."
"I plan to," he nodded, grinning, "I don't know how to thank you, Kingsley. I didn't expect you to accept."
"Thank me by taking the job and doing a better job than the current guy," he laughed, shaking his head, "I know that you will find it a big change, but I think you'll do an incredible job."
"Thank you." Charlie nodded, smiling as he looked down at the pile of parchment in his lap, only to be startled when Kingsley cleared his throat and he looked up to see the minister grinning at him, "right, sorry, I'm going."