Ch. 17

For a time, Tom would catch and prepare food for him and Hermione. But once the eggs had gotten large enough to where Hermione could no longer provide her body heat. Tom would curl up in his dragon form to do just that. While Hermione would go out and do what needed to be done for her dragon mate. She was only too happy to use her magic again without her overbearing dragon over her neck to do so.

During that time, Tom had to allow Hermione out of his site for a couple hours at a time. Only once she was in their makeshift home. He would get a hold of her, only to lick her all over. He was that processive. Reclaiming her as his.

Hermione had to hold her tongue when he had started doing it. Knowing it would cause another bound of arguments that she no longer had the energy for. But knew it was his way in dealing with what he couldn't control. Since he was stuck watching the eggs.

"When do you think they could be hatched," she asked one night. After bringing home a boar for them to share. Knowing that she would only cut up enough for her to eat. Before feeding the rest the massive heated dragon.

With a big huff, he rubbed his chin over a couple of eggs. "At least two would be hatching soon. Since I have been hearing their heartbeats the loudest…"

Hermione nodded. A lot of thoughts had run through her head. She knew that her children could be anything, since she was mostly human and their father wasn't. So she knew that she had to prepare herself for anything. Even for them to come out not so human.

"What's on your mind," his grumbled voice, coming out in a rumble that she could feel across the floor.

Without wanting another fight about what they couldn't control about them or the children. She asked what was overshadowed in her mind. "What would our lives have been like, if we were in Hogwarts at the same time?"

Tom chuckled deeply. "Either you had annoyed the hell out of me. Making me want to kill you slowly with my own two hands. Or kiss the daylights out of you, showing the school that you were mine."

Hermione giggled as she shook her head. Picturing Tom as a young Hogwarts student. Along with the mixed feels of his followers about a muggle born getting under their leader's skin. "It's hard to imagine, that is for sure…"

After she ate her fill. Hermione waved the boar towards Tom, who ate the rest in one massive bite. It made her quinge each time she could hear his massive sharp teeth grinding into the carcass. But knew that dragons were driven by hunger, greed, power, and reproduction tendencies.

Even though she had met Charlie Weasley a handful of times. She remembered how alived he seemed to be when he had talked about dragons. Now that she was a mate to a dragon and also a mother to future dragons, she found it a bit overwhelming if she was honest with herself. She just wished she had talked to Charlie more. She might be a little more comfortable about all the changes in her life.

The dragon before her let out a deep chuckle kind of sound. "If you had been close to that Dragon Keeper, I doubt you would be comfortable as it is…" He shook his head. "I know you like knowledge as much as I do. But even I know that live experiences can be more worthwhile than any dry textbook."

Hermione gaped at him. But flashes of DA came to mind. Where it was more fun to just do spells than it was to learn about them. "I guess I can't argue with that. But sometimes a well written book can be a little...garing. I want to know more than what the spell could do, but what can it feel like when you're able to do it."

"Plus it helps to show off that you can do it before anyone else." He gave her a knowing look that went along with his scaled smirk. Showing off blood caked tooth or two. "Intelligent minds will always be hungry for more. We just can't settle for simple things."

Hermione then realized, it was one of the heart to heart talks that they managed to have. Since they had left the lonely mountain behind them. It was then that she knew that Tom was still within the dragon. Then again, how long was he a dragon long before she was sent to Middle Earth. She could only imagine how much of the dragon that seemed to seep into his very vains.

Days seemed to pass in a blur. Before weeks had also passed along the way. It was within the timeframe of what Hermione had believed that it was three months since she had pushed out those six dragon eggs. Before either of them heard the beginning sounds of cracking from one of the eggs.

It was enough to cause the dragon to hop off the eggs. Where he hopped his way behind Hermione. Wrapping himself around her. Holding her from wanting to help the baby from breaking out on it's own. The first to be born was a human looking baby boy, which Hermione came and wrapped him in a blanket that she magic from a reed made mat.

"Merlin," stated Tom in his deep dragon voice. "That is the name I want him to have."

Hermione gave him a surprised look before bringing her son closer to her. Hoping it would be enough to help the child from wanting to follow in his father's hunger of endless power. Before another child was hatched. A human baby girl.

Hermione smiled down at the baby girl. As she wrapped her in another reed made blanket. Before a set of human looking dragons were born. Body shape of humans, but scale looking skin with claws, tail, and a set of wings. Each a boy and girl. Before a fully looking dragon hatchlings were born. Also a boy and girl.

Hermione had wondered why Tom hadn't changed into a human. Only to realize that he wanted them to know his dragon form, when they were born. Knowing that hatchlings would emprint on those that they first see. So it was with that knowledge that she hadn't yelled at him for not turning back into a human.

It was for their survival in mind that she knew that she would have to adapt. Adapting in the way of thinking, as a dragon.