Chapter 4 – Romania

Lizzie quickly fell in love Romania. The days passed slowly but pleasantly. Charlie cooked almost as well as his mother. He was up at dawn every morning feeding a small collection of non-aggressive dragons from his colony who needed some extra care. Lizzie took to joining him early in the morning, carrying the entire pot of coffee out with her to watch his interactions with the beasts.

"I just want you to know this is completely out of character for me, I am deathly allergic to mornings," she said rubbing her eyes, "but this is fascinating, the last one of was this close to nearly made me pee myself, and by nearly, I mean I did," she added, and he belly laughed. Charlie talked her ear off about them in great detail. Most nights, in sharp contrast to the mornings, they spent a great deal of time drinking and talking about Quidditch.

"You'll be captain. I'll come to one of the games if you do. Bloody ministry bitch can't ban you for life," he assured. Lizzie rolled her eyes and laughed.

"EX ministry bitch, beat the crap out of me, power hungry evil woman," Lizzie said reproachfully.

"Why'd she do that?" He asked, frowning.

"Because I'm a delightful ray of sunshine, why else?" She asked sarcastically. He choked on his drink laughing.

"I just want to play at least one more time before I kick the bucket," she said.

"You're not going to kick the bucket," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Charlie, it's not even humanly possible how many times I've survived what isn't survivable, I'm not even of age yet, freaking time bomb," she insisted.

"I'm aware, I saved your life one of those times, remember?" He pointed out.

"That night will haunt me forever," she said, with a sudden break in her voice, and he startled at the sudden shift in her demeanor.

"Hey, Liz, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he said hurriedly, grabbing her shoulders.

"No, it's fine, I think I drank too much..." she sniffed, trying to avoid a mental dive bomb. "I owe my life to a lot of people, and I… I really loved him," she said breathlessly burying her face into his chest.

"Every one of them would do it again," he whispered into the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Lizzie," he said sympathetically. "I'm going to cut you off though," and he took her drink. She laughed a little through a sob and collected herself.

"How are you holding up? Honestly?" He asked.

"Honestly... that's a dangerous word," she said. "Everyone keeps asking me that, but I'm not even a little bit good, honestly," she admitted.

"I keep watching them die and now I look at everyone else and it's all I see them doing too. All this sick justification that I'm the only one who can kill him so damn however many people drop dead getting me there? I don't matter more..." she continued.

"God, you know if you told me... years ago... about what all this would entail I would have probably hung myself with a bedsheet. I spent my childhood hiding from a dead girl and all she was doing was heeding caution… I mean I thought my biggest problem was going to be having to marry a man three times my age, and just prayed that he would be less cruel than my uncle. I knew whoever it was would be cruel, they all are, I just hoped less so. That's all. Dodged that bullet and then took ten more in the chest," she ranted as Charlie made her tea and sat down on the coffee table in front of her.

"That's tea, Charlie," she said shortly after taking a sip..

"You are incredibly perceptive, Lizzie, bravo," he said.

"No, I mean it's tea…" she said indignantly.

"It is WAY too late for coffee, so… tea," he smirked, watching her exaggerate eyeroll.

"Speaking of the culty dirtbags, answer something for me, what do the young men do in that sadistic little corner of the church? The girls like you marry some old pervert... the boys like your cousin?" He asked.

Lizzie smirked. "That's what you want to know?" She asked. He nodded.

"They go to university, find a meek little pius shit balls like my aunt to marry at some point between finishing school and into whatever career they choose. They indoctrinate her into the church. That's how my uncle met my aunt. She was a receptionist at his office. First woman he proposed to said no, courted her for awhile I heard someone say once. Then he met little eighteen-year-old Petunia Evans who loved how much his little cult hated witches like her sister. To her he was normal, isn't that a sick joke? He must have been nearly thirty," Lizzie shrugged.

"So the boys pull girls in from outside the church. The girls get married off to older men in the church?" He asked.

"Exactly. It's how they entice older men to join...they'd get paired with a cute young wife. Young girls who weren't already in the church, were enticed by respected up-in-coming successful men who could give them a comfortable life. It's all very insidious. Most of the girls from the school I went to didn't last five years after they married off. Drug overdoses, slit wrists, weird illnesses, unexplained freak accidents. Some of the men were just really into little girls and when the wife they couldn't divorce got just a little too old for their liking... well off with her and they'd just get paired with a new one, it's a horror show," she explained.

"Well, you escaped for good didn't you?" He asked.

"No... no you never escape that, not mentally at least," she said quietly.

Remus appeared in the doorway several minutes later. "Little late?" He asked with a hint of suspicion. Charlie raised his eyebrows and finished his tea with a swift gulp and took to drinking the rest of Lizzie's.

"Where have you been?" Lizzie asked. Remus seemed to be acting different, and she couldn't help but notice a changed dynamic he had with Tonks.

"Oh, nowhere in particular," he said evasively, and Lizzie nodded slowly with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, best get to bed," Charlie said awkwardly, and they turned in for the night.

The next morning one of the dragons was particularly upbeat. "You know this one, Lizzie," Charlie said with a smirk, but she looked confused.

"Hagrid named him Norbert," he chuckled.

"No! Not the famous Norbert! Can I touch him?" She asked excitedly. Charlie nodded.

Norbert took her hand in his large snout without hesitation. "You weren't there when he hatched were you?" Charlie asked.

"I was actually," she said with a wide grin, looking into the enormous eyes fondly.

"Oh so that explains the affinity. The first people he saw he would recognize as family. Norwegian Ridgebacks are big home dwellers," he explained.

"Really? I'm touched, Norbert," she whispered close to the dragon's face. "You are so much more friendly than that crazy mean Horntail," she said in a baby voice.

"He's nearly six, Liz, full adult, no need for baby talk - he's also you know, a dragon just in case you missed that," Charlie said sarcastically. Lizzie shot him a reproving glare but the corners of her mouth curled in a smile.

"You know..." he said, approaching her and Norbert, "he's looking rather restless, you want to go for a ride?" Charlie asked. Lizzie gaped.

"You're joking," she said, shaking her head.

"It's better than a broom, in case you want to know why I turned down the big leagues," he said enticingly.

"Really?" She asked excitedly.

"It's better than a lot of things," he said a little close to her ear and under his breath, and she choked on a laugh. She felt his hands on her waist as he hoisted her up onto Norbert's back. It was a lot higher up than she realized. Charlie reached toward his neck and unclasped the chain, lifting himself up to sit behind her.

"C'mon Norbert," he yelled rubbing the scales on his back and the dragon stood up. Charlie wrapped his arms around Lizzie's abdomen to steady her, and with a few large flaps of his wings, they were in the sky.

It was like Buckbeak, but better, and far better than a broom. The adrenaline coursed through her veins and she felt absolutely invincible. Charlie leaned into her as they went higher through every turn and pivot. When they touched back down he pulled her off and she fell into a little him as he helped her down because her body felt like a cooked noodle. She couldn't stop laughing. Charlie steadied her, but lingered a little too close to her face for just a little too long. It didn't go unnoticed, and not just by Lizzie.

Lizzie looked over and saw Remus staring intently at the both of them. He had come out to find her and watched them land. Though he was mildly impressed by the flight, he also looked slightly annoyed at the recklessness.

"Charlie, if you haven't noticed, I'm trying to keep this one alive," Remus shouted.

"Sorry, Remus!" He shouted back apologetically.

"Definitely worth it! I'd rather die on a dragon than be killed by a lunatic," Lizzie shouted and giggled girlishly, a noise she forgot she could make when nervous or excited. Lizzie gave Norbert another friendly stroke on the face and retreated back up the path to the house.

Charlie followed but Remus stopped him in his tracks. "I'm not blind," he whispered to Charlie.

"Never thought you were," Charlie said, confused.

"I knew her and Cedric well, and she hasn't lit up quite like this since. If you're leading her to believe something that -"

Charlie cut him off. "Remus there's nothing to worry about," he reassured.

"She's not even of age," he hissed.

"That doesn't matter because there's nothing to worry about," he said more assertively.

"You're far too old for her," Remus added reproachfully.

"Oh you're one to talk," Charlie said indignantly, gesturing subtly toward Tonks.

Remus frowned but didn't deny. Jaw clenched he stared back at Charlie. "Hurt Lizzie and..." he started to say but Charlie put up a hand.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Charlie said harshly, and headed back inside.