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Challenges listed at the bottom.
Word Count: 767
Dimples
Draco banged on the door, cursing when it didn't move. He glanced over his shoulder at Charlie, who was sitting patiently against the wall, his legs crossed in front of him.
"Someone will come and get us eventually," Charlie murmured.
Draco huffed. He wanted nothing more than to use magic to get out, but he knew they couldn't. Magic wasn't allowed in the hatchery, because the eggs might react badly to it.
That had been the first thing Draco had been warned against, when he'd started his training there.
With one last bang against the door, Draco stepped away. He sank down on the floor against the wall facing Charlie, not wanting to get too close to the red-head who made him feel things.
Things Draco wasn't supposed to be feeling. He hadn't moved to Romania to feel things; if anything, he'd moved to Romania so he wouldn't feel things.
Charlie made that very difficult.
When they'd first met, Draco had been apprehensive about the older man. Given the way he and Ron had spent seven years at each other's throats, having Ron's older brother as his trainer didn't sit well with Draco, but Charlie was nothing like his little brother.
He was far more relaxed and easy going, but knowledgeable about the Dragons under his care. Draco had quickly realised how much Charlie loved his job, and the Dragons, and he found peace in that.
Despite his upbringing, Draco thought you could always tell what kind of person someone was by the way they treated animals and creatures, and given Charlie had chosen to dedicate his whole life to looking after them, he realised that Charlie was a good person.
That had been how it started.
A few months in, and Draco had known he was in trouble, but he'd tried, as best he could, to deny it.
"How long do you think it will take them to get us out?" he asked, voice soft, though it seemed loud in the silence of the room.
Charlie shook his head. "I'm not sure. The sirens went off just before the door catch failed, so there's probably an emergency in one of the pens. I know that Eloise said one of her Welsh Greens was being particularly aggressive lately, so it could be her."
Draco huffed. "I can't believe I didn't realise the catch wasn't on properly."
"Accidents happen," Charlie said with a careless shrug. He seemed unbothered that they were locked in. "Don't worry about it. Someone will come and let us out, Draco. They're not going to leave us here to rot."
"I know that," Draco retorted, a little sharper than he'd intended.
He was beginning to think that the mental wounds left over from the war hadn't healed as well as he'd thought though, because the feeling of being locked in was making his chest tight, and he suddenly felt too warm.
Charlie seemed to realise that he was struggling, and he motioned Draco over to join him. Draco did, if only because he was hoping Charlie would be able to distract him from their situation long enough that he wouldn't completely freak out.
"See the marks on the Horntail egg," Charlie said, pointing to the white speckles on the red egg. He continued to talk, his voice soft and calm, and Draco felt himself relaxing.
He didn't know how long passed with Charlie giving him an impromptu lesson on the dragon eggs, but he was surprised when the door suddenly opened.
Eloise put it on the catch, checking it was secure as the two men stood up. Charlie neared her immediately, checking the new burn wound on her arm.
"I'm fine, you big worry wart," she said, waving him off. "Edgar just got a little… exuberant."
Draco snorted while Charlie chuckled.
"Sorry we couldn't come and get you out immediately," she added. "I needed all hands on deck over with the Welsh Greens."
"It's fine," Charlie said, wrinkling his nose. "But I'm starving now, so I think it's time for a late lunch."
She nodded and led the way out, and Charlie turned to Draco and raised his eyebrows. "You coming?"
Draco nodded, then swallowed hard. "Uh. Thanks. For… that."
Charlie smiled at him, little dimples appearing. Draco thought he might actually swoon. "Anytime, Draco. You're safe with me, you know?"
Draco nodded as he followed Charlie from the Hatchery. "I know." And he thought that maybe he really was, and maybe he could be allowed to feel things.
Maybe one day, he'd get up the courage to see if those feelings were reciprocated.
Written For:
Valentines or Palentines: Day 8, Valentines: CharlieDraco
NeonFae's Nibbles: Pecan Pie: Dedicate (1) / DracoCharlie (3) / Locked In (5)
365: 149. Accident
Musical Yearly: 100. Classic Rock: Crazy Train: Mental wounds not healing
Insane House: 907. Locked In
