Over the next few weeks, Hermione and Charlie worked side by side with amazing coordination. Nobody quite knew what it was, but these two managed to work instantly in perfectly synchronized coordination together, and so were swiftly paired together as taming partners. In no time at all, the two were unquestionably the best taming team, and often called in on the most sensitive cases that the Romanian Reserve encountered.
Outside of the training arena, the two were still inseparable and their fast friendship was easily spottable by even a newcomer to the reserve.
"Hey Mia?" Charlie called across the dusty bookshop to Hermione, "What was that book that you recommended the other day?" he asked as he nosed through the treasure trove of used books.
"When Char? We talk about books a lot." she questioned, looking up as she snapped the book she had been perusing shut and returned it to its spot on the shelf and reaching for another.
"Last week, when we were cleaning up Muredac's pen in the hatchery after he went on a toddler rampage and shredded the padding of sleep mat, and you were telling me all about some irish fairy tale because Muredac must be named after some character in the story."
"Oh right! The Story of Tuan mac Cairill about Tuan son of Muredac. Yeah, that's a good one. Why?" She looked up from the pages of her current find.
Charlie waved a beautiful jade colored leather bound book in her direction, titled with a gold script Irish Fairy Tales by James Stephens. "Is this the one? Would it be in here?"
Dropping the book she had been flipping through, Hermione bounded through the shelves, and flew to his side in a wave of excitement.
"Charlie! You found it!" she squealed, throwing herself at him in a jubilant hug. Taking the book from him she slid to the floor, leaning up against the shelf with her knees pulled to her chest and began perusing the pages of the book that had captivated her attention for many a summer hour in her younger days.
Charlie chuckled and slid down next to her, looking across her shoulder at the pages she was reading. He loved the way that Hermione could get so enthusiastic over a book, and always enjoyed the stories she recommended to him. He knew without a doubt that this one would be no different, and couldn't wait to head back to her cabin and curl up by the fire with his friend to enjoy a night in reading this new find.
As if sensing this from him, she turned and said, "well, what do you say Char. Should we head back to mine and brew up some tea and introduce you to the beautiful mystical land of the early emerald isle?"
With this, Charlie hopped up and profurred a hand to help Hermione up, saying, "Yup! Let's swing by Sam's to pick up some take away lunch, and we can make our way back."
Hours later, Finn and Mel entered Hermione's cabin to find a very adorable scene of domesticity; Charlie dozing along the end of the sofa with Hermione asleep, head in his lap and a large throw blanket tangled between the two. As the last of the day's sun filtered through the window, they noticed what they assumed must be a new book open and lightly clutched in Hermiones grasp, moments away from falling to the floor.
The couple turned to each other, rolling their eyes and sharing the same thought, when would this pair finally admit the obvious to themselves? They were smitten for each other!
Mel, not being one to pass up a moment of pranking (Charlie always insisted he would never let her meet the twins for fear that the wizarding world might not survive such a collaboration), quietly snuck behind the couch before Finn could stop her, and taking a deep breath, let out a ridiculously loud screech and then jumping back to watch the hilarity ensue.
Shocked by the sudden burst of sound, Hermione and Charlie tumbled off of the couch, attempting to roll to a standing defense ready position, managing instead to get themselves tangled in the throw blanket and falling back down again with a slight oof from Charlie as Hermione landed flush on top of him. Blushing slightly at the unexpected close contact to Charlie, Hermione pushed herself up, and standing, rounded on Mel & Finn, both of whom were doubled over in uncontrollable laughter at the scene that had unfolded before them.
In as quietly menacing a voice as she could muster, which frankly could have paled even the most stoic of Slytherin's, Hermione glared at the pranksters, "You two honestly have no idea the havoc I could wreak upon you…"
Knowing that Hermione would never actually hurt the two, Finn dramatized an expression of fear, and playfully jumped behind Mel calling out, "I'm an innocent bystander in this situation! Take her and do with her what you will, but please, leave me to live my best life!"
Rolling her eyes, Mel glanced over her shoulder at the man cowering playfully behind her and retorted snarkily, "Your best life without me, huh? I could walk out of here today and leave you to just that. Then see how much you like it."
Hermione and Charlie chuckled at the two. Looking up at her two friends, Mel looked at them and jabbed a thumb behind her, indicating her boyfriend, said, "I swear, he faces down dragons for a living, but the sight of this tiny witch's glare and suddenly he is a cowering mess!"
This final statement brought Hermione and Charlie to a full on fit of laughter.
Standing upright, Finn spun Mel into a dramatic dip and kissed her soundly in a debonaire fashion and then spun her back around to a standing position and wrapped his arms around her from behind holding her close, and then looked to their two friends and asked, "But seriously folks, Dinner? Drinks? Pester Sam?"
Hermione giggled at the endearing pair and turned to gather her jacket and scarf to head to the pub. Just then, a loud siren cut through the night, and the group tensed suddenly. Looking to each other, they all moved swiftly and smoothly, summoning their supplies, and geared up to head out at the sound of the emergency All Hands On Deck call.
Without a word, Charlie and Hermione apparated away together to the center of the reserve to assess the situation and step in to assist.
Chaos surrounded them. Tamers were running too and fro putting out the fires and smothering sparks, and the scent of singed wood could be smelled. Experience told them that dragon had gotten loose and wreaked havoc on the nearest conference cabin.
A loud roar sounded directly behind them, and Hermione suddenly felt Charlie's strong grip pulling her to the left, spinning her out of the way up leaning her up against the nearest wall, his body between her and the oncoming danger just as a burst of flame scorched the spot where she had been standing.
With no time to stay sedentary, Charlie and Hermione whipped around and in what one can only describe as the dance of the dragoneers, the skilled tamers shot spells and wards around each other, off toward the enraged dragon. Charlie would duck to the side in perfect rhythm with Hermione as she cast a ward or stunning spell, and she would then spin to the side just in time for him to shoot magical rope toward the beast. The two continued their tamer's dance, bobbing and veering in perfect unison, gaining unbelievable ground on the Hungarian Horntail foe.
As they gained control, more tamers, including Finn and Mel, appeared and together as an efficient team, they managed to quickly subdue the furious dragon, thus calming the scenario at hand.
When it was apparent that the dragon was under control and ready to be transported back to his pen, Hermione and Charlie looked to each other and caught their breath, coming down from the adrenaline of the fight. Just then, Hermione saw Gil, hovering by the door of his nearby office assessing the scene that had unfurled and then quickly disappearing back inside the building. What she had noticed, however, left her with an uneasy feeling. The head of the reserve had briefly had an expression on his face not of shock or surprise at the fact that a dragon had somehow gotten loose under his watch, but instead a flickering glance of shock or even disappointment as if at a plan gone wrong. Not knowing quite what to make of this, Hermione filed this observation away to ponder further at a later time.
Just then Finn called out to the pair, "Oy. Weasley, Granger, y'all good? Any injuries to report?"
Giving eachother a brief look over, the two shook their heads signaling an all good. Finn nodded and then turned to an also unharmed Mel, pulling her into a relieved hug.
Charlie glanced at Hermione and noticed her look of suspicion and confusion as she glanced again back to the spot where the head of the reserve had been standing.
"Mia? Everything ok?"
After a moment she responded quietly, "I'm not sure Charlie. I'm not sure."