Charlie Weasley loved his family. He loved their laughter and mischievous attitudes. He loved their appreciation for good food and conversation. Loved their kind and open-minded nature. Loved their tendency to care for each other without effort as if it was simply deep-seated into their minds. Mostly, he loved their strength, solidarity and tight-knitted affection. Charlie liked to think he shared the same characteristics that he admired within his family circle, but he knew if there was a black sheep to be had he was it.
The Weasley Clan was made of strong backs and unwavering loyalty. All were lovers, but had the skillset to be fighters when pushed. That was the significant difference between Charlie's siblings and himself. He didn't consider himself much of a lover at all. He was a fighter first and a lover second. He was wild and as untamed as the dragons he spent so much of his time with. Charlie loved his family and was certainly capable of affection and compassion, yet he lacked a need for roots.
He didn't know how to be content as they were. He was constantly restless even in their presence. Sitting at dinners, as his siblings bickered and his nieces and nephews ran about the small house in laughter, Charlie felt his heart beating strongly. Each time he saw a familiar face, he felt a burst of pride and happiness. He was a part of something so real and wonderful that sometimes Charlie felt inadequate. He had no wife. No children. No romance. He had never maintained interest in a woman long enough to develop true depth of emotion. In his teens, love with a woman was the last thing on his mind.
He enjoyed women. He enjoyed their bodies and minds. He enjoyed their laughter and personalities. He had a handful of one-night stands before realizing he left those encounters feeling uncomfortable. Slimy and dirty. He began making it clear to any woman that while he was interested and willing to be friends, he wasn't looking for relationships. This upfront way was how Charlie continued for years while working in Romania. At the time, he was in his mid-thirties and all of his siblings were married or engaged. Bill and Fleur had two daughters and a third pregnancy freshly announced. Ginny and Harry had a small baby boy and were already discussing more. Hermione and Ron were beginning to talk openly about having children as soon as Hermione's next promotion came along. Charlie was the only single, unattached male left in the family. His mother truly began to harp him.
For an entire year, during every holiday he had traveled home for, Molly gave him long talks about his bachelor lifestyle. She alternated between fussing and nearly crying. What was he doing with his life? Was he going to stay in the remote mountains in Romania with dragons until he died? Was he going to continue to miss precious times with his siblings, nieces, and nephews? How long did he think his parents would live? After all, they were nearly seventy. Did he love dragons that much that he was willing to stay isolated?
The following year, Charlie had gone to the Ministry on an early January morning. He applied for a transfer from Romania Dragon Sanctuary to the considerably smaller company in Scotland. He didn't tell his mother, but did inform his father and most of his brothers. By the Easter holidays, Charlie was moving his few belongings into a small cottage seaside just a brisk walk away from Bill and Fleur's house. One particular weekend, Bill and Arthur traveled by Portkey to Romania. They helped Charlie Transfigure books and clothes and pack them into boxes. A bit of Charm work and all of the belongings were stuffed into the pocket of their robes.
The cottage was decent, although nothing spectacular. It had one bedroom, a tiny bathroom, and a rather large den and kitchen. This worked well for Charlie, who was well known for studying Alchemy in his free time. He was always looking for ways to enhance medicines relatable to aiding dragons. Charlie had a fairly large savings in his Vault account. Plenty of paperwork on Bill and Charlie's part meant the account in Romania was eventually transferred back to Gringotts in Britain.
After a birthday dinner for Ron in March, Charlie pulled Molly aside and explained what he had done. Spoke to his boss and put in an official Notice of Departure. Turned in his transfer papers at both the Romanian and Britain Ministry. Been accepted as Head of Dragon Handling at the Scotland Sanctum. Closed his Romanian Vault account and transferred all money to Gringotts once more. Bought a cottage nearby Bill and Fleur. Portkey'd his important belongings into his new home.
Molly had clung to him, laughing and crying loudly enough that half the family rushed into the kitchen. She had turned around, wiping tears and exclaiming, "Charlie is coming back home. He's going to work at the Scotland Sanctum."
The following six years had passed well. George and Angelina officially sealed the deal on their long engagement and promptly announced their pregnancy. As time progressed, Charlie's siblings popped out more and more children. Charlie truly enjoyed being closer to his parents. He was close enough that he could Apparate to the Burrow for dinners every Sunday. Occasionally, he visited Hogwarts to give special speeches and performances to N.E.W.T Care of Magical Creatures class. When he was at the castle, he would visit with McGonagall, Flitwick and other friendly teachers of his. Sometimes, he even took in a Quidditch match.
He saw Bill weekly. They would go sea-fishing together and drink Firewhiskey around a bon-fire on the beach. Fleur would cook spectacularly fancy dinners on the nights Charlie would show up at their door. Charlie liked being an uncle and didn't choose favorites at all, but because of how close he was to Shell Cottage he found himself in the company of Bill's three children more than any others.
Victoire was stunning like her mother with silvery hair that looked like silk. Her skin glowed just slightly and was smoother than butter. Her face was of the purest aristocracy with high cheek bones, a delicate button nose, full lips, and perfectly arched eyebrows. She was physically stunning like her mother and clever like her father. At eighteen years old, Victoire was fresh out of Hogwarts and undergoing a Charms Apprenticeship at the Ministry with the intent of joining the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. She worked hard and could often be found hunched over the kitchen table with thick tomes. She took notes, listened to any advice or techniques Bill showed her. She was in a long-standing relationship with the respectable and talented Teddy Lupin, which was Harry's godson and just two years older than Victoire. The girl was charming and loyal. Smart and not nearly as up-tight as her mother as far as Charlie could tell.
Dominique, who preferred to be called Dom, was just starting her N.E.W.T years at Hogwarts. At sixteen, she was finally beginning to look like a young woman instead of a little girl. She had a head full of dark red hair that was curly and untamable just like Bill's. She was slim like her sister and parents, but was beginning to earn rather big curves in places that made Bill nervous. Dom's face looked innocent with sprinkles of freckles across her nose and cheeks, but the sharp smirk across her lips was a give-away for mischief. The girl adored pranking and could often be found in Uncle George's shop on any given weekend during holidays. Bright blue eyes were constantly dancing with secrets and laughter. She loved a heated debate and adored all things athletic. Dom was current Quidditch Captain of Gryffindor and played as lead Chaser. She was smart and made excellent grades, although she had a problem with being easily distracted, which kept her for reaching her fullest academic potential. She was planning to follow in her Aunt Ginny's footsteps and play professional Quidditch. She hadn't yet decided what she would do after a few years of professional sports, but she showed excellent skills in Charms and Care of Magical Creatures.
Louis had only recently started his journey at Hogwarts. He was still a little boy, but growing to look like his father every day. The boy was a scholar at heart and could be found with his nose in a book most of the time. He showed a level of intelligence that surpassed his older sisters, but was not beyond mischief and mayhem. In actuality, the family had quickly realized Louis was a troublemaker. Until he went to school, it was James and Dom who managed to get into trouble the most. Now, Louis was right up there on the Infamous Trouble List. Despite his attention to all things involving learning, Louis had a temper. He disliked any form of injustice and often brawled with any who had negativity toward his family or friends. As a First Year, Bill and Fleur would have years' worth of detentions and Howlers to handle.
Due to a rather angry female Scottish Green Giant, Charlie was running late for the family get-together at the Burrow. He Apparated quickly and popped into existence just outside the rickety gate of his childhood home. There were loud greetings from various children, but the loudest was from Dom. She was nearest to the gate where she had been playing catch with Molly, Lucy, and Lily. She whirled around, dropping the ball and opening the gate. It squeaked as Charlie walked through it. He gave a tired smile. "What's up, Dum-Dum?"
He reached out and thumped Dom's freckled nose softly.
She rolled her twinkling eyes and asked, "How badly are you hurt?"
"Not too badly." He replied, "I healed the worst of it."
Dom frowned and absentmindedly tossed the Quaffle across the yard. The two sisters, Molly and Lucy, chased after it in friendly competition. Lily purposely walked slowly, so the younger two would catch the ball and win. Dom asked, "What happened this time? You get bit?"
Dom followed as Charlie made his way through the opened backdoor. He said, "No. My female Green Giant, Tikki, is in heat. She wasn't happy when I came to feed her and accidently irritated her chosen mate for the season."
"Did she try to smush you?" Dom asked eagerly as Charlie gave the closest person a hug. It just happened to be Ginny. Next was Harry and then George. His nephew- dark skinned and haired like his mother- gave a grin that strongly resembled his father. Freddie asked, "You got trampled?"
Charlie threw himself into a nearby chair just as Molly whirled away from the stovetop, where Victoire and Rose were helping chop vegetables. She hugged her son with one arm and fretted, "Are you okay, dear? Do you need a Burn Salve?"
"No." He answered with a quick grin, "She caught me with her claws."
Molly's wrinkled face went stern. She pointed a wooden spoon and said, "You're trying to give your poor Mum a heart attack, aren't you?"
"Of course not, Mum." Charlie replied easily, "I love you."
Arthur walked into the kitchen with Bill and Percy at his side. He smiled and greeted, "Hello, Charlie. Adventurous day at work?"
"Always, Dad." Charlie poured a large cup of orange juice from a nearby pitcher. He took a deep pull and asked, "How about you? Anything interesting?"
Arthur's eyes lit up. He said, "I confiscated a new Muggle tool. Let me get it and I'll be right back to show you."
Charlie smiled as Bill chuckled and Percy rolled his eyes. Both brothers sat across from Charlie. Harry took the last empty seat and sighed heavily, rubbing at his neck just as Ron and Hermione came from outside with a gaggle of little girls on their heels. There was a chorus of, "Uncle Charlie!" Then, Charlie found pointy elbows smacking him in the stomach and legs as bodies climbed all over him. He closed his eyes tightly just as an elbow caught him in the eye-socket.
He groaned as Hermione began to fuss with an added stern word from Grandma Molly across the kitchen. Charlie shook his head and said, "It's okay. It's fine, 'Mione."
Charlie settled Little Molly on one knee and Little Lucy on the other. They held on tightly and giggled as Charlie began to tap a wild rhythm with his feet. They shook about, grinning at each other, as they rode his knees like little ponies. Charlie cradled Lily against his chest, affectionately returning her hug. She had just turned thirteen-years-old and was the spitting-image of Ginny. She was still trailing after her older brothers, seemingly unsure, and yet, Charlie had seen Lily stand on her own when determined. Where did the time go, Charlie wondered?
He fit in rather quickly at Scotland Sanctum. Anywhere with dragons was a place Charlie would love to be. Romania had a wider variety of species, but Scotland was not without its beauty. Green Giants and Blue Burns were the two most common. One was native to Scotland while Blue Burns were from Ireland. Belgium Rainbows were extremely rare and rather docile. An old female, sickly and dying despite all the experts around the countries working on her, had finally seen a turnaround when Charlie showed up. He had named her Iris and one of the first commands made as Head Handler was: no one was to touch Iris unless given his permission.
Because of Charlie's vast experience and position as Head of Dragon Handling, he was allowed to pair any Handler to any animal he so chose. There was a pair of German Jewels, an extremely rare species, that had been shipped in only a year before. Their nest had been destroyed in a flooding event. Charlie had jumped at the chance to care for them. The female, which he had named Buttercup, was doing wonderfully.
Despite the famous nasty tempers of German Jewels, Buttercup had taken Iris under her wing. They were often curled up together. On long nights, they would roar and call to each other in happy conversation. Oddly enough, Buttercup's mate allowed Iris to remain close to their sleeping areas without harming the old female. The male German Jewel tried to trample and eat every human that came near his mate. Charlie was the only exception. And that was because nobody else respected the prideful male as he wished to be respected. Brutus was wild and vicious. Charlie adored him.
For years, his family wanted to see the dragons he cared for on a daily basis. Living and working in Romania meant his family hadn't gotten the chance. Financially, none of the Weasleys could afford such a trip. The brewing war had only added to the problems. When he first began working at Scotland Sanctum, the idea hadn't occurred to him. He wanted to become accustomed to a new environment, animals, and people first. It was a few months into his new job that Ron had excitedly asked when he could come to the Sanctum. A multitude of other family members were curious as well.
Unfortunately, Charlie was not on a personal basis yet with the owners of the Sanctum, the Frawley brothers. They knew very little about Charlie Weasley, other than good word of mouth and an impressive string of documents. He had assured his family once he had built up trust and understanding, he would approach the brothers about bringing his family to see dragons. It had taken a few years before Charlie had felt confident in himself, his dragon charges, his coworkers, and his bosses. On March first, Ron's thirty-ninth birthday, Charlie had finally gotten approval to lead a tour group.
There were restrictions, but Charlie was more than capable of protecting his family from dragons. Of course, a brood as big as theirs meant not everyone could attend. All the older children were safely tucked away at Hogwarts and were sorely disappointed they couldn't see Uncle Charlie's dragons. The youngest children were at the Burrow with Molly, who absolutely didn't want to see the beasts. Percy wasn't particularly interested in the dragons, either.
That left Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, Bill and Fleur, George and Angelina, Victoire and Teddy, and Arthur. Everybody was excited with grins on their faces. Charlie started off through the main entrance and tossed out bottles of Odorless Mask. He said, "This keeps all of you relatively scent free. I know I told all of you not to wear any kind of perfumes or colognes. You listened, right?"
Everyone nodded and took turns spraying the front of their clothes and then the back. Charlie waved his wand and Vanished the bottles of Mask. He led them to another room, where everyone signed a paper ensuring the Sanctum would not be sued if they were maimed or killed by any animals within the facility.
Ron grumbled, "We aren't likely to get eaten, are we?"
Charlie snorted, "Don't worry, Birthday Boy, I'll keep you safe from the monsters."
After a brief rundown on basic safety measures, Charlie led the group through a sealed metal door. It led outside into a rather large and empty section of a meadow. There was a neat line of big steel and iron cages toward the left at the edge of a thick forest. Charlie led them down a stone walkway that cut straight through the meadow. They all walked on, listening to the echoing roars and growls coming from every direction. Ron kept looking up at the midday sky, but saw no winged giants. They came to the opposite side of the field where two wizards stood beside an impressive gate. The wall surrounding this side of the meadow went as far as the eye could see both on the right and left side. The metal wall was easily taller than a giant. The gate was wrought-iron with chains crossed all around it.
High in the air atop the wall was row after row of sharp, pointy spikes made of enchanted silver and iron. Charlie saw the curious eyes of his family. He said, "The spikes are Charmed to let out an electric shock if touched by the dragons. It wouldn't be enough to seriously injury them, but would be enough to make them think twice before barreling through."
"They just fly free passed this gate?" Ron choked out.
Charlie grinned and said, "No. Depending upon species, size, and temperament the dragons are sectioned into Charmed Wards. They all have their own free-grazing and flying space. You will see in just a moment. The gate is just a precaution."
He spoke good-naturedly with the guards before the hefty gate swung backward and smashed into the wall with great grumbles and thudding. Charlie looked at the wide eye stares of his group and said, "That gate has to be able to move quicker than a dragon. Safety measure. You sure don't want to be in its way when it swings closed. Come along. Stay close."
Fleur spoke up in a nervous whisper, "I am not sure if zis iz safe, Bill."
"Charlie does this for a living, honey." Bill replied amusedly, "I will protect you."
"Don't worry, Mum." Victoire spoke up from beside them. Her voice was rather chipper. She held tightly to Teddy's hand and smiled at her mother. "Uncle Charlie won't let any dragons hurt us, right, Charlie?"
"Of course not, little love." Charlie smiled, "And there are emergency procedures that I know almost better than my own name. Trust me."
Within the towering walls was miles and miles of rolling hills and forest and lakes. The backdrop was a never-ending blue sky. They all stopped and simply stared. Harry whispered, "Wow. Beautiful."
Charlie grinned and said, "Yeah. I love walking around this place."
There was a fairly small shack, big enough to hold various equipment. Charlie dug through wooden trunks as he said, "This place is far bigger and we would spend days touring it all. I'm going to keep us fairly close to the front portion of the fields."
He brought them down a worn path through the grass. The sounds of dragons were increasing in volume. Dragon Handlers in thick leather gear could be see zooming to and fro within the bright blue sky.
He spoke as they walked, "I know most of you are nervous and some of you don't like flying. We keep the most temperamental dragons further out, you know, away from the more docile dragons. It is only reachable by broom or Apparition, but the sensitive dragons don't particularly like the sound of Apparition. Today, I'm going to introduce you to the gentler of my beasties."
They went up a grassy hill and came down slowly. Charlie pointed toward the right at the base of the hill and smiled. "That pretty thing drinking by the stream is an Irish Blue Burn. She is a female and mine. Her name is Belle. Come closer."
They walked on and Charlie was fully willing to sprint down the hill, but most everyone else was rather cautious. They took their time and meandered closer. Charlie pointed out the slightly shimmering Ward and explained, "She can't pass this barrier unless the Ward is taken down. She has plenty of space to roam with only her mate within the Ward boundaries as company. During mating season, we do occasionally take certain Wards down to allow specific dragons to…um…mingle. But Belle already mingles with Brian regularly, so they stay right in this area. It is called Section A."
Several people chuckled. They stepped through the Ward and walked on. With Bill's help, Charlie had created a Charmed wooden bridge and crossed a portion of a large stream. He gestured and the group stopped walking and simply stared. Charlie's wand was held tightly in his right hand. He would throw up a powerful Shield over his family and send out a Patronus Alarm if Belle attempted any feisty movements.
And then, she looked up from the water. Her wedge head, a beautiful powder-blue, moved in a hypnotic position. Golden eyes and slit pupils shuddered, a thick lid disappearing with a single blink of her eyes. She let out a snort that sounded very much like the explosion of a cauldron. Charlie called out, "How are you doing, Belle? I brought some visitors. Tell them hello."
She snorted again and sparks rushed out of her wide-set nostrils. She maneuvered, dipping her front claws into the water and smoothly letting her legs curl until she was lying half on the muddy bank and half in the water. Beneath their feet, the ground rumbled with her hefty body weight plopping down.
Charlie sighed as a growl echoed just as a midnight-blue dragon edged his way through the treeline. His eyes were vivid orange and intent on Charlie. He said, "Everyone calmly back up. Do not take your eyes from the male in the trees. When you're outside of the Ward, just wait for me."
Brian lumbered closer with ground-shaking thumps. His head was low to the ground like a bull right before charging. His tail flickered back and forth quicker than a whip. His pace was slow, but relentless. Charlie stood tall and tense with his wand held tightly. He never raised his arms and barely breathed. He no longer heard the shuffling feet of his family and hoped they had made it beyond Section A's Ward boundary. Brian dragged his smooth belly across the bank as he slithered into the stream and made his way toward the opposite bank where Charlie stood.
He took one large step backward, keeping his eyes squarely on Brian as the male dragon lunged out of the stream and shook gallons of water off of him with one thunderous shake. Years of practice ensured Charlie kept his muscles locked and did not flinch or wipe the water off of his face. Brian snorted as he took half a step and nearly crushed Charlie's thick-booted foot. Despite the extremely long and sharp claws digging into the tip of Charlie's boots, the wizard didn't make a sound. He could feel the heat coming off of the Blue Burn in waves. The sniffing was fine, encouraged even, as Charlie took a deep breath.
His eyes stayed on one large orange orb as Brian turned his head. Charlie spoke loudly as he stared at the dragon. "This is Brian. He is rather protective of his mate."
Brian abruptly butted his head against Charlie's shoulder and it sent the wizard stumbling back a full step. He was prepared for this and caught himself quickly. His left leg was behind him, holding him in place and keeping him from falling down. Brian butted his head against Charlie's shoulder once more, letting out a hiss that was somehow sinister and delightful all at the same time.
Charlie brought his left hand up very slowly, allowing Brian to see the appendage as it was held horizontally out away from Charlie's body. Brian turned his big head away from Charlie's shoulder, which pulled dark blue scales across Charlie's chest. The sharpness of the scales ripped the fabric of Charlie's leather plate and through his t-shirt to the skin below. Charlie pressed his lips together tightly, allowing Brian to blow hot air across his arm. Brian took a powerful step backward and let out a quick choking sound, which Charlie knew was reluctant acceptance.
Charlie nodded his head once before slowly beginning to back away in big, overly exaggerated steps. Eventually, Brian turned away and lumbered across the stream once more. Charlie still didn't turn his back on the dragons. He called out, "I'll come back to feed you both later."
Then, he was across the wooden bridge and outside of the Ward. He turned to face his family and grinned. He said, "Brilliant, aren't they?"
"You're bleeding, Uncle Charlie." Victoire pointed out in awe.
Charlie frowned, glanced down and saw his chest. He waved his wand and the leather breast plate was suddenly sewed shut once more. He rolled his head and said, "Yeah. Brian was determined to put his scent all over me. Territorial fellow, he is."
He gestured and said, "You guys have to meet my favorite girl. She's pure brilliance, I swear it. Best dragon in this Sanctum. Let's go. It isn't too far. She likes to be close to people, which is definitely not normal for dragons."
"Brian is the name of the male Blue Burn?" Harry asked as they walked.
Charlie glanced behind him and met the wizard's eyes. He said, "Yes. That is Belle's mate. They had a different Handler before I arrived. My first day on the job, the bosses wanted to see if I was capable of handling difficult cases as they had been told I could. Brian is their most ornery Blue Burn. Over six years, he and I have come to an understanding. He's a good dragon. Very nice friend and mate to Belle."
They walked perhaps a quarter mile beyond Section A before they hit another shimmering Ward. Charlie said, "This is Section B and it is about the same size as Section A. As you can see, Section B holds more water than forest. This is because the dragon here is fond of water. Most Belgium Rainbows are."
"Are you sure we could not zimply ztand beyond zay Ward?" Fleur asked.
Charlie stopped and faced his family. He frowned and slowly said, "Of course you can. I don't want anybody upset. I will call her down here in a moment. If anybody wants to stand outside of the Ward, go ahead."
Everybody looked to one another before Teddy grinned, "Don't look at the Hufflepuff. I'm definitely staying inside of the Ward. Gotta be brave around a lot like you all." Victoire and Harry laughed.
Ron said, "You're plenty brave, Teddy. For a Hufflepuff."
Teddy pretended to cough as he said, "Spiders."
Ron slugged him in the shoulder and blushed.
Bill said, "I will stand on the outside of the Ward if you need me to, love."
Fleur pressed her lips together and shook her head. "No. Continue, please, Charlie."
Charlie smirked and said, "All of you stay right here. Don't be scared. She's one of the gentlest dragons I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."
He turned and took off running. He came down, sliding slightly until he was at the base of the hill. There was a deep muddy impression right where he was standing. He knew she loved to sleep right here. Charlie looked up and cupped his hands around his mouth as he yelled, "She's going to come flying to me. Don't panic. Just watch."
He turned his back to his family and sucked in a deep breath. And let out a deep-bellied shout. It echoed across the rolling hills and bright sky. A moment passed and a roar could be heard. It was loud and piercing and drawn out. Charlie took a deep breath and replied in kind, throwing his head back. He was grinning like a madman as the distant figure abruptly launched itself into the sky, hovering just above a cluster of Evergreen trees toward the left. She was stunning as she came flapping gracefully his way. Iridescent silver scales shined and threw off a kaleidoscope of rainbow colors.
Iris was his pride and joy and made his heart beat faster inside of his chest. She came gently swooping down and landed with a thunderous crash of clawed feet. In a rather dramatic display, she threw up a slew of mud and water. It covered Charlie head to toe, but he grinned and spit out the mouthful of grit.
She was a big girl, mature at an estimated age of eighty-five, and had been gaining a healthy amount of weight in the few years she had been with Charlie. Iris took a big step forward just as Charlie did. He reached up, allowing his arms to circle her wide neck. Iris let out soft hisses as she placed her thick wedged head against Charlie's right shoulder. The chin of most dragons was soft and without scales. The skin was smooth as it rubbed against the top of Charlie's shoulder. He hugged her closely and whispered, "Hey, my girl. How you doing today?"
She snorted as he asked, "Happy to see me?"
He laughed and said, "I'm happy to see you, too. I have a favor to ask."
Iris snorted again and moved her back feet restlessly. It sent another wave of mud splashing against Charlie's clothes. He asked, "Would you be willing to meet my family? Huh, my Queen? They'd be delighted to meet you."
Carefully he took a step back and stared into her emerald green eyes. Big and awe-inspiring eyes. He patted her cheeks with both hands before moving upward and stroking her nose from the top to the bottom. She snorted and singed his hand, but he kept petting. Eventually, Iris cocked her head to the side and her bejeweled eyes turned upward to observe the humans at the top of her hill.
"That's them, Iris." Charlie whispered happily, "My brothers and sisters. My father. My niece and nephew."
Iris slowly folded her back feet until she was sitting on the muddy ground. Then, she turned to look at Charlie. He grinned and carefully climbed up her flanks until he was on her spine. He made sure to keep his booted feet to the side of her spine as he walked across her back. He came to her shoulder blades and sat in the thick dip between her lavender-colored wings. He leaned forward, hugging her neck like a necklace as she climbed the hill. She was slow and not using even half the swift speed Charlie knew she was capable of.
He pressed a kiss to her silver scales and whispered, "Such a smart and considerable girlie. They won't be scared after they see how sweet you are."
When they made it to the top of the hill, Iris lowered her neck until her chin touched the grassy ground. Charlie maneuvered slightly and then slid smoothly down her neck like a child would on a playground slide. He landed with his feet spread on either side of Iris's head. He stepped away from her and she lifted her head, staring him straight in the eyes. This was the only dragon he would allow to see his back. He turned to his family, grinning broadly as Iris stood closely behind him. She stayed crouched over, so she could occasionally nudge his head in affection.
Charlie stared at his delighted and stunned family. He proudly declared, "This is Iris, the absolute love of my life. She was extremely sick for years, but took a liking to me. I put her on a special feeding regime and created a tonic for her. She's fit and back to her glorious self, aren't you, my love?"
A long, narrowed tongue came out of the dragon's mouth. With razor sharp five-inch teeth just a breath's away from his neck, Iris let her tongue sleek up the side of Charlie's head. He grinned and reached behind him, blindly petting her cheek.
Hermione asked, "Your safety measures are…different for her?"
"Oh, yes." Charlie answered with a smile, "But only unofficially. No other deals with her except me. I have a personal code when it comes to conduct with dragons. With Iris, my rulebook doesn't exist. She acts nothing like most dragons. See, dragons have basic traits. All have mood swings, especially in regards to mating and feeding. They're all territorial and vicious when hunting. It's a part of being a wild reptile, but Iris seems to lack mood extremes and territorial aspects. She was sad before I came to the Sanctum, but she has remained happy and content ever since."
He grinned and asked, "Anybody want take a ride?"
Victoire stepped forward and shakily said, "I do…I think."
Teddy took a deep breath and said, "Me, too."
"No." Fleur spoke up firmly, "Do not argue, Victoire."
Bill said, "I could ride with her, love."
Charlie could see it in his brother's eyes. He was dying to get on Iris's back. Charlie smirked at him and said, "Come on, Bill, or are you too old for adventure?"