It was autumn and that was Charlie's favored time of year. He liked the cold, which he attributed to all his years in Romania. He liked the jolliness of Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. He liked celebrating his birthday as well as Bill's. The man was, and would always be, Charlie's greatest confidante. They were coming up on the large Weasley Thanksgiving Feast in just a few days. Charlie was happily looking forward to it. Charlie was thinking of his family, relaxing by the fireplace in his tiny den when a brisk knock sounded at his door.

It was about six in the evening, a fairly early night for somebody as busy as Charlie. With shorter days and colder nights, the dragons were fed earlier. His day was over unless, of course, the alarms sounded for an emergency with the dragons. He wasn't expecting company, but guessed Bill or one of the kids might be outside his door. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find a woman on his porch.

Shortly after his family's visit to the Sanctum in March, a new recruit was brought in. Head Handler had to train the new blood, which was fine with Charlie. Charlie was not in any way a chauvinist, but he had been mildly surprised to discover the recruit to be a female. There were no female Handlers in Romania and, until Delilah Fawley, there were none at the Sanctum. As a recruit, she had been eager, hardworking, unafraid, and attentive, which was certainly necessary in their line of work. She had the strong personality made for Dragon Handling, but that wasn't what made Charlie like her.

She caught and held Charlie's attention because of her compassion and determination. Delilah was empathetic to all around her. She had a knack for Healing and a mind that always looked for reasons to understand why somebody, or something, was acting a certain way. She was purely understanding and accepting. Compassionate. Bold with her emotions. He liked her, was attracted to her. Had been for some time. They were friends of a sort, but never had she given any indication that she thought of Charlie beyond that.

Charlie frowned and said, "Hey, Delilah. How are you?"

She gave a wobbly smile and said, "Hey, C. Is this a bad time?"

"No." He opened the door wider and gestured her inside. He closed the door and asked, "Would you like tea? My Mum gave me these incredible lemon biscuits yesterday. I'm willing to share."

Delilah smiled and Charlie tried not to stare at her rose-petal pink lips. She said, "That sounds lovely. You're sure I'm not bothering you?"

"Not at all." He said as they walked slowly toward the den. He said, "Take a seat wherever you'd like. Let me get you a cup."

He disappeared into the kitchen. He was puzzled as to why Delilah had showed up unannounced, but not irritable about it. Over the last seven months, they had become friends. They spent hours together seven days a week at work, often times taking lunch together. He was her mentor, but she had become his friend. He wasn't sure how or why or when they had become friends, but it had happened. It started with instructions and encouragement while cleaning dragon dung out from underneath Iris's scales. Then, it was curious discussions as they scarfed down ham sandwiches in the grassy fields.

They had so many common interests that Charlie was dumbfounded by. Her love for dragons, and animals in general, was profound. He could tell by the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes when she dealt or spoke about them. She didn't mind getting down and dirty. She wasn't a prissy or fussy female at all. She had even wrestled in the mud with him once. It had turned into a particularly good day when they discovered Belle and Brian had conceived, so an impromptu jump in the mud and stream had seemed like the thing to do.

Shaking himself away from the memories, Charlie came back into the den and found Delilah sitting at the small roundtable in the corner of the room. He went to her, carefully setting out a tray and a kettle. He sat across from her and tapped the decorative tin box. He said, "Those biscuits are everything. I guarantee you're going to eat them all."

She rolled her gray-blue eyes and said, "Whatever. Don't believe you."

She fixed her cup of tea as he fixed his own. He watched with a smirk as she took a chomp out of a delicate lemon cookie. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Yummy."

"I told you." Charlie chuckled and asked, "How's Gideon?"

Delilah's face melted into a soft look Charlie found endearing. She said, "He is definitely excited for Halloween night. He picked a costume from a shop today."

Charlie asked, "What did he pick?"

Delilah watched as Charlie dunked his biscuit into his tea. She laughed and said, "He is going to be a vampire bat. He's quite happy about it."

"Scary." Charlie responded, "Misunderstood. Predatory. I like his choice."

"Did you ever meet a vampire in Romania?" Delilah asked curiously.

Charlie smirked, "Yes. I did. Twice."

Those expressive eyes came alive. He watched them go from a dove grey to a darker blue. He was fascinated and nearly missed it as she excitedly demanded, "Tell me."

"Well, the first was a business acquaintance that provided vials of vamp blood at a steep price. It helped with Dragon Blood Replenisher, though."

"What was he like?" Delilah asked as she leaned forward, putting her elbow on the table and her chin in the cup of her hand.

Charlie explained, "He was rather peaky looking with short black hair. His teeth didn't look very pointy to me, but I've been told that vampires are capable of very strong Glamour Charms. He was a quiet guy. Didn't talk at all, really, but had a wicked pair of ruby-red eyes."
"Shut up!" She exclaimed with a delighted laugh, "You're so friggin' brave."

He shook his head and said, "Nah. I always had friendly wizards right there in the Compound with me. If the vampire would have attacked, he would have been killed in an instance. In Romania, their Ministry is a bit lax about Dark Arts, see."

Her eyes rounded. She said, "I could see that, I guess. Makes sense. Did people you know use Dark Arts out in the open? Like at the Compound or in public areas?"

Charlie nodded, "Oh, yeah. Definitely. It took years before I was used to it."

Delilah took a sip of her tea and added another heaping spoonful of sugar. Charlie grinned and she asked, "What? What are you smiling at?"

"You." He chuckled, "With your obsessive amount of sugar."

"I can't help it if you like your tea bitter." She replied, "Makes me cringe."

"I'm sure you've turned your tea to syrup by now."

"I certainly haven't, but I'm sure yours is like drinking road tar."

"What is road tar? I feel as if you're trying to insult me."

"It's a thick chemical that goes onto Muggle roadways. And I did insult you."

"You'll have to try harder than that. I don't offend easily."

Delilah rolled her eyes and finished off her tea with a flourish. She set the cup down and raised her eyebrows. She said, "Thanks for the tea and conversation. You make me laugh when I don't really feel like laughing."

He stared intently at her and quietly asked, "What's bothering you, Delilah?"

She picked at the napkins on the tabletop, meeting his eyes and then glancing away. Her hair was long and usually held up in a ponytail at work. He had seen her shake her hair free from its confinement in the past. Usually as they were leaving the Sanctum late at night. He had tried not to stare and failed spectacularly. Her hair was a stunning shade of strawberry blond. Such the lightest color of ginger. As if it couldn't decide if it wanted to be honey-blond or ginger-bright. The hair was wavy and he knew she hated that it wasn't straight as a pin. She insisted it was a frizzy mess. Inside of his head, Charlie thought it was lovely.

Blue-grey eyes looked up at him as he slid his hands across the table and put them gently over the top of hers. The fidgeting with the napkin stopped instantly. He whispered, "Talk to me. Maybe I can help you."

"I just…" Delilah met his eyes once more and bit her lip. He waited patiently, although his knee was bouncing underneath the table anxiously. She opened her mouth on an exhale. She abruptly blurted, "Gideon is with his father for the weekend. I'm always stressed when he's away from me. Logically, I don't think his father would hurt him. I feel as if something is missing when Gideon's gone regardless of how many times, I tell myself he's just fine."

Charlie rubbed his thumb over her hands. He whispered, "I can only imagine how hard that must be, Delilah. I'm sorry you have to go through this, but you're a great mother. You deal with the stress so your son can have a relationship with his Dad. Your son comes first and I can see that in the way you live your life."

Delilah smiled and it was a bit wobbly, but genuine. She quietly said, "You always know just what to say, don't you, Charlie?"

He gave a lopsided smile and said, "I don't know about that."

They set in silence for a prolong moment. Just staring at each other. Their hands connected on the tabletop. Charlie glanced at their hands before looking up and slowly asking, "Would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

The peaceful expression on her face morphed into surprise. No, shock. As if she truly couldn't believe he had asked her out on a date. Charlie stopped rubbing his thumb over her hands. He froze, watching her for a few seconds. He began to pull his hands back across the table. He looked at the biscuit tin and said, "Don't worry about it if you're busy. I understand. It was just a thought."

"No." Delilah replied faintly. She cleared her throat and said, "I would love to."

Charlie looked at her face, observing and wondering. He asked, "You sure?"

"Yes." She smiled brightly, "I was surprised is all."

He frowned and asked, "Why would you be surprised?"

Her eyebrows raised and she laughed, "I'm always surprised when anyone is willing to spend time with me, Charlie."

His heart skipped a beat uncomfortably when she made comments like that. He cleared his throat and said, "We can go to this little Italian place I know of. Or we could go to this seafood spot just up the road from here."

"Whatever you want is cool with me." Delilah shrugged her shoulders.

Charlie smiled and said, "Casual dining places are my usual."

She smiled and said, "Good…because I'm definitely a casual girl."

He shook his head and replied, "You're more than that. Definitely."

Their date went well, although Charlie was unsure if it counted as an actual date in Delilah's mind. He hadn't clarified that he wanted this to be considered romantic, but when he thought pointedly on it all Charlie realized that was exactly what he wanted. He was worried about potentially ruining their friendship. They shared simple happiness and banter. They shared a solid working partnership at the Sanctum. The idea of not interacting with her anymore was enough to make Charlie bite his tongue. He didn't kiss her at the end of the night when he Apparated her to the front door of her house in a Muggle town. It was just a hop and skip away from the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole.

It was a modest Muggle town with only a few scattered farmhouses spread across a backroad. There was a small gas station just up the road from her house, but all the usual Muggle structures were off the main highway far south. Charlie hadn't been to her home until that moment, but he had found the small red car in her driveway interesting. He knew his father would be delighted to see it.

Halloween night, Charlie Apparated to a specific section of trees behind Delilah's tool shed. Her backyard was small in comparison to the farmhouses in the area, but Charlie decided she still had plenty of space available for any future projects. After all, she had only been living on the property for seven months and would have time putter outside of working hours.

He walked out from behind the metal building and made his way around the house and to the front door. He was just walking up the sagging steps when the bright red door was thrown open. An energetic boy with strawberry-blond hair, a flushed face, and bright blue eyes barreled into his legs. Charlie laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. He said, "Hey, kiddo. How's it going?"

"Charlie!" The boy exclaimed while jumping around on the porch. His bright blue eyes, starbursts of wonder, were locked on Charlie's gaze. He exclaimed, "Mom says you're going Trick or Treating with us and I have to behave or else I might embarrass her. She thinks I won't run off if you're with us. Oh! Do you want to see my costume? Do you?"
Charlie nodded and said, "Yes, I want to see it."

"Okay!" The boy jumped forward, eyes wide, as he snatched for Charlie's big hand. The wizard let the little boy pull him into the house. With a flick of his wand, the door shut. He asked, "Where's your Mum?"

Gideon giggled and said, "You talk so funny. Everybody here talks funny. Mum. I call her Mom, but it's cool how you say it. She's in the bathroom right now."

Charlie chuckled and said, "You know, other people here in England probably think you talk funny as well."

Gideon nodded rapidly as they entered the living room. He went to the sofa and sat down, digging through a plastic bag. He said, "Some kids at school make fun of me. I don't care, though, because other people are nice to me."

Charlie sat down on the opposite side of the sofa and watched as the boy pulled out various pieces of his outfit. He asked, "Did your Mum know you were answering the door, Gideon?"

The boy paused and frowned. "No."

"You shouldn't answer the door for a stranger, Gideon. I mean it. That isn't safe for you or your Mum. Next time, go get your Mum and let her answer the door."

Gideon frowned and said, "I looked through the peep hole. You aren't a stranger. I know you, Charlie. You're Mum's friend."

Charlie cracked a smile and said, "You're right, but you should still ask your Mum if you can open the door whenever somebody knocks. Okay?"

It was at this time that Delilah came walking into the hallway with a fluffy white towel wrapped around her body. She had her head down and was feverishly scrubbing another towel over her damp hair. Her voice was muffled as she said, "Did you finish your dinner, baby? It's about time to put on your costume."

Gideon was giggling madly as Delilah twisted the towel over her hair and flipped her head upward. She yelped, eyes going wide, as she clutched her chest. There was an instant blush coating her cheeks as she squeaked, "Charlie!"

"Sorry, Delilah." He tore his eyes from her scantily clad body and looked at the giggling boy. He said, "I've just given Gideon advice on opening doors without Mum's permission."

"Right." Delilah replied, "Let me go get dressed. You two stay here."

Gideon had no problem abruptly stripping down to his underwear. He pulled the black tights up his legs with extreme difficulty. He fell twice before Charlie crouched down and suggested, "Why don't I hold the trousers while you step into them?"

Once the pants were on, a black shirt went over his skinny, little chest. Charlie helped the little boy latch a plastic chest-plate, which showcased a spectacularly funny set of wash-board abdominal muscles. Gideon turned around at Charlie's request and it took several minutes of fumbling before he managed to close the plastic clasps of the fake bat wings. The little boy excitedly shoved plastic teeth into his mouth as Charlie said, "Let's have a look."

Charlie tapped his chin, squinting his eyes. Gideon grinned and asked, "Is it cool? Do I look like a vampire bat?"

"Not quite." Charlie crouched back down and waved his wand at the boy's face. A tiny drop of red dye appeared and dripped off of the boy's little chin. Charlie smiled and replied, "Now you look scary. Go show your Mum. I bet she will love it."

Gideon chirped, "Okay!" He ran from the room quickly.

Both mother and child came down the hallway laughing. Delilah came back into the room wearing a tight pair of denim jeans and a black t-shirt with a sparkling orange Jack-O-Lantern on the chest. She was barefoot and Charlie felt a tug deep within her chest when he noticed the crimson red polish on her toenails. She had told him enthusiastically that her favorite color was red on several occasions.

After a brief lecture on safety, mainly including looking both ways before crossing the street and being polite when ringing doorbells, Delilah took her son's hand and left the house with Charlie tailing behind them. Gideon babbled on as they walked down the street. It was rather dusty and Charlie's boots kicked up dirt as they walked. He could smell grass and rain and cow manure. Delilah called out, "Don't jump in that ditch or you'll get your feet all wet, Gideon."

The little boy stopped, grinned, and then began to skip through the grass at the side of the road. Delilah gave Charlie a smile and said, "Thanks for coming with us."

Charlie watched the little boy run around as he replied, "I remember coming here as a kid for Trick or Treating. It was a fun time with my brothers. He's lucky to have a Mum like you, who is more than willing to let him participate in fun things like this. It's important."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing anything right by him." Delilah sighed, "I have no idea how your Mom managed to raise seven children. My goodness, I think the woman is my hero and I've never even met her. She must be incredible."

"She is," Charlie answered without hesitation, "But so are you."

The creamy skin along her cheeks and neck blushed. She whispered, "Thank you."

They stopped at the edge of a driveway of Delilah's nearest neighbor. It was an elderly couple, both sitting in big rocking chairs on their front porch. They smiled brightly and talked happily with Gideon as he marched confidently up their steps. Delilah raised her hand and waved when the elder woman looked her way. They exchanged another wave before the woman loaded up Gideon's bag. He came jogging back to them on uneven footing. The boy was tall for his age, but he was also fairly clumsy. Charlie remembered that Ron had been the exact same way. Poor guy hadn't managed an ounce of grace until he stopped growing at seventeen years old.

Charlie wondered if Gideon got his tall and thin form from his father. Delilah was shorter and voluptuous with a pleasing oval-shaped face. Gideon was all knees, elbows, and sharp facial features. Of course, the strawberry hair was all his mother. Charlie was content, perfectly happy to follow the excited boy from house to house. Delilah switched between walking hand-in-hand with Gideon and brushing elbows with Charlie as the kid ran about.

It was extremely dark by the time they reached the end of farmhouses. Delilah muttered, "Maybe we should have driven my car."

"We could walk off into the trees over there and Apparate." Charlie suggested.

Delilah held tightly to Gideon's hand. The sack of candy was heavy and the little boy was vastly running out of energy. Delilah held the sack in one hand and gripped Gideon's hand with the other. Charlie had a difficult time seeing, but could easily hear the scrapping soles of Gideon's shoes as he dragged his feet.

"Come along, baby." Delilah said, "We have to get home."

Gideon stopped walking and mumbled, "I'm tired, Mom."

Charlie bent down, easily scooping the boy into his arms. Delilah tried to protest, but Charlie shook his head. Gideon tucked his head against Charlie's shoulder. Charlie whispered, "I don't mind holding him, Delilah."

The first time he kissed Delilah was an ordinary day. Or it was an ordinary day before he planted his lips against hers. They had been working and sweating despite the chilly November air. Belle and Brian were irritable. Brian specifically was acting aggressive when anyone dared step through Section A Ward. Charlie knew it was because the dragon parents were being protective of their eggs. If Charlie was a dragon, he would use his teeth and claws to protect his young as well.

Delilah understood this and wasn't upset at the dragons' reactions. For the first time, Charlie found himself upset with the dragons. Both of them had carried a large cooler box down the hills on broom. The plastic cooler bobbled along. Charlie lowered it to the ground just outside Section A Ward. He pulled out a rack of raw beef ribs, heaving the heavy meal to the Ward boundary. Between him and Delilah, they swung several sets of bloody beef ribs past the barrier.

Brian swooped in quickly, growling and snapping his jaws. Crunching and swallowing tons of bone and raw meat in seconds. He flew across the stream and deep into the trees. Belle could be heard grumbling and scarfing food down her gullet. Satisfied with their job, Charlie and Delilah entered the Ward. Because Belle was sitting near her egg nest, there was a concentration of dung just a few steps outside of the treeline.

The dragons were staying within the trees because it provided a hiding place for themselves and the eggs. The trees provided shelter from the elements, which would be vital for the survival of fresh hatchlings. Also, their main water source was only a handful of dragon-steps away from the trees. Therefore, this was prime location and neither parent would leave until the babies were hatched and much older.

Delilah began taking vial samples and neatly writing the name of the dragons on the label. Then, she started Vanish the dung to the holding warehouse far South. From there, it would be packaged and sold to institutions for profit at the Sanctum. Charlie stood facing the trees with his wand at the ready. Despite the sudden aggressiveness and blundering on Brian's part, Charlie was prepared. It was vital that the eggs remained safe, so Charlie allowed Brian to get awfully close to them before sending a powerful Stunner at the underbelly. It hit Brian hard and he stumbled, roaring in anger. Delilah was cursing violently and colorfully from behind him.

Charlie shouted, "Get it done quickly!"

Brian was already charging again, wings spread and mouth inhaling. Delilah cursed, "Son of a bitch. Damnit. Goddamnit."

Charlie sent another Stunner right as Delilah grabbed him tightly from behind. There was a yanking sensation and then Charlie found himself on the top of a nearby hill. Charlie watched, spellbound, as Brian roared from below. He shook the ground with his rage as fire burnt and blistered the grass on which they had been standing seconds before. It was shaky mumbling from Delilah that finally caught Charlie's attention. He whirled around and felt his heart jump. Delilah had managed to get burnt. He dropped to his knees beside her as Delilah sat in the wet grass and cast simple Healing charms on the edge of her forearm.

"Damn." Charlie sighed, "I'm sorry. It'll only get worse with Brian now."

Delilah shook her head and pulled a small jar from her pocket. She smeared a drop of Burn Salve on her fist-sized wound. The skin was shiny and delicately pink. Charlie said, "He must have let out a few sparks right before we Portkey'd."

"Yes," Delilah said gob-smacked, "You would have been burnt to a crisp. I can't believe you were going to keep fighting a dragon. Jeez, Charlie, you really are crazy."

Charlie sighed and slowly replied, "Don't be upset, but I think Brian was mad because you were inside of his territory. He trusts me, but was angry at me for allowing you entrance. I need to feed and clean Section A by myself from now on."

Delilah sprung to her feet rather quickly for someone who had just been injured. Charlie stood up and took a step back, cautiously watching as storm clouds grew within those blue-grey eyes. She demanded, "Do you think I can't handle myself?"

"No." Charlie replied simply, "Brian prefers me and is in a delicate state."

"You can't go into a Ward by yourself with an aggressive parent-duo." She retorted, "You wanna spout off about safety concerns, but you're more than willing to turn a blind eye to those rules as long as it is you doing the rule-breaking."

Charlie ground his teeth together and snapped, "I have experience well beyond your caliber. As Head-Handler, I make quick decisions based off of what I have learned. I'm telling you right now that I don't want you entering Section A again. Under any circumstances. Do you understand me?"

"I understand that you're a jerk right now." She stepped forward and poked him in the chest. Hard. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were burning through him in a way far worse than dragon fire. Delilah shouted, "I'm intelligent enough to recognize danger when I see it. My job is to care for these animals and I'm going to do exactly that. Dragon Tamers as well as Handlers work in pairs and groups. That's how it is and how it's always been. You know that. You aren't some lone ranger, Charlie."

Charlie gripped her wrist and stepped forward, effectively holding her to him. She was unable to escape. He was so close to her that their noses were almost touching. Charlie narrowed his eyes as he looked down at her. He snarled, "I don't want you getting hurt, Delilah. It has nothing to do with your intelligence or capabilities."

"Why?" She huffed, tugging at her wrist in irritation.

"Why what?" He snapped, still holding her arm. She stopped trying to pull her arm free because she realized she was hurting herself by causing friction. His hold was actually gentle in comparison to her frequent tugging.

She rolled her eyes and demanded, "Why does it matter if I'm hurt or not?"

"I give a damn." Charlie released her wrist and took a step back. "What kind of question is that? Am I the type of man to give the impression of not giving a care?"

"No." Delilah replied in confusion, "Of course not."

Charlie was frowning, eyeing her in a mixture of anger and amazement. She snapped, "Why are you looking at me as if I'm a frog?"

"I care about you." He whispered as he stepped forward. It was as if the gentle tone had scared her far more than his shouting. Charlie kept his dark green gaze locked on Delilah's face as he brushed calloused fingers against her cheeks. He cradled her head and softly pressed his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss. An innocent and wondrous question, which quickly turned into a burning and raging inferno. His hands slipped into her hair the moment he heard her gasp and part her lips. His tongue sought hers with no hesitation, but he was surprised and humbled to find a woman as stubborn as Delilah was actually shy. Her lips moved slowly and unsurely.

Her body was plastered to his, one slender leg slipping between his. Her hands clutched at his shoulders and her chest moved rapidly against his. Charlie let out a muffled moan when her tongue slowly cruised across his on. He caught her lower lip and sucked gently. She was gasping when he released her swollen lip and trailed open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat. He flicked his tongue against the hollow of her throat as she tilted backward, eyes falling closed.

He placed one last kiss to her throat before slowly pulling back and helping her stand upright once more. Her eyes were wide and dilated. Charlie soaked in the image of heady desire and awe stamped across her facial features. He gave a soft smile and whispered, "Good…?"

She blinked and murmured, "Yes. Perfect."