"So this Rama," Hermione asked, cutting a piece of her roast. "Would you say she's your favorite dragon?"

"Well, the thing with Rama is," Charlie said, his eyes twinkling. "She's a very special dragon. Caught a lot of blokes' eyes."

"Hmm," Hermione said as she forked a potato in her mouth. "Sounds like a slag to me."

"Well, she's very beautiful. It can't be helped." He grabbed another roll and spread butter on it. "Why, are you jealous?"

"Just sounds to me like you've been spending a lot of time with her." Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"She's good company."

Hermione laughed. "Did you say she was a Peruvian Riversnout? I've never even heard of those before."

Charlie swallowed his bite. "Well, that's because we've only just discovered her six months ago."

"Oh my goodness! Wow! Is that common, to find new breeds like that?"

"It's fairly rare, actually. We were keeping it a secret for a bit, gearing up for the public announcement."

Hermione blinked. "Wait a minute. You've had Rama for six months, which is the maximum timeframe for new species registration, may I remind you. Why is this the first time I'm hearing about her?"

Charlie gave her a half-smile. "Well, yeah, was going to tell you about that. When I came to see you in your office last week, I brought her registration papers. But then, you know. You stood up and I got to see you in that tight skirt thing—"

"It's called a pencil skirt."

"—and your librarian spectacles—"

"Reading glasses."

"—and that bun in your hair, with all those curls sticking out—"

"Ugh. That's just called a mess."

He smiled and looked at her for a few seconds, long enough for her to feel uncomfortable. She stood and gathered their plates. "So you were doing business last week, after all."

"Hmm?"

She glanced over. He was still smiling at her, so relaxed and goofy that she almost wanted to slap him. "Harry said you were there to surprise me and take me out but I insisted, I mean I knew that you were, you were just—"

He wrapped an arm around her from behind and put a kiss to the back of her neck. "You go sit down, love. I'll take care of the dishes."

"But you brought the food! That hardly seems fair."

"I delivered my mother's food. And you've had a rough week. Go on. I'll join you shortly."

Hermione smiled. "I absolutely hate doing dishes, Charlie, so I'm not going to protest."

"Lucky for you, I'm my mother's son and know what I'm doing." He squeezed her hip and she started toward her recliner. She leaned back and sighed, feeling the comfort of a Molly Weasley meal settle her bones. She opened her eyes and watched him through the kitchen door, the muscles cutting through his grey t-shirt. She smiled, loving the sight, but frowned immediately, unnerved by such immediate adoration. It's just a man in the kitchen, she scolded herself. Nothing to lose your mind over.

"So you were on business that day," she started again.

"Well, sort of. They were going to owl the registration forms, but I volunteered to deliver them myself."

"And you were planning on taking me to lunch?"

He dried his hands with the towel, walked over, and pulled her up. "Hey," she said. "I was comfortable."

"You were taking over the bloody thing." He took his wand, enlarged her chair, then plopped down, grinning. He patted his lap and waggled his eyebrows. She smiled, rolled her eyes and sat down. He leaned them back so they were almost horizontal and slung an arm around her. She rested her head on his chest.

"I like spending time with you," he said. "I like talking to you. So yes, I wanted to take you out."

"Why didn't you?"

He inhaled a little sharply, drumming his fingers on the small of her back. "To be honest, I felt a bit stupid once I got there. You were so clearly busy, so shocked to see me—"

"Well, since you, in fact, live in Romania, I was rather surprised."

"Right. Well, I got very flustered, especially by this—" his hands lowered to her arse, "and sort of decided to give you an orgasm instead."

"Well, that was very kind of you, Charlie," Hermione said, laughing.

He didn't say anything for a minute. But then, in a soft voice: "I know I was a right coward. I just didn't know what you wanted with this. With us. Still not certain, really."

Hermione felt something like panic wrangle at her heart. She could feel him holding his breath, waiting for her to say something, anything—

"Draco Malfoy offered me a job," she blurted.

He blinked. "Did he, now?"

"Yes!" She jumped up, grabbing her purse to pull out the Apothecary folder. She paced in front of him, ruffling the papers inside. "He's looking for another potioneer, to experiment and come up with new ideas for his tonics and tinctures and things. In particular, he wrote that he remembered that I focused on subtractive potions in my last year at Hogwarts. He's looking at using a lot more of the subtractive sorts, you know, the ones where you add all the ingredients first, then—"

"I know what subtractive potions are, Hermione." Charlie put his hands behind his head. "The most difficult sort, yeah? Not surprised you'd concentrate on them. Not at all." He paused. "So are you taking the job?"

"Oh, God, no. I certainly don't fancy being sexually harassed by my own boss on a regular basis, and besides—" she plopped on her sofa, facing him. "I want to make a cultural difference. I joined the Ministry just out of Hogwarts because I wanted to change all of this underlying prejudice that's still lurking, god, everywhere, even though the War is years gone." She sighed. "I want to promote peace and help everyone heal."

"Thing is," she continued, praying she wasn't boring him to death. "Malfoy's offer did get me really excited, in a way. I didn't realize how much I missed making things. For years I've just been buried under paperwork, almost every initiative I take being crushed before it can even germinate. It is really tempting to quit and, I don't know, play, with oak leaf and mandrake and oil of unicorn hair…" she drifted off.

Charlie's stare unnerved her. He didn't speak for nearly a full thirty seconds, and Hermione started to wonder if she'd put him in some comatose state until finally, he barked, "Visit me in Romania."

She jumped at the harshness of his voice. "What?"

"Sorry," he said, swallowing. "I didn't mean to yell. But, you've got your holiday, right? And no plans…"

"Well, no..."

"Come visit me, then."

"Visit," Hermione said, her mind already rolling into a tornado of logistics. "You mean today?"

"Well, not exactly today. I have some things I need to do, but I'll take time off starting Tuesday. You can come then, stay with me for a week or so."

"A week or so," Hermione repeated.

Charlie smiled, standing. He grabbed her hands and pulled her toward him on the chair, until they were reclining once more, her head on his shoulder, his arms tight around her. He spoke softly, his voice husky in her ear. "I have a house. I'll cook for you. We can hike in the mountains, if you'd like. I'll introduce you to some dragons, even. From a distance, that is." His body trembled under her as he chuckled.

"Well," Hermione said slowly. "That does sound nice." She felt herself relaxing into his warmth, and she ran her hand over his arm muscles. "What should I pack? Do I need to bring anything nice or—"

"Bring stuff you don't mind getting dirty. Bring something you'd wear if a handsome dragon keeper were to, say, take you out to dinner." Hermione laughed as he continued. "Bring a few items you don't mind me fucking you in." His voice was feral now, and a shiver ran through her spine.

"Oh?" Hermione said, raising her head.

"Unless, of course, you've got plans with.. what was it, again? Bob Missouri?"

"Oh, my god," Hermione buried her face in his shoulder. "You heard about Brock?"

"'Course I bloody heard. Mum's been on my case for the last day and a half, telling me how I've blown it with you. But I didn't think you were really serious with someone with a name like that, not without everyone hearing about it." He laughed.

"Well, I was so angry and tipsy about Rama, when I thought she was your girlfriend. It was so stupid and childish, to just make that up…"

"Oh, I don't know. I like the idea of you being jealous for me."

Hermione didn't know what to say to that, so she smacked him and said, "Shut up." He tightened his arms around her and laughed so heartily, Hermione couldn't help but join him.

"So, what's this about being sexually harassed by Malfoy?" She felt his muscles tighten a bit. Speaking of jealous, she thought.

"Oh, that." Hermione rolled her eyes and filled him in on her two recent encounters with the snake. By the time she was finished, Charlie was chuckling incessantly.

"The thing is," Hermione added. "I'm not sure if he's actually genuine in his offer of sex, or if he's just trying to one-up me."

"Oh, he's genuine."

She pushed up to look at him. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, look at you, first of all." Hermione scoffed but he ignored it. "Since you gave him that image, you riding a bloke's face, coming until you almost die? He's been wanking to it no less than three times a day. Guaranteed."

"Yeah, right." Hermione said. "This is Malfoy we're talking about. No way."

"Mmm. As I said. Look at you." His hands reached her bottom again, but he reluctantly pulled them back up. "Love, I've got to get going. Work early and all."

"Oh." She was surprised at how disappointed she felt. "Yes, of course."

"About that work thing," he said as they walked to the floo. "You're the cleverest witch I've ever known. Ever heard of, even. You'll find something perfect. I think this holiday is exactly what you need to get sorted out."

She smiled. "Thanks, Charlie."

He kissed her gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in deeper, pushing her tongue in his mouth. He broke the kiss suddenly, breathlessly, saying, "If I kiss you any longer, I'm going to fuck you on the sofa, kitchen table, bed and shower, Hermione. In that order."

She felt a hot throb between her legs. "Do you have to go?"

"I do. So that I can get a week off starting Tuesday. Yeah, I do."

"Well, I guess you'll just have to have me all over Romania in a few days, huh?"

He gave her a wild grin. "I'm planning on it."

A visit to Romania with the promise of lemons ahead! Hurrah! I probably won't be able to update until next week, but we'll see how the writing goes. Oh! And I'm writing a one-shot for Draco/Hermione for you Dramione fans out there, something really hilarious and hot, I think, but I'm going to finish this one first before I post that. I think I've about 5-7 chapters left! Thanks for all your kind and lovely reviews and insights; they always make me smile.