Author's note:

Hello dear reader,
I'm sooo very sorry that I kept you waiting for so long, but I had a lot of stuff I had to take care of which kept me from writing and other stuff which affected my writing. I hope you are still glad that I didn't abandon the story and that there is a chapter posted, even if it's not as long as you are used too!
You know what to do, read and review!
I love you all for the support and for the favorites and alerts and the reading. Thanks!
Saphire. x

At the Lair(Hermione's pov)

How could this have happened? Why wasn't I more careful? Now, I have to go with him, and endanger everyone. Dear Merlin, this can not be happening.

While my thoughts were raving on and on about all the highly plausible and highly dangerous situations we would find ourselves in, I was trying to pack my stuff. Not that I had a lot of stuff, but I had actually become quite attached to my little cave-home. I took my enlarged backpack, put my books in there and all the other stuff I brought with me. Then I transformed all the stuff back to it's original state and made my tent whole again, so I could put it in my bag.

I sat down on the ground with Ariels head next to me and petted her a little, while I said goodbye to our home in silence. Then I stood up, told Ariel I was ready, got on her back and we flew off to get Charlie who was still waiting by the lake. In a few short strokes of Ariels big wings, we landed back at the shore. I could see Charlie pacing back and forth, like he was sure we wouldn't be back, like he was sure we would be running away again.

And maybe it did occur to me that it would be safer for him if we ran away and break the bond clean. But thinking about it and actually doing it was something entirely different. Plus, it made me feel safe to have some sort of connection to a person again, a person I could call family. I guess I underestimated the need for human contact or the need to feel at home.

" Charlie, hey, Charlie, it's okay, we're back. Don't worry, I won't be running any time soon. Not until the full moon is close anyway." I told him in a calm, unthreatening voice. It was weird, trying to calm him down and keeping Ariel calm in the process as well.

"Oh, you're back. I thought you were running away from me again. I guess we should leave for the reserve. You can fly with me on my broom if you want." Charlie answered.

"Not necessary Charlie, got me a dragon, remember?" I said jokingly.

He didn't really reply and there was only a small smile on his face, that was gone almost instantly.

"Too early to joke about it?" I asked.

" Yeah, I guess." He said. "You've had a lot more time to accept this than I have. And how will we explain this to the people on the reserve?"

His face looked strained, almost like he was in pain. What if he didn't want me to come with him anymore? What if him asking me to come was just a spur of the moment thing and when he sees his friends, he will realize how wrong it was?

Well, no room for doubt now. If the time comes, and they want to take Ariel away, I'll just flee with her. If they don't want me there, I'll just go back to living on my own. There's probably nothing they can do to make my life worse than it already has been.

You survived a war, you can survive this. You survived a war, you can survive this.

That was the new mantra going through her head in a sing-song voice, being repeated over and over again.

On the way home(Charlie's pov)

Pacing around the same stones for the umphtieth time was almost the breaking point for me. I don't know how much longer I could last before taking my broom and going after her once again. I wanted to trust Hermione into coming back to me, but I knew that running was the easy option. I was about to take my broom and go after her, when I heard the flapping of big wings in the background and saw her land in front of me. I let out a sigh of relief, breathing a little easier.

"Charlie, hey, Charlie, we're back. Don't worry, I won't be running any time soon. Not until the full moon is close anyway." She spoke in a calming voice.

" Oh, you're back. I thought you were running away from me again." I said. " I guess we should leave for the reserve. You could ride with me on my broom if you want."

"Not necessary,Charlie, got myself a dragon, remember." She said laughing.

I tried to smile, I really did, but the situation was still heavy on my mind and the smile that formed probably looked more like a grimace. So I let it slip away as soon as it had appeared.

"Too early to joke about it? She asked in her most innocent voice.

" Yeah, I guess." I said. "You've had a lot more time to accept this than I have. And how will we explain this to the people on the reserve?"

The last sentence slipped my tongue before I could hold it in. I saw her face cloud over with worry and future disappointment. I wanted to say so much to comfort her, that it would be alright, that I would talk to them and make them see. But in that moment, I couldn't say a thing. I couldn't find the words to comfort her, so I just flew with her in silence, hoping everything would turn out okay.

I couldn't remember that the flight had taken up only so little of my time, so sooner than I expected we arrived at the reserve. Seeing as it was only 6am, there wouldn't be that many people awake at this time. So I decided it best to wake them all up at once. I didn't want to tell the story more than one time, seeing as Hermione felt ashamed enough already.

So I told Hermione to stay in the woods with Ariel and wait for my patronus. And I flew into the reserve to sound the horn. The horn, only used in emergencies, was loud and extremely annoying, sounded a bit like the mist-horn on a ship.

One by one all the dragon tamers and healers came out of their houses, half dressed or still dressing themselves. Looking around, trying to find the big emergency, until they found Charlie standing in the middle of the square.

"I need to tell you all something, and you need to listen carefully because I'm only saying it once." I paused here for dramatic effect and waited a little for everyone to give me recognition that they heard me.

"I found Bast..." Cheers erupted from the crowd even before I could say anything else, when they quieted down, I continued.

"The thing is, her name is now Ariel, and she is bound to Hermione. Not as we know it, as in just a good bond, but as in blood tied." Groups of people were murmuring amongst themselves, trying to understand what he was saying.

"I know this is hard to believe, but Hermione is going to live with us for a while." People were starting to talk again and I was starting to get annoyed.

"SHUT IT WILL YOU! THIS IS IMPORTANT! Hermione is the only one who can now control Ariel a little. And there is one little thing left, Hermione is a werewolf."

While everyone started to shout at one another and was staring at me with shock, I called Hermione over with my patronus.

I could hear her long before I could see her. It was weird, knowing that she would fly in above my head and maybe take everyone's attention.

At the reserve(Hermione's pov)

Charlie sent me his patronus saying he was ready. His patronus looked exactly like Ariel, beautiful and strong. It stayed with us for a while before shimmering and disappearing.

"Hey dear girl, I think it's time for us to go put on a show. Are you ready? Are you excited to be home again? You'll do great. They'll love you. I'm just not sure if they'll love me too. But we'll see, right?" Talking to a dragon doesn't make much sense, but it gave me a sense of calm and it might give her a sense of calm too. And at least now she knows what's happening.

Ariel lowered her neck willingly and when I sat on it, she straightened up and starting flapping her wings. We flew up in the sky and then made our grand entrance with a big blast of fire above everyones head and a perfect landing.

The group of dragon tamers was quiet and still when we landed. They were looking at us with amazement when Ariel lowered her neck and let me of her back. I stood next to her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, petting her neck, calming her down.

"Please, stay calm. We will not hurt you, if you do not threaten us. She has the first instinct to protect me like her young, it seems." I spoke in a loud and clear voice.

The few people who had taken out their wands, had lowered them at my command. They were probably just happy that Ariel was back at their reserve safely and unharmed.

"If it's okay with you guys, we would like to catch up on some sleep. Is there some cave around here where we can sleep?" I asked Charlie.

"Well, I can get you into her old habitat, it has a cave. But don't you want to sleep in a bed for a change? We need to take a look at Ariels health and yours too for that matter." He spoke gently.

"Charlie, please don't let me leave her, you don't know how she'll be, she gets worse when I'm not there, I know, because I've been there. Please let me stay with her. You can check on us tomorrow." I said in a winy voice.

"Alright then, for once, but tomorrow you will try to sleep in a bed. I'm not taking no for an answer." He said resolutely.

He showed us the way to her cage. It was big and had a lot of grass and trees and a big cave. It was perfect. I walked with Ariel at my side, slowly talking her through every step of the way.

"And now we sleep my darling. And now we sleep." I said. As I laid down next to her, being kept warm by her hot breath on my body. Unknowing we would be watched the entire day by curious dragons and their tamers as well.