Dear readers,

I know it has been a year since my last post, but I think I finally found a way to continue the story!
I will try to update more regularly from now on (I hope at least once a month!)
I hope you still like the story and I hope you will like how it continues.

Saphire.x

I placed my hand on Ariel's neck again and tried to calm down as much as possible.

"Charlie, you really should have known better. And now, please leave us in this fucking cage, so we can sleep." I almost shouted, feigning calmness, but actually being high-strung on the inside.

Sleep didn't come easily and neither did it for Ariel. We tried everything, but being locked up seemed to have it's effects on both of us. And of course there was the fact that we couldn't trust anyone anymore.

Eventually we caught up on some sleep and woke several hours later, still together with fresh water and food with us in the cage.

I was wondering if they were going to treat me as an animal too, now that I had chosen to stay with Ariel during the night and since I was a werewolf.

They probably would, all the prejudices against muggleborns might have lessened, but werewolves were still the scum of the earth to 'normal' wizarding folk. I needed to steel my resolve and move on from this place as quickly as possible. There was no way I could stay here after the stunt they pulled. And being in a cage didn't do much good for Ariel and me either. I just hoped Charlie would keep his mouth shut to his family and my best friends, I miss them terribly, but they just couldn't know.

The next day Charlie stood in front of my cage. Ariel instinctively started growling and huffing at him. He put his hands up in the air in an apologizing gesture, making Ariel even more suspicious of him.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, we didn't mean to. I'm here to apologize." He jelled.

"You better make it good. We are leaving as soon as we've eaten." I jelled back.

" Please just let me come in without her killing me. I just..." He raked his hands through his shaggy red hair.

I was still a little nervous about letting him in, Ariel was not calming down and I actually didn't want her to. I wanted Ariel to stay ticked off at Charlie, because that's how I really felt inside. I didn't think it was a good idea for him to come in, but I opened the cage anyway. Hoping that Ariel would be enough of a deterrent for him not to come closer.

Charlie walked towards me and Ariel with his hands held high up in the air. Ariel immediately started to growl again and I tried to send her soothing emotions but since I didn't feel them myself I doubted it would work.

„That's close enough Charlie." I called out. „If you get any closer, I can not guarantee your safety."

„Fine. I just wanted a moment to apologize." Charlie was definitely nervous. „I know it was wrong of us to take you away. But I just don't want you to leave."

„Charles, you have no say in what we do or don't do. I will do as I see fit and living in a cage and being gawked at by everyone here doesn't work for us. Neither does not being able to trust anyone." I answered while I tried to controle my voice.

I knew that other dragonologists were listening and I didn't need them to trust us even less than they already did. I also knew that if the time came, I would be running again.

„ Hermione, please, listen to reason. I want you to stay here, where I know I can protect you." Charlie's voice had dropped and he was almost whispering. „You need to stay here. You are family, there is no need to run anymore. We can protect you here."

„Charlie, I hope you can forgive me for this. But I need you to promise you won't tell anyone in Britain that you saw me. I can not be found, and I will leave here before the full moon and you will never see us again. I'm sorry." I said back in a wavering voice.

„Why? Why would you want to keep running? You know you can come back after the full moon too. You'll need the human contact." Charlie tried once more.

„I've made my decision Charles. You will not change it. There's 4 more days until the full moon, you better make the most of it." I answered. „And now I think it best that you leave. Ariel is getting nervous and you being here is not helping."

During the conversation, Ariel had started puffing up thick black air was starting to get unbreathable and I knew that I couldn't calm her, because I wasn't calm myself.

„Charlie, you need to leave NOW." I yelled.