A/N: I would like to thank everyone for their feedback and appreciation of this story. Also for their patience. I know updates are slow, but I endeavor to write and post on a semi-regular basis. Enjoy Chapter 3.


She left him waiting for an answer. She had been saved by the bell, or rather the whistling tea kettle. Turning off the stove and pouring the hot liquid over tea leaves, she putted around until his footsteps echoed off the kitchen tiles.

He was behind her before she realized and she spun to face him just as he pinned her between the counter and himself. She swallowed a lump in her throat and flushed nervously. She had never been this close to Charlie before.

Hermione didn't know how to answer his question. She knew the truth, but was too self-conscious and afraid to admit it to him. She cursed his knack for always knowing when something was off, and his inability to leave things to rest. Words failing her, she reacted the way a true Gryffindor would. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

Almost as soon as she had, she broke the connection and turned her face away. The reaction wasn't instantaneous, nor was it a hesitation but somewhere in the next several seconds she found her face turned back and his lips slanted over hers. He was kissing her, and this kiss went well beyond the innocent lips touching. It was hot, tongues twisting, teeth gnashing, moaning and groaningly good. His hands left their perch on the counter to her bum pulling her closer to him. Her arms rose from her sides to wrap around his neck. Then it stopped, and as quickly as he came he pulled away, crossing his arms and staring at her pointedly.

"I uh, I like you Charlie." She answered finally. "That is why I showed up at the reserve. The other stuff too though, my job is dull and my life here is lonely and I wouldn't mind some excitement, but what put the idea in my head was completely due to the fact that I like you."

Silence followed the ramblings of the witch. The longer he waited to reply the redder her face became and the more anxious Hermione felt. She laid bare he deepest, darkest secret before him, a feat already nerve wrecking, and as she waited for the fallout fear festered. What would he have to say to such a bold statement?

"Hermione, I'm eight years your senior."

"So? I like you. I've always liked you, and besides age is just a number."

"Shhhh witch," he hissed. "I'm eight years older than you, and I've told myself this," he motioned between the two of them "couldn't, wouldn't be anything more than a somewhat friendship."

"Of course," Hermione clipped, "I understand.

"Hermione, Shut up!" Charlie interjected. "I said I've always told myself that, not that I didn't want it to be anything more. You're my little brother's best friend, I had to tell myself I was too old for you because it was far too inappropriate to like a witch who was still in school."

"Charlie, what are you saying?"

"Merlin Woman! I'm saying that I like you to!"

Hermione gasped, thinking it was a little too good to be true. Before she could think any more on it Charlie grabbed her and pulled her in for another searing kiss.

This time, neither of them wanted to let go of the other, and things became more heated, boiling even, until her back hit the plush leather cushions of her sofa and they both seemed suddenly doused in icy water.

"We still need to discuss the topic at hand," Charlie stated.

"Yes, I suppose we do," she agreed.

"You really showed up on the reserve because you, as you say, like me?"

"Well, yes and no. I've had a crush on you for years. I knew it was inappropriate and unsuitable and I told myself as much, but all the same it was there. You're wild, and free spirited, brave, daring and incredibly charming Charles Weasley. What girl wouldn't be attracted you?"

"Plenty actually," replied the wizard.

"Hush," Hermione admonished. "I ignored it, went on with my life after the war. But my life is boring, Harry and Ginny married, Ron broke up with me for Lavender and is happily engaged. Most of my peers are in serious relationships, and here I am still single, with a dead-end ministry job that pays dirt. I fought a war for Godric's sake, I deserve and need something more than sitting over scrolls all day deciphering runes."

Charlie was still waiting for an explanation. "Your Rambling," he informed her.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's difficult to explain. I was tired of my uninteresting existence and kept looking for something exciting, and kept thinking of you and how free and passionate you were. You truly love what you do and between my crush and awe for your world I just sort of made myself believe I could be a trainer. I didn't think much about it I just sort of showed up."

Charlie gaped at that. "You, Hermione Granger, brightest and most practical witch of her age, let a simple crush overrun you enough to pack a bag and travel hundreds of miles without a thought or reason?"

Hermione looked away, blushing furiously. "Yes, I suppose so. Though tell me Charlie, You haven't come home in three years, even for Christmas much to Molly's dismay, yet here you stand now simply because I showed up and then ran away. What ruled your thinking?"

"Touché."

"It's not logical, but.." Hermione began.

"There is a connection between us," Charlie finished.

"Yeah, a connection I guess. I'm tired of fighting it."

"I know the feeling. Watching you walk away, to put it simply, moved me to leave the reserve I haven't stepped foot out of in three years. Not many things would make me do that."

"But we are from different worlds she said softly, sighing morosely, "and we both know it's insanity for me to be a tamer, it isn't where I belong." Hermione knew that he was right, being a dragon tamer wasn't a role she would fit into. But the reserve was his sanctuary, it gave him the freedom and purpose he needed to be himself, to run wild, and she wouldn't ever ask him to leave that. How could they be together worlds apart?

"It could be," Charlie interjected ad Hermione's head snapped up in surprised confusion.

"What? Charlie you…" The redhead cut her off before she could voice the whole question.

"Not as a tamer, no. But there are other functions on the reserve."

"Like what?"

"I'll have you know that there has been many discussions over having a library of sorts built. A place to store important records and documents and other research books and tools that aid the job. The problem is, was, that we don't have anybody to manage it."

Hermione quirked a singular eyebrow in her best Severus Snape impression, folded her arms across her chest and waited for him to go on.

"You have a love, and a passion for reading and books, I think you would be perfect for the role. You say that your job at the ministry in mundane, and while being a librarian may seem unexciting, on a dragon reserve no job is dull or useless. You live around dragons I don't know how much more exciting it could get than that."

"You want me to work as the Reserve's Librarian?"

"Yes and no. Ultimately you would do the same work as a Librarian, but you would be the director of research if you took the job. You would oversee the building and setting up of the library and would hire a small team to help you manage it."

"Okay, that's all well and good. I have one question though."

"Shoot."

"Why couldn't we have discussed this when I was there in the first place?" A guilty look crossed Charlie's features.