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CHAPTER 15.
The next morning at breakfast Hermione and Charlie kept catching eachothers eye from across the room, only to flush, grin stupidly and look away again quickly. Mrs Wasley and Ginny watched the two in an amused sort of triumph, exchanging knowing glansess with eachother.
But there was a snide voice in Hermione's mind, determined not to leave her happy for long, 'what happens when you go back to school, and he goes back to Romania?' it questioned quietly. She had been writing to Charlie for two yeas, and she had wanted to see him most of the time. But know that they had kissed, that she knew he liked her as she liked him...she didn't know if she could go back to just letters again.
It was like a lead weight landing in her stomach, she qickly got up from the table, excusing herself from the room, the others looked at her curiously, but Charlie seemed to have been expecting it, and rose to follow her a few minutes later.
He found her in the library once more, siting with her head in her hands. He went and sat next to her, "Wondering about after the hollidays?" he asked quietly, she merleley nodded sadly, readying herself for the blow, hoping it would be quick and painless.
He got of the couch, and kneeled before her, staring resolutley into her eyes, not giving her a chance to hide.
"Hey, i've thought about this, and while you're at school and i'm in Romania, we can still talk, send letters, and i've decided, not that it was ever a decision, i'll wait." he said, causing Hermione to stop breathing.
He soldiered on though, "I'll wait for you to finish school, and by then, who knows where we'll be, with the war, and even if i'm still working with dragons." he finished. Did he mean...? Would he..? Was he honestly saying he'd give up Dragons for her?
"I can't ask you to do that," she mumbled incredulously, shaking her head.
"Dragon keeping isn't a long haul career for anyone Mya, and I would do an awful lot more, without a second thought." he replied simply.
"Charlie." she gasped, throwing herself at him, nearly knocking him from his knees, and kissing im feverishly. He froze momentarly, before kissing her back equall passionatley, making her go weak.
This kiss was diffrent to their first, rougher, wilder, that hinted at things to come, wonderfull things. Charlie's hands slid up her thights, before coming to rest on her hips. He was still kneeling on the floor before he, but had moved closer, inbetween her parted thighs, so that their torsos were now pressed together, and Hermione could wrap her arms aound his neck.
It was unlike anything Hermione had ever exerienced, not that she had experienced much, mereley her kisses with Charlie, and a few snoggs with Viktor, who had been clumsy compared with the man now in her arms.
They broak appart, breathing raggedly, holding eachother. "C'mon." Charlie said reluctantly, once their breathing had calmed, "We need to go back, before Mum sends out a search party."
"Or wedding invitations." She quipped, making Charlie rumble a deep laugh in his chest.
Making their way to rejoin the others, Hermione revelled in her new found joy, compeetley contented. She felt in that moment that she coud produce the worlds best patronus, she made a note to try later.
Hermione didn't get the oppertinity to try out her patronus until later that evening, when she sat in one of the many empty rooms in Grimauld Place with Harry, finishing some of their summer homework.
She had just finished her transfiguration essay for Mcgonagall, two feet on the practical uses of nonverbal transfiguration, and its dangers. It wasn't perhaps the most interesting topic, but Hermione wagered she had enjoyed it more than Harry, who was currently lying flat on his back, with his standerd book of spells lying on his face.
She chuckled quietly, shaking her head in amusesent at her friend.
Curiously, she pulled out he wand, and filled her mind with thoughts of Charlie, their kiss, his hands, his eyes, him saying he'd wait for her.
"Expecto patronum." she said clearly, from the tip of her wand bloomed a large silvery shape. Large, too large, much larger than an otter. When it had solidified, she stared. It was big, reptilian, and had wings. Yep, deffinatley not an otter.
"Oh bloody hell."
"Is that a dragon?" asked an incredulous harry, who had reappeared from beneath his book, Hermione started, and the dragon dissapeared.
She looked sideways at harry, who was openly smirking at her, "Bit of a change from an otter, eh Mione?" he said, raising an eyebrow, she shruged weakly.
"Whats a change?" came the voice of Ginny, the last person Hermione needed knowing about this.
"Hermione's patronus." Harry outed her, bastard, she thought, catching him snickering at her.
Ginny's eyes went huge, "Your Patronus changed?" she asked, "But doesn't that mean..." she trailed off, a slow smile started to form.
Hermione jumped in quickly, "It's been a stressfull few days, lots of change, it's not a surprise really." she finished triumphantly, that was perfectly reasonable, or so she thought.
"A Dragon, Mione." harry reminded her oh so helpfully.
"Yeah, thanks harry." she replied bitterly, while Ginny howled with laughter.
"Oh this is priceless." she said, then seeing the look on Hermione's face said, "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone, but they'll fnd out sooner or later." she said matter of factly, Hermione dreaded to thik what the younger girl was planning.
"Uh oh." she said, whilst Ginny nodded, still laughing.
Ginny lay in wait for her grand spectacle, leaving Hermione on tenter hooks for three days, waiting for the other shoe to drop. They where out in the garden again, watching the quidditch, only this time ginny opted to sit with the rest of the girls, something that should have allerted Hermione emidiatley.
"Hey Mi," she began innocently, Hermione imediatley looked at her, paniking. "Could you show me how to do the patronus again, i'm stuck on a question for DADA." They didn't have any DADA homework, not after Umbridge, her mind screamed angrily.
"Oh, couldn't Tonks..." she tried, only for Ginny to smirk, saying, "Please."
The other girls were now looking at her expectantly, and there was no way out. Sighing she sent ginny a nasty look, grumbling under her breath, as the enormous silvery dragon erupted from her wand tip, flying through the air, darting amongst the players on their brooms..
Ginny laughed delightedly, and Fleur and Tonks both had knowing looks on their faces, which made Hermione want to hide away for ever. Even Mrs weasly looked slightly smug, as she poiltley asked, "Oh, thats looks diffrent dear..."
"You could say that." ginny snorted out, "What was it a few weeks ago Mi, and otter? I wonder why a dragon?" But ginny was cut off as Hermione threw herself at the young girl, tickeling her furiously, untill there were tears running down her face, and she begged for mercy.
The others laughed, and when Hermione looked up, she noticed they had gained the attention of those on brooms above them, all of whom where watching with fondly amused looks on their faces.
All except for charlie, who was staring at Hermione, his mouth hanging open. Great, she thought, we've been together a week, and a fundamental part of my soul is obsessed with him, he's gonna think im a stalker, she thought bitterly, cursing ginny to the seventh circle of hadees from wence she came.
Charlie managed to to talk quietly to Hermione at dinner. "Since when?" he asked.
Hermione shrugged, "After you said you'd wait for me." she admitted, her head bowed blushing furiously. She felt his hand close over hers under the table, and give a reasuring squeze, she looked up to see him smiling at her, her insides did a happy dance.
"Im glad." was all he said, turning back to his food, but keeping a hold of her hand.
It was after dinner had finished when Charlie bent low to whisper; "Show me?" in Hermione's ear.
They retreated to the empty library, and Hermione called forth her patronus, which Charlie later dubbed Dracarys. Pulling out his own wand, he cassed his own patronus, also a dragon, Drogo, but slightly larger than Hermione's.
Dracarys and Drogo circled eachother, flying together in hormony. He gazed intently at the charm untill it dissapeared, then walked over to Hermione, looking down at her, a tenderness in his eyes that spoke volumes.
In that moment, Hermione knew that this man would tare down the sky for her, if she asked him. When he pressed his lips to hers, the kiss spoke of passion, devosion, a love to weather time.
That night when Hermione wend to sleep, she dreamed red hair and dragons.