Quick update before I go into Uni for my first exam of the week (It's in two hours and I'm here on FFNet, and not revising! If I don't know it now…). Next update will be Friday night/Saturday morning as that is my last day. First year of uni has gone phenomenally quickly!
Thank you for all the amazing reviews from you all. Enjoy!
Monday morning arrived, unusually calm considering this was the day that seven people would be leaving the safety of the Burrow for a week. Kurt and Seb had planned an easy route in to Romania, and because the research proved that there was a time and a place the hunters used, they could easily predict their movements
Hermione woke early, which wasn't extraordinary as she usually spent half an hour by herself, getting ready for whatever that day would throw at her. This morning however, she was well prepared for the day. In a few hours she would be in Romania, waiting in a place Caleb and Andrei had decided would be safe enough but still close enough to their target area so they could record observations.
After quickly dressing in old jeans, a couple of thin t-shirts and an old Weasley jumper, Hermione made her way downstairs to shove her feet into a pair of old grubby walking boots.
"Morning Hermione," Charlie said when she spied him from the door. He was hunched over a steaming cup of coffee, breathing in its strong aroma. Unlike Hermione, he was only half dressed, his jeans were sitting comfortably on his hips, but his rugged checked shirt was waiting to be buttoned up and his feet were bare and tucked around the legs of his chair.
"Morning Charlie," Hermione said brightly. The sun was barely up, but she felt more awake than she had in an age. She was pottering around, getting orange juice from the shelf and charring slices of bread with her wand. "Ready?"
"If someone asks me if I'm ready again…" Charlie trailed off as Hermione softly laughed.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," she agreed. She took the place opposite Charlie, and pushed the plate of toast between them. Charlie smiled and took a piece and took a large bite from the corner. "You're as bad as Ron."
"Hey!" Charlie protested. "I resent that. He gets it all down his clothes, I at least keep food in my mouth."
"Touché," Hermione agreed. "He's not happy you know, about all this."
Charlie took the time to consider what Hermione had just said. He knew Ron was angry, but Hermione wouldn't come to any harm on Charlie's watch.
"I know," Charlie said softly. "I've promised him I'd keep you safe, even if your dueling can wrap me around your wand."
Hermione looked at the man opposite him. He was all rugged, testosterone-fueled manliness. His stubbled jaw was sharp and his watery blue eyes wonderfully open. He was kind, funny and sincere in his promise to Harry and Ron. Hermione took a shallow breath and reached out to touch Charlie's hand. It wasn't a remarkable hand, but it was softer than it looked and Hermione squeezed gently. She understood the burden her best friends had put on Charlie, and she was more confident in him than anything else they had worked on. Nothing could be articulated that proved she believed in Charlie more than she did right then.
They were interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the team, and their hands parted swiftly and they both looked away, shattering their moment of understanding.
"Morning you two," Gus said as he dropped one of the crates on the table. They were due to leave in half an hour but Molly was sure to take up twenty nine and a half of those minutes with her fussing over them.
"Grab your packs, you've pulled," Kurt joked, throwing two nondescript rucksacks at Charlie and Hermione. They both checked them again, just to make sure and to hide their blushes.
"Apperate to Ministry, Portkey to reserve, apperate to drop point, hike to clearing," Gus reeled off again. Hermione was so familiar with the plan she was starting to think it was ingrained onto the backs of her eyelids.
"We know!" called Seb and Kurt together while they raided the cupboard in search of breakfast. As if on cue, Molly appeared in the kitchen and started fussing.
"Have you got all you need?" she asked the masses while taking Gus' face in her hands and holding it to the light. "You look like you need some food in you my dear. Much too slim in the face."
"Molly, you've done way too much for us already," Gus insisted while he gently removed Molly's hands and pressed a kiss into her cheek. "After all this is through, you and Arthur should come stay in the Caribbean with me. It's the least I can do."
"We'll think about it," Molly said, charmed by the young man.
To fill the minutes before the left, Molly supplied everyone with a hearty breakfast, and an overload of motherly love before turning forcefully to her son.
"Are you sure you're going to be ok out there, Charlie? Harry and Ron have been making such a fuss over sweet Hermione going along."
Charlie stood and wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders. He was much taller than she and her cheek nestled in his chest when he placed a kiss on her head.
"We're all fine," Charlie said plainly. "We've got everything, Hermione will be fine and I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. In a week, you can coddle us all you like." She swatted his arm with her wooden spoon and protested that she 'doesn't coddle'.
They all hugged and thanked Molly for her hospitality before moving out into the yard. Hermione was given an extra squeeze.
"You make sure you come back safe, you hear me?" Molly said and she tried to squeeze the air from Hermione's lungs. "He's a good boy. He won't let you down."
"I know, Molly," Hermione quietly agreed. She took her time to look at him. Tall, red hair, passionate, caring, fiercely determined and with a heart bigger than anyone she knew; he was good all right. "I know."
The apperation to the Ministry was a simple one, they all landed with only a modicum of decorum after Kurt landed on top of Gus in the Atrium. After a brief and slightly nervous wait in the international Portkey lounge, in which many cups of coffee were drunk did they land in Romania.
"Which room we in, Kurt?" Gus asked as they landed in a plain white room, with no windows and a single door. Kurt, who was nearest to said door, placed his hand on the handle and a wonky number two appeared, etched into the wood.
"Two," Kurt called. "It'll be a piece of piss getting out to the drop point from here. May as well walk it."
The Romanian dragon reserve was vast, spreading over many hectares, crawling up mountains and through forests. Around the reserve, rooms were built in concealed corners that could be used for apperating to without disturbing any dragons that may be around. Room two was the furthest from any on-site buildings and usually devoid of dragons as the habitat was only suitable for the very adventurous types. The edge of the dragon reserve brushed the edge of the Transylvanian Alps by twenty miles; their drop point for the night.
"No point using so much energy," Gus reasoned. "Apperate and set up camp? Ola's left the Love Shack for us for the next two weeks."
"Love shack?" Hermione asked, already dreading the answer. "Do I want to know?"
"It's where people like Gus get to know the intimate details of their right hand," Charlie said before Gus could respond. "It's basically a shed with a carpet floor. Thought thinking about it, calling it a carpet is being kind. Wards are about as strong as at the Burrow though, so it's useful."
"Oh lovely," Hermione said dryly to herself. As she was trying to shake the image of Gus indulging in a little self-love from her mind (not that it wasn't a pleasant thought, mind you), Caleb and Andrei raised their wands and carefully opened the door. After checking for dragons, or any other animal they may encounter the team fell out into the blinding white sunlight. Hermione turned to look back at their room but all she would see is a pile of jagged pewter grey rocks.
"We keep it as natural as possible, helps when we settle them," Caleb explained.
Around them was a rocky clearing, with a few wispy trees and not much else growing from the high rock walls that surrounded them. The sky was bright blue and completely cloudless. In the sky, about a mile high a dark shape moved with unbridled grace.
"That's Bessie," Charlie said as he watched Hermione's jaw drop in awe and her eyes widen despite the glaring sun. He stood slightly behind her and spoke softly in her ear while pointing to the great beast. Bessie's shadow was long and unsymmetrical. "Gus and me forced her away from the hunters one year, but they had already damaged her wing. Surprised we managed it by ourselves, she's bloody huge up close."
"She's incredible," Hermione breathed.
"Yes she is," Charlie whispered back, turning to look into Hermione's eyes. They were wide open and already drinking in all that was around them. Charlie remembered the first time he had ever set foot here and he knew the shock and awe Hermione was feeling. Romania really was a beautiful country.
"Boss? We good to apperate to the Shack?" Gus asked, regrettably interrupting Charlie and Hermione's moment of tenderness.
"Yeah, don't leave once you get there," Charlie said distractedly. "We'll lock up here and catch you in a few minutes."
Gus and Andrei grabbed a crate of supplies each while Seb, Caleb and Kurt grabbed their arms to Side-Along apperate with them. Charlie placed a simple locking spell on the pile of rocks and held his hand to Hermione.
"Stops any stray muggles getting in," he explained. "It only happened once, but we don't want it happening again."
Hermione weaved her fingers with Charlie's and without a word, they apperated to the Shack.
As they twisted from view, a quaffle sized rock fell down the side of the rock wall as a man hissed between his clenched teeth.
For now...
Ooooh, it's ever so slightly ominous! Please let me know your thoughts while I go to Uni and sit in a transport politics exam. I can guarantee you'll be having more fun than I will.