Dragon Man

Chapter 7 – Parting

As Christmas approached on the reserve snow covered the ground most of the time, the dragons were lethargic and the staff were getting into the Christmas spirit. Each team took it in turns to work the Christmas period, out of the six teams, three worked over Christmas and had their leave over New Year. The other three had a Christmas break and covered the reserve over New Year. This year Charlie's team were having Christmas off, returning to work over the New Year period, and by a stroke of luck they weren't on nights over New Year, that fell to another unlucky team. Although they did have to be at work bright and early on New Year's Day, hangovers and all.

Charlie stood with his team after their long shift had finished, with only a week to go the team were making plans about where they were spending Christmas and with whom.

"You taking Juliet home to meet your family then?" Oz asked Charlie.

"No" he sighed "She's working over Christmas and New Year, matron is still AWOL"

"That's a bit harsh" Callie joined "That stiff old bag deciding to leave it all to Juliet"

Charlie was cautious about saying too much, matron was in fact ill, and probably wouldn't be returning to work at all, which left Juliet in limbo until they knew either way. She was still the assistant matron but had all the responsibility of a matron, without the perks. She had confided the information in him, that the reserve managers had told her, and he wasn't about to breach her trust – things were going far too well for that.

"So you'll be staying for a bit of Christmas nookie then boss?" Finn winked at him.

"No Finn I won't" Charlie responded in an even tone, yet a muscle jumped in his cheek, he really wanted to do the usual thing and visit his family at Christmas, last year he'd only made it for New Year and spent most of that with Bill, George and Oliver Wood in a nightclub, hardly seeing the younger ones or his parents. He knew his mum would probably throw a blue fit if he were to suddenly say he was staying, and she'd know it was for a woman, and she'd kill him. But he really didn't want to leave Juliet either.

"Aw, you're gonna leave a stunner like that running loose around here with all that mistletoe?" Nelly teased.

"Some people don't jump into bed with anything at the drop of a hat you know Phillip!" Charlie growled it was a sore point to him; he was concerned that someone might make a move on Juliet while he wasn't there, and deep down Charlie was a protective and almost jealous type, not overtly, but he was all the same. And he was going to miss her.

"Ohhhh, Igor's working Christmas isn't he?" Callie said with a knowing look on her face, she'd had a couple of run ins with Igor, a Russian wizard who was convinced that every woman at the reserve had a crush on him, including Callie. He was seemingly ignorant to her protestations that he was really not her type, at all.

"I'm not worried about that" Charlie said, packing his gear into his bag "I'm just going to miss her that's all"

"Awww poor ickle Charlie gonna miss his girl mwwwaaahhh!" Oz said with glee.

"One day Oz" Charlie sighed, swinging his bag onto his shoulders and turning to face him "You will grow up and stop thinking with your dick"

"You mean like you just have?" Oz responded "'Cos you were the biggest player of us all matey"

"Yeah, I had fun" Charlie conceded "But I've also had relationships that lasted longer than breakfast, that meant something, one day, when it happens to you, you'll understand"

"Oh get the relationship guru!" Callie laughed "Six weeks with a woman and he's an expert, isn't this your longest relationship?"

Charlie looked slightly uncomfortable "This is different" he defended "It's just easy and fun and I like the way it's going" he caught sight of their faces, with expressions ranging from disbelief so outright amusement "And I don't care how much you take the piss, I like her and I'm not going to hide that to appear tough"

They started towards the staff village together; this was their last shift before heading off for their separate destinations. Charlie, Callie, Nelly and Finn would take a portkey together to London, from where Charlie would travel to The Burrow and Finn to Ireland, both Callie and Nelly's families live near London. Oz had a separate portkey directly to Australia, the portkeys were specially made and activated for the reserve staff at Christmas, so they did not have to spend precious time on the floo network or exhaust themselves apparating for hours at a time. Charlie tried not to think that it would be his last night with Juliet for a week.

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Charlie dressed quickly, trying not to wake Juliet. It was the morning of his departure and if she was asleep, then by his logic, he didn't have to say good bye.

"Are you off?" A sleepy voice said from beneath the blankets.

"Yeah" he turned, face apologetic "Sorry babe, I didn't want to wake you" he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek gently.

"Just because I don't see you leave doesn't mean I won't miss you" she smiled.

"I know, I'll miss you too" he sighed "You know, I think I'll stay, I hate the thought of you being alone at Christmas"

"Don't start that again Charlie" she warned, pushing herself up on one elbow and glaring at him, it was as close as they had gotten to cross words in their short relationship "Your family need you to go home, and you know they do. And you need to see them, I'll be fine"

"I know, it's just….well you'll only have a bunch of horny dragon handlers for company, and they can get a bit lairy with a drink inside them"

"There's the healers too you know" she protested "And anyway, there's only one horny dragon handler I'm interested in…." she reached up and kissed him "So stop stressing, go home, have a wonderful Christmas and we can make up for lost time when you get back"

"Don't tease me" he groaned, kissing her again.

And with that Charlie took his leave, his step dragged for quite a while, even as he got safely to London and made his way to Diagon Alley and onto the floo network. He did brighten on entering the burrow's kitchen and seeing the Christmas preparations, and of course his mum, standing with her hands wrung together as he stepped out of the fireplace towards her.

Juliet dressed and made her way to her office, despite it being her day off, with Charlie gone there seemed little point in sitting around in her cabin. She knew she would count the days until he came back, she would miss him a lot, he was about the only person she had spent time with on the reserve. Her position ensured that she couldn't mix with the healers and trainees on a social basis. She would have liked to, but it was frowned upon, management felt that it would reduce the staff's respect for her. Juliet was quite used to being on her own, and it didn't bother her. She wondered how that might pan out if her and Charlie had the future they both thought they did. He was a people person, he didn't like being on his own much, and apparently he was the 'unsociable' one in his family, liking his own space more than others.

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