Hermione walked into the adjoining room, admiring the vaulted ceilings and grinning at the expected Quidditch merchandise. All of the Weasleys had a preferred team, and it was obvious Charlie was an Irish fan. The walls were a Gryffindor red, covered with various green posters. But Hermione immediately honed in on the large bookcase next to the window, just as it lay in her room. She roamed over and began browsing.
"I don't know what kinds of books you enjoy reading, but I have fiction on the left and nonfiction on the right, all arranged alphabetically," Charlie said, standing a little behind her as he watched her scanning the shelves. Before long she had begun pulling a few books.
When she appeared to be done, Hermione was heading back to the adjoining door with about ten books and a smile on her face. "These will do me for now," she said. "Thank-you, Charlie!"
Charlie smiled. "No problem. Come over anytime," he told her as she returned to her room, closing the door behind her. Charlie was comforted to not hear the click of a lock behind her. He left his own room, heading out to tend to the family.
Hermione nestled in a small cave, having made sure it wasn't already occupied, of course. She sat in front of her an empty journal next to an old record book of Charlie's she had snatched, recording the dragon population and migration routes. She held binoculars up to her eyes and watched the sky to the north. If she was correct, a few Romanian Longhorns should be returning to the reserve today, hopefully in the larger caves accross the valley. She had the perfect view from here.
Deer were roaming about and Hermione laid down, looking at her watch. They were predicted by her to arrive at about noon, so any minute. The number, according to charts, could range anywhere from five to fifteen returning. She gazed the sky again until she saw a small dot in the distance.
It was zooming towards her, faster than a dragon. The figure soon got close enough that she could see what it was. None other than Charlie Weasley was on a broomstick, heading straight towards her. She sighed, having hoped for a quiet day to observe science occuring.
He landed on the ledge she herself had climbed onto earlier and he slid into the cave next to her. Even with both of them laying down in it, there was still room to spare. Charlie grabbed the binoculars, looking around. "What are you doing here and why did you take my charts?" he asked, handing the binoculars back.
Hermione pouted slightly. "I'm seeing if my predictions are right," she simply muttered, scanning the sky again.
"What predictions, might I ask?" he inquired, reaching for the charts and her notebook.
"That around this time today, from the North, a small group of Romanian Longhorns should be returning to the reserve," she said, looking over at him.
He nodded his head, observing the notes. "Good prediction. However, this also mentions it could be today, tomorrow, or the next day. Are you coming out here everyday?"
Hermione nodded. "I'm planning on it."
"Well, you know what you need?" he asked, rolling over onto his back. "A big, strong dragon tamer to protect you in case one of them wiley Longhorns decides to eat you right up."
Hermione chuckled. "You know what, you're right. Could you help me find a 'big, strong dragon tamer'?"
"Hey!" Charlie said, looking hurt. "I may be bulky but I still have feelings."
"Oh, shut up you oaf," Hermione grinned, elbowing him.
He laughed, kicking her lightly. "See anything yet, Miss Granger?" he asked.
"Actually, yes," she said. "Right on time."
Charlie shot up just short of the cave ceiling, rolling back over and stealing the binoculars. Indeed, looking North there were three Romanian Longhorns slowly flying to their dens on the other side of the valley. "Blimey, you're right. How many were you predicting?" he asked.
Hermione jotted down a few notes. "Five to fifteen, but they don't always travel in one big group. Too much competition," she said. "The others will arrive over the course of the next two days or so."
Charlie set the binoculars down, looking over at Hermione. "You're the only person other than myself here at the reserve to predict migration patterns right. Would you mind doing other work for me?" he asked.
She smiled, closing her notebook and taking the binoculars back, watching as the Longhorns began cleaning out the dens. "Of course, Mr. Weasley. When do I start?"
