Chapter Fifteen

Hermione

Glad to know that she wasn't going to be forced to sleep on the hard ground, Hermione took her time looking around the tent that was set up for her use. Slightly reminiscent of the horcrux hunt, she was glad that at least it didn't smell of cats. A long time ago she promised herself that she would never spend another night inside a tent again. She was grateful that if she closed her eyes, she could almost believe she was just in another hotel room.

They were supposed to only spend a few minutes in their tents before they met up again. There was a presentation that the director had planned for them and Charlie promised he would take them to see the hatchlings. Though she thought she had had her fill of dragons when she was just a first year sneaking through the castle with Hagrid's contraband, she was surprised to discover there was a lot to learn that she was interested in. Not enough to give up her comfortable position at the Ministry of Magic, of course. If she was asked to visit the new reserve on occasion, she would be glad to, but only during periods of good weather. She couldn't help noticing how much time the dragon keepers spent outside during her initial tour.

Just as she stepped outside of her tent to meet up with her companions, she was startled to see that Anca woman storm out of Charlie's tent with an angry expression on her face. She tried to hide back inside her tent to make it seem like she hadn't seen anything, but it was too late. Charlie stepped out with a red mark across his cheek that made it obvious he'd just been slapped. Curious about what happened, she lingered just long enough to stare and wonder that the frustrated wizard caught her looking.

His sigh was heavy. Before she could ask him what happened, Kingsley exited his own tent. Charlie just shook his head, a silent request that she not say anything. That, of course, only made her even more curious. Obviously there was some sort of history there and she wanted to know all of the details.

Almost as if he orchestrated the rest of their afternoon to prevent the conversation she wanted to have, she was unable to have a free moment with Charlie to ask him a single question. The day passed in a blur. There was a lot they hadn't been shown. She was fascinated and had no idea there was so much to see and learn. The longer they were there, the more she could understand why Charlie was so miserable behind a desk. If she was used to spending her days outside in the fresh air, sitting in an uncomfortable chair sifting through piles of parchment had to be torture.

Even as she tried to focus on the presentations and the more in-depth tour, her mind kept traveling back to what she witnessed outside of the tents. She wanted to talk to Charlie far more than she wanted to see the newest paddock where the Hungarian Horntails were breeding. Each thought she had only made her even more worried for him. There was a reason why he left the refuge abruptly and it wasn't because he stopped loving the work. Was it because of that Anca woman?

Dinner was served in a large dining room in the administration building. All of the dragon keepers and their families sat in the same room together. Based on how comfortable everyone seemed with the arrangement, it was likely that was how they had all of their meals. It made sense. While there were some wives and husbands that had jobs off the reserve, most of the dragon keepers were young and single. She knew that it wasn't a profession most chose to continue as long as Charlie had. He was a special case.

She was escorted to a table near the back of the room with Kingsley. Expecting that Charlie would also join them, she watched him avoid the table, far too busy moving around the room joking with and hugging his former coworkers. It was obvious that they were all good friends there. She supposed they had to be if they were stuck living and working in such close conditions all of the time. Charlie smiled in a way she hadn't seen him smile in a long time. He was happy in Romania amongst his dragons. She hated that he ever felt like he had to leave.

The chair next to hers was pulled out with a slight squeak of the wooden legs against the floor. Hoping that Charlie was ready to sit down to begin the meal, Hermione was disappointed to see Anca sit next to her. Though the woman's smile seemed friendly, it left her feeling cold and uncomfortable. Even though she didn't know the witch at all, she knew enough to know that she didn't like her. Maybe that was unfair, but she didn't really care. She slapped Charlie and that made her an enemy.

"Did you enjoy your tours today, Miss Granger?"

Remembering that she needed to put her personal feelings aside as she was technically representing the Ministry of Magic, Hermione was able to remain polite. She offered the woman as sincere a smile as she could force then told her that she had had a very interesting day. The conversation was of very little importance. Small talk was easy enough. When Hermione noticed that the director was engaged in a private conversation with Kingsley, she realized that he must have requested his wife make an effort to pay special attention to his companion.

At least the wine was good. She sipped at her glass when she didn't want to speak. Her reluctance to engage in conversation didn't seem to bother Anca. She was more than capable of speaking for both of them and actually appeared to enjoy hearing her own voice. Charlie kept his distance from their table when he saw who was seated with her. Hermione couldn't blame him at all. Part of her wanted to get up and attach herself to his side so she could have a reason to move around the room.

The conversation between the two women was simple and polite in the beginning. Hermione discovered early on if she asked just the right question that Anca would speak for the both of them. Most of their talk was focused on how the refuge was run and what the day-to-day operations were like. As the meal progressed, however, Hermione watched the woman consume far more wine than she did. Some of the topics became less appropriate for an official visit from a foreign government.

"If I was here with that one, I wouldn't have needed my own tent."

Hermione didn't appreciate the predatory gaze the awful woman had on Kingsley as he continued to speak with her husband. It reminded her far too much of a spider waiting on its prey to fall into its web. There was no need to ask her to elaborate on her meaning. It was obvious right there on her smirking face.

A protective feeling of Charlie also made her dislike the woman. Even if she didn't see how Anca was undressing Kingsley with her eyes she would despise her. Over the years her relationships with her fellow women had improved since her days at Hogwarts. There were even several she considered close friends. Seeing how the strange woman behaved made her feel almost like she had in the past when she didn't understand the other girls in her dormitory.

She looked across the room to see where Charlie was, foolishly hoping maybe he would choose that moment to come save her from any further interaction. Unfortunately, he was in the opposite corner of the room with his back facing their direction. Deep in conversation with a group of dragon keepers, it didn't look like he would be coming near them any time soon. No doubt it was all Anca's fault. Had that horrible woman hurt him in the past? He said he was incapable of falling in love. Was it her fault?

"Kingsley is a gentleman."

"In public perhaps, but alone?"

Anca didn't finish her thought out loud, but there was no need to. It was written all over her face as she stared at the Minister. Did she have no shame? That wasn't how a married woman was supposed to act.

"He's very handsome."

"Yes, he is, but he's also a wonderful Minister for Magic."

"I have no doubt about that. Is that a well-paid position in your government? His robes look expensive."

Hermione didn't like her questions. What was she getting at? Tearing her eyes away from Kingsley, Anca laughed when she saw her face like it was all a big joke. It wasn't convincing. Then she looked Hermione up and down a mocking grin.

"Spend too much time avoiding the bed of a man like that and you might find someone else in it."

"It's Kingsley's business who is in his bed."

She hoped her statement was enough to put an end to the awkward conversation. Based on the sudden sneer on Anca's face, she understood. As she took a good look at the top of Hermione's head, her sneer morphed into an amused smirk that felt far from friendly.

"If you intend to stay here long, you should learn the spells to fix your hair in this heat."

Assured that she had made her insult known, Anca turned from Hermione to speak to someone else at the table. It was a relief. Somehow it wasn't a surprise that the nasty woman resorted to personal insults. When someone had to stoop down to name-calling and hateful remarks about a person's appearance, they had nothing left to contribute to the discussion.

When she turned towards Kingsley to see if he was still speaking with the reserve's director, she was glad to see him looking at her with a smile. Having an obvious friend on one side helped to distract her from the woman on the other. He leaned his head down to whisper in her ear.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

She had no desire to cause any unnecessary stress. Clearly it wasn't apparent to him that she wanted to be at any other table in the room. Instead of telling the truth, she just smiled and nodded. His attention was soon distracted again by the director and another wizard seated at the end of the table.

To her relief, Anca didn't try to engage her in any further conversation. For the rest of the meal, she quietly surveyed the rest of the room. Her eyes often sought out Charlie to make certain he was still enjoying himself with his former coworkers. Once the meal was over and most of the people began to file out of the room towards their own homes for the night, she was glad. It had been an exhausting day and she couldn't wait to get away from Anca. Even if she hadn't spoken to her since she mentioned her hair, she felt tense waiting for her to start talking again.

Indeed a perfect gentleman just as she claimed he was, Kingsley walked her back to their tents. It was a lovely night. Every corner of the dragon sanctuary had its own beauty. She knew that she was guilty of spending too much time in the city and not enough out in the fresh air where she could actually take deep breaths. Just outside the flap of his tent, he stopped. The corner of his mouth twitched up into a grin.

"Would you like to join me inside?"

It was a tempting offer. If the circumstances were different or if the offer had been made months earlier, she would have been happy to see exactly what he meant with his invitation. Maybe she was a fool for turning him down, but she knew it would only make ending what was happening between them more difficult. She pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Have a good night, Kingsley."

She didn't miss his soft sigh of disappointment as she walked away to enter her own tent alone.

Charlie

Every moment he remained in Romania, Charlie felt even more anxious to leave it again. Never would he have thought he would feel that way about the place that had been his home for so many years, but everything had changed since he packed up his belongings and gave his notice that he was returning home immediately. No longer did it feel like a place he belonged.

Even seeing his old coworkers and friends didn't help. Seeing Anca especially didn't make it better. When he agreed to accompany Kingsley on the trip, he knew he would see her again, but he wasn't prepared for how gut-wrenching it would feel. He shouldn't have been surprised when she came to his tent earlier in the day. It was hardly the first time she'd snuck inside his bedroom for a moment alone. He hated himself a little bit for feeling excited to see her inside the tent again. It made him feel pathetic, like he hadn't learned anything in the many months away.

Despite wanting nothing more than to drown his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle of fire whiskey, he was very careful with the amount he allowed himself to drink that night. Several of his mates tried to refill his glass when he started to run low, but he politely shrugged them off with the plausible excuse that he was there representing the Ministry and should keep his wits about him. In truth, he was worried his tongue might get too loose and he would embarrass himself even more than he already had.

It was a relief to return to his tent when the meal was finally over. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed, sleep the night away, and be that much closer to being able to return home. As soon as he was in his tent, he changed into his pajamas. Because of the heat that wasn't completely cleared up with cooling charms, he needed only the bottom half. Though there were climates that were certainly much warmer than Romania, the large collection of dragons in a relatively confined space could make the human inhabitants uncomfortable. Many times in the dead of winter he had to sleep with his window open just for a little bit of relief.

Charlie laid down on top of his bed with a heavy sigh. Part of him felt lost from the moment his feet touched down that morning with the portkey. Where did he belong? He always thought he would eventually return to Romania but that no longer seemed like an option. Should he consider Kingsley's offer to run their own dragon reserve? It would seem like the best option. He'd missed working outside with the dragons. There was nothing else quite like it.

Just as he felt himself on the verge of falling asleep, he heard the canvas flap rustle. Worried that it was Anca coming back to finish the argument they started earlier, he felt suddenly very exhausted. He didn't want to be slapped again. If she bothered him again, he might be even more blunt than he was before.

Seeing Hermione step inside wearing her pajamas was a surprise. As much as he'd enjoyed being alone with her after dark, he didn't expect her to come by his tent with Kingsley so close. He sat up in bed.

"Are you all right?"

She smiled as she approached the bed.

"I came to ask you the same question."

She sat down on the edge of the mattress. While he appreciated her concern, he wished it wasn't necessary.

"I'm fine."

"And your poor face? It looked pretty red earlier."

He smirked. The slap might have hurt, but he was proud of it.

"Anca didn't appreciate being called a gold digger."

Her soft chuckles made his smile wider.

"She's horrible."

"Yes, she is. I just didn't realize how much so until I saw her again today."

"She's the reason you left Romania."

It wasn't a question. She knew. He couldn't stop the heavy sigh he exhaled.

"Was I that obvious?"

"No, but I think I've gotten to know you pretty well the last few months."

He nodded. Yes, she had. More than just sharing their bodies with each other, there had been several deep and meaningful conversations between them too. Because she had been brave enough to be completely honest with him when they were in the hospital broom cupboard, he decided she deserved to know his history.

"Anca and I had a secret romance for over a year. I thought it was exciting, but I should have known better."

"Why was it secret?"

"She claimed it was to remain as professional as possible since we were coworkers. That wasn't true. I wasn't the only poor fool she was stringing along with whispered promises in the dark. She slapped me this afternoon when I asked her if she stopped with just Mihai and me or if there were others scattered around the reserve I didn't know about. Maybe I was a little too close to the target."

Before he even realized what he was saying, the entire story of his relationship with Anca from the beginning to the horrible night her engagement was made public came rushing out of his mouth. He told her details of the affair he never even told Bill. Used to keeping his own secrets, he was surprised by how much better he felt as he talked. Kind and sympathetic to the dismal and depressing tale, Hermione reached for his hand to give it a supportive squeeze.

"I'm sorry she put you through that, Charlie. You deserve much better than that."

"Thank you."

"And if I didn't think I would be in danger of creating a scandal of international proportions, I would love to cast a number of very nasty spells right between her eyes."

As he laughed, he released her hand. There was not a single doubt in his mind that she could do it too. He appreciated that she was on his side. Having her as an enemy was not something he would ever want.

"Why are you sneaking into my tent and not Kingsley's?"

It hadn't been his intention just to blurt out the somewhat impertinent question. When she sighed, he worried that he shouldn't have said anything. Though he knew she didn't feel like her relationship with the Minister was going anywhere, he assumed that maybe she changed her mind when she was invited to Romania. One didn't usually go on a trip abroad with the person they were seriously considering dumping.

"I'm going to end it. Sneaking into his tent would only complicate it more."

"Why are you ending it? Kingsley is a…"

"Wonderful man. He's going to make some witch very happy one day, but I'm afraid it won't be me."

He still didn't understand her decision to come to Romania if that was the case. Usually a couple planned a trip like that when they were interested in taking their relationship to the next level. As happy as he had been for them, he had also been a little jealous to know that he wouldn't have any more secret meetings with her in stairwells or up against closed Diagon Alley storefronts. She was an addiction he wasn't ready to give up.

"I'm sorry."

She sighed again.

"Your mum was wrong about him not being traditional."

Even without her elaborating he understood that she was referring to children. He didn't know what to say in response. It was a very sensitive subject. He could appreciate that she felt comfortable enough to talk to him openly about it. Was there something specific one was supposed to say in that sort of situation? As a Weasley, he had been fortunate enough to have been born into a prolific family. All he could do was repeat himself. He didn't want to make her feel even worse.

"I'm sorry."

She offered him a smile. The atmosphere in the tent rapidly changed. Had she come to him to get her mind off of Kingsley and the unpleasant task she decided was necessary? Charlie was just about to blurt out another blunt question when she leaned across the bed to kiss him. Never, not even from the first time they kissed, had he needed much encouragement where she was concerned.

Likely it was all a mistake on her part sneaking into his tent instead of facing the grim reality she thought was necessary head-on. A small part of his conscience way back in the recesses of his mind screamed at him that he shouldn't be taking advantage of her in such a vulnerable moment. Most of him, however, knew that she wasn't the sort of woman who would just passively lay back to be taken advantage of. If anything, she was the one to seek opportunities where they could be found.

Their kiss quickly grew heated. It usually did when the two of them were alone. Chemistry like they had was something that was nearly impossible to find. Selfishly, he was glad to know that she hadn't turned away from him and their unconventional arrangement completely. A day would come when he knew it would have to end, but he wasn't ready for it to be that one. His fingers reached for the buttons on her pajamas, eager to have her naked and underneath him as soon as physically possible.

A loud alarm shattered the peace of the night, startling them both. Sounding all over the reserve, Charlie felt a sinking in his stomach once he realized what the familiar sound was. As if it was a second nature, he jumped out of bed to dress hastily.

"What's going on?"

"A dragon got loose."

His simple explanation made her instantly worried and frightened. She should be. Dragons were very dangerous creatures. Any time a person was faced with them in the wild or even on a relatively safe reserve like the one they were on, they put their life in mortal danger.

"Run to the main building as quickly as you can. It's secure."

"Can I help?"

He shook his head. Of course a fellow Gryffindor would be ready and anxious to leap into a fight unprepared.

"Experienced dragon keepers only. It's too dangerous. All of the families will be safe inside the building behind charms."

The longer the alarms continued to sound, the more anxious he became. It was entirely possible that at any second the canvas tent around them could explode into flames or an angry dragon running away from its enclosure could stomp on them. Every second was critical. He grabbed his boots, glad that he had lots of experience putting them on swiftly. The shirt he discarded after dinner was picked up off the floor. It didn't matter that he was still half in his pajamas. No one cared what was worn to an emergency.

In his first year at the reserve when he was still young and naive and unsure how much danger he was in because of his chosen profession, he remembered a terrible night that started off with that exact same alarm. Two of the dragon keepers he had gotten to know and like were caught up in the loose dragon's destruction. He would never be able to get the sounds of their screams out of his head. No one should get too comfortable around dragons.

Looking at Hermione standing there next to the bed still frozen in some shock, he feared the worst. If something happened to her… No, he refused to believe that was a possibility. Grabbing her arm with perhaps more force than was necessary, he pulled her out of the tent with him. He needed to know she was safe before he ran off looking for danger.

One step out of the tent he stopped. Despite the chaos going on all around them, he heard the soft gasp that came out of Hermione's mouth. There was no need to ask if she saw what he did too. Scrambling out of Kingsley's tent was a disheveled Anca followed by a nearly as disheveled Kingsley.