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Charlie and Stella had been bonded for almost a year now and it was the most exhilarating partnership he could ever have imagined. Moreso, even, as he probably never could have imagined being bonded to a dragon before it had literally happened. It was a new phenomenon at the reserve, and everyone had been excited about it. The prospect of possibly more dragon-human bonds had spurred a flurry of research grants, private donations (with thinly veiled bribes to lay claim to first dibs on bonding with future dragonlings), and new personnel on site. And one specific new employee at the reserve was constantly on Charlie's mind recently: Hermione Granger.The little girl had grown up, and everyone had noticed, Charlie included. After Hogwarts she had, much to the surprise of her professors, decided to train as a healer. St. Mungo's had happily scooped her up, and granted her permission to pursue her other interests concurrently with her medical studies, having full faith that she could keep up. And keep up she did. She had gotten certified in Magizoology to support her efforts in championing for fair treatment of magical creatures, as well as obtained a Mastery in Transfiguration. If people were surprised by her chosen fields of study, they kept it to whispers, and none were bold enough to questions her to her face.Hermione worked at St. Mungo's for a few years, flitting among the different departments and gleaning the tips and tricks from the various department heads. Everyone assumed her actions were a not-so-subtle campaign to gun for the Hospital Head position. But then one day, she tendered her resignation, took two weeks to train her technical replacement, and left for Romania without looking back.Charlie remembered the day she arrived at the reserve. Her cheeks were pink from the wind, and her hair was escaping the braid she had tried to restrain it in. All she had on her was her wand and a leather satchel. He had blinked at her in surprise before realizing she was running towards him and about to throw herself into his arms."Charlie!" she squealed. "It's been so long!""Hermione!" he said, putting her back down on the ground gently. "What are you doing here?""Owens hired me for the hospital staff! I didn't think I'd get it, but I'm thrilled to be here."Charlie grinned at her. "If you applied, of course you got it. They'd be fools not to snap you up."Hermione giggled and swatted his arm playfully. "Thank you, but no really, there was so much competition. It's all your fault really," she said, sending him a side-eye."What? Why my fault?""You went and got yourself bonded with a dragon!" she exclaimed. "Now everyone wants to work here! I think they're hoping a dragon will just randomly bond with them if they're within a certain radius or something." Hermione rolled her eyes. "If they would just read a book they'd know that's not how it works.""How does it work?" Charlie asked genuinely.Hermione stared at him in surprise. "You don't know?"Charlie shrugged, slightly embarrassed. "I wasn't exactly planning on bonding with Stella. It just sort of...happened?"Hermione's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?!" she shrieked. "You've got to be the luckiest son-of-a-" She cut herself off when she realized she knew exactly who he was the son of, and Charlie laughed out loud at the expression her face. "Well anyway," she continued primly, brushing an invisible speck of lint from her jacket, "I'm just here to take care of the humans at the clinic. I'm not some dragonseeker. Maybe that's why Owens hired me." She shrugged, showing a rare moment of insecurity."I'm sure he hired you because you're a qualified and talented healer with a broad range of experience, which is what we need here when we can only afford to hire a few medical staff and the nearest hospital is hours away."Hermione smiled gratefully up at him, and he blinked at the sudden warmth that rose up in his chest.
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Charlie had tried to give Hermione space and time to settle into life at the reserve and get to know all her new coworkers, but he felt like everywhere he looked, there she was. She was generally a friendly, outgoing witch, and everyone was curious to meet
the
Hermione Granger, so she had no shortage of people to talk to. But Charlie felt a proud sort of warmth at the fact that Hermione sought him out whenever it seemed she needed a moment to recharge her social battery. He didn't know if it was just the easiness of being with someone she already knew, or perhaps his familiar accent gave her comfort. Sometimes it happened in the evening, just before everyone was heading off to their own quarters, sometimes it was as early as lunchtime. He started to recognize that tightness around her eyes, the tension in her shoulders. But after a warm cuppa and a little bit of conversation, she would start to relax, until her eyes were sparkling again, and her mouth curved into a smile as she talked to him about the latest book she read, the letter she had received from Harry, a knick-knack she saw when window shopping down at the village.
"So when is Ron coming out to see you?"
Hermione laughed, and Charlie's brow scrunched up in confusion. "That was a joke right?" she said, still quietly chortling.
"No?"
"When was the last time Ron came out to see
you
?"
"Never?"
"Exactly."
"I'm his brother though."
"And I'm his sister."
Charlie blinked at this statement. "Ginny is his sister," he said slowly.
"So she is," Hermione agreed easily.
"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"
"Yes," Hermione said, snickering.
"You and Ron broke up?"
"Ron and I were never together."
"Does Ron know that?" Charlie asked bluntly.
Hermione laughed again. "Of course he does."
"I was under the impression that my baby brother was…quite enamored of you."
Hermione snorted. "That's why he had to have Harry find a date for him to the Yule Ball fourth year right? Because he liked me so much he didn't even see me as a girl? And that's why he always had his tongue down Lavender's throat in fifth year?"
"Well when you put it that way," Charlie said awkwardly.
"I do, because that's what happened." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Anyway, he's not really my type."
"What is your type?" Charlie found himself asking.
Hermione's eyes drifted to the ceiling as she considered the question seriously. "I think what's most important to me is mutual respect, do you know what I mean?" Her eyes moved to meet his, and he nodded, swallowing at the intensity he saw in them. "I'd want someone who wasn't just intelligent, but who wanted to use his intelligence and achieve things on his own merit. And that wasn't really Ron. He's bloody smart, but only when he
wants
to be, you know? I love him so much, but he's such a goofball sometimes, and he always seems to do the least possible to get by. At school he was always wheedling me to help him with his work when he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. We just have different priorities, you know? His priorities were quidditch, and women I guess." Hermione rolled her eyes again.
"From what mum says in her letters, that might still be true," Charlie admitted.
Hermione laughed at this. "Is she that forthcoming in her letters to you?" Charlie nodded ruefully. "That's refreshing, honestly. Good ol' Molly Weasley," she said affectionately.
"Is that all, then?" Charlie asked, suddenly burning with the need to know what else Hermione was looking for in a man.
"Hm?" she said absent-mindedly, reaching for a biscuit.
"Your type. You want someone with brains, who actively uses it."
"Oh, yes. I mean, it wouldn't hurt it if he was fit as a fiddle either." Her lips quirked up in a suggestive smile.
"And what do you consider 'fit' then? Tall, dark, and handsome?" he asked, half teasing, half curious.
"Hmm, I think I'd like someone who could make me feel feminine, if that makes any sense. I know that sounds terrible, but maybe it's some biological thing. I prefer someone taller than me, broader than me, do you know what I mean?"
Charlie found himself sitting up a little straighter, pulling his shoulders back. "That shouldn't be too hard to find, considering your size," he said casually.
"You're right, of course. It's much harder for Gin to find someone taller than her," she laughed.
"I don't want to think about Ginny's love life," he groaned, and Hermione's laugh sprinkled over him again.
"I don't want to hear about Harry's love life either, but Ginny tells me all the same," she said with a wry look.
"And yours?" Charlie asked.
"My what?"
"Your love life," he pushed.
"Charlie Weasley! Are you trying to find out if I'm single?" she asked in mock outrage.
"What if I am?" he hedged.
"To what end?" she asked cautiously.
"Hermione, you're objectively gorgeous, you've just confirmed you aren't with or even interested in my brother, which was honestly one of my biggest concerns, and I've been attracted to you since you were fourteen," he said baldly.
To his surprise, the witch sitting beside him blushed and hid her face behind her teacup.
"I'd love to ask you out, but there's one tiny - well, slightly huge - piece of baggage that I come with, and I'm not sure how you'll feel about it."
"What is it?" Hermione asked carefully, and Charlie's heart started racing at the fact that she didn't immediately brush him off.
"It's a she," he said, "and she's a Swedish Short-Snout."
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"Hermione, meet Stella. Stella, Hermione."The silvery dragon stared at the witch with a piercing gaze. For Hermione's part, she looked unperturbed, and merely stood still, allowing herself to be observed by the giant creature in front of her. After a moment, the dragon blinked slowly and tilted her head slightly to the side, and Hermione curtsied in response, dipping her head respectfully. The action looked surprisingly graceful considering she was wearing a simple linen shirt tucked into a pair of rough work trousers. Charlie caught himself staring for a moment, wondering how she managed to make those very practical work boots look as dainty as a pair of strappy heels.Stella turned and nudged Charlie forcefully on his shoulder, forcing him to turn and face her. He stroked her snout with one hand while retrieving a small strip of dried meat from his pack with the other."Do you like her?" he murmured. "Because I do, and it would be convenient if you two got along."The dragon snuffed imperiously and accepted her treat before turning her back on the two humans and shuffling off a little ways to enjoy it in relative privacy."She's beautiful, Charlie," Hermione said, her eyes bright with wonder.In the crisp early morning light, with her cheeks pink from the cold and her curls framing her face, Charlie thought nothing looked more beautiful than Hermione just then."You did well. I'm surprised. Most people are a little silly around dragons.""Well, it's not my first time meeting a dragon," Hermione laughed."It's your first time meeting a bonded dragon though.""And I read a book on it before I came," Hermione sniffed."What did your book say?" Charlie asked curiously."Avoid strong fragrances such as perfumes and sprays, try to use unscented soap or better yet, bathe only with water the day before." Hermione ticked off the points on her fingers. "Leave your hair loose, as the warmth on your nape disperses your natural scent better. Stand still and allow the dragon to assess your worthiness. Stay relaxed and try to match your demeanor to that which you would show to its human bondee.""And did your book tell you to curtsy or bow to the dragon?""No," Hermione blushed. "I don't know why I did that. It just felt right.""I think Stella appreciated it. I was surprised myself.""She feels like…a Lady, do you know what I mean? Like a highborn noblewoman. A curtsy seemed appropriate.""I like that. A noblewoman," Charlie mused. Hermione smiled widely at him, and he smiled back. "You really weren't afraid at all?""Bonded dragons are much less dangerous than unbonded ones." Hermione shrugged. "And I don't think you would bring me out here if you thought I were in danger.""Dragons are wild creatures, though. They can be unpredictable."Hermione snorted. "Humans can be unpredictable.""Still. They're very strong, and very fast. You're a quick draw with your wand, but I'm not sure you would've come out unscathed if she had wanted to hurt you.""Do you think Stella would purposefully hurt you?""No," he said, shaking his head, "I don't think so.""And would you purposefully hurt me?""Of course not!""Then there's no reason why Stella would purposefully hurt me," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "That's how dragon-human bonds work, after all."Charlie's eyes widened. When Hermione saw the look on his face, she rolled her eyes again."Seriously, don't any of you Weasleys read?"Charlie coughed awkwardly. "Um. Perhaps you could recommend a few titles to me?"Hermione's eyes lit up at this, and Charlie felt his cheeks heat as his heart started to beat overtime. "I brought two with me, they're back in my cabin of course, that I think would be very helpful to you. But I've also started to read one that I found in the reserve's library that may be relevant. I'll have to let you know after I finish it."Her enthusiasm and passion made her entire body come alive in a way that he had never truly appreciated before. Her arms waved excitedly as she explained the key points in the book she was reading, and she had the tiniest of skips in her step as she walked along with him back to the enclosure gate. Charlie felt more than saw Stella's head raise and turn in their direction, the dragon's eyes brushing over Hermione's retreating back. A faint sense of approval settled in his mind like a fine mist.
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The next day, Charlie felt a bit under the weather. But as it was his day off anyway, he decided to settle on his couch with a blanket and a mug of hot tea with honey, and read one of the books Hermione had lent him. He took a break after eating a light lunch standing at the kitchen counter, and went to visit with Stella.The dragon was curled up on top of a boulder when he entered the enclosure, warming herself in the sun."How are you doing, girl?" he asked, scratching the scales along her neck lightly. "Hopefully none of my cold symptoms are coming through to you through the bond. It's not the worst I've had, but it's not fun either."The dragon snuffed and turned her head so that he could scratch her other side, and he laughed softly at her antics, but willingly obliged."Do you need to hunt today?"Stella blinked her eyes slowly at him, and Charlie patted her nose gently. "In that case, I'm going to go back to my cabin and read a bit more before going to bed early. You know how to reach me if you need anything," he joked.The dragon nudged the center of his chest affectionately before curling up once more to rest her head against one forearm. Seeing that his dragon was relaxed and content, Charlie felt much better about his lazy plans for the day. He made a mental note to go hunting with her tomorrow before his daily chores. While she would be perfectly healthy eating the food the reserve provided, he knew that helping Stella practice and maintain her skills at hunting her own food would benefit her more in the long run. Not to mention it was fun for both her and him, and good exercise too.Charlie retrieved a portion of premade soup from the freezer and began to heat that up for an early dinner as he continued to peruse Hermione's book. By the time he was done eating he was feeling distinctly lethargic and a bit warm, but decided sleeping it off would probably be best. If he still has a fever in the morning, he'd stop by the clinic for something from Hermione.He had no trouble falling asleep, but that night, as his temperature rose, he was plagued with dreams of a curly haired witch moaning above him, an enormous pair of leather wings sprouting from her back as her body undulated above his. "What's wrong with him?" A stern voice woke him."I'm not sure, sir. I'm still running diagnostics.""Are you a healer or aren't you?" Charlie wanted to protest against the tone the man was taking with his mate, but found his voice wasn't working."Sir, there's a protocol to follow, and I'm following it," Hermione snapped. "If you would let me do my job I will report to you as soon as the scans are finished and the patient is stable," she said icily."Fine, but Weasley is our best handler and our only handler that is bonded with a dragon. You better fix him up and quick .""Sir," Hermione gritted out, "I could do my job quicker and better if you weren't literally standing in my way." She glared at him and looked pointedly at the equipment behind him.Sheepishly he stepped aside and made for the door. "I expect at least a preliminary report in an hour.""I'll send a patronus if nothing else," Hermione agreed.And then the man finally left the room. Charlie breathed more easily with the other male's scent fading quickly.He felt Hermione's cool hand against his cheek."Charlie," she said, and something in her voice broke his heart. He struggled to regain control of his voice but all that came out was a feral sounding growl."Charlie," she said more urgently, "if you can hear me, you're at the clinic. This is," she hesitated, "this is Hermione. Do you understand?"Her tiny cold hand slipped into his and he squeezed it. A squeak came out of her, and he thought it sounded pleased, so he squeezed her hand again."Charlie, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand."He did as his mate asked."Charlie, do you know who I am?"Charlie squeezed her hand again. He would always know his mate. By sight, by sound, by her scent, by the feel of her magic."Okay, Charlie, listen, you have a very high fever. Very high. I'm…I'm honestly a little frightened," she whispered. "But we're going to figure it out, I promise. Your scans are good, aside from the fever of course. The temperature doesn't seem to be doing any damage to your body, which is honestly…strange."It wasn't strange at all, he thought. It was simply a heat. He squeezed her hand again, hoping to comfort her."Stella is fine. She…told me to get you."That was odd. He hadn't known Stella could communicate with anyone other than him."Honestly," Hermione continued, "the fact that Stella seems unconcerned is making this much less frightening for me. But really, Charlie, human bodies are not meant to be this hot."Mate thinks he's attractive. Charlie preened inwardly. Why was his body frozen? He wanted to show her how good he could be for her. How good he would be for her."Honestly, Charlie, your temperature is burning as hot as a…dragon." Hermione's breath stuttered on the last word, and there was a clattering sound as if she had dropped something.Well of course he was as hot as a dragon, Charlie thought."Expecto patronum," he heard Hermione cast. "Owens, I think I know what it is, sir." She hesitated a moment, before clearing her throat. "I think it's Dragon Fever."
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"What is Dragon Fever?" Owens asked warily."It's not contagious," Hermione quickly explained, and Owens relaxed immediately. "It only affects humans who are bonded with dragons, which is why it hasn't been seen in centuries. But it's quite well-documented in this book that I was reading…""Get to the point, Granger."Charlie's rumbling growl rolled through the room."Can he hear me?" Owens asked, a note of trepidation in his voice."Um, yes, I believe so.""Why is he growling?""Um…I think he doesn't like it when you speak to me in that tone," Hermione said as diplomatically as she could."Is this a feminist thing?" Owen asked, his brows raising."Erm, no. I um, I think Charlie thinks I'm his mate," she said in a rush, blushing deeply.Mate is so smart, Charlie thought."Mate..?""Dragons in the wild typically mate for life, hatching clutches of eggs periodically and raising the dragonlings to maturity as a bonded pair."Owens eyed Charlie's inert form warily. For someone who was literally unconscious, he still managed to exude a sense of barely contained danger. The head of the reserve decided to refrain from interrupting the healer's explanation."A dragon who is bonded with a human can um, choose a de-facto mate for his or her human.""And this…choice…throws the human into a semi-catatonic state and causes them to spike a massive fever?"Actually, yes," Hermione confirmed."Are you serious?""Yes.""This is an actual thing," Owens said flatly."I can show you the book," Hermione offered. "It has quite a few references in the index, although I haven't personally read them all. And the number of observed and recorded cases are obviously miniscule. But everything fits, and honestly the 'cure' for it is quite simple," she said, once again blushing."No need," Owens said, waving her off. "If you say it's so, I believe you. We hired you for your expertise and I have to trust you in that. I'm no healer, nor am I a researcher.""Yes, sir.""So he'll be fine.""I believe so, sir, just as soon as we start the treatment.""In that case, I'll leave you to it, and hope to see Weasley back on his feet soon.""Yes, sir," Hermione said again.Owens eyed her suspiciously, but swept out of the room without questioning her further. As soon as the door closed behind him, Hermione collapsed into the chair, and slipped her hand into Charlie's again. He squeezed it immediately, and she sighed softly. "Charlie," she whispered, "am I right about this?" Her voice sounded so small. He didn't know why her confidence was faltering. He squeezed her hand, because it was all he could do. A low rumble vibrated in his chest, and he hoped she wouldn't mistake it for a growl when it was nearly the opposite."I'm going to go talk to Stella, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise," she said.He didn't want her to go, but there was nothing he could do about it. But if Stella could communicate with her, then perhaps this was the best thing for her to do. Stella could explain everything when he couldn't. He hoped she would come back to him. It felt wrong to let her walk away. He felt her breath against his cheek and then so quickly he almost missed it, she kissed him there, just under his cheekbone, her lips pressing softly, so softly against his skin for a fraction of a second before she whirled away and all he was left of was the echo of her footsteps and the fading scent of her in the room.
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Hermione approached the dragon enclosure cautiously. Charlie was conscious, at least on some level, and she didn't think Stella was a danger to her, but Charlie had been right during that first meeting. Stella was a very large, very strong, very fast creature who could do a lot of damage in a very short amount of time. It would be stupid to underestimate her. "Hello, Stella. It's me, Hermione," she said awkwardly. She stood still, posture relaxed, as the silvery-blue dragon stepped out of the trees and approached her.The Short-Snout bumped Hermione in the middle of her chest with her nose before snuffling her hair affectionately, causing Hermione to giggle involuntarily."You're just a sweetheart, aren't you?" Hermione cooed. For a moment she just basked in the wonder of interacting with this amazing creature, before she remembered why she was there. "Charlie's sick, Stella. Do you know anything about it?"The dragon pulled her head back for a moment and eyed the witch. The two stood in the middle of a clearing, their heartbeats the only sound in the area."I think it's Dragon Fever," Hermione whispered. "Did you…choose me? For him?" Hermione asked.Stella inclined her head, her mouth almost curled into a smirk."We've gone on literally two dates," Hermione huffed.Stella eyed her knowingly, and Hermione sighed, capitulating."I know," she admitted. "And him?"Stella snorted, two puffs of innocuous smoke emitting from her nostrils, and Hermione giggled softly, patting her nose."Are you sure?" she asked, earnestly, almost childishly.Stella inclined her head again."What do I need to do then?" Hermione asked. "I don't want to risk the books not being accurate." Hermione was back and Charlie felt the tension in his chest ease as her scent filled his nostrils."I'm back," she said breathlessly, and he instantly imagined other ways he could steal her breath. "Stella confirmed what the book said," she informed him, and he wondered that she could so casually admit that she could communicate with a dragon. Did she think this was a normal thing? Or perhaps she had communicated with a dragon before? The thought made a spike of jealousy flare in his stomach."Charlie, I have to um…" she trailed off uncertainly. "Well it's like that Muggle fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, do you understand?" She reached over his body so that she could take both his hands in hers."Charlie, if you don't want me to do this, I will find another way. I will talk to Stella again and explain it to her. I'm going to- I have to-" Hermione huffed I'm frustration before finally pushing out the words. "I have to kiss you. On the lips. To bring you out of the coma, okay? Squeeze my hands if you understand."He squeezed both of her hands in his. "Squeeze my hands if you consent."He hesitated. Her voice sounded so clinical. He didn't want Hermione the healer, he wanted Hermione his mate. His fingers spasmed slightly but he loosened them around hers, allowing her to pull away if she wished."Okay, Charlie," she whispered, "I understand." Why did she sound sad? She started to pull away but he held onto the hand that was between them, stalling her."I'll tell Stella she made a mistake. See if she can take the spell off you," Hermione said quietly, resolutely.What mistake? What spell? He held her hand tightly in his, needing more explanation."I won't kiss you without your consent," Hermione said. "Even if I'm in love with you and this is my only chance," she laughed wetly.His hand immediately clamped down on hers so tightly she yelped and reflexively tried to pull away. But his grip was like iron. He loosened it enough that he wasn't hurting her but she was not getting away after saying something like that. "Are you…are you purring?" Hermione asked.He squeezed her hand. It was getting tiresome communicating this way. He wanted to hold her, he wanted to tell her he was in love with her too, he wanted to-"Charlie," she whispered, once again leaning across his body to take his other hand in hers. "Squeeze both of my hands twice if you want me to kiss you."He immediately did as she asked, and he knew the sound that came out of her mouth just then would fuel his future fantasies.He felt the warmth of her body as she leaned farther into him, her hands still awkwardly clasped in his. The tip of her nose brushed against his and he inhaled sharply as he felt her breath ghosting across his lips. She was so close he could practically taste her scent. Her curls fell around her face, tickling his cheeks, his neck. And then her lips were in his, soft and warm and so so right . He would never get enough of this feeling, the softest of pressures that he could feel against his heart just as much as he could feel against his lips. She sighed into him, her breath flowing into his mouth and touching his soul."Hermione," he whispered, voice low and raspy."Charlie," she whispered back.And then his arms were around her, pulling her against him so that he could feel her everywhere. His lips were on hers again, consuming her taste, absorbing her essence. His hands went into her hair, tugging lightly just to feel her. His rumbling purr vibrated their bodies until he realized it was actually her , her body shivering with anticipation and arousal. Her scent changed and his pupils blew wide as he caught it. "Mate," he growled, before he apparated them directly into his bedroom.
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Hermione squeaked as their surroundings changed and they landed in the middle of a large bed. Their clothing had seemingly not apparated with them, but Hermione's brain couldn't focus on that puzzle while Charlie was doing that to her breasts."Char- Char- wait, slow down."Charlie froze, did she not want to do this? "Charlie, it's the Fever. We shouldn't-"He cut her off immediately. "Hermione, Stella knows exactly how I feel about you. I'm not under the influence of some strange dragon magic, or whatever you're thinking. I know what I want, and I want you. But," he hesitated, "what do you want? You said back there that you were in love with me…"Hermione blushed, and Charlie tried valiantly not to notice how far down the pink traveled from her face. "In case I haven't been clear," Charlie said, his eyes suddenly serious and piercing, "I've fallen completely in love with you, Hermione Granger. I love the way you love books. I love your passion for life, your commitment to making the world around you better. I love your honesty, your bravery, your loyalty. I love your friendship, talking with you, just sitting with you, cooking with you, taking tea together. I love your laugh, I want to be there for you when you cry, I want to punch anyone who hurts you, or at least I want to watch while you punch them."A little surprised laugh fluttered out of her, followed by a sob."Don't cry, darling, please. What did I say wrong? I love you, Hermione. Let me show you how much.""Oh, Charlie," she cried, throwing her arms around his shoulders. "I love you too. So so much. I love how you always listen and think before you speak. I love your quiet strength, your patience, your willingness to learn. I love that you're always the first person to volunteer to help someone else. I love how you love working with your hands. I love that you know I can fight my own battles, and I love that I know I can depend on you to have my back if I need it." Hermione not her lip then as she leaned back a little. "And I think there's something else about you that I'm going to love," she said shyly, "if you'd allow me to get acquainted with it."Charlie growled as he surged forward, kissing her fiercely, and feeling extremely gratified when he felt her kissing him back with equal fervor."Please, Charlie," she mewled when he lowered his lips to suck at her neck. She lifted up enticingly and he took the hint, reaching down with one hand to position himself at her entrance. As she sunk down slowly they both groaned at the stretch. "God, you feel amazing," he breathed. "I dreamt about you like this," he admitted."Really?" she asked breathlessly, and her tone had him remembering other thoughts. But then she was pulling up and sinking down on him again and all those thoughts flew out of his head.As she panted and writhed above him, he whispered encouragement and praise, basking in her glory. He wanted to give her everything, and she was taking it like it already belonged to her. The feeling of it was overwhelming, like pieces clicking into place so perfectly that it could never be anything else. When she came, tendrils of her magic flared out around her, filaments of light that haloed her body, and he broke underneath her, groaning in an ecstasy that bordered on pain.In the back of his mind, he felt it as Stella's wings snapped outwards, flaring wide as she launched herself into the air.