Title: More to Life
Author: wook77
Characters: Charlie Weasley/Lavender Brown
Rating: R
Warnings: het
Themes/kinks chosen: Everything Old is New Again - Phobia (Nudity)
Word Count: ~7940
Summary: Escaping to find oneself might just be the best thing ever for Lavender Brown. Running away to the Romanian Dragon Preserve to be a dragon tamer puts her directly in the path of Charlie Weasley and the realisation that there is more to life than she'd ever though possible.
Author's notes: Many thanks to my betas, janicechess and nefernat, without whom, this fic wouldn't be nearly as good. All remaining mistakes are my own.



May 15th, 1998

Lavender itched. It wasn't a small itch, one that she could ignore and forget and then move on. This one was horrible and pervasive, extending from her jaw line to her stomach, reaching out from her sternum to her shoulder, over her breast. The temptation to rake her nails across it over and over until it bled was so strong that her fingers were on her skin before she realised. The roughness of the scarring under her hands made her recoil and pull the blankets up over herself, hiding her body from sight. The temptation to pull the blanket further, burrow deep down within them so that no one – not Parvati, not Padma and certainly not Harry and the rest – could see her was so strong that she had to clench her hands into fists to keep from doing it. The only time she'd done that, Parvati's strident ranting had rung in her ears for days. Then, to make matters worse, Parvati had gone and tattled to Madam Pomfrey about it, as well.

This didn't stop the urge to hide from the world. Instead, it only made the urge stronger. She wasn't acting at all like herself. She knew it, even without Parvati and Padma encouraging her to get better. She was never going to act like herself ever ever again. How they couldn't see that was a fact that escaped her.

She wasn't pretty anymore. How could anyone possibly think that Lavender Brown would ever be the same when she wasn't pretty? The only plans she'd made for her life were to find a successful boyfriend, get married and host extremely fashionable gatherings. Well, that and to possibly become a reporter like Rita Skeeter. Or maybe a personal shopper. Or a model.

With a discouraged sigh, she flipped onto her side, back to the door, and burrowed as deep as she could without arousing Madam Pomfrey's ire. The sound of sobbing woke her scant minutes later. She saw a redhead - Weasley, she thought though she wasn't sure which one – and then she remembered that Fred was dead. There were far too many bad memories here right now.

She had to get away.

~~**~~

May 20th, 1999
Dear Mum and Dad,

I'm sorry I left on such a bad note. I know you only want the best for me but this is something that I really want to try.

I love you both,
Lavender

~~**~~

As she stood within the confines of the Romanian Dragon Preserve, her feet froze while her hands trembled. This wasn't a good idea. Not at all. In fact, out of all the ideas that Lavender had ever had, this was, hands down, the absolute worst idea ever. She really should've consulted Firenze or Professor Trelawney before coming but she hadn't wanted to tell anyone. She hadn't wanted anyone to laugh at her.

Huffing in disgust at herself, Lavender grabbed at the last vestiges of courage. If she could face down Fenrir, she could do this. If she could face her ruined body in a mirror, she could do this. If she could deal with the disappointment in her parents' eyes, she could do this.

Except that she'd lost to Fenrir, couldn't face a mirror and hadn't seen her parents in months. Perhaps it was time for her to face her fears. Or, at the very least, a few dragons.

She stepped into the building at the front of the Romanian Dragon Preserve and smiled at the receptionist. The smile might have been a bit forced and brittle, but it was there and so was she.

"May I help you?" The man – more of a boy than a man, really – smiled politely at her.

"I'm Lavender Brown. I'm to report here to begin training?"

She watched as he flipped through parchment with his finger skimming down the lists. "Ah, here you are. Miss Brown, you're in the first set of barracks, room one thirty-two. I'll show you the way."

He was friendly and didn't seem to think it odd that she was there at all. That reassured Lavender, made her feel much more comfortable as she walked along beside him. He nattered on about the routines, that the kitchen was open all day and night while pointing out the various facilities, including the shared bathrooms.

"You mean that there's only one bathroom on the entire floor?"

"Yes and as this is a mixed floor, you should be prepared to share the bathroom and shower facilities with either men or women. Each stall is a self-contained room within the main room so your modesty and virtue will remain intact." He laughed while he spoke and waggled his eyebrows. She laughed as well, feeling a bit more relieved at the information. She'd really rather not have people, male or female, seeing the scars that covered her torso.

As they reached her room, he opened it with a flourish and then, unexpectedly, embraced her. "Welcome to the Romanian Dragon Preserve."

"Thanks," she said while trying to think of how, exactly, to extricate herself without seeming rude or standoffish. He finally let go of her and then winked before walking away.

Moving into the room, she looked about. It seemed that she had her own room. Having no roommates set her at ease even further. She placed her bag on the bed and then got to work removing the mirrors, storing them deep within the closet before unpacking. It was short work; she hadn't brought much with her as she didn't expect to stay very long. She was only here to prove something to herself and she didn't expect it to work out.

She couldn't quite help that small niggling sense of hope that danced around deep inside, though.

~~**~~

May 22nd, 1999
Dear Parvati,

The facilities are lovely. I have my own room, which is a nice change! There's a communal shower room so I'm really hopeful that I'll get to see plenty of hot, wet, naked men. I know you're jealous and all I can say to that is HA! I told you that you should come along!

Love and kisses,
Lavender

~~**~~

Her first day as a recruit was spent sitting in a classroom going over safety procedures. It seemed to take forever though she took copious amounts of notes. Perhaps she should've paid better attention at Hogwarts as she couldn't quite keep up with the instructor. Her notes looked horrendous, gibberish sitting next to nonsense sitting next to rubbish. She'd have to review the textbook after class to be able to make sense of it.

By lunchtime, her arse ached from sitting in a hard chair all morning. As the instructor seemed to be wrapping things up to release them for lunch – her stomach was growling so she desperately hoped that it was soon – a bunch of people entered the room.

"I know you're all hoping for lunch," the instructor paused to look around at the fifteen or so recruits, "but I'd like to introduce you to your trainers. You will be working one on one with each of these so, to smooth the introductory stage, you're going to dine with them."

Lavender raised her eyebrows at this; she hadn't known that they'd have personal trainers.

"Brown, Lavender, you'll be working with Charlie Weasley." She watched as the Weasley she'd seen weeping in the Hospital Wing pushed off the wall. This was bound to be awkward and her hopes of success sank further.

When the instructor finished rattling off the names and pairing everyone up, they all exited in one giant mass towards the mess hall. In her rush to find Charlie, she bumped into first the instructor and then Charlie. It was completely mortifying and she flushed bright red.

"Careful there, the food'll wait for us though you seem like you could use a bit more than the rest," Charlie said as he steadied her. His hand on her arm felt a bit too warm, especially as she could feel the calluses and rough spots. When she looked up, he was grinning at her. She could feel the attraction building and she shut it down roughly. Now was not the time to be attracted to someone, hot dragon tamer or no hot dragon tamer. Besides, Charlie was Ron's brother and she would really rather not start making her way through dating all of the Weasley brothers.

She pulled away from him and saw his expression close off. Well, she'd already made a poor impression on her trainer, things couldn't possibly get worse.

~~**~~

July 15th, 1999
Dear Mum and Dad,

I just finished the classroom stage. Tomorrow, I'm supposed to start working out on the Reserve itself. I'm looking forward to seeing the dragons up close and personal though Charlie tells me that it'll be awhile until that happens. I get to learn how to care for the Reserve first.

Love you,
Lavender

~~**~~

Things definitely continued to get worse. Her first day in the field, she fell headlong into the reality of working with dragons. Literally. Charlie laughed as she pulled herself out of the large pile of dragon dung. Glaring and feeling petulant, she tossed a handful at him when his laughter didn't subside. The shocked expression that took the place of the mirthful one immediately made her feel better.

"You… you just…" he stuttered over his words.

"You bet I did. Shouldn't have laughed," she said archly while she grabbed the shovel and tried to hold back her laughter at the way he seemed so appalled about the dung that smeared his shirt.

"You… you…" he stuttered once more while wiping his hands down the front of his shirt.

"Were completely justified in tossing shite at you? Quite." This time, it was much harder to bite back the laugh as a smile spread over her face. To cover it, she stared at the pile intensely. She really shouldn't have looked away from him, for the next thing she knew she was enveloped in his arms as he threatened to dunk her in the pile once more. He was laughing as he held her tight against his chest and she could feel how hard it was against her back, how strong his arms were as they held her tight. As he left her go only to grab her tightly yet again. She couldn't help laughing at the play.

Even a month ago, Lavender wouldn't have been comfortable being touched this way but now, she felt much more secure. Here, it didn't matter what you looked like. It only mattered how well you did your job and after a rough first week, she was getting on to the job. Her family and friends simply wouldn't believe that she was here and, even more shockingly, enjoying herself. Hell, she wouldn't have believed that she would enjoy shovelling dragon dung if someone had told her that a month ago.

"You going to apologise for tossing shite at me?" Charlie's voice was low, breath tickling her ear.

"No," she whispered as he tightened his grip.

"You sure?"

"You're rubbing it on my back, I figure we're even." She couldn't understand why they were whispering, considering that they were the only ones around.

"That's a good point," he said and as he spoke, she swore she felt an open mouth against her ear and then her neck.

Whatever had come over them, Lavender didn't have a single clue. The mood had gone from working to playful to flirtatious faster than she could contemplate. These flirtations had to stop because they weren't going to go anywhere and it wasn't fair to lead Charlie on. She pulled out of his grasp and went back to shovelling, putting her back into it just to be able to finish faster.

When she finally dared a glance towards Charlie, she saw him watching her with a contemplative look that sent butterflies swarming about in her stomach. It didn't bode well at all.

~~**~~

July 29th, 1999
Dear Mum and Dad,

I'm enjoying myself here. The people are nice and no one stares at my scars so I won't be coming home for awhile. I know you miss me but this is something I think I might be good at. I even broke a nail, mum, and I thought it was brilliant.

Love,
Lavender


~~**~~

Two weeks into her field training, Lavender felt comfortable enough that, when there was a knock on the door, she opened the door without even looking through the peephole first. Charlie stood on the other side, leaning on the doorjamb and wearing an expression that she thought was a combination of flirtatious and bashful. Her stomach tightened while her palms sweated.

"Yes?" She asked with a cocked brow.

"Can I come in?" He gestured towards the room and so she stepped back and allowed him in. He looked around and then whistled. "Awfully pink in here."

"It's my favourite colour," she admitted while she watched him take in the surroundings.

"You don't have any mirrors," he said, turning towards her.

"That's downright amazing. I never noticed," she teased and he had the good grace to flush. "Was the only reason you stopped by to remark on my lack of mirrors?"

Was she flirting? She was. It'd been so long since she'd done it that it felt sort of awkward and weird. And nice. It was definitely nice to feel pretty enough to flirt with a man, even when he was her trainer. She felt normal for the first time in a year and she revelled in the feeling.

Charlie raked a hand along his hair and then held the back of his neck. He twisted his neck to look at her while his head tilted and a grin split across his face.

"Nope, came to see if you wanted to get some dinner."

"Does the bashful guy routine work on a lot of girls?" she asked, her tone still flirtatious. He flushed again and her grin spread further.

"Uh, yeah, actually, now that you mention it..." His hand dropped to the side while he spoke. His grin really was sort of charming, she thought to herself. It was simply a shame that the flirtation wouldn't go further than where it currently was.

"In that case, who am I to mess with success? Where are you taking me? The mess hall or… the mess hall?" She giggled as his head fell backwards and he let out a very loud laugh.

"It's a new place, just down the way. They serve the best cafeteria food you'd ever want to eat." Gallantly, he held out an arm and she took it with a curtsey.

"Lead on," she commanded graciously and they laughed and flirted throughout the walk through the dormitories and into the mess hall.

There were only a few others scattered throughout the room. When they entered, Lavender attempted to pull her arm from Charlie's hold. It wouldn't do to be seen holding hands – or arms – with the person in charge of training, regardless of how many people were in there. He wouldn't let go and, as he was far stronger than she, she simply let him hold on to it.

Once they had to grab their trays, however, Charlie finally let go of her arm. They quickly picked out their food and once they reached the end of the line, Charlie grinned and said, "My treat, of course."

"How gallant of you, I appreciate you paying for my free meal." She giggled again and, for the second time that evening, felt like the Lavender of before – before the attack, before the scars.

"Anything for you, my sweet." He bowed low and then levitated their trays to the tables.

As dinner progressed, the flirtations continued, moving from the current state of her training – "tossing dung at your supervisor isn't exactly the way to succeed, you know," Charlie said with a wink – to the other trainees. Lavender didn't have much to add as observations went. She'd done her best to foster a working relationship but hadn't wanted anything beyond that. It'd only been a year since she'd been mauled and she didn't feel that she had time to get completely comfortable in her new ugly skin. She wanted a bit more time to get comfortable before she truly sought out other company than those nearest and dearest to her.

He insisted on walking her back to her room. Deciding that it just wasn't worth the argument, Lavender acquiesced. That she got to spend a bit more time flirting and feeling like her old self was simply a bonus and not the entire reason she walked with him, back of hand brushing back of hand throughout the walk. When they reached her room, she opened the door and then turned to him. "Thanks for walking me back."

"Welcome," he said and made no move to leave. They both stood in the doorway, Lavender just inside and Charlie just outside as they said their goodnights. Up until now, it had been a very enjoyable evening. If Lavender was reading Charlie's body language properly, though, that was about to come to a screeching halt. The way he leaned against the doorjamb – arm propped over his head while his shirt puckered and showed off his biceps and just a hint of toned abdomen – and the expectant, knowing, self-assured, flirtatious, smile on his face, all the signs pointed to Charlie expecting at least a kiss if not even more. The hand not resting against the jamb reached out and cupped her chin, tilting her head slightly as he moved in. Just before lip pressed against lip – and how she wanted them to touch – she stepped back and he kissed the air.

"Uh, sorry, guess I, um, well, I was…" Charlie stammered as he let go of her face and raked a hand through his hair and then clutched the back of his neck.

"Over the line? Abusing the trainer/trainee bond? Reading into things?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"A little of all of it?" He pushed off the doorjamb. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course," she said and watched him leave. After he was out of sight, she closed the door, leaning against it and sighing. Shaking her head at her the girlish thoughts that traipsed through her head, she crawled into bed. Tossing and turning, she couldn't quite get rid of the curiosity of just what Charlie would've tasted like and just how he would kiss.

~~**~~

July 30th, 1999
Dear Parvati,

Thanks for the lotion. I've been using it the entire time, promise. Things are going well and I'm really excited still about this training. Charlie tried to kiss me Charlie Weasley is a lot more considerate than I was expecting considering previous Weasleys.

Love,
Lavender

~~**~~

Lavender stumbled as she exited the shower – fully wrapped from head to toe in terry cloth – and ran, headlong, right into Charlie. His hands gripped her arms to steady her. He continued to hold on even after she'd caught her balance and she couldn't quite bring herself to pull away. His hands were warm on her; she could feel the heat burrowing up through to her skin from where his fingertips rested lightly against the robe.

"About last night," he started to say.

"It's all right," she interjected.

"Sure?" He asked and she nodded. "All right then."

Even after they subsided into an uncomfortable silence, he still didn't let go. The heat radiated into her soul or at least it seemed that way. She wondered if perhaps the reason he was so warm was because of the dragon that curled over his shoulder and chest, if it were breathing fire. When it opened its mouth, she gasped.

"That's Hephaestus," Charlie said as he flexed his muscles, causing the dragon to move over his skin until it was curled on top of his heart.

"That's brilliant," she breathed out. She really wanted to reach out a hand to touch it but she quickly pulled her hand back down.

"You can touch it; he likes it if you tickle under his chin." Charlie grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest.

"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus," she whispered as her fingers rested over his heart. She could feel it beating under her touch. Charlie tipped his head back and laughed. The dragon opened its eyes, gave a roar and the small jet of fire touched her fingertips. The heat increased and she gasped again.

"Told you, he likes it." His hand came to rest over hers, pressing the palm flat against his chest so that she covered the dragon. When she looked up, she saw him staring at her. Her heart beat faster and she knew, absolutely knew he was going to kiss her. The temptation to tilt her face up and let him was so strong that her chin tilted before he pulled away after giving her hand a squeeze.

She watched as he walked away. She couldn't quite shake the wonder of what it would feel like to be kissed by him. He had to be better than Ron.


~~**~~

September 12th, 1999
Parvati,

I think I might be falling in love. Tell me to stop it before I get hurt, please?

Love,
Lavender

~~**~~

Only another week of these ridiculous jobs and then she’d move on to the next stage of training. There were only so many piles of dung that she could shovel, so many scales that she could dispose of and only so many ripped up trees she could replant. She understood the need to fix the fire repellent armour but did it really require six hours a day to do?

She didn't mind it so much though, as it gave her the opportunity to learn more about Charlie. The more she learned about him, the more she was attracted to him. They traded stories about Ron or about their Hogwarts years. Every time the topic strayed towards the war, one or the other steered the conversation away.

Today, Charlie was showing her the various breeding facilities, currently unoccupied by dragons. They were in need of repair and most of the sets of trainers and trainees were working on the fencing and buildings. Lavender and Charlie were working at one of the outbuildings where the livestock would be kept until it was time to feed them to the dragons. The building was in desperate need for repair but the boards were so heavy that Lavender couldn't quite carry them comfortably.

As she hefted one board, she stumbled and Charlie grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back upright. The board fell to the ground with a loud clatter and she jumped, causing his arms to tighten around her further. His chest was pressed firmly against her back and she leaned back into it slightly, increasing the pressure incrementally.

His arms stayed around her as she turned to thank him. Just like in the books that she devoured, time slowed and they stared at one another. It wasn't uncomfortable in the least. Instead, it was far too comfortable.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Welcome. Wouldn't want you to toss more shite at me if you'd fallen," he whispered back.

"Yeah," she said and then they were kissing, soft and wet. His mouth moved over hers slowly, tentative as he waited for her to rebuff him just as she had the last time. She should, she really should before he started to think this would be going anywhere, before either of them got hurt. She wanted to steal a few minutes with him, though, so her mouth opened under the pressure. His tongue swept in and any sort of resolve was lost. The feel of his tongue gliding against hers stole her breath.

His hands were rough and they caught in her hair, tugging it as they shifted, pressing lips closer and closer together. Their noses bumped and she smiled against his mouth. Her hands skimmed up and down his back, the cloth rubbing against her palms. He tore his mouth away from hers and lipped at her cheek, her chin, her neck. Hands moving, his right one reached out and cupped her breast.

She pulled back abruptly, touching her fingers to her lips. When his hand reached out to touch her arm, she ran back towards the barracks. She'd been so stupid, trying to steal those moments. Of course he thought there would be more, that they would go further. Of course he did. Anyone would.

The door to the barracks wouldn't open and she struggled with it until his hand came over her shoulder to press against the door.

"What just happened back there?" He asked as his breath brushed across her ear. He didn't sound angry but he didn't sound friendly either. She didn't know how to explain it, didn't want to explain it.

"I can't get involved with anyone," Lavender finally whispered. "Now, please let go."

"No, not going to, not until you explain properly. You were kissing me just as much as I was kissing you." His voice had changed so that she could tell he was angry.

"Not used to taking 'no' for an answer?" She tried to sound accusatory.

"That's not what this is about. You want to say 'no', than damn well say 'no'. Give me a reason why you don't want this and I'll back off." His breath tickled her ear again.

"I…" She did want this and she couldn't think of a way to lie to him. Finally, she whispered, "I can't."

"Why?" The intensity in his voice sent shivers up and down her spine. She leaned forward and rested her head against his hand.

"Because if this would ever go anywhere, you'd hate me."

"Why?"

"I'm ugly, alright? I'm scarred and a freak!" She yelled before trying the door once more. His hold was still firm while his other arm wrapped around her waist. Pressing in close, he held on to her while she struggled and, giving it up to a lost cause, she ceased fighting.

"You talking about where you were attacked?" She nodded against him. "Bill has scarring over his face, you think I give a shit about that? You think I care about him less?"

"Well, no but that's – " she wasn't able to finish her thoughts as he interrupted, grabbing her shoulders and turning her around. He was so close and he looked so angry but she didn't feel at all afraid.

"Different? You think it's different for you?" He held on to her shoulders and gave her a light shake. "Get over yourself, Lavender."

"Excuse me?"

"Your scars don't make a fucking difference to anyone but you." His hand came up to trace along her collarbone and she couldn't help her withdrawal back against the door. He followed, tracing along lightly and then dipping to trace the very top swell of her breast. "You're not the only one to have lost something during the battle."

"I know," she whispered as his hand continued to trace across the fabric hiding the rough flesh. "I'm sorry about Fred and I know that compared to losing your brother, the scars aren't much but they're… they're awful."

"They're a part of you so they can't be all that awful." He grimaced and she felt a smile tug at her face. The line had been a bit over the top but she appreciated the sentiment behind it.

"Flatterer," she said lightly before swatting his arm.

"I'm wounded to the soul at your disbelief," he said in the same light tone. "I'm serious, though, Lavender, they're a part of you but they're just that, a part."

"You say that now." She tried to smile and then leaned forward, brushing her lips across his chin. "Thank you for that but I should probably go in."

"I'm going to make you believe," he called out as she slipped into the building.

~~**~~

October 2nd, 1999
Dear Mum and Dad,

I've passed my introductory training and now I get to meet the dragons. Don't worry, Charlie Weasley has promised that I won't get hurt.

Love,
Lavender

~~**~~

Supposedly, the young dragons were much more violent than the older ones. At least, according to Charlie. That was why they were currently approaching an older Chinese Fireball. Lavender tried to hide the way that her hands shook as she approached. The dragons were much larger than she'd thought they'd be. She'd been there for the Triwizard Tournament but they'd seemed so much smaller when she'd been in the stands instead of facing them.

"They can smell fear, you know," Charlie whispered as he held on to her hand. The sweat pooled between their palms and she tried to get a grasp on her fear. "Relax and be confident. You've been training for almost a year. You can do this."

His words were encouraging but did very little to quiet the muttering voices telling her in minute detail just how, exactly, she was not ready for this. Charlie kept pulling her towards the dragons but, lost in the negative thoughts, she didn't realise it until they were face to face with the dragon.

"There, you see? Not so scary, is she?" Charlie reached out and patted the old dragon's nose. "She's a lady, won't fry you like some of the others."

Buoyed by the ease of Charlie's movements, Lavender reached out and touched the dragon as well. It watched her but most of her fear evaporated as she stepped closer and it did nothing. Another step and the dragon didn't react at all. They shifted around until Charlie was standing behind her.

"You'll need to check her teeth, make sure she doesn't have any goat stuck in there."

"Oh, ew," she said with a grimace and then tentatively opened the mouth. The teeth looked good though she made sure to check the entire mouth.

"And now the paws, make sure there's no splinters."

Grinning at the term 'splinter' (considering that a small tree could well be considered a 'splinter' to a dragon), she checked each of the pads and saw nothing.

"There you go, give her a treat and we'll be on to the next," Charlie said as he patted her shoulder and then the dragon's.

The rest of the day, they went from dragon to dragon, checking on the older ones and ensuring that they were in good health. Each time she lifted a paw or touched a cheek without incident, Lavender's fear ebbed until it became guarded awareness instead of tremor-inducing fear. By the end of the day, she was tired but completely energized. She hadn't had this sort of "take on the world" feeling since the battle at Hogwarts.

As they walked back from the fields, Lavender grabbed Charlie's hand and laced their fingers together. "Thanks for this."

"For what?" He paused and turned towards her.

"For being so patient with me. I know I have a lot of issues and I appreciate the way you've treated me." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"We're not talking about the dragons, are we?" he asked with a wink before leaning forward and brushing his lips across hers.

"Not just the dragons, no."

"This mean you're …" his voice trailed off.

"Maybe," she flirted and it felt amazing to flirt again. She could feel the Lavender from before, that easy self-confidence, coming through.

"Yeah?" he asked before reaching a hand up to cup her jaw. Not taking his eyes away from hers, he leaned forward and kissed her again. Lavender's hands snuck around until she was holding on to him, hands on his lower back and then roaming up to touch his neck and hairline before sliding back down to cup his arse. Opening her mouth, her tongue darted out and licked across his lips. When they opened, she swiped across his teeth and then delved into his mouth. She wasn't certain which one moaned – maybe it had been both of them – and she certainly forgot that they were in the middle of a field as they kissed. It went on and on, faces changing from side to side as noses bumped and, sometimes, teeth clacked.

Finally, she needed to breathe and pulled back. She felt shaky and her stomach kept fluttering as she slid her hand up his body until it touched the stubble on his face. Remembering his question from just before the kiss, she answered, "Yeah."

~~**~~

November 29th, 1999
Dear Parvati,

Charlie is an excellent kisser.

Love,
Lavender

~~**~~

Lavender liked this stage of the relationship. The sneaking around to find a secret place to kiss, the skiving off of duties to touch and learn one another, the whispered conversations and the silly little nicknames all combined into a euphoric glee that permeated everything she did. The other recruits whispered about her and when she caught parts of their conversations, she heard "such a difference, she looks so much happier" and "whatever she's drinking, I want some of it".

She realised that Charlie was treating her like one of the skittish dragons. Instead of being insulted by it, she appreciated the care he took not to hurt any of them. He always checked for permission before going to the next level and never went further than she allowed. Any sign of hesitation on her part and he pulled back with a smile.

After a month of this, she wondered if she just might be capable of showing the scars to him. To test her comfort level, she only took a towel to the shower, wrapping it around herself firmly. The scars puckered her skin just above and below the terry cloth and she saw one of her fellow recruits look quickly and then greet her. He didn't stare any more than he had any other day and she felt just a hair more confident.

Back in her room, she put a mirror up on the bureau but took it down quickly when she caught sight of herself. Sighing, she put it back up and looked at her mangled breast. The scar tissue twisted in on itself, a giant mass of ugly puckered flesh that she loathed. And feared, a small voice whispered in the back of her mind.

Resolutely, she turned from the mirror and got dressed to spend another day with Charlie and the dragons. She was continually amazed that she was doing as well as she was with her training, a sentiment she was quite sure her parents and Parvati all shared. Looking over herself, she decided that she needed to do something with her hair. A quick loop of her hands and her hair was pulled back in a tail that hung to her shoulders. A sassy wave of her head sent the tail flying and, with a grin, she skipped out of her room.

Breakfast was a quick affair and spent with some of the other trainees. She was slowly forming bonds with the people she was going to be working with for the next few years and it was an enjoyable process. It was easy to slip back into old habits that she'd taken for granted back in Hogwarts; the teasing and laughter, the camaraderie and easy friendships.

When the bell rang, they all walked out towards the fields where they were to observe the experienced handlers wrangle new arrivals. These dragons were supposed to be rather hardy and nervous which only made them more violent than normal. Lavender was looking forward to it, though. She hadn't really had a chance to see Charlie in his element while she'd been here as they'd been so focused on her training.

The group sat by the fence and watched. Lavender's eyes were on Charlie as he wrangled a tenacious new arrival. She and the rest of the recruits watched the experienced handlers move the dragon to its new enclosure. The level of skill amazed her though a couple of the close calls made her gasp. When Charlie turned towards her and winked before reaching out and securing a rope, Lavender felt her heart tumble.

She'd sort of expected wine and roses at the moment she fell in love. Air redolent with the scent of roses while she and her love skimmed along in a gondola or sat at a romantic French restaurant, dressed to the nines. Lavender had never thought that she would fall in love surrounded by dragons and all that came along with them. The dragon roared – so much different from the violins she'd fantasised about – and a spurt of flame erupted from its mouth while the handlers scrambled. The sulphur smell was thick in the air as the dragon reared onto its back paws and sent the unfortunate handlers flying. She cried out when she saw Charlie being swung through the air on the end of the rope. Without thinking, she ducked under the fence and ran in to the enclosure, grabbing on to his waist and pulling as hard as she could. When he was safely on the ground, she helped him secure the rope to the stake in the ground. With one rope secured, the other handlers were able to secure the rest and, soon enough, the dragon was ready to be tranquilised and transported.

"You fucking idiot!" Charlie yelled as soon as they had a moment.

"Excuse me?" She yelled right back.

"Do you know how hurt you could've gotten? Fuck's sake, Lavender, you're not ready to be in here!" He threw his hands up in the air and then raked them down his head to rest at the back of his neck.

"Yeah, cause you were doing such a fantastic job on your own!" Lavender put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Next time, I'll just let you get tossed about, all right? Stupid men! Always so full of themselves!"

"What?"

"Sod off, Weasley!" Lavender yelled and then stalked back to the dormitories. She heard Charlie behind her and she picked up her pace until they were both running. Unlike last time, she made it through the door and up the stairs to her room before he caught up. When his hand came over her shoulder, it only helped to open the door instead. Triumphantly, she pushed through and turned to slam it shut in his face. It wouldn't budge, though, not with his arm held straight out, so she jabbed her hand into his elbow and then slammed the door. It promptly swung back open.

Charlie stepped through and then slammed the door behind him. "Just what the hell is this all about?"

"I was trying to help you, you arse, and instead of saying thanks or anything, you just yell at me like I'm a kid! I'm not a child you can just order about, you know!"

"You should've stayed with the rest of the recruits!"

"And let you get hurt? What kind of person do you take me for?"

"An intelligent recruit! Did you see any of the other recruits rushing in there? No! Because they were smart!"

"Did you just call me stupid? You egotistical, self-important, condescending, arrogant jackass, I cannot believe that– " her rant was interrupted by Charlie's lips pressing hard against hers. There was nothing gentle in the kiss and she responded in kind, hands tugging at his hair while she bit his lower lip. His hands pulled on her hair, releasing it from its bonds and then his fingers speared up into the blonde mass, taking complete control of the kiss.

Her hands fumbled with his shirt, yanking and pulling at the buttons that would not release without a fight. Finally, though, his shirt was open and her nails raked across his chest, circling around to his back and echoing the gesture there, as well. His head pulled back and he groaned before shrugging out of the shirt and unbuttoning her own. The lace of her bra peeked out of the opening and he fingered the edge of it before going back to the buttons. It was the most skin she had shown him but she didn't care because his flesh was warm and bare and there. Breaking the kiss, she leaned forward to lick the dragon curled up over his heart. He pulled her shirt out of her trousers and exposed her back before tugging it further until she was clad only in her bra.

It was then that it hit her that if she stood back up, he would see the ruined flesh of her left breast. She hunched forward but couldn't resist the way that his hands curled into her armpits and lifted her so that she was exposed to him. She shook as she stood there, all arousal and anger washed away in the midst of the mortification and fear. Unable to look at him, she stared at the dragon tattoo as it yawned and then scampered to just above his navel. Her bra opened and fell away and she flushed bright scarlet.

"God, you're beautiful," he said and she could hear the wonder in his voice.

"Don't lie," she pleaded to him.

"You are. These right here," he said, his thumb tracing along her breast, touching all of her scarring, "these are a mark of courage. They're sexier than any smooth skin could be."

"You're lying to me," she said.

"I'm not. These show me that you're braver than the rest of the recruits, you're willing to fight to protect those that you care about." He paused and then touched her chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. "If I could be so bold as to consider myself amongst them."

"You really aren't lying?" she asked and he nodded. "You don't think they're horrible?"

"They're beautiful." He said nothing else as he leaned forward and licked across the ruined flesh. She moaned as his mouth covered her nipple and then sucked it in, barely biting it, before laving it. As his attention shifted to her other breast, the arousal started to re-emerge.

"I…" She'd forgotten what she'd been about to say when he sucked her nipple into his mouth. "Can we turn off the lights?"

He nodded against her chest and as he started walking them back towards the bed, he muttered, "Nox" and the lights turned off. The backs of her knees bumped against the bed and then she fell, bringing him with her. He was quite a bit heavier than she'd expected and all her air was expelled as he landed on her. She giggled as he started to apologise. Their lips met once more while they struggled out of the rest of their clothes. The sulphur of the dragon's fire clung to their hair and clothes but Lavender didn't mind that it wasn't roses, not with Charlie's fingers doing such wonderful things to her stomach and then trailing down her inner thighs.

His mouth moved away from hers, tracing along her chin and then down her neck, across her collarbone and over the mass of scar tissue. He continued further and further until his tongue darted into her belly button and then licked down her stomach until his face was between her legs. Hands holding on to her hips, Charlie's tongue swiped across the sensitive flesh and Lavender keened, bucking up. Charlie chuckled and the vibration only added to the way that he was playing havoc with her nerves. Her left hand reached down to hold on to his hair while her right hand flailed above her head, trying to find something, anything, to hold on to.

When his fingers speared up into her, everything went bright and multi-coloured as she came. Shivers raced up and down her body as everything tightened and then released; her muscles spasmed and she gripped his hair so tight that he moaned against her. Lavender flushed when she realised how tightly she was holding his hair and released him. It was fast and abrupt, the speed astounded her even as she grinned with a few more shivers racing and her muscles clenching.

Licking and kissing his way back up her body, Charlie's lips met hers once more and she could taste herself on his tongue as they kissed. She could feel how hard his cock was against her leg as the tip touched her inner thigh. Opening her legs, she planted her feet against the bed and pushed up into him.

"Fuck, Lav, fu-u-uck," he moaned against her before pushing up on one hand while his other gripped his cock and guided it to her. When he thrust inside, she cried out. She met his thrusts, heat and tightness building deep in her abdomen yet again. His hand brushed her clit and she moaned, arching her neck and pressing harder and faster against him. The heaviness of his body pushed her into the mattress as she thrust against him. She was trapped and it felt absolutely amazing.

As she came for the second time, she lunged up and bit his collarbone while her hands clutched at the sweaty skin on his back. When he came, he arched into her touch on his back before collapsing onto her.

~~**~~

December 20th, 1999
Dear Mum and Dad,

I've a surprise for you over the holidays. I'm bringing someone home to meet you. Daddy, be good.

Love,
Lavender

~~**~~

Lights twinkled from the Burrow as Lavender and Charlie walked over the hill towards it. The festive multi-coloured lights welcomed them but Lavender couldn't quite help the nerves that twisted about in her stomach. This was a big step, meeting the parents, especially considering that she had history with Ron. Charlie had laughed it off but she wasn't at all sure that his parents would do the same. She'd heard all about Molly Weasley's fierceness in defending her children against Bellatrix.

"She'll love you. Relax," Charlie whispered before nuzzling her ear.

"What if she doesn't?" She arched her neck to expose more skin while she spoke.

"Then she'll kill you and I'll have to find another girlfriend." From the tone, Lavender could tell that Charlie was teasing her but it didn't do much to soothe her nerves. "Seriously, Lav, she'll love you."

"We'll see, I guess," she said as they arrived at the door. Charlie knocked once and then swung it open. The inside of the house was filled with people; Lavender recognised quite a few of them. Ginny and Harry sat together directly across the way and George chased after a baby while Percy and Arthur talked nearby. Molly Weasley walked out of the kitchen and gave a great cry.

"Charlie! You're early! Oh, let me take a look at you and Lavender! It's so nice of you to join us, we're delighted to have you!" Molly called out as she sat the tray of crackers on a table and hurried over. Lavender found herself engulfed in a hug before Molly pulled back and held her arms out wide. "You're such a beauty! Charlie, budge over, now. Shut the door and come inside!"

Lavender and Charlie followed Molly into the room. It wasn't like Lavender had much of a choice as Molly pulled her in. "Everyone? Charlie's brought someone home for Christmas! This is Lavender."

"Lav Lav?" Ron sputtered while the rest of the group she knew greeted her.

Charlie put his arm around her waist and kissed her ear. He laughed as he said, "My Lav Lav."