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“There’s nothing medically wrong with him,” the Sanctuary’s Healer, Joy, told Charlie for the fourth time this week.
“He won’t hunt,” Charlie said with frustration. “Something is wrong.”
“Charlie, I know you know your dragons, so I believe you, but there is nothing I can do for him as a Healer,” Joy said.
“What about the heart palpitations you said he’s been having?” Charlie insisted.
“They’re random,” she told him.
“His eyes glaze over at the same time they happen,” Charlie pointed out.
Joy sighed and placed a hand over Charlie’s heart. “Think about the girl you’ve been pining over since the convention and I bet we’ll find glazed eyes and heart palpitations for you, too, Charlie.”
“What?” he snapped. “I don’t know what you’re—“ Charlie cut himself off. “Are you saying you think my dragon is lovesick?”
Her lips twitched. “It’s possible. You did just take him to the breeding.” Joy began bustling around cleaning up her area as the dragon, Martigan, moped nearby. “Perhaps he found a lady love while he was there. Your symptoms are the same.”
Charlie blushed bright red, balking at the comparison. “But he won’t hunt!”
“And you won’t eat,” Joy noted with a sharp look at him. “I’ve seen you pushing your food around your plate with your eyes glazed over. You’re going to start losing weight.”
“We’re not here to talk about me!” Charlie nearly shouted. He hadn’t planned on letting anyone know he had feelings for someone.
“I believe you are mistaken. I’m the Healer for all you hot heads — dragons and handlers alike. And I don’t like what I’m seeing,” Joy said simply.
“So what am I supposed to do?” Charlie asked, running a hand through his hair.
“Tell the girl you like—“
“I meant about Martigan,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Oh,” Joy shrugged. “Go through the breeding lists and see if there was one you remember him being particularly enamored with, I guess. Then try to get her transferred here? Or him there?”
Charlie gave a long sigh. That was not going to be easy. And what if he picked the wrong dragon girl? He needed help. He needed her.
******
“Thanks for coming, Hermione,” Charlie said as he tried to bat Martigan’s curious head away. The dragon was sniffing all around Hermione as though he expected her to produce a treat from her pockets.
“Of course, Charlie,” she said as she threw her arms around his waist. “I’m always willing to help if there are struggles here, but I’m not sure I understand the problem.”
Stepping reluctantly away from her, he said, “I know this is going to sound silly, but something is wrong with Martigan that isn’t medical.”
“Well what is it then?” She asked.
“He’s lovesick. Joy and I think he must have fallen for one of the lady dragons at the breeding convention.”
Hermione was quiet for a moment. “How do you know that?” she finally ventured.
“He has all the same symptoms as his handler,” Joy butted in from behind them. The Healer had been waiting for the two to finish their greetings before she joined the conversation.
“Martigan’s handler is lovesick?” Hermione asked with interest, turning her eyes on Charlie.
He blushed Weasley red and tried to think of something to say. Fortunately, he didn’t need to. Hermione continued, “So what are these symptoms?”
With relief, Charlie began explaining the dragon’s malady. “He’s sad. He won’t hunt. His eyes glaze over and he gets heart palpitations,” he listed.
“I meant his handler’s symptoms,” Hermione said with an amused smile. Charlie found himself blushing again as she went on, “But I guess since you have all the same symptoms… I never knew you hunted.” She was clearly trying to hide back laughter.
But Joy was laughing by now. “He won’t eat. Just pushes his food around. He’s got it bad for somebody.”
Hermione bit her lower lip in a familiar motion that always made Charlie want to be the one doing it. He had to look away to keep from showing any emotion. Maybe he shouldn’t have invited her here. But… Martigan needed her. It wasn’t for himself, no matter how much he had wanted to see her, too.
“So who is the lucky lady?” Hermione asked.
“He won’t tell,” Joy said conspiratorially. “If you can get it out of him, I’ll be quite cross.”
“I think we’re forgetting the point here,” Charlie proclaimed, trying to ignore the speculative looks he was getting from the two women. “Martigan needs his love.”
“So you’re trying to reunite them? Charlie, that’s sweet, but how can we know which one is the right dragon?”
“I thought maybe you could help me show Marty pictures of the dragons he mated with—”
“Do you really think that will work?” Hermione asked.
Charlie laughed. “You know how intelligent dragons are. Of course he’ll know her when he sees her!”
“Well maybe, but Charlie, then we have to figure out how to get her here. It could be very complicated.”
“I know. I do know that, but… We can do this. You coordinated the whole program, Hermione. I know you know which dragons he was with and—”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t help,” she said with a frown. “Just that it may be hard. Another Sanctuary may not be willing to part with a breeding female.”
“I love Martigan, but if I have to give him up for his happiness, well, another Sanctuary could get him instead of us taking her.” Charlie tried not to let the tears he felt gathering in his eyes fall, but he failed. Martigan was his favorite, after all.
Hermione clasped his arm and gazed up at him. “I love how compassionate you are for your dragons, Charlie. Let’s see about finding Martigan the dragon of his dreams.”
It took hardly any time for Hermione to find the list of dragons Martigan had been bred with. There were four and, fortunately, none of them looked quite alike. Hopefully that would be enough for Martigan to recognize them.
And he did. The dragon clearly recognized all of them. The problem, which Charlie realized he should have foreseen, was that Martigan couldn’t communicate which was the right picture for his true mate.
Hermione, worrying her lip again, turned to Joy. “Besides the lack of hunting, are there any symptoms that we could track?”
“The heart… the palpitations,” Charlie interrupted, his frustration at being unable to communicate with his dragon making his words terse.
“He’s having heart palpitations?” Hermione asked in alarm.
“Yes, both of them are. Their eyes glaze over and their hearts squeeze when they think of their girls.”
“They? All dragons do this?” Hermione queried. “I had never heard!” There was alarm in her voice.
“No. I meant Charlie and his dragon,” Joy answered.
Turning abruptly to Charlie, Hermione said, “You’re having heart palpitations over this girl? Who in the world is she?” As if on instinct, Hermione placed her hand over his heart and Charlie immediately felt that familiar squeeze and stuttering that often came over him when he thought of her. “You’re thinking of her now,” Hermione gasped.
Charlie couldn’t pull his eyes from her lips. He was unable to form words to confirm or deny Hermione’s statement. All he could think about was the way she might taste if he leaned down just the tiniest bit.
“I’ll just be testing the dragon for heart palpitations, then, shall I?” Joy called but neither Charlie nor Hermione responded.
“Charlie? Who is she?” Hermione repeated.
“She’s right here.” The words slipped out just before his lips crashed down on hers. It took him several long moments of her lips massaging his before it really registered for him that Hermione Granger, love of his life, was kissing him back. He had kissed her. And she was kissing him back.
“Found her!” Joy announced loudly.
Pulling regretfully away from Hermione, Charlie asked, “Martigan’s love?”
“I think I’ve figured out yours, too,” Joy snickered, “but yes, it appears to be Sacha from the Welsh Reserve. Martigan’s heart goes positively wild for her.”
“Then we have to follow his heart,” Charlie declared.
“As long as you keep following yours,” Hermione told him, leaning up for another kiss.