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No … No … get away from me … Let me go … AHHHH
Hermione sat straight up as she felt the scream rip from her throat. She had been having the same nightmare since she arrived in this cave system. She was not sure where it came from and she was not sure why she had ended up where she was, but this had to stop.
The rustle in the furs beside her told her she had not been as quiet as she had hoped. “Love,” a sleepy and gruff voice rumbled beside her. “What is going on? Are you okay? What have the dragons done?”
“The dragons have not done a thing, darling. Just the dream that keeps chasing me.” Hermione laid back into the furs and settled her head on his shoulder. “Trying to figure out how I ended up here while I am being chased by a shadow, intense pain in my arm ash it grabs me and pulls me back,”
Hermione felt his calloused hand rub circles on her back as he pulled her close to him and tried to settle her into i=his side. “I wish you would let the how and why go. We are here and the dragons are here. They need you as much as I do. Who else will talk to them out of trouble when I am not around.”
“Not letting you go anywhere.” Hermione mumbled as she let her eyes close. “Lost too much already. Love you.”
Charlie continued to rub circles on her back as he felt her breathing even out. She had these nightmares a couple of times a week and it always ended the same, her wondering why and him wanting to set their dragons on the person that caused them in the first place.
She had stumbled into this cave system several years ago. Bloody, dazed and beautiful. Charlie had been smitten with her since the moment she collapsed in his arms. His dragons had become smitten with her the minute she met the Queen.
She is not speaking to me…
The voice of the queen dragon rumbled in Charlie’s head.
Something is chasing her. She fears it has found her and will take her from us
Charlie slid out from underneath Hermione and out of their bed. Whatever was bothering his love was also bothering his dragons. It was unusual for the queen to speak to him. She usually only spoke to Hermione.
“What has you so worried about, my pet?” Charlie stroked the soft gold hide that covered the queen dragon’s snout. “Why are you talking to me instead of her? She has been your person since she showed up here/”
She worries over the shadows… Her clutch is coming … She is awake
Charlie was still turning over what the queen dragon had told him when he felt her hands on his back. “Come back to our bed. The dragons are fine. Avnas will let me know if anything is wrong with her clutch. Soon enough we will have reason to fret over dragonets.”
“I am not fretting over her, I’m fretting over you.” Charlie turned to pull Hermione into his embrace. “She says you have stopped talking to her. She says you worry that the shadows will take you from us.”
“She worries too much.” Hermione turned in Charlie’s embrace to touch the golden dragon. “One bad dream is no reason to worry. Besides, I talked to her before we went to sleep. She is just worried over her babies.”
“She seems to think that you will soon a a clutch to worry over.” CHarlie nuzzled into the hollow of Hermione’s neck. “And, it is not just one bad dream. It has been weeks of tossing and turning. Talk to me, love.”
“Hermione shivered as she felt Charlie’s lips on her neck. “I have no idea what she is talking about. Avnas always sees others expecting dragonets when she is sitting over her children.”
“But, is she imagining your long conversation with Mum this morning?” Charlie let his hand drift until it covered her stomach. “Or the green cast to your skin each morning? How about the fact that you took a nap yesterday?”
“I went to talk to your mum this morning because I am having trouble sleeping.” Hermione could feel a blush creeping up her neck and into her face. “Which would explain the nap I took yesterday. And I have no idea what you are talking about when it comed to the color of my skin.”
Do not hide your clutch from your mate …
Hermione felt Avnas’ voice rumble in her head. “I am not hiding anything, my dear queen. I thought you had let this charmer talk you to sleep. Besides, I have no eggs to hide.”
Silly one, the elder told you this morning. She told you to prepare for a clutch of your own ….
“What is she saying to you. love?” Charlie had felt the rumble of the conversation between the queen dragon and Hermione, but the dragon had kept her thoughts from him this time.”
“She thinks I am not telling you everything.” Hermione reached out to touch the dragon’s snout again. “She sees babies for everyone when she is waiting for her own. I told you that earlier.”
“Love, do I need to talk to Mum?” Charlie let his hand rub circles over Hermione’s stomach. “Or are you going to tell me what she told you? Your dragon has told on you already. Why are you afraid to say it out loud?”
“Because, I don’t want to lose it.” Hermione’s voice was a whisper. “We have been here before. Avnas has dragonets, I have none.”
“So this is what has been chasing you.” Charlie turned Hermione so he could tuck her head under his chin. “You are not the only one who lost our little one. We will never know why but it does not mean it will happen again. Tell Avnas good night.”
Good mate … take her back to your nest … she will have dragonets soon …
Charlie chuckled as the golden dragon’s comment rolled through his mind. “Avnas seems to think we need to return to our nest so she can get her rest. I agree. We can be warm and comfortable when we talk about this and let our dragons get their beauty rest.”
“She always thinks she knows best.” Hermione snuggled deeper into Charlie’s chest. “I guess we could go back to bed. I am tired. “
“We will sleep, eventually.” Charlie untangled from her and started to lead her back to their room. “But I have a few ideas I need to try before we sleep. I think we need to talk about your worries before we sleep. Maybe that will keep the shadows from your dreams.”
“What do you have planned to distract me?” Hermione gasped as Charlie picked her up to carry her into their bedroom. “Surely you are not going to take a dragon’s suggestion. She has dragonets on the brain.”
“She has the right idea.” Charlie grinned as he lowered Hermione onto their bed. “And you have too much between me and who I wish to speek to. Let me see what we can doo about that.”
“Charlie. What are you doing?” Hermione started to laugh as Charlie lifted the hem of her sleeping gown. “It is cold in this cave. Do you want me to freeze to death?”
“You will be warm soon enough.” Charlie stuck his head under the raised gown and laid his head on her stomach. “Hello, little one. This is your dad. Are we going to have problems from you?”
Hermione shivered as she felt Charlie kiss her stomach as he continued to talk.
“Your mum is a dragon tamer but she is worried. We can’t have that now, can we. Time to be a good little dragonet and behave. I have plans.”
“Charlie, what are you doing?” Hermione tried not to squirm as Charlie continued to kiss his way up her body. “Do you mind? Have you lost your mind?”
“No, love, I have not lost my mind.” Charlie grinned as he finished pulling HErmione’s gown over her head. “Time for you to snuggle in the furs and be patient. I told you, I have plans for you.”
Hermione burrowed under their furs as she watched Charlie remove his sleep shirt and robe. “What exactly are you planning to do, my love? I thought you wanted to talk?”
“Talking later. love.” Charlie growled as he slid beneath the furs to join Hermione in their bed. “I think a distraction is a better use of our time. Someone tends to worry when she has too much time to think.”
“So, how do you plan to distract me?” Hermione gasped as she felt Charlie nip at the tender skin of her neck. “We do have things to plan and dragonets to prepare for.”
“Dragnets can wait, I cannot.” Charlie whispered against Hermione’s skinas he slid h=between her legs. “Stop talking and enjoy.”
With a gasp and a growl, Charlie spent the rest of the evening distracting his wife and chasing away shadows with love.