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Back to the Grind

Ophelia gulped down her tea and then looked down at the pile of paperwork on her desk, blinking blearily. She had gotten into the office a couple hours early so she could go over and then submit her final report as soon as her boss got in that morning, but she already felt as though she had been working all day.

Her arm ached a bit and she looked down at it, though her scar was hidden underneath her work robes. It had faded to a faint pink, but still smarted here and there when her clothes rubbed against it. Immediately she was taken back to Romania and a soft smile came over her face for a moment.

Charlie's smiling face filled her mind, though it then shifted to that day when he took her to catch her portkey and the smile faded slightly. She was still kicking herself for not bucking up the courage and telling him. But no matter, she'd get to it sometime soon. Hopefully. Truthfully, she had no idea when she would get to see him again. And it wasn't as though they had been in contact since she returned. She had tried to write him last night, but wasn't sure what to say so instead worked on her report.

"Ophelia!"

Ophelia looked up, seeing her co-worker, Leanne Greene rush into her office, her brown eyes bright with excitement. For the longest time before Ophelia finally joined the dragon research team, Leanne had been the only woman. However, she held her own and done a lot in the way of research. She was a studious girl a few years behind Ophelia in Hufflepuff who loved dragons and all creatures with the same passion that Ophelia did, though she rather spend her time in libraries or a lab than out in the field.

That she was eager to leave to Ophelia.

"You're here early. Trying to make a good impression now that you're in the office?" Leanne asked, walking over and sitting in a chair on the other side of Ophelia's desk, an eager look on her face.

"Wanted to get this final report ready before Mr. Larkins showed up," Ophelia said, smiling a bit tiredly.

"Really top-notch work while you were away. It's going to go a long way in the final proposal," Leanne said. "But... how was it? Working with real dragons?"

Ophelia chuckled as she looked down at the photos she had brought in with her that morning. As she left shortly after being promoted, she had yet to decorate her office and decided today was as good as any to change that.

There was one of her and Daria, then another of her, Oliver and Duncan - miraculously they were smiling and laughing and not trying to kill each other. But it was the last one that had her attention and her heart fluttering - she had taken it with Charlie while they were at Dragon's Head Ridge, the two of them laughing at the camera and then gazing into each other's eyes.

"Rather magical, actually," she said, looking back up at her co-worker.

Leanne grinned and then glanced back out the open door towards the main office. She turned to Ophelia once she saw they were alone, leaning towards her.

"And... the tamers... are they really as handsome as everyone makes them out to be?" she asked, her voice in an excited whisper.

Ophelia chuckled again, shaking her head slowly, though she once again thought about Charlie. Merlin, it had only been a few days, but she missed him like crazy. She then looked back up at Leanne, who was still waiting on her answer.

"Some of them, yes. But they're just there to do a job. Same as the rest of us," Ophelia said, though a faint blush came over her cheeks. Leanne eyes widened, catching it.

"You met someone, didn't you?" she asked excitedly. Ophelia blushed more.

"Not important right now," she said, hearing the others starting to come in. She reached out and straightened her papers. "And I need to get this to Mr. Larkins."