Arrival
Australian desert was warm, that was the first and most important lesson meant to be learned upon arrival to the reserve.  Margo and Vincent were used to cold climates, parkas, and wooden cottages with fires and hot drinks.  Now, they were standing at the forefront of dragonology in a country that was warm, even in the winter and in her hands she held the stack of letters they’d been exchanging.

Symptoms of the European outbreak are consistent with the research you’ve published about illness in the outback, particularly eggs.  At the Romanian and Welsh facilities, we’ve tried your suggested methods with limited success and would request more information, published or not.

Ms. Amherst, we’ve been in correspondence with several European facilities who reported similar concerns and requests.  We can send whatever we have, but much of it is easier to learn by experience.

So, here to learn by experience she was.  Balfour sent her and Vincent to the outback for a little education.  The Australians were at the forefront of development, as most of them had learned, and Margo had been corresponding with Harrison White for several weeks in order to plan the trip, which included several training sessions, a shipment of vaccination, and a boatload of writing on how it was made, as well as demonstrations on administration and a supply of tools that they could replicate on the reserves in Europe. 

So, they stood at the head of the reserve, arrived by portkeys set up along a very long route (Margo was looking forward to the time they’d spend staying and not having to travel again for three and a half weeks).  Plus, she’d get to spend her birthday in Australia.  That was pretty cool.  Readjusting her pack on her shoulder, Margo looked over at Vincent, “Let’s be heroes, eh?” she gave him a lopsided grin and he rolled his eyes at her.  Of course he would.  After having travelled together for this long he was probably looking forward to being blessedly alone for a little bit.

Margo couldn’t say the same.  She felt invigorated.  She wanted to be around, doing things.  Well, okay, Vincent probably did too but he probably wanted to be away from her.  That seemed entirely more accurate. 

---

Five Days In: August 1
Harrison White was either the smartest or craziest man Margo had ever had the fortune to meet. 

He was able to wrangle the babies with bare hands, an expert hold on the heads and inoculate without trouble.  If he got bit, he moved on – Margo watched him charm his skin back together like nothing happened. 

”Don’t these dragons have venom?” she had asked. 

”Isn’t anythin’ we can’t handle,” he had replied and then went on.  And everyone let him.  That was the real kicker, there was no intervening.  Margo could have killed to work in a place where she’d be allowed to do whatever it was she wanted and not get benched after a flesh wound. 

It was lucky though, that they didn’t, because Margo was learning so much.  She didn’t have the potions skills to brew the vaccine, she didn’t have the wand skills to mend herself if she was injured, but she was strong and a quick learner (potentially also stupid enough to do it his way), but handling methods came to her and she could grab a baby dragon by the head and under the belly.  She could do it without worrying. 

She could also administer a vaccination.  It would prove to be quite invaluable upon their return… if she could just do it in one shot…

Vincent was learning his share too – much more skilled a brewer than she, he was busy with learning the vaccination.  Apparently, being the spawn of bakers was actually useful, being the many jokes about kneading dough and yeast creating rise aside.  But, they were getting information together. 

The education would not be lost on them.  Between the two of them, they could manage to create the vaccine and distribute it.  The very idea of it was sort of novel, Margo being trusted to one, get something and bring it back, and then two, teach it to others? 

Maybe Balfour had lost his damn mind. 

Margo didn’t mind.  Bring it on, she challenged herself before rolling up her sleeves to grab another baby before they moved on to adult practice. 

---

Twelve Days In: August 8
Even with the seriousness of the dragon epidemic, even with all of the things that Vincent and Margo needed to be taught, it was apparently not too much to warrant skipping Margo’s twenty-eighth birthday. 

Besides, it’d always been said that everyone should take a little break once and a while.  As hard as they worked at the Outback Reserve, they seemed to party in the same manner. 

They apparated to Melbourne.  It was a big city, apparently, with a lot of magical establishments.  So, off they went to a pub that was neither pretentious, nor absurdly clean, and that made Margo feel right at home.  They also didn’t sem to mind the slight smell of charred anything.  Margo’s hair was still a little singed from a close encounter.  It was everything was like she’d want it to be if she were at home.  Well, maybe not exactly like home, but there was whiskey and darts (not that Vincent intended to let her play – he’d said so much the second they walked in), the music wasn’t half bad either.  It was also live. 

So, things were shaping up to be exactly what was needed. 

By the end of the evening, Margo had trouble remembering her own name – and was making up the lyrics to the songs the band was playing from the tabletop.  At one point, Vincent had even joined her. 

The table was not a large surface, by any means, but it was enough to accommodate both of them, at least for a moment or two before Margo fell backwards and into Harrison who had to catch her… It was a disastrous moment all in all.

Though, not what got them kicked out in the end.

That glory belonged to the one and only Keegan MacGregor.  Apparently throwing all three darts at the same time at the bartender when he wasn’t moving fast enough was not something the pub looked at kindly.
 
They were lucky they weren’t chucked out with the flick of a wand… though Margo wouldn’t have appreciated it either way.  She didn’t appreciate it at all, actually, and had demanded to know just why she couldn’t get just one last pint for the road.  The bouncer was not amused at such a request. 

Didn’t matter though.  They’d found a place that was nondescript enough to sell the very drunk dragon tamers some more alcohol and they made their way to the beach.  It might have been a fantastic idea… if not for the drunkenness.  She cut her foot on a seashell and then she had to be carried back (piggyback rides!) to the flat they were staying in for the night. 

It wasn’t the first time she’d fallen asleep on the floor under a coffee table.  No handcuffs this time though.  She wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse, particularly since Vincent did not have the same luxury of waking up handcuffless. They still didn’t know where they came from. 

Maybe it would be best to never know, Vincent suggested, then hastily added, for anyone to know.  The post that night was full of things that probably shouldn’t have been heard by anyone… but… Balfour needed to know just what a smashing birthday she had.  And how much fun Vincent could be (presumably). 

The next morning wasn’t quite so merry.  Several hours of whining and lots of pairs of sunglasses later, they finally recovered enough to actually use the day for productive pursuits. 

---

Seventeen Days In: August 13
Leaving was actually sad.  Margo didn’t anticipate that she would feel that way, but it was true.  They had learned a lot and were coming back with a ton of materials that would be used for a greater purpose in Europe, which was great and the faster they could bring them, she was sure that would be better. 

But, she wasn’t necessarily desiring to leave Australia either.  Part of her almost considered sending Vincent back without her, but there was probably… some reason it wouldn’t work. 

She was also fairly sure if she didn’t go back now she wouldn’t go back at all.  So, they had packed the previous night, they had the bottomless bag with all of the materials they could bring back, and the entire group stood next to the portkey: a dragon plush (how fitting). 

Hugs were exchanged, well wishes and thanks all around.  She might have even seen Keegan wipe his eyes at one point.  How sweet! And oddly sentimental for someone who threw darts at bartenders.  Since her birthday, Margo had come to learn this was not an uncommon occurrence and often put him on the “do not serve” list at many pubs. 

But now, he was the huge man who was sentimental about his new friends leaving.  Margo might have felt a twinge between her eyes too, except for the fact that she could keep writing and Australia was good in winter… so she couldn’t even imagine how amazing it would be in summer.  The beaches, she’d been told were brilliant. 

So, without much fear of her eventual return, Margo gave her last hug, said her last goodbye and counted down with Vincent.  Their hands shot out and grabbed the plush at the same time starting the first of the many legs of this journey back.