Hero Complex by Luvscharlie
Charlie left his tent early. The sky was still dark, the sun not yet awake, but he moved with a steady purpose. The injured Welsh Green baby needed him, and frankly, he guessed he needed to be needed by someone or something. He felt that he'd failed most people in the past year—except the dragons. For them, he had always been there.
He was just cresting the hill where the dragon's enclosure was located when he saw her, hands on her hips, red hair just catching the gleam of the now rising sun.
"What are you doing here?"
"Came to tell you what a thick-skulled nutter you are."
"You could have sent an owl for that."
Ginny stomped her foot. "What good would that do? Mum's been sending you owls for weeks now. You never respond. She's going spare worrying about you."
"Nobody needs to worry about me." Charlie shrugged in an attempt to brush off the guilt. Their mother had been through enough. She didn't need the added burden of worrying about him.
"Come home, Charlie." Ginny said, laying a hand upon his arm. "That's where you're needed now."
He whirled on her. "I was needed at that battle before Fred went down. That's where I was needed. Now, where I stay doesn't much matter."
"Oh, that's bloody brilliant. Another fucking man with another fucking hero complex. Just what this world needs."
"Whoa, when did you start talking like that?" Charlie clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"It's not as though anyone can blame me. Harry rushes off to save the world and leaves me behind. Now, you want to hide away from the world because you couldn't save Fred. Do you blame me because Fred died?"
"Of course not," Charlie replied. "That would be foolish."
"Really? Why? I was there fighting too. Perhaps I should have been where Fred was. Maybe Percy should have thrown himself in front of Fred. Maybe Harry should have come back sooner. We can maybe ourselves until this time next Tuesday, and it won't bring him back."
"It's not the same. You wouldn't understand."
Ginny let what bit of restraint she had been exercising go, unleashing her fury upon him. "Oh, of course I wouldn't understand. Poor, dim little Ginny never understands anything. Well, just let poor, dim little Ginny tell you what she does understand, big brother. She understands that right now your family needs you… at home. She understands that it's time to pick up the pieces and begin to put ourselves back together again. She understands that no one—except you—blames you for Fred's death. And most importantly, she understands that if we don't all start living again—living—not merely surviving—but really, truly living, then Fred died for nothing."
Charlie lifted his eyes to meet her gaze.
"I have a Portkey to bring you home. Will you come with me, Charlie?"
He responded with a simple nod of his head… but it was a start.
Fin
A/N: Originally written for Round 1, Challenge 7 of the CW_LDWS (Charlie Weasley Last Drabble Writer Standing) Competition on Live Journal. Our prompt was Springtime, rebirth after death. The requirement was under 500 words, and the inclusion of a sick/wounded dragon. This drabble did not make it through to the next round. I finished in third place.
