Author's Note:
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys. I stole Lucius once but he ran back to JKR and she got upset with me.
Warnings: Slash! Yaoi! Boys loving other boys! If you don't like it, please don't read it ok? Also, there's some angst and death. I'll try and add in some fluff to make up for the angst though. There will be mild smut but not in this chapter.
Charlie/Krum (AU) Begins in Harry's 4th year.
Sorry for the short chapter guys! I'll make it up to you I promise! Reviews are LOVED!
That Horntail is a right nasty blighter.
The enormous mass of the Hungarian Horntail strained against its restraints and lit up the dark night with its fiery screeches of protest.
The head handler sighed and ran his fingers through his impossibly messy, short red hair, wondering for the thousandth time tonight just why there had to be dragons at the Triwizard Tournament. Dragons are terribly misunderstood creatures mind, but it is very difficult to transport four very large and very annoyed female dragons. And for what purpose? He thought sulkily. Just so four children could attempt to steal their eggs? It was all very ridiculous if you asked Charlie Weasley. But then, no one did ask. He was only the head handler after all.
A lanky brunette ran past clutching at his arm, wailing in pain. "You might want to pour some cool water over that before it blisters," Charlie offered helpfully. The brunette replied with something awfully foul that one shouldn't go about saying and continued running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. "You'd think dragon handlers would be a little less stupid…" Charlie muttered darkly as he stalked over to the struggling Welsh Green that had, apparently, flung off all of its handlers and was attempting to trample them in revenge. With a quickly spoken "Conligo" and a few soothing words, the dragon was safely within it's magical binds once more, and no longer had the intent to trample everything moving. "You trained for this, and yet you panic and refuse to think clearly! These are dangerous animals if not cared for properly and when handled by fools," Charlie spat with a dark look at the puzzled looking handlers sitting on the ground. "Now get up and deal with the Fireball." The effect was immediate for all the dazed looking handlers sprang from the ground with grave expressions and hurried to the now struggling Chinese Fireball.
Charlie pinched the bridge of his nose. They obviously did not pay him enough to deal with these people. On the bright side, he would get to see his family and their friends and of course some of his old professors. He could also see the Triwizard Tournament, which, as incredibly dangerous and unnecessary as he deemed it, didn't happen all that often. And from what he had heard from Dumbledore, Harry Potter was to be competing and there would be four champions. Perhaps this Tournament would be worth watching after all.
As he watched the glittering, blue Short Snout throw off its magical bindings and go the route of the Welsh Green, he thought that his brothers would love to see these dragons. But of course Fred and George would only create mischief with them or take bets so it would be wise to not tell them. Ron, however, was much... more cowardly than the wonder twins, and wouldn't use the situation to his advantage; he would merely appreciate the dragons for the powerful creatures they truly are. And perhaps Ron would tip off his friend Harry to the first task. Harry was like family, and Charlie's policy was that if a family member was going to be in a life threatening situation, it's always best to warn them beforehand, if at all possible. He should also inform Hagrid that he's welcome to come visit them if he wishes; Charlie understood the large man's deep love for dragons. They were truly beautiful creatures, if not terribly frightening ones.
Charlie took a deep swig of the bottle sitting beside him. It had been a long day. First off, Charlie had to teach the morons he called colleagues how to magically bind dragons. Several grueling hours later, Charlie was satisfied that the others handlers could manage the dragons while he made a quick trip to the castle.
He walked quickly on the way to the castle. It's not that he didn't trust the other handlers with the dragons, he simply didn't know how long they would stay focused on caring for the dragons before a passing butterfly struck their fancy. Upon arriving, he made a quick detour to the Headmaster's office to inform him that the dragons were safely tucked in the Forbidden Forest and to ask him if he would kindly pass on his invitation to Hagrid before striding to Gryffindor Tower to drag a very groggy Ron Weasley back outside with a swiftness that even Mrs. Weasley would have been mighty impressed by.
"Where're we going Charlie?" Ron muttered sleepily as he staggered and almost fell over yet another branch in his haste to keep up with his brother. "Here," Charlie said as he grabbed Ron's arm and yanked him forward into the camp. Ron's eyes grew wide as he took in the sight of four, very large, dragons, hissing and smoking and shooting dark looks at all the little moving things. "Charlie….why exactly are there dragons in here? I always knew the Forest was full of weird things but…." Ron trailed off and then he suddenly turned to look sharply at his brother, "Charlie, what are you doing here?" Charlie grinned, showing his cheerful dimples. "I was wondering if you were too daft to bother asking me that! This is the first task mate! Aren't they brilliant?" he asked with a slightly misty-eyed expression. "First task? What do you have to do with them? Do they have to kill them?" Ron asked, paling slightly. Charlie snapped out of his misty-eyed daydream to glare darkly at his younger brother and smack the back of his head. "No! How could you even ask that?" he snapped as he walked over to examine the lanky brunette's wounds from the day before. "I was just asking," Ron muttered rubbing the back of his head sorely as he followed.
"For your information, dolt, the dragons will be given a golden egg to protect and it's the champion's job to try and get it from the dragon." Charlie stated as he jabbed his wand against a rather tough looking patch on the man's arm. "Ouch! What did you have to do that for?" the man groused morosely. "Quiet you," Ron snapped, "You mean that Harry will have to face a dragon? To get a little gold egg thing?" Charlie smiled. "Well not little really, but yes, generally that's the point."
"I should warn Harry about it then…" Ron muttered under his breath. "Well yeah," Charlie said startling him, "That was the general point wasn't it? Glad your powers of observation continue to serve you well." Charlie glanced up, his smile fading as he saw the thoughtful look on his brother's face. "Well, Harry and I…we had a bit of a row…Why couldn't he have told me he was entering this tournament? I mean, I'm just his sidekick! He always gets all the glory and no one ever even notices I'm here." Ron burst.
The redhead jerked and let out a small shriek of alarm as his brother slapped the back of his head. His head snapped around, marred with a frown, only to find his brother frowning right back at him. "Listen Ron, Harry was your best mate. Hell, he still is your best mate! This bloke over here has tipped off Karkaroff to the dragons and he'll be coming 'round later this evening." The brunette looked as if he wanted to defend himself but one look from the redhead was enough to make him go back to staring quietly at the grass. "I invited Hagrid myself and you know he fancies that woman from Beauxbatons. So that means…" Charlie looked imploringly at his brother to understand the concept and was met with a blank, almost glazed over look. "It means that all the schools but this one are going to be tipped off about the dragons. So Harry won't know. You know Harry, your ex-best mate? The one that's going to face one of these nice big dragons? Without having anyone warn him? So he's likely to be eaten?"
At the last sentence Ron's face lit up in understanding. Finally, Charlie thought, his light bulb has come on. Rather dimly, but it's on at least. "I'll tell Harry that Hagrid was looking for him and then Hagrid can bring him here! No…no I can't let Harry know that I told him that Hagrid was looking for him….Maybe if I told him that Parvati told Dean that Seamus told him…" Ron muttered as he planned how to tell Harry without harming his pride too much.
Charlie stared at his brother as he muttered something about someone telling someone else about something. This was the last time he was ever going to wake Ron up this early in the morning. Ever. It was obviously too much of a shock to his already slightly crazed mind.