A Charlie Weasley story.

Disclaimer: Let me just say, I absolutely adore Taylor Swift, and all of her songs. But they would not be nearly as lovely if it wasn't her who sang them.

Written for the Taylor Swift "Red" Challenge put on by Forever Siriusly Sirius. I took this kind of in a different direction though. It was inspired by the song "Girl At Home", but I thought about it while falling asleep one night and this is what I came up with. Personally, I really like it and I hope you do too.

One more thing, I know that the timeline does not make complete sense. But I needed it this way for the story to work, I do apologise for that.

Alone in Romania

CossetteLune

Emma was a pretty girl. Small, quiet, short brunette hair, was very pleasant to talk to and possibly the kindest woman Charlie Weasley had ever met. She was the exact opposite from him and all his previous friends that he left behind in England when he moved out to Romania to work with dragons. It did not seem to fit that Emma also worked with the dragons, until you saw her with them. They all loved her, and dragons don't take kindly to many people. Always talking gently and taking excellent care of them, Emma loved her dragons and treated them like her children. If there was a dragon out of control, Emma was the one everyone went to. Charlie had taken an immediate liking to her. Initially just because she was very pretty and into dragons. But once he started talking to her, he liked her more and more. After nearly a year of working in Romania they had built up a very strong friendship. He eventually worked up the nerve to ask her out on a coffee date, though he was sure that the way he phrased it, it really was just two friends going out for coffee. It was odd for him to be so nervous around anyone. In his mind it was only because he liked her so much, that made her intimidating to be around. The last thing he wanted, was to do anything stupid in front of her.

They made small talk about dragons at a late-night coffee shop after work one day, Charlie loved listening to her talk. Her voice was quiet and sweet, very unlike anything he was ever used to. Her smile lit up the room and he just starred as she spoke, a smile upon his own face as well. After she finished what she was saying about one of her favourite dragons Charlie snapped out of his trance. "It's really nice to finally have some people around who adore dragons as much as I do." No one back home had thought the same about dragons as he did. Even his family shook their heads at him. And even though he had been in Romania for a year, he still could not get over how brilliant it was to have others around as passionate as he was.

One of his favourite giggles jingled through his ears. "Well, you came all the way out here to work with them, so did the rest of us, so it will be difficult to find someone who doesn't love them as much as you and me."

"It is however, extraordinarily difficult to find someone as fantastic with them as you are."

Her soft cheeks flushed to a light pink, "Thank you. You're quite good yourself."

"I try," he passed casually. A silence pierced the air and he knew that he had to speak up sooner or later. "So, Emma, I was wondering. Er... Is there any way you would like to perhaps, maybe go on a real date with me one day soon? I think you're fantastic and I think there could be something here."

A look he had not seen before crossed her face, it was flattered, sad, skeptical and disappointed all at once. "Charlie, don't be like this."

"Like what?" He asked, honestly confused.

"We all know that you have someone already."

"That I what? No, I assure you that I do not."

"Don't lie, Charlie."

"I'm not," he replied as seriously as he could. "And I don't want you thinking that I would ever be like that! I cannot tolerate people who cheat on their partners, I think there is nothing worse!"

"I believe you, but you've got a girl at home, and everybody knows it. Even if you don't yourself."

His eyebrows were pulled close together in confusion. "I honestly do not know what you are talking about."

"You've told all of us about your ex-fiance."

Charlie let out a slight chuckle. "Listen to yourself, Emma. My ex-fiance."

At first she said nothing, just looked at him seriously. He gaped at her and they sat in silence until she sighed. "Ex or not, you're still in love with her. And as long as she holds onto your heart, she's where your loyalty lies and I'm not going to go on any sort of dates with you, neither should anyone else. I don't believe that you two are truly broken up. I really like you, Charlie, as a friend and coworker. I think you should try and get this ex of yours back though."

Charlie gulped, his voice lowered. "Believe me, we're over."

Though his voice was final, Emma shook her head. "You talk about her every day. You're still mad for her."

"She slept with my brother," Charlie choked out. "We're over. I could never forgive her for that."

"Are you telling me that right now, if she showed up at this coffee shop and took your lips in hers, you would not feel your heart flutter and be overwhelmed with joy to take her back?" This time, Charlie had absolutely nothing to say. His mouth went dry and he looked to the ground. "Exactly," Emma said. "Go get her back," she smiled before getting up and walking out of the coffee shop.

Charlie remained there, sitting perfectly still for twenty minutes. His mind was rerunning everything that had ever happened between him and Tonks. And to be perfectly honest with himself, though it hurt, he would forgive her, he already had. Yes, she had slept with Bill, for the soul reason to get back at him. Bill was doing the same. Those two had instant chemistry. They took to one another immediately and were inseparable until she met Charlie. Slowly her attention strayed from Bill, and Charlie did everything in his power to ensure that it continued that way. Bill and Tonks were never anything official but everyone knew about them. So when Charlie was caught snogging Tonks one day, everybody was shocked and Bill was furious. Never before had the two brothers went through such a fight. They didn't talk for six months but eventually when Bill accepted how happy the two were together he forgave Charlie. Even though they started talking again, Bill kept that resentment, which Charlie could never blame him for.

What prompted Tonks to go back to Bill was also all Charlie's fault. They had been engaged for three months, and for two of them Charlie knew that he was going to be moving to Romania. Worse still was that he knew that Tonks' own work would keep her in England. Only two weeks before his departure did he tell her. Never before in his life had he seen her more angry and upset. The guilt that he felt stuck with him to this day. He had hurt her more than he ever thought possible, after he had promised that he would keep her safe and happy until the day he died.

With a heavy sigh, Charlie got up and walked slowly from the coffee shop to his house. When he opened his door, there were some candles lit and her saw a tuft of pink hair peaking up from his sofa. Eyes widening, he dropped all his stuff and the hair jolted upwards. Tonks smiled and yawned at the same time, making a very awkward face. Shaking his head and smiling involuntarily he made his way to his couch and sat next to her. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Erm, I had something I wanted to tell you... in person. And it's kind of odd that we haven't spoken since you moved."

Nodding in agreeance, he replied, "It's even more odd that you broke unto my house. But please, tell me what you wanted to."

The familiar laugh flooded his flat and he felt his entire body lighten with pure bliss at the sound of it. "I didn't break in, dummy. You gave me this when you moved, remember?" She pulled out a small key from her pocket and her smile changed a little bit, it got sadder and Charlie could not help but grow worried. "I suppose I should return this to you now though." Placing the key on the couch in front of her, she kept her eyes glued to the keys, unwilling to look back up to Charlie. "This shouldn't be... Well, there has obviously been a lot between us, and I have been thinking non-stop for the past few months and... We both need to move on, obviously. I assume you have, out here. There are probably lots of pretty girls fighting for your attention," a dry laugh escaped Tonks.

Charlie smiled half-heartedly, not liking where it sounded like she was going with this, "Not really," he said lamely.

"Well, they're stupid then." A sad smile flashed across her lips. "We were great together, Weasley, you know, we really were," only now did she finally look up, their eyes met and there was an unmistakable spark between them, she swallowed loudly before speaking again. "However," her voice cracked. "Our lives have taken up in different direction and, well... I don't see things getting resolved. Your life is here, mine is back home. And while back home, there has been this one person who makes me miss you less. He comforts me when I was sad and is always been great to talk to. I like him a lot and well..." She shifted uncomfortably and slowly brought up her hand. On her left ring finger a glint of gold glistened. Charlie felt all the blood from his face drain and his mouth opened slightly without a word able to actually form. Frozen on the spot, looking dumbly at the ring his chest tightened and he simply shook his head. "Yes," she smiled awkwardly. "I'm engaged, again. And this time I think it will work out. And I wanted you to hear, before anyone else. And I definitely did not want you to hear through anyone else." She was still nodding before adding as an afterthought, "Not that it should matter anymore, right?"

The only words that would come out of his mouth and make sense were, "Who is he?"

A smile that Charlie knew all-too-well crept up onto Tonks' face. It was the smile that only he could create. Whenever he kissed her, or said he loved her. Or when others talked about them or she talked about Charlie to her friends or family. A smile reserved for only him. And now she wore that same smile as she told him about her new love, Remus Lupin. Of course Charlie knew who he was. He was in the Order. Though they had only met a handful of times, he could not believe everything he was hearing. Lupin was old, he was a werewolf, he could not take care of her like Charlie had vowed to.

Not realising how long he had now remained silent, Tonks stood up. "Well, that was everything. Erm, good luck. And..." He could tell she wanted to say more but stopped herself. Probably for the best, for both of them. She ducked out of his flat and he heard her stumbling away, running by the sounds of it.

Two hours passed and he lay on his couch, staring at his ceiling not sure what to do or how to do anything. Not knowing what possessed him to, suddenly he flew up and ran out the door, he did not stop running until he was at Emma's front steps, pounding hard on the door.

When Emma opened the door she was in a nightgown, eyes dark with sleep circles. "What are you doing? It's two in the morning," she said, her voice groggy.

"You think I have a girl at home, everyone thinks I have a girl at home, but I assure you, I do not," he was near yelling, not really knowing what he was saying, the words just poured out of him and Emma did not make any efforts to stop him. "If I did, I would never linger to talk to you, I wouldn't ask you to go out with me or find excuses to talk to you during the day. I think you're pretty and adorable and excellent. You're everything I should want in a girl. But you're right, I do think of Tonks now and then. Nearly every day actually. Fuck it, I think of her constantly. When I go to sleep I wish she was in my arms and when I eat a meal by myself I would do anything to be looking into her beautiful eyes. Sometimes at work, I see the dragons that I so adore and they are nothing compared to Tonks. I gave up the greatest thing that could ever happen in my life, my engagement to her, she made me happy, I could spend hours upon hours just starring at her. I was happy just to stroke her hair while she slept and do nothing myself. I want her with me, she was my girl, but no, she is not mine anymore, she is not at home waiting for me. I'm lonely, I miss her."

Emma nodded, but said nothing so Charlie continued. "Why wouldn't you go out with me? If I stood any chance with Tonks I would have taken it. Do you think I didn't fight for a long-distance relationship with her? Because I did, the entire two weeks before I left, even after I had caught her with my brother, I didn't care, I wanted her. I will always want her. Most likely I will die an old man and still wish she was in my arms. But she's gone. She's already moved on, she's engaged again. And I can't even get a girl, who has all the same interests as me, to go on one lousy date with me, why?"

He was breathing heavily. During all his talking he had forgotten to breath. Emma took a step forwards and gently placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Because it is obvious that you are in love with someone else. You cannot mention her without smiling, and though I do not think you realise this, you mention her every hour. I don't know what to say about her moving on and I don't think that this is going to help, but you should have fought harder."

At this, the man who worked with dragons, always smiled and constantly acted more tough than he was, cried. He broke down and tears began pouring down his face. Emma leaned forwards and took him into a hug. "I like you, Charlie. I could even like you as more as a friend, but right now, and for the next while, you need to be on your own. You need to get over this girl."

"I'm not going to," he blubbered. "She's perfect. I've been mad about her since the day we met."

Emma patted his back and said nothing more. The next day at work, Charlie spoke to no one, he focused on his favourite dragon all day and after everyone went home he patted her head, no intentions of going anywhere. With no girl at home, he would rather stay with his dragon friends than face yet another night alone in Romania.

I don't like OC's... But it was necessary here, and I happen to quite like this new character of mine. She seems sweet. And again I apologise for the wrong timeline. Anyway, please leave a review, it would be greatly appreciated.

xx

CL