Broken Wing

by SeraphimeRising

How can you fix what you didn't know was broken? WARNINGS: Angst, Language, Frank discussion of death

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Nor do I make any money.

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Prologue: After the Battle...

The moment she saw him she forgot everything else.

There had been a reason she had been running; there had been a reason for taking this route through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts; there had been an end to her now forgotten goal -- but she could no longer have found those answers if she had been asked.

All because of him -- the object of her long-held schoolgirl fantasies.

Seeing him again, she faded back into another lifetime. A time in her life when she had been carefree and innocent -- something she hadn't been in years. Images of watching him fly in his Gryffindor Quidditch uniform filled her mind's eye: she remembered not only wanting to fly like him and play like him, but to simply be with him both in the air and on the ground. She had spent so many days, weeks, months trying to catch his eye; and then spent so many years hoping that she could if he just saw her play once.

But she never had until this moment.

The moment that shook her from her long-remembered, often set aside fantasies of him when he stumbled away from his mourning family and into her, abruptly returning her to a present where they both existed in the same square foot for even the slightest measurement of time.

His hands were rough, like she had imagined them to be, as they steadied the both of them as a unit. She had forgotten he had brown eyes that were soulful and full of life with a heavy dash of danger. Even in their obvious grief, the light she knew as Charlie still shone through. Unfortunately, as with every millisecond before -- the few and long ago moments when she was that close -- she started to drown in those eyes. The noise surrounding them had dimmed to a dull buzz that was easy for her to ignore; his hands slowly left her arms, seductively trailing up the torn cotton she still wore with the stains of battle discolouring it; the world surrounded them, turning chaotically, blurring into only fuzzy colours, before descending into shades of grey, until --

The world stopped as his lips tentatively pressed against her own.

She grabbed onto his shirt instinctively; holding him close to her; wishing for this fantasy, this moment, this kiss never to end. She groaned in appreciation as he pulled her tight against him, deepening the kiss, extending the moment just that much longer, deepening her fantasy into another dimension.

This moment, this childhood fantasy, her little girl's dream became much more real when the scruff of a day's worth of growth brushed against her skin. The heightened sensations sent shivers down her spine, her body in instinctive reaction pressed further into his hard frame, searching for acknowledgement that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

When she found that answer, her mind sunk into a blissful state as their hands, feet, bodies, pushed, pulled, explored until she felt him sit her on a desk; a teacher's desk in a random classroom. This had never been part of her daydreams of the only Weasley to ever capture her eye, unlike countless other classmates who fancied a different brother almost every other fortnight. But she didn't care.

Especially not as he pulled her shirt off before capturing her lips again in a heated desperation that she both craved from him and felt herself; a desperation that filtered through the very essence of her being.

The wisps of completion continued to creep into the holes she hadn't realized existed; filling her, completing her, engaging her soul. And just when she thought she couldn't fill any more, she didn't hear her name, but a throaty gasp of 'my angel'.

And it reverberated in her soul.

However, in the dawning light of a new day, a new life, the simple memory of the way he looked at her after their bodies were sated, in adoration and wonderment, wasn't enough to risk the ruination of a long-ruminated fantasy. She instead clung to the memories of that moment, all those that came before and all the ones they made afterwards. Gently, she kissed the man she had been in love with since she was eleven, trying not to wake him.

With a lingering look to the muscular body still sound asleep on the stone floor with conjured blankets, Katie wiped away an escaping tear while saying a silent prayer that maybe one day he could forgive her for not being brave enough to stay until he woke. For not being strong enough to find out if she really could be what he wanted. If she was what he wanted.

She quietly left the room, promising herself she wouldn't look back nor would she regret walking away from the man who was the third scent in her Amortentia. For she was too pragmatic a girl to do something like that. Unfortunately, she didn't realize until much later that her mother had been right -- it would be the death of her.

---

Present Day...

"You do realize that Teddy is going to think Christmas came in September this year, the moment he sees you," Harry grinned as he and Charlie, along with Ron, made their way to the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts.

After two years of constant coaching from Harry, Ron, George and Charlie (when he was in England), Teddy had finally made the house team as a Chaser, just like his mum had been for Hufflepuff. When Charlie received his owl with the news, a burst of pride had erupted in his chest as Teddy and his other nephews and nieces were as close as he would probably come to having children of his own.

Teddy's own excitement and enthusiasm regarding the upcoming season had been enough for him to plan a sudden trip to England to surprise him at his first match. Ron and Harry had poked fun of him for travelling all the way just to see Teddy's first game, but it hadn't stopped them from joining him on the trip to Hogwarts for the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match, nor for their respective wives from confiding that the two had dropped everything and made plans to be there for Teddy's first game also after receiving their owls.

He had half-expected a little more ribbing from his family than he had received, especially being the only one in his family without a significant other or children. Maybe, just maybe, he hoped that his brothers and Ginny had finally gotten through to his mum to leave him alone. For, though they were unaware of this fact, there was only one person he could safely say he loved as much as his dragons and more than he had loved Tonks when they were teenagers, but she had disappeared as quickly as she had appeared when he needed someone the most -- his beloved angel.

Thirteen years had passed since that night after the battle. The night when he had tried to escape not only his own grief, but his brother's grief, and his parents' grief. He vaguely remembered making his excuses with his eyes constantly torn between Fred and Tonks's still and silent bodies; his soul crying over the death of the two people who had been the most alive in his life; his mind torn between his stoic responsibilities as a man and a mourning brother, friend, and first love. He did, however, remember staggering through the main doors of the Great Hall and into the small body -- one that gave, but didn't break.

Charlie's mind drifted, as Ron and Harry continued to gab like two teenage girls, to the moment that changed his life forever: blindly grabbing the smaller body and just before his mouth opened to mumble his apologies and make his way past to go outdoors for fresh air, his eyes opened to find large, doe-like eyes, rich and soulful framed by thick black lashes.

Time officially stopped.

His hands in slow motion moved from her arms to her face, holding it in place as he gently pressed his lips into hers, knowing instinctively that they not only held his salvation from the hell he found himself in, but that they also held the secret to how heaven tasted.

And it was better than he imagined.

It was the warmth of Christmas at the Burrow; the feel of a late spring rain on his face; the thrill of riding a barely tamed dragon; the freedom he found on a broom -- that kiss was everything that made his heart sing.

He deepened the kiss to show his thanks in a way he knew his words never could. The person who was kissing him back, holding him to her own body as tightly as he was hers, filled his soul in his darkest hour, the hour he needed saving the most.

The first time he found completeness, his voice finally found the words to express how much this creature meant to him -- 'my angel'. Gasping those two words, he could have sworn much more to her as he envisioned the appearance of a silvery halo and wings that provided such a sinful contrast to her almost black hair and brown eyes with her perfect olive skin. She, her body wrapped around his, her soul gripping his, was the answer to all of his questions; the solutions to his puzzle, the half that made him better, the part that made him whole.

However, when sunlight woke him in the morning that would follow, there would be no eyes staring into his, asking questions he wasn't sure if he could answer but would do his best. There would be no smile to remind him he was, and could still be with, the living; no touch -- gentle and loving -- that would prove it. All his angel had left him with were conjured blankets that still graced his bed back in Romania; memories that, after too much liquor, he would swear that he had only imagined, and a heart and soul that without her was simply incomplete. Even his beloved dragons, who had regretfully meant more to him than Tonks, were no match for the gaping hole his angel had cruelly left him with.

"Uncle Charlie," a cheerful voice called out, breaking him from his increasingly depressing thoughts. Looking ahead, he could see Teddy in his red and gold Quidditch robes, proudly matching his hair to the Gryffindor crimson that dominated them. However, when his eyes caught sight of the younger boy next to him, he couldn't tear them away.

A boy with all too familiar red hair. Not the red that Ginny, the twins, Percy, and Bill had been so lucky to have, but the orange-red that he and Ron had been cursed with. The red that only got brighter in the summer and with age.

As Teddy and the boy came closer, Charlie couldn't help but steal a look to Ron. Meeting Ron's bright blue eyes, which were equally wide with shock, Charlie whispered, "What did the twins do?"

"Charlie," Ron whispered back, both of their eyes already focused back on the boy with familiar chocolate brown eyes and pale olive skin with quite possibly more freckles than even Ron, "I don't think the twins did anything."

"Then --"

"He's you Charlie," Ron hurriedly whispered, as the boys were became to close for comfort. "He's fucking you."

Charlie didn't know what to say in response. He had always been careful. In fact, as he stood there with Harry and Ron while Teddy babbled on about the upcoming match, Charlie tried to figure out if it was even possible.

"Charlie?" Teddy's unsure voice, snapped him from his thoughts. "Are you here? I mean you appear to be here but you don't seem to be here."

"Yeah," Charlie replied as nonchalantly as possible before lying by saying, "Something just hit me that I forgot to do before leaving Romania."

"Dude is so into dragons, Matt, that it's hard to get him to think about anything else," Teddy said to the young man standing next to him. It was at this moment that Charlie realized the boy was staring at him coolly with an intense dislike radiating from him.

Trying to overcome the wave of self-hatred that rose within him, Charlie made an attempt to be jovial when he teased Teddy with mocked-outrage, "Hey, I think of you enough to leave the dragons behind for your first game!"

"Uh-huh," Teddy replied, blowing him off casually like the teenager he was before continuing to the young man. Matt was still so focused on Charlie that he didn't notice that Ron and Harry were now intently studying him. "Anyway, Matt wanted to meet the two greatest Seekers to have played for Gryffindor -- given that he's our current one. So Matt, my uncles: Harry Potter, Charlie Weasley and Ron Weasley. Uncle Ron played Keeper but we don't hold that against him. You all - Matt."

"Charlie Matthew Bell, actually, but everyone calls me Matt seeing as my mum cries when I'm called Charlie," the young man corrected holding his hand out in Charlie's direction, now blatantly ignoring both Harry and Ron.

Charlie was too stunned to actually respond but thankfully Harry jumped in and said, "Your mum wouldn't happen to be Katie Bell, Matt? She was a fabulous Chaser when we played with her."

"You played Quidditch with my mum?" he pointedly asked Charlie.

"No," he said softly. "They did."

"Would she happen to be coming today?" Harry pushed. "Ron and I haven't seen her for years."

"And when was the last time you saw her?" Matt's pointed comment added to the internal shaking that Charlie was already suffering. If he had known about Matt, he would have kissed his dragons good-bye and taken the first Portkey back to England, fighting his angel every step of the way to not only be in his life, but her life as well.

"Thirteen years," Charlie choked out.

"Can I at least know why?"

"I didn't know."

"Did you even try?"

The days that followed after he woke up without his angel bombarded him with images. In between his obligations to Andromeda and his own family, he had searched for his angel but with nothing more than brown eyes and dark brown hair he had no success. Granted, it hadn't stopped him, he had looked for her in every face that he came across in Diagon Alley which he haunted during every trip he made to England.

Closing his eyes, trying to shut out those images, he nodded as he whispered, "Yes, but I couldn't find her."

"Obviously, you didn't try hard enough," Matt growled. "Just stay away from her -she's got enough to deal with. Oh, and me too, while you're at it."

Charlie watched painfully as his son, the one he hadn't even know existed until five minutes before, turn away from him. If he had known, he would have been there for him. But when Matt shot him a dirty look, it broke Charlie's heart, before the young man spun and stalked away.

No one said anything after he'd left, until Teddy solemnly said, "So...Matt's really a Weasley?"

"It appears so Teddy," Ron spoke up, since Charlie couldn't vocalize his own response due to the shock he was still feeling, as well as worrying about Teddy's own reaction to the piece of information.

"Well at least he knows now, instead of just being teased about it...Anyway, I guess I'll have to convince him that he's luckier than he realises at the moment."

"Why do you say that?" Ron asked, beating Charlie to the question that was on the tip of his tongue.

Teddy just shrugged his shoulders and responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Besides the fact he should consider himself lucky not to have one but emtwo/em parents? Who wouldn't want to be a Weasley? Besides the Burrow and tickets to all the major Quidditch matches in England, there's Uncle George and his free samp--," Teddy's eyes grew really large as he stopped himself before continuing, "You won't tell Nana about that will you?"

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Charlie didn't pay any attention to the game. He was too focused on watching his son play.

His son.

Two words he thought he would never say. Not after losing both Tonks and his angel. But now his mind intermittently switched between being dazed from finding out he had a son to growing anger and resentment towards his angel for keeping his son from him. It wasn't like his family was hard to find, even if he was in Romania, between George, Ron and Harry. And to top it off, she had evidently played with all three of them and still she kept Matt from him.

"You know getting mad at her isn't going to get you any closer to seeing him," Ron's voice drifted into his silent and internalized fit. "Besides -- you already have a battle with him. Be smart about this, Charlie."

Turning to look at his admittedly favourite brother, Charlie still narrowed his eyes, "Please tell me you aren't taking her side in all of this?"

"I said nothing of the sort," Ron replied, raising his hands in mock surrender, "but I know you. And right now you are flitting with that temper of yours that only a few of us realise exists."

"When did you get so smart?" Charlie retorted with a short laugh, followed by a sigh before turning back to the game, in time to watch Matt take off in the direction of the Snitch which caught his own eye.

He quickly got to his feet, followed by Harry and Ron and the rest of the adults and professors. Charlie yelled in support of Matt's actions, his skill on the broom undeniable as he dodged the Quaffle, Bludgers, and other players. He cheered louder and harder as Matt zeroed in on the snitch.

Charlie heard Ron and Harry laugh but he chose to ignore them now, though he would be beating the tar out of them later to remind them who was really in charge.

Charlie couldn't explain the unexpected joy that filled his body as he watched Matt's hand close around the sparkling Snitch. However, that joy was short-lived. For when he turned to slap high-fives in celebration with Harry, his eyes caught his angel's.

There she was standing next to a cheering ... Oliver Wood.

That son-of-a-bitch; he had known and never said anything to him. Not one fucking hint and by Morgana's sagging tits, Wood made a consistent appearance at the Burrow every time Charlie was in England to drag him out for a pint.

"I'm going to kill him," Charlie growled, opening and clenching his fists. "I'm going to Avada his arse into the next century."

"Charlie...Oh." Was all Ron got out, before Charlie was on his way towards someone he once considered a friend. He heard footsteps behind him as well as his name being called, but he didn't even think for a moment to stop.

Every deity must have been on his side, for the moment he hit the ground and started heading to the stands where he had seen his angel and former mate, his angel, pale-faced, was moving towards him calling out his name. While Wood trailed her calling out, "Katie, wait. Merlin, Katie please just wait."

Any other day, since the day he had drowned in her touch, melded irrevocably with her soul, he would have shouted for joy, or wept in happiness; instead he was focused on pummelling his former mate. Even hearing his name on her lips, for the first time, couldn't stop him. She grabbed him but he pulled free from her fierce grasp to take another step and connect his fist with Oliver's face, so hard that blood spurted back into his own as he growled, "You knew, you son of a bitch. You have seen my arse at least once a year for the past thirteen years but you," Charlie hit Oliver again, causing the burly Scotsman to fall to the ground, "didn't say one bloody word," throwing another punch, Charlie continued to rant, "in thirteen bloody years, you didn't say one word. Not one bloody word."

He continued to fight against a set of hands trying to prevent his next punch from connecting. However, a distressed, "Uncle Charlie!" froze him where he sat, straddling an increasingly bloody former mate. It was enough for a set of hands to grip his arm and pull him off while he stared at Victoire's eyes glistening with tears and Teddy shell-shocked himself, holding her hand. Charlie knew he should have been mortified by his behaviour but he was too upset to even begin to feel the slightest remorse for his his actions in front of the entire Hogwarts student body.

His anger still fuming, he pulled free of the hands holding his arm and turning to his angel, he coolly said, "Thirteen years? I hope you have one hell of an explanation for not telling me about my son. And I hope to hell you have an even better one for him. He hates me, angel, because you kept him from me."

Watching her dull brown eyes start to glisten with tears, before fading pink, he saw her nod before he continued huskily, "How could you do that to me? Please tell me why?"

"I was afraid..." she choked out, tears starting to stream down her face. She reached out for him and though he longed to receive her touch and return the favour, his broken heart overwhelmed his mind. He quickly pulled his body away from her touch. "Charlie..."

He only too a step back towards her after she gave up trying to touch him. Once he had, he leaned over and whispered, "Don't. Just don't. I've called you my angel for the last thirteen years but right now, right now I really don't like you very much."

Her anguished cry in response tore at him, so deeply in fact, his guilt at having said words he would regret tomorrow began to eat him alive. Charlie knew he had to get away from her before he said anything else he would regret. He brushed right by her, thinking a walk would do him good.

Nearing the lake, he heard, "I told you to stay away from her."

Turning around, he saw Matt's eyes lit with anger just like Ron's flush would have been, and his cheeks were pink like Ginny's. Forcing back the inclination to just grab his son and hold him, Charlie said, "And I went after Oliver. Not your mum."

"Why? He's been around, more than you ha--"

Charlie couldn't stand to hear that sentence finish, so he interrupted by snapping, "I don't know what your mum or Oliver told you, but they knowingly kept you from knowing me and me from knowing you."

"No, they said th--"

"I don't care what they said -because you need to know that every time I've been in England since you were born, I've had drinks with Oliver."

He watched the young man blanch when comprehension overwhelmed him. Charlie knew he should feel bad for dragging a twelve year old into his fight with the boy's mum, but the part of him that felt cheated and wronged wouldn't let go of his heart yet. However, watching his son's eyes well up, he finally overcame his indignation. Pushing it roughly aside, he deeply sighed as he hung his head, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking my hurt out on you. None of this is your fault."

"Then why does it feel like it?" Matt whispered. Charlie hated hearing him feel so defeated.

Fatigue overwhelming him, he took a seat under a nearby tree overlooking the lake as he tried to put his finger on what the right explanation actually was. He patted the ground next to him as a silent gesture to Matt while his mind ran through various explanations.

Though he hoped for Matt to come and sit with him, he couldn't deny his surprise when the young man did after all he had been through that day. Quietly, Charlie turned to the miniature version of himself and said, "Right or wrong, both your mum and Oliver did what they thought they needed to do to protect you."

"But why would they do that?"

"I don't have an answer to that," Charlie replied, thinking emhe/em deserved that answer from his angel and Oliver more than anyone else -- besides Matt, that was. "But for your sake, I hope it's a damn good answer."

Silence filled the open space as they sat there. Charlie knew he was desperately trying to figure out what to say after missing the first twelve years of Matt's life and he figured that Matt was trying to figure out the same thing.

"If you had known..." Matt's voice trailed off before he actually asked a question but Charlie knew exactly what he was asking and replied, "You would have known me from the get go."

"And Mum?"

Charlie didn't have an answer for that, but he did settle on telling Matt the truth as of that moment. "Honestly? I have spent the last thirteen years calling her my angel and looking for her in every face I see when I'm in England."

"And now?"

"I'm hurt that she kept you away from me."

"So you really didn't know?"

"No, Matt, I really didn't know."

"You would make it hard on me to continue to hate you."

"Well I did just make your mum cry," Charlie pointed out.

However, Matt remained quiet. Charlie turned his head to see a tear escaping from Matt's eye. He just wished he knew what to say or do to comfort the young man. Choosing the safe route, Charlie remained quiet, just taking in the sight of his son, thinking of all the moments he had missed and all of those he wouldn't. Instead he took to watching him, as Matt picked at the grass; the same habit Charlie had when he really truly didn't want to stay still but knew he should.

"It's been so weird the last year and a half," Matt mumbled, mainly to the grass but loud enough for Charlie to hear. The sadness in his voice tore at his heart. He wanted to comfort him, Charlie just wasn't sure how, so he settled on just listening until the right thing came to him. "It was always just me and mum. I didn't even know magic existed, let alone could do it myself. But then my Hogwarts letter came. Mum dismissed it and said it was nothing. I didn't push because it was just one more thing that seemed to put her on the brink of tears.

"But I remember it was a Friday. I just got home from football practice and all of sudden Mum was talking about magic, witches and wizards, and that I wouldn't be going to the local secondary school but a boarding school for people like me who could do magic. I didn't listen to one word she said," Matt stopped and looked at Charlie. Charlie could see there were now full tears in his eyes that he was fighting back. It was clear that he was struggling to continue but wanted to, so Charlie just remained quiet before Matt finally got out, "She doesn't know this but I knew she had a doctor's appointment that day. It didn't take me long to figure out what was going on and why I was suddenly being sent away."

Something in the way Matt said that bothered Charlie deeply. In his best comforting voice, he asked, "Why do you think you were being sent away?"

"Mum's really sick. Been so for years though she's tried to hide it from me. I'm young but I'm not stupid."

"Do they know what it is?"

"I don't think so," Matt whispered. "It doesn't really matter as she's dying. She's trying to hide that from me too but I know. I see it in her face and Oliver's. I just let them believe I'm none the wiser."

Charlie was speechless. In the shock of hearing his angel was dying, he could barely make sense of his chaotic thoughts let alone speak anything comforting to the young man; or even at the very least attempt to.

Matt didn't say anything more and just turned back to the grass. Shaking his head, his voice gravely and shaky as he continued, "Anyway, that weekend we went to Diagon Alley and that's when I met Oliver. He looked at me like he had seen a ghost and then pulled Mum aside and I watched them argue in whispers. When we left, I thought I would never see him again but he just kept showing up. All him and Mum do is argue. I never could make what they are actually saying out but I always figured it was about me and after getting here and hearing rumour after rumour, comment after comment about Fred Weasley being my dad -- I put two and two together."

"But yet you appeared to know exactly who I was when you approached me with Teddy earlier," Charlie pointed out, now a bit confused as to how Matt managed to jump from Fred to him. Though they and George were definitely the stockier ones in the family, he and Fred really looked nothing alike. "So how did you get from Fred to me if your Mum never told you?"

"Hagrid."

"Huh?"

"Earlier this term, Hagrid caught me out by the hippogriffs when I shouldn't have been there. He called me Charlie Weasley," Matt said, turning to look at him. "I don't think he even knows he did it. And then when I got detention later and had to scrub the floor of the trophy room, I saw your name on one of the trophies. When I found a picture of you and I just knew --"

"Charlie, we need you to get to Hogwarts and the Headmistress' office. No one can find Matt and Katie's beside herself," Ron's voice sounded from the bouncing Jack Russell Patronus now in front of Charlie.

"What is that?" Matt asked wide-eyed, pointing to where Ron's Patronus had been.

"That would be Ron's Patronus. They are quite useful as messengers," Charlie explained getting to his feet as Matt did. "You ready to see mine?"

"Sure," Matt said. The warm smile that appeared on his face did wonders for Charlie. It was the first time he had seen Matt close to being either happy or relaxed.

Silently casting the spell, his eyes focused on Matt as the silver stream exploded from his wand in curves and waves before forming a small Welsh Green Dragon, with steam puffing out his nose.

"Yours is a dragon? Whoa," Matt whispered in his obvious excitement. "That is so cool."

"Go tell Ron: Matt is with me and we are on our way to the Headmistress' office." Charlie watched as the dragon bounded away, before turning to Matt and joked, "Makes Ron's little puppy seem unimpressive huh?"

"So is everyone's is different?"

"For the most part," Charlie responded, as they started back to the castle. "Let's see, Harry's is a stag and his wife Ginny's, my little sister, is a horse; George's is a hyena -- you don't ever want to get a message from him by the way, it's hard to understand his Patronus amidst all that cackling; Percy's is an owl; Bill's is a wolf; Dad's is a weasel; and my mum's is a hen, though I think Mum clucks more than the hen does."

Charlie enjoyed hearing the laugh that he was able to wring out of Matt. It reminded him of George's in fact; big and robust. There was absolutely nothing apologetic it. He jammed his hands into his pockets so he wouldn't reach out and just hug Matt; everything was so precarious he didn't want it to tip the wrong way just because he couldn't be patient. Instead he continued, "They even change sometimes. Teddy's mum's changed after she met his dad."

"What did it change to?"

"A werewolf."

"Wow. What was it before?"

"A lamb."

"What?"

"When she learned the charm in sixth year, she was mortified. We teased her about it for weeks," Charlie laughed thinking of all the tripping jinxes he had to avoid in Tonks vain attempts to get him back for him laughing at her Patronus.

"I wonder what my mum's is."

"You should ask her. Or better yet have her show you."

He caught Matt rolling his eyes, as he moaned, "Yeah right. She doesn't do magic at all," Charlie raised his eyebrows at that particular piece of information. "I tried to get her to help me on my homework this summer and since I couldn't do the spell, I asked her if she would show me it and she refused."

"Did she tell you why?" Charlie couldn't imagine one reason for Katie to live completely like a Muggle. Hermione lived more like one than she did a witch and even she still used spells to help her with the housework. It didn't make any sense to him.

"No," Matt said, kicking at the ground. His countenance had gone from happy to sullen again. "It's just another thing where she starts to cry and leaves the room."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"You didn't know," Matt sighed, "It's just that I hate seeing her so upset especially with everything else. I just try to avoid everything that I know will make her cry."

Charlie was quiet for a few minutes before remarking, "I really hate that you are having to go through this. Don't ever think you are alone."

"I won't," Matt said pushing through the doorway and into the castle. "It's just not fair."

"I have to agree with you on that," he replied, thinking about how after thirteen years of looking for her, he finds her and finds out he not only has a son but could quite possibly lose her again.

Neither one said any more until they were heading down the hallway to the Headmistress' office. They could see Harry with Neville Longbottom standing outside the gargoyle that protected it.

"Please don't tell Mum this," Matt said quietly as they drew closer, "But I hate the fact that I only got to come to Hogwarts and even have a chance at finding you because she found out she was dying. It just doesn't seem fair...Mr. Potter, Professor Longbottom."

"Matt. Charlie," they both intoned.

Neville continued, "Go on up. Your mum is up there."

"What about you?" Matt said turning to Charlie.

"Go talk to you mum first, I'll come up in a few minutes."

"Okay," Matt said as Neville said the password causing the gargoyle to jump aside and reveal the winding staircase that would take him to the office.

Charlie motioned with his hand to continue, when Matt looked back. He hated the scared look in the kid's eyes, like he thought Charlie would disappear if he went up the stairs. As gently as possible, he told him, "Two minutes."

Matt nodded and disappeared, Charlie noticed very slowly, up the stairs.

"How are you doing?" Harry said to him, as soon as Matt had disappeared from view.

"I don't know if I can handle much more news today," he replied honestly with a shy. "Just how sick is she?"

"Your guess is as good as anybody elses," Neville responded.

"I tried to ask Oliver but when I did she stumbled badly and he left my side," Harry added. "In fact, he basically carried her up to the castle."

"McGonagall tried to get her to let Madame Pomfrey look at her but she refused. Oliver didn't get much further either," Neville said, leaning up against the wall. "I don't think he even knows what's going on outside the obvious."

"I always thought Ginny was the most obstinate woman ever," Harry said, "but she has nothing on Katie."

"Is Oliver still around?" Charlie asked, his mind trying to figure out just what he needed to do to get the information he wanted out of him.

"Yeah," Harry answered. "He's upstairs with Katie."

"I guess I should go up now," Charlie muttered, looking at the stairs, not sure if he was ready for what was waiting for him on the other end. Then again, when he woke up this morning, he would have bet good money against him finding not only his angel but that he had a son.

"Probably. You and Katie need to work something out for Matt's sake," Neville pointed out.

Charlie didn't say anything in response, instead he just hung his head as he started towards and then up the stairs. His mind raced through scenarios as to what he was going to say; what she might say; what his response might be; how this would affect Matt; how could he protect Matt; how not to throttle Oliver if he had known and known that Katie was so sick. However, when he stepped out from the staircase and into the Headmistress' office, he could see the truth with his own eyes that Katie was dying as she sat there in one of the two chairs McGonagall had in front of her desk, with Matt standing in front of her and Oliver just behind the arm. There was no sign of the vibrant angel he remembered; how could he not have seen it earlier? Did his rage make him that blind?

Her eyes and cheeks were sunken. Her olive toned skin had a yellow tinge to it that wasn't natural. Her dark brown hair, the lushness of it that he dreamed about every night was gone; even it's thickness and shine. Everything about her not only screamed dull and sick, but lifeless. And that about did him in.

"Well Matt, I think we need to let your mum have some privacy," Oliver said, putting his hands on Matt's shoulder.

"I think I will join the two of you, if you don't mind," the Headmistress responded before the three quickly made their way out.

Too tired to fight, and now feeling too guilty for even wanting to in the first place, Charlie plopped down in the chair next to her; looking at her sadly, he whispered, "I wish you would have told me."

"I doubt it's worth much, or anything at all... but I'm sorry," the cracking in her voice tore at him more.

"Why couldn't you just come to me? I would have come back from Romania."

"I know," she whispered. "There were so many times I stood in front of the gate at the Burrow when I was pregnant and I could never bring myself to cross that line."

"Why?"

"Oliver would say I was selfish. I wanted you to want me. At first I didn't have the courage to find out if you did and then I realized I didn't want to know if you only wanted me because of Matt."

Every word she struggled to say between her deep breaths hurt him -- that she thought so little of him.

"And know that I understand if you will never forgive me for the reason why I let him come to Hogwarts."

Matt's words of knowing his mum was dying rung in his ears but Charlie didn't know if he could bear to hear them out of her mouth. Not today. Not ever.

"Why, angel?" he whispered, not realizing he had used the term of endearment he coined for her from the moment she swept into his life until she half-gasped and cried, "Please don't."

Tears burning his eyes, he folded his hands and just studied them as he heard her tell him, "Because I knew either he would find you or you him; since I'm too much of a coward to do it for him. Some mum I am..."

Charlie realized that her breathing took on a more desperate note and when he turned to her; he saw her hands gripping into the arms as she struggled for breath. Rushing over to her, he dropped in front of her and said, "Don't say that. Katie we need to get you --"

"No," she whispered firmly, still struggling to catch her breath. "It will go."

"Katie..."

"No."

"Please..."

"No. Oliver will take me home and I'll be fine in the morning."

"Katie, please do this for Matt," he whispered, thinking she might let them take her to the hospital if she remembered her son.

"Charlie, no. There's nothing anyone can do."

"Katie..."

"Please just let me have Christmas this year." The pleading in her eyes told him what he needed to know even if Matt hadn't told him -- she knew this was going to be her last.

"Sure." Even if she had denied him twelve years of his son's life, he wasn't going to deny her her last.

"Thank you."

---

"Oliver! How are you doing?" Charlie heard his mum call out in her jovial and matronly manner after a knock had brought him back from his wandering thoughts.

"Okay, definitely had better days. Is Charlie around?"

"He's moping in the kitchen right now, maybe you can get him to come out of that shell he's determined to bury himself in this evening..."

"I'll try." He had to admit, he appreciated the nervous tone in Oliver's voice when he said that, as if he knew that he wouldn't be able to; Charlie liked the honesty he heard in it.

Hearing the kitchen door swing, Charlie beat him to the punch line and said, "I'm sorry for beating the shit out of you earlier."

"I deserved it. Do you have another one of those?" Oliver said pointing to the bottle of firewhisky Charlie had been nursing for a good hour.

"In the cooler. Help yourself."

"Thanks. Sorry I didn't say anything. It's not like I didn't want to."

Looking at Oliver carefully, Charlie took another swig of the firewhisky before saying, "So why didn't you?"

"If you think about, not really my place," Oliver replied in a matter-of-fact tone, taking a seat in front of him. "I still think it was Katie's responsibility to tell you. Merlin knows we argued over it enough."

"I know, Matt told me."

"I knew that kid knew more than he admitted to."

"So what's wrong with her?" Charlie knew he abruptly changed topics but neither Katie, who seemed unwilling to tell him the truth, nor Matt, who appeared not to know the truth, would or could give him the answer to the question that really had been lingering in his head since he left Hogwarts. Him and Matt, that would take time, but time they had; Katie was the more pressing concern at that moment.

Oliver just sighed, playing with the bottle, "I wish I could tell you but you probably know as much as I do. She won't let me take her to the doctor. All I know is that I've been forced to watch her fade right before my eyes and there has been nothing I could do about it. Half of the reason for fighting her about Matt was hoping that you could get through to her."

"And the other half?"

"Because I figured you had the right to know your son," Oliver said sharply. "I haven't had a date, let alone gotten shagged since I ran into her outside Quality Quidditch Supplies a year and a half ago because I spend my time away from the pitch trying to talk sense into her and making sure she takes care of herself, so she can take care of Matt."

Charlie looked at Oliver wide-eyed. He couldn't remember him ever snapping at anyone outside of a Quidditch pitch; in fact there had been a long standing joke that Quidditch brought out the Mr. Hyde aspect of Oliver's personality.

"Sorry," Charlie responded after a few moments in stunned silence.

He watched as Oliver hung his head with a defeated sigh before he said, "I think we've said that word more to each other today than we have in all the years we've known each other."

"It's been a long day for both of us. Just so you know, I've already sent a letter to the reserve. I'm staying this time."

"Have you told your mum yet?"

"Oh hell no," Charlie gave a short laugh. "Just told her I'm staying a little longer but nothing else. I need to figure out what Katie needs first and then I'll tell Mum I'm moving home permanently."

Charlie didn't like the odd look Oliver was giving him and sharply asked, "What?"

"Nothing, just thinking if you can convince Katie to let you in, it may be what you both need at least in the short term."

"I hate that, you know," Charlie took another swig. "I spend thirteen bloody years trying to find her and I may get what? Maybe a few months at most?"

"Don't you hate it when life's not fair?"

"I think I should get a free pass after this. Losing Tonks was bad enough and she was just my best mate but to lose Katie too? Just after I found her and have to see her fade away? Promise me you will keep me drunk for a week after that and preferably locked up somewhere."

"Let me join you and you've got a deal."

"Then who's supposed to keep an eye on us?"

"You have how many bloody brothers and you honestly have to ask?"

For the first time since he had seen Matt, he heard emhis/em own laugh rip through the kitchen. It evidently was so infectious that Oliver was soon joining in as they clunked their bottles together, before raising them to the other and taking a large drink.

"But I veto George," Charlie retorted.

"Yeah, last time I got drunk with him, I wound up bald."

"And that was not a good look on you."

"Hey," Oliver said tossing the nearest thing he could get his hand on at Charlie, "You said it looked fine."

"I lied?" he grinned, tossing the wooden fruit bowl back at his friend.

"And Bill's out, because he's a boring old man."

"And if he is boring, then Percy is definitely out."

"So Ron or Harry?"

Charlie just smirked with a look he knew Oliver would get. When he saw an identical one grow across Oliver's face, they clinked their bottles together again before intoning, "Both."

They were taking another drink when an alarm went off causing Oliver to drop his bottle. Charlie jumped up to get away from the carnage as Oliver shot to his feet with "It's Katie." Charlie's own bottle slipped from his fingers crashing to the floor as his mother yelled, "What are you two doing in there?"

Taking off after Oliver out the back door, Charlie yelled back, "Sorry about the mess Mum! I'll make it up to you later."

"What's going...."

Charlie didn't hear the rest of her sentence as the back door slammed and he launched off the porch, grabbing Oliver's arm before the familiar pull of Apparition overwhelmed him. When the world around him reappear, he found himself standing in front of a shabby cottage that had probably seen better days over a hundred years ago.

Somewhere in him, his anger seethed regarding Katie's stubbornness but it passed when he realized the house appeared secure and the wards in tact. Following Oliver's lead, he entered the home, but there was no sign of her anywhere. He had half hoped that the whole thing was a misunderstanding, that the sensor was faulty and not that something had actually happened to Katie.

As Oliver went to the right to look in what appeared to be in the kitchen, Charlie head back down the hall with his wand out. The only sign of life was a small light from underneath he door. Opening it, his heart stopped moments before his body did.

There, with her legs dangling on the side of the tub while her body was primarily in it, was Katie. Grabbing the towel he saw laying across the loo, he yelled, "Oliver!"

He reached under her to pull her up and out of the tub, trying to not notice all the bruises covering her body nor the fact he could see almost all her bones. Or the simple fact of how light she actually was.

Wrapping the towel around her body, he heard Oliver breathe, "Merlin!"

"Send a message to Harry," Charlie said, getting up. "Tell him to meet us at St. Mungo's."

"Why Harry?" Oliver asked, perplexed, as Charlie grabbed a nearby bottle.

"Because you're going to make an illegal Portkey."

"Oh," Oliver replied, quickly casting the spell. He pushed the now glowing bottle into Charlie's hand with a rushed "I'll follow you."

Charlie only got to nod before the Portkey activated. Tightening Katie's fragile body to him, he closed his eyes to try and ground himself before having to focus on landing with the precious cargo in his arms.

Arriving in St. Mungo's lobby, he took off running as soon as he felt that his feet were on solid ground. Charlie realized that he must have made quite the scene as a healer ran to meet him.

"What's happened?" the healer said breathlessly, his hands going to Katie's face to begin assessing her.

"Not sure," he responded hurriedly. "I found her unconscious in the bath."

"Did you hear her fall?"

"No..."

"We were notified by a sensor," Oliver's voice finished the answer for him.

The healer looked between Oliver and Charlie confused for a few seconds before telling them, "Bring her back. Why the sensor?"

Charlie followed the healer back as Oliver continued to speak for them, "Because she's dying. She wouldn't let me stay with her or stay with me so I cast one without her knowledge for my own piece of mind."

"Are you her husband?" the healer asked, as Charlie laid Katie gently on the bed.

"No, he's not," Charlie responded sharply.

"Brother then?"

"Cousin," Oliver replied. Charlie wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not but given all the inter-marriage in the wizarding world, it very well could be the truth.

"And you?"

"Fiancé," Charlie lied without batting an eye, though it earned him another puzzled look from the healer.

"Okay, you two out in the lobby. I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything."

"Can I ..."

"No," the healer said, having obviously known what Charlie's question was going to be.

Both Charlie and Oliver muttered 'Fine' before heading back to the lobby. Unfortunately, Harry wasn't the only one waiting on him. It wouldn't have been bad if it had only been Ron with him, but their mum was there too. And Charlie was really in no mood to explain anything that had happened that day to her.

"What's going on?" But obviously, that wasn't going to happen as his mother started in on him, approaching him in that way which made every male who had ever made her acquaintance squirm. "First you return from Hogwarts sullen and withdrawn, then the two of you break two bottles of firewhiskey in my kitchen and leave me the mess to clean up, then Ron gets a message to meet Harry here because something has happened to Katie. Who's Katie? Why don't I know about her? And emwhat/em is going on?"

Defeated, Charlie didn't say anything as he took the nearest seat. Resting his arms on his legs, he folded his hands and hung his head. He was about to speak when he heard Ron quietly say, "Mum, leave him be. He's been through enough today."

"And that is why I need to know," came his mother's well-meaning but definitely off-putting, at least to Charlie, reply. "How can I help if I don't know what's going on?"

"Mrs. Weasley, there is nothing you can do. Not this time," Oliver sighed taking a seat across from Charlie.

"And why not?"

Charlie raised his head to look his mum in the eye and whispered, "Because after thirteen years of looking for her, I find her and she's dying. So there really isn't anything you can do Mum. Please just drop it."

His mum's hand flew up and covered her now open mouth quickly. Charlie had barely started to study his hands again when he felt his mum wrap her arms around him. He felt so silly at that moment, because all he really wanted to do was cry, and have her tell him it was going to be all right because it was all right. Everything he wanted and had been searching for was slipping through his fingertips.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart," his mum whispered.

He could hear Harry and Ron talking to Oliver but he couldn't make out what was being said. All he wanted to do was drink until he passed out and hope that, when he woke, only half of his day would be a dream: the part where Katie was dying being the half he wanted to be nothing more than a dream.

Charlie continued to let his mum hold him, because it simply kept her quiet as they all waited for the healer.

"Sir?" Charlie heard in the distance but didn't answer.

"Charlie, the healer..." someone started to say but he didn't know just who. Charlie was on his feet in an instant, standing in front of the healer. Though the man didn't say anything at first, Charlie got confirmation in his eyes; he whispered, "How bad is it?"

The healer sighed and replied, "I don't know how she is even alive, sir. Her magical core is completely gone and the rest of her organs are barely functioning. I've got her stabilized enough for you to say goodbye, but you can't expect much more than that."

His mother's gasp was the only thing he heard as his world started to spin. Turning to Oliver he whispered, "What am I supposed to say to Matt?"

"I don't know, mate," Oliver said, approaching him. Charlie allowed Oliver to hug him as the tears he had been fighting back finally unleashed.

Abruptly, he was pulled back from Oliver. Looking to see who had done so, he saw his mum who said, "You have a son?"

"Mum, this isn't the --"

"Yes it is. Do you have a son?"

"Yes," he replied, wiping his eyes.

"How old is he?"

"He's a second year at Hogwarts. He's actually --"

"Did you know about him?"

Now he was completely confused about his mum's line of questioning, and said, "No."

"Did she know you were his father?"

"Yes, he looks--"

"Harry, take Oliver and round up the lot and tell them to go to the Burrow. Oh and get Neville to bring the boy. Ron, tell your father to expect the lot and help him prepare Ginny's room," she turned to the healer. "And you are going to release her into our care."

"I can't--"

"Or is this a case of you won't?" his mum started on the healer. "Because if it is, I'd be more than happy to call the Minister."

"But she needs---"

"What she needs is a family. You say she doesn't have much time, then let her be surrounded by the people who love her, rather than be in here."

Charlie watched as the man wavered for a few moments before giving in with a sigh, "Come with me. I'll need you to sign the paperwork."

"You bring her straight to the Burrow, you hear?" his mum fussed.

"Yes ma'am," Charlie replied dutifully, heading back with the healer towards Katie.

The healer started talking again once they were back in the room where Katie laid, but Charlie didn't hear a word he said. He managed to answer direct questions but comprehension of what he was actually saying and what the healer was telling him was beyond him. He was too focused on watching Katie, even with the help of the healer, struggling to breathe. Her fragile body appeared finally at it's breaking point. As the healer babbled away, he moved near her head, and gently started to stroke her hair before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"...And that's it. You can take her now but message me if you have any problems. I'll stop by in the morning on my way home. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure," he muttered, pulling back the sheets to reveal a St. Mungo's hospital robe. Gently, he slid his hand under her legs and shoulders and lifted her up. He took a moment to settle her against his body, before walking out of the room; the healer still talking.

The dim rumble of noise continued to fill his ears even when he stepped through the Floo at the Burrow. However, when he moved into the living room to get to the stairs, everything went quiet. Enough to make him stop. Looking around he saw all his brothers and their wives there, as well as Ginny and Neville and all the Weasley grandchildren not at Hogwarts. And Matt.

Matt's eyes were red and puffy, which only made the lingering tears in Charlie's own eyes start to fall. Charlie whispered, "I'm so sorry," to him before forcing himself to continue moving.

His mum came over and whispered, "Ginny's old room is ready."

Charlie could only nod before he forced himself to continue out of the living room and up the stairs. Entering the room that had for a lifetime been his and Bill's before it was Ginny's, he saw that the two twin beds that resided there had been pushed together. Someone small pushed by him and pulled down the sheets. He mumbled his gratitude before laying Katie gently on the bed. Softly and tenderly, he pulled the sheets up around her and tucked her in. He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her on the forehead again.

When he went to stand up, he was greeted by Matt standing right by him who whispered, "You really love her."

"Yes, I do," he replied as Matt threw himself at Charlie, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck. Instinctively, Charlie returned the sentiment and for the first time, hugged his son as they both cried about what they were losing and what they could never have -- the chance to be a whole and happy family.

Pulling away from Matt, Charlie whispered, "Do you want me to step out?"

"This is it, isn't it?" the young man whispered back, tears streaming down his eyes.

"I'm afraid so."

"Why?"

"I wish I had an answer for you... but I don't," Charlie replied softly, brushing away the tears staining Matt's freckled cheeks.

"I don't want her to die."

"I don't want her to, either."

---

The first rays of morning came too soon.

Charlie stretched his cramped body out from the uncomfortable position he had somehow managed to fall asleep in. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, he just knew it had only been an hour, maybe two at the most. The idea of simply falling asleep had been beyond him for most of the night after Matt had fallen asleep next to his mum. He hated the thought that Matt would wake to find his mum dead. So Charlie had stayed up as long as he could, keeping an eye on the rise and fall of her chest until his eyes refused to stay open any longer.

After rubbing his eyes, Charlie looked towards Katie, with Matt still tightly wrapped around her, both fast asleep, and was surprised to see her chest still rising and falling softly. He moved towards the bed, thinking his eyes were playing a trick but when he rested his hand softly on her chest, his hands confirmed what his eyes had seen. Sitting down, he let out a long sigh with his hands buried in his face while they tried to wipe away the exhaustion he still felt.

"How's she doing?" his father's soft and steady voice came from the doorway. Looking up, he saw him in his robe and pyjamas leaning against the frame.

Looking back at her and checking to see if Matt was still asleep, he turned back to his father and said, "She's still with us."

"That's good news," his father replied, standing up. "Why don't you join me in the kitchen for a morning cup of coffee and we can talk."

"Dad, I'm not really in the mood," Charlie said, his mind racing through every possible conversation that his father could want with him.

"Fine. Your Mother and I just thought you'd like to know about a nasty little Prewett curse we thought was a legend."

Of course his father would say something like emthat/em and then walk away. Charlie sighed again, rolling his eyes as he got to his feet. He bent over and kissed Katie on the forehead.

Trudging down the stairs, he saw all half of his nieces and nephews in various states of sleep in the living room. He shuddered to think about just how many people were actually in the Burrow overnight and how many of the adults may be waiting with his father in the kitchen before he had his first cup of coffee after not sleeping the previous night.

To his surprise, he walked into a kitchen that was empty except for his father and two cups of coffee: the one his father was sipping from and the one that waited for Charlie across for him.

"I actually expected to perform at least two warming charms on that cup and chase away a couple of your brothers before you ventured down here to talk to me."

"So you haven't lost your touch Dad," Charlie scowled, sitting down in front of him. "Tell me about this Prewett family curse?"

"Nasty little thing it is. Like I said earlier, no one's ever taken the stories seriously before, but that's all changed now."

"Obviously. Dad would you get to the point?"

"Fine. Katie's dying because she kept Matt from you."

Flabbergasted, Charlie's jaw literally and figuratively hit the table. He stared at his father as he tried to come up with words or a reaction but outside of managing to open and close his mouth a few times, he didn't actually succeed.

"Remind me not to be so direct in the future," his father continued, a little too unaffected for Charlie's liking. "But, anyway, there's always been this legend that should a child's mother knowingly keep that child from its father, than they would wither and die. The only chance for saving her is not only for the child to be accepted by it's father, but for her to be accepted by his family and be forgiven. But the story your mum was told said the woman who last did it to a Prewett; well the child in question was no where near Matt's age when he was 'returned' to the family, in fact she seemed to recall the child was no more than two, and the woman supposedly survived.

"I wish I could tell you more but I haven't been able to get that part out of your mother. Just be glad I'm the one telling you because it took me four hours to get that much out of her over the course of last night."

Charlie's mouth continued to work as his father sipped his coffee, though his voice did not. Finally giving up, he laid his head on the table and was finally able to get out, "I should have looked for her harder."

"Well there's no sense in letting guilt eat you up son, not going to change anything now. Just take what little hope you can get out of this and run with it."

"But--"

"No buts, Charlie. Try to be the son I remember you being -- overly pragmatic and easy going, and just go with this... I probably should mention that your mother says Katie will need to stay here for the time being, so I'm going to leave it up to you which room you stay in after I make the rest of your siblings go. This house isn't big enough for them and their families. I think I actually miss my peace and quiet."

"What about Matt?" Charlie whispered, lifting his head up. "How am I going to explain this?"

"Welcome to being a parent, Charlie," his father said with his normal light chuckle, that normally put Charlie at ease but that moment aggravated the living daylights out of him. "Would you like my suggestion?"

"Yes."

"Is it important he knows this now, when he's been through a hell of a lot in the last twenty-four hours, or say a couple months from now when it won't be as much of a shock to his system, especially if his mum survives? Your mum and I never even told you all about this curse, so take a guess why your mum is crying her eyes out in our room?"

"But..." Charlie started but trailed off when he realized he didn't know exactly what he was about to say. Instead, he just rested his head again on the table. He felt defeated.

Hearing the bell signalling someone was asking for admittance to the Floo, Charlie heaved himself up from the table with, "That would be the healer," and slowly dragged his heavy body and mind out of the kitchen for the next moment that would attempt to break him.

Charlie uttered the spell that would allow the man admittance and waited for him to appear before he put his fingers to his lips to warn the man to keep quiet. He watched as the man with a careful and practiced step tip-toed over and around the various sleeping kids. When he was close enough that Charlie thought it was safe enough to whisper, he said, "Follow me, she's upstairs."

"How is everything?" he noticed the way the man carefully asked the question. Charlie couldn't blame him, as he had sent Charlie home with a woman he didn't believe was going to make it through the night.

"She's alive," he replied, starting up the stairs. He heard the hesitation in the man's step at Charlie's answer but didn't acknowledge it, he just continued up the stairs. Reaching the door to where Katie laid, he waited outside for the man to catch up. When he did, Charlie just nodded and directed him inside before whispering, "Let me know if you need me to move Matt."

He had to admit from his perspective in the doorway that the healer was good. He carefully examined Katie whilst not disturbing Matt in the least, as he had to know that Charlie was looming over him.

The whole thing took a lot less time than Charlie expected; the healer stood up and walked towards Charlie, beckoning him to follow.

When the were a few feet away from the door, the healer said in hushed tones, "I don't have an explanation, but she's doing better than when I saw her last night. I'll need to check her out more thoroughly without the child around to give you more information. I'm afraid you may be in for a long 'wait and see' game with this."

Charlie just nodded; he didn't know what to actually say anymore.

"I'll stop back by and check again on my way in tonight. If she is still alive tomorrow morning, then we will need to make arrangements for her to receive long term care."

Nodding in response again before the healer continued, "You need to take care of yourself if you are going to have a chance of taking care of her. Do you understand?" Charlie nodded. "Then good. You go and get some sleep and I'll see you this evening. If you should have an emergency, Floo St. Mungo's for assistance. I'll relay a report to them regarding your needs."

That time, Charlie could formulate a response and said, "Thank you."

"Now get some sleep. Real sleep, with a bed preferably. Do you understand me?"

---

The seconds strung into minutes, the minutes dragged into hours until Charlie realized that a week had passed. The only thing that had occurred to make him even realise that was the sudden re-appearance of his brothers and Ginny with their families.

Up until that point, his days and nights were spent in the wing-back his three meals a day or he would be forced to eat his meals in the kitchen with his parents. Wisely, he agreed to eat instead of risking even a second away from Katie as he was so afraid that she would wake up and panic at the strange surroundings. His constant, silent vigil had only been interrupted up until now by the two daily visits from the healer who Charlie finally learned was named Michael. Though his mum had been adamant that he at least join her and his dad, she finally relented to merely leaving a tray for the three meals she did require him to eat. Charlie had tried to fight her regarding that but she had been firm that he either ate, or worse yet, die alone. Luckily, for his sanity, his mum had been willing to sit with her when nature called or he gave in to the simple need for a hot shower.

"So can I convince you to at least say hi to everyone else?"

Charlies' eyes moved from Katie's unconscious body that was still clearly struggling to breathe, though her colour was becoming less and less yellow, to Ron's standing in the doorway. Sighing as he leaned back in his home-away-from-home, he said, "Maybe later."

"Actually," Ron replied, moving towards him, "I was asking only to be polite. Now get your arse out of this room. You aren't allowed to come back until after dinner."

"But..."

"No buts. We will take turns sitting with her. And if you can't bring yourself to simply hang out with your brothers and Ginny emand/em all your nieces and nephews, then get your a

se up to Hogwarts and spend time with your son," Ron said firmly, grabbing Charlie and pulling him out of his chair as if he weighed nothing at all.

but a Narrowing his eyes to glare at his youngest brother, he wondered not only when Ron became a man,such strong one at that; instead he merely said, "And if I don't? What are you going to do about it?"

"Get someone else up here to sit with her and I will throw you over my shoulder and take you to Hogwarts myself."

Charlie was tempted to test his brother's threat but one look closer at Ron, he realised that he would simply lose. Ron looked too obstinate and determined for Charlie to even remotely have a chance to win, given that he knew he had driven himself into the ground. In the end, after several tense moments, he slumped his shoulders in defeat and muttered, "Fine. You win you--"

"Bloody hell Ron," George exclaimed, entering the room. "I had money on you having to drag him out of this room kicking and screaming over your shoulder."

"You had money on me?" Charlie snapped, looking between his two younger brothers.

"No. Had money on Ron. Your exhaustion has gotten to your ears," George replied nonchalantly, looking at Charlie like he was beyond daft. "Now get out of here and go see that son of yours."

"I'm going," Charlie fussed back, pushing back at George who was severely starting to invade his personal space. "Has anyone told the both of you that you are turning into mum?"

"Well it takes one to know one," Ron teased back while George added, "So pot, have you met kettle?"

Scowling at both of his brothers who wore identical shite-eating grins, Charlie simply gave up. After kissing Katie on the forehead, he gave his brothers a two-finger salute before leaving her room. The noise and bustle of the Burrow filled with children and grandchildren rumbled in his ears. He tried to screw his best smile on before descending the stairs into the chaos that resided between him and the Floo.

---

"Hey kiddo," Charlie said, rising to his feet in Neville's office as Matt entered.

Matt's face went white, tears welling up as he stuttered, "M-mum?"

"Is fine," he replied quickly. He had not thought that this visit would cause Matt to think something had happened to his mum but in quick retrospect, he should have. Covering his blunder as best he could, he added, "I just thought the two of us could hang out. I got permission from Professor Longbottom for us to go to Hogsmeade, if you would like?"

"And mum?"

"Still the same. She's starting to look better," he said carefully. He didn't want to get the boy's hopes up, especially if Katie's minor improvements where the same as he had seen time and time again with terminal dragons. There was always that moment where they started to look better and appeared to feel that way, but it was nothing more than one last day in the sun before they slipped away. However, with as much as Katie kept from Matt, Charlie thought a little honesty would go along way, especially if it could be just the two of them at any time. "But the healer still doesn't know anything."

"Does he know what's wrong with her?"

Thinking that this was his moment of truth with his son, Charlie said, "Yes and no. Would you like to go to Hogsmeade and we can talk?"

"Sure," Matt replied with a nonchalant shrug. "So the Healer does and doesn't know what's wrong with her. How is that possible?"

Following Matt out of Neville's office Charlie replied, "The thing is, the Healer knows how she got sick... but he doesn't know what exactly is making her sick."

"How is that possible?"

"Well there's magic that you'll never be taught here at Hogwarts. I'm sure you have heard the term pure-blood since coming here?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well the pure-blood families are the oldest wizarding families. Some, like the Weasleys, have been around for over a thousand years."

"Wow."

Charlie smiled at the awe in Matt's voice before continuing, "Well those families often have spells of their own creation that are not only tied to their blood but reside there, too."

"I don't understand," Matt asked, pushing open the door that led out to the Hogwarts grounds. "What does that have to do with mum? She told me she's a half-blood but because all my grandparents were witches or wizards then I was a pure-blood."

"Well, my mum comes from a family called the Prewetts. They were an old family and had a reputation of being extremely protective of their kin. From what I understand, one of the familiar pieces of magic is a spell that makes sure every child born in the family is known to the family."

"So what does that have to do with mum?"

Taking a deep breath he kept his eyes on Matt as they walked towards Hogsmeade and said, "Your mum is sick because she kept you from me and my family. Unfortunately, none of us can figure out the exact nature of the curse to find a counter-spell. All we have is the legend of what the family has to do, but it just seems to keep her alive and not better."

"And what does the family need to do?"

"Forgive her for keeping you away from us."

Matt was silent as they moved through the gate. Charlie, himself, remained silent as well, figuring that yet again he had overloaded Matt with information; treating the boy like a man since he had appeared to have assumed the role much too soon. He just wondered if he was doing the right thing by encouraging Matt to mature before he should.

As the minutes dragged while Hogsmeade came closer into view, Charlie's nagging doubts about whether he had done the right thing for Matt had diminished. Only because he knew that he had done the wrong thing by telling him that. He should have let Matt be a boy; the comments he had heard in passing regarding Ron never being a boy and even thinking himself that he felt younger than Ron when he was only eighteen. When he dwelled on Ron's stolen childhood, Charlie started to berate himself.

"...Charlie?"

Realizing, he heard Matt say his name, Charlie gave a start before saying, "Yeah?"

"Do you think I apply?"

"Apply to what?" he asked opening the door to the Three Broomsticks.

Matt's head hung down as he moved into the pub. Charlie tried again, "Matt? What do you think you apply to?"

"The curse," he whispered, sitting down. When he looked up, Charlie saw a tear rolling down Matt's freckled face. "Charlie, I don't think I can forgive her."

Feeling the repercussions of such a bomb reverberate around him, Charlie, by some miracle, managed to not drop his jaw. He told the server quickly to bring them two butterbeers and specials, hoping it would give them some privacy -- well as much privacy as one could get in a pub.

"Why?" Charlie asked softly, not sure if he was capable of articulating any more than that. He couldn't understand how Matt didn't think he could forgive his mum.

"I just don't understand why she kept me from you. It's not like you're mean or bad. I could understand that, but you are a Weasley. Your brothers are so cool, so is your sister, and your whole family is well-liked by emeveryone/em."

"Well, what did you think when you thought Fred was your father?"

"I got that. That was easy. She loved him but he died and she ran away. But you, you're here. That's not easy to understand."

Trying to be on Katie's side for Matt's sake, Charlie responded, "But what makes it different that Fred is dead and I'm alive?"

"He couldn't be around but you, you could have. She wouldn't have had to work two, sometimes three jobs so we could make it. I don't even how she would've gotten by without Oliver the past year when she stopped being able to work."

Charlie's heart broke a little more as Matt hung his head and whispered, "It's hard to forgive her when she brought this on herself. And I feel bad for feeling that way."

Charlie wished he knew what to say: he understood how Matt was feeling, it was hard not to be angry at Katie for the choices she had made regardless of anyone else's opinion and then to feel guilty about feeling that way when she was dying. Softly he said, "I don't know what to tell you kiddo. I do understand why you are angry and feel guilty about that, but I can't think of one thing to say to you that is going to make you feel any less angry or guilty."

"You aren't going to tell me to forgive her?" Matt asked incredulous. "Aren't you...?"

"No," Charlie replied firmly. "That's up to you. And in this case I imagine your forgiveness would need to be genuine; magic is like that."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Figure out if you can forgive her and if that's the case, then you figure out what you need to do to make it happen."

"And if I can't," Matt whispered, his voice barely sounding out the words. "Will you hate me?"

"No," Charlie softly responded. "Forgiveness is personal. It's up to you and to you alone. But, if it helps there's nothing you can change about the past or how we got here, but you can change your future, if you want."

Matt didn't respond as the server put their food and drinks in front of them. Charlie didn't know if there was anything more he could say or even do to bring Matt a little comfort, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying.

---

"What am I going to do?" Charlie moaned to his mother later that day, laying his head on the table. He hated that he had had to leave Matt in such a state but he had nothing he could offer the boy to comfort him. Though Neville had watched his parents exist but not know him, he could offer Charlie no advice when asked. Neville had pointed out repeatedly that he never knew his parents unlike Matt, who not only knew his mum but was having to live with the consequences of her choices without her around. By the time Charlie finally left, he had only managed to get some peace of mind from Neville promising to keep an eye on Matt and would notify him if there were any problems immediately.

"About what?" his mum softly said, rubbing his hair like she used to do when he was a child.

"Matt, Mum. He doesn't think he can forgive Katie for keeping him away from us and he feels guilty about it." Charlie took a deep breath to steady himself as tears started to burn his eyes. "He's only twelve and he shouldn't have to be going through this. He's just a boy."

"I know sweetheart, but I imagine he's been a man longer than anyone would like to admit, if things were really as hard on Katie and Matt as I think they were."

"It's just not fair."

"Not it's not, but look at Harry and Ron. Their childhoods were stolen from them long before they should have had to let them go and both turned out just fine."

"I know, but it doesn't make it easier to have to watch Matt struggle under the weight on his shoulders."

"Pot meet kettle," his mum gently said, placing a kiss on the back of his head. "How do you think I felt watching Ron and Harry? I tried to shield them as much as possible even when they were willing to take more weight than I wanted them to do. Welcome to being a parent."

"So what do you think I should do?" Charlie asked, desperate for an answer seeing as he couldn't come up with an idea himself. Turning his head to look at his mum's face, he said, "I'm so lost as to what to do for him?"

"What does your gut tell you to do?"

And of course his mum wouldn't give him an answer. Sighing Charlie turned his head back, his forehead on the cool table before muttering, "Mum, I'm asking for help here."

"No you aren't," she replied, in a voice that was soft. "You are looking for me to give you an answer so you don't have to find one yourself."

"But I don't know what to do. I don't have any experience being a parent. I only found out that I'm a parent maybe ten days ago but now I'm having to be emthe/em parent to a twelve year old boy who I barely know, who barely knows me, whose mum is upstairs at the moment in a coma and might very well die! So please, mum, I'm asking for help here."

Charlie's frustration increased the longer his mum remained quiet. Couldn't she understand that he needed it, but for the first time in his life he not only wanted it -he had asked for it?

Finally his mum broke the silence with, "Sweetie, you aren't asking for help, you are looking for emthe/em answer for Matt and you aren't going to find that. You need to find an answer and try, it may or may not work but if it doesn't, then you will just have to find another. And another, and another. This emis/em being a parent and I know you got a short end of the straw with this, but you are going to have to put your own frustrations and any lingering anger and resentment towards Katie you may have aside. And you need to let Matt see that..."

Charlie didn't hear anything else his mum said as he realised he had an answer.

---

As the weeks blurred one into another, Charlie realised that nothing had changed with Katie. She still lay in the bed he had put her in at the end of September. Her colour had for the most part completely returned and though her other organs had slowly made a recovery, she was still relying on the ever present charm that assisted to her. Charlie and the Healer had long given up hope regarding her destroyed magical core, which they had decided was the only thing that had kept her alive as long as it had. He hadn't relayed that particular piece of information to anyone, assuming that Katie would want her squib status to remain private.

Lingering in the doorway, Charlie asked Matt, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Matt mumbled, taking a seat on his mum's bed.

Charlie had wrangled an arrangement out of both the Headmistress and Neville for Matt to come to the Burrow for an hour once a day. At the beginning, Matt revolted against it and refused to come but everyone decided that it was in his best interest if they just left the decision up to him.

Once they got him to come, however, Charlie couldn't get him to actually visit his mum. He simply refused to climb the stairs to her room. Charlie had tried several ways to convince him but in the end decided his initial approach to the visits to the Burrow was the best, so he simply had his mum sit with Katie while he got to know Matt better.

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked again, worried about Matt.

"Yes," Matt sighed, looking at his hands. "Can I just have a minute?"

"Sure I'm downstairs if you need anything."

"I know."

Charlie forced a smile on his face before heading downstairs. Stepping into the kitchen, he saw his mum sitting at the table looking over the paper. Her head popped up when he entered and said, "Do you need me to go sit with Katie while you and Matt go and do something together?"

"No," Charlie replied, taking a seat across from her. "Matt's up there with her. He wanted a minute."

"That's good," his mum simply said before returning to the paper to Charlie's surprise.

"You aren't going to say something?"

Without looking up as she turned the page, she replied, "No."

"No comments?"

"Nope."

"Why?" Charlie asked, he figured his mum would have comments about it taking Charlie almost two months to get Matt just to be in the same room as his mum, and a half-of-a-dozen other things regarding his parenting skills since she seemed to always have some for his brothers and sister.

"Should I? You got him to see his mum. I doubt anyone could have done it better," his mum said pointedly, before landing a sharp kick in his gut with, "Or do you just need to hear accolades about how good of a job you are doing with him in an awful situation for you both? Because that always struck me as something that Percy needed to hear, not you."

"Mum..." he started before trailing off as he mentally beat himself up for whining to hear someone say he was doing well with Matt again.

He was thankful his mum didn't say anything. After several minutes, he gathered himself enough to say, "I'm sorry. I just keep thinking I'm doing an awful job. It took me two months to get him up there to see her. Two months."

"But it only took you a week to get him actually here," his mum pointed out.

"See--"

"You know what Charlie," his mum said sharply, cutting him off, "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you beat yourself up over something you have no control over. Would you like my advice? Start taking care of yourself. You aren't you anymore and if you won't, then I will call in reinforcements to get you out of this bloody house. You hear me?"

"Yes ma'am," he said defeated, slumping his shoulders and hanging his head; not seeing his own actions mirrored in his mum before she strolled out of the kitchen.

---

"Look, I'm tired," Charlie whinged as Ron pushed him out of the front door of the Burrow a few days later. Seeing a gaggle of brothers and Oliver standing in front of him, he exclaimed, "Oh shite! You brought back-up?"

"Nah, I don't need back-up. Anyway, how can you bloody well be tired if all you do is sit on your fat arse all day?" Ron retorted, pushing him off the porch.

"Shite! I wish I was sitting," George exclaimed, leaning against Oliver who was standing next to Harry and Percy. "Is Charlie really leaving the Burrow?"

"It appears so, brother of mine," Bill laughed, slapping George on the back. "Now where's the galleons you owe me?"

"Still in my pocket seeing as you bet me that Ron would have to throw him over his shoulder," George smirked back "I believe you owe me."

"Ron?" Bill called.

"Push," Ron laughed, pushing Charlie to keep walking. "I had to carry his arse out of Katie's room, but he's exiting the Burrow on his own."

"You bet on me, you tossers?" Charlie exclaimed, pushing back at Ron as his anger grew at his brothers.

"Of course we did, you prick," Oliver retorted. "We're tired of you moping around; hell, even Matt's said something."

Charlie's anger deflated at the pronouncement. His head falling to his chest, he turned to re-enter the Burrow, but Ron blocked his way.

"Idiot," he heard George growl before a resounding smack to Oliver, Charlie assumed. "Why did we agree to let you help?"

"Because I'm his best mate," Oliver growled back before Charlie heard another smack. "Get your head out of your arse, Charlie. Your brothers and I have not been slaving away in our free time for you to continue to hide from the bloody world."

"Just move Ron," Charlie softly said.

"No," Ron said pushing him back. "You have two choices: either Bill wins five galleons or George does."

"Ron..."

"No. Now turn your arse around and walk one foot in front of the other until I tell you to stop."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Easy," Ron retorted, spinning him around and started to frog-march Charlie. "We want our brother back. Mum and Dad want their son back. Oliver wants his best best back. And Matt should know the father he has, and not the one you've turned into."

"So you are going to Apparate or carry his fat arse?" Bill asked Ron, though his eyes were on Charlie.

"Charlie?" Ron asked, his hands still firmly gripping both of Charlie's arms. "You are coming with us one way or another. Your choice."

"Where are we going?" Charlie sighed in defeat. He was too tired to fight all his brothers and Oliver. He just didn't understand what was so damn important to them all. They all hadn't been around much but he had hoped it was because they understood what he was going through day after day, night after night, waiting for the slightest sign that Katie was going to wake up and give him a chance to win her for his own; a chance to make her understand that he wanted her and that Matt was the best bonus he could have ever received from his angel.

"Just to the edge of the orchard," Bill responded. "Not far at all."

"I'll walk," Charlie muttered softly.

"Good, Bill pay up," George added jovially, wrapping his arm around Charlie's shoulders when Ron had let go of his arms. "Sorry but you understand that we don't trust you."

Charlie didn't respond as his brothers and Oliver continued to laugh and joke amongst themselves as they moved towards the orchard at the edge of the Burrow property line. He couldn't imagine what they had planned. There wasn't much to do in the orchard now that December was upon them.

Slowly trudging through the relatively short distance to the orchard, Charlie kept his head down. When they stopped for a few minutes, he lifted his head to see a little cottage that now stood in front of the edge of the orchard.

"Where did the cottage come from?" Charlie asked, his eyes glued on the large porch with two chairs already there. A cottage like he had built himself in Romania.

"Our blood, sweat, and tears," Harry grinned at Charlie. "So how did we do?"

"Yeah, we copied your little home in Romania as best as we could," George added.

"So you like it?" Percy chimed in.

"He better like it," Bill growled playfully, rubbing his hair. "I didn't fight Fleur over this for nothing."

"Why?" Charlie couldn't figure out for the life of him why his brothers and Oliver would recreate his little home in Romania.

"Why else?" George retorted, slapping him across the back of his head. "You, you twat."

"Figured it was time to get you out of the Burrow," Ron added as Harry continued, "Hermione thinks that as long as Katie stays on the land, she should be fine; the Healer agreed with her when we spoke to him."

"It's time for you to leave mum and dad's. Be responsible for yourself, Katie, and Matt on your own without us as a crutch," Ron whispered into his ear. "We want our Charlie back."

Charlie was beyond speechless; he was flabbergasted as his eyes traveled between each of his brothers and Oliver who continued, "We took the liberty of decorating it with things from both your place and Katie's. Matt's room is set up for when he comes home too."

Tears burning Charlie's eyes, Bill added, "Floo's connected also. So all you have to do is say the word and we will help you move Katie and your things over here before we leave. Mum's already stocked the kitchen."

He couldn't take anymore.

Charlie simply said, "I can't do this. I can't. I can't," before he turned and walked away, leaving everyone stunned.

For he was doing something he had never done before in his life -- he was running away.

---

Even after walking for a couple of hours, Charlie still hadn't found the desire or the drive to return to his parents' home and the cottage his brothers and mate had built him. In all honesty, it was because he was so ashamed about running away before. They had gone out of their way to grant him a bit of freedom and he had thrown it back in their faces.

Weeks in the Burrow had stripped him of the freedom that had come to define him. The guilt of not having been there for Katie and Matt had been slowly eating him away. He felt that everything that had happened to Katie had been his fault. That the coma which kept her away form Matt and her now official squib status was all his fault. If he had only looked harder; if he had only come home sooner; if only...

There were so many 'if onlys' that Charlie couldn't shake his guilt at having failed Katie.

Finding himself back in front of the cottage, he realized he was no longer alone. Sitting there on the porch was Matt, with Ron, who got to his feet saying, "Matt wanted to talk to you. I'm at the Burrow if you need something."

Charlie just nodded as Ron ruffled Matt's hair and said something that he couldn't catch, but caused Matt to nod and smile.

"Hey," Charlie muttered, taking a seat by the boy he had failed. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just weird to come to the Burrow and you weren't there."

"Sorry."

"No big deal. Just weird is all."

Charlie didn't know what to say Matt, so he just stayed quiet looking out ahead. In the distance, he could see the Burrow glimmering in the late afternoon light.

"You aren't going back to Romania are you?" Matt whispered quietly.

Sighing, Charlie tried to decide in that split second what he was going to say to Matt, because Merlin knew he had been struggling with the decision since leaving everyone earlier. He had wondered if it just wouldn't be better on Matt if he left, given that he couldn't seem to make anything better for the boy.

Evidently he took too long in replying because Matt muttered, "If my opinion matters, I don't want you to go."

Charlie turned to look at the boy and whispered, "But I've done nothing--"

"I don't think so," Matt muttered interrupting him before asking louder, "Why did you hang around and get to know me, make me think you cared, only to fucking run away?"

"Hey, watch your mouth--"

"Why do you care?" Matt yelled back, getting to his feet. "You're running away to your bloody dragons. I thought you wanted me, Dad. But I guess I was wrong, wasn't I? You just wanted to save the bloody day and now that a fucking miracle hasn't happened, you are going to leave me here to take care of her all over again. You never wanted her, just say it."

Something Matt said hit home as Charlie grabbed him before he could run away. Spinning him around, Charlie gripped Matt's shoulders, and looked him in the eye as he firmly said, "I have done nothing but dream about your mum: seeing her bright brown eyes and her sweet smile. It kills me everyday to see her lying there day after day and think about all the ways I failed her and you. Don't you even think for a moment that I would ever chose those bloody dragons over you, or your mum."

"Then why are you leaving?" Matt asked through the tears now falling down his face. "Why weren't you at the Burrow when I got here?"

Wiping the tears away, Charlie whispered, "I needed to think. I keep believing that I failed your mum and you."

"But you've only made it better. Don't you see that?" Matt implored. "Mum and I only had each other and not much more, but now I have a dad and we have a family. Please don't take that from me."

Charlie didn't know what to say to that, he didn't think he had done all that much.

Again he took too long to respond, because Matt started pleading with him, "Please don't leave. Please just keep me, keep us Dad."

"I'm so sorry I ever made you doubt that I didn't want you," Charlie whispered pulling Matt in for a hug. "You have been, are, and will be the best surprise that ever happened to me, you hear me?"

"So what's going to happen now?"

he was responsible for it, Pushing Matt back, Charlie saw the fear in his son's eyes. He hated to see it there and when he realised that he had not failed his son until this moment. Desperately he said, "I've been trying to do what I think is right for you and your mum without asking you. What do you want?"

"I want you to stay, and I don't want to live in the Burrow at Christmas. I want a home with you and mum."

Charlie softly smiled and made a mental note to thank each of his brothers later and asked, "What do you think about this place?"

"I like it," Matt replied, hugging Charlie again. "By the way, you didn't say anything earlier... but I hope you don't mind if I call you dad? Uncle Ron thought you wouldn't."

Tears flooded Charlie's eyes again as he held Matt tight against him, thankful that Matt had been the one to get through what he now knew was his self-induced melancholy -though he hated that he missed the first time his son called him 'dad'.

---

"I think that's about it," his dad said as Charlie took the last of the things he had accumulated in the short period of time living at the Burrow.

"Thanks Dad," Charlie said, putting the box on the kitchen table to go through in the morning. "Let me know if I overlooked anything."

"Actually, since you put it that way," his dad replied though he kept moving to the Floo in the living room. "Now that you don't have your mum and me around for you to rely on, why don't you spend some time trying to forgive yourself?"

Charlie tripped over a nearby chair as he stuttered, "What?"

"Forgive yourself Charlie," his dad repeated, throwing powder into the Floo. "Neither one of you knew this was a possibility, what's happened. So find a way to forgive yourself, because when Katie pulls out of this, she is going to need you to help her do the same."

Before Charlie could say another word, his father was gone. He hated when his father did the whole 'wise man on the mountain' routine, especially after the day he had had, but realised that he was just feeling sorry for himself again. He fussed at himself out loud -- reminding himself he didn't have it nearly as bad as it could be: he had a home thanks to his brothers and mate; he now had a possibility of a little job at the Ministry that he could do from home thanks to his dad; and he had a great son thanks to his beautiful angel upstairs.

Climbing the stairs to her new bedroom, Charlie thought about that though his life was far from perfect, he did have a good life, and a great family. He really had no reason to complain.

As he reached the top, his eyes immediately went to Katie laying under the pile of quilts he had wrapped her in. Smiling softly, he moved towards her thinking how he wished that she would wake up in time for Christmas; how much it would mean to Matt to see his mum again.

Charlie took a seat on the bed by her, the first time he could remember actually doing emthat/em instead of sitting in the chair that had made the trip from the Burrow to their new home, the Nest. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Days upon days of sitting with her and now the ever present distraction that was only moments away at the Burrow gone, he didn't know what to do. Matt was back at Hogwarts until the next day and he doubted that any of his family would just drop in after putting so much work and effort into not only building, but putting together a little home for him and his family.

He started to fiddle with his hands as he looked at them and before he could stop himself all the words he hadn't said to Katie in the past few months just started to pour out of his mouth.

"I hope you like this place. My brothers and Oliver copied the cottage I built out in Romania. The only difference is that this room was just an attic space. There is also a bath, two bedrooms, a living room and a large kitchen downstairs. Matt's already seen his room and loves it. Ginny somehow managed to find an old poster from the year you played with the Harpies. I didn't think Matt was ever going to go back to school after seeing that.

"But he's back now. He comes home for Christmas holidays in about a week. It feels like September was yesterday. I hope you don't mind, but I'm thinking about getting him his own set of Quidditch balls and the rest of the family is going into something together but they won't tell me what it is -- given Harry and Ginny who seem to be spear-heading this, don't be surprised if it's a new broom. He doesn't need it as he's unstoppable on that old Cleansweep of yours, but you know how Harry is about Nimbus."

Taking a deep breath, he thought that his sudden onslaught of words to Katie had finished but they had only began. A little over two months of sitting with her day in and day out, but never saying a thing, had finally caught up with him.

"I'm sorry Katie. Sorry I wasn't there. Sorry that I didn't give you enough to believe in me and my family enough to come to us in the beginning. I'm sorry that since the battle that life has been so hard, you didn't deserve any of it.

"But most of all I'm sorry that your ability to do magic is gone, that Matt will never get to see you fly. I've heard Oliver, Harry, George, Ron, and Ginny tell him how beautiful you were on a broom in the air and that you were probably the best Chaser to come out of Hogwarts.

"And I think that I hate that the most, that he will never get to see you as that lot remembers you as and it's a part of you that I will never get to know or see.

"I hate to think that I will never get to see my angel really truly fly. But I think I would settle just to see your brown eyes shining again. I think I would actually give anything to see those big brown eyes of yours so I could beg for your forgiveness, angel.

"Dad says I need to figure out a way to forgive myself, but I don't think I can without yours. I need to hear you forgive me, angel, for making you doubt that you couldn't come to me or my family. I need you to forgive me for making you think I wouldn't want you because you have been the only thing I have wanted for the past thirteen years and I want you even more for giving me a son like Matt... who actually called me dad for the first time today."

Wiping at his tears which had started to fall, he continued, "The worst part is that I didn't even notice. Matt had to point it out ot me. Funny how that is angel. I've considered him my son for so long now that I never noticed when he started to consider me his dad."

Looking back at her face, Charlie saw no change: just the sweet, peaceful expression that her face had taken on over the last few days. The look actually scared him more than he would admit, for it was the same peaceful look he had seen time and time again in terminal cases before a dragon died. He couldn't lose her, he didn't want a life without her again -- even with Matt in it.

He laid down beside her and whispered, "Katie, please love, wake up for me and Matt. I forgive you for everything but I need you to forgive me too."

Closing his eyes, he buried his face into her neck; bringing back an onslaught of memories from their one night together -the way she felt beneath him, the perfection and naturalness of her body meeting and joining with his; how he had found heaven in her touches and the choirs sounded as her voice resonated in his ears; the peace that washed over him in the aftermath of gentle explorations and the completeness he found when he drifted off to sleep with her in his arms. That was his piece of heaven on earth, and he wanted it back.

"Please angel," Charlie begged. "Please come home to--"

"Char-lie..."

Hearing his name being croaked, he shot up. Looking towards Katie's face, he saw two glistening brown eyes blinking feverishly.

"Angel," he breathlessly said, leaning back down, wrapping body around hers and cried as her body shook with her own sobs.

---

"Dad?"

Charlie heard Matt call out from downstairs as he arrived for his daily visit. Calling back out, "Upstairs," as he looked at Katie propped up against him, her head on his shoulder, her arm wrapped around his waist.

They had decided when the tears had finally stopped that Matt had the right to know first, and when they sent him on his way to the Burrow to notify the rest of the Weasley clan then Charlie would send for the Healer also. Kissing her on the forehead, as he heard Matt bang up the stairs, he whispered, "He's going to be so happy."

"Dad, you aren't going to believe what happened today in Magical Creatures. You see, we were working with Nifflers and they are so cool by the way but India Smith, she's this snot nose Slytherin we all hate but anywa...Mum?"

"Hi sweetie," Katie said hoarsely, as Charlie kissed the top of her head again. When he looked back to Matt, the young man leapt in to the bed, tears streaming down his face. Charlie wrapped Matt up next to him and Katie, finally finding his heaven in his world again.

Fin.