Handwavy omegaverse biology ahead.

Assignment 6: History of Magic: Task 3: Write about someone who doesn't care about stereotypes


Charlie expected the morning of his seventeenth birthday to dawn largely uneventfully. A bright July day, maybe some birds chirping outside his window, the sounds of his mother making breakfast down below.

It does not.

Instead, it dawns with him lying in bed, writhing in pain as his body transforms into something he doesn't recognize.

His blood feels like it's burning in his veins. He didn't ask for this. He didn't want this.

He figured he'd be a beta. Like his mother is a beta. Like his father is a beta. Like his brother Bill is a beta.

He wanted to be a beta.

The twisting in his gut and the wetness between his legs tell him that he's not going to get that wish.

He shudders as another cramp tears through his lower abdomen and he thinks, puberty was bad enough once. Why do we need to do it twice?

His back arches into a rigid line as he rides out the wave of pain that comes with his body's betrayal.

He doesn't want this. He doesn't want this.

The world is not kind to omegas. Especially not those that don't fit the stereotypes.

Charlie is not dainty or slim or meek. He dreams of finishing school and moving to Romania to work with dragons.

He wonders if that dream is dead now.

He curls up in a ball and tries not to mourn the future he may never get to have.

His mother lets him sleep in because it's his birthday, but he finds himself pulling on a pair of black sweatpants and staggering downstairs around noon. The worst of the cramps are over, and he's pretty sure he now has a new organ.

He doesn't want to explore it. He doesn't want it to be there. He wants it to go away.

His mother has the remains of breakfast on the table, a warming spell on the plate. She's even made a trifle.

She sees him from the living room, where she's sitting and knitting something, and she smiles at him.

"Happy birthday, love."

Charlie smiles weakly back. "Thanks, Mum."

"Everyone will be back for dinner tonight, but in the meantime, it's just you and me and Bill for today. Let me know if you want to do anything special."

Charlie nods and sits at the table.

He loves his mum. But he doesn't know how to tell her. He doesn't know how to let her know that despite all the Gryffindor bravery he could manage, he's still an omega.

And he knows it doesn't work like that. He knows the stereotypes are only that — stereotypes, not the only option by any means. He didn't cause this by being a little too slow on a broom, or a little too in tune with his emotions.

That's not how this works.

He knows that.

But it still feels like something inside of him is broken. Like he could've done better. Like he could've prevented this.

He reminds himself that being an omega doesn't mean he's broken. He reminds himself of all the omegas who have changed history. He tries not to think about all of the omegas who could've changed history, if only history had let them.

His hands are shaking. He pushes the plate of food away and stands up, even though he knows that the uneaten food will tell his mother something is wrong. He can't even stand the smell right now. Even the luscious, ripe red apple looks repulsive.

He walks out the front door and takes a deep breath of fresh air, relishing the peace that results from their home in the middle of nowhere.

He sits down on the front step and takes another deep breath.

He's not sure how long he sits there before Bill rounds the corner and smiles at him.

"Happy birthday, little brother."

Charlie blinks back at him. Bill steps forward in concern.

"Char? What's wrong?"

Charlie takes in a shuddering breath.

He doesn't want to talk about it. He doesn't want to think about it, let alone admit the doubt and devastation and fear that are swirling around in his brain.

But Bill is his big brother. The one he's always gone to when things go wrong. Bill is strong and brave and good.

He opens his mouth, and the words, "You're lucky," come tumbling out.

Bill moves forward and sits beside him on the creaky wooden step. It's only just wide enough to fit the two of them.

Bill doesn't say anything. He just waits. The silence stretches out, but it isn't quite awkward, just anticipatory.

And then, "Did you ever think about what it would be like if you weren't a beta?"

"I did," Bill says calmly. He's looking at Charlie. Charlie is looking at his hands.

Charlie knows the question is as good as a confession, but Bill is still waiting for confirmation. His eyes, when Charlie looks up at them, are full of encouragement.

Charlie looks back at his hands.

"I'm an omega," Charlie admits, his voice barely a whisper.

"I'm an omega," he says again, a little louder. He looks at Bill and he knows his eyes must be wild as he says the words aloud and realizes what they mean. Realizes how permanent they are. "Bill, I've never even wanted sex before. I don't think I ever will. And that was fine when I thought I was going to be a beta, but people are going to expect things now. They're going to expect me to be… to be all composed and polite and settle down and have six kids and stay at home and I can't, Bill, I can't."

"Hey," Bill says. "Look at me."

Charlie does, meets Bill's calm brown eyes and sucks in a desperate breath of air.

"Fuck 'em," Bill says.

Charlie stutters out a week, surprised laugh.

"I'm serious," Bill says. "Fuck 'em. You get to be whoever the hell you want to be, secondary gender or no."

Charlie bites his lip.

"Nobody's going to let an omega tame dragons."

"Fuck them." Bill's tone is vehement and fierce. "The only one who gets to tell you how your story ends is you. You want to go tame dragons? You go out there, and you tame the hell out of those dragons. You do it so damn well that nobody can say a thing about what you are."

Charlie looks back down at his hands. At his bare feet, pale against the wood of the steps.

"I can't do this," he says, his voice small.

"Don't you dare give up," Bill says.

Charlie looks up at him. "That's not as easy as it sounds."

"I know," Bill says, and by the look in his eyes, he does. "But you can do it. You take it one step at a time. And you tell everyone who ever dares to expect something out of you because of your secondary gender that they can kindly go fuck themselves."

Charlie smiles weakly at him, and Bill wraps an arm around his shoulder. "Look," Bill says. "It's not fair. It sucks. You shouldn't have to deal with the world being shitty about it. But I know you. You're not going to let this become you."

Charlie curls his head into Bill's shoulder, even though he doesn't fit quite like he used to.

"Thanks," he whispers.

Bill rests his chin on Charlie's head and says, "You're never alone."

And that, of all things, is what makes Charlie begin to cry.


Writing Month (words): 1253 / Insane House: Dialogue - " 'Don't give up.' That's not as easy as it sounds." / 365: 33. Trope - OmegaVerse (or word: Alpha) / Lent: No 5. No romance. / Creativity Month: Base Character: Charlie; Paired Character: Bill Weasley; Level: Fantasy/Supernatural; Prompt Used: Omegaverse / Scavenger Hunt: set in the countryside / Crafty Cooking: sherry: color: black; food: trifle / Jewels: Diamond; Ring: Write about something difficult; Bracelet: Write about someone with good fortune; Necklace: Write about a strong character / Caffeine Awareness: 21. Iced Coffee - Write a story set in the summer / Library Lovers: Every Heart a Doorway: "The only one who gets to tell you how your story ends is you"; asexual; black / Mother's Day 21. Write about a child growing up / St. Pat's. Shepherd: Alt: (setting) countryside / Character Appreciation: 17. Going through a hard time / Disney: 3. Flounder - Write about a supportive friend. / Book Club:Ria Wolf: (trait) athletic, (word) awkward, (object) bed / Days of the Month:True Confessions Day - Write about someone confessing something / Buttons: W4. Encouragement / Lyric Alley: 4. But we'll take what comes, take what comes / Restriction: No characters at hogwarts while harry was, (emotion) doubt / Liza's Loves: 15. Stoneheart (origin episode 1) - Write about being picked for something - Alt - Write about someone scared to admit their feelings / Sophie's Shelf: 11. blood, veins, shudder, writhe, rigid, luscious