Charlie's Starr - Deceptive

Well, Charlie Weasley and an O/C, with other characters.

*******Deceptive*******

Starr Longis sat outside the Burrow, it was cold outside, she thought to herself, not that she had anyone else to blame but herself, well, maybe Percy flipping Weasley could take part of the blame.

"Pretend to be your what?" Starr's eyes widened at the red haired Weasley before her

"My girlfriend!" Percy answered

"But Percy!" she protested

"I know, I know" he stammered "I'm just sick of the constant questions and digs when I go home, they're all so straight! I just want to fit in"

"You are a part of the family!" she had told him "They will love you anyway! Gay, straight or indifferent"

"No, they won't" he said sadly "I've always been the outsider, Bill and Charlie, so strong and …"

"Charlie's single, no one thinks twice about it" she observed

"That's because he's Charlie, a dragon tamer, and the women he's bedded, he can hardly be hiding in the closet can he? And he'll be home for Christmas too, some comparison" Percy replied

"Well, ok, but I still don't think that's a reason to lie to your family" she said, not wanting to admit to herself that the idea of Charlie Weasley being at home for the Christmas holidays had made Percy's proposition a darn sight more attractive.

"Please?" he begged "Just for the holidays, they already know you and will welcome you, and it's not like we have to do anything we wouldn't normally is it? Just the odd cuddle, and we've shared a bed before. I've done it for you!"

"It's hardly the same!" she had countered "Standing next to me to scare off a drunk wizard in a bar is a hundred times removed from me spending the Christmas break with your family pretending to be your girlfriend! I don't know Percy, I like your family, and if you want to tell them I'll come anyway, moral support"

"Then I won't go" he said "I can't face it again, and I can't tell them I'm gay, we can spend Christmas here, if you don't have anywhere else to go?"

"I don't" she replied "You know I don't, but you should go, really"

"No" The look in his eyes made her mind up, Percy was her best friend and had been for years, they worked and lived together, a lot mistook them for a couple, but Percy had told her he was gay one drunken night before they left school. With the exception of his lovers over the years, she was the only person who knew.

"Alright, I'll do it" she said sullenly "But only because you are my best friend and when all this is over you can put in a good word for me with your lovely brother!"

Percy hugged her "Thanks!" he said "And Charlie will break your heart if you expose it to him!"

"It's not my heart I want to expose" she muttered

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" he chortled as he went off to make arrangements.

So, thought Starr as she lit a cigarette, a muggle habit that she had picked up. So now what, she could hear the raised voices from inside, maybe Percy was right, and maybe they wouldn't accept him. She looked up fearfully as the door opened; Charlie came into the garden and sat next to her.

"Well that's quite a can of worms that's been opened" he said "You got a spare one?" he asked nodding to her cigarette.

"Um, sure" she said offering the packet "I didn't know you smoked"

"I don't at home" he took a long drag "But I think my mum has enough on her plate right now to bother with scolding me for smoking"

"I'm sorry" she said looking at her feet, tears forming.

"Why? Did you turn him gay?" Charlie asked a smile playing at the corners of his mouth "Can't imagine how"

Starr shot him a look, smiling slightly as she noticed his blue eyes twinkling with humour "No, he was already gay at school" she said "He's been gay as long as I've known him"

"Are you?" direct

"Me? What?" she asked frowning, then her eyebrows shot into her fringe as she realised what he was asking "Gay? Me? No!"

"Good" he nodded "Because that would be a waste"

"Of what?" she tried to ignore the tingling in her stomach, she watched Charlie make perfect smoke rings.

"An extremely attractive woman" he turned slightly to look at her

"Oh" she said "Thanks" the tingling was now more of a crashing as those blue eyes looked into hers.

"Anytime" he said.

An uneasy silence settled between them, Starr remembering back to her school days and the massive teenage crush she had developed on the older brother of her best friend. She had been in Gryffindor House, and had practically become a groupie of the Quiddich team, as Charlie was seeker. She had attended every practice, every match, and drooled excessively along with about a hundred other girls. She remembered with embarrassment when Gryffindor had won the cup, she had had her first taste of alcohol, and of Charlie. Although not her last of alcohol, it was her last of Charlie. There had been riotous celebrating and a game of spin the wand. Each person had to spin their wand and whoever it landed on, was to be kissed. Charlie's wand had landed on her, and he'd kissed her. She had mooned for days. The memory only slightly marred by him disappearing moments later into the bushes with Geri Smilton, and returning an hour later re adjusting their clothes and smirking.

Charlie crushed his cigarette end under his boot "You coming in?" he asked

"No, I think I'd better wait here" she looked again at her feet, tears threatening again.

"It'll be ok you know" he said softly "No one's angry with you"

"Just with Percy?" she said an edge to her voice "You know he was terrified to tell any of you, and it's only that fact he's drunk and George made that joke about a gay wizard that he lost it!"

"I am not angry with Percy for being gay, and neither will they be, I'm angry at the deception, it hurts to think he doesn't trust any of us to tell us before now!" Charlie's voice had a gruff quality

"He has never felt like he measured up!" Starr trilled, tears flowing now for her friend, and herself. She loved the Burrow and was distraught that now the family would hate her for her part in the deception "He always compared himself to you and Bill, he idolises you both!"

"He does?" Charlie was surprised "Why? Bill I can understand, he's the best big brother, but me?"

Starr stood and faced him "Because you are so…" she searched for the right words "Macho! Taming wild dragons and hundreds of wild women!"

"Macho? Me?" Charlie was so close she was sure he could hear her heart trying to get out of her chest; he laughed "I'm hardly a hero, yes I work with Dragons, but no, I don't tame 'wild women'. It's all rumour. Of course, I've slept with women, I'm a man, but not hundreds and most of them have been short relationships, their choice, not mine. It has been nearly a year since I had sex" he looked at her puzzled "And why am I telling you about my sex life?"

"I don't know!" she snapped "Poor Percy"; she flinched as he wiped away her tears.

"No one will think any the less of him or you" he said

"But, we lied…" she faltered

"You tried to help him, you are a loyal friend and they'll see that, I can" he folded her in his arms; she resisted for a moment and then gave in, what the hell? She thought, she was hugging Charlie Weasley!

They jumped apart as the door flew open, squinting in the sudden light streaming from the kitchen.

"Oh that's right!" Percy's voice was high and shaky "Now you know I'm gay leaves you free to hit on Starr doesn't it Charlie! Another notch on your wand!" his face was ugly with rage and tears "And you" he pointed at Starr "Finally going to get him into bed are you? You've only fancied him what…. Ten years and this is the perfect opportunity isn't it, Percy's out the closet and now you can get on and seduce what is it you called him at school, oh yes, Wonder Weasley!"

Charlie looked puzzled a moment before he turned to Percy "She's upset" he said "And worried about you, that's all"

"And, boy has she got the hots for you!" Percy shrilled "The only reason she agreed was because you were coming home, and I said that I would put in a good word when I eventually told everyone!"

"That's not true Percy, that's not the way it was!" Starr shouted "I agreed because you are my best friend and you wanted to spend Christmas with your family. You were convinced they would never accept you. What I said about Charlie was a joke!"

"Well I was right wasn't I?" he stormed "They hate me! Again!" he swung towards Charlie with a fist that he dodged easily, grabbing Percy's hand he held onto him.

"Percy, you are being an idiot, no one hates you because you are gay. I don't care, you are my brother and I love you. But I'm getting mighty annoyed at your attitude! You have dragged Starr into this, and she helped because she's your best friend, what she feels for me is irrelevant. None of us gives a rat's backside what your sexual persuasion is. I'm annoyed, and I suspect the others are annoyed, that you failed to trust us, your family, enough to tell us!" Charlie's voice was calm yet he looked furious.

"Do you blame me?" Percy started to sob, Charlie released his grip and hugged his brother "You and Bill, so successful, and there's me, pathetic"

"You are not pathetic" said Charlie, his voice choked, his eyes glistening "I admire you Percy; you are intelligent and know things I could never hope to learn"

"Oh Percy" Molly Weasley stood and watched as Bill joined Charlie and Percy, the three of them hugging.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bill asked "I would have helped, told the others, me you and Charlie, we're the three musketeers!" he gave Percy a watery smile.

Molly guided Starr back into the kitchen with the younger Weasleys, Hermione, Harry, Fleur and assorted grandchildren. Leaving the three brothers outside.

Starr stood at the back of the kitchen as the family helped Molly to clear away the remains of Boxing Day Dinner. Arthur noticed and nodded to Molly.

"Starr?" Molly asked

"I'm so sorry!" Starr sobbed covering her face with her hands "I didn't want to lie to you! I just wanted to help Percy! I'll go, now"

Molly and Ginny rushed across the kitchen "It's OK!" they said in unison

"I know you were trying to help Percy!" said Molly "No one is annoyed!"

"Please don't go!" said Ginny "Me, mum and Hermione are really outnumbered in this family!"

Hours later Starr laid staring at the ceiling from the sofa of the Burrow. Her mind whirred. The Weasley's had understood, even praised her actions, and re assured her that no one cared about Percy being gay, or about their deception. She shifted as she heard the stairs creek. She assumed it was Percy, coming back to talk again.

When the three brothers had finally returned, everyone else had been in bed. Bill had hugged Percy and kissed Starr goodnight on the cheek, Charlie had patted Percy on the back and bid him goodnight, winking at Starr over Percy's head. Percy had apologised to her, they had talked for a while, before Percy had gone to bed.

The lounge door opened and Starr looked as she saw a figure come through and shut the door quietly behind them.

"Starr?" she jolted the voice was Charlie's, not Percy's.

"Charlie?" she uttered

"Yeah…bollocks! Ouch" she heard a muffled crunch as Charlie trod on a discarded toy.

"Lumos" Starr whispered and her wand lit up, lighting on Charlie as he stood holding his foot, wearing boxer shorts and a tattered t shirt with 'Dragon Tamers do it on fire!" emblazoned across the chest.

She suppressed a giggle as he limped over and sat on the edge of the sofa, edging back she gave him more room. He looked into her face.

"Good about Percy" she said

"Umm, never mind Percy" he frowned as his red hair fell over his face "I want to know all about this crush"

"What?" she yelped grimacing as Charlie held his finger to his lips "Sorry" she whispered

"Well?" he demanded

"It…I was… I mean we were at school" she managed

"I gathered that much" he said dryly "Did you really have a crush on me?"

"Yeah" she whispered, looking away, she was shaking, Charlie Weasley, the object of her fantasies since she was a teenager was sitting, half naked on her bed! Well, sofa, and he wasn't really half naked, but it was less clothes than she had ever seen him in before…..

"Do you still?" he asked in a whisper

"Well, um" she stuttered

"I hope so" he smiled shyly as her eyes rose to meet his "Because right up until Percy said he was gay, I was bloody jealous of him, for scoring you"

"You were?" she uttered shocked

"Yeah" he said, his turn to look at his feet "But now, well, after today…"

"What?" she said mystified

"We could, you know…" he answered

"What?" she persisted, unsure of what he was offering, a kiss? A one night stand? Elope and get married?

"Get to know each other better" he said, it sounded lame even to him.

She giggled "Oh right" she said.

"I can't, I mean we can't go out, as in I can't be your boyfriend, It would be far too complicated" he looked at her again "What with me working in Romania, but, well, when I'm home…." He left the statement open ended.

"Oh" she said, one night stand then.

"That's if you want to" he said hastily "I mean, you don't have to stay single or anything, just we can owl when I'm away. And spend time together when I'm home?" he looked hopeful then unsure "That's if you want to" he added.

She sat up, shuffling closer, she rested her head on his shoulder "And here's me thinking you had come down here to seduce me!"

He turned and looked at her, cupping her face gently with work roughened hands "I can, if that's what you want" he smirked, confidence back "Or we can just watch a film, and Er, cuddle"

"Yeah" she smiled back "I like to cuddle"

They awoke to a muffled gasp, both jumping up they saw Molly in the doorway of the lounge. The TV was hissing away to itself.

"Mum!" said Charlie "We were watching a film and fell asleep!"

Molly looked as though she might beat him to death with the empty glass she was holding for a second, before she took in that they were both dressed, Starr in pyjama's and Charlie in his boxers and t shirt.

"I won't have shenanigans on my sofa Charles Weasley!" she said, eyes narrowing

"We weren't!" he protested "Just watched a film!" Starr suppressed a smile as the all confident man went red and wobbly under his mum's disapproving gaze.

"Good job!" she said "Good morning Starr, sorry to startle you, I won't ask if you slept well" she winked at her "With that lump next to you all night!"

"Good morning Molly" she quivered

"Now, Charlie take that bedding upstairs please, and Starr let's have a cup of tea" she ordered as she swept into the kitchen.

"Charmin'!" muttered Charlie "Lump! Humph!"

"Oh ssshh" said Starr, smiling broadly as she kissed him lightly on the lips and he went even redder "Do as you're told"