My Best Friend
Chapter 1—The One With Chocolate Frogs and Meetings by the Fire
Charlie Weasley and Maya Binning were best friends. They had met just before their first year at Hogwarts and immediately liked each other. Even though she was a girl, Maya really enjoyed sports and wasn't afraid to get dirty. Charlie had an infectious love for all animals and he shared this with Maya. They shared almost everything with each other.
When neither had ever kissed anyone before half-way through second year, they snuck into a secret passageway and shared their first kiss. When they went out for the quidditch team, they shared a butterbeer when they were both offered positions (Charlie as Seeker, Maya as Chaser). They visited each other's homes over summer holidays and shared birthday and Christmas gifts.
At the start of their 4th year at Hogwarts, they each had younger siblings coming to Hogwarts. Maya's sister, Maggie, was sorted into Ravenclaw, but Charlie's brother, Percy, was sorted into Gryffindor. After the sorting, Maya went to see that Maggie was taken care of by a friend of hers who was in Ravenclaw. Her friend, Sara Wallace, agreed to make sure that Maggie would be fine in the house without her. Maggie was furious at Maya for interfering.
Back in the common room, Charlie and Maya took their favorite seats in front of the fire to catch up and gossip about their other classmates. Charlie spread out his favorite quilt that his mother had made him and put the sweets that he had managed to keep on the quilt. Maya had run up to the dorms to change into her favorite pajamas—cotton pants and a quidditch t-shirt that Charlie had given to her—and her favorite slippers. When she came back to the common room, she handed Charlie a chocolate frog and took a seat on his quilt. "Nice jammies," Charlie teased.
"Shut it," Maya ordered. "You gave me this shirt."
"I did not," Charlie joked, faking outrage. "You stole it from my quidditch locker."
"So, who's captain this year?" Maya asked.
"I heard it was Jack Stebbins," Charlie answered. "He's the best keeper in school."
"And with you as Seeker and me as Chaser, we're bound to win the cup," Maya added, smirking. Charlie laughed and tossed a licorice wand at Maya.
"So, how's that crush on Stebbins?" Charlie teased.
Maya winced, remembering how in the previous year she had made such a fool of herself chasing after Stebbins, who was 3 years older and very popular. "Shut up," she ordered. "How's your crush on Big Boob Bridgette?" Bridgette Malone was a girl in their year that annoyed Maya to no end. The boys all loved her because she had a very large chest and was known to have kissed more boys than anyone else in their year.
"I'll have you know that I no longer find Bridgette attractive," Charlie answered, too quickly. Maya saw through the lie, but let it slide so as not to embarrass Charlie too much. They laughed together for a while longer, but soon, Maya yawned loudly and Charlie suggested that it was time for bed.
"Alright, mate," Maya said, stretching. "Flying tomorrow after classes?"
"Of course, love," Charlie said, winking. "Sleep tight."
The next day, Charlie and Maya met for their classes. They had Double Potions first thing in the morning and Maya groaned as they walked to the dungeons. When that class ended after what seemed like forever, they had Transfiguration. Maya loved Transfiguration and was easily the best in their year at it. Charlie took some time in getting the spells right, but once he mastered a spell, he never needed to practice again.
After Transfiguration, they had lunch and a free period. Then, they had Care of Magical Creatures, which was Charlie's favorite class. When their last class, Herbology ended, Charlie and Maya returned to Gryffindor Tower to change for a quick fly before dinner. They met in the common room after changing quickly and dropping off their bags. Then, they took their brooms and walked down to the Quidditch pitch. "Three laps around and then back down?" Charlie asked. Maya nodded as they kicked off and soared into the sky. When they landed, they returned their brooms to the changing rooms and headed back to the castle.
Over the next several weeks, Charlie and Maya frequently went to the quidditch pitch to practice after their classes ended. They easily kept their spots on the quidditch team. By the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, Maya had been invited by a Ravenclaw boy in their year, Tom Wilkins, to go to the town with him. She met up with Charlie at their favorite spot in front of the fire.
"So Hogsmeade on Saturday?" Charlie asked.
"Tom Wilkins invited me," Maya answered, sheepishly.
"Really?" Charlie asked. Maya was sure she heard him mutter "wanker" under his breath, but didn't press the issue.
"Yeah," Maya replied. "Should I go with him?"
"Do you like him?" Charlie asked.
"As a friend, yeah, but I don't really fancy him," Maya said. Again, Maya was sure that she heard Charlie exhale deeply, but said nothing.
"Then just tell him you'll go as friends," Charlie said. "If you want, we can arrange an accidental meeting at the Three Broomsticks or something." Maya smiled. Charlie always seemed to know what to say to her to calm her down, even more than her girlfriends who had all insisted that she should go out with Tom and snog him senseless.
The next day, Maya spoke to Tom and agreed to go with him to Hogsmeade, but only as friends. Tom got angry and spat. He said some horrible things to Maya and was about to tear off towards the Hufflepuff common room when Charlie caught him. "Apologize to her," Charlie ordered, drawing his wand.
"Back off, Weasley," Tom argued. "This doesn't concern you."
"Mate, she's my friend," Charlie snarled. "Apologize now!" Tom made to push Charlie off, but Charlie threw him up against the wall and forced him to apologize to Maya. Tom left and returned to the Ravenclaw common room when Charlie finally let him go.
"Are you alright?" Charlie asked.
"I'm fine, Charlie," Maya replied. "You really didn't have to do that. It wasn't necessary."
"Well, he had it coming for calling you those horrible names," Charlie said. They sat on the stone stairway together; Maya leaned her head on Charlie's shoulder until the hallway started to fill. As they were getting up, Charlie turned to her and said, "I guess this means we're going to Hogsmeade together."
"I don't think I'm going," Maya replied. "I've seen it all before. You go. I'm going to do some homework and maybe go for a fly, or go and see how Maggie's doing."
Charlie knew better than to try to talk Maya into going. He also knew that what Tom had said to her had really hurt her. When he went to Hogsmeade with the other Gryffindor boys, he caught crap for buying Maya some chocolate frogs. Back in Gryffindor Tower, Charlie found Maya sleeping by the fire, a book in her hands. "Time to wake up," he sang.
"Bugger off," Maya replied.
"Now, Maya do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Charlie teased.
"What are you on about?" Maya demanded, sitting up.
Charlie gave her a smile and handed her a tissue to wipe the drool off her cheek. Then he said, "I thought you could use some cheering up." He handed her the chocolate frogs and kissed the top of her head.
