The Things We Lost In The Fire.
Chapter One - Surprise Guest.
"It's hard to argue when you won't stop making sense,
But my tongue still misbehaves and it keeps digging my own grave."
- "Eyes Open" by Snow Patrol
"Merlin's beard, she's really done it this time," Charlie Weasley moaned, tugging at the ends of his newly shortened red-blonde hair and frowning at his reflection. He was getting dressed for his brother's impending wedding in his old bedroom at The Burrow and had caught his reflection in his mirror. His mother had given him a strict haircut last night and he and Bill had shared one too many glasses of Fire whiskey beforehand for him to put up much of a fight. But now, it seemed, Molly Weasley had gone too far and had even placed an anti regrowth charm on his hair so it remained its severe crop no matter what he did with his wand.
He sighed angrily, beaten and pulled his white t-shirt over his head so he could change into his dress robes. Bill would be here any second to get changed also and Charlie hoped his eldest brother would know a charm for his hair so when the door knob turned unexpectedly, Charlie didn't bother to look who it was as he assumed it would be Bill and continued in stripping off his jeans and letting them puddle at his feet.
"Bill, you've got to do something, look at my...oh," Charlie began before turning to the doorway and was met with an unfamiliar gaze. "Who are you?" Charlie asked before remembering he was topless and only wearing his underwear and socks.
"I'm Adele Miller, Fleur's friend," Adele said, looking Charlie up and down. He snatched up his t-shirt and pulled it over his head roughly, when he emerged from the neck, his cheeks matched his hair. "I was told I could come up and change, I ran into a bit of trouble before I Apparated here," Adele explained easily, indicating her muddy clothes underneath her travelling cloak.
"Oh, I, uh, right," Charlie stammered his reply. It wasn't every day a random girl burst in on you in your skimpies and he felt very thrown off course. "Well, this is my room and Bill needs to get changed also..."
"That's OK," Adele replied brightly, depositing her large leather bag on Charlie's old bed. "I won't take a minute."
Charlie half watched, half stared as Adele unclipped her cloak and swung it off her shoulders and began unbuttoning her gingham summer dress when Bill, flanked by the twins, Fred and George came through the door.
"Charlie...huh?" Bill began, with his arms full of dress robes and shiny shoes when his gaze fell on Adele, who was now standing in nothing but a cream coloured silk slip and was surveying the twins with interest.
"Erm..." Charlie began but was at a loss of what to say. It didn't look good though, to his nosy brothers that he and a strange girl were half naked and alone in his room. "Fleur's friend...changing...in here..."
"I'm Adele," Adele said, addressing Bill who recognised her name. "Me and Fleur met while we were at Hogwart's during the Triwizard Tournament. I know Fred and George. I just needed to get changed and I was directed up here."
"You should've come to our room, been a much warmer reception there," Fred said, a wide grin stretching across his face.
"Shut up Fred," Charlie said defensively before remembering himself. "Let's just let her get changed in peace."
Bill agreed and herded the twins from the room with Charlie bringing up the rear. He glanced at Adele as he left and she smiled at him. Charlie felt ill. The door shut them out onto the landing of the third level of The Burrow and the twins began jeering instantly.
"You little old dog!" George ribbed, elbowing Charlie in the side and laughing with Fred.
"I remember her from school, don't worry though Charlie, we never snogged her!" Fred jeered, nudging him playfully.
"Shut up!" Charlie hissed, his cheeks had not lost their high colouring from five minutes ago when he had first met Adele. "She just walked in on me! I was only wearing my underwear!"
The twins started laughing at their older brother and Bill cracked a smile that he tried to hide as he tried to extract Charlie's dress robes from the pile he was still holding. The twins seemed to love teasing Charlie, probably because he was the quietest member of the family and didn't really bother teasing back like the rest.
"Here," Bill said, handing over the robes to Charlie. "Have some modesty."
"Thanks," Charlie muttered, glaring at the twins and holding them to his body. The bedroom door opened and Adele came back into view, this time for Bill and the twins, they saw her fully dressed. She had changed into a turquoise evening dress with matching high heeled sandals with her sleek brown hair nestling around her shoulders.
"All done," She smiled as she slipped past the four brothers. "Thanks for the room rental. See you later."
The four boys watched her head bob out of sight as she skipped down the stairs and Charlie sighed through anger and embarrassment and re-entered his room, tossing his dress robes onto his bed so they smothered Adele's discarded travelling cloak.
"She was the year above us at Hogwart's," Fred was explaining to Bill as they entered the room also. "Played Beater for Ravenclaw, fair player."
"She dated Oliver Wood, didn't she?" George said as he flopped down onto Charlie's already full bed. "Made a proper man of him, bless him."
Charlie was listening and he could remember Oliver Wood from his own school days, over enthusiastic and passionate about nothing but Quidditch. Charlie wondered what kind of a match he had been for the clearly unshy Ms Miller. Charlie realised he must've been at Hogwart's with Adele at some point too but her name rang no bells.
"Charlie?" Bill said and his voice snapped Charlie from his thoughts.
"Mmm?" Charlie answered, turning to his brother. He realised he still had very little clothing on.
"Aww, bless him! He's thinking about Adele!" Fred teased in an annoying voice as he started getting undressed. "He loves her!"
"I do not! We've only just met, it's impossible! I don't even...she just walked in on me! What was I supposed to...I need my hair sorted!" Charlie spluttered, colour returning to his cheeks as his hand ran over his short, sharp bristles. "Bill, help me!"
Charlie was the most flustered of them all and he wasn't even the groom, in fact it was Bill who was the most composed. He deposited his armful of clothing onto the bed next to George and withdrew his wand from his back pocket.
"Sit down," Bill said gently and Charlie obeyed and slumped into a chair that accompanied his desk. Charlie stared out of his window at the wedding preparations and watched as Adele picked her way through the golden chairs near the back of the marquee and found a seat next to one of the many Weasley cousins and began chatting at once. Charlie half expected her to start getting undressed again.
"It's no good," Bill announced after five or so minutes. Th twins had gathered around and were trying their best attempts too but Charlie's hair remained severely short. "I hate to say it but I need to start getting ready, it's nearly half past two."
The wedding was commencing at three o'clock so all four of them needed to get a move on, the twins were helping to usher guests to their seats and Charlie had the role of best man. Bill began passing out the dress robes and shoes and there was an immediate air of excitement and nervousness.
The boys got dressed pretty quickly and Charlie was helping to straighten Bill's collar and generally absent mindedly fussing.
"We'll see you down there," Fred said, nudging his twin. "We've got Veela cousins to escort!"
"Good luck bro!" George called as he followed Fred from the small bedroom, leaving the two eldest Weasley brothers alone.
"Do I look alright?" Bill asked Charlie, turning to his reflection and poking at his poor scarred face. "I wish there was something..."
"You look fine," Charlie said firmly, now attaching his white rose buttonhole to his brothers robes. "You survived a terrible attack and yet you're still the most handsome brother. Fleur loves you for you, she said it herself. You are blessed. Plus, like Fleur said, she's good looking enough for both of you!"
Bill looked at Charlie for a few moments, his eye lashes blinking back a few small tears that were threatening to escape. He and Charlie had always been close, even in their long distance relationship and Charlie felt honoured that Bill had asked him to be his best man.
"I just hope I can return the favour sometime soon," Bill smiled as Charlie busied himself with the rose. Bill had barely even heard Charlie murmur about girls, there was the occasional name drop or scrap of information about a date but Bill had never known Charlie to indulge in a full on relationship with anyone. "Isn't there any girl in your life at the minute?"
"No," Charlie replied curtly and finished fiddling. "There isn't."
He stood up straight and looked at Bill, who was giving him a look that said 'please, just humour me or at least, try.'
"We'll be late, come on, we can discuss my miserable lack of a love life after the nuptials," Charlie replied, back to his light hearted manner. He slapped his brother on the back but Bill caught him and pulled him into a hug and the brothers embraced solidly for a few moments.
"Let's go then," Bill said, grinning when they released each other. Charlie smiled at him and hoped Fleur wouldn't notice Bill's squashed buttonhole.
