A/N: This has been sitting on my hard drive collecting dust for probably close to two years now. I was just never satisfied with it for some reason, but I think I can let it go now and release it into the wild of the World Wide Web. Be gentle, this is new for me. I hope you guys enjoy!
Romanian Sunrise
After seven years of fighting evil and dark wizards, Harry Potter had had quite enough of that lifestyle. The parchment crumpled easily in his fist, and it soared straight into the bin as he threw it willy-nilly over his shoulder. The Ministry could send him the application for the Auror programme a million times if they wanted; they all ended up in the bin just the same.
The black fringe that still covered the tell-tale scar flew up as Harry let out a slow breath, spinning idly in his muggle desk chair. He preferred the spinning, wheeled chairs as opposed to hard, straight-backed wizarding chairs.
Harry looked over at the letter that he had unfolded and refolded at least a hundred times since he had received it a week ago. He let a second of indecision grip him before leaning forward and snatching the letter, unfolding its familiar creases slowly.
'Harry,
How have you been these days? The family's been missing you; you need to go visit more before Mum just goes and moves into your flat with you. Ron's been too busy with the wedding planning to notice I guess, but Ginny writes me every two days expressing her worry for you. Don't shut us out, mate, we're here for you.
I know we haven't ever really been close, as we've not spent very much time together. That's one hazard of living so damn far away from London. Romania is a very beautiful country, and I love living on the preserve with all the dragons, but damn do I miss England; especially Mum's cooking. I hope to actually get to know you better. Half of my family owe you their lives, and I want to know the real Harry behind it all.
Anyways, I digress. I'm writing to you because I have an offer for you. Kingsley let slip that your ambitions to be an Auror have apparently changed in the last couple of months. I don't blame you; after the hell you've been through, I'd be looking for a break from that scene as well.
My offer is this; Enrich, one of the original handlers who helped build this preserve, is retiring at the end of this year. We're on a hunt for a new handler to start training now before Enrich retires so that we won't be down a man when the time comes. I know Romania is really far away – trust me, I know – but I think maybe that a change of scenery would be good for you. You've been avoiding everyone, even your family, and I think this would be a perfect opportunity for you to escape the madness there in England, and it'll give you a career you can take pretty much anywhere after you become a full handler.
You don't need to answer right away. I know it's a lot to think about and probably a big change to what you thought your life was going to be like after the war. Enrich will be looking at applications next month, so that's the deadline for your answer. If you want it, it's yours for sure; just say the word. Now I know you're probably thinking that it's just your name getting you in, but it's honestly not. Enrich saw you during the Triwizard Tournament, and he thinks you handled that Hungarian Horntail very well, and I put in a good word for you. When I told him about offering you the internship, he almost refused to take any other applicants.
Please give it some serious thought, and don't hesitate to owl me with questions. And please, please go visit Mum and Ginny before they drive me mad.
Yours,
Charlie Weasley'
Harry huffed out another breath as he sat the letter down, glancing toward his parchment and quills. He'd been playing the same game of anticipation for a week now, and even though he had three more weeks to make a decision, he felt sorely tempted every time he reread Charlie's missive.
Life after the war, well, it was definitely not what Harry had expected. There were huge celebrations after the demise of Voldemort all around the country, and even the world at large. Harry had been praised as a hero like expected, but things got out of control very quickly. Harry couldn't sneeze without it being reported in every wizarding paper and magazine around, a picture included. His first stalker had been pretty creepy, but he was dealt with real fast. The second, third and fourth ones, however, nearly got Harry killed more than once. He'd had enough of it already, and Voldemort had only been dead for two months at that point.
Now, a year later, Harry was becoming increasingly bored. Once he decided he didn't want to be an Auror after all, he had no idea what else he would do with his life. He was usually holed up in his London flat, hiding from the media and crazy fans that constantly bombarded him any time he so much and stepped foot out the door.
Ron had proposed to Hermione a month ago, effectively making their lives nothing but wedding plans for the foreseeable future. The Weasley family, especially Molly, were a big part of those plans. Whenever Harry did find a way to escape to the Burrow, the conversations were always about wedding this, wedding that. Each time, Ginny would drop not so subtle hints about picking up their lost relationship. Harry wasn't avoiding the Weasleys in general; he was avoiding Ginny. He had no intentions of following in Ron and Hermione's footsteps, at least not while he was still so young, and not with Ginny.
The one thing keeping Harry from taking the internship right away was Teddy. Andromeda had custody of the infant, but Harry often went and visited his tiny godson, spending entire days with him. Andy was the complete polar opposite of the late Bellatrix, and loved having Harry around. She was still recovering from the loss of her husband and daughter, and even her son-in-law, though she never knew him very well. Poor Teddy would have to grow up without his parents, just like Harry. But Teddy, unlike Harry, had a loving grandmother and non-incarcerated godfather to raise him properly.
Romania had floo connections, he was sure. He'd be back for holidays and birthdays, and of course Ron and Hermione's wedding. Feeling a smile split his face for the first time in a long time, Harry grabbed quill and parchment, and wrote his acceptance letter to be sent off to Charlie.
~.~.~.~.~
"Harry! Good to see you, mate. Here, let me take your bags." Charlie bounded over and relieved Harry of his heavy luggage, which the portkey operator insisted could not be shrunken for travel like Harry usually did.
The second eldest Weasley brother led the way into a small cottage on the outskirts of the preserve, and Harry at once recognized it as a wizarding dwelling; the inside of the cottage could not possibly belong to what it looked like on the outside. It was a large, cosy home full of dark colours and soft woods. It screamed 'dragon handler' to anyone who cared enough to know the quirks of the profession.
Charlie led the way down a hallway and opened the door all the way at the end, brandishing his arms dramatically, reminding Harry of the Twins.
"Here's your new home, Harry. This room, the adjoining bathroom, and the office across the hall are all yours." Charlie set Harry's bags on the large four-poster bed in the centre of the room before turning and smiling widely at him.
The room was fairly decent sized, and upon later inspection, the bathroom was enormous. His office was simple, but elegant. He loved this place already. Sitting across from Charlie at a small table in the cottage's kitchen, Harry let out a loud sigh, feeling completely content for the first time in quite a while.
"So, Harry, how's life been treating you?" Charlie asked with a smirk, knowing damn well how Harry had been faring in the Wizarding world as of late. His picture and an accompanying story were in the Prophet every day, some times more than one article. The poor kid would never escape his fame, and Charlie was not as blind as others; he saw how much Harry hated it. It was one more reason why he had offered the internship to Harry.
Harry smirked back, kicking the red haired man gently under the table as an admonishment. "Same as always, I'm afraid. 'Harry Potter, Saviour of the Wizarding world, is now Witch Weekly's Most Eligible Bachelor for the next millennium!'" Harry joked in an annoying sort of announcer's voice that made Charlie chuckle.
"The next millennium, eh? That's a long time to go celibate, mate," said Charlie as he poured them both a shot of Firewhiskey.
Harry took the offered shot and slammed it down, smacking his lips against the burning that travelled down his throat. He pushed the glass back towards Charlie and gestured for another. "Who said anything about celibacy? Just because I'm not betrothed doesn't mean I'm a virginal saint," Harry said with wink before downing his next shot.
Charlie poured them both another and raised his shot glass in a toast. "Hear hear! That's what I like to hear! Marriage is for pushovers like Ron and frilly girls like Hermione," he said in distaste before swigging back the whiskey.
Harry chuckled and slugged back his third shot of the night, feeling the liquor pooling warmly in his stomach. "Aw, be fair! Ron and Hermione were destined to tie the knot from the moment they set eyes on each other. I never once doubted that."
"I can always send you back home to the Burrow if you want to help the happy couple write their vows, Harry," Charlie teased as he caught up with Harry in shots, pouring them both another.
"Merlin, no thank you. I was avoiding your family precisely because of that. Well...and for other reasons," Harry said, his cheeks growing red as he looked away and stared into his shot glass, watching the amber liquid swirl lazily in the thick glass.
"Ginny's never been one for subtlety, mate; she grew up with six Gryffindor brothers. I love my sister, but she does seem like she's coming on a bit strong. I don't blame you for avoiding her, but avoiding Mum – I'm blaming that all on you!" Charlie accused, sloshing his whiskey over as he poked Harry in the chest from across the table.
Harry felt his cheeks stain even darker as he avoided drinking his shot, feeling maybe this was a conversation best kept sober. "I think she's trying to help Ginny court me, quite honestly. Really, I like Ginny and we had fun when we were together, but I just don't see myself with her anymore. I don't want to hurt her, but I'm not going to just play along, you know?"
Charlie paused on the whiskey himself, capping the bottle and pushing it aside. "I wouldn't put it past Mum to try and help Ginny win you over. You better not have had too much fun with my baby sister, Potter," Charlie said pointedly, though his blue eyes twinkled with amusement.
Harry nearly blanched, but recovered by taking the shot he had previously pushed away. He didn't want to lie, but he wasn't about to get his arse kicked by Ginny's older brother, either. White lie it was, then. After all, their first and only time had not be fun at all.
"Of course not; I respected Ginny and you lot too much to do anything with her when we were so young. I just don't know how to let her down easy and not make her, or the rest of your family, hate me," Harry said, wishing the whiskey had gotten him pissed instead of just buzzed.
Charlie shook his head slowly, smiling across the table with a knowing look in his eyes. "Just tell her, Harry; she'll understand, or at least she'll grow to understand with time and help from Mum. There's no easy way to break a heart, I'm afraid. Besides, you're part of this family no matter what may or may not happen between you and Gin. We wouldn't abandon you that quickly."
Harry nodded absently, trying to imagine how the scene would play out when he broke it to Ginny that they had no future together. He looked up at Charlie after a few seconds, feeling like he was being stared at. "What?"
"She'll especially understand if you tell her you're gay. My family had no problem accepting my sexuality; it shouldn't be any different for them to accept you."
Harry's jaw dropped as he stared wide-eyed at the dragon handler. He had been so sure he was successful in keeping that part of himself hidden away. He felt a bubble of panic rise as he imagined all the articles and stories that were sure to arise when the world found out their Hero and Saviour was a shirt lifter. "How did you...I...What gave it away?" Harry asked with a frown, giving up trying to deny it. "And since when were you gay?" he added as an afterthought.
Charlie chuckled as he stretched his tall and limber frame in the wooden kitchen chair. "Well, news spreads fast amongst us gay Wizards, especially news concerning anyone with celebrity status. Your appearances at a few bars were enough to spark the fire. I'm surprised it's not in the papers yet. And I've been gay my entire life, actually."
Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands, scrubbing tiredly at his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have gone to those bars. He was so stupid. He must have said the last bit out loud, as Charlie came around the table and rested a hand gently on his shoulder.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Yeah, people will make a big deal out of it at first, but it will blow over. Besides, you're out of the thick of things here at the preserve."
Harry looked up at Charlie through his fringe, still frowning doubtfully. "What about the other handlers? They're going to take the piss for sure."
Charlie pulled on Harry's arm and led him over to the much more comfortable sofa in the sitting room, plopping down in the seat beside him. "Nah, they'll be alright with it. I'm not the only gay man here on the preserve, you know. There are actually quite a few others here. This colony is home to over one hundred handlers."
Harry cocked an eyebrow, a smirk pulling across his face. "Oh really? Are any of them single?" he asked with a laugh.
Charlie chuckled and shook his head. "Surprisingly, no; they all shacked up with each other. Unless you count me of course, I'm a free agent. I was the odd one out, until you came along at least."
Harry felt a blush burn his cheeks as he avoided Charlie's gaze. That insinuated much more than Harry was comfortable with for talking to his best mate's older brother. Charlie was like family; that was a no-dating zone. Then again, he did date Ginny...NO! He wasn't going there, not now.
"You alright, Harry? You're looking a bit peaky. I bet it was the whiskey; it'll get you good if you're not normally a drinker," said Charlie as he reached over and felt Harry's forehead for any signs of a fever.
Harry broke out in goose pimples at Charlie's touch and only just managed to hide a shudder when the man's hand trailed down to cup his cheek so he could get a good look at Harry's eyes. Harry gulped as deep blue peered straight into emerald green, making his pants feel too tight all the sudden. Harry pulled away and nearly jumped up from the couch, his shallow breathing causing Charlie to look at him in concern.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired. I think I'll turn in for the night. See you tomorrow, yeah?"
Charlie nodded absently, looking unconvinced and still concerned. "Yeah, see you tomorrow. My room is right down that hall behind the kitchen if you need anything, alright? Goodnight, Harry."
"'Night, Charlie."
~.~.~.~.~
Charlie awoke abruptly to the sound of terrified screams. He shot up out of bed, convinced a dragon had gotten loose and was wrecking havoc. He was just about to pull his boots on when he realized he recognized the voice creating the yells and whimpers.
Harry.
Abandoning his boots and clothing, Charlie charged down the hall towards Harry's room in nothing but his sleep pants. The yells and whimpers got louder as he got closer, and he felt his heart clench as he could hear Harry speaking in his sleep as well.
"I'm so sorry, Fred...Please forgive me, I'm sorry..."
Quietly turning the handle and pushing the door open, Charlie carefully entered Harry's room. There was just enough moonlight streaming in through the tall window on the other side of the room to illuminate Harry's tossing and turning body on the mattress.
Charlie wasn't sure what to do. Should he wake him and tell him it was just a dream, or should he let it play out and offer him comfort when Harry awoke on his own? His mind was made up for him as Harry let out a heart wrenching sob, still squirming restlessly between the sheets of his bed.
Charlie climbed carefully onto the bed just behind Harry. He lay on top of the covers, not sure if Harry was the type to sleep starkers or not. Another sob had the redhead wrapping an arm around Harry's waist from behind, pulling the smaller man close to his body as he hugged him.
"Shh Harry, it's only a dream," he whispered close to Harry's ear.
Harry's whimpering quieted as he shifted in Charlie's embrace, turning to face the redhead. His eyes were bloodshot and full of tears as he trembled violently. "S-sorry I woke you up..." he whispered, his voice hoarse from screaming.
Charlie tightened his grip around Harry and reached up to run a hand through his messy black locks. It felt like silk between his fingertips. "Don't be sorry, Harry. Everyone has nightmares, even me. Just try to forget about it and go back to sleep. We've got a busy day tomorrow." Charlie made to pull away from the still-shaking man, but Harry clung to him like he would drown without Charlie as an anchor.
"Please...stay with me?"
Charlie hesitated for a few seconds before nodding slowly and resuming his position, holding Harry close to his bare chest as he carded through his hair gently. He felt rather than saw Harry fall back to sleep, but he didn't move from his position. He was quite comfortable the way he was, actually.
~.~.~.~.~
The morning sun was bright, even through the fog that accompanied Romanian sunrises. Harry woke feeling extremely groggy, most likely due to another nightmare keeping him up; he couldn't quite remember. He shifted slightly, noticing then that there was a warm arm wrapped tightly around his waist. He blinked and looked over his shoulder behind him, spotting Charlie's sleeping form. He blushed darkly, feeling another part of his body beginning to wake as well.
Harry tried to slide out from under Charlie's heavy arm without waking him, but the redhead was a light sleeper, apparently. His blue eyes fluttered open and a second of confusion sparked in them before the night's events came back to him.
"Morning," Harry said with a small smile that didn't quite reach his tired eyes. He knew he had had another nightmare, and obviously Charlie had tried to console him. He just wished he could remember what the nightmare had been.
Charlie sat up and leaned heavily against the headboard, running a hand through his messy hair as he gave a huge yawn. Harry didn't look very rested, and his soft smile looked pained. "Morning, Harry. Did you sleep alright?" Stupid question, Charlie, he had a nightmare last night...
Harry blushed again, the red still staining his cheeks from before. He shifted so that his morning 'excitement' was hidden underneath his covers. He wished he had fallen asleep in more than just his boxers. "Yeah, I did after you came in last night. I...the nightmares usually stop if – if someone sleeps with me. I mean, in the same bed as me, but not with me..." Harry trailed off, knowing he sounded like a complete fool as Charlie chuckled lightly beside him.
"I know what you meant, Harry, calm down. How often do you have these nightmares?" Charlie asked, a little unnerved to find how endearing he found Harry's deep blush. He couldn't help but think the man was quite adorable, all flustered and embarrassed. Never mind that Harry was the same age as his youngest brother.
"Usually every night, but sometimes I'm so exhausted I don't even remember having them. Like last night; I know I had one, but I don't remember what it was about. That's usually how they work," Harry replied, feeling slightly awkward talking to Charlie about this. He just wasn't used to Charlie quite yet, having been one of the Weasleys he saw the least often.
Charlie nodded slowly, his smile faltering a bit as he remembered what he heard Harry muttering in his sleep the night before. "You were saying something about Fred...apologizing."
Harry felt his stomach churn as he looked quickly away from the dragon handler beside him. He felt horrible. Not only had he awoken Charlie with his ridiculous screaming, but Charlie had to hear him blubbering about his deceased brother while he tried to calm Harry down. Maybe coming to Romania had not been the best idea after all.
"I'm sorry, Charlie. I'll start putting silencing charms up so that I don't wake you – "
Charlie quickly shook his head as he reached out and grasped Harry's chin, turning the younger man to face him properly once more. "No, Harry, there's no need for that. You shouldn't have to suffer these nightmares every night like you have been. I'm sure we can find a solution to them somehow without having to revert to things like silencing spells. I want to know if you're having one, not blissfully unaware in my sleep."
Harry felt his heart clench in his chest as he slowly nodded his head, though he still thought it was unfair to Charlie to dump these deep-seated issues on the man so suddenly. "I've tried just about everything. Dreamless Sleep is too addictive and habit forming. Other sleeping potions lose their affect after a while. I've even tried therapy, but nothing can erase the shite I've seen...The only thing that has ever successfully helped was having someone with me, holding me. I feel so helpless, having to depend on someone else to keep me calm..."
"You're not helpless, Harry. You're not the only one to suffer nightmares after the war, I promise you that, but you've seen so much more in your life that yours are probably ten times worse than the rest of ours. I don't blame you for needing someone to help calm you. Whenever I have a nightmare, I'd give anything to have someone hold me and tell me it's alright, that it was just a dream," Charlie admitted quietly, feeling like he was exposing himself almost too much to Harry. Big tough dragon handlers weren't supposed to be insecure, right?
"Kind of like what you did for me last night. I usually suffer through them alone; last night was the first night in a long time I had anyone to help me through it," said Harry, his smile more genuine this time around.
Charlie smiled back, cupping Harry's cheek gently in his large, roughened hand. "I was glad to help, Harry." Blue gazed into watery green for a long time before the trance was broken, a loud rumble sounding somewhere on the preserve's grounds.
Harry pulled away first, blushing lightly as he avoided Charlie's sharp gaze. "I guess we better get a move on, eh? Dragons don't wait for much, do they?"
Charlie chuckled as he finally got up out of Harry's bed and stretched far above his head, his joints popping a few times. "Rule number one of Dragon Handling: Dragons wait for nothing."
~.~.~.~.~
The hot Romanian sun was ruthless that day, adding to the already quite dark bronze of Harry's skin. His first assignment had been to help rearrange a pregnant dragon's den, clearing a spot for a newborn dragon that would soon join the colony. Only one type of dragon ever birthed live young, and that was a Welsh Green.
Charlie had made sure that Harry apprenticed under him for the first few months, wanting to keep an eye on the younger man. He smiled as he watched Harry levitate large boulders, replacing them in a large circle that would help encase the new mother and nursing newborn. The glinting scales of the dozing mother were the exact same emerald green as Harry's eyes, Charlie noted. He blinked as he realized Harry had called his name.
"Torrin said we can head to lunch now and work more on this later," Harry said as he pulled off his thick gloves and shoved them in his back pocket. He swept his sweaty hair out of his face and off of his forehead, glad to be getting a break. It was only his first day, but Harry knew this job was going to be a tough one. Good thing he liked a challenge.
"Oh, alright. Let's go get some lunch then. Do you want to eat in the hall or at home?" Charlie asked as he too pulled off his gloves and started making his way out of the enclosure they had been working on all morning. It looked much nicer, and the den that Harry had created as the new nesting area would be perfect for Morgana, the pregnant Welsh Green who lived there.
"Depends; do we have to actually cook at home?" Harry asked with grin, fighting off the blush that he felt threatening every time his and Charlie's cottage was referred to as 'home'. This little spark of interest he'd had towards Charlie was a bad idea, he knew, but he couldn't help but feel like an excited teenager again when Charlie smiled at him.
Charlie chuckled, shaking his head as he made a decision and headed off in the direction of their cottage. "No, a house elf will simply bring us whatever they're eating in the dining hall if we want, or we can cook ourselves."
"Sounds good to me. Merlin, I could use a long nap. Who knew moving rocks and boulders around would be so tiring?" Harry said with a large yawn as they entered their cottage, kicking off their heavy boots at the door.
"You haven't seen anything yet, Harry. Wait until a rogue dragon decides to rampage, or when a couple of Chinese Fireballs have a lover's spat. It's amazing, the heat," Charlie said, and amazed sort of awe in his tone.
Harry gave Charlie a confused look as they entered the kitchen, sitting at the table opposite of each other. "Lover's spat?"
"I can see the extra tutoring for new trainees won't be wasted on you," Charlie said, chuckling at the scowl on Harry's face. "Dragons mate for life, Harry. All species of dragon do; or at least, all the ones we've ever discovered and studied. Chinese Fireball males, however, like to be a little flirtatious with other females, thoroughly pissing off their female mate. They fight, and the fire show is a spectacular one, let me tell you. Once, two different couples fought at the same time and nearly burnt the entire colony down. Anti-flame charms had to be put on everything within a hundred feet of their dens."
Harry's eyebrows were both raised as he listened to Charlie. It was obvious how much the man loved his job just from the way he talked about the dragons, his voice reverent and his blue eyes shining in wonder. It was also obvious that Harry knew very little about dragons and was certainly going to need to study hard. The little bit of research he had done about the four types of dragons in the Triwizard Tournament was simply not enough to cover the more than twenty breeds of dragon currently inhabiting the Romanian colony.
"And how often do rogue dragons rampage through here?" Harry asked as a house elf popped in and placed two plates of food on the table in front of Charlie and Harry.
"Oh, not too often. Usually migrating dragons catch the scent of all the enclosed ones around here and come looking for mates. When we try to capture them is when the fun starts. Learning how to brew extra-strength burn salves is part of the training as well," Charlie said with a chuckle as he took a bite of the chicken and ham salad the house elf had delivered.
Harry laughed along with him, though he wasn't looking forward to potions review. Perhaps having a teacher besides Snape would be beneficial to his potions skills. He thought back to the Half-Blood Prince's book, and thought that maybe it was more to do with his unwillingness to learn than Snape's teaching abilities.
"You've got training classes this afternoon, right? I'll warn you now, the first night after training begins, the handlers like to kidnap the trainees and get them right smashed. It's pretty much a tradition, and how they welcome you to the reserve. Are you going to be alright with that?"
Harry shrugged as he took a swig of butterbeer. "Yeah, I don't see why not. Hopefully we've got some hang-over potions around here for the morning, though."
"Of course, mate! What do you take me for? Hang-over potions are probably in higher supply than the burn salves, to be quite honest. Romanian men love their alcohol," Charlie said with a wink.
"I'm sure the Irish in you agrees with the Romanian love for alcohol," Harry jibbed with a smirk.
"Right you are, Harry!"
~.~.~.~.~
There were only two other trainees starting in the spring classes alongside Harry. The instructor, Enrich, was the handler who was going to be retiring. He was a very large older man with a fierce look to him. He had a strong accent with a deep voice, but his bark was definitely worse than his bite.
"Welcome to the preserve! You three are the lucky trainees who will be competing for my job! Not to worry, the two of you who do not receive that honour will be given desk jobs and retrained for next season as handlers," Enrich said with a warm smile as he passed a thick book to each of the three trainees.
"These books will be like your bible from now on. They state the rules of the preserve, as well as the safety precautions you must take when handling the dragons. You will need to learn and memorize these rules and regulations." He clapped his hands suddenly, making the two other trainees besides Harry jump.
"How about we begin with some introductions? You, blonde one; please introduce yourself."
The man sitting beside Harry stood from his seat with a flourish, already annoying Harry quite thoroughly. "I am Henry Dubois the third from Bordeaux, France. I am twenty-four years old, and graduated from Beauxbatons. I specialized in Care of Magical Creatures and once helped my uncle capture a dragon who kept attacking his sheep."
"Right then, Henry, nice to meet you. Next," Enrich said, pointing to the other man in the room besides Harry. He was tall and lean, with sandy brown hair and dark, smouldering eyes.
"My name is Emile Grindelwald, and yes, I am related to the Gellert Grindelwald. He was my great great-grandfather. However, I am not determined to become a Dark Wizard like him, so fear not. I'm twenty-six, from Berlin, Germany. I've never captured a dragon, but I think I am capable of such a thing and would love to work here as a handler."
"Grindelwald, eh? Well, glad to hear that you do not wish to follow in your great great grandfather's footsteps, my friend!" Enrich said with a hearty laugh as he turned towards Harry.
"And then we come to you, Mr. Potter. I don't think we need an introduction, but go ahead anyways!"
Harry stood up, trying to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the instructor. "Well, my name is Harry Potter, and I'm from Surrey, England. I'm recently twenty years old, and I battled a female Hungarian Horntail who was protecting her eggs when I was fourteen, and won."
Enrich let out a hearty laugh as he clapped Harry firmly on the shoulder. "And that's why I personally asked Weasley to ask you to come for the apprenticeship! Young, strong, smart, and very charismatic! Look out you two; you've got quite the opponent!"
They reviewed the rules and regulations for the rest of the class, receiving additional books on potions, various breeds of dragons, healing for dragons, and they're very own non-dragon hyde protective gloves. When the three trainees walked out of the classroom, they were accosted by Charlie and three other handlers and taken to the enormous dining hall on the other side of the preserve.
"Tonight is about welcoming you three into this large family we have built over many years. It takes brains and brawns to survive in this field, but a strong love for firewhiskey certainly helps as well!" Charlie shouted over the laughter of what seemed like over a hundred men, and a few women.
"Everyone raise your glass and please give a warm welcome to Harry, Emile, and Henry – our newest brothers!"
There was a deafening round of applause and cheering as the three trainees were handed pints of beer and dragged over to a table. Charlie sat down beside Harry, patting him on the back as he took a deep drink of his beer.
"How was your first class, eh, Harry?" the redhead asked loudly over all the chatter and laughter.
Harry smiled and took a sip of beer, grimacing at the overly-strong taste of the dark ale. "It was alright. We just introduced ourselves and talked about the rules and regulations for a bit before we got our extra books. I've got a lot of studying to do."
Charlie chuckled as he accepted another pint of beer from a passing house elf. "Not tonight, mate. Enrich knows about these parties, even shows up to them most of the time. You can study tomorrow. Tonight, you drink!"
All of the other handlers at the table cheered in agreement, holding up their beers in salute. Harry laughed, shaking his head at the men's antics. He felt like he was at a party with a bunch of lumberjacks, but he found he didn't mind all that much.
"How do you like the other two trainees?" Charlie asked quietly, leaning close to Harry so that no one else heard.
Harry looked around, making sure the other two men weren't sitting near him. He leaned closer to Charlie with a smirk. "Henry is a pretentious git and Emile seems pretty cool, but get this; he's Gellert Grindelwald's great great-grandson."
"You're shitting me, right?" Charlie asked, his eyebrows flying into his hair. Whether subconsciously or not, Charlie leaned even closer to Harry. So close, in fact, that Harry could count his freckles.
"I shit you not. He seems really nice though, so perhaps don't judge him too harshly on his ancestry," Harry replied.
"So do you think they'll be hard competition, or do you think you can beat them at everything?" Charlie asked with a smirk, not bothering to move any further away, though he had to have noticed by then that he was much too close to Harry.
Harry smirked, tracing a finger down Charlie's cheek and around his stubble-covered chin. "Now, now, play nice, Mr. Weasley. I haven't seen enough of their abilities or personalities to judge them on that yet."
Charlie's eyes fluttered for a split second, so fast that he was sure that Harry hadn't even noticed. He leaned so close that their noses were almost pressed together, smirking back at the younger man. "Mr. Weasley is my father, Harry. I'm just Charlie."
"Alright, Just Charlie," Harry mimicked, his smirk widening as Charlie blushed lightly. The trance was broken when one of the other handlers decided it was time to start the drinking games, and pulled Harry away to be a participant.
A few hours and quite a few pints of beer and shots later, Harry was right smashed and feeling very good. He'd lost track of Charlie over the course of the night, but had been welcomed with open arms by another group of handlers, who were trying to teach him curse words in Romanian. As he stumbled to the loo to relieve himself, he was accosted and pulled down a corridor off to the side of the bathroom and pushed up against a wall, rather firmly.
It was dark, and his vision was already extremely fuzzy from all the alcohol, but there was no mistaking that long red hair and the incredibly defined muscles as Harry clung to his attacker's arms for support. He could feel hot breath that smelt strongly of firewhiskey wafting over his parted lips, breathing heavier than was strictly necessary. Before Harry had a chance to say anything, hot, slightly chapped lips were pressed firmly to his. It took him a second to respond, but he willingly opened his mouth when Charlie's tongue probed for entrance. He moaned as the older man pushed even closer to him, pressing his substantially large hard-on into Harry's thigh.
"Take me home," Harry gasped as he pulled away from the kiss for a quick breath. He stared into Charlie's icy blue eyes, feeling a shiver travel the length of his body as he saw the spark of interest and hunger in the older man's eyes. Even if they were both pissed and not exactly capable of rational decisions, he knew he had never wanted anything more in his life than to go home with Charlie and explore every inch of his lean, hard body with his hands – and his tongue.
Without any warning, Charlie apparated both of them to his room in their shared cottage. Harry hardly had time to regain his balance before his shirt was being stripped off of him. He responded in kind, not bothering with the buttons on Charlie's shirt and just ripping the material, buttons flying in every direction. Harry immediately started exploring the redhead's chest and abs, moaning loudly when Charlie latched onto his neck, nibbling and sucking in just the right spot.
Harry's hands scrabbled for Charlie's belt buckle, quickly and efficiently getting it out of the way, as well at the button and zipper. He was about to tug down the man's pants when Charlie caught his wrists, drawing his eyes back up to his face, which was just as flushed as Harry was sure his own was.
"Are you sure, Harry?" Charlie asked quietly, gently rubbing the skin of Harry's wrists with his calloused thumbs. Harry shuddered and nodded slowly, taking a step closer. He was a good five or so inches shorter than Charlie, but that didn't matter just then.
"Yes, I'm sure. I want you," he whispered, pulling Charlie's head down for a long, thorough kiss.
Things slowed down from there, but they didn't get any less passionate. Each caress was savoured, each kiss lingered upon. The rest of their clothing was removed slowly and deliberately, their move to Charlie's bed gradual. Harry allowed himself to be laid down, Charlie's strong and firm body on top of his.
"I've always wanted you, but I was always too much older. I don't care anymore. I need you," Charlie said, plying Harry's neck and chest with hot, open-mouthed kisses. His hands were caressing Harry's inner thighs, making the younger man tremble and squirm.
"Please, Charlie," Harry breathed, worn down so much that he didn't care if it sounded like he was begging, because he was. He couldn't wait any longer; he'd needed this for so long, he just hadn't known where to find it.
CHCHCH
The sunrise brought with it a thick layer of fog that nearly obscured the windows completely. The thin red curtains hanging in the window did little to keep out the bright light, however, and Charlie woke before it had risen completely. He blinked against the sharp assault of light and attempted to shift away from it, only to realize that someone was lying on top of his arm, dead asleep.
Everything that had happened the previous night suddenly came flooding back to him as he stared down at the dark haired man that was curled up against his bare chest. He let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes with one hand. He knew he had to wake Harry up eventually, but he had no idea what he was going to say. He felt distinctly guilty.
The decision was taken out of Charlie's hands, however, when Harry stretched and yawned, his eyes snapping open as he realized he wasn't alone in bed. The two men stared at each other for a long time, both frozen in their own thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Charlie said quietly, trying to move away from the younger man to give him some space. No matter how far he moved away, though, it didn't change what they had done the night before.
Harry sat up, leaning his back against the headboard as he dragged a hand through his dishevelled hair. "Sorry? Why the hell are you sorry, Charlie? Last night was – "
"I shouldn't have. I took advantage of you."
Harry stared at the red haired man for a while before shaking his head vehemently. "No, Charlie – you didn't take advantage of me at all. You asked me before anything even happened if I was sure it was what I wanted, and I told you yes. I meant it."
Charlie pulled the sheet closer to his naked body, letting Harry take the blanket to cover himself. Of all the one night stands, this was definitely the most awkward Charlie had felt the morning after. "But you were drunk, Harry, I had no right to – "
Harry moved quickly, straddling Charlie's legs and grasping his arms. "I was sober enough to make that decision for myself, and I meant what I said. Please don't take that from me."
Charlie was shocked into paralysis for so long that Harry thought he might have gone a little too far. Just as he was about to pull away, Charlie gripped the back of his neck and pulled him down, pressing his lips firmly to Harry's. The younger man moaned softly as Charlie slid his tongue in to explore the ridges and warmth of Harry's mouth.
"Then I guess I should say thank you instead."
Harry grinned against the older man's lips. "The feeling is mutual, I assure you."
Breakfast that morning was relatively relaxed and quiet, the two men exchanging smiles and blushes like awkward teenagers periodically. It was a pleasant kind of awkwardness, however, and it only reaffirmed Harry's beliefs of having no regrets.
However, neither one of them had anticipated the physical training that would start today for the trainees, and Harry was sore enough as it was. He shrugged as Charlie sent him an apologetic look from across the training room where he was helping set up mats. Harry made sure to pull him aside the first chance he got.
"Stop apologizing, verbally or with your eyes. Any pain I'm in today is bloody well worth it, so shut it."
Charlie smirked at the dark haired man and nodded, watching Harry carefully as he strutted back over to the other trainees, who were doing stretches to prepare.
"That man, your house-mate. He's your lover too?" Emile asked as he bent down and touched his fingers to his toes. He kept glancing over at Charlie, who was talking to the physical trainer before heading out to attend to his usual duties for the day.
Harry willed the blush away from him cheeks and knew he was only partially successful. "Um...Well, that's a pretty personal question."
"If there's nothing there, there would be no reason to hide it or hesitate," Emile replied with a gentle smile, indicating that he was simply stating a fact and not trying to goad Harry.
"Fair point; I'll give you that one. In a manner of speaking, unofficially, I guess you could say we've been involved," Harry admitted, hoping Emile wasn't the type to go about spreading rumours and landing Harry in some hot water with Charlie and the rest of the Weasley clan.
"Mmm, I can tell. He looks at you like you're...special. And I don't mean because you are the Saviour. You're even more special to him than some silly label."
Harry paused in his stretching as he stared at the slightly taller man. Did Charlie really look at him a certain way? And if he did, was it really quite that noticeable. His questions were apparently printed across his forehead in bold print.
"I went to university in Auckland and majored in Sociology and Psychology. I am essentially an expert on human behaviour and interactions. It's not as obvious as you think it is," Emile said with a smirk, chuckling lightly as Harry let out a slow, relieved breath.
"Just how much trouble would you be in if it was to become public knowledge?"
Harry sighed heavily and glanced wearily at the German man, trying to judge if he could trust the man. It was a bit late for that, however, since he seemed to be able to read Harry and everyone else like open books that screamed their words to people.
"Well, my best mate back in London is his little brother, who's younger than him by about ten or eleven years. I dated his little sister back at Hogwarts, who's twelve years younger than him, and he has a total of four other brothers who can beat the shit out of me quite easily. I'm sure their sister and deceased brother would help somehow as well. Not to mention I'm eleven years younger than him myself."
"Oh, you're very young, aren't you? Homophobic or overprotective?" Emile asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Overprotective. Extremely overprotective. And I'm twenty; not a babe, not yet a man, apparently."
Emile smirked as the instructor called them all over to start their training. "Oh I'm fairly certain you've earned the title of man, in more ways than one."
Harry blushed quite spectacularly, unable to come up with a proper response.
After four hours of cardio and running laps around a small enclosure, Harry was dying for a bit of rest and something to eat. Charlie was there, right on time to take Harry home and arrange their lunch.
"I've played Quidditch for the last nine years; how could I possibly be this out of shape?" Harry complained before taking a large bite of the sandwich the house elf had brought.
"You're not necessarily out of shape, Harry, but being a Handler takes much more strength than simply being in shape. Dragon's are very resistant to magic. Therefore, if we ever need to subdue, catch or tame one, we have to do it physically with ropes and our own strength. It gets easier after a few weeks, I promise. I know the first couple will be pretty unpleasant, though. I have this pretty fantastic topical potion for sore muscles, though, so you won't be suffering the whole time," Charlie said with a smile.
"Ugh, I hate exercising, though," Harry pouted, finishing off his sandwich and slumping tiredly in his chair. He watched as Charlie stood up and moved around the table, stopping behind Harry's chair. He let out a quiet hiss as strong hands began to kneed his aching shoulders and neck. Harry rolled his head forward, giving Charlie more room to work with.
"This is also a very good way to ease some of the discomfort," Charlie said quietly, his voice very near Harry's ear as he continued to rub the knots out of the younger man's shoulders. "How much time do you have before your next class?"
Harry glanced at the clock above the stove in the kitchen and smiled. "Half an hour."
"Oh good, plenty of time then. Come shower with me," Charlie said, pulling his strong hands away from Harry's shoulder and hauling him up by the hands instead.
Harry chuckled and allowed the older man to lead him down the hall, through Charlie's room, and into the enormous bathroom that matched Harry's own. As he began to unbutton his shirt, Charlie stepped up in front of him and took over, lifting Harry's chin so he could kiss him gently on the lips.
Harry worked on the buttons on Charlie's shirt, and eventually both pieces of clothing were dropped haphazardly to the floor. Without much fanfare and a few more chaste kisses, they were both completely nude and stepping into the glass shower.
The water was cold for a split second, then warmed up considerably, making Harry moan quietly as the warm water soothed his aching muscles. He felt Charlie move behind him, wrapping his strong arms around Harry's waist, soaping up his stomach and chest with a flannel. His hand then travelled further south, and Harry let his head fall back onto Charlie's shoulder as he let himself go completely.
CHCHCHCH
Another week of physical training and tutoring classes later, and Harry was very glad he had made the decision to leave London and come to the preserve. The friendly competition between himself and Emile was great fun, as were the times they sat and joked about what a snooty little prince Henry was. Harry got to see his first live birth, of the dragon variety, and never once felt ashamed that he was moved to tears, as Charlie stood beside him, and wiped his own tears away with a smile.
Living with Charlie was amazing. They hadn't exactly intended for things to move so quickly, but it took on a life of its own. They made love nearly every night, and Harry hadn't slept in his own bed since his first night on the preserve. Charlie was funny, strong, bloody gorgeous and an amazing kisser. His passion and love for the dragons and his job made him that much more appealing, and Harry was starting to think he could get very used to this arrangement.
During his lunch break at the end of his second week, Harry was trying to get Charlie to give him another back rub with the floo roared to life, startling both of them away from each other. Harry thanked his lucky stars for both of their paranoia as Ginny stepped out of the fire with a wide smile.
"Ginny! What are you doing here, sis?" Charlie said as he pulled his little sister into a tight hug, ruffling her hair and earning a heated Weasley glare from her.
"I asked Mum if I could come visit with you and Harry for the weekend!" Ginny said with an excited smile, abandoning her brother to walk over to Harry, hugging him tightly.
"It's good to see you," Harry said with a smile, feeling the panic bubble in his stomach as Charlie met his eyes over the top of Ginny's fiery head.
"Well, you could have at least given us some warning, Gin. Harry still has classes this afternoon, and I have an enclosure to clean up. Old Merlin, the original dragon that you got to meet when you were still a little tyke, he passed away last night," Charlie said with a frown. Merlin had been the first dragon he'd ever handled, and he had bonded with the surly old beast for many years now. He was very sad to see him go.
"Oh no! The poor thing. Are they having a burial for it like they did that little one who didn't make it a few years ago?" Ginny asked, patting her brother gently on the arm. She knew how important these beasts were to him. What she didn't know was that Harry had held Charlie as he cried all night, mourning the loss of the regal dragon.
"Nah, only the babies get buried. Merlin gets a proper goodbye. It's actually a really fascinating ceremony that the Norwegian Ridgebacks go through. They do this dance, kind of like the mating ceremony for the Chinese Fireballs, but slower and then they essentially roast the body down to ashes. The song, though, that's the most beautiful part. Some say it's even more beautiful than phoenix song," Charlie's eyes were alight in wonder, and Harry wanted nothing more than to kiss him and share in his passion, but Ginny smiled brightly at both of them as she dragged her bag down the hall towards the guest room.
"Well I'm glad I'll be here to see and hear it, then!" she called from the room. Harry sighed heavily, frowning over at Charlie, who looked just as lost as he did. Ginny would be heartbroken if she found out about them, but it wasn't fair to keep it a secret either.
"We'll talk after you get out of class, I promise," Charlie whispered, kissing Harry quickly on the lips before Ginny could emerge from her room. He left to tend to the enclosure that once belonged to the oldest dragon in the colony.
"I guess I'll just hang out in here until dinner. Oh, I wonder if the Handler's will have another life celebration for Merlin! You should have seen the last one, Harry, it was great fun," Ginny said excitedly.
"How many times have you visited Charlie here?" Harry asked curiously. It sounded like Ginny knew more about dragons than he did, and it unnerved him a little.
"The last time was the year before I started Hogwarts. Things got too complicated after that with the war, and especially after my first year with the Chamber of Secrets nonsense. Mum wouldn't let me out of her sight after that. I used to love visiting Charlie here, though. Aside from Fred and George, Charlie was always my favourite," Ginny said with a wink. She plopped down on the sofa and kicked her shoes off, looking right at home.
"What about Ron?" Harry asked, laughing as she made a disgusted face.
"Urgh, why even ask that, Harry?"
Harry checked his watch, a present from Charlie, and realized he was going to be late if he didn't hightail it to class. "I've got to go, Gin; don't want to be late. I'll see you for dinner!" Harry called as he grabbed up his books and left the cottage, waving as Ginny called her farewell.
Harry's hour and a half class on dragon healing seemed to take eons to end. As soon as Enrich started winding down, Harry packed all of his supplies away and waited for his dismissal. He was grateful that Charlie always made sure to meet him outside of the training tent, because Harry would have gotten lost looking for him otherwise.
Charlie pulled Harry off to the side, around the back end of the training tent where construction material for the enclosures was kept. He pulled Harry close and kissed him, savouring the way the younger man seemed to melt in his arms.
"What are we going to tell Ginny? I had expected to be able to talk to her about not being with her at some point, but then this thing between us happened, and now she's here for the weekend – " Harry was abruptly cut off as Charlie kissed him again, running a hand through his messy hair before pulling away.
"Calm down, Harry. We'll figure this out. This thing between us, what is it, exactly?" Charlie asked, his expression one of honest curiosity. Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around the older man's neck.
"It's perfect, what I've wanted and needed for a long time now. I don't want this to be a fling, Charlie; I want to be with you for a very long time," Harry admitted, feeling his heart pound in his chest as Charlie smiled widely down at him.
"Then I guess we're going to have to lie low this weekend."
Harry's smile faded as he gave Charlie a confused look. Was this just a fling to him, would he throw Harry away after his training was over? "Why?"
Charlie leaned down and kissed the brunette once more, smiling at the way his eyes fluttered closed before the kiss, and opened slowly after. "Because if we tell Ginny about us this weekend, she's going to go home and shout it from the roof tops to the rest of the family. I think it would be better if we told them on our own terms, in our own time, right?"
Harry nodded, relief flooding him as a happy tingle travelled all the way up from his toes and ended at his lips, where Charlie was kissing him once more. "Alright. I'll talk to her about my...I'll tell her that I'm gay this weekend, then, so that when we tell everyone else, it won't be such a shock to her."
"Good idea. She'll be wondering where we are if we don't get home. There's supposed to be a big life celebration tonight, and she'll want to be there." Charlie kissed Harry one last time, lingering against his lips as their tongues slid slowly together.
Fifteen minutes later, Charlie, Harry and Ginny were entering the dining hall together, loud laughter and music already taking over. The meal was more like a feast, and countless barrels of ale were set up across the tables, men filling their mugs and toasting each other uproariously. Enrich and Emile came in behind them, and Ginny squealed with laughter as Enrich lifted her up in a tight hug.
"Ginger-snap! My, how you've grown! How long has it been, eh?"
Ginny swept her long hair out of her face as she regained her feet. She was beaming up at the older man, much a like a child would their hero. "It's been about eight years. What with the war and all, mum just wouldn't let me come, but she can't stop me now! I'm two years of age, so I can make my own decisions."
"And why, pray tell, did you not sign up for the apprenticeship, young lady?" Enrich asked with a mock glare. There was a soft twinkle in his eyes that Harry knew he saved for his favourites. He knew, because it was always there when Enrich talked to Harry.
"Well, actually...I tried out for the Holyhead Harpies last year, but I only got the reserve Chaser position. I had a chance to try out again this year because Gwenog is finally retiring." Ginny paused, giving her little story just the dramatic pause she was going for. She beamed over at her brother, who was giving her a curious look. "I'm now the new Chaser for the Harpies, on the real team! Training starts next month."
"Gin, that's great news!" Charlie said, wrapping his sister in a hug as she let out an excited squeal of laughter.
"You've got to be the youngest player since Gwenog herself," Harry commented as he clapped Ginny on the shoulder, an obvious disappointment to her, as she had been expecting a hug.
"Yeah, I am. Mum and Dad are going bonkers at home. I only found out yesterday. They're planning a surprise party for when I get back. I say surprise because they don't think I know that's what they were planning with Hermione and George when I left."
Emile walked up from beside Enrich, who was now talking Quidditch with Charlie, who had been one of Hogwarts most legendary Seekers as well. The Weasleys were apparently riddled with Quidditch players, dating back since the game had been invented.
"Harry, would you join me in a drink?" Emile asked, glancing quickly at Ginny and back again. Harry gave him a curious look, but nodded and led the way to one of the barrels of ale.
When they both had a pint of ale, foaming heavily and quite bitter, to Harry at least, Emile sat down at one of the tables, motioning for Harry to sit as well. Harry took the seat, wondering what Emile wanted to talk about so much.
"That girl, Ginny, she is the sister of your friend, Charlie?"
Harry nodded, taking a sip of his ale and smacking his lips. It had taken him a while to get used to the taste, but it wasn't half bad now. "Yeah, that's Charlie's youngest sibling. She just turned nineteen in August. Why do you ask?"
"I seem to remember you saying you had been involved with her before, no?" Emile asked after drinking half of his pint. He was much more of a drinker than Harry, and he seemed to savour the bitter taste of the ale.
"Um, yeah, we dated back at Hogwarts for a few months. I broke things off with her for the war efforts to try to protect her. During that time is when I realized I preferred men, so I never tried to start it back up. She doesn't know, though. She's been hinting at it for years, but I just haven't the heart the let her down," Harry admitted, wondering why it felt so good to get that all off his chest. Besides Charlie, Emile was the only other person who knew about his sexuality, and he felt a certain freedom around the man.
Emile finished off his pint and pushed the mug aside, folding his hands in front of him. "Well, to be fair to both yourself and the young woman, it would be best to tell her the truth so that you can get rid of the guilt, and she can move on to different people."
Harry sighed heavily, knowing that Emile was perfectly right. That didn't make the situation any easier, though. "I know. She's here for the weekend, so I figured I would tell her before she left. That way when the rest of the family finds out about Charlie and me, she won't be so shocked."
Emile smirked and leaned forward, reminding Harry vaguely of Draco Malfoy, someone he hadn't seen in years. He wondered if Emile would have been in Slytherin if he'd attended Hogwarts. "Ah, so this thing with Charlie is more than just a fling, eh? I knew it would be, from the very start. I could sense it."
Harry blushed lightly, smiling as he glanced over at Charlie, who looked to be in deep conversation with Ginny. Ginny actually looked kind of annoyed, but Harry brushed it off. "Charlie is amazing. We've not really been together for very long, but I think I could fall in love with him. I think I'm already starting to fall; I just haven't gotten all the way there yet. I guess I was just meant to be with a Weasley, I just tried it out with the wrong one first."
A few hours later, the life celebration ended in a Romanian prayer for the recently deceased dragon. Most of the older Handlers had been around when Merlin was still in his prime, though he was at least a century and a half old at his death. Many of the other Handlers had also worked with Merlin in one way or another, and were all deeply saddened by his death.
"The Ridgebacks will be up early to start their farewell, boys. The cacophony will keep anyone from sleeping, so I suggest you get as much sleep as you can before they start. Off with ya!" Enrich called to the crowded dining hall.
All of the men began to flood out of the building, still trading their stories about their first encounters with Merlin and showing off various scars they had received from the dragon. Harry caught up with Charlie and Ginny as Emile waved goodbye to him.
"You're awfully friendly with that German fellow, Harry," Ginny commented on the walk back to Harry and Charlie's cottage.
"Yeah, well he's a fellow trainee, so we end up spending quite a lot of time together. He's a pretty nice guy, though he's generally very quiet."
"Hmm," was Ginny's only response. Harry shared a look with Charlie, who just shook his head, as if indicating they'd talk about it later.
It was with a very heavy heart that Harry retired to his own room that night, without the chance to tell Charlie a proper goodnight. He vowed to tell Ginny tomorrow, that way they'd be one step closer to telling everyone about their relationship. Harry grinned like a fool as he realized that after their conversation earlier in the day, he and Charlie were officially dating.
CHCHCHCH
It was just before sunrise, and only about four hours since Harry had laid down to sleep, when the first earth rattling rumble shook the cottage. He had to think a moment before he remembered the Ridgeback ritual that would be taking place all day. It then took him another moment to groan and bury his head in his pillow.
"Nothing for it, mate. You won't be getting back to sleep. Besides, it's a pretty cool sight. Come look," Charlie said from his doorway, wearing nothing but his sleep pants, which made Harry groan again.
Harry got out of bed and found his dressing gown, wrapping it around himself to ward against the cold that was starting to creep in. Charlie and Ginny were already in the sitting room, drinking tea and eating pastries. The large window that pointed towards the preserve was open, and boy was it quite a sight.
At least ten dragons were all moving in a slow circle, alternating between walking and flying in a dizzying pattern. Soft crooning sounds were sent up as a lick of flame shot out at the target in the middle, which was hard to see from the angle they were sitting. Harry knew that Merlin was in the middle though. This was the Norwegian Ridgeback's way of sending the regal Merlin off in style.
"Just wait until the heat reaches us. We haven't seen one of these in a few years, which is only considered a good thing, really. Poor old Merlin..." Charlie said wistfully as he watched the ritual outside of the window.
Harry smiled sadly and pat Charlie gently on the leg as he poured himself some tea and sat back, his hand lingering perhaps a little too long on Charlie's leg. He purposely did not look over at Ginny.
"Emile stopped by a few minutes ago," Ginny said, sipping at her tea as she too focussed on the ritual.
"Oh? What for?" Harry asked, honestly curious. Last night when the German man had questioned Harry about Ginny, he thought that he was only trying to help Harry out with some advice. Perhaps it was more than that.
Ginny never took her eyes off of the dancing dragons, still sipping leisurely at her tea. "Well, he kind of asked me to go watch the ritual with him."
Harry sent a confused look at Charlie, but the older man seemed to know something he didn't. "Oh, ok. Well, why didn't you go, then? Emile's a really nice guy; I think you'd get along with him really well."
"Don't you know what asking a girl to see one of these rituals means?" Ginny asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the window long enough to give Harry a scathing look.
"I think I should, but I don't," Harry said with a shrug. He smirked as Charlie tried to hide his snort of laughter and failed.
Ginny rolled her eyes, looking past her brother, who was sitting in the middle on the sofa between Harry and Ginny. "I guess they teach Handler traditions after the important stuff about dragons. There's a special courting that Handlers are supposed to perform if they're really interested in a girl. Asking a girl to watch a burning, a mating, or a birthing ritual is ideal for the first step."
Harry grinned, which surprised Ginny, he could tell. "So Emile is trying to court you, eh? Well, let him! Did you know he's Gellert Grindelwald's great great-grandson?"
Ginny blanched, nearly spilling the last of her tea over her night shirt. "He's what? And I didn't let him because I was waiting for you to ask me, Harry!"
The playfulness was immediately sucked from the conversation as Harry sat his tea cup aside. This was it, his chance to tell Ginny that things would never go any further between them. He smiled thankfully as Charlie stood up and left them to it. He took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for a very emotional reaction.
"Ginny...What we had at Hogwarts, that was something special, and I'll never forget it, trust me," Harry said, giving her a significant look. Ginny blushed, knowing that Harry meant the first and only time they had made love.
"But we're not at Hogwarts anymore. We're not children, and I've been a coward long enough, so it's time I be honest with you. I'll always love you, Gin, like a sister. But it'll never be more than that."
Ginny's eyes were over-bright and her frown made Harry's chest ache, but he wasn't done yet. "But...why? What did I do?"
Harry sighed and moved over so he could take Ginny's hand in his own, squeezing it gently. "Oh, Ginny, you didn't do anything wrong. I know this is the last thing you probably want to hear, but it's me, not you. After I left Hogwarts and I took Ron and Hermione with me to search for the Horcruxes, things happened. I realized that...I'm gay, Ginny. I like men."
"Oh Merlin, I turned Harry Potter gay!" Ginny exclaimed her expression horrified.
Harry snorted in laughter and shook his head. "No, Ginny, you didn't. You do remain the only girl I've ever been with, though."
Ginny smiled at that, squeezing Harry's hand in return. "So, how did you figure that out? Please, don't tell me Ron –"
"Oh Merlin, no! No, no, no, not Ron. It was actually a chance encounter with an old friend. After that, everything just made sense to me. I figured out why I was so reluctant to pursue things with Cho, why we had the problems we did." Ginny snorted, and Harry shot her a rueful glare.
"Who was this old friend then, eh?" Ginny asked with a smirk. She seemed to be taking things much better than Harry had anticipated. He only hoped she would be this calm when she found out about him and Charlie.
"Oliver Wood. We ran into him in one of the Muggle villages we were staying in. He was hiding out, and we offered to let him tag along with us until he found his own way. We didn't really plan it, it just sort of happened," Harry shrugged. He would always remember his first time with a man, in the middle of a rainstorm, on a charmed cloak. He smiled at the memory.
"You know, Charlie is gay too," Ginny pointed out with a smirk.
Harry tried to fight the blush, he honestly did, but he didn't think he was very successful. Truly, he should have seen this coming from a mile away. "Yeah, um, I know," he said, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible.
Ginny stared at Harry, studied his face before her jaw dropped and she shoved Harry playfully. "Charlie, really? Harry, he's eleven years older than you!" Ginny laughed, knowing she was right when Harry broke out into a grin.
"I know that, too. But he's also really sweet, gorgeous, strong, and I mean more than just physically. The first night I spent here, I had a nightmare, and Charlie heard me. He came into my room and laid with me to calm me down, then stayed with me all night when I asked him to. No one else has ever done that for me, Gin. I think I could really love that man, and I'm falling already after only two weeks."
Ginny was smiling, a reaction Harry was certainly not expecting. She leaned over and kissed him on each cheek, something Harry had seen her do to Hermione after her and Ron announced their engagement. He felt his heart speed up. "I give you my blessing, Harry."
Harry pulled her into a tight hug, struggling to keep his emotions from taking over. Ginny had just given her blessing, a pureblood tradition performed by siblings to show they accepted the new member of the family. It was all he could have asked for from her. "Thank you, so much."
"Good luck with the rest of the family, especially Mum. Maybe I could make things easier though, by going to find Emile. If I bring home another boy, she might let you off the hook for leaving me hanging," Ginny said with a playful smile.
"I really am sorry, Gin. I should have told you much sooner," Harry admitted, feeling the sense of guilt lessen somewhat when Ginny shrugged.
"It's alright. You can't help who you love, Harry. At least you still managed to end up with a Weasley."
Harry burst out into laughter, glad to hear that Ginny was joining in. They both stopped when they heard someone clear their throat behind them. Ginny immediately stood up, walked over to Charlie, and gave him a big hug, kissing both of his cheeks as well. "You have my blessing, big brother."
"Thank you, Ginevra," Charlie said, sounding a little breathless as he looked over at Harry, who was beaming at him.
"Ugh, don't call me that! I'm going to get dressed and hunt down Emile; you two have fun," Ginny called as she disappeared into her room to change her clothes.
Harry stood up and moved towards Charlie, who pulled the younger man into his arms. He lifted Harry's chin and kissed him gently, brushing a hand through his ebony locks.
"Did you mean what you said, about falling for me?" Charlie asked quietly, his icy blue eyes never looking away from Harry's emerald ones.
Harry smiled and nodded, wrapping his arms tightly around Charlie's neck. "Yes, I meant everything I said."
"Good, because I feel the same way."
The redhead leaned down and kissed Harry again, lingering on his lips. A musical sound started to reverberate through the cottage and across the preserve. Like phoenix song, it felt like it was inside of you, instead of around you. The Ridgebacks were singing their goodbye's to Merlin just as the first rays of sun began to peak through the clouds and fog in a scarlet and gold Romanian sunrise. It was the most beautiful day of Harry's life.
A/N: Finally! I can't believe this story is actually done! I might write a sequel, depending on the responses I get from it. Review and let me know what you think!