AN: First story and I would love to hear what was thought of it. Please review! I will try to update quickly!
"Hey! Charlie! Wait up!" I yelled as I chased after my redheaded friend. He glanced over his shoulder at me briefly, but kept walking. "Charlie Weasley! Wait up!" I yelled again. This time he stopped.
"Yeah, Rowyn?" he asked harshly. I blanched. He was usually upbeat and happy. Well, not so much now. About a year ago, he disappeared and hadn't been the same since he returned. I still wasn't used to this new "Charlie".
"Just wanted to ask what you thought I should do about that Welsh Green?" I asked hesitantly. I was relatively new to the reserve, having started six years before. In this neck of the woods, I was still viewed as the rookie.
Charlie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before running a hand through his hair, making it more unruly than it already was. "Put the potion in a lamb's blood and goat meat mixture. That should restore her to full health in a few days," he said before turning and walking back to camp. I paused, worried about my former mentor.
No one could get out of him what had happened when he left last May. He wouldn't tell us for some reason. Whatever it was, he felt like he couldn't tell anyone on the Reserve. And that was what worried me most.
I sighed and walked towards the quarantine pens, where an elderly Welsh Green waited for me. "Hey girlie. You're looking gorgeous today," I murmured at her as I approached. Her white eyes searched futilely for me, her head swinging around to where my voice was coming from. I knew she wouldn't hurt me. She had been born as one of the first dragons on the Reserve and bottle-fed by the keepers there at the time. She was harmless, as long as you let her know you were there.
I slid the mixture to her and she sniffed it before turning away. "C'mon Gwen. It's your favorite!" I said, trying to coerce the dragon to eat. I sighed before hiking back towards camp.
I made quick work of returning and approached Charlie's tent. "Charlie?" I called out loudly.
"Hey, Winny? Is that you?" I heard another male voice call out and Charlie's brother poked his head out of the tent.
"Bill!" I yelled, running to give him a hug. I had met their entire family on a visit with Charlie to England several years ago. Since then, all but the youngest boy have visited the Reserve at least once. "How are you?" I asked. He paled slightly and shrugged. I knew something had happened.
"How are you?" he asked me. I glanced past him to the tent, where I could hear Charlie cussing slightly.
"Good, except having to put up with Mr. Mood-Swings there," I grumbled quietly. Though to be honest, I half-hoped Charlie had heard me.
"Go easy on him, Winny. Charlie's had a rough go of things lately," Bill muttered to me softly. I looked at him. Life hadn't exactly looked easy on him either. I had heard that Charlie's brother had been attacked by a werewolf, but it hadn't sunk in until I saw him like this.
He had lost weight off of his already skinny frame. His fang earring had been replaced with a piece of wood that looked like it may've been a piece of a wand at some point. His face was scarred and his blue eyes looked just as haunted as I had seen Charlie's.
"What happened to you guys?" I murmured, looking at the oldest Weasley brother. He shook his head.
"If he wanted to tell you, he would. It's not my business to say, Winny, you know that," Bill said back. I rolled my eyes.
"Well, Bill, you can tell them my answer's no," Charlie said as he exited the tent behind us. We both spun around.
"Charlie, come on. George needs us all to be there. For him," Bill pleaded. Charlie faltered. "Winny, you should come too," Bill said hesitantly. Charlie immediately started shaking his head.
"No. No way. I'll come, but she stays here. She doesn't belong in that mess, Bill. There's a reason I left her here the first time," Charlie argued. Bill didn't respond, but I could tell they were having a stand-off.
"Charlie, I'm coming. I would love to see your family again! Last time I saw Ron, he was twelve! I bet he's changed a lot since then! And Ginny too!" I argued. Charlie still shook his head.
"No. You have to stay and take care of Gwen. You know she only doesn't roast me and you," he said stubbornly. I knew I was more stubborn than he was, but I didn't want to argue.
"Fine. But you better tell them all hi and explain why I didn't come visit this time," I said. He nodded and with a loud pop, the brothers were gone.