Chance
The Golden Snitch:
Jurassic fever:
Diplodocus prompt.
Using bonus prompt, Charlie Weasley.
TGS:
Ollivander's wand shop:
Horace Slughorn-Core: dragon heartstring
TGS:
Through the universe:
Circumpolar star.
The golden Snitch:
The golden chase 2018 (happy birthday, Harry!)
Prompt 7.
Vela, Aurora
Words: 1215
Yes, another probably horrible story; what of it?
Charlie Weasley had never believed in chance.
He had always thought that everything was plotted out and happened to get to the end point of their lives. This was until he was asked back to Hogwarts by his youngest brother, Ron, for a favour. Ron and his friends, Emily Potter and Hermione Granger were helping out the groundskeeper, Hagrid, by asking him to take a dragon off his hands before it was found on him. Naturally, Charlie agreed to help.
When he and the three others travelling with him arrived to collect the dragon, they found Hermione and Emily waiting for them with the dragon called Norbert. Charlie did not pay much attention to the two eleven-year-olds at the time; he saw them as friends as Ron and nothing else about them sunk him. Only later on would he realise that this chance encounter with Emily would one day change everything.
The very next year, Charlie returned to Hogwarts to see Ginny. She had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets and held prisoner, and had half her soul sucked out of her for a time. Then there was just the mental tremor she would suffer as a result of all this.
Emily Potter was the reason Ginny was still alive. She had bravely faced a Basilisk and fought the shade of Voldemort. For a twelve-year-old, that was bloody amazing.
"Thank you so much, Emily," Charlie said to the black-haired girl. He had taken her a bit away from the others to speak to her.
"It is nothing, really," Emily responded shyly.
"The Weasley family will always be in your debt, or I certainly will, anyway. So, if you ever need any help or anything, do not be afraid to ask," Charlie said with a small nod.
"It's fine, really. I do not need you to be in my debt or anything," Emily said.
"No, I insist," Charlie said before moving away from Emily back to the bed Ginny was occupying.
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The next time he saw Emily was just before the Quidditch World Cup. She and Hermione had been invited to join them there, and they had stayed for the week beforehand. It was an awesome game, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
What happened afterwards Charlie was a little ashamed of. Ron, Ginny, Emily and Hermione had all gone into the forest nearby the camping ground with Fred and George to hide from the attacking Death Eaters, but they ended up getting separated, and Ron and his two friends almost got into trouble for casting the dark mark!
Charlie felt bad because he should have gone with them to make sure they stayed alright, and he would have blamed himself if something happened to them. There were plenty of adults around to duel the Death Eaters, so he should have gone with them!
He had hoped Fred and George who were with them would keep an eye on them, but of course, they had to get distracted by Veela, and they're thoughts about their young siblings and friends were quickly forgotten.
Unfortunately, he did not get to apologise to Emily; he apologised to the other four, but not her, he had to return to work before he got the chance. He felt as though he had let them all down, but Emily especially. He had told her he would always be able to help if she ever got in trouble, but he was not there! Then there were his two siblings he let down…
What was fortunate was that when the school term came by he would get the opportunity to apologise to Emily. For the Triwizard Cup being held at Hogwarts, they were bringing dragons which would arrive a few days after the champions where announced; as there was still a few weeks before the first task, but it should be late enough that not too many people would stumble across the dragons.
Dragons needed time to settle in, otherwise, they would be going to kill the champions: this way they would only be defending their next, hopefully.
What happened that Charlie was not expecting was Emily's name coming out of the goblet. There was suppose to be an age line around it! How did it happen? But not for a moment, Charlie believed Emily had put her name in, she did not strike him as the type.
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Two days after the dragons arrived at Hogwarts, Charlie was walking around the Black Lake where he found Emily, sitting at the foot of a tree, staring out into the lake. As he approached he could see she was crying.
"I don't believe you put your name in," Charlie said, stopping next to her.
Emily jumped and looked up at him. "Why not? Everyone else does. But I swear, I did not put my name it! I do not want to compete!" she said sobbing.
"Why wouldn't I believe you? I think someone at your age would be crazy for wanting to do it." Charlie started. "You know, hard times always reveal true friends," Charlie asked, sitting down on the ground next to her.
"I don't know," Emily said shaking her head. Then she said crying even more, "If that's the case, I do not have any true friends! It is not fair: no one has ever been there for me, and I never had any friends before coming here. Some friends they are, as soon as my name gets questioned slightly they retreat just like that!" she clicked her fingers.
Charlie felt his heart go out to the fourteen-year-old girl, but he had no idea what to do. "I want to apologise for not helping you back at the Quidditch Cup, and I agree: life is not very fair most the time," Charlie said, breaking the awkward silence that was there for almost two minutes.
"Why? You did not do anything wrong. You cannot always be where you are needed," Emily said looking at him, surprised.
"I suppose," Charlie said. Now she was making him feel better about things, and she was doing a much better job at it than him!
"The first task is dragons—but you did not hear that from me," Charlie said suddenly. He could not hold his tongue: the other champions already had an advantage for the extra years of schooling under their belts, and she did not want to compete anyway, so why shouldn't he help her?
"What? All no," Emily said, going into uncontrollable tears.
"What I said after you saved Ginny was true: I am always willing to help you no matter what. And if you need someone, while I am here I will always be able to listen to you," Charlie said, making up his mind.
"Always?" Emily asked hopefully.
"Always," Charlie nodded. Then she started to cry into him. Charlie did nothing but comfort her and think about it all.
It seemed Emily Potter had stolen his heart and everything that went with it, but he did not care. All he wanted was to look after her, and always be there for her like no one else ever had been. He was truly thankful now for the chance encounter with her: he would not be here not if that had not happened!