Handling Fire

He was done.

He was so done.

For years, his mother had attempted setting him up with women she knew, but no more after this. No more. Charlie was done.

"Mum, I'm fine being single," he'd say, but it was in through one ear and out the other with her. As soon as he came home to visit, she'd have found a 'nice girl from a nice family' for him to talk to. The woman was desperate to meddle in her children's lives, and, as a result, Charlie was now sitting opposite the quite possibly dullest person he had ever had the misfortune to meet. She wasn't bad-looking, and she did have a brain, but by Godric was she not right for him.

Charlie rested his chin on his hand and tried to keep his face attentive and polite as the witch (Gemma? Emma?) spoke about her work. Several times throughout her story, he had to fight the urge to ask her why she worked at the Ministry. How could someone look and sound so dispassionate about what they did for a living and still stay there?

"So, do you like doing . . . what was it you said you did, again?" asked Charlie finally.

The witch blinked. "I work as a statistical analyst, overseeing the growth of magical creatures' population, down at the 'Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures'," she began.

So that explained why his mother thought they'd be good together, thought Charlie.

"And while the money isn't as much as I'd like, it's still something I very much enjoy doing." Gem-Emma adjusted the mug of cold Butterbeer in her hand and took a sip. And that seemed to be that.

Charlie nearly ran out of there when an hour had passed and their lunch date came to an end. He paid for both of them, and thanked her for the time they'd spent together, but making sure to word his thanks carefully so she wouldn't get the impression that he wanted to meet again. Luckily, she appeared to be as relieved as he was that it was over, and he relaxed. He didn't take offence either. If it didn't work, it didn't work.

He exited the restaurant, and as his feet hit the cobble stoned street of Diagon Alley, he took a deep breath. There wasn't as much as a breeze to be had, and he watched as everyone else repeatedly cast cooling charms on themselves and their children.

Charlie, on the other hand, fully embraced the scorching heat of the sun. He worked with dragons for Merlin's sake, there wasn't anything warm that could scare him. While most people ran away from fire, Charlie welcomed it.

And he decided right then and there, to never settle for anyone who didn't possess the ability to burn him.