He felt great remorse, and yet, another part of him was excited. He couldn't wait to learn all about dragons; but even as images of Hungarian Horntails and Chinese Fireballs soared through Charlie's mind he couldn't get rid of the picture of a tearful Rachael smiling sadly as she waved goodbye. It was only six weeks though. Rachael made it out to seem like she didn't believe he was really coming back

10 years later…

"Charlie Benjamin Weasley! Get your sorry arse out of bed!" Charlie's mum roared. He had been planning on sleeping in. It was only the second time Charlie had ever been home since he left school. Charlie had told his mother he was only returning because of Bill's wedding and then he would leave for Romania. However, Charlie did have slightly ulterior motives and well truth be told he had no idea how long he was going to stay.

"Coming mum!" Charlie groaned a reply. He pulled a shirt over his head and threw some sweatpants on over his boxers. As Charlie climbed down the stairs he saw a young boy standing in the kitchen. Although Charlie had never seen this boy before he couldn't help but think that there was something slightly familiar about him. He had pale face and bright blonde hair. His eyes were a blue that reminded him of his mum's.

"Charlie this is Ben Serino. Ben this is my son Charlie," Molly explained. And then it hit him.

"Serino?" Charlie echoed not believing his eyes.

"Yes his mum, Rachael, lovely girl, single too, lives in the neighborhood and her sitter cancelled last minute so Ben is with us while Rachael is at work," Molly explained further.

"My mum's a Healer!" Ben supplied proudly.

"Wow," Charlie mused. He had never told his mother about him and Rachael so Mrs. Weasley went about distributing breakfast completely ignorant of Charlie's inner turmoil. Bill however gave Charlie a meaningful look as he sat down. Charlie couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around the little bit of drama unfolding itself into his other wise very enjoyable life.

"Ben Serino?" Charlie asked in a hushed whisper. He and Bill had offered to do the dishes in order to have a discussion without their mother breathing down their backs.

"Rachael lives just two blocks over," Bill said.

"How old is Ben?" Charlie wondered.

"Ten," Bill replied awaiting Charlie's reaction expectantly.

"Ten and no father?" Charlie mused.

"Don't worry about it I'm sure the kid isn't yours," Bill took Charlie's silence for a disagreement. "She would have told you Charlie," Bill insisted.

"No you don't know Rachael. She wouldn't have," Charlie countered.

"If Ben had any Weasley blood in him he'd be a red head," Bill argued. "Ben's hair is blonde." Charlie found Ben to be extremely similar to his mum. He was pretty smart for a ten year old. The day progressed and he picked out certain habits of Ben's that mirrored the one's he had become accustomed to seeing in Rachael. At the end of the day Charlie was caught completely off guard when Rachael turned up to get Ben.

"Oh you must come in dear. Even if it's only for ten minutes," Mrs. Weasley insisted.

"Oh alright," Rachael gave in. As she crossed the threshold into the burrow Charlie's breath caught in the back of his throat. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. She still had her same long blonde hair but she looked more defined, more mature. The two looked at each other for quite some time. Rachael's expression showed she was clearly shocked to see Charlie home.

"Hello Charlie," she broke the silence hovering about the room. Before he could reply Mrs. Weasley interjected.

"Oh you know each other!"

"We were in he same year at school," Charlie supplied.

"Who wants pie!?" asked Fleur fluttering into the kitchen before anymore could be said on the subject.

"I'll have some," Charlie said hoping to avoid what could turn into an incredibly awkward conversation.

"Ben's upstairs. I'll go fetch him," Charlie's mum announced.

"Oh-I-alright," Rachael consented. Moments later while Charlie was eating Ben and Molly appeared in the kitchen.

"Charlie dear you don't look so good," his mother pointed out. This was true. Charlie was breaking out in tiny hives on his cheeks and wrists.

"I can barely talk," Charlie agreed. His throat felt dry and itchy. It was also getting much harder to breather. He felt as if the air passageways in his body were closing. Only one thing ever did this to him. Rachael suddenly leapt to her feet.

"Fleur you didn't by any chance put peanuts into the pie did you?" Rachael asked although she probably already knew the answer judging by the look on her face.

"Why yes, it's part of-" Fleur began but was cut off by Charlie dropping his fork with an "Oh Merlin."

"Oh no! Sorry Charlie I forgot. This is all my fault. It's been ten years since I had to check ingredients," Mrs. Weasley moaned. "If only I had your potion on hand." Charlie attempted to speak to tell his mum that he had put some on the bottom shelf but his throat was closing up.

"Molly, If you don't mind I can," Rachael said already drawing her wand.

"Oh Merlin above, Yes please do! I forgot you were a Healer." Rachael pointed her wand at Charlie's throat and said some complicated incantation. The hives disappeared and it was easier to breathe.

"I'm so sorry Charlie," Fleur apologized looking very worried. "I did not know."

"Don't be it's my fault for not remembering to tell you!" Molly scolded herself. "I can't believe I forgot. I'm an awful mother."

"No mum, don't be ridiculous. If anyone's at fault here it's me I should have asked," Charlie said finally.

After all the commotion had died down Charlie was thanking and saying goodbye to Rachael.

"How'd you remember about the peanuts?" Charlie asked turning to Rachael who was putting her wand away. She blushed slightly before answering.

"Charlie I haven't eaten peanuts since you told me. After fifteen years it's kind of hard to forget," Rachael supplied with a small smile. Charlie was shocked to hear this revelation. "I guess I'll see you at the wedding." And with that she and Ben left.

"She's coming to the wedding?" Charlie said more to himself than any one else.

"Yes. She and Bill are quite good friends actually. Oh Charlie did I mention she's single?" Mrs. Weasley began.

"Mum, promise me you won't try and set us up," Charlie interjected seriously. The last thing he needed was for his mum to try and get involved with his already very complicated relationship with Rachael.

"Well it would be nice if you could find someone and settle down," Molly tried to persuade her son.

"Mum, please just don't ok," Charlie insisted. To be honest Charlie had been expecting Rachael to blow up at him. He had disappeared for ten years; and left her without any warning. But then again she had more class than to yell at him in front of his family. She would never sink so low as to do that. Eventually she would yell at him though. And he would just have to be ready for it when she did. After all he deserved to be yelled at. He had been a complete arse to her.

About a week and a half later Charlie woke up to find Ben standing in his doorway.

"Hey Ben what's up?" Charlie asked pulling a shirt on.

"I think that blonde lady downstairs is trying to kill me," Ben said half serious half joking.

"Who Fleur?" Charlie wondered. Ben nodded.

"She keeps asking me if I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. One bit of it and I'm gone," Ben groaned.

"You're allergic to peanuts?" Charlie wondered aloud.

"Yeah, it's a hereditary thing. Probably from my dad," Ben revealed sitting down at the desk in Charlie's room.

"Who's your dad?" Charlie asked in a would be casual voice.

"I dunno. Every time I ask my mum just assures he was a nice guy but she says he lives very far away and that's why he never visits. Sometimes I pretend Adam's my dad but mum got freaked out when I told her." Ben explained with the same blunt tone his mother often used.

"Adam?" Charlie wondered.

"My mum's 'not boyfriend'," Ben rolled his eyes as he said this.

"You're extremely precocious for your age," Charlie commented.

"So I've been told," Ben remarked.

As soon as Charlie thought Rachael wasn't going to blow up at him the inevitable came. While they were walking on the streets of the neighborhood Charlie made the huge mistake of inquiring as to whom Ben's father was.

"It's not you so don't worry about it," was the cold reply Charlie received. Rachael averted her eyes from him.

"Well whoever it is deserves to know…because if I had a kid I would want know. I would want to be a part of his life," Charlie said.

"The same way you wanted to be part of my life ten years ago?" Rachael remarked sarcastically. Charlie winced. Well, he knew it would come eventually. "Even if he was your kid Charlie I would never tell you. Because you know what? I don't trust you. Not anymore. And Ben needs a father who can be around. Someone he can look up to. Not someone to send an owl a week from halfway around the world. So even if he was yours I wouldn't say. And for your information Ben's father's name is Gavin Wilk!" Rachael finished her rant crossing her arms with a sense of finality leaving Charlie basically speechless.

"Well then that's just great," Charlie remarked dryly. But honestly truth be told, Ben was starting to grow on him and Charlie couldn't seem to give up on the possibility of being Ben's father. Still hours later when he was talking to Bill Charlie thought he had a chance.

"The whole time she was yelling at me it was as if she was talking to me as his father," Charlie said. Bill regarded him with a raised eyebrow.

"I dunno Char. She even gave you a name," Bill disagreed. Charlie noticed that Bill looked slightly relieved when Charlie mentioned Rachael claimed Ben had a father.

Two days later Charlie found himself standing in front of all of Bill and Fleur's friends and family watching as Fleur walked up the aisle. Her beauty radiated off and shone on everyone. Charlie couldn't help but search through the audience for Rachael. He spotted her next to one of Fleur's vela cousins. Any other girl would have paled in comparison to the vela but Rachael looked beautiful. And as he watched his brother promise to love Fleur forever Charlie couldn't help but imagine it was him and Rachael up in front of everyone exchanging vows.

The reception party was a nice gathering. People chatted happily often congratulating Bill and Fleur. Several couples danced out in the open spinning and twirling happily around each other. Charlie must have been staring at the dancers because his mum came up to him and insisted in a painfully loud voice that he ask Rachael to dance. In fact, Rachael was only a table over and Charlie knew she heard his mother's pestering even though she was feigning interest in the pattern on the napkins.

"You're mum sure seems interested in getting you to dance," Rachael commented smiling which Charlie understood to be her way of saying yes. Charlie wasn't surprised to find that she was quite the dancer. It was hard to find something that she wasn't good at.

"I'm sorry for freaking out at you earlier. But that doesn't mean I still don't think it's true. I just probably could have been nicer about it," Rachael apologized.

"No it's fine really. I deserved it," Charlie admitted.

"So when are you leaving?" Rachael inquired.

"Leaving?" Charlie echoed.

"Yes, you're mum mentioned you were only here for the wedding," Rachael elaborated.

"Oh well that's what I told her. But between you and me, I'm staying here indefinitely," Charlie confessed. Rachael regarded him skeptically. Charlie got the feeling she didn't believe him and really he couldn't blame her. Eventually Charlie stopped thinking so hard and started focusing on the little things. Like for instance, the way her hair shone in the dim light, how small she was in his arms, and how soft her tiny hands were compared to his large calloused ones. He was beginning to remember what it felt like to be back in sixth year when he had first fallen in love with her. Charlie was interrupted from his thoughts when Kingsley's patronus appeared announcing the eminent arrival of the ministry. Rachael's elegant face split into a concerned frown.

"Go straight home," Charlie said before she could even open her mouth.

"Are you sure you don't need any help," Rachael wanted to know.

"Rachael go home," Charlie insisted in a convincing manner; so convincing in fact that Rachael turned and apparated on the spot.