Chapter 2: Charlie

Charlie Weasley heard the muffled click of the front door as it shut, but he didn't call a greeting to his younger brother; instead he carried on chopping. The sounds and smells from his kitchen must have intrigued Percy though because he called out and started to make his way through the house.

"Audrey, is that you?" He stopped stock still in the archway created by the open doors as he realised that it was in fact Charlie who was present. "Charlie! I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"Yeah, well. I figured if I was supposed to be staying here 'on holiday' I'd make it look like I was camped out in the spare room, at least!" He threw Percy a smirk over his shoulder as he continued to sauté the sliced leeks in the pan before him. "Besides, I wasn't about to eat your garlic chicken and mash again. I mean, I love you brother, but every time you cook dinner it's the same menu." His smirk now spread into a wide grin across his face as he teased Percy, but luckily for him, Percy took the taunt rather well.

The sounds of footsteps upstairs silenced whatever retort Percy had been about to make. Charlie answered the questioning look in Percy's eye.

"Audrey got home about fifteen, twenty minutes ago. She mumbled something about a hot shower and a stiff drink before dinner." His nonchalant mentioning of the fact that he knew Audrey virtually lived with Percy meant that Charlie took great delight in the panic shadowing his younger brother's face at that exact moment. The pleasure was truly indescribable.

"Audrey's here? Already?" Percy cleared his throat, a successful attempt at dispelling the high pitched quality his voice held. "I'll just go and make sure she has everything she needs."

Charlie couldn't resist such an opening.

"Don't give her everything she needs – dinner will be ready in twenty minutes." He winked suggestively at Percy before turning back to his leeks. He heard Percy stutter defensively before turning away and walking off and up the stairs.

Charlie took the opportunity to laugh out loud at his uptight and square brother's expense. Fred and George had tortured him plenty over the years, but Percy had been his favourite play thing first. Damn, he missed Fred, so creative.

He took a deep, calming breathe before checking on dessert, baking nice and evenly in the oven before arranging the leeks over his braised pork steaks and adding tomato puree and sugar to the pan. Covering the dish and adjusting the flame, he then set about washing some of the utensils he'd used – the Muggle way, just in case Audrey and Percy appeared behind him. It didn't bother him like some witches and wizards – in fact he found it relaxing at times.

Charlie was left in solitude until he was plating their meal. Balancing the plates carefully, he manoeuvred slowly into the main room. He hadn't expected Percy and Audrey to be downstairs, but there they were, stood by the fireplace laughing heartily and perusing the photographs that littered the mantelpiece.

"I was about to send out search and rescue!" Charlie winked at the couple conspiratorially attempting to tease them but they both flushed red at his insinuation. Maybe he hadn't been that far off the mark after all.

Percy replaced the picture in his hand onto the ledge before following Audrey towards the dinner table. Charlie retrieved the dish of spare roast potatoes and grabbed the bottle of wine he'd brought with him from Romania.

He joined Audrey at the table as Percy started to pour them all a glass of wine.

"Percy was just showing me the pictures of when he came to visit you last summer."

"Yeah? Which pictures?" The question had been directed at Audrey, but Charlie wasn't put out when she allowed Percy to respond.

"Balea Lake, the national park where we went hiking that time and, erm, what was that 'Peak' with the nice view?"

"You mean Moldoveanu Peak? Charlie waited for Percy's affirmation before continuing. "Were you talking about Retezat National Park too? That place was awesome wasn't it?" Percy chuckled at Charlie's enthusiasm as he handed round the full glasses of wine.

"Do you know any Romanian toasts Charlie?" Audrey smiled as she curled her fingers around her glass of wine.

"Well, 'Noroc' means 'Cheers' or there's 'Sanatate' which translates as 'Health'. Your choice." They all raised their glass as Audrey gave the second toast. Percy responded with the first and Charlie stuck with an English 'Cheers' – it was after all the novelty for him.

As they dug into their food, Charlie was proud of his culinary skills. The murmurs of delight he received, with just a touch of taunting arrogance, were greatly appreciated and Percy was especially thankful to be on the receiving end of Granny Prewett's famed roast potato recipe.

They spoke about work a lot. Audrey had taken it upon herself to cure Percy of his habit of working weekends; she wanted him to have a chance to relax in between meetings and she asked lots of questions about Charlie's education, her desire for knowledge matching his own, though he doubted she wanted to study dragons.

The trio also discussed Percy's trip last summer to visit Charlie and the 'zoo' he worked in. The pictures Audrey had seen painted a welcome picture of a hot Romanian summer; neither she nor Percy was easily convinced that the winters were as cold as Charlie insisted. It was only when he spoke convincingly of the expanding ski industry that they conceded that maybe Charlie – having lived there for over ten years – might know better than either of them.

Audrey spoke lovingly of her desire to travel. She told the brothers before her that she would love to see Romania one day, as well as the rest of Europe, Australia, the Orient, the Americas and anywhere else that would welcome her. The only things that really stood in her way were a lack of time, a lack of money and the language barriers. Audrey took the opportunity to interrogate Charlie about his experiences here also.

"Did you find it difficult at first?"

"No, not really. There are certain terms and phrases that we use time and again. Using them repeatedly helped me to remember them and there was always someone around willing to remind me or teach me something new."

"Cool. Does Romania have its own language, or am I thinking of somewhere else?"

"Yes, Romanian is the main language over there. English, French and German are quite common too though. There's always some way to communicate. I live with an American, an Italian and a local Romanian too. It really broadens your knowledge base and really, you haven't lived until you've been cursed at in a language you don't understand." He laughed off their shocked expressions and continued wiping his last potato around the remaining juices from his meat that were on his plate.

"Do you work with your housemates too?"

"Yes. The house is owned by the zoo and they take the rent out of our pay. We change round every now and then, have to move house for upkeep or a change of housemates for whatever reason. Varies your diet too, depending on whose turn it is to cook. But you can imagine, with people from all over the world being together, I'm sure."

"Was this a Romanian dish?" Audrey gestured to her empty plate. "The meat I mean; I know Percy said that it was your Gran's roast potatoes."

"I think so. Tavian, my Romanian housemate, makes it every now and then but I'm really not sure of the origin. To be honest, I just saw leeks in his cupboard and thought of this.

"Romanian cuisine is quite varied anyway due to the country's history. There are Ottoman, Greek, Bulgarian, Turk and Hungarian influences among others. It's quite a diverse blend of traditions actually." Audrey looked very interested but just nodded along in response. The glazed look in her eye suggested that maybe the wine had gone to her head. It was rather good, he mused.

"What was that called then?" Percy had been following their conversation intently, and now took up the interrogation.

"Tavi just calls it leeks with pork. Like I said, I'm not sure of the origin or even if it has another name."

His sentence was punctuated by a bell in the kitchen. Recognising the ring of the timer, Charlie excused himself to serve dessert. The ovenproof dish was hot and he caught his finger as he removed it from the oven, but Charlie was used to far worse burns than this. Slicing the pastry along the score marks he'd created earlier, and scooping the portions into bowls, Charlie retrieved a small jug of cream from the fridge and started ferrying the bowls to the living room, also fetching a glass of water Percy requested for Audrey, quiet and scowling against the alcohol buzz the brothers felt too.

The water did the trick it would seem. Audrey asked what their pudding was and listened as Charlie explained.

"Turkish Baklava," Charlie announced proudly. "It's basically filo pastry with a walnut and sugar paste in between the layers. It's really simple, but looks, and tastes, anything but."

Percy was equally impressed and they talked further while Audrey fought to stay awake.

It was getting quite late by the time they left the table. Charlie started to ferry plates and empty dishes back to the kitchen but Percy stopped him.

"You don't have to do that," he put his hands out to stop Charlie. "I'll sort the kitchen out in the morning." He looked over his shoulder to watch Audrey collapsing into the sofa, eyes drifting closed.

"Take her upstairs, and make sure she's ok. I'll tidy up and we can argue over domestics tomorrow." Charlie couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he tidied away. The sight of Percy carrying a fast asleep Audrey up the stairs was priceless.

Percy returned as Charlie was setting the last dish down. Percy insisted that Charlie turn in as well. He was planning on seeing their parents in the morning, while he was in the country, and it was clear, as always, that the longer Molly had to fuss over him the better she felt. Who were her boys to deny her that pleasure?