~OOooOO~
The next two weeks were the happiest that Harry could remember having. He was slowly growing accustomed to the noise and racket that was the Weasley household. Ron and the twins had made it easier on him by teaching him things about the family that he normally wouldn't have any reason to know.
They had taught him that Molly knew when something she didn't like was going on. He never found out how she knew, but she just knew. They showed him the best way to get around Arthur, and found that he couldn't stay mad at Harry, or any of the other children, for long. Harry found out that Bill guarded his hair very carefully. He was always afraid that his mum was going to cut it off in his sleep.
He found out that Charlie had, indeed, been injured when he came home for his visit. He found that out the night after the adoption. He had been sharing a room with Ron, but couldn't sleep that night, he was still in a little bit of pain, and had decided to go down and get a glass of water.
He crept down the stairs quietly; he didn't want to wake anyone. He saw a slight glow from a candle in the kitchen and peeked his head around the door. Charlie was sitting at the table, salves and bandages laid out in front of him. Harry watched as he unwound the bandage from his lower chest, hissing slightly in pain as the air hit his skin.
"Charlie," he whispered. "What's wrong?"
Charlie jumped and turned quickly. Harry could see the edges of a large red burn on his right side, curving its way to his back. Harry winced in sympathy. Now he knew why Charlie had resisted his mum's hug back in the train station.
"Can I help?" Charlie nodded and motioned him over.
"Take the salve and gently smooth it into the burn. Mum will have a fit if she sees this." He sat still as Harry rubbed the greasy salve into the wound. Then he had Harry help wind the new bandage around his body, so that the burn was covered. "Thanks. I appreciate the help."
"Is this why you made a face when your mum hugged you yesterday?"
"Yeah. And you might want to start calling her Mum yourself. She'll get right mad if you don't."
"I want to ask her first. I don't want to be rude and assume it's alright." Harry sighed. "Everyone's been so great to me. I can't believe that this happened." He looked into Charlie's eyes and the depth of the sadness in Harry's eyes startled him. No one that young should know that much sadness. "Why would the Dursleys just leave me there?"
"I don't know, Harry. The world is full of not so nice people, and it sounds like the Dursleys are among that number. We're going to do everything we can to make it better for you now. You won't ever have to go back there again."
"I'm glad. Did you talk to Bill about this soul mate thing?"
"Yes. He was surprised, but he was alright with it."
"He said that he wants to talk to me about it, too. Is this going to be anything like 'The Talk' that Fred and George warned me that your dad will want to have with me and Ron?"
Charlie flushed. "Um...no, probably not. You'll have to tell me later what Dad tells you. He's a little behind the times and it might get...uncomfortable. He doesn't know much about soul mates, if my guess is correct. Bill will know more. I don't know where he gets his information, but he's a little like a walking encyclopedia."
"So, what happens when you go back to Romania?" Harry wanted to know more about the whole thing, as it kind of frightened him a bit.
"I don't think anything changes. We'll have to keep in touch with letters, and I'll see about coming home for the holidays. Well, for Christmas Day, at least. You'll be at Hogwarts, the library should have plenty of books about it."
Harry nodded. "I'll have to get Hermione to help me. I think she knows that library better than Madame Pince does."
Charlie chuckled. "From the letters Ron and the twins have sent me, I think you may be right."
He turned to Harry and surprised a huge yawn. "I think I need to go back to bed now. Are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine, Harry. Go on up. I'm just going to sit for a while to let the salve soak in."
Harry nodded and stumbled his way back up the stairs.
~OOooOO~
The day Harry had been dreading finally came. Charlie was leaving after lunch, to go back to the dragon reserve in Romania. He didn't want Charlie to leave, but he knew he had to go. It wouldn't be fair to ask him to stay.
Charlie, for all of his show of acceptance, didn't want to leave either, but he had to get back. His boss had only given him the two weeks so that he could heal. If he hadn't sent Charlie home, he would have been back out with the dragons the next day. He pulled Fred and George aside to speak with them.
"You guys need to watch Harry, alright. I don't know what this whole soul mates thing is going to do. If you notice anything off about him, get him to Professor Dumbledore or Professor Snape. They'll know if it's that or if it's something else."
The twins nodded. They were taking care of Harry as if he had always been a part of their family. It helped Charlie a little to know that they would watch out for their littlest brother.
"We'll send a letter..."
"Or get in contact with you..."
"If anything looks off..."
"With Harry."
"Thanks. I know I can trust you. Not that I don't trust Ron or Percy, but they can be a little blind when it comes to something being wrong with someone else. You might also want to ask this Hermione to help you. She sounds like a right smart witch, from what Harry has said." Fred and George nodded again and gave him a quick hug each, before heading back into the house.
He turned to Harry. "Come here." He put his arms around Harry and hugged him tightly before letting him go. "You need to tell Fred and George if you feel something isn't right with you, okay? They'll take care of you, but you need to let them know if you feel anything's wrong."
"Alright. You'll write to me, won't you?" Harry looked a little afraid.
"I'll write, as long as you write back. It can get lonely there, and I'll be looking forward to your letters."
Harry gave Charlie a weak smile. "Oh, I will."
"Good. Now, chin up! I've got to go. I've already said my good-byes to Mum and Dad. I'm going to try to get home for Christmas Day, but I'm not sure if it will be allowed. They try to give that day to the handlers that have kids."
Harry pouted a bit, but sighed. "I understand."
"Now, go on in the house." He watched as Harry walked back to the house, shoulders slumped. It almost broke his resolve to leave. He had the feeling that this soul mate thing was going to be harder than he thought.
He concentrated on Heathrow Airport, where he would pick up the international portkey back to Romania, and disapparated.
