Chapter 8

The Aftermath

Katherine's heat radiated against Charlie's side as he pulled her close on their way out of the Great Hall. Whispers and stares followed in their wake, sending electricity coursing through Charlie's veins. There weren't as many as when Bill had been in school, but Charlie had never had girls throw themselves at him like his older brother. Truthfully, he was fine with that. Bill cycled through girls as often as a werewolf changed on the full moon. Most of their conversations included snogging, very public snogging.

"Your seeker needs to run extra suicides," he told Katherine, carrying on their dinner conversation. "The quick pivot time is a must and from what you've told me about her, she has yet to master it."

"Yes, unfortunately. We have the pitch tomorrow." She ran a hand up his arm.

"Maybe I'll come watch." Charlie pulled her into a private nock in the entrance hall. Her slim body pressed against his chest, dwarfed by his size. Breathing in her rose perfume, he leaned down.

Their lips met in a light brush before Katherine throw her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Charlie resisted the urge to squeeze her tighter, afraid his massive hands would break her in half.

When she drew back, her brown eyes twinkled in the dim torchlight.

"It's a closed practice." Her breath tickled his ear.

"Even for me?" Charlie pressed his lips to the base of her throat.

"Especially for you." Katherine giggled and pushed him away. "I can't afford to be distracted."

"And yet it's okay for you to distract me?" Charlie took her hand and pulled her back into the entrance hall.

"Of course." She grinned wickedly.

Charlie snorted. "It's a beautiful night, let's take a walk."

Her face fell slightly, but she shoved her lips into a smile and nodded.

"We don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. I just can't be out too late."

"Then we won't." Charlie paused, catching sight of Elizabeth and Ed at the doors.

They spoke to that wanker, Baker. Charlie furrows his brows. Wasn't he supposed to be on a date with Ashland? Not that Charlie particularly cared. Actually, he rather think of anything but.

"Charlie Weasley!" Elizabeth rounded on him, steam practically hissing out of her ears.

"Uh oh." Charlie pulled Katherine into his side, tightening his grip. "This can't be good. She's frozen me out all day."

"I thought you two were best buds." Venom laced Katherine's words. "Or are you upset she's shagging your mate?"

Charlie snorted. "Please don't tell me you're jealous."

"Of course not." Her voice raised a few octaves.

"Good, because I think she'd rather snog a troll than me."

"Then why is she angry at you?"

"I've got a few theories." Charlie steeled himself. "You can hightail it to Ravenclaw Tower and escape the bloodshed."

"I'd rather not go back alone," Katherine purred.

Charlie's heart caught in his throat and his blood pulsed. Oh, he was in trouble.

"Hopefully this won't take long." Charlie kept his arm around Katherine as they made it toward the front doors. "Hey, Lizzie."

Elizabeth's nostrils flared and above her head, Ed's eyes widened. He shook his head slowly, but his girlfriend ripped out of his arms and marched straight toward Charlie.

"Don't call me that," she snapped.

Charlie gulped and let go of Katherine. If Elizabeth decided to bring her wand out, they'd all be on the ground. For such a small girl, she packed one hell of a magical punch.

"Jacob said Dana took off into the Forbidden Forest." Elizabeth crossed her arms.

Charlie blinked and looked past Elizabeth to where Baker paced. "Weren't you two on a date?"

"What's it to you?" Baker snapped.

"You must suck at snogging if you caused her to run." Charlie could barely contain his amusement.

Ed turned a chuckle into a cough when Elizabeth shot him a glare.

"This was your fault." Baker stopped pacing.

Charlie jolted, his stomach twisting. "M-me? What did I do?"

"You named her reserve, idiot." Elizabeth whacked Charlie upside the head. He winced.

"So? She's got to learn to take a little disappointment. At least she made reserve." Charlie knew about disappointment; a lot more than he'd like to. "Sometimes we don't get what we want."

"Says the Quidditch captain and the prefect." Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Look, Dana can do what she wants. I am headed back to my common room." Banker rubbed his head and trotted past us, into the throng of students emerging from the Great Hall.

"Are you happy?" Elizabeth rounded on Charlie once more. "She's barely been here a week and you're already upsetting her."

"Me?" Charlie gapped at Elizabeth. "I barely know her. How can I be upsetting her?"

"Ugh. Men! You're all the same." She stomped back toward Ed, who slipped his arm around her.

Charlie exchanged glances with his best mate. Ed sighed and shrugged. So this was what it was like to be whipped.

"Go get her," Elizabeth said.

Charlie coughed. "What?"

"She's out in the forest and someone needs to go find her."

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "And you are too scared to go."

"Do you know what are in those woods?" She nearly squeaked.

"I do." Which was why his stomach hadn't relaxed since he learnt where Dana really was.

"Charlie." Katherine grabbed his arm, a pout on her face.

"I'm sorry. We'll catch up later. What about after Ravenclaw tryouts?" He ran a hand down her arm.

She crinkled her nose and sighed. "Fine. I'll see you later, Charlie." She kissed his cheek before shooting Ed and Elizabeth a glare and hurrying off.

"She getting cozy to you, mate," Ed finally spoke. "Maybe it's a good thing Bill graduated."

"Well, if I didn't keep getting interrupted, she'd be getting more cozy." Charlie glared Elizabeth who was making faces at their exchange.

"Just oblige her and she'll shut it." Ed grinned even as Elizabeth hit him.

"Why me? Couldn't the exchange student have been a wizard chess nerd?"

Oh no, she had to be an aspiring magizoogologist. Stomping past the front doors, Charlie made his way onto the lawn. The crisp September air brushed past him and the hairs on his bare arms stood straight. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he put his head down and forced his way toward the creaking forest.

As the lights of the castle faded, he pulled out his wand.

"Lumos," he whispered. He really needed to figure out those nonverbal spells the professors kept going on about.

"Dana?!" His voice echoed through the forest. "Ashland! Merlin help me, where are you?"

No response. Well just the crickets and an occasional bowtrunkle.

Charlie moved through the forest, muttering cursed at Elizabeth. The scent of pine needles tickled his nose as his boots crunched the leaves on the ground. He closed his eyes and took in the forest. He missed these nights. The professors might have claimed it was dangerous, but Charlie knew the creatures, knew what he was up against. This was the only time he could truly leave his family name behind. In the forest he wasn't a Weasley. Here, he was Charlie.

A light flickered against the silhouette of trees, breaking through Charlie's thoughts. He whipped his head up.

"Dana!" Breaking into a run, Charlie leapt over roots and around trees. His Quidditch training took over and he propelled himself forward.

Sitting in the middle of a clear, hands covered in blood was Dana. She glanced at him for a moment before her green-blue eyes went steely.

"Are you all right?" He slid to his knees in front of her.

"Charlie?" She blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What the bloody hell do you think you're doing here?"

"There was a light, here in the forest. I followed it." Her eyes slid away from his face to stare at the clearing.

"You followed a mysterious light? Are all yanks bloody insane?"

"Well it's a good thing I did!" Dana jumped to her feet, placing her blood covered hands on her jeans. Charlie couldn't help but take in how good she looked in her red leather jacket. He'd forgotten how tall she was. "There was someone here."

"Someone? Who?" He stood.

She shook her head. "I don't know, I didn't get close enough to them before curses started flying."

Charlie's stomach flipped. "Did they hurt you? You're bleeding."

"Oh, this isn't mine. Look." She illuminated her wand and pointed the light at the underbrush. Blood shone against the slick leaves.

Charlie's eyes settled on the tracks in the clearing. "Dragons," he whispered.

"I think it's a Welsh Green, but you're the one studying dragons. My tracking is a bit off."

"No, you're right." Charlie knelt and ran his hand over the rough ground, feeling each claw mark. "Are you sure there were wizards here?"

"Positive, two of them." Dana leaned against a tree. "They were speaking with one another. It was pretty clear one was in charge, but I'm unsure if they were working with anyone."

Charlie shook his head. "We need to get out of here. If they come back, they could be dangerous."

"But we have nothing to track them with. There's got to be more evidence."

"More evidence?" Charlie repeated, the words swirling in his head. "Bloody hell, Dana. You could have been killed tonight. We need to leave, now."

"I would have assumed you out of all people would be at least a little curious." She crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "Dragons are being injured, if not killed!"

"And what good would you have done them if you'd been killed?" Charlie's voice rose, causing bats to take off through the trees.

"At least I'm doing something." Dana pushed off the tree. Her face turned white and she stumbled.

"Woah." Charlie rushed forward to support her shaking body.

She shrugged him off and rubbed her head. "I'm alright. I think the lack of food has caught up with me."

"Why didn't you eat? You're not trying to starve yourself to lose weight are you? Because that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

She scoffed her foot. "No. Jacob just looked appalled at the amount of food on my plate, so I didn't feel comfortable eating in front of him."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "And this is the guy you want to date?"

"Easy for you to say, Katherine doesn't look like she eats anything." Dana sneered.

"Speaking of Katherine, I left her to come find you, so let's go before she refuses to talk to me for the rest of the year." Charlie put his hand on Dana's shoulder and lightly steered her out of the clearing.

"Oh." Her face fell. "I didn't need you to come find me, you know."

"Tell that to Elizabeth." Charlie snorted.

"She's a good friend." Dana smiled sadly in the dim light of her wand. "I don't know what I would have done without her."

"I think you've done just fine, what with all the blokes drooling over you—as long as you don't run from them." He stayed just behind her, in case she decided to bolt again. Were all Americans this unpredictable?

Instead of a snappy comeback, Dana pursed her lips and allowed her gaze to find her feet once more.

Silence fell over them as eerie as the forest around them. Charlie stuffed his hands in his pocket and allowed himself to take in the soft cawing of owls, the whisper of wings. Hopefully during Care of Magical Creatures this coming week, he could get a chance to start tracking Welsh Greens for his project. His thesis contained that the Forbidden Forest held a greater population than all of Britain. Of course, no one had ever seen a dragon, other than a few claims from students who'd snuck out after hours with an extra bottle of fire whiskey. But the blood and tracks had been real. He just hoped Dana planned to focus on the Great Lake. Dragons were his territory. She'd already taken enough from him.

The trees thinned and they hurried out of forest and into the shadow of Hagrid's hut. Beyond the dark green, Hogwarts pierced the inky sky, torches in the windows shining like the stars.

Charlie's heart leapt. "What time is it?"

Dana checked her watch. "About nine. Why?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. We're not out past curfew. But we should get going before anyone notices."

"I'd say it's a little late for that, Mr. Weasley." The slippery voice of Professor Snape trailed past Charlie, making him shudder.

A wand flickered on, illuminating the look of disdain over the potion professor's face.

"Professor." Charlie plastered on his broadest smile. "We were just finishing our stroll through the grounds and about to head to the castle."

"And did you and Ms. Ashland enjoy your stroll?" Professor Snape sneered.

"Yes, sir." Charlie's stomach twisted as Dana snorted.

Snape regarded both of them. "And how about your time in the Forbidden Forest? Did you enjoy that?"

Charlie's heart stopped. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Professor."

"Next time you are planning a trip somewhere you are expressly not permitted, I would suggest you don't have conversation about it in the Entrance Hall, where anyone can hear." Snape lifted an eyebrow. "That'll be fifty points from Gryffindor and detention for you both this coming Friday."

"That's not fair!" Dana stepped in front of Charlie, her hands on her hips. "As Care of Magical Creature students, we have Professor Kettleburn's permission to be in the forest."

"Look here, Ms. Ashland." Snape leaned in so his hook nose was inches from Dana's. "I don't know how they ran that mountain cabin you call a school back in the states, but here, students obey by the rules or they are rightly punished. And you will address me by Sir or Professor at all times."

Dana opened her mouth to speak, but before she could lose Gryffindor anymore points, Charlie grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away.

"Yes, Sir," he called over his shoulder to Snape. "We will be in detention on Friday."

"What was that?" Dana hissed under her breath.

"Bloody hell!" Charlie picked up his pace. "You can't argue with a professor!"

"And why not? It's not like we're bumbling first years!" Dana ripped her arm free of him. "We know the forest! We're the ones studying it."

"They're the rules. And if you keep talking back, I will take more points away from Gryffindor. I am a prefect, remember," Charlie growled.

"I'm starting to hate this country," Dana muttered and stormed her way back into the castle.

Running his hand through his hair, Charlie followed her. He couldn't help but admire the no-nonsense attitude she eluded. Even when she wasn't right, she didn't back down. There weren't many girls like her.

By the time Charlie managed to climb through the portal, the common room was packed. Percy sat in the corner, his nose in a book. Charlie bet it had to do with school. Who did work on a Saturday?

The twins were huddled over a piece of parchment on one of the tables. Another first year boy with a head full of dreads—Lee Jordan, Charlie believed his name was—whispered something in Fred's ear and the twins glanced around the common room. Charlie didn't like the mischievous smiles on their faces. He hadn't owled their mother about their first detention, but if they kept this up, he would have to enact his prefect responsibilities.

Ed waved to Charlie from across the room. Glad to duck out of the twin's line of sight, Charlie joined his friends.

"Heard Snape busted you." Ed couldn't contain the glee in his voice.

Charlie scowled. "How'd you know?"

"Please," Owen snorted as he straddled a chair backwards. "By morning, the whole school will know the two of you were caught in the Forbidden Forest. The next thing you know, someone will claim she's pregnant with your love child."

"Great." Charlie leaned his head against the wall. "Where's Elizabeth. I need to thank her or this mess."

"Talking to your baby mum." Ed winked.

Charlie flipped him off and scanned the room. Sure enough, Elizabeth and Dana talked next to the fire place. Though dirt streaked Dana's face, she had managed to get the blood off her hands. He supposed he should be thankful for small favors.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Elizabeth hissed.

"Snape freaking gave us detention." Dana rolled her eyes.

"No, with Jacob. You totally ditched him."

"Oh." Dana looked down at her hands. "I didn't mean to. I mean, we had a nice time, I guess. We just talked about a few different things, and then he kissed me."

Elizabeth squealed and Charlie's stomach did flip-flops. He should probably stop listening, but he couldn't.

"You snogged! How was it?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I saw something in the forest and ran off." Dana bit her lip.

"Right after he snogged you?" Elizabeth's eyes widened.

Dana nodded, hanging her head.

"Bloody hell, no wonder he was upset."

"You saw him?" Dana snapped her head back up.

"Course I did. How else did you think I knew where to send Charlie?"

"Oh. Right." Dana tapped her leg. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Maybe go apologise to him." Elizabeth stared down Dana. "Hopefully he'll still want to snog you."

"I guess." She shrugged.

"Hey." Elizabeth took Dana's hands. "What's wrong?"

"It's just. Well, that was my first kiss, and I think I ruined everything. I guess I was just nervous and so when I saw an opening, I ran. Though, it was a good thing I did. Then I wouldn't know someone was hunting dragons," Dana began to ramble.

"Wait! That was your first kiss?" Elizabeth's jaw dropped open.

"Um, yeah. Did you not hear anything else I said?"

"Dragons, yeah. That's more a you and Charlie thing." She waved it away. "Why didn't you tell me you'd never snogged anyone?"

"Because it's embarrassing. I'm almost seventeen and that was my first date, ever." Dana ran her hand through her hair.

Charlie stared at the timid and shy version of the spit fire he'd seen out on the lawn. Maybe he'd read her wrong.

"Charlie!" Ed's fist landed on Charlie's bicep.

"Ow." Charlie rubbed his arm and turned away from the girls. "Did you have to hit so hard?"

"You were drooling," Ed snorted. "Maybe the rumors are true."

"Shut it. I'm with Katherine."

Owen raised an eyebrow. "Well, as long as she believes nothing happened in the forest."

"Nothing did happen!" Charlie rubbed his face. "This is pointless. I'm going to bed. I'll see you two arses later."

"Maybe I should start a rumor about me and Tonks. Then she's have to talk to me," Owen mused as Charlie stood.

Ed whacked him over the head. "You're pathetic."

"Sorry not all of us are as suave as you." Owen rolled his eyes.

Charlie chuckled. No matter what, he was glad for his friends.

The boys were right. For the next week, Charlie caught snippets of no less than ten different tales of what happened between him at Dana in the Forbidden Forest. Some of the most outlandish ones included him hexing Baker and carting Dana off for an orgy with the centaurs. People really needed to butt out of his life and get on with their own.

Luckily, Katherine turned her nose up at such rumors. "People will talk, why let it bother you?" She said the next morning. "It's not like you actually would be with her. She can't even fly!" Then she'd dragged him out to the Quidditch pitch for extra practise.

Dana spent the week hiding behind Ed and Elizabeth, avoiding the snickers and sneers. Care of Magical Creatures had gone from his favourite class to his most dreaded one. Baker refused to talk to either him or Dana and Tyler Bones just sat their silently, with a shit-eating grin.

By the time Friday rolled around, Charlie was actually looking forward to detention. Then, maybe just then everyone would be sick of the rumors and they'd get on with their lives. As soon as Transfiguration ended on Friday, Charlie threw his books in his bag and hurried down to the pitch. He'd scheduled the team's first Quidditch practise in the few hours he had before detention.

Approaching the team locker rooms, Charlie ran straight into Fred, George, and Lee. All three were racing down the corridor in a fight of laughter.

Charlie furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. "What are you three doing down here?"

"Lee convinced Professor McGonagall to hire him as the commentator for the first match!" Fred smiled broadly.

"We were just checking out the pitch," George added in.

"Somehow I don't believe you." Charlie couldn't help but smile.

"I will be a brilliant commentator, thank you very much," Lee said.

Charlie held out his hands. "I'm going to just take your word for it."

The three crackled as they took off toward the castle.

In the locker rooms, Charlie found his team waiting. Carr and Ed passed a quaffle back and forth, both of them slumped in their chairs while Lindsey braided Tracy's hair. Wood was bent over my desk, scribbling something on a piece of parchment.

"Where's Dunah?" Charlie raised a brow.

Ed pointed to the showers before tossing the quaffle back to Carr, who slammed it with his bat. A chuckle escaped Ed's lips and Carr echoed him. Suddenly, the two rolled over in a fit of laughter. The girls joined them and even Wood stopped his planning to chuckle.

"What is it?" Charlie frowned.

"Just go see for yourself." Ed managed to gasp.

Holding his breath, Charlie peaked around the corner. Dunah angrily brandished his wand at his robes which continuously squeaked like a pig.

"Everything okay here?" Charlie bit back a laugh.

"Brilliant, just brilliant," Dunah growled.

Practice didn't get better for Dunah. His robes continued to squeak and on top of that, his beater's bat kept hitting him on the head.

After about an hour of fighting his wonky equipment, an exhausted and battered Dunah landed, throwing both his bat and broom at the stands.

"That's it! I quit."

"Dunah." Charlie landed, his stomach twisting. "Someone's just playing a prank. It's probably the Slytherin team." Or a pair of identical redheads. Charlie vowed to figure out what his brothers were really up to.

"A stupid team isn't worth it." Dunah stormed past Charlie. "This would have never happened at the Gobstones Club."

The team landed around Charlie and together they watched their beater walked off the pitch.

"It's all right, everyone. Gryffindor doesn't need quitters on its team," Charlie growled.

"Looks like Dana was the right choice after all." Ed pointed his wand at the bouncing bat, silencing it.

Brilliant, it looked like he'd have to break the news to her. At least detention would go by fast.