Homecoming
Charlie Weasley ducked as another plate soared by his ear "Oi! Stop it or I'll go straight back!" he shouted
"Don't you Oi me Weasley!" Starr yelled "You pathetic excuse for a man!"
"Starr!" he said getting angrier "You knew the deal!"
"Yes I did didn't I?" she screeched "I love you Starr! I want to be with you Starr, but Romania is no place for a woman – Starr!" she mocked him "And now I find that she's been there!" she hurled another plate at him.
"Will you STOP chucking stuff at me!" he howled "And let me explain, you bad tempered hag?"
"No!" she picked up her wand and pointed it at his groin; he backed away, fear in his eyes.
"She was there as part of the Ministry!" he attempted to explain "She's married!"
"So are you!" her eyes were dangerous and dark now.
"Yes to you! Idiot that I am!" he said "Nothing happened with her! She was on assignment – that's all!"
"So why hide it from me then?" she demanded, advancing further.
"Because I knew how you would react! Like a raging lunatic!" he said, eyeing her wand.
"What, that I would be angry? Damn right I am!" she spluttered "I've wanted to move to Romania with you since we got married and you always refused. Cramp your style would I?" she demanded
"Everyone knows I'm crazy about you. It's dangerous and you'd be bored out of your mind. Nothing to do all day. That's why I changed my shifts, two weeks on, two weeks off!" he said trying to reach her while avoiding the still poised wand.
"Oh, my hero" she mocked, lowering the wand slightly.
"This isn't like you, to be jealous" he said, feeling a bit safer "What's wrong?"
"I know you wouldn't cheat" she said quietly "I'm sorry, I just, well I miss you, and I've always accepted that Romania and the dragons is 'a wizards world', I didn't want to intrude on that part of your life. I just got so angry when I heard you had been working with Gabrielle, Fleur was so grateful that you looked after her"
"Fleur told you?" he asked still not sure if he dare get closer "Doesn't that tell you something?"
"I know, I know" she said dropping into a chair "Like I said, I never really thought that you and her would do anything, I was well, jealous that you think Gabrielle can look after herself and I can't"
He moved closer, kneeling in front of her. Feeling safer he removed the wand from her hand.
"I know that you can look after yourself" he said lifting her chin so he could look into her eyes "Do you know how much it kills me when I leave you? But it would be awful for you out there; Gabrielle was working, for a month, that's all. If we moved there for good you would know no one. There are no other wives or girlfriends. No family. Just burly dragon tamers and healers. They get drunk. They fight. They leer at any woman around. Being selfish I'd never relax, knowing you were alone in the camp while I was working. And what about Mattie? Would it be fair to bring him up so far away from anything?"
"I know, but you'd be there, every day" she said sullenly.
"Well, if you had let me get through the door before you started to behave like a dragon with a sore arse" he smiled "I have something to tell you, well ask you really"
Starr looked at his tired face "What?" she said.
"It's long and drawn out and I'm starving" he said "Is there any chance I could have some dinner before we discuss it? That's if there's any plates left" he surveyed the debris around him.
"Tell me!" she demanded, reaching for her wand.
"Ok!" he said "I've been offered another job, as manager of the Sanctuary, in Wales"
"Charlie!" she squealed, knocking him flat as she flew off the chair and into his lap "That's brilliant!"
"Humph!" he replied as she kissed him "Wish I'd said that first, much nicer reception"
"Sorry" she said "I was just…"
"I know, it's a good job I'm used to dealing with stroppy cow dragons" he teased "At least you don't breathe fire!"
"I always manage to ruin it don't I?" she said close to tears "I nearly hexed you into oblivion the day you proposed"
"Stop it" he said, hugging her closer "You wouldn't be you if you weren't…"
"Overdramatic? Over reactive? Histrionic? High maintenance?" she said
"I was going to say passionate and unpredictable" he said as his stomach rumbled.
"Flattery will get you everywhere" she fluttered at him.
"Will it get me my dinner?" he asked
"Oh Merlin!" she jumped up, rushing to the oven "I hope its ok!"
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Charlie held his arms wide as he slowly turned around, facing his wife and parents "So?" he asked excited "What do you think?"
Starr took in the dank property; Charlie had given them a guided tour of the run down cottage built on the side of the hill. Nestled within the Welsh mountains he had bought the property impulsively. It was close to the dragon sanctuary and he thought it had great potential. They all now stood outside, looking up at the imposing building. There was no glass in some of the windows, the outhouse was all but destroyed and Arthur shook his head at the gnome infestation that rivalled the one at the Burrow.
"It's bloody awful Charlie!" Starr burst out "It's dark, cold and it smells! You can't seriously expect me to bring our son to live here?"
"We can do it up!" he said, hoping he looked braver than he felt.
"By 'we', I presume you mean me and your mum?" she asked choking on the sobs that rose in her throat "Because you will be over the hill, playing with your dragons and I'll be stuck in this dump! I can't believe you blew our savings on this without even asking me!"
"Babe…" he pleaded, looking at his parents for support "I will be here, every day; I've got two months before I start at the sanctuary and …"
Starr cut him off "And just where are we supposed to live in the meantime?" she fumed "We have to move out in a week!"
"Starr" ventured Molly "We will all help; it will be lovely before you know it! You can stay with us until you can move in" Molly felt acutely torn. She loved her son and was proud of him, but she also knew from experience that the Weasley men got strange ideas and they rarely worked out. She felt for Starr, she had missed Charlie so much when he worked away, and was delighted when he had landed his new job. And now Charlie had gone and done this, he was so much like his father!
Starr walked towards Charlie and stood in front of him, taking his hands in hers, she had mellowed considerably since he had come home for good from Romania, but she still had a temper. He looked shocked as she smiled.
"Ok" she said "If it means that we can have you at home, every night, then I'll try, for you. But I'm not living here until it's at least clean and warm. The decoration we can work on bit by bit"
He hugged her close "Thank you" he said "I'll make it work, and quickly"
"I know you will" she said, a hint of humour in her voice as she whispered into his ear "Because there's no bedroom fun for you until we move in, and I'm not moving in until it's warm, clean and habitable"
"But…" Charlie stammered "That's not fair!"
"But it will make sure you get it done!" she said "Doesn't mean that I don't love you" she pressed against him, her hands sliding up the back of his shirt where his parents could not see "Or that I won't want to, oh, it'll be tough for me too" she kissed him, lightly but with an undercurrent "So the quicker we get it done, the quicker we can christen it"
"You scheming…" he said, smiling at her "Best not tell Mum, she's already bending my ear about more grandkids. Still, you do realise that when we do move in, I'll be making up for lost time?"
"Oh I'm counting on it" she said.
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