A/N: This chapter's for my muse nairiefairie. Wow, I really didn't see that coming! –Rita
Based on characters created by J. K. Rowling
Chapter 11—House Hunting in the 'Burbs
Charlie was not looking forward to this day at all. He promised to meet Linda for an interview and there was no way he could back out of it. He thought of distractions that would keep her off track, but the truth was he told her he would answer her questions and tell her everything she wanted to know. The problem was, of course, he wasn't at liberty to tell her everything, but he would deal with that part later.
Then it came to him. The biggest distraction for a woman, other than jewelry (and he had considered bribing her) was shopping. Big shopping. He was going to kill two birds with one stone and invite her to go with him while he went looking for a house to buy. He was tired of living the dorm life and wanted a place of his own.
Charlie had arranged to look at a number of houses in Austin and the surrounding areas and he asked Linda to come along for a woman's perspective. Suspicious, never the less Linda agreed to go with him. He asked her to come to his room on a sunny Saturday morning. Quidditch practice wasn't until the evening so he had all day.
Charlie was dressed and ready to go when she knocked on his door. He opened it and smiled, inviting her in. "You look nice," he said kissing her lightly on the cheek.
She looked around his room. "Your boyfriend not here?"
Charlie laughed. "Ready?" he said grabbing a jacket. As he walked her outside, he said, "A couple of things. My realtor is taking us around and we're going in her muggle car."
Linda raised an eyebrow. "Is she non-magical?" What was Weasley trying to pull?
"Yes, but she's kind of a liaison person. She's worked with a lot of magical types. She knows I want a house in a muggle neighborhood like Joanna and my friend Travis. I heard she's very good. Joanna recommended her."
"Why a muggle neighborhood?" she asked.
"Privacy," he said plainly. "Muggles have no idea who I am; I need some peace."
If that was a swipe at her, she ignored him. "So, am I going to get my interview or not?"
"If you wish. I did promise you one. If you don't want to help me, Linda, just say so."
Charlie looked at her hopefully.
"No, I wouldn't miss this for the world. I think this is my last chance, isn't it?"
Charlie nodded. "But you have to promise me you aren't going to tell anyone where I'm living if I do find something today. It wouldn't do to have strange people turning up in muggles' front yards looking for me. Please." He said with all the charm he could muster.
Linda sighed. "Okay, I promise. Do you think you'll find a house today anyway?"
Charlie shrugged. They walked several blocks and he led her into a coffee shop. "We're meeting her here," he explained.
As incredible as it sounded, no muggle in Georgetown knew there was a huge sports complex in their back yards. It was, of course, charmed to look like one of the many vast fields surrounding the town. Some students at Southwestern University swore that they heard loud noises at night and mysterious lights, but when they go to investigate, there's nothing there but open fields.
Zola, the realtor was waiting for them. She was sitting in a booth and had a bunch of papers surrounding her. She didn't look that organized, but Joanna swore by her. She had a pen in her mouth and one in her hair. She looked up and smiled when Charlie approached the booth. He slid in across from her and Linda, not knowing what else to do, followed.
"Mr. Weasley!" she said pleasantly. She looked expectantly at Linda. "And is this Mrs. Weasley?" she asked extending her braceleted hand to Linda.
"Fuck no," Charlie laughed. "This is my friend Linda. She's offered to help me out today. And call me Charlie."
If Zola was offended by Charlie 's crude language, she didn't even flinch. A smile was pasted on her face. "Well, Charlie, I hope you're in the mood to see some beautiful homes today. From what you've told me, I bet you you'll find the home of your dreams. You said you wanted something in this area or Austin, correct?" He nodded. "I want to show you some beautiful homes on Lake Austin, here in Georgetown, and Round Rock. How far are you willing to commute? Oh!" she caught herself. "That's not a problem, is it?"
Charlie was already starting to get bored. He had no idea what the process was. But he thought he'd just look at a couple of houses and he'd be done. Fuck this was going to take all day. Linda looked more interested as Zola described the palatial homes Zola knew Charlie could afford.
"This looks like a mansion," Linda commented.
Charlie looked at the brochure for moment then made a face. "This is too fucking big. It's just me and enough bedrooms for my family to visit; hopefully they won't visit at the same time."
"I'm sure we'll find something you'll like." Zola said reassuringly. "Would you like some breakfast?"
Linda shook her head but Charlie ordered a coffee to go and they headed out.
"You're on the record today," Linda said as they got into Zola's monstrous car. Charlie grinned and closed his mouth tightly and shook his head.
"Then I'm not saying anything," he said.
"Don't be that way, Charlie. You promised you'd tell me everything I wanted to know." She sounded whiny.
"I'm just kidding. I know what I said. Relax. Enjoy yourself. You tell your readers that you helped me find a house, but not where it is," he reminded her.
"Um, " she said. "I want to ask you about that day in Mexico when you,"
He interrupted. "The day I was such an asshole to you." He winced. "I'm surprised you even speak to me anymore. I was pretty gross."
She nodded. "Uh huh. I thought you were so drunk and obnoxious. But then I started thinking about it after I found out about El Ejército de la Justa," she pronounced in perfect Spanish. "And I put the two together. Maybe you were on a weekend pass or something." She shrugged.
Charlie shook his head. "You got it all wrong."
She ignored him. "Then I started thinking about what you said about somebody killing me if you told me something I wasn't supposed to know."
"I was kidding," he said.
"No," she said looking at him. "I don't think so. Anyway, I started talking to the Departamento y Regulación de Mágicamente Seres and they didn't want to talk to me, but I found someone who would. Then I heard the name Ares, and that rang a bell with me. So little pieces started to fit together. The El Ejército de la Justa," she began.
"And I told you I didn't know what you were talking about," he said.
"And yet you're sporting their tattoo." She pointed at his tribal band tattoo.
Charlie unconsciously touched the tribal band on his arm. "Hmph," he said. "I just thought it was hot looking. I didn't know it meant anything," he lied.
Linda looked him drolly. "You know I don't buy that. You know exactly what that tattoo means. You don't have anything random on your body. Every single tattoo you have has a special meaning; even I know that."
Charlie shrugged and looked away.
"Here's the first one," Zola said happily as she pulled up into an enormous gated driveway.
Charlie took one look at the enormous mansion and said, "Too big."
"Don't you want to go inside?" she asked, disappointed.
"No," he said flatly. "Got anything smaller?"
"No worries," she said, again happily. She pulled the car out onto the highway and headed toward Interstate 35.
"You didn't want to see the inside of the house?" Linda asked incredulous. "I bet it was beautiful."
Charlie shrugged again. "I want to look at something I'd consider buying."
Zola looked in her rearview mirror at Charlie. "What do you think of a loft?"
"Not much." I like the idea of a house." He said.
"Sure, sure. I got it." She said, waving her hand.
They rode quietly for a while. Charlie hoped that Linda was going to drop the conversation about El Ejército de la Justa. She certainly had done her homework.
Linda, on the other hand, was trying to think of a way to get him to admit that he knew about the Army of the Righteous. She could speculate all day long, but until he confirmed it, all it was was speculation.
"I thought you were going to be honest with me, Charlie," Linda said.
He tried to look innocent, but he doubted he pulled it off. He shrugged his shoulders. "What?" he said carefully. "I'm being honest with you."
"Bullshit." She said, frustrated.
Zola pulled into the second house. It was a nice ranch style in a quiet neighborhood. There was acreage. Zola said something about a horse barn. They got out to look at the house. It was nice; there was a swimming pool in the back yard and a nice outdoor kitchen. Charlie looked at the outdoor kitchen blankly. Zola explained that the back yard was perfect for entertaining.
"Does it have a bar? Because that's the only entertainment piece I can think of." He said.
Zola took them inside and showed off the updated kitchen. Again Charlie looked at it blankly. The only soul he knew who could cook was Travis. He would appreciate the high end appliances.
"Maybe I'm going about this all wrong," he said.
"And I think you're avoiding the whole issue," Linda said, opening the refrigerator door and peering inside. She turned to Zola. "How many bedrooms?"
"Five bedrooms and six baths."
"Six bathrooms?" he asked "What the fuck for?" He turned to Linda. "I'm not avoiding anything. You asked, I answered."
"The previous owners entertained overnight guests a lot." Zola said uncomfortably.
"I don't know why you dragged me out here," Linda said, frustrated. "I should have known better than to think you would be straight with me."
"I don't need six bathrooms. This place is still too big. I want a house just for me, not my whole family." Charlie said. "And I thought that was a cheap shot about me not regarding the feelings of others, especially my mother," he quoted to Linda. "You took that way out of context and you know it. And while we're on the subject, I'm not in denial about my alcohol use."
"Well then," Zola said. "I know exactly what you want. There's this one place I was holding out, but now I'm sure, this will be it!"
"Why were you drunk in a Mexican bar when you should have been in training camp. I saw the conditions of your new contract and I know wasn't about the money, you lost more than you gained. I think you joined El Ejército de la Justa and were fighting in a war the Department of Magic wants to keep from everybody." Linda said angrily. "I think that war was with an army of dark wizards a wizard by the name of Ares recruited. And I think something else happened that no one wants to talk about; something supernatural."
"Don't show me anything so fucking big. I don't need it. Something smaller. Two or three bedrooms." Charlie said to Zola.
"Linda," he said calmly and quietly. "Why do you insist on bringing this up? Leave it alone. You cannot prove anything and I won't confirm it. Let it go."
By the time they got back into the car, Linda was fuming. "This is a waste of time."
Charlie reached over and touched her hand. She looked at his hand on hers, and then looked at the earnestness of his expression. He touched her face. She shivered slightly as his finger traced an outline of her lips. He leaned in kissed her so gently, his hand cupping the back of her head. "Don't be mad at me, baby," he whispered softly in her ear, then kissed her again. She sighed as she wound her arms around his neck, and kissed him back.
It may have been minutes, but then again it may have been hours. They broke apart only after Zola cleared her throat and said they were at the next house. Dazed, Linda looked out the car window to look at the house.
"Ah, yes," said Charlie, enthusiastically, opening the car door. "Much better. Can't wait to see the inside." He jumped out of the car and waited on Linda.
She still looked slightly confused. What the hell had just happened, she wondered. She tugged on her blouse that had twisted around and was mostly unbuttoned. She smoothed down her hair and her skirt, trying not to look like she had just been thoroughly kissed, but not quite pulling it off.
Charlie sprinted into the house. He liked what he saw. Not too big. Nice back yard and a deck, but no swimming pool. The front porch was big and even had a swing. There were two huge bedrooms each with its own bathroom on opposite ends and a nice living area. There was even a fireplace. He nodded. "I like this. Linda, what do you think?" He looked at her expectantly.
"Beautiful," she said. "I could see you living here." She touched her swollen lips. Had she just imagined kissing him? She shook her head. She felt totally confunded.
He turned to Zola. "All right. I'll take this one. Does the furniture come with the house?" he asked.
"I'm sure we could arrange something." Zola said happily. "We just need to sign some papers and make an offer. Are you willing to pay the full asking price?"
"Yeah, and I'll pay cash." He said.
"Wonderful." She had her briefcase opened and all the papers she needed on the table before them.
"You're going to be taking care of everything, right?" He said signing the papers she shoved in front of him.
"Just like we arranged." Zola said. Charlie nodded. "Okay. Great."
Zola started punching in numbers into her cell phone. She put the phone to her ear and started walking away from them, talking into the phone. Charlie walked around the house and walked around the back yard. It was landscaped and had lush plants and flowers. His mum would love the garden, he thought.
After a few minutes, Zola found him. She waved to him excitedly. "Congratulations, it looks like you have just bought a house! The owners have accepted your offer and agreed to throw in the furniture if you're willing to pay them an additional ten thousand."
"Excellent." He said, rubbing his hands together. "When can I move in?"
