Charlie was pleased to arrive back at classes the evening before the new term started. He had bid a cheery goodbye to his family after dinner and climbed into the fire place and through the Floo network into Professor McGonagall's office. He found Ophelia in the common room. She threw herself towards him and hugged him tightly.
"Hey," He whispered rubbing her back.
"I missed you," She whispered back.
He pulled back and looked at her, she was paler than normal and she had black bags under her eyes, but she still looked beautiful. "Where are Dev and Amory?"
"Amory hasn't arrived back and Dev is upstairs packing."
"Do you want to go for a walk?"
"I would love to."
Charlie led the way through the portrait hole and down the corridor. When they made it to a quiet corner on the fifth floor Ophelia pulled Charlie into a corner and kissed him. He was not one to argue, especially considering how much he had missed her. Ophelia had missed him too. After her conversation with her mother she had not stopped thinking about Charlie. She had felt lost until he had walked into Common Room. It was only at that point that she felt like she was on solid ground.
They went for a walk around the castle, walking so closely their hands were almost touching as they caught up on their Christmas stories and their news from home. Ophelia left out her mother's unhappiness regarding their relationship and instead focused on cheerier aspects of her holiday. Likewise Charlie did not mention his horror of discovering that his twin brothers were aware of their relationship.
By the time they returned to the common room Dev had finished unpacking and was sitting in conversation with Oliver Wood and a first year Gryffindor and Amory who ran up to Ophelia and hugged her tightly and greeted Charlie with a one armed hug. Oliver Wood engaged Charlie in a conversation about their next Quidditch practice and some techniques he had read about over the Christmas holidays. Amory, Ophelia and Dev found themselves in cheery Christmas catch ups as the first year, Max, Charlie thought, scarpered.
Charlie managed to appease Oliver by promising to look into a new brand of brooms from Australia and Oliver left to join his own friends. Charlie joined in conversation with Dev and Amory, thrilled to be back in their presence. They four best friends stayed up late that night, chatting about their holidays, their families and their homework. They eventually went to bed shortly after midnight, knowing they would be up early to start classes the next day.
The next day Charlie and Ophelia were paired together in charms to practice silent charms. While Charlie struggled Ophelia was a unsurprisingly a natural. Ophelia crossed the distance between her and Charlie to help him with his wand movements. Charlie improved dramatically under her attentive tutorage and enjoyed feeling her touch his wrist and move his hand. As he left class he wondered if he could get Ophelia to help him with any of his other silent charms.
Ophelia was pulled aside on her way out of class by a less than impressed Amory who dragged her into a classroom down the hall. "Ophie, I thought you were trying to keep your relationship with Charlie a secret."
Ophelia froze, amazed at her best friend's sudden revelation that she knew about Ophelia's secret romance. "How did you know?"
"Please Ophelia, you are my best friend. I know you and I know Charlie. I figured it out within days of us starting this year. Even Dev had figured out that you two were secretly dating before Halloween."
Ophelia was surprised, she looked down at the ground. "I thought we had been subtle, that everyone thought that we were still only friends." She was panicked, wondering what would happen if her family found out.
"From the outside you have been successful. Your relationship wasn't obvious to those who did not know you both so intimately. Until today." Amory stopped, raising her hand to her head in exasperation, "my goodness Ophelia, you were all over Charlie today in class. You were flirting with him and touching him. I thought you didn't want anyone to know."
"I didn't. I don't."
Amory continued, "Look I stayed quiet about this because I knew that you needed to keep this relationship a secret until you worked out what was going on between the two of you. I also know that your dad barely tolerates you being friends with a muggleborn, a half blood and a Weasley. I know he would blow a lid if he discovered you were dating Charlie. I get it!" Amory continued, "So you have to be discreet."
"I know. I don't know what I was thinking. I just missed him all through the holiday and I couldn't help myself."
Amory nodded, she had missed many of the guys she had dated when she had left the school for the summer holidays or the winter break and those relationships would did not have the same affection or gravity as the relationship Ophelia and Charlie had. She knew Charlie was already in love with Ophelia and expected that his feelings were returned fully. She did not express her suspicions to her best friend, instead she commented "just try to be discrete, for your own sake."
Ophelia nodded. "Anyway, enough about your love life. Let's talk about mine" Amory laughed as they walked arm and arm out of the classroom. As they walked to their next class Amory filled Ophelia in on her recent flirting with a seventh year Ravenclaw called Austin, and a young reporter from the daily prophet who was from Australia. She had met him during the summer at a concert.
Soon Ophelia, Charlie and their friends feel into a familiar rhythm of their term. Charlie struggled with his potions class, Ophelia struggled with adopting a new side pass technique that was being use by one of England's top chasers. Charlie excelled in Care for Magical Creature classes, while Ophelia got top marks in every transfiguration class. Charlie enjoyed a new book about dragon tears he was sent by Newt and Tina and the comradery of the Quidditch team as they worked hard to secure the Quidditch cup once again. Ophelia enjoyed long walks with Amory around the grounds of Hogwarts as the weather heated up and was thrilled to see applications for Healing positions at St Mungo's open.
In the midst of their competing priorities Ophelia and Charlie struggled to find time alone together. Instead they made do with long glances across the Quidditch pitch, secret jokes when hanging out in the common room and stolen kisses in the restricted section of the library.
One of the few days they were able to spend solely in each other's company was the valentine's trip to Hogwarts. As their relationship was a secret from all but Amory, Dev, Fred and George, Charlie and Ophelia started their morning with a hike to the caves outside Hogsmeade. As it was a cold and drizzly day they barely encountered another person during their journey up the hills. Charlie had realised being able to hold his girlfriend's hand as they walked. When a heavy shower of rain burst through the sky the couple took shelter in a large cave and Charlie produced the butter beer he had brought with him for the occasion, while Ophelia produced some voulevants and cocktail sausages she had got from the house elves the night before and some chocolate cake her mother had sent her as it was her favourite. They had feasted on their food and cuddled together to keep warm before the rain had died down and they had begun to make their way down the hills again.
It had been on their journey up the mountain that Ophelia had finally told Charlie about her mother's comments about their relationship over Christmas. She had been torn over whether to tell him, scared that it would hurt him, but keeping this secret from him when her mother's words weighed so heavily on her mind proved too much. Charlie was unsurprised by the news, he knew that the Rowles did not approve of her friendship with a Weasley, so he had never thought they would approve of a romantic relationship with a Weasley. Still, he tried to comfort Ophelia by promising her everything would be alright, even if he wasn't sure how the Rowles would ever become "alright" with Charlie.
Just before Easter the Quidditch scouts came to watch the Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw match. Even though Charlie was not sure if he wanted to be offered a place in a professional team he could not help feel nervous as he waited in the changing room for the game to start. Ophelia sensed his nervousness and pulled him back before he emerged onto the pitch, "You will be great." She whispered before kissing his cheek. She ran onto the pitch before him. Charlie heard the cheers and followed her lead.
The Ravenclaw side were playing poorly so Ophelia stored four times in the first fifteen minutes. Charlie was concerned that the match would be over in record speed but the snitch was nowhere to be seen. Charlie had to remind himself to focus on finding the snitch, rather than watch Ophelia pass the Quaffle with unparalleled skill.
After forty minutes, with Gryffindor winning by One Hundred and Seventy Points Charlie saw the snitch hoovering above Ophelia's head. He checked that the Ravenclaw Seeker was not paying attention and dived towards Ophelia. Ophelia noticed the snitch hoovering above her ear and spied Charlie diving towards her out of the corner of her eye. She didn't move, afraid to scare off the snitch. Charlie made eye contact with Ophelia, sure he was going to collide with her. He made a quick plan before speeding up. When Charlie approached at record speed he caught the snitch in one hand, in the other he grabbed Ophelia as he knocked her off his broom. She grabbed his neck and he pulled her on to his broom, the snitch still in his other hand.
The crowd erupted in cheers as Charlie circled the Quidditch pitch while he clung on to Ophelia. "We won!" She yelled into his ear.
"We won!" He yelled back, kissing her on the cheek, hoping no one would notice as they were holding each other so tightly. He flew them both down to the ground, he let her off the broom first. After they both hopped off they found themselves surrounded by the rest of the Quidditch team, and the whole of Gryffindor house. Professor McGonagall was in the middle of the crowd leading the Gryffindor chants.
"We won the cup!" Charlie yelled.
The cheering and screaming lasted for quite some time. When the crowd quieted down the House Cup was presented to the team and the cheers erupted once again. That night a large party raged in the Gryffindor common room. It seemed that Fred and George had taken control of organising victory parties following Bill's absence. Professor McGonagall seemed to have no interest in shutting down this particular party so it raged into the night. Ophelia and Charlie snuck out of the party at around three in the morning, they were careful to avoid Filch and his dreadful new cat as they made their way to a secluded spot on the third floor where Charlie could kiss her like he had wanted to since he had swept her off her broom.
Two weeks later Charlie received a letter, carried by one of the largest Tawney owls that Charlie had ever seen. The letter came from the Kenmare Kestrels. It has a red kestrel seal stamped onto the back of it. Charlie looked at is name written in neat, thin letters on the front and stashed it in his pocket. He was keen not the let any of his brothers see it. He felt the letter burn in his pocket as he sat through his care for magical creature's class. He was nervous about the contents. Nervous he would be rejected and equally nervous that he would be offered a place on the team.
Charlie's final period of that day was free. He went to the library and found Ophelia who had a number of potions books piled up on the desk on top of her. He sat down beside her, took the letter out of his pocket and placed it in front of her, with the address facing up.
"What is this?" She said, flipping it over and spotting the kestrel seal. "Oh Char…"
"I'm too scared to open it." He said, before he was hushed by the librarian. Ophelia put her hand on his arm and nodded, she understood his fear.
"The anticipation will be worse." Ophelia replied. Charlie nodded and took the envelope back off of Ophelia and opened it. He felt Ophelia's eyes on him as he broke open the seal and unfolded the letter. He read the first line;
"Dear Mr Weasley,
Congratulations. We are pleased to offer you the place on the Kenmare Kestrel's reserve team."
He passed it to Ophelia, who beamed as she read the first line of the letter. "Well done Charlie! What are you going to do?"
"'I'm not sure," he replied. He had applied for two research fellowships with dragons; one in Wales and one in Romania. He really wanted to study dragons but chances to train with a professional Quidditch team were like gold dust. It was unlikely he would ever get an opportunity like this again. After Ophelia handed the letter back to him he read it again. He had four weeks to let them know his decision. Four weeks to think about what he was going to next. He had not heard from the research fellowships but he was expecting to hear soon. In the meantime he figured he would keep the news quiet.
Ophelia and Charlie didn't talk much about the offer. First, because she believed there was no point as she knew that he was not going to take it. She knew that as much as Charlie loved Quidditch he loved magical creatures even more. He had told her that he was applying for research fellowships with dragons, both in the UK and in Romania and that he desperately wanted one of them. If Charlie's first love had been Quidditch he would not have needed time to consider the offer.
Secondly, the offer had reminded her that their time in Hogwarts was coming to an end. It gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach to think about leaving this school for good. She had such a strong emotional attachment to the school. Not only had it been her sanctuary from the violence of her home but it had saved her. By sorting her into the Gryffindor House the sorting hat had given her an opportunity to become a different person. Thorfinn had surrounded himself with likeminded students in Slytherin house. Those who were as much filled with hate as they were ambition. She wondered if she would have done the same if she had been sorted into Gryffindor and couldn't have said with much confidence that she wouldn't have.
Thirdly, leaving the school meant a change in her relationship with Charlie. The past few months had been blissful. Being with Charlie had made her life more beautiful and she was happier than she could ever remember being. However, her mother's words echoed in her ear and she knew his parents were suspicious of her and her family (with good reason). She couldn't see how their relationship would work outside of the walls of Hogwarts.
Ophelia could not avoid thoughts of the future when two weeks later she received a pack from St Mungos. It was delivered by large a large black owl with white marking round it's eyes. In it contained a provisional offer for a position as a junior healer, subject to her achieving the grades, as well as a brochure about St Mungos and a book on basic healing procedures. Ophelia was thrilled by the offer. She looked across the table and saw Charlie beaming at a letter delivered by a rather small but colourful bird.
Charlie had finally received the offer he wanted to accept; the dragon research fellowship in Romania.
The afternoon Charlie received the fellowship offer he penned two letters. The first was to his father, telling him about the offer and telling Mr Weasley he wanted to accept the role. The second was to Newt, telling him the good news. Mr Weasley wrote back immediately, expressing his and Molly's delight at the news. He received a congratulatory note from Newt and Tina the next day.
Charlie was excited to start the fellowship. He was also thrilled to discover that Ophelia had been offered a job working at St Mungo's. He tried not to think too much about what this may mean for their budding relationship. Instead they celebrated tentatively together.
After a few days of treating themselves by ignoring assignments they retreated back to the library and continued to spend most of their free time studying intensely. Their upcoming exams were not called the Nervously Exhausting Wizarding Test for nothing. Charlie was both excited for his exams to be over and dreading leaving Hogwarts, his friends, family and Ophelia.
Charms was the four best friend's last exam. It was brutal, starting with a practical exam and followed by a written exam where they had to answer questions on obscure charm theory in minute detail.
When the final bell of the exam was rung and they were finally free from exams the four friends went outside, it was a warm day and so they walked down to the lake and sat down in the shade of the trees. Dev produced a game of exploding snap which the played for several hours before hunger forced them back to the castle. Amory and Charlie became competitive and by the time they went for dinner they were tied eight games to eight with Ophelia and Dev lagging behind with three and four wins respectively.
That night, when the sun finally set Charlie and Ophelia left the common room and made their way to the tower. Charlie brought with him a large blanket for them to share. Under the blanket they looked up at the stars, they were meant to be able to see Mars and Venus without the use of the telescope.
"It is so beautiful Charlie."
"I know. I am going to miss this castle so much."
"Yeah, me too. But you get to work in an amazing place with amazing creatures..."
"That is true."
Charlie looked at her. He couldn't help but think that she was more beautiful tonight than she had ever been. Without looking at him she grabbed his hand in hers. With silent smiles on their face they fell asleep under the stars.
As it got colder, they cuddled closer together, Ophelia had her arms round Charlie's waist and was lying partly on top of Charlie while he had his arm around her shoulders and the other wrapped round her waist.
"This is definitely over isn't it?" Charlie said as he kissed her on the top of her head.
He closed his eyes, "yes," Ophelia replied, her tone resigned, "maybe if It was a different time, maybe if we had different families or different jobs."
"Maybe." Charlie replied, pulling the blanket up. "I'm still in love with you though. I'm not sure I will ever not be in love with you."
He had never told her he was in love with her. She had known of course, it had been obvious that he loved her in the same way it was obvious that she was in love with him. She paused before she nodded, "I hope you are wrong. I love you too much to not want you to have the kind of relationship you deserve."
She meant it. She hoped he would get over her, she wanted him to have love and a family of his own. It was impossible with her. Her family would never allow it, and although he would never admit it, she knew his family wouldn't allow them to be together either. She could not ask him to give up the family he was so close too. She also couldn't ask him to give up his dreams of studying dragons.
"Don't." He replied and he changed the conversation to Quidditch. Within ten minutes they were in the middle of row over the impact of a referee's decision in the recent Wimborne wasp's game. "You are wrong!" Ophelia yelled at her and Charlie shut her up with a kiss. This time he couldn't bring himself to stop.
Charlie woke up a few hours later, when the sun was only beginning to come up. In the dawn filled room he could just see Ophelia's face, half covered by her blonde hair. He sighed contently and kissed her forehead. As he closed his eyes and went back to sleep his last thought was that if this was their last night together, he couldn't think of a better way to say goodbye.
A few hours later they climbed onto the Hogwarts Express for one last journey back to London with their school friends.
Sorry that this chapter didn't upload correctly the first time. I don't know what is going on with FF website. Thank you for your patience. Please leave a review